Her hips moved, thrusting forward uncontrollably.

“I said, ‘Don’t move.’” With a tsking sound, he stepped away from her, and a whimper broke from her lips. The stinging slap against her tender bottom made her jump and yelp.

Chuckling, he secured her hips with firm hands, holding her immobile. She felt his cock press against her, the head sliding just a little way in. And then he drove into her so hard and fast he raised her onto her tiptoes.

“Uhhh!” Her breath exploded out, pushed out by his entry, his size. His balls slapped against her pussy as he yanked her back against him, setting up the same forceful, driving rhythm with which she’d teased him earlier.

Oh, God. Her hands gripped the rail as he hammered into her, never slowing. Each thrust stretched her; each thrust increased her pleasure. He leaned over her back and captured a breast in one hand, and her pussy with the other. His fingers circled her clit, his thumb following the same movements on her nipple, and electricity zinged back and forth between her breasts and her clit until her hips jerked uncontrollably against his hand. Her vagina clenched around his shaft.

He slowed, moving his cock inside her in small circles, the head pressing into different places until he seemed to hit something different, and she rocked up on her toes as a surge of intense pleasure made her gasp.

“There, huh?” he growled and started thrusting again, only each time he hit that area, over and over. His fingers rubbed against her engorged clit in the same rhythm, inside, outside, and everything coiled inside her, tighter and tighter. Her legs stiffened, her butt arching up toward him, and she went totally still, afraid to move and lose that edge of ultimate pleasure where every stroke thrilled through her and yet pushed her inevitably over the cliff.

She screamed as the orgasm erupted through her in mind-shattering shudders. He didn’t stop moving, his cock still striking that place inside her, and she came again before the first had finished. Her muscles went weak, and her hands fell from the railing.

He wrapped his arm across her hips, and his hand cupped her breast, holding her on her feet. Holding her for his pleasure. His strength kept her immobile as he thrust into her, ever deeper, until he growled his release, and the jerking inside her set off little explosions in her vagina, making her body clench and shudder.

He held her against him for a minute, his breathing fast, and she could feel his heartbeat where his wide chest pressed against her back. “Who needs fireworks when I have you?” he murmured into her ear. His teeth closed on the long muscle down the back of her neck, and she quivered uncontrollably.

With a soft laugh, he pulled out of her, making her moan, then set her like a doll back onto her blanket as he went to dispose of the condom. Beside her, she could hear the other couples—the rhythmic sounds of sex, the murmur of voices.

When he came back, he turned the chair sideways and lifted her into his arms, cuddling her against him. From there, with her head resting on his chest, she listened to his heartbeat and watched fireworks light up the sky.

* * * * *

Where the fuck was she? Kyler pounded on Elizabeth’s apartment door again so hard his ring bit into his knuckle. No answer. No lights were on inside.

All the work he’d done this morning to finish up his caseload would be wasted if she didn’t show up.

He walked across the asphalt in front of the building to the parking area. The first look shot panic through him. Her truck was gone. But then he saw her trailer, and his muscles loosened. She hadn’t run.

Hell, he wasn’t thinking clearly. This was a holiday after all. She’d probably gone on a date. With another man. Anger burned through him like spilled acid. “Fucking bitch.” He slammed his fist on the wood of the trailer. Splinters dug into his hand, the pain snapping him back to reality.

Turning, he took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Sweat beaded on his face and poured down the middle of his back as he walked away from the trailer. His anticipation had been so high, but really, this didn’t change the plan he’d devised this morning.

Last week, his strategy had been to sedate her with valium and take her home right away. But now, his wait had been too long, and his anticipation had grown too high. He felt twitchy, off-center. He needed the release that only she could give him as he watched the look on her face when the whip struck, listened to her screams. Spilled her blood.

In the sky above the city, fireworks rose into the sky, the distant booms setting the air to throbbing. Damn her, where was she?

* * * * *

As the subs dressed, Nolan waited for Beth by the front door. The sound of giggling drifted from the powder room, and he grinned. Dan’s Kari was not only sweet, but she had a wicked sense of humor.

