Discovering Pleasure (9 page)

Joe grinned and wiggled her bottom. “I believe you are correct, Mr Milo.”

“Before you begin, Vince, shouldn’t we post the cabin rules?” Nathan pointed out.

Rose caught Joe’s eye and smiled. Before they had left on this trip, the two women had chatted and assumed the men would want some rules. That was fine. The women had a few rules of their own they wanted to institute.

“Excellent idea,” Vince said, releasing his wife and reaching into his back pocket. “I’m going to read these to you ladies and then tape it to the door. That way there will be no doubt as to what the expectations of you will be. Feel free to amend as needed.”

Rose felt a warm, tingling sensation and wondered if Joe felt the same. She turned to look at Nathan, whose eyes had darkened. Holy Toledo, but the man was hot.

“First, you will remain naked at all times while in the cabin. You will have a time limit of thirty seconds to divest yourself of any and all clothing once you enter.

“Second, you will assume that while in the cabin we are in a play event. When we are outside the cabin, if either Nathan or I say the word ‘play’, you will know we are in a play event.

“Third, you can and will be punished by either Nathan or myself for any infractions or chastised by either of us for our pleasure. Any questions?” Vincent asked.

“Just one,” Joe answered. “Can we add to the rules?”

Nathan and Vince glanced at each other in surprise.

“With your approval, of course,” Joe added impishly.

When Vincent nodded, she continued.

“For the first rule, we’d like you to add that we must remove any or all clothing whenever you order us to, not just in the cabin,” she began.

Rose saw Nathan’s mouth begin to twitch and knew he was holding in his laughter.

“Adding to the second rule, please amend that to read Rose and I may also institute ‘play’ at any time.”

Nathan studiously stared at his shoes and Rose grinned openly. Joe was right on the money when she had guessed what expectations the men would have of them. She had also rightly predicted that Vincent would be both shocked and excited by their amendments. By the look on his face, Rose wasn’t sure if he was going to laugh or ravish Joe. Rose was rather hoping for both.

“And please edit rule number three to include that chastisement will also be administered when asked for by the women. Any questions?”

Rose saw the moment when Nathan lost control. He threw his head back and gave his roaring laugh.

“Christ, Vince,” he said, slapping his friend on the shoulder. “Do you ever wonder who is really in control?”

“Nope,” Vincent answered, planting a wet, sloppy kiss on his wife’s face. “I have no doubt as to who is in control. And I’m grateful she allows me to think I am every now and then.”

“Play,” Joe whispered, weaving her arms around her husband’s neck.

Rose saw Nathan’s eyes darken as she removed her clothing and knelt before him.

Chapter Ten

Pear Wine
—
With just a hint of honey flavour, this sweet, yet crisp wine perfectly complements soft cheese and ripe fruit.

The next morning, the four friends drove to the first of five wineries they wanted to visit. After considering their cover story, Vincent had decided that adding local Illinois and Missouri wines to the bar would actually be an excellent idea. At the moment, his bar specialised in shots and cocktails with sexy sounding names, but it seemed that more and more customers were asking for wine, local varieties in particular. Vince’s decision pleased Rose very much. She’d hate to think that the trip had inconvenienced her friends. This winery, Fruitful, specialised in non-grape fruit wines. Rose carefully inspected the wine glass used for samples, wiped a small spot with a clean tissue, then tasted all seven wines offered. Her favourite had to be the sweet pear wine. Crisp, clean, with a vanilla finish. She could easily imagine serving this wine with turkey, chicken or perhaps a salad.

On their way to the second winery, Joe received a phone call.

“What? Really?” Joe questioned excitedly.

Dozing off a bit, Rose registered only a few words of Joe’s one-sided conversation—“Southern Illinois…we’ll make room…can’t wait to see you…”

“Rose? Rose. Wake up, honey.” Nathan’s voice broke through the sweet darkness.

She smiled. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi yourself,” he answered. “You took a bit of a nap. Ready for round two?”

Rose nodded and unhooked her seat belt. Walking into the winery hand in hand with Nathan, she couldn’t help but notice the lush beauty of the vineyards.

