by Avery Gale
“Chère, I want you to let yourself fly, reach for the stars, baby—Come for me.” The second he spoke the words he felt what felt like her entire body clenching around him. She called out both of their names as she came and when she collapsed against his chest he could feel their hearts pounding as one.
Jamie heard Ethan speaking to her softly after he returned with a cloth from the bathroom. He was grateful for Ethan’s words of praise because he hadn’t recovered his own ability to speak yet. Bree had turned him completely inside out and drained not only every ounce of energy from his now thoroughly sated body but she’d also proven, yet again, that she completed both him and his best friend.
When Ethan lifted her from his body he moved to the bathroom to dispose of the condom and clean himself up. When he returned to the bedroom he stood alongside the bed and watched as she slept peacefully in Ethan’s arms. Jamie couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt more at exhausted, yet completely at peace.
Chapter 17
One week later
Bree leaned back against the warm rock and watched as her new friends did the same. Thank God Kat had been able to find a swimsuit that fit her or she probably would have skipped the “Girls’ Night In” party and missed all the craziness that was at the heart of these women. She had laughed so hard she was sure her stomach muscles were going to burn like all hell tomorrow, but it would still be worth it.
Just as Bree was thinking about closing her eyes, Rissa said, “Oh no you don’t, girlfriend! You just pry those crazy grey eyes of yours right on back open. If you’re gonna drink in front of me—which is just plain mean by the way—you are at least gonna spill about those two hotties you’re sleeping with.”
Bree heard Kat snort with laughter just before the other woman said, “God bless Bess, Rissa! You made margarita come out my nose. Damn and double damn, that shit burns ya know.” The giggle that accompanied her words made it clear she was angry at her pregnant friend.
“Well, it serves your skinny ass right. Drinking in front of me is just…well, it’s just plain rotten I tell ya.” Rissa leaned back and looked down at her rounded belly and sighed before adding, “I’m a whale. And I’m not even close to my due date. I’m going to be able to roll faster than I can walk before the end of the month. No one will want to go anywhere with me for fear I’ll become a runaway human battering ball. Women and children will run screaming in fear. Hell, I’ll end up on the news…Nancy Grace will do a show on me…you just watch and see. Oh and someone will video it with their super-duper fucking cell phone and it’ll go viral in a blink and then when you all Google my name that’s what you’ll get. Oh…shit, see what’s happened? I’ve gotten all off track.” Then turning back to Bree she smiled before whispering, “Out with it. Are you still being tag-teamed or are you getting two-fers yet?”
This time it was Jenna who laughed and said, “Damn, Rissa, using up punches on your ‘I’m pregnant and can get away with anything’ card pretty early aren’t you? Hell, even Kat had the good sense—usually—to wait until her seventh month.”
“Hey! I resemble that remark!” Kat splashed her best friend and sister-in-law but was obviously having trouble working up any real steam. “And you all might want to keep in mind my sweet husbands have this place wired for sight and sound to an extent that I heard the CIA is sending people out here for training. Frack! If you burp they’re going to know what you had for lunch two days ago. Shit! I’m going to be in so much trouble for all these margaritas, but I’ve been waiting for one of these parties forever! Between being pregnant and then breast feeding, ugh.” Then turning to Rissa she added, “And my skinny ass, as you so indelicately referred to my lush derriere, is the result of breast feeding three children. Granted most of it was done in my sleep, but still.”
Bree couldn’t help the giggle that escaped and just as she thought she had herself under control the others joined in and before long they were all rolling around like loons howling with laughter.
* * * *
Mitch Grayson watched the monitors from the Crow’s Nest and shook his head even as he chuckled to himself. Damn but the women never ceased to make his day when they had these parties. The bosses made sure their little get-togethers were closely watched after they’d nearly lost Kat to a sniper shot during a party in her suite, and he didn’t have a doubt in the world that the feeds were being monitored by Jenna’s husband, Colt, both Alex and Zach Lamont, as well as Creed and Jantz. No doubt they were all gathered in the Lamonts’ office so they’d be close in case things went from sunshine to shit as they often seemed to when their women got together.
