Hanging On 2: Surreal Neal [Awakenings 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More)

by Michele Zurlo

  “Your mom called me today. She and your dad are coming for a visit the last week in October.”

  “Yeah?” I smiled. I might not have shared many details of my personal life with my parents, but I liked them, and I hadn’t seen them since Christmas. They’d moved to Arizona when I finished high school, leaving me to pursue my dreams in Boston. Instead I’d met a man who had convinced me that I wanted to belong to him and live in Rio. “What’s the occasion?”

  She grinned, and that mischievous glint appeared back in her eyes. “I think they miss me.”

  * * * *

  I went for testing the next morning, and I threw myself into work for the remainder of the week. Almost every day, I worked alongside Drew, yet he said nothing that wasn’t food-related. I wished he would give me some sign that our conversation had taken place so that I didn’t feel like such a freak for thinking about it almost every minute of every day.

  Perhaps this was nothing new to him. I knew that he and Sophia played with others, but I couldn’t believe the novelty would have already worn off. Otherwise, why would they continue to invite people into their bedroom?

  On Saturday, we had an early start time. The job was due to be in the delivery van by one-thirty, so we were there at ten. Having a bakery on the other side helped a lot. We used fresh breads and pastries, and those were all made by Ginny’s staff, which left us free to concentrate on the savory dishes.

  As I stirred ingredients into a mushroom sauce that would go over the chicken, I surreptitiously watched Drew. He squatted in front of a low cupboard and riffled through the contents, searching for something. His thighs strained against his pants, and the position pulled the fabric tight against his ass. Sophia hadn’t exaggerated about the appeal of Drew’s backside. I wanted to know what it felt like in my hands.

  My phone chirped. I had it in my front pocket, and the noise startled me. Drew turned to give me a warning look, and I was struck by the perfection of his features. This problem wasn’t new. I could stare at him for hours and never grow tired.

  But I shook it off and nodded my understanding. We weren’t allowed to be on our phones at work. Since I’d cut ties with so many people, and I had yet to establish new connections, I hadn’t expected it to make noise. I’d forgotten it was in my pocket.

  With such a short shift, we had no breaks. Because I wasn’t expecting a text, curiosity burned through me, though it was probably just a wrong number. That had happened before. I’d had this number for a month, and whoever had it before me had left some girl twisting in the wind.

  Drew’s phone must have vibrated—I didn’t hear it—but he pulled it from his pocket and checked his messages. Some of the staff complained about the unfairness of Drew being allowed to check his phone when we weren’t, but I didn’t join in. He was the boss, and a missed message could have us cooking a canceled meal or delivering to the wrong address.

  His expression didn’t change as he read, but when he pointed a look at me, I knew the time had come. Without a word, I checked the text I’d received. It was from Sophia. Test results back. Everybody clean. Drew will show you ours. See you this afternoon?

  Elise, a cute redhead who had been a member of the Sensual Secrets staff for three years, sidled up to me. “Hey, you’d better put that away. Boss man isn’t glaring yet, but I’ve seen him fire people for being on their phones.”

  I slid it back into my pocket and met Drew’s gaze. I gave a small nod, and he turned away, but not before I saw a cocky smile stretching the corners of his mouth.

  After we’d packed everything up, loaded the van, and instructed the serving staff and supervising chef, I went looking for Drew. I knew he hadn’t left because he had to lock up. I found him upstairs in his office, flipping through papers from the fax.

  He looked up when I came in. “Neal. Are you guys done with cleanup?”

  “Not yet. I got a text from Sophia.” It didn’t seem right to use her title with him. I had a feeling that he merely tolerated protocol.

  “So did I.” He got to his feet and shifted uncomfortably.

  Iron fists of oh-shit curled in my stomach. He was searching for a way to back out without hurting my feelings. Besides lust, my feelings didn’t enter into this. At least, I tried to get the iron in my stomach to believe that.

  I fiddled with the hem of my chef’s jacket and shuffled my foot. “You changed your mind.” I nodded. “That’s fine. I understand.”

