Game On (The Morgan Brothers Book 4) (8 page)

Gracie sat on
the bed watching Aspen pace the length of the large room. She knew Nate and Taz had insisted Aspen stay in one of the club’s large guest suites last night instead of returning to the hotel where she’d checked in. After the scare she’d had yesterday, Gracie was sure any protest Aspen had waged had been token at best.

“You’d better save some of that energy, I can assure you you’re going to need it.” Gracie didn’t even try to keep the amusement out of her voice. She’d met Aspen a couple of times at Prairie Winds, but they hadn’t spent much time together until this evening. Tasked with helping Aspen get ready for tonight’s reenactment of her fantasy, she’d dressed the woman in several layers before Aspen’s eyes lit with understanding.

“I can’t believe Nate is orchestrating this. Do they do this for all submissives applying for membership? I mean, it has to be a tremendous expense.” Aspen finally settled on the other side of the bed and looked at Gracie.

“First of all, this has been a group effort. Nate isn’t the only one involved, but that isn’t my story to tell. In answer to your question, no they don’t do this for all applicants. I’m sure you can see how expensive that would be. But if you’re being honest with yourself, you know you aren’t just another submissive applying for membership. You are for all intents and purposes a member of a very special family.”

Gracie wanted to laugh when Aspen simply blinked at her in confusion. The woman really was adorable, as well as gorgeous. One of the things she noticed while helping Aspen with her makeup and hair was the young woman’s complete lack of self-awareness. Her long blonde hair and bright green eyes topped off a curvy figure Gracie would bet got her more second looks than she knew. But even more important was her lack of understanding about how important she was to the people around her.

“My husband certainly considers you a member of his family, and I know Kent and Kyle do as well. I think you’ll have a better understanding of how important you are to people at the end of this evening.” Aspen continued to blink, looking like a baby owl and it made Gracie smile. “The only thing I’m asking is that you keep an open mind and an open heart. Accept the gifts you’re given tonight…and I’m not talking about things you hold in your hand. No, these gifts will be far more precious. These gifts are held in the heart so they can never be taken away from you.”

For the first time, Gracie saw understanding dawn in Aspen’s sea green eyes as they went glassy with unshed tears. Before she could respond, a heavy knock at the door made Aspen jump. Jax and Micah stepped into the room, their eyes softening when they saw Gracie sitting on the edge of the bed. Jax stepped in front of her, while Micah settled behind her back and wrapped his arms around her and pulling her against his chest.

Jax smiled at the two of them before turning to Aspen. “I’m your escort for the first part of this evening, sweetness. Once you’ve been handed off to the Doms running the show, I’ll back off, but I won’t ever be far away. If you need me, you just have to call out my name, and I’ll be beside you in an instant.”

Aspen moved so fast Gracie had barely registered her shift before the woman threw herself into Jax’s arms. “You’re the best, you know that? I love you to pieces, even if you are bossy and annoying sometimes.” Gracie laughed out loud, and Jax gave her a warning look that didn’t hold any heat at all.

Micah leaned forward whispering against the sensitive shell of her ear. “I get you all to myself for a little while, baby. And I’m very much looking forward to capturing you in the chaos so make sure you stay where I put you when we get downstairs.” Gracie was looking forward to spending time with Micah, also. He’d been out of town for business on and off during the past few weeks, and she’d missed him. And knowing her
planner
husband, he had something special all lined up for her…and she could hardly wait.

She had two wonderful children with these men, and even the day-to-day strain of keeping their household together hadn’t dimmed her desire for them. One of the things she loved most about the two of them was how they never distinguished between the kids despite the fact it was obvious which man was the biological parent. Deaga definitely belonged to Micah, her sandy blonde hair and crystal blue eyes made her the spitting image of her Daddy. But her sweet Dougy was McDonald through and through. Even as a baby, he was already so tall for his age he wasn’t registering on the charts. His easy smile and deep blue eyes were topped off with jet black hair and always drew the ladies to him in the same way she’d seen them flock to Jax. Douglas Drake McDonald was definitely going to be a heartbreaker.

It would serve Jax right to have a son just like him, but honestly, Micah hadn’t done a thing to deserve the strong-willed Deaga. Their daughter was brilliant, but the little hellion had definitely inherited her mama’s stubborn streak. But the thing that terrified all three of her parents was Deaga’s devotion to Tobi West. The little girl idolized all things Tobi and Lilly. It was downright terrifying. Tobi might be Gracie’s best friend, but just thinking about raising a child like her was almost enough to send Gracie into a panic attack.

Micah tightened his arms around her and spoke softly against her ear. “What has you teetering on the edge of a meltdown, baby? There is no reason to worry about the children, they love your mother.” He was right, and Gracie was grateful her mother had been willing to return to Austin to watch her only grandchildren.

“I was just thinking about Deaga’s hero-worship of Tobi and how much it scares me.” She felt more than heard him chuckling behind her.

“Baby, I will grant you that our beautiful daughter thinks the sun rises and sets on both Tobi and Lilly. But I’m honestly worried she is simply taking notes on what doesn’t work so she doesn’t repeat their mistakes. What she’ll come up with on her own is likely going to be more refined and far more dangerous.”

Gracie gasped and wondered if all the blood had drained from her face because Jax was suddenly standing in front of her, concern clearly written in his expression. “What did you say to her? Hell, she’s as pale as a fucking ghost all of the sudden.”

“I simply told her that our daughter is using Tobi and Lilly as points of reference rather than planning to emulate them.” Micah’s hands slid inside the low cut dress she was wearing, his fingers rolling her nipples back and forth, the pressure increasing each time he changed direction.

