by Tara Rose
She glanced at him with a sharp look that was right on the edge of angry, and Ian again resisted the urge to smile. If they agreed to this, that was one of the things Nash would find irritating as hell. He liked his subs to control their reactions, especially in public. The fact that no one but the two of them could see her face right now was irrelevant. He’d expect Angela to keep her anger in check at all times, and Ian seriously doubted this spitfire would find that an easy request.
Nash narrowed his eyes. “I struck a chord. Good. Now tell me why it still bothers you so much that you took him back time and again. You must have known he wouldn’t stop cheating.”
Her shoulders rose and fell with each rapid breath, and Ian was afraid for a few seconds that Nash had gone too far. He could almost see Angela ready to spring from her seat and bolt. Nash stroked the back of her hand, and she visibly relaxed a bit. A quick surge of jealousy raced through Ian’s body, but he tamped it down. If they were going to do this, he’d have to deal with the emotional impact Nash might have on Angela. His own feelings might have to take a backseat at times like this, and that was something he’d have to decide if he could handle.
“I’m not trying to beat you up over this, Angela.” Nash was practically whispering. “But until you face it and put it behind you, all the training in the world won’t do you any good. Submission is complete and total, and that includes letting go of past shit that weighs you down and prevents you from immersing yourself in this lifestyle. It keeps you emotionally distant from a Dom, and Ian and I can’t have that.”
Nash cut a quick glance toward him, almost as if he were asking whether Ian agreed. Ian nodded and took her left hand in his, not at all surprised to find her skin cool and damp. Her emotions had to be pretty raw right now, and if they both weren’t careful, this would never go any further. “Angela, Nash is right. We don’t care why you took Brett back. What we care about is what that realization does to you each time you think about it. We want to help you get past it, but we can’t do so until you acknowledge it and figure out why you kept giving him another chance.”
She blinked a few times, and Ian cut his gaze toward Nash. They both knew she was going to cry, and Ian suddenly felt like a giant shit. He stoked her arm. “It’s okay, Angela. Just talk to us. We’re both right here for you. Nothing can hurt you.”
He watched her swallow. “I…I felt like such a fucking fool when that YouTube video of him and Becca Rawlings surfaced.” Her voice was soft, and no one could hear her but the two of them. “You can’t imagine what it was like at work. Everyone knew. The whispers when I walked into the break room, the glances from everyone all day long, and I just know they wanted to say ‘I told you so.’ They had. All of them had. Countless times.”
Tears trickled down both porcelain cheeks, and without stopping to think about it first, Ian gently wiped them away. She flashed him a grateful look, and this time he didn’t hold back his smile. Did she have any idea how pretty she was? Right now, she looked totally vulnerable, and it was all he could do not to pull her into his arms and kiss her into oblivion. Every second of last night came flooding back to him. He wanted to tell her “yes” right then and there, but knew it would be disrespectful to Nash if he did. It was killing him to watch her cry.
“It’s all right, Angela,” he said softly, “Just let it out.”
“I kept thinking he’d change. My father did.” She glanced over her shoulder, and then quickly to her right and left, as if making sure that no one was close enough to hear them. “No one in Passion Peak knows this. At least, I don’t think they do. You know how it is here. You can’t go anywhere or do anything without it getting all over town, but somehow this stayed secret. When I was about five years old, my father had an affair with a nurse. You both know who he is, right?”
They nodded. Angela’s father, Paul, was head of neurosurgery at Rio Blanco Health Care Center and was known for being a tyrant, but a brilliant physician.
“She’d just graduated from nursing school and my father was going through a lot of shit from the hospital board. At least, that’s the excuse my mother gave me when I found out about it years later. I remember asking her why she took him back, and I’ll never forget what she told me. She said, ‘Angela, you don’t cut down the whole tree when one of the branches dies.’ Now, I know that’s probably not the best analogy, but the way she explained it was that she and my father had a history together, and you just don’t toss that away for one mistake.”
Angela took another sip of wine, and Ian resisted the urge to take away her glass and insist she eat something instead. “My mother had three miscarriages and one stillborn baby before I was born. She worked hard on giving him a child, and she worked hard on her marriage. She forgave him, and as far as I know, he never did that again. I took Brett back because I thought he’d come to his senses one day, the way my father did. I thought if I tossed him out, that meant I’d failed. My mother didn’t fail at giving my father a child, and she didn’t fail at her marriage.”
It wasn’t the same thing, and Ian hoped she knew that on some level.
“So what finally changed?” asked Nash.” Was it the video he made with Becca Rawlings?”
“That and the fact that I finally got my head out of my ass and realized it wasn’t just a one-time thing with him, like it had been for my father. No matter how charming and romantic Brett was to me, no matter how many times he swore he’d never do it again, and no matter what excuse he gave me for having strayed, I finally, finally realized he wasn’t going to change. I would always have the threat of wondering who was next hanging over my head.”
“Do you still love him?”
“No.” Her answer was quick and firm, and her tone left no doubt that she meant it.
“Thank you for telling us,” said Ian. “I know that was difficult. And your parents’ secret is safe with us.”
