Masters of the Shadowlands 8 - If only

by Cherise Sinclair

“Do you have any idea what you want to do now?”

  “I’m looking for a job in a police station.”

  Kari grimaced. “That should be interesting.”

  “The work really is. But ugly sometimes. I saw a murdered guy; my stomach was doing rollercoaster flips for a couple of days.” And longer.

  Kim turned from where she stood beside Raoul and gave Sally a worried look. “Those images don’t really go away, you know.” As a former slave, she’d probably seen more than her share.

  “So I’m finding.” And yeah, she should never have hacked into the New York police station database. The pictures of that murdered New York police officer… God. Rather than counting sheep at night, she was counting bodies. “But I don’t leave the station very often, so it’s probably not a problem.” She wouldn’t let that be a problem.

  “That’s good.” Kari glanced over at the huddle of law types, which her husband had joined. “Dan says you’re living with the two Fed hunks. How’s it going?”

  “They’re nicer than I thought,” Sally admitted. “It’s not serious. I mean, hey, they’re players and there are two of them, so I’m totally not wanting long-term. But for right now, it’s like indulging in Halloween candy. I’ll enjoy it until the sweets run out.”

  “That sounds smart.” After a sip, Kim frowned at her glass. “Wine might be healthy, but it’s so boring at a party. Maybe I should try that Orgasm drink of yours. What about you, Kari?”

  She hesitated, then shook her head. “Probably not a good idea. But I could use some water.”

  “In that case, ladies, follow me.” Sally led the way to the bar.

  The lanky bartender grinned at the three. “What can I get you?”

  Kim set down her wineglass and glanced over her shoulder at her Master, where he was illustrating something on a napkin while Nolan and Sam looked on.

  “He’s too busy to worry about what you drink,” Sally said. “Besides, orgasms are healthy, aren’t they?” Perhaps not up to Master Raoul’s standards.

  Sally looked around and grinned. Oh gee, my Feebies are awfully occupied too. Wasn’t that too bad? She emptied her glass in two gulps and set it with a thump in front of the bartender. “I need another one as well.”

  “You’re going to get in trouble with those big doofuses, you know. But I’m in.” Kim told the tall bartender, “Two Screaming Orgasms, please.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Sally grinned at Kari. “And you?”

  Kari shook her head. “No. I haven’t had anything stronger than a glass of wine since Jessica’s bachelorette party.”

  Guess ordering one for her wasn’t a good idea. “Hard to drink much with a baby at home.”

  “Actually, my mom took Zane home with her for the night.” Kari wistfully watched the bartender making the drinks.

  “So are you and Dan gonna party at home tonight?” Kim put her arm around her friend.

  “Doubtful,” Kari said under her breath.

  Sally frowned. New baby. Dan was working too many long hours. Unhappy look in Kari’s eyes. Sounded like problems in the Sawyer household. “Make a drink for my friend here too,” she told the bartender.

  “Hey!” Kari said. “No.”

  “If we’re going to get in trouble, so are you.” Sally smirked. “I bet Dan hasn’t had a good reason to spank you in ages.”

  The bartender stared, mouth open.

  Kari turned red. “I’m going back to the others.” She got two steps before turning to scowl at Sally. “And bring me that drink.” After a glance at the bartender, she added, “If he ever makes it.”

  “Huh?” The bartender looked down. “Shit!” Most of the glass was filled with Kahlua.

  Oh God. Sally put her hand over her mouth to try to smother her snickers.

  Kim, the bitch, had no control and was laughing her fool head off.

  The guy pushed the bad drink aside and started making a new one, carefully not looking at them.

  As the bartender’s face kept getting redder, Sally couldn’t stop. Giggles broke out so hard she had to hold her stomach. And when she noticed Galen watching, her attempt to stop laughing almost blew her brains out. A horrible snort escaped instead.

  “God, stop. I’m going to wet my pants.” Shaking, Kim leaned against her.

  “Shit,” the bartender muttered and set them both off again.

  Composure finally regained, Sally straightened and wiped her eyes.

