by Rayna Stone
Ryan smiled at her and cupped her head, using his fingers to massage her scalp and temple. She felt James taking out her plug and using more lubricant and his fingers to stretch her wider. “It might hurt a little at first, just like with the plugs, but I want you to take it, angel. Let me know if it’s too much, but I want you to try, okay?”
“Yes, James,” she said lowly.
When he was ready, James pushed and pulled her off and back on his shaft a few times, and Ryan moved closer to where they were joined so he could rub circles on her clit for her. She heard the two of them kissing, but she kept her eyes closed, focusing on the feelings they were giving her and trying not to get too excited so she wouldn’t get too tight.
Finally, James pulled out and rose up behind her. He lifted her by the hips and had her hug her knees to her chest. She felt him breach her outer muscles, so she pushed a bit, through the burn, just like with the plug. It wasn’t even really painful, certainly nothing she couldn’t handle. James went steady and slow, keeping one hand on her hip and the other on her back, rubbing in circles. Ryan was there to rub her neck. Soon enough she started to feel a little too stretched and full, but then she felt James snug up behind her and she knew he was in as far as he could go.
“Fucking beautiful, angel. Jesus, you’re beautiful,” he whispered.
Alexa smiled to herself and took a deep breath. James gave her a minute to get comfortable, and then he started to withdraw. “Oh shit,” she exhaled.
“Good?” Ryan asked, amused.
James tunneled back in and set a steady pace. Alexa couldn’t even answer. She’d gripped the sheets and focused on trying to determine what the hell it felt like. Her mouth was stuck open and she was pretty sure she was drooling, but she didn’t care. This was weird. And good, and different, and somehow stimulating though she couldn’t figure that out because she wouldn’t assume it could be since her lady bits were on the other freaking side.
“Ryan, maybe you should get in there. She’s tight. I’m not gonna last long,” James huffed.
James wrapped his arms around her chest and brought her torso up with him. Ryan helped her open her legs back up so she was straddling him when he reclined beneath her, and so was James. Then, James carefully lowered her onto Ryan’s cock. Holy Mother of God. They weren’t going to fit. Halfway down, she had to stop them. “Wait. Wait.” She shifted around for a second, both men groaning and cursing. Ryan grabbed the vibrator and put it to her clit, and she slammed herself down on him. He shouted in surprise and started bucking beneath her, James holding tight from behind and pumping hard.
She was stretched to her limits and being rubbed in places she’d never felt before. Her whole body was shaking. She felt the surge race through her legs and slam through her belly. When her womb began to ripple, she tried to warn them with a slap or a moan, but nothing came out. She couldn’t even move, her muscles were so tense. When the orgasm broke over her, she turned her head and latched on to James’s neck, making near-silent grunts there, too overcome with each pass for anything else. He held her tight as he convulsed inside her and kept her there while Ryan pumped a few more times until he joined them with a shout of surrender.
It was epic. It was surreal. It was not something she could do daily, that was for sure. She felt like she’d run a marathon. James lowered her limp body on top of Ryan and left the bed to get cleaned up. She still hadn’t fully recovered by the time he returned and cleaned her and Ryan up, too. She had no idea where he got the energy. She was trying to get comfortable snuggling between them and realizing she needed some blankets when Ryan rolled over and grabbed a box off the nightstand.
“I can’t take anymore. I call red. You’ll kill me,” she said seriously.
Ryan looked at her like she was the cutest little thing he’d ever seen, but she was not kidding. He better not have a minibullet in that box. She’d really burst into tears. Her clit was on hiatus. Indefinitely.
Ryan kissed her nose and handed her the box. She carefully took it like there might be a bomb inside and opened the top. Nestled in tissue paper was the most beautiful bracelet she’d ever seen. It was a hammered sterling silver cuff, about an inch in width with the fossilized shell of a crinoid attached to the surface. The shell had been sliced along the length, and there was opal inlay all along the interior. She’d never seen anything so unique or beautiful in her life.
“It’s gorgeous. I love it. And it’s so perfect for me,” she said.
James grabbed the bracelet and opened it. It had a hinge on one side and on the other, a pin slid in place to be locked with a little key. “It’s a collar of sorts. We have keys for it on chains we’ll wear. Nobody but us or people we tell will know what it means, but nobody but Ryan or I can take it off. We want you to wear it.”
Alexa loved that she’d be locked to them, tied to them, even symbolically by something like this. She smiled hugely and held her arm out, jiggling it a bit.
Ryan kissed her shoulder. “We also want you to move in here. You’re never at your house anyway. Sell it.”
Alexa’s face fell a bit. She was less excited about that. She might as well sell it, but it had been comforting knowing it was there. She just smiled and hummed what she hoped passed for her assent. She’d get around to it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Alexa walked down the hall toward her office, taking in all the Christmas decorations. This year she was actually looking forward to the holiday. Everyone was going to the club for a party. It was probably going to be the first Christmas party she’d have fun at. She’d declined the university cocktail party because there was no way she was leaving Ryan at home. If those were the kind of sacrifices she’d have to make, they were the least of her concern. She still had to find some way to talk with Dr. Holcox, but she had a feeling he’d understand and be supportive, or at least respect her privacy. She just didn’t like avoiding him. And honestly, the constant separation of her work life and private life was wearing on her.
