by Avery Gale
Each bite had been a step closer to pulling her back from the emotional collapse he’d seen on the horizon. He’d spoken to her in the same soft tone he used with Chloe and wanted to smile when the mother responded in exactly the same way their daughter did—huge dark eyes focused on him, taking in every nuance of his facial expressions. They were both sponges when it came to human connection and he’d often envied them that particular ability. How perfect it would be to be able to find happiness in such a simple act. To feel that level of connection to another human being, a bond that could chase away the coldest feeling of loneliness and alienation had to be a gift straight from God.
The thing about human connections that had always fascinated him was that they require trials and tribulations in order to strengthen. He’d always reminded the Doms he had trained that it was much like friendship—those that were new and lacked shared experiences weren’t as strong as those that had endured the highs and lows of life over the years. The same was true of a Dom’s connection with his submissive, and he was about to shift gears with his beautiful slave. Pushing her right now was going to not only strengthen the ties between the three of them, it was also going to send a bolt of electric energy through her. He could see how close she was to falling into a blissful sleep, but he also knew that isn’t what she needed. Oh, her body might need the sleep, but her heart and mind needed to return to Aspen Andrews’ side. And even though he’d like nothing more than to lead the two people seated in front of him out the door, he wouldn’t—at least not just yet.
“Now that you’ve eaten a bit, there is something we need to address.” Cam had deliberately changed his tone from soothing to the formidable Dom CeCe was intimately familiar with. As long-term D/s relationships went, theirs had been a fairly simple transition, but he knew she’d recognize the switch and the phrase “something we need address” for exactly what it was—the prelude to a punishment for misbehavior.
Watching her eyes widen as her mind pulled back from the quicksand it had been slogging through. He’d taken her hand in his own, wrapping his fingers around her wrist served two purposes—first was the subtle act of bondage and it also let him monitor her pulse so he’d know when she’d reached that perfect state between fighting and surrender. He wanted her alert, not frightened. Perfect. “You put yourself in danger by going down onto the beach.” She’d also endangered Captain Andrews, but he wasn’t going to mention that—she’d come to that conclusion on her own. And they’d deal with her feelings of guilt about that when the time came.
“Endangering what belongs to your Masters is not acceptable, pet.” Her breathing hitched and she shuddered. He deliberately used the plural, Masters, she needed to start seeing him and Carl as a united front. “This isn’t the time or place to resolve this issue, but rest assured the topic will come up again.” Oh yeah, she’s wide-awake now. Probably won’t last long, but should sustain her for a few hours.
“Now, it’s probably time for you to return to your patient.” When she nodded and started to get up from Carl’s lap, he stopped her by tightening his hand around her wrist, “Love, just for the record, I’m incredibly proud of you. Your skills saved a young woman’s life today. I’m sure her family and friends will be eternally grateful.”
He smiled when Carl whispered, “I think Mitch is also very grateful.” When Cam looked over his shoulder, the hulking man had turned his face toward Cecelia, he winked, gave a quick nod, and then resumed his position shielding them from the rest of the room.
She seemed to have settled a bit and this time when she moved to stand, he let her. But before she moved past him, she looked up through her dark lashes and in a voice that was barely more than a whisper, said “Thank you. I know what you’ve done. You know me so well, Master.” He simply smiled down at her as she turned and walked past him. She’s a gift I didn’t deserve.
*****
Mitch Ames watched Dr. Cecelia Barnes disappear through the doorway leading to the hospital’s few rooms. He’d watched the small sub shift from frightened kitten into a tiger out on that beach. CeCe had gone to extraordinary lengths to save Aspen’s life and it wasn’t something he would ever forget. Thinking back on the first time he’d seen Aspen, Mitch could still remember every single detail—the way her hair tumbled around her shoulders like a silky gold cape. Hell, her hair shone so brightly despite the dim lighting in the room, she’d almost looked like an angel—a very naked, very aroused angel. She’d been tied to a St. Andrew’s Cross in the main lounge, as a Dom he later learned was a local psychologist flicked the soft deer hide strips of a flogger over her. Mitch had moved closer, standing to the side, watching, studying her every reaction. The scene had been erotic as hell, but it had been clear the two weren’t involved in a long-term relationship—and something about that pleased Mitch far more that it should have.
Several hours later, Kent had introduced him to Dan Deal, the Dom he’d watched flog the captivating blonde submissive right into subspace. Oddly enough, despite very divergent occupations and interests, they’d hit it off. They’d even shared a scene with Aspen Andrews the next night. Since neither of them had considered sharing outside a club setting, they’d both been surprised how easily the topic had come up after she’d been called back to active duty.
During the next two years, they’d kept in contact and that friendship had been one of the reasons Mitch had taken the job in Austin. They had also kept track of Aspen through Jax McDonald. When Mitch had found out the Wests were recruiting Aspen for this assignment, Mitch hadn’t hesitated to hop the first flight to New York. That first night on the street, he’d seen a small flare of recognition in her eyes, almost as if she knew she should know him, but wasn’t sure why. He’d have been offended if it hadn’t been so easy to understand. Hell, his hair was much longer and his face had been painted with black paint to better blend into the shadows outside the Wests’ building. But as she’d been laying on the beach, her blood soaking the sand around her, he’d seen her eyes flutter open for just a few seconds. He’d seen rather than heard lips whisper his name and in that moment he knew…she belonged to him.
