Saving Sophia Page 11

  She looked around and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “It was the only thing I ever stole. They had the cutest, tiniest stuffed dogs once, and I took one right off a girl’s desk. She cried all morning, and I felt terrible. I didn’t know how to give it back without getting caught. I waited until everyone was on the playground and snuck it back on the teacher’s desk, but I shook for hours. I was sure they’d put me in jail.”

  “I’m not surprised you gave it back. You must have been one hell of a brave kid. But I’m not thinking fast food. My mothers want you to come to their house for lunch today. They’ve been nagging to meet you, and when they found out we were both in town, they’ve sent me a half dozen text messages. Neither one of my moms can take no for an answer.”

  Sophia didn’t have time to panic, and she was pretty sure that was the reason Marcus hadn’t given her any advance notice. He chatted casually about some new rosebushes they’d planted that week, and ten minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of a cute little cottage with amazing colorful gardens.

  “These are beautiful, Marcus. I can see where you get your touch from.”

  “My mom actually hates the dirt. This is all Camille. She’s a teacher so she spends her whole summer out here. We share plants occasionally, but she has a lot less space so she’s fussier about what she puts in.”

  A stunningly beautiful and very tall Filipino woman opened the door before they got to the stoop. “It’s about time you came to see your aged mother, Marcus Greene. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  Marcus laughed as he gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Yeah, you’re really decrepit, Mom. I have more aches and pains than the two of you put together.”

  Her laugh was infectious. “I told you not to play football. I didn’t care how big you were. That was all Elijah’s doing, not mine.”

  Marcus filled in the gaps for Sophia. “Elijah is Linc and Jack’s dad. He did not convince me to play football, but I admit he came to all our games and was very supportive of the decision. Mom, this is Sophia Montgomery. Sophia, this is my mother, Monique Bennett-Greene. And that,” he said pointing to a second woman who walked in from the kitchen, “is my stepmother, Camille Bennett-Greene.”

  Camille was shorter than the elegant Monique and her neatly trimmed red hair gave her a more casual appearance. She didn’t waste words. “So you’re Marcus’ sub. He’s never brought one home before.”

  Marcus groaned, “Do I have to remind you how much I hate it when you talk like that?”

  His stepmother swatted at his shoulder. “I was playing since before you were born, little boy, so don’t start with me. I even met your mother at a Cloudcroft event when you and the boys were young enough to be shunned to Elijah’s sister’s house as simple errant children.”

  He closed his eyes. “Mental images are not going away over here. You’re scarring me for life.”

  His mother finally took pity on him and took Sophia by the arm. “Don’t pay any attention to either one of them. Come into the back yard. We have a picnic all set up to get to know you better.”

  Marcus was put to work on the grill while Camille made sure everybody found the salads and drinks. Talk included everything except Sophia’s past, and she was pretty sure Marcus was protecting her again.

  It soon became apparent that he’d gained his gentle side from his mother as she delicately involved Sophia in simple conversations about Marcus as a little boy and her life in the Philippines. When Marcus was scolded by his mother for not using a napkin, Sophia laughed to see him acquiesce with a small apology.

  Sophia teasingly wiped his face with her own colorful paper napkin. “Was he easy to have around as a little boy, or was he always bossy?”

  “Oh, he was always his father’s son,” she responded with a laugh. “My husband would have been a natural dom at an event, but when we were married, those things were much easier left to the privacy of our bedroom.”

  Marcus coughed on his third hot dog. “Geez, Mom. Really?”

  “Your father and I had sex. Get over it,” she added with another laugh.

  They chatted for a few more moments when Monique said, “Marcus, I need you to move some boxes for me. Let Camille entertain Sophia. We’ll be right back.”

  Marcus left her with a kiss and suddenly, she was alone with Camille. His stepmother poured two more Cokes, but this time she produced a small bottle of rum and a questioning glance.

  Sophia responded, “Sure. But I’m guessing this is something we need to keep from Marcus?”

