Graham, Jan - Finding Angel [Wylde Shore] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (4 page)

“No, he passed away.” Angel put on her best
I’m so sad, please don’t ask me anything else
face.

“Oh, you poor thing. You came back because the pain of living where you had a happy life with him was just too much. Oh, you did the right thing to come home, my sweet. Grief is so horrendous you need to be where you have friends who love you.” As Chocolate spoke, Angel nodded. Chocolate was such a drama queen sometimes. “Well, the good news is your dearly departed had wonderful taste in jewellery. They are platinum, not sterling silver at all. And the watch is Cartier. I’ll have to give you a cheque, twenty-five hundred.” Chocolate grabbed his cheque book from under the counter and began to write.

“Oh, excellent,” was all Angel could manage to say through her surprise. All this time she thought the watch was a knockoff. Well that explains where some of Samuel’s money went.

“Now, for you I have a lovely little set. You need some sparkle with that dress. Consider it a welcome home present.” Chocolate walked to a cabinet at the end of the counter, returning with a large, ruby necklace with matching bracelet and earrings.

“Oh, Chocolate,” Angel began.

“No arguments please, child. You deserve something nice after your loss.” Chocolate’s voice was stern, and Angel knew not to argue. “Beautiful,” Chocolate said as he placed the pieces on her.

Chocolate insisted on Angel staying, having a drink, and catching up. Catching up meant Chocolate was going to do all the talking about himself and Angel just had to listen. The champagne that Chocolate poured for Angel actually made her a little dizzy. She hadn’t eaten anything at all today, and alcohol on an empty stomach was never a good idea. An hour and three glasses of bubbly later, Angel left the store and made her way to the café. Smiling as she wandered down the street, Angel decided she had needed someone to have missed her like Chocolate and Jig had. She could think of nothing worse than to come back into town only to find she had been forgotten. Her meeting with Chocolate had lifted her spirits, and the champagne had lightened her head. Chocolate was right. She did deserve something nice, especially after her all she had been through.

Bring on the next nice thing.
Angel felt a renewed sense of joy as she arrived at the café.

She was, however, a little embarrassed at what she found when she arrived. Only one table was vacant, and it was on the outdoor walkway. She walked over to the table and looked at the sign Jig had placed on it.

Reserved for the most beautiful woman in the world.

A flush of colour filled Angel’s cheeks as Jig came barrelling over.

“You like?” Jig asked as he placed his arm around her shoulder.

“I like.” Angel smiled. “You have made my night.”

Angel had a short chat with Jig before ordering her meal. Jig promised he would be back to chat more throughout the evening when things were a little less hectic. Angel glanced at her watch, which revealed it was only half past eight. She had plenty of time to eat, catch up with Jig, and visit The Dungeon all before the last train left just after midnight. If The Dungeon wasn’t the same as she remembered, then she would just get an earlier train.

Steve Jax lived near the beach with his wife Kathy. The two-story, newly renovated townhouse situated on the crest of a hill had views of the surf from nearly every window. It was a great location, not only because of the view but because it was a short ten minute car ride into the city. This made him close to both work and all the social activities that he and Kathy enjoyed.

Steve and Kathy had been involved in the BDSM scene for many years. Most of their friends were part of the scene, and Steve considered himself the luckiest man in the world to have found a submissive as accomplished as his wife. Not many of the Dominant men he knew had a relationship that came anywhere near the one he shared with Kathy. Steve had met Kathy through a mutual friend and three months later, after an incredibly hot and heavy courtship, he had married her at The Dungeon, an infamous BDSM club in the city. The civil ceremony, in actual fact, had been a formality compared to the accompanying collaring ceremony. Kathy had insisted upon both ceremonies being shared with their friends and family. Their D/s contract was signed after the collaring ceremony, and as part of that agreement, it stipulated monogamy on behalf of both parties, something Steve had no problem agreeing to. He knew as soon as he met Kathy, there was no other sub for him as she fitted him perfectly, just as he did for her.

Tonight they were returning to The Dungeon, but this time it was for a very different kind of celebration. His friend, Daniel Shore, had returned from the US, and along with Kathy and Daniel’s brother, Christian, they were going out to party with friends. The three men first met attending a private college when they were in their teens and had gelled immediately. Steve quickly became known as the third Shore brother, and their families had been entwined ever since. Christian and Daniel’s father was a wealthy businessman who made sure his sons had the very best education possible. With Steve surviving on a scholarship, Mr. Shore had helped Steve’s single mum by paying his tuition just to keep the three young men together.

Nowadays, Steve and Daniel were both in their early forties, forty-two to be precise, and Christian wasn’t far behind them at the tender age of thirty-nine. They could in fact have been brothers, given the closeness in ages. The family resemblance was something else. Steve had no features that even resembled the Shore family and often joked he was in actual fact the milkman’s son.

Daniel was the first to arrive at the Jaxes’ home that evening. He had always been the strong, silent type, more serious than his brother but still a man who could have some fun if he chose to let his hair down. Daniel was the older of the two bothers. He was fiercely protective of those he loved and loyal to a fault. He had a caring but firm nature, never lost his head in a crisis, and would help anyone he felt needed it. Needless to say, no one was surprised when he chose medicine as a profession. Daniel had studied hard and was now one of the most respected surgeons in the city. He had moved to the United States for a period of five years, where he studied, learned, and developed new techniques in surgery.

