* * *
Two weeks later, Fancy sat in the passenger seat of the truck Brody had rented at the airport. As he turned off the main road, there was an overhead, rustic sign announcing their arrival at Paradise Pastures, the horse ranch his family owned. The two-hundred-acre spread was home to a decent sized Quarter Horse breeding operation.
Fancy twisted her hands together as the butterflies in her stomach took flight. While she was looking forward to seeing Elise, Gerard, and Brett again, she was nervous about meeting the rest of the family. Her anxiousness increased as she took in the long line of trucks and cars parked along the three-quarter-mile long, dirt driveway. There had to be close to fifty of them and more parked in a sizable lot the driveway opened into, in front of the beautiful blue and white, two story home.
She jumped when Brody reached over, took her hand in his, and squeezed. “Easy, sweetness. My sisters aren’t going to attack you like a pack of wolves—at least not until they let you get used to them first.”
“Oh, jeez. I’m just glad I’ve already met your folks.”
Parking next to a big, white pickup with the logo for Paradise Pastures on the side, he turned off the engine. Leaning across the console, his hand went to the nape of her neck and pulled her close for a kiss—one she felt all the way to her toes. She could stay in the truck all day if he kissed her like that. But it ended all too soon. He looked her straight in the eyes. “Sweetness, my entire family will love you as much as my parents already do. And I’ll be right by your side whenever you need me, just like you were there for me. I love you.”
Giving him another peck on the lips, she replied, “I love you, too. All right. Let’s get this over with so my stomach will settle.”
He laughed as he exited the truck and walked around to open her door for her. She took his offered hand and let him help her down from the high seat. Leaving their luggage in the bed of the truck, Fancy and Brody grabbed several boxes she’d packed at the bakery before they left. Cain Foster and Val Mancini had been scheduled to fly to Mexico in the Trident jet for a four-day fact-finding mission, so Ian had approved the pilot dropping Fancy and Brody in Texas on the way. She’d been grateful since she was able to bring lots of pastries for the big hoedown that they wouldn’t have been able to get on a regular flight without paying extra for multiple bags. She and Sal had been busy yesterday making all sorts of pies, tarts, cookies, and cupcakes for everyone.
Fancy could hear the music and party guests in the yard behind the house, but Brody said it was easier to bring the baked goods in through the front door and leave them in the dining room for later. As they climbed the three stairs to the wrap-around porch, the front door swung open, and Elise and Brett were waiting for them. Standing with them was a woman who had to be Brody’s sister because she had the same eyes, nose, and hair color.
Brett held out both hands to Fancy. “Hey, there. Let me take all of those from you.”
“Just make sure they don’t disappear,” his sister teased. “Save some of Fancy’s goodies for the rest of us since all you did was rave about them when you got home.”
When Fancy’s hands were free, Elise pulled her into the foyer and hugged her warmly. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Releasing her, she indicated the woman standing next to them. “This is my eldest daughter, Doreen.”
“Hi, Doreen. It’s nice to meet you.” Fancy held out her hand, but the woman embraced her instead.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you. Come on back and meet the gang.” Before leading the way through the house, though, Doreen took the back off a sticker she was holding and put it on Fancy’s shirt. It was then Fancy noticed everyone was wearing “Hello, My Name Is…” stickers over their hearts. While Fancy’s was green like the one Brody was given and the ones Brett and Denise were wearing, Elise’s was yellow.
Brody leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I told you we needed name tags. I’ll explain the colors in a minute.”
The group walked down the hall and through a huge kitchen before exiting the back door. Close to a hundred heads turned their way, and Fancy’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God. Are they all part of your family?” she murmured to him.
