The Brink by Shayla Black

After seeing the state of the kitchen and the anxiety humming off Raine, Hammer knew his assurances were falling on deaf ears. She’d convinced herself that Gwyneth posed Liam some imminent danger and nothing would keep her from worrying.

Raine needed a break from her disquiet, a way to get out of her head. Hammer had the will and the means to provide that.

Holding her hand, he led her down the hall.

She resisted. “Where are we going?”

“To the dungeon. I intend to give you what you need.”

A little frown wrinkled her forehead. “What I need is for Liam to come back.”

“Until he returns, I’ll take your mind off your worries…and everything else.”

Raine took a moment to sort through his words, then gave him a breathless nod.

As they entered the dungeon, members glanced their way. Hammer ushered her past most of the equipment inside, then pulled her to a stop at the same spanking bench on which Liam had claimed her virgin ass a few short weeks ago. Then, he’d seen his friend take what Hammer had always hoped would be his, and caustic anger had rolled in his veins. Feeling cheated, he’d watched, barely blinking, until the deed was done.

Now, Hammer gripped the sturdy frame of the spanking bench and began dragging it to the center of the dungeon, beyond eager. Around him, the club members did a double take. Their stares skidded off him, then came to a screeching halt on Raine, waiting self-consciously beside him. As he came through with the bench, patrons parted like the Red Sea, acting as if they were about to witness a miracle. Hammer felt the OMG hanging in the air.

In six years, he’d never once scened with Raine. No one had since he’d declared her under his protection…except Liam after the disastrous public punishment Hammer had assigned last month when she’d tried to seduce him. Beck had botched that, of course, giving his Irish pal the chance to step in and claim the girl. As far as the members knew, she belonged to Liam—and him alone.

Hammer intended to set the record straight and nurture the bond of love the three of them finally shared. Besides, publicly staking his claim on Raine using the same piece of equipment Liam had held a certain poetic symmetry.

The sound of paddles and whips from surrounding scenes faded. Doms paused, moving closer to caress their subs and stare. Some long-term members simply smirked as if they’d been waiting for Hammer to pull his head out of his ass and acknowledge his feelings for Raine.

He clenched his jaw. He’d fucking give them something to see.

“Everyone is looking at us,” she murmured.

Hammer turned and quirked a brow at her. “Because you’re stunning, precious.”

“I’m sure it’s because you rarely play in public anymore. And to them, you’ve never touched me.”

“It doesn’t matter why they’re staring. Let them,” he whispered, noting the flicker of nervous excitement on her face. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Raine scanned the crowd. “Maybe. I don’t know. The time Liam took me in front of the others, he had me so focused on him the crowd faded away. I hardly remember anyone there. Just him. And you.”

Hammer already knew she was going to love it. He bent close to her ear. “Come on, my little exhibitionist. Let’s get you splayed out and cuffed up so we can fuel more speculation.”

Raine set tentative fingers on his chest. The way her gaze clung to him, uncertain yet seeking reassurance, stirred his Dominance.

“I’m not here to please anyone but you and Liam. I don’t give a dam…um, darn what anyone else thinks as long as they know I belong to you two.”

“By the time we’re done, I won’t leave a single doubt in anyone’s mind.”

She blinked, and he caught the heartbeat accelerating at her neck. “What exactly do you—”

“Plan to do to you?” Hammer interrupted with a wolfish grin.

“Yes. I’m excited, but I don’t think I can… No whip for me, please.” She shuddered. “That scares me.”

Because it made noises that convinced her he’d inflict tremendous pain and leave gashes in her flesh. He could—but not with her. Never. Naturally, he’d respect her limit…for now. It was a Dom’s nature to push, but he’d do that later.

“I know pain isn’t going to enhance your submission.”

Raine nibbled her bottom lip. Worry and nerves ate at her composure, but she nodded.

Hammer palmed her face and snared her gaze. “Talk to me. What’s going on inside your head?”

“I’m still worried about Liam,” she answered in the same hushed tones. “Why hasn’t he called?”

“If something were wrong, he would find a way to reach us.”

“But… shouldn’t we wait until he can join us?”

“Liam is with you, precious. Right here.” Hammer patted her heart. “I want you to feel him through me. Do you understand?”

More tears formed in her eyes. “I’ll try, Sir.”

“You’ll succeed. Now make us proud.” Macen brushed away a tear that had spilled over her thick lashes.

She sniffled, surprisingly tense. “What if I can’t do this, Macen? I mean, the right way.” She struggled with her quiet words. “I want this. God, I’ve wanted it since I first started fantasizing about you.”

A rosy blush stained her cheeks.

“And when exactly did you start doing that?” Hammer drew the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, desperate to know.

Raine darted a shy glance away. “Since I understood what this place was and why I was so drawn to you. Probably about two weeks after you found me in the alley.”

