Tethered (The Stables Trilogy #2) by Penny Lam Read Free Book Online

he glanced at the shuddering, naked woman, “the wrong day to decide that.”
     
    Maple was afraid to close her fingers around the control. It was lightweight and felt deceptively innocent. The cord attached to it fell loosely in a curve, still attached to whatever it was J.B. had placed inside of Leslie’s body.
     
    The black envy that Maple had been slowly drowning in eased. The contract had mentioned all methods of training. What bothered her now was JB.’s foul mood. Particularly because he seemed to want her to know about it.
     
    “Take it out of her.”
     
    Maple stood too long. J.B. stepped closer. Menace rolled off his body. “Take it out of her, now. ”
     
    Her knees weakened, and she knelt before Leslie. She felt every eye in the stable burning into her as she reached between the woman’s legs, fingers following the cord. Maple’s shut her own eyes tight when her fingers brushed damp curls.
     
    The slick folds of the other woman’s sex felt foreign to her, so different from her own. Her mouth was dry. Her throat was tight. On an exhale, she pushed her fingers in, finding the base of the cord where it attached. Inhale. Exhale-- tug.
     
    It slid out easily, Leslie’s body helping to expel the thing that had brought her such pain. It fell wetly against Maple’s fingers.
     
    She opened her eyes.
     
    It was a large, metal, egg-like insert.
     
    “Push the button.”
     
    Maple didn’t want to. She did.
     
    The egg pulsed to life. Electric shocks, like needles, bolted through her hand where it touched her skin.
     
    The egg clattered to the floor, and she jerked her hand to her chest. “You’re shocking her?”
     
    “She wasn’t obeying.”
     
    “But this is dangerous!” Even as Maple said it, though, she felt her own body’s response. The instant flood of arousal. They way her breast tingled and tightened at the burning sensation left by the shock. She’d never been shocked before. Having J.B.’s implacable gaze on her heightened the flashes of desire.
     
    “It is painful, it isn’t dangerous. Besides, their new Masters may very well be into more direct forms of training. This prepares the ponies for anything.”
     
    His excuses rang hollow. Oh, he was pissed, that was obvious. But he didn’t like this form of training.
     
    Maple did. The imagined zings prickled across her skin. If she’d had it inside of her, like Leslie--
     
    “I’m too pissed to train tonight. Don’t worry about grooming. I want you to muck their stalls. Quickly. Then come to my office, Maple. We’ve got a problem to discuss.”
     
    She was trapped. Something was wrong. It didn’t take her much time to figure out that he knew about Bane. Her lower lip quivered as he stalked out of the stable, slamming the door behind him.
     
    Oh, fuck.
     

     
    This was far worse than the “I’m being sent to the principal’s office” feeling. Dread, unfiltered, swarmed through her. J.B. was obviously angry at her. Maple had been skating on thin ice for so long that this was it.
     
    His office was where he’d hired her. It was where he was going to fire her, too. She could feel it.
     
    The door closed behind them. Maple’s eyes squeezed shut. She steeled herself against what was going to happen. No matter what, don’t cry . Because tears wouldn’t work on J.B., and she didn’t want to work on him.
     
    “Maple.” When he said her name, inky heat spread under her skin. His voice, deep and cool, was ominous. The chills from knowing she was about to be fired warred with her body’s quick, quivering response to him.
     
    She forced herself to look him in the eyes. It was a mistake. They were burning. Her pulse raced. “J.B., I should apologize--”
     
    “For what ?” He stepped closer to her. She was rooted in place.
     
    What was she sorry for? Lots of things. For being the way she was. For wanting something she couldn’t have. “I’m sorry for making you angry?”
     
    God, could she make this any