“No fucking way!” Jaime said into her cell phone as she rolled up her window and pulled her overcoat across her lap. Early fall was proving to be a lot more chilly than usual in New Orleans. While the days remained comfortably in the 70’s, the evenings were starting to dip down into the low 60’s and high 50’s. “After AAD in 2012, you’re not allowed near anything on Bourbon Street that is sporting a collar and a tight ass.”

Kat huffed on the other end of the phone. “You’ve just cancelled out half the damn city. Halloween does bring out more possibilities, you know.”

“I know! That’s the point.”

“Hey, it’s not like I got arrested or anything. And besides, he was the one who offered up the session. If you’d seen how those leather pants hugged that behind, you’d have been asking to borrow my 6 footer AND a paddle!”

“Yeah. To use on YOU when the cops don’t buy my ‘Oh, don’t worry about it officer, she’s just trying to help enforce the laws with a little spanking’ routine.”

“See, there you go. I’m performing a public service!”

Jaime rolled her eyes. Joey was right. JWH Connection’s Mistress of Debauchery was completely irrepressible. “Okay, okay. So, before you get us all thrown in jail, let’s get back to the task at hand.” Jaime looked out the tinted window of the luxury stretch limo that K&A’s CEO had arranged for the MOB to use that day. “I’m pulling up in front of the K&A building right now. I still don’t get why I had to come all the way out here to get you. Usually by now you’re in the Quarter and on your fourth Vampire Blood daiquiri.”

“This little venture took longer than I thought,” Kat said mysteriously. “Otherwise I would have. But no worries, I had one for breakfast and Ben, being the sweetie he is, showed up here with another one.”

“Ben is with you?”

“WAS with me,” Kat corrected. “He left about an hour ago to pick Sandy up at the airport.” Sandy, their fellow MOB, also known as the Mistress of Mischief, had had to take a later flight into the city due to her rigorous work schedule. Not that she had minded, especially after finding out that Ben O’Callahan, K&A’s prominent corporate lawyer, would be the one to pick her up.

Jaime nodded. “You do realize that Matt is going to retaliate at you for this one.”

“He’d be better off just letting me buy him that drink or even a ten dollar Po’ boy sandwich from some hole-in-the-wall diner in the quarter. But oh no, he just has to be his usual, wonderful caveman self.”

“You know I’d believe you were truly insulted if you didn’t start grinning like a ghost every time his name comes up. But anyways,” Jaime changed the subject as the limo came to a stop in front of the main doors to the building, “if you’re done with your ‘redecoration’, we need to move. They only have an hour to spare for a drink or two.”

“Are we still on for dinner and Bourbon Street on Halloween night?”

“Yeah, I already double checked that with Janet. All the boardroom ladies, as well as Max and Janet, will be joining us, too.”

“Cool, sounds like a party.”

“So get your ass out here before the driver conveniently forgets to wait for you and heads over to the meeting place without you,” Jaime said.

The car door opened at that moment. “I’m already here,” Kat said, sliding her cell phone into her purse.

Stirring a chilled cocktail, Jaime arched a brow. “Good thing.”

Kat closed the door behind her. She applied a quick coat of lip gloss, giving a nod to the driver who, she was surprised to see, was a very attractive brunette woman in dark slacks, well cut jacket and white blouse, every inch the professional. From her assessing glance out of cobalt blue eyes and her alert body language, she had the training all the K&A drivers under Max’s supervision had—prepared for anything, from Mardi Gras to a terrorist attack.

“Who is she?” Kat mouthed to Jaime.

Jaime gave her a significant look that said she hadn’t been able to find out much beyond the woman’s name. “Trez. She’s one of the new hires.”

As appealing as the K&A men were in so many ways, Kat and Jaime were both well aware they had pretty sexist hiring policies when it came to the limo drivers, since those drivers were often in charge of their wives for evening outings. The Knights being the Knights, they thought women were intended to be protected by men. This, despite the fact Peter matter-of-factly admitted that Marcie could likely kick most their asses, and Dana with an automatic weapon could take out a block, blindness or no. But now wasn’t the time to discuss the anomaly, so Kat turned back to the main subject. “So we’re meeting the Knights to pick up the giveaway prizes they’ve so generously offered?”

“That’s the plan,” Jaime responded. “They’ll be meeting us at the Bombay Club in the French Quarter. I’ve already texted Sandy the location and address, just so she knows what we’re doing. Her plane landed roughly fifteen minutes ago. For the record, I’d kill to be a fly on the dashboard of her private transportation. Max is driving.”

“No shit. A dashing chauffeur, a sexy escort and a tall glass in hand doesn’t sound like a bad way to start a trip. Of course, with Max driving, she’ll probably beat us there.”

Kat stole a glance toward the front, afraid she might have offended their driver, but Trez had her attention on the road. In fact, Kat detected a light curve to her lips, a quick flash of humor in her blue gaze as she glanced in the mirror at them.

Sipping her drink, Jaime looked at an incoming text message on her cell. “Why is Ben forbidding me from being even remotely curious about the Ursuline convent? Seriously, there was mention of ropes, a riding crop and a gag.”
Kat laughed, nearly spilling the drink she poured herself. “I told him about how we’d like to explore the legendary attic. He said he doesn’t have enough contacts in the world to get us out of that one, and he’d use any means necessary to thwart our attempts.” She leaned over and glanced at the message on Jaime’s phone screen. “Hope Sandy didn’t get a look at that threat. She’ll throw caution and the law to the wind and sprint across the Quarter to the convent.”

Jaime shook her head with a laugh. “As much as I’d like to take a tour of Ben’s toy chest, I’m more interested in pressuring one Knight in particular to sit in the hot seat while we’re here. He’s managed to slip under the radar for far too long.”

“Cheers to that!” Kat said, raising her glass. “Let’s hope he likes the idea.”

~20 minutes later~

“Damn, it’s good to be back.” Jaime dropped a couple bills into a ratty old steel bucket set up in front of jazz street band she and Kat had stopped to watch upon arriving in the French Quarter. The trio of upbeat pluckers and horn extraordinaires had drawn the attention of several dozen people who were now gathered around them to be entertained. When the music stopped, the musicians thanked all with smiles and nods. More members of the audience stepped up to offer tips for the traditional Bourbon Street enjoyment. One more thing that added to the wonder of the popular crescent city.

Kat agreed with Jaime as she dropped a handful of bills into another bucket, this one attached to the arm of a sexy, scantily clad woman carrying a tray of multicolored tub shots. She chose two neon green ones from the variety and thanked the waitress, who had walked out onto the street from a nearby club. Leaving her a 50% tip, Kat handed one off to Jaime and together they toasted and downed the sour apple flavored liquor as they made their way down the block and into the Bombay Club.

“Wow, this is gorgeous,” Jaime commented as they both took in the gentleman’s club style setting. The lovely candlelit space sported a plush atmosphere, with over-stuffed leather wing backed chairs, gorgeous portraits on the walls, and a full service luxury bar. In the far corner a live band played to the crowd while the smells of delicious Creole food perfumed the air.

“Are we talking about the club or are we talking about the company?” Kat asked, nudging Jaime and directing her attention to a table a few feet down from where they were standing. Able to be closed off for complete privacy by a set of curtains, the table was populated by Matt Kensington, Lucas Adler, Jon Forte, Peter Winston and Ben O’Callahan. Sandy sat in their midst, holding a drink and engaged in conversation that had their fellow MOB grinning like a school girl.

Jaime smiled. “Can I go with both?”

* * * * *

The men rose en masse as Jaime and Kat approached. Hugs were exchanged all around. “This is becoming a regular thing,” Lucas observed, smiling down at Jaime. “We might have to set you ladies up with your own wing of the K&A office to do Femme business.”

“We had a girl limo driver,” Kat told Sandy. She noticed Ben had his arm draped across the back of Sandy’s chair, fingers loosely hooked in the rungs against her back. She didn’t seem to be objecting to the friendly affection. It made Kat wonder anew what had happened between the two of them at Atlantis, prior to Ben and Marcie getting together. She was SO going to pry that story out of Sandy one day. Given it wasn’t a far stretch with Sandy pretty much scooted up next to Ben’s side, Kat reached over and tugged Ben’s sleeve playfully. “What’s up? Did you guys finally come into the 21st century and realize women can drive?”

“I didn’t get that memo,” Matt said, deadpan. He glanced at Lucas. “Did we make the mistake and hire a female driver? Whose ass do I have to kick for that lapse in judgment?”

