“There you go, buddy.” Jack was cheerful as he patted the cube.
“What?” Sam glanced down at the gift.
“Damn it, Jack Barnes,” Abby cursed. “You have got to stop doing that.”
Sam’s face fell. “You cubed my motorcycle.”
His hands went out to pat the cube. He stroked it sadly.
“Yep,” Jack agreed. “The good news is now it’s safe for our wife to sit on. And you’ve both got a cube.” He shot Lucas a look. “I cubed Abigail’s car about six months ago. I’ve found that crushing an unsafe vehicle into a tiny square makes it less offensive to me.” He took his wife’s hand. “Now that I’ve dealt with Sam, will you follow me, please? You’ve had a delivery I’d like to discuss with you, Abigail.”
He started to pull his wife along, Abby hustling to keep up. “Now, Jack, let’s talk about this.”
Sam was grinning as he got up. He winced as he straightened his spine. “Come on, Lucas. This is going to be good.”
He tossed Lucas a pair of jeans and sighed at his cube. He patted it fondly before he walked out.
Lucas pulled on the jeans and wished they were a little looser. He struggled to get the jeans on and then hurried to follow Sam into the suite next door. What the hell? There was a crazy amount of boxes in the living area, each one stamped with the Neiman Marcus label.
“How much, Abigail?” Jack was asking.
She chewed on her bottom lip. “I was upset, Jack. I guess I was trying to get your attention. I can take it all back. Well, everything except the stuff I already wore.”
“Consider my attention completely focused on you, sweetheart. How much?”
Her face bunched up sweetly. “Twenty.”
Lucas was pretty sure she wasn’t talking about twenty dollars. His brother’s face flushed, and Lucas prepared for a screaming session to start. He hoped Jack didn’t get rough with her. Lucas would have to do something about that. She seemed like a sweet lady. Instead, Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“All right,” he managed evenly. “I can handle it. You haven’t exactly been extravagant since we got married. We have plenty of money. Let me make another rule. Purchases of over ten thousand dollars need to get cleared by me. I think that’s reasonable.”
Abby nodded eagerly. “Absolutely.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “I can let the money go, but there is one thing I won’t stand for. You know the rules.”
He picked up a handful of delicately colored fabric. Lucas stared at it for a moment before he realized it was a big mass of panties.
“Jack, what are you doing with my brand-new undies?” Abby asked the question, but it sounded to Lucas like she knew what was about to happen.
Sam snorted and elbowed Lucas. “He’s going to do something crazy now.”
Jack opened the door to the big balcony.
“Jackson Barnes, don’t you dare!” Abby shouted.
Jack walked straight to the railing and opened his hands. Designer panties rained down from seventeen floors up.
Abby stomped her bare foot. “Damn it, Jack! Those were La Perla.”
“I don’t give a damn whose they were,” Jack replied with a smirk. “You’re not allowed to wear underwear.”
“They matched my new bras.”
Jack shrugged. “Do you know what matches every bra you own? Your lovely, naked pussy. It better because that’s all you get.” He pulled a long box out of his pocket. “Maybe this will make up for the loss of your precious panties, darlin’.”
Abby took the box, a stubborn expression on her face. She looked like she would reject anything he gave her. That look slid off as she opened the box. She gasped as she stared down at the diamond necklace. Even from his place, Lucas could tell it was stunning.
“Oh, Jack.” There were tears in her eyes as she held it up. “Put it on.”
Lucas felt so jealous as he watched his brother fasten the diamond choker around his wife’s throat. Jack belonged somewhere. Jack had people who loved him enough to fight with him.
Abby touched the diamonds that marked her as Jack’s. “I love it. It’s the best collar ever. I promise to be fairly submissive when I wear it.”
“Good to know,” Jack said sarcastically as he leaned down and kissed his wife. It was a simple, sweet kiss that made Lucas wish he had someone to buy jewelry for.
“As for you,” Jack started, turning to Sam.
