Independence: #4 Hayley (21 page)

Hayley answered questions, adding information and tidbits when they parked outside the office with her name on the front.

“I have a staff of four, one of them is another vet. Chuck just got out of school and he’s a bit nervous, but he’s going to be a very good vet once he relaxes. I think my cousins scared him. I dared to hire him without their consultation,” she rolled her eyes at the memory.

“Are your uncles and dad as bad?” Dane asked, striding alongside her, with Jack on the other side. “You’ve a pretty big building for a vet’s office.”

“We’re not just the vets for the ranch. People who buy from us and board with us, use us for their other pets, too. Then they refer us to friends and…it kind of took off.” She tapped in the code and opened the front door proudly. “My dad and uncles…yes, just as protective,” she sighed. “It’s annoying and I work hard to avoid them, to be honest. I don’t want to be angry at them. I know they mean well but…it makes no sense. The women in their lives – my cousins – are my age, yet no one asked if they had permission from some male in their life to make the choices they did.”

“Then maybe it’s time they were set straight,” Dane said simply, his attention drawn to the barking. “You board dogs?”

“Dogs, horses and sometimes other things. People go off on vacation and need someone to care for them. We won’t house sit them, it’s not cost effective and we don’t have the people for that, but we have space.” She unlocked the back doors, her smile bright as she was greeted by wagging tails and yips of pleasure. “They have the use of a private run outside and get fed and played with…don’t you, Gussie…” she dropped to her knees and reached through the wide bars to scratch and ruffle the thick fur on the large Malamute. “She’s a regular. Her owner travels for her job…”

The questions and chatter continued as they wandered, each of them drawn to different dogs who demanded some attention. Jack was caught by a small wiry terrier who loved fetching the ball he kept returning to the man with a yip and politely seated stance to wait for the next toss.

“They’re energetic,” Dane remarked.

“They’re pack animals. They’re happiest when they’re with their family, of course, but we try and put some together because they like one another and play well together,” Hayley explained, guiding them from the building out a back door. She reset the alarms and began walking toward one of the large stables. “This is our personal stable. The boarding one is further along the road leading out behind here. It stops at the stable and various types of pasture land are spread out from there.”

“I saw the signs as we were coming in,” Dane entered through the large doorway, the smells and soft sounds of the ranch coming full force at them.

“It takes some getting used to,” she said with a smile. “You can tie this…” she handed him a clean kerchief that she picked up from a stack near the door. “Not everyone can handle it. We keep them near the door for that reason.”

“Hey…this has possibilities,” Jack called from the opening that led to the tack room. He held a long one inch wide strip of rawhide between his hands and tugged.

Hayley swallowed the gulp, her hand up and on her mouth at the same time she felt a pair of strong hands on her waist. Her blood warmed and coursed like molten fire through her body when Dane pressed against her. She could feel the breadth of his hips and the semi-erect shaft pressing against her ass.

Even if she couldn’t feel his arousal, she could see a fire slowly simmering in the dark circles of Jack’s gaze. Her eyes were locked on the strip of rawhide he held and snapped. How could fire start from nothing? She’d always wondered that until she met Jack and Dane.

Nothing had ever felt as natural as the flames that burst to life when they were together.

“You think it’s warm enough in here?” Dane asked as his hands worked her jacket off her shoulders.

“Pretty sure we can make it a hell of a lot warmer,” Jack answered, turning slowly and taking in the variety of items around the room. “Does the door latch on the inside, Hayley?”

“Yes…” the single word came out barely above a whisper, the darkening in his eyes telling her she skipped a step. “Yes, Sir,” she corrected softly.

Chapter Twenty

Dane wanted to question how she knew. How did she slip so easily into the role they made in their lives for her? But the answer would be just as complex as him and Jack knowing when they wanted her.

