Dr. Tally Tyson followed her Master into the large room. Senator Karl Tyson had returned to Montana an hour ago after a month in Washington D.C., and she’d been looking forward to spending some time alone with him. But her loving husband had been uncharacteristically insistent they attend Landon and Savannah’s reception. Figures, all I want to do is bump uglies and he want to socialize. When she realized how far her thoughts had strayed, Tally let her gaze move around the room and sighed with relief when she didn’t see Master Taz anywhere close. Damn, that mind reading thing is fucking unhandy. I don’t know how Kodi puts up with it.
“I know you are frustrated, but you need to snap out of it. Good things come to those who are obedient.” She fought the urge to roll her eyes…barely. “Good save, pet.” He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and headed to the bar. “Come. I have someone I want you to meet. I know you’ve missed having a third, and I’d like you to meet a man I think might be a good fit for us.”
Her feet planted themselves firmly on the cement floor, surprising him. “Really? You’ve been thinking about that while dealing with all the nonsense going on in D.C.?”
He turned looking down at her and smiled. “Baby, you belong to me. Your happiness is my number one concern. Always. I’m never too busy to think about what I can do to make your life better, my love.”
Tally’s eyes filled with tears at the sincerity of his words. She’d never figured out what she’d done to deserve Karl’s love. From the moment she’d met him, she’d known he was the other half of her heart and soul. There wasn’t anyone in the world who understood her better. At one time, Landon Nixon had been a close second…in many ways. But he’d pulled away from the relationship before Savannah came back into his life. And as much as she missed him, she understood. He deserved the happiness he found with Savannah, and Tally was grateful she and Landon’s bride were becoming friends. It had been a bit rocky in the beginning. But they really were a lot alike in many ways.
“Pet, tonight is only a meet and greet. I’m not sure it will work. The man we’re talking to isn’t sure where he’s going to land, although Nate and Taz are working hard to bring him on masochist board their Prairie Winds team. If he does join, his schedule will be unpredictable, but he’s said he’d be willing to coordinate his with mine.”
Everything he said piqued her interest, and she had to fight back the urge to scan the room. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the dynamic a third added to their relationship, something both she and Karl enjoyed. Tally recognized a true polyamorous relationship like the Ledeks would never work for them, and she was also certain the special connection they’d experienced with Landon Nixon would be difficult to replicate.
As if he’d read her mind, Karl pushed his fingers through her loose blonde hair until his palm cupped the side of her head, his thumb caressing her cheek. “Don’t expect to duplicate what we had with Master Landon, sweetness. Tonight, we need to focus on establishing rapport. Building from that point will be easier.”
He was right. She couldn’t expect anyone to be exactly like Landon. No two people were exactly alike. She’d met the West twins, and if mirror image twins could be so different, it would be fundamentally unfair to expect strangers to be the same. Nodding her agreement, she looked into his eyes and fell into them, just as she did every time. “Thank you for the reminder. You always know just what I need, and I’m grateful even when I forget to tell you.”
His expression softened before he enfolded her into his embrace. “You are the best thing in my life, sweetness. It’s getting harder and harder to be apart.” He’d made it clear he wasn’t comfortable knowing they were going to be separated during his upcoming trip to Columbia, and she was intuitive enough to sense he wanted to know she had a solid support system behind her in case things didn’t go well. A shiver of foreboding slithered up her spine, but she pushed it aside not wanting to ruin his first night home.
Koi Meadows watched Senator Tyson and his lovely wife enter the room. He’d been introduced to Dr. Tally Tyson at his sister, Kodi’s, wedding, but he’d never spoken to her beyond a polite greeting. Yet here he was, waiting to be re-introduced for a much more personal reason.
Tally was petite by any standard, but no one around her seemed to notice. Koi suspected her personality negated the aura of vulnerability he saw at this distance. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back in a flurry of waves and curls, making him wonder what it would be like to thread his fingers through those tempting tresses. Her heart-shaped face and wide eyes made her seem more like a college coed than a well-respected surgeon.
When his younger sister announced her plans to marry Nate and Taz Ledek, Koi hadn’t been as shocked as he probably should have. He’d known Kodi had latched on to his stories of the two former SEALs with a level of interest she hadn’t shown for any of the other Special Forces members he’d mentioned. And anyone who spent any time at all with the Ledeks could easily recognize the two gifted brothers in her debut novel.
Damn, he was proud of her writing success. He’d known he was a sexual Dominant a long time ago so the content didn’t bother him. She’d quizzed him on numerous occasions about points of protocol, and he’d agreed to answer her questions as long as they weren’t about his personal practices. Hopefully, she’ll have other sources for that information now, and I’ll be off the hook.
His recent conversations with Karl Tyson had revolved almost entirely around what his expectations were for a third in their relationship. As a U.S. Senator, Koi had expected discretion to be his number one concern, but it hadn’t been. Karl had focused on the support he wanted for Tally during his increasingly frequent absences. “She is young and often needs a loving hand to reign in her enthusiasm. She can be rash and frequently shows little regard for her own well-being when I’m away.” Koi had easily translated Karl’s remarks to “she’ll work herself into an early grave without someone watching out for her.” He could fucking relate. Koi had done the same thing for more than a decade.
