by Avery Gale
The minute the soft cashmere touched her she sat up and blinked at him. “Oh, hello. When did you guys get here? I guess I fell asleep. When am I getting out of here? Oh wait, I was leaving wasn’t I? But I’m waiting for something…oh well, maybe it’ll come back to me while I get dressed.” Shaking his head, Jace watched as the entire scene played itself out again, almost word for word and step for step as Holly paced the room. The doctor’s biggest concern had been the fact that not only had Holly’s long term memory been randomly affected, her short-term memory seemed to stutter from time to time as well.
Kat and Rissa both breezed in the door and proceeded to take over. They tried to get all the men out of the suite, but none of them were even close to falling for that one. “Well, crap on a cracker, we never get to have any fun. Texas isn’t that far from Colorado, you know…you could come up and visit. Hell—Oh….” Kat’s shoulders slumped and she looked over at Alex and Zach ruefully.
“That’s one, kitten. Alex warned you in the elevator. I’m beginning to wonder if Holly’s memory problem is contagious.” The sting of Zach’s promised punishment was cooled considerably by his smile, but Jace didn’t doubt for a minute she’d be getting the promised punishment. He had heard both Kat’s husbands fuming about their inability to get their sweet sub to stop cursing no matter how creative they’d gotten with the punishments.
“Well, shoot.” Kat’s shrug told Jace that she wasn’t overly concerned and he smiled at the frown on Alex’s face. Turning back to Holly, she explained with her typical enthusiasm, “If it’s too cold to have a girls’ party by the waterfall, we can always use Layla’s beach room. Oh sister, you should see what her men built for her, it’s fu…um…fundamentally awesome.” Every Dom in the room—except Alex was either outright laughing or battling it for all they were worth.
“Katarina, points for creativity, but a punishment for intent. Now, be good subs and get Holly ready for transport.” Kat nodded and turned away from him before rolling her eyes. “I know you rolled your eyes at me Katarina, and that’s one more.” Jace smiled because it looked like Kat was finally starting to worry a bit about what was coming her way.
“Transport? What am I a sack of potatoes? Really?” She leaned closer to Kat and whispered, “Really Kat, he seems a bit…well, I’m not sure exactly how to describe him.” Holly seemed as if she was genuinely concerned for her friend and that warmed his heart.
Rissa piped up, “Stern…there’s a word for you. Accurate, but not profane or disrespectful.” She smiled and looked over at Bryant Davis who stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His indulgent smile belied the fact that he was usually second only to Alex when it came to being a stickler for protocol.
“Well said, love.” Bryant’s praise seemed to light Rissa from the inside out. Jace knew the three of them were anxious to get home to their daughter, Betsy. From all accounts, the little girl was as gifted as Mitch and a carbon copy of her redheaded mama.
Holly looked between the two women and then laughed, “Well, Rissa’s gonna get laid because she spouted off some PCBS and Kat’s getting punished by the guy with the stick up his ass because she isn’t politically correct enough with her B.S.” Both Kat and Rissa went instantly still and Jace heard their gasps. But it was the shocked look on Alex Lamont’s face that was Jace’s undoing. For the first time since Holly had been hurt, Jace felt the weight that had been pressing down on his chest lift as he tilted his head back and roared out his laughter.
Chapter 16
Their flight to Dallas-Fort Worth had been uneventful. Holly had been asleep before they’d gotten out of the hospital’s parking lot, and she’d barely stirred when he’d carried her onto Ian’s private jet. Gage had gotten her up before they landed so she could freshen up and eat a snack before they hit the road to the ranch. It was a two-hour drive without a lot of options for convenience breaks and he and Jace both knew better than to show up at the Garretts’ if they’d already eaten. Good God Jace’s mom could cook up a storm, and his mouth was already watering just thinking about all the things she’d have prepared for them.
