Submission Under the Mistletoe (4 page)

Brad not only heard the disappointed tone of his
twin, he felt the sense of betrayal coming off Brian. When they
grew up, Brian usually led and he followed. Not like a blind puppy
dog, but Brad had always just allowed his more dominate twin to
have his way. Most of the time he didn’t care what they did,
however, that wasn’t always the case in the last few years.

“
Look, Brian. It is not about a
change of anything. It’s about an open mind. Our little sister and
her men aren’t into some kind of religious cult. Just expressing
their love differently. You would have seen that if you’d gone with
use the other night.”

Lifting his coffee, Brian stared at him as he took a
liberal, long drink of his coffee.

Brad took a bite of his sandwich, knowing this
conversation was far from over. Shaking his head internally he
realized he shouldn’t have brought Brian here. They should have
just eaten a late breakfast at the hotel and drove out to his
sister’s house.

“
What did you see that night?”
Brain’s voice was low, calm.

However, Brad wasn’t fooled. Brian was still put out
by Brad’s comment about him being closed minded.

Brad shrugged. “Nothing much, Brian.”

“
Nothing much?”

“
Okay… a lot that honestly shocked
me. Not only women are dominated, men too?”

“
By other men?” Brian had shoved
the last few bites of his sandwich to the side and was leaning on
his elbows toward him, matching Brad’s quiet tone.

“
Some. Most by women. A lot of
nudity. Lots of things swinging and smacking flesh.” Brad could
easily talk about this part with Brian, it had been overwhelming
for him to see so he could keep himself detached from the
tale.

“
Did people seemed to be forced or
made to participate…against their will?”

Brad knew what he brother was implying. “No, Brian,
Alesha and most people there wanted to be in their respective
places.”

Brain lifted and dropped both his shoulders and
glanced away. “I know Alesha wouldn’t do something she didn’t want
to. She’s too smart for that.”

“
And Mike and Josh know we’d kick
their asses.”

That brought mirrored eyes back to his as Brian
chuckled.

It was nice to hear his brother laugh. Something
over the last few months had been weighing the older twin down and
Brad hadn’t been able to discover what was bothering Brian.

“
You going back,
again?”

Rubbing a hand over his bald head, down to the back
of his neck, Brad struggled with his answer and then decided for
honesty. “I don’t know. I’m not saying I want to be a part of
this…world of, of…” He couldn’t figure out how to label it. Before
he could have come up with several derogatory things to say; now
they didn’t seem to fit. “Anyway. Probably not.”

“
Whatever. I’m sure Alesha
appreciated you checking it out.”

“
Yea. Maybe.” He stared at his
brother. “You should consider going.”

“
Hell, no. I’ll leave things like
that to the one of us that got all the adventurous jeans.” Brian
reached across the table and patted him on the shoulder.

“
Thanks.” Picking up his coffee,
Brad drained it and then set it down beside his empty plate. “Let’s
get out of here.”

Leaving out the establishment with his twin, Brad
realized how ridiculous it had been for him to even come to the
shop. What did he plan to do even if he had seen China Doll again?
Maybe just see for himself that she was okay. That the angry man
from the dungeon hadn’t caught up with her again. As he’d told
Brian he wasn’t trying to become a part of the lifestyle. So, it
wasn’t really any of his concern. She wasn’t his responsibility.
That master of the dungeon bouncer guy seemed like someone she
could go to if she needed protection. Not to mention he lived in
Baltimore.

So, it was best to keep his distance from a woman
that was completely involved in a world he knew little about.

~YH~

“
Hi, Mom.”

“
Hello, Gab. How are you?” Sierra
Mitchem’s voice was filled with cheer as it was all the time a
special day was coming up. Her mother was big on every holiday and
birthday.

“
I’m doing really
good.”

“
Where are you calling from? Is
this a new number?” Concern laced her mother’s voice, dampening the
jovial tone somewhat.

“
New number. I changed my old
one.”

“
Again. You’ve only had the last
one for about four months.” There was a long pause. “You sure
you’re okay?”

If you call dodging the harassing calls from an
ex-Dom okay, she was just peachy. Reel was still pretty pissed at
her for what she had done and last night she’d barely gotten much
sleep with him calling repeatedly. This morning her phone had been
filled with voice messages from him doing everything from pleading
to her to come back to telling her she was a piss-poor sub. He
didn’t know where she lived and he knew better than to come to her
job, her boss would eat him alive. “Just great. Look, I was calling
to let you know to be on the lookout for a couple boxes I’m sending
to the house.”

“
Sweetheart, does that mean that
you’re not coming home for Christmas?”

Laughing, Gabriella said, “No. I’ll be there.”

She knew that her mother would be very disappointed
if any of her children or grandchildren did not come to their house
for Christmas. She’d raised them to know that family was important.
Her parent’s never stopped any of them from moving away. They would
just remind them that they’d see them for Christmas—her parent’s
only wish.

“
I just plan to fly this year and
I didn’t want to have to worry about the gifts getting lost or
broken.”

“
Oh, that’s wonderful. Do you need
your brothers and father to come pick you up?”

“
Maybe. I’ll let you know. I was
thinking about getting a rental at the airport.” It was a part of
Gabriella’s independence, she liked being able to come and go
without depending on someone else or having someone else with her
if she wanted to be alone. As the oldest child she always had to be
responsible for one or more of her siblings growing up.

“
Okay, honey. Josie and Kyle got
in last night. They went to her friend’s house to watch a
basketball game. You should see how plump she is. I think we may
have a baby for Christmas.” There was so much joy in her mother’s
voice it gave her a pain in her heart.

“
I hope so. They’ve been trying
for two years, now. They deserve it.” Her family knew of her
lifestyle and never judged her or tried to make her change, for
that Gabriella was thankful.

