Temptation's Hold [Temptation, Wyoming 4]

by Zoey Marcel

  Fight him. Show him who’s boss, her subconscious urged. But with the way Brad’s skilled fingers skimmed her damp slit and seesawed across her tingling clit, she knew in that moment that he really was in control.

  “Brad, I—” She shrieked when his teeth clamped down on her mating mark. They were his human teeth, fortunately. He didn’t claim her, but the threat was unmistakable.

  “Ask me for permission to come, Chanel. I’m not going to ask you again.”

  He gave her an ultimatum. The foreboding knowledge made her dizzy with lust and she felt her climax reeling in, held off only by his knowing fingers. “May I come...Master?”

  “Yes, you may.”

  Chanel screamed her release as Brad’s fingers moved with ease over her slick clitoris, making it pulse and swell with pleasure. She choked on a gasp at the impossible fullness of his cock up her ass as she clenched and quivered around it.

  His frantic strokes plundered the very depths of her, throwing her forward and grinding her against the ground as he emptied his cum into her with an overcome roar. He panted and collapsed on top of her, causing her soaked pussy to mold against the cool, wet grass. She pressed against it harder when she felt her juices oozing from her and the way her fingers were pinned between the ground and her breasts with only a shirt and bra between them.

  Brad’s humid breath fanned against her skin in steady, warm gusts as he struggled for air. “I love you, sweetheart.”

  He had a death wish. That was the only explanation for his demanding she call him Master, threatening to claim her, and then professing his love for her when Lucius was bound to hear them. Apparently, so did she.

  “I love you, too, Brad.”

  Brad kissed her neck and pulled out, dripping some of his semen onto her sensitized buttocks. He helped her up and both pulled their pants back on.

  “I want you to take Claire out for coffee and go shopping with her tomorrow.”

  Chanel looked up at him curiously and laughed. “I hope you realize how bad it sounds for you to mention another woman directly after we have sex.”

  He appeared briefly confused and then startled by the comment before chuckling. “Sorry. Bad timing on my part. I figured with the way Joaquin saved your life, it would be nice if you took his lady out for a day of female fun.”

  She wondered if there might be a deeper reason for his wanting her to associate with Claire, but Brad had a casual poker face on, so his true motive remained a mystery to her. “I suppose I could do that. She seems nice.”

  “It’s settled, then. Thank you for that. That was one amazing ride.”

  She smiled and brushed the top of his hand with a warm, affectionate kiss. “It was incredible. Thank you. It was also very foolish of us.”

  He scowled. “I held back with you tonight, but make no mistake, Chanel. He’s not going to stop me from claiming you. I won’t let you be a slave to him or fear anymore.”

  She squared her shoulders as she walked with him. “I’m not a slave to anyone or anything.”

  “If that were true you’d have already let me claim you.”

  “Maybe I don’t want you to. Why should I when you won’t tell me what you are?”

  Brad stopped walking and turned to face her, eyes guarded and cautious. “I’m a mountain lion shifter.”

  Chanel’s eyes widened, but as surprising as the news was, it didn’t terrify her as it once would have. “That’s even more dangerous than a wolf.”

  “I would never hurt our baby,” he said firmly.

  He could, but somehow she knew he wouldn’t. But still, what if? “Not intentionally.”

  “I have control of myself in that form, even if my nature is wilder.”

  “Do you, Brad? Like the way I had control when I was in my wolf form and Lucius got me to...” To finish was too painful. She hated herself for what she’d put them through.

  “That wasn’t your fault. You weren’t in control of yourself.”

  “That’s my point. I was an animal and I lost control.”

  “Because he has a spell over you. He’s part demon. Being claimed by them is like possession, only a lot more powerful and binding. They can manipulate and control their mates, even change them if they have them long enough. With shifters it’s not like that. Yes, you feel an inescapable bond and become mentally linked together, but you still have freewill.”

  “But you’re still an animal.”

