Ye Olde Kinke Faire

Elan Isle, Book One

By

Thianna D.

Copyright 2017 Thianna D.

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Words Copyright © 2017 Thianna D.

Cover Design: © 2017 Thianna Durston

Model Image © Can Stock Photo / pressmaster

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead, or places, events, or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Acknowledgements

I would like to offer a sincere thank you to my betas, Ruth & Beth. Your help is invaluable!

Table of Contents

About This Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Epilogue

Sample Chapter: Through the Library Door

Author’s Note

About This Book

Kendrick Finleigh has been searching for a place for he and his friends to call home, a place where they can let out their kinky selves with no reprisal. Investing in a kinky renaissance faire on a private island seems just the ticket.

Becca Hesse came to work at Ye Olde Kinke Faire thinking it would be fun, only to find the owners have no idea what kink is. When new investors take over, she's thrilled, especially when Kendrick shows interest in her.

With problems in getting the Faire up and running, there seems little time to express how they truly feel for one another. One error leads to a huge misunderstanding and before long, what was once a promising relationship, crashes into the surf. With Becca on the run, Kendrick has to call on all his reserves to bring his sub home safely. Or risk losing her, and what could have been, forever.

Chapter One

He could just see the shore in the distance. Kendrick Finleigh leaned forward eagerly in anticipation. After months of discussions, he and his friends were finally on their way to Elan Isle, home of Ye Olde Kinke Faire, a renaissance faire for the kink minded. The Faire was in its pre-opening stage and was seeking investors. Kendrick, Craig, Neil, and Joseph were looking for a place to put down roots where they could be who they were and live their lifestyle out and proud. They knew it could be a piece of junk and worthless. On the other hand, maybe it was a jewel worth investing in.

“What are you looking at?” Craig yelled over the sound of the boat.

Kendrick looked over his shoulder and grinned. “I can see the shore.”

Craig rolled his eyes and huddled in his seat. Like most of them, he was a land lubber. Being out on open water had turned his pale face the color of a green gummy candy. His wife Jilly looked worse, though she had a different excuse. Morning sickness added to motion sickness and she’d sat with her head practically over the side of the boat since they left Sequim.

Kendrick might have grown up in the city, but he’d always loved water. When he was a kid, his father used to take him out on lakes all the time. Even though the water was choppier than any he’d ever rode on, he reveled in the spray as it hit his face and of the scents of salt and fish in the air.

He had a good head for success and had done well over the last nine years since college. Some would say he was an idiot to spend his time riding broncs and bulls in the rodeo circuit, but he’d loved it. Plus it made him a good chunk of money—some from the prizes, most from sponsors. And he’d packed every spare penny into stocks and bonds that had brought back ten times what he put into it. He’d helped his friends invest as well and all of them were multi-millionaires. Though nobody would guess at it to look at them.

A smirk spread across his lips as he continued to stare ahead. They looked like cowboys. Rough, used blue jeans, Stetsons, boots, and button-down shirts were their normal everyday attire. None of them went for fancy attire. Well, that wasn’t completely true. Neil’s deceased wife had enjoyed having money. And spending it. And boy could that woman spend.

All in their company looked like everyday, simple people. Which was perfect for their trip to visit the Faire. They hadn’t told the owners they were coming and planned to keep it secret while they checked the place out. If it looked promising then Kendrick would call R.C. Cowen, the owner of Elan Isle, and ask to see everything. If not, they would leave and continue looking for a venture that would be good for them all.

The breeze off the Strait of Juan de Fuca was cold and he huddled a little deeper into his coat. If things worked out, he would have to purchase warmer clothing for the winter.

Elan Isle sat halfway between Oak Harbor, Washington, and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, just east of the dividing line which set them within the United States. The island stretched thirty square miles, and as most of it was covered with trees, there was little in the way of beaches. Most of the shoreline consisted of rocks and grass. But the ten-acre plot the Faire was on was wide open and at sea level. From what he’d read, there was enough space to stretch the Faire to six hundred and forty acres if they chose to.

The thought of all those kinky businesses made him fidget a little. He hadn’t been to a kink club in a few months and he needed the outlet. But all the land beyond the Faire was of interest as well. Elan Township was made up of over two hundred and fifty cabins of different sizes. Currently the town had a year round population of five people. Most of the cabins were rented out during the summer months to tourists.

That was what truly held Kendrick’s interest. He would prefer to stop renting the cabins. If they could bring in year-round kink residents, they could match the town’s purpose to the Faire. At that point, the tourists would be kept to the Faire area and Elan Township would become the home of his dreams. Getting the licenses to be able to turn Elan Isle into a co-op would take some time, but Kendrick usually ended up getting what he wanted. He was personable, trustworthy, and bull-headed—three traits that had formed him into the man he was.

“Is Rhys coming?” The question from Alice, Joseph’s wife, had Kendrick turning to his left. She’d left the group and stood at his side.

“He’ll be here for the weekend. It’ll be good to see him again.” His elder brother was a US Congressman and rarely had the chance to get his kink on, but when Kendrick told him about the Faire and why they were going to check it out, he hadn’t been able to resist a trip to check it out.

“Oh good,” she said and leaned against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed lightly. “I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up. The other places we looked at didn’t pan out, but this place just sounds right. A kinky town and a kinky business. Right up our alley.”

“No kidding,” he agreed. They had to hide most of their extracurricular activities from others on the rodeo circuit because they didn’t want the flack that would have come back at them for it. Kendrick was tired of not being who he was 100 percent of the time. He needed that. And hoped Elan Isle proved to be fruitful in that regard. The thought of letting his Dom side out all summer long at the Faire was a heady one and kept him going even when other ventures had not worked out. And if they could tie the township into a co-op and pull kink-minded people into it, he would never have to draw that line in the sand between who he was and what he did.

The island grew closer and beyond the buildings he could see, there was a forest and he tightened his hold on Alice as he watched. Through those trees were all manner of homes that might be theirs one day. With the hand that was in his pocket, he crossed his fingers for good luck.

They docked and he waited for everyone in his party to leave before hopping off the boat and following, his suitcase hanging from the strap on his shoulder. Glittering sand and rock ran under them for about ten feet and they hit grass. A trail led them toward a large arch where a man in pantaloons and knee-high boots greeted them.

“Good day, Doms and subs. Welcome to Ye Olde Kinke Faire. Are ye staying overnight or just for the day?”

“We’ve got reservations,” Kendrick explained. “We plan to stay for a week.”

“Perfect.” He bowed. “I am Lord Veres. What is the name of your reservation? I will call for a guide.”

“The reservation is under Alice Kelsey,” Alice said, standing at her full height of five feet five inches with her chin jutted out. People who didn’t understand the BDSM dynamics would have thought she was play acting being in control. Instead, it was the natural Domme side of her coming to the fore. “For four cabins.”

Veres nodded. “Of course, Lady Alice.” He turned his head slightly and beckoned someone they couldn’t see forward. “Cavent will show you to your cabins and answer any questions you might have. Welcome to Ye Olde Kinke Faire.”

A tall man with long flowing dark brown hair approached them. He wore a kilt and with his sun-kissed skin, thin stature, and flabby abs, he rather looked the part of a Highlander who had been at the home brew a bit too often.

“Welcome,” Cavent said in a deep voice and a very bad accent. Kendrick wasn’t sure if he was trying to be Scottish or if he had a cold. “My name is Cavent. What reservation do you have?”

Alice repeated her words and he nodded. “Of course, Lady Alice. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your cabins.” He held his arm out and as Alice stepped forward, he fell into step beside her. “Have you been to the Faire before?” he asked in a polite tone as if the place had been running for years rather than a few days.

“This is our first time,” Alice said as the rest of them followed. It was all part of the plan, putting Alice as the focal point so that Kendrick, Neil, Craig, and Joseph could observe. “I’ve read the rules we received with our reservation, but can you go over the basics again for the rest of my group?”

“Of course, Lady Alice.” Cavent turned his head slightly and he spoke a little louder. “Ye Olde Kinke Faire is on ten acres. Inside the Faire grounds, it is akin to being in a BDSM club. Certain expectations are expected and adhered to. At every stage or dungeon, there is at least one dungeon monitor on hand. You’re asked to not interfere with a scene unless it is posted that audience involvement is desired. If you have a sub, it would be smart to place a collar around their throat as any sub without one is considered fair game to all dominants. There are currently two shops open for accessories that you are welcome to check out. More will be opening later this summer.

“The cabins you’ll be staying at are soundproofed. You may play to your heart’s content inside. But we ask that you don’t play outside of your cabin unless you are on the Faire’s grounds as we have renters who are not involved in the Faire and they do not consent to see or hear BDSM activities.”

Just one thing Kendrick would end if they were able to become part of the whole thing. He wanted the entire island to be kinky.

“Any play off limits?” Craig asked, his sea sickness almost gone. The green had left his face and he walked with a surer step.

“A list of acceptable play is on the door of your cabin,” Cavent explained. “Very little is off limits except that which our insurers were most dogged about.”

Insurance companies. Kendrick wrinkled his nose. Bastards.

“What about outfits?” Alice asked, quickly drawing Cavent’s attention back to her. “Some of ours are quite revealing. Since we’ll be walking to and from our cabins, others may see us.”

“For people who are staying in the township, there are robes hanging in your wardrobes. If your clothing is not something you would wear down the street in any town in the US, then wear the robe over it. There is a check-in station at the Faire where they will take the robe you give them and hand you a clean one when you leave. Also, if you purchase any items at the shops you would like to take back to your cabin but you don’t want to leave the Faire, they will be delivered at no extra charge.”

They walked around the outer edge of the Faire and into the trees. The temperature dropped about ten degrees the moment they were out of the sun. “From here on out is Elan Township,” Cavent explained as they stepped off the grass onto an unpaved road. “The cabins were built in pods of ten. The four cabins that were reserved for you are over here.” He turned to his right and they followed him through a small trail. They passed between several trees before the trees opened up to ten cabins in a circle. Between them was a large grassy mound.

A man in tight black jeans and no shirt seemed to be waiting for them. He was leaning against the side of one of the cabins but the moment they walked into view, he stood up straight, lowered his eyes, and walked toward one of the doors. “This is your service sub,” Cavent explained. “He’s in charge of this group of cabins. If you need anything, call out for him. If you have any specific things you need in your cabin, tell him. He’s also in charge of cleaning your cabins to your specifications. If he fails, please tell me.”

The service sub paled slightly at those words.

“Take care of them,” Cavent said to him. “They are Faire guests.”

“Of course, Sir,” he said in a respectful tone. “I shall do my best.”

Cavent once again turned to Alice. “If there is anything you require, Lady Alice, you’re your service sub cannot bring you, my number is next to your phone. Call me at any time.”

Alice nodded and as Cavent turned to leave, the sub opened the door of the cabin he was in front of and bowed. “Lady Alice?” he said calmly. “Shall I take your bag?” He glanced at her feet, where no bags were in evidence, and an expression of confusion crossed his face.

“Thank you. My boy’s got it,” she said in a kind tone and walked past it, Joseph jogging to keep up with her, their bags bouncing at his sides.

The way the service sub’s eyes bugged out intensified a feeling Kendrick felt since they met the first guy at the gate. Actors. They were all actors without any knowledge of BDSM. What a fucking disappointment.

Chapter Two

Becca glanced out of the small window of the ladies changing hut. It was difficult to see the stage from her angle, but she managed to see the right side. It did not look promising. But then Ye Olde Kinke Faire had that overall look. As if they had ideas, but weren’t planning on putting the money or the emphasis into it until the money started coming in. As an actress only on contract for a couple months, she tried to focus on the fact it was easy money. However, some events over the week since she arrived made her wonder if she’d last. Safe, sane, and consensual it was not.

“Hold still,” Rayin said in a muffled voice. One glance over her shoulder told her it was because the woman had pins in between her lips. The bodice of Becca’s gown, which looked like a mixture of medieval and slut, pulled a little tighter. She didn’t think the dress was very attractive, but she didn’t blame Rayin. No doubt the decision was made by the owners of the Faire. Her friend Cassidy, who was also an actress for the summer, wore a similar uniform, only hers had the bodice ripped off so she walked around with her tits hanging out. Truthfully, Becca would feel more comfortable like that. At least Cassidy looked like she was at a kink club.

Becca was beginning to wonder about the Faire.

She grunted as the bodice pulled so tight it was difficult to breathe. But it wasn’t in the way corsets usually made her feel. Probably because corsets were tied to the look in a Dom’s eyes that said he liked her trussed up. The gown just made her feel fat. And as she was a size five, she was definitely not overweight.

“Okay, dearie,” Rayin said, her voice still muffled. “It’ll hold until he whips it off you.”

“What?” Becca blinked. She knew she was to act at the whipping post—and at any kink club she would be excited as she loved the lash of a single tail under the hand of an experienced Dom—but due to her experiences with the so-called Doms at the Faire, she was a might dubious. From what she’d been able to tell, they were not dominant. They ranged from the actors who knew nothing about BDSM to dommabes—guys who liked the idea of being a Dom but didn’t have the personality or the strength to pull it off. “There is no way—” she began.

Rayin coughed a laugh as she pulled the pins out of her mouth. “Don’t worry your head, Becca. Daniel doesn’t know a thing about whips and I’ve watched him practice. He hasn’t gotten any closer than a foot to anything. It’s why they’ve angled the post away from the spectators. So they can’t see how bad he is. That’s also why the makeup artist made fake blood marks on your back.”

“So how’s he going to whip the gown off me then?” Becca asked in confusion.

Rayin reached around her and pulled out a string. “He tugs on this and the back will fall open.” She shrugged. “It’s better than getting a real lashing if you ask me. Besides, if he misses his mark, scream red. He’ll have to stop then.”

Becca wasn’t asking her, but in that instance, she highly agreed. “All right. Well, wish me luck.” Rayin nodded and opened the door before turning to a pile of material Becca assumed would become ugly gowns like the one she wore.

The Faire didn’t officially open until June. However, they were open for a few hours a day trying to get everyone into their characters so that they all were prepared come Grand Opening Day. Even then, there were quite a few guests about. She glanced around to see if there was anyone she knew as she was from Seattle, but she didn’t recognize anyone. Her eyes did, however, linger on a tall man with wide shoulders and dirty-blond hair who stood over by the side of the stage staring at it with interest in his face. She wished she was close enough to see his eyes.

Would they have the deep fathoms that the Doms she’d served in the past had? There had only been two who had that certain gift, but one look in their eyes and she’d gratefully dropped to her knees. Serving them had been the highlight of her life. Unfortunately, neither had wanted a sub long term. So she had hung out at a few BDSM groups and clubs. Real Doms were hard to find. There were tons of non-dominant sadists in the greater Seattle area, but that wasn’t who she was looking for.

Built Guy turned slightly and she was able to see more of his face. It was like he was chiseled by an artist: high cheekbones, defined chin, and high eyebrows. And lashes. Damn it. Why was it men had long lashes? It wasn’t like they needed them.

“Hey.” Startled by the whiny voice, she turned away from Built Guy and stared at a man only a couple inches taller than she was. He wore black leather pants which looked brand new and a black leather sash over one shoulder. He was also wearing a Zorro-style mask. Oh dear God. Was he going to try and whip a Z on her back? “We’re up,” he said. “Don’t make me look bad.”

She raised both eyebrows but the look of scorn was lost on him since he’d already turned and walked up the three steps to the stage.

“Gentlemen,” he said loudly, but still sounding like a whiny geek, “this wench has disobeyed orders and has come to receive her punishment. I say fifty lashes with a single tail. Who’s with me?”

Fifty? Even for an actor that had to sound insane, didn’t it? No Dom had ever given her more than twenty-five, though those weren’t for punishment either. She glanced over the audience. None of them looked impressed. That heartened her. Perhaps they were more into kink and could see a poser when they spotted one.

“Come on, wench.” He grasped her shoulder and pushed her in the direction of the whipping post. The post was wood and about seven feet high with leather shackles hanging from the top. He grabbed one and it took him a full minute to figure out how to unbuckle them. While he worked with it, she cast a glance over her shoulder and smirked. She needed to keep the audience’s attention or they would walk away.

“Perhaps this is why I don’t obey,” she said in as much of an English accent as she could muster. Ugh. She sounded awful. She’d have to convince them to let her talk in her own voice. “He can’t even get the cuff undone.”

A few of the men chuckled and Built Guy watched her. She still couldn’t see his eyes but his features once again grabbed notice. Until the idiot yanked her arm over, making her yipe as her shoulder twisted in an odd direction, and affixed the cuff. She glared at Idiot Guy and he glared right back. “Asshole,” she said in a sing-song voice loud enough that anyone in the vicinity could hear it. “You’re nothing but an asshole.”

“Shut it,” he snapped and yanked her other arm up and affixed the other cuff.

“Make me,” she bit back and he stepped back.

“I intend to, wench.”

He stepped behind her and she wrinkled up her nose. It was a good thing this wasn’t a real scene. That type of bratting would have ensured she couldn’t move without discomfort for days. But everything was telling her this was a really bad idea. For seven days, she’d seen nothing to make her feel good about the Faire itself. Not much in terms of safety, though they did have a doctor on staff… or so she’d heard. And most of the other actors looked down on BDSM. Perhaps she should just head back to Seattle and twiddle her thumbs for the rest of the summer.

Crack!

She jumped at the sound of the leather hitting the stage and she glanced over her shoulder warily. Her eyes widened at the whip the idiot had in his hand. A bullwhip? What person thought it would be a good idea to put a bullwhip into Idiot Guy’s hands? Instinctively, she moved closer to the post to get as far away from him as possible.

“Stop moving, wench,” he called out before he pulled his arm back and let the whip fly again.

She knew when she spotted the angle that it was going to hit and horrified, she turned away and hid her face. Fire lit up along her shoulder as the edge of the whip shredded the gauzy material of her gown. For a moment, she stood there in shock. He hit her. The asshole hit her.

Fire erupted across her upper back and after she shrieked at the pain, she screamed, “Red!”

Almost instantly fire lit up along her left shoulder. “Red!” It lit along her buttocks and she started to freak out. He wasn’t stopping. She’d called out red twice and he wasn’t stopping. Becca wanted to try and move around the post away from him, to catch the eye of one of the guys in the audience, but she was terrified to move. If he was even half aiming and she moved at the wrong moment, it could prove disastrous.

However when pain slammed into her spine, she’d had enough. Screaming “Red” at the top of her lungs, she tried to move around the post, aware of yelling behind her. When she got to the other side, she dared to peek around it, surprised to find Idiot Guy on the stage, flat on his stomach with two guys on top of him. Built Guy was striding toward her with a look of fury on his face.

He paused a couple feet away, his palms out and his fury dissipating. Calm took its place. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said in a firm voice. “We’ve stopped the bastard from continuing. I want to get you to the doctor’s. Your back’s pretty bad.”

She whimpered as the fire trickling along her back and buttocks made itself known in a huge way.

“I know,” he said in a gentle tone. “Let’s get you to the doctor’s office. You need to get those cuts looked at.”

“Help,” she whispered and he moved quickly. In less than thirty seconds, her hands were free and he lifted her up in his arms. She cried out as his arms hit some of her welts.

“I’m sorry,” he said and then he strode forward and jumped off the edge. He landed so smoothly she barely felt it. “Where’s the doctor?” he bellowed. Someone must have pointed toward the small white tent that held the doctor’s office.

The pain was horrible. Nothing Dennis or Rob had done to her had felt that bad. And unable to stop them, the tears began to flow.

“I know,” Built Guy said. “We’re almost there. I’m sorry this happened to you.”

So was she. She was a sub. She should know better than to blankly trust anyone.

The brightness of a late spring day diminished as they stepped inside the tent.

“What the hell?” The surprised gasp had her turn and look at a man in his mid to late thirties. He wore what might have passed for a doctor’s uniform in some past age—a three-piece suit along with a fancy cravat and knee-high boots—but his shrewd eyes took her in as Built Guy lay her face down on a cot.

“Some idiot actually whipped her at the whipping post. Ripped her up good. She safe worded but he didn’t stop.”

“Fuck.” The doctor stepped up and got to work. “What’s your name?”

“Becca Hesse.”

“All right, Becca. I’m going to have to cut the rest of the dress off to treat you.”

“Do it. I don’t want to wear it again.” Or even see it.

“Are you her partner?” the doctor asked as he pulled a few things out of an apothecary table.

“No. I witnessed what was going on.”

“Then I’m going to have to ask you to step outside.”

Fear struck her but she battled it down. She didn’t know Built Guy any more than she knew the doctor. But she felt safe with him in the room.

“All right. I’ll wait outside if you need anything.”

“Don’t go,” she murmured, but either he didn’t hear her or she just thought she said it, because he left and the flap that acted as a door swung shut.

“All right, Becca,” the doctor said in a soothing tone. “I’m Dr. Myles. I’m a lifestyle Dom and have been for fifteen years. I know the difference between a welt and what I’m seeing on your back. Can you tell me what happened?”

She shuddered as he cut off her dress and removed it. It made her feel better when he covered most of her with a sheet as he got to work cleaning each of her cuts. As he worked, she told him everything that had happened. “Rayin told me he would never get close with the whip, but he did. And he wouldn’t stop.”

He sighed. “Am I the only one who thinks this whole place is a bad idea?”

She snorted and then winced as fire lit up along her cuts again. “It certainly sits outside of safe or sane. And the consensual part is a bit iffy as well.”

“Agreed,” he said as he pulled out some sterile gauze and bandaged her back. “Are you allergic to any medicines?”

That took a moment’s thought. “Penicillin.”

“That’s fine. I’m going to give you a shot as, quite honestly, I doubt the whip he used has been in any way sterilized. The medication will also aid in pain relief for the next few hours. Are you staying in the township? Or in Sequim.”

“In town,” she said, glad she was so close. “I can’t imagine if I’d have to take a boat trip right now.” And while her body hurt, mostly she was angry. This was supposed to be a safe, kinky fair. The concept of a kink spot that would be open for twelve hours a day, four days a week for three months had turned her on. But just like the few times she had played with Doms who didn’t match her needs, it was turning out to be the opposite of what she expected.

Dr. Myles was a gentleman and had a very calming influence. Before he gave her the shot, her pain levels had dulled a little and she was feeling a little clearer headed. “Since I doubt you’ll want to walk around naked with blood-soaked bandages on your back, I’m going to call out for some clothes for you to wear. Then I’m going to walk you back to your cabin and make sure you get safely inside.” He paused and rubbed his chin. For the first time since Built Guy laid her down, she got a look at the doctor.

He was handsome. Not gorgeous, but definitely handsome with dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and a goatee. And something about the way he’d treated her and the expression on his face made her relax even further. The guy was dominant, no doubt about it. And she’d always had a thing for gentlemen Doms. Great. She had to meet him when she was in such a state. Not the best way to make a good impression.

Myles went to the door and opened it. His conversation was low, so she couldn’t hear the words but when he stepped back, Built Guy walked in, a bag in his hands. He instantly looked at her and she finally saw his eyes. Blue. His eyes were sky blue. “How are you feeling?” he asked gently as he came and squatted next to the cot.

“Okay. Still aches, but that’s going to be awhile,” she said. “I’ve been whipped before, but only by guys who knew what they were doing.”

“If this were my club, that guy would be the next one chained to the post,” he said with a deep rumble in his voice. “I’d pull out my canes and some of my CBT toys. Oh, and I asked a friend of mine. She sent along some clothes. Hopefully, they’ll fit. You look about the same size.” He handed over the bag. “I’m Kendrick Finleigh, by the way.”

Kendrick Finleigh. What a wonderful name. It fit him—Fair hero. But if he played with CBT, then he was probably gay. And wouldn’t that be her luck? She should probably see if the doctor was available as going after a gay Dom would really put a kibosh on the whole experience.

“Thanks,” she whispered and pulled the bag close. “For everything. I thought it was just going to keep going on.”

He frowned. “I didn’t like the way he was throwing. It was obvious he didn’t know what he was doing. I had actually turned and walked away when I though I heard you call red. As I turned back I heard you call out red again and he didn’t even try to pull his shot. When he pulled back for another go, I and two of my friends went after him. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to bring him to the doc. He’s most likely got an arm pulled out of the socket.” He smiled grimly. “It’s one of my friend Neil’s first moves on an opponent. Takes them down every time.”

That made her smile. “Well, I should get dressed…” In any kink club she wouldn’t worry about being naked, but after the day she’d had, she just couldn’t see being bare in front of him.

“Of course.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll wait outside.”

Kendrick left and Dr. Myles came over to help her get to her feet without putting too much strain on her welts. The clothes Kendrick brought were loose. A summer dress that wouldn’t cling to her and sandals that would cushion her feet. Relieved, she pulled them on and he buttoned up the back for her. “Now I think the man who brought you in would like to accompany you back to your cabin, but if you’d rather have me, I’m willing to go with you. It sounds like you don’t know him.” He frowned, obviously worried for her. Yes, she liked the doc. If she didn’t leave first thing in the morning, perhaps she’d try to learn more about him, what his kinks were, and if he was looking for a new sub.

“I think I’ll be fine,” she said as she slipped her toes into the sandals. “He seems nice. And he and his friends saved me from Whipper Boy.”

Myles grunted. “Well, once you’re gone, I’ll let them bring the ass in here to be treated. I’ve made them keep him at bay. So if you’d like me to accompany you, he’ll have to stay in pain that much longer.” His eyes twinkled dangerously and she laughed.

“Thanks, doc. But I think having two strong Doms at my side is a bit overkill.”

“Ah well,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “I guess that means I must treat your attacker.”

He opened the door and she stepped out into the sun, surprised to spot Kendrick standing next to three men and a woman. His head swiveled in her direction and he stepped toward her. “Are you all right to walk?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I just need to get something to eat.” She had only eaten a piece of toast for breakfast and her stomach grumbled reminding her of the fact.

His obvious care showed in how he hovered next to her. And then he did the worst thing possible. He smiled. It lit up his entire face and made her gawk. It was like looking at the sun. It so wasn’t fair he was gay. “May I treat you to some coffee and whatever they serve over at the Java Pike?” he asked, waving toward what passed for a coffee shop. She didn’t have the guts to tell him the coffee sucked there. Washington State was picky about its coffee but either nobody told the owners of the Java Pike or they just didn’t care.

Silly girl that she was, she nodded. “I’d like that. I could definitely use a shot of caffeine.”

“Wonderful.” He waved toward his entourage. “These are Craig and Neil. They’re the ones who held the guy down. This is our friend Joseph and his wife Alice. Alice is the one who donated the dress to the cause.”

Neil and Joseph nodded in her direction. While they didn’t smile, they did look kind. Craig watched her, an almost assessing glint in his eyes. Alice stepped forward and took her hand. “I’m so glad they got to you,” she said in a kind voice. “If I’d been there, I would have socked him right in the balls.”

“She would have, too,” Joseph said wryly. “He would have deserved it. Are you all right?”

“Yes, thank you. Haven’t gone into shock yet,” she said with a laugh.

Kendrick nodded. “Which is why I want to get some food and drink into you. Come on. I’ll meet up with you later,” he said to the others.

They moved off and she followed Kendrick across the dusty lane to the coffee shop. It was small, just like all the buildings in the Faire, but it had two tables. After they ordered coffee and a couple croissants each, they sat down. She winced slightly as her rear made contact with the hard plastic, but handled it.

“Seriously,” he said in a firm voice that made her toes tingle. “How are you doing?”

The barista brought them their drinks and pastries and she took a long sip of her coffee, somehow managing not to grimace. “It’s just happened so I haven’t quite internalized it yet,” she said. “It’s what my past Doms made me do. Go over it, face the fear, and put it to rest.”

“Good.” He took a sip and yanked the cup away. “What the fuck is that?”

She snickered and put her hand over her mouth to try and hold back the laughter. It didn’t work. The horror in his eyes was too much and she burst into a peal of giggles. “That,” she said, trying to hold back the laughter and snorting instead, “is what they pass off as coffee here.”

He cocked a brow at her. “Why did you let me bring you here?”

“There really isn’t anywhere else but the cabins.”

A long low breath escaped his lips and he shook his head. “We thought it would take a week to see everything and make our decision. But I think my decision is pretty much made. There’s no way I’m putting my money into this place.”

She stalled, her cup halfway to her mouth. The scuttlebutt had been that the owners were looking for an investor, but she assumed that wouldn’t be until they were off the ground. Apparently she was wrong. “No offense, but why would you want to invest in a place like this?” she asked.

Kendrick smiled. “We’re all kinky. And the thought of being involved with a seasonal Kinke Faire, where we could live it twenty-four seven had great appeal.” She nodded as she completely understood. That had been her draw as well. “And I hoped to buy the whole island and turn the township into a co-op for kinky individuals.” He shrugged. “Isn’t the first time we’ve been disappointed.”

She blinked slowly, the shot slowly moving its way through her bloodstream. “A kinky co-op?”

“Yep. Imagine. All two hundred and fifty cabins with kink-minded individuals. No need to hide who we are from our neighbors. Nine months out of the year just being us in the town and then for three months enacting a wonderful kinky playground with like-minded people.” He lifted his cup again and then put it down. “Obviously the dream is just that.”

Chapter Three

Seated on the sofa in his cabin three hours later, Kendrick wasn’t sure why he’d spilled all to Becca Hesse. There was something about her that pulled at him. He wanted to stand between her and any guy who would try to harm her again and spank her ass for walking onto that stage without asking more questions.

“If I was in charge of this thing, that wouldn’t have happened.”

He took a long sip of the coffee he made. And he’d make sure to have a better coffee shop as well. Whatever the swill those people made, it was not fit for human consumption. Not to mention their pitiful attempt at shops. Both places sold substandard BDSM gear no self-respecting Dom or sub would pay for.

Kendrick had enough contacts to bring in the kind of people to run top-notch places. He knew men and women who would make fantastic dungeon monitors and actors who were in the scene and would know what the fuck they were doing. And he hated that in no time at all, Ye Olde Kinke Faire would be on every list online as the place not to go if you were into kink. It would die before the season was out.

And all because the man running it either knew nothing about BDSM or didn’t care.

Buying into such a venture would be stupid. It would be nigh impossible to convince people to give it a try after they heard how horribly it was run. Even if it was under new ownership.

“There’s so much potential here,” he muttered before taking another sip. And Becca was proof of it. She was sweet, had a good sense of humor, and was submissive. And she had come for much the same reason he had. To be able to be kinky—and to be her submissive self—all the time. The thought of her staying on through the summer when the only person to watch out for her would be the doctor rubbed him the wrong way. Not to mention any other subs who were lurking in amongst the actors.

A sharp rap on the door drew his attention. “Enter,” he barked and Neil walked inside. He’d changed from jeans to flannel pants and he collapsed into the chair opposite Kendrick.

“This place is a fucking mess,” Neil said.

“You don’t say,” Kendrick said dryly.

“Craig and I saw five instances of unsafe play. Joseph said Alice reamed one guy a new one for something he did.” He shook his head. “I’m pissed. The cabins were not what I expected. They’re more luxurious than I ever would have imagined. But the Faire? It’s the exact opposite.”

He was right there. The cabins were more like homes with hardwood floors, rugs, a fireplace, and in the one-bedrooms, a loft. The two bedrooms had a full second floor. And they were utterly sound proofed. “So they put all their money into the homes and almost nothing into the Faire.”

“Probably thought it would be easy to run a kinky faire,” Neil said dryly. “After all, those kinky people are just after the fantasy, right?”

Kendrick grinned. A lot of non-kink people thought the whole thing wasn’t real and that nobody actually did it. “I wanted this to work,” he said with a growl.

“Me too. I’m fucking tired of getting my brains shook around on a bronc, Kendrick. But I’m beginning to wonder if our dream is even possible.”

Neil stood up and went into Kendrick’s kitchen. He came back with a mug of coffee and collapsed back into the chair.

“The only way this would work,” Kendrick said, ruminating, “is if we bought them out now, got the place completely shut down, and either rebuilt with the idea of not opening until next year or called around and got enough people to make it a worthwhile endeavor.” He winced. “That would cost us because we’d have to put major money out to make sure the stages and the shops were bigger. And we’d probably have to house all our shop owners for free for the time they were here just to get them to come this season.”

“Not to mention the dungeon,” Neil said with distaste. “Did you get a chance to look at theirs?”

“No. Do I want to?”

“Nope. The whole place says ‘danger zone’. They had one pulley and if that thing could hold a hundred pounds? I’m Colin Farrell.”

Kendrick groaned and leaned his head back. “I don’t get how anyone could create such a travesty.”

The door opened and Craig walked in, letting it slam behind him. “What a piece of shit,” he said succinctly as he dropped down next to Kendrick. “How the fuck did any of it even pass inspection?”

“Who says it did?” Neil said. “For all we know, maybe nobody has inspected the place.”

“It’s got good bones,” Craig said grudgingly. “The permanent buildings are set on firm foundations and they all have flood basements. I checked out several of the cabins and they seem to be in good nick. So whoever planned it had a good eye. It’s the execution that sucks.” As he spoke the last sentence, Alice and Joseph walked inside.

“And even the execution isn’t all bad,” Alice said as Joseph took a seat on the last chair and she sat on his lap. “I talked with several of the actresses and they’re frustrated. The kinky ones feel they were lured here with promises that have not been fulfilled. They thought that all the actors would be versed in the lifestyle so they could count on SSC. Unfortunately, the actors seem to know nothing. It feels more like a person with vision started the whole thing and then either quit or was pushed out and whoever finished it didn’t care.”

