Punishing for Pleasure (6 page)

After Dex set Merilee on the seat, he’d gently pried the phone from her shaking fingers and slid it into his shirt pocket before scooting her into the center seat and fastening her safety belt. He smoothed her hair back from her face and double-checked that he’d heard their destination correction. She was white as a sheet and he wanted nothing more than to hold her against him and assure her everything was going to be all right. But since he had no way of knowing that was true, and he wouldn’t mislead her, he kept quiet. He planned to return a call to Merilee’s dad as soon as they reached the hospital he’d heard her mention. Damn if it wasn’t the same facility they’d just left a couple of hours ago. They hadn’t gone far when traffic slowed to a crawl. He was nearly blinded by all the flashing lights, but he’d glanced over to see a small red sports car that looked like it had been put through a metal compactor. Hearing Meri’s gasp was all the confirmation Dex needed that the mangled ball of metal was what little was left of her car.

When he glanced over at Ash, his friend gave a quick jerk of his head to their right and Dex caught sight of the unmistakable lights of a chopper moving off into the distance. They had evidently airlifted the driver away from the scene and that didn’t bode well for the man’s condition. They moved past the snarled traffic at a snail’s pace and Dex was relieved to hear Ash talking softly to Meri, reassuring her they would get her to her friend’s side as quickly as they safely could. Dex had no intention of making an already difficult situation even more so by taking unnecessary risks.

By the time they reached the small trauma center their phones had been ringing almost continually as word spread that Meri’s car had been involved in a bad accident. Austin might be a large city, but the Prairie Winds community was much smaller and well connected enough that word had spread through the members like wild fire. Dex had been impressed the call that seemed to have settled Meri the most had been from Tobi West.
Sure wouldn’t have predicted that.
Dex's respect for his bosses’ wife seemed to grow each time he had an encounter with her. The way she had forgiven Meri unconditionally and defended her when other club members hadn’t been so charitable had spoken volumes about her character.

Walking in to the small hospital’s emergency department made Dex think about all the old Carol Burnett Shows he’d watched on late night television as a kid. The entire area was filled with people in various stages of frustration. Dean and Dell West were standing at the nurse’s station and, judging by the look on the older nurse’s face, that conversation wasn’t going particularly well. A couple of reporters spotted Meri right away and made a mad dash in her direction. He and Ash moved to block the circling sharks and their snarling finally discouraged the news hounds. The reporters finally slunk back against the wall, but Dex knew they’d only won a small skirmish, the real war hadn’t even started yet. Turning back to Meri, he pulled her against his chest and just held her. He was stunned to feel her shaking to the point he wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to stand before her knees gave out.

He and Ash had worked together so long their communication often required little more than a quick nod, so when Dex saw his friend’s eyes dart to the waiting room he began to lead Meri in that direction. Ash strode off toward the nurses’ station and Dex hoped his friend would summon some of the charm and tact he probably wasn’t feeling because pissing off the nurse Dean and Dell were already haggling with wasn’t going to be all that difficult. And getting kicked out wasn’t going to help Meri at all. Dex had almost gotten Meri through the sliding doors of the waiting room when they heard a loud shriek followed by a man’s excited voice saying, “Honey, if you plan to put your hands on me
there
,
you need a mani. What do you do—sand wood with your bare hands?”

Dex was grateful he already had an arm wrapped around Meri because he’d barely registered her softly whispered words, “Oh thank God” before her knees folded out from under her. Scooping her up in his arms, he quickly made his way to a chair and cradled her in his lap. It wasn’t difficult to determine the voice she’d heard was her assistant and if he was chastising someone for the condition of their hands, he probably wasn’t mortally injured.

“Are you alright? I hope that was your assistant we heard, because I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to die from being chafed by someone’s rough hands.”

“Yes, I’m fine, but thank you for not letting me make a scene by dropping like a stone. And yes, that was Tony, and I agree with you that he must be doing okay if he is saying things that are so typical of him.” He could almost feel her relief but her relaxed state was destined to be short-lived.

