by Zoey Marcel
“Spread your legs and place your hands on the wall.”
She obeyed, quaking like a palm tree in a hurricane.
The first smack stung quite a bit. She recalled from her experiences with her Master that a few good whacks to the buns hurt more when said buns were wet.
The second freaked her out, and she spun around. “I need to see your face!”
Travis's brow furrowed, and he gripped her arms tightly. “Damn it, Kayla. Who hurt you?”
She clung to his arms, feeling frantic. “Please spank me. I need it. Just let me face you.”
He yanked her against his body and held her in a secure hug as he spanked her slick bottom hard. Well, this wasn't what she had in mind at all. She wanted numbness to cloud out the sickening memories. With the way he held her against the private heat of his manly body she felt warm and safe. The numbness she needed never came, only the sharp, punishing slaps of his open hand and a comforting sense of love that surrounded her.
“Never lie to me again, Kayla.”
Kayla held onto him, cursing the irritating sniffles that exposed her vulnerability. “Yes, Sir.”
Damn it, she called him Sir again. What the fuck?
He pulled her back and saw the tears streaming down her face. “I want to fix you, Kayla, but how can I do that or trust you when you lie to me?”
She cried harder. “I'm sorry, really, really sorry.”
He sat down on the built-in seat and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her gently as he held her. “Tell me what happened, cricket. Be as vague as you want, but I need to know who hurt you and what he did.”
She tried to pull herself together long enough to collect a semblance of intelligent words. “His name was Beck Hammond. He was my agent and my employer.”
“What did you do for him?”
She bawled uncontrollably on his shoulder.
“Darlin', it's okay. I'll never think less of you.”
“I was his assistant. He pulled some strings to get me a spot in a commercial. He offered to act as my agent for free. At least that's what he said. After the commercial aired, he...” She sniffled, and her voice broke. “He filmed me in my bra and panties because he said I needed to get used to being half naked in front of people in case I ever did a love scene. I can’t believe I...”
Travis held her tight and gently rubbed the consolation onto her arm.
“He got into bed with me. I didn't know he was going to do that. He said I owed him for everything he did for me.” She felt Travis's nails dig into her skin as if infuriated. “I couldn’t stop him. He was too strong.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her nails into Travis's shoulder blade, but he didn't seem to mind.
“Kayla, you did nothing wrong. Did you try to leave afterward?”
“I did.”
Her mind wandered back to that night. She'd showered, feeling dirty and numb before running outside to meet with Virgil Paisley at their rendezvous. She'd sucked him off, needing to perform a sex act because she wanted to with a gentleman she loved. It had helped her feel better, but there was still a sickening, skuzzy feeling that stuck around. She hadn't let him touch her, feeling it would worsen the effects of shame. She'd had no intention of returning to the Hammond estate, but fate played out differently.
“Good girl.” Travis kissed the top of her head.
“I went back,” she whispered, waiting for his rebuke.
“What the hell for?”
“I was going to tell my friend Virgil what happened, but Beck sent me this text saying that he was watching us sitting in the truck together and that he’d kill Virgil if I didn’t come back to him or if I told anyone.” She shivered with dread, remembering when Beck’s true colors had shown.
“You shouldn't have gone back, Kayla,” Travis told her.
Captain Obvious.
“Well, I know that now, but I couldn’t let him hurt Virgil.”
Her heart ached when she thought of him.
“I want you to go to therapy, Kayla. You need it real bad.”
“I know.”
She’d lost Master and then Virgil forever when they walked away from her. She couldn’t lose Travis or his brothers.
Chapter Seven: Sweet Reunion
Jake Langley tapped his fingernails against the ledge the passenger's side window disappeared into. “Damn it, Keith. Can't you drive any faster?”
Keith rolled his eyes as he pulled into the long driveway that led to the large brick house on the Langley ranch. “Oh, for hell's sake, I'm going as fast as I can.”
