by Avery Gale
Listening as Gage let her know he wouldn’t be touching her, Jace moved close enough that he was sure she’d be able to feel his body’s heat move over her skin. Hearing her small gasp was a turn-on that made him long to slide his fingers under that pretty dress and help her climb up the mountain of release he knew she was chasing. But Gage had been right, he couldn’t touch her yet, but that didn’t stop him from looking his fill and it damn sure didn’t stop the sweet scent of her arousal from wafting up to tease his nose before settling over his senses like a misty morning fog on his parents’ ranch.
Gage knew he wouldn’t touch her—at least not until he’d officially ended his time as Ian and Callie’s third because a promise of fidelity was one he honored—always. But once that commitment was ended, all bets were off with the brunette beauty standing before him. Hell, he’d been fighting his attraction to her from the first moment he’d seen her. And tonight, seeing her reaction to Callie’s collaring was enough to convince him that Holly Mills was indeed every bit as submissive as he’d thought she would be.
When he’d first noticed her standing at the back of the room, he’d been worried about how she would react to the single-tail whip both he and Ian planned to use. They had definitely pulled the lashes, but most people in the room wouldn’t have known that and he was certain Holly wasn’t experienced enough to have been able to see the difference. He’d finally resigned himself to the fact that it was probably good to find out up front how she would honestly react. Because if she couldn’t handle the short scene Ian had planned, she wouldn’t have a prayer of being the woman he and Gage had hoped to find.
Fighting his attraction to Holly had been an exercise in futility. And now, watching as Gage pinched her tightly pebbled nipple firmly between his fingers and gained her immediate response, he wondered just how deep her submission ran. Damn the woman was absolutely gorgeous. And even though Callie would always hold a special place in his heart, Jace had known from the first moment they’d caught her on the dock that she belonged to Ian.
He and Ian had both been perfectly clear on the boundaries of his role as the couple’s third. Jace had always planned to find a woman to call his own, even if he shared her with Gage, he knew they would both consider her their own. From the first touch, Jace had felt an almost magnetic pull to Daphne’s assistant. They had been introduced in Ian’s downtown office one evening a couple of months ago when Jace had walked in just as the shy woman was leaving for the day. She had turned back to the door after bidding goodnight to Ian’s executive assistant and promptly run face-first into his chest. When he’d grabbed her upper arms to keep her from falling to the floor Jace had felt a zing of electricity race from his fingers all the way up his arms and then travel like a lightning bolt straight into the deepest regions of his brain.
When he’d smiled down at her, he’d seen a flash of hesitance in her pretty green eyes just an instant before she lowered her gaze to the floor. He had noticed how nervous she seemed but he’d assumed it was because of his size. Standing six and a half feet tall with the upper body befitting his former career as a Navy SEAL he often intimidated people without even trying. He didn’t maintain the same level of physical conditioning that he’d had to as a part of the teams—but he wasn’t far off that mark. After Holly had excused herself and left, Jace hadn’t been in Ian’s office more than just a few short minutes before returning back down to the street. As he’d made his way back to his truck, he’d notice a man yelling at a woman standing next to a car in the dark shadow of the building. As he’d gotten closer he’d discovered the crying woman was Holly Mills.
As a gentleman, a Dom, and McGregor Holdings’ Chief of Security, there wasn’t a chance in hell he would have even considered ignoring the situation. When he’d stepped close, she had clearly been mortified to have him see her in that circumstance, but he’d been much more concerned with her safety than he had been with her embarrassment.
The distraction he’d provided by approaching had allowed her to wrench her bruised arm free from the asshole that had been holding her in his vise-like grip. She’d quickly made her way around the car that Jace was certain was a rental. Holly had assured him that she’d been fine before climbing behind the wheel and racing away. When he’d called the office the next day to check on her, he’d been told she had called in sick. He’d decided to give her a couple of days to get her bearings before he pursued the subject further. When Callie had been attacked a few days later, Jace had seen Holly at the hospital and she’d seemed fine so he’d let it go.
After Jace had returned from a lengthy trip with Ian and Callie, he’d heard that Daphne Craig had filed reports twice saying a former coworker of Holly’s had been in the office and should be considered a security threat. She’d requested the man be listed on the company’s list of ass hats that weren’t allowed admittance. The request had caught the team’s attention because the man was a well-known Broadway actor. When Jace had tried to talk to Holly she’d cancelled two different appointments and then e-mailed him begging him to let it go so that she wouldn’t lose her job or attract any media attention.
Jace had thought it was odd that the young woman was concerned with bringing media attention to herself or Ian’s company because neither were concerns that most employees even considered until they’d witnessed the damage the press could do. He’d assured Holly that Ian would never fire her for being a victim, but he’d be pissed as hell to find out she needed help and hadn’t asked for it. Jace had been left with the impression that his words hadn’t really gotten through to her, though he’d be hard pressed to explain why he’d gotten that feeling. But as every Special Ops soldier will tell you, instincts are powerful gifts and shouldn’t ever be ignored.
