“So that’s what it is,” Heaven said. “I don’t have to be because you’ve already got your submissive.”
I didn’t respond.
“See? I’m right. You’ve got your sights set on Everly.”
I wasn’t quite sure why she was so defensive, but I couldn’t refrain from responding. “There are some things you shouldn’t call me on, Miss Whitley.”
“Testy,” she snapped. “Are you denying it?”
“Denying what?”
“That you want them?”
“Not at all. Why would I deny what’s true?” I told her, holding her stare, waiting to hear a rebuttal.
Not surprising, one didn’t come.
“Dante, I’d like you to do the dishes,” Ian said absently.
He didn’t stop eating. “Yes, Sir.”
“Naked.”
The man didn’t even flinch. “It would be my pleasure, Sir.”
Heaven seemed to find her chicken to be interesting while Everly relaxed, as though some of the tension had drained out of her. I hoped by the end of the evening, they all would.
Half an hour later, we’d all deposited the dishes in the kitchen, where Dante took on the task of hand-washing every dish while buck naked. The dishwasher would’ve been faster, but where was the fun in that?
Everly and Heaven disappeared down the hall while Ian and I sat at the kitchen island, watching the man work. He certainly held my attention, moving with ease, quite comfortable in his own skin. Perhaps because he was vegan, Dante was quite lean. Then again, he had admitted to running, so it could very well be a rigorous exercise regimen. Whatever he did, it was working, and I couldn’t deny, he had a delicious physique.
I did my best not to ogle the numerous scars that marred his back and arms, but I cataloged each one, wanting nothing more than to hurt whoever had put those on him.
“I’m gonna meet the owner of Inferno tomorrow,” Ian told me, his voice low. “Want to get his take on this Roger Cherlish.”
I nodded. “Want me to go with you?”
He shook his head. “Nah. The club’s not open tomorrow. He said he’d meet with me at noon.”
“What do you hope to gain from the meeting?”
“Explain to him what happened, see what actions he intends to take.”
Nothing if I had to guess. It was unfortunate, but some of the BDSM clubs didn’t care what their members did after hours. As long as they paid their dues and didn’t cause issues at the club, they could overlook a lot of things. Of course, there were also clubs who turned a blind eye to what went on inside their walls. I hoped like hell Inferno wasn’t one of those places.
“You get any more info on him?” I asked.
“Nope. I’ve called in a favor. Got someone digging. It’s like the guy doesn’t exist.”
I took a long pull on my beer. “He clearly does since he’s gone back to Dante’s twice today. What’s he up to?”
“Figure he’s looking for this young stud.”
I admired the flex of Dante’s back muscles, my gaze drawn to a few faint lines on his back. They were scars that had been put there by either a whip or a flogger. Appeared to be rather old.
I nodded toward his back. “He mention anything about those?”
“Haven’t asked. Yet.”
I nodded. I’d had a conversation with Ian earlier regarding what had transpired down in the basement. He relayed the conversation they’d had, none of which surprised me. I’d known from the second Everly saw Dante yesterday that there was a connection there.
I was more interested to know the dynamic. They’d had plenty of opportunity to explore one another, see whether a relationship would work or not, yet they hadn’t.
Then again, I hadn’t gotten Everly’s take on the situation either.
The sound of pattering feet on hardwood alerted me to Everly’s and Heaven’s return. They were practically skipping when they joined us in the kitchen, both wrapped in towels.
“Come here,” I said, speaking directly to my fairy princess.
Her smile was brilliant as she fluttered over. “Yes, my Liege?”
I pulled her closer, widening my legs so she could stand between them. “Have you ever seen Dante naked?”
“Yes, my Liege,” she said, her eyes scanning mine as though looking for something. “But it was by accident.”
I nodded. “This isn’t accidental. What do you think?”
I turned her in my arms, ensured her only focus was the man finishing up the dishes.
“He’s beautiful, my Liege.”
Dante’s shoulder muscles tensed slightly.
“I agree.”
The shoulders relaxed.
“What about you?” I asked Heaven, who had found her towel quite fascinating.
“No. I haven’t seen him naked.”
Ian got to his feet, walked over to Heaven, stopping to stand behind her.
She inhaled sharply when he put his hands on her shoulders. Ian turned her to face Dante. “What do you think?”
When she didn’t respond right away, Ian pulled her hair back over her shoulders, teasing her skin with his fingertips as he leaned down close to her ear.
“Do you find him attractive?”
“Yes,” she said, her tone clipped.
“Yes, what?”
“I don’t know.”
Ian lifted his head, met my gaze, and motioned toward the door.
“All right, you two,” Ian announced. “Let’s go for a swim.”
I pulled Everly close before she could slip away. “You are to keep the towel on until I instruct you otherwise.”
Her eyes glazed over, her excitement palpable. “Yes, my Liege.”
Dante, realizing Ian was talking to him, too, shut off the water and turned, revealing his obvious approval of the conversation taking place around him. His thick cock bobbed proudly as he dried his hands, then followed Ian and Everly out the back door.
“Heaven, wait. You and I should talk.”
She slowly pivoted to face me. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended someone,” she said softly. “I just don’t know how any of this stuff works.”
