Dancing with Deception

by Avery Gale

  Brandt stood alongside Jax McDonald watching the large screen television as Helen Rodrick was led from her hotel suite by federal agents. “They could have interviewed her inside her suite.” Brandt tried to keep the amusement out of his voice but knew he’d failed miserably when he saw the corner of Jax’s mouth twitch up slightly.

  “Yep—they sure could have.” Jax’s deep chuckle was all the confirmation Brandt needed to know how much Jax was enjoying the woman’s obvious outrage as she tried in vain to jerk ‘her arm out of one agent’s grip.

  “And it’s interesting that a camera crew just happened to be on hand, too.”

  “That is interesting, isn’t it? I swear sometimes reporters can smell a story. Of course, there are times they need a little help, too—but don’t take that as a confession.”

  Brandt wanted to laugh out loud. Jax McDonald was huge, almost seven-foot-tall and still built like the football player he’d once been. But the grin on his face was pure mischief—he looked like an eight year old trapped in a very large body. “Is your daughter as ornery as you are?” Brandt knew their little girl was her parents’ pride and joy. He’d also heard she was brilliant as well as adorable.

  “You have no idea. Hell, it’s going to be hard to find out too. She’s much too smart to give away all her secrets.” The man’s entire expression softened when he talked about Deaga and Brandt felt something tighten in his chest. Jealousy? Envy? Damn, he wanted to see look when he looked in the mirror every morning. He was tired of waiting—it seemed like he’d been waiting forever. He’d known the first time he and Ryan shared a woman exactly what he wanted—and now it almost was within his grasp.

  When he looked back over at Jax, the other man was smiling at him. “I recognize that look, man. Don’t let her slip away—I know the next couple of months are going to be crazy for her, but don’t let the connection between the three of you suffer for it. Rack up all the damned travel miles it takes to keep her—it’ll be worth it.”

  Brandt respected Jax, but they’d never been particularly close as friends go, but at this moment, the man was speaking directly to his heart. His response barely squeezed past the lump in his throat. “Understood and agreed. I’ve spent the past year walking a tight rope between trying to heal myself and slowly getting closer to her.” And wasn’t that the fucking understatement of the year.

  He’d known she was hiding something when she’d first shown up in Pine Creek. He hadn’t known what her secret was, but it hadn’t taken him long to know it didn’t matter. The one thing he’d known for sure was there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to help her. It shocked him to realize how easy it would have been to walk away from his family and career for the woman he’d come to think of as his own. He might have been willing to walk away from everything he held dear, but he’d also known deep down he wouldn’t have to. His family would have had his back no matter what he’d decided to do, and somehow he’d always known he wouldn’t have to make the choice.

  “Enough of the heavy stuff, man. You’re fucking up my happy vibe. Let’s enjoy the view.” Brandt had to agree with Jax, watching Helen Rodrick being led from her luxury hotel by the agents was satisfying, indeed. But he wasn’t convinced this was going to be the end of the story.

  Joelle leaned against the back of the sofa in the living room of the enormous living quarters on the top floor of the club. Taking a huge gulp of the margarita Tobi made her, shuddering as the tequila burned its way down her throat despite the beverage’s icy texture. Joelle watched the local news replay the film clip of Helen Rodrick being led from the hotel and wondered what evil the woman was planning because her expression had been nothing short of murderous.

  Gracie sat nearby but Joelle noticed she’d declined a margarita opting for a large glass of orange juice instead. Smiling to herself, Joelle was fairly certain if the pretty Latino wasn’t pregnant already, she was likely planning to be soon. She felt a tinge of envy but pushed it aside quickly. Now wasn’t the time to start thinking about the things she couldn’t have. She was safe…and a lot of people were going to a tremendous amount of trouble to make sure she stayed that way. Joelle knew she should be counting her blessings not bemoaning the things she felt were slipping through her fingers.

