by Reece Butler
“It’s new to both of us,” admitted Lila. “I’ve seen it all my life but never accepted it for myself until recently. I thought women were weak unless they took care of everything without help.”
“My father treated me as a possession,” said Jane in a near-whisper. “I’m the last person you’d think would want this. Yet I feel protected rather than controlled because Riley and Travis do it with love.”
“It’s not all about what they want, though that’s a large part of it,” said Lila. “They give me what I want, and will enjoy.” She flashed a wicked smile. “Sometimes they go overboard and we have to remind them how lucky they are to have us,” said Lila. “Which is what we’re doing tonight.”
“We submit to our men,” said Jane, “but it’s our choice to do so. If Aggie didn’t want Keith touching her one word would have stopped him.”
Katie had read about safewords. They were often like a stoplight, using green, yellow, and red. She nodded her understanding.
“You’re awfully quiet,” said Jane. She patted Katie’s hand. “Are you upset about this?”
“What Jane is politely asking,” said Lila drily, “is, are you afraid of facing the truth that the idea of submitting to a dominant man or two makes you hot? We can tell it’s true, but if you want to pull an ostrich and stick your head back in the sand—”
“Don’t be so harsh,” said Jane to Lila. “Katie’s had a rough time.”
“All the more reason to have fun now.”
“Fun?” Katie shook her head ruefully. “I don’t really know what that word means.”
“Does everyone else in your family have the same attitude as this stuffed-shirt uncle of yours?” asked Jane. “Not that we’re trying to be nosy.”
“My grandmother is CEO of our family company, though she is getting old. The main focus for everyone is work, stomping on others to get ahead. That means if you’re not working, you should be, and whatever you do to get ahead is right if it works. Uncle Walter is the oldest, meanest, and slimiest of them all.”
“One uncle doesn’t determine your whole life.”
“Unfortunately, when my grandmother steps down—”
“Don’t tell me that stick-in-the-mud, misogynistic so-and-so takes over the company?” Lila groaned, rolling her eyes when Katie nodded.
“Do you intend to work for them?” asked Jane. “You’re a caring, thoughtful person. It would be soul-destroying for you to work there.”
“I’ll fulfill my assignment as best I can. If Uncle Walter takes over, well…” Katie shrugged. “I won’t hide in a corner anymore.”
“Does anyone in your family know you’re here?” asked Lila.
“Only my grandmother. I send updates to her private e-mail account.”
“So your uncle can’t track you down and find out what you’re doing?”
“No, thank God!”
“Good! Forget about those so-and-so’s,” said Lila briskly. “You are going to have fun while you’re in Climax. That means having hot, wild sex with two men who can’t keep their eyes off you.” She winked. “Or hands, lips, and every other body part. And we’re gonna do what we can to make sure you enjoy yourself.”
“We sure are. Now get out of the way so I can take care of business,” said Jane. “I wasn’t joking about the juice.”
“I suggest you pull off that thong,” said Lila. “No one will know but you, and it will make you feel extra frisky. And when the time comes, you’ll be ready.”
Go without panties? Yes! Katie yanked it off then wrapped it in paper towels and stuck it in her purse. She patted her face with cold water. Since her chest was easily accessible she did the same thing there.
“I like the kitten and rope wallpaper and the barn-board walls,” she said, admiring them. She hadn’t noticed much the morning of her arrival.
“It’s an in joke,” said Lila. “Some of the women have pet names of ‘kitten,’ and the men like to play with rope. And I’m not talking about using a lasso, either, though they can do that, too.”
An image flashed into Katie’s mind from one of the last scenes in the book she’d almost finished. Would Sam put leather cuffs on her wrists and ankles, tie her hands above her head, and spread her legs before taking a flogger to her?
Katie shivered in anticipation.
Chapter Seventeen
“Uh-oh.”
