Wrapped Up in Stripes (Blue Valley Shifters Book 1)

by Sarah Marsh

  “Oh?”

  He loved the slight tremor of excitement he could hear in her voice as her imagination no doubt raced trying to guess what Mason had planned, but he knew his partner, and keeping Heidi guessing all day was part of it, he was sure.

  “Indeed, love, and while you’re getting pampered at the spa, we have a little bit of work to take care of this afternoon, so why don’t we pick you up around six to grab a bite before our evening begins?”

  “Perfect, that’ll give me enough time to get a nap in.” she smiled before taking the plate Mason had piled up with fresh fruit and a croissant for her.

  “Us, too.” Wade winked before stealing a slice of watermelon and jumping out of bed to hit the shower.

  ****

  It was lucky for Heidi that Julie was the ever-efficient bestie and she’d shown up at 8:30 with a comfortable change of clothes just as she was contemplating wearing one of the guys’ t-shirts down to raid her suitcase.

  With a lingering kiss goodbye from both of her mates, and only minimal gagging sounds heard from directly outside the door, Heidi left Wade and Mason’s room with a ridiculous shit-eating grin on her face.

  “Okay, you only get today to look that pleased with yourself,” Julie couldn’t help smiling back at her. “Any longer than that and I get to boob-punch you.”

  “Fine, fine!” she laughed, her hands up in surrender. “I promise not to get my gooey-happy love vibes all over you.”

  “You’d better not, that shit stains, you know.” The wink Julie gave her just caused more giggling as they got into the elevator and hit the button for the spa level.

  Two minutes of the horrible elevator music seemed to be all Julie could take before she turned to Heidi and gave her an uncharacteristically serious look.

  “So—are you truly happy with those two tiger yahoos?” she asked quietly. “Just because the universe sends them to you, doesn’t mean you have to keep them, you know. Mates aren’t always the perfect thing they’re cracked up to be.”

  “Julie, yes.” Heidi smiled, though she wondered what was going on with her friend a little bit. “They make me so happy my heart feels like it might burst from being so full. I really didn’t even think it was possible to be this happy.”

  Julie just seemed to study her face for a moment, and then chucked her in the shoulder and turned back to face the doors.

  “Okay, because if anyone deserves to be that happy, it's you, babe.”

  The words were almost whispered, and Heidi felt her eyes get misty right before she launched herself at her best friend and hugged her hard.

  “Thank you, Julie, for all of this. If you hadn’t brought me here, I never would have met them,” she mumbled, still not letting go despite Julie’s struggles to shake her off—but her lion hugs were mighty and no mere wolf shifter could repel them.

  “Good Goddess, Heidi, enough!” Julie laughed and finally Heidi let her go, just in time for the doors to open and surprise the two older ladies waiting for the elevator.

  And in true Julie fashion, she couldn’t resist fucking with an audience.

  “All right sugar, but if you change your mind about those two boys, you just let me know and I’ll tip one of those hot little porters to push them over the railing on the top deck—tigers can swim, can’t they?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mason was absently wondering what Heidi was up to at the spa right now—and if she was naked.

  “Heads up, superstar. Our date’s here and I don’t have the stomach to be convincing, so I hope you’re prepared.” Wade nudged him in the direction of the entrance just in time to see Serena saunter in wearing a skin-tight, leopard-print dress. Talk about tacky—what kind of a shifter wore animal prints?

  He mustered up his most endearing smile and they both stood when she approached the table.

  “Hello there, boys,” she purred and surprised him by leaning in close to kiss his cheek before she did the same to Wade.

  “Serena, you look ravishing today.” Wade pushed her chair in for her as she took a seat. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Thank you, Wade, but Todd will bring me something.” She waved him away and sure enough, the bartender was already on his way with a very large martini.

  The club they were meeting her in was one of the BDSM clubs on board, though at two-thirty in the afternoon there weren’t many patrons in attendance. Those that were, were simply enjoying drinks in the lounge area the same as they were.

