Reborn as Bree [The ShadowDance Club 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  Neither he nor Ethan had to wonder for long if Bree was bilingual when she giggled as Selita threatened to paddle the men’s backsides if they didn’t get out of her kitchen. Bree leaned over closer to Jamie’s ear and whispered, “I think seeing that tiny woman paddle men who are twice her size might be worth the price of admission. Can we watch?” And then as if realizing the familiarity with which she’d spoken to him she seemed to tense and dropped her gaze to the floor. “Oh God, I can’t believe I said that. It was inappropriate and I’m really sorry. But she is so funny. And what did she mean when she called them big galoshes?”

  Both he and Ethan laughed out loud at her question. Then quickly explained when they noted her face flush in embarrassment. Jamie watched as Ethan spoke close to her ear, “No, love, we weren’t laughing at you but at the situation. And frankly it was refreshing to see it through your eyes. I daresay we must be getting desensitized to the humor of it.” Ethan turned Bree to face him, placing his hands on either side of her face and moving his thumbs over her high cheekbones in soft stroking caresses. Jamie was always amazed when Ethan’s Dom persona surfaced for the first time with a woman. Their reactions were varied but always intense. And he was pleased to see Bree was no exception. Standing to the side, Jamie watched as her pupils dilated and her breathing hitched. Oh yeah, you felt that shift in our interaction clear to your soul didn’t you, chère?

  Knowing Ethan was beginning with her, Jamie stepped up behind her, pressing himself flush against her soft curves, and placed his hands at her waist. Ethan explained Selita’s habit of butchering American slang and expressions, and Jamie felt her relax beneath his touch when she realized that her question was perfectly reasonable and no one would be surprised or offended by it. Together the three of them reasoned Selita had likely meant to call the men “big galoots” and they had enjoyed a shared laugh before turning back to the chaos the Lamonts were causing in the kitchen.

  Chapter 7

  Ethan knew both Alex and Zach had seen them enter the house, so he was fairly certain their antics were for Bree’s benefit. He appreciated their efforts to put her at ease. As they stepped into the kitchen, Selita looked up and smiled sweetly. “Oh, Ethan, Jamie, you bring a beautiful woman to meet your sugar-goat mama?” Wiping her hands on her apron she stepped forward and held out her hand to Bree. “I am so glad to meet you, are you going make these two straight?”

  Alex started coughing and Zach laughed out loud at Selita’s words. Ethan glared at them both before turning to Selita. “Mama Selita, I believe the phrase you are looking for is ‘straighten them out.’ The way you’ve said it implies that you think Creed and I are gay.”

  Selita looked at Ethan with wide eyes and then laughed. “Dios. I know you are not liking to do that funny stuff with men. No, that was not my meaning at all.” She turned back to Bree and smiled. “I am so happy you are here. Mrs. Catherine called and said she was sending a beautiful woman and here you are. Miss Jenna’s suite is all ready for you and if you are needing anything you just tell me. No telling what these men would be getting for you if you asked them. Sometimes they not using their pumpkins, you know what I mean?”

  Ethan heard the other three men trying to suppress their laughter as he smiled down at Selita, vowing to be sure she received some sort of special gift for making Bree feel so welcome. “Thank you, Selita, you are a wonderful hostess and I’m sure Bree appreciates all you have done.”

  Bree had been standing in front of Selita with a wide-eyed look of puzzlement that made her look adorable. Ethan moved his hand to her back and that small contact seemed to bring her back in to the moment. “Oh, I do appreciate everything you have done. Is there anything I can do to help you get ready for dinner? I feel just awful about barging in and eating you out of house and home right off the bat. The sandwich tray you sent earlier was wonderful. Now, you point out how I can help and I’ll do whatever you need.”

  Selita smiled at Bree but then looked to Ethan and Jamie. “You need to be keeping this one, she is a…oh ¡maldita sea! What is the word for the box of gold?”

