by M. Q. Barber
“In your position?” She’d never be in Henry’s position. Hell, if she hadn’t met him, she wouldn’t even be in her position.
“As the established leader in a relationship. Imagine—ah. Yes. You’re close with your sister, are you not? Despite the geographic distance between you?”
“I try to be, yeah. She’s in California, but we do our best.” Not so much contact as she’d like, but Ollie had been so busy with internship rotations this year that their schedules had rarely matched.
“If you had a comfortable home, well within your means, and she were to come live with you, would you insist she pay rent?”
“Of course not. I’d be paying the same for my place whether she lived there or not. I’d want her to save her money for more important things.” What a ridiculous question. “She’s my little sister. I love her.”
Silence from Henry. A smirk from Jay.
“Oh.” Closing her eyes, she swallowed through the tight warmth in her chest she hadn’t understood how to quantify before. Something she welcomed now rather than fighting against.
“Yes, ‘oh.’” Henry turned her head and delivered a kiss over her shoulder. A long, slow kiss, his tongue stroking hers, his fingers caressing her neck. “You are my lover, Alice. My sweet girl. I want no less for you than you want for the ones you love, hmm?”
Henry patted Jay’s chest, and Jay threaded their fingers together. He tugged her right hand with his until they, too, lay on his chest.
She ruffled his hair with her left hand. Instead of the grin she expected, Jay studied her with unaccustomed seriousness.
“Henry’s never asked me to pay rent. And he’s never threatened to toss me out. Not even—” Jay squeezed their hands. “Not even when I had nightmares. And I hated going to work and facing the guys I used to hang out with. Even if they didn’t know, I felt like they did. Like they saw everything that was wrong with me.”
Henry rubbed Jay’s chest in slow strokes, their hands moving together. “There’s nothing wrong with you, my boy,” he murmured.
Jay nodded against her stomach. “I couldn’t keep working there. But I didn’t have the money for my own place if I wasn’t working. And I was too…ashamed…to go home and have to explain.” He shrugged. “When I moved in with Henry, I didn’t have a job and we weren’t having sex. He let me sleep in his bed, and he didn’t ask me for anything. He only asked what I wanted. What my perfect day would look like.”
There was the grin she’d expected.
“That’s when I put together the business plan and found the right target. Henry gave me the capital to buy out the messenger service. I built up the expanded services myself. And now I get to spend every day on my bike helping people and every night in Henry’s bed pleasing him and myself. And now you.”
Jay crushed her fingers in his. Understanding gleamed in his eyes.
“Alice, I still have my own bank accounts. I could pay the rent on this place. If I’d made a mistake and this was something abusive, I could get out. Not ’cause I thought of it, but ’cause Henry did. He insisted I keep my money separate. Made sure I understood I could…escape…at any time.” Jay shook his head. He’d never want to leave this relationship.
Neither did she. Even if it meant rethinking the meaning of equal partner.
“I let Henry pay the rent himself because providing a home is part of how he shows he loves me. Like the way he makes sure I have a good breakfast and dinner every day.” Jay squeezed her as if he could imbue her with his own certainty by the press of a hand.
Her subconscious agreed. Jay had the greater experience here. He was a fine guide in this.
“It’s okay to be nervous. Just don’t think it’s something it’s not, okay? Henry’s not trying to trap you or make you some second-class person.”
“You do so enjoy spilling my secrets to Alice, my boy.” Henry spoke over her shoulder in a fond, teasing murmur. “But I believe we’ve trapped her between us rather well here, don’t you?”
Pressed to Henry’s chest and pinned by Jay’s weight, she giggled. With Henry’s ruthless logic and Jay’s earnest confession rattling in her brain, financial independence wasn’t a concern. Henry wouldn’t shove her into some historical housewife role. She knew that, when she wasn’t swimming in a sea of panicked mortification. Now she swam in a sea of warm bodies and rising arousal. Much better.
