Protecting His Own (Masters of the Shadowlands Book 11) Page 22

  Max grinned. “You’ve got great boys.”

  “We think so. Welcome to the party.” Beth waved her hand at the small assemblage of guests. “Is there anyone you two haven’t met?”

  Alastair shook his head. “I believe I’ve made everyone’s acquaintance. Max?”

  Max glanced at the men. “I’ve met the Doms and Ben.” His gaze turned to the women. “Jessica, Kari, Anne, yes. Not the three at the separate table.”

  “Ah, they are the submissives who bear the title of ‘the brats’,” Alastair murmured.

  Max’s eyes lit. “Them I need to meet. Let me grab a beer, and you can introduce me.”

  As the two men greeted the other Doms and were handed drinks, Beth wandered over to the brats. “What evil are you three planning now?”

  Sally shook her head ruefully. “Nothing, I’m afraid. Gabi was telling us about their visit to Grandma’s neighborhood.”

  “Grandma?” Beth stilled. “Like my boys’ grandma?”

  “Exactly like.” Gabi’s lips tilted up. “Since the cookie dough came in, Uzuri and I gathered the troops and delivered the orders.”

  “I didn’t think Mrs. Brun ordered anything,” Beth said.

  “Oh, she didn’t. She was far too stingy.” Uzuri wrinkled her nose in dislike. “But almost all of her neighbors ordered. So, as we dropped off the cookie dough, we took our time and had a nice gossip with each one.”

  “We felt it was our civic duty to warn them to keep their children out of her reach,” Gabi said virtuously. She glanced over at her husband. “Of course, with a fussy lawyer for a Dom, I was careful about what we said.”

  “She’s such a disgusting person. Would you believe she told everyone that the boys were nasty and rude?” Uzuri turned a tender gaze to Connor and Grant. “I wanted to march over to her house and slap her.”

  “We did, essentially. The neighbors had seen the commotion when the boys ran away. When we told them why, people were simply appalled.” Gabi smirked. “Since some of them belong to her church, I doubt she’ll be teaching any children’s Sunday school ever again.”

  “Thank you so much.” Beth beamed at them. “We didn’t want to put the guys through the trauma of pressing charges, and I didn’t feel right about beating up someone my mother’s age. It’s nice to know she didn’t get away free and clear.”

  Sally frowned. “Brun is handled. But what about nasty ol’ Price?”

  “Mrs. Molina was so angry, his career probably came to a screeching halt,” Beth said. “But, Alastair wanted to ensure Price wouldn’t be dealing with children again.”

  “What did Alastair do?” Uzuri asked.

  Beth glanced over at the Doms and smiled at the big pediatrician’s resonant, full-throated laugh. “As their doctor, he ‘interviewed’ the boys. Playing with stuffed animals, they made pretend families and talked about adoption and fostering. And, on camera, the kids told Alastair all about the ‘the Price man,’ as Grant calls him.”

  “Whoa, two adorable little boys saying the social worker made them feel unlovable?” Gabi smiled slowly. “Price will be buried.”

  “For the sake of children everywhere, I’m glad,” Beth said. “And thank you so, so much for doing the same to Mrs. Brun.”

  “It was a pleasure,” Gabi said. “Besides, as Sally said, life’s been boring. I haven’t insulted Marcus in…oh, at least a week.”

  Sally snickered. “Poor Marcus. I’m sure he’s missing beating on you.”

  “And I haven’t sabotaged any of the Masters’ toy bags in…forever,” Uzuri said.

  As Max stopped behind the little black submissive, he couldn’t believe his ears. “You got into a Dom’s toy bag?”

  She turned, saw him, and actually cringed back in her chair.

  Fuck. Okay, yeah, he was big, and maybe she hadn’t expected to see a man looming over her, but Jesus, he didn’t have a bloodstained ax or chainsaw in his hands. Her reaction seemed over-the-top. Nonetheless, he took a step back and circled around to stand beside Beth.

  A pretty redhead with tats on her upper arms scooted closer to the terrified one. “Easy, girl.”

