Accidental Trifecta (3 page)

Standing in the shadows watching the activity of the club, he could almost feel the energy shift.
Yes, the package
had
stirred things up for sure. Maybe now Ma
ster C will start to see the truth. He should have never married that woman.
He isn’t
being true to himself.
Women are the root of everything evil.
All the teachers at school had said so and he’d listened. Craig had always listened to his teachers because their words were the only ones that could chase away the demons that wanted to fill his mind. Even now he knew he had to keep listening to the Father at church or the demons would start talking to him again, and he hated what they asked him to do. To messy. The coopery smell of blood always made him ill. The circles of stone, the candles, the damned chanting. It was all so messy. He hated messy. No, everything needed to stay clean.

Shaking his head to throw off his straying thoughts, Craig Allen refocused on what was happening around him. He had waited years for this chance, and now that he’d finally taken it, he felt almost giddy with anticipation. He’d worked at the club for three years—three long years of waiting for the owner to recognize him. Master C still didn’t realize they’d known each other years ago. Craig didn’t know how long he might have waited if he hadn’t been standing outside Master C’s office one afternoon and overheard him discussing the possible sale of the club. Once again, Craig was grateful he’d taken a job on the custodial staff even though he certainly didn’t need the money. But agreeing to the menial position had been a stroke of genius because he’d quickly discovered service personnel were virtually invisible. And that invisibility allowed him access to each and every one of Dark Desires’ inner sanctums. Being five foot seven and slender, meant he wasn’t imposing enough for anyone to notice. He kept his brown hair covered with a cap most of the time, adding another layer of invisibility.

Craig watched as a man entered Master C’s office, he looked familiar but he didn’t know why. A short time later, Craig watched as Dr. Barnes entered the club, she looked pale and worried.
Good, perhaps she will prove to be as brilliant as everyone claims and leave while she can.

*****

Carl had been trying to fit together all the pieces he was gathering but he hadn’t been able to unravel the puzzling interplay between him and Cam. Riddles, codes, logic puzzles, anagrams—hell, they’d all been child’s play for him as long as he could remember, but Cameron Barnes had always been the one person whose actions he’d never fully understood. Most people were boringly predictable once you’d gathered enough information, but Cam had always operated so far outside the norm there wasn’t a pattern to base any prediction on. The man was holding something back—probably a lot actually, but Carl was so knocked off base and disconcerted by their meeting, he really wasn’t able to sort through all the thoughts and emotions moving at the speed of light through his head.

There had been brief moments during the time since he’d stepped into Cam’s office when he’d felt a distinct connection with his former friend. But more often Carl had been simply struggling to find a lifeline in the conversation, because the man in front of him bore only the faintest whisper of resemblance to the passionate young man he’d once known. The Cameron Barnes he’d known was determined to change the world—he’d been convinced he could right all the wrongs if he just removed enough of the threats.
God, didn’t we all think that when we first signed up for the Special Forces?
But Carl knew Cameron had gone considerably further in his pursuits. The man had become something of a legend in the field—he was a ghost who moved undetected in and out of countries with ease. He’d never missed a target and his abilities to steal information out from under the noses of those around him almost exceeded his reputation as an assassin. Where Carl excelled at long-range sniper shots, Cam’s specialty was those kills that were up-close and personal.

The soft knock at Cam’s office door brought Carl back to the moment and the brief flash of pure heat in his eyes had Carl sitting up straight in his seat. “Come.” The man’s one word command was all it took to bring the most exotically beautiful woman Carl had ever seen into the room. The fact she was naked sent a jolt of heat straight through his chest and even he heard his sharp intake of breath. She had her eyes cast toward the floor, but he’d still been able to catch the barest hint of an upward tilt at their corners telling him she had some Asian background, probably a generation or two back. Carl could almost feel her questions as she moved across the expanse of floor between them, but her training prevented even the smallest glance in his direction.

Carl had seen her picture during the sit-rep at Prairie Winds, but they had failed miserably to the capture the exquisite beauty of the woman kneeling at her Master’s feet on the other side of the desk separating them. Carl was suddenly very grateful for the thick piece of glass that made up Cameron’s desktop because he had a front row seat enabling him to study her more carefully. The long dark hair he’d originally thought was simply a dark brunette now showed a variety of dark highlights that seemed to shift like the sands of the nighttime Sahara in strong winds. He’d been enthralled the first time he’d watched the desert move beneath his feet, changing under the night sky. Finding out all the ways Mother Nature could alter the appearance of something in the dark had been mesmerizing as well as humbling.

