He had called himself a Dominant and told her she was his submissive. At first she had been excited to try out a D/s relationship, as she had read about them in books and loved the idea. She had done some research on the internet about the dynamics and how it should work and even spoken to a friend who was happy in the lifestyle. When she had first been flogged by Chad, she was amazed at how liberating it had felt, and she was surprised that it didn’t actually hurt that much. It wasn’t long before all that changed, though.
His personality altered and she began to fear him. She had waited on him and done everything he asked of her. She even gave up her job to devote more time to his needs. In return, he had tied her up and whipped her whenever the fancy took him. He had penetrated her, but they never made love anymore. He said she was an embarrassment to him and hated her failing him in front of everyone at the club. She always paid dearly for his disappointment in her. She had learned to fake her orgasms after that, and he had bragged to his friends about how great a lover he was that he had managed to “cure her.”
She hugged herself and shook her head to try to dispel the memories. She was out of that awful place. Free. For now.
Brooke could hear the shower from the bathroom down the hall and made her way toward the kitchen. Perhaps she could start preparing vegetables for dinner.
As she passed a door on her left, she heard a loud grunt, followed by what sounded like a cracking noise. She put her ear to the door and listened. There it was again. Her heart was thudding as she slowly opened the door. Her eyes went wide as saucers and her mouth dropped open when she saw the scene inside. She felt herself glow hot, inside and out, and her skin pricked with fear. Kent stood with his back to her, dressed in black leathers and boots, no shirt. His muscles rippled as he moved. He was wielding a large single tail at a sheet of paper on the opposite wall. With each precisely placed stroke he gave a loud grunt as the air was expelled from his herculean body.
Her feet had turned to lead, and she could hear her heart pounding through her body as panic overtook her. After a few more strokes, she managed to tear her eyes away from Kent and shot back out the door. She ran straight into the ripped chest of Travis, who stood, dripping, in nothing but a towel.
Chapter Four
She put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from screaming as horror gripped her, and he put his warm, strong arms around her. She couldn’t stop shaking as she stood sobbing against his hard body. He didn’t speak, just stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head gently.
Brooke didn’t notice when the sounds from the room stopped and Kent looked around in dismay to see her standing there, quaking in Travis’s arms. He laid down the whip and ran a hand through his blond curls now wet with sweat.
Travis deftly scooped her up in his strong arms and took her into the sitting room while Kent headed toward the shower.
“It’s all right, darlin’,” Travis whispered softly in her ear, “no one’s going to hurt you.”
Brooke’s tear-filled eyes stared up at him. “I have to go,” she announced and tried to remove herself from his lap.
Travis held her firm. “No, you don’t. We just need to talk, that’s all.” His voice was soft but firm, and he rubbed the tears from her blazing cheeks with his large thumbs.
We need to talk. The words bombarded her head like bullets. She knew what those words usually meant. We need to talk about what we’re going to do to rectify your bad behavior. We need to discuss why you continue to defy me in front of my friends. We need to consider how you’re going to put things right, now that you’ve completely humiliated me in front of the whole club. But they never talked. He talked. He told her what she was going to do, how she was going to behave and then how she was going to suffer. And boy, did she suffer!
She shook her head. She wasn’t going through this again. “No.”
Travis stared into her eyes, holding her face firmly in his strong hands, forcing her to look at him. His eyes searched hers. “Why don’t you want to talk to me, darlin’? What are you afraid of?”
His gentle voice felt like warm sun on cold skin, but his questions made her shudder. She wouldn’t fall for that one again. Chad had asked her so kindly and gently when they first got together. He wanted to know what frightened her so he could protect her from it all. Except that he lied! He just wanted to know the best ways to terrify her.
Brooke swallowed hard, closing her eyes. Travis was gorgeous and when he had held her she had actually felt safe. But she wasn’t. She should have known better. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes again. He was still staring at her, patiently waiting. She lifted her head slightly and jutted out her chin.
