Show Me, Baby:A Masters of the Shadowlands Novella(26)

Oh, the Gods of Cruelty have struck again. She nodded. She loved being  taken anally. And hated it. It felt too … intimate, too … possessed. And yet  nothing quite equaled the sensation.

"Good." He chose the smallest plug-thank you, God-lubed it, and pushed  it in with no fanfare, ignoring her wiggling. The slight burn and the  stretch and wakening nerves made her clit throb and need.

Her gaze took in the wonderful bulge beneath his jeans. She was so ready to have sex.

Instead, he turned and dropped additional anal plugs beside her.

She stared at him and made a sound. A bad sound.

He gave her a terrifying smile and picked up a vibrator. "After you come-each time-I'll reward you with a bigger plug."

The restraints held her open as he ran his finger around her clit. "Don't worry, sweetling. The biggest one will be … me."





Chapter Nine



With a depressed sigh, Rainie finished updating her resume at Jake's  kitchen table. Now that the task was completed, she needed to send out  applications. Get a job. Move.

Misery grew like a weed inside her.

For a while, she'd escaped thinking about the future. Between wedding  chores and the clinic, she'd been busy. Then there was Rhage, as well.  And-her new man took up even more time.

I have a man.

She could feel her lips curling up into an idiotic grin, but didn't  care. She loved it all. Loved having her life filled with activities,  loved having a dog, loved being involved with Jake Sheffield.

From outside came the sound of a mallet striking metal. She rose to peek out the window.

Across the green swath of grass, Jake was attaching what looked like a  chain wastebasket to a tall pole. Jake had decided to set up a disc golf  course.

Admittedly, the game was fun, although she'd never been able to hit the  broad side of a barn with a Frisbee. Actually, she was lucky if the disc  stayed in the same zip code. But ever since last Sunday when Jake had  dragged her out for some "fun," she'd been improving.

And both Rhage and Guido loved Frisbee catch. They'd gone out with Jake  today, obviously in hopes that he'd play with them again. But he was  focused on getting the course done so he could start having weekend  Frisbee golf and grill parties.

Only he'd used the word "we." "We can have … " The way that made her feel,  with hope and sadness so intermingled she couldn't pull them apart.

As she watched, Jake peeled off his shirt and tossed it over the pole.  His wide chest gleamed in the sunlight, and her thoughts scattered  before a rising wind of lust. Down, girl. He wasn't stripping for a show  but because the sun was too hot. Shame on me.

Feeling guilty, Rainie poured ice tea into a sports bottle and grabbed a  couple of the cookies she'd made the day before. If nothing else, she  could go succor her man.

She sure didn't do much for him-all she gave him was food and … well, and  sex. Nothing emotional. Nothing real. Her lips turned down. She'd come  to need him, but the reverse wasn't true at all.

When the screen door banged shut behind her, the dogs raced across the grass to bark and bounce around her.

"Look at you two. Were you helping your human?" They were so happy to  see her, to be outside, to be together. As she dispensed scratches and  ear tugs, her heart felt so full it was tender.

Jake said they'd probably been raised in one-dog families, and now they'd found themselves a "pack." She knew the feeling.

Jake was on his cell as she approached. He'd shoved his hair back off  his forehead, and the sun glinted in the thick brown strands. When he  saw her, he winked and kept talking. "Yes, I'll tell the housekeeper to  have the fridge stocked. No, Mom, I won't check on Jennifer's kitchen.  If she left stuff in there, she can clean it out herself."         

     



 

His family was due to return from Europe next week, Rainie remembered. She handed him the bottle of ice tea.

His pleased smile was enough to melt every ice cube in the bottle and  her bones as well. Tilting his head back, he drank, and his Adam's apple  moved in his hard, corded neck as he swallowed.

As she watched-and perved-her mouth grew dry and the air heated.

The work of pounding in the iron poles had pumped up his muscles until  his tanned skin stretched taut over his rock-hard biceps, delts, and  pecs. He gleamed with sweat, and his light scattering of chest hair had  matted down, allowing flat brown nipples to show. On the back of his  forearms, his veins stood out, daring her to trace them with her tongue.  His jeans hung low on his hips, giving her a mouth-watering view of the  ridges of his abdominal muscles. The bulge of his package in those  jeans was growing.

