Secrets Uncovered (2 page)

Yeah, and I’m Marilyn Monroe.

The mattress dipped as Jeff slid into the bed behind her and scooped her into his arms. His chin rested on the top of her head and she giggled as he rubbed it over her hair. Usually his hands would drift up and down, tweaking her nipples or playing with her clit. This time he stroked her tummy in soft circles.

“Still sore?”

She wriggled, and pushed her rear back to get his cock into the cleft between each cheek.

“Oh yes,” she almost purred the word as she plotted and angled her ass. A bit to the left and…

“Stop that.” Jeff moved back far enough to be able to give her butt a sharp tap. The sting it produced wasn’t hard enough to get her juices flowing, but enough to be interesting.

Damn it.
Kath changed tactics. “I ache, Sir.” She scooted back against him again and hoped they wouldn’t fall off the side of the mattress. “I hurt.”

“Hmm.”

She twisted her head and looked over her shoulder at him. His face was all angles and planes in the low lamplight.

“I do.” She took one of his hands and rested it over her pussy. “In here, sooo much. Now, you could rub me better.”

“Good try, no.” Jeff moved his hand. “And nor do you, okay?” He was back in Dom mode for a second.

Kath sighed. “Yes, Sir.” She’d wait until he was asleep. She should have realized Jeff was one step ahead of her. With a chuckle she had to describe as wicked and dangerous, Jeff crossed his arms over hers once more and held them tight against her.

“Bratty sub, I love you. And I know you. No sneaky touches. Behave or once you’re over this bug, you’ll wish you hadn’t bugged me.” His breath caressed the skin of her neck as he bent his head and trailed hot little nips and kisses along her hairline. “Remember who I am.” His words had no command in them, merely humor.

“Hah, if ever anything is designed to make me misbehave, Jeff Sutherland, that sort of statement is. But I’m too darned tired to work out how.” She yawned. It didn’t matter how much sleep she’d had lately, Kath felt permanently tired. “Night, Sir.”

She thought he answered her, but her head was fuzzy. She’d think about everything tomorrow.

* * * *

Of course Jeff still hovered. It didn’t matter how much. She’d said she was fine, he was needed elsewhere or she needed to ring the plumber. It didn’t matter. Everywhere she went, he appeared like a jack in the box. In the end, Kath ensconced herself in the newly built subs’ paradise loo with her smart phone and texted Jess.

Get Jeff busy, I need to slip out and he’s hovering. I need space.

Jess, bless her, didn’t ask why, and when Kath emerged from the loo a few minutes later, Jeff was leaning against the wall, a worried look on his face.

“I have to go to the joiner and meet David there. It seems they’ve got a problem with the wood for the windows. Will you be all right? I’ll not be long. You still look awfully pale. Maybe you should have stopped in bed.” His questions and worries came out in a staccato rhythm. Kath loved him for his concern, but she had to have that hour to herself. She hastened to reassure him.

“I’m fine, I’m pale because I haven’t eaten, and I’m going to have a sandwich soon.” Kath prayed Jeff wouldn’t ask what. She hated polony with a vengeance, and now she had every intention of wheedling some out of the chef. “Then I’m putting my feet up with the new Raven book. So I’ll be fine.” Why did she cross her fingers behind her back?

Jeff stared at her and nodded. “Please pet. You worried me last night. Then you slept so deeply, I actually put my hand in front of your mouth few times to check you
were
breathing. We’ve been working hard, and I was pushing you when we scened. So yeah, take it easy. Nothing too much for a while. I love you so much, Kath, I…” He broke off and shrugged as a fine red color moved over his face. “Ah, you know what I mean. Love you, want you, need you and hate to see you ill when I can’t kiss it better. And no, don’t look like that, and say if I kiss your clit better then all
will
be well.”

Kath laughed and crossed her eyes. “Dammit, foiled again.”

“Hmm. However. I’ll be careful how hard I push next time, it was remiss of me.” He bent his head

Actually, Kath thought, as he kissed her hard and her pussy replied by rippling her inner muscles and making her panties damp, he hadn’t pushed her at all. She’d put paid to that before they’d really gotten started. Trust Jeff to blame himself for everything. Sometimes he overdid the conscientious bit. The thought of what she’d missed was enough to make the hairs on her arms stand on end in a good way. The sight of Jeff, in old faded denims and a black T-shirt, with the long sleeves rolled up past his elbows made her mouth water and her clit tingle.

