by Mary Wehr
Well, she was right about that, but his father’s handwritten notes still needed to be dealt with and transferred onto the computer. Charles Dalton had been old school to the end. He grouched constantly about computers. To keep the peace, Cade and Reese had given up trying to convince the old coot to use a computer and suggested hiring another secretary to deal with the phone calls and filing so his long-time secretary, Corrine, could concentrate on sorting through his paper trails, but their father’s lack of trust in human nature proved to be just another stumbling block.
Despite the old ways in which the law firm was handled, cases kept coming in and now that his father was gone, Cade and Reese had decided it was time to get Corrine some much needed help.
Cade’s heart filled with tenderness at the thought that Sara was always worrying about him. Christ, she worried about everybody but herself. The desire to kiss the daylights out of her instead of continuing his stern line of questioning was tremendous, but he remained steadfast in his goal. He needed to find out what was going on with her.
“So switching pills was the only way to get me to rest?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Fretting about me to the point that you do something behind my back is not the kind of marriage we agreed on.”
Sara shifted from one foot to the other. Obviously she was uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading.
“Sara, you knew I was a dominating man when you married me. You were happy with me being the one to take care of the bills and make all of the decisions.” She opened her mouth and he waved his hand in warning. “Please be silent until I am finished. You were only a child yet you did a remarkable job at taking care of your dad until he passed away. That was a huge responsibility for a ten-year-old girl. A husband who handled all the worries was what you had been looking for. I’m that man, am I not?”
Sara nodded, biting her lower lip.
“And yet you’re not keeping up your end of the agreement, and that means I am unable to keep mine. We read the ‘contract’ and signed it. Now, there’s something bothering you and you need to tell me what it is.” He pulled her toward him and settled her between his wide spread legs. He lifted one of her hands and eyed her fingers in disdain. “You’ve chewed your fingernails down to the nub. What’s wrong? Am I the reason why you look so sad?” Cade held his breath. Yeah, he was stern and domineering all right, but this little lady had the power to rip his heart right out of his chest.
* * * *
Sara’s eyes welled with tears. That was the last thing she wanted him to think. “Oh, Cade, no, it’s not you. I love you so much.”
She dropped to her knees and laid her head in his lap as a surge of guilt washed over her. She had known about his non-conventional sexual lifestyle and how he had changed just to please her, and now she wanted that threesome, but shame prevented her from admitting the truth.
Sara squeezed her eyes tightly shut, but a tear managed to leak through and slide down her cheek. Aunt Helen may have been the only female figure in her life, but she had also been the one to label her mother a whore. There had been no phone calls from her mother. No letters or birthday cards. Christmas would come and go with no contact. Clearly her mother must’ve regretted having a daughter. Sara’s breath hitched at the thought. But Aunt Helen was always there to teach her right from wrong, and wanting sex with two men at the same time was definitely wrong.
This pent-up anger directed at her mother was driving her crazy. She hadn’t given a rat’s ass about her mother in twenty-one years, so why was it an issue now? How was she supposed to admit to herself that she wanted the same thing her mother had wanted and not feel like a whore?
She wasn’t a person to put much faith in rumors, but was it true that her father might have physically abused her mother? If so, that could explain why her mother had chosen to leave. Sara didn’t have the courage to ask her dad when he was alive, but she remembered the outrage on her Aunt Helen’s face when she had mentioned the rumors. Helen Martin was quick to defend her brother. George Martin had never laid a hand on his wife. Caroline Martin was a whore. Sara believed her aunt. What would her aunt gain by lying?
God, she was getting a headache. She had to get out of the house for a while. Sara squeezed her husband’s knee and scrambled to her feet. “Everything is fine. I need to run to the store for more cereal.” Not waiting for him to reply she went into the hallway and slipped on her sneakers. She poked her head around the doorjamb. “I’ll be back in a few.”
Chapter 3
Ten minutes later Cade was still staring at his coffee cup. Fine, my ass. Sara was hiding something. His gut instinct hadn’t failed him yet, and right now his insides were twisted in a knot.
Not too long ago he had come home early from work with a hard-on from hell. Mental images of Sara spread out on the bed with his head between her legs had him behaving like a Neanderthal. He needed to fuck his wife. He remembered storming through the downstairs with only one thing on his mind. He had been about to explode when soft moans floated from the bedroom upstairs. He had taken the stairs two at a time only to come to an abrupt halt outside the bedroom door. Sara was splayed on the bed, pleasuring herself, and that erotic vision would invade his thoughts at the most inopportune times. He had been so mesmerized by her delicate fingers pumping in and out of her pussy that he almost didn’t hear her call his name. Lust had pierced through his belly and filled his dick. His pants were wrapped around his ankles when she pulled at her nipples and came again, only this time she had called out Reese’s name. Stunned, Cade just stood there for several minutes before he pulled up his pants with shaking hands and backed slowly away from the room. Was it possible she now wanted Reese as well?
Overwhelmed by what he had heard, he had gone into the kitchen, grabbed a beer, and flopped on the couch. That’s where Sara had found him. He had been prepared to talk to her, find out what her true feelings were, but then his mother called with the news about his father’s death.
