The woman’s mood seemed to brighten a bit and stabilize as she followed Master’s directions toward their hotel. The roads were empty, and the traffic lights seemed to be in their favor. It only took a few minutes to reach the breakfast restaurant across the street from where they were staying.
Once she parked and pulled the key, Master climbed out on his own while Max jumped out and hurried around the back to the driver’s door. His belly clenched when he saw she was already out without waiting for him to open her door. If Master decided to keep her, that would change. It was his job to open doors. All doors. All the time.
When they reached the building door, he sighed when Silver stopped her from reaching for the door herself. “A gentleman always opens doors for a lady,” he gently reprimanded.
Chapter Two
Though tempted to argue that she could open the door herself just fine, Annie held her tongue. Something she had not felt in a long time slid through the wall of ice she had erected around her heart. It took a moment for her to recognize it as a need to submit, a need to be taken care of. Not just to this man, but his friend as well. She had worked hard to remain on her own two feet when the bigger man had wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She hoped he had not noticed that, just for a moment, she had leaned into his side, savoring the feel of a man’s body against her own.
And now he was taking her to task for being the strong, independent, single woman society demanded she be. Taking a breath, she took a half step to the side, which allowed the other man access to the door handle.
As she passed through the door, she jolted when a warm hand came to rest against the middle of her back. In response, her knees weakened and, for the first time in years, her pussy clenched and dampened.
Glancing around the dining room, she was not surprised to see the place was empty. Two men sat at the counter talking to the cook while the waitress filled salt shakers. Annie moved toward the booth as far from the door as possible. Something about these two made her think they would need privacy, or at least a semblance of privacy.
Without waiting, she slid into the bench so her back was to the wall. She knew it was a power play, but at this moment, she didn’t care. She had been feeling off-balance since long before the men had found her. Maybe taking back this modicum of control would help her get her feet back under her.
She fought back a smirk as the men exchanged a glance. Without a word, the bigger man slid into the booth opposite and the smaller one grabbed a chair and pulled it over so he sat at the end of the table.
That was when Annie realized she had another problem. By trying to hold the power position, she had backed herself into a corner. Once the two men were seated, she studied them instead of her menu that lay on the table in front of her.
She already knew what she was not going to order anything and therefore did not need to look at the menu. Since her original plan for the morning had been thwarted, she would be polite for the moment. Once they finished eating, she would take them to their hotel, and then go home for a good, long cry.
Then, when the sun came up in a few hours, she would once again begin the search for a reason to live another day.
Both men were older than she’d thought back at the park. She’d bet her Jeep they were either current or former military just by the way they moved. She’d even go so far as to gamble they were officers just by the confident air that radiated from them.
The bigger one stood six foot four at least, with hair was more silver than black, and laying heavy on his shoulders. His closely-trimmed beard and mustache were more black than silver, making her wonder if her military assessment had been wrong. His eyes were dark brown, reminding her of her favorite dark chocolate candy bar. Under his T-shirt and sweatpants, he was broad-shouldered and thickly muscled. He radiated power and dominance to an extent that she had a hard time not moving to kneel on the floor before him and beg for him to take her to bed.
Man number two was a few inches shorter, but still a half foot taller than her own five and a half feet. His light brown hair was cut short, but the curl was on the verge of growing out of control if it got much longer. His eyes were a bright blue that reminded her of the springtime sky on those occasions she traveled down to walk on the beach. In comparison with his friend, his body was leaner and less bulky, but just as well-built. He radiated an aura of confidence and power, though not as dominating as his friend.
“Morning, folks. What can I get you today?” the waitress said as she approached the table so she could stand between the two men.
“Just water for me, thanks,” Annie said, dropping her hands into her lap so she could twist her fingers together. Something about these men challenged her nerves.
The big man frowned across the table at her, making her pussy clench and her throat thicken in response. It was the same disapproving expression Eric would give her when she had been a bad subbie. That expression when coming from her husband always promised a few swats when they got alone.
“You need to eat something,” the other man said, his tone gentle. “Please?”
Annie’s strong independence melted at his request like a stick of butter under a hot sun. “All right. I’ll have an order of hash browns all the way, but no peppers, and a side of bacon, please.”
The waitress nodded as she took notes. The two men ordered full breakfasts, then the big man said, “Add a couple of waffles to her order, as well. And hot chocolate.”
The waitress grinned as she scribbled. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” she said. And then she was gone.
“Bossy much?” she snarked as she looked from one to the other.
“You have no idea,” the man to her left chuckled, which earned him a sharp look from the other man. He ignored it as he held out his right hand. “So, introductions are in order. I’m Max Wolff.”
“Annie McLaughlin,” she responded, automatically shaking his hand.
She could not help the gasp that escaped at the electrical charge that shot up her arm from where their palms came together. Looking into his bright blue eyes, she found herself wondering if she had enough batteries for her vibrator at home to soothe the unexpected need that exploded low in her pelvis.
