Alexa's Web [Mastering Holly Oaks 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rayna Stone

  * * * *

  “Um, Jane? That’s a bit close to my—” She never got to finish her statement, as the scream was ripped from her throat along with the hair from her hoo-ha. Sonofabitch! That was not anywhere near the customary bikini line. Shit just got serious.

  Alexa catapulted off the table and lunged for the spatula Jane was using to torture the ever loving shit out of her lady parts. It was going to take all her self-control not to beat the fuck out of Kelly for this little stunt. There should have been a waiver or something for her to sign that would give her an indication of the extent for this little “waxing procedure.” Normally her self-control would win out in a situation such as this, but she’d not ever felt someone rip the hair right from her sensitive bits before. That was a whole new level of pain. Something in her mind seemed to override her normal level of controlled response.

  Wielding the spatula like a sword, Alexa maneuvered around Jane and right out the door, her little robe flapping in the breeze. A breeze she now felt in some new places.

  She registered Lily’s light footsteps falling in behind her, but she was on a mission. Opening the door to Kelly and Kat’s facial with enough force to alert the whole building, Alexa glared daggers at her new arch nemesis.

  “All right, I was okay with the leg part, but what is up with the waxing portion of the show? Seriously? What genius decided that it would be a great idea to rip the hair off the most delicate part of the human body? Because I intend to cause that individual serious bodily damage. Can we not just shave and call it a day?”

  Kat sat up. “The Wax Nazi just does her thing, she never asks. I suggest you just suck it up and let her finish.” Alexa pulled in her breath and turned her ire Kat’s way.

  Just then the little woman Kelly employed for waxing services entered the room. “I have a name, goddamnit. And I’m very gentle!”

  Kat rolled her eyes. “Yes, Jane, the Wax Nazi, is as gentle as a sadist gets.”

  Jane gave Kat the evil eye. “You’re next, hon, so I’d watch that mouth of yours.” Kat paled and slumped back down, appropriately chastened. Alexa just looked from face to face. Everyone seemed resigned that this was part of the deal, and she felt like a baby making a scene, but seriously, that shit hurt. It did not help matters that Kelly was smirking. Smirking! This was going on her spreadsheet for girl-club activities in the con category. And she’d be getting an advance copy of the agenda for the day the next time they went out.

  “Okay. I can deal. I’m a big girl. I’ll let Jane here finish her torture session. But I’m giving you notice that I get rights to veto any and all future activities.” If they didn’t think her tone was serious, she really hoped her little foot stomp expressed that emotion. By the way Kelly smiled and whispered “she’s just perfect,” she had a feeling the foot stomp was the wrong way to go.

  Without another word, she whirled around and reluctantly handed over the spatula, conceding defeat. Jane used it to point back to her room, and she dragged her feet back down the hall. She was going to find articles. Tons of articles. There had to be a reason that hair was there, and once she found out what it was, she was going to make sure every one of these women had that information. Some things just weren’t right about beauty modification, and Alexa was sure as shit this was one of them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  James watched as Alexa and Ryan danced to “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” by Big and Rich. He would never understand the popularity of country music, but he didn’t give a shit what it was because the two most beautiful people on the dance floor were having a ball, and Ryan was slipping in some intensely sexual moves to boot. Alexa was responding to him by getting bolder as the song went on. The way her hips swayed in that bunched-up black skirt was giving him heart palpitations. He gave Kelly a huge smack on the lips for getting his girl in a corset, too. It was made to look like a pinstriped vest with a little turned-down halter-top collar. The hooks in the front and the ties down her back gave him two options for getting rid of it quickly, which was always a plus. And the silver multiple-strand necklace that looked like a tie was perfection. It glided over her breasts into the deep V of the collar with every beat of the music. It was impossible to look away. The only problem was, they were downstairs and he had to behave himself for a while longer. If they were upstairs, he’d grab that necklace by the knot at her throat and bury his face in the cleavage that her satin corset displayed for him.

  James was having a great time so far. The dinner was hilarious as the girls gave him a play-by-play of their day. He’d have paid good money to watch the scene at the spa. It’d been a long time since everyone at their table had a good laugh like that, so even though he could tell that Alexa was a bit embarrassed, he was grateful to her for sharing her part of the story with such enthusiasm. He was also grateful that she seemed to really fit in with the girls. They adored her already, and he could tell that she liked them as well. He wanted her to have friendships with these women. They were supportive and wonderful people. James believed that everyone needed friends like that. People who would stand with you and share your life. Alexa had been alone for so long, but she was bonding with his group and already showing more confidence.

  It was amazing to him how far she’d come in just three weeks. Every day it seemed she showed more of her personality. That look of expectation, like she was waiting for someone to shun her, was disappearing from her eyes. James knew that some people would have been scarred for life without a healthy and supportive family or social network, but Alexa was willing to reach out for one. Best of all, she was feisty. Not worn down and defeated. He didn’t know all the details yet, but he suspected her homelife was pretty bad. She didn’t have the courage to open up to people before, and he was worried that she may let her fear of rejection stop her from doing so now, but she was stronger than that. She was taking a big risk with all of them, and he was going to make sure she didn’t regret it.