“Liar, you're crawling at twenty. Now punch it, man. Nobody's around, and I don't want Travis hogging Kayla all to himself.”
Keith stiffened and suddenly stomped on the gas pedal.
“Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!” Jake cheered.
Keith grinned and peeled into the big clearing at the end of the driveway, slamming on the brakes abruptly when the house came into view.
“See ya, brother.” Jake winked at him and bolted out of the truck.
“Hey! You traitor! Get back here!”
Jake grinned and walked swiftly toward the house, feeling his heart thump with anticipation in his chest. After seven years he would see Kayla again, and for the first time he would hold her.
“Jake, you bastard!” Keith called after him.
Jake took off, flying up the porch with his younger brother in hot pursuit.
“I want to kiss her first!” Keith complained.
“You did years ago.” Jake fumbled for his keys, trying not to break the one he jabbed into the keyhole with haste.
“Yeah, that's 'cause I was there for her when she needed me.” Keith grabbed the loop of Jake's jeans and tugged on his arms, wrestling for the keys. “I didn't have my cock shoved down some other woman's throat.”
“Shows how much you know. My dick was in her mouth, not her throat.” Jake got the door open and snagged the keys, cramming them into his pocket. “Hey, let go!”
Keith pulled him back and cleared the front door, but Jake wasn't having any of that. He wanted Kayla's mouth first. He tackled his brother to the living room floor and then bounded up and down into the hall.
Travis stood there, eying them like a scolding father, though he looked amused. “That's real mature, boys.”
Keith jumped up, his shaggy blond hair flopping as he came after Jake. “We're not boys. We're men.”
Travis snorted, taking a drink from his mug. “Yeah, sure looks like it.”
Jake saw the bathroom door open, and Kayla walked out wrapped in only a light blue towel. Her wet hair was slicked back and dangled with the effects of drying. She wore no makeup from what he could tell, but she'd never looked better to him.
Her mouth opened in surprise, and his tongue speared the space between her parted lips when he grabbed her. She squealed and clutched the towel to her tighter, but he subconsciously made up his mind that the towel needed to come off when he was finished tonguing her.
Her mouth was an erotic combination of warmth and dampness with a taste that was one hundred percent Kayla. She tasted like sweet innocence that enriched his soul and lit his body on fire. Her soft moan of delight fired his blood.
“All right, you had your turn.” Keith elbowed him aside and caught Kayla in his arms, mouth swooping down over hers to claim her.
Jake grinned and was about to disrobe her, but Travis's voice calling his name stopped him. Jake shot him a questioning look when Travis shook his head with a serious expression. Jake mouthed the words “Why not”, and Travis mouthed back “We'll talk.”
Keith took his damned sweet time feeling Kayla up with his rival mouth. She'd better not like his brother better than him. Jake smirked at this. Like any man could kiss her better than he could. He rolled his eyes when Keith kept going and wouldn't stop.
“Give her some air, Keith,” Travis teased with a crooked grin.
Jake had a less amiable approach. “All right, asshole. Get your tongue out of her
mouth already.”
Keith broke the kiss with a breathless smile on his face. “I missed you, little bird.”
Kayla blushed, letting out a sweet little giggle that melted Jake's heart. “I can tell. I missed you guys, too.”
Keith brushed his hand over her hair. “Travis said you got in yesterday.”
She nodded, beaming when she looked at each of their faces.
Jake's eyes narrowed when they darted over to Travis. “Which he should have told us yesterday the second you got here.”
Travis got a shameless, smartass smile on his face. “I figured I'd let her get settled in the first night.”
“You mean you figured you'd get settled in her,” Jake shot back with a suspicious glower.
Travis smirked and took another swallow of his drink. “Always the pervert, aren't you, Jake?”
Jake smiled and returned his focus to Kayla. “How have you been, Kayla?”
“Okay. It's good to be back.”
Keith smoothed his fingertips down her arm, making her shiver and her eyes heat with lust. “Did you get famous like you meant to?”
