by Avery Gale
When Gracie’s attention flicked back to Lilly, she noted the woman had stopped not far from her and watched her intently. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have the resources of Prairie Winds at your fingertips? And I want you to think about how unhappy you are going to be when you find yourself stuck in some horrible hidey-hole all alone…knowing you are probably only a half a step ahead of that Baldballs asshat or whatever his name is.” This time it was Gracie who snorted a laugh that was really more of a sob.
Lilly moved forward and grabbed Gracie’s shoulders. “You are staying right here, Gracie. I didn’t blow up those guys and their snazzy speedboat so you could just waltz out of here like a martyred princess. You’ll stay right here and fight for what you want. I can see it in your eyes when you look at Micah and Jax. We can all see it. You’ve run long enough. It’s time to stand and fight, sweetheart.”
For the first time in years Gracie felt the dam inside her burst wide open with emotion and she’d just barely caught a glinting thread of hope as all the swirling feelings crashed around her. When Lilly opened her arms, Gracie didn’t hesitate, she walked straight into a hug that felt a lot like her own mother’s arms.
Chapter Twenty
Jax walked the Wests out to their truck while Micah rocked Gracie gently as she slept curled up in his lap. She’d cried in Lilly’s arms until she’d been swaying on her feet and Micah had stepped in and scooped her up and wrapped her in a soft quilt before setting with her in the rocker Micah’s mother had given them. Within minutes she’d quieted and fallen into an exhausted sleep. As they neared the end of the porch he turned to Lilly, “I don’t know how to thank you. We’d all tried and she wouldn’t listen to reason.”
Lilly smiled and touched his face tenderly, “You see, that was your mistake, sweetheart. You gave her a choice. She is frightened. Gracie loves you both and the thought of you being hurt is even more frightening than facing the man she knows will never let her escape again. She has a job she loves and hopes for a future that I’m willing to bet she’d probably given up on a long time ago. She is part of a close knit group of friends that have become a second family to her and this is where her heart lies, so the thought of losing all of that terrifies her. Gracie didn’t want to go, but she felt like it was a choice she had to make. I simply took away her choice.”
Dean stepped forward and nodded to his brother who led Lilly to the truck and lifted her into the passenger seat before securing her seatbelt. When Dean turned his attention back to Jax his eyes were still filled with tenderness for the woman who obviously owned his heart. “Jax, remember the strongest women will make you earn their submission every step of the way. You and Micah are going to have to prove that you are worthy or Gracie won't ever feel like you will be strong enough to handle her and the baggage she is carrying. Being a Dom isn’t all about controlling and cherishing…the real power is in bringing out the best in your submissive. Expecting their best and helping them get there. She needs to know that you expect her to grow and learn something new each and every day. Because every step she takes in that direction, will be a step closer to you.”
Jax was grateful the elder West had pulled him into a quick embrace because it had given him just enough time to blink back the tears that had threatened to fall. When he pulled back he smiled down at the man who was nearly a foot shorter but much larger in wisdom and life experiences. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how grateful we are for your help. And I want you to know your guidance hasn’t fallen on deaf ears. It’s easy to see why your sons are such men of integrity, sir.”
After their guests had driven away, Jax took a few moments to collect his thought. While he waited for his nerves to settle, he sent off a text to Elza inquiring about Jen. After sending the message, he sent out a quick group message to several teammates asking their locations and if anyone was in the vicinity of western Costa Rica. The way his internal alarms were clanging it seemed prudent to get ahead of the game a bit by finding out where everyone was at the moment. Perhaps someone would be close enough to do a bit of snooping on Baldamino.
Walking back into the bedroom, Jax could hear the shower running and Micah talking to Gracie. It was obvious she was not completely awake yet and he smiled as Micah seemed to be trying to hurry her along. “Gracie, come on, honey, help me out here. Step out of your jeans or I swear I’m going to cut you out of them.”