“It’s no secret that you love us, Henry.” Grin growing, Jay shrugged against her thighs. “Not anymore. And if Alice doesn’t know by now how much you show it—” He wriggled and squirmed, dislodging their hands as he twisted onto his stomach and pushed himself up, taking the opportunity to rub his face between her breasts like a cat ready for a petting before he was high enough to look her in the eyes. “Then it’s my job as senior sub to enlighten her.”
Henry’s nod rustled her hair.
Jay kissed her. Tender and sweet, but with definite intent, rocking his hips against her. Her head fell back on Henry’s shoulder. He nudged her, sucking at the side of her throat. Jay echoed her moan. Her hands met Henry’s across the muscled span of Jay’s back as they clutched him.
Jay pulled his lips from hers, his smirk firmly in place. Not the only firm part of him. “We don’t want Alice unclear about the benefits of being in love with you, right, Henry?”
“Mmm. At the moment, those benefits include an early bedtime.” He flexed beneath her, erection hard against the curve of her ass, pushing her toward Jay. “Exercise is an excellent way to ensure a good night’s sleep, wouldn’t you say, my boy?”
“It always does for me.” Jay waggled his eyebrows.
She loved him confident, secure, and playful, and she didn’t doubt Henry felt the same. Sharing with her, using his past as a lesson for her, made Jay feel useful. Needed. Loved.
“We ought to see what it does for Alice, then.” Henry growled against her throat and made a teasing lunge to nip at Jay.
They shivered, bodies rocking with his movement.
“Off to bed, my dears.”
Chapter 13
When Henry emerged from the closet Saturday evening, Alice felt certain the scrap of black fabric in his hand was for her. He’d already laid his own clothes on the bed, though he hadn’t changed into them yet.
She and Jay stood waiting, naked, fresh from the shower, toweled off and tranquil. In theory.
Henry had permitted the two of them hands-only play in the shower, which she suspected had been an attempt to settle their nerves. Jay had pressed her to the wall, water making her skin slick as skillful fingers pulled an orgasm from her. And then she’d plastered herself to his back, off center, her head resting against his shoulder, and stroked him to a beautiful climax. A better job than she’d done at the cabin, if she did say so herself.
The strategy had worked for Jay. He stood with a quiet focus, watching Henry move, his cock at rest. He’d slipped into the proper mindset for tonight, the subservient watch-and-wait they’d practiced last night.
But last night had been for fun. A dress rehearsal, with Henry teasing them with ridiculous commands and laughter sprinkled throughout their education. Tonight was the real deal. William was a true guest, another dominant and a friend of Henry’s.
She wanted Henry’s skills acknowledged. Her own performance flawless, a credit to his training. Do not fuck this up, Allie-girl. The pressure wasn’t the weight of Henry’s expectations but her own need for perfection.
“Jay. Sit, my boy.”
Jay sat on the edge of the bed, his body loose and his smile mellow. His cock didn’t even stir when Henry raised the black fabric up to his thighs.
“And stand, please.”
Jay stood. Perfectly calm. Perfectly obedient. While Henry dressed him in boy shorts that hugged his ass and outlined his cock. The amount of skin on display drew attention directly to the small black band around Jay’s hips.
Henry grasped Jay’s chin in one hand and delivered a bruising kiss to his mouth. “My beautiful boy.
You need no adornment, hmm?” Their second kiss proved softer. “Fetch the trays from the refrigerator, please. We’ll want them to warm to room temperature. And listen for the door. You’ll be in charge of buzzing our guest in when he arrives.”
Jay nodded. When Henry let him go, he left the room with no more than a small, encouraging smile for her. Focused. Like she ought to be.
She wasn’t worried, exactly. Henry had laid out guidelines for her thank-you. She wasn’t trading favors with her body, wasn’t property to be passed to a friend. He’d assured her Santa would enjoy the night, even if he left with nothing more than a few kisses and a hard cock.
Henry approached her and touched her face, knuckles brushing her cheek.
She quivered with excess energy, spilling weakness the way an incandescent bulb shed heat.
With a soothing hum, he disappeared into the closet. He returned with something white and flowing. Gauzy. He urged her to feel the fabric draped across his hands.
