Lumberjack Weekend(Divine Creek Ranch 21)(48)

“Conrad, stop,” Joseph ordered as he took the final two steps to the second floor landing, and Josh could see the struggling woman sprawled on the blue oriental carpet and the man who was trying to subdue her. Judging by his leather pants and the whip attached to his belt, he was right in the middle of a fantasy scene.

At Joseph’s command, the muscular Dom withdrew his hands, releasing the redhead. She turned her tousled head at the sound of Joseph’s voice and whimpered over the gag that had been thrust in her mouth.

Conrad was flushed and out of breath, and there was a hint of reproach in his voice as he glared at his host and said, “Joseph, this isn’t—”

While crouching down to assist the woman, Joseph looked up at the man. When their eyes met, Conrad stopped talking and hastily unbuckled the gag.

The redhead struggled to swallow and then whimpered. “Get the hell off of me, you creep. Joseph, please help me.” Struggling against the ties binding her wrists, she was red-faced and looked moments away from tears as she sniffled.

Conrad frowned. “I was waiting for a redhead with long hair for a capture scene. She never used the club safe word, damn it.”

Joseph made quick work of removing the restraints pinning her wrists behind her back. “Miss Carrigan, it seems you’re getting an up-close-and-personal introduction to my blue oriental carpet.”

The redhead swiped her abundant locks away from her flushed face and then glared up at him as she fought Conrad’s grip and tried to stand on her own. Joseph steadied her as she looked at their group with wide eyes. “I thought you were having the carpet cleaned or something. I opened the attic door and saw it and skirted the edges. I didn’t realize it wasn’t safe to be there.”

Conrad’s disgruntlement seemed to be draining away as he cut her off. “Joseph, she fit my specifications, and when I saw her outside my open door, I grabbed her. I trusted you to set this fantasy up so I didn’t ask for her safe word. I expected she knew the club safe word. Why didn’t you use it, Miss? I could’ve hurt you.”

The woman scoffed at him and said, “You mean with that long black whip? No! Really?”

A titter echoed from downstairs, followed by what sounded like the crack of a palm on flesh and a high-pitched squeak. Joseph beckoned the group away from the landing, and Violet, the soft-hearted one in the bunch, went to the other woman.

“Are you okay, honey? Bunny, right?”

The redhead squinted at her face and then blinked in surprise as she quickly scanned Violet’s body paint. “Yeah. Do I know you? You’re…oh man, this is surreal.”

Violet giggled and nodded. “We met briefly this morning, and yes, I’m a bunny, too. You had no idea you’d wandered into a scene, did you?”

“A scene? No, not until dickweed here grabbed me from behind,” she said as she gestured with her thumb at Conrad.

“Miss Carrigan—” Joseph began to say before she shook her head and held up her hand to him, cutting him off.

“Maybe that’s rude, but you weren’t the one getting carpet burns on your face a few seconds ago.” She lightly touched her chin and hissed. “Ow. I need to go get my first-aid kit from my truck.”

Concern flickered in his taciturn expression as Joseph said, “I have first aid supplies. Come with me.”

“No, it’s okay. My truck is right outside—”

Joseph wrapped a hand around her upper arm. “This was my fault, and I’ll see to your injury.” Miss Carrigan scoffed again and rolled her eyes, but he cut her off before she could speak. “In this you will obey me.”

Josh had a feeling any other submissive would’ve quailed by this point and been willing to do whatever he asked with no argument. Miss Carrigan didn’t look as if she had a submissive bone in her body as she eased her weight back onto her right foot and put her hand on her hip. Joseph towered over her by at least ten inches, if not more, but she tilted her scuffed little chin up at him, and her eyes never left his as she arched one of her dark eyebrows at him.

“Obey? That would imply you’re the one in control.”

Lucas nudged him with his elbow and whispered, “Redheads be crazy.”

Violet looked worried, but she nodded when Josh got her attention, and she came to stand beside him. His softhearted sweetie couldn’t resist defending the feisty little woman. “Joseph, I don’t think she understood—”

Josh gently squeezed her hand, knowing that nothing would help except Joseph having privacy with the woman, who, he had a feeling, meant something to the Dom. “Joseph, we’ll see you downstairs if there’s nothing else you need?”