“But—” One of the maypoler dudes left the group and followed us. I was completely creeped out and moved in closer to Gray.

  Gray gave the man one of his death ray stares which stopped him dead in his tracks allowing us to keep our forward momentum.

  “No buts. Angel, say it, or we walk out of here right now.”

  Like I’d ever say anything else. “Okay.”

  “Good girl. Repeat after me: I belong to Gray.”

  “I belong to Gray.” The tiniest of shivers rolled across my skin. I thought the words would feel silly coming out of my mouth. They didn’t.

  He stopped and stared down at me. The claim had done something to him too. I saw it in the heat behind his eyes.

  He touched my face. It was a brief slide of his palm across my chin, but the look in his eyes that accompanied it made me believe I was his.

  “I don’t like it, but if you’re going to meet Bennett it’s under my terms. Get it out of your system now, because after this I don’t want you anywhere near him again. Now let’s do this.” Gray took my hand and guided me into the circle around the man of steel I’d seen earlier. Foster Bennett really was the king of the club.

  He had a girl straddling his lap, naked except for a leather collar with dangling chains attached to nipple clamps. One hand moved between her legs and the other gripped her throat. She clawed at the fist gripping her neck, but he didn’t relent until her body bowed and shook with the force of the orgasm he’d given her. She collapsed onto him whimpering.

  “Take her away.” Foster waved toward two men dressed in shiny black leather standing five feet behind him. They moved in unison to grab the girl. One wrapped her in a blanket and the other lifted her and carried her to a dark corner.

  “Holy shit. Is she okay?” I whispered to Grayson.

  Foster caught me in his gaze, like a deer in the headlights of an alien spaceship landing in the forest. “She’s more than okay. She got everything she wanted.”

  I bit my lip to keep from blurting out that I didn’t believe that for a minute. This was his place, his rules. I may be the bad girl of the Upper East Side, but I still had my manners. Gray wasn’t phased in the least by the S and M going on around us. He walked up to Bennett and shook his hand. “Bennett.”

  “It’s been a while, Baker. Have you brought me a present to make up for lost time?”

  Gray pulled me into the circle but placed his hand on the back of my neck, just under my hair, and rubbed his thumb along the side of my throat. I didn’t move, only waited for any indication of what might happen next.

  “Not ever. She’s mine.” Gray’s voice was the growl of a wolf, claiming its territory, for anyone and everyone to know.

  I wanted to see the look on his face, so I could try and read more into this situation, but I didn’t dare for fear of him releasing me from the possessive grip.

  Staking a claim on me like that was simply his way to continue to protect me.

  From the set of Foster’s downturned mouth, he didn’t like that answer. He tapped his fingers on the side of the chair. Angry? Irritated? These two were Alphas feeling each other out, sniffing for weaknesses.

  Gray had none.

  Foster dipped his chin and offered us a chair with an outstretched hand toward a couch next to him. “Yes. I can see that. Is she trained?”

  Phew. We sat, and Gray released my neck, but placed a hand on my upper thigh. The tension faded for the most part, and I felt free enough to speak again. “Trained in what?”

  “Submission, High Protocol, total power exchange, take your pick of Grayson’s fets.”

  I looked at Gray, but his eyes were set on Foster. If looks could kill. “She is not trained.”

  I thought having a harem qualified me, apparently not.

  “Yet,” Foster countered.

  Gray ignored the comment, but I wanted to ask. He didn’t give me a chance. “We’re here because she wants information from you.”

  “Interesting. What kind of information did you have in mind, pet?”

  On the word pet, Gray’s grip on my leg tightened. I placed my hand over his to hide the red marks he was leaving on my skin.

  “I’m interested in studying the lifestyle to see if I could embrace BDSM.” There were so many new and exhilarating ideas whipping through my mind. I wanted to try it all.

  At least the domination and submission parts anyway. The dynamics of giving over control – especially to Gray – sent tingles through my pussy.

