Page 53 of Ward

“Bend her over,” he says. “I want to see everything.”

Grace squeals as they bend her over the wide arm of a leather chair. Dante grasps the torn edges of her tights and tugs at them, widening the tear.

“Your little one’s holes are as exquisite as the rest of her,” Matthew says, spreading her cheeks to expose her cunt and her puckered back entrance. “But I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that.”

He shouldn’t have to tell me. But the truth is, I haven’t allowed myself to explore these parts of Grace’s body. I’ve never seen my little one so vulnerable and exposed.

Desire rages through me. I desperately want to be the one gliding my fingers through Grace’s folds. She moans softly and clings to the chair, not used to being touched by anyone besides herself. This is all new to her. Being kissed by strangers, being roughed up, groped, fingered...

Dante spits between Grace’s cheeks and adds his own fingers to the mix, making the area around her asshole glisten. She wriggles as he strokes her back entrance—another new-to-her sensation I’m allowing someone else to introduce.

I seek out her gaze and find that she’s already watching me. I haven’t touched her since this whole fucked-up scenario began, and I’m not the one giving her pleasure now. Yet, she’s looking at me as if I’m the only man in the room.

My hands shake with the effort to remain in my chair. Instead of claiming Grace’s firsts, I’m watching them play out at a distance like some cold, indifferent voyeur. If she were any other sub, I’d sit back and enjoy the show. But Matthew, with his infuriating discernment, was right from the start. Grace isn’t any other sub. Not because she’s my niece, or my ward, and not because she’s young and innocent.

She’s different because of what she means to me.

I respected the others, but I didn’t love them.

And I fucking love Grace.

My heart revolts, staging a mutiny in my chest. No matter how hard I try, I can’t recall a time when I felt this intensely about a girlfriend or a submissive. As with everything else, Grace has proven to be the exception of all of my rules.

Dante begins working his finger into her asshole. I’m not used to jealousy rearing its head where kink is concerned, but if these men don’t get their hands off my little one right now, they’re going to regret having ever touched her.

“Get out,” I growl.

“What was that?” Matthew asks, a told-you-so grin on his face that I’m tempted to erase with my fist.

“I said get the fuck out.”

Dante’s nostrils flare. “Are you fucking serious, man? I could break glass with my cock right now—”

“I don’t give a shit."

Matthew pulls Dante away from Grace. “Come on, D. You can finish yourself off in the theater.”

He claps my shoulder as he ushers Dante out of the living room. I can’t even spare him a glance, too focused on watching Grace pour herself onto the floor.

“Did I do something wrong, Sir?” she asks, breathless.

The air flees my lungs in a single sigh. “No, Grace, you did nothing wrong.”

Rather than beckon her to me, I lower myself to the floor. She crawls toward me of her own volition, on hands and knees, her hair forming a spun-gold curtain around her shoulders.

The feeling that we've narrowly escaped a disaster of my making is still front and center. Somehow, I had convinced myself that I could house a starving bloodhound and a rabbit in the same cage, and expect the hound to reject its nature.

I cradle Grace’s face in my hands. “If anyone is going to claim your innocence, it should be someone you love.”

Clouds roll in across her sad, beautiful face.

“But...what if the man I love doesn’t want me?”

“Then he’s a fucking idiot.”

I kiss her, gliding my tongue between her lips to taste her. Claim her. Remind her who her Master is. Easing her onto her back, I climb on top of her, fitting myself between her legs.

“I should’ve done this a long time ago,” I rasp, pressing my hand to her cunt.

Her eyelids flutter as she thrusts against my palm. “Sir—”

“Don’t,” I tell her. “Don’t call me Sir. I can’t be your Dom right now.”

“Then what are you?”

I tease Grace’s opening, wetting my fingers with her arousal. She whimpers as I spread that slickness over her clit.

“I’m the man who’s been falling in love with you since day one.”

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