by Avery Gale
*****
Craig had watched as the group of vehicles pulled out of the parking garage. He almost laughed when he saw the number of decoys they sent in different directions. He didn’t doubt they’d be meeting up again a few miles from here, but it didn’t really matter since he already knew where they were headed. Sometimes I even impress myself.
Turning on his heel he walked happily down the street. He had plenty of time to make his flight. He’d be staying just down the beach from Cameron’s newly rebuilt home. He’d been monitoring all the Barnes’ properties for years and the recent remodeling of the beach house had been a dead giveaway they’d be heading there for their upcoming vacation. Listening in on Cameron’s phone conversations recently had only confirmed his suspicion. Stopping along the dark sidewalk, he frowned. He would be more excited about the prospect of Cameron and Dr. Barnes moving to the island if he wasn’t becoming suspicious that Carl Phillips might be trying to worm his way in—again. Shrugging off his concern, he started whistling softly as he walked. He’d just take care of Carl, too—then there wouldn’t be any obstacles.
It wouldn’t take long to catch the lovely Dr. Barnes alone on the beach. He’d heard her talk to the other submissives at Dark Desires about how much she was looking forward to sitting out on the beach in the early morning light. She’d had a soft gleam in her eyes when she’d told them how much she loved the few minutes of solitude she found in those early mornings sitting quietly at the water’s edge. Oh yes, she was going to be easy to remove from the equation. And once she was gone, Carl would be easy and his death would be inconsequential. In the end, Cameron would only find solace in Craig’s arms, and he’d finally realize his true love had been right under his nose all along.
All those doctors his parents had forced him to go to for so many years—they’d all said the same thing. He’d grown so tired of listening to them drone on and on about how you couldn’t make someone love you. Craig intended to prove every one of those quacks wrong. He’d eventually stopped going to the appointments his parents made for him, why bother when he had known how wrong all those doctors were. Craig had known the truth since that night at St. Andrew’s School for Young Men so many years ago. It was possible to make someone love you, all you have to do is remove their distractions.
Chapter Sixteen
CeCe stepped off the jet dressed in a short tank dress and flip-flops, pausing at the top of the short stairway to take a deep breath and letting the warmth of the sunshine and light ocean breeze warm her skin. The salty air danced over her senses and she sighed in relief. She loved the island, even though she’d been born and raised as a mainlander, she felt most at home here. The small airport was busy and the heavy drums of island music drowned out the soft beating rhythm of the ocean as it pounded against the rock shore, but she still felt the pulse of nature beating inside her. CeCe found herself walking to the beat of the steel barrel drums she could hear in the distance. She’d fallen in love with the music of the islands the first time she and Cam had visited. She’d always believed the island’s culture was closely linked to its music, and the vibrancy of the music was definitely a reflection of the friendly people she’d met here. The entire island seemed to pulse in time with the pounding rhythm of the drums as if the power of the ancients was still being sounded hundreds of years later.
Her Masters’ presence surrounded her and CeCe was reminded that this trip wasn’t going to be like the other relaxed vacations she’d enjoyed here. She faltered at the realization her mind was already beginning to consider Carl Phillips as “hers.” When did that happen? Well, geez, Cecelia, perhaps when he had his cock shoved to the back of your throat as Cam pounded into your pussy? Or maybe it was when his hand was swatting you this morning for trying to put on a thong. She was accustomed to being naked at home, but the idea of walking through Customs without panties had almost sent her into a panic. Carl had listened as she’d explained her fears, tucked the thong into his pocket, and proceeded to push back her rising terror by pulling her over his knees, flipping up her skirt and spanking her until the only thing she was thinking about was how much she wanted to come. He’d run his fingers through her labia and praised her when he’d found her slick with arousal. His calloused fingers had teased her to the point she had been convinced a puff of air would have been enough to send her over, but he’d already learned how to read her body too well. Keeping her on edge for several minutes, CeCe had started to worry she’d leave a dark spot on his jeans before they were through. Nope, nothing embarrassing about that. When he finally plunged his fingers in and zeroed in on her G-spot without letting up, she felt like she’d been launched into outer space without benefit of a rocket. The orgasm he’d given her had been so strong she still felt a bit unsteady on her feet. Yes, it was official, the two of them were going to kill her with sex. I can see the headlines back in Houston now…Local surgeon dies while on vacation—Death by Orgasm Details on Page Six.
