by Avery Gale
Feeling as if she had just made a deal with the devil himself, Jenna took a deep breath before closing her eyes and nodding. Great job, Jenna, way to walk straight into it…As her brothers were so fond of saying, her life was officially FUBAR, but “fucked up beyond all recognition” didn’t even begin to cover it.
* * * *
Standing just down the hall, Kat had heard the power play taking place in her husbands’ office. She smiled to herself…Oh, sister mine…you have just been played by the best of them. If she hadn’t been so selfish in her desire to have her best friend and sister-in-law living closer, she would have stepped in and made sure Jenna was at least aware of the scheme Kat had known for a week the three men had been hatching. They always waited until they thought she was asleep, then they’d sit in the office and strategize. Yeah, that sounded much better than “plot and scheme.” Soldiers were always so fond snazzy terms for behaviors any seventh grade girl had down to a science. She rubbed her rounded tummy and spoke quietly to her unborn child, “But we want Auntie Jenna close, don’t we? And if this is what it takes for her to find happiness with the man who obviously adores her, well then, we’ll just let your daddies think they have gotten away with this one.” With that, she pushed away from the wall where she’d been leaning and headed in to greet the woman who was her sister in every way that had ever mattered.
Chapter 4
Jenna and Kat went to Rissa’s first thing the next morning. Sometimes, having the a mini-spa right next door was a to-die-for blessing if you were to ask Kat, but then, waddling like a duck tended to make a woman appreciate being primped and pampered. Jenna was on her third mimosa and seemed to be unwinding while Kat was drinking an orange smoothie. Even though she didn’t drink often, Kat was mighty envious of Jenna’s bubbly orange concoction. They’d both had facials, been waxed—Rissa had apologized but said she’d been given strict instructions that she planned to follow because she really wanted to keep her job—buffed, and massaged. Now they were waiting for their Barely There Pink and Sex on a Bus Red nail polish to dry, indeed there was nothing like a complete overhaul to make a woman sweet and mellow. Lying back on the padded lounge chairs, chatting with Rissa as she got things ready for her afternoon appointments, Jenna asked Kat how she was adjusting to married life.
“Well, your brothers are usually fairly easy to deal with, or at least they were before I got knocked up.” Then laughing, she added, “I’m still not convinced them forgetting my birth control pills when they packed my things for the honeymoon was entirely accidental. They didn’t seem very surprised I was pregnant, but holy shit were they ever thrilled! And for God’s sake, how many men buy EPTs to take along on their honeymoon ‘just in case’? I mean really, not exactly super sneaky for guys that did black ops for so many years. If they aren’t any better than that, it’s a miracle they survived.”
Rolling her eyes, Jenna had to agree, and knowing her brothers, it was no accident, her brothers did not do accidental…ever. Jenna knew they had been overjoyed to have Kat back in their lives and couldn’t wait to start a family with her. They had both told her they’d known for years about her dream to have a large family, and they planned to make that dream a reality at their earliest opportunity. And knowing those two masterminds, they’d created the opportunity, their thinking would have been, Why trust for future to chance when you can master it? Oh yeah, she was sure Kat’s suspicions were dead-on, but her new sister-in-law didn’t seem to mind, well, except that they were keeping her from playing at The Club like she wanted to.
One of the reasons Jenna didn’t usually drink around men was that alcohol was straight-up truth serum for her, and it made her say what was really on her mind, and her social filters didn’t seem to work well at all when they were pickled. Smiling to herself at her own joke, she turned to Kat and said, “So tell me about being a submissive to my two bossy brothers.” If she’d shocked Kat, her pal didn’t let it show.
“Well, I’m not sure you really want me to answer that. Even though we’ve always shared everything, it seems a little weird to tell you about sex with your brothers.”
“Eww. I didn’t think about it like that…Damn, how am I gonna get the lowdown on this thing before I have to deal with Colt Matthews for a whole fracking week? Hey, Rissa, wanna tell me about sub sex?” Jenna’s crude question sent her into a fit of giggles, and it didn’t take long for Kat and Rissa to join in.
Kat leaned back and thought how glad she was to have Jenna back, and she sure hoped Chief Snoop, as she’d dubbed Colt, could manage to behave himself long enough to convince Jenna to stay. Alex and Zach had assured Kat that even though she saw Colt as an arrogant buttinski—her words, not theirs—he was actually a much sought-after Dom, and The Club’s subs loved him. They swore he was as intuitive as they came and his aftercare skills were “to die for.” Again they’d insisted they were just repeating what they’d heard subs saying for years. They had told her that Colt had actually trained both of them years earlier, and they wouldn’t be entrusting their sister to him if they didn’t have every faith in his ability to show Jenna a side of herself they were sure she’d never taken time to explore. Blah…Blah…Blah. I still think he’s an arrogant buttinski, but if he can get my bestie to stick around, I’ll cut him some slack.
