LITMIR.BIZ

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headed down the steps onto the slate path. She looked toward the main complex they had come from the night before. All the windows in the house were lit up and paper lamps lined the winding paths that snaked out from the back of the building. The house was modern rustic—an enormous home constructed with dark logs and Texas stone. Anyone driving by would assume it was the vineyard tycoon’s mansion. Nothing about it even hinted at its real purpose.

      She wrapped her arms around herself and started down the path in the opposite direction, knowing the other private cabins lay closer to the vineyards. The area got darker the farther away she ventured from the main house. Laughter and music floated on the air from somewhere in the distance, but no one seemed to be in her immediate area. Maybe this hadn’t been such a great spot to watch for her sister.

      She reached the end of the path and the short wooden railing that marked the beginning of the rolling expanse of grapevines. With a sigh, she climbed onto it to sit on the top rung. At least Reid wouldn’t look for her here if he managed to escape.

      Cabins dotted the land around her, but only two had lights on. The other guests must’ve already headed toward dinner and the party, ready for a fun night. Fun—what everyone else was here for.

      She rested her heels on the middle rung of the fence, set her elbows on her thighs, and put her face in her hands, feeling drained and more alone than she had in as long as she could remember. How had everything gone so off course?

      Her mom. Her sister. Reid. Her own life.

      Was the universe bound and determined to take everyone from her? Each time she thought she had something to hold on to, it seemed to slip through her fingers like mist.

      She hadn’t given over to self-pity in years, had sworn to herself that no matter what, she would create a safe and happy life for herself, her sister—help other women do the same. But as she sat on the fence inhaling deep gulps of the earthy air and feeling the darkness of the night closing around her, fat tears tracked down her cheeks.

      God, she was losing it.

      The breeze shifted and the steady thudding of footsteps joined in with the rustling of the grape leaves. Her heart stuttered—he couldn’t have escaped that quickly, right? She lifted her head to find an imposing figure heading her way. She could tell from the sauntering gait that it wasn’t Reid, but other than that, she couldn’t make out much else. Great, just what she needed, uninvited company.

      “Hello?” she called, hurriedly cleaning the moisture from her face.

      The man closed the distance between them in a few long strides. “Well, hi there, darlin’. What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

      Brynn gave Grant a once-over. Plaid shirt rolled up his muscular forearms, well-worn jeans and boots, stubble that was a few hours past a five-o’clock shadow—all matching up perfectly with that lazy drawl of his. If she hadn’t learned last night that he owned the place, she would’ve taken him for a cowboy who had wandered off a nearby pasture.

      She cleared her throat, which had clogged with her tears. “Um, I just needed to get away for a minute.”

      He stepped closer and into a patch of moonlight. His dark eyebrows dipped low as he took in her appearance. “Is something wrong?”

      She sniffed and shook her head. “Um, I’m fine. Just needed a break. I don’t think the whole submissive thing is going to work for me after all.”

      “Brynn, I had the pleasure of watching you with your master and Jace last night. Had you not told me about the fear you’re dealing with, I would’ve never guessed. You take to the role like it’s second nature.” The side of his mouth lifted a tick. “Are you sure it’s the sub part of the equation you’re struggling with?”

      She shifted uncomfortably, his penetrating stare scattering her nerves. No question which side of the power exchange fence he played on. “Things didn’t go well with Reid.”

      His tone turned deadly calm. “Did he break a rule with you? Push you too far? If he did, it’s important for you to tell me. I have no tolerance for that kind of thing here.”

      She bit her lip. “No, nothing like that. He knows what I’ve been through and would never physically hurt me. We just… clash.”

      “Ah,” he said, some of the tension in his stance easing. “He must be quite a master if he’s gotten under your skin this quick. Most doms don’t even crack the surface of a sub’s defenses until well into a relationship.”

      She gritted her teeth at his knowing nod. “I’m not going back to his cabin.”

      His eyes crinkled around the corners. “Fair enough. We can always get you another room. But I hope you aren’t going to skip the Bacchanal tonight. We only do it once a year—it’d be a shame for you to miss it.”

      “I still plan on checking it out. Aren’t you going?” She glanced down at his outfit.

      He chuckled. “I have to monitor the party to make sure everything goes all right. If I participate, it usually isn’t until late into the night, and by then, costumes aren’t exactly needed.”

      Her cheeks heated. “I imagine not.”

      He reached for her hand. “Come on. You’ll walk over to the party site with me. They already have the food laid out. Your master’s loss is my gain.”

      “I really don’t think—”

      “Indulge me, Brynn. My mama taught me to make sure guests are satisfied. The club has clearly failed in meeting the expectations you had for your stay here, so at least give me the pleasure of putting a good meal in your belly. Our chef Collette makes food so good, I’ve seen even the scariest doms get on their knees to beg her for seconds.”

      She knew he’d just given her a command, not a request, but suddenly she didn’t want to be alone in the dark anymore. Wallowing would solve nothing. Plus, his easy charm made him hard to resist. He was like one of those drinks with the umbrellas—all that sugar disguising the true power swirling in the depths. Not until halfway through the beverage would you realize it was too late, that you’d already been knocked off balance.

      She smirked as he led her back up the path. “I figured the owner of this kind of place would have a harem of beautiful slaves to hand-feed him dinner.”

      “Only on Sundays. Can’t let myself get too spoiled, ya know?”

      A snort escaped. “Right. Wouldn’t want that.”

      They took a turn off the main walkway toward the east side of the property, the full moon lighting their surroundings with a silvery glow. Beyond the cabins and expansive vineyards, there was nothing but open land and the low swell of hills along the horizon. Breathtaking and so different from the flat Dallas landscape.

      “How far from the city are we?” she asked.

      “About an hour west of Fort Worth.”

      “Huh. Didn’t feel like that long on the way out.”

      “That’s ’cause Robbie drives a limo like Satan’s on his tail,” he said, gently taking her elbow and guiding her to another turn.

      The music that’d been drifting on the breeze grew louder and a few hundred yards in front of them the sky filled with an orange glow. “Looks like the party started without us.”

      “Ah, don’t worry. The night is young.”

      Her heartbeat increased tempo every step they got closer to the revelry—both in anticipation of seeing her sister and in nervousness about her hair-trigger panic attacks. And God help her when Reid got free and made it down here. She was going to have a seriously irate lawyer on her hands. Hopefully, she could talk to Kels before she had to deal with that.

      The Bacchanal was set up in a large corner of an open pasture. The few trees that dotted the area had been strung with white twinkle lights, and large tiki torches had been placed strategically around the perimeter of

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