by Tara Rose
He reached up and stroked her face. “Leta, I am so sorry. I never should have left like that. I’m an idiot.”
“No. Please don’t say that, Sir. You’re not. You couldn’t handle it at the time. I understand.”
“Pet…what I did was so wrong. To both of you. Leta, I love you. You know that. I always will. I made a list. No clue where it is right now, but I wrote down all the positives about having Graham in our lives as your Dom, too. Then I wrote down the negatives. Want to know what they were?”
She glanced toward the hallway, then rose and closed the door. “All right. Not the best place for us to talk about this, but we need to. It’s important. I’m ready, Sir.”
He smiled. “One. Only one. My goddam jealousy. That’s the only negative to this.”
“So what do we do about that?”
He reached for her, so she sat on the bed again and took his hands. “I need your help, pet. Both of you. I can’t conquer this alone.”
“Of course we’ll help you.” She reached for Graham’s hand. He stood next to her, and gazed at her with nothing short of devotion. “Right, Sir?”
“Absolutely. Tell us how to help you.”
“I don’t know yet. When we get home, let’s sit down and make a plan. A real one. We’ll type it out, like a plan we’d come up with at work. Is that crazy?”
“Not at all, dude. It’s what you and I understand. Facts, figures, and spreadsheets.” He glanced at Leta. “Are you okay with that?”
“Anything. Anything at all that will keep the three of us together. I love you both so much. I want you both in my life, as my Doms. I can’t handle losing either one of you.”
“I feel the same way,” said Nando. “Thank you for both for giving me another chance.”
“Sir, there was never a question of not doing that.”
“She’s right. You’re stuck with both of us. You two have something special. Everyone on this island envies you. I envied you. But now that you’ve let me into your lives, I’m not going to turn my back and walk away. I’m not giving up on this. I will do whatever it takes to make it work.”
Leta let go of Nando’s hands to give Graham a tight hug. “You already conquered one huge fear tonight. Do you realize what you did?”
“I realize it, love.”
“Graham, thank you,” said Nando. “You saved my life. You went into a building full of fireworks, and about to be consumed by flames, and you carried me out of there. I will never be able to thank you enough for that.”
“I couldn’t have done it at all if not for Leta. She’s the one who told me I could do it.”
“From now on,” she said, “whatever we do, we do it together.”
* * * *
Early Sunday morning, Nando was finally home. He and Graham both had sent Leta to bed. She was exhausted. The two sat on the deck, drinking water. Neither man could seem to get enough tonight.
“It’ll take a long time to get that smell out of my head,” said Nando.
“I know what you mean.”
“How did you do it? How did you go into that building? Santos told me it was engulfed in flames less than five minutes after all of you carried me out. All those fireworks went up.”
“I know. I did it because I had to. Because Leta was standing there, crying, begging me to help her. I wasn’t able to save Bailey and Teddy. But I knew I could save you.”
“I owe you my life.”
“I owe you mine. Both of you. Don’t you get that? You both saved me. From my past, from my grief, and from my loneliness. Nando, I never meant to hurt you by playing with her and making love to her on my own. It just happened.”
“I know that. I am so sorry. I was a complete asshole to leave you both like that. I would die for her.”
Graham looked his friend in the eyes. “So would I.”
“You should collar her, too. We’ll go into town and buy her something together. Something that will go with the one she wears now. What do you think? It’s right that she wear a symbol from both of us.”
He honestly thought Graham was going to cry. That much emotion poured from his eyes. “You’re really okay with that?”
“More than okay. It’s the right thing to do, and it will mean the world to her.”
* * * *
Sunday afternoon, when they’d all finally had enough sleep, Graham and Nando walked into town together. They’d told Leta they were going to the police station to try and piece together more clues about the mystery man. That wasn’t a lie, but after they finished with that, they went into the shops downtown.
They finally found a necklace with a gold chain similar to the one she now wore, but instead of a lock and key it contained sapphires and onyx stones. “This is perfect,” said Graham, holding it up to the light. “Want to know why?”
“Why?”
“It reminds me of us, our eye colors. She’ll love that.”
Nando chuckled. “Coming from anyone else, I’d think you were the one who’d been hit with a beam. But you’re right. She’ll love it.”
“When should we give it to her?”
“We? It’s your collar to give to her.”
Graham shook his head. “No way. I want the whole island to know this. That we’re both her Doms now. Let’s have a party on the beach. Like you and Leta did for Jade, Estevan, and Liam. Friday night. We’ll invite everyone. And that way you and Leta can reaffirm your commitment to each other as well.”
Nando clapped him on the back. “You know something? That’s a fabulous idea. All right. That’s what we’ll do.”
Chapter Nineteen
Monday at Phoebe’s Playthings, Graham got no work done because the company was buzzing with the news. Asa and Tim were both in the building, but neither man had been seen by anyone all morning. They were holed up in their offices, doors closed, and with strict instructions not to be disturbed for any reason.
