“Karen.” He tightened his fingers on her skin. “I’m so sorry.”
“Forget all that now. Just answer one question for me.”
“Sure. Anything.”
She took a deep breath and blurted the words before she could change her mind. “Do you want to live with me?”
He froze.
“Not me visiting your house, not you visiting my flat once in a blue moon. Do you want to live with me in a house that we’ve bought and jointly own?”
Dan’s lips smacked closed. He stared for several seconds before looking down at the floor. His hands slid away.
Karen felt the loss of his touch as keenly as a loss of air. She gasped and turned aside. Tears gathered in her eyes and she brushed them away with both hands. A sinking feeling in her stomach made her want to drop through the floor, but she locked her knees and held firm. “Right. It’s okay. I just wanted to be sure.”
“Karen?”
“What, Dan? What more can you possibly say?”
“I’ll live with you.”
She whirled round. One half of her mind insisted she’d misheard. That after everything else that had happened, desperation to hear something good had muddied her understanding. The other half of her shrieked in delight. “What?”
Dan smiled, one hand plucking at his sleeve. He dropped his gaze to her toes. “Yes, I want to live with you. I can’t think of anything better.”
She bent to catch his gaze. “Seriously?”
“Don’t make me think about it too much, I’m shitting myself as it is.”
Karen laughed. She couldn’t help it. The sound burst from her lips, loud and full, shaking her body from head to foot. She rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck, crushing her body against his.
He held her, turning his face to rest his cheek on her shoulder. “Just let me break it to Mum, okay?”
Another laugh. “Sure, Dan. Whatever you want.”
Chapter Sixteen
Dan looked down at his hand. Karen’s fingers threaded through his and squeezed. He grinned, raised them to his lips and kissed them. “Okay,” he muttered, shoving back his nerves. “Do it. Before I change my mind.”
Karen raised her free hand and rapped her knuckles against the door. He caught the sound of heavy feet approaching. The door opened.
“Hi, Denise.” Karen beamed. “I told you I’d be back.”
Dan flinched as the older man’s gaze swept over him. He shook himself and made the effort to meet those narrowed, grey eyes.
They assessed him then swept sideways to Karen. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Fine.”
“And him?” He pointed with one polished fingernail. “What’s he doing here?”
A frown furrowed Dan’s brow. He recognized the tension and fought to get rid of it.
Karen squeezed his hand again. “Dan has something he’d like to say.”
“Does he, now?”
“You have every right to be pissed off,” Dan said at once. “And every right to make it hard for me. No, I meant difficult— difficult for me.” Avoiding Karen’s eye, straining to ignore her giggles, he pressed on. “She’s right. I was a prick. I have my own prejudices to sort out, but that doesn’t mean I have to be a complete asshat.”
“That’s a good start.” Denise crossed his arms. “Carry on.”
“What you want to wear and what you to call yourself is none of my business. You’re not hurting anyone. I shouldn’t have said what I said.”
“What about the rest?”
Dan shuffled his feet. “Sorry, I really don’t remember—”
“That stuff you said about my nose. Do you have any idea how much powder I use to keep the shine off?”
Karen snorted. Dan glanced at her, then back to Denise. The transvestite had his eyes scrunched closed and two fingers crammed into his mouth, as if that might hold back his laughter. His shoulders bucked with the effort.
“Really?” Dan sighed. “That’s funny? I’m really trying.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Denise reached out with one massive hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “But you looked so cute standing there with your begging cap in hand. I couldn’t resist. Apology accepted. Frankly, I’ve heard worse in my time but it’s big of you to come here and say it. Do you want to come inside for a bit? We have tea.”
“Thanks, but no. We’ve got some chatting to do.”
“We’re moving in together,” Karen burst out, eyes shining.
Her obvious glee made the butterflies in Dan’s stomach all worthwhile.
“Really? That’s great, sweetheart.” Genuine pleasure filled Denise’s features. “I’m glad Beth hasn’t done any lasting damage.”
“Not to us.” Dan took a moment to be grateful for that fact. “Though she damn near broke my jaw.”
“People like her have no idea what it’s all about. It’s not just sex and toys, is it Henrietta?”
A muffled grunt came from within the room. Denise leaned forward and whispered behind his hand. “I’ve got him in the bed straps with a bridle gag. And a vibrator.”
Dan frowned. “Where does he put—oh!” He fanned his shirt against his chest and fought the urge to back against the wall. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, it’s fine. Want to see?”
The very thought filled Dan with dread. “No, thanks.”
“Yes, please.”
Karen and Dan spoke at the same moment. He looked at her.
“It will be fun.” She said, arching one eyebrow.
“You think so?”
“Sure. Aren’t you curious?” She stroked his arm.
“No. Yes. A little. I don’t want to intrude.”
Denise shrugged. “It’s just some fun. And an audience works well, he gets off on it.”
“Don’t you want to see?” Eyes shining, Karen stared up at him.
“I’m not sure, Kaz.” Dan looked past her, finding temporary refuge in studying the wallpaper patterns.
“I am.”
Dan stared at her. He took in the wide eyes and toothy grin. “I don’t know if I can.”