She’d begun to star in Hammer’s fantasies even before then. Once the bruises and cuts from her father’s abuse had healed and Raine had stopped looking at Macen as if he were another monster with a cock intent on hurting her, he’d started dreaming about the beautiful girl handing herself over to him. Two thousand three hundred and some odd days—and the same number of long, empty nights—he’d burned to bring her to his dungeon and stake his claim.

“You weren’t the only one,” he confessed, then scowled. “But lusting after a girl who hadn’t yet reached the age of consent made me feel like a sick fuck.”

His desires had only increased as he’d watched the girl finish growing into a woman. For years, every day had been an exercise in restraint and creativity, conjuring new ways to deny himself the pleasure of Raine.

“That didn’t make you a pedophile, Macen. I was seventeen, not five,” she reminded pointedly. “I still ache for you, you know.”

“I hope you always do, precious. My feelings will never change.”

“Then help me, please.” Raising those big, trusting blue eyes to him, she curled her fingers around his lapel. “My head is whirling with what-ifs. What if I fail you because I can’t turn off my brain?”

“Let me worry about that.” The weight of him taking her to subspace for the first time rocked Hammer deep. No way would he fuck this up.

“I want to, but you’ve scened with so many subs over the years, most of them far more experienced. I don’t know exactly what to expect,” she whispered.

Conscious of all the eyes still on him, Hammer pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead, longing to push the chaos and apprehension from her mind and replace them with reassurance and love.

“The only way you’ll fail me is to not try,” Hammer assured. “Do you trust me with your body, your safety?”

“Completely.”

Her answer filled him with masculine pride. “Then let me guide you. I won’t fail you.”

“Yes, Sir.” She sighed, closed her eyes—already trying to give herself over.

Pressing his lips to her neck, he slowly loosened her corset. When it slipped from her breasts, he eased back, watching the material fall loosely around her body. The sight of the wicked red bite he’d left on her flawless flesh a few short hours ago burned desire through his veins, seizing him with the urge to mark every inch of her and show the world she belonged to him. Tracing his finger over the welt, Hammer bent and laved his tongue over the swollen impression.

“I’m going to mark you again, precious,” Hammer murmured against her breast.

He felt her shiver before she reached up to slide her fingers through his hair. “I want that.”

Lolling her head to one side, Raine exposed her slender neck to him in invitation. Macen didn’t refuse. He nipped a trail of tiny red blotches as he worked his way toward her mouth. Stopping, he hovered over her lips, tasting her warm breath as he deftly tugged her corset free, letting it drop to the floor.

“What do you call me?” he prompted against her lips.

“Sir. I want that, Sir.”

“Very good.” He cupped her nape and drew her in, holding her captive to his stare. Then he melded their lips together, sweeping deep inside, drinking in her heady power, her luscious control.

A collective gasp echoed through the dungeon, followed by a buzz of hushed whispers. Hammer had no doubt his heated possession of Raine’s mouth, along with his choice of a partner, would keep tongues wagging for days.

Once upon a time, no one had batted an eye when he’d entered the dungeon with a sub. Hell, he’d had a different one damn near every night. But this past spring, Hammer had finished a session with a crop, then reached for his zipper and a condom, only to see tears of agony swimming in Raine’s eyes. The sight had been a jagged stake through his heart.

He didn’t even remember the other woman’s name, but he’d never forgotten the debilitating hurt on Raine’s face. After that moment, he’d more or less stopped sceneing in the dungeon.

And he’d never—ever—kissed any sub with such passion.

Now, he ignored the whispers of the others and took Raine’s mouth again. He’d spent too many years burning for the chance to publicly declare her his. To hell with the rest of the world.

Hammer deepened the kiss and felt his everyday persona begin to slip away…and his natural Dominance take over. His shoulders squared. His chest expanded. Then he fisted Raine’s inky mane as he growled out his possession, took her tongue, and dragged her small body flush against him.

As he claimed her mouth harder still, his lips stung. Raine’s fingers dug into his scalp. Her nipples tightened, and Macen longed to tear off his shirt to feel them against his bare chest.

He dragged his palms down her back, around her waist, as he ate at her mouth. Twisting the small button of her skirt free, Hammer slowly eased the zipper down and pushed at the garment. It fell down her legs.

As he released her mouth, he fused his gaze all over her. He exposed the lovely red ridges—signs of his possession—he’d left earlier on the inside of her snowy thigh and the pad of her smooth pussy. Those brands called to him, tempting him. He couldn’t resist that lure.

Around him, the crowd murmured louder, clearly noting the imprints, too. No doubt they were speculating even now that he’d left those bites on her tender flesh. Hammer’s nostrils flared. Satisfaction filled him.

