Lesson In Honesty (Club Serenity #3)

Chapter Three

Liam

B y midday, he completed his initial stock take, both pleased and impressed with the range of products he had to work with over the coming months. High end liquors, scotch, beer, and wine, just to name a few. His last minute suggestion for stocking the local brewery’s wares was positively received, and he was expecting a delivery to arrive the following morning.

The list of inadequate and missing items he compiled was shorter than he’d anticipated for a new venture, and he only had six items to chase up, none of which were vital to the day to day running of the bar.

As the clock ticked on, rapidly approaching two p.m. without effort, Liam checked his phone for the umpteenth time, not sure whether to be happy or disconcerted that he’d heard nothing from either Violet or Sierra.

It was good news, he assured himself as he buffed the last booth, polishing the wood until he saw his reflection in the shine. No texts meant they were getting on well, having fun and losing track of time just as he was; no calls told him if there were problems, they hadn’t reached emergency level.

In thirty hours, the bar would officially open.

For the last two, he’d followed up on the cleaning crew, removing every last trace of the builders and fitters, chasing down every speck of dust he could find, attacking glass and wood alike with his cloth until the whole place gleamed.

The beer kegs in the cellar were hooked up to the right pumps; the brass pulls were similar to those in Avalon, not quite fitting his palm right yet and still slightly stiff due to their newness.

The more expensive bottles of alcohol were loaded in their automatic shot measurers, mounted on the wall, primed and ready for use.

Liam had already spent over an hour acclimating himself to the new computer system, organizing the drinks list, exploring how the membership cards linked to a member’s profile and flashed up limit warnings on the screen.

State of the fucking art, all the way.

There was a cache of notes and change in the under-the-floorboards safe which he wouldn’t load into the till until half an hour before opening, but he expected most members to charge drinks to their account.

Ice was stacked in twenty-pound bags in the walk-in freezer. Fresh fruit would be delivered from the on-site restaurant next door in the morning, once they received their order from the city—Evander had handpicked the suppliers for Serenity personally.

Music. That was next on his to-do list.

Just as Liam pulled out his phone to go through appropriate playlists, the doors opened, letting a wash of winter sunlight and a cold draft into the room. Lifting his head, he frowned, then turned that sucker upside down to grin at Elias and Callie.

“Hey,” he greeted cheerfully. “Inspection time already?”

“Looks like you’ve got everything under control.” Blue eyes scanning the bar, approval lit Elias’s face. “Callie, don’t touch anything. This is a work of art, Liam. I feel guilty about letting people in tomorrow.”

Liam laughed. “It all comes right. So if you’re not checking on the progress in here, what can I do for you guys?”

Callie bounced on the toes of her sneakers, obviously dying to spill the beans.

“Actually, we were hoping to speak with both you and Sierra.” Glancing around, Elias’s brows drew together. “She’s not here?”

“No, Violet’s testing a theory with her over in the Nursery. Problem?”

“Theory, huh?” Amusement flickered in Eli’s eyes as he stroked his hand down Callie’s spine. “Finally figured out she and Callie have something in common?”

“Am I the only one who hasn’t seen it?”

“Possibly. She does tug quite often at my Daddy strings, so perhaps it’s just more obvious. An exciting time for you; there’s nothing like exploring Little life with the woman you love.” The look he gave Callie summed up his feelings on the matter. “The best of luck to you both, especially once she finds her stride.”

“Uh… thanks, I guess?”

Eli laughed and tugged Callie’s hair. “We have a proposition for you. More for Sierra, actually, but as her Dom and Daddy, it’s probably a good thing we caught you alone. Callie, sweetheart, it was your idea. Why don’t you lay it out for Master Liam?”

She squealed in excitement, displaying in full glory why Littles could be so damned appealing. Everything in her lit up, became larger than life, amplified by her inner child. Because it wasn’t an act, because that joyous nature was a very real part of her, it was endearing rather than childish.

“’Kay, so’s my Daddies and I was—”

“Why don’t we switch to adult for a few minutes, Callie? Master Liam might struggle to decipher Little talk—it’s not his first language, after all. Although Sierra will give him a crash course in short order.”

Resisting the urge to flip his boss the bird, Liam directed his attention to Callie. She hopped from sneaker to sneaker, eager to get the secret in the open yet evidently used to Doms taking their sweet time.

“Yes, Sir,” she said with a wealth of exasperation. It was a study in fascination watching her physically rein in the exuberance and settle a calm fa?ade over the jittery core. “Evander, Elias, and I were talking about how everyone is relocating to be here. How much we appreciate it, and what we can do as friends and employers to make the transition easier. Our main concern was Sierra—you’re our only established couple who’ve been together years, and we want to keep her happy.”

Liam nodded. “That’s my aim as well.”

“We’re isolated out here; that was the whole point of Serenity. A quiet, tranquil place for likeminded kinksters to relax and play. Evander pointed out that she’s used to your routine at Avalon, but here… the working hours are different. The bar opens at eleven a.m. and closes at two a.m. which means long hours for you even with cover.” Callie paused, silently checking with Eli before continuing. “So, we thought about what makes her happy, and we came up with a plan. This plan.”

