“I’m heading over to Inferno at noon,” Ian reminded me as he pushed his empty plate back.
Dante’s head snapped over, real fear on his face.
“To talk to the owner,” Ian explained, his voice soft, as though speaking to a wounded animal. “Nothing to worry about right now.”
That seemed to placate the man, because he nodded, downed the rest of his orange juice, then started to get to his feet. “I’ll do the dishes.”
“Actually,” Ian interrupted. “The girls are going to do them.”
Everly smiled at Ian. “Gladly, Sir.” She glanced over at me. “May I be excused, my Liege?”
I pulled my arm from the back of her chair, took the kiss she offered before watching her flutter off into the other room.
“Goner,” Ian muttered.
I didn’t respond. Didn’t need to. That woman had me so twisted up, any excuse would’ve come out as complete bullshit.
Heaven glanced between the two of us. “I guess that’s my cue to help.”
My brother grinned like a loon. “Unless you’re keen on punishment.”
“Yeah, no. Totally not my thing.” She giggled. “You can save the spankings for those two. I get the feeling they’ll need it more than me.”
“Doubtful,” Ian taunted. “You’ve got quite the mouth on you.”
I had no idea what had transpired between the two last night, but I knew Ian hadn’t taken Heaven to his bedroom. That told me more than anything. My twin was keeping his distance from her. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t fuck her, but it hinted at the lack of intimacy between them.
Quite frankly, I was a bit surprised. Heaven seemed exactly what tripped my brother’s trigger. Well, aside from the fact she didn’t seem the least bit submissive.
“May I be excused, Sir?” Dante asked.
I watched him for a moment. He intrigued me. There was something about him I didn’t quite understand, and in the short time I’d known him, I was starting to realize he was hiding something. Oh, he was free with his body, but his emotions were in check, locked up tight. The only person he opened up to was Everly, but I hoped that would change in the coming days.
“Yes,” Ian said, his blue eyes locked on Dante, trailing after him even when he disappeared.
“He likes to be alone,” I mused.
“I noticed that. As though he craves the solitude.”
“More like a polar bear than a panda,” I surmised.
Ian laughed. “Hadn’t thought about it, but yeah. Likes the solitude.”
Just another reason this felt right to me. I wasn’t sure what it was or how it even happened, but it was happening. I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.
“How was the shower?” Ian asked, and I knew he wasn’t referring to the water temperature.
“He’s tense.”
“You think it’s from what happened yesterday?”
I nodded. “Whoever came after the girls is doing it to punish him. Or at least he feels as though he is.”
“I should ask the girls if they need me to pick up anything at their house,” Ian said, pushing to his feet.
“We have to find this bastard,” I told him. “Eliminate the threat.”
“Aye. And we will.”
While I didn’t mind the excuse for Everly to be here under our roof, I couldn’t keep her locked up like some princess in the castle. She needed to be able to come and go without me worrying about her. And I wanted her to be here because she wanted to, not because she had to.
I stared out the window, listening to Heaven and Everly chatter away in the kitchen while they washed dishes. I enjoyed the sound. It seemed I’d spent most of my life wanting this. And though I hadn’t asked Ian’s opinion on the matter, I had realized it wasn’t necessary. We’d always been open with one another, on the same page in every aspect. We worked together, lived together, shared submissives. It was natural. I couldn’t imagine it any other way. But we’d always expected to find a love of our own, to share our submissives in the physical sense but not emotionally. And while this situation seemed to fit the mold perfectly, I got the feeling it wasn’t quite right.
“Can I get you anything, my Liege?” Everly asked, reappearing like the fairy princess she reminded me of.
I was pretty sure I’d found the love I’d been looking for.
“I’m good. Thank you.”
“I’ll be up in the library if you need me.”
I nodded.
“Oh, would it be all right if I got on the internet?”
“Of course.” I got to my feet, carried my glass into the kitchen, and rummaged through the junk drawer. When I located the piece of paper with the wireless passcode on it, I handed it over.
She went up on her toes, kissed my cheek, then headed for the stairs.
Figuring now would be a good time to catch up on a little light reading of my own, I headed down to the basement.
It only took a few clicks to pull up information on Dante Novak. It wasn’t his personal information I was looking for. I already had all of that thanks to Ian’s research. I was looking for incidents that might’ve involved him, something to explain his need for solitude. I spent a good hour scanning the Google results to no avail. Just when I was going to take a break, I came across an old newspaper article:
TWELVE-YEAR-OLD BOY FOUND LOCKED IN ATTIC.
I went on to read the details about the boy whose father had kept him locked in the attic from the time he was four until the authorities were called in after the new neighbors next door saw an emaciated boy staring out at them from the small circular window. According to the neighbor, they’d gotten concerned because in the two weeks they’d lived there, they had never seen anyone come or go from the house. The police found Dante padlocked in the attic with a mini-fridge that had a single bottle of water and the remains of a loaf of bread. The bread had been coated in mold. The story went on to note that Dante had been almost feral, malnourished, and hadn’t had a bath in what they’d guessed to be six months or so.
