Nodding, Connor said, “Do that, and double check the front gate too. Another set of eyes won’t hurt.”
“You want whomever to come here instead of going hunting?” Benedett spoke around a mouthful of food. “I thought you’d prefer that to holing up.”
“It’s the better plan.” Connor thought it best not to tell either man he’d brought this on Maddy and there was a chance his IP address had been traced, originally. It made sense to get it done here. “Cut this Abbott off from his best guy, use his hacker against him and give him something permanent to distract him.”
“What about the dogs?” Maddy pushed her plate away and held her cup in both hands.
“They’ll do what they’re trained to do,” Connor said patiently, figuring what was coming next. But he gave her a warning glance she ignored.
“They’ll get shot. I don’t want that to happen. I told you.” It seemed her discomfort around strangers was mitigated by her concern for Hannibal and Anann, and she refused to accept the dogs were trained to defend. They’d already had the conversation and his patience was wearing thin. He needed to get his head in the game as he geared up for the potential conflict.
“Maddy, it’s fine. We’ll follow the plan.”
“Your plan,” she muttered mutinously, her mouth set in a thin line.
Gagne got up, the stool clattering, and escaped out the back door, saying he was full and had the gate to attend to. Benedett developed an avid interest in the raspberry jam jar. His former team mates knew him better than Maddy, and they expected a reaction.
“They’re our first line of defense.” Connor was going to have a little chat with her about raising it again in front of his former team mates.
“Okay, then. You’re the boss.” She set her cup down without taking a drink. Casting a look at Benedett, she fidgeted in place, belatedly appearing to pick up on the tension.
“I’ll just take a stroll through the house again, familiarize myself with things.” Benedett wiped his mouth on a paper towel and strolled off.
If Connor required a vote of approval from his guys, he had it. Neither stayed around to see if he got his nuts handed to him or if he dealt with Maddy. While Benedett and Gagne weren’t Doms, they knew enough about the Lifestyle to understand he was going to deal with her and didn’t care to embarrass her. Or maybe they figured she didn’t need any help. That was a novel idea.
“I’m sorry. I know we agreed and I promised to let it go. But I can’t stop thinking about them. And I’m a horrible person because I’m not as worried about you! Or Rafe! Or even your guys…” Maddy was nibbling on her bottom lip, then her eyes widened. “Oh, crap.”
Connor shoved his stool back and waited. Their sweet sub stood from her chair and inched her way over. She stopped just short of him and cast a look over her shoulder.
“Eyes on me.” His cock filled at the way her gaze snapped back to lock on his face, a flush climbing from under the collar of her T-shirt to cumulate across her cheeks.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. To challenge you in front of them.”
He said nothing, pleased Maddy had accurately assessed the implications of what she’d done, waiting for her to accept the roles in their relationship. The silence stretched out for a half a heartbeat before she stepped flush against his thigh, the heated tremble of her lush body a tempting torture. Connor made a decision. The other men wouldn’t invade the kitchen again without cause, and he so preferred to administer a bare bottom spanking. “Drop the jeans. And the underwear you shouldn’t be wearing.”
Any concern he might have had about Maddy’s trust in them—as Doms, anyhow—was washed away by her immediate compliance. She leaned back a trifle to work her hands between them, opening her jeans and pushing them down. Her much shorter frame folded forward as she jacked her hips, and Connor’s cock twitched as her hair swung to dance across his thighs. He believed he could feel the exhale of her breath and toyed with the idea of having her kneel and service him instead. But that wouldn’t be punishment for her disrespect. Rafe had shared how Maddy had blown him without a care to her own pleasure, a hint of very real awe in his buddy’s voice. It was one thing to edge a woman, deny her an orgasm for whatever reason they chose. It was another, in their view, to take without recompense. Nope, she’d given, and that was her pleasure. Maddy was so damn special.
