by Avery Gale
“Hurt Kat.” Jenna’s softly spoken words told him that understanding had dawned. Everyone has a weak point, and for most people, it was someone they loved.
“Absolutely. There have been vast techno improvements to the ShadowDance security network since Katarina’s arrival. Most aren’t that visible to the naked eye, but I assure you they are in place. Your little whirlwind of a friend doesn’t make a move that at least three people besides your brothers aren’t aware of. Alex and Zach have made sure each member of the security team knows her safety takes precedence even above theirs. Something our superiors at NSA routinely balk at.” Smiling as he leaned against the deck railing where they had stopped to talk, he looked over at her profile. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and in the fading light of the late afternoon, the reddish-golden rays of sunshine highlighted her grass-green, wide-set eyes and lush, deep red lips that always looked bee-stung. Jenna had inherited the best of her mother’s soft beauty in addition to her father’s dark hair and skin tones. But while both of her parents were statuesque, Jenna was diminutive. Colt was sure she couldn’t be over five two. He remembered his friends always cautioning visitors to not be fooled by her size, reminding anyone coming home for a holiday or visit with them to beware of the “Warrior Fairy.”
Jenna had taken up kickboxing while still in high school and had continued into college and had even been accomplished enough to compete competitively on a national level. Now, after she had spent the past several years avoiding close physical relationships, her sudden interest in self-defense was being looked at more speculatively. And Colt intended to find out exactly what had happened to prompt Jenna’s sudden need to feel that she would be capable of defending herself from physical attack. That, along with his desire to finally put an end to her denial of their mutual attraction, was the basis for this trip to Pomola.
Looking toward the front door, Jenna asked, “What does Pomola mean? I know you well enough to know there is a story behind the name.” She was smiling and relaxed, and Colt couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken to Jenna for this long without some sort of snarky remark crossing those sweet lips. He honestly enjoyed her company, she was bright, intuitive, loved her family deeply, and he had always known there was an explosive passion that she held in check simmering just below the surface.
“Native American legend calls the bird spirit that is associated with winter winds and storms Pomola. The bird spirit Pomola was supposed to be big enough to carry off a moose. So, since there are moose in this area and God knows we experience the ferocity of the winter’s storms and wind, it seemed appropriate.” He smiled down at her look of wonder and knew her mind was always processing. Every bit of information was something to take in, analyze, and store. Teaching her to shut down her constant overthinking was going to be one of his biggest hurdles. He had no doubt she used that exact method to build and maintain the glass walls around her heart that she’d spent years erecting and polishing to a gleaming shine. What she didn’t realize was that, while she’d put all those protections in place to keep out the pain, they also kept her from experiencing life’s gifts of passion and joy. If everything went according to plan, he’d be changing that, and this week would give him a good head start.
Chapter 7
After keying another long series of numbers into a security pad, Colt opened the door and stepped up to block Jenna’s entrance. “Let’s review why we’re here and exactly what my expectations will be during this week.” The timbre of Colt’s voice didn’t give any indication that he was speaking about anything more interesting than next Thursday’s weather prediction. His gaze was steady and held her captive with an intensity that was a contradiction to his matter-of-fact tone. Jenna found herself so focused on Colt that she wasn’t even aware of any of her surroundings, and she had a fleeting thought about how odd that seemed, but it was gone just as quickly.
“First rule, you’ll do exactly—that means no less, no more—as you are instructed. You are to obey commands without hesitation. Disobeying and hesitation will both be punished. For the rest of today only, if you have a question about a command, I’ll allow you to ask. I may or may not explain my reasoning. Do you understand this rule, pet?” When Jenna simply nodded her head, Colt added, “Jenna, I believe you know enough about the lifestyle your brothers have chosen to know that answer is not good enough. Try again.”
“Yes, Sir, I understand the rule.” Jenna’s voice sounded soft and airy even to her own ears.