  “Hey, Max, welcome to the female side of the patio.” Beth put a hand on his arm. “Gabi”—she pointed to the redhead—“Sally”—a motion to the brunette—“and Uzuri”—the timid little mouse. “Ladies, this is Alastair’s cousin, Max Drago, who recently moved here. You might have seen him at the club.”

  “Welcome to Tampa, Mr. Drago.” Voice reserved, Sally studied him.

  Gabi took the mouse’s hand. “Good to meet you, Mr. Drago.”

  Lotta formal misters there. They were pretty protective of their buddy, weren’t they? His gaze returned to Uzuri who hadn’t smiled at all. Yeah, he’d scared the shit out of her…without doing a thing. Dammit.

  Moving slowly, Max squatted on his haunches in front of her and held out his hand. “I’m sorry I startled you.”

  Pity swept through him as he saw she’d retreated as far as she could get. But she wasn’t sweating, whimpering, cowering. Not a new fear, an old one—and she’d overreacted. She needed to get herself back up on the horse. Been there; done that. Beat the fear back, pet, or it’ll eat you alive. He didn’t withdraw his hand, just waited.

  Eventually, Uzuri realized he wasn’t jumping on her…and was waiting for her to get control. Flushing darkly, she edged forward far enough to give him her cold little hand. The way her fingers trembled in his was pretty fucking heartbreaking.

  “It’s nice to meet you, darlin’.” He tilted his head. “What do I have to do to keep you out of my toy bag?”

  She pulled her hand back without answering.

  “I’d suggest you don’t get her upset.” The brunette—Sally—dimpled. That one looked as if she’d be quite the handful. And he loved challenges. “Seriously.”

  Gabi smirked at him, eyes lit with mischief. Yeah, she’d be a hell of a lot of fun, as well. “Too late. You’re doomed.”

  “I see.” He also saw both submissives wore wedding rings. The only single one was Uzuri. He ran his gaze over her. Although, as a man, he could appreciate the wealth of hair, the perfectly done makeup, the impeccable manicure and pedicure, and the stylish clothing, he also recognized the signs of a high maintenance female.

  On top of that, she hadn’t spoken, and her posture still showed fear. She carried some heavy baggage there.

  A wise man hopefully learned from his past experiences of being burned. Don’t be a dumbass, Drago.

  Regretfully—she really was a beauty—he shook his head and issued his own warning, “Best you leave my bag alone, pet. I don’t think we’re in the same weight class.” He rather doubted she’d do anything, anyway. She might talk about sabotaging a Dom’s toy bag, but this little mouse would never have the nerve.

  She blinked, as startled as if he’d swatted her. A shame he hadn’t. He’d bet she had a very spankable ass.

  “It was nice to meet you all.” He nodded at the others, rose, and went back to the calmer waters of the men’s huddle.

  In his chair with a baby in his lap, Grant couldn’t stop smiling. Jessica was letting him hold Sophia who was the prettiest baby he’d ever seen. She’d even said Sophia liked him and didn’t like just everybody.

  This was the greatest party—even better than last week when Connor had turned five and had a birthday cake and presents and everything.

  Parties were fun. He knew most of the grownups, and even the strangers had known him and Connor. Like the dark-haired man named Galen who’d called Nolan when Grant and Connor ran away from Grandmother’s house, so Nolanman could come ‘n’ find them.

  And Nolan had.

  Right now, Nolan was cooking on the huge grill—and Grant kind of wanted to help, but holding Sophia was more fun.

  “Ga-ba-da.” Sophia kicked her little feet and said it again. “Ga-ba-da.”

  Grant grinned, kept one arm wrapped around her, and held up the fat ring with red and yellow keys. She snatched the t
oy, making him laugh. “What are those?” he prompted.

  “Ba-ba-ba.”

  “Keys,” he said carefully. “Keys.”

  Agreeing, Sophia waved the keys in the air, almost smacking him in the face.

  “Careful there. She gets awfully enthusiastic.” Sophia’s mama had almost yellow hair. Beth’s hair was prettier with all the red, but the sun made Jessica’s hair glow. And Sophia had the same color hair.

  A crow of laughter came from beside Grant’s chair where Connor was rolling a ball back and forth with Zane.

  Balls were fun. “How long till Sophia can roll a ball?”

