Siren in Bloom
Texas Sirens Book 6
By Lexi Blake writing as Sophie
Oak
Re-released in a
second edition with new content.
For
psychologist Leo Meyer, peace and comfort come through strict discipline and
order. It’s one of the reasons he was chosen by Julian Lodge to be the Dom in
residence at his club. His time there has been a near-perfect existence filled
with a daily routine free from the chaos of emotional attachment. With the
exception of his brief relationship with Shelley McNamara, that is. She may
have been the only woman he ever truly loved, but he was confident he had put
her out of his mind until she walked into his club on the arm of another man.
Shelley
McNamara is tired of waiting for her new life to begin. After finally finding
freedom from an abusive marriage, she is eager to discover who she really is.
After her encounter with Leo Meyer, she knows that the first thing she wants to
explore is the lifestyle he exposed her to during their brief time together.
She’s been promised her new Dom will be an excellent fit, but she can’t imagine
anyone could fill the hole left by Leo. Until she sees Master Wolf.
After
a devastating injury forced his retirement from the Navy SEALs, Wolf has been
restless and lost. Hoping to reconnect with his estranged family in Dallas,
Wolf accepted a new job working for Julian Lodge. His first assignment is
training a beautiful woman named Shelley. Her fiery nature unlocks feelings he
didn’t know he was capable of after a life spent in combat. The closer they
become, the more certain he is that she is his ideal mate. The only catch is
that her relationship with Leo may not be as resolved as they both believed.
Just
when Shelley believes the looming shadow of her deceased husband has finally
cleared away, a dangerous killer arrives at her door seeking retribution. Leo
and Wolf will have to put their grievances aside, leverage all their training,
and work together to keep her safe and claim her heart.
Excerpt
Shelley watched as Julian Lodge’s
perfectly formed body wielded the whip. There was a crack through the air and a
snap back, and then a thin, red line welled on the white flesh of Finn’s back.
Shelley took an unconscious step away
from the stage and right into Wolf’s chest.
“Shhh, it’s all right, sweetheart,”
Wolf whispered against her ear. “Finn loves this. From what I understand, Finn
has been Julian’s submissive for years. They know what they’re doing and what
it takes for Finn to find his subspace.”
She gasped as the whip cracked again,
the sound violent, like a snake striking from nowhere. She kept her voice low.
“I don’t see how Finn isn’t screaming.”
“It sounds worse than it is.”
She looked over and Leo was standing
right beside them. She thought he’d walked away, felt more comfortable with him
walking away. But he was standing right there beside his brother, dressed
almost identically. Two amazingly gorgeous men.
Yeah, if she hadn’t had ménage
fantasies before, she sure as hell had them now. Why had she ever put that down
on the questionnaire?
Because there was a part of her that
wanted what Trev had found. Because there was a part of her that wanted the
balance of two men just in case one of them turned out to be a criminally
minded douchebag. Because she didn’t trust herself anymore.
And because the whole month she’d
spent talking to Wolf, she’d had fantasies about Leo suddenly turning around
and both men wanting her. But that was all it was, a fantasy.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart,” Wolf
said, his arms encircling her. He was so protective, but could she trust him?
“She isn’t afraid. She’s worried.
That’s her worried face. Her brows wrinkle, and she gets this deep line right
in the middle of her forehead.”
Trust Leo to have noticed that.
“Sweetheart, we don’t have to play
with the whip if you don’t want to,” Wolf assured her. “But you should know
that what you hear, that cracking sound is something Julian controls with the
flick of his wrist. Really look at Finn’s back. Julian is in complete control.
That whip can be horrible if he handles it wrong. Or it can whisper across
Finn’s skin. It can bite on the right side of pain. It can be what Finn needs
it to be. Do you see any blood?”
She didn’t. There were several pink
lines on Finn’s flesh, and now she could see the way he’d relaxed, his
shoulders slumping and head lolling back. Finn seemed to be getting what he
needed.
“He feels like you did when I spanked
you.” Wolf’s voice was a deep rumble over her skin.
