Why was she more confused now than before? Stupid men for messing with her mind.
Maybe she should go about her business and let the men tell her what her next move should be. They implied they knew what was best for her. Hell, perhaps they did.
* * * *
Vicki slept in the next morning, and boy did that feel good, as she hadn’t fallen asleep until the wee hours. She stretched and eased out from under the sheets. As soon as her bare feet hit the hardwood floor, she realized she’d forgotten to turn on the heat last night. Dang.
First thing, she put on socks. Then she jumped in her jeans, pulled on a comfortable shirt along with a fuzzy, warm sweatshirt and then finally tugged on her worn boots. After she changed the thermostat, coffee was the next order of business.
She had no clients to take care of today, so she was free to do as she pleased. One conclusion she’d drawn last night while attempting to sleep was that regardless of what Sanford had said, he needed her to help him get elected. She knew Megan well, and that connection would be invaluable to him. Not to mention there were a slew of people who’d never met Sanford Mansfield before he rode in the parade. Four years was a long time to be out of the public eye. His brief return visit two years ago barely counted.
She felt she was a respected member of society, and the population of Pleasure might listen to her.
The only roadblock, as she saw it, was that if he thought about it long enough, Sanford might decide she wasn’t manager material. That she could play a role of some kind was of little doubt, but would it be something she wanted to do? As soon as he figured out what he wanted, he’d tell her when and where to report to work.
She had to laugh. The man’s need for control bordered on obsession, but that trait would serve him well as mayor.
She shook her head as she sipped her coffee. What a difference a few hours made. Last night, she wanted nothing to do with him, but after sleeping on it, she now desired to be part of his team. Perhaps he knew that by excluding her, she’d want to sign up. The man was smart. She had to hand it to him.
As she made breakfast, she kept coming back to what Chelsea said about them being Doms. Even though she’d been around the concept her whole life, she wasn’t sure what Clint and Sanford would be like. From the talk around town, no two Doms were the same. Some liked to wear latex and wield a whip, while others loved to role play. There were as many different types as there were people. About the only thing that was constant was that they’d be calling the shots.
She could ponder all day long, but hearing from someone who lived the lifestyle would be the best. Sanford might think she wasn’t ready to commit—and he’d be right—but he didn’t know everything about her. She bet he wasn’t aware how much she liked doing her homework.
Happy she had a plan for the day, she finished eating, and then called Brooke Armwood, who was soon to become Mrs. Kirkwood-Landon. Brooke owned the computer store on First Avenue. When Vicki’s work monitor had gone on the fritz two months ago, Brooke had hooked her up with a larger and nicer one. Since then, they’d met for coffee whenever they had the chance. She called her friend.
“Pleasure Computer. How can I help you?”
“Hey, Brooke. It’s Vicki. Any chance you could get free for a few minutes and meet me at Knight’s Delight?”
“Sure. Why not the Mountain View?”
It was where they usually met. “I’ll tell you when we meet. Pick a time.”
“How about 11:30?”
She wished it had been sooner, but she couldn’t be picky. “See you there then.”
With two hours to kill, she pulled out her laptop and opened a Word document. If and when Sanford asked her to work for him, she wanted to show him she would take the position seriously. She jotted down notes as to how she’d go about getting him elected and made lists of voters she believed would be sympathetic to his cause. Executives of the coal plant would were definite no votes. That much was a given.
Someone would have to make flyers other than herself. Her graphic design skills were sorely lacking.
Aha. Robin Long was a marketing executive from Miami who moved to Pleasure two years ago. Vicki had seen some of the ad work she’d done and the woman was good. Assuming she could squeeze in some time to throw a brochure together, Vicki called around to a few printing places to get prices. It never hurt to do a little comparison-shopping.
By the time she finished her list of things to do and made the call, it was time to meet Brooke. While they often spoke about Brooke’s fiancés’ exploits in the detective business, they didn’t talk much about her BDSM lifestyle. Brooke didn’t wear a collar, so Vicki didn’t think the Dom relationship extended past the bedroom, but what did she know?
