“Can’t blame you there, Zebadiah.” Ethan moved closer. “But it’s still something we should discuss at lunch, along with the idea of perhaps opening your bakery now.”
Zeb donned the socks before he requested Davis to hand him his shoes. By the time he donned them, all he wanted was to go home and lay back down. He didn’t want to make any decisions right now. He didn’t want to think about the fact he lost his job, nor the financial risk of opening a new business that would probably fail within the first year.
“You know, guys, I don’t think I’m up to this. Can we skip lunch?”
Before they could answer, the nurse shuffled in with a stack of paperwork in her hands. “Dr Sanderton said you’re getting ready to leave us, Mr. Pellegrino?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I have your discharge papers here.” She sank down on the bed next to him. “It’s pretty straight-forward stuff. Are these your roommates?”
“Yeah.” He resisted nodding. “Unlucky bastards they are. They get stuck with nursing me back to health again.” He strove for a light heartedness he wasn’t feeling. He really hated being incapacitated.
* * * *
By the time they pulled up at the house, all Zebadiah wanted to do was crawl into bed. As Davis put the SUV into park, Zebadiah reached for his seat belt when the car door opened. Expecting to see Bella, he was surprised when it was Stephanie smiling down at him, and reaching across to unbuckle his seat belt.
“Stephanie. What are you doing here?” The question came out as a croak.
A brilliant smile crossed her face. “Nicky and I thought you might want to take it easy today, so we came over to see if you wanted to watch a couple of movies with us. The Sy-fy Network has an all-day marathon of Firefly episodes today, followed up by the movie, Serenity. Didn’t you say you hadn’t seen it yet?”
He was tempted. He really was, but he didn’t think it would fair to them. “I’m not really the best of company today, Steph. My head aches and I won’t be a good conversationalist.”
Concern crossed her face. “Nonsense. We’re your friends and we’re not expecting anything other than being with you. Nicky even promised to not get upset if you doze while we’re watching. Come on, Sexy, we just want to be around you.”
Davis chuckled. “I’d accept if I was you, Zeb. I have a feeling she might cart you off if you don’t.”
He arched his brow at Steph. “You wouldn’t?”
Placing a hand on her hip, she smirked at him. “Want to test me? I’ve carried bigger than you.” She leaned in, then whispered softly. “Don’t tell Nicky I told you, but I once carted him halfway down the mountain when he fucked up his knee skiing. Big baby threatened me with severe consequences if I told anyone.”
A soft chuckle escaped him at the idea of Steph hauling Nicky around. True they were close in height, but her Master had to outweigh her by at least fifty pounds if not more. “Really?”
“Yeah, so you, Sexy, wouldn’t be a problem. However, if I do pick you up, I may just kidnap you, and take you home with me.”
“I’d take her seriously, il mio colibrì, although you won’t hear me protesting,” Nicky said softly from behind her.
And that easily he gave in. “Okay, on threat of kidnapping, I’ll go peacefully.” He moved to get out of the car, his body brushing up against Steph’s as he straightened. He hissed as his face brushed the softness of her breasts while she helped him out of the car. His face heated. He only could hope she mistook the sound for one of pain. When he stole a peek at her face as she stepped back, his heart jumped. The desire in her eyes was unmistakable, along with the knowing glance she exchanged with Nicky, and he knew he’d been found out.
“Relax, Zeb.” She hooked her arm through his as Davis and Ethan joined them. “Nothing is going to happen but popcorn, and an all day marathon of yours and Nicky’s favorite TV show. Now let’s go get you settled and I’ll make some of my famous kettle corn.”
Allowing her to guide him up the path, he could only hope he was doing the right thing by following her. The presence of Nicky at his back was comforting, and assured him Steph wouldn’t get out of line.
Once they entered the house, Ethan and Davis begged off, stating they had piles of work to do. Davis disappeared back outside to head to his office downtown, while Ethan walked towards his office in the public portion of their home. It was one of the perks Ethan enjoyed by housing his private psychiatry practice in his residence.