Craig grunted. “So the question is, is it too late to swoop in and take over?”

“On June first, they open,” Kendrick reminded him. “That evening, the blogs will be filled with disappointed posts on what a rip-off Ye Olde Kinke Faire was. It won’t last the month.”

“Which only gives us two weeks,” Alice agreed with a frown. “We’d need more time.”

“But is it worth it?” Kendrick asked. “I agree that this place has much of what we want and I want to live here and make it our dream. But they soft opened a week ago and in that week, anyone who has come has seen what a waste it is.”

“Maybe not,” Neil disagreed. “When Phantom of the Opera was first shown to a group of friends, they laughed at it and basically booed the entire idea. It had to be completely reworked to make it the masterpiece it became. People know a soft opening means there will be problems and mistakes. If we bought in and took over, we could put posts out letting people know we were now in charge and that we changed the dates to bring out the best possible product.”

Nobody spoke for several minutes. Craig went in and brought coffees back for him, Joseph, and Alice. Kendrick continued to sip his coffee as he pitted the two truths against one another. He wanted to take this challenge on. But the place was horrible.

“Let’s put it all out there,” Kendrick said after he drank the last of his coffee. “The town has the vast majority of what we need to create the co-op. It will need a few more buildings for shops and stores, but basically, it’s built and built well. The biggest problem is the Faire. As it currently is, it sucks. So what do we need to make it a viable vacation destination for the kink community?”

“More shops,” Alice said instantly, “with well-made gear.”

“Actors and dungeon monitors who know what they’re doing,” Neil added.

“More medical help,” Joseph said. “Poor Dr. Myles is the only medical professional on staff. There is no way he can handle all the problems that are likely to come up, even if everyone was at the top of their game.”

“Better food,” Craig said with a chuckle. “And a coffee shop that sells something besides a mystery drink that is the worst thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“Stage work to show off the beauty and fun of play, especially the more dangerous parts, to its best,” Alice mused. “That whipping post could be fantastic if it had players who knew what they were doing and it was built better.”

Kendrick smiled. The energy in the room changed as they spoke. It went up and the excitement sizzled around him. “So how long will it take for us to make this place into what we want it to be?”

Alice pulled out her cell phone. “Let’s text some major players. We’ll give them the basics, but not where we’re at, and ask if they had the chance to run a shop of their own for the rest of the summer—and live on a beautiful island while at it—how soon could they be here.”

Craig and Neil pulled their phones out and Kendrick nodded. “I’ll take Alec and David. Between those two, we should be able to get a wide cross-section of the community to respond.”

Even though it was six o’clock and none of them had eaten dinner yet, they couldn’t wait. For almost two hours they made call after call after call. By eight, they had run through the list of people they trusted implicitly.

“Okay, who and what have we got?” Neil asked as he made one last note on a piece of paper.

“For shops,” Alice said, “I’ve got Sandra Luther and Jake Lawrence. Sandra’s got well-made toys and Jake makes the most amazing chainmail clothing. Both of them are booked until mid-June but say they have a ton of items they can sell and could be here by June twenty-ninth for the rest of the summer. They do need to know for sure within three days, though. For food, John voiced interest in running a restaurant here but not until we’ve proved the Faire.”

“Peta said she couldn’t come this year,” Craig said, “but she’d love to set up a piercing and tattoo parlor for subsequent summers and if we get the co-op going, she wants in. I’ve got seven men who are consummate actors who are willing to come work the whole summer here.” He paused and scratched his chin. “I don’t know about subsequent years, but after Jilly’s miscarriage last year, she spent about six months working her fingers off making leather goods. The designs and quality are fantastic. Her collars are a piece of art. We have over five thousand pieces. I’d have to get them shipped from our storage, but they’re the quality we want. Oh, and Jilly’s cousin Slate loves the idea and said if we could guarantee a decent kitchen, he’d run our bakery. He said that in the summer it would be mostly for pastries, but in the winter he could run it for basics like bread.”

“Oh, that’s a plus,” Neil said. “A major boon to the township as well.”

Kendrick looked at Craig. “Any buildings that have the facilities for a baker here in Elan Township?”

“One. A professional kitchen. Isn’t in use, but I can do an inspection on it.”

A slow smile crossed his face as he picked up his notes. “It’s going to take a year to get the Faire we want to run, but if we can get the owner to sell to us, we could still have a well-run Faire this season. We can call it the preseason. Even invite the community at a much lower price to give us feedback and help us fine tune. Both Alec and David are in. Alec makes incredibly sturdy toys and would be good to tap for demonstrations on CBT. David’s known for his paddles and says he has more than enough stock to be able to make any design on a paddle someone might want. David’s son Ryan is young—only nineteen—but he’s a Dom and would love to volunteer this summer to hopefully secure a job for next summer.”

Joseph started to chuckle. “Do we even need to vote on it?” Alice laughed as well.

“No,” Craig said in amusement, “but let’s do it to be official. If we can wrestle this from the owners tonight and can shut this place down by tomorrow, I’m in.”

“Me too,” Neil said with satisfaction. “That means we can seriously start tearing this place apart on Friday.”

“Rhys will be thrilled,” Kendrick said dryly, thinking of his brother. “He’s coming for a vacation and instead is going to be working with us in finalizing the co-op paperwork. And I’m most definitely in,” he added.

“Us too,” Alice said with a happy sigh. “As much as the Faire was a big disappointment, I really like it here. Just don’t remind me of that in January when I’m complaining of the cold,” she told Joseph who grinned but didn’t say anything.

“Joseph?” Craig said laconically. Joseph gave him a thumbs up. “All right. We’re a go. It’s your job now,” he said with a wicked grin as he turned toward Kendrick. “Work your magic, wise one. Jilly will be happy to hear that she doesn’t have to go back on the water. She’s not looking forward to the trip back.”

After a sharp kick to Craig’s shin which made him laugh, Kendrick looked up the number for R. C. Cowen.

Chapter Four

Becca had a hard time keeping her eyes open as she puttered around the kitchen in the cabin she shared with Cassidy and two other girls. Her body ached and the welts stung. If it had been a real scene and a good one, those would be the kind of discomforts that would make her smile. As it was, she just felt like crap. Sleeping had been almost impossible the night before. She hadn’t been able to toss and turn due to her back so she finally poured herself out of bed just after four. It was five o’clock now and she was on her fourth cup of coffee.

She needed to go into the shower and get the bandages off, wash off the areas, get antibacterial cream on them, and get them rebandaged. But she wasn’t that limber. My arms don’t bend that way. There was no way to be able to reach it all. Especially if she didn’t want to rip open the welts. So she was waiting until Cassidy got up. Her friend would help her. In the meantime, she popped several Ibuprofen and gulped coffee.

Needing to get her mind off her aches and pains, she thought of Kendrick Finleigh. Not only was he a delicious piece of eye candy, but dominant as well. He radiated it. Whether he was a good or bad Dom was yet to be seen, but his actions so far fit him. Heroic, hot, dominant. Yum.

And of course, he had to see her at her worst. He’s gay, idiot. She grimaced. Why were all the good ones gay? Then again, there was the doctor. He was attractive and in control and she could imagine that if she saw him when she wasn’t humiliated and in pain that he was probably exceptionally good looking.

So why was her mind stuck on Kendrick?

“Morning,” Cassidy said with a yawn. “You went to sleep earl—” Her word cut off and Becca turned to see her staring with wide eyes and a slack mouth. “What the hell happened to you?”

With a wince, Becca explained about the whipping post.

“Holy shit, Becca. This place is a disaster. I heard there was a problem, but not what it was.” Cassidy grimaced. “This totally sucks.”

“It does,” Becca agreed. “And while it sinks in, can you help? I need to get the bandages off and cleaned.”

The gauze was caked on and they had to wet it down to get it off, which reopened the welts. “Well,” Cassidy said as she used a soft washcloth to dab at them, “the good news is they aren’t infected. The doc did a good job. The bad news is they look like hell, Becca. A couple of them look like they might leave scars.”

It took a good half hour to get her back cleaned and rebandaged. Cassidy helped her get dressed in a loose pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt and after Cassidy took a shower and got dressed, they sat in the kitchen and sipped coffee.

“I’m wondering if we should just go back to Seattle,” Cassidy mused. “I mean what happened to you would have made Master Rob go ballistic.” Reminded of the kind sadistic Dom who had been her second master, Becca nodded. “And if that’s how they’re going to treat us, it will just get worse once the Faire officially opens.”

A knock on the front door made them both look that way. Cassidy hopped off a stool and walked over to it. The voices were so low that Becca couldn’t hear what they said, so she was surprised by the intrigued look on her friend’s face as she walked toward her. “There’s an emergency meeting at eight,” she said. “Down in the Faire. Cavent said the Faire is closed for the day. Think the accident made them realize how dangerous things were?”

Well, that was one possibility. But Becca wondered if Kendrick had done something. He didn’t seem the type to stand around when danger was apparent. “Maybe,” she murmured and took another sip of coffee. “And I should start out. It’s seven now and I won’t be able to walk as fast as I normally do.”

“Let’s go. If they’ve shut down, we can get packed, on the ferry, and back to Seattle by nightfall.” Cassidy smirked. “And I think I might drop a word in Master Rob’s ear.”

“If they aren’t already shut down, that’ll do it,” Becca said wryly. The owners of the Faire would be lucky if they didn’t pay through the nose once he got through with them.

The air was crisp and cool and she inhaled the pine scent as they walked through the trees. She’d miss it. Seattle had trees surrounding it, but it was a big city with buildings, sidewalks, and steel. One of her favorite things about Elan Isle was the peace. If the kink had been real, it would have been her version of heaven.

They reached the Faire just before eight and spotted the gaggle of other actors they’d worked with. Cavent and a few other people were around as well.

“It’s going to be that they’ve shut down,” Cassidy said with a sure nod. “Serves them right.”

As Becca couldn’t spot Kendrick or any of his friends, she had the feeling Cassidy might be right. Which meant she would have to find a silly job to take her through July. As of August first, she would be preparing her room for the new school year. As much as she enjoyed teaching, the amount of hours involved wore her down.

Cassidy took a seat in the outside benches next to the Java Pike and Becca stood next to her. She couldn’t get comfortable. It hurt when she stood or when she sat so she tried to not move at all. At eight on the dot, a man she hadn’t seen before walked past them. He wore an ill-fitting suit and had an almost completely bald head. He reminded her of a used-car salesman.

“Good morning,” he said loudly, capturing everyone’s attention. “I’m R. C. Cowen, the owner of Elan Isle and Ye Olde Kinke Faire. Well,” he said with a deep chuckle, “for about twenty-four more hours. You may or may not know that I’ve been actively seeking investors. Ever since my partner folded and left the area, it’s been just me trying to run this as well as my other ventures. As luck would have it, a company not only offered to invest, they bought me out.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Becca saw movement and she looked toward it. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched Kendrick striding purposefully toward the group. He looked so wonderfully strong. Gay, damn it. He’s gay! She wondered if there was such a thing as homoflexible.

“And here’s the CEO of the company,” Cowen said in a good-natured tone. “Let me introduce Kendrick Finleigh of Finleigh and Associates.”

Kendrick shook Cowen’s hand and then turned toward them. Cowen ceased to exist as all Becca saw was Kendrick.

“Good morning,” he said. “I’m sure this will come as a bit of a shock, but as of today, the Faire is closed.” Murmurs rippled through the actors. “My associates and I have been heavily involved in BDSM for years. We know what it takes to make a successful club and what will kill it. Currently, the Faire is not a success in the making. At least not by our standards,” he added with a slight smirk.

“He’s hot,” Cassidy whispered and Becca nodded.

“We saw what went on yesterday,” Kendrick went on, and the smirk was gone. “There was a lot of unacceptable behavior which included a sub being whipped by someone who did not know what they were doing. I won’t put up with that. From here on out, there will be stringent rules in place, including that you must be trained and proficient in any acts you do while a part of Ye Olde Kinke Faire. Each of you will be interviewed and tested. And no, you do not work for us. Your contracts end today. If you wish to be hired on with us through the summer, you’ll have to prove you know what you’re doing or are at least willing to learn.

“We don’t plan on opening the doors to visitors until July. By then there will be a lot of changes. I was on the phone this morning with Chandler Roe, who was the original architect for the cabins and the Faire, and have asked him to come finish the project my way. This summer will be a soft opening to show our community what kind of vacation spot this will be next year. By next year, there will be at least ten more shops, several more eateries, controlled stages for demos, and dungeons. This year we won’t use the current dungeon for anything except soft play. The building and equipment aren’t secure enough for anything else.”

Kendrick paused and his eyes looked over the crowd. By the way some of the people looked away, Becca figured he’d looked them in the eyes. When his eyes met hers, they went from firm to pleased and she couldn’t stop her smile.

“We’ll be hiring,” he went on, “more dungeon monitors and skilled lifestylers and fewer actors. For those of you that wish to continue to work at the Faire and we deem acceptable but not trained enough, you will create and build a persona to interact with our visitors. One thing I’ll state clearly is that any employee of Ye Olde Kinke Faire will never have sex with a visitor while on shift. Off shift, your sex life is your business, but on the clock? You don’t get laid unless you’re doing a stage scene.”

“Shit,” grumbled a guy a few feet away from Becca. “Why do this shit if we don’t get sex?”

Cassidy shook her head in disgust but Becca was watching Kendrick. The way his eyes fastened on the speaker, he’d heard him. “If you can’t get sex on your own, I’m not paying you to get some,” Kendrick said sharply. “This isn’t Nevada and we aren’t a pleasure house. This is a kink club. Visitors can have as much sex as they want, wherever they want, on Faire grounds. You cannot. And if you don’t like that, you’re welcome to pack your bags and go to the docks. There will be two ferries to Sequim today. And it would be best if nobody wastes our time if they aren’t in it for the money, the contacts, and the knowledge they’ll gain.”

Several of the actors and a few of Cowen’s employees stood up and headed toward the cabins. In fact, about seventy percent of the people left in one rush. Kendrick appeared relieved and amused at the fact. “All right. For those of you who are left, you’ll meet with three members of my team today. You must pass muster with all three of them to gain a position here. This is nothing against any of you personally, but we’re putting a lot of money into this venture and it will work our way. Bottom line.”

Becca glanced toward where Cowen had stood but he was missing. She looked around and spotted him making his way quickly back to the docks. Running with his tail between his legs.

“Neil, Alice, Craig, and Joseph will each take one of the benches across from me where Becca is standing.” Kendrick waved toward her and she felt inordinately please he remembered her name. “Meet with three of them. At five tonight, we’ll let all of you know if you have a position with us or not. We want you all packed and ready as those that are staying will be rehoused in different cabins. Those that aren’t will be taken to Sequim immediately. Once that’s accomplished, we can work at making this one hell of a kinky adventure.”

As Kendrick’s friends moved in her direction, Becca and Cassidy stepped away from the benches. “Well?” Cassidy asked her, a sparkle in her eyes. “Stay or go?”

Before Becca could respond, a strong presence walked up behind her and she swiveled around and came face to face with Kendrick.

He reached out and placed a palm against her cheek. “How are you feeling, Becca?” His eyes softened and she could swear he was only aware of her in that moment.

Why did he have to be so nice? “I’m fine.” He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow and she felt all of ten years old for her automatic answer. Masters Dennis or Rob would have spanked her ass so hard she couldn’t sit down for such a lie. “Sorry, Sir. I’m achy, but okay. Cass helped me clean my back this morning.”

“How does it look?” he asked, turning slightly toward Cassidy but keeping his eyes on her.

“Good. The doc did a good job,” Cassidy said, her eyes going back and forth between Kendrick and Becca.

“Good.” Kendrick drifted a thumb along her cheek and pushed a stray lock of her hair behind her left ear before he dropped his hand. Her face felt naked without it there. “Will you be staying, Becca?” His blue eyes were so intent on her it was like being under a spotlight.

“We hadn’t decided yet,” she said honestly. “But I’d love to.”

A long slow smile crossed his lips. “That’s good to hear. The rest need some experienced subs to help them along and the new crew we’ll have coming in will need someone who already knows the ropes. So to speak,” he added with a wink. “Now I suggest you go back to your cabin and rest. Your body’s still getting over yesterday’s trauma.”

“But… don’t I need to meet with them?” Becca asked, waving toward Kendrick’s friends.

“No. I’ve already okayed you. You’re in.” His bright blue eyes looked her over from head to toe and he nodded. “You’re most definitely in.” And without another word, he turned and walked away.

“Whoa,” Cassidy said and Becca managed to tear her eyes away from Kendrick’s departing figure to look at her. Her friend looked utterly delighted about something.

“What?”

“He’s into you.”

“No, he’s not,” Becca said, ignoring the hope that rose in her chest. “He’s gay.”

“No fucking way,” Cassidy said as she shook her head. “His eyes were on you and the boner he was sporting was definitely for you. Why do you think he’s gay?”

Becca blinked and tried to remember. “He said something about CBT toys.”

Cassidy snorted. “Honey, Masters Dennis and Rob have them too. Doesn’t mean they’re gay. They work with male subs, plus some Doms are toy magnets, always wanting to get the newest one. There’s the possibility he’s bi or pan, but I’m telling you right now, that Dom wants to do wonderfully nasty things to you.”

It was virtually impossible for her to stomp on the hope that exploded in her chest. Was Kendrick attracted?

Chapter Five

“So what have we got?” Kendrick asked as the last of Cowen’s former employees departed to pack.

Alice snorted. “In many ways, it's worse than I originally thought. They aren’t just ignorant about BDSM, many of them look down upon it. One of them told me that if any guy ever tried that ‘stuff’ with her, she’d break his nose.” She shook her head. “She wouldn’t even hear my comments about consensuality and how the way the Faire was set up was not BDSM.”

“Of the fifteen I talked to,” Neil said, “ten are willing to learn. They seemed relieved that the way things were was wrong and are open minded and want to know more. The other five?” He shook his head. “They each offered me a blow job to keep them on. As if I couldn’t get a better one in any kink event around the world.”

Craig barked a laugh. “What did you say?”

“I told them that once they’d been trained up enough, then to come back and offer.” He shot Alice a grin. “I told the one who was a girl that she needed to practice sucking pussy first.”

“Don’t tell me. She was grossed out,” Alice said in amusement.

“More than grossed out. She stood up and went straight to her cabin. I don’t know if anyone else even spoke to her.”

“Well, I’m not surprised,” Kendrick said with a sigh. “Except for Becca, I’ve not been impressed. Well, there’s the doc too.”

“Dallas Myles seems like a conscientious Dom,” Joseph agreed. “He showed me the rec letters he had from three clubs he’s been a member of as well as his medical degree from Harvard. He was pleased that our plans are more in line with what he expected from the place. When I told him we’re set on bringing more medical help on, he was relieved. I think they’ve been running him ragged. I also mentioned the co-op and he said to get him more information once we had it in place. That it sounded right up his alley as long as we’re gay friendly.”

“No need to worry about that,” Kendrick said. “We’re definitely LGBT friendly.” His brother was gay and Kendrick would oust anyone who was homophobic. “So I’m going to read off the names. Each one of you can give me a yes or no and we’ll see where we end up.”

In the end, they kept very few.

“We’re basically starting from scratch,” Neil commented. “But that’s not a bad thing. I’m going online to start getting interest from fellow lifestylers who want to live in a beautiful island all summer and work at a kink faire. What’s in the ‘next’ box?”

“Chandler will be here on Monday,” Kendrick said, “and he’s cautiously excited. Can’t blame him. He didn’t bash Cowen, but from what I gathered, they were equal partners in the deal but Chandler insisted on making it right while Cowen wanted to cut corners. He finally pushed Chandler too far and he left and sued to have his name removed from the overall venture. The guy’s got some great ideas and when he gets here, we’ll feel him out. Since the cabins were his design as was some of the current faire, I hope he works out. He knows the land and what it will take to finish it the way we want.”

“I’ll call Sandra and Jake and get them officially on board,” Alice said. “Start getting the shops set up.”

“Talk to Jilly about ours,” Craig said. “I’m going to work with Slate and a couple other bites I’ve had since I put some feelers online last night. The first matter of business for me is to check out the professional kitchen and make sure it meets safety guidelines and works. The next is to see what kind of eateries we can put in this year that won’t require setting up kitchens.”

“I’ll start talking to some of the circuit trainers,” Neil said. “See if we can’t get them to come do demos daily for the exchange of a cabin to stay in for their time here.”

“Good.” Kendrick nodded as he made some notes. “If we can get the stages booked with top-rated kinksters, that’s a major hurdle right there. Rhys gets in tomorrow. I’ll put him to work getting the legal papers together for the co-op.”

They solidified their plans and then split up, each one with a portion of duties to fulfill. And Kendrick knew they would do a good job. They were like him in that respect—if you’re going to do something, do it well. Besides, all of them wanted the end result.

He was so busy with calls that it was after two before he had a chance to remember he wanted to check on Becca. She’d looked like hell that morning but her willingness and desire to stay on had just increased his interest in her. She was cute, sexy, and smelled divine. All night long, when he wasn’t working on the venture, she had invaded his mind in wonderful ways. Suspended, wrapped in deep red hemp rope, all three of her holes open for his use. Over his spanking bench, her ass a bright fiery red—and with her olive skin tone, that would be a beautiful sight. The one that made him wonderfully uncomfortable in his jeans was imagining her kneeling at his feet, those luscious lips wrapped around his dick.

After slipping a phone into his pocket, he left his cabin and went in search of hers. For as far away as the island was from large cities like Vancouver, BC or Seattle, it had exceptional cell and internet service. He assumed Chandler had a hand in that. All their shop and eatery owners could use their cell phones or laptops and a payment service to take charge cards. At least Kendrick and his friends didn’t have to carry the cost of that.

The walk to Becca’s cabin didn’t take long and it allowed him to see a little more of the island. Once things were well in hand, he looked forward to hiking the entire thing. The pod of cabins she was in sat near the water and he noted that, just like with his pod, the service sub was no longer in evidence. That was fine. They didn’t plan on offering cleaning services. For free housing, their shopkeepers could clean after themselves. And they had no intention of housing guests—just those that worked at the Faire. Any visitors could stay on the peninsula and take the boat over.

When he got close, he spotted Becca standing over by a tree, looking out at the water. “Hello,” he said in a quiet voice so as not to scare her.

She turned her head and her eyes widened. That beautiful skin tone took on a delightful pink hue. Her ass would look amazing freshly spanked. “Oh. I didn’t hear you coming.”

“I wanted to check in on you and see how you’re faring.”

Becca laughed softly. “You and Dr. Myles. Can’t keep a Dom from a hurt sub I guess.”

Amused, he nodded. “Pretty much. Is your back any better?”

“Sort of. It still aches but that’s actually better than what will start in a couple days.”

“The itch?” he guessed, thinking of the common side effect of having welts on one’s skin, and she nodded. A sub with real world experience. Nice. “Feel up to a walk?” It looked like she was bored and as long as she wasn’t in pain, a walk would give her something to concentrate on.

“That sounds good. Let me change my shoes, though. These sandals are comfortable, but not really hike worthy.”

They walked north through the trees and the further they went, the ground became covered with moss. A low fog drifted along their feet and it felt like they were on their own little island in the middle of nowhere.

“Oh look,” she said in delight. “A stream.” She walked toward it and he followed. It was a small stream and she sat down cautiously next to it on a boulder and pulled off her shoes and socks. When she put her feet in, she squeaked and pulled them out. Then she laughed. “It’s ice cold.”

He laughed too, delighted at her simple enjoyment, and sat down a few feet away on the moss. While she watched the stream and kept dipping her toes in and out, he leaned against a tree trunk and watched her. “How long have you been in the life?” he asked.

She glanced over and grinned before looking back at the water. “I went to my first club when I was nineteen at the end of my freshman year. But I’ve been dreaming about this stuff since I can remember.”

That made him smile. “Yeah. Most of us have. I used to dream of tying women up and spanking them and when I found out people actually did it, I was relieved.”

“Think you were a pervert did you?” she teased.

“Oh, I’m definitely a pervert,” he said with a wink making her laugh again. “But yeah. I thought I was different. Turns out my elder brother is as different as I am. He’s a Dom too.”

“Two of you in the same family? What do your parents think?” She pushed both of her feet into the current of the stream and left them there.

“They died when I was eighteen.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She glanced at him and bit her lip. A sweet sub who did not want to offend. Everything he learned about her just made him want her more.

“No need. It was thirteen years ago. We miss them, but life moves on.” He and Rhys both missed their parents, but they couldn’t control everything. “And they lived full lives so I doubt there was any regret when they died, except maybe leaving us behind.”

She paddled her feet back and forth for a moment. “My folks live in Idaho. They’re good people, but they’re farmers and conservative as sin. My dad found condoms in my bathroom one day when they visited me at college. He didn’t say anything, but he threw them away as if that would stop me from sinning.”

“They’d go crazy if they knew what you were really into,” he mused.

“Apeshit,” she agreed making him chuckle.

“So what are you into, Becca?” he said, putting emphasis on her name. “Is Becca short for Rebecca?” He hoped it was. The thought of calling her Rebecca in a scene made his already semi-stiff cock harden further.

“It is. Rebecca Leanne Hesse. It’s a mouthful. As far as my kinks?” She sent him a sideways glance and grinned wickedly. “There are a lot of things I like. I’m not into pet play, water sports, scat, knife play, or extreme humiliation. And I’m completely straight so I won’t have sex with other girls. But other than that, the field is pretty wide open.”

Lovely.

She cocked her eyebrows. “What are you thinking? You have a contemplative expression on your face.”

He smiled and leaned back further, getting comfortable. “If I told you I was imagining you tied between those two trees over there, all four limbs stretched out, completely naked while I fucked your pussy and ass until you couldn’t speak and then cut the ropes and let you fall to your knees to suck my cock dry, how would that strike you?”

Her breathing picked up as he spoke and when he finished, she licked her lips in what looked like an automatic action. She wasn’t trying to appear sexy, though she definitely was. “That sounds fun,” she said in a husky voice.

He grinned. “Oh, it would be.” There was a point he needed to make. “Becca, you’re under no requirement ever to scene with me. And I mean that. I may own the company that purchased this place, but I will never require a sub submit to me. It goes against my rules and it would be no fun at all. I’m only interested in a mutually enjoyable scene with you. If that works for you.”

“Just one?” she asked shyly.

“For starters.” If it was as good as he hoped, he would want more.

She grinned, looking pleased. “I’m interested.”

“Good. Meet me for dinner at eight tonight at my cabin. I’ll have a contract drawn up. But you’ll need to heal fast. Because I won’t play rough with you until you are.”

By the expression on her face, he’d just given her major incentive.

Chapter Six

Becca was so excited she could barely stand still. Kendrick wanted to play with her. So Cassidy was right about him at least being bi… perhaps even more than bi since he mentioned dreaming of tying women up. Either way, she was excited to play with him. Just the memory of his words as he told her what he wanted to do to her made her body tremble and her pussy weep. Tomorrow she would talk to Dr. Myles and see what was the quickest way to heal the welts. She didn’t want to wait too long to find out just how rough he liked to play.

But as much as he turned her on, Becca had a majorly annoying practical side. That side of her had her calling Master Rob as soon as Kendrick left her at her cabin.

“Rebecca,” Master Rob said, his deep gravelly voice making her smile. She started to relax but as her back touched the sofa, she winced and sat up straight again. “It’s good to hear from you. How is life on Elan Isle?”

“Good and bad,” she said. “The place has just been bought out and they shut down the Faire until they can make it better.”

“Better?”

“Yes. There weren’t a lot of safeties in place,” she hedged, not wanting the place to get a bad rep. One negative word from Master Rob and Kendrick would be in an uphill battle.

“Why didn’t you return to Seattle?” he asked sharply. “Are they keeping you there?”

“No. No,” she said quickly. “That was my own stupidity. The new owner seems to have a true club feel in mind for the Faire. And he’s actually why I’m calling.”

“Oh?” His tone turned amused and heat climbed slowly into her cheeks. “Is he showing interest in you, Rebecca? What’s his name so I can do some research on him.”

“His name’s Kendrick Finleigh.” She held her breath, afraid he would come out with news she didn’t want to hear.

“Kendrick bought it?” He let out a low whistle. “I’ve met him a couple times. Good Dom. Has control of himself. I can imagine he wasn’t pleased with how things were run.”

“He arrived yesterday and the place was shut down this morning with a later starting date for the grand opening. In fact, he’s not allowing any visitors until he gets things done.”

“Well, I’m pleased. He has an excellent reputation in the community and like I said, I’ve met him a couple times. Watched a single tail demo he did once. The stripes on his subs back were perfectly aligned. It was a beautiful thing. You’ll have to let me know how things go. I keep hoping to hear you’ve found a more permanent Dom.”

“Me too,” she said with a sigh.

“You’re greatest asset is also your greatest adversary, my dear girl. You have an overactive mind.”

“I’ve heard that somewhere before,” she teased.

“No sass, girl. Elan Isle isn’t that far. I might take a trip over there and tan your hide.” His voice was firm but the caring in it made her smile.

“Thanks, Master Rob. He seemed like a good guy but I feel better having heard it from you.”

“Go enjoy yourself, Rebecca. You and I both know you’re happiest when you belong to someone. Just be honest with him about everything.” The way he stressed the last word made her wince.

She wanted to ask “Do I have to” but knew the answer already. Yes, she did. Kendrick needed to know her quirks so he wouldn’t get frustrated and give up on her before they’d even played. After finishing the call, she went upstairs and went through her outfits. As she’d expected to be outfitted for all her Faire scenes, she hadn’t brought any of her club clothes with her. She desperately needed something sexy to wear.

Becca also needed to pack since Kendrick told her he would send someone to move her things around five o’clock. With her back still aching from yesterday’s whipping, it took a lot of work but she got her clothes into her suitcases and managed to drag them down the stairs. By the time she did, some of her welts burned and she had the feeling she’d ripped them open. “Damn it.”

Something told her Kendrick’s parting shot of “Don’t do anything strenuous” had been more of an order than a suggestion.

Cassidy walked into the cabin just before four. “Hey,” she said, pulling her hair up into a bun. “Where were you? I came earlier but you were gone.”

“Kendrick and I went for a walk.” The words were out before she could think better of it.

Cassidy froze and then grinned. “Told you. He wants you, doesn’t he?”

Becca nodded.

“Yes! Oh man, you’ll have to tell me what kind of Dom he is. I bet he fucks hard.”

Her core squeezed at the thought. “Hey, I know you need to pack, but can you help me? I think I tore my welts open.”

By four-thirty, she was once again rebandaged and dressed and Cassidy had packed and brought down her things. “You’re so lucky that you know you’re staying,” Cassidy said with a sigh. “I mouthed off to the one guy—Craig something—and I don’t think he took it well.”

“You think you won’t be staying?” Becca asked, startled. She’d just assumed since Cassidy was a sub that she would be okayed.

“Not sure. And I’d best start down the path. It’s going to take me the full thirty minutes to get down there. Come on. Give me a hug. If I leave, I promise to come for at least one day of the Faire to catch up with you.” They hugged, Cassidy lightly so she wouldn’t bother Becca’s back, and as Cassidy turned toward the door, a knock came at it.

Cassidy walked over and opened the door and Becca’s mouth almost dropped open when she spotted Kendrick’s friends Neil and Joseph. “Hello,” Neil said with a nice smile. “Kendrick asked us to help you move, Becca.” He turned toward Cassidy. “He also suggested we tell you that we’d like you to stay on. If you’re amenable, we’ll move you as well.”

The two men gathered their suitcases and she and Cassidy followed them down to another pod of cabins. “Why are we being moved?” Cassidy asked with interest as they walked into their new home. It was another two bedroom with two twin beds in each one.

“We’re moving everyone as close to the Faire as we can,” Neil explained. “Plus, Kendrick specifically said he wanted Becca as close to him as possible.” He winked. “He’s right next door, by the way.”

After Neil and Joseph left, Becca turned toward Cassidy. “I hope this works out. Or this is going to be a real let down.”

“Stop thinking that way. Just because a few Doms didn’t work out.” Cassidy put her index finger to her chin. “Let’s see. There was Bart. And Aire. Then Steve.”

“Don’t forget Kyle,” Becca groused as she unpacked her clothes.

“Oh, that’s right. The dommabe. Then Ben, Thom, and Mark…”

“Stop naming them all,” Becca begged. “It’s too depressing.”

“But none of them had that energy about them Kendrick has.” Cassidy sighed. “I wish I’d been the sub at that whipping post. When you’re done with him, send him my way.”

“I don’t plan on being done with him anytime soon,” Becca said with a grin. “Maybe you should look at Neil. He’s unattached I think. And cute.”

“Not a bad idea,” Cassidy agreed. She glanced over Becca’s shoulder at her clothes. “What are you going to wear tonight?”

“I don’t know. All my club clothes are in Seattle.”

As she pouted at her incomplete wardrobe, Cassidy put a hand on her arm. “I have an idea.”

Chapter Seven

The day had been tiring, but well worth it. Twelve of the old employees had become their employees and they already had a list of fifty people who might be coming to work. They’d know for sure by the end of the next week. Kendrick stretched his neck and pulled his arms out slowly, holding them out until the muscles in his upper back relaxed. Becca’s back wasn’t healed so he wouldn’t do a heavy scene with her. But if things went well he would still enjoy himself with her.

