Tristan opened his eyes and saw Michael spooning his wife. He dimly recalled stumbling into the bed in the basement, and Judith inviting Michael to join them, and now their Dominant was sleeping behind his wife, with his arm around her waist.
Of the three of them, Tristan was the only one naked.
He had a flashback of shame from his behaviour the previous day, and pushed it aside consciously. He forced himself to look at this with an unjealous eye, and noticed that although Michael was wrapped intimately around Judith, Judith still clung to him.
He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the forehead, and when he looked up, he saw that Michael was awake.
“Morning,” Michael whispered. Michael looked down at the back of Judith’s head, and gently combing her hair away from her face with his fingers, he pressed a morning kiss to the back of Judith’s head. Michael shot Tristan a sly smirk from under his eyelashes. “How’s your ass?”
For a moment, Tristan was at a loss, then suppressed a laugh. “Never been better,” he whispered. “Achy and sore – but I feel better, thank you.”
“I’m glad,” Michael said.
“So are we good?” Tristan asked softly. “I’m really forgiven?”
“You’re really forgiven,” Michael said.
“Hmm,” Judith moaned. “I absolutely love waking up between the two of you. Best feeling ever.”
Tristan kissed her again on her forehead. “Morning Sweetheart.”
“I can’t talk the two of you into doing a threesome?” She smiled. “Since we’re half-way there already.”
Tristan glanced over her to Michael. “I’m not quite ready for that, Sweetheart.” Michael watched him warily, so Tristan held his gaze steadily. “Maybe one day; with you as our sole focus.”
Judith sighed. “Oh, well. I tried.”
“Good morning,” Michael broke Tristan’s gaze to kiss Judith on the back of the head again. Judith closed her eyes and sighed happily.
“So what are your plans for today?” Michael asked, pulling his arm that had been around Judith’s waist back so that it rested on his own hip.
“The real life intrudes,” Tristan sighed. He rolled carefully over onto his back and bent his arm so that his head rested on his forearm. “At least I don’t have any more prep for class tomorrow. We probably need to do some laundry; we’re running out of clean clothes.”
“You could do your laundry here,” Michael offered.
“Our dirty laundry is at home,” Tristan said.
“We could fetch our laundry and come back,” Judith offered.
“Yeah, we could do that,” Tristan said.
“Great,” Michael nodded, and his shoulders relaxed.
“Great,” Tristan echoed, then looked down at his nakedness. “Now, I probably need to find my clothes.”
They didn’t bother packing to go home, since they were planning on coming back. When Judith grabbed her phone, Tristan frowned. “Come to think of it – have you seen my phone?”
“No,” Judith said. She unlocked her phone, tapped on the screen for a few moments, and held it to her ear. She cast a searching eye around the room. “I can hear it ringing over the line, but don’t hear it in the room. “Perhaps it fell out of your pocket in the car or something?”
“Perhaps…”
Judith slipped her phone into her back pocket and they headed down to the car. Judith was dialling again when he’d unlocked the door, but still, no ringtone. “Have you had your phone this weekend at all? Didn’t you leave it at work?”
“It’s not impossible,” Tristan groaned, “but I really don’t want to go to school now.”
“You’re right; it’s been mislaid all weekend, so tomorrow is probably soon enough to see if you’ve left it at work,” Judith agreed. “Although, how you can go a whole weekend without checking your e-mail or social media is beyond me.”
Tristan closed and locked the driver’s side door, and started the car. “I’d say our social life is complicated enough right now, don’t you?” He asked, glancing at her sidelong.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Judith agreed.
~*~
Chapter 13
Michael had scrolled to his best friend’s number on his phone. Now he stood poised with his finger over the ‘call’ icon, trying to get up the nerve to call. Making this call would mean announcing, even if it was just to one person, that he was in a relationship. That he’d taken on not one, but two subs after a two-year drought. Naming it just made it scary-real; he was in a relationship, no matter how complicated it may be.