* * * *
Colt was standing in the hall outside the spa listening to the women telling Jenna all about how to “get around a Dom’s rules.” Looking up at Alex and Zach, he raised his eyebrow. “You going to deal with your woman?” At their nods he added, “Give a heads-up to Grayson about Rissa. I know he’s topped her a few times and I’m sure he’ll be interested in this also. I might need to hold another Dom class for you pussies.” His smile softened his words, but he knew full well Alex and Zach would spend hours torturing their little sub, even though there wouldn’t be any spanking her until after the baby was born, Colt knew the Lamont twins would find plenty of creative punishments for their little spitfire. And he didn’t doubt that Rissa would be putting in some time over The Club’s spanking bench with her rounded ass a nice fire-engine red for all to see. Knowing Grayson’s penchant for giving every sub in The Club a couple of swats for good measure, Rissa wasn’t going to be sitting comfortably for at least a week.
“Well, gentlemen, I believe it is time I ended their little gab session and took your drunk little sister off your hands for a few days.” Colt turned and pushed through the doors carrying a bag containing the clothes he planned to dress Jenna in for their trip to his cabin. Oh, she was not going to appreciate his fashion sense at all. Let the games begin.
* * * *
“You want me to wear that? In a vehicle? Going down a public highway? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Colt noticed that Jenna’s voice had climbed the scale and had ended up shrill enough he figured there would be dogs showing up from the neighboring county. “I do indeed expect exactly that. Now, you can either wear what I have provided, or you can wear nothing, your choice.”
Noticing that Colt had crossed his arms over his massive chest, Jenna was pretty sure that chest was going to be a sight to behold. Damn the man was sex on a stick. Two-panty alarm coming right up! Jenna started to giggle at her own musings but went instantly quiet at the look on his face. Pretty obvious he hadn’t seen anything amusing about this conversation at all.
Damn mimosas are gonna get me in a lot of trouble…but right now, I’m having a little trouble focusing on giving a rat’s ass. Turning the bag he’d handed her upside down for dramatic effect, Jenna said, “Um, you probably didn’t notice, but there aren’t any panties in this bag. And well, this dress is completely sheer. And I’m going to need a strapless bra, too.” Shaking the up-ended bag, she added, “See, nothing resembling undergarments in this bag. Hey! I need shoes, too.”
“Jenna, you are holding in your hand exactly what I want you to wear. Now, either put the dress on, or I will lead you out to the truck just like you are. And I have to tell you, swe
etheart, that will be no hardship on me, you look mighty fine standing there all exposed to my view.” Colt’s words had exactly the effect he’d expected they would. Jenna had dropped the bright-red dress over her head immediately. She hadn’t even been thinking about the fact she was standing in front of him stark naked. Chuckling to himself, he took her by the hand, said their good-byes to Rissa, reminding her to send him the bill for this morning’s services for Jenna, and walked out to his truck.
Chapter 5
As they neared the door of The Club, Jenna discovered she was having trouble walking in a straight line, even with Colt’s hand firmly locked around her upper arm, she felt like a willow in a strong breeze. Damn, what did Rissa put in my drinks anyway? Wow! She looked down at her bare feet, “I need shoes. Look at my snazzy pedicure, it’s going to be wrecked by the cobblestone walk.”
Colt didn’t bother to answer her, he just looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. When they were at the doors, he scooped her up into his arms and pushed through, heading to the passenger side of his truck. He opened the door, set her inside, and reached across her to secure her seat belt. When Jenna started to lean forward, his growled “Stay where I put you, Jenna” made her freeze in place. She watched with wide eyes as he moved around the front of the truck and got behind the steering wheel, then turned to face her. “When I place you somewhere, I will expect you to stay exactly there. When I set you in or help you into any vehicle, I will always see to your safety belt, and you will remain in the vehicle when we arrive at our destination until I have come for you. Do you understand this?” Colt knew that the ever-analytical Ms. Lamont would need a continuous flow of information in the beginning of her training. Her mind was so very sharp. Her thirst for knowledge would be a constant distraction unless it was fed.
“Yes, that’s pretty basic. I do believe I can remember that, but thanks for checking.” Jenna knew her voice was dripping with sarcasm, but damn, what did he think she was, some kind of dimwit? Well, okay, so she was a bit toasted, but geez.
“Watch your tone, princess. You have already earned a punishment becoming inebriated this afternoon. I’m fairly certain you don’t want to go for another before we even leave the parking lot, now do you?”
“Inebriated? I’m just tipsy, that’s all, geez you don’t need to be such a drama queen, Matthews. Damn, I just had a couple of mimosas. Orange juice is good for you, ya know.” Jenna knew she was poking the bear, but just couldn’t seem to help herself. She really was going to have to find out what was in those drinks.
“You had three, and you skipped breakfast and lunch. And…that’s two.” Colt started the truck and headed down the drive. “Not taking proper care of your body is a punishable offense in Ds relationships, pet, as is lying about how many drinks you had.”
