LIKE AN INEBRIATED bumblebee, Sally’s body buzzed with joy. Tucked between Galen and Vance, she bounced on her toes, wanting to dance. To sing. Her friends and her family surrounded her. She had a home. A cat. And two Doms.
When she sighed, Galen tightened the arm around her waist and studied her face. “You’re happy.”
“Oh yes.”
To her joy, he stole a quick kiss. He’d changed over the past months. Not only was he more relaxed and happier, but also more open with his affection.
“I love you,” she whispered.
Vance grinned at her, looking far too pleased with her surprise.
So she told him begrudgingly, “I suppose…maybe…I might eventually tell you I love you. Since you saved me from that palmetto bug and everything.”
“Eventually?” The muscles in Vance’s square jaw tightened, reminding her he still worked in law enforcement. “If I—or Galen—don’t hear ‘I love you’ often enough, one little subbie will be punished.” He glanced at Galen. “Right, bro?”
“Ayuh.” Galen’s lips quirked. “Either way, I win.”
Fun punishment or bad punishment? Sally eyed her men warily. “I think we’d better talk about—”
“I like that rule.” Master Sam’s gravelly voice interrupted. Arm wrapped around Linda, he looked down at his redhead with icy blue eyes. “If you don’t tell me at least once a day, I get to beat your ass.”
“Really? Oh my goodness.” Linda smiled slightly. “I don’t think I told you today. Or yesterday. You’d better beat on me extra hard.”
Galen snorted. “Got yourself an S.A.M., Sam?”
Sally snickered. No matter how motherly she was to the Shadowkittens, Linda was definitely one smart-ass masochist with her sadistic Dom.
“If you prefer not to delay the punishment”—Vance pointed to the nearby dirt path—“we made the cabana into a dungeon. The cupboard has a supply of toys for guests.”
Sam’s hand closed around Linda’s nape.
Her eyes widened, and she protested, “Wait. This is a party. You can’t just—”
“Yes.” Sam’s voice was flat. Uncompromising. “I can.” Behind her back, he winked at Galen and Vance and steered Linda across the patio.
Nearby, Dan grinned. “Seize the day—before more babies arrive.” With a swift move, he swept Kari up. She gave a loud scream as he tossed her over his shoulder and headed down the cabana path.
After a second, Sally managed to close her mouth. Kari had said things were going well at home, but dayum.
Sometime later, Sally walked out onto the dock.
Jessica, Beth, Kim, and Andrea had been swimming and, near the end, they’d stretched out on beach towels to dry off.
Midway, Gabi lounged in one of the old chairs with her feet up on the railing.
“Gabi.” Sally took the other chair. “Marcus is fetching you a drink and food.”
“God, I love that man.” Gabi glanced back at the patio, then smiled at Sally. “Great party, Sally.”
As the rest chimed in with agreement, Sally flushed with pleasure. “I’ve never planned something this big. It was fun—although I’d have had better decorations if I’d known it would be an engagement-announcement celebration.”
“Can I see your ring?” Jessica asked, sitting up on her towel.
Sally leaned forward and held her hand out. In the bright Florida sunshine, the jewels were almost blinding.
Jessica considered. “The big blue is a sapphire. After the huge diamond, what is the big yellowish one?”
“Citrine.” Sally smiled, remembering how she’d started to walk into the office, heard them discussing her rings, and had managed to tiptoe away after only listening a…little…bit. “Birthstones. Vance’s is sapphire, I’m diamond, and Galen’s is citrine.”
“Got you tucked between them, don’t they,” Kim said with a grin.
Andrea frowned at the gold band, so thickly encrusted with diamonds the metal had almost disappeared. “Please tell me that all the little diamonds aren’t supposed to be babies?”
“No. Galen said they thought my ring should sparkle almost as much as I do,” she whispered. Tears stung her eyes. They really felt that way.
Andrea’s eyes filled. “Oh, don’t start or we’ll all be crying.”
Kim blinked quickly. Jessica sniffled.
