by Lexi Blake
Jack snorted and cracked the whip again. Another pop cracked through the dungeon. “My wife has been pushing me and Sam to get it on since the first night she spent in our playroom. I tanned her hide and as part of her aftercare, I gave her one request.”
“Yes, I like to do that as well,” Julian conceded. “What was Abigail’s request?”
“She wanted me to kiss Sam.”
A brilliant smile broke over Julian’s face. It was a rare sight. “I like your Abigail. She isn’t a very good sub, but she seems like a perfect wife for the two of you.”
He felt a funny twitch in his heart. “She is. She’s everything I ever wanted. She’s smart and kind and ridiculously funny.” Jack took a deep breath. “You know, Julian, you’ve given me a lot of advice over the years. Do you mind if I give you a piece?”
Julian paused and took a deep breath before coming to his decision. “I would love to hear it.”
“Don’t become such a slave to your own rules that you let something special pass you by. You have some hard and fast rules that cut you off from people.”
“Rules are there to protect us. You should know that.”
“Rules protect us, but when we no longer need them, rules are made to be broken.” He switched to a six-footer. He wasn’t going to use that on Abby or Sam, but he was curious. He used to be accurate with it.
Julian took a cautious step back, pulling Sally with him. “Did you break a rule tonight, Jackson?”
He aimed for the balloon on the far left. He decided to try a reverse snap. The whip snapped over his head and cracked. His shot went wild. Nope. He wouldn’t be touching his lovers with that one. He put the six-footer down and turned to Julian. “I did. It was a rule we didn’t need any more. I got the best blow job of my life from breaking that rule.”
Julian made a small motion with his hand. Sally got to her feet. He nodded at her and she began to take off her top, then her skirt. “Go on, dear. He needs a warmer target.”
Jack started to protest but then realized he really did. It was selfish, but he’d rather practice on Sally than Abby or Sam. He looked at the sub. “Are you all right with this?”
She smiled brilliantly. “Oh, yes. I’m a bit of a pain slut. I make no apologies for it. Some people like puppies and kittens. I like spankings and bondage. Do your worst. Master Julian will take care of me after.”
“I will, pet,” Julian promised. “It’s all right. She’s under my care. Have you ever known me to place a slave in danger?”
No, Julian took excellent care of the people who gave him their trust. He might not keep them for long, but he looked after them. Sally walked to the St. Andrew’s Cross and took her position. Julian quickly had her bound. She glanced back at Jack.
“Your wife is a good kisser.” Sally turned her head, staring back at him with a grin on her face. “She tastes sweet. Does she taste sweet all over?”
Jack groaned at the sudden vision of his wife and Sally tongue kissing. He couldn’t help it. He was male, and two women kissing did it for him. He would never allow Sally into their bed, and he would call for punishment if she touched his wife again. He was possessive, but the image still lingered. “I wouldn’t try to find out, subbie. She’s mine and I won’t give anyone permission to touch her.”
“Cheeky sub,” Julian barked. Sally smiled at him. “Blame me. I told her to be accommodating when it came to the three of you. Right now she’s trying to get you upset so you’ll be a bit rougher on her. Don’t fall for it. That one is a bit manipulative, too. Rather like your wife.”
“They know who’s really in charge,” Jack murmured.
Sally was in place, and there was a crowd eagerly watching. He made sure no one was in his range and then cracked the whip. Sally didn’t even move when a delicate line of red appeared across her back. He was satisfied it wouldn’t scar or bleed. He saw Sally relax and knew she would soon be in that place where submissives went. They called it subspace, and they welcomed the pain when they were in that place.
Jack quickly laid three more lashes across her back, buttocks, and thighs. She shuddered, but it was a pleasurable thing.
“Tell me something, Jackson.” Julian watched the scene. His shoulders were relaxed and his stance a bit lazy. Sally was getting something she needed and that satisfied Julian. “Do you remember a very long time ago when I asked you how such a possessive man could stand to share his toys with someone like Samuel?”