Settling down on one of the sectionals with built in recliners in the great room, he toed off his shoes and wearily leaned his head back against the supple leather. He didn’t even have the energy to recline the section he was sitting on. A sigh escaped him as he listened to the murmur of Nicky, Steph and Bella from the kitchen. Already worn out from the ride home, he closed his eyes. It couldn’t hurt to rest his eyes for a few moments.
* * * *
The soft drone of television and warmth on his left side finally woke Zebadiah. It took him several moments to catalog where he was. The cushy leather beneath him was obviously not the dreaded hospital bed he’d woken up in earlier. And the tantalizing scent of Stetson mingled with popcorn definitely wasn’t the antiseptic they used to clean his room. So he obviously wasn’t in the hospital. He slowly opened his eyes, reluctant to give up the peace he’d found in slumber. He didn’t want to move. A quick glance on the screen showed Mal, the captain of the Serenity, and Wash, his pilot, tied back to back around a coil as the villain, Niska, tortured them.
“Zoe is gonna kick Wash’s ass - after she rescues him,” Steph commented from her position on the floor in front of him. Leaning against his leg, she was munching on popcorn. There was a loud slurp as she sucked on the straw of her drink.
“Naw, she loves him.” Nicky’s voice rumbled under Zeb’s ear. “She won’t hurt him too bad. Now Niska, on the other hand, I’d say his days are numbered. That’s one girl I wouldn’t want to piss off. Not only is she sexy as hell, she can kick some serious ass.” Nicky chuckled. “In fact she reminds me of you when you try to go all dominant on me.”
She giggled. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Master.”
Zeb bit his lower lip to keep his groan from escaping as she flirted with her Master. What would it be like to be on the end of her teasing? His cock twitched at the thought of kneeling in front of her as she stepped close enough to tease him with her body, but refused to let him touch.
“I do believe our friend is finally awake.” Nicky lightly brushed a kiss over the top of his head before helping him sit up. Zeb’s cheeks flushed as he finally realized he’d not only hogged up over half of the sectional, but he’d also managed to drape himself over Nicky as if the man were his and not Steph’s, making the man’s sub have to sit on the floor. Even if he were lucky enough to be included in their relationship sometime in the future, Steph’s needs were higher up on the ladder than his.
“Sorry.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “I warned you I wasn’t fit company.” He shifted, pulling away from Nicky to make room for Steph to sit between them. “Here, why don’t you come up here, Steph?” He patted the spot between him and Nicky. “I didn’t mean to hog the couch. You should’ve woke me up or kicked me or something.”
A frown crossed her face as she placed a hand on his knee. “You know, Nicky, by the look on his face, I do believe Zeb thinks he intruded on something he shouldn’t have.”
“Really?” Nicky sounded curious, even as he tugged Zeb back against him before tilting his chin up to gaze down at him. “You wouldn’t be thinking that would you, il mio colibrì?”
“Ah well, I fell asleep and then woke up to find Steph on the floor, and me hogging you…I mean the couch.”
Nicky sighed. “Nonsense. You were sleeping when we came back in, and both Steph and I joined you on the couch. She later moved to the floor because she thought you looked uncomfortable sitting upright. And she was right. You sprawled out on top of me as soon as she moved.” He brushed his
thumb over Zeb’s lower lip and dipped his head until Zeb thought he was going to kiss him, but just before their mouths met, he drew back with a muffled groan when Steph cleared her throat. “Personally I think it wasn’t just because she was worried about you, but because she didn’t trust herself to keep her hands off you, which right now I’m struggling with myself.” He shifted Zeb off him and stood swiftly. “Take care of him, Steph.” Then he strode from the room, leaving Zeb alone with Steph.
“Sure thing. Hurry back, Nicky. You don’t want to miss the climax. Zoe storming the castle, or rather the spaceship, is going to be kickass.”
Nicky flipped her off over his shoulder before disappearing down the hall. Towards the bathroom, Zeb could only assume.
Steph giggled at the sight. “Hey, Zeb, you ever wonder if he’ll ever realize giving us the finger is nothing more than an invitation to jump his sexy bones?”