He inched in close to Raine’s ear. “Step out of your skirt.”

“Yes,” Raine replied. “Sir.”

She’d finally called him Sir in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Pride wasn’t the only thing of Hammer’s that swelled as she affirmed to all around her that she belonged to him. And amid the escalating murmurs, he couldn’t help the gratified smile that pulled at his lips.

With a graceful elegance, Raine stepped from the puddle of clothes at her feet, then cast her gaze toward the floor. God, she’d become the epitome of submission, clearly striving to represent him, as well as herself, in a light so positive it was all but blinding.

Hammer’s world narrowed to only her. He’d always suspected she’d be utterly amazing, but watching her now stirred his Dominance all the way to its depths.

“Climb on the bench.”

She raised her eyes first, reflecting the total trust and faith she had in him. When she extended her hand, Macen helped her kneel on the leather, moving in close behind her as she bent and settled her body over the extended padded surface. He dragged his fingertips down the line of her spine in a whisper-soft touch. Goose bumps peppered her flesh. Turning her head toward him, she focused on his face as he traced indiscriminate patterns over her skin, then issued a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

“You’re like velvet,” he murmured, feeling her tension begin to bleed away beneath his fingers. “Supple. Silky. Warm. Are you ready to take my pleasure and my pain?”

“Yes, Sir.”

Raine’s reply was so soft Hammer almost missed it. But he caught the note of anxiety in her tone. A tiny ripple of tension made her flesh quiver as she waited. Hammer studied her, considering the girl with a frown. She’d come out of the gate so brave. He refused to let her worry or cower now and cling to her power.

Flinging his hand in the air, Macen sent it crashing down and landed a brittle slap across her ass. His palm caught fire as a thin wail tore from her throat. His cock, strangling within the confines of his trousers, twitched as he drank in her cries.

“I can’t hear you,” Hammer barked.

Raine’s head snapped up. She sucked in a shuddering breath. “Yes, Sir.”

Skimming his palm over the imprint blossoming all angry and red, Hammer bent to whisper in her ear.

“Let my burn sink into your bones,” he commanded. “Take my pain. Let it wash over you and carry you away.”

Leaning out to watch Raine’s face, Macen continued to caress the sting away as she lowered her head once more and worked to calm her breathing. Dialed in on her every nuance, he noted that the little line between her eyes he’d spied at breakfast had grown sharper and deeper.

“I’m trying, Sir.”

“You’re doing well, precious. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

Hammer moved to the side of the bench and caressed his way up her torso before wedging his hand beneath her breast. He teased her nipple between his finger and thumb. Raine’s breath caught on a moan. The line between her brows began to smooth. Hammer smiled.

She’d done a hell of a lot more than try. Raine had processed that slap as if she’d been a well-trained sub. Sometimes, like now, she utterly amazed him.

“Thank you, Sir.” Her voice quivered. A new frown tugged at the corners of her lips.

One well-placed spank wasn’t going to erase her concern for Liam. Hammer knew he needed to help Raine empty her mind by overloading her with sensation.

Feathering kisses down her shoulders, back, and ass, he punctuated each with a fiery scrape of his teeth. He bit into her hip and sucked for a long, satisfying second, then pulled at her flesh as he eased away.

Raine squealed and jolted, her legs flailing involuntarily and almost clipping Hammer in the jaw. He grabbed her ankles and pressed her feet back on the padded surface, then laved his tongue over the soft flesh of her ass.

“Sorry, Sir.”

“I know it wasn’t on purpose. Are you still with me?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“That’s my girl.”

Because he intended to get a lot more physical with her, Hammer fastened the cuffs attached to the embedded eyebolts on the frame around her ankles one at a time. As he did, he caressed her skin, keeping a constant physical connection of reassurance.

He was her lifeline, and in more ways than Hammer could really admit, she was his.

“Such a lovely sight,” he murmured. “Spread your legs wider for me.”

Raine readjusted her knees, opening herself up for him—and the watchful eyes of every club member around her.

“Yes, that’s it. So pretty and pink. So wet and inviting,” Hammer praised before bending in close to her ear. “You’re on display, Raine. Everyone is admiring you. Can you feel their hot stares? Feel the heat of arousal from the men you thought never saw you? They see you now…all helpless and bound for me.”

Raine mewled as she slowly opened her eyes, glassy and not quite focused. Hammer smiled. She’d begun to fall away under his hand so easily and trustingly. It wouldn’t take much more for her to sail off into subspace—where he intended to send her.

“Close your eyes,” he demanded softly.

Her lids fluttered shut, and Hammer pressed a tender kiss to each, then moved behind her once again.

The sight of her bound, spread, and wet for him staggered Macen. He fought the urge to unzip his pants and drive his cock into her soft cunt. Instead, he traced the lips of her labia with his thumb and forefinger. Raine’s body rippled. She whimpered. Her pussy clenched at the empty air.

