Cowboy Casanova: Rough Riders, Book 12 Read online

Angel jumped and Ben held tight. “This part is almost done,” he murmured. “Murphy never does more than twenty strikes.”

  Layla counted, her voice staying strong. But Murphy didn’t look happy when he leveled the final blow. He put the whip aside and stood in front of his submissive, forcing her to meet his gaze as he unhooked the manacles from her wrists. Then he nodded at Sully, who rolled a pommel up front.

  Layla said something to Murphy and he snapped, “That earned you another ten.” He hoisted her off the floor, placing her torso on the modified pommel horse. Her head and arms dangled on the opposite side, which left her ass sticking up in the air. With her legs spread by the bar, her pussy and her anus were totally exposed to all who watched the scene.

  Murphy restrained Layla’s arms and snagged a paddle off the cart. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, raising her head. “Twenty swats. You will count them down from twenty. And if I’m not convinced you’ve learned your lesson, I will add twenty more from the cane. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He moved behind her. He swung, the paddle connected with her skin, high on her left butt cheek.

  “Twenty. Thank you, Sir.”

  The next blow hit in the same place.

  “Nineteen. Thank you, Sir.”

  The next blow lower. Each blow precisely placed so every inch of Layla’s ass was cherry red.

  But that wasn’t all that was red. Ben murmured, “Look at her pussy. See how wet and swollen it is? These last ten aren’t punishment for her. They’re her reward for takin’ the punishment. Understand?”

  She nodded against his neck.

  Murphy bellowed, “I can’t hear you, sub. Louder.”

  “Three. Thank you, S-sir.”

  Layla’s voice had taken on a dreamlike quality. The last two blows landed so close to her cunt she moaned. When Murphy finished, he tenderly smoothed his hands over her abraded ass. But Layla barely stirred. He dropped his pants. When he reached for the strap-on, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

  Murphy squirted lube on his cock and on the phallus centered above his cock and stroked both. He drizzled more lube between her butt cheeks. Using both hands, he aligned the dildo to her asshole and his cock to her cunt and shoved both in deep.

  Layla’s head came up and she wailed.

  “Is he…”

  “Fucking her ass and her pussy at the same time.”

  She said, “Oh God,” but she didn’t avert her eyes from watching Murphy master Layla. Murphy slowed his thrusts, sped up and reached around Layla’s thigh to toy with her clit.

  She wailed again. “Please, Sir.”

  “Say it, Layla. Say it and I’ll let you come.”

  “I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry I disappointed and embarrassed you.”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. You’ve earned this.” He fucked her harder, moved his hand faster. “Come for me.”

  And Layla did. Her body convulsed. She screamed, but they weren’t screams of pain.

  Murphy kept reaming her until her body went completely slack. He slowed, leaning over her to place a tender kiss on her back. He pulled out and bent down, releasing the spreader bar from between her ankles. After pulling up his pants, he crouched in front of her and cradled her face in his hands. Wiping her tears, murmuring to her, smoothing her tangled hair from her face, kissing her with tenderness and fire. He unhooked her restraints and scooped her into his arms, kissing the top of her head as he carried her into a private room and shut the door.

  Watchers started to scatter.

  His sub had craned her head to look at the closed door, so Ben couldn’t read her eyes.

  When he placed an openmouthed kiss on her shoulder, she tried to get free from him. “Hey now. Easy.”

  “I can’t… I never…God. That was… I have to…”

  Then his sub raced down the hallway like the hounds of hell nipped at her heels.

  Chapter Six

  Ben caught up with her in front of room four. “Whoa. Where you goin’?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Talk to me.”

  “I can’t. Not here.”

  He herded her into the room.

  Immediately she retreated to a corner and sent off don’t-touch-me vibes.

  This isn’t the first time you’ve dealt with a skittish sub.

  “Angel? Are you upset about the scene with Murphy and Layla?”

  “Not upset. It horrified me. I can’t believe I stood there and watched him whip her. She tried to explain to me why the hurting stuff was part of their life, and I thought I understood, but obviously I didn’t.”

