Defender (Doms of Mountain Bend Book 3)

by BJ Wane

  A strange lethargy stole over Skye as he tempered his swats until he was tapping her abused skin with the ends of his fingers, just enough to titillate the heated ache. Her head swam, and a shudder went through her as he rubbed her butt, his rough skin abrasive against her tender, sore flesh. He rolled her over, and she sighed, then he sat her up, and she snuggled against his wide chest and comforting strength.

  “I think she might have liked your spanking a little too much, Master Clayton. You might consider a different form of punishment if there’s ever a need to take her in hand.”

  Skye heard and ignored Simon’s amused tone, too content and too busy assimilating everything she was feeling to care what others thought or were saying right now. There was time for retrospection and regrets later, after she left. She didn’t know how long she sat there in her bemused state, but she managed to force herself out of her stupor when she noticed Lisa and Shawn approaching the bar and Poppy joining Dakota across the room.

  Looking up at Clayton, her heart turned over, a reaction she doubted she would ever get used to or stop having if she wasn’t destined to walk away from him. She never tired of gazing at his arresting face, the way his light hair curled around his sun-kissed neck and contrasted with his darker, beard-roughened jaw, his eyes appearing even bluer against his swarthy, tanned complexion. Heartthrob didn’t begin to describe him or what was going on in her chest right now.

  “Welcome back, sweetheart.” He ran a finger down her cheek, the simple gesture stealing another corner of her heart.

  She tried to conjure up irritation at his use of that hated endearment but failed, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort since she still couldn’t figure out why it bugged her so much. “That was…different,” she admitted, not sure how to describe the experience.

  “I hope good different. Let’s walk.”

  Skye wasn’t sure her legs were working, but she managed to stand on her own two feet and not fall flat on her face as he took her hand. With a wave to Lisa, she went with Master Clayton, each step emphasizing the lingering soreness encompassing her backside, the dull ache more of a turn-on than a deterrent. If this was what it meant to become hyper-aware of her body, she would recommend this condition to any newbie.

  For thirty minutes, she basked in Clayton’s company, content to listen to him conversing with friends as she tried not to think about how much she would miss him and some of these people. Considering how fast she’d fallen for him after her initial reaction to meeting him had been annoyance and unease, she figured another week hanging around and she’d find an excuse to stay, be tempted to dismiss the life she couldn’t remember. The only thing, at this point, she was sure she missed was her mother and her career. The urge to write had been slowly creeping up on her, making her question whether there were books already started waiting for her to finish, fans eager for more of her series and wondering at her silence.

  She’d been so immersed in her thoughts and regretting her impending departure, she didn’t realize Clayton and Master Ben’s conversation had ceased and the two men were focused on her, or that Kathie had joined them. The younger woman was practically bouncing with excitement, her eyes on Clayton’s flogger at his waist.

  Embarrassed, and a touch jealous, she said, “Oh, sorry. Did you say something?”

  Amusement lurked in Ben’s green eyes. “I asked Master Clayton if he was interested in doing a demonstration with his new flogger. Kathie has volunteered to do the scene with him.”

  “Since it’s your last night here, I said it’s up to you. If you’d rather I didn’t take the time, I can do it next week.”

  She couldn’t read anything from Clayton’s bland look, which didn’t help. While she didn’t relish him focusing on someone else, she didn’t have the right to keep him to herself, no matter how much she appreciated him giving her a say in the matter.

  “No, go ahead. I don’t mind.” Other than narrowing his eyes as he peered down at her, Clayton gave no indication he knew she lied.

  With a nod, he told Ben, “Go ahead and make the announcement. We’ll use the St. Andrew’s Cross.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Skye stood off to the side of the small group gathered in front of Kathie’s body now bound with her back to the cross, watching Clayton’s talent in wielding the multiple eighteen-inch thin leather strands on her breasts. The way he’d left Kathie’s buttocks crisscrossed with red stripes as she’d arched for more proved she’d been submissive for a while and must know what she liked. Part of her was in awe of his expertise in apparently reading Kathie’s needs with accuracy. The other part of her wished she was the one up there, enjoying his intense attention, knowing he had eyes only for her as long as they were together.

  She would miss that most after tomorrow. There would never be another Master Clayton for her.

  “He’s good,” Lisa stated, joining her on the side. “I was a member in a club back home for a year before coming here, and there are several Masters here I wouldn’t hesitate to trust with a flogger over the best in that club. It’s nice of him to demonstrate you have nothing to fear, isn’t it?”

  That possibility never entered her mind, but now that Lisa mentioned it, Skye’s mood improved. “Yes, it is.” She might cringe at his harsher strokes, the louder snap against bare skin, and Kathie’s soft cries, but his spanking had shown her pain could arouse, depending on how it was administered. He’d done the same with the tree branch, using the soft leaves to tease and soothe the strikes from the scratchier limb.

  Clayton trailed the strands down her waist, Kathie’s abdominals contracting and her chest lifting as she appeared to brace for a strike. When he continued to caress, she pouted, frustration swirling in her eyes when she made the mistake of whining.

  “Ah, come on, Master Clayton. You know I can take more. I want more.”

