Denver turned back to Austin. “Five minutes.”
“You can’t be serious, Denver.” Dallas scowled.
“I am. She has a right to say good-bye.” Denver glared at Austin. “Don’t make me regret this, brother.” He bent toward Jessie. “We’ll be just in the other room.”
She nodded.
One by one, Austin’s brothers reluctantly filed out of the room.
Denver was the last to exit, but he left the door open.
In his best commanding hushed tone, Austin said, “Tell me why you left.”
“Because I couldn’t bear another moment with you.”
That stung him. “Why?”
She shook her head.
“Tell me, pet.”
“Please stop calling me that. I–I can’t h–handle it anymore.”
“Goddamn it, Jessie.” He could feel his temper expand. “What is wrong?”
Weakly, she answered, “You don’t want to fuck me.”
“What are you talking about?” His dander rose up, burning like a brand. “Of course I want to fuck you. Haven’t we been fucking all week?”
“Sure. You’ve fucked my mouth and my ass. Not my pussy. Am I that loathsome to you?”
“You’re pissing me off. See this?” He held up her collar.
“What is it?” she asked timidly.
“My collar.” She’s not addressing me as Master. He choked back his internal uproar. He was about to lose it. “The one still around your neck is a training collar. It only signifies that you’re being trained by a Dom. Once I place this around your neck, every Dom in town and abroad will know you’re taken.”
“What does that have to do with whether or not you want to fuck me?”
“It has everything to do with it. If you hadn’t been a bratty sub tonight, I would’ve told you as much.” Rage rocked him.
She squeaked out a response. “Then tell me now.”
“Fuck this.” Fury overwhelmed Austin, so he pulled her to his side. He wanted to walk out of Denver’s home with the package he’d come for—Jessie Greene.
“Stop it,” she whimpered.
“No.” His control melted from the turbulence and fireworks inside him for her running out on him. “I know what you need. I’m enough for you. You’ll see.”
“P–Please, don’t.”
“Quiet.”
“I can’t. This isn’t happening.”
He jerked her close. Then he unlocked her training collar, and removed it, tossing the circlet to the floor. Irate that she wasn’t obeying him, he continued. “Time to put my collar on you tiny neck.”
“I can’t take this.”