Katie, hearing the worry in Jane’s tone, followed her gaze. She’d successfully avoided both Elliotts, mainly by sitting with Jane and Lila. Every time she glanced around, Sam had his full attention on her. And every time, her arousal had gone up a notch. When she caught Trey’s eye he would wink suggestively. The cousins grinned and waved, but none approached. She suspected it was because Sam glared if they even looked at her for too long.
Lila had gone off a few minutes ago, supposedly for juice. Katie spotted her talking to Sam. Since Lila was so much taller than herself, Sam barely had to drop his head to hear her over the music. Suddenly his eyes shot to Katie’s. He straightened, making the seams in his shirt tighten. His nostrils flared like the bull she’d seen and stayed well away from. A slow grin lifted the corners of his mouth, one way too full of satisfaction. She squirmed on her chair.
“Do you know what Lila said to Sam?”
“No,” replied Jane, “but whatever it was, he looks happy about it.”
“Well, I’m not!” Katie wiped her sweaty hands on the remainder of the latest paper napkin she’d shredded. There was a pile in front of her big enough for a couple of packrat nests. “He’s looking at me as if I’m a juicy piece of meat and he’s a predator who can’t wait to chomp on me.”
Jane laughed, her manner far more refined than Lila.
“What’s so funny?” demanded Katie.
“You expressed it perfectly.”
“What?” She flicked her eyes back to Sam. His look was even more feral.
“Your choice of words. Dominant men are at the top of the food chain, just like predators. And I bet he wants to get his teeth on you. And a few other parts,” said Jane slyly.
Katie’s nipples crinkled even tighter. She glared at Lila, who tugged on Sam’s sleeve. He bent over again, breaking the intense stare. Katie’s well-honed danger intuition went from “enemy spotted” to “attack imminent.” Sam’s eyes suddenly latched onto hers with definite intent. Abort mission! Battle stations! Commence evasive action!
“I’m taking you up on that offer of a bed.” Katie spoke to Jane without looking away from the source of danger.
“I hate to say this, but I can’t tonight. Aggie would be mortified if anyone outside the family heard her. Or saw her,” added Jane quietly, perhaps hoping Katie wouldn’t hear.
“Saw her?” asked Katie, facing Jane again.
Jane’s cheeks darkened. She looked at the table. “My fathers-in-law like it, ah, al fresco.”
Katie blinked. “Outside?”
Jane nodded. “Here he comes.”
Katie cursed herself for losing her concentration. She hunched her shoulders, knowing Sam approached but refusing to look. All her senses aimed backward, toward the danger. She felt him stop just behind her chair. He waited a few seconds, then leaned over. His hot breath brushed her neck. Whiskey and soap and a scent just enough different from Trey to tell them apart.
“Katie,” he said in a soft rumble, “Lila says you’re tired. Time to go home.”
Katie had mentioned being tired to Lila, but bringing her home so she could sleep was not what Sam had in mind. He wanted sex. She suddenly went cold, then flashed with heat. Had Lila told him something she shouldn’t have?
Katie narrowed her eyes as the much taller woman sauntered into her view and sat beside Jane. She gave a big, obvious wink. Katie promised herself that when she got back home and accessed her funds she would find something really, really rude for Lila’s wedding present. Then she would send it to Lila’s men.
“I was just taking Jane up on her offer of a bed for the night.” Kat
ie’s throat was so tight her voice had gone up an octave.
“Not happening.” A dark chuckle tickled her ear. “Lila said something about a bedtime story you want to read to me, then act out.”
Katie whipped around. She found her nose mere inches from his. His eyes, usually a stormy grayish-green, had brightened to the color of the ocean on a sunny day. She narrowed her own and glared back.
“I want no such thing!”
Sam’s eyes darkened. His nose came an inch closer. So did his lips.
“Tell the truth, Katie, or face the consequences.”
She jerked back as the words shot straight to her throbbing pussy. Some of the heroines had been told there were consequences and had lied anyway. Katie didn’t think she was ready for what had happened to them. She didn’t want to think she would ever be ready. She was considering how to respond when Jane nudged her.
“I strongly suggest you always tell the truth,” said Jane. “Especially to yourself.”
