Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
Noah looked around as Ford drove through the front gate of Rawhide Ranch, though there was not much to see in the dark. Weather delays had caused them to miss their connecting flight so they were arriving at the Ranch at midnight instead of the middle of the afternoon as originally planned.
He only hoped their room was ready, though at that moment, he would be happy to sleep on the floor in the lobby. He’d slept on floors or in a chair when traveling on loan to other stations. When in the woods fighting forest fires, he’d even slept on the ground. When tired enough, sleep would come wherever there was enough room to stretch out and close his eyes.
Not a fan of flying, he had not been able to sleep on the plane like Ford. His life partner was now wide awake and able to drive while Noah felt fuzzyheaded. Excitement at being at Rawhide Ranch kept him from dozing off even after they were in the rental car on their way from the airport.
“Oooo, so pretty,” Serena said from the back seat as the car slowed to a stop in front of the Ranch’s main building. She’d slept on the drive from the airport, waking only when they stopped to check in at the front gate.
Exterior lights still glowed, allowing him to look around the immediate area and the three-story building. A wide porch ran the width of the front, with lush and verdant flowerbeds in front of it. There appeared to be several paths splitting off from main drive.
As a naturally curious person, as well as a firefighter, Noah looked forward to exploring to see where all the paths led. But that would wait until morning. Right now he wanted to lie down and sleep, preferably with both Serena and Ford in his arms.
With a tired sigh, Noah climbed out of the front seat and stretched fully before opening the car’s back door. Holding out a hand, he smiled as Serena accepted it, allowing him to help her out.
It had taken them some time over the past year, but they’d finally convinced Serena that she needed to wait until one of them helped her out of the car, whether she was in the front seat or back. At least when they were off duty.
At work, she would pop out of her ambulance and be helping victims long before either of them could reach her from their trucks. Which was understandable, so they allowed it. Otherwise they would hear snide comments about favoritism from the rest of the crew, and that was the last thing either he or Ford wanted. Though there were no rules against dating coworkers, it was easier to keep their relationship quiet than deal with the comments and looks the others would give them. Especially since they both wanted to be involved with her.
When Serena went to the trunk for her suitcase, he smacked her ass, earning a frown from her and a smirk from Ford.
“You don’t carry bags,” he told her, yet again. It had been an ongoing argument since loading the car up that morning. “You are our princess and we do the heavy lifting.”
When she opened her mouth to argue, Ford stepped in. “You can open the door for us, but we’ll schlep the bags, honey.”
Serena huffed a sigh but nodded as she turned away from the trunk. “Fine, just don’t complain to me if you throw out your backs.”
That earned her ass another swat, this time from Ford.
“Watch the attitude,” he warned, his voice soft and even deeper than before.
Noah watched as Serena’s stiff body melted at the other man’s sharp order. “Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
“From now until we leave, those will be my favorite words,” Noah said as he grabbed the two bags from the trunk that Ford had left for him. He closed the trunk and followed the others up the stairs to the porch.
They’d limited themselves to one bag each. The fourth bag was the toy bag he and Ford had put together from their expansive toy collection. After approval of their application to visit the Ranch, they’d received a passcode that allowed them access to the Ranch’s exclusive guests’ website. From looking over the site numerous times over the past month, Noah knew Rawhide Ranch might have all the things they’d brought with them available to borrow or purchase, but they preferred to use toys they already owned and were comfortable with.
As they ascended the stairs, Noah looked around the softly lit porch. He already planned to spend some time sitting out here, hopefully with Serena curled up on his lap as they shared a drink and pastry from the cafe just off the lobby.
* * *
The closer they got to checking in, the more Serena felt her submissive side surging forward. While she refused to admit to either Ford or Noah, she really was looking forward to letting go and allowing them to have full rein over her for the next seven days. Making decisions was always challenging, but lately she had acknowledged to herself that sometimes being a strong, independent woman working in a male-dominated field sucked.
When things got too heavy on her shoulders, she would convince one or the other of these men to take her to the club and help her relax. Now, for the next seven days, she would be under their full control. Though Ford and Noah had been a couple since long before her moving into the house, she liked to think that maybe they would see her as more than just their submissive plaything. Someday.
At the top of the stairs, she tried to pull the door open. Only it didn’t open. Checking the small sign above the knob she confirmed it was a pull door. Since it was just after midnight, she was not totally surprised it didn’t open. Pulling on the other door yielded the same result.
