by Avery Gale
She blinked her eyes a couple of times before answering, “I love breakfast. And this looks wonderful, but I can’t eat this much food this late at night. Good grief, I’ll get even heavier and God knows what kind of nasty-grams that would bring my way. Lord in heaven, I shudder to think. And let’s face it, I just don’t have the muscle mass you guys have to burn this many calories.”
He and Gage both froze and looked at her, not believing she’d actually had the nerve to say that after they’d just spoken to her about her self-deprecating comments earlier. Gage leveled his gaze and Jace could see he was struggling to maintain his calm as he cautioned, “Sweetness, I’m going to give you one chance to rephrase that before I upend you and warm up your sweet ass so you’ll remember the lesson a bit longer next time.”
Jace wanted to laugh out loud when he saw Holly’s eyes go wide with surprise and then immediately her pupils dilated and he could see her pulse pick up at the base of her graceful neck. Her breathing hitched and her small gasp was the stuff of wet dreams. Oh sweet Holly, each of those responses are tells that no Dom worth his salt would miss. You are more than a little intrigued by that spanking idea.
“Oh…well, I’m sorry, but this is just a lot of food, and um, I don’t eat late at night. Crap-o-molie, someone would probably send my mother a memo and I’d be getting e-mails, texts, and phone calls by dawn.” She’d spoken the last sentence so quietly he’d barely made it out. Jace hadn’t even met her mother and he already disliked the woman. And since he’d heard her rambling earlier about Daphne being her aunt, he couldn’t help but wonder which of her parents had grown up with Ian’s ultra-organized assistant. Because Daphne Craig was a lot of things, smart, outspoken, dedicated, and fiercely loyal among them. But he’d never seen her be judgmental or cruel, so it was easy to see why she was sheltering Holly.
“Pet, eat your dinner and then we have several things we need to discuss before this goes any further.” He saw the disappointment in her eyes just before she lowered them to her plate. Looking up at Gage, he knew his friend was as puzzled by her reaction as he was. “Holly, look at me.” When she slowly raised her eyes he saw her unshed tears. “Tell me what I said that made you sad, because I’m not sure you understood what I meant.”
“No, it’s alright. I appreciate the dinner, really I do. But I’m not really very hungry now. I think I’ll just get my shoes and make my way down to the dock so I can catch the last ferry back to the city.” She was already pushing her chair back and starting to stand before she’d even stopped speaking.
“Sit your ass down and eat your dinner—Now.” Jace was getting mighty tired of this dance and knew the growl in his voice had no doubt made that crystal clear to her. Shit, had anyone ever spoken nicely to this woman? She had obviously been so browbeaten by someone that she assumed everything anyone said to her was negative.
Even though she didn’t look particularly pleased, she sat immediately and started eating. She must have enjoyed the food because she’d completely cleaned her plate before he or Gage had finished. He wanted to tease her, but knew from experience with his younger sister, Abby, that would be a sure-fire way to ensure she wouldn’t eat for the next couple of days. He’d no more than set down his fork than Holly was on her feet and quickly clearing the dishes. Watching her was a study in contrasts—her movements were so efficient it was almost as if they had been practiced in advance, but there was no denying how nervous and unsettled she was. He knew she was trying to delay their talk and he was determined to give her a few minutes to settle herself, but what he wouldn’t give to know what was whirling through her mind.
When she had finally put away, cleaned, and scrubbed away every available excuse to avoid the inevitable, she turned to them and sighed in resignation. Jace had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing and Gage’s cough next to him did little to cover his own laughter. “Do you always clean when you are stressed, pet?” He didn’t need to hear her words, the answer was plainly written all over her face. Hell, he would wager her apartment was nearly sterile.
“Yes. It’s an odd habit, I know. But cleaning everything around me helps me clean the sludge from my mind as well.” He knew her answer was a baseline honest response and he appreciated her insight as well as her clever turn of phrase.
“Come here.” Jace stood and held out his hand to her and was pleased when she had started to step forward even before his words could have registered. Seeing her respond so quickly to his outstretched hand was a major tell about the depth of her submission, and one he knew Gage would have noticed as well.