Chapter 3
Standing just inside the main lounge looking out over the friends that had gathered to wish both she and Ian well as they started their life together, Callie’s eyes were drawn to the trio standing just a few yards to their left. Leaning back into her new husband and Master’s arms she reveled in the feeling of his strength surrounding her. He filled holes in her soul that she hadn’t even known were there. There was no way to explain how much more complete she felt with Ian in her life. Luckily most of her new friends were also involved in Dominant/submissive relationships so she didn’t have to explain it to them, they already understood.
Watching as Gage Hughes slid his hand into the top of Holly Mills’s pretty halter dress was ratcheting up Callie’s own arousal exponentially…something she was sure her loving Master wouldn’t miss. Ian’s warm breath against her ear confirmed that he had noted her response and that caused her body to react even further before her mind even caught up enough to process his words. “Carlin, watch as Master Jace proves to you exactly what a man of honor he is—see how his muscles twitch with the desire to touch her? This is a woman he has been watching for months, but he won’t move on her because he’s made a pledge to you. And until he’s released from that promise, he’ll honor it.”
It tore at Callie’s heart to know that Jace wasn’t able to pursue a life and love of his own because he had promised to be their third. Since he was considered a permanent part of their relationship, she knew he was bound by the same pledge of fidelity that she and Ian had made to one another. The relationship could only be ended when they all agreed that it had run its course. Jace had been a strong influence on her and he’d taught her so much. They’d actually become very close friends over the past few months and she hoped what she was about to do didn’t change that fact.
When his words finally penetrated the fog of lust she was floating in, she turned in his arms. “Master, could I ask you for one more gift?” Ian showered her with gifts, some large, but many were small but significant trinkets or acts that just let her know he was always listening to her. He’d bought and then helped her plant a butterfly bush outside their bedroom one afternoon because she’d mentioned how much she had loved watching them as a child. Of course he’d made sure
she was naked while they’d worked, but it had still been great fun. He’d also helped her decorate their Christmas tree with old ornaments they’d purchased after a morning spent garage-saling. He’d had no idea what a garage sale was until she’d taken him one Saturday the previous fall. But in true Ian fashion, he’d quickly gotten into the spirit of things. She’d laughed until she had cried as he’d haggled with one man over a fifty-cent item. He’d ended up paying for the small ceramic angel she’d admired with a fifty dollar bill and then refused to take the change.
There had been relatively few bumps in the road for them recently, but she wasn’t naïve enough to think she would ever fully understand all that being a good sub entailed. But Ian had assured her life would be very boring without her regular punishments for this, that, and the other.
The deep timbre of Ian’s chuckle brought her back to the moment. “Carlin, I don’t know where you just wandered off to, but I hope you enjoyed the trip because you just earned a few swats for not answering me—twice.” When she’d first met Ian and Jace they had been amazed by what they called her little “mental road trips” and for the most part she’d gotten much better about “staying present” as Ian called it, but apparently she still had some work to do before she mastered the skill. Well crap on a cracker, good thing swats aren’t always very much of a punishment.
She felt her face heat and knew from his indulgent smile that she must have blushed a deep red. Her damned fair complexion was a curse when it came to trying to conceal any type of embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Master. I got lost in the memories of our garage sale day and all of the thousand other ways you’ve made me feel special. Could you repeat the question, please?”
“Very well said, my love, you’ll still get the swats, but I believe I might just change the purpose a bit.” His fingers were trailing gently down the side of her face and that simple touch soothed her and she found herself leaning into his touch without even thinking about it. She pushed her cheek into the comfort of his palm and listened as his voice settled her even further. “Now, my beautiful wife, tell me what your heart desires.”
She took a deep breath and decided to just spit it out. She’d always promised herself she would never be the kind of wife who was afraid to speak her mind with her spouse and she figured that now was as good a time as any to begin. “I’d like Master Jace released from our agreement so he can pursue his own happiness.” She knew her words hadn’t come out as eloquently as she’d intended, but they had been spoken from her heart. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Master Jace, but I’m not in love with him. My heart will always treasure his time with us, but it belongs wholly to you.” Pickle fudge, every time I try to sound articulate and educated I end up sounding like a Romper-Room reject.
* * * *
For the first time in days Callie was actually acting like herself again and Ian was more relieved than he wanted to admit. She had been so withdrawn and subdued recently that he’d actually been worried about whether or not she would go through with the wedding. And hearing her speaking her thoughts aloud again had been music to his ears. Not only were those musings pure insight into how her mind worked, they were also inevitably opportunities to get to the bottom of her concerns. Not to mention the fact that most often they were joy-filled and often funny as hell. He knew her pregnancy was weighing heavily on her mind, but when he’d asked her if she was having second thoughts she’d assured him she was thrilled. She’d told him that everything inside her felt out of balance and she didn’t understand it all. Her obstetrician had assured them both her feelings were perfectly normal but that didn’t stop him from worrying about her.
While he and Jace had been on the stage with Callie for her collaring ceremony earlier this evening, Ian had noted his friend’s gaze tracking Holly’s presence at the back of the room. After the ceremony Ian had intentionally brought Callie back into the room this way in hopes this very opportunity would present itself. He agreed with her that Jace needed to be free to chase his own happiness and he had a feeling that race had already begun.
