Oliver (10 page)

“That’s where being a Domme can pay off. You hold your ground and prove your balls are bigger than his.”

“You may have noticed…” She wouldn’t play coy. She knew what he meant. “Somewhere over the years, I lost mine. I was hoping you could help me find them again.”

“Doing my best. A left turn will take you out of this traffic, and you’ll avoid a potential flood hazard ahead. Low spot in the road.”

How
did
he do that? She took the turn without question.

“If you went off grid, then you know where you went. I want the name and the location,” Oliver said.

“I didn’t come here so you could avenge me. I wanted to feel strong again, not be afraid to leave my home.”

“If they did this to you, they’ve done this to others. Someone has to stop them.”

“If this gets out—”

“Trust, Merideth. You know you couldn’t live with yourself once you realized you’re not the first or the last.”

Her head hurt, her gut churned, her nerves were shot, but his touch, his confidence in her, made everything fade. She spit out information her memory could never erase, watching as he punched a note into his phone.

“Anything else you’ve neglected to share?”

“Nothing.”

He returned to his phone, and she to her driving. Silence prevailed. So did tension. Lucas wasn’t going to take this well. That was fine. She’d suffer his wrath, beg his forgiveness. The heavens poured down in sympathy, obscuring the road.

Oliver flicked on the radio, monitoring road closures from both devices. Runoff from the mountain had filled the creek beds. Washes raced across the desert, snarling traffic, taking out roads.

Merideth was more than grateful when she was able to turn up the hill into the residential area. Even more relaxed when she reached the turnoff to Oliver’s home. All that changed when she spied four vehicles parked on the apron of his brick driveway.

“You were expecting company?”

He jerked his head up. His frown quickly changed to a broad smile. No…sheer joy. No…a frown again.

“Something wrong?”

“I don’t know.” He stuffed his phone into his pocket and pressed the remote for the garage.

Merideth held her breath and eased into the tight spot next to a Town Car. Success.

“Good job. How do you feel?” he asked.

The praise meant a lot. “Like I could use a drink.” Several, considering the task ahead—telling all to Lucas.

Oliver shrugged. “It’s four somewhere. I might be needing one myself.” He shouldered his door open and snagged their purchases from the backseat.

At the stairs by the door leading into the house, Merideth turned and pressed her palm against his chest, stopping him from going any farther. “Promise me you won’t hurt anyone.”

A small frown knit his brow.

“In New York,” she added.

Oliver hoisted the bags to one arm and slipped the other around her waist. “Don’t worry. I won’t.” He kissed her quick and drew away. “You will.” He skirted her, trotted up the steps, and went inside.

Merideth hurried after him, hoping to pull him to a stop and ask what the hell he’d meant by that. She was too late.

His “Hello, ladies” slowed her. She stepped into the house to the view of him dashing off to the kitchen with the bags, and four beautiful women sprawled around Lucas in the living room.

The blondes were related—one older, one younger and nearly sitting in Lucas’s lap. The redhead could have passed for Merideth’s sister. The raven-haired looker…

She smothered a gasp. It was Rachel Moore, one of Merideth’s favorite artists. Here. In Oliver’s house.

Heads swiveled from Oliver’s direction to hers. “Everyone, this is Merideth Wainwright. Merideth, my queens—Julia Green, Lori Belcher, Rachel Moore. And fledgling Domme Becky.”

“Vixen,” the girl clarified.

Lucas looked like he’d hit the candy store. Merideth wasn’t impressed. Visions of yanking the girl aside danced in her head. The trio of beauties stalking her way cut off the fantasy and her view of Becky scooting closer to Lucas.

The redhead extended her hand. “Since Becky was
kind
enough to break the ice…I’m Maneater.”

The blonde offered her hand next. “Soleil.”

Merideth took Rachel’s hand before she could speak. “I’m a very big fan of your work. I have several of your paintings.”

Rachel’s smile was kind. “Thank you. I’m Raven.”

Oliver’s queens. His premier Dommes. Yes, she’d heard of them, envied their power and strength, their place by his side. If she’d stayed with him, where would she fit in? Be the queen of them all? Somehow she doubted it. These women breathed self-confidence in every move they made. And right now, they were clearly sizing up her threat potential to Oliver. Instinct made her want to back away; pride kept her rooted in place.

