Hope you all enjoy your visit with the ladies who captured the hearts of those K&A men! Your questions caused them lots of giggles, laughter, chuckles, chortling – I ran out of nouns for female mirth. Of course, the alcohol also contributed…

* * * * *

It’s a mellow New Orleans evening. A nice breeze is coming through the backyard at Lucas and Cass’s plantation home outside the city. For that reason, the ladies have opened up the windows of the sun porch to let the breeze dance through. It’s their monthly girls’ night, and Dana has brought Janet along as a special treat for everyone. She’s also brought her because Janet has been dating Max recently, and Dana wants her to spill on the details.

Unfortunately, because that awful author who-shall-not-be-named said that the specifics couldn’t be revealed to a “public” audience until the FULL story of Janet’s romance with Max is revealed, Janet has been compelled to hold those details for later in the evening when we’re not listening in. (Yes, yes, I know – “Joey, you suck!!” Dodging fruit now…)

Cocktails are flowing, so female laughter is getting louder and more uninhibited. Dana is an excellent and creative bartender. Adding to the snacks provided by Cass, Rachel has brought chocolate-covered strawberries. Marcie came with several dozen of Ben’s famous goat cheese tarts, balancing salt and sweet. Cass’s elderly cat Saxophone (for his love of jazz) is sleeping in her lap, while the two cats she and Lucas adopted from the shelter are twining around the lounge furniture, perching here or there, looking to snatch a goat cheese tart when attention is diverted. Which is easy enough, since the women are currently reviewing the questions dropped off at Savannah’s office earlier in the day by Mistress Kat.

“Oh my God, who are these women?” Lifting the printout in one hand, Cass takes a sip of her Sex on the Beach with the other. “Some of these questions could make Dana blush. And I didn’t think anything could do that.”

“Don’t let her fool you. She has a camouflage advantage.” Marcie snorts. “All that beautiful brown skin. I bet she blushes at everything and we just can’t tell.”

“Don’t think I can’t kick your skinny white ass, baby girl,” Dana warns. She brings two more drinks in from the kitchen, bumping the furniture with her bare toes to find her way. She hands one to Cass, sitting on a chair adjacent to Savannah’s position on the couch. “And your big sis is just playing Miss Pollyanna. The women who asked those questions are no wilder than present company.”

“Present company minus Savannah,” Cass teases.

“Unless she’s on Jell-O shots,” Rachel puts in helpfully. “Then she’s as depraved as the rest of us.”

“I’m apparently never living that down,” the woman in question mentions. She settles back and crosses her legs demurely.

“We’re hoping for a repeat performance,” Cass says. “We didn’t think to take pictures or video last time.”

"Which is why it’s never happening again.” Savannah reaches over the sofa back to take the other drink from Dana. When the blind woman brushes her hand over Savannah’s shoulder, she catches her fingers in Savannah’s golden hair, loose on her shoulders.

“You left it down tonight.” A pleased smile crosses Dana’s face. With her hands no longer occupied by drinks, she combs both sets of fingers through the blond strands.

“I know you like playing with our hair.” Savannah seems to enjoy it as well, and Dana, responding to that, pulls a bar stool up behind her so she can keep doing it.

Cass returns to the list of questions. “Savannah, I think Mistress Kat has a severe fixation with tying up and beating your man.”

“Don’t we all?” Janet says dryly. She is sitting on the couch next to Savannah, and turns on her hip to watch Dana. Smiling at Cass’s comment, Savannah lays her head back. Reaching up, she toys with the St. Christopher’s medal on Dana’s collar, the one she wears most often when not at work at the church.

“I think her motives are a little different from yours, Janet. She had lunch with me today. She loves teasing Matt as much as he enjoys teasing her right back. In some odd way, they remind me of drinking buddies. I think it’s the whole Dom bonding thing.”

Janet rolls her eyes. “I’m a Domme, and he inspires me to drink for entirely different reasons.”

“Don’t be laughing too hard over there,” Cass gestures at Marcie. “You know Sandy would imprison Ben on Atlantis if given the opportunity.”

“Hmm. Too true.” Marcie’s eyes twinkle. “But Sandy and I have an understanding about her love of Ben, much like Savannah and Kat do about Matt. As a result, I’m one of the few who got the inside scoop on exactly what Sandy and Ben did on that island after their interview was conducted.”

“You are irrepressible.” Rachel curls her feet up underneath herself on the wicker sofa next to Marcie and touches her glass to the younger woman’s. As she does, her gaze sharpens on Marcie’s hand. Setting her drink aside, she captures Marcie’s forearm and nudges back Marcie’s wide silver bracelet to examine a deep groove high on her wrist. “What is this new mark? Are you using that balm I gave you?”

