by Avery Gale
Major Merrett tapped out a quick message to the Warden, letting him know he’d be gone for a few days on personal business. His boss responded immediately, assuring Merrett he’d cover his ass with H.R. That suited the shit out of Dick since his bitch ex was the Director of Human Resources. She’d have made him fill out a mountain of paperwork and asked him a hundred and one fucking questions—none of which he wanted to answer.
Driving home, he rolled down the windows of his truck to enjoy the cooler temperatures. Late fall in Texas probably meant it would be colder than a witch’s tit in Montana. He’d need to pack some warm clothes—but nothing too bulky. After all, he had a sub to fuck. None of the submissives he’d scened with at his club in Dallas had been able to take his mind off Reagan. He’d known she was a sub the first time he’d met her, but she’d turned him down at every turn. Yea, that shit was about to come to a screeching halt.
Chapter Thirteen
Rafe paced in front of the wall of windows in his office. He’d had the floor to ceiling windows installed before he’d even moved in. The house was nice, but the one he planned to build would be show-stopping. Shaking his head and trying to push those reflections aside, he thought about the woman he’d left sleeping in his bed an hour ago. He’d slept through the night for the first time in years. It had been easy to tell how uneasy she was at first, but she’d relaxed into his embrace within minutes. Once she’d fallen asleep, she’d wiggled and squirmed until she was facing him, her entire body plastered against his.
Reagan Walsh was temptation personified. Her long chestnut colored hair flowed over his hands, and he’d threaded his fingers in the silky strands, ensuring she didn’t move from his side without him knowing. She’d tucked her head under his chin so that her full breasts pressed against his abdomen, each breath she took intensifying the contact. Christ in heaven, Rafe had nearly come undone when she’d shifted against him, pushing her peaked nipples against him time and again. He’d recognized the rhythmic thrusts as an erotic dream immediately, but when she’d cried out his name, he’d fought the urge to roll her over and bury himself balls deep in her hot little pussy.
After watching her for weeks at the club, Rafe had been stunned when another Dom remarked that Reagan was the least submissive waitress he’d ever seen working in a kink club. Rafe disagreed, but he hadn’t responded—there wasn’t any reason to tell the other man what he saw. Why give the competition a heads-up? Van Gibbs might be one of the club’s Dungeon Monitors, but he was also a Master looking for a sub of his own.
Rafe was more pleased than he probably should be about last night’s development. He’d suspected Reagan would submit to him because the desire always burned in her eyes. Her facial expressions softened any time he spoke to her, and he loved watching her pupils chase the chocolate brown of her eyes into narrow rings as they dilated with unspoken need. Hearing her whisper his name as she pressed her naked flesh against his had sealed her fate—even if she didn’t know it yet.
He wondered if she would be disappointed to learn he had to return to San Francisco in a couple of hours. The call he’d gotten a few minutes ago from a friend he’d known since his undergraduate days had changed his plans. “You look deep in thought. Is it all right if I come in?” Reagan’s quiet voice startled him, and he turned to see her standing in the open doorway. She’d put on the button-down shirt he’d been wearing yesterday, but she hadn’t bothered to button it.
He didn’t answer, just held out his hand to her. Without hesitation, she walked toward him, her bare feet completely silent as she crossed the carpeted room.
“You look beautiful, Peach. All sleep tousled and flushed with awareness and arousal. I’m glad you didn’t button the shirt.”
“I didn’t know if I was supposed to dress. But when I came down the stairs, I thought I heard you talking to someone, so I wasn’t sure you were alone.” The worry in her voice made him feel like a heel. He should have gone up to check on her earlier.
“Since we haven’t had a chance to go over our expectations yet, I’m counting this as a pleasant surprise.” And he was, but it was also making it damned hard to tell her he had to leave. Taking her hand, he led her behind his desk. He sat in the large leather office chair and pulled her on to his lap. “I got a call from an old friend. His daughter was in an accident early this morning. She’s sixteen and currently in surgery getting her leg pieced back together.”
