It didn’t take long. His overloaded brain threw in a replay of her sucking his cock, and he was done for. Heart drumming, Hammer threw his head back and pressed his lips together to smother a hoarse cry.

Still panting, he washed himself, then turned off the water and wrapped the towel around his waist with a heavy sigh. Having to jack off like a pubescent teen, not once but twice, totally pissed him off. “And whose fault is that, dumbass?”

His own.

He prepared himself to act as if she hadn’t ruffled him a bit when he saw her around the club. If not, it would encourage her. He couldn’t risk that. Raine had proven that she could wear his restraint down to nothing. He hoped like hell her unruly antics were over because if he had to punish her again—touch her at all—he would cave. He’d spread her open, sink deep, and fuck her into oblivion. Nothing would stop him, least of all his regrets.

Raking a hand through his hair, he opened the bathroom door in a cloud of steam and stepped out—then froze.

In the center of his bed, Raine lay naked, her sleek legs spread in decadent invitation with a hot pink vibrator thrust into her pussy, her head thrown back in sexual abandon. Fuck, she looked so beautiful. His nostrils flared. His jaw locked and his heart pounded. And holy shit, his unruly cock sprang to life again.

Hammer stumbled to the edge of the bed, where her feminine fragrance filled the air and enticed him. He swallowed tightly. He should stop her, but instead, he sank to the mattress, mesmerized, as the toy disappeared between her slick folds.

She squeezed her eyes shut. As her back arched, she dug her heels into the bed, then cried out and shattered before him in a stunning display of pleasure. Hammer could only stare.

After years of pampering him with coffee, his favorite baked goods, and other little gestures meant to please him, this brash behavior, while sexy as hell, came across loud and clear as a giant “fuck you.”

It was obvious that she needed sterner punishment, but it couldn’t be by his hand.

“Before you strive for orgasm number two, I’ll take that.” He swatted her hand out of the way and withdrew the toy from her pussy. His mouth watered. He craved a taste of her.

Raine collapsed on the bed and flashed him a languorous stare. Then her gaze dropped to his tented towel. “Are you going to try to tell me you didn’t enjoy the show as much as I liked putting it on?”

At her razor-sharp question, he speared her with his sternest glare. “I’m very disappointed in you. You’ve blatantly disregarded my punishment.”

Scrambling to her feet, still naked, she blinked away the tears starting to form. “Maybe I’m disappointed in you, too. Somewhere in there, you want me and you won’t admit it. At least I’m honest! I came to you with a genuine desire and revealed exactly how I felt. I gave you every opportunity to take what you want from me. But no! You made me feel like a child, then jacked off because you want it and aren’t man enough to take it. You know what? That’s fine. I think I know someone who is man enough. Thanks for absolutely nothing, Hammer.”

Cut to the core, he wrapped his fist in her silky mane and led her to the wall by her hair, lifting her to her toes. “Hands behind your back. Nose against the wall, girl. Don’t say another goddamn word. Listen to me,” he demanded. “Did you ever think that maybe if you stopped acting like a child, I’d stop treating you like one? I’m not sure what prompted this bratty behavior, but I don’t like it and I won’t tolerate it. Do I make myself clear?”

She didn’t reply, but he knew she’d heard. It was enough for now.

“Tell me, precious, would your mythical Dominant save you from living in an alley, give you shelter and food, put clothes on your back, then finance your education, and never demand a goddamn thing in return?”

The starch left her body instantly. Fat tears trailed down her cheeks, and every one of her sniffles was a blade to his heart.

“My attitude has nothing to do with you rescuing me. I’ve always been grateful. I always will be. Did you need to hear that? Is it not enough that I owe you everything I have? I’m just so goddamn tired of being ignored. Every freaking day, I’m here. You see me, but you don’t see me. Why? Am I not obedient enough? Pretty enough? Smart or cultured enough? Or is it because I’m not a carbon copy of one of your plastic whores?”

Every word broke his heart a little more. Raine finding him with Marlie had, no doubt, kindled this defiant fire. Her insecurities and his own rebuffs had fed it. Was Raine really so broken she couldn’t see that everything about her put Marlie and those like her to shame?

With a sigh, he brought her around to face him. “None of that, precious. I don’t ignore you or look through you. Why would you think such a thing? Because I won’t let you bring me to my knees? Because I won’t give you attention the way you want it? I see the gorgeous, vivacious woman you’ve become, but your behavior suggests that you’re only willing to submit to your own desires. If you’re the one setting the bar, how can you ever blossom into the submissive that yearns inside you? If your tantrum today is because I spent the night with Marlie, then I regret if that hurt you, but you don’t get to choose what or who I do.”

Raine bowed her head and closed her eyes. He could feel a palpable hopelessness wash over her.

“But I can’t compete. I have almost no experience.”

Her little, broken voice ripped at him. Hammer couldn’t stop himself from cupping the back of her head and caressing gently. “It’s not a competition.”

“It is! I don’t get a chance to submit and learn and grow,” she went on with a sob. “No one will touch me because they won’t cross you. I’ve had sex twice in the last five years. I’ve never really scened. Every man here avoids me. I feel...damaged and ugly. If you don’t want me, show a little mercy and let me go.”

Each brutally honest word that tumbled from her mouth burned him like acid. In allowing other Dominants to look but not touch, he’d kept her captive, like a bird in a gilded cage. He could hardly blame her for her submissive shortcomings. How was she supposed to flourish if he constantly impeded her growth and refused to give her up? Liam was right; he’d done her a huge injustice.

You’ve known for years she’s in love with you, and you, you sick, twisted fuck… How long have you cared for her? Ached for her? Guilt burned bitter on his tongue.