He drew his sodden fingers to his lips and licked them clean, savoring her tart spice.

Hammer smiled as he rounded the frame again, never taking his eyes off her. The delicate lines and feminine angles of her body as she waited for his command made his cock ache and his blood surge.

Bending near her head, he cuffed each of her wrists in the same leisurely, reassuring fashion. Once she was firmly secured to the bench, Hammer twisted his fingers into Raine’s hair and tugged, urging her to lift her head off the leather padding. Staring into her smoky blue eyes, he settled his gaze on her lips, slightly parted and ready to be kissed.

The further Raine drifted into her submissive place and ceded to him, the more power Macen absorbed. As he descended into his Dominance, time slowed. The club and the patrons receded, blurring into the background. But every detail about Raine grew sharper, more defined. He heard her every breath, catalogued the heaviness of her lids, dissected her hint of a smile, absorbed the submissive plea in her eyes as she silently begged for more.

“Your safe word is Paris. Take a deep breath and clear your mind, precious. Focus on my words and all the sensations I’m about to bestow on you.”

She issued a soft sigh and nodded.

“Good girl,” he whispered and kissed the bow of her pink lips.

Stripping off his shirt, Hammer studied the assortment of impact toys lining the table next to him. He chose a thick, heavy flogger. Testing its weight in his hands, he rubbed the wide leather falls between his finger and thumb. Buttery. Supple. Exactly what he needed to free her mind.

Hammer sensed the crowd around him flowing back to give him space to move. The chants of monks mingling with a techno beat faded away. Otherwise, the dungeon sounded eerily quiet, serving to heighten his focus on Raine.

Gripping the cool metal handle in his fist, Hammer raised the flogger before settling the tip of the falls over Raine’s shoulder blades.

She started with a little gasp and tensed.

“I’ve got you. There’ll be no pain. Your body is safe in my care. Let your mind follow.”

Her soft, consenting moan resonated in his head as he slowly dragged the long leather ribbons down her back, letting her grow accustomed to their feel. As he ate her up with his gaze, she shuddered, gave a longing sigh, then arched in supplication. But the heavy rise and fall of her chest told him she was still alert and mentally processing far too much.

“Unwind for me, precious,” Hammer murmured as he skimmed his broad hand over her back. “Focus on my voice, my hand, the pleasure I give you—and nothing more. Nothing. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied with a breathy whisper.

Though Hammer knew her very well as a woman, he was still learning her as a submissive. But he had every reason to believe that giving her permission to let go of her worries would help her find that lovely place in her head where her troubles floated away.

“Let go for me, Raine. Let me take you where you need to be.”

Hammer dipped his hand between her legs and circled her clit with his thumb. Her whole body twitched. As he swept his fingers through her hot nectar, her hips rolled in time with each drag of his digits. She was doing exactly as he’d asked and surrendering beautifully.

“You’re wet and aching for me, aren’t you?” When she moaned, Hammer smiled. Such a satisfying sound… “You’d like me to drive my cock into your tight little cunt and make you come, wouldn’t you?”

“Yes…” Raine strained against the cuffs and ground into his nimble fingers.

“In time, I will. You belong to Liam and me—now and forever. We own every inch of you, and that includes your screams of ecstasy. No one hears them except us.”

Hammer’s proclamation caused a flurry of loud whispers to fly through the dungeon. He ignored them and directed all his attention and energy to the rhythmic sway of Raine’s slender hips. He reveled in guiding her pleasure.

As Macen drove two fingers deep inside her sweltering core, she gave a high-pitched cry that gripped his cock and pulsed in his brain. The rest of the world dissolved.

“That’s it, Raine. Hand your control over to me. It doesn’t belong to you.”

With every moment that passed, her pink folds shimmered more. Her essence flowed. The spicy scent of her cunt nearly made Hammer groan.

He withdrew his fingers from her clutching walls, then dropped to one knee behind her. Dipping in low, he swiped his tongue over her glistening folds, striking her clit with the tip. Her intoxicating flavor exploded on his taste buds.

Raine mewled long and loud. Her nub of nerves hardened beneath his lips. Christ, he wanted to stay here for hours and lap her up while her cries resonated through his brain. But this scene wasn’t about what he wanted, but what she needed.

After one more deliciously long stroke, he savored her, then slowly stood, smoothing his palm down her ass in a long caress. Raine gave him a pleading groan. The depth of her frustration seared him.

“Yes, precious. That’s exactly what I want… You suffering under my hand,” Macen cajoled. “Because you’re mine to tease, please, torture, and enjoy.”