Watching her gracefully descend into a perfect pose stole his breath. Cam hadn’t been kidding when he’d referred to her as well trained, everything about her screamed perfection. The woman was a visual feast for any man and probably most women as well. Her lightly tanned skin glowed with health and something too close to fatigue for his comfort. Even from his position several feet away, Carl could see the flush of arousal begin to move over her skin leaving a rosy blush in its wake. Her spread legs gave him a breath-stealing view of her sex and the lips of her labia looked like rose petals unfurling under the sun’s warmth, their color was becoming deeper and when the scent of her honey hit him, Carl felt his nostrils flare in their attempt to take in as much of the honeyed smell as possible.

By the time Carl realized how long he’d been staring—completely captivated by the vision in front of him—it was far too late to deny the effect Dr. Barnes’ entrance had on him. Meeting Cam’s gaze, he was relieved to see the man wasn’t offended—in fact, he appeared pleased even though he was trying to bank his emotions. When Carl quirked a brow at him in question, a ghost of a smile caused the corners of Cam’s lips to twitch so slightly Carl wasn’t sure it had actually happened. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“She is gorgeous. You are a very fortunate man.” Carl could hear the raspy sound of his own arousal surfacing despite his best efforts to tamp it down.

“I am, indeed.” Cameron’s voice was full of pride, but Carl heard the roughened tone of barely leashed dominance that most people would have missed. Then turning to his slave, Cam’s voice became softer, a tone Carl doubted was the norm during their time inside Dark Desires. “Look at me, pet.” When she looked up into her Master’s eyes, Carl couldn’t tell if hers were really that dark or if they were just fully dilated, but it didn’t really matter because that look was a siren’s call to a Dom. “As you know we have a problem. Someone has made the incredibly poor decision to threaten what is mine.” Carl watched her eyes go glassy with unshed tears that he could only assume were a mixture of fear and uncertainty, but once again she didn’t voice her worry. Since her Master hadn’t asked her a question, she just blinked as if signally him that she’d heard his words. “The man sitting across from me is an old friend, he is also a member of the Prairie Winds’ team. He will be staying with us at least until this is resolved.”
At least? What the fuck?

*****

CeCe had been struggling to keep her emotions in check since she’d taken Cameron’s call earlier in the day. Thank God she hadn’t planned to see patients today because she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to give them the attention they deserved. She had planned to finish up charting and make notes for the physicians filling in for her while she was on vacation, and even that task had proven difficult. Cam had planned the entire trip, including asking her sister and brother-in-law to care for Chloe. She’d been looking forward to the coming week for months, it was the anniversary of her collaring and spending time at their beach house in St. Maarten was always one of her favorite ways to unwind. Her surgical clinic had grown exponentially in the past two years and she often found herself so buried in work she forgot to eat. It was only a matter of time before her weight loss became an issue with her Master, he wasn’t the type to miss even the most insignificant change in her body, and he was even less apt to let it go unchallenged.

The small home’s wide wrap around porch with its comfortable furniture and spectacular views of the rolling waves of the Caribbean Sea was the perfect place to relax and play. The kitchen would be fully stocked by the time they arrived by the housekeeper who they’d hired several years ago to keep the place ready for visitors. But her favorite feature of the getaway was the small, but fully equipped dungeon on the lower level. The room faced the beach and when the large panel windows were opened, the entire space felt as if it joined the outdoors. The concrete floor had been stained the exact color of the beach and its rough texture only added to the illusion. Instead of the dark colors that were usually used in kink clubs, the beach playroom was a soulful blend of blues and greens with accents of all things nautical. Her Master had laughed when she’d told him how perfectly he’d met her “damsel kidnapped by a pirate” fantasy.

Cameron’s ability to disguise equipment designed to torture willing submissives so it appeared to fit in any room’s décor had always amazed her. She’d always considered herself a science nerd with the decorating style of a lab rat. When she’d first met Cameron Barnes he’d been on a mission in Italy while she’d been on vacation in Rome. She’d simply thought he was a rich playboy with the ability to set her entire body on fire, but his past was evidently far more complicated than the former Special Forces operative had originally copped to. CeCe had never been able to wrap her mind around the fact the man who so painstakingly surrounded her with beauty and could bring her so much pleasure with the simplest of touches had been involved in anything sinister.

