by Leia Shaw
She fished in her bag for a tissue. “If you can’t be honest with us about how you feel, this is never going to work.”
“Come here.” He opened his arms and she slid closer. When she was within reach, he dragged her into his lap and held her. Scarlet slid over until she was next to them. “The only reason I didn’t talk to you about it was because I didn’t think I was allowed to fall in love. I broke the rules.”
Scarlet lifted a brow. “You broke the rules so you gave yourself a time out? That doesn’t sound very dommy.”
Malachi chuckled. “I don’t know who was the most disgusted with me. Cross called me a chicken shit. The three of them gave me a big lecture in the truck on the way here.” Reece nuzzled into his neck and relaxed into him. He smiled and looked at Scarlet. “I guess I have Reece’s answer, but what about you?”
“We talked about it at length before we came looking for you. We want you back. I promise I won’t ignore your feelings this time, but you also have to promise to tell us if your needs aren’t being met.”
“Okay. Fair enough. But what about the rest? Is this going to be a friends with benefits situation for you? Are you just doing this for her?”
Scarlet scrambled for a response. How did she say this without sounding like a complete ass? Maybe just putting it out there would be best.
“It’s not all about Reece. I...have feelings for you. Do you think I’d risk making myself look like an idiot for just anyone?”
“Feelings? Like what? Exasperation, disgust, annoyance, loathing?”
“I love you, you fucking idiot. Now shut up.”
He barked a laugh. “I do believe that’s the most romantic thing a woman has ever said to me.”
“Knowing you, I’m not surprised.” Scarlet pinched him a few times, and the entire thing degenerated into a pinch fight when Reece joined in.
A rumbling laugh surprised them. “I should have known we’d find you draped in girls.” Cross, Gemma and Izzy strolled up.
Gemma sighed and fished in her pocket, and handed Izzy some money.
“They snuck up on me and pinned me to the bench,” Malachi said. “They were about to have their dastardly way with me when you so rudely interrupted.”
“I don’t think you’ve ever accused me of cock blocking before.” Cross winked at Scarlet then looked back at Malachi. “See? I told you to go throw yourself on their mercy tonight, and they saved you the trouble. I knew I liked these girls. They’re not afraid of culling the idiot from the herd.”
Malachi shook his head. “I can’t believe Gemma and Izzy let you out without a muzzle, you ugly mother fucker.”
“Ah, don’t deny it. You’ve always wished you were pretty like me.”
“Yes, you’ve got me there. I’ve had a long-standing desire to look like a gargoyle.”
Gemma gave Malachi a mock frown and petted one of Cross’s huge arms. “Don’t talk mean to him, Mal. He’s very sensitive about his looks.” She looked sweetly up at Cross. “You’re beautiful, baby boy. Don’t let the bad man talk down to you.”
“Thank you, little brat. I don’t know how I’d manage without you and Izzy to prop up my fragile male ego.”
“If you weren’t the cockiest man I’d ever met, I might worry. As it is, I think you and Malachi are the only things that keep each other’s egos in check.”
“Well, there is Jude,” Cross corrected. “He’s often the voice of reason. So am I to assume you have a ride home, or should we wait?”
Malachi looked at Scarlet, who took her cue. “Oh, we’ll take him home, alright. He might even be walking okay by the next time you see him.”
“Do you need to use us as a safe call, Malachi?” Izzy asked, smirking.
“If you don’t hear from me after a week, give it one more week then send out a search party. Make sure they have candy bars and Gatorade. I might be weak.”
Gemma snorted. “If you’re not back on Monday, I’m staging a mutiny. I’d rather spend all my time tied up too, and there’s no way in hell I’m covering your appointments.”
“A shop full of Doms, and it’s the brat that gives me the most trouble. Go figure.” He sighed.
They waved and moved off, leaving them alone again – as alone as people could get at a busy amusement park.
“So, are we doing some more rides, or are we leaving now?”
“Rides!” Reece started bouncing on his lap and he looked like it was giving him naughty ideas.
