Jason lifted her once more and carried her to the other padded table. She realized what the cutouts were for when he arranged her breasts so they hung free though the openings. Alex separated her legs and she felt her ankles being cuffed to wooden extensions."I have found that spanking is an intense stimulation to prepare the body for other delights. Have you tried it before, Miranda?"She nodded. "Yes, I have.""And did you enjoy it?"She nodded again but she was thinking how much more stimulating it would be with the right man. Someone who saw sex as more than just an exercise. Of course, wasn't that what she'd been doing? So what right did she have to complain?Without warning, Jason's hand descended on her ass smartly, landing a sharp blow on one smooth globe. In a moment he smacked the other one."Jason is so good at this," Alex told her. "When he warms that luscious ass sufficiently with his hand he'll give you the pleasure of the special paddle he uses." He moved to posit
Miranda could barely stand when they propped her up in the shower and bathed her with tender care. They dried her, Jason carried her back into the playroom and sat her in a chair while Alex poured a chilled glass of wine for her."Mind-blowing?" Alex asked, grinning.She smiled up at him. "All that and more."Jason leaned down and captured her mouth in a deep kiss, his tongue a light caress as he tasted her. "Can you handle more, sweetheart? We have one more treat for you.""Actually," Alex chuckled, "we have a lot more but we don't want to wear you out in one night. We're hoping you'll come back to visit again."A nervous flutter danced in her stomach. "Can we talk about that later? Right now I'm ready for whatever else you have planned for tonight."The two men looked at each other as if passing some silent signal."All right, then," Alex said. "But drink your wine first."When the glass was empty, Jason took it from her and helped her to stand, unwrapping the towel from her.
Miranda couldn't remember when she'd slept so well or so soundly. Jason woke her at ten to tell her breakfast would be ready I n thirty minutes and remind her she had a plane to catch. When he kissed her cheek, he whispered, "Thank you," then left her to dress.The night had been extraordinary but left her disappointed on two counts. While Jason and Alex were wonderful lovers, they were still missing the elusive quality she sought. She had the constant feeling that the whole performance had been for their pleasure, not hers.And again, the pearl had been the wrong one.Insisting she still have something to remember them by, they had presented her with a tiny teardrop pearl on a gold chain, which she wore until she boarded the plane, Then she took it off and dropped it into her purse. It would rest in her jewelry box, a memento of a very erotic escapade but no more than that.She leaned back in her seat and sighed. What was she doing with her life, anyway? Nothing of any substance o
She was already wet, wetter than she could ever remember being and they hadn't done anything but kiss. She slid her own hands beneath the fabric of his shirt and ran her fingers through the soft pelt of fur covering the solid, well-defined chest. When her nails raked his flat, hard nipples she heard the sharp intake of his breath.Against her mouth he said, "How about if we take this into the next room? I have a big bedroom with a huge bed, that believe it or not, I've never had a woman in.""You haven't?" She stared at him through a sensual haze."Nope. This is my private place and I haven't found anyone before this I wanted to share it with. So how about it?"She nodded and he lifted her in his arms as if she weighed nothing, carrying her through a door to a bed that looked like acres of soft comforter and sheets. B.J. pulled the covers back and laid her gently on the bed, a smile curving his lips."You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this, Miranda." He pressed a quick k
Part Three: Hot to TrotOkay, I've done it this time. What we talked about at the erotic romance convention? Totally changing our lives? I know I've always been the safe one. The prim and proper one. The one who held back. But we agreed to make a change and wait until I tell you the change I made.I bought a ranch on eBay!That's right. A cattle ranch in South Central Texas. Cashed in everything I had, sold my condo, quit my job and headed for Bypass, Texas. And let me tell you, a more fitting name for a bump in the road could never be found.But I get to the ranch, finally, and I nearly turned around and left. The pictures on eBay must have been taken someplace else because the ranch is the sorriest broken-down place you've ever seen. I barely was able to find one bedroom to stash my gear.It does, however, have Mitchell Brand, the former foreman who would make anyone's mouth water. I could barely keep from drooling. Six foot four of hot hunkitude, with dark brown hair, whiske
The sensuous mouth broke into a grin and a laugh rumbled up from somewhere deep inside him. "Mitchell Brand. Mitch. Good old Henry didn't tell me that A. Kelley was a woman. And a gorgeous one at that."Autumn made a face. "Good old Henry and I never met in person and I'm sure he didn't care what I looked like.""Tell me." If she could have seen his eyes clearly she was sure they would have been looking her up and down. "Is it true you bought this place on eBay?"She sighed. "Yes. What gave me away, the idiot sign on my forehead?"Mitch Brand chuckled. "No, darlin', not at all. It's just that...""It's just that no one in his or her right mind would buy this place, right?" Autumn swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. "But I'm here, for better or worse. And it sure looks like 'worse' is the operative word.""Well, then. Welcome to..."His grin widened..."what's left of Sweetgrass Ranch.""Thank you. I think." She looked around. "Where are the others? I don't see anyone els
Her first sight of the inside of the house almost made her want to cry again. Then she remembered the pact, squared her shoulders and dug in. Mitch had been very blunt about what it would take to put the ranch on its feet again but he'd also helped her draw up a budget she could afford. And he'd been right about sniffing out bargains for her. She listened to him on the phone with one supplier and was sure he came from a long line of con artists. While he'd gone about ordering new fencing, checking cattle sales, ordering building supplies and looking to see what men he could rehire, Autumn had attacked the house from top to bottom.When she finished she realized it was only dirt and grime that had made the place look so dilapidated. Once she had everything cleaned and polished, she could appreciate the wood floor, the furniture gleaming with age and furniture polish, the windows everywhere that gave her magnificent views of the ranch. Two of the men Mitch hired scraped and painted the
Mitch had barely headed back to his own house before she raced to the little den, opened up her laptop and went directly to her Instant Messenger list. No time now for the blog or even email.Please, please, please let someone be online. Ohmigod, you'd think I was a fainting virgin.Still, the realization that tonight would probably be The Night had her shaking with nerves. There was a big difference between talking and doing. She checked the list, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Rachel was logged in. What a stroke of luck. Good, solid practical Rachel. She'd tell it like it is.Flexing her fingers, she typed frantically.Autumn: Help! Help! Help!Rachel: Okay, what do you need? Autumn: The gorgeous hunk I blogged about has asked me out to dinner. Tell me quick what to do.Rachel: Shower and bathe every crevice in your body and douse yourself with that jasmine scent you love. He'll love it when he peels you out of your clothes. Wear one of your tank tops so he can get a