Damn it. I need to get that test kit.

* * * *

Kath watched Jeff’s four wheel drive vehicle bump down the drive and looked at her own snazzy convertible. It screamed look at me, look at me. Okay, he was headed into the suburbs of Glasgow and she was off to the nearest village that had a chemist shop, but no way did she want him to see her. She stared around the garage. His Ducati was too heavy for her at the best of times, and no way did she have time for a pushbike. The convertible it had to be. As she opened the door, footsteps outside made her swing around in a hurry. Jess stood there in running gear. As she wasn’t sweating, didn’t have a hair out of place and was breathing normally, it was a sure fire guess she’d just come from her and David’s apartment.

“Hey, you, don’t go sneaking away, what’s up?” Jess walked quickly across the garage floor and took the keys from Kath’s hand. “Spill.”

Kath bit her lip. “Ah, are you busy or will you chum me into the village? In your car.”

Jess stared at Kath until Kath knew how a cell under a microscope must feel. Not even in a scene in the club did she feel so on view. Then, just as Kath was ready to scream ‘pax’, Jess spoke. “Give me ten minutes to change.”

“No time.” Kath was ready to fall on the floor and kiss her friend’s feet in gratitude. “Don’t tell me you don’t have a hoodie in the boot of your car, and the spare keys stashed away somewhere, because I won’t believe you.”

“Okay, and don’t give me any crap either because I won’t believe
you
. My ass is going to be red raw for a week after that stunt I’ve pulled. Both David and Jeff have gone off into Glasgow for no reason. The damned joiner said it was nothing big, and I’ve passed the message on as urgent and a mega balls-up. There’s going to be hell to pay when they find out who sent them.” She didn’t sound unduly worried. For someone who not that long before had said the whole BDSM thing wasn’t her, Jess had discovered and embraced her submission whole heartedly and remarkably swiftly. Although, as she freely admitted, if it hadn’t been for David, she’d still be vanilla, still living in the city and still saying the club had nothing to do with her and that she wanted to sell her share to her brother. Diomhair might be built on the site of her childhood home, but Jess claimed she wasn’t sentimental. Kath, who had known her since childhood, thought different.

“Where to?” Jess asked as she drove her Mini Cooper down the drive as if it was a tank. Kath grabbed onto the edge of her seat and gave thanks for seatbelts and the fact she hadn’t eaten anything other than dry crackers.

Kath glanced at her, as they approached the end of the drive. “Well…” she began, then jumped as a white blur appeared from behind them. “Watch out.” Kath yelled as a white van sped past them and clipped the driver’s side mirror.

“Fuck, hold on.” Jess screamed the words as she fought to keep the car upright. It bounced in and out of a newly formed pothole and rocked violently. The van skidded as it left the drive and sped off along the lane in the direction of the village. Even as she held onto the door handle with one hand and tucked the other under her seatbelt and over her tummy, Kath realized its number plate was obscured by thick caked-on mud.

“Shit.” Jess slowed the car and brought it to a halt a few inches from a muddy ditch, half full of water. “What the hell was that?” Her voice was uneven and her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel. “Are you okay?”

Kath took a deep breath and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Her hand trembled and she felt sick at what might have happened. How she’d managed to keep the seatbelt from cutting into her tummy, she had no idea. “Yes, I think so. But sheesh. Who was that?”

Jess rubbed her hands up her face and across her eyes. “No idea. Did you see a name on it? As far as I know there were no deliveries due today, and anyway it’s a bit early. If I knew who it was, he’d never deliver to us again, that’s for sure. Hell, Kath, I almost wet myself when it hit us.”

Kath managed a shaky laugh. “Well I was going to say liquid bowel situation alert, but maybe that’s a TMI sentence. Seriously though, it’s as well Sirs aren’t present. You’ve been warned about your lack of vocabulary.” She touched Jess’ shoulder. “Mind you, in the circumstances,
I
think you were very restrained.”

“Yeah, well shit, fuck and bollocks, just for good measure. Hold on, why are you cuddling your tum? Did you hurt yourself when we did the skid pad session?”

“Nope, now let’s get to the village before we get caught, eh?”

Jess stared at her, and Kath raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Jess shook her head. “Nothing.” She put the car in gear and drove off very steadily. Kath was glad she wasn’t the one driving.

