Little Bird (The Tangled Series)

by Gaines, Liza

  Savannah’s cries of pleasure were muffled by the pillow, but she could hear Lee grunting with each driving thrust, his breathing labored. When she heard him curse under his breath, she knew he was about to come and a moment later he did, biting her back as he pushed deep. Savannah wailed with frustration. He pulsed inside her, filling her, and she needed to come so badly. The feel of him emptying inside of her only pushed her closer to the edge.

  Lee was still groaning, his cock twitching with what seemed to Savannah to be a never-ending orgasm, when she felt his finger on her clit. He was still biting her savagely, so he spoke through gritted teeth when he finally told her to come.

  She’d been teetering so precariously on the brink of orgasm, with that one word of command she fell, head over heels, the world spinning as she tumbled helplessly through an orgasm so overwhelming it was painful.

  When Savannah became aware of her surroundings again, she was lying flat on her stomach, Lee stretched across her back, covering her body with his own. She could feel him still inside of her, gradually softening as he lay panting against her.

  Speechless, Savannah lay beneath him, wondering what he was thinking but unable to ask. As if he’d read her mind, Lee pressed his mouth to her ear, his gravelly voice full of amused exhaustion. “For fuck’s sake, whatever you do, sweetheart, don’t move. If I get hard again I’ll probably kill us both. I don’t know about you but I think I nearly died a minute ago as it is.”

  Savannah laughed hoarsely before abruptly going silent when she felt his cock jerk and heard his distressed grunt. “Oh, I can’t even laugh?”

  “Evidently not. I think it’s the way your body shakes when you laugh, it’s sort of like the way you tremble when I…no, no, better not talk about this now.” Lee brushed his lips across the nape of her neck. “Sorry if I’m hurting you, I know I’m heavy, but I can’t fucking move. I hope this is just some kind of temporary paralysis.”

  Biting her lip to hold back her giggle, Savannah shook her head. “You’re sort of crushing me but it’s okay. Your apparent paralysis is concerning though at your advanced age. Could be a stroke or something.”

  Lee snorted and she smiled, imagining the annoyed look on his face. “When I can move again I’m going to spank you for that. Now go to sleep before we talk ourselves back into trouble.”

  True to his word the night before, Todd had gotten up early and taken Jen home. Savannah was sitting at the picnic table chatting with Lee and Mindy, eating a bowl of cereal, when Todd returned.

  “Good morning! I’m glad to see you two finally joined the land of the living. Couple of lazy asses.”

  Savannah laughed at Todd’s playful teasing but Lee cast a disgruntled scowl at his friend. He was so not a morning person. “I earned the right to sleep late this morning.”

  “Oh, I know. I heard.” Todd smirked at them both and Savannah blushed hotly, suddenly finding her bowl of cereal absolutely fascinating.

  Lee’s hand was on her knee beneath the table, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze. With a sidelong glance at him, she smiled shyly in response. They had been loud last night but she’d forgotten at the time they were in a camp surrounded by other people. Her stomach knotted remembering the things Lee had said and hoping frantically Todd hadn’t heard that, too.

  Todd moved to the table and sat on Savannah’s other side. Mindy, who’d been sitting across from Savannah, abruptly got up and excused herself, probably sensing there was something between her brother and Lee and Savannah she didn’t want to hear about. Savannah briefly wondered how awkward it was for Todd and Mindy, a brother and sister involved in this lifestyle with shared friends.

  Savannah was jerked from her thoughts when she felt Todd’s hand on her other leg, pushing beneath the hem of her sundress, his fingers flexing against the inside of her knee.

  “I think your wife is wondering how much I heard.” Todd spoke to Lee but looked at Savannah, studying her expression. Savannah just continued to stare at the table in front of her, unable to speak around the lump in her throat.

  “Probably.” Lee shrugged, clearly conveying it made no difference to him what Todd had heard.

  “My tent’s right next to yours, Savannah. I heard everything and I jerked myself listening to you. I could have had Suzie or Kim but I let them sleep because I didn’t want to miss any of those fucking hot noises you were making while he told you everything we could do to you.”