Vicki was the first to arrive at the Internet Café, and she found the place rather crowded for a Sunday morning. To her delight, the owner, Bella Andrews Knight, was working the coffee bar. Given she was about six months pregnant with her second child, Vicki was surprised to find her here.
“Hey, Vicki. It’s been a long time.”
“I know. I’ve been busy.”
“I heard Chelsea’s brother is running for mayor.”
Nothing surprised her anymore about the small town. It might be a shame if they did grow as she liked coming into a store or restaurant and knowing the people. “He is. I hope we can count on your vote.”
She laughed. “I’ll listen to the speeches first, then decide.”
“Smart. May I have a caramel coffee and a raspberry scone?”
“Sure. I’ll bring it over.”
Vicki paid and snagged a seat in the corner. Her pending discussion of sex toys, whips, and blindfolds might not sit well with a few of the younger customers. No sooner had Bella brought over her drink than Brooke arrived. If she cut through the back alley, her store and this one were only about five hundred feet apart. Brooke looked good, red nose and all.
She slipped off her jacket and placed it on back of the chair. “Let me order and I’ll be right back.”
Vicki clutched her coffee. How did one go about asking about a person’s sex life? Just ask.
Brooke rushed back and bit into a ham and cheese sandwich she’d purchased. “I was so hungry. So what’s up? Are you trying to decide whether you’re going to be Sanford’s campaign manager or not?”
Her mouth opened. “How did you hear about that?”
“Mmm. Let me see. My fiancé is the sheriff’s cousin, who is married to Lydia, who is one of Chelsea’s best friends.”
“Ah, yes. Six degrees of separation. How could I even ask? To answer your question, I don’t know. They haven’t officially asked.” At least not the second time.
She sipped her hot tea. “Fair enough. Then what is on your mind?”
Now that she was faced with asking, she wasn’t sure she could without overstepping her bounds, as she hadn’t known Brooke that long. “If this is too personal, tell me to shove my coffee.”
Brooke glanced over her tea and then pushed her glasses up her nose. “Now you’ve got me curious.”
“Okay. Here it is.” She told her how, two years ago, Chelsea’s men had been injured in the war and needed rehabilitation. “We’d known each other all our lives, but since they were one and two years older than me, we didn’t hook up or anything.”
Brooke smiled. “But when you were intimately massaging Sanford’s leg or stretching Clint’s arm, you happened to brush up against him and the sparks flew.”
She laughed. “Something like that. Anyway, Chelsea told me they were Doms.” She held up a hand. “Not that I plan on being with them again, but one never knows.” Her face heated up.
“You want to know what it’s like to be chained, spanked, and blindfolded?”
She couldn’t believe Brooke would be so open. “Basically, yes. Do you like it? I mean, doesn’t it hurt?” Vicki looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.
“Yes and no.”
“Oh, you’re
a big help.”
Brooke leaned closer. “Okay, what we say stays here, right?”
“Hell, yes. If Clint or Sanford even knew I was asking about the lifestyle, I don’t know what they’d do.”
Brooke inhaled. “It’s all about trust. Your man or men must be skilled. When done right, giving up control can be the most freeing experience in your life.”
That made no sense. “How?”
“It’s hard to explain. It’s like he’s constantly listening to your body, seeing how you move, learning what excites you. When you’re tied down, he becomes one with you. It’s totally erotic.”
She could almost understand it. Maybe that’s why the men wanted her to do what they said. Perhaps they were trying to get her used to the Dom process. “But when they spank you or use a flogger, isn’t it painful?”