I stared up the stairs, wondering what that sort of trauma did to a person. Dante seemed well put together, smart. Well, mostly. As far as brains went, he seemed to have them in spades, but his common sense was questionable. Based on the scars, some of them recent, I feared he’d gotten in over his head with the man Dante had told Ian about. I was hoping Ian would get a better feel for how a sadistic asshole had gotten his claws into Dante in the first place. He was a submissive, not a masochist.
I heard someone laughing, got to my feet, and went to the doors leading to the basement walkout. I peered up the hill to the swimming pool, where two very naked submissives were jumping into the pool. The sight had a smile forming.
To my surprise, Dante appeared, but he’d opted to wear shorts. Smart man. Probably didn’t want to show the neighbors the family jewels in broad daylight. He jumped in, splashing Heaven and Everly. I stood there for a few minutes, watching the dynamic between the three. They talked, laughed, and it was obvious they were close. It still surprised me that nothing had transpired between Everly and Dante. Their desire for one another was palpable, as I’d witnessed in that kiss they shared.
The memory had my cock stirring.
I had this overwhelming desire to see the two of them together. Hell, I wanted to see Everly and Heaven together, but I wasn’t quite sure Everly swung that way. Didn’t stop me from fantasizing, because my kink ran deep. I was the sort of man who preferred to explore a submissive’s desires, to push their boundaries. I knew deep down that Everly would do whatever I asked of her, but that wasn’t my end game. Erotic encounters were only exciting if they played out naturally. Forced was not my style, nor would it ever be.
My cell phone rang. I snagged it from the desk, hit the answer button when I saw it was Ian.
“Yeah, I’m heading over to their house now. Got a list from the girls.”
“Did you talk to the club owner?”
“Aye. He’s a bigger dick than I expected. Tel
l you about it when I get there. Need anything while I’m out?”
“Nay.” My attention turned back to the pool. “We’re good for now.”
I tucked my phone back into my pocket. I’d been hoping the club owner would be able and/or willing to give us some information on Roger Cherlish. We had done our own digging and come up completely empty.
Unfortunately, from what we could tell, the bastard didn’t actually exist.
TEN
Everly
“My turn to cook dinner!” I yelled so everyone would hear me wherever they were in the house.
I’d spent most of the day in the attic library, like a little kid in a candy store. I hadn’t quite believed Heaven when she’d gushed about how amazing it was. That was an understatement. And while I’d intended to play solitaire to pass the time if I got bored, turned out I’d never touched my laptop or my phone, finding more than enough to keep me busy in the wide variety of books they had.
“Depends on what you’re making, fairy princess,” Isaac said when he appeared at the top of the basement stairs.
Oh, right. They were worried she’d deprive them of their precious meat.
She smiled. “Well, I thought we’d start with kale.”
His eyebrows shot downward.
“I’m kidding. You don’t have kale.”
“Do you like it?”
“I do,” I confirmed.
“Then by tomorrow, you’ll have kale.” He stopped in front of me, tipped my head back with a gentle finger beneath my chin.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I’ll give you anything you want, love.”
As I drown in those emerald green depths, I was beginning to wonder if this man was too good to be true. From the moment I’d stepped foot in Zeke’s house, Isaac had been right there with me. He took care of me as though I was the most important thing to him. And sure, he’d said as much, but hey, sometimes things were said in the heat of the moment. I wasn’t naive enough to take every word muttered at face value.
Isaac pressed his lips to mine, then stepped back. “How can I help?”
“Well, I’d considered making an Irish meal, but then I learned that most of your meals are loaded with meat. So…I figured spaghetti would have to work.”
He laughed. “Italian. Not quite Irish, but a good choice.”
“I thought so.”
“But not necessary,” he said, pulling me back against him.
“What? You scared I can’t cook?”
“Not at all. But I ordered out. It’ll be delivered shortly.”
“Is that why you asked if I had any food allergies earlier?” I turned in his arms.
His smile was wicked and guilty.
“Are we celebrating something?”
“Being alone.”
I glanced around. “What do you mean alone? Where is everybody?”
“Ian took Dante and Heaven to dinner. Said he wanted to load up on fried food and he knows I’m not a fan.”
“Well, then, I guess it’s just the two of us.”
“It is.” He cupped my face. “And tonight, we’ll have dinner my way.”
I felt a shift in the air, a charge that had my insides tingling. “What way is that?” The words were said on a breathy sigh.
“With you naked, kneeling at my feet.”
My skin felt two sizes too small. Desire pulsed through me. Not many Dominants were as observant as Isaac and Ian, but it seemed they were in tune with me. Or at least that was my experience when playing with them at the club.
Isaac’s thumb brushed over my lower lips. “I’ll feed you.”
“Thank you, my Liege.”
“My pleasure, fairy princess.”
As though he’d timed it perfectly, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get that. I want you to put a pillow on the floor in the living room, strip, kneel, and wait for me.”
“Yes, my Liege.”
