Owl, small and curvy, was there, boldly leading the huge Archer by a fragile gold chain. Vans smiled as she watched them. They really were perfect together. She needed to make it right by them. Her eyes burned as she watched the small woman parade her enormous playmate around the showy circle, letting him high-step through the snow. The sound of his bells rang out over the snowy landscape and a pattering of applause echoed back to her.
“Are you ready, precious?” Dragon’s familiar voice rumbled from the stall behind her.
She turned and smiled at him, realizing that he’d been lurking and watching her. “Oooo, creepy stalker,” she whispered.
“You caught me.” He crooked a finger to her and then held out his hand.
Blushing, she crossed over to him and offered the strap of her lead and then tucked her hands behind the small of her back, pushing her breasts forward, chin tipping up.
“Sexy bitch,” he whispered and used the end of the leash to slap her breast once, shocking her with the unexpected snap and sting.
She whimpered, nipples going tight and hard as she pushed forward toward another strike, but he held back. His gaze burned into her.
“Ready?” he asked again, drawing the lead closer without any resistance from her.
“I think so. I hope I don’t let you down.”
“You can never let me down if you’re having fun.” He smoothed a hand along her breast, cupping her with his warm palm, giving the nipple a tweak. “You warm enough? Boots all right?”
She wanted to laugh aloud. The boots were worth hundreds of dollars and not meant to be trotting around in the snow. Dragon smirked at her expression and pushed her chin up. “Maybe Santa will bring you a brand new pair for your everyday wear if you dirty these.”
“As Sir desires,” she whispered, pushing her breasts into his chest. He felt amazing against her in the impeccable tux.
“Sir desires you to have fun.” He brushed his lips over hers and then started for the door and together they stepped into the snowy day.
She had not noticed the cold when they had come to the stable. Now the wind caught her and cut through even the smoldering heat of her lust as the snow swirled around her. Snow crunched underfoot as she trotted beside her Sir, keeping her steps high, showing off the black fur boots that jingled with every step.
The weather wasn’t keeping people away from the event though. The large, blazing fire pit was crowded with spectators and everyone held some steaming beverage in hand where they stood either around the flames or on the sidelines to get a better view.
The men were already on the starting line, posturing and showing off for the crowd. Archer was clearly the standout in the group. Taller, stronger and darker than the others, he had the most stunning outfit. The sound of the bells on his outfit rang out proudly across the field.
“Fucking show-off,” Dragon rumbled with amusement. “Think you can get your bells to ring like that?” He tapped one dangling between her breasts. As lovely as her straps were, they were nothing compared to those Archer wore.
“I don’t think I have a dick-cage full of bells,” she replied, shivering and sucking in a sharp breath when he tweaked her nipple.
“I could get you some bells to hang from that sweet pussy.” His eyes gleamed with intense pleasure at the idea.
“Beast.”
He wrapped her in his arms, grinning at her, his golden lashes heavy with snowflakes despite the protection of his mask. “Your beast,” he whispered and hugged her tightly. Together they watched the men run through the snow but she was more fixated on the way his hands felt on her stomach and breasts and trying to think of any way she could talk him into going back to their room instead of being out in the cold and wind.
Archer could have easily taken first but he strutted his way with showmanship into second place, making his bells sing extra-loud as he tromped over the line, flamboyant and carefree as he went.
“Such a show-off.” The woman in the leopard mask, Kitten, had joined them and beside her stood Hummingbird, her gaze burning toward Dragon, though the man didn’t take note of the pony.
He nodded a greeting to Kitten, lips curling into a small smirk. “He looks like he’s having fun. Isn’t that what it’s all about?”
Kitten sniffed in distaste. “It’s fun to win. Otherwise, why compete?”
Dragon shrugged and offered Vans a warm smile, pulling her in tighter. His voice lowered, and he said, “Just enjoy yourself out there. Don’t get hurt trying anything fancy. All right?”