“Every day. He told me not to pull against the restraints, but it’s his fault. He made it impossible not to do so.” Marcie gives her a wink. “That balm is marvelous though. Heals up everything so fast, keeps things soft. Which makes Ben willing to do rough sessions more often. Mostly.” She grimaces. “He’s so protective.”

“Which is a good thing,” Savannah reminds her. “His job is to keep you safe when you don’t have the brain to do it yourself.”

“Speaking of that man…” Cass lifts the paper. “Saint Maria is really pushing for dimensions of his equipment.”

“All I’ll say on that is there’s a reason his slacks are custom-tailored.” Marcie grins widely. “He refuses to take me to the butcher when he picks out fresh meats. I see the salami section and start giggling uncontrollably.”

As the women hoot, Savannah leans out and takes the paper from Cass. “All right. Let’s seriously address some of these questions before we’ve had one too many drinks.”

“We may already be past that point,” Dana advises, noting that Marcie is still giggling. “How she can beat down someone three times her size but one drink does this to her…”

“No body fat,” Cass says, tossing back her white-blonde hair. “No absorption rate.”

Tracy: This one is for Rachel. You are my favorite of all the KOBR ladies. You now have a big loving family; what is it like? Did it help you to trust and love again?

That question effectively sobers Rachel. With her usual intuition, Dana leaves off her play with Savannah’s hair and moves to sit on a foot stool beside Rachel. She presses her hip against Rachel’s knees and lays her hand on Rachel’s thigh to link fingers, showing the particularly close bond the two share. Marcie stretches her arm out behind Rachel and brushes her short nails against Rachel’s shoulder, a further sign of support. The attention gives Rachel a smile and encourages her to answer, although she thinks it through for several long moments.

“I can’t discount the blessings I had before Jon. The base level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was always met. I’ve never known what it is to be hungry or without shelter over my head, or had to live in unsafe conditions. However, when I connected to Jon, I realized that if I couched that hierarchy in emotional terms, I was constantly hungry, out in the cold, and afraid of my own loneliness.

“At the beginning, when I first came into this circle,” her gaze sweeps the room, “there were times I’d look around and feel like a homeless person, waking up from a cold alley to find myself surrounded by such warmth and plenty I couldn’t stop the tears of gratitude. Whenever that happened, I think the men thought I was going through hormonal changes. Or not. They really are so much more intuitive than most men.” She laughs, a little self-consciously. “I don’t want to sound pathetic, but Jaime, Sandy and Kat urged us to speak directly from the heart, and that’s truly how I felt, once I understood just how real those connections are, to Jon and the other men, to all of you. They take that as seriously – perhaps more so – than being born into a family.”

Dana lifts her hand, kisses her knuckles and then rubs them briskly between her hands. “Don’t you dare cry, hormonal bitch. I’ll start making jokes about how Jon applies yoga positions to sex, like porn Twister. It’ll bring a whole new meaning to Down Dog. You won’t be able to do your next class without laughing your ass off through the whole thing.”

Rachel gives her a wry glance, but the humor does the trick. She seems to regain her composure as she continues. “Yes, it helped me trust again. Jon started that process, and the other men, and my connections in this room, reinforce it, over and over. It has healed things in me – my confidence in myself, my place in the world…my right to a place in the world. Their love has given me back the joy and hope in living that I allowed to be leeched from me over so many years.” She takes a breath, her fingers tightening on Dana. “Though there is a part of me that has forever been lost because of the loss of my son, the presence of all of you in my life is a comfort that cushions the pain, helps me remember the happiness of having him as long as I did.”

Boardroom Fan: A question for Dana, who I admire and envy: As you have moved forward in your training as a minister, have you experienced any conflict with the BDSM side of your life?

Dana blinks. “Wow, thank you, Boardroom Fan. Knowing how accomplished you are (yes, we have our sources on all of you!), that is a fantastic compliment. My answer is both a yes and a no. My Grams was one of the most spiritual people I knew, and yet she had a streak of practicality and common sense a mile wide. To her, what was wrong was what hurt someone, and that included yourself. During my sessions with Peter, what I feel…it’s so close to what I feel when I’m lost in prayer, or seeing the work of God everywhere about me, I know it’s not wrong. God put dominant and submissive traits in so many animals to help guide their lives, help them figure out things. Why not us? And Gram told me when I was a teen that sex is a gift, but a precious one, one that would lose value if it wasn’t valued by the person giving it. Even when I explored my sub side, before Peter, very few of those sessions resulted in actual sex.”