Liam listened as she laid it out for him, seeking his approval whenever she took a quick breath between sentences growing faster and longer the more he stayed quiet. She was a people pleaser; he saw that plain enough, just as he recognized the anxious energy of a trauma survivor.

He knew what she was afraid of, that they’d stepped out of line planning a future here at Serenity for his sub without his knowledge or consent. Perhaps he should’ve been consulted, but at least they’d come to him before approaching Sierra.

In truth, it was a damn good idea.

The minx might freak out at first, but what they were proposing was partly right up her alley, and the other part… well, it would get her out of her shell.

He waited until Callie finished, rubbing his lower lip thoughtfully when she blinked up at him, the slightest tension in her shoulders. “I think Sierra is very lucky to have friends who’ve thought about her this way. And I,” he said slowly, slanting a glance at Elias, “am fortunate to have friends who understand what it is to worry about the woman you love.”

Eli tipped his head in reply.

“I’m up for it if you can convince Sierra.”

“Really?” Callie clasped her hands together and bounced. “Yay!”

“ If you can convince her,” Liam repeated. “Give it your best shot, Callie; you have my consent. Just don’t get upset if she shoots you down.”

Her smile was coy. “She won’t. I has ways and means, y’know. Daddy Vander says I’m special ‘cause I cans wrap two Daddies around my little finger at the same time.”

Eli’s mouth twitched, suppressing a smile. “Liam, if you’re done here, why don’t you come with us? I’d hate for Sierra to feel ambushed if she’s having a good time in the Nursery.”

That was a good point, Liam mused. She’d been apprehensive about spending the day with Violet; throw in Elias turning up unexpectedly, even with Callie in tow, and it might upset her internal balance a little too much.

He looked around with a critiquing eye, assessing the overall first impression the clientele would get when they walked in. Clean, organized, with a flow between the furniture that gravitated them toward the bar, or toward the double doors leading to the restaurant.

Once the music started and the lights dimmed slightly, the atmosphere created would be warm, welcoming, and conducive to making new friends, new partnerships, and a lot of good conversation.

Returning his phone to his pocket, Liam eagerly accepted the chance to see Sierra at least an hour earlier than he’d anticipated. “This’ll wait until tomorrow. I want to watch Callie’s finger wrapping skills.”

When she giggled delightedly and bounced toward the exit like a baby bunny on crack, he fell into step beside Elias, automatically sizing his boss up with the calm, cool instinct of one Alpha male weighing up a competitor.

But there was no tension, no competition to be had, so they walked out of the bar together in no great hurry. Eli asked a few questions about the way Liam was setting up, complimenting him on his work, seemingly pleased with how the social hub of the club had come together.

Next stop: the Nursery.

Sierra

A smile was etched permanently on her face.

Even as her cheeks ached, Sierra didn’t think she could stop smiling because she was so freaking happy . Her hand swiped through the castle of sand she’d created, smoothing it all out again, and she began to rebuild with fervor.

She loved the texture of the damp sand between her fingers, against her palms as she rolled it into balls. Flattening them out a bit, even though the edges cracked, she pretended they were little cupcakes, tapping more sand on the top for frosting, and sprinkling dashes of drier sand over them for decoration.

The sandbox was definitely one of her favorite areas in the Nursery. The water station was fun, but kinda lonely with no one to splash. She’d spent two whole hours just coloring, tongue between her teeth as she concentrated on choosing just the right colors and the finality of the thick black lines on the pages.

She would’ve been content spending the whole day in the playhouse taking up a whole corner of the huge room, playing with the variety of new stuffies and dolls, but Violet had insisted she explore other enjoyable activities.

It was becoming clear Sierra wasn’t a baby Little. The one attempt Violet made at trying out diapers and bottle feeding went down like a lead balloon; hard, fast, with disastrous consequences. Baby talk didn’t feel right to Sierra, either—it reminded her too much of Wyatt’s attitude sometimes, like she was stupid.

They’d discovered, however, that nap time and snackies were better received if Violet treated her like an older child, more five to eight years old, and she responded more positively to requests and demands.

Although, Liam was right, partially.

It seemed she was capable of being a brat.

Growing bored of shaping sand, Sierra huffed a frustrated breath and perused the rest of the elongated building with all its areas. Violet sat with Mistresses Ericka and Felicity in the Parent Zone, one eye permanently glued to her charge’s head—or so it felt like to Sierra.

The Mistress wasn’t as bad as she’d assumed. Firm, yes. Funny, again yes, although Sierra tried hard not to react. Aside from the attempted diaper episode and the ensuing temper tantrum, they were actually getting along quite well.

Distance was good though, especially when she felt outnumbered by dominant strangers three-to-one. Now she just had to decide whether she wanted to throw herself into the ball pit, try her hand at fingerpainting, or really take the plunge and go play on the jungle gym.

She heard low laughter, ignoring it as she tuned out the women and focused on squishing each of her sand balls with gleeful destruction.

