by Avery Gale
This time it was Lara who shivered just before strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Peter’s lips pressed just below her ear before he mused, “Tobi is fine, don’t worry. This is a game they play often, they all three love the challenge and I assure you they keep very close tabs on their mother as do their fathers. Lilly and Tobi are a lot alike in that regard—it takes a village to keep them in line.” Lara felt herself relax and watched as Tobi seemed to consider her options.
Finally, heaving a big sigh before batting her lashes up at Kyle, Tobi seemed to concede defeat, “Okay, I guess I can’t keep a secret. But pickle pucker this morning was the most fun I’ve had in ages and I couldn’t wait to share with my besties.”
When Tobi fluttered her lashes at Kyle again, Lara heard his frustrated growl, “It’s a good thing I adore you more than life itself, because you are absolutely incorrigible. Now let’s go find an empty St. Andrew’s Cross, maybe between us, my brother and I can flog the information about our mother out of you.” Tobi squeaked when Kyle leaned forward and picked her up over his shoulder. The move flipped her short skirt up baring her ass to the room and when she squirmed he gave her a solid swat, “Quiet, wench, or I’ll set you back down and strip you before escorting you all over the club while Master Kent and I decide on the perfect location for our scene.”
Watching the three of them walk away, Lara found herself hoping she’d find what Tobi and Gracie had with their men—she wanted it to be with Fischer and Peter, but she wasn’t about to jinx it by assuming things would work out for the three of them. Her family had put her in a such a tenuous position everyone around her felt obligated to help her, and while she appreciated it—their relationship didn’t feel real to her. Looking over at Gracie, Lara couldn’t hold back her smile seeing the way Jax and Micah watched her so closely. Gracie might grumble about them “hovering” but it was easy to see how she practically glowed in their presence.
Gracie managed to maneuver herself until the two of them were standing together in a small corner near the bar, “You can have it too you know?” Lara knew she’d been lost in her own thoughts, and now she was scrambling to figure out what she’d missed. Gracie laughed, “Lordy, I do so love that panicky look on your face when you’re trying desperately to figure out some comment Tobi or I have picked up out in left field.” Lara wanted to laugh at Gracie’s strange take on American expressions, but she let it go. “I meant you could have what Tobi and I have with our men. Peter and Fischer look at you the same way our husbands look at us, except maybe there is more longing there because they don’t know if you’re on board with the idea or not.” When Gracie turned toward her, Lara saw a new side of her friend, “Don’t lead them on if you aren’t serious, because they’re in love with you and it’s already going to be hard enough for them to let you go—don’t keep them on the string if you aren’t in it for the long haul.”
Lara gasped in surprise, not only was she shocked Gracie thought she’d do something so callous. But more importantly, the Central American beauty she considered a friend was usually quite perceptive, so it staggered Lara’s imagination how Gracie had gotten the situation so misconstrued. “I think you might have things a bit confused, Gracie. And while I’m grateful you think I’m worthy of them, I think you should know it’s not me who is holding back.”
Gracie met her gaze head on and shook her head, “But it is. Don’t you see? They are just waiting for you to be ready to accept what they have to offer. It’s all in your hands—the submissive always has the ultimate power in any D/s relationship. Peter and Fischer Weston are Dominants, there is no doubt about that—none! But they are also honorable and believe in the guiding tenants of our lifestyle. Safe, sane, and consensual will override their personal desires. And with all the challenges you’re facing they don’t want you to make a decision you might later regret.”
“How do you know this?” Lara hadn’t intended the question to sound as sharp as it had come out, and she smiled hoping to soften the sting she saw when Gracie arched a dark brow in question. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to seem rude, but I really am interested in where this is coming from. They’ve told me that we’ll discuss it later and that they want me, but to be honest there wasn’t much conviction in it.” Try as she might, Lara wasn’t able to keep tears from filling her eyes and found herself blinking quickly to keep them from spilling over.