“Thank you. I don’t think I could handle anyone knowing that, you know? Especially not with the video out there.” She sighed and shook her head. “Do you suppose every town has a slut like Becca?”
Ian couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t know, but this town has more than one.”
“True. The same trio she’s in now was already behaving that way in high school. Apparently they haven’t changed much since then.” She moved the food around on her plate and sighed out loud. “But anyway… have I answered all your questions about my motivation?”
“Yes,” said Nash. “Unless Ian has a few of his own.”
Angela turned her cornflower-blue eyes on him, and his heart skipped a beat. “I have none. And unless Nash has some objection to my saying so, my answer to your proposal is ‘yes.’ I’d be honored to train you as a sub, along with Nash.”
“Mine is also ‘yes,’” said Nash. He was almost smiling, and Ian couldn’t help but do the same again.
“Really?” Her voice came out breathy, and she looked genuinely surprised. Ian’s heart skipped a beat or two at the look on her face.
“Yes, really,” he said, holding her gaze. This girl would be his undoing, and having her as a sub was going to be an incredible adventure. He had no idea what the outcome would be, but he couldn’t wait to find out.
Chapter Nine
“Thank you.” It was all Angela could manage to say. Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind, and so many emotions rushed to the surface, but she found it difficult to make sense of any of them. She was elated, afraid, and drained from having talked to them about her parents and Brett, all at the same time. She wanted to shout out loud and kiss them both until none of them could breathe. Her entire body tingled, and her pussy was soaked.
Nash pointed toward her plate. “You’d best stop playing with that food and eat it. You’re going to need your strength later.”
Angela sighed, only it came out as a soft moan. “Thank you,” she said again, feeling like a babbling idiot.
Ian chuckled and gave her left hand a squeeze. “You might not be thanking us l
ater. Now eat.”
She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but the lust shining out of his eyes rendered her mute again. She made herself eat the rest of the food, which was very good, if a bit cold by now. Nash and Ian both declined dessert, and she did as well. Even if she had wanted some, her stomach was now doing flip-flops and she hoped she wouldn't get sick later.
As they walked out to the parking lot, Ian surprised her by pulling her into his arms. She shivered as his strong limbs enveloped her body. When he kissed the top of her head she moaned softly. What would it be like to kiss his lips? His earlier comment came back to her, and she glanced up into his face. “Why did you mean when you said I might not be thanking you both later?”
Ian grinned, and next to her, Nash chuckled. “Training begins now,” he said.
“And you’d best get used to PDAs from me,” said Ian, “because I like to mark my territory in front of people.”
Angela laughed. She couldn't help it. She was just a bit buzzed from all the wine, and Ian’s choice of words conjured up images of a dog pissing on a fire hydrant, so she just lost it. He watched her, a sexy grin on his handsome face, and she fought to stop but she simply couldn’t. Last night, combined with all she’d said to them at dinner, had simply been too overwhelming, and she had to let it all out somehow. It was either give in to the fit of giggles or start crying again, and she didn’t want to do that.
As Ian kissed her, she stopped laughing and moaned loudly against his lips as they moved over hers. The man could kiss. If she’d known how well, she would have done something about it years ago. He tangled his fingers in her hair and gave it a slight tug, which forced a louder moan from her and paved the way for memories from last night to rush back again. A need to surrender to him, so strong it made her dizzy, overtook her senses.
When he finally released her mouth, his eyes held her spellbound. In them, she saw the same depth of emotion currently racing through her body, but she couldn’t make sense of it. Her mind was still trying to process the reality of what they’d both agreed to less than an hour ago. What was she supposed to do right now? What did they expect from her? The last thing she wanted to do was make a fool of herself again.
“Angela, will you spend the night at Nash’s house with us?”
His question hung in the air. She swore she could see it, hovering over his head like a cartoon bubble with words in it. She cut her gaze toward Nash, who watched her with a wicked grin in his face.
“If you agree to,” said Nash, “the first thing we’re going to do is punish you for your behavior tonight.”
His voice washed over her like warm water, soothing her instead of causing fear. His words evoked images of surrender, not pain. Was this normal? Should she explain what she was feeling? Did every sub feel this way? There was so much she didn’t understand, and now that they’d agreed to train her, she longed to immerse herself in this. She wanted to know everything, and she wanted to embrace all of it without restraint. “Nash, may I ask you a question?” She cut her gaze to Ian. “It’s a question for both of you, actually.”
Nash smiled. It wasn’t a wicked grin this time. It was a full-blown smile like she’d just asked the most amazing thing on the planet. “Angela, it’s all right to call us by our names out in public, but remember what I told you last night. Once we step inside my house, you will address us each as ‘Sir.’ Do you understand?”
She nodded, because words weren’t possible right now.
“Now, as to your question, thank you for asking permission to do so, but the only time you need to do that is during a scene. Otherwise, you may ask either of us anything you wish.”
“Thank you. My question was what did I do wrong tonight?”
He looked confused for a second, and then he chuckled. He moved closer to her and stroked her face with one finger. His touch burned like fire against her skin, and she moaned again. A couple that Angela didn’t recognize came out of the restaurant, and they both stared openly at the three of them.
