Submitting to the Sheriff (Cowboy Doms Book 2) Read online

  He paused in wielding the slim rod to brush his hand in a slow caress over the woman’s quivering back. The quick knot of displeasure tightening Avery’s abdomen surprised her. It would not do for her to become enamored of the sheriff or to read more into his friendship than he offered. She’d made enough poor decisions regarding men to last her a lifetime.

  She sighed and answered Sydney. “I can see that.”

  “If you’re interested, you won’t find better than him or Connor to take you through a few introductory scenes. Except for Caden, of course, but I’m not sharing. Oh, crap, here comes Cassie.”

  Sydney’s disgruntled tone drew Avery’s sharp glance and curiosity about her scowl. She watched an attractive blonde stroll toward them dressed in a leather bustier that displayed her breasts while drawing eyes to the sheer black thong barely covering her denuded pubes. “Why do you sound as if that’s a bad thing?”

  “I don’t know her well, but the little I’ve seen of her I don’t like. She’s pushy and seems to like causing trouble. Several of the other girls I’ve met here have warned me to stay clear of her, and I have. Come on, let’s get a drink while Caden is still monitoring upstairs.” Leading the way, Sydney started toward the bar, but the other woman stepped into her path with an arrogant toss of her head.

  “Sydney, be a dear and introduce me to your guest.”

  With a sigh, Sydney said, “Cassie, this is Avery. She just moved to Willow Springs.”

  Avery held out her hand, glad Sydney had kept the introduction short and minus any more details. Not that her new friend knew much else about her. She’d been careful about that with everyone. “Hi, Cassie.”

  Cassie shook her hand but the derisive curl to her mouth was nothing new for Avery. She’d met more than her fair share of girls who had looked down on her for her geeky appearance. “Avery, I’m surprised one of the Masters hasn’t punished you for your wardrobe. They much prefer skin to…” she waved a hand at Avery’s jeans with a sneer, “denim. You won’t catch anyone’s notice all covered up.”

  Avery’s face warmed, whether from the derogatory statement or the reference to punishment she didn’t know. Maybe she should have worn her hair down and tried the contacts again, and then shook those thoughts aside. As much as she needed to get to know Grayson before enlisting his help, she refused to be someone she wasn’t. She’d tried that with Darren and look where it had landed her.

  “I’m just observing, not here to catch anyone’s notice. If I’ve offended someone, I’ll go.”

  “You haven’t,” Sydney interjected with a cool, pointed glare at Cassie. “Excuse us; there are others I want to introduce Avery to.”

  Avery wasn’t accustomed to such loyal support, especially from someone she’d known less than two weeks. Gratitude filled her, and she bumped into a chair as she followed Sydney by the tables. “Excuse me,” she mumbled to the two men seated in the other chairs, her face heating from their amused expressions and the idle way one was stroking the nipple of the woman snuggled on his lap.

  “No problem,” the man on her right drawled with a wink. “Welcome to The Barn.”

  “Thanks,” she managed before darting after Sydney. She resisted the urge to look toward the loft again, too reluctant to witness what Grayson was doing now or to face what her reaction might be.

  Avery found the open displays of nudity and scenes she’d never imagined she would be privy to view up close and personal overwhelming, distracting her from making a note of the names of people Sydney stopped to introduce her to. Seeing a plump woman kneeling at a blond man’s side, her head resting on his thigh as he absently stroked her hair while conversing with the other man seated at the table shook her in an odd, indefinable way, one similar to her reaction to Grayson’s voice. Her sudden inattention caused her to run into Sydney who turned and smiled at the couple.

  With a light touch on Avery’s arm, Sydney introduced them. “Avery, this is the Thompsons, Master Brett and Sue Ellen. This is my guest, Avery. She’s new to Willow Springs.”

  Master Brett nodded. “Nice to meet you, Avery.” He jerked a thumb toward the sandy haired man seated next to him. “Master Dan.”