“Behave, Reece. We just got him back and you’re about to send him into overload.” Scarlet drew both of them to their feet.
Reece’s expression was decidedly wicked. “Behave? Make me.”
***
Scarlet made it out of the bath before she got too pruney. The book she’d brought with her was good, but she was too nervous to read long. Besides, although Malachi’s bathtub was bigger and nicer than theirs, it still didn’t feel quite as familiar. He was already talking about them moving in, but it had only been a few weeks since they’d gotten back together. It was an interesting idea, but too soon.
Her comfy PJs were missing off the bed, and in their place was a pretty negligee she’d never seen. Now whose idea was that? She had very little use for lingerie on herself. On Reece, though, it was like sexy gift-wrap. It probably wasn’t for her, but for them to admire. And it was white. Very funny.
Scarlet slipped it on anyway. That it fit meant it’d been Reece’s doing. There was no way Malachi could have guessed something as specific as a woman’s lingerie size. Maybe the two of them had gone shopping together when she was at work. She tiptoed across the room and checked her reflection in the full-length mirror. A quick hand through her short hair put it back in order. It was hard to be objective about the rest. Between her thin frame, muscle, and tan from working outdoors, she wasn’t exactly lingerie model material – although the white looked good with her coloring and the way the delicate fabric skimmed over her body was almost sinful.
As she walked down the long hallway, she felt like she was taking the final steps as a virgin sacrifice. To make matters worse, someone had lit an IKEA’s worth of red candles and set them all over the living room. The only thing that made the setting a little less ominous was the big mattress on the floor in the center of the room, made up with every piece of linen Reece could find to make it look like a magazine cover. So much pomp and ceremony for such a silly thing. It was important to Reece, so she kept her complaints to herself.
Reece greeted her and led her into the room by the hand – to Malachi, who stood next to the impromptu bed, waiting for her. Jeans, bare chest, bare feet, long hair and neat goatee, he was the embodiment of evil in looks, but she knew better. This man was funny, intelligent, and kind, but so much more than that. His blue eyes glittered darkly in the candlelight as Reece led her to him. It wasn’t just that he was hot and sweet and slightly deranged. She loved him. That made all the difference.
It wasn’t lust in his eyes – or not lust alone. There was a love and respect there that she was coming to depend on. He could have almost any straight or bi girl he wanted, yet now that he had her and Reece, other girls had turned invisible. Maybe the future would be different, but for now he was almost too good to be true. A little voice told her that in ten years he’d be farting on the couch as kids crawled over him, but she told that little voice to kiss her ass. No one was perfect forever, but that only meant that they’d match.
And the kid thing was a pretty cool idea, if this lasted.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Malachi asked. “This is something you can’t undo, once it’s done.”
“I know.”
“No more gold star for you,” he persisted.
She laughed. “I never aimed to be gold star. I just never liked a guy enough to sleep with him. Not one who liked me, too.”
“But you’re willing to overlook the fact that I have a penis because you love me?”
She felt her eyes widen. He’d been trying to make her sa
y it again since the day at the amusement park, but saying it out loud embarrassed her for some reason. Like he’d laugh at her – maybe it was because he had such an active sense of humor. She’d seen his serious side too, though. It would just take time and trust to let out all the feelings for him that she had pent up. They were there, swirling, behind her closed lips.
She sidestepped the L word. “I don’t have to overlook the fact that you have a penis – he and I have made friends.”
Malachi grinned. Fuck he was handsome. “You do realize it doesn’t actually have a mind of its own, right?”
“Sure he does. I think he likes me, but he’s going to hurt me in a few minutes, so this might be an abusive relationship.”
He stepped closer and ran his hands gently up her arms. “It might hurt a little, but I’ll be careful.”
Scarlet’s heart was hammering in her throat. Girls way younger than her did this all the time. It wasn’t a big deal. She’d even had sex before – a lot of it over the past year with Reece. Just not involving cock.
