by Avery Gale
Walking away from something that felt so right would be close to impossible, but being cut loose later would be even worse. Jace had kept his gaze on the guests milling around in the soft candlelight in front of them but his words went straight to Gage’s soul. “She needs us both. I don’t know how or why I know it—but I do. There is a hole in her soul and it’s going to take both of us to help her heal. Hell, it’s gonna take both of us just to keep up with her.” Jace smiled and shook his head before his smile slipped away and he continued, “I’m gonna push her, I won’t be easier on her because I’m so taken with her, and I don’t want you to be anything but yourself with her either. Something tells me she has dealt with more than her share of phoniness, she doesn’t need any more smoke and mirrors from us. There is heartache and loneliness in her eyes and I want to erase it as quickly as we can because she deserves so much more.”
“I couldn’t agree more. We’ll have to work together and I’m going to depend on you to lead sometimes. I know you were raised in a polyamorous family, even if it wasn’t public information, it was still obvious to anyone who cared enough to look closely. Since you grew up with an insider’s view of what it takes to make it work, I’m asking you to help me do it right.” Gage paused for several beats because he wanted to choose his words carefully. There was no way he would ever consider a sexual relationship with Jace, they were neither one wired that way. And he didn’t want his friend to get that idea, but he wanted to be able to ask questions and benefit from Jace’s background.
Before he’d figured out exactly what to say, Jace had picked it up and given him exactly the assurance he’d needed, “Let’s look at this as a team effort. We both bring different skills to the table, or our woman’s care in this case, but I’ll lead when the situation warrants until you’re comfortable in a fully equal role. Her head will probably fight us at every turn for a while, but I don’t think her heart will be a problem. In the end it’ll be worth it for all of us. Face it, you are going to learn this in a New York minute and we can always call Alex and Zach if we need another point of view.”
Gage groaned thinking about how apparent it was that the two Doms he’d known when they were among the SEALS’ best and brightest now spent their time trying to corral one tiny blonde package of dynamite. “Christ, you don’t think Holly is going to be as difficult as Katarina Lamont, do you? Fuck, I may not be ready for this after all.” They both enjoyed a chuckle as they looked over to see Alex pull his beautiful wife down onto his lap and whisper in her ear. And even though they couldn’t hear his words, there wasn’t any doubt about the topic of conversation because the flush that went over her cheeks as she lay her head back against his shoulder was a dead giveaway. Gage had to smile as they watched Alex, both of his hands clearly in view—one holding her dainty wrists together in her lap and the other cupping the side of her face in a tender move that was still laced with the message that he was her Dom and the moment was his to control. Watching as her chest began to rise and fall in what was obviously shallow, panting breaths, he knew she was close to reaching her release. Gage smiled as Alex deftly turned her face to his and sealed his lips over hers just as her entire body went rigid, and he knew Alex had caught her scream as he’d given her, what appeared to have been, a very satisfying orgasm right in the middle of room where one of the wealthiest men in the country was celebrating his marriage and collaring ceremony.
Seeing Alex end the kiss and wrap his arms around Kat as she buried her face in his shoulder almost felt as if he was eavesdropping on a private moment, but he was glad he’d continued watching. Seeing Alex cuddle Katarina for several seconds before sliding her over on to his brother’s lap had been what their SEAL instructors had always referred to as a “teachable moment.” The ease that the two brothers brought to their handling of their wife might look simple on the outside, but Gage was sure the three of them understood precisely where the boundaries lay. Suddenly he was filled with hope that the type of relationship he and Jace had talked about during all those late nights of endless reconnaissance might just be possible.
Chapter 9
Holly stood just inside the doorway of the ladies lounge as if she’d been frozen in place. She’d heard Katarina’s name mentioned and that had caught her attention because she’d met Kat a while back and liked her immediately. And then she’d spotted Kat and Alex sitting just a few yards from the door and she’d been completely captivated watching as Alex Lamont made love to his wife. It didn’t matter that they were in the middle of a wedding reception surrounded by a couple hundred of Ian and Callie’s friends, nor did it matter that his touch had been perfectly acceptable for the situation…none of that had kept the man from giving his wife an orgasm she had obviously enjoyed very much. And he’d done it with nothing but his words…incredible.
