Missionary Position (Masters of the Prairie Winds Club Book 7)

by Avery Gale

  By the time Peter and Fischer escorted her to where their friends were already celebrating, Lara was about ready to faint. She hated being in trouble—she always had. But hearing Tobi’s and Gracie’s giggling had provided the perfect distraction, she felt herself relax as she took what felt like her first deep breath since she’d stepped between her two Masters several minutes earlier. The men had stepped to the side shaking their heads as if women were the most confusing creatures on the planet, and Lara was more than happy to join her friends. By the time Tobi and Gracie had finished recounting Lilly’s outrageous behavior, Lara had been laughing so hard she’d had to retrieve a napkin from the bar to dry her eyes.

  She’d never lived in one place long enough to form any real friendships while growing up, so she’d been completely unprepared for all the shifting social dynamics of the world of teenage girls when she’d started pubic school as a freshman. It wasn’t until she’d met the two women standing beside her that Lara had really started to understand the joy of being surrounded by good friends.

  Tobi and Gracie winced when Lara told them what had taken place on the other side of the room. “Oh, girlfriend, you are in for it.” Unconsciously rubbing her ass, Tobi shook her head, “I know from experience that cell phones are a cardinal sin…and just FYI, the same is true of iPads, anything with a camera is gonna get your ass in a pickle…or strapped to a spanking bench. Hell hath no fury like a Dom with a legitimate complaint.”

  “Yeah, not the brightest crayon in the box this one,” Gracie added, using her thumb to indicate Tobi,” she thought she could cut through the club with her iPad on, but even though she was working on an order for the Forum shops, Master Micah’s cameras don’t miss anything.”

  “Yep, the rat-fink sent the video clip to both Kyle and Kent. Damn those Doms stick together like glue. Anyway, I’d already lost my cell phone for a month, and damned if they didn’t take my iPad for two months.” The gleam in Tobi’s eyes told Lara there was more to the story, so she just waited. “But I got even with them. I went shopping with Lilly.” Evidently Lara’s puzzled expression was enough to prompt another round of giggles.

  Gracie leaned close and whispered, “When Lilly found out what her sons had done, she intentionally misplaced her phone about five minutes into their shopping trip. They were gone all day and no one could contact them.”

  “Of course, we’d forgotten about our bracelets.” Lara knew the three women had specially designed jewelry with small tracking devices as an added layer of security. Tobi sighed and shook her head. “Boy I’m telling you, when the four of them stalked through Jezebel, everybody, and I do mean every single person in that restaurant, stopped what they were doing and watched the show.” Tobi shuddered and Lara found herself dying to hear the rest of the story, but something about the way Kyle West had just looked at her from across the room set off all her internal alarms. Tobi and Gracie both followed her gaze, and Lara heard Tobi’s whispered, “Oh no, I wonder what’s happened. I know that look…and it never heralds good news.”

  Lara watched as the men conversed among themselves. Several pulled out their phones and spoke animatedly, their gazes flickering in her direction. But it was Peter’s and Fischer’s expressions that worried her the most, their eyes held something between worry and sympathy, and it was the most terrifying thing she’d ever seen. Lara felt Tobi and Gracie flank her, their arms going around her protectively as she started trembling so hard she wondered if she would shake apart.

  The sound of her own heartbeat pounded so loudly in her ears it nearly drowned out the harsh sound of her gasping for breath. Lara saw both Peter and Fischer turn at the same moment to look at her as if they’d heard her mind racing as worry assailed her. For the first time, Lara understood the fear her grandparents must have lived with every time a stranger appeared on their front porch. Their daughter and her family had been traipsing all over the world and she knew they had to have worried themselves sick. Good God, she really was losing it if she was thinking about people she hadn’t seen in almost a decade. Frantically reaching for her phone, Lara realized it was no longer in her pocket. Why hadn’t she answered it or at least checked it? Anyone who would have called her was already in the room—everyone but those few people who’d been given her number as an emergency number for her parents. The horrible realization that washed over her made her knees buckle, and the last thing she remembered was the sound of chaos surrounding her.