Jerking her hand to break the connection that was growing uncomfortable, she forced herself to turn to the man across the table.
* * * *
“Silver Baer, B-A-E-R,” he said as he took her hand in his and gently held it. “Nice to meet you.”
Refusing to release her after she placed it in his, he lowered their linked hands to the table and looked into her eyes. He could not help the smirk that emerged when she swallowed hard and merely nodded in return. The smirk grew to a smile as she tried once to ease her hand from his. When he wouldn’t release her, she took a breath, but instead of arguing or fighting, she relaxed and her breathing quickened just a bit.
He was not surprised when his cock began to thicken. A glance at Max and he knew they needed to talk this woman into coming back to their hotel room for the rest of the night. Whether or not they could talk her into bed was another thing, but he would worry about that later.
For now, they needed to uncover why she had been by the river alone in the middle of the night with sadness radiating from her to such an extent he could feel it. Before he could confront her, the waitress returned with their drinks. As she transferred them from the tray to the table, her hip brushed against him not once, but twice.
When he looked up at her, she smiled, her expression a clear invitation to a visit to the restrooms with her. “Food will be right up,” she practically purred.
“Thanks,” he said. Then he turned his attention back to Annie.
Once she flounced away, he leaned slightly closer to the table. “So, how long has it been?”
“Excuse me?” she asked, looking confused.
“How long has it been since you’ve had a Master?”
He knew he’d hit the nail on the head when her breath caught and her pupils
dilated. A moment later, those light green eyes that reminded him of the celery Max made him eat dropped to stare at their hands. He did not release her when she tried to pull her hand from his.
He waited until her eyes came back up to his. “How long?”
Max shifted, drawing his attention, and the man looked worried. When Silver frowned at him, he dropped his head forward, just like a good slave should. Then his attention returned to Annie.
She would learn that as a Master, his patience might be endless, but not without a price. But those lessons would come later. First he needed answers, and she needed to realize that, though they knew nothing about one another, he and Max were just what she needed in her life.
“Girl, don’t make me ask again.” He dropped his voice to what Max called his growly bear Dom tone.
“Three years. He died three years ago,” she whispered as her eyes filled. She blinked rapidly, keeping the tears from falling.
“Have you played at all since then?”
Her head shifted slightly left and right. “There’s been no one since then.”
“Oh, fuck,” Max whispered, his tone a blend of horrified and sympathetic.
Without looking at his slave, Silver made one of the snap decisions that he was famous for. “Would you be willing to play with us? There’s a club here in town, Club Esoteria. Tomorrow night they’re having a sort of open house, and we were going to check it out. You can meet us there, we’ll play, and then you’ll have to decide whether you’d like to go home with us, or go home alone afterward.”
Annie hesitated. She looked at him, and then at Max. “Don’t look at him. Look at me. I’m Master here.”
Her gaze came back, and she nodded slowly. “Yes, Sir, I’d like to meet you at Club Esoteria tomorrow night.”
“Do you know the club?”
“Yes, Sir. Master and I were members until he…until he died.” With that admission, Annie took a deep breath and seemed to find some strength deep in her being. “I let my membership go after that.”
“Good girl. Thank you for that information.” Silver smiled and gave her the praise she deserved. He watched as she soaked it in like a sponge. “Now, I want you to do something for me. Consider it your first test as my submissive.”
Annie looked thoughtful for a moment before her expression cleared. “What, Sir?” she finally whispered.
“First, what’s your safe word?”
“Red, Sir.”
“Red it is. Now, I’d like you to hand me your panties.”
Chapter Three
“Silver, no.”
The words popped out of Max’s mouth before he had time to filter them. He understood that Silver was seeing things through his Master’s vision that as his slave, Max, could not, but no matter how submissive the woman is, this was pushing too hard too fast.
“Boy, I don’t believe I asked your opinion,” Silver said, sending him another dark look that warned him that punishment would be coming his way once they were alone again.
Looking from Silver to the woman, he saw she was not offended by the demand, but instead, was growing aroused by it. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Silver and nodded before relaxing back in his chair. “Sorry, Master,” he murmured.
Silver nodded his acceptance of the apology. “Now, girl, you have a choice. You can take off your panties here and now and hand them to me, or you can go to the ladies’ room and my boy will watch you take off your bra and panties before you bring them to me. Your choice, but you have five seconds to decide.”
The thought of bringing a woman, this woman, into their unique and unconventional life had Max’s cock growing by the second. By the time she slid from the booth and stood, he was fully erect. He looked at Silver as the woman walked away.
“No touching below the shoulders. You may kiss her once. On her face only,” Silver ordered softly before sipping at his mug of hot chocolate.
“Yes, Master. Thank you,” Max murmured as he pushed to his feet and hurried after the woman.