  Savannah’s head jerked up, her eyes meeting Todd’s and she gaped at him. “What the fuck is wrong with you men just walking around telling random innocent people about your masturbation habits?”

  Both men laughed loudly and Lee grabbed her chin, turning her to look at him. “You should be complimented we’re all so helpless to your charms we can’t help but jack off thinking about you.”

  “Complimented? Really?” Savannah looked at Lee skeptically and rolled her eyes.

  “Savannah,” Todd drew her attention back, “Why shouldn’t I have gotten off thinking about you? You were getting off thinking about me, after all.”

  “No, I was getting off thinking about both of you.” Savannah gestured to each of them with frustration. She didn’t want there to be any confusion about who and what she’d been thinking about.

  “Oh, don’t worry, honey, I won’t forget you belong to him and I’m just the accessory to fulfill your nasty little fantasies. But that doesn’t change the fact that you were thinking about me.” As Todd spoke each man started to apply gentle pressure to her knees, spreading her legs beneath the table. Savannah suddenly regretted listening to Lee when she’d dressed that morning and he’d told her not to wear panties.

  Savannah closed her eyes as Lee’s hand skimmed over the inside of her thigh until his fingers found the warm wet juncture of her legs. He leaned closer, his voice hoarse. “Savannah, you just need to trust us. Trust me. Nothing’s going to happen for a long time. You have plenty of time to get used to the idea, plenty of time to decide if it’s something you really want to try or something you’d rather leave as a fantasy. But you shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed that it turns you on. There’s nothing wrong with being turned on by it and nothing wrong with you. Own your kink, sweetheart.”

  Savannah swallowed hard with a nod. He was right, of course. All of this would be a lot less embarrassing for her if she could get all those prudish voices out of her head that kept telling her she was a freak. “I’ll try but you’ve turned my life upside down, Levon. It’s gonna take me a while to adjust.”

  Lee chuckled and smiled at her, clearly pleased by her response.

  Todd squeezed her knee before withdrawing and standing up. “Well, if you’ll both excuse me then I think I’ll go wake Suzie and Kim and do my best to distract myself from all the perverse thoughts I’m having about my best friend’s wife.”

  It was mid-afternoon and Savannah and Geoff were playing chess again. Lee sat nearby watching with amusement. He knew how to play, too, and had tried to offer Savannah some helpful advice but she’d rejected it, annoyed because he wasn’t as patient with her mistakes as Geoff.

  Throughout the day, every time Todd passed within touching distance, his hands were on her. Sometimes it was just a friendly touch on her shoulder or arm, others a more intimate caress on her hip or back, always quick, never lingering. He never said anything about it and never made a big deal about it, but Savannah knew what he was doing, trying to get her used to his hands on her in a casual and relaxed way.

  Several times she’d caught Lee watching her, a speculative expression on his face, when Todd touched her, and she wondered if they’d talked about this or if they just knew each other so well they didn’t need to discuss it to formulate a plan. Not that it mattered, because it worked despite the fact she was aware it was happening.

  The first few times Todd had touched her in passing, Savannah stiffened, immediately thinking of their conversation that morning and blushing. But it hadn’t taken long before she’d begun to re
lax and now, when Todd came to stand behind her, his hand cradling the curve of her neck, she sighed and leaned into him before she’d even realized what she was doing.

  “Is she a chess whiz yet?” Todd arched his brow at Geoff as his fingers casually stroked Savannah’s neck.

  “She’s learning.” Geoff allowed generously with an encouraging smile.

  “What I am is hopeless.” Savannah sighed and waved her hand at Geoff when he started to protest. “I can’t remember what piece does what or where they’re supposed to go. This is a horrible stupid game.”

  “If I’d known you wanted to learn, we could have played to pass the time while I was in the hospital.” Lee chuckled.

  “Oh, no! I’m kicking your ass at gin rummy. You and I will stick with that, thank you very much.” Savannah smirked at Lee, gloating about her superiority at the card game.

  Todd had been about to say something when Cara came striding into their camp, a determined look on her face. She went directly to Lee without a word, handing him a folded piece of paper she’d been clutching in her hand.