  “So, I brought your wristbands, we may as well get the business portion over with first before we delve into other activities,” she took two slim silver bracelets out of the small clutch she had with her and set them on the table, “don’t you think?”

  “Of course.” Mason smiled and picked one up to take a closer look. “So what are these going to run us? I didn’t become wealthy from throwing money away, you know.”

  “Fifteen grand a piece.” She took a long draw on her drink. “It’s a deal, really, especially if you want to impress your dinner companions by ordering $800 bottles of wine all night like you did last evening.”

  Mason was impressed that she didn’t even bat an eye while making her comment. She obviously did her homework on her customers before she made the transaction.

  “For that amount, I’m assuming it will be retroactive to when we boarded the ship?” Wade added, and Mason was curious to see what kind of access she had with the computer systems if she could make that happen.

  “I think that could be arranged,” she smiled and then winked at them, “as a special favor just for you two.”

  “Will a cashiers’ cheque do?” Mason asked right before her cell phone lit up, the caller ID name of Raphael Costas running across the screen.

  “Cash is always in style.” She picked up the phone and the bracelets and looked to the exit briefly. “This is actually my business partner now, so why don’t you run to the banking kiosk in the foyer and I’ll talk to him about getting your account settled. Of course, we still will leave enough trivial charges to make it look legit, but that shouldn’t run you over a thousand. Meet me back here in ten minutes?”

  “Of course,” Mason smiled, although this one was much more predatory and she clearly took it the wrong way, preening before she turned and walked away with an extra sway to her scrawny ass.

  “Did you see that caller ID?” Wade asked as soon as she had left the club. “There’s only one man with that name on this ship. I can’t believe that thieving bastard Costas is stealing from you, after everything your parents did for him.”

  “I know. It's going to upset my mother.” Mason hated to think of her being upset, but at the same time, he was glad they’d found the thieves responsible. Raphael Costas had been a close schoolmate of his youngest brother Simon, but when both of his parents had died in an accident and no other family could be located, Mason’s parents had taken him in until he’d finished school. Mason had only met him a couple times in passing, as he’d already been away at university at the time, but he also knew one of the reasons Raphael had been given the job he had now was because of his parents. Ungrateful bastard.

  Now he could call the office and order an immediate search of the boat and an audit on everything as soon as the vessel next hit a dock—which would then leave Wade and himself free to enjoy their time with their new mate.

  Twenty minutes later they were sitting back at Serena’s table with the cheques in an envelope and an itching desire to be elsewhere. Her smile was relieved when she saw them still sitting there.

  “I’m so sorry that took me so long.” She held her hand up until the bartender saw her once again and then sat. “My business partner can be so dramatic at times. Ah, you have the payment, wonderful. Here are your bands. Simply let them scan it wherever you are on the ship, and it will all be taken care of. Now, just let me scoot into the back to put this money away, and we can move this party to the other side of the club.”

  She didn’t even give them a ch
ance to respond before she was heading to the back of the club through the employee exit, her envelope in hand.

  “Can we leave now?” Wade released the breath he’d been holding.

  “Can we?” Mason asked back, not really sure what the protocol was for a situation such as this. It seemed rude to just ghost on her, but then again, they’d had no intention of doing anything else with her other than talking. Now that they had the names and the evidence they needed, it was probably time to make a hasty getaway, then they would also have enough time for a nice relaxing nap before they picked up Heidi for their real date.

  “Sheesh, Mason,” Wade snickered, “haven’t you ever dumped a crazy woman before?”

  “Not like this, it just seems so—abrupt.” Then he thought back to Serena’s over-teased hair and her over-made face and realized he didn’t really care if it was rude or not—they already had a mate, and he wanted to get back to her. “Okay, let's do it … but we can at least leave an excuse with the bartender.”

  As they approached the bar, Wade nodded to the young shifter, Todd, flagging him down.