Who was she kidding? She was scared shitless.
Reece moved up behind her and kissed up her shoulder to her neck. Her mouth, the brush of her breasts against her back, her warm breath at her ear. Scarlet’s body responded to Reece as it always did and her anxiety retreated to a more manageable level. Malachi’s fingertips skimmed over her face, feather-light, calming away the frown she hadn’t realized was there. Being touched like that was more intimate than she would have guessed. He tickled at her lips, making her laugh, and when her mouth opened he kissed her. The kiss was gentle, undemanding, and soon she was helplessly reciprocating. Reece had raved about how good he was at oral – even kissing him had made her more than curious.
She could do this.
“Don’t leave, okay, Reece?” she whispered when Malachi’s mouth had left hers to trail tiny kisses down her neck. Having the two of them touching her was crazy sensory overload. Her body didn’t know what to feel first or where to focus. She didn’t have a thing for giving up control, but this felt too good for her to object.
“Where do you think I’m going? We’re in this together,” Reece whispered in her ear. Her hands slipped under the hem of Scarlet’s almost see-through dress top thingy and skimmed up her belly to cup the undersides of her breasts, holding them but not touching her nipples. Scarlet squirmed and Malachi stepped back.
He looked them over and groaned. “You two are the picture of pretty much every wet dream I’ve ever had. Do you know how intimidating that is?”
“If you’re too intimidated by us, I’m sure we can find some other guy to take Scarlet’s virginity,” Reece said archly.
“Behave, Reece,” he growled. “I don’t want to have to stop to spank you right now.”
She giggled and slid her thumbs over the tips of Scarlet’s breasts. Scarlet sucked in a breath.
“You’re very beautiful, Scarlet.” He stepped closer again, rubbing the pad of his finger over her lips. “How did you ever get men to leave you alone?”
“I’m built like a boy and I have small tits. It wasn’t that hard.”
“You are not built like a boy. Your body is subtle where it curves, but there’s no missing it. And I happen to be a breast connoisseur, and yours are perfect for you. If all breasts were the same, it would get boring.” He lifted her top and stared at her chest for a minute, making her blush and want to hide.
“You’re an artist. You see beauty even when something is ugly.”
“I see you, Scarlet. You’re beautiful, but it goes far deeper than that.” He kissed her again, his lips patient, loving. He cupped the back of her head with his palm and nibbled at her mouth for a moment before letting her go. If she had any state secrets she would have spilled them all to him now. His mouth was a weapon – his words as devastating as his lips. There should have been a warning label.
She was about to complain when Reece’s hand inched down and found its way into the wispy mockery of underwear she was wearing. She teased her fingers up and down Scarlet’s slit, frustrating her. Malachi’s rougher hands slid up her sides. He drew slow circles around her breasts, then leaned down and brushed his lips over them until she tangled her hands into his long hair and shoved a nipple at his mouth.
“Demanding little thing,” he laughed. “I may not be your Dom, but you sure as hell aren’t mine. Wait like a good girl.”
She growled low but complied.
Reece’s light fingertips surrounded her clit and gently stroked and toyed until her moans escaped her control. At her breasts, Malachi lightly suckled and bit. None of it was hard enough and she whimpered.
“What’s the matter, Scarlet? You sound unhappy.” He was mocking her – he knew what he was doing.
“You’re both evil, evil teases.”
“Is there something you want?” Reece asked, using her best Domme voice, which wasn’t very convincing.
Months ago, that simply wouldn’t have worked for Scarlet. Now it made her want to turn the girl over her knee to remind her to be respectful. “Yeah, I want my bitch’s tongue between my legs.”
Reece squirmed against her back. “Fuck, that’s hot,” the girl murmured.
“Kneel at the foot of the bed and wait.”
“But I hate waiting,” the girl wheedled. “Let me do what I want. I promise I’ll make you like it.”
Scarlet turned and glared at her. For a moment Reece was caught in Scarlet’s gaze and couldn’t seem to break free. She swallowed convulsively and scurried off to do as she’d been told.
