by Jayne Rylon
“Well, about that…” Lily glanced away for the first time.
“What did you do?” Clint practically squeaked.
“For tonight, she’ll be blindfolded. It was one of the things she marked on her wish list for this experience. She won’t know it’s you ravaging her if you don’t talk or reveal yourselves. It’ll be risk-free for you all. She’ll get what she wants. And you can try out a ménage and see if you both can really do it without freaking out. Also, I might have sort of spilled the beans about your kiss already anyway.”
“Lily!” Clint gripped the arms of his chair.
“If it makes you feel better, she thought it was sexy as hell.” Lily bussed Matt’s crown. “And so do I, boys.”
“JRad, are you going to spank her for all this interfering?” Clint asked, making Matt burst out into a fit of laughter that had been sorely missed lately. His partner could always have him rolling during their long and sometimes boring-as-hell stakeouts. “Please tell me you are. Hard.”
“I’ll consider your request.” JRad nodded. The subtle shift of his package guaranteed he liked the idea.
“Hey!” Lily smacked Clint upside the head. “Be nice! I’m helping you out here.”
“Of a pile of shit you dumped on us,” he grumbled. Then, after a pause, he admitted. “At least it’ll all be worth it if tonight goes like I think it will.”
“Someday you’ll be thanking me,” she promised.
“Sure, sure,” Matt grumbled.
“No, seriously guys.” She hugged first Clint than Matt. “I love all three of you like the family I never really had. Jambrea’s a sister to me. I want nothing more than to see you happy. I’m sorry I might have jeopardized that. I only meant the best and I hope that tonight I can start you down the path to something as amazing as what Jeremy and I have found. You were there for us, and I want to offer the same support to you. My brand of helping might not have been the best, but I had good intentions.”
JRad pushed off the wall and closed in on his wife again when he detected the husk of unshed tears in her confession.
“I know you didn’t mean any harm.” Clint wrapped his arm around Lily’s tiny waist and yanked her into his lap.
Matt smiled, imagining Jambrea there instead. They wouldn’t have to worry about snapping her in half like they did with this sprite, no matter how strong her spirit might be. “We love you too, Lily.”
“Thanks.” She grinned. “So why don’t we go over Jambi’s wish list and gather some toys so you can make up for lost time?”
“There’s still one problem.” Clint’s shoulders slumped. He looked over at Matt with such hopelessness he thought his friend might wither on the spot. “The Chief put extra security on the presidential debate tonight because of the missing candidate, Rudolph Small. Guess who got the honors?”
Matt groaned. Fuck! They’d been so close.
“Razor, Mason and Tyler already volunteered to take babysitting duty for you.” JRad grinned. “You’re clear on that end. And they wanted me to tell you to pull your heads out of your asses and make tonight count.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Matt held his palm up and Clint high-fived him. Finally, something they could agree on.
It felt like the first time in forever.
He couldn’t stop smiling.
Chapter Five
Jambrea clenched Lily’s hand as she padded down the hallway into the depths of Gunther’s Playground. Radiant heat beneath the floor felt nice on her bare feet. Management had truly thought of everything to ensure the comfort of their guests.
This became even more apparent as she passed rooms, some with open doors that allowed her to spy the decadence inside—from a woman shackled to a wooden X, surrounded by an admiring crowd who appeared to be taking turns playing with her, to a bathhouse complete with a lush array of live plants, waterfalls and what appeared to be a trio of mermaids giving a lucky sailor a blowjob. “Something for everyone” would have been an appropriate marketing line.
Compared to the elaborate spider web of ropes suspending a man in the last room they passed, Jambrea figured her requests to be basic. Simple. Rudimentary.
Foolish?
When she stutter-stepped, Lily drew her forward. “You’re doing great, Jambi. It’s just around the corner here.”
From behind one of the closed doors on her left, an earsplitting smack was followed by a yelp and an even louder moan. She jumped, then shivered.
“I feel like the slow kid in an advanced class,” she admitted.