“Yes, but that’s the good part. I love the pain. It excites me. I can’t really explain it, but when one of my men spanks me, the pain turns to heat, which then morphs into intense pleasure. I’m not even sure a doctor could explain what happens physically. Endorphins, hormones, you name it, blasts you and you soar higher than the sky.” She took another bite out of her sandwich then sipped her tea. Once she finished chewing, she continued. “There’s something called subspace. It’s almost like being under hypnosis. The men will edge you close to your climax time after time. You will be so frantic that the world seems to stand still. Lovemaking is about you, about your pleasure.”
Brooke’s excitement was infectious. She almost wanted to strip naked and ask to be spanked—almost. “Wow. I never knew.”
She tapped her chest. “Me, too. You’ve got to try it.”
“From the way Sanford and Clint are acting, the only way I’ll ever be on the receiving end of something that wonderful would be when they decide it’s time for me to submit.”
Brooke leaned back and finished her tea. “Then I guess you need to convince them the time has come.”
Chapter Five
“You need to ask her.” Clint paced the small apartment above the Mountain View Bar & Grill. He only had an hour for his lunch break, but he wanted to make sure Sanford had his bases covered.
“Vicki needs time.”
His brother could be so damned stubborn. “We don’t have time.” He knew when to quit and change tactics. “What did the real estate office say about the bookstore?”
The bookstore, which used to be a beauty salon, was located in a building that was attached to the Mountain View. When it came up for sale two years ago, their brothers-in-law had planned on purchasing the building so they could expand their business but then decided to use the money to buy a house for their wife.
An out-of-towner bought the place and set up a bookstore. Now he was going out of business. For the last three months he’d tried to sell it, but so far he’d gotten no takers. The man was cutting his losses and renting the space, hoping the market would pick up later.
“It could be ours for a thousand a month.”
“That’s reasonable.”
It had an office and a bathroom in back. The storefront was what appealed to them. “You should take it.”
“Maybe you’re right. It’s the best place we’ve seen so far.”
Finally, his brother was being sensible. “Back to Vicki. It’s Monday. You’ve already had three people volunteer to help. You need to draft a document stating your candidacy and put it in the newspaper.”
“I know I need help. Maybe we can ask her out to dinner tonight and see if she’s ready.”
Finally. “Sounds like a plan. Where do you have in mind?” Not that he didn’t like patronizing his sister’s place, but talking about their proposal required discretion. If they ate downstairs, people would stop by to chat.
“I was thinking some place in Bozeman.”
Clint smiled. It was an hour’s drive, and as such, would give them privacy. “I like it. Do you want to ask her, or should I?”
Sanford leaned back in his chair and wrapped his hands behind his head. “I think you should. She might respond better to you.”
He wasn’t sure why his brother thought that, but he was fine with approaching her. She might not think the date was just about the campaign job. “And afterwards?” His cock hardened every time he thought about her. Having an abundance of hormones racing through his body wasn’t helping his concentration. His boss, Justin, had asked him a question this morning, and it had taken a minute to compose himself enough to remember the answer. Much more of that and he’d be unemployed.
“I say, let’s gauge how the dinner goes.”
“I’m all for that.”
* * * *
Vicki took off the black dress and pulled on a red one. This was the fourth change tonight. It was probably stupid to get dressed up, but when Clint had called and said they were going to Bozeman for dinner, she assumed it would be a nice place. Their invitation was probably a ploy designed to get her to agree to be Sanford’s manager.
Yes!
She wasn’t going to give in easily. That would mean they’d won. Nope. She’d pretend to be uncertain. She wanted to see them sweat. God only knew she’d sweated enough over them in the last two years.
She twirled in front of the mirror and decided she liked the red dress the best. That meant she needed to put on matching red underwear. She undressed and routed through her drawer. When she pushed aside her white lace panties, she decided looking virginal would excite them more. White it is.
