Out of the Storm

by Avery Gale

  When Kent stepped back in the small glass enclosed office she’d been waiting in, he’d introduced her, saying “Sweetness, I’d like you to meet Captain Parker Andrews.” Kent hadn’t told her that Captain Andrews was a member of the club, but the instant he’d turned toward her Tobi had known he was a Dom and dropped her eyes. She’d been surprised to see his outstretched hand come into her view and she’d blinked at it for several seconds. Kent had leaned down and whispered against her ear, “Good call, sweetness. Yes, Master Parker, as he is known at the club, is a Dom. But right now, he’s the last person you are going to have to tell your story to in the police department.”

  When she slowly reached out and placed her hand in his, Captain Andrews smiled and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Tobi. I hear you have been getting the run-around and I’m here to put an end to that.” True to his word he’d listened carefully, ask her questions no one else had thought of and then thanked her politely for her patience. By the time they’d left the police precinct, Tobi’s body was finally caving in to the exhaustion she’d been battling all week. She stumbled on the front steps and if Kent hadn’t already had his arm around her, she was certain she would have tumbled to the bottom of the concrete steps.

  “Love, you are supposed to ask for help when you need it. I’m fairly certain my brother and I have mentioned that a time or two over the past week. But apparently words aren’t penetrating that rapid fire mind of yours, so I think we’ll see if we can’t find another way to reinforce the lesson this evening.” His threat of punishment didn’t frighten her and she was certain he knew that it actually upped her arousal level by several degrees. Kent had helped her to his truck and secured her safety belt before carefully reclining her seat. “I want you to rest on the way home.” He must have seen the argument in her eyes because he quickly silenced her with a kiss. “Love, there are dark circles under your eyes again and you’ve lost weight this week. What you need to learn right now is that my brother and I will not stand idly by and watch you put yourself in danger, either physically or emotionally. And before you get all cranky, consider this—we would step in to help any of our friends, not as quickly or with the same solutions, but we’d certainly both be heard, I promise you.” Tobi wanted to argue with him, but she knew he was right and she just didn’t have the energy in that moment to fight a losing battle so she had just nodded and closed her eyes.

  ****

  Kent watched as Tobi’s eyelids fluttered once and then her long lashes brushed over but didn’t hide the dark purple under her eyes. He and Kyle had watched her closely all week hoping she would rein herself in and begin taking care of herself. But she had continued to simply push to the point she’d nearly collapsed on the front steps of the police station. She’d been sound asleep by the time he’d rounded the truck, opened the driver’s door, and had barely stirred during the entire drive home.

  He knew that she hadn’t called her brother yet and he wondered how long she thought she could delay the confrontation. Kent didn’t doubt the lawyer with obvious social and political ambitions was going to be none too pleased to find out his younger sister was working for a kink club and living on the grounds. And when he got wind that she was involved with not one, but both of the club’s owners, Kent suspected the man was probably going to blow a gasket. They had already prepared for Richard Strobel’s reaction. They’d asked Micah to find out if the man didn’t have an Achilles heel or two they’d be able to use to “persuade” him to back off any judgment he’d think to express about his sister.

  They had discussed a preemptive strike, but had decided they didn’t want to betray Tobi’s fragile trust by going behind her back to confront her brother. In Kent’s opinion, the asshole deserved any and all fallout he might get just because he’d left his sister to live in virtual squalor for the past two years. Despite Micah’s report about the building being a disaster, he’d been impressed that Tobi’s apartment had appeared organized. Even stating she seemed to be the type to keep a clean apartment because if there was organization, there was cleanliness, even if the looks of it after the fire, most would be hard pressed to tell it. Kent smiled to himself as he made his way down the highway because Micah Drake was meticulously clean and organized, so his observation about Tobi’s apartment had been one hell of a compliment.

  When Kent had carried her into the elevator she’d shifted in his arms and he’d looked down into clear green eyes that seemed to be trying to bring their surroundings into focus. “Go back to sleep, sweetness. I’m going to put you to bed here because I need to get downstairs for a meeting and I want to be sure you rest a bit more. Kyle will be up in a few minutes to check on you, so you’d better be sleeping when he gets here.” Kent made his way off the elevator and into the bedroom before he thought she had even brought him into focus when he sat her on her feet.

  She’d swayed on her feet as he had stripped her, but she’d managed to crawl on to the bed and give him a great view of her newly waxed pussy. He was glad they had made her take the time out for a half day of pampering at two different spas Regi had recommended. They had needed to keep her busy for the day, but it was more about their plans for various ways they were going to enjoy all that sensitive bare skin. Walking away from the bed had been torture and he hoped like hell that his raging hard-on was manageable by the time he made it to the back of the club. He needed to meet with contractors to review plans for the addition they wanted built because they had set a very aggressive timeline for the project. Once they’d finalized the basic plans, they’d be consulting Tobi and Regi both for specifics of the design.

  Clint, from E.G.A. Fabrication, had already agreed to do the outside metalwork and interior displays. When Kent had called Clint, they had brainstormed various ideas and he and Kyle were both anxious to see what their friend came up with. The guy was a master craftsman with a wicked sense of humor and firsthand knowledge of the lifestyle so they didn’t doubt his designs would quickly become the focal point in each of the small shops.