  The buttery sweetness in the beverage was a perfect addition in the sticky backyard heat. It became apparent, however, that she was the victim of a setup when Camille asked, “I asked for a few minutes alone with you. I know there is an event weekend coming up, and Marcus says Bella isn’t being as supportive as she could be. We thought you might want to ask some questions.” She added with a laugh, “But don’t worry, we don’t go to Cloudcroft scenes anymore. I think all three of the boys would have a stroke if Monique showed up.”

  Sophia’s frown returned, and she took another long sip of her doctored Coke. “I wish Bella wasn’t still mad. I feel terrible that she got into trouble because of me, but she won’t even talk about it.”

  Camille patted her hand. “I love Bella to death, but this probably isn’t about the lying anymore. She was over that the moment she and Jack settled up. I know how they work. Honestly, I think she’s just struggling with having another woman in the house. When you were an employee, you were different. Now she has to share her space and her men, and she doesn’t like that.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Sophia retorted defensively. “I’m not trying to take anything away from her. I’m not going after Jack or anything.”

  Camille sighed. “It’s more complicated than that. Bella has been playing for months, and her scenes have included all three of them at some level. She’s married to Jack, but they’re all a family. It’s going to be hard for her to watch the other two form serious relationships. They might end up with a woman who doesn’t want to play or share, and Bella’s just going to have to adjust.”

  Mired in personal emotions, the simple sex games suddenly became a lot more complicated, and Sophia frowned.

  “It’s just something she has to go through,” repeated Camille. “If it isn’t you, it will be some other woman who forces her to figure this out. We all face change as we go through different phases of our lives. That’s just part of our personal evolution, and that’s why she needs to keep talking to Jack.”

  She wasn’t entirely mollified, but tried to think it through. “I guess I get it. It’s probably no different than any other relationship.”

  “No, probably not. But let’s get back to the weekend. What do you have planned with Marcus, and are you happy with the scene?”

  “Yeah, I’m happy. Marcus wants me to go slowly. He has to be on duty most of the weekend anyway so he can’t do much. Jack and Linc were going to help me get used to somebody touching me other than Marcus, but now I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t want to make Bella any madder.”

  Camille shook her head. “You can’t think like that. Jack won’t do anything that she doesn’t agree to ahead of time. His marriage is more important to him than his kink, but I guarantee they’re talking about you and deciding as a couple.”

  “I’m not sure I like the idea of people talking about me behind my back, especially if Bella’s mad at me.”

  “Oh, Sophia,” laughed Camille. “Very little around here takes place behind closed doors. Otherwise, why would people come to Cloudcroft?”

  * * *

  It was past ten by the time they returned to the ranch and the rest of the family was settled in the kitchen. Jack and Linc both wore sweats and t-shirts while Bella was nestled on Jack’s lap in her pajamas and bare feet. The dishes had already been cleared, and Linc was dispensing poker chips.

  Jack called out while he reached around Bella to s
huffle the cards. “Just in time. Two more suckers. Join us.”

  Bella moved to her own chair with a small frown, and Sophia added slowly, “No, I can’t afford to gamble even a few bucks. I’ll just go read my book.”

  All three men stared at Bella, who scowled in return. When their firm looks defeated hers, she sighed. “We don’t play for real money. And… I do want you to join us. We all do. Really.”

  Thinly veiled sincerity made categorizing her meaning difficult, but Marcus ordered, “It’s settled. Sit down while I make some popcorn.”

  She spent the next hour losing hundreds of imaginary dollars while her new roommates mocked each other with increasing malevolence. Even Bella relaxed, but Sophia had spent a lifetime looking through the window at other people’s lives and was very good at staying on the outside.

  The three men, however, continually reached out. Marcus kept his hand on hers while Linc and Jack teased her gently about her dismal gambling skills. They included her in every joke, and the conversation made no reference to events she didn’t understand.