  Brad glared at her. “I can see it in your eyes, Chanel. You don’t want me to bite you because you’re afraid of what Lucius will do to me, not what you know I’ll never do to the baby.”

  Her eyes dropped in shame and astonishment that he was onto her. They weren’t even mated and he already seemed to know her completely.

  “Look at me.” He didn’t even have to lift her chin. His stern tone induced her to raise her eyes and meet his. His hurt was cloaked in barely restrained anger. “You’re entitled to your reasons behind your actions. But, woman, don’t you ever pretend with me or I’ll paddle your ass. I don’t need you to be my sub for that.”

  She shuddered at the threat, listening to the sound of his masculine strides as he took several steps away before turning back to face her again.

  “You’re fucking up your life and throwing away your chance at happiness. I’m not letting him take you away from us or murder our baby. You’ve got two choices, Chanel. You can either agree to become my slave and wear my collar, or you can become my mate and wear my mark.” Brad stared her down with a hard, determined seriousness that let her know he wasn’t messing around anymore. “You have until tomorrow night to think about it. After that, if you still haven’t made your mind up, I’m making it up for you.”

  The ultimatum was surreal. She wanted both, but Lucius would destroy them all if she agreed to either. Which would make him more furious?

  A wolf howled in the distance and Chanel shivered, holding Brad’s intense stare. He walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulder as he led her back inside. He acted calm and reassuring, but the same thought had to have crossed his mind, too. There were plenty of wolves in the area. It could’ve been one of them...or it could be Lucius.

  * * * *

  Chanel bought Claire a coffee and went shopping with her the next day. She found the younger woman’s company bubbly and pleasant to be around.

  Chanel noticed the black choker with the silver charm and black heart dangling from it, which hung possessively around the blonde’s graceful neck. She wore it proudly, but Chanel wasn’t fooled by the choker’s jewelry-like facade. It was a slave collar. An extremely beautiful one at that.

  “Your collar is gorgeous.”

  Claire’s face lit up with jubilant pride. “Thank you. Dakarai used to be a jewelry maker back in the day. He and my other two Masters designed it for me and had a jeweler make it.”

  “Well, they did an exquisite job.”

  Chanel felt uncomfortable that Claire referred to her three men as her Masters. She wasn’t sure why. She knew Claire was their submissive as well as their lover, but the fact that she wore the collar they got her on a fairly regular basis and called them Master even behind their backs intrigued and perplexed her.

  “Claire, they’re not here. You don’t have to call them your Masters. You can call them chauvinistic pricks for all I care. I’ll never tell.”

  Claire appeared mildly appalled at the suggestion. “Oh no, they’re not pricks at all, though they have very nice pricks.”

  Chanel grew warm, smiling at Claire’s naughty grin. “They made you crawl up the stairs on your hands and knees like a dog in front of guests the other night.”

  Claire shrugged. “I forgot my place. They were just reminding me of it.”

  Chanel felt a keen sense of annoyance that those cavemen bullied Claire around like she was their little toy, yet despite the bittersweet flashbacks their lifestyle provoked, Claire’s attitude intrigued her and Chanel found herself falling deeper under the spell the Taylor me
n seemed to be weaving over her.

  “You don’t ever feel degraded and trapped?”

  Claire shook her head. “Why would I? The only reason I would feel degraded would be if I cared what other people think, which I don’t. And I can’t feel trapped when I’m exactly where I want to be and with whom I want to be with.”

  Chanel thought about this. Claire made it sound so beautiful, similar to the way Brad made this lifestyle make sense to her. It was difficult not to want something she was hopelessly addicted to, but to have it painted out to be beautiful, sacred, and safe gave her hope again, however small.

  Claire glanced sideways at her while she perused the clothing on a particular rack. “I’m surprised you knew this was a collar when you’re so new to the lifestyle.”

  “I’m not as new to it as you think.”

  “You had a Dom before Brad?”

  “I’m not his slave.”

  She threw her hands up in defense. “Sorry. I didn’t know. I thought you were.”

