by Rayna Stone
“And the sociological studies on BDSM are really interesting. I mean, people have been practicing power exchange since our very beginning. What male would ensure a female’s survival and the survival of her offspring? It’s encoded in our DNA to look for a strong male to mate with. Even now, when woman don’t really need a man for that kind of protection, many still seek the ‘provider.’ I think it’s just elemental, whether it’s a hetero or homosexual relationship. Success is more likely when the parties understand their roles and provide safety in different ways. Even the pain-versus-pleasure aspect of sadomasochism makes sense. All the hormones released as a response to pain? I can’t quiet grasp how it would enhance a sexual experience, but I’d love to test the theory. I have an account on FetLife where I talk to people, but I’d never be brave enough to go to a club.”
At this point, Alexa had practically forgotten she wasn’t alone. She was voicing her thoughts like she usually did in the privacy of her home while working on a project. “God, but if I were, a sex club also makes a ton of sense. The people there must know what they’re doing, so they could teach others. I mean, if you have to study and learn about everything else in life, why is sex so taboo? It only makes sense that learning and practicing would make for a better experience.”
* * * *
James could not believe what he was hearing. This amazing, and quite frankly weird creature had studied sex. She probably knew more about the physiological and sociological aspects of intercourse and even BDSM than anyone he knew. But she didn’t have a clue. No one could understand any of it by reading scientific articles. It had to be experienced. Had to be felt. She could analyze why power exchange was enticing until her eyes fell out and she still wouldn’t grasp it until she did it. Exactly the same with an orgasm. Could words even describe that feeling? He didn’t think so. But she wanted to know. Not even in the mildly curious way. She was desperate to know. Maybe even interested enough to go to the club and find a teacher. There was a weird gleam in her eye he didn’t trust.
But she was wrong if she thought it was a matter of just going to the club and finding someone. Sure, she could probably experience an orgasm and play at BDSM. She’d even have a point of reference to place all the information she had gathered over the years. But what a mistake it would be. There was a difference between fucking and worshipping. There was a difference between the experience you had at the hand of an anonymous Dom and one who truly cared for you. And those differences were what made life worth living. He assumed, based on her rather odd obsession, that she hadn’t had a positive sexual experience in the past, but he was pretty sure she hadn’t given up the hope that one day she would. And she had an account on FetLife? Thought she was submissive? Kelly would be fine because God was smiling on them all today.
He wouldn’t get a better opening than this. James would offer her what she wanted, but it would be on his terms. He and Ryan could give her the experience she craved and earn her trust along the way, but it would be a real relationship or it wouldn’t happen.
James slid over to Alexa’s side and took her hand. Her skin wasn’t the soft, pampered silk he usually felt from the fairer sex, but it was work-roughened and strong. Years of digging in the earth to uncover its secrets had left her with some calluses, but he wanted to feel that hand over every inch of his skin. Her grip wouldn’t be tentative or weak. She would hold him with purpose. It would be thrilling to restrain her. He wouldn’t have to worry if his ropes chafed her skin. He could see her gripping her own bindings in clenched fists and giving over to the power of her response. Alexa wouldn’t break between James and Ryan, she was strong enough to absorb their force and give it back in spades.
James leaned into her space a small amount. “We can take you to the club. We can show you what you won’t find in your research. Why do you think you’re submissive, honey? What made you start talking with people in the lifestyle?”
Alexa’s pupils had dilated, and her pulse was fluttering along her neck. What James wouldn’t give to press his tongue to that beat. “Well, it was mentioned in a psychology course and something about the lifestyle resonated with me. I don’t know why. Just that the more I learned, the more secure it felt, I guess.” Jesus, the hesitation, the vulnerability in her eyes, he could actually feel her need. Had no one given this woman their protection and love? James could see her insecurity now with complete clarity. The way she held her body was just slightly too stiff and a hair too far away. When she talked, she looked to them a bit too frequently for reassurance, as if waiting for the moment they would lose interest. She wanted to please them because she liked their focus on her, but he could see the amount of energy it was taking her to make sure she didn’t make one mistake. It would be a relief for her to have a Dom in her personal life to take some of that burden for her. He wanted desperately to share that weight with Ryan, to see her body relax and ease for them.
“Umm…I’m a bit confused. You mean you two wouldn’t feel weird taking a friend there? And I wasn’t sure we were even friends. At the spa you really didn’t look happy to see me.” The breathy quality of her voice caused his gut to clench. James smiled at her as Ryan leaned into her neck, right at that precious spot James had wanted to devour just moments before.
Only a slip of space was between Ryan’s lips and her flesh when he spoke. “Sweetheart, you walked right into the scene of a murder. We wanted you as far away from danger as possible. As for us taking you to the club, James and I are together, angel, but we’re bisexual. And we are definitely interested in you as more than a friend. It will be all three of us if you agree to this, so you need to think about how you feel about that. We could go real slow, get to know each other better and explore what kind of things you’re interested in trying.” Ryan punctuated his statement with a lick to her throat right under her ear. Then, he ran his nose down her throat, back to where her pulse throbbed so hard and fast James could almost feel it from where he still sat.
