by Avery Gale
Lara’s eyes widened and he saw the blush move over her cheeks, but she reached up with trembling fingers and began slipping the small pearl buttons free from their moorings. God in heaven he was proud of her, “Such a good girl. So brave. And it really would be a pity to keep these lovely tits of yours hidden.” He knew she was still struggling with being naked in front of others, but this was a good opportunity for her to become a bit less self-conscious—not that they ever wanted her to be completely at ease being naked in public. After all, that would take away quite a bit of their fun.
The white cotton blouse of Lara’s costume only had three buttons, but she’d only managed to free two of them when her hands started shaking so badly Peter gently pushed her fingers to the side and helped her. She actually seemed somewhat relieved when Fischer pulled it over her shoulders and let it slide slowly down her arms. They’d chosen a set of nipple clamps that would hold the small bells attached to the chains, but they were mild enough Lara would be able to wear them for a much longer period of time than any they’d used before. Using the ice cube he’d taken from his water glass, it didn’t take Peter long at all to get her nipples tightly peaked for the clamps. “Those look beautiful, mi amõre. And I have to admit, I really love hearing the tinkling sounds the bells make. I’ll be looking forward to you moving around the room with their soft sounds filling the air.” He and Fischer settled her on the cushion before sharing their small dishes of shrimp cocktail with her. Peter had seen her sigh of relief when she knew she was below the other men’s line of sight and didn’t even try to hold back his smile. She was sure to feel better when she saw Tobi’s skirt was still tucked in exposing her bare ass to everyone’s view.
The chilled cucumber soup was served next and this time it was Gracie who was last because she’d walked the same direction as she had the first round instead of checking the list—which seemed odd for the normally detail-oriented woman. Peter watched as Micah unbuttoned her shirt, Gracie looked almost relieved. Jax laughed, “What’s the matter, cariňo?”
Micah leaned forward circling his tongue around her nipple and Peter heard her sharp hiss. While they’d been ransacking the club’s shops, Micah hadn’t wanted nipple clamps for tonight’s fun and games explaining Gracie’s pregnancy made her much too sensitive for anything but the lightest nipple play. Peter raised an eyebrow at Gracie in warning because he’d just heard her answer clearly, so he was anxious to see if she would tell the truth.
Taking a deep breath and averting her eyes, she whispered, “The shirt wasn’t big enough for me. It was painful, so I…well, I went the wrong way on purpose and hoped you’d tell me to take it off.” Peter saw both Jax and Micah stiffen and could hear their jumbled thoughts. They were torn between punishing her for topping from the bottom, lecturing her about the importance of voicing her discomfort, and bailing on dinner altogether to return to their bedroom and fucking her senseless.
Jax leaned over and spoke quietly to his curvy wife, “We’ll deal with the underlying issue later—count on that. But for now, I do believe I’d like to change up the order of the toys we’d planned to use.” Gracie’s eyes went wide as she realized the change probably wasn’t going to work out well for her. “I appreciate your honesty, although I have the idea Master Peter didn’t leave you with much choice in the matter.” The other Doms all chuckled as all three subs cringed. By the time Jax and Micah finished seating the butt plug, every Dom around the table was hard and the scent of their submissive’s arousal filled the air. Perhaps they’d been prematurely optimistic to think they could get through a seven-course meal.
Lara knew she should be looking down like a proper sub, damn it she’d been trained by some of the best Dominants in the country. But holy fucking hell there was no way she could pull her attention away from the scene playing out across the table. Since Masters Fischer and Peter hadn’t instructed her to kneel yet, she had a clear view of Gracie bent over the table, her swollen breasts pressing against the mahogany surface, her legs spread apart and her short skirt lifted to bare her curvy ass to the world. Gracie’s panted breaths and soft moans floated around the room as her Masters prepared her by rubbing lube into the tight muscles around her rear hole.