Her mind was whirling with possibilities and suddenly an entire book seemed to write itself in her mind. These were the moments that she wished she could run to the nearest computer and spend the next several hours getting down the details she’d just watched play out in her imagination. Holly was pretty sure that had been the most erotic thing she’d ever seen and for once she wasn’t really too worried about forgetting what she would normally be clamoring to commit to paper. Oh no, that scene was going to replay itself in her mind for the next fifty or sixty years. Each and every detail was etched in the granite of her mind. She wondered briefly if Kat would be willing to answer her questions…God, that would be fantastic. I could get a firsthand account…I wonder if she would mind?
Once Alex had settled his wife on his brother’s lap, Holly saw him turn his gaze directly to her. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights of his intense gaze. A part of her knew she should look away, but there was something in his eyes that told her she’d be able to run, but never hide. The man was a Dominant to his very core. Working in Ian’s executive offices meant she’d met both Alex and Zach Lamont on several occasions and each time she’d noted Alex’s intensity. She knew Zach Lamont was a Dom also, but his demeanor seemed to be startlingly different. At first it had been a bit disconcerting because they were mirror image twins, but she’d quickly noticed differences in their personalities that made telling them apart easy…as long as they spoke or moved. Giving herself a mental slap she suddenly realized Alex’s attention had caused both Jace and Gage to notice she’d been standing just behind them.
As Alex walked toward them she felt a wave of searing heat and the ice cold wash through her and for the life of her she didn’t know what it meant. It was his posture and intent, but she didn’t know why. Her fear must have shown on her face because she heard Alex’s soft “What the hell?” And then there were black dots clouding her vision…and they were getting closer together…fast.
Holly could hear voices but they seemed so far away and suddenly she felt like she was floating, or maybe she was being carried, she really couldn’t quite get her mind to function like she knew it was supposed to. When her vision cleared it was Zach Lamont’s face, not Alex’s that filled her view. She realized that he was taking her pulse and then oddly enough he leaned down and slipped her heels from her feet. Glancing up at the worried faces looking down at her, she groaned and turned her face into the shoulder of the man holding her. She instantly recognized Jace and she let herself relax into his hold, hoping when she opened her eyes again it would all have been just a bad dream.
* * * *
Jace had watched as Alex seemed to zero in on something behind where he and Gage stood, and just when he raised an eyebrow at the man in question he’d heard Alex shout, “What the hell? Catch her,” and all his training had come back in the blink of an eye. He’d turned just in time to see Holly sway forward and her knees give way. He’d been a half a step closer, so he’d been the one to scoop her up just as she was falling limply to the floor. Now, holding her in his arms with her face pressed against his shoulder to hide her embarrassment, he felt as if all was right in his world, despite the evidence to the cont
rary. Alex was urging people back to the party with minimal luck and Jace nearly laughed out loud when Alex’s five-foot-nothing “submissive” wife announced they were scaring Holly and everybody needed to move along. Jace wasn’t sure which part he enjoyed the most, the fact that it worked or the stricken look on Alex’s face.
He’d been relieved when Zach explained that he thought Holly had been standing with her knees locked for whatever reason and that had caused her to faint. Once Alex had settled Katarina in a chair alongside Callie, he and Ian both crouched in front of Holly. Gage was sitting right beside him with Holly’s legs over his lap and when Alex explained that he’d seen Holly standing in the door watching as he’d “punished” Katarina for a flip answer she’d given him about whether or not she was enjoying herself, they’d all four laughed.
