“How lovely to meet you, dear. Come and sit by me.” The lady held out her hand and gave Brooke’s a warm shake before urging her over to sit next to her.
“It’s lovely to meet you too, Mrs. Montgomery.”
“Call me Stella. I hear you’re practically one of the family. Don tells me you had an accident yesterday. Are you all right?” Stella wore bright red lipstick to match her dress, and her mouth smiled widely as she spoke. Brooke felt her warmth.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I fell off a horse and got a few bumps and bruises, that’s all.” Brooke nodded to Mr. Montgomery as she took a glass of wine from the tray and tasted it. Champagne. They must be celebrating tonight.
“And you were found by the boys up on the ranch. Doc Hardy has been to see you and told you to rest for a few days. Are you going to do that here?” Stella had been well informed.
“I had a restful day today.” Brooke hoped that would suffice. It didn’t.
“And tomorrow?” Don Montgomery’s voice was low and deep, very much like the boys’ on the ranch, Brooke realized. She knew he wouldn’t be happy if she told him she was hoping to drive off tomorrow, so she decided to play it safe.
“I’ll see what tomorrow brings.” She smiled sweetly at him and he frowned. Stella giggled.
“Don, dear, how about a few nibbles to go with this?” Stella gave her husband a dazzling smile as she sipped her champagne.
Brooke gaped at Stella’s audacity.
“Of course, pet.” He gave his wife a small kiss on the top of her head and smiled as he got up and went toward the kitchen.
Without looking at her, Stella put her hand over Brooke’s. She hadn’t realized she was trembling. She looked away from the kitchen door as soon as the man was gone, and stared back at his wife.
“It’s all right, dear, don’t worry.” Stella’s voice was gentle, and Brooke’s tremors turned into aftershocks.
“But won’t he…”
“He loves me and I love him.” Stella smiled at her. “We give each other what we need and what we want. He can’t do enough for me, and I feel the same way about him. You’ve been in a bad relationship, haven’t you, dear?”
Brooke gasped and stared at the older lady.
Stella continued to smile. “It’s not all one-sided, you know. If a relationship is going to work, you both have to give and take. My guess is you’re the one who did all the giving?”
Tears streamed down Brooke’s face as she nodded. Stella offered her a handkerchief and put a soothing arm around her. The older lady was all soft and round and gave great hugs.
“What happened at the ranch?”
“Kent had a whip,” she whispered.
Stella nodded knowingly. “He’s brilliant with a single tail. The best around here. Girls are lining up to have him use it on them at the club. Did he use it on you?”
Brooke shook her head.
“He didn’t hurt you, then?” Stella looked a little confused.
“No. No one hurt me. I just got a little scared, that’s all.” Now that she said it aloud, Brooke realized it really wasn’t such a big deal. She took another sip of her champagne. It fizzed in her mouth and she enjoyed the taste. She sniffed, suddenly feeling a little better.
“We all get scared once in a while. Sometimes it’s a good thing.” Stella smirked as though a memory had just flashed through her mind. “Those boys wouldn’t ever hurt anyone, though. They’re great guys.”
As Brooke watched Stella take another gulp of her wine, she realized this lady spoke a lot of sense. She obviously knew a lot about the D/s lifestyle too. Brooke wondered what else she knew about.
“They’re both gay, aren’t they? So which one’s the…you know…?” Brooke stammered.
“Travis and Kent are actually bisexual. They’re both Dominants too, which makes life a little hard for them. They’ll be fine once they find the right girl. They need a nice sub to look after.” Stella smiled at Brooke.
“Look after?” Brooke frowned. That didn’t make any sense.
“Of course. That’s part of a Dominant’s job, isn’t it? To look after his sub. What did you think their job was?” Stella asked kindly.
“Well, discipline. They tell you what to do and you do it. If you get it wrong, you get punished,” Brooke whispered, almost afraid of being overheard, though there was no one else there.
“Sweetie, I hate to tell you this, but you’ve got it all wrong. Whoever told you that was a relationship was talking out of his ass! It sounds to me like you’ve been bullied half to death. Did he beat you too?” Stella’s voice was soft but firm.
