by Anya Summers
"Whatever. I don't need an introduction to see my best friend." A woman's sultry voice came through the door.
At the sound of it, Zoey screeched in that high-pitched squeal only women do for other women. She was up and moving from the desk as the door burst open. In walked one of the most gorgeous women Kara had ever seen. And Kara lived in one of the model capitals of the world. The woman was statuesque. Her tall, hourglass figure made Kara think of supermodels and runways. She had a riot of red curls artfully arranged, making her appear like a sultry goddess descending from Olympus to grace us mere mortals with her presence.
"Lucy!" Zoey exclaimed as she hurried toward her friend. Kara noticed the height difference between the two. Lucy had at least ten inches on Zoey, if not more. Although she was wearing boots with at least a three-inch heel, even without the extra height those added, she was still a tall woman.
"The one and only. I've got this, J-man," Lucy said to Jared with a flip of her red curls as she embraced Zoey in a tight hug.
His nodded his head, and Kara could practically hear the man grind his teeth. Clearly those two had not gotten off on the right foot.
"It's fine, Jared. Thank you," Zoey said to the butler. When his gaze traveled to Zoey, Kara noticed how his glance softened and warmth seeped back into his features. Man, Zoey might be marrying Declan, but there was definitely mutual affection between those two.
Jared tipped his head, acknowledging Zoey with banked fires in his gaze. "I will tell Mrs. Stewart to add another setting to dinner tonight, and have Sherry ready the Queen Mary room unless our latest guest has other accommodations in mind, lass."
"The Queen Mary will be perfect, Jared. Thank you."
Jared bowed his head slightly toward Zoey and then he vacated the room, shutting the door behind them.
"What are you doing here, Lucy? I can't believe you're here!" Zoey said, giving her friend another swift hug. It was clear that Zoey considered this woman a close friend.
"I've come to talk some sense into you, since your sister so obviously wasn't able to, and to get you back to LA. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your little meeting." Lucy gestured toward Kara and the mountain of sample books spread over the desk.
"Lucy, this is Kara Lowe. She's my wedding planner," Zoey introduced her.
Lucy's intense scrutiny zeroed in on her. Kara tried to appear calm and relaxed under the inspection but she hated it when she was being sized up. Kara straightened her backbone, refusing to be intimidated. After a moment, Lucy seemed pleased with her appearance.
"It's a pleasure. So, you are really going to do this, huh? There's nothing I can say to talk you out of it?" Lucy asked, shifting her attention back to Zoey. It looked like she wanted to shake some sense into Zoey but was restraining herself.
"If by this, you mean my wedding, yes. I love Declan, Lucy, be happy for me please. I cannot wait for you to meet him. I promise you'll love him, too. You know I don't do anything without over-thinking it," Zoey said.
"Well then, since I can't talk you out of it, I will do the next best thing." Lucy smiled saucily, winking at Kara. Her big blue eyes sparkled with merriment.
Zoey rolled her eyes. "Whatever you are planning, Lucy—"
"Look, every bride deserves a small bachelorette party. Where's the nearest night club?" Lucy whipped out her smartphone and was tapping away. "I can't get a signal on this thing. Are there any places that you really like here that we could try?" Lucy shoved her phone back in her designer bag when it became obvious that she wasn't going to get a signal.
Zoey swallowed nervously, like she had a robin's egg stuck in her throat. "That would be in Inverness, about an hour or so away."
Kara wasn't surprised by Zoey's omission in not mentioning the club in the basement of Mullardoch Manor. If you weren't in the lifestyle, people on the outside tended to not understand it. Even if this reincarnation of Aphrodite was Zoey's best friend, Kara understood the complications it could cause, and it seemed not everyone in Zoey's life was pleased about the wedding. As someone who was now living the lifestyle, Kara had the urge to shield Zoey and keep her mouth shut as far as the club was concerned.
"Well, shit, that won't do at all." Lucy tapped her chin with her manicured hands. It was obvious she didn't do remote locations and was used to having what she wanted at her fingertips.
"We do have a pool and hot tub though, and a wine cellar," Zoey murmured, offering Lucy an alternative.
Lucy clapped her hands. "Then we are going to have an impromptu girls only pool party. Kara, would you like to join us?"