Tobi’s entire body was flushed with arousal and Lara was grateful to know she wasn’t the only one getting turned on just by watching. Shit, we still have five more courses to serve and the insides of my thighs are already slick. Yeah, there wasn’t going to be anything embarrassing about having evidence of how horny she was trailing down her inner thighs in rivulets—nope nothing embarrassing there. Lara had no idea how Gracie had managed to hold off her orgasm when she’d sounded so close, but her Masters were obviously very proud of her. Hope that gets her out of the punishment she probably had coming for topping from the bottom.
Even now, after her own Masters had her kneel between them, Lara saw Micah run his fingers down the side of Gracie’s flushed face as she settled between her men. “You know, baby, we weren’t going to use that until last. We knew it would make it more challenging for you to walk and didn’t want to put you at a disadvantage. But, it’s important that you tell us when something is physically uncomfortable for you, it’s very difficult for us to care for you without knowing how you are feeling.” Even though he hadn’t asked her a question, Lara saw Gracie nod her understanding. “We’re trained Doms and we do read body language better than most people, but there are only two Doms here who can actually hear what’s going on in a sub’s mind—and they can’t hear the one who belongs to them. If safe, sane, and consensual make up the foundation of our lifestyle, then communication is the bedrock that foundation is built on.”
Suddenly Lara knew she and Tobi had been allowed to watch the scene and Gracie’s aftercare because their own Doms had wanted them to benefit from the lesson as well. One of the things she loved about the lifestyle was how responsible the Doms felt for the submissive in their care. Hell, they might be demanding at times and over-the-top in their protectiveness of the women they considered theirs, but Lara had never met any group of men or women who nurtured like the Doms at Dark Desires and Prairie Winds. Now if I could just convince Peter and Fischer to keep me.
Chapter Ten
Fischer was finally starting to hear a word now and then as thoughts raced through Lara’s mind. Perhaps his grandmother had been right when she’d predicted he and Peter’s gifts would become more enhanced as their connection to Lara grew. Fischer hadn’t been convinced because, quite frankly, he’d been so totally blindsided by his inability to hear her. Sure, their granny had always teased them—saying they wouldn’t be able to hear “the one” but he’d never really given her taunting much credence. Over the years there had been very few people he hadn’t been able to read. As the most gifted of the three Weston brothers, he’d quickly learned anyone he struggled to read was deliberately blocking. And in his experience, the only people who could do that for any extended period of time were sociopaths, and he didn’t even want to hear what was going on in their minds.
Lara had been totally turned on watching Jax and Micah with Gracie, but something about the last thought that had run through her mind was what concerned him. He hadn’t gotten anything except a sudden rush of insecurity and feeling of loneliness that seemed to have come right out of left field. He pushed it aside for now, because the women were coming from the kitchen, their small serving trays held lettuce wedge salads. Each of them was going in the right direction and he wanted to grin at the determined look on Gracie’s face as she rushed around the table despite the large plug her Masters left in her ass, but it was Tobi’s thoughts that caught his attention.
Despite the fact Kyle and Kent had described Tobi as hyper-competitive, she also had a heart of pure gold. He knew the precise moment she realized she was going to win this round, then heard her lightning fast decision a split second before she tripped, nearly sending the plates sliding off her tray. The smiles on Kent’s and Kyle’s faces told Fischer both men knew e
xactly what their softhearted woman had done and he was sure they would make sure her thoughtfulness was well rewarded.
Tobi knew Lara would have been uncomfortable being the first one completely naked and it would have been particularly uncomfortable when Tobi hadn’t lost any pieces of her clothing yet. Despite the fact Fischer didn’t know Tobi as well as the other Doms at the table, his affection for her just grew exponentially.
‘I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen her do things like that. Tobi West may be a handful at times, but she is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. And right now every Dom at the table wants to pull her into their arms and hug her.’ Fischer didn’t doubt Peter’s words and smiled as Kent and Kyle gently peeled Tobi’s shirt from her. When Kent picked up the small, wireless bullet vibe from their basket and popped it into her mouth to warm it, Fischer knew he’d been right—Tobi was about to be rewarded for her sweet gesture.
