Submission for Skeptics [Club Libertine 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Diane Leyne

  She’d retreated into the kitchen, her face flaming, unexpectedly aroused by the sight.

  They weren’t gay. Damn. Her face was suddenly hot with embarrassment. Some of the things she’d said and done in front of them, thinking that they only liked men. Yikes. And Damon had said something about them wanting to ask her to play with them before she’d messed up at the book launch. Did that mean what she thought it meant? She shivered. She’d fantasized about them for months, but that was before she knew they were into BDSM. She shivered again. If Damon’s spanking was an example of what they liked to do, she thought she might like playing with them.

  She checked the index of The Dominant’s Guide and looked up the definition. Yup, play was all about sex and arousal and orgasms and even punishment, depending upon the proclivities of the players. Punishment. She rubbed her ass. It wasn’t really sore any more. It was kind of tingly in a good way. She wasn’t going to have bruises or anything. It was definitely nothing like what her mother and sisters suffered through. Maybe there really was a difference.

  She’d come twice while she was over his knee. She’d been embarrassed at first when he’d pulled down her pants, but then the pain quickly followed by arousal and the first orgasm had driven all thoughts of embarrassment away, and she’d responded eagerly when she realized that he wasn’t finished and he wasn’t going to seriously hurt her. Thinking about it, the most surprising thing to her was the fact she’d come twice so closely together. She wasn’t a particularly orgasmic woman, or so she’d always thought. Often, in the past, she’d faked it so the guy wouldn’t feel bad or that he had to keep trying and trying and trying. She’d come twice in the course of the spanking. He’d used his fingers inside her and on her clit, but still, others had tried that and not succeeded. Was it the spanking? Was that the secret to those incredible climaxes?

  And she was expected to meet them at two for lunch to go over the details. She realized that Damon hadn’t asked. He’d ordered like the Dominant he was and she was shocked to find that she felt sort of tingly inside at that small display of Dominance.

  She’d expected, once she realized that they were in the lifestyle, that Brad, the big hunky firefighter, was in charge, not the slighter, more urbane college professor, but it was probably just her ignorance of the subject. After all, it had been Damon who groped Brad in her living room.

  She yawned again and checked the clock before heading into the bedroom. It was close to five, and she needed to get some sleep. Luckily, as a freelancer, she could make her own schedule and didn’t have an office to report to in the morning.

  She was so tired that she didn’t even bother to brush her teeth. She just let her clothes drop to the floor and slid under the covers. She dropped off quickly and found herself dreaming of getting spanked again, this time by both of them.

  * * * *

  Eight hours later, she woke feeling refreshed but unsatisfied. She had dreamed of Damon and Brad, but her reading about punishments and orgasm denial must have stuck in her brain because no matter how aroused she was in her dream or what they did to her, she couldn’t come.

  It was 1:00 p.m., and she was hungry, but she wasn’t supposed to meet Damon and Brad until two. I really do need to keep my fridge stocked better. Two withered oranges and quart of expired milk just doesn’t cut it. She thought for a second. Damon told her she couldn’t be late. He didn’t say anything about not being early or eating before they got there. She decided to grab a quick shower and then head out before she fainted from hunger. She was feeling restless, and she had five hours to kill before her first training session. Maybe she could walk off some of her excess energy.

  It was a beautiful day, and she decided to enjoy the patio. She didn’t bring the book with her because she didn’t think she’d feel comfortable being seen reading it in public, but she did bring her laptop so she could make some notes. She was beginning to think she might have enough material for a few articles. She also wanted to do an objective book review. Maybe that was how she could approach it. She’d assess the book based on reading it with no knowledge of the lifestyle, and then she could look at the book again after she’d had some experience and write about how it had impacted her for the better or worse. She’d assess it practically. Were the instructions accurate, detailed, and easily followed? Did they work? How about the negotiations section? That seemed like it could be practical in other areas of life. She would break down the book and show how it could help you both in the bedroom and outside.

