“You already know I volunteered for the assignment and why, even though I’d have to work alongside someone I couldn’t stand.”
Lucy’s hands tightened around her mug. Mentally, she was playing for time, trying to weigh up how not to give her mother a heart attack. When she thought of all the things she’d done with Logan…
“You always were impetuous,” Rachel observed. “Instead of trying to work out what you can and can’t tell me, why don’t you just tell me everything? Whatever you say, it’ll be our secret. I’ve been around a while—I’m not easily shocked, you know.”
Maybe so, but Lucy baulked at trying to explain anything that even hinted at the cliché of “whips and chains”. She’d been brought up to be strong and independent, attributes her mother valued highly—how could she possibly admit or even allude to the appeal of ceding control to a man, even if it were only in an intimate context? She could barely explain it to herself—trying to get someone else to understand was a gargantuan task.
“You know we were posing as a couple, at that resort.”
“Nenufar, I believe you said. That’s a pretty name. It means ‘water lily’ in Spanish, doesn’t it?”
Lucy nodded. A stylised water lily had formed part of the resort’s logo. “It… It’s a bit different from what you’d expect of the average holiday resort.”
“Adults only? I doubt there’s much call for children’s entertainers there, then.”
If only her mother knew. No, best not to go there. “Something like that. Before we went, I… that is, Logan… He had some useful prior experience, so we spent a few days… I suppose you could call it ‘knowledge transfer’. I had to learn about working undercover, and because I was working so closely with him, I got to see another side of him. Then when we got there…”
“The effect of sun, sea, sand and proximity?”
“You could say that. I realised he wasn’t as rude and obnoxious as I’d thought…”
“And you fell in love with him.”
Lucy managed a small smile. “Not as quickly as you did with Dad. With hindsight, the feelings were growing before we left, but I didn’t acknowledge it till later. Anyway, our investigation was going nowhere, and we thought we’d be heading back empty-handed. Then… to cut a long story short, we got a lead, something to work with, and… attracted the wrong kind of attention.”
“That’s when you were kidnapped?”
Lucy nodded. “Pretty much. I’ve never been so scared, but at the same time, I knew losing my head wasn’t going to help. And Logan was with me.”
“You’d just realised you were in love when you were thrown into a high-adrenaline situation.”
“Which was why I never said anything to Logan about how I felt. It was an abnormal environment even before we were taken, and I wanted to be sure what I was feeling was real. We were about to come home, and I thought there’d be plenty of time to… figure it out.”
Funny how a hug from her mother could make any awful situation better, even if it was only temporarily. Lucy carried on with her story. “Then they brought Diana to the cell. She zeroed in on him like a ballistic missile, and he did nothing to deflect her. Turned out she was his ex. I don’t know who dumped who. I can guess, but it would have been obvious to a blind man he wasn’t averse to getting back together with her.”
“Did he tell you that? Either then or later?”
“He didn’t have to. I got the message loud and clear from the way he was with her, and she had no trouble warning me off. Not that I needed to be warned off. Anyway, we got away, Sam’s ship picked us up—”
“He saw Logan with Diana?”
“Glimpses. The authorities met us in Miami, and after we answered some questions, we flew home. End of story.”
“How can it be the end when you still love him?”
“How I feel doesn’t matter. It can’t—he doesn’t feel the same way about me.” She’d seen him with Diana—all the proof she needed.
“Are you sure about that?”
“As sure as I can be. As sure as I need to be.”
“You know, it’s really not like you to give up so easily. Have you thought about fighting back?”
Lucy smiled, but in her heart there was only sadness. “Funny you should say that. I had been thinking about it, but it would cause nothing but trouble.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the truth is something you haven’t considered.”
“Such as?” Lucy doubted it, but she had to ask.
“With a man, the truth could be anything. I’ve known your father for nearly forty years, and he still surprises me. Men have a totally different thought process from women.” Rachel snorted. “If you can call it thinking.”
“You think I should confront him, then?”
“I think assumptions are dangerous things to make, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Give it some thought.”
Flashbacks flooded Lucy’s mind. The restraints, the floggers… Oh lord, the demo. How on earth could she explain that and all the pleasure and peace it had given her? How she’d felt, knowing Logan’s concentration was fully devoted to her and what he was doing to her, the soaring ecstasy that sent her gladly to her knees in front of the only man ever to make her wonder if this was what forever love felt like. Her mother would never understand. “I will, although I’m not even sure it was real now.”
“It was real, love. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Have you thought about what it’ll be like when you go back to work, seeing him every day?”
“I might not have to see him that much. He’ll move on to his next assignment, and I have training for my new job to look forward to.”
“And what then? What if you’re assigned to work with him again? Have you thought about that?”
Her mother knew all the questions to ask. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t, but on the other hand, it wouldn’t be very professional to allow this… episode to affect my work. It could be dangerous, too, which is why I have to put this behind me.”
“What if you have to go undercover as a couple again?”