The salad course took longer than expected because they were all riveted in their seats watching as Kyle and Kent teased Tobi before sending her over the edge. Now that she was leaning against Kyle’s leg trembling in the aftermath of a screaming orgasm, the rest of them returned their attention to their meal. When they finished, they all watched as Lara and Gracie walked behind Tobi on their way to the kitchen, they each put a hand on one of her shoulders stilling her attempt to stand. Lara served Kent his sorbet and Gracie served Kyle’s, then they each hurried to serve their own Masters. Their solidarity for their friend warmed his heart and he was grateful the two women had taken Lara into their small circle.
The second part of the fourth course’s service looked like the Chinese fire drills he and his brothers tortured their parents with at stop signs when they’d been kids, and damned if Fischer didn’t want to laugh out loud at their antics. Lara lost, but only by a fraction of a second and he couldn’t wait to watch her strip off her skirt.
Peter helped Lara settle between them on the cushion, admiring the way her bare breasts lifted with each breath she took. The clamps they’d chosen for her were fairly mild but he’d still heard her hiss of pain at the final turn of the small screw securing the two rings together. While he’d been prepping her and securing the clamps, Fischer had been sliding his fingers through the slick folds of her pussy lips. She didn’t know it, but his devious brother had coated his fingers with a stimulating gel, she was likely just now beginning to feel the tingling effects. The sensation would gradually increase in intensity over the next half hour. He was glad her eyes were fixed on the floor when she began fidgeting because hiding his smile was proving to be impossible.
‘You really are an evil bastard, you know that?’
‘What? I just wanted to add a new dimension to our sweet sub’s training. She’s had a pretty easy go of it so far this evening and it was time to shake her up a bit.’ Peter knew his brother had known Lara longer, but he wasn’t entirely convinced he knew her better—particularly when he glanced down and saw that she was swaying precariously and gasping for breath.
“Lara?” Peter hadn’t realized he had practically shouted her name until every other Dom in the room stood, their chairs scraping against the wood floor. He pulled her up by her shoulders and she was practically limp in his hold. What the hell? “What’s wrong? Tell me. Now!” Her entire chest was covered in dark red blotches. He was shocked to see her lips were swollen and she was now gasping for breath.
Turning to Kent, he barked, “Call Kirk or Brian.” And then to Kyle, “Call 911.” Tobi and Gracie both sprinted from the room, Peter knew they were getting dressed before strangers entered the suite and he wasn’t surprised to see Tobi rush back in with a shirt and shorts for Lara before running back down the hall.
He and Fischer had just gotten her into her clothing when Kyle let them know EMS was headed up and Kent shouted, “Kirk’s saying he suspects anaphylaxis, probably a reaction to the shrimp. EMS should have epinephrine with them and that should keep her from lapsing into anaphylactic shock.” Why on earth had she eaten something she knew she was allergic to? The thought had no sooner moved through his mind than he realized she might not have known about her allergy since there likely hadn’t been a lot of shrimp served in the dusty villages she’d been raised in.
The next few minutes were as close to chaos as Peter had ever seen outside of his military service, and it certainly wasn’t an experience he wanted to repeat. Once the paramedics administered the drug Lara’s symptoms began to subside almost immediately. But everyone agreed she should be transported to the hospital to be checked by a physician—well, everyone except their lovely patient, but she was quickly overruled. Even Tobi had leaned over her and shaken her finger saying, “Save it, sister, you’re going and that’s the end of it.”
Five hours later, Peter and Fischer were both ready to pull their hair out. The hospital’s emergency department had been indifferent at the least and their lack of interest had bordered on neglect. Kyle had forced Tobi to leave the nurses’ station twice when she’d been up in the nurse’s face demanding someone attend to Lara. By the end of the second hour, he and Kent had simply stood back and watched with amused expressions while Tobi declared she was calling in reinforcements and dialed Lilly West’s number.