At his words, her spine dipped. She lifted the firm curve of her ass in the air, ready for whatever sensations he heaped on her next, and melted against the leather-topped frame. So fucking perfect…

Hammer raised the flogger and gripped the handle firmly, feeling his biceps bunch from the weight of the bulky falls. Swinging his arm out to the side, he landed the thick bands over Raine’s ivory ass with a heavy thud.

Raine aahed, flinched. Branding every detail of her response into his brain, Hammer brought the leather down again as he memorized each flex of her thighs, gasp of breath, clench of her ass. She turned rosy. Her breathing accelerated. Macen smiled. She didn’t like outright pain, but when he peeked around to her face, the subtle pinch and smoothing of her brow told him she loved the fuck out of this little sting.

Flicking his wrist every so often, forcing the leather to land with an extra bite, he watched as Raine processed the added sensation with an occasional frown. But it wasn’t long before she strained against her cuffs, arching her ass higher into the air in a silent petition for more.

Hammer heard a familiar, soft chuckle and glanced to his left to find Seth had stopped sceneing, too, and now gazed on with interest. He gave Macen a nod, then resumed his study of Raine’s face once more.

The lull between whacks clearly frustrated her as she cried out and tugged at the cuffs around her wrists.

“Ask for what you want,” Hammer instructed.

Her arms and legs quivered. As he peeked between her thighs, he noted her slickness now coated her entire pussy. She’d swollen with need, gone from pink to a flushed rose pouting for attention. Macen’s mouth watered.

“Yes, Sir,” she mewled. “Please. More.”

Crouching behind her, Hammer leaned in and captured more of her tart, tangy taste. Then he flattened his tongue and swiped over her lush folds and all the way up to the small of her back.

Raine squealed and bucked, panted and gasped. He pinned her in place with a wide palm splayed across the top of her ass to still the writhing roll of her hips.

He rounded the spanking bench and bent until they were face to face. “More what?”

“Everything.”

“I can do that, sweet sub,” Hammer assured before he gripped her hair and took her lips in another savage kiss. He drank down every ounce of her surrender, letting it fill all the empty places inside him he’d never allowed another sub to touch.

Tapering away, he released her hair and stood. She relaxed on the bench now. His chest expanded, and a potent rush of power blasted through him. Fuck, he wanted his whip—his go-to toy. He knew he could kiss her with it so sweetly and send her flying. But she’d asked him not to use it, and he wouldn’t betray her trust.

Clenching his jaw, he strode to the back of the bench again. The scent of her feminine musk filled his senses and lingered on his tongue like a drug. Lovingly, he brushed his fingers over the imprint of his slap. The mark still stood visible but blended beautifully with the warm, reddened flesh of her backside.

Dominance. Control. Peace.

Drawing the flogger back, Hammer landed the heavy falls across her pale flesh in a steady, throbbing rhythm again. And again. And again. Time lost all meaning, measured only by each deliberate stroke and the subtle jerk of her body.

Her soft moans echoed around him, coalesced in his brain, and pulsed through his body. Each second sharpened with crystal clarity, magnifying the rising energy inside him. Nothing else mattered. No one else existed. Time stood still for this one moment.

“Tell me where you’re at?” Hammer asked, his voice rough and husky.

“In the clouds,” Raine sighed, her tone laced with serenity.

“Go farther, precious. Sail past the stars,” Hammer demanded softly. “I’ll bring you back when it’s time.”

As he continued to strike her ass with the wide falls, he looked for any signs of distress and found none. Her ass was a pretty red. Neither her hands nor feet looked purple. All good.

Her dreamlike moans amplified his senses. Hammer reviewed the scene—what he’d done, how she’d responded mentally, emotionally, physically. Though he still focused on her with a keen hyperawareness, Raine no longer reacted to the flogger landing on her flesh.

He’d never taken her to subspace before, and the power she’d willingly ceded ignited every cell in Hammer’s body. He held tight to the priceless trust she’d placed in his hands and fought the urge to slide out of his own head, into Dom space. Once he’d learned the submissive in her well enough, after he knew her every reaction… Yes, then he’d slide into his own delicious place and fully consume her power as he sent her even beyond the stars.

That day would come. Soon.

“Are you still with me, precious?” he murmured, watching her eyes gently flutter.

“Yes,” she whispered breathlessly.

“That’s my beautiful girl,” he praised.

Sending the flogger over her already fiery red flesh, he could feel her slip away almost as tangibly as if she slowly released his clutching hand.

“She’s gone,” Seth finally murmured softly.

“Excellent.” Hammer smiled but didn’t stop.

Mesmerized by the give of her flesh beneath the falls and the deepening red of her backside, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He’d given her what she needed, had crafted a quiet place inside her mind where she could escape the chaos.

Keeping her suspended in that peaceful euphoria as long as he dared, Macen finally laid the flogger aside.