  Ben didn’t remind her everything was consensual. He just watched her pace as her mind raced.

  “But no one around me was horrified. So when Murphy finished whipping her and switched to the paddle, it didn’t seem as horrible. Mostly because I saw the change in Layla’s body language. And it wasn’t like Murphy noticed it too; it was like Murphy had caused the change in her. And each time that paddle connected, I could almost feel her calmness and bliss floating over me.”

  Sweet sub, you really are starting to get it.

  “But Murphy didn’t use sex for shock value for the people watching. He used it because Layla needed it. And I’ll admit it was pretty hot watching him, especially with two…” she gestured distractedly, “you know. I’ve never believed a woman could scream from an orgasm. But it wasn’t like a porn scream, it was a you touched my soul type scream.”

  She stopped by the door with her hands clenched at her sides, her eyes closed. “But when Murphy knelt in front of her, the gratitude, love and admiration in his eyes for Layla was far from horrifying. It was beautiful. And I never would’ve believed any of this if I hadn’t seen it firsthand. If they hadn’t let me be a part of something so intensely personal for them.”

  Ben had known Angel was smart, but that didn’t guarantee she’d be intuitive. It also didn’t guarantee she truly knew what she wanted. He waited for her to regain her balance. The longer he waited the more he realized her epiphany wasn’t making her happy. In fact, she seemed to have closed herself off from him again.

  He crowded her against the door, relying on the power of his voice, not his body, to keep her in place. “Talk to me.”

  Her haunted hazel eyes burned with indecision.

  “Is there something else about Murphy and Layla’s scene that’s bothering you?”

  “Yes. No.” Her gaze fell to his chest. “It’s something I realized about myself while watching it.”

  “What?” Ben expected loss of eye contact would encourage her to speak openly, but she remained mute. “Answer me.”

  Her voice was barely a whisper. “I can’t ask you.”

  “Can’t ask me to do what? Fuck you? Whip you?”

  “I don’t want to be whipped. Ever.” She gnawed on her lip.

  “Still waitin’ for an answer, Angel.”

  “Fine. I can’t ask you to spank me.”

  “But you liked watching that redhead get her ass smacked last night.” That’s when Ben understood. “You need me to take the choice away completely. Like Murphy did with Layla. You need me to decide when to paddle your ass.”

  She nodded, a bit shyly.

  “I don’t like usin’ a spanking as punishment.”

  “I’m not usually much of a rule breaker anyway, so see my dilemma?” She peered up at him. “I’d be worried you’d use more than your hand on me.”

  “There’s no need for you to worry because it’d be my decision.”

  She pursed her mouth into a scowl.

  “Ah-ah. None of that.” His lips grazed the plumpness of hers, hovering a breath away, waiting to swoop in and claim the kiss she’d denied him last night.

  This time when she opened her tempting mouth, Ben denied her a kiss. Moving his lips to the tip of her chin and cruising up the left side of her jaw. He nuzzled her ear, licking, blowing, nibbling. The more he nuzzled, the harder she squirmed. Coars
e hair brushed his cheek and he itched to remove the wig, so she wasn’t hiding anything from him.

  Her fingers inched up his chest and she clutched his shirt.

  “Hands by your sides,” he reminded, nipping her neck.

  She gasped, twisting away from his mouth.

  “Stay still.” His tone turned sharp and he forced her hands back down.

  “I-I don’t know if I can.”

  “Not a request.” When Ben sank his teeth into the section of skin between her shoulder and throat, her knees buckled and she shoved him away hard.

  Her mouth was open in shock when she realized what she’d done. She took a defensive posture, wrapping her hands over herself, attempting to melt into the wall. “Sorry. God, I’m sorry, Bennett. I forgot for a second.”

  “Then it’s time I give you a very clear reminder about who’s in charge.” He uncurled her fingers from her biceps, forcing her hands by her sides. “Repeat after me. Bennett is in charge of me tonight.”

  “Bennett is in charge of me tonight.”

  “Say it again. Bennett is completely in charge of me tonight.”