“It’s perfect, Sally.” Gabi leaned over, kissed Sally’s cheek, and pulled in a long breath. “Okay, moving on, or the guys will stomp out here, wondering why we’re all bawling. I’m snoopy enough to want to know how you’re going to marry two men. Aren’t there laws?”
“Oh yeah. Can’t you imagine the headlines? FBI agents arrested for polyandry.” Sally laughed, remembering the night they’d proposed. “First, they offered to have me ‘officially’ marry one of them—and Vance said it should be Galen, because he’s older.”
Jessica frowned. “Well, that sounds—”
“Actually”—Sally snickered—“Vance called him an old man.” Which was just wrong since she should be the only one telling old jokes.
“Galen let him?”
“He shoved Vance off the dock.” Sally shook her head. “We had to haul him out, before the gator got him.”
“You’ve definitely improved Galen’s sense of humor,” Gabi observed. “Which one will you marry?”
“Neither. Oh, being they’re crazy overprotective, they’ll set up trusts and legal stuff for me and any children that come along.” Children. Sally felt as if her heart actually swelled as she imagined Galen’s face when he saw his baby for the first time. And Vance teaching a little boy to play football—or, being Vance, he’d teach the girls too.
“Yeah, that sounds like men.” Jessica scowled. “And that’s it? Just legal stuff?”
“No.” Sally smiled. “They think we should have a ceremony.” She glanced back at the crowd on the patio and whispered, “Actually, I think they want one more than I do.”
Kim nodded. “Honestly, men are more romantic than women are.”
“But, how?” Andrea asked.
“The guys talked to the other Masters about the local laws. They said Master Z has married people—and done ceremonies—before, and he volunteered.” And wouldn’t that totally appeal to Matchmaker Z. She beamed. I’ll be married by Master Z. It seemed only right.
Jessica blinked. “I hadn’t thought of that. He’s mentioned conducting marriages.”
“Ohhh.” Kim smiled. “That’s actually pretty clever.”
“I thought so,” Vance said, coming up behind Sally. He bent over and kissed her cheek and handed her a cold soda.
Her other cheek received a kiss from Galen, and he set a plate of snacks in her lap.
She turned and smiled at them, her big Doms standing shoulder to shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Kim frowned at Gabi. “You’re thinking so hard I can see steam coming out your ears.”
“I had an idea.” Eyes alight, Gabi grabbed Sally’s hand. “Now if you don’t like it, just say no, okay?”
Gabi always had good ideas, so Sally grinned. “Shoot.”
“Okay, it’s like this. Although Marcus’s family is wonderful, mine is completely stuffy. And they’ll try to score points with my wedding, going all fancy and inviting their clients. I’m not good at standing up to them.”
“Oh God, seriously? That sucks.” Sally shook her head in sympathy, remembering one sorority sister having hysterics because her mother-in-law-to-be messed up all her plans.
“Yeah.”
Families. Sally stiffened. “Oh my God, Galen and Vance have families. I hadn’t even thought about them. Oh no!” She turned to face her Doms. “We’re flying to Vegas. I’m sure Elvis will marry us.”
“Sweetie,” Vance said, obviously on the edge of laughing. “I’ve heard rumors that Elvis has left the building.”
Before Sally could answer, Gabi said, “See? You get it. You totally understand. Why do you think I kept putting Marcus off?”
/> Behind Gabi, Master Marcus had started to reach for her. His hand stilled, and he took a step back, eyes narrowing.
Yep, he’d heard. Sally started to warn her friend. “Gabi, you have—”
“No, pet,” Galen forestalled her from finishing with a merciless grip on her shoulder. “Not your place.”
Oblivious, Gabi continued, “Sounds like you have some relatives like mine. Whose?”
Where was Gabi going with this? “My brother is nice, and he already said he’d come to the ceremony, and Vance has a fantastic family. But, oh God, Galen’s mother could outfreeze icicles.”
Behind her, Vance chuckled, and Galen gave an amused snort.
“Yeah, see?” Gabi bounced in her chair. “Daughters and potential daughters-in-law are obliged to be polite. But Galen’s mom isn’t related to me, so I wouldn’t have to be nice to her. And you…you could totally flatten my parents.” Gabi’s smile grew. “So, do you want to?”