  Lee gave her an annoyed look before unfolding and reading it. When he looked up again, Cara was looking at him expectantly. Lee sighed and handed the paper back to her. “I suppose you want me to go with you?”

  Savannah frowned, knowing what this must be about. She tried to keep her voice calm as she asked, “What’s going on?”

  Cara passed the paper to Savannah and she unfolded it, carefully reading.

  Dear Ms. Dalton,

  I’d like to invite you, your ex-husband, and his new little girlfriend up to the Lodge this afternoon. I know what you want and I think we may be able to negotiate a deal.

  I would prefer to get this out of the way sooner rather than later so we can all enjoy our weekend. Be here in half an hour or my next invitation won’t be so cordial.

  Regards,

  Sen. C. Hartwell

  Savannah’s hand shook by the time she finished reading and she heard Todd curse under his breath, apparently having read over her shoulder.

  “We need to hurry.” Cara finally spoke, looking from Lee to Savannah anxiously.

  “I’ll go. Todd, don’t let Savannah out of your sight until I get back.” Lee stood, sharing a meaningful look with Todd.

  “No, she has to come.” Cara shook her head adamantly. “He specifically asked for her. He isn’t going to deal if we don’t bring her.”

  “Cara, he isn’t going to deal at all.” Lee gave his ex-wife an exasperated look. “Think. He says he knows what you want. What you want is to destroy him. Why would he ever make a deal to help you do that? This is so obviously a trap and you’re so blinded by your need to get the story you can’t even fucking see it. I’m not letting Savannah walk into that.”

  Savannah started to tremble, fearful of Hartwell and whatever he intended. Todd had both hands on her shoulders, and she was suddenly thankful for that strong grounding touch. She knew Lee was right, it was a trap, and she started to choke on her panic when she considered what might happen to Lee if he went up there with Cara.

  “We have to take her, Lee. Even if it is a trap, she has to come. How much worse is it going to be if we openly defy him from the start?” Cara’s eyes slid to Savannah, pleading with her. She obviously hoped Savannah would speak up on her behalf just as she had that night at the club.

  “I’ll go with you, brother. Between the two of us, we can keep her safe.” It was Todd, his hands still comfortably resting on Savannah’s shoulders.

  “I’d rather you stay here and keep her safe.” Lee’s voice was low and angry. He didn’t like Todd’s suggestion that perhaps Savannah should go, even if he offered to go with them, too.

  “No, he can’t go.” Cara shook her head again. “He won’t like us bringing someone else. We can’t risk pissing him off and ruining any chance at a deal.”

  “There is no fucking deal, Cara.” Lee shouted at her, and to Savannah’s surprise Cara did look intimidated by his show of temper. “You have two choices. You and I can go or, against my better judgment, I’ll bring Savannah, but only if Todd comes, too. There is no other option.”

  “I’ll go alone then. You can all fuck off if you’re so determined to ruin this for me.” Cara lifted her chin defiantly as she glared at Lee.

  “The fuck you will. I may not love you, Cara, and you may have driven me fucking insane for nearly a decade, but I’m not going to let you walk into a trap alone. Make your choice, we’re running out of time.”

  “Fine. We’ll all go.” Cara gave a resigned sigh and Savannah felt Todd’s hands clench on her shoulders. It seemed no one was really happy with this decision.

  The lodge was on the other side of the expansive property, so the four of them had walked silently to the parking lot and piled into Lee’s Jeep before driving up to meet Hartwell.

  When Cara knocked on the door, it was Hartwell who opened it, greeting them all with a surprisingly friendly smile and holding it open for them to pass inside. Cara went first, followed by Lee and then Savannah, with Todd bringing up the rear. As Savannah passed in front of him Hartwell reached out, his hand brazenly grabbing her breast. She yelped, tears welling, as Lee spun around and grabbed her arm, pulling her against his chest. Todd’s reflexes were fast and before Hartwell had withdrawn his arm, Todd grabbed the wrist, twisting.

  “Did her Master give you permission to touch her?” Todd’s voice was low and menacing as he turned Hartwell’s arm at an awkward angle.