She sighs, toys with the collar. “Probably the area I struggle with the most is discretion. I’d love to wear this collar every moment, but obviously a lot of people see BDSM differently than we do. I love what I do, I love working at the church, but it would put Reverend Morris in a difficult position if that side of my life became public knowledge. I could be the best minister in the world, but we know how the world would react to me being a submissive who considers myself Peter’s property.”

She shrugs. “Peter gave me a ‘day collar’, one with his dog tags that can pass as a necklace, but it still sends the same message to me. Though Peter and I still go to the clubs, we now mostly play in the private rooms. Most clubs respect privacy and discretion, but there’s always the chance someone will see me and it will get out. So, long and short of it, we’re more discreet about it than I would have been before. And really, I don’t miss it too much, given that Peter is everything I could want in a Master and he and the guys have…other ways of dealing with my desire for an audience.”

“Boy howdy,” Marcie interjects, making them all laugh again. Dana pinches her knee and Marcie swats at her with a pillow.

Moira: I have a deep, thought-provoking question for Rachel. What would you think/feel if Jon became a Yoga/Zen Sexy Vampire?

“Well, he’s called Kensington’s Archangel, so he already has some paranormal vibes happening,” Dana points out. “From a blind person’s perspective, I can tell you that boy’s energy signature is as dense as a brick wall.”

“And that voice.” Savannah shakes her head. “The first time I heard him talk, he was the main presenter at the meeting. I think he would have held my attention even if he was reciting the alphabet.”

“Lucas calls it his DJ voice, but it’s more than that,” Cass adds. “It’s very comparable to a vampire’s ability to mesmerize with his eyes, only Jon can do it with his voice. Then there’s the fact he’s pale, because he’s always working in his lab…”

“He’s SO Carlyle!” Marcie jumps in. “I mean, Matt has more of the big picture/head of the family thing, but as far as the doctor/smart/sexy understated thing, Jon is so down with that.”

“If you start with your Twilight addiction, I will put you in a corner,” Cass threatens. “Sparkly vampires, holy hell. Rachel, answer the question before she starts casting all of us in the movie parts. Trust me, you don’t want to go there.”

“Well, Emmett is Peter—” Marcie ducks the pillow Cass flings, choking on her laughter. “Seriously, Rachel, she’s right. Tell us about Jon as a gorgeous, brainy vampire.”

Rachel considers the question, lets out a nice, breathy sigh. “Well, whenever he puts his mouth close to my throat, or bites me at all…I think there’s something very primal and territorial about that, so…yes, I think I would be fine with him being a vampire. And truth, his favorite place and time is his workshop at all hours of the night, so he wouldn’t have any problems with the change in schedule. And he’d find an inside analysis of immortality fascinating.” Her hand slips over her throat, her lips moistening and hazel eyes becoming soft and thoughtful. “As far as him needing nourishment from my throat…I think I could handle that.”

“In traditional lore,” Savannah puts in, “Vampires often have a servant bound to them…heart, soul, body.”

“Yes, they do. I don’t think either of us would have a problem with that.” Rachel’s lips curve. “Actually, I don’t think any woman in this room would.”

“Amen,” Dana adds. “I think we’re already on board with that, vampire or no.”

MrsR - My question is for Janet. In my opinion you seem to have a very unique relationship with The Knights and their ladies, one I am very jealous of btw, so I think you would be the best person to answer this question for me. Of all of The Knights, who do you think has changed and benefited the most from finding their soul mate and settling down? Who do you think was in need of this emotional relationship the most and who has changed and evolved the most into the man he is today, thanks to this relationship?

Janet purses her lips, shakes her head. “Believe me, if you worked with these men for more than a week, you wouldn’t be jealous. You’d be wondering how I keep from murdering them. If I could figure out how to slip OCD medication in Lucas’s daily coffee without being noticed, I would. And Matt, bless him, has CEO disease. Thinks nothing of changing a schedule at the drop of a hat, no matter that the whole universe has to be scrambled to accommodate it.”

“Well, in all fairness, he claims that’s your fault,” Savannah offers. “You scramble and rearrange the universe for him so often it seems effortless. You’re like the tooth fairy. He just puts the tooth under the pillow and presto, it’s turned into money.”

“Why am I not surprised the other CEO in the room is defending him?” Janet remarks dryly to everyone at large. At the chuckles, she smiles. “Of course, they are astounding businessmen. Before I met them, I wondered how men built Rome, given how disorganized and lazy most of them are. After I met the Kensington executive team, I realized these are the type of men who created the largest empire in the world – in fact, I’m not entirely sure they’re not reincarnations of them, and they’re trying to do the same thing with K&A.”