A dry chuckle built in him. “Probably not. Most men take it as insult and usually just flip the bird back.” He spoke without thought, as he watched the retreating man. When Nicky disappeared from sight, Zeb suddenly realized he was alone with Steph. His skin crawled uncomfortably as she wrapped her hand around his bad knee. He braced him for the pain of punishment for hogging her master now that there were no witnesses. But when she did nothing more than continue to munch on popcorn and watch TV, while lightly kneading the tight muscles, he relaxed.
“I’m not going to attack you, Sexy.” She tipped her head back against the couch, and stared up at him. “So I wish you’d relax. I understand your hesitancy to be around me, but I swear I’m nothing like the bitch who hurt you.”
He forced himself to stay calm. The last thing he wanted to talk about was Allison. “I…I’m sure you’re not.” He only prayed he was right and she didn’t go Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on him. Taking a leap of faith, he placed his hand over hers as they resumed watching while Zoe stormed Niska’s strong hold in search of Mal and Wash. A few moments later the great room rang with the sounds of explosions as Zoe stormed in with the rest of the crew from the Serenity.
* * * *
Forgoing the bathroom, Nicholaus let himself out the back door quietly. He’d nearly lost it earlier when Zeb had turned those pretty little lapis-hued eyes towards him and he saw the desire to submit in them. If it hadn’t been for Steph’s clearing her throat, he’d have kissed the man and said to hell with waiting. It hadn’t helped either that Zeb was much like Steph while sleeping, curling himself around him until barely a breath separated their bodies. Zeb had ended up with his head pillowed on Nicky’s chest while the fingers on one hand had burrowed under the hem of his t-shirt to settle against his abs, and the rest of his body had pressed against Nicky’s entire left side. Steph’s comment about them looking like two bugs in a rug as they cuddled on the recliner at one end of the sectional couldn’t have been truer.
“Shit.” Raking his hand through his hair, he paced back and forth between the door and the parking area outside the house. In the distance he could see the roof of the club. If he didn’t get himself under control, Davis and Ethan were going to have to haul his ass down there and lock him in one of the cages. For a man used to being in control, his edginess was pissing him off.
“Nicholaus?” The soft inquiry from behind him had him turning. Standing in the open door behind him was Bella, Ethan’s submissive. “Why are you out here?”
He smiled and tried to keep his voice pleasant. It wouldn’t do to bite off the submissive’s head who belonged to one of the men who controlled his time with Zebadiah. “Needed a breather and wanted to stretch my legs.”
Pushing open the door, Bella joined him. “And that’s not a hard-on I see stretching your pants all out of shape.” Even as she said the words, a light pink blush graced her cheeks. “Come with me.” She looped her arm through his and tugged him towards the duck pond. “I know the limits set on you by Davis and Ethan are trying.”
He nodded, shortening his strides to match hers. “They are but I’m not complaining.” The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was complaining. It might get back to Ethan and he didn’t want to give the man a reason to cut off his access to Zeb.
“You’re a Dom. I wouldn’t expect you to, but nonetheless, here you are outside trying to walk off your frustration. It shows how much you care, that you’re controlling yourself.”
They stopped by the bench where he’d found Zebadiah the day before. Had it only been a day? It seemed like much more than that. But then with the drama unfolding around the man he wanted, it wasn’t surprising that it’d felt like longer.
“I’m trying. I almost kissed him, which is why I hightailed it out here.”
“So?” She seemed intrigued. “Why would that be a bad thing? You obviously find him desirable, so why shouldn’t you kiss him?”
“Because I promised your Master I’d keep domination out of our relationship until Zeb is ready.” He pulled away. “I swore we’d be nothing more than friends.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’d be so much more simple if it was just me, but Steph and I come as a pair.”
She smiled. “Of course you do. And I’m sure Zeb realizes that. Which is why he’s willingly sitting in great room with her by himself. He’s trying.” She picked up a rounded stone and skipped it off the glassy surface of the water. “Zeb is much stronger than Ethan sometimes gives him credit for.” She counted off the skips before the rock sank beneath the surface. “In fact, I’ve gotten to know him quite well since he came to stay with us. Zeb is much like this pond. Deep but still.”