She pinched the cloth between two fingers, rubbing back and forth. Soft, with lace edging. Thin. Sheer. Definitely see-through. Her fingers wouldn’t stop moving. Her nipples tightened.
“All right, Alice?” He tossed the gown on the bed atop his own dinner clothes. Holding her head between his hands, he tipped her back until she had to meet his gaze. “If you’re not ready, sweet girl, there’s no shame in stopping things before they begin. You’ve nothing to prove to me, or to Jay, or to Will. Do you wish to use your safeword?”
Henry standing so near, smelling so good, and putting his hands on her skin worsened the problem. Combined with her nudity, it didn’t matter that Jay had made her come twenty minutes ago or that she’d played with them both this morning. Wet and needy, she’d embarrass herself if she couldn’t find the postorgasmic tranquility Jay had. Back out, or be honest?
“Henry, I—I need you.”
He inhaled, a sudden, sharp breath. His eyes flashed wider. He rubbed circles on her cheek. “We’ve little time, dearest.”
She knew. She’d manage without the peacefulness somehow.
“So you’ll have to be quick for me, Alice.”
Legs trembling, she moaned her relief.
He dropped his hands to her shoulders. “How quick can you be, my sweet girl? Are you ready to come for me now?”
“I am. I am. Please, Henry.”
He spun her, his hand firm on her back, and pushed her facedown into the mattress.
She stretched her arms over her head, hands clasped, imagining the embrace of restraints on her skin.
“Spread your legs for me. Show me how ready you are.”
She widened her stance and tipped her pelvis. Her clit brushed the duvet. Her body clenched in anticipation of Henry’s entrance. A rustle of fabric, the hiss of a belt.
His casual khakis thudded on the floor at the same time foil ripped. He’d carried condoms in his pocket all day. For her. Not much longer, though. She’d already made the appointment.
Henry nudged her entrance and stroked her hip. “So beautifully wet for me. Let’s see if we can’t fulfill your need now.”
He pushed in hard, deep, without stopping.
She gripped his cock as if she could pull him in faster by force of will.
His hands stayed on her hips. He wasn’t using his fingers to rush her, but she didn’t need the help. Once he’d hit his depth, he set a hard pace, rapid thrusts forcing her against the bed and grinding pressure on her clit as she jerked beneath him.
Her breaths became whines.
Henry’s vocal encouragement turned to grunts with every thrust. He delivered the hard fuck she needed. Pinned beneath his body, she provided the lubrication while he provided the piston.
She shouted a silent count. Three thrusts before her body grew rigid, tension locking up every motion, every hope of motion. Two more released it, her pleasure shrieked into the sheets as Henry kept going, driving her harder and higher to reach a second peak. Only then did he let himself go, his hips slamming hers, his growl rattling above the buzzing of her blood rushing past her ears.
She sagged against the bed.
Bending over her back, he extended his arms alongside hers. “My lovely temptation.” He kissed her shoulder blade. “We haven’t time for another shower. You’ll have to spend the evening with my scent on your skin.”
“Mmm.” She stretched beneath his weight. “It’s my favorite.”
He chuckled. “We’ll at least get you cleaned up and dressed.” He kissed her other shoulder. “You have what you need now, hmm? Feeling more relaxed?”
“Relaxed and ready to serve.” The importance of her earlier anxieties fell away. She’d asked Henry to fulfill her needs, and he’d provided for her. He hadn’t questioned her need. He wouldn’t question her performance tonight. He understood she’d do her best.
“Good girl.” Henry squeezed her hands before rising from her back. “Now, Jay, was there something you needed?”
Jay, washcloth draped across his arm like a waiter at a fancy restaurant, stood at the bedroom door. Hoo boy. Those shorts didn’t hide a thing.
“I heard a noise.” Jay’s lips twitched. “It seemed like you might want some fetching done. Sir.”
Henry snorted. “Such a thoughtful, brilliant boy. The reasons to love you, my little charmer, are too numerous to count. Bring that here, please.” Henry slipped free of her body, planted a kiss on Jay’s cheek, and cleaned her before himself.