A slightly evil grin touched his lips. He’d drive her out of her mind while not allowing her to move. Old trick but sometimes the old ones worked the best. And since he couldn’t play hard, he could play with her mind. That was where real play happened, anyway.

A large pizza sat in front of the hearth to keep warm. Neil had made a run with the ferry to pick up a boat they could use and to get something good to eat. That was something they would need to have in place soon. Good food. When the men and women who would be running the shops and restaurants arrived, that needed to be in place. Nobody would want to take the long trip back and forth every day to get food from Sequim. And cooking at home every day when you’re working your ass off for twelve to sixteen hours wasn’t viable in anyone’s time table.

Kendrick sent Craig a quick text asking for an update on the kitchen. If they could get Slate and another chef to share it, they might do a cafeteria style meal three times a day until the food places were up and running in the Faire. He blew out a breath. The next six weeks were going to be hectic and expensive. He looked forward to it, but he knew by the time the Faire opened, he and the others would be raw. They needed good food to keep them going.

A soft knock on his door changed his focus entirely and he strode toward it. He pulled it open and took in the vision in front of him. Becca was completely nude except for some sort of opaque sash would wound her breasts and hips. “Very nice,” he said and stepped back. “Come in, Becca. I hope you like pizza. It’s all I have.”

She stepped past him and he took a moment to look at her back. Bandages covered three large welts and several others were slightly raised but not bleeding. “I love pizza,” she said in a quiet tone. It did not escape his notice that her eyes were lowered. Good little submissive. But she wasn’t his sub yet.

“Until we come to an agreement, I’d like for you to meet my gaze,” he said after he closed the door and led her into the kitchen. “Currently your status is my equal in everything until you give that up.” A little shiver of her shoulders made him frown. “Are you cold or was that anticipation?”

She glanced up, her soft hazel eyes twinkling. “Anticipation. Though I might be cold as well.”

Amused he nodded toward the box. “Get us both a couple slices while I light a fire. I’m going to have to get used to this Northwest wet cold.”

“I’ve lived here for almost a decade and I’m still not used to it,” she said.

“Well, something made you stay.” He put a new log on the fire and closed the grate. “That should warm things up,” he said as he turned back. Becca sat on the sofa, two plates in front of her on the low coffee table. “I must say, I approve of your outfit.”

She smiled. “Cassidy helped me come up with it. I didn’t bring my club clothes with me. A scarf seemed to work.”

It worked perfectly. While he could see her dusky nipples, the dips and folds of the scarf played a “now you see it now you don’t” game with his head. And apparently with his dick which was ready to get to the end of the night and slam inside her heat.

“It works for now,” he agreed. He sat down next to her, making sure to brush her thigh with his. She trembled and he picked up his plate. “So what do you love about the rainy Washington coast?”

A soft laugh left her lips and she picked up her plate. “I think it’s a combination of things. I love being near the water. I’ve met some really good people in the kink community and they’re like home to me. Plus, I’m employed by the Seattle School system, which keeps me in enough money to survive.”

Surprised, he turned toward her. “So how did you get off work in May?”

She rolled her eyes. His palm itched to smack her ass hard enough to stop that. The disrespect in the movement was one of his bugaboos. Craig liked the sass in it. He did not. Thankfully he had full control of himself and didn’t say or do anything. “Cutbacks. Since I graduated with my master’s degree I’ve been working on an as-needed basis, filling in for teachers who are on long-term sick leave. I finally have a contract of my own for next year teaching English to seventh and eighth graders, but this year I was filling in for a teacher who was on maternity leave. Mid-year the school system decided to combine two classes whose teachers were off into one humungous class and the other as-needed teacher got that job. So I found myself without work and this job sounded perfect.” Becca shrugged. “Turned out to be anything but… until you arrived.” She gave him a sideways glance as she took a bite of pizza. The oil from the pizza made her lips glisten in the low lighting and he could imagine her covered in his cum.

He needed to get them moved on to the contract part of the evening before he exploded. It had obviously been too long since he’d had a sub. His body was like a coiled spring.

Clearing his throat deliberately, he leaned back against the sofa. As he’d expected, she stilled, aware of the signal, though probably wondering what it meant from him. Kendrick couldn’t wait to find out how much training she had and how much he would have to tweak. They would only be together until she went back to Seattle, which would not give him time to fix any traits he didn’t like, but he still felt they could do well together. Or at least he hoped they could. “Tell me about your training.”

Becca placed the plate on her lap and turned her body slightly toward him as she spoke. “I met Master Dennis when I went to a club for the first time. He trained new subs and took me on.” A soft smile crossed her face telling him of very good memories. “Master Dennis was strict, but kind, and never lost his temper once. After he’d been training me for about six months, he tried to secure me a place with another Dom, but I didn’t feel comfortable being handed off. So I went out on my own.”

An independent sub. Interesting.

“I was with Master Rob for three years. We met just before I got my master’s degree and we aligned in a lot of kinks. He pushed me further than I ever thought possible.” Her soft smile turned into a grin. “I found kinks that I once thought horrifying or disgusting fit me to a T. But he didn’t think taking me on as a permanent submissive was good for either of us. He’s in his sixties,” she explained, “and the forty year difference was fine in his home or at a club, but he was right that we could never go beyond that even if we continued. I’ve worked with other Doms since, but none that felt right.”

The way she hedged those last few words made him cock a brow. “There are many reasons a Dom and sub don’t mesh. What do you think happened with them?”

She winced and pink flooded into her cheeks. “Master Rob was right,” she said softly.

“About what?”

Becca startled as though being surprised he heard her. “I called him and asked him to find out about you. Turns out he met and thinks highly of you.” She fidgeted a little, though he couldn’t imagine why. That had been a very smart thing for her to do. “He reminded me,” she went on in a rush, “that I should tell you of my two main faults.”

He kept a straight face, but was very interested to see what she felt her main faults were. “Go on.”

Twice she opened her mouth and closed it again. But finally she raised her eyes to meet his and blurted out, “I think too much and I tend to push people away.”

Ah. The thinking too much was a wonderful challenge. For some subs, a Dom needed to create a tremendous amount of sensation, enough that the sub was overpowered with them and their brain shut off. For others, it was more a case of trust. Their brain ran like a hamster on a wheel, not allowing them to connect with a scene. It would be fun to figure out which she was. Or even if there was another reason. “How do you push them away?” he asked, wanting a clearer look into that particular problem. He needed to know what to look for.

Becca took another bite of pizza and took a long time to chew.

“Rebecca,” he said firmly and she gulped, her eyes wide. “I’m not going to judge you for it. But I need to know if we’re going to go forward.”

“It’s different every time,” she said in a soft voice. “I don’t even know I’m doing it until after I’ve screwed things up. But it’s like my inner sub knows exactly what button to push to send a Dom, or any man really, running for the hills. My mind concentrates on something, blows it up into something bigger than it is, and the world has suddenly ended and I’ll do everything to save myself. Master Rob explained it’s a form of protection. I’ll push you away before you can push me.”

His heart softened for the sweet sub. Many submissives had issues a Dom had to work with and he’d met a few who had similar problems. “Becca, our contract will be for a finite time. It can only last until you return to Seattle. Will that create barriers you won’t be able to let down? Or will it help knowing there’s no reason to push me away because there’s already an end in mind?”

She finished her last piece of pizza and set the plate back on the coffee table. “I don’t know.” Honesty rang in her tone and in the worry in her eyes.

He reached forward and drifted two fingers over her cheeks. “That’s fine, Becca. You don’t have to know. But if you’re willing to go forward with me, we’ll figure it out together.” He smiled to make sure she knew he was being honest. “All couples have to find those little things and pluck them out. Who knows? Maybe I can help there so that your next Dom just needs to fine tune it.”

“You think that’s possible?” Becca asked. “That would be nice. I get tired of realizing I’m the one who screwed things up.”

Kendrick scoffed. “Those Doms had the choice to pick up and run or stay and fight. So it isn’t all on you. And knowing this ahead of time, I know of a couple rules right off I’ll make for you that will hopefully help.” He patted her leg. “Let me go grab the contract. I printed it off right before you arrived.”

The contract still sat in the printer and he removed it and brought it back into the living room to her. “Here. My contracts are simple,” he explained as she took the paperwork from him. “I don’t believe in spelling out every little thing because A: that’s not how I work, B: I’m not that anal retentive, and C: we’re just starting out and there’s no way for me to know what you need.”

He filled two glasses with water and put them on the coffee table before taking his seat, this time putting a little space between them. While she looked at the contract, he would not interfere.

“Just a limits list?” she asked in surprise after thumbing through it.

“And the last page where I’ll list the things that will be part of our relationship. And just so you know, that list of limits is extensive. It doesn’t mean I do everything on it. In fact, there are some items that are a hard limit for me. But I want to know what you need,” he said firmly. “Because if it turned out our needs were diametrically opposite to one another, I would be a poor Dom indeed if I took you on.”

Chapter Eight

Becca’s head was reeling. In so many ways, Kendrick sounded like Master Rob. They had the same philosophy about D/s. And she liked that he didn’t try to make their relationship into some “You do this, you do that” list of rules that would have automatically brought her hackles up. And he was right about the list being extensive. She’d never seen so many items on a limits list at one time. Then again, he knew she was experienced and she did recognize each item. Well, all except for one. “What’s whomping?” she asked and turned toward him again.

He stared back at her, confusion in his eyes. “Whomping?”

“Yes. I know all of the BDSM activities named except that one.” She hoped whomping didn’t mean some derivation of beating. But that was what it sounded like.

“May I?” Kendrick held out his hand and she passed over the paper. He looked at it, blinked, and then burst out laughing. That was not the reaction she expected and his laugh, while booming and practically shaking the cabin, was also light and open and made her smile. “I’m sorry,” he said with a chuckle as he handed the list back. “My friend Alice has a wonderful sense of humor and thinks it’s up to her to keep Craig’s, Neil’s, and my head on straight. She got into my computer and added that.” His shoulders shook with laughter.

“So what is it?” she said, half laughing.

“Nothing. Just a joke.” He grinned. “When I first got on the rodeo circuit, I went with Joseph and Alice. They were friends of my parents and I trusted them implicitly. She recognized the Dom in me and when I expressed interest, offered to train me. She also trained Neil. Craig was trained by another Dom. But from time to time, Alice enjoys little jokes like this.” He chuckled as he took a sip of water. “You’ve met Craig, right?”

“The once,” she hedged.

“Well, Craig’s a hard ass. He’s tough and definitely not the cuddly type, not even with his wife and slave, Jilly. Those two have an open relationship. She can serve other Doms as long as he okays it and he can take on a new sub for the night when he wants something new. Last year he took on a bratty woman by the name of Caitlyn. She wasn’t submissive, but she was one hell of a masochist. They were well matched. He’s a sadist. So he printed off the contract and handed it over.” He started laughing again. “I guess Caitlyn paused part way through and then a little while longer did the same. She was horrified as on the limits list were things like hugging, holding hands, and taking long walks under the moonlight.”

Becca burst out laughing, imagining the reaction. “I bet he was pissed.” She definitely had to get to know Alice. Any woman who could keep these men on their toes was worth knowing.

“Oh yeah. We tended to stay in low-end motels as they were close to the rodeo grounds and those don’t have any sound proofing at all. Everyone heard him yell, ‘God damn it, Alice!’”

“How long have you known Neil and Craig?” she asked as she marked her the limits.

“Met Neil when we were twenty-one. I met Craig when I was first on the circuit, but I thought he was an ass and kept my distance. It wasn’t until I was twenty-two or –three that I realized there was more to him that the gruff exterior. They’re good men. I’d trust them with my life. Joseph too.”

That was saying a lot and she was impressed. “That’s some pretty intense trust.”

He looked right into her eyes and nodded. “We lived and worked the rodeo. Riding a broncing horse or bull isn’t easy and can be dangerous. Craig was on clown patrol the first time I rode a bull. Saved me from getting hurt. We all want the same thing: peace to live our lives the way we want. We hope to find it here.” His blue eyes were so captivating that she couldn’t look away.

And then he kissed her. His lips took hers with a bruising power that took her breath away and she grasped hold of his shirt to ground herself. It was like going from 0mph to 100mph. For as forceful as his lips were, his hands were gentle as they cradled her head. She melted under the onslaught until by the time he pulled his head back, she was a quavering mass who just wanted more.

He glanced down at her lips and smiled. “You look amazing freshly kissed.” She let out a long ragged breath and tried to get her bearings. “And you definitely look good all rattled. I’ll have to keep you that way more often.” Becca had the feeling he might be able to. All he had to do was kiss her and she lost the ability to think.

“Now—” he patted her leg “—finish the list.”

List? She blinked and turned to the paperwork. Oh right. Contract. Quickly, she went through and made sure all her limits were marked. There were many things she was open to and she looked forward to seeing what he’d do with their scenes. Hell, she looked forward to seeing what he’d do with her submission. He seemed so much like Master Rob and if he was, she was about to be in for an amazing ten weeks.

After scrawling her signature at the bottom of the list, she handed him back the paperwork. He went through the list rapidly, the smile on his face turning more wicked with each page. “Oh, Rebecca,” he said, his voice rumbling, “we’re going to have some fun.”

She trembled, excited at the possibilities.

“First let me tell you my rules that will settle us as Dom and sub and will hopefully keep the lid on your fears.” Kendrick picked up a pen and began to write. “Every day, and given how busy we are, I’m figuring it will be at night, you and I will sit down and go over your day, your fears, your thoughts, and your feelings. Some days there won’t be a lot to share, some days there will be an overwhelming amount. One day won’t tell me much, but that information over time will help me if your fear takes over and you try to push me away. You’ll call me Sir to my face. To anyone else, use my name. As we get closer to the opening, I’ll know more of who my persona is as a Faire resident and so that reference may change.” He paused and then began to write again. “Given how intense the work will be, I also want to have a weekly…” Kendrick cocked his head as though looking for the right word. “Settling of our roles. I haven’t seen it in overall BDSM so much, but those who practice the subset of domestic discipline use a process called maintenance. Essentially it’s discipline, heavier than an erotic spanking but lighter than true disciplinary measures. You would submit to it and by doing so, emphasize our roles in life.” He cocked a brow. “Does that make sense?”

She’d never heard of it before, but she remembered that Master Rob had done something similar. Every Saturday while she was his sub, he’d had her do something she didn’t particularly like, but wasn’t a limit, to remind her that serving him was in her best interest. And it had worked perfectly. Becca had come to look forward to the aftermath of those sessions. “Yes it does. Master Rob did something akin to it when he trained me.” And knowing it would be a spanking, would actually keep her mind centered.

“Good. Tomorrow both of us will go to Dr. Myles and have him do tests to make sure we’re both disease free. I don’t believe in assumptions. If we were in a long-term contract, you would slowly learn my rules and after a certain amount of time, I would insist on them or a punishment system would be implemented. Since we have little time, I want to know what you feel comfortable with doing without having to think too much about it. How are you on kneeling?”

She sat up a little straighter, proud of the training she’d received. “I was trained to kneel and can do so freely without issues for up to an hour.”

“We’ll figure out your clothing as you’ll kneel every time you approach me. And await my word to speak. Though you may feel free to speak freely, if respectfully, when I am not nearby. When on Faire grounds, you’ll act fully in your submissive role to me. Your actions will reflect on me, so keep that in mind. If something happens you need help with, you’ll text me immediately. As I wish for everyone to know you’re mine, you’ll wear my collar from morning until night.” There was a slight pause and he looked her in the eye, the intensity in his gaze making her gasp. “You will not, under any circumstances, put yourself in harm’s way. If you walk into a situation like the whipping post and don’t refuse, you will be disciplined for it. And you don’t need to make up an excuse. All you have to say is ‘I must ask Kendrick first.’ Remember, you’re watching over my property and I expect you to treat yourself with the highest respect.”

A trickle of wonder went up her spine. His property. She was his property. Master Rob was right. She was happiest when under the care of a Dom.

“How should I address your friends, Sir?” she asked softly, her eyes instantly lowering to his chest.

“As I don’t want you to have two separate rules and have you become confused, I would suggest you refer to Neil and Craig as sir and Alice as ma’am at all times. Joseph and Jilly you can refer to by name as they are both subs. My word is law, but if Neil, Craig, or Alice give you a direct order for your safety, you’re to obey it. Understood?”

She nodded quickly.

“If their order is wrong, I’ll discuss it with them. You’ll never be punished for obeying their direct orders.” He stopped writing and put the paperwork on the coffee table. “Do you have any questions?”

Becca nibbled on her lower lip and nodded. “Will I still stay next door?”

“Yes. When we scene, we’ll do it here or in the Faire grounds, but you’ll sleep in your own bed next door.”

While not surprised, she was disappointed. It was best to keep everything on as impersonal a level as possible given their relationship. She didn’t want to fall for him. And she had the feeling she could far too easily.

“Would you need me to clean and cook for you?” Both Masters Dennis and Rob had her serve that way and while not enjoying the cleaning, she’d enjoyed the service. And she loved to cook.

“I would appreciate having my cabin cleaned. As for cooking, we’re trying to figure out the system here. There’s a building with a professional kitchen. If it’s usable and we can get a cook to work for us, we’ll have a cafeteria. So for now, no. I won’t need you to cook.”

She stayed silent as she wasn’t sure what else to say or ask. She knew the drills and how things worked, but she wanted Kendrick to do something. To make her melt like he did just moments before. It had been too long since she’d fully submitted and she craved it.

“Are there no more questions?”

“No, Sir.”

“All right. As long as you obey my other requests and do it respectfully, you may ask something at any time, Rebecca.” She trembled at his use of her full first name. “I’m not an ogre nor am I a tyrant. I am, however, a Dom and I do plan to use your body for my pleasure.” His lips quirked and she quivered in excitement. “Let’s move into the fun part of the evening.”

Yes!

“Strip and display yourself for me.”

The words flowed over her like waterfall, enflaming her mind. The command was firmly spoken and she thrilled at the sound of it. Fluidly, she rose to her feet and stepped around the coffee table. Slowly she unwound the scarf from around her body, revealing small amounts with each movement until she was completely bare. She folded the scarf and laid it on the table before standing with her feet shoulder width apart and her hands behind her head with her elbows out, jutting out her breasts for his perusal.

She held her head high and her eyes lowered, and she was aware of every move he made. He didn’t stand for some time, but she could feel his eyes on her. The crack and snap of the fire a few feet away lent a wonderfully naughty air to the entire thing. As if they were outside and she stood naked in front of a campfire.

Finally he stood and walked behind her. Warm, rough fingers trailed above and below each welt. “How are they healing?”

Barely, Becca kept herself from wincing. “Two of them opened up when I took my suitcases downstairs this afternoon, but they’re healing.”

“You didn’t wait for someone to do it for you?” he asked.

“I wanted to make things as easy as possible.”

“Ah. In the future, follow the letter of the law. When I say don’t do anything strenuous, don’t.”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered, trembling as he wrapped one arm around her waist and slid his fingers between her legs and along her wet folds.

“Someone’s excited,” he murmured as he coated his fingers with her juices. He pressed something hard against her lower back. “So am I.”

Chapter Nine

She was so fucking wet. Kendrick purposefully kept his breathing low and slow as her excitement drove up his own. Becca had an independent streak that he both respected and wanted to temper. He wanted her to be her own person, but not so much that she endangered herself. For one thing, he was intent on keeping his subs safe and healthy. Not only did he want them safe, if they harmed themselves and he had to temper his fun? Well that was no fun at all.

Never take a Dom’s fun away, he thought with amusement.

“Well, since your back needs to be watched, I want you to walk over to the sofa, kneel on the cushions with your hands together on the back of it.” If her back wasn’t hurt he would have had her crawl over there so he could watch her body move as she climbed up on the couch. He’d do that another time.

“Rules for tonight,” he said as she walked over to the sofa. “You’re to speak freely as this is our first scene. I want to know if anything feels uncomfortable in a bad way, if something bothers you, and most especially if you enjoy something. Gasps and moans are always welcome.” She snickered. “Laugher is not, little one. No laughing allowed. Not tonight anyway.” He grinned. “Not even if I tickle you.”

Her head snapped around and she stared at him wide-eyed. “It’s on your list as okay, little one, so I may use it.”

Her mouth moved and no word came out, but he could clearly read the word shit on her lips. “Rebecca, is swearing respectful?”

She winced. “No, Sir.”

“No, it isn’t. Once I’ve tied you up, my belt will meet your ass ten times in response.” Her eyes widened and she gulped.

Becca knelt on the edge of the sofa and leaned forward against the back. It lifted her buttocks slightly. “Widen your knees and your feet. I want to see that pussy.” She obeyed and he moaned as her glistening folds came into view. “Don’t move. I’m going to tie you into that position so I can have some fun.” Her shoulders shook a little with laughter, but no sound escaped. He did enjoy a sub with a sense of humor. If he could get her to laugh, that included more fun for him as he got to torture her body and mind into a more submissive headspace.

On a corner table, he’d laid out several of his favorite items. He grabbed two sets of hemp rope, an anal plug, and a combination nipple and clit clamp. He also grabbed a condom as he would need it once she was perfectly outfitted.

First he went around to the back of the sofa and unwound the rope. Her hands were laying palm down on the back rest. “Put your hands together lightly.” She placed her palms together and he wrapped the rope around and between her wrists. Once it was secure, he tied the other rope to it and tossed each end to a side of her. “Keep your face forward,” he commanded. Her body trembled but she didn’t move.

He loved playing with a sub’s mind. Finding out what made them tick and what sent them into space gave him a high. Plus it was fun. He took one strand of the rope and wound it around her right ankle, pulling it taught so that her leg stretched out at an odd angle and would ensure she couldn’t pull it back. “Is that uncomfortable?” he asked.

She moved a little and shook her head. “No, Sir.”

He did the exact same on her left ankle so that her knees were wide and her ankles wider. It gave him a view of every part of her pussy and ass. He slid his tongue along his lower lip, imagining all the things he could do to her in that position. Of course, he would need to wait until her back was healed. In the meantime, he had a belt to remove.

Kendrick walked around the sofa to where she could see him and he unbuckled his buckle and slowly removed his belt, watching her the whole time. Her eyes were fastened on his hands and her breathing was a little fast. Good. A little anxious as any sub should be at a coming punishment, but not scared. Once his belt was loose, he removed the buckle and walked back around.

“Ten,” he said firmly as he folded the belt over, took aim, and let the first blow fly. The sound as leather met her beautiful ass filled his ears as did her sharp intake of breath. She tried to jerk away but couldn’t due to the ropes. “Nine.” Each blow he landed in the same spot—right on the crease between ass and thighs. He didn’t hit with all of his strength but he didn’t hold back either. These blows weren’t meant to be pleasurable. At his fourth swing, she let out her first cry, but he was proud of her. She never once begged for him to stop. Instead, she took each blow owed her. Tears fell from her eyes and she sobbed softly, but her body was relaxed.

“Good girl,” he murmured as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “You took that well. I’m pleased.” As he couldn’t see her face, he couldn’t state how it looked, but he knew certain giveaways. Her shoulders stood tall and she lifted her head in pride. His girl was proud of herself. So was he. And his cock throbbed intensely. He would put on the clamps another day. Instead, he grabbed the small anal plug and poured lube over it. “You said in your notes that you have very little anal training and that you haven’t been taken anally in several years. So tonight, it starts. I love taking a sub’s ass and as soon as yours is ready, I’ll fuck you there more often than your cunt.”

Once the stainless steel plug was coated, he spread her cheeks apart with one hand and pressed the tip of the plug to her hole. “Press down, Rebecca.” She let out a shuddery breath as she pushed out. The plug was small and it still took several minutes and a few thrusts to get it inside her and seeded. Her sphincter clamped around it making him smile. “Get used to it, little one. You’ll be wearing one often.” And as long as their trust continued, he planned on taking her anally at the Faire in front of witnesses.

The thought made his cock thicken and press painfully against his zipper. He quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, freeing his aching shaft. A full seven and a half inches in length and almost two in circumference, Kendrick was admittedly proud of his dick. And when he fucked a sub, she remembered it for a long while. Becca would definitely be feeling this for a day or two.

After ripping open the condom and rolling it on, he grabbed for the lubricant, smirking when he saw the small movement she made to push her buttocks toward him. His girl needed. “Open up, Rebecca,” he said in a firm voice as he pressed his thumbs on the outer edges of her pussy and pressed his cockhead into her entrance.

“Oh,” she gasped as he breached her opening. She clamped down and he stilled.

“I’m larger than a lot of men,” he said.

“Uh, yeah,” she said in a breathy voice. “I need just a moment.”

He stroked her ass where the pink marks from his belt flowed into her olive skin. He’d been right. Her skin looked fantastic freshly smacked. Her muscles relaxed and he pushed forward. When she tried to clamp down again, he smacked her right buttock. “Enough, Rebecca, you can take this. I know you can. Do it for me.”

A shudder went down her spine but she released and he thrust all the way in. A long moan left her lips as her pussy milked him for a few seconds. “Feel good?” he said as he grasped hold of her hips and pulled out half way.

“So good.”

“Good girl.” He slammed back in, the sound of skin meeting skin like a gunshot in the room. Even as she grunted, he pulled back and thrust in, fucking her roughly. Taking her and making her his. Whimpers from her lips quickly changed to moans and begging.

“Please, Sir,” she said, “Harder.”

Well hot damn. She did love it rough. Next time he’d add some more toys to really up the ante. Until then, he could definitely pound into her harder. And he did. He slammed into her over and over, his hips driving forward with each lunge and sending her shoulders pounding into the back of the sofa. He yanked back on her hips to keep her upright and continued to fuck her.

She had a tight cunt and he enjoyed every thrust of his hips. He could only imagine how hot and tight her ass would be. At the thought his balls pulled up and he gritted his teeth as he held his orgasm back. He wasn’t ready to come yet. Kendrick wanted to fuck her for a few more minutes.

So he did. He added to his mental list a cock ring to put around him to stave off his orgasm better. He would have enjoyed fucking her for hours, but it seemed fifteen minutes was his limit for the evening. With a grunt, he slammed in one final time and groaned as his cum filled the condom, his shaft throbbing with the intensity of his desire.

Once he stopped coming, he reached around, slid his fingers between her folds and rubbed hard and fast over her clit. Her squeal told him she had not expected that move and as she was already hot and ready, it took barely three brushes of the pad of his fingers and she came, her cry filling the room as she squeezed around his dick several times, milking the last of his cum out of him.

She trembled as he pulled out. Kendrick pulled the plug out of her and quickly wiped her off. Then he untied the ropes, wrapped her in a blanket and sat her on his lap. A warm, happy sub, Becca curled up in his arms and sighed in contentment. He leaned his head back on the sofa and smiled. Now that had been a really good night. He’d like to see every night end in such an explosive way.

Reminding himself to find out how agile she was as there were several things he’d like to do that would require a very limber sub, he closed his eyes. In a few minutes, he would roust her and send her home. That was the last thought he had before he drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Ten

A slight wince crossed Becca’s lips as she stretched, a grin quickly following it at the memory of why she felt like she’d been ridden hard. Because she had. Kendrick fucked her rough, just the way she loved it. But she wanted to see his dick because the thing felt like a monster. And it definitely left her feeling as though she walked bowlegged.

They both conked out after their scene. Waking up in Kendrick’s arms had been a bit of a surprise, for him as well as her. He sent her back to her house to shower and get ready for the busy day ahead with a command to meet him down at the Faire grounds in an hour.

That left her with little time to get ready. It felt good to bathe off the sweat and leftover lube, but when she went to wash between her legs, she winced again at how sore her pussy was. She couldn’t control the huge smile that covered her face. That had been one hot scene and she knew it was just going to get hotter every time.

Cassidy came into the bathroom as she was finishing up. “Need me to clean your cuts?” she asked with a yawn. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you didn’t come home, you lucky, lucky girl. How was he?”

Becca turned off the shower head and peeked around the curtain. “Wow.”

Her friend spluttered, her mouth dropping open. “That good huh?”

“There’s no other word that fits. He fucked me so hard I can’t walk straight. And yes, I could use some help with my back.”

It took another ten minutes for Cassidy to treat her welts and get them bandaged. “I need to get going. He wanted me to meet him one hour from when I left and I have less than twenty minutes.” Becca ran into her bedroom and grabbed a pair of jeans and a peasant blouse.

“No bra?” Cassidy said as she followed her.

“He likes my tits.” Or at least she hoped he did. Come to think on it, he hadn’t mentioned them in his perusal of her the night before. She bit her lip. What if he didn’t like that part of her?

“Get a move on, then. Supposedly there’s supposed to be breakfast delivered this morning so we’ll get food at least and find out the huge job ahead of us.”

Becca pulled on her calf-high boots and after giving Cassidy a peck on the cheek, hurried out of the room, down the stairs, and out of her cabin. Cool, crisp air met her and she inhaled deeply as she walked toward the Faire.

The grounds looked sad with nothing going on. But the benches next to the café were covered in boxes of donuts and little bottles of apple and orange juice. Her stomach rumbled and she was tempted to dive in, but she remembered Kendrick’s command from the night before. She looked around and spotted him and several others standing over by one of the shops and she trotted in their direction. When she got close, she slowed down to a walk and stood straight with her head up and her eyes cast down. As soon as she reached his side, she slid gracefully to her knees and stayed there.

Strong fingers combed through her hair. “Good morning, Rebecca.”

“Morning, Sir.”

“As you see, Rebecca is mine,” Kendrick said. “I do enjoy your outfit, little one, but there’s something I need to add to it.” He pulled a simple leather collar out of his pocket and secured it around her throat. “It looks good on you. Now go get yourself some breakfast and bring me something as well.” He patted her shoulder and turned back to the others.

She rose to her feet and trotted back to the food, her stomach rumbling in anticipation. After putting two doughnuts and a couple croissants on a plate, she paused at the juice. Did Kendrick like orange or apple? While she preferred apple, she could drink either, so she grabbed one of each. Whichever he didn’t want, she would drink.

When she was back at his side, she knelt again, feeling secure with the collar around her throat. Whereas the former owners of the Faire hadn’t understood the significance, Kendrick and his friends did.

He took a doughnut off the plate and she offered up both drinks. “Which would you prefer?” he asked.

She stalled, unsure of how to answer. Would he prefer she left it up to him or did he want her to choose?

“I like them both, little one,” he said. “Pick the one you want and I’ll have the other.”

With a soft smile, she handed him the orange juice. It was a relief to have him explain. She’d been with Doms in the past who wanted her to make mistakes. They hadn’t lasted long.

“Thank you. My brother Rhys should be arriving in an hour or so. Once he does, he and I will be embroiled in contract info. That will bore the hell out of you,” he said with a chuckle. “So I’m giving you a choice. You can help Alice with her plans for sectioning off the shops and what goes where. Or you can help Neil who will be testing the strength of the stages and the equipment in the dungeon. He won’t be playing with you,” he said firmly. “You’d just be acting as his assistant.”

“Whichever pleases you, Sir,” she said. From the sounds of it, he trusted all his friends and would not put her in a compromising position.

“You please me,” he said warmly, once again sliding his fingers through her hair. “I’ll send you with Alice. The shops take top priority right now.”

“Wonderful,” Alice said. “Finish your breakfast, Becca, and we’ll get to it. I look forward to your input since you’ve been here for a week.”

She finished her food and drink and when Kendrick headed down toward the docks, she stood up and walked over to Alice. “How would you like me to refer to you?” she asked in a respectful tone.

Alice smiled. At somewhere in her early to mid-fifties, Alice was about five feet seven with curly dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Her eyes twinkled and if it weren’t for a certain aura pouring off her, Becca never would have guessed she was a Domme.

“Until the Faire opens, Alice is fine. Titles don’t matter much to me as long as respect is prevalent. Now,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “You and I get to figure out where to put the new shops. This will be tentative until the architect gets here, but if we have our ideas firmly planned out, he should be able to tweak them to fit the landscape.” She waved at the Faire which looked sad without anyone there.

“Everyone’s gone,” Alice said. “The two shopkeepers and the café owner were sent packing,” she said with a snort.

“How will we live without dark brown sludge?” Becca teased making her laugh.

“Craig’s talking to a few coffee people in the area. The equipment in the café is new and is a good name, so we’re thinking all we need is good coffee beans and some baristas who know what they’re doing.”

The next few hours were some of the most pleasant she’d had since she arrived to work at the Faire, discounting her time with Kendrick the night before. Alice had a good sense of humor and was highly irreverent. And hearing about the shops that would be taking up temporary residence for the rest of the summer was exciting.

“Cock and Bull?” Becca spluttered when Alice gave her one of the new shop names.

“Once you get to know Alec, you’ll see his sense of humor in everything. He’s a gay bear, dominant, and an expert in CBT, floggers, and mind fucking. His online shop is Alec’s Cock and Bull and he figured me might as well keep the name for his store here.” She smiled. “I look forward to seeing him again. It’s been almost a year. That man needs a permanent sub,” she murmured, almost under her breath. As if realizing she’d said that aloud, she shrugged. “I’m biased. I’ve been with Joseph for a long time. It took about ten years of marriage before we realized we were trying to operate in a relationship society was pressing on us. He’s happier when I take care of things and I’m happy keeping him busy and happy.”

Alice winked. “One day we happened upon BDSM. Not only did the kink excite us, but the D/s aspect made entirely too much sense. We had our growing pains, but compared to the first ten years of our marriage, it was a cake walk.”