  Fleeing was my first impulse. I headed toward the door, but Drew closed the distance faster and wrapped his hand around my upper arm. Damn, he had big hands.

  “You’re wrong. I’m just not comfortable talking about it here.” He inhaled deeply and relaxed his grip. “Your job here and that other thing are completely unrelated, and I want it to stay that way.”

  Nodding, I took a step closer. “So, no talking about it here. Got it.”

  His gaze flickered to my lips and back to my eyes. Inches separated our bodies. I’d never been this close to him. If I stuck out my tongue, I could lick his lower lip. We stared at each other, taking slow, shallow breaths, each inhaling the other’s scent, and all I could think about was what he might taste like. I wanted to know the flavor of his lips, the spice of his skin, and to savor his cock in my mouth.

  One of us was going to have to break the spell, but we were both reluctant to move. Finally I could stand it no longer. Grabbing the lapel of his jacket, I collapsed those inches and pressed my lips to his. He went still, I think from shock, but then he put one hand low on my back and cupped the back of my head with the other.

  His lips were strong, and he tasted like hints of the dinner we’d been cooking. Seeking more, I thrust my tongue into his mouth. He tangled his tongue with mine, and I almost died. Certainly, I was in heaven.

  Then he broke off suddenly, shoving himself back and holding a stiff arm between us. “Neal, not here. Never here. And never when Sophia isn’t present.”

  Already I’d made my first mistake. I swallowed. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  He grabbed the papers he’d been handling. “Test results. Look them over. Let me know if anything changes your mind.”

  I glanced at the papers, knowing that I wanted to be with them no matter what. “I need a ride to your place.” Besides, Mistress had said we were all clean. I didn’t have a feeling that she would lie to me. I liked that about her.

  He knit his brows. “What happened to your car?”

  The few times I’d come to his house for filming, I had used Aunt Danielle’s car, or she’d dropped me off and picked me up. “I don’t have one. If I have enough notice, my aunt lets me borrow hers. But she’s using it today.”

  “Yeah.” He licked his lips, and I wanted to think he was reminding himself how good that kiss had been. “Come back upstairs when you’re finished with your shift.”

  When I returned twenty minutes later, I found Drew on the phone. His back was to me, and he stared out a window.

  “He kissed me.”

  Alarm ran through me. Would she put the kibosh on the whole thing because I’d messed up? Or would she punish me for stepping out of line?

  “It’s different because I kissed him back. I thought you should know.” Pause. “Yeah.” Pause. “He doesn’t have a car. I’m bringing him home with me.” Pause. “You think?” Pause. “No, that’s fine. It’s a good idea. I wouldn’t have thought of it, and he probably wouldn’t have either.” Pause. “Okay. I love you. See you soon.”

  He turned to find me waiting in the doorway. I didn’t bother keeping my gaze downcast. Drew liked strong, bold men. Parts of me were submissive, but other pieces could—and had—faced down the unwashed armed and dangerous without flinching.

  “Is she upset?”

  Drew shook his head. “She said she was used to people throwing themselves at me.” He scooped up his keys and his jacket. “I’ll lock up, we’ll get my car, and then we’ll swing by your house. Sophie said you probably wanted to grab a change of c
lothes.”

  Aunt Danielle was out when we got there, and I was thankful for that. I didn’t want to introduce her to the man who was about to become my casual lover. He waited in the front room while I threw some things into a duffle bag.

  We made small talk, chatting mostly about food and career plans, until he had me in the car and heading toward his place.

  “Sophie won’t punish you, if that’s what has you so nervous.”

  I had thought I’d been doing a better job hiding my anxiety. While I hadn’t been thinking about that specifically, the idea hadn’t left my head. I wasn’t sure if his assurance disappointed or puzzled me more. “She won’t?”

  “No. She wants to have a light intro scene first. You know how Dommes always want to choreograph sex.” He chuckled. “It’s funny—when I met her, she didn’t have a problem diving in and making a sub conform to her rules. Now she says she’s going to take things slowly, get to know your likes and dislikes.”