  Coral was sitting beside her and Joelle laughed out loud at her friend’s scathing running commentary on the scene playing out on the large screen in front of them. “Damn, she looks like something that escaped from the seventh level of hell. Bet her ass is so puckered she sounds like a tea kettle when she farts.” Tobi had been about to set a large platter of snacks on the square coffee table in front of them, but she froze at Coral’s comment and for a few seconds Joelle wondered if Coral’s off the cuff remark had been over the top. But the grin that spread over Tobi’s face a split second before she burst into hysterical laughter erased Joelle’s concern.

  “Holy shiplap, that’s classic. Damn, I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

  “Kitten.”

  The warning tone of Kyle West’s voice from across the room had Tobi wincing before batting her eyes at him. “Sorry, Sir.” He rolled his eyes at her, obviously unimpressed with her half-hearted apology.

  Regi hip checked Tobi aside and stuffed a piece of cheese into her mouth. “Won wok, Tob.”

  “Good Lord, Reg, I can’t understand you when you are inhaling food. What’s up with the starvin’ Marvin imitation anyway? Are you knocked up or just planning head?” The look on Regi’s face was something between a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar and shock, but it had evidently been clear enough to have Tobi and Gracie dancing in place while hugging the tiny woman between them.

  Within seconds, Regi’s husbands were standing nearby, worried looks on their faces. A woman Joelle hadn’t met sagged into the open seat next to Joelle and laughed. “Boy for a couple of obstetricians they’re pretty uptight. But I guess I can see it in Brian’s case.” She leaned close and whispered, “His sister and her baby died during childbirth…that’s why he became a doctor.” Joelle blinked in surprise at the small blonde who’d so openly shared what most people would consider personal information. The woman grinned and extended her hand. “Hi, I’m Jen McCall. I am married to those two hotties over there.” She indicated two men leaning against the wall listening intently to whatever Jax McDonald was saying. As if both men had felt their tiny wife’s focus on them, they turned in unison to look directly at her—their desire for her was so thick you could almost feel it in the air. “I’ll introduce you to them later, we all three work for the West’s.”

  Joelle must have looked surprised because Tobi, Regi, and Gracie all laughed. “Don’t let her looks fool you, the woman is a whole wrecking crew disguised as a harmless garden sprite.” Tobi laughed and gave Jen a fist bump. “We’re just grateful she likes us…she’s damned dangerous when she’s pissy.”

  “I don’t get pissy. I get even…there’s a difference.” Jen’s mock indignation hadn’t been directed at anyone in particular, but her playful tone set Joelle at ease. As if she’d suddenly remembered something important, Jen turned her attention back to Tobi. “I heard you shot two guys and didn’t kill either of them. Everybody knows you’re a crack shot, so what’s up with that?”

  “You know exactly what that’s about.” Tobi looked between Coral and Joelle before shrugging. “Kyle and Kent seem to have a thing about being able to question the bad guys. Personally, I think it’s a lot of useless yakking, but what do I know.”

  Joelle was sure she’d fallen through a rabbit hole and gotten trapped in some kind of weird alternate universe. But, Coral didn’t seem to be suffering from the same confusion because she giggled at the other women’s exchange. At least, she had been giggling until a long arm came over her shoulder snatching the drink out of her hand. “Does this have alcohol in it?” Sage Morgan’s voice silenced everyone in the room. Joelle had seen the man have similar effects on almost everyone she knew back in Pine Creek.

  Suddenly all o
f the men seemed to take an interest in what their women were drinking and Joelle found her own glass snatched from her hands. “Hey, I wasn’t finished with that.” Almost, but there was still a sip or two left.

  “You are indeed finished with this.” He took a sip of her drink and grimaced. “Good God, who made this? I’ve had margaritas in Mexico with less tequila.” Looking over her shoulder, Joelle saw Brandt standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother. Wow, look at that. Damn if they don’t have similar thunderous expressions. Who knew? Wow, maybe that drink was a little on the strong side. Wonder if anyone else knows the room is tilting to the left.

  “My margaritas are tasty. Just ask anyone.” Joelle tried to not grin at Tobi’s petulant tone. “Don’t you all have planning to do? World domination and terrifying small children don’t just happen without a plan you know.” Tobi yelped when Kent’s palm landed solidly on her backside.