“Very good, princess. Now, the second rule is that no one else touches your body besides me or someone I have given permission. Grayson and I do sometimes enjoy a ménage if it works in everyone’s best interest, so don’t be surprised to see him at some point during this week. I’ll assess our progress, and he and I will decide what will work the best for your training.” As he’d been explaining this rule, he’d run his hand under her dress and was tracing his fingers through her rapidly damping folds. “I see you are not completely opposed to that idea, are you, pet?”
Colt’s sexy grin was cocky and had Jenna stiffening against his touch. “I’m not sure I want to do that, I’ll have to let you know after I have a chance to think it through.” Jenna was starting to fidget against his touch, arousal was bursting through her system at warp speed. At this rate, she was going to come standing right here on the damned front deck. Damn, I have no fracking self-control at all.
“Would you like to rephrase that, or should I just add another punishment to what have you already earned this morning?” Colt’s fingers never stopped moving, and her tremble and flooding of her sweet cream over his fingers told him all he needed to know. Sweet Jesus, but his little Jenna was going to be a joy to take in hand.
“I understand, but I still think—”
Jenna was cut off by Colt’s stern voice. “Another punishment it is then. Now, on to rule three, you are not allowed to come without permission.” He saw her eyes dilate and watched her breath hitch, oh but he loved her responsiveness. Note to self. Remind her she isn’t allowed to play poker with the security team. They’ll fleece my little lamb in a heartbeat!
“But how am I supposed to stop something like that? I can’t make my body not react to—Oh my God!” Colt had stilled her protest by plunging his fingers deep inside her sopping depths. He was shocked at how little progress he actually made inside, Christ, but she was tight. He was instantly hard. Damn it all to hell, how long has it been since she’s had sex? He had always assumed that the globe-trotting oil executive would have been at least fairly sexually active, but now he was fairly certain that wasn’t the case. Leaning forward to brush a soft kiss over her lips, he felt her tremble against his fingers. “Oh, but, my beautiful Jenna, you will learn to control your release. Remember, your pleasure belongs to me, you’ll have it when I say you can. No self-stimulation unless you are instructed to do so by myself or Grayson. We often like to watch how a woman gives herself pleasure. It’s not only informative, but hotter than hell. Understand?”
“Y–yes, I u–u–understand.” Jenna was nearly panting and added a softly moaned “Please.”
“Please what, princess? What do you want? You’ll be allowed to ask for what you want, but I may or not agree that it is what you need. And providing a sub with everything she needs is every Dom’s obligation and pleasure. I’m going to push you, don’t doubt that for a moment, I’ll try to shove aside every wall you’re trying to hide behind. I’ll take every ounce of your resistance and shatter it with pleasures that you haven’t even dreamt possible. Come now, Jenna.” Colt’s voice had been growing in intensity and volume until the last sentence was so sternly spoken that it left no doubt but that it was a command, and the intimacy of having it spoken right into Jenna’s ear was meant to begin binding her body to his. It was important that a sub’s body react to the Master’s voice without the brain’s involvement being required. The best way he’d ever been able to explain it was the sub’s reactions should be almost reflexive. His words
It took a couple of seconds for Jenna to realize what he’d said. “Out here? What if someone sees?”
“First of all, it was an order, not a suggestion, so that’s another punishment. You’re already at four, that’s a lot of swats, pet, best strip now.” Colt’s last word left little question about his frustration. Grasping the hem of her dress, she hurriedly pulled it over her head.
“Better. Now, I intend to keep you just like this for most of the week. You’ll be either inside the house or with me at all times, so the only people besides me who will be seeing that gorgeous body of yours will be those I chose to allow the privilege.” With that, he stepped aside and ushered her inside.