Friday evening’s internet video marathon had revealed something interesting: Judith was fascinated with rigging. She couldn’t hide her longing from him, even if she was convinced that she was completely unsuited to it. After her upset from the day before, and the emotional night in his basement, he wanted to give this to her. Some simple fun. And if he was completely honest with himself, he wanted to see her face when he surprized her with it.
He pressed the ‘call’ button and held the handset to his ear. He’d started to think that Derek wouldn’t answer, when the call connected. Heavy panting filled Michael’s ear and he flinched away from the phone.
“Hey, Michael! Sorry; I had to run to get to the phone.”
“Where were you running from?” Michael asked.
“Well, if you have to know, I was getting laid, but I was trying to be polite.”
Michael barked a laugh. “Well, I’ll let you get back to her in a moment. But first; what are you doing this afternoon?”
“Wasn’t planning on anything,” Derek said slowly.
“Feel like coming over for a braai? I’ll supply meat and drinks.”
“Sure,” Derek said.
“And, um, could you please bring your rigging equipment?”
Crickets.
“You want me to tie you up, bro?” Derek asked.
“Not me, no,” Michael hedged. “But I was hoping you’d tie up my sub. She’s self-conscious about her body, so she’s shy, but I can see her face when she looks at other subs tied up on video; she wants this.”
“You have a sub? Really?” Derek got loud when he got excited. Michael heard a murmur in the background. “I wasn’t talking to you,” Derek’s voice was muffled, before returning to speak to Michael. “You have a sub? Have I met her?”
Michael smiled. “Two subs, actually.”
“Two! When you get back on the horse, you do it with style, bro. Sure, I’m in. I’ll bring my kit and be there by ten thirty.”
“See you then.”
~*~
When Judith and Tristan arrived back at Michael’s house, an electric-blue, late-model Hilux was parked in one of the parking spots under the blue gums.
“I didn’t realize that Michael was expecting company,” Judith remarked when Tristan parked beside the mammoth bakkie.
“Me neither,” he said. “Maybe they showed up unexpectedly? I’m sure he would have told us otherwise; why else invite us over?”
“I don’t know.” We’re going to look ridiculous walking into Michael’s house with our laundry baskets, in front of Michael’s guests.
Tristan opened her door for her, then opened the car’s boot to take out one of the two laundry baskets.
The front door was open, and when they stepped inside, they heard animated conversation coming from deeper inside the house.
Following the voices, they stepped into the kitchen to find Michael laughing with a long-haired blond man. The guest was dressed in jeans, and his black T-shirt looked like it had been spray-painted directly onto his bulging muscles. They looked up at Judith and Tristan’s arrival, and Michael gave them a huge grin. “You’re back!”
“Did you think we wouldn’t come back?” Judith raised an eyebrow.
“Have you met Derek Lindholm?”
“Hi, Tristan Bennett,” Tristan balanced his basket on his hip to extend his hand to the newcomer. “And this is my wife Judith.”
&
nbsp; “Pleased to meet you; Michael said he had guests over.” Derek turned to Judith. “So you’re interested in ropework?”
Judith’s eyes snapped to Michael, then to Tristan, her mouth agape. She couldn’t believe he’d bring it up with someone else. Tristan just looked between Judith and Michael with a confused frown.
“Derek,” Michael sighed.
“I’m sorry,” said Derek. “Was it a secret?”
“Not exactly,” Michael said. “You just ruined the surprise.”
“What’s going on?” Tristan asked.
Michael turned back to the raw steaks he was preparing on the counter, poured the marinade over them, and snapped the lid on the container before turning to face Judith and Tristan. “Friday night, when you were busy in my study, Judith and I were watching internet videos on rigging and suspension. I thought perhaps she’d like to try it.”
Derek leaned against the kitchen table and folded his bulging arms across his chest. “So Michael lured me over with the promise of a braai, and asked me to bring my equipment along.”