Walking Holly down the steps of the jet, he was relieved to see their rentals had been delivered right on the tarmac. Oh yeah, ya gotta love Daphne Craig. Gage and Jace had spoken with Daphne the day after Holly had been hurt. Her story was identical to Holly’s except she was much more forthcoming about how close to the edge Holly had been when she’d arrived in D.C. Daphne told them that she had originally seen the opportunity as a way to keep Holly close so she could monitor her health and well-being, but as time went on and Holly seemed to be doing fine, it had become increasingly obvious she’d made a huge error by doctoring the H.R. documents and security clearance.
Daphne had already confessed to Ian by the time he and Jace had cornered her. To her credit, she had offered Ian her resignation which he’d graciously declined. There was still some tension between Daphne and Jace, but Gage felt confident their friendship would be stronger in the end. Gage hoped that was the case, after all, she was Holly’s aunt and family was family.
Mitch had taken them aside at the hospital and explained how truly confused Holly was. She understood that she’d been hurt, but couldn’t remember how it had happened. Hell, she thought she was back in college, which meant she was missing several years of her life. They had spent a lot of time with Holly the past few days reviewing where their relationship had been when she was hurt as well as where it had been headed. Gage had been more relieved than he wanted to admit when he’d seen the same spark of interest in her pretty green eyes that he’d seen that first night. The fact that she was still interested in finding out about the lifestyle spoke volumes about the depth of her submissive personality.
Settling her between them in the backseat of the black Expedition, Gage was happy to let Logan Douglas fold himself behind the wheel. The man had a photographic memory, which had certainly come in handy since his specialty with the teams was explosives. The man just seemed to love blowing up shit, whether it was sanctioned by Uncle Sam or not—thus his nickname Boomer. Logan had been in a very dark place when he’d first retired. It hadn’t seemed like any amount of bullying or beer had made a dent in his melancholy until Callie had entered Ian’s life. Hell, who was he kidding? The woman Ian called Carlin had pranced right in and taken over all of their hearts.
Callie would always hold a special place in the hearts of all the security team. It had been her quick thinking that had taken down a corrupt U.S. Senator, his evil wife, and put a stop to the political aspirations of their son. Just thinking about that bastard and what he’d done to Callie as a teenager was enough to send Gage into a flash of anger. Just five minutes alone with the fucker, that’s all I’d need, and four and a half of those minutes will be spent fighting my way to the front of the line.
Refocusing his attention on the sweetheart seated next to him, Gage noticed the tension seemed to be coming off her in waves. Pulling her small hand into his, he was shocked to feel how cold it was and he didn’t miss the fact that it was trembling as well. “What’s wrong, sweetness?” When she didn’t seem to even realize he’d spoken to her, he put his finger under her chin and turned her face to his, “Holly? I asked you a question and I expect you to answer me. What’s wrong?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just kind of lost in thought I guess. Well, I just realized that I’m going to a place where I don’t know anyone with people I don’t really know…and it’s kind of intimidating.” She turned to Jace and asked, “Are you sure it’s alright with your family if I tag along on your vacation? I mean, it seems a bit forward for me to just barge in without an invitation.” Gage would have laughed at her if he hadn’t realized how serious she was. He’d forgotten she’d been raised in a world that was predicated on social standing and rules of etiquette he’d never understand.
Jace smiled warmly at her and captured her other hand in his, “Pet, we’ll be lucky if we don’t walk into a house full of people anxious to meet yo
u. And my mom has no doubt been cooking for two days knowing her boys are coming home and bringing a special lady with them.” Gage was grateful he’d asked her because she seemed to relax back into the seat.
By the time they rolled through the gates leading to the Garrett Ranch, Gage’s stomach was already rumbling in anticipation and hunger. They had decided to forgo stopping in favor of Jace’s mom’s cooking. Before Logan had even put the vehicle in park, people were streaming out the front door. Gage heard Jace moan in frustration just as he, Logan, and Kalen all started laughing.