  “Avery.” After a slow, appreciative perusal that drew a delicate shudder of awareness, Dan pinned her with dark brown eyes. “When you’re ready for a tour, let me know. I’ll be happy to show you around.”

  “I… thank you.” Sydney took her arm and nudged her toward the bar before she could come across as a bigger idiot. Avery wasn’t used to drawing men’s attention. Shaking her head, she slid onto the barstool and muttered, “Why does every man in this state have to be so…”

  Sydney smirked. “Sexy? Overpowering? Panty melting?”

  Avery nodded. “Yes, exactly.” Sydney hopped onto the stool next to her, wincing before shifting her hips. Concerned, Avery reached over and touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “Well…”

  A deep, amused drawl interrupted Sydney’s hesitation. “She took off this afternoon without telling anyone and got lost, again, which earned her another trip over Caden’s lap,” Connor, her soon-to-be brother-in-law answered as he strolled over from behind the bar.

  Sydney scowled at him. “I was only going out to the new calf barn and took a wrong turn on the path. I would have found my way if you and Caden hadn’t gotten yourselves into a tizzy.”

  Connor’s lips tilted at the corners, his blue eyes lighting as he nudged his hat back and looked at Caden’s girl with fondness. “Admit it, sweetie. You like the way big brother takes you in hand.” He winked at Avery. “Welcome to the club, Avery. What can I get you?”

  Avery was still struggling with the image of Sydney draped over her fiancé’s lap while she let him spank her hard enough to still feel the discomfort hours later to answer Connor right away. Her own butt clenched as she recalled Grayson’s reference to such discipline and the heat spreading through her body had nothing to do with the warm temperature of the room. Sheesh. Either her stressful plight had rendered her more desperate than she thought, or her past sexual encounters were more pitiful than she recalled to produce such a reaction to the memory of that suggestive threat.

  “Uh, I’m not much of a drinker. A light beer?” Before she’d started seeing Darren, Avery’s social life consisted of gaming with on-line friends and going to an occasional movie with a co-worker or one of the few people she’d kept in touch with since college. Geeky computer nerds didn’t do the bar scene.

  “Coming up,” he replied without commenting on her lack of social skills.

  Attaining such easy acceptance from a man as eye-catching as the scruffy bearded rancher thawed the last of the outside coldness Avery still shivered with. Her eyes shifted to the dance floor and the unabashed gyrations of the closely held bodies. Her own nipples tingled as a man scooped his partner’s breast free of her demi bra and dipped his head to suckle the pert nipple, all the while grinding his hips against hers. She switched her gaze to her friend’s knowing look. “How long did it take you to get comfortable with all this?”

  “Honestly? Not long. I was so desperate for both Caden and a diversion from my troubles, I latched onto this,” Sydney waved her arm, “quicker than most, I imagine. Let’s have a drink and then, if Caden is still busy, I’ll show you around some more.”

  “No need, Syd. I’ll give our guest a tour.”

  Avery closed her eyes against the immediate effect of heated awareness that deep voice wrought, the same one that drew her here with his selfless concern and an offer of help. Her body tingled from head to toe as she swiveled on the stool and looked up into Grayson’s penetrating, vivid gray/green eyes, another toothpick nestled on one side of his mouth. Connor set her beer down as Grayson held out his hand. Unable to refuse, she snatched up the cold bottle and placed her other hand in his, praying he didn’t notice the way her fingers shook.

  Chapter 5

  A surge of anticipation had shot through Grayson the moment he gazed down from th
e loft and spotted Avery looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car as she took in what appeared to be her first glimpse of what BDSM offered; his concentration and interest in the scene with Leslie taking a nosedive. He’d spent the last ten days struggling to remember where, if anywhere, they’d met before. The way she continued to avoid direct eye contact with him whenever he saw her set off alarm bells, her evasive answers to his simple questions among other signs she was either hiding something or uncomfortable around him. He wasn’t used to a woman preoccupying his mind unless he was in a scene with a willing, needy sub. The urge to get to the bottom of her reticence toward him rivaled the growing interest to strip her of that loose clothing and familiarize himself with the lush curves they failed to hide.