  Alex stepped forward and answered, his love and respect for the tiny woman plain to see in his eyes. “Selita, I believe you are saying that Bree is a treasure and we all agree with you. And remember, we all speak Spanish, so trying to slip that ‘damn’ in unnoticed won’t work. Now, if you don’t have anything for her to help with, I’m sure she’d like to have a chance to freshen up before dinner. Jamie and Ethan will show her to her suite. My brother and I have already taken her things up for her. Now, we need to get back up and help Katarina get the children settled so she has time to rest a bit before dinner.”

  Ethan was pleased when Selita stepped forward and hugged Bree tightly. When the little dynamo released the sweet woman he was already starting to think of as theirs, he heard her murmur something in Spanish before telling them that if Bree wanted to help, she could come downstairs a few minutes before seven and help carry food to the table.

  After Selita had returned to the kitchen Ethan and Jamie each took one of Bree’s hands and made their way up the wide staircase pointing out various features of the Lamonts’ home along the way. Ethan knew that Jamie was watching each and every reaction, facial expression, and subtlety of Bree’s behavior. Even though they were both Doms, their approaches and styles were vastly different. They had always figured that was why they worked so well together. Both of them assumed their complementary styles would be a major plus for the woman they shared their life with. The tingling sensation that raced up his arm each time he touched Bree told Ethan that after years of searching the globe for her, their woman had been all but hand-delivered by Catherine Lamont.

  Leading her through the door of the suite, Ethan then turned to watch her reaction when she heard Jamie lock the door behind them. He watched as her breathing became shallow and her hands started to shake. Apprehension was good, but very real fear was not. Looking over at Creed he gave his friend a quick nod. Jamie Creed’s easygoing Cajun charm would work to their advantage and Ethan knew that it was time for a bit of tag-team play.

  * * * *

  Jamie stepped up so close to Bree that he knew she would be able to feel the heat radiating from his body and considering his state of arousal, it might well scorch her. He turned her so that she was facing him and when he ran his fingertips up her arm he felt her shiver. “Ma jolie, are you cold?”

  “No. I’m just, well, I know that Mrs. Lamont said I would be safe here and well, I’m trying to not fall back into old habits and fears…but…” Jamie took the last small step and pulled her easily into his chest and wrapped his arms around her and just held her. When he felt her tears dampen his shirt he nearly lost the last bit of his control. He was shocked by his overwhelming urge to care for the woman clinging to him as if he was her lifeline. When she finally pulled herself back and looked up into his face, the vulnerability in her eyes brought every protective instinct he had bubbling right to the surface.

  * * * *

  Bree was shocked. French. He spoke French to me…just like… She immediately flashed back to the scene she had relived a thousand times. Waking up to the feeling of being carried, wrapped in the warm embrace of a man she didn’t recognize. But she’d immediately known that his strength was gentle. And while the strength she felt herself wrapped in now didn’t seem threatening, the soldier who had rescued her had radiated a fierce rage. She had known he wasn’t angry at her, but rather his anger was for her. As he was running away from the small camp where she’d been held, he’d sensed she had awakened and he had called her chère. She had recognized it as the French endearment spoken between lovers. On some deep level of consciousness she had wondered why an American soldier wouldn’t just say “sweetheart,” but she’d later learned it was a word often used in the Cajun South.

  She had thought of him often, wishing she’d had the strength to say thank you. By the time she had recovered enough to consider trying to contact him her entire world had fal
len apart. When she had discovered that everything she had always believed about her life and her family was built on lies she’d felt like she’d stepped through Alice’s looking glass. While people looked the same from one angle, everything was shifted and entirely new. Sabrina Gillette had ceased to exist and Bree Hart had been born. The damage her captors had done while beating her for information about her parents’ involvement in international espionage had required extensive restorative plastic surgery and there were still times that she looked into the mirror and barely recognized the woman looking back. She had been fortunate that most of the work had been done by lasers which had shortened her recovery time considerably.

