by Lexi Blake
“See, you are a bad girl, Abigail Barnes.” Sam groaned as he gave her cheeks a good squeeze. “I can feel you plotting from here. This better be good, baby. When he comes back to us, I don’t think he’ll come back quietly.”
“Oh, I intend to make that man roar.” She stopped rubbing him and walked around so she could look into his eyes.
They were at a crossroads and she could see her choices so clearly. One road led to more of the same. Maybe Jack would come out of it. Maybe he wouldn’t and his new, quieter personality would become permanent and something precious would be lost between the three of them.
She could face him and give him an ultimatum. They all went into therapy or she would have to think about leaving. But that wasn’t fair and she couldn’t travel down that road. Ever.
Or she could gamble. Sometimes a wake-up call was needed. Sometimes a woman had to push the boundaries and see what happened. He would explode and they would at least talk about what was happening. Or he would do nothing and she would know.
“I’ve been thinking, and I came up with a few things.” She dropped to her knees in front of Sam. It was time to prove to him that she was definitely worthy of his respect. Sick time was over. She was also done with sitting around waiting for Jack to get over whatever he needed to get over. She was walking a dangerous line and was probably in for the spanking of a lifetime. Luckily, she liked spankings. Her hands ran up Sam’s thighs to play with the fly of his jeans. “I’ll handle everything. But first, you promised to fill me up.”
Sam tore open his jeans. He shoved them to his knees, freeing his big, beautiful dick. She took it in her hand and stroked the soft skin covering his hardness. It was already weeping. There was a pearly drop of him right there waiting for her. She gathered it on her tongue and sighed.
“You know me.” Sam thrust his hands in her hair. “I never like to disappoint a lady.”
* * * *
Jack Barnes wiped his boots off on the mat before he walked into the house. It was March, and it had been raining nonstop for a week. The weather outside matched his general mood, though he had no one incident to tie his malaise to. It was a general restlessness that he couldn’t get rid of. He pulled off his light jacket and hung up his hat before shutting the door.
“You’re early, Mr. Barnes.” A familiar voice greeted him. Benita, his longtime housekeeper, stood in the doorway that led to the kitchen. She had a carrot in one hand and a knife in the other. It was his habit to come in for lunch at noon. He would sit with his best friend and their wife. Today he’d knocked off a bit early because of a message on his cell. He couldn’t return it until he reached the quiet of the house. It was far too noisy to call someone from the back of a horse in the middle of a storm.
“Don’t worry about me, Benita.” Jack nodded to her as he moved through the house. He wouldn’t have time to sit and eat today. “I’ll get a sandwich later.” He stopped and backed up. “Is Abby eating better?”
He hated that cough she’d had a few days ago, hated any time she was sick.
The older woman smiled brightly. Jack knew she genuinely liked the new mistress of the house. “I believe you’ll find your wife is feeling much better this morning. She’s been giving Mr. Fleetwood hell. You won’t be able to keep her in bed for much longer.”
Jack nodded. She would be up and about before he felt good about it. A thought floated through his mind.
She wouldn’t be up and about if you tied her to the bed.
Instantly, his cock hardened at the thought of her spread out and naked. Then he winced and let it go. It might be what he wanted, but it wasn’t what she needed. He was a selfish ass. She’d been sick and he was thinking about his cock. Marriage changed things. Getting older changed things. He had to adapt or he would lose them both. “As long as she finishes out those antibiotics, it should be fine.”
That was what the doctor had told him. He should listen to people who went to medical school. He started back toward his office.
“Now how do you feel about triangles, Sam?” He heard Abby’s laughter as he turned down the hallway.