“Oh heavens. You have to go, don’t you? I hope my oversleeping didn’t delay you. Shoot, I hope she’ll be okay.” Such a soft heart. He hadn’t even gotten a chance to tell her he felt bad about returning so much earlier than they’d planned. Reagan tried to stand, but he pulled her back down.
“Stay where I put you, Peach. You’re not ready for the paddling you’d ordinarily get for that stunt.” She went completely still, but he could feel the heat of her pussy against his denim clad thighs. Tapping the inside of her bare leg with his fingers. “Open for me. We’ll use the same rules about being open to my touch no matter where we are.”
“But, but I can’t always have my pink bits exposed to the breeze. Holy shit, the local church guild will string me up. They won’t care how many goodies I buy at their bake sales.”
Rafe finally put his fingers over her lips to stem the torrent of words he was sure would continue flowing over them. Shaking his head, he chuckled before giving her a quick kiss. “Remember, you’ve given me dominion over those lovely pink bits, not the local bake sale brigade. It’s my job to worry about when and where the fragrant rose petals of your sex are displayed.” Reagan flushed the brightest scarlet he’d ever seen on a brunette, making him laugh, and he brushed the backs of his fingers over the heated flesh.
“Your safety and well-being are my number one priority, Peach. That’s one of the reasons I hate the fact I have to leave so soon. Landon is going to drive me to the airport, so you’ll have access to the SUV, but remember, you aren’t allowed to drive until Ryan or Tally gives you the all clear. He’ll be coming down in a couple of days to see you if she doesn’t sign off before then.” Rafe had spent the better part of two hours making calls, setting things in motion to move appointments in his clinic so he could return to Montana sooner and making sure Reagan would have plenty of people to rely on until she could drive. Tally had promised to check on her, as her friend and as a physician. Considering how tight their circle of friends at the club was, he wondered now if she’d get any rest.
“I’ve programmed Phoenix Morgan’s phone number into your phone. Let him know if you leave the house. He’ll also expect you to notify him anytime you open one of the doors. He’s going to manage the security system from his end until we can get your biometrics entered into the system. I’d planned to drive you up there before I had to leave, but this will have to do in the interim.”
“Oh wow. What happens if I forget? I don’t want to cause him any trouble…or get myself into trouble.”
Rafe was sure she hadn’t intended to say the last part aloud, and he decided to let it go. “Reagan, I assure you, Phoenix is not going to be angry if you make a mistake. He runs a very successful security company, among other things. He knows how easy it is to forget to make the calls. If you don’t call and he knows a door has been opened, he’s going to call you.” She sagged with relief and nodded. “Now, that being said…not answering your phone when he calls is going to bring the Calvary, so keep that in mind.”
“Oh, brother.”
An hour later, Rafe was packed and ready to walk out the door. Pulling Reagan into his arms, he sighed, “Baby, this is not how I saw the next few days playing out. I’m sorry.”
“Well, if I hadn’t gotten sliced and diced, we’d have had all the days I spent in the hospital. So there are two ways to view it.” Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears, and he pulled her closer, pressing her against his chest.
“I’ve got to go. My ride is here, and I’ve scheduled things too tight to start out behind. Lock up behind me and keep y
our phone charged and on you at all times. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t forget your meds, and you need to rest. I left you a meal in the microwave; make sure you eat it.” He’d also left a note with her lunch and hoped it would give her something else to think about until one of their friends stopped by.
One scorching kiss later, he was on the other side of the door. He heard her engage the locks, but he also heard a soft sob. Walking away was one of the hardest things he’d ever done. How the hell did the men and women of the Prairie Winds Team do it? How did they leave their loved ones not knowing if they’d ever see them again? It also gave him a renewed appreciation for the men and women of the armed forces. He was only going to be gone for a few days, and it was killing him. Suck it up, man. She isn’t even yours…yet.
