by Dakota Trace
She picked up her Coke to take a sip before breaking the silence.
“So you and Nisey are going to give me a shibari demonstration this evening. Was it your idea or Dominic’s?”
Caelan chuckled. “Always straight to the point aren’t you? No ‘Hi, how are you?’ or ‘How was your afternoon, Caelan?’ I’d be insulted if I didn’t know you.”
She smacked at his arm. “Knock it off, you loon. Just answer my question.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “Can I plead the Fifth?”
“Ah, then it must have been Dominic’s. I can’t imagine you willingly sharing your playtime with Nisey with your bratty little sister without a good reason.” Even as much as she tried to keep the bitterness out of her voice, she knew she’d failed when he stiffened next to her. It wasn’t his fault that she took it personally - that she felt left out of his relationship with her best friend.
But then she’d always seemed to be an afterthought with most of the men in her life. Her father sure the hell hadn’t thought it was important to introduce her to any of her half-brothers. It was even more ironic that she was his only daughter. His “Oh by the way, you have an older half-brother that’s moving to Chicago, Kalinda. Be sure to show him around.” had left its mark on her. At twelve, she hadn’t been aware that the man who’d fathered her, had a half a dozen bastards scattered across the States and half of Europe. It had shattered every girlhood dream she’d had of having a loving and doting father. She still remembered the first time she’d met the quiet spoken Irishman who’d walked into her mother’s living room looking like a younger version of their father.
“Kalinda Marie,” his voice jerked her out of her thoughts. She looked over to see his disapproving frown. “You know better than that. I’m not Grant Doherty! I don’t have an issue with you watching me tie up Nisey nor have I ever. In fact, there were several times I mentioned to Josh that he should bring you to one of my demonstrations with Nisey.”
She ducked her head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Caelan, I know you’re not Dad.”
Leaning closer he wrapped an arm around her. “Which reminds me, don’t make any plans for Christmas. I’m doing something I should’ve done a couple years ago.”
She cocked her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye, her thoughts still on their irresponsible father. “What? Told the old man off? I could’ve saved you the trouble. I told him to take a long walk off a short pier years ago.”
Caelan smothered a laugh, “No, not that, although the idea has real merit.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m taking you and Nisey home to meet my mother. Now, before you protest, I’ve already had a conversation with YOUR mother, and she said she didn’t have an issue with it.”
She shook her head. “Always got to be in control, don’t you big brother? What would you’ve done if I didn’t want to go, or Dominic wanted me to stay with him for the holidays? With his family gone, I can’t let him spend the holidays alone.” She felt a small pang at the fact that the loving man who was her Dom had lost what little family he had in Hurricane Katrina. She’d never leave him alone for the holidays as long as they were together.
“Bring him along. Somehow I don’t think he’ll have a problem with accepting a free trip to Ireland for Christmas.”
“I’ll mention it to him. But if he says he doesn’t want to…” She let her response trail off.
“Then I’ll convince him how lovely the weather in Ireland is at Christmas time. Hell I’ll even throw in a trip to the castle where the Blarney Stone resides.” Caelan wiggled his eyebrows at her. Leaning her head against her brother’s shoulder she giggled. God it felt good to be home!
* * * *
Dominic tried to hold onto his calmness as he dealt with the stubborn ass in front of him. What the hell had happened to the man that had inspired him? This Josh wasn’t the same man who had opened a whole new world to a young and impressionable eighteen year old. He still could recall the first time he’d seen the older man disciplining a sub at one of the clubs down in New Orleans.
He’d been so impressed with the other man’s control, along with the depth of pleasure and pain he’d brought to the bound sub he’d been playing with, he’d snuck into the club several times to watch him. He’d even struck up a mild friendship with the older man. From their talks Dominic had realized his restlessness stemmed from what had been missing in his life. Afterwards, he could no longer deny the inner dominant he’d kept locked away behind his ‘good old boy’ Cajun charm. But this man deserved to have his ass kicked up between his shoulder blades. Was he deliberately being dense?