Tally followed her Master to the bar and felt a rush of heat when she realized who they were meeting. She’d been introduced to Kodi’s brother at her wedding, but they’d never gotten past polite greetings. Scrambling to pull information from her memory, Tally recalled Koi Meadows had been a Navy SEAL before switching to the CIA. When she’d asked Kodi how she felt about the change, her friend had sighed as tears filled her dark eyes. “While he was a SEAL, I never knew where he was or when he’d be back. But at least I took some comfort in the fact he was fighting as part of a group of soldiers. Once he switched to the Agency, I reasoned his enemies might fewer, but they’d be sneakier. Never let it be said I can’t rationalize with the best of them.”
While Tally saw numerous holes in Kodi’s reasoning, she hadn’t pointed them out. It was clearly a coping mechanism for her sweet friend, and who was Tally to burst her bubble? By the time they stopped in front of Koi, he was already standing. His dark gaze focused so fiercely on her she could have sworn she felt the heat, and he hadn’t even touched her.
“What was going through your mind between here and the door, ma poupée?” My little doll? Well, there were certainly worse things he could call her. But what the hell happened to hello? “Tally? Even though this is a casual meeting, we’re still in a BDSM club. Answer my question.” The command in his voice wasn’t sharp, nor had it been accompanied by anything other than a steely determination to get the answer.
“I was thinking about a conversation I had with your sister. I’d asked her if she worried more when you were a SEAL or after you went to work for the Agency. Her explanation surprised me.” She could tell by his startled expression that she’d surprised him. Good. You want to forego social niceties, like a greeting, you deserve to be surprised by blatant honesty.
The seconds ticked by as he studied her, and she returned his stare. Meet and greet, my ass. This is going to turn into a power struggle of the first order if I don’t contain it. When she finally dropped her gaze, Tally heard Karl’s soft chuckle. “Pet, I believe your worries might have been premature. It seems Master Koi and Master Landon may be more alike than I assumed.” The man standing in front of her might not hear the relief in her husband’s voice, but it was there.
Tally kept her eyes downcast until Koi used his fingers to lift her chin. “Look at me, ma poupée.” His dark eyes were softer now than they’d been seconds ago. And Tally could see the same tenderness in them she often saw in Kodi’s when she watched Nate and Taz. “When you left the other side of the room, your expression was filled with anticipation. But it was obvious the instant you realized who you were meeting because your eyes clouded and you looked like you’d fallen into a sad memory. That’s not an emotion I want to see in your eyes, Tally. If things work out as I hope they will, my role will be to enrich your life, not weigh it down.”
She felt herself relax and was grateful he’d taken time to explain his concern. Pulling in a deep breath, Tally took a few seconds to put her thoughts in order before giving him a tentative smile. Exhaling, she shifted her focus to Karl. “I hope we can begin again. I feel like I’ve ruined the evening you’d planned.”
“How did you ruin it, pet? By searching that brilliant mind of yours for information about the man you’d been told you were going to meet?” His cajoling tone made her smile.
“Hey, big brother. Tally looked a little shell-shocked a minute ago. What did you do?” Kodi stepped up next to her brother and pulled him down to press a kiss against his tan cheek.
“Ayasha, don’t stir up trouble.” Nate’s deep voice sounded over Tally’s shoulder, making her jump. “Sorry, sweetness, but my lovely wife will take full advantage of the fact we’re hosting a vanilla party if I don’t watch her. And poking her brother is one of her favorite pastimes. We’ll never convince him to join our team if she doesn’t lighten up.”
Glancing back at the woman many considered her coconspirator, Tally giggled at the faux look of innocence on her face. Koi watched his sister, affection shining bright in his dark eyes. “Kodi, that look hasn’t worked on me since you used it to get out of the first day of kindergarten. Damn, Mom and Dad were mad I took you to school with me instead of leaving you off at the grade school.”
“They shouldn’t have grounded you. You were being a sweet big brother.”
“I was being a gullible big brother. Being stuck at home for two weeks gave me plenty of time to watch you work your magic on Mom and Dad, mon coeur.”
Kodi melted against her brother and whispered, “You’re my heart, too, brother mine. You’ll always be the first man I loved.” Tally watched the interaction with a mixture of awe and envy. What she wouldn’t have given to have a brother who adored her like Koi did Kodi.
“Whatever. As long as my brother and I are the last men you love, it’s all good.” Nate pulled Kodi back to his side and shook Koi’s hand. “Welcome back, Koi. Enjoy the party. We’ll talk in the morning.”
After the Ledeks walked away, Koi returned his attention to her. “I like this expression much better, ma poupée. Let’s get something to drink and find a quiet place to talk.” Tally felt Karl’s hand press against her lower back, the tips of his fingers grazing the crack of her ass and reminding her how little she was wearing. The dress was conservative as far as club wear was concerned, but it would be scandalous at the D.C. parties that were such an integral part of her husband’s world. Tally was fully aware the time was rapidly approaching when she was going to be asked to move back to the east coast, but she intended to stall as long as possible.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she picked up her margarita and let Karl and Koi lead her to one of the more secluded seating arrangements. She suddenly realized how much she was looking forward to seeing where this evening led.