“Ms. Lanham, who was driving your car? Would you like to comment on the rumor your car was sabotaged? And is this your new boyfriend? Is he the reason you and the Senator broke up?” Dex hadn’t even seen the man step up in front of them until he started firing questions at Meri. And the minute the woman next to him jumped on-board the whole room became instant chaos. There were several camera flashes and more shouted questions when Dex saw the Wests and Ash stalk into the room. What had been chaos quickly degenerated in to full-blown FUBAR. And if he was honest, Dex would have to say fucked up beyond all recognition was an understatement.

*****

The photographer stood by shrieking about her rights while Ash calmly deleted all the photos of the accident scene, which included a close-up shot of Meri’s tag—he didn’t even want to think about what she’d planned to do with that picture. The pictures of Meri and Dex were also gone with a few quick presses of a button, he then double-checked the device’s backup.
Oh yeah, saw this one coming. Good try
,
Lois Lane, but Navy SEALs are smarter than the average bear.
The woman shouted something about him destroying her personal property and he laughed. “Listen, if you intend to blame me for destroying your camera then you can bet your sweet ass I’m going to get the privilege. So as I see it you have two choices, shut up or watch me
fix
your camera so there won’t even be salvageable parts left.” He leaned closer to her and snarled, “I deleted twenty-two pictures out of the fifteen hundred and sixty-two you had. How would you like to lose them all, honey?” He had deliberately leaned over her, making sure he towered over her in the process.

Parker Andrews sauntered in the door, took in the brewing trouble, and casually inquired, “Anyone know who has a dark green Honda Civic? I think I saw one being towed out of the lot.” The reporter and photographer both gasped and clamored from the room with the others in their wake. “Of course I could be wrong,” he added quietly after the doors slid shut behind them. His smile was pure wicked delight and Ash couldn’t help but laugh at how quickly, and effectively the detective had managed to solve the problem. He turned and looked down at Meri, “Don’t worry, Merilee, we’ve got people at all the entrances now, they won’t be getting back in until we’re ready to let them.”

Everybody in the room seemed to settle back and Ash watched as Meri sagged in relief. “Thanks. I really didn’t want anyone else pulled into this, but I’m not sure how I can avoid it now.”

Jax McDonald stepped forward, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked down at Meri with narrowed eyes. “I just got off the phone with your dad, Merilee. To say he was worried would be an understatement as you can well imagine.” Ash watched as Meri visibly cringed. Since the Wests, McDonalds, and Lanhams were all wealthy locals, it stood to reason they would all be connected socially.
Fuck it. Did everybody in the damned club know who she was but us?

“Want to explain to me why I’m hearing about this from your dad and not you, sweetness? And give your answer some serious thought because I’m damned mad right now.” Glancing around before refocussing his attention on Meri, the new father added, “Deaga has decided three hours of sleep every night is plenty, I swear the kid was a damned BUD/S trainer in a previous life, so I’m tired and cranky, and looking for a target so you best not put your ass on the line—and I mean that literally.”

Ash felt every muscle in his body stiffen as the familiar feeling of adrenaline rushing through him readied his body for a fight.
What the hell? He threatens her ass right in front of us?
And his earlier realization that they didn’t really have any real claim on her twisted uneasily in his gut, and from the scowl on Dex’s face, Ash figured his partner was facing the same unpleasant awareness. Ash hadn’t ever been one of those Doms that subs cuddled up against. He’d always had a very specific role when he and Dex shared scenes and he’d been completely content with the status quo, until they’d met Meri. Christ, if he wasn’t careful he was going to go soft like Kyle and Micah. He nearly groaned at the thought of becoming less than the Dom he knew Meri needed. He and Dex were the perfect combination for her, and he hoped they hadn’t missed their window of opportunity to convince her of that.

Merilee sat between Dex and Ash wondering how the Masters of the Prairie Winds Club had managed to manipulate her into agreeing to let the two Doms flanking her move into her home. The only reasonable excuse she could come up with was she’d been so relieved and grateful when she’d seen for herself Tony was going to be fine, she probably would have agreed to let the devil himself move in.
Who are you kidding? For all intents and purposes, that is exactly what you have done
—
times two.
Groaning to herself, Meri had to hold back her urge to smack her palm against her forehead.
This is going to be a disaster of biblical proportions.
Taking a quick mental inventory of her wing of the house, she worked out which bedrooms she could put both of them in. They would be close, but not too close.

