Independence: #4 Hayley (3 page)

“Sirs,” she amended quickly. Her eyes were locked on the thick cuffs Jack buckled to each of her wrists. They were connected in the center with four shiny steel links.

“Are we agreed that we’re still in negotiation level?” Dane moved to the side and made certain he met her gaze. For a moment he saw a flash of confusion at his question, so he continued. “We don’t want a conflict as far as time is concerned, Hayley.”

“What my partner is so tactfully, if ineptly, trying to convey,” Jack murmured from her other side. “We want our full forty-eight hours with you. We wouldn’t want you to feel short changed…because you certainly will not be neglected during that time.”

“That was tactful,” Dane murmured.

“Yes, Sirs, I understand. Nothing has started yet.”

“Let’s go to the private room and talk,” Jack said quietly, stepping to the side and waiting while Dane put his hand in the center of the cuffs and moved to join him. “Come with us,” he said and released his hold on the cuffs.

“Yes, Sirs.”

“Tell me again who started the bidding on this?”

“I believe that would be you,” Dane offered with a deep chuckle. “She’s a very quiet sub. And I know our charity allotment is nowhere near used for the year. So this fits in as a nice end of year tax deduction.”

“Always practical. And I’ve noticed the silence.” Jack looked over his shoulder at the woman following closely behind them. “So it either means we haven’t done anything to shock her yet…or she has a very high tolerance…”

“Or amazing control,” Dane added, one brow rising when he looked back and saw nothing to indicate she’d heard them.

They climbed the stairs without another word and Dane held the door to allow her to pass, his gaze sweeping from the shoes to her head and back again.

“In the center of the room,” Jack said quietly, staying near the door with Dane and just staring.

It was a plain room for play with a sturdy cross in one corner, a spanking bench and shelves of necessary supplies. Everything from aftercare blankets, to lube to vibrators were provided for members. Two large, cushioned leather chairs were against one wall with a small table between them, but the men continued to stand near the door.

She’d done as he said and now stood with her feet separated, hands in front of her, head bent and body erect and completely immobile.

They looked at one another and then back at her.

“You’re prepared to begin the weekend now?” Jack asked, leaning back against the wall. He braced one foot on the frame of the door and crossed his arms over his chest.

“If that’s your wish, Sirs.”

“Have you ever had sex with two men before?” Dane wanted to know.

The faintest sound of her taking a little sup of surprise reached them.

“When you’re asked a question, Hayley, you’re expected to answer,” Jack spoke quietly, his head tilted as he studied her. Something was off. But he couldn’t put a finger on it yet. “We’ll be tolerant to a point, considering you helped a friend and you are very new to the lifestyle. If your bio is to be believed.”

“I didn’t lie to anyone,” the words were out before she could stop them. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut when she realized the mistake. “Sirs.”

“Omission, avoidance…evading…a lie is a lie, regardless of the pretty wrapping paper,” Dane commented, his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he walked very slowly around her. “Why the mask?”

“I didn’t want to be recognized,” she admitted after a slow breath, regaining her control.

“Afraid for your reputation?” Jack frowned. Not such an unusual statement. Their lifestyle choices weren’t exactly mainstream acceptable. But there were also unwritten rules regarding privacy as well as the membership contracts signed by all who entered the club. But he knew it was far from foolproof.

“Afraid my relatives would hear of it,” she answered carefully.

Dane stopped at her side, his hands rising and lifting her hair. He moved the thick mass over one shoulder and looked first at the expanse of skin bared to their eyes and then to the man he’d been friends with for too long.

For the first time since their introduction, the men saw her breathing hitch, her shoulders stiffening just a little more when Dane ran his fingers over the too familiar scars at the upper part of her back. His gaze fell to the similar ones below the corset, across her hips and ass cheeks. Logic said there were more beneath the corset, yet unseen.

“What happened?”

“Accident,” she answered too quickly.

When the firm, large palm struck her ass, the sound echoed in the room. This time they knew they had her attention because she gulped in a deep breath after the startled yelp. She settled back on her heels, taking in several more quick breaths.

“That’s a lie. And I’ve already told you we will not tolerate lies, Hayley,” Dane leaned over for a closer look.

“We both know what whip scars look like. And whoever did it wasn’t particularly talented with it,” Jack said from his position several feet away. “What was it? A seven foot bullwhip?”

“Yes, Sir,” she whispered, shivering at the memory.

“Very good. Now…try again, Hayley. What happened?”

“Fiancée…many years ago,” she finally answered.

“When?”

“I was twenty-two. I caught him cheating. I ended it. He didn’t take well to being dumped,” she answered, her tone flat and lacking any emotion. “He worked the rodeo circuit and believed he was very good with the whip.”

“Continue,” Dane said softly, his gaze flowing over the narrow waist to the scars scattered over her hips and ass. His head shook at the anger bubbling inside him.

“There is nothing else.”

“Where is he now?” Jack asked patiently.

“I don’t know.”

“Did you turn him in?” Dane pushed the words between his teeth.

“No…I didn’t have to,” she exhaled slowly, memories were a bad thing for her control, she thought briefly. “My grandparents, on my father’s side, had four sons. They all had boys. I’m the only girl. They were taught at a very early age to take care of me.”

“They exacted punishment,” Dane guessed with a slight flow of relief. At least the bastard didn’t walk scot free.

“They exacted revenge,” she said softly. “It’s also why I wore the mask. I know…from what I’ve been told…I won’t be hurt past what I can endure,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “But the males in my family…I’m not sure they would understand what I’m looking for.”

“A very good explanation, Hayley,” Jack unfolded his arms and stood up, moving to the opposite side from Dane. “But you never answered our first question. Have you ever had sex with two men before? At the same time?”

