How Cassie Got Her Grind Back(Divine Creek Ranch 23)(96)
“Shhh, and I’ll tell you,” Cassie replied in a whisper. “I hope I haven’t royally fucked up.”
A minute later, after Cassie had explained what she’d told Jillian, Bunny was gaping at her with merriment dancing in her bright turquoise-blue eyes. “You are the shit, Cassie! You’d better go and tell Samson everything. Ivan texted to let Samson know he’s on his way over right now. This is gonna be epic!”
Either that or my ass is going to be in a sling.
Cassie touched Bunny’s arm and said, “Did you have permission to come and check on me? I don’t want you to get in more trouble.”
Bunny snorted with laughter. “Trouble?”
“Joseph was torturing you earlier. I didn’t want to make the torture worse or for you to be in trouble. I mean I assume you had to have permission to come and check on me and tell me Ivan was coming since he’d made you be quiet.”
As they walked toward the VIP seating area, Bunny held up a hand and ticked off one finger. “Joseph can’t take control of me unless I allow it, meaning that I submitted to his silence edict.” She ticked off another finger. “I love seeing the sadistic bastard enjoying himself while torturing me, and, yes, it is torture, even though it’s with pleasure. I could take off this damned motherfucking toy any time I wanted, but I won’t because it cranks his tractor to have me at his mercy.”
“But aren’t you worried he’d take the torture to the next level?”
“You mean to punish me with pain? He could, but he won’t.”
“Why not?”
Bunny stopped her and said, “Because this is supposed to be mutually enjoyable for both of us. I’d trust him if he put me in a stock or bound me to a table—although I hate that exam table. It makes me feel so vulnerable.” The hint of a smile twitched on her lips. “But even then, I trust him. He’s never harmed me.”
“Never?”
“Never,” Bunny said with confidence. “Everything we do is safe, sane, and consensual. End of story. Come on. Samson needs to hear this from your lips before that…that… I can’t even think of a good description for her. Before Jillian pays Samson his visit. I can’t wait to see Samson’s face.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Well, shit,” Samson muttered when he saw Cassie’s grim expression.
“I recognize the avenging angel light in my wife’s eyes,” Joseph said as they watched the women approach.
The lights played on Cassie’s serious face, and Samson stood as she returned to the seating area. “What’s the matter?”
Bunny returned to her cushion beside Joseph’s chair, and Cassie stood before him, her back ramrod straight and her jaw firmed. She met his gaze and said, “Before I tell you, I want to apologize if I’ve overstepped the boundaries.”
“Which boundaries would those be, Cassandra?” Samson asked, noting the goose flesh that shimmered over her forearms at the use of her full name.
“I invited an acquaintance of yours to join us here.” She went on to explain the conversation she’d shared with Jillian. Samson had been of a mind to let Jillian’s earlier infractions slide, even the lying, hoping she’d gotten what she’d needed from Brandon. The Master was an expert in impact play. His skills were sought after by many of the club submissives, and he was even adored by a few.
Manipulation was a human behavior, and people employed it for good or ill in all aspects of human relationships. He’d been willing to make allowances for human feelings and frailties. He hadn’t thought they’d had much of a connection, but there evidently had been on Jillian’s part if she’d been willing to go to such lengths to get Cassie out of the way.
Jillian hadn’t had a hope in hell of filling the void in his existence when they’d played together once earlier in the year. And now that the place in his heart was filled with the one it had been created for in the first place, whether Cassie ever submitted to him or not, it was time to declare to one and all that she was his.
He was also righteously pissed off on Cassie’s behalf for all the insults leveled at her, as well as the additional lies Jillian had spoken about him. Shae had shared exactly what she’d heard Jillian say to Cassie, and Cassie had corroborated her almost word for word. If confirmation had been needed for what had been said, he had it.
Joseph toyed with his lip as he listened along and Samson knew there would be a phone call to Hector in the near future. Jillian was a poor reflection on him and Juno, and he needed to know. He sighed and met Samson’s gaze and nodded.