by Tara Rose
“I don’t know. Let’s just get through tomorrow night first.”
* * * *
Ava received a text from each man Thursday, asking if she wanted a ride to Tye Me Up the following evening, but she declined both. She didn’t live that far away, and if she let one of them drive her, the other was likely to resent it. Obviously they’d talked, which was good because she wouldn’t have wanted to be the one to tell Gary that Jake had wrangled an invitation as well. Was Gary upset about that? She hoped not. How had she landed in the middle of this?
She almost called Gary to ask him, but decided not to. Then again, by not doing so, she was taking the coward’s way out. Hadn’t she just made a commitment to let go of the past? That included not only putting what Leo had done to her out of her mind, but also standing up for herself. The adult thing to do was to let Gary know that she had invited Jake, and why.
She punched in his number and he answered on the first ring. “Hi. I wanted to make sure you weren’t upset that I invited Jake tomorrow night as well.”
“No. Not at all.”
There was nothing outright hostile in his tone, but neither did it sound convincing.
“He asked me out to dinner and when I told him my plans, it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. To invite him over, too.”
“I think it’s a good thing. Honestly, I do. You’re interested in getting to know each of us better, and we both want to see you again. This way, other people will be around that we’re already friends with. And now everything is out in the open between me and Jake.”
Ava smiled, almost afraid to believe it had really been that easy. “So you two talked?”
“We did.”
“Thank you. I’m glad to hear that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
She shivered at the lust and warmth in his voice, and once the call was disconnected, Ava stared at her phone for a long time, wondering what would happen after the pizza and movies ran out. Would she go home alone, or would things progress with one or both of these sexy men? Was she ready for something like that? She’d better think about that, just in case.
Friday afternoon, she stopped working at the shop earlier than she normally would have because she wanted to take her time in dressing for the evening. Kari had told her it was strictly casual, but Ava still wanted to look just right. She finally decided on her nicest jeans and a forest-green sweater with a scooped neck. It showed just enough cleavage to be sexy without being obvious. She wore emerald green and black lace underwear, even though she did not expect that either man would see it that night. But you never know what might happen.
Ava shook her head as she adjusted her earrings and matching bracelets. It was too easy to get carried away and imagine all sorts of things this evening might lead to. And why not? The only Doms she’d ever met were Leo and his friends, who were all like him. Even the Dom of her friend from school who had taken them to the party where she’d met Kari had been cruel more often than not.
Until she’d come to Racy and met Adison, Noah, Luke, and Chase, Ava had assumed all Doms were assholes, and that being in a BDSM lifestyle wasn’t for her. She hadn’t realized how loving and protective a true Dom was supposed to be. Kari and Alexa were truly in love, and very happy. And Ava could see why. Noah and Adison would die before they’d hurt her. Luke and Chase worshipped Alexa, and were fiercely protective of her. That’s what Ava wanted.
She had no idea if or when she’d be ready for it, but she knew that she’d never be satisfied with anything other than the kind of relationship that Kari and Alexa both had. Whether that was with one man or two, she had no idea, but she did know that she would never again allow a man, Dom or not, to hurt her and use her the way Leo had done. Never.
Jake’s and Gary’s cars were already in the parking lot behind Tye Me Up when Ava arrived. She rang the bell on the back door, and it was Kari who let her in. Ava handed her the bottle of wine she’d brought along. “I guessed red with pizza.”
“Thanks. But you didn’t have to bring anything. Come on in. Jake is already trying to convince Alexa that the later Bond movies aren’t misogynistic, but she’s not buying any of it.”
“He really loves them, doesn’t he?”
Kari leaned close and lowered her voice as the two made their way up the back staircase. “I think he secretly sees himself as James Bond.”
Ava laughed as several images raced through her mind, only because now that Kari had said that, she could see it. Jake did remind her of the character in many ways, though she’d be hard-pressed to say which actor who’d played Bond he most personified.