“You spanked her?” Leo sounded like
Wolf had said he’d beaten the crap out of her.
Julian turned and stared back because
Leo’s voice had carried through the dungeon.
“Sorry,” Leo said, holding a hand up.
She felt Wolf move behind her as Julian
turned back to his task. That crack split the air again, but she saw it
differently now. The spanking Wolf had given her had been so different. It had
changed her world.
Wolf leaned over behind her, speaking
to Leo. “She ignored certain key parts of our contract. She was assaulted, and
she didn’t call me. I went to her place, and she was there with some fucking
former SEAL mercenary shit.”
“Holder?” Leo asked the one-word
question with a sort of hushed awe.
“Yeah, how did you know?” Wolf asked.
“Wait. He called you, right?”
“Yes,” Leo replied. “Did you say she
was assaulted? Get back here. We can’t talk up here.”
She was pulled back, two arms on
either of hers. She almost stumbled, but Wolf held her up. He finally cursed
and shoved a bulky arm under her knees, hauling her against his chest. He
followed his brother as Leo made his way through to the back of the crowd. She
could hear the whip crack again and again, Finn’s soft moans filling the air,
making her believe he was enjoying the experience.
What would it be like to trust someone
the way Finn trusted Julian?
“Explain.” One word, but Leo made it
sound like a long Shakespearian speech.
“She had her laptop stolen on the
train,” Wolf replied before she could get the words out. She was rapidly
figuring out her response was not required.
“She was robbed?” Leo asked like he
gave a damn. Logan had followed him, staying behind Leo like a properly trained
lackey.
“Yes, I was,” she managed, keeping her
voice down because even she knew not to disrupt a scene. “Though the thief was
an idiot because I bought that laptop bag at Target, and he had full access to
a handmade Versace. I know which one I would have stolen.”
Wolf turned her toward him. “Are you
sure about that? He could see it? He had obvious access to something that was
more valuable?”
She nodded. “Yes, he stared at it.
There’s no way he could mistake my bag as the more expensive one. That Versace
was beautiful. Mine was beaten up. I shoved it on the floor. The leather is
warped. It got wet. I was stupid and set it down in the rain when I was trying
to unlock my car. I can’t replace it so it looks like hell.”
“So the only thing valuable was the
laptop, and it was visible?” Leo asked.
“No,” Shelley said quietly, well aware
she was still in the middle of a scene. This couldn’t wait until later? “My
laptop bag was big enough that I could close it.”
Wolf and Leo shared a long look.
“I’ll check into it,” Wolf said, his
words sounding like a promise.
“Have you read her file?” Leo asked.
“I have a file?” She wasn’t aware of
it. Crap. She should have been. Julian Lodge looked like the kind of man who
kept a lot of files.
“Of course,” Wolf replied. He turned
back to Leo. “You think this is about her ex? I can go talk to Tag right now.”
Shelley’s skin went cold. What about
her ex?
“No idea,” Leo answered. “But if
someone is coming after her, I want to know what it’s about.”
“I’ll look into it,” Wolf promised.
Leo nodded. “I’ll let Tag know, but
he’s the one who trained Ben and Chase. They’re specifically here to handle
things like this. We’ll meet tomorrow at noon. Chase is one of the best hackers
in the world. If someone has said anything about her on the net, Chase can find
it. If some asshole wrote an e-mail about her, Chase can give it to you.”
“We’ll be there,” Wolf promised.
“I will?” Shelley asked.
“You will.” Wolf and Leo said the
words at the same time, with the same deep inflection.
“Fine.” She couldn’t fight both of
them.
There was a long pause. She stared at
the scene in front of her. She thought they were being overly protective, but
then she hadn’t had anyone who was protective of her besides her brother in
years. Maybe never since her father died. Bryce had married her for specific
reasons, and when those dried up, he’d ignored her.
“Did he hurt you?” Leo asked, putting
his hands on her shoulders and turning her around.
“No.” She looked into his face, stark
and lovely. God, he was a beautiful man. “He didn’t touch me. He just took my
bag.”