“I can’t stay here. I don’t feel safe.” She spoke calmly and deliberately. No way was he going to be able to accuse her of being too upset to make decisions, or too emotional to think straight. She could see the disappointment in his eyes but wouldn’t let herself be swayed. Chad used to use his puppy-dog eyes on her whenever she told him she was unhappy or wanted to leave. She had fallen for it every time. Well, she wasn’t going to fall for it again.
Defiantly, she stared back into his eyes. They were so gorgeous—big and dark. She could hardly bear the sadness she saw there. But she had to. Chad had been gorgeous too. Chad had looked sad just before she gave in and then he just looked angry. And he beat her. She couldn’t risk going through it again. She deserved better. It had taken her ages to realize it, but she deserved to feel safe. To be happy.
Slowly, Travis slid his hands down her face and away from her body. “I can’t argue with that, darlin’,” he said quietly. “Kent and I would never harm you, but if you don’t trust us enough to believe that, then you just need to do whatever you have to.” He backed away from her, giving her some personal space.
Brooke sighed. A massive lump stuck in her throat, and she wanted to cry all over again. But she couldn’t. He was finally letting her go. But it hurt. She felt bereft. Although it was her decision, it wasn’t what she wanted. But it was what she needed. She needed to be safe.
She slowly stood and made her way to the door. She was grateful to hear the shower still running as she went to the guestroom and gathered her things. She hadn’t even unpacked, so it didn’t take long.
As soon as she headed back up the hallway she could hear raised voices from the lounge. Damn! Kent had obviously finished up in the shower. She had to pass that room in order to reach the front door, and there was no other way out. Taking a deep breath, she made her way toward the front of the house, hoping their shouting would cover the sound of her leaving.
“How in hell was I supposed to know you’d come back? Last I heard, you’d gone to see to the horses. I thought you’d be out riding for hours. I was hoping to have worked my way out of my funk before you got back. I know I acted like an asshole, but I thought I could make amends with dinner when you two got back here. I never expected you to let her go!” Kent had obviously heard the news. He stood in nothing but a tight pair of blue jeans, his back to the door.
“What else could I do? She’s got a right to feel safe, and she sure doesn’t feel safe with you around, asking questions and throwing whips all over the place! And did it have to be a single tail? I told you about those marks on her…” Travis stopped abruptly as he caught sight of Brooke standing in the doorway. Her face had turned white as she stared at him. He took a step toward her, as though he were afraid she was going to faint. She took a step back. He stopped.
Kent turned to see what his lover was looking at. He sighed. “Look, baby, why don’t you come and…”
Brooke slowly shook her head, still staring at Travis. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart pounded. He’d seen! He’d seen her body! Her grip tightened on her bags, and she marched to the front door. She was out of it and down the steps before either of them spoke.
* * *
“Well done keeping that secret,” Kent said with a superior look.
“Don’t you dare blame this on m
e! If she hadn’t seen you with that dang whip, she’d still be here!” Travis seethed and felt his face flush.
“I could have convinced her to stay if you hadn’t opened your big mouth about those scars.” Kent shook his head. “So, are we going after her or what?”
Travis slumped onto the sofa. “There’s no point. We’ve scared her half to death and betrayed her. Why would she want us now?”
“So you’re givin’ up, right?”
“Don’t you dare!”
“That’s what it looks like to me.” Kent slowly sat in the chair opposite and closed his eyes.
“You know full well how I feel about her. I really thought we could make it with her, you know? Damn it. I know it’s too soon, but I think I’m falling in love with that girl.” Travis rubbed his eyes angrily as tears formed.
“And you think I’m not?” Kent opened his eyes and leaned forward.
Travis sniffed. “You hardly touched her. She thinks you don’t even like her. And now…”
“I know.” Kent sighed ruefully. “It’s my fault. I’ve blown it for all of us. I knew I sounded mean keeping on asking questions, but I really need to know what’s going on, you know? I was so annoyed with myself afterward, I figured some exercise might help me see straight.”