There was a full kitchen upstairs, and as soon as Ava poured herself a glass of wine, she followed Kari into the tower room that housed a big screen TV and several comfortable-looking sofas and chairs.
“There she is.” Gary jumped up first to cross the room and take Ava’s hand, leading her to the sofa where Jake sat. Jake rose as well, and Ava smiled at the old-fashioned gesture. It reminded her of the way men behaved in the movies that Kari and Alexa loved to watch.
“You look wonderful,” said Jake. He leaned close. “And you smell great, too.”
“Thank you.” They both smelled nice as well, but she suddenly felt self-conscious as she realized the conversation in the room had stopped, and the other six people watched them with amused and curious looks. She also realized that everyone had either a beer or a glass of wine already. Alexa had her glass of juice, as she didn’t drink alcohol. “I guess I didn’t really need to bring the wine after all.”
Kari shook her head. “No, that’s okay. We’ll drink it. Don’t worry. The pizza should be here any second. In the meantime, you can help us decide which movie to watch first. The vote is currently one for Casino Royale, from Jake of course. One for From Russia With Love because Noah felt sorry for Jake. Three for Key Largo, and three for Rear Window. So you get the tiebreaker vote. Lucky you.”
“Oh, I don’t want it.”
They all laughed. “Too bad,” said Luke. “You’re stuck with it.” He held up the DVDs with three votes each, waving them back and forth. “Which one is it? Bogey or Jimmy? Which one will Ava choose?”
“The music in Key Largo is better,” said Chase. “She’ll choose that one.”
“No,” said Alexa. “She won’t choose it based on the music. She’ll choose Grace Kelly over Lauren Bacall any day, right?”
Ava took a sip of wine as she glanced around the room. Everyone here was so happy. Was it really possible that she’d be like them one day? Would she have what they did? They were waiting for her answer, and an idea suddenly came to her. “How late do you all usually stay up for these nights?”
Noah shrugged. “As late as we want. Why?”
“Because I was thinking we probably have time to watch at least three of them.”
Jake and Adison high-fived each other but Alexa groaned. “Really? You’re going to vote that we watch a Bond movie?”
“Casino Royale is a recent one, so it’s not like some of the earlier ones. Have you seen it?”
She shook her head, and Chase put an arm around her and pulled her close. “See? I told you. We’re going to bring you into the twenty-first century, even if you kick and scream while we do it.”
The doorbell rang again, and Kari jumped up. “That’ll be the pizza.”
Ava volunteered to help bring it up, and on the way back upstairs with the boxes, Ava asked if she thought Alexa was upset with her about the movie.
“What? No way. She loves you. We’ll watch all three, and she’ll be fine. Honestly. Relax, okay? Just have fun tonight. Oh, and Gary brought his drumsticks, so make sure you ask him about drums. He’ll bring them out and start playing. It’ll make him feel important.”
Ava smiled as she helped Kari put the pizza on paper plates once they were back in the kitchen. Alexa came in to help them, and she seemed just fine, so Ava decided she had simply overreacted. She was
among friends. Both Jake and Gary were here, and this was going to be the most fun she’d had in a group of people for as long as she could remember. All she had to do was calm down and enjoy it.
Chapter Nine
Ava suggested they watch them in order of when they were made, and everyone including Alexa seemed to like that idea, so they started with Key Largo first. When Kari, Alexa, and Ava began imitating Lauren Bacall’s throaty voice, the guys teased them and critiqued each line they spoke as Nora Temple.
Noah quipped at one point that Kari sounded more like Yosemite Sam than Lauren Bacall, and she threw a slice of pizza at him. She swore she’d been aiming for his plate, but instead it landed in his crotch. He glared at her and she laughed, but when he rose she screamed and tried to run from the room. Everyone laughed as Noah caught her and playfully put her over his knee to spank her.
