by Leia Shaw
“Fuck you.” But he grinned back. Cross had somehow put his finger on it. The two girls were getting under his skin. He hadn’t figured it out at all until now. “Guess you’re right. They are gorgeous. I need advice, though, not you rubbing my face in it. Should I get mixed up in this?”
“Reece. High school. Do you remember what I said to you at the time? That you’d regret being such a douche-canoe? Maybe this is karma.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Maybe. Do I have to string you up by your fingernails to get a serious answer?”
“No. Calm your tits.” Cross glanced at him. “They want you to help them figure out what kinks work for them?” He was obviously really thinking it through this time. Then he nodded. “Why not? You’re not a kid anymore. You’re a good man, a good Dom, even though you wander off when you should be disciplining your sub sometimes. I think you can do this. Just be very careful with Reece. Try it and see what happens.”
“You’re so helpful.”
Cross shrugged. “You’re just giving them pointers. If it looks like it’s going farther than that, just remember to eat your Wheaties.”
Malachi smirked. “Is that what helps you manage Gemma and Izzy?”
“No, you’re just puny compared to me. You need all the help you can get.”
“Most humans are puny compared to you. I’m pretty sure you’re part sasquatch. You’re about as pretty as one.”
He attempted a pretty face but managed to just look weird. “Well, Gemma and Izzy think I’m pretty.”
“Nah, they tell everyone they stick around because you’re hung like a donkey.”
“You would know.” Cross chuckled.
Malachi shot up straight in his seat. “We vowed never to discuss the ruler incident.”
“I may still be hung over from that night.”
He laughed out loud. “That was when we were in the twelfth grade!”
“Shhh. I’m trying to block it out again.” Cross stared at the ground and shook his head.
“You’re the one who brought it up.”
Chapter 4
“I think I should change my name.” Reece stuck a pin in the silk fabric then pointed at her messy desk. She really should start cleaning in here more often. “Can you hand me that gold trim?”
“This?” Scarlet picked up a spool of ribbon.
“No, silly. The trim!” She shook her finger at the bundle of shimmery trim on the other side of the desk.
“Oh.” She handed it to her. “Well I don’t know what I’m doing!”
Reece chuckled. “You’d think you’d have caught on by now. You’ve been helping me do this for the last year.”
A brow arched. “I can’t even walk out the door without something in my wardrobe clashing.” She ran a finger over the blue silk at the top of the gown Reece was currently working on. “Or so you tell me. Matching colors and fabrics will never be my thing.”
“It’s not much different than construction.” She measured the bust then wrote the number on a paper on the desk. “We’re both building something using a formula of numbers.”
“Yeah, except what I make is sturdy and holds up a house, and what you make is...”
“Shallow and useless?”
Scarlet sighed. “You know I don’t think that. I was gonna say pretty to look at. What you do for these girls is...remarkable.” She smiled as she ran her gaze over Reece’s newest project – a sky blue silk A-line gown that would flatter any body type.
That was her goal – taking donated dresses and fixing them up to look current and fit every body type. She knew better than most that girls come in all shapes and sizes. Many teenagers in the city would’ve loved to go to prom but couldn’t afford a dress. Having missed her own because her single dad hadn’t had the money for a ticket, the hair, and the dress, it was an easy decision to start an organization to help girls in the same situation. Even if she’d had the money to buy a dress in high school, it would’ve been impossible to find one in her size. Especially back then where the only larger sizes came in old women’s styles.
A few years ago, when she’d worked her way up the ladder in her career, she’d had some extra money and wanted to help young girls that were in similar situations as she’d been. At first it was just her, redesigning and sewing as many gowns as she could in the months before prom. Now it’d grown and three other women helped her in their spare time. And Scarlet. Even though she had no interest in fashion, prom, or sewing, she’d spent many late nights the month before prom, handing Reece this and that, trying things on, sometimes turning into a human pincushion. It was one of the things that had made Reece fall in love with her.