*****
Cam made his way around the room to Kent West’s side and nodded his head toward the door. When the two of them were alone outside, Cam looked up at the stars and smiled. It had been a long time since he’d been able to stand outside and see the stars—far too long, and he’d forgotten how much he’d missed it. “Are you and Kyle interested in my proposal?” He’d shot them a deal on the club and penthouse that he didn’t think they’d be able to pass up. In exchange for the low asking price, he’d retain a small percentage of ownership, all of his employees would keep their jobs, and Fischer would receive a hefty raise as well.
“Yes, we are interested—very interested actually, but I’m not satisfied with the price.” When Cam’s face turned quickly in his direction, Kent held up his hands in mock surrender. “Hold on, hear me out. I know you don’t need the money, but we don’t do business this way. We’ll go over the details later because I want to know that your wife is fully on board first. Perhaps we can help find a buyer for her clinic because the damned thing is worth a fucking fortune from what I hear.”
Cam couldn’t hold back his soft chuckle, “It is, indeed. But I don’t think it’s going to be a problem for Cecelia to walk away from it when she has already seen how much she is needed here. The pace she’d set for herself has taken a far bigger toll on her than she realizes—and far larger than I should have ever allowed.” He really did feel guilty for the fatigue he’d seen in her eyes the past several weeks, hell, she’d been practically walking in her sleep each night by the time she’d gotten home from her evening rounds at the hospital. “As long as my employees are taken care of, I’ll be happy with whatever you come up with. I’m not trying to sound like a sap, but damn it, most of them have been with me since I opened the club.”
He’d always paid his dungeon monitors—and paid them well. He’d realized from the
start that having well trained people the members could rely on would save him far more than it could ever cost, and he’d never regretted the decision. As a matter of fact, when the Wests had asked for his input when they’d first started Prairie Winds, that was one of the first things he had advised them on. And as far as he knew they’d been happy with the way it had worked out as well—even though many of their employees were now doubling as contract operatives.
“You still in on helping with missions if your particular very broad set of skills fit the bill?”
Cam snorted a laugh at Kent’s attempt at tact. “I will be if Carl stays. I won’t ever leave my family unprotected—I’ve made too many enemies over the years.” He paused for a long while and Cam was sure his friend was probably wondering if he was going to answer any of the unspoken questions that lay between them. Finally, taking a deep breath, he turned to Kent, “I’m hoping he’ll stay and build a life with us here. I won’t ask him to give up working for you, but I will ask that you never send us both out at the same time. Cecelia and Chloe both deserve better.” When he paused to take a breath, he was surprised to hear Kent chuckle.
“You think that just because all the juicy details of your relationship with Carl weren’t in the file we don’t know how close you were? Christ, Cam, you know Micah Drake better than that. Hell the man probably knows what you’ll be having for dinner a week from tomorrow, nothing gets past him.” Cam knew his mouth had fallen open but he honestly didn’t know why he was so surprised. “You know, I spent hours on a fucking plane to get here because one of my best friends in the world was in a panic about Captain Andrews, I’m missing my kids, and my damned brother just sent me a picture of our very naked wife tied to our bed.” The man sighed and then narrowed his eyes, “Fuck, I ought to just shoot you just for the fun of it. I’m absolutely certain it would be therapeutic, even though I know Tobi would be righteously pissed on her friend’s behalf. What CeCe sees in your grumpy ass baffles me.” Kent seemed to relax a bit after his mini-tirade, hell, Cam had never seen the normally calm twin so unhinged. “Want a bit of advice here? Fuck it, you’re getting it regardless. Suck it up, admit how much you care about Carl Phillips, and get on with your life. You and I both know walking away has haunted you for years. We’ve known the two of you had a physical relationship for years, but only got the details of how it ended when we first started our club. And that was because we wanted to know everything about you before we asked for your help. Sure you and Jax had been friends for a long time, but you’d encountered a lot of shit over the years,” he shrugged apologetically, “and we wanted to make sure none of it had stuck. No sense in us patterning ourselves after someone who was going to take us down like the Titanic at some point. So get off you hypocritical high horse and do what you need to do.”
Cameron was shocked. Completely and utterly blown away. The truth of Kent’s words hit him full force and he couldn’t even imagine what an ass he must look like to his friends. He hadn’t actually lied to any of them, but he’d damned well lied to them by omission and he hated to think how many punishments he’d meted out over the years for that very thing. And worst of all, he’d lost years with the only man he’d ever loved, because his idiocy wasn’t restricted to just the last few years. No, that particular affliction had started that night twenty-five years ago. Christ he had a lot to make up for.
As if he knew how thrown off Cam was feeling, Kent slapped him on the back before saying, “I’ll tell you what, you yank your head out of your ass and figure out what kind of commitment ceremony you’d like and we’ll host it. Of course we’re going to turn Tobi and Gracie loose on your ass, they’ll run you ragged with calls and texts about the details.” Kent leaned his head back and laughed at what Cam knew was a stricken look on his face. Hell, he was all-in about the commitment ceremony, but being subjected to the two whirlwinds subs that terrorized Prairie Winds was just terrifying.