Lara was fed up with sitting in the small curtained off room where she was supposed to be “under observation” despite the fact none of them had seen any of the hospital staff in almost two hours. The Charge Nurse was much more interested in managing the growing number of visitors in the waiting room than she seemed to be in her patient. And Peter suspected all hell was about to break loose because he and Jax had both called their fathers who were both members of the hospital’s Board of Trustees, and God only knew who Lilly West had called.
Lara paced the length of the gurney where she was supposed to be resting and set what she was sure was a record for creative cursing. After the first swat she’d gotten from Fischer, she’d switched to a mixture of tribal dialects—ha, let him figure that shit out! Fischer had just shaken his head and laughed, but he hadn’t complained about her language after that. “Cupcake, you are going to wear yourself out. Please, at least sit down before Nurse Ratchet comes back in? She will probably be getting at least one phone call about how things are going and I doubt she will be particularly happy about it.” Lara had barely had time to register what he’d said when the woman stormed into the area slapping a clipboard on top of the gurney so hard the entire thing slid sideways despite the fact the wheels were locked.
Peter and Fischer moved so quickly they were literally a blur around the gurney before blocking her from the nurse’s view. “What on earth is the matter with you two? I’m not going to hurt her. You both need to move out of here and let us do our job.” The disdain in her voice made Lara want to slap her silly, but trying to push her way between Peter and Fischer was an exercise in futility.
“You haven’t made the slightest attempt to do your job since we arrived so I can’t fathom why we should expect anything different from you now. And you’d be well advised to stem the aggressive movements toward our woman, because I’m warning you now—it won’t work out well for you.” Peter nearly growled at the woman before picking up the clipboard and looking over the paperwork she’d brought along. Lara had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at the woman’s shocked expression. Yeah, that’s right. They are both with me. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, bitch. Lara felt as if her brain had just stuttered—holy hell, she was turning into Tobi. And Fischer’s snort of laughter let her know he was indeed beginning to hear her. Craptastic.
When the nurse stuck her nose in the air and stormed out of the small enclosure muttering something along the lines of ‘well, I never’ Lara was barely able to hold back her laughter. Between Lara’s realization that her friends were having a definite influence on her and the older woman’s shocked expression, she was biting the inside of her lip to keep from bursting out in giggles. But she lost the battle when Fischer grinned and leaned close to wh
isper, “I have no doubt she has never—who would want to get that close to her? And it’s not about her appearance because quite frankly that doesn’t mean jack—but her wounded water buffalo attitude is hideous.”
By the time the paperwork was completed and they’d made their way out of the hospital, Lara was too tired to even think about returning to the Wests’ hotel suite. “Do you think we could just go on back to the penthouse? I’m sorry I ruined the evening, but I had no idea eating the shrimp would be so dangerous. The last time I had some my cheeks turned bright red, but that was the only reaction I had.” The doctor had explained how reactions to food allergies often get exponentially worse with repeated exposure and cautioned her against eating any kind of shellfish in the future.
Peter reached over, taking her hand in his own, “We know you are tired and we’re taking you back home. We’ll order in something to eat and then get you settled in bed, mi amõre.”
Fischer leaned over close and whispered, “There likely isn’t any dinner left at the suite anyway, since several of the Wests’ team went back there a couple of hours ago.”
Peter laughed, “And isn’t that the truth. Those guys would have made short work of the abandoned food, considering it fair game.” They all three laughed because they knew Tobi had sent them back and told them to “take care of things” and no one had any doubt about how the men interpreted that.
Fischer made the call to order their replacement dinner and Peter called to check how things were going at Dark Desires while Lara closed her eyes hoping to rest during the short drive. It seemed like she’d just let her eyes slide closed when she felt herself being lifted into Fischer’s arms. She didn’t protest, but snuggled closer and enjoyed the feeling of floating until she felt his arms stiffen beneath her. “Take her back downstairs until we know what it is and who brought it.” She heard Peter’s words but didn’t have time to see what he was talking about before the doors closed on the elevator whisking them back down to the lobby.