Independence: #4 Hayley (31 page)

“Wondering if another sub would meet what we need?” Dane guessed with a deep breath. He nodded. “I know.”

“No one said it would be easy.”

“The relatives?”

“Yeah…after the last…she isn’t going to back down,” Jack said softly, the confidence he had in their sub something warm and pulsing. Or that could be the residual effects of the incredible orgasm he went through. For a long, long few seconds, it literally felt like his heart had stopped; everything and nothing echoed in his head all at the same time.

Their conversation drifted in the peaceful aftermath of their play. Noises continued around them, but for the three of them, it seemed like a quiet little bubble.

Hayley stirred, sighed and snuggled against a very nicely smelling chest. She breathed in deeply, rubbing her cheek against the cloth beneath it.

“We should get going,” Dane said from somewhere around her.

“We need to get her at least street legal before we can take her home.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

She smiled into the chest that rumbled when he spoke. Jack. “She could get up and dress herself so we could go home,” she suggested drowsily. She had no idea how long they’d allowed her to doze. It felt good. Relaxed and limber. And just a little stingy. An aftereffect of their flogging and that danged crop Jack liked. She kept meaning to peek into the mirror and see if he left his imprint.

“You’re awake.” Dane said flatly.

“Hmm…I learned all about the high tensile strength of steel cables and the bad effects of northwest rains on some types of concrete,” she repeated from their conversations.

Jack laughed, kissed the top of her head and lifted her to the cushions before standing up. “Then get dressed and let’s go home.”

“Yes, Sir,” she answered, hesitating only a second before shrugging the blanket to fall behind her and standing up. She reached for the dress that lay neatly on the chair in front of them and dropped it over her head. Her hands wrestled with the long hair, removing the band at the end and raking two sets of fingers through the strands until they were smooth.

Hayley jumped when the large hands gripped her behind, keeping her dress from falling correctly. She looked over her shoulder to see the top of Jack’s head and to feel a set of teeth bite into one of her cheeks. She yelped, but didn’t move until he stood upright, winking at her.

“Just fascinated by that gorgeous ass,” he told her, helping the dress slide down her body.

Hayley’s gaze shot to Dane who offered a casual shrug before hefting their bag on his shoulder and moving to stand behind her.

“Put the girl’s dress down and get her jacket,” Dane laughed, his head shaking. He watched Jack smooth the dress over the plumb, bare behind. Jack released an exaggerated sigh and took the jacket from Dane’s shoulder. Dane pulled his keys free and began walking after Hayley slipped her heels into place.

“I keep waiting to get used to you guys,” she murmured as she walked with them toward the exit. People smiled and some spoke, telling them good night; some greeted Jack and Dane by name and she was more than positive she saw envy on a few faces. Male and female.

“Our main task is to keep you unbalanced and enthralled so you don’t trade us in for someone new,” Jack said with a teasing grin when she looked over her shoulder at him, her mouth opening and closing rapidly. He winked at her and laughed. “I will never get tired of the colors you can manage when you flush, pet. It’s beautiful.”

She turned to the front quickly, her gaze down to watch where she walked just a few steps ahead of them. The words whispered softly around in a mind still floating in that special place they’d taken her. Trade them in…her sigh was soft. No one could compare for her after them. But they also didn’t appear in any big hurry to go off somewhere, either.

Use a little logic, she chastised mildly.

“You’re coming to my house?” She asked, her head swiveling as they approached the large truck.

“Unless you don’t want us there,” Dane said simply, the keys in his hand and the sound of the locks opening chirping in the night silence around them.

“You don’t like the Christmas stuff,” she reminded them mildly.

“We’re adapting,” Jack told her, lifting her into the back seat. “Buckle up. Damn…winter…get that heater fired up,” he growled, closing the door and climbing into the front. He watched their bag of play things settled beside her before Dane joined him in the front, behind the wheel.

