by Eileen Green
“Not yet. I want to make sure this works out first,” Carrie said, hating the look of disappointment on Gina’s face. “This will be only the second time I’ve dated someone.”
Gina smiled. “I understand, but I do want to hear all about it one day.”
“We’ll see what happens.” Carrie looked at the flowers. “How about I leave these out here until I leave this afternoon? You can enjoy them too.”
“Thanks, Carrie.”
Once Carrie was back in her office, she took her phone out of the top drawer and texted both men, sending them both a big ‘thank you.’ Before they all went their separate ways the night before, they had all exchanged numbers. Thomas also went on to say he wanted to start this relationship off on the right foot, and he told her and Gerard that they had to text him in the morning to let him know they were all right and in the evening before they went to bed.
There was a touch of anger that he had requested that, but she did know from her studies that a Dom would do that, wanting to make sure his submissives were all right. It surprised her that she had some jealousy when it came to Gerard since he would be able to see Thomas whenever they worked the same nights. With her schedule, it was going to be difficult to keep her feelings at bay.
Unable to get to sleep at a decent hour last night, Carrie had gone over all the reasons why she shouldn’t get involved with them. No time. Could she do a ménage? What would happen when they realized she wasn’t as sexually evolved as them?
Then again, if she was new to all this, perhaps she could conform to how Thomas would want to train her. He had said he didn’t want a 24/7 relationship with either her or Gerard. So how far was he wanting to go?
That would be something they would all need to sit down and discuss. With her schedule this week, she wouldn’t be able to see them until Monday night. It would be an actual date as it was a normal day off for the men. They each had Sundays and Monday’s off. At least she would be able to see them on those nights, although with the class on Wednesday nights, she would be able to see them then, just not be able to spend time with them.
This was going to be an interesting relationship.
The rest of her day went by like clockwork with her patients, which was good because Carrie really wanted to get home and rest. Last night hadn’t been good to her in the sleep department, and tomorrow and Saturday nights she was going to be driving, so tonight she had to get some rest.
Gina helped Carrie out to the car, the former carrying the fragrant bouquet. Once the roses were propped up in the front seat by Carrie’s computer bag and purse, Carrie was ready to get in her eight-year-old car.
“I really wish you would get a newer car,” Gina said as she looked at the car with what Carrie thought was disdain. “I worry about you driving this hunk of junk.”
It touched Carrie that Gina cared. Carrie really had been holding people off for she didn’t realize she had friends.
“As soon as my student loans are paid off, I can breathe a little. Maybe then I’ll look at some newer cars.
“Good. I’m surprised you even get to work anymore.”
Sliding into the driver’s seat, Carrie inserted the key and turned it. The engine sputtered and groaned under the hood while gray smoke puffed from the exhaust pipe. She really did need a new car. Thankfully, she kept the car running when she picked up passengers, so they never had to hear the issues with it upon start up.
“No comments from the peanut gallery,” Carrie said with a smile. “I see your point.”
“Please be careful going home,” Gina said, returning the smile. “And, tell your new man that if he hurts you, there will be three of us here that have your back.”
Carrie’s heart warmed at the statement. Perhaps she really was learning she wasn’t alone in this world. A chuckle escaped her. “Go home, Gina.”
Gina laughed and stepped over to her own car. Carrie pulled out of the parking lot first with Gina behind her, the aroma of roses filling Carrie’s car. She had a whole night of thinking about her two men ahead of her, wishing she was at the club. It was going to be a long night.
* * * *
Watching from the shadows, he watched the interchange between the two women. He couldn’t believe that the kind doctor was ruining his life. First his ex-wife, and now this woman. Why did women have to be such bitches?
He had to find a way to get Dr. Newton to resend her newest mandate that he not be allowed to see his children. He had had an accident on the way to the court-appointed appointment, but Dr. Newton was so quick to discount his report and get him in trouble with the courts.
Well, he had ways of dealing with people like her. He patted his coat pocket, reveling in the feel of the hard steel that lay within it. He was going to use the gun on his ex-wife first, and then Dr. Newton. He would get rid of the two women who stood in the way of his children, and then he would take the kids and disappear.
Chapter Seven
“You haven’t heard from her either?” Gerard asked, worry creeping into his voice. He tried hard not to let his mind wander as the night went on, but he periodically checked his phone, and Carrie hadn’t texted. At the moment, Thomas had taken a break and was standing before the security desk in the lobby. It was midnight.
“No,” Thomas said as he ran his hand through his short dark hair. Gerard could see the frustration in the man who was going to be his lover. “I know tonight is one of her nights to drive, but I thought she would text before she headed out.”
“She said she was going to go straight from work to driving. Maybe she got a call right off.”
Thomas sighed. “I was hoping she’d want to get a bite to eat after her shift.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. She really loved the flowers we sent. She sounded okay in her text this morning.” Gerard had thought Thomas was going to lose it two hours ago when he came out asking if Gerard had heard from Carrie. He was concerned too, but one of them had to be calm. He had never seen Thomas look so lost before. “If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
An agreement had been made that the two men wouldn’t conduct any PDA in the lobby. When they were working, they both had to concentrate on work. The main room of the club was a different rule. Of course, Gerard would be submitting to Thomas then.