“Ladies, a pleasure to see you again so soon.” Oliver wrapped his arms around Lori and Rachel. Julia pushed in front of Merideth to stand before him, her hand usurping Merideth’s place over his heart.

“How could we stay away? All things considered.” She stretched on tiptoe and kissed him. “We’d like a little private time with you, please.”

Oliver smiled down at her. “How could I possibly resist? My room? Or the playroom?”

“Silly questions.” Julia motioned to the door under the stairs.

Oliver gave her a nod, released her sister Dommes, and led them away.

Merideth glared at their backs. The childish retort,
I had him first
, lodged in her throat. She willed Oliver to look around, notice her, invite her to play with them. It never happened. Jealousy spiked through her.

A giggle erupted behind her, followed by muffled whispers. She whirled around, ready to vent her frustration on Becky. She might be too cowardly to handle three Dommes, but this little girl was toast if she thought she could cozy up to Lucas. The two were head-to-head, Becky on her knees and nearly astride his lap. Judging from the erection bulging his pants, Lucas didn’t mind the attention. Merideth did.

“We need to talk,” she told him.

He peeled his gaze away from Becky’s boobs and turned bleary eyes her way. “Now?”

“Now.” She pivoted on the ball of her foot and sashayed up the stairs, hoping the extra sway in her step would entice him to hurry up. And wondering how the hell she was going to handle it if he didn’t.

* * * *

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the playroom empty. Dealing with three angry ladies was one thing; dealing with their men would have been a little too much right now. A dressing-down was coming. He deserved it for being an ass. Still, it was hard as hell to hide his joy that the women had come to him. He wanted to swing each lady into his arms for a hug they’d never forget. He opted for caution instead.

“Would it help to say I’m sorry?” He hopped up on a padded bench to await his fate.

Rachel jammed her fists on her hips. “Well, it wouldn’t hurt. Ben is
this close
”—she pressed thumb and forefinger together—“to tearing into you. Once Julia and Will helped the rest of us fill in the blanks on Merideth and Lucas, he calmed down a little. He and Will are at my house, cooling their heels until they hear from me.”

“While Blake and Mac continue to do your bidding. Although you asking Becky to come over and help research managed to defuse that situation.” Lori sat down beside him. “You scared us to death.”

“
I
was scared to death.” Oliver wasn’t afraid to admit that to these three.

Julia jerked her arm toward the door. “She’s got a lot of nerve, showing up here in the dead of night after all these years. Him, I can forgive.”

Oliver smirked. “Because he’s good-looking and charmed you all while I was gone?”

She snapped her arms over her chest, kicked out her hip, and tapped her toe. “Because he’s got
sub
written all over him and does what he’s told.”

“And good-looking and charming doesn’t hurt either.” Rachel hopped up on the other side of him. “He’s quite the photographer. Says it’s always been an obsession and passion of his. He showed us the shots he took today. Impressive. He says he prefers the solitude of photography to the stress of negotiating art purchases. I told him I wouldn’t mind having some framed prints in the gallery to sell. You arrived before I could seal the deal.”

All news to Oliver. Thinking back, though, he remembered Lucas had always had a camera in his hand. “I’m sure you can negotiate something with him.”

She dug her elbow into his ribs. “Smart-ass.”

Lori brushed her hand down his back. “Merideth’s jealous.”

She was? He’d been so overjoyed to see the three of them that he hadn’t noticed.

“If she’s worth her weight as a Domme, she should be eating Becky for lunch right now,” she added. “Maybe that’ll be enough to scare Vixen into oblivion.”

Oliver cupped her free hand. “You’re asking a lot…of both of them. Becky’s determined. Merideth’s broken.”

“How so?” Julia pulled up a chair and sat before him.

He laid it all out, shared everything with them as they had with him over the years. When he’d finished, Oliver did the one thing he’d never imagined he’d do.

“What do I do? I want to help her. I’m trying to keep emotional distance and handle this. But each second I spend with them ties me in knots.”