Any conversation between the two had been put on hold.
Cade shook his head and idly stirred his coffee.
Sara had readily agreed with Cade that his mother shouldn’t be by herself during this time of grief. So Renee Dalton had been their guest up until a week ago. Sara had welcomed her with open arms and had been a very attentive daughter-in-law while he and Reese had made the funeral arrangements, placed their childhood home on the market, and attempted to convince their mother that she wasn’t a burden. But Renee had been adamant that she would not infringe on either of her sons’ privacy and was happy to live the rest of her life in a retirement home with other people her own age. She was getting stronger every day, and he and Reese made sure to call and check on her regularly.
As for Sara…well, he had secretly held onto the hope that she would willingly submit to being the woman he and Reese had always dreamed of sharing. Maybe they still had a shot at being a family…if he could only convince her that their situation was much different than what her mother’s had been.
The shrill ring of the phone jerked him back to the present. Setting down his cup, Cade went into the living room and checked the caller ID. Great. He was not in the mood to speak to Sara’s aunt right now. The woman rubbed him the wrong way from the moment they had met, and in all the years he’d known her those feelings hadn’t changed. Sara was very fond of her aunt, but Cade couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman may have had a hand in keeping Sara’s mother away. He shook his head vigorously. He was always suspicious of people’s motives. Must be the lawyer in him, but if he didn’t answer the phone she’d be over in a flash.
“Hello.”
“Oh, Cade, I thought you’d be at work by now.”
I bet you did. Cade rubbed the spot between his eyes. Helen was a manipulator. She played with Sara’s head when he wasn’t around, only Sara couldn’t see it, or she simply refused to. Piling on the guilt was another quality the old bat wasn’t afraid to use. He had held his temper until one Sunday afternoon
. Coming over and badgering him to join the church had been the last straw. Cade bluntly told the woman to take her religious views elsewhere. He’d pray to his maker on his own time. Since that day, he had fallen way below Helen Martin’s standards. Not that he had been high up on the list before. His notorious high school sex frolics had placed him at the bottom years ago.
Cade counted to ten and asked as nicely as he could without sounding like a bastard, “What can I do for you?”
A long, drawn-out sigh reached his ears and made the fine hairs on the back of his neck bristle. What the hell was it about this woman that bugged him? A strict upbringing with a wooden spoon applied to his backside had taught him and Reese to respect their elders, but all he wanted to do was smack the woman upside the head.
“I want to speak to Sara.”
Sorry, but that ain’t happening. “She went to the grocery store. I fell last week so I’ve been home.” Shit, he hadn’t meant to tell her that much. Now that he opened the door she was going to move right on in.
“Sara should have told me.”
And there was that demanding tone of voice irritating him once again. Along with wanting to know every little detail of their marriage, she’d always find fault in whatever Sara did. She may have been around when Sara had been growing up, but Helen Martin really needed to get a life.
“I’m fine. It’s just a sprained wrist. I fell down the porch steps last week. It was my fault for not watching where I was going.”
“I’ll be right over.”
“No,” Cade shouted into the mouthpiece and winced. “I mean, don’t bother.” Well hell, that sounded even worse.
“Excuse me?”
“We’re fine. Sara has everything under control. There’s no need for you to worry.” Poking her nose where it didn’t belong was more like it.
“What if she needs help with lifting something heavy? You are obviously in no shape to offer assistance.”
Cade tensed. “Reese can handle the heavy lifting if it’s needed.”
“Oh, yes, your brother,” she replied, her tone dripping with disdain. “You two are very close.”
Cade looked up at the ceiling as if searching for patience. He didn’t find any. “Look, Ms. Martin, let’s lay it on the line. I know you dislike me and aren’t happy about the fact that I married your niece.”
“Dislike isn’t a word I’d use, Mr. Dalton. I detest you. You and your brother’s sexual exploits are legendary in this town. You two may have done most of your atrocious behavior in California, but you left quite a mark here before leaving. My niece married you without my blessing.”
“And that just pisses you off, doesn’t it?”
“Mr. Dalton!”
Cade bit back a few choice words. Out of respect for Sara he’d keep his opinions to himself, but nowhere in that little speech did Helen add that the women had been willing and no one had gotten hurt. “There’s no need for you to come over. I’ll let Sara know you called.”
“Well, I suppose that’s it then.” It was more of a statement than a question, and Cade could almost see her nostrils flaring. Helen Martin never did like to be told what to do. He bit out a terse “goodbye” and hung up without waiting for a response.
He ran a hand through his hair. Caroline Martin had hurt her daughter badly. Her sister-in-law had stepped in, and between her and her brother, they managed to raise a beautiful and kind-hearted young woman. Cade had no clue how that had happened and he wasn’t about to try and figure it out. Right now his sole focus was on what exactly his wife was hiding. He’d handle Helen Martin in due time.
He went back into the kitchen and poured himself another cup of coffee only to slam the cup down with a bang. Damn! Only six months into the marriage and she was already hiding her feelings from him.
Not too long ago he and Reese had given up trying to find a woman willing to share their lives and had tossed around the idea of delving into the BDSM lifestyle. Cade was a natural Dominant. There had been plenty of women in California, but no matter how hard they had tried not one was able to hold a candle to Sara. She held a special place in their hearts.