Sam groaned, and Jack could guess what his partner was doing. “I love ’em, baby doll. Triangles are the best. Don’t stop. God, Abby, you feel so good…”
He went still and listened for a moment. His cock got harder as he listened to the sweet sound of their wife sucking and Sam enjoying the ride. It was the kind of thing he ached to join in on. He should walk into that room and demand that Abigail remove his clothes and see to him, too. It had been days since he sank into his wife’s tight pussy. Since then, she’d been too sick for play. Now, he could walk in that room and calmly explain that he wanted them both to join him in the playroom. He wanted Sam to tie Abigail up, and then he would tie Sam up. Both of his subs would be bound and trussed for his pleasure. He could spend the rainy afternoon disciplining them and then rewarding them for their submission. He wanted it so badly, he almost couldn’t catch his breath.
Jack dragged air into his lungs and shook the thought off. When had he started thinking of Sam in those terms? Sam had always been the follower to Jack’s leader, but getting married had changed something in Jack. In fact, a lot of things had changed.
And what the hell would he do if Abigail didn’t want things to change like that? Sure she’d been the one to ask him to kiss Sam that night long ago, but kissing was different from sex.
He wanted Sam, wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out without taking him, and then everything would change and he wasn’t sure it would be for the better.
He turned away from the bedroom and forced himself to walk down the hall. He could still hear Sam and Abby’s lovemaking. He wanted to join them, but he knew what would happen if he did. He would burst in and start making demands and take over, just the way he always did. He was a selfish bastard, and he knew it. It was better to let them have their fun.
It was better to not push boundaries.
Sam practically bounced out of the room. Jack’s heart seized a little at the sight of his oldest friend in nothing but a pair of blue jeans.
Sam’s head was turned as he shut the door. “I’ll be back, baby.” He stopped and stared at Jack. “Hey. Abby needs some water.”
Jack nodded and turned away. It was easy for Sam to be happy. He didn’t have all the responsibility in the world on his shoulders. Jack wanted the responsibility. He needed it, craved it, but sometimes it was hard to make the decisions. It was hard to shoulder everything alone, but he couldn’t, wouldn’t burden his submissives with his problems. “Then you should take care of her. Is she feeling better?”
Sam’s hand came up and almost made it to Jack’s shoulder before he pulled it back down. Playful Sam seemed almost subdued. He shook his head, and there was a sunny smile on his face again. “She’s fine. Hell, she’s downright frisky. Come join us. You know it takes more than me to keep that woman satisfied.”
Jack’s hand was on the door. Damn it, he couldn’t. He hadn’t slept in days and his control was shot. He would take over and possibly hurt his wife. He would wreck everything by asking too much of Sam. At the very least, his demanding behavior would drive them away eventually. He had to remember how fragile she was. There was a popping sound as Benita slammed the door to the kitchen. That door needed fixing and had for months, but it didn’t stop him from jumping.
Every time he heard a sound like that, he saw the gun in Ruby Echols’s hand and felt the bullet slam into his chest. The world seemed to go hazy, his peripheral vision fading. He needed to breathe but something was wrong with his damn lungs.
“Come on, Jack, let’s have some fun,” Sam cajoled.
“No, damn it.” The words came out far harsher than he intended, but he was sweating now, panic close to the surface. He needed to be alone, to calm down, to figure out how he was going to gently make love to his wife and respect his partner. He had to ignore this craving to utterly dominate them both. “Some of us have work to do.”
> Sam’s mouth slammed shut, forming a stubborn line. “Well, we wouldn’t want to keep you from your precious work. I’ll take care of Abby. It’s all I seem to be able to do these days.”
“See that you do.” He practically ran into his office. He hated himself for the look on Sam’s face, but he couldn’t call him back.
His office was cool and dark. He didn’t bother to open the curtains. He sat down at his desk and pulled out his cell phone, needing to think about anything other than how pissed off Sam must be. His jaw tightened.
Maybe he was the one who should be pissed. While Sam rolled around with their wife, Jack was the one who couldn’t fucking sleep at night. While Sam got Abigail’s kisses, Jack got her worried glances. Anger felt better than the pity party playing in his head. He punched in the number on speed dial while thinking about the message Julian Lodge had left on his voice mail. It had been cryptic, with no greeting other than, “Call me yesterday, Jackson.”