Ben sighed, looked at the ceiling. “And that’s how these nasty EOE lawsuits begin.”

Matt’s expression eased into a grin then, and he nodded to the ladies. “Actually, Trez is a very smart addition to the fleet. Max recommended her. She’s a Marine, has seen a couple tours in Iraq.”

“She spars with Marcie and Dana a couple times a week at the gym,” Peter added.

“Talk about Charlie’s Angels,” Ben teased.

“Yeah, say that around them and you’ll be needing a front bridge so you don’t look like a gap-toothed hillbilly at your own wedding,” Peter advised.

Matt nodded at that and ordered another round of drinks. When he gestured the waitress closer, he nodded to Kat, Jaime and Sandy. “We’re going to have to leave shortly, but put whatever these ladies order until they leave on my tab.”

“Yes sir.”

Matt shook his head, raising a finger and giving her “the look” as Kat opened her mouth. “Don’t even try,” he said.

Kat rolled her eyes and set her gaze to Ben, her expression softening in ‘thanks’ for this earlier assistance. Although leaving Matt a personal “Thank You” back at K&A had been a hoot, she resolved she was going to figure out how to pay for something around that man one day. It was probably going to require a strategy as complex as infiltrating that Ursuline convent. Which, by the way…

“So what’s up with the Ursuline convent, Ben?” She blinked innocently at him as Sandy smirked. “You scared to find out what’s in that attic? I’m sure Sandy would hold your hand. Keep you safe. And your wife kicks major ass. You could bring her along to protect yours.”

Ben showed his teeth, green eyes flashing with humor, but there was a look behind it that told Kat there was a serious undercurrent. “I’ve lived here all my life, ladies. The one thing I’ve learned about New Orleans is there are vampires you can mess with and vampires you can’t. Anyone smart knows you don’t mess with what’s in that attic.”

“But if there are vampires there…” Jaime gave a wistful sigh.

“They will suck you down to a husk and pick their teeth with your lovely, lovely bones,” Ben rebounded. “Stay. Away. From. The. Convent.”

“But you could bring your very big stake and protect us,” Sandy said, teasing him.

Peter snorted. “It’s not as big as he thinks it is.”

“Not what your wife says,” Ben observed.

Matt shook his head at all of them, checking his watch. “I wish we had more time today, ladies, but we can’t put that meeting off. So, to immediate business.” He nodded to an assortment of packages and pretty gift bags in the corner by the table. “The giveaways we promised. I hope the recipients enjoy them.” As they were handed over by Peter and Lucas, Kat, Jaime and Sandy looked through them, all smiles and pleased murmurs.

“We’re so pleased you all came out to have a quick drink with us,” Kat responded. “Especially given we’re going to see you all for dinner Thursday night.”

“This is where he’s going to say something charming and smooth,” Jon interjected. “But the main reason we’re all here is we were intrigued by your message. That you had a very special favor to ask of one of us…”

“And we wanted to see who it was so we could make them squirm,” Peter added.

“Actually,” Jon said dryly, “We were worried if we let Matt come alone, he’d agree to anything, as long as it wasn’t him. He’d throw us to the wolves in a heartbeat.”

“I trust each member of my team to handle himself well, no matter the situation,” Matt said, unperturbed.

“In a heartbeat,” Lucas echoed. His silver gray eyes narrowed, noting all three women’s gazes had zeroed in on him. “What?”

“You’re the one we want to ask the favor,” Jaime said brightly, toying with her necklace in a way that had her fingertips drifting over her generous cleavage as she imagined what Lucas could do with that tongue…

Sandy kicked her under the table, bringing her back to the subject at hand. Kat rolled her eyes and took a healthy swig of her drink.

“We’d like you to come to Atlantis and do a live interview with our forum members,” she said. “It’s the first time we’ve done it without an intermediary, so we’re very excited about it. We’ve never put you on the hot seat, so to speak, and we think the members would be delighted to talk to you. You can bring Cass and have a lovely getaway weekend. There’s a spa—”

“Quiet lagoons,” Sandy put in with a significant look at Ben—

“And fully equipped dungeons,” Ben added, giving her a wink right back.

“Do I need to have my lawyer present?” Lucas asked, glancing at Ben humorously.

“Yes!” Sandy said immediately, but now Jaime stomped on her foot beneath the table. Kat held up an imperious finger.

“No. Much as we love having all of you there, we know how cagey you are, almost as bad as Matt. No hiding behind anyone else. We want Lucas Adler, uncensored and unplugged. And we’re not taking no for an answer.”

* * * * *

Yep, that’s right, you heard correctly. Lucas Adler will be conducting a LIVE character interview on the fan forum, under this Character Interview section. To be adequately prepared (you know the K&A men are all about proper preparation), he is requesting that, if you already know some of the questions you’d like to ask him, please post them here under this thread. You can still totally ask him new/spontaneous questions that night and have free discussion; this is just one way he can try to be sure and have time to answer everyone’s questions within the allotted time. Because Cass will be waiting, and there are lagoons, and dungeons and spas…lol.

* * * * *

And here was the resulting Q&A session, both the questions submitted prior to the event and those asked LIVE at the event – all in one document!

LIVE INTERVIEW WITH LUCAS ADLER

Delilah and Babydoll asked: Miss Marcie had a certain fantasy involving you and Cass. I'm just wondering if you ever made her fantasy come true?

Still in negotiations. There are two stumbling blocks there, one of them unexpected but understandable. Ben and Marcie aren’t yet married, and he’s made it clear, until that commitment is made permanent, there will be no further group play involving Marcie beyond her “initiation” to our group. I’ve teased him, telling him he’s finally admitted he knows she’ll change her mind if she gets exposed too often at her other, more appealing options, but I don’t push that issue too hard. We’ve speculated on his reasons for it, because typical for our lawyer – when we want him to talk, he won’t, and when we don’t want him to talk, he won’t shut up. Jon, in his usual enlightened way, says he thinks for the first time in his life Ben has someone who loves him as he’s always needed to be loved, and for awhile, he’s going to want to keep that gift all to himself, until he doesn’t worry that he’ll do something to mess it up. Probably a phobia similar to that dungeon orphanage, hmm?

I think another part of it has to do with his relationship with Cassandra. Ben and Marcie had a rocky road, and she’s still very much the protective big sister. While she loves and trusts Ben, I think there’s a part of him that wants to prove to her he can make Marcie happy, and having Cass in an unspoken “judge” role of his actions – whether or not she asked for that – gives him pause with respect to a session that involves the four of us. He’s hesitant to take a Dominant role with Cass, even following my lead, until he feels that’s properly resolved between them, and he’s probably correct. A session’s maximum potential is realized only if you completely secure a woman’s trust and, even if he’s not directly interacting with Cass in the session, once a session starts, we follow our instincts and things that happen aren’t always scripted. She has to trust both of us for that organic flow to happen.

Again, this is all speculation, but it does seem the biggest obstacle to my fantasy turns out, ironically, to be Ben, not Cass. As far as my gorgeous wife, I think she’s starting to be okay with the idea. I discovered she’s far more persuadable when in an uninhibited mood. I think deep inside her there’s a little bit of the strict Protestant who gets scandalized at being aroused in the same room as her sister. Especially since Cass had to be the moral compass for her family for so long. However, when I’ve blindfolded her, put my mouth between her legs and “casually” discussed, in great visual detail, all the ways I could please her like that, where she could only listen, not see, while her sister had her mouth wrapped around my cock and Ben was fucking Marcie, I’ve received a different response. I’ve brought her to climax at least twice with that oral fantasy (on a couple different levels), so I think she’s getting more comfortable with it.

The girl-girl thing isn’t an issue here of course, because incest holds no appeal to any of us. But beyond that, whereas Dana, Marcie and Rachel are rather sexually adventurous and open to female/female experiences, Savannah and Cass are very hetero-oriented, with very little interest or inclination toward playing with same sex.

Savannah and Cass are also very monogamous. Whereas they are okay with a little foreplay with the other men, only Rachel and Dana would likely be the type to be okay with something like dual penetration—and only as long as it was under the command of their specific Master, and only with other members of our table—that of course would be our hard limit as well.

Marcie… Surprisingly, while Marcie is the most hardcore of all of them in terms of pain and bondage, she is pretty monogamous as well. Again, foreplay okay, my sister fantasy, okay, but I’m not so sure she’d be inclined to a scenario like Dana had with Peter and Ben. She and Ben are pretty wrapped up in each other now.

