Owned Forever Read online

  “Kate really is working hard—” Gale tried to intercede, but Kate cut her off before she had a chance.

  “I won’t regret giving up my job or coming here. I love Daniel. And making these changes for our life together is not a waste.”

  Daniel grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight. At least she had his support. If she had Daniel and Grant’s behind her, she could do anything.

  “Love fades, Katherine. Eventually. And then what will you have?”

  “Margo,” her father muttered, trying again to stop her mother, but it didn’t work.

  “She deserves to know, Robert.”

  “You don’t know anything about the relationship we have, Mrs. Baker.” Daniel wrapped his free arm around Kate’s shoulders, his touch comforting but nowhere near enough to stop the daggers her mother sent their way. “No one really does, except those in the relationship.”

  “I hope you’re right, Daniel. I hope I know nothing of your relationship. I hope you’ll be happy for fifty years to come. But I know Kate. She has a history of not sticking with things, like the swim team.”

  Kate fought back the urge to scream. Would she never let her forget the one time she’d tried and failed at something? For the rest of her life she’d be haunted by quitting the swim team after only two weeks. “Mom, that was in high school. I’ve grown up. I’m different now. This is different.”

  Her mother shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, if you think so. But she’d never believe it. To Margo Baker, Kate would always be a scared, little girl that was too afraid to get on a plane for spring break, and nothing would change that.

  But Kate knew different. She was stronger now. Daniel and Grant made her strong.

  “If this is how you feel, why did you even come?” Kate stepped back a little from the table, leaving the comfort of Daniel’s arms. She appreciated him trying to protect her, but regardless of how hard he tried, he’d never be able to stop her mother’s words or actions. He couldn’t shield her from this fight.

  “You’re getting married, honey. We couldn’t miss that.”

  Her father answered for the both of them. Though Kate doubted her mother agreed. It didn’t really matter. She probably didn’t want to hear what her mother thought anyway.

  “But you could ruin it instead?”

  Across the table, her mother opened her mouth, but Kate didn’t care what she had to say. There was no defense for the way she’d acted today. No matter what excuse she used, it didn’t matter. Kate threw her napkin down onto the table. The motion knocked her silverware against her plate, creating a clatter and blocking out whatever her mother had been about to say.

  Good. Her mother didn’t deserve to have the last word.

  “Thank you so much for dinner, Gale. It was delicious. I have a few more projects to finish before tomorrow.” Kate turned away from the table, knocking her chair on its side with her hasty retreat. She all but ran from the gathering, unable to look at her mother anymore. How could she be related to that woman? Every one of her priorities were wrong.

  Tears welled in Kate’s eyes, her chest seizing. She tried to hold back the sobs, but they broke free anyway. Tomorrow was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but her mother couldn’t give her that. She couldn’t support her for one damn day.

  Fisting her hands so hard her nails bit into her palms, she closed her eyes. She focused on breathing, sucking in deep, long gulps of oxygen. She needed a release. She needed some way to free the anger and sadness clawing at her chest. To feel like herself again.

  She needed Grant.

  Chapter Six

  “Whoa, there, Sandy.” Grant petted the horse’s mane, and she snorted happily. “At least someone’s happy to see me today.”

  All day, as they’d traveled the grounds, showing off the farm and their little house to Kate’s parents, he’d felt like a third wheel, unimportant and unnecessary. When dinnertime had come, he’d made an excuse about chores and had headed to the barn. They wouldn’t miss him at the rehearsal dinner. Just like no one would have missed him during today’s tours, except for Kate.

  He didn’t like feeling trivial, but he could live with it. As long as he got to be with Kate again when they were done, he could deal with almost anything else.

  The horse beside him shook her head, her mane brushing across his arm, and he laughed at her antics. It felt good. After holding stiff all day, trying to be his best self for Kate’s parents, it felt good to let go. “All right, girl. Here you go.” He held the carrots up to Sandy. She chomped each one down to the greens, all but pulling them from his hands.