Marcie snorts. “Tell me about it. Ben’s already trying to get me to convince Savannah to ‘merge’ with K&A.”

“Aka, ‘come here little fish…swim into the whale’s mouth’,” Cass laughs.

“When hell has chocolate snowballs with candy sprinkles,” Savannah pronounces, toasting them with her cocktail.

“That was a bit animated for her,” Cass mutters to Rachel. “We might see Jell-O shot mode tonight after all.”

Dana leans in closer. “Let’s put a temporary tattoo on her and make her think she got a real one.”

Janet shoots them a glance, though her lips are twitching. As Dana exits the room to get another round of drinks, she becomes more serious. “Truly, they’re all good men. The best of the best, and meeting each woman in this room only enhanced those qualities. But I think there’s no denying that Ben is the one who has benefitted the most.”

The other women murmur assent as her gaze shifts to Marcie. “He had the hardest road to get where he is. Yet even then, there was an obvious essential component missing, something to anchor him, to fill his heart. With the brotherhood between these five, it’s easy to overlook that bond can’t heal everything. He needed something that belonged to him entirely, and someone to hold his heart. Someone he could trust. Knowing how deep those wounds ran for him, I wasn’t entirely sure he’d ever find that person. But here she is, a member of the family already, just waiting for the chance to prove it to him.”

Since everyone in the room knows Janet’s hard-ass reputation—and how real and intimidating it can be—it’s no surprise to see Marcie’s mouth soften, her eyes glisten with a hint of tears. Reaching out, she touches Janet’s hand in gratitude. “I was almost too late,” she says. “If I had to do it over, I would have done my best to jump him at eighteen.”

“And given me and Lucas gray hairs,” Cass says. “You were already trying at sixteen.”

“Yeah, and Ben had to have an overdeveloped sense of honor.”

“Self-preservation,” Dana corrects, returning with the drinks. “Your sister could outshoot James Bond with that Beretta. And don’t even get me started on what the guys would have done to him.”

Cass shakes her head, shooting a fond look at Savannah. “How are we going to handle your daughter dating? The poor boy will have to go through water boarding just to get through the door.”

Savannah chuckles at that. “I think Matt plans to embed a chip in her arm and link a private armed drone to it so it can follow her on dates.”

“Or have Max drive them,” Janet says, her lips twitching.

“Or both,” she and Savannah say at the same time, inciting mirth throughout the room.

Janet turns her attention back to Marcie, closes her hand over the girl’s, which is still resting on her forearm. “What happened between you and Ben happened at the right moment in time. Things unfold when they’re supposed to unfold. I’m just recently realizing that myself.”

“Yes, and remember, that’s part of why you’re here,” Dana says. “We expect all the details about Max’s decision to submit to you at the club and—”

“Ssshhh!” Every woman in the room hushes her, making the blind woman jump.

“Jeez-louise. A little warning next time before you open the snake basket,” she complains.

“We’re not supposed to talk about that,” Janet reminds her. “Not with an audience. That’s for later.”

Saint Maria: "I have a question for all of the ladies. What is your favorite personality trait for each of your men and why?”

“I’m going first, since you all scared me half to death,” Dana says.

“You brought it on yourself,” Cass reminds her and earns a raspberry from the petite woman.

Dana turns her attention back to the question. “Peter’s sense of right and wrong, his code of honor. When you spend time around the K&A men, you figure out that each one of them carries a trait the others rely on. Jon handles the spiritual questions and moral analysis, but Peter holds the last word on any moral or ethical issues. There’s this core to him that just sees things clearly, what the highest good is in a certain situation, even if it’s not obvious to everyone else. Marcie, you’re up next.”

The youngest member of the group considers, then smiles. “It’s actually a pretty easy answer. Ben’s playful side. He can be so scary as a Dom, but there’s this Tom Sawyer side to him. I guess that’s why he makes a good lawyer, the BS factor, but he can put it together with charm and make anyone believe anything. Nothing will give him away…until you see this little smirk, this gleam in his gaze. The only two I’ve never seen him fool are Matt and Janet.” She grins at Matt’s admin. “I think you both just assume up front he’s bullshitting and go from there. But it’s a sweet side to him as well. He and Nate will get on the floor and race matchbox cars, and Ben will distract Nate so he can cheat, give his car a headstart. But he’ll be laughing when he lets Nate catch him. Even when my brother jumps on him and starts wrestling him, you can tell Ben’s having the best time. There’s this kid in him that I think never had a safe place to play, so now he plays as a man.”

