by Avery Gale
Even though Micah had always had a soft spot for “damsels in distress” there was something particularly powerful and unique about the vulnerability he sensed under the tough girl image Grace Santos tried so valiantly to show to the world—and it called to him. As they finished up the packing, he casually asked her about her day and was completely stunned when her eyes instantly filled with unshed tears. He sat down the box he’d been moving and quickly stepped in front of her and pulled her against his chest. He simply held her because he really hadn’t known what else to do. “Pretty tough day, huh? The super told me that he’d let everyone know this morning the building has been sold.”
“Well, yeah that started it. Then I found out my boss died and they are going to close the store where I work. And now the fire. Everything I own is going to stink, but it probably doesn’t matter since I won’t have a home in a few weeks. Now Tobi’s gone and she was my only real friend.” Micah hated hearing the desperation and vulnerability in her voice when she’d been all fire and sass just a few minutes earlier. There wasn’t really anything he could do until he spoke with the Wests, so he just hugged her close, offering comfort in the only way he could. As a Dom, he understood the power of touch and particularly the importance of comfort after an adrenaline crash, and holding the lush little tigress against him was certainly no hardship.
After several minutes, he’d pulled back just enough to look down at her and sighed to himself at her slightly dazed expression. She didn’t know it, but that vulnerability called to the Alpha male in him and sent fire racing up his spine as his Dominant side roared to the forefront. Micah quietly reminded Grace that she was to call him if she had any problems at all with Feldman or if she heard anything else that would be helpful in discovering who was responsible for the fire. As he’d driven away he’d had the sinking feeling that Tobi’s friend was in danger, but he couldn’t explain exactly why. Shaking it off, he looked in the rearview mirror and chuckled. He and the men he’d called to help him pack Tobi’s apartment needed to deal with the amateur who was following them. And then he could focus on the fiery little beauty he’d hated walking away from.
Chapter One
Gracie had just emptied out the last of the boxes of sex toys that had been delivered yesterday and put the finishing touches on one of the displays for this evening’s meet and greet event. Each of the small Forum Shops were ready for tonight’s big opening gala and she found herself almost giddy with excitement. The addition the Wests had built on to the back of their BDSM club was enormous, but they’d divided it into “shops”, which were more like mini-boutiques. They were arranged around a small courtyard that had been set up to resemble an open Roman rotunda.
Each shop was decorated to reflect the specialty items it featured for the various interests in what she’d recently learned was referred to as “the lifestyle.” One shop was devoted to impact play and there were literally hundreds of items inside, all of them intended to be used in safe, sane, and consensual play. The light and wax shop offered a wide variety of colored and scented candles that melted at low temperatures. The laser wands had intrigued Gracie until she’d learned they were applied to a sub’s “privates” and she’d dropped the device so quickly Tobi had burst out laughing. Nestled in among the shops was a small day spa that she and Tobi had given a test run yesterday. Gracie had been shocked at the intimate nature of the services they provided. She had been waxed, buffed, and polished until she’d giggled to Tobi that she felt like someone’s high-priced Mercedes.
Every time she thought about it, Gracie still shook her head in wonder that her friend had married two men. But Tobi, Kent, and Kyle West all seemed happy, so she was happy for them. Gracie had seen the same affection in the interaction between Kent and Kyle’s two fathers and their mother and wondered what it would be like to be loved that much…it was beyond her comprehension that she would ever find even one man that she trusted that much, let alone two.
Watching the West family was always great fun, their respect and love for each other was easy to see. They were gracious and accommodating, and Gracie had quickly felt like part of their close-knit group. But you didn’t need to observe the ménage relationships for long to see that Kent and Kyle, along with their fathers, Dean and Dell, were Sexual Dominants. Watching the way the men interacted with Tobi and her mother-in-law, Lilly, always seemed to make Gracie’s skin tingle and her pussy clench in need. Seeing the way Tobi responded to both of her men and recognizing her own body’s response had made Gracie wonder if she wasn’t a submissive also. Even though she wouldn’t have ever believed it when she’d begun researching online after moving in to the small guest house at Prairie Winds, she’d read several descriptions of submissive traits that had resonated deep within her. She hadn’t done as much research as she’d wanted to because she was usually so exhausted by the time she made it home each evening, she just ate a quick sandwich and went to bed.