“Wait, how do you know how many drinks I had? Were you spying on us?” Jenna had a sinking feeling she already knew the answer. Neither Colt nor her brothers would see a thing wrong with monitoring every inch of the ShadowDance property, and God knew they would consider the inside of The Club fair game. Oh dandy, I don’t even want to think about the peep show they got this morning with the full wax job I got. Bet they were thrilled with the conversations, too. Jenna just wished she could remember what all was said, but the warm sunshine streaming in through the window, the gentle movement of truck as they drove, and the soft leather seats, on top of too much alcohol were combining to make her too sleepy to worry about it right at that moment.
Colt hadn’t even bothered to answer her questions. She already knew the answers, even if she hadn’t really liked thinking about all they might have given away during their discussions. Right now, he’d let silence work for him. She was fading fast, and with any luck, she’d sleep all the way to the cabin. He’d get a chance to mentally prepare for the week to come, and she wouldn’t know exactly where they were when she woke up. That might make it a little less tempting for her to try to bolt when the going got tough, and it was going to have to get pretty intense if he had any hope of bringing down all the barriers his little princess had spent years erecting around her heart.
There had been several years he’d been as adamant in denying their mutual attraction as she still was, but for the past couple years he’d known she was the one he’d been searching for, but he wasn’t foolish enough to believe convincing her of that fact was going to be anything but the biggest challenge he’d ever faced. Pausing when he reached the highway, Colt looked over at the woman sitting next to him. He’d never been one to back away from a good fight, and he wouldn’t start now. Colt reached over and reclined her seat back, then pulled a throw from behind his seat and covered up the sleeping beauty beside him. Then he pulled away from the stop sign at the bottom of the ShadowDance drive and headed west on the highway.
Even though the cabin he shared with Mitch Grayson and Bryant Davis was still on ShadowDance Mountain, the only vehicle access was from the opposite side of the river, so they’d need to make the twenty-minute drive that would take them to one of the few bridges spanning the water that was flowing at near capacity from last winter’s record snowfalls. Colt couldn’t wait to show Jenna how crystal clear the water flowing beneath their overhanging deck was and how the rocks that lined the riverbed formed a natural mural displaying the beautiful local geology. And it was going to be fun to see her shock when he dropped her into the frigid water the first time she got out of hand. Yes indeed, it’s going to be an interesting week for sure.
Chapter 6
Jenna’s eyes fluttered open when Colt opened her door, and her sweet smile as he leaned across her to unfasten her safety belt was full of innocent wonder. Colt had to laugh about how misleading that was, Jenna Lamont was no one’s shrinking violet, that was for certain. But, where would be the fun in life with a doormat? Colt slid his arms behind her back and under her knees and turned to walk to the cabin. Jenna finally found her voice, and turning to look all around her, asked, “Where is your cabin?”
Colt smiled. “Hard to spot, isn’t it? It’s above you. The entrance is hidden in the rocks, see the staircase straight ahead of us?”
“Wow, you’ve taken great care to ensure the place blends into the environment, haven’t you? Is the entire residence inside the rock walls?” Colt could tell that Jenna was finally coming fully awake and that she seemed to be really interested in the place Colt Matthews considered his hideaway.
* * * *
Colt Matthews and Mitch Grayson had spent many nights in locations Colt was certain God had forsaken talking late into bleak nights, brainstorming details of what would become their dream retreat. The entire structure was built into the side of a canyon wall overlooking the river running through the lower part of ShadowDance Mountain. When Grayson had suggested including his friend, Bryant Davis, Colt had readily agreed. The man was a stellar engineer, and on the occasions they’d met, he had seemed like a stand-up kind of guy.
Because of a rock shelf about halfway up the canyon wall, the largest part of the cabin’s exterior was hidden from view when passing below on the river’s edge. The front was entirely glass enclosed and faced the south, so the interior was warmed by sunshine during the long winter months. They had all laughed that even in the deepest winters, they’d never suffer from seasonal affective disorder, they’d be getting plenty of nature’s golden energy booster.
As they approached the bottom of the staircase, Jenna was not surprised to see well-hidden surveillance equipment and a high-tech security panel that Colt proceeded to punch a long series of numbers into. “The codes change at irregular intervals and are totally random, and so far we have never had a security breach. Like your brothers, Grayson and I have both made a number of enemies over the years, so we make every attempt to see to the safety of our surroundings.” Colt’s statement of the obvious made Jenna smile.
“Indeed you do. But do you really think international terrorists would travel halfway around the globe just to rob you?” Jenna had always felt her broth
ers’ obsession with security was at times really over-the-top. She understood they or their families might become the targets of domestic crimes, kidnapping, etcetera. But satellite and infrared technology had seemed a bit much to her.
Colt wasn’t sure how much Alex and Zach had shared with their family regarding all of their team’s continued black ops work, so he knew he needed to keep his comments in general terms. “It isn’t like any of us are completely out of the business, Jenna. We still contract for Uncle Sam, as I’m sure you are aware. And you need to see it from a criminal’s mind-set. If someone is trying to bring you down, and they are relentless in their efforts, you want to distract them, right?” He waited for her to nod her assent, then continued. “What better way to distract someone than to target someone or something your pursuer loves, be it a person or place?” When she didn’t look convinced, he added, “Okay, think of it this way, if you wanted to really hurt your brothers, what would you do?”
