Calm. Calm. Kicking him in the balls was not going to serve her well. Especially not in the mood he was in.
“Yes,” she said, flicking her gaze to James with a hint of embarrassment. But his expression never changed. He was a Dom too, she reminded herself, trying to squelch her jealousy at the thought of him with someone else.
He’s not yours, Sloan is.
It wasn’t that she wanted to replace Sloan with James. No way. Never going to happen.
But sometimes she fantasised about having what Sarah’d had. Except she’d make certain all parties were included, were equally loved and appreciated.
Not going to happen, Kinley. They might be working together at the moment, but that didn’t mean they’d healed the problems between them. And even if they did heal those issues, it didn’t mean they’d both want to be involved with her. But, oh, boy, a girl couldn’t help but dream.
“So, you’re staying home,” Sloan said firmly.
“No.”
She had to stop herself from immediately giving in to him when he sent her an intimidating look. He could give her all the stern looks he liked, she wasn’t afraid of him. He’d never hurt her; he’d harm himself before her. So while she might obey him most of the time when it came to safety, she wasn’t going to now.
“Is this about your debts?” Sloan asked sharply.
She gave him a hard look. That was not something she wanted everyone to know about.
“Debts?” James asked, seeming curious, but there was something in his face, something she couldn’t quite decipher.
“Sorry,” Sloan told her, looking slightly chagrined. “I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s okay,” she interrupted. “Besides, from the look on James’s face I think he already knows.”
“I have an excellent poker face.” He sounded slightly put out, and she couldn’t help but smile a little.
“Maybe I just figured you were too nosy not to do some snooping.”
“Nosy? Snooping?” Now he definitely sounded offended.
“Got you pegged, doesn’t she?” Sloan added.
She looked at him, worried he was upset. But he was grinning.
“I am not nosey,” James added.
“Uh-huh,” she said skeptically. “But you did look into my finances, didn’t you?”
Shame filled her. What an idiot she’d been to trust Eddie.
“Kinley, look at me,” Sloan commanded. She kept her gaze on her hands in her lap.
“Kinley, look at me.”
Damn it. That was his Dom voice. Trying to hide her growl of impatience, she raised her head.
“Didn’t do that reluctantly, did she?” James asked, sounding amused.
“Kinley, those debts were not your fault.”
“I was an idiot; I signed everything he told me to. I was so stupid, and he knew it.”
Sloan leaned forward and cupped her face between his big hands. “Not stupid. Say that again and you’ll be over my knee, and I won’t care that we’re not alone, understood?”
He’d spank her in front of James? Her eyes widened as he nodded again. Of course he would. She swallowed heavily.
“I could find him, you know,” James said easily. “Send someone to put a heavy word on him.”
He could? Of course he could. This was James.
“No,” she said shakily. “I don’t . . . I don’t want anything to do with him again.”
“You wouldn’t have anything to do with him.” That sounded almost like a promise.
She shook her head. “It’s not your problem.”
She ran her hand over her face tiredly. If she’d felt exhausted before, she felt completely drained now.
She looked at the two of them, they seemed to be speaking to each other without words.
“Stop that,” she said fiercely.
Both of them turned to her with nearly identical looks of innocence. It almost made her forgive them. Almost.
“I know the two of you are just trying to protect me. And I really appreciate it. I do. But what happened between Eddie and me . . . I don’t want to revisit it. Okay? I just want to work off my debts. Which will happen faster now that I’m not paying rent or groceries or bills.” She sent Sloan a sharp look. She’d argued fiercely against that, but he’d refused to allow her to contribute at all. “I’m not a charity case.”
Sloan narrowed his gaze. “Never said you were. But you are going to stay home this week, maybe longer, until we catch this guy. This is non-negotiable, Kinley.”
James cleared his throat. “Perhaps it would be best if I left. Weren’t the two of you headed to the club?”
Sloan shook his head. “Not tonight.”
James nodded. “Good. Then I’ll go.” He started to leave, and her stomach knotted. She hated that he was going back to that apartment, all alone.
“James, wait,” Sloan said.
“Yes?”
“I’ll walk you out.”
Sloan felt awkward. Unsure of what to say. He cleared his throat.
“The cameras are a good idea to catch this guy,” he said as they walked outside.
“If he’s not using a service to drop them off. Want me to set something up?”
“I figure you probably know someone who can do it discreetly.” James’s place was well secured.
“I do. I’ll get on it tonight.”
“About your offer to stay here when I can’t—”
“It’s all right, you don’t have to explain why you don’t want me here. I get it.”
“Really?” Sloan drawled. “You get it, huh?”
“Yes,” James said with some irritation. He opened his car door.
Sloan pushed it shut.
James turned to him. “What?”
“I really hate when other people assume they know what I’m thinking.”
“What are you talking about?”
“James, we haven’t spoken in a long time. There’s shit we still haven’t really worked out. I still don’t know exactly how I feel about everything, Except that I’m still angry.”
“Because I killed Sarah.”
“No, damn you.” Sloan slammed his fist on the hood of the car.