Tears flooded down Brooke’s face again and she nodded. Stella pulled her into another big hug, where she sobbed for quite a while before sitting upright. She wiped her face and sniffed hard.
“That’s why you were afraid of Kent’s whip. What was he doing with it?” Stella asked softly.
“He-he didn’t know I was there. He was swiping at some paper on the wall of his…his…”
“Playroom? Dungeon? That room where the boys keep all the kinky stuff. He was probably practicing. Kent’s a perfectionist, that’s what makes him so good. He won’t try anything unless he knows he can do it properly. That way he can’t harm anyone.” Stella spoke so matter-of-factly it made Brooke stare at her in wonder.
“He was concentrating, I think.” Now that Brooke thought it through, she remembered that he was actually studying his stroke and hitting his target very precisely.
Stella nodded and gave her another big hug. “BDSM’s not for everyone, and most of us around here don’t go to extremes with it, but if you like it there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“I used to like playing at a club,” Brooke blurted out.
“Have you been to Ty’s here in town?” Stella asked as they both resumed their drinks.
Brooke stared at her. “You’ve got a BDSM club here in Moone?”
“We sure have. I’d be happy to take you along there one night and show you what it’s really all about if you’d like to? You don’t have to do anything; we can just go to watch.”
Brooke gasped. “I’d love to. Yes please, I’d love to go with you.” She beamed at the older lady and squeezed her tight.
Stella laughed. She had a wonderful, loud laugh that was infectious. Brooke wiped her face again and giggled, just as Don arrived with a platter full of tidbits. The young girl’s stomach rumbled on cue, and she remembered she hadn’t eaten yet.
Stella giggled back. “I can see you and me are gonna get along just fine, Brooke. You might even enjoy your stay here at Moone after all,” she said with a wink.
Chapter Six
Brooke slept late the next morning. She stared at her watch, horrified. Must have been the champagne. She dived into the power shower, then pulled on her blue jeans and a sweater. She didn’t bother with makeup and scraped her thick wet hair up into a bushy ponytail before rushing downstairs.
“Good morning, sweetie.” Stella was in the foyer. “Did you have a good sleep?” Her hair was casually piled on top of her head, and she had no makeup on today. She looked like a different person, although her wide smile was still the same.
“Yes, I’m so sorry.” Brooke blushed as she spoke.
“What on earth for?” Stella frowned incredulously, “You’re supposed to be resting, remember? Doctor’s orders, I understand.”
“W-well yes, but…” Brooke stammered, unsure of what she really wanted to say.
“Then you’re doing the right thing. Come and have breakfast with me.” Stella whisked her into the dining room. A waiter was the only person in there. He was polishing cutlery and setting up the tables. He smiled as the ladies swooped in.
“Would you like a cooked breakfast, Brooke?” Stella asked as they took a table by the window.
“No, thank you. Just coffee and toast, please.”
Stella frowned. “Well all right, but make sure you eat some lunch today.”
Brooke imagined this is what it must fe
el like to have a mother. Hers had died when she was very young, as had her Dad, and she didn’t remember either of them.
The waiter swaggered over to take their order; he looked as though he would be more at home in a saddle than walking.
“Morning, Zak. Could we just have coffee and toast for now, please?” Stella gave him a winning smile, and he grinned at them both before sauntering over to the kitchen.
Brooke frowned when she looked out the window. It was raining hard and the wind was up.
“The storm’s set in for a couple of days,” Stella said with a sigh. “What are your plans?”
“I don’t really know.” Brooke bit her lip. She really didn’t have clue what to do now. She knew she wouldn’t get far if she tried to drive out of town as the roads were probably flooded by now.
“Well now, how much have you seen of our little town?” Stella asked cheerfully.
“Not much,” Brooke admitted. “I’ve been riding a couple of times up the mountain on Mr. Hammond’s horse. It’s really beautiful up there. I went to the corner shop for some gum a few days ago, but I haven’t really looked around yet.”