“Get the hell out!” Josh’s face was so red with anger that Dominic decided to change the subject before the man had a coronary right in front of him.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” Folding his arms over his chest, he waited for Josh’s sputtering to stop.
“Remember you? For Christ’s Sakes, I just met you. Why the hell would I remember you?”
Dominic rested his hip on the edge of Josh’s desk. “That’s what I thought. You don’t remember the eighteen year old bouncer from New Orleans that you shared more than one andouille gumbo with?”
Josh frowned. “New Orleans? Christ I haven’t been there since before Katrina. It’s been what - ten, no twelve years, since I helped Mistress Brigit out.”
Dominic pushed back the inevitable pain the hurricane’s name brought to the surface. He couldn’t afford to think about his sister and mother when right now he needed to pound some sense into the thick-headed Englishman. Even though Josh didn’t have much of an accent, he’d once told Dominic over a steaming plate of andouille gumbo about his family’s recent relocation to the good old U.S. of A. In fact, Josh had only been ten when his family relocated. Shortly after that his younger sister Hillary had been born, so she was the first Redding to be born on U.S. soil.
Crossing his arms over his massive chest, Dominic watched as the gears whirled in the older man’s head. While he’d bulked up a bit - well let’s be honest, he had more than bulked up. He’d finally grown into his huge feet and hands and now was a fully matured man. But he didn’t think that that was the only reason why Josh hadn’t recognized him. Back then he’d worn his dark hair much longer, nearly reaching to his waist, as opposed to the shoulder length style he used now. Working in the architectural field had taught him that long hair just wasn’t practical on the job site. Not that he’d ever cut it short as the other man’s crew cut.
“Little John?” The hesitant query would’ve had him laughing, if the reminder of the moniker that Mistress Brigit hung on him hadn’t had him groaning.
“Pour l’amour de Dieu! ... of all the things for you to remember. I swear that woman was cruel. Do you know how many subs begged me to prove how ‘little’ I was during my training period?” Rubbing a hand down over his face, he waited for the other man to laugh. He was disappointed when the frown on Josh’s face hardened.
“How the Hell did a ‘coonass’ end up in L.A. with my Spitfire?”
Dominic’s back stiffened at the derogatory expression he’d heard all of his life while growing up in St. Bernard Parish. He’d worked his ass off to leave it behind. He wasn’t ashamed of his past, but he’d been damned if he was going to let the other man look down on him because of it.
“You’re coming dangerously close to trying my patience, mon ami. I left the St. Bernard parish behind long ago, but I never expected a man I admired to fall prey to the same ignorance as les trou du culs from the Garden District.”
Josh stood up abruptly, his anger more than obvious now. “She deserves better than a hick from the poorest part of New Orleans, who’s trying to play at being a Dom, Little John. Did you realize your chérie needs the hard stroke of a flogger to come? That she’ll beg for it until you think your arm will fall off from number of times you’ll need to strike her to send her into subspace? That she’ll be thinking of me every time you tie her to a cross or bind her to your spanking bench becaus
e she’s wishing she had a real Dom to call Master.”
Despite the fact Dominic was ready to see ‘red’, he realized the older man was testing him - pushing him into losing his control. That control was a special something that was a true foundation for all Doms - an out of control Dom was a dangerous one and not well tolerated within the BDSM community. Taking a deep breath, Dominic gathered his fraying control around him while trying to think clearly about the other man’s motives. Getting into a physical altercation with the man he was hoping to form a ménage à trois with wasn’t the answer. Besides the fact that Kalinda was Dominic’s now, there had to be something else eating at Josh - but what was it?
“What happened to the Dom I met at Mistress Brigit’s, Josh? What’s changing you from being a caring Dom to a complete asshole?”