“Let’s get in the car,” said Nash, “and I’ll explain on the way.”
Angela settled back against the leather seats and turned toward Nash. From the back seat, Ian caressed her left shoulder softly. She was so aroused it was ridiculous. Would there be any sexual contact tonight? She sincerely hoped so. Should she ask about that as well?
“You asked what you did wrong,” said Nash.
“Yes. Yes, Sir.”
The corners of his mouth turned up. “For starters, as appropriate as it was at the time, no cussing in public. Secondly, you never did ask us all the questions on your list. And lastly, no angry, sharp looks at either of us in public.”
She didn’t recall giving either one a sharp, angry look, so it must have been unconsciously done. They seemed like silly infractions, and she wondered if he was serious, or if it was just part of the game. Either way, she wasn’t going to ask or challenge him on it. The rush of endorphins was too great right now, like she’d just had the most kick-ass workout of her life. She wasn’t going to do anything to lessen that feeling. “I’m sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again. But may I point out one thing?”
“All right.”
“They weren’t questions. They were bullet points I’d made to stay on track when I asked you both to train me. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to ask without tripping over my words.”
He smiled and glanced in the rearview mirror. She didn’t turn around, but she suspected if she did, she’d see Ian smiling as well. Obviously her response hadn’t upset them.
“I appreciate that, Angela. We both do. But it won’t get you out of your punishment.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The drive back to Nash’s house was both agonizingly long and quicker than she’d imagined. How could it feel like both? Was the rush of emotions messing with her perception of time?
They pulled up to the gate, and Nash drove around back. There were still dozens of cars parked on the blacktop, and Angela realized the club was open for play tonight. Would they go downstairs? She wasn’t sure she was ready for that again so soon. Would voicing that concern spoil the evening they had planned for her?
“We’re going straight up to my suite,” said Nash, just before he turned off the ignition and opened the door. Could he read minds?
Once again, Ian opened her door for her, and when she stepped out he took her hand. She glanced into his eyes and he winked. “You’re doing great, Angela. I’m proud of you.”
Her pulse raced. She wanted to earn praise like that. The urge to please them both this time was great. She’d fantasized about something like this so often that it still didn’t feel real. How could an opportunity like this have existed for so long, right under her nose, and she’d never known it?
As they walked toward the back of the house, she glanced around the yard. The sun had nearly set, and the grass and bushes were bathed in soft purple and gold light. Large pieces of a recently cut-up tree were piled up in the yard. Parts of the wood appeared charred. “What happened to that tree?”
“Lightning strike,” said Nash. “We couldn’t save it, so I had it taken down.”
An odd look passed between him and Ian that she couldn't interpret, but Angela shook it off. Once inside, she realized they’d come through a different entrance than the one used for the club. She’d never seen the rest of the Stonecraft mansion, and wondered if Nash would give her a tour one day.
“This way.” Nash led her down a hallway and toward a staircase, where the walls were painted sage green with white trim. The air smelled clean and fresh, and everything was spotless. How did he take care of this big house all by himself? Did he have a staff? Her father had once tried to talk her mother into hiring a housekeeper and a cook, but her mother hadn’t liked the idea of strangers in her home. Her mother still did everything on her own.
They climbed two flights of stairs, and at the top the hallway changed from painted walls to rich damask paper. The flooring had changed from wood
to expensive-looking carpeting. The décor reminded her of gothic movies set in old castles where the vampire-zombie-misunderstood monster captured the damsel in distress and kept her so happy in bed that she never wanted to leave. That image almost forced another giggle from her throat, but this time she bit it back. She didn’t want them to think of her as a giggling schoolgirl.
At the end of the hallway, Nash opened a set of heavy wooden double doors and stepped aside to allow her to enter first. The room was bathed in soft lights from Victorian lamps with shades boasting tassels. A sofa, several chairs, and dark furniture graced it. It was so unexpected that Angela stood in the center and twirled in a slow circle, trying to take everything in.
Framed art lined the walls. She recognized Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Barocci. The only reason she was so familiar with Baroque artists was because her mother had taken her to the Denver Art Museum religiously every summer, from the time she was an infant.
“What do you think?” The pride in Nash’s voice was evident. He had every reason to be pleased with this room.
“It’s exquisite.”
“Thank you.” She watched him cross the room toward a minibar and open a small fridge. He took out bottled water, gave one to Ian, and then handed her one as well. “I know we drank wine at dinner, but no alcohol during play. It dulls the response time and the senses. Too much potential for losing control.”
As soon as he’d said the word “play,” Angela’s nipples began to tingle. This was really going to happen. She waited until each of them had opened their water bottles to do so, and then took a long drink. She was very thirsty, and imagined that had as much to do with the food and wine as her nervousness.
“Let me show you where the bathroom is,” said Nash. He led her toward one of the doors and opened it. “I’d suggest using it now, Angela. Ian and I will wait for you in here.”
Once inside, she took care of business but didn’t linger too long. Any time alone with her thoughts right now was likely to result in her freaking out, and she didn’t want to do anything to ruin this night. She’d waited years for this. All her fantasies were about to come true, and she wasn’t going to blow it by second-guessing her reactions.