  Lisa snickered. “She’s braver than anyone else, I’ll give her that.”

  Skye watched Clayton’s calm expression harden, his eyes go flat in a way she’d never seen before. He’d discarded his hat earlier, making it easier to read his irritation. Using the blown-glass handle of the flogger, he tipped Kathie’s chin up and whispered something in her ear that bleached the rosy cast on her face while tickling her bare labia with the ends of the flogger. With a jerky nod, she closed her eyes and tightened her mouth into a mulish pout.

  His annoyance dropped off with his grin as he turned to his audience. “As punishment for speaking out of turn, I’ll end this demonstration without giving my volunteer what she wants. As I showed you” — he held up the flogger by the handle and set the strands swaying — “these fifteen strands can be applied in various ways to please and torment, just be careful. Like with any instrument, it can cause unintentional damage to your sub. Thank you.”

  Lisa touched Skye’s arm as Clayton signaled to Ben who came forward to attend to Kathie. “I hope you’ll visit us again, Skye. We’d love to see more of you.”

  Until she recovered her memories, Skye had no way of knowing if that was possible and answered the best she could. “Thank you, I’ll try.”

  Clayton took her hand as Lisa left, and Skye warmed from the return of his touch and intent expression. “What would you like to do now?”

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she fingered the flogger once again clipped to his waist. “Let you give me a taste of this,” she answered.

  Cocking his head, she held her breath as he assessed her request then blew it out in a rush of relief when he gave her a slow, heart-palpitating grin. “I can do that. Come with me.”

  Needy anticipation quivered inside Skye as he led her to a bench and pulled her slip off over her head. Standing in a room full of people wearing nothing but a skimpy thong ought to embarrass her, but the only thing registering at that moment was the light of appreciation in Clayton’s gaze as he skimmed his hands down her sides until he reached the thin strap of her thong across her hips.

  “Looking at you tempts me to shuck my good intentions.�
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  “And do what?” she asked with a breathless catch, gripping his shoulders as he bent to lower her thong.

  “Take.”

  Oh, wow. The images that simple word conjured up could possibly be illegal, but she didn’t care. Even with the blanks she still harbored about her past, she doubted anyone had wanted her that much. His warm breath coasted over her newly exposed labia, distracting her from those lascivious thoughts and conjuring up new ones as she waited for his response.

  “Nice, sweetheart, and a pleasant surprise.” He brushed a finger over the sensitive skin, and she groaned at the myriad of never-felt-before intense sensations.

  “I think I should have done it years ago.” She kept her hands on his shoulders as he straightened, leaning against him until she got her bearings. His T-shirt was soft against her nipples, his belt buckle cool and hard pressing into her waist.

  “Better late than never. Thank you for the surprise.” Gripping her upper arms, he turned her and placed a hand between her shoulders. “Lie face down first.”

  Skye closed her mind to everything except Clayton’s voice, his instructions, his hands as he kneaded her cheeks before securing a strap around her thighs. “I’ll leave your hands until I turn you over. You’re free to talk. In fact, I want you to keep me informed on how you’re handling the flogger. First experiences, even applying light strokes, can become overwhelming fast.”

  “Okay.” Turning her head, she smiled. “But I trust you, Master Clayton.” She realized her mistake as soon as his jaw went rigid, and his eyes darkened.

  “Only with your body though. Never mind. I have to respect you have your reasons. Head down, and don’t forget to breathe.”

  She watched him move to stand at her side then put her head down, the first glide of the long, loose strands across her buttocks drawing a shiver and goosebumps. He teased the globes of her ass, and she didn’t forget to take a breath until he delivered a light snap over both cheeks, just hard enough to generate rows of prickly stings that faded fast.

  “You good?”

  “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” The tiny stings that stroke elicited drew her nipples into tighter beads and added to the building dampness in her pussy. Skye bit her lip, waiting in anticipation for the next strike. It came fast, this one a little sharper, landing below the first, the extra punch seeping deep inside her and pulling a response she never dreamed possible.

  “Clayton!”

  His low, knowing chuckle near her ear vibrated deep inside her as he pressed against her. “I would remind you about proper address, but since this is your only night here, I won’t waste my breath. Feel, sweetheart, just feel.” He removed his body warmth off her backside and replaced it with the fiery heat of the next lash.

  Pain blossomed across her butt and didn’t stop there. Unlike the tree branch that left one line of discomfort to contend with, the multiple strands on the flogger covered her entire cheek. Each slow, measured lash resulted in rows of prickly heat that stung and aroused, throbbed and distracted. He struck from her lower back down to her thighs, alternating between soft and tantalizing, hard and painful until her skin burned, her flesh pulsed, and her senses skyrocketed. She whimpered as he flipped her over and made short work of strapping her wrists and thighs down, the pressure against her throbbing buttocks emphasizing the lingering aches. The light kiss of leather landed on her stomach next, the switch to more of a caress than a strike startling. A harder blow struck across her breasts, the pointed end of one strand catching a nipple and sending a streak of fire blazing a trail down to her sheath, yet the pain came and went way too fast.

  “Are you good?” he asked, his dark face appearing above her as he cupped a breast in his palm.

