Game On (The Morgan Brothers Book 4) (5 page)

For the first time in years, Phoenix was actually looking forward to helping with the bulls. He agreed with Kip, switching their emphasis to the sale of semen from their pure bred bulls had the potential to turn the entire ranching operation around. They had a reputation herd and had been selling bulls for years, but the new generation of ranchers’ focus was different from the traditional cow-calf operations of the past. Kip’s plan was solid and his turn around time to recoup the money they’d invested in equipment was impressive. The youngest Morgan brother seemed to be finally coming into his own, and Phoenix was happy to see things falling into place for him.

“I’ve set up a meeting with Nate for this afternoon. We’ve got to get everything finalized so he can get the word out to the club’s membership.”

“Do you foresee any challenges?” Phoenix understood Mitch’s concern—in the more metropolitan clubs in large urban areas, last minute changes would meet with opposition, but here people were a lot more laid back. Phoenix wouldn’t be opposed to living in other locations for short periods of time, but Montana would always be home.

“No. It isn’t uncommon for there to be last minute changes. Nate sends out texts and emails so nobody is blindsided when something special is going down. Honestly, I think attendance will actually go up because there’s nothing like a little role-playing to get the subs in the mood to play.”

Mitch nodded. “Agreed. But I want to make sure anyone who plans to participate is properly cleared. We can’t forget we’re dealing with a DHS/NSA agent, she may be there on her own time, but as anybody who works for Uncle Sam knows—there really isn’t any such thing as
your own time
.”

“Brandt said the same thing. He and Ryan will be there with Joelle. Personally, I’d assumed it was one of those
once a SEAL, always a SEAL
things, but I can see your point. I’m guessing all you Special Forces guys have a pretty strong sense of protecting former fellow soldiers. I get the same vibe from Taz.” And wasn’t that the understatement of the year?

Phoenix knew Mitch had been a Ranger before moving into the Green Berets. Nate Ledek and his brother, Taz were both former Navy SEALs, and Taz was also a member of the Prairie Winds team. Kent and Kyle headed up a private covert ops team specializing in rescue missions, but they weren’t averse to taking jobs for Uncle Sam when the circumstances were right. Phoenix respected the Wests’ team and lent his support any time he could.

“Taz has a protective streak a mile wide when it comes to women in general, and if it’s a woman he knows personally it’s even worse. Be forewarned, he can be a real pain in the ass if he doesn’t think the scene is going to play out in the submissive’s favor.” Phoenix wasn’t surprised by Mitch’s assessment because he’d seen the same trait in Nate. Both of the Ledek brothers were sexual Dominants, but their soft spot for women wasn’t ever far below the surface.

“I’m not sure we can pull this thing together in six days. Hell, the costumes alone are going to be a challenge. I have no idea where to get a gown for a Greek Goddess.”

“That’s easy, we’ll just do a Google search.” Phoenix knew his expression had given away his skepticism when Mitch laughed. “Seriously, it’s the soldier’s clothing that will be a bigger problem—trust me, I’ve already started looking. And what I’ve come up with isn’t anything I want to be seen in. Damn, why couldn’t her fantasy be set in the old west?”

Phoenix laughed out loud at his friend’s frustration, but agreed, the costumes weren’t going to work for him either. “Well, I don’t think the Doms clothing has to be period appropriate, but I’m going to lobby for the subs to all be dressed properly—or better yet improperly.”

“And as obsessively detail oriented as I know you are—Nate is worse, so I’m going to table my concern until after our phone conference. Now, I need something more than coffee to get me through the day, so either I’m going to have to brave the kitchen and risk dealing with your nieces or drive into Pine Creek.” Phoenix winced when he looked at his watch drawing a chuckle from Mitch. “Town it is. Let’s go.”

