Their Starlet (Heroes of Olympus Book 5)

by April Zyon

  “They are going to love you,” he said softly. Still holding her close, he walked her into the kitchen where Thomas was reading the paper and Lincoln was at the stove.

  “Holy shit,” Thomas said when he looked over. “They’re alive!”

  “Well, of course, they are. They are far better trained than I am, so there’s no way that I could have taken them out.” Brooklyn popped back, “So instead I surrendered to their masterful tactics and became their willing and able partner for a game of canasta.”

  “Is that what they’re calling it now?” Lincoln asked. He turned to lean a hip to the counter and snorted. “Thomas wanted to call in the troops since he figured she had you two tied up and held hostage up there.”

  “We’re saving the bondage until we get home,” Antonio said with a grin. Winking at her, he went to the coffee maker to grab a cup.

  “Yeah, they promised me soft cuffs since I’m not the Dominatrix sort of woman.” She was a strong woman who knew what she wanted, but she didn’t want to be the Dom in the relationship. That was all for them if that’s what they wanted. She would happily submit to them.

  “Well, of course they did,” Thomas said. Folding up the paper, he tossed it aside and grinned at her. “Wouldn’t want to mark up your lovely skin. Besides, once you get twisting and writhing those metal ones are brutal, whereas the soft cuffs have a bit of give for extended lengths of time in them.”

  “Really, now? Sounds as if you have done that with someone once or twice. Want to give me some more ideas on what I should be expecting from Antonio and Stefan?” She liked Thomas. He was a funny man, but there seemed to be sadness around him as well. He looked as if his whole world was missing and he didn’t know how to get it back.

  “Not me personally, but I’ve seen a demonstration or three in my years. Even did a workshop that was very informative. I feel like we got a lot out of it, actually,” he told her. “We had a true master showing us rope work, how best to use the cuffs, and a bunch of other stuff. It was one hell of a wild weekend.”

  “That’s freaking awesome. I don’t think that I would like the whole rope tied-up thing, but I think it’s cool. I’ve read books about it. Never seen a demonstration of it, but I have read books. Lots of them.” She was a closet sub and knew it.

  “The same folks that did the one we went to are doing a class in Houston in about a month. If you’re interested talk the guys into taking you,” Thomas suggested. “If nothing else you’ll get some more information. And if you’re really lucky maybe they’ll use you for some of the demonstrations.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her before getting up to go to the coffee maker.

  “There are only two men that I would let tie me up. I don’t trust very easily, and that’s something you would have to give the people a hell of a lot of trust for. I adore those men, so them I trust.” Although the thought of them doing things to her in the middle of a room of like-minded people made her panties wet and made her want to go back upstairs and see if they could show her just how good that it could be.

  “They would be the ones to tie you up,” Lincoln said before slapping Thomas’s hand with the spatula he held. Giving his friend a glare, he then pointed the utensil toward the table and waited until Thomas moved off. “They do the classes for those who want to know more about the lifestyle, so they take the volunteers from the class to teach everyone. Antonio and Stefan would be the ones tying you up. It’s a skill to know how tight, and where the ropes have to be placed to ensure comfort while preventing your movement, and yet without causing harm to you in any way.”

  “We could do the private classes, too, if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of twenty strangers standing around watching,” Antonio told her. He came to her and handed over one of the two mugs of coffee he held. “It would be us and an instructor only in the space. We could even have one of the women that teach there be our instructor if that makes you more comfortable.”

  “I don’t know. Is it bad of me to admit that I would like to have people watching us? Just the thought of them seeing the three of us up on a stage together gets my engine revving if you know what I mean. I could wear a mask if you wanted to hide my face, but yeah.” She blushed as she told Antonio that she would like that, worried that they might think differently of her.

  “I think I just had an orgasm,” Thomas muttered.

  “Shut up, Thomas,” Antonio said over her head. He was grinning, though. “While I seriously dislike the idea of anyone seeing your super smoking hot body outside of the two of us, I could potentially be talked into that idea. You do realize that you’ll be naked except for panties, though, right?” He cocked a brow and lifted his cup to take a noisy sip while his lips kept curling higher.