“I hate the idea that she is out there driving strangers around. Anything could happen. I don’t know why she is doing it. She doesn’t have to pay off her loans for years.” Thomas shook his head. “I’m thankful Eliza was one of her passengers though. Otherwise we never would have met her.”
“Carrie’s a smart woman. She said she carries pepper spray, so she’s semi safe.” Gerard moved around the desk and grasped Thomas’s shoulder. “Look, we can’t keep the ones we love all wrapped in cotton so the world doesn’t touch them. If we did, no one would be out there. They’d all be inside, looking out the windows at nothing.”
Nodding sadly, Thomas looked at Gerard. “I have to get back to work. Let me know if you hear from her, please.”
“I promise.” Gerard released his hold on Thomas, giving his Dom a smile. “She’ll be fine.”
He watched as Thomas strode through the lobby to the set of double doors that would lead to the main room of the club. Oh, how he wanted to be in there with Thomas, watching all the scenes going on.
The front doors beeped announcing the arrival of another member. Gerard resumed his job, praying he would hear from Carrie soon.
* * * *
Rides had been back to back from the moment she had turned on her app in the parking lot of the office she worked in. She had planned to text Thomas once she turned on the app and before she had begun driving, but she couldn’t turn down the rides. They were money in the bank which she needed to obtain her goals.
Delving into the zone of driving, Carrie would ignore text messages and phone calls, unless she knew it was coming from a rider. It was rude to take or answer them while the rider was in the car, but also, she wouldn’t do any of that w
hile driving.
Now, she was helping pull luggage from the trunk of her car for two older women who were heading to Hawaii for vacation. That was one thing about picking up or dropping people off at the airport. She listened to them talking about their trips, and she wished she could go somewhere different. Perhaps once she paid off her loans, she could take a vacation.
Once back in the car, she needed to drive over to the Westin at the airport. Most likely since it was later in the evening on a Friday, the rider or riders would be going downtown to go club hopping.
Four people were standing at the curb in front of the hotel, two men and two women, all dressed for a club. Carrie always did enjoy the vibe of the partiers when they were in her car. They were upbeat and happy, at least at the beginning of the night. Fun was still in the cards for the most part at the end of the night, but sometimes, there were the ones that had too much to drink or hadn’t been hit on. Or, perhaps, no one had bought them a drink, no one had been given a phone number, or worse, they were going home alone while their friends had hooked up and were going home with someone else. Those were the sullen ones, but there wasn’t any danger.
After verifying the rider who had requested her, the foursome piled in, all jabbering happily. She had been right. They were heading downtown to a club.
Carrie was jealous of these people. She wanted to be out having fun, but that hadn’t been in the cards for her. When her friends were out partying in college on the weekends, Carrie had been in her dorm studying.
Moreover, tonight, she wanted to be at the Tiger’s Lair.
“Hey there,” one of the girls said from the backseat. “Why aren’t you out having fun tonight?”
She knew the young lady was being friendly, but the question did smart. “I have bills I have to pay. Where are you guys from?”
“Billings, Montana.” The man in the passenger seat next to Carrie was the one who spoke. “We’re here for the Bronco’s game.”
“I guess there really isn’t any professional teams for you guys to follow up there. Are you Rockies fans as well?” Carrie asked as she maneuvered along the highway.
“I’m a Cubs fan,” the other man said from behind her.
“We’re not baseball fans,” the other girl said. “We like the football players.”
“Randy here has been scouted by the Broncos,” the man behind her piped up. “He’s meeting with the general manager tomorrow.”
Impressive. “I wish you well,” Carrie offered. “I know you’ve got to be excited about that.”
“Yeah. I wish my father was alive to see this.” There was sadness from the passenger seat. “He passed away last year. It was his dream to see me play in the NFL.”
At least someone’s parents wanted them to do well. Her mother hadn’t cared one way or another where Carrie ended up. “I’m sure he’s proud of you.”
The girls began to sing loudly along to the song on the radio. The man beside Carrie smiled, drawing one from her also. Soon, the mood turned from the somber one it had been in for a few moments to a fun happy one.
As the rest of the evening went, Carrie was beginning to feel down. She really did want to be with Thomas and Gerard, and the way the night was going, she wasn’t going to be able to text them until she ended her shift, and that was going to be late.
She had only known them for a couple of days, but her thoughts went to them often. There were just things she needed to do, and she really hoped they would understand.
* * * *
“God, I need a drink,” Thomas said as he stepped out into the parking lot of the club.
Snowflakes drifted down silently in the pre-dawn hours. From the accumulation of the white stuff that sat around the now near empty parking lot, it had been coming down for a few hours. A few inches sat on the windshield of his car of which he hoped he didn’t have to scrape off. He wasn’t in the mood for that.
The door closed behind him, and he heard the keys rattle in the door. Gerard was locking up behind them, although a guard remained on duty all night in the security room monitoring the monitors.
“It’s beautiful.” Gerard stepped up next to Thomas.
“It is.” Thomas had to agree. His thoughts were elsewhere, but he was seeing the beauty under the lights of the parking lot.
