Which I knew he wouldn’t do. The man had his pride and I knew he wanted to put this all behind him. Couldn’t say I blamed him, either.
On the other hand, I wanted Vernon Hathaway to get the punishment he deserved. And as far as I was concerned, the rest of his life in a prison cell wasn’t even the half of it.
“Hit me up when you know what the plan is,” Ransom said. “I gotta go.”
“Thanks again.”
I disconnected the call, leaned back in my chair, and glanced over at Ian’s desk.
He’d spent most of yesterday out of the house, then this morning, he’d hightailed it as soon as he woke up. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew there was something going on with him. Since the night of Everly’s birthday, when I kicked him out of the room, he’d been acting different. Dante and Everly were walking on eggshells and it was all starting to piss me off.
Since I couldn’t leave, I had to endure or at least find a way to smooth out the tensions in the house until Ian got his shit together.
When I stepped into the kitchen, I found it empty. A sound from Dante’s wing of the house drew my attention, so I wandered that way, stood in the doorway, and watched as Everly helped Dante empty a box.
“Heaven called me this morning,” Everly told him. “Prince Charming asked her out.”
Dante laughed. “I’m assuming she knows his name by now?”
“Todd something or other. Anyway, he’s taking her out on Friday.”
“Does she know anything about him?”
“He’s twenty-nine, works for a tech company, but she didn’t say which one. Has his own house, a dog.”
Dante spun to face her. “A dog?”
The longing on his face surprised me. Then again, it shouldn’t have. I knew plenty about the man, but most of it was his past. I had yet to delve into his hopes and dreams though I wanted to.
“Yep. Golden retriever named Sam.”
“How old?”
“Three, I think.” Everly tucked a stack of comic books into the nightstand.
Dante sauntered across the room to the bathroom. Not wanting them to know I’d been eavesdropping, I slipped back to the kitchen, pulling my phone out of my pocket as I went.
Perhaps Dante needed a dog. Ian and I had never had a pet of our own, but I could see one thriving here. Between Everly and Dante, the thing would be spoiled.
The thought made me smile.
Two hours later, I found Dante and Everly sitting at the breakfast bar. They were finishing up their lunch. When I joined them, two sets of wary eyes turned toward me.
“Have you heard from Ian?” Everly asked, concern evident in her tone.
“He’ll be back shortly.” Though I didn’t know that for sure. My brother wasn’t answering his phone. It was clear to me he was pouting, but I had no idea why.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I had the feeling it was thanks to my high-handed behavior on Everly’s birthday. Try as I might, I couldn’t quite understand why Ian would go off on me for that, but he’d done so for less.
“Should we check on him?” Dante asked, his gaze darting toward his phone
“I’ll try to call him again,” I told them. “When I come back, I want you two kneeling in the living room, waiting for me.”
“Yes, my Liege,” Everly said softly, a hint of confusion in her tone.
“Yes, Master.” Dante was already placing his glass in the sink.
With a sigh, I headed out onto the back patio and dialed Ian’s number.
“What’s up?” he answered hotly.
“Any idea when you’re coming home?”
“Why? You miss me?”
“Everly and Dante do,” I told him.
“Did they say as much?”
“Ian, what the hell’s going on with you?”
He grunted. “Nothing. I’ll be back in an hour.”
The call disconnected and I stared at my phone.
Yeah, something had to give.
And soon.
Everly
“I’ve come up with a list of chores,” Isaac said when he came into the living room after spending a few minutes on the back porch. “Dante mentioned the two of you wanting to take them over. Is this true?”
“Yes, my Liege,” I said softly, keeping my eyes cast downward.
“There are a few things we’ll continue to pay services for such as the lawn care and pool maintenance, although I don’t mind decreasing the service and allowing the two of you to do them in between. While I appreciate your desire to help out, it’s something we’ll discuss from time to time because I don’t want you to be my maid or my pool boy. At the same time, I want you to feel as though you contribute to the household. You’re not a guest anymore. This is your house. Once we’ve settled the problem we’re dealing with, you’ll have the freedom to come and go as you please. Until it’s resolved though…”
“I understand, Master,” Dante said firmly.
Dante and I had already discussed chores. And I liked the idea of having something to keep me busy. More accurately, I greatly liked the idea of taking care of Isaac and Ian. That was important to me and I wasn’t sure they understood that yet. I still felt as though this was a honeymoon period. I wanted to settle into a routine, to know what I needed to do every day in order to have a sense of accomplishment.
“The chores have been written out. By the end of the day, I want you to provide me with a detailed outline of when you’ll be handling which ones. You can divvy up meals as well. Dante, you can handle dinner tonight.”
“Of course, Master.”
“When Ian returns, I think it would be wise for the two of you to spend some time in the pool. Swimsuits are necessary as I’ve got a few men stationed around the property now that Vernon has returned to the States.”
“Yes, my Liege.”
His hand grazed the top of my head and I sighed.
Some people didn’t understand this aspect. They thought BDSM was strictly sexual in nature. That wasn’t the case. Not for me. Not for Dante.