“Well, if you like I can show you around? It’s not safe enough to drive or ride horseback, but we can take a stroll together if we wrap up warm.” Stella smiled as the waiter laid their breakfast on the table and they both tucked in.
They enjoyed their meal before going upstairs to get ready to face the weather. Stella took an umbrella, and Brooke took her coat from her car on her way out. The town was surprisingly busy, given the conditions.
“Folks must be getting stocked up with supplies in case this weather lasts,” Stella explained. “Sometimes we get cut off for weeks when it’s real bad.”
Brooke looked horrified. “You mean I might not be able to get home?” Her voice trembled.
Stella smiled at her and linked her arm comfortingly. “I don’t think it’ll be that bad this time. I’ve seen it far worse than this,” she soothed her. “Is someone waiting for you at home, Brooke?”
Brooke felt a lump in her throat. She couldn’t tell Stella that she couldn’t actually go back home even if the weather improved. “No, I live alone. But I have to get back to work.”
“Where do you work?”
“It’s a big manufacturing company in Chicago. I work in the admin department.”
“How interesting. What do you manufacture?”
“Oh, we make all sorts of stuff there. Primarily rubber products.” Brooke waved her free arm dismissively, hoping Stella would change the subject.
“Oh, like tires and things?”
Tires were actually their main export, so Brooke was a little taken aback by the question. “Yes,” she replied simply.
“How long have you worked there, sweetie?” Stella looked so innocent as she asked. Brooke took a deep breath to quell her fears and tried to reassure herself that the lady was just being polite and interested.
“A few years,” Brooke said with a shrug. “Oh look, is that a clothes shop?”
She had noticed a pretty shop window full of beautiful lingerie.
“Yes, do you want to take a look?”
Stella led her across the narrow road through the center of town. They had to pick their way around the puddles. Shops and offices lined both sides of the street, and people seemed to be hurrying about everywhere. Dirty pickup trucks chugged up and down the road, dropping mud off their heavy treads.
“Good morning.” A glamorous lady with long blonde hair stood behind the counter by the door. She was heavily made-up and looked stunning. Her big red lips showed a dazzling smile and perfect teeth.
“Good morning, Melinda. This is Brooke. She’s staying at the hotel for a while.” Stella smiled as they walked in.
Brooke smiled nervously. Melinda gave her a broad smile in return.
“Well it’s nice to meet you, Brooke.” Melinda shook her hand. Brooke just smiled back.
“We’re just gonna take a look around if that’s OK?” Stella ushered Brooke toward a rail of lacy panties.
Melinda nodded and smiled again. She was so pretty and skinny Brooke didn’t know what to say to her. She wore a red pencil skirt and a black silk blouse. Brooke couldn’t see her feet but guessed she was in high heels. Brooke sighed, feeling very fat and ugly with no makeup and her hair pulled off her face.
I must look like a drowned rat to that gorgeous woman, Brooke thought miserably.
“Satin or lace?” Stella’s question pulled Brooke from her thoughts, and she noticed the lovely items in front of her.
“Either.” Brooke shrugged, having never considered her preference. Chad had always forbidden her to wear underwear when they were together, so she considered any at all to be a luxury.
As they moved away from the counter, and Melinda’s prying ears, Stella murmured to Brooke, “This is where most of us get our stuff for Ty’s. There’s a lot more stuff toward the back of the shop if you’re interested?”
Brooke’s eyes lit up and she nodded.
There were some beautiful corsets in satin and lace and exquisite underwear that hardly covered anything.
“Do you have much of this type of stuff?” Stella asked, putting a gorgeous red corset against herself and admiring it in the mirror.
“No…well, not with me,” Brooke stammered. It suddenly occurred to her that she had left all of her fet wear behind. In her hurry to escape, she had just grabbed the first clothes at hand, which were mostly what she wore every day. She even had to hunt for some underwear.