Josh scowled at him. “Who says I’ve changed? I’m just being my prickish Dom self. Perhaps you need more lessons on being a Dom if you don’t realize…”
Dominic interrupted him, tired of the attitude that Josh was giving him. “I realize more than you know, Redding. I know you’re lashing out at everyone because you threw away the one submissive that could hold ‘her own’ with you. More than likely your reason was because of something as simple as the fact she was a younger sub than you were comfortable playing with. I also know that my submissive isn’t as immune to you as she tries to portray. But the question for today is what are you going to do about it? Continue to wallow in self-pity or try to fix things? It wouldn’t take much to have her begging at your feet once more.”
Holding his breath, Dominic waited for the coming explosion. He didn’t have to wait long.
“Get the fuck out of my office! It would serve your arrogant ass right if I stole her away from you. What fucking Dom offers to let another Dom seduce his sub?”
“One that wants to put what his sub needs ahead of his own pride. Kalinda needs us both. If you’re too blind to see it - then you can tu peux aller t’ faire voir. Evidently I’m wasting my time here.” Dominic headed for the door, hoping that the other man hadn’t changed as much as he seemingly portrayed.
“Did you just tell me to kiss your ass?” The bemused quality of Josh’s voice had him smiling.
“What if I did?” Dominic wiped the smile off his face before turning back around.
“Then I’d have to tell you I don’t kiss men’s asses…they kiss mine.”
Dominic shook his head. “Not this man. I like you but not enough to kiss your ass.”
A hesitant chuckle escaped both men before Josh finally sobered. “Now tell me exactly what the hell you meant by Kalinda needing both of us?”
* * * *
Opening the door to her apartment, Kalinda ushered both her brother and Nisey in. When Nisey paused at the threshold, Caelan turned to her. “Would you be more comfortable downstairs, grá?”
Nisey nibbled on her lip before shaking her head. “As long as it doesn’t get me punished, I’ll be fine.”
“Now that would be rather unfair of me to punish you for doing what I asked, now wouldn’t it?” He held out the hand that wasn’t holding the unopened bag of thin nylon rope. Taking it, she walked back into the apartment she’d been banished from for over a year.
After Kalinda shut the door, Nisey looked around. “Where’s Dominic?”
Kalinda sighed. “He said he had some business to take care of.”
“Really?” Caelan seemed intrigued, but smiled as if he knew something that Kalinda didn’t. She let it go though because she knew he wouldn’t tell her unless he wanted to. Doms had a tendency to stick together.
“Yep.” Sticking her hands in her pockets, Kalinda focused on the bag in her brother’s hands nervously. “So what’s this nefarious plan that you’ve thought up, Nisey?”
“It’s pretty simple but perfect. Máister even agrees with me.”
“So what’s my part in this?”
“You trust me right?” Nisey waited for her to answer.
Kalinda rolled her eyes. “Of course.”
Nisey smiled. “First I need you to strip. Then Máister is going to find the most feminine dress you have that has easy access - but will still hide my handiwork.” Nisey took the bag from Caelan before he disappeared into Kalinda’s bedroom.
Kalinda swallowed. “Good Lord, what have I gotten myself into?” She hurried into her bedroom followed closely by Nisey.
* * * *
After texting Dominic to let him know that she was going to be down at her brother’s, so he could find her easily when he got back, Kalinda snapped her phone closed. She turned back to her brother and her best friend. She tried not to gasp when the rope moved against her skin. A particular knot that her girlfriend had placed just above her clit rubbed maddeningly against her sending shards of pleasure cutting through her.
“Damn if you’d told me it was like this, I’d have tried it years ago. How the hell do you walk around like this without coming? That knot is just wicked.”
Nisey giggled but Caelan just shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her…I’ve never worn a harness.”
Nisey patted her on the shoulder. “Concentrate Kalinda. Just take deep breaths and try to forget you’re wearing it.”