Another butt plopped down next to her, a second pair of hands diving in to the sand. Callie’s infectious laugh spilled over Sierra, silencing the jolt of surprise at her arrival, as she scooped her hands together and let grains dribble in a waterfall.

“Doubles the fun with two of us.” Tossing the sand in her hands into the air, Callie squealed as it rained down on them both. “You try!”

“Um…” Unsure how Liam would feel if Violet told him his submissive was caught throwing sand, Sierra bit her lip, shaking her head. Her decision was verified as the right one when Elias’s voice snapped out in reprimand.

Callie didn’t turn to look at her Daddy. Instead, she stuck her tongue out and mimicked him as he chastised her from across the room. When he was done, she glanced over her shoulder, batting innocent eyes, and cooed, “Sorry, Daddy.”

“You will be,” came the ominous reply.

Eyes widening, Sierra scooted away from the powder keg situation she felt brewing. Would it be cowardly or just plain rude to stand up and go hide in the jungle gym until the angry Daddy calmed down? Probably both, but there was no way she was getting in the middle of a dispute between Elias—who scared the spit out of her on any given day—and Callie, who seemed to take great delight in riling him up.

A hand settled on her shoulder, making her jump.

“Easy, babygirl. It’s only me.”

Tilting her head back, she stared at Liam upside down, relief swooping her up in a steely grip. She leaned back against his leg, rubbing her cheek on his thigh, and took a slow breath to calm her speeding heart. “Liam.”

“Ah-ah.” He squeezed gently, lifting a blond eyebrow in silent reprimand. “We’re in the Nursery now, little girl. Who am I to you when we’re here?”

“Daddy.” It escaped from her on a sigh, happy and sated.

“Good girl. Did you keep your promises?”

She nodded because she had, even with that teeny-tiny blip.

“Have you had fun?”

“I had the bestest day, Daddy.” She reached up, laying her hand over his. “I played and played, and had a nap, and snackies, and then—”

He laughed. “Take a breath, minx. That sounds like a productive day for a little girl. Ready to come back and be an adult for a while? Eli and Callie want to ask you for a favor.”

She really wasn’t ready. One small taste of freedom and she understood why Alicia spent hours, days, weeks expressing herself this way. There was a certain kind of peace Sierra found in submission, but this… it felt deeper, more substantial somehow.

She knew Liam looked after her as a submissive—he didn’t break her hard limits, even though he occasionally pushed them; he understood her, inside out, and pressed her buttons accordingly. With him as her Dom, she was the safest she’d ever been, would ever be.

As a Little, she could slide back into being an adult whenever she liked, but it felt as though the Dom-sub bond was evolving into something more primal, more instinctive. There were rules, boundaries, and the unspoken guarantee Liam would protect her even more fiercely than he did when she was in a grown-up mood.

“Do I have to?”

“Unleashed the Little beast, haven’t we?” Ruffling her hair first, he then gave it a gentle tug. “Come on, it won’t take long. Honestly, I think you’ll be excited once you hear what they have to say.”

Acquiesce or stomp her foot? Pouting, she decided both were appropriate, trading a foot stomp for a palm slapping on the sand, and heaving an annoyed sigh worthy of a pissed-off toddler. “Fine.”

“Would you like your surprise with a side order of red-hot bottom?”

Crap, she’d flirted with his line again, inching her toe over it, and she’d already used her free pass. Puppy eyes wouldn’t work; neither would begging, not unless she prostrated herself at his feet. “No, thank you, Daddy.”

“It was a rhetorical question, minx. I’ll give you your attitude adjustment when we get home.” Taking her hand, he helped her to her feet as Elias strode over to pluck his Little from the pit and dust off the sand she now wore like glitter.

“—troublemaker,” Elias admonished, lifting his wife from the pit. “Just can’t help yourself, can you?”

Laughing even though her Daddy’s British accent was dark and foreboding, Callie clamped her hands on his bearded cheeks and gave him a cheeky peck on the lips. In a sultry, slightly husky voice, she murmured, “I heard my Daddies love a troublemaker. More than that, they love reprimanding her when she’s a bad girl. Therefore, it’s my duty to fulfill their bad girl fantasies.”

Elias was an attractive man. The obvious age difference between him and his wife only added to the sexiness of his appeal, but the edge of darkness he wore, that subtle sadism he didn’t bother to conceal, was incredibly intimidating.

Even now, smiling at Callie, he was all dark brows and piercing blue eyes, radiating dominance as he shook his head in a combination of amusement and disapproval. “I know one fantasy I’ll be taking care of later tonight. Now, get your pretty head in the game, Callie, and put Sierra out of her misery before I scare her into running screaming from the Nursery.”

Sierra flushed deeply, horrified he was precisely aware of how he affected her.

Rolling her eyes, Callie gave him another, more drawn out kiss before stepping back. She held out her hand to Sierra. “Eli’s a hard ass but you don’t have to be scared of him. I think the accent makes it worse, right? All strict and British…”

Sierra’s eyes widened as Callie fanned herself.