  Zane’s mama laughed. “Probably another year. To you, babies might not grow fast, but to mommies, they sprout another inch every day.”

  Did Beth think he and Connor grew fast? She was watching him with a little smile on her face. She did that a lot, and it always made him feel…funny. Happy, like now, only kind of like he wanted to cry, only not.

  Connor got up and leaned against the dark-haired lady’s knee. Her stomach was amazing big, and Beth said Anne was growing a baby in her tummy.

  “You really gots a baby in there?” Connor asked in wonder.

  “Oh, do I.” Her laugh was almost as low and soft as Beth’s. “In fact, there’s action in there right now, so you might be able to feel a foot.” She took Connor’s hand and put it on her stomach.

  Connor’s eyes got big. “The baby kicked me.”

  Over beside Nolanman, the scary guy who’d come with Anne turned. He’d heard Connor and started walking over. He was awfully big.

  As he got close, Grant watched him and frowned, “Is that man gonna be the baby’s daddy?” He didn’t look like he should be a daddy.

  “Guys, this is Ben.” As the man set his hand on her shoulder, Anne curled her fingers around his wrist, and her face somehow got even nicer. “Yes, he’s the daddy. We’ll be a family of three.”

  “Best thing that ever happened to me,” Ben said to her, and when he grinned, he wasn’t scary at all. “Hey, guys.”

  “Nolanman an’ Beff are our fambly,” Connor told Ben. His brows drew together. “But we didn’t grow in Beff’s tummy.”

  Grant tensed. They weren’t really a family?

  Ben ran his hand down Anne’s hair and told Connor, “Families are created in different ways. Sometimes from growing in tummies, sometimes from choosing someone—finding someone you love and want to live with. Doesn’t matter which.”

  Okay. They were a family. Grant relaxed and rubbed his chin on Sophia’s silky hair. With a crow of laughter, she pitched the keys down on the blanket.

  Connor picked up the keys and a stuffed cat the baby had thrown. This time she snatched the cat. It’d sure be fun to have a sister. If stuff worked like Ben said, a family could get bigger, couldn’t it?

  Connor held out the keys, giggling when she tried to grab them, too. “I like babies.”

  “Me, too.” Grant bounced Sophia slightly to hear her gurgling laugh. “We could choose a baby. We’re big boys. We could take care of a little sister.”

  Nolan stood behind his two boys and could only stare. Were they talking about what he thought they were?

  “Yeah. I want a baby.” Connor held a finger out for Sophia and grinned when she latched on with a tiny hand. “If we share a bed, she could sleep in the other one.”

  “Uh-huh. But girls play with dolls. Our boxes are full of boy stuff.” Grant considered. “Nolanman would help us build new boxes, but there’s no room for them.”

  Connor frowned. A few seconds later, a sweet smile crept over his face. “I don’t need my ’frigerator. We can put boxes there.”

  He didn’t need the refrigerator…because he didn’t have to hoard food anymore. Nolan felt Beth beside him and put his arm around her.

  “Okay. We’ll pick out a baby, then.” Grant kissed the top of Sophia’s head and said solemnly, “And we’ll keep her safe, like Nolanman does with us.”

  Connor nodded. “Big boys pertect girls.”

  Nolan looked down and saw Beth smiling up at him with all the love in the world in her soft eyes. “Yes,” she whispered. “That’s what they do.”

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  Have you tried the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series?

  Master of the Mountain

  Mountain Masters & Dark Haven: Book 1

  Available everywhere

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  I loved it! Every word, every page, every moment until the end! So that is my review in a nutshell…….. OK I can do better than that, but seriously a melt your panties right off, intriguing love story that forces you to turn the pages until the wee hours of the night just to get to the end! How about that!

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  Rebecca thinks she is overweight and boring. Logan disagrees.

  When Rebecca’s lover talks her into a mountain lodge vacation with his swing club, she soon learns she’s not cut out for playing musical beds. But with her boyfriend “entertaining” in their cabin, she has nowhere to sleep. Logan, the lodge owner, finds her freezing on the porch. After hauling her inside, he warms her in his own bed, and there the experienced Dominant discovers that Rebecca might not be a swinger…but she is definitely a submissive.

