by Desiree Holt
“But what about—”
Logan cut off her protest with fingers to her lips. “Hush… There will be other times.
Hell, if we couldn’t survive erections we’d be done for several times a day.”
McKenzie laughed weakly, and acknowledged to herself that she was pretty thoroughly spent. She yawned as the adrenaline rush she’d been on began to dissipate.
Gareth kissed her temple. “Sleep, princess. We’ll play again soon.”
* * * *
We’ll play again soon. McKenzie smiled as the words played through her head as she came awake. She stretched and realised she was beneath her thick white comforter. Bright sunlight streamed through her window, and her alarm clock announced 8:15 a.m. in big red numbers.
And she was alone. That didn’t surprise her except for the part where she hadn’t been when she’d drifted off to sleep. She felt a little guilty at checking out on her guests and a little appalled that she’d actually slept with strangers in her house, not even waking when they’d left.
Somewhat stunned by that and by the memories of everything she’d done last night, she climbed from bed to shower. Her friend Kimberley would be there in forty-five minutes.
McKenzie didn’t have much time.
She winced as her rear rubbed against the sheets. Sweet heaven! She’d be reminded of that spanking all day. She’d be lucky if she could sit without squirming. Heat raced into her face as she recalled enticing Logan and Gareth into ‘punishing’ her. What on earth had come over her? Whatever it was, her pussy already throbbed for more.
Would they be there if she went back to Sin’s Door? Would they want to see her again, or would they be onto the next woman? Would she be making a fool of herself to go looking for them?
“Stop it!” she exclaimed. Good God, she’d heard of morning after regrets, but geez! She hadn’t even made it into the bathroom and her inner voice was on a tirade. Probably making up for her suppressing it all last night.
She shook her head and headed for the shower. She could smell them on her, and while she kinda liked it, it wasn’t the fragrance she wanted to wear to greet her friend.
The shower was a welcome comfort. The house’s previous owners had invested in a rain-shower shower head and it blanketed the body while standing beneath it. Today, there was a slight sting on her breasts and ass, but knowing why, McKenzie couldn’t complain. In fact, she wondered if she wouldn’t wear a smile all day.
When she stepped from the enclosure a few minutes later, she stared at her reflection in the door mirror. Shock dawned over her.
Her left nipple was discoloured from Gareth’s attentions, while finger shaped bruises marked her upper arms, hips and the sides of her thighs. She turned and saw her ass was a shade of deep pink. Well…they had gotten kinda rough last night, hadn’t they? She had no objections. Her grin deepened and she knew unless she reined it in, Kimberley would be demanding answers McKenzie didn’t really have.
Still, pleased with herself, she slipped on her silk robe and wandered towards the kitchen. She wrinkled her brow at the scent of coffee. She walked into the sun-drenched room and saw the coffeemaker just sending through the last drips. A folded sheet of paper lay in front of the appliance. She scooped it up and scanned the bold writing.
Good morning, Princess. I hope you don’t mind me starting your coffee for you. I fixed your timer settings. Take a pain reliever. You’re sure to have some aches and pains this morning—we want you happy, not miserable. Think of us. See you later.
Gareth
See you later? Her belly did a happy flip at the idea. Then she wondered…would they come back here, or were they planning on her going back to the club? Knowing she had to hurry if she was to be ready for her friend to get here later, she decided to take a wait and see stance. Nothing had to be cut in stone now. It sufficed that they were planning on something beyond last night. So now she’d try to wake up and get through the morning.
Kim was coming to discuss job options—essentially, McKenzie finding a new one that didn’t suck up her entire life. Kim was also outraged at Mr. Anderson’s advances. Hell, so was McKenzie. Getting the heck outta Andersonville seemed a really good idea. Who knew what would happen if she stuck around?
McKenzie shuddered.
Yeah…waking up and finding a new job opportunity would be good. Caffeine would help.
She inhaled gratefully, happy that Gareth had made coffee even if he had wandered through her house to do it. After pulling a glass from the cupboard, she poured some water then took a couple of aspirin. A few minutes later, she was wandering back to the bedroom with mug in hand. And lord, it was the best coffee she’d ever had. She was firing herself from brewing and hiring Gareth. She sucked at it.
Quickly, she dressed while taking sips between articles of clothing. A breakfast with Kimberley begged casual attire. She chose jeans and a loose black T-shirt with a pouty blue fairy on the front. After she slipped on socks and a pair of Keds, she headed into the kitchen for more coffee.
The doorbell rang on her way, and she went to let in Kimberley. The perky redhead stood just beyond the outer screen, juggling her laptop, a couple of newspapers and a box—
not a bag—of doughnuts. Obviously, she planned on a difficult morning and the need for a sugar rush.
Hurrying forward, McKenzie let her in and relieved her of half her burden. She was through the inner door when she realised Kimberley hadn’t made it any further than the porch.
“What?” McKenzie asked, turning back.
“You look…different.”
“You’re crazy. I’m damp because I just got out of the shower and tired because it’s early.”
Kimberley snorted. “Nine is not early.”
“It is on Saturday when there are no charges to chase after.”