“You give them a chance to feel like a movie star even if it’s just for one night,” Scarlet said. “Passion is rare and I admire it in you.”
Reece looked back at her girlfriend and smiled. “Thanks, pookie.” It was a daring move. Scarlet hated nicknames and it was Reece’s favorite way to tease her.
A handful of glitter landed all over her head and shoulders.
“Ahh! Bitch!” She brushed the silver flecks off her shirt. “Now I’m gonna have glitter stuck in my hair for days!”
“Serves you right. I’ve told you no pet names.”
She scowled at her while she shook out her hair. “You call me kitten!”
Scarlet’s eyes half-shut then she glided toward her. “Mmm. ’Cause you are my little kitten.”
Great. Now her girlfriend was turned on, which meant she’d try to seduce her to play. “No, Scarlet.” She put her hands out to stop her. “I have to finish this then we’re meeting Malachi.”
Scarlet’s eyes narrowed – a signal she was about to pounce.
“There’s no time!” she pleaded.
With a long drawn-out sigh, she stopped and her shoulders sagged. “Fine.”
Reece chuckled at her pouty look. Sometimes she was just so cute. She’d be offended if she said it out loud but it was true.
Reece went back to work on the finishing touches for the dress while Scarlet fiddled with one of the manikins in the other corner.
“So, why do you think you should change your name?” she asked.
“Huh?” Oh. She’d said that earlier then forgotten to explain. “Reece is just so plain. All the other buyers have fancy names. Farrah. La’Monica Sherise.”
“That’s fake.”
“Yeah. It’s Monica Schwartz. But if she can turn an ordinary Jewish name into something French, I should do something with mine.”
“Like what? Reesay?”
She laughed hard. “That’s actually not too bad.” With a dramatic flair, she tried it on for size. “Reesay!”
“No.” Scarlet frowned. “Your real name fits you perfectly.”
“Reece Duncan fits me?” She tossed her scissors onto her worktable. “Ugh. Then I’m doing something wrong.”
“Stop.” Scarlet slid her arms around Reece’s waist then pressed her lips against her neck. Reece melted into her warmth. “You don’t need a fancy name to be beautiful,” she whispered into her ear.
A shudder ran down her spine. Maybe they had time for a quickie.
“You’re kind and smart. That’s what makes you beautiful.”
She snorted. To Scarlet maybe, because she loved her, but to everyone else, it was the hefty dose of make-up, trendy clothing, and immaculate hair and nails that made her attractive. It was an annoying dichotomy that society looked down on women who didn’t take care of themselves but because she did made people assumed she was shallow and vain. It was just one of the ways she’d never be good enough.
“Oh shit.” The body against hers disappeared. “We’re late.”
“Aww. But I’m almost done.” She peered at the dress on the manikin – shimmery and ethereal – and smiled. It was going to make one girl very happy.
Scarlet grabbed her hand. “Come on. We can finish it tonight.” She tugged her toward the door of their condo.
“Wait!” She dug her heels in. “I have t
o fix myself up.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “You look fine.”
“Fine?” Reece perched a hand on her hip. She should really know her better than that by now.
“Beautiful. Gorgeous. Fucking hot as hell.”
“Flatterer. Give me a minute.” She was already traipsing down the hallway toward the bedroom. “I’ll be right back.”
At the vanity mirror, she gasped. “Scarlet!” Glitter stuck all over her skin on her chest and neck, glinting off the light with every move. “I’m going to kill you!”
***
Seeing Malachi sitting at a booth in the back corner of the café made her feel sick to her stomach. She lagged behind Scarlet a bit to work up some courage.
I’m not a chubby fifteen-year-old anymore. Even if she was still chubby, or poor, or ugly, no one had the right to make her feel like crap anyway. And putting her self-confidence in the hands of one man just wasn’t her style. Not since she’d grown into adulthood.