Mitch knew Rissa didn’t expect Bryant back until next weekend and that accounted for at least a good portion of her being so out of sorts. He also knew that wasn’t all of it but the blasted woman had learned to block him unless she was really distracted so he was grateful that Bry would be home any minute. Bryant could definitely distract her and then Mitch would be able to find out exactly what was happening in his sweet wife’s life that was making her so abrasive of late. Mitch’s gifts had always been a mixed blessing but he was learning quickly how hard it was to deal with his and Bryant’s little pregnant sub after she’d learned how to block him. He shook his head wondering how the hell his friends were able to handle their women without being able to literally hear their thoughts. Hell, it was no wonder the divorce rate was so high in the vanilla world. At least in Ds relationships Doms could demand honesty, and while it wasn’t a guarantee the sub would be truthful, it sure put them ahead of the game.
Bree’s small, pink phone was lying on the desk, when it beeped he answered it without even checking the caller ID. After he’d said “Grayson” he heard a small gasp and then he was flooded with a feeling of cold-hearted emptiness that stole his breath.
Chapter 18
Christina Gillette was surprised when her daughter’s phone didn’t roll to voice mail and she was completely floored that it had been answered by a man. What the hell was going on? Well, the best defense was always a good offense in her experience so she jumped in with both feet. “Well, Mr. Grayson, may I ask who you are exactly? And where is my daughter? I’ve been trying to get in touch with her for several days and I’d like to speak with her immediately.”
Mitch had been so stunned by the feeling of complete emptiness rolling off the woman who had identified herself as Bree’s mother that he hadn’t answered her right away. He’d already known the woman was a bitch of the first order, but he hadn’t been prepared for the feelings he was drowning in. How the hell did sweet Bree grow up around this woman and become the caring and compassionate soul that she is? Holy shit, this woman is straight-up evil. When she barked her questions at him the second time he hit the record button and then the signal alert that would bring in some backup. Those things done, he answered, “I’m a friend of Bree’s. She isn’t available to take your call right now. I can give her a message.”
He knew in an instant why she’d called, the tracker they’d removed from Bree’s shoulder last week was on its way to Guatemala with a member of their team. Of course they had already downloaded all the data before they’d sent it on and the tiny bit of technology had been a treasure trove of information. The information on arms sales around the world included the names of both buyers and sellers, along with dates and places. Someone was definitely in the know. There was no question why she wanted it back. When Alex had decided to send Trenton Walker on a routine fact-finding mission, he had volunteered to take the now-blank chip and tracker with him. Their hope had been that the strange destination would flush out whoever was watching Bree, and it appeared to have brought at least part of this pond scum to the surface. Mitch heard the woman sigh in frustration before she finally deemed him worthy of a response. “Well, as I said, I’ve been trying to get in touch with her for days. Please have her call me immediately. Oh…and Mr. Grayson? Where exactly are you?”
Oh, very subtle, Ms. Spook, but I didn’t just fall off the turn
ip truck this morning you know. No, indeed. Jesus, this woman is cold clear to the bone. There isn’t an ounce of love anywhere in her. “Well, Mrs. Gillette, I’d rather you spoke to Bree about our location. I’ll be sure to let her know you are looking for her. Oh, and Mrs. Gillette?”
The woman’s exasperation was clear in her curtly spoken “Yes?”
“You and I both know that you have been trying to get in touch with Bree for a lot longer than a week. You might find honesty would be a unique, yet effective way to deal with your daughter in the future.” He heard her cursing as he disconnected the call. For long minutes he sat documenting not only the content of the call but also his impressions. He’d discovered as a young child that waiting until he could share information often resulted in a significant dilution of the details. As he wrote about the coldness of the woman’s emotions he was suddenly aware that she was the alpha in her pseudo-marriage and that Bree’s father was more of a pawn than participant in his wife’s life of intrigue. Once he’d finished his report he’d forwarded the encrypted file to Alex. After his backup arrived he made his way down to speak with his bosses personally.
