by Marla Monroe
“I can undress myself. I don’t need help, Max. Thank you, but I can do it.” She was proud that her voice, though harsh, didn’t waver.
“Taylor, you’re sore all over. Let me help you so you don’t hurt as much. I’m not going to attack you, honey. Do you think that little of me?” Max asked.
For the first time, she realized that she’d hurt him when she’d treated him as if he might jump her the minute they were alone. Why would someone who looked like him need to force himself on someone who looked like her, especially with the way she looked right now? Shame coursed through her.
“I–I’m sorry. It’s too much. I…” she couldn’t finish the sentence.
As if he understood, Max leaned in and kissed her lightly on the forehead before continuing to pull the top off her body as her hands released his wrists to rise up over her head. As soon as her hands where free, she crossed her arms, heedless of the discomfort to hide her breasts as best she could.
“Fuck! Her breast is black and blue, Max. Son of a bitch!” Sawyer jumped to his feet and moved up next to Max. “Let us see, baby. We’re not going to hurt you.”
They gently coaxed her arms apart to expose the mottled bruising over her left breast. She’d already seen it and figured it was getting worse as time went by. Neither one of them touched her there. Instead, Sawyer walked out of the bathroom, muttering under his breath as he did. She knew she looked bad, but they hadn’t raped her or hurt her more than she could recover from.
Max eased the scrub bottoms out from under her and down her legs. He didn’t stare at her or touch her any more than necessary as he helped her down and then into the soothing water of the Jacuzzi. As she slowly sat down, her aching muscles and raw emotions began to relax. Max carefully lifted her hair and helped her lean back until she was resting against a layer of plush towels he’d fashioned into a pillow of sorts.
Once again, the medication they’d given her began to draw her under. She didn’t have the energy to even clean her face, but she needn’t have worried. Max soaked the remainder of the dried blood from her swollen nose, cheeks, and lips. When Sawyer returned several minutes later carrying a jar of something, Max had finished.
“Just soak for a few more minutes, Taylor. When the water starts to cool off, we’ll help you out, and then Sawyer has some cream that will help soothe those bruises you have,” Max said, his voice a soothing cadence as she floated on a medicated cloud.
Too soon, they were back, urging her to sit up so they could help her out of the water. She realized it had grown cool, and with that thought, she began to shiver. Every movement adding more torment to her already battered body.
“Easy, pet. We’ve got you. You’ll be warm again soon.” Max patted her skin dry with the easiest of touches.
Sawyer then wrapped a warmed towel around her and picked her up, carrying her out of the bathroom back into the bedroom. In her present state, she wasn’t the least bit scared or worried about what they might have planned. She trusted them. They wouldn’t hurt her in any way. Nor would they take advantage of her in her present state.
She smiled and hummed to a melody playing in her head as Sawyer gently settled her on the sheet-covered mattress where the top linens had already been pulled back. They felt cool to her now feverish skin. Then he was gently applying something equally cool to her tender breast, whispering that she was going to be fine as he did.
Max helped Sawyer cover her in a rather large T-shirt, and then they pulled the covers up over her. She drifted in and out of sleep until the bed dipped on either side of her and both men slipped into the big bed. She had turned on her right side at some point and stared into Max’s endless dark eyes.
“This isn’t a good idea, Max. I think I’ll be really angry in the morning if you sleep with me,” she said dreamily.
“It’s a very good idea, pet. And I’m sure you will be quite angry when you wake up, but I can handle it. Go to sleep.”
“Rest now, angel. We’re here with you. Nothing will bother you now.” Sawyer’s voice behind her had her smiling as she followed his suggestion, safe in the knowledge that he and Max wouldn’t let anything happen to her while she was in their care.
* * * *
As he watched her slowly let go and sleep, Sawyer had to resist the urge to pull her into his arms. She was too sore for him to risk touching her, and right now they had a tenuous hold on her trust. He wasn’t doing anything to screw that up if he could help it.