  She clicked save and nodded to herself. She had a lot of planning and organizing to do still, but she felt like she had a handle on the story. She took a sip of soda while she reread her words. She didn’t realize that she was being watched until the shadows covered her screen as they came closer.

  She looked up, scowling at the interruption. Her expression cleared quickly when she realized it was Damon and Brad. She looked at her watch. Time had flown.

  They were both dressed casually in jeans and tees. Brad carried a large shopping bag with no logo on it. He caught the direction of her gaze and gave her a wink and a wicked grin. She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to imagine what they’d bought. She figured she find out soon enough.

  “Hello, Kris.” Damon smiled at her, and she smiled back. He seemed to be in a much better mood today. Maybe he was starting to forgive her.

  “Hi, guys.” She shifted over to make room at the small table, Brad’s large shopping bag wedged under the table as he sat down beside her. Damon sat on the other side of the table looking at both of them, not talking. He listened as Brad and Kris made light chitchat about the weather and such until the waitress had come and taken the men’s orders. Damon ordered for both of them just as Kris’s order was finally delivered. He took one look at it and then over to Kris.

  “Can you please take those fries away? She can keep the burger, but change the fries for salad with lots of veggies. What kind of dressing do you like?”

  “Ranch,” Kris found herself answering without thinking.

  “With ranch dressing on the side.”

  The waiter scurried to obey while Brad just grinned. He put his arm across the chair behind her, rubbing her shoulder.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll get used to his bossiness.”

  “I don’t see why I should,” she complained with a mutinous tone. “I was looking forward to those fries.”

  “Greasy food will make you sluggish. Damon has planned a very energetic evening, and you’ll want to have energy. Hey, he let you keep your burger, even though he usually doesn’t let me eat them.”

  “He doesn’t let you?”

  “Nope. Heart disease runs in my family, so even though I take good care of my body, he’s concerned about my cholesterol, so he’s forbidden me to eat all the good stuff except for special celebrations.”

  “Forbidden?”

  There was a pause as the waiter brought their water. Kris finished her Diet Coke and held it up to the waiter for a refill, but wasn’t surprised when Damon announced that she’d just have water. Still, she looked at him with disapproval.

  “Is soda forbidden, too?”

  “Yup,” confirmed Brad. “Also chocolate and sugar. He tried to ban white bread and rice but I dug in my heels over that one. Eliminate white bread and I’d have a hell of a hard time eating at the fire hall when I’m on shift, so we made a deal. I keep track of what I eat that’s on the banned list, and I get five strokes for each offense. It definitely encourages me to make better choices.”

  “Why didn’t you just say you’d agree and then eat what you want when he’s not around?” she asked, truly curious. “Wait a sec. Strokes with what?”

  “Bamboo cane. And let me tell you, that thing hurts like you wouldn’t believe. It’s a good thing our playroom is soundproofed. Once I let loose at work and had to take twenty-five when I got home. I tell you, I didn’t sit easily for a week after that.”

  “And you didn’t eat so much junk at one time again, ei
ther, did you?”

  “No, Sir.”

  Kris looked from one man to the other. They were grinning at each other. Damon reached out and covered Brad’s big hand with his own.

  “I still don’t get it. You are okay with him beating on you?”

  Damon seemed to realize she was being deliberately provocative in her choice of words, perhaps afraid of what she’d agreed to, so he deliberately didn’t respond. From the twinkle in Brad’s eye, he also clearly realized what she was doing and wouldn’t be drawn into an argument either.

  “He’s doing it to show how much he cares about me and my health. I used to have a terrible sweet tooth, and there are always sweets around the firehouse. Now I actually dislike sugar, and a bite of cake is enough to make me physically ill.”

  “It’s called aversion therapy, sweetheart,” interjected Damon. “You can retrain anyone’s brain with enough time, patience, and the right punishment system. Pair that with enough positive reinforcement and you can end up with the perfect pet.” Kris looked at Damon. She didn’t like the glint in his eye or his grin when he mentioned punishments or pets.