I have to give the man credit, he can improvise a punishment quicker than anyone I know. Alex had mentioned quite some time ago that he and Zach had been at their wit’s end about how to punish Kat because she seemed to like everything they came up with. He’d laughed along with the other Doms at the table that night, but suddenly he had new respect for the men’s dilemma. He and Jace were both pretty strict Doms, just as many of their friends had been. And one by one they seemed to fall, and as they fell in love with their women their interpretation of the BDSM rules and protocol seemed to shift. He’d worried about how that shift was going to play out in the club, but now he understood exactly why Ian hadn’t been concerned.
“Pet, look up at us please.” He’d kept his voice low hoping to keep her embarrassment at a minimum. He was satisfied when she raised her face and looked at each of the men surrounding her. “Feeling better, love? You’d have hit the floor if it hadn’t been for Alex’s attention.”
“Oh yeah, Alex is the hero here. Geez, you guys are lame. Alex may have seen her eyes rolling back in her head like a china doll, but he’s the reason she was standing there like a statue to begin with.” Everyone, including Katarina Lamont, looked completely stunned by her remarks. Turning to Callie, she asked, “Oh shit, I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
Callie burst out in a fit of giggles just as Alex growled, “Katarina, language. And you are in such trouble.” He turned back to Holly and said, “We can’t take her anywhere anymore.” Jace was dumbfounded when the former SEAL winked at Holly, letting her know that he wasn’t really mad at his outspoken wife. Holly quickly succumbed to the giggles when Callie didn’t bother to hold back her amusement. And when Jace looked up at Kat she looked quite pleased with her results. The woman was quick thinking, he’d give her that. Katarina had obviously spoken aloud on purpose to break the tension of the moment and it had worked like a charm.
Everyone started to move away and give them a few minutes to get Holly settled. Jace and Gage both chuckled when they heard Alex speaking to his wife as he led her back to the party. “I know what you did—and why, love, but I’m still going to paddle your bare ass as soon as we’re on that plane. We didn’t soundproof that bedroom for no reason you know.” Jace saw the little sub shiver and knew Alex was going to give her exactly what she loved.
Holly’s quiet words brought his attention back where it belonged, “I think it’s time for me to go. I’m fairly certain I have disrupted this party about all I dare if I want to keep my job. Good Lord, but this is so embarrassing. I’ve embarrassed you and myself…this is so out of character for me…really. I’m usually such a good girl.”
Jace saw Gage stiffen next to him and knew Holly was in for it now. As long as Jace had known Gage, this had always been a major sticking point for him as a Dom. Anyone who decided they had the right to pass judgment about what constituted “proper sexual behavior” in Gage’s presence would answer to him very quickly. Jace settled in for the verbal lashing he knew was coming.
* * * *
Gage’s heart had nearly stopped when he’d turned and seen Holly on a fast track to the floor a few minutes ago. At Alex’s words he and Jace had turned in what had to have looked like a well-rehearsed move toward her just as her knees buckled. Because Jace had been standing to his right, he’d reached Holly first, catching her in his arms just before she would have crashed to the rock floor. After Zach had checked her over, he’d assured them she was going to be fine and then he’d pointed out the heels Holly was wearing and shook his head. From what Zach had said, standing with her knees locked would have been bad enough, but with the fuck-me shoes she had on the problem had been greatly magnified. So, sweetheart, you’re going to be one of the subs at the club going barefoot. No more heels for you unless you are flat on your back and they are wrapped around one of your Masters’ backs.
He’d been lost in his thoughts of all the ways they could keep her feet from hitting the floor when he zeroed in on her reference to the fact she usually was such a good girl. It didn’t take a team of NASA specialists to read between the lines that she didn’t think her behavior tonight qualified as “good.” Gage didn’t have many hot buttons, but this was one of the biggest. Social constrictions governing what was perceived as “normal” had been created by somebody with a major stick up their ass in his opinion. And the guilt-trip tickets society handed out like they were a ride at a state fair were often attributed to religion. Hell, he’d read the Bible several times and had yet to see anything in it that clearly gave someone else the power to judge what happened between consenting adults.