“No. Too expensive. Sleep now. Shower later.” Her sleepy voice was so airy-soft and sweet, and she sounded like a petulant child who was being denied their favorite toy.
Jax stepped around the corner just in time to catch her as she stumbled back into his arms. Micah was kneeling by her feet and took advantage of Jax’s hold on her to finish undressing her. Smiling as Micah quickly undressed, Jax spoke softly against her ear, “I think I know just the thing to help revive our sweet sub. Why don’t you get her into the shower and I’ll be right back.”
Returning quickly, Jax set the small cup aside and stripped in record time. Stepping into the shower, he pressed his foot between Gracie’s dainty feet forcing her to widen her stance. Mouthing the words hold her to Micah, he picked up two small cubes of ice and quickly slid them up into her pussy and held them there as she came awake shrieking, “Holy shit on a Shetland pony. You stuck ice up my who-ha.” She was dancing on her tiptoes and he grinned because there wasn’t any doubt about the fact she was wide awake now.
“I did. And do you know why?” He’d let his voice go deeper and when he felt her shudder in his arms, he knew the effort hadn’t been wasted. She shook her head and he gave her lush ass a stinging swat. “You’ve been told several times to use words, Cariña, and it is well past time for gentle reminders.”
“No…no, I don’t know why you would stick ice cubes in my pussy….Sir.” She’d obviously added the title as a matter of attitude rather than in respect, so he struck the other cheek with an even sharper swat. “Hey. I said sir and everything, why did you spank me again?”
“Watch your tone or I’ll keep giving you swats until you figure out the game has changed, Cariña.” Looking up into Micah’s face, Jax noted the satisfaction in his eyes. This was the part of D/s relationships that Micah always seemed to instinctively understand on a soul deep level. Jax didn’t doubt for a moment that Micah would be pleased to be moving back onto familiar ground. Jax didn’t soften his tone when he continued, “You’re frightened and you need our Dominance to feel safe, don’t you, Cariña? You’re going to stay right here at Prairie Winds and do exactly as we tell you so we can take care of Baldamino.”
Micah had moved close and pinched her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers before rolling them back and forth into tight peaks. “You belong to us, baby. Every squeal of joy, every tear of sorrow, every moan of pleasure, and especially every shudder of fear. It’s all ours. And you won’t deny us any of it, do you understand? Let’s be sure you have a clear understanding, because this is the last time we’re going to explain this to you. The next time we’ll just take you to the club, tie you to a St. Andrew’s cross in the main lounge, and send you so far into subspace you’ll need to hitchhike home on the goddamned Space Shuttle. Now let’s get your shower done so we can get you into bed. And if you’re a really good girl, we might let you out from between us in a week or so.”
Jax could see her reflection in the glass windows that made up one wall of the shower, and he wanted to smile at her confusion. He leaned down and bit the tender place where her shoulder joined her neck, and then licked at the light pink mark he’d left behind. He enjoyed the slight shudder that he felt move through her, and that little bit of quaking spoke volumes about how right Lilly West had been. That’s right, sweetness the game has changed.
*****
Gracie wasn’t sure what had happened but there had definitely been a change in the winds of their relationship that was for sure. Thinking back over what had happened today, nothing stood out as the cause of this sudden shift, so she could only assume
it was something that happened after she’d fallen asleep. She wasn’t entirely sure she appreciated their high-handed treatment, but then again there was something freeing about not having decisions to make. She’d been forced to make so many difficult choices in her life and there had been many times that she’d wished for someone in life that she could trust implicitly…someone she could just let handle things, even if it was only for a short time.
This was her chance to have that freedom, and now she was waffling on the edge afraid to take the leap of faith it would require. Was she brave enough? Could she let someone else step in? Let them deal with the man who had terrorized her dreams for more than a decade? The idea was as appealing as it was appalling. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, the words just didn’t seem to make their way out. Looking up into Micah’s eyes, she didn’t see the frustration that had clouded them earlier in Kyle and Kent’s office. All she saw now was a burning need to protect laced with a generous sprinkling of barely leashed lust.
