His focus zoomed back to Shiori. What the fuck was she doing?

After two really hard blows, Knox stepped in and snagged her forearm mid-strike. “Enough. You’re done.”

“Why’d you stop?” As soon as the guy on the spanking bench looked up at her with worshipful eyes, Knox lost it. No one got to look at his Mistress like that except him. No one.

Before Shiori bent down to talk to the guy, Knox was crouching next to him, obstructing her from his line of sight. “Look at me,” he demanded.

The guy’s pleasure-glazed eyes tried to find focus. “What?”

“Pull your pants up and get the fuck out of here.”

“But . . . she—”

“Is too fucking good for you. And if you look at her like that again, I will beat the fuck out of you.”

His pulse had shot through the roof, and he could feel his anger heating his skin.

“Sorry, man. We were just playing around.”

“Not with her. Never with her. Got it?”

He nodded and pushed to his feet, yanking up his pants as he scurried away.

Knox counted to ten before he stood. Then he faced down the woman who’d probably beat the fuck out of him for what he’d just done.

Shiori was studying him coolly. “What are you doing here?”

The woman defined beautiful, but she wouldn’t appreciate the compliment now. “Ivan invited us.” He might as well just face this head-on. He crowded her, blocking her from her friends’ view and out of their earshot. “What the hell were you doing whaling on that guy?”

“The people selling this shit”—she shook the paddle in Knox’s face—“don’t even know how to use it. So I said I’d show them.”

“Did you pick him or did he volunteer?”

“He volunteered. And you don’t get to be pissy about this.”

“The fuck I don’t. You aren’t his Mistress; you’re mine. And I already told you I don’t goddamn share what’s mine.”

Shiori blinked. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“That doesn’t make it all right.”

Then Katie wormed her way between them. “Can you guys cut the arguing for one night? We’re here having some fun, doing some kinky stuff. And, Knox, I don’t think anyone cares that Shiori is an instructor at Black Arts, if you’re worried how that looks.”

Katie could go right on thinking that was his issue. “She represents us wherever she goes.”

“So she spanked a hipster in public—most people would’ve let her go on beating him longer. It was all in good fun. No harm, no foul. No one got hurt, right?”

Knox kept his gaze affixed to Shiori’s.

“Truce for tonight?” Katie pleaded. “Let’s drink and celebrate Ivan’s birthday.”

“How long have you four been celebrating?” Knox asked.

“All damn day.” Katie nudged him. “You need to catch up.”

Katie was a fun drunk, but a determined one, and he knew better than to outwardly circumvent her. “Lead the way.”

They followed single file behind her. Everyone had filled in around the table marked with the single balloon. Molly sat between Fisher and Deacon. Blue and Fee were laughing in the corner. Katie plopped right on Ivan’s lap. Two chairs were left, and Knox pulled out one for Shiori automatically. She sat with a murmured, “Thanks.”

“Ivan needs to do a birthday shot,” Katie said. “So what do you want, birthday boy?”

Ivan whispered something that sent Katie into a fit of giggles. “Such a dirty mind. You definitely should get spanked for that.” She squinted at Shiori. “You oughta dish out Ivan’s birthday spankings since you were so good with that paddle.”

“Yeah, how did you manage to hit that guy on the butt in the same spot every time?” Molly asked.

“Yeah, and that was after you’d been drinking,” Fee said.

Deacon quirked an eyebrow at Knox.

Knox manufactured a blank look.

Shiori shrugged. “Accuracy is accuracy whether in martial arts or other activities.”

“I hear ya.” Molly nudged Fisher. “My accuracy has improved since Fisher has taken me on.”

“What do you mean ‘taken you on’?” Deacon asked in a combative tone.

“I’m giving Molly private boxing lessons,” Fisher said.

“Whose idea was that?”

“Mine,” Molly said. “So back off.”