He cracked the whip again, forming a pretty pattern across the sub’s skin. “Yes, I do. I remember I told you it was all right to share with Sam. He was my friend.”
“You were lying to yourself. Do you have a different answer for me today?”
Sally sighed as the whip cracked over her left thigh.
“Yes, Julian,” Jack admitted.
“Why do you share with Samuel?”
He turned to his mentor. “I don’t. I don’t share with anyone. They’re both mine.”
“Very good. It’s important to understand and accept our own natures. I believe I’ll take my sub up to our rooms. She’ll need someone to take care of her now.” Julian strode to the stage, released Sally’s bonds, and scooped up his slightly high sub. She had a beatific expression on her pretty face. Her arms floated up around Julian’s neck. “Thank the nice man, Sally.”
Sally smiled at Jack. “Thank you, nice man.”
“Go to bed.” Julian tossed the order over his shoulder. “You’ll be fine tomorrow evening.”
He laid the whip down and began to make his way up the stairs and out of the dungeon. Sam would flourish in here. After all, Sam was a pain slut, too. He’d have to teach Abigail how to handle Sam. She’d never hold a whip, but she could paddle him from time to time. Jack remembered their playful fight from the other day. They had argued about whether they were a triangle or a straight line. Sam was right about that line, but he was wrong about the order. Abigail was definitely in the middle of that straight line.
He walked through the playroom thinking about climbing into bed. He had high hopes that he would sleep through the night. He wasn’t even contemplating sleeping in the room he’d taken out. Sam was right. If he woke up in a cold sweat, Abigail and Sam would hold him until he came down. It was selfish to hold back his fears and problems from them. His troubles were theirs. They were a family.
As he made his way into the bar, he saw Matthew Slater pulling Lucas Cameron out of his chair. Lucas’s eyes were slightly dazed. His body was slack and Slater seemed to be having trouble with him. A brown-haired sub in a collar pulled on the other side of Lucas, and together they managed to get the young man up.
“He’s heavier than he looks,” the sub said.
“We just need to get him out to the car I have waiting. I’ll take him back to my hotel,” Slater promised.
Shit. He stopped, watching the trio. He didn’t like Slater period and didn’t buy the idea of him helping Lucas out. There was something there beyond a desire to get his boss’s son home safely. Jack sighed. Stupid karma. This was what Julian had been talking about. Not the fact that he’d blackmailed his father, and it was karma that Lucas blackmailed Jack. Julian, the sneaky bastard, was referring to how he had mentored Jack at a time when he was lost. Jack had never met a person more lost than Lucas Cameron.
His brother.
“How much did that boy drink?” Jack heard himself ask.
Slater almost lost his footing when he started at the sound of Jack’s voice. The sub immediately averted his eyes. Slater stumbled, and Lucas slumped back down into his chair.
“He’s a terrible drunk.” Slater struggled to keep Lucas upright. “I was going to get him back to my hotel where I can look after him.”
Slater didn’t seem like the paternal type. Lucas likely wouldn’t get any sympathy from the campaign manager. Maybe he didn’t deserve any, but then there were times when Jack hadn’t deserved what he had been blessed with.
Perhaps it was time to take his brother in hand.
>
He walked over to Lucas and looked down. His brother’s eyes were glassy, but there seemed to be a plea there. Jack reached down and hauled Lucas up and over his shoulder without breaking a sweat. The boy needed to put some muscle on. He didn’t weigh a thing. “Don’t worry about him. I’ve got an extra room. He can sleep it off there. I’d like to have a talk with him in the morning anyway.”
“Wait!” Slater practically shouted. He pulled at Lucas’s shirt as though trying to force Jack to put him down. Jack took a step back, placing a small but needed distance between them. “I don’t think he should be alone with you. I’m standing in for his father, Mr. Barnes. I doubt his father would want some stranger taking off with his son.”
He snorted at the thought that his father would act like a father. “Face facts, Slater. Dear old Dad wouldn’t give a shit. And I’m not a stranger. I’m his brother. He’s going to know what that means in the morning. Buck up, man. Once he realizes what I have in store for him, he might hightail it back to DC with you. Good night.”