After the fire in Tobi’s apartment across the hall from her own small studio, Gracie had met Micah Drake, the head of security for The Masters of the Prairie Winds Club. Thinking back on that night, there certainly hadn’t been any question about the spark of electricity that had passed between them. Micah had programmed his number into her phone and told her to call if she had any problems with the man who had been harassing Tobi. And Gracie hadn’t hesitated to call him a few nights later when she was being followed. She’d never returned to her apartment after that night.
Working as the assistant manager for The Forum Shops at the Prairie Winds Club was turning out to be a dream come true. After the Wests returned from their honeymoon it had been a full-on push to get the small shops finished, stocked, and the displays put together. All the advance notifications and marketing materials had been sent out to the club’s growing membership list and the RSVPs had rolled in.
Gracie usually had to fight back her embarrassment when she opened a new box of merchandise. And helping set up displays featuring dildos and a variety of other “toys” often had her blushing so deeply that Tobi had often teased her about having hot flashes. She and Tobi had ended up on the floor in fits of giggles more than once as they’d tried to imagine what some of the items were used for. They’d made the mistake once of saying out loud that they were certain their imaginations were more creative than the truth, both having forgotten about all the high-tech security and surveillance equipment that surrounded them. Tobi assured her the next morning they’d been wrong…the truth had indeed been much more interesting than their imaginations. The sly wink Tobi had given her had spoken volumes and Gracie had felt a shiver of excitement race through her.
While Tobi, Kyle, and Kent West had been on their honeymoon trip, Micah Drake and Jax McDonald had moved Gracie into the small guest cabin at the back of the Prairie Winds property. All three Wests had apologized because it was the smallest of their cabins, but in Gracie’s opinion, the small cottage was absolutely perfect. The front porch ran the entire length of the one bedroom structure and had a comfortable patio set where she often relaxed with her morning coffee. The porch had numerous large potted plants and several of those seemed to be in continual bloom with vibrant colored flowers that made the porch a cheerful and comforting haven. The kitchenette was tiny but had everything Gracie could want including a microwave that actually heated up her food, something the tiny unit in her apartment had never done. The air conditioning and heat both worked and best of all, the hot water heater held enough hot water for her to wash her long hair and shower without being forced to either wait an hour or finish up with freezing water. It was clean and the furniture didn’t smell like smoke. In her opinion, it was a vast improvement over the apartment she’d been forced to vacate.
Everything in the little guest house was modern and had been recently updated, and the only time it felt small was when Jax or Micah were there. Both men were big, but at six foot eleven, Jax made even the largest room seem small. Smiling to herself as she shelved the last items from anot
her box of new merchandise, she heard the voices of men as they approached the shop she was working in. Gracie grabbed the empty cardboard box and made her way around the corner into the back room. The Wests had given numerous tours of the shops during the past month and she wanted the small space to look pristine when they entered.
Just as she was ready to round the corner to re-enter the shop she recognized a voice she had hoped she’d never hear again. The voice of a man who had promised her the sun and the moon, but had delivered his own particular version of hell on earth. The voice belonged to the man she had barely managed to escape years ago and she had no intention of giving him a second chance to imprison her. Backing slowly to the rear exit of the small shop, Gracie managed to open the door without making even a whisper of sound. As soon as she was outside she tried to calm her racing heart because fear wouldn’t help her escape. When she felt a wave of dizziness move over her, she realized she was holding her breath and took in gulping breaths trying to push back the darkness that was edging into her vision.