Sure, there was a sexual aspect, one that I craved. But I also looked forward to serving my Dominant. Pleasing him. That was my one goal, and honestly, I’d always wondered if I would ever find a man I could trust or love enough to pledge my submission to. I’d been lucky to find that with two, even if I didn’t get to spend nearly enough time with Ian. And I didn’t care what anyone else thought about it. I would be their humble servant in every way, for as long as it would please them.
The front door slammed, causing me to jump.
Isaac sighed. “Go get changed. We’ll finish this discussion later.”
While Dante went to his side of the house, I raced to Isaac’s room, grabbed my swimsuit, then hurried to pull it on. I couldn’t help but do so silently, trying to listen for whatever conversation might’ve been taking place between Ian and Isaac.
I had no idea what was going on, but I could tell there was a rift between them. Neither had said anything to me about it, but I hadn’t really expected them to. It wasn’t as though they were big on sharing details of … well, of much of anything, really. Ian was all about interrogating other people, getting them to open up but very rarely free with his own emotions.
When I got outside, Dante was waiting for me, his face solemn.
“You know what that’s about?” I asked him, jerking my chin toward the house.
“Family squabble,” he said with a smirk.
“Really?”
“Just a guess.”
“Did something happen?”
He shrugged.
With the sun warm on my shoulders, I waded down into the pool, grabbed one of the floats we’d added earlier in the week, put my arms across it while Dante did the same from the opposite side.
“What do you think it’s about?”
Dante rested his head on his arms, looked at me. “You.”
I frowned. “What? What did I do?”
“Nothing. And I think that’s the problem.”
&nb
sp; Feeling defensive, I glared at him. “What does that mean? What have I not done that I was supposed to?”
“Nothing,” he said firmly. “And that’s the problem.”
“Okay, PB, you’re making absolutely no freaking sense here.”
“I know. But that seems to be the trend.”
“I was thinking it had to do with Heaven,” I admitted. “Maybe Ian misses her.”
“Nope. Definitely not the problem.”
“So you don’t think he loves her? That he was disappointed when she left?”
“No.”
“You sound so sure of yourself.”
“Because I am,” he declared. “Ian does not love Heaven.
For whatever reason, that made me feel better.
It wasn’t that I was necessarily insecure, but the thought of Ian loving someone else … well, it bothered me.
“Do you love him?” Dante prompted.
“Who?”
“Ian.”
I propped my chin on my arm. “Of course I do.”
“The way you love Isaac?”
Okay, now I sensed he was fishing for something specific.
I met his blue stare. “Yes.”
“Heart, soul, and everything in between?”
“What are you getting at?”
He looked away. “It’s just that … well, you spend so much time with Isaac.”
“Because I sleep in his bed?”
He was silent for a minute and I thought he was going to drop the subject.
He didn’t.
“Back before I met them,” he began, “when you’d talk about them, I got the impression you were interested in both of them.”
“I am.”
“Equally.”
I floated for a minute, thinking back on when I’d first met Ian and Isaac. “The first time I played with them at the club,” I explained. “It was during submissive training class. I was attracted to both of them. But there was something in Isaac’s eyes that captivated me, drew me to him. I felt a connection.”
“But you kept your distance.”
“I did.” God, I remembered how anxious they’d made me. “You would’ve done the same thing in my place. They were larger than life when I met them. Submissives at the club practically throw themselves at their feet, worship the ground they walk on. I figured they had more than enough to fill their time. And you know me, I’m not the sort who can let emotion in without embracing it. And with them, I knew I would lose a piece of myself anytime I was with them, so I tried to avoid them as much as I could. But if they asked me to play, I couldn’t say no. Didn’t want to.”
“Do you think any of this would’ve happened if…?”
He didn’t finish, but he didn’t have to. He was referring to that man attacking me, and I knew he had a hard time thinking about it.
“I do.” I turned my head, locked my eyes with his. “I’d been invited to Zeke’s that day and I was going there no matter what. I knew they would be there, and I’d been hoping for a chance to see them outside the club. I think it would’ve progressed from there.”
“I do, too.”
“What about you? When did you know?”
“The instant my eyes met Ian’s in front of my house. I knew right then that I could trust him, felt the pull. My inner submissive connected with him.” He grinned. “I sound corny, huh?”
“No.” I grinned. “You sound like a man in love.”
“I am, but not just with Ian.”
Though he didn’t elaborate, I hoped he was including me in the sentiment. Dante and I had a connection all our own. The few times I’d been with him had been amazing, and though I secretly wished for more, I didn’t feel it was my place to pursue him. The dynamic had shifted once we’d become involved with Ian and Isaac.
For the next half hour, we floated in the pool, the warm breeze floating over my skin, rustling the trees.
“Time to come in,” Isaac called from the patio. “I’d bet money neither one of you thought about sunscreen.”
I lifted my head, smiled, but it disappeared as soon as I saw Isaac’s face.
Though his tone was light, his eyes told a different story. He was worried.
The question was: about who?
TWENTY-NINE
Dante
Friday, June 14, 2019
The house was too quiet.