Julia rested her hands on his knees. “Because you still have feelings for them.”

Feelings that conflicted by the minute. A roller-coaster ride of emotions he couldn’t pinpoint, coupled with other things he never wanted to experience again—desperation, fear, need. Defeat sagged his shoulders. Lori and Rachel hugged him from both sides.

“We know all too well what you’re going through,” Julia said.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “I don’t like not being in control.”

They snickered. “We know.”

“It doesn’t have to make sense. It just is. Accept it. Enjoy it. You all made mistakes. This is now. Forget the big picture. Take it all a step at a time. Step one is…” Julia paused for him to fill in the blank.

Oliver nodded. “See that Merideth gets what she needs. I owe her that much.”

Rachel rested her chin on his shoulder. “You don’t owe her anything, but you’ve never been one to turn away someone who needs your help. You are the Grand Fixer of Things Gone Wrong. You live to help make things right for those you care about. And for all the history and mistakes you all made, you still care very much about them.”

More truth. About himself. About them. Oliver knew it, but hearing his ladies verify that helped immensely.

“But don’t forget yourself in this,” Rachel said. “You have needs here too beyond the normal, Oliver. Your heart and guilt are tied up in this. Don’t sell yourself short by ignoring that.”

“I’m lost,” he admitted. “Tell me what to do.”

“You know we can’t.” Julia reached up to cup his face. “We’re here to do everything we can to support and help you. But we won’t interfere. It’s your life, not ours.”

“Thanks.” He pulled them in for a group cuddle. “What would I do without you three?”

“We don’t ever intend for you to find out.” Rachel drew back, her eyes wide, finger scolding. “But don’t ever take that tone with Ben again.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He laughed and hugged them again. And blinked the tears from his eyes. “Okay, you can’t tell me what to do regarding the relationship, but how about a professional consultation with my three favorite retired Dommes?”

“
That
we can do.” Julia kissed his nose and flopped back into her chair.

* * * *

Lucas couldn’t move fast enough. He bolted up the stairs to catch up to Merideth. Anything to get away from the baby Domme. Merideth looked over her shoulder, her expression a cross between amusement and confusion. He wrapped his arm around her waist when he reached her at the halfway point on the staircase.

“Bless you,” he whispered.

She tilted her head.

“I was getting a little scared.” He darted his gaze toward his aggressor.

Merideth grinned. “Yeah, I saw how scared you were.” She shot a glance to his cock, still oak hard.

“You know I can’t control
that
,” he said. “She was all over me the second the grown-up Dommes left. Boobs touching, husky laughter, blowing in my ear… Do something. Make her stop.” She pressed her lips together, but Lucas saw the laughter in her eyes.

“Do you want me send her to time-out? Hold her down while you paddle her bare bottom?”

The image didn’t help his erection.

“Or maybe show her what she can never hope to have?” Merideth wedged him against the wall and ground her pelvis into his. He groaned and took a kiss. She deepened it in a tongue twirl he felt to the tips of his toes and back again. Lucas grabbed her ass for a tighter hold, one that would put her right where he wanted. She broke the kiss and slung his hands away.

One step back put her inches away from him. He waited for some cue from her, wondering if he’d screwed up and taken the game too far. She’d have to understand in that case. She was too delicious, too tempting, and he was too damn horny not to get caught up in the play.

Merideth raked a slow gaze down his body, eyeballed his aching cock, then traced one finger down the length.

He grabbed her wrist to halt her movements and threaded his fingers through hers. “Don’t tease. I think she gets the idea.”

“Good.” She squeezed his hand. “Do you?” She released him and continued up the stairs. Another come-play-with-me look invited him to follow.

Lucas stood there dumbstruck. Had this been her intent all along? The reason she wanted to talk? A firm hand on his ass jerked him around. He stumbled back to put some distance between himself and Becky. She clutched his shirt to keep him from falling and toppled on him in the worst possible way. Lucas scrambled for freedom. It only put his crotch in closer proximity to her body. He grappled for a handhold that wasn’t Becky.

“Move!” he shouted.

Becky skittered to a lower step, eyes wide and uncertain.

Finally
. “What the hell, Becky?”

“I was wondering that myself.”