He sighed, figuring this was merely going to be a repeat of his conversation with Davis. “Is this where you warn me not to hurt him? Or you’ll fuck my shit up?”
She gave him a tight smile. “Oh, no. This isn’t one of those types of conversations. You don’t have to worry about me threatening you.” She shook her head. “No, if you end up hurting Zeb, it’ll be Zeb who’ll make you wish you never tangled with him. He’s anything but helpless despite what happened to him.” She gave him another mysterious smile before picking up another rock to skip.
Chapter Eight
Zebadiah and Ethan were just finishing a series of katas when Bella appeared in the doorway. In the reflective surface of mirrored wall, he watched as she sank to her knees. Flowing into the finishing moves, he idly wondered if he’d ever be able to kneel like that again. His knee was healing, but didn’t do well with that kind of pressure.
“Good set, Zebadiah. You’re getting back a good deal of your flexibility.” Ethan grabbed two towels, using one to wipe off his own face after tossing the second to Zebadiah.
Mimicking Ethan, Zeb used the terrycloth to dry his face and neck. It’d felt good to work out again. It’d been nearly a week since Allison’s attack, and Ethan had said the dojo was off limits until he’d felt Zebadiah had recovered from the attack.
“It feels good,” he admitted, moving to the small fridge on one side of the dojo. Grabbing a couple bottles of water, he offered one to Ethan before twisting off the cap and guzzling half of his own bottle.
“So how are things going with you, Nicholaus and Steph? Are they as excited as you are about you opening your bakery?” Ethan asked, bringing up the elephant in the room. In the week since coming home, Zebadiah had spoken on the phone with one or the other every night or sometimes both, but hadn’t had any face-to-face contact.
“It’s going good. I think Steph is more excited than I am about it. In fact, she said she wanted to go with me when I picked out the motif for the bakery. If Nicky hadn’t had to leave Wednesday for some kind of writer’s conference in Vegas, we’d have gone already. I can’t believe I let them talk me into opening my own shop.”
“Why not? You’re a wonderful baker. Both Davis and I have been telling you that for months.”
He nodded, smiling sheepishly. “I know you and Davis tried to convince me earlier, but I guess I just wasn’t ready. It’s just that…Nicky and Steph have a way of making m
e think I can do anything.”
Ethan dropped a supportive hand on his shoulder. “As they should. I know you’ve been talking with them a lot on the phone lately. Does it mean you’re becoming more comfortable in Steph’s presence?” Ethan asked, as they moved to where Bella had been patiently kneeling.
He nodded. “She’s sexy but smart and has a quirky sense of humor. She actually gets my jokes if you can believe that.” He downed the rest of his water. “If asked, I’d have to say she’s a great friend to have. I’d love taking her to bed, but I just don’t know if I’m ready to submit to her. She has a lot of the same qualities on the surface which attracted me to Allison. I don’t know what I’d do if she turned on me like Allison. It was like my submission was the trigger, and my Mistress turned into someone I didn’t recognize.”
Ethan nodded. “I don’t think it had anything to do with you personally, Zeb. The rumor around the scene is you’re not the first submissive she’s pulled this with. One of the other clubs in Vallejo said she’d been banned because of exactly such behavior. Another in Santa Rosa did the same. The important thing here is you’re no longer her submissive. She has no part in your life now.”
“You’re right.” Even though he said the words, Zebadiah still had a hard time believing them. Allison had sworn a long time ago she’d never let him go.
“I know you don’t believe it yet, but keep repeating it. Eventually it’ll sink in that she has no control over you anymore.” Ethan brushed his fingers over Bella’s hair. “What brings you into my dojo, Sabella? I thought you were working out in the garden?”
She smiled up at him. “I was, Master. I know you were training with Zebadiah, but there’s a messenger here for Zebadiah. I didn’t mean to interrupt your training.”
“Nonsense, you weren’t interrupting anything. Zeb and I just were finishing up. I would’ve been calling for you shortly.” Ethan’s voice turned husky. “I feel the need to for a little hojōjutsu. So why don’t you ready the dojo, while Zeb and I go see what this courier wants?”
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