“Judge, I think it best you leave us so that we may enjoy our dinner,” Harrison said. “I’d say it was a pleasure to meet you, but we both know that would be a lie.”
Richard didn’t bother to look Harrison’s way. He stared at her, and for a moment, Elena thought she saw sorrow in his gaze but then in a blink of an eye, it was gone. She was confident loathing took its place. “Elena, first that Nichols guy and now this? Have you no pride?”
Elena watched her father walk away, shaking his head as if she were a disappointment. And she supposed she was. She could admit to being a handful after her mother’s passing from cancer, but wasn’t a child allowed to have those moments upon the death of a parent? Her father changed after that, burying himself in his work and coming home in the wee hours of the morning. Effectively raised by the staff, they’d never connected after that no matter how hard she tried. Ultimately, Elena had given up.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment. I need to make a trip to the ladies room.” Elena grabbed her small clutch from the table and stood up before either man could stop her. The tears she’d tried to keep at bay were filling her eyes and attempting to escape. That wasn’t acceptable, so her only alternative was to step away from the situation. “Please order me whatever you think I might like.”
Elena made a dash for the restroom. It was outrageous to think that Harrison and Grant hadn’t caught the references regarding Adam and her relationship with him five years ago, but she would still hold out hope. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to salvage the remainder of their evening. She wouldn’t allow her father’s presence to destroy the only good thing in her life right now.
Chapter Nine
“He’s a prick.”
“That he is,” Harrison said, in full agreement with his partner. “But that doesn’t change the fact that whatever happened to her five years ago, he knows about it.”
“You don’t think he covered up for the man who put those scars on her back, do you?”
“I don’t know what to think, but we need to place a call to Kennedy. She needs to have James look into this more. There’s got to be something that we’re missing.”
Grant was nodding his head but had yet to take his eyes off of Judge Collins’s table. Elena’s father was seated across the restaurant, having dinner with two other gentlemen. Harrison could care less what he was doing here or why. His main concern was the fact that the judge had upset Elena and she was now in the restroom where he couldn’t see her.
“Do me a favor and text that info to Kennedy,” Harrison said, standing up. “I’m going to do some damage control.”
Walking across the restaurant, Harrison strolled down the hallway where the restrooms were located. Leaning against the wall, he waited patiently for Elena to exit so that he could have a few private words with her. He and Grant had agreed to go lightly this past week, wanting to strengthen the emotional bond between them first. They were slowly building trust between them, and damned if Richard Collins was going to destroy that.
“Harrison?”
He turned his head, seeing that Elena had opened the door and it was now slowly swinging closed behind her. Grabbing her hand, Harrison led her a few short steps toward the end of the hallway where they wouldn’t be interrupted. Turning to face her, he saw that she’d composed herself well. Did the woman ever just let her emotions run free?
“I needed to make sure you were all right. This isn’t how we wanted this evening to turn out, obviously.”
Elena broke eye contact for a moment, as if trying to figure out what to say. He hoped she’d come clean instead of keeping her emotions bottled up, but he could tell that wasn’t going to happen this evening. She’d used her time in the restroom to mend her armor.
“I’m fine,” Elena murmured. “I apologize for how my father behaved. We aren’t what you would call close, as I’m sure you can see.”
“Well, then, that will make the decision on where to go for Thanksgiving a hell of a lot easier, now won’t it.”
“What?” That statement got Elena to look directly at him. He hadn’t phrased it as a question. He smiled. “Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly go to your parents’ for Thanksgiving.”
“We’re not. My parents are on holiday in France and won’t be back until mid-January. We’re going to Grant’s grandmother’s house not far from here. Of course, this will give you the opportunity to meet Grant’s parents as well.”
“Are you crazy?” Elena asked, her eyes widening. “Do they know that you, well, you know, that you’re—I think it’s in everyone’s best interest for me not to go with you on family holidays, including Thanksgiving. Now, let’s see if we can salvage the rest of our evening.”
Harrison laughed at her obvious attempt at taking charge of the situation. The topic of meeting Grant’s family had definitely taken her mind off of her father. It also had sent her directly into lawyer mode and he wondered if that was how she dealt with life.
“First off, blossom, we are spending Thanksgiving with Grant’s family. Second, I think you are forgetting your place in this ménage. I will decide if our conversation has ended, and as for right now, that would be when I get the answers I want. Who is Nichols?” Harrison knew immediately that his change of topic sent her reeling. Keeping her off balance was the key to pulling apart the ramparts she’d tried to erect. Her mouth puckered like a fish, until finally he placed his finger underneath her chin. “Is he the one that put the scars on you?”
“I–I thought we had settled this,” Elena whispered. “You and Grant agreed—”
“We agreed to no such thing,” Harrison said, taking a hold of her chin with a firm grasp to impress upon her that he was the Dominant in this relationship, something she shouldn’t have to be reminded of. “It’s a yes or no question. I’m not asking for the entire story. Just a simple yes or no, and then we can continue with our evening. Is that too hard for you? Do you need to use your safe word?”