  At the same time, they gave Bella extra attention with soft touches to her cheek or pushed the hair out of her eyes with a gentle smile. Several times Bella was scolded for eating too many potato chips or getting nasty when she lost a hand. The petite fireball blossomed under the nagging attention and her scowls eventually disappeared. Witnessing their powerful relationship ignited small jealous twinges until Marcus pulled her into his lap for a kiss and a private snuggle. Her focus returned to him, and she relaxed under his watchful eye with a smile toward Bella’s teasing laugh.

  When Bella won a big hand at Linc’s expense, the girls made eye contact, and they both laughed. Bella shouted, “Serves you right, you big shit. I told you not to mess with me.”

  Jack smirked, “Watch your mouth, little wolf.”

  “Why do they call you little wolf?” asked Sophia innocently. She thought the nickname was adorable, but there had to be a story behind it.

  The men burst out laughing, but none of them would answer. Bella scowled with her arms crossed in a slight pout. “One time. Once. I bit somebody and now that’s my nickname forever.”

  “Yeah, one time. Bull,” said Linc. “We all have scars and so does the guest you attacked. He needed stitches.”

  “You’re exaggerating. I never… okay… I only ever bit one guest, but he was an asshole. You had to sit on Jack to keep him from beating the guy up. All I did was bite.”

  Shared jokes and camaraderie had given Sophia a slight push toward the warm family, and a hug from Marcus made her decision easily. She added quietly, “Just tell me if I’m ever getting close to pissing you off, Bella. I don’t like stitches.”

  The laughter was clearly at Bella’s expense, and she hesitated for a few seconds under the internal debate. Her eyes hinted at the need to bitch Sophia out, but a small curl to her lips revealed a hidden laugh. It took Jack’s gentle hug to find her humor, and her smirk was genuine. “Fine, just don’t ever try to take a cookie away from me. I don’t get enough desserts around this place.”

  * * *

  The next day started the event weekend, and Sophia spent the morning alternating between extreme stages of anxiety and anticipation while she prepared the gardens for guests. By four, she’d returned to the third floor to take a long hot shower. She paid special attention to her grooming and lathered herself well with an inexpensive moisturizer. Leaving her damp hair to air dry, she slipped into clean panties and wrapped herself in her old bathrobe to apply some simple makeup.

  After months of abuse in Cloudcroft’s gardens, her nails were pretty hopeless, but she made sure they were clean and applied the cotton candy-colored nail polish that represented her entire inventory. She’d bought the childish color over a year earlier, but never had much opportunity to play with makeup as a teen, and the tone had always been part of her dream world.

  With a deep breath, she turned to study the less than classical wardrobe that barely filled her closet when Tami and Bella showed up with several packages.

  “What’s this?” said Sophia suspiciously.

  “Just open them,” said Tami with an excited giggle.

  The boxes held a light pink top made from a sheer fabric and an expensive pair of black leggings that would clearly accentuate her smooth curves. She tentatively touched the fabrics with the realization she’d never owned anything as beautiful.

  “We had to guess on the size,” Tami added politely, “but you can’t wear khakis and a golf shirt tonight.”

  Sophia was speechless, and Bella grumbled, “They’re gifts. We know what it’s like to not have something nice, but you need clothes that fit properly too. I think you got your last outfit at the tent store.”

  The reference to her dismal wardrobe brought another frown, but before she could thank them properly, Bella was working her way through her dresser. “Do you have any underwear that wasn’t bought in sets of seven?”

  In an attempt to protect her privacy, Sophia grabbed the white cotton panties from Bella’s hand. “These are fine. I don’t need anything else.”

  “Yeah… not so much,” laughed Tami. “What do you suggest, Bel? She is bigger than both of us so we can’t lend her anything.”

  Left with few options, she turned to the women with a stubborn defense. “I’m not borrowing your underwear. That’s… that’s just weird.”

  Bella dismissed her with a shrug. “If you think that’s weird, you’re in for a rude awakening. You’ll just have to go commando tonight. No bra either. Trust us. You won’t need it.”

  Before she could object, Bella ordered, “Now, strip so we can do a formal assessment.”

  “Strip? You mean like take off my clothes? Yeah… thanks… but I’ve got this.”