So long and short, I think it will eventually happen. I’ve noticed when Cass talks about it now, she says things like “if this happens…”. It’s captured my imagination enough that, once Ben and Marcie are married, I’m willing to do what’s necessary to make it happen, especially since I’ve seen the potential to bring Cass pleasure with it.

MrsR asked: Lucas, there was a reference made in Willing Sacrifice, by the amazing Janet, that hinted at the fact that the new boardroom table at K&A headquarters also doubles as a St. Andrew's Cross. My question is has this new table been broken in yet, and if so who was the couple (or couples) who had this esteemed honor? Any additional details you can provide would be greatly appreciated. :-D

Yes. There was an initial, private christening of it, done by Matt and Savannah. He claimed right of majority shareholder. (Savannah said he was being a bully, but all of us understood completely.) Matt is often discreet when it comes to his sessions with Savannah, but the benefit of having a full complement of women as part of our inner circle is women are not shy about pulling details out of one another.

Knowing that, all I had to do was wait until the latest girls’ night get-together and then interrogate my wife in all sorts of pleasurable ways to get her to talk *wolfish grin*. While Cass couldn’t get everything out of Savannah—she’s still the most reserved of our ladies, of course—she pieced together this picture. They’d been to a business dinner that night, and Savannah thought he was taking her home, but Matt took her by the office under the guise of picking up some paperwork there. He’d verified with Jon all the safety tests were complete and run through the operation of the table earlier in the week.

Once there, he showed her the finished table. He pressed the controls and had the glass partitions pull back and the wooden base flipped to reveal the embedded cross. He had her slide her hands along the wood grain, feel how smooth the rosewood was as he talked about all the possible uses to which it could be put. I can easily imagine Matt standing behind her while he did that, running his hands over her body in that proprietary way he has. Apparently at that point, he pressed himself up behind her, guided her hands into the restraints at the top end, holding her there while he undressed her and let her imagine all the things he was going to do to her. He removed all her clothes except one of those lovely lace panty and bra sets she wears under her suits to drive Matt crazy. Then he scooped her up and laid her on the cross, strapping down arms, legs, and inserted a clit vibrator into the panties. Then he told her he had some paperwork to do.

As you know from Kat’s previous visit, the glass will come back into place electronically, and the cross can be lifted or lowered to press the woman in question closer to the glass, an intriguing effect if she has larger breasts. So while she was bound under there, the vibrator getting her wetter and more excited, Matt worked on reports. After she came a couple times, he slid the glass back up and tilted the cross up so he could step between her legs and take her right there. Needless to say, Cass came home from that girls’ night stirred up in a way that made me look forward to the next one.

The public christening was Dana. Her introduction to our group was a little different because of her circumstances. Peter wanted to therefore give her the same opportunity Cass and Savannah had, to have a group experience in the board room. He’d also pointed out, with a healthy sense of self-preservation, if Rachel or Marcie had the chance first, he’d never hear the end of it. Apparently there is a seniority issue among our ladies they take rather seriously. Accordingly, one night during Mardi Gras we gathered for an evening meeting intended to break the table in as a group. Dana was the only woman in attendance, something to which the other women had agreed.

I think they’ve figured out the benefit of one of their number being the center of attention, where the only male finding total fulfillment with her will be her Master. It means the rest of us are eventually dismissed, with a very strong urge to continue one-on-one meetings of our own. In short, the rest of us go home in a state of agitation with only one goal—and our lovely submissives enjoy that side effect.

Anyhow, we put Dana on the cross and put that glass into place. It’s actually one of the most compelling aspects of the table, because as you know, the psychology of Domination is its most addictive and powerful stimulant, particularly to the female mind. Even though Dana can’t see us, the table was described to her, and she could stretch out her fingers, feel the glass. Through the open sides, she could hear us talking, discussing plant operations, stock prices…whatever the hell we were pretending to care about while looking at her. I don’t think Peter paid a lot of attention to the conversation, since Ben told him we were replacing all the personnel at the Costa Rican plant with dancing donkeys and he signed off on that. We’d lifted the cross as Matt did for Savannah, but since Dana has small breasts—though quite perfect—when we brought her up flush with the glass, we dropped the head piece to arch that lovely throat of hers. Jon also wanted a full test of the programmable arms at the sides, top and back of the table, so by the end of the evening, we’d used them to test out a dual-headed vibrator, as well as a phallic gag that kept her mouth occupied with thrusting movement. With Dana, keeping her mouth occupied is usually a good idea so she doesn’t incur more punishment than even she can handle. Jon also wanted to experiment with sending vibrations, heat or cold through the glass over her nipples, and that had an intriguing effect. We lost count of the number of times she came from all of it.

It was a good experience for all of us, and inspired some other ideas. Since Dana enjoys female/female fantasies—and Peter’s selflessly willing to make the sacrifice to indulge them—he and Jon are putting their heads together on further modifications to the room to permit more girl-girl interaction for our viewing pleasure. Jon is planning on bringing Rachel to the room to handle some of the test runs.

PussyCat asked: What are you going to give Cass for Christmas? What new fantasy can you share with us?

Well that might take a little more time than we have - even discussing a good fantasy in the detail necessary to make an impression on the listeners is at least a thirty minute endeavor - at the minimum. Some nights when I have Cass cuffed to the bed, I sit across the room and make her tell me one of hers, and I make sure she doesn't skimp on a single detail, as well as ferreting out portions of it she doesn't even realize are part of it until she starts talking about it.

But, that said, what I plan to get her for Christmas may seem simple, but it has great meaning to us. I'm getting her a charm bracelet, where each charm relates to a special memory she has about her siblings, her parents, and us. Our charms are a bicycle and a corset. Family is so important to her, and I've been discussing the type of charms that would have the most meaning with her siblings, to be sure they aren't simply surface things. It will all be done in silver with diamond chip accents, and it will have a tiny heart lock to remind her of the special bond she and I share.

Babydoll asked: Just wondering how you & Cass would react if any of her other siblings want to follow in her & Marcie's foot steps when they are older?

Do you mean professionally or as in Dom/sub? I can answer for both, however. We both enjoy our jobs immensely and would welcome seeing them go that way. There is some evidence that Dom/sub tendencies are genetic, though they might manifest differently (a submissive and Dominant from the same family, or a switch - regardless, more than one family member with an interest in power exchange relationships). I think we would be supportive and counsel them on ways to be safe and cautious and explore their feelings to ensure they pursue their own identity/desires in that world, not what someone else may want them to be. That's probably the biggest danger in any relationship, vanilla or Dom/sub. But since that type of relationship has given us such a close and intense bond, we certainly wouldn't oppose them exploring one for themselves.

Moira asked: Lucas, your ability in using your mouth to give a woman pleasure: was it something that came natural or did you learn it from somebody else, and who was that?

It wasn’t exactly taught, but it was inspired by a challenge of sorts. I was on a week-long cycling marathon, where we were bunking down at hotels at night. Well, I decided to grab a beer at a pool hall across the way, reasoning that since it was a biker bar, a cyclist would be welcome. Yes, I was nineteen and foolish and sadly, not a virgin. Sadly, because it made me even more unwisely cocky (sometimes, the confidence I'll mention in response to Pyper’s question, can get a little overblown).

There was a woman in the biker bar who might have been a match for Peter in an arm wrestling contest, and she had the most amazing mane of black curling hair to her waist. To this day I think of the Viking Goddess Freya when I think of her. Dressed in a lot of leather and denim. She cornered me in the men’s room, and told me if I could make her come with my mouth, she wouldn’t cut me into pieces and flush me down the toilet. Looking back, I think she was merely yanking the chain of a stupid kid, but at the time, I fully believed her. She propped herself on the sink, pointed imperiously between her legs and told me to get to it.

I may have saved my life by what I did next. I told her she was way too classy for me to do something that was supposed to be that pleasurable in a dirty men’s room. I offered to take her to my hotel room and do the job properly. And that I’d add a case of beer to the offer.

She agreed, and when she stretched out on my bed naked, I found her…lovely. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent between her thighs, but she smelled like lilac and motor oil, not a bad combination. She told me right off what I was doing wrong, and her challenge was this (and I quote): “Any dumbass with a dick can fuck a woman. It takes a real man to know how to eat pussy, but if you learn, kid, there isn’t a woman who won’t spread her legs for you.”