  I also wanted to know what it would be like to be entrusted with that kind of power. It would help me understand Gray better. Not just his kinks or what turned him on either.

  The true Gray, what made him so irresistible to me, and the beauty inside his soul. That’s what kept me pushing forward.

  “Do you now? What is it that you think you can learn at The Asylum?”

  The idea of what I could be. The rebelliousness, the freedom. “The lifestyle, the ritual, and the power.”

  Bennett glanced at Gray and then back at me. “Ms. Cruz, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve got a virginal vibe if I’ve ever felt one. You may be interested in the idea of this club, but I don’t believe for one minute you’re ready to dominate anyone. I suggest you take your Mr. Baker and ask him for a tour of the club. Try out some of our delights, become a member. Come back and see me in six months or so, then we’ll talk.”

  That was that. Bennett turned and signaled to his men again. They brought another mostly naked girl over and dropped her at his feet. He petted her hair and I thought the girl would orgasm from that simple touch. She scowled at me.

  Grayson grabbed my arm and gently lifted me from the couch. “Let’s go, Angel.”

  I went along, but stopped five steps away. “Wait a minute.” I turned and walked back over to Bennett and his toy. “How did you know my name. I never said it.”

  “Everyone knows the fallen angel of Fifth Avenue, Ms. Cruz.”

  Chale. Really?

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Inspiration

  Gray gently answered my questions on a very brief tour of The Asylum. Not once did his hands leave my skin. He steered me from scene to scene, protected me with his mere presence, and turned me on with his tutoring of all that I saw and heard. He even introduced me to a Dominatrix. She didn’t belong to the club but was visiting from another. We exchanged information and she agreed to chat with me later about learning her trade.

  More than any scene with ropes or toys or whips or floggers I was aroused by the way Gray reacted to my need to explore these new sexual avenues. With him.

  I’d gone to the club wanting Foster Bennett to show me the ways of domination, but all along, I only ever needed Gray.

  This time he couldn’t hide the tent in his pants. We sat in the car in silence. I was afraid to say anything more and break the spell. With each passing minute his hand inched its way up my thigh. Mere blocks from home, he slid his fingers between my legs and teased me with caresses so fucking close to those crotchless panties I had to bite my lip not to beg him.

  He pulled into the garage and retrieved his hand.

  “Look how wet you already are.” His fingertips glistened with my moisture.

  Gray stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked them clean.

  Of course I was beyond turned on. Some of what I’d seen at The Asylum was way more anything I ever wanted in the bedroom, but the power rolling off Gray had me on edge.

  “Gray—”

  “Go inside before I lose my last shred of control and fuck you on the trunk of this car.”

  That was exactly what I wanted him to do. “I don’t want to go in.”

  “You have to. For me. If I fuck you now, you won’t like it. But I will, and I won’t do that to you. Please, Angel. Go. I’ll be right behind you. I just need a minute.”

  I got out of the car like he asked. I didn’t want to, but there was real pain in Gray’s voice. Not anything I’d ever heard before.


  I hated that he thought I wouldn’t like anything he did to me, with me. At least I understood better what turned him on.

  The men were all home and I headed straight for the harem lounge, wanting their company. Ilario lay sprawled, arms behind his head, legs spread like only a guy would sit, and buck naked. Dominic stood behind him, arms crossed and eyes intent on me like a dark African warrior tracking prey. I doubted by the look in his eyes that he was the submissive one tonight. Cade walked in two seconds later, in only his jeans.

  “We are ready for you, Mistress,” Ilario said and got to his feet.

  “Great but,” this was a little beyond ready. “how –”

  “I called them.” Gray came in and stood in front of me. “Use some of what you saw today. See if you actually enjoy those fetishes, or if you just like the idea of them.”

  Some of what I’d witnessed was on my new list of hard boundaries. But now that I had a real introduction to BDSM I was definitely trying out a whole bunch of the B’s, I knew I liked the D’s, S had its advantages when it was about submission, but I wasn’t going anywhere near sadism or masochism. For now.