The whip cracked again. She turned her
face back, but now she was flustered. Her heart was racing. Why had that man
taken her bag when there was something much more valuable in his grasp?
Had it been random? Why wouldn’t it be
random? What could she have that someone really wanted? She was living hand to
mouth. She’d lost all of the property she’d owned with Bryce.
“Hey, calm down,” Wolf ordered, his
voice commanding her. “We’re going to handle it.”
Leo watched her for a moment. “She
sometimes has anxiety attacks, nothing serious, but she can get herself worked
up. If you don’t talk her down, she’ll be anxious for hours. Shelley, why don’t
we all go up to my office and we can talk about what’s making you nervous?”
Now Leo was making her nervous. God,
the last thing she wanted was to become one of Leo’s patients.
“I think I can handle this, brother,”
Wolf said, taking her hands in his.
Leo’s eyes narrowed. “And I think I’m
the one with the degree in psychology. If she doesn’t want to talk to me, I’ll
go get Janine. Honestly, I should have thought about putting her in Janine’s
group in the first place.”
Wolf squared off with his brother.
“She’s my sub, Leo. I have zero problem with her getting into Janine’s group,
but for now let me handle her in the way I see fit.”
She wasn’t sure what group they were
talking about, but it didn’t seem like the time to argue. Leo stood, his arms
across his chest, and she worried for a moment that he was going to argue with
Wolf.
“I want to stay with Wolf.” She looked
up at Leo. This was the longest conversation they’d had in fifteen months, and
instead of being her friend, he wanted to be her shrink. She didn’t want that.
She wanted what Wolf could give her.
Leo took a step back, his
disengagement clear. “Of course. Come along, Logan. We still have work to do.”
The two men walked away, losing themselves
in the crowd.
“Come on.” Wolf pulled her back toward
a corner of the room. She could still see the stage, but it was slightly darker
away from the lights. Wolf settled his big body on a chair that had been shoved
into the corner. “Sit down. We’re going to talk for a minute. What’s your safe
word?”
She needed a safe word to talk?
“Gucci. I have to find a chair. Hold on.”
His hand came out to tug her to him,
settling her on his lap. She was surrounded by him, his arms encircling her
waist, the warmth of his chest touching her skin. “Did you do as I asked?”
“What did you ask?” She had to put her
arms around his neck for balance.
Wolf’s hand was on her knee. “I gave
you some specific grooming instructions.”
Oh, god. She shivered. He was
talking about her pussy. She’d thought about him the whole time she’d been in
the shower. She hadn’t been able to think about anything else. She’d carefully
shaved her mound, pulling the lips of her pussy apart and gingerly running the
razor over her flesh. Every stroke of the razor had sensitized her skin. “Yes,
Sir.”
“Let me feel. Spread your legs.”
She swallowed, hesitating. “But there
are people here.”
The Dawson twins were close, Kitten at
their side. And Ian and Charlotte Taggart were cuddled together, not far away.
She could see the big, sarcastic dude whispering to his wife.
Wolf’s voice came out in a hard grind.
“I don’t care. And neither will they. Now spread your legs and let me feel your
pussy or use your safe word.”
It didn’t exactly seem fair, but she’d
known it would be this way going in. She could choose to obey or this
particular portion of her evening would be over. And she wasn’t sure she wanted
it to be over.
Shelley took a deep breath. She was
either in and willing to explore or she should walk away. She’d been so passive
when it came to Bryce because she hadn’t been willing to fight. She wanted to
be done with waiting for something to happen to her. Wolf was giving her a
choice. This wasn’t some passive activity. She had to make the decision.
She spread her knees. She looked
around, trying to see if anyone was watching.
“Stop it,” Wolf said, his hands
tightening. “You’re not to worry about them. You’re going to focus on me. Now,
I gave you instructions, and I intend to find out if you followed them or if
you’re going to get another spanking.”
She wouldn’t mind the spanking, but in
this case, she’d been a good girl. And despite the fact that it had made her
uncomfortable, she’d only put on the clothes Wolf had given her. And he hadn’t
given her a pair of underwear.