Staring at her welted flesh, he fixated on the slick cream coating her pussy. Raine called to every primal cell in his body. She had surrendered herself mind, body, soul—and it still wasn’t enough. He needed more.

Own.

Take.

Claim.

Bending, he kissed the hot flesh of her ass, felt the throb of it beneath his lips. The need to feel her soft pussy surrounding his cock had him gritting his teeth. Not here. Not yet. He’d enjoy the razor’s edge of need just a bit longer. When she was ready… Oh, he’d gorge on her.

Tormenting himself further, he uncuffed her ankles, then laved the rippling welts across her skin. He tasted her heat, gently bit into it, before begrudgingly lifting his lips from her blistering flesh.

Hammer stood and moved to the front of the bench and quickly freed her wrists. Raine still didn’t move—didn’t flinch—even when he brushed his fingers over her cheek and through her hair.

Placid and free, she floated in the safe haven of subspace, somewhere far away from everyone, especially Gwyneth and the problems the bitch had wrought.

Like a slow-rising wave, pride rolled over Hammer. He’d taken her there, dissolved her worries and fears, and given her the sweet gift of peace.

His chest expanded. He couldn’t suck in air fast enough as he breathed through his urge to let loose a primal roar. Instead, he clenched his jaw and gently lifted his limp beauty from the bench.

As he turned, he was almost startled to see the crowd still gathered, still staring, approval all over their faces.

Cradling Raine close to his chest, he held her for a long moment, simply gazing at the peace on her face. Then Hammer turned and walked out of the dungeon, intending to bring her back gently and sate a few cravings of his own.

* * *

Beck met Liam in the car park and ushered him through a doctors’ entrance that led to the emergency room. As they walked the maze of corridors, he updated Liam on Kyle’s progress.

“I don’t really know more than what I said on the phone,” Beck offered. “But like I said earlier, we give priority to babies, especially when they projectile vomit green and we can’t find any obvious cause.”

Liam didn’t like the sound of that. “So it’s serious?”

“Could be a sign of a liver problem or a twisted stomach,” Beck replied. “Both can be deadly in infants if they aren’t caught early enough. Those are worst-case scenarios, of course. Hopefully, it’ll turn out to be something more benign, but we won’t know without further testing.”

Deadly?Liam staggered at that news. “Where are Gwyneth and the baby now?”

“Kyle is with a nurse having blood drawn. Mom was agitated and disrupting treatment, so security escorted her to the waiting room.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Liam shook his head.

Beck rubbed at his chin. “Just for the record, I haven’t decided yet if your ex is merely a drama queen or just fucking crazy.”

“As a loon, mate. I’m all but convinced I never really knew her.”

“Well, she’s a looker. I’ll give her that much, but I wouldn’t fuck her—and that’s saying something.” Beck grinned.

It was. “Do you think Kyle will be all right?”

“Honestly?” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Poor little guy. And I thought I was having a rough time of it.” He raked a hand through his hair, feeling as if he’d repeated the motion all day.

“And it will probably get rougher. His doctors will likely insist that Kyle get a barium bottle to test his upper gastrointestinal tract. It won’t be pleasant, but the test is vital if there’s a blockage.”

“So we could be here for a bit, then?”

“I’m thinking so. I’ve pulled strings where I can, but it’s a busy time, and the labs are backed up. The tests simply take a while. And this is where I leave you. Just carry on to the end and turn right. You’ll see the waiting room. Gwyneth’s in there. I need to get out of here and sleep, at least for a few hours.” The doctor clapped him on the shoulder. “Later, man.”

“Thanks, Beck. I’m in your debt.”

As the other man waved him off and disappeared into an elevator, Liam found the waiting room. He pushed the door open and spotted Gwyneth pacing by the window and wringing her hands, obviously distraught.

When she turned again and caught sight of him, she rushed over in a soiled T-shirt and jeans, then threw herself in his arms. She smelled terrible.

“Oh, Liam. Thank god you’re here. I’m so worried and fatigued. I’ve had no idea what to do, the name of a doctor to call. I would have rung you, but after this afternoon, I didn’t think… Then that surly man came…” She looked close to dissolving into tears.

“Steady, Gwyneth. Take a seat and tell me about it,” he soothed as he took her elbow and led her to one of the chairs in a corner.

There was only one other person in the room, but zero privacy.

Liam waited until she finally settled herself into a chair before dragging another to face her. He dropped into it. “I’m glad that Beck stopped by his condo and could help.”

“Yes, I am, too. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful.” Gwyneth started wringing her hands again. “I’m just so worried.”

He laid his palm over her fingers and squeezed. “Tell me what’s happened with the lad.”