Kent laughed again, “Yes, indeed. This ought to go a long way in evening out the score. Don’t ever assume your friends are idiots just because they don’t throw the secrets you are trying ineffectively to hide back into your face. And don’t get a stick up your ass thinking they’ll judge you, that’s just plain insulting. Now that I know Aspen is going to be okay, I’m anxious to get home. We’ll hang around until she wakes up but then Jax and I will be heading out.” Cam was surprised when the man pulled him in for a hug before pounding him on the back. Pulling back, he looked directly into Cam’s eyes, “Don’t fuck this up, Barnes, you have everything at your fingertips. Don’t let it slip away again.” Wise words from a man who’d seen some of humanities worst and appeared to have come through it unscathed. The wear and tear on a soul showed in Kyle on occasion, but Kent always seemed to live in the moment, a habit Cam hoped very much to cultivate in himself.
As they stepped back into the small waiting room, Cam realized he actually felt lighter, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. He wondered if it showed in his face when Carl looked up, surprise registering in his expression before he raised a brow in question. Cam couldn’t hold back his smile—Christ, how long had it been since he smiled just because? For years he’d worried someone might uncover his secret and use it against him only to discover it hadn’t been a secret for a long time—there was something very liberating in that. And knowing his reputation as an operative and as a Dominant hadn’t been diminished by his friends’ discovery was empowering. He’d been looking forward to making changes in his family’s life, but now he could hardly wait and the anticipation had him practically dancing on the balls of his feet.
When Cecelia stepped through the door an hour later to let them know Aspen was awake and talking, the room erupted into joyful chaos and he wrapped her in his arms and twirled her around in a circle. “Well done, pet. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of you, even though Uncle Sam will probably be trying to recruit you now.” She grinned up at him even though he knew his sudden public display of affection had surprised her. And that is another thing I need to change. My family needs to know that I love them, no matter where we are. His days as the cold and distant man he’d become over the years were numbered. He was wise enough to know he wouldn’t change overnight, but he felt like he was emerging from a dark tunnel into the light of day for the first time since he’d walked away from Carl that night at St. Andrew’s.
“Thank you, Master.” Her soft voice warmed him from the inside out, but the uncertainty he heard in her tone told him just how far he had to go before he’d be the man he wanted to become. After pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, Cam turned her into Carl’s arms and watched as the only two people he’d loved as an adult, embraced one another. As soon as his daughter joined them the four of them could begin building their lives together, and Cam could hardly wait. But first, his sweet slave had the paddling of her life coming for putting herself in danger and scaring ten years off his life, but this punishment would be unlike any other she’d ever gotten. The scene he had planned wasn’t going to be a Master’s reminder to a slave, this time it was all about reminding the sweet submissive who had entrusted herself into his care, that she was equally responsible for the protection of what belonged to him…and to Carl. It might have been accidental, but their trifecta was going to end up being the best gift Cameron Barnes had ever received.
Epilogue
Six Months Later…
Lara leaned against the fireplace mantle, surveying the room. The office Peter and Fischer Weston shared at Dark Desires had been completely transformed since the day her entire life had done a one-eighty six months ago. That day she’d been interviewed for a nanny position by her boss—a job she’d gotten, but never performed. Cameron and Cecelia Barnes insisted she had indeed lived up to her obligation, but that was just smoke and mirrors in Lara’s opinion. Good God Gertie, babysitting for a few hours on two different evenings so your boss could play at the club did not qualify you as a nanny. And those two evenings playing w
ith the cutest little girl Lara had ever seen certainly didn’t merit the ridiculous sum of money they’d paid her. But when Lara had started to protest, her former boss had threatened to inform her Masters she was being insolent and then sit back and enjoy watching her punishment. The rat bastard would have done it too. I don’t care how much everyone says he’s mellowed, I saw the old Master C—eyes flashing fire and pure male dominance.
She had finally relented, but she’d happily joined forces with Tobi and Gracie when they’d been tasked with organizing the Barnes and Phillips commitment ceremony. She couldn’t have asked for a more entertaining pair of co-conspirators, they’d made so many FaceTime calls Lara had to add time to her cell plan, but being able to torture Master C with trivial details had made the expense worth every cent.
Pulling back the heavy drapery covering the window that looked down into the club’s main room, she couldn’t hold back her smile. How Tobi and Gracie had managed to transform a room filled with BDSM equipment into what now resembled an English garden with a side of kink was a mystery for the ages. When she felt a strong arm encircle her waist she squeaked in surprise, she knew in an instant it was Peter. Even though he claimed to have spent most of his time as a SEAL supplying the teams with information, she wasn’t buying it—the man moved like a ghost. Tobi and Gracie had laughed when Lara had complained about getting caught grumbling to herself behind his back. Both women had assured her it was just one of the curses of dealing with former operatives, and then proceeded to recount some of their own mistakes. Lara had ended up laughing so hard she’d been mopping tears from her eyes.