“Derek is a rigger,” Michael explained. “Dominants often invite him to tie up or suspend their subs.”
“I only signed up to play with you and Tristan,” she whispered.
“Look,” Michael washed his hands, and drying them on a dish towel, he stepped closer to look Judith in the eye. “Just like on the videos we watched. The models in the videos were still clothed, weren’t they?”
Judith nodded slowly. She glanced at Derek, who was watching her with a patient expression. “It’s just some healthy fun. Think of it like abseiling lessons, except it’s in the basement, rather than on the side of a mountain,” Derek said. He looked over her shoulder at Tristan and cocked an eyebrow.
“Sounds like fun,” Tristan said. Judith looked at her husband. He put an arm around her shoulder. “We’ll be there the entire time, Sweetheart.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Good girl,” Michael smiled. “Although, I suspect that once you’ve felt what it’s like, you’ll be hooked. Now go change into something comfortable, then come join us in the basement.”
~*~
“Relax,” Derek said. “It’s been less than five minutes. They’ll come down when they’re ready.”
“I know,” Michael said.
Derek set out various carabiners, hooks, rings and pulleys on a wheeled trolley so that it was within easy reach while he was working. “So… a married couple?”
Michael didn’t say anything, just shoved at the couch to position it for a better view.
Derek paused his preparation to regard Michael. “They seem nice. They’re what – about ten years younger than you?”
“Twelve.”
“Right. He seems… protective of her.”
“You’re surprized?” Michael asked. “He’s her husband.”
“He also seems straight.”
“Yeah.”
“So you and him…”
“No,” Michael said.
“And he’s okay with… ”
“We’re working on it,” Michael said. “He’s submissive, even if he struggles to admit it.”
“And also straight. I always thought that when you took a male submissive, he’d be either gay or bi.”
“I know.”
Derek shook his head. “You want what you can’t have, my friend.”
“It’s too late; I already want them.”
Derek stared off to the side for a moment, then pulled Michael in for a one-armed hug.
Michael had always appreciated that about Derek. The man was straight; there was no question about it. Yet he didn’t exhibit the typical hetero male wariness of contact with gay men. It was probably why he and Derek were such close friends; Michael felt completely accepted.
Footsteps on the basement stairs drew their attention. Judith was dressed in black yoga pants, and she tugged downwards nervously on the bottom edge of her blue spaghetti-strap tank top which barely reached her hips. She looked adorably vulnerable, and Michael wanted to wrap her in a hug to comfort her.
Tristan halted behind her, still dressed in his jeans and T-shirt, although he’d taken off his shoes. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she calmed marginally. Derek flashed him a raised eyebrow before addressing Michael’s subs.
“Tristan, I hope you don’t think you’re getting suspended wearing jeans,” Derek grinned.
“No, thanks,” he said. “I don’t even know what I’m agreeing to,” he said.
“You don’t want to be tied up and lifted off the ground?” Derek asked.
“It’s like that scene we watched at Angelus,” Judith said softly. “The one where that woman looked like a dreamcatcher.”
Tristan’s eyes widened. “Oh! You’d like to try that?”
“I don’t know,” Judith glanced at Michael, then quickly looked away. “I might be too heavy to lift.” She muttered.
“Excuse me, you think I’m not strong enough to lift you?” Derek asked in mock-outrage.
“I don’t know…”
Michael shared a look with Derek. See what I mean?
“I bet I can lift Tristan.” Derek countered. “He outweighs you by what, twenty kilos?”
“Just about,” Tristan smiled. “Although, I think I outweigh you too.”
Derek looked him up and down. “Maybe; I think we probably weight about the same. What do you say, Tristan? Show your wife how it’s done?”
Tristan looked between Derek and Judith. “Alright,” Tristan said. “I do this, and you follow, Sweetheart?”
She bit her lower lip. “Alright.”