“I don’t think it’ll happen.” Lucy couldn’t bear the thought.
“Don’t count on that. I’m not going to tell you what to do, but I do think you should give serious consideration to finding out the truth. If the situation is as you believe, then nothing changes, but if you’re wrong and you don’t do anything about it, you could be turning your back on something special. Think about it.
“And no matter how you feel right now, be honest with yourself. Don’t be afraid of the truth.”
Rachel hugged her daughter and kissed her forehead. “You see? It wasn’t so bad, was it? Now get some sleep. It’s all you can do right now anyway, but I can guarantee that by morning, you’ll know what to do for the best. Off to bed with you, now.”
She waited until the bedroom door closed behind Lucy, then headed along the hallway to return to her own bed, and her husband.
Far from being asleep as she’d told Lucy he was, Jack was sitting up in bed, engrossed in a novel, just as she’d left him—sometimes, a little white lie was necessary when in pursuit of a higher goal.
Rachel closed the door as quietly as possible, and snapped the lock into place. She toed off her slippers, stripped off her dressing gown and nightdress, and knelt in perfect presentation position at her husband’s side of the bed, content to wait until he was ready to address her, and find out if her mission had been successful.
Jack set aside his book, and without a word, picked up the soft leather play collar from the nightstand. He fastened it around Rachel’s neck, taking care to centre the D-ring, then threaded his fingers through her hair. She gave a soft sigh of pleasure.
“Did your plan work, love?” he asked as he continued to stroke her hair. “Or is she still trying to protect us from the horrible truth about Nenufar?”
“Yes and no, Master. She still hasn’t admitted anything about the nature
of where she’s been, but it became abundantly clear that our girl’s a submissive, as we thought. I also believe she’s struggling to reconcile submission with strength of character.”
“What’s your impression of the situation with this Simmonds and the other woman?”
“Master, I know our daughter. I believe her confidence took a hit with her last boyfriend, and now she doubts herself. From what she said about Logan… I think there’s more to it than a simple change of allegiance to an old girlfriend, but I’m not sure what, exactly. It’s almost as if there’s something else going on. Or I could just be seeing something that isn’t there, because I don’t want her to have been rejected by the man she loves in favour of some vicious shrew.”
“You think she loves him?”
“Without a doubt. She’s torn between fighting for him and stepping back with her dignity intact and letting him have what she believes he wants—this Diana person.”
“And he’s a Dom. From what she told us about him and what we know about that place, he has to be. We don’t know the man, but my gut’s telling me he wouldn’t pull a switch like that. What if he did it to protect Lucy from the shrew?”
“Do you think that’s possible, Master?”
Her husband cupped her cheek with his hand. “I know I’d do anything to protect you. If we were in a situation like that, I’d hope you’d trust me and let me explain afterwards, but we have an advantage they don’t.”
More than three decades of love, support and understanding, and a D/s relationship that gave them both what they needed. “Do you think we might have a future son-in-law to vet?”
“If we’re right it’s entirely possible, but both of them will have to overcome her self-doubt.”
“Is there anything we can do, Master?”
“There are probably things we could do, pet, but the question is, should we? I have to say, I think the answer is no. If Simmonds wants our girl, he needs to come for her, and prove her assumptions about him and her doubts about herself are groundless. He has to prove he’s worthy of her love and trust.”
Another matter worried Rachel, even more than her daughter’s emotional wellbeing. “I understand that, Master, but there’s something else—her job, the one she’s been offered.” A job that could end up taking her from her family permanently. Rachel hated the mere thought of it.
A thumb callused by years of manual labour brushed her cheek, wiping away the single tear she hadn’t been able to control. “It’s easy to still see them as the children they used to be, when grazed knees were all we had to worry about. They’re all adults, love, standing on their own two feet and making their own way in life. That means they make their own decisions—and their own mistakes.”
“My head knows that, but my heart… It’s bad enough with the boys, but to think of our Lucy… what almost happened to her… If she goes ahead with her plans, a mistake could get her killed.”
“A mistake could get any of them killed.” Her Dominant’s grave voice was gentle and understanding but held a core of steel. “So could a lack of attention when crossing the road in the village. We always said we’d never interfere with their life choices, just be there for them and help them pick up the pieces if needed. Lucy’s no different from the boys—we owe it to her to respect her freedom to choose, just as we’ve respected theirs.”
“I know, but she’s still my baby.”
“Mine, too, pet. I don’t want to see her take that bloody job any more than you do, but it isn’t our decision to make—it’s hers. Now come to bed—you’ve earned your orgasms tonight.”
Jack opened one of the drawers in the side table, and brought out a bit gag. Rachel quivered in anticipation. Since the last of their children had left home a few years ago, there’d been little practical need for her to keep quiet while her Dom tormented her into climax after climax, but with a houseful of them visiting until after her birthday, silence was once again essential. The two of them might be aware of their children’s preferences when it came to relationships, but they’d successfully concealed their own dedication to the lifestyle from them for nearly thirty-five years, and that was how it was going to stay.
