by Tara Rose
She shook her head. “No. That was it. And I want to believe you. I really do.”
“But you don’t.”
“I don’t know. Dalton, I’m very confused right now.”
“What can I do? How can I prove it to you?”
“You can’t. I’m not saying that to be difficult, but there is no way to prove it. I have to choose whether to believe you. I have to choose to trust you.”
“Trust is a huge part of this. I hope you’ll give me another chance, Summer.”
She had to close her eyes for a second because the intensity of his gaze was too much to handle right now. “I want to.”
“Then please believe me.”
This time, she let him touch her face, and it sent shivers up and down her spine. But she still didn’t feel right about everything. “Dalton, I’m so hung up on the whole rich versus poor thing. I don’t feel…” She hesitated, searching for the right word. “I’m afraid that I will always be less in your eyes because of what happened all those years ago. That you’ll judge me the same as Gran was judged. That’s it in your blood to do so.” Her limbs were trembling again. Had she gone too far? But he had a right to know that she felt this way.
“Summer, have I said or done anything to make you feel that way?”
“No. But how can you help it? This is what you grew up with. It’s a million years from anything I know.”
Dalton cupped her face in his hands and held her gaze. Summer loved his eyes up close. They were like deep pools of obsidian, and right now she pictured herself diving in. All her cares and worries would disappear if she did. All she had to do was let go and jump in. “I am deeply ashamed of what my grandfather did to your gran. I never knew the whole story until right now. But I am not Bryce. I am Dalton. And I don’t care where you came from, or where you work, or what you wear, or what kind of a car you drive. I care about you, Summer. The person inside. I care about the beautiful woman who has captivated me.”
Dalton let go of her face and glanced away for a second, and when he looked at her again, Summer sensed that he was about to say something that was a huge struggle for him to admit. “I’m living in this house instead of the main one for a very good reason, Summer. I don’t like my father. I don’t like what he does in business and I don’t like what he stands for. I hate the way he looks down his nose at half the people in this town, and I can’t stand the way he talks about the people who work for him as if they were indentured servants instead of employees.”
Dalton took a deep breath. “And you know what? He’s not too thrilled with me either. I own a saloon. I enjoy rolling up my sleeves and working there. I live a lifestyle he thinks is twisted and perverted. And I won’t help him find the buried money or whatever the hell his father and the others left behind, and that’s what’s really killing him. The fact that I don’t give a shit about any of that.”
“You really believe he’s helping Trace Coleman, don’t you? That wasn’t just a guess.” The implications of that were staggering, if it was true. Leland Metcalf, with his money and connections, might be able to weasel his way into almost any home in Passion Peak, and that would give Trace free rein.
“Yes, I do. And it’s killing me not to be able to do anything about it. I have to wait for Tommy to get around to contacting people, and then wait while he digs up any scrap of information he thinks might be remotely connected. And then he has to be Tommy and discuss it with everyone. With Ron Carson, and Nash, and now Ian and Van as well. We might as well form a goddamn committee the way he’s going. By the time we shoot the breeze and examine all the evidence that’s right there in front of our fucking faces, Trace will have raided half the fucking town.”
“Dude, take a deep breath. It’s all right.”
“I know, Wes. I know. But you just can’t imagine how fucking pissed off I am right now.” He sighed deeply and then pulled Summer into his arms. She molded her body against his, and then put her arms around his waist. She buried her head against his chest, so grateful that she and Wes had been wrong about how much Dalton had actually known. “I’m sorry, Summer. I’m sorry to both of you for not saying anything earlier. I had hoped you’d never have to know what a prick my grandfather was.”
Summer pulled away slightly to look up at him again, and he continued. “Summer, when I said I wanted to help you, I meant it. Not because I’m so fucking rich or I think you’re a peasant, but because I care about you. I want to give you everything you’ve been denied. I don’t want you to worry about rent or food, and I want you to be able to take care of your gran without having to eat mac and cheese every night just to do so.”