I hurried to the living room, listening as he spoke to the delivery person. I quickly removed my shorts and T-shirt, setting them neatly on the coffee table before grabbing one of the fluffy throw pillows from the sofa and placing it on the floor in the spot I felt most convenient for Isaac.
The sound of silverware and dishes clanging came from the kitchen as I kneeled in position. I drifted off into my head. The only way to describe it was a mental high. Some would probably say it was a form of subspace, but I didn’t have a label for it. It was as though endorphins flooded my bloodstream, a feeling that wasn’t easy for me to get to. Except when I’d played with Isaac and Ian. It had always come instantly when we were together.
The guttural sound of Isaac’s voice alerted me to his presence, though I couldn’t translate what he’d said. I had noticed Isaac’s and Ian’s Irish had come out more, including that ridiculously sexy accent they both sported, the longer I was around them. When I’d interacted with them at the club, it was usually masked. I wasn’t sure if they relaxed more at home, hence the reason it came out more. Whatever it was, I loved hearing it, the lilt, the seduction in their voices.
“I’m going to blindfold you,” he said simply, pulling out a black silk mask. He gently put it over my eyes, securing it behind my head. “Comfortable?”
“Yes, my Liege.”
His footsteps faded momentarily, returning not long after. I heard the sound of a plate on the glass table, then another. He left again, returned. This time, he set more things down.
“Turn to your right,” Isaac instructed.
I shifted in that direction.
“Spread your knees apart. I want to see that pretty pussy.”
My nipples pebbled as I widened my knees, and I knew he could see my obvious appreciation of his words. He turned me on like nothing I’d ever experienced.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, the reverence in his tone causing goose bumps to cover my arms.
For the next twenty minutes, Isaac teased and tormented me with his words and subtle brushes of his fingers on my skin. He fed me, making me guess what I was eating. Considering he’d gotten me a portabella mushroom burger, it hadn’t been an easy feat. But it was delicious.
After he had cleaned away all of the dishes, he returned, removing the blindfold.
“Do you want to know what I’m having for dessert?” he asked, holding out his hand to help me up.
“Hopefully it’s me.”
His smirk was sexy. “It definitely is. But I’ll be eating the traditional way.”
“How’s that?”
The heat that flashed in his eyes made my heart rate spike. “On the dining room table.”
My belly fluttered, like hitting the high point on a roller coaster and plummeting over the edge.
“Oh, and Ian’s on his way back,” he said passively, as though it was normal for his twin to walk in while he was feasting on me in the formal dining room.
Isaac didn’t have me get on the table and spread out. No, he seduced me up there, pulling me against him, his big, warm hands sliding over me, heating me from the inside out even as he managed to get me right where he wanted me.
He positioned my feet so that they were flat on the table, my toes curling over the edge, knees spread wide, on full display for him. His fingers trailed over my mound, a teasing promise of what was to come.
I heard the sound of a door opening, then closing.
“Looks like we’ve got company,” he said softly.
“Hey, you guys—Oh.” Heaven stopped just inside the room, her eyes wide.
Dante was right behind her, Ian pulling up the rear.
“Just in time,” Ian said, urging them farther into the room.
“In time for what?” Heaven asked, her breaths slightly erratic. She was definitely turned on seeing me there and I couldn’t deny that it did something for me that she was watching.
Truth was, I wasn’t bisexual, though there was a curiosity. I figured that had a lot to do with my exploration into BDSM. I’d given in to my
darkest desires and promised myself I wouldn’t hold back, even from things that intimidated me.
“For dessert,” Ian whispered, his mouth brushing against Heaven’s ear when he moved behind her. “She’s not the only one we’re going to feast on, though.”
“Me, too?” Despite the surprise in her words, Heaven certainly didn’t sound opposed to the idea.
“Absolutely.” Ian glanced over at Dante. “Could you help her up onto that end of the table? Same position as this little fairy.”
Ian’s hand trailed over my right knee, Isaac’s over my left, and I inhaled sharply, desire, hot and fierce, erupting, making me needy. The way they looked at me … as though I was the most intriguing thing they’d ever seen… It was a heady feeling, that was for sure.
Isaac turned my chin, forcing me to look over at him. He studied my face momentarily, as though looking for something.
“Green, my Liege,” I said softly, referring to the stoplight system we used at the club. Green meant I was completely on board with the idea.
When I felt Heaven’s head nearly bump mine, I lifted my arm and reached for her. She moaned softly, then took my hand, then my other, linking our fingers. I honestly hadn’t expected her to touch me, but found I enjoyed it. More so the scene the twin Doms were setting up.
“Dante,” Isaac addressed him quietly. “The choice is yours. If you need to escape, feel free. If you’d like to stay and play, you’re welcome to.”
I couldn’t see him, even when I tilted my head back. I wanted him to stay, wanted to feel his hands on me. I couldn’t explain the need, but it was overwhelming. The way they looked at me… It wasn’t objectifying like I’d experienced before. Perhaps that was because they continued to touch me, their hands gentle. As though they wanted the connection at all times.
Their Fairy Princess (Office Intrigue Book 7) Page 12