“You know that’s a hundred-and-twenty-thousand-dollar car, right?”
“Jesus. Like you care.” But Sloan ran his hand over the spot on the car where he’d hit it. “I’m not angry about that. I mean, I am, but not for the reason you’re assuming. You didn’t kill her.”
“I upset her so badly she rolled her car and died.”
“It was late at night, the conditions weren’t good, and she was speeding. And she was likely hurrying to meet her lover.” He’d deal with that later. Mostly what he felt was sadness. Had it all been a lie?
“James, you were closer to me than my own brothers. Than anyone else. I’m mad because you didn’t fight me. Because you didn’t come after me and make me listen.” He held up a hand as James started to speak. “But mostly I’m mad because I didn’t give you a chance to explain.”
“You were upset and hurting.”
“You were still my brother. I should have stayed. Seems to be a bad habit of mine. To leave without talking shit out. I hate talking shit out.”
“Yet you’re so good at it,” James joked
Sloan sighed. “James, I think we’ve—I’ve wasted enough time being mad. There’s no one I’d trust more to watch Kinley than you. Because I know you care about her.”
“Sloan, I told you I thought there was more there than—”
“James, I’m not angry about your feelings for her. I’m grateful.”
“Y-you are?”
“Yeah, because I know that if I can’t be here, you’ll guard her with your life. And because I trust her. And you. I’ll text you the days I can’t be here.”
“O-okay.”
He turned to walk off. “But, James,” he called back.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t fuck up. Because no matter how what I fee
l about you, she comes first.”
“I get it. I won’t fuck up.”
16
The doorbell rang, and Kinley closed the fridge door. She’d been looking for something to drink with the pizza she’d ordered. Sloan was in the shower, having just arrived home twenty minutes ago. James was sitting in the living room. He’d spent the day with her while Sloan went to work, and Sloan had asked him to stay for dinner. She felt kind of bad now that she hadn’t cooked something, but she’d been too irritated to concentrate on cooking.
Having James here to guard her was complete overkill. There was no reason for the two of them to rearrange their schedules so someone was with her. The house had an alarm, and her secret admirer probably had no idea where she even lived. If he was even dangerous.
Although that last note had been a bit disturbing. The day after Sloan and James gate-crashed her bath, another bunch of flowers had arrived at her apartment. Unfortunately, James’s guys hadn’t had a chance to install the camera, so they hadn’t caught the guy. But the note had sent Sloan and James into overprotective mode.
Come out, come out, little flower, or I’m going to come searching for you.
Not an out and out threat, but still she’d found herself agreeing to call in to work sick and stay home until they could figure out whether Gary was the one doing this.
Sloan had contacted the police, and they’d come out to interview her, but there wasn’t much they could do. There had been no real threat, and, while they urged her to be cautious, they couldn’t trace anything without knowing what florist he’d bought the flowers from. So, they had to wait and hope the cameras caught him
Turned out she didn’t have that much patience. At least when it came to being cooped up inside the house, under guard 24-7. Despite how sexy those guards were, it was doing her head in. Or maybe part of it was because they were so sexy, and she shouldn’t be thinking that way about James.
“I’ll get it,” she called out.
James stood. “No, you won’t. Stay there.”
She ignored him. It was just the pizza guy, for God’s sake.
Someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against a hard body. She knew instantly it wasn’t Sloan. She fought back, but James held her easily with one arm around her waist the other across her chest.
“Calm down,” he told her in a low voice.
“Let me go, asshole!” All right, so her anger was way out of proportion to the situation, but she couldn’t seem to find her rational side.
“Everything okay here?” Sloan asked from behind them.
“This fucking asshole grabbed me and won’t let go,” she spat out. Then she wished she could recall the words. James and Sloan were getting on. Sloan had told her everything, and her heart had hurt so much for the two of them and everything they’d gone through that she’d burst into tears.
Sloan had just held her until she’d stopped sobbing.
They’d lost so much time. And they were talking to each other again.
“Kinley wanted to answer the door, and when I told her no, she ignored me.”
“That so?” Sloan drawled in a deceptively easy-going voice. “James, I’d appreciate it if you’d let her go then go and get the door.”
“Certainly.” She was immediately freed. She couldn’t help the dirty look she gave him as he walked to the door. Thankfully, he didn’t see her.
“Kinley, come here.”
She turned to Sloan, eyeing him with caution. He didn’t look mad. But she thought she’d just stay away from him for a bit, just in case.
She shook her head.
“Kinley, come here.”
Crap. She walked slowly over, until she stood in front of him. He took a gentle hold of her chin, tipping her face up. He raised one eyebrow. “Don’t give me that look. We are just trying to protect you.”
“You’re over-the-top.”
“And if we ease back and something happens?” James asked from behind her. “How do you think we’ll feel then? Knowing we could have prevented it.”
She tried to hold on to her anger but she couldn’t.
She sighed. “Fine. I won’t answer the door.”
“Oh, no, there’s more than just that to address.”
What? She gave Sloan a suspicious look.
“When I’m not here, you’re to obey James like you would me.”
