He leaned against the railing of the deck. “So what’s so funny?”

Evan shot Andre a warning look. “Nothing.”

Andre grinned. “I’m trying to get Evan to spill the details about her naughty cop fantasy.”

She splashed water at him. “Traitor.”

Jace couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out. “Well, you can’t blame the guy for asking, Ev. He is a cop.”

“Oh, my God.” Mortification crossed her face. “I’m just going to drown myself now and save myself the rest of this conversation.”

“Ah, had he not told you that part yet?” Jace asked, enjoying the fact that she could be naked in a hot tub, talking to two guys who’d seen her screaming in orgasm already, but still be embarrassed about a dirty fantasy.

“No.” She shot Andre a glare.

He held up his palms. “You didn’t ask. But you should at least tell Jace about it. How’s your dom supposed to know how to please you if you don’t tell him what turns you on? Everyone has those fantasies that they’re afraid to tell others. That’s the beauty of a place like this. You don’t have to keep them tucked away.”

Jace watched as she gnawed her lip, her nerves evident. But he could tell the temptation to open up to them was there, too. He walked over to the edge of the hot tub and propped his forearms on it.

“As my sub, I expect you to be open with me. If you’re not, I’ll eventually draw out whatever those desires are by other means. You won’t be able to hide them forever. But I’m not going to command you to share with us right now if you’re not ready.” He reached out and cupped her cheek, holding her gaze. “But know that you’re safe with me. And with Andre. No judgment. I guarantee that for every dark fantasy you have, we probably have a hundred more sordid ones to match. Especially Andre, he’s a sick bastard.”

“Hey, wait a second,” Andre protested.

She smiled and the anxiety pinching her features seemed to ease as she took in his words. She nodded, her eyes not leaving his. “Thank you.”

He had the urge to bend down and press his lips to hers. Just because. But he held off. If they weren’t in the middle of a D/s scene, he needed to keep his distance. That kind of casual intimacy was not what either of them had signed up for. “Let me grab you a towel and get you out of here.”

The minute he turned his back, her soft voice halted him. “I . . . I have a capture fantasy.”

The words shot straight to his groin and snapped him right back to what he was supposed to be focused on with Evan—sex. But he didn’t move, knowing that if he faced her she may lose her nerve to continue. “Okay.”

“Two rogue cops. Arresting me. Being rough. Taking what they want from me however they want it. Forcing me to get them off.”

Holy hell. Jace closed his eyes and took a long breath, his body thrumming from the erotic images assaulting his brain. His cock hardened to the point of agony. She wanted to be manhandled and fucked by two men? The idea set fire to the darkest parts of him—appealed to the primitive core of his dominant streak.

Part of him wanted to whirl around, grab her, and make that fantasy come true for her. Right. This. Minute. But she wasn’t ready for that kind of thing yet. He’d never done a capture scene, but he knew they were seriously intense. The pretense of no consent—even with a safe word—was a powerful thing for the psyche to process. For someone so new to D/s, she could get too freaked out to enjoy it. Plus, he had no idea if she was emotionally strong enough to handle that kind of mind fuck. He hadn’t forgotten those cuts he’d found on her the night they’d slept together.

A frown touched his lips. There was no way he could take that risk with her. That was the kind of thing you did with a long-term partner, one you’d built total trust with. The type of relationship he’d never have with her, or anyone else for that matter. He wasn’t built for trust anymore.

But it didn’t mean they still couldn’t have a great time tonight doing a whole list of other things. His frown lifted, his darkening mood rallying at the thought.

He grabbed a thick towel from one of the benches and went back to the hot tub. “Thank you for trusting us with that. I know that wasn’t easy for you.”

She nodded and stared down at the water. Jace ventured a glance at Andre and almost burst out laughing. The guy looked like he was in pain. Probably from the raging hard-on he suspected Andre was hiding beneath the water.

Andre checked that Evan wasn’t looking in his direction and mouthed, “Lucky bastard.”

Jace grinned, although he did feel a little sorry for the guy. Andre had watched Evan get off, sat with her while she was naked, and had heard about a fantasy that he could definitely help fulfill. All without being invited into their bed for the night.

“Let’s get you out of here, babe,” Jace said, offering a hand to Evan.

She peeked up at him from under her lashes, but before she took his hand, she slid along the bench of the hot tub toward Andre. Andre froze as she neared him, as if he were afraid if he moved anything, he’d maul her. Lifting out of the water, high enough to give both men a view of the top curve of her luscious breasts, she leaned over and laid a lingering kiss on his cheek. Andre closed his eyes, and Jace could almost see him quivering with restraint.

“Thanks for the chat, Andre. And for being such a gentleman,” she said, a shy note to her voice.

Andre cleared his throat. “Anytime, bella. Any. Time.”

Jace heard Andre’s unspoken offer. I want you. Just ask. He doubted Evan had missed the intent behind the words.

