by Tara Rose
Now, he was glad they’d never made it official, because Graham might not feel comfortable with this fantasy otherwise. Nando knew he was still having a tough time coming to terms with Bailey and Teddy’s deaths, and he certainly couldn’t fault him for that. Nando had no idea how he’d ever cope with such senseless tragedy.
He only hoped this night would help Graham in some way. Nando also knew part of Graham’s guilt was mixed up with the fact that he’d never really let go of his feelings for Leta, even after he married Bailey. He hoped that having the chance to be with her would assist Graham in working through those emotions as well.
Either that or it would backfire completely, and all three would wonder why the hell they’d ever started down this road.
No. That won’t happen.
It wouldn’t. He would stay positive and focused tonight, and they’d all have a fabulous time.
He and Leta didn’t talk about the coming night during dinner. Instead, she asked about work and how things were going with the resort, and he asked if she’d given any further thought to opening up an art gallery like she’d talked about doing since returning to the island.
“My degree is in art history. I wouldn’t want to display any of my own work. It’s not very good. And Estevan doesn’t have enough to fill an entire gallery.”
Estevan Durante was one of his third cousins, and he had defied Asa, refusing to enter the family business. Instead, he made and sold multi-colored art sand in bottles, and occasionally painted still life pictures which he refused to sell, opting instead to give them away or simply hang them in the home he now shared with Liam Raleigh and their sub, Jade Augustine.
“There have to be more artists or people who do crafts on this island,” he said. “Have you tried to find them?”
“I’m sure there are. I even asked Estevan about displaying some of his pirate swords or coins, and he said that would be fine, but we couldn’t fill an entire gallery with only those items.”
“Actually, I think that would be more appropriate here than anywhere. Don’t you? Most of his collection has historical significance to this area.”
“I guess so.”
He put down his fork and reached across the table to take her hands. “You don’t have to be a slave to this house. It’s not what I expect of you. It’s too big for one person to take care of.”
This was an old conversation. Nando had wanted to hire someone to clean it since building it, but once Leta moved in, she insisted on taking care of all that herself. But he didn’t expect her to be a full-time maid. He also knew, however, that if he hired someone, she would feel as if she’d displeased him and wasn’t taking care of his needs, and that would make her more distressed.
“I don’t mind doing it.”
“I know you don’t, pet, but it leaves you no time to yourself.”
“Why does that matter?”
Nando knew this went deeper than Leta wanting to serve him, but he wasn’t sure this was the right time to bring it up. He didn’t want anything negative crowding her thoughts tonight. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s defer this discussion until another time. I’m sure you want some time to get into the right head space for this evening.” He winked at her, hoping she hadn’t already gone to a bad place in her head.
“All right, Sir. That’s a sound idea. I want tonight to be perfect.” She squeezed his hands, her beautiful eyes full of sincerity. “For both of you.”
He raised one of those hands to his lips and kissed the back of it in a sweet, old-fashioned gesture that he knew she loved. “It will be perfect because of you. You’re perfect. The perfect lover, the perfect sub, and my best friend.”
“I love you, Nando.”
“And I love you, Leta. Never forget that.”
“I won’t. Promise.”
They stared into each other’s eyes for a long time, and then Leta gathered up their dirty dishes and excused herself to get ready for tonight.
* * * *
Leta had been given free rein in choosing what to wear tonight. She had a collection of club wear that would rival any fetish shop in the country, courtesy of Nando buying every new outfit for her they came out with at Phoebe’s Playthings. Her closet was as large as several of her friends’ apartments, and each time she walked into it, guilt consumed her. This entire house was lavish and huge. Nando was right about that. But she didn’t mind taking care of it. It was lonely with him gone all day at work, and since most of her friends had jobs as well, she’d rather have something to do all day than simply spend her time pretending to paint.
If she opened a gallery, it would take up all her energy and time, and then she wouldn’t feel as if she were truly serving Nando. They’d had this conversation so many times now, but she pushed it out of her thoughts as she tried on several corsets. Tonight had to be perfect, and that meant having a clear head.
She frowned as she glanced at her form in the mirror. If only she wasn’t so damn fat.
“Stop that,” she told her reflection. Nando hated it when she called herself fat. He loved her body and intellectually she knew that, but old habits died hard, and some wounds were so deep they simply didn’t heal.
“All right. Enough now.” She took several deep breaths, closing her eyes to use the visualization techniques she’d been taught in New York City. One day, she’d be able to share all the details with Nando from the incident in Oxford, Mississippi that had prompted her to seek counseling once she graduated from Ole Miss and moved to the Big Apple. One day. But not today. Today she needed to put everything unpleasant out of her mind so she could give her full concentration to him and Graham inside the dungeon.
She finally chose the red leather corset with black lace inserts. It laced up front, so she was able to get into it by herself, and it had matching frilly shorts. She wore no panties, and she also chose to wear her sexiest black heels because she thought boots would be too warm. The shoes would come off, regardless, as would the corset and shorts, but Nando liked to see her dressed up when they began their play each time.