“That’s nice that you’ve been together for so long,” Becca said as they took some stakes and drove them into the ground to show where they saw shops being. “So many BDSM relationships last a year or two. My longest lasted three.”

“I know. Many in the lifestyle think the spice is in the change.” Alice shook her head. “If the kink starts feeling dry and boring, it’s up to the couple to change things up. I grew up to think longevity. Old-fashioned, I guess. But I wouldn’t give up my thirty-five years of marriage to Joseph for anything or anybody.”

“Do you have any children?”

“Oh yes. Tony is thirty-five.” She coughed and winked. “He was born three days after our wedding.” Becca laughed. “Ariana is thirty-two. And Jacob is thirty. They’re all grown up with lives, families, and careers of their own. We get together for Christmas every year, but that’s the only time we see them.”

“Any grandchildren?” She liked talking to Alice. Here was a woman who was happy and proud of her lifestyle and her choices and still lived a full life. It was something Becca wanted for herself.

“Watch out,” Joseph said, startling her as he walked up. Twinkling brown eyes watched her. “You’re just begging her to bring out the pictures. Once she starts talking about the most perfect grandchildren on earth, she’ll never stop.”

“Shush,” Alice said and leaned toward him. He bent down and kissed her and Becca let out a silent sigh. It was obvious they were still in love. When they pulled apart, Alice turned back to her. “He’s worse than I am. I don’t have a billfold, so I’d have to find my purse to show you pictures. He’s got them on hand.”

“How many are there?” she couldn’t help asking.

“We’ve got six so far with two more on the way,” Joseph said, pulling out his wallet and opening it. The first picture was of three children. “These are Tony’s kids. Adam, Mark, and Paul. His wife Sarah is expecting twins.” He turned to a picture of two children. “Here’s Ariana’s brood. Stacy and Caleb. And here,” he added as he turned to a picture of a child with large blue eyes who was grinning at the camera, “is the baby, Caspian. He’s Jacob’s boy and quite the charmer.”

“I can tell,” Becca said with a smile. “Look at those eyes.”

“Uh-oh.” Kendrick’s voice filled her ears and she turned with delight toward him. He strode toward her with a man who looked remarkably like him in tow. Holy shit. His brother was just as attractive as he was. “Joseph’s popped out the wallet. You’ll hear all about the Kelsey clan.” He stopped a couple feet away and she walked over and glided to her knees. Almost instantly, his fingers drifted through her hair. She melted into his touch. “Wait until he tells you the story of when Adam found one of grandma’s floggers and dragged it into the living room to ask what it was.”

She giggled and Kendrick’s brother burst out laughing.

“Everything else was locked up,” Alice said in obvious amusement. “That flogger was merely for ornamentation. Unfortunately I hadn’t hung it yet and Adam, being delightfully inquisitive, found it.”

“What did you tell him?” Kendrick’s brother asked.

“I told him the truth,” Alice said with a wicked grin. “That it was for two things, hanging on the wall, and spanking naughty adults when they get bad.”

Joseph let out a booming laugh. “Adam put the flogger on her lap and walked over to his father with the biggest eyes. ‘Don’t be naughty, Daddy’ he said.”

“And he’ll never live that down,” Kendrick said in amusement. “In twenty years, you’ll be telling his wife that story and he’ll be dying of embarrassment. Now, Becca, let me introduce you to my elder brother, Rhys. Rhys, this is my sub, Becca.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Rhys said in a warm voice and held out his hand. “If my brother fucks up, please tell me so I can tease him about it for the rest of his life.”

She laughed, delighted to see the same teasing blue eyes as Kendrick’s looking at her. “I can tell having two of you around should be interesting.”

“Very interesting,” Alice agreed. “It’s been too long, honey,” she said and hugged Rhys.

“That it has, Alice.” Rhys lifted her up and swung her around. “I see you didn’t talk him out of buying this place,” he added as he put her down.

“Pfft,” Alice said in response. “It’s perfect. It just needs some tweaking.”

Rhys glanced around. “It looks to me like it needs a lot of tweaking. However, if it works out, it’ll be fantastic. I might spend all my vacations here.”

Since lunch had been delivered, they headed toward the benches to eat. Kendrick kept a hand on her lower back which made her smile. She loved how he seemed to be unable not to touch her when they were near one another.

Long hoagies covered the benches and off to the side were several coolers and huge boxes.

Kendrick looked at them as he filled two plates with food. “What are those for?” he asked as he handed one plate to Becca and patted a bench. She stood up and sat down next to him.

“Glad you asked,” Craig said, walking up. “The kitchen is in perfect condition and everything was hooked up. We have a chef. Michaelo is a Dom and jumped at the chance to run the kitchen for the summer. He’s there now, getting everything primed. This is the first set of groceries. Tonight we get a real meal. We’ll serve it in the room next to the kitchen. It will make a great cafeteria while we need it.”

“Perfect,” Kendrick said. “When will Slate be here?”

“In two weeks. He gave his notice to the cupcakery he works at this morning. Jilly says working here will be good for him as he has a hard time fitting in where he lives. He needs to be in a place where he’s not going to be judged for being an out and proud gay sub.”

Conversation swirled around them as Becca ate. Names she didn’t know passed overhead and she was amazed how many people they knew in the kink world. Usually it took her time before she felt comfortable around new people, even in BDSM clubs. But she already felt at home with the people surrounding her. Even Rhys who was big and imposing and practically Kendrick’s doppelganger, except for the silver at his temples.

Glancing off to the side, she spotted Cassidy sitting and talking with the others who had stayed from the original group. As if feeling Becca’s gaze, she turned and looked at her. And grinned. Her eyes flipped to Kendrick, then Rhys, and back and she raised both eyebrows. Becca had no doubt her friend would be asking questions about the other Finleigh as soon as possible.

Warm breath against her ear made her tremble. “Did you and Alice get everything figured out?”

Becca turned her attention completely on Kendrick. “Yes, Sir. There are going to be some amazing shops, even just for the short amount of time the Faire will be open.” She smiled. “My savings is going to go belly up.”

He chuckled. “Just wait until next summer. We’ll have many more. A friend of mine does leather work and makes the most wonderful corsets and dresses out of it. She’ll have a store next year.” Kendrick looked her up and down. “I would love to see you in one of her creations.”

Her breath hitched and she nodded. “Me too, Sir.” She loved the scent and feel of leather but had never worn any. The thought they might be able to get together next summer sent a zing of pleasure through her.

A tall, thin man with tattoos on the left side of his neck, shoulders, and arm walked toward them with a dolly. His head was shaved and he had a clipped black beard. He and Craig loaded several of the large boxes onto it. Once the dolly was filled, Craig turned toward them. “Kendrick, this is Michaelo, our chef. Mick, these are our intrepid crew for now. Kendrick is the head of our organization.”

Kendrick raised his hand. “I’ll come meet you later, Mick. In the meantime, please work with Craig as he already knows what’s going on with the kitchen. I look forward to a real meal.”

Michaelo smiled and nodded. “I may have an ego,” he said, a thick Italian accent dripping from his tongue and drawing most of the female eyes and several of the males as well. “But I’ll state that once you have my food, everyone else’s will pale in comparison.”

“Perfect. Only the best for the Elan Township and the Faire.” Kendrick lifted his can of soda in a salute and Michaelo chuckled before hauling away the dolly.

“Nice looking man,” Rhys said, “but I can tell he’s a Dom from here.”

Kendrick snorted. “’Fraid so, big brother. You’ll have to keep your eye open for some sweet and naughty twinks.”

Ah, so Rhys was gay. Becca hid a smile when she saw Cassidy pout. No going after the elder Finleigh.

“When are you going back?” Joseph asked and for a moment Becca wasn’t sure who he was talking to. Until Rhys spoke.

“Monday. The House is currently not in session but there are a few things I want to get done. Only seven months left before I’m out of office.” He groaned. “Fuck I look forward to being out of there.” Office? Becca turned and blinked at him. He was a congressman?

“Are you running for something else?” Craig asked.

Rhys shook his head. “This was my third term. There are rules of engagement and propriety for a member of the house, senate, and pretty much any public office. I cannot be both kinky and a congressman. I’ve kept the kink side of myself hidden for almost seven years. The only way I’m getting away with coming here is by putting it down as a visit to see my brother. I’m tired of hiding who I am. So as of January of next year, I’m a private citizen again.” He jabbed Kendrick in the waist. “If you get the co-op side going, I just might buy in.”

Kendrick shot him a grin and Alice groaned. “Two Finleighs all the time? I’m going to have to set traps.”

Becca giggled, remembering the night before, and Kendrick sent her an amused glance before looking at Alice. “Well, you’ve already whomped me, Alice. I’m sure you’ll find a way to keep Rhys from going out of control too.”

Alice burst into delighted laughter and Becca followed.

“Don’t tell me,” Craig said. “She added to your limits list.”

“Yep,” Kendrick said with a chuckle. “You should have seen the look on Becca’s face when she asked me what whomping was.”

Chapter Eleven

For two weeks the amount of work on the Faire was exhausting. Kendrick always cut his and Becca’s time off at seven so he could take her back to the cabin and either scene or talk about her day. He found each conversation just made more questions come to mind. She was fascinating and he looked forward to getting to know her more.

Of course now it was June and a few of their shop keepers were arriving. The major push to get everything done by June 30 was on and he and the others already felt the strain.

“I’ve got three of the shops up,” Chandler told him, showing him the plans he’d made from Alice’s drawings. “This keeps everything in one area so that the moment the fair is over, we can start building for next season. We’ll need to have the flood basements dug and the cement poured before winter sets in.”

“Good,” Kendrick said as he looked over the map. “Good work, Chad. I’m glad you were willing to come back and help us.”

Chandler smiled. “I’m just glad someone is taking this seriously. At the beginning I thought R.C. was serious about making a real kink faire. And then he started negating all the safety protocols and regs I requested and cutting the budget. It’s good to be involved again. I told my girlfriend about this place and if you get the co-op paperwork done, we’d like to apply.”

Pleased, Kendrick clapped him on the shoulder. “Fantastic. Rhys thinks it will probably take most of the next month to get all that paperwork through the system. He says realistically it probably won’t be okayed until August, but if it hits just the right people, we could have the go-ahead by July.”

Chandler went off to talk with Alice and Kendrick headed into the Faire grounds. The new café was up and running. Penny University. He smiled as he walked past it. Pen Holingale was a historian and had a great sense of humor. Coffee shops when they first began in England became known as Penny Universities as people used them as their place to hear the news. They went down for a cuppa and news boys walked around and shouted the news. In much the same way, Penny University café was going for the kink side of things. Along with a latte, the customers could sit and hear bawdy tales of kink. Currently just the coffee was available. Kendrick could hardly wait until everything was up and running.

Movement out of the corner of his eye made him look toward the dock where a boat was moored. Wondering which of their shopkeepers had arrived, he turned and headed down. He instantly recognized the deep rolling laughter of Alec Rowland. A huge grin crossed Kendrick’s face. He’d missed him. Alec was so damned easygoing and everything rolled off his back. Unless a sub was in danger. Then he turned into a mountain of a man and nobody would go up against him.

Next to Alec were David Walston and his family. Thrilled since he hadn’t expected David until the next week, Kendrick broke into a jog.

“Kendrick,” Alec boomed and smacked him on the shoulder when he reached them. “Quite the island you’ve got here. I was telling David I’ve got ideas of tying some sub up in the woods and playing with him.”

“Imagine that,” Kendrick said while he shook David’s hand. “I told my girl Becca that was what I wanted to do with her. I just haven’t had the chance yet.” He turned his gaze to David and his family. “David, Tayna, so good to see you here. And Ryan.” He shook the nineteen-year-old’s hand. “I hear you’ve been training as a Dom.”

Ryan nodded enthusiastically, his dark brown hair bobbing over his forehead. His natural tan glowed in the sunlight. Kendrick figured if he spent a lot of time at the Faire, he’d be brown as a nut by the end of the summer. “I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m loving it. Dad says you’re opening up a co-op as well as the Faire so I’ve put in an application at school in Port Angeles. Hopefully I can do most of my schooling long distance, but if I need to attend class, it’s close by.” He said it all in a rush.

Kendrick had known the Walstons for almost a decade and Ryan had always been gung-ho and friendly. His identical twin was the exact opposite.

Kendrick turned a calm smile toward Ryan’s brother. “I’m glad you’ve come, Luke.”

It was amazing how identical twins could look so different. Whereas Ryan was all smiles and exuberance, Luke was quiet, tended to be moody, and kept to himself. “Mr. Finleigh,” he said in a tight voice. He turned slightly and Kendrick was surprised to see half an eagle’s head on his right shoulder. As both Luke and Ryan wore sleeveless t-shirts and were standing next to one another, he realized the other half of the eagle’s head was on Ryan’s left shoulder. Interesting. He would love to know how that came about but wouldn’t pry.

“Let me grab Craig and he can show you your cabins. They’ve been used as rentals but they’re in good shape. Once you’ve settled in, come find me or Alice and we can show you where your shops are.”

They walked up to the Faire grounds and Craig saw them coming and walked toward them. “Perfect,” Craig said in his gruff way, “more workers.”

Alec barked a laugh. “Free labor. Now I know why you wanted us to come.”

“Of course,” Craig responded, a twinkle in his eye. “It clearly isn’t for the torture equipment you brought… which I want first look at by the way.” As they moved in the direction of the cabins, Ryan turned and trotted back to Kendrick.

“Kendrick, Dad said I needed to bring this up with you. What I was thinking is I don’t know enough to be able to help with shows or anything, but I’m hoping I can volunteer this summer, and possibly work for real next summer?” he asked hopefully. “Dad also mentioned that if I asked really nicely that you might mentor me?” A huge grin crossed his face and Kendrick smiled. Was he ever that young? He supposed he was and made a mental note never to ask Alice as she would probably bring up every annoying thing he did as a boy.

“As long as everything goes well for the co-op, I think that’s a great idea, Ryan. Your dad can only teach you so much before it becomes uncomfortable. As for this summer, how much of a gopher are you willing to be?”

Ryan’s eyes lit up further. “Anything. Running errands, cleaning up, delivering food… whatever you need.”

Kendrick cocked his head to the side. “You know, Ryan, you might have hit on the perfect item. Once the Faire’s under way, shopkeepers aren’t going to have the time to go out and get food. If you could do a continual run, get to know everyone and do food delivery several times a day, that would be perfect.” And would settle one of the problems that sat in the back of his mind: How to keep his people happy and wanting to come back the next year.

“Awesome. I can definitely do that.” Ryan beamed. “With all the work going on, I can start right off if you want.” He glanced around at the buildings. “Oh, and you have a coffee shop.”

“Yes. It started up a few days ago.”

“What has to be paid for and what would be gratis?” Ryan asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Kendrick put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Go with your parents and get settled in you cabin. Then come back and shadow me. I’ll have a map of where everything is now and what’s coming so you can familiarize yourself with it.”

“Great. Thanks, Kendrick.” Ryan gave a wave and took off at a jog after his family.

Things were definitely coming together. What two weeks ago had been a disappointing mini faire, was now taking shape. True, it was nothing like it would be in a year, but it was more what he had expected and hoped for. By opening day there would be six full shops and four moveable kiosks. Food was still tricky as there was no way to hook up professional kitchens but they had one barbecue eatery going in, would have two coffee shops, one bakery, and the quintessential turkey leg stand every renaissance faire he’d ever been to had.

They capped their daily visitors to twenty-five hundred, though he didn’t think they’d hit that many. And he had already sent invitations to heads of some of the major kink clubs in the US and Canada to visit the third week of July, which would allow them to get all the kinks out of the system. He grinned remembering Becca’s comment when he said that. “But we don’t want the kinks out,” she’d teased. He tickled her unmercifully for that. It had been an enjoyable evening.

Speaking of the red-headed beauty… Kendrick spotted Becca as she walked along in an outfit he rather liked on her. Short, torn jeans shorts and a handkerchief over her breasts. It kind of had the Daisy Duke appeal and it definitely appealed to him. He’d kept most of their scenes private so far, even though public sex was okay with her. But the more Doms that arrived, the higher the need within him to claim her in a very public way.

It was strange as he’d never truly needed to do that to a sub before. Then again, his relationships usually consisted of one night, one scene.

She glanced up and saw him watching. A beautiful smile crossed her lips and she changed direction and walked right toward him. Becca was graceful and the perfect show of submission as she dropped onto her knees in front of him, her hands on her thighs, her head up and eyes down.

Kendrick stared at her for a few seconds and glanced around. Several men cast glances at her ass as it peaked out of her shorts. Oh yeah. Time to show off that she was his.

“Take my cock out, girl.”

Her breath caught and she instantly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. By the time she reached in and grasped him, he was half hard. As his dick hit the air and he spotted her parted lips as she stared at it, he came to full erect. “Suck me.”

There was no hesitation as she wrapped her beautiful pink lips around his glans and licked the slit. He allowed his eyelids to close half way and groaned at the feeling. Becca loved to suck cock and while not the best he’d ever experienced, she was damn near close. He knew with repetition she would become the best and he was willing to give her all the practice possible.

It was difficult to think with her wet mouth encasing his shaft and her tongue rubbing along the lower vein as she took him deeper and deeper into her mouth. Her eyes slid up, she looked at him, and he saw the need expressed there. He slid his fingers through her luscious curls and held her still as he thrust all the way forward, the tip going over her gag reflex and into her throat. She choked a little but didn’t try to pull away. He pulled out slightly, gave her a moment to take in a breath through her nose, and thrust back in.

She moaned around him which made him groan with pleasure. He wasn’t going to last, which was fine. He’d last later on when he fucked her into the sofa. “Suck, girl. Make me come,” he said in a husky voice as he pulled out and thrust in again.

Becca sucked in her cheeks and worked the base of his cock as he fucked her hot little mouth. He let his head fall back and embraced the pure ecstasy that raced through him. As his balls drew up, he pulled out to just beyond her lips. “Drink it all.”

Her lips formed a tight seal and she sucked and swallowed quickly as his cum flowed into her mouth in several long jets. He’d been glad when their medical tests came back clear for both of them. He still used condoms for vaginal sex and he would when he finally entered her tight ass, but there was nothing better than getting his bare cock sucked and watching his girl drink his cum down.

When his shaft softened, he pulled from her lips. “Fasten me up.” She quickly put his cock back into his jeans and zipped and buttoned him up. Instantly her hands were back on her thighs and her eyes were on the ground.

“You please me,” he murmured and ran his fingers through her hair. He wasn’t sure what she did with it, but it was wonderfully soft. She smiled at his words. “Today’s going to be another busy one, but I want to spend more time with you tonight. Be at the cafeteria at five thirty. Get to-go dinners for both of us and bring them to my cabin. Set everything out on the table, strip, and kneel next to my chair. I’ll meet you there at six. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Now go back to whatever you were doing. Don’t want to make Alice mad at me.”

Becca laughed as she stood up. “Then what will she do?”

“Probably remove my floggers and replace them with string or something.” He winked at her and she continued to laugh as she trotted off. Kendrick watched her until she joined Alice and they went inside one of the temporary stalls. Time to get back to work.

Becca was thrilled. Except for kneeling, that was the first public scene Kendrick had done with her. She tingled all over knowing that anyone who had watched knew Kendrick had her service him. They all knew she served her Dom. And most importantly, she knew. And she wanted to do it again. They hadn’t scened as much as she would have liked, but they were both usually too exhausted by the time each workday was through. He’d spanked her and fucked her several times and he’d lived up to his promise of keeping a plug up her ass as often as possible. She squeezed and grinned at the feeling of the metal inside her.

Doing a public scene and feeling the submission within it really made the Faire seem real. Real Doms, real subs, real kink. And she was involved. Becca wished the original had had the same feel, but she was glad Kendrick took over. He was just so capable. She had the feeling he could succeed at anything he put his mind to. And she had two more months of being his sub before she had to get back to real life in Seattle. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Two more months of getting to play Cinderella before midnight struck and she’d have to leave. Well, she planned on making the most of these two months. If it went well enough, perhaps he would ask her to be his sub again next year.

“Becca.” Alice’s voice had her turn her head.

“Yes?”

Sweat trickled down Alice’s brow and she wiped it away. “Alec and David are setting up their stalls. Can you go see if there’s anything they need? If there is, go ahead and do what you can. Or come back and tell me and I’ll find someone to do it.”

“Sure. Would you like something to drink? Ice water perhaps?”

Alice smiled, looking relieved. “That would be perfect. In fact, get me an iced coffee.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out some money. “Just tell the barista to make an Alice afternoon special. She knows what I get. And get yourself some water or juice. Don’t want you to get dehydrated.” A wicked grin crossed her face. “Of course, after what you just swallowed, that’s probably not a problem.”

Snorting a laugh, Becca took the money and went over to Penny University. The barista running the till looked up as she walked inside. “Hi, Becca.”

“Hey, Carlynn. Alice needs an afternoon special. And I’ll take a cup of ice water.”

After getting the mugs, she delivered Alice’s to her and walked over to Alec’s Cock and Bull shop. A man who couldn’t be more than five eleven stood in the middle, surveying the space. He had long brown hair tied back at the neck and wore jeans and a t-shirt. He looked normal enough, but one thing she knew about people. One couldn’t be sure from looks how they would be.

“Come on in,” he said, not turning around. Startled, she took an automatic step forward. He looked over his shoulder, hazel eyes twinkling at her. “Well, now, you must be the famous Becca.” He held out his hand. “I’m Alec Rowland. And this empty space is going to be my shop.”

His smile was charming and his handshake was firm without being overwhelming. “Alice thought you would need a large space.”

He snorted. “True enough. Half the place will have equipment and the other half I’ll do demos in. I’m just trying to decide whether to do the demos in the back or the front.”

“Will there be anyone else to help with sales?” she asked as she looked around.

“No. Just me.”

She glanced around. “Then if I were you, I’d put the demo in the front. You could cordon off the back when you’re doing a demonstration just to make sure some dishonest person doesn’t take anything when you can’t watch.”

Alec gave a fake gasp. “Are you suggesting any of our community would dare to steal?” She cocked a brow and he burst out laughing. “I like you, Becca, and you’re right. Demo in front. And if I find anyone stealing? He will be the one I’ll do the demo on.” He grinned slightly evilly and she laughed.

“Need any help?”

“Thanks, Becca, but for now it’s just going to be me dragging all my stuff from the cabin and bringing the displays down here. I’ll spend much of the next two weeks finishing pieces I’m making for someone and then the last two weeks putting everything up.” He let out a slow breath. “Only a month to get this going. I always said Kendrick was crazy. And that kind of crazy always seems to work.”

He left to start transferring his goods and she walked toward David’s stall which was the closest to the gates. Three people were working there when she stepped up to it. “Hello,” she said and all three turned toward her. David, she assumed, was the older man, probably in his early forties. With short brown hair and blue eyes, he had a charming face. The other male looked like him except he had slightly darker skin.

“Hello. I’m David,” David said as he removed his gloves and walked over, his hand outstretched. “This is my wife Tayna and our son Ryan.”

“I’m Becca. Is there anything you need? We’ve gotten the stalls up, but there’s still a lot to do before the Faire opens. We want to be sure you have everything you need to get started.”

“Definitely,” David said. “And since I have help, it’s even better,” he said with a grin.

“Actually I have a question,” Tayna said. “I know we have our cabins, but where are the bathrooms down here?”

Becca pulled out the temporary map. “For this season we’re using porta potties unfortunately.” She pointed the groupings on the map. “In the Faire grounds, this set is for subs, this set for Doms, and that one is for everyone. Next year’s going to be amazing with all the buildings and extras they’re going to add. But with how little time they have to get it going, Kendrick and his partners have really turned this place around.”

“Were you here before?” Ryan asked.

“I was. It was awful.” She shrugged. “I don’t think the former owner knew a thing about BDSM.”

“Who’s your Dom?” David asked, nodding toward the leather around her throat.

She smiled and fingered the collar. “Kendrick.”

“Ah.” David’s eyes widened softly. “Well you’re definitely in good hands.”

“Hard hands,” Tayna teased making Becca laugh. Ryan grinned and went back to unpacking a box.

“Well, you’ll see us around,” David said. “You may see our son, Luke, as well, but he’s not into kink so I doubt he’ll come down to the grounds.”

After leaving them with a copy of the map, Becca went to find Alice. She liked most of the people Kendrick had brought to the Faire so far. Some of their personalities made it so that she doubted they’d be fast friends, but they did seem to understand and know kink and at least showed respect for her collar, even if a few acted as if she was below them.

The afternoon flew by and when five o’clock hit, she was ready for the evening. Having a cafeteria with really good food on site was a real plus, but being able to take the food back and have a private dinner with Kendrick made it even better. She could hardly wait.

Chapter Twelve

Kendrick signed the last contract and dropped the pen. He rubbed his fingers as he stretched. That was it. The contract for the final supplies. They’d managed to get everything ordered for the outfitting of the Faire within two weeks. The vast amount of grunt work would take place over the next four weeks before Ye Olde Kinke Faire launched. He looked forward to having a fully working kink club right in his own backyard. Hell. He looked forward to when Elan Township was officially classified a co-op and the summer renters were gone and they could be who they were anywhere on the island.

Perhaps after the Faire was over in September, he would take Becca out to the trees, tie her up, and—Damn. She’d be in Seattle by then. He frowned. That meant they had less than eight weeks left of their contract. And then she would be gone. Kendrick twitched a little as he considered that. He hadn’t entertained a long-term relationship because he never expected to find one so quickly. The fact was he couldn’t ask her to give up her career when he couldn’t offer her everything. Could he?

He scratched his ear absentmindedly. In the last fourteen days, he’d become quite used to having Becca nearby. Her smiles, her sense of humor, and her passion all combined to make one hell of a woman. Her submission just made it better. It bothered him that he’d had no time to truly work on her submission, to help her expand her horizons. It was something he enjoyed. But he knew to begin with that wasn’t the important part of their short relationship. He’d just looked forward to getting to know and fucking the beauty.

Kendrick never expected to look forward to seeing her, to running his fingers through her hair, or to pull her naked, sweat-covered body next to his as they drifted off to sleep on the sofa. And yet he did. Becca was a spectacular woman. Why no Dom had snatched her up boggled his mind. And the thought of letting her go annoyed the hell out of him.

“Get out of here,” Craig said as he walked into Kendrick’s makeshift office. “Go fuck your girl.”

Kendrick grinned. “I believe I’ll do just that. Hey, how’s Jilly doing?” He hadn’t seen much of Craig’s wife since they arrived.

“Better. The morning sickness is letting up and we’re almost to the four month mark.” Craig crossed his fingers. “I sure as fuck hope this pregnancy goes the whole way, Kendrick. I’ve told her this is it. Her last try. If it doesn’t work and she still wants a baby, we’ll adopt or get a surrogate. But I’m not going through this again.”

Kendrick stood and grasped his shoulder. “Hopefully it will. But you’ve helped her through two miscarriages before.” Craig and Jilly were in a strict master/slave relationship while being in an open marriage, but since Craig had himself snipped years ago, he couldn’t have a child. Kendrick never asked where they got the sperm for her pregnancies. There were many Doms who got off on pregnancy kink. Perhaps they used one of them.

“I know,” Craig said with a sigh. “But I’m not going to allow her to hurt like that again. I’m not exactly the fatherly type,” he said with a wry smile. “Jilly wanted a baby and I’ve gone along with it. But I know that baby will take up more of her time than I would like.” He shook his head. “Good thing we’re in an open relationship. She’s too afraid sex will make her miscarry, so I’ve been finding my needs elsewhere.” After a pause, he gave a wicked grin. “That Cassidy is one kinky sub.”

Kendrick laughed. “Becca is too. Makes me think we should have visited Seattle more often.”

“I’m with ya,” Craig agreed. “I’ll answer any questions people come up with. Go on and tie up your girl.”

Kendrick gave him a sardonic solute and headed back toward his cabin.

For being early June, it was cooler than he was used to. And while his body hadn’t quite adjusted yet, he enjoyed the thought of hot days and cool nights all summer long. The gravel of the road crunched lightly under his feet as he walked along. Low voices off to his left caught his attention and he half turned toward them. Ryan and Luke were arguing right inside the tree line. From the angle, he wasn’t sure which was which until he realized they were both wearing sleeveless t-shirts again. Since he couldn’t see their tats, he figured Ryan was on the left and Luke on the right.

“Come on,” Luke said. “School starts soon. I’ve already got an apartment. You can get a job in Port Angeles and besides school, I’ll get one too. It’ll be great.”

Ryan shook his head. “Luke, you know this is where I need to be. It’s perfect for me. I’m more of a homebody than you, anyway. Plus, I get to hang with people who understand where I’m coming from. But you know I’ll support you going, right? I’ll even stand with you against Mom and Dad if you need it. We’re nineteen and you have every right to leave home and go to school.”

Luke tossed his head back as if a wild animal being spooked, and stalked away. When he turned back toward Ryan, his voice was low and angry. “Dad doesn’t think I can hack it on my own. That I’ll fuck up if I don’t have someone strong to guide me.” By the way he said those four words, Kendrick could hear David’s voice. “That’s why I need you to come with me, Ry. If you come, he’ll back off. But if you don’t, he’s gonna be a hard-ass. I can’t stay here. Not with all that—“ he waved haphazardly toward the Faire grounds “—going on. I’d have to lock myself up in my room for the duration of the whole summer. And that’s not fair.”

Knowing it wasn’t his business, even if he did wish he could help, Kendrick continued on toward his cabin, Ryan and Luke’s voices dulled into the backdrop, becoming a part of the crickets chirping away and the leaves rustling in the trees.

He couldn’t blame Luke for being upset. BDSM was about consent and if he didn’t consent to see it, he shouldn’t be forced to stick around. But there was no way he would get involved with family politics. While he knew David, Tayna, and to a smaller extent Ryan, in a kink aspect, he knew nothing about their family dynamic or Luke. Kendrick held strictly to an attitude of non-interference in things that were not his to command.

Given how busy everyone was, it was one of the reasons he was glad that the previous owner had put a minimum age on anyone coming to the island. Even the summer renters had nobody below eighteen. Once Elan Township became a co-op, the handling of the subject of children was going to be an interesting one. It would be, for all intents and purposes, a community of people who lived D/s in their daily lives and who practiced kink. They would want to buy in because they wouldn’t have to hide.

How to protect children while allowing the adults their freedoms was one of the subjects Neil and Alice were in charge of working out. Kendrick wasn’t ready to even consider the rules and regs they would have to add for those with children so that there wouldn’t be any cries of foul play on either side.

If it was up to him, he would have preferred to create a town with no children at all, but he knew that was impossible. And not just because Craig and Jilly would be having a baby in the fall. Many people wanted families and it would have limited their base to elderly or confirmed bachelor- or bachelorette-types. It would have taken some of the color out of the rainbow of peoples and personalities he hoped their co-op would turn out to be.

Perhaps they could create zones over the island, places the adults could play and places where children might be.

As he approached his cabin, he put the discussion between Luke and Ryan out of his mind. Time for dinner and to scene with his girl. That would be a perfect way to end the day.

A fire crackled in the hearth as he walked in and he quickly looked around the living room and the dining room that sat on the opposite side. The table was set with two place settings, the aroma of the food nearly as tantalizing as the naked sub kneeling next to his chair.

“Good evening,” he said as he removed his coat and hung it up.

“Hello, Sir.”

Kendrick walked up to her and ran his fingers through her hair. How did she get it so soft? There didn’t appear to be any product that kept it in its curly state. “What’s for dinner?” He slid his fingers down over her neck and shoulders before pressing his thumbs and forefingers over Becca’s tight nipples and squeezing. Her only response was a slight increase in her breaths.

“Chef Michaelo prepared pork chops with a side of chutney, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. He also sent along, with his complements, the first dessert created by Slate, our pastry chef. While he didn’t tell me what it was, it looks delicious, Sir.”

“Good to hear.” So Slate had arrived. He’d been so busy, he had been completely unaware. He’d have to hunt him up the next day and make sure he had what he needed.

Kendrick pulled out her chair. He took the small towel folded up on the back and draped it across the seat. “Up you get.” Becca slid easily to her feet and sat down as he pushed her chair back in. Once he sat down, they began to eat. The food was delicious. He was glad Craig found Michaelo. The man did wonderful things with everything he touched.

“How are the shops coming?” he asked.

She took a drink from a glass of water and paused as though thinking of her words. “They’re going well. I met Alec and David today. Both of them seem to know what they’re doing.”

“They do,” he agreed. “I’ve known Alec for about eight, maybe nine, years. He’s been making sex toys since he was eighteen. Well, officially anyway.” Becca laughed and he grinned. “Yes, I think he dabbled as a teenager. He’s taught at pansexual and leather events—is respected from both sides.”

“And he doesn’t have a sub?” she asked.

“Not currently. I think he released his last one a few months ago. He does a lot of training but has never taken a sub longer than six months.” Kendrick shrugged. “Some Doms aren’t meant for long-term relationships.” He took a drink from his water before he continued. “What did you think of David?”

“He seemed startled that I was your sub.”

I bet he was. “I don’t often put a collar around a sub’s throat except in scene. That probably threw him. Meet any of the rest of his crew?”

“His wife and son Ryan.” She paused and took a bite of pork before continuing. “I’ve never met someone where BDSM goes from one generation to another.”

