by Avery Gale
“Sweet cheeks, you can do better than that. Now spit it out. The longer you take to answer, the more difficult it will be to get through.” Sage’s voice had sounded patient but the sharp edge of frustration threaded through his words wouldn’t have been anything the little linguist wiggling on his lap would have missed.
“You’re not going to let this go…I get that, but really I’m still trying to work it out myself.” Sam could hear the sincerity in her voice and knew they were getting close to the edge of what was no doubt going to be a very blurry line between effective pressure and complete disaster. It was a line he knew they didn’t dare cross this early in the game.
Turning her face to his own, Sam spoke softly, “We understand that you’ve had a lot on your plate, but we also know you’re holding back. So tell us what factors you think might have played into what happened and we’ll help you sort it through.” Because I have a good idea that you haven’t had anyone to talk to for a very long time, if ever, about the problems in your life. What he did know was that he hoped he and his brother would be able to eliminate that particular challenge for her. “Think about this, pet, what do you have to lose?”
*****
Jen felt like she was struggling to swim through a pool filled with Jell-O as she tried to focus her thoughts and sift through her memories of what had happened. Her entire life had been defined by bits and pieces for so long that it was often impossible to keep things sorted into any manageable sequence, and to be honest, it was becoming overwhelming even to try. She knew Sam and Sage McCall were good men. Hell, they were amazing men, but they were as much a part of the problem as were part of the solution. It was one thing to talk to a therapist who was a virtual stranger about something that was troubling her. But confiding those same failings to the sexist men she’d ever known was an entirely different matter. Can you say humiliating?
Jen had often been accused of turning in on herself when something was troubling her, so she recognized the familiar feelings of detachment that were working their way through her mind. She wanted the familiar numbness that came with shifting everything inward. The power of letting denial swallow her whole was at the pivot center of her ability to project a cool, confident face to the world…a world that rarely took the time to see the desperation lurking behind the outward smiles. She’d been so very close to that escape when she was yanked back to the present by Sam’s words, “Think about this, pet, what do you have to lose?” And for the life of her she couldn’t come up with a single argument. Damn.
Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, she decided he might be right. Maybe they could help her work it out, at the very least they might have some ideas about the stalker she’d acquired. Even Jen knew the behavior of whoever had decided to “possess her body and soul” was escalating. She’d spent a lot of time with her aged grandfather as a small child and one of the things she remembered was him saying “time to fish or cut bait, Jennifer.” Sure they’d only been playing kids games, but she’d quickly figured out he was telling her to get on with it…that it was time to act instead of thinking a problem to death.
Straightening her spine, hoping the improvement in her posture would bolster her confidence, Jen nodded once and plunged in. “Okay, I had one experience while I was in foster care that was pretty frightening and painful…and well, that was the position he used.” Although the studded belt had been the biggest problem, she thought that might be a bit too much information, considering she’d felt Sam go completely still beneath her. “I was removed from that home the next day when I couldn’t sit down at school. In truth it was that incident that brought me to the attention of Millie Sinclair, so it was actually a blessing in disguise. She changed my life for the better in more ways than I will ever be able to count.”
Sage had taken her hand in his and was drawing lazy circles over her palm with his thumb and it surprised her how much that little bit of human contact comforted her. “Add to that the fact I am really strung out after what happened at the embassy…there is just something about the whole thing that doesn’t ring true, but I haven’t worked it through yet. How many people were there outside? I just have the feeling the whole thing was an inside job.”
*****
“We have the same concerns, pet, and we’ve passed that information to our superiors already. There weren’t many men securing the facility, which I agree is a huge red flag, but let’s let that one sit on the table for a moment. Go on.” Sam didn’t think she had deliberately veered off the topic; in fact, he’d be willing to bet her thought processes were rarely linear. Thinking back on the lesson CeCe had given them, he made a mental note to send her a big box of her beloved RICHART chocolates. Granted Cam would no doubt snatch them up and dole them out as rewards, but at least she’d know how much they’d benefitted from what she’d taught them that night.
“Oh…okay…sorry, I took a forty-five didn’t I?” Yes, sweetie, you did indeed angle off there for a moment. He just smiled and nodded. “Well, there is the issues with the pictures, too.” Sam froze. He saw Sage’s thumb was no longer moving over the baby soft skin of her palm either as they both waited for her to elaborate. Willing himself not to show even the barest hint of a reaction, he just waited—barely breathing, for her to continue. She must have been satisfied it was safe to go on because she plunged ahead. “I told you about the flowers, but I didn’t mention the pictures…well, because it’s really kind of gross and more than a little humiliating actually. And I appreciate your teammates and everything, but…” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and chewed on the delicate skin until he finally reached up and used the pad of his thumb to pull it free. God, the woman undoes me. And those lips are so fucking kissable and perfect. Sage and I are the only ones who should be nibbling on them.
“Damn and double damn. I know you’re going to rat me out to Jax. And he’ll tell Micah. Crap on a cracker, this is going to be a frackster.” Frackster? What the fuck? She sensed their confusion and giggled. “Sorry. Millie was always getting on my case about cursing, so I started blending things into new words to keep from being scolded. I know she knew exactly what I was saying, but she let me have that little bit of leeway.” Sam didn’t miss the affection in her voice each time she spoke about the woman she’d lived with and he sent up a silent prayer of thanks that Mrs. Sinclair had been such a wonderful influence.