  They were ready to move the relationship to the next level. James still had his concerns, primarily that Alexa was worried there would be back-blow if people were to know they were together. If this had a chance of working out, she would need to come to terms with the reality that some people would not accept their polyamorous relationship. He knew that there could be real and devastating consequences for her career, and that was nothing to sniff at, but she would have to decide if they were worth the loss. If the worst should happen, would she choose them over the life she had worked so hard to build? The only security she’d ever known? Right now, he knew the answer was “no,” so it was their job to give her the kind of security that meant more than her job. They had to show her that it didn’t matter if they were what everyone else considered “normal,” what they could build was worth the hardships they might encounter.

  Thank fuck they had the kind of support they would need in this community. They could openly be together in Holly Oaks, which would give her that sense of “fitting-in” he knew she craved so much. Time would tell how she handled her life outside of this town though. He had to admit, the fact that she worked at such a large university did stress him out. He hoped that they could come to terms on how to handle any questions about her personal life. That might be tricky. He didn’t want any of them to have to lie or hide, but he knew the realities of life, and she wouldn’t be bringing them both to work functions as her men. James sighed as Alexa and Ryan came back to the table. Time enough to figure that all out.

  Alexa was flushed from the dancing and all the hip grinding Ryan did. Seeing how beautiful she looked right now took his breath away. James took her hand and leaned into her, brushing her ear with his lips. “You looked amazing out there, baby. My turn.” With that, he pulled her back out of her seat and winked at Ryan. “At Last” by Etta James was playing, and he would not pass up the opportunity to hold her close.

  James wrapped her hands around his neck and molded his body to hers, sliding his leg between her thighs and pressing on the small of her back to bri
ng their hips together. Alexa let out a little sigh and relaxed in his arms. God, it felt so right holding her like this. Dancing with their woman and soothing her hair down her back. She smelled like apples, which made him smile in contemplation of her spa day again. It took tremendous restraint not to get hard just knowing that beneath that little skirt, she was waxed. Focus, James.

  “Are you having a good time?” he asked.

  Alexa’s smile reached her eyes as she nodded her head enthusiastically. “I’ve never gone dancing before. This is the most fun I’ve ever had, James.” She scrunched her nose a little. “That may sound ridiculous, but the dinner, the conversation, the laid-back atmosphere here…I’ve really never had such a good time.”

  James’s heart broke a little knowing that she hadn’t had this before, but he was trying hard not to puff his chest out with pride that he was a part of it now. “Baby, you deserve to have this. You have no idea how fascinating you are.” He pulled her closer when she tried to deny his statement. “You are. You’re funny and intelligent. You’ve managed to include everyone at the table in conversation. They like you, honey, and not because you’re here with me and Ryan. I don’t think Lily’s looked so comfortable around anyone since we’ve known her. You bring value to this group all on your own, angel. I intend to keep telling you that until you believe me.”

  Alexa gently brought his mouth to hers and gave him a lingering lip touch. It was sweet, it was gratitude, it was the first time she initiated any kind of kiss, and it was so stunning in its honesty and simplicity that it seared him to his soul. When she broke away, he cupped the back of her head and laid his forehead on hers. “You’re so beautiful, baby.” He slid his nose along hers as he whispered, “Best. Dance. Ever.”

  * * * *

  Alexa was having the time of her life, but she couldn’t forget that at some point, they were going upstairs. She was astonished to realize that she wasn’t nervous at all. The ease of the night, all the fun they were having, and dancing with her men holding her close had given her a sense of safety that settled deep and made her excited for more. After Kelly and Troy left to go back to their new home, James signaled for the group to move to the members-only part of the club. Ryan held her hand as they followed Lily, Kent, Kat, Mac, and Jay. Having Kat escorted by her two husbands made Alexa feel less obvious about being with two men. Nobody even batted an eye at them all night.

  They followed the group to an elegantly draped table, and James pulled her onto his lap. Ryan moved his chair close so he could hold her hand. Once everyone was seated, she got her first real look at the room. It was nothing like she expected. At first glance, it appeared to be no different than a dining room in a nice restaurant. There were tables interspersed throughout the area, all covered with burgundy-and-black tablecloths and set with fresh flowers. No table held the same bouquet.

  Some of the areas were sectioned off for leather couches and end tables, with lush ferns in stone-carved pots placed to provide a sense of seclusion. The lighting was soft, the room either illuminated by small, delicate-looking glass chandeliers or candles. It was lovely and immediately made her want to relax against James like they were out for what she always imagined a romantic date would be like.

  Then she started to pick up on the differences in this scene. There were men and women kneeling or sitting on pillows, even at the tables where others were eating a meal. Some looked interested in the conversation around them. Others were focused on the floor, being utterly ignored. Most of the people on the floor were sparsely dressed. One woman only wore a dog collar and garter belt. Alexa blinked at that, it seemed so incongruous that there would be a naked woman kneeling on the floor next to the table in a room full of people. It was hard to tell her brain that she wasn’t imagining any of this.