Finally upright, she eyed Jay’s shorts and gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
Jay shook his head, tranquil despite the stiffness straining the fabric. “Don’t be. You’ve helped me hit three orgasms since midnight. I doubt I could come again if I tried. This”— he waved at his crotch—“is me appreciating one of my favorite sights. If Henry told me to sit still and watch him fuck you like that all day, I’d do it with a smile.” He smirked. “Die of blue balls by the end of the day, probably, but I’d die a happy man.”
She kissed his cheek, the one Henry had left untouched. For balance. “Love you, stud.”
“I love you, too, Alice. You know that, right?”
“I know.” She patted his chest.
Henry, having swapped the rest of his day clothes for sleek black slacks, buttoned on a dress shirt that matched his eyes.
“But I bet Henry’s about ready to dress me.”
“An excellent wager, my dear. You win the prize.” Henry pointed at the white gown on the bed. “It consists of two parts.” He picked up a scrap of fabric even smaller than Jay’s. “First, some lovely panties.”
She stepped forward and raised one leg at a time at Henry’s direction. The panties seemed hardly less sheer than the gown, and the back was a thong. Because her boys were ass men and wanted something to look at, or because Henry was playing more games to get her thinking about things rubbing against her ass all night?
Both, of course, sweet girl. Her mind provided the answer in his voice, her mental mimicry a match for reality.
She raised her arms, and he dropped the gown over her head. Sheer was an understatement. The darker tips of her breasts stood out easily. The gown channeled more lingerie than dress. A nightgown in virginal white, if the virgin didn’t intend to hide a thing.
The vee cut, front and back, came to a high empire waist with a bow Henry tied below her breasts. Tied, she wasn’t in real danger of spilling out of the fabric. Untied, she’d have offered easy access for hands or mouths. The gown fell above the knee, an embroidered floral motif running around the bottom edge.
The intercom chimed as Henry kissed her forehead. “Ah. Will always has had an excellent sense of timing. Jay, the door, please.”
“Yes, Henry.” Jay trotted off ahead of them. His voice drifted back as he asked who he might say was calling and were they expected this evening?
“Please inform the master of the house it’s Santa Claus calling.” The speaker distorted William’s voice. “My naughty-and-nice list indicates both a
re true for the well-behaved little ones at this address, and I’d like to speak to him about clearing up this discrepancy.”
Jay snorted. Alice giggled.
“We may as well let him in, my boy.” Henry shook his head, but his voice was fond.
Jay pressed the button to talk. “Certainly, Mr. Claus. The door will admit you momentarily. If you’ll please head straight back to the stairs, you’ll find those well-behaved and extremely deserving youngsters on the third floor behind the door to the left at the end of the hall.” Holding the button to unlock the building’s main door, he grinned at her with infectious enthusiasm, eyes dancing, body relaxed.
“Well done.” Henry squeezed Jay’s shoulder. “You’ll both do quite well, I’m certain. If you’ve any confusion, you know how to gain my attention or Will’s.”
A hand on the shoulder or knee and patient stillness, like the club. Otherwise, follow directions, answer when asked, and enjoy themselves. Not significantly different from any other night at home. Except, of course, for who’d be giving the directions.
She took a slow breath. In. Out. Nothing to worry about. I got this.
* * * *
Footsteps in the hall preceded a knock at the door. Henry nodded to Jay.
Alice waited to Henry’s left while Jay opened the door with a smooth flourish. Standing behind it, he stepped back as it swung open to admit their guest.
William, dressed not unlike Henry, filled the frame. Gray slacks, dark purple dress shirt open at the collar, gray suit jacket with the buttons undone. In the crook of one arm he carried a bottle with an unfamiliar label. A small gift bag dangled from his fingers.
“Charming, Will. Quite the fashion statement.”
Henry’s laugh made her glance up.
That was all right. Watch-and-wait didn’t have the same rules as the club’s eyes-down policy. She needed to read her dominant’s cues to attend him for the evening. Tonight, a red Santa hat with white trim perched atop William’s white-blond hair.