  A spark of irritation darkened her eyes but she repeated, “Bennett is completely in charge of me tonight.”

  “Good. But because you inappropriately used your hands, you’ve lost the use of them for as long as I see fit.”

  “What? No. That’s not fair—”

  Ben got right in her face. “Keep it up and I just might rethink my stance on not usin’ spanking as punishment for talkin’ back. Understand?”

  She swallowed hard. Then nodded.

  “Turn and face the wall.”

  She didn’t hesitate at his command. She didn’t move when he unzipped her corset and tossed it aside. She didn’t protest when he tugged her leather skirt down her legs, leaving her in a tiny peach lace thong and the three-inch black patent leather pumps.

  But she did tremble when he rested his hands on her hips. “You’re shaking.” He pressed a kiss on the slope of her shoulder. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t know what happens next.”

  “But it’s exciting, isn’t it?” Ben slid his hands up the front of her body. Over the soft curve of her belly. Pausing to cup her breasts. Stopping to place his thumb on the erratic pulse pounding in her neck. “What’s your safe word?”

  “Broncos.”

  “Do you want to use it now?”

  A pause, then, “No. Sir.”

  Ben twined his fingers with hers and towed her away from the wall. At the end of the bed was a leather foot bench, the perfect height, length and width for what Ben had in mind. He dragged it to the middle of the room.

  “Sit.” He opened the top dresser drawer and removed the items he’d need.

  She remained in a prim and proper pose. Her head wasn’t bowed and her eyes seemed mighty interested in what he held in his hands.

  He stepped so close she had to widen her knees to accommodate him, grinning down at her because her mouth was level with his cock. “So, what do you think I’m gonna do?”

  Her gaze traveled up his torso until their eyes met. “I think you’ll unzip your jeans so I can give you a blowjob.”

  Ben’s smile faded. He crouched until they were eye-to-eye. “Last night, when you were playing at bein’ a Domme, whose pleasure were you more concerned with? Yours? Or mine?”

  “Mine.”

  “And that’s where you went wrong, Angel. That’s how I knew you weren’t truly a Domme. Bein’ dominant isn’t about takin’ what you want.”

  Her cheeks reddened and she looked away.

  “Eyes on me, please.”

  Her gaze winged back to his.

  “Bein’ dominant is about figuring out what the submissive needs. It’s about trust. Tonight, as your dominant, you’re trusting me to give you what you need, maybe even when you don’t know what that need is.”

  “And you know what I need?” she asked with an edge of surliness.

  He nodded.

  “How? You don’t even know me.”

  “That’s where you’re mistaken. I’ve been observing you since I first saw you. Before we even talked I watched you. While you were sizing me up, I watched you. And last night when we walked through the club? I studied your reaction to every scene and your response every time I touched you. When I had my hand between your legs getting you off, I watched you. When I had my mouth between your legs, makin’ you come? Well, I really watched you then. So I may not know your favorite kind of ice cream, or the name of the street you grew up on, or your birthday, but I guarantee that I’ve learned things about you that’d surprise…even you.”

  Her eyes never left his as she processed his words. He could practically see her backtracking, trying to remember how much of herself she’d given away.

  “What?”

  “I was an awful Domme, wasn’t I?”

  “Not awful. Just confused about the difference between power and control. So let me show you.” Ben smooched her mouth. “Lay back and let your arms fall to the floor.”

  She straddled the bench and stretched out. “Like this?”

  “Nope. Scoot down so your head is almost hanging off the end. Now move your feet until they’re right beside the bench legs. Yep. Perfect.” Ben dropped the straps on the floor and trailed the ends of the silk scarves up her sumptuous body. Starting at her knees, zigzagging across her exposed flesh, swirling around her nipples, watching the tips constrict. “Such a gorgeous body. I love seein’ you nekkid. Once I start touching you I won’t wanna stop.”

  The tensed line around her mouth softened.

  Ben lowered to his knees. “Relax your shoulders.” He twined the red scarves from her elbows to her wrists, immobilizing her arms.