Denise backed away. “Don’t force him, sweetheart. If he’s not comfortable, no problem. Just thought I’d offer. You both seem nice enough. Henrietta certainly likes you; he’d enjoy having you there. Trust me, that sort of thing tips him right over the edge.”
“Please, Dan?” Karen touched his arm and her pleading expression, coupled with the begging in her voice made the decision for him.
He sighed and worked to fight off the uncomfortable sensation of weight on his chest. “Okay. For you.”
“Thanks, Dan.”
Denise flung open the door. The room, exactly the same as Dan’s, was littered with toys and tools. Some he recognized, others he didn’t. In the middle of it, at the end of bed, stood Henrietta. He wore a white t-shirt, stretched taunt over his round stomach. Two red clamps gripped his nipples through the fabric. Long black straps secured his arms above his head, stretched out to opposite ends of the bed. His feet, secured with a spreader bar at its maximum length, rested on the floor. He wore nothing else. Low buzzing filled the room. Dan stared at the floor and tried to steady his breathing. When he next looked up, he skipped the other man’s body to look directly into his eyes. “Hi.”
Henrietta glanced at him, eyes glazed, skin sweaty with the battle to maintain control. He nodded once and made a soft sound behind the bar of the bridle gag pressed against his teeth.
“Fifteen minutes so far,” said Denise. His chest swelled. “He’s done very well. Barely a peep. Even when I used that.” He pointed at an object on the floor near the TV.
Dan glanced in the direction of his finger, grateful for something else to focus on. “I’ve never seen one of those before.” He studied the small metal wheel dotted with spikes.
Karen’s eyes lit up. “A pinwheel. I love those things.”
“Here, sweetheart. Give it a try.”
“Can I?”
The enthusiastic gleam in Karen’s eyes made Dan’s stomach clench. “You want to? I didn’t know you had any sort of...” He flapped his hand as he searched for the right word. “Domineering tendencies.”
“It’s never come up. You don’t sub.”
“Right.”
She stared at him. Her shoulders slumped. “Dan, I’m so sorry. You really don’t want to be here, do you?”
He shrugged, simultaneously relieved at her perception and disappointed in his inability to be subtle.
“We just talked about this. We need to be honest with each other. Trust each other. I won’t get upset because there’s something you don’t like.”
“But you were so keen.”
“So? That’s me.” She moved closer. “Dan, I love you. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Let’s go.”
“Wait,” he clutched her arm as she aimed for the door.
“You don’t have to, Dan. Honestly.”
“I know, but I want to see.”
She frowned.
“I know, but you look so keen. And that’s a bit of a turn-on.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Dan’s shoulders lifted. His body no longer weighed down on his knees to the point of discomfort.
“Really? You’re not just saying that?”
“Positive. Go on. Do whatever it is you planned to do.”
Karen bounded across the room and dropped to a kneeling position beside Henrietta. She held out one hand and Denise lowered the pinwheel into it. Her slender fingers touched Henrietta’s bare thigh, gliding up then down.
Dan frowned before he could stop himself.
Denise cleared his throat. “Relax, Dan. I don’t think he’s her type.”
“What?”
He cast a significant glance at Karen. “I know she’s not his type. You’re safe.”
“I didn’t say anything,” he said huffily.
“Your body did. And now you’re blushing.” He rubbed the side of his nose. “It seems to me that Karen has an itch she needs to scratch. And you just told her to. She did ask, remember? This is a safe place for her explore since neither I nor Henrietta are competition. After this, if you want, you can talk to her about it.” He shrugged. “But if she’s still with you after all that drama with Beth then a little fun with a pinwheel isn’t going to change anything.”
Dan gazed at the other man and felt a grudging flicker of respect. “Pretty sharp, aren’t you?”
“My nose again?”
“No, I mean—” he broke off when he saw the other man giggling. “Come on!” He laughed through the mild exasperation.
“But you make it so easy. Sorry, don’t mind me. Just watch your lovely girlfriend.”
He did, leaning against the wall to get comfortable. Karen used long, firm strokes up the thigh, back down, along the side of the knee and across the calf before travelling up again. Over and over she moved the wheel and Dan watched the spikes prick that pale, hairy skin and leave tiny red marks in their wake. Henrietta’s breathing hitched. His bound hands twitched. Pre-cum began to dribble from his cock.
Denise whistled softly. “She’s good.”
“Apparently so.” Dan wiped his mouth, surprised to feel his own cock stirring. He shoved his hands into his pockets and imagined the scratchy tickle of those spikes on his own skin.
Karen crawled around and ran the pinwheel along Henrietta’s other leg, up the side of his body and into the curve of his armpit. He whimpered and threw himself forward, eyes wide, but she swayed out of reach and kept going. She teased the pinwheel along his arm and into the palm of his trembling hand.
“Shhh,” she cooed. It was a voice Dan had never heard before. It was deeper than usual and heavy with the weight of authority.
Dan choked back a groan. The sight sent a charge through him, tightening the muscles in his gut. He became aware of the depth of his own breathing and the faint whimpers from Henrietta.
Even Karen seemed to struggle, licking her lips and wiping her face. “Shhh, I’m almost done.”