"Sure, that sounds like fun." Kara smiled. The two of them reminded her of herself and Elise with their interaction.
"Kara, why don't you meet us down in the pool area in twenty minutes after I get Lucy settled in her room? Then we can reconvene down there," Zoey offered, clearly wanting to soothe her friend's ruffled feathers while offering Kara inclusion in their little party. Kara was more touched than she wanted to admit. It had been a long time since she'd done anything frivolous, and a pool party with wine sounded like just the ticket.
It would also give her a teensy bit of separation from her guys, away from the sexual frenzy of the last two days. Her thighs were actually chafed from all the sex she'd had. Really great, how-had-she-ever-lived-without-it type of sex, but it didn't diminish just how sore she was.
"Great," Kara responded and closed her laptop down. Zoey and Lucy left the library arm in arm, chattering.
This was just the type of distraction Kara needed.
The pool area was truly impressive, and Kara was thrilled that she was actually getting a chance to make use of it. Whoever designed the room had a thing for Greek architecture and deities. It was the size of a gymnasium, resembling the inside of a Greek temple, with ivory columns and carvings of Greek deities decorating the walls. The pool itself was a shimmering blue lake, roughly half the size of an Olympic pool, and tiled to resemble the dark blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. There were black lounge chairs and tables placed near the entrance. At the far opposite end of the room, overlooked by a marble statue of Aphrodite, was what appeared to be a hot tub she'd have to indulge in.
Kara wondered if Chase had known about this room when he was drawing up spec designs for the ceremony. The thought of him brought his image up, and she had to shake herself from the direction of her thoughts. She couldn't think about the two men twenty-four seven. Right now was about having fun as one of the girls, not worrying about what her relationship with Zeke and Chase would be once they left Scotland and attempted to function in the real world. Even though she was in fact being paid by Zoey and her fiancé to be there, Kara liked Zoey. She could actually see herself and Zoey being friends beyond the wedding.
They opted to have dinner delivered to the pool area. Zeke had been at it again in the kitchens, creating a succulent beef wellington. When he'd discovered that they were having a bit of a girl's night, he'd crafted some finger food appetizers to accompany the main course. One of her favorites were these bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with goat's cheese, and these mini bite-sized cheese cakes that had been dipped in chocolate ganache. Zoey had Jared bring bottles of wine from the cellar.
Declan still bowled Kara over with his good looks. It didn't matter that she had two sexy men filling her bed; he was still a complete mouth-watering stud muffin. He stopped by the pool area to see Zoey when they changed dinner plans. Unlike with the butler, Declan seemed to appreciate Lucy as an equal, which was odd in Kara's book, but who was she to argue? Granted, it could be the copious glasses of wine she'd indulged in.
When they all decided they were finished with the pool area, they decided to take the party up to Lucy's room. They were all wrapped in fluffy white microfiber robes, sipping wine, eating the mini chocolate cheesecake bites Zeke had crafted.
"Declan is gorgeous, Zoey. God, I'm going to miss you. You have to promise me that you will come visit as often as possible. Jesus, between you and your sister, I'm not goin
g to have any girlfriends left to hit the clubs with anymore," Lucy exclaimed.
"He is, isn't he? And you've only seen him with his clothes on! God, Luce, he makes me weak-kneed. And the sex is just…" Zoey was fanning herself and giggling.
Lucy chuckled, her voice a sultry alto by comparison. "He is a prime piece of hunk, I will give you that, and I am horribly jealous. Too bad really that you found him first. What about the butler, Jared? He seems to be quite the fine specimen of manhood himself. Even though I think his attitude is abominable, I think I could work around it for a roll in the sack, as my dance card has been rather small of late."
"Actually," Zoey said, carefully tiptoeing around the issue, "he's sort of involved."
A hint of possessive jealousy flashed in Zoey's eyes. Hm, so she did have feelings for Jared after all, Kara thought. Maybe not the epic love she had for Declan, but there were softer feelings involved. Kara wondered if they would end up being a trio after all. It made some of the apprehension she'd been feeling regarding being with two men, having feelings for both men, settle and subside a bit.