  Skye shifted with a jerk of her hips, saying, “Yes, better than I imagined. It…it doesn’t last long, the discomfort.”

  “Not when I hold back, no. And, before you say anything, I’ll judge when, and how much to give you.”

  She looked down her body to watch him glide the flogger up between her splayed legs, and not even the onlookers going by could distract her from the pleasure of that light, teasing touch. “Who would’ve thought?” she mumbled, wishing she had been brave enough to experiment with shaving her pubic hair before now. Yet another discovery of something she had been missing all this time.

  “About what?” Clayton asked, running the strands up the insides of her thighs.

  “What was hidden since puberty.”

  He flashed her one of his spontaneous, boyish grins. “You should have met me sooner. I could have told you.”

  If only. “Yes, I wish I had.” How different her life would be right now had she been so lucky.

  Clayton wished he could force the issue of her trust, but since he couldn’t, he concentrated on sending her off happy. With a flick of his wrist, he hit the inside of one soft thigh while tracing a finger up her glistening slit. Her eyes widened, and her breathing hitched as he repeated himself, this time inching between her labia up to the first knuckle. She possessed a snug, responsive pussy he enjoyed fucking, and, to that end, he flipped the flogger around and pressed the smooth, round end between her lips.

  “If we had more time, I’d either cool or warm the dildo handle. Are you good?” he asked, jabbing the first two inches in and out of her damp core.

  “Yes.” She lifted for his next push, her face turning red, eyes pleading.

  “What do you want, Skye. You have to tell me.”

  Sucking in a breath that lifted her breasts, she whispered, “You, I’d rather have you.”

  Just to be sure, he demanded, “Here? In public, or upstairs?”

  She fisted her hands and shook her head, her voice emerging as a desperate plea. “Here, now. I don’t want to wait.”

  “Thank God. Neither do I.” Sliding the glass dildo from her pussy down her crack, he gently worked the slick end into her rectum. “Give me some verbal feedback, sweetheart.”

  “That’s good, but…not much farther.” Her buttocks tightened against the embedded inch, a light sheen of perspiration coating her skin as she adjusted to the new sensations.

  Releasing his cock, Clayton sheathed himself, used his thumbs to spread her open wider, and applied slow but steady pressure until he managed to bury half his length. His breathing grew as labored as hers as he held onto her thighs and began the age-old dance of fucking.

  Skye mewled, straining against him, and he chuckled, giving her what she wanted and picking up speed. She panted, fisted around his invading cock, and he eased back. With a vigorous shake of her head, she burst out, “No, please, keep going.”

  He figured she remembered Kathie’s consequences for demanding his actions from the way she paled, and he rushed to reassure her. “Kathie was given strict instructions to keep quiet, but not you. Get ready. This will go fast now.”

  Resuming his thrusts, he kept up the uniform rhythm, the extra tightness due to the anal plug holding him back from going too fast or too deep. That didn’t matter though. The moment she convulsed around his plummeting girth, she squeezed his cum from his balls, and they both toppled over the precipice into sated bliss.

  Clayton found himself struggling against resentment as he removed the dildo, disposed of the condom, and released Skye. Helping her up, he sighed, holding her close. He’d never imagined himself in this position, wanting one woman with bone-deep desperation. Not yet ready to tell her goodbye, he helped her dress, planning to talk her into letting him stay the night with her, when his cell pealed.

  “Sit down a minute, Skye,” he said, guiding her to the nearest sofa, brushing her hair back from her flushed face as he reached into his pocket. He intended a quick check on who would call his private phone at this time but swore when he saw it was from the county hospital.

  A feeling of dread went through him as he answered. “This is Clayton Trebek.” Closing his eyes, he listened to the head nurse in the ICU relay Louise Campbell’s critical condition.

  “The doctors g
ive her only a 20 percent chance of surviving, and her sister insisted we call you right away. She’s beside herself with worry and anger.”

  “I understand. I’ll be there with the sheriff shortly.” He hung up as Shawn approached him, his face a dark thundercloud of fury.

  “That son of a bitch isn’t walking this time. My office has him in custody.” He looked at Skye and said, “I’m sorry, we have to leave on an emergency. Dakota will give you and Lisa a ride home.”

  She came to her feet and laid a hand on Clayton’s rigid forearm, her face suffused with compassion, and she didn’t even know the circumstances. “Whatever happened, I’m sorry. Go. I’m fine.”

  “Thanks.” His chest constricted, but he didn’t have time to do or say much more. He started to follow Shawn out then spun around and said, “Stop by the rodeo on your way out tomorrow, will you?”

  He held his breath watching the wheels turning in her head as she weighed the pros and cons of dragging out their parting. Relief loosened his muscles when she nodded.

  “Sure. I already told Lisa I would, and I’d like to see you in action on a horse.”

  Clayton took a moment to kiss her fast and hard then walked out without looking back again, his heart heavy for more than one reason.

  Chapter Eleven

  Louise Campbell’s sister, Theresa, met Clayton and Shawn in the ICU hall outside Louise’s room, her tear-ravaged face reflecting the anger, despair, and frustration the two of them were feeling.