Gracie also saw a flash of vulnerability in Micah’s eyes that was so fleeting and it was gone so quickly she wondered if she’d imagined it. But it was like a puzzle piece that fit too perfectly with everything else she knew about him, and that gave her the confidence that she’d been right. Micah Drake might be all confidence and swagger on the outside, but on the inside, he was still just a man who wanted and needed to be loved—even if he liked it spiked with a heavy dose of kink.
She’d originally thought Micah was the stricter of the two Doms, but she was beginning to understand they were equally dominant, and the ease with which they seemed to reverse their roles often had her losing track of who was playing “good cop” as opposed to “bad cop.” The first time she’d heard Tobi apply the good cop—bad cop expression to her husbands, Gracie hadn’t understood all the implications. But after spending time with Jax and Micah, she could see how apropos the analogy really was.
While she had been lost in thought, the men had washed and conditioned her hair before washing every square inch of her body. Her skin literally tingled with the increased sensitivity their touches had wrought. In the back of her mind, Gracie registered the fact the touches were soft but they’d steadily lured her into a very specific state of mind. It was only after they’d patted her dry with a warm towel and Jax had started combing her long hair that she realized she’d been operating on autopilot. Damn my distracted self. Her mother had often warned her that she was going to miss some important moments in her life if she didn’t wake up and pay attention. Suddenly those words seemed much too prophetic and she hated the fact she’d missed the tenderness of Micah and Jax’s hands moving over her body with such intimacy.
Vowing to stay in the moment, she turned to face them both and smiled. “I…well, I’m sorry.” She’d stumbled over the words despite the fact they’d been spoken from her heart, and she could see by their expressions she’d surprised them both. “I know I’ve been difficult about this whole thing, but the thought of anyone being hurt because of me…well, it just derails me, you know? But most of all I’m sorry for not treating you better. You both deserve so much more than I’ve given you. You’ve been so patient and kind. And I’ve held you at arm’s length even when I said I’d try.”
Gracie shifted her focus between Jax and Micah noting both men seemed to be studying her with an intensity bordering on predatory. When she stilled, their intent suddenly took on a fervor, it was almost a pulsing energy filling the room. She tried to hold completely still, much like a rabbit who’d caught the attention of the west Texas coyotes she’d read about. She felt herself shudder and knew they hadn’t missed her body’s reaction when she heard the rumbling growls deep in both of their throats as they converged on her.
The looks in their eyes was identical. Both men were intensely focused on her and lust fueled gazes were locked on her with single-minded intent. But there was also an underlying look of love and respect that was unmistakable, and that was what she’d always known was missing from Raphael’s eyes. Even as a young and inexperienced girl, Gracie had recognized her captor’s barely leashed raging sexual desire. She'd also known something was missing, too, even though she hadn’t been mature enough to know exactly what it was. Remembering the last time she’d spoken with her captor, she could still see his eyes filled with possession rather than any regard for her as a person.
She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she’d waited her entire life to see a man look at her the way Jax and Micah were in this moment, and she wasn’t about to challenge fate by shying away now.
Chapter Twenty-One
Micah wasn’t sure Gracie understood the significance of her words, but she had just given them a full-on green light and it was a pass he and Jax fully intended to use. Her admission to them that she’d agreed to try had been a stretch because she’d actually only admitted it to Tobi and Lilly, but he wasn’t about to argue semantics with her. If she was willing to put herself in their hands, they would move heaven and earth to make sure she never had a moment of doubt that she’d made the right decision. He knew it would be a delicate balance to gain her trust and submission without damaging the fiery spirit residing within, but the reward would be a life spent loving a woman unlike any other they’d ever encountered.
