Independence: #4 Hayley (4 page)

“Absolutely,” Dane settled back in the chair, keeping his laughter inside when Jack stood up with Hayley in his arms, her mouth opening and closing and her hands floundering to circle his neck. By the time she’d worked that out, she was nestled against Dane, his arms circling her when she squirmed.

Jack stood over them for a minute, adjusting his jeans and exhaling slowly.

“Definitely an armful,” Jack commented, striding to the small fridge and pulling out three bottles of cold water. He popped the lid on one and handed it to Dane before opening the second and offering it to Hayley.

He sat back in the chair he’d been in, opened his own bottle and drained half of it before taking a slow breath.

“Tell us why you agreed to help Bailey with the auction, Hayley,” Dane asked, the hand not around her waist stroking along her thigh, his fingers stopping now and then to toy with the edge of the stocking.

“Because she asked me,” she replied as if it should be obvious.

“You were aware of what the club was?” Jack prodded, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

Hayley wasn’t uncomfortable. Not completely anyway, she admitted reluctantly. And she wasn’t unfamiliar with men ogling or making passes. It becomes part of any girl’s life as soon as the straight lines turn into curves. Some you ignore; steel your nerves against and move on. Some make it inside the fortress with pretty words and a façade that is filled with invisible cracks.

“I’ve heard of
Independence
,” she admitted slowly. “From a few select friends and in veiled rumors.”

“Let‘s try something else,” Dane exhaled deeply, his fingers straying to the feather soft skin inside her thighs. The only indication that she was acknowledging his touch at all were the sharp indents of her nails in his forearm. “Basic Dom/sub relationships, whether short or long term, revolve around two things and two things only. Communication and trust. If you do not want to communicate with us, about everything and anything, this won’t work. Without communication, we can’t build trust.”

“Part of that, is knowing your motivation, Hayley,” Jack picked up smoothly.

“What are your motivations?” She looked up from the heels she had been staring at, gazing from deep blue eyes to the dark brown ones. A shank of thick, straight brown hair kept falling forward on Jack’s forehead no matter how many times he raked it back.

“We’re control freaks,” Dane admitted with a simplicity that brought a soft, instant laugh from her.

“He’s serious. It’s why our construction business is such a success. We don’t cut corners, and we’re very select about the people we choose to hire as well as to work for,” Jack said with a little nod. “Made for some hungry days back in the beginning…”

“But we decided early on that it would be done right and safe or it wasn’t meant for us.” Dane suddenly put his hands on her waist and lifted her to the floor. “Take two steps out and stand there for me. Face us, Hayley.”

Jack sat up straight, looking quizzically at his friend and partner. The cloud of confusion on his face cleared once she’d taken a stance as she’d been told. She followed orders and her instant stance said it all.

“What branch of the military were you in, Hayley?” Jack asked casually. Casually enough that she looked surprised and a little nervous. “It’s just a question. Nothing to be afraid of.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” she informed them, her chin tipping up and lashes narrowed. “I was in the Marines…Sirs.”

“Well, well, well…” Dane capped off the water and set it on the table between the two chairs before standing and striding to stop behind her. “How old were you when you went in?”

“Eighteen.”

It was the slightest hint of belligerence that made the decision for him. Dane took a step back and swung his palm at her ass, making a loud and sharp connection.

“Sirs! Eighteen, Sirs.”

“You didn’t tell your family, did you?” Dane guessed with a nod at the instant shield falling over her eyes.

“They would have stopped me.” Another swat had her head snapping up. “Sirs.”

“You’ve been advised of the protocols. Repeatedly. How were you disciplined in the Marines, Hayley?”

“Push-ups or running, Sirs.”

Both men heard the defiance in her tone, the slightest hint that she was daring them.

“Someone commented that you were a dancer in Las Vegas when you were nineteen,” Dane watched a flicker of anger in her eyes. “How long were you in the marines?

“Six years, Sirs.”

“Dancing in Vegas wasn’t a hobby, was it, Hayley?” Jack suggested softly. “We were both in for six years. But we were Army Corp of Engineers. What was your specialty?”