“How do you want it to work?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know the rules.”
“There aren’t any rules.” I walked toward her, tilted her chin up, catching her gaze with mine. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I’m not a submissive.”
I grinned. “You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“Why does it matter so much to you?”
She shrugged.
“We’re in the privacy of our own home, Heaven. We’re all adults. Rules of proper etiquette are a given. Aside from that, I’m a firm believer in going with the flow. The one thing Ian and I will always be is honest with you.”
“I’m not looking for anything serious,” she blurted.
“I wasn’t offering.”
I could see a hint of disappointment flash in her eyes. While I hated that it was there, I wasn’t going to lie to her. I found her attractive, interesting even, but there was no chemistry between her and me. Likely due to the fact that I couldn’t see beyond Everly. Didn’t want to.
However, I did want Heaven to feel comfortable while she was here. And I got the feeling Ian wasn’t opposed to including her in a scene or two.
“What do you say we pretend for a little while?” I offered.
“Pretend?”
“Yes. Let’s pretend we’re all just normal people, hanging out.”
“We are normal people,” she countered.
“Then I don’t see the problem. If you feel like joining in an activity that interests you, no one’s going to stop you.”
“You’re talking about sex.”
“Was I?”
She rolled her eyes, smiled.
“Do you have a problem with exploring your sexuality?”
“No.”
“Then I say you pretend for a bit, see ho
w it plays out. Who knows. You might end up enjoying yourself.”
She nodded. “What do I have to do?”
“Enjoy yourself,” I said softly. “That’s the only rule for tonight.”
“Why does Everly call you that? My Liege?”
“Because I’m her Dominant. It’s her way of relaying her desire to submit to me.”
“What am I supposed to call you?”
“Whatever you’d like.”
“Can I call you Isaac?”
“If that turns your crank, sure.”
She grinned, relaxed.
I took a step back. “Shall we join the others?”
She nodded, then skipped out through the back doors and onto the patio.
Not wanting to keep my fairy princess waiting, I grabbed two more beers, then joined them.
“Towel must go,” Ian told Heaven when she eyed Dante getting into the water.
“Is it cold?” she asked.
He shook his head.
I smiled to myself.
“Sneaky Doms,” Heaven teased. “It’s heated, huh?”
It was. But it was more fun to let them believe otherwise.
“Lose the towel,” Ian snapped, his gaze locked on her.
While they battled it out, I took Everly’s hand, led her toward one of the tables. I took a seat in the tall chair.
“What’s on your mind?”
She smiled sweetly, then, as gracefully as she did everything else, she unhooked the corner tucked in by her breast, then allowed the towel to slide to the ground. “This is me making the first move, my Liege.”
I would forever remember that single moment in time because it was the very moment when I fell completely in love with Everly Hughes.
With my heart in my throat, I smiled. “Thank you, fairy princess.”
“It’s my pleasure, my Liege.”
“Turn around for me.”
She pivoted in a slow circle.
“Now come here.”
Everly moved to stand between my legs and I couldn’t resist touching her. My hands skimmed over her chest, her collarbone, her neck.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” I whispered, not bothering to hide the way she made me feel. Looking at her robbed me of breath and sense, made me want things I’d never wanted before.
“Thank you, my Liege,” she whispered.
Pulling her in closer, I lowered my head, grazing her lips with mine. I teased her tongue with my own, approval glowing inside me at the way she gave herself over freely.
“I want you to sleep in my bed tonight,” I whispered when I drew back.
“I would love that, my Liege.”
I smiled, ensuring she saw how happy she made me. “Now, go swim. Have fun.”
“Will you join us?”
“Is that what you want?”
“Very much.”
I nodded. “Give me a few minutes.”
Her eyes glittered with hope, a warm smile on her face before she turned and headed for the pool, her cute little ass swaying sweetly.
“You’re done for, brother,” Ian said, joining me at the table.
There was no reason to confirm or deny. I was most certainly done for when it came to this woman.
Everly
“I could come out here every night,” Heaven said, floating on her back, her bare breasts above water.
“Me, too.” My gaze swung over to Isaac and Ian, deep in conversation at the table.
“Are you mad at me?” Heaven asked.
I jerked my head toward her, realized she was now standing, her shoulders beneath the water.
“What? Of course not. Why would I be mad?”
Her gaze shifted to Ian and Isaac, then back to me. “I see how you look at him.”
I wasn’t going to pretend I didn’t know what she was talking about.
“Nothing happened,” she said quickly, as though to reassure me.
“I wouldn’t be mad if it did,” I admitted, although that wasn’t entirely the truth. When it came to Isaac, I knew exactly where I stood. With Ian, it was quite the opposite, as though he was keeping his distance for some reason.
And while I didn’t have the same sense of belonging with Ian that I did with Isaac, I couldn’t deny I wanted it. But it wasn’t my place to make those decisions. If Ian was keeping me at arm’s length, I had to believe he had a reason. Perhaps that reason was Heaven, but I didn’t want to think too long or too hard on that.
“It’s not weird?” Heaven asked.
“What?”