James had to slow this down before they ended up throwing the woman to the floor and rutting on her like deranged animals. He lifted his hand to thread his fingers through her thick hair. With a slight tug he managed to break her away from Ryan’s hungry mouth. He kept his grip and turned her to face him. James slowly tipped her head forward to meet his. He rubbed his forehead against hers for a moment before he released her. Alexa looked a bit stunned, whether by her own reaction to them or to their offer, he didn’t know, but they needed to give her some space.
“Think about it, Alexa. We could be really good together, but it won’t just be lessons at the club. You’ll have to give more than that. We want to get to know you, not just your body.” James could tell that Alexa had been given about all she could take for one day. It was one hell of a day after all. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t even thought about Kelly since this talk began. He needed to lighten the mood between them and bring their focus back to Kelly. “How about we go check on Carson? I’m going to call Kat and see if she has any updates on Kelly.”
Alexa nodded her head and mechanically walked out of the room and toward the recovery area. James motioned for Ryan to go join her when his cell phone buzzed. Everyone stopped cold and seemed to hold their breath as he answered the phone. He’d barely uttered a “hello” when Kent’s voice rushed through the phone with the news that Kelly had been found and was at the hospital. She was going to be okay but was in bad shape.
“We got him, the fucker’s dead,” Kent grimly stated. “I’ll see you guys at the hospital.”
James felt unsteady on his feet. In a few brief sentences it was over. All the stress of the last few weeks, the gripping fear for Kelly, and anger over what had been done to innocent women, it seemed to pour off him and yet leave him strangely exhilarated. And somehow, this amazing woman before them didn’t even seem shaken. In fact, he was pretty certain she had intentionally tried to help him and Ryan keep from losing their minds with worry. He wasn’t sure his body or his brain knew how to deal wit
h all the emotions just yet. But he knew that they had to get to Kelly and be by her side right now.
“She’s safe. She’s hurt, but she’s safe. We have to get to the hospital.”
Ryan immediately rushed over to embrace him. “The killer?”
James gripped the back of his neck and nodded. “Dead.” He looked over at Alexa to see her staring at Carson. He gave her an encouraging smile, trying to let her know that all the danger had passed.
Plopping down on the floor, Alexa curled her feet under her and started petting the dog. “How about you guys go to the hospital and I’ll stay with him? Once he’s steady on his feet I can take him to my place for the night unless you need to monitor him here. I’ll just call Carl to come pick us up. He’s back in town.”
James thought about it for a minute. He knew Alexa might feel uncomfortable at the hospital with all of them, and he did need someone to watch Carson. Plus, it gave them a reason to go to her house. He took long strides to get to her side and then knelt down next to her. “Thank you, angel. We’ll call with news about Kelly and come over for her dog in a little while.” When he got her nod of assent, he cupped her face and kissed the top of her head. Without another word, he and Ryan were out the door and on the way to the hospital.
Chapter Eight
Alexa finally managed to get a very wobbly Carson from the car to her home. She made sure Precious was locked out back and found as many extra blankets as she could to make a nice nest in her living room for Carson to lie on. Carl had picked her up and brought her home without asking too many questions, thank God, and now she was finally alone and able to process some of what had happened today. Surprisingly, she wasn’t that upset about the serial killer or Kelly. Finding out that Kelly would be okay was enough to help her move on from the earlier drama. It was her conversation with James and Ryan that kept rerunning in her head.
Part of her could not believe she told them she researched sex, or more importantly, that she was interested in BDSM. She tried to rationalize that she was stunned, out of her element, and their confessions about being into BDSM opened a door to information sharing that would otherwise be closed, but come on! They must think she had her own personal sex library in her house. Honestly, how many women used their free time looking into the female orgasm? Mortified, Alexa scrambled into the kitchen to get herself a beer. The cool bottle felt good in her hand, solid. Yes, that was just the thing. She needed to calm down and think rationally here. There was an offer on the table and she would analyze the pros and cons.
Feeling better already, Alexa got out her computer and fired up her Excel spreadsheet. She didn’t have a formula for kinky sex experimentation, but she could at least make a list. She thought better when she could put her observations and questions down in a systematic way, so that’s what she’d do. “Let’s see…sex. Pros. Well, I want it, so that’s a pro. I would get it with two men.” She sucked in her cheeks for a minute. It wasn’t the norm, but since they were together it wasn’t like she’d be a part of any infidelity either. Plus, it might be nice. The one-night stands she’d had before left her unsatisfied and feeling a little cheap. Maybe being real friends with these guys would make her comfortable enough to enjoy herself.
There was no way they’d expect forever from her when they had each other, so this would just be some fun for everyone. If it didn’t bother them to include her in their sex life, then why should it bother her? She could finally stop living through the damn Internet and experience life. “Well, yes. Why not? I deserve sex with two guys who actually know me. Pro.”
