Moving into the sitting room of Phoenix’s suite, he flipped on the gas fireplace and settled her on his lap. Pulling a soft cashmere throw around her, he smoothed the wet clumps of her hair away from her face. “
Cher
, I’m so sorry. I should have known better.” She looked up at him and blinked in confusion. “I should have seen this crash coming, but I was too busy relishing the most powerful sexual experience of my life to pay attention. Well, that and in truth, it was taking a lot of my focus to keep from melting into the floor.” It didn’t make it excusable, but it was the truth.
“You…you liked it?”
Is she fucking serious?
Holy hell, she’d fried most of his synapses. He was damned lucky he could remember his own name.
“Oh,
mi amour
. Like doesn’t even begin to cover it. You, my beautiful little sub, knocked me for a loop. Believe me, I’d have never let you down like that if I hadn’t been completely decimated.” If nothing else, he should have his ass kicked for not making sure she’d known how wonderful she’d made him feel. Seeing the insecurity in her eyes broke his heart.
Damn it, she deserved better, and he knew better. This was exactly why he’d always loved ménage scenes and envied his friends in poly-relationships. When one Dom dropped the ball, the other was there to pick up the slack. Vowing to do better the next time, he cuddled her against his chest and assured her their time together had shaken him as well. “There is a good and bad side of being more experienced in the lifestyle, baby. On one hand, I weathered the storm a little better simply because I was better prepared for it. But on the other hand, I damned well should have taken better care of you, and I hope like hell you’ll forgive me for having my head in the clouds.”
When she sat up bracketing his face with her dainty hands and looked into his eyes, Mitch’s breath hitched. He’d never seen such raw emotion and her tears only added to the passion he could see so clearly. “I felt totaled. I’d read about the intensity of the emotional release, but I wasn’t prepared the crashing wave of feelings.” She smoothed her thumbs over his cheeks, and Mitch felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.
“And when I couldn’t even move my arms, but you were walking and talking, I was worried it hadn’t been as powerful for you. I didn’t know how I was going to withstand your disappointment.”
Mitch wasn’t sure he’d ever felt like more of a schlep. It was time to retake control. She needed the reassurance his Dominance would give her, and he damned well wasn’t going to let her down again. “Thank you for your honesty,
cher
. But the next time you are feeling insecure, I want you to speak up immediately. You’ll never be punished for being honest. You will, however, be punished for lying, whether it’s to yourself or either of your Doms.”
“What’s going on? And why does our lovely sub look like she’s been through a tropical storm?” Aspen must have seen him enter the room because she hadn’t seemed startled by his sudden appearance. Her giggle was music to his ears. Leave it to Phoenix to lighten the mood unintentionally.
P
hoenix entered the
suite just in time to hear Aspen shatter under Mitch’s hand. Well, more accurately she’d been up against the glass wall of his shower as his friend fucked her into something resembling a wet noodle. They’d both been wrecked when he’d carried her from the shower, and then she’d crashed—
big time
.
From what he’d heard, Mitch knew he’d made a mistake and was setting them both back on the right track. This was one of the few points he and Mitch disagreed on, Phoenix didn’t think their little goddess was going to capitulate so easily. She might be saying all the right things now, but Aspen had been on her own for a long time, and he didn’t believe she would surrender that independence without waging an internal war.
In the vanilla world, Aspen’s hands framing Mitch’s face and her sweet words would have been perfect. But Phoenix knew she’d just taken charge of the scene, even if Mitch hadn’t realized it.
His brain is still swimming in happy endorphins, lucky bastard.
“Taking care of you is our priority, pet, and I think this clearly shows why it’s going to take two of us to keep up with you.” Holding out his hand, he continued, “Come. I’ll try to tame your hair while your other Master recovers for a minute.” She laid her small hand atop his outstretched palm, and he pulled her to her feet. He didn’t plan to tell her where he’d gotten his hair brushing skills, most of the women he knew didn’t appreciate the fact they were benefitting from his horse grooming experience. Taking care to carefully untangle the drying strands, it was several minutes before he could fashion her hair into a loose braid.
