Passion's Fury (The Doms of Passion Lake Book 2) (19 page)

“No.  But when he described the dynamics to me, it explained so much about my behavior patterns.”

“Did you?” Kylie asked Sarah.

“No.”  She smiled.  “But after my disastrous engagement to Phillip, I realized that Jesse was the only man I would ever love even though I hadn’t seen him for eight years.  I’d resigned myself to never having a man in my life, so when he showed up again, telling me that I was the only woman
he
had ever loved and that he needed me to complete his life, I knew I had to take the chance.  The fact that I could also love Adam, who was Jesse’s best friend in the SEALs, just as much was a total shock to me.  Our bond is unbreakable and has evolved over the past couple of years into more of a Master/slave relationship than a mere D/s relationship.”  She fingered her necklace, a platinum choker with a delicate, filigree loop design along the edges.  “This is actually a collar.  It can never come off unless it’s cut off.  During the work day we’re equal partners.  However, once we get home, I’m pretty much naked and kneeling and serving my two loving Masters.”  Her smile deepened as her eyes took on a soft glow.

Kylie watched the transformation, biting her lip.  “Why do you do it?”

“Because I trust them,” Sarah’s voice was so low, Kylie could barely hear it.  “I choose to give them my power because I know they will use their control of my mind and body to give me the greatest pleasure I have ever known.  You have no idea how empowering it is to just…let go and let your Doms make all the decisions.”  She inclined her head, a secretive smile hovering over her lips.  “Sometimes their decisions might feel more like torture.  But it’s all leading to one thing—incredible, mind-blowing orgasms and more pleasure than most vanilla women could ever imagine.”

“Vanilla?”

“People who have normal, boring sex,” Leah explained.  “Like me before I met Clay.  I have a collar, too, a soft leather one that feels like silk caressing my neck, but I only wear it during scenes.  When Clay holds out the collar, that’s the signal that the scene’s about to start.”  Her eyes glazed over.  “That always get my juices flowing.  Although, I have to admit that around him, my juices are pretty much flowing all the time.”  She put up her hand to cover her mouth as mischief twinkled in her eyes.

Sarah reached across the table and took Kylie’s hand.  Leah placed hers on top of both of theirs.  “We know the Raffertys, Kylie,” Sarah said.  “They are good men.  Honorable men.  If they say you’re their One, then you’re their One.  As such, they will honor you and cherish you and make sure you get everything you need.  I saw the way they looked at you.  The same way Clay looks at Leah and Jesse and Adam look at me.  You’re their treasure.  My suggestion?  Trust them.  Quit focusing on how quickly it all happened.  And how new it all is.  Instead, focus on how they treat you.”

“Like I’m the most precious thing in their world,” Kylie admitted.

“Because you are,” Leah confirmed.   “You are their forever sub and they will do everything in their power to make you happy.  As you will do everything within your power to please them.  D/s is not a static one-way relationship.  It’s a dynamic two-way relationship.  There’s no connection more emotionally powerful.  It may seem to you right now as if you’re giving up everything, but in reality, you’re gaining everything.  By submitting, you give up your power and they use that to free you to have orgasms.  Every time they do something to you, by not using your safe words you are literally giving them your permission to do it.  It seems like they’re the ones in control, but the ultimate control is yours.  Your safe words give that to you.  They can only do what you permit and will stop dead in their tracks if you use them, either to discuss your concerns or to end the scene altogether.  So, give them what they need, Kylie.  And in return they will make sure you get what you need.  Things you didn’t even know you needed until you met them.  Because pleasing you is the most important thing in their lives.  And you will soon come to discover that pleasing
them
is the most important thing in
your
life.”

“Okay.  Thanks, you two.  This has been most enlightening.  And I feel like I have two new friends.”

“Same here,” both Sarah and Leah affirmed.

Naomi and Miranda approached and picked up their dessert plates.  They put each woman’s left-overs into a gift box, placing the boxes in front of them.  Then they placed two similar boxes tied with white satin bows in front of each woman.  “Thank you, ladies,” Naomi said, “it has been a pleasure serving you today.  The larger gift boxes contain one of each dessert for you to take home with our compliments.  The smaller boxes contain tea bags with each type of tea you enjoyed today.  The check and a generous gratuity has already been taken care of by Sheriff Rafferty.  Enjoy the rest of the day, ladies, and come visit us at Granny Grace’s again.”