“Dalton, I’m all right.” Her heart soared as she gazed into his eyes. He cared about her. They both did. What had threatened earlier to turn into a horrible evening suddenly looked bright and beautiful.
The corners of his mouth turned up. “I know you are, hon. But I also saw how much you loved the dress and the underwear when Leila brought it over. And I know you aren’t eating enough at home, and that you’re barely scraping by. You think I don’t know what it costs to keep someone at Shady Pines? My mother is there, remember?”
“I know.”
“Well, all right then. Let me help. Let Wes help. Haven’t you figured out by now that you’re stuck with us, and even if you protest, there are some things we’re going to do anyway?”
Summer smiled. “I’m starting to see that, Sir.”
“Well, it’s about time,” said Wes. “And speaking of time, did you make us dinner or not? I’m fucking starving here.”
“Calm down, dude. It’s in the dining room.” Dalton released the embrace and took Summer’s hand. “Come on before Wes starts eating the furniture.”
* * * *
The remainder of the week passed by in a blur of lunches with either Wes, or both him and Dalton at someplace close to Notus because Summer only got forty-five minutes for lunch. Endless text messages filled her phone all day long, and she had dinner each night at either Wes’s house or at Dalton’s, with both men. On Thursday she asked them to come to her place for dinner because she wanted a chance to cook for them.
She had planned on buying the food, but the guys insisted they had it covered. She walked home from work, and an hour later, after she’d taken a quick shower and changed her clothes, they’d shown up with chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, fruit, and everything Summer needed to cook them a feast. They even had a huge bag of cat food and a new catnip toy for Sam.
As Summer cooked, Wes played with the cat. She watched him, convinced that he intended to have Sam for his own cat, no matter what happened with the two of them. “I think he’s smitten,” she told Dalton.
“He’s good with animals. Remember him with Babs on Sunday?”
“That’s true. Sir, how is Babs, by the way?”
“What? Oh, she’s better. Look at the trick I taught Sam.”
Dalton and Summer exchanged an amused glance, and then Summer watched as Sam batted at his catnip toy while standing on his hind legs.
“Isn’t that great?”
“Um, Sir, I hate to tell you this, but Sam has been doing that since he was a kitten.”
Wes’s expression made both Summer and Dalton laugh. He looked like a kid whose older sibling had just revealed the fact that Santa Claus wasn’t real. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“Positive. Sorry. The chicken is ready. Come on and eat. Food will help dull the pain of disappointment.”
He rose from his place on the carpet and narrowed his eyes at her. “Watch it, sub. I have a paddle and I know how to use it.”
Summer shivered. She was still sore in places she hadn’t thought she could be, but she no longer minded. She was desperate to be with them again, and they had both promised to take her to Indulgence the following night. “That’s what I’m counting on, Sir.”
Wes laughed and put his arms around her, nuzzling her neck. “You still have to wait until tomorrow night.” They’d made her wait beca
use Dalton said they wanted the bruising on her ass cheeks to heal before they played again. After they played on the main floor, they were going to spend the night at Dalton’s house.
“Just one little spanking? Please, Sir?”
“No. Nothing until tomorrow.”
“How can you two stand it?”
Wes kissed her neck. “You’re worth the wait.”
“But this chicken isn’t,” said Dalton. “Stop kissing her or I’m going to eat it all by myself.”
Wes took her hand as they crossed the room to sit at the table. “Dalton is just jealous.”
“No I’m not. I’m just hungry.”
Summer laughed. As she ate, she watched them both. Things were better now between them than they had been two days before when they’d told Dalton what Gran had said, and Summer was so grateful for that. Maybe the worst was behind them now, and things would settle down? And then she’d have to find the courage to tell them both that she was in love with them.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Summer took Friday afternoon off work and so did Wes. They met Dalton on Juniper Street and the guys took her into Sassy Brassy. When they emerged two hours later, Summer carried two large shopping bags full of club wear, two new pairs of boots, several attachments for her Hitachi Magic Wand, a blindfold that was shaped like a cat mask, and nipple clamps that looked more like jewelry than torture devices.