“No,” she whispered, hastily adding. “Sirs.”

“What makes you believe you want the experience?” Dane prodded, amusement in his voice.

“I don’t, Sirs. I hadn’t expected to be…to be with two Doms. So I expect that it’s left up to you to convince me that I want the experience.” Hayley managed to keep herself from moving, aside from the slight wince, that they couldn’t see because she thought they were behind her.

“If you opened your eyes,” Jack suggested with a little chuckle. “You’d notice the mirrors, Hayley.”

“Since we’re safe behind doors with no one to watch,” Dane moved to stand in front of her. He raised his hand and tapped on the edge of the mask.

She raised both hands and carefully removed the clips holding the mask in place. When the dark lashes lifted, he knew he and Jack were instantly screwed.

Defiance was mixed with uncertainty. The smallest hint of trepidation rode the side rail of excitement and there were tiny gold flecks that sparked and seemed to darken when he held her gaze, neither of them wavering.

“My, my, my…” Jack came around the opposite side, one brow arched high as he watched the showdown. “Would you like to sit, Hayley?” He gestured to the chairs next to the wall.

“No, Sirs, I’m fine, thank you.”

“So what do we need to know about Hayley?” Dane asked with a frown. He ran one hand over the very shortly clipped dark brown hair, his palm scraping over the shadow on his cheeks.

“You’ve been given a paper copy of my sheet, Sirs,” she said without shifting from her position. “I…I don’t really know if I filled it out correctly. Bailey said it was alright and explained things to me.”

Jack rattled the sheet Dianna had handed him when they won the auction. “We’re curious about you outside the club, Hayley.”

For the first time since they’d seen her on the stage, that question seemed to shake her. Her head moved, her gaze sweeping from one man to the other. Her chest rose and fell a little quicker.

Chapter Three

Jack didn’t like the reaction they were getting. He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the chair, sitting down with her on his lap. He didn’t have to say a thing to have Dane shake out a blanket and drape it around her shoulders. Dane reached out and took the edge of the mask between his fingers. He had it in his hand when he sunk into the other chair, adjusting it a little closer to them.

“Breathe, Hayley,” Jack ordered firmly. His hand took hers and urged her to hold the edges of the blanket together.

“I’m not cold. I’m alright,” she told him just as firmly. “Sirs. Thank you for your concern.”

“We are not going to do anything to harm you, Hayley,” Dane spoke as he leaned forward, his forearms resting on his jean covered knees. Hands dangled between his legs and the mask swayed back and forth in his fingers. Her eyes were lowered, focused on the hands she’d clenched around the edges of the blanket. He looked up at Jack and shook his head slightly.

“We’d like some club time with you before calling in the auction time, Hayley.”

“You don’t want me?” She swallowed hard and looked up at them. “Sirs. I’m sorry. I don’t know whether to keep looking down or up or…”

“Hayley.” Dane’s sharp voice broke into the panic he heard in her voice. Cobalt blue eyes held hers in check when she responded by instantly meeting his gaze. “This will be our protocol. When we’re alone, unless otherwise told, we want your eyes on us. We want to see your reactions as much as possible. In the club, your gaze stays lowered, you never meet the gaze of another Dom, unless directed to, and you walk with your hands in front of you, in our cuffs. There will be times your hands are behind you, but we’ll never leave you alone like that. Those are the basic protocols you need to observe with us. The discipline we expect is fairly simple and straight-forward. Polite respect and surrender. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sirs.”

“We do want you, Hayley,” Jack assured her. “But this has nothing to do with what we want right now.”

“I thought…it was just about being here. Being in the club…not what occurred outside.”

“An entire weekend all at once would be very intense, very fast,” Jack continued honestly. “What we’d like to propose, is several weekend visits to the club before we spend a straight forty-eight hours together. And make no mistake, Hayley, we would be completely together.”

“We aren’t in the market for a slave, Hayley,” Dane picked up when she looked from one to the other, digesting what they were telling her. “Before we jump into a full forty-eight hour scene, we want to know the person we’ll be spending a lot of time with.”

“Knowing you will make it easier for us to create and carryout a scene best for the three of us,” Jack continued casually.

“That isn’t how it’s done downstairs,” she blurted out suddenly, staring from blue eyes to dark, chocolate brown. It was the first time she’d been able to see them both without hiding or lowering her eyes to the floor.

“No, it isn’t that way downstairs. In the club, its more reputation based. The club is roughly two types – permanent, monogamous people and temporary play partners. Well, three if you count the ones labeling themselves poly with extended play-partners and life mates. What you’ve also got going for you specifically in the club, is the cluster of people who know the safe words, know how to read scenes and know how to interpret not only the sub, but the words used during the negotiations,” Jack watched her consider his remarks. “In our home – it’ll just be me and Dane. So the more information we have, the better and safer we can make it. No protocols now, Hayley. Just a couple guys and girl talking.”

“That’s a little hard to think like when you’re mostly naked with two guys in a dungeon,” she murmured, aware of the hinted sarcasm in her voice.

“A part of your choice as a sub, Hayley,” Dane told her, grinning when she peeked over at him. “And as a Dom, I have to admit to being personally fond of keeping my sub in as little as possible. Not always for sexually motivated reasons. Sometimes just for the hell of it. We’re guys…shallow is part of our nature. We embrace it.”

“Now you’re gonna scare her off,” Jack growled. “Why are you reluctant to talk about life outside the club?”

“I wasn’t aware it mattered,” she answered honestly, shifting slightly and frowning. “I think I can stand, thank you.”

“Are you uncomfortable? Because I have to tell you, I’m extremely comfortable,” Jack confessed with a glance at Dane. “She has the perfect ass to snuggle against. Want to try?”