Turning on her heel to make a run back to her small cabin to pack, Gracie ran directly into a rock solid chest. She felt a strangled scream leave her throat and her survival instincts kicked in as she struggled to escape. Just as the darkness returned, closing in around her, she heard Micah Drake’s voice, “Grace? What the hell? Stop!” but it was too late, she had already fallen into the abyss of sweet oblivion and darkness swallowed her.
*****
Micah had been on his way to the back door of the shop where he knew Grace was working to ask her to join him and Jax for dinner after the Opening Gala for the club’s Forum Shops. He’d watched her open the door and slip out before letting the door close without a sound. The look of stark terror on her face had him rushing toward her. When she’d turned into his chest, he caught her in his arms to steady her, and the fear had quickly been replaced by out-and-out panic. She’d gone completely wild in his arms and for a tiny woman, she was surprising strong. He’d used his Dom voice and commanded her to stop, but he honestly wasn’t sure she had even heard him before she’d gone completely boneless in his arms.
He didn’t know what had frightened her, but he knew better than to take her back into the small shop to find out. Scooping her up into his arms, he’d tapped his com unit and advised Jax to meet him at their cabin. He wasn’t surprised to see his friend open the door just as he stepped onto the porch. “What happened? I could hear the concern in your voice and I was close.” Smoothing Gracie’s dark hair away from her face, he looked back up at Micah. “Is she alright? I’m thrilled she is here, but I’d rather she had walked in on her own.” They moved into the living room and settled on the large leather sofa facing the fireplace.
“I don’t know for sure what happened.” Micah recounted the past few minutes and just as he finished, she started to stir. The instant Gracie’s eyes started to flutter open, she was scrambling to get up. Micah recognized the behavior immediately and he knew from the way Jax’s eyebrows had drawn together, he was thinking the same thing. People only operated in that fight or flight mode when they’d been up close and personal with life-threatening pain or fear. And even though Micah had every intention of finding out what the hell the little fireball had been through, his immediate concern was finding out what had triggered her reaction today.
Micah and Jax could both kill a man with their bare hands, and could restrain most men with one tied behind their back. However, restraining a terrified woman that you were trying desperately not to hurt was presenting them with a very real challenge. Micah finally managed to get her wrists manacled in his hand and used the same tone he’d used outside the shop. Again her reaction was immediate and this time Jax was looking at him knowingly with a raised eyebrow. Micah gave him a quick nod and returned his attention to Gracie. Sitting on the sofa next to her, he pulled her up onto his lap and turned her just enough that he’d be able to see each and every facial expression.
Jax sat close enough that he could pull her tiny feet into his lap. He placed his large hands over the top of her ankles in a gesture that was probably as much for his own comfort as it was for hers. Of the two of them, Jax was the more openly affectionate and it surprised most people because his size alone was so intimidating. Micah had asked him once why he hadn’t opted to play professional football. Jax had just smiled and said hurting people for money had never interested him because he didn’t really need it. Micah had assumed at the time his friend was saying that money didn’t hold any real value for him, but he’d learned later the words had not been merely philosophical. Jax’s parents were loaded. They owned an enormous conglomerate of energy companies and Micah still shook his head at the vast number and diversity of the companies under that umbrella.
Once Gracie had settled, Micah cupped her trembling chin with his fingers so her attention was focused solely on the two of them. “Grace, something has obviously frightened you. Tell us what happened.” He had intentionally kept his words as statements rather than questions, because he didn’t want her to feel like she had an out. Both he and Jax watched her eyes dart from side to side as if searching the room for some unseen danger and he could practically hear her mind reeling. “Grace? I gave you an order and I expect you to follow it. Do not try to edit your response, just tell us what happened.” This time he’d laced his words with a bit more of the Dom-tone that natural submissives typically responded to without even being aware of the reason, and true to form, her words started tumbling out.