She’d been a little wary of the clamps, but the guys had begged, and so she compromised by making it a soft limit. They’d rewarded her by sneaking into the dressing room while she was trying on a PVC skirt they’d chosen for her, and took turns kissing her until she was moaning and could barely breathe. At the rate she was going, they’d be lucky to make it inside the club. She might just have to jump them both in Dalton’s car.
They took her home so that she could shower and change, after giving her strict instructions on what to wear. Wes had run back to the car and when he returned, he presented her with a large bag that had a zipper closing and the Legend of Sleepy Cat Peak logo on both sides.
“Your own toy bag,” he said, handing it to her with a flourish. “With Passion Peak’s infamous cat on it. I picked it up from Mason’s tent earlier this week because I thought it would be perfect for you to use to carry toys and street clothes to and from Indulgence.”
“Sir, it’s beautiful. Thank you. I only have a few Sleepy Cat things. This is wonderful.”
“My pleasure. We’ll be back to pick you up in one hour, Summer.”
She grinned. “You know, you could both just stay here. I might need help in the shower.”
Dalton picked her up and gave her a bear hug. “You are a damn tease, and I love it. We both do. But Wes and I have things to talk about, and we don’t want you overhearing what we have planned for you tonight.” He put her down, and Summer didn’t know how she was going to make it for another hour because her pussy was soaked already. Dalton gave her a playful slap on her right ass cheek and she groaned in frustration. “Now get in there and do what you need to do. The clock is ticking.”
* * * *
As soon as Summer slid into the passenger seat of Wes’s truck, he pulled the cat mask blindfold out of her bag and placed it around her head. “Kinky,” she said, a thrill running through her. “Are you picking up Dalton in this thing? I’ll have to sit on his lap.” Wes’s pick-up truck had one of those tiny backseats that Dalton, at six foot two, would never comfortably fit into.
“Dalton is meeting us there. Here are the rules tonight, Summer. First, I’m going to lift your skirt and make sure you wore what we asked you to.”
They were sitting in the parking lot of her apartment complex and the sun had begun to set, but anyone glancing toward the truck windows might be able to figure out what he was doing. Still, she had to bite back a moan at his words. Her pussy was wet and her clit throbbed. The shower had done nothing for her unrelenting horniness except enhance it.
As Wes lifted the black PVC skirt the guys had bought her earlier, he made a soft sexy sound in the back of his throat. When he gently spread her thighs apart and brushed a finger along the crotchless panties they’d told her to wear, Summer couldn’t help but moan. She spread her legs wider, but Wes only chuckled and put her skirt back down.
“Good girl. I’m proud of you.”
“That’s it? Sir…no fair.”
Wes put the truck in gear and it began to move forward. “Summer, I love how impatient you are for us. It makes me feel alive and strong.”
“You two make me feel that way, Wes. I mean, Sir.”
“Thank you.” His voice was full of emotion and she sighed. Just knowing how much she pleased them both was enough to send tiny contractions to her pussy. She would give them both anything they wanted tonight. It had only been a few days since they’d made love, but to Summer it felt like months.
“Thank you for everything, Summer. The way you try so hard, and the way you just accept me as I am. I know I’m not all Dom-like, like Dalton, but thank you for making me feel this way regardless.”
Summer resisted the urge to take off the blindfold. She wanted to see his eyes right now, but it felt wrong to remove it since he was her Dom now. She turned in her seat to face him. “Wes, Sir, you’re wonderful. You both are. You’re different from Dalton, but that’s all right. You each have qualities that I love. And together…well, it’s heaven. It’s unlike anything I ever could have imagined.”