Leta finished, then made her way to the dungeon. Their plan was for her to be in it, waiting for Nando and Graham. She was to be on her knees, eyes down, until Nando told her she could stand. He said he’d tell her the rules for that night once they were all in the dungeon together.
As she made her way down the back hallway on the main floor that led to the dungeon, she heard Graham’s voice. Leta stopped for a second and took several deep breaths. She could do this. She’d wanted to for a long time now. There was no reason to be afraid or feel inadequate. Graham had a thing for her that stretched as far back as high school, the same as Nando. They’d even dated for a while but Bailey had gone after him big time, and Leta had backed off.
Bailey was beautiful, and she was…well…No! Stop that right now!
Leta walked into the dungeon and smiled. The change that came over her each time was instant now, and very soothing. She and Nando had worked hard the past few years, making sure that this space gave Leta permission to feel safe, and to stay positive and focused on the moment. When she needed to talk about the past or how it was intruding on their play, they left the dungeon and went to a separate room close by. That might not be what everyone did, but it worked for them.
She did her stretches, and then once she felt both physically and mentally ready for play, she checked the time on her cell phone. They would be here in five minutes. She turned off the phone and placed it on the shelf where Nando would put his, and probably Graham as well. They had both agreed a long time ago that while they’d keep the phones within reach, only Nando would keep his on, but it wouldn’t be in their immediate play space. He wanted no distractions for either of them, but needed a way for Asa or Tim to reach him at all times. It was part of his role in the company.
Leta knelt and positioned her body until she was comfortable, then lowered her gaze and slowed her breathing. The calm that settled over her both delighted and comforted her. Even knowing
that Graham was joining them tonight hadn’t intruded on her usual frame of mind inside this dungeon, and that was a good start.
She heard their footsteps outside the door before catching the subtle scent of Polo. Nando always wore it, but she didn’t mind. She loved the smell and it reminded her of their intimate times together, so right now that helped keep her calm and focused. Their shoes moved into her view, but she didn’t glance up.
“Nice choice of clothing,” said Nando. “I’m pleased. You look sexy in red and black.”
“Thank you, Sir.” It was part of their dynamic that she was allowed to answer questions in the dungeon. She could also ask one to clarify something he’d told her to do, but the only other words she used inside this room were her safewords. She hadn’t thought to ask what to call Graham tonight, but assumed that Nando would soon tell her, along with the other rules for this evening.
“Doesn’t she look fabulous in that?” asked Nando.
“Yeah. She sure does.” Graham sounded slightly out of breath and awestruck. Leta bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling as a shiver ran down her spine. To know he and Nando both thought she looked enticing tonight was a thrill. This was going to be all right. It was going to be fun, and erotic, and everything the three of them had hoped it would be. She was certain of it.
“Here are the rules tonight,” said Nando. “Graham knows your safewords and will honor them as I will.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“He knows your limits and will honor them as I will.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Her pulse raced now, and her clit began to tingle. She was so excited it was difficult to stay focused and listen.
“You are to call Graham ‘Sir’ as well tonight so the play will flow smoothly.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“I’m going to blindfold you so that you can relax and not worry about who is doing what. One of us will have his hand on you at all times, and you will never be alone.”
“Thank you, Sir.” Blindfolded. She was going to be blindfolded! Nando usually reserved that for special occasions because he always told her he wanted to look into her eyes. But now she realized the beauty of using one tonight. She didn’t have to process anything. All she had to do was feel and submit. He took care of her needs in subtle ways like that every single day, and she loved him for it.
“Your safewords will be even more important tonight because there are two of us. This is new for you, for me, and for Graham. He doesn’t know your body language and other cues as I do, although I will of course stop the scene if I think you need something. But you need to do your part as well tonight, and use safewords when you need to before you become overwhelmed. Do you understand and agree to these rules?”
“Yes, Sir. I understand and agree.”
“Then stand and look at us.”
Leta did, and when she met Graham’s gaze, the gratitude and lust she glimpsed in his eyes nearly took her breath away. Nando brushed a finger along her face, and she smiled at him. That, she knew, was always allowed. It was their silent signal that she was okay and ready to proceed. She caught his glance of lust and gratitude as well, and her heart soared.
As he slipped the long, black piece of silk over her eyes and tied it behind her head, Leta let out a slow, deep cleansing breath. This was going to be the best night of her entire life.
Chapter Four
Someone’s hand rested on the small of her back, leading her forward. She assumed it was Nando’s, but since the possibility existed it was Graham’s, she was even more aroused than usual. She didn’t worry about running into something because she knew Nando would never allow that to happen. She merely walked, and when he told her to stop, she did.
“The cross is in front of you, pet. Face it and put your arms and legs against the pads.”
“Yes, Sir.” She knew the St. Andrew’s cross well, and could fit herself against it without looking. The cross had been specially made to allow access to her front and back at the same time, and the soft leather pads supported her arms and legs.