Surprised, Kendrick burst out laughing. “I think you’d find it’s more common than you think it is. Kink-involved people seem to divide themselves into one of two camps, with the rest scattered between. One side says “Children must be protected at all costs” and does everything in their power to make sure their kids don’t even know what sex is, let alone that their parents do it. The other camp believes that sex and kink are as natural as breathing. So while they don’t scene in front of their kids, they don’t hide their lifestyle. David and Tayna never hid from their boys that they were in a D/s relationship. Ryan was intrigued as he got older, did some research, and when he was eighteen told his parents he wanted to get involved in the scene.”

He smiled at her surprised expression. “From what I hear, they make sure that when he went to the club they usually frequented back home, they weren’t there. In fact, Ryan has asked me to mentor him to become the best Dom he can be. After the Faire’s over for the summer, I’m going to do just that.” And he looked forward to it. Now that he had a home where he wouldn’t be picking up and travelling every four to five days, he looked forward to a lot of things.

Once their plates were cleaned, he leaned back with a contented sigh. “That was wonderful. I think we should put the dessert aside for now or we’ll be too full to play.” Becca’s eyes lit up. “Yes, we’re definitely going to play tonight. So why don’t you wrap up the dessert and put the dishes in the sink while I go make preparations.” He grinned. “I have such plans for you tonight.”

Her face blushed a nice dusky pink with excitement and she nodded eagerly. He stood up and pulled her chair back and while she took everything into the kitchen, he strode out of the room and upstairs where he kept his toys. In the back of his mind all day had been the makings of a scene and as he opened up the footlocker, they came together in his head.

He pulled out a portable sling, mini-flogger, vibrating plug, nipple and clit clamps, and a set of scented creams. It was time he overloaded his little sub’s head and made her soar.

By the time he reached the living room, he could hear her humming softly and the water running in the sink. After placing most of the items on the coffee table, he set up the sling. It wouldn’t work with a larger sub, but for someone as petite as Becca, there wouldn’t be a problem.

Four long legs went out three feet in each direction giving it stability. A six foot steel pipe stood tall and ended at a curve. From the curve, he hooked the steel ring that hung the sling. With it, he would position her in a myriad of ways and enjoy himself with her body.

The water shut off just as he finished setting it up and he tossed a small blanket over the toys so she couldn’t see them. He more felt her than saw her when she came up to his side and slid to her knees. “Good girl,” he murmured as he looked down at her. “Ready for some fun?”

“Yes, Sir.” She glanced at the sling and back down, interest and trepidation clear on her face.

“Then stand and let’s get you settled for the duration.” He grinned, knowing if she’d never been in one like it, that she would have no idea that each arm that held the sling in place was lockable. Most slings gave the sub the ability to move in certain ways. His did not.

Becca rose and he held the canvas steady as she sat back into it. He took his time as he lifted each wrist or ankle up to secure it to the cuffs attached to the center of each arm. Kendrick let her move each appendage. She relaxed as she realized how much movement and control she had. “Comfortable?” he asked in a smooth tone and she nodded.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good.” He reached up and pulled one arm out so that it was stretched, not to where it would be painful, but she definitely wouldn’t be able to move it, and clamped it in place. Becca startled slightly, but it wasn’t until he affixed the last arm which held her leg up to where it almost met her ears that her eyes widened. “Comfortable?” he asked again with a wicked grin.

A huff of a laugh left her lips. “Uh, yes, Sir.”

“Perfect. You can’t move so I can fully enjoy myself with your body.” Her breathing picked up slightly and he turned to uncover the toys. From the angle he had her body, there was no way for her to turn her head and see what he was working with. Since blindfolds were one of her soft limits, this was a perfect way to introduce the concept without totally taking her sight away.

He covered the plug with heating lubricant and held it behind his back as he walked back to her. Her beautiful hazel eyes looked at him and he squatted down so she couldn’t see what he pressed up against her tight ass and pushed inside. As she’d been wearing anal plugs for much of the last two weeks, her hole accepted the plug easier than it had at the beginning. But she was still tight as hell. When he took her there, he would have to control his own breathing to make sure he didn’t come too soon. Once her sphincter closed around the largest part of the plug, the flat end sat against her skin. He pressed the on button and her entire body startled as he hadn’t used a vibrating plug on her before.

Her eyes widened slightly, but that was the only outward reaction she gave. That would change.

Leaving her to the soft vibrations that floated through her, he went back and picked up the mini-flogger, two of the creams, and a couple cotton swabs. After putting the swabs and creams in his pocket, he stepped back between her legs and began to lightly flog her inner thighs. The flogger he was using was perfect for very sensitive areas like her clitoris or nipples, but he would get to those when the rest of her was slightly heated up.

The falls of the flogger were more like a brush against the skin and even though she was having a hard time relaxing due to the vibrator, the almost silent “whoosh, whoosh, whoosh” of the flogger as it danced along her skin had the effect he wanted. Her eyelids drifted half shut and a long soft sigh left her mouth. That was it. He wanted her relaxed before he added the next part.

He went up and down both legs, taking time as he moved to her navel and up to her breasts to hit everything except her pert, sensitive nipples. Then he dropped down between her legs, making sure the thin falls fell on each side of her lips but not on her clit. Soft moans left her lips and her hips jerked as if they were trying to come up to meet the falls but as she couldn’t move that way, her eyes flashed open and she blinked.

Back and forth between her inner folds and her breasts, he increased the strength of each swing until her skin was a nice deep rose and her outer and inner lips were puffy. He lay the flogger down on her stomach and pulled out one of the creams. Cinnamon. Perfect. He covered one end of a cotton swab with the cream and fully covered one nipple with it. After covering the other end of the swab with the same cream, he spread it along the right side of her inner lips. He blew softly over the cream, knowing it would help her feel it as the heat of the cinnamon began to work. Her gasp told him the temperature had kicked in.

While she got used to the heat on the right side of her body, he pulled out the other cream. It had a small amount of menthol in it to make anything he put it on feel cool and was safe for anything but vaginal insertion. After covering both sides of a cotton swab in it, he put the cream back into his pocket and covered her left nipple and the left side of her folds. Her breathing, which had increased with the application of the cinnamon, began to come a lot harder as the two different sensations wared in wonderful ways. Soft whimpers came with each breath and he looked up, smiling at the expression on her face. Need. Want. And by her glassy eyes, headed into subspace. Good girl.

Kendrick grabbed the nipple clamps and after blowing on each nipple, attached them. Becca hissed and tried to arch her back, a groan leaving her when she couldn’t move. His eyes settled on her clit, which had fully risen from the hood. He clamped the hood of her clitoris and attached it by a chain to the nipple clamps. Then he grabbed the final cream he’d brought down with him. It had a small amount of chile extract in it. Safe for external use and would be extremely hot on her clit. Especially with all the other sensations hitting her.

There would be no time between application and sensation so he applied the cream to a swab and put the cream away. He picked up the flogger and after spreading the cream over her exposed clitoris, he flogged her pussy. The falls, hitting the folds and the walls of her cunt would be accentuated by all the other sensation she was going through. Whimpers and cries fell from her lips and he upped the vibration on the plug. Kendrick wanted her to come so hard it sent her into subspace for quite some time. He wanted his girl to soar.

He continued with the flogger, focused right below her clit. Her keens and whimpers grew and he intensified each swing. “That’s it,” he said firmly. “Come, Becca. Come for me.” He slammed the flogger right over her clit and a wail left her lips as her body erupted into an orgasm. Her muscles squeezed and released, her entire body covered with sweat. He dropped the flogger to the side and while she was still deep in sensation, removed all three clamps. Another wail filled the air as she soared into a second orgasm right off. Her eyelids half covered her eyes, her pupils blown, and her entire body still by the time her orgasm died down.

After wiping off the excess cream, Kendrick removed the plug and unhooked her from the sling. His first thought was to hold her on his lap on the sofa until she became clear headed, but when he picked her up and she curled into his embrace, he changed his mind. He climbed the stairs to the loft and tucked her into bed. He lay down next to her and yanked her close. She curled up to him and he sighed softly as she fell into a deep sleep.

He reached up and rubbed at his chin. Becca was so incredibly beautiful. And their energy had been in sync so that when she came, he felt it inside him—as if she had taken a little of him with her. And that opened his eyes to something he hadn’t been prepared for. Kendrick was on his way to falling in love with Becca. That was so surprising that he wasn’t sure what to do with it. He knew Alice and Joseph loved one another and that David and his wife were madly in love, so it could be done.

But Becca was moving back to Seattle in less than two months. He let out a soft groan. He needed to find a way to solidify things before she went. What could he offer her that would make her stay?

Chapter Thirteen

Becca had been to subspace several times, but she would swear on a stack of bibles that none of them were anything like where Kendrick just took her. The sensations had started small, but with each application of whatever creams he used and the flogger, they intensified until she floated on a sea of pleasure she hadn’t known existed. Now she lay, curled up to his side, floating along on a cloud of pure and utter happiness.

Everything was so peaceful and quiet that when a door banged nearby, she jerked. So did Kendrick.

“Kendrick,” Neil called out and climbed the stairs quickly. “Come quickly—Oh. Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” Kendrick asked, pressing Becca away a little and standing up.

“Dallas called Airlift Northwest. Jilly’s in trouble.”

“Fuck.” Kendrick grabbed the clothes he must have shed before getting into bed and glanced her way. “Get some sleep, Becca. Tomorrow’s a full day of work.” Without another word, he pulled on his shirt and grabbed his shoes as he followed Neil down the stairs.

Airlift? Jilly. Becca slowly sat up, the pleasure from her high quickly evaporating. She hadn’t met Jilly but knew she was Craig’s slave and that they were married. Craig, though, had spent quite a bit of time with Cassidy. If Jilly was ill enough they were calling for helicopter medical services, she didn’t think her friend should be alone. While Becca wasn’t into scening with married men, Cassidy had never had a problem with it as long as their spouse knew. From what Cassidy told her, Jilly had been grateful she was willing to have sex with Craig.

Figuring her friend would probably be back in their cabin, Becca slid out of bed and instantly moaned at her muscles which complained at the movement. “I think Kendrick found muscles I didn’t know I had,” she said on a half groan, half laugh. Slowly and slightly bowlegged, she made her way down the stairs and over to the side table where she had removed her clothes earlier.

After pulling on her micro skirt and bustier, she opened his door, went through, and closed it behind her. Only as she went to step off the small porch did it occur to her that Kendrick had told her to go to sleep. Did that count as an order? She gnawed on her lower lip. If it was, she should go back to bed. Becca reached behind her and turned the knob, but it didn’t turn. “Frak.” She was locked out, which was strange given the fact he never locked his door. “Well, too late now.” She darted over to the cabin she shared with Cassidy and went inside. It surprised her to find the place in complete darkness.

“Cass?” she called out. A grunt from upstairs made her dart up to their bedroom. Cassidy lay sprawled on top of her bed, a light blanket covering her. The room stank of sex. If she weren’t so worried about whatever had happened, she would wake her friend up with cold water. After all, one of their rules was to never have sex in their combined bedroom. “Cassidy,” she said sharply and shook her.

Cassidy slowly opened up her eyes. “What?” she said in a garbled tone. “It’s the middle of the night. Sleep.”

“What happened with Jilly?” Becca asked and shook her again.

“If you don’t let me sleep, I’m going to find a spider and put it in your—what do you mean what happened to Jilly?” Cassidy sat up and blinked at her.

“You were with Craig tonight, right?”

Her friend snorted. “Nope. I think he was playing with one of the girls that arrived yesterday. Marina or Mari or something like that. No. I played with Neil. Why? And what happened with Jilly?”

Becca groaned and sunk down onto her bed. “I don’t know. I was hoping you did. Neil came over to Kendrick’s and grabbed him. I didn’t hear much but it sounds like they had to call for a medical helicopter for Jilly.”

“Shit.” Cassidy rubbed her eyes and sighed. “Craig didn’t say much about their relationship, but when he introduced me to Jilly I found out that she’s miscarried two babies and is pregnant again. I wonder if she miscarried,” she murmured and chewed on her bottom lip. “Damn.”

“Well, there’s no way I’m going to get any sleep,” Becca said after a few minutes. “I’m going to pull on some jeans and go see if I can find out what happened. Come with?”

“Might as well. It’s not like I’m getting back to sleep any time soon.”

It took a full ten minutes for them to get dressed and out the door. “I think the only place a helicopter could land would be on the space before the entrance to the Faire,” Cassidy said as they hurried down the gravel lane. With it being so dark, they stumbled several times. Becca tripped at one point and would have fallen if her friend hadn’t grabbed her arm.

When they reached the Faire grounds, they could see a crowd of people just outside the gates. Having the feeling she shouldn’t be there, Becca walked forward cautiously. She wasn’t a member of Kendrick’s inner circle, no matter how much she craved to be. Showing up uninvited during an emotional time could be the worst thing she could do. But she wanted to be there for him if possible.

Cassidy wasn’t worried about anything and strode toward the others. There was one large lamp on that lit up the ground and Becca could see Kendrick, Neil, Alice, and Joseph as well as David, Alec, and a few people she had seen but didn’t really know. The three people she didn’t see were Craig, Jilly, or Dallas. She assumed that meant they were already gone.

She followed Cassidy toward the small group.

Alice looked up from her spot being held by Joseph as they approached. “Cassidy, Becca, you should be in bed.”

It was such a Domme thing to say that Becca barely held back from rolling her eyes.

“We wondered what happened,” Cassidy said in the tactless way she had when she wasn’t in scene.

Becca moved toward Kendrick who was staring out over the water. “Sir?” she whispered softly and placed a hand on his arm. “Is everything okay?”

He wrapped a strong arm around her and pulled her into a tight hug. “No,” he whispered. “It’s not.” Kendrick didn’t say anything else, but held her tighter, so she returned the hug figuring he needed it.

There were whispers in the background, but she didn’t pay attention to them. Instead, she was vastly aware of every breath he made, of each time his breath caught as if holding back strong emotion, and most especially of each time his hold tightened as though he just needed to be sure she was there.

“Kendrick.” Neil’s voice made Kendrick turn his head, though he didn’t release her. “We’re going back to the cabins. There’s nothing else we can do until we hear from Craig or Dallas.”

“All right.” Kendrick released one arm and pulled her against his side. As they walked through the Faire grounds toward the lane that would take them to the cabins, he said, “Little one, I told you to sleep.”

“I know. It didn’t really hit me until I’d stepped out of your cabin. I was going over to Cassidy because I thought maybe she’d been with Craig and knew what was going on.” Realizing she was babbling, Becca quickly shut up.

“Mmm-hmm,” he said slowly. “And does that excuse ignoring my orders?”

“No, Sir.” She winced. Damn it. She hadn’t directly disobeyed an order in the time they’d been together.

“Well, I’m not going to punish you tonight as I’m too worried and too tired. But tomorrow you’ll pay for that oversight.”

“Yes, Sir.”

There didn’t seem to be more to say. She felt bad that she had broken his command and looked forward to whatever discipline Kendrick handed out… unless it was to remove her collar. Self-consciously, she reached up and fiddled with the piece of leather. She was so used to it that she didn’t notice it anymore, but if he removed it, she knew she’d feel that.

When they reached their pod of cabins, she paused at the front of hers and he took her hand. “Stay with me?” he asked quietly and her heart leapt.

“Yes, Sir.” While she had slept on his couch several nights, tonight had been the first night he’d taken her to his bed. And that he wanted her back there made her hope… hope that perhaps he was feeling some of the emotion she felt toward him. She could fall in love with Kendrick so easily. Could? She rolled her eyes internally. Becca, you’re completely head over heels. He’s your Dom. If you let him know you love him, he’ll definitely release you. Don’t mess it up.

“Need anything to help you get to sleep?” he asked as they walked back into his cabin.

“Something warm might help,” she said, feeling discombobulated at the thought of sleeping with her Dom with no scene preceding it. “Oh, and why was your door locked earlier? You always leave it unlocked.”

He looked over his shoulder as he walked into the dining room. “Because you were naked in my bed and I wanted you safe.”

“Oh.” She had no defense against that. Her heart melted and she knew unequivocally that she was indeed head over heels in love with Kendrick Finleigh, who was just her Dom through July. The thought of returning back to Seattle and never seeing him again was so painful that she had to blink back tears.

“Hey,” he said in a soothing voice and was suddenly in front of her, cupping her cheek. “I know tonight’s been tumultuous. You soared beautifully and I have the feeling you’re going through some drop right now. So go upstairs, strip, and get into bed. I’m going to heat up some milk and put honey in it. That should help you get to sleep. Go on,” he encouraged gently when she couldn’t move.

She nodded and ignored the traitor tears that leaked down her cheeks. Perhaps he was right. Maybe this was sub drop and her turbulent emotions would go away soon. Becca hoped that was the case, because if not, she was on the path to getting her heart broken. And she did not want to get off it.

Kendrick grimaced as he stretched his shoulders. Becca was still asleep when he left just after dawn. Part of that was the brandy he added to her milk and honey. The other part was a mixture of pure exhaustion and sub drop. He would keep his eye on her over the next few days and make sure she took it easy.

As he took a sip of coffee, he admitted to himself that having her come find him in the early hours had meant a lot. It had helped him to gain some sleep, though only a couple hours. He’d received the call at seven that he still hadn’t completely processed.

Jillian was dead.

Before the helicopter arrived, Dallas told him and Craig that her blood pressure was dangerously low because she’d lost too much blood. When Craig asked, “So what are we looking at? Months of recovery? Jilly’s going to be inconsolable after this,” Kendrick had to agree. That little slave would have a rough climb back to herself.

“No,” Dallas had replied, sadness in his eyes. “Craig, right now, her chances of reaching the hospital alive are slim. If she does, they can give her a fighting chance. As it is now…” He shook his head.

But Kendrick still hadn’t wanted to believe it. He’d hoped that Jilly would have enough fight to make it through or that Craig’s command to live would be enough… but it wasn’t. She’d lost too much blood and by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was in a coma. Jillian Mayfaire Penningham’s heart gave out at 4:45 a.m.

Now he had to tell everyone.

And the worst part was that he would need to ask everyone to keep working. They couldn’t take a week off to grieve with their friend. As much as he wished they could. Thankfully her parents were flying out to be with Craig and they would undoubtedly fly her body back to Alabama for burial. That he couldn’t be there for one of his best friends during what had to be the lowest point of his life hurt. It was a constant ache that sat in his muscles.

“Hear anything?” Neil’s voice startled him and Kendrick turned in his direction. Whatever he saw on Kendrick’s face made his face fall. “Not good?”

“She died.”

Neil closed his eyes and whispered something Kendrick didn’t hear. When he opened his eyes, pain was in their depths. “Craig?”

“He’s Craig. Dealing with what needs to be dealt with. Dallas is staying there until Jilly’s parents arrive. Then he’ll come back. I’m not sure what Craig’s going to do.”

They were on the cusp of their dream and the thought that one of his best friends might not be able to see it through with him hurt. Which made him feel like an asshole for thinking of himself.

Neil squatted down and leaned his elbows on his knees. “More of our crew are coming today. I’ll meet them at the docks and show them their cabins. But we’re going to have to make an announcement so that everyone knows why you, I, Alice, and Joseph will be a bit off over the next few days.” He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. “It hasn’t sunk in yet.”

“I know. I don’t want to believe it.” When he and Rhys lost their parents, it had been devastating but they’d moved on together, been a rock for each other. He needed to be Craig’s rock while he worked his way through losing his slave and wife. “And I hate that he’s there and I’m here.”

Neil clasped his shoulder. “He wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“I know. The stubborn goat.”

Crunching drew their attention where Alec strolled toward them, his face set and his gate so purposeful that Kendrick wondered just what he had to impart.

“Any news?” Alec asked quietly.

Kendrick nodded. “She didn’t make it.”

“Fuck.” Alec took a deep breath and nodded before standing up straight. “All right. The way I see it, we’re five men down for at least a week. You, Neil, Joseph, Alice, and Craig. Knowing you, you’re going to work your asses off as a way to work through your emotions. I get that. But let me step up. I can work on my consignment work in the evenings. During the day I can take over whatever Craig was doing and can pick up some of your slack.” He stared intently into Kendrick’s eyes. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Yes. Though not much.” Kendrick wiped his palm over his face. “We’ll figure out a way to pay you for your time.”

Alec shook his head. “Give me a discounted price into the co-op once it’s official. I like what you’re building and the thought of living here year round is a pleasant one. But I won’t be able to stand by and do nothing while this is going on. You wouldn’t either if it was any one of us. So suck it up and accept the help.”

As much amusement as could enter his mind at that point made Kendrick almost smile. “Got it, ya bastard. Neil, can you show him where Craig’s files were? Ah fuck.” He leapt to his feet. “Has anyone told Slate?”

“Who’s Slate?” Alec asked as Neil winced.

“Shit. I totally forgot he was here.” Neil turned to Alec. “Slate’s Jilly’s cousin. He’s our pastry chef.”

“Fuck,” Alec agreed. “All right. Kendrick, you need to be here and central as you’re going to be the one everyone turns to. As much as it’s hell right now, you’re the rock of this place and you know it. If you need a way to work out the stress, take a jog around the island. Go beat on a sub. Hell, if you’re really feeling bad, I could set you up with a little CBT.” He grinned evilly.

“Fuck off,” Kendrick said with a quirk of his lips. “Like I’d ever let anyone do anything painful to my cock.”

Neil’s lips quirked, though they didn’t stay up for long. “Here comes your sub,” he said and Kendrick turned to see Becca trotting in their direction with a basket in her hands. She slowed down as she approached and her eyes were completely on him. She sunk to her knees in front of him and offered up the basket. A wonderful aroma drifted up to him.

“Good morning, Rebecca.”

“Morning, Sir,” she said softly. “I thought you could use breakfast.”

“I definitely can.” Kendrick picked up the basket and put it on the table near him and pulled Becca onto his lap. Having her next to him helped. His hands knew more than he did. “So what did you bring?”

The basket was filled with chocolate and strawberry filled croissants.

“I would say that Slate definitely doesn’t know,” Alec said, looking at them.

“That’s my first job,” Kendrick said with a sigh as he picked up a croissant, tore a piece off, and pressed it to Becca’s lips.

“Let me,” Neil suggested. “Alec’s right that you need to stay here to answer questions. Since Craig is one of the owners and it’s affecting us all, some of our people might be worried that the Faire’s going to fold before it even gets off the ground. You need to be the one to assure them that everything is still ago and that even with this tragedy, the Faire will still open July first.”

“Point me in the direction of Craig’s files and I’ll start to figure out what I need to do today,” Alec said and the two walked off.

Becca looked up, her gaze searching his. “What happened?” she whispered.

He ran his fingers through her hair and shook his head. “She died, Becca. Jilly lost too much blood before Craig found her and she died at the hospital.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Thank you.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Neil and Alec are correct. I need to be around this morning to answer any and all questions. I would prefer that you stay near me unless there is something specific you need to do?”

She shook her head. “No, Sir. I can stay with you.” He tore off another piece of croissant and pressed it to her lips. She ate it quickly and surprised him by picking a fresh croissant out of the basket and offering him a bite. After they made their way through two of them apiece, he offered her a drink of his coffee.

It was going to be an extremely long day.

Chapter Fourteen

He was wrong. The day was interminable. And it was only eleven a.m. Their workers didn’t all show up at once, so he had to announce what happened so many times, he had a headache. Becca switched him to tea after a few coffees, but he wasn’t sure the lack of caffeine helped douse his desire to strangle a few people.

Those that knew him or Craig or Jilly were sad and treated him with kid gloves. That was bad enough. Worse, though, were the people who didn’t know them and acted the way one Dom did as he walked away. “What the fuck is it to me some slave died?”

If Becca hadn’t been sitting on his lip, he might have punched the guy so hard he would have had to be air lifted to the hospital.

Becca glared daggers at the Dom’s back. “What an ass,” she hissed under her breath, spitting like a kitten.

Kendrick smiled and kissed her forehead. “Agreed, little one. Now why don’t you go get us something for lunch? Coffee and tea is all good, but I could go with something a little more filling.”

She placed a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. Her soft hazel eyes searched his. “You’ll be okay until I get back?”

“I promise not to deck the next jerk who comes by,” he promised.

“But what about the one after that?” she said and stood up. He smacked her buttocks.

“No sass. And lots of food.”

She flounced her rear end, reaching back to flip the micro skirt she wore. “Yes, Sir.” He found himself chuckling for a moment as she walked away. Until he remembered what made that day a fuck-all day and he sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“Hey.” Alice squatted down next to him and he looked over at her. Her eyes were all red, her nose puffy.

“You look like shit,” he said.

“Ditto. Now, I just had a talk with your girl.”

He cocked a brow. That couldn’t be good. When Alice had a talk with a sub, they usually ended up doing something incredibly non-sub like.

“She told me she’s off to get you lunch. I told her to come collect you once she’s got it, walk into the woods somewhere, eat, and do anything she can think of to get your mind off today.”

“There’s too much to do—”

“Honey,” she said softly as she shook her head. “People are working their asses off picking up the slack. And if you don’t take some time for yourself, you’re going to get surly, grouchy, and most likely get into a brawl. And since I know Joseph’s the one who usually goads you into it because he knows exactly what buttons to push, I want you to go with Becca. It will be a better way to get the stress out. And my man won’t end up with a broken nose.”

“That was only the once,” he reminded her with a wry smile. “He forgot to duck.”

A small smile quirked at the edge of her lips. “You need to let off steam, Kendrick. You’re hurting but staying strong for everyone. Go fuck Becca until she passes out. You’ll feel better for it.”

He snorted. “Sex instead of a fight? It’s going to have to be one hell of a fuck fest to get rid of what’s in here.” He patted his chest where the ache just seemed to grow and grow. It was now in his shoulders, neck, and head.

“Then do it.” She reached into her pocket and handed over a pill. “Warning. If you find you have a hard-on after four hours, seek Dallas’s assistance. But if you fuck Becca hard enough to get rid of all the pain, I don’t think the four hours will be a problem.”

Amused and chagrined, he pulled her onto his lap. “I love you,” he said with a laugh that was filled with pain instead of happiness.

She hugged him, her arms wonderfully tight around his neck. “We’ve got this, Kendrick. You aren’t alone. Lean on Becca for a while. I promise the world won’t collapse while you do.”

Chapter Fifteen

The line for lunch was long and Becca waited, thinking about what Alice said. She’d said Becca would need to be stern with Kendrick as he was “A stubborn fool at times.” The love in Alice’s voice had made her smile, but she wasn’t exactly the dominant type. How was she supposed to be stern with Kendrick? One look in his soft blue eyes and she melted. Especially with how much pain he was in. His normally blue eyes were gray and the red around the edges made her heart ache for him.

So maybe she would use that as her reminder. She needed to change that gray back to blue. It would still take him some time to get past his friend’s death, but he carried too much weight on his shoulders.

Becca stood up straight. It was time to help him offload some of it.

Chef Michaelo looked up as she reached the window that opened onto his kitchen. “Becca, come to get your master his lunch?”

“Yes. And we’re going to be eating away from everything so I’m hoping you have something we can eat with our hands.”

He nodded. “I made sub sandwiches,” he said with a wry smile. “If it weren’t for the events of last night, that would be funny. As it is, hold on. I’ll grab you a couple.”

She walked out with a huge bag filled with sandwiches, chips, and soda. All the way back through the woods, she encouraged herself. “Come on, Becca. This is for Kendrick. You can be a pain in the ass for him.”

Something ahead of her had her look up and stop, startled. Kendrick was walking toward her. “I believe Alice has banished me for a minimum of four hours,” he said with a shake of his head. “She said something about you abducting me.”

Relieved that Alice had stepped in on his side, she nodded. “I thought we could stop by your cabin for a blanket and go find a place to have a picnic.”

“Sounds good. And while we’re there, I’m going to grab a few things.”

She hoped he wasn’t going to get work stuff. That was what she was supposed to be keeping him from. Her thoughts derailed when he took her hand and started off for his place. It felt wonderful to walk hand-in-hand with him. He’s not your boyfriend, Becca. He’s your Dom. Don’t forget that.

Becca blanked out that voice. She needed to focus on Kendrick and keep his mind off everything except her.

He went upstairs and she grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa. When he came down with a shoulder bag, she knew she’d have her work cut out for her. There was no way he was working once they were away from everything. Michaelo had packed a small container of chocolate pudding. She’d planned on eating it just as it was, but desperate times being what they were, perhaps she could eat it off him.

They strolled up one of the trails that was mostly grown over. “There’s nobody renting up here,” Kendrick said. “So we should be safe if I decide I want you naked.”

She was definitely good with that suggestion.

When they reached a little grassy area surrounded by trees, she dropped the blanket. “How about here?”

“Looks perfect.” He dropped his shoulder bag and sat down. “Come on, Becca. What did Michaelo send us today?”

They ate the sandwiches and chips and she worked at keeping his mind on other things. “So what did you do on the rodeo circuit?” she asked.

He snorted. “Started out as a bare bronc rider. Moved onto bulls. I was a bull rider for five years before I almost met my end with a crazed bull. He gored my leg and would’ve continued until he killed me, but the clowns dumped me in a barrel and a really good surgeon saved my leg. That’s when I knew I needed to find something else I was passionate about.”

“Like a kink town,” she teased.

He nodded. “Yep. There aren’t a lot of out kinky people on the circuit. I don’t doubt they get down and dirty behind closed doors, but they’re pretty judgmental to those who are out about it. I love the thought of living in a town where everyone is kinky so if I smack my girl on the ass or reach underneath her skirt, nobody will think it odd. In fact, they’re likely to smile and watch.”

His answer was so Kendrick that she laughed softly. “Young pervert working toward being an old pervert?”

“Oh yeah. Though Alice and Joseph are decades ahead of me. And they’re still going strong and trying new things.” He popped the last chip into his mouth. “I hope to still be kinky as shit when I’m a hundred and one.”

“By then, kinky will be so blasé that perversion will be the missionary position,” she said and he laughed.

“You have a point.”

Becca put the empty containers back into the bag and lifted the small container. “Chocolate pudding. Fresh.”

Kendrick sat back and looked at her, an appraising expression on his face. “Strip,” he said firmly and a shudder of excitement went down her spine. Yes. This would definitely get his mind off everything.

She put the container down beside him and stood up. As she wasn’t wearing much, she figured the stripping wouldn’t take too long, but she could still tease a little. She lifted the string of her camisole off her left shoulder and slowly pushed it down. His eyes followed her movements. Once she got it off her arm, she moved to the string on her right shoulder. Once that was off, she slowly rolled the camisole down until her tits popped out, pleased when his eyes gained focus and it was her, all her. After rolling it down and off, she figured there was only one decent way to do the microskirt. So she turned away from him, bent over and pulled the skirt down so he could see everything.

“Good girl,” he murmured. “Now go into my bag and pull out the ropes.”

Ropes? She peered at him from between her legs. Even upside down he looked serious. Perhaps his bag didn’t hold work stuff. She slowly stood up and strolled over to his bag, going as slow as she could. When she reached him, she knelt down and opened up his leather shoulder bag.

Whether it was work or not was up to conjecture, she supposed. They did work at a kink faire. And everything within the bag was kinky or could be used that way. Four sets of hemp rope were tied up and she removed them. When she turned to offer them to Kendrick, he waved behind her. “I think those two trees will do just fine.”

And quite suddenly she remembered what he’d said that one day. A frisson of excitement shot down her spine and her pussy clenched with enthusiasm.

“Becca.” Something about the serious tone of his voice made her look him in the eyes. “I know you say you like it rough, but I need to know how rough. Because if I fuck you like I would like? You’ll be sore for days. All of you,” he added. “Once I tie you up, I’ll use you for my pleasure and my pleasure’s going to be long and involved. Alice gave me a little pill to make sure of it. If you don’t think you’re ready for that, tell me. We’ll do something else.”

She shook her head, wanting to feel him at his most wild. And surely that would help him release some of his demons. “Fuck me. Use me. Make me—” Her heartrate ratcheted up and a drop of sweat trickled down her spine as the words poured out of her mouth. “Make me your slut.” That four letter word fell from her lips and she felt an incredible freedom in it. She was Kendrick’s slut—his to enjoy in any way he liked. And she liked that in ways she had never understood before. To give up all control and let him use her as he needed made her feel strong and powerful in that moment. He was about to turn her world upside down and she could hardly wait.

His eyes darkened. “Go stand between those trees, girl.” She rushed to comply.

Chapter Sixteen

She was beautiful and so wonderfully willing. Kendrick stood up and removed his clothes. He wanted both of them nude for what he had planned. He approached her and desire curled in his stomach as he saw the look of utter longing on her face as she stared at him. He’d used that magic little pill Alice gave him two other times when he needed to stay hard for a long period, so he knew what to expect. And he was hard as a rock. Time to take the edge off and let her know this would not be a quick ride.

“On your knees, slut.”

She dropped so fast, he had to blink. Eager. Good. “Open your mouth.” He slid the head of his cock between her wet full lips and moaned as he slid into pure heaven. Becca was good at giving head. And she’d had plenty of opportunity over the last couple weeks to ramp up her skills. He slid his fingers into her curls and held the sides of her head and thrust into her throat. He let his head fall back and moaned as she swallowed convulsively around him. “That’s it, girl,” he grunted as he pulled part of the way out and thrust back in. “Try and make me come.”

And she tried. Her little mouth sucked and her tongue moved like crazy, but he was hard for the duration, so while there was enough precum, it would be a couple hours before he came. And he planned on fucking every part of her before then. Kendrick pulled out. “Stand.” She stood up, the ropes still in her hands. He took one of the strands. “Drop the other three and put your arms out.”