As he crossed the restaurant, he did not spare a glance at the waitress or cook. He focused on the shapely bare legs walking away from him. The black T-shirt dress Annie wore hung from her shoulders like a bag, and ended just at her knees. She had obviously lost some weight since buying the dress.
He smiled when she hesitated at the door marked “Ladies” and looked over her shoulder at him. Then she pushed her way into the restroom. He followed, surprised the door did not close in his face once she was inside.
Stepping through the doorway, his smile grew as he pulled the door from her grip and allowed it to swing close. Once it was closed, he checked it for a lock, but found none. He solved the security problem by leaning against the door and looked at the woman who stood in the middle of the room, looking nervous. He hoped his expression was reassuring and not too lecherous.
She stood before him, her arms crossed tight over her belly as if holding herself together. She bit her bottom lip as she took a deep breath, straightened, and stared straight at him.
Max counted to ten, and when she still made no move to follow Silver’s directives, he cocked an eyebrow at her. “Get to, it sweetheart. Master may appear to be a patient man, but that patience only goes so far when he gives orders. And I can tell you from experience that a spanking from those big hands of his is not a funishment.”
Annie paled until her skin was nearly as white as the wall behind her. “Turn your back?” she asked, her tone timid as a mouse facing a room full of hungry barn cats.
Max shook his head as his smile grew to include teeth. “Not gonna happen. Master said I watch you, but I’m not allowed to touch, if that helps.”
Annie pulled in a long, slow breath. Dropping her arms, she pulled her dress over her head, automatically flipping it back so it was right side out. She held it in front of her like a shield until Max extended his arm. He said nothing, just stared at her until she draped the dress over his forearm.
“Good girl.”
His words seemed to assure her that though she was nearly naked and he was a stranger, by submitting to him she would get what she needed from this exchange, his approval.
Less than a minute later, her bra hung from one strap over his wrist and she was bending over, sliding her panties down those legs that he wanted nothing more than to lick from toes to pussy.
He and Silver were committed to each other and their Master/slave relationship, but they were also equally turned on by women and had even shared women in the past. As he watched her move, he frowned at the ribs and hip bones that poked at her skin. Was this another sign of her depression? Or was there something else at play here? In any case, they needed to hurry up so she could eat the meal that was waiting for her back at the table.
Max’s cock throbbed as she straightened then slid her panties over his hand before reaching for her dress. Before she could grab it and slip it back on, he pulled his arm back before lifting his other hand. Extending one finger, he twirled it, then waited for her response.
She gave him a look of disbelief before slowly turning a circle.
“Sweetheart, you’re too thin. Depression steal your appetite, or have you always been nothing but skin and bones?” Max asked as she finished and faced him once again. Her breasts were full, but the broad areolas told him she had breastfed a child at some point in the past.
“A little of both,” she said softly.
He looked into her face, and found her eyes were lowered respectfully, but focused on the bulge pressing against his sweats and not his feet. But that was okay, too. He didn’t want her thinking they weren’t interested in her.
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to feed you.” Stuffing her underwear into the waistband of his sweats, he held the dress up and helped her back into it. Once she was covered up, he leaned close and brushed a soft kiss over her lips.
That action earned him a soft “Oh,” from the pretty woman who he now realized was older than he had originally thought.
Pulling back before he could do anything further, he handed her the bra, then lifted the still-warm panties to his nose. Pulling in a deep breath, he released it on a moan as the scent of her arousal registered. Then with a hungry grin, he handed them back to her.
She looked at then at her hands. “I thought…”
“You thought I was going to carry them. Nope. You wore them, you carry them, and you hand them to Silver when we get back to the table.”
That bit of information had the color coming back to her cheeks. She balled the panties up then folded the bra up and tucked the panties into them before trying to make the bra as small as she could so it fit into her small fist.
It didn’t work, but she gave it a valiant try. Finally, she gave up and shrugged. “Okay, let’s go.”
Stepping away from the door, he opened it and held it for her with a flourish. Then he followed her back to the table, impressed at the way she hid the hand full of cloth in her dress. Of course, the curious waitress watched as they returned to the table where their food waited.
He had a hard time not chuckling when Annie slid onto the bench, gasping as the cold plastic touched her warm ass. Without a word, she reached across the table and opened her fist, dropping her underthings in Silver’s lap. Then, her face and neck flushed a bright red, she picked up her glass of ice water and took a long sip to hide her embarrassment.
He only hoped her dress wouldn’t have a wet spot on the back when she stood up again because it was obvious the situation was getting to her just as it was getting to them.
* * * *
“What the hell was I thinking?” Annie muttered to herself.
She watched, horrified, as Silver plucked her underwear from his lap and, after folding it neatly, set it on the table beside his plate of Belgian waffles. She only hoped the waitress wasn’t the kind to hover, even if they were now the only people in the restaurant.
Silver’s Triad Page 2
