Captivating Her Racy Heroes [Racy Nights 13] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3

  Ryder and Hugh were charmers, but was she making a big mistake hanging out with two men she’d just met, and who were Doms in this town? The BDSM community here was tight. She already knew that. She didn’t want to cause them trouble anymore than she wanted to be on the bad side of the entire community from day one. Why the hell had she thought she could live and work in Racy? She must have been out of her fucking mind. She should leave now, while she had a chance to. She’d find another job. One day…

  She peeked out the door to find them building something with the onion rings she hadn’t eaten. They had inserted toothpicks into them, and because there weren’t many patrons in the store, their voices carried easily. They appeared to be arguing over whether or not the rings could stand on their own if stacked on top of one another at uneven levels, beveling one edge over the other, without the toothpicks.

  She chuckled softly under her breath. They were like teens still in that respect, as the ketchup and pickle stains on the wall next to “their” booth proved, but they weren’t immature. They’d already proven that. And they had both stuck up for her when Sean had come over and hassled her for being in Racy. She wouldn’t forget that. They could have sided with their friend, but instead they told him to back down, and then they’d listened to her side of the story without judging. They were true gentlemen.

  And they were gorgeous. So why shouldn’t she spend the day with them? There was no harm in it. She returned to the table and sat down, watching them build their odd design. Both looked embarrassed to be caught but she told them to keep going. “Let’s see how tall you can make it.”

  “We might need more rings,” said Hugh, under his breath.

  “No way,” said Ryder. “It’s not going to stand like this, even with the toothpicks. They’re too far over. You have to move them closer. It’s simple physics.”

  Hugh raised his brows as he balanced a fourth ring on top of the rest, then inserted the toothpick through it into the one below. “Physics? What would you know about physics?”

  The concoction collapsed. “More than you do, apparently.”

  Brynn laughed at the humor in Ryder’s voice, even though Hugh scowled at her. “Well, he’s right. And he does work on wind turbines. He must know something about it.”

  “He knows mechanical things.”

  “And robotics,” said Ryder. “They’re automated.”

  “Are they really? I didn’t know that.”

  “Most of their functions are, yes. We only need to intervene when something goes haywire, which means I need to know a lot about computers as well.”

  Hugh was still scowling. “Well, I can save you money.”

  She laughed again. “I’m sure you can do a lot more than that. I had to take econ classes as an undergrad. I was lost.”

  Hugh beamed as though she’d just asked him to explain the secret of life. “See? She appreciates me.”

  “I appreciate you both. Let’s get out of here.” She needed fresh air and warm sunshine, and she wanted to spend time with them without others around. A few of the patrons had been giving them odd looks ever since Sean had confronted her, and she was tired of it.

  Once outside, they walked to where Ryder had parked his Notus van. “Mind if we use this to drive around? If I get called, I have to go right away.”

  “Does that mean we’d get to come with you?”

  “You’d have to.”

  “Will you take me up inside the wind turbine with you?”

  He gave her a grin that sent shock waves of desire coursing through her body. What would it be like to look up into his face with that grin on it, naked in bed with him? “I think I can arrange that. As long as you promise not to breathe a word to anyone.”

  She cut her gaze toward Hugh for a second. “I won’t say anything, but can we trust him?”

  “Oh, thanks.”

  She linked her arm in Hugh’s. “I’m only kidding. You two are obviously good friends.” She slid into the passenger seat and Hugh climbed in the back. “How long have you known each other?”

  Ryder started up the van and backed out of the parking space. “All our lives. We bonded in kindergarten over Legos.”

  “That sounds intriguing.”

  Hugh leaned across her seat, and she caught a whiff of his cologne again. “You know that scenario you glimpsed back there? We were trying to do something similar with Legos, only we didn’t quite grasp the concept that they stuck together with all those little circles and such. But once we did, we built a two-foot tower with them that all our classmates marveled at.”

  “So you’re both budding architects.”