  “You probably should have waited on telling her that part,” Thomas commented. “But if she says yes I’m totally there.”

  “Shut up, Thomas,” the other three men all said at once.

  “What? You guys are disgusting. I meant I’d be there for moral support,” Thomas said. “We could likely talk the others into coming, too, so she’d have some familiar faces in the crowd thinning out the number of strangers for the first time.”

  “I do realize that I would be naked. The panties aren’t even needed either if you are both going to be taking me. I guess I have an inner exhibitionist side that I didn’t know about until the two of you. With the two of you, I could totally do that. Not every night, but at least once.” She wasn’t touching Thomas’s comment.

  Stefan moved closer to her and trailed a finger up her arm. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “We’ll see if they have openings, and if you truly are open to it, we’ll see about getting in for one of the courses. Depending on what’s on the schedule we might have to plan a little differently, but we’ll make it happen if it’s viable for us to do so. Grab a chair, honey. Lincoln’s about ready to plate up our breakfast.”

  “What’s for breakfast?” she asked and looked at the men that were settling down around her. “Because I’m starving.” She took a seat between Stefan and Antonio and crossed her legs, waiting patiently.

  Lincoln came to the table and set a plate before her. On it were waffles, fluffy scrambled eggs, sausage links, and golden-brown hash browns. He gave her a wink before heading off for the other plates.

  “Oh, God, this looks so good.” She looked up at Lincoln and smiled. “Thank you for cooking for us. This all looks yummy. I love waffles.” She looked around the table and then looked at Thomas. “Will you pass the blueberries? I want some on my waffles.”

  He passed over the dish while Lincoln passed out the other plates. Then it was requests flying around as they all fixed up their waffles to their personal preferences. Silence fell during the first bites.

  “Holy shit, these are good, Lincoln,” Antonio said with a hum of happiness. He grinned and took another bite.

  “Figured you might need something a little heartier than normal after all that activity,” Lincoln said.

  Brooklyn laughed and waved her fork at Lincoln. “Hey now, no picking on my guys. They rocked my world in the best of ways, so no giving them trouble if you don’t mind.” She continued to eat however and made sounds of her pleasure as she did so. “God, this is really magnificent. I would even do dishes for you after this meal.”

  “Glad you’re enjoying it,” he said with a smile. “I’m actually surprised. I figured after all that shouting last night you’d be a little hoarser. Actually, maybe I should say I’m impressed by your stamina.”

  “She was rather vocal. We had to talk a neighbor down who was sure someone was being murdered over here,” Thomas said. “We assured him that you were fine. A few ‘oh, God, yes’s later, and he was convinced that nothing of a bad sort was going on. Good thing, too, he was really close to calling the cops.”

  She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Oh, shut it. The house is soundproofed, goofball,” she teased. “Besides, with the neighbors I have they’re, like, ninety and all have hearing ai
ds. I picked this house for a reason. I wanted to be near the old crew instead of young pups throwing parties and stuff all the time. So, they couldn’t have heard us. Right? I mean the house really is soundproofed.” She then flushed. It hit her at that moment. “Shit, the rooms are, but the doors aren’t. Oops.”

  “Told you,” Antonio said softly. He then grinned and stuck some sausage in his mouth.

  “She doubted us entirely,” Stefan said with a chuckle.

  “We actually didn’t hear much,” Lincoln said. “After the first rather loud demands we went and hung out in the furthest corner of the yard for a time. When we eventually came back inside due to starvation we made sure to turn the TV up loud.”

  Brooklyn just shrugged and laughed. “I was loud because they are very, very damn good.” She wasn’t going to apologize. “I hope that they were just as loud as I was. Were they?” she asked with a forkful of waffle paused just before her mouth.