His hand twisting in the fabric of her shirt, Connor had her up and over his lap in the next heartbeat, legs hobbled by her jeans, all that hair flowing down to shield her face. That was his only regret. He preferred to see a woman’s features when administering any form of contact, and he and Rafe hadn’t played with Maddy except for that one time. But he knew his skills, and the upturned, plump ass quivering across his thighs was a thing of beauty. A spanking would settle their woman and move her past the obvious guilt about her disrespect.
“Your safe word?”
“Red.” It came out muffled, but he heard the resignation. They really needed to have an additional conversation about protocol and expectations once they’d dealt with Abbott. Maddy’s training would serve her well, but couldn’t have possibly prepared her for a ménage. There were some things one couldn’t learn as they went along.
“I won’t expect you to count.” Without waiting for a response, he laid a solid smack on one buttock, followed immediately with another, in the same place. A red handprint bloomed and he inflicted one to match on the other side.
Maddy made a muffled sound, followed by a shriek when he paddled her again. The tiny cries and whimpers, the way she held tightly to his leg, all served to make him impossibly hard, calling to his inner sadist. Once he’d decorated her creamy skin to his satisfaction, he rubbed the heated flesh before laying his hand across her ass, splaying his fingers to hold the warmth in. Maddy had flinched at the first blow and visibly tried not to clench afterward, likely remembering that bruising and additional soreness occurred with clenching. Not that Connor didn’t expect to see his marks, at least for the next couple of hours. This was about teaching—and reminding—Maddy about her place, and helping her release her anxiety. His cock resented being ignored, but that was the way of it.
When her quiet sobs diminished, he eased her to her feet, steadying her as he guided her back between his knees. She stood, head down, sniffing, and he grabbed a napkin. With a finger under her chin, he lifted her face and smoothed back the hair still veiling it. Maddy didn’t cry prettily. Her long lashes were clumped with her tears, lower lids reddened, nose swollen, and her cheeks were blotchy. She was the most beautiful thing he’d laid eyes on and it was all he could do not to devour her. He felt weak with need.
As he mopped away her tears, he gained control of himself, clearing his throat. “Go stand in the corner, nose against the wall.”
Blinking moisture-starred eyes at him, Maddy swallowed and shuffled backward a bit, then reached down for her jeans.
“Leave them.”
Giving him a shocked stare, her lips parted, but she clearly thought better of challenging him again and awkwardly made her way to the corner he’d indicated, the material bunched around her ankles, impeding her progress. Her red ass drew his eyes like a beacon, and he considered changing his order, bending her over the nearest flat surface and taking her from behind, hot buttocks pressed against his pelvis—holy fuck, she distracted him. Once again his carnal interest was interfering with what had to get done first. He was certain she’d give him an excuse to paddle that ass again, and if not, he’d find one.
She stood silently in the corner while he cleaned up, tossing the scraps, rinsing the worst of the food stains off the plates and adding everything to the dishwasher. He kept his focus on her while he wiped down the counters and slid the stools back in place and debated finding other tasks to occupy himself. A little sigh decided for him, and he chucked the rag into the sink, then crossed to her. He wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on her head, turning her to face him.
“It�
�s over.”
Her face was back to its usual pale, unblemished purity, aside from a couple of tear tracks, and her eyes were dry. “Can I get dressed?”
Connor smiled at her distress and knelt to tug her clothing up, feeling the residual heat of her buttocks as he worked them over her ass and zipped the fly. “We good?”
Maddy’s bottom lip trembled but she met his eyes. “I’m sorry, Connor. Or should I be calling you Master?”
“At the club, in the playroom, our bedroom, in a scene, we’ll require Master, honey. It’s best you keep it to those places or you’ll draw attention.”
Hurt flashed over her face, and he cupped her chin. “What was that look for?”
Her breasts heaved as she took a deep breath. “So, in public I’m…I’m what? Not your sub?”