As she rounded the corner, she saw the dean for the college waiting outside her door. She’d met him briefly when she first arrived on campus in the fall, and again a few weeks ago when he formerly offered her the position on staff with the geology department, but she knew she didn’t have any meetings scheduled with him anytime soon, so seeing him outside her door didn’t bode well.
“Dean Lamberton, what a surprise. Is there something I can help you with?” she asked.
It was not lost on Alexa just how uncomfortable the man looked as he tried to smile at her. “Actually, Alexa, I need a private word with you if you have time. In your office? And please, call me Marshall.”
Alexa nodded and sorted through her keys. She unlocked her door and gestured for him to proceed her. “Of course. Have a seat.” She was starting to feel grateful she’d been late this morning and missed breakfast. Looked like the mid-December frigid temperatures that made her stay in the warm shower too long finally worked to her advantage. Once they were both settled she looked to the man that was essentially her boss. “Okay, what’s this about?”
Marshall fidgeted a bit, but he quickly composed himself like a man facing down a death squad and seemed to decide to just get it over with. “I got an anonymous e-mail last night. It seems that there’s a concerned citizen with, well, to be honest, a tremendous dislike for you. They claim you’re in a relationship with two men and participating in unsavory sexual practices as well.”
Wow. She would almost feel bad for Marshall if she weren’t so surprised and irritated on her own behalf. “And they just made these claims? Even if they did, is this the kind of thing that you usually then discuss with your employees?” She was working hard to control her voice.
“Well, actually, they threatened to go public with this information. They said they could get pictures of you in some sex club and with these men.” He looked really uncomfortable now. “You have to understand, Alexa, that we rely on parents and donations, money that could be yanked out from un
der us and students that could be pulled if parents think they’re sending their kids to be taught by a woman who may be influencing them to get involved in relationships with multiple partners and sex clubs. This is way more than gay and lesbian rights we’re talking about here. And asking the university to go to bat for you when you’re not a tenured professor isn’t going to happen for even trivial matters, but certainly not when it puts us in the media spotlight on social reform that we’re not prepared to take a stand on. I know it’s your personal life, Alexa, but sadly, if this person knows about it and is prepared to go through with those threats, it will create a shit storm that will be all over CNN within the week. We’re talking students forming protests and parents going ballistic, every organization with an interest in this university will be making demands of their own.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m going to have to ask you not to return for the spring semester. And of course, the offer for the staff position has been rescinded.”
Alexa took in all his words. She knew everything he said was absolutely right, but it didn’t mean it was fair. And what happened to the professors who were on staff? Who were tenured? What happened to the people who didn’t have a trust fund to fall back on? This had nothing to do with her qualifications or abilities. It was bullshit. She’d just figured out her new path, and it made her smile. Marshall didn’t need to know what it was. She could make this little shit sweat for a few days.
Alexa reached for her notepad. “You do realize, Marshall, that I am still under contract for the spring semester, right.” She started writing on the paper and then slid the pad toward him. “I’d like you to take that to the university attorneys. The first number is the figure I’m capable of committing to legal fees necessary to mount a campaign on discrimination against this university. Seems rather unjust that I would be terminated from my contract because of a threat against my personal life. And add to that my professional qualifications, experience, the fact that you personally offered me a position, etc. I’m sure you can see that trying to bury a woman because of whom she chooses to spend her time with, when no one has seen nor heard one peep of it in the classroom, would make for excellent courtroom drama.
“The second number is to the attorneys that can validate that this sum of money is indeed available as I’ve said. I’ll make sure they’re expecting your call. I’m taking the remainder of the week off for personal distress due to harassment from my employer. I won’t make this a formal complaint, but I’m sure you won’t have a problem with it, will you, Marshall?” Alexa was quite pleased to see all the color had drained from his face as he robotically rose from his chair.
“Of course,” he mumbled, never taking his eyes off the paper.
“I’ll let you know Monday if I feel this job is worth the effort and emotional turmoil of fighting you on this, Dean Lamberton, but either way I decide, I want your attorneys to get in touch with mine. I want to know exactly what their course of action would be.”
Alexa was pretty sure he heard her, as he was still nodding when he left her office, but he could still be in shock. She had written the entire amount of her available finances on that paper after all. The man was probably having a coronary. Oh well, she had a point to make. And information to get. She wasn’t going to fight the university, she thought as she clutched her silver cuff, she was going to develop an organization that would do it for others. And maybe Jay would want to help. She just wanted to know what kind of fight other people usually had on their hands.
Chapter Twenty-Six
James pushed his stallion hard. The weather was cold and snow was coming soon, but he desperately needed this ride. It’d been too long since he’d taken his horse out for a long run anyway, but after Alexa came home to tell them about being fired today, he couldn’t even think straight, much less stay in the house and control his emotions. He knew there wasn’t anything that could calm him like a hard run alone with his thoughts and time to calm the fuck down.
