Dancing with Deception

by Avery Gale

  “I think we need to expand our business to include more devices designed to enhance our Doms’ experience. I swear if I hear that expression used one more time while my Masters are clamping something to my pink parts I’m going to need a shovel and an alibi.”

  Tobi looked up and grinned. “Well, welcome back, Gracie. Where the hel..ck have you been? That Stepford Wife that was hanging around here was about to bore me to distraction.”

  Jen leaned in and whispered, “Keep it up you two and we’re all going to be in deep doodoo, and I for one want to get this show on the road. Having the hood pulled back on my clit is making me want to do the nasty with one of those wacky little statues you all have hidden everywhere. And doing it with a concrete cherub is just wrong on so many levels.”

  Joelle and Coral both burst out laughing as the other three women looked on in confusion. Regi walked up grinning, laughter in her voice, “Oh this has all the makings of a great night. You two laughing and the Three Stooges over there looking baffled, like they don’t have a clue why. Nobody’s falling for that b.s. by the way.” She started to sit on the edge of a planter but winced and stood back up quickly. “Okay, the perfect evening scenario might have a few flaws.”

  Coral looked down at herself and groaned. “One of those bumps in the road might be the fact I look like a boiled egg wearing rubber bands. I might have gotten a good tan laying on the beach, but I gained so much weight I’m not going to be able to fit into any of my clothes back home.”

  Joelle looked over at her friend and it did seem as if she’d gained some much-needed weight. “You look wonderful, you really were too thin before. Now you look healthy and so happy I keep expecting you to break out singing Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A. any minute.”

  “Ha and Jen’s going to sing Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” Regi laughed.

  Jen groaned. “I thinking this is a night for something a little less subtle. I’m thinking Sexual Eruption or Give it to Me.”

  “I think my Masters should put us in charge of the play list, I’d go for I Wanna Sex You Up or Red Light Special. We really need to make a list of all the sexy songs we like.” Tobi was practically bouncing with excitement and Joelle laughed at how contagious the woman’s energy was.

  “I like Afternoon Delight, damn the Starland Vocal Band’s harmonies are heaven sent.

  “It’s I Want Your Sex by George Michael for me. That’s a wet panty song if there ever was one.” Joelle had always loved that particular song, its lyrics about the beauty of sex and monogamy brought a deeper level of emotion to what was already a seductive melody.

  Just then the music coming from the poolside speakers changed and Bob Dylan’s Lay Lady Lay drifted around them like a warm caress. Gracie laughed. “I’d say that’s the guys in the control room letting us know we forgot one of their favorites.”

  Coral tugged on the PVC tape Sage had strategically wrapped around her new curves. “None of these pieces are very darned long. I don’t have a good feeling about this, I gotta tell ya. I’m pretty sure my round self is going to be bouncing out in the open before long.” Yeah, Joelle had the same feeling, but the good thing was they were all in the same pickle.

  Looking over where the men stood laughing and talking amongst themselves, it was fascinating to watch as each one of them subtly tracked their sub’s every move. The scientist in her couldn’t resist testing her theory. She’d only managed to take three steps toward the door of the club before a strong hand gripped her elbow and Brandt’s warm breath brushed the shell of her ear, “Where are you going, minx?”

  Before she could answer, Kyle West’s voice boomed over the music. “Your attention, please. I believe we’re ready to start. In celebration of the upcoming Olympic Games, we’ve designed a few games of our own. Subs if you would please all move to the other side of the pool, Master Nate from Mountain Mastery will help you prepare for this evening’s festivities. Prepare? I’m not sure I’m going to be able to take any more preparation without melting into a puddle.

  “Go on, minx. Master Nate knows exactly how you are to be prepped.” She must have looked worried because he pulled her back and pushed her hair behind her ear with gentle fingers.

  “This evening is all about fun, baby. You’ll have a great time if you just allow your mind to let go of everything you’re convinced you are supposed to be thinking about. Just let go and roll with it.” She tried to smile at Ryan but felt her teeth biting down on her lip as nerves threatened to send her running back to their bungalow.

  “I’m terrible at games. I’ve always been a hazard to anyone close when physical activity was involved.” She’d grown up in a home that was more of a museum than a place to live and academics had always taken precedence over play. She’d wanted to learn to dance, but her father had insisted swimming was the only athletic skill she needed since it might one day save her life. As a result, the only place her lack of coordination didn’t endanger others was while suspended weightless in water.

  Taking a big breath, Joelle tried to corral her rioting emotions. Looking at the men who had been so patient and supportive she felt a pang of guilt. She seemed to be doing a lot more taking than giving…and she needed to stop before they decided she was more trouble than she was worth sooner than necessary. Leaning forward, she kissed them each on the cheek. Their startled expressions let her know how little she’d been putting into the relationship and she vowed to change that from this point forward. Even though they would probably only be together a few more days, Joelle wanted both Ryan and Brandt to know how much their time together meant to her. “I promise to try, not because I think I’m going to suddenly turn into an Olympic athlete, but because you are worth it.”