Damn, he hadn’t thought that through. Maddy was sensitive enough about her place in their lives. “Two men, honey. Two. We’ll draw attention as it is, but if you call us Master you’ll—” He floundered for words, because, in fact, he and Rafe hadn’t thought that far ahead. Had they figured they and their One would never leave the house? Not that they’d want to for the next while until they took the edge off but—
“I’ll out you? Show people that you share?” For someone who’d just had her bottom paddled a lovely shade of crimson, Maddy’s tone was close to sarcastic, and Connor’s gaze drifted to the spatula he’d set on the rack to dry.
“It’s not about us, Maddy. We find we’re protective of you.” And that was the truth. He didn’t need to check with Rafe.
She did not roll her eyes. Connor accepted that she had, indeed. At least she wasn’t fretting over the dogs and the danger she’d been living under for months, so he let it go, but he couldn’t prevent taking up a bit more of her personal space. It didn’t seem to intimidate her, and he relished her spirit. Submissive and incredibly strong, the absolute best kind.
“I’ve noticed that, Connor. The protectiveness. But once my problem has been dealt with, do you really think I’m going to be concerned about people’s opinion of me being involved with two men?”
****
Maddy had the definite satisfaction of seeing her Viking at a loss for words. She sincerely regretted undermining him when she had her little meltdown over the dogs and she wouldn’t be making that kind of mistake again any time soon. Meeting Gagne and Benedett had made it real again, brought home that within the next day or so her life as she knew it would change once again. As would everyone else’s in her vicinity. She’d perseverated on the dogs, imagining the terrible things that would happen, and it made her rash.
Her bottom throbbed, and she wished her jeans weren’t so tight across her buttocks. The nose in the corner thing was definitely not to her taste, but then she supposed that was why Connor utilized it. Funny she hadn’t worried about the other men coming back to see her punished—or the result of that punishment probably glowing in the corner like a miniature sun. Because Connor would never humiliate you in that way.
Connor finally replied to her question, seemingly aware that she’d made a decision and nobody was going to influence it, not even him. She basked in the look on his face, one of rueful pleasure. “You’d probably spit in a tiger’s eye. But we aren’t going to give you crap to deal with.”
“Connor. Unless we go out in pairs, you and Rafe taking turns, people are gonna notice.” And she didn’t give a fiddler’s fart either. They were going to give her a life and that life included them. Two of the hottest men on the face of the planet wanted her. Maybe they needed their heads examined, or glasses or something, but she was taking them at their word. And now that they had her, she wasn’t letting them go—ever.
“We’ll figure something out.” He actually looked concerned, and she figured he’d forgotten that they hadn’t discussed why he’d whaled on her ass, which was fine with her. Lesson learned, and she hated the lectures that followed punishments. Not that she’d had many. She was a quick learner and had skated through the training at the club. There was no need to be a brat when the rules were reasonable and the people kind. Even the sadists.
“I don’t care,” she said quietly, and Connor, with one last searching look, rose to his feet. She braced herself for more discussion, but Benedett rapped on the doorframe.
“You got an alarm, Con.”
Connor whirled and strode to the counter in two long steps, where a laptop rested. His fingers flew over the keys, and when he lifted his head, Maddy wanted to flee from his expression. Pure warrior, feral and focused. She never wanted that turned against her.
“I’ll take you on that tour now, Maddy. I want you to be familiar with the house. If you’re correct in believing that Ryker will be on the way the minute he gets a location, we have a few hours left, four, tops.” He grabbed two bottles of water and handed her one, then ushered her out of the room.
Benedett gave her a covert wink and she blushed, the heat in her cheeks rivaling the heat in her buttocks.
Her head whirled as she took in the various rooms. Connor’s den, something he termed the workroom, full of surveillance screens, computers, and a variety of other electronic equipment, then a heavily locked room he opened for her to poke her head into—a veritable armory. Rafe had a room full of books that Connor termed the library, and it certainly gave off that old book feel, leather bindings glowing in the early morning sun as it shone through the windows. “Rafe reads a lot. Not sure you’ll like what he does, mostly art of war stuff and such, but I know he’ll give you room if you want to put some novels in here.”