  Chanel sighed. She really needed to work on not snapping at people for having misconceptions. It really was a wonder she had any friends. Aside from a few of the men in town, Sally Moore was her only female friend.

  Hilary was more of an acquaintance, but the fact that she was nice to her after the way Chanel had insulted her in the past for being a witch was an enigma.

  It occurred to her that she’d had nothing to do with the woman after Hilary had been kind enough to help her track down Lucius. Chanel grimaced inside. Geez, she could’ve at least invited the woman out for coffee as a way of saying thank you rather than simply throwing money at her for performing the spell like they were two strangers caught up in an impersonal business transaction.

  Her thoughts turned to her brother-in-law. She’d humiliated Ben Easton at Sally’s party in front of his friends, and as if that fiasco hadn’t been enough, she’d taken it a step further and lied to him. She should apologize for hurting him. Hell, she should really tell him the truth that Jill hadn’t slept with her fiancé or said any of those hurtful things about Ben.

  Chanel shoved the thought aside. She’d get around to apologizing to Ben for humiliating him at the party if she had to, she guessed. But how could she look her brother-in-law in the eye and tell him that she’d made it all up?

  Still, if he gave Jill a divorce because of it, was the lie really so terrible? Didn’t the intended effect render it a white lie? So why the guilt over hurting her chest-thumping brother-in-law? Jill was better off without him. She’d left him, for god’s sake.

  So why had Jill referred to Ben as her favorite mistake? What the hell did that mean? That he was a mistake she didn’t regret having made? That she still loved him? That she never should’ve gotten involved with him?

  What the hell is wrong with everyone in this crazy town? Chanel wondered. Why am I still here when all the relationships are so complicated and perverse? Is this really what I want?

  Do I want my baby to grow up around freaks? Do I really want him to become an overbearing dick, too?

  Then again, do I really want some foul-mouthed dominatrix topping my precious little boy?

  What if it’s a girl? God help her, she won’t be any man’s slave! No, it’s a boy. It has to be. It’s what I want and I always get what I want.

  Fuck you, Brad! You can’t control me!

  Fuck you, Lucius! I’ve had it with you! I’m no man’s slave! Last night was a mistake—my favorite mistake.

  Oh crap, I’m getting wet. What’s wrong with me?

  “Chanel?” Claire’s voice brought her back. “You’ve got a serious thinking face on. Are you okay in there?”

  Chanel snapped out of her haze. “I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind. I’m sorry I’m not very good company.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m having a blast. I’m still fairly new in town, so I’ve only made a handful of friends. I think it’s great we’re getting along and we have so much in common.”

  Chanel smiled. “Me, too.”

  “So are you Brad’s sub yet?”

  “No. He doesn’t want me to be his sub.” Why was she confiding in this poor brainwashed girl? “He wants me to be his slave.”

  Claire became fascinated. “And you’re not okay with that?”

  “I got burned once before. I’m in no hurry to play with fire again.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry. Well, I don’t know Brad as well as I do my Doms—”

  “You’d better not.”

  Claire giggled at Chanel’s playful glare. “No worries. I was just going to say that I’ve watched him training other Doms and working with subs and he’s very good.”

  “I’ll bet he is,” Chanel grumbled, loathing the thought of him training other women. Stupid hos. Stupid Brad.

  “He wouldn’t hurt you...unless you asked him to and even then he wouldn’t do you any lasting damage. From what I’ve observed, he seems like a good Dom and a decent man. Rumor has it he has a big thing for you.” Claire winked at her.

  Chanel grinned. “So I’ve heard. Are you a sub or a slave?”

  “I’m a slave.”

  “I thought so. And you don’t mind?”

  Claire was beaming. “I love it. It just feels so right letting them take care of me and tell me what to do.”

  Chanel could relate.

