Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle - Incognito 06 - Charming Carmen
Copyright© 2007 Madison Layle & Anna Leigh Keaton
ISBN: 978-1-60088-124-4
Cover Artist: Sable Grey
Editor: Melissa Darnell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
Cobblestone Press, LLC
www.cobblestone-press.com
Chapter One
Carmen Fernandez stared in wide-eyed wonder at the front of the red brick mansion. Her best friend, Olivia Montgomery, had told her all about Incognito, but she never thought she’d actually go there herself.
“We’re lucky it’s a special occasion tonight,” one of Olivia’s husbands said as he took her arm and guided her up the wide stairs to the front door.
“Her eyes are as big as saucers. Imagine what she’d do if she saw the club in full sex mode,” the other one said. She didn’t know how Olivia told them apart since the men were identical twins.
Olivia laughed and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, Car. Sometimes it can be a shock to your sensibilities, so I understand why it’s difficult to not stare. But don’t worry. Just think... You’ll get to meet a lot of the people I’ve told you about.”
It wasn’t the idea of a fetish club that made her stare. The building itself held her enthralled. She loved old architecture and, living on the west coast her entire life, she’d never really seen any.
Two tuxedo-clad gentlemen opened the double doors, bowed low, and greeted Dylan and Ryan by name. Carmen craned her neck to watch the big black-haired one. Damn, he was good looking.
Olivia thought this place would shock her? Not hardly. If sweet Olivia knew some of the things she’d seen—and done—over the years of living and working at the Rosemont... Well, Olivia had been the levelheaded one, and rather naïve in many ways, until she met the Montgomery brothers.
“Good evening, Dylan. Ryan. This would be your guest for the evening?”
Carmen looked up into the forest green eyes of another attractive man. Wow, the thought of moving to Florida became more appealing by the second.
“Yes,” one of the Montgomerys said, “Master Dalton, meet Carmen, one of Olivia’s dear friends. Carmen, this is Master Dalton, our host for the evening.”
She held out her hand to him. “Pleasure’s mine,” she said with a cheeky grin.
Master Dalton chuckled and raised an eyebrow at the brothers. “No shrinking violet, this one.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers.
Dios mio. She thought she just might swoon. No man had ever done that before.
“Welcome to Incognito.”
She sighed. Even his voice was beyond sexy.
Olivia elbowed her in the side. “He’s taken,” she whispered.
One of the Montgomerys cleared his throat.
Master Dalton grinned. “Alas, I am. My fiancée, Mistress Katriona, is making the final preparations for the auction, but I’ll be sure to introduce you later.”
Damn, Carmen thought. Well, if the two guys outside the door were any indication, there was plenty of eye candy to go around in this place. “Thanks.”
“Fiancée?” Olivia blurted out. Surprisingly, neither of her husbands said a thing to her about it, although one pinched her butt, which made her yelp.
The other brother asked, “When did that happen?”
Dalton flashed a wide grin. “Tonight.”
“Congratulations!” the brothers said simultaneously, extending hands. Olivia kept silent and still, so Carmen thought it best to do the same.
“Thank you.” Dalton shook their proffered hands. Then, with a glance over his shoulder, he called out, “Slave!”
Ohh. Oh dear. Oh wow. He’s hot. Dark chocolate brown hair fell to his collar. Almost as tall as Master Dalton, the slave towered over her diminutive five-three height. Even wearing Olivia’s borrowed stilettos, she felt tiny surrounded by these big, strong men.
She’d always had a thing for men in tuxedos, and she was definitely getting hot and bothered.
The slave went down on one knee in front of Dalton and bowed his head. “Master Dalton?”
“Carl, please take the Montgomerys and their guest to their table.”
Her mouth fell open. Olivia had told her about this guy! She said Carl wore chains, though, not a tux. Now, she’d really like to see this wide-shouldered stud in nothing but chains.
“Yes, sir.” Carl stood but never raised his gaze from the floor.
Carmen squeezed Olivia’s hand. This was so exciting! She was glad she’d come a day early. Not only did she get to spend a few extra hours with her best friend before Olivia and her husbands flitted off to Spain on holiday, but she also got to attend a charity auction at Incognito, the private, for-members-only club.
Carl led them through a cavernous room. Tables, set formally with white linens and crystal glasses, were arranged in a semi-circle around a low stage upon which sat a podium.
People greeted the Montgomerys like old friends as they made their way across the room, and the brothers paused to shake hands. All the while, Olivia stood meekly, holding her hand.
Carmen didn’t get Olivia. Her friend had told her enough about the lifestyle, as they called it, to know she was a 24/7 submissive. She lived her life to serve her husbands. Which was cool with Carmen, but she’d never be able to do that. She’d had enough boyfriends in the past who thought she was there to service them.
A little pang of hurt went through her when the image of the last man she had thought cared for her came to mind. Bastard. Talk about the ultimate service. She glanced at Olivia, saw her little smile, and then turned toward her friend’s husbands. She might have to be submissive and say “yes, sir,” all the time, but they treated her like a queen. She was happy, and the brothers loved her with all their hearts. So much so, she could see it in their eyes whenever they looked at Olivia.
