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"Are you all right, little one?" Z asked as he took the seat belt from her and fastened it

Her friend count had been a little low, she thought, but see rapidly She sht I feel like I’ve been caught in a blackberry tangle, and someone just cut me free" Her eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "Thank you so h Nolan had all the fun Now go ho" He rubbed his knuckles over her cheek "You can expect to see Jessica soon"

As the truck started, he glanced at Nolan "Are you taking her to her apartment or--"

"She’ll be at my house," Nolan said flatly

"Excellent" Z nodded and closed her door

"Nolan…" Beth started He shouldn’t have to take care of her "I can go to htmares You will be in hthtmares? Oh, God, he’d killed a man for her She took his hand "You killed him I’m sorry, so, so sorry"

He looked at her blankly before snorting "I don’t have night he had you…hearing you screa to botherto have to stay with ht" She couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be It seehtmares for at least three or four days, but--

He put the truck into gear "I figure in a year or two, Iin his kitchen, Nolan stared at the little sub and rowl out of his voice "You’re what?"

"I’ back into my apartment" Beth took a step back, then crossed her ar back to noro this far to prove she was feeling better It had only been a couple of weeks Reasonable Be reasonable "Why the hell would you want to go back there?" He winced at the snap in his voice

She bit her lip, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him

He held her close and rested his cheek on the top of her head, reed Cullen Did he look that bad? "Okay, sugar, tell htened "I need to know that I can live on o, but I have to"

"Gutsy rabbit" He could understand the need He’d grown up in a family that firmly believed in the "face your fears" technique But how did a man deal with the need to stand in front of a little rabbit and protect her froutsy It’s just, well, if I stay with you because I’m scared to be alone, well…that isn’t much of a relationship"

She had a point He wanted to ask her what kind of a relationship she thought they had, but didn’t Afterher sick fuck of a husband, he wasn’t about to put any pressure on her When she was ready to let hih it felt like he ray before that happened

He rubbed his cheek in her soft hair and inhaled her strawberry fragrance He’d have to get her to plant a bed of strawberries so he could s I still want to do to you You gonna be available?"

She giggled, a husky chuckling sound that lifted his mood "You’re the Master All you have to do is tell ht?"

Wasn’t it a shame it didn’t really work like that His power over her lasted only as long as they both wanted it to, and no longer "Well then" He could feel the healing scabs under her shirt and could feel how tense herback to a place she’d been attacked couldn’t be easy Maybe he’d just help her over the first hurdle "I have a craving to see how loud I can make you screaht, sugar?"

Under his fingers, the long muscles of her back slowly loosened "You know, I just happen to have one available" She rubbed her forehead against his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, Master"

Nolan glanced at the cage in the corner The male sub looked miserable but in no real physical distress He strolled past and down to the next station where a Do his sub in the stockade Tears already ran down her cheeks although the cane at the Dom’s feet hadn’t been used yet She’d probably be a screamer

Nolan stopped to scan the crowd around the door and the bar No Beth yet Where the hell was she?

A lesbian couple with the sub in saloon girl garb and the Domme in a very risqué sheriff’s outfit walked past, and Nolan eyed the sheriff’s bare legs appreciatively Old West Night at the Shadowlands was one of his favorite themes; he was Texan, after all

He shoved his Stetson back and slowed to check the whipping post that Z had brought out just for tonight Using a whip in thespectators by accident Dressed in outlaw black, Sam had Deborah tied to the post Nolan stopped to enjoy for a minute The old sadist was a real master with that black snake whip of his Deborah was already up on tiptoes and well on her way to subspace