Oh, really?
Sloan’s lips twitched. “Better than me.”
She huffed out a breath.
“We just want you safe.”
“Fine,” she stated grumpily.
“Fine, what?” he asked.
Was he really going to make her say the words?
He just stared at her.
“Fine, I’ll obey him better than I would you. But only about safety stuff.”
“Fair enough. That suit you, James?”
“Sounds good to me,” James replied.
Sloan grabbed hold of her shoulders and turned her. Three sharp smacks landed on her ass, over so quick she barely had time to react. She turned to Sloan, her face flaming redder than she knew her ass would be.
“What the hell?”
“Just making certain you remember,” he told her mildly. But there was a dark look in his gaze.
That look told her she’d better just shut up and let it go.
“I’m surrounded by Neanderthals,” she muttered and stepped quickly away, out of striking range. She wasn’t entirely stupid.
“And you love us,” Sloan said easily. He didn’t mean the words the way they sounded. Only problem was, she wondered if she was coming to love James. Just a little.
Fuck.
“I’d be watching my food for a few days if I were you,” James suggested as Sloan walked out to his car with him. “Cause if looks could kill . . .”
Sloan snorted. “Nah, Kinley ain’t that sneaky. If she wants to hurt me she’ll just go straight for the balls.”
Yeah, he could see that.
“Just remember, I’ve got to be alone with her as well. And she’s not my sub to control.” Too bad, he wouldn’t mind giving that round ass a few smacks. Of course, he’d do it on the bare, with her over his lap. Might help relieve some of the tension riding her. Riding all of them.
“You’re a lucky man, you know that, right?”
“I do,” Sloan replied seriously. “The luckiest. And I’m going to make certain nothing harms her.”
James would feel just as fiercely protective. Did feel that protective, even though she wasn’t his.
“See you Friday?”
“I’ll be here,” James agreed, pushing aside his longing and loneliness. For a while he could almost pretend he was a part of them. But he wasn’t, and that was becoming more and more obvious.
“Sloan! Sloan!” she moaned as he flicked his tongue over her clit. The nub was engorged almost to the point of pain. She pulled against her restraints, but they held firm, reinforcing her helplessness and increasing her arousal.
About an hour ago, he’d ordered her to strip and get on the table. At first, she’d refused. He was supposed to be working. And she’d decided to scrub the tiles in the bathroom. There wasn’t anything else for her to do. She’d been home over a week now, and it was getting to her. Both the stress of wondering whether this guy was dangerous, and the lies she’d had to tell her boss. That just hadn’t sat well with her. Although she had to admit she didn’t want to be alone with Gary-the-sleaze any more than Sloan wanted her to.
There had been no more flowers or notes. She was starting to think they’d been overreacting and she’d had enough, which is what she’d told Sloan. Just before he told her to strip.
Of course, her refusal to do so had ended up with her over his lap, her bare ass suffering under his heavy hand. Her butt cheeks still throbbed. Almost as much as her pride. At least they were on their own this time. She still couldn’t believe he’d smacked her ass in front of James.
At least he hadn’t ordered her
to strip or put her over his knee, but still . . . You knew better when you sniped at James. Knew you were pushing them both.
All she’d wanted to do was answer the damn door. It had just been the pizza guy and she’d been hungry. Pretty lame excuse, Kinley.
Yeah, well, stress made her grumpy, and she was frustrated, worried, and horny. Not that Sloan wasn’t keeping her satisfied. But having James around seemed to be making her hornier, and that made her feel guilty as hell.
Once she was naked, Sloan had ordered her to climb on the dining table on her hands and knees. He’d proceeded to attach her ankles to a spreader bar before cuffing her hands behind her back. Then he’d positioned her so her legs lay to each side of his work. He was doing bookwork today from home. Then he’d proceeded to torture her in between phone calls and whatever the hell else he was doing. She no longer cared.
All she cared about was getting to come. She really needed some relief.
After a short while, he’d grabbed a cushion and placed it on the table so she could rest her cheek there comfortably. But she wasn’t comfortable. Not by a long shot. Especially not when he’d grabbed a butt plug and lube. Her ass contracted around the plug, ramping up her desire.
“Make me come,” she cried as he flicked at her clit with his finger.
He pulled his finger away right as she danced close to the edge.
“No, you bastard!” she screeched.
“Uh-uh, no calling me names.”
Something landed on her ass. Something small that gave quite a sting. The damn ruler. She’d wondered why the hell he needed one. Now she knew.
The ruler didn’t cover a lot of area at once, but by the time he’d smacked it down several times on her ass, it was smarting, and she was dripping tears onto the cushion beneath her cheek.
He stopped and rubbed her ass with his hand. She flinched with a whimper. Then the massage turned that heat into something more. It didn’t take much. She was so turned on she’d do almost anything to come.
Then he thrust a finger deep inside her. She groaned, her passage flexing around him. More, she needed more. She bit down on her lower lip to stop herself from begging. Another finger entered her, then his phone rang.
Sir's Redemption (Doms of Decadence Book 8) Page 19