Now to the BDSM aspect of the formula. Well, she could figure out if she actually was submissive in reality. That would at least be good information to have, so that went in the “pro” column. Maybe it was time to stop living that part of her life in fantasy land and figure out why she felt so connected to the idea of having someone in her life with some control. After all, it didn’t really make sense. She’d worked all her life at being independent, so she shouldn’t want to hand anyone the reins. It would be good to at least figure out why she kind of wanted to. “Pain. Hmmm. Not sure about that one, but at least I’d understand the point I guess. So, we’ll go with pro.”
Alexa tapped her chin trying to think of any other aspects of BDSM she’d need to consider but she didn’t know enough about what they did to make an accurate list. That irritated her. Her eyes popped wide when she remembered they said they owned a club. What exactly went on in that club? Was anything there really for public display? “Public sex acts…con. Don’t need the whole damn town knowing.” That was the last thing she wanted, actually. Her goal in life had always been to blend in, rather than stick out because her family was fucked up or she was the foster kid with a murderer for a mother. She didn’t even like being the quiet one with her nose in a book. She wanted to be normal and accepted so that she just mixed in with everyone else. Screwing two guys and possibly getting spanked while at it would definitely qualify as stand-out behavior. Not to mention that it could destroy her career if any of her colleagues found out. She wanted this experience, but she’d make sure they didn’t broadcast it to the world.
After three more beers, way too much consideration as to how one actually had sex with two men, a little smack to her thigh with her wooden cooking spoon to sate her curiosity, and many glares at her woefully incomplete spreadsheet, Alexa decided that she’d just have to give the whole experience the green light and see what happened. Her only main concern, aside from her job, was how far they expected this “submissive” thing to go. She forgot to mention to them that she had no interest in the Master/slave dynamic she’d read about. She’d have to take the “wait and see” approach. Too bad there wasn’t a column on her spreadsheet for that.
Alexa saw headlights coming down her street as she made her way to the kitchen. That would be them, coming to get Carson. She grabbed another beer and popped the cap with authority. She would tell them she was interested and let them take the lead. It’s not like she had any idea where to start. And since they were bisexual men in a committed relationship, she figured they did this sort of thing on occasion to get their vagina fix, or whatever they called it. They would know what to do. Alexa would get to have some of the experiences she’d been curious about and maybe good friends when it was all said and done. That should be “pro” somewhere. Probably the “sex” category.
* * * *
James had to practically crawl out of the car when they finally reached Alexa’s house. His body did not appreciate the long hours or the stress of the day, and it was protesting movement a little too vigorously. Ryan didn’t look much better, and his larger frame was moving more slowly than even James’s. Kelly looked like shit, but she was going to be fine. She was one tough bitch, that was for sure, and Troy would be there for her every step of the way.
Alexa must have seen them pull up because she was waiting at the front door to let them in. Well, that answered one question. She wasn’t so freaked out that she took to hiding. James would put that in the “win” column.
“Hey guys, how’s Kelly doing?”
Was she drunk? She was definitely slurring a bit, and that sway didn’t look intentional. Aww shit, she’s cute when she’s drunk. James stepped past her and into the house, firmly telling his dick it wasn’t allowed to engage with a drunken woman, as he answered. “She’s cut up pretty badly, but not too seriously injured. She’ll be okay, and we’ll all be there for her. She wanted to know if you were okay. She was really grateful to you for calling for help and trying to save her. Then she said if you did that shit again she’d handcuff you to your bed when she couldn’t look after you. Kelly’s a bit protective.” He couldn’t help the smile in his voice.
James was alarmed to see tears pool in Alexa’s eyes until she whispered, “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Yup, she was going to be a puzzle to figure out.
Ryan grabbed Alexa’s hand and pulled her over to the couch. “I’m exhauste
d, and that couch looks too incredible to pass up. Come sit with me for a bit?” She gave him a shy smile and nodded her head. He watched as Ryan expertly maneuvered her into a position where he was splayed out in the middle of the love seat. Alexa was leaning on the arm with her legs over Ryan’s lap. She looked uncomfortable for a minute but quickly melted into the position and made a grabbing gesture for her beer. James brought it over and secured a bottle for himself and Ryan.
“Have you been thinking anymore about what we talked about? I know you haven’t had much time, but if you have any questions, or if it’s just not something you’re interested in trying, we could talk about it a little.” He assumed she had been thinking about it a lot if the number of beer bottles on her counter was any indication. He’d have to remember she liked IPAs.
“Well, according to my spreadsheet, there’s really no reason to say no. Except, I’ve highlighted a few concerns, and of course, there’s a lot I don’t know, so I couldn’t input much data.”
Spreadsheet? God save him from scientists. But still, so fucking cute.
“How about you tell us your concerns,” James said, trying not to smile.
“Well, okay, first of all, if people knew that we were dating…is that the correct term here?” When they gave her an affirmative nod, she continued. “Right, so if it got out to anyone at the school that I was dating two guys at once, that would be pretty bad for me. They wouldn’t be able to officially do anything, well maybe they could, but either way, universities aren’t that lenient on professors shirking societal standards. So that’s a concern for me.”