  Eyes the color of his favorite aged whiskey widened behind her glasses as she turned toward him, pink blossoming on her cheeks as he held out his hand, waiting for her to reply. The urge to order her to come with him almost overrode his common sense. She was not only new to town but appeared naïve about this entire venue. Attempting to run roughshod over her wouldn’t do to gain her trust.

  “I... are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked, her gaze skittering away from him as she scanned the room.

  Taking a wild guess at who she was searching for, he replied, “I’ve finished the scene with Leslie and sent her off happy. Does that help?”

  A small frown drew her brows together. “I just don’t want to step on any toes.”

  “Trust us, sweetie, you won’t be. Subs know we’re here to play, nothing else,” Connor drawled, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Go with Master Grayson, he can explain anything you’re unsure of.”

  Sydney nodded in agreement. “Caden and I can catch up to you when he’s done monitoring. Have fun.” She waved a hand to shoo Avery on.

  Grayson tightened his grip around her smaller, softer palm as Avery took his hand. He almost smiled when her knuckles whitened around the beer bottle as she slid off the stool.

  “Okay, thanks,” she said.

  “Most of the bondage equipment is upstairs, but back here we have a few spanking benches.” Grayson tugged her toward the space opposite of the dance floor. They passed an as yet unconverted stall currently under construction. Pointing, he explained, “We plan to tile that in and turn it into a large shower with several nozzles.”

  Stumbling to a halt, Avery jostled against him, eyes rounding behind the dark frames as she peered into the space. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head with the possibilities. “You think people will use it? I mean…” She flicked a look around. “It’s so… open.”

  “Most members don’t come here to hide behind closed doors, sugar. This,” he nudged her toward the first bench after receiving a nod of welcome from Greg, “is a regular spanking bench. You can see how Master Greg has restrained Cassie.”

  Avery winced, took a long draw of her beer and edged closer to Grayson’s side as Greg brought a wooden paddle down on Cassie’s already reddened ass, her throaty cry accompanying the lift of her head as she glanced back at them. He didn’t care for the way Cassie narrowed her eyes when she saw him with Avery and decided not to linger.

  “Over here is a fucking bench,” he explained, leading the way to the next apparatus that sported padded side rests for knees and arms to prop a sub up in a perfect pose for fucking, as Leslie now demonstrated. The way the experienced sub had jumped into another scene with someone else didn’t bother him. If only he could get Cassie to move on without constantly pestering him for more attention. Faint pink lines still shone against Leslie’s pale skin from where he’d cropped her, and the view her spread knees offered revealed her puffy, glistening labia wrapped around a wide dildo,

  “Sheesh,” Avery muttered before swigging another gulp of beer and averting her eyes.

  Grayson experienced another tug of familiarity at her mumbling; something about the way she uttered that word poking at his memory. Frustrated, he asked her point blank, “What’s your last name?”

  She jerked and tried to step back, but he held onto her hand, refusing to let her go far. “If that’s a requirement for your… guidance, then…”

  “It’s not,” he cut her off. “I still can’t shake the feeling I know you, that we’ve met before.” When she shifted her eyes over his shoulder, more suspicions kicked in. Reining in the urge to demand answers, he changed tactics, reaching out with his free hand to grab the thick braid of caramel colored hair resting between her shoulders and using it to pull her closer. She flinched, whether from the sound of wood smacking against bare flesh or from his hold, he couldn’t tell, but she made no attempt to pull away from him. “Did Sydney mention the club safeword?”

  She nodded, the top of her head ramming his chin. Her face reddened with her apology. “Sorry. Yes, she said it was red.”

  “Excellent. Remember it. And if you return after tonight, wear your hair down and change into a skirt or shorts.” He watched her pulse flutter in her throat as he pressed her body flush with his and he ached to see what other responses he could pull from her with a simple order or touch.