Moving into their large living room, he settled her in a straight-backed chair, making sure she was facing them both. He wanted her comfortable enough to answer questions, but not so relaxed she forgot the importance of this conversation. “Let’s start with a few basics, shall we? First of all, from the comments you’ve made this evening, Gage and I are both aware that your job at McGregor Holdings isn’t what you usually do.” When he saw her eyes widen in realization, he smiled, “Oh indeed, you do speak your thoughts aloud and I can’t tell you how much that fact pleases us.”
“Sweetheart, we would like to know exactly what you were doing before you became your aunt’s assistant.” Gage’s words had been a direct inquiry as well as a declaration of a fact Jace was sure she hadn’t realized she’d shared. Well done, my friend.
Holly blinked at them several times before she rolled her eyes—a move that ordinarily got a sub pulled over his lap in a heartbeat, but in this instance, he was fairly certain her disgust was with herself. “Oh brother, I really have to learn to contain that yakking out loud thing, don’t I? Geez, it’s hard telling what all I’ve spilled. I’m just a regular Chatty Cathy, fricking fracking…oh shit, I’m doing it again.” He watched in amusement as she let out a dramatic sigh before continuing, “Okay, here’s the short condensed version. I’m a screenwriter. Well, I’ve written plays also, but you get the idea. I have also written several novels. And well, I’ve done a bit of acting. That was a kind of an accident though. Anyway…each of those requires me to be a different person and it got to be overwhelming and when I knew I was just one more sleepless night from being ready for the rubber room, I came down to see my aunt.
“The day I walked into McGregor Holdings there wasn’t anyone at the front desk so I made my way down the hall to Human Resources and asked to see Daphne Craig. They were swamped and misunderstood who I was. They thought I was some girl from the secretarial pool and told me my job as Ms. Craig’s assistant started right now, rather than the next week. Well, I thought it was a joke when they directed me to Aunt Daffy’s office, so I took the paperwork up with me.”
When Holly glanced between them she knew they weren’t going to say anything until she’d finished, so she’d continued. “Well, you know my aunt…she’s a steamroller. She took one look at the paperwork and rather than the laughter I’d expected, her eyes lit up and…well, she started rattling on about this being proof that God loved her and a scathingly brilliant idea if she’d ever had one…and I guess the rest is history.”
Jace was totally bewildered at how this woman had slipped so easily through their security system. Christ what kind of holes have I got to close up? I can’t fucking believe this. “Care to enlighten me as to how you managed to slip through our security checks?” He tried to keep the frustration from his voice because it really wasn’t her fault, but he and Daphne Craig were going to have a come to Jesus meeting of the first order next week.
Holly flinched and looked up at him, her apology written all over her face. “I’m really sorry about that. But that one is all on my sweet aunt. And evidently the girl who was supposed to have the job was Holly Miller, so it wasn’t that much of a stretch.” She paused for several seconds, suddenly very interested in her tightly clenched fingers resting in her lap.
“And?” He knew there was more, it was written all over her body language and they needed to get this all sorted out before an
ything else happened between them.
“When Ian didn’t recognize me, we decided I’d help her get things organized and caught up in the office because she and I have always worked well together…much to my mother’s disdain. And I used my real name instead of one of my pen names or other aliases so of course your clearance report came back clean as a whistle.” She looked up at him and he could see how worried she was about the problems she and her aunt had caused.
“Well, that is still no excuse for my staff’s oversight. A clearance that comes back perfectly clean is almost always phony or has been purged, they should have flagged it immediately. And what the hell is going on in H.R. anyway? Christ, Ian should have been having a damned heart attack, especially since all of this took place during that fiasco with Callie.”
“See, that was the thing. It just sort of got out of hand and then I think Aunt Daffy was hoping I’d stay because she could see I was recovering just as she’d hoped I would.” Holly had dropped her gaze to her hands again as they twisted the fabric of her dress until he was sure the wrinkles would never come out.