“Anyway, frackster is code for fracking disaster.” He and Sage both laughed because they’d both struggled for years to maintain what their sweet southern mama considered appropriate language for mixed company. His dad’s language was still as salty as any man Sam knew, but the fact he was a self-made millionaire many times over seemed to get him a pass with his lovely wife. Their parents hadn’t become wealthy until after he and Sage were teens, so he remembered vividly what it was like to work for everything. He’d always been grateful for that because they’d both been well prepared for the hard work it had taken to become a SEAL. Hell, BUD/S had seemed like just another day after the long hours he’d put in helping in his dad’s oil fields. Those grueling hours and hard work had been great mental and physical conditioning as well.
“The pictures, pet?”
“Oh, yeah. At first they were pretty lame, you know, silhouettes of lovers holding hands walking along a beach…that sort of thing. Then about six weeks ago they took a really ugly turn.” Sam felt her entire body shudder. “I have everything in the little safe in my apartment. And I imaged them also, just in case.” Good girl. “Also, just in case whoever has decided to ‘own me body and soul’ decides they don’t want the evidence of their little fantasy coming to light. They might get the hard copies, but they’ll play hell getting all the imaged copies. I’ve got several secure on-line backups under different names.” Holy hell, the woman missed her calling, and as they typically did, the powers that be had totally missed her skill-set as well.
Sage chuckled and leaned forward and kissed her forehead, “I’m impressed, sweet che
eks. And damned proud of you as well. Those backups of the images will likely prove very handy.” Sam couldn’t have agreed more.
“Well, the pictures are pretty graphic and they look like they were taken in a BDSM club. I can tell you they weren’t taken at Prairie Winds, but the interior looks a lot like the Wests’ club. Unless Ken and Kyle have allowed someone to publish pictures from inside their club, which I’d doubt since I know what sticklers they are about security…well then this club was set up by someone who has been inside Prairie Winds. I haven’t actually seen the Prairie Winds club, but I did talk to Jax and Micah about the décor. And…well, I read everything I could about it, too. I was curious…you know?”
Sam was stunned by her words. He didn’t question whether or not she was right, because the woman was brilliant and wouldn’t have made the connection unless it had been dead on. But the fact someone had visited Prairie Winds and then set up a dangerous imitation was a scary thought. Thinking about whoever had been so incredibly bold that they had actually taken pictures to frighten Jen was downright terrifying. He watched her slip slowly out of the moment, clearly remembering the pictures and no doubt the fear they’d instilled in her. There wasn’t anything they could do about that situation tonight, so it was time to change directions. It was glaringly apparent she was folding in on herself, but before exhaustion and stress claimed her, he and his brother needed to show her a few of the benefits of opening herself up to them held in store.
He set her on her feet next to him and ran his fingers softly over her cheek before pushing them gently through the silken blonde tresses. The softness of those pale strands sliding over his calloused fingers was such a contrast he lost his train of thought for just a few seconds. “We are very proud of you, pet. The rest of that story can wait until later. Right now we need to erase those lines of worry from your sweet face. We’re still going to give you the swats but I want you over my lap so I can feel all of your softness pillowing against me and warming my cock.” What he’d told her was true, even if it was only a small part of it. He wanted to be touching her in any way possible so he could monitor her every reaction and preempt any repeat of what happened earlier.
Sam didn’t wait for her to respond, he simply pulled the sheet the rest of the way off and tossed it aside before picking her up and draping her over his lap. Shifting her forward until she was teetering just enough to know he was the only thing keeping her from sliding to the floor, Sam was pleased when she finally relaxed and let him control her position. He ran his hand reverently over her ass, in awe at the perfection of her softly rounded cheeks, he smiled at the look on Sage’s face. It wasn’t hard to see his brother was as spellbound by the little temptress as he was. Time to get started.
Chapter Seven
Sage had listened closely to Jen’s story about everything she’d been dealing with a mix of wonder and rage. Whoever had been harassing Jen was clearly dangerous, and Sage would lay odds the stalker was male. And his escalating behavior was a huge concern. From the little Sage had read about stalking cases, the victims almost always failed to recognize the seriousness of the problem in the beginning, and by the time most of them admitted it was a problem, things were seriously out of control and rarely ended well. He was grateful Jen had people who were willing and more than capable of protecting her, because so many women didn’t.
He’d let Sam take the lead because his brother was actually better at controlling his reactions than Sage had ever been. Hell, Sam’s poker face was the subject of SEAL legend. Even as a kid Sage had always been more emotionally driven than Sam. And tonight Sage had known Jen needed Sam’s unemotional steadfastness while she’d relayed the events of the past few months. But now with her lush ass peaked so perfectly over his brother’s lap, all bets were fucking off. There wasn’t a chance in hell he’d be holding back on participating in her punishment if it meant getting his hands on her beautiful ass. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary the woman’s body was a goddamned work of art. He could see just a bit of tan line and it pleased him that she had obviously chosen a more modest suit. Oh he’d love to see her in a string bikini or better yet nothing at all as she lounged by the pool behind his parents’ home, but that bit of visual paradise should be reserved for him and his brother alone.
