by Avery Gale
Carl knew all too well how being a part of the Teams had intensified several of his own personality quirks. His tendency to drive like a Formula One driver had certainly gotten worse, as had his habit of questioning everyone’s motives—including his own. Even now there was a huge question hanging over his head, but he was going to push it aside because he intended to take full advantage of the free reign he’d been given with CeCe. Turning her so she was facing him, Carl smoothed her hair back and waited several seconds for her to settle before speaking, “Never doubt his love for you, sweetness.”
“Why haven’t you two seen each other in so long? What happened?” Her questioned shocked him and from the look on her face, she seemed equally surprised she’d let the words slip free. He didn’t respond at first because he’d been too stunned to formulate an acceptable answer. Since he and Cam hadn’t discussed how to address this particular issue, he wouldn’t answer the question she had every right to ask. Well, he wouldn’t answer right now, so his only option was to keep her distracted.
“That’s a story for another time, sweetness. Right now, I’m going to exercise my right to enjoy that sweet mouth of yours.” To her credit she didn’t argue, she simply dropped to her knees and waited for his instructions. He was grateful for her patience because he wasn’t planning to let anyone else unzip his pants for fear his cock might make a leap toward the temptation and get caught in the zipper’s brass teeth, hell, just thinking about that scared him. “Rest your hands on my thighs, baby, and keep your eyes on mine.” He didn’t want her worrying about keeping her balance, he’d much rather she focused all of her attention on their mutual pleasure. The depth of CeCe’s submission showed in her expressions and he didn’t intend to miss anything. He would also know exactly where her head was if he could see her dark eyes.
“We’ll start slow, because you aren’t familiar with my style of dominance yet. But, baby, I have to tell you, it isn’t going to stay that way for long.” He took himself in hand and pressed the tip forward smearing the pearly drops of pre-cum over her lush lips, reveling in the shiny gloss it painted over her bow shaped mouth. Damn, the woman’s mouth was made for a man’s pleasure. “Open for me, baby.” The warm silk of her mouth wrapped around his length and his knees nearly buckled. “Holy fucking hell.” The woman has no gag reflex? None at all? He’d never had a sub take him clear to the back of her throat on the first pass. Sweet baby Jesus, if she had swallowed before he’d pulled back he would have probably come right then. Fuck me the woman’s mouth is deadly.
“Your mouth feels so good, I’m not sure if it’s heaven sent or devil blessed. But it’s fucking amazing either way.” He let her set the pace for the first few strokes, but when he saw her eyes glaze over with lust he knew it was time to grab the reins or she was going to take them both over far too quickly. Wrapping his hands in her hair, he gave it a quick tug when she moaned and closed her eyes, “Eyes on mine, sweetness. Don’t disobey me. I’m looking forward to paddling your sweet ass, but I’d much prefer the kind of spanking that brings you pleasure to anything resembling punishment.” The truth was he didn’t know her well enough to punish her. And he could find far better ways for them to spend the next few minutes.
Carl heard Cam enter the room, but he was sure CeCe had not. His former friend was standing to the side watching and even though Carl hadn’t looked at him directly, he could feel the heat of his gaze. Perhaps he is remembering the last time we were together. Before his mind could stray too far in that direction, he returned his attention on the woman kneeling in front of him. Her eyes weren’t leaving his, but they were so unfocused he was certain she wasn’t really seeing anything. “Are you wet, baby? If I slide my fingers through the soft petals of your pussy would I find them soaked with your honey?”
When CeCe nodded her head frantically, Carl placed his hands along the sides of her face taking away her peripheral vision. Stepping back he didn’t move his hands as he said, “Stand up.” When she scrambled to her feet, he turned her so her ass and bare pussy would be front and center in Cam’s view. “Spread your feet apart and bend at the waist, baby, let’s kick this up a notch.” He saw her puzzled expression but she followed his instructions without hesitation. There wasn’t any way for her to keep her eyes on his now, and he hated the fact he wouldn’t see her surprise when Cam pushed into her from behind. But she took him back in her mouth tracing the large vein running the entire length of the back of his cock with her tongue and his eyes nearly rolled to the back. Now that he thought it over, it probably didn’t matter if he couldn’t see her face since his head was lolling backward and his eyes closed in pleasure of their own volition. He had already been hard enough to pound railroad spikes into the sun-backed Texas prairie and now he was worried the whole thing might burst into flames as well.