“
They do. Well, sweetheart. I’m
off to caroling rehearsal with Molly Jenkins. Call us tomorrow
night if you can.”

“
I’ll call, Mom. Have fun, kiss
Dad for me.”

Her mother blew her a kiss before hanging up.

Setting her cell phone back into her purse,
Gabriella started her car and backed out of the post office parking
spot. Talking to her mom and hearing about wonderful news of her
siblings always made her feel lonely. Not because she didn’t have a
lot of friends and associates to hang out with, she just missed
that closeness of family. She lived in Charlotte, where she’d gone
to college because of her lifestyle.

Since she didn’t have someone that she was committed
to and frequently changed Dom’s every few months, she would hate
for one of those Doms she would eventual walk away from be a friend
of her parents or a member of their family church. Things would be
awkward and she didn’t want that for them.

So, she’d deal with the bouts of depression that
occasionally came on her, as she always did.

~YH~

“
Hey, guys, what took you so
long?” Alesha was in the kitchen when Brad and his brother showed
up at the house. Their sister was scooping cookies off of a sheet
and placing them onto a rack on the island.

“
Nothing much. Just woke up a
little late.” Brad rounded the counter and kissed his sister on the
cheek.

“
Mister sleepy head over there
didn’t awake until almost noon.” Brian placed a kiss on Alesha’s
other cheek. “Then drug us way out Bum-fuck-Eygpt Charlotte for
coffee.”

Shit
.
Brad didn’t need Brian rehashing their wasted morning
trip.

Frowning, Alesha began balling up more cookies from
a large bowl and placing them on the sheet she’d just emptied.
“What? There’s coffee here. I could have cooked you two
breakfast.”

“
You have enough mouths to feed
with that Bear of a guy you have.” Brad tried to keep the
conversation benign.

“
Master Ursus can put it away.”
She smiled. “But we still have plenty.”

“
That’s my thought.”Brian stole a
cookie off the rack.

Alesha smacked his hand. “You’re cookies are in that
tin on the counter.”

“
Who are all these for?” Brad
asked seeing several tins around the island loaded with a variety
of cookies.

“
The shelter. I’m going to drop
these off while I’m in town.” She put the raw cookies into the
oven.

He and his brother snatched two more cookies from
the rack.

“
You all are looking to meet your
makers if you touch another damn cookie.” Alesha turned from the
high oven with her hands on her hips.

“
Hey, Brian had two.” Brad pointed
at his twin as he shoved the cookie into his mouth.

“
And you’re still going to get one
of my feet in your ass if you take another one.” She warned waving
one of her boot covered feet in the air at Brad.

“
Hey, prego women shouldn’t curse.
The baby has ears.” Brian admonished.

“
No uterus, no comment.” She
pointed a finger at Brian. “When a pregnant woman has two thieving
brothers like you two, she can do whatever the hell she
wants.”

Brad laughed and gave her thumbs up. It felt like
Christmas when they were younger. Alesha and her cookies were
famous around town and all their parent’s friends would request
orders of them. While he, his brother and their friends would
harass her and still from her batches.

“
The men will be out in a second
they have to get some blue print to the contractor for a job we
will be starting up after the New Year so I can approve the
materials orders later.” Alesha picked up several tins and handed
them to Brian. “Put these carefully in that box on the
table.”

“
You get me that icing tube and
sprinkles from that pantry.” She directed him.

While he was in the large pantry on the side of the
kitchen, pulling out what his sister needed he heard her ask, “What
coffee shop did you all find?”

Damn, that myth about a woman becoming forgetful
when she was with child did not apply to Alesha. His sister always
was smart with a good memory and today there was no change in her
mind.

Rushing out of the closet, he said, “None of
importance.”

“
It had the best damn coffee I’ve
ever tasted.” Brian volunteered as he collected another load of
tins from their sister.

Shut up, Brian
. “No one makes coffee as good as Alesha.”

“
It was a damn close second.”
Brian leaned over the box at the table.

Alesha got the decoration items from him and
organized them before the plain sugar cookies she’d just placed on
the rack. “What was the name of it?”

“
I can’t even remember.” Brad went
to fridge. “You have any eggnog.”

“
When did you start
drinkin—”

Brian cut her off as he walked back to the island.
“Good Blend, Rich Blend or something blend…”

“
Strong Blends?” she
asked.

“
That’s it. You been there?” Brian
asked oblivious to the storm he just caused.

Giving up his search for the holiday drink he
couldn’t stand, Brad turned and faced his sister. He could
practically feel her eyes burning a hole into his back. When he
faced her, he saw he had been correct. Alesha had a single eyebrow
raised.

However, she shocked him by simply smiling at Brian
as she said, “Yes, a time or two.”

“
The coffee is so good, I don’t
know what the owner was thinking placing it way out
there.”

“
One could only guess.” Alesha
started on her cookie art and didn’t go any further.

Soon Mike and Josh came in and drew him and Brad
outside to put up the Christmas lights around the house. Brad was
happy to escape the kitchen.

“
So, why are you all putting up so
many lights and things.” Brad asked Mike as he hauled the seventh
box out of the garage, this one filled with animated Christmas
figures; like a waving Santa and eating reindeer.

“
You know your sister. She loves
Christmas and has to throw at least one holiday party.” Mike was
carrying out a ladder and angling it along the roof.

“
You all are having a party?” This
was the first Brad had heard of it.

“
More like a get together with a
few close friends from the community.”

Brad stopped pulling out the wired figures and
glanced toward his twin where Brian was in the middle of the lawn
with Josh unraveling the lights and checking bulbs. Looking back at
Mike, Brad asked, “It’s not going to be one of those play party
things is it?”