Janet nods in agreement as Marcie points to Savannah to be the next up. The blonde considers, but like the others, it doesn’t seem to take her long to arrive at an answer. “Matt never loses sight of a goal. He never loses focus, no matter what’s going on around him. He always knows what’s important. That was critical to me…when we came together. It’s something I depend upon for my own compass.”

“Nice,” Dana comments. “And really true. No matter what shitstorm is happening, the man just stands in the eye of the hurricane. It’s more than a little scary…but like Savannah says, really reassuring as well. Rachel?”

“Jon’s distracted scientist side. He’s got a lot of what Matt does…well, they all do, don’t they? Jon’s always so on top of everything, it’s a pure pleasure to see him get lost in a puzzle or problem, to the point he drags his sleeve through his dinner plate while he’s making this adjustment or that. I have to rescue the sofa before he puts spaghetti sauce on it.” She glances at Marcie. “I think seeing the less focused side of our men, like Ben’s playful side for you, makes me feel even closer to him and even more connected, because they don’t really show that side of themselves outside this circle.”

“Good answer.” Cass purses her lips. “I think Lucas’s tongue could qualify as a personality trait.”

Marcie snorts. “If that’s the case, then Ben has certain parts of his anatomy with their own zip code, let alone personality.”

“Though Ben’s contributes to his personality in both good and bad ways,” Janet points out.

“You still haven’t answered the question,” Marcie tells her sister.

“Little nag.” Cass flicks at her with her nails. “I’m not sure it’s a personality trait, but Lucas has this natural leadership ability when it comes to family and relationships. He was born to be head of a family. He has a strong grasp of what keeps a family together, what makes them work. He stepped right into those shoes, not to usurp me, but like the spot was always waiting for him. From day one, I felt like I finally had someone strong enough to lean upon, that I didn’t have to worry about breaking.” Her glance shifts to Marcie. “I don’t mean—”

Marcie waves her hand, stopping her. “No, I know exactly what you mean. I never felt like he diminished any of us, the role you played, the role I played. It was more like, ‘you guys have done an awesome job at the heavy lifting, and I’m here to ease that load, not make you feel like you did a crappy job’. I agree totally. He just…fit, from day one.”

Savannah nods. “Even with Matt at the head of the table, you see that trait in Lucas. He has a steadying influence on Matt, and there’s no doubt he could step into Matt’s shoes if needed to assume that role.”

FreeSpirit: "I have a question for Marcie. After your CNC session with Ben and the infamous limo scene, you tried to sneak into the house where the rest of the ladies were having their "girls night". I understand how torn you must have been, wanting to go upstairs and try to find a way to deal with all that had happened by yourself, and the desire to go to the women of the “inner circle”. If Rachel hadn't looked up and seen you standing by the door, would you have actually gone upstairs to deal with all that had happened and your feelings by yourself? Even knowing that you needed those amazing women more now than ever?"

“Probably, yes.” Marcie shrugs. “Cass always just had so much to deal with…if I saw her having fun and relaxing with them, and nobody had noticed me, I likely would have gone upstairs so she didn’t have to worry over me. Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered. Lucas is like living with a bald eagle. He would have been able to tell something was up the next day, and he and Cass would have had one of their whispered conversations that resulted in Cass casually asking me what was going on, etc etc etc. The only way I’d have escaped it was by not coming home for several days, and I definitely didn’t have the fortitude to go MIA on that night.”

“Which would have been stupid,” Cass says. Rising to get a goat cheese tart from the wet bar, she stops behind her sister, dropping a kiss on her forehead before tugging her hair. “We’re here for each other. That’s what it’s all about.”

“Yeah, but you also taught us to be self-sufficient, not to come running to Mommy with every little problem, so to speak. And I’m so glad you did. It always kicks in first; how can I deal with this, without making it someone else’s problem.” Marcie reaches up, touches her sister’s face. “But all in all, I’m glad Rachel saw me. I’m sure I would have gotten here eventually,” she looks around the room, “But it was nice to be initiated into this circle sooner rather than later, even if the circumstances weren’t ideal.”

Dana clears her throat significantly, which makes a wicked grin cross Marcie’s face. “And yes, there were some other unexpected perks to that night. It was a total shock to find out Dana could do something useful with her mouth.”

“Oh, it’s on now, baby girl.” Dana makes a lunge for the couch, catching Marcie before she can slip away. A tussle starts, but Cass brings it to an end with a stern admonition.

“No sparring in the house!”

“Freaking Call of Duty combat droid,” Marcie calls out.