Something tightened low in Jace’s gut, the conflicting feelings boiling over. Seeing the little spark between her and Andre had him hot all over, but also ridiculously jealous. Her cop fantasy proved she at least was a little open to ménage, so he could probably guide her down that path. And Lord, she’d be gorgeous bound and spread for the two of them. But goddamn it, he didn’t know if he could share her.

And sharing was what he did. Who he was.

Maybe he just needed to get this first time out of his system with her. Satisfy whatever primal part of him wanted to stake his claim on her before Andre touched her.

Yeah, that had to be it.

Evan glided back to the spot in front of him and took his hand, her eyes like blue fire. “I’m all yours, sir.”

The intent in her words and resolute expression made every cell in his body vibrate with anticipation. His concerns melted away under her hungry gaze.

To hell with the psychoanalysis. All he needed right now was Evan.

Alone.

He’d figure out the rest later.

TWELVE

Evan followed Jace into the house, her legs like Jell-O beneath her after the long soak in the hot tub and the erotic overload of sharing her fantasies with the two men. But the wobbly muscles didn’t prevent tension from reclaiming her as she mulled over her talk with Andre.

She pulled the towel more snugly around her and took a deep breath. “Jace?”

He stopped in the doorway to the bedroom and turned around to look at her, frowning when he saw her expression. “You all right?”

She had the urge to look down at the floor, but forced herself to keep her gaze. “Why are you doing this?”

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. “I thought we already covered that.”

“Andre said you never take on a sub alone. That you always do ménage.”

His jaw muscle flexed. “Andre has a big mouth.”

“So why are you doing this with me?”

He pushed off the doorjamb and pointed to the spot in front of him. “Come here.”

Tentatively, she walked the few steps forward to stand before him.

He cupped the back of her neck and captured her gaze. “I told you. I’m doing this because I want you. No, I don’t do one-on-one a lot—that’s why I hesitated at initiation. But when I saw you with Colby, I realized that even if you weren’t into ménage, you belonged in my bed this weekend.”

Her chilled skin warmed under his words and possessive tone. She nodded and swallowed hard, building up courage for her next words. “I’m open, Jace.”

His grip tightened on her neck, making the collar dig into her tender skin. “What are you talking about?”

She shifted her weight from foot to foot, her nervous energy fighting to break loose, but kept her eyes on his. “I’m open to what you like—to ménage, to you and Andre.”

A storm cloud crossed his face, as if her proclamation both pleased him and pissed him off all at the same time. “You don’t have to change your limits for me, Evan. I don’t need ménage to enjoy myself. You’re more than enough alone.”

“But what if I’m curious?” she said, her voice gaining some strength despite her frantically beating heart. “I checked no for ménage because I was already freaked out enough turning myself over to one stranger. Not because the idea of two guys isn’t appealing.”

“And now the thought of me sharing you with Andre turns you on?”

Her body shuddered with a hell yes but she kept her response neutral. “Maybe.”

“We can both be pretty demanding,” he said, his voice darkly sensual as he threaded his fingers through the damp hair at her nape. “What makes you think you can handle us both?”

She tilted her chin up. “What makes you think I can’t?”

His lips curled in a wicked smile. “Confident, aren’t we? Drop the towel. Let’s see how you handle your own master first. Then I’ll determine if you’ve earned the pleasure of being shared. Ménage is not for the faint of heart, pet.”

She lowered the hand that was holding the towel around her and allowed the terrycloth to fall to the floor. Unashamed. Aching for him to touch her. “I’m tougher than I look, sir.”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that.”

He gave her a slow once over and ran his hand down her back until he cupped her ass and drew her against him. She didn’t resist. “Good girl. When you’re with me, that’s all I want to see you wearing. My collar and that pretty flush you get when I touch you.”

He seated the crotch of his jeans against her sensitive flesh, sending ripples of pleasure through her. Her fists balled against his T-shirt. “Yes, sir.”

He lowered his head, kissing the sensitive spot beneath her ear. “Now, let me show you what happens when you question your master and make unsolicited suggestions.”

In one effortless motion, he hoisted her up over his shoulder, placing her face against his back, and smacked a palm against her bare ass. Hard.

“Hey!”

“Quiet.” He locked his arm around the backs of her thighs and carried her into the bedroom, leaving the door open behind them.

She bit her lip as the stinging began to tingle. Oh, my.

The bedroom was a good bit bigger than the one in her cabin, but looked to be decorated in the same rustic style. Nice cozy bungalow. The only things that alluded to its purpose were the metal rings hanging from some of the walls. She caught a glimpse of the bed in the mirror above the dresser and saw that Jace was carrying her over to the foot of the bed where a long padded table was set up.

He sat her down on the edge of it. “Face down, pet.”

She looked to his face to try to get a read on what he was going to do, but his expression was stoic.

“Don’t make me tell you again.”

Hurriedly, she turned over on her stomach and moved to the end of the table. It was a massage table of sorts, but she doubted he was going to give her a rubdown. She rested her head in the cushioned face cradle, her heartbeat pounding so loud she didn’t catch his next command.

“You’re earning more punishment by hesitating. I said lift your head.”