  The height of her heeled shoes only allowed him to tie her legs from mid-calf to ankle. He ran his palms up the inside of her thighs. “Your skin looks so pretty wrapped in red silk.”

  She lifted her chest when he secured the first strap above her hips. “What are you doing?”

  “Tyin’ you down so you can’t jerk away from me when I touch you.” He secured the next strap above her breasts. “Stay still. If you move too much the strap will bite. I don’t want these beautiful breasts bruised.”

  “Will it pinch me more than it is now?”

  He traced the edge of the strap from one armpit to the other. “If you arch too high. And the only thing allowed to pinch these sweet babies is me.” He tweaked both nipples simultaneously.

  She gasped. “Bennett, I don’t know about this.”

  He studied her reaction to being bound. Rapid breathing. Slight trembles. But she wasn’t attempting to jerk against any of the restraints. “Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?”

  “Umm. No.”

  His index finger trailed from the dip in her chin, down her neck, between her breasts, passing over her belly button, stopping at the swollen folds hiding her clit. “Are you afraid I’ll make you lose control?”

  When she turned her head away, Ben gently grabbed her chin, forcing her attention on him. “Answer me.”

  “Yes, okay? I’m scared you’ll make me lose control. You’ve already got me tied up so I can’t move. When you start to touch me I’ll probably beg you to make me come.”

  “So?”

  “So, that’s embarrassing.”

  “Oh, little control freak, there’s no one here but us. There’s nothin’ embarrassing about you begging me. Every time you come by my hand or by my command, it’ll show you how in tune I am with your body.” Ben’s thumb stroked her bottom lip. “That’s not embarrassing. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

  “You won’t…build me to the point I’m begging you and then stop? Just because you can?”

  Was this a brand-new fear? Or had some mean fucker in her past gotten his kicks by denying her an orgasm? “Makin’ you come is a rush for me, so if I deny you that, I’m denying myself. But I ain’t gonna lie. Sometimes delaying that gratification intensifies it. For both of
us.”

  They measured each other for another minute.

  “Say your safe word if you wanna stop.”

  “I don’t want to stop.”

  “Then we’re done talkin’.” Watching her eyes, he slid his finger down her slit. The wetness he found at her core didn’t surprise him, but she wore that look of embarrassment. He pushed his finger inside her. “Don’t be ashamed of how your body responds to me.”

  Ben slipped another finger inside, using his thumb on her clit. The feminine heat and wetness made him want to sink his cock into her now. But he painted a trail up her body with his wet fingers instead, lapping the sweet stickiness with his tongue. He smeared her juices on her nipples, then sucked it off slowly. One side at a time. While his mouth was busy, so were his hands. A teasing brush of his fingertips across her belly. Caressing the deeply contoured sides of her body from hip to armpit. Skimming the outside of her legs. Grazing the inside of her thighs. But never touching her sex directly.

  Much to her squirming displeasure.

  He focused his attention upward and knew the instant she realized his intention.

  “No. Stop. I can’t—”

  “Relax your neck.” He firmed his lips and followed that swan-like curve from the sweet spot behind her ear to the hollow of her throat.

  A full body shiver rolled through her. “Please. Don’t.”

  “You’re really that riled up about me kissing you here?” Ben bestowed a warm, soft kiss to the side of her neck. Then he parted his lips and scraped his teeth across it.

  She bucked up with a sexy whimper.

  Breathing in the scent of her passion-warmed skin, he dragged openmouthed kisses from the sweep of her shoulder, up and down both sides of her neck, back and forth from her jawbone to her clavicle.

  She tried to block him, raising her shoulders and angling her head into his face whenever he got too close. After her cheekbone smacked into his nose, he warned, “Hold still, goddammit.”

  “No. Don’t. I can’t take any more.”

  “Am I hurting you?”

  Eyes closed, she nodded.

  Liar. “Then say your safe word.”

  A couple of heartbeats passed before she shook her head.

  Which meant her mind protested but her body didn’t. That was his goal for tonight—to get her mind and her body on the same wavelength.