  Chapter Three

  Kyle West had been his team leader when they’d both been Navy SEALs, so their connection was strong enough that Peter had known almost immediately the nature of the phone call his friend had taken. Hell, it wouldn’t have taken a close friend or empath to read the man’s body language. Kyle had gone on point the minute he’d looked at the screen on his phone and his clipped speech was a throwback to their time in the military. Ending the call, Kyle turned and started giving orders to members of his team who had gathered around. Peter saw Fischer pull Lara’s phone from his own pocket and wince at whatever he saw on the screen.

  Listening to Kyle recount his conversation with one of his contacts at the State Department sent a spike of fear through him. Peter wanted to put his fist through the closest wall when Kyle explained why the State Dept. had become involved and that Lara’s parents were missing. The part of the world where they’d last been seen was anything but friendly to any humanitarian workers, and particularly unsafe for Americans who were considered a threat no matter how noble their reasons were for being there.

  As if that news wasn’t unpleasant enough, in his opinion the situation went from dire to straight up FUBAR when Kyle told them the case was being transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. Yep, the entire evening was officially fucked up beyond all recognition.

  Letting his gaze flick to where Kent West stood with his phone pressed to his ear and his teeth clenched while he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line didn’t do anything to reassure him that Kent was hearing anything more encouraging. Peter wondered if the other man’s teeth would shatter from the pressure his jaw was exerting, hell, everything about his body language screamed anger and frustration. “Please tell me your brother isn’t talking to Roberts. Goddammit, Lara doesn’t deserve this.”

  ‘We need to get over there, Lara has obviously already sensed something is wrong and she’ll know it involves her because of the phone call.’

  ‘Agreed, I’ve never known anyone to call her that wasn’t already here tonight.’ Fischer’s words might have been spoken in Peter’s mind, but they hit him like a physical blow. It was true, in all the time they’d spent together he’d never known her to receive a single phone call from anyone they didn’t know and that included her parents. ‘Exactly. Have you ever known Mama Weston to go a week, let alone several months go by, without talking to us—all three of us?’ Peter mentally rolled his eyes, hell, his mother had nearly driven his commanding officers insane with phone calls when he’d been on missions. Mama Weston hadn’t ever grasped the concept of “need to know basis” that was for sure.

  Once Peter and Fischer started walking toward Lara, Peter saw the stark fear in her eyes and cursed himself for not going to her earlier. It was obvious Tobi and Gracie were offering their support, but he doubted they’d be able to keep her on her feet if her legs gave out and judging from the way she was hyperventilating, that was a distinct possibility. They were within just a few feet when he saw her knees start to fold out from under her. Both Tobi and Gracie shouted for help a split second too late and all three women crumpled to the floor in a heap of tangled arms and legs.

  Kent and Kyle’s fathers had only been a few steps away and they had the women untangled and were moving Tobi and Gracie back so Peter and Fischer could check on Lara. “I’m sorry. We tried to keep her up, but she just went completely limp.” He felt sorry for Tobi, she was obviously worried for her friend. Tobi West might drive her husbands to distraction, but she had a heart of pure gold an
d every bit as big as the state she called home.

  Kyle had pulled Tobi into his arms while Kent checked her over, Jax did the same for Gracie as Micah’s hands skimmed over the voluptuous dark-haired beauty. When he discretely kissed her softly rounded belly, Peter knew they’d be sharing the good news soon. Peter looked up at Tobi and smiled, “You did a great job.” And then looking at Gracie he added, “You slowed down her fall and that probably prevented her from being injured, and we’re very grateful. Did she say anything before she fainted?” The women quickly related what had happened and by the time they’d settled Lara on one of the long sofas, her eyes were fluttering open. It was easy to see the moment she realized what had happened because her face flushed a brilliant crimson.