“So, which one is this?” she asked.

“Skylight,” Nathan informed her.

“Isn’t this one next to…?” Rose’s voice dropped off quietly.

Nathan slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. Rose cuddled against him, trying to absorb a bit of his strength.

“You’ll be fine. Besides, Blue Jay is about ten miles around the bend, over the hills and behind a forest. My understanding is you can’t see even a hint of it from the main road. Besides, we’re all here with you, but if you feel nervous at all, let me know and I’ll get you out of there,” he promised, dropping a kiss onto her head. “You were asleep, so we decided to hit this one first and then, if you’re up to it, do a cursory visit to Hidden Vines afterwards.”

Rose nodded. She was anxious to visit her father’s winery but frightened as well. Seeing the encouragement on her friends’ faces, though, she realised she had no need for worry.

While the four friends sipped a light Reisling and enjoyed a simple meal of cheese, fruit and sausage, they chatted.

“So, when I was falling asleep in the car, I think I heard you sounding excited about something, Joe,” Rose said.

“Oh! Yeah. I was talking to my cousin, Alicia. You know—the one who is a full-time submissive to her husband? As it turns out, she and her husband, Maverick, were able to catch an earlier flight. They’ll be in St. Louis tomorrow morning so Vince checked with the Lodge and the cabin next to ours is open, so they’ll rent a car and drive down here after they land. I can’t wait to see Alicia. You’re going to absolutely love her. First, she’s the best cook in the world and, second, she’s just a fantastic person,” Joe rambled.

“Wow, that sounds wonderful, but wouldn’t you rather have her all to yourself? If you need to head back to be with your cousin, I won’t mind a bit,” Rose reassured.

“I already suggested that,” Nathan interjected.

“I told Alicia where we are and what we’re doing. The wine tour piqued her culinary curiosity. I think I told you she is a gifted personal chef. Also, Maverick is a talented photographer. When I described the landscape here, I could practically hear him drooling. They’re scheduled to be here for almost a month so there will be plenty of time for me to catch up with Alicia,” Joe assured her.

“And besides,” Vince added, “another couple familiar with the lifestyle can only add to the excitement.”

Rose giggled and playfully tossed her napkin at him. Vince laughed, caught the piece of cloth and cocked his eyebrow at Joe.

“Play,” he said.

Rose watched as Joe’s demeanour changed. Her crystal-blue eyes widened and sparkled just before she demurely lowered them. She sat up straighter and a bit of colour brightened her cheeks. Rose could only stare mutely at her friend’s beauty.

“That goes for you too, girl,” Nathan added.

Startled out of her reverie, Rose quickly lowered her eyes as well. As she did so, she noticed Nathan’s wine glass was nearly empty so she reached for the bottle and poured more into his goblet.

“That’s better,” he praised. “I do, however, believe you two are overdressed.”

Rose slipped a glance at Joe, who indicated the ladies’ room with a subtle nod.

“If you gentlemen will excuse us, we will take care of that immediately,” Joe promised.

“Of course, ladies,” Vince allowed. “But leave the underclothing in there. I don’t want to see it on you or with you again.”

“But…” Rose began.

“You aren’t going to argue, are you?”

“No, my Lord. I’m sorry. It’s just that this is a matching set and it’s new. It seems wasteful just to throw it away.”

Nathan said nothing, just tapped his fingers on the table.

Joe cleared her throat and scooted out of her chair.

“We’ll be right back, Sirs,” she quickly responded.

When the two women reached the privacy of the restroom, Joe gaped at Rose.

“Are you crazy? Back-talking Nathan like that when we’re in play mode?” she asked.

“Nope, not crazy at all,” Rose answered with a sly smile. Quickly, she stepped out of her panties, removed her bra and deposited both in the rubbish bin.

Joe’s mouth hung open for a moment before she burst out laughing. When Joe finally composed herself, she followed suit, removing her undergarments, then slung an arm around Rose’s shoulder.

“You,” Joe whispered in Rose’s ear, “are my hero.”