You can get a nineteen year old to climb Everest, eat his broccoli and wear a dress if he’s told it will give him a pass to all the sex he’d ever want. But beyond the hormones, I remember that night as one of the most pleasurable of my formative years, because learning all the different ways I could bring her to climax with my mouth gave me a resolve to learn more about the art of cunnilingus, and the more I learn, the more there is to learn. Every woman is different, and the remarkable thing is that goes for the same woman. There are a hundred different ways I can stroke Cass with my tongue, my lips, using the vibration of my voice, the speed, strength, pressure, even the way I hold her thighs or how I spread her legs. They can all affect the intensity of her climax. It’s unique every time. And that’s why it’s such a pleasurable challenge.

Oh, interesting side note. My biker muse was named Magnolia.

DSMamarose asked: Lucas, the dangerous situation Dana and Marcie found themselves in when they were helping Janet rescue Max made me wonder just what type of punishment Peter and Ben came up with?

Oh, they're still considering that one. Honestly, I think they needed a little time to settle afterward so they could give it thought as a true session, versus an actual thrashing. There's a very possessive side of us, our caveman side as Dana calls it, that we're very aware exists in each of us. When one of our own is in a dangerous situation - whether by their own design or not, it elicits a very primal response. For instance I think Ben's initial reaction was to lock Marcie in his house and keep her there indefinitely. Fortunately (or unfortunately) they were able to take some of that out on Max. I wasn't present, but apparently there was a fairly decent fight that happened, black eyes and bruises ensued all the way around, then the three of them shared a drink afterward. Typical male conflict resolution.

Anyhow, I expect we'll learn in time what they decide about Marcie and Dana. In great detail.

Pyper asked: Lucas, your skills are legendary and I'd like to know when you first started... Riding cross country that is, what was the motivation?

That was cleverly done, Pyper *chuckle*. If you truly mean cycling—as I assume you are—it started when I was a boy, though not for the reasons you might expect. I was being bullied on the school bus by a group of boys I assume are probably now guests of the state, given their main reason for being seemed to be terrorizing anyone they could corner. I didn’t want to tell my adopted parents about it, because even though they adopted me young, I was very cognizant that I was adopted, and tried to be the best kid possible so they wouldn’t send me away to foster care a dungeon-like orphanage, etc. My mother was mortified later when she learned I used to have fears like that, but I expect a lot of adopted children nurse that phobia, even in a loving home like I had. Anyhow, I figured all I had to do was think it through enough, and I would figure out how to resolve the problem. So until then, I decided to ride my bike to school. It was a ten mile trek, and my parents didn’t realize I was doing it for quite some time, since I told them I was working on school projects at a friend’s house and would get off at his stop, etc.

When I was working up my stamina, I had to leave the house pretty early (with another set of excuses to my parents), and I found this kind of quiet happens when you’re biking alone in the early mornings. Really, anytime. You notice things more—people, wildlife, the sky. I’d listen to books through my earphones as well. Then, as I got stronger and more athletic as a result, I noticed I became more confident in myself, less afraid of what those boys might do to me. One day I confronted them at school when they were picking on another boy, and I backed them down with that self-assurance alone, no blows exchanged, just shaming them into better behavior, at least for that instance. It’s one of the reasons I encourage all of Cass’s siblings in whatever sports they pursue, because I think there are so many mental benefits to exercise and competition—even if you’re competing against yourself, challenging yourself to do that extra mile, push yourself. I truly believe it helps kids deal with a lot of life’s problems better. I still solve a lot of business or family issues in my head while biking, though now I have the benefit of a beautiful partner to help me work them out as well. Pillow talk with Cass is even better than cycling *wink* but I enjoy doing both.

Saint Maria asked: any news on the wedding plans for Marcie and Ben, Lucas?

Now, SM, you know that's a woman thing. We're trying to absent ourselves from the process as much as possible, and it's in our own best interest, since if we draw anywhere near the planning army, headed by General Janet, we are sent off with warning shots. But I can tell you that Marcie and Cass have been dress shopping in all the vintage shops in Louisiana - Marcie is doing the Jon Zen thing, saying she'll know the right dress when she sees it.

SaintMaria asked: There was a lot made about how you should have sat out Marcie's initiation into the group in HT due to your closeness to her. What is your take on the issue and why did you decide to go ahead with it? (It was outstanding nonetheless, by the way!!)

It’s not always easy to understand Dominant and submissive dynamics and how that relates to family dynamics. If Cass had had any objections to it, that would have been a dealbreaker and guaranteed my absence. However, by that time I think Cass understood our unique group relationship. When Matt and Savannah first came together, the first of our group to make a permanent commitment, the way we worked together to convince her of his suit…we’d shared women before in clubs, but sharing the one that meant forever to one of us…it was a deep pleasure, an honor, predicated on her willing surrender and the man in question’s faith and trust in us, a powerful combination. Jon compared it—with a certain sense of irony, given our reporter-imposed name of Knights of the Board Room—to the ritual of fealty knights give a king, and I think we all felt some sense of it with Matt that night.

However, when I was courting Cass, it was instinct to incorporate them once again into the closing of the deal, as if they were an intrinsic part of it. I have no doubt if something were ever to happen to me, every member of that five man team would be as dedicated to her protection and wellbeing as I am. It’s an initiation that confirms she belongs to me, but that she also becomes the willing responsibility of all of us.

When Marcie chose Ben (and he finally pulled his head out of his ass and chose her) by that time it was almost ingrained in us, a necessary and vital part of the acceptance into “the family” from the Dom/sub side of things. The fact Marcie herself hungered for that decided both Cass and me. I can’t really explain what drives it, only that it does, and it’s part of the unusual relationships we have with the women who’ve honored us by becoming part of the inner circle. The fact they understand and respond to it as well just underscores why we do it.

Moira asked : Wonder if Max turned Alpha Male on Janet for putting herself in a dangerous situation?

That's a tough one. getting information out of Max or Janet would require the entire CIA sodium pentothal budget, and even then I'm not sure what we would get. But Max's SEAL background, and what he understands about Janet suggests to me probably not in the expected ways. I think at the time the incident happened, he would have done anything necessary to get the women, including Janet out of immediate danger, but he understood the mission relied on him following the plan obviously being executed. He also understands caring about something so much that you'd risk your life for that, and the honor that comes along with being allowed to take that risk. Though Max is not a submissive, there is a core of service to him that understands and honors Janet's bravery on his behalf. He's far more likely to punish himself for allowing the circumstance to occur that made it necessary.

Tracey asked: Would love to know about when Lucas realized he was a Dom & what his first "session/experience" was like.

I was with Matt, of course. He was already aware of his orientation, had been since he was in his teens, thanks to the fact his father was a Dom, recognized it in his son, and helped set him on his path. I knew I tended to want to take the lead in sex, and had already experimented with some variations on oral sex that involved immobilizing the woman in question’s arms and legs. It had been part of my experimentation with oral sex, noting if she was blindfolded, it made it far easier for her to relax. Or if she was restrained a certain way, suspended at a certain angle. I’d also noticed restraining and blindfolding the woman made me even harder.

When Matt and I got to discussing that issue one night over beers, he revealed he was a sexual Dominant and asked me if I wanted to go to a club with him one night. I agreed. We were invited to a place off campus, where a group of like-minded students had created a “dungeon” in their basement apartment. Pretty much all their furniture was handmade and convertible to things like forced orgasm towers, St. Andrews’ crosses, whatnot. Not polished and beautiful, merely functional, but that made the rough surroundings even more intriguing, gave it a good authentic “dungeon” feel.

At first I was a little concerned, given the lack of a formal club structure, but of course Matt had already vetted it. A good dungeon doesn’t require high membership fees or fancy equipment; merely people who understand what D/s is and isn’t, and who keep safety uppermost. Proof of that was that this group of college students absolutely prohibited any drinking before or during play, even though they had a fully stocked draft beer set-up right upstairs.

Matt introduced me to a lovely petite thing named Cheyenne. Silky blonde hair, blue eyes, curvy as a teapot. She loved to be tied up and spanked, but she admitted to being gunshy about oral experiences during submission because she’d had some deplorable experiences where she was immobilized and then the idiot hadn’t known what he was doing, causing her more discomfort and irritation than anything else. She agreed to let me lay her down on a lace-up restraint table, especially when I told her I wouldn’t restrain her until she begged for that, though I told her she had to keep her legs spread and arms above her head and every time she moved them, I’d stop what I was doing.

