Page 40 of Protecting Lanie

And God help her, she loved it… she loved him.

After a long, heated pause, she exhaled. "Yes, Sir."

Archer stayed there for a moment longer, letting her submission settle. Then, slowly, he released her wrists, his hands skimming down her sides in a slow, deliberate caress.

"Good girl," he murmured.

Lanie closed her eyes, swallowing hard. She wasn’t sure when this fight had shifted into something else—something dark and electric and dangerously tempting—but there was no denying it.

The battle was far from over.

And in the end, she wasn’t sure who would win.

That evening, Lanie stormed into Club Southside—Archer letting her walk ahead of him—her heels clicking sharply against the sleek floor as she wove through the crowd. Her heart was still racing from the fight with Archer, her skin still tingling from the way he had looked at her, touched her, commanded her.

Damn him.

She wasn’t stupid—she knew Vinnie was a threat. But Archer ordering her around like she was some delicate thing to be coddled? No. She would not let him make decisions for her—well, not all of them anyway.

Lanie stormed into the submissives’ lounge.

“We assigned you a locker,” said Samantha Coltraine. “And Archer had some things delivered for you.”

Lanie stomped her foot. “He makes me crazy,” she seethed.

Samantha laughed. “Welcome to sharing your life with a Dom. They are far more arrogant and stubborn than other men, but they are also far more caring and wonderful.”

Reyna snorted. “Don’t let her kid you, Lanie. There are days she throws things at King. I’d hate to know what your monthly pottery bill is.”

Samantha laughed. “You’ll see, Lanie. Archer loves you and will do anything to keep you safe.”

“Keep that in mind before you go off and do something stupid,” added Reyna.

Lanie opened the door to her locker and went pale. There was nothing in there except for corsets and thongs. Closing the door, she said, “I’ll just wear what I have on.”

“Not if you’re planning to go anywhere other than the lounge. You can wear street wear there, but only fet wear on the dungeonfloor.” Reyna held up her hand to stave off Lanie’s objection. “It’s the same for the Doms as it is for the subs.”

“Can someone help me into one of these things?” Lanie asked, holding up a corset.

“Absolutely,” said Samantha.

Reyna nodded. “Samantha is good with laces. She can make you look great while making sure you can breathe.”

Samantha helped her into the corset—a beautiful concoction of raspberry lace over black satin.

“I just don’t understand why one minute, I’m allI Am Woman Hear Me Roar,and the next minute, I’m a puddle of goo at his feet with a spanked ass.”

As Samantha pulled the laces tighter, Alicia Wickersham came around the corner. “I can answer that. Your Archer…”

“He isn’t my Archer.”

All three women looked at each other, then back at her and laughed.

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Reyna said. “You may not think he’s your Archer, but he is. And you are most definitely his. I’m surprised he hasn’t slapped a collar around your throat.”

Alicia laughed. “Me too.”

“You were going to tell me why I can’t seem to hold my own against him.”

---