“Okay,” Derek said. “Then strip, so we can get started.”
Tristan raised an eyebrow at him, and Derek glanced at Michael. “I thought you said he’s a submissive?”
“He is,” Tristan said. “But he didn’t negotiate for nudity, and he isn’t your submissive.”
Michael burst out laughing. God, he hadn’t thought he liked Tristan’s brand of submission, but this constant challenge of authority, only to submit when Michael flexed his will…
“But you are my sub,” Michael grinned. “And Simon Says strip down to your underwear.”
He held Tristan’s gaze, and then Tristan gave a belly laugh that did scary things to Michael’s insides. “Wouldn’t want to disappoint Simon,” Tristan chuckled, but he didn’t protest any further, merely pulled his shirt off over his head, then walked to the couch, undoing the button on the waistband of his jeans as he went.
Tristan tossed his shirt on the couch and dropped his jeans. Michael the physician cringed inwardly at the damage he’d inflicted. What he could see of Tristan’s skin was one big bruise from the bottom edge of his boxer briefs, all the way to mid-thigh.
“Fuck!” Derek muttered under his breath. He approached Tristan, who paused in disrobing to watch Derek warily. Derek knelt behind Tristan and touched the bruises. “Just hang on, I need to see how far this goes,” he said, and hooking a finger in the waistband of Tristan’s underwear, he pulled it down just far enough to see.
“Fucking masochists,” Derek muttered. “This is going to get interesting. Okay, you can pull up your briefs, Bad Boy. Let’s show your wife your best Peter Pan impersonation.”
~*~
If the butterflies in my stomach keep this up, Derek won’t have any trouble lifting me – I’ll be taking off all by myself, Judith fretted.
Tristan stood in the centre of the basement, grasping his elbows behind his back, while Derek wove a net around his body. The rigger worked efficiently, wrapping neat coils around Tristan’s body, his fingers twining gracefully around ropes to pull strands of rope through loops into elegant knots, until Tristan’s hips and torso were completely wrapped.
“Damn, but those muscles look good wrapped in rope,” Judith whispered.
Michael stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders while they stood and watched Derek work. “I know,” he murmured, a
nd Judith could hear the smile in his voice. “And I look forward to seeing your curves all trussed up like a present too.”
Judith stiffened at his comment and she could feel Michael’s arms around her shoulders firm.
“What was that about?” Michael asked softly.
“Nothing,” she mumbled.
“That didn’t feel like nothing. Are you still hung up about your body?”
“I know it’s stupid,” she muttered.
“No, you don’t,” Michael said and hugged her a little harder. “But you will.”
“Right,” Derek announced, tucking the very end of the rope into the harness to keep it out of the way, and positioning Tristan under the large hanging ring that was clipped to an eyebolt in the beam overhead by a carabiner on a few links of chain. He turned to the instruments trolley and selected another skein of tan rope, uncoiled it, then folded the rope in half, holding on to the bight.
“Judith,” Derek called over his shoulder. “Come here a sec, I want to show you something.”
Judith looked up over her shoulder to Michael, who gave her a reassuring nod and a gentle push in their direction. She approached Derek, and when she stood at his shoulder, he threaded the bight in his hand through a few points in the harness over Tristan’s shoulder blades then tethered him through a series of quick hitches to the large ring hanging overhead, just short enough he didn’t need to lift his heels off the ground.
“I know you’re worried about your safety,” Derek said. “So come look at what I’m doing. You see that Tristan’s still standing on both feet? He’s not in any danger of losing his balance and falling on his head.”
“Yes,” Judith said and looked up to see Tristan winking at her over his shoulder.
“Tristan, do me a favour?” Derek said. “Just bend your knees and let the harness take your weight.” Tristan sagged slowly in the harness until his knees were both bent and he was slowly spinning a few inches off the floor. “Ok, you can stand again. Judith, are you satisfied that it’ll hold your weight?”
Michael Page 14