  Fischer pulled Lara onto his lap as everyone gathered chairs around to discuss the disappearance of Lara’s parents. He was barely keying in on his brother’s participation in the conversation, but it was obvious the Wests’ team was planning to send a team to find Lawrence and Rita Emmons. Fischer hadn’t been a soldier, he’d known better than to even try. Hell, just seeing the toll it had taken on Peter had been enough for him to steer clear. As an empath, prolonged exposure to extreme violence was brutally painful and he had simply not wanted to be a glutton for punishment, to use one of Mama Weston’s favorite expressions.

  Fischer’s hand rubbed soothing circles over the small of Lara’s back—he just couldn’t seem to stop touching her, and he wasn’t sure if it was for her comfort or his own. When he’d looked across the room to see her eyes widen as if she’d been desperately trying to see past the darkness and she battled to keep the darkness from encroaching, he’d felt his entire world shift. He’d known she was special—that she was the one he and his brother had hoped to find, but the realization of human frailty hit him hard and knowing he couldn’t reach her before she sank to the floor had made him almost physically ill.

  He’d spent months waiting for his brother to visit Dark Desires and meet the luscious beauty now seated on his lap. Months of seeing her almost every day, but not being able to touch her except in his fantasies—and Lord almighty there had been plenty of those. While it had been pure torture, it had also given him time to get to know her—time to form the bond of friendship he knew made their D/s relationship particularly strong because at least on a very basic level, she already trusted him.

  Lara felt perfect cuddled against his chest, her head tucked beneath his chin. Peter sat next to him and Fischer could feel his brother struggling to divide his attention between the woman their hearts had claimed as their own and the plans being made to find out what happened to her parents. Fischer was content to let her listen as the Wests’ team put together a strategy that seemed more like a way to fend off Eric Roberts than it did to investigate the disappearance of a couple of missionaries—or at least he hadn’t minded her interest until he realized she was listening far too intently.

  Shifting Lara on his lap so he could whisper in her ear, he cautioned, “Cupcake, don’t even think about getting involved in this operation. You’ll find yourself in more trouble than you can imagine—and very quickly.” When she stiffened, he knew he’d hit it dead center. “Perhaps we’d better head upstairs, baby, it might be the only thing that keeps you from adding to the already impressive number of swats you’ve earned this evening.” He slid his hand under the hem of her dress to slide his fingers through her soaking sex. When she stiffened against him and tried to close her legs, Fischer snarled, “Don’t even think about denying your Master access to your body, subbie, unless you have a particular desire to find yourself laying over my lap with your ass bared to everyone present as I give you the paddling you so richly deserve.” Feeling her emotional turmoil, Fischer simply waited, his hand caught between her thighs. He could have easily forced her to open her legs for him, but that wasn’t what submission was about. This was a test of her ability to trust him—to trust that he had her best interest in mind—even when she wasn’t thrilled with the way things were playing out. Would she put herself in his care or deny her true nature and push back against her deep need to submit?

  Lara felt like her mind was splintering in a hundred different directions. A part of her wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and cry—she knew where her parents had been posted last and disappearing in that part of the world was usually a one-way ticket to nowhere. Another part of her wanted to hear the men’s plans to investigate her mom and dad’s disappearance because no one knew them better than their only daughter, and she fully intended to be involved in any attempts to find them. She felt a sudden rush of guilt as she wondered if she could have helped if she’d been there.

  The biggest part of her wanted to lose herself in her Master’s touch, to simply surrender to him and let him lead her to a place where her mind could float free from all the frightening possibilities clouding her thoughts at the moment. If she submitted to Fischer, she wouldn’t have to worry about anything for a while—and letting go of all the anxiety and fear, even if it was only for a short time, sounded very appealing indeed.

  It felt like her body made the decision for her, and the prospect of being able to shut down the fears quickly taking over had been more temptation than Lara was able to resist. She relaxed her legs and felt a fresh rush of moisture coat her slick sex as Fischer pressed his lips against her ear and cooed sweet words of approval. “Such a good girl, I’m proud of you for being brave. And I promise to still your troubled mind.” He turned her face to his, sealing his lips over hers in a kiss that was nothing short of a statement of ownership. There was no prelude, just pure carnal desire clearly spoken in a universal language as old as time. His tongue swept in to duel with her own before staking its claim. Fischer’s scent surrounded her and pulled her mind into the churning abyss that her body had already willingly plunged into headfirst.

