She sighed. “You’re such a pain, Trap.”

“I know, baby. Go to sleep. You have about two hours and then I’m going to be waking you up again. I’ve got plans for you.”

“I’m injured,” she pointed out. Her voice was mild. Not a protest. She didn’t care that she was injured.

“There’s no need to remind me. It’s burned in my fucking brain, Cayenne. You keep bringing it up and I’m going to injure your beautiful ass for you.”

She laughed softly. “Trap, you’re so full of it. Even if you did, I’d have your cock two seconds later. That wouldn’t be much of a punishment.”

His hand cupped her face and turned it toward him. He didn’t want her to have any doubts about the man he was. “You’re right about that, baby. You’d have my cock. My mouth. My hands. But I wouldn’t give you release, and I wouldn’t let you give it to yourself either. Not for a long, long time. I don’t have to hurt you to punish you. I would never, under any circumstances hurt you. But you’d pay for making me relive that fucking moment over and over.”

She shivered. Her eyes went dark green. Sexy. Her tongue came out and licked her lips. Top and bottom. She pressed her body closer. “I’m not certain I could take that, Trap.”

“You’ll take it. And then I’ll make it so good for you that you’ll scream my name over and over. Never doubt that I’ll make it good for you.” His arm tightened. His fingers slid over her face gently. Tenderly. “I love you, Cayenne. So much. Maybe too much.”

She smiled and turned onto her side, facing away from him, pressing her bottom into his lap. “I love you that much too, Trap. Way more than is good for you.”

He needed that. Her loving him like that. He was clinging too hard. Needing too much, but she gave him that. He knew, with time, he could ease back, but right now, with danger surrounding her, with his past so close, he couldn’t let go. As always, he knew, she would give him exactly what he needed. He waited to sleep until he felt her body relax completely and her breathing even out. Then he followed her.

Cayenne’s heart pounded hard. She wanted to bolt. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to lean over and bite Nonny, paralyze her and escape out the window. Other than Trap, no one had ever fussed over her. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention. The dress felt foreign on her body. It was beautiful, no doubt about that. Trap always provided her with the best of everything.

Her wardrobe had grown significantly. She didn’t know why. They lived in the swamp, away from most people. Nonny and Pepper were her only friends, and they wore jeans most of the time like she did. Well, Pepper, when all three women had a little too much of Nonny’s homemade strawberry wine, had confessed she wore long skirts so she didn’t have to wear underwear and Wyatt could catch her anywhere in the house and have his way with her. It was an exciting game between them finding a hiding spot surrounded by their family. At home, Cayenne rarely wore clothes. If she did, it was a shirt, but she supposed once she had children, long skirts might just be the perfect attire.

“You look beautiful,” Nonny said.

Cayenne smoothed her hand down the white silk dress that clung to her curves and dropped to the floor in panels of beads and lace. She couldn’t fault the gown. It was exquisite. It fit perfectly. She wanted Trap to see her in it, but he wasn’t the only one out there waiting for her. Pepper and Nonny were standing up for her. Draden and Wyatt were standing for Trap.

The triplets, dressed in long ruffled peach gowns, raced around the room, so excited they couldn’t keep still. Everyone was waiting, and she couldn’t move. She was frozen to the spot and near tears. She couldn’t walk out there with everyone watching. It wasn’t just Wyatt’s team – men she was familiar with – and that would have been hard enough. Wyatt’s brother Gator was there with his wife, Flame, and several members of Gator’s team. All strangers. Flame was nice. Very nice and she seemed understanding. But to have all of them staring at her…

Her palms hurt. She closed her fingers, forming a fist, her palm covered. She could feel the needles going through her skin, penetrating deep. Pinning her down. An insect. She felt venom rising. Her mouth hurt from keeping her lips clamped tight.

“Cayenne?” Nonny’s voice sounded far away.

Trap. She reached out telepathically. He wasn’t supposed to see her before the ceremony. She knew that. Knew they would all disapprove, but she needed him. She was desperate for his strength.

Baby. What is it?

She clung to his mind, knew he was surrounded by his friends. All the men he knew. Still, he answered her immediately.

I can’t… She trailed off. She could marry him. Just not like this. Not with everyone staring at her like she was an insect under a microscope. She wasn’t a true arachnid because she didn’t have eight legs. But still, she preferred that to the insect that all the men liked to call her. If they were referring to the spider in her, they should at least get that part right.

The door swung open and he filled the space, his wide shoulders and tall frame taking nearly every inch of it up. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and he looked gorgeous, the most handsome man she could possibly imagine. He took her breath away. Nonny scowled at him. Pepper tried to shoo him out. The little girls screeched a welcome and ran to throw arms around his legs. His hands automatically went to the girls’ hair, but he didn’t look at any of them. Only her. Only Cayenne, as if she was all he could see.

The terrible burning in her lungs eased, and for the first time in hours she felt she could draw air all the way in. He absently patted the girls on their heads and then, eyes still on her face, strode right in, closing the door behind him, muting the noise and blocking all view of her to their guests.

“Baby,” he said softly, as if they were the only two people in the room. His voice was black velvet, intimate. Brushing over her skin like the pads of his fingers. Featherlight, but commanding. His voice steadied her instantly. “Talk to me.”

She swallowed hard, feeling a coward. He needed this from her, and she always wanted to please him, to make him happy. She knew this was important to him, but she couldn’t make her feet move. Trap had called a reporter he sometimes talked to, one he respected more than most. He’d given him the scoop that one of the world’s most eligible bachelors was off the market and getting married in a few days. There was a picture of the two of them, smiling at each another, and a brief write-up on her, with a background she still was memorizing.