All three women looked up at a sudden commotion toward the far end of the room.  A tiny, white-haired woman had entered the restaurant and was greeting people as she made her way toward Kylie, Sarah, and Leah’s table.  Her white hair was gathered in a loose knot on top of her head, reminding Kylie of the gorgeous women immortalized in the drawings of Charles Dana Gibson.  Even though it was late August, she wore a long-sleeved white lace blouse with a high neck and a cameo brooch at her throat.  Her mauve-colored silk faille skirt was long.  It was as if this elegant, Victorian/Edwardian house were an isolated island in time and in here, she was a Gibson Girl come to life.

Sarah and Leah both stood as she approached and Kylie was about to stand when she remembered her feet, so she was forced to remain seated.  “Sarah, Leah,” the elderly woman exclaimed, embracing first one then the other before turning to Kylie and taking her hand.  “Don’t worry about not getting up, my dear.  I know all about your injuries.  I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through such unpleasantness.  I’m Grace Porter, known hereabouts as Granny Grace.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Granny Grace.”

“I do hope you enjoyed your tea.”

“There are no words adequate enough to describe how lovely and elegant and delicious it was,” Kylie assured her.

“I hope these ladies were able to set your fears to rest.”

Kylie’s expression turned to one of shock.  “How did you—”

Granny Grace just laughed and patted her hand.  “There’s very little I don’t know about what’s happening in my town.  My network of spies keeps me informed.”  She pulled out the empty chair and sat down on the edge of the seat, keeping her back straight as an Edwardian lady would have done.  “In this case, however, I simply put two and two together.  You have suddenly found yourself under the care of three very powerful, very attractive, very dominant men, and here you are having tea with a woman who belongs to two very powerful, very attractive, very dominant men, and another who is new to being submissive to a very powerful, very attractive, very dominant man.  So I put on my Sherlock Holmes deerstalker hat and figured it out.”  She looked around the table.  “I did get it right, didn’t I?”

“You know you did,” Sarah said, grinning.

Granny Grace turned her head to wink at Kylie.  “Close your mouth, dear.  You’ll let in flies.”

“As if one would dare show himself in here,” Leah teased, giving Kylie time to gather her thoughts.

“Put your fears to rest, Kylie,” Granny Grace soothed.  “Your secrets are safe with me.  My darling Andrew was my Master and the love of my life until he died in 1992.  For a long time I was rudderless, becoming almost a recluse in my old Victorian mansion up on the hill.  My children were grown and kept after me to move in with one of them.  But I-I couldn’t leave the place where Andrew and I had been so happy.  Even though, without him I had no real reason to live.  Until all these wonderful men approached me and told me who and what they were and about their wonderful plans for Passion Lake.  They wanted my house to be the cornerstone of the new Main Street.  They asked me if there was anything in particular I wanted to do.  So I came out of my self-imposed retirement and let them turn my house into a Bed and Breakfast.  It has a lovely dining room, but this place,” she looked around the room, her face glowing with pride, “this place is my baby.”  Her eyes took on a faraway look.  “I was raised in London, you know, and every Sunday my mother and I would dress up and have tea at Claridge’s.  It was so gracious and elegant.  I wanted to try to capture some of that ambience here in the Tea Shoppe.  This place makes me feel young.”  She turned and looked at Kylie and the past lost its grip on her.  She smiled.  “And I get to meet so many lovely people.”  She looked toward the door.  As did every woman in the room.  “And here, Sarah, if I am not mistaken, come your men.”

Sarah’s eyes widened and she sucked in her breath and Kylie realized that her remote controlled vibrators had just been turned on.  Fascinated, Kylie watched all the tiny movements of Sarah’s body as she struggled to maintain control of her expression and her reactions.

Striding confidently toward their alcove table were two absolutely gorgeous men, one blond and one dark with obvious Native American features.  As soon as they reached Sarah, they each planted a kiss on her lips, smiled at her, and stood behind her chair, their hands on her shoulders.