When he shared the phone call with the other members of the team, they’d agreed that sending the tracker out of the country had obviously lit a fire under at least one group of boogies. And they’d surmised they would likely have company in the very near future.
* * * *
Bryant Davis drove up the long drive leading to The ShadowDance Club anticipating a reunion with his beautiful wife. He hadn’t seen Rissa in three long weeks and he was about ready to hump a tree. The bridge project he’d been working on in Japan when they’d first met had led to an exponential growth in his business and he knew the time had come to bring in a partner or three. Parking in front of The Club, he made his way quickly up the stairs and then into the gardens. He’d gotten a text from Mitch just a few minutes earlier and knew Rissa was still with her friends in the pool area at the base of the waterfall. The location was a favorite of the women and the security team was grateful that they didn’t bounce around the estate because they’d upped the security in that area to a point that birds and insects were afraid to enter.
Just as he was about to round the corner that would make him visible to the women, he heard his name so he stopped and listened. He recognized Katarina Lamont’s voice as she said, “Well, Rissa, when are you going to be getting some of that two-fer action you were asking Bree about? Bryant’s been gone for awhile. When is that gorgeous hubby of yours supposed to be home?”
He knew his mouth had dropped open but he kept still and waited to hear Rissa’s answer. “Well…not for…damn! I promised myself I wasn’t gonna cry about this again today. I’m so scared, he’s gone all the time since I got pregnant. I know I’m huge and not really desirable right now, but I miss him so much. Even if he doesn’t want to fuck me right now, I…well, I still need him to hold me, know what I mean?”
Bryant had to reach out his hand to steady himself against a tree. Never in a million years had it even crossed his mind that Rissa would think he was traveling so much to avoid her. And while a part of him wanted to paddle her ass for even entertaining such a crazy notion, a larger part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her and soothe away each insecure thought racing though her sweet body and soul. He’d known pregnant women could be more emotional than normal—hell, he and Grayson had read every one of the pregnancy books Katarina had so gladly handed over. But realizing both he and Mitch had totally missed something this important to their little sub was enough to make him consider retaking the beginner’s class at The Club. Knowing that Mitch would certainly have heard her comments and was no doubt headed down the back stairs at a dead run, Bryant reached into one of the hidden bins to grab one of the subbie blankets hidden inside, then turned and headed straight toward his sweet woman.
It was time to show her just how much he’d missed her, too, and how much he did not appreciate her referring to herself as a whale. Oh my darling Rissa, you may be pregnant but that isn’t going to keep me from giving you a few stinging swats to your beautifully bare ass before I send you over the moon with an orgasm unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.
Chapter 19
Bree had watched attentively as Rissa had been happily reunited with her husband. The red-haired beauty had hastily introduced them and Bree had swooned right along with the other women when both Bryant and Mitch had leaned down to kiss Rissa’s baby bump before whisking her away. It had only taken minutes for Alex Lamont to appear and help Kat from the pool. Even though he’d been scolding her about her language and her “state of inebriation” as he’d called it, his deep love and respect for his wife was plain to see.
Mia Marshall had been fairly quiet all evening. Bree had asked her how she was feeling several times and Mia still didn’t seem aware that she was in the early stages of labor. But when she’d notice Mia wince in pain, Bree decided it was time to be a bit more “direct” in her questioning. “Mia, I know we don’t know each other all that well, but I wanted to make sure you are aware that you’re in labor.” She saw the dark-haired beauty go a bit pale, so she quickly added, “It is probably going to be hours before you need to make your way to the hospital, but I wanted you to know I’ll be available in case you need anything.”
Bree wasn’t surprised to see tears fill the other woman’s dark eyes. No doubt she was feeling swamped by vulnerability and apprehension. Bree had always made it a point to stay very close to first-time mothers in labor because those emotions seemed to prevail in all cultures. And if Kat was right about the area being “wired for sound” Bree didn’t doubt that the cavalry was already on its way.