"Really? I figured out here in the middle of nowhere, it would be hard for him to find company. Who with?" Lucy's gaze studied her best friend, not seeming to miss the change in Zoey at Jared's name.
Zoey snorted and snickered. The wine humming in her veins had apparently loosened her tongue. She admitted, "With me."
Shock covered Lucy's features for a minute before she was howling with laughter. "You, Miss Prim and Proper, have a man on the side? What about Declan? Does he know you're boffing the help?"
"Oh, he's there," Kara snickered, and Zoey grinned.
"If you must know, Luce, Declan is a dominant and partakes in BDSM. As I'm his fiancée and submissive, upon occasion in the club, Jared joins us," Zoey informed Lucy with a sassy smirk.
"It's really, hot too. There was this scene she did with them. Let's just say Zeke and Chase took full advantage of it," Kara said, fanning herself at the memories of that night. Hard to believe it had only been forty-eight hours prior, and everything had changed for her.
"Wait, there's a club in this place, a club here, and we are acting like a bunch of old biddies partying in our robes?" Lucy exclaimed. "Let's get dressed and go down there."
"You heard her say that it's a BDSM club, right?" Kara interjected, feeling like she needed to protect the club, which was odd, but she didn't want an outsider to spoil the atmosphere or make Zeke and Chase mad at her.
"Your point being what? I've been to a BDSM club before and I'm not a virgin, so what gives?" Lucy responded casually with a hint of excitement in her gaze.
"Well, subs aren't allowed to enter the Dungeon Fantasy Club without a Dom. Club rules. If we did, we would be punished by our Doms," Zoey informed her with a shiver.
"And you'd be fair game for the unattached Doms," Kara said, thinking of the type of punishment Zeke and Chase would dish out should she venture into the DFC unaccompanied. She wouldn't sit pretty for a week. The thought of it made squirm in her seat.
"Who said anything about me being a sub? Zoey, do you really think I am sub material?" Lucy asked dramatically. Kara for one couldn't see this dynamo submitting to any man; she was far too controlled.
"Well, no, but—" Zoey stammered.
"Sweetie pie, I have handcuffed my fair share of partners, I think I can act the part of Domme and no harm, no foul. A Domme will accompany the two of you into the Dungeon. How apropos!"
Kara eyed Zoey and a look of understanding exchanged between them. They both knew their Doms would discipline them for entering the DFC without their permission and without them, period. The choice was whether they should risk the punishment for what they knew would come next. Zoey's cheeks flushed.
At the thought of their discipline, heat pooled in her loins. Zeke and Chase would tan her hide. They'd told her, in no uncertain terms, that she was not to go to the DFC without them. So if she went, she would be willfully disobeying a direct order from her Doms. And she wished she could say she objected to Lucy's suggestion, but she enjoyed the spankings too much to say no.
"I'm in," Kara replied, her belly quaking.
"Screw it, I'm in, too," Zoey conceded.
"Let's get ready and we'll wow the Doms," Lucy said, spurred into action at the thought of going to a club.
The wine had begun wearing off as the three of them dressed and prepared to invade the DFC. Kara had stopped drinking the moment she knew she'd be going to the DFC. Zeke and Chase had mentioned not having more than a drink or two in her system any time they were together. Not that she was a big drinker to begin with, but since she was about to toss one of their 'rules' in their faces, she didn't want to add a second one to the mix. Tingles of anticipation heightened her excitement.
Zoey broke out her new sub wear collection, gifted to her by Declan on the advent of their engagement. The girls raided it, with her blessing, borrowing pieces that would allow them to blend in with the rest of the club goers. Zoey chose a short leather mini skirt that barely covered her rear, and a leather halter top with peek-a-boo lace. Lucy selected a black body suit that looked like it had been lacquered on. Kara went a little old school and dressed in a French maid costume. The corset had her boobs spilling over the top with her nipples slightly visible, and all she had to do was bend over to show off her black lace thong.
They styled each other's hair and make-up, the whole process taking a little over hour. But Kara knew that, at this time of night, the club would just be starting to fill with attendees. For the club, it was rather early yet.
"We look hot," Lucy exclaimed as they took one last primping look in the bathroom mirror.
"Let's do this." Zoey giggled.