Gwyneth sniffled. “After you left, Kyle developed a fever. He’d been listless and fussy most of the afternoon. But when he woke from his sleep, his nappy was dry. He felt hot. Next thing I knew, he started vomiting green everywhere. I-I didn’t expect it. He doesn’t eat much more than formula, so I didn’t know…” The tears started up again. “I tried everything I could think of. I rocked him. I sang to him. I wrapped him in cool cloths. I even tried to smash up crackers and feed him some. I’d just decided to call an ambulance when Dr. Beckman walked in. You know the rest.”

“Crackers?” Liam looked at his ex-wife as if she finally had lost her mind. “That’s what you thought to give a vomiting baby?”

“I thought it would soothe his stomach. It works for me. I didn’t know what else to try. What do I know about babies?”

Maybe the truth would finally come out… “You are his mother, aren’t you?”

She avoided his probing stare, reaching for a box of tissues on the table beside her, and blew her nose daintily. Back ramrod straight, she flew out of the chair to the rubbish bin. Rather than return to her seat, she resumed pacing.

“Gwyneth?” Liam refused to let her ignore the question.

“I-I…” She turned back to look at him, a flush staining her cheeks. She gave an exhausted sigh. “Liam…”

With just one word, Gwyneth asked him for mercy he didn’t feel.

He cocked a brow at her. “Tell me.”

With slow, reluctant steps, she crossed the room to him again. “Oh, bugger it all.”

He remembered hearing exactly this tone of voice after he’d caught her cheating. His hackles rose. “Sit. Explain. Now.”

She took her seat again, squirming gingerly to avoid sitting on the cheek where he’d paddled her, and reached out to pat his knee. Their gazes tangled, and she must have seen that he’d reached the end of his patience.

Gwyneth drew her hand back. “I’d like to start by saying I never meant this situation to get quite so out of hand. But…Kyle isn’t your son.”

Liam fought back a smile of triumph. “We didn’t actually have sex after the damn benefit that night in New York, did we?”

“When I suggested you come to my hotel room, you didn’t say no. But you passed out just after you took off your trousers.” And she looked put out about that.

Relief hit him square in the chest. Good to know he didn’t have to disinfect his dick again. “Kyle isn’t your son, either. Is he?”

“No.” She took up her hand wringing again. “He’s Kitty and George’s.”

“Your sister?” She’d just married as he and Gwyneth had divorced.

The puzzle pieces of her deception began to slot into place. She’d developed this elaborate ruse and manipulated him. And she’d destroyed Raine’s piece of mind. For what? Liam couldn’t yet comprehend her purpose.

How could he have ever believed he had feelings for this selfish, miserable bitch?

The anger he’d tamped down earlier heated from a slow simmer up to a roiling boil.

“You’re so void of a conscience that you’d deceive me about fathering a child? You’ve got some fucking nerve. After the way I found you cheating, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you lack a basic understanding of what’s right and wrong.” He stood abruptly, shoving his balled-up fists into his pants pockets.

In another corner, the other person in the waiting room cleared his throat and hurriedly left.

“Oh, Liam…” She sniffled. “Don’t be angry. Give me a chance to explain. Then you’ll understand.”

Liam swung back to face her and fought for control. “No, I won’t. What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Gwyneth?”

“With me?” Nose red, eyes swollen, she stabbed her finger at him. “What about you? You’ve let Hammer corrupt you and become a vile pervert.”

Coming from her, that was almost a compliment.

“I don’t give a flying fuck what you think of me. But you destroyed every shred of feeling I ever had for you by treating the woman I love with such contempt.”

“That ill-kept guttersnipe? You’ve come down in the world. She’s a—”

“Be very careful about the words you choose.” His voice went frosty with warning. “Another insult and I won’t be responsible for what happens.”

Liam strode away from her to calm his thoughts and pulled out his phone to give Raine and Hammer the good news. Naturally, his battery was dead. Fuck.

She approached him from behind. “I’m sorry. I’m distraught, not thinking clearly. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“It’s of your own doing,” he reminded in a rough tone.

He wanted to say more, but the man who’d left the waiting room returned, wiping water from his lips and sending them a sideways glance.

“I didn’t mean any harm,” she insisted. “I just needed you to marry me again for a few weeks.”

Liam barely managed not to choke. “Marry you? Again? You’ve gone fucking mental. I bloody well learned my lesson the first time.” He grabbed Gwyneth by the wrist and hauled her back to her chair. “Why would you think I’d agree?”

“Well, I didn’t mean forever.” She gave him a petulant frown. “I thought if I dropped my knickers and enticed you again, you’d enjoy it. And I’d inherit a company worth a billion pounds.”

His jaw gaped open. Now he knew she was mental. “What are you yapping about?”

“My father is dying. He’s been trying to decide whether to leave his company to Kitty or me. Of course, we’d both inherit money, but he said he’s still choosing which one of us to leave his business.”