He used his fingers to grasp her chin and lift her face so that their eyes met. “Sweetness, you want to run that ‘good girl’ comment by me again? Because what I heard was that you don’t think you’ve been a good girl tonight, when by my estimation that is completely inaccurate.” Gage saw Holly’s green eyes widen at the growled tone of his voice, but he knew the minute his meaning had made its way through her sharp mind because her pupils dilated with arousal. Well, well. It seems our little subbie likes a bit of a challenge. Let’s see if we can push you just a bit farther, babe.
Holly opened her mouth to speak and then Gage watched as a cloud of what appeared to be pure shame moved over her entire face. Christ, even her body language was suddenly screaming how remorseful she was. Her whispered apology was all she’d managed to get out before tears filled her eyes. “Tell me why you are sorry, Holly. I want to hear what you think you have done that you have to apologize for.”
He could see she was trying to control her breathing, no doubt she was making a herculean effort to keep the tears from breaching her lower lids and streaming unchecked down her pink cheeks. Gage had been ready for any number of excuses, but he was completely surprised by her words. “I’m sorry because I’ve disappointed you.” She couldn’t possibly be serious. Blown away? Check. Intrigued? Check-check. But disappointed? Not even close. Holly seemed to pick up on his confusion and when he didn’t respond she added, “I’m usually one of those people who overachieves, you know? I like to give one hundred and ten percent…always, that way people are pleased.”
Gage studied her for several seconds and could feel Jace doing the same thing. When he finally spoke, his words were gentle but laced with steel. “I want you to listen very closely to what I’m about to tell you. Master Jace and I are both more than pleased with you. You are smart, responsive, and beautiful—and yes, I put those things in their order of importance.” That question flashed over your face like a neon sign, sweetheart. “Now, until we can sort this all out, I have a request.” Gage saw Jace’s nod so he was sure his friend knew exactly where this was going. “Master Jace and I would like for you to avoid whoever it is that has brainwashed you into believing you have to be perfect all the time. We’ll be happy to run interference for you until we can be sure you’re ready to face that person and tackle their condemnation alone.” He saw her eyes go wide and knew he’d nailed it.
Jace spoke up as well, “Don’t look so shocked, pet. We’ve both been Doms for a long time and we listen closely to what subs say and even closer to what they don’t say. And you, love, are a classic case overachie
ver. You said earlier you are interested in exploring our lifestyle, is that still the case?” His wait for her response wasn’t long, because she immediately nodded her head. He stroked his fingers down the side of her face before cradling her soft cheek in his palm. Gage knew Jace was using touch to center her attention and he was pleased to see how well it was working. Jace waited a few seconds before continuing, “We won’t ask you any more about this right now because I know it’s been a very long day for you. And I don’t think our command is an unreasonable one. We are just asking you to avoid whoever it is that demands your perfection until we have a chance to help you work through some of those issues, because I have to tell you, your insecurity is unfounded.”
Gage took her hand in his and was surprised to feel how cold it was. “Christ, sweetheart, your hand is freezing. Are you cold or is there something else we need to know about?” When he checked her other hand it was warm, so his curiosity was more that piqued.
“No, I’m not really cold.” She let out a shuddering breath and then gave them both a wan smile, “I think I must have twisted a bit when I passed out because my back is hurting a little. Nothing serious, just some little electrical shocks here and there. Usually if one hand is cold and the other is warm, that means I’m due a trip to my chiropractor or masseuse.”
Gage wanted to growl his frustration, but he kept his response in check. Despite the fact that this was exactly the sort of thing a sub should tell her Dom immediately, Holly wasn’t a trained or experienced submissive. She was a successful career woman who was obviously well-versed in taking care of herself. “Sweetheart, from this point forward, this type of thing is going to be considered important information for you to relay to either Master Jace or myself immediately.”