Together or individually. He was accustomed to seeing the stoic facial expressions of his partner. He knew he wore the same kind of ‘Dom’ face when he was involved in play. It only took a word or a gesture and something came over them. A cue from an unseen director on the side of a stage.

Only now, Hayley was part of that mystery. Now Hayley was the pivotal point that held the three of them literally suspended in sexual arousal. With those two simple words, she knew they’d slipped into play mode.

And it wasn’t a bad place to think about during long days.

He stepped back and looked around the room. The floor was heavily waxed, polished and cleanly smooth. A brilliant shade of fine whiskey. Wide toothed trees held saddles of all types; shelves held padding and helmets. Inside one of the shelving units, were bins filled with brushes and combs and small bags of bands for braiding. A few hats hung on a rack on the far side. In the center, were two benches that had caught both his and Jack’s attention.

Built on the same principle as a simple saw horse but like the spanking benches, one end was slightly elevated. Both were empty but there were hooks all around them.

“Hayley, what’s this used for?”

He knew he’d broken into the imagination running rampant and grinned when she jumped slightly.

“She’s supposed to be getting undressed,” Jack said with a snap of the rawhide in his hands.

“I’m not a mind reader,” she snapped back, one hand up on her mouth seconds later. “I’m sorry…I was…”

“What is this for, Hayley?” Dane asked again, striding over to her and tugging the t-shirt up and out of her jeans. He pulled it over her head before she had time to process what was happening.

“Saddles,” she said instantly. “Colt designed them for cleaning saddles and when he works on the tooling. He likes making saddles with special symbols and designs along the sides and straps.”

“A saddle…” Jack went to one of the floor to ceiling trees and looked over the collection. “Will anyone be upset if we use one of these?”

“Use…umm…for what?” Hayley asked the question and winced at the look she received from both of them. “I’m sorry, Sirs. No…no, those are for public use. They’re cleaned and hung for when we have guests or trainees,” she explained, absently lifting a foot when Dane pulled her sneakers free.

“And these?” Jack held up his hand, strands of rawhide in various widths and lengths dangling over his fingers.

“Braiding. We have special beads made for shows and…they’re braided into the mane of the horse,” Hayley explained in a breathless rush.

“And these?” Jack walked to a smaller shelf with a collection of jars, tubes and small round tin containers.

“Ointments, lubricants and rubs for emergencies when my office is closed. Most of the staff know what to use for any given ailment,” she explained quietly. Her gaze locked on Jack’s hand as it traveled along the shelf, his fingers tapping lightly on one tin container.

“It doesn’t have anything in it that would harm a human?” He picked up the tin and screwed the lid until it came off in his hand. He took a little sniff and nodded. “Not bad.”

“That’s a lotion I blend for mares who are feeding their foals. Sometimes the teats become a little sensitive and…” she swallowed when he carried the container to the small table. Then she watched him rearrange one of the saw horses he’d placed a large saddle on. “No…no…it wouldn’t…it’s all natural…”

“Secure the saddle, Hayley,” Dane instructed simply. He smiled behind her back as she walked around the saw horse, adjusting and carefully snapping and tying off ends that he had no idea what they would be attached to on a horse. And she was completely oblivious to the fact that she was naked.

Oh, she was curious. And excited. He could see that in her eyes when she thought they weren’t watching. Dane nodded at Jack and he brought a collection of the rawhide strips over. They studied the sawhorse and saddle with grins that made her shiver.

Both he and Jack watched the way her hands moved, the confidence in her actions that made them smile. She walked around the saddle, checking and nodding to herself.

Dane swung his arm back and brought his palm across her rounded ass.

“Your focus needs to be here, sub. With us,” he told her sternly, another couple of strikes making her actions a little faster. “Much better. Your task is important, but when you’re with us, your focus is to be on doing the task quickly and correctly because it pleases us.”

“Yes, Sirs,” she responded swiftly, stepping to the side where she had been and swallowing hard. “It’s secure, Sirs.”