Jenna moved over to sit next to Mia and smiled at both women before speaking. “Well, as you know, my brothers and their team have a sound system that picks up even the smallest confession so no doubt they have already alerted Dylan and the local EMS and if I was a betting woman I’d expect to see Zach and his medical bag rounding the corner in…three…two…one…” Bree and Mia both leaned their heads back and roared with laughter as Zach Lamont came skidding around the corner with his black medic’s bag in hand. Jenna just smiled and shrugged.
His puzzled “What?” sent them all into another round of giggles. He quickly waved both Jenna and Bree to the side and began checking Mia. It amused Bree that he seemed to have forgotten she was a physician. When Mia started to protest Bree got to witness firsthand that Zach Lamont could easily be every bit the intimidating Dom that his brother was.
No sooner had Colt, Ethan, and Jamie arrived than Dylan Marshall came running around the corner hedge shouting, “Where in the hell is my wife?” When he saw her reclining along the rock edge of the pool he scooped her up into his arms and then after he’d settled her on his lap he started stroking her back in gentle circles. Bree stood back, watching as the tall man was reduced to near tears as he brushed kisses over Mia’s face. It would be obvious to even the most casual observer that the love between the two former DEA agents ran soul-deep.
After the ambulance had pulled away with Mia and Dylan inside Colt leaned down and whispered in Jenna’s ear, causing her to flush a deep crimson. Bree had seen similar interactions among couples from several different continents and it was almost always for the same reason. As she, Jamie, and Ethan were making their way back to the suite she leaned toward the men and whispered, “Wanna make a bet with me?” She hiccupped and then grinned at their frowns. Hmm, probably maybe shoulda not gulped down that last margarita during all that pandemonium. “Yeah, yeah…so I had a couple of margaritas…cope. Now, how about that bet? Or are you afraid of losing some money to a woman?” She giggled when they turned as if following directions of some invisible conductor and glared at her.
Jamie was the first one to speak. “So, ma chère, what is it you are wanting to bet on?” Bree started to lean back against the door, intending to look cool and casual. But she had misjudged the distance and would have tumbled straight
back onto her ass if Jamie hadn’t reached forward and grabbed her arms. “Whoa there, sweetness, perhaps you need to sit down while we discuss this bet and just exactly what you are willing to wager.”
As he led her to the small sitting area, she saw him look at Ethan and wink. Ha…I so have this one. And the rat bastards think I’m too fried, oops, I mean toasted to know what I’m doing. When she found herself sitting on Jamie’s lap she looked up and said, “I want to bet that Jenna is pregnant and they haven’t told anyone yet.” Then she slapped herself on the forehead and said, “Shit! I’m not supposed to tell you that until you say you’ll bet me, am I? Damn those margaritas were strong. Kat is a wicked bartender, I tell ya!” She started giggling again and she saw the men exchange a look that she couldn’t interpret. Deciding that caution wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and that she might just as well jump in with both feet, she blurted out, “I was gonna bet you a two-fer. That’s what the girls call it when…well, you know.”
Ethan reached forward and caught her chin with his fingers, bringing her attention to him before saying, “No, love, I’m not sure we know exactly what that is. Why don’t you enlighten us?”
She was pretty sure they were messing with her but she decided to humor them. “Well, just so as you know, I think you are mucking with me, but I’ve decided to play along. Anyway, that’s what they call it when one man puts his cock in a woman’s pussy and the other one…” When she hiccupped again she had to focus her eyes again. What the heck was that about? Since when did hiccups make your eyesight fuzzy? “Anyway, the other guy puts his cock in her ass. You know, like you’ve been yic-yakking about for a week. They have all done that…well, I guess I don’t know about Mia ’cuz she was pretty quiet all day, but the others were just founts of information. Hey! I said fount. Oh thank God, my vocabulary is back. Holy hell, those girls are fun, but they can fairly well butcher the English language I tell ya! Oh shit, there it went again.”