Sam crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “I already got my dream bike made into a footrest, and the other thing. It’s pink, Jack. She picked the pink one. Isn’t that enough punishment?”
Jack laughed and kissed the blond man swiftly. It was just as sweet as the one he gave his wife. “No punishment, Sam. You need a collar. You’ll lose anything I give you, so I’ve arranged for something else. There’s a car waiting. You do everything they tell you to do.”
Sam nodded, his face slightly flushed. “All right, Jack.” Sam gave Abby a quick kiss. “I’ll be back.”
Sam walked out the door to wherever Jack was sending him. Sam didn’t ask questions. He didn’t argue. He simply did what Jack requested. The trust he placed in his lover was awesome. Lucas had never trusted anyone the way Sam trusted Jack.
Jack was watching him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m sending him to a tattoo parlor. Trust me, he’ll be thrilled.”
“He’s wanted one forever,” Abby said with a grin. “What’s it of?”
“It’s a very tasteful tattoo. Julian knows a skilled artist. She drew it up for me this morning. It has our initials wound together with barbed wire and a little rose for you,” Jack explained. “I’m going to get one, too, though not on the back of my neck. I think my chest is the perfect place for it.”
Abby went up on her toes. “I am so glad the boss is back.”
“Love you, baby,” Jack whispered before kissing her. He turned back to Lucas and eyed him suspiciously. “So, you think you can handle this? I have no intention of hiding the way I live my life, son. If the fact that I sleep with both Abigail and Sam is going to bother you, then maybe you should head home.”
Lucas tried to follow the conversation. “I thought I didn’t have a choice in that.” He shoved the stupid hair out of his face again. He should never have let that hot celebutante talk him into this ridiculous haircut. “You were going to kill me if I didn’t leave and promise to never open my mouth.”
Jack’s hand was around his wife’s waist as he stared at Lucas. Lucas felt like squirming but managed to hold his ground. “I changed my mind, Lucas. I don’t have much family. You’re my brother, but you’re also an asshole. I think we can change that.”
“Really?” Lucas hated that the question came out as an expectant squeak.
Jack’s face took a paternally amused air. “Yes, really. A friend recently pointed out to me that sometimes we get a chance to pay the universe back for the good things it brings us.”
“It’s karma.” Abby cuddled close to Jack. “You’re Jack’s karma. Julian took him in when he was a young man, and now he’s going to do the same for you.”
It took everything Lucas had not to break down. He held himself still for a moment. They could be playing with him. Sometimes people liked to do that.
“I know about your money trouble, Lucas,” Jack was saying. “Here’s the deal I’ll make with you. I’ll pay off your debt, and you come and live with us for a year. You’ll work on the ranch. Think about this, son. This is hard work. This is physical labor. You’ll live in the dorm I have for the unmarried ranch hands. There’s only three of them, and I think you’ll get along. You’ll eat with us, though. You’ll be my brother. You’ll be part of our family. At the end of the year, you can stay on or I’ll pay for whatever training you need to get a good job. I’d love it if you worked for me. I could use a lawyer or an MBA. It’s your choice.”
“Why?” Lucas heard himself ask. He fought hard not to cry. No one ever offered him anything like this before. No on
e offered him something in return for simply working hard and being himself.
“Because it looks like you could use the help,” Jack stated plainly. “But, son, that hair is going to have to go.”
“Thank god,” Lucas breathed. “Can I do that today? This hair is awful. I hate hairspray and it’s constantly in my eyes. And I promise to get some jeans that fit, and I won’t ever wear guy-liner again. I get to work with cows, huh?”
“Yes, Lucas. You’ll get to work with them and be kicked by them and probably step in more of their crap than you ever dreamed possible. It’s not easy.”
“I can do it.” He felt himself get a little defensive. He heard his father’s voice insisting Lucas couldn’t be trusted with anything.
“I know.” Jack’s voice was strong and encouraging. “You can do anything you set your mind to, Lucas Cameron. Do you have anything you need to get before we leave tomorrow? Let me warn you, Willow Fork is a small town. There’s no Best Buy out there.”