What surprised him the most was Alexa’s acceptance of the situation. She didn’t even seem upset that she was being forced out of a job she seemed to like, and stepping away from a career she’d devoted her life to. She’d just told them what happened and that she wanted to start an organization to help other people faced with the same situation.
James slowed his mount and took the time to look at the view of the mountains. He loved it here. There was beauty all around, but it wasn’t doing much to ease him. Even his horse seemed incapable of relaxing beneath him today. He didn’t feel like he had control over anything right now, and that wasn’t a position he was comfortable with.
For once, he didn’t think Ryan was on the same page with him. Ryan was just happy that Alexa wasn’t upset. But James wanted more of a reaction from her. She was still holding back, damn it, and he didn’t like it. James swung the horse around, resigned to the fact that he would have to go back home without any more answers or a plan to figure out how to get his relationship where he felt it needed to be.
When he walked in the door and saw Alexa and Ryan having a glass of wine and throwing treats for Precious like nothing in the world was wrong, his blood pressure hit the roof. “Are you two seriously not at all affected by what happened today? Am I the only one here the least bit upset that Alexa was targeted by someone, need I remind you we don’t even know who,” he barked, “and fired because of our relationship? All her years of hard work gone in a fucking day and you’re drinking wine and playing with the damn dog,” he snapped.
Alexa had gone pale and shrunk down into the couch. Ryan put his wine on the coffee table and stood up to get in James’s face. “What the fuck is wrong with you? You are not the one that lost your job, James. Alexa is okay and it was her decision to leave. We should be supporting her, not yelling about it. What the fuck?”
“Guys, please don’t fight over this.” James looked down at Alexa to see her wringing her hands. He wasn’t backing off her now. Ryan wasn’t right about this. It wasn’t the time to coddle her. She needed to be pushed because she wasn’t reacting at all and he knew something about that wasn’t right.
“No, babe. Not this time. That career was everything to you. Your stability, remember? And you gave it up in a heartbeat.” He rounded Ryan and got right in front of her. “Someone found out about us and threatened you, and you chose us”—he squeezed her hands—“which I love, honey, but you didn’t even think about it or fight it.” James stood up and made sure his voice was stern when he spoke next. “I want to know why, Lex, because frankly I’m a bit confused.”
She snapped her head up and looked at him. “Honey, you didn’t even sell your house when we asked you to. Whenever we talk about the future you’re always sure to include some caveat about not leaving us as long as we don’t leave you. We have your love, but not your trust. You’ll give up your job to stay with us, but keep your house in case we kick you out? I can’t get my head around it, Lex. I don’t know how to make you understand. And you’re afraid of the wrong fucking thing. You’re so wrapped up in protecting what you have while you have it that you can’t even see that someone threatened you today!”
James was pacing now, his fear for her really coming to the forefront. “I have no control over your mind, honey. I can’t help you believe we won’t leave you. I can’t give you back the job you earned, and I can’t keep you safe from someone who’s a goddamn shadow. And without something as important as your trust, how can we be sure you won’t leave us to get back all the things you’ve lost. Even your fucking safety is at stake here.”
Ryan put his hand to James’s chest. “James,” he warned, “enough.”
Lex shot off the couch, “No, Ryan. I don’t need you to shut him down for me.” James and Ryan both whipped their heads in her direction. She was a little ball of fury. This was the reaction he’d been expecting earlier. Finally, something. She was ready to fight for something. “First of all, I know who threatened me. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, James. Uncle Pete s
ent the freaking e-mail. He’s done shit like this before when he doesn’t get his way. It’s one of his little tactics. He tries to find a way to fuck with my job or apartment so that I’ll be at loose ends, and then he thinks that for some asinine reason I’ll go into business with him. That’s why I didn’t panic. It didn’t even faze me it’s happened so frequently. It’s also one of the reasons why short-term jobs were ideal. It made it harder for him to succeed with those plans.
“Second, you don’t get to piss all over the way I’m handling this because I thought I was doing a pretty awesome job of it! I’ve been aware that this was a possibility since we started seeing each other. Ask Kelly, I made my decision about what I’d do a while ago, so it wasn’t really a big blow for me. I’ve already done the drama thing. Over that, thanks. I ate the cookies, too. So I didn’t have a breakdown and you didn’t get to pick up the pieces. Get over it. Next!”
Jesus. The woman was seriously on a roll. And he was going to have to ask Kelly just how many conversations they’d had. For now, he and Ryan just sat down on the couch and decided to shut the fuck up.
“You’re right about me being afraid, okay? I trust you both as much as I know how.” She stopped at looked at them. The rant had worn down and now she showed a flash of heartbreak. “I might be broken, James. The people who I should have been able to rely on since birth shattered every ounce of what develops that skill when I was little. I may not know how to rely on people or really trust them. What then?” She looked so lost he wanted to go to her, but Ryan, finally getting his head in the game, restrained him with his hand on James’s leg.
“I don’t care about my career, or that house, I’ll sell it tomorrow. I don’t give a shit about any of it. And I’ll never leave you because of what I’ve lost, because what you give me is more than I even fantasized about when I used to dream of all the perfect lives I could live if I just had my choice of one. None of the other stuff matters.”