“Do you want to get a bite to eat? Or, perhaps come over to my place. I can whip up some omelets, and you can have a drink.” Gerard’s offer was tempting, but Thomas didn’t want to be a downer because of Carrie. He really wanted the three of them to begin this relationship together.
Looking at Gerard, Thomas could see the expectant look on his face. Needing some companionship, even though they wouldn’t do anything but eat and talk, Thomas nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Good. Follow me, but I’ll text you my address, so you’ll have it for your GPS in case we lose each other.”
Thomas gave Gerard a pat on the shoulder and then headed for his car. Getting in, he started her up and ran the wipers, watching the powdery snow fly off the window. Thank goodness.
The beeping of his phone had him pulling it out of his back pocket. There were two texts. One from Gerard, and one from Carrie that came in an hour ago.
Sorry, didn’t contact sooner. Driving was busy. Will text in morning. That was Carrie’s.
Gerard had sent his address which Thomas sent to the GPS. When Gerard passed him on the street, Thomas backed up and then pulled in behind Gerard’s black business car.
The roads were slick and wet, making the several-mile trek slow. Once they pulled up in front of nice townhome, Thomas was grateful to be stationary.
Following Gerard up the steps to the front door, being careful to avoid any icy spots, Thomas couldn’t help the yawn that escaped. It had been a long day as he had made a visit to his doctor this morning for a physical and to have tests done so he would be able to make love to Carrie without barriers. Of course, with Gerard, it was a given he would use a condom.
He had arrived early at the Tiger’s Lair for work, a decision the team had made to meet there on that day. Pearl Harbor Day was a sacred day for the former Naval men, as it was for many Americans. Although alcohol wasn’t allowed in the club, Alex had brought in a bottle of scotch, and they all had a drink, remembering the dark day in America’s history. This year had been the first year that none of the survivors had made it to Hawaii to recall the lives lost, the ones who had survived, and the devastation that had occurred that fateful day. Pretty soon, the only ones to commemorate were going to be the living, and the team had discussed how soon it would be before the day wasn’t important enough to most people.
Warmth greeted them when Gerard opened the door along with illumination from the light on the ceiling of the foyer. The door closed behind Thomas, closing the two of them in a small space.
To the left was a staircase and to the right, the living room. Beyond the living room set up was the dining table and then the kitchen.
“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I’m going to go up and change. Then I’ll start up the stove.” Gerard spoke as he began to ascend the stairs.
It had been ages since Thomas had engaged in a relationship, not going to anyone’s house except his former team members. The last time he had been to Jackson’s penthouse at the top of the club was to plan the capture of the vile man who had tried to kill Clara, Shane Owens’s girlfriend.
Gerard’s living room consisted of a black leather couch which sat in front of the black tiled fireplace, and a matching recliner. Two mismatched end tables sat on each end of the couch, a lamp on one of them. A large flat-screen TV was mounted above the fireplace. A chuckle escaped Thomas as he perused the typical bachelor pad. Even though he hadn’t seen Gerard’s room yet, he was pretty sure his bed was just a mattress and box spring on the floor.
“There’s beer in the fridge,” Gerard called down from above. “There’s hard liquor in the bottom cabinet as soon as you enter the kitchen. You’re welcome to any of it.”
/> After shucking his coat and laying it across the back of the recliner, Thomas made his way into the kitchen, one with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances, but devoid of anything on the counters. Opening the fridge, he pulled out two bottles of beer and leaned his ass against the countertop. He figured he might as well stay put since Gerard said he was going to cook.
As much as Thomas didn’t want a slave, the idea of having someone cook for him had been a novelty. His house was new, one he bought only six months ago. There was plenty of space for three people, even more if need be. The kitchen hadn’t been used much for Thomas really didn’t know how to cook. He had subscribed to one of those companies where they sent you a box of food and instructions to last a week, but after two weeks, he cancelled for he just didn’t have the patience to work at it. Besides, it was easier to grab a few sandwiches and whatever snacks were available from the small kitchen at the club.
“Babe?” he heard Gerard call out from the living room.
“In here,” Thomas responded.
It was only a few moments before Gerard strode into the kitchen wearing a pair of dark gray sweats and a white T-shirt that stretched across his wide chest. When he saw Thomas, a wide smile spread on his face, lust burning in his emerald eyes. A glance downwards told Thomas all he needed to know about Gerard’s state of arousal.
His cock was stiffening, tenting the material of his pants. Thomas recalled the sight of that beautiful dick, hard and long, as it had spouted Gerard’s cum a few nights prior. He and Carrie had worked on it together, bringing Gerard to a wonderful climax.
Carrie had been breathtaking as she licked at the cock. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes a dark gray. Her lips were plump and moist. She had looked magnificent, and he wanted more of her. Thomas wanted to see her in all her glory, for he knew her breasts would be more than a handful, and her ass gorgeous globes of flesh.
Letting his gaze move back up to Gerard’s face, he could see the blush on the man’s face and his eyes lowered. Thomas knew what he was looking at. His own cock had hardened in his jeans, pressing against the metal of the zipper.