  “If only all women were as easy to please as you are.” He stroked the horse’s nose, and her hot breath snorted against his hand.

  Kate definitely wasn’t as easy as Sandy. But if she had been that simple, he never would have been intrigued by her back in Dallas. That night he’d spied her sitting all quiet and demure at the bar alone, her bright blue eyes searching the club for a Dom to turn her inside out.

  He’d never been prouder of anything in his life than he was of being worthy of her. It might not be easy, but nothing good ever was. And being with Kate was really damn good.

  The barn door slid open, the old, rusty hinge squeaking beneath the pressure. He needed to remember to throw some WD-40 on these suckers. Kate stepped through the door, pulling it shut behind her. God, she was a welcome sight. So beautiful, she took his breath away in her gauze light pink dress. Her skin looked so white and smooth, he just wanted to turn it pink and hot with his hand.

  It wasn’t until she turned toward him that he noticed her wet eyes. Tears lined her face. The sight tugged at him. What had happened at dinner? It was supposed to be a nice family meal, some of his mom’s good home cooking and friendly chitchat. Kate had been quizzing them about acceptable topics to bring up with her parents for weeks, forcing them to stay on neutral subjects. What could possibly have gone so wrong discussing golf?

  “Kate, what happened?”

  Without a response, Kate walked right into his arms. She felt so small and breakable huddled up against him. All he wanted to do was protect her. If she gave the word, he’d track down whoever had hurt her this way and beat them to a pulp. But he had a good idea who had caused this pain. Beating her parents didn’t sound like a good idea, even if they deserved it.

  “It was awful,” she cried, her words muffled by her tears and his chest.

  He tightened his arms around her, hoping to offer her some amount of peace. God, he hated when she cried. It made him feel so useless, worthless.

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” He leaned his head against hers, offering her any relief he could. He wasn’t really good at comfort, but for Kate, he’d try anything.

  She shook her head, burying her face in his shirt.

  “What can I do to make it better?”

  “I need you to hurt me, Grant.”

  She leaned back, looking up at him with those big, blue eyes. The need inside her gaze called to him, plucking at his control, which was all but shattered beneath her tears.

  “I need your help to forget.”

  He understood that need. The desire for the release bindings and pain could give her. There was nothing he wanted more than to give that to her. He’d promised her as her Dom, he’d take care of her, no matter what. But with her parents on the property, wandering anywhere nearby, he held himself back.

  “I don’t know, Kate.” He swept his fingers across her nape, and she leaned into his touch. The trust on her face so beautiful it tugged his heart.

  “Please, Grant.” She blinked up. “I need you.”

  The desperation in her eyes stabbed him in the chest. How could he deny her what she wanted so much? What she needed.

  He couldn’t.

  He grabbed her wrists and pulled them behind her back. Instantly, her breath sped up. The position pushed her chest out. Her nipples beaded against the thin fabric of her pretty, pink dress. His mouth watered at the look
of them pointed out, desperate for his mouth. “Remember, you asked for it.”

  He yanked her close to his body. His engorged cock rubbed against her soft stomach, and he sucked in a breath at the contact. Even through the layers of cloth, he felt her heat. He knew the softness of her skin, and he wanted her.

  Taking a large step backward, he tugged her toward the workbench behind them. “Does my pet need to be punished?”

  She nodded enthusiastically.

  Grant grabbed a length of rope from the workbench. How would they survive if they didn’t live on a ranch? The easy availability of rope and whips worked really well for them.

  Surveying the area, Grant looked for a proper place to tie Kate to. If he was going to push her, he wanted his hands free to enjoy himself. A sawhorse stood in the far corner, laid out for some previous chore. That was perfect. He pulled her toward it, keeping the rope easily available.

  “Stay here,” he commanded.