His friend didn’t waste a moment freeing himself from his trousers and pushing in deep. The force of his thrust pushed CeCe forward so Carl’s cock hit the back of her throat. Her soft gasp of surprise vibrated around him, and almost sent him barreling over the edge. “I am pleased to see you and Master Carl are getting along so well, pet.” Carl felt her mouth tighten around him and on his next thrust she swallowed, the massaging muscles of her throat made him growl with pleasure.
“Baby, you are killing me with that mouth of yours. Holy fuck!” Carl was battling to stay on his feet, hell, his knees were already shaking and he hadn’t even come yet. Looking up at Cam, Carl was shocked to see the man’s focus on him rather than the woman he was thrusting himself into. The lust shining in his friend’s eyes and his own body’s response answered many of the questions Carl had struggled with for years. Why this man? Carl had never reacted to a man before he’d met Cameron Barnes, nor had he reacted to any man since they parted that fateful night so many years ago. But the feeling that slammed into him felt like being hit in the chest with a sledgehammer, and for a few seconds he didn’t even remember to breathe. How would the two of them be able to resist the temptation to take one another again when they were going to be spending all of their time together? And how would Cam ever explain everything to his sweet wife, because it was obvious he hadn’t told her about him?
Realizing he’d lost focus, Carl ran his hands through CeCe’s hair and praised her wickedly skilled mouth, “Sweetness, you are going to undo me. Your mouth is so hot and your tongue is touching all the right places. Tighten your lips a bit and suck hard as I pull back.” When she did exactly as he asked, Carl’s head fell back as he groaned in satisfaction. Better get her there quickly or she's going to send you sailing and you’re going to leave her standing on the shore.
Leaning forward, Carl cupped her breasts in his hands, lifting the weight of them with a gentle squeeze before zeroing in on her tightly drawn nipples. Rolling them between his fingers, he smiled at her low moan, “Aha, baby likes to have her nipples pinched, I see. I’ll bet your Master has all sorts of beautiful ornamentation for these lovely buds. Personally, I’m particularly fond of pierceless nipple bead rings. Lots of stimulation without putting holes in your lovely breasts.” Carl wasn’t a fan of needles and firmly believed you shouldn’t subject a sub to them. If a submissive was looking for that kind of play, then he wasn’t the right Dominant for her. But he certainly wasn’t above taking advantage of a sub’s piercings if she already had them, there wasn’t much of anything prettier than a woman’s jeweled breasts.
When Carl had first been introduced to the lifestyle of BDSM, he’d approached it like a typical cryptologist—he’d researched it relentlessly and taken each element apart with meticulous detail until he understood exactly how it worked and how each piece fit with the next. As a cryptology expert, he’d learned that almost everything was a puzzle in one form or another, and if you studied it carefully enough—the pattern and therefore the solution would be revealed. The bottom line for success in the lifestyle turned out to be finding a submissive whose needs aligned perfectly with his own. Just as with most precisely machined puzzl
es, the pieces had to fit together perfectly or nothing worked.
Cam was glaring at Carl and finally growled, “Get there. Right. Fucking. Now.” Carl raised his brow in response. Maybe he isn’t having any more luck holding out against her pussy than I’m having with her mouth.
“Okay, sweetness, let’s take a trip over the moon, shall we? Come now, baby.” Carl was sure CeCe had started coming before he’d even taken a breath. His cock was pushed all the way to the back of her throat and her muffled scream sent rippling vibrations up the entire length of his cock. He felt the electric charge of his release burn a path up and back down his spine then settle in his balls, turning his cum molten. The shockwaves of pleasure that radiated through his entire body splintered out making his fingers and toes tingle as he pumped the hot spurts of his seed down CeCe’s throat. Carl couldn’t remember the last time he’d come so hard that he had actually seen sparkles of white light dancing behind his eyelids.
