Page 42 of Shared on the Ranch

He’d never experienced anything like this before. This desire to protect someone he’d known for such a short period of time. His eyes slid toward Aaron, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it felt the same for him.

But before he could decide whether he would ask or not, he heard it. Crying. His ears perked at the sound, and the longer he listened, the louder it became.

Aaron’s brows shot up. “See? What did I tell you?”

Chandler checked the clock on the wall. It had been six minutes.

CHAPTER8

“I’m so sorry,” Chyanne said again for what had to be the tenth time since they’d come into the room and removed the ball gag. “I’m so, so sorry.” She sobbed as Chandler undid the belt, freeing her hands. She let them hang loosely at her sides as she cried harder than ever before.

He walked around and then pulled her to her feet before sweeping her into his arms. She felt sorightthere, as though she’d been made just for his embrace. He walked the few feet to the bed and sat before turning his full attention to her red nipples. While she cried and clung to him, Chandler gently removed the nipple clamps. As careful as he was, she still cried out as they opened and released her poor, aching flesh.

He began to massage the hurt, and after awhile her sobs had settled into a softer cry.

“Shhh,” he soothed, rubbing her back.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and shifted so that she was crying into his chest.

“It’s okay,” he whispered into her curls. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not!” she cried out, tightening her hold on him.

Surprised by her response, he kept rubbing gentle circles onto her back and looked across the room. Aaron was leaning against the door, watching.

For just a second—a split second, even, a fraction of time so small it shouldn’t even count—he wished he and Chyanne were alone. But then his eyes flicked over Aaron’s face, and he saw how much he too cared for her. She was a hard nut to crack, a type of puzzle he’d never seen before. He was loving every minute with this girl, whether she was over his knee or in his lap.

He suddenly realized the answer to their question: Little or sub? It didn’t matter, because the answer was she needed them both.

He’d been lost in thought, but he came back to the present when he heard Chyanne’s cries turn softer.

Aaron walked into the room and knelt at the foot of the bed, taking her hand. “What is it, Chyanne?”

She peeled her face away from Chandler’s chest and looked at him. Then she tilted her head back, looking at Chandler with red-rimmed, puffy eyes. “I… I’m s-so… bad!” she exclaimed, her words followed by a hiccupping cry.

“Don’t say that,” Chandler scolded, hugging her to him.

“What’s all this about?” Aaron prodded, hooking her chin with his fingers and forcing her to face him.

“M-my… fr-friends!” she choked out, tears falling hard. “Well, if you can call them that.” She uttered a short, humorless laugh. “I d-don’t th-think they a-re now! They p-probably got into trouble… be-because ofme!”

The men exchanged glances over her head.This isn’t going anywhere, Chandler could practically read in Aaron’s gaze.

Then the other man tugged Chyanne off his lap. “Stand up,” he ordered.

She did, reluctance coloring her every movement.

“Hands at your sides.”

She complied, sniffling.

“Now, start from the beginning.”

Whether she was matching his stubbornness with her own, or simply compelled to follow orders, Chyanne did. She told them the story from the beginning, and there were teary pauses and hiccupping cries, but she managed to get through all of it.

Chandler couldn’t help but feel proud of her.

“S-so, I’m p-pretty sure they won’t ever talk to me again.” She paused and her face screwed up, fighting another wave of tears.

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