A
spen reached for
the ornate door handle just as the heavy wood door leading to Mountain Master swung away from her. She’d already been leaning forward in anticipation of the door’s weight, so her forward momentum sent her nose first into a hard male chest. “Captain Andrews? Are you alright?” The voice was deep and reminded her of Taz Ledek, but there was an air of distance that told her it wasn’t her friend’s chest she’d fallen into.

For a second her brain short-circuited and before she could stop herself, she blurted out the first thing that went through her head. “Wow, you smell terrific.” She felt her face heat with embarrassment.
Damn, I can’t believe I said that out loud. Way to make a great impression…geez.
“Oh, yes, sorry. I wasn’t…well, I wasn’t expecting the door to open on its own.”

“It didn’t open on its own, sweetness. I opened it because I saw you drive through the gate.” Damn, she’d forgotten about the electronic gate she’d driven through just a few minutes earlier. The man’s sudden appearance had temporarily shut down her brain. No wonder he’d known she was coming. No doubt the hottie manning the gate and checking identification against the list on his clipboard had alerted his boss she’d arrived. Aspen had been so focused on getting through this interview she hadn’t been alert and that was the last thing the club owner would want to see in a submissive applying for membership.

Oh yeah, she definitely recognized Nathanial Ledek. She’d done her homework, and with her security clearance, she’d been able to read more than his dull-as-dirt bio on the club’s website. Most of his mission work was still classified, but there had been enough for her get a pretty solid idea about who he was as a person. Their on-line communication had been polite but oddly formal and now, standing in front of him it wasn’t hard to see why.

There was a professional air of authority surrounding him.
And he’s flipping huge.
When she’d asked Kent about Mountain Mastery’s owner, he’d only told her one thing…that his nickname was
Big
. She’d been in the military long enough to know better than to ask how he’d gotten the tag, but now she wondered if the name was about his height rather than the size of his cock.
Damn, I really need to get laid. My brain is pickled in underutilized hormones and turning everything into something sexual.

“I would sure like to know what you’re thinking. Your breathing has become shallow and fast, your heartrate picked up, and your pupils have dilated until there is nothing but a narrow ring of color left. Very interesting indeed.” Nathanial Ledek’s voice held a hint of teasing, but she’d spent enough time with Doms to know there was an underlying command in his words as well.

She might know he expected an answer, but she wasn’t going there. Technically she wasn’t a member yet, and she was going to hang on to her secrets for as long as she could. Following him inside, she could have sworn she felt a shift in the energy when they entered his office. She stopped just inside the door trying to identify the strange feelings washing over her. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she’d learned a long time ago how foolish it was to ignore the precious sixth sense that had saved her ass on so many occasions.

“Captain Andrews?” She knew Nate had sensed the minute she stopped because he turned to face her.

Aspen didn’t answer immediately, she let her eyes scan the room until they came to rest on the large mirror behind his ornately carved desk. There was a door near the corner of the room, she probably wouldn’t have noticed it if she hadn’t been looking. Any hope she’d held for confidentiality evaporated into mist and Aspen realized she was more disappointed than angry. She didn’t say anything, just nodded to the mirror and turned on her heel to leave.

Nate couldn’t believe
it—damn, Aspen Andrews’ instincts were fucking spot on. She’d sensed she was being watched the second she stepped into his office. He’d read her file and suspected those instincts had been fine-tuned during the years she’d spent bouncing between relatives who hadn’t wanted her without access to her money. Damn, his friends better not let her go or Nate and every other Dom at the club would be fighting to claim her.

There was something about her—something wild simmering just below the surface, he knew would attract Doms like magnets to steel. Taz had warned him that she was nobody’s fool, but Kyle had insisted she would be too distracted to tune in to the fact she was being observed. Both West brothers were watching via a sat-link, and he could hear them cursing under their breaths through the earbud he wore.
Yeah, you ass hats didn’t listen to Taz, and now I’m the one in the hot seat.