  “Hey, can you please give our regrets to Serena about this afternoon?” Wade tipped him a couple of twenties. “Just tell her we ate some bad shrimp or something.”

  Todd’s mouth dropped open as if in disbelief, then he suddenly grinned and looked down at the cash Wade had given him, pushing it back across the bar.

  “Are you kidding? Serena’s a huge bitch,” he gleefully sneered. “I’ll do that shit for free, gladly. You guys just made my day.”

  Mason was shocked as he followed a laughing Wade out of the club and back toward the elevators.

  “Oh, my. Well, it seems we weren’t the only ones who didn’t fall for the cheetah’s tacky charms,” Wade mused as he pressed the button for their floor. “Can you believe that kid? Hilarious, I have a feeling he isn’t planning on breaking the news to her gently. I almost wish I could be there to see her face.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Charge everything to suite 2301, please. Mason should have called ahead and made the arrangements this morning.”

  “What the hell, Julie?” Heidi just stared at her in shock.

  “Oh, did I forget to mention that your pretty pussycats insisted on footing the bill for our spalapalooza day?” Her friend’s grin was ear to ear, before she winked. “Why do you think I pushed you so hard to go for the Brazilian wax? That’s my little thank-you gift to them.” They both laughed as Heidi tried to smack her in the arm. “Hey! It’s my thank-you to you as well, trust me—when they see what you had done today they’ll wanna spend more time down there than at an all-you-can-eat chicken wing buffet!”

  “She’s not lying.” The handsome young man at the billing desk winked at Heidi, causing her entire face to go beet red.

  “Oh, my Goddess,” she covered her face and laughed. “Can we please just go? I seriously need a nap.”

  They picked up some snacks on the way back to their room and then she had the most glorious two-hour nap before getting ready for her date. Heidi carefully chose a sexy, sleeveless wrap-around dress in emerald green to wear. The soft material showed off all her curves, and the color made her skin look incredible—it also reminded her of Wade’s green eyes. She had the perfect pair of peep-toe wedge heels to go with it, and a wrap in case they were on the deck after the sun went down. She had Julie help her do her hair in soft, loose curls and then she pinned half of it up, leaving the rest to tumble down over her shoulders. Light eyeshadow and lip gloss, and she was all ready for her men. Heidi was anticipating another night to remember.

  ****

  “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going tonight?” Heidi accepted the forkful of shrimp something-or-other that Mason offered her. The tapas bar they’d brought her to for a light dinner was amazing. Everything they’d ordered had been delicious, and they were sipping on sangria watching the sun set across the open deck.

  “If we told you then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, now would it?” Mason smiled and leaned in to give her a quick kiss.

  “Is he always like this?” she laughed, directing her question at Wade.

  “Mason loves his surprises.”

  “Oh, man.” She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not the type of person who can’t not guess when I know there’s going to be a surprise. I suppose we’re in for a lifetime of torment!”

  “Nah.” Mason’s smile in return just melted her heart as he raised her hand and placed another kiss on the inside of her wrist. “Just a match made in heaven.”

  When all the food was finished, they left the bar and wandered back into the foyer that led to the level where most of the shops and clubs were located. The club they stopped in front of looked fairly quiet from outside, there was a tasteful small sign on the wall that said, ‘The Black Cat’. She thought maybe it was a cigar or piano bar at first, but once they were admitted, Heidi knew immediately that they were in one of the fetish clubs she’d been so excited about. Her heart began to beat faster just imagining what Mason and Wade would want to explore here.

  “Oh, wow,” she whispered, letting Mason lead her by the hand through the small lounge area until it opened up into a balcony. They stopped briefly at the rail to let her see what was going on around her, and it took her breath away. Directly below, a dance floor was full of bodies, bending and swaying to the dark, melodic music that played throughout the club. Surrounding that on all sides and on two levels were smaller areas holding various types of equipment or set scenes—most of which were in various stages of use.