  Kent stopped by the office and found Kyle surrounded by reports. “Don’t forget to go up and check on Tobi in a few minutes. She finally pushed herself over the edge and nearly collapsed on the steps at the police department.” At Kyle’s startled look, Kent nodded. “It was a good thing I had my hand on her already or I wouldn’t have caught her. She was sleeping when I left upstairs, but I don’t know how long she’ll sleep unless one of us is there.”

  Kyle had leaned back in his enormous leather office chair and seemed to be considering Kent’s words. “I wonder how long until she realizes how much better she rests when at least one of us is with her?” They had attributed the fact that she didn’t sleep well when she was alone to the dangerous neighborhood she’d lived in and that the walls of her apartment were little more than sturdy cardboard. He and Kyle had both visited the site with Micah earlier in the week while Tobi had been at the spas. They had asked her to evaluate both facilities and their services in hopes they’d find one to offer a spot in the new forum shops. She’d enjoyed her time at both locations and had given them incredibly detailed information about both organizations. And while she’d been buffed and waxed, they had gotten the chance to do a bit of fact-finding of their own.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tobi remembered Kent carrying her into the elevator and then mentioning Kyle, but everything else was fuzzy. As she lay back trying to sort it through in her mind she suddenly realized she wasn’t alone. “You are thinking awfully hard, kitten. Care to share?” Letting her gaze sweep over the eye candy that was Kyle West was no hardship…no hardship at all. Good Lord just looking at him sent a wave of cream into her core. When she fidgeted and twisted in the bed, he raised a brow as the corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. “Problem, kitten? And you still need to answer both questions, babe.”

  In Tobi’s mind Kyle’s voice was like the soft leather strips of the flogger they’d shown her when she’d toured the theme rooms downstairs. His
words sent blood racing through her body and sensitized every single inch. He’d used the same voice during her tour and it had felt like she could lose herself in his words alone. Each of the rooms had been decorated in various themes but none were garish, and that had actually surprised her. All of the research she’d done had shown rooms that seemed so cheesy she’d actually caught herself looking for velvet pictures of Elvis or those damned poker playing dogs.

  Coming back to the present, Tobi looked up at Kyle and blinked several times trying to remember what he’d asked her. “Oh, sorry. I was just trying to find all of the pieces of the puzzle so I can figure out how I got here. And then…well, your…umm, well your voice made me think about something else and you know how it is. Before I knew it my mind was chasing the shiny bunny through the trees and then that damned kangaroo hopped across the path and…”

  Kyle’s barked laugh finally ended her rambling, “Kitten, I do believe I understand what you are saying. And you are one of the brightest women I know, but you are off-the-chart ADD. Were you ever tested for that when you were a kid?”

  His question surprised her more because it was so insightful than intrusive. “Yeah, but my parents weren’t really very good at following through with anything like medications, so I just had to learn ways to cope. I was lucky, because I had a couple of teachers who had the same problem and they helped me figure out ways to be functional…well, at least most of the time.” She could feel her face heating and when she looked down she realized the sheet she’d thought was covering her bare breasts was actually being twisted in her nervous fingers and her tightly peaked nipples were practically screaming for attention.

  “Well, we’ll talk more about that some other time. Right now I want to know if you are still tired or if you are hungry. We have big plans for you tonight and you’re going to need the energy, kitten.” He was moving toward the bed with a grace that spoke of years of Special Forces training and working in places where stealth often meant the difference between life and death. His casual grace reminded her of a jungle cat on the prowl and suddenly she felt like prey waiting to be devoured.

  Tobi had been so caught up in watching him move that she didn’t answer until his fingers lifted her chin so her eyes met his. “I’m not really tired, but I am hungry. Let me grab my clothes and then I’ll head down to my—” she cut off her sentence at Kyle’s narrowed eyes. “What?”

  “Kitten, sometimes I swear you are deliberately obtuse because I know there is no way a woman as bright as you are could not understand this. I did not come up here to send you on your way. I came up to make sure you were resting. Since you aren’t, I’m going to fix you something to eat while you take a shower.” He’d pulled her gently from the bed and all the time he’d been speaking he’d been ushering her into the bathroom. Kyle started water and then when he was satisfied the water was just right kissed her on the forehead before turning her and giving her bare ass a smack causing her to shriek and step under the spray. He chuckled, “Hurry up, kitten. I have a surprise for you so come out to the kitchen after you are finished in here.”

  Tobi was sure she’d set some sort of speed record showering, but then just as she was ready to step out of the bathroom she stopped to consider what the surprise might be and hesitated. On one hand she was starving, but on the other…well, Kent and Kyle’s surprises tended to be a bit over the top. She’d been standing staring at the closed door when she heard a soft chuckle behind her. Spinning around, she gasped at the sight of Kent standing with his legs shoulder width apart and a pair of well-worn Levis riding low on his slender hips. The black T-shirt he was wearing molded him like a second skin and highlighted every bump and ridge of his muscular torso. His hair was wet and his feet bare so Tobi assumed he’d just come from his own shower. God but he was amazing. It was moments like this that she wanted to run her hands over every inch of both men. He cocked his brow at her and smiled. “Like what you see, love?” She nodded because she was still taking in the delicious sight in front of her and wasn’t anxious to give it up just yet. “Sweetness, that door isn’t going to open itself. Did Kyle scare you with the promise of a surprise?”