“So nothing should be able to knock it loose?” Jack asked with a curious pucker to a smile that lit his dark eyes. Confusion filled those wide eyes that held the power to knock her men to their knees. If she knew she had that power. He suspected the confusion at his question was similar to the confusion she felt about their attention outside the play arena.

“It’s secure,” she answered slowly, her eyes darting around the front and back of the saddle. “It’s very secure, Sirs,” she repeated confidently. Her chin had tipped up until Dane’s palm stroked over the slightly pink tint in the cheeks of her ass. Her body went slack, just a bit as she relaxed into the touch. Jack swore he could see steam rising from that silky soft skin.

Jack nodded and moved to stand behind her. He guided her with his hands and body, nudging her closer to the side of the saw hoarse and saddle. He lifted her, approval in his hum when she instantly fell into obeying his silent gestures.

Her feet landed on the wide ledge of the saw horse.

“Further apart, Hayley,” Jack instructed, waiting and watching Dane carry several of the wide strips of rawhide to them. He dropped to his heels, carefully wrapping her ankle and securing it to the side. “Very nice…” Jack stroked his hands up her ribs, each one cupping a breast. Her head fell forward, the low seductive moan caressing his senses. “No coming, Hayley…not until Dane tells you it’s allowed. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Sirs,” she answered, a slight quake in her voice. But the heat flowing between her legs, the ragged breathing and the arch of her back when he applied just the right amount of tweak to her nipple told him all he needed to know.

Their girl was as much into the play as they were.

Maybe it was the occupations they all had. He wasn’t sure. But they knew, perhaps unconsciously, there would be moments when they’d want nothing but twelve hours of sleep. Maybe it was luck that had them meeting up during the lull for them all. Maybe it was more than enough to cement and create something for tomorrow.

“Now the wrists,” Jack said quietly, the ragged breathing of their girl an aphrodisiac all on its own. He stepped back, bending her forward until her ribs rested against the very smooth, almost soft leather of the saddle. His hands went to her waist, lifting and adjusting her just where he wanted her before releasing her and striding to the wall that held a myriad of leather, buckles, straps and riding crops. He selected one with the largest ‘keeper’ at the end.

They might not be country boys, but they did know their way around a riding crop. This one was sturdy, flexible and the handle comfortable. While the smacking end, or the keeper, was shaped in a way not to damage the horse’s skin.

He returned to stand behind Hayley, his wrist out and flicking the crop across one ass cheek. Surprise was in her yelp and the attempt to twist and move. But he hadn’t struck her hard. And he never would. That wasn’t pleasure for the three of them. But light, soft flicks along her thighs caused her to squirm. And another spasm rocked his cock when Jack slid beneath her.

Rarely had they planned things. It was almost uncanny how they fell together and their minds were rocked. But none of it compared to the time with Hayley. The energy and spirit she offered them seemed to heighten their arousal unbelievably.

Dane watched Jack slide carefully on the base of the large sawhorse. He could smell the arousal coming from Hayley. She might not be able to see, but Jack made sure she was feeling his approach. The top of his head brushed against the swollen lips of her pussy and she gasped while Jack chuckled.

Dane shook his head when she struggled and tugged at the bonds holding her in place over the sawhorse. He raised the crop and brought it back down in rapid succession over the cheeks of her ass until he had her focus. She’d taken a sharp intake and held it for a moment, her body freezing until the swats came to a stop.

“Stop struggling, Hayley. You’ll hurt yourself,” Dane instructed sharply. He braced one foot on the base of the sawhorse, his free hand taking a firm grasp of her ponytail and pulling. “Do I have your attention, sub?”

“Yes…yes, Sir…I’m…”

“No I’m sorry’s, sub. Do you trust us?” Dane’s tone was hard and exacting.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then your task is to follow orders and feel. Nothing more. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Sir,” came the whispered, breathless response. Her body jumped. Just a bit.