Why anyone would discount Taz’s warning was a mystery to Nate. His brother had definitely inherited their Native American grandmother’s
gift
of hearing from the heart. Nate was good at reading people, but he’d always known his ability was more about training than innate ability. He envied his brother’s ability to know what someone was thinking or feeling, despite Taz’s insistence, there were both good and bad elements attached to the gift.

Nate didn’t intend to lie to her, but he damned well wasn’t going to tell her everything either. “Stop.” He wasn’t surprised when she stopped dead in her tracks before doing a perfectly executed about turn. He bit back a smile—she hadn’t been out of the Air Force long enough for those habits to have faded. As a former Navy SEAL, he’d cared more about staying alive than military protocol, but as a Dom, he understood the value of discipline. He recognized it in Aspen’s movements, and respected it.

Studying her, Nate was amazed at the fire he saw—hell, her eyes were practically shooting sparks. “Yes?” The sharp tone of her voice broke through his thoughts. If she belonged to him, it would have earned her a paddling despite the fact he’d heard the underlying disappointment in the question. He and Taz would enjoy teaching her there were far more effective ways to express emotions than lashing out.

“I’m impressed, more than you know, with your instincts. And I want to encourage you to always trust them, particularly when your personal safety is on the line. But I’ll also remind you that every aspect of this interview, down to the timing, has been done for your benefit. You are right, our conversation isn’t going to be completely confidential, but neither is it going to be open to anyone who is a threat to you.”

She didn’t respond, but it was easy to see she didn’t believe him either. The subtle shift of her eyes toward the mirror let him know she was weighing her options. And the half-step Aspen took away from him let him know he was going to lose her if he didn’t give a little—and quickly. Just when he thought she was going to run, he saw her chin lift.
Bring it, baby. A fight means I have a chance, but if you walk away, we all lose.

“Do my friends at Prairie Winds know you’re trying to hang my ass out in the breeze? Because they are typically pretty protective.” That was a fucking understatement if Nate had ever heard one, but he wasn’t going to share how true he knew that statement to be. Yeah, Nate liked this little sub a lot. She was definitely going to challenge Mitch and Phoenix in ways they probably couldn’t even imagine yet.

“Yes, they do. And I want you to know they have personally vetted the men on the other side of the mirror. Your safety is our first concern—
always
. Kent, Kyle, and Jax have all been involved in the discussion about your membership since the moment I saw you’d listed them as personal references. As you know, your membership at Prairie Winds only gets you in the door. Being a member of a collaborating club only guarantees you an interview.”

From what he’d heard her relationship with the Wests and Jax, they were more like siblings than casual friends. And when he’d thought back on the conversations he’d had over the years with people in the lifestyle, there were some things sisters didn’t feel like their brothers needed to know. And he was fairly certain, the details of their kink would be pretty high on the list.

Without missing a beat, she turned to the mirror, fisting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. “They better not be behind that glass. I’m just telling you, I’m going to be damned mad if they are back there.” Nate tried to suppress his smile, but he wasn’t sure he’d succeeded. Damn if she hadn’t just given him a loophole big enough for all of them to walk through.

“No, they are not on the other side of the glass. And as I said earlier, they have personally approved the men who are sitting in. It is important that we all know you are in safe hands.” She nibbled on her bottom lip, and it took every bit of his control to refrain from correcting the nervous behavior. Aspen Andrews had no reason to be anxious around him, he was quickly coming to understand why the men who knew her were a protective bunch.

“Now, if you’ll have a seat, we’ll get down to business. I’m pleased you’ve already submitted your medical documentation—that’s a big hurdle out of the way. Now we can focus on your needs and your limits list.” Ordinarily, he challenged subs to be completely open about their needs and to expand their list, but that wasn’t the case with Aspen. He suspected that her fantasy writing had revealed a lot more than she had intended. Her limit list was all but non-existent. If he turned her loose in the club on a regular play night, every wanna-be sadist in the club would be on her like white on rice.