“Don’t let all this scare you.” Lily wrapped an arm around Jambrea’s waist. “Everyone starts somewhere. The weekend brings out a lot of experienced players. It doesn’t have to be that complicated. Passion is a pretty straightforward thing on a fundamental level.”
“Will the guys I’m with be bored?” She nibbled her lip. “Will they want more than I can give? I don’t want this to be a chore for them.”
“Are you kidding? I can assure you I reviewed your requests and limitations extensively with all prospective matches. There was no shortage of eager volunteers.” Lily turned to her. The honesty in her friend’s gaze settled some of the butterflies in Jambrea’s stomach, beneath the soft robe she wore. Even that pointed her out like a newbie when all the other club members either strutted their stuff naked or were decked out in fetish gear like the head Mistress.
Jambrea could have just stumbled out of her shower. Right down this alluring rabbit hole. She tugged the lapels tighter, crossing them over her chest. Unlike most of the women here, she didn’t have perky breasts or a trim waist to flaunt sans support. Maybe this had been a stupid idea.
“Oh no.” Lily smacked Jambrea’s ass when she balked. Even through the terrycloth it stung a little.
“Hey!”
“Get it in gear, sister.” The Mistress toned down her command with a slight smile. “Remember how you made me pinky-swear I wouldn’t let you back out?”
“What was I thinking?” Jambrea rubbed her eyes with one hand while the other clutched the overlapping panels of the fluffy garment she wore like armor. The last thing she needed was for the robe to gape open and expose more of herself than she had already revealed to her friend.
“That you deserve to know boundless pleasure?” Lily hooked an arm around her elbow, leading her onward. Slower this time, they no less inevitably aimed toward their destination and the possibilities that awaited her there. “That this is the first step toward something you’ve been dreaming about for a really long-ass time?”
“Fine. There’s that.” She swallowed hard. If she didn’t go through with their plan, it’d probably be another decade before she got the nerve to try again. No way would she doom herself to extending her isolation. Even if tonight’s sexcapades were anonymous—given her selection of blindfolding from Lily’s menu of delightful possibilities—the connection of physical touch would suffice for now. And she could superimpose whatever faces she preferred on her mystery partners. For most women that’d probably be a couple of Hollywood stars. Not for her.
Clint. Matt.
She blinked a few times as she realized the cops came to mind first, before John. A long way ahead. After all, she’d really gotten to know and adore the two guys over the past six months or so. Seeing them in action, on the job and in their group of friends, had endeared them to her. Still, John had been her first. A delicious infatuation with a specter.
Part of her was sad at the revelation. Doubly so when she realized none of the three men were truly within reach.
Habit drove her to swipe her fingers around her wild thing tattoo. No feeling sorry for herself tonight. It would accomplish nothing. If she chickened out on the other hand, literally, she’d doom herself to regrets. Going ahead with this insanity could help her break her dry spell and, hopefully, her unlucky streak too. She hadn’t ruled out the possibility of a rematch if tonight didn’t totally suck.
It wouldn’t. She had to stay positive and trust her friend.
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“That’s it,” Lily goaded her as they picked up the pace once more.
Before the pendulum could swing the other direction in her never-ending, “Do it, don’t do it” battle, they’d arrived at a cozy chamber. When Lily ushered her into the unoccupied space and shut the door behind them, they could have been anywhere—a lavish hotel, someone’s fancy house or maybe the set of a movie.
Perfectly staged, the space invited her imagination to run wild. Relaxing, she sat on the edge of the bed, curling her feet beneath her. Jambrea watched her friend roam around the room lighting candles and even a fire in the gas-powered hearth.
“You’ll appreciate that when you’re naked.” Lily winked. “At least until your playmates warm you up.”
A horrible possibility had her throat going dry. “What if they don’t? I mean, what if I find I can’t do it or it doesn’t turn me on like I thought?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself.” Lily poured a glass of water from the crystal decanter on the sidebar. She handed it to Jambrea, displaying her superb observational skills. No wonder her submissives adored her. “You’re safe here. No matter the reason, if you don’t want to go forward, you remember what to do, right?”