They had often enjoyed public scenes at the various BDSM clubs they’d visited, but he didn’t see them being in any big hurry to display Jen. Sage wondered just briefly about the stab of possessiveness that moved over him, the feeling was foreign, but still felt absolutely right. Sage listened as Sam spoke softly to Jen as he rubbed his hand in slow circles over the ivory globes displayed so beautifully. The first swat had no doubt startled her more than it had stung and Sam’s smile confirmed his suspicion. “Four more from me, pet, and then Sage will give you his licks. Since this is your first punishment at our hands, we won’t make you count.”
Sam’s swats to her ass were extremely light-handed considering how his brother usually delivered a punishment, but Sage understood exactly what Sam was thinking. If they pushed her too hard after she’d opened up to them, her mind would link the two events and she’d be reluctant to be forthcoming in the future. It was much better to give her an erotic spanking and let her mind focus on the pleasure it was basking in rather than the fact she was being punished. When Sam’s palm landed the final swat, Sage watched him slide his fingers between her legs. The smile that spread over his brother’s face told him the little subbie was wet with arousal. Perfect.
When Sam removed his fingers, Sage gave him a quick signal telling him to leave her in position. Sage would swat her where she was because he wanted to hurry things along, and standing her up was going to require more time than he wanted to devote to a delay. They were all looking forward to enjoying the rewards to come and as far as he was concerned the sooner he got inside her the better. Sage leaned down and kissed the warm skin that still held the faint impression of his brother’s handprint. “Your ass is the loveliest shade of pink, sweetness. It reminds me of the baby blankets our mom makes for all of her friends when they were blessed with little girls.” He rubbed his cheek over the heated skin until his brother thumped him on the back of his head jarring him back to the task at hand.
“Get your face away from my crotch and finish this up. I want to feel her wrapped around me a lot more than I want you that close to my junk.” Sam’s crude words had pulled Jen back just enough and Sage was certain that had been a part of his plan. Sam McCall was a true Master, not only as a sexual Dominant, but he was one of the best strategic planners in all the Teams combined. Sage didn’t doubt his leadership skills would be sorely missed by the US Special Forces. Fortunately the men they’d worked with had all either already retired or would be opting out within the next several months. And with the downtime Carl and Peter had coming it was unlikely they’d be sent on another mission unless things blew up on the world stage.
“Ready, baby? Let’s get this done so we can show you exactly how much pleasure we can bring you.” Sage didn’t wait for her reply, instead he let the slaps fall in quick succession. He knew his swats would have stung more than Sam’s, but that was exactly what they’d planned. Her yelp at the first blow had changed to a soft moan by the fifth and he wasn’t at all surprised to find her soaking wet when he pushed his fingers deep into her channel. Curving them just right, he felt his spongy target and pressed down. “Come for us, baby.” Her response was so immediate it had taken both of them to keep her from tumbling off Sam’s lap. The gush of cream that washed over his hand felt like warm liquid silk and the smell was pure ambrosia.
By the time they had Jen settled on the bed they’d both shed their boxers and Sage had rolled a condom over his throbbing erection. Her eyes were becoming more focused so it was time to start sending her right back up the steep mountain to release. The difference would be this time he wanted her to take him along on that sweet magic carpet ride over the stars. Moving over her, he kept almost all of his weight off her, only allowing
enough pressure that she’d know she was right where he wanted her. “Baby, I’m dying to feel your heavenly body wrapped around my cock. Feeling you clamp down on me is going to be as close to rapture as I’m willing to face at this point in my life. But, sweetness, you are so tight, I need you to relax and let me in.”
Even though they’d had a couple of different sexual encounters with Jen, they hadn’t ever actually fucked her, and he was stunned at how tight she was. Holy fucking hell, how long has it been for her? Christ! If I manage to just sink balls deep in her without embarrassing myself I’ll count it as a victory. When the tip of his cock finally made it through the gate he stopped and let both of them adjust. Glancing over at his brother, he groaned, “Fuck me, she is so tight. Like a hot fist with a vise-like grip that is going to make me completely insane.” Sage felt sweat bead up on his brow as he fought for control. He pressed his lips against her forehead and whispered, “Baby, you are going to have to relax or this is going to be over long before either of us wants it to.” And that was a monumental understatement if there ever was one. “Brother, see what you can do to distract our girl, here.”
“My pleasure, little brother.” Sam moved into position and held his cock close enough Jen would be able to turn her face and take him into her sweet mouth. “Come on, pet, let’s see if we can’t get your body to relax a bit by dividing your attention, shall we?” Sage watched Jen’s eyes widen and then dilate just before she licked her lips. The groan that came from Sam when her tongue circled the head of his cock before swiping the pearly drop of pre-cum at the end was enough to tell Sage how close his brother was to the edge himself. Hell, Mr. Always in Control wasn’t going to last long enough to be any help at all at this rate.