“And it doesn’t help that his eyes speak their own language. Like when they go dark and turbulent, you can pretty much see a whip cracking in them.” Blowing out a heated breath, Callie snagged Sierra’s hand and started towing her across the room. “Although it does turn me on when he scowls. Brows go down, panties come off. Probably shouldn’t tell him that.”

Too late, Sierra thought when she glanced over her shoulder. The intimidating Dom in question was following them, side by side with Liam, and his expression stated he was listening to everything .

His eyes met hers; she dropped her gaze immediately, whipping her head back around, and almost tripped over her own damn feet.

“Ooopsie.” Callie slid her arm around Sierra’s waist. “You okay?”

It felt like she was being stalked by two hungry wolves, she thought uneasily, resisting the urge to check over her shoulder again. If she broke into a run, would they chase her? “I-I’m just a klutz.”

Callie glanced back at Elias. “Daddy, you’re making her nervous. Stop it.”

“Why? I like nervous subbies; it shows a degree of respect, unlike a certain bratty wife.”

Sierra’s stomach clenched with anxiety. The accent really did make things worse, she realized. The words and his tone were easy, casual, but add in that Britishness…

“We’ve already determined you like having a bratty wife so you can beat my bratty ass with your sadistic toys, Daddy.”

“I’m going to like fucking that bratty ass with my sadistic cock,” he fired back.

Callie smirked, all but purring, “Yes please, Daddy.”

What the hell was going on? Uncomfortable, Sierra gave serious thought to yanking free of Callie’s surprisingly strong grip and running to the cabin where this insanity couldn’t reach.

Just as she summoned the courage to do exactly that, Callie stopped in front of a pair of wide double doors. “It doesn’t look like much right now because it’s a storage area.”

Confused, Sierra frowned.

Callie opened the doors with her free hand, probably realizing Sierra would bolt if she let go of her hand. “My Daddies and I were talking about the hours Liam’s going to be working, and how that might affect how happy you are here.”

“I’m happy wherever Liam is.”

“That’s so sweet.” Callie beamed at her. “I feel the same way about my Daddies. The thing is, we want you to be happy here too. What we thought about doing was removing these doors and installing an old-fashioned store front instead. Shelves along the back to showcase all the precious pretties. All the space around to the left, we can kit out with whatever equipment you need. Daddy Vander said all you have to do is tell Daddy Eli what you want and it’ll be here by Monday.”

All right, it was quite obvious there was a simple explanation for this. Apparently, the sand pit was actually a wormhole into another dimension and she’d fallen through it into a world she didn’t know how to navigate.

Seeking reassurance, she shot Liam a worried look, trying to convey her unease with only her eyes. He just smiled as though everything wasn’t heaving beneath her feet and gave her a wink.

She was on her own.

“I-I don’t understand.”

Before Callie set off on another ramble of information, Elias stepped forward and rested a gentle hand on Sierra’s shoulder. His lips twitched when she froze under the light contact, but he didn’t release her. “Callie gets overexcited sometimes and doesn’t quite hit the mark. We’d like to offer you a job, Sierra. One uniquely suited to your talents.”

Talents? She didn’t have any talents.

“A workshop and a small store rolled into one. We’ll provide all the equipment you require to rescue and rehabilitate your stuffies. I have a small team in Denver ready to scour dumpsters, trash cans, yard sales for potential candidates.” He said it so casually, she just blinked at him. “We can have any number of stuffies delivered on a weekly basis, depending on your turnaround time.”

“T-Turnaround time?”

“Yes. Liam told me you rehome most of your finished projects to likeminded people, aside from those that you get attached to deeply.”

She flushed, hating how stupid it sounded. “You can say that with a straight face?”

Eli cocked his head. “It’s not my place to judge how you run your business, Sierra. Being married to this one has taught me a great deal about a lot of things, including how passionately a Little feels toward her stuffies.” The look he gave his wife was part adoration, part exasperation, in equal measure. “Don’t be ashamed of your skills; your gift brings happiness to more people than you know.”

Sierra huffed under her breath. She turned dirty, broken, unwanted toys into useable products, that was all. On paper, anyway. In reality, she put her heart and soul into each discarded stuffie, and often grieved for the ones who’d obviously been well-loved before being cast aside.

“Do you doubt that?” Those blatantly blue eyes pinned her in place, steady and powerful. This Dom could rip a sub to pieces without ever saying a word if he wanted. “When we buy Callie a new stuffie, she’s not the only one who feels joy, Sierra. We experience everything she does because she shares her love for that new stuffie, her excitement and gratitude, with us.”

“The butt stuff is probably a dead giveaway,” Callie muttered. “My Daddies give me a stuffie, and then stuff me.”

Ignoring her, Elias gestured behind him toward the storage area. “This is just a proposal, Sierra, not a demand. This is yours if you want it, as long as you want it. Give your stuffies a new lease of life and find them new homes with the Littles who come through these doors.”

Her heartbeat pulsed at the base of her throat, thick and fast. It was an amazing offer, one she’d jump at if she was more self-confident. There was just too much going on right now for her to accept it without thinking it over first—or overthinking it, in this case.

