Chase noticed her watching him and his cheeks flushed, pinkening under her rapt gaze. There was a momentary panic that entered his onyx eyes, then he blinked and grinned, wiggling his dark slash of eyebrows at her. "So gorgeous, ready to get the day started, or shall we have round two?"
Kara let it go, for now. It was clear he didn't want to say anything, but eventually she would discuss it with him. But not now, she didn't want to press him with Zeke within hearing distance. The first chance they were truly alone, she would ask him. Her stomach took that moment to remind her that most people needed sustenance and she'd only nibbled on her dinner last night, too nervous about meeting them at the elevator. At the rumbled growling coming from her belly, Chase sighed dramatically. "Door number one it is, we can't have our sub wasting away now, can we?"
"No, you can't. But maybe we can have a quickie round two in the shower. It will conserve water if we share, anyway."
"I knew there was a reason we picked you." Chase tugged her from the rumpled bed, laughing. He towed her behind him, their footsteps in a playful hurry to join their lover.
Zeke was already in the shower when they reached the bathroom. Without thought, they opened the door and joined him, where the two men proceeded to show her just how clean a body could get.
An hour later, Kara and Chase stood with their presentation while Zoey and Declan sat in the music conservatory. Zeke was in his arena, the kitchen, whipping up samples that the bride and groom would taste in a while in order to nail down the menu they would prefer. Kara's digital projector illuminated a potential image on the wall. This was an over the top number that looked as though the snow queen had done the decorating.
"I really like simple and elegant, so less flash, more substance," Zoey said with a hint of concern.
"What about something like this," Kara murmured. It was always interesting to her just how much a bride's true personality could come out while planning a wedding. Typically, the style and theme reflected the bride's personal tastes. If they chose gaudy and flashy, the bride was usually more of a diva. Kara was so grateful that Zoey was anything but a diva.
She appeared to be more the Kathryn Hepburn type, graceful and classy, preferring elegance over flash. Kara changed the slides. The latest image was all graceful; feminine lines with bolts of white fabric. It was a little frou-frou for Kara's tastes with the mountains of orange blossoms.
"I like that one," Zoey said with the first hints of excitement in her voice.
"But?" Kara knew they were on to something with this design. It would be tweaked though, to suit the bride. Zoey grimaced as she tried to pinpoint what she didn't like about the image.
"Okay, imagine this setting: instead of the flowers at every row, we have Chase make some trees to line the sides of the room along the walls, here." She used a pointer to emphasize where they would be.
Chase took over. "If we did that, we could carry over the theme of a winter garden on the walk to the great hall. I thought we could create a starlight canopy with white columns, and we could intersperse the columns with more trees with delicate white lights. In fact, if you like the idea of a starry night theme, I'm sure I could add some tasteful night sky lighting to the white bunting."
"I love that idea. Declan, what do you think?" Zoey deferred to Declan. Kara noticed the love shining in her eyes as she spoke to her fiancé. This was why she loved what she did; she liked getting to see that true love existed even if it didn't happen for everyone.
"I think that whatever you want, lass, I will be pleased with. I'm sorry, love, but I have a meeting with Paris shortly." Declan kissed her temple as he shifted in his seat.
"All right, but you'll miss the menu tasting." Zoey kissed his cheek.
"I trust your judgement." Declan caressed her cheek.
"Thanks," Zoey murmured as Declan rose from his chair and nodded at her and Chase. His movements, if Kara were given to fanciful notions, was like a king granting his subjects guardianship over the queen.
"I will help you." Kara winked at Zoey. "Maybe we can get your butler to help us with the tasting."
"Great idea! And I love this design, you guys. Let's do this one," Zoey confirmed as Declan left the room.
"All right. Here you go, if you could sign here. This says basically that this is the design you are authorizing us to move forward with, and then I will start construction on it today," Chase stated, handing her his tablet.
They had authorized consent forms for every aspect of the wedding. They didn't begin to move forward with any part of a wedding until each decision had been signed for, and the cost for materials was paid for in full. Their retainer was paid up front, as well. The forms stated that the bride and groom confirmed the go ahead with the proposed selection, with a sizeable fee attached, payable upfront, should the bride or groom change their minds mid-stream. It happened more often than you could imagine.
Zoey signed using the stylus pen on the tablet. "There we go." She handed the tablet back to Chase.
"Great. I believe Jared has already received the batch of wood I ordered. I'll go check with him and then get started," Chase said, tucking his tablet under his arm.
"Thank you," Zoey said.
He nodded his head and then strode from the room without a backward glance. The man was certainly focused when it came to work, Kara would give him that. It was one of the reasons she had considered him such a valuable asset when she had still been on her own planning weddings. Chase had never once been late with a design or slacked off on the job. His focus and attention to detail was one of the things she had always admired most about him. Her belly fluttered. And when he turned that focus to pleasure… She shook herself from her thoughts. How could she want him again so soon?
Kara forced her attention back to her client, saying to Zoey, "Why don't you come with me to my suite. We can take a look at some of the designs and items to order for the reception."