“Hmph.” She jerked her head at the mug McKenzie still held. “Do you have more of that sludge you call coffee?”
McKenzie rolled her eyes. “In the kitchen. I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
But Kimberley was already on her way. Familiar with the house, she knew where the coffeemaker was, and also that McKenzie would expect her to help herself. She set her things on the table then got out a mug and poured herself a serving. Taking a sip, she walked towards the cupboard with the plates. Suddenly, she stood stock still and stared into her cup.
“Who made this?” She turned to McKenzie. “Who made this?”
McKenzie shrugged and smiled while she took her own drink.
“You had evening plans last night. Was it a man?”
“Yes, a man who made the coffee. And before you ask, no, he’s not here. He preset the maker so it would brew for me this morning.”
With a pinched look, Kim finished grabbing the snack plates then came to the table where they both sat down. That expression spoke volumes. More questions were just boiling to get out.
“What?” McKenzie sighed.
“I knew you looked different. A man. A date! How long has it been since you actually went out.”
“Way too long.” McKenzie reached for the doughnut box and opened it. Kimberley was way too excited about this, and it was making McKenzie nervous. She didn’t want to divulge everything. After all, Kim was the one who’d mentioned to her, offhand one day, that Sin’s Door was a meat market. The way she’d said it left no room for interpretation of her feelings on the place. She found the place repulsive and vile. No questions.
Kim chose a custard-filled pastry that she immediately ignored as she crossed her arms on the table and regarded McKenzie. “Spill it, sister. And don’t leave stuff out. I’ll know.”
“I’m not one of your first graders. You can’t bully me into submission or guilt me into telling you everything.”
Eyebrows raised. “I do not bully my class. And what exactly don’t you want to tell me?
Is he married? Underage? Your cousin?”
“No! Geez, Kim! No! Look, I met…him…at a club. Okay. It was sorta a strangers i
n the night thing. One night stand.”
“And you brought him back here? That was dumb.”
And that was it. Kim pulled over one of the newspapers and opened to the want ads.
McKenzie stared at her, stunned by her sudden divorcement from the topic. It was unusual, but McKenzie definitely wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. She pulled out a glazed doughnut and took a bite.
She should have known better. Kim circled two prospective jobs then asked, “What club?”
McKenzie tried for a nonchalant shrug. “Just one over on Lake Drive.”
Kim’s gaze shot up. “There’s only one place on Lake.” Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me you didn’t.”
What was she? Twelve? She’d grown out of lectures years ago.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” Kim grated in her best school teacher voice. “At least, tell me you were safe.”
“Of course, I was.”
“You went to that club and then brought the guy home. I don’t think there’s any ‘of course’ about it. Look. Kenz. I just want you to be safe.”
“I was. I am.”
“Can I ask you about this then?” She lifted the note from Gareth that McKenzie must have left on the table. “Nice name. Gareth. What does he mean by ‘we’ and ‘us’? Please tell me he has some sort of royalty complex.”
Fuck this was like pulling off a bandage one hair at a time. “There were two of them.
Two men.”
Her friend went a little white, but McKenzie didn’t miss the tiny flare of interest in her eyes. Straight-lace Kimberley was too refined to ask details or give the subject air time, even for disapproval.
She closed the newspaper. “Personally, I think these ads will be useless.”
Enter whiplash topic change girl.
“Okay. Then let’s forget it and just eat breakfast and have our unusually nice coffee.”
“I mean, there’s an opening at the school. It’s not advertised. You can probably get a jump on it. It’s sixth grade language arts—I know you’d like that, though why I can’t fathom.”
“Then let’s pull out my resume. I’ll add the latest, and it’s good to go.”
“It’s not that easy. They’ll check your background, Kenz. And your current activities.
You cannot go back to Sin’s Door. Promise me!”
McKenzie’s stomach dropped, and she knew she couldn’t promise any such thing. She stared right at Kimberley and did something she’d never thought she’d do…
“Okay,” she lied. “I promise.”
Chapter Four
Kimberley left McKenzie’s at eleven, and the thunderstorms rolled in at noon. Around one, she lost power. It didn’t surprise McKenzie. This shoreline area often lost their service during bad weather, and sometimes it was days before the electricity was restored.
While it was an inconvenience, she didn’t worry overly much about it. Late in the afternoon, she took a diet cola, a sandwich and the newspapers out to the porch where she could enjoy the storm. The construction of the screened-in enclosure made it an ideal spot to hear the rain and feel the air moving without getting wet or battered. Fat candles in hurricanes were scattered around the area, and she lit them since it was getting darker. Soon her haven was cast in a golden glow.
One of her favourite places in the house was her porch swing, and she swayed idly there while she scanned the want ads for her city and some of the surrounding areas.
Regardless of her conversation with Kim, being a teacher, especially at Kim’s overbearing school, wasn’t her first choice. Her childhood friend already pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Working together for the same place might spell disaster. Plus, McKenzie wasn’t sure how willing she was to mould her life to the school’s expectations. She’d been doing that for years as a nanny, and it wasn’t making her particularly happy.