“Buffy wannabe,” Dana retorts. But the two women collapse back on the couch together, laughing. Dana curls up between Rachel and Marcie, limbs tangled. Dana puts a pillow on Rachel’s thighs and lets her head rest there, her feet on Marcie’s lap. Rachel settles a hand on her shoulder, tugging at Dana’s collar, while Marcie props her snack plate on Dana’s hip.

Selenna: for Rachel... did you ever make it to Justin's shop, and if so, what did you choose from his inventory?

“Yes, Jon did take me. We made a weekend of it. Even stayed in Lilesville at this bed and breakfast that Justin now owns and one of his friends manages for him. The energy there was marvelous, and on top of that we met another couple who was celebrating their anniversary together. Derek and Ruby. He…” She pauses, glances at the other ladies. “Well, I know this sounds a little out there, but the aura around him was like nothing I’d ever seen.”

“It was probably the fact he was hot as hell and wore a cowboy hat and boots,” Marcie teased her. “You know that kind of thing can make a woman lightheaded.”

Rachel smiles at that, and shrugs. “Well, whoever or whatever they were, they were just as nice as they could be. She’s pregnant, and he was so tender with her. Justin has this large gazebo that’s like the hub of the property, and both nights we sat out on the swings there and watched the sun go down. Ruby and I chatted like old friends while Jon and Derek played checkers or chess, depending on their mood. I was surprised, because he didn’t really seem the type, but Derek could hold his own with Jon on about any discussion of religion, philosophy…all the topics Jon likes to analyze. Plus they broke down the engine of Justin’s truck together and got it running better.”

“It’s a good thing Jon prefers girls,” Cass winks, “Because from the way I heard about it, it was a full-fledged bromance.”

As the women chuckle, Rachel turns her attention to the question. “The store was just as amazing as the B&B. You feel like you’re entering a magic shop, and I don’t mean Houdini. More like a shop that has magical properties, just the right thing. And Justin has this way of guiding a woman…”

“Oh hell, just say it straight out, girl. That man is 100% sex.” That comment comes from Dana. “The moment he took my hand and spoke, I could feel that crazy-assed, Tantric thing he has going. It wrapped me up like a Japanese rope-tying session. While I may not share all of yours and Jon’s views on the touchy-feely New Age strobe lights, he’s got the whole spiritual/sexual thing happening. I felt like saying, ‘Okay, where do you want me to lie down, and whatever you want to do to me, I’m sure it will be hunky-dory with the gods’.”

“But maybe not so right with our men,” Cass laughs. “She’s absolutely right, though. Jon said Justin’s a Wiccan priest, so maybe that’s part of it.”

“I loved the store and the place so much, I took all the ladies back a couple months later,” Rachel explains Dana’s comment. “Linda, the friend who manages the B&B, encouraged me to bring them for a girls’ weekend. And offered us a discount.”

“And you know Lucas cannot resist that word,” Marcie grins. “But tell them about your first experience, Rachel, before we take over and make it all about our trip.”

The women shush each other so Rachel can proceed to do just that. “When I went with Jon,” she continues, “he told me to approach it like a kid in a candy store. Of course, he was worse than that. He picked up every sex toy in there and studied it, making those mental notes of his. And of course any other patrons in the store quickly became as fascinated with him as they were with the inventory.”

“Especially if they were female,” Dana adds. “They got both Justin and Jon that day. Bonus points.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. Of course, by the time we left, I think Justin was ready to give him a second job, supplying the shop with the devices Jon makes, since they had an in-depth discussion of Justin’s inventory versus things Jon has altered or created from scratch. Jon did pick out a couple things he hadn’t seen before so he could take them home and take them apart—”

“Preferably after he tests them on you,” Cass says. She picks up Savannah’s hand and gives it a squeeze, waking the woman from a light doze. “Don’t completely nod off on us, honey. You know Dana will draw pictures on you, and she doesn’t color inside the lines.”

Savannah straightens with a sleepy smile. “Sorry. Late night with Angelica last night.”

“Know how those can be. You drift in and out. We’ll protect you from the evil munchkin,” Cass promises. Dana sticks out her tongue in Cass’s general direction and Cass launches another pillow at her, which Marcie catches when it goes wide.

“What else did you get, Rachel?” she asks, choking on a laugh as Dana straddles her on the couch, trying to grab the pillow. Marcie tosses it and Cass snags it from a near miss with the wine glasses on the table.

Rachel smiles at their antics, but looks up toward the ceiling, remembering. “We were pretty tame at first. We picked out some music together, some candles and oils. He likes tasting things on my skin. He also likes making me sit still while he decorates me with wax, or food, or henna. But then Jon told me he wanted me to pick out something for myself, and he didn’t want to influence me. He wanted to see what I chose. So after we picked out those few things, he left me and went outside to hang out in Justin’s garden.

