by Lori King
Before he drew attention to himself by launching across the patio at Timar and tearing his throat out for even daring to laugh with Foster, he forced his body to turn away and reenter the house. If it wasn’t for the scene he’d already promised to participate in, he’d have gone in search of the bar he knew Killian kept well-stocked. It was a party rule that alcohol could only be consumed in moderation by anyone participating in a scene. Between the high of subspace and the endorphins a good scene could create in the body, there was rarely any need for a liquid high.
With tonight’s turn of events, he certainly could have used a few shots to ease his nerves, though. He was afraid he’d just made the second biggest mistake of his life, and there was no way to un-ring the bell now.
Chapter 6
“I’d better get back inside. My Mistress will be in search of me when they call for dinner in a few minutes.” Foster told the group he was chatting with.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Craft. I hope you’ll introduce me to your Mistress later this evening.” Timar Said was a good looking man. With darkly tanned skin, ebony black hair, and light green eyes the color of sea glass, he was exquisitely exotic. The moment he introduced himself, Foster connected the dots, and knew this was the man Wyatt had been involved with. Outside of their obvious difference in sex; it struck him how different Timar and Ana were in personality.
While Timar was laughing, and joking with the people around him, Ana was usually cool as a cucumber. In fact, she’d been referred to as frigid by more than one ignorant person after meeting her. What they didn’t know was that she hid behind a mask of indifference and nonchalance, because she carried scars from her past under her thick skin that she was afraid someone might see. It was a side of her that he’d initially only been allowed to see when they scened together, but after six years as a committed couple, he now knew most of her background, and understood why she hid her secrets from the world.
The thought of keeping secrets weighed heavily on Foster’s heart, and while he continued to smile and maintain a relaxed demeanor to the people around him, inside he was cowering in fear and self-loathing at his own behavior. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Wyatt going back into the house through the French doors, and his stomach twisted. Had he seen Timar and him talking? Did he even know Timar was here? Would it change his outlook regarding what he’d said in the bathroom tonight?
It took Natasha nudging Foster, for him to realize that he’d been so caught up in his own thoughts that he hadn’t responded to Timar’s request. “Oh I’m sorry; yes of course I’ll introduce you. I know my Mistress would love to chat with you later. Excuse me, please.”
Hurrying back into the house in search of Ana, he was making his way down the long hallway that split Killian’s house into two halves when he noticed a pretty woman, staring at a closed door with a confused look on her face. It didn’t take him but a moment to realize what the problem was, and he set about explaining the purpose of the bracelets adorning the door handles to the newbie. It turned out that she was an innocent on her first foray into debauchery, and he found himself losing all track of time while he enjoyed a chat with her.
They’d just become friends when the call for dinner was sounded. Turning, he faced the petite woman, and asked, “Would you like to walk with me to dinner, Marley? I can introduce you to my Mistress if you would be more comfortable with some protection tonight.”
“I’ll walk with you, but I don’t think I need protection just yet. Thank you though for the generous offer.” Taking his arm, the two walked back through the house and into the dining room where the buffet was set up. Marley thanked him again, and headed for the food lines, while he looked over the crowd for his Mistress’s beautiful blonde head. One of the biggest benefits of being six foot three was the ability to see over a crowd, and he wasted no time pinpointing Ana’s location and making his way to her side.
“Who was that you were talking too, pet?”
Foster lowered himself to his knee as he reached her side, bowing his head in respect for the woman he loved so much. “Mistress. Her name is Marley something. She’s a party virgin, and I was just answering a few questions for her.”
“Ah, good. Thank you for taking care of the novice, Foster love. I ran into her myself a little while ago, and she looked scared out of her mind. I’m sure you eased her fears. Are you ready to eat?” her hand came down, and he immediately accepted it, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before he rose and looped her arm through his.
“Yes, Mistress, but I need to speak with you about something.”
Ana smiled up at him and his heart did a flip flop in his chest. “First let’s find something to eat. You’ll need your energy later. I have a special surprise planned for you tonight.”