Tony was going to be spending a day or two at the hospital since they’d needed to pin the breaks in his leg. Meri smiled thinking about her assistant. When he’d been moved back into his room, it had been obvious the lingering effects of the anesthetic had made him a flirty sexpot who had drawn male staff like a magnet. The hospital’s CFO had nearly gone postal and chased away the other would-be suitors, claiming they were a security risk. Tony had batted his long lashes at the man asking, “How can they be a security risk when they already work here?” When the CFO had blushed, Tony had added, “I think you just want me all to yourself, don’t you?” Meri had snorted a laugh before covering it with a cough and turning her face into Dex’s shoulder. Even though Tony was going to make a full recovery, he was going to need some special attention for a couple of weeks and Meri had been pleased to know the CFO had taken a keen interest in helping. Even though she didn’t know Shane Oak personally, all of the business dealings she’d had with him indicated he was competent, honest, and pleasant. It wasn’t a perfect personal recommendation, but it was a good start.

When Jax had confronted her about the trouble she’d been having, every Dom in the damned waiting room had gone on point. She’d have sworn they were all a bunch of bird dogs the way they’d frozen and turned their noses toward her.
Yep
,
probably better keep that bird dog analogy to myself
,
pretty sure I’m already in enough trouble
…
again!
Why did it seem the harder she tried the worse her decisions seemed to be when all was said and done? At the time it always seemed like she had perfectly good reasoning for a choice, but then someone else would question her logic and they never seemed to understand how her mind had worked something through. More than once her dad had asked her to walk him through her thought process when she’d been a teenager. And more often than not he’d just sat behind his desk and stared at her looking completely befuddled, much like Jax had done this evening.

He hadn’t agreed with her assessment of the situation not being a problem until recently and he’d been even less impressed with her observation that hindsight was twenty-twenty. And now that she thought back on it, Meri was relatively certain she’d heard Dex and Ash both growl something about penalties for bratty behavior and insolence, but she’d ignored them. She hadn’t been trying to be disrespectful—well, not particularly—“dissing” them, as the younger aids at the foundation referred to it, was more of a bonus really. She had meant what she said…it’s easy to judge someone else’s decision when you have all the information and the luxury of time and perspective. Jax’s reaction had been blown completely out of proportion and she’d told him so. That had set off a virtual “shit-storm” the likes of which Meri hadn’t seen in a long time. Evidently telling a Dom he needed a nap was not considered appropriate because she could swear she’d seen steam come out his ears.

None of them had stopped to think that she was bone tired, and by the time Jax had jumped down her throat she’d been on the backside of an adrenaline crash. He was probably lucky she hadn’t launched into a rant that would have shocked them all to their toes. At least this way they were simply pissed. Sighing to herself, she refocused on figuring out the accommodations for the two “guests” she would have until Jax could get the security system upgraded. Of course the chances of him hurrying the upgrades along were probably pretty slim now…
damn
it
.

Just as Dex parked in front of the house the front door opened and both Carl Phillips and Peter Weston stepped out. Even though she hadn’t known they were there, Meri wasn’t particularly surprised to see them. Her housekeeper, Hattie, was ordinarily positively anal about denying strangers access to the house, but Hattie knew Jax and would have happily opened the door to the devil himself if he’d asked her to.
Traitor.
Watching the two recently retired SEALs move down the wide front stairs like the predators they were made her think comparing them to devils might not be that far off the mark.

Meri nodded to the two men but didn’t stop to listen to what she was certain was going to be their report on the sorry state of her security “protocols” as Jax had called them.
Protocols? Really?
And telling her that stacking up her mama’s crystal stemware in front of the door would have done more good than her current alarm system was just being an ass. She heard Peter Weston snort with laughter as she stepped through the door.
Fuck me
clear to
next Friday, I forgot he’s a damned empath.