He and Jagger had fielded phone calls from reporters as far away as Tennessee, and every news station up and down the Gulf Coast seemed to have picked up the story. They were glued to the TV when they weren’t on the phone.
“Surprised it isn’t on CNN or Fox by now,” said Jagger. “What the fuck are we going to do?”
“Nothing. Not until Asa or Tim tell us to do something. Just stick to the script.” They’d prepared a statement to read to every reporter who called, expressing the company’s deep sympathy at the tragedy, and for the victims and their families. Nothing more.
Jagger gave him a sideways glance. “You know, there’s a rumor going around…”
“I know. I was there, remember? Nando never saw the man’s face.”
“Who else would do this?”
“Oh, I don’t know. How about nearly everyone in both our families? Or in Wendy’s family? Or maybe a pissed off worker? Or Jesse’s attorney sent someone in from New Orleans to stir up shit against Asa? There are dozens of possibilities here.”
“The preliminary fire investigation said it’s arson.”
“Not surprised there. Leta and I heard three or four distinct explosions just before we saw the smoke. The fires weren’t accidental.”
“Well what about planes and boats on and off the island during the past few days? If this was a non-resident, he had to get here, and he wouldn’t stick around afterward.”
“The cops are on that. All we can do is wait, and keep Asa and Tim as protected as possible until we’re told to do otherwise.”
Graham had been sick to his stomach all day. He didn’t want to believe that Asa was capable of something this destructive, but all roads led to him on this one. He’d shot his big mouth off about the project in front of too many people. It was no secret how much he hated Jess and Wendy. Graham only hoped that Kai hadn’t told anyone else the story about her aunt and Asa. He knew Leta or Nando would never repeat it, not even to the cops. But they couldn’t stop Kai from telling anyone who would listen.
* * * *
Nando would have stayed h
ome Monday if not for the shitstorm he knew would be going on at work. He and Liam had called in their line managers first thing in the morning and told them to do what they could to help the shift supervisors keep the employees focused on work and not on gossip, but in reality, he knew none of them could do a thing about this. People were going to believe what they wanted to believe. As long as management was on the same page, however, they’d present a united front. That was important at a time like this.
By the end of the week, the fire investigator had deemed it arson, and they knew how it had been accomplished, but they were no closer to finding the mystery man. All they knew for certain was that no strangers had come onto the island or left it close to the time of the fires. That led the cops to conclude it had been a resident.
Nando and Graham concentrated on their upcoming party. Everyone had been invited, including Asa and Tim. Nando had been fielding personal calls from various family members, asking him to exclude Asa, but he refused to do so. Asa was not only his boss, but his father’s cousin. He was family, as much as every Durante and Raleigh were. He and Graham had discussed this, and both men agreed to show support to Asa right now. It wasn’t their jobs to judge him or condemn him. Let the cops prove he’d done this, and then they’d deal with it if they had to.
They’d also both agreed not to ask him directly. If he brought it up, they’d be glad to discuss it, but neither man was going to ask him if he’d had anything to do with the fires, or if he was the man Nando saw that night. Because Nando didn’t believe in his heart that Asa would sucker punch his own relative, and he had a tough time picturing the man in a hoodie.
Leta had invited Kai, with Graham and Nando’s blessing, but she declined, saying she had already agreed to work an extra shift that night. Jesse and Wendy had also been invited, but they also declined. Nando wasn’t surprised by that, and in reality it was probably better that Jesse and Wendy not be at the same party as Asa, who had already told them he’d be there.
Nando hated the fact that not only was the island divided on this issue, but their families were as well. While they’d sided with Asa after Jesse’s attorney had blasted Phoebe’s Playthings in front of the media, now that Asa was suspected of having started the fires, more family members had turned against him than were sticking by his side.
The fact that Asa had brought this on himself with years of bad behavior wasn’t lost on Nando, but he couldn’t help compare what Asa was going through to everything he and Graham had faced. At least they’d had each other, and had Leta’s love to help them through it. Asa had no one.
* * * *
Leta chose to wear a simple cotton dress, but with long sleeves and a skirt that hung past her knees. She also wore boots instead of sandals. It was the first weekend in October, and the nights were getting cooler. They’d lit up the beach with torches and fire pits, placed at intervals along the borders. Soft jazz music blared from speakers, and there was enough food and drink to accommodate nearly every resident on the island, thanks to Justin and Laila. They’d insisted on donating all of it.
They’d scheduled the party this late in the evening because so many people attending wanted to close their shops early, but Leta hadn’t wanted them to lose business in doing so. She didn’t mind staying up this late. It was so romantic to have it at night, and this way more people could be here.
Jade, Celina, and Giselle helped her get ready. As the four put the finishing touches on Leta’s hair, she stood and examined her outfit in the mirror. “I feel like I’m getting married.”
“You are in a way,” said Celina.
“Is Alaina here? She’s new at this, too. This is important for her to see.”
“She’s here. She’s with Jeff and Taj. They’re busy talking to Tim and Asa.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad Asa is talking to people.”