Rope work was always fun as he worked at making sure it would support the sub in the way needed for whatever he was about to do. In this instance, he supported her arms so that when he lifted her ass up, the weight would be on the ropes and not her. But he still made it tight enough she wouldn’t be able to move. One arm was tied at a ninety-degree angle to one tree and the other arm at the same angle to the tree on her other side.

Her legs he again wrapped so that most of the weight would be on the ropes. He tied the ropes to the trees on each side but above the arm ropes so that he could lift her legs up but they were kept stretched apart. Once she was bound, he slowly walked around the trees, taking her in. What a beauty. The deep red ropes showed nicely against her skin and the desire in her eyes made him need her.

He strode quickly back to the bag, picked it up and brought it back, dropping it beside him. After donning a condom, he walked up to her, wrapped his hand around her hips and lifted. She squeaked and moved as if trying to help. But she couldn’t. Her eyes widened and he smirked as he placed her pussy right at the tip of his cock and lowered her even as he thrust up.

Glorious. Her pussy spasmed around him and he held her tight as he fucked up into her. Over and over, he buried himself within her tight wet heat. Her grunts and groans with each thrust made him ram into her harder, using her body for his pleasure. Kendrick went at it like a machine, losing track of space and time as he continued to thrust into her, everything narrowing down to him and her pussy.

When his arms began to ache, he pulled out and lowered her hips. She would have fallen if the upper ropes didn‘t hold her strong. Glassy eyes watched him and a little bit of drool left the side of her mouth. Beautiful. “Good slut,” he grunted and she whimpered softly.

From the bag, he retrieved two nipple clamps. Her tits were already erect so he squeezed them a little and affixed the clamps. Whimpering moans left her throat, but her eyes were still filled with desire. From his bag, he pulled out his single tail. Her eyes focused on it and her breathing picked up.

He stepped back and took three practice runs at thin air. The snap was delicious and he had the length down perfect. Kendrick turned back to her and stared down her beautiful body. He knew where he was going and after taking a moment to calm his breathing, he paused, took aim, and let the whip fly. With a crack, it hit her clit and she squealed. Another crack and it hit her mound. Another crack and it once again hit her clit.

Her mouth was open, her panting loud and long, but his beautiful slut hadn’t said a word. Damn he loved that. He loved her. Slowly he walked around her and focused on her lovely back and ass. Time for a few stripes. Crack after crack filled the air as bright red welts, about an inch long, covered her derriere.

Her body twitched at each fall and as more welts popped up, little cries left her lips.

He was so fucking hard. Kendrick didn’t care that it was the drug that was partially responsible. Part of it was her. Becca was perfect for him. And he needed to be inside her, to finally bury himself in the hole he hadn’t taken yet.

He tossed the whip to the side and leaned his chest against her back. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured into her ear. “All tied up and covered with my marks. Exquisite, Rebecca. Absolutely gorgeous.” Kendrick stepped back and slid his fingers down to her ass cheeks. He stretched them apart and took in the plug that she was wearing. He grabbed the end and pulled. Her body gave the smallest amounts of resistance and then it popped out. It ended up by the whip.

He placed his cock at her ass and lifted her hips. One thrust and he was inside. A long low moan left his lips even as a wail left hers. “Becca?” he said, keeping his body under control. If it was too much he would pull out.

“Don’t stop,” she gasped. “Use your slut, Sir.”

A growl of pure satisfaction filled him and he did. He pulled her hips up slightly and fucked her. His hips moved so fast it sounded like a fucking machine gun as each slap of skin upon skin filled the air. Each smack ricocheted through the trees. Her ass clamped around him several times, but he kept going. Whenever she would squeeze too tight, he pulled her hips up and back a little more, setting her off balance so that she squeaked, released, and he could keep fucking her.

Pound. Pound. Pound. His hips smacked against her glowing pink ass over and over, the walls of her heat grabbing him every time he went in as though they wanted to keep him there. Time and space completely ceased to exist as he continued to plunge into her tight, hot hole. It was bliss, pure and utter bliss, and he never wanted to stop.

His orgasm came on so fast he wasn’t prepared for it. One moment he was attacking her ass and the next, he lost touch with reality for a second as pleasure so extreme it hurt exploded within him. “Becca!” he shouted and held onto her as he came into the condom, his entire body wracked with spasms.

He had no idea how much time went by before he had the sense to put her legs down and pull out. Sweat covered his precious sub from head to foot and her welts stood out perfectly. After removing the condom and placing it by the plug and whip, he worked quickly and released Becca from the ropes. She dropped into his arms and he carried her back to the blanket. Her body began to shake and he wrapped the two of them up, covering her body partially with his to give her as much of his heat as possible. “I’ve got you,” he murmured into her ear. “I’ve got you, Becca.”

She whimpered softly into his neck and curled closer. A whisper left her lips but he didn’t hear what she said. Figuring she needed silence and his care, he held her close and didn’t speak.

As the shock of the orgasm receded and he slid back into his regular mindset, he smiled to himself. The ache was gone from his chest and shoulders and very little of the headache remained. Looked like Alice was right again. A good hard fuck was infinitely better than a fight.

“Thank you, little one,” he murmured. “Thank you.”

A happy little sigh left Becca’s lips and he sank into the wonderful calm silence of the day and slept.

Chapter Seventeen

Sore was right, Becca thought as she walked down the Faire’s main walkway. Kendrick had been rough with her and she’d loved every second of it. Every move she’d made for four days reminded her of the welts on her buttocks, her sore ass, and her aching pussy, not to mention her slightly sore throat. But she wasn’t about to complain because each discomfort reminded her of that amazing afternoon and she hoped he’d be willing to be just as rough in the future. That had been wonderful.

Besides, he’d come out of it without that cloud over his head. He still worried about Craig and was sad about Jilly’s death, but it was obvious that their afternoon had done him a lot of good. It had her too. Most of her soreness had gone and she missed it. Kendrick had fucked her each night since, but it wasn’t the same. She loved it whenever he touched her, but that afternoon had been magical as far as she was concerned.

A low whistle caught her attention and it was such an odd sound that she turned in the direction of the man who did it. Everyone was so busy getting ready for the Faire that watching an almost naked body walk by barely raised a look, let alone a whistle. The man watching her was one she didn’t know and his leer made her uncomfortable.

Given that she was part of the Faire, she knew she should be used to it, but the fact was that all the Doms seemed to figure since she was Kendrick’s property, she was not only hands off, she was also eyes off. This guy hadn’t gotten the memo. She turned away from him and continued along. Almost all the shops were up and the new whipping post was in. It was more secure than the original and she kind of hoped Kendrick would be willing to whip her once the Faire opened. The thought of taking his stripes while others watched was a major turn on.

“Nice assets,” the man said loudly and her fingers twitched.

Kendrick liked her to show her body off so most of her daily outfits consisted of microskirts that showed off her pussy and tight camisoles that showed her tits.

Becca wasn’t sure why the guy was bothering her. Guys liked to watch at BDSM clubs all the time and once the Faire opened, there would be tons of people watching her, especially with the outfits Kendrick had ordered for her. She was excited to see them as he wouldn’t let her know what they looked like.

“Not very respectful,” he said from right behind her and a hand wrapped around her upper arm.

Becca swung around, shocked. Nobody man-handled her there. They were lifestylers and understood the concept of a collar. “Hey,” she said, completely thrown.

He cocked both eyebrows and she took a good look at him. Just taller than she was, he had short gray hair, squinty blue eyes, and smoke breath. Unable to stop herself, she coughed. “Definitely not respectful,” he said with a frown. “Maybe this will help.” His other hand moved so fast, she didn’t expect it until it came in contact with her ass.

Becca cried out, mostly from shock. The spank itself hadn’t been painful. “Take your hands off me. I’m taken.”

He snorted. “Right. Let’s try that again.” He pulled his hand back and she screamed as she saw he had a crop in it.

“Drop that and release her before I hang you from the whipping post and turn you into a eunuch.” Kendrick’s voice was so filled with fury, it should have scared her, but all she felt was relief.

The idiot holding her turned in Kendrick’s direction and she got a look at her Dom. Kendrick strode toward them looking like an avenger. His eyes flashed and his mouth was set in a grim line. “Are you hard of hearing? Let my girl go now.”

He released her and she stumbled backward. In the next moment, Kendrick was between her and the idiot Dom. “Who the fuck are you?” Kendrick barked.

“Garrett Coreu,” he said, lifting his head as though to try and reach Kendrick’s height, which was impossible since he was a good half a head shorter. “And who are you?”

“Kendrick Finleigh. I own this place and this girl. She’s wearing my collar, so I don’t see any reason why you should have grabbed her.”

“She was being disrespectful.”

“How?”

“She ignored me.”

Kendrick snorted. “Currently I can’t blame her. I would ignore you too if it weren’t the fact you’ve insulted me. Now who the fuck are you and why are you here?”

Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Alec walking toward them. He was walking slowly as if he was just going for a stroll, but his eyes were on Kendrick and Garrett.

“I’m here to run my shop,” Garrett said succinctly. “I sell chastity belts.”

Becca grimaced. She hoped Kendrick never wanted to put her in one of those.

“How long have you been in the BDSM lifestyle?”

“Five years.”

“Then wherever you learned didn’t teach you the basics,” Kendrick said coldly. “First, you never touch or talk to another Dom’s property without his permission. You talked to, touched, and spanked my girl. That’s three huge offenses in my book.”

“Oh give it a rest. She’s just a sub.”

It was like suddenly they had an audience. Alec stepped up next to Kendrick. “Just a sub?” Alec said. “If it weren’t for subs giving up control, we Doms would be a sorry lot. Trying to control one another and never getting anywhere.”

Becca had to stand up on her tiptoes to look between Kendrick and Alec’s shoulders. Garrett sneered. “They’re a dime a dozen. I refuse to treat them as any better than they are. Any sub must kneel at my feet.”

“Your sub,” Kendrick said sharply. “If a sub agrees to serve you then that is fine. But you have no right to demand any sub does that, let alone an owned one. Becca is mine. She serves me. If you ever talk to her or touch her again, I’m kicking your ass off the island whether or not there’s a boat on the dock. Got it?”

Garrett’s nostrils flared, but he nodded. “Got it. Now if you’ll excuse me, my shop is completely inadequate for my needs and I need to speak to the idiot who did it.”

Alec grinned. “That would be Alice. Hold on. I’ll call her.”

Becca bit her lower lip. Alice would tear the guy down to size in no time. If she could control Kendrick, Neil, and Craig, Garrett would be no trouble at all.

“You have a sub in charge of the stalls?” Garrett sniffed. “No wonder they’re wrong.”

Kendrick turned his back on him and looked directly into her eyes. “Are you okay?”

Becca nodded. “Yes. It was a shock more than anything. I wasn’t expecting it here.”

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. “As you shouldn’t. If he tries anything again, I’ll hand him over to Alec for a little CBT.”

She giggled, imagining how that would go over. Alec looked over his shoulder and grinned. “You might want to see this,” he said and they both looked up as Alice marched up to them, her green eyes flashing.

“There’s a problem?” she asked.

“Yes,” Garrett said. “The placement of my stall is inadequate. I want a view of the water.”

“Oh,” Alice said, not bothering to hide her disdain. “A view of the water. I see. Does that come with the exclusive VIP package nobody told me about?”

“It’s the exclusive idiot package,” Alec said with a grunt.

Alice grinned at him before turning back to Garrett. “Take it or leave it. We’ve had to get this place going on a very short time frame. All of the shops have openings to the fairway so that you get walk by traffic. If we turned your stall to face the ocean, nobody would ever buy your wares.”

Garrett looked her up and down. “I don’t like your attitude. Who’s your Dom?”

Kendrick winced while Alec grimaced and took a step back. And one moment later, Becca knew why. Alice went cold, her voice dripping pure ice. “I’m a Domme, you judgmental prick. My husband is my sub. I’m one of the owners of this place. Kendrick is another owner. You have, on your first day managed to insult half of the owners of the Faire. If Craig were here, I can assure you he’d be dragging your ass back to your boat right now. Shall I call on the fourth owner to give his input?” Each word was crisp and clear and felt like bullets from a gun. “Now are you here to be a part of the Faire and sell your goods or do you want to get back on your boat and sail away? Because I’m not sure if I want you to stay.”

“Oh,” Becca gasped when she saw another person approaching them. “Kendrick. It’s Craig.” Kendrick looked up and Alice swung around. She ran forward and practically attacked Craig. He caught her and held on for a few seconds before he put an arm around her and they walked up.

“Good to have you back,” Kendrick said and he and Craig made eye contact, nodded, and that seemed to be that.

Men were so weird. If her friend had just lost a spouse, Becca would be crying with her and hugging her tight.

“Is there a problem?” Craig asked and frowned at Garrett. Both Alice and Kendrick were kick-ass dominants, but there was something about Craig when he frowned at a person that was kind of scary. He was shorter than both Kendrick and Neil, but he had a presence that was intimidating.

“No,” Garrett said his voice breaking before he cleared it. “No problem.”

“Good. Make sure we don’t have one because while I’m only a quarter owner in this place? I’m the fucking dungeon master in charge of discipline and I’m telling you after the week I’ve had, I could use an hour of ripping someone’s hide off with my bull whip.”

Garrett backed up and scampered away.

“Dungeon master in charge of discipline?” Alec asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Craig shrugged. “Figured it would scare the idiot off.”

“I like it, though,” Kendrick said as he slid an arm around Becca’s back. “You could wear that scary outfit all executioners wore in historical movies.”

“He wouldn’t even need a mask,” Alice added with a chuckle.

With a roll of his eyes, Craig hugged Alice tight until she grunted. “I’m going back to my cabin. Then I’m going to get the boxes of Jilly’s stuff ready to sell. A friend of mine is coming to man the shop for the summer.”

“We changed your cabin,” Alice said as he turned to walk away and she walked beside him.

“Oh?” She nodded. “Thanks, Alice.”

Alec let out a slow breath. “Time?”

Becca looked between them. Time for what?

“Two hours,” Kendrick said. “I’m going to go round up Neil and Joseph. Neil brought a few bottles of that homemade wine he made last year. We’ll go get drunk off our asses and Craig will be fine by tomorrow.” Ah, so that wasn’t just it. The he-men were going to go get drunk. Becca figured if it worked for them, then she was all for it.

“Awesome. Want me to watch over the place?”

“If you don’t mind.” Kendrick turned toward Becca. “I need to—”

She nodded and smiled, cutting him off. “Go be with Craig. I’ll tail Alec or Alice. They’ll take on the wimp if he shows up.”

“If he shows up,” Kendrick grunted, “he’s gonna lose a nut.” He kissed her brow and then headed toward the cabins.

She watched him walk away and sighed softly. Maybe with Craig returned, things would go back to normal.

“What do you say to some lunch?” Alec asked. “I’m starved.” He held out an elbow and with a smile, she put her hand in it and walked with him toward the cafeteria.

Chapter Eighteen

Kendrick stretched his shoulders and straightened up. The Faire looked fucking amazing. In just over five weeks they changed it from a pitiful excuse for any kind of fair let alone a kink one, to one hell of a spot. They ended up with six shops, three eateries that brought their own gas-powered machinery, all of their stages up and ready, and even their dungeon in much better nick than when they found it. Their composting porta potties were working well and in a little over a week, they would officially open. And he hoped it went well. He had quickly fallen in love with the place. Not to mention Becca.

With a sigh, he glanced around until he saw the little sprite walking with Ryan down the fairway. He needed to tell her he loved her, but he just hadn’t found the time to do it yet. Those words were so powerful that he wanted to do it right. Because he had to make sure she knew he wasn’t offering her a wedding ring. But he did want to offer her a place at his side and in his bed on the island. Would that be worth giving up her job over? And was it right of him to make such an offer?

The worst part was that time was running out. He needed to do it before the Faire opened because once it did, time would most assuredly get away from him and he wanted to give her time to think about it.

“What are you looking at?” Craig stepped up beside him. “Ah. Becca.” He shook his head. “Why haven’t you put a more permanent collar around that pretty neck?”

“Working on it.”

Craig snorted. “In Kendrick speak that means you’ve been overthinking it. Let’s simplify things. This is how you do it. Tonight at dinner, put a thick leather collar next to her plate. When she asks what it is, tell her it’s hers if she agrees to let you pound her pussy and flog her ass for the foreseeable future. Simple. Done. No more overthinking.”

“Fuck off.” There was amusement in Kendrick’s tone. He was used to Craig. His friend always called it like he saw it. “I’ll get it done.”

“Kendrick!”

He turned and saw Cassidy, Becca’s friend, running toward him with the hugest grin on her face… and wearing the most bizarre outfit.

“Are those condoms?” Craig asked.

It was difficult to tell. She was dressed in a form fitting, short dress in yellow and there were circular discs attached to it that did resemble condoms. “Is this her version of safe sex?” he asked with a chuckle.

She came to a stop in front of them and beamed. Then she turned around in a circle, holding her arms out. “What do you think?”

Kendrick blinked at her. “About your outfit?” he said. “It’s interesting.”

Amusement crinkled the corners of her eyes. “You mentioned at the last meeting that a cleaning crew would be on hand and I got to thinking about the fact that when you go to someplace like oh… Disneyland, you never see the cleaning crew, because they’re dressed to match the scene. Well, ta-da!” She waved at her outfit. “They can call themselves the Kinky Kleaners and wear tight, form-fitting outfits with condoms and other safe-sex or kinky paraphernalia hanging on them. Nobody’s going to notice they’re carrying a dustbin because they’ll be looking at the crazy clothes.” Cassidy did a pirouette. “They could even hand out condoms if we got some condom companies to offer samples.”

Her excitement for the idea was slightly contagious. And Kendrick hadn’t really thought much about the cleaning crew except for the fact they would clean all day long. “I think it’s a fantastic idea,” he told her. “And I would appreciate if you would work with them when they arrive to help them get into the swing of things. All of them know what the Faire is about and most of them have been involved in kink to some extent. But it will be nice if they have you to show them the ropes as it were.”

If he’d thought she was smiling before it was nothing next to how much she beamed at him. “I’ll be there,” she said quickly. “I can’t believe the Faire opens in eight days.” She squealed, gave Craig a saucy wink, and darted over toward Becca.

He and Craig discussed some of the last things that needed to be ironed out, answering questions as they came up and by noon he was hungry. Kendrick looked around, hoping to spot his sub coming with lunch.

“Oh boy.”

Kendrick turned to see what Craig was looking at. Since he was looking toward the docks he assumed there were new arrivals. “Our last two shopkeepers are supposed to be here. They were able to come a week early.”

“That’s not the problem,” Craig said in an annoyed tone. “Is it just me or is the girl in front…?”

Kendrick narrowed his eyes and spotted exactly what Craig saw. In the front of the group walking up from the dock was a short round blonde he would have recognized anywhere. “Ah, fuck no. Who told her about the Faire?”

“Don’t know. But your time just ran out, buddy. You won’t get any time with Becca after this.”

Groaning, Kendrick felt like stomping his foot and walking away. But it was too late. The blonde looked up and saw him. “Master,” she squealed in that high-pitched tone that could send a guy to drink, right before she ran and launched herself forward. It was either catch her or topple over backwards. He took what he figured was the least of two evils and held onto her ass as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. When her lips met his, though, he almost dropped her.

Once he stopped the force of the impact, he peeled her from around him and stood her on her feet a little more firmly than he would normally do. “Denise, what the hell?” he said, trying to rein in his fury.

She giggled and placed a hand on his chest. “Surprised to see me?” The little sub blinked her eyelashes at him.

This was getting beyond old. They played together once several years ago and he made her soar in a way no other Dom had. Since then she’d developed a rather unhealthy obsession with him. He had tried to let her down easy many times, but this was too much.

“Shocked would be the word I’d use,” he said, barely modulating his voice. “What are you doing here?”

For a long moment, she stared at him, a myriad of emotions in her eyes before they cleared. She gave a very unlady-like snort, and stepped back. “Don’t get your panties in a twist,” she said. “I’m here to help a friend with his shop. I was just teasing you.”

Relief flooded through him. “Shit. I’m sorry. But considering the past…”

“I know.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “I couldn’t resist teasing you, though.”

“So,” Craig said, leaning in, his eyes narrowed and his posture proclaiming he wasn’t buying it. “Who’s this friend who invited you to our island?”

“Back off, Fido,” she said, tensing a little. “My friend Garrett has a chastity belt shop. He needs a cute sub to run the place when he can’t be there. So he asked me.” She gave a strange little pose and Kendrick got a bad feeling. Garrett, the asshole dom who insulted Becca, asked her? That seemed a bit coincidental.

“Garrett was a bit of a problem when he arrived,” Craig said with a cold smile. “I want to make sure you know the rules, and more importantly the punishments, that will be brought down on your little head should you break them.” He wrapped his hand around her upper arm. “Come. Let’s talk.”

Denise startled and looked toward Kendrick as if expecting him to interfere. He turned toward the others walking their way and let Craig deal with her. More and more, he thought Alice was right. Craig should become their official Discipline Master. He made subs quake in their boots just by looking at them.

“Welcome to Elan Isle,” he said to their last shop keepers. “And Ye Olde Kinke Faire.”

Chapter Nineteen

Becca stood, frozen. The scene in front of her made no logical sense. A buxom blonde was in Kendrick’s arms. And he was kissing her. No. She mentally shook her head as he pulled the blonde off and deposited her on her feet. Maybe the blonde was kissing him. After all, he and Alice kissed all the time. It didn’t mean anything.

She gulped and watched as the blonde talked with Kendrick and Craig, her hands waving in all directions as she spoke. Her giggle carried on the wind and made Becca wince. Was she Kendrick’s type?

Becca looked down at her five foot two inch self with her flat stomach and B-cup boobs. There was a lot less of her than the blonde. Then again, Kendrick had been in the lifestyle for as long as she had and had probably played with tons more subs than she had Doms. So feeling a little jealous just because he was greeting one of them was stupid. After all, they weren’t permanent. He’d never promised anything longer than August 1. Maybe this was why.

When Craig walked away with the blonde, Kendrick went to talk to some others coming up from the docks. It gave Becca a few moments to get herself together before taking Kendrick his lunch. She was not going to make this into a big thing. If she did, Kendrick would notice and for all she knew, he might drop her before the Faire opened. After all, he had made a comment once about disliking overly clingy subs.

Someone walked by her, bringing her out of her ruminations, and she took a deep breath and stepped forward. She could do this. Their contract ended in a little over a month. She would soak in all of Kendrick she could get in that time and then go home to Seattle, cry her eyes out, and go to work. Perhaps Master Rob would find her a Dom who could help her through her loss.

With that in mind, she forced a smile on her face and strode over to where Kendrick was. She dropped to her knees beside him and almost whimpered when his fingers instantly found their way into her hair.

Over the last five weeks, he had introduced her to everyone, saying “This is my sub, Becca.” She waited but he never mentioned her as he spoke to two new shop keepers.

“Your shops are set up. Alice is around here somewhere and she has your cabin assignment. Hold on. Let me text her.” Kendrick removed his hand from her hair and she felt the loss. “She’s on her way now. If you go sit on a bench near Penny University, our coffee shop, she’ll meet you there and get you settled. I’m glad you were able to come early.”

The others left and Kendrick once again put his fingers into her hair. He pulled her head back and kissed her long and hard. Becca melted into it and was gasping for breath by the time he pulled back. His eyes were a grayish blue and the tension between them told her something was wrong. But she was too afraid to ask what.

“Brought lunch?” he asked.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Let’s go sit and eat. I need to talk to you in private.”

Her heart dropped like a lead balloon. He wanted to talk to her in private. To tell her what? That he needed to cut their contract short? That someone he cared about was now on the island and they couldn’t continue? All of the most horrible reasons passed through her brain in less than a second and she had to struggle to get to her feet.

“Becca,” he said, his tone switching to one of worry. “Are you all right?” He put a palm up to her forehead. “You don’t feel hot, but I don’t want you to overdo it.”

“I’m fine,” she said, reaching for any excuse. “I’m just hungry.”

A huff of a chuckle left his lips. “I know the feeling. Come on. Let’s eat.” He took the bag from her fingers and walked away. Pain that he hadn’t seen through her lie hit her and combined with the fact he didn’t take her hand, she wanted to break down. But she refused. She would stay strong through it. He hadn’t wanted a weepy sub who fell in love with him. Even if he broke things off, she would not show him that side of her. At least then maybe he would remember her fondly.

He led her to a small table just outside the Faire grounds and sat down. Worry and concern were written all over his face and he was not acting like the Dom she’d come to adore. There was obviously something heavy on his mind.

Becca sat down across from him and watched as he pulled the food out of the bag and handed her container to her. Was it just her imagination or did he drop her container as though it scalded him? Her stomach cramped and she took a deep breath through her nose to fight her sudden nausea.

“Becca,” he said in a kind, calm voice. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something, but we’ve been so busy that I haven’t had the chance. But after what happened earlier, I can’t wait any longer.”

Oh God. Oh God. He was going to break up with her. Right here. She gripped the edge of the table and waited for the boom to be lowered.

“Kendrick!”

The holler made her jump and they both turned as Ryan ran up to them. “Kendrick, Dad was testing out the discipline corner and said there’s a huge problem. Something about a cracked joist.”

“Fuck.” Kendrick stood up. “I’m on my way.” He looked down at the food and at Becca. “Becca, take the afternoon easy. I don’t want you to strain yourself. Bring dinner for us to my cabin at six. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can. What I need to say can’t wait another day.” He reached out and trailed his thumb over her cheek and lips as if knowing that was his last time. Abruptly he turned away and jogged through the Faire.

It hit her with a force she wasn’t ready for. Tears clogged her view and her body shook with unexpressed sobs. Becca left the food where it was and took off at a run through the woods. She couldn’t let anyone see her or they would tell Kendrick or one of his friends. The humiliation of knowing that she had lost such an amazing Dom was one she didn’t want anyone else to see.

She ran for some time before stopping. Leaning over to catch her breath, she rested her palms against her knees. How had it all come to an end so quickly? Why had that hideous blonde shown up? Becca tried to chastise herself for thinking badly of her enemy, but she couldn’t help it. She was sure that woman was the reason Kendrick was breaking up with her. “But we would have ended in another month anyway,” she reasoned to herself out loud. “So it ends a bit early…” She couldn’t continue as her sobs broke free. Becca dropped to her knees and let her tears fall freely.

She cried until there were no more tears left and lay there in the grass for some time before she forced herself to sit up. Slowly she took in her surroundings, surprised to find herself in the small meadow that she and Kendrick had shared that amazing scene a couple weeks before. Those few hours had changed her and them. Becca was sure of it. Their relationship deepened after that scene. She’d slept with him every night since.

Taking a deep breath, she thought about what little she’d seen down by the dock. Yes, Kendrick had held the blonde, but he’d set her down on her feet rather sharply. And he hadn’t looked happy. Could she be wrong about them? Hope bloomed in her chest. Perhaps Kendrick wasn’t breaking up with her. Maybe there were problems with the Faire he wanted to discuss. That sounded lame, even to her, but she grabbed onto it as her one lifeboat.

She rose to her feet and walked over to the trees he had tied her up to. No Dom had ever tied her up like that. The strain on her muscles had been real and she’d felt it for days, but most of her weight, even when he lifted up her hips, rested on the ropes. He had taken such good care of her, even as he fucked her into oblivion.

Becca knew some Doms could lose themselves in a scene and act like someone they were not, but Kendrick wasn’t that way. He gave himself to everything he did. The island, the Faire, and to their relationship. Would he have done that if he were planning to release her in a month?

She wasn’t sure of the answer, but she now had hope. Besides, he didn’t know how she felt. She needed to let him know. Becca figured she had one night to hopefully put his mind at ease before he either ended their contract or she found out she had been mistaken about everything. Either way, she planned to make the most of it. The first order of business was to pick out the perfect outfit. And there was only one person she trusted to help her with that. Her phone was in her hand a moment later and she sent a text to Cassidy. Meet me back at the cabin. I need your help now.

She took off at a run.

Cassidy was there by the time she arrived, wearing the Kinky Kleaner outfit she’d created. “What’s up?” she asked, looking at Becca with concern.

“I’m telling Kendrick I love him tonight. I need help picking out the outfit.”

Surprise filled Cassidy’s eyes but then she nodded. “One killer outfit coming up.”

By five, Becca was in line for dinner. Her outfit was gorgeous and she wished she’d thought of it first. Cassidy took one of her thigh-length, stretchy dresses and after having Becca get into it, cut strategic holes throughout. “The longer you wear it, the more the holes will open.” She grinned. “It will be a treat for him and in no time, he’ll be ripping it off you.”

Becca could only hope he would do that instead of show her the door. Over the torn dress, she wore a simple coat buttoned all the way up so nobody would be aware of the dress. It was for Kendrick’s eyes only.

Michaelo was busy, but a younger man, maybe in his mid-twenties, greeted her at the window. “Hello,” he said with a bright smile. “I’m Slate. You’ve got your choice of braised lamb chops, small red potatoes, and green beans or lasagna. Both come with blueberry crumble for dessert.”

“I’ll take one of each to go,” she said. “They both sound wonderful and I don’t know which Kendrick would prefer.” Actually she was pretty sure he’d love the lasagna more, but she wanted him to have the option.

“Righto.” Slate hummed as he put the dinners in to-go containers. He seemed like a happy man and she hoped she would be back to happy by the end of the day. “Here you go,” he said as he put everything in a bag.

She thanked him and headed back toward their pod. The closer she got, the slower she walked. This was it. Would it be her last hurrah? Or the beginning of something more?

Knowing he left his door unlocked, she opened it and stepped inside, surprised to find a fire burning in the fireplace. He was already here? Becca quickly put the bag on the small table and went to unbutton her coat.

“Master, are you home?”

It was like being doused in ice water. Becca stood there in horror as the blonde bounced down the stairs completely naked except for a thick piece of leather around her neck. Her eyes widened as she spotted Becca. “Oh. You’re not Master,” she said with a high-pitched giggle. “I’m Denise.” She held out her hand and as if her body was disconnected from her mind, Becca shook it. “Did Master send you?”

There was no way to answer that. It wasn’t like she could say, “Yes, he did. We’re supposed to have dinner together. I’ve been his sub for weeks. Who the fuck are you?”

“How long have you and Kendrick been together?” she asked instead, letting her fingers fall to her sides.

“Ages,” Denise said with a wave of her hand. “I’m so glad he got this place started finally. I had to keep my job back in Texas until it was official and originally I was going to come in early August, but a girl just can’t be without her master, you know? So I quit early and came. He’s kind of peeved with me,” she said with a grimace. “But he’ll get over it. What is that wonderful aroma?”

“Dinner,” Becca said on a whisper, the oomph she’d received from her afternoon epiphany crumbling to dust. They’d been master and sub for years. Denise was supposed to come at the beginning of August. Which was why their contract ended then. She’d been a royal fool. He’d made no promises and she couldn’t blame him. But she could leave. “I brought Kendrick his dinner but there’s a second meal in there you can have if you want.”

“Oh thank you. I’m sure filling his belly will help temper any anger he has for me,” Denise said with another annoying giggle. “Thanks.” She picked up the bag and went into the dining room. It felt like Becca had been dismissed. Her body knew it before she did and she was out of the cabin and into her own before she knew what she was doing.

She rushed upstairs, wondering if the ferry would still be at the dock. If it was, she could escape now. Get to Seattle and deal with her emotions away from Elan Isle, away from the Faire, and away from the man she loved and, at the moment, hated.

Becca barely paid attention to what she was doing. She grabbed handfuls of clothing and tossed them into her suitcase. They were so haphazard that they didn’t completely fit, but she forced the case closed. There were knick-knacks she’d brought to make the place homier, but she ignored those. Perhaps Cassidy could bring them with her when she came back to Seattle in September.

“I’m sure she will.” Cassidy’s laugh and words floated up the stairs and Becca swore softly. She didn’t want to see anyone. “Maybe you can see her tomorrow,” she said as she climbed the stairs. “She—Becca! Why aren’t you—?” Silence rang through the air and Becca looked over at her. Cassidy was staring at her suitcase and then looked up. Instantly fury crossed her face. “What the fuck did he do?”

“He didn’t do anything,” Becca said, trying to hold back the tears. “I need to get to the dock before the last ferry leaves. Please don’t ask anything. I have to go.”

Several expressions crossed Cassidy’s face but before she could speak, more feet were on the stairs and to her surprise, someone she knew well stepped into her room. “Master Rob,” she said, a sob bursting from her lips. He held out his arms and she launched herself into them.

“What’s wrong, Rebecca?” he asked in his deep, rumbling voice.

“I need to go home,” she whispered in a hoarse voice. “I have to go now.”

“Is someone after you?”

She shook her head roughly. “My Dom has another sub…” Her lips pulled into a gross grimace. “Please, Master Rob, I can’t talk about it. I need to leave now.” Becca reached back and quickly removed the collar and dropped it on the bed. “Please.” The last word was so pitiful that she began to sob again.

“All right. You’re in luck. The last boat has left but I brought my own. Come. I’ll take you back to Seattle where you’ll tell me everything.” His firm voice helped calm her and she nodded.

He picked up her suitcase and they made their way quickly toward the dock. Becca glanced left and right, sure someone would spot her and ask what was going on, but most everyone was at the cafeteria for dinner. Luck was on her side. Until they reached the dock.

