It'll Be An Adventure (Masters of the Shadowlands #15)(12)
Author: Cherise Sinclair

 

Murphy choked, unsure whether to laugh or try to rescue her new friend.

 

“I’m not the one swearing.” Easily pinning Gabi down with one hand, he kept up a relentless spanking.

 

Growling, Gabi grabbed his leg, her teeth exposed in a snarl.

 

“Is she trying to bite him again?” came an appalled whisper from the blue-eyed kitten beside Murphy.

 

Master Saxon moved his leg, then gripped her neck and gave her a shake. “No. Biting. Bad puppy. You can use your safeword.”

 

“You, you… Your gene pool needs a dose of chlorine, you fucking bastard.”

 

Although his mouth was set in a stern line, Murphy heard his snort of laughter.

 

And he hit Gabi again. Murphy’s temper rose. “He thinks this is funny?” She started to stand up, to go help Gabi, and the pets around her pulled her down.

 

“No, babe,” one of the dogs said. “She knew the consequences of biting him.”

 

“He’s being awfully hard on her tonight,” the brown-eyed pup said. “More than he usually is.”

 

Murphy frowned. Why was he picking on Gabi then? And why didn’t Gabi stop pushing him or safeword out or something?

 

Master Saxon paused, his hand on Gabi’s butt. “Let me know when you’re ready to apologize, puppy.”

 

“Never.” Her face was twisted into a mask of fury.

 

With a sigh, he continued, the sounds of his hand striking flesh loud in the silent room.

 

Growling like a rabid animal, Gabi pounded on his leg with her hand. “I hate you, you asshole.” More spanks. “Everyone who ever loved you was wrong.”

 

Had that been a flash of hurt in his eyes?

 

Murphy blinked. No, it couldn’t have been. Maybe Gabi had been wrong to bite him, but she didn’t deserve to be…be brutalized like this. The other pets said he wasn’t usually this harsh, so…oh, was he taking a bad mood out on Gabi or something? This seemed like he’d gone way, way too far.

 

He really is a complete bastard.

 

Tears filled Gabi’s eyes and started spilling down the leather hood. A choking sound came from her—and then she was crying hard. “Stop. I—I’m sorry. Sorry.”

 

Master Saxon stopped and set her on the floor at his feet. “Apology accepted.” He glanced toward the door and nodded.

 

Murphy’s mouth dropped open as Master Marcus strolled across the room. He pulled off her hood then scooped her up as if she actually was as light as a puppy. “Poor darlin’. You’ve had yourself quite a rough time.”

 

She pressed her head against his shoulder, still crying.

 

Needing to help, Murphy started to follow. But no. Marcus was Gabi’s Dom. Was comforting her. He didn’t need any help.

 

As the other pets resumed their play, Murphy shook her head. The room felt too hot and stuffy, and her stomach was all twisted up.

 

I need out of here.

 

After crawling to the door, she rose to her feet and saw Master Saxon watching her.

 

She glared at him. You big bully.

 

 

 

 

 

As Marcus carried Gabi into the main room, she felt people looking at her…but she couldn’t stop crying. Her bottom felt like a massive bonfire of pain, but this was more. It was like Saxon had opened her chest, and all her emotions spilled out in ugly sobbing.

 

Marcus sat down on a couch, leaning back against the armrest, and firmly tucked her against his chest. When her weight came down on her butt in an explosion of hurt, she cried harder.

 

“There, now, darlin’, it’s all over.” The molasses-thick warmth of her Marcus’s voice wrapped around her, as comforting as his arms.

 

Oh, how she’d missed this closeness. The feeling of being comforted and cherished and loved.

 

She rubbed her forehead against his hard shoulder, hiccupping with sobs that wouldn’t stop. Because the distance between them was her fault. After their visit to his family in Georgia, she’d felt so guilty, so lost, and she’d pulled away from him.

 

Wanting to figure out what to do. Trying to understand why she was so selfish…and what he’d do when she told him.

 

Only…she couldn’t tell him. Because it would all go wrong when she did.

 

It had anyway, hadn’t it?

 

Sighing, she lay against him, too worn out to even move.

 

Her Sir held her with one arm, and his other hand made long slow strokes over her arm and back. “I love you, Gabrielle,” he murmured.

 

But would he after she told him what she wanted—didn’t want? More tears burned down her raw cheeks. “I love you, Master.”

 

“Now, sugar, tell me what you’ve gotten all het up about.”

 

Listening to that slow drawl evoked the same feeling as hearing rain pattering on the roof when she was tucked next to a warm fire. The very essence of home.

 

“Gabi? Tell me now.”

 

She moved her head back and forth in a no.

 

His arm tightened around her for a moment. “Can you, mayhap, explain why not?” Tampa’s most renowned prosecuting attorney sounded oh, so reasonable.

 

She almost wanted to laugh…if it wouldn’t send her back into crying. Instead, she concentrated on her breathing…just as she’d taught many of her young clients when helping them get a handle on their emotions.

 

He gave her time. It was something she’d always loved about him—his almost infinite patience.

 

“I have a…concern…and I haven’t worked out what to do about it. I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

 

“I can’t help?” he asked, so very softly.

 

Because he was the kind of Dominant who was all about helping and protecting. And she couldn’t say, please don’t stop loving me.

 

“I just need to think a little longer, and then…” Her next slow breath didn’t help at all; had she been lying to her little clients? “Then I’ll tell you.”

 

He kissed the top of her head. “All right, darlin’, I’ll hold you to that.”

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER FOUR