  Thomas shrugged. “It was hard to tell over your screaming. We caught a few things, but they were pretty indistinct. I guess that whatever you three were up to was a good time. You’re looking very relaxed, and happier than you were when we got here, so that counts for a lot.”

  “We bonded last night,” she confessed quietly. She was a bit shy about that part because it meant that the woman that was meant for Thomas and Lincoln was out there without protection, well except for that of their god protector who was in their life. But she knew from personal experience that they couldn’t step in and stop it if someone wanted you dead.

  Lincoln reached out to touch her hand. “It was time,” he said softly. “You shouldn’t have waited as long as you did. We know why you did, and we’re proud of you for it. Now it’s up to Thomas and me to do our part.”

  “But you don’t even know who she is.” She turned her hand so that she could squeeze Lincoln’s. “She could be out there right now in need of you guys. Will the person who’s been watching over her come out now? Is that what happened with me? Did Dion bring me out of the shadows, so to speak, after the people before us bonded?”

  “The gods don’t control when the next one appears. That’s all on the Fates. They are the twisted ringmasters of this whole thing. They, too, have rules they have to live by, but they were also the ones to up the ante with giving Hades his out clause. When it’s time the gods will have the last of the women revealed to them, and then it’s all hands on deck. It could happen next week or two years down the road. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to when the women become known. We only know that eventually she’ll be revealed, and Ares will maneuver us into place to meet her.”

  “I hope for you guys it’s sooner rather than later.” Brooklyn hated to see people who weren’t connected and in love. It made her heart hurt. She now knew it was because of who her ancestor was, but that was neither here nor there.

  Squeezing her hand, Lincoln smiled gently. “It will happen when it’s right. We can’t rush this process no matter how much we would like to. Now eat your breakfast. I have a feeling you’re going to need the energy sooner than later.”

  Brooklyn grinned and then looked at her guys. “I hope sooner.” She leaned back once more and finished eating.

  When they finished breakfast Stefan and Antonio did the dishes. They wouldn’t let her help. Instead, they insisted she relax and drink more coffee. It gave her a chance to sit with the other two men while her two chatted at the sink. Soon they would start for the farm.

  Chapter Ten

  With each second that they traveled toward the farm, Brooklyn grew more excited. “It’s so beautiful here.” The trees that lined the road were all perfectly trimmed, and the driveway itself was very long. It was actually kind of odd how she hadn’t even seen a glimpse of the house yet. “When will the house come into sight?” she asked for the second time. They were driving slowly, but not so slow that it should take this long. She estimated they had gone a mile, at least, so far. What the hell?

  Thomas, behind the wheel, chuckled. “It’s over the next rise. We’ll hit a small turn as well that will bring it all into view. You’re very impatient, you know that, right?”

  “Get off her back,” Stefan said. He was grinning at her. “He is right, though, you’d think you were a kid waiting for Christmas morning the way you’re vibrating around back here.”

  “Well, I can’t wait to see the house that goes with those amazing gates.” The gates had been twelve feet tall, and the ironwork meticulous and gorgeous. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a constellation circle of the Greek gods in the iron of the front of them. “And the massive cement walls that surround it as well. I’ve seen protection like that around some of the Hollywood homes but never dreamed that it would be something found here in the middle of nowhere.”

  “We’re very particular about our privacy. We didn’t want anyone mistakenly wandering onto the land who shouldn’t. Initially, we couldn’t decide on the wall, but we figured it was better to put it around at least the section we live on and will be living on when we expand. The farm lands are regular barbed wire fencing since we rent some of them out to other farmers in the area.” Antonio leaned forward as they went into a curve, and pointed. “There’s the house.”

  She leaned back and looked up at the house and smiled. “Amazing.” She breathed that simple word out. “It’s utterly incredible. Stunning and beautiful.” It was as if it were a work of art, but one that screamed protection in its lines. The house was three stories tall, just as the guys told her. Looking at it from the front it looked almost like an E. The center held a grassy park-like area, and the other opening held what looked to be an upscale patio area with oversized furniture and a decorative fountain in the center. If the front was that gorgeous, she wondered exactly what the back looked like. “You said you have a pool as well? Is it in the back?”