“Kylie,” Sarah said, “I’d like for you to meet my husbands.”  Her hand lifted toward the dark-haired man.  “This is Jesse Colter.”  She turned her head.  “And this is Adam Sinclair.  Sirs, this is Kylie Ferrell.”

“Pleased to meet you, Kylie,” they said, shaking her hand.  “I know Caleb, Ash and Simon are takin’ good care of you, but if they need our help, tell ’em we’ll be glad to assist.”

“Thank you.  It’s a pleasure to meet you, too.”

As if having two of the sexiest men on the planet weren’t enough, four more gorgeous men entered, shooting the testosterone level in the room up to the stratosphere.  The three Rafferty brothers and another man, also with obvious Native American features, the most striking of which was his mouth.  It was full and perfectly shaped, as if sculpted by a master sculptor.  At the moment that mouth was smiling as he bent and planted a deep, lingering kiss on Leah’s mouth.  When he finally let her come up for air, Leah said, “Um, Kylie, this is Clay Raven Nighthorse, the man I’m marrying—again—next Sunday.”  She leaned toward Kylie, pretending to whisper behind her hand, but speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear.  “We got married in Judge Walters’ chambers, but Raven promised me hoopla, so that’s what’s happening on Sunday.  Lots of hoopla.”

Kylie held out her hand and Clay took it.  “Pleased to meet you, Kylie.  No wonder you have the Rafferty men so tied up in knots.  You’re lovely.”

The sincerity in his voice nearly brought Kylie to tears.  “Thank you.  So they keep telling me.”

He smiled and her belly took a nose dive.  “Believe them.”

Leah fake-punched him in the arm.  “Stop flirting with my new best friend.”

He looked at the love of his life, his eyes sparkling with mischief.  “Who are you again?”

This time her punch had more oomph behind it.  “Come on, cowboy, take me home and ravish me.”

One ravens-wing eyebrow hiked.  “Did you just give an order to your Dom?”

“No, no, no, it was a suggestion only.”

“Then perhaps I might be willing to do something about that.”  He pulled back her chair and held out his hand to help her up.  She bent forward and brushed a kiss against Kylie’s cheek.  “Your guys are members of the wedding party so I’ll see you at the wedding.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  Thanks for talking to me.”

“Are you kidding?  With all this testosterone floating around this town, we girls need to stick together.  Get better soon, Kylie.  I want you to dance at my wedding.  I’ll call you tomorrow about doing the gallery’s books.”

Sarah rounded the table and placed a kiss against Kylie’s other cheek.  “I’ll see you Sunday.  And ditto on what Leah said.  Get better, okay?  If you need anything, give me a call.  Your men have our number.”

They said good-bye and left, every female eye in the place following their progress out the door.  Simon pulled Kylie’s chair out and bent to pick her up.  “C’mon, darlin’, let’s go home.”

Home. 
She liked the sound of that.  Wrapping her arms around Simon’s neck, she sighed contentedly.  She could definitely get used to thinking of these guys as
home.

* * * *

“You ready to go upstairs, sugar?”

Kylie was lying on her right side on the couch with her head in Caleb’s lap.  He stroked her hair in a rhythmic, almost hypnotic caress. 

“Isn’t it a little early go to sleep?”

Caleb’s chuckle was wicked.  “Who said anything about goin’ to sleep?”

Her right leg was curled beneath her, her left leg stretched across Ash’s lap into Simon’s, her foot pressing against the hot, hard bulge of his erection.  Periodically she felt it jerk.  But if she tried to move her foot away, he would move it back, chuckling beneath his breath at the little hitch that appeared in hers.

“You keep that little foot right where I put it, darlin’.  I want you to feel what you do to me—to all of us.  We’re all hard as railroad spikes.  That’s you, baby.  You do that just by bein’ here with us.”

Ash slid his hips slightly forward, slumping more deeply into the soft leather upholstery, pushing his own cock more firmly against the back of her calf.  Caleb’s cock was a hard ridge of granite at the back of her head.  The amount of heat their bodies generated was astounding, warming not just her outsides, but everything inside as well.  She could lie like this forever, soaking up their comfort and their attention.  A movie was playing on the wide-screen TV, but Kylie knew her men weren’t watching it.
 
Their entire focus was on her.  Then it struck her. 
Oh, my God.  “My men!”  When did I start thinking of them as “my men?”