Gabe settled into his hotel room with an angry growl.

Sarah was pulling away from him.

All during the flight from Philadelphia to Orlando, he’d watched her. Not once had she glanced over to see what he was up to.

And that chapped his ass more than he thought it would. Almost as much as the fact that the mate dreams had stopped seemed to bother his Puma. He hadn’t had a taste of his sweet Sarah for weeks. He had no idea what that meant, but his Puma had damn near gone into mourning.

Fuck.

He’d nearly lost it in the limo at the sight of another man’s hands all over his mate. The only thing stopping him from changing and killing the son of a bitch had been the presence of his Pride leaders, and the fact that the very human Jim didn’t stand a chance against him.

If Jim were a shifter, however, Gabe wouldn’t have been able to hold back. There’d be one less dickhead in the world sniffing after his Sarah, Chloe’s intended mate or not.

He lay down, intent on taking a short nap before his shower, hoping it would ease the growing headache that always seemed to be present these days. He was dreading what was going to happen at dinner. If Jim touched Sarah’s soft skin one more time, he was going head first into the mouth of an animatronic gorilla.

“Sarah.”

She shivered as that deep voice rolled over her. She didn’t dare look up, knowing that would earn her a spanking. Not normally a bad thing, but that wasn’t what she wanted just then. I wish I’d taken another one of those damn sleeping pills. She slept like the dead when she did, not dreaming at all, not even the silly little dreams she’d had before she’d met Gabe. Unfortunately she’d decided not to, not wanting to be light-headed through dinner. The sleeping pills always made her groggy when she woke up too soon. Besides, Gabe didn’t seem the type to take an afternoon nap.

Admit it. Part of you thought he’d be in Chloe’s room.

She gritted her teeth at the thought of him with the redhead. It made her even more determined than ever that he wouldn’t get what he wanted easily. Not this time.

“Look at me, Sarah.”

She peeked up at him through her lashes, allowing her defiance to shine through.

“That’s one, baby. Now look up at me.”

Fuck it. She would not submit. As far as she was concerned he’d betrayed her. He no longer had her obedience. He’d have to earn it back along with her trust.

“Put your hands behind your back, baby.”

Sarah stubbornly kept them where they were, in her lap.

He studied her, circling her, his stride sleek and commanding. “I said, put your hands behind your back.”

“No.”

He stopped, one brow rising arrogantly. “No?”

She turned her face from him, the first time she’d dared to do that in their dream.

He crouched down, one hand going to her chin, pulling her face around. She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him. “Sarah.”

She opened her eyes, hoping he would see the anger and the pain. She wanted him to know what he’d done to her. “You no longer have me.”

He reared back, his hand dropping from her face. Anguish flitted briefly across his face before anger washed over it. “Jim.”

“Chloe.” She glared at him. “Apparently she’s the one who should be here right now.”

“What?”

“Are you sleeping with her?”

For one second he looked stunned, confused, before determination settled in. He grabbed her upper arms, pulling her into his body. “I am not sleeping with Chloe!”

“Bullshit.”

His expression turned cold. “That’s two.”

“That’s none! How could you?”

She gasped as his eyes turned to gold. “I give you my word I have not slept with Chloe.”

She turned her face away. He’d been home over Christmas, given Chloe that pretty little bracelet. He’d had the time and probably the inclination. “Liar.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw his jaw clench. “That’s three.”

Uh-oh. He had a hard and fast rule: three strikes, and she was out.

She fought him as he pulled her over his knee, but he was too strong for her.

“One: I have never, ever lied to you. Not even in dreams.”

SMACK. His palm landed, stinging her backside. She howled, trying to pull away from him, but he held her down firmly. The sting faded quickly, her arousal growing as she tried to squirm off his lap.

“Two. I have not slept with Chloe.”

Smack. This one was not as hard as the first. He caressed the mark his hand left behind. She licked her lips as her belly flipped. Normally, she loved it when he spanked her. The heat of his hand, the sting of his palm, would give way to an arousal so intense he didn’t need to do anything else to get her off.

Which was why she needed to get away. She wriggled harder, pinching his thigh, trying to get him to let her go. If that third smack landed…

SMACK!

She shuddered. Licking her lips, she looked up at him through her bangs and wondered what he would do if she just sank her fangs into his leg.

“If you so much as let Jim touch your little pinky, you won’t sit down for a week. Do you understand me?”

She blew a raspberry at him. He was so stunned she actually got free.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. “Oh, no you don’t.” Hard arms wrapped around her, holding her against him, back to front. “A little something to remind you to be a good girl, other than your sore ass.” He bit her neck, and she just knew he was sucking up a mark. If he’d let his fangs drop he’d have been marking her as his. One hand drifted down to her dripping pussy, pushing up against her clit, stroking her fast and furious until she was writhing in his embrace.

She screeched as she came, but it felt empty somehow.

With one final smack on her ass he set her free. “Now…”

Sarah woke, grateful the alarm clock had kept the dream from going any further. She just knew what he’d had in mind. Another quick, hard fuck followed by yet more rejection. With a sigh she stood and headed into the shower, stripping as she went. She was still tired. The nap had hardly been what she’d call restful . Damn him, anyway.

She washed quickly and toweled off, pulling her underwear out of the drawer. She didn’t have much time, thanks to Gabe’s little game. If she had her way the games would end one way or another before the end of this trip.