“Oh. Yeah.” She actually might have forgotten. The combination of terror and thrill distracted her mightily. That was before she factored in the impact of truly touring Gunther’s for the first time when things were in full swing. “My codeword. Blue.”
Lily chuckled. “Well, we usually call it a safeword, but, yes.”
“So why is it blue instead of red?” Jambrea tilted her head, as if that trivia mattered in comparison to all the other things she had no clue about yet had dived headfirst into.
“The word itself is irrelevant. In this case, your partners selected it. Will you remember it? If not, I’ll have you tell me something meaningful to you and I’ll inform them of the change. It’s critical.” Lily seemed as if she might continue until Jambrea waved her off.
“No, I can go with blue. Blue, blue, blue.” She repeated it a few more times. “I won’t forget.”
“There’s another option.” The concentration Lily paid to lighting candles seemed unwarranted.
“Go ahead.” Why would she hold back now?
“This room is equipped with cameras. I can watch. Or Jeremy can. Or Gunther, or one of my assistants. Anyone you’re comfortable with, if you want the extra layer of protection afforded by real-time monitoring.”
“Oh God, no.” She tried to think beyond instinctive denial. “You trust these guys, right? You wouldn’t throw me to just anybody, would you?”
“Give me a little credit.” The spitfire returned full force. “Of course. You’re in good hands. Great ones.”
“Then, no. I don’t need you to babysit.” She squirmed. “I feel self-conscious enough as it is.”
“No need for that, Jambs.” Lily scanned her from head to toe. “You look really pretty. Flushed and natural. It’s probably best you opted for two men. In case you make one of them come too quick, you’ll still get your fill. Alternating partners is always a great tactic to keep the party rolling.”
“Uh, thanks. I think.” She couldn’t help but choke out a laugh. “Can we get the show on the road already?”
“Of course.” Her friend leaned in for a hug before surveying the room to make sure everything met her standards. In one corner, a dresser draped with a maroon sheet had lumps beneath.
Were those the toys Jambrea had expressed interest in? Oh, God, what had she gotten herself into?
“The guys are waiting for my signal. They’re in the room we passed just before this one.” She winked when Jambrea glared at her. Knowing she’d waltzed right by her educators tormented her.
Maybe she shouldn’t have asked for…
Too late. Lily took her hand from behind her back. In it, she clasped a black silk blindfold. “Last thing before I send them in.”
“You’re sure this is a good idea?” A tilt of Jambrea’s head didn’t shake any more sense into her brain.
“Yeah. Sensory deprivation allows you to focus on what’s important. Especially given your insecurities, this will help calm you down. Make you worry only about what you feel instead of trying to compensate for reactions or judge what you think you look like as they’re playing with you.”
“I’m that obvious, huh?” Jambrea sighed.
“Only to me. It’s my job to know these things. And I think I understand you pretty well by now.” Lily reached out and squeezed her hand. “So believe me when I say that you’re ready for this. Tonight is going to be amazing. You’ve earned it. Enjoy your reward.”
“If you insist.” She grinned as she closed her eyes. “Go ahead, slap that thing on.”
Lily’s laugh was musical, something Jambrea hadn’t ever quite noticed before. Maybe the Mistress had it right—without Jambrea’s vision, every other sense was enhanced. Immediately, she heard the lap of the flames in the faux fireplace, the rustle of the sheets and even her own ragged breathing.
She concentrated on regulating the uneven respiration while slowing the pounding of her heart.
“Better already,” Lily murmured as she secured the patch of luxurious fabric with three separate ties. One in the middle, one at the top—around Jambrea’s forehead—and one at the base near her cheekbones. The deceptively simplistic mask seemed to be padded and weighted around the edges. It conformed to the contours of her face, leaving no gaps whatsoever for peeking.