They left her room. Once on the elevator, Zoey dialed an access code. Kara's blood pulsed at the thought of seeing Zeke and Chase. After this morning, she knew she was completely in love with them both. She still wasn't entirely sure how to deal with her feelings for them yet, or what it would mean for their lives as a whole. By agreeing to the ménage relationship, nothing in her life would ever be the same again. Not that it was bad choice on her part, she didn't regret saying yes for a minute, but she was concerned about possible fallout from her decision. It wasn't like she could be open about it at the office or with clients; they'd have to come up with some ground rules should they continue with it once they returned to Manhattan. She shoved down the gnawing worry that this was just a fling to Zeke and Chase. They had to discuss their relationship, and soon.
Her breathing was shallow as the three of them exited the elevator and made their way toward the bar. She could feel all the eyes in the club on them as they threaded their way through the crowd. More importantly, she felt Zeke and Chase's presence before she saw them. Kara never even made it to the bar before Zeke's large frame interceded.
"What do we have here?" Chase's hands slid around her waist from behind. She heard him above the pounding beat of metal music crashing through the speakers. Kara noticed that, just as they had imagined, Declan had caught up with Zoey, and was pulling her into the center of the room for what was sure to be a loud and public spanking.
Lucy, god love her, stood with such a dominant attitude, all of the male Doms cut a wide berth around her as she ordered from the bar. She laughed at something one of the fellow patrons said, and then Kara could no longer worry about her friends.
Zeke gripped her chin and turned her attention toward him. His gaze was displeased and Kara felt the first fingers of apprehension in her belly.
"We told you not to come down here alone. You understand we have no choice but to discipline you." Zeke held her firmly, his face stern, clenching his jaw tight enough she was surprised she didn't hear him grinding his teeth.
Chase's arms immobilized her when she would have retreated from the displeasure in Zeke's gaze, turning Chase's arms into a prison.
Kara confessed her sins, feeling bad for disobeying them. "I'm sorry. At the time, we thought it would be a hoot
. We had some wine with our girl's night, but Zoey and I knew we shouldn't be doing this."
"You did this deliberately." Chase chuckled behind her, his chest rumbling as he tried to contain his laughter.
A muscle in Zeke's jaw ticked as he admonished her. "I think our sub wants to be punished."
"Yes," she admitted, staring up at Zeke sheepishly. Her blood had already heated at their nearness.
"Yes, what, little sub?" Chase bit out, growling in her ear.
"Masters, yes, Masters. I beg your forgiveness," Kara pleaded in a demure and submissive fashion she hoped pleased them. On the inside, her body was turning to buttery goo as desire thrummed in her veins.
"The suspension bar will do." Zeke gripped her arm and Chase held the other as they walked toward the open scene area.
Her insides fluttered in anticipation. She knew they'd never hurt her, not really, and there was something that clicked for her when they spanked her. It filled a gap inside her like nothing else did. The scene area they escorted her to contained a metal bar that was about three feet in length, suspended horizontally from a chain in the ceiling that could be lowered and heightened depending upon the particular sub's individual height.
"Why don't you strip her, while I get set up?" Zeke commanded Chase, who obliged him with no fuss. Had Chase ever been the one to instigate the dominance over her? Not that she could recall, but then her attention was diverted under his firm grip.
"With pleasure. Come, pet," Chase ordered, and with no further preamble began undoing the laces on her corset.
"You look delicious in this get up," Chase murmured against her neck. "I'm going to have to order you a whole assortment of costumes when we get home."
When we get home? Pleasure speared her being. His words meant they planned to keep her, to continue their relationship once they were back in Manhattan. Anxiety that had been taking up residence inside her heart melted away at his words. They wanted more than just a Highland fling.
Chase stripped her bare. It had been a while since she had been naked before complete strangers or performed a public scene, even though this was purely discipline. Not that Kara was a prude; far from it. Chase led her over to the suspension bar and shackled her wrists to a cuff at each end, which made her arms form an upward V. The chain was tightened until she was on the tips of her toes. It wasn't painful, per se, just uncomfortable. Then there was a second bar which Zeke retrieved from the armoire. It had two foothold blocks connected at each end. Zeke handed it to Chase, who knelt in front of her. He slid the bar into position on the floor, attaching it to circular attachments on the floor.