Tiny beads of sweat popped out on his forehead a marked contrast to the desert like conditions of his mouth. Dan licked his lips but it didn’t help. “Kaz?”
She continued manipulating the pinwheel. Back along Henrietta’s arm, over his shoulders and down the far side.
“He’s close,” Denise whispered.
“Can I?” Karen spoke quickly, without looking back.
Dan opened his mouth to answer, then realized that the question wasn’t meant for him. He looked at Denise, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Of course you can, sweetheart. He deserves it. Try the back of his neck.”
Nodding, Karen wheeled the spikes down again then traced them in a light circle around the base of Henrietta’s throat. When she reached the nape of his neck, she used the other hand to push on the vibrator protruding from his ass. He let out a shuddering moan and tossed his head back, shaking in his bonds. Karen ducked aside as an impressive stream of cum burst from the end of his trembling cock to stain his T-shirt. Several drops missed and hit the bed, others, the floor.
Dan gaped. “Jesus.”
“Oh, well done,” Denise clapped.
Sagging, Henrietta let out huge sigh. He smiled around the gag and grunted something that was probably a heartfelt thank you.
Karen pressed a chaste kiss against his cheek then walked back to Dan. The deliberate sway of her hips reminded Dan of a snake, though he doubted that he was the charmer in this scenario.
“Did I do good?”
With a start he realized that this question was aimed at him. He opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again and whispered, “Hell-fucking-yes.”
Karen’s eyes shone. “Good, because I liked it.”
“Me too,” he breathed.
“Really?”
“I’ve never seen you act like that before. Fucking hot. Your voice went all...bitch queen.”
“If you want to hear it again, just ask.”
The idea swelled in Dan’s mind. He played with it, turning it over and over, searching for any reason it might be a bad one. “After Beth—” he began.
She cut him off with a raised hand. “Sorry, it’s okay.”
“No, I mean, after Beth, I didn’t think I’d trust anybody to do something like that to me. I like control, giving it up is a big deal. But...I trust you.” His stomach gave a pleasant flutter as he recognized the truth in his words.
Denise cleared his throat. “Would you like to keep that pinwheel? I have dozens.”
Karen clapped her hands. “Seriously?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Enjoy it.”
She brandished the toy like a trophy. “Give me your hand, Dan.”
He did at once, and shuddered at the prick of tiny spikes rubbing over his palm and fingers. “That feels good.”
“Now imagine that all over you.” Karen pushed on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “Chest. Stomach. Legs. Cock.”
“Kaz...”
“Say the word, Dan. You taught me a trick or two, how would you like to be on the receiving end?” She leaned in and nipped his ear.
He winced. The little flash of pain sparked something way down low, woke it up with teasing promises of more to come. He adjusted the front of his pants, longing for privacy so he could remove them completely. Her breath caressed his neck and he turned toward her to better see his own lust reflected in her eyes.
“You’ll pay for that later. I don’t remember saying you could bite me.”
Karen gave a cheeky grin and tucked the pinwheel into the top of her corset. “Sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again.”
“It better. But only when I ask for it.” He grabbed her ass and squeezed it to accentuate the point. “I’m still the master around here.”
She lowered her head, peering up at him through the curtain of her lashes. “Yes, Sir.”
Chapter Seventeen
The following morning Karen stretched and rolled over to find
Dan staring at her. His gaze followed a lazy path over her lips and nose before landing on her eyes. She grinned, thinking forward to what it would be like to see that every time she woke for the day.
“Good morning,” she murmured.
“Morning. You snore a little, did you know that?”
“I don’t.”
“You do. It’s cute, like a little grunting kitten.”
Karen snatched a pillow and beat him over the head with it. “Take that back.”
Dan reared up, grabbing the pillow and hurling it aside. He dived at her and Karen fought back, giggling as he pinned her to the bed, trapping her wrists with his hands. He was so strong. His power lay not only in his desire to control, but his physical strength too. It added a fine layer of icing to the cake that was him as one delicious whole. When his lips pressed down against hers she wriggled against him, opening her mouth to offer her tongue. He sucked it gently, teasing the inner edge of her lip with his. She tilted her hips and spread her legs. Dan sank into the space left between them and she linked her ankles at the small of his back, trapping him in place.
“Morning fuck?” Hope gave her voice a husky edge.
“I considered it.” He released her wrists and trailed his fingers down her arms. When she tried to move a stern look filled his eyes. “Hands.”
That voice...he could tell me to do anything in that voice... She stretched her arms back to their original position, pressing the backs of her wrists against the rumpled duvet.
“Good.” Grinning now, he kissed a hot path down her chest. He lingered over each breast, tonguing each nipple into stiffness before going down. Ribs. Stomach. Belly button.
Each abandoned point on her body melted beneath the flames of passion he left behind. Her limbs jellied until she could no longer move. Not that she wanted to.
Karen watched him reach the faint line of pubic stubble and waited, holding her breath.
Dan stared for a brief moment then dipped his tongue into her slit, teasing his way past her outer lips with the tip. She groaned as he lapped her clit, dragging her to the brink of release with so little effort that she felt almost embarrassed by his total hold on her body.
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