  Bella said quietly, “No, you probably don’t. I saw what you’re working with the day the whip demonstration went south. I’m guessing you’ve never shaved any higher than your knees.”

  To make her point, Tami pulled out a box that held a brand new electric clipper. “Lose the robe and get on the bed, girlfriend. We know what we’re doing.”

  Abject mortification told her to run as far away as possible, but their words awoke a nagging weakness that she’d spent half a lifetime trying to ignore. There were many days she didn’t even shave as high as their clearly defined dismal line, and suddenly her pretty pink nail polish seemed childishly inadequate.

  It took a few seconds of bottom lip chewing internal debate, but ultimately she conceded. “Fine… but lock the door. I don’t need Marcus coming in here too.”

  Eyes closed to protect her from reality, she slowly slipped off her robe and panties and climbed on the bed while Tami opened the box. Bella nudged her legs open to inspect her with a light touch. “Yep, just what I figured. Start on her thighs, Tami. She has a lot of that soft baby hair there.”

  The electric vibration hit her sensitive inner thighs and caused her to jump a mile. Bella laughed. “Relax, Sophia, we’re going to get a lot closer to nerves than this.”

  With a clinical expertise, they worked their way up her thighs, but her brain was not pacified by their professionalism. The two women ran their hands over her skin causing the erotic fire to respond, and she had to work hard to hold back her wiggling. As they got closer and closer to the bush between her legs, the erupting tension interfered with her thoughts.

  Bella laughed as her warm hand rubbed the hairs on Sophia’s crotch so that they would stand up for the clippers. “Yeah… I’ve been trimming down here for so long, I forgot what it looks like without help.”

  The clippers tickled her outer lips to intensify the invisible force, and she involuntarily tried to close her legs. Tami scolded, “Keep them open. I can’t see what I’m doing. Trust me, Marcus is going to love this.”

  Bella laughed again. “And try to find this a little less sexy. If you get any wetter down here, you’ll short-circuit the clippers.”

  Sophia kept her eyes closed in a desperate
attempt to locate some small amount of self-esteem while the women left nothing untouched. When her torment was complete, she sported a neatly trimmed entry to her darkest secrets, and the realization it was all about to be revealed to strangers brought the tiniest nervous grin.

  Bella scolded, “Hurry and get dressed, Sophia. None of us want to start tonight by being late.”

  She moved in a slight panic and put her new clothes on as quickly as possible. Bella carefully dried and straightened her hair with a flatiron and applied a lot more makeup than she normally wore. The clothing fit well and covered her skin appropriately, but the tingling nerves from her freshly trimmed sex rubbed against her pants, and her vaginal walls responded with every foreign step.

  Bella glanced at the pink nail polish, but Sophia spoke in a panicked frustration. “I don’t have time to take it off. It’s going to have to do.”

  For the first time all night, Bella truly smiled. “You look great. The color is perfect and you’re going to knock Marcus off his feet.” Bella threw an impromptu hug around her shoulders. “Have a truly wonderful evening. I promise you’ll never forget it.”

  With a lot of nervous energy, Sophia allowed the girls to lead her back to the kitchen where her dom waited patiently. The angst surrounding her preparation was worth the drama when he locked his grin into her soul. Bella’s voice was almost distant. “Here you go, Marcus. She cleans up pretty good when you get all that garden crap off her.”

  Marcus kept his focus on Sophia. “You look fabulous. I love the shirt.” He quickly glanced at the other two. “Scram, guys. I want to talk to Sophia. Alone.”

  They left with knowing smiles, but before she could ask any questions, he held out a small, thin box wrapped in thick quality paper and tied with rustic brown twine. “I bought you a present to remember the occasion.”

  Her hands trembled slightly as she unwrapped his package. It was a brand new collar. Unlike the thin pearl-studded one Bella wore, this one was made from quality red leather and a solid three inches wide with shiny black metal accents. He added, “It’s a special relationship when you collar a sub. I’d like you to do me the honor of wearing this, Sophia.”