  Lips still quivering, Kim picked up her drink from the table, sipped, and told the bartender solemnly, “Thank you. It’s very good.”

  “Good to hear.” He offered Sally her drink.

  When Sally reached for it, he held on to the glass. “So, you like spanking?” he tried to say casually.

  “Ah—”

  “She does.” Galen’s dark voice sounded a second before his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back against his rock-hard body. “But my hand is the only one that gets applied to her pretty ass.”

  The bartender released her glass so quickly she almost dropped it.

  Galen turned her and guided her back to the group. “Enjoy your third drink, pet. Because I’m going to enjoy punishing you for it.” He rubbed her bottom, and she could feel the hardness of his palm through her silky dress before he left her beside Kim and Kari.

  * * * *

  Leaving Galen to check the mailbox at the end of the drive, Vance held open the front door for Sally.

  In the entry, Glock was sprawled out like roadkill on the tile floor. He opened his eyes and obviously decided his humans didn’t require more effort than an ear swivel.

  Sally detoured around him; Vance stepped over.

  The reception had lasted past midnight, and Sally had sobered up somewhat, but she was still in a chatty, cheerful mood. As she whirled around in the center of the room, her hair fanned out around her. “I had so much fun.”

  Fuck, she was a cutie.

  Glock scooted out of her way, retreating with an indignant tail flick into the game room.

  “Thank you so much for coming to my party.” Sally spun again. This time, her ankle gave out, sending her staggering back.

  Grinning, Vance caught her before she landed on her ass. He bent and took himself a long, slow kiss, gathering her against him. Full breasts, lush butt, all that hair like silk over his arm. Oh yeah.

  And she melted into him, returning his kiss with enthusiasm.

  “You’re living with us. Why wouldn’t we come to your party?” He stepped back, telling his cock to ease down.

  “Well.” When she shrugged, he could almost see her reason: that her own father hadn’t wanted to attend, so why would her casual lovers?

  “We enjoyed ourselves.” He’d have done a whole lot more to see her so happy. Smiling, he patted her ass. “Why don’t you get comfortable? Go take a nice shower. We’ll be in the kitchen.”

  “Okay.” She danced through the foyer and up the winding stairs, one steadying hand on the wrought-iron railing.

  “Nice to see her in such high spirits, isn’t it?” Galen stood in the doorway, his gaze on the stairs.

  “Yep. Bet her mood would lighten even more if we could get her to open up. That father of hers made me want to flatten him.”

  “Same here.” Galen came into the room, leaning heavily on his cane. The obstinate fool hadn’t used it at the reception. “Before you joined us, her father said something about Sally killing her mother.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Vance stared at him.

  “Made her cringe like a kicked puppy.”

  The spitfire wouldn’t react like that if she didn’t buy into the dickhead’s logic. Not good. “She’s taking a shower now. How about we grab us a clean little subbie and get some answers.”

  Galen winced. “Hell of a way to end a party.”

  “We have to do it, sooner or later.”

  He got a slow nod from his partner. “Ayuh. But where? Not a bedroom. Don’t want an interrogation w
here we sleep.”

  “The moon’s up. Let’s use the cabana.” Vance estimated how much time Sally had been scrubbing. “I should have enough time for a shower.”

  “Best if you take the good cop role tonight.”

  “Works for me.” He made a lousy emotional surgeon; he didn’t have the heart to dig deep enough to open up past traumas. But he was excellent at the recovery stage—one reason he and Galen worked so well together. “I don’t want to be the villain for this.”

  Not with Sally. She already pulled at his heart. Truly hurting her would turn him inside out.

  Galen’s mouth tightened. “This might not be pretty. Not from what I saw tonight.”

  “Yeah.”

  Galen smiled slightly. “How ’bout you start the evening by showering with our pet? Work her up a bit. Get her ready to be grilled. Then we’ll take her higher.”

  Vance’s spirits lifted. He certainly couldn’t add to that excellent plan.

  On second thought, he could. “She disobeyed us. I think she’d do better if we enforce the rules, even if they were in fun.”