He felt his eyebrows lift in curiosity, but he didn’t question her further. She would share with him when she was ready, and not a moment before, and this was not the place for him to unload his heavy heart.
They each got a plate, and found seats at a dining table. The seats around them remained empty, and after Ana had settled and begun to eat, Foster turned to face her again. “Mistress, I need to tell you something—”
She reached out and patted his leg, arching her eyebrow pointedly at his plate. “No, you need to eat, pet. There will be plenty of time later. I want to rest my feet for a few minutes in blessed silence. The parties are growing, and if Killian has his way the whole damn town will be attending at some point. He’s going to have to look into using more than one DM at a time, or find a replacement for me. I’m not enough of a people person for this crap.”
Foster snorted out a laugh, and reached for his glass of water. Ana was a junior high school music teacher in real life, and spent all of her time surrounded by people.
“Don’t laugh. Maybe I’m just getting old,” she said with a dramatic toss of her braid over her shoulder.
“I hardly think thirty-seven is old, Mistress.” Foster responded. He sampled the culinary delights of one of the city’s finest restaurants and considered her complaint. If she wasn’t a DM, it would mean more time for their scenes, and perhaps then she would be open to adding a third into their…No! He scolded himself for even going down that road of thought.
“Are you listening to me?”
Ana’s irritated tone brought his eyes up to meet hers and he saw the brief flash of hurt followed by irritation in her gaze.
“Seriously, what is with all of the men in my life? Do you all just tune me out the moment I start speaking?”
Foster shook his head, “Of course not, Mistress. I’m sorry. I’m just preoccupied by something that I was told earlier, and…”
He could only stare at her in confusion when she inhaled sharply and her cheeks grew pale. “You’ve already heard? Damn it. I wanted to be the one to tell you. Look, Foster, if we need to discuss this outside of the scene before Wyatt joins us—”
“Wyatt?” the name slipped off of his tongue in a shocked whisper, and his fork clattered to his plate. All at once Ana seemed to simultaneously realize that he had no idea what she was talking about, and that she’d just spilled the beans to some big secret before she’d intended too.
For several moments the murmur of the room grew almost too loud to bear, and Foster heard only those three words over and over in his brain against the crowd’s background noise. Wyatt joins us… Wyatt joins us… Wyatt joins us…
“Okay, let’s take ten to finish eating, and then we’ll step outside and discuss this before anything else goes wrong tonight.” Ana said sharply. That tone was usually enough to stop him in his tracks and bring him back to center, but tonight it only made the betrayal worse.
“I kissed him.” Foster said softly, refusing to meet her eyes. “In the downstairs powder room, earlier this evening. I kissed Wyatt.”
This time it was Ana’s silverware that fell to a sharp landing on the table. Ever so slowly, she pushed her chair back, and rose to her feet. “We’ll talk n
ow.” Then she spun in a blur of red brocade and leather, and marched away from him without a backward glance.
Chapter 7
Wyatt was in the buffet line when he saw Ana rise and leave the dining room. Foster was hot on her heels looking heartbroken, and his stomach went all topsy-turvy. There was no way he was going to be able to eat now.
Carrying his plate to the closest trash bin, he emptied it and placed it on a server’s tray for collection. Before he could take a step in their direction he felt someone step up behind him, and he turned to face down his past.
“Wyatt. It’s been awhile.” Timar said in his whiskey soft voice. Echoes of past feelings hung in the air between them, and Wyatt felt his heart race.
Nodding, he held his former partner’s gaze as steadily as he could, “It has. You look well, Timar.”
The intentional use of his given name, registered on Timar’s face and he smiled sadly. “As do you, darling boy. I’ve missed you.”
“How did you end up here, Timar? At this particular party?” Wyatt said, ignoring the obvious hurt the other man was feeling, but trying not to make it worse.