She still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this. Sex therapy with her high school nemesis? What the hell was wrong with her?
Scarlet reached back and grabbed her hand. She gave it a squeeze and Reece knew it was a silent message. She was there for her. They were in this together. With a deep breath, she approached the table.
“Hey,” he said with a smile. Though he’d grown a beard, tattooed his body, and pierced his ears, she’d never forget that face. His mischievous eyes and wide smile took her straight back to high school.
Her stomach twisted and her heartbeat kicked up a pace. “I’m out.” She turned to leave but Scarlet caught her arm.
“Not so fast, kitten.”
Yeah, she figured it wouldn’t be so easy to get out of. She sighed and sat next to Scarlet in the booth.
“Kitten?” Malachi looked her over boldly from across the table.
Old wounds surfaced and she fought back a blush. Though she’d lost weight and learned how to dress her curves, she’d always have a little meat on her. In her experience, guys like him wanted a cute little size two. Bonus if they had porn star tits.
He nodded slowly as his grin widened. “Kitten. I like that.”
“Ugh!” She turned from him and looked at Scarlet. “Do we have to do this?”
Scarlet pushed a piece of hair back from her face tenderly. “You promised you’d try it. And it’s not as if we’re going to strip naked right this minute. We’re just going to...talk.”
“Exactly,” he agreed. “Though if you felt compelled to take your clothes off, I wouldn’t object.” This time he was eyeing Scarlet.
Men! In a burst of anger, she snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Your job isn’t to ogle us!”
He reached out and snatched her wrist, startling her. Somehow he managed to lean across the table and loom over her. When had Malachi Johansson ever looked so menacing? “If you snap in my face again, darling, you’ll be sorry.”
She opened her mouth to protest then stopped when he narrowed his eyes. Danger lurked just under the friendly surface. Something about his expression made her reconsider her smartass reply. Was he a “real Dom” like Sabrina had said? She held back a shudder. Messing with him felt like dancing with danger.
His brows shot up in question. “Are we clear?”
Though it stung her pride, she nodded stiffly. She just wanted his hands off of her.
A friendly smile replaced the stern look and he let her go. “Good,” he said as if nothing had happened.
Her mind raced. Something had happened, alright. She’d been caught up in some kind of spell. Where he’d held her wrist felt like a hot brand and his dark eyes had deflated her anger in a matter of seconds. Geez he was hot. Maybe this was a bad idea. It would be just her luck to develop a crush on him or something ridiculous. No. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. This was just a business relationship. Sex therapy. For Scarlet. It meant a lot to her and Reece would do anything to please her.
When she turned to check on her girlfriend, she found her staring wide-eyed at Malachi. “How’d you do that?” Awe was evident in her voice.
“Do what?” she demanded.
Scarlet motioned toward him. “He shut you up with a look.”
Malachi chuckled.
Oh crap. “No, he didn’t!” She could’ve kicked herself. Looking at Scarlet, she could see the wheels turning. Chances were she’d try that looming thing sometime in the near future. Too bad for her they were almost the same height. She’d have to get her kneeling before she could truly loom. Maybe that’d be lesson one. The Art of Looming. “Can we just get this over with?”
“Okay,” he agreed. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been doing and why you think it’s not working?”
“Well…” Scarlet shifted in her seat. “We know how things are supposed to work. We’ve read a lot about it. Our friends are into it. We both feel like we’re both Dom and sub so we take turns switching for each other.” She looked at Reece uncertainly.
“It’s not terrible,” she interjected. “It’s just...not great. Something is missing.”
He nodded empathetically. “What makes you think you’re switches?”
“I like pain,” Scarlet answered.
Reece turned on her. “Don’t tell him that!”
“Why not? That’s what we’re here for.”
It felt too personal. Vague information she was okay with, but she didn’t want him knowing details about her sex life.
Malachi leaned in. “Reece, you have to trust me at least a little in order for me to help you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why should I trust you? As far as I know, you’re still the jerk that made fun of me for years.”