  Placing his hand on her elbow he began walking her down the hallway after he had finally opened the door. “Yes, a little bit. You know most men surprise women with flowers or a basket from Bed & Bath, right? But you guys seem to shop in a whole different venue. And now I’m working for you to set up a Pervs-R-Us emporium.” Just thinking about what they might have dreamed up for her was making her pussy wet and she could already feel the need pulsing through her. Her nipples were so tight they were almost painful and she could feel the flush working its way up her neck and by the time they reached the kitchen her cheeks were on fire because they were practically burning.

  ****

  Kent had made his way back upstairs just as Kyle had come into the kitchen. They’d talked briefly about the security breach that Micah had noted during the afternoon and their concerns about the evening they’d planned being disrupted. They’d also reviewed their plans for Tobi’s first night as a club member. Her finished paperwork was spread out on the table. As expected her medical lab work had cleared easily and they’d also placed their own out for her to look over. Kent couldn’t help but grin when he remembered Tobi’s surprise when they’d taken her in the back door of Kirk Evans’s medical office. Kirk had agreed to do the lab work as a rush order if they would introduce him and his medical practice partner, Brian Bennett, to Regi. Because they were members of the club, he and Kyle had known Kirk and Brian were both Doms, but they hadn’t known the pair was looking for a full-time submissive. Both men were well known in the BDSM community for their firm hands when it came to dealing with subs, but they were also totally committed to the safe, sane, and consensual tenant that was the Golden Rule at The Prairie Winds Club, so he and Kyle had agreed to introduce them to Regi this weekend.

  Kirk and Brian didn’t come out to the club as often as they wanted to because they had been busy rebuilding their practices after moving to the edge of the city. After their office had been broken into and robbed the third time in less than a year, the two physicians had decided to move to a safer location. They seemed to enjoy the slower pace of a smaller practice and they’d laughed about their “commute” because they’d actually built their office onto the end of the sprawling home they’d purchased fifteen minutes east of Prairie Winds.

  The two doctors had been friends for years and from what Kent could tell, their biggest difference was in their looks. Kirk was six foot two with black hair and dark eyes. His dark skin and muscular build hinted at his Native American heritage. Brian was taller, standing six foot four with shaggy shoulder length blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Kent and Kyle had known both men since high school and Brian had always seemed out of place in western Texas. They’d teased him for years that he and Micah were both misplaced California surfers. Both men had become physicians and then specialized in the care of women after Brian’s older sister died while giving birth.

  Tobi had been mortified that both he and Kyle had stayed in the room during her exam, but the good doctor had patiently explained that it was actually quite common with his patients who were a part of the BDSM community. Kent knew they wouldn’t be able to fuck Tobi without condoms in the club itself because that was a rule no one was allowed to overlook, but they sure were looking forward to it in private. They had a strict zero-tolerance clause in the membership agreement—one violation and your membership was immediately terminated and you were not eligible to re-apply for two years.

  The sound of thunder in the distance caught Kent’s attention and brought him back to his conversation with Kyle. “Have you asked Regi to keep tabs on the weather?” They’d gotten into the habit of having Regi or Tank mention the forecast to members as they entered the club so no one could claim they’d been caught unaware.

  “Yes, she’ll be posting the information and drawing it to the attention of all members and the
ir guests as they enter. I’m almost finished here. Why don’t you go see what is taking Tobi so long. My guess is that I spooked her when I mentioned I had a surprise for her. And since I’m sure she isn’t expecting paperwork, I’m going to see what I can snag out of the playroom—don’t want to disappoint her you know.”

  Kent was already making his way down the hall and shaking his head at his brother’s antics when he decided to check on Tobi using the back door into the master suite’s bath. The door was well hidden and they’d built it as a secondary fire and security exit. Each room in their home had at least two possible exits. Their years of military service had taught them well and they never wanted to feel cornered in their own home. When he’d opened the door Tobi had been standing with nothing on but the steel gray towel she’d wrapped around her small torso as she stared at the closed door in front of her. He stayed still and watched her reflection in the mirror as she bit her lower lip and debated quietly with herself about what the surprise might be.

  Mentally shaking his head at her worried expression, he finally let her know he was there and he let the laugh he’d been holding back bubble up his chest. Her eyes had given away how startled she’d been to find him standing behind her but then her gaze had moved down and then back up his body like a sensual caress and he’d almost shuddered at the heat he’d seen flaming in her eyes. For the first time, he understood what subs meant when they said they could feel a Dom’s look almost like a touch, because he’d been able to feel Tobi’s appreciation that was for sure. He’d asked her if she liked what she saw thinking it would snap her out of it, but she’d merely nodded as her pupils had dilated even further.