“It’s okay, you know. I don’t mind your house.” She buckled the seatbelt and looked from one to the other in front of her.

“You’d miss your season,” Dane said.

“I would…” she waited, pulling the edges of her jacket closer before pulling the soft blanket from inside the bag and wrapping it around her legs and body. “Oh…this is so nice and soft…”

“It’s yours when we play,” Jack said, nodding to himself. “We found it yesterday for you.”

“Thank you…” she looked from one profile to the other. She wasn’t sure if it was actually both of them who disliked the holiday or just one. Jack. “Did something bad happen? To make you not care much for Christmas, I mean.”

“It’s mostly him,” Dane said, the chuckle he offered low. “It’s not really the fault of the season…”

“It’s family,” Jack said, scowling over at his friend.

“We were about fifteen when we met,” Dane began, driving slowly through traffic to the highway south. “My folks moved into the neighborhood and I started at the new school that fall.”

“We met in chemistry,” Jack recalled. “Both of us were fascinated by chemicals and what they could do. Things just kind of clicked after that. Gaming, sports…”

“You don’t agree on everything,” she said, slightly chiding and teasing.

“No. No, we do not,” Dane agreed, chuckling again and winking at her in the mirror. “But on most of the key things, we compromise and work well together.”

“What does your meeting have to do with Christmas?” Hayley prompted, her curiosity getting the better of her. Heat had begun to permeate the truck insides and she leaned into the corner, wrapped snugly in the warm blanket.

“People started making leaps,” Jack said after a long pause. “No one said anything out right to us, but we heard the rumors and laughed them off. We dated and had girlfriends through high school and college. Our families had a big celebration at graduation. We’d been involved in ROTC and would be going straight into the Army two days after graduation.”

“Together,” Dane continued, his head shaking at the memory. “I kept telling him to shrug it off. We knew the truth, but…he’s bull-headed.”

“It pissed me off. Our family should have listened to us, not the fucking rumors.”

“You graduated over Christmas,” Hayley guessed, the hard tone of Jack’s voice making her want to reach out and sooth the anger there.

“We did,” Dane confirmed. “And several of our relatives went out of their way to make it a joint party because they believed we were a life couple, not just friends.”

“A…” Hayley blinked, looked from one to the other and snapped her mouth closed. “They didn’t believe you when you told them?”

“They didn’t believe us,” Jack said flatly. “We’d been dating for years, but some of them had concocted this…idiotic…”

“As you can tell, it still irks him,” Dane said in the ensuing silence.

“It was fucking annoying. We went home for Christmas the next year, but it was the same crap all over again so I walked out and won’t go back over the holidays again.”

“Add to that we had a girl with us the last time…” Dane looked over his shoulder at her. “But she wasn’t strong enough to handle the questions, so she lied.”

She heard the bitterness, but this time coming from Dane. He had been relaying the story with a hint of humor. Then she thought about the lifestyle and things she’d read. Honesty and communication were the very basis surrounding it all. A lie would ruin the trust.

“I’m sorry. It sounds like she hurt you both.” She turned her face to the window, staring into the darkness. It explained a bit more than their dislike of the season.

“Hayley, we don’t dislike Christmas,” Jack told her firmly. “Our relatives…we don’t really dislike them.”

“You’re angry that they don’t hear the words you say,” she said clearly. “I understand that, believe me.”

“What he’s ineptly trying to say…” Dane began after clearing his throat. “You’ve brought a bit of a new light into the season for us.”

“Sounds smarmy…” Jack mumbled.

“I think it sounds sweet,” Hayley laughed, her hand up and one finger clicking at the back of his head playfully. “And the lights tonight…that was special…thank you.”

“She hit me.”

“You deserved it,” Dane laughed and turned the truck off. “Get your cute ass inside. It’s freezing out here.”

“It’s snowing,” Hayley announced as she slid to the ground, the blanket wrapped over her jacket but kept carefully from touching the concrete of the driveway. She’d left the Christmas lights on and they sparkled all the more with translucent flakes floating around them.