Giselle frowned. “You don’t think he did it, do you?”
“I honestly have no idea. I hope like hell he didn’t. But Graham and Nando are going out of their way to support him, so that’s what I’m going to do, too.”
“It could be anyone,” said Jade, hugging herself. “Santos is going nuts at the station. They all are. And it’s worse now that they believe it was a resident.”
“Well, that still doesn’t narrow it down,” said Celina. “Asa has a lot of enemies on this island.”
“It might not even be a Durante or a Raleigh,” said Leta. “It could be someone in Wendy’s family who wanted to make it look like Asa had done it.”
“Well, whoever it was,” said Jade, “he didn’t leave any clues. Not one. No DNA, or prints, no hair, nothing. He was very careful.”
“Not careful enough to stay away from the scene, though,” said Giselle. “He wanted to watch it burn. That’s too damn creepy for words.”
A soft knock on the door broke up the conversation. It was Nando and Graham, telling Leta it was time to begin. The others hurried out to find their Doms, and Leta wrapped her hands around an arm from each of her men, gazing up at both in turn to smile. “Thank you for this.”
“No, love. Thank you.”
“Yes, pet. Thank you. You’re the one who made this all possible.”
They’d already turned off the music, and the crowd was silent as the three came outside, descended the steps of the deck, and stood in the circle that was marked by small torches. They’d borrowed a microphone from Kade’s recording studio so that everyone could hear them over the waves, and now the three stepped up to it.
Leta knelt, and the men adjusted the microphone stand so it would pick up her voice as well. She smiled up at Nando, who spoke first.
“Leta, I love you. Three years ago we stood on this beach and pledged our love for each other. You now wear my collar. You promised to serve me, love me, and cherish me for the rest of your life. And I promised to love you, protect you, and cherish you for the rest of my life. I stand before you today to renew those promises.”
He stroked her face gently, and Leta caught the tender sighs and murmurings from those closest to her. Her heart was ready to burst with love for this extraordinary man. “I promise again to love you, protect you, and cherish you for the rest of my life.”
“And I love you, too, Sir. You have never broken those promises, and now you’ve made them even more special by accepting my past, and helping me rise above it. And by allowing another Dom into our dynamic, you’ve strengthened our friendship with each other and with him, and you’ve increased my love and devotion to you. I promise once again to love you, serve you, honor you, and cherish you for the rest of my life.”
Nando helped her rise, then he kissed her while the crowd clapped and cheered. When he released the kiss, Leta kneeled once again, and Graham stepped in front of her. “Leta, I’m at a loss for words most days. I love you so much. You’ve always held a special place in my heart, but now…I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so blessed to have this with you and Nando.”
She blinked back tears at the kind words she heard murmured around her. The entire island was so happy to see Graham here tonight.
“I lost once. I lost so much. And no one can take their places, but what I have now with you has filled a huge hole in my heart. You’ve saved my life in more ways than one with your friendship and your love.”
He stepped behind her and placed the collar around her neck. She’d seen it earlier, and had thought it the most beautiful thing she’d ever worn. The symbolism overwhelmed her. And to know they’d chosen it together brought the three of them together in a way that nothing Leta could have said or done would have accomplished.
He fastened the necklace. “This is more than another collar. It’s a symbol of my love for you, and my commitment to this relationship with you and Nando.” He stepped in front of her. “For those of you who can’t see the necklace, it has a gold chain, like the one from Nando she wears, and is adorned with onyx stones and sapphires. Nando and I chose it because those are the colors of our eyes.”
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br /> The crowd clapped gently, and then when they were quiet once more, Graham continued. “Our eyes that see this stunning, amazing woman every day, and never grow tired of gazing at her. Leta, I promise to love you, protect you, and cherish you every day for the rest of my life. I hope you will accept this collar as a symbol of all that.”
She had to swallow hard as tears of joy threatened. “I love you, too, Sir. I accept your collar as a symbol of your love for me. I promise to love you, honor you, and cherish you every day for the rest of my life.”
Graham helped her stand, and then he kissed her deeply, tongue and all, while the crowd clapped, cheered, and wolf-whistled. When he released her, Nando kissed her again, and then each man hugged her and twirled her around until she was dizzy.
When they finally set her on her feet again, someone started the music back up, and the three were surrounded by people congratulating them and asking to see both collars.
Leta gazed at her two Doms. So much love and joy overflowed in her heart that she was sure it would simply sprout wings and fly out over the ocean. That was the only entity that could possibly hold all the emotion she felt for them.
And she would love them both with the same passion she’d shown Nando all these years. This was her gift to him, her Sir, with love. She’d give that same love to Graham now as well. Not one day would go by without both her Doms knowing how very, very much she loved them.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tara Rose loves to write about small towns and the quirky people that inhabit them. You’ll find engaging characters, budding romance, intrigue, and plenty of hot, steamy ménage sex within the pages of her books. You never really know what goes on behind closed doors, but her books will take you there, and leave you panting for more.