“Sure, she is. But I’ll let the two of you figure that out. Talking to yourself is one of the first signs you’ve fallen, by the way.” Landon slapped him on the back and then climbed into this oversized truck. “Come on, let’s go. I’ve got a naked woman to get home to, and you need to go do your hero plastic surgeon thing.”
Great. Just fucking great. Landon was going home to his naked sub and Rafe was headed to an operating room where he would try to give a young woman her career back.
Reagan watched Landon Nixon’s truck disappear down the deserted street and turned back to the empty room. Wiping away her tears, she pulled in a deep breath. “Boy, this place seems a lot bigger now.” She wasn’t hungry, but Rafe had made such a point of telling her to eat she made her way to the kitchen.
“This kitchen is unbelievable. I swear he could host one of those Food Network shows in here.” She saw a folded piece of paper with her name on it lying in the center of the breakfast bar, but before she could pick it up, her phone rang. The jarring noise in the quiet room startled her, and she dropped the phone, sending it skittering across the floor. “Dammit, I’m a fucking klutz.”
When she finally wrapped her fingers around the slippery device, Reagan saw Phoenix Morgan’s name on the caller ID. Answering, she could hear him chuckling. “Sweetie, you’re going to give Calamity a run for her money, aren’t you?”
“Pardon? Who’s Calamity?”
“Kip’s wife, Caila. Calamity is a nickname we tagged her with when she was a little girl. She’s gotten better since she and Kip got married, but she is still an accident looking to happen when she gets flustered or she’s distracted.”
“Well, you just described me to perfectly…dammit.”
“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. And I didn’t call to gossip about my family.”
“Okay. Then to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?” Holy crap, this conversation just keeps getting weirder by the minute.
“I wanted you to know I’ve turned on the inside cameras at Rafe’s house as an added safety precaution for you.” Well, that explains why he compared me to his klutzy sister-in-law. Her eyes darted around the room, but she didn’t see any cameras. “Sweetie, you aren’t going to see them. That’s the point of having a security system. With Rafe out of town so much, we want to catch the bad guys. And we don’t want them to know we’re coming.”
She had to admit what he said made sense. But it gave her the creeps to think about being watched 24/7. “Are there cameras in every room?”
“Yes. But I have not turned on the ones in the master bath. I am leaving those in the bedroom on simply because I want to know you are safe. I wanted you to know so you can have privacy and dress in the bathroom.” Why would he think I might not be safe? “Listen, I can see that you’re confused, but I’d appreciate it if you would humor me. I just spoke with Rafe a few minutes ago, and he asked me to turn the cameras on. He’s not going to be able to call you for a few hours, but I promise he’s got your best interests at heart.”
“Ummm, okay. But I have to admit, I’m starting to worry.”
“It’s just a precaution. With Rafe leaving you sooner than he’d planned and your recent job change, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving you alone in unfamiliar surroundings.” Reagan might not be one of the all-knowing, all-seeing Doms from the Mountain Mastery Club, but she was no longer the naïve woman who’d thought she could save the world by volunteering at the prison, either. She recognized a snow-job when she heard one, and Phoenix Morgan had just sent a blizzard her way. Something was going on…she was sure of it; she just didn’t know what.
Reagan had experienced this same underlying suspicion at the prison…she’d compared it to feeling as if she’d walked into the room during the middle of someone’s story. Never being treated like one of the group. She’d been right, too. Once she turned down the advances of the newly divorced Major, she’d been shunned by her coworkers to the point she’d already contacted the volunteer organizer and given her notice. It was one thing to suck it up and ride out the tough times, but another matter entirely to stay where she no longer felt safe.
“What are you thinking, Reagan? Christ, you just went white as a fucking sheet.” His voice startled her back to the moment, and she wondered how long she’d been lost in thought. “Reagan, if you don’t start talking, I’m going to have people at the door in under five minutes. And I promise you, the people I send won’t leave until they are convinced you’re all right.”