Walking through the small airport terminal, CeCe felt the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up, the feeling that she was being stalked was so overwhelming that she stumbled. Cameron and Carl had been close along either side and immediately closed in until there wasn’t an inch between them. “Pet? Are you alright?” CeCe had learned early in her relationship with Cameron Barnes that he was always her Master, occasionally he was Master and husband, but he was always her Master first and foremost. She could hear the concern in his voice, but she also knew it was him simply being a Dom—she was his property and he protected and cared for what belonged to him.
“Baby, you need to answer that question before we have another problem to deal with.” Carl’s words, on the other hand, were laced with the concern of a lover. Oh, she didn’t doubt for a minute that he was a Dom. Hell, he oozed alpha male from his every pore, but there was a distinct difference between the two men, and she could practically feel it. One had known love and compassion as a child and the other had not. As a physician dealing with children and young adults, CeCe had seen it a thousand times. There were times she wished she’d become a general practitioner or specialized in pediatrics, perhaps then she could have an impact on the lives of kids by encouraging parents to hug their kids every day. The power of positive touch just could not be overstated.
“I’m being watched. I can feel it.” The words had no sooner crossed her lips than she felt each of them grasp an elbow and lift her off her feet. Before her mind caught up, they were sprinting toward the exit. It seemed so surreal, the whole terminal seemed to have been frozen in time. The musicians stopped in the middle of a song, people ceased their conversations—no one moved. The scene might have been funny if she hadn’t felt the anxiety coming off both Cam and Carl in waves.
CeCe was grateful they hadn’t scoffed at her words. So many people thought that just because a woman was submissive, she was a doormat. She didn’t even want to think about the number of times someone had said, “I can’t believe someone as intelligent as you are would be willing to let a man boss you around like that.” What they didn’t understand was how freeing submission could be, nor did they seem to grasp how amazing it felt to be protected and cherished above all else. Real Doms don’t boss, they guide and nurture. The truth was that most of the submissives CeCe knew were incredibly intelligent men and women with colorful personalities and very full social lives. The hardest part about being a sub was learning to look beyond the social stereotypes and accept yourself.
Just as Cam and Carl pushed her into the backseat of the car waiting at the curb, CeCe caught a glimpse of a man who looked vaguely familiar. But he seemed to be focused on following a beautiful blonde woman into a waiting cab parked in front of them making it seem unlikely he’d been watching her so she didn’t mention it. Perhaps if she could figure out who he reminded her of—before she could finish the thought Cam turned to her, and in a voice she recognized too well, simply said, “Strip.”
*****
Lara stood in front of the en
ormous windows lining the living room of the Barnes’ penthouse looking out over the twinkling lights of boats anchored in Galveston Bay. Does anyone ever tire of a view this spectacular? She’d traveled the world with her parents, but missionaries didn’t have luxury accommodations. Running water inside the hut or screens on the windows would have been considered luxuries in most of the places they’d lived. She smiled when she remembered the look of horror on Peter Weston’s face as his brother described the neighborhood where she’d rented an apartment. The tiny studio wasn’t in the best part of town, but it was close to campus and Dark Desires, so Lara had considered it a win-win situation. Fischer had watched her closely as she’d explained her reasoning, it was beyond weird to talk to people who were continually trying to read your mind. Since she tried to be honest with others and herself, Lara decided it really didn’t matter.