The ads didn’t look promising. Her friend had been right about that. With a sigh, McKenzie set the papers aside to toss in her recycle pile later. Leaning back, she pulled an afghan around herself then stared into space for a long while with the cool air from the storm wafting over her and the sound of raindrops lulling her into a drowsy state.
Wearily, she considered her options while her mind drifted hither and fro. She had cash saved. Plenty of it in fact. She owned her house and car outright, inheriting one and quickly paying off the other. And having no life over the past three years had basically meant she’d gotten a paycheque and really had nothing to spend it on. Her room and board were paid most of every week and since she wasn’t home much, her utilities were miniscule. Her savings could actually last her a couple of years if she was frugal.
She could do frugal if it meant being able to wait for the right job. With that thought, she relaxed. It was nice to have time on her side. Maybe she’d write a book or something.
That had been her intention when she’d first majored in English at university back before the world had told her it was a pipedream that she should give up.
Her eyes closed on the warm feeling brought by the idea of following her old dream.
She was forever swirling stories in her head and she drew one near—only this time there were two heroes, not one.
* * * *
“Princess…”
McKenzie made a small sound in her throat and shifted as a voice cut through her dreams of a fair maiden and her two knights.
“Princess, baby, wake up…”
“Maybe we should let her sleep.”
She opened her eyes slowly and saw the embodiment of the two knights kneeling beside her. She smiled groggily. “Hi.”
Logan kissed her lightly then Gareth bent in to do the same. Soon they were sharing a three-way kiss that drew her fully from her haze and had her pussy heavy with desire.
“We heard the power was out over here,” Logan said. “So we brought a hot meal.”
“To share, of course,” Gareth enjoined with a grin.
“I’m glad you’re both here,” she told them, sitting up. She laced her fingers into Gareth’s hair then kissed him lightly. “Thank you for making coffee this morning.”
“You’re welcome, princess.” He pulled her off the swing and onto the thick quilt they’d spread out. A basket sat nearby, along with a small cooler.
“I made my specialty,” Logan told her. “Chicken Marsala with redskin potatoes and steamed carrots. Gareth picked a nice Chateau Ste. Michelle wine to go with it.”
“You cook?” she asked. The two of them were just getting better and better. Great coffee and apparently at least one of them could cook.
He grinned. “I can do lots of things.”
“Mmm, I remember.” And she did. Her body still ached pleasantly from their attentions last night, but that didn’t mean she’d didn’t want more. The pleasure of their touches far outweighed any residual twinges.
She stretched, pleasantly warm and discovered the glass on the porch windows had been pulled down, leaving each open by only a few inches. One of men had lit the gas fireplace in the corner, something she should have done since she didn’t have an electric ignition model. Overall, they’d managed to create a cosy haven for the three of them—and she couldn’t believe she’d slept through them moving around. Vowing to mentally berate herself later, she focused on the men who’d set about wooing her tonight.
Firelight and candle flames illuminated the trio in an amber glow that drew McKenzie back to the erotic sensations of the dream from which she’d just woken. She could almost believe they were in that older setting.
But this was a whole new world to her. There was so much to learn and experience. She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked at them as they served food and poured wine.
“Did I ever tell you my name?”
“No, but we want to know all about you,” Logan said, handing her a plate. “The stranger thing was fun, once. But it’s not enough.”
“Do you want more than that?” Gareth asked.
&nb
sp; She balanced her food on her lap and took the glass of white wine he offered. Did she want more? Yes! But it would be complicated. They’d be a triad in a society that considered couples normal. Kimberley would certainly freak out, but McKenzie was confident she’d get over the shock. Eventually. And her family was really a non-entity as far as concerns went.
Her parents truthfully wouldn’t notice as long as she didn’t disrupt their lives—which she did as infrequently as possible. Her brother was gay. She’d been one of his biggest supporters, and she suspected he’d be the same for her. And her sister? If McKenzie knew her, she’d probably ask where she could find her own pair of men.
Logan paused in the process of handing Gareth a plate.
“Is that a no?” he asked, after her long silence.
“Yes,” she said quickly. “I mean, no. No, it’s not a no. Yes, I’d very much like more. I was just thinking of…things.”
“Complications,” Logan guessed.
She nodded. There would be complications, but she didn’t want to worry about that now. It wasn’t as if she planned to marry them. That was a thought for way later. Right now, she wanted to have fun with them—dressed and naked.
“There are just a lot of things to consider,” she replied. “But not right now.”
“That’s our princess,” Gareth laughed.
She liked the sound of that. “First off, I don’t mind Princess, but my name’s McKenzie.
McKenzie Stewart.”
“Gareth Black and Logan Hunter,” Gareth said.
“And what do you do, Ms. Stewart?”
She snorted. “Believe it or not, I’m a nanny.”
“I would have liked to have had a nanny like you,” Logan broke in.
“I’m not as nice as you think; besides I’m thinking of changing jobs.” She took a bite of her Marsala and groaned. “This is so good. Geez, Logan, you could be a chef.”
“Ah, but then I wouldn’t like it. I prefer to cook for fun and family. And friends. So tell us about this job change. Why, if you like kid-lings?”