“I was invited by my business associate, Killian Whitfield. I’ve purchased a home on the other side of the grove, and I’m considering alternating hosting the Lusty Fantasies parties with Killian. He seems to have found happiness, and he was hoping…” Timar paused, and shifted awkwardly. It was only the second time that Wyatt could remember the quietly powerful man looking uncomfortable. The first was when he told Wyatt he had feelings for him and Wyatt broke his heart.
“I’m seeing someone, Timar.”
The other man’s glittering eyes skimmed over his length, registering his lack of ownership at his throat, wrist, and booted feet. “Really?”
“Yes, and I need to get back to them. It was…good to see you. Take care of yourself.” Wyatt answered dismissively. This time the slight had a more obvious effect as Timar’s eyes narrowed and his jaw flexed.
“Them? So you’ve become tangled in a triad? Still avoiding yourself then I take it? Tell me darling, does your new Master know your secrets?” Timar asked with an angry growl.
Wyatt half turned to walk away, and then reconsidered and met Timar’s furious eyes. “My new Mistress, and brother-in-submission will know everything there is to know about me, Timar, because I love them.”
Then with a deep breath of fake confidence, he followed Ana and Foster out to the back patio again, leaving his past behind to accept whatever the future held for him.
~
Ana was trying to decide if she felt betrayed or turned on by Foster’s revelation. Her heart hurt, and her brain was swamped with questions. Why would the two of them… How did they end up… When did it…
“Mistress, please, stop and hear me out.” Foster said from behind her before she made it past the hot tub at the back corner of the patio. She considered continuing into the green shrubbery of the gardens, but a glance around assured them that the other party guests were a good distance away from them. They had plenty of privacy.
“On your knees, sub,” she snarled, letting her anger and hurt lead the way.
Foster slid gracefully to the ground, his head bowed, and his ass resting on his heels. For several moments they remained locked in a silent bubble of betrayal, until she finally hissed through gritted teeth. “Tell me.”
“He apologized to me, for his words before, and asked me to give him another chance. I was angry, and somehow before I knew it we were kissing. I didn’t do it on purpose—”
“It was my fault, Mistress.”
Ana’s head shot up just as Wyatt reached them, and slid to his knees in a carbon copy of Foster’s position. In spite of her anger she felt a surge of lust as she looked down on the two large men giving her their submission and respect.
Directing her frustration at Wyatt, she turned, and gripped the short blonde hair covering his scalp, to force his head back so that he was looking up at her. “You kissed my sub before I agreed to scene with you tonight,” she heard Foster’s sharp gasp of surprise, but he held his position and didn’t react otherwise. “You will feel the sting of my whip tonight for that mistake, boy. However, I’m feeling more lenient than usual tonight, because my pet was in the dark about our conversation, and mutual agreement.”
Dropping her hand from the tight grip on his head, she cupped his jaw tenderly and ran her thumb over his lips. “Foster is irresistible, so I forgive you for the error in judgment.”
His golden eyes warmed, and his full lips curled up in a small smile, “Thank you, Mistress.”
Without responding, she moved to Foster, and reached for his hands, gesturing for him to rise to his feet. Breaking scene, she wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her nose to his chest, inhaling his woodsy sweet aftershave deep into her lungs. Immediately, his arms wrapped tightly around her, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“I’m sorry, Foster. I was going to tell you what Wyatt and I were discussing, and honestly I thought you would be intrigued at the idea of him groveling for both of us.” She said against his chest.
“Ana, stop. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who betrayed you.” They were both quiet for several moments, lost in their personal feelings of guilt, and confusion at the new dynamic in their relationship. Finally, she pulled back, and looked up into his beautiful face, to see him smiling. “Can we start over?”
“Before we do this, I want to hear from the men, not the subs. Foster, are you content to scene with Wyatt? Will you submit to me tonight?” She asked as she resumed her place between the two men.
“Yes, Mistress.” He didn’t even hesitate. He did her proud as he went back to his knees and bowed his head, accepting her authority without question.