Gage leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees and shook his head, exasperation clearly racing through him. “Well, the way I see it we need to be thanking our lucky stars that the problems with our security clearances and identification of employees has been pointed out to us this way rather than through a tragedy.” Waving a hand in Jace’s direction when he’d started to speak, he continued, “No, hear me out. I agree, we are going to have to overhaul the system. We have people in positions that they are clearly not qualified for or they are just completely fucking up, so they’ll have to go. And I want to hear Daphne’s explanation as well, because she understands the importance of security as well as any of us. But most of all, I want you to explain what you meant by recovering.”
Jace had heard Holly’s words, but they hadn’t really registered because he’d been so pissed about the fact his security team had dropped the ball in such a big way. This is exactly why it would take the two of them working together to keep up with Holly Mills. Shit, he didn’t have any idea how long it would have taken him to get around to asking about that statement.
“Oh shoot. I thought maybe you were going to let that go by. Fuck a duck in a rainstorm, should have known that wasn’t going to happen with two Doms. Are you two always going to tag-team our conversations? Because I have to tell you, this is going to be damned inconvenient for me if you are.”
Jace nearly laughed at the growl he heard come from Gage. “Pet, that is one. You have already agreed to be ours while you explore the lifestyle and the attraction between us. And you have already been told to answer questions immediately and honestly. So that little dance of deception you just did in a very futile effort to avoid answering Master Gage’s question just cost you a punishment later this evening. Now, if I were you, I’d answer that question before you rack up another.”
He’d heard her small gasp of surprise and then watched as her face flushed a beautiful shade of rose. Her nipples poked through the soft fabric of her halter dress and he watched as she shifted in her seat. Trying to relieve some of that pressure on your needy clit, baby? Her responsiveness was amazing and he couldn’t wait to finish this so they could fuck her seven ways to Sunday.
“Well, you see…I wasn’t kidding about skating on the edge of a physical and emotional collapse…that is why I’d come down to see my Aunt. Aunt Daffy has always been my rock. Even when I was a kid, I’d figure out ways to get sent to her house over holidays. Everything was always so normal at her house and it was healing. I had been burning the candle at both ends for several years before I got here. And, I have still been working on a few projects during the evenings, but…” She chuckled and looked up at them and smiled. “Well, my dear sweet aunt had your IT guys install some kind of timer on my laptop, damned thing goes off at nine o’clock each night and won’t turn back on until the next evening at six on weekdays. Aunt Daphne was determined that I would get the rest she’d decided I needed to bounce back. And as much as it chapped me in the beginning, I have gotten a lot of rest and am finally feeling my creative side starting to reemerge. So you see, she had her reasons for keeping quiet even though I really do understand your frustration and I’m sorry for my part in it.” She took a deep breath and then seemed to pull energy he knew she wasn’t feeling right out of thin air as she stood up. “Well, I’m going to head back now. I’m sure you are tired and I’d like to get back to my motel before it gets too crazy. It’s hard to get through the lobby sometimes.”
“Sit down, Holly. You weren’t given permission to get up let alone leave. We aren’t finished with this discussion yet, not by a long shot. And why is it hard to get through the lobby?” Jace was getting more frustrated with this discussion by the minute, was there ever going to be an end to the crap they were finding out about their so-called team of security experts? Hell, now they had an employee whose permanent address was a damned hotel? Seriously?
“Oh well, sometimes there are people there that recognize me and if it’s late and they’re drunk, they want me to join them for…whatever. Even though some of them only know me because of my parents and that is just too disgusting to even think about.” She looked up and flushed, “I’m sorry, that was probably one of those too much information things, wasn’t it?”
“No, pet, there will never be any TMI things when it comes to you. We not only want to know everything, we’ll demand it. Now, we’ll finish sorting this out on Monday, quite frankly, I’m too pissed to work it through right now and I’ve got other ideas for you tonight.”