Had been for the past few days. Ian wasn’t talking about whatever was on his mind, and no one was asking, either. Certainly not me. I didn’t know what had happened to prompt his attitude, but deep down, I knew exactly what it was about.
Now he was withdrawn, brooding. Acting more like Isaac than himself.
Every now and then, I would catch him looking at Everly with a pained expression on his face. One I couldn’t interpret. I knew he felt something for her. He had admitted as much. But from the looks of it, his feelings for her were coming to the surface and he wasn’t all that happy about it.
Having wanted someone to talk to, I’d reached out to Heaven via text. Turned out, Ian had admitted to her he had feelings for Everly, too. It seemed everyone was in the know except Isaac.
A knock sounded on my door. I knew instantly who it was, so I knew a response wasn’t necessary.
I had already put the footrest on the recliner down and was sliding to the floor on my knees when I heard footsteps moving toward me, through my bedroom, and into the small living area I used to watch television.
It was a position I’d gotten used to being in as of late. One I’d personally requested. When Ian and Isaac were around, I wanted to kneel at their feet, to feel their presence, to comfort them in some small way. Since their preference seemed to be to have Everly sitting beside them, it worked for us.
As had become the routine, Ian walked over and sat in the recliner. I rested my head against his knee and his hand moved to my head, fingers combing through my hair.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
I didn’t respond. Didn’t need to.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
I knew that was true. I also knew that if he would address the situation with Isaac, they could come to some sort of resolution. I truly believed Isaac was blind to the fact his twin was in love with the same woman he was.
“Do you mind if I ask you something?”
Ian grunted.
“You and Isaac … you’ve wanted a submissive, right?”
“Two,” he said, his tone clipped.
I lifted my head, watched him.
He sighed. “As you can see by the way we designed the house, Isaac and I always intended to have two submissives. One for each of us. Before we were in the lifestyle, it was your run-of-the-mill relationship. He would have a wife. I would have one, too. However, we’d intended to live together. It was never a question. That morphed into submissives. One for each of us. Only we intended to share them on occasion. From a sexual perspective only. One to love, cherish, give our hearts to. The other would be for fun, to incite the kink we’ve always been drawn to.”
Well, hell. That explained why Isaac wasn’t seeing this through his brother’s eyes. He expected Ian to spend time with Everly but not to fall in love with her. Epic fail on their part, clearly.
We sat like that for a long time, the silence as comforting as the sound of his breathing. When he spoke, the abrupt tone startled me.
“Who am I?”
I peered up at him. “My Master and—”
He growled. “Who, Dante? Who am I?”
His outburst confused me, rendering me motionless, unable to speak.
Ian’s lips pressed together, his head tipped back. “I want to be more than that to you.”
There was an unfamiliar plea in his tone. It caused my heart to ache.
“Tell me,” he groaned. “Who am I to you?”
I pressed my forehead to his knee and went with the truth. “My rescuer, my defender, the man who saved me from myself.”
“Look at me, Da
nte,” he commanded.
I lifted my head, met his tormented gaze.
His breaths came faster now, his eyes shifting over my face, studying me. Whatever had prompted this … I think it was spur of the moment. The pain he was battling, it was building, and this was his way of releasing the pressure.
He didn’t have to ask me again. I knew what he needed.
“The man I love,” I whispered, the admission falling from my lips easily. “My Master.”
He didn’t speak, so I continued. “And I am your humble servant. Not only do you have my submission, you have my heart.”
“And you have mine.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I need you, Dante.”
He didn’t have to say anything more than that. We both knew I would give him whatever he needed, whenever he needed it. Considering he hadn’t asked anything of me since the night of Everly’s birthday, I’d been hoping he would come for me. He might not see it that way, but I found significant comfort in his presence.
I lifted my head, met his gaze. “May I take care of you, Master?”
“Please.” The single word was full of anguish, pain, but there was something lurking just beneath the surface. I had to believe it was relief, maybe even acceptance.
I pushed to my feet, stripped off my clothes. I could feel his eyes on me, hot as they raked over my skin. His gaze trailed me even when I went to my knees between his thighs. He was wearing athletic shorts, which he pushed down his hips. His cock was hard, and my mouth watered with the need to taste him, my heart aching with the need to soothe him in the only way I knew how.
Without using my hands, I took him in my mouth, caressed him with my tongue. I didn’t rush, nor did he. As the minutes ticked by, his breaths remained slow, even, his hands moving into my hair. He was gentle, allowing me to give him pleasure, to worship his cock.
“Your mouth’s perfect,” he muttered, a low rumble of pleasure in his throat. “I could sit here all night. Let you suck me. Feel those sweet fucking lips on me.”
He growled, as though he needed an outlet for the pleasure.
I hummed low in my throat, letting him know I was more than willing.
Several minutes passed before Ian widened his legs. “Lick my balls.”
My cock throbbed in response to the command. I focused on his balls, licking them thoroughly as he growled low in his throat, his hand fisting his cock leisurely, his head tipped back, eyes closed.
Their Fairy Princess (Office Intrigue Book 7) Page 33