  “Maybe.” Galen rubbed his chin where his heavy beard growth was showing. “Yes. It would leave her more open for questioning—and it won’t be any hardship to beat on that sweet ass.”

  “Didn’t think so.”

  * * * *

  After pinning her hair on top of her head, Sally stood in the shower, letting the hot water roll down her body. Enjoying the feeling, letting herself relax. She loved showers—and this one was almost as wonderful as the one in Master Z and Jessica’s place.

  She stroked her hand over the marbled tile walls and smiled at the space around her, more than enough for three people. Larger than the men’s own showers…

  And, speaking of men, she should probably get out and tell the guys good night. What a wonderful evening she’d had. Finally graduating was satisfying, but even more splendid was to share that step with everyone. A small, sour feeling ran through her at the memory of her father but was erased by remembering Galen and Vance beside her. And how the whole Shadowlands gang had come to her party. She sighed with happiness.

  The shower door opened.

  Sally gasped and recognized her intruder a second before she screamed the house down. “Vance! This is my shower.”

  “And this is my house.” His lazy smile creased his cheek as he pushed her back far enough that he could step in. “I need someone to wash my back.”

  God, faced with that utterly confident gaze, she’d do anything. But he certainly didn’t need to know that. “Oh please, as if you haven’t been—”

  “Sally.” He was so easygoing she forgot how he could jerk her power away with a mere word.

  Her insides turned liquid. Even more disconcerting was the way her heart turned to soft goo. No. No no no. Keep it together, girl.

  “Well, okay then.” She clapped her hands and gave him a simpering smile. “Want me to wash your back, Master Buchanan, Sir?”

  “Why yes, Sally. That would be very nice.” His cordial tone somehow didn’t negate the steady, assessing look in his eyes.

  Oh man, she was in so much trouble—because that look made her want to go to her knees. She squirted his spicy-scented liquid soap on a washcloth and set to scrubbing his back. A very wide back, broad shoulders, muscles that bunched every time he moved.

  “That feels good.” He turned, grasped her wrists, and set her hands on his chest. Christ on a slippery slope, but she’d never, ever get tired of touching him.

  Of serving him. Of lo— She deleted that thought before it could even run.

  Reboot.

  Back to the subroutine programmed for sex, please.

  He put a finger under her chin, eyes narrowing when she gave an involuntary shake of her head.

  No. Stay out of my brain.

  Her hands were flattened on his chest. She could feel his heart beating against her fingertips as his face gentled and the look in his eyes…changed.

  His deep blue gaze held her, pulled her in, filled her world.

  And he kissed her, slow and deep and more wonderful than any kiss she’d ever had before. He rubbed his nose along hers in a gentle caress and smiled.

  “You planning to wash me, little subbie?” he murmured.

  “Anything you want,” she whispered, then blinked. What?

  He laughed and put her hands back on his chest.

  Right. Don’t look at his eyes. Or his face.

  So she soaped up his chest, getting mesmerized by how he had just the perfect amount of hair sprinkled across his solid pecs. The inverted triangle changed to a narrow line down to where…he had a gorgeous hard-on.

  Well, that could keep her busy and her mind off…other thoughts.

  He chuckled and wrapped her fingers around his erection. Thick. Long. Veins curving around the silken skin. She had the time now to look. To enjoy. She slid her hand up and down, teasing with squeezes, adding her other hand. She leaned forward so her breasts would rub on his lower chest. Oh, she definitely wanted him. But just his body. Not anything more.

  And she’d start by driving him crazy. That would be an excellent end to the evening.

  But before she could go down on him, he stopped her, picked up the soap, and started to suds her breasts. Oh holy God. An insistent pinch brought her up on tiptoes. “Pay attention to what you’re doing, sweetheart,” he said. “Keep those hands moving.”

  * * * *

  Having taken a quick shower, Galen carried his toy bag down the tiny path that angled off from the back of the house. The foliage grew thicker as he approached the lake where the cabana rested on stilts near the water’s edge. The place was perfect for housing guests who desired privacy—or it would be once they got it remodeled. Since the building had a tiny kitchenette and bathroom, he and Vance had slept here when they’d first moved into the house. But the only restoration done so far was to yank out the small window overlooking the water and put in a wall-sized one.