“Don’t worry. We’ve done this many times before and have a system.” Taking her hand, he led her to the top step and waved at the band that was playing. The fiddler saw him, and with a slash of his bow, stopped the music. Brody cleared his throat. “All right, everyone, you all know the drill. This is my incredible woman, Fancy Maguire. Fancy, this is the Evans family and friends. Those of you who are wearing yellow tags, raise your hands.” When Elise, Gerard, and several others did, he continued. “Fancy, these are my grandparents, parents, their siblings, and spouses. You’ll find their spouse’s names under their name on the tags. Next up are the green tags. These are my brothers and sisters with their spouses or significant others. Red tags are the kids of said brothers and sisters. Who they belong to is on their tag. Blue tags are cousins, spouses, and kids. Purple tags are friends of the family, while not related by blood, they’re related by heart.”
Once she got over her initial shock, Brody formally introduced her to both his grandmothers, his paternal grandfather—his mother’s father had passed a few years ago—and his siblings. Everyone else she slowly met throughout the day. The food was delicious, the yard games were fun, and the music was lively as Brody taught her how to two-step. Even when his sisters and sisters-in-law swept her up for a powwow about all things Brody, he was never far from her. If he wasn’t close enough to touch her, he’d wink and smile at her from a short distance away. But when he was standing beside or behind her, he was always finding ways to make contact with her. Her favorite moments were when his hand would go to the nape of her neck and brush against her sensitive skin before giving her collar a subtle tug.
She now had two collars to wear. He had allowed her to keep the first one he’d given her for days like this when she was dressed casually because she loved it so much and it was the first one he’d picked out for her. The one he’d presented her with during their collaring ceremony was gorgeous, though. It was white gold with diamonds and rubies spaced out along its length—he’d said the rubies reminded him of her fiery red hair. She wore it when she dressed up or if they were going to the club. But the way Brody liked it best on her was when she wore nothing else and was on her knees waiting for him beside their bed.
She’d basically moved in with him after his release from the hospital to help him recover completely, and neither one of them wanted her to return to her old condo. Fancy knew all about the engagement ring he had hidden in his dresser drawer. She’d overheard him on the phone asking her Aunt Denise’s permission. Apparently, he’d already spoken to her mother and father, but knowing how close she was with her aunt, he’d asked her as well. While Fancy had been tempted to sneak a peek at the ring, she fought the urge. She wanted to be surprised when he gave it to her. He’d mentioned to Aunt Denise he was waiting until Fancy seemed ready. It was a huge step for her to finally put Patrick to rest, and Brody was willing to wait. That, of course, made her love him even more. He wasn’t pushing her deceased husband from her life, just accepting that Patrick had owned her heart first. Her love for Brody was different than her love for Patrick had been; she couldn’t exactly put it into words, and couldn’t say she loved one more than the other. But if it hadn’t been for her marriage and love for Patrick, she may not have become the woman who was now madly in love with Brody. She couldn’t play the “what if” game. She just knew that he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
It was quite late when the last of the hoedown guests had driven away. Everyone had chipped in to clean up, so all that was left to do tomorrow was take down the tents, tables, and chairs. As Fancy was helping Elise put away the last of the leftovers, Brody and his father strode into the kitchen. The elder Evans grabbed his wife around the waist and hugged her tight from behind. “As always, my love, it was a wonderful party.”
Taking her hand, Brody led her out to the back porch, telling his folks over his shoulder, “We’re going for a moonlight walk. See you in the morning.”
A round of good night wishes filled the air as Brody tucked her into his side. She wrapped her arm around his waist. “Where are we going?”
“A place where I can make you cum and not worry about my parents overhearing us.”
She gaped at his boyish grin and teased, “Oh, really? Is this a place you took your high school sweetheart when she was letting you do those three sexual positions with her?”
“Oh, you remember that, huh? Well, there’s nothing to worry about. That was in my dad’s old Cadillac, which went to the junkyard after my brother, Brian, blew up the engine during his senior year in high school. I’ve never taken any women up here, although I can’t say the same for my brothers.”
He was walking them toward one of the many barns on the property, but this one was an old, traditional, red building that she always thought all barns looked like. It was smaller than the other structures on the farm, however it still had a large square footage. Fancy could smell the fresh hay as soon as they entered. Brody flipped a switch, and a dim light came on, just enough for them to see by. “This is where we bring the mares when they’re about to foal so we can keep an eye on them. The rest of the year, it’s mainly for hay, storage, and tack.” Grabbing a blanket from a stack of them on a shelf, he stopped next to a wooden ladder leading up into the loft. “Go on up. I’ll be right behind you staring at your gorgeous ass, trying hard not to take a bite out of it.”