He kept one arm wrapped around her
waist, and the other found her knee. He forced her to open further. She could
feel the cool air on her flesh. A thrill went through her. She’d never done
anything like this, but she’d dreamed of it. In her darker fantasies, she’d
been placed on display and touched and admired. Bryce had told her she was a
freak when she’d mentioned her desires to him.
But she didn’t want to think about
Bryce. She wanted to think about Wolf’s hand on her thigh.
“Tell me something, sweetheart.”
Wolf’s voice was thick and dark, his lips tickling her ear. “Are you thinking
about what happened on the train now?”
So this was Wolf’s version of therapy.
She had to admit, she preferred Wolf’s hands on her to sitting in Leo’s office.
Kim's 4 Star Review
This is the sixth book in the series and it’s highly suggested that the
books are read in order
Shelley McNamara’s new found
freedom from her abusive marriage means it time for her to break out of her
shell and go after what she wants. This new life has brought her to Dallas and
to the man who tried to help her out, but turned away. Working on herself has brought her a new
adventure at a BDSM club and into the arms of Leo’s younger brother, Wolf. Will this adventure be everything she needs
or will their pasts catch up to them.
I was gifted this book in
exchanged for an honest review.
Shelley is used to doing the
right thing or what everyone thought was the right thing. This is the reason why she ended up to
married an abusive man who only used her for what he thought she was worth.
Shelley is a vibrant caring woman who cares more about the people around her
than her own safety. Between dealing
with her ill mother and her brother’s addiction issues, Shelley lost herself. Now that she is free from her husband, she is
free to explore who she really is. Also,
it gives Shelley a chance to make it up to Leo after the last time she talked
to him. Deciding to explore the lifestyle in which Leo enjoys, Shelley has asked
Julian, the owner of the BDSM club Leo belongs to help her with this.
Leo may be The Club resident
psychologist but he has closed himself off from any kind of relationship with a
woman or a submissive and he is keeping his friends at arm’s length. He knows that what he feels for Shelley but
after she turned him away, he is staying away from her. He’s the resident Dom at The Club so watching
over Shelley’s training is something he doesn’t want to do but is forced to do.
Finding out that his younger brother is the Dom assigned to Shelley’s training
is just a blow to him but now he has his past to deal with too. Leo may be
alpha and a Dom but his stubbornness comes through just as strong.
Wolf doesn’t feel like he has a
place in this world. Agreeing to train
Shelley has given him something he is missing, a place where he feels like he
belongs. Spending time talking before actually meeting each other was just what
they needed. Shelley is more than he ever thought he deserved. Wolf has always
idealized his older brother, and has looked forward to working with him. Julian
was the one who set this up for him but Wolf is hoping that this bring him
closer to his brother. Equally as alpha Dom as his brother he is fun-loving,
easy going which makes him the perfect balance to his brother’s more serious
side.
You could cut the tension with a
knife when Leo and Wolf are in the same room.
Add in Shelley and this is a recipe for disaster. Two men in love with
the same woman and both wanting her to be his submissive. Luckily Wolf is a man
who has no problem sharing with his brother. After finding out and seeing the
connection that Shelley has with his brother and with him, it only makes sense
to bring them all together. When they’re all together the room sizzles and the
ones around them can feel the chemistry between the three of them. When Shelley’s
life is in danger, both men work together to keep her safe. This is just what Wolf needs to get his
brother on the same page with him, sharing, training and protecting Shelley.
Lexi Blake brought this unique
world together that you can’t help be become addicted to. I found that I could
see what was happening as I read the story.
Lexi is a gifted writer who bring her characters to life. You can see them as you read their story. I
love how Lexi kept her readers wondering if the two men worked together to figure
out what was going on but at the same time they were in sync with each other
and Shelley. Lexi has done an amazing job keeping her readers updated with all
the characters in the series. The Texas Siren series only gets better with each
book I read. I look forward to seeing how Leo, Wolf and Shelley’s story
progresses with the next book in the series.
ABOUT LEXI BLAKE
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn't until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
