Brody shrugged me off, not in the mood to be appeased. “Okay, so he’s a good guy. Did she know that before she hopped in the car with him? Did she even know him before he offered her a ride?”
I shook my head, looking down at April. Her eyes were closed, and she was still hugging Brody’s leg. “I don’t think we’re going to get those answers from her, tonight. Come on, let’s help her up to bed. This—and everything else—is going to have to wait until morning.”
Brody sighed, blowing out a puff of angry air as he confirmed his agreement. Without a word, he bent down, untangled his leg from her grasp and scooped her into his arms.
I went ahead of them, opening the door and following as he carried her through the house and up to our room. I wondered momentarily why he didn’t take her to her own room, but he probably wanted to be able to keep an eye on her all night. I watched as he deposited her onto my bed and then slowly and methodically began threading his belt through the loops of his jeans.
My eyebrows shot up in concern as I watched him.
“You can’t punish someone when they’re not sober enough to understand what they’re being punished for, Brody.” I chided. “You know that. Hell, you taught me that.”
“First of all,” Brody intoned, his hand resting on his belt, still. “April is not waking up for anything, but you look perfectly sober to me. And you and I have plenty to talk about. Who knows, we might even talk with words.”
I sighed and sunk down onto his mattress. I knew he was right. I had planned on talking to them both together, but the truth was it wouldn’t hurt for Brody and me to talk out our issues and make sure we were on the same page, first.
At the moment, though, I couldn’t take my eyes off his belt. We had joked earlier about him spanking me, and the truth was I don’t think either of us was joking. I needed it. Wanted it. Craved it, and the look on Brody’s face told me he did, too.
He gave the belt a final tug, and it fell free from its loops. I licked my lips as he doubled it in his hands and advanced towards me. “Strip.”
I stood, making eye contact as I slowly began to undress. First, my boots and socks, then my jeans and button down shirt, and finally, my boxer briefs. My gaze never wavered, and neither did his.
When I was naked, he stood in front of me, one end of his belt in each hand, and slipped it over my head and behind me until it rested just below my ass. Then he pulled, bringing me closer until my erection rubbed the front of his jeans.
“I want you.” The simple statement hung in the air. We both knew it wasn’t that simple. “But I’m not willing to hide what we have between us, any longer. Tonight, is either the end or the beginning. No exceptions, no in-betweens, no changing our minds.”
I leaned closer, covering his lips with mine, and nibbled softly before drawing him in for a deep kiss.
“No exceptions.” I repeated. “No second guessing. No changing my mind.”
“You’ve made a decision?” Brody’s expression settled somewhere between excitement and fear.
“I’ve made a decision.”
“And?”
“And, I love you, Brody Aarons, with a love that is long lasting, comfortable, deep, and abiding. And I love April, too—with a love that is fun, exciting and new, and still working out the kinks and learning. And I’m ready. To embrace you both and us as a threesome, and to proclaim our love from the mountaintops and accept all the good and bad that comes with doing so.”
The expression of love had no sooner left my mouth, than I found myself airborne as Brody lifted me into a hug so tight my feet lifted off the ground. His lips covered mine, and he spun around in a circle before putting me back down.
“You mean it? You’re ready? For me and April, and everything that comes with us?”
I looked at him and then over at April’s sleeping form. I owed her an apology and could only pray that I hadn’t messed up my chance at happiness in a single bad moment. I knew what I needed to do, and I was ready to move forward with faith. In myself, in them, in us.
“I’m ready.”
Chapter 20
April
The early morning sun shone brightly into the room, and I groaned, turning away from the window. Hadn’t I closed my blinds the other day? I didn’t remember opening them again.
I pulled the pillow over my face and opened my eyes. I felt weird. My head pounded and my mouth felt fuzzy and oddly sweet tasting. Covering my hand with my mouth, I blew into it and inhaled. The smell of liquor assaulted my nostrils, and I reeled as the events of the previous day came rushing back.
Mitch had yelled at me, and I had run off to town at the earliest convenience, ending up at a local honky-tonk bar. I had drunk way too much, made interesting new friends, whose names I couldn’t remember at the moment, and I had danced! Line danced. Well, at least, my memories seemed intact, so I hadn’t reached a point of getting blackout drunk, but I had definitely drunk way more than my usual two drink limit. Holy shit.
And how had I gotten home? I remembered trying to call an Uber and being in a vehicle, trying to give directions to the ranch and trying not to puke. I shot up in bed like a shot, and when my eyes opened, I was shocked to find myself in Brody’s room, on Mitch’s bed. Alone. Brody’s bed appeared to be slept in and two pairs of boots sat by the door. What time was it? Finding myself still fully clothed, I dug in my pocket for my phone and was relieved to see that it was not yet six in the morning.
Still, I would need to be downstairs, soon, and ready to work. I needed coffee. And water. And an aspirin or two wouldn’t hurt, either.
I jumped out of bed, only to find that I was rather unsteady on my feet. I grabbed the nightstand to brace myself for a minute. I was standing there, when the door pushed open to reveal Brody and a sheepish looking Mitch, holding a bed tray.