The five of them were enveloped with a flood of welcoming family and friends, including several of Gage’s family members. But it was the shrill shriek from the door that caught everyone’s attention. Gage watched as the crowd seemed to part as if Moses had just commanded it as Abby Garrett came down the stairs at a full run and launched herself into her big brother’s waiting arms. “Indy, you’re home…Finally!” All of Gage’s friends loved Abby, she had quickly become a little sister to each of them. But as Gage watched the silent communication that seemed to be arching between Logan and Kalen, he had to wonder if that wasn’t going to be changing—and sooner rather than later if he had to make a guess.
“Short Round. Damn, I’m glad to see you. But really little sister, we have to work on your shyness issues.” Everyone around them burst into laughter, because God knew timid was not a word anyone would use to describe Abby Garrett. Gage shook his head at their nicknames for each other. After Jace had seen Abby collapse in the yard from an allergic reaction to penicillin, she’d dubbed him her hero and being the Indiana Jones fan that she was, the name Indy had stuck quickly. Jace had explained that he wasn’t going to be outdone and the young Asian boy in the first movie had always reminded him of Abby, because the kid was wise beyond his years and too fearless for his own good, so she’d become Short Round.
Short fit Abby perfectly, but round she was not. Everyone that met Abby marveled at how tiny she was compared to her brute of a brother. At six and a half feet tall, Jace dwarfed most people, but beside him, his five foot sister looked like a Native American version of Tinkerbell. Once Jace finally set Abby on her feet she sprang into Gage’s arms wrapping her arms around his neck to give him a huge hug. “I’m glad to see you, too, bonus brother.” And then she whispered in his ear, “Is this you guys’ girlfriend? Damn…way to go. Holly Mills is famous, ya know?”
For a few seconds, Gage was too stunned to speak. Were he and the rest of the security team so lost to the outside world that none of them had recognized her name? After Holly’s accident, they’d done the security check that should have been done months earlier and been floored by what they’d learned. Hell, their little sub was an incredibly talented woman. Not only had she authored several commercially successful novels, she’d written too many screenplays to count, and was a well-known actress as well. But it had been her Mensa membership that impressed them all the most. While success was recognized by Gage and the other former Special Operations soldiers, intelligence was almost revered.
“As a matter of fact she is our girlfriend and I’ll let you down so we can introduce you.” Gage watched as Abby’s eyes moved quickly to where Logan and Kalen were standing beside them. Both men were looking at Abby as if she was a gourmet meal and they were starving—very interesting. Jace made quick work of the introductions and then Pilar Garrett herded them all inside insisting they could continue visiting while they ate.
* * * *
Holly was sure she’d never seen so much food at a private party in her entire life. The backyard of the Garrett’s home had obviously been designed for entertaining. The outdoor kitchen was set in an enormous circle of large boulders that had been smoothed on their tops so they doubled as seating. The flagstone floor was accented by dark gravel and the entire area was filled with blooming flowers and shrubs, some in brightly colored clay pots. The sun was just beginning to set and Holly watched in wonder as the entire backyard lit up with accent lighting.
She must have been standing with her mouth gapping open because Jace stepped up beside her and she heard his soft chuckle, “Do you like it? My mom loves to entertain and my dads love her, so when she asked for an outdoor kitchen they outdid themselves.”
“It’s amazing. I can’t believe how beautiful it is and good grief there is so much food. How did one small woman manage to cook so much when I can’t even toast bread without setting off the smoke detectors?” Holly realized the minute she’d spoken that was probably information she didn’t need to share and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
Jace must have noticed her blush, because he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead before leaning close to her ear, “Pet, don’t be worrying about cooking. You have plenty of incredible abilities and as your Doms, Gage and I plan to keep you too busy to cook anyway.”
Holly felt her pussy flood with moisture and a flash of memory went through her mind so quickly she didn’t have time to grasp it. Her sharp intake of breath must have alerted Jace because his expression darkened, “What’s wrong, pet?”
“Nothing, I just had a blip of a memory race through my mind but it was so short and quick I didn’t catch it.” She sighed and then looked up, surprised to see his face lit in an enormous smile.