  Luckily she didn’t have to answer as the waiter returned with their meals, including her burger without the fries she’d been craving. She looked over at Brad’s plate. He had a chicken burger while Damon had a chicken breast with his salad.

  “Will you be punished for that bun?”

  “Yup.”

  “Even though Damon ordered it for you?”

  “Yup. He knows I like it.”

  “So he deliberately ordered you food that will result in him getting to punish you, and you are okay with that?”

  “I’ll tell you a little secret.” Brad leaned closer to her ear. “I’m a bit of a masochist. I like it when Damon beats me, especially because it’s generally followed by hot, hot sex.”

  He removed his arm from around her shoulders, picked up his burger in both hands, and bit down.

  “Mmm. This is worth every smack. Eat up, sweetheart. You’re going to need the energy for tonight.”

  Kris reached out and picked up her burger uncertainly.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Damon, trying to hide his grin. “Don’t worry. You won’t be punished for eating the bun. We haven’t established your food program yet. Except for fries. They are terrible for you. Five strokes with the paddle every time you order fries, starting tonight.”

  “But when I ordered the fries, I didn’t know I was breaking any rules, and I didn’t even get to eat any. If I’m going to be punished anyway, then I’m going to eat them,” she stated mutinously. “Besides. I didn’t even agree to any stupid rules. What makes you think you can dictate to me?”

  She was startled by Damon’s sudden laugh. She scowled when she realized Brad was laughing, too.

  “Okay, guys, what’s the joke.”

  “You should have seen your face, baby. It was like thunderclouds were building. So, Brad, did we hit all the stereotypes?”

  “I think we got most of them.”

  “You two were playing with me?”

  Brad waggled his eyebrows at her. “Not yet, but when we get back to our place, we plan to play with you for a very long time.”

  “But all that, Master and boy and strokes for eating forbidden foods? That was all play acting?”

  “Some of it. Some couples are in the lifestyle twenty-four-seven, even picking out their slave’s clothes and setting menus and schedules for the day. Sounds like too much work to me.” Damon paused to take a bite of salad. “Brad and I take things seriously when we are playing, but we don’t play around the clock.”

  “Er, when do you play?”

  “Well, whenever we are in the playroom, he’s Master and, yes, I am boy. And we play in other rooms, but only when I’m naked. When I’m dressed, I’m Brad and I have equal rights and can initiate or refuse any activity.”

  “Does he ‘own’ you?”

  “Yes.”

  Damon reached across the table and took Brad’s hand. “What you have to understand about a BDSM relationship is that it’s a two-way street. I can only ‘own’ him if he lets me. I can only be his Master if he allows me to. I can only beat his ass if it’s within the parameters of the hard limits we’ve established. Yes, there are times when I’m in charge and he has to obey or take his punishment, but he always has his safe word. I could be in the middle of fucking him, and if he calls out ‘Angelina,’ then I will stop what I’m doing and we’ll talk.”

  “Angelina?”

  “We’d just seen Mr. and Mrs. Smith on cable.” Brad laughed. “I’ve had that safe word for over five years, and I’ve never felt the need to utter it, not once.”

  “And the whole thing about what you were eating… that was a joke?”

  “Nope. He’s going to have a red ass tonight. I will not have him harming his body. I plan for us to be together for many, many years, and I won’t let him cut that short.” Damon’s face was serious, and Kris found herself wishing that she had someone in her life who cared as much about her well-being.

  “Now, we have a lot to talk about.” He took a notebook out of his pocket and opened it up. “We have to decide how we are going to proceed. Since Brad’s off three days in a row because he pulled that extra shift and I’m not teaching this week, I’m thinking that if you really want to make a public apology to the members of Club Libertine, we should all plan to be there and do a public play session on Thursday, after which you can apologize.