Fancy shook her head at him and took hold of the ladder to start her ascent. “You’re incorrigible.”
“Yup. So my mother has told me many times over the years.”
When she reached the loft, Fancy climbed over the last rung of the ladder, and sure enough, Brody was right behind her. There were quite a few bales of hay, and he made fast work of making a bed with the blanket behind several of them. If someone came into the barn for some stupid reason this late at night, the couple would be completely hidden.
Pulling her close, Brody crushed his lips to hers. Her body was flush against his and there was no missing how much he wanted her right now. Without ending the kiss, he lowered her to the makeshift bed and covered her body with his own. They went from zero to eighty in seconds. Her hands fumbled with the buttons of his cowboy shirt, then took care of his belt buckle, and the snap and zipper of his jeans, while he quickly got rid of her clothes. It wasn’t long before they were both naked.
When Brody reached for his discarded jeans to find a condom, she stopped him. “We don’t need that.”
Stunned, he stared at her. “Are you sure, sweetness? You have to know by now I plan on putting a ring on that finger of yours and having as many babies as we can, but I don’t want to rush you.”
She wasn’t sure if she would ever get used to him putting her before his wants and needs. Every woman deserved to have a man like him in their lives and she felt sorry for the ones who hadn’t found theirs yet. “You’re it for me, Brody…Master. I want to be your wife, your sub, and the mother of your children. And if it’s okay with you, we can start trying right now. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”
His response was in his actions as he made slow, passionate love to her before rocking her world hard and fast. Fancy really hoped they were far enough from the main house and the ranch hands’ bunkhouse because he’d made her scream several times before he found his own release.
As they lay nude in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Brody found his pants once again and reached into the front pocket. He pulled out a small velvet pouch. “I figured you would have noticed the bulge of a box in my jeans, so I’ve been carrying around this little sack, waiting for the right moment.” From the pouch, emerged the most gorgeous engagement ring she’d ever seen, and she gasped at the sight. The oval diamond was surrounded by ruby baguettes set in white gold to match her formal collar. Taking her left hand, Brody slipped the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. “You’re all mine, Fancy-girl. Marry me.”
Epilogue
Waiting in his office for Foster and McCabe, Ian studied the picture of the latest missing submissive. The serial killer had apparently struck again last night. While the Doms were trying to make it harder for the bastard to kidnap a sub, they couldn’t be everywhere at once. Tara O’Brien had disappeared after driving home from an evening with her parents. She was a frequent visitor to one of the public clubs and had been in the lifestyle for a little over a year from what her best friend had told Isaac Webb. And unless a miracle happened or the killer screwed up somehow, the task force was resigned to the fact they would find Tara’s mutilated body within the next few days. Quantico was assigning an FBI profiler to the case, and the agent would be at tomorrow’s task force meeting. Ian hoped whoever it was would be able to narrow things down so they could come up with potential suspects. He was as fearful as everyone else around here that a woman from The Covenant could be the next victim.
Since Brody didn’t have his medical clearance yet, he wasn’t being assigned to any cases. Instead, his time was being split between intel gathering and helping the task force in case Ian needed to be out of town for any reason. Devon had also filled in while Ian and Angie had gone on a ten-day honeymoon to a small private island in the Caribbean. Aside from the staff, they’d had the place all to themselves.
No one had been surprised when Brody and Fancy had come back from Texas engaged, and they’d thrown the happy couple a small party at Donovan’s to celebrate. While Nick was out of the country with his team, Jake had been able to fly in after attending a meeting at the Pentagon with Ian. They were still chasing their tails over a white slavery operation that was being bounced around Central and South America, staying two steps ahead of the law. Several young, American women had gone missing on tropical vacations, and at least two Canadians who had disappeared after going ashore in Jamaica during a cruise.