One way Katie had survived her crazy family and still remained fairly sane was by seeing what was around her and pretending it was something else. She’d pretended it was normal for all five families and her grandmother to live in one compound, most of them in one huge house.
To survive she’d had to pretend everything was sweetness and light rather than it being a hostile camp. She’d stayed in her room when she wasn’t at school or forced to be part of the happy family, such as at meals. Those meals had been horrid, full of sarcastic darts, innuendos, and putdowns. She’d avoided them as often as she could.
Her absence, and refusal to give a falsely bright smile, had labeled her sullen and disobedient. She’d been yanked from visiting Gran on the farm when her body started blossoming. Therapy at college had made her realize she’d linked becoming a woman with the pain of abandonment. Her counselor said she’d have problems making deep connections, such as true love, unless she dealt with it. She’d had no need as she’d decided to stay single.
Katie couldn’t allow herself to form an emotional bond with the Elliott brothers, as she’d be leaving Climax in a couple of weeks. She could, however, accept a physical bond, one between friends. She lusted after both men and was curious about what they would do with her. All she had to do was take charge of herself, and the rest would follow. Pretending a calm she did not feel, Katie met Sam’s eyes again. She inhaled, pressing her shoulders back. His concentration dropped to her cleavage.
“Ah, you mean a foot massage,” she said sweetly, as if her previous words had never been uttered. Her breath caught as his eyes slowly traveled up her chest to her face. She cleared her throat. “These heels are much higher than I’m used to. My feet are sore.”
His look of triumph was unexpected. “Sore feet, huh?”
His mild question did not match his intense expression. She nodded, uncertain of his intent. He leaned even closer. The heat of his chest and his scent beat on her defenses.
“You’re asking me to take care of you?”
His voice had dropped even lower than normal.
“Ma–massage,” she managed to stutter. “Feet.”
“Oh, we’ll get to your feet. Eventually.”
He stood, towering over her. It meant his belt wasn’t far from her face. It wasn’t the buckle that caught her attention. She gulped for air.
“Got your purse?”
Jane handed something to her. She took it automatically.
“Hold tight.”
He bent and she braced herself, expecting him to lift her in his arms. But he twisted and put his left shoulder into the angle caused by her lap. Her head and chest went up and over his back. A hot band around her calves held her knees tight to his front. She stared down at his rounded butt.
“No,” she whispered. She inhaled. “No! Put me down!”
“I thought you wanted to experience Tanner’s Ford Valley customs,” replied Sam just as loud. “This is one of the best.”
The room swung as he turned. Laughter burst out around her. Katie grabbed Sam’s belt as an anchor and lifted her head.
“Welcome to Climax!” yelled Lila, pumping her fist and grinning.
“Go, Katie!” added Jane.
The smiles and laughs directed at her were friendly, but she was not used to receiving attention. Many lifted their drinks and toasted her as Sam maneuvered his way between tables. He turned sideways to get between two chairs and she saw Tom standing by the door, arms crossed and feet set wide.
“Tom!”
Sam stopped, keeping her in a position to see Tom. The proprietor looked very pleased with himself. Her temper rose.
“Tell this Neanderthal to put me down!”
Tom shook his head, still smiling. “Dorothy would not appreciate that, Katie.” He shoved the bar down, opening the door wide, and stepped back. Sam passed through, bringing her into the chilly evening. “I sent Trey for the truck.”
Katie heard an approaching rumble. The vibration didn’t touch her, yet her pussy responded, tissues swelling with moisture. Her body’s instant response infuriated her. She needed to be in control, of her circumstances and her body!
No, you need to relax and enjoy being pleasured.
“Why are you helping them?” she demanded of Tom. It took a lot of effort to keep her back arched to see his face.
“You’re a strong woman, Katie Winterbourne,” he replied, keeping his voice low. “You’re intelligent, educated, capable, and eager to help others. Yet you haven’t a sense of your own value. No one since your granny has cherished you. Be honest with yourself and admit you want this.”