  She nodded. Her body froze where she stood. Holding a submissive down, forcing her to do what you wanted, displayed a certain amount of control. It made a submissive feel subjugated. But the real test of dominance was not in a Dom’s hands but in his word. Any dominant that could keep his sub motionless beneath just the effect of his words truly controlled his pet.

  Grant had never held the same power over another sub. He’d never earned that level of trust from another submissive. It was a heady power, one he’d never thought he’d experience, and he’d fight to the death to keep it.

  He walked to the other corner, grabbing a blanket from the storage closet, and threw it over the sawhorse. The blanket would protect her from any possible slivers from the rough, unworked wood. He pushed her down upon the horse and looped the rope around her wrists, all the way up to her elbows. He tightened the coils, keeping her arms close together. She leaned passively over the wooden beam, waiting for him to do his work. Her whole body lay limp and placid beneath his attentions.

  “How does that feel, pet?” Grant slid his fingers between her skin and the rope, checking to make sure the bindings didn’t pinch or restrict her circulation.

  “Good, Master,” she responded, already immersed in her role. Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breathing. Her lips were soft and open, her eyes half closed.

  Grant stalked around her until he stood behind her. She made such a beautiful picture, bound and bent for his pleasure. Her ripe, round bottom displayed before him like a prize for the taking. Grabbing the thin, pink fabric of her dress, he shifted it up her hips, revealing her soft, creamy skin. Groaning, he stared down at her barely there panties. God, she loved to taunt him with these thongs and sheer, white lace. If she was trying to drive him crazy, she was doing a damn good job.

  He smoothed his hands down her ass and along her thighs, unable to stop himself from touching her. With her gorgeous body displayed like this, it wasn’t a choice. Kate gave out a little whimper at his touch, a shiver skating across her skin and tingling up his fingers.

  “Are you ready for this, pet?” He kneaded the skin of her thighs, loving the way her body relaxed beneath his touch.

  “Yes please, Master.” She squirmed a little on the sawhorse, desperate for what only he could offer her. The position forced her forward until she balanced on only her tiptoes, adding to the sense of vulnerability.

  Grant looked down on her. He still couldn’t believe this woman was his. She was so pure and clean and sweet, and all he wanted to do was dirty her up, hurt her. If it wasn’t for the fact that she begged him for it, cried out for the relief his pain gave her, he would have thought himself a true and complete asshole.

  But he paused for a minute, not exactly sure why. They hadn’t made any rules about this, but somehow, it felt wrong to play with Kate the night before their wedding without Daniel at least knowing.

  Their whole relationship balanced on a razor-thin edge of trust and understanding, and a pang in his gut couldn’t stop him from worrying this might put that all in jeopardy somehow. Though he didn’t know where the suspicion came from.

  “Please, Master, I need you,” she sobbed, and any worries or fears paled in comparison to the desperation in her tone.

  He couldn’t deny her, not if it was the last thing he’d ever do. His pet needed him, and he had to take care of her. That was the deal they’d made, the unspoken agreement between every Dom and sub. He wouldn’t let her down. Not again.

  Daniel wasn’t into Domination and submission like Grant and Kate were. He understood why Kate came to Grant to fulfill these needs. The night before their wedding or not.

  “Don’t worry, pet,” he whispered into her ear. His body crowded hers into the hard wood of the sawhorse. Beneath him, her body softened, relaxing into his control. Good.

  He wrapped a hand around her nape, pulling her head up. He packed all the power he possessed into his voice. “I’ll give you what you need.”

  He reached back and smacked her ass hard. The sound reverberated through the barn, followed by her shaky breath. He spanked her again, a little harder this time, and she jerked forward in her bounds. His heart sped up as she struggled beneath his knots, his breath rasping. She was completely under his control. Where they both wanted her to be.

  “Is that what you were looking for, pet?” He gave her another punishing blow across her ass. The sawhorse rocked against the cement floor, almost buckling beneath the force of his blows against her limp body.

