Masters of the Shadowlands 8 - If only

by Sinclair Cherise

  Vance turned to look at her; then the men exchanged glances. The pity in their eyes was unbearable.

  Sally stiffened her spine and lifted her chin. “It was no big deal. I just like animals.”

  “Me too.” Vance pulled eggs, milk, and bacon from the fridge. “We always had a couple of dogs and a cat or two. My sisters would dress them in doll clothes. Poor beasties found it a relief when the girls got too old to play with dolls.”

  “Good thing you were older. But, on second thought, you’d look quite endearing in a baby bonnet.” Galen ignored Vance’s scowl and grinned at Sally. “His sisters are like a pack of poodles.”

  Vance snorted. “All yap and no bite.” And his love for them came through clearly. He put the pancake ingredients on the island and handed Galen a bowl and spoon. “You mix, pard. You got brothers or sisters, Sally?”

  She pulled the cat closer. “A brother. Half brother.” She added the qualification as Tate always had. He hadn’t hated her. Much. He was the one who’d told her that her mother wasn’t supposed to have her. That Father hadn’t wanted more children—especially not a girl. “We’re not close. He’s not coming to my graduation ceremony.” But her father was.

  “There’s a good frown.” Galen leaned forward and traced his finger over her downturned lips.

  She looked up into intent eyes that seared like molten lava. Her worry about her father’s presence at the graduation ceremony burned away under the heat. Galen might be very controlled, but now she knew he wanted her. God, she wanted him too, wanted his dark voice whispering to her as he took her.

  His lips curved slightly; then he sat back. “You’re not looking forward to the ceremony—or is it your family?”

  Darn perceptive Dom. She shrugged. “No big deal.”

  “Sally.” This time the reprimand came from Vance.

  “I-I don’t l-like this,” she exploded. “I feel naked.”

  Vance’s grin was like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. “That’s exactly how you should feel. Get used to it, little girl.”

  Despite his grin, the merciless resolve in his voice made her shiver.

  “Now, explain.” He turned back to putting bacon into the skillet.

  Pushy jerks. Naked, huh? Guess she’d better start emotionally stripping.

  With a sigh, she set the cat on the floor. When she struggled to rise, Galen stood, lifted her to her feet, and released her. “Thanks,” she muttered as he took his seat again.

  “Not a problem, pet.”

  At the sink, she washed her hands, taking her time and keeping her gaze away from them. Like how at the club, she’d turn her back to strip. Less disconcerting. Less intimate. She raised her voice slightly over the running water. “The ceremony is nothing unusual. But a classmate’s parents are throwing a reception afterward for us and our friends and families. I don’t know if my father will go.”

  Everyone else would have hoards of family and friends.

  “And you feel…” Galen prompted softly.

  She glared at her soapy hands to keep from smarting off. She’d wanted them to push her, so why did she resent it so much? You’re being illogical, girl. Man up. The words still came slowly as if drawn up from a deep well. “I feel like the scrawny, mange-ridden dog left at the pound that never gets adopted.”

  “Poor puppy.” Vance wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against his solid chest. “We’ll be at your graduation and your party too.”

  “Really?”

  “Ayuh.” Galen agreed.

  All her unspoken emotions dammed her throat. Finally she managed to speak. Her words came out husky. “Thank you.”

  * * * *

  Vance watched as Sally came to a sudden halt just inside her studio apartment. Poor girl.

  “Christ in a cave,” she whispered.

  He put his arm around her and surveyed the mess. She’d undoubtedly been too upset last night to comprehend all the damage done to her apartment. Broken glass glittered from everywhere, including on the bed and embedded in the carpet. Spilled liquids and bloodstained walls and carpet. Broken furniture. “It’s a mess, sweetheart.”

  “Yeah.” She leaned against him, pleasing him.

  What was there about a woman’s need that made a man stand straighter? “We can pick up the worst of it, but the wall stains and carpets need professional help.”