“Security and Criminal Investigations Division,” she admitted reluctantly. “Sirs.”

“What were you investigating in Vegas?” Dane nodded slowly.

“The disappearance of two female Marines on leave.”

“Why are you here, Hayley?” Jack asked the question once more. He stood up and moved forward, aware of her gaze on his every move. “I asked you a question, sub. I expect an answer.”

“Because I want to learn, Sirs,” she returned with only a trace of an edge to her words. Her teeth ground down when another palm struck her ass.

Dane caught Jack’s gaze. “Why do you want to learn, sub?”

They waited a count of five before Dane took a swat this time.

“A few more of these and the color in this ass is going to rival the carpeting,” Jack remarked with a smack of his own. “Waiting, sub.”

“It’s personal,” she ground out after the third swat, her teeth obviously clenched as well as the fists that hung at her sides. “Sirs!” She released the word just a little louder when two more swats came in rapid succession.

“Personal,” Jack repeated, pulling a deep breath into his lungs and collecting his thoughts. “You are no longer with the Marines, correct?”

“Yes, Sirs.” Came the tense answer, this time very quickly. She closed her eyes, trying to think. “I mean…no, Sirs, I’m no longer with the Marines.”

Hayley knew she was almost holding her breath. Almost.

She should have realized this could happen and she should have come up with a more plausible story that she could use. She hadn’t quizzed Bailey and Angel enough to get an idea of the intelligence and intuition that went along with being a dom.

No, they weren’t mind readers by any stretch of the imagination, but they did grasp words used and followed patterns. Add to that, they were military. She groaned inwardly. And unbelievably observant.

The yelp that escaped because she was distracted erupted because the pricks were double teaming her. One on each side and damn, each swat felt different! And hurt like hell.

“We’ve lost the attention of our sub,” Jack tsked softly, forcing her to focus. “Where’d you go, little sub?”

“Little?” She almost burst out laughing, barely keeping the single word to an astonished squeak. Which earned her two more swats. Her nails were stabbing the centers of her palms and she knew she’d be leaving marks.

“Anything that ends with that little squiggle called a question mark…” Dane stood on one side, his chest against her shoulder and his mouth just above her ear. She almost jumped out of her skin when Jack appeared at the other side.

“Requires an answer…or punishment,” Jack continued softly.

She shivered when she felt the damp hot stroke of his tongue around her ear. Her heart quickened considerably when Dane lifted her hair to fall behind her and his teeth nipped at her throat, from her jaw to her shoulder.

“Where did you go, little sub?” Jack repeated with a slight snap to his words.

“I was thinking I’d lost my fucking mind to be here like this,” she growled back, quickly adding. “Sirs!” But just not quick enough.

“I don’t get the feeling she’s being honest with us,” Dane commented, his tone sad despite the smile he offered when she met his gaze. “There are an awful lot of questions surrounding you, Hayley. Can you be here tomorrow evening?”

“Promptly at six,” Jack added from the other side, his hand gliding over her side and beneath her breast. He trailed his fingers over the full underside and then higher, around a nipple pressing against the thin fabric. “Nice…and I so want a taste of this…”

“Yes, Sirs,” she answered hurriedly. She almost rocked on her heels when both men stepped back at the same time.

“Then you may go for now. I suggest you go home and do a little research, Hayley,” Dane told her flatly. “If you can’t be honest with us, we’ll cancel the bid. We won’t play with someone without knowing a few key things, one of which is why you’re here.”

“You can’t,” she said, steeling herself for the smacks that never came. “Please. I’ll try harder. I will. I…”

“Why the mask, Hayley?” Dane fired out immediately.

“My…my relatives are protective,” she finally said. “Like I said, they’re all guys and they think I can’t take care of myself because of what happened. I have a brother who’s two years older than me and three cousins. They wouldn’t understand this.”

“What happened?” Dane prodded, taking advantage of the break.

“I explained it already,” she said softly.