  She’d been so devastated when she’d been forced to give up the life she’d had before her kidnapping that she hadn’t wanted to even see her parents again. And despite their repeated attempts to contact her even recently, she had steadfastly refused any contact. They had cost her everything and she wasn’t ready to forgive them for all the years of lies and all she’d lost.

  Bree finally realized the man holding her had asked her a question and his voice had drawn her back in to the present. “I’m sorry, what did you ask?” She knew she had likely looked totally disconnected for a bit, others had described to her how she would stare off into space for several minutes, lost in the flashbacks and memories. The few people she had spent time with had commented that it seemed to take long minutes for her to fight her way back to the surface of her own consciousness. And there was something about this man, something about his countenance, his voice, his soul, that called to hers.

  Seeing the concern reflected in his blue eyes brought her fully in to the moment. Bree realized that Jamie had stepped back and had her face framed by his large hands as he’d wiped away her tears with his thumbs. The soft caress of his fingers in her scalp was grounding and soothed her. The peace she felt at his touch reminded her again of her Cajun angel.

  “Baby, I don’t know where you went, but I have to tell you I’d rather you didn’t venture there again. The sadness and fear that I saw in your face is going to haunt me until we can replace that memory with something more pleasant. You reminded me of someone else for a moment, someone I helped a year ago.” Jamie cleared his throat. I’m not going fall into that memory. It’s time to lighten the mood.

  Chapter 8

  Jamie smiled down at her, his words a gentle challenge. “Now that you’re back, I want you to tell us why Catherine Lamont sent you to ShadowDance.” He saw her eyes flash with arousal and curiosity just an instant before her face flushed a deep crimson. “Ah, now there’s a beautiful sight, don’t you agree, Master Ethan?” He saw her sharp intake of breath more than heard it when she’d registered his words. “So, Bree, you understand why Master Ethan and I are referred to in that way, don’t you?” He’d seen the recognition in her eyes just before she’d dropped her gaze to the floor. Oh yes, ma chère, you are definitely a submissive.

  “Yes. Well, I do understand some, I mean, well, I’ve read some things. Oh blast, I’m messing this up royally, aren’t I?” The more she had spoken the softer her words had gotten and while neither he nor Ethan wanted her to shout her answers, they needed to hear her also.

  Jamie made sure his words were a quiet, but steely command. “Bree, look at me.” When she finally raised her eyes to his he continued, “I want you to remember, this is just a preliminary discussion, alright? Ethan and I need to understand what you are interested in exploring. And I’m assuming that’s why Catherine sent you here, is that correct?” When she nodded her head he smiled. “Ordinarily, we won’t allow you to simply nod or shake your head in answer to our questions, for several reasons. But the most important reason is that we’ll need to be sure you really do understand the question you are asked and we’ll want to make sure we are certain we’ve gotten your answer right.”

  While he’d been speaking to her, he’d been slowly leading her to the small sofa positioned in front of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the gardens. He knew Ethan was standing nearby, but his friend had sensed Bree’s insecurity and known Jamie had always had the most luck drawing out a newbie sub or helping one feel comfortable when she didn’t have enough confidence or experience to deal with the Ethan’s more alpha style of dominance.

  Ethan and Jamie had always felt they would be able to bring a great balance to a relationship if they shared a woman. And during their long hours of “hurry up and wait” which was so typical of their missions, they’d had hundreds of hours to figure out exactly how the logistics would work. Their friends had teased them about planning out everything to the ninth degree but forgetting one key element—the woman.

  Jamie sat and pulled a surprised Bree down onto his lap. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes, but just sat quietly looking out the window and rubbing his hand in slow circles over her lower back until he felt her begin to relax. “That’s it, sweetness, settle a bit and then we’ll talk some more.” He wanted her to understand they weren’t going to pressure her for any information or for sex. It was obvious she was nervous and building a solid foundation of trust was critical.