  “There are a lot of things I want to try.” With you. Nope. Not gonna say it. We both knew. “And plenty that already have me so hot if I don’t try them and like them I’ll be shocked.”

  Gray stood over me, centimeters away. Our chests fell and rose together. He touched my cheek and then grabbed a strand of hair, wrapping it around his finger, playing me while he played the strands. “If you do,” his eyes sparkled and went black, “then I’ll take you back to The Asylum.”

  Yes. Yes, yes, and hell yes.

  Finally. Gray was here, with me, on board. We could be together in the ways we both wanted, oh so much.

  “But what about...” I turned to the guys. So, yeah, threesomes and foursomes were kinky, and I knew they all liked the dynamics of domination and submission. Were they actually up for some BDSM experimentation?

  While I knew better, in my mind, I had imagined trying some of the kinkier things I’d seen today with Gray. He had made me say I was his after all.

  He twirled that hair around in his fingers, giving it the slightest tug. “They’ve all been vetted by me, Angel. Do you really think I’d allow anyone into your house and into your body without choosing them myself?”

  What the fuck? That was not what I expected to come out of his mouth. God dammit.

  I took a step back, because if I didn’t get some space between the two of us I was going to sock him. I clenched my fists, channeling my anger into the palms of my hands. “You didn’t think I could do this on my own at all?”

  It hurt that my biggest proponent didn’t even think I could survive independence.

  “It’s not like that, Angel.” He moved toward me. “I was surprised at first that you were actually going through with any of this, from night one and that dirty fucking bar, but I never doubted for a second that you could pull off anything you wanted to.”

  “Then what the actual fuck, Gray?” That got his attention. Yeah, that’s right. I do have a backbone. I thought you knew that already.

  He narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw hard enough we could all see the muscles there working. “I didn’t do it for you.”

  “I don’t understand. Not you. Or what’s going on here.” I looked at the guys and was flabbergasted that I hadn’t realized how deep they all were under Gray’s control. Like he was a spell cast over them. Over me.

  Gray shook his head. The muscles in his jaw worked overtime. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for me.”

  He reached out for me and I recoiled. How could he both be there for me and betray me at the same time? I knew he was doing it for me, all of it. It sure as shit didn’t feel like it.

  “Dammit, Angel. I couldn’t handle not knowing if you’d be safe. I couldn’t take that this situation would be out of my control. You’re my whole god-damned world. If you got hurt, or I lost you because of a stupid mistake by some glorified matchmaker, I wouldn’t survive it.”

  Coño, un desmadre.

  I couldn’t move. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. I tried my hardest to pretend I wasn’t in love with him, that I was content to bide my time fucking around with other men until he didn’t feel like my rebound anymore. For fucks sakes I’d gone and hired a whole fucking harem.

  I didn’t want to pretend anymore. “How can you say that? Any of that? You stood idly by while I fucked two strangers. You gave any control you had to Cade. You’re not in love with me, so stop pretending you are.”

  Gray attacked me like a DELTA Force ninja. Before I could even blink he grabbed me under the legs and lifted me like I was a screaming kitten and carried me across the room. “Don’t ever question my feelings for you, Angelina.”

  He laid me down on the biggest chaise lounge, his body over mine and pinned my hands above my head. I thought for a blissful moment that he would take me then, claim me for his own.

  Cade came up behind us and wrapped his belt around my wrists. He looked to Gray for approval and got it. Ilario and Dominic perched on the couch, sitting on either side of me. Gray released my hands and let Cade keep me bound, arms above my head. The loss couldn’t have hurt more than a slap to the face.

  Gray stood and took a step back. “Do your job, gentlemen. Make her come. She’s more than ready.”

  “No, Gray.” I struggled against Cade’s grip. “I fucking want you.”

  For the flash of a moment his eyes softened, the strain went out of his muscles. He touched my cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, sweet Angel. Let me do this my way. I need to.”

  “No, Gray. Why?”