Regi had warned her about him, but Tobi had been the one who had made the biggest impression. She'd sworn Peter was responsible for the worst paddling she’d ever gotten. Evidently her sweet smile had hidden her inner tantrum from Kent and Kyle, but Peter had joined them in one of the casual sitting areas at the club and had thrown her under the bus. “He started asking me questions and in about thirty seconds it was painfully, and I mean that literally, he'd obviously heard all the plans my mind had been working on.” When Meri had questioned Tobi, she’d finally sighed, “Well, they had played with me earlier and wouldn’t let me come. Said it was part of my kazillion punishment points from when I was pregnant. Can you believe they actually kept a list? A fucking tally? Unbelievable. Who has time for that shit? Anyway, I was plotting their demise and Peter sold me out like a two-dollar date. Don’t let those pretty green eyes fool you, he’s a minion for the demons.”

Meri couldn’t help smile as she remembered the dancing light in Tobi’s eyes as she’d recounted the spanking she’d gotten on the club’s main stage. Evidently Kent and Kyle had decided to give a lesson on the importance of “transparency” and used their lovely submissive as an example. Tobi had still been sitting on a large pillow as she’d told the story during one of their girls’ night-in parties. None of them had gotten to hear the end of the tale because they had all been hustled back inside when the security feeds had shown a boat anchored close to the Prairie Winds’ small dock. Meri still shuddered each time she thought about how frightened Regi had been the night she swore she’d seen her dad on a boat out in the river.

Regi had believed for years her parents had been murdered, only to find out they’d faked everything in order to disappear. And within minutes of
finding
her father again, she’d watched as he’d been sucked into the abyss off the coast of Belize—or so she’d believed until she’d seen him standing on the deck of a boat. Meri wasn’t sure the Doms at Prairie Winds were convinced he’d survived, but they
were
convinced
Regi
believed it, and that was all that was needed to drop a net over all the submissives they considered
theirs.
Even though Regi had been the last to forgive Meri for her involvement in the incident with Tobi at the club, they had since become good friends.

The night of Tobi’s very public spanking, Meri had been in the dungeon with Masters Ash and Dex providing them all some much needed stress relief. It was the last time she’d been at the club and she leaned her forehead against the glass of the dining room window as she thought back on that night. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Meri felt herself tumbling headlong into the memory. She’d had a particularly difficult day at work and somehow they had sensed the desperation she was feeling to get out of her own head.

Ash had stood back from her with his legs spread and his arms crossed over his chest. The well-worn leather pants he’d worn outlined his rigid length in a mouthwatering display that had drawn her eyes despite his order to keep her gaze on the floor as she stripped. She’d seen a muscle flex in his jaw and she wondered briefly if he’d tried to hide a smile of satisfaction before he’d said, “If you want my cock, pet, you are going to have to earn it. Now turn around.” He’d stepped up behind her and finger combed her hair before working it into a loose braid. She’d been surprised at the ease with which he’d handled the task and he’d chuckled. “I can almost hear the questions bouncing around it that pretty little head of yours, pet. Ask me what you want to know and maybe I’ll answer you.”

“Where did you learn to braid hair, Sir? You did it so perfectly.”

“Very nice, pet. I have several nieces who have long hair. I learned to braid because it was much less difficult than detangling. And as for perfectly—well, I have to admit it’s much easier to do when the subject is standing still.” She hadn’t even realized he’d been slowly backing her toward the large St. Andrew’s Cross until the textured wood pressed between her shoulder blades. She’d gasped and he’d smiled with a glint in his eyes that warned he wasn’t really happy. Turning her, he spoke against her ear as Ash tightened the straps at her wrists and ankles, tethering her to the cross. “If you belonged to us, we’d paddle that great ass of yours each and every time you weren’t aware enough of your surroundings to know someone was moving you.” She’d felt her body respond to his words and he’d reached forward to slide his fingers through her quickly dampening folds. “I do love the way you respond, pet. So wet. Your smooth pussy lips swelling and opening like a rose as your body prepares itself for us. Beautiful.”

He pushed a finger deep inside and moved the calloused tip forward until it brushed ever so temptingly against the magic spot that was sure to send her over. Even now she could almost hear her gasp and feel the shudder of surrender that had shaken her all the way to her core. “Not yet, you haven’t earned an orgasm yet, pet.”

“Please, Sir. I’m so…so close. I don’t know how long I can…hold it. Oh God in heaven, please I can’t…it feels so good.” She’d been sure she was going to burst into flames even though she had only rarely been able to come without pain. Just when she felt her knees were about to fold, he’d pulled his fingers from her and pushed the slick digit between her lips at the same time Dex had spanked her. The blow from his hand had stung, but it hadn’t been enough to push her the rest of the way over. By the time they’d finished securing her to the cross she felt herself letting go. Her mind had already started switching gears and Meri loved the feeling of freedom that submission gave her.