  He hadn’t forgotten the comment she’d made to Alex and Zach about their mother telling her she would be “safe” at ShadowDance and he knew Catherine Lamont well enough to know that she didn’t make random comments and she didn’t do anything without a reason. If she’d sent Bree to them, then they’d damned well keep her safe.

  * * * *

  Sitting on Jamie Creed’s lap had been unnerving at first but Bree felt herself beginning to relax when he didn’t pressure her to answer any questions. After one particularly grueling flashback, Bree had confided in Catherine that she had just begun learning about Dominant and submissive relationships when she’d been kidnapped and that she hadn’t found the courage to begin exploring again. When Catherine had heard about everything she had endured, she had held her and cried with her. Bree had entrusted her with details she hadn’t even shared with her counselors. In other words, Bree had quite literally entrusted Catherine Lamont with her life.

  She had watched the woman whose generosity provided shelter and programs for abused women in Denver as she’d consoled, encouraged, guided, taught, and laughed with victims of all ages. Catherine’s unconditional love and support for those in need had been one of the most inspirational things Bree had ever witnessed. So when Catherine Lamont had said she would be safe at ShadowDance and that her sons and their team of black ops soldiers could keep her safe while she explored all things BDSM, she’d decided to take a chance and put herself in their hands.

  * * * *

  Ethan stood back and watched the beautiful woman sitting in Creed’s lap as her expressions told a story of abject fear and tenuous healing. But he couldn’t stay away from her any longer. She was a magnet to the steel in his soul, drawing him closer and closer, and that was a shocking realization. He moved to sit next to Creed and pulled Bree’s small feet up onto his lap. He slowly removed her boots and slid her socks off before he began massaging her tiny feet. He smiled when he heard her moan quietly in appreciation.

  When he started moving his hands slowly up around her ankles and over her calves trying to ease some of the muscle fatigue he knew she’d have after driving for so long, he said, “Love, one of the things you need to know about the dinner you are about to attend is that the submissives dress according to the rules of The Club.” He watched her eyes widen and saw the pulse at the base of her neck quicken. “We won’t enforce each and every rule tonight, because we don’t have time to adequately explain everything or discuss your hard and soft limits. Nor do we know as much about your background as I think we may need to.”

  Ethan had been watching her very carefully and even then he wasn’t sure that he’d have noticed it if he hadn’t actually been touching her, but it had been there, the reaction he’d known was coming. There was a stiffening of her muscles that she had obviously tried very hard to suppress. In all his years of studying
body language he’d never met anyone working as hard at camouflaging their reactions as the woman before him. Those skills are learned and practiced by people in their line of work as operators or those in some type of protection program. He’d bet every cent the Lamonts paid him this past year he knew which one of those Bree was.

  “Since it is getting close to dinner time we just have a few questions for you before we let you get ready. First of all, how many sexual partners have you had?” Ethan knew he needed to get right to the point before she had a chance to build up any of the defenses he sensed she ordinarily employed. When she gasped and tried to pull back he was glad he had gone straight to the heart of it. “No. Leave your legs right where they are, love.” Tightening his grip on her legs he kept his words pitched low, but he made sure the command in his tone was unmistakable.

  “Um, well, I…oh my, this is awfully difficult to discuss with someone I don’t really know.” Both Ethan and Jamie watched as she stared at her hands for several seconds before looking up. Ethan wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a sub with as many emotions chasing across her face as the sweet one on Creed’s lap. Whoever had taught her to monitor her body language had failed miserably at helping her mask her facial expressions. He watched as she tried to form words, but they just didn’t seem to be making their way from intention to action.

  Creed looked up at Ethan and smiled and there wasn’t any doubt in Ethan’s mind that his friend was as captivated with her as he was. Deciding to make it a bit easier for her, Ethan smiled and then said, “Let’s try this. Have you ever had sex, Bree?” He wasn’t surprised to see her immediately lower her eyes and shake her head back and forth slowly. “Ok. Now, how old are you?”