  They’d both heard the emotion in her voice and first one and then the other pulled her into a prolonged hug. “Love, we don’t need your thanks. What we need is for you to open your heart. We aren’t fair weather boyfriends who are going to walk away because things are challenging for a while. We want much, much more from you, but we’ll have plenty of time to discuss that on the drive to Houston.” He’d seen her eyes widen at his change in pet names for her, and he hoped the subtle change set the tone for what they had planned for her later.

  As Joelle hurried off to join her friends, Brandt shifted trying to ease some of the pressure as his erection pressed painfully against the zipper of his leather pants. “Damn, everything about her makes me want to pound my chest like fucking Tarzan and scream ‘Mine!’ at the top of my lungs. I’ve never had a reaction like this to a woman.” Brandt didn’t consider himself particularly prone to emotion, but Joelle brought out feelings in him he hadn’t even realized he’d been missing. The need he felt to protect her was a given, but in all honesty, he felt that same urge with Coral, Charlotte, and his mother. But there was something different with Joelle, a deep seeded need to help her reach all of her goals—to ensure that when she reached her twilight years, she looked back on their time together and knew he’d supported her in every way he could.

  “I’m right there with you. I knew there was something special about her the first time we met and I hated leaving the country before I could explore it further. But now I know it was probably divine providence—I might not have completed medical school and you wouldn’t have had the time to develop a solid foundation with her.”

  Brandt could almost feel the power of Ryan’s attraction to Joelle pulse around them, the air was practically electrified with their combined desire for the woman who was disappearing into the darkness of the hedges surrounding the pool. Ryan shook his head and grinned. For just a second, Ryan looked like the kid Brandt remembered—the boy raised in the city but who felt more at home on his uncle’s ranch. The rich kid who hadn’t fit in with the other kids at his private school but who’d made friends easily each summer in Montana. The teen who had earned his bachelor’s degree before he was old enough to drive.

  “Do you remember the night your dad called all six of us out on the back deck? He
said he wanted to make sure we all understood a few things about women?”

  Brant couldn’t help but laugh. Damn straight his remembered. Sage had broken up with his girlfriend over the phone and Dad had taken his precious first born down several pegs during one of their dad’s rare closed-door sessions in his office. “Yeah, I think we had Sage to thank for that particular discussion.”

  Ryan laughed. “God, I was so scared he’d found out about something we’d done. Hell, I don’t even remember which particular moment of insanity I was worried about because we had some very real oh shit moments. But something he said that night stuck with me. I didn’t understand it at the time—hell, I didn’t even agree with him but for once I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut.” They both laughed because Ryan’s intelligence and out-spoken nature had gotten him into plenty of trouble as a kid. “He told us there was a thing called the ‘male code.’”

  Brandt remembered the conversation, but having watched his two older brothers stumble through their first years of dating, he’d been at an advantage. He’d already noticed the difference in the way his brothers dealt with the young women they dated and the way his dad interacted with their mom.

  “I never forgot what he said about the different rules of engagement for good girls and bad girls. Hell, at that time I was only interested in the bad girls. I’d often wondered about the validity of his statement. Fuck me, I thought my friends had lost their damned minds when they fell all over themselves after meeting the women they later married. But now, with Joelle, it’s so damned obvious he was right—shit, it’s just real fucking humbling I have to tell you.” Brandt smiled because the simple truth was, his dad was rarely wrong—about anything. They were both still staring at the hole in the hedge where Joelle had disappeared like a couple of lovesick fools.

  Ryan turned to him and for the first time Brandt could remember, his cousin looked unsure of himself. “I hope like hell she accepts our collar—I want her tied to us as closely as possible before the world sweeps in and tries to steal her from us.” From your mouth to God’s ears, cousin. From your mouth to God’s ears.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Joelle was the last one to join the group and as she stepped up, she heard Tobi gasp. Anything that surprised Tobi West had to be over the top and without even thinking Joelle took a step back. Without turning his head, Master Nate’s one word command to stop froze her in place. “You of all people should know how I operate, Joelle. Tell the others what I routinely tell the submissives at Mountain Mastery when they are presented with a situation out of their comfort zone.”

  She’d heard the words dozens of times so they crossed her lips without her brain even taking the time to fully process his demand. “You always have at least two options. Submit or use your safe word. Safe and sane are always important, but if the emphasis is on consensual those two elements are a given.”

  His eyes softened and his nod of approval made her blush. “You honor me and your Masters, sweetie.” Turning his attention back to the rest of the group, his smile turned much more sinister. “Now, your Doms have gone to quite a lot of trouble to plan this evening’s fun and games—it seems to me you owe it to them to at least try.”

  The man standing beside Nate had been introduced to Joelle as his younger brother Taz. Who names a baby Taz? Joelle didn’t even want to think about the teasing he’d endured because of his crazy moniker. There seemed to be several years difference between the Ledek brothers’ ages and Joelle wondered briefly about their backgrounds. Taz was close to six and a half feet tall and totally ripped. His biceps were enormous and during her little mental road trip, Joelle wondered where on Earth he found shirts to fit muscular physique. He must have felt her stare because when her wandering eyes finally made their way up to his face, Taz was making a less than stellar attempt not to grin. Wonderful. Now I’ll be in trouble for drooling over Master Nate’s kid brother.