  “But—”

  He gave her a level look. “Galen and I will handle that part. And if it bothers us, we’ll visit Borup and make him foot the bill.” Galen said the guy had no priors so he wouldn’t do much time. More like probation, alcohol and anger classes.

  Yeah, a quick visit after the asshole was released would be fun.

  “Vance. I can handle this.”

  “I know you can.” He ran his fingers through her silky mink-colored hair. Fuck, he loved long hair. Instant hard-on. Reluctantly he released her and watched her limp into the apartment. “I’m going to help anyway.”

  “Right.” Awkwardly, she turned in a circle to study the room, her forehead endearingly wrinkled.

  He waited, figuring she needed more time to adjust to the trauma. Considering how the senseless destruction outraged him, he could only imagine what she must feel. Despite the small size of the studio and the extent of the damage, he could see she’d made herself a cozy, colorful place. The apartment had the typical off-white walls and beige carpet, but her couch was dark red, the chairs black. Floral pillows blended the colors together, as did the scattered rugs on top of the carpet and the black-framed pictures.

  Bold yet warm, much like Sally.

  “Okay,” she said finally. “I saw a good-sized box at the end of the hall. I can use that to toss the broken stuff and glass into, if you’ll put the furniture back into place. If I can just get the worst of it up, I can vacuum, and then as long as I remember not to jump out of bed without putting on shoes, I can manage.”

  While he’d thought she was mourning, she’d been formulating a plan of action. How did he keep underestimating her?

  But did she seriously think they’d let her try to live here? “Sally, you do realize that after we’ve cleaned up, you’re going to pack some clothes and come home with me.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I’m what? No way.”

  Good God, she’d thought he brought her back to drop her off like that fucking puppy at the pound? “Sweetheart, if we’re going to work with you, we need you available, don’t you think?” Leaning a shoulder against the wall, he watched her face.

  It clouded over like a Tampa thunderstorm. “I can’t live with you.”

  She’d make a lousy poker player, but once they finally got her in bed, those unrestrained expressions would be a delight. “Why not? Do we make you that nervous?”

  Her back straightened. “Of course not.”

  Liar. “Try again.”

  “I…” She bit her lip. “Kind of. Besides, putting me up would be an imposition.”

  She really was cute. And more fucking vulnerable than they’d realized. He and Galen would have to walk carefully around her. Oddly enough, the thought didn’t bother him at all. He pulled her back into his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. “Do either Galen or I look like the type of Doms who’d do something we didn’t enjoy?”

  “Actually, yes.” She rubbed her forehead on his chest. “I think you really do take on a lot of stuff you don’t like.”

  Mmm. Very perceptive. “But not with women.”

  In fact, they’d been careful to pick ones who wanted a fun night or scene and nothing more. He molded her against him, enjoying the soft curves. “You’re going to be a bit of work, sweetness, but we’ll demand things from you to compensate.”

  “Sex.”

  He chuckled at her matter-of-fact tone, then without warning, fisted her long hair and tugged her head back so he could watch her face. When he cupped her breast, her nipple peaked immediately. Pink surged into her face, and her pupils dilated. As he slowly caressed her breas
t, feeling the heat against his palm, he said quietly, “If we didn’t think sex would be a treat for all of us, we wouldn’t have played with you to begin with. Were we wrong?”

  He held her in place although she looked down and tried to pull away. No, she wasn’t going to hide her face. “Eyes on me.” He waited until her gaze met his. “Answer my question.”

  “No… I mean, you’re not wrong.”

  “Do you like my hands on you?”

  The pink increased to an alluring red. “Yes,” she muttered.

  Damn, he liked throwing her off balance. “Good answer. As to compensation for room and board, I think Galen wanted you to recover a hard drive that a virus trashed.”

  She blinked, looking so startled he laughed. “Oh. Well, sure. I can do that,” she said.

  “Good. Let’s get your place cleaned up, and you can fill a suitcase.” He waited until she made it to the middle of the room before adding, “I will—of course—help you decide what clothes you should pack.”

  Definitely not a poker player.