Ava doubted that Noah’s smacks on Kari’s ass actually hurt. That wasn’t what set off the chain of emotions she couldn’t control. It was the sudden stab of jealousy racing through her body. As she watched them, she realized that she and Leo had never played around like that. Never. The adoration in Noah’s eyes was so obvious, and the trust in Kari’s nearly took Ava’s breath away. He would never hurt her. Neither would Adison, and she knew that as certainly as she knew her own name.
“He’s only playing.” Gary’s whisper in her ear startled her. She glanced at him, surprised to see concern on his face. “They do this all the time, but it’s just a joke with them.”
She nodded because she didn’t trust her voice right now. What was it about her expression that had prompted Gary to speak up?
“Were you physically hurt by someone?” Jake asked a legitimate question, but there was an undercurrent to it that had Ava wondering if Gary had said something to Jake about Leo. She glanced from one man to the other, wishing that she had an excuse to talk to them privately right now, but knowing that was impossible.
“I’ll tell you later,” she whispered. She’d decided yesterday that she was going to tell Jake the whole story. This incident had given her a perfect segue, but now was not the time. She glanced around. Adison was focused on Kari and Noah, giving Noah pointers on how to spank her harder. Alexa, Chase, and Luke were glued to the movie. If any of them had heard what Jake said to her, it didn’t show on their faces.
Ava turned her attention back toward Gary. There was no trace of guilt in his eyes. If he had said something to Jake, it had been in general terms only. Score ten points for him. It was wonderful to know he could be trusted with such a huge secret.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Jake’s voice was quiet, but the tone left no doubt he expected her to tell him. She would feel better once she did. Then both men would know, and whatever happened after that, at least she wouldn’t have her unspoken past hanging around any longer.
After Key Largo, they took a break, finishing off the pizza, and then they watched Rear Window. The guys looked bored until Ava made a remark about the music that Jeff’s neighbor plays on the piano, and as Kari predicted, Gary took out his drumsticks and began to beat out a cadence that went well with the piano piece. That surprised Ava, because the piece was written for a snare drum, at most, and certainly not for the kind of marching band music that Gary was used to working with. He was very talented, and she told him so.
“Don’t encourage him,” said Chase. “He’ll never stop.”
“I enjoy drums, and this kind of music is complicated for a percussionist to play along with.” Ava tried to explain what she meant to them using composition techniques, but soon it was only her and Gary in the conversation. The rest of them, including Jake, turned their attention back to the movie.
Gary leaned close and whispered. “Thank you.”
She gazed into his eyes, struck by how truly grateful he was for the interlude. She imagined it had to be lonely and frustrating for him living here, with no one to talk to about his love of music, and no real musical career possible for him. How had he ended up teaching health to teenage boys? Then again, as he’d said, it paid the bills.
Kari and Alexa drew Ava into a discussion about Lisa Fremont’s outfits and the way Grace Kelly moved on screen. When the guys began to tease them, asking why they couldn’t imitate her instead of Lauren Bacall, Alexa rose and pranced around the room in a near-perfect imitation of Grace Kelly, including her voice, that had the hair on Ava’s arms standing on end.
“Have you ever done any acting?”
Alexa laughed. “Me? No. Not even close.”
“You should.”
Luke’s eyes lit up like fireflies. “See? I told her that, too. Thank you.” He addressed Alexa. “She’s known you what…a few weeks? And even she can see that. Now will you believe us?”
Alexa sat in his lap and nuzzled his neck. “I believe that you need at least one more beer, and I need another glass of juice. Now do you want me to go and get our drinks, Sir, or do you want me to return to Manhattan and troll Broadway, looking for bit parts?”
“Smartass. I think someone is looking for a spanking like Kari got.”
Chase snorted. “When is she not looking for one?”
Alexa slapped playfully at his arm, and the two of them took turns lightly smacking her ass, but Ava couldn’t watch it this time. She rose, taking the empty beer bottles and wine glasses into the kitchen with her glass. She wasn’t jealous of Kari’s or Alexa’s happiness. She only wished her introduction to a BDSM lifestyle had been like theirs.