And Beth… God, he loved hearing her laugh. He wanted to hear it more.

A minute later, she appeared. Seeing him, she walked over and looked up at him, obviously feeling a bit awkward now. “I had fun today, Master.”

He smiled at the sound of his title from her lips. The foyer lights seemed too bright for what he wanted to ask, so he stepped outside. The humid night air wrapped around him pleasantly. He was hoping to have something—someone—else wrapped around him soon. “I did too. And I’d like to continue. Spend the night here with me.”

She actually took a step away from him. “Sir…”

He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, an empty hole forming in his chest. Having her in his arms had been the happiest he’d been in a long time, and he’d thought she felt the same way. To see her retreat from him now was like a fist in the gut. He couldn’t keep the growl from entering his voice. “Do you really think I’d pound on you the way the bastard did?”

“No. No, my husband is a—”

“You mean your ex-husband, don’t you?” Yeah, he’d figured she’d been married to the guy.

“Ah…yes.” But her eyes flickered. She continued, “You’re nothing like…”

He lost the rest of what she was saying as ice slivered up his spine and jabbed shards into his brain. “He’s not an ex. You’re still married to him,” he said slowly. All the time he’d spent with her, been inside her, and… “You’re a married woman, and I’ve been fucking you.” He deliberately chose the coarse word.

The color drained from her face, leaving her golden freckles a muddy gray. “No, I-I…” She held her hands out to him.

“And you’re lying.” Just like his wife had lied to him. I wouldn’t cheat on you. Nolan. How can you say that? As fury roared through him, he pressed his shoulder against the wall, knowing if he moved, the anger would erupt into shouting. His family tended to yell when upset, but he couldn’t. Not now. To see her cringe from him at this point would be the last straw. He closed his eyes and sucked in a bitter breath as his carefully laid framework crumbled. Nothing can stand if not built on solid ground.

When he opened his eyes, she hadn’t moved. What did she want from him? A noise came from behind him, and he glanced around. The others had entered the foyer and, from the look on their faces, they’d heard. “Cullen, would you see Beth to her car, please?”

Cullen hesitated. “Ah…are you—”

“Now, please.”

Cullen’s face tightened. “Sure, buddy. I’ll do that.”

“Thank you.” Nolan stepped out of the doorway, keeping his face calm despite the fire roaring inside him, burning half-formed dreams into ash. “Thank you all for coming. I’m glad we could spend the evening together.”

Kari took Dan’s hand, glanced at Beth, and murmured, “Thank you for having us over, Nolan.”

Cullen moved finally. He squeezed Nolan’s shoulder, then gave Beth a small push to get her moving and jerked his head at Deborah to follow.

Once in the yard, Beth looked at Nolan over her shoulder, her lower lip trembling.

His return look kept her silent. “Goodbye, Beth.”

Chapter Twelve

Most people would get drunk right about now, Beth thought. She propped her chin on her knees and stared at the waves rolling onto the sandy beach. Over the past few hours, the tide had changed, leaving more and more of the white sand exposed. In the sky, black clouds were blotting out the stars. The increasingly gusty wind sent frothy spray into the air, and Beth’s skin felt sticky with salt and gritty with sand. It didn’t seem to matter.

How had everything gone so wrong, so quickly?

All her fault. She couldn’t escape the memory of Nolan’s eyes changing from a laughing heat to an icy cold that absorbed all emotions. His eyes had told her whatever relationship they’d had was dead and gone.

She heard the crunch of footsteps and turned her head to see a lonely beach walker skirting the water’s edge. In dark clothing and in the tall grass, Beth wouldn’t be easy to spot, but she patted her pepper spray anyway. She’d never been able to resist the ocean at night, here or in California, but she wasn’t stupid, either.

At least about this. About relationships… How could she have been so stupid?

He might have been reasonable about her being married—maybe—but she’d killed everything by trying to lie to him. The one thing he had no tolerance for. Her eyes burned with tears, and she brushed them away. If she apologized and explained, would he listen?