  “Well, not so much that as we like to try things that no one has done before, or that others say can’t possibly work.”

  “I like that. You think outside the box. I prefer people who do that.”

  Ryder gave her that grin again, and she bit her lip, but it didn’t matter. Her hormones were out of control. This was shaping up to be an interesting day.

  “Then you’re going to fall madly in love with both of us.”

  “Oh? You think so?” She squirmed in her seat. These two were adorable.

  “Or at least madly in lust,” said Hugh.

  When she glanced over her shoulder to smile at him, he winked and she could barely hold back the moan that tried once again to surface.

  “Hey, a guy can dream, right?”

  “I’m not sure how much to believe from either of you. I think you like to play.”

  His face grew serious. “But not with affections. Honestly. We aren’t like that.”

  “Oh, okay. That’s good to know.”

  They drove down a series of streets with winding curves and lots of trees. “Have you been back here yet?” asked Ryder. “This is Birch Lane.” He stopped in front of a gated property with a stately brick home set back among the trees. “That’s Maddox’s house. He runs the BDSM club here in Racy inside it.”

  “Wow. It’s a mansion.”

  “His father, Randy, made a lot of money in the eighties. He raised Maddox alone. Both he and his cousin, Ellis, lived on their grandfather’s farm with their fathers. His name is Skeeter, although that’s only a nickname. His real name is Samuel. He owns farmland that used to include Lawnview Drive, but sold a lot of it off over the years.”

  “Does Ellis live in a house like this as well?”

  “Yes, he does. So does Hugh’s brother, Mason.”

  “Most of my family lives on this street or the next one, Dogwood Trail,” said Hugh. “Our current mayor, Zach Kincaid, lives on Dogwood.”

  They drove past Ellis’s house, then Hugh pointed out his brother Mason’s home, and explained it was part of his aunt and uncle’s estate. “My uncle Everett is head of ER at the hospital. He’s Cameron’s father, and Cameron is our fire chief.”

  “And Ellis is our building inspector,” said Ryder.

  They rounded the curve where the street merged with Dogwood and Hugh pointed out his home and then Zach’s house.

  “I had no idea this part of town even existed.”

  Hugh pointed toward another estate with a gate and a tall, black fence around it. “And there’s Jake Malloy’s house. His family owns all of Notus.”

  Brynn nodded, knowing she’d need a spreadsheet to keep up with who was who. They drove around the back of the estates they’d just pointed out, eventually coming to the water treatment plant.

  “That’s Skeeter’s farm,” said Ryder, pointing toward the land next to the plant. “And this is Lawnview Drive.” As they drove down a street with homes under construction, they slowed down so Brynn could see them all. “This street was a mess of abandoned century homes and vacant lots. About two years ago, Kari Tye and Alexa Monahan bought that gorgeous pale yellow Queen Anne at the end of the row, and remodeled it. They own and operate Tye Me Up on the ground floor, and Alexa lives upstairs with her two Doms, Luke Rodriguez and Chase Taylor.”

  “Tye Me Up? Is it a fetish shop?”

&n
bsp; “Yes. Racy’s only one.”

  “What a clever name. And did you say Rodriguez? Wasn’t that the name of the woman who was kidnapped earlier?”

  Hugh nodded. “She’s Luke’s sister. He has five of them, and one brother. Rafe works in the comptroller’s office at City Hall and is a Dom to Marisol Santiago, a court reporter there, along with Ellis McCree.”

  She narrowed her eyes at Hugh. “Don’t they mind you telling a stranger about their lifestyle?”

  He shook his head. “Not to someone who’s in the lifestyle, like you are. You weren’t lying about that, were you?”

  “No, of course not. Please, continue.”

  He grinned in a way that made her pussy wet, and it was difficult not to imagine them both naked. Racy certainly had its share of triads. Would these two be interested in something like that as well?

  “And Chase Taylor is our building commissioner.”