"Okay, that sounds like a plan. I cannot tell you what a weight you are taking off my shoulders. Why don't I meet you up there in, say, ten minutes?"
"Perfect. I'll see you in a few," Kara remarked, packing up her equipment as Zoey left her in the conservatory.
A wistful melancholy settled over Kara as she, too, left the conservatory behind. The last twenty-four hours between her and her partners had been like submerging into a decadent dream world. It worried her that it all seemed so perfect and too good to be true. Now that Zeke and Chase had had her, conquest won, did they want to continue to forge an actual relationship between the three of them, or would they move on to the next?
And even if they said they wanted a more permanent relationship with her, was that what she wanted, or did she want this to just be a slice of their relationship, and as soon as they left Scottish soil, return to business as normal? Kara wished she knew. All the questions she had before their interlude came surging back and made her question her decision to get involved with them.
In her room, she breathed a sigh of relief at seeing that the maid had thoroughly righted everything and any hints of last night's and then this morning's lovemaking were gone. Kara was in the midst of arranging her sample books into strategic stacks, in order for them to move from one to the next item with ease, when there was a knock on the door. Her tablet sat at the ready so she could access consent forms and have them signed before moving on to the next selection.
"Come in," Kara said, walking toward the door.
Zoey opened it and met Kara rolling a tray filled with pastries, a pot of steaming coffee, and more. "I thought we could use a mid-morning pick me up, don't you? I seem to burn through calories here lately like a marathon champ."
Kara giggled, feeling a bit peckish herself, and knowing exactly why her hostess was so hungry. "I think it comes with the territory."
"Yes, I think you are right. Doms can be so demanding, can't they?" Zoey chuckled as she popped part of a blueberry scone into her mouth.
Kara helped herself to a cup of coffee and on
e of the scones, as well. Just the smell made her mouth water. She took a bite and almost groaned at the crisp buttery layers with fresh blueberries. It melted in her mouth.
"But so worth it, don't you think?" Kara inquired, taking a sip of coffee as they both sat down on the couch.
"I do. My life before Declan was a tepid existence. How long have you and your partners been dating each other?" Zoey probed, taking another bite of scone.
"Not very long, but we've known each other forever, it seems." It was hard to believe that last night and then again this morning had happened. That they'd moved their relationship past the friend-zone into a no-holds-barred-anything-goes arena which she guessed meant she was dating both of them. They hadn't really discussed anything beyond the 'we want you as our sub', as talking of any kind had taken a backseat to really great sex. What amazed Kara the most about the whole scenario was how, once she'd made the decision to be with them, how natural it had all felt, that it was really just an added dimension of their relationship that had likely been there all along.
"That's nice. You're the first sub I've met who is shared by two Doms." Zoey's eyes twinkled in understanding.
"I noticed that the butler, Jared, joined you and Declan in the club during your scene. Are the three of you in a ménage relationship? How does he feel about you marrying Declan?" Kara wanted to know this most of all. How did marrying one affect the other partner? Not that she was marrying either Zeke or Chase, but she had some serious concerns about the full implications of carrying on a ménage relationship. A romantic relationship was difficult enough between two people, let alone three.
"Jared only joins us some of the time for a scene. I enjoy adding him to our love play. And Declan gets a thrill out of watching me with another man, one he trusts like Jared, but I don't know that it will be a permanent arrangement with Jared. We like each other, it'd be hard for anyone not to like him, but I'm sure eventually he will get bored and move on to another sub. Zeke and Chase though, it seems, want a full time ménage relationship. How are you handling that?"
"Interesting, about Jared; you guys just seem like a unit. And yes, Zeke and Chase are dual tops, have been from the start. I'm easing in as well as I can, I suppose." Kara held back some of her fears, as much as she liked Zoey, and felt that under other circumstances they would be friends, in this scenario, she was a client first and foremost—a relationship which a friendship might evolve from in time.
"Can I ask, was last night your first time with them? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I think it's the magic of this place. I think this manor brings people together." A slight shadow passed over Zoey's features.
Kara studied Zoey in a new light. Didn't miss a thing, did she? Perceptive little miss, and it appeared the three of them and the bride and groom weren't the only ones to find their fantasies fulfilled at Mullardoch. "Yes, it was the first time we'd joined, I guess you could say. Although, the relationship itself began before we landed."
That much, at least, was true.
"Okay, not to change subjects on you, but we have a lot of decisions to make in the next few days if we are going to pull this wedding off," Kara continued. "Here are my sample booklets of invitations. Since we have the date secured and this is a destination wedding for most, if not all of your guests, I suggest we get those squared away first."
"Good call," Zoey said, setting her coffee cup down.
Kara and Zoey spent the next three hours selecting the wedding invitations; Kara designed them and got them ordered.
They were going over china patterns when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."
Jared poked his head in. The man was a study in old world elegance and devilish charm. If she didn't already have her dance card full at the moment, Kara might have considered attempting to entice the tousled redhead Jared into a roll in the sack.
"Zeke asked me to collect you both for the menu tasting," Jared explained.