He started toward the elevators, ignoring the further protests of Matthew Slater. He strode into the elevator and pushed the button to take him to the seventeenth floor. Lucas pounded slightly on his back.
“Go to sleep, Lucas,” he commanded. “You’ll be fine in the morning.”
His brother grunted. “Thank you,” he slurred.
Jack sighed. He wondered if his brother would be thanking him in the morning.
Chapter Twelve
Lucas came out of his daze to the sound of two people talking. It was all hazy at first, but they seemed to be arguing about something. The whole world seemed thick and heavy, but their voices were light and filled with warmth.
“What’s wrong, Sam?” the feminine voice asked. “You seem to be struggling with something.”
Lucas felt the bed shift as though someone was wiggling.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Abigail.” Sam’s voice was deep. “I love it. It’s very comfortable.”
“Is it? I’m glad to hear that.” There was a wealth of amused satisfaction in the female’s voice.
“It’s the best day of my life,” Sam said with a bite in his tone. “I don’t know why you complained about it all this time. You must be a wimp.”
Abby giggled. “Or maybe I’m just better at insertion than you are.”
Sam snorted. Lucas tried to open his eyes. If there was something being inserted somewhere between those two, he wanted to see it.
“I’m a master at insertion, baby. Please tell me one thing. Why pink?”
Her laughter seemed slightly maniacal to Lucas. “You love pink. Turnabout is fair play. Remember all those times you told me how cute I looked with a little pink plug?”
“You could have picked something more masculine, baby,” Sam complained.
“Next time I’ll see if NASCAR has a line of licensed butt plugs.”
Lucas forced his eyes open. He definitely wanted in on this conversation.
“Oh, look, he’s awake.” The lovely redhead peered down at him. Her hazel eyes were full of mirth, and she was wearing pajama bottoms and a tank top that showed off her breasts. Even with a massive hangover, Lucas could appreciate them. “Hello, Jack’s brother.”
“Hello, Jack’s wife,” he managed to mumble. Sam helped him sit up. The sheet slipped. Someone had stripped him down to his boxers. The room started to spin and he held his head. “What happened?”
“Apparently you can’t hold your liquor.” Sam pressed a cup of something warm into his hands. “Coffee. It should help.”
Lucas brought it to his lips. He didn’t really like coffee, but he didn’t want to disappoint Sam. He was surprised to find it smooth and rich. It wasn’t horribly sweet like the lattes he’d had before. He took another sip. Maybe it would clear his head.
“Where am I?” The last thing he remembered was talking to the guy named Jeremy. He’d been planning on spending the night with him. How had he ended up in the middle of his brother’s ménage?
“Jack brought you up.” Sam shifted as though he was slightly uncomfortable. “He said you passed out in the bar downstairs. You’re in a room in the hotel over the club. We’re in the suite next to you. Abby wanted to come in and stare at you while you slept.”
She slapped at Sam, looking horrified. “I did not. I wanted to come in and take care of him. Besides, Jack won’t let us leave until he comes back from whatever it is he’s doing. Now, I ordered breakfast. I hope you like bacon and eggs.”
He nodded. He did like them. He hadn’t had them in months since he’d been playing the vegan for his Hollywood friends. His stomach rumbled. The night before was a blank space after he’d started talking to Jeremy. How much had he had to drink?
Abby put a tray in front of him, and the heavenly aroma hit his nose. He was suddenly starving. He shook slightly as he held the fork.
“So, you’re going to blackmail Jack?” Sam asked.
Just like that, his appetite took a nosedive. He stared at the two people sitting on his bed. His eyes slid down, unable to meet the faces of the people he’d inadvertently threatened. They would have been hurt, too. Now that he thought about it, he’d threatened them every bit as much as he had Jack. “Sorry about that. You’re safe. I’m not going to say anything.”
“Really?” Abby sounded upset. Lucas looked at the redhead. She was pouting slightly. It was sexy on her. “That’s disappointing, Lucas.”
“You want me to blackmail Jack?”