She was convinced they’d find some reason to bring her back to their upstairs apartment. Too bad it was only a two-bedroom. Their home outside the city limits had three bedrooms. They’d used the third bedroom as an office, but she wondered if they’d convert it to a playroom once they moved back to their home. Didn’t all Doms have a room with chains coming down from the ceiling? She pictured shelves on one wall filled with whips, cuffs, ropes, and an assortment of other erotic gear. She’d been to Pure Pleasures with Chelsea one time, and boy had she gotten an eyeful. She’d done a Google search this morning on all the Dom paraphernalia, and found no decent room designed for sex would be without a spanking bench. That suited her fine—maybe. If Brooke’s men were anything like Sanford and Clint, they’d want to chain her to the wall, spread her legs, and fuck her hard.
Damn. She walked to the bathroom to wipe the cream from between her legs. If using her imagination got her hot, what would it be like when she was in their presence?
Vicki had finally finished preparing for her date, when her doorbell rang. Shivers rippled up her body. Anticipation made her nervous. Calm down. Campaign managers stay cool under fire.
Slightly swaying her hips, she thrust back her shoulders, sucked in her stomach, and pulled open the door.
Just like the first time they’d come calling, her heart jumped in her throat. Gone was Clint’s slightly scruffy beard growth. He was clean shaven, and his short hair was still damp. Instead of jeans, boots, and green T-shirt Sanford had worn the last time, he now had on a tailored blue suit under a cashmere overcoat. He looked like someone running for the Senate.
The cold air brought her to her senses. “Come in. I’ll get my coat and be ready.”
Before she took one step, Sanford pulled her into a hug. “You look beautiful.”
Her face flushed. She was about to say she didn’t look that much different from yesterday but decided to just enjoy his compliment. When he didn’t immediately let go, she gazed into his eyes. Sanford leaned over and studied her. Her breath caught a second before his lips captured hers. He grabbed her shoulders and leaned her backward. Every hormone in her body woke up. This was the man she loved but couldn’t have.
Alarms raced through her brain, and she gently broke contact.
“You can’t kiss me with Clint standing right here.” She wasn’t even sure that was the real reason she pulled away, but it certainly was one of them.
Clint moved behind her, lifted her hair off her shoulder, and nuzzled her neck. “We like
to share. You go ahead and enjoy my brother all you want. I don’t mind.”
Sanford stepped away, leaving her breathless. “We have reservations. We should go.”
There he went deciding for her again. How about if I want another kiss?
For her own sanity, she didn’t look down at his crotch. If she spotted a bulge, her mind wouldn’t be on trying to muster votes for him, it would be on trying to get him into her bed.
“Here you go, darlin’.” Clint had picked up her coat she’d placed on the back of the sofa and helped her into it.
Her fingers slipped off the buttons, and Sanford brushed her hands away. “I’ll do that.”
Oh, my. No man had ever offered before. He bent his head and she inhaled. Sanford’s sandalwood scent made her dizzy, and losing focus before she’d even arrived at the restaurant wasn’t good.
“All set.” He tapped her shoulder as if he knew he needed to cut short her reverie.
She had to step back to regain her composure. This was ridiculous. Wasn’t she the one who’d been uncertain about being with them again? Maybe it was when she’d realized they did understand why she was angry at their departure that she wanted to give them a second chance. After hearing their side of the story two years later, she concluded their actions were in her best interest.
“You coming, darlin’?” Clint stood in the open door.
“Yes.” She grabbed her purse and followed them out to Sanford’s SUV.
Bozeman was an hour drive. “If you want, we can take my Prius. It gets great gas mileage.”
Clint, who was in front of her, swiveled to face her. “Darlin’, that’s so nice of you to offer, but if we took your car, it would put wear and tear on your tires, as well as use some gas. We asked you out, so we’ll drive.”
Wow. That was nice of them. “Works for me.” He was right that the long drive to and from the restaurant would cost something, and she needed to watch every dime.
Clint held open the back door, and she slid on in. To her surprise, Sanford got in next to her. Clint drove his brother’s car. Every one of their moves rattled her brain. Maybe they were trying to throw her off base to see how well she handled pressure.
Two Doms for Vicki [Pleasure, Montana 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4