  “No.” Despite the pain he must be feeling in his arm, Hartwell remained utterly calm as he looked over Todd’s shoulder. Savannah followed his gaze and found herself looking at the man who’d shot Lee the previous weekend. She gasped when the man withdrew a gun from beneath his jacket and Hartwell continued, “Here at the lodge what her Master says doesn’t matter so much. By the way, Mr. Jackson, Ms. Alderton, I believe you’ve met my friend Julian before. “

  Julian smiled and waved the gun toward the open doors to the right of the entryway. “It’s such a pleasure to see you both again.”

  “It’s Mrs. Jackson now.” Savannah glared at Hartwell as they all entered the room Julian had indicated. She saw Lee make a face and realized too late he must not have wanted Hartwell to know they’d gotten married.

  “Oh, he married you, did he? How nice.” Hartwell sounded amused and Savannah’s lip began to quiver as she tried not to cry.

  They’d all followed Hartwell into what looked like a large office, Julian bringing up the rear. Savannah took in her surroundings, concentrating on the rustic hunting lodge’s decor to try and distract herself from the fear gnawing at her stomach. The room had a high ceiling with roughhewn exposed log walls. Paintings of hunting and outdoor scenes hung around the room, alternating with a stunningly large collection of stuffed animal heads, which Savannah tried to ignore because they made her feel nauseous. On the far side of the room was another door and another gunman stood just inside of it.

  A large desk occupied the center of the room with two chairs across from it. As Hartwell sat behind the desk, he gestured to the chairs and gave a slimy smile to both women. “Please, do sit down, ladies.”

  Savannah stood next to the chair indicated, her eyes downcast, her lower jaw stubbornly set, determined not to do a single thing Hartwell asked of her, not even sit.

  “Sit, Savannah.” She heard Lee’s firm voice behind her and she immediately sat while Cara took the seat next to her. Savannah felt her nerves settle just a little when she noticed Lee and Todd had positioned themselves on either side of her, clearly in a place of protection.

  “Would you like a drink, dear?” Hartwell gestured to a small bar behind his desk.

  Savannah remained silent, staring blankly at her hands in her lap, horrified Hartwell seemed to be ignoring everyone else and only speaking to her. She thought she heard Lee’s soft chuckle next to her.

  “Would you like a drink, Little Bird?”

  At the sound of Lee
’s voice, Savannah looked up at him and murmured, “No, thank you.”

  Lee turned to the Senator, a confident grin curving his mouth. “You heard her. She’s not thirsty.”

  Anger flashed in Hartwell’s eyes, his voice petulant as he leaned back in his chair. “I am going to tire very quickly of you repeating my every question and command before she will respond. Order her to listen to me.”

  Lee shook his head, unperturbed. “No.”

  Hartwell seethed now as he spat out, “Why the fuck not? Not only are you and Mr. Buchanan, who wasn’t invited to this party anyway, outnumbered, but Julian and Victor also both have guns. It is well within my ability to force her to do as I wish. So why don’t you make it easier on all of us and just tell her to follow my orders?”

  Savannah knew Lee would never ask her to obey Hartwell, but regardless, the very suggestion made her heart race and stomach knot.

  “It wouldn’t matter if I told her to listen to you, she still wouldn’t do it. Oh, we can play Master and slave all damn day but the truth is every time I give her an order, she makes the decision to obey, not because she has to, but because she wants to. There’s not a goddamn thing I can do to change the fact that she doesn’t want to submit to you.”

  “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to do it by force, because she will spread her legs for me tonight.” Hartwell paused a moment, thoughtful, before turning to Cara. “Let’s get down to business, shall we? I know you’re a reporter and I know you’ve been sniffing around looking for a story. I can offer you a deal.”

  Cara glanced at Lee with a smug look before turning back to Hartwell. “What kind of deal?”

  “I’ll give you a story. Nothing that implicates myself of course but I’ll give up some of my associates and you’ll get a wonderfully juicy story.” Hartwell leaned back in his chair, his hands steepled in front of him as he watched Cara closely.