  “That gives us two nights to get you ready. And after that, we can decide where to go from there. I know you have your series of articles to research, and Brad and I would be more than happy to provide more material for you.

  “As I see it, there are a few ways we can do your training. We could work our way through the book chapter by chapter, but that really isn’t how anyone in the lifestyle would do it, and I think it would be too stop and go. Or we could look at the book as a whole. In each chapter, Josh talks about the continuum of activities from beginners to extreme. We could work our way through each level with you methodically.

  “Or, we could just behave as if you were a sub who was going to join me and Brad in a relationship and we were training you as our permanent sub. What do you think?”

  “I, um, yeah. I guess the third option sounds best.” Kris’s mind was going a mile a minute as she struggled to take in what Damon was saying. She could examine the first two alternatives with journalistic impartiality, but the third option just made her clit tingle and her pussy clench. The thought of being trained to be their permanent sub made her mouth suddenly go dry, and she took a quick sip of water. “Um, let’s go with that one.”

  “We hoped you’d choose that option.” He made a notation in his book. “Now why don’t we go over the rules now? Firstly, whenever we are doing a scene, you will refer to me as Master and you will call Brad Sir to distinguish who you are addressing. When we are not doing a scene, you can still call us Damon and Brad. I sometimes call Brad ‘boy’ as you’ve noticed, and you will be ‘girl.’ Generally, I don’t do that in public, but I was making a point.

  “Now, to explain the hierarchy of this triad, I top you both and Brad tops you. Do you understand what that means?”

  “It means you both get to boss me around, and I don’t get to boss anyone around.”

  “Yes, that’s it exactly. As far as the thousand and one questions I know you have or will have, I want you to feel comfortable asking them, but I also don’t want to interrupt the flow of a scene.

  “So once we begin a scene, you don’t speak unless spoken to unless you have a question directly related to the scene, in which case you first ask permission and the only questions you ask will be if you need me to clarify what I’ve told you to do. Any questions you need to ask as a reporter must wait until after the scene is over. Can you do this?”

  She nodded.

  “Finally, we need to talk about sex and orgasms. We can’t do this if you don’t give us control ove
r your orgasms. The question is sex. Are you comfortable with all of us having sex, or are we restricted to hands, mouths, and toys with you?”

  Again, Kris found herself coloring.

  “In for a penny…” She tried to play off her nervousness with flippancy.

  “Not good enough. This is a serious subject. Are you okay with the idea of having sex with both of us?”

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent.” He made another notation. Kris had to restrain herself from grabbing the notebook out of his hands. “Next, are you on the pill, and when was your last medical exam? Brad and I have been exclusive together for more than two years and can provide you with medical certificates if you need them. We’d prefer not to use condoms, if it works for you.”

  “Yes, I’m on the pill. And I had a full checkup a few months ago when I changed insurance carriers. I haven’t had a lover since.” She colored as she said the words. “I’m fine if you don’t want to use condoms.”

  “Good.”

  Kris had an urge to wipe the smug satisfaction off his face, but she had to admit, the thought of having both men make love to her without any barriers turned her on.

  “Just a couple of more things and then I’ll leave you in Brad’s capable hands. Firstly, you need to remember that you are giving me temporary ownership of your body. During your training, you may not masturbate when you are alone, and you may not touch yourself or us when we are together unless specifically told to do so.” He paused and looked directly at Kris, and she closed her mouth, swallowing the objection she was going to make.

  “Next, periodically during each session I’ll ask how you are. The correct answers are green for fine, yellow if you need to slow things down, or red if you want to stop. But be very careful using red. If I think you are using it just because you are uncomfortable or don’t want to do something that I want you to do, that’s not acceptable. That’s called topping from the bottom. The sub may set the limits, but the Dom makes the rules. If I think you are trying to top from the bottom, you will be punished. If you disobey me, you will be punished. If you talk back or respond too slowly to an order, you will be punished.” He grinned wickedly. “As you can tell, I enjoy doling out punishments. Any questions.”