  “Sweetness, I suggest you rein it in—quickly. There were plans being made, but they had to do with our lovely subs. We’ve got something very special in the works for you all tonight.” Kent’s voice had an eerie tone, something between sickeningly sweet and deadly calm that made Joelle squirm in her seat. She’d heard that same tone from people her entire life…people who were being nice to her because they had to for one reason or another. Those same people often took any and every opportunity to undermine her whenever her father wasn’t looking.

  Joelle had always felt being wealthy was a mixed blessing. It was often impossible to distinguish between those people who genuinely liked you from those who were merely tolerant because they were being paid to. But there was something vaguely familiar about his voice too…something frightening that she couldn’t put her finger on.

  Brandt’s warm hand on her shoulder brought her back to the moment and she was grateful he’d sensed her unease. Joelle looked down at her hands and realized the sharp pinch she’d felt was because she was twisting her fingers together so tightly they’d turned a ghostly shade of white. Looking up again, Joelle saw Ryan standing beside Kent West. His eyes never left hers but his words were for the man standing beside him. “What the fuck did you say to our woman, Kent? Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone turn quite that shade of terrified.”

  “Christ, I wasn’t even talking to her. I was giving Tobi hell, not Joelle. Damn, darlin’ are you okay? You are awfully pale.” She could hear the concern in Kent’s voice but before she was able to squeak out any words to reassure him she was alright Joelle felt another hand settle on her other shoulder.

  This time, the hand squeezed ever so gently as heat seemed to seep into her blood, spreading quickly and leaving peace in its wake. She might have been alarmed by the strange sensation if it hadn’t been so utterly calming. “She’s fine now. It was the edge of a bad memory, but it’s been eased now. Remember little one, you’re safe here. Master Kent’s voice may have reminded you of the man at the spa, but they are nothing alike.” Joelle felt like a puppet whose strings had been cut as she sagged deep into the sofa’s soft cushions. Who was the man behind her and how had he known when she hadn’t even remembered herself?

  “Joelle, meet one of my loving husbands, Dr. Kirk Evans.” Regi’s voice sounded from nearby and Joelle realized she was blinking at her new friend in confusion. “He’s not only a skilled physician but also an intuitive healer—a gift he shares with Taz. Not everyone can receive their gifts, but I can tell by the look on your face you’re feeling all that sweet, feel-good energy washing the tension right out of you. Feels amazing doesn’t it?” Oh hell, yeah…now that I know what it is.

  “Doesn’t work on me.” Tobi’s words sounded sullen, like a kid who wasn’t able to reach the pedals on a bike as all her playmates rode theirs down the street.

  “That’s because your mind spins entirely too fast when your mouth is open…and your mouth is almost always open, pet.” When had Kyle West stepped up beside his wife?

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment, even if it did feel a little bit tainted.” Tobi grinned as chuckles sounded around the room.

  Kyle shook his head, but his smile told Joelle he wasn’t really annoyed with his outspoken wife. “Let’s break this up and reconvene by the pool at twenty-two hundred. Don’t forget to pick up your supplies by the door.” Supplies? I really need to find my way back through that rabbit hole.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “That’s enormous, it’s not going to fit.” Joelle heard the alarm in her voice, but she hadn’t been able to control it. Shrill much?

  Brandt raised his brow and tilted his head to the side studying her. He didn’t even need to say the words out loud because she already knew he was comparing the plug in his hand to his cock. She could have saved him the trouble; the plug was smaller than his enormous penis…barely. But damn, that rigid piece of silicone wasn’t going to feel anything like Brandt and Ryan’s silk covered steel heat. Would it have been too much to ask to find Doms who weren’t so blessed physically? Shaking off her wandering mind, Joelle refocused on the men standing in front of her.

  “I don’t know where you went, baby, but I’d sure like to have been there with you. Your whole body is flushed, your pulse kicked up several notches, and you’re practically panting. Yes indeed, I think I’d have enjoyed that mental road trip—a lot.” Ryan’s eyes danced with humor and for a few seconds she considered telling him what she’d been thinking, but Brandt took a step forward bringing her back to her senses.

