Page 72 of Wild Bliss

“Wyatt, I don’t actually think you’re in a place where youshould spank her. You’ve been through too much,” Sawyer said, his hand back tocaressing her. “But there is something you can do. Why don’t you go to theoffice and in the closet there’s a bag. You’ll know what to do with it.”

Ominous words. She had to catch her breath. “What does thatmean, Sawyer?”

Wyatt walked away, his boots thudding against the floor.

“I’m going to give my partner something to do. Wyatt’sfought enough this evening,” Sawyer said before delivering anotherbone-rattling, pussy-shaking slap to her ass. This one had her going on hertoes.

“What’s he going to do?” Sabrina asked through clenchedteeth. The pain rapidly morphed to something else, something that left herjangled and disjointed and wanting. This was why they called it torture.

“That is for me to know and you to find out, Teach,” Sawyerwhispered. “But he can’t do it while you’re wearing all these clothes. Give methese panties. You won’t need them.”

She felt his fingers slide under the waistband of herundies, dragging them down her legs. She lifted them in turn so he could getthem off her and then gasped as she felt the heat of his breath on the skin ofher rear.

“Damn, this is a pretty ass, and I like how pink it is now,”he said.

“Sawyer,” she began because while they’d kind of playedaround, he hadn’t put his face there.

A flash of pain had her gasping again. He laid five quick,stinging slaps to her right cheek before she felt something nip at her.

Holy wow, he’d bitten her. Bitten her ass.

And she’d kind of liked it. The pain had made her fingerscurl around the curve of the bar.

“You stay put or I’ll tie you up, Sabrina,” he vowed. “Youwanted me, well, this is me, Teach. When you make me insane—and I don’t thinkthis is going to be the last time you do it—I’m going to take my pound of yourpretty flesh. Unless you’re scared or I hurt you in a way you don’t enjoy, youtake it. You smile and sayyes, Sawyerbecause right now you aren’t incontrol.”

She was always in control, always thinking about how heractions affected others. She was in charge of so many young lives, and the townwas dependent on her for the most important thing of all—their children’sfutures.

She realized what she’d found with these two men the weekendthey’d spent snowed in. She’d thought it was sex and affection and a wild sideshe hadn’t known existed. But it was more. She’d found a space where she didn’thave to be in control, where she could be taken care of.

Her mother had rammed it into her head that she should trustno one to take care of her. Certainly no man. Men left, according to her mom.

Mel wouldn’t have left. Oh, he wouldn’t have married hermom, but he wouldn’t have left Elisa. And when her mom had married Sabrina’sdad and history had played itself out, Mel would have been there. It wouldn’thave mattered she didn’t have a drop of his blood.

She didn’t have to make decisions based on her mother’slife. She had to go with her instincts, not the lessons taught to her. Herinstincts told her these men were important.

These men were worth the heartache if things didn’t work,worth the pain that would inevitably come because nothing lasted forever.

“Yes, Sawyer.”

She felt him lean against her, felt the rough edge of hisincoming beard as he nuzzled her. “Are you sure, Sabrina? I made a claimtonight, and it’ll be hard to take back. I’m not smooth. I fuck up a lot. I’mnot what you would call emotionally available.”

He was wrong. “You’re better than you think you are. Do youwant me to keep quiet about how I’m feeling?”

“No,” he admitted. “I don’t like it when you don’t talk tome. Even if it’s because I didn’t talk to you. I don’t like talking, but I likeit when you do it.”

She’d always known. He was a bit slow, but it was okay. “Ican talk enough for both of us and I’m sure, Sawyer. I’m sure. It’s why I putyou in a corner and made you claim me.”

She’d known what she was doing, though she hadn’t beencertain it would work. Sawyer needed a reason to change. He was a creature ofhabit. He clung to his habits even when they didn’t make him happy. But hecould change. The fact that he let Wyatt stay with him was proof, and he washappier with Wyatt around.

He was happier with her around, too, so she was going tohave to get used to his preoccupation with her backside. He seemed to like tospank and kiss it, which is what he was doing now.

“You sealed your fate for the time being, but you can alwayschange your mind. I said what I said because I want the sheriff to know I’lltake care of you, but no one in town is going to be surprised if you dump myass later on. Let’s get through this crisis and we’ll figure things out on theother side.”

He couldn’t simply move forward. He had to do itincrementally. “So you want me to stay with you while we figure out how to helpWyatt?”

He got to his feet and then his big hand was on her arm,hauling her up and pulling her against his chest. “I don’t want you to staywith me. I demand you stay with me. You aren’t going anywhere on your own untilthe danger is over. You’ll have a bodyguard. It can be me or Wyatt or yoursister or anyone who I approve of, but the minute you don’t follow orders,you’ll find yourself in a cage, and I’ll be the one holding the key.”

Her heart softened because he was telling her everything sheneeded to know. He was scared to lose her. He cared, and he wasn’t going to lether go. “I promise.”

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