It’s very hard for a woman to stay still during good oral sex (with bad oral sex, she’s trying to crawl away – some men make the serious mistake of misinterpreting that as the fierce writhing they do when it’s being done properly). So I started pleasuring her with my mouth, and waited until she begged for me to tie her up. I told her every time she came for me, I would add a restraint. By the time we were finished, I’d cuffed her ankles and wrists, and finished it off by wrapping a collar around her throat. The way she looked at me, the glazed expression, the more helpless and overwhelmed I made her, told me that restraint, punishment, denial and oral pleasure was a path I wanted to explore as deeply and thoroughly as oral sex itself. I felt like I’d found my true sexual identity, a piece that had been missing but always hinted at during my oral sex explorations.

Jaycee asked: Lucas, my brother-in-law cycles too; at one point in his life he did so competitively. Other than the obvious exercise benefits, what is the best thing you derive from the long haul rides?

Probably in essence what I indirectly mentioned in response to Pyper's question. It's you and the bike, and a whole lot of quiet. You're pushing your body to its limits, which results in a kind of resting state for your mind to work on problems, work out worries, that kind of thing. Beyond that, there's simply something about an activity that in essence has no structured "purpose" - job, goal, etc - it's something I do because I intensely enjoy it, and that helps me find enjoyment in other things, if that makes sense. I think everyone has to have one thing that belongs to them, that's their form of personal expression, a hobby or interest that says "this tells you who I am" and competitive cycling does that for me.

Jasmine asked: I know that you and Cass first met when she was on the bike. Have you and Cass ever bought a bike recently and broken it in? If so, what is the model you both would agree on?

Cass would love to get a classic Harley one of these days. One of the old school kind that you’d see a Hell’s Angel on, because I swear, I think she’s a biker chick at heart. May be why she’s such an unbeatable negotiator, it’s her form of kicking ass and taking names. Plus, after my experience with Magnolia, I’ve found biker chicks can be 100% female in every way and scary.

We haven’t bought one yet. I think she wants to wait, because she’s concerned if we had one, Nate or Jess would want to ride it, and Cass wants them well in their twenties, with solid driving experience in a car, before they indulge an interest in it, if they cultivate one at all. So we may be getting that for her as a midlife crisis gift (wink) when she hits her forties. I’m not averse to learning how to drive one so we can ride together, but I am a cyclist at heart. In a way, we have a little of that affectionate rivalry going that power boaters and sailors have, over power versus nature. She’ll go cycling with me, but she has no interest in marathons. But she is completely okay with leisurely rides in parks and things like that, with plenty of stops for nature watching, picnics, handholding and the occasional illegal sexual activity in a secluded glade.

DSMamarose asked: It's always mentioned by the ladies the first time they meet you that they're reminded of an Egyptian Prince- Any of your ancestors ever have an interlude with Lord Mason?

Yes, Nate has been having a great time ever since he found out about that, because he watches the Ancient Alien series where they often propose that Egyptian princes were aliens with big eyes and long heads, so he got a little green man bobble head and ziptied it to my handlebars. It's like I have all the annoyances of a little brother at home as well as at work now (Ben). Seriously, I love the teenaged smartass. We have to bond together against the sea of estrogen in the house.

I don't know much about my family beyond my parents. I do have access to my biological parents' family history, but as far as I know, no Middle Eastern crossties. I haven't met the Lord Mason you mention, but if he is...similar to Anwyn, perhaps I'll have the opportunity to see if I bear a resemblance to anyone he remembers in his history...depending on his age.

Lisa asked: I would like to know how the whole family is doing ? Will we hear how the rest of the kids are doing?

They're doing well. Jess is in her first year of college and going through the usual euphoria of being in an environment where there's no "parental guidance", but we don' worry about that too much with these kids, because they really had to work with Cass so long in partnership in their raising, that even Nate, the youngest, is probably more mature than most first year college students are. Nate is all about sports right now, track especially. He's concerned because he hasn't hit his growth spurt and is afraid he's going to be skinny and short forever, but Cass says he has his father's bone structure so though he likely won't be Peter-tall, he'll likely be burly at some point. Cherry is in to her studies and a bit of a nerd, and Talia is all about the boys, God help us.

Donna asks: Considering the way you met Cass and because of your close association with Jon, do you believe in fate or destiny?

Absolutely. Even if I was the most pragmatic member of the group—and actually, because of my background in finance, I am—you can’t argue with a brick wall’s existence when you hit it head on. I fell in love with a woman I met in a glade in the Berkshires, hundreds of miles from home. I didn’t know her name or anything about her, and she showed up in our Boardroom a month later. Twenty-four hours later, I’d convinced her to marry me. Every one of us knew, when we met the right woman, she was the one. Look at Peter. Meets Dana in a club the night before he ships out for a tour, but he knew. Enough that thirteen months later, he got off the plane determined to track her down. Finding out the extent of Dana’s injuries didn’t even faze him. In our heads, even before that vow is taken before a minister, it already exists. Sickness, health, better or worse. Even Ben’s subconscious knew Marcie was meant to be his, even though in his case Marcie had to be the determined one to make him see it.

Jon says there’s an order and plan to everything. I’m not sure I’m with him 100% on that, or more like Forrest Gump, thinking it’s some of that and a little bit of chaos thrown in, because I think life wouldn’t even be fun for the Powers That Be if they knew everything that was going to happen. But it’s clear, some paths are there waiting for you to take them, if you’re smart enough to see them.

Tracey asked: Lucas you stepped into a family unit when you and Cass got together . What was the biggest challenge with that?

The power shift. I absolutely wanted to respect Cass's role as head of her family and not undermine it, but I also wanted to plug in where a male role model was needed, requiring a different tack in certain situations. There were the kids themselves as well. They'd had so much change and strife in their lives, at first I was just another new element that may or may not be permanent, that may or may not be a good addition to the chemistry of the family, so we hit some rocky ground, working those things out. What helped was Cass and I firmly agreed in the beginning to work out conflicts about it behind closed doors and present a united front to the kids, and we also were very honest with them every step of the way about my intentions toward them. I made it clear from the beginning I didn't see them as an obligation I had to accept to get what I really wanted, Cass - I saw those she loved as part of my family from day one.

Lisa Rogers asked: Lucas, how do you keep your love going strong? You both have a lot going on in your lives, is it hard to have them get away where it is just the two of you?

It can be busy, with the kids and our jobs, but fortunately, we have a large extended family, and they are very willing to jump in and allow us weekend getaways on occasion. Jon and Rachel are particularly helpful in that regard, and I think it fulfills something inside Rachel to have the chance to exercise her maternal side, since she and Jon are in agreement that they don’t want children of their own. Marcie of course is very willing to pitch in as well. Peter knows Dana wants children, but is afraid because of her blindness, so he coaxes her occasionally to take a night with them as well with him. I think she’s gaining more confidence because of her youth congregation at the church.

Now, amusingly, Talia and Cherry are always willing to spend the night at Savannah and Matt’s to help take care of Angelica, so if Cass and I want to take an overnight somewhere, Nate can go spend the night with a friend and they’ll go over to Matt and Savannah’s. That allows Matt and Savannah to go to dinner for a couple hours, and still be there with the teenagers for the rest of the night. An extended family is a wonderful thing. The main thing is finding time that meshes with our work schedules, but both Matt an Steve Pickard feel very strongly about prioritizing family, so though we may work long hours, they usually arrange for there to be time to compensate for it whenever possible.

Christi asked: My question is about Cass; when you met her she wore corsets because she liked the control/restraint they provided her with. What are both your thoughts on corsets now? Does Cass still use them in her work life and what about at home, are they being used as a fun accessory now?

She doesn’t wear them to work every day anymore, but when she’s going to have a difficult negotiation where she has to have her instincts and figurative backbone as stiff as possible, she’ll wear one beneath her clothes. As you pointed out so well, it gives her a different mindset. She’s very effective without that prop, but I think she likes the added reminder it gives to her. As a Dom, I of course love the sense of restraint. Once or twice I’ve managed to be off work about the time one of those challenging meetings was concluding, so I took a limo by to pick her up, closed the dividing window between us and the driver and ordered her to take off her workclothes and panties. Once all she was wearing was that corset and her stockings and heels, I went down on her at my leisure. Usually not to the point I pushed her over, just enough that by the time we got home or where I could have her all to myself, she was dazed and mindless. I like to put her on her knees to suck on me when she’s like that, and with the corset, the view is incomparable, the way the backside and breasts are both enhanced.