“Becca!” Ryan’s voice sent a chill down her back. Someone saw her.

“On the boat,” Master Rob said and she climbed aboard and huddled behind the seats. He put her suitcase in and turned to face Ryan who was running toward them. “Halt.” He held out his hand and Ryan stopped. “I don’t know who you are, but you won’t come any further.”

“You can’t take Becca with you,” Ryan said, sounding worried. “She doesn’t belong to you.”

Master Rob snorted. “She doesn’t belong to anyone, boy. Her former master fucked up and I’m taking her home. Don’t make a fool of yourself by making a scene.”

Ryan tried to look past him. “Becca?” His voice was a lot more confused. “Are you okay?”

More tears pricked her eyes but she forced herself to nod. “I have to go, Ryan. Goodbye.” Then the tears took over once more and she covered her face and sobbed. The roar of the engine was quickly followed by the boat racing across the water.

Becca burst into huge gut-wrenching sobs and cried all the way back to Seattle.

Chapter Twenty

“They’re sending another one,” Kendrick said, tiredness making him cranky. “It will be here two days before the Faire opens. I told them this one had better not be cracked.”

“I’m just glad David found it,” Craig said with a grunt. “That could have caused some harm if anyone played on it.”

Kendrick glanced at his watch. Just after six. “Well, I’ve got dinner and a nubile sub waiting for me at home. If anything else happens tonight, I’ve left the country.”

David and Craig chuckled, but before Kendrick could walk away, he saw Ryan running toward him full out. That couldn’t be good. All three men watched as the younger man made a beeline right for them.

“Kendrick,” Ryan said, panting a little, “Becca… boat… gone.”

“Wait. What?” Kendrick put a hand on his shoulder. “Take a moment and repeat that.”

Ryan took a couple breaths and nodded. “Becca left on a boat with some guy. I don’t know who he was but he said something about her former master screwing up and he was taking her home.”

Dread cascaded through him. “He forced her to go?”

With a wince, Ryan shook his head. “Didn’t look like it. She was crying but told me she had to go.”

Fuck. He took a step forward but Craig grabbed his arm. “Hold it. It’ll be quicker if I can get Cassidy on the phone. Maybe she knows what happened.”

He turned his phone on speaker and dialed a number.

“Hello?” Cassidy sounded pissed.

“Cassidy, it’s Craig. Do you know what happened with Becca?”

A loud shriek came through the phone that made all of them wince. “What happened? What happened is your friend Kendrick is a two-timing asshole. That’s what happened. Brought his other sub to the Faire and then expected Becca to deal with it? Fuck that, Craig. She deserves better.”

“Stop,” Kendrick said firmly. “I’m not two-timing anyone. Becca is my only sub. Where did you get the idea I was?”

“Becca said so. She was too distraught to talk about it and so Master Rob took her back to Seattle with him.” There was a pause and then she spoke a little calmer. “Are you saying she was wrong? She was really upset and so I thought…”

Master Rob. Kendrick remembered her talking about him—one of the Doms who had trained her.

“So who’s this sub you’ve supposedly been two-timing with?” David asked with a frown. “Who’s been telling her lies?”

Kendrick met Craig’s gaze and he was sure his expression mirrored the fury on Craig’s. “Denise,” they both spat out at the same time.

“Cassidy, are you in your cabin?” Kendrick asked, keeping his voice calm when he wanted to bellow and go rip Denise a new one.

“Yes.”

“Stay there. I have the feeling Denise could be somewhere close and I want her surprised when I find her.”

“Who’s Denise?” she asked but he ignored the question and disconnected the call.

“David,” he said, “can you go to Garrett’s cabin and see if she’s there? She’s about five eight, blonde, and has a very pronounced figure. If you find her, bring her back to my cabin for the dressing down of her life.”

Craig snorted. “Bring her to the discipline stage instead. Just a few hours ago I spelled out exactly what would happen if she disrupted anything here. If she’s pulled something, I’m going to tan her hide until she can’t sit down for days.”

David jogged off.

“What can I do?” Ryan asked. “Becca looked awful.”

“I’m sure she did,” Kendrick said with a shake of his head, imagining the kind of pain his poor little sub was suffering from. “Once the Denise problem is dealt with, I’ll need to head to Seattle. There I’ll have the talk I was going to have with her tonight. If she agrees, she comes back with a permanent collar. If she doesn’t, then I’ll return alone.” And that sounded so awful that it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Ryan followed Kendrick and Craig to Kendrick’s cabin and as they approached the door, Kendrick had an inkling of what he might find. He wasn’t even sure why he knew, but it just seemed something a spoiled rotten, bratty girl who liked to act like a sub would do to get attention.

Kendrick opened the door and stepped inside. A huge fire was in the hearth and standing next to the dining table with the fakest, most smug smile, was Denise O’Holloran. Fury filled him and he looked at Craig. If he acted, he might accidentally harm Denise and he would never want to do that. Scare the fuck out her, maybe. But he never wanted to harm anyone.

A look of calm satisfaction crossed his friend’s face and he nodded. Craig turned toward Denise and she blanched behind her fake tan. “I thought I’d bring you dinner,” she said and stared directly at Kendrick.

“Did you?” Craig said. He turned toward Ryan and lowered his voice so only the three of them could hear. “Could you go to the cafeteria and see if Becca was there and picked up meals for her and Kendrick?”

Ryan nodded and darted out the door.

Craig turned back toward Denise and crossed his arms across his chest. It made him look big and she fidgeted a little, her eyes darting between him and Kendrick.

“Maybe this is a bad time,” she murmured and took a step forward.

“Halt,” Craig snapped and she froze. “You aren’t leaving until we get to the bottom of what you’re doing here and what you’ve done.”

Her eyes narrowed and she took a step back. She crossed her own arms and Kendrick managed not to grimace at the picture of a pouty, spoiled brat. Her father would have done well to spank her ass when she was a child. Instead he’d coddled her and she expected the world to bow to her command. “You can’t force me to do anything.”

Craig stepped forward, pulled out a chair, and sat down in front of her. “The contract you signed this afternoon gives me every right, Denise. And you’re in so much trouble, if I were you, I’d tell all my sins now and get it over with. If we have to dig for the information, your punishment’s just going to be ten times worse.”

Denise screwed up her lips, looking as though she’d just sucked on a lemon, and turned toward Kendrick. “Are you going to let him speak to me this way?”

He cocked a brow. “He’s in charge of discipline here. The only person I discipline is my own sub.” She flinched.

“So, ready to fess up?” Craig asked as he crossed an ankle over his right knee.

She raised her chin and glared at Craig. “I did nothing.”

“Except strip and enter Kendrick’s cabin without his permission,” Craig spat back.

Red flooded up her neck to her ears, a pure sign she was pissed. “You don’t know what permissions he gave me,” she said.

“Actually I do,” he said. “Kendrick only gives carte blanche to his personal space to five individuals. Me. Neil. Alice. Joseph.” Craig left a long pause and finally added, “And his sub, Becca.”

“I’m his sub,” she snapped and Kendrick fisted his hands. “Or I should be,” she added as though realizing what she’d said. “We belong together.”

Craig snorted. “Denise, I’ve told you this so many times it should be emblazoned on your brain. And this is the final time. You aren’t a sub. You don’t have a submissive bone in your body. You like to play at it and you enjoyed the scene Kendrick did with you five years ago. But you would never make a good companion for him as he is a Dom and needs a submissive partner. Your lies and subterfuge automatically would have disqualified you even if you were submissive, but since you’re not, you’re out.” He leaned forward. “Now tell me what you said to Becca.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said and looked down at her manicured nails. They hung out a couple inches from the edges of her fingers and were painted a bright, sparkly pink. Just another thing Kendrick liked about Becca. She didn’t go in for gaudy decoration. Unless he dressed her up that way.

Thinking about her brought an ache to his chest. She must have gone crazy after coming face to face with Denise. She would have come to the conclusion that Kendrick lied to her and that she was just some sort of short-term replacement until Denise showed up. He narrowed his eyes at the woman standing defiantly in the spot where Becca usually knelt.

“Move,” he said coldly.

She blinked at him in surprise. Whether it was because he spoke or the fact he’d never been so cold to her, he didn’t know. “Move away from that spot. It’s not yours.”

Once again, she flinched.

Craig didn’t wait. He grasped her arm and yanked her to the side. “That’s his sub’s spot, Denise. Bitchy girls don’t belong there.”

“Fuck off,” she spat. “He’s mine.”

The door opened and Ryan came in, closely followed by David and Alice. The moment Alice saw Denise, her lips drew into a thin line.

Craig waved Ryan forward. “Well?”

“Slate said Becca came by about five thirty. She ordered one each of the two meals they had. I described Denise and he hadn’t seen anyone who fit her description.”

“Garrett is staying in his cabin,” David said and at the mention of his name, Denise took a step back. “He was shocked to find out she knew you, but then grumbled about that must be why she jumped at the opportunity when he told her about the place and who was running it.”

“You have fifteen seconds to start talking, Denise,” Craig said. “Or I’m marching you down to the discipline ring, tying you up, and using my single tail to leave a trail you won’t soon forget.”

“You touch me and I’ll sue,” she snapped.

“You sue us and we’ll countersue,” Craig responded. “And your daddy won’t like all the publicity about what a slut his sweet little girl is, will he?”

She glowered, but didn’t say anything.

Alice stepped forward. “Are you the one who upset Becca?” she asked in a voice seething with anger.

Denise tossed her head back and shrugged. “I don’t know a Becca.”

David pointed toward the table. “Who brought the meals, Denise?”

She blew out a breath, sounding exasperating. “The sub Kendrick has do his menial chores. She brought two meals and left. Not very pretty,” she added and flicked her fingers as if to say the whole subject was below her notice.

“She’s fucking gorgeous,” Kendrick said and her eyes flew to him in surprise. “Beautiful. Sweet. Lovely. And submissive as hell. What did you say to her?”

She gaped at him and her eyes widened as if she finally understood. “She’s your sub?” she squeaked.

“If you haven’t fucked things up,” he said and stepped around Craig. “You are going to tell me right now what you said to her. Or you won’t get another chance. Craig, if she doesn’t open her mouth, she’s all yours.” Craig leaned forward and something in his movement must have finally convinced Denise she should talk.

“I don’t remember. I was getting ready for you to get here and then there was this sub all dolled up, obviously hoping she would have a chance with you,” she said nervously as she wrapped her arms around herself. “And I needed to get her to back off. So I told her I was your sub, had been for years, and that I wasn’t supposed to get here until August but was able to get away early.” She glanced at him and then away. “She left after I took the food to the table. And that’s all that happened. I swear.”

And because he hadn’t told Becca he loved her and that he wanted her to stay, she’d had no reason to believe in him. Their contract was up August first and given Denise’s words, she would have taken them as the truth. Fuck. “Is there anything else you need to tell us?” he asked through clenched teeth. “Anyone else you’ve talked to?”

She shook her head.

“Craig, she’s all yours.”

“Wait,” she screeched but Craig took a firm hold on her arm and marched her out of the cabin. Alice followed them.

For a long moment there was complete silence in the room.

“Becca must have been devastated,” Ryan said quietly. “She looked like someone died.”

More pain filled Kendrick’s chest. It was a good thing Craig would take care of Denise’s punishment and get her off the island. She’d caused his girl pain and that infuriated him. But he also knew that he was partially at fault for not talking to her sooner. “I’m going to Seattle tomorrow,” Kendrick said. “I’d go tonight but there’s no boat. Maybe it will give her a little time to calm down so she’ll listen to me.” And once she’d heard him out, he could only hope she’d understand… and that she would be willing to trust him again and come home where she belonged.

Chapter Twenty-One

“I’ll be fine,” she said in a dull voice as Master Rob sat beside her on her sofa. She’d stayed at his house the night before. He’d insisted upon it and kept her close. As mostly what she’d done was cry, sniffle, and feel bad, she couldn’t have been good company, but he didn’t show any sign of wanting to be rid of her. In fact, she’d insisted on coming home this morning.

“Rebecca,” he said in a slightly scolding voice. “Don’t lie to me, but mostly don’t lie to yourself. You love him. And that’s going to take time to get over, especially since it seems he kept a few things from you.”

With a sigh she nodded and leaned against him. “Part of me doesn’t want to believe it all happened. I’m usually pretty good at spotting lies. Something at least pings in the back of my head so once a lie is revealed I can look back and it makes sense. But he never said anything that made me think he had a sub already.” And it hurt that that blonde was his type. Becca never would have pegged the sub as someone Kendrick would go for. There was something so… fake about her. Or maybe Becca was searching for ways to hate her when the only real reason was that she had Kendrick and Becca didn’t.

“You’ll be fine,” he assured her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m going to give you three days to work through your thoughts. Then you’ll start getting out.”

She groaned. “I’ve got to find a one month position to get me through July.” Nobody would hire her for the kind of money Elan Isle was paying for only a month.

“You’ll do it,” he said, as if there was no doubt in his mind of that fact. “In the meantime, you’ll attend my dinner party Sunday evening. We could use another serving dish and you set a table beautifully. Be there at four so they can prepare you.”

There was no question, just a quiet command, and while she wanted to argue, she didn’t. “Yes, Master Rob.” They would never be a couple, but she knew he cared for her, just like he cared for all of his past subs.

“Good girl. Now I suggest you get some sleep, imbibe in that rich chocolate drink you love, and curl up with a good book. If you need me, call.”

“Yes, Master Rob.”

He pulled her into a tight hug that she returned. His hugs always helped, but in this case, it only covered the pain in a warm blanket. The moment he released her, the blanket was taken away and she was left with the ache.

Once he left, she made herself a cup of European Hot Chocolate and curled up on her couch under a fluffy blanket. She drifted in and out of sleep, but was awakened abruptly by someone banging on her front door. Becca blinked at it in confusion. Who would knock on her door? Cassidy would but she was on Elan Isle. Unless she left.

Becca kicked off the blanket and went to the door. She pulled it open and wanted to slam it again. Kendrick stood on the other side, his blue eyes almost completely gray with deep emotion and a hard expression on his face. “May I come in?” he asked.

Why would he come all the way to Seattle to inform her of what she already knew? There was only one way to find out. “Okay.” She walked back to the sofa and curled up into the blanket while he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Becca looked like hell. Her eyes were bloodshot and her nose was a bright red. Denise should pay for that as well, but first off, he was partially at fault for the circumstances and second, she’d paid dearly all night long. Craig had ended up cuffing her to a chain in the dungeon so that she had to stand on the balls of her feet. Then he’d invited all Doms and subs on the island to watch if they wanted to. Denise loved sensation play but she hated anything that approached pain. So he didn’t need to resort to anything drastic.

From what Kendrick heard, Craig used canes and an extremely stingy flogger off and on for several hours until she was a sweat-soaked ball of crying brat with no marks on her at all. Added to it, Craig had taken several revealing photos that he would release online if she so much as said anything against the contract she’d signed. It wasn’t something Kendrick would have done, but then he wasn’t a sadist. It was one of the reasons he gratefully left discipline in Craig’s hands. From the sound of it, Denise would not be returning any century soon.

But now he had a sub to console and talk to. “Becca,” he said as he crossed the small living room and sat on the sofa as close as he could get. She was backed up to the arm and had her legs between them. He wouldn’t move closer until she gave him the okay. She’d removed her collar and he would never cross that particular line. “It took several hours to unravel what happened last night. I would like to hear how things went down from your side, but first let me tell you mine.”

She kept her eyes on the blanket and he pushed on.

“Denise O’Holloran is a sub I played with five years ago. We played once. And only once.” She glanced up in surprise. “She was never my sub, Becca. In fact, she’s not even a sub. She likes to play at the lifestyle and loves sensation play, but she became fixated on me after we played and is one of those types of people that figures if she wants something, she should have it. Yesterday.” Her attention stayed on him, so he plunged forward, hoping he wouldn’t mess it up. “Part of the whole misunderstanding is mine. We had our contract set so that it expired when you went back to work in Seattle. I had something very important to talk to you about yesterday.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “If I’d only told you before you ran into Denise, you never would have believed her. But I wanted to tell you in the right way. So I was waiting for the perfect time. Turns out, there is no such thing.”

She leaned forward slightly. “She’s not your sub?”

“No. Denise has never been my sub, Becca. I promise.”

No relief colored her face as she pulled the blanket around her. “What did you want to tell me?”

There it was. The information he was a chicken shit about. Grow some balls, Finleigh. “Becca, the relationship we’ve built over the five weeks we’ve been together has been unlike any one I’ve ever had. It didn’t take long before I knew I felt more for you than I had for any girl before. But it wasn’t until our scene that one day in the woods that I realized I was in love with you.” Becca gasped and her sad eyes filled with tears. “I should have told you then. But I’ve never been in love, Becca. Ever. It sounds crazy but I didn’t know how to say it. Those three little words are packed with a whole lot of meaning.”

She swallowed and plucked at the blanket. “What do they mean to you?”

The air was filled with what felt like hope, so he took the chance and lifted her onto his lap. She didn’t curl into him, but she didn’t stiffen up and pull away either. “They mean that I want to go to bed with you at night and wake up next to you in the morning. I want you to live on Elan Isle as my girl and my sub. They mean I have no fucking clue what’s going to happen in the future, but for now I want to share my life with you.” He took a deep breath and lifted her chin so that she looked him in the eye. “I love you, Rebecca Hesse. And if you give me the chance, I’d love to take you home.”

A sound that could have either been a sob or a shout left Becca’s lips and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Relieved, he kissed her back, holding her close as he nibbled along her delectable lips. When she opened them to give him further access, though, he pulled back. She drew away, obviously confused. “Becca, I need to know how things went from your side. We need to get the air clear so we can move on. Yes?”

She trembled but nodded. “First off,” she said in a soft voice. “I love you, too.” Joy replaced the former ache in his chest and he wanted nothing more than to lay her out on the floor and make love to her. But he waited. “I realized it about the same time you did, but know a lot of Doms don’t like it when a sub falls in love with them. So I didn’t say anything.” She placed her fingers on his shirt and drew little designs with her fingers. “I think my doubts were clouding my mind. I kept thinking I should let you know, but then worried if I did that you would push me away. And I thought if I only had until August with you that I could at least have that.”

He pulled her close, needing to offer her comfort, and this time, she curled up to him and tucked her head under his chin. The previous day unfolded from her point of view and as he listened, he wanted to smack himself. Shit. He’d acted like an utter fool around her. More of the blame for the problem settled at his feet. Craig was going to lord it over him once he found out. He loved being right.

“I’m going to have to have a word with Rob,” he said after she finished. “He never should have removed you from the island.”

“He was just trying to help me,” she said quickly. “And I thought you had another sub.”

“Yes, but he has enough experience he should have at least wanted to ball me out. If that had happened, you wouldn’t have spent the night crying your eyes out and I wouldn’t have spent a sleepless night waiting to come after you.”

She pulled back slightly. “I’m sorry?”

He shook his head in amusement and nuzzled against her nose. “I know there were extenuating circumstances, and I screwed up. But you didn’t give me a chance to explain.”

“I know.” She sat back a little. “I think it was the shock of it. When I first saw her, I ran off and got my head on straight enough to face you. But then I ran into her in your cabin and all the things I thought went straight out the door.” Becca looked him in the eyes again. “I’m sorry, Kendrick. I think we both have a lot to learn about relationships.”

That was true enough. He settled back into her sofa and considered the matter. “Since we both fucked up, it wouldn’t be fair of me to punish you. However, how do you feel about it?”

A small frown made the spot between her eyebrows wrinkle. He’d never noticed that before. It was cute. “Yes, you made a mistake, but your mistake was in waiting to tell me. My mistake was bigger,” she said, her voice growing firmer. Her eyes rose to meet his again. “I’m sure the whole island knows by now.”

“No doubt. Considering they were all invited to watch Craig punish Denise for her part in all this.”

Her eyes widened. “You know, the thought of Craig and punishment in the same sentence is scary.”

He laughed. “I’ve already decided he’s in charge of discipline. He scares subs and Doms alike.”

The corners of her lips twitched and she pulled away. She stood up and slid gracefully to her knees in front of him. Damn she was beautiful. Becca looked up at him and gave him a soft smile. “I want there to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that I’m your girl. I…” She took a deep breath and let it out. “I want you to show everyone that I’m yours. Whether that’s through public discipline or something else, I’m leaving that up to you. Because while I might have had some doubts due to the Denise-debacle, I don’t doubt you, Kendrick. I trust you.”

Pride filled him and he took her hands in his. “Becca, if you come back as my sub, it’s not just until August first.”

“I know.”

He needed to be sure she understood. “You’ll be staying on the island year round, which means you’ll have to give up your job.”

Her smile widened, reaching her eyes. “I know.”

Hope filled his chest but he had to push further, make sure she knew exactly what he meant. He reached forward, threaded his fingers into her soft hair, and looked into her gorgeous eyes. “Full time, day in, day out, you’ll be my girl, my sub, my lover. Can you live with that?”

A beautiful soft laugh left her lips. “Yes.”

That was all he needed to know and he pulled her up and into his arms. Kissing her senseless was the first order of business. Then they would have to clear her apartment. He wasn’t going to allow her out of his sight for a long time.

Chapter Twenty-Three

It was a good thing that Becca wasn’t a things person. She had very little to pack up and by early evening, she had given notice to her apartment and the school system and all of her things were packed up and in the back of his truck. One word to Master Rob and he called people he knew. Her furniture, which she would have had to dump, was picked up and the apartment was one big empty by the time she locked the door and turned in the key.

Kendrick held her hand in the drive around the peninsula to his garage space near Sequim. It felt a bit surreal. It was less than two months ago that she had brought with her the bare minimum to work at a kinky fair and now she was moving to the island to live in a 24/7 D/s relationship.

“I’ve ordered you a few outfits,” Kendrick said as they packed her boxes into the boat that would carry them to the island.

“Oh?” She liked his taste in kinky clothes. They were always unique, fun, and showed off her assets.

“Yes. Originally, the thought was I would be called The Master at Arms, but that just wasn’t me. Alice decided that at least for this summer, I’ll be the Pirate Lord. And I’ve agreed.”

Becca smiled, her heart beating a little faster at the image that came to mind. “I can see it. Tight pants, thigh high boots, a loose white shirt. You’ll look like the pirate king in Pirates of Penzance.”

“I’m hoping that’s a good thing,” he said when they loaded the last box.

“Oh, it’s a very good thing,” she assured him, picturing his muscled body in exactly that outfit. The subs would go crazy.

“Good. Because you’ll be wearing a naughty wench costume that will leave your legs bare and most of your chest exposed.” He shot her a grin. “And there will be openings everywhere I might want entrance.”

Her body zinged with desire and she nodded. “Sounds good, Sir.”

He kissed her. “Good. Now let’s go home.”

They took seats and waited for the boat to back up. She leaned against him. “So who will Neil, Craig, and Alice be?”

Kendrick chuckled. “Alice will be Queen Alice. She’s looking forward to lording it over her subjects. Neil’s taken the Master at Arms title and Craig will be Discipline Master.”

“What about Joseph?” He was a sub, but he was also a full partner in their venture.

“Oh Joseph has had some fun as well. He’s Her Highness’s Jester, which means he gets to play things up a bit. They both look forward to the results of that.”

She snickered. “I love that they’ve been together for so long and can still have fun.”

He pressed a kiss to her mouth. “It’s all about trying new things and mixing things up, Becca. And we’ve got two people who we can look to if we ever feel things are getting boring.”

“Not just them,” she said dryly. “All we have to do is look at the Faire and we can come up with something.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

The sun was going down by the time they exited the boat. Kendrick could tell that Becca was a little uncomfortable by the crowd the rushed toward them. But he understood that until they scened in front of everyone, she would not feel settled.

“Welcome back,” Alice said and gave Becca a hug. Then, in true Alice fashion, she picked up one of the boxes and walked away without pressing for more information. She always seemed to know when not to get involved. The rest of the intrepid crew who had come with her picked up boxes, welcomed Becca back, and then took her stuff away.

“To my cabin,” he shouted after them.

“That was a given,” Craig shouted back.

Yes. His friend was going to crow over the fact he was right for ages. Bastard. Kendrick grinned.

The cabin was much as he left it, though any signs Denise had been there were removed. Becca stood off to the side in the living room and her discomfort was tangible. Once all the boxes were delivered, Kendrick cleared his throat. “Meet us at the dungeon.”

Nobody asked any questions. They just nodded and left.

“Come on,” Kendrick said and took her hand. “Let’s get this done. You’ll feel better when it’s behind you.”

Becca gave him a tremulous smile. “It’s probably stupid, but I feel they’re all judging me for leaving.”

He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, holding her slightly trembling body against his. “They’re not. They get why everything happened. But if there’s any lingering doubt in their minds, it will be put to rest by our scene. And, love,” he said to remind her. A small smile crossed her lips at his endearment. “The only two people who matter in that room are you and me. But if you’re wondering about outsiders, the slate will be wiped clean and you can look them in the eye from then on. Okay?”

She blew out a breath and nodded. It was obvious she was nervous, but the trust in her eyes made him feel strong. “Okay.”

He went upstairs and packed a few pieces. One of them was a collar Craig gave him a few days ago. It was one Jilly had created. The intricacy of the threaded leather design was unique and absolutely stunning. It was delicate and yet made a statement. It was perfect for his Becca. Especially with the fact this one had a small lock only he could remove. He put the tiny key on the small chain he wore around his wrist and slipped the collar into his bag. Time to go make Becca his so everyone knew it.

They walked hand-in-hand toward the dungeon and Kendrick marveled again at how cool the nights were. It was late June and it felt like early spring. While he knew that meant the winter would be nasty, he thought he could handle it for the beauty of the summer. Besides, there were so many fun things to do inside as well. He glanced at Becca who seemed lost in her own head. Given what was ahead, he left her to it. What they were about to do was big, at least in their minds and those of their friends.

It wasn’t a collaring ceremony, but it was everything but. He was going to take her in front of his friends in a way to make sure nobody was of any doubt who she belonged to. Her skin would show the marks he would place on her for a week or so, just in time for the opening day when he could claim her in front of the entire fucking Faire. There was no way to stop his grin. He planned to do that often.

“Someone’s thinking of something naughty,” she teased.

He glanced over at her and winked. “Just thinking about using your delectable body every day at the Faire.”

Her eyes twinkled in the dim lights. “Oh, I’m counting on it, Sir.”

The grounds were quiet with just the crickets filling the air with their music, soft breezes rustling through the trees making it feel as though they were on their own deserted island. Until they stepped into the dungeon.

It was set up as it would only be for demonstrations and when they played. No guests would be allowed to play at the dungeon due to its safety issues. The overhead lights were off. Small electric lamps sat around the circular dungeon, flickers making them look like candles.

Their friends stood off to the side, just waiting to see where they would play. He paused just inside the door and turned toward her. “Becca,” he said in a tone low enough only she would hear. “I wish you to strip and come kneel next to me. You’re not to say anything unless you need to safeword. Otherwise, this scene is about reconnection. It’s about us. Ignore those who watch us for they’re here only to witness to our union.”

Warm hazel eyes looked up at him, trusting and filled with hope, and she nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Without another word, he turned and strode toward the piece of equipment he would use. Kendrick wanted the scene to carry the energy the field scene had, but didn’t want to duplicate it. He wanted it new, exciting, and to keep Becca waiting and wandering what wonderful thing would happen next.

On the opposite side from the door was the piece he wanted and he set the bag next to it. As he moved the arms and the base to work as he wanted, he was aware when their audience joined him. They all stood back, giving him room, but he loved that they were there. He wished his brother Rhys and his friend Beau could have been. Then everyone he loved in the world would have been present.

He wrapped hemp rope along the arms, giving cushion to the hard metal surface. Kendrick wasn’t sure how long their scene would last, and while he planned for Becca to be sore the next day, he did want her to be able to move. After adding two extender arms, he pulled the collar out of his bag and turned toward his friends.

“Thank you for witnessing tonight,” he said in a calm voice. He felt a presence and he knew Becca was at his side. “Everyone here knows me and you’re also aware of the issues that arose over the last few days. Tonight takes care of the sins of the past and starts everything with a new slate. From tonight onward, Becca is mine in every way. She’s in my bed and my life. If something happens and you have issues with her, you’re to bring them to me. If you see someone bothering her, contact me instantly. As you would protect anyone in our circle, I ask that you offer that protection to my Becca.”

In the dull lighting, he could see the smiles on his friends’ faces. Craig wasn’t smiling so much as smirking. He stood with his arms folded over his chest and the look on his face clearly stated he was in favor of Kendrick’s choice.

Turning his mind to the one that mattered in that moment, Kendrick turned toward his girl and for a brief moment couldn’t move. Becca had done as he asked and knelt beside him. But the way she did it took his breath away. Instead of kneeling next to him and facing their audience, she knelt facing him. She was a vision of submission. The low lighting flickered across her shoulders, making them appear a creamy peach. Her nipples were erect and she sat back in her heels with her back straight, her head up, and her eyes cast down.

He pulled the collar out of his pocket. The design drew his eye and he looked at it. Made from one strip of leather, a long oval had been left whole but the rest of it had been stripped and weaved together, bringing chaos out of order and returning it absolutely perfectly.

“Rebecca Hesse,” he said clearly, his voice echoing in the large chamber. “Will you accept my collar and be my submissive? Will you follow my command and trust that my decision will be in your best interests? Will you allow me to love you as long as it is possible to do so?”

Becca slowly raised her eyes, the lights showing how glassy they were. Love poured out at him from those beautiful hazel orbs. “Yes, Sir. I accept your collar and your dominance. I trust you and submit myself to you. I love you,” she ended on a whisper, her breath catching on a sob.

“Stand.” He reached out and took her hand when it was obvious she was struggling. Tears trickled down her cheeks and small hiccupping sobs escaped her throat. Her emotions were out for everyone to see. She’d never been more beautiful.

Once she stood tall before him, he turned the collar toward her so she could see it. In the center where Jilly had left the leather intact was burned one simple word. MINE. He wrapped the leather around her throat and used the small lock to secure it. When he stepped back, the rest of the world faded away as he took in his girl—his submissive, his love—standing proudly before him.

While he could have stared at her all night, that wasn’t why they were there. Kendrick took a step to the side and pointed to the device. “Come.” She followed him and he pointed to the metal piece that was affixed to the floor. “Straddle it.” Becca stepped over the metal and he moved the upper arms into place under hers. He quickly wrapped cuffs around her wrists and secured them and added a cuff to each upper arm as well. Once those were snapped shut, her upper body was secure.

He pulled over one of the many arms that Alec had created for the apparatus and placed it right in front of her left foot. “Lift,” he said and placed a hand on her left ankle. She allowed him to place her foot on the foot rest and he affixed a cuff to her ankle and her instep to keep her from sliding off. He walked around to her right side and tapped her right ankle. The pause was slight but Becca took a deep breath before she allowed him to lift her right leg and put it on the arm. He quickly secured it. Pride in the amount of trust she showed him filled him up.

There was no doubt that allowing him to do this was putting her out of her comfort zone. And he was going to push her further. Each of the arms was built into a computer system and he walked over to the small monitor and pushed the sequence he wanted and grabbed the small remote. He stepped back to her side and placed a hand on her ass. “Relax,” he said calmly and pushed the button on the remote. The arms that held her feet began to lift and expand. A squeak left her and he pressed a little more firmly on her ass, making sure she knew he was there.

She tensed, but when it became obvious that the places she was attached would not let her fall, she relaxed a little. Her ass hung down while her legs hung up in a V and her arms and upper body were held above the floor. She was open for anything he wanted to do to her.

Once she looked as comfortable as she could in that position, he walked back to his bag and opened it. He pulled out his favorite flogger, a rattan cane, two dildos, a halter, and a vibrating ring. After laying everything on a small table that was behind her so she couldn’t see it, he spread his hands on her lower back and slid them down to her ass. He pulled back and smacked her hard.

She gasped and then moaned. Perfect response.

He grabbed the small leather harness and affixed it around her inner thighs and buttocks. It wouldn’t cover any area he might want to hit, but it would keep the vibrating ring where he put it. He slid the ring into place and flipped the switch to turn it on. The ring had been devised for men, but he had instantly found a way to use it with a female. The ring surrounded Becca’s clit but didn’t hit the most sensitive glans. It would be tantamount to being teased and teased and teased without getting the big push that would make her come.

Until he added the other toys and his own cock.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Becca hadn’t spent much time in the dungeon so she had never seen this particular piece of equipment. It looked a bit like it belonged in medieval torture chambers, only it seemed to be animatronic as well. Doms could do the most dastardly things with average items. With a piece like this, it left the use up to the Dom’s wildest imagination. And Kendrick’s imagination was infinite as far as she could tell.

Her upper body was supported by the metal, but with her legs also up in the air, it left her entire ass and pussy dangling in air. That was both slightly humiliating and freeing. Just like that day in the forest, she was his to do with as he pleased. And she could hardly wait to see what he pleased.

Well, except for that vibrating thing. It pulsated through her entire pussy, but it wasn’t hitting her clit. It felt like she had an itch and she couldn’t scratch it.

A warm wet finger pressed against her back hole and she moaned as it pushed inside. A warm chuckle wafted past her ear. “You can squeeze your muscles, little one. It’s still going in.”

It? She blinked. Sounded like whatever was about to go in wouldn’t be his cock. Before she could wonder what he would use—a vibrator maybe—he pressed three fingers in and she gasped at the intrusion.

