STORY EXCERPT

Penelope Wilson was driving back toward Dallas on Highway 30 from the Fairlamb brothers’ fishing cabin on Lake Ray Hubbard. She didn’t know if she was more mad or more hurt at the moment. She did know she was madder than a wet hen. That bastard, Jay Fairlamb. Asshole. She was done with him. Finished, finito, done, done, done.

She picked up her cell phone and dialed one of her best friends, Kathi Easton. When the call was answered, she said, “I’m on my way back to Dallas. You are not going to believe what just happened. Can you meet me for lunch? I’ll be back in town in about an hour.”

“Sure. How about that Tex-Mex place near your apartment? I could do some nachos and Dos Equis. I thought you were spending the weekend at the lake with Jay. What happened?”

“I need tequila. Lots of tequila. The bastard had some other woman there when I arrived. He decided he wanted to try a ménage.”

“You mean she was just there? He didn’t talk to you about it first or anything?”

“Nope. He said it had been on his mind for a while, although he never discussed the possibility with me. He said, ‘Masters make these decisions, and slaves obey.’ I think he was surprised when I said ‘No way. No fucking way.’”

“Oh, Pen. Honey, I’m sorry. I know how you feel about him. That was a totally shit thing to do, not to mention totally inconsiderate—D/s or M/s or what the hell notwithstanding.”

“Have I been such a doormat that he thought I would be okay with this shit?” Tears still streamed from her eyes and down her face, making it hard to see the road. “I’ll see you at Azteca at noon. I’m going to drop Bojangles off at my apartment first.” She disconnected the call and turned the car radio up loud. Bojangles, her happy-go-lucky, four-year-old Goldendoodle, was sprawled in the back of the SUV, totally oblivious to his mistress’s distress.

Penelope and Bojangles had arrived at the big, rustic log cabin on the lake, surrounded by several acres of pine forest, mid-morning after an easy drive out from Dallas. She had been shocked and dismayed to find that Jay had invited a tall, dark-haired woman she did not know for the weekend. He had actually said he wanted to try out a ménage. He was bringing another woman into their relationship without discussing it with her first or anything. That shit was not going to fly with her.

Thank goodness they hadn’t carried her bags into the cabin yet. She had grabbed up her dog, handbag and keys and run back out to her car that was still parked under the portico at the front of the cabin. She had torn out of the driveway, spewing gravel in her wake while Jay stood in the doorway with the other woman standing behind him and watched her go. She hadn’t been able to make out his expression through the tears streaming from her eyes.

Penelope and Jay had met while she was still at the University of Texas-Dallas. She was almost finished with her Bachelor of Arts in Finance. She had always been interested in how money worked, and she found the financial markets endlessly fascinating and exciting. Jay had already graduated and gone back to the family ranch outside Mesquite to help his brother. He had decided to pursue a Master’s in Science Degree in Ranch Management at Texas A&M-Kingsville. His brother, Jordan, ran the practical side of the ranch, and Jay wanted to be the money man and run the business side. Penelope and Jay hadn’t clicked at the time. They’d had a lot of interests in common, but nothing had developed between them. Years later, when Penelope encountered Jay at a business breakfast in Dallas, the attraction had been immediate.

Aside from their mutual interest in finance, Jay was big, though still a bit gangly, with long, wavy dark hair that he tied back with a leather thong. He was extremely masculine and very handsome. Generations of Texas cowboy blood ran in his veins. What was not to like? Things had progressed in a normal fashion—if not somewhat quickly—into bed. Jay was a considerate and exciting lover, but Penelope sensed there was something more under the surface. It had taken him about six months to get around to introducing her to what was apparently his real interest—BDSM.

He had explained that the acronym BDSM stood for Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission and Sadomasochism, although some people called it “the lifestyle.” Truthfully, she hadn’t known such a thing existed. He’d been careful to go slow and not scare her. She had found the initial bondage and light spanking sexy and exciting. He slowly increased the level of intensity until they were in a Dominant/submissive relationship, and she had given him the gift of her submission. It hadn’t been a twenty-four-seven situation and had developed gradually into more. She had her job as a trainee at a national stockbrokerage firm in Dallas, and her own apartment. At the beginning of their relationship, Jay was fairly new to BDSM himself, having recently been introduced to the practice by a friend from Texas A&M. He had joined the Le Club Longhorn-Dallas, a private BDSM club in downtown Dallas, and was still exploring the possibilities himself.