“They’re dead men when I find them,” Max said on the other side of Taylor.
“One of us has to stay out of jail to take care of her, Max. I have a better chance of taking care of them without getting caught.”
He heard the other man sigh. “Neither one of us is going to do anything stupid.”
Sawyer wasn’t too sure about that. Seeing the bruising shaped like fingers on her breast after dealing with the condition of her face nearly had him loosing it earlier. All he could think about was getting his hands around the guilty party’s throat. It had brought out the part of him that could easily kill. He’d thought he had managed to bury that part of him deep enough it wouldn’t be able to emerge this easily again. Obviously he’d been wrong.
“We’ve got a fight on our hands tomorrow, Sawyer. I want to know how long she’s been having trouble, and why she hasn’t asked for help.” Max was going to stir their little angel up good. That was for sure.
“Hell, Max. Keeping her here and in our bed is going to be a battle all its own. I wouldn’t expect to get a damn thing accomplished tomorrow,” Sawyer drawled with a grin.
He could already hear her angry retorts. He wondered if she’d stomp her foot for them. Nothing turned him on like a recalcitrant sub in need of discipline. Only Taylor wasn’t a trained sub or even knowledgeable of the lifestyle as far as they knew. Plus, she was injured and needed care and reassurance, not training and restraint.
Still, the potential for excitement was high. She was going to wake up in the morning remembering she hadn’t been alone in the bed, and if she woke early enough, she might actually catch one or both of them still in it with her. That would start their morning off well. He chuckled softly.
“What’s so damn funny over there?” Max sounded a little annoyed.
“Just thinking about how much fun she’s going to be. I foresee many trips to the spanking bench in our future, Max.”
“If she doesn’t take to the D/s lifestyle, Sawyer, we aren’t forcing her. Agreed?” Max asked.
Sawyer had been afraid of that. Max would sacrifice everything that helped keep him together for her and end up losing her in the end if he wasn’t careful. Well he had news for his friend. He wasn’t going to let that happen. Taylor was a lot stronger than Max was giving her credit. She would thrive and blossom as a submissive, embracing it with both hands once she realized the power it held.
Most people saw it as a loss of power, but in all honesty, it was a power exchange where the submissive had all of the power and chose how much to share and with whom. No one took the power, at least no one true to the lifestyle. Just like in all aspects of life, there were those who abused what they were given, and there were those who took that abuse believing they deserved it.
Sawyer saw their angel as a strong woman who would surprise them before it was over with. She wasn’t one to shirk responsibility, and she wouldn’t walk away from a challenge. He intended to be the one to hand her that challenge. He kissed her lightly on her bruised lips.
“Let the games begin.”
Chapter Eight
Taylor slowly opened her eyes, aware that she wasn’t in her own bed but unable to remember why at first. Just as she looked over to see a very naked male chest lying next to her, it all came crashing back at once. Taylor reacted without thinking and sat straight up in the bed screaming, NO!
“Taylor. Calm down. You’re safe. You’re fine.” Max’s calm voice right next to her stopped her scream, but it did nothing for her racing heart.
<
br /> “What are you doing in the bed with me? Naked?” She looked over to where a smiling Sawyer lay with his hands behind his head watching her. “Him, too.”
“Sleeping until you woke us up screaming,” Max said with a grin.
“That’s not funny. Get out,” she said holding the covers over her chest, anchoring them under her arms.
“We’re not ready to get up yet. Are we, Max?” Sawyer continued to lie there with the cover bunched around his waist, his very bare chest exposed so that she couldn’t miss the sinewy muscles of his arms and chest.
Nor could she ignore how ripped his abdomen was. He didn’t just have a six pack, Sawyer sported an eight pack. Not only was her pussy weeping with want, but her mouth watered at the thought of tracing each line and crevice of all those muscles with her tongue. Hey, it was a dirty job, but someone needed to do it.