“No.” Sam rolled his blue eyes. “She thinks if you sell our story to the tabloids, she’ll get to be on all kinds of talk shows. She wants to be on Ellen.”
“Don’t forget the Today Show,” Abby added.
Lucas shook his head. “Aren’t you worried about the public finding out?”
Abby winked Sam’s way before answering. “Am I worried that the public will find out that, at the age of thirty-seven, I managed to get not one, but two superhot multimillionaire cowboys to marry me?”
Lucas couldn’t help the laugh that shot out of him. Put like that, it didn’t seem so bad. He felt the need to point out some facts to her, however. Someone had to be realistic. Lucas was surprised it was him. He wasn’t known for his practicality. Something about Abby Barnes brought out his protective side. His brother’s wife was a sweetheart. He used some of the intelligence he’d dug up on her. “What about your family? Your mother is still alive. Won’t she be upset?”
Sam waved that question off. “She lives in our guest house. She knows some weird shit goes on and she’s fine with it. We love her daughter.”
“Often,” Abby agreed. “And usually with toys involved. Besides, I got kicked out of my hometown at the age of seventeen. I was pregnant and had a flaming affair with a boy from the other side of the tracks. She’s used to me causing gossip. And don’t think it will upset my baby girl, either. I have it on the highest authority that she’s dating a musician. Her bohemian friends think it’s cool she has two stepdads.”
“Yeah, a musician,” Sam said with a shake of his head. “We’re thrilled about that. Is there a reason she hasn’t brought him out to the ranch?”
Abby wrinkled her nose. “Well, I think she doesn’t want her stepdads to scare him off. She seems crazy about him. His name is Aidan. Don’t worry. She’s bringing him to Sunday dinner in a few weeks. I’m sure Jack will threaten to horribly murder the boy if he so much as touches a hair on Lexi’s head.”
She shook her head at Lucas in a manner that made him think she knew that more than Lexi’s head had likely been touched already.
She wasn’t getting it. Lucas tried a different approach. “Okay. How about the business? Have you thought about how a scandal could affect Barnes-Fleetwood? Who wants to buy beef from pervert cowboys?”
Abby laughed long and loud. “They’re organic cattle ranchers. Have you walked through a Whole Foods lately?”
“Well,” Lucas said, defeated, “it’s just as well I
decided to not go through with it, then.” There was a moment of silence as they regarded him expectantly. “I’m sorry. I really…I don’t know. I’m just sorry. I’ll be out of your way as soon as I can get a shower.”
Sam exchanged glances with Abby before turning back to Lucas. “Where are you going to go?”
Lucas shrugged. That was the question he needed to answer. Where did you go when you didn’t have a home? “Back to California, I guess.”
He needed to sell everything he owned so he could pay off his debt. After that, he had no idea what he would do. He couldn’t crawl back to his father.
“Are you going to do more crazy drugs and wild sex stuff?” Abby asked. “I loved that cover of you, by the way. It was the one where you were covered in cocaine and the headline read Is he killing his father? I thought that one was really funny.”
Lucas felt himself flush. “It was baby powder. A friend of mine took it. I’ve never actually tried it. Cocaine, that is. I don’t do drugs. I don’t drink that much either. I’m kind of boring.”
Her mouth turned down in a disappointed frown. “See, I knew those things were fake. It’s like pro wrestling, except with famous people.”
“Abigail, pro wrestling is real,” Sam insisted, but Lucas didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye. “And I don’t think Jack is going to let you hightail it back to California.”
“What do you mean?” Lucas sat up straight and wondered if his brother had decided to kill him anyway.
“He means I’ve decided to take you in hand, Lucas,” Jack said, walking into the bedroom.
His brother was a huge presence in the room. He was tall and broad, and everything about him screamed authority, though strangely not in the way their father did. Lucas had always seen his father as a suffocating presence, even when he was ignoring him. Jack was the kind of man you knew would take care of things. Now his brother was rolling a luggage cart containing a strange cube of metal. It was about the size of an ottoman. He rolled it up to Sam.