* * * *
“Cabin” was a ridiculous term for the beautifully designed and furnished structure Colt had escorted her into. Even as off-balance as she felt from both the mind-blowing orgasm and her own nudity, Jenna was positively stunned at Colt, Mitch, and Bryant’s retreat. The glass front offered a view of the river, mountains, and canyon in which the house sat that was heart-stopping, and it flashed through Jenna’s mind how the view would be ever changing with the seasons, each one with its own elements of splendor. One wall of the living room had been left as the natural rock the room had been carved from, the mantle over the fireplace was a smooth slab of rock that they had obviously taken great care to carve and smooth to perfection. And while it was obvious it was a man’s home, as evidenced by amazing photos, paintings, and prints showcasing his love of nature and wildlife, it still showed evidence of a designer’s eye, and Jenna couldn’t help but assume that was Bryant’s influence. As she looked down the hall, she could see it was particularly wide and wondered if they had utilized an old mine within their design.
Colt stood back and watched as Jenna took in everything around her, God but he would love to be able to hear everything she was thinking. He could practically hear the wheels churning as she absorbed her surroundings. When he saw her eyes widen at the hallway, he said, “Yes, we did use parts of an existing mine, that helped save some time with the carving and blasting, but it made for a whole lot of paperwork, I assure you. Seems the Bureau of Mining isn’t inclined to be pushed no matter which Pentagon hotshot we asked to call them. The only person who was even remotely influential was your father.” He chuckled, and she was sure they’d pulled every trick out of their respective hats to get the mining hard hats to conform to their timetable. She sure knew how her brothers operated, and she didn’t see that Colt would be any better. Her dad was a diplomat to the bone. No doubt he would have used his considerable negotiating skills and charm to help when he could. It surprised her that Colt had seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. It was unnerving also, even if Kat had warned her that it was a “Dom thing” and to be ready for it. She suppressed the smile that had threatened to surface at the thought of all the helpful hints for all things Dom-related she had gotten this morning, and she was betting Kat and Rissa would be paying dearly for that while she was gone.
* * * *
Colt just stood and watched Jenna for long moments. It was amazing to watch her expression change in small increments as thoughts worked through her razor-sharp mind. Finally he straightened from the wall he’d been leaning against. “Come on, let’s get your punishments out of the way so we can put the supplies into the freight elevator and get everything put away. I’m hungry, but I don’t want this hanging over your head during dinner.” He led Jenna to the bar and stood her in front of one of the tall barstools. He moved around the bar, and when he returned he carried a large, leather-covered paddle.
Jenna’s eyes went wide, and her breathing hitched. Colt simply waited until she went still, and he saw arousal replace the temporary panic that had first filled her eyes. Ah, the eyes are always the windows of the soul, my love. I do so appreciate how your body broadcasts its desire even when your words and actions try to deny it. When Jenna started to step back, his one word command, “Don’t,” was all it took for her to freeze in place and glance to the floor. You, my lovely pet, are a true submissive. Now, let’s see what we can do about helping you acknowledge all that hidden passion.
Chapter 8
“Lean forward and place your forearms on the stool, pet. Can you tell me why you are being punished?” Colt’s tone was cool and detached, as if having a naked woman bent over in front of him was everyday business. And it suddenly occurred to her that this was everyday business to him. Why was that such a depressing thought? Next week, she’d be gone and he would simply replace her with someone new.
“Jenna? I asked you a question.” Colt was more stern this time, but he was wondering what had gone through her mind, whatever it was had made her sad, he’d seen it plainly in her expression. Oh but you are a complicated puzzle, princess.
“Well, I drank too much this afternoon while you were spying on me, and I didn’t want to wear just that skimpy little dress you gave me, and I don’t answer or strip as fast as the other women you obviously do this to, so no doubt you’ll be looking forward to being rid of me at the end of this week.” Damn, and here she thought she’d slept off all the alcohol. Just as she finished speaking, she heard a whoosh right before her ass felt like it had been set on fire, and she was rocked up onto her toes. “Holy shit! What the fuck! That hurt!”
“Language, Jenna! And good, it was damned well supposed to hurt. Check the attitude, or we’ll be at this a very long time, princess.” Whoosh, smack. “Now, those two won’t even count toward the five you had coming for the drinking, and the five you had coming for hesitating with the dress, stripping, and the answers. Those two are for your snarky answers just now. I suggest you try again.”