They had both caught glimpses of her during their holiday visits, and she had gone from being the girl next door to the woman of their dreams. Maybe a woman with two husbands was outside the norm, but life was to be lived and not spent worrying about what other people thought. Only Sara didn’t want two husbands, and he wasn’t about to push her into a lifestyle she didn’t want. He had been willing to do anything for her as long as she agreed to marry him. What could have possibly been a wonderful life had been ruined by people’s ignorance and her mother’s betrayal.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Head of the Household was a far cry from BDSM, but it still involved a degree of discipline and submission. It was time to dish out some well-deserved punishment. Cade’s finger hovered over the speed dial on his cell. He needed to deal with her disobedience now before it really got out of hand. Since his injury he had entertained an idea on how to deliver a punishment, but a twinge of doubt had always held him back. Now he was ready to put that plan into action but still found himself praying he was doing the right thing. If he was wrong, he could possibly end up losing the most important person in his life.
Chapter 4
Sara turned into the parking lot of the Grab ‘n’ Go and shut off the engine. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Maybe if she banged her head against it a few times it might give her an answer. What in the world was she going to do? Cade had been right. There was something weighing heavily on her mind, and she didn’t have the nerve to tell him because it involved his brother.
She closed her eyes and groaned. Reese was hot. He had it all. Muscular build, handsome face and a square jaw that appeared as if it had been carved with a meticulous hand. The tattoo embellished on one of his bulging biceps gave the impression of a badass, but the teasing sparkle in his deep blue eyes contradicted such a disposition.
He was a lawyer also, but a suit and tie wasn’t his thing. His long blond hair was usually tied back with a piece of leather, and the closest he had come to looking professional was a pair of dress slacks and button-down shirt. Both Cade and Reese were tall and wide shouldered with slim waists and long legs. Where Cade was dark in both appearance and personality Reese was light and easygoing. The two brothers complimented each other and had supposedly melted plenty of female panties during their years in high school. She had been well aware of the gossip about their sexcapades, but that’s all she had thought it had been…gossip.
But then years later when she saw the Dalton boys walking into the restaurant where she worked with a blonde sandwiched between them her heart had plummeted. Her aunt had been right. The two people who had protected her from nasty gossip so long ago turned out to be exactly like the men who had convinced her mother to leave a husband and small child behind. Sara knew deep down that it was wrong to take out her bitterness on Cade and Reese. As a young girl, they had been her protectors, as an adult, her childhood adoration had turned into desire. She wanted Cade as her friend, her lover, and the person she’d spend the rest of her life with.
Sara had been pleased to learn that Cade returned her feelings. He gave her whatever she needed. She had bared her soul to him one night, telling him that she wanted to be disciplined by a man, but a Dominate-submissive relationship wasn’t her style. Whips and handcuffs weren’t in her comfort zone. She was a very independent woman but craved a man’s firm hand on her backside. Just the thought of being turned over his lap sent her pulse racing. Why she hadn’t a clue. Perhaps it had something to do with her childhood and the lack of discipline in her life. Cade had suggested a Head of the Household agreement. The HOH took care of the financial responsibilities and was the disciplinarian. Sara readily agreed. She’d had enough of responsibility to last her a lifetime. Now all she had to do was stop analyzing every thought that popped into her head and let Cade take care of things.
Life had be
en going along just fine until Cade fell and hurt his wrist. Reese would stop by once in a while, but now he was constantly dropping in and out of the house. Although Sara appreciated his concern for Cade, she couldn’t take the frequency of his visits anymore. She finally admitted to herself that she wanted Reese as well as Cade.
Was it morally acceptable to love two men? Lord knows her Aunt Helen would have a stroke. The woman spouted words from the Bible constantly. She even tried to sway Cade into her way of thinking, but he had set her straight on numerous occasions.
Sara blew out a breath. No matter how much her aunt preached about the sins of the flesh, the thought of being sandwiched between two hotties like Cade and Reese was overwhelming. Reese’s relaxed manner and sense of humor was hot, and Cade’s authoritative, take-charge attitude sweetened the pot. Cade expressed his love in many small ways. All he wanted in return was her love and honesty. She was never ever to lie to him. The consequences would be dire.
He didn’t mind that she worked at the Grab ‘n’ Go convenience store. He understood her need to earn her own money. It might not be much, but she felt as if she was contributing something to the household. Cade had shown her time and time again that her happiness was all that mattered to him. She had a wonderful, caring husband to come home to, so why was she blowing it all to hell? She shook her head. She had to talk to someone before she exploded.
Sara grabbed her purse and keys and hurried inside the store. She nodded at the blonde behind the counter. “Hey, Stacy, where’s Jen?”
“She called in sick,” Stacy replied. “I didn’t have classes today so I’m covering both shifts.”
Sara nodded and headed toward the cereal aisle where she found the new manager, Melanie Horan, chatting with her husband Jack while she bounced their baby boy on her hip. The woman’s stunning blue eyes lit up. “Hey, Sara. What are you doing here on your day off?”
