Ears straining, she caught the crack of a paddle. Not close. Moaning. A man somewhere on her right cried in gut-wrenching sobs. A woman gave hard-voiced orders. Cullen’s hearty laugh.

The lighter clicked. Oh, God. She sniffed, trying to tell if he’d moved the candle closer.

“I use candles without fragrance, Gabi,” he said and chuckled. “For safety. You won’t smell anything approaching.”

Something hit her stomach. She jerked at the momentary burn, then relaxed as it faded to warmth.

After a second, Marcus pried the wax from her skin and ran his finger over the spot. “Just right,” he murmured.

Then she had no chance to process anything as hot drips of wax created a line across her stomach, slow drip after slow drip, each burning sensation blossoming over her nerves before fading. He drew one line down to her lower stomach and back up. Circled her belly button. The heat became more intense, then cooler. She couldn’t predict where the next drop would start, and her skin grew more sensitive, waiting for the slight pain, then the warmth.

He covered her stomach, gradually moving upward to between her breasts. She held her breath as the splats of wax headed left, circling the curve of her breast, around and around, closer and closer to her nipple. Sometimes very hot, sometimes just warm, so she couldn’t predict what any one would feel like, but she cringed, anticipating—

A splat of wax hit right on the very peak. Her back arched uncontrollably. Hot, hot, it pulled like wet sucking lips around her nipple. As the sensation spread through her breast, she almost came right then.

She panted, aroused beyond bearing, and heard him murmur, “You’re doin' fine, sugar. Just fine.” He stroked her hair back from her face and kissed her forehead.

Wax dropped onto her stomach again, the heat soaking into her skin and heading in an unrelenting line straight upward to her right breast. By the time wax impacted her other nipple with the bite of pain, she seemed to be submerged in cotton balls, feeling nothing except the sensations crawling across her body and the sheer need coiling inside her.

She felt his hand between her legs, and the vibrator clicked on, clicked more times as he cycled through the choices to one where the intensity of the vibrations surged up and down like ocean waves. All the nerves inside her awoke as if she had a second clit deep in her vagina. Her hips tried to lift, held in place by the strap, and her pussy clenched over and over around the intrusion.

Suddenly more wax drizzled back and forth across her stomach, hotter this time, but it didn’t seem to matter. Lower, crisscrossing to her hips in measured splat after hot splat, venturing down her thighs and up. As the lines drifted farther toward the inside of her legs, she realized his goal and could only moan, unable to verbalize anything.

Her clit throbbed and swelled in anticipation. Ruthlessly he dripped the wax in an arc from her left inner thigh to high over her mound, down the right thigh, and back again, each set of hot drops closing drip by drip on her very center. As the vibrations inside her intensified, he changed direction. A drop of wax hit the top of her mound, a pause, another a little closer to her pussy, a pause, and another. Her lower half tightened more between each searingly hot impact.

Closer…and the wait for the next seemed eternal.

It hit—oh God—the hard, hot splat hit directly on her impossibly sensitive clit.

“Aaaaah!” Everything inside her exploded outward in waves of excruciating pleasure, over and over. Every time they slowed, the vibrator inside her changed its rhythm and another inescapable climax shuddered through her. Her hips bucked against the immovable strap; her whole body tried to arch upward.

When everything finally stopped, she struggled for air. God, that had been—

Liquid poured directly onto her pussy—hot, hot, hot—and she screamed as another orgasm hit, brutally hard, shaking her like a rag doll.

As the spasms faded, as the roaring in her ears receded, she realized the liquid hadn’t been hot at all—he’d poured ice water onto her pussy.

“You…you sadist,” she gasped. He gently removed the vibrator, and she shivered at the cold, lonely feeling of being lost inside the clouds.

His hands stroked soothingly over the tender area between her hips and thighs, his grip pulling her back to earth. “Easy, sugar, I’m here.”

She met his gaze, and everything inside her melted like the wax he’d poured on her. I love you.

* * *

Despite the oil, removing the wax from Gabi’s skin overloaded her senses and sent her back into subspace. Now buried in the blanket he’d wrapped her in, she blinked at him, her smart little mouth silent, as he cleaned up. Once finished, he put her corset and skirt in her arms and picked her up.