The other thing I enjoy about the corsets is putting her into them. The way she gets aroused just from me hooking it closed and tightening the laces trips the Master trigger strongly. As Cass realized once we met, wearing the corset was more than a defense mechanism to her; it was also a stroke to her submissive desires. As a result, when I lace her into one, she gets this lovely stillness to her, her lips parting, breath elevating for reasons that have nothing to do with how snugly I tie her. Though I do sometimes admit to tying her to the point of breathlessness, just for the pleasure of her having to ask my help to breathe.

On the workdays she’s wearing one under her clothes, I don’t play those games with her because of course she needs to go to work completely focused (and with sufficient oxygen) and she’d probably beat me to death with her briefcase if I was that inconsiderate. But since we’ve been together, she’s bought some other corsets that are less functional. One of the surprises I gave her was taking her to a private fitting with a corset tailor who’s part of the Dom/sub lifestyle. She put Cass into about ten of them, one at a time, while I sat and watched. Cass wasn’t allowed to speak, so the tailor kept asking me if I wanted it tighter, if I wanted the cups cut lower, or what kind of fabric I wanted, like I was dressing her entirely for my pleasure. It was difficult to get through all ten of them, because Cass was getting more and more aroused throughout and so was I.

Anyhow…where was I? Obviously, Cass wearing corsets is still very enjoyable to us both, and sometimes functional for her. However, I’m glad she feels supported enough without them, such that it’s more of a choice than a defense mechanism to wear them now.

SM asked: I just have to ask this, Lucas... just how totally, satisfying was it to make Master Ben "cry like a little girl" we you and your fellow Knights made him give up his car?

Oh, let me count the ways... It's well known out of all of us, that Ben and I are like the kind of brothers that regularly get on each other's nerves, pick on one another mercilessly, beat the hell out of one another whenever an opportunity presents itself, and yet we love one another fiercely. So yes, the one side of me got a great delight out of it...another part of me not so much, for the reasons it was done. And of course, he has been facing his demons and struggling with that with such painful maturity, I really haven't been able to take as much pleasure in it as I might otherwise...Or rather, as I might down the road when he's sufficiently on the straight and narrow I can give him crap about it. I'm storing away a lot of little jokes, jabs, whathaveyou for that cherished day.

Babydoll asked: To go along with Saint Maria's question about Ben's car... Did u & any of the other Knights ever find out about Marcie's little camera show on the hood of the car?

Nooooo....(intrigued raising of brows)...I'm wondering what that's all about. Sounds like Ben and I will have to talk some more when I get back from this trip. Hmmm....A lot of us will be interested in that, particularly Matt, unless Randall clued him in and Matt was being closed mouth about it, thinking I might kill Ben for not telling me Marcie was marching around in the middle of a parking deck in the middle of the night. doing God knows...yes, definitely a conversation will be happening...

Sun asked: Have you ever "surrendered" to Cass and let her take the reins?????

Yes and no. Some submissives enjoy the occasional switch scenario, though usually not to the degree that they desire to be topped. Sometimes it has more to do with role-playing, where they are “pretending” to be in charge as a way to get to the part where they are overpowered. When Cass wants to exercise a switch tendency, that’s usually the way she wants to go, and it’s pleasurable for both of us. For instance, she might tease me by tying up my hands loosely with one of her robe sashes and tell me I have to stay still or she’ll get “rough” with me. She likes the opportunity to touch me how she desires, use her mouth in a variety of ways to push my more aggressive instincts. I try to hold out as long as possible.

However, I can usually tell by her body language when she’s ready for me to take over again, because that’s part of the game, pushing me to the point I won’t suppress my natural instincts any longer. Cass has had to hold onto control so long, her submission is as much a need as a desire, so whenever she wants me to “surrender”, it’s often more of a battle strategy, where I’ll figure out just how to corner her and turn the tables. Of course, on a deeper level, as my beloved wife and submissive knows, I surrendered to her the first time we met. When a Master realizes there is only one submissive for him, and he wants her to be the one and only throughout his life, he has willingly allowed himself to be bound. *smile*

Mistress Kat asked: We know you're are an incredible business man, philanthropist, cyclist, lover etc etc. You're good at so many things but... what is it you are bad at?

As far as what I'm bad at...I'm an accountant and intensely left-brained, so when it comes to artistic things, there are three year olds with a box of Crayola that can surpass me in right brain strength. Cass fusses that I have no imagination when it comes to interior decorating, opinions on colors, pictures, what have you. Jon has claimed me a lost cause on art or music appreciation. But at least my wife can never fault my ability to concentrate and figure out how to get from Point A to Point B. I just tell her my creativity lies in a different direction. Math is a very creative type of logic, and it applies to many wonderful things - like depth and length of orgasm, action to reaction, etc.

Catriona asked: how do you carry on a full bdsm relationship with Cassie, in a house full of kids? Do you get away often, to pursue your more dominant side away from prying ears?

Frankly our methods aren’t much different from how vanilla couples deal with finding time for intimacy together. Just the same way they might go out for dinner and a movie, we might go to the club or borrow Ben’s equipment setup at his place in the warehouse district. As far as at the house itself, it’s not as difficult as it seems. All the kids are teenagers now, and they respect Cass’s and my need for private time, though of course by necessity it is a little more scarce with Nate’s geometry homework and sports schedule, Cherry's science projects, Talia’s latest Facebook drama, etc… We also had to find quality time to sit down all together as a family every day, have dinner, watch a movie, play games… in short, make sure good communication is happening and that we know what’s going on in everyone’s lives.

But when we do grab that time in our bedroom, Dominance and submission, especially in terms of a female submissive, is most powerful when the emphasis is on the psychological. I can order her to hold onto the headboard and gag her, command her not to come while I do a wide variety of things to her with mouth, hands, ice cubes…you get the picture. We have restraints, clamps and other things that are easily tucked away in a locked chest in the room, but the kids are good kids. They respect boundaries and aren’t the type who’d disrespect Cass by snooping except in pursuit of natural curiosity.

Nate did stumble on a pair of Velcro cuffs once, and he and I had a heart to heart about them and what Dom/sub games mean in a healthy relationship. God help me if he repeats it at school because with how immature most people are about BDSM, we’ll probably get a visit from social services, but I treated it the same way as a discussion about the birds and bees. Cass was privy to what we were going to discuss, but she let that be between me and him. Truthfully—and humorously—I think she didn’t want to have that discussion with her brother, and Nate has learned to respect me as the man of the house, so it worked out fine.

Christi asked: Lucas, I was wondering how your work commitments fit into your home life now? It seems that in the past Matt had sent you to many out of town job sites, often to South America. Are you able to be at home with Cass and the kids as often as you need to be now.

Yes. This goes back to the question Lisa asked earlier as well. Even though I do have a demanding job, I also have a boss who understands the importance of family, and so does Cass. And we also have a lot of good friends in our extended family willing to step in and help when one or both of us has to be away. It's about priorities, and we're both good at managing them, thank God.

EyesThatOpen asked: Lucas, I wanted to ask - Jon has a very profound sense of spirituality and even Matt has something akin to it - with your logical brain, what do you believe in? xxx

Well, I’ll continue the line of thought I started with Donna’s question about destiny (not sure I've posted that yet - will get to it soon if not!). I am pretty practical and therefore fairly unimaginative on things like spirituality. Just like you’d expect from an accountant, I need numbers, data, two plus two equals four. However, balance sheets must always balance. It’s amusing to admit that, before Dana, Jon has been as much spiritual advisor to each of us, patiently tugging each of us to the side and plumbing our brains until he has a good sense of how we view the world around us, moral structure, the possibility of a divine power. He works that into how he massages our group dynamic, to have it perform to its highest level in business and personal relationships. There’s more than one reason we call him Kensington’s Archangel.

He and I were discussing the balance sheet figures one day, and somehow he launched me into an analysis of balance sheet line items as they apply to the world. As I apply them to the world. Jon understands that terrible things are going to happen in the world, and the way we not only survive them, but maximize our potential in this world, lies in how we handle and view those terrible things. He helped me realize that my grasp of sanity lies with the balance sheet concept. When things go wrong, it’s amazing how often some small thing can help make it bearable, so he pointed out good has a heavier weight than bad, that three good things can balance nine bad ones. And like most things, once you grasp it once, you don’t lose sight of it again. I lost my parents, but it gave my adoptive parents the chance to have another child. My adopted mother was in a car crash where she lost the next child she was carrying. He was within two weeks of being born, and the grief nearly crushed her, especially when the accident took away her ability to have any more children. So they adopted a boy who’d lost his parents, and I gave them something they’d lost.