  Ryder stopped in front of the shop next to Tye Me Up. The sign said Harmony Music. “Ava Harmony came here from Chicago. Do you know her?”

  Brynn shook her head.

  “She owns this shop, along with Jake and Gary Reed now. You probably saw Gary helping with the marching band if you were at the park earlier. They’re both her Doms.”

  “I wasn’t really paying too much attention to the band.”

  They left Lawnview and drove down street after street of neat, trim homes. Ryder and Hugh pointed out nearly every one, explaining who lived there, and their history in the town. When they came to a townhome on Lilac Way, Ryder said he lived there. “But I’m hardly ever home. I work a lot of overtime.”

  “Why is that?”

  He shrugged. “Beats sitting home watching cable.”

  “I don’t get it. What am I missing here? You’re both Doms, you’re good-looking guys, you’re funny and charming…why does it sound like neither of you date much?”

  “Long story,” said Ryder.

  “Same here.”

  She glanced from one to the other as Ryder made his way down the street. “I have all day.”

  “What about you?” asked Ryder. “No boyfriends in Chicago? Did you stay in the lifestyle after you stopped hanging around Sarina and Kane? You’re a pretty, intelligent woman. Why aren’t you attached?”

  She chuckled. “Touché. You got me. What can I say? I haven’t been inside a club in ten years, and it’s not like everyone talks freely about BDSM in the corporate environment, even if they are in the lifestyle. For all I know, I was sharing office space with subs and Doms and never knew it. I’ve dated a bit, but mostly guys who were climbing to the top of an invisible ladder. I couldn’t stand it. They answered cell calls during dinner, were chained to their iPads, and couldn’t have a discussion about anything that wasn’t work related.”

  “And that’s not what you want.”

  She glanced into Hugh’s eyes. “No, it’s not. I want someone who, when he’s with me, he’s with me one hundred percent. If I’m expected to give that, then it has to be a two-way street. That might not sound very subbie of me, but I don’t want to take a backseat to conference calls and strategy sessions, twenty-four-seven. I understand if someone has an important presentation coming up, or like Ryder today is on call. That’s different. But the men I dated couldn’t leave it behind long enough to have dinner or watch a movie on TV.”

  Hugh and Ryder both nodded. “I get that,” said Hugh. “I really do. When I leave Notus at the end of the day, I don’t want to think about my job until I have to return to work. Which also explains why I’ll never move up that ladder you mentioned. I don’t want the constant accountability. I like what I do.”

  “Same here,” said Ryder. “I’ve had plenty of chances to move into a desk job, but I love being on the line. The problem is that the women I’ve met see me as someone who isn’t ambitious enough for them. That’s why I don’t date much.”

  His voice was set and hard, and the emotion in it tugged at her heart.

  “My experiences haven’t been like that,” said Hugh, “but then again, I haven’t exactly sought out dating opportunities.”

  “Why not?”

  “Let’s just say I didn’t have good role models while growing up, and my experiences jaded me. I’ve buried myself in my work.”

  “You said something back in the diner about expectations. Want to talk about it?”

  He averted his gaze, and now she was more than curious, but she also sensed this wasn’t the time to push it. Clearly it was something quite upsetting to him. “Another time.”

  She was about to ask what they wanted to do now when Ryder’s cell phone rang. It was a short call, and when he ended it, he glanced at Brynn with a big grin on his face. “You’re about to get your wish. I have a turbine to work on.”

  Chapter Four

  Ryder headed out of town, and soon they were on US 231. She swiveled her head from side to side, trying to see each wind turbine as they passed them. “How tall are they?”

  “About three hundred feet.”

  “The blades don’t all spin at once. Why is that?”

  “Each one is actually a bit different than the others around it. The blades are pitched in a way so that each one will catch the wind. The wind determines how fast or slow they spin. They also have to rewind themselves after a certain number of revolutions, so that’s why at times it looks as if they’re not doing anything.”