“Thank you.” He brushed a hand along her arm. It was only a brief touch, but it sent a jolt of electricity straight to her nipples. “I didn’t finish telling you the rules tonight.”
“I’m listening, Sir.”
“Once we get to the club, you will not speak unless we give you permission to do so. You will not come until we give you permission to do so. The only thing you may do without permission is safeword. If you violate these rules, play time is over, and there will be no sex. We will take you back to Dalton’s house, tie you to a chair, and make you watch while we beat off in front of you. Do you understand these rules, Summer?”
Summer let out a loud exhale. It was difficult to take a full breath let alone answer him. His description had sent erotic images racing through her mind until her entire body trembled with anticipation. “Yes, Sir. I understand.”
“Good girl. Say whatever you need to say now because I’m about to turn onto Cheyenne Boulevard, and once I do, the rules begin. No words except safewords.”
“Sir, what if I moan or start to beg? You know…the way I sometimes do?”
Wes chuckled, but the sound wasn’t grating or humiliating. It was sexy and sent shivers up and down her spine. “You mean the way you always do. I love that about you, but words are still words. You may moan, groan and whimper, but do not speak. No begging or pleading. Only safewords if you need to use them. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” They were going to kill her with lust, just as they’d done last week. But last week she’d been allowed to talk. Tonight she’d have to bite her tongue every five minutes just to get through an hour of play. This was going to be the most fun they’d had together, and as Wes made a left-hand turn, she squirmed in her seat.
He had the windows down, and Summer breathed in the cool night air and the sweet scents of early autumn. The leaves were beginning to change already, so the air had that slightly rotting odor to it that reminded her of pumpkins and Halloween decorations. Insects sang, and she heard the whistle of a freight train in the distance. If her blindfold were off, she imagined she’d be able to see the first stars peeking out of a purple and gold sky.
But being blindfolded already was fine with her tonight. It was sexy, and gave her a chance to prove to Wes and Dalton just how much she trusted them. They needed to know that. Especially Dalton, after what he’d discovered about his grandfather.
When Summer thought of how close she had come to losing him, she felt sick to her stomach. It was because of Wes’s clear, logical thinking that things had turned out al
l right on Tuesday. He could have easily assumed the worst of Dalton that day, and not taken her to see him so that he had a chance to explain. But he hadn’t done so. Instead, Wes had trusted that Dalton wouldn’t have withheld something so critical without a very good reason, and he’d been right.
She glanced in his direction again as she felt the truck sway on the curved drive leading to the back of Nash’s house. Wes had a good heart. He was also very methodical, but then, he was in IT. Still, it amazed Summer that she’d had such a skewed mental image of him all these years. Sure, he wasn’t the kind of guy to do something spontaneous and crazy, or cut loose on a dance floor, but when it really counted, he was there. Solid, dependable, and steady. Wes would never intentionally hurt her. He was like the knights or the princes in fairy tales. All that was missing was the horse.
Dalton, on the other hand, was an impetuous man who didn’t like to play by anyone’s rules. But he wasn’t cruel, and he didn’t step over people to get what he wanted. He lived responsibly, and he took accountability for his words and actions. That alone was such a rare quality in people today that Summer was always surprised when she discovered it in someone.
How had she been lucky enough to find both of them? And when would she find the courage to tell them that she loved them? What would they say when she did? Would they say anything, or would they hem and haw and make her wish she’d kept her big mouth shut?
Wes turned off the ignition and Summer mentally shook away her doubts. She was not going to do this tonight. She was going to relax and have fun with her two sexy Doms.
Wes took her hand and wrapped it around his arm. “Just hang on to me, Summer. We’ll take small steps so you don’t accidentally fall.”
She didn’t answer. She wasn’t supposed to, after all. He’d said that the rules started as soon as he turned onto Cheyenne Boulevard. A few seconds later, Wes spoke again. “I have your bag, by the way.”