Goddamnit, he wasn’t what she needed. That truth hurt like a bitch. Furious at himself for not being the man she deserved, Hammer knew he should set her free.

But letting go would be so fucking hard. Fear that she would, indeed, find a better Master punched him in the gut. The pain didn’t bring out the best in him, and at the thought of losing her, he lashed out, knowing exactly how to scare her into obedience.

“You want a taste of someone else’s dominance? I can arrange that.” He gritted his teeth. “You’re due a punishment. How about an evening with, say…Beck?”

As soon as Hammer spoke the threat, he wished he could call it back. Jesus, he had to stop letting his emotions take over, but Raine had him so unhinged that he was acting more like a bully than a Dom.

Her eyes flew open wide and her body shook. “But he—he’s…”

A tremendous sadist who took pleasure in torturing submissives. Raine was not a pain slut. Still, Hammer had to ensure that she ceased pushing him for what he couldn’t give, no matter how much her lesson hurt them both. And he couldn’t take his threat back now without undermining his own authority.

She tore herself from Hammer’s grasp and glared at him with panic in her eyes. “Dear god, haven’t you hurt me enough? Would you hand your perfect little Marlie to him? Of course not. You give a fuck what happens to her. You care whether he terrifies or marks her. Me? Oh, let’s just throw the little girl to the big bad wolf. Will you stand there and laugh while he marks me?”

Her angry taunt shamed him to the core. “Since you’ve never acted out this seriously, I’ll show you mercy and rescind your punishment if you say you’re sorry.”

Hammer prayed that she accepted his leniency. Instead, her eyes bulged in shock.

“You want me to apologize because I was dumb enough to confess my feelings so you could tear them to shreds? No. You know what? I’m done! So done.”

Just when he thought her temper tantrum couldn’t get any worse, she stormed out of his office, hell bent on...what? He had no clue. She disappeared into her room at the end of the hall, slamming the door until the walls shook. Then she reappeared a minute later, barely dressed in a miniscule skirt and a cleavage-hugging halter top, sans bra. Without warning, she launched her office keys at him. He caught them before they smacked him in the chest.

“I won’t be in your way anymore. I won’t stare at you with stupid puppy dog eyes. I won’t bake for you. I won’t do your filing. I won’t order your booze. I sure as hell won’t masturbate to thoughts of you. Just erase me from your memory bank because I’m gone. And I’m never coming back.”

No. Fuck, no!

Before she could blaze out the door in an F5 cyclone of fury, he chased her and snagged her arm, his fingers staying her in a desperate grip.

“Stop! Are you really going to act like a child and threaten to run away from home because you’re not getting your way?”

“Since you just had your fingers up my pussy, I would have hoped that you’d figured out I’m a woman. I’m also perfectly within my rights to leave. Buh-bye.”

Leave it to clever little Raine to throw his stupidity back in his face. He had to bite back the urge to shout at her. As it was, they’d already been so loud that the other Doms and subs sleeping nearby in their private rooms were getting one hell of a wake-up call.

Instead, he gripped her harder. “You cry because I’m not paying attention to you, but when I command you to hold your orgasm to drive your submissive needs, you defy me—on my own bed. You swear that you want a Dom, so I give you one. But oh, he’s not the one you want! See a pattern here? You’re only willing to submit to your own bratty self. Guess what? It. Doesn’t. Work. That. Way!”

Suddenly drawn by movement down the hall, Hammer glanced over Raine’s shoulder to find Liam watching them, slowly buttoning his trousers and wearing an unmistakable scowl.

Chapter 4

Hammer turned his attention back to Raine only to find her looking toward the stairs, already planning her escape. Even as she defied him, he fought the urge to press his lips to hers. Claim her up against the wall, fuck the attitude, insecurities, and every ounce of hurt out of her. Leave her no doubt that she was his. Even if she wasn’t.

Glancing over her shoulder once again, he was pleased to find Liam had wisely stepped back into the shadows, but had no doubt the other Dom was still listening.

“So I’m just supposed to let Beck do whatever he wants to me? Whatever happened to safe, sane, and consensual?” Raine challenged. “He isn’t safe, and you know it. You’ve thrown him out yourself more than once for taking a sub too far. Putting someone who’s never tested her pain limits with a sadist like him isn’t sane. You know he terrifies me, so any scene between us wouldn’t be consensual. With this mood you’re in, I think you’d be happy to watch me bleed.”

“Is that what you think?”

“What else am I supposed to think? I pushed some button of yours that you absolutely can’t stand. It’s made you mean. But you can’t force him on me or keep me here against my will. I told you, I quit. And I’ll consider myself lucky to have made it out of here with no more than a broken heart because Beck will break everything else.”

She was right, damn it. The urge to reach up and trail his fingers over her cheek, reassure her and apologize, gnawed at him.

“Have a nice life.” Tears rolled down her face. “I really hope you figure out someday that women like Marlie are too shallow to fill the big heart I know you have.”

Panicked and unwilling to let her go, he pressed his body against her, pinning her back to the wall. With one hand braced above her, he looked into her stormy eyes. “Do you really think that after sheltering you for six fucking years, I would ever allow Beck to break you? And you have no idea what’s in my heart, so please don’t waste time guessing.”

Her hard little nipples drove into his bare chest, surging electricity to his cock. Wanting her even as he turned her inside out made him a terrible bastard, and his self-loathing grated.

“I don’t share your confidence in Beck. Right now, I have even less in you. You’ll give your attention to condescending fuck dolls, but when I come to you with pure intentions, even if I might have gone about it the wrong way, you stab me through the heart.” She shook her head and sniffled back fresh tears. “Enjoy little miss Botox. If Marlie and her ilk want to play head games, I don’t know a man more equipped.”