  “This plug is going to bring you a lot of pleasure later, minx. It’s going in that delectable ass of yours or are you going to use your safe word?” Brandt’s no nonsense tone had her shifting her gaze from the plug in his hand to his face. Good God, poets wrote sonnets about faces and bodies like his, and Ryan’s were every bit as heart stopping. Licking her lips, her eyes moved over their bare chests. Neither of them had put on a shirt after showering and their faded jeans hung low on their hips. With the top buttons open it was easy to see neither of them had bothered with underwear. Their happy trails pointing directly to what she could see outlined clearly beneath the soft denim. Can’t we just skip the plug and just play with the real thing? His lips tipped up at the corners ever so slightly. “I really am having trouble figuring out what you’re thinking, minx.”

  “Bet I could narrate, but it would be more fun to hear it from our lovely sub. Come on, sweetheart, tell us all about why this plug is different.” She wasn’t fooled by the coaxing tone of Ryan’s voice. Joelle knew a command when she heard one, no matter how sweetly it had been worded. They might both be sexual Dominants, but there wasn’t a doubt in her mind they were both first class charmers as well. God save her from charming, gorgeous men who tempted her to dream of forever. Joelle knew she was going to have to return to the Phillips Pharmaceutical lab and then there would be weeks of testimony before every committee the FDA could pull together. She couldn’t expect them to wait that long…even if they said they wanted to, it would be too much to ask. They’d both served their country and by their own admissions were ready to settle down. Why would they want to put those plans on hold when they could have any woman they wanted?

  Blinking back the tears burning at the back of her eyes, Joelle took a deep breath. She was going to enjoy each and every moment she had with them before she was pulled back into the firestorm she’d created. If her discovery didn’t hold so much hope for such a deserving population, she might be tempted to walk away and let other researchers follow up her research. None of it had ever been about recognition. It had always been about preventing others from losing the people they loved far too early. She’d wanted to prevent other children from knowing the pain of losing a parent, a husband or wife from losing the other half of their soul, or friend from losing the one person who could always make them smile. In Joelle’s view, the recognition was more of a detriment than a reward.

  “Minx, you’re a very intelligent woman—I’m sure you recognized Master Ryan’s comment for the command it was. Tell
us what you’re thinking.”

  Ryan was enthralled with the complicated woman standing in front of him. Her delectable body and sharp mind battled each other on a level so deep the struggle was holding her back in every aspect of her life. Her career had stalled because she’d tried to be compliant when told to shelve a project she passionately believed in, and her personal life was stalled because she’d lost the only person who had ever loved her unconditionally. And he could almost feel her fear now—she was worried about losing them.

  Most women in her social and economic bracket learned at a young age how to hide or at the very least camouflage their emotions. The social functions a woman in her position were required to attend ordinarily gave them a lot of practice masking their feelings. But Joelle hadn’t fallen prey to that never-ending circuit of parties and teas. She’d spent that time studying and researching, buried in books and hidden in laboratories searching for answers to one of the most important medical questions in history.

  Standing back watching her fight back the tears threatening to fall as she fought an internal battle was one of the hardest things Ryan had ever done. He wanted to pull her into his arms and promise everything in her life would be smooth sailing from this point forward—but that wasn’t a promise anyone could make. She needed to know that he nor Brandt would ever make promises they couldn’t keep. For now, he was going to have to be content with listening every word she said—and to those she left unsaid as well.

  Joelle stepped into the circle of women she now counted as friends just in time to hear Tobi’s exasperated complaint. “Yessirree, every woman’s idea of a perfect party accessory…a sparkly piece of remote controlled plastic shoved up her butt. I’ll bet they are on every debutante’s must have list for their coming of age party. Heck, I’ll bet they are going to be featured in Vogue next month. And that lovely wicked locking ring thing clamped around my clit? I’m pretty sure I read about that on a website devoted to Middle Ages torture devices.” Joelle choked on the drink of water she’d just taken and tried to hold back her laughter.