Her face darkened with sadness and something else. “I was in a commercial once, but no, I never got famous.”
“Oh yeah? That's great, Kayla. What commercial?” Keith inquired.
“It was just for mouthwash.” She shrugged. “It wasn't a big deal.”
Jake gently rubbed her back, determined not to let Keith do all the touching. “It sounds like a big deal. Most people never get to be in a commercial. We're proud of you.”
She squirmed, and her face twisted with discomfort as she stepped away from their fondling. “Don't be. I don't deserve it. It's good to see you guys again, but I really have a phone call to make.”
Travis handed her the cordless phone. “Who are you calling?”
“Somebody,” she said before heading down the hall. She entered the guestroom and closed the door behind her.
Keith frowned. “What's up with her?”
Jake folded his arms, feeling a little ticked himself. “Yeah, Travis, why didn't you want me to take her towel off?”
“She's been through a lot, and I didn't want you boys to scare her off,” Travis replied calmly.
Keith cocked his head curiously. “Why would we scare her off? Years ago she was always hunting us down like one of them crazy women in Friendly Persuasion.”
Travis set his mug down. “She's changed.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jake demanded. “She seemed to like us kissing her just fine. Did you fuck her last night?”
Keith looked scandalized. “Is that what this is about, Trav? You slept with her and now you don't want to share her with us? We made a fucking pact, you remember?”
Travis looked annoyed. “Yeah, I remember, and no, I didn't fuck her. I wanted to, but that's not what she needs right now. She needs healing first.”
Keith blinked in confusion. “Healing from what?”
Jake scowled. “Some undeserving son of a bitch probably took her virginity and then cheated on her. Well, I've got the cure for that, brother, and I'll give you a hint. It's pulsing somewhere under my clothes.”
Keith snickered. “I think I can guess which half you're referring to.”
Jake grinned. “Keith, you dirty boy, I was talking about my heart.”
Keith smirked and shook his head. “Sure you were, Jake.”
Kayla returned just then, holding the phone in her hand.
“Let me take that for you.” Travis took the phone from her and put it back in its holder.
Jake noticed how pale and afraid she looked. “What's wrong, baby?”
Her hands and knees shook. “It was the police. I called them.”
Keith looked startled. “What for? We're not gonna have sex with you until you're ready for it.”
“Huh?” She seemed to snap out of her scared haze for a second with a look of perplexity. “Okay.”
Jake became baffled. Okay? More like 'Oh God, yes, I've only been waiting for you all my life. Make me a woman, Jake. Fuck me first. You're the best at it.'
Travis didn't act as surprised by her odd behavior as they did. “Tell us what they said, darlin'.”
She blinked a few times without looking at any of them. “They ... said they went to investigate the Hammond estate.”
Keith's forehead wrinkled. “Who the heck is Hammond?”
Jake put a hand on her shoulder, noting the way she jumped and seemed bothered. “What's going on, Kayla?”
“There was no one there,” she responded eerily. “The house was empty. They were all gone.”
“Who was gone?” Jake prodded, irritated that she stepped out of his insistent touch.
“The staff, his friends...” Her expression contorted with pain and astonishment. “Beck.”
Keith shrugged. “Who the hell is Beck?”
Travis stared at her. “Can I tell them, Kayla? They're gonna be your men, too. They have a right to know.”
The way Kayla behaved right now Jake figured she was numb with shock as she pretty much floated toward the front door. “You can tell them, Travis, but I don't want to be here when you do. I need to go for a walk.”
Keith appeared concerned. “Don't go far. Stay on our property.”
“I won't.”
Now he looked irritated. “Excuse me?”
She snapped out of her daze for a brief moment. “What?”
“You will too stay on our property,” Keith informed her. “You'll do as you’re told.”
“I didn't mean I wouldn't stay. I meant I wouldn't go far,” she clarified.
“Oh.” Keith got a repentant smile. “Well, good. We want to look after you.”