Everything about Gracie’s demeanor softened as she reached forward and pulled Lara into a hug, “Oh, honey, they are holding back because that’s what they think you need. I think you are stuck in that frog pond thing and they are trying to make sure you don’t do anything while you’re so stressed out.” Frog pond? I really need Tobi here to interpret for me. Lara fought the nervous giggle she felt bubbling up because the one truth of the entire mess was the fact that her life was indeed becoming almost unrecognizable. And looking back she could see it all started when Simon Ericson sat down at her table. Even though she felt foolish for falling for the line he’d fed her, she couldn’t manage any real anger because he’d been doing his job and there was still a small part of her that thought he had actually liked her.
Jax McDonald’s deep voice came from behind Gracie and Lara couldn’t help but return his smile, “Cariño, I believe your frog pond reference might be confusing Lara a bit. Perhaps you are referring to the frog in a pot of water that slowly comes to a boil? The fact the frog doesn’t realize he’s in trouble until it is too late?”
“Oh. Well, close enough.” Gracie gave a dismissive wave of her hand and Lara found herself laughing out loud. She’d learned early in their friendship that even though Gracie’s English was excellent, the intricacies of culture were often difficult for her to navigate. And the fact she was so blasé about it made it all the more amusing in Lara’s view.
The six of them moved to a small sitting area so they could watch the Wests scene. Jax and Micah settled Gracie between them on the loveseat, but not before she’d gotten a couple of swats for trying to kneel in front of them. Lara had covered her snort of laughter at Gracie’s grumbling with a cough and avoided her own punishment even though neither of her Masters hadn’t looked convinced by the innocent look she’d given them.
Before she knelt between their two chairs, Peter turned her so she was facing him while Fischer placed a large pillow on the wooden floor between them. Pulling her close, Peter tapped the inside of her thigh and Lara immediately obeyed the unspoken order to widen her stance. “Good girl. Now, let’s see if we can’t set the mood for what you’re about to see.” Lara felt the brush of Fischer’s fingers at the back of her neck and before she realized what he’d done, the sides of the halter-top she wore fell to her waist. Anticipating her reaction, Peter had encircled her wrists and held her arms at her sides.
“Leave your arms down, precious girl. We want to enjoy the view and show you off a bit in the process.” Turning to where Jax and Micah sat with Gracie, Peter’s voice was already becoming rough with lust, “Beautiful, isn’t she? Such amazing breasts, soft pink nipples that turn the most incredible shade of rose after she comes.”
In her peripheral vision, Lara saw Micah nod as he answered, “She is beautiful, and I do believe you two will be able to cure her of that little shyness problem that seems to be an issue. Let’s see if we can’t help.” Looking down at Gracie, he gave her a grin that was almost predatory. “Lose that pretty top, baby. I do believe your other Master has a couple of pretty clamps in his pocket and I’m anxious to see how they look framing your pretty nipples.”
Lara felt her own nipples draw up tighter as Gracie pushed open the buttons at the front of her shit without even hesitating. She saw Gracie’s head tip back and heard her groan of pleasure when her Master grasped the tip and squeezed. When Peter’s mouth closed over her peaked nipple, Lara felt her head fall back just as Gracie’s had as she lost herself in the sensation. When her legs started to shake and her knees almost folded out from under her, Lara felt the vibration of Peter’s
chuckle before his diabolical fingers pinched her other nipple, rolling it tightly between the pads of his fingers. He leaned back just enough that his words sent a wash of warm air over the wet peak causing it to draw up so tightly she swayed on her feet, “That’s it, let us take you there, mi amõre.” Before Peter even finished speaking Fischer had slipped the clamp on to her nipple and quickly tightened it just enough that she’d whimpered at the sharp pinch. The second clamp was in place before Lara even realized they’d moved and her mind hadn’t even registered the fact she’d closed her eyes until she heard Peter’s command to look at him.
She was already feeling dazed from the flood of all those happy little hormones racing through her blood, but the look of raw desire in Peter Weston’s eyes pulled her so close to the edge that for a few seconds, she worried she might actually come from his look alone. Fischer whispered over her shoulder, “Bend over and spread your legs a bit more.” She didn’t mean to hesitate, but it took his words a couple of seconds to register and she heard him growl behind her, “Your hesitation just cost you your skirt, cupcake.”