  Rebecca believes that no one can love her plump, scarred body. Logan disagrees. He loves her curves, and under his skilled hands, Rebecca loses not only her inhibitions, but also her heart.

  Logan knows they have no future. Damaged from the war, he considers himself too dangerous to be in any relationship. Once the weekend is over, he’ll have to send the city-girl subbie back to her own world. But will driving her away protect Rebecca or scar them both?

  Excerpt from

  Master of the Mountain

  The sun was high overhead and unseasonably hot by the time the trail descended, leaving the pines behind. He led the group across a grass- and wildflower-filled meadow to the tiny mountain lake, clear and blue and damned cold. Granite slabs poked up through the wildflowers, glimmering in the sun. With yells of delight, people dropped their backpacks and stripped.

  Logan enjoyed the show of bare asses and breasts as the swingers splashed into the water like a herd of lemmings, screaming at the cold. As he leaned on a boulder, he noticed one person still completely dressed with wide eyes and open mouth. The city girl. Considering she and Matt bunked together, Rebecca couldn’t be a virgin, but from her reaction, she was pretty innocent when it came to kink.

  “C’mon, babe,” her boyfriend yelled, already buck naked in the lake. “The water’s great.” Not waiting for her response, he waded out deeper, heading for a blonde who looked as if she had substituted bouncy breasts for cheerleading pom-poms.

  Rebecca glanced from the water to the trail, back to the water, where Matt wrestled with Ashley, and back to the trail again.

  Logan could see the exact moment she decided to leave. He walked over to block her way.

  “Excuse me,” she said politely.

  “No.”

  Red surged into her cheeks, and her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. Red-gold hair. Freckles. Big bones. Looked like she had Irish ancestry and the temper to go with it. Stepping sideways to block her again, Logan tucked his thumbs into his front pockets and waited for the explosion.

  “Listen, Mr. Hunt—”

  “It’s Logan,” he interrupted and tried not to grin as her mouth compressed.

  “Whatever. I’m going back to my cabin. Please move your… Please move.”

  “Sorry, sugar, but no one hikes alone. That’s one safety rule I take seriously.” He glanced at the swingers. “I can’t leave them, and you can’t walk alone, so you’re stuck here.”

  Her eyes closed, and he saw the iron control she exerted over h
er emotions.

  The Dom in him wondered how quickly he could break through that control to the woman underneath. Tie her up, tease her a bit, and watch her struggle not to give in to her need and… Hell, talk about inappropriate thoughts.

  He pulled in a breath to cool off. No use. It was blistering hot, and not just from his visions of steamy sex. Nothing like global warming in the mountains. He frowned when he noted her damp face and the sweat soaking her long-sleeved, heavy shirt. Not good. The woman needed to get her temperature down.

  At the far end of the meadow, the forest would provide shade. He could send her there to sit and cool off, but she’d be out of sight, and from the obstinate set of that pretty, pink mouth, she’d head right back down the trail in spite of his orders.

  Shoulders straight, chin up, feet planted. Definitely a rebellious one, the type that brought his dominant nature to the fore. He’d love to give her an order and have her disobey, so he could enjoy the hell out of paddling that soft ass. But she wasn’t his to discipline, more’s the pity, since a woman like this was wasted on that pretty boy.

  And he’d gotten sidetracked.

  With a sigh, he returned to the problem at hand. She needed to stay here where he could keep an eye on her, and she needed to cool off.

  “Even if you don’t strip down completely, at least take some clothes off and wade in the water,” he said. “You’re getting overheated.”

  “Thank you, but I’m fine,” she said stiffly.

  “No, you’re not.” When he stepped closer, he felt the warmth radiating off her body. Being from San Francisco, she wouldn’t be accustomed to the dryness or the heat. “Either strip down, little rebel, or I’ll toss you in with your clothes on.”

  Her mouth dropped open.

  He wouldn’t, would he? Rebecca stared up at the implacable, cold eyes, seeing the man’s utter self-confidence. Definitely not bluffing.

  Well, he could be as stern as he wanted. Damned if she’d take her clothing off and display her chunky, scarred legs. She shook her head, backing away. If she needed to, she’d run.