“Oh good, you’re up.” Brody smiled and walked over to me. “Dizzy?” he asked with concern.
“I just stood up too fast,” I bluffed, attempting to save face. Although, if I was reading the situation right, it was probably a bit late for that.
“Well, sit back down.” His tone and expression bode no argument, and I didn’t have the strength to bother, anyway. I sank back onto the bed and watched them with weary eyes.
As soon as I sat, Brody moved back into the background. Mitch stood at his side, looking awkward holding a bed tray that looked to be full of the things that I needed. But he made no move to give it to me.
I cleared my throat. “How did I get up here, and why am I here and not in my own room?”
“Brody carried you. And he brought you in here so he could keep an eye on you all night, because he cares about you and he’s kind of a worrywart,” Mitch offered.
Brody just grunted in response, nodding towards Mitch and then me, as if he was waiting for something.
Finally, Mitch moved forward, sitting on the bed opposite me, and placed the tray on the nightstand between us. He handed me two pills and a bottle of water, watching silently as I took them.
I chugged the water down. I needed it and badly. I was not used to drinking as much as I had. Last night, in my anger and confusion, it had seemed like a good idea. In the light of day, I felt silly and ashamed. The presence of these two men looming over me with kind but stern faces led me to believe I had every reason to feel that way.
“We have lots to talk about, little girl,” Brody began.
“But first things first,” Mitch interjected, taking my hand. “April, I owe you a huge apology for the way I acted yesterday and the things I said. I was angry with my own actions, and I should not have taken that out on anyone, but least of all, you.”
With Mitch’s sincere apology, his strong words came rushing back, bringing the feelings of hurt and anger with the memory.
“I never meant to push you. I shouldn’t have gotten involved or said the things I said. This is your life, and you have every right to live it however you want. Even if I don’t understand or agree.” I drew a deep breath
before continuing. I meant every word I said, but there was more. So much more. “However…”
“We dragged you into it. We forced you right down into the middle of a situation that was very complicated, without fully thinking through the repercussions. That was entirely my fault. I can’t say it wouldn’t have happened, anyway, one way or the other, but the way it happened was entirely on me.” Brody was apologetic now and much less stern looking as he crossed the room and took a seat on the bed beside Mitch.
“It’s not all on Brody,” Mitch argued. “I was smitten with you since we saw you at the quick mart. I was the one flirting and trying to start something with you I wasn’t ready to start. I tried to take a page from Brody’s book and go after something I wanted. Something I still want.”
I laughed at the way we were all fighting to take responsibility for the disastrous way our relationship started, but Mitch’s last four words gave me the hope that had been missing since the conversation started.
“I guess, what we need to know now, April, is how you feel. If you need to walk away and put this behind you and not look back, I swear to you that we will step to the side and behave like perfect gentlemen. God knows, Nan wouldn’t let us do anything but. But what we want—what we are asking for—is one last chance to prove to you that, while our timing was off, our intentions were good, and our rocky start can be the road to a beautiful ending.”
Mitch’s speech brought tears to my eyes, and Brody looked a little choked up, as well.
“What he said,” he quipped, blinking furiously.
My eyes darted between the two of them. I wanted so much to say yes, to scream it from the rooftops, really, but I tended to be impulsive in relationships, and that was half of what had gotten us into this mess. My questions and hesitation must have been written all over my face, because they answered them before I had a chance to even voice them.
“We’re good. We’re ready,” Brody stated simply.
Mitch had more to say. “Yesterday, and the days leading up to it, were hard, confusing, and eye opening. I had to take a really hard look at where I came from and where I ended up, and that is something I have always avoided doing. What I learned was that I ended up at the ranch for reasons I had never considered. I always thought it was because I was troubled and needed straightening out, and I led my life in a way to prove that it had worked. I see now that I ended up here because Nan was safe and open minded. I was a little slow on the uptake on that one. I can also see that the only one I’ve been fooling is myself. I want Brody, but I also want you. I hope I haven’t messed that up. I’m ready to move forward as a threesome with my head held up high, because I know that with the two of you by my side, I will be the luckiest man in the world.”
I was dabbing my tears furiously as he spoke, going through a full range of emotions, and when he finished, I knew I looked a mess. But my concerns and the little voices inside my head were silent and I was filled with peace.
They were staring at me, waiting for a response, so I gave the only one I could. “Yes! I love you both, and I’m so proud of you!” I exclaimed, rising to throw my arms around both their necks.
When I pulled away to look at them, Mitch was blushing furiously. “I’m proud of all of us. We had some impossible odds and some serious growing pains, but here we are.”
“And better for it.”
I stayed in place with my arms around them, hugging and kissing them furiously until the scent of fresh coffee coming from the nightstand lulled me back to the present and reminded me exactly how the day started and how we had gotten here.
“Am I in trouble?” I finally asked with a grimace, eliciting a chuckle from Brody.
“Oh, you better believe it.”
Brody
Mitch and April both eyeballed me, waiting for me to speak, barking out instructions to seal their fate. I remembered belatedly that I still owed Mitch a spanking, as well, from last night. That would have to wait.