  * * * *

  That evening, Sally followed Galen into a room she hadn’t seen before. She stopped and stared. Wow. The entire house was a rehab patchwork. Some rooms were a broken-down mess; some were spectacular. This office was fantastic—very masculine with hardwood floors and light wood wainscoting. Leather chairs. A dark wood filing cabinet and bookcase shared one wall. At least, the oriental carpet and arched windows softened the testosterone. A bit.

  Two antique desks held computers—and as far as she was concerned, that juxtaposition of old and new never looked quite right.

  A massive round table filled the center of the room; the polished wood surface looked big enough to hold a person, which was a very…interesting thought. When Galen stopped at the table and tapped the surface, her cheeks flushed.

  One of his eyebrows quirked up. He didn’t comment on her undoubtedly red face—thank you, God—but simply said, “You can set up your laptop here. The center compartment holds electrical plugs.”

  Plugs. She’d heard the guys liked everything anal. Oh God, her mind was totally in the gutter, because the thought of his lean, ruthless fingers pushing a plug into her ass totally fizzed her hormones. She could feel her color heightening, so she shrugged and turned away. “Nice techie setup. And quite amazing. Considering your age, I figured you’d think a hard drive was a long trip on the road.”

  His fingers gripped her chin and turned her to face him. He gave her a level look. “Yes, I probably have a decade on you. I definitely have enough years to know a little subbie is tossing out insults because she’s nervous.”

  Oh shit. She could actually feel her color moving past red into fluorescent levels.

  And she couldn’t think of any response to his dead-on conclusion. None. She retreated to get out of reach and tried on an I’m-just-adorable nose wrinkle. “You guys actually remodeled the office before the dining room?”

  “Hell yes.” His rare grin made her insides quiver like jelly. “Of course, Vance insisted the great room come first so we could hook up the television. Can’t miss seeing the Buckeyes play.”

  She laughed, half with relief and half with amusement. Once they’d returned from her apartment, Vance had checked the time and disappeared into the great room to watch his basketball game. “Good to know. I’ll remember to speak of them with respect.”

  “Excellent plan. Insulting Ohio State would earn you a bare-ass spanking.” He tilted his head, watching her. “Of course, he’d probably hand you off to me for the punishment. He has a soft heart.”

  His dark look sent a current running between them, heating her insides at the same time. She swallowed. “And you don’t? Have a soft heart?”

  “No, pet.” He moved closer and ran his thumb over her lips. In the sunlight streaming through the windows, his eyes weren’t completely black, but a dark, dark brown around the outer iris, and lightening near the pupil. Mesmerizing… His lips curved. “I look forward to turning your pretty ass red. To seeing tears in your eyes. And making you come so hard our neighbors will hear you scream our names.”

  Their neighbors weren’t that close.

  It was very hot in the room; the air-conditioning needed to be turned up. “Ah, right.” She took a careful step back and set her laptop on the table.

  Time to get to work. She had a zillion texts and voice mails to answer. Apparently the Shadowkittens had heard about Frank’s attack.

  And there were even more e-mails. Unfortunately, she also needed to catch up on the Harvest Association e-mails. Wading through their filth made her sick each and every time, but she wasn’t going to quit. Not as long as she could help. Heroes didn’t quit.

  Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Want some help setting up?”

  She tensed. Her e-mail program came up first. Galen might recognize some of the bad guys’ names. “Nah, I can handle it.”

  His eyes had narrowed. Frigging Feds, keen to notice the tiniest hint of guilt.

  “Can I have your wireless security code?” she asked hastily.

  After an intimidating pause, he walked over to desk on the left wall and scrawled the password on a sticky note.

  “Thank you.” Leave. Leave now. Go on. And the first thing she’d do would be to check those e-mails and bury the program.

  “We’ll be in the great room.” As he walked away, actually obeying her mental commands, she started to relax…until he turned in the doorway and gave her a long look. “If we decide to fuck you on the table, you’ll have to move your stuff—so don’t leave it too messy, eh?”

  Oh. My. God. He really had known what she was thinking.

