Sierra Cartwright - Doms of Dark Haven

He crooked a finger at her. Come here.

A wave of longing ran through her, but she shook her head. “I'm not going to do a scene with you.”

“Not with me. Come here .” His chin lifted just that infinitesimal amount that melted every bone and ounce of resistance in her body. How did he do that?

Feeling like a condemned prisoner heading for the gallows, she walked forward.

“Good.” He smiled at her, but the look in his eyes was…different. No smile lurked in the depths.

“What's wrong?” she whispered.

Hands on her shoulders, he pushed her back against the wooden frame and lifted her arm over her head.

Snap.

“Hey!” She yanked at the wrist he'd just restrained to the upper arm of the X.

Damn, she'd forgotten she still wore cuffs. Ignoring her struggles, he secured her other arm. “What are you doing?”

“Rona, you insist you want an assortment of men, not just one, but you haven't followed through. I'm going to let you experience the variety you wanted.”

The floor seemed to drop out from under her. Men? Other men?

Before she could react, he pulled her left leg outward and clipped the ankle cuff to the X-frame's lower leg. The feel of his callous hands sent heat rushing through her.

“Master Simon… No.” Her voice came out weak. Totally ineffective, considering he didn't stop.

Without speaking, he anchored her other leg, then tightened the restraints until she couldn't move anything, couldn't do anything except wiggle her hips. He didn't notice as he turned and raised his voice loud enough to echo through the house. “Unattached doms. I've placed a sub on the cross for your pleasure. Her safe word is 'Houston.' Each dom will have three minutes to get an interested response from her, using hands or mouth—no toys. Whoever succeeds may remove her restraints and take her. After that, she goes back on the cross.”

“Simon,” she hissed. “You can't—”

“Is this not what you said you wanted?” The uncompromising look he gave her said put up or shut up.

But…

He touched her cheek with his fingertips. “Remain calm, pet. I'll be off to one side to ensure nothing gets out of hand. You're perfectly safe to enjoy your variety of men.”

But…

And he walked away.

Rona's breath hitched inside her throat until it felt as if she'd choke. The room had gone silent, leaving only the harsh swishing of her heartbeat in her ears. She couldn't help but yank on the cuffs, but he'd done a fine job of stringing her up. Of course he would. Master Hotshot Simon. She glared at his broad back and realized his sleeves were rolled down. He wouldn't participate.

Disappointment had a bitter taste.

She looked away from him, and her eyes widened. Every single man at the party must have crowded into the living room, all eyeing her with that assessing, dominant stare. She shut down her first inclination—to yell Houston and get me out of here —and tried to stay rational.

Only what was rational about sex?

But this was her goal and exactly why she had come to the party. She'd wanted to mess around, but instead she'd focused so hard on damn-him-to-hell Simon that she hadn't noticed anyone else. Pretty stupid of her, really, especially since Mr. I'm Getting Involved obviously didn't have a problem handing her off to other men. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed and swallowed again, forcing the ache away.

Get over it, Rona. This is right off your goal list; stick to the plan, girl . She raised her chin. She'd show him how much she'd enjoy every single one of these guys.

And thank him for the treat afterward.

The doms cut cards to pick who went first. One tossed down his winning card and headed for her. Medium height, late twenties maybe. The solid blond looked just fine in his leather pants and black T-shirt.

“Uh. Hi,” she offered.

Ice blue eyes met hers. “Be quiet. When I want you to speak, I'll let you know.”

Pfft . She frowned. Why did his order tempt her to call him an idiot, but that same command from Simon would have sent funny little chills through her?

He went straight for the kill, one hand settling on her pussy, the other on her breast. She was still sensitive from Simon's attentions and the cupping, and it hurt when this idiot pulled at her nipple. When he massaged her clit, she cringed at the dry discomfort.

When Master Simon announced, “Time,” she let her head tip back in relief.

The dom gave her a cold look and stalked away.

The next one was even younger, midtwenties, and serious eye candy.

He had a wide smile as he said, “Mmm, I like what that vacuum pump does.”

He kissed her softly, and his hand brushed over her breast. Very nice . Not painful at all.

He bent and sucked on her nipple. She leaned back, only there was no retreat against the wrongness of the sensation. His hand touched her pussy and—

“Time.”

“Hell. That's just not long enough.” He licked his fingers and groaned. “Find me later, sweetie, and we'll go at it.”

She smiled back at him, not promising anything. His touch had been pleasant, but where was the zing?

“Look at me.” The next dom's voice sliced into her thoughts like a scalpel through Kleenex.

Her gaze shot up and into intense blue eyes. The dom named Jake.

“Where's the girl?” Rona asked and winced. Don't talk.

When his eyes crinkled, he reminded her of Simon, only her heart stayed put rather than doing somersaults. “A friend of hers took her home. We'll make sure she's all right.”

“Oh good.”

His big hand cupped her cheek, and he tilted her head up. “You're a pretty sub, sugar. I like you.”

“I like you too,” she said. He'd cared for that poor sub so sweetly and—

“Look at me. Right at me, girl.” Dom voice—rougher. Her eyes met his, were captured. His hand grazed over her breast, slid down her stomach, and inched slowly toward her mound. And she realized, with each man who touched her, she liked it less and less.

His mouth curved. “That's what I thought,” he murmured and leaned forward to say quietly into her ear, “I'd have enjoyed teasing that pretty clit, but it appears you're not going to enjoy anyone's touch except a certain dom's.”

She stared at him in dismay. “No.”

“Oh yes.” His hand slid down over her pussy, and she had to force herself not to pull away. She'd make herself like this.

“Some little subs enjoy a variety; some enjoy just a few special men. And some want only one. Just one master of their own.” His fingers stroked her pussy gently as he leaned an arm on one of the uprights and talked to her.

One master. Just one. Master.

“I must say,” he said softly, as if he spoke only to himself, “I used to think that way too. Want only one. But I've done that, and it's… If it doesn't work…” He shrugged, and she saw pain smoldering in his eyes.

Oh, honey . Her heart squeezed. To give up on love… “No, Jake, just because once didn't work, you mustn't stop trying.”

“Time.”

His hand pressed against her clit, still not arousing, as he brushed a kiss over her lips. “Rona, just because once didn't work,” he repeated back to her, “you mustn't stop trying.”

The look he gave her sliced through her defenses like a surgeon's scalpel.

Simon closed his eyes and exhaled. If he'd had to watch Jake's hands on Rona for one second longer, he'd have broken something. With good control, the something might have been the table; otherwise, the bastard's jaw.

His sub had smiled at Jake. She'd talked to him and hadn't pulled away. Jaw tense enough to ache, Simon reset the small kitchen timer and nodded to the next dom. How much of this could he take?