Oh, to be loved like that.
“Allow me, Mistress.”
Carmen jumped at the voice close to her ear and turned to see Carl right beside her, holding his hand out toward a chair at the table directly in front of the stage. His gaze was downcast, but since she was so much shorter than he was, she got a glimpse of bright hazel with flecks of gold. Carl held her seat for her as she sat, while Dylan—or was that Ryan?—did the same for Olivia.
“Thank you...Carl,” she said when she thought to speak. Mistress? Had he really called her Mistress?
“May I fetch you a drink, Mistress?” Carl asked. His voice was low and smooth. Like black velvet. Her nipples beaded against the front of her borrowed dress.
She cast a questioning look across the table. On the ride to the club, Olivia’s husbands had laid down ground rules about decorum, but she had no idea if she was supposed to order her own drink or not.
“Thank you, Carl,” one of the Montgomerys said. “We’ll order in a few minutes.”
She sighed in relief. She truly didn’t want to do anything wrong tonight and make her friend and the husbands look bad. This was their special place.
Carl nodded toward the brothers then executed a deep bow in front of her. “I am at your service.” Then he turned and left.
A frisson of excitement went through her. Leaning over to whisper in Olivia’s ear, she said, “I think I could get used to this.”
One of the brothers sat down next to her. “All right, Carmen, ch
ange of rules. You broke the first one by looking Master Dalton directly in the eye. You’re too brazen for your own good.” He said the words with humor and a wink, but she still cringed.
“Sorry.”
He chuckled. “That’s okay. This just means that you’re seen as a Domme, so a lot of the rules we stated in the car do not apply to you.”
“What Dylan is trying to say is that you’re free to mingle with other patrons and not worry about breaking decorum.” Ryan leaned around Olivia to look at her. “You may look men and women directly in the eye, but be careful. Some strays might take that as invitation.”
She grinned. “Like Carl?”
“Ah, no,” Dylan said. “Carl belongs to Mistress Katriona.”
“Belongs? Like Olivia belongs to you?”
Olivia shook her head. “Permission to speak?”
“Granted,” Ryan said.
“Carl is Katriona’s slave. That involves more subjugation than what I do as a pet...more confinement and things like that. Like any sub, though, he does everything she orders, no questions asked. He’s kind of a fixture around here, just like Kat is.”
“Uh...” Carmen frowned. “I thought Dalton and Katriona...”
Olivia nodded. “That too. See... Dalton is a Dom, and Katriona is a Domme. It’s very unusual for two dominant personalities to pair off, but they’ve been together since he came to town a few months ago.”
“And Katriona and Carl have been together for as long as we’ve known them,” Ryan added.
“So, she has sex with them two, the way you guys...?”
Dylan chuckled again. “That, dear, is none of our business.”
Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment, and she ducked her head. There were a lot of things that probably weren’t her business that she knew. And she was sure Olivia would skin her alive if she blabbed about some of their late‑night phone conversations when they were both feeling lonely for their best friend.
“It is all right to ask,” Ryan said, “because we’re friends. But what goes on behind closed doors, especially in a place like this, is often better left behind those closed doors. Each couple, triad, group, has their own tastes and desires. There are things that would make the general public uncomfortable. That’s why Incognito exists. It’s a place where people like us come to...” He grinned at his brother. “...unleash our desires.”
A thousand questions zoomed through her head, and she had a lot to ask Olivia about later. How weird did these people get? Were Dylan and Ryan freaks in the bedroom? Olivia admitted they liked to tie her up and blindfold her.... Did it go beyond that?
“What would you like to drink, mi gatita?” Dylan asked Olivia.
“White wine,” she answered. “Thank you, Master.”
Dylan kissed her lips so tenderly it made Carmen’s heart hurt.
“And you, Carmen?” Ryan asked.
“Same as Liv. Thanks.”
Ryan nodded, and then the men stood. Before they walked off, Ryan leaned over, kissed Olivia’s shoulder, and whispered something that made Olivia giggle.
“I’m so jealous,” Carmen admitted after the brothers headed toward the bar.
Olivia laid her hand on Carmen’s arm. “You’ll find what you need someday. I’m sure of it.”
Carmen snorted. She wasn’t so sure. She’d come to Florida to housesit for her friends, but they didn’t know the whole story. After the fiasco with her last boyfriend, and the ensuing scandal that followed, she hoped she never had to go back to California, and she’d given up on ever reaching any kind of happily ever after.
“Can’t I just use one of yours?” she teased. “It’s so unfair you get both of them.”
Olivia laughed. “No way. Sorry, hon. I love you like a sister, but these brothers are mine.”
* * * * *
Carl Thompson stood in the shadows near the bar and watched the beautiful creature seated with the Montgomerys. She had flawless skin, sultry features, and the long, dark hair of a Latino, with just a hint of auburn highlights to attract a man’s eye. Short and stacked, her curves nearly made his mouth water. The dress she wore, though stylish, had obviously been made for a much thinner woman.
Tonight’s black-tie affair was proving to be a success in more ways than one. Each guest had received a hand-delivered invitation. The dinner ran a hundred a plate. The auction items would bring in thousands for the Southern Florida Battered Women’s Shelter.