“Evening, Doctor Shore,” Steve greeted his friend warmly. “I see you’ve decided not to bring that Casanova brother of yours with you tonight?”

“Don’t get to excited my friend, Casanova will be here soon enough. He’s being driven over here by one of his team.”

“Arh, the perks of being a Detective superintendent,” Steve noted. “He can have members of his squad act as chauffer when he needs it.”

As Steve ushered Daniel inside, he noticed the unmarked police car pull up out the front of his home. Christian had arrived.

Like Steve, Christian had joined the police force after leaving school. He had excelled in the force and now far outranked Steve, who had been happier to stay part of a team, rather than managing them. Christian was more outgoing than Daniel. He had a wicked sense of humour and a boyish charm that attracted women wherever he went, hence the term Casanova.

“Come on, hurry up and get in here, I won’t play doorman all night.” Steve’s voice boomed across the distance to the car.

“I have a good feeling about tonight, man.” Christian jogged up to the open door. “I think Daniel and I might find our Miss Right tonight.”

Both Daniel and Christian were Doms. They had always shared the women they dated, and both men believed that they would find a submissive that was happy to be in a relationship with both of them.

“Well then, the pressure is on Kathy’s single friends tonight isn’t it? Not that any of them give me the impression they are looking for two Doms, but you never know,” Steve stated as Christian strode past him into the living room.

“Daniel and I know the perfect woman’s out there. We just have to find her.”

“Exactly.” Daniel’s voice echoed in from the veranda where Steve noticed Kathy setting up drinks and nibbles for them to enjoy. “If Dad could find two women to live with him and make it work, then Christian and I can find a woman to share the rest of our lives with.”

“And after our disastrous relationship with Katie, we know what kind of woman to avoid.” Christian’s comment about what to avoid struck a chord with Steve.

The last submissive the men had chosen had really made both men doubt themselves and the lifestyle they believed they were destined to live. And Steve knew Daniel was correct in his assessment of his father’s relationship with two sisters. If the two women hadn’t died in a tragic car accident, then Steve was sure both of Christian and Daniel’s mothers would have still been living happily with the brothers’ dad to this day.

As his friends took their leave, heading off to dress for the party, Steve noticed how relaxed they looked and was certain both were looking forward to the night ahead.

It didn’t take long for Daniel to return to the outdoor area. He was dressed in basic black dress jeans and a collared shirt, sleeves rolled to just below his elbow.

“Well, this is the life! How do you put up with these ocean views?” he said as he walked out onto the veranda.

“It’s rough, Dan, but we cope.” Steve handed him a cold beer, and the chat continued. Daniel filled the couple in on what had been happening since his return and some of his adventures in the American BDSM scene. Their banter was interrupted with Christian’s appearance.

Christian was dressed in snug leather pants that laced up at the front. His chest rippled under the tight, black muscle shirt he wore. His hair appeared to be even curlier than normal, which Steve put down to the use of some kind of product. He looked more like a rock star than a Dom. Steve laughed as Kathy fanned herself with her hand and pretended to swoon.

“Going for the Jim Morrison look tonight, bro?” Daniel quipped.

“Yes, someone wants to be noticed this evening. I bet he thinks he’ll get lucky dressed like that tonight,” Kathy added with a laugh.

“Bite me,” was Christian’s defiant reply as he sat down and picked up his drink.

“Someone might bite you tonight, Chris,” Steve spoke into his beer. “I just hope for your sake it’s a woman. We are in a city with a large gay population, you know?”

The banter continued over a few drinks with Christian giving as good as he got, until the group finally decided it was time to head into the city.

Dinner had been booked for eight o’clock at a restaurant around the corner from The Dungeon. Kathy had requested they have a proper meal before going to the party at the club. The Dungeon’s private function room had been booked for ten, with drinks and light snacks organised by the club. Two hours would give the four of them plenty of time to catch up before Daniel got swamped by their other friends during the party. They took a cab into the city and were seated for dinner right on time.

The city was its usual busy Friday-night self. Lots of people were walking around and eating at the various restaurants and cafés. As the night went on, the clubs would become the highlight of the place, with fights and people behaving badly after consuming too much alcohol. But for now, the pace was busy but easygoing.

Christian flirted with the waitress assigned to their table, who didn’t seem to mind his attention. Kathy didn’t seem surprised with the woman’s interest in Christian, as both of the Shore brothers were very handsome. They drew women’s attention wherever they went, and Kathy had invited some of her single friends to the party to meet these very eligible bachelors. Both men were just over six feet tall. Christian was thirty-nine years old with blond, wavy hair, brown eyes, and a muscular body which he kept in shape by working out regularly. Christian’s quirky, happy-go-lucky personality made him a joy to be around, and his dry wit often kept Steve and his wife amused for hours. In contrast, Daniel, now forty-two years of age, had dark hair. The short cut he now insisted on having eliminated the wave in his hair that was similar to Christian’s. His brown eyes were much darker than his brothers, almost looking black at times. His lean body with broad shoulders and defined, muscular arms and legs lacked the bulk Christian had developed but was no less eye catching. Or so Kathy had informed him.

The men’s taste in women was similar. They liked curves and had, on more than on occasion, told a prospective submissive they felt she was too thin. Christian in particular enjoyed a curvy lady with large breasts, while Daniel like a fully-rounded backside to spank. Steve knew voluptuous was a definite must when it came to the woman they would eventually set their mind on.