Julian’s voice had been terse and tight with irritation. On the edge. A little like Jack felt.
And it wasn’t like the man would respond to a text. If Julian asked him to call, a call was what he wanted. Despite the fact that Julian had the best of everything—including technology—he was also slightly paranoid about how he used it. A simple text would have saved Jack so much time, but he knew that if Julian thought the conversation would be important, he wouldn’t allow it to be sent up to the “cloud.”
Julian Lodge had been the man to pull him off the street. Jack had been introduced to the wealthy club owner through a lover who appreciated his control. She’d thought he would fit right in at the underground establishment known only as The Club. After an interview and what felt like endless training sessions, Julian brought Jack in as one of the resident Doms.
It was a job he’d enjoyed, especially in those days. He’d quickly become a leader in the place. The Club catered to a clientele dedicated to the D/s lifestyle and ménage. Jack learned everything he knew about how to pleasure a lover from years of working there. He’d gained more than mere sexual knowledge. Though Julian was only a few years older, the man had been a mentor to him. Julian had taught him how to handle himself both in business situations and in personal ones. He’d taken a rough street kid and taught him that ruthlessness involved far more than one’s fists.
From Julian, Jack had learned the fine art of revenge.
His father had been the first recipient of Jack’s newly acquired knowledge. Julian had aided the young Jack in finding the biological father who knowingly left him to the wolves of foster care at the tender age of six. Senator Allen Cameron had a bright political future, and a love child who worked in a sex club could ruin everything. He had promptly found himself the satisfied owner of five million dollars in exchange for signing away any rights to future inheritance. He’d taken Sam to small-town Willow Fork, Texas, and bought his spread. Ten years and a whole bunch of natural gas reserve later, Jack was a very wealthy man.
“This is Lodge.” A tense voice interrupted his thoughts. Just the fact that Julian’s usually smooth voice was rough gave Jack pause. “Is that you, Jackson?”
“Yes,” Jack replied calmly. “I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I was on the range. I had to get back to the house before I could call. What can I help you with? It sounded urgent.”
“You can get your ass up here and handle your business, Jackson. I need you here tomorrow. I’ll expect you sometime in the afternoon.” There was no mistaking the fine edge of Julian’s temper.
Jack found himself sitting up straight. He didn’t like anyone, including his old mentor, speaking to him in such a fashion. It brought out the alpha in him. He ruthlessly shoved the irritation down. “Would you like to explain yourself, Julian?”
There was silence and then a short laugh from the other end of the line. “Yes, that should do it. Use that exact tone on the little asshole, and it should have him crapping his pants.”
Jack took a deep breath. “Which asshole might you be referring to?”
“His name is Lucas Cameron,” Julian said with a sigh. “Jackson, he’s your brother, and he’s intent on blackmailing all of us.”
Chapter Two
The next day, Sam leaned in to hear Abby talk over the sounds of diners at Christa’s Café. The clatter of dishes and people talking made it hard to have an intimate conversation.
“What do you mean he left a note?” Abby asked a second time.
He shrugged, wondering exactly what to say to her. He should have known something was up with Jack. He’d been preoccupied the night before. Now that he really thought about it, Jack had acted pretty odd even for lately. He hadn’t listened to anything Abby had said and barely touched his supper. He’d gone to bed without saying a word to the two of them.
This morning Jack had skipped breakfast. When he asked Jack about it, he’d been evasive, saying something about work.
Then shortly afterward, Sam had found that damn note.
He looked at Abby from his place across the booth. All around them the lunch crowd at Christa’s Café was moving and talking. Sam ignored them all. The town still loved to gossip about him. Marrying Abby had lent fuel to that particular fire, but he had bigger things to worry about now.