The time before work was winding down, and soon, we would all have to rush to our respective jobs on the ranch. Well, Mitch and April would, anyway. I had a meeting with Nan, far away from horses and their shit, thankfully.
We had just enough time to do things right. To begin as we intended to continue.
“Mitchell,” I beckoned him, and he came to stand beside me with eyes that were wide and expectant. “Mitchell, is there anything you would like to say to April about her reckless behavior last night, as her Daddy?”
He was clearly taken aback, and he stumbled for a half a second before clearing his throat. “Well, yes,” he began, glancing at me hesitantly. I nodded my encouragement. “Little girls should not drink that much, and especially not on a night when they need to work early the next morning. It was an irresponsible and dangerous choice you made.” His speech gained confidence as he went, growing clearer and more assured with every word.
When I was sure he was finished, I took over. “What’s even more irresponsible, baby girl, than drinking too much, is drinking too much when you don’t have a safe way home. In fact, despite your drunken ramblings last night in way of explanation, I’m still not a hundred percent certain how you got back to the ranch. What I do know is that your story involved two instances of you getting in a car with virtual strangers, one of whom tried to take you back to his place.”
April opened her mouth to explain, and I shook my head. “There are six other people in this house, baby girl, all of whom have phones and none of whom were drinking last night. Even if you didn’t want to call Mitch or me, that still leaves you with four other options.”
She opened her mouth again. This time, I could see the argument written on her face, and I realized my snafu. Nan didn’t drive.
I shook my head to silence her before she began. “Irrelevant. You understand the point.”
Her face fell, and a lone tear tracked down her cheek. “Yes, Sir,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
My anger had risen as I lectured, at the mere thought of what could have happened. I took a deep breath and exhaled deeply to calm myself. “Yes, well, you’re going to be,” I retorted crisply.
She nodded her acceptance. “Which one of you is going to punish me?”
I could feel two sets of eyes on me as they waited for my answer. “We both are, because we are both disappointed in your behavior last night, and we both would have gone out of our minds if anything had happened to you.”
I could see from the corner of my eye that Mitch had his mouth open, ready to protest and pass the task off to me.
I shut him down. “From this point on, we are bonded together as a threesome, and we act as one. April did something that affected both of us, and she will be punished by both of us. Together.”
Nobody tried to protest this time, and it was time to move this party along. Opening the top drawer of my dresser, I withdrew a sturdy wooden hairbrush. Then I moved to the empty bed and placed all four pillows in the center. “Pants and panties off. Up and over.”
Her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets as the reality of how much trouble she had gotten herself into sank in, but she rushed to obey.
“That’s right, baby girl,” I coaxed as she eased herself over the pile of pillows. “ Mitch and I want to see that pretty little ass high in the air. “
As soon as she was in position, I passed the brush off to Mitch and sat beside her on the bed, rubbing her back with one hand and holding her in place with the other.
“I’m sorry,” her thready whisper went straight into the bedcovers, but I was close enough to hear it.
“Oh, I know, baby girl. I know that you are smart enough, in the light of day, to see the error in your decisions. But I need you to do better than that. I plan to leave an impression so lasting that you remember it every time you have a drink, no matter how many months or years have passed.”
She whimpered loudly, like a Siamese kitten in a cat fight, but I paid no heed. I gestured at Mitch, and he sat beside her on the opposite
side, looking at the brush in his hand and then at me, with his eyes full of questions.
I ignored him and spoke to April. “I’m going to give you a long warm up with my hand, and then Mitch is going to give you a hard hairbrush spanking to make sure the message gets through loud and clear.”
Her knuckles were white as she gripped the comforter in front of her. Good. She would need something to hang on to. This was not going to be an easy ride.
I began without announcement, drawing my hand back and leaving a resounding smack that echoed through the room and left a nice red handprint on her milky white ass, then repeated the same action on the opposite side.
Her grip on the covers tightened, and even Mitch winced at the sound it made, the loud crack of skin against skin.
Me? I was totally focused on the task at hand, focusing, first, on making sure I left a nice imprint, the base that set the tone for the masterpiece of a thoroughly punished bottom, and second, on the way her bottom bounced under the impact of my palm, flattening and then bouncing back into place, just like a pile of freshly kneaded dough.
God damn, I loved being a Dom. And a Daddy. Especially one who spanked. And I loved her.
After laying the first two swats, I settled down to half strength, a rhythm that was nice and steady as my hand laid down its lesson upon her perfectly sculpted ass. Right. Left, right, center, right, left, center. I continued like that for a while, easily a good fifty swats, before moving my attention to her tender sit spots.
She had whined and moaned a lot at first, and eventually, stilled. I knew her bottom was numbed up a bit, and that was fine. Any feeling of numbness or complacency she felt would go out the window with the first stroke of the brush.
This spanking was one she would remember for a long time. Not only due to the severity of the transgression and subsequent consequence, but because a naughty sub never forgets their first taste of wood against a tender bottom. Poor little girl had no idea what she was in for, but she would, soon. To make sure she was thoroughly warmed up, I continued my assault on her sit spots, another fifty swats or so to that tender crease between bottom and thigh.
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