Maddy had her e-reader, and there was no way she had been able to haul actual books around with her, although she’d left some behind in her room at Abbott’s estate. She’d never thought about having a special place to curl up and read, but could imagine sitting in here with Rafe. The club chairs were big enough to nap in. Although Connor would be adjusting his take on her novels. Not that there had been enough time to discuss her interests and abilities—aside from the memory thing—but he’d be giving her more credit in time. It was a satisfying feeling, because while she knew they wanted a submissive, she also believed they wanted a woman with a brain. She’d be finagling her way into Connor’s space too. It was an altogether exciting thought, and gave her more hope for the future.
“I’d like that.”
The living room was huge, as she remembered it, with a large fireplace taking up a whole wall, and the furniture was all done in masculine. She thought the television and sound system might not be misplaced in a stadium. The dining room, opposite the kitchen, looked as though it had never been used, although it featured a beautiful table and twelve chairs. The powder room cried out for some color. Connor gestured to an enclosed porch, more of a sunroom, and mentioned they used it for entertaining during the summer months, as it had a wet bar. Beyond the sunroom was a huge yard that held an Olympic-size pool, or so it seemed to Maddy. The landscaping was thickest at the edges of the property, but not really close to the impressive fence either. She’d seen enough movies to know that one didn’t give an enemy a place to conceal themselves.
“What do you think?”
Was Connor worried about this too? That she wouldn’t like his—their—home? “It’s huge. And…Connor, it needs some softening.”
He smiled so widely she knew she’d been correct to tell him her thoughts. The ones that were at the forefront, anyhow. A steady stream of worry flowed beneath, counting down the minutes until Abbott’s hound arrived to try and breach the gates. Connor was acting so casual.
“You’ll have free reign, Maddy. Hell, we can move if you don’t like it.”
“You built this place for your permanent sub.”
He stilled and reeled her in for a loose hug. “So observant,” he murmured.
“Did you…I mean, am I?” She hated to ask again, hated to sound so darn insecure, but it had all gone so fast. No, it didn’t. You’ve known from the minute they set their sights on you. The heart knows—Jeez, Mom.
“You’re the first. The only. And the last. Rafe and I know what we want.” Well, as promises went, it was mighty fine. Connor looked so freaking sincere, she went up on tiptoe to kiss him. And once again had her mouth ravaged and her breath stolen. If he hadn’t squeezed her ass cheeks she could have given him even more.
She followed him upstairs, after noting the ample closet space in the hallway, and had another treat of watching his long legs eat up the distance, his fine ass something perfect to focus on. She nearly fell up the last step, lost in ogling him, catching her balance on the banister. Connor was there instantly to ensure she was stable, then held her hand as he escorted her, pointing out an additional four bedrooms, all with their own baths attached, and at the end, a complete gym, mirrors from floor to ceiling along one wall.
“That’s a lot of bedrooms.” Two of them clearly were occupied.
“Rafe and I will move our stuff into yours—ours. That’ll free up two. We’ll keep one for company, the rest for kids.”
Kids. Maddy gulped. She was twenty-eight, and lots of people had their babies in their twenties, but she’d only just gotten here!
“Honey, there’s no rush.” Connor read her mind—or her body language. “But we want kids. Uh, do you?”
Lord, there was so much to talk about. “If we can wait, have some time together.” She didn’t add that she wanted the time to include lots of sex, because that was something else she’d just figured out she badly desired as often as it could be arranged.
“Of course.” Connor’s eyes glowed with blue fire. Then he sobered. “Questions? Worries? Thoughts?”
“No. I think I understand the plan. Except, where’s the playroom?”
Connor gave her a truly evil stare. “Playroom is a misnomer. It’s actually a dungeon.”
Okay, then. “You built a dungeon? Like in the basement?” Did homes in these parts even have basements?
“Not in the basement. Off the master suite.”
That figured. Not so far to drag one’s tired ass to bed after a long night of flogging and such.
The Death of You Page 14