Taylor shook her head and pried her attention away from Sawyer’s yummy torso to find herself eye to nipple with Max’s equally muscular chest. Unlike Sawyer, his strength wasn’t disguised in a trim package. Instead, he had a slightly bulkier build that spoke of strength as well as beauty. Where Sawyer reminded her of a swimmer or runner, Max was built like a fighter, someone she should be scared to mess with.
But she wasn’t afraid that he would hurt her. No, she was more afraid that he would seduce her. And right now, that wouldn’t take much at all. She was very aware of the fact that she was totally nude under the T-shirt, and she didn’t know if they were wearing anything beneath the covers or not.
“Fine. Then I’ll get up. You two can stay right there as long as you want to.” Taylor started to climb from beneath the covers but froze when she felt a hand on her bare bottom.
“What are you afraid of, Taylor?” Max’s deep voice turned her insides to mush.
“Nothing. I’m just not comfortable waking up in bed with two total strangers who don’t seem to be wearing any clothes,” she said.
“You know nothing happened—yet, so why be uncomfortable about it?” Max asked.
“Unless you’re wishing something would and feel guilty wanting something so delicious and decadent, you have nothing to feel uneasy about, Taylor.” Sawyer’s slow, knowing smile tightened things low in her belly she’d never felt stir this much before.
“I–I can’t think around the two of you. I’m getting up,” she said a bit weakly.
“So you already said.” Max squeezed her ass cheek.
Taylor climbed out of bed, trying not to touch either of the men who did nothing to stop her or to get out of her way. Mortified that she’d shown them her girly parts in the process, she hurried into the bathroom. Why had she agreed to come home with them? Nothing good was going to come of this, she was sure.
She looked around and found a brand new toothbrush and several other items laid out for her. She quickly used them and then tried to figure out what to do about clothes. She didn’t want to wear the scrubs from the night before, but she didn’t have anything with her.
A knock at the door startled her into a small scream. Immediately the door flew open, and Sawyer rushed inside the room.
“What’s wrong?”
“N–nothing. You scared me when you knocked on the door. I can’t believe how jumpy I am. I’m never like this,” she said, looking down at her hands where they gripped the edge of the counter.
Sawyer’s face relaxed as he stepped closer. With slow movements, he pulled her gently into his arms and rubbed small circles on her back.
“You’ve had a fright, Taylor. It’s normal to be jumpy afterwards. Don’t be so hard on yourself, babe.”
“Why is someone trying to make me leave? What have I done so bad to someone that they’d want to hurt me?” Taylor couldn’t stop the tears escaping her eyes.
“Shhh, baby. No one’s going to hurt you again. We’ll take care of you.” Sawyer hugged gently then pulled back.
She stared up into his beautiful, chocolate-brown eyes. She realized she could get lost in their smooth, calming gaze. When he slowly lowered his head toward hers, he continued to hold her attention as he claimed her lips with his. She did nothing to stop him, both surprised and relieved to finally know something of what her body had been clamoring for over the last few weeks.
Firm lips moved over hers with purpose and intent. She had no doubt he wanted to kiss her, probably as much as she wanted him to. It was a fact she might as well accept. When he nibbled at her lower lip, following it with his teasing tongue, she moaned, opening her mouth to him. It was an invitation he didn’t question even a second. His tongue took control of her mouth, exploring and conquering ever tiny piece of it.
When he finally eased them down from the kiss, she realized that not only were her nipples diamond-point hard and pressed tightly against his still nude chest, but also her pussy was making a mess down the insides of her bare thighs. The press of his swollen cock to her belly through silken boxers had her cunt clamping down on empty space in frustration.
“If I run my fingers through your pussy lips, would I find you slick and ready for my dick, babe?” Sawyer asked.
Taylor’s mouth opened in a small round O at his bluntness. Seeing how the kiss had affected him just as much with his heavy eyelids and deep, rich, raspy voice thrilled her all the way to her toes. Answering him wasn’t an option open to her right then. She couldn’t have found her voice if she’d wanted to. All she could do was mimic a fish out of water, opening and closing her mouth in response.