“And did it?”
“Hell yeah. I’d acted like such an asshole. We know something bad happened to her and she’s not going to talk about it until she’s ready. She doesn’t know yet if she can trust us, let alone confide in us. She just needs some time, that’s all. My pushing her for answers was just pushing her away, and that’s the last thing I wanted to do. I want her to join our family too. I’m just not as good at showing it as you.”
Travis held a hand out to him, and Kent flew into his arms. Travis felt his lover’s wet hair brush against him, and he devoured the fair man in a sensual kiss. Kent’s tongue teased his own and they both moaned as they held each other closer.
“What are we going to do about her?” Kent asked, slowly pulling back. “It’s getting dark. We can’t leave her to walk down the mountain on her own.”
“She won’t accept a ride from either of us if we offered,” Travis groaned as he ran a hand through his dark waves. “Hang on. Why don’t I get Hal to pick her up? He’s not exactly a stranger and she won’t know we sent him.”
Kent chuckled, his green eyes twinkling. “Do it.”
Travis dashed back to the bedroom and hauled on his Levis, then went outside and saw Hal in the distance. He was in his pickup driving toward the house. Travis waved to him.
“Hey, I was just coming to see you.” Hal grinned at his friend. “I need to get this winch repaired. Ned Tucker said he’d take a look at it. I was just on my way down there now, thought I’d drop it off on my way home. That OK with you?”
“Fine. Just do me a favor while you’re at it, would you? Brooke’s gone. We had words and…”
“She won’t want to be out in this weather. Looks like the storm’s coming back tonight.” Hal shook his head as he looked toward the track. “You want me to bring her back here?”
“I wish! No, she won’t want that. I just want to make sure she’s safe, that’s all. Can you pick her up and take her to the hotel for me? Try to persuade her to stay there tonight. My guess is she’ll be planning to get in her car and drive off, but I don’t want her out in this.” Travis looked to the sky. It was getting dark and the wind was worse than before. The storm was definitely on its way back.
Hal nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll find her. I’ll give you a call later.”
Travis nodded as Hal’s pickup joined the track that led down the mountain. Brooke couldn’t have gotten far, and it was a straight road, so she should be easy to spot. He went back into the house, where Kent was serving up the casserole he had prepared earlier.
“Hope you’re hungry. I was cooking for three.” Kent held out a chair for Travis to sit down. Travis rolled his eyes at the chivalry. It was a constant struggle between them, defining who was the more dominant. They badly needed a sub to look after. He smiled and sat down. The smell was divine and suddenly reminded him how hungry he was.
The phone rang as they were clearing away the dishes. Travis leapt over to it, nearly knocking into a chair in his hurry. He sounded cheerful as he answered the caller, so Kent continued washing the dishes. After a few minutes, Travis reached his big arms around his partner’s waist, and Kent felt hot breath on the back of his neck.
“I take it that was Hal?” Kent chuckled as he put the last of the plates on the drainer.
“Yup. Brooke’s staying at the hotel tonight. And that’s not all.”
“Well go on. I can see you’re dying to tell me!”
“Stella’s back. Hal had a word with Don, and he’s gonna get Stella to have a word with her, you know, girl stuff.”
“And that’s good because?” Kent swiveled around to face his handsome lover, a big smile on his tanned face.
“Hell, you know Stella loves the bones of us. She’ll put in a good word with Brooke, won’t she? Convince her we’re not so bad.” Travis beamed.
“You speak for yourself, cowboy. I intend to be real bad tonight,” Kent replied.
Travis hardened against him and Kent grinned.