  I studied him as he drove, delving beneath his handsome exterior. Drew took a lot of flack in the celebrity chef community—at least according to what I’d overheard, but that could have been sour grapes and jealousy—but none of it was deserved. I’d found him to be a hard worker, an exacting boss, and a fantastic chef. Sure he was a playboy, but that shouldn’t negate his other qualities. And I wouldn’t be with him right now if he wasn’t into playing around.

  The frown on his face concerned me. “You don’t want her to take it slow?”

  “I’m fine with that. It’s a good sign. I guess I’m wondering how she’s going to change the rules.”

  I took a chance with a pushy question. “You don’t like participating in the BDSM scenes, and you want to know if it will get better for you or worse?”

  That frown traded places with confusion. “With Sophia, it can’t be anything but great. I tend to skip the S and M parts. Not my thing. I was actually glad to hear that you’re not much of a masochist. If she’s going to flog you or something, which she will do later tonight, I tend to stay away until she’s finished.”

  I didn’t want him to stay away. I wanted him to watch me cherish and obey his wife. This was more complicated than I had anticipated. “Do you want me to set a hard limit of no flogging?”

  He didn’t live too far from Sensual Secrets. As he pulled into the gated drive leading to his palatial estate, he choked and coughed. “Hell no. She wouldn’t be happy if you did that, and neither would you. I may not want to see or do that stuff, but I understand that you both need it.”

  Drew hit the button on his car to open the garage door. Then he put that hand on my knee. Soon I would feel the heat of his palm against my bare skin instead of through the fabric of my pants.

  “Neal, we both want you to be honest at all times. This is supposed to be fun and fulfilling. If it isn’t, you need to speak up. Sophia and I talk openly with each other about what we want, how we want it, and how it went. Rest assured that we will include you in relevant conversations.”

  I wasn’t certain I wanted to have that much honesty and communication. It sounded like a relationship, and I sure as hell didn’t want that. At this point, I felt it was prudent to keep my mouth shut.

  The garage let us into the house through a door leading to the rear of the foyer. I’d seen the door before, but I hadn’t known where it went. The foyer was a tall, wide space with a curved staircase leading to the second floor on one side and the opening to a library on the other. If I went under the catwalk that was big enough to fit half my aunt’s house, I entered an elegant living room that had a massive fireplace on one wall. Everything in this house screamed style and money, yet I found neither Drew nor Sophia intimidating.

  Sophia greeted us in the hallway. She wore a sheer, see-through white shirt that showed a lacy black bra underneath, and a black leather skirt. I knew she would never wear this in public. It was sexy, but in a private kind of way, and I loved that I got to see her like this.

  She threw her arms around Drew and laid a provocative, openmouthed kiss on him. Their bodies molded together, and I was reminded of the first time I’d seen them. It was even more erotic close-up.

  When she pulled away, she grinned up at him. “Feel better?”

  “Hell, yes.”

  “Want to shower?”

  “Of course.”

  She released him and turned her attention to me. “I’m glad you decided to come.” Then she grabbed my chef’s jacket, which I had forgotten to take off, and pulled me to her. She had power over me, an inexplicable force that compelled me to lean down so she could kiss me.

  Once our lips made contact, I lost all ability to think. Being with a dominant did that to me. I squelched my reservations about turning over so much authority to another person. I’d been burned, badly, but not by her. This was sex—nothing more.

  She spread her fingers through my hair, and pleasant shivers ran down my spine. When she bit at my lower lip, I parted to let her deeper. She took the remnants of my control. Where I’d felt fire from Drew, Sophia turned me to liquid.

  Then she released me. I stumbled forward, and she put a hand on my chest to stabilize me. She laughed. I liked the sound.

  “Shower with Drew. I’ll warn you now that he doesn’t mess around in there. He’ll have sex anywhere but in the bathroom.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “He takes his grooming very seriously.”

  “Ha-ha.”