“Damn that’s great news, baby. Let’s go find Gage and share it with him as well. I know he’s going to be very happy to hear it.” Holly couldn’t help but get caught up in Jace’s enthusiasm, maybe this trip had been a good idea after all. She’d just realized that all of the problems she was facing hadn’t entered her mind once since she’d arrived at the ranch.
Once they’d talked to Gage, they’d all three filled plates and settled down in a corner so they could watch the activities while they enjoyed their food. Holly noticed that both men seemed in much better spirits and she wondered if it was the fact they were being well-fed, surrounded by family and friends, or that she’d finally shown a small measure of progress.
She didn’t even realize she’d spoken out loud until Gage leaned close and laughed, “It’s all three, sweetheart. And by the way, that is also progress because you haven’t spoken your thoughts out loud since the accident and that is something Master Jace and I both missed.” Holly hadn’t missed the Master comment and felt her pussy clench in response. Evidently her body’s memory was better than her mind’s.
Jace looked down at her and smiled, “Did your pussy just remind you that you belong to us, pet?”
Holly felt her face go hot and knew she was probably glowing in the dark. “H-how did you know that?”
“We are your Doms, pet, it’s our job to know your body even better than you do.” His smile seemed to have an underlying intent and the thought caused goose bumps to race up her arms as another spark of memory raced through just below the surface. “What were you just thinking, pet? Don’t think about your answer, just say it.”
“It was something familiar about you that just went by so quickly. It feels like something has flown by me, you saw it, but it was so fast, you can’t describe it. Does that make sense?”
Gage leaned over and kissed the top of her bare shoulder. “It makes perfect sense, sweetness. And even better, it means your brain is healing and your memories are trying to surface. Don’t force them, just let them bubble up on their own.”
“Well, I sure wouldn’t have ever thought I’d hear those words from you, Gage. Such poetic musings from the man whose personal philosophy was always ‘Kill, then question’?” Holly couldn’t contain her giggle as she watched Abby Garrett slide into a chair facing them. She’d liked Jace’s sister the minute the young woman had taken a flying leap into her brother’s outstretched arms. Holly had always dreamed of having a brother or sister, but her parents had been adamant that they weren’t going to make that mistake twice.
“Short Round, you aren’t too big to paddle, you know? And I think I might know just where to find a couple of volunteers for that job.” Gage raised
an eyebrow at Abby and Holly watched as the tiny beauty’s face turned crimson, despite having inherited her mother’s golden-tanned complexion.
Jace turned his full attention to his sister, “Abby? Who do I have to kill? What is Gage talking about?” Holly watched as he morphed into Alpha-Brother right before her eyes. Oh damn, what a great line for a play. Or maybe a character in a book. I wonder what I can do with that. Abby’s snort of laughter brought Holly back to the moment but she wanted to dance for joy that her brain seemed to be kicking back into gear.
“Oh brother mine, don’t you try going all Dom on me…I’m immune to your ways.” The gleam in Abby’s dark eyes was short-lived when Logan and Kalen pulled up chairs and sat on each side of her.
“Is that a fact? Well, that might be an interesting theory to test, Shorty. What do you think Logan? You think short-stuff here is immune to all things Dom? Wonder what her dads would say?” Holly was sure Kalen Black’s voice must be what angels sound like, it had an almost mystical quality to it and it was easy to imagine him using it on the women Kat had told her the two men had shared. Holly watched Abby’s eyes go wide and then dilate just before she started choking on the bite she’d just taken. Kalen patted Abby on the back several times before she finally seemed to right herself. “Damn Shorty, I didn’t mean for you to get all choked up. You okay?”
“Yes and thanks for your concern…questionable as it may be. I assure you I am quite resilient to bossy men because I grew up with them.” And then pointing at Holly, she added, “If you need any pointers on how to circumvent their system, let me know. I’ll be happy to help.”
“You’re skating on mighty thin ice Short Round.” Jace’s voice was almost a growl and Holly’s entire being stilled in response. He turned to her and smiled, “I wasn’t snarling at you, pet.” Holy crap, how did he know? He leaned over and kissed her sweetly, “It’s my job to know.”