A knock on the open door had Ian looking up. Foster and McCabe entered and took the guest seats in front of the desk. As Devon walked in moments later, Ian put aside the details on Tara O’Brien. Dev took what had become his usual spot, sitting on the arm of the small office couch. Leaning on his forearms, Ian regarded the two men from the Omega team. He and his brother had been watching both of them closely since they’d been hired almost a year ago. With multiple missions and a heavy caseload, it had taken that long to get the rest of the Omega team on board and settled, and all of them training together. If a team was needed during that time, they’d combined Alpha team members with Omega. But now it was finally time to send the latter out on one final training mission to prove they could work together as a team. And every team needed a leader, which was why this meeting was taking place.
“While we have a little lull between cases, knock on wood. . .” Ian rapped his knuckles on the wooden desk, “. . .we’re sending you out into the wilderness for the last training run—up in the Rockies. While she’s technically part of the Alpha team, Lindsey will be joining you. We want her comfortable with both teams so we can move her around if need be. Your team will have less than what it needs for all of you to survive so you’ll have to work together to get to the extraction point which is about a two-day trek from the drop-off. Dev and I have been trying to figure out who is going to lead this team, and I’m sure it’s not a surprise that you both have been in the running.”
The men nodded but didn’t say a word. The Sawyer brothers hadn’t made it obvious these two were being groomed for the top spot, but they hadn’t been covert about it either.
Ian sat back in his leather, executive desk chair. “So, here’s what we’ve decided. The two of you are going to be co-leaders.” At their simultaneous raised eyebrows, he continued. “You both have ex
tensive training and specialized experience the other doesn’t possess. Foster, with your background in the Secret Service, you excel in urban scenarios and covert ops in social settings. McCabe, being Army Special Forces, your expertise is jungle warfare, so to speak. You work very well together, bouncing ideas and strategies off of each other, and I honestly don’t think either one of you realizes it. We want you to continue working that way. When a mission calls for Foster’s experience, he’ll take lead and vice versa with McCabe.”
“If this co-leadership doesn’t work out,” Devon added, “we can always go back and reevaluate who should take the top spot, but after discussing it with Marco, Boomer, and Brody, we doubt that will be necessary. However, if either of you thinks this won’t work, now’s your chance to speak up.”
The two men looked at each other a long moment before Cain extended his hand. “Congratulations, partner.”
Tristan grinned and shook the other man’s hand. “Right back at ya, partner.”
Before anyone could say anything more, Ian’s cell chirped with an incoming text. A quick glance at the coded message told him his phone was going to receive a call in the next few seconds. When it rang, he held up his hand for everyone to stay in place as he answered it. Knowing who was on the other end, he said, “Hey, Carter, what’s up?”
“Ian,” the black-ops spy replied. “You know all those markers you guys owe me? I’m cashing them in. I need your help.”
So much for knocking on wood.
The End
Keep Reading for the Author’s Note and a Steamy Bonus Chapter
Author’s Note
Healing Heroes, and its founder Tori, are real and used in this book, lovingly, with permission, for fictional purposes only. (This in no way implies that she is involved in the lifestyles depicted in this book). However, the organization is not located in Florida, but in Michigan. It is a non-profit that trains dogs for veterans with PTSD. In January of 2016, I organized an Author & Cover Model Auction/Takeover Event to raise money for a veteran to receive an assistance canine through Tori’s organization after we became friends on Facebook through the book community. We ended up raising over $4000 and the Lincoln Fund was created, named for the dog that was placed through the money we raised during that one fun filled weekend. It was so successful, we decided it will now be an annual event. While the website is still in the works for Healing Heroes, you can find them on Facebook at Healing Heroes Michigan, or through Tori’s business, K9-911 Specialty Training. Donations are always appreciated. Also, please go ‘like’ The Lincoln Fund on Facebook to get announcements for this coming January’s Author & Cover Model Auction/Takeover Event. Our goal this year is to raise over $10,000 to help four veterans get assistance dogs!
Tickle His Fancy: Trident Security Book 6 (Trident Security Series) Page 23
