Page 43 of A Submissive's Gift
“What do you need, Liz?” he asked, as he uncorked another bottle of wine, handing it off to Garrett, who would take it to the dining room.
“Um, I wanted to ask Bunny where the extra cushions were stored. I have a feeling a couple might be needed, as Logan reminded me that the woodshed was open.” Liz paused and thenlost her fight to control her giggle. “How on earth did they get into trouble already?”
The question wasn’t as odd as one would think. The family had been the last guests to arrive, barely having time to settle into one of the downstairs rooms before needing to get ready for dinner. The last time Liz had swept through the kitchen, Barbara had been working beside Craig. Seeing her obviously in her Little role had Liz both amused and curious.
“Bunny needs to remember that the custard goes inside the profiteroles and not on her friend, and Angel will learn that the pastries aren’t to be tossed about like baseballs,” Craig said, as if every Little girl helped her Daddy make the complicated Croquembouche towers that would be the incredible desserts served at each table. “Bunny, you may turn around and help Elizabeth.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” Barbara said, her cheeks showing bright spots of red as she turned from the wall. “They’re in a cabinet in the pantry. Here, I’ll show you,” she went on, hurrying into the pantry, Elizabeth following.
“Are you in a lot of trouble?” Elizabeth whispered, as Barbara opened a large cabinet where linens, napkins and stacks of soft pillows were stored neatly on shelves.
Handing a couple of the pillows to Elizabeth, Barbara giggled. “Well, not too much, as at least we get to keep our clothes on. However, ask me later and my answer might be different. How’s it going out there? Does everyone seem happy?”
“Just as happy as I know you are, despite being in trouble. We’ll talk later. For now, I suggest you get your nose back to the wall.”
“Geez, how many Bigs does one Little girl need?” The fact that the question was asked a second before Barbara stuck her tongue out had Liz laughing as they exited the pantry.
“Give her a few swats for me, Craig,” Elizabeth said, as Barbara returned to her place next to Angel. “I don’t need to be a Mommy to know that Little girls shouldn’t stick their tongues out—it’s really quite rude, don’t you think?” Barbara’s whine of protest was met with laughter as Logan stepped into the room to inform Liz that Jeanette would certainly appreciate a cushion.
When the towers of custard-filled profiteroles artfully draped in strings of colored sugar were placed in the center of each table, gasps of delight were heard. Chocolate spelled out the names of each couple on the edge of the plate. As one, the guests demanded that the chef come into the dining room to receive their praise before a single bite was taken.
Craig and Barbara, both wearing huge smiles, accepted the accolades they so deserved. Elizabeth just shook her head, amazed that the woman who had been miserable practicing law a mere year ago, was now a woman who could easily move between her role as Craig’s adult fiancée and his precious Little girl. When Logan wrapped his arms around her, much as he had that morning before the first guest arrived, she knew that she wouldn’t change a single thing.
After lunch the next day, Liz discovered that when guests were happily engaged in activities they enjoyed, there really wasn’t all that much to do as the hostess. Logan again reminded her that Haven was a different type of hotel. Guests would not normally be checking in and out on various days. Couples would book for a weekend, so once they had been shown to their room, amenities explained and schedules for meals discussed, the guests were perfectly content to close the door to their room and focus on each other.
“Honey, Ben and I can handle anything that might arise,” Helen assured her. “Why don’t you and Logan go take a walk, or a nap even? You’ve been here since early this morning. Just get away for a while. You won’t have to start getting ready for a few hours yet.”
“No, I need to?—”
“Thanks, Mom,” Logan said, cutting off Liz’s protest. “I could use a long walk.” Taking Liz’s hand, he led her out of the house and down the steps.
“Logan, really, I feel I need to be available.”
“What you need to do is to mind me,” Logan said. “You need to remember that you have people who are enjoying the hell out of helping you, and that those people know that today is not just another day for us.” He held her hand as they walked down the path that led to the lake. When she didn’t reply, he stopped walking. Pulling her to face him, he cupped her face with his hands, forcing her to look up at him, to stop worrying about others and concentrate on his question. “I have a very good idea of what you truly need,schatzi. Care to see if I’m correct?” He watched spots of color appear on her cheeks as her eyes lost a bit of their restlessness, their emerald depths seeming to deepen as she relaxed in his hold.
“Shouldn’t we, um, wait until tonight?” she asked, though her body was screaming at her to tell him what she desperately needed. “I mean, isn’t it sort of expected that we… we don’t do anything until you place your collar on me?”
Logan felt her body quiver in his hands as she spoke of the collar she would be accepting in a few hours. “Liebchen, there are no rules.” His hand lifted to encircle the slim column of her neck, his finger dipping into the hollow of her throat to stroke the spot that would soon proclaim to everyone what they already knew. She had belonged to him—and he to her—from the moment the door to the limousine had closed. They had foundthe other half of themselves that night, and their hearts and souls had been merging into one ever since. “Clarity,schatzi, clarity.”
Her hand moved to cover his heart as she spoke. “You-you, Sir, are what I need.”
“All of what I am is already yours.” Logan bent to kiss her forehead before taking her hand again, drawing her further away from the hotel and closer to the lake. Once they reached the shore, he led her to one of the concrete tables and climbed up to sit on the top, pulling her to sit on his lap.
The serenity of their surroundings worked its magic; he could feel her relaxing into him, her head tucked beneath his chin. He stroked his hand down her back, toying with the long ebony strands of her hair. The knowledge that, in just a few hours, she would be his forever, had his heart filling. Bending, he lifted her chin to press his lips against hers. The passion of their kiss increased until he moved her to straddle his lap, his feet planted on the bench seat, her legs wrapped around his waist, one of her hands stroking his growing erection through his jeans. Moving his hands underneath her sweater, he slowly caressed her skin until he held her breasts in his palms, his thumbs raking across her taut nipples. He was just about to pull her shirt and sweater over her head when the sounds of giggles had him lifting his head.
It took him a moment but then he found the source. Angel and Barbara were not very well hidden in the bushes a few feet away. Elizabeth had turned to see what had stopped the delicious moment, and shook her head, her smile showing she was not truly unhappy with their appearance.
“What are you two doing out here?” Logan asked, moving Elizabeth to sit in his place as he climbed off the table. Elizabeth drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them to watch the scene unfold. “Come on out here, it’s not like we don’t knowyou are there,” he went on, snapping his fingers and pointing to a spot right in front of him. Elizabeth saw him fighting a smile as he snapped his fingers again when the girls didn’t instantly obey. When he started counting, she had to bury her face in her knees to keep from laughing out loud as the two pushed through the bushes and rushed to stand in front of him.
“That’s better,” Logan said. “Now, tell me, do your Daddies, or your Mommy, Angel, know you are out here spying on adults?” All three women’s faces showed their surprise as Logan easily adopted the stance and tone of a disappointed Big. “Little girls should not be walking alone by the lake, what if one of you fell in or something?” Giggles did nothing to stop his lecture. “Furthermore, it is very impolite not to announce your presence when you realize you are intruding on a private moment.”
“We didn’t mean to intrude Log… um, Sir,” Barbara said, the toes of her sneakers digging into the leaves. “It’s a really big woods, and I was just wanted to show Angel the lake. How were we to know you and Elizabeth would be out here kissing and, um, playing?”
“And we aren’t alone, either,” Angel provided, turning her head to look over her shoulder. “Our Bigs are with us.”
“Really?” Logan said, his head turning in all directions and not seeing a sign of the three adults she was speaking of.
“Well, um, we kind of were playing hide and seek,” Bunny said, her blush burning up her cheeks.