* * *
Kent wasted no time in urging his lover down the hall. He’d fucked up royally today, and his stomach churned with mixed emotions. One thing was for sure, though; he wasn’t going to fuck up tonight. No siree. Tonight he would rein back some control. He would make sure there were no misunderstandings, no suspicions. He knew Travis was every bit as dominant as he was, but tonight Travis would take direction from him. The guys had been together for nearly ten years now and knew darn well when one needed to take charge. And boy, did he need to take charge tonight. They always gave each other what they needed, except the one thing neither could give—a submissive woman. That was the one thing that would make them whole. And Kent was all too aware he had just turned their chances to shit.
“I’m all yours, bud.” Travis stood next to their huge bed, wearing nothing but a wicked grin.
Kent’s gut clenched. Travis was gorgeous. How had he missed seeing him undress? He badly needed to get a grip. His mouth watered and he swallowed hard. He watched Travis lean over and light a candle on the nightstand. It flickered in the half-light, projecting dancing shadows around the room and over Travis’s naked body. His jaw was accentuated as he smiled in Kent’s direction, and his muscles rippled as he straightened up and folded his strong arms across that massive, ripped chest. Travis cocked a sexy eyebrow. “Need some help there, buddy?”
Kent suddenly realized that he had just been standing there staring like a prize prick. Shit!
With a throaty chuckle, Travis took a step toward him. He stroked Kent’s enormous cock through his tented jeans.
Feeling the heat sear through his throbbing member, Kent hissed and grabbed Travis’s hands just as they freed him from his discomfort. So much for taking control. “Shower, now!” Kent’s command was low and deep.
Travis’s eyes appeared almost black as they darted up to meet his. Still grinning, the cowboy backed away from the huge cock that had sprung to attention in his capable hands, and he winked before heading down the hall. Although each of the bedrooms had its own en suite bathroom, the boys preferred the massive one purposely built at one end of the hall.
Kent took a calming breath after removing his Levis and followed him out the door. Steam was already rising from the shower when he arrived, and he gaped in awe at the dripping, naked body before him.
Travis turned slightly on hearing him arrive and looked him up and down with approving desire flashing in his eyes.
The smell of Armani and Travis welcomed him into the shower, and he stood behind his partner, drinking him in as lust seared through his veins. Kent leaned into his lover’s ripped back, resting his head on the man’s shoulder. Travis was a good couple of inches taller than he, and they fit each other per
fectly. Kent’s hard cock teased the soft flesh of Travis’s gorgeous ass, eliciting a hopeful gasp from the handsome cowboy. He wrapped his strong arms around Travis’s body, stroking the soft hairs of his chest and pulling on his nipples before venturing farther south. Kent could feel Travis’s heartbeat quicken as he ran his soft hands over his lover’s dripping-wet body, and Travis began to pant as Kent’s fingers gripped his massive erection.
Kent gasped at the velvety-smooth member in his hand; its size never ceased to amaze him. It felt as if it were all bone, hard as a rock, but covered in the softest pile imaginable. His own cock hardened even more, and he angled it to tempt his lover’s huge, muscular inner thighs. When dry, the thick hairs there were rough and provided much-needed friction to his pulsating dick, but now the water softened them to a cushion for his cock to rest against.
Kent stood for a minute, letting the boiling-hot water wash over them both. He was left with a feeling of failure and emptiness. The warmth of the huge body in his arms soothed his negativity, and, as his cock twitched, he gradually rose above his emotions and replaced them with determination and power. He had fucked up. Now it was time for him to make amends. And he would.
Travis seemed to notice Kent’s breathing become more rapid, and his body tensed in front of him. Kent’s cock jerked up and prodded his butt hard, causing Travis to gasp.
Kent bit hard on the back of Travis’s neck, and yanked on the cowboy’s straining cock. With hard strokes, he squeezed his fingers around its thick girth and grinned in contentment as pre-cum drooled down his hand. He heard Travis hiss and knew he felt every sensation. Travis braced himself, placing his hands flat against the wall in front of him.
“Yeah, you better hold on tight, bro,” Kent growled into his ear. His voice was feral. It sounded angry and brutal, but Travis would know the true emotion behind it.
Ménage on Moone Mountain Page 4