“I admit I was at a little bit of a loss.”

“Doms do it on purpose.” Marcie rolls her eyes. “They know the orientation of subs like you, me or Dana, is all about pleasing them. So when they tell us to do something purely for ourselves, it baffles us. Whatever we choose, it will be influenced by their desires, which means we’ve screwed up and need to be punished.”

“Another win-win,” Dana says cheerfully. She’s settled back on the footstool near Rachel again and is working on her own drink, balancing it with one of the chocolate-covered strawberries.

“So it’s not just Ben that’s a sadist.” Rachel sighs.

“Oh, honey, definitely not. They’ve all got a little bit of it. Ben just has it down to the bone and blood level.” Dana curls her fingers gently around Marcie’s wrist, stroking the groove mark.

“But most submissives have a certain level of masochism to them, so it balances,” Janet interjects prudently.

“And leave it to the one Domme in the room to defend them,” Savannah points out, recalling the earlier comment. Janet crosses her eyes at the blonde woman and lifts her drink.

“These are lethal. I think I’ll have another.”

“Coming right up, Mistress,” Dana teases her, bouncing off the footstool to do her bidding.

“Well, fortunately, Justin was wonderful,” Rachel continues. “I’ve never seen a straight man be so helpful when it came to shopping. He’s so genuinely interested in your needs, you find yourself talking about anything with him. I was a little worried about that, but Jon told me later that was another reason he left me alone with him, because he knew that Justin would help me figure out what I wanted.

“I started thinking of the things Jon does to me, how he makes me feel, how he likes my hair… There was this corset collar that’s designed to be laced up with your hair. And of course it tilts up your chin as a result, holding it in that position. I got that, a thong teddy and a pair of thigh cuffs, because I love the idea of having my wrists held to my thighs while kneeling for him.” Rachel offers the others a mischievous look. “For one thing, he has to touch me a lot to keep me steady, unless I’m lying down. I love having his hands on me. He also likes the size of my breasts, so the teddy is this soft lace that just lets them kind of spill forth.”

She makes a hand gesture that goes along with the description, making the ladies laugh again.

“Who can blame him? You have gorgeous soft tits, girl,” Having brought Janet her drink and returned to her spot on the foot rest beside Rachel, Dana now leans forward to teasingly cup the right curve and rub her thumb just under the nipple. Before she lets her friend go, she brushes a kiss along her temple.

Rachel strokes Dana’s close cropped hair, but also gives her a light pinch on her arm. “You know they always want to know every detail of how you touched us during these girls’ nights, so Peter can punish you for doing it without their permission.”

“Yeah, that, and so they can have their girl-girl fantasies. And you guys rat me out every time.”

“Because you want us to. I feel so used.” Marcie sniffs, making Dana snort.

“Oh,” Rachel lifts a finger, obviously remembering another tidbit about her visit. “Justin’s wife Sarah came in while I was there. She’s the town sheriff, if you can believe it. The two of them are priceless together. He had a homemade lunch for her, so it seemed like this was part of their normal routine. She sat behind the counter while I was shopping and offered some helpful comments of her own about the things she likes. Then she got a call about a pair of feuding neighbors going after one another with dueling lawn mowers. So off she went, but not before Justin gave her a kiss that made my toes curl. They’re like a romance novel come to life.”

“Aren’t we all?” Marcie smirks.

Toni: "After meeting all the unique and wonderful women married to the Board, would love to know how you allow yourselves to live apart from one another - the late nights would be amazing....No, I would love to be the fly on the wall when you all went shopping at an erotic boutique - what outfit would you buy for yourself? Basing the outfit on it being the most appropriate for your husband's "specialty"?” What is Matt's "specialty"?

“This question works so well with our follow up visit,” Cass observes. “Why don’t we tell her what we all got at Justin’s shop?” At the nods of agreement, they decide to let Dana go first.

“For one of our anniversaries, Peter took me to get my nipples pierced. Since then, my boy loves anything that embellishes those piercings. Justin had some gorgeous chains with pendants, nipple rings, but he also had this amazing corset that combines that lift-and-push-up thing Peter adores—and which my small rack needs—with rope bondage and nipple shields. When I saw that, there was no question that was what I was getting.” She straightens to frame her breasts, sliding her fingers across them to functionally enhance her description. “The cups are open, but there are thin lacings attached to the underwires that crisscross your breast. You thread the lacings through multiple holes in the copper nipple shields that come with the outfit. The effect, when you’re done, is that the shields are like the sun, and the lacings are like rays coming out from it. The lacings can be tightened to push the breasts together, put more stress on the nipples, etc. It’s awesome. Justin has so much one-of-a-kind custom made stuff, and it’s worth the price. Cass?”