  She couldn’t help looking at the table…imagining. Spread out like a feast, open to their hands, their mouths. After a long, shuddering breath, she turned to glare at the empty doorway. Now she had to sit at that table with an overheated imagination and a damp thong.

  * * * *

  An hour later, Sally appeared. Galen frowned. The girl looked as white as she had last night; it made the bruising on her face stand out even more. “Problems?”

  Her attempt at a smile failed badly. “Nah. I’m just tired.”

  “Bullshit,” Vance said from where he was sprawled on the sectional. He picked up the remote and turned the TV off.

  On the other end of the couch, in his recliner, Galen noted the game had only been in the third quarter. The little sub had better watch out.

  After a nervous glance at the blank television screen, she amended, “Some…acquaintances…are upset because they lost some…money. And I hate reading profanity. But it’s not anything you can fix—or that I can share.” Her chin lifted, and she gave them a spirited glare. “Okay, Sirs?”

  Galen’s lips twitched, and he worked to suppress his smile. He sat his recliner up, tossed a heavy couch cushion on the floor at his feet, and pointed to it.

  Her hands formed little fists—and he had an appealing vision of how her hands would feel on his shoulders…or dick—then she obeyed.

  He watched closely as she went to her knees. Moving better. No tightness around her mouth indicating pain. She was clever and used a hand on the coffee table to balance as she kept her weight off her braced ankle. And the cushion was high enough that her ankle didn’t have to bend. Good.

  Galen tipped his chin at Vance. They needed to set some ground rules, and Vance would start out more gently.

  Vance accepted the handoff. “We haven’t spoken about your place in the household, have we?”

  She blinked, as if he’d sidestepped her anticipated argument. “Um. Right. I’d like a bit of clarity on what’s expected. Maybe even some negotiation.” A trace of sarcasm had crept into her tone.

  Appreciation flashed in his partner’s eyes. The last submissive they’d brought home had been sweet but not too bright, and she’d missed a lot of subtext. He and Vance preferred the smart ones, even if they were more trouble.

  From comments at the Shadowlands and her documented hi
story and his own observations, he was beginning to realize the imp was very, very intelligent.

  “We can do discussion,” Vance said agreeably. “Normally, we don’t get into full-time D/s relationships. We have no interest in picking a sub’s clothing—except for scenes. For example, I’m rather partial to French maid costumes, especially ones with short skirts. And no underwear.”

  Sally’s color heightened.

  Be interesting to arouse her verbally and keep her on edge all evening. But not now. Galen sighed. “Focus, Buchanan.”

  Vance tossed him a grin before returning his attention to his instruction. “So. We don’t need a maid or cook. If you pull your own weight in the house, that’s enough.” Vance pushed the coffee table farther away, angled himself to face Sally, and rested his forearms on his thighs. “However, you requested our assistance for a task that can’t be limited to an occasional scene. Am I right?”

  Her huff of breath was audible. “Yes, Sir.”

  “This is how it will work. If we ask you a question in casual conversation, we expect an honest, forthright response. If you can’t provide one, we’ll drop into a D/s dynamic until we get the answer.”

  She actually paled.

  “However, that D/s dynamic isn’t limited to the times we catch you being evasive, pet,” Galen qualified. “That’s up to us.”

  “You’re such a fucking lawyer,” Vance muttered, then returned to her. “What he said. Any problems with the plan so far?”

  She shook her head.

  “Answer aloud, please,” Galen said softly. His partner didn’t particularly care, but Galen enjoyed hearing changes in a submissive’s tone and word choices.

  Such as now, as Sally murmured, “No problems, Sir.” The sarcasm had disappeared; her sharp edges had disappeared. From her expression and posture, he could see her sliding into a submissive mind-set, but by God, he really enjoyed hearing it as well.

  “Good. Next, we do like sexually oriented play,” Vance said.

  As she stiffened slightly, Galen added, “Sally, if you’re uncomfortable with that, you can still live here. We’ll work with you without sex involved…but we need to know.”