Moving to Denver, leaving her friends behind, facing the prospect of a whole new routine and schedule, exploring her Little side without hiding…

What if she said yes and failed?

What if no one wanted her stuffies and they just sat on the shelves gathering dust? Staring at her with desolate eyes, wondering why they weren’t loveable enough to go home with someone.

Much like she’d been the night Liam invited her in to Avalon.

“Think about it, sweetheart. There’s no rush, don’t feel pushed into making a decision.” Elias squeezed her shoulder lightly, then stepped away. “Are you staying a while, Liam?”

“Yeah, if Sierra wants to play for a bit longer.” Liam’s arm hooked around her waist, giving her a strong chest to sag back against as her knees turned to jello.

“Mind if I leave Callie with you for an hour or so? She’s been dying to test the facilities but with no one else here, it’s been lonely for her. I need to assist Van in a meeting for a development in San Francisco; we should be done by five.” Eli checked his watch, calculating. “Perhaps you and Sierra would like to join us for dinner after, if she’s not too tired?”

Liam laughed. “Are you trying to desensitize my sub, Eli?”

A wicked, oh-so British grin transformed his face. “You’ve seen straight through my ploy.” He held out his arm to his wife, curling it around her back when she slipped under to wrap herself around him like a vine. “Little one, Master Liam and Mistresses Violet and Ericka are in charge. You will behave, do as you’re told, and keep the drama to a minimum, am I understood?”

She bit her lip. “The llama drama?”

“ Any drama, llamas included. Can you guess the punishment if you misbehave?”

“A spanking?” Callie sounded far too hopeful.

“Oh no, little one. You’ll go to bed when we get home, no dinner, and no cock. For a week,” Eli added with a sadistic twinkle in his eye. “Before you argue how that’s going to punish Evander unfairly, just remember I can ride our husband with more stamina than a Pbr cowboy going for eight seconds in the championship round at the world finals.”

“Yes, Daddy.” Sufficiently warned, Callie poked her bottom lip out in a pout.

“Bull riding, Eli? Really?” Liam asked in a low voice.

“It’s a strangely addictive sport to watch,” came the response. “I’ve discovered watching the wrecks satisfies some of the urge to cause pain. Blame Evander for getting me hooked.” Ducking his dark head, Eli seized his wife’s protruding lip between his teeth and bit, kissing her fiercely when she yelped. “Be a good girl, Callie, and maybe I’ll lube up your ass before I fuck it later.”

Sierra avoided all eye contact with him after that parting statement, staring at the floor until she heard the Dom’s feet carry him out of the Nursery, just in case he locked that sadism on her; she had enough to manage with her own Dom’s brand of rough sex.

“Oh, I do love that man and his filthy mouth,” Callie murmured, sighing happily. With a giggle, she sprang forward to capture Sierra’s hands, bouncing on the toes of her sneakers. “Wanna play in the ball pit?”

The switch from adult to Little was so seamless, Sierra took a moment to catch up. It took some persuasion—from her own stubborn brain and a few strokes of Liam’s hand down her arm—to shed her adult persona and slide into Little space.

Stuffie stores and adult business could wait a few hours, she decided. The possibilities and responsibilities involved needed to percolate for a while until she grasped them fully, and she required time to do that.

“Jungle gym?” she replied, expecting to get shot down with a tamer suggestion.

Instead, Callie hopped faster, squealing in excitement. “Race you, race you!”

Liam dropped a kiss on the top of Sierra’s head before letting her go. “Have fun, babygirl. I’ll be over with Violet if you need me.”

“C’mon, Sierra!” Grabbing her hand, Callie tugged her forward, laughing maniacally as she completely embraced her Little side again and yanked Sierra headlong into hers. “I wanna swing!”

Oddly enough, that sounded… wonderful.

Liam

At eight a.m. the next morning, the entire staff gathered in what had been the lower level of the main house, and was now the information hub of the club. The expansion from the original building was considerable, with the bar and restaurant extending to either side.

The assembled team of people from Masters and Mistresses to gardeners, maids, and cleaners was impressive with—he estimated—around ninety in employment.

In an hour, the first guests were due to arrive, with a significant number already confirming their booking. Several were booked into the upstairs suites, while a few groups were taking over the larger cabins outside.

Evander had mentioned at dinner the previous evening that he was already breaking ground further back in the forest for more cabins due to the sheer volume of interest; a ballsy move in Liam’s opinion, but Evander was the construction guru with money to burn.

Listening with half an ear to Eli’s opening speech, rules, and welcome to Serenity, Liam wondered if Sierra was awake yet. After a long day of playing in the Nursery, followed by dinner with the trio, she’d attempted to sneak in an hour’s work when they got back to the cabin and fallen asleep two minutes after picking up her needle and thread.

Leaving her in bed, tucked up like an adorable bear cub, was the easiest decision he’d made in a long time. A night without nightmares was a rarity, which meant she was awake and working before dawn broke on the horizon.

A habit he really wanted to break before it broke her.