He knew the challenge in his voice wouldn’t slip by her. Elena’s back straightened, as her eyes sparkled with indignation. Harrison knew he was taking a chance by throwing down the gauntlet, but they couldn’t keep ignoring the fact that whatever was holding her back was holding them back. It was unacceptable.
“Yes.”
Harrison nodded, acknowledging that he was pleased she chose to answer him instead of using her safe word. They were making progress. Needing to build that trust with her, he kept his word at not asking any more questions this evening and gestured toward the dining room. It wasn’t that difficult to see that she was relieved, yet still slightly on edge.
“Grant is waiting for us.”
He permitted her to lead and followed behind her, taking in who was watching them and who wasn’t. Harrison quickly looked the judge’s way, seeing that he was watching his daughter cross the restaurant floor. There was more to the man than he was letting on and he made a mental note to ask James if he’d done a background check on Judge Collins as well.
Grant was already standing and holding out Elena’s chair, for which she murmured her thanks and cautiously settled her delicious ass on the embroidered padded seat. She pulled up her skirt as she settled so that her naked ass would make contact with the seat of the chair, as per their instructions. Her subtle shift reminded him of the clit clamp she was wearing for their pleasure.
“I went ahead and ordered our dinner,” Grant said, starting off the conversation. With an understated nod, he informed Harrison that his text was sent and Kennedy would have James delve deeper into the situation. “So, how about we start this evening over. Elena, why don’t you tell us about your childhood.”
Grant’s request did get Elena to laugh and shake her head, although Harrison could tell she was having a hard time not looking across the restaurant at her father. “And exactly how is that starting our night over?”
“It’s not. I was just hoping you’d answer anyway.”
“Fine,” Elena replied, picking up her wine gl
ass and taking a sip. Pulling the crystal away, she’d left a fine imprint of her lips around the rim. “Since I’d be just as curious if you’d had an interaction with your father, I will tell you of my childhood. Let’s see, I have very fond memories up until my mother passed away when I was eleven.”
“How did she pass away, if you don’t mind my asking?” Harrison reached for his glass, feeling like a sponge getting ready to be dropped in water. She was feeding him information that he desperately wanted to know.
“She passed away from breast cancer,” Elena replied, twirling her glass by the fragile stem and staring at the red wine as if she were looking at a picture. “I remember her voice, calling for me to come inside every evening. I had this tree house where I used to spend all my time, doing homework or reading or whatever I was into at the time. After her death, I spent as much time as I could in that wooden box.”
“Did your father not handle her death well?” Grant asked, leaning back against his chair. Harrison could tell that he was enamored with her words as well.
“You could say that. I don’t remember him being around much to begin with, as he had been appointed to the bench when I was little. He wasn’t home that often, but after my mom passed away, it got worse. He didn’t know how to deal with a daughter, let alone one about to become a teenager.”
“Why did your change your name?”
“I knew law school was going to be hard enough, but going in with the reputation as Richard Collin’s daughter? I didn’t want that, so I took my mother’s maiden name the year I turned eighteen. Not that it mattered, because he made sure that everyone knew who I was anyway.”
“The one thing we don’t want to do, Elena, is separate you from your life. This contract is not twenty-four seven, and when you return to work, we will need to address what that entails.”
Harrison sat back in his chair, studying Grant. Did his best friend really see a future between the three of them? He was already talking as if it was a foregone conclusion she would last the remainder of her contract. Harrison conceded that the more time they spent with her, the more infatuated he became. She had integrated herself within his thoughts almost every minute of the day, and he could freely admit that seeing her father upset her made him want to ruin the man in any fashion that he could. But did that signify a solid future for them? Harrison rubbed his forehead, wishing Grant hadn’t even brought up the subject of the future.
“You aren’t separating me from my life. My life is work and once my leave of absence is up, I will return to that.”
“What about your friends?”
Elena shrugged her shoulders and it hit Harrison that not only did she not have a mother or siblings and was estranged from her father, but she kept her distance from others. He couldn’t imagine where he’d be in life if it hadn’t been for the love of his parents and the support of his best friend. Seeing her in a different light now, he understood her need for BDSM. The lifestyle in which they lived required a trust, in his opinion, that was stronger than any other relationship out there. She sought out that type of relationship because she’d never had it before. Add on her physical reaction to impact play, and Elena had found exactly who she was and where she belonged. The question was, were they the right men for her? Could they assist in abolishing her demons, whatever they may be?
“I was just telling Elena how we are spending Thanksgiving with your family,” Harrison said, changing the subject and hoping that Grant would go along with him. They’d had enough stress and strife this evening that it was high time to inject some fun into the night. “You might want to give her a heads-up on your grandmother.”
“I don’t know. And ruin the fun?” Grant asked, taking Harrison’s lead and making light of the new topic of conversation. “Maybe Elena should just experience Gram’s personality.”
“Wait, what does that mean?” Elena asked, relaxing her shoulders just a bit now that the focus was off of her.