"Thank you, Jared. We can finish up looking through these later," Zoey said, closing the sample book and placing it on the coffee table. Then she directed her attention back toward Jared. "Why don't you come help me? Declan is stuck in meetings, and I think a man's perspective is called for when it comes to the food," Zoey insisted as she stood and headed toward him.
"Certainly, lass. Shall we go?" Jared held out an arm toward her in a gentlemanly fashion. Zoey approached him and threaded her hand around his bicep.
Zoey didn't see the wistful expression in Jared's eyes, but Kara did. The man was besotted with his best friend's woman—one who didn't return those feelings, and what was more, he knew it. Kara's heart squeezed a bit at the pain she feared it would cause him. And it unsettled her. Was that bound to happen between her and her partners? Would there be one of them who cared more than the others and was left out?
God, she hoped not!
"You guys go on down, I'll be there in a minute," Kara murmured, moving sample books around. She could pack up the ones that held the invitation examples, and there was a book of china patterns Zoey had discarded.
"All right, we'll see you in a few minutes," Zoey replied over her shoulder as Jared escorted her from the room.
Kara sighed as she entered the bathroom and freshened up. After last night and then again this morning, she felt like she needed a nap and was dragging a bit. Except there was plenty to do with this wedding, at least the beginning stages. Once they had everything ordered, it was her job to stay on top of all the vendors and make sure deliveries happened as scheduled. She didn't need to be in Scotland to accept the deliveries, though. Once they had made all the selections and Chase had finished his design, they would be able to return to Manhattan, so they had a few more days here before returning home. Then they would be here for the full week leading up to the wedding. They'd already booked their return airfare for the day after Christmas.
She just wished she understood where her partners wanted their relationship to go. Then maybe she wouldn't feel like she was still trying to get her bearings. Then again, it was new to all of them; maybe they didn't have any more of a clue than she did. Especially with that whole Chase thing she'd witnessed that morning.
After splashing some water on her face, she left the room and headed down to the smaller of the two dining rooms. Zeke was in his element as Mrs. Stewart helped him serve his culinary masterpieces. He was so gorgeous; his blue eyes like sapphires, gleaming with zest and satisfaction as Jared and Zoey ate his creations. Where he really shone wasn't in the serving but actually watching him cook. It was like watching a conductor lead a symphony orchestra.
"I love this. I think I gained five pounds just eating the samples of it," Zoey said as she stuffed another bite of what was, by the smell of it, his seared flank steak. And it was heavenly.
"Kara, be a dear and open the next wine. If it's the flank you are considering, you need to try it paired with this excellent chardonnay." Zeke nodded to the bottle near him. He was putting a few veggie dishes in front of Zoey and Jared which she knew went well with the flank.
Kara used the corkscrew, let the 2010 breathe a bit as he'd shown her, and then poured two small tasting glasses of the red. She artfully delivered them and was proud of herself that she didn't have a klutz moment. There had been this one time, with the same wine. Kara could still recall the mother of the bride's screams as it stained her silk blouse.
They spent the next two hours tasting and selecting the wines, the hors d'oeuvres, the salad, the side dishes, main course, the wedding cake, and the deserts. By the time they were finished, Kara felt a bit like a turkey on Thanksgiving. She and Zoey left the dining room and returned to her bedroom to go over more of the selections for the reception dinner. Zoey left her later, toting a few of Kara's sample books which she promised to look over with Declan that evening, along with a promise to review Elise's wedding gown portfolio.
Kara sprawled on the couch, her shoes off, and her eyes closed. There was a knock at her door and she pushed down the
urge to tell whoever it was to go away.
"Come in."
Zeke walked in, closing the door behind him. She loved the way he looked after he'd spent time in the kitchen. It never failed to amaze her how passionate he was about food. It gave him this high octane energy that constantly rippled off him.
He was on top of her and possessing her mouth before her brain had time to comprehend going from sleepy to needy in a flash. Apparently, cooking also made him extremely horny, if the enormous bulge in his pants was anything to go by as he ground his hips into hers. She loved the feel of him on top of her, pressing her down into the cushions.
"Do you know how much I wanted to bend you over the table in the dining room earlier as you ooed and aahed with Zoey over the menu items?" He nipped at her jaw.
"No." She moaned as his hands cupped her breasts through the fabric of her blouse.
"I couldn't get the image out of my mind, Kara. Come with me." Zeke climbed off the couch and pulled her to her feet in full-on Dom mode. The man left her no room to argue. Not that she wanted to; when she'd agreed last night, she had done so jumping in completely. Her pulse fluttered as he ushered her toward the bathroom. Anticipation rode high in her blood as Zeke shut and locked the door behind them.
Then he drew her into his arms, backing her up against the vanity. His mouth was on hers and she surrendered to his passionate urgency. He ravaged her mouth. Kara slid her arms around his neck, holding him in place as she kissed him back with equal fervor. Any doubts or questions she had about the relationship were extinguished with every stroke of his tongue against hers.
Two Doms for Kara (The Dungeon Fantasy Club Book 3) Page 7