“Would I do anything like that, Sir?”
He snorted and leaned in, biting her shoulder with a snarl. “You behave yourself, brat.” He spanked her ass hard and sent her on her way.
Laughing, Vans trotted off over the snow, trying to make her bells ring and sing as Archer’s had. She was so into her marching steps that she didn’t realize that Hummingbird had fallen into step beside her. The other woman was lovely, toned and fit, obviously a runner and likely as into her fitness as Vans.
“You think you’re something, but he’ll be on to the next thing soon. That’s how he is. New flavor every few weeks.”
“I don’t think I asked you,” Vans said with a tip of her chin. She stomped harder, lengthening her strides.
Hummingbird kept pace. “He used to call me his favorite you know.”
“Good for you, baby,” Vans said with a sneer.
“Just look at him. He is a fucking player. Face it.”
Vans didn’t want to look back. She wanted to trust him and everything he’d told her. They passed Archer and Owl, the big man draped in the woman’s soft white fur cloak after his run. They looked perfectly happy together. It made her glance over her shoulder to see her Sir.
And he was kissing the fucking Kitten.
Her steps faltered and Hummingbird laughed at her as she sped past, making it to the start line.
What was wrong with these people? Why couldn’t anyone just be what they seemed? Vans felt her heart breaking and refused to look back at him. He couldn’t even keep it private? He just had to smooch on her right there? Was that payback for her being such a bitch to Ursa? Did she deserve that? Why did he have to play her so hard that morning? Was he lying when he said he had feelings for her?
“Don’t take it hard,” Hummingbird said beside her at the starting line. “Did he tell you how special you were? Talk with you about your potential? Diamond in the rough and all that?”
Vans gritted her teeth. “No. He quoted pop songs to me. Go fuck yourself.”
She was in no mood to be taunted by this bitch and she wasn’t even sure she wanted any part of this race. The spring went out of her step. She wanted this over with so she could crawl into a hot bath, sleep and go home as early as possible. Maybe Ursa would have mercy on her and take her home.
“Don’t get huffy at me. I tried to warn you.”
Vans flipped her off and fixed her attention ahead of her at the course. It had not been so long since she ran track. She kept herself in shape. She could at least show this bimbo a few things. Put her through her paces.
A few other women joined them. They were having a great time and really getting into the spirit of the event. One of the women, dressed in pink, trotted up beside her while fixing her mask, and she squealed to Vans, “Hey! Faery! Dragon’s Faery! It’s me! Flamingo!” She twirled, bells jingling on her shocking-pink harness.
Vans felt her discomfort ease. If Flamingo, who had been hurt so badly by the Bee, could bounce back, so could she. “Hey there! You are running the races! Good on you!”
“Hell yes!” She spun around and pointed into the crowd. “There she is. With the lightning bolt. Storm.” Flamingo caught her lower lip in her teeth and glanced past Vans to Hummingbird and tried a smile and then winced, whispering, “Geez, your friend is—”
“Oh, she’s not my friend,” Vans assured her. “And yeah, she’s bitchy. She wants to win.”
“I hope you’re not going to let her,” F
lamingo whispered.
“I was sorta told to just have fun and not worry about it. But…” She shrugged. “Fuck it. I guess it doesn’t matter right now. My patron pulled the same shit yours did.”
“Oh! What an asshole. I heard he was one of the good ones. White-knight type.”
“Yeah. Guess you can’t believe everything you’re told.”
Flamingo sighed softly and squeezed her arm. “Hey, you’ll be all right. You don’t have to put up with that shit. Tell him where to stuff it.” She smiled encouragingly. “And shame on him.”
Vans wanted to look back toward the other side of the sidelines, but she didn’t think her heart could take it. It had been a strange roller coaster all day. She could get past this and then get back to the room and it would be fine.
Then House Mistress announced the race and the gong set them running.