“No sidekick this morning?” Slipping through the throng of people around him, Violet planted herself beside him.

“You tired her out,” he replied under his breath.

“My, my, what a compliment.”

“Hmm. There’ll be enough excitement for her later once the club’s officially open; I left her to sleep off yesterday.” He slanted her a glance. “A suspicious Dom might be wary of someone showing so much interest in his sub, Violet.”

“Lucky for me, you’re not a suspicious man, Liam.”

He really did like this Domme. Self-confident, humorous, compassionate, and an excellent friend for Sierra. Maybe his little minx could learn a lesson or two from the Southern belle. “Lucky indeed. Ready for the carnage to begin?”

Elias clapped his hands together. “All right, ladies and gentlemen, that’s it for the pep talk. I’m sure you’re all raring to get to your posts. Don’t forget, if you have any issues with your posted schedules or any of the systems, both Evander and I are here to help you deal with them. Have fun, enjoy the experience, and give the clientele a memorable time.”

The landscaping team beelined for the door first. A mere half-dozen men and women tasked with keeping up basic appearances through winter before the summer crews turned up in spring.

The kitchen staff, maids, cleaners, and maintenance teams drifted away to their respective quarters. No doubt off to perform last minute checks before their week of leisure time became strictly work.

“It can’t be that bad,” Violet said dismissively.

“Given the number of guests due to arrive this morning, the fact we’re all new to working together as a team, the computer systems are likely to glitch because they’re new…” Chuckling, Liam ticked each one off on his fingers, adding more as they came to him. “Sure, everything could run smoothly, but the odds are against it.”

“Are you usually this pessimistic?”

“I’ve been here before, only on a smaller scale. Avalon was already up and running when my boyfriend at the time took me there, but there was still some chaos. The wrong staff to start; Braun was trying to run several businesses, so he had a manager, a bartender, cleaners, and none of them worked together cohesively.” Christ, it had been a mess. Arguments and temper tantrums between grown adults, for fuck’s sake. “When he hired me, I changed all that. I needed a full-time job after I got dumped, so we took a big step and fired all of them. Avalon became my life. A club that size was manageable with one guy in control of all the aspects; Serenity is far beyond that.”

“Should I be worried?”

“That depends. How are you in a crisis?”

A slow smile curved her lips. “Cool, calm, and absolutely fabulous, darling.”

Out of habit, Liam glanced around for anything untoward. The two women acting as receptionists were already behind the front desk, booting up the computers as they chatted away to each other—friendly vibes, he noted with approval. “You’ll be fine. If you’ll excuse me, I need to speak with Eli before he gets caught up and swept away.”

“Of course. Good luck, Liam.”

They might need it, he thought as he strode after Eli. He wasn’t joking when he used carnage as a descriptive. All it took was something small like a rush of clients arriving at the same time to check in and the computer system freezing for five minutes. A rude guest upsetting another one.

Well, if anything, it was a new and exciting challenge to tackle.

Falling into step beside Elias as his boss entered into the pristine restaurant, Liam cleared his throat. “Eli, you got a moment?”

“Please don’t tell me we’ve got problems already?”

“Not that I know of, no. I just wanted to ask you to give the stuffie enterprise the green light.”

Mid-step, Eli stopped and nodded. “I can do that. I’m surprised Sierra agreed so quickly, but I’ll tell Evander to get a team in overnight.”

“She hasn’t agreed as such,” Liam confessed, shrugging when those blue eyes pinned him. “I know my girl, Eli. She’s gonna wrestle with this decision for a while until one of us forces her into making it. After a few days, she’ll convince herself she’s waited too long to say yes, so she’ll politely turn the opportunity down and then regret it. She needs this, Eli; you know it, otherwise you wouldn’t have offered it.”

“I’ll make sure it’s ready when she is.”

“Thank you.”

Those eyes never wavered. “It’s us who need to thank you, Liam. I have a feeling you’ll be instrumental in keeping us all together over the next few months.” When his phone rang, he sighed. “I’m going to start hearing that noise in my goddamn sleep. Do you need me for anything else?”

“No, we’re good.”

With a nod, Elias answered the call curtly as he continued toward the kitchen area.

Liam really didn’t envy the guy his job. On call twenty-four-seven, running multiple arms of Evander’s business, needing to be up to date on every aspect of those businesses so he could aid his husband in the most efficient way. Not to mention running herd on their Little, making sure she felt loved and appreciated both as their sub and their wife.

It made Liam’s life seem relatively uncomplicated in comparison.

Sierra

The first week of Serenity’s opening, she hid.

Perhaps not the most mature of reactions, but after being woken by the first guests the day the club welcomed clients and seeing just how many people were flocking to the kink resort, her self-confidence plummeted back down to the level it had been when she met Liam on the cold porch at Avalon.

So many people—beautiful, experienced people.

People who were no doubt eyeing up her Dom as he served drinks and conversation, thinking how gorgeous he was, how he must have a stunning, buxom submissive to please his every whim.