  Then she saw an area by the leather couches where a group of men and women sat sipping cocktails, while another group looked to be rolling around on the floor playing. Some had cat or dog ears on, and most of them actually had tails sticking out of their behinds. Not even being able to process that one, Alexa’s eyes continued to scan the room until she saw the cages. In the furthest corner from the door, there were large metal cages, just like she’d seen at animal shelters, except these ones had pillows and blankets in them, and people curled up and locked inside.

  Without any conscious effort on her part, her body stiffened while all the color drained from her face. This was what it meant to be submissive. This was what James and Ryan wanted her to see, and this is what they would want from her. Her mind was running a mile a minute. It seemed to contradict everything she had experienced from them so far. But they had told her time and again that they weren’t yet in any kind of D/s relationship, and now she understood what they meant. They hadn’t asked her to kneel. They hadn’t hidden her away in a cage.

  Alexa’s stomach dropped right from her body and through the floor. She had really started to feel something she never thought she’d feel in her life. And she thought maybe they were starting to feel that same thing for her. Now she realized that she would never be able to give them what they needed. So, she would never be held in their arms again.

  Alexa barely felt how James’s arms tightened around her, but she knew her own tension was seeping into him all the same. Just when she was starting to accept the possibility of them, of a real relationship with them, it was going to end. Even though being with them went against everything she thought she knew about normal relationships, she was mature enough to understand that “normal” was nothing but a relative term. She was experienced enough in the disappointments in life, in the loneliness of her life, to know that no matter how unconventional, if she could find happiness with them and give happiness in return, it was a risk worth taking. She’d been so proud of herself when she realized that this wasn’t about sex at all, and she was being brave enough to give it a shot. And now, she felt so devastated it was actually hard to take a breath.

  Alexa wasn’t judging any of these people, they all seemed so happy that it would be impossible to anyway. She just wasn’t capable of being one of them. She finally had her answer. It all made sense to her on paper, but seeing it in reality was different, just as James and Ryan said it would be. She felt soft and fluttery when she saw some of the people in the room, especially a couple where a woman was kneeling on a cushion and her Dom was playing with her hair, but those cages sent icicles through her veins. How could she be a true submissive if just looking at cages made her want to vomit?

  Before she could come up with a way to graciously remove herself from the situation, Ryan pulled her up and James guided her out of the room and down a hall to what looked like an office. It was simply decorated with pictures of James and Ryan at various locations. They were smiling in every one. Just seeing how happy they were made her heart ache more.

  James whispered, “We’re losing her,” and that brought her out of her head enough to face them. They deserved an explanation. They’d been so good to her, and they were taking things slow. She knew they were worried about what her reaction to this place would be and she owed them more than to run away like she always did.

  “Talk to us, angel. What happened in there?” Ryan looked so sad she had to turn away for a moment.

  Easing onto the chair across from their love seat, she tilted her head to indicate that she wanted them to sit. She needed some space for this. “Nothing bad happened, guys. It’s just that I can’t be like the people in that room.” She closed her eyes to try and gather her thoughts, and then continued.

  “See, I don’t know much about how this actually works. I’ve read about the psychology behind submissive tendencies, but I never really got into the actual practice of people in the lifestyle beyond scenes and stuff. I mean…I know about floggers and Shibari, things like that, but I didn’t realize that people actually got locked in cages and stuff, ya know? I think I’m just now getting that theory and reality are too different, and I just can’t be what you need. I thought I might be s
ubmissive and this had a chance, but I guess I’m not because I can’t do that.” There. It was done. Now they could move on and stop hoping that there was any chance for the three of them.

  When James’s face relaxed into a smile, Alexa scrunched hers up in confusion. “Honey, tell us exactly what you’re thinking. I want to know what you mean because I think you’re under a misconception about what we need. I need you to clarify what about ‘this’ you don’t think you can do.”

  Well. How much more plain did she need to be? She wasn’t stupid, she saw what was expected and she couldn’t do it. Fine. They wanted to know just how crappy she’d be as their submissive, she’d gladly tell them.

  “The cage, James. Or how some of the submissives were kneeling on the floor, not allowed to speak, being treated like an object that is not as worthy as the humans at the table. I spent enough of my life being insignificant. I fought to be heard. I won’t kneel for anyone like a subservient waiting for her lord and master to acknowledge her. I know that isn’t how they see it, James. I’m not judging them. I’m happy for them to have found something that gives them a place. Believe me, I fucking know what it is to want a place. But even if I rationally know this, in my heart, I only connected with the subs who were being shown affection. How not submissive is that? It’s greedy! Being cast aside and ignored is what I should expect, but that doesn’t feel like a safe place for me at all, so this isn’t going to work. I’m so sorry I got this all wrong.”

  Damn it. They were grinning. And nodding. Okay, they didn’t get it, so she’d just continue. “And the ‘pet play.’ Not happening. I admit to being curious about anal sex, but there is no way in hell I’m wearing a tail. I’m not a cat, dog, or horse. I’m not eating out of a bowl, and I sure as hell am not barking for attention. They were nipping at each other, James. Nipping. If someone other than one of you bites me, swear to God, shit’s going down.”