“Gabi—want to what?”
“Boy, those stuffy Feebies are slowing your wits, girlfriend.” Gabi shoved the blue-dyed lock of hair out of her eyes and grinned. “Want to have a double wedding?”
“Oh. My. God.” Sally sat up straight. “Oh, Christ in a paddy wagon, that would be past fun and into sublime!”
“Exactly. Think of the havoc we could create.”
Master Marcus took a step forward and gripped her shoulders. “Gabi…”
Gabi stiffened, and her excitement faded away. She gave a resigned sigh. “Right. It was just a thought. I’d love to take on Galen’s mama. And Sally’s so tricky—she’d be great up against my dad. But…never mind.”
His keen eyes softened. “Take yourself a breath, darlin’,” he murmured, tracing his finger over the blue temp tatt on her shoulder. “I got a mind to wallop you for not sharing with me—and not thinking I can protect you.”
“You can’t guard me, big boy. Not for wedding stuff. That’s girl country.”
His surprise was almost laughable. But even a lawyer couldn’t argue that one, Sally knew. He looked over at Galen and Vance and shook his head before looking down at Gabi. “As long as I get my ring on your finger in a timely manner, y’all have my blessing to create whatever havoc you want.”
Under the sound of Gabi’s elated scream, Sally heard Vance mutter, “Fuck, just shoot me now.”
She turned to look at her Doms. “Um. Guys?”
“Sweetheart,” Vance said. “Have you ever met Gabi’s parents?”
Unbelievably enough, Galen was the one who laughed. “Up against our imp? They won’t know what hit them.” He bent down to kiss her cheek. “Go for it, pet. I know you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Her eyes filled with tears at the utter confidence in his voice.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of, bro. She’ll make mincemeat out of them.” After a second, Vance grinned. “At least the ceremony won’t be dull.”
God, could they be any more perfect? Blinking away tears, she remembered back in the spring, she’d given up on love. On finding a Dom. On hope.
Now she had love in abundance, hope for the future…and two Doms.
Even as she smiled down at the twinkling stones on her ring, she heard Vance mutter to Galen, “But she’s not bringing that laptop and voice stuff to the wedding.”
Loose Id Titles by Cherise Sinclair
Master of the Abyss
Master of the Mountain
The Dom’s Dungeon
My Liege of Dark Haven
The Starlight Rite
* * * *
The MASTERS OF THE SHADOWLANDS Series
Lean on Me
Make Me, Sir
To Command and Collar
This is Who I Am
If Only
* * * *
“Simon Says: Mine”
Part of the anthology Doms of Dark Haven
With Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride
* * * *
“Welcome to the Dark Side”
Part of the anthology Doms of Dark Haven 2:
Western Night
With Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride
Cherise Sinclair
Now everyone thinks summer romances never go anywhere, right? Well…that’s not always true.
I met my dearheart when vacationing in the Caribbean. Now I won’t say it was love at first sight. Actually, since he was standing over me, enjoying the view down my swimsuit top, I might even have been a tad peeved—as well as attracted. But although our time together there was less than two days, and although we lived in opposite sides of the country, love can’t be corralled by time or space.
We’ve now been married for many, many years. (And he still looks down my swimsuit tops.)
Over the years, I’ve lived in many states and worked at a multitude of jobs before settling down to writing. Finally meeting other authors was a huge relief; apparently I’m not the only person to have a mind populated with characters talking, arguing, and having hot sex.
Nowadays, I live in the west with my beloved husband, two children, and various animals, including three cats who rule the household. I’m a gardener, and I love nurturing small plants until they’re big and healthy and productive…and ripping defenseless weeds out by the roots when I’m angry. I enjoy thunderstorms, playing Scrabble and Risk, and being a soccer mom. My favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch next to the master of my heart, watching the fire, reading, and…well…if you’re reading this book, you obviously know what else happens in front of fires. :)
—Cherise
Visit Cherise Sinclair on the web at http://www.cherisesinclair.com
Masters of the Shadowlands 8 - If only Page 44