“Thank you. I was hoping to go for a run after breakfast, is there a trail nearby?” Phoenix wasn’t surprised by her request; it was easy to see she kept herself in excellent physical condition. He didn’t have the time this morning to accompany her, and he knew Mitch had work to catch up on as well. Thinking about her out alone on the running trail made him more than a little nervous.
“There is, but I’ve got a few conditions before you set out.” They’d been walking to the kitchen, and suddenly he realized she’d stopped, leaving him to take several steps alone.
“Conditions?” Her arms were crossed over her chest and her brows drawn together as she scowled at him.
And here it is, that independent spirit we’ll be dealing with.
“I didn’t realize I was a prisoner. I was under the mistaken impression I was a guest, even though I was strong-armed into accepting the invitation.” He shackled her wrist and tugged to get her walking again. Hopefully, she’d be more receptive to what he had to say after a cup of coffee and breakfast.
“Come on. I want to get you caffeinated and fed before we get any further into this discussion.”
“So, you want to butter me up so I’ll agree to whatever Neanderthal reasoning you’re going to lay on me?” Coral’s snort of laughter as they entered the kitchen reminded him why he’d agreed when his brother offered to remodel his and Brandt’s suites. Combining the two would give him a large apartment complete with its own kitchen. With his parents using the small home he’d built at the back of the ranch’s large homestead, Phoenix could use the extra space…and privacy.
Coral didn’t react to his glare, but so far she wasn’t adding anything to the discussion either.
Wise decision.
“If
butter up
is your editorialized version of
encourage to be reasonable,
then yes, that’s exactly what I’ve got planned.” He wasn’t going to play word games; her safety was too important. Taking the plates, he’d prepared earlier, from the warming oven, Phoenix set them on the counter. She’d already found the coffee and watched him over the rim as he moved around to sit beside her.
“The trail is clearly marked and it’s wide enough for two people to run side-by-side. My brothers and I cleared it several years ago, and we’ve also marked distance intervals which you’ll see. It starts by the barn and wraps around the main property as a warm-up before winding up the mountain you see out those doors.” He hadn’t needed to gesture to the large French doors at the back of the kitchen because she was already looking outside, eyes wide with appreciation.
“You have a mountain running trail? Seriously? I may never leave.” He knew she wasn’t serious, but the thought appealed to him more than it should this early in their relationship. Turning to Coral, Aspen asked, “Do you have time for a run this morning? I’d love the company.” Phoenix wasn’t sure if she was genuinely interested in a running partner or if she was simply trying to appease him, but the look of horror on Coral’s face made him laugh out loud.
“Seriously?” Coral waved at her stomach and hips. “Does this look like the body of a woman who spends any time running up and down a mountain?” Phoenix knew his sister-in-law was still trying to get back in shape after the girls’ birth, but he also knew carving out time to work out in their home gym was damned difficult for her. “Thanks for the offer, but I happen to know how long it takes an ambulance to get up there, and Ryan wouldn’t be thrilled with me for interrupting his morning with Joelle. He was the picture of patience while I was pregnant, but I’m sure I’ve already used up a lot of his good graces. I’m trying to lay low and rebuild the reserves before the girls get old enough for E.R. visits.”
“They are Morgans. You’ll be lucky if the local hospital doesn’t give you your own entrance and punch card.” His mom and dad still swore their five boys’ escapades funded the emergency services expansion.
Coral rolled her eyes and grinned. “Don’t I know it. They were reenacting their bedtime story last night when they were supposed to be sleeping.” She shook her head before adding, “I still can’t believe their father read
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
to them. What the hell was he thinking?”
“He was thinking they were smart enough to see each of those monkeys got
hurt
.” Turning his attention to Aspen, Sage shrugged as he leaned a hip against the counter. “Unfortunately, they seemed to have missed the point.”
“We need to move them into separate bedrooms. Maybe then they wouldn’t feed off each other. I swear they are manageable when they’re alone.”
Phoenix looked at Coral and laughed. “It won’t matter. Our mom thought the same thing. Hell, dad built us all our own suites when we were kids hoping to stem the dares and competitions that usually led to late night visits to Doc’s.”