I don’t take it much further than that. I don’t need to do so. Things balance. It may take a while for it to happen, but eventually it happens and makes sense. Accounting is a patience thing, and I have plenty of that. Most of the time.

Pyper asked: Cass, has Ben and Marcie's relationship changed your relationship with either of them? I know you had already recognized Marcie's tendencies so did that factor in?

Somewhat. It's been a little bit of a paradigm shift to see Marcie as an independent, grown woman, simply because I really did straddle that guardian/sister role for so long, and as such, I was very worried and protective given the things I already knew about Ben. But as time has gone on, I've remembered the many times I've seen that dominant side of Ben while I'm being Lucas's submissive, and now, as Ben's dealt with his past for Marcie's wellbeing, it's helped me make that shift. I'll always see her as my sister and be protective, but I'm more ready to accept him stepping into the shoes of being her ultimate protector, husband and Dom now, as Lucas is for me. That changes our relationship in certain scenarios, for certain. But when she's hanging out in my kitchen, snatching cookies and teasing me, she's still my little sister, and Ben doing his pranks and picking on us when we're having a BBQ is the Ben I've always known and enjoyed. So it's mainly when the Dom/sub dynamic factors in that the viewpoint shifts, kind of like how the switch flips when that part of Lucas and my relationship turns "on", so to speak.

Jaycee asked: If you were to pick "your song" off Cass' play list (most of which we weren't privy to, as it should be...) that is quintessentially you and Cass, it would be...?

She’s added to it since then. One of the ones she plays a lot—because she’s a closet country lover—is Cross My Heart by George Strait, because that was the song I dedicated to her during our first dance at our wedding reception, and it’s a reminder to me to live up to the promises in that song every day. But for both of us…I’m going to have to say Stand By Me by Ben E. King. Sometimes songs that were written decades ago break it down so simple and true. The weekend after Jeremy’s funeral, we were sitting out on our back screened porch. Jon and Rachel had taken the kids for the weekend, because I knew Cass just needed a night to herself, to break down, to be anything she needed to be. That song came on the radio, and we just held each other. Though I was there to give her comfort, in a way the song spoke to both of us, what our marriage is all about. Thick and thin, there’s no one I’d rather be with, rather walk beside, and it felt like we were both on the perfect same page that night. We both got caught up in that song and it imprinted on us, stamped us, so it became “our song”. It sounds weird to put it that way, but there you go.

Moira asked: What is your favorite activity you do with Cass and the kids?

Movie night, for certain. We take turns picking the most god-awful movie possible, and then we make caramel popcorn, hot chocolate, and hang out and watch together. Because it's so awful, we do a lot of talking and carrying on during it, and it's just a fun way for us all to relax, act ridiculous, but a chance for me and Cass to see how everyone seems to be doing - if someone's a little too quiet, that kind of thing. The kids are good about piling all on the couch too for that night, as if they're okay regressing and snuggling with their sister like they did before they became teenagers. SO I think it's one of Cass's favorite activities as well.

DSMamarose asked: Since you also know Marcus, Thomas, Tyler and Justin, is there an annual event you all get together at?

Nothing planned annually, but we tend to see one another at least once or twice a year because business travel has us crossing paths, as well as vacations, special events like weddings, that type of thing. Recently, we had a situation related to Noah, a friend of Ben’s, that put us in contact with Tyler and resulted in Noah moving down to Tampa to be near his grandmother and under Tyler’s care, so to speak, and Ben took him down there with Marcie and ended up having a good visit with Tyler and Marguerite. And of course they were close enough to Justin he had to take Marcie to his shop. They haven’t told us yet what they bought, but I’m sure Justin was pleased with the commission, given Ben’s penchant for top-of-the-line toys.

Babydoll asked: Ever double date with Ben & Marcie at the clubs?

Not right now - see my earlier answer about whether or not my "sister" fantasy has come to be. Right now, Ben and Marcie are pretty exclusive to one another. And truthfully, even when we go to clubs together, we all tend to play privately and most the time as individual couples, though on occasion I've had the pleasure of sharing a room with Matt and Savannah, because our two lovely ladies share a lot of the same limits. The others - Rachel, Dana and Marcie - are far more extreme in their interests, and so it makes more sense, if there is going to be shared play for me and Cass, for it to be with Savannah and Matt. Plus, the sisters thing I think will be a limited experience for us - I'm not seeing us regularly playing with Marcie and Ben, because of the family connection.

MrsR asked: has Jon made anything special for you and Cass lately?

Nothing of late, unless you count all the concentration that went into the refining of the Boardroom table (see my earlier answer about the breaking in of the table in the renovated offices). We were all part of the consultation for that, so in a sense it was a gift to us all. You reminded me, though - I've been meaning to talk to him about some furniture ideas for the bedroom. While almost any piece of furniture can be used in BDSM practice, it's nice when you have one that has special built-in features that aren't obvious, but can be quickly be called into play, like the magnetized chair we used on Cass that night in the boardroom. Or a coffee table where the legs can be removed and stacked to turn it into a forced orgasm tower. I'm sure Jon will have some good ideas to upgrade the bedroom and still make it pass inspection in front of young eyes.

Saint Maria asked: you seen to have a wonderful, close relationship with Master Ben! How excited are you to have him as your soon-to-be-brother-in-law?! He is so hot!! LOL!

As far as his level of hotness, I’ll leave that analysis to you and the other ladies, since he doesn’t quite trip that trigger from me. No matter what he likes to claim about my interests in his enormous and highly overrated appendage (ahem). Janet has offered several times to bring in a dicer to trim it down to size, and I have considered taking her up on that. Seriously – Matt, Peter, Jon and Ben are as much my family as the ones who adopted me as a child. Ben becoming my brother-in-law simply reinforces what is already there in my mind. We’ve been there for one another through a lot of personal difficulties, including the loss of parents, discovery of our Dominant side, you name it. These past few years, the women who’ve expanded our family circle have just strengthened those bonds. I think there’s nothing we take as seriously as our bonds with one another, and it’s possible the sexual Dominant side of our nature has only intensified that, because there’s an emotional level we understand about one another that perhaps has allowed us a deeper understanding of one another than most male friendships do. Ben’s homophobic bashing is one way he expresses that deeper understanding and keeps humor injected into it.

Donna Miles asked: Would you give me a tour of K & A and introduce me to your fellow knights?

Donna, it’s always our pleasure to do that when our schedules can accommodate it, and for lovely ladies such as yourself, we tend to prioritize. Mistress Kat, Jaime and Sandy come to New Orleans fairly regularly, so you should plan to accompany them on one of the trips so we can show you the Boardroom, our offices, and the view we have of the Mississippi. There’s also an inner courtyard with a maze garden and benches for contemplation. Yes, that was Jon’s idea. Matt agreed to it only so long as it didn’t interfere with employee productivity, and Jon argued that it would increase productivity, to give his employees somewhere quiet to go for a break. Though Matt sometimes goes to the mezzanine level where he can stare down at it like the Grinch staring down at Whoville, he hasn’t seen any evidence yet that Jon’s wrong. Though he’s always quick to emphasize the “yet” when Jon asks about it. In some senses, Matt has his father’s old school practicality about the employee-employer relationship.

Other perks include the food. Since we had the offices renovated after Katrina, we now have a restaurant quality cafeteria for the employees where you might enjoy taking lunch with us, or we can go around the corner to an excellent local restaurant (Jon highly recommends the vegetarian burger, and even Matt and Peter, our dedicated Texas carnivores, agree it’s good). We’ll have you pick a time when everyone will be there.

Mistress Kat asked: Lucas, let's say that on one of your cycling marathons you lose your iPod. Your name is on the back of it, someone finds it.... What song, or songs, would you be embarrassed to have them see listed?

You might have had better luck getting that out of me when I was drinking some of Sandy’s more potent concoctions. Ah, well, Cass is poking me, telling me I have to tell you. So much for docile submissives (Snort – not a word that will EVER apply to my wife, of course – the docile part, that is. But then, she has essentially been mother to a pack of adolescents and docile is a luxury she can only afford in her most pleasurable moments of surrender).