Suddenly she felt herself pulled back against a rock hard chest and felt Ash’s warm breath against her ear. “What did I tell you the last time you weren’t cognizant of your surroundings? And your need for caution is even more important now.” When she didn’t immediately answer, he reached down and slid his hand up the inside of her thigh. “Answer me, pet, before I decide to deal with this before your sweet housekeeper is even out of the house.”

That threat brought her back from her memories and she finally managed to stutter out, “You warned me you would spank me…but this is my home, I’m supposed to be able to let my mind rest here.”

“You can only let your mind
fully let go
when you are with Master Dex or myself, no matter where you are.” His voice lacked the hard edge she’d heard in it earlier, and his obvious concern for her safety was easy to hear. “Now, Miss Hattie has just been escorted to her car. She said she would be back on Monday at ten-ish, whatever the fuck that means. And Masters’ Carl and Peter are going to make another round to secure the perimeter before coming back inside.” Her entire body had shuddered at the thought of all four of them inside her home.

At Prairie Winds she’d already noticed it didn’t matter how large the room, it would shrink exponentially when more than one SEAL entered the space. So knowing they were all four going to be in her home was daunting. She started trying to work out where everyone was going to sleep when Ash’s fingers found her nipples and pinched them both firmly. Even through her clothing the harsh pinch made her squeak. But it refocused her attention on the man holding her tightly against the hard length of his cock and she didn’t doubt that had been his intent. “Where is your mind supposed to be, pet?”

“On pleasing you, Sir…you and Master Dex.” Her words sounded strained even to her own ears and she knew he’d hear every bit of the desperate need now coursing through her. One of the things she’d learned quickly was how incredibly gifted Dominants were at reading the body language of the submissives they were playing with. Even those who weren’t involved in long-term relationships seemed to rarely misinterpret a sub’s response. She’d heard of very few instances where a Dom hadn’t handled a scene well. Oh, she knew it happened, but that was why there were strict rules about safe words and dungeon monitors continually monitored the activities in all areas of the club.

She had visited other clubs during her travels, but she’d never played in them because she’d never felt safe. Meri had mentioned that fact one night after sharing several glasses of wine with Tobi and Gracie, and both women had immediately hushed her and warned her not to say anything like that unless she wanted it getting back to Kent and Kyle. Their words of warning had been too little, too late because Kyle had given her a stern lecture about visiting
any
club alone before he’d put her into the taxi he’d summoned for her. She’d been tipsy enough that she hadn’t intended to drive home, but that hadn’t kept her from frowning about his high-handed treatment. Her car had been parked in the drive the next morning and her keys laying on the front entry table. When she called Tobi to ask how they’d gotten in, her friend had laughed at her, “Locks only keep mortals out…they don’t mean anything to SEALs.”

“Are you boring her or is she just that distracted?” Dex’s words brought her back to the moment just before she heard Ash growl behind her.

“Pet, you are just determined to stretch the limits of my charming personality to its very limit today, aren’t you?” Even as distracted as she’d been, Meri didn’t miss the underlying message. His tone had been a dangerous mix of sarcasm and warning with just a touch of amusement that she doubted was even close to enough to save her from the coming
reminder
of how important it was to stay in the moment. If she was being honest with herself, she’d admit that when a scene first started it usually took both Ash and Dex to get her focused solely on what was happening at that moment. Once the scene was in full swing they’d often dealt with her one-on-one, but she was self-aware enough to know it was the initial switching of gears that gave her so much trouble. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a big difference between recognizing the problem and fixing it.

I really need to work on my focus, I’ll call Dan and ask him if he knows some miracle cure for it. Oh who am I kidding
,
I’ve been like this since I was a kid. My old room in Mom and Dad’s wing would probably work well for
Carl. And the blue guest room will suit Peter.
Oh,
I hope Tony picked up my blue dress from the dry cleaner. I’m going to pack it last
and
hope it doesn’t get too wrinkled before the gala. Damn it, I think I left the tickets on my desk.