“It didn’t work because my brothers steadfastly refused to admit I was faster and smarter.” Phoenix groaned at Sage’s comment, it was an ongoing argument. In many ways, the eldest Morgan brother had always been the responsible one, taking his responsibilities with his younger siblings far too seriously. But he was also prone to forgetting they’d all grown up—well, the jury was still out on Kip, but otherwise they were all full-grown men.
Mitch joined them and listened as Phoenix and Sage debated the wisdom of allowing Aspen to run the mountain trail alone. In his peripheral view, he could see Aspen becoming more and more exasperated, but it was Mitch who finally spoke up. “I think you two are underestimating her. Keep in mind this is a young woman who has flown dozens of missions over hostile territory without incident.” When Phoenix started to speak, Mitch raised his hand holding him off. “The only time she’s been hurt was in an effort to shield a woman she’d been hired to protect. Rather than having this become a point of contention, maybe we’d be better served by trying to minimize her risk.”
Phoenix knew they’d be forced to concede eventually, but he’d also hoped to emphasize the dangers of being out on the trail alone. The stalker wasn’t his only worry, wildlife was on the move at this time of the year, and the potential threat couldn’t be ignored either.
Turning to Sage, Phoenix asked, “Who has permission to hunt on the mountain this year?” Sage was the only one authorized to give hunters the green light. They’d learned the hard way what a fiasco it could become if each brother gave permission to friends.
“Caila is the only one who’ll be up there, and I’ll send her a message letting her know Aspen will be using the trail. I doubt your paths will cross, she should already be in her stand, and I’ll feel better knowing she’ll be watching for you.” Phoenix agreed. And knowing Caila was as good a shot as any military sniper gave him a measure of comfort as well.
“I’m not sure she’ll be hunting after what happened last night, but it’s probably a good idea to check.” Phoenix watched his brother’s brows knit together in concern.
“What’s happened with the Mistress of Mayhem this time?” Sage had always been the most protective of the little girl who’d been born when he was just starting junior high school. He’d never complained when she tagged along. Hell, he’d often invited her when the rest of them would have happily snuck out without the little trouble magnet.
By the time Phoenix finished updating his brother on the what had taken place at the club the previous evening, Sage was pacing the length of the room like a caged tiger. “I’ll kick his ass if he hurts her. And what the hell was Nate thinking letting her into the club?”
Phoenix rolled his eyes. “She’s twenty-two, Sage. And from what I heard last night, she’d gotten a recommendation from another club. It seems our little star has been hiding her light under a basket.” He almost laughed when Sage visibly paled.
“Don’t. Just don’t. I could go the rest of my life without thinking about this.” He ran his hands through his hair making it stick up in the front. It was one of the gestures he’d inherited from their dad, and was one Phoenix bet they’d see a lot more often as the girls grew up.
Coral stepped up behind her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I saw her truck speeding up the road a couple of hours ago. Kip was about five minutes behind her and judging from the way he slid to a stop out front, I’d say he wasn’t in any better mood. Maybe you should text her and then check-in with Kip.” Phoenix appreciated Coral’s ability to calm Sage when he wasn’t thinking clearly. It didn’t happen often, but when his family or friends were involved, Sage could go off the rails as easy as any of them.
Mitch stepped out the back door to accept a call, and Phoenix watched as Sage sent a quick text to Caila. Waiting while he called Kip, Phoenix watched the light he’d seen in Aspen’s eyes when they entered the kitchen dim as she listened to Sage rail at Kip for not protecting Caila at the club.
Damn it, Sage. Have a little consideration.
Since his brother didn’t hold Aspen responsible, he hadn’t considered the fact she might feel guilty for bringing trouble to their door. Before he could stop her, she’d slipped out of the room.
By the time he finished talking to Sage and made his way back to his suite, she was gone. Noting her suitcase looked like it had exploded all over the bed, he assumed she’d taken to the running trail. Hoping the run would help her process everything happening around her, Phoenix made his way back to his office. He’d tie up a couple of loose ends and then check on her.