“Why would I want to be hauled around like a sack of potatoes?”
“Not potatoes,” said Sam, finally speaking. “Something very precious.” He patted her bottom. “I would’ve heaved potatoes into my pickup. You, I will set down very carefully.”
“Gee, thanks!” she replied sarcastically.
“You can thank me later, in private.”
His deep velvet voice, and the threatened promise, made her choke.
“Do you really want Sam and Trey to take you to the Rocking E to lie alone in your bed all night?” asked Tom. “They won’t touch you if that’s what you really want. Is it?”
Sam’s body jerked. The arm holding her legs tightened for a second, then released. He stood still, not even breathing, waiting for her response.
Her heart pounded and she could barely catch her breath. It had little to do with her head-down position. It was Sam, and the anticipation of what he and Trey would do with her. She’d been a nobody all her life. Sam, a superb specimen of masculinity, had fought off a rival, acting like a caveman as he announced his possession of her by throwing her over his shoulder. Aggie had purposefully pushed her husband into hauling her off the same way. She’d shrieked and fought when he responded as she wished, yet Aggie had also grinned in triumph.
Katie had fought Sam, but not too hard. She’d had enough self-defense training that she could have escaped if she’d wanted to. Instead, she’d flailed and shrieked like a damsel unable to defend herself from ravishment. She licked dry lips. Ravishment by two muscular cowboys who, according to Lila and Jane, would provide her with multiple orgasms. Trey had certainly done that last night.
“Put me down, please, Sam.”
He put his big hands on her hips and lifted her off his shoulder. When her feet touched down the blood rushing from her head made it spin. Sam’s thick arm held her back to his chest, keeping her upright. Trey had stopped the truck a few feet away. He grinned through the window. She tilted her head to look over her shoulder.
“What color, Katie?” asked Sam, his voice like gravel.
Both men were sexy as sin. They’d not only show her what her body was capable of, they’d give her wonderful memories for the silent, lonely years ahead. She cleared her throat.
“Green.”
Chapter Eighteen
Sam set Katie in the passenger seat. Though it would hurt like hell, they’d have to
keep their pants zipped until she’d had an orgasm without passing out. And if she did, they had a couple boxes of condoms. They might not sleep from being frustrated, but they’d not leave her alone in bed again.
He couldn’t wait to taste her. Going without last night had damn near killed him. Katie was such a temptation that if she’d touched him in his sleep, he’d have been a goner. Maybe he’d have to tie her hands so she couldn’t use them on him. His cock throbbed in agreement.
Lila had told him there was a good chance Katie would enjoy him hauling her to the truck the way Keith had Aggie. It was all the encouragement he’d needed. He gave Katie a warning look not to move before walking around the hood to the driver’s side.
“Hey,” complained Trey. “I want to drive this time. And you had that drink.”
“One whiskey, on top of food, hours ago.” Sam raised an eyebrow. “Thought you’d want to keep Katie happy on the way home.”
The driver’s door flew open. Trey raced around the truck.
“Shove over, honey,” he said. “I’m riding shotgun.”
Katie moved over. She carefully tucked her short skirt tightly under her thighs. Modesty would not do. Sam wanted her as turned on as possible when they got home. Lila had reminded him about Katie’s interest in Dominance and submission, as well as bondage. He’d be giving her a hands-on application of reality, starting now.
“Katie, fold the hem of your dress until it’s above your belly button.”
“What?” She looked at Tom waiting by the open door of the Roadhouse. She shook her head rapidly.
“You said ‘green.’” He slowly turned his head, catching her gaze. “Backing out already?”
She stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, before looking down. She folded the front of her dress up two inches, then another two. The third fold proved her legs were bare. She got to the top of her thighs and hesitated. He gave her to the count of five. He was at four and three quarters when he discovered she wore no panties.
Trey choked. Sam almost swallowed his tongue. Another fold, a wiggle, and she was fully exposed below her belly button. She kept her legs primly pressed together. Oh, hell, no!