My arms ached before our friend ever made his presence known. And despite the cooled temperature of the warehouse, my sweaty palms made keeping my grasp difficult.

“Don’t let go of those bars. You’re not allowed to touch our friends unless I tell you what to do. There’s no sense in your trying to figure out who they are. It makes this game so much more fun that way, don’t you agree.”

I didn’t nod. I didn’t agree. There was nothing fun about any of this.

I don’t know if the friend spoke. I couldn’t have heard him if he did. He made his presence known by touch. I gasped when I felt it, immediately knowing it wasn’t Stewart. There was nothing remotely compassionate in the way this rough hand seized my breast, pinched my nipple, and pulled it tight. Despite all of Stewart’s training, I flinched away.

“It’s all right, baby,” Stewart’s voice attempted to calm me.

My legs slapped closed as my skin tingled in disgust. For a while I heard nothing, only music. All I could imagine was that the two of them were discussing what this friend was going to do.

Finally, Stewart’s voice came back through the headphones. “Come on, Tori, I know you can do this for me. Don’t make our friend mad. You don’t want to be punished.”

The hairs on the back of my neck sprang to life. There was no fucking way… and then I knew. I don’t know how I knew, but I did. His warm breath was near my neck, and the same sickening feeling I’d had since the first time I met Travis overwhelmed me.

Though I was working blindly, I reacted by instinct. My knee went up. At the same moment I let go of the headboard, leaned forward, and sunk my teeth into whatever was in front of me. My knee hit pay dirt as I felt the bed shift. Ripping the blindfold and headphones from my head, the room of light and sound momentarily blinded me as the world spun.

It wasn’t just the assault to my senses that set it spinning. It was the back of Travis’ hand as he struck my right cheek.

“Stupid bitch!” He screamed, surveying his bleeding shoulder and his wounded balls. “You fucking kicked and bit me!”

I was a damn cat with claws extended. Without thinking, I sprang from the bed. I didn’t give a damn about the rage-filled glare I saw in Travis’ eyes. Ignoring my throbbing cheek, I scratched at his exposed skin.

“Get the fuck away from me. There’s no goddamned—”

Stewart reached for my shoulders, pulled me away from Travis, and yelled, “Stop!”

His voice was harsher and more demanding than I’d ever heard. Before that moment, I perhaps had thought I’d seen my husband angry. I’d been wrong. Nothing compared to what I now saw and heard. His hands trembled as his face reddened with fury. Knowing I was outnumbered, I prepared myself for his promise of punishment, closed my eyes, and waited. My punishment never came.

My husband spun toward Travis. His voice was strong, not at all trepidatious about remonstrating this monster of a man. Spit rained forth with each word. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“The bitch bit me! She kicked me in the goddamned balls.” Blood oozed from his wounds as his body too shook with anger. “What the fuck do you think I’m doing?”

Stewart stepped toward him. As their proximity decreased, Travis’ body shrunk. “Don’t you ever fucking lay a hand on my wife again. How dare you think you could strike her? You’re a fucking idiot. You know how this goes down. If you plan on being with me one more day, you’ll recognize that you just had your one chance and you blew it.” His finger prodded Travis’ bare chest. “You fucking blew it!”

When Travis failed to respond, I peered from behind the perceived safety of Stewart’s back and said, “Mr. Harrington just told you that you blew it. Nod if you fucking understand.”

Stewart’s arm came out to stop Travis from lunging forward. “Get the fuck out of here. We have our own car. Go. You and I’ll discuss this later.”

“There’s no way you’re going to have her ready for the sena—”

“Shut the fuck up, or I’m going to be the next person to hit someone and you’re going to be that someone.” Stewart’s voice lowered an octave. “Leave now. Don’t make me say it again.”

With one last glare my direction, Travis turned and walked away. Stewart stood statuesque and waited until Travis was in the bathroom before he exhaled and turned toward me. His expression softened as he ran his finger over my already raised cheek. “We need to get you some ice. Baby, I’m sorry. That’ll never happen again.”

Tension seeped from my muscles as I fell against his chest.

“Tori, I should never have allowed Travis… I thought it was a safe test, but I’m not an idiot. I’ve seen how he’s looked at you since the first day he brought you to the penthouse. I promise I’ll never allow anyone to treat you like that, ever again.”

I looked up at his face and tried to read his thoughts. “But you’ll let others fuck me, still, after this?”

He stroked my hair. “Don’t you see? It’s as much for me as it is for them. I’ll get off watching them with you. I want you to come.” He once again touched my cheek. “I don’t want this, ever.” He looked back into my eyes. “This is about pleasure: our friends’, yours, and mine.”

“I don’t want pleasure with anyone except you.”

“I’ll be here. I’ll always be here. You can know that when someone else is fucking you and you’re about ready to come, so am I. Once they’re done with you, you can tend to me, because that’s what good wives do. That, my darling, is what you agreed to do. I never intended for anyone to hurt you.”