She turned on her heels, absently walking backwards with her head tilted back and eyes closed. Snowflakes fell on her face and clung for the softest of seconds before melting. There was no resistance when a strong arm circled her waist and guided her blindly toward the planking stairs leading up to her house.

Her fingers fumbled beneath the blanket for the pocket where she had her keys. She pulled them free and let Jack take them from her. Hayley recited the security code and he tapped that in once they were inside the warmth of the A-frame.

Hayley sighed contentedly, the warmth oozing through the blanket as she walked to the stairs leading to the bedroom. It was her haven. It smelled like sugar and crisp trees and she loved it. Lights twinkled behind her and she knew one of them had flipped the switch to the tree and it made her smile.

The warmth went beyond what she felt in the air. And she knew they were the cause. A quiet, happy smile remained in place as she changed into a soft, worn night shirt and pair of thick socks. Maybe she was getting used to them because she didn’t bother with underwear.

Her feet made no sound as she wandered back down the stairs. Her gaze went straight to the large cushiony chair next to the fireplace.

“Dane?” She asked quietly.

“Hitting the shower.”

“I’m not tired…I was…”

“That’s not uncommon after a long scene,” he told her, patting his lap and watching her face. The smile she gave him was backed up with her feet crossing the room and preparing to sit. Until he turned her slightly and put his knees together. “Face me, Hayley.”

She knew it was partially his tone of voice; but mostly it was the expression on his face and the dark gleam in his eyes.

“I like sitting this way,” she admitted, her hands settling on his shoulders for support as her knees slid along his thighs on either side of him. That’s when he carefully widened his knees. It must have shown on her face because he laughed and took a firm hold of her waist.

“No panties…good…”

“How can you possibly…” she caught herself and sighed before leaning in and kissing the lips he tapped with one finger. “I like kissing you, too. Sometimes…”

“Continue,” he prodded when she hesitated.

“Sometimes there’s not enough before we…well…before things get wild.”

“No…sometimes there isn’t, you’re right. We’ll have to work on that for you,” Jack promised seconds before her mouth settled over his. Soft and warm, his tongue was out and stroking tenderly over her lips, urging her tongue into play. This lasted for several long, hot minutes before he trailed his mouth over her cheek and onto her shoulder.

The shirt she wore stretched under his guidance and he bit down on the soft tissue. Hayley groaned softly against him.

“We have to go into the office in the morning, Hayley,” Jack murmured as he kissed along her throat. “You’ll be safe here.”

“You’re worried about me…” she straightened slowly, meeting the languid dark gaze.

“Someone shot at you, babe. Hell, yes, we’re worried about you. We could take you with us to the office…”

“I have things to do here,” she said quickly. “I haven’t heard from the Lieutenant about the shooting,” she chewed her lip a bit. “Maybe it was just some kind of fluke. There hasn’t been…I mean, no one’s come after me.”

“I’m not buying it and neither is Dane,” Jack said firmly. “Until we hear from the Lieutenant, we’re not taking chances. I’ll give her a call in the morning and see if anything’s turned up. Maybe she tracked down the guy and just hasn’t let us know.”

“And that means we need you to stay here until we get back,” Dane said into the silence, his hands up and rubbing a towel over his head. Fingers gripped the ends when he finished and let the damp towel fall to his shoulders. His chest was bare and he wore a pair of plain, deep gold flannel pants. “Please, Hayley.”

“My turn to shower,” Jack stood up with his hands firmly on her behind, holding her in place. Long legs slipped and she yelped seconds before she was handed off the Dane. “She says we don’t kiss enough.”

“Huh…I guess we need to fix that…” Dane gripped her waist and lifted her until she could stand on the floor. He turned her toward the stairs and sent her stumbling forward with a sharp smack on her behind. “Upstairs.”