“Don’t know if he’s up yet.” Kane ducked his head and stared harder at the words in front of him.
Evan walked in and swatted her on the ass with the newspaper. “Where were you last-” He stopped suddenly. “What the fuck is that?”
Kane’s entire body jerked to attention, realizing the alarm in Evan’s voice sounded out with far too much warning. Immediately, he glared at the adornment around Peyton’s neck.
She ran a lone finger over her throat. “Oh, you mean this?”
Evan’s gaze stayed at her neck. “That’s it.”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kane shoved his chair back, made a sudden leap for her and Evan immediately threw back his arm to keep Kane from getting his hands on her. No doubt, a few seconds slower and Kane might have wrapped his hands around her neck and yanked the collar right off of her. Right after he choked her for wearing it with far too much pride in the first place.
“Down, cowboy, you know what I’m doing if I have this around my neck,” she purred, slowly running her finger back and forth over the leather choker.
“He’s gonna kill ya,” Evan began with the warning, the one signifier to let Peyton know he volunteered for the job of tattling to big brother.
He’d have to stand in line because this went way too far.
Every nerve ending in Kane’s body pulsed with anger and with lust. It was a dangerous mix. “Peyton, go to your room right now and get that damn thing off your neck.”
“Sorry, Kane, I can’t do it.” She popped a hip and smiled seductively. “I’m afraid my Master may punish me.”
“Your what?” Evan’s skin didn’t turn red, it flamed violet. Oh hell, violence loomed everywhere.
“The hell you can’t.” Kane stayed focused. “Just run on along and take it off. Now.”
“Braden!” Evan started his immature rant for big brother. “Braden! Hurry, get down here!” He walked out of the kitchen and stood at the steps long enough to scream. “All hell’s loose and there’s an outbreak!”
The brothers crossed their arms and seethed while Peyton pulled a pastry out of the freezer, tossed it on a plate and put it in the microwave. “It’s no big deal, guys.”
“Uh-huh.” Evan bit down on his lip.
“Really, it’s not. It just means-”
“I know what it means, thank you very much.” Kane glowered over her.
“Good, because now you know what does and does not belong to you.” She set her jaw. “For the record, I do not belong to Kane Cartwell. Say it with me now. Let’s practice together.”
Like hell she didn’t. If one woman on God’s earth belonged to him, Peyton Storm was his.
Braden casually walked into the kitchen and didn’t look surprised at all to find her with a collar around her neck. He sat down at the table and stared out over the lawn.
“That’s all you’re going to do?” Evan yelled. “Just come in here and sit down?”
“Hell, look at him,” Kane said. “He already knew she had the damn thing. Who called you?”
“Jones.”
“What are you talking about?” Peyton removed her breakfast from the microwave, grabbed a fork from the kitchen drawer, pushed it shut with her hip and cut off her first bite. Waving the first bite around, she inquired further, “Don’t tell me. You know the owner of Clink?”
“Sid Jones,” Braden said.
“What the fuck was he thinking?” Kane demanded.
“He didn’t know she was ours.” He slipped. And really fucked up when he did.
“Excuse me? I’m what?” Peyton dropped her fork. Hell, at this point, she might as well drop her pants too. Kane was sick and tired of her ‘fuck me now or I’ll fuck someone else’ games. In his mind, this act, this collar idea, bordered with treason.
Kane decided to run with Braden’s Freudian slip. “Boy, you hit that one right on, Braden. She may not know it yet, but she’s definitely ours.” He rubbed his hand over his erection. Damn if he didn’t have a stiff one the second he spotted her little neckband.
She narrowed her gaze, shoved a bite of pastry beyond luscious lips and chewed slowly.
“That’s right, darlin’, think about a rebuttal. Chew nice and slow,” Evan mocked her.
“Fuck you, Evan.”
“I would’ve volunteered for the job, baby. Seems someone beat me to it, and I wouldn’t dream of moving in on someone else’s territory.”
“I don’t have a problem with it,” Kane growled, and snatched her forearm in a locked clasp. He quickly pulled her with him.
“Braden! Do something!” She sat down on the floor, her bare feet bracing her against the tile.
“Damn it! Get up!” Kane yelled.
“No! Let me go!” She kicked out at him as he tugged her. Evan stood in the doorway, watching with a big grin. Braden’s eyes were misty with pure lust as he watched for a flash of skin, a show of pink. Oh yeah, he knew by the way his brother stretched his long neck. He wanted to see her little pussy.
Other than rubbernecking a little, Braden didn’t move and Kane noticed. All right then, he had big brother’s approval. God help her, she was going to know what it meant to submit by the time he finished with her.
“Braden! Evan! Do something!” she pleaded and tears now formed in the corners of her eyes. “I belong to someone else now!”
“Oh really? Then where is he? You pushed too far this time, darlin’, and you got my undivided attention just like you wanted.” Kane locked his lower lip under his teeth.
Evan started for the door. “I’m headed to town. Anybody need anything?”
“Yeah, go by the horse supply and grab me a crop. There’s a pretty little tail that I plan to spank.”
“The hell you are!” She leaned back until her back flattened against the glossy floor.
Kane stood over her. “Either get up and walk upstairs like a lady or I swear, you’re going to kneel right here.”
“Fuck you, Kane.”
“That works too.” He scooped her up, threw her over his shoulder, yanked her thong off and placed his palm on her sweet little cheek. “I’ve been waiting for the invitation. I’ll RSVP behind closed doors. Evan, get the crop. Bring it with you when you join us.”
She planned to claw him once he put her down. She was going to catch him off guard and slap the shit out of him. Then she was going to claw him. No, she’d bite him. Sink her teeth into him and take a chunk out of him. First, she needed to convince her pussy. Fucking today existed only as a last resort option.
“Whatever you’re thinking, Peyton, you need to change your mind before it ruins this moment for you.” Kane carefully placed her on his bed, pulled out a long metal box from his dresser and turned to find Braden standing in the doorway.
“Don’t even think about it,” Kane warned.
“I’m not. I’m going to observe. After what I heard from Sid Jones, she’s looking for trouble.” He sat down on a nearby chair-at least he thought there might be one under the pile somewhere, it was hard to tell with so many clothes there-and crossed his arms. “You wanted attention, Peyton. You found more of it than you can handle.”
“Whatever you two think you’re going to do-”
“Silence,” Kane ordered.
“Silence?” She jumped up and bolted. Braden quickly moved in front of the door.
“You’re going along with this?”
“After what I’ve seen, I’m not only going to agree to it, but I’m going to oversee your punishment.” Braden glared at her. “Back on the bed, Peyton.”
“I’m not…I’m…” she defiantly held her head high. “I belong to someone else. I already have a Master, like I told you.”
Braden’s chuckle sounded dark. Peyton stared at him harder just to confirm she glared at the same man who promised to take care of and protect her as her guardian.
“You don’t have a Master, Peyton.” Braden pointed to the bed, “But you will.”
“I’m telling you right now, I have-”
“No one placed the collar around your neck. You borrowed it, from what I understand.” Braden looked over her shoulder. “Kane, explain to Peyton why we know she’s playing games here.”