  Avery gulped and then nodded again. “Okay. Where are we going?” she asked as he released her hair and moved away from the other couple after catching another glare from Cassie. Under other circumstances, he would deal with her insolence in a way Cassie wouldn’t care for but thought it best if Avery didn’t see that side of their lifestyle yet.

  Grayson had seen and dealt with his share of confused, reluctant women, but none more baffled than Avery as he led her upstairs to the loft and started to explain each piece of equipment. But curiosity kept her going, overriding embarrassment and confusion. “This is a fucking swing.” He lifted a dangling strap attached to the webbed seat, a cuff hooked on the end. “I’m sure you can imagine how I can restrain someone on it. But nothing can settle the mind better than first-hand experience. Hop on.” He patted the seat, challenging her with his gaze. She possessed the most expressive face, every thought and insecurity portrayed in her eyes and around her mouth. Small, white teeth sank into her plump, bottom lip, tempting him to deliver his own bite to that soft flesh.

  Avery shook her head and tried to back away even though curiosity and interest shone in her eyes. Tightening his grip, he held her in place. “I was just going to watch, not participate.”

  “Watching is fine for titillation, but only goes so far to appease curiosity. Sit on it and I’ll only restrain one wrist. That will be enough to give you a small example of what bondage is like, and if it might be for you.”

  Grayson held his breath as she looked back at the swing, even though he enjoyed watching her sort through her feelings and the option he presented her. When she nodded and handed him her now empty beer bottle, he released his pent-up breath with relief, surprising himself by how much he wanted to push her.

  “I’ll… give it a try,” Avery agreed before cowardice sent her fleeing.

  Her long dormant libido had awakened in the last thirty minutes with as much ease and heat as when Grayson had guided her to a self-induced climax using just his voiced commands. Her curiosity about the dangling contraption stemmed more from what he would do to her, how he could bring her to another shattering release than from her interest in the kink going on around the loft. She’d known she might have to participate eventually in a scene with him if she wanted to get to know the man better, but as she settled on the swing and gripped the lines attached on each side that connected it to the ceiling, she couldn’t stop trembling with apprehension from both the unknown and with giving up even a token of control. The number of people teeming around the loft was of some comfort. After succumbing to Darren’s machinations without second-guessing why a man like him would all of a sudden be interested in someone like her, she’d learned to be extra wary of attentive men she knew nothing much about. If it hadn’t been for their anonymous first encounter and Grayson’s generous time and kind offer to help a virtual stranger,
she wouldn’t do this, no matter what her body was clamoring for.

  “Excellent,” he murmured, reaching for her right hand and lifting it above her.

  As he attached the cuff around her wrist, he kept his eyes down, focused on her as she looked up and watched his every move. His fixated attention and the warm approval reflected in both his voice and eyes helped to ease the tremors racking her body, but also increased the rush of heat spiraling through her veins. Avery tugged on the restraint, sucking in a gasp at the vulnerability the bondage brought about. Before she could balk, Grayson gripped her braid and tugged her face up to meet his as he bent over her. The slight pull on her scalp elicited a curl of desire in her abdomen that threw her for a loop, the same as when he’d tugged on it downstairs.

  His warm breath brushed over her lips as he asserted in a low, toe-curling voice, “Concentrate on keeping your eyes on me, nothing else.” He rubbed his lips over hers, keeping her head immobile for the light touch she swore she could feel between her legs. “Trust me, Avery.”

  Grayson locked her in his gaze with those three, simple words, the need inside Avery branching out to include more than just her body. And then he covered her mouth with his own and all rational thought fled as he kissed her with a thoroughness she’d never enjoyed before. For the first time in weeks, tension rolled off her, fear and uncertainty slipping away under his potent command. What started out as a soft coaxing as their lips clung and tongues stroked, soon turned into a ravaging possession of all her unsuspecting senses. Her breathing turned heavy, her body arching toward his of its own accord, as if it controlled her instead of the other way around. He swallowed her moan before running his exploring tongue along her tender gums. With harder pressure, he drew her air inside his mouth as he tickled the sensitive skin on the roof of her mouth in an oddly arousing maneuver.