  It suddenly occurred to her why Brad had insisted that she spend the day with Claire. Claire was a slave to three Masters. Brad wanted Chanel to be his slave and possibly to his brothers, too. He wanted the two women to find common ground so Claire could somehow help lay Chanel’s fears to rest. Brad had orchestrated her friendship with the slave of the two Doms who owned The Gothic Angel. Who better for her to learn from?

  The cunning bastard.

  * * * *

  Chanel was in her room when her cell phone rang. She smiled when she saw that it was her older sister calling her. “Hello, Jill.”

  Her melancholy tone was out of character. “Hey.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I did something terrible last night.”

  “Did you get drunk and start a barroom brawl?” Chanel teased.

  Jill didn’t laugh. Her voice was mellow and crestfallen. “No. I wish to god it was something like that. I slept with Joe last night.”

  The news hit hard, like slamming into a brick wall at breakneck speed. Chanel gaped, stunned speechless as her sister continued, starting to sniffle through her words.

  “We were making out on the bed again in our underwear. He kept pushing me to go further with him. We took our clothes off and I figured we could just use our hands, you know.”

  Good lord, listening to an account of her sister’s love life was way more info than Chanel wanted, but hearing the still shocking story was like a train wreck she couldn’t turn away from. And worst of all, deep down, Chanel knew she was to blame for it.

  “I told him no when he tried and he got so hurt and accused me of not being attracted to him. I told him that was ridiculous. I mean you’ve seen him. You know how big and muscled he is. I gave him a bunch of compliments, but he didn’t believe me. He was getting ready to leave. He always goes to the gym and pumps iron when he’s upset about something. Especially when he’s hurt or angry, he works out until he falls over.” Jill sniffled, voice cracking with remorse. “The poor guy looked like he was about to cry. I felt so bad for him.”

  “So you slept with him.” Chanel felt numb as she uttered the words. What in god’s name had she done?

  Jill squeaked her reply, pausing before she answered. “Yeah.”

  “Are you crying?” Her sister never cried. She’d been dubbed the ice queen for a reason.

  “I’m not crying. I have allergies.” Jill barely got the words out before her voice broke again.

  Chanel’s eyes welled with tears of her own. “Jill, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

  “How is it your fault?”

  “I pushed you into it.”

 
“I’m an adult, Chanel. I can take responsibility for my own actions. I guess Ben will give me my divorce now,” Jill said glumly, sounding as though she wept silently. “It’s what I wanted, but not like this. How can I tell him? How do you tell your husband you cheated on him?”

  Chanel’s heart broke when she heard Jill break down and sob on the other end. She recalled her own despair the morning after she’d mated with Lucius in her wolf form and found out that her men knew about it. No one should ever have to taste the hell that was betrayal. It was torture to be on either end of it.

  “Why did I get married? Why did I leave him? I don’t want to hurt either of them, but I’m going to end up hurting them both. If it weren’t for my girls I’d kill myself for being so horrible.”

  “Don’t talk like that.”

  “This is all Ben’s fault. If the dick had only...no, it’s all my fault. Can you imagine if our parents knew? They already dubbed me the bad one years ago for having premarital sex with Ben. I guess you’ll always be the good one.”

  Chanel’s heart burned with sorrow and shame. “I’m not the good one, Jill. I hurt everyone I care about and destroy the lives of the people I think I don’t give a shit about until it’s too late.”

  “I can’t tell him. Tell me he’s engaged to a nice woman and happy,” Jill pleaded.

  “He’s single, Jill. I’m sorry, but aside from a couple of dates, he’s been alone since you left him.”

  “Oh god, don’t say that,” Jill bawled.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m still coming up there in a few weeks to see you. I’ll ask Ben for a divorce one more time. Maybe if I get ugly with him he’ll finally cave. And if not...then I’ll tell him. I have to go. Pasadena’s calling me from the other room. Thanks for listening to your whorish sister rant.”

  “You’re not a whore, Jill,” Chanel said numbly as the tears pricked her eyes. “If anyone’s to blame for this I am.”

  “You’re being ridiculous. I’ve got to go. Take care of yourself.”