A wash of air over her cheeks made her wonder if Lily had tested that theory, maybe by attempting to make Jambrea flinch. If so, she never would have known a blow was coming. Pitch black surrounded her in artificial midnight, deep enough to get lost in.
“Time to let go of your security blanket. Let’s get that robe off.” Lily pried Jambrea’s fingers from the fuzzy edge of the fabric. Still, it was hard to release the shield. “Are you positive you don’t want to be restrained? It might help you, like the blindfold, to relax. Knowing you can only lie there and soak in the rapture they bring you is another kind of freedom…from having to respond or act. I promise you’d enjoy yourself.”
“That’d have me calling blue for sure.” Jambrea shook her head though she didn’t even know if Lily was watching. “Maybe some other time. Not tonight.”
“Okay, then I have some instructions for you. From your playmates.” Lily helped Jambrea stand only long enough to peel the terrycloth from her entirely. Then she aided her friend in sinking onto the mattress once more. This time the Mistress nudged Jambrea’s shoulder.
She reclined, getting as comfortable as possible on the divine mattress. Her own bed had never felt so inviting. This was like lounging on a cloud. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
“I bet you are.” Lily chuckled. The woman liked this entirely too much. “They’re not going to speak to you. They don’t want you distracted from how they make you feel. Tonight is all about you, not them. So ask for anything you want. Tell them if they do something you like or hate. Give them feedback. They’ll shape their advance into exactly what you need. They’re here to take direction, not give it. Since you’ve opted not to be restrained, they want you to know that when they place you somewhere, they expect you to stay until they show you what they’d like you to do next. Really, it’s about positioning you where you need to be for them to pleasure you best. It sounds weirder than it will be. Just go with them. Don’t fight. If it’s not something you’re into, speak up. Tell them to slow down. Or if it’s way off track, use your word. Say it again.”
“Blue.” Jambrea pressed her thighs together, embarrassed by how ready she was and what the idea of two men strategizing about their approach to taking her together did to her. Premeditated desire. They’d thought about this, just like she had. Probably not quite as obsessively, but they had dwelled on it at least a bit. Knowing they had a game plan reassured her.
“That’s right.” Lily patted Jambrea’s shoulder then stroked her hair, maybe arrang
ing the lock that always tried to stand on end. “Though I’m confident you’re not going to need it, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“I’m ready, Lily.” She allowed her fingers to uncurl. Her knotted muscles loosened until she melted slightly.
“I know you are. I’m glad you’re finally noticing that too.” Her friend bracketed Jambrea’s wrist, over her no regrets tattoo. “Above all, have fun.”
The instruction came softer as Lily must have retreated to the threshold.
“I don’t want to be alone.” Jambrea could have kicked herself for admitting that. But something about the blindfold did make it easier to forget about her inhibitions and judgment by the world around her. Hopefully Lily assumed she meant only for the moment.
“I’ll always be here for you.” Too shrewd for her own good, the Mistress caught on to both implications. “And no one’s leaving you tonight. I won’t be far. There’s an intercom next to the bed. And here come your guys. They’re peeking out of their door like kids on Christmas morning. Get over here, you two sexy beasts.”
Heavier footfalls approached, inciting a wave of gooseflesh to break out over Jambrea’s skin. Lily surprised her by sticking around for a minute. She introduced the first man to her by saying, “Give me your hand.”
Shortly after, a wide palm pressed to Jambrea’s belly. She drew in a breath and held it at the imprint of broad, splayed fingers that curled softly into her rounded stomach. He didn’t seem to mind her curves when his thumb brushed back and forth over the area he touched.
“Very nice.” Lily approved. She couldn’t help her nature, though. “Say hello, Jambrea.”
“Nice to meet you,” she choked out.
“And your second soon-to-be lover.” This time an even larger hand caressed her, gentle for all its meaty size and the slight rough patches on the heel of his palm. Maybe he was a weight lifter, like Matt, who had calluses in the same location. She’d patched blisters for him once or twice when he’d pushed his workouts too far.