  “Basement,” Lincoln told her. “It’s a saltwater pool. We could have put one outside, but that seemed silly to have to maintain two of the damn things. With the saunas and hot tubs down there, we have quite the setup. As well as the gym, and soon to be spa room if Mikhail ever comes up with a plan he’s happy with.”

  “Very nice. I love swimming, and actually saltwater pools are the ones that I prefer. They don’t cover you in chemicals and the nasty smell of them.” She looked to Lincoln and grinned. “So sauna and hot tubs, too, huh? Very nice. I think that we will have to use those, often.”

  She slipped her hand into Stefan’s and gave it a light squeeze as they pulled up to the house and got out. She noticed that the front door had an iron screen door, and that had her tilting her head to the side. She reached out and touched the intricate design and asked, “What is this symbol? It’s on the front gate as well. I like it. It’s actually pretty amazing.”

  “It’s what the gods designed for us. It’s our coat of arms, if you will. They use it along with the wards around the grounds to keep this place off the radar. No god, unless invited in, can come here. Ares has a pass, and can bring others with him, and then if we give them a free pass they can come and go as they please. The grounds are a free zone, as is the kitchen, but they can’t pop in anywhere else in the house. If they want to go upstairs, they have to walk from the kitchen up there.”

  They walked into the house, and Brook inhaled deeply. “Oh, wow. I love the smell of a clean house.”

  “We keep a tight ship around here. Everyone has chores to do, and we stay on top of them. One thing the military drilled into our skulls.” Lincoln slipped around her with a grin. “Some of the team are a little more obsessive about it than others, but we all pull our weight.”

  “Well, whatever it is I’m glad. I like cleaning as well. Okay, so where do we head to now? Do we go and put our things away in our rooms or do we go and meet everyone?”

  Antonio held out a hand to her and squeezed her fingers when she slid her palm to his. He gave her a gentle tug and then led her out of the room. Stefan came with them, his hand coming to rest against her
lower back a moment after they cleared the doorway. “If you’re still good with it, we’ll share a room. We were in separate ones, but now we can move into the bigger room with the even bigger bed.”

  “I’m very good with it, actually. I don’t want to be without you guys. A bigger bed is good. Can we just order one? I think that the fewer things that we have to go out of the house for right now the better, right?”

  “It’s in the room already, sweetheart,” Antonio said. “We don’t have to go out of the house for much except the occasional grocery run. We have it all covered, don’t worry. And while you check the room out we’ll go grab our bags, and then we can cozy in for the night.”

  And she knew that they were keeping her. Life was good.

  Chapter Eleven

  The next morning when Brooklyn came down to the kitchen it was to mouthwatering smells and the far end of the table occupied by Owen and two computers. Wyatt passed her a cup of coffee and pointed to the outside. She could see a bunch of the others outside lounging with mugs in hand. Stefan was at the stove making something, obviously the one behind whatever the smells were.

  He turned and grinned when he spotted her. “About time you came down to join us. I was starting to worry you were going for a world record shower up there.” Moving to her, he pressed a kiss to her lips. “Go out and join the others. We’ll eat outside since it’s warm enough, and it’ll be way too damn hot later in the day to have a meal outside.”

  “Sounds good.” She held the mug in her hands, and after she took two steps from Stefan she turned and grinned. “If you will recall the first part of my shower someone was with me.” She pointed to his wet hair. “So, don’t get started with me, mister man.” She smiled coyly before winking at him. “What’s Owen doing?” The computer guru looked far too intense in whatever it was that he was doing.

  “He’s digging through a bunch of things his program found,” Wyatt said, walking past her toward the door. “Because of the broadness of the search parameters he had to set he needs to weed through what’s there already to hopefully either find what he wants or figure out how to narrow the search down more. Right now, it’s best to not even look at him. He tends to be snarly when faced with a crap load of possibilities.”