  He jerked his hand away. “The way I want to take you, neither of us are ready for. You saw the evidence of that tonight.”

  I could take whatever he wanted to give me, whatever he wanted to take. The plea in his eyes made me acquiesce.

  I could deny him nothing. He could have me and my body anyway he wanted. If he needed someone else between us to keep his control, I’d give him that for now. As long as he didn’t leave.

  But soon, we would talk about this “not ready” bullshit and I would have him and in the way I wanted.

  Gray waited until I nodded. “Good girl.”

  He handed a bag to Cade. “You’re in charge of her new toys. Use them wisely.”

  More presents he’d hidden away waiting for the right moment?

  Cade pulled out nipple clamps, which I already liked and a new addition that I’d seen for the first time tonight, a Wartenburg pinwheel. “Oh, yeah. This is going to be fun. You ready to do as I say, Angelina?”

  I glanced from Gray to Cade and back again. This was what they both wanted.

  “Yes.”

  Cade handed the clamps to Ilario. “Suck on her nipples and get them ready for the clamps. Dominic, suck on that pretty pink pussy of hers.”

  “With pleasure.”

  The intensity Cade showed for his schoolwork finally came out in our play. For the first time he looked to be enjoying himself. Each command to give me a pinch or pull sent shockwaves of pleasure to my pussy. My first moan sent a smile to his face.

  While Cade directed, Grayson stood watch, never once taking his gaze from mine. I watched his breathing ratchet up, his eyes darken. Still he didn’t move.

  Cade pulled on the belt binding my wrists together and extended it over my head. Then he knelt behind me and whispered in my ear. “There is so much more I want to do to you, babe. Now that you’ve gotten a touch of BDSM, our play can get more intense. I can hardly wait to get all three of our cocks in you with you blindfolded and not knowing who is going where.”

  “Oh yes.” Because while I wouldn’t know who was who, I could imagine Gray being one of them. “Please, yes.”

  Cade took the nipple clamps from Ilario and pushed him to join Dominic between my legs. He tightened the clamps and slipped them on, pinching them tighter than ever before. He tugged and pulled and each movement sen
t fire racing down my body and straight to my clit. I moaned feeling that first push toward orgasm.

  He grabbed the small metal wheel and ran it lightly over and around my areolas creating so many competing sensations. It was pleasure, it was pain. My heart pumped more blood to those erogenous zones and my nipples engorged, plumping up, pressing against the tight squeeze of the clamps.

  “Ohhh, madre de dios.”

  Gray watched the wheel score across my skin and sucked in a breath. “Give her more.”

  Cade doubled his efforts spinning the teeth of the wheel directly across my nipples. When he did, Dominic pushing two fingers inside of me too. He found that lovely spot that made my insides turn to mush. It wasn’t long before the first orgasm was on the edge. I closed my eyes and prepared to ride the wave of pleasure.

  “Don’t come, Angel. You are not allowed to come until I say so. This orgasm is mine.” Gray’s voice was right in my ear.

  My body betrayed his command. I needed Gray’s permission. But my body didn’t care, it was going to enjoy itself in spite of me. If this was just the beginning of our BDSM experiments I might die of orgasms before we were done.

  Ilario ducked beneath my knees and raised my butt onto his hands. His tongue found a darker place. I’d never had anyone lick my ass before, and the dirty pleasure sent me another step closer to coming.

  My eyelids fluttered, out of my control. I was so close I could feel small spasms through my sex. It was too much. “Please, Gray.”

  He didn’t give in even a little. Instead, playing the part of watchdog, a bodyguard over me. “Not yet. I want to hear you scream.”

  “I will.” I panted. “I swear. Please let me come.”

  My body was tightening muscle by muscle. I wouldn’t hold out much longer. The pleasure all over my body was too intense.

  I closed my eyes and breathed, in and out, in and out. Too much, it was too good. Maybe I should hold my breath instead.

  Gray’s voice sounded next to my ear. “Are you allowed to come yet?”

  I shook my head. So close, so close. Please, please.