His low, sexy chuckle helped to clear her head some though, and she pulled from his arms, taking a step back to put space between them.
“I don’t have anything to wear. I need to go home now.”
“Max has something for you on the bed to put on until we can pack you a suitcase.”
“W–what do you mean?” she asked.
“We’re going to run over to your place and pack your clothes for you to stay here until this lunatic is caught, Taylor. You can’t stay alone when someone is out to hurt you.” Sawyer frowned as she began to shake her head no.
“I can’t stay here with you.”
Sawyer seemed to think about what she said and stepped back toward the door. “We can talk more about your options when you get dressed. Max is fixing us something to eat. It’s nearly noon, so I’m sure you must be hungry.”
“Thanks. I really do appreciate everything you’ve done, Sawyer. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I don’t know either one of you.” She wrapped her arms around herself.
“Just come on out of the bedroom when you get dressed, babe. We’ll talk then.” With that, Sawyer turned and walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door softly before he left.
Taylor let out a breath and leaned against the counter. Her fingers traced her lips as she remembered the kiss with achingly real detail. It had her closing her eyes and reliving it for a few seconds before she managed to regain control of herself once again. This wasn’t getting her anywhere. She had to get home and make some phone calls. Maybe her brothers could help her figure out what to do next.
She quickly cleaned off the evidence of her arousal and eased into the bedroom, relieved to find that both men were absent. A rather risqué bra and panty set in soft pink with tags still on them was carefully laid across one pillow with a set of warm ups that looked to be a couple of sizes too large for her resting next to them. It didn’t take her long to dress, rolling up the excess length of the sweat pants so she could walk. Though the top was too large, it was warm and soft. She couldn’t help but wonder where they’d gotten both sets of clothes.
When she emerged from the bedroom some twenty minutes later, the smell of coffee and food sent her stomach into a fit of rumbles that the men heard across the room. Both of them erupted into annoying laughter at the loud grumbles.
“Someone is hungry,” Sawyer said. “Come on over, Taylor. How about a cup of coffee?”
She all but stomped across the room and climbed up on a bar stool at the cozy bar. Both me
n watched her with obvious amusement. It irked her that they looked like demigods with their sinfully good-looking bodies and handsome good looks in tight jeans and sweaters that showed off their impressive muscles. Next to them in the baggy sweats, she looked like a frumpy third cousin instead of a desirable woman.
That pissed her off, too. Why did she want to look that way around them in the first place? They were way out of her league, and she had no desire to get tangled up with one, let alone two men who seemed to be into the kinky stuff that went on around Perkins City. She might not know much about it, but she did know that there was an undercurrent, or fringe society, of Perkins City that lived by their own rules.
Always in the past, she’d likened the group to a motorcycle gang, secular and mysterious, but basically harmless unless you hurt someone in their group. She was pretty sure she knew some of the members, but she didn’t know many. It didn’t affect how she treated them or how she felt about them at all. They were just different, like the Methodist was different from the Baptist, who were different from the Catholics.
Having never really been curious about what made them different, Taylor hadn’t bothered to listen to much of the gossip and didn’t believe what she had heard. Now, she wondered if she’d been smart not to pay attention. Here she was in the lion’s den, so to speak, and had no idea what to expect out of the two men standing on the other side of the bar.
“Thanks for the coffee.” She tried to smile as she accepted the cup from Sawyer.
“Max made eggs, bacon, and toast. We’ve got grape and strawberry jam. What would you like?” Sawyer asked.
She gave them her order and eyed the heaping plate Max slid across the bar toward her with trepidation. No way could she eat all of that. Even if her stomach did act like it had been hungry for days.
Taylor waited for them to fill their plates before starting. When they turned around to take a seat, Max frowned at her.