“The way they act. Like there’s nothing wrong with one big orgy under their roof?”
“Is there?”
Heaven laughed. “Of course you wouldn’t think so.”
Dante swam by, continuing to do laps. He seemed lost, but that wasn’t unusual for him. I’d gotten used to his moods over time, realized he needed his space more than most people.
“And him,” Heaven added. “They’re quite fascinated by him.”
That they were. It allowed hope to bloom deep inside me, though I wasn’t going to share that with Heaven.
“I’m getting the impression they want us equally,” Heaven pondered.
No, not equally. I knew deep down, there was something powerful between me and Isaac. I felt it when he looked at me. Did I think he wanted Dante? Yes. Did that bother me? Oddly, no.
As for their intentions with Heaven, I couldn’t quite pin them down. It was almost as though they were willing to include her in an effort to make her more comfortable. Then again, they were highly sexual creatures, so it was quite possible they were interested in letting it play out.
Truth be told, I didn’t mind. I was also a highly sexual creature, and I’d never been the sort to refrain from exploring new things.
Perhaps it was because I’d been in the scene for so long, seen the traditional and untraditional interactions. Some Doms were extremely possessive of their submissive, couldn’t imagine another Dom touching her or him. Ian and Isaac were different, though. At times, they seemed almost like one person, not two. As though their needs were so in tune, it was hard to figure out what it was they wanted to make them happy.
“It’s not just sex, is it?” Heaven asked, her uncertainty clear in her words.
I turned my attention back to her. “No. It’s never just about sex.”
“Does it make me a bad person that I find it hot? That I don’t care about all the Dom/sub stuff, but I wouldn’t mind getting laid?”
I smiled. “Not at all. To each his own.”
“What happens if they command you to sleep with Dante?”
Dante had slowed his pace, stopping a couple of feet away.
“Well, I doubt there would be much sleeping,” I teased, finding it amusing that Heaven had such a difficult time talking about sex. She called me sweet and innocent.
The sound of a chair scraping on concrete had all three of us looking over. I had to work hard to keep my jaw from dropping as both men stripped, then made their way toward the water. They were an intimidating pair. So big, so powerful … and the way they moved—a mixture of power and grace—had my mouth watering. I could’ve stared at them all night, but admittedly, my skin itched to feel their touch.
Isaac made his way over to me while Ian moved toward Heaven. As though their movements were choreographed, they stepped up behind us, Isaac pulling me against him. Skin to skin. His arm slipped over me in that protective gesture, crossing over my chest. He held me tight as he backed toward one of the concrete benches along the side. Ian did the same on the opposite side of the pool.
“Dante,” Isaac called out. “Come here.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Isaac’s head dipped beside mine, his mouth near my ear when he said, “Have you kissed him before, fairy princess?”
“No, my Liege.” I was breathless as Dante approached.
“Do you want to?”
That was a tough question. To put it simply, yes. I’d wanted to kiss Dante fo
r a long time. However, I also didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize our friendship.
“Answer me,” he growled in my ear.
“Yes, my Liege.”
“Then I’ll leave it up to him,” Isaac said.
Dante stared into my eyes and I saw the battle brewing there. I knew how he felt about me. The same way I felt about him. Was it the same as what I felt for Isaac? No. Significantly different. But there was a connection between me and Dante, a love that had built from friendship, grown. We’d never crossed that line.
“Dante?” I whispered his name, wanting him to say something.
He stepped closer, the water warm and still between us.
His gaze shifted over my shoulder briefly.
“I can see it,” Isaac said. “The chemistry between you. More than friendship, but not enough to where either of you acted on it.”
“Yes, Sir,” Dante whispered, his eyes meeting mine again. “It’s always been that way.”
“Then why don’t you explore it?” Isaac suggested.
“I don’t want to lose her,” he said, his voice full of torment.
“You won’t,” I blurted, reaching for him without thinking. “You’ll never lose me, Dante.”
He moved closer, his hands sliding up my arms, over my shoulders, down my sides until they rested on my hips beneath the water. I was sitting on Isaac’s lap, could feel the hard ridge of his erection against my back.
“You don’t have to do this,” I told him, hating the anguish I could see on his face.
“I want to. I’ve wanted to since the day I met you.”
I swallowed, leaned into Isaac. For whatever reason, having him there made it all okay. As though he was my anchor and his approval made it all right. As though he would be able to keep me and Dante together, not let something like this come between us.
“It’ll always be there. That need, that desire,” Isaac whispered. “It won’t go away. It’s easier to accept it than fight it.”
Dante’s eyes locked on Isaac’s face. “May I have your permission to kiss her, Sir?”
“You have my permission.”
Dante leaned in, our mouths hovering for breathless seconds before he finally closed the distance, sealing his mouth to mine. I whimpered, emotion slamming into me as I slid my arms around his neck and let him feel everything I was feeling.
Isaac’s hands slid over my ribs, holding me firmly as though he was grounding me, ensuring I knew he was there. Or perhaps he was simply ensuring he was part of it. Giving permission, keeping us close. He had the control we both eagerly wanted him to have.
Their Fairy Princess (Office Intrigue Book 7) Page 9