  There was no light, easy-going Dom today. Not like when they played in front of Daniel. Grant moderated himself so as not to scare his brother, who was still new to this world. That’s not what she needed. Alone, he could let the beast inside him loose. He could push her as hard and as deep as he wanted, and no one would stop him. He almost growled at the freedom.

  “Yes, Master.” She moaned softly, and his chest tightened so hard he couldn’t breathe. How could she make hurting her feel so right? Precious? He was the only Dom to give her this release, and she was the only sub who ever made him feel this powerful in return.

  “Good.” He continued slapping her ass so hard his hand hurt. The pain was nothing compared to the pleasure of watching her body wiggle beneath his touch, her skin flushing bright pink.

  He loved this. The way her bottom twitched. How she shivered and shook, desperate for his slaps and how her ass turned red beneath his treatment. He loved everything about it. He hit the same spot twice, giving her a more intense flare of pain, and Kate cried out before the sound morphed into a moan. She loved it too, just as much as he did. That’s what made them so perfect for each other.

  Pushing aside the scrap of fabric she called underwear, he slid his fingers between her legs, teasing along her pussy lips. She moaned at the slight caress, her legs shaking. A deep growl rumbled from his chest. Damn, she was already hot and wet, desperate for him. And he was crazed for her too.

  “Please, Master,” she moaned, thrusting back as far as she could in her bounds. Her ass bumped his groin, and he sucked in a breath. He was so hard he could almost plow through steel, but he ignored the tightness growing between his legs. This wasn’t for him. It was for her. To fulfill her needs. His stupid cock wouldn’t get in the way of his duty.

  “What do you need, pet? Tell me.”

  “I need more, Master.” Her words were thick, covered with tears, the very sound ripping at his resolve. “I need to be overwhelmed… I need to not think.”

  She needed subspace, the release and relief that could be found between them. And he wanted to give that to her, almost as much as she needed it.

  “Don’t you worry, pet.” He gripped her nape harder, tightening his fingers until she let out a little, breathy sigh. Her heartbeat pounded beneath his fingers, and his own heart kept pace. “I’ll take care of you.”

  He reached to the workbench, extracting a six-inch remainder of a two-by-four. The wood had been used to repair the door of Bertha’s stall after she’d kicked a hole in it. But now he had a much better purpose for
it.

  He held the cut end toward himself, to make sure not to hurt her. Winding back, he smacked the wood against her fleshy ass. She yelped at the intense smack, her whole body twitching beneath the shock. She sucked in a deep breath and her body relaxed.

  He wished he could see her eyes, then he’d know how she felt. He’d stop in a second if she didn’t like it. But he doubted that was the answer she’d give. But at this angle, all he could see were miles of beautiful, damaged flesh.

  “Do you like that, pet?” He smoothed his fingers over the red welts he’d created on her behind, attempting to sooth the ache.

  She nodded limply, almost like she didn’t have the energy to raise her head. Good.

  He picked up the pace of his spanking, slamming the wood against her flesh mercilessly. The thump of the two-by-four hitting her rump echoed through the barn. She shrieked and cried and begged for more. Her hips thrust back, moving in time with his slaps, pushing deeper into each spank. His biceps burned from the repeated, forceful swings but kept up the pressure. This was what she needed. And he couldn’t deny her. He wouldn’t.

  When her muscles turned limp, leaning her weight against the sawhorse, he stepped between her legs. Pressing her thighs apart, he spread her pussy open for him. She let out a little moan, the sound shooting straight to his groin. It took a full minute for him to regain his composure. His balls burned, needing release, but his job wasn’t done yet.

  With one thrust, he shoved two fingers deep inside her, pushing her over the edge. Like a rocket, she went off, crying and screaming his name. Her pussy tightened around his fingers. Yet he continued to shove them in and out of her in quick, pounding thrusts. Her whole body shook around him, quivering across the sawhorse. He only wished she faced him. There was nothing more beautiful than the look on Kate’s face as she came.