She jerked her gaze up.

Lowering his phone, he said in an intensely masculine growl, "If you  keep those hungry eyes on me, I'll show you all about sex in the sun."

"Oh my God, you're talking to your mother-you can't … " She sputtered,  knowing her face had gone beet red. How could he have said such a thing  with his mother listening? At a loss, Rainie held out a cookie. "Eat  this, and stop whatever you're thinking!"

His deep laugh reverberated through her, filling her heart with  happiness. Then he glanced at his phone and … turned the mike back on.  "Still here. Just had to deal with something for a moment. Yes, tomorrow  is Marcus and Gabi's wedding. It's a shame you won't return in time."

Before Rainie could escape, he nabbed her with a long arm around her  waist. Holding her against his front, he rocked his hips, teasing her  with his thick erection. One big hand kneaded her ass.

He said into the phone, "Nadia's actually working? With William Renard? Well, maybe I'll run into her tomorrow."

Another long flow of indecipherable words came through the phone before he responded, "I love you, too, Mom. Put him on."

I love you, too. Trapped within the curve of Jake's arm, unable to flee,  Rainie stared up at him as his sentiment resonated down into her  center. The very same words-I love you-lived inside her heart just  waiting to be released.

No. No. Absolutely not. No, she didn't love him. Couldn't love him. Ever. Wrong.

She tried to take a step back, and he drew her closer. Even as he  answered his father about a business matter, he pressed a kiss to the  top of her head.

The affectionate gesture hit her resolve with the weight of a  sledgehammer. And as the broken pieces of her future fell around her,  she was wondering … what would it be like to stay?

But what about her past? Her jaw firmed. The cruel people from her  past-as well as the memories-would find her, over and over. She'd never  escape.

Yet, she'd had experience in dealing with the jerks who judged her, and she'd survived so far.

She leaned into Jake and breathed in his scent. If the assholes' verbal  abuse was the cost of staying with Jake-and God, she wanted to be with  him-she could handle what they dished out.

She could.







The gods had smiled on Gabi and Sally, Rainie thought, gifting them with  a flawless wedding day. The gauzy clouds overhead grew denser near the  horizon, softened the sun, and kept the temperature perfect. The light  sea-scented breeze blew any bugs away and ruffled the vivid  blue-and-white blooms of the annuals and vines.

Rainie dodged a caterer, stepped around a woman carrying a tissue-wrapped gift, and hurried toward the bridal suite.

Behind her at the entrance to the ceremonial garden, Jessica and Linda  were going over last minute details with the wedding planner. Although  both women were gowned in the rich blue of the bridal party, they'd  managed to sidestep the walking-down-the-aisle portion.

It hadn't been easy. Linda had tactfully refused, then refused again,  and finally told the brides that Master Sam would handle the next  refusal. Neither Gabi nor Sally were about to annoy the Shadowlands'  notorious sadist.

Faced with the same pressure, pregnant Jessica had informed the brides  that if they persisted, she'd either go into labor or-even worse-inform  Master Z of every trick the two brats had pulled in the club.

Awesome threat.

Grinning, Rainie walked through the main entrance of the bridal suite.  Decorated in quiet colors of cream and khaki, the suite held a small  kitchen, bathroom, and dressing room. In the main space, which combined a  living room and a beauty parlor, counters, sinks, and mirrors lined one  entire wall.

Right now, chaos ruled. At the counters, three hairdressers were  finishing Kim, Beth, and Andrea. A makeup artist was putting the last  touches on Gabi's face.         

     



 

Doing a mental count, Rainie nodded. Gabi and bridesmaids were accounted for.

In the center of the room, Uzuri and Kari lounged in the beige suede  chairs. They, along with Rainie, were Sally's bridesmaids. Rainie  cleared her throat. "Where's the second bride?"

"In the kitchen," Gabi called.

"No, she came out and went into the dressing room." Kari jerked her head toward the back. "She's been there a while."

"She looked a little upset," Uzuri said. "I wasn't sure whether to check on her or not. Maybe she's got an attack of nerves?"