She had honestly begun this to have fun. It was her chance to show off the pretty outfit that Dragon had gotten for her. Until she’d caught him making out with that Kitten bitch the moment her back was turned. And if Hummingbird had not taunted her, she might have been content just hanging with Flamingo and making a game of it through the flurry of snowflakes.
But now her pride was involved.
Now she needed to embarrass Kitten’s little bitch in front of all her nice friends.
She ran for all she was worth. She ran neck and neck with Hummingbird, leaving the rest of the pack behind them. She lost her plume first, ignoring it as it flew into the air and splashed back into the icy mud. They rounded the corner of the track still in step and Hummingbird darted toward her, trying to shoulder her and foul her steps, but Vans managed to dodge away from her without losing stride. They hit the straightway and she took to the outside, losing the advantage of the field but avoiding the other woman getting near her.
It felt good to take her aggressions out on the field, stretching her legs, putting her effort into winning the race. The boots would be ruined. They were not meant for running. It didn’t matter though. The half-frozen mud and ice splashing up her legs and thighs and splashing over her back and stomach didn’t matter either. All that mattered was winning.
The finish line was in sight and within reach. She charged forward, focused ahead of her, blocking everything else out as the breath puffed from her, the cold burning her lungs and throat and it felt so good! The pain reminded her who and what she was. A bookstore clerk.
This weekend had all been a joke. She was no Cinderella. She was a wannabe worse than Ursa. At least Ursa had found her partner here. He was faithful. Even when that cunt Bee had tried to force him, he was noble and faithful!
Faithful!
Her eyes blurred with furious tears. Asshole!
And that’s when Hummingbird struck her in the ribs with her elbow. Her slim body veered into her and rammed her, slamming so hard. If they had been running on a normal track surface, she would have been all right, but the ice underfoot was too slick. She couldn’t get traction as she went sprawling forward and lost her balance.
When she went down, she fell hard. She held out her hands to stop her fall, skidding and tumbling into a slide over mud and snow and ice. She thought she heard Hummingbird laughing, but it might have been the ringing in her ears from when her chin hit the ground.
She tasted mud in her mouth as she struggled to roll onto her side, gasping for breath, her knees and elbows throbbed and she’d bitten her tongue when she struck the earth. Her head rang from the landing and her palms pulsed and burned from where they’d taken the force of her fall and from skidding over the ground.
Worse was her chin and the horrible cold that soaked into her as she lay there panting. How fucking embarrassing. If only the earth could open up and swallow her, that would be great. But of course that didn’t happen. Instead, the familiar voice growled into her ear as big hands coaxed her to sit up.
“Baby, are you all right?”
Dragon.
“Get away from me!” she demanded.
He didn’t release her though. He slung his jacket off and tried to wrap it around her. “You’re going to freeze.”
“I’d rather freeze my tits off than have you touch me! You think I didn’t see you? Everyone saw you kissing her!” Vans couldn’t keep the hysterical edge out of her voice and she pushed at him, slipping and sliding in the mud and snow as she tried to get her footing. “You couldn’t even sneak off to do it like you did this morning? You made me believe you!”
“You’re being melodramatic! Stop this!” Again he tried to get his jacket over her, not caring that she was soaked and covered in mud. Others had come onto the field now and the contestants had stopped to make sure she was all right. The race had come to an end with only one runner crossing the finish line.
Vans tried one more time to push him away but he caught her hand and pulled her in closer to him, wrapping the jacket around her, trapping her between it and his chest.
“You’re bleeding, baby,” he whispered, his voice husky with emotion. “What on earth… You saw that bimbo try to maul me with her mouth. You honestly think I would touch her willingly?”
Vans had no good response to that. She made several attempts but just sputtered in her pain and anger and misdirected fury.
The voice at the podium broke in on her floundering. “All right, everyone. This race is officially scratched. I will not tolerate this bad sportsmanship!” House Mistress’s voice boomed out, unmistakably furious. “Kitten and Hummingbird, will you both come here?”