When the women returned to the table, the two men stood and held their chairs. Rose smiled. Even when playing the role of strict Dominant, Nathan was always a gentleman. When she was seated, Nathan remained standing, one hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.

“You know you’re going to be punished,” he said sternly.

Rose grinned up at him and replied, “Yes, my Lord. I know. And I expect no mercy.”

Nathan chuckled a bit, kissed her upturned face and resumed his seat.

“Witch.”

“My Lord.”

“Where’s Vincent?” Joe asked.

“He’s paying the bill and arranging for a private walking tour of the vineyard,” Nathan answered.

The women glanced at each other but said nothing. In a few moments, Vincent returned and held out his hand to Joe.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Nathan stood and assisted Rose to her feet. They followed Vincent down a set of stone steps and to their car. After a short drive, Vincent pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road next to long rows of lush grape vines.

“It’s beautiful,” Rose said. “Are you sure it’s okay for us to go traipsing around? I mean, aren’t the owners concerned about damage to their property?”

“Rose, you really are looking for a severe punishment today, aren’t you?” Nathan asked.

“Oops. Sorry. That one was unintentional. I apologise, Sir. I didn’t mean to question you.” A slight blush warmed her cheeks.

Vincent threw his head back and laughed. “See, Nathan. I told you she was intentionally asking for it earlier. And after such a heartfelt apology, my dear, you are certainly forgiven…by me at least.”

Rose felt a rush of warmth course through her as she looked at Nathan’s darkening eyes. Her thighs grew sticky.

Oh yeah
. Not only was she ‘asking for it’, she was all set to meet anything Nathan wanted to dish out. Some days, nothing felt as good as an old-fashioned spanking and today was certainly one of those days.

The two couples walked a short distance down a neatly trimmed row of vines. Rose glanced back and noticed that neither the car nor the road was visible owing to the vines and the softly rolling hills.

“Where are the workers?” she asked.

“Off today,” Vincent answered. “So this part of the vineyard is free of human presence…except for us, of course.”

Rose cast a speculative glance in Joe’s direction. Joe simply smirked and followed behind Vincent, who was playing with a silken rope.

“Vincent,” Rose asked, “where did you get that?”

“Rose,” Nathan answered. “Don’t ask questions.”

Rose giggled and silently slipped her hand into Nathan’s. He shot her a devious smile that promised nothing short of debauchery.

“I think this is good, don’t you, Nathan?” Vincent questioned.

“Good enough,” Nathan responded.

Before she knew what was happening, Nathan had scooped her up in his arms and placed her on the opposite side of a low fence on which the small, young vines clung. Swiftly, he leapt over the wire and stood behind her. Vince had positioned himself to the side of Joe and held her arms out towards Rose.

“Hold each other’s wrists,” he instructed.

Instinctively, Rose obeyed. The two women grasped wrists and silently watched as Vince tied them together. Nathan pulled Rose back a step and gently nudged her legs apart. Vince repeated this procedure with Joe so that the two women were forced to press their palms together in order to maintain balance. Nathan grasped Rose’s hair, entangling his fingers in her red locks.

He leaned over her and whispered, “You ready to get what you’ve been asking for?”

“Most assuredly, my Lord, I am,” she answered, tilting her head slightly so she could kiss his cheek.

“Good. Because once the spanking is completed, know that I’m not even half done with you,” he promised.

She heard him laugh quietly as he straightened and flipped her skirt up over her hips. Looking straight into Joe’s eyes, she smiled and saw an answering smile on her friend’s face. She glanced up and saw that Vince had exposed Joe’s ass to the warm summer air as well. She watched as Vincent unbuckled his belt and heard an echo of leather against denim behind her. Sweet dampness coated her tender lips as she clasped her fingers around Joe’s and closed her eyes. Nathan’s belt. Blessed goddess but she loved his belt—the leather softened by wear, the scent of him clinging to it. And Nathan knew how to use it. He could snap it against her tender flesh so that a welt immediately raised or drag it gently across her nipples causing them to stand at attention. Today, she knew he’d show no mercy, nor did she want any.