Looking over her shoulder at her two best friends, she found them blurry figures due to tears filling her eyes. The exhaustion she had been feeling for the past couple weeks was now drowning her.
“They won’t open,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Ford set down his bags and pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay, honey. Take a deep breath.”
She buried her face into his chest and took a breath, relaxing as the scent of orange, clove and man that she always associated with Ford filled her lungs.
She turned her head and looked at Noah as he used the side of his fist to pound loudly on the big wooden door. If there was someone in the lobby, surely they would hear him. It was the same kind of heavy thumping all first responders used when facing a door blocking them from a dangerous situation.
She just hoped there was someone on the other side of the locked panel to hear the noise and let them in. Serena wasn’t sure who was more startled when Noah raised his hand to knock again only to strike air as the door suddenly opened.
“But the door was locked,” she said softly.
“No, just very heavy,” said the large man who filled the doorway. At Serena’s little squeak of surprise, he smiled. “Sorry to startle you.” He pulled the door wide. “Good evening. You must be Ford, Noah, and Serena. Welcome to Rawhide Ranch.”
“We are,” Ford said, extending one hand while continuing to hold her to his side. “Sorry we’re arriving so late.”
The big man shook his hand and then Noah’s before nodding at her. “Not a problem. I’m Derek Hawkins.”
Serena blinked when the big man introduced himself. She would never have expected to be met by the resort’s owner at this late hour. She remained silent and simply followed along. The bone-deep exhaustion that had been plaguing her for weeks was making itself known once again. She hoped their room wasn’t too far away because she was not sure she could do a hike to the back of the property without help. And the men had their hands full with their luggage.
“Do you often greet late arrivals personally?” Ford asked as he made sure she was standing up before stepping away from her.
He picked up the bags he’d carried from the car and ushered her through the front door past Derek and Noah.
“Not often, but my wife is having a sleepover with some of her friends in the Littles’ Wing, so I figured I should be nearby, just in case. I told our night clerk, Les, I’d take over when he had to step away for a moment.”
“Where would you like me to move the car to?” Ford asked as they followed Derek to the reception desk.
“If you’ll leave the keys with me, I’ll have Dax or Moses move it in the morning. For now, let’s get you checked in, so you can go to your room. You all look done in. We’ll get together after breakfast for your official welcome to Rawhide meeting.”
While Ford checked them in, Serena took a moment to look around. The lobby had vaulted ceilings that gave the room an airy feel. The exposed logs in the walls and bare wood floors glowed a warm golden brown and gave the place a rustic-ranch vibe. Area rugs with large armchairs and small side tables groupings were situated around the lobby to encourage guests to sit and visit or spend a few minutes resting and reading.
The massive double-sided stone fireplace held pots of colorful flowers that made her smile despite her tiredness. She could imagine a fire would keep the lobby warm during the cold fall and winter months. Looking out the front windows, she could only see as far as the lighted porch, but once again, her imagination filled the darkness with a pastoral scene with the mountains in the background.
Her attention shifted back to the reception desk when the night clerk returned and introduced himself as Les. He gave them each a keycard for their room and explained it would allow them to shop and dine without worrying about carrying cash all the time as well as giving them access to the Dungeon.
By the time they reached their room on the first floor, all Serena wanted was to curl up on a flat surface and sleep. A glance at the men showed her Noah was nearing that point as well. Touching her keycard to the reader pad on the door, she held her breath until it clicked.
She pushed the door open and then held it for the two men to follow her inside. Then she closed the door and secured the locks. As she looked at the knob, she wondered if Ford had brought his special, intruder-proof lock. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to let go of that thought. It was time to allow herself to drop fully into her submissive mindset and let them worry about security issues. And everything else.
Without bothering to look around, Serena pushed past the two men and headed for the bathroom. After peeing, she washed her hands and face. She would brush her teeth in the morning. For now, she just wanted to sleep.
It wasn’t until she stepped out of the bathroom and looked around the room that she realized there was only one bed. Granted it was the biggest bed she’d ever seen, but still, there was only one. Noah passed her with a pat to her ass.
“Get in bed, sugar.”
She frowned at the bed and then looked at Ford who was unpacking his bag. She always teased him that he would make someone a great butler since he could not settle anywhere until he unpacked his suitcase.
“Um, Ford? Where am I supposed to sleep?”