  “Is the automation designed here in Racy?”

  “Here and in other places. We have teams of R&D specialists who do that. We also have teams who conduct wind velocity studies, and work on studying various terrain versus wind speed. Noah Wells, one of Kari Tye’s Doms, is an R&D specialist on a wind study team. Lee Parker and Mason Sinclair, Hugh’s brother, both work on a robotics team.”

  “They’re Doms to Harper Montgomery,” said Hugh. “She works for Teresa’s sister, Maggie, at Notus. Maggie runs the marketing department for this area.”

  “So you not only keep the BDSM in the families, but also at Notus.”

  Hugh chuckled. “Well, not exactly. Maggie is not in the lifestyle, although she supports her siblings who are.”

  “Adison Kincaid, our mayor’s cousin, is also one of Kari’s Doms. He’s head of security at Notus for this area. And Sean’s father was one of the first mechanical engineers who worked for them here at the plant in Racy.”

  “Really? Why didn’t he follow in his father’s footsteps?”

  Ryder shrugged. “Sean has always gone his own way. And actually we’re all glad he’s a cop. He’s part bloodhound.”

  She nodded. “Great. Good to know. Especially since he still hates me.”

  “Give him time,” said Hugh. “You told him you’re done with all that. Now it’s up to him to accept it and move on.”

  “I just wish I’d had the chance to talk to Maddox today as well, before Sean does.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Things have a way of working out.”

  They pulled onto a dirt road that led to one of the turbines, and Brynn had to crane her neck out the window to see to the top. This one wasn’t spinning, but she heard a hum as they approached.

  Ryder turned off the ignition in the van. She followed him and Hugh up the stairs to a small door, where Ryder told them to wait. “It’s really loud in there even when the blades aren’t spinning. Let me shut off the power first, and then you two can come inside.”

  He put on ear muffs and went inside, and when he came back out, he motioned them in. Everything echoed. The walls and all the equipment were metal. Even the floor was metal. But it was bright inside, and she could see everything. He pointed toward a narrow, spiral staircase. “Hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

  She followed him, and Hugh climbed behind her. Brynn grinned all the way up because she was enjoying watching Ryder’s nice ass move in his jeans, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Hugh was enjoying the view in front of him. Her ears kept popping, and she had to keep swallowing, the same as if she were in
an airplane that was ascending or descending.

  Once they reached the top, there was barely enough room for the three of them to stand. Ryder pointed toward a panel. “The robotics controls are in there. I have to take this off and run a bunch of tests.”

  His voice echoed off the walls, and she could hear everything outside. She swore the monolith swayed a bit in the wind, and she clutched Hugh’s hand. “This is kind of scary.”

  “You’re okay,” said Ryder. “Nothing is going to happen to you. These things can withstand the wind of a tornado. We’re safe.”

  She glanced at Hugh. “Have you been inside one before?”

  He nodded. “Many times. I have no life on weekends. I hang out with him.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at his statement, but she still found it odd that these two weren’t seeing anyone. What was wrong with the women in this town? As she watched Ryder work, she gained new appreciation for him. He clearly was skilled at this and knew exactly what he was doing. He explained everything along the way, but she had no head for mechanical things and only understood half what he was saying.

  It took about an hour, but he pronounced the problem fixed, and told them they could climb back down. She was grateful for that. Her legs and back were stiff from standing in a cramped space for so long, and she was a bit dizzy from the constant, miniscule movement of the turbine.

  If this was what Ryder did all day long, he was tough as nails. Sitting at a desk was nothing compared to this. He had so much going for him. Didn’t he realize that? And the fact that he kept doing this even though he’d passed up chances for advancement proved what a dedicated, content person he was. Any woman would be thrilled to be with someone like that.

  Once they were on the ground again, he stepped back inside with his ear muffs on, and when Hugh pointed toward the top, she glanced up to see the blades begin to spin. “It’s fixed!”