Page 10 of Their Little Foursome

“It’s been far too damn long.” Jared’s welcome rang out as he strode across the lobby of Rawhide’s main lodge. Reaching his target, he ignored the hand that Gordon Sheffield extended and pulled him into a hug.

“Yeah, it has.” Gordon had to agree.

There had been a time when they had seen each other most every day. Their friendship had begun when Jared became a mentor to the younger man when Gordon joined Jared’s firm as a legal intern. He’d been at Gordon’s graduation and had taken him out on the town to celebrate when his protégé passed the bar.

Their friendship became an unbreakable bond when they discovered they shared more than a love of the law. Both were Dominants. Jared’s mentorship continued as he guided Gordon through rules and procedures that weren’t necessarily addressed in a courtroom but were just as important if he ever expected any woman to gift him with her unwavering submission. Both were gifts that had set Gordon’s feet along the path he had beentraveling for over a decade, but he was no longer taking the journey alone.

Stepping back, he turned to slip his arm around Lori.

“Lori, this is my old friend, Master Jared Stark. Jared, this is Lori, my Little girl.”

A brief flare of surprise showed in Jared’s eyes as he looked from Gordon to the petite woman standing beside him. His smile was sincere as he bent forward to offer her his hand, shaking hers gently.

“Hello, Miss Lori, it’s a true pleasure to meet you.”

“Is it true you spanked my Daddy?”

Jared’s look of shock lasted but a second before he threw his head back and roared.

Gordon just shook his head at the sound of Lori’s giggles joining in. He dropped down on his haunches in order to be closer to Lori’s level. “What on earth gave you that idea?”

It took a couple of seconds before Lori managed to answer. “I heard Auntie B telling you if you didn’t study, Jared was gonna give you another”—her lips twitched before she added—“spankin’.” Losing the battle to keep the giggles inside, they tumbled free to join Jared’s chuckles.

Shooting his mentor a look, Gordon shook his head. “Sweetie, I think you misunderstood what she told you. Master Jared didn’t really spank me, he just–”

“Excuse me?” Jared managed to stop laughing long enough to butt in. “If you need help to bring your memory back, I’ll be glad to oblige.”

“You aren’t helping,” Gordon huffed.

“I just offered to help you remember the truth,” Jared countered, his eyebrow arching. “Or have you forgotten how I taught you how important being completely honest and transparent are vital in any lasting relationship?”

“Lori, what this big oaf means is that he used me to demonstrate the differences between a Lexan and leather or wooden paddles.”

“Used you? How?”

“Well, he swatted me but–”

“On hisbarebutt,” Jared clarified.

“Isn’t that aspankin?”Lori asked, her eyes wide.

“What a smart Little girl,” Jared said.

Gordon rolled his eyes and rose, this time with Lori in his arms, fully aware the quivers he felt weren’t caused by distress, but from the laughter she was attempting to hold in. “Smart isn’t the exact word I’d use for either of you”—he gave each of them a stern look—“unless we add the word ‘aleck’.”

“Lori, I think you and I are going to become very good friends. You’re going to love it here. If you ever need anything at all and I’m not around, just ask her.”

Lori turned her head to follow the finger to where Jared was pointing. A very pretty woman was walking toward them, a big smile on her face.

“Who do we have here?” Erika asked, totally ignoring Gordon as she met Lori’s eyes. “Let me see if I can guess your favorite color. Is it pink?”

Gordon made a show of looking down his frame, holding out one arm before transferring Lori’s weight to his other hip to hold out the other. Lori squealed, her arms tightening around his neck as he bent down to pull up first one pant leg then the other to look at his socks. Straightening, he shrugged. “Don’t know why you’d ask me since I don’t appear to be wearing anything pink. Are you going color-blind?”

“Daddy, she means me!” Lori said, holding out the skirt of her dress. “It’s pink.” Removing one arm from around his neck, she held out her hand. “I’m Lori and I love everything pink. Oh, and this is my Daddy. His name is Gordon. He likes green.”

Erika took Lori’s hand and shook it. “My name is Erika. It’s so nice to meet the Little who brought her Daddy to visit us. Even if he likes green. Did my husband remember his manners and offer you a snack?”

“Master Jared is your husband?” Lori asked, looking between her and Jared.

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