Fischer had made arrangements for men from Dark Desires to pack up and move her things. It didn’t matter that they were her coworkers, it still was a bit disconcerting to think about them touching her underclothes. It wasn’t like she had a lot of lace and silk lingerie, in fact she’d be surprised if they didn’t raze her about her cotton granny panties. Damn it all to hell, not everybody has a trust fund or parents willing to sell their souls for money.
Lara’s parents were devoted to their work, they were dedicated to education and to helping others succeed so Lara didn’t have any legitimate complaints. But it sure would have been nice if they had devoted as much time to me as they did to other people’s kids. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It never changes anything, so get busy—the only way to enact a change is to act. She could almost hear her mother reciting the words in her mind. There were no pity parties when Rita Emmons was around, her father was far more compassionate, but even Larry Emmons bowed to his wife’s domineering personality. Shaking off the funk she felt herself falling into, Lara turned and walked straight into Fischer’s broad chest. The man was like an immovable wall of warmth and her first instinct was to back away, but her second was to press closer.
Realizing what she’d done, the small part of Lara’s brain that still recognized the need to protect her heart sparked back to life and she stepped back. “Excuse me, Master Fischer. I was just going, ummm, I need to use the powder room.” Holy shit, did he just growl at me?
Fischer’s hand wrapped around her upper arm and he pulled her close then tipped her face up with his other hand. “We need to lay some ground rules, cupcake, before you get yourself into a peck of trouble as my mama used to say.” Probably not a good sign that he’s quoting his mother. Can’t imagine that being something a Dom finds all that comfortable. She could have sworn she’d seen his lips curve up ever so slightly but it was gone so fast she wasn’t sure. She wondered if she’d spoken out loud and then wanted to slap her hand against her forehead as it dawned on her—she hadn’t needed to speak aloud. “I don’t need to be an empath to know you are lying, cupcake. Christ, Helen Keller would have known you were lying. So let’s just rewind a bit. You should remember that lying is a punishable offense and quite frankly, it’s insulting. It is also beneath you.”
Damn, that was a low blow. I may not have much, but I’ve always prided myself on being true to myself. “I was going upstairs to be alone for a bit, I’m just trying to take in how much everything has changed.” She paused because she really didn’t know what else to say without sounding like a sap. When his fingers flexed against her bare skin, it occurred to her that she’d rarely seen Fischer touch anyone. “You’re touching me.” Brilliant, Lara. Way to state the obvious.
“I am. You are one of the few people my brother and I cannot hear from a distance. As it turns out, I can hear scattered bits when I’m touching you. Peter merely feels your emotions with touch. It remains to be seen if our connection strengthens as we get to know each other.” They plan to get to know me? Why? I thought they were just here to guard the place and make sure CeCe’s stalker wasn’t too nearsighted to tell us apart.
“Just to be clear, cupcake, Peter and I are here for more than just your protection.”
“That’s right.” Lara jumped at the sound of Peter’s voice. She hadn’t heard him step into the room, but that wasn’t a surprise. From what she’d read about Special Forces soldiers, they could move about in virtual silence. She had noticed Master Cameron moved so stealthily he often startled the subs at Dark Desires, so it stood to reason Peter Weston would do the same thing. Something to remember. The man had a smile that Lara was sure made women’s knees weak and their panties fall off, why on earth were he and Fischer interested in getting to know her? Because they can’t hear you. You are a novelty, a puzzle to be solved. Tobi said Peter Weston was some sort of puzzle master, so he wants to know why he can’t hear all the babbling going on between my ears. Once he figures it out, he’ll be gone, just like everyone else.
*****
Peter regularly cursed his gifts, being able to hear what people were thinking was a far greater challenge than most people understood. But he was quickly coming to see that not knowing what was going through Lara’s mind made it impossible to know what to say to her. The sadness he’d seen float through her eyes like a dark storm cloud confused him, but until he’d gotten to know her better, he was just going to have to tread carefully. His mind link with Fischer was helping, but it would be distracting for both of them and he doubted they’d be able to hide that from Lara for long—she was far too perceptive to miss the fact they could communicate telepathically.