“Once more,” Dane said flatly.

“I was engaged to this guy…he cheated on me. That’s when I found out he was engaged to me because of…of the family business…the ranch…and he didn’t take it well when I ended it. I told you this before. So now they’re a little on the protective side. This…the need…the tension and excitement…they definitely wouldn’t understand,” she said honestly, uncertain if she fully understood herself. “To them…my uncles and cousins…I’m supposed to still be a little girl without…without sexuality or a life.”

“You like being spanked,” Jack spelled it out clearly.

“I…it’s…erotic…it’s…”

“Are you wet, Hayley?” Dane moved back to her side, his body lined up with hers. In the heels, she was only a couple inches shorter then both him and Jack. He watched the color fill her cheeks for the first time that evening. “Being aroused embarrasses you?”

“You’re laughing at me.”

“No, pet,” Dane corrected instantly, his palm up and cupping her chin. He tipped her head back, watching the long waves and curls caress her back and ass. He sighed in appreciation. “We all enjoy different things. Even and perhaps, especially, here at
Independence
. You don’t have to fit into a mold. But to make that work, we need honesty between us.”

“You’re going to talk about stuff you probably never discussed before or refused to talk about.” Jack moved to her other side again, his palm returned to cup her breast with a firm squeeze. His thumb raked heavily over the aroused nipple. “What we enjoy will be based on what you want to give us, Hayley. We won’t take anything unless it’s freely given. Will we push your limits? Absolutely. But you have to be honest with yourself and know where those boundaries should be.”

“So you owe me an answer,” Dane reminded her, his palm stroking very softly over the fiery glow that had begun to appear on her ass.

“May I have the question repeated, please, Sirs?” She spoke each word clearly and flatly.

“I think I’ll check for myself,” Jack whispered from the other side of her, his palm gliding from her breast to the center of her ribs. He paused his movement when her breathing hitched and stopped for a few seconds. He stared into her eyes, effectively holding her captive. “So I can check…” his hand slid lower, one finger circling her naval. When the edges of his fingers reached the band of her thong, her eyes widened considerably.

“Wet!” She almost shouted. “Sirs…I…yes!”

“Good girl,” Jack chuckled, his hand withdrawing and rising to stroke over her cheek. “So the spanking…or something…has a definite sexual effect on you. That’s good to know.”

“We are, however, back to the original question,” Dane rubbed his hand over her ass. “A mild warning, babe…what brought you to
Independence
?”

“There is a club in Olympia…” Hayley pulled in a ragged breath. Always give them a kernel of truth in the story you’re spinning. Old methods were always the best, she thought, her mind churning. “
Neptune’s Dungeon
,” she saw the acknowledgement in their eyes. “Tessa is a friend of mine. She…she’d been going there for a few months. She met a guy…at first, she was…just Tessa. We met in vet school…she has a private practice in Olympia.”

She closed her eyes, the memory of what she’d seen and felt.

“One day…a month ago…she came to me at the ranch. She wanted me to go to the club. I’m not going to lie to you,” her chin went up and she looked from one to the other. “I was curious. I’d read things. I’m friends with Angel and Bailey and a few others that come here. So when Tessa brought it up, I decided I wanted to learn more. Though I really had no idea how to even begin exploring that side of me.”

“What happened, Hayley?” Jack felt the hairs at the back of his neck tingle, his hand up and rubbing to away. “That club doesn’t have the best reputation.”

“I didn’t know. Tessa met Derrick in her practice. They started dating and he took her there,” her gaze fell to the floor. “I had a lot of commitments…work and my private practice. It was three weeks later that I went with her. She told me what to wear, but…I wasn’t very comfortable with her idea…I…there was something very uncomfortable about her lately, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. She was anxious…and even a little angry with me. She pulled stuff out of my closet and ordered me to get dressed. She was driving us to the club to meet Derrick. And she did not like keeping him waiting. I…I couldn’t get a feel for if it was fear or excitement or anger…I think it was all of it at once and she couldn’t process the emotions.”