Chapter 12
Holly had been convinced Jace and Gage were going to both have strokes when she’d started explaining how she’d come to work for Ian without them realizing who she was. She’d been shadowed by security teams her entire life so she was well aware of how anal they were about any breach of their system. But she was also well versed in ways you could bypass them if you played your cards just right. Hell, her mother’s family was old money and it chapped their asses that Daphne worked when she clearly didn’t need the money. Holly knew her aunt’s career had been all about rebellion in the beginning, but from what she understood, once Ian had taken over for his father, she’d wanted to stay and help the young man become a success.
But it was Holly’s father’s fame that had always been the greatest cause for concern. Robert Forsthye was one of the biggest actors in Hollywood, even though he’d never actually lived there. His salary for films was obscene and his public exposure was a constant challenge for Holly. Groaning to herself, she wondered how long she’d be able to hide her connection to him. It was obvious that Jace and Gage weren’t big movie magazine readers or they probably would have pieced it together by now. Holly didn’t relish that discussion either. Holy hell, if they were the protective or jealous types her life and social circle were going to drive them away quickly. Resigning herself to enjoying what little time she would have with them, she decided to just learn what she could about the BDSM lifestyle because so far everything she’d read and seen had sparked her interest in a way that nothing had in a very long time. She’d already been thinking about ideas for a book and heaven knew she could use all the firsthand experience she could get because her previous sexual experience had been dismal to say the least.
It shouldn’t have surprised her that the men who had claimed to be interested in her had always been interested in her mother’s family connections or her father’s fame or their collective portfolios. She’d learned early on that she was just too plain to capture the interest of any man that she found interesting. And her mother had nearly come apart at the seams the first few times Holly had expressed an interest in one of the bad boys at her school.
When she finally returned her focus to the two men sitting as still as statues watching her, she was relieved when she realized for once she hadn’t been thinking aloud. “Pet, your mind is so loud you didn’t even hear Master Gage and I sp
eaking to you. We’ll be able to help you silence the noise in your head so that you can enjoy a respite from the pressure you put yourself under at every possible turn. We’ll help you learn to let go, but I want to warn you up front, we’re going to take our responsibilities seriously. There are going to be a lot of times when we restrict your activities for your own sake, and you’ll likely be pissed as hell about it. Just remember, your safety and well-being are always our main concern. It’s our privilege and right to care for you.”
Jace had been right when he’d mentioned her mind being too loud for her to enjoy living in the moment. She had always been plagued by attention deficit disorder symptoms and had learned to control the worst of the symptoms by keeping several balls in the air most of the time. Jace didn’t know it, but his promise to help her get outside of herself…even if it was for a short time…was a temptation she’d never walk away from willingly. She didn’t doubt that all the baggage that went along with being Robert Forsthye’s daughter would quickly become overwhelming and that wasn’t even considering the unnecessary drama of dealing with her mother.
Resigned to the reality that this relationship would burn out as quickly as the fireworks she saw dancing over New York harbor every July fourth, she quickly refocused her thoughts on how much she enjoyed those fireworks despite how quickly they faded. She always stood on the small terrace of her penthouse and watched as the bright colors lit up the Statue of Liberty. The entire city seemed to pause for those few minutes to watch as the night sky was filled with flashes and explosions marking our nation’s birth. She now realized how sad she was when the show was over…as if she was missing something and hoped the feeling of emptiness wasn’t a preview of coming attractions.
Turning her attention back to the men sitting in front of her, she noticed their frowns and wondered what she’d done to merit such fierce expressions from them both. She wasn’t sure what could have gone wrong so quickly, but in her experience, being direct was the best path when someone was angry and you hadn’t gotten the memo explaining all the particulars. “Care to enlighten me about why you are both frowning at me? Or should I check my email for a memo? Hell, at least my mother sends a memo.” She knew her laugh had done little to lighten their mood but then, she hadn’t really been kidding either. Hell, Holly had started getting memos in the form of bulleted lists of her transgressions and suggestions for improvement before she’d gotten out of grade school. She had to give Celeste Mills-Forsthye credit, she knew how to cut someone down to size with words more efficiently than anyone else Holly had ever encountered.