“Good kitten.”
Without warning, Malachi swept Scarlet up in his arms and carried her to the bed. She squeaked in alarm, and struggled, but he ignored her and did it anyway.
Men!
“Just because I’m small doesn’t mean you can pick me up and carry me around,” she grumbled.
“You didn’t safeword.”
“I’m not your sub. You’re not the boss of me. I’m just your bottom for pain.”
“You’re a pain in the bottom, alright.” He tossed her onto the mattress and followed her down. “I’m a take-charge kind of guy in the bedroom, if you hadn’t noticed, Scarlet. Even if I was seeing someone vanilla I’d still be like this. It’s just part of who I am.”
“Yeah, well part of who I am says that you’re not going to get away with that shit with me.” Her eyes narrowed to slits and she could see Malachi’s struggle to fight back his Dom instincts.
“What’s wrong with being the Beta Domme?”
“Nothing. I hope you enjoy the position.”
They were sitting together on the bed, glaring at each other. Fuck, she was horny, but if she let him win this it was setting a bad precedent.
“This was supposed to be a nice evening, you two,” Reece said from where she knelt at the foot of the bed, “not a gladiator grudge match. Does it really matter who’s in charge?”
Scarlet lifted a brow at Malachi, who in turn made a face that implied their sub was a little odd. How could they not care who was in charge?
“Go stand in the hallway, kitten. This is between us and it might get ugly.” Scarlet stripped off her top so it didn’t get in the way.
“You have lovely tits, but you’re not going to distract me from this, little girl.”
“And you don’t scare me, Malachi Johansson.”
His eyes gleamed and for a moment she considered recanting her statement, but the rest of her had other ideas. Her whole body felt the menace rolling off of him and reveled in it.
Reece looked back and forth between them for a moment, then shook her head and walked into the hallway, watching them but at a safer distance.
Unceremoniously, Scarlet shoved Malachi off of the mattress. He rolled onto the floor, then came across the bed at her and grabbed her by the hair. She faked a punch at his privates and he let go of her to block. She tried to shove him off the bed again, but he grabbed her by the upper arms and flung her onto her back. He came down ove
r top of her and kissed her hard, bruising her lips. She wriggled her legs up between them and pushed him away with her legs. He landed, bouncing, at the end of the bed.
Rather than going for the direct approach again, he hooked his fingers into her delicate underwear and tore them away. In a panic, she kicked out and caught him on the chin. The way his head snapped back scared her for a second, but he just lowered his head again and glared at her. He stood and stripped off his jeans, his cock already hard. Fuck. In her head she tried to scramble away, but she just sat there and gawked. Naked, he was very intimidating. How had she fit that thing in her mouth?
Without any apparent fear for his unprotected genitals, he jumped her, tackling her to the bed again. She scratched and bit, and landed a few punches, but soon he had her pinned to the mattress. His knees wedged between her legs and he fended off her attempts to kick him away until he was comfortably settled between her thighs, his cock pressed against the top of her slit and pelvis. Gripping her short hair, he kissed her again, amused that she couldn’t stop him.
She went quiet beneath him and let him kiss her, reciprocating and sliding her tongue into his mouth. Between them, his cock pulsed, reminding her she was living dangerously. Sweat mingled and dripped. Slowly his body relaxed, and his kisses became more sensual. She moaned into his mouth, and without meaning to, she ground her hips up against him.
He chuckled.
How dare he trick her with kisses!
She shoved him off of her, intending to make a run for the hallway. Before she was all the way upright, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her back down. She landed hard on her hands and knees on the hardwood floor, and she tried to scramble away. He went to his hands and knees above her, covering her, his cock prodding at her unprotected sex.
“Plead for mercy.”
“You first.”
“I could shove my cock into you right now,” his voice rumbled in her ear. “You know I won.”
“In your dreams.” She dropped to her belly and rolled, but he caught her when she tried to get past his arm.