“
Cariño
, don’t worry. There are three of us to watch after her.” Even though her eyes were beginning to be more unfocused as desire pulsed through her, Gracie saw Jax’s attention shift to Micah. “Stop tormenting our sub, I want to enjoy some time inside her later when I don’t have to worry about who’s watching. Worrying about our preschool princess and dapper-diaper Don Juan isn’t what I want her thinking about.”

This time, Micah laughed out loud. “Agreed. I’ll see if I can wind her up a bit, but don’t wait too long to join the party. I have been away from her far too much lately, and I’m looking forward to making up for lost time.”

Jax snorted then turned to Aspen. “Let’s go, sweetness. Things to do and a sub to do them with. Let’s get this party started.”

Caila Cooper was
looking forward to getting some serious stress relief tonight. Spending a couple of days in the Morgan’s barn with Kip had nearly pushed her over the edge. God in heaven, was there a more exasperating man in the entire world? He’d nearly tripped over himself several times trying to keep from brushing up against her. She felt as though she’d fallen through Alice’s looking glass and everything was backwards…Kip was the one being clumsy, not her. And him nearly falling trying to steer clear of her instead of her tumbling over things in her mad dash to get closer to him was certainly new.

He needn’t worry. She’d given up on Kip Morgan. There were other men out there, and she planned to find one tonight. She’d been thrilled when Master Nate called to invite her to the special event the club was hosting. Caila had been a member of another club close to campus when she heard about Mountain Mastery. She’d scheduled an interview with the club’s owner and five minutes into her interview with Nate Ledek, Caila had known she’d found a new club home.

Caila had only attended one open night so she’d been surprised by Master Nate’s call. During her interview, she’d confessed her need to set aside her lifelong crush on Kip, and it had been the only time she’d seen Master Nate’s expression flicker with something she couldn’t identify…recognition, perhaps? The change was so fleeting, she wasn’t sure it had even been real, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.

Standing beside another woman whose Dom hovered nearby, Caila was starting to question her decision to attend when a warm hand settled on top of her shoulder. Warm and huge. “Breathe, little vet. You look like you are about ready to bolt.” She turned to see a man who looked so much like Master Nate she knew they must be brothers. “My name is Master Taz. I’m Nate’s better looking brother.” The man was huge and would have been intimidating if not for his welcoming smile.

One of the women beside her squealed and launched herself at the man who’d just introduced himself as Taz. “Oh, Master Taz, I’m so happy to see you. How have you been? We’ve missed you at Prairie Winds.”

One of the men who’d been standing nearby practically growled at his wayward sub. “Gracie. You know the rules; I swear to God you have been spending too much time with Tobi.” Caila wasn’t sure who these people were, but it was more than obvious they were all friends.

When she started to take a step back, the hand that had been on her shoulder a few seconds earlier returned. “Don’t move, sub.” She felt her eyes widen in surprise, and she worried she’d gotten into trouble without even trying. Caila was much more at ease with her four-legged friends. They didn’t laugh when she tripped over thin air, and she’d never had a single one call her Calamity, either.

“Breathe, sweetness.” Caila let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding and looked up at the man who’d been watching over the dark-haired woman he’d pulled out of Master Taz’s arms. “Taz, are you going to introduce us to this lovely lady?”

“Absolutely. I think she was getting ready to make a run for it, so having a few friends would probably be helpful. I’m happy to introduce a new member to a sub I don’t think will lead her into trouble.” Gracie made an exaggerated gesture feigning innocence. Her Dom shook his head but didn’t say anything.

After Taz had made the introductions, Gracie pulled her aside while the men chatted nearby. “I know there aren’t many subs here, but this reenactment doesn’t require many subs. If you don’t have a Dom, you’re going to be getting a lot of attention. If you aren’t comfortable with that, you need to tell Master Taz now.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m hoping to find a play partner. I’ve…well, I’ve recently given up on a guy I’d thought would eventually be my future. I held on to that dream far longer than I should have.” Gracie watched her closely, and Caila worried her new friend saw more than she should. Luckily, before Gracie could ask any questions, Master Nate stepped into the room letting everyone know things were about to begin.

When he’d called to invite her to this special event, Nate had briefly explained they were reenacting the fantasy a new member had written in her application. Caila had breathed a sigh of relief, grateful she’d declined to write a fantasy. It had been their conversation about leaving the section blank that led to her confession about Kip. Now, it seemed the embarrassment she’d felt while talking about her girlish crush paled in comparison to what the woman being led up onto the stage was going to endure.

The woman was about her Caila’s height, but as far as she could tell that’s where the similarities ended.
Damn, she’s stacked. Why couldn’t I have gotten breasts like those?
The pretty blonde must have been wearing several layers of clothing, damn, she looked like she was sweltering under the stage lights. The woman was blindfolded and being hustled toward the edge of the stage by what Caila assumed was supposed to be a horny bunch of ancient thugs. Hell, being blindfolded and manhandled would probably make her sweat, too. When Caila realized she’d been seeing herself in the other woman’s position instead of listening, she tried to focus on the scene playing out in front of her.

By the time, she realized her neighbor was one of the men strapping the woman to a St. Andrew’s cross, she was looking for the exit. This was going to be way more information about Phoenix Morgan than she wanted to know, but her eyes kept returning to the stage. Caila stood mesmerized, unable to move, even when she knew she should. The sound of fabric shredding sent a flood of heat racing over her skin. She hadn’t been able to suppress the shudder that worked up her spine and cringed when male chuckles surrounded her.
Terrific.

A
spen’s mind reeled
as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. It looked like someone had inserted a cross-section of a castle into the large open area at one end of the club’s main playroom. The décor was so eerily close to what she’d described in her fantasy it stole her breath. She froze halfway up the steps, but Jax obviously wasn’t in the mood to delay his own gratification because he simply wrapped his enormous hands around her waist and lifted her up the last few steps.