  I whirled to find Drew standing on the bottom step. I thought he had gone upstairs, but he hadn’t. He’d watched Mistress kiss me. Desire blazed in his eyes, and I realized how much he liked watching me with her. He also managed to sport a dry expression.

  Mistress took my hand and led me toward him. “He does. Your job will be to see how far you can push him without touching him. I’m going to watch.”

  Drew shot her a wry look, but he didn’t protest. He’d said they discussed scenes beforehand. I wondered if this was an ad-lib, but I knew better than to ask. I didn’t need Mistress upset with me right now.

  The second floor was just as large and stylish as the first. We passed several guest rooms before making it to their suite. Yes, they had a suite. The doors from the hallway opened to a living room. On one end, they had a huge set of bay windows that overlooked one side of the house. The other end featured a balcony, and I glimpsed a hot tub outside.

  Through opened French doors, I saw a massive bed. The room was huge, and it still dominated the space. Mistress and I followed Drew into there and down a short hallway that had closed doors on either side. I wondered if they were closets or if one of them was a dungeon.

  At the end of the hall, we arrived in a bathroom that was larger than my room at Aunt Danielle’s place. Marble everywhere. They had a huge soaker tub, but Drew bypassed that in favor of a glass-fronted shower. He tapped a button on the outside and water flowed inside. The buttons were numbers, and I guessed at programmable shower settings.

  Drew stripped out of his shirt and tossed it on the floor. Mistress unbuttoned my jacket.

  “I can’t touch him at all?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  Strategies for seduction rushed through my head, all of them hitting dead ends. “How long have you been together?”

  “Four years.” She lifted my shirt up.

  Drew watched the big reveal. I was proud of my body. I ran and lifted weights, so I had great tone and definition. Both of them registered approval at the sight of a shirtless me.

  “And you’ve never once had sex in the shower?”

  Next, she went for the button and zipper on my pants. “Not once. This house has seven bathrooms. Those would be the seven virgin rooms.” She grinned, and I knew she thought I would fail.

  It wasn’t nice to set up my first challenge like that. I’d seen the way he looked at her, and I’d witnessed them having sex more than once. If she couldn’t get him to fuck her in the shower, what chance did I have?

  “What’s the punishment for fail
ure?”

  She slid her hands along the waist of my pants, feeling me up as she pushed them down my legs. I was already half hard, and the way she parted her lips and licked them brought me to full salute.

  “You get a reward for succeeding. Failure means you have to wait until Drew is done grooming to have sex. He can take a while.”

  “Hey.” Drew protested, but he didn’t sound angry. “You like the way I look.”

  He was nude. While I’d been distracted by Mistress, Drew had shucked the rest of his clothes. She sauntered over to him, wiggling her delicious ass as she went, and traced her finger down his sternum, not stopping until she had his cock wrapped in her hand.

  “I love the way you look. That doesn’t make you go faster.”

  He grabbed her hips and ground his cock against her pelvis. “You like slow.”

  I also liked it slow. And fast. Or medium. I wanted him to do that to me. They kissed. I observed, and I barely resisted the urge to stroke myself. I wasn’t sure if Mistress had a rule about that. Most dominants did.

  Drew released her and stepped into the shower. Mistress motioned me closer, and brilliance struck.

  “So I have to get him to have sex in the shower, and I can’t touch him? Any other rules?”

  She shook her head.

  “Great.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her against me. I think she was expecting a kiss, but I carried her into the shower with me.

  She wiggled, not really struggling against me, and let out a cute squeal of surprise. “I’m wearing clothes.”

  I closed the shower door and set her down. The thing had so many spigots that I had nowhere to put her where she wouldn’t get wet. It even had a rainfall showerhead at one end, where Drew was currently standing. Water ran down his magnificent body as he lifted his arms and rubbed shampoo into his hair. He had his back to us, so I was treated to the sight of his fine ass.

  “I’ll fix that, Mistress.” I noticed that she didn’t start imposing new rules in the middle of the challenge, and she seemed more amused than upset.