Lara’s mind was swinging like a pendulum between embarrassment and need, but she responded to the sound of her skirt being ripped from her body and immediately slid her feet apart and bent over. The move put her nose to nose with Peter who gave her a look so hungry she had to blink to be sure it was real. Fischer’s hand pressed at the small of her back and Lara instinctively arched into his touch, causing her bare ass to thrust out, which then she felt a cool wash of air move over the slick folds of her pussy.
“Jesus, Joseph, and sweet mother Mary, you are so fucking gorgeous, baby.” She didn’t have any time to respond before Peter pulled her forward the last inch and pressed his lips against hers. The kiss started out tender but quickly escalated as his hand cupped the back of her head, his fingers threading through her hair to tilt her face to the side to deepen the kiss. Peter’s tongue danced along her bottom lip and then, just as he plunged forward, Fischer pressed something round deep into her slick channel.
The only thing Lara could liken the moment to was the overwhelming feeling of sensory overload she’d had the first time her grandparents had taken her to the symphony. She’d felt the vibration of the kettle drums all the way to the souls of her feet, the trill of the woodwinds had sent goose bumps up and down her young arms, and the string section reminded her of rolling ocean waves.
Lara remembered how she had been completely bowled over trying to separate all the different instruments until she’d finally just let go and enjoyed the totality of the moment—she tried to let that same sense of surrender move through her again. The small stones dangling from the nipple clamps she wore swung back and forth adding a new layer of intensity to the pinch while Peter’s tongue was plundering her mouth in a kiss so scorching she felt the fire all the way down her spine, and knowing Fischer had likely just inserted a vibrating egg into her core was the icing on the cake.
Feeling the first tremors of release starting to build she fought against it and knew she was losing the battle, but Fischer’s sharp slap to her ass brought her back from the edge. Peter let her pull back from the kiss, just enough that he could press his forehead against her. “You need to make a decision, Lara, and here are your choices. One, Fischer removes his belt and lays three stripes over your sweet ass right here in front of everybody so that as you kneel and watch the Wests’ scene you’ll be continually reminded of how you allowed fear to overcome your desire. Or choice two, you agree that you belong to us and that even though we have a few details to work out, you are agreeing to wear the collar I have in my pocket for you.”
Fischer knelt to her side, his tongue circled the outer shell of her ear before he spoke, “This collar is simple, but it’s still an outward symbol of an internal commitment made by all three of us, baby. We’ve been working with a designer on your permanent collar, but it isn’t quite finished yet.” Lara’s mind was spinning as she tried to take it all in, but one thing stood out from all the confusion—she wanted them with every fiber of her being, and she wanted to belong to them forever.
Without hesitation she simply said, “Two.” Lara was sure she hadn’t even gotten the word all the way out before the entire room burst into applause. No sooner had she blinked than she found herself kneeling on the stage where the Wests had been just moments before. When everything finally came into focus, Lara realized she knelt on a large deep purple cushion and there were buckets of beautiful flowers surrounding them. Tobi and Gracie were standing at the edge of the stage and both women gave her a thumb’s up before their Doms’ glares had them lowering their hands.
Still trying to get her mind wrapped around everything that had happened in the last few minutes, the only thing that remained clear was that she’d made the right choice. She hadn’t let her fear override her bone deep desire to reach out and grasp what she wanted. Gracie’s little pep talk had done exactly what her sneaky friend had intended it to—it had make Lara realize how simple it was if she’d just open her mind up to the possibility that not all men walked away at the drop of a hat.