  Taz knew Joelle Phillips was trying to figure out the age difference between him and his brother. But she was also making what he worried were accurate observations about the subtle differences between them. Her look wasn’t lustful, it was honest appreciation and Taz was wise enough to take it as the compliment it was without reading anything else into it. He’d been amazed at how open her mind had been when he’d brushed against her—it had been like stepping into a library that never closes. Everything on that level was organized, filed, and cross-referenced. It had been the emotional side that looked like a Middle Eastern market place taken over by a band of wild monkeys. It was easy to see why Brandt and Ryan wanted to distract her tonight. The formal press conference was only going to add to the emotional chaos.

  Listening as his brother explained some of the basic rules for tonight’s activities, Taz found himself laughing at the expressions on the sub’s faces. Jen McCall was shaking her head and laughing, no doubt wondering what kind of pandemonium would follow their plan to mix tasks and unrelenting sexual stimulation. He’d wondered many times how her men kept her safe. The team’s secret—very secret—code name for her was Miley. She’d more than earned the small nod to the Wrecking Ball songstress.

  Gracie, on the other hand, had just shrugged and told the others they should be grateful she wasn’t any real competition. If Jax and Micah hadn’t already alerted him to the fact they suspected she was pregnant, he might have taken exception to her comment. But Taz planned to keep very close tabs on the little Latina beauty. He’d been in the gym working out when she’d come in to walk around the indoor track a few weeks after her miscarriage. Taz had subconsciously been monitoring her progress and when she failed to round the corner bringing her back into his view when she should have, he’d gone to investigate. What he’d found had almost torn his heart in two. Gracie was huddled in a dimly lit corner at the back of the building her delicate body racked by deep gut wrenching sobs. Taz hadn’t hesitated, sitting beside her on the floor he’d just gathered her close and held her.

  He could have used his power as a healer to cut through her grief, but he’d known the tears were more about cleansing than grief. She hadn’t needed anything except the barest minimum of human contact—something her husbands were too invested to provide. They loved their wife to the depth of their toes, but it was that intensity that kept her from being able to let all the pain she felt bubble to the surface. She’d been holding in her anguish in a misguided attempt to spare the people she loved. He’d encouraged her to tell Jax and Micah how much she was struggling, assuring her they’d be hurt if she found out she was suffering in silence. He’d also gone against everything he’d ever learned about being a Dom by promising to keep what had happened in confidence unless he became concerned for her safety.

  Gracie had kept her promise and Taz had been relieved when both men thanked him for helping open a much-needed line of communication. The incident had been a significant lesson in the importance of simple compassion—a concept his Native American grandmother had emphasized during so many of her training sessions. Taz wasn’t sure which of them had learned the most that afternoon, but one thing he did know—he and Gracie had forged a close friendship he cherished. He’d definitely be watching her very closely and he wouldn’t hesitate to pull her out before an activity if he felt his brother was going too far—and knowing Nate as he did, it was more likely than not.

  Nate had been asking him to move to Montana for a couple of years, but Taz had been focused on staying close to his grandmother. Her wisdom and guidance as a tribal healer had been instrumental in Taz’s development as a healer, but now that she was gone he was seriously considering the move. He’d still be a member of the Wests’ black ops teams, but he’d already planned to cut back on those assignments. His body liked to remind him he wasn’t getting any younger, the years of mixed martial arts training hadn’t been particularly easy.

  “Computer generated random commands? Who dreams up this shit?” Tobi West’s voice brought Taz back to the moment. She turned her attention from Nate to Gra
cie. “Can’t you keep Micah busy enough that he doesn’t have time to dream up new ways to torture us? Good Lord, have I taught you nothing? Act out for flippin’ Pete’s sake, if he was busy paddling your ass the rest of us wouldn’t be in this predicament. Take one for the team for crying out loud.”

  Gracie just smiled. “Master Nate didn’t say this was my Masters doing? There are other people around with computer skills you know.” Taz wanted to laugh because she was right. Each device the men had used on their lovely subs was remote controlled by a master program the likes of which Taz could hardly comprehend. But it wasn’t Micah Drake’s invention—no the credit for this particular piece of brilliance went to Phoenix Morgan. For once it seemed one of the world’s leading on-line game designers had focused his attention on a whole new kind of pleasure.

  They stuck something up my ass that is remotely controlled by a computer? The harpy part of Joelle’s brain stuck in the 1940’s couldn’t let go of how impersonal it seemed to have a computer managing her pleasure. She had to agree with Tobi, whoever dreamt this up really needed a damned hobby…well, a different hobby at least. Listening to Tobi was a good distraction but it was Master Nate’s comment that had Joelle dropping her jaw shocked clear to her toes.

  “Quiet you two before I introduce you to the cock swings before we’ve even started.” Both women blinked at him in question as Joelle groaned. His laughter was positively sinister sounding and his smile actually reached his eyes as he arched his brow at her. “Joelle, why don’t you enlighten your friends? I brought several with me as a gift for the Prairie Winds Club.” How very generous of him…geez, Tobi was going to go completely postal when she got wind of Master Nate’s deceptively simple punishment device.