“Gram is quite the character, let’s just leave it at that,” Grant replied, laughing. “As for my parents, well, they’re almost as unique. Thursday will be here before you know it. Cheers.”
Grant held up his wine glass, waiting for them to do the same. Harrison caught the gleam in his eyes and knew he had a plan on easing Elena into his family. He sighed, and resigned himself to the fact that Grant truly thought she was the one. Regardless of what they found out about her past, Grant had already fallen for her. Well, Harrison thought, if I can’t pull my best friend back from the brink of insanity, I will do whatever it takes to ensure that this works out between the three of us. God help them if her past was something they couldn’t reckon with.
Chapter Ten
It was the evening before Thanksgiving and Harrison and Grant had yet to make love to her. Why had they even signed the contract if they weren’t going to take things further in their relationship? Elena didn’t know what their problem was. It wasn’t like they were pushing her, and wasn’t that what she wanted for now?
Dinner was finished and they were sitting before the fire. She’d wanted to be a little warmer, so Elena had chosen to sit on the floor, although Grant had laid out a soft blanket underneath her so she’d be more comfortable. She watched the orange flames dance around the wood as if it was trying to seduce the bark with its sensual movements. The rough exterior responded with crackling sounds and an occasional shift in its position. The peaceful atmosphere did little to quench her desire for more this evening. What was wrong with her?
“Is it a personal vendetta? I mean, considering Owen and Landon have no need to go after that company, do you think it has something to do with Lisa?”
“Maybe,” Harrison replied, nursing a tumbler of bourbon. “When I spoke with Owen and told him that Lisa had requested Kennedy’s help in finding out who was trying to take over her father’s company, Owen said he would talk with Kennedy himself. I left it at that. It’s not our concern.”
As Harrison and Grant continued to discuss their friends and business, Elena thought back to the last few days. Although dinner had technically been ruined by her father the other night, she’d been sure they would come home and take pleasure in the freedom given to them under the contract. Instead, they’d tucked her into bed and resumed their daily routine the following day.
“Elena? Should you not be paying attention to our needs?”
Shit. Elena brought her head up, which had been leaning against Grant’s knee while he stroked her hair, and saw that both men were looking at her. Had they given her an order? A good sub would have been paying attention to her Masters’ needs, but she’d been busy feeling sorry for herself because she wasn’t getting laid. Since when had she coveted that type of intimacy?
“I’m sorry, Sir,” Elena answered, addressing Harrison’s question. “I should have been paying attention.”
“I asked you to crawl over to me.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Elena immediately got to her knees and crawled to the overstuffed chair that he seemed to favor. Her ass instantly started to tingle in anticipation, knowing that he would discipline her for forgetting her duties. He surprised her by holding up white leather cuffs lined with white fur. This was new and for a second, Elena hesitated and looked from Harrison over to Grant, trying to gauge their mood. Neither let on to what was about to happen, so she slowly raised her wrists, knowing she had no choice.
“Grant informs me that your orgasm training is going well.”
It technically wasn’t a question, so Elena remained quiet as he wrapped the fur-lined leather around her left wrist and clicked it into place. He did the same with the other. Grant surprised her by coming up behind her and wrapping a similar leather band around her neck. Each man brought one of her wrists up and attached it to the collar.
“Stand for me,” Harrison ordered.
Elena stood and closed her eyes as his fingers traced the outline of her hips. The heat of his touch seemed to brand her skin. She could feel Grant standing behind
her and wondered what they had in mind for this evening. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Turn and face Master Grant.” Elena did as Harrison instructed. Grant’s hazel eyes were warm and tender, just the way she’d come to think of him. Her body had gotten used to coming so often in a day, she prayed that he would never stop. She heard rustling behind her and felt her heart speed up at what the sound implicated. Harrison was shedding his clothes. Were they going to make love to her tonight? The tearing of a condom wrapper answered her question. “We thought we would try out Grant’s theory this evening.”
Elena took a deep breath, not breaking eye contact with Grant. They were finally going to consummate the contract. Her pussy was still wet from her previous session with Grant and it astounded her when she felt a small drip start to run down the inside of her leg. Her nipples protruded, needing the weight of the nipple clamps she’d grown accustomed to.
“In order to see how well you have been doing in your training, we’ve decided on something that you might not agree with, but will have no choice but to accept if you wish to achieve orgasm this evening.” Elena felt Harrison’s hands close firmly around her waist. He brought her a step backward, in between his legs, and slowly pulled down so that she was forced to bend her knees. She felt his cock at her entrance and could have cried that she hadn’t gotten to see it, feel it, or taste it. Not having her hands to guide her, Harrison eased up on his grip, allowing her weight to pull her down over his cock. She couldn’t suppress the moan that escaped her lips as he gently and gradually filled her pussy. Her sheath stretched as his cock filled her and when she didn’t think she could take anymore, Harrison removed his hands altogether, causing her to accept the rest of his massive cock. “Tonight will only be about pleasure.”
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