  He stepped inside and looked around. One corner held a small fridge and stovetop with cupboards over them and a nearby tall cabinet. Twin beds were pushed against two walls. A sturdy square table and two wooden-backed chairs were close to the front door. On the wall to the left, the window showed the moon over the lake sending fingers of light across the black water.

  Yes, this would do nicely. He took ropes from his bag. The table would be a fine height for play.

  As Galen finished setting various implements around the room, he heard Sally’s voice outside. Not good the way it made his heart lift.

  Followed by Vance, Sally walked in, attired in a long fleece robe.

  Her flushed cheeks and swollen lips looked as if she’d been nicely aroused. Galen gave his partner a nod of approval and tried not to grin. Bet his jeans had been difficult to zip up over that hard-on.

  “This is a great place.” Sally spun in a circle and came to a sudden halt. She’d spotted the paddle on the table, the crop on the bed. “You’re going to punish me? But…I just graduated.”

  “I heard a rumor to that effect.” Galen stepped closer and undid the ties of the robe. As the sides opened, he caught the fragrance of aroused woman, soap, lotion. “You smell good, pet.”

  “I’m not wearing any perfume.”

  “You don’t need any.” He pushed the robe farther back so he could caress her soft breasts. When he scraped his thumbnail over one pointing nipple, her sharp inhalation was his reward. And, as he’d expected, she automatically tried to step back. Already standing behind her, Vance blocked that retreat.

  “Do you run away because of instincts, or do you really not like my hands on you?” Galen asked. He curved his fingers under her breast, feeling the heavy roundness. Her spiked nipple, her response to his touch had already told him the answer, but she needed to acknowledge it to herself.

  “I-I guess instincts.”

  She’d even dodge verbally. “Do you like my hands on you?” he asked her directly.

 
Her gaze dropped. “Yes.”

  And even though he knew her answer already, hearing her admit it made him feel like he’d reached a mountain peak. He cleared his throat. “All right. Do you like Vance to touch you?”

  “Yes.” Her voice had lowered, as if she were confessing a crime.

  “That’s good, pet. We plan to do a great deal of touching tonight.” Time to rev up those nerves a bit. “Some you’ll like. Some you won’t.”

  His fingers on her breast registered the increase in her pulse.

  Very nice. “Now, before we do anything else, let’s get your punishment out of the way.” And start her off on her journey to another plane.

  She jolted slightly. “I get punished because I graduated?”

  “Sally. You get punished because you had an extra drink after I told you not to,” Vance said.

  “B-but it was a party. My party.”

  “We wanted to play with you afterward,” Galen replied.

  Vance said, “And we didn’t want you breaking your neck if your ankle gave out.” At her flush, he added, “Alcohol and gimp legs don’t mix well.”

  Wasn’t that the fucking truth, Galen thought sourly. But his mood lightened as he looked at the imp. Even subdued, she still seemed filled with joy. By God, she was something. He smiled and touched her cheek. “Ready, imp?”

  When she raised her big brown eyes, Vance grinned at Galen over her head and tugged her robe completely off.

  Galen doubted he’d ever get tired of seeing her without clothing. The faint moonlight slid across her bare skin like a lover’s stroke, highlighting areas he planned to touch, shadowing those where the scent of woman would be strongest.

  Vance curled his hand around her upper arm. After taking his seat in the chair next to the table, he firmly pulled her down over his knees.

  The moonlight turned her full round ass to a marble white.

  That skin was just begging to be pinkened.

  SALLY SPLAYED HER hands on the floor, trying to stay balanced on Vance’s very muscular thighs. Her pulse had sped up; her skin felt overly sensitive, as if even the air was scraping across it.

  When she shifted uncomfortably, he ruthlessly arranged her position so her bottom rose higher in the air. “You know why you’re being punished. Do you have any questions?”