Lara’s gaze skittered between Peter and Fischer several times before she focused on Fischer, “Why? Not to be rude, but I’ve known you for quite a while and you have made it crystal clear you aren’t interested in me. So what’s changed?” Peter was glad her attention was focused on his younger brother, it saved him the trouble of covering up his smile. She really was amazing—beautiful and smart, but with enough sass to keep them on their toes.
“That’s an interesting question, brother. Why don’t you explain to Lara why you’ve allowed her to be under the misconception that you didn’t want her?” He was frustrated with his brother as well. While he understood his brother’s reasoning, Peter also thought Lara had taken Fischer’s distance as disinterest when in fact the opposite was true.
‘We’ll settle this on the mat later, but rest assured, dear brother, I intend to kick your ass for throwing me under the bus.’ Peter watched as Fischer settled Lara next to him on the sofa. “My brother wants me to think he disagrees with my decision to keep my distance, but I promise you he’d be going fucking ape-shit if I hadn’t.” Peter watched as Fischer drew small circles in the palm of Lara’s hand, he wasn’t sure whether Fischer was trying to soothe himself or the blonde beauty seated next to him.
“What my brother is trying to spit out is that we intend to share. And without going into a lot of detail, let’s just say that we see the fact we can neither one read you at any distance as a sign. A sign that we should spend some quality time with you and get to know you better. Do you have any objection to that?” Peter hated the fact he’d made it sound like some sort of weird business merger, but he’d gotten the impression she was smart enough to understand his meaning.
“Does this include playing at the club? Because that might be hard for Fischer.” Her voice sounded far too insecure for his comfort.
“What do you mean ‘hard for Fischer’?” He had the uncomfortable feeling his brother’s distance was going to come back and bite them in the ass for a long time.
Peter watched as her eyes went glassy with unshed tears. Fischer had been sitting quietly to the side but he’d never taken his hands off Lara’s wrist and hand. His brother’s jaw tightened and then he broke, “Fuck me. I never meant to hurt your feelings, baby. In fact, I was trying to spare you. There was never any question about me wanting you. Christ, I’ve spent months trying to hide hard-ons.”
When a lone tear slipped free and trailed down her flushed cheek, Peter did what he’d sworn he woul
dn’t do, he stalked forward and pulled her to her feet. Her hair fell in soft golden waves over his hands as he gripped her shoulders. The silky mass reflected the soft light of the room and made her look like an angel. The first moment he’d seen her, Peter had wondered what it would feel like to have those soft curls brushing over his thighs as she sucked him. Before they played in the dungeon he’d braid her hair so it didn’t get tangled in the equipment. He could hardly wait to see her surprise at his braiding skill. Thank heaven for nieces and young cousins with long hair.
“We both want you…probably more than we should, but there you have it. We were going to try to go slow. We wanted you to get to know us and I have some catching up to do.” Looking down into her face, Peter felt his chest squeeze. God she is stunning. He’d been with his share of beautiful women, but it was a miracle Lara Emmons hadn’t been snatched up by some modeling scout. Once she was theirs, no one would exploit her beauty for financial gain. He tamped down his desire to wrap her in cotton and shield her from the world, she was an adult woman who had traveled the world. She’d lived in some of the poorest countries of the world and survived without their coddling, she’d no doubt survive until they could convince her to stay with them. Peter took a deep breath, the unmistakable musk of her arousal surrounded them. Just as he realized he was touching her, a pounding wave of desire washed through him as he watched her eyes dilate. He wasn’t sure if the desire was his or hers, but he knew she was theirs in that moment. When she opened her mouth to speak, Peter sealed his lips against hers in a kiss filled with promises of scorching sex and quiet moonlit walks along the beach. The reasoning part of his brain shut down and his impatient inner two-year-old took over without missing a beat. Mine—Mine—Mine!