“I’ve changed.”
“And I’m just supposed to believe that? Because you say so? How stupid do you think I am?”
“Reece!”
She ignored Scarlet’s warning and her nails digging into her arm.
Malachi sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “You’re going to make me admit this, aren’t you?”
“Admit what?”
“I had a crush on you,” he said, defeated. “Okay? That’s why I was so mean to you. I didn’t know how to act around girls and I was insecure about myself. I never thought you’d go for someone like me. Plus I was dying for acceptance from my friends and they laughed when I called you names. I’m sorry. It’s been over ten years, gorgeous. I’m not the same guy.”
She stared at him, mouth hanging wide open. It was quiet for a moment. Scarlet and Malachi both watched her warily.
Finally, she inhaled a deep breath. “You tormented me for four years because you liked me?”
He flinched at her sharp tone but nodded.
“Of all the stupid fucking reasons!” She was so mad she could spit. And that was saying a lot for her.
“I was a teenager. We did stupid things at that age.” He looked ashamed of himself.
All she could do was grind her teeth to keep from spewing more curse words. She didn’t often swear. It was a bad habit and didn’t seem right coming from her mouth. Surprisingly, her eyes burned and tears fought to spill. Crying? She took a shaky breath and steeled herself against the rising emotion. This dredging up of old pain was annoying. She didn’t have time to deal with this right now.
Malachi sighed. “Can you trust me enough at least to talk?” His eyes narrowed, but in a pleading look. Like he was hurt too and wanted desperately to fix it.
Vaguely, she became aware of Scarlet stroking her knee. Then her hand moved to Reece’s hair and she pushed it back from her face. It was an attempt to soothe her and she supposed it was sort of working. “It’s up to you,” Scarlet said. “I know this takes a lot of faith.”
After scrutinizing Malachi, waiting for a crack in the mask of sincerity, she told herself there wasn’t much to lose by talking. They said success was the best form of revenge and she had that in spades – a buyer for a high-fashion brand and in a committed, lo
ving relationship with an amazing girl. Didn’t get much better than that.
“Yes.” She jutted her chin. “We can talk.”
His answering grin held no hesitation. It was pure joy. And not a hint of pretense. She found herself smiling back slightly before she could stop it.
“So why do you think you’re a switch, Reece?” he asked in a business tone.
“Well, I...” Good question. “I...I like reading about it.”
“What part turns you on specifically?”
She scoffed. “I’m not telling you that.” Again with the personal details.
He rolled his eyes, looking frustrated for the first time since they’d gotten there. “Don’t be so shy. We’re all here because we’re turned on by it. For me, seeing a strong woman bend to my will is the fucking hottest thing in the world.”
A vision of her kneeling, collar around her neck, looking up at Scarlet, waiting for a command sent a rush of excitement through her. “Yes. That. I like that too.”
“You like bending Scarlet to your will? Bossing her around?”
“No. The other side of it is hotter but...” She thought for a moment. Why was she so hesitant to commit? She brushed the vision away. She liked being in charge. It didn’t give her a rush but... It was just her role. “I like being in control. It’s just part of who I am. Ask Scarlet. In my job, I get to pick what items we buy and reject the ones we don’t. I’m in charge of my charity organization. I...I’m just not sub material.”
He smiled like he knew something she didn’t then chuckled and shook his head. “Why would you think that just because you’re in charge outside of the bedroom, you’d want to be in charge inside of it too? Some of the most submissive women are in high-powered, high-stress jobs. The bedroom is the one place they can let go.”
She shrugged then looked at her girlfriend. Scarlet would set him straight. She knew how it was with her. Maybe she wasn’t a great Domme, but she was an even worse sub.
Scarlet nodded and said to Malachi, “She has submissive qualities. I’ve seen her melt when I grab her hair, but she doesn’t obey me. She gives me a lot of lip when it’s my turn to be in charge.”