Turning her body, she reached for Wyatt and drew him to stand in front of her, “Wyatt?”
When his eyes remained lowered, she smiled, and hugged him the same way she’d hugged Foster a moment ago. His body was built so very differently than Fosters, her head rested at his shoulder rather than his chest, and he was so broad that she couldn’t reach all the way around him. When his arms came around to hold her, she felt tiny, and delicate. Like a protected, cherished piece of fine art. His lips brushed her cheek, and she felt the burn of tears in her eyes. Suddenly everything clicked into place. With Wyatt there, she felt complete. Like the three of them were always meant to be together.
Quietly, she spoke again, her words barely above a whisper, “Wyatt, are you content to scene with Foster? Will you submit to me, and to Foster, for the night?”
She heard him swallow hard, and then his sweet voice said clearly and confidently, “Yes, Mistress.”
Chapter 8
Wyatt felt jubilant and scared witless as he followed Foster and Ana back into the house in search of an empty room to play in. He’d gotten his wish. It hadn’t been an easy road, but thank God Ana was generous, Foster loved her, and they both wanted him enough to forgive him.
Anxiety and anticipation warred in his chest as he watched Ana ahead of him, marching down the long hallway—a woman on a mission. They passed Killian as he was pushing the door of his den shut, and his wide eyes and arched eyebrows showed his surprise that Wyatt was with them, but he didn’t say anything. A flash of blonde hair over his shoulder just before he shut the door, told Wyatt that Alana at least was in there with him, and he bit back a laugh when he saw the bracelet on the door knob. Good for Killian. That man deserved a little happiness considering how much time and money he invested in these events just to bring other people happiness.
The room Ana chose was one of the big ones just off the main hallway, and she made a point to leave the door wide open. With a soft murmur she sent Foster to collect her toys, and turned to face him. This time there was no sweet lingering hug, and no softness in her words.
“Before he gets back, I’m going to warn you one more time, boy: Don’t you dare hurt him tonight. He Tops you during this scene,
and if I wish it, he will fuck you. If you can’t handle that, leave right now.”
The words didn’t hurt so much as her obvious need to say them. God how he wished he could turn back the clock, and make right the hurt he’d caused them. How could be possibly make them understand that the last four months had been pure hell for him?
“Mistress, I’m yours, and his. For as long as you want to keep me.” He responded confidently, almost arrogantly.
A wicked smile crept over her beautiful face, and she tossed her braid over her shoulder. He heard it slap against her leather-covered ass, and it sent a ripple of lust through him.
“You may regret that, boy.” She said just as Foster reentered the room carrying a large bag. “Thank you, pet. Give it to Wyatt, so that he can lay them out, because I’ve already decided that you’ll be the star of tonight’s first act.”
Wyatt accepted his duties, and quickly spread the various implements and toys across the top of the waist-high dresser against one wall. Behind him, he heard Ana whispering various things to Foster as she helped him remove the harness and shorts he wore.
It took everything Wyatt had not to bust a nut in his jeans when he turned around and saw the other man’s glorious body fully nude in the middle of the room. Foster was long and muscular—everywhere. His lean build might have given him a gangly look if it weren’t for the pride and confidence that held his spine stiff. The soft lighting cupped every curve and sharp edge of his tall frame, showing it off perfectly as he waited for their mistress to give him direction. The only hint of nerves he showed was in his hands. They were fisted at his sides—white knuckled with tension. A wave of regret that he was the reason for the other man’s anxiety hit him again, but he didn’t have a chance to linger as Ana turned to face him.
“Lower the suspension kit, and put out the cushions,” Ana instructed. Hurrying to a switch just inside the door, Wyatt turned the knob until the ceiling-mounted suspension system that was nearly invisible to anyone not looking for it, was in the proper height. Two large black mats like the ones you might see padding a gymnasium floor, were hidden in the walk in closet, and he spread them both in the middle of the room under the hook high above. Then he resumed his position next to the dresser to watch.