The silky swish of the light, loose summer dress against her skin had her praying as she made her way down the stairs. Nisey, with a bit of help from Caelan, had wrapped the super thin nylon rope around her torso and lower body to form a harness of intricate knots that they assured her would drive Dominic wild with desire. They had even managed to keep it all hidden under the dress her brother had picked out of her closet. She hadn’t worn this particular peachskin dress in over two years - since before she’d left for L.A. In fact Dominic had never seen it, but she had a feeling he’d love it. Now, all she had to do was act normally around him until Nisey and Caelan took them down to her brother’s playroom. Act normal enough that she did not give away their devious plan to torture him, because she knew there was no way she would be able to lie to him if he asked her what was wrong.
“You’ll be fine, girl. Just imagine what kind of punishment you’re going to rack up for teasing him with the very thing he’s been denied but he could’ve had all along?”
Kalinda giggled. “That’s true. So is there anything I can help you with to set up before Dominic joins us?”
Caelan shook his head. “Nope, everything is already ready. Why don’t you and Nisey go sit in the gazebo, catch up, and have some mineral water.” Caelan tugged Nisey closer before nuzzling her neck. “I don’t want my little one to get dehydrated before our scene even starts.”
* * * *
Watching the girls exit the kitchen through the sliding glass doors carrying their bottles of mineral water, Caelan couldn’t help feeling the anticipation surging through his blood. Even though he had no incestuous thoughts about his baby sister, he was definitely looking forward to watching her tease Dominic. In fact he enjoyed watching her interact with the other man the other evening. It showed him that she had a chance at finding the same thing he and Nisey had - more than anything he wanted his sister happy. He was just in the process of going to his office when there was a knock on the door. Adjusting his destination, he went to answer the door. Opening it, he wasn’t surprised to find two men on his doorstep.
“Dominic, Josh. I’ve been expecting you. You’ve timed it just right. Nisey just took Kalinda out back to the gazebo.”
Caelan stepped back to watch the two men enter the room. Dominic seemed relaxed while Josh seemed to be uncomfortable. It was evident despite Dominic’s fast-talking, Josh wasn’t sure how the other man had talked him into coming with him tonight, when truthfully he wasn’t certain about his place in Kalinda’s life. Tonight was going to be interesting.
He was walking a delicate line between Kalinda’s planned revenge and Dominic’s plan on having the other man being present. Not even Nisey knew Josh was going to be present. This could easily blow up in their faces, but somehow he was optimistic. With his old
friend ‘seeing was believing’. Having Dominic’s and Kalinda’s obvious affection thrown in his face would do wonders, especially when Dominic included Josh in the scene. It was a large part of the plan Dominic had asked him to help execute. Dominic wanted the other man to experience what being together as a threesome felt like. With Caelan being not only present, but also conducting the demonstration - his presence would act like a safety net.
After he shut the door, Caelan crossed his arms. He gazed at the two men before turning his attention to Dominic.
“Have you explained the rules for the evening to him? Can I trust both of you to abide by them?”
Dominic nodded before Caelan turned to Josh. “Do you understand why you’re here and what limits are going to be placed on you? I’m willing to host this for Dominic, but I refuse to put Nisey in danger. So if you’re not going to be able to maintain control of that temper of yours, I’d rather call this off now.”
Josh gave a deep sigh after raking a hand through his short hair. “I’ll behave. If this is the only way I can get back on the inside with her, I have to try.”
“Good.” Caelan turned to Dominic. “Another rule has been added which will applies to both of you. While Kalinda is assisting me with Nisey, neither of you are allowed to touch or command her. While this evening is for your benefit, I won’t have you ruining Nisey’s experience with shibari. This is more than a kink for her.”
Josh nodded as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “I understand. I would never dream of ruining something like this for her.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Dominic?”
“Even thought it might drive me crazy, I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
“All right. I think we’re ready to start. I’ll go get the girls. If both of you will head down to the playroom, we’ll join you shortly.”
* * * *