Lucas shook his head. He didn’t own anything he gave a damn about. He had that house in California, but it would be easy to sell it. The thought of a whole new life without the encumbrances of his old one sounded heavenly. He was ready to let it all go. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
“You’re going to love living on the ranch, Lucas,” Abby promised him.
He wasn’t so sure, but he was more than willing to give it a go. Not a go. He would make it work. He would give his brother a year of hard work and then decide what to really do with his life. Jack would help. Jack would give him advice, and he would probably lecture him on all sorts of things. Jack would ride his ass, and there would be times when Lucas would wish his brother would keep his nose out of his business. Lucas smiled. It sounded great. “I know I will.”
Jack’s green eyes narrowed. “What kind of car do you drive, son?”
“Whatever kind you tell me to, sir,” Lucas replied quickly, remembering the little metal cube that still sported a visible Ducati symbol. He wasn’t going to mention the two-seater roadster he kept in LA. He had a feeling it would be cubed and added to Jack’s growing collection of offensive vehicles.
Jack nodded. “Good.”
Abby sighed. “Well, at least you’ll fit in.”
Jack gave Lucas a look that told him he should probably do whatever Jack said next. “Go on and get ready. We’re leaving in the morning. You should enjoy your last night in civilization. Don’t drink too much.”
“Okay,” he promised as he opened the door.
“And Lucas,” Jack called out. “Stay away from that Slater fellow. I don’t like him.”
“You got it, Jack.” That was the easiest promise Lucas had ever made.
Chapter Thirteen
Abby looked up at her husband as the door closed behind Lucas. Jack was so big and handsome, and what he was doing for his brother was beyond kind. He was everything she could have wanted in a mate. “It’s a good thing you’re doing for Lucas.”
Jack’s green eyes gleamed in the early morning light. His eyes went straight to the diamonds at her throat. She could see the possessive satisfaction he took in the sight. “It might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. That boy is going to be a handful. The other hands will eat him alive if he shows up in that makeup he wore yesterday.”
He was a bit behind the times. “It’s called metrosexual. It’s very trendy.”
“Not in Willow Fork it isn’t, and certainly not at the ranch.” Jack was standing perfectly still, but Abby realized he had something on his mind. She thought she knew what it was. Her body heated up just thinking about it.
“I have a feeling we can get him looking a little more masculine,” Abby allowed. “After all, he looks so much like you. Once we get his hair cut and put him in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, he’ll look the part.”
“He looks like me?” Jack didn’t sound so sure. He obviously didn’t study himself the way she studied him. There was no doubt Lucas was a close relation.
“On the surface. He looks like a boyish version of you.” She pointedly ogled her husband. “You’re the man version, baby.”
“I’m the Dom version, Abigail.” His expression changed, and he seemed to grow even larger. He stood straighter. Abby instinctively dropped to her knees. “Very good,” Jack praised her in deep, silky tones. “When you’re wearing that collar and we’re in private or downstairs in the club, you will behave properly. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Jack.” She concentrated on keeping her breathing even. It was hard work since every cell in her body was humming in anticipation. It had been far too long since she’d been dominated by this man, and she’d missed it sorely.
She kept her head lowered submissively in an attempt to prove she could behave that way when it was necessary. She heard him move toward her. His boots came into view.
His hand tangled gently in her hair. “I am an indulgent man, my love. I get the feeling you’re going to want to come back here to play from time to time. When we are in this club, you will remember at all times who your Master is. I don’t use that term in our everyday life, but I will use it here. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Jack.”
He nudged her head up to look him in the eyes. “I am never to find you in the club again without me. That rule is not negotiable.” He didn’t wait for a reply. It wasn’t needed. She knew an inescapable dictate when it was handed to her. “Abby, we’re alone and you’re wearing my collar. What is wrong with this picture?”