He’d heard Cam’s shout and when Carl’s eyes were finally able to focus, he realized CeCe was still bent at the waist with his fingers twisted in her hair. Fuck me, I’m an ass. He gently unwrapped the silken strands of her glossy dark hair from his fingers and pulled her slowly back upright. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her against his chest while Cam put himself back together and then walked through a door that Carl assumed led to a washroom. When he returned, Cam knelt behind CeCe and Carl heard his soft murmurs urging her to part her legs. Carl chuckled when he heard her sleepy voice claiming she couldn’t move anything and maybe he could check in with her again sometime next week. Carl lifted her feet from the floor while Cam opened her legs. Once she’d been cleaned and dried, Cam wrapped her in a soft blanket and carried his sweet bundle to the bed.
Carl excused himself to clean up. Returning, he found CeCe sleeping peacefully on the bed and the door to Cam’s office open. Walking through, Carl saw Cameron sitting on the leather sofa with his legs stretched out over the low table in front of him swirling the amber liquid in the glass he held in his hand. There was an empty highball glass setting next to the bottle of Glenfiddich. Should have known he’d have expensive taste in whiskey. Carl made himself comfortable before pouring a generous amount of the wonderfully smooth Scotch, he let it warm his throat as it slid south. Hoping the liquor would work its magic before the conversation started, Carl leaned back against the sofa and tossed back the rest of his drink.
Chapter Eight
“To answer the question I’ve seen in your eyes a dozen times since you got here—no, I haven’t told her.” Cam’s voice held apprehension, but Carl wasn’t sure what had him so keyed up. Was he worried his lovely slave would bolt? Maybe he was worried Carl was going to spill the beans and wreak havoc in his marriage. Christ, this thing may well be a clusterfuck before it ever even has a chance to start.
Deciding it was best to walk on the side of caution, Carl simply asked, “And?” It had been twenty-five years, but Carl could still feel the bond between himself and Cam as if it were almost tangible. The connection between them wasn’t as soul stealing as it had been twenty-five years ago, but it was still strong enough Carl had easily heard the enormous unspoken “but” at the end of Cam’s statement.
“Truthfully, it has just never come up.” Even though Cam wasn’t facing him directly, his profile was a study in frustration and tension. Hell, everything in Cam’s body language attested to his struggle to put his feelings into words. Cam's unsettled feeling was probably unfamiliar territory for a man who’d made a career of being unflappable and always in control. Hell, Carl was all too familiar with the fact Cam’s life would have depended on his ability to push emotion back to the point the man often wondered if he’d ever be capable of really feeling again.
Carl had been lucky, the last rescue mission he’d done as a Navy SEAL had been for a young woman who had meant the world to a couple of his friends. Jen Keating, now Jen McCall since she’d married Sam and Sage McCall, was a handful of the first order. Her sass, the fire in her eyes, and her ability to call out anyone around her had reawakened Carl’s hibernating soul. Watching his friends with Jen had made him wonder if there might be a woman out there with enough love to look past everything he’d seen and done. When he’d joined the Prairie Winds team, he’d gotten to know the other women his friends had married. Meeting Jen, Tobi, and Gracie had proven to him that his heart was still capable of loving.
There was no doubt about Cam’s love for CeCe, it was written all over his face. Carl understood how hard it must have been to conceal the truth from her. Anytime you hide a large part of yourself from the one person you are supposed to trust the most, it divides your attention and saps your energy. He didn’t know Cameron Barnes well enough anymore to anticipate what he might be planning, so he’d just wait the man out. One thing was certain, Cam’s lifestyle and his club would have provided him plenty of opportunities to replicate what they’d shared, so if CeCe didn’t know about their relationship, Carl had to wonder if Cam had abstained—just as he had. Interesting.