Dragon looked equally angry. The emotion crackled off him like a building storm. She could feel it against her skin where his hands gripped her to keep her from wrestling free of him. “Going to answer me?” he demanded.
“I saw you two kissing! I wasn’t even at the starting line and you couldn’t keep your hands off her.”
“What you apparently didn’t notice was she kissed me and I pushed her away. I do not desire her attention and it came out of nowhere. Are you seriously going to hold her actions against me?”
Vans gawked at him, teeth chattering. “What’s wrong with women in this place?” she asked brokenly.
“Something crazy in the water.” He let out a growl of breath and suddenly scooped her up and into his arms. “Let me get you inside and warm. You scared the living hell out of me.”
This time she didn’t struggle. Flamingo gave her a little thumbs-up and smile before she turned and trotted off to the storm-masked woman who awaited her.
The fire was blazing in the room when he carried her inside and kicked the door closed. They had not stopped for anyone or anything, whatever expression he wore had silenced everyone they passed. She kept her face pressed to the heat of his neck the whole while, glad she could just breathe in the scent of him. The curses he uttered were felt more than heard, vibrating under her lips and cheek, but despite his anger, his hands were so gentle and so warm! He held her as if she was fragile and desperately precious.
He lay her before the fire and when he drew back, she saw the mess she’d made of his shirt. It was a mass of mud and blood and when he stripped off his mask, the fury radiated off him in fierce waves.
“I’ll be right back.” He left the jacket over her shoulders and stalked to the bathroom. The water ran, muffling his oaths. He came out with a towel and his shirt unbuttoned, the tie removed somewhere along the way.
“So, here’s the deal, baby. I am with you. That is, if you accept me. If you don’t trust me, you might as well just tell me right now. I have no control over what other people do. I did everything I could short of knocking her on her ass for taking liberties with me. I didn’t even think you saw it, which means she and Hummingbird must have planned it. I hope to god House Mistress will remove them from the house. It’s that sort of bullshit that gets people hurt.”
He knelt beside her, using the warm, wet towel to begin cleaning her.
“I was so angry when I saw you…well, her…kissing you. After what you said this mornin
g and then at breakfast I thought… I want… I just… It scared me. I really wanted to show up that bitch.”
“You would have, too, if she hadn’t played dirty. And I never had sex with her, jealous one. Or Kitten, or anyone here, baby. I don’t do that.”
She ducked her head but he touched her chin and forced her to look up at him. “You fucked me.”
“That’s right, I did. But I also know you outside of here. And this is a first for me. I see you don’t believe me.” The disappointment was more horrible than his wrath.
Her throat tightened and she reached out to grasp the front of the mud-crusted shirt to pull him in closer. “I responded poorly. That bitch pushed my buttons. You were right, I—”
His eyes widened in shock. “What’s this? I’m right?” He pulled her mask off, huffing at the muddy condition. One of the pretty wings was almost ripped off.
“Stop it. I’m trying to be serious.” She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and he was too intent on cleaning her face to stop her. He dabbed at her sore chin. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. Let me just say my track record hasn’t been so great and I expect the floor to drop any moment here.”
“Not from me,” he assured her with a grin. “Unless you insist on this dramatic response every time you question me. We’re both adults. I understand you’ve been burned before, baby, but if you don’t stop making fight be your go-to start, it’s going to be hard for us. Talk to me. Hmm?”
He let her process his request while his skilled fingers removed the buckles on her harness and stripped her of the nipple clamps and eased the butt plug from her. She felt chafed and raw from the various straps and from her fall.
“I think I would like to try that, Sir. It is not my first instinct—talking.” Her nose crinkled and he laughed at her understatement.
“Uh-huh. You impossible brat.” Affectionately he pulled her into his lap, over his slacks and against his bare chest.
Taming the Brat (Forbidden Secrets) Page 10