He nuzzled her temple and inhaled her fragrance. Adrenaline still sizzled through his veins, the high of topping a little spitfire, reading her responses and reacting in turn, and taking her to the ultimate of pleasure. Sometimes topping a sub reminded him of working a jury until they reacted as he wanted, glaring at the accused and sympathizing with the victims.

A good scene with a responsive sub was even better. And with Gabi? As his arms tightened around her, she sighed and rubbed her cheek against his chest. Had there ever been such a sweet, snuggly brat? His heart squeezed.

Before the night ended, they needed to have a long talk.

As he searched for a good place to relax, he spotted Dan and Kari, Cullen and Andrea across the almost empty room at the chain station, watching Nolan play with his sub. Hell, in the Master’s meeting before opening, Nolan had mentioned that near the end of the night, he planned to nudge Beth forward and had invited the others to watch. Marcus had almost forgotten.

With Gabi still in his arms, he took a chair across from Dan.

Dan grinned. “Heard a lot of screaming from your direction.” He frowned at Gabi and nodded at Marcus’s feet.

It took Marcus a second before he realized she shouldn’t sit in his lap. Cuddling didn’t make for bratlike opportunities. With a silent sigh, he shook her, wanting to kiss her instead.

“Mmmm?” She blinked at him.

My puppy. He set her on her feet and nodded at the floor. “Down where you belong, darlin’.”

She gave him such a meltingly sweet look, he almost pulled her back on his lap. Then she remembered her role. “Belong? On the floor?”

He pointed to his feet in answer.

“Rat bastard,” she huffed. She knelt, and just when he thought she’d lost her touch, she glanced up at him and said loudly, “I can’t believe that out of one hundred thousand sperm, you were the fastest.”

Dan choked on his drink, and Cullen’s loud laugh filled the air. Kari buried her head against Dan’s chest, her shoulders shaking. Andrea was laughing like a loon.

Trying to seem angry, Marcus yanked her back so he could lean over and talk in her ear. Hopefully he’d appear to be giving her hell. Instead he told her the truth. “I’m liable to split a gut if you keep acting up, sugar.”

She bowed her head, choking on giggles. Little brat was too cute for her own good, and where did she come up with those insults? “How do you feel? Are you able to kneel?” He half hoped she’d say she needed him to hold her.

She was of stronger stuff. “I’m okay.” Her voice didn’t sound convinced.

He straightened and said loudly, “I’d best keep you close so you don’t rile me up anymore.” After settling himself forward on the chair, he pulled her back until his legs enclosed her, and he gripped her nape in a mock hard grip. “Let me know if you get uncomfortable, Darlin’,” he murmured for her ears only.

As she relaxed against him, he traced a finger over the black chain-link tattoo around her neck. She had matching ones on her ankles. One unpredictable, fascinating woman.

What did she plan to do after today? Would she return to Miami right away?

That wouldn’t work. They needed time to explore what they had together. She was attracted to him. A little sub couldn’t disguise that or her response to him in bed.

And now that he could distinguish what portion of her brattiness was acting versus pure ornery Gabi, he found her behavior more amusing than annoying. In the future—if they had one—when she sassed him, his taking her to task would reward them both. Funishment—not truly discipline.

“This is your last night here,” he said, testing to see if she’d give a hint as to her plans.

“Yeah.” She didn’t sound happy.

Leaning forward, he massaged her shoulders. Her tense little body should still be relaxed, considering how far she’d gone under in the scene. He kissed the top of her head and said softly, “Something is bothering you.”

She brushed her cheek against his with that unconscious affection he’d grown to love. “What if he isn’t caught? What about my friend? The other women?”

Her loyalty squeezed his heart, and he offered the only reassurance he could. “Our…friends…won’t give up.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. “No, they won’t.” Her lips curved. “They’re almost as stubborn as you are.”

He nipped her earlobe in retaliation and smiled at her husky giggle. As she rested her cheek against his leg, he realized in surprise that he felt…content. Relaxed and happy in a way he hadn’t for, perhaps, years.