  “Indeed.” Wade stepped up behind her to whisper in her ear, “don’t think we’ve forgotten about your little exhibition fantasy from last night.”

  Her intake of breath had both men chuckling low.

  “Ah, how perfect is our little mate?” Mason gently pulled on her hand to go toward an open space with nothing in it except an odd-looking chair sitting right in the middle with a light shining down on it. “Come on, love, we booked a space to play ahead of time.”

  Her pulse wasn’t the only thing coming alive as she let them lead her to the padded chair and gently sat her down. She was suddenly so very aware of the other couples who were lazily meandering down the aisles, watching and enjoying the various scenes taking place.

  Oh, my Goddess … they were going to be watching her! Heidi’s pulse jumped even as she felt herself grow wet at the idea of playing out what she’d told her men last night. She’d never been able to even contemplate doing anything like this. Growing up in a small town where everyone knew everyone was stifling for regular folks—but being the only daughter of the lion Alpha, well, that meant that she was watched, all right … just not in a good way. The idea of doing this in a place where the only two people who even knew her name were her mates was intoxicating. She could be anyone here. She could be anything.

  “What now?” Her voice was breathless as she looked up at the men standing in front of her.

  “Do you trust us, Heidi?” Mason asked first, and when she nodded, he smiled. “If at any time you want us to stop, all you have to say is ‘vanilla’, okay?”

  “Okay, I’ll remember.”

  “Good girl.” Wade smiled as he stepped forward, pulling something from the wall above and behind her. “Bring your arms up, just until they’re by your head.”

  When she did, he gently grasped her wrist and wrapped a soft cuff around it, before doing the same to the other one. She squirmed in the chair, lightly testing the bonds by slightly dropping her wrists. Heidi could see both men watching her closely. The aching between her thighs had only gotten worse since she’d sat down. She was nervous and excited and had about a million scenarios going through her mind of what they could possibly do to her now. So many delicious things…

  Mason knelt down in front of her and ran his warm hands along the back of her shoes, gently slipping them off to set aside on the floor. She felt his hands move slowly up her calves and then around to her kne
es as he moved her thighs apart until her feet were on the outside of the chair legs. Then his eyes never left hers as he placed her ankles in cuffs as well. Once he was done, his fingers gently trailed back up the inside of her legs until he reached the hem of her dress. The heat of his gaze lit Heidi on fire and she wished he’d move those hands up higher. Her panties were now completely soaked. She could feel the cooler air now against her mound, barely hidden from the people who stood in the aisle and watched them. After the spa today, she felt so sensitive, Julie’s words popped back into her mind and now all she could imagine was how incredible it was going to feel when Wade or Mason’s talented tongue went to work on her tender flesh.

  That picture had a tiny whimper slipping out through her lips, she bit down on her lower lip to try and gain back her composure.

  “We want to hear those sweet little sounds, baby.” Wade leaned over to sip at her lips. “Those are ours to earn and enjoy.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Wade kissed Heidi’s sweet lips, loving the taste of her that filled his senses. He ran his hands along her neck, pushing back the tendrils of blonde curls that fell over her shoulders until the creamy white mounds of her heaving breasts were uncovered for his viewing pleasure. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and he loved that this play turned her on just as much as it did him and Mason. He slid his hand into his pocket and drew out the blindfold he’d been carrying just for her.

  “We know this must be a bit overwhelming in here for the first time, baby,” he murmured close to her ear, “and we want you to concentrate fully on what you’re feeling—not what you’re seeing. So, we’re going to blindfold you.”

  They didn’t ask her permission, nor would they from here on out when they played in this type of setting. She had her safe word, and she’d given them her trust, and both were things they would never betray.

  “Now, love,” Mason continued on, “just to be clear, we will be the only ones who will be touching you. All of these others may take in your beauty, but they will not touch what’s ours. You never have to question that … we may be fine with sharing our mate with each other—but we do not share with anyone else. Is that clear?”