As quickly as she could, she tossed off the tank top and pajama bottoms she was wearing. Yesterday she would have worried about sagging boobs and those five pounds that never seemed to come off. Today, all that mattered was obeying Jack. She sighed as she shimmied out of her cute boy-short panties. It would be the last time she would see them. She handed them to Jack, who shook his head as he held them.
“Such a naughty girl,” he commented. “Give me your hands, Abigail, wrists together.”
She held her hands out, pushing her wrists together as he asked. He quickly twisted the panties around and about her wrists until she was tightly bound by her own undies. He hauled her up. She was barely on her feet before Jack led her to the center of the room. She looked up and saw a hook extending from the ceiling. Julian’s rooms came fully equipped for bondage play. Jack pulled it down, adjusting it to her height, and then hooked her wrists over it. She could still touch the ground but just barely. It kept her slightly off balance and completely at his mercy.
“That’s nice,” Jack commented as he walked around her bound body. His hands traced her waist and buttocks. “You look pretty like that. You’re going to look like this tonight.”
She opened her mouth to speak.
He gave her butt a squeeze. “No, darlin’. We’re practicing. When we’re in the dungeon, you don’t speak unless I give you explicit permission. If you don’t like the rules, then we can leave this afternoon. I really am all right with that.”
The whole not-talking thing was going to be frustrating. Jack grinned as she struggled to stay silent. She would do it, though. She would do it because she’d embarrassed Jack. She’d made him look bad in a place he enjoyed. She would also do it because she was so curious about that dungeon she thought she would burst. After a moment, she calmed down and made sure her face was serene.
“Much better. If you have a problem being naked in the dungeon, then we’ll leave. No? I didn’t think so.” He ran his hand down her spine, making her shiver with anticipation. “This is my plaything. I want to show it off.”
He chuckled as he began to strip out of his clothes. She watched with avid eyes as his big, hard body was exposed. He folded every piece, and she forced herself to stay quiet. She wanted to tell him to hurry the hell up. She was getting wet merely watching him. He was broader than Sam, his shoulders and arms corded with heavy muscles. His big chest tapered into a lean waist. When he stood in front of her completely naked, she had to admit she loved the indention whe
re his hips met his powerful legs. She loved to run her hands over the little valley where muscle flowed into muscle.
He was one gorgeous slab of cowboy.
“You do wonders for my ego, darlin’. You look like you could eat me up. What’s this Sam told me about you not appreciating this incredible body?” He ran his large hands along the curve of her waist and up to her breasts. “Who does this body belong to?”
“You, Jack,” she replied. His direct question gave her permission to speak.
“Why do I love this body?” She could feel the warmth of his mouth over her right nipple.
“Because it’s beautiful.” She sighed as he flicked his tongue over her turgid nipple. She knew the answer he wanted. When he played with her like this, she felt beautiful.
“Because it is so fuckable I can’t help but shove my dick in it,” he swore before sucking the tip of her breast into his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up slightly so he could suckle with ease. His tongue whirled around the nipple. She reveled in the warmth of his mouth. He pulled strongly at one and then the other breast, giving her the bare edge of his teeth. “If you didn’t have some punishment coming this evening, I’d put you in clamps. I bought some clamps with pretty emeralds on them. I like dressing up my plaything.”
Bondage Barbie. That was her.
He toyed with her nipples, pinching them lightly and making her moan. “I’ll put the clamps on you, and then I’ll shove a vibrator up that hot pussy of yours. I’ll tie you up while Sam and I watch a football game. The vibe is on a remote, of course. We’ll make you come so many times you’ll forget what it was like not to. You’ll beg me to let you go, but I’ll keep it up. You better hope the game doesn’t go into overtime, baby. That’s what’s waiting for you the next time you decide to insult something I love. Am I clear, Abigail?”
She nodded. “Yes, Jack.”
It came out as a breathy moan because he was doing a damn fine job of torturing her now. His hand slid down her body and teased her clit. He rubbed in and around the desperate nub, but managed to avoid brushing across it. One stroke and she was pretty sure she’d come, but Jack knew how to make her crazy.