He leaned down and kissed Callie and then turned her around so she could watch the scene play out while he talked her to orgasm. One of the things he and Jace had discovered about his new bride was that she enjoyed watching and she even liked being watched now that she didn’t fear Senator Westmore. The man and his wife had plotted and schemed to destroy Callie’s name and reputation in order to discredit her, and their years of abuse had taken a toll on her.
Callie had been raped by the good senator’s son and one of his friends when she’d been a teenager. Her mother had basically thrown her to the wolves so that she could gain financially from the situation and Callie had supported her sister for years before Ian had discovered the sister’s deception and put a stop to it. He was collecting the sister’s repayments and distributing the money to local charities in Callie’s name. His soft-hearted sub hadn’t wanted anything to do with the money, but Ian hadn’t been willing to let her vicious sister get away with her betrayal. After the senator’s wife attacked Callie in a dress shop, the lunatic was distracted enough by her own legal battles that she was leaving Callie alone for the moment. Seeing Callie begin putting all of that heartache behind her had been one of Ian’s greatest joys.
Ian still hadn’t decided exactly how to exact revenge on the woman who had hurt the most important person in his world, but he certainly hadn’t given up on the idea either. Ian didn’t ordinarily consider himself a vengeful person, but Nanette Westmore had earned his wrath. As for the senator, he’d lost his Senate seat when his wife had been recorded discussing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis and bragging about how her mob-boss father had been calling the shots for her ailing husband for the past several years. Surprisingly the scandal hadn’t damaged the club or his businesses and he was quite sure that was largely due to the incredible management skills of Daphne Craig, his executive assistant. The woman had been on top of the press from the moment the incident had occurred and she’d been relentless in feeding the media every sound bite she could that painted the Westmores as tainted and Callie as the pure ray of sunlight that she was.
Callie’s coworkers at the small tabloid where she had worked had also been a huge help. They hadn’t been aware that Ian had actually been their employer until after the incident and he’d quickly promoted each one of her friends who had stepped up to vouch for her. He’d bought the small paper months ago because he’d grown tired of them continually trying to get information on his club. He had intended to find out who was responsible for their relentless pursuit, and it had quickly played out when Callie had been, for all intents and purposes, blackmailed into accepting the assignment. She’d been tasked with sneaking onto the island to gather information. Capturing the tiny cat burglar had been the luckiest moment of Ian’s life.
Watching Gage bend forward, effectively wrapping his body around the woman in his arms, was the prelude to what his friend had planned and Ian was going to enjoy taking Callie along for the ride. He mirrored Gage’s posture and slid his hand into Callie’s dress and pinched her tightly budded nipple until she gasped and then groaned as the pain quickly morphed into pleasure. “Watch as Master Gage speaks close to her ear just as I’m doing to you. See how her chest rises and falls quickly as her breathing spikes? Her body is flooding itself with oxygen as it readies itself for climax. Gage has his face pressed against her neck so he can feel how her heart is pounding in anticipation of his touch. He knows her sex is swelling as blood rushes to her pussy and he’s giving her body the opportunity to enjoy the anticipation.” Ian slid his hands up the front hem of her dress knowing she was bare to his touch. Sliding his fingers through her slick folds and skillfully encircling her clit, he coaxed it out from its protective hood.
Ian was certain that he could take Callie up the mountain of arousal faster than Gage was going to go with Holly simply because his wife already trusted him and was amazingly responsive. He’d discovered early in their time together just
how easily she slipped into sub-space. Most subs needed time and either pain or pleasure, but Callie was capable of attaining that level of submission from his voice alone.
Ian hadn’t believed he would ever find a woman he could truly love. After the pain and betrayal he had experienced at the hands of his stepmother, he had decided all women only cared about money and sex—and in that order. Nolyn McGregor, not Nolyn Bieberle, had introduced Ian to the world of BDSM when he had been a young teenager. And her promises to leave his father for him had been as empty as all the promises she’d made to the numerous other rich young men she’d been playing with while driving a wedge between Ian and his father. That wedge had just started to fall to the wayside when his father died of a heart attack much too young. Ian had been just days from graduating from college and instead of pursuing his own dreams, he’d been called home to head up a company that was teetering on the verge of financial collapse. If it hadn’t been for the wise counsel of longtime family friend, Daniel Lamont, things might well have turned out much differently.
Jace Garrett was his best friend in the entire world and watching him stand like a statue in front of the woman Ian knew had captured his interest was as sad as it was sexually stimulating. And feeling his wife’s pussy flood with her sweet cream as she got closer and closer to another mind-blowing orgasm was about as good as life got for a Dom.
Chapter 4
Gage spoke softly against Holly’s small ear and smiled when he felt her entire body shiver, “Do you like having Master Jace watching you, sweetheart? Open those beautiful green eyes, baby. Can you see the desire in his eyes? Oh, Master Jace, I believe our sweet girl likes knowing what she’s doing to you because her whole body just shook with her desire and I can smell her arousal.”