Tears had started to burn Jenna’s eyes, not as much from the burning radiating through her ass cheeks, more from feeling like she’d disappointed him, and why on earth did that suddenly matter so much to her? Her voice was shaky. “I am being punished because I drank too much, and I hesitated to wear the dress you gave me, and hesitated in my answers and stripping when told to, Sir.”
While her tone wasn’t exactly repentant, it was close enough that Colt decided to move on. “Since this is your first time, I’ll not make you count the strikes. We begin.”
Jenna didn’t even realize he’d spoken before he began landing stinging swats on her already-burning ass. He varied the timing and placement of the strikes, and she found the anticipation of the next one was almost as arousing as the strike itself. Arousing? Oh hell no! I am so not getting hot from this…Oh my heaven, I will not come, I will not come. Oh come on, get done already, I know if I come he’ll be seven kinds of pissed off.
Colt could tell she was slipping close to subspace. How interesting, it seemed his little princess was totally turned-on by having her ass paddled. Laughing to himself, he picked up the pace, well aware of how close she was to climax, and he really didn’t want to have to punish her again so soon. Immediately after landing the last blow, he plunged his fingers into her soaking-wet heat and said, “Come for me, Jenna.” He kept his fingers working in and out of her tight pussy as he watched her go stiff and then began to tremble. Colt watched as her orgasm quaked from her very center in rapidly building waves. He watched her muscles rippling and had to drop the paddle to the floor to catch her as her knees gave out almost immediately. He was going to have to remember to always have a good hold on her when he fucked her standing up, he smiled to himself when he realized the strength of her climax and its connection to her leg muscles was not something he even wanted to attempt to curb with training. Knowing he could bring her that level of pleasure was quite satisfying.
Jenna didn’t even remember Colt picking her up and moving her to the sofa where he sat and held her on his lap. He’d wrapped a soft blanket around her and was softly praising how well she had taken her punishment and how proud he was of her. She felt like she was floating slowly back to earth, and when she looked up at him, her confusion must have shown in her face because he asked, “Confused, pet? It’s called subspace. It’s a kind of endorphin-driven mind trip that some submissives are able to attain. Most subs require quite a lot more pushing.” He chuckled and then added, “I can’t begin to tell you how very pleased I am to know that you were able to achieve that so quickly. I am not a sadist by any means, Jenna. I like many intense Ds elements, but I don’t particularly like handing out pain for pain’s sake. I’m going to enjoy teaching you the joys of erotic spanking. Oh, don’t frown, sweetness, you’re a natural. You enjoyed this spanking, so I know you’ll really enjoy an erotic session with my hand on your sweet ass. But up you go, let’s get the truck unloaded. And before you even ask, yes, I expect you to go outside just as you are.”
He wouldn’t tell her that he’d know if anyone was within a mile of the cabin, and that their infrared sensor security system was state of the art. And the entire perimeter was surrounded by various cameras, and Grayson would be the only one besides him seeing her sweet body. They’d made sure he would be monitoring those feeds tonight. Colt just wasn’t ready for the rest of the team to be ogling his woman yet. And oh yeah, baby, you are so very much mine!
Chapter 9
Jenna’s legs felt like they were made out of rubber as she carefully made her way down the stairs. She had declined Colt’s help, she really needed to put some distance between them. If she wasn’t careful she was going to fall for him, and that was a sure way to get her heart broken. Remember what happened the last time you thought you were in love? Remember how much it hurt? Remember how devastated you felt, how betrayed? That was one of your brother’s friends, too. And if Ted could hurt your brothers, Colt sure as hell would be able to also. She just had to remember to not let Colt get into her heart. She had kept quiet about what had happened before because the bastard her brothers had trusted to stay in their home had promised her they wouldn’t make it home from their next mission if she told anyone what he’d done. So she’d hidden the bruises from everyone, including Kat, and worked for years to bury the memories of the night everything she thought she knew about love was shredded by a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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