“I didn’t have to kick it hard,” she replied.“I mostly justhad to stay.That’s something else my dad taught me.Sometimes love meansstaying when the person you love tries hard to push you away.”
“Push you away?”Garrett straightened up, looking to Keanenot as his Master but as his partner in loving Olivia.“What did you do?”
Strangely, that overly possessive growl coming fromGarrett’s mouth made him feel better.Though they might be starting somethingnew tonight, Olivia would always be their focus.She would always come first,and that was true and right for them.“I was trying to save her from gettinginvolved in my mess.”
The brat’s eyes rolled.“Yeah, because it’s your mess.Youknow I’m the one who got drugged and nearly kidnapped, and naturally some mancomes along and claims it all as his own.Dumbass.”
“That’s ten for you.”
“What did he say?”Garrett asked.
Olivia waved him off.“The usual.I don’t love you.Blah,blah, blah.It was only sex.Yadda yadda.All the while he’s looking at me likeI’m the last bit of water on planet Earth and he’s dying of thirst.Master is aterrible actor.He needs to stick to running ranches.Maybe the cows willbelieve his act.”
“And twenty more,” Keane said, hardening his tone.“Iapologized, and apparently you never felt the sting of my words because youdidn’t believe them.”
Olivia tilted her head up, and he could have sworn tearswere shining in her eyes.She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him.“Because I couldn’t stand a world where you didn’t love me.I didn’t want tobelieve, Master.I wanted so badly for it to all be a lie.”
He softened immediately, all irritation gone when herealized how close to tears she was.“Baby, I didn’t mean any of it.Not aword.I was trying to save you.I didn’t want to drag you down with me.”
And then her lips curled and she stepped back, an impishgrin on her face.“See, that’s how you do it.Also, why am I getting thirty andGarrett’s not getting anything for not almost sleeping with Julian?He did havea session behind your back.Is that how things are?I can play with whoever Iwant?I like The Hideout.The guys are younger there.The Club reminds me toomuch of my parents.There are a couple of Doms there I’ve wanted to play with.”
He leaned down and shoved his shoulder into her midsection,catching her and hauling her up and over.He gave her ass a hard smack.“Tryit, baby.See what happens.To you and to whatever Dom tries to touch my sub.Garrett, I expect you to be better behaved than this righteous brat.We’regoing to the playroom because you both need some discipline.”
“Go easy on her, Master,” Garrett said, following behind.“She’s had a hard night.”
“I’m fine,” Olivia retorted, her head coming up.“That wasbarely a kidnapping attempt.According to the reports, the dumbass didn’t evenknow to have his car ready.Who doesn’t have a getaway driver?Loser.”
Every word dragged him further into top space.A nice placeto be.Especially since he didn’t have to share it tonight.Tonight he wouldhave both his subs kneeling at his feet.Tonight they would play some gameshe’d never thought to play with Garrett.
“You are not going to make light of this,” Keane said,climbing the stairs.“Tomorrow morning we’re going to have a long talk, andyou’re probably getting a bodyguard until we figure this out.”
“I can stay with her,” Garrett offered.“I won’t let her outof my sight.”
“You’re getting a guard, too, buddy.You want me as a Dom?Well, this is it.You’re both precious, and I’m not playing around with yoursafety.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard.Jessica was being a bitch.I betshe did it herself in some insane attempt to get Scott back.Like I want hisnasty ass.She can have him.”
“But why would she set a fire?”Garrett asked.
No.Nope.No way.They were not litigating this tonight.“Stop.No more talk about the case.We’ll do that in the morning.I’ve thoughtabout it too much already.I already called the hands and told them to be onthe lookout for that woman.She won’t be allowed on the ranch.We’re safetonight, and I want to play with my loves.”
“I can never think about it again,” Olivia proclaimed.
“I can wait until tomorrow.I’ve got a conference call withyour dad and Ruby, and I’m pretty sure your mom is planning on sitting in.Yourdad said something about bringing in MT.Who is MT?”Garrett asked.
Olivia went still.“No.We have to figure this out.The lastthing I want is my friends’ dad taking over.He will watch me like a hawk andbe super sarcastic while he does it.If you don’t want constant lectures on theproper use of condoms, you will figure this out before my dad brings Big Tagin.”
If he let her, she would tell every story about this guy andlikely have them laughing until their guts hurt, but that wasn’t the vibe hewanted tonight.“Tomorrow, and I will sit in on that meeting as well.We’lltalk about it tomorrow.Tonight we’re going to get a few rules straight nowthat we’re settling in.Garrett, get the door.”
Garrett rushed ahead and got those doors open.Keane strodethrough and walked to the center of the room.He gently put Olivia on her feetand stepped back.“Get her out of those clothes.”
Olivia looked like she was torn between wanting desperatelyto argue and to get to the good stuff.As Garrett moved in, she seemed to makeher decision.Her hands went to the bottom of her shirt, but Garrett slappedthem away.
“Master told me I could unwrap the present,” Garrett said,his fingers slipping into her hair and tugging her head back.“He might top me,but I top you, sweetheart.Don’t you forget it.I’ll spank you before he gets achance to if you don’t start being a good girl.”
“What does a good girl get?”Olivia asked, proving there wasno way to tame her brat.Not that he wanted to.
“A good girl gets in between us tonight,” Garrett promised.