This was a special night for Kat and Dalton—the night they’d announce Dalton’s co-ownership of the club—and they didn’t want anything to go wrong. No uninvited guests were to be allowed in the club tonight. But Dalton had told him the Montgomerys were bringing someone extra. Special dispensation for them because Olivia’s friend had surprised them by arriving a day early. If Dylan and Ryan hadn’t been such good clients and close friends of Kat’s, the woman wouldn’t have been allowed in. And what a shame that would have been.
“I wish Kat drank.”
Carl turned to see Dalton down a shot of scotch. Dalton’s attention was on Kat, who had taken up her post at the doors to the front foyer.
“She’s as nervous as a cat in a house of rocking chairs.”
Carl snickered. “I can’t believe you got her to wear it. Subtle...and not made of leather, but you actually collared her.”
Dalton’s grin was full of male pride and arrogance. “You owe me that fifty bucks.”
Carl nodded. “How about we go double or nothing?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Stake your claim on her...on stage...tonight. No more hiding, and I’ll owe ya a hundred. Maybe I’ll even throw another hundred in the kitty for the shelter.”
Dalton clapped him on the shoulder, his expression leaving no doubt that he intended to win the bet. “Sounds good, buddy. Now, let’s go save Kat from herself. You ready to introduce her?”
“I’m ready. You go get her calmed down so she can speak.” Carl turned toward the stage while Dalton headed across the floor toward Kat. He was so happy for Kat. They’d been friends forever, it seemed, and he’d never seen her happier than she was with Dalton. Tonight was their big night. Bigger than just the first of what he was sure would be many fundraising auctions.
He hopped up on the stage and strode to the podium. When he cleared his throat, the attendees grew quiet. Facing the members of Incognito like this, looking them in the eyes, was different for him. He’d lived as Kat’s slave for so long, barely being seen most of the time, that he felt a little out of sorts standing up here in front of them.
“Good evening,” he began.
From the front table nearest the stage, Carmen could do nothing but stare at Cute Carl up there on the stage, the spotlight making his hair look as if it were shot through with spun copper. He was so big, so wide-shouldered, so...
“I think you’re drooling,” Olivia whispered in her ear. “He’s taken, but did you see the guys at that table over there?” She tapped Carmen’s shoulder and, when she turned her head to see what Olivia was pointing at, she saw a table of five men. Most handsome to be sure, but none of them looked like Carl.
“I like that one,” she whispered back, tipping her head toward the stage in reference to Carl. She didn’t care if he was taken. Well, she did, but she could still look, couldn’t she?
Olivia grinned and shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”
With a sigh, Carmen nodded. “I know.” She always seemed to be attracted to the wrong guy, the unavailable guy.
“And now, please welcome a woman we all know well,” Carl said from the podium set center stage. “Mistress Katriona.”
A woman she hadn’t yet met went up on the stage. Wow. She was breathtaking. Plump red lips and dark, exotic eyes. Long black hair in huge ringlet curls. A slinky, silky black dress that revealed more than it hid. No wonder she had two handsome men. A twinge of jealousy struck Carmen in the chest. She figured even she could get two men if she looked like that.
Car
l went offstage and disappeared into the shadows. Damn.
Carmen sipped her wine and tried to pay attention to Katriona, but her gaze, and her mind, wandered around the room.
It wasn’t difficult to see who belonged to whom. Most people sat in twos or threes. There were women with posture and somewhat lowered eyes such as Olivia. Others looked more confident, in control. Other Dommes?
She almost giggled at her thought. She was a Domme.
Through her conversations with Olivia, she’d gotten a grip on the lingo those in the lifestyle used. She always pictured Dommes to be these big, bad bitches. Not a short, round girl.
Her attention landed on a table of women next to the table of men. She frowned. Singles? Strays? She wondered who was dominant and who was submissive in the groupings. It was difficult to tell since they were all dressed similarly.
“Stop staring,” Olivia chided in a sharp whisper. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”
“I thought I was allowed to make eye contact since I’m not like you.”
Olivia frowned at her, and she grinned. She might be submissive, but Olivia still had a look that could make a grown man quake in his boots.
“Okay, okay,” Carmen said as she turned back around and faced forward, just in time to see Dalton jump up on the stage and grab Katriona, bend her over his arm, and kiss her as if they were alone.
“Let’s hear it for the man who collared Mistress Katriona!” That came from the shadows and sounded like Carl.
The audience burst into applause, including Olivia and the brothers.
Jeesh, she thought as she clapped since everyone else was. Carl let some other guy kiss his woman? Dalton let Carl kiss her? All too weird. She could somewhat understand Olivia’s husbands. They were brothers. Twins. Probably shared everything all their lives. But two men who were obviously so different?
Dalton let Katriona stand up straight, and then she left the stage. Dalton started speaking. Off to the side of the stage, Carmen saw Katriona hug Carl. Oh, that was just too weird. But she couldn’t tear her gaze away. Would they kiss the way she and Dalton had?
Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle - Incognito 06 - Charming Carmen Page 1