If it had just been him, Sam would have shrugged it all off as Jack brooding. Abby deserved more from Jack. “He left a note. I was working in the barn, and when I got back to remind him we were meeting you in town for lunch, the truck was gone. He left this note on the refrigerator.”
Sam passed it across the table to their wife. He watched her hazel eyes widen as she read the terse note Jack had left behind. It was on the ranch’s stationary, but at least it was handwritten.
Something came up and I need to go out of town. I’ll be back in a few days. Love you, Jack.
Abby’s pretty mouth tightened. She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell. There was a certain righteous indignation that went along with pressing the number that called Jack.
“He’s not answering, baby.” He’d already tried it several times. He’d called and sent a couple of texts. There was a big part of him that was scared Jack would pick up. If Jack picked up for Abby, then he would know exactly where his place was in this family.
“Damn it, Jack,” Abby growled into the receiver. “Call me. This note is bullshit, and you know it. You call me and tell me where you are. Sam and I are worried about you.”
She pushed the button to end the call, and Sam relaxed slightly. At least Jack was ignoring them both. Sam reached across the table and stroked Abby’s hand. Out of long habit, he made excuses for the man he’d lived with for years. “He doesn’t like to talk while he’s driving. You know that.”
“He didn’t even tell us where he was going.” Abby drummed her free hand along the top of the booth.
Sam caught his breath. Even though he was concerned about the state of his household, he couldn’t help but love the way looking at Abby made him feel. She was a stunning woman with red hair and a killer body. She was forever bemoaning her weight, but Sam loved her every curve. There was a time when she would have been spanked for disparaging herself. The last time she’d called herself fat, Jack had told her not to be so hard on herself.
Sam missed the real Jack.
Christa Wade walked up carrying a platter of food. The brunette was wearing her usual uniform of jeans and a Western shirt, though all the other waitresses wore pink uniforms. Sam smiled, thinking about the uniform Abby had kept from her short period as a waitress here. It was in the back of the closet with her French maid’s uniform and the hot nurse costume he bought her for Halloween the year before. Abby tried to explain that she’d never have worn that in a hospital, but Sam wasn’t going to let her ruin his fantasy. She’d worked all those years in tiny miniskirts and high heels with a little nurse hat on her head.
“Here you go, guys,” Christa said with a smile. She started chatting about things going on in Willow Fork while Sam
thought about his stomach.
Abby had ordered for him, and he fought the urge to close his eyes against what she thought of as a proper lunch. Abby firmly believed the word wholesome and food should go together. Sam had never met a cow he didn’t want to eat. It was a food chain thing.
Christa laughed as she set the burger in front of him. “She’s not cruel, Sam.”
He winced as he noted there were no fries. Christa set down a mound of green stuff alongside the burger. Christa asked if there was anything else she could get them. It took everything Sam had not to respond with fries and ketchup and maybe a hot dog on the side. Christa winked at him as she walked away. He pushed the bowl of salad around with the side of his fork.
“It’s called compromise,” Abby explained. All she had in front of her was green stuff. With Jack distracted, she’d gone on another diet. She’d been eating like a bird, and it was starting to worry Sam. “You get your burger, exactly the way you like it, and I get the satisfaction of knowing you ate something today that didn’t used to have a face.”
Sam sighed and gave the lettuce a tentative try. His wife had some strange ideas about eating. He suspected she got it from years of big-city living.
“Where do you think he went?”
Sam hated the sadness in Abby’s voice. He silently cursed his partner for putting it there. He and Jack were going to have it out and soon. Sam could handle being ignored, but he wasn’t about to let Abby get hurt. He had no idea what was bugging Jack, but he meant to find out. As to where his partner had gotten off to, he did have an idea. He simply wasn’t certain he should tell their wife.
“You know, don’t you?” Abby let her fork drop. Those hazel eyes became laser beams shooting through him. Abby, for all the submission she showed in the bedroom, could be damn bossy when she wanted to be. “Samuel, you better tell me what you know right now.”