The artistic side of the man always seemed incongruent with the Dom she knew so well and the former operative she’d heard whispered about during social gatherings. The only thing she knew for sure at this point was that she really didn’t know anything at all about her Master’s past. Mentally shaking her head at the Socrates reference, CeCe could only hope that she didn’t end up drinking hemlock in the end.

*****

Cam watched the play of emotions on his sweet slave’s face and cursed the fact he was going to have to deny her beach escape for a bit. It didn’t matter it would only be a short delay, he still hated breaking a promise, but in the end his pledge to protect her would
always
take precedence. He hadn’t seen her this distracted in so long he’d almost forgotten what it was like to look into her obsidian eyes and see anything but passion. He knew she considered herself a scientist above all else, hell, she’d even questioned her ability to be a good mother. But Cam knew the loving, generous, and passionate woman that was really the core of her soul. Both she and her sister, Camille, had been raised in an environment that valued knowledge above all else, so it was little wonder she’d been shocked when he’d peeled back those layers to reveal the sexual woman beneath.

Skimming his fingers down the side of her face as he watched her, Cam was amazed by the fact she’d barely registered his touch. Clearly his call earlier in the day had unsettled her far more than he had anticipated. It was time to refocus her attention, and demanding she see to his pleasure certainly wasn’t the most unpleasant idea he’d had today. Cecelia’s submission was deeply buried beneath layer upon layer of academic and professional polish, but it was an elemental part of her soul. He’d learned over the years the smarter the submissive, the more difficult it was to get them out of their own heads, and it looked like Cecelia was going to be a challenge tonight.

Shifting his attention from Cecelia to Carl, Cam slid the only other sheet of paper on his desk over to his former friend. He watched the former SEAL’s eyes widen in obvious surprise and then the burst of heat that followed a Dom’s understanding of the unspoken message. Cam had never shown his love’s limit list to any other Dominant, but then he’d never dreamt he’d be given the opportunity to share her with Carl Phillips either. Serendipity and fate never ceased to amaze him in spite of the fact his career had jaded him to the point things rarely surprised him.

Cam watched Carl’s eyes skim the list before he leaned back in his chair. The almost imperceptible nod of his head told Cam that he’d read and understood the limits, but his quirked brow let him know the other Dom wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to do with the information.
He’ll see soon enough.
Pushing his chair back enough Cecelia would feel the loss of heat, Cam leaned back and watched her closely. Her nipples were barely peaked, she didn’t appear to be wet, and her pulse was barely noticeable at the base of her slender neck—all clear indicators that her head wasn’t in the right place. Letting her feel his gaze had always stirred her arousal, when none of those telltale signs appeared, Cam realized how much he missed the flushing of her skin and the small sighs she made as her mind and body sought his mastery.

Moving back so he was close once again, he cradled her chin in his palm, Cam lifted her face so he could look directly into her eyes. Once her attention was fully focused on him, he spoke softly, “Pet, I’m going to help you with the anxiety I see you struggling with, but first I want you to know how sorry I am this has happened.” The tears that filled her soulful eyes made his chest tighten, straining under the guilt he’d already been feeling. Leaning forward he pressed his lips against her forehead, “I’d like nothing more than to be able to go back and change my past so I could promise you this would never happen again—but we both know that isn’t possible.”

“Master?” She’d spoken so softly Cam might not have even heard her if he hadn’t been looking right into her sweet face. His quick nod let her know she could continue, “I wouldn’t want you to change your past, because that would change who you are now. And
this
is the man I have given my life, my devotion, and my love to, so I won’t ever wish for you to be someone else.” Her heartfelt words slammed into Cam’s chest with the force of a freight train, he didn’t have any idea what he’d done to warrant her unconditional love, but he wasn’t about to question the gift. Their relationship might be admired by others as an example of how rewarding a power exchange could be, but Cam was wise enough to recognize the truth. Dr. Cecelia Barnes owned his heart—she had from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. His only hope now was that he wasn’t going to taint what they had with a truth he had never been brave enough to share with her.