“That’s right, Becca. My hole. It’s mine to do with as I please.”

She trembled and let her head fall back in surrender. The fact was, as uncomfortable as three fingers were, they also felt amazing. She loved it when he fucked her, no matter what hole he chose, but she had to admit she had an affinity for him fucking her ass. Becca didn’t have a fetish for it like some subs and hadn’t wanted it before. But Kendrick was just so good at it that he’d turned her into an ass whore. No. Not an ass whore. His ass whore.

His fingers pulled out and she squeezed her sphincter, feeling the lube he’d pressed inside her drip out. It was both disgusting and a total turn on. The buzz of the machine came to life and she wondered what it would do now. And then she didn’t have to wonder anymore. Oh shit. Something large pressed against her ass and slowly slid inside. A dildo. It was a dildo. But it was connected to something that whirred and buzzed and went in and out of her ass so slowly that she wanted to scream.

Kendrick usually fucked her fast and she wanted fast.

But she’d promised to submit to him and so she forced her body to relax as the dildo continually went in and out. The hard slap of a flogger filled the air at the same moment heat flashed across her ass and she gasped and arched her back. Another blow fell and she whimpered in pleasure and pain as the thud became a wonderful throbbing ache in her pussy that was spread by the vibrating thing around her clit.

So much sensation. The falls of the flogger came in a slow beat, going in time with the dildo. In, thwap, out, thwap. So slow. Too slow. And yet totally and completely wonderful.

Her buttocks sizzled with heat and when he stopped she took a few seconds to try and catch her breath. Kendrick stepped into her view and she stared at her gorgeous hunk of Dom. He was one sexy man. And he definitely knew how to drive her to the brink and carry her over into sensation she hadn’t known existed until him.

His face was a total mask of concentration. His eyes were on her, taking in her breathing and each twitch she made. And no doubt cataloguing it for the next time he used this dastardly machine. He pulled another one of those metal arms over and affixed another dildo to it. He wasn’t going to… No. Double penetration? Before the thought even went through her head, he pressed the head of the dildo against her pussy and pushed a button on a remote. It slid inside as the dildo in her ass slid out. Both dildos rubbed against one another through the thin lining inside her body and she mewled softly, unable to stay quiet even though she wanted to.

Kendrick looked up into her eyes, the color of his a dazzling, passionate blue. He was as turned on as she was. And he watched her as the dildos moved in and out of her, driving her up and up as they rubbed and brushed and drove her mad. The new one in her pussy continually brushed over her g-spot and she thought she might explode into a million pieces once she did come.

And then he lifted his hand and she spotted what he held. A rattan cane. She both loved and hated the instrument. It was painful, but the results were worth the pain, especially in his hands.

One sharp snap and a welt showed up on her inner thigh. Her breathing sped up and she stared as welt after welt appeared on her inner thighs, each one about the same size and equidistant from one another. As he got to the top of her thighs, she thought maybe he would continue around to her back. Instead, he lifted it higher and brought it down on her right breast.

She cried out in surprise and then instantly shut her mouth as the sting sizzled along the welt. Becca breathed in through her nose to control the pain, to let it slide through her, to let it up the pleasure. Kendrick waited until she calmed and then he brought the cane down on her left breast. More pain but her breathing took that pain and sent it straight to her pussy where it combined with the pressure against her g-spot and sent her brain reeling.

Pride on Kendrick’s face just made it even better. Each stripe she received from the cane filled her with pleasure and him with pride. When he stepped back, she had no idea how many welts she had and it didn’t matter. They were from him and she considered them a gift.

With him watching her, she became intimately aware of how wet she was. Liquid trickled out of her pussy and down to her ass and the sound of that wet snap each time the dildos moved was music to her ears.

Kendrick lifted his hand once more and brought the cane down. Fire lit up over her clit and her world exploded. Lights danced in front of her eyes and somewhere someone was screaming out delighted yelps. Becca thought it might be her.

The dildo in her pussy was gone but was almost instantly replaced by the real thing. Kendrick reached around her and grasped her ass, which still smarted from the flogging, and he fucked her. His body pistoned in and out of her like a machine and all the while, his eyes held hers. Blue. She focused on the blue while everything else in her vision was stars.

Snap. Slap. Fuck. Her entire world centered down to what she could see, smell, hear, and feel. Kendrick continued to fuck her hard and fast, just the way she craved. The scent of musk and sex surrounded them like a cloud and she didn’t think she ever wanted it to end. Each wet snap as he pulled out and slap as his body connected with hers filled her head like a soundtrack. But it was the feeling as his dick continued to ram into her that brought everything together.

The blue in his eyes intensified and then… the world went soft. Her senses took a hike and she soared on a cloud of such happiness that she never wanted to come down.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Kendrick unhooked Becca from the cuffs and carried her over to a small bed nearby and wrapped the both of them up in a blanket. He could take her back to their cabin later. For now, he wanted to rest with her in the aftermath of their scene.

She’d taken everything so wonderfully, her trust in him apparent. It was probably a good thing he hadn’t taken a pill tonight or he would have fucked her into a coma.

Becca curled up to him and he pulled her tighter.

The soft whispers and murmurs of his friends came from a distance and he didn’t pay much attention. The soft scent of cleaner filled his nostrils and he knew someone was cleaning the equipment. He would thank whomever it was tomorrow.

Footsteps left through the door and as his mind slowed toward sleep, he finally heard a voice loud enough to make out. It was Slate, Jilly’s cousin.

“Damn,” he said. “Please tell me somewhere there’s a gay version of Kendrick. Because oh my god I need to find him.”

Alice laughed softly. “Has anyone told you about his elder brother Rhys? He’s gay and a Dom.”

“Really?” The voices drifted off and he smiled as he pulled Becca closer. Maybe the next time Rhys visited he’d introduce the two. It would be nice to see his brother with a more permanent sub.

She sighed in utter contentment and he nuzzled her forehead. Perhaps they’d sleep in tomorrow. After all, lying in bed late sometimes could be fun. Especially if one’s sub was particularly good at fellatio and one had all sorts of toys to torture her with.

With a smile on his face, he let himself slide into slumber. Life was good.

Epilogue

Kendrick pulled his boots on and gave them a tug. Then he stood up straight and looked in the full length mirror. Becca was right. He looked like a pirate rogue in the outfit. Perfect. The white shirt was tucked into his pantaloons, however it was unbuttoned so it showed his chest off. The boots came to just above the knees and were actually more comfortable than he’d assumed they’d be.

And the pantaloons. Why did men stop wearing them? They showed off his firm legs and the family jewels nicely. Talk about a walking advertisement.

“Admiring your cock again, Sir?” Becca asked as she came out of the bathroom. He looked at her in the mirror and groaned. She was a vision in her slutty wench costume. The front came to just below her crotch, giving a viewer a peak now and then of what lay beneath. The back fell a little lower but was loose enough he could flip it up and land a few swats to her behind whenever he so desired.

But it was the bustier that would draw most eyes. The bust came just below her tits making them stand out. If anyone tried to touch them, he’d manacle the offender to the whipping post and take it out of their hide, but he couldn’t resist showing his beautiful slut off to the world.

She smiled at him, straightening her spine and shoulders which naturally pushed out her charms. “Like what you see, Sir?”

“Always. And don’t forget it’s ‘my lord’ while at the Faire. Come here, wench.” He grasped her arm and sat down on the bed. As he’d intended, the trajectory landed her ass up over his lap. Kendrick quickly pulled up the skirt. “Your ass is a beautiful canvas,” he told her. “I’m definitely going to have to paint on it today.”

Beautiful laughter rang out of her mouth. “And will your paint be a flogger or a cane, my lord?”

He smacked her hard, smiling when she squeaked. “Calm the cheek or I’ll put on some capsaicin cream and tie up your skirt so everyone can see your bright shiny ass.”

“Sorry, Sir.”

“Good girl. Now up you get. We can have all the fun we want on the grounds. Let’s save it for our visitors.”

Becca giggled as he lifted her to her feet. “We’ve got the best jobs on the planet,” she said with a laugh. “We get to have sex all day long and it’s legal.”

Amused, he nodded. “And I plan on taking full advantage of it, wench.”

She grinned as she slid her toes into her calf-high boots. “Let’s go get ‘em, my lord.”

Becca was trembling with excitement. It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d been part of a badly run excuse for a kink island and now they were about to open the doors on a true kink experience. And she was a part of it. She glanced at Kendrick who strode along at her side. No, not just a part of it. She was the sub of the man who made the place what it was. Yes, he was one of five people who owned Elan Isle and Ye Olde Kinke Faire, but each of the others always came to Kendrick with questions. Out of the four dominants in their group, he was undeniably the leader. And she was his girl.

I’m so lucky.

Kendrick squeezed her hand and she smiled at him. He was having the time of his life. She thought he missed his time on the rodeo circuit. Not so much getting his body shaken up by a bull, but the showmanship involved. Being the Pirate Lord would be right up his alley.

The Faire grounds were no longer just a stretch of dirt and a few ramshackle shops. The whole faire was only a third the size Kendrick wanted it to be next year, but it looked like a kinky renaissance faire. Bright festooned ribbons hung from curved arches over the walkways and each shop had a small post in front of it with its name and wares. Becca could hardly wait to go check out some of the items for sale.

The gates were closed but she could hear the babble of voices from the other side. “How many do you think came?” she asked as they got near Penny University.

“Not sure. Our maximum will be twenty-five hundred a day but I don’t expect that until next summer at least. If we have a five hundred person turnout over the weekend, I’ll be pleased.”

Everyone was in their costumes and the place felt right. Cassidy was dressed as a saucy barmaid and no doubt would be flirting with every Dom who gave her a glance. Becca caught her friend’s eye and smiled. Cassidy grinned back, but there was no time to talk. Kendrick handed her a cup of coffee and cleared his throat. Everyone that was there turned to look at him. The few people that were absent were watching the incoming horde and preparing for the opening.

“Friends,” Kendrick said. “After six weeks of hard-ass work, today Ye Olde Kinke Faire has its day. In fifteen minutes, those gates will open and no matter how many or how few our numbers are, we’re to treat them as we would anyone at a kink club. With respect, the occasional smack to the ass, and a flirtatious wink.”

Several people chuckled.

“Here. Here,” Alec said, lifting up his mug of coffee. “And a little CBT.”

“And a chastity belt or two,” Garrett added in. Over the last week, he seemed to have dropped the attitude and while Becca never went near him without protection in tow, he came across as more likeable.

“And leather,” another person piped in.

“And tons of squeaks, squeals, and groans.”

The excitement was tangible. This project might belong to Kendrick, Neil, Craig, Alice, and Joseph, but all of them had put their heart and soul into it.

“I’ll let you to head to your shops. Don’t forget to text Ryan with when you want food delivered. He’ll be around several times so you don’t have to starve.” Kendrick drank the last of his coffee and put the cup down. “To one hell of an opening day.”

She jumped when everyone yelled “Huzzah!” Cassidy burst out laughing and she did too. Someone had been researching renaissance fairs.

“All right, wench,” Kendrick said, putting an arm around her and leading her toward the fence. “Let’s go break the proverbial bottle.”

A few of their merry troupe was standing on the bridge built over the gates. They were laughing and joking with the people standing on the other side. The closer they got to it, the more the risqué things they were saying met Becca’s ears.

“Ah, right,” one of the players said in a deep, gruff voice. “Well, sir, it sounds like your lass could do with a little help. Come see Garrett when you enter. He’s got chastity belts that will truss her pussy up just fine.” Laughter and someone’s muffled voice came from the other side of the gate and he laughed. “Ah, well in that case, take her straight to the whipping post and see how we correct our subs. I believe our pirate, Lord Kendrick, is going to teach his wench a lesson in about an hour. That should help keep her mouth shut.”

Becca looked over at Kendrick who grinned wide. “Right off?” she asked with a laugh.

“Start like you mean to continue,” he said in a sage voice. “Besides, those beautiful marks from last week have faded. I can’t have that.”

Her grin spread from ear to ear. The scene they shared in front of his friends in the dungeon had been intense and overwhelming and just as wonderful as the one in the glen. It proved to her just how creative her man was. And she knew she had only scratched the surface of his inventive mind. “Well, of course not,” she agreed, looking forward to whatever he did. “I miss the ache when I walk.”

He laughed. “That I can fix.”

They reached the bottom of the steps and began the climb. The people on the stairs were two members of security, the actors interacting with the crowd, and one of Kendrick’s friends. Their Master At Arms, Neil, wore black jeans held up with suspenders over a deep gray t-shirt that read Master of Arms, Legs, Cocks and Pussies.

With a snort, Kendrick smacked his shoulder. Neil grinned back. He turned and gave Becca a once over. “Hello, wench.”

Becca did a curtsy. “Good day, Master Neil.”

“Ah, I like that,” Neil said with a smirk. “You can call me that at any time.”

Becca snorted and Kendrick paused on the stairs, yanked her over his knee, pulled up her skirt and landed five sharp swats on her ass. Sass was okay, but he wouldn’t take it on Faire grounds and definitely not at a fellow Dom. And she knew it. He knew part of it was the fact she was nervous about the day. Bringing her mind back to where it needed to be quickly was the best way to keep her calm.

“That?” one of the players said as he put Becca back on her feet, slightly winded with bright pink cheeks. “That was one of our wenches getting her ass spanked. Try it. You might like it.” Laughter erupted again, but Kendrick ignored the banter.

“Apologize,” he said firmly.

Becca turned to Neil and slid to her knees gracefully. “I apologize, Master Neil. I didn’t mean to laugh at you.”

“Apology accepted, wench.” Neil glanced down at Becca’s breasts and looked back up at Kendrick. “Those need some marks.”

“I plan on it.”

His friend reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a set of nipple clamps. “You know, these would match her pretty little outfit.” Which they would because Kendrick bought them at the same time to match.

“I agree,” Kendrick said and leaned back against the wall to watch. “Why don’t you do the honors?” Becca knew he wouldn’t let another Dom harm her and she knew Neil pretty well, so while her blush deepened, she didn’t flinch when Neil reached forward and tugged on her pert little nipples. Pride filled Kendrick’s chest as he watched her. She was so incredible. How the fuck did he get to be so lucky?

Neil spit on his fingers and tugged a little more, making her nipples a nice dusky pink. He attached the first one and then he watched Becca’s face as he tightened it. “You tell me if it’s too much,” Neil said firmly and Becca nodded.

“Yes, Master Neil.”

When both clamps were on, he connected them with a chain and tugged lightly on it. He grinned when Becca finally winced. “Looks like we have a winner, Kendrick. She comes equipped with a lead now.” Kendrick chuckled. “And if I were you, I’d look at using suction on her. She’s got nice nipples, but if they were longer, they’d be even more fun.”

Suction was definitely one of Neil’s favorite toys. “Next time she pisses me off, I might let you do it,” Kendrick said and chuckled when Becca startled. She glanced up at him and her eyes flitted back and forth between his. Knowing she needed reassurance that he would never just hand her over to Neil, he ran his fingers through her hair. “Though with what a jealous prick I could become around her, maybe not.” Her muscles softened and she lowered her gaze.

Neil laughed. “So be it. I’m sure there’s another wench I can use.”

“Stand.” At Kendrick’s word, Becca rose to her feet and stepped next to him. He glanced at his watch. “Five more minutes and I can welcome our guests.” He was excited. While he didn’t expect too many people, not on their first day, he was looking forward to watching the Faire in use. They would be able to see what did work, what didn’t, and make plans for next year at the same time.

His cell phone buzzed and he pulled it out, smiling when he saw it was a text from his brother.

Rhys: Are you ready?

Kendrick: Five minutes and the Faire will be ago.

Rhys: You’ve done good, little brother.

Kendrick: Fuck off. LOL

Rhys: I’ll miss it this year, but I plan to be there next year. Save a sexy twink for me.

Kendrick: I’ll do my best. I miss you.

Rhys: Miss you, too. Give Becca a kiss for me and tell her I think she’s brave to put up with you.

Kendrick chuckled and showed Becca the text. She grinned and waved toward the phone. He handed it over and she texted.

Kendrick: This is Becca. I’d say I know, but Lord Kendrick’s in a spanky mood, so I won’t. Miss you and look forward to getting to know you better.

Kendrick chuckled at the text and tugged on her hair a little. Rhys’s reply took a few seconds, but when it came, he burst out laughing.

Rhys: Becca, my heartiest condolences. Kendrick, you’re obviously not beating the girl right. Your hand has to make contact with her ass. That’s the first rule. The second rule is give my sub-in-law a kiss for me and get this show on the road. My fingers are crossed for you.

He slipped the phone back into the pocket of his shirt and waited for the signal they were ready. Footsteps at the bottom of the stairs drew his attention and he turned to see Craig, Alice, and Joseph climbing toward him. All three had huge grins on their faces.

“What’s with the smiles?” Neil asked in amusement. “Y’all look like you’re about to squeal. And Craig squealing would totally and completely freak me out.”

“Fuck off,” Craig said good-naturedly.

Alice laughed. “Maybe I’ll add that to your limits list. Squealing and frolicking.”

“I do not frolic and don’t you dare,” Craig said, his smile changing to his normal frown.

Becca’s body shook, but she didn’t laugh out loud. Kendrick admired her restraint. “What’s with the smiles?” he asked in a quiet tone as the actors were still rousing the crowd.

Craig waved a sheet of paper. “Got this from the ferry captain,” he said, his frown twisting and twitching as though he was fighting, but finally the grin was back. “Look at the final number for todays’ delivery.”

Kendrick took the page as Neil stepped over and looked over his shoulder. There were lists of people but at the bottom was the number of adults the ferry had brought over. 982.

“Is that right?” Neil asked, his mouth practically dropping open. “Almost a thousand people for our first day?”

“Yep.” Craig nodded. “And most of them used the opportunity given to change into kink wear in the guard house Chandler put up down by the docks. We also have a folder that has all the releases they had to sign before getting on board the ferry. We’re good to go, Kendrick. Time to open the gates.”

The energy coming off all of them was pure excitement and it was nice to feel it from Craig. He’d acted much his normal self since he returned from Jilly’s funeral, but it was only over the last few days that his natural vitality had returned. Looked like his friend was definitely on the mend.

More footsteps had them all look down the stairs. Dressed like a nobleman from the nineteenth century, albeit a nobleman with a whip coiled at his waist, Dallas came up to them, a smile in his eyes. “All the medical stations are manned and ready. There’s ten medical staff on duty today and I have five more who are willing to come on Saturdays and Sundays if we need them.”

That was a relief. Kendrick knew they’d figure things out, but up until three days before, they hadn’t received word from any of the nurses that they’d invited to participate in the Faire. Knowing they had more than enough staff just made things even better.

“Ah,” the player said loudly. “I think I hear the pirate’s approach, lords, ladies, and subs of all persuasion.” He glanced down the stairs and Kendrick looked up and nodded at him. He was ready. “Yes. Here he comes. I am pleased to introduce the head of Ye Olde Kinke Faire, the pirate lord, Lord Kendrick!”

“Huzzah!” shouted the actors and a resounding “Huzzah” came from the crowd that startled Kendrick. One thousand voices filled the air and sent a shiver of excitement down his spine.

He left the others and bounded up the stairs. The thrill of being on stage filled him, of everyone’s eyes on him. Kendrick had almost forgotten the rush that came along with performing but as it hit him, any worries he had disappeared as he stepped up onto the main bridge over the gates and turned toward the crowd.

It was awe-inspiring. They filled the courtyard and bled halfway down to the docks. For a moment, it took his breath away. And then, like a light switch was flicked, everything settled and he leered. He stood with his legs more than shoulder width apart with his fists on his hips.

“And who’s this?” he said loudly.

“Lords, ladies, and their subs come to enjoy your faire, my lord,” the actor said with a flourish. “Tales of your debauchery have reached their ears and they rushed to see it for themselves.”

“Ah.” Kendrick nodded and then placed his hands on the edge of the bridge and leaned forward. “I’m not going to talk to you about rules as I know you’ve read the regulations and signed the releases. I’m not even going to talk to you about SSC as there are signs everywhere. All I’m going to say is through these gates is the vacation you’ve been waiting for. Perversion you’ve only dreamed of, you’ll hopefully find. You can play anywhere on Faire grounds except on the stages. Dungeon masters are noticeable as they all wear a shirt that says so.

“But Ye Olde Kinke Faire isn’t about the no’s. As long as you obey the rules, it’s about the yeses. It’s about doing what makes you feel good. It’s about being your perverted, kinky, debauched selves where everyone else gets it.” He ended on a yell and the crowd responded with a cheer. “We all get it,” he said. “Every single one of us. As long as you and your partner or partners have agreed to it and it doesn’t go against the rules, have fun. Fuck, spank, suck, or otherwise enjoy your day. I know I plan to. In fact, for those who enjoy watching a good whipping, come to Stage 2 in thirty minutes to watch me whip and fuck my wench.

“There are condom machines everywhere. Get a few and stuff them in your pockets. You never know when you’ll want to bend someone over and take their pussy, mouth, or ass.” Grins met his statement and he stood up.

He held his arms wide. “Ladies, gentlemen, and perverts, welcome to Ye Olde Kinke Faire. Enter the pleasure center.” A loud “Huzzah” rocked the air at the same time the gates opened below him. As the bridge he was on was made of a metal grate, he looked down and watched as the crowd surged underneath him. It was done. They were officially open.

He turned and spotted Becca beaming up at him. His friends were as well.

“Come,” he said as he bounded back down the stairs. “We have people to inspire. Pull out your kinkiest selves and let’s have some fun.” When he reached Becca, he threaded his fingers in her curls, pulled her head back, and kissed her hard, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. When he pulled away, her lips were red and puffy and her eyes a little glassy with desire. “Follow me, wench. It’s time to whip your ass and fuck you until you can’t stand.”

He grasped her hand and pulled and they walked out of the stairwell into a mass of people just like them.

Sample Chapter from

Through the Library Door

A Markham Library novella

Lord Nicholas Waring was not in a good mood. The meeting had not gone well and due to his mother’s insistence, he had stayed too long at her London home as it was. He hungered for the quiet of home, the peace of his library, and a glass of scotch. But no. He had been in London for three weeks now, hurried on the guise that his mother was ill. Rushed to town with nary a thing to wear only to find out that the dire emergency was his single existence.

“You are thirty-two,” she reminded him. “It is time for a new heir. You certainly do not want your cousin Josh to inherit do you?”

It had been on the tip of his tongue to remind her that Josh had several little bastards around the hills of England that would inherit after he died, but he did not think she would take it well. Instead, he’d spent nineteen days, two getting outfitted as he had no clothing, and twelve being introduced to all the new girls who would be coming out this season.

“Insipid twits,” he snorted as his horse picked its way through the woods. His mother was a strong woman. Why she ever thought he would be interested in such simple girls was beyond him. Brainless halfwits, the lot of them.

But even they were not the worst of the problem. When the girls had done nothing to tempt him, his mother had called in the big guns. Lady Carina Carrington, the widow of the late Lord Daniel Carrington was twenty-five and still quite stunning. Added to that, she had no children so was still considered quite a match. At least for his mother.

For him? She was a good fuck. And often, an amazing screamer. But that was only when he was not at his mother’s townhouse. He would not whip or play with a woman under her roof. It was thoughtless, tacky, and beneath him. Which, he thought with an amused twist of his lips, was where Carina loved to be.

The first time he had her was two months after her husband’s death. He had recently ended things with his mistress and was looking for a new woman to whip to orgasm. She had been very willing. Her reaction to painful pleasure was so amazing that he stayed in town for four months. After that, they met up at least every month during the season. She was a lady outside the bedroom and almost a complete slut within it. If she were truly submissive in the bedroom, he would be happy to make her his wife.

But she was not. It was only an act. It took him five months to realize she was one hell of an actress.

Not that his mother understood any of that. All she knew was that they had been seen together at St. James and figured if she couldn’t get him a virgin, she could at least get him married off to a woman of high social standing. Which was why he was running for home.

Something was up. He had felt it for days. His mother was a wiry minx and was set on getting him married before the end of the season, which meant he would need to be engaged relatively quickly. As she had caught his father through less-than-noble means, he knew she would not be above doing the same to him. When his manservant came in with wide eyes earlier, he knew she was ready to unleash her plan.

“My Lord,” Greer said respectfully. “You asked me to keep my ears open for anything going on. And well… there is definitely something going on.”

“Explain,” Nicholas commanded as he tied his cravat. Some fops had their servants dress them. He could bloody well dress himself.

“Jessie said that her mistress is hell bent on getting you married off and that she has some sort of plan for tonight to bring it about.”

As his fingers froze, he looked over at Greer. “And?”

His manservant gulped. “Something about catching you in a compromising position with Lady Carrington. And, my Lord, she sent Druthers out to get laudanum.”

Laudanum. His mouth drawn into a fine line, he glared into the mirror. “So, my mother means to drug me and then plant a woman in my bed? Lovely. I leave for the house now. Pack and follow me as soon as you can.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Greer said in relief.

His mother was out paying her respects at the time, so he was able to leave a note explaining that he had been called away unexpectedly, without having to deal with her theatrics because her plan was blown.

Turning his new stallion onto the main road, he snapped his favorite riding crop, pleased when the horse broke into a gallop almost immediately. Home was only an hour away. It was good as the sun was going down and rain was beginning to fall. Soon the sky would be as black as his mood.

Once assured the new stable boy would take care of his horse correctly, he left and headed toward the house. He loved Waring Manor. Won in a game of chance from a man who never should have bet anything, let alone his residence, it became his home four years previous. Unfortunately, that had also made it a place his cousin could drop in at the worst of times.

He had a distrust/hate relationship with his bastard of a cousin, Josh Daring, a man who used to be one of his closest friends. An illegitimate son of his father’s brother, the man was reckless and without manners. He did tend to put on airs when he called upon Waring Manor, as if it was only a matter of time before he, himself, would own it.

Nicholas shook his head as he walked in the front door. This house was not entailed, so Josh had no hope for it. Not only that, but he agreed with his mother. Josh should never become the Earl of Stependen even if Nicholas did have to give up his bachelor life. Hell, he could marry and get his wife pregnant and leave her at the family home while he came here. Maybe that wouldn’t be too bad, he mused.

“My Lord!” Edward, his butler exclaimed, shuffling over to him. In his family for over four decades, Nicholas had brought Edward here the moment the manor became his. There was a lot less going on and the elderly man could rest his aching bones as often as he needed to. “We did not expect you.”

“No, I daresay not. I just came home to—” He broke off abruptly as a scream filled the air, a scream that made a shudder of dread slide down his back. “What the—?”

“My Lord, your cousin is here and insisted we leave him and his friends alone.”

“Like hell!” Nicholas yelled and ran up the stairs. He knew his cousin. A reprobate, he did not treat women well. Nicholas might love to whip a woman, but he only did it when it was something she wanted as well. Plus, any physical scars he planted on her body only lasted a day or two. Josh tended to leave ones that would last forever, if they didn’t kill the girl first. He regretted the day he showed him how to wield a whip.

As he ran, he followed the screams—or more to the point, the one long eerie scream. One flight of stairs. Two flights. As he reached the top of the third set, the scream abruptly stopped, making his gut clench. Knowing where his cousin must be, he ran to the end of the hallway, bursting into the library a minute later.

Tied to a bench on the floor was a young woman with long red hair and very fair skin. Her mouth was open in a scream, but no sound came out. Surrounding her were four men. One kneeling over her as though about to mount her, two more were watching and acting as though they were next, and his cousin stood watching, tapping a crop against his leg.

“What is going on?” he asked in a loud voice.

Everyone turned and stared at him, including the idiot who was preparing to fuck the poor girl. Josh’s head turned around and his eyes opened in shock. “Cousin! We weren’t expec—“

“Silence! And stop what you are doing,” he hissed at them. Nobody moved. To his distaste, the man without eyelids froze mid-thrust. In two strides, he knelt down by the girl. “Who is she?”

“Got her from Loden.”

A soft growl rumbled through his throat as he tried to fight back the desire to hurt every man in the room. “Loden?” he snapped, raising the girl’s left arm. “I do not see Loden’s mark, cousin. Her skin is fair, unblemished. Now where the hell did you get her?”

“Cousin!” Josh hissed, sounding slightly embarrassed to be shown up in front of his comrades. “We asked Loden for a girl tonight and she put her in your secret passageway.” He barked a laugh. “I didn’t even know you had one. She keeps acting as though this was not what she—“

“Get off her now,” Nicholas growled at the eyelidless man. He gulped and backed up quickly. “Unhook her.” The three men quickly obeyed. Pulling off his coat, he covered her while checking to make sure she was breathing. As he took note of each breath, he also could not help but notice that she had the loveliest eyes he had ever seen—a strange blue that was almost lavender—before her eyes closed. Once he was sure she was still alive, he stood up and turned to Josh. “She is not one of Loden’s girls. Once she recovers, I will find out who she is, but you will get rid of your friends as they do not belong in my house and then you will explain. Now,” he added in a steely voice when nobody moved.

Four men made a beeline for the door and Josh slowly followed them. “You are making a mistake, cousin,” he snapped before he left to follow them.

“A mistake,” Nicholas grunted, picking up the girl. She weighed almost nothing. Once she was on the couch with a blanket over her, he stoked the fireplace and rang the bell. A few minutes later, Edward appeared.

“My Lord?”

“Get my salves and some clothing. This girl needs assistance.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Once he had cleaned her up and put her in a nightgown loaned by one of the servants, he sat back. Her thighs wore crisscrossed welts and no doubt would be black and blue by the morning. Bruised, though not raped. “One thing to be grateful for,” he sighed, leaning back in his chair. Raising his hand, he massaged his temples, trying to get rid of his headache.

“You didn’t have to embarrass me,” Josh snapped, walking back into the room.

Dropping his hand down onto the arm of the chair, Nicholas raised an eyebrow. Josh had the honor to look a little abashed. “My friends needed somewhere to celebrate. We were in the area and I knew you were in London, so we came here. I promise, Nicholas, we ordered that girl from Loden. It ain’t my fault if she wasn’t broken in.”

Ain’t my fault. Josh never accepted fault for any action and Nicholas was beginning to think he never would. “You had to notice how young she was,” he pressed.

“I told Loden we wanted someone who would scream.”

As his stomach tensed, a low moan came from the girl. “We will get back to this.” Turning his head, he watched as the girl slowly blinked her eyes open. “Good evening.”

Her eyes snapped to him and then around the room. The moment they landed on Josh, she let out a shriek, jumped up, and looked as though she was going to throw herself into the fire. He grabbed her and held her fast. “No,” he said firmly. “Calm down, girl. Nobody will harm you now.”

She struggled, kicking him in the shin. Grunting, he grabbed her arms and held them behind her back even as he pushed her onto her knees. “Halt!”

Breathing hard, she stilled, but stared at him in terror. That was an expression he never wanted to see, especially on her lovely face. Kneeling slowly next to her, he gently asked, “What is your name?”

“Landria.”

“Josh says you are from Madam Loden’s. Are you?”

She stared at him oddly before turning her head and catching sight of his cousin. The moment she did, her eyes turned dark with anger “He,” she spat, “wouldn’t listen to me! He— They—” Her voice rose and she began to emit a shrill sound that made him wince.

“Calm, girl,” he said firmly and she stopped. “Where were you when they found you?”

“Over there,” she said nodding toward the bookshelves.

“And how did you get there?”

She opened her mouth and then slowly closed it. “I don’t know,” she finally whispered.

Josh snorted. “She’s just a whore, Nicholas.”

“I am not!” she snapped, turning to glare at him.

Nicholas, while angry, was rather amused by the little slip of a girl. She definitely had fire within her. “Well, I will have Josh take you back to…”

“No,” she moaned. “No. He’ll just hurt me again.”

Frowning, he turned to his cousin. “What did you do to her?”

“Fondled her a bit. Smacked her with your crop. That’s all. Didn’t have the chance to plug that pussy.”

Infuriated that Josh would use such a vulgar term around the young lady, Nicholas was about to admonish him for it when Landria turned into a wild animal. She ripped her hands out of his grasp and began to claw at anything she could get her hands on, which included his face. “Stop!” he hollered as her fingernails gouged into his cheek. As he tried to grab her arms again, she slipped out of his grasp and leapt to her feet, lunging toward the bookcase.

“Grab her!” Josh hollered, headed across the room.

Nicholas had two choices. He could take hold of the girl or he could grab his cousin who, if he got his hands on the girl, would not be nice about it. he chose the latter. To anyone who asked, he would never be able to adequately describe what happened next. It was all too strange. One moment he had his hand on Josh’s coat to restrain him, the next Josh had Landria’s legs in his arms and was yanking backward. As he jerked her back forcefully, she grasped for the books on the shelf. “Please!” she cried. “Please, get me out of here! Please, get me back to my aunt and uncle’s house. Please!” Her hands slipped and as she dropped, Nicholas lunged forward to catch her. She grasped his cravat as she fell.

It ripped and just before she hit the floor, she and the silk vanished.

Find Through the Library Door.

Author’s Note

I hope you have enjoyed Ye Olde Kinke Faire. There are more tales coming from Elan Isle.

Check out the books in the Elan Isle contemporary BDSM romance series.

If you enjoy paranormal, check out the books from my Wylde KingDom BDSM romance series.

And, as always, feel free to follow me online:

Website || Facebook || Tumblr || Pinterest || Twitter

Table of Contents

About This Book

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Epilogue

Sample Chapter: Through the Library Door

Author’s Note