With a bit of a self-conscious look, Cass lifts a shoulder. “Spreader bars, two of them. One for the ankles, another for the thighs, and a pretty teddy to go with it. There are ribbons threaded down the front, all the way between the legs. The bow ties at the small of the back. Rather than dealing with those ugly, pinchy snaps, Lucas can unlace the crotch and then attach the ribbons to the thigh spreader bar to keep them out of his way, like garters to stockings. It’s mainly an aesthetic effect, not functional like Dana’s lacings, but Lucas responded quite enthusiastically to it.”

“I’ll bet. Glad I wasn’t here that night. I’d need my ear plugs.” Marcie groans. “Ha! Made you blush. Go, Savannah, before she hits me.”

Savannah gives her reserved smile, which the other ladies have learned is her version of shyness, but she volunteers the information readily enough. “Matt’s a traditionalist. He loves the classics. Justin had a floor-length nightgown in a blue color that matched my eyes. The lace bodice frames the breasts, but there’s a sheer—and rather wide—V-panel in the middle that came to a point right above the navel. The rest is solid satin, but it clings to the thighs and hips, and the back is so low it stops just above here.” She turns on the couch to put her fingers right above the seam of her buttocks. “Matt typically starts with his mouth on my throat, and works his way down from there. It may sound tame, but the way he pushes the straps off my shoulders and the things he does from there…he has a way of making a woman feel worshipped and taken at once.”

After a moment of silence, Dana clears her throat. “Not a woman, girl. You. He worships and owns you. And I need another drink. Any more rounds here?”

She received a round of agreement. Cass fans herself with an amused look at Savannah. “A traditionalist, hmm? That’s why no tattoos and piercings for you?”

Dana shakes her head. “Already been down that road with her. Apparently His Majesty doesn’t want a mark on her perfect skin that he hasn’t put there himself.”

Savannah lifts a shoulder. “I think yours are beautiful, Dana. So does Matt. They just don’t fit me.”

“No, they don’t.” Dana stopped to touch her shoulder, brush a fond kiss on her pale cheek. “But I have to rag his ass about something. Jesus, all you have to do is talk about the way the man touches you, and we all suck in a breath that takes all the air out of the room. In fact, more conversation like that, we’re going to have to break this up early, because I’m going to need Peter sooner than later. Or I’ll be committing a few sins with you ladies here. By the way, you didn’t answer the question about his specialty. I bet I’ll definitely need to brace myself with liquor for that one.”

A bemused look crosses Savannah’s face. “I’ve thought about it before. It’s something indefinable. In a way, they each have qualities that bind us all together, but Matt…” She lifts her hands, asking for help from the others.

“He’s the head of the spear,” Cass says. “The clan chief, the king. You’re right, it’s indefinable, but it’s so there, it’s unmistakable. He’s the stamp of approval on everything the other four are.”

Janet nods in agreement, meeting Savannah’s gaze. Marcie shifts on the couch, drawing their attention. “When I was accepted into the group…” she says slowly, “until he came and put his hands on me, it wasn’t done. The circle wasn’t closed. He brought them all together, and whatever guides them, he’s the focal point.”

They all nod, accepting that explanation. Rachel sends a soft smile in Savannah’s direction. “And you’re the queen that gives his life purpose.”

“That’s a two way street.” Savannah lifts her drink. “For all of us, I think.”

“Here, here.”

After the toast is done, Cass sets the papers aside. “Well, I think we’ve covered all the questions. Whether they know it or not, these ladies have given us a wonderful evening. I hope they’ll enjoy our responses as much as we enjoyed thinking about them ourselves.” Her gaze shifts to Janet, an intent purpose glinting in her blue gaze. “Soooo, I agree with Dana. All this talk is inspiring me to kick you out and tease Lucas until he pins me to the bed and makes me beg him for mercy seven or eight times. However, I’ve learned that anticipation and building the tension makes the end result all the better. I think it’s time we hear about Janet’s experience with Max at Club Progeny.”

All eyes turn toward Matt’s admin, as Janet offers them a feline smile.

“Tell us everything,” Dana demands. “Remember, blind people need massive amounts of description. Don’t leave out a single, solitary detail.”

Aaannnnnnd everyone else will find out what Janet tells them in the early spring…Willing Sacrifice, coming soon!