As she rinsed the glasses and placed them in the dishwasher, she remembered that their introductions hadn’t been idyllic either. Kari had been with her ex-Dom for nine years and he let her go on thirtieth birthday because he told her he liked them young. Just like that he’d released her. He’d also given her all the money he’d invested for her over the years, and helped her land a job at a fetish job in Chelsea. But from what little Kari had told her, she’d been devastated, even with the money and the job.
Alexa had abuse in her past that dated back to her preteen days when she’d lived with her alcoholic, drug-addicted mother. Ava didn’t know the entire story of what Alexa’s ex-Dom had done to her, but what she did know made Leo sound like a saint.
“Need any help?”
She whirled around at the sound of Jake’s voice, nearly dropping the wine glass she’d been holding. “I think I have it. Thanks, though.”
“Are you all right? Was it a bad idea that I tag along tonight?”
“What? No. I’m having a lot of fun. And I’d have felt like a fifth wheel if you and Gary weren’t here. Thank you for coming.”
Gary poked his head around the archway. “I’m missing all the fun. Is there anything left to wash?”
Ava laughed. “You two are going to make their Doms look bad.”
Gary shook his head. “No. They help around the house. Believe me. Neither Kari nor Alexa would let them get away with doing nothing.”
Ava turned around to finish rinsing the last of the glasses. “They all seem very happy.”
“They are.” Jake was right behind her, and it was all she could do not to lean against his body. She knew it would be warm, and she suspected his dick was hard as well. She’d be able to feel that through her jeans if she pushed close enough to him. Giving in to both of them right now would be so easy, so natural. It almost felt as though this had been her fate all along. All she had to do was let go and allow it to happen.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and she bit back a moan. “But you’re not, and I wish I knew why.” His voice was soft, but full of intelligence and concern. Did it show that much on her face and in her body language, or was he a mind reader?
“Do you want to leave?” Gary was right next to her. She glanced into his eyes, and the tenderness and concern in them nearly took her breath away. “They won’t mind, you know. We could talk that way. All three of us. I think you need to.”
“But we haven’t watched the Bond movie yet.” It seemed a trivial thing to say,
but there were so many emotions competing for attention right now that Ava couldn’t make sense of any of them.
Jake laughed softly. “I’ll survive. Believe me. I’d rather talk to you anyway.”
“You really don’t think the others would mind if we left now?”
“No,” said Gary. “Sometimes there’s a whole crowd here and people come and go as they please.”
“All right then. Let me finish loading the dishwasher and we’ll go.”
Jake gave her shoulders a squeeze then let go. “Do you want us to tell them for you? I don’t want it to look like we talked you into it.”
She laughed. “But you did talk me into it. Sure. Go ahead and tell them.” That would be easier than her trying to fake some silly excuse. The people in the other room weren’t stupid.
After Jake and Gary left the kitchen, Ava finished loading the glasses then return to the media room. Jake and Gary were already saying their good-byes. She caught Kari’s eye. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. I had such a nice time.”
Kari gave her a quick hug. “I don’t blame you for taking off early. We’ve already watched the best two movies.”
“Well, that’s the real reason, but I didn’t want to hurt Jake’s feelings.”
Everyone laughed, and Ava suddenly felt like she was part of the crowd. It sent a rush of warmth through her body. Kari walked them downstairs and waited until they’d reached their cars in the back parking lot before closing the door.
Ava turned toward Jake and Gary. “Where would you like to talk?”
“Jake’s house. It’s much nicer than mine.”
Ava laughed. “Oh, well if we’re going for nicest, mine is definitely at the bottom of the list. No offense to Evan, but that condo needs some serious updating.”
“It can’t be worse than mine,” said Gary. “I have forest-green carpeting, for heaven’s sake. Forest-green. I swear it’s the color of your sweater. Not that your sweater isn’t pretty. It is. On you. Not on my floor.”