Please keep as I reveal this that certain songs connect to memories of our teenage years. I lost my virginity to a pair of varsity cheerleaders in the back of their father’s borrowed Cadillac. The music they had playing was a greatest hits album by Air Supply. So I do have that on my Ipod. It brings back fond memories of a carefree night, and is not, as Ben claims, a cry for release from my latent homosexuality. (And yes, I plan to have Marcus and Thomas beat the crap out of him next time we see him).

Pyper asked: Being that you found your significant other/soul mate/sub second to Matt did you enjoy the "torture" the others went through?

I assume you mean the struggle they each went through to obtain their chosen lady? Or did you mean the pleasure we had of tormenting each of those ladies, in the best way possible? In the latter case, the answer would of course be a resounding yes, for the reasons mentioned under the question about the way the group has embraced this “initiation” of each man’s soulmate.

However, I suspect you meant the men themselves. For that, “enjoy” probably wouldn’t be the right word. Because I remember that knife edge feeling of knowing I’d found the person I wanted to spend my life with, but I had yet to close the deal and convince Cassie of that. To see what you feel is your destiny so clearly, but to not be sure if the vital part of that destiny is going to be yours today, tomorrow, ten years from now, or God help you, never – it’s a deeply terrifying feeling. Each of us is very ambitious and goal driven and, as you may have noticed, we don’t typically accept defeat. Still, we all know from the losses we’ve had in our lives, that things don’t always work out the way we wish. Which is probably yet another reason we’ve been so willing to do whatever is needed to help each man convince his chosen woman of his love, to ensure everything possible was done to help him attain his goal.

Babydoll asked: Put any thought into what you are going to get Ben & Marcie for a wedding present?

I can tell you, but none of you can breathe a word of it, because a lot of planning is going into it. We’re buying the McLaren back from Lewis, only we’re going to have the title put in Marcie’s name, and present it to her as “their” wedding gift from all of us. Dana bought a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs to hang from the rearview mirror with the laminated title card.

We think it will have symbolic value to them they’ll both appreciate, even as Ben will of course rail a little bit over the injustice of giving the car to her. I can’t wait to see her take it out for its first “official” spin (yes, Cass was aware of the previous attempt when Marcie was in her teens – she sees all, knows all).

Catriona asked: I'm very interested to know if Cass ever breaks loose from her responsible good sub image I have of her and deliberately goads you. You are so much the psychological Dom, vs. the rest of the knights that don't seem to mind blistering butts if the situation calls for it. So do you ever lose your calm demeanor?

You’re right. I’m far more of a psychological master. I’m happy to give Cass a sound spanking with my bare hand for our mutual pleasure if she teases me into it. Every once in awhile she will, but it’s in the nature of pure play. Sticking ice down the back of my shirt, impromptu wrestling matches, scenarios where I’ll threaten to spank her and she dares me to do it.

When it comes to the serious side of her submission, Cass needs physical restraints and psychological Domination to relinquish control. Pain doesn’t help her find subspace. Fortunately, my sadistic side craves the things she does. What turns me on is how she obeys my commands, lying still on the bed while I run that same ice up the inside of her legs, the way she trembles as she submits to my commands. The tone of my voice alone convinces her I’m in charge, that everything that happens, happens because of my will, that she has responsibility and control of nothing. That way, she can be anything she desires.

If I lose my cool with her about something, it’s going to be a typical fight between a healthy, in-love couple. There will be some shouting, Cass might decide to throw a couple things at me, and of course she can out-debate me in a heartbeat, with that negotiator’s tongue of hers. But then we’ll make up and, though we might have a pretty intense session as part of our makeup sex, again it is to re-establish that sense that I’m in control, making it okay to fight and be mad at one another, if that makes sense.

Interesting side note on that. Matt, Jon and I have that in common, all being more psychological Doms, though Jon will occasionally increase his repertoire because Rachel needs deeper levels, and Jon, while not naturally inclined to be more physically sadistic, is capable of it in a way I’m not so sure Matt and I are. Though interestingly, as Savannah has developed a desire to pursue deeper levels of submission, like when she asked Matt to take her to a private island resort that offers immersive BDSM experiences, he’s been able to find deeper levels in himself. Fortunately, her interest has not been in deeper levels of pain, but greater forms of psychological Domination and more extreme methods of restraint. Matt might spank her now and again, but if it was a regular thing, that would surprise me. While the growth of trust between Dom and sub can result in higher levels of play, those higher levels still have to go down paths that appeal to both Dom and sub, and I think he might cut off his hands before he put a single welt on Savannah’s lovely skin.

Delilah asked: Where do you think everyone will be in say 10 years?

That’s a good question. Matt loves K&A, and I can see him still firmly at the helm until retirement, though I’m sure a good bit of his time will always be devoted to his two lovely ladies. Since he and Savannah also plan on adopting a sibling for Angelica, I’m sure they’ll be well involved in their children’s lives. Interestingly, as good as Savannah is at her job, I could see her transitioning it over to her very capable second-in-command, Paul Turner (he’s currently her CFO) once they adopt the second child. She’d probably continue on as a consultant, stay the owner of her company, and go back to it once the kids enter college, but spend those formative years focused more on motherhood and other interests. As outstanding as she is at what she does, I think there’s a part of her that wants to try being something else for a while. Savannah was never really allowed to entertain dreams of being anything but what her father groomed her to be. Matt stepped into his father’s shoes when he was seventeen, but he already had a real ambition to run the company. In short, he had to make the choice sooner than expected, but it was the choice he would have made. Savannah didn’t have that chance.

Jon and Rachel…I can see Rachel expanding her yoga studio into a full meditation and spiritual healing type center the two of them would run together. She has such a nurturing soul, and we already know how Jon is on that score. The property Jon has outside Baton Rouge has a lot of acreage, and they could base it there, while he could pursue his inventions (both for K&A and for custom made BDSM toys/high-tech furniture) in a workshop on premises. I really can’t see any of us leaving K&A, but I can see us, like Savannah, grooming and transitioning some of the responsibilities to up-and-coming talent to give us more time to explore interests we have, like Jon pursuing his inventions more deeply. It’s been our experience with other companies, where the executive management refuses to make room for that new talent, that they stagnate with the times, and the last thing we’d want to do is that.

Peter and Dana…they’ll have adopted a couple children well before then, I’m almost sure of that. Dana becomes more confident of herself in that regard every day, and Peter knows she wants children. Because of her role as a minister, she’s in contact with several agencies that foster children, and she has too generous a heart to let her fears hold her back for much longer. Especially with Peter in her corner, reinforcing that confidence. And Peter…he’s already volunteering as an ROTC instructor at one of the high schools, and I’m willing to bet if he becomes less involved at K&A for the reasons indicated, that he’d expand that role. He believes strongly in the structure and pride the military can give at-risk youth, and of course where Dana works, there are plenty there.

Ben and Marcie (chuckles)… This may sound odd, but Marcie mentioned once she could see Ben running a bakery, and I can almost see him doing it as well. Or perhaps a restaurant or sweet shop. Ben is an outstanding lawyer, but like Savannah, I think that was driven by his past, his need to prove he could be at the top of the pyramid, no matter how life tried to tear him down. Once that drive holds less meaning for him, I think deep inside Ben is a desire for gentler pursuits. We’ll see if I’m right. Now Marcie, who of course is going to give all of us gray hair, is likely to evolve from corporate investigations to being a cop, because I don’t think corporate is going to be enough of a challenge for her. She was hanging out with Leland Keller at an anniversary party we had recently for Jon and Rachel, and they were having an intense conversation for way too long. Ben has mentioned it interests her a great deal, though I have no idea how he will handle having a wife who puts herself so directly in harm’s way, especially with as dangerous as New Orleans can be.

Then there’s me and Cass. We have such a full life now with her siblings, I’m expecting once they’re all off to college or involved in their adult lives, she and I might do some traveling. We’ve talked about the fact I’ve always wanted to bike from shore to shore, all the way cross country, and we might just rent an RV where she can drive ahead and meet me at each day’s destination, enjoy the sights, and therefore do it together, in a sense. Beyond that, we have no concrete plans. Her life has been so full, I think she loves the idea of quiet daily living, and since I’m a dull accountant (grin) I love the day to day mundane business of living as well…and loving my wife.

* * * * *

Now I have to get back to my responsibilities at K&A and to Cass, but again, it was a very pleasurable experience, spending time with you all. And thank you for all the well wishes!