Liam still couldn’t discern where he fit into this scenario, but one question smacked him in the face. “What do you know about running a company, especially one that size?”

“Nothing.” She bit her lip and paused, as if just realizing that practicality. “But I’ve already lined up a cash-rich buyer. Kitty foolishly thinks she should run it herself. If she’s going to be that ridiculous, she doesn’t deserve anything.”

Liam perched on the edge of his chair. “And what does all this have to do with me?”

“Well…Daddy thought you kept a firm hand on me and was more than a teensy bit upset by our divorce. To inherit the company, I have to prove I’m ‘responsible and less impulsive.’” She dropped her voice, mocking the elderly man. “Because apparently droning out her vows to an insipid idiot and spitting out a kid makes Kitty dependable. Anyway, my father said that he’d leave control of the business to me if you and I remarried. Other than sex, I had no idea how I was going to convince you to take me back…”

That was Gwyneth logic. Nothing she did should shock him anymore, but this blew his mind. “So you decided to kidnap your own nephew and use him to coerce me?”

“It actually started when I agreed to do my sister a favor. We’d planned one last trip to New York for my father. He so enjoys the city. But at the last moment, his doctors said he wasn’t well enough to travel. I convinced Kitty and George to press ahead with the trip. When we arrived, Kitty spent the first two days crying. She’s been having some postpartum thing.” Gwyneth waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Anyway, George decided a romantic cruise might cheer her up. He asked me to watch Kyle.”

Liam frowned. He’d thought her critique of George had been rather harsh—until now. What sort of daft prick would leave his child with Gwyneth? “And? You thought—just in case seducing me didn’t work—that while they were vacationing, you’d use their own son to try to screw them out of a billion pounds?”

“Really, Liam…that’s unfair.”

He growled a curse. “Sounds pretty accurate to me.”

“Being responsible for Kyle every day and night has been so difficult. Do you know how impossible it is to get any sleep with a baby? And now that he’s so terribly ill…” She started sobbing again. “Oh, it’s awful. I look a fright. I can’t remember the last shower I had in peace. My nerves are shattered. I don’t know why anyone would want to breed.” She shuddered.

Liam had never been more ecstatic that he hadn’t gotten Gwyneth pregnant.

“What should I do? He’s seriously ill. What if the worst happens?” she sobbed.

“You’ll have to live with the consequences of your actions.” Something she’d had almost no experience with. “Why are you confessing all this to me now?”

“I’ve been out of my mind with worry. I can’t deal with the stress. You can usually fix any situation, so I hoped if I told you everything, you’d help me. I don’t know where else to turn…” She dissolved into tears once more.

Liam shook his head. “The doctors will give Kyle all the help he needs. But you’re beyond help. I can’t believe what you’ve done.”

“It started out innocently,” she protested. “Once Kitty and George set sail, I found myself in New York. I just wanted to see you again. I tried the apartment. When I couldn’t reach you there, I lowered myself to visit that terrible club Seth belongs to. Of course, you weren’t there, either.”

“And someone there told you where to find me?” So much for member confidentiality. A head needed to roll for that.

“It wasn’t her fault. When I appeared with Kyle at that…place, everyone assumed Kyle was yours.” She winced, staring at him with green eyes, begging for forgiveness. “I just carried the assumption along. Then everything snowballed, and I found myself having to come up with even bigger explanations—”

“Lies.” He corrected.

She frowned. “Not…completely factual statements, I’ll admit.”

“Fucked-up fabrications meant to disrupt my life.”

She sighed. “Don’t be a martyr…”

He glowered at her furiously, not trusting himself to speak—or not to throttle her. “Anything else, Gwyneth?”

“That’s it.” She dabbed at the tears rolling prettily down her cheeks. “Can’t you see how I’m suffering? Help me.”

Gwyneth never had been good at focusing on anyone but herself.

“What about your sister? Does Kitty even know her son is sick?”

She stood and resumed pacing, wringing her hands again. “I rang Kitty before you arrived. Their ship docks in Galveston early in the morning. They’ve already scheduled a flight from nearby Houston that lands at LAX shortly after noon. Thank God. I’m too exhausted to keep up this pretense. And you’ve become so surly.”

Liam felt a ridiculous amount of relief at her statement. But one thing still bothered him. “Why the hell didn’t you just ask me for help? That’s what a normal person would have done.”

She gaped at him. “You were so angry about my little fling with the trainer. He was pretty, and he didn’t mean anything to me. But for some reason, you were quite put out. Why would I believe you’d help me, especially since I needed you to marry me again?”

At least Gwyneth had figured out that he wanted nothing more to do with her. Since she usually couldn’t fathom a man not being madly in love with her, that was progress for his ex-wife.

“We’ll never know now, will we?”