She thought back to her “play” wardrobe and frowned. Chad had bought all her clothes for the club and had put her in what he wanted to see, not what she wanted to wear. He bought her really tight, short dresses that pushed her ample bosom up and showed her ass as she walked. Brooke felt horribly self-conscious and was convinced the other women sniggered when they saw her. Chad didn’t seem to notice—either that or he regarded it as part of her punishment. The corsets he chose were lacy and itchy, especially when she got hot. He always insisted on tying them too tight so she could hardly breathe, and she had fainted in the club on several occasions, much to his anger.
“Brooke, are you OK?”
She blinked and realized Stella was holding on to both her arms, staring at her face. She sniffed and was horrified to feel tears pricking her eyes.
“I’m fine.” She tried to smile at the older lady and blinked hard to keep back the torrent of unshed tears that threatened to overspill.
“Here.” Stella handed her a lace handkerchief. “We can go somewhere else if you’d rather, sweetie?”
“No, no, I’d like to take a look.” Brooke was intrigued to see what they had, moreover to see if there was anything that might look half-decent on her curvy frame.
Stella smiled. “Well, if you’re sure. They’ve got some dresses and skirts at the back. Shall we take a look at those?”
Brooke nodded and followed Stella to the very back of the store. Several mannequins were lined up along the back wall, sporting a range of different outfits. Brooke was instantly drawn to a black leather dress with capped sleeves and laces up the front. It was short but didn’t appear to be quite as short as the ones she was used to. Not only did she wish to protect her modesty, she was also aware she now had scars at the tops of her legs that she would prefer to hide. What really added to the appeal of the dress was the size of the mannequin wearing it; in fact, she noticed, quite a few of them seemed to cater to the slightly larger sizes.
“Try it on,” Stella urged.
Brooke bit her lip but took one from the rail nearby. Stella ushered her into the little changing cubicle in the corner of the shop, and she took a calming breath before putting on the dress. She was stunned to find it fit perfectly. She was so used to finding that although a dress was supposed to be in her size, it was actually far too small. This one slid on beautifully, and she tied the lace excitedly, then stood back to admire her reflection. She gave a little gasp. It actually looked gr
eat! The shape of the bust pushed her bosom up slightly, giving it a lovely round contour, but didn’t make it look as though it was falling out. The dress had been cut so that it glided over her tummy and large hips, making her look shapely rather than fat. The length allowed her to move around without showing off tomorrow’s washing with every action—a primary concern in an environment where she might not even be allowed to wear that much underwear.
“Is it OK, sweetie?”
Stella gave a massive smile, which told Brooke all she needed to know. Brooke flushed and dived behind the curtain to change back into her jeans.
“That’s a definite,” Stella said as she took the dress from Brooke, who suddenly realized she hadn’t even checked the label. It was bound to cost a fortune.
“I forgot to check the tag,” she whispered to Stella as they made their way toward the counter.
“It’s my treat.” Stella winked at her and handed the dress and the red corset to Melinda.
Brooke blushed, but didn’t want to argue in front of the shop assistant.
“Is it still raining?” Stella asked.
Brooke walked over to the door and looked out. “It seems to have stopped.” She looked around to see that Stella had already paid and was following her over. Brooke automatically put out a hand and took the shopping bag from her.
“Good. Let’s grab some lunch across the road, and then I’ll show you where Ty’s is. It’ll be a quiet night tonight, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” Stella said with a grin as they left the store.
* * *
The guys had woken early on the ranch. After a shower and breakfast, Kent had helped Travis tend to the horses for a while before getting ready to leave for town. “I won’t be long. Just need to pick up a few supplies and thought I’d drop by the office.” Kent took Travis’s mouth in a lingering kiss before climbing into the pickup. Travis grinned and watched him drive off. He was probably on to him about his plans.
Kent arrived at the hotel and was pleased to hear that Brooke was booked in for another night. “Probably longer if I know Stella,” Don Montgomery told him with a wink. “They’re off out shopping right now. Stella’s keeping a close eye on her, making sure she doesn’t overdo it. She’s taking her to Ty’s tonight if she’s up to it. They talked about it last night, and little Brooke was real interested. Said she used to go to a club in Chicago.”
Ménage on Moone Mountain Page 6