She accepted the bit eagerly, and when Jack tilted her head up with a forefinger under her chin, her gaze connected with his with all the deep, abiding love that had characterised their bond from the day they met.
“Now what is it to be tonight, my love? A little pain with your pleasure?”
The question was rhetorical, since she couldn’t answer. Rachel closed her eyes, and surrendered to her beloved Master.
Chapter 24
By fair means or foul.
That was what Logan had decided when he set out to track down his errant subbie. As it turned out, the means were mostly fair, with a dash of foul for verification. Bearing in mind Sir Guy’s advice and having come to appreciate the value of it, Logan waited for as long as he could before acting on the information he’d uncovered.
Less than twenty-four hours after his request for leave was approved he was heading north, and by late afternoon the same day, he was knocking on the door of the large, immaculately presented farmhouse where the woman he loved beyond reason had grown up.
The door was opened by a flesh-and-blood brick wall—not Sam, but one of her other brothers, and the likeness was unmistakable. The man made a very effective barrier.
“Logan Simmonds. I’m here for Lucy. I want to see her.”
“She doesn’t want to see you.”
For more than one reason, not the response he was expecting. “You know who I am?”
“Doesn’t take a genius, mate. We wondered if you’d have the balls to come after her. You’re trespassing.”
“So are you. My relationship with Lucy is none of your business.”
“She’s my little sister—that makes it my business.”
“And mine.”
Another voice, approaching him from the right. Jesus, how could a woman with the figure of an angel share the same genes as this pair of fucking human mountains? Still, Logan had bagged more than a dozen Munros in his time—these two would be no challenge.
“Mine, too.”
Three, on the other hand… Logan pivoted slowly on the balls of his feet. The one behind him was the twin of the guard dog on the door. “What’s the matter? Only three of you? Think I can’t take on the full set?”
“Looks as if someone’s already knocked seven bells out of you.” Brother number one again.
“They have. You sure you want to find out if you can take us all, Simmonds?”
And Sam Winter made four. Bingo. He was now surrounded by the entire battalion of Winter brothers. Whatever happened next, even if they beat the crap out of him—not that he gave much for their chances of doing that—she was worth it.
A hundred, a thousand times over, she was worth it. She was worth more than his life.
“We know what you are, Simmonds. She told us—eventually.”
He was many things—Logan wondered exactly what she’d said to them. He turned to face the man behind him. On closer inspection, this one looked just that little bit harder, colder than his twin. If Logan had to guess, he was probably the oldest of all of them. The man stood with his feet apart, arms crossed in front of a barrel of a chest. Ready for a fight. Logan assessed his potential adversary for weak points—it wasn't encouraging, but he’d faced worse odds and survived.
“Hell of a way to find out your little sister’s a subbie.”
He hadn’t anticipated that. Logan glanced around at the other three men, arranged around him like the points on a compass. It was so fucking obvious. Lucy couldn’t have known every one of her overprotective older brothers was a Dom, even the medic. He’d bet she was still in the dark now. “I’ll be damned.”
“You will be, if you don’t straighten things out with her and treat her right. You’ll have the four of us to answer to.”
“I was told,” Logan turned back to the brother responsible,
“she doesn’t want to see me.”
“She doesn’t—but what she wants and what she needs aren’t necessarily the same thing. As her Dom, you should know that.”
The presumed most senior brother again. “I do know that. It’s why I’m fucking here.”
“You talk to Oh-Em-Gee like that, and we’ll rip your balls off.”
That explained a lot. No wonder Lucy specialised in weapons-grade profanity—she’d grown up with four of the best to show her the way. But Oh-Em-Gee? There had to be a story behind that. Logan wondered if he’d ever get to find out what it was. “Do I get to see her or not?”
“You planning to collar her?”
“If she’ll have me.”
Sam jerked his chin towards the door. “She’s upstairs. Last room on the right. And Simmonds?”
“Yes?”
“Mess with her, you mess with us. Got it?”
“I got it the first time.”
With all of them riding shotgun, how the fuck had Lucy ever managed to date? Not that there was any more of that shit in his sub’s future. She was a one-man woman from now on. And she’d be wearing his collar just as soon as he could find something that would do her justice.
Even though Logan took the stairs two at a time, he made no noise. The floorboards at the top creaked a little, but he doubted Lucy had heard. At least he hoped she hadn’t.
He knocked on her bedroom door, because it was the polite thing to do. He didn’t wait for an invitation to enter, because on this occasion, other things were more important than observing vanilla protocol.
“Logan! What are you doing here?”
She’d been lying on the bed but sat bolt upright when she saw him. Even with so much between them still unresolved, she gave him a hard-on on sight.
“I came to talk to you.”
“My brothers—”
“Know I’m here.”
She looked away from him and hugged her knees to her chest. “How’s Diana?”
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