Jay had always been the dominant partner in their interactions anyway. His upping the ante a bit had not been very surprising, and she had always thought he had a slightly dark edge. Jay had been a bit domineering and bossy, in a very sexy way. They had just never given that dynamic a name. He had carefully explained safe words and hard limits, and she had trusted him enough to give it a try. She found she liked it, even as they got more deeply into the practice. The sex was off the charts, and it had always been very good between them. Jay was the driving force in their relationship, and she had mostly gone along for the ride. She didn’t really view herself as a submissive woman. She found that Jay loved it when she tried to participate, and she very much wanted to make Jay happy.

Eventually, he had suggested they escalate to a Master/slave relationship. It had not been a twenty-four- seven situation, as she still maintained her own apartment, job and friends. That dynamic had made her a bit nervous.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Thank you, Master.” Butterflies were battling in her belly as dominant vibes rippled off him. This had always excited her, and it seemed that had not changed.

Master extended a hand and helped her rise. When she was standing, he fastened her wrist cuffs to the hanging chains and adjusted the length. Then he fastened her ankle cuffs to the spreader bar recessed in the shiny wood floor. He walked around her, examining her body. Thank goodness he wouldn’t be able to read her expression, since the mask obscured the top half of her face. Unfortunately, she couldn’t read his, either. The nervous tingles began in her pussy, and rapidly spread up her back and out to her arms and legs. This was nerve-wracking.

He stood behind her and ran his hands soothingly up and down her back, arms, legs and over her butt. He leaned in close and whispered, “Relax, subbie. Everything will be fine.” He kissed the back of her neck and shoulders and then ran his tongue down the valley of her spine. Chill bumps sprang up along the path of his tongue, and he soothed them away with the rough palm of his big hand. She groaned. God, it had been so long since she had felt this way. The few times she’d had sex since she had walked away from Jay had been pleasant enough, but nothing to shout about. She had a feeling she would be shouting tonight. “Master?”

“Quiet, sub. Just relax and enjoy.” He continued the erotic torture and she began to writhe under his hands. She couldn’t clamp her legs together, and she was at his mercy.

“Please, Master. Please touch me.” His hand whipped out and delivered a sharp slap to her bottom. Yikes. That stung.

“I’m sure you know better than that.” Before the sting had dissipated, he slipped his hand between her legs and tested her pussy for dampness. He studiously avoided touching her clit, and it was screaming for attention. “Getting nice and wet, sub. Almost there.”

Her legs were spread wide open, and he ran his fingers through her slick pussy lips and plunged two fingers into her hot channel. She groaned. She wanted the thick, hard cock she had seen behind the zipper of his jeans, and she wanted it now. But she couldn’t ask for it without inviting another smack. He reached around and cupped her breasts, pinched the nipples lightly, and whispered in her ear, “What do you want, Penelope?” Afraid to answer, she arched her back and bumped her bottom against him. “You’ll have to ask me for it, sub. I need to know you want me.”

“Yes, please, Master. Please fuck me.” That had been hard to say, but she had meant it. She wanted him desperately.

He smacked her butt again. “We’re making love, not fucking tonight—all night.” His voice was low and gravelly and raked along her nerves. He bent down and released her ankle cuffs. He lowered the zipper of his jeans and his erect shaft sprang out of the opening. He moved in front of her and boosted her up until her legs circled his waist. His hands gripped her soft, round bottom, and her hot, slick center grazed over his hard-on. She rubbed against him, desperate to get him inside of her. With her hands still bound to the chains above her head, she had no leverage. She was still at his mercy. She tried to read the intentions in his very blue eyes, but they were keeping his secrets.

* * * *

Jay groaned as he seated his throbbing cock deep in her hot center. She’d been ready, and her cunt muscles gripped him tightly. He hoped his legs would continue to support him. God, he’d missed this connection with her. She’d been his sub, his slave, his woman, his love. Yeah, he hadn’t been a saint for the last five years, but fucking was fucking. Loving his woman was something else, something soul-deep, something he needed with everything he was, something he wanted for the rest of his life.

He began to move, to stroke slow and easy, drawing out the withdrawal and slamming in on the entry. He probably should have taken this to the chaise or the bed. He wasn’t entirely sure he could rely on his legs to hold him up. Penelope moved with him, tightening her muscles on the withdrawal and relaxing them on entry. They had always been in sync. The best sex of his life had been with Penelope, but it had always been so much more than that.

He powered up his strokes as Pen dropped her head back. He kissed her neck and reached down to take her hard nipples into his mouth, raking first one and then the other with his rough tongue. She groaned and brought her head back up, and he plundered her mouth. God, she was sweet. She kissed him back for all she was worth.