It saddened her to think she’d let the actions of one man have such a huge negative influence. She’d never experienced heartbreak before Simon Ericson walked away without ever looking back. Well, this time it was her turn to walk away from him—or at least from the damage he’d done to her heart. And the simple truth was, she’d probably used the experience to hide from her feelings because he really had been as honest with her as he could. Sighing to herself, she let all the sadness and fear melt away when she looked down at the gold chain coiled in Peter’s upturned palm. She couldn’t hold back her smile when she saw the small charm that would lay atop the hollow at the base of her throat. The small golden cupcake was engraved with the words ‘Mi Amõre’, Lara was overwhelmed with emotion and felt the first tears slide down her cheeks. The fact they’d combined their pet names for her as a reminder she belonged to them, touched her more than she would ever be able to explain.
She watched as Peter turned the charm over to reveal a small hole in the back. “The key goes here. Fischer and I each have one, and we’ll wear them around our neck on a chain that matches yours so there is a piece of your collar over our hearts at all times. When your permanent collar is ready, we’ll schedule a formal ceremony and replace this set with the one we plan to wear for the rest of our lives.”
Lara was barely able to hold back her sob, but the fresh rush of tears gave away her emotion. Fischer reached forward and brushed the tears away, “I sure hope those are happy tears, baby.” When she simply nodded, he smiled, “Good to know.” And then looking at his brother, he added, “Let’s collar our sweet sub so we can suffer through a few toasts before getting the hell out of here, because I for one can’t hardly wait to fuck our sweet sub.”
The soft snick of the lock closing was the sweetest sound Lara had ever heard and she had about two seconds to enjoy it before Tobi’s and Gracie’s voices filled the air. She’d barely even gotten to kiss her Masters before her two friends wrapped her in a short robe made of fabric so sheer she wasn’t sure why they’d bothered. The next half hour was filled with congratulations and so many toasts Lara was grateful she’d followed Tobi’s advice and opted for ginger ale.
Peter or Fischer kept a hand on her at all times and Lara was surprised at how much comfort she found in their touch. For the first time, she realized how much more emotionally settled she felt when they were physically close, as if something in them settled the storms that often churned in her mind. Those storms had been why she’d gotten several undergraduate degrees without ever moving on to advanced placement programs even when she’d wanted to. Even her former boss, Cameron Barnes, had spoken to her about it when he hired her as a nanny for his daughter—a job she’d been paid for, but never gotten to do before he moved his family to the Caribbean. He’d reviewed her employment file and challenged her lack of focus and direction. Lara had always sensed the restlessness in he
rself, but she’d never been able to find a solution—until now.
Chapter Eighteen
Four Months Later
Peter listened as Eric Roberts spoke to the members of the Prairie Winds team gathered in one of the smaller conference rooms of Houston’s FBI headquarters. The building was large enough to allow team members to enter from several different directions, which helped disguise the fact they were meeting on-site. Anytime members of a team that was supposed to be covert gathered in one place the threat of exposure became an issue, so using different entrances and staggering their arrivals was a necessary inconvenience. Kyle West had told him on the way downtown the powers-that-be had been less than thrilled to host the CIA’s tête à tête. They’d finally relented in light of the fact there were rumors floating around that Lara was being watched, and being John Hunt’s granddaughter had no doubt provided them with an added incentive. Kyle had laughed as he’d recounted how the local feds had changed their tune when the oilman’s name came up in the discussion.
The past four months had been filled with a lot of changes at Dark Desires, keeping everyone distracted enough to push the concerns about Lara’s parents onto the back burner. Yesterday’s phone call setting up today’s meeting had definitely unsettled Lara and Peter hated seeing the peace she’d finally found in the past few weeks fade so quickly from her pretty blue eyes. She’d been invited to today’s meeting but had opted to spend the morning riding with her grandfather instead. He wasn’t sure if she was avoiding the man she’d known as Simon Ericson or bad news, but he and Fischer had agreed she shouldn’t have to attend the meeting if it made her uncomfortable to do so.
Neither he nor Fischer had been particularly thrilled with the prospect of Lara being near Roberts either, but their reservations were far different from hers. He and Fischer had both heard the man’s silent, but heartfelt regrets. And they both knew better to tempt fate by giving him a second chance. No—he’d fucked up his chance and she’d paid a hefty price for his lack of consideration so Special Agent Roberts wasn’t going to get another opportunity to hurt her.