He wrapped his hands around her wrists running his thumbs in small circles over her pulse points. “You are so responsive. Even the slightest hint of restraint sends your pulse racing. That is a huge turn on, love.” She’d responded the same way the first night they’d met when he’d caught her delicate wrist as she’d shaken her finger at him. Smiling to himself at the memory, he enjoyed the slight hitch in her breathing as he tightened his grip just a bit. “I can’t wait to see you with soft rope wrapped around your amazing breasts. They’ll swell ever so perfectly as they lift up as they seek our touch and attention. We’ll tie a clit knot that will be strategically placed—it will tease your body into a state of wanton need that only Jax and I will be able to satisfy by sliding into your sweet heat.” Oh yeah, I have your attention now, don’t I, baby? Your imagination is taking you right to that moment.
The first moments of a submissive’s full surrender were the sweetest because she was making a conscious choice. The BDSM play that he enjoyed the most was ninety percent mental. Oh sure, Micah loved all the physical perks of fucking a beautiful woman into oblivion, but knowing he’d earned her trust was where the power was. The intimacy that was created between people when one essentially said, “I trust you with my body and soul. I know you only have my best interests at heart and that you’ll always catch me, so it’s safe to fall,” that was the draw for both he and Jax.
He watched Gracie’s dark eyes widen and heard her soft moan of need as Jax’s hands slipped around her hips, pulling her back flush against him. Micah could see the understanding in her face as she let them step through the first line of barriers she’d built around her heart. He’d heard subs describe the feeling as willingly tumbling over the edge…knowing they could have pulled themselves back, but not wanting to. Seeing all of it working its way through her mind was like watching lightning during a summer thunderstorm. The light of understanding was a brilliant flash and it was followed by the rumble of the soul being shaken to its foundation.
Micah understood the power of what many Doms referred to as the “mind-fuck”. But neither he nor Jax had ever been interested in playing those games. To them, the purity of a woman’s trust was something to cherish. And even though they’d never found a woman they’d wanted to claim as their own before Gracie, they had still always respected the gift of her trust. Seeing Gracie’s eyes become half-lidded with arousal and knowing that her responses were pure and genuine…that was the true essence of the power exchange of Dominant/submissive interaction. Every scene he and Jax had ever done was a rehearsal for this woman.
Sliding his hands up to cradle her head, he tilted her face until they perfectly aligned and he pressed his lips against hers in a kiss so fiery
he was surprised they didn’t both go up in flames. Gracie’s lips were satiny smooth and already plump enough to feel like warm, moist pillows. Knowing that they’d be swollen from his efforts spiked his need even higher as he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips and heard her soft sigh as she opened herself to him. The heat of her mouth was amazing and the sweet hint of cinnamon that greeted him was an additional sensual treat.
The woman kissed like she was a born seductress. The way her body molded into his was threatening to shatter the last thread of his control. Pulling back from the kiss was sweet torture, but tonight was about finally fully taking control of her pleasure and Micah wasn’t going to be denied the joy of taking his time, relishing her pleasure. He’d studied the tantric teachings of intimacy through touch and he intended to begin her introduction to those principals starting right now. Moving his hand up until it encircled her throat, he applied just the tiniest bit of pressure as he caressed the sides with just a fractional bit more pressure from his fingertips. When her eyes opened in surprise he saw the curiosity in them. That’s my girl. Focus everything you are—on what you feel in this moment. Nothing else exists right now but the three of us. Let yourself go. Lose yourself in us, baby.
“Breathe with me, Grace. Deep breaths. Let the oxygen feed your soul and nourish your body as it prepares itself for everything Jax and I can give you.” He knew his touch helped her focus on the words and he wanted to do a fist pump when her breathing immediately synced with his. Leading her through several deep breaths, he watched as her pupils became more dilated but her concentration was sharp and zeroed in on what she was feeling.
Every Special Ops soldier knows the effects of isometrics and isochronics on concentration and focus, so Micah knew the increased oxygen alone would help her mind and body work together, enhancing her pleasure. At this stage in a submissive’s training, Doms had to begin pushing their sub to understand more about the vastness of the pleasures they could find in total submission. “Is your skin tingling, baby?”