  Lara had been so distracted by Fischer’s kiss, she hadn’t realized he’d picked her up and had moved until he set her on her feet in front of the elevator. She was panting, trying desperately to pull in enough oxygen to get her bearings. How on earth did the man manage to completely scramble her brain with nothing more than his kiss? She felt her knees tremble and hoped like hell they wouldn’t fold out from under her again. Watching the doors slide closed shutting out the sounds of the main room, Lara looked over at Fischer just in time to see him enter the code that would open the elevator’s backdoor when they reached the floor where their private office suite looked out over the club’s main room. She looked down where his hand encircled her upper arm and wondered for a moment if he was trying to keep her on her feet or prevent her escape. As fucking if…the only escape she was interested in is the one that would shut off the fear pounding between her ears like the beating drums of the jungle tribes of the Amazon. Damn those always scared the crapola out of me.

  Fischer seemed to sense she was sliding out of the moment, he turned to her when the elevator started to move, and simply said, “Strip.” The one word command set her entire body on fire. The heated rush that blew over her made tiny droplets of sweat bead up on her chest as desire flushed over her skin. With trembling fingers, Lara gathered the hem of her dress and began pulling it slowly over her head. Since he’d already removed the tape she used to secure the dress’s plunging neckline, it slid off easily.

  She placed the silky garment in his waiting hand and shuddered as the air conditioning blew over her heated skin causing goose flesh to work its way across her bare breasts like ripples over water. The contrasting sensations sent her libido into overdrive and she heard herself moan softy as his fingers trailed down the side of her cheek to trace a line along her chin before continuing down the side of her neck. When he reached her collarbone, Fischer’s finger rotated just enough so the manicured nail rasped down the outside curve of her breast. That simple touch felt like a line of fire and she gasped, her mind was already starting to spin as she struggled to process all the sensations.

  He hadn’t even touched the nipp
le, but it tightened quickly in response—as if begging him to linger and give it the attention it was seeking. “Your body craves a Master’s touch, baby.” Only yours. Yours and Master Peter’s. She’d never responded to another Dom the way she did to the two of them.

  Lara wanted to keep them for her own, but they’d only eluded to making their relationship more permanent at some point in the future, and she was determined she wouldn’t beg—at least not for that. Okay, so maybe she was being old-fashioned, but it just “shouldn’t be done” as her mother always said. “Good girls don’t have to chase after men. Men may play with the bad girls, but they chase and keep good girls, Lara—don’t forget that.” She could still hear her mother’s words ringing in her ears. When she realized she might never get another chance to hear her mother’s voice, Lara felt her arousal fade as sadness moved over her.

  Blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall, Lara realized the elevator door stood open, but Fischer wasn’t moving—he was simply studying her, his gaze laser sharp. “What were you thinking about, baby? And don’t you dare edit, I’m fairly sure your pretty ass is already going to be worn out before we’ve finished, and I’d hate to see you add to your troubles.” His voice might have been soft, but the demand was easy to hear. The problem was, how much could she share without revealing how insecure she was actually feeling?

  When she didn’t answer right away, he sighed in frustration and hit a button on the small elevator’s control panel that kept the doors from closing. He stepped to the side and pressed a small recessed button she’d never noticed before. Two toeholds emerged from the floor and a series of what looked like gold towel bars at various heights slid into position from a panel along the sidewall of the elevator. Turning to her he simply said, “Remove your shoes.” She felt her body respond, but when she saw the hard look in his eyes, she took an involuntary step back. Fischer didn’t say anything, he simply leaned back in a deceptively casual pose, crossing one ankle in front of the other and hooking his thumbs just inside the front pockets of his slacks. She studied him as well, there wasn’t anything threatening in his body language, simply raw desire and steely determination. Lara took a deep breath hoping it would infuse her with the courage she was suddenly lacking as she slowly unbuckled the ankle straps of her stiletto sandals. Bending down, she picked them up and then held them out to him.