It might have been an exaggerated threat, but she didn’t think so. Reagan had heard a lot about Phoenix Morgan, and the one thing everyone mentioned was his focus and attention to detail. Fooling a Dom who’s also a fucking Mensa isn’t something I’m up to. The room started to spin just as Phoenix’s voice boomed all around her. “Sit down. NOW!” Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized the sound hadn’t come from her phone because it wasn’t in her hand. Speakers? There are speakers, too? It’s just like being back in the facility. Eyes and ears everywhere. But will they help or hinder?
Reagan perched on one of the bar stools. When she tried to put her head between her knees, she almost took a header off the damned thing. “Christ. What’s taking them so long?” Just as Phoenix stopped speaking, she heard what sounded like squealing tires. Seconds later, the locks disengaged, and the door flew open. She was surrounded by people, but the voices began to blend together until she was back in the prison infirmary, surrounded by staff who’d ignored her cries for help. They’d only come to her rescue when several inmates she’d work with threatened to storm the small clinic themselves.
The noise in her head drowned out everything around her, and all Reagan wanted to do was make the cuts stop bleeding. There was so much blood. It flowed through her fingers even though she pressed them against her ribs until they ached. Why isn’t anyone worried about all the blood? There’s so much blood. It’s everywhere, and they act like they can’t even see it.
Taz was the first one through the door and almost stumbled when he hit the wall of emotion surrounding Reagan. She was having a flashback, and the terror was agonizing. Fuck, even he was fighting to remember it wasn’t real. As an empath, Taz often dealt with strong emotions surrounding him. He could feel the emotions of most people if he allowed it, and he could actually hear the thoughts of an increasing number of people as his gift became more refined. But he’d never tried to reach out to anyone but his brother and wife.
Reagan, stop. There isn’t any blood, sweetie. You’re lost in a bad memory. Come back and let Tally check you over. He didn’t get anything back but wild panic, so he tried again. Your Master sent us to help you, Reagan. You told him you want to learn about the lifestyle. That means you listen to us when he’s gone. Now look at me and only at me.
He’d felt the connection even before her eyes locked on his. Their souls connected for a split second, but it had been long enough for her to recognize him. Taz and Nate’s grandmother was renowned healer, and she’d often described the moment when two souls touched one another. She’d insisted it could happen outside of love. Until that moment, Taz hadn’t believed it was possible, but he recognized it the instant it happened.
Master T
az? How? Why are you here? Who are these people? Where is Rafe? He’d be able to see the blood, but he’s not here. I’m really confused. The voice said sit down, and I did. But, but that wasn’t good. I was too high. Why are the chairs so high? And no one is wearing uniforms now.
Taz could tell she was coming back, and he wanted to make the transition as easy as possible. He’d seen soldiers go from one flashback to the next if their minds weren’t allowed to work at their own pace. She blinked her eyes trying to bring her surroundings into focus and blushed a brilliant shade of crimson Rafe would probably enjoy seeing as often as possible. Taz was standing to the side, but used his fingers to bring her attention to him. “Welcome back, sweetness. Have you had flashbacks before?”
“No. I had nightmares for a while, but even those faded quickly.”
“Any idea what triggered it? What’s the last thing you remember?” Taz listened as her mind flipped back though the pictures in her memory, recalling every detail of the time since Rafe left. He smiled when she zeroed in on the moment things changed.
“It isn’t the security system really…and not that Phoenix can see and hear me. It’s just that…well, I entrusted my safety to people monitoring cameras once. And as you know, it didn’t end well.”
He chuckled and nodded. “I’d say that’s a fair statement. Now, let’s get you settled in the living room so Tally can fuss over you for a few minutes before Koi whisks her away.” Taz hadn’t been surprised to see his brother-in-law and Tally drive in together. They were spending one on one time outside the club to find out if he was a good fit as their third. Taz didn’t doubt the man would be able to hold his own during a scene. He’d known Koi for several years and had watched him scene with subs. SEALs in the lifestyle were a relatively small group and were well known to one another.