Once she was in position, the men fit leather cuffs around her wrists and secured them to the cross. Then one of them pulled off her shorts and helped her step out of them. She didn’t know who had done it, and a soft moan escaped her lips as shivers ran up and down her spine.
“You like this, don’t you?” Nando’s voice was soft and sexy, and her pulse raced again at the sound of it. “Not knowing who is doing what? It’s okay to answer me.”
“Yes, Sir. I love it.” She really did. Already it was more exciting than she’d imagined. The blindfold had been a stroke of genius on Nando’s part, but then, he had an instinct for things like that.
“I think we’ll keep the shoes on for now, but this needs to be loosened a bit.” It was Nando’s voice that spoke, but the fingers reaching around and unlacing her corset shook slightly, so she wondered if they belonged to Graham. She took a deep breath, trying to detect an unfamiliar scent, and caught the smell of woodsy shampoo. Nando didn’t use a brand that smelled woodsy, so it had to be Graham.
Once the laces were undone, he moved the corset aside, then brushed his fingers tentatively across her nipples. Leta moaned softly and relaxed into the pads further, hoping he’d interpret that signal the same way Nando did. It was one of total acquiescence and submission. His touches grew bolder now, and she barely noticed Nando fitting cuffs around her ankles. He secured her ankle cuffs to the cross, and then Graham grasped her breasts and kneaded them in his strong hands.
He moaned softly and nuzzled her neck, and Leta couldn’t hold back her own soft cries of pleasure now. She heard him move around the cross so he faced her front, and when he began to tease her nipples with his thumbs and forefingers, rolling them and pulling on them, Nando caressed her ass cheeks and reached around to tease her clit and pussy lips.
“You’re soaked already.” His voice was filled with humor, and she knew he was pleased. Her heart soared. “You love this.”
She let out a slow, shaky breath as she relaxed even further against the cross, enjoying the electric jolts of desire shooting through her body. She hadn’t expected them to start this way. She’d assumed Graham would feel shy at first touching her in such an intimate way in front of Nando, but obviously she’d been wrong.
Gradually their soft caresses turned to gentle smacks across her nipples and on her ass cheeks, and then the hits weren’t gentle at all. Leta moaned loudly, as she always did once Nando started to swat her for real. The endorphin rush raced through her body, sending chills up and down her arms and legs. This was the part she loved. The pain mixed with the pleasure. She craved it, the same way a junkie craved their drug of choice.
There was no such thing as living without this. It wasn’t possible to go cold turkey and purge this need from her system. Just as an addicted person never really stopped wanting the drug, she always wanted this pleasure and pain combo. But unlike street drugs, this wasn’t unhealthy. The effects on her body were invigorating, releasing bad memories and stress, and replacing those with peace, contentment, and more horniness than she could handle on the best of days. And even better tonight, there were two of them giving it to her.
The swats turned to soft caresses again, but this time it was with pieces of fur and the falls of various mop floggers. It didn’t matter that she was able to identify each implement. They varied the pattern enough to keep her guessing, and didn’t spend too much time on any area of her body, so each sensation was new.
One of them used the Wartenberg wheel, which she loved, but he used it right over her clit and nipples, which Nando had never done. It was a wheel with seven tiny rows of spikes instead of one, so it spread out the sensations and she was able to take a lot more because of that, but this was the first time she’d had it used directly on such sensitive parts, and the thrill it gave her forced loud moans from her throat.
When the falls from the floggers changed from being lightly smacked against her back, legs, o
r ass cheeks to harder hits, her cries and moans turned to soft whimpers as every care simply dissolved. She loved thick floggers, and never experienced actual pain from them. They felt more like intense massages. One of them struck her breasts with them every few seconds, and that hurt a bit, but it was still not near her pain threshold. Not even close.
They returned to using their hands to caress her breasts and pussy, and then someone’s mouth was on her nipples, gently sucking and biting them. Since she had no clue which man it was, her arousal went through the roof, and she came very close to coming simply from the suckling alone. The other man began to massage her clit, and when he slipped a finger into her soaking wet pussy, she cried out loudly as a blinding orgasm overtook her body.
“Oh…oh that feels so fucking good,” he said.
Leta’s excitement took on another dimension as she realized the man with his finger in her pussy was Graham. That meant it had to be Nando who now kissed her neck. Her assumption was confirmed when he whispered in her ear, “Thank you for this, pet. It’s incredible.”
“Thank you, Sir.” The words were inadequate, but she could hardly breathe right now, let alone form coherent sentences.
“What color are you?”
“Green, Sir.” She was as green as the grass that grew on the hillsides and mountains on this island. As green as fresh melons in the summer. This was perfection, and she wondered what Sir would say if she asked to experience it again.
“Good girl. Because we’re going to ramp it up a bit.”
She didn’t have time to react. One of them pulled her hair roughly and the point of a knife blade touched her throat. She knew it wouldn’t cut her skin. That was a hard limit. As he ran it gently across her throat, then down between her breasts, she moaned as tiny shivers cascaded up and down her spine.