She couldn’t face the judgmental stares and whispers that never failed to come her way. Not when her emotions were swinging up, down, and round. When her heart was breaking for the umpteenth time, though she was hiding that as well.

Liam didn’t know anything was wrong, of course, and that was no fault of his; he’d been so busy establishing a balanced routine at the bar, he hadn’t been in the mood to initiate sex, which meant he hadn’t realized she was on her period.

That was good though, she told herself. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him the way she was hurting.

It was getting harder to dodge the requests to come out of the cabin, however. Now that the initial frenzy was dying down, Liam was pushing for her to step out of the safety zone she’d locked herself into, and so was Callie.

Pressing her hand to her stupidly barren stomach where cramps rippled, Sierra blew out a slow breath and tried not to cry. She should know better by now than to put any hope in her defective body doing something right for once.

When someone knocked on the door, she scrubbed at her wet eyes, resigned to the fact that no matter what she asked her body to do or not do, it would always do the opposite. A glance at the window told her she’d worked into the evening, as did the slight numbness in her fingers from hours of mindless sewing.

Not interested in company, she sent a silent apology to whomever was outside, and ignored the quiet summons. Or did until it came again, louder this time, more insistent.

Setting down her needle, she rose and stomped her way to the front door. She’d just tell the visitor to go away, far away, and maybe see if she could convince her appetite to eat something.

The giant on the threshold stared down at her when she opened the door, his chocolate gaze darkening in concern as it raked over her.

Okay, so maybe she didn’t look her best. Her comfiest, rattiest sweatpants with an elasticated waist to keep the pressure off her bloated tummy. A hooded sweatshirt because the nights were cold in Denver and she hadn’t quite figured out the heating system yet. Fluffy bed socks and a pair of sheepskin slippers Liam got her one Christmas. “M-Master E-Evander.”

Stripping off his jacket, Evander bundled her into it as she spluttered out a shocked protest. “You’ll do. Your Daddy’s worried about you, little girl.”

What the hell? “I’ll do for what?”

“Time to play, of course.” His big hands deftly zipped up the front of the jacket, cocooning her in sublime warmth and the scent of woodsmoke and… something earthy. “Liam’s just handing the bar over to Jonah and then he’s setting up a scene for you. Apparently, you’ve been a hermit longer than he likes.”

“S-So why not come for me himself?” Instead of sending the king of giants in his stead.

“Something about big puppy eyes and not being able to push you. For a Dom with sadistic tendencies, your Daddy Dom is soft when it comes to you, sweetheart.” Grinning, Evander shrugged his lumberjack shoulders. “Chances are you’d ignore Callie or Violet. Elias sends you into an anxiety attack. Me, I don’t take no for an answer and I’m not as scary as my husband.”

Oh well, at least Elias’s fearsome scale was acknowledged by people other than her, she supposed. “I-I’m not feeling well. I don’t want to play.”

“Some fresh air will help then,” he said casually and, with terrifying strength, plucked her up and laid her gently over his shoulder before pulling the door shut. “Guess it’s that time of the month, huh?”

Flailing her hands against his back, Sierra tried not to think about how high up she was, or how landing on her head would hurt if he dropped her. “What?”

“I have a wife,” he pointed out. “She gets sad and depressed when she’s on her period. Or angry,” he mused to himself. “Sometimes it’s like living with a pint-sized tigress with her claws extended for several days at a time.”

“Master Evander, please—”

“I have my orders, sweetheart. Do not take no for an answer. Physically remove you from the cabin if needed. Keep you warm so you don’t catch a chill. Handle with care because you’re feeling fragile.”

Oh shit. “Liam knows I’m…”

“Did you think you could hide that from him?” Evander laughed and gave her thigh a friendly pat. “Oh, you are a very sweet sub, Sierra. How many years have you two been together?”

“Too many if he’s willing to resort to kidnapping,” she muttered, watching the gravel footpath beneath her fly past with Evander’s long strides. “I don’t want to be around people, Evander.” A thought occurred to her. “I’m not exactly dressed to club standards.”

“My club, my standards. Besides, I don’t think you’ll be dressed for long.”

Fuck, did he have an answer for everything? “I haven’t shaved.”

Now his stride faltered, slowing. “The beard?”

Shame filled her voice. “Yeah.”

He grunted. “That’s not a requirement either, Sierra. Let me tell you something here and now—if anyone, and I mean anyone , gives you shit over that, I’ll revoke their membership on the spot and get Eli to escort them off the property. Bullying and discrimination will not be tolerated here. Ever.”

Yeah, he did have an answer for everything. Tears clogged her throat, rendering her speechless, but that was just the period hormones. She wasn’t touched by his unwavering solidarity to someone he barely knew, not at all.

Faster than she liked, he was pushing through the doors into the bar. Tugging on his shirt, she said, “Can I please go to the bathroom, Master Evander? I should probably freshen up before…”

“No.”

What? Her head jerked up in surprise. “Sir?”