“I heard him. How did he find me? After all this time—I thought I was safe. But he was with the Wests and they…were so very close. How could he know? Please, you have to let me pack and leave here right away. You don’t know what he can do. He has so much power and so much money. I’m not safe here. And none of you are safe with me here either.” Nothing she was saying had made any sense to Micah, but her last words were just simply not true. Hell, the entire Prairie Winds property was a virtual fortress, including a well-stocked arsenal. The place was heavily armed and protected by six former Special Forces operatives who were living right on the property itself. Not safe? Is she fucking kidding? Where in God’s name does she think she can go that would be safer than where she is now?
Chapter Two
Jax McDonald had listened to the craziness that rushed from Gracie in a torrent and smiled at the perplexed look on Micah’s face. Micah was his best friend and had been for years. The man was as close to a brother as Jax had ever known. Micah Drake was absolutely brilliant when it involved security and computer surveillance, but interpersonal communication outside of a D/s scene often challenged him. Part of the reason he and Micah had decided to share subs was that their styles of Domination complimented one another’s. They’d learned that the compatibility of their approaches had meant the submissive they were topping was well satisfied and consequently it meant they too were well satisfied. That wasn’t to say their tastes in women were exactly alike, but they hadn’t ever found it to be a problem. They’d used their ability to play off one another often enough that it had become almost routine, and this looked like it was going to be a perfect example of why they worked so well together.
Jax shifted slightly so he drew Gracie’s attention just as he’d planned. “Gracie, I know you know who you are talking about, but Micah and I don’t, so maybe you could start by telling us this guy’s name.” Jax knew full well that at six feet eleven inches tall, he intimidated most people. It had always amused him that for some odd reason he was usually able to overcome the problem with children and women fairly quickly. He’d always teased his teammates that it was because both groups could look into a person’s soul faster than men, and he’d only been half kidding.
Gracie blinked up at him and then nodded quickly before responding, “Yes, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Raphael Baldamino. Why is he here? He mustn’t see me. You have to help me leave so I can hide. I can’t go back to his estate in Costa Rica. Please.” Her pleading voice and tears w
ere Jax’s undoing and he pulled her onto his lap and pressed her close to his chest and just held her trembling body against his own. As he cuddled her, Micah stood and moved quickly out the front door onto their small porch. Jax heard him speaking in low tones before the door had even finished closing.
“I don’t know why he was here, Cariña, but I did see his name on the roster for this afternoon, but he was not on the list for this evening. So let’s keep you right here until Micah can confirm that, how’s that sound?” At her shaky nod, he went on, “I know Micah didn’t get a chance to speak with you before everything went south today, but he was on his way to invite you to join us for dinner after the big opening tonight. But, since you are here now, let’s see what we can do to set that plan in motion?”
As much as he wanted to keep her right where she was, he knew it was more important to distract that quick mind of hers. Given a few moments to worry, she’d start making noises about leaving again. He wasn’t about to let her walk out the door until they had a handle on the situation and distraction was certainly better than arguing with the petite woman.
Gracie Santos had captured his heart when she all but fell out of her car and into his arms the first night he’d arrived at The Prairie Winds Club. He’d just stepped through the club’s front doors when he’d been met by Kent and Kyle West and their submissive, Tobi. At their request, he’d turned on his heel and followed them right back outside. Jax had begun to worry when the Wests explained the woman Micah had been raving to him about for weeks was “incoming, status unknown.”
Jax had barely managed to yank Tobi out of the path of Gracie’s bucket of bolts when she’d misjudged the distance and speed of the vehicle racing toward her. Considering the condition of the car Gracie had been driving, he was impressed the thing had any brakes at all. He hadn’t been surprised when she finally screeched to a halt directly over the spot Tobi had occupied mere seconds earlier. Once again he’d been grateful for his height and quick reflexes because the little hellion who married his two friends was fearless, reckless, and as Jax had learned quickly, she was also fiercely loyal and had a heart of pure gold. She’d won him over easily that first night and they’d become fast friends after everything had settled down.