“Damned rain.” Jess skirted another pothole and turned onto the lane. “We need to sort this drive again. I’m assuming this mysterious errand is hush-hush, undercover, don’t tell Jeff, which adds a problem. Do we tell them about the white van?”

Kath considered her answer. Jess might be her friend, but she was Jeff’s twin and David’s sub. “Hmm, well, we’ll have to, but seriously, I’d hoped to keep this quiet. But in light of David finding your secret passage all swept clean and spiderless, I reckon we’ve got no option.”

Jess burst out laughing, even if it sounded somewhat shaky. “That sounds kinkier than what goes on in Diomhair.” She sobered immediately. “If someone is up to no good on the estate and trying to access the club’s records as well, then yeah, we have to tell the men, and fast. For now I’ll say I nipped into the village to get chocolate.”

“Well, as long as it doesn’t get you into trouble.”

Jess rolled her eyes. “Sister, I’m always in trouble. So, tell me where we’re going. I’ll be creative and keep you out of it. I don’t mind the punishment.”

That was a turn up for the books. Kath giggled. “Oh well then, take me to McFadden’s.”

“The chemist?” The car missed a tree by inches as Jess dropped her hands and screeched. “Holy hell, you’re pregnant?”

Chapter Two

Jeff looked at the joiner in disbelief. “No kidding? Some twat measured it wrong? Fire the asshole.” In all truth, he’d thought the trip was going to be a red herring. No one, but no one could screw something up so well. But it seemed they had.

“Sorry, Mr Sutherland, yeah, we messed up. It’s that corner. And the result? Bad. We’ll sort it. But I said it wasn’t urgent. We’ll sort it next week.”

Jeff hoped so. Not serious was like saying Mount Everest was a wee hill. The corner in question was skewed, seriously out of line. He looked over at David and grimaced. It was a major fuck up. No windows and no new dungeon. The mistake was the last thing they needed. Not only would they be unable to finish the viewing area, but also it would put their plans back for weeks. He tamped down his ire and counted to ten.

David looked at him, and Jeff shrugged. There was no point losing their tempers, they needed the window. However, to say it wasn’t important seemed weird. He went to answer the joiner, but David beat him to it.

“I think you better,” David said. “Get on to it, get making it and get it finished. By Friday.” He stalked out before anyone answered, and Jeff followed him. Explanations could follow, for now all he wanted was to get back to his lady.

“What’s with the not important rubbish?” Jeff asked as he drove them away from the joiner’s workshop. “It’s an almighty mess.”

David tapped his fingers on the door handle. “Not a clue, but somehow Jess seemed to realize it was important enough to tell me. Or I’ll interpret it as such until I find out different.”

Jeff nodded—he knew how his twin’s mind worked, and she wouldn’t hesitate to bend the truth if need be—and turned the car in the direction of Diomhair. The castle had been his and Jess’ childhood home until a large part of it had burnt down. Then he’d turned it into the BDSM club without her knowledge. Until Jess had met David, she’d had a hatred of all things kink. With good reason, Jeff had subsequently found out. Now? Well, looking at his friend and his twin together, he could see how that hatred had disappeared. Sometimes he felt sure Jess and Kath were vying to see who won brat of the year award. So far, he reckoned it was a close run thing.

“Lachy mentioned he saw that white van again, over by Keepers cottage,” David mentioned the man who looked after the extensive grounds for them. Lachy had lived in the lodge all his life, as his father had been groundsman before him. There had never been any doubt in Lachy’s mind—or Jeff’s that he’d take over the job when his father retired into the village. Once Jeff had decided to open Diomhair—the club—Lachy had continued in his role, with a couple of helpers when necessary. As he’d said to Jeff, much to Jeff’s amusement, “The wife and I have our own wee way of daein things, and we’ll not need all your posh stuff. Clothes pegs and the washin’ line work fine for us.”

Until its popularity was such he needed someone to share the burden, Jeff managed Diomhair alone, with Kath’s support. Jess had been in ignorance of where her extra money came from, and still worked full time as a university lecturer.

When it had become imperative, he’d made David a partner. As a fellow Dom and Master for years, and someone who could work from home, David had been the quintessential choice. It was the ideal partnership. They each had an apartment in the newly restored castle and split the workload between them. As David and Jeff had different strengths and weaknesses, they complemented each other perfectly.