“Explicit request from your Dom, sweetheart, sorry. All bodily functions, tampon removals, etcetera belong to Liam tonight. Didn’t take him for that kind of kink, but sometimes a Dom just gets pushed to his limits.” Laughing, Evander walked toward the bar, parting conversations as people stopped talking to watch a redhead being hauled like a sack of potatoes over a giant’s shoulder.

Fabulous, just the entrance she needed, she thought dourly. Attention on her from all sides. The focal point of the room.

The communal source of ridicule.

“Here you go, buddy. One unhappy subbie reporting for duty.”

The world spun sickly in a carousel of low light, blurred faces, and the beat of a dance song playing on the speakers built into the walls. Her butt hit a padded seat, and big hands grasped her shoulders as she swayed with the sudden rush of blood leaving her head.

“Thanks, Van. Appreciate it.”

Evander flicked a finger on the tip of her nose, winked, and wandered away, leaving her wide open to public scrutiny. Almost immediately, the soft gasps of shock and the quiet whispers started.

Dropping her gaze to the floor, she flinched when a familiar hand cupped her chin and lifted it to meet stormy gray eyes. She sucked in a breath as a sob threatened to break free, then lost it as Liam cradled her ugly, bearded face in his beautiful hands and kissed her.

Not just kissed her, she realized. Consumed her. The position of her butt on the seat left him room to wedge between her thighs, spreading her open so his erection ground against her through the sweats. The hard bulge, capable of rendering her mute when utilized, reminded her that no matter what anyone else thought, her Dom loved her.

“Bad girl,” he growled into her mouth, biting her bottom lip. “Did you honestly believe I wouldn’t notice you avoiding me?”

“You’ve been busy,” she mumbled.

“Never too busy for you. Try again.”

“I’ve been working.”

“Mmm-hmm, and you only work this hard when you’re upset. Try again.”

She sniffled. “I’ve been sad.”

“Now we’re getting to it. We’re not going to stop trying for a baby, Sierra. I promise you. But we moved here to help you relax and destress; that’s going to take time because you’re wound tighter than a coiled spring without realizing it.” His thumbs stroked her cheekbones, then the bruises under her eyes. “What else is bothering you aside from your period?”

Heat streaked up her neck. Christ, why didn’t he just use the Tannoy system to announce it to everyone on the damn property? “Can we please talk about this at home?”

“No. I asked Van to bring you here because otherwise you squirrel yourself away in the living room with the stuffie mission and close off. I’ve been lax in my responsibilities, Sierra, by allowing you to do that, and I’ve decided that it’s going to change. A new start for us both and a fresh set of rules.”

Oh boy, that didn’t sound good. As far as she was concerned, he was strict enough just as he was—her ass would attest to that in court, one cheek on the Bible as it vowed to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

“So, why is the love of my life this unhappy?” Eyes softening, he asked, “Do you want to go home, Sierra? Back to Phoenix?”

She almost said yes. It came damn close to tripping off her tongue on the next breath, but something made her hesitate. Did she miss Phoenix? Not particularly. Did she miss Avalon, her friends, the family they’d made from scratch?

Yes, like fucking crazy.

But was she homesick? Desperate to go back to the place where all her memories of Wyatt ambushed her at every turn?

No.

Serenity lived up its name, or had until the masses descended and threatened to breach the carefully maintained boundary lines of her newfound peace.

Shaking her head, Sierra answered truthfully. “No, Sir, I don’t.”

“Are you missing Wyatt?”

She missed the man he might have been, she thought. The one who was learning not to be a gigantic asshole, the one who sacrificed himself to save a friend. Unfortunately that man hadn’t shown his face all too often, and the one who appeared most had been the cause of a lot of her pain. “No.”

Liam nodded in understanding. “I get it. If you’re not homesick and you’re not missing Wyatt, what’s wrong?” When her eyes drifted past him to the unfamiliar faces around them—some of them watching her, some not—and her fingers lifted to touch her face, he made a displeased sound. “We’re back to this, are we? Damn it, Sierra, I thought we’d built your self-confidence up enough to avoid this.”

Her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize.” He kissed her forehead. “I need to make some changes to the scene I planned for tonight, minx. While I do that, you’re going to strip and present yourself on your knees. Right here,” he added, snapping his fingers and pointing to the floor in front of her chair. “In the next thirty seconds.”

A direct order she could handle, she thought with relief. It was so much easier to obey than to think when she found herself in situations too uncomfortable for her brain to manage.

When Liam stepped back, pulling his phone from his pocket, she slid off the bar stool and methodically started removing her clothing, starting with Evander’s jacket. Seconds counted down in her head, and by the time she reached thirty, her knees were touching the floor, her palms upturned on her spread thighs, with her back straight and head dipped.

Liam’s hand rested on her hair, his fingers tapping in a one-two-three rhythm she knew all too well. Air exhaled from her lungs on a long, slow breath of submission, and peace followed on its heels.

Like this, she could ignore the stares burning into her and the whispers swirling around like embers in the wind. All she needed to do was focus on the soft tap-tap-tap and remember all the times he’d given her that silent signal, the one he’d made so long ago to forge trust and reassurance between them.

Like this, she was his, no matter what happened next.