They sat at opposite ends of the same sofa, drinking glasses of Cam’s expensive Scotch until the bottle was empty. Thank God it hadn’t been a full bottle or we’d both be out cold before one of us gave in and spoke. Cam finally set his empty glass on the table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He took a deep breath and Carl could practically feel the man’s frustration fading away. “I’ve had a million and one opportunities to tell her. But I managed to find an excuse each and every time. It isn’t that she is judgmental, but she’s always seen me in a very specific role and I never wanted to risk damaging her view. God knows I’m terrified of losing her.”
When he finally shifted in his seat, turning to look at Carl, for the first time he saw fear in the man’s eyes. “Cecelia is a strong woman professionally. She is an excellent mother even though she doesn’t get to spend nearly as much time with Chloe as she would like to. She is a loyal friend and an understanding partner. Her submission to me is the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. But there is a layer of vulnerability that runs so deep even I only see brief glimpses of it on rare occasions.”
“And you think she’d feel like she had never really been enough for you if she found out? Is that it?” Carl had spoken softly because he didn’t want to wake CeCe, but he hadn’t tried to keep the disbelief out of his voice either. “You aren’t giving her much credit if you ask me.” When he saw Cam winch, he added, “Funny, I wouldn’t have ever taken you for a coward. But hell, what do I know—I’ve never told anyone either.” Although he didn’t have a woman in his life to tell, he’d never told anyone.
“Told anyone what?” CeCe’s soft voice sounded from the doorway. Hell. Carl wanted to groan out loud. How had two former Special Forces operatives both failed to see the very beautiful and very naked woman standing across the room from them? She didn’t move, nor did she ask anything else—she just waited patiently for an answer. Cam recovered first and simply held out his hand to her. Her feet seemed to move before her mind had a chance to register the gesture—she was obviously a very well trained submissive. Even though Carl wasn’t a stickler for every nuance of the lifestyle, he was always impressed when he met subs who were so in tune with their Dom that their trained responses appeared almost effortless.
As CeCe sat on Cam’s lap, Carl noticed her skin seemed to have a light blue tinge, he reached over and wrapped his hand around one of her small feet and shook his head, “Christ, baby, your feet are like ice. Hang on a minute.” He walked quickly into the room where they’d left her sleeping earlier, pulled the blanket from the bed, and returned. Once she’d been wrapped up and resettled on Cam’s lap, he sat back down next to them. Looking up, he found her dark eyes staring at him, clearly not intending to let her earlier question be forgotten.
*****
Cam looked at the woman sitting on his lap as she turned her gaze to him and hoped like hell it wasn’t the last time he saw such love and devotion reflected in
her dark eyes. “Carl was talking about the fact neither of us have told anyone why we haven’t seen one another in so long.” He glanced at the empty bottle of Glenfiddich and wished like hell he’d brought out a bigger bottle. “The last time we saw each other, things didn’t go well.” Realizing his words would probably be misunderstood, Cam clarified, “The problem wasn’t between the two of us, but the school officials who were none too happy with us.” His chuckle sounded hollow, even to his own ears and he let it die quickly.
“I don’t think I’m following this. Why would the school officials being angry with you keep you apart for so long?” Cam leaned forward and kissed Cecelia’s cheek, grateful color was returning to her sweet face.
“Pet, Carl and I were very close at that time in our lives. We both came from families that were extremely wealthy, wealthy enough to ship off the wild sons they didn’t have the time or desire to manage. Sons who the school officials promised to tame.” Cam thought back on how betrayed he’d felt when his family had first sent him to St. Andrew’s. The school’s reputation for strict discipline had been well earned. He’d endured beatings with wooden paddles so severe he hadn’t been able to sit comfortably for weeks. When those punishments failed to turn him into the robot the dean had promised to produce, the Headmaster and his lackeys stepped up their game with caning.
The night they’d had to take him to the infirmary for stitches had been the final straw as far as his friend, Carl, had been concerned. By then, he and Carl Phillips had become extremely close, although their relationship had yet to take that final step. When Carl snuck into the infirmary to see him, he’d been horrified at what he’d found. It was the only time Cam ever remembered seeing Carl Phillips cry. His friend had never shed a tear during any of the punishments he’d endured, but that night Carl sat beside Cam’s bed and cried for his friend.