She offered no reply to this as she turned.
“Kayla,” Travis called after her, waiting for her to look back at him. “We'll protect you and fix this.”
There was a haunting emptiness in her eyes like her soul had been ravaged into a state of nonexistence. She didn't say a word as she seemed to look right through Travis before turning and walking outside barefoot and wearing only a towel.
“Kayla, you should probably get dressed before...” Keith let his voice trail off when she walked through the screen door in a trance.
Jake glared at his oldest brother. “Travis, what the hell is going on?”
Travis wore a serious expression that bore traces of sadness. “We need to talk.”
Jake snorted. “No shit.”
****
Kayla didn't realize she was half naked and barefoot until she'd walked a few feet from the house. Oh well. The Langleys lived in the country, and she had no intention of going back inside just yet. She needed to break away for a spell.
Beck Hammond had fled his estate along with his staff and Slade. She shivered, feeling her eyes prickle with fear. He didn't know where she lived. Only that she was from the Midwest originally. Then she tensed, fearing that she might have mentioned Kentucky once before, though she was certain she had never mentioned Lexington or the Langleys.
Besides, why would Beck or Slade come after her when they had to know the police would be watching her and waiting for them to strike?
She wandered into the crabapple orchard, feeling at ease by the calming buzz of bees fluttering among the blossoms. The orchard really was a utopia for the senses. The pink and white flowers budding on the mature trees created a stunning pastel feast for the eyes, and the sweet fragrance of the blossoms enriched the atmosphere.
“Kayla!”
She turned, becoming even more aware of her current state of undress when she saw Jake walking toward her with a gym bag. Either he was about to go pump iron in town, or maybe he was toting around some guns or sports equipment.
She quickly lost interest in the bag, opting instead to take in the rugged glory that was Jake Langley. He stood about Travis's height at five feet, ten inches, and unlike his older brother, Jake almost always wore a cowboy hat. A black Stetson was his
trademark, though he'd occasionally don a dark gray one.
His short brown hair matched the mustache and chin strap that graced his easy on the eyes face. His dark brown eyes were seductive and expressive. There was so much desire and feeling in them, it was hard to believe sometimes that they were attached to a cowboy Romeo who had a reputation as a bad boy.
He wore faded jeans and a denim shirt that buttoned up the front. The long sleeves were rolled halfway up his strong arms, and he had the top three buttons on the front of his shirt open, revealing part of a necklace beneath. Dark wisps of hair flirted with her keenly interested eyes from the division in his shirt. His suede cowboy boots completed his sexy as sin Western look.
He set the bag down and closed the distance between them, leaving her ready and shaky with nerves. His dark, rich eyes took on a decidedly sympathetic appearance. “Travis told us what happened to you.”
Kayla let her eyes slip briefly from his. They didn't know the half of it. Jake enfolded her in his arms, holding her tight. She told herself she wouldn't cry. Still, to really be here again with the men she loved was more than she'd dared hope for during the hell of the last few months. She'd truly thought she'd never see them again, yet here she was with them.
He held her in silence for a moment before stepping back and holding her at arm's length. “I want to mend you.”
She offered him a weak smile, wondering if it was a lost cause.
No, it couldn't be. That would mean Beck and the others had won. The sons of bitches must never win. She would beat them yet.
“I want that, too, Jake.”
“I want to make you come, but I don't have to use my hands or my mouth. I have a bullet vibrator in the bag.”
She felt a coy smile spread across her face, remembering the wicked memories of Master Hugh introducing her to toys. “Is that what's in the bag—a bunch of toys?”
Jake got a crooked grin on his handsome face that reeked of cowboy charm and sex appeal. “A couple. I've got some rope in there, too, if you're open to that.”
“You going to hogtie me?” she teased, tossing him a playful wink.
“No. I was thinking on tying your hands above your head from that tree branch.” He nodded up toward the thick branch overhead that was studded with fragrant blooms.
