Calling the Shots

by Christine d'Abo

  * * *

  The knock on his condo door a few hours later came as a surprise. Josh had spent the better part of that time under the scalding spray of his shower. The biting heat eventually did the job and soothed out some of the knots in his neck and back. He hadn’t bothered to dry his hair, letting the wet strands cling to his cheeks and the back of his neck.

  Dressed only in a pair of low-riding jogging pants, he glanced through the peephole. Flicking the chain aside, he opened the door and frowned. “What the hell are the two of you doing here?”

  Beth had changed from her bartender garb into a plain black T-shirt and jeans. Oliver was still wearing his work stuff but carried a six-pack under his arm. The young man shrugged. “You said you weren’t going to be able to sleep tonight. We thought we’d come keep you company.”

  “It’s three o’clock in the morning.”

  Beth hooked her thumbs into her pockets. “I normally don’t doze off until close to five. Besides, tomorrow’s our day off. I can sleep in.”

  “Me too. Now can we come in, or do we have to party in your hallway?”

  Given how bitchy some of his neighbors were, Josh stepped to the side and waved them through. “Get your butts in here. I don’t want the condo association on my ass.”

  Oliver whistled as he set the beer on the table. “Nice place. Good to see how the other half lives.”

  “I thought your parents had money?” Beth pulled a beer bottle from the carton and cracked it open with practiced ease.

  Oliver stiffened but tried to cover it up with a shrug. “It’s not like I get to have any of it myself.” Quickly, he turned his attention to Josh’s bookshelf. Beth stared after him for a moment before kicking her shoes off.

  They milled around his living room, picking up pictures, DVDs, the odd book lying around. Josh smiled as their gentle banter washed over him. The remaining knots in his neck and back slowly started to ease.

  Oliver set his jacket along the back of the couch, circling closer to where Josh stood. “How are you feeling?” Oliver finally said, a slight blush rising on his cheeks. “I forgot to ask.”

  “Better. I had some good pain pills hiding in the bathroom. I don’t even feel it.”

  Oliver touched the small tattooed star behind his ear. Josh was fairly certain the other man had no idea what he looked like, how the blush covered the long column of his neck. Josh’s gaze latched on to where Oliver’s fingers traced a small circle. Beth had noticed as well. She’d frozen in front of his bookshelf, openly staring at Oliver.

  Perhaps the idea of a little sex tonight wasn’t such a bad idea. The two of them were wound tight, and that could make for a lot of fun. As long it was between Oliver and Beth, Josh could happily sit back and watch. Playing voyeur held a certain appeal, especially when he had two gorgeous creatures to observe.

  Beth must have felt Josh’s stare and turned with a smile. “Do you still want a good night’s sleep?”

  Josh drained the last of his beer. He’d need to walk a fine line to get this to work. “Yes.”

  “Good.” She marched over to Oliver, pulled his cell from his back pocket and dialed a number.

  “What are you doing?” Oliver’s question was gentle as he ran a hand down her arm. “That wasn’t part of the—”

  Josh’s cell began to ring. Instinctively, he went to answer it, but Beth held up her hand. “Wait.”

  Two more rings and the phone went silent, but it wasn’t until she started speaking that he realized what she was doing.

  “Hello. My name is Beth Norris and I am the assistant manager at Mavericks, club for adults. This message is proof that I willingly and with great enthusiasm, had sex with my boss Josh Scott and my coworker Oliver Stephenson.” She pressed the cell into Oliver’s hand. “Your turn.”

  Oliver quickly glanced from Beth to the phone and back, before smiling. “This is Oliver Stephenson. Ditto. Today is April eighteenth.”

  The press of the end button filled the silent space of the condo. Josh couldn’t register anything else. Hell, he couldn’t think beyond her words.

  Willingly and with great enthusiasm.

  Damn.

  This hadn’t been the plan.

  “You two have no idea what you’re asking for.” His erection tented the front of his pants and he ached in a way he hadn’t in years.

  They were offering themselves up on a silver-fucking-platter, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do. While lots of people wanted him, he couldn’t think of too many who wanted him. Josh the person—not Josh the enigmatic leather-clad owner of Mavericks who could make your dreams come true with the snap of his fingers.

  He knew Beth and Oliver didn’t see him like that. There’d been too many late nights laughing, too many lazy afternoons in the office teasing each other while they scarfed down lunch. With them he could relax and be himself without needing to put on a show.

  It was the most comfortable he’d been with anyone outside of Paul and Sadie.

  Oliver closed the space between them, stopping a few inches away. Josh’s mouth watered as Oliver’s gaze dipped from his eyes down to his lips. It would take nothing to surge forward and simply take. Josh didn’t move. He couldn’t, not wanting the moment to be lost by a misstep.

  “I think we know exactly what we want.” The words were a whisper. The musky scent of Oliver’s sandalwood cologne hit him. “But we’re not going to force this on you either.”

  “I should be the one saying that to you.” Josh cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t think Oliver had been with a man before, but he was clearly interested.

  Josh should have held back. If he’d been rational he would have kicked them both out, sent them home to rest after their hellishly long day. Even though they both clearly consented, a part of him still insisted he was taking advantage. They wanted each other.

  No, you stupid ass. They want you.

  He pushed his hand into Oliver’s hair, amazed at the softness of the short strands. They held each other’s gaze until it was near-painful. At the last second Josh closed his eyes as his lips moved against Oliver’s. He was warm and wet. A hint of beer seeped across Josh’s taste buds as he licked the smooth skin. The gentle caress of lips quickly became heated. Josh pressed forward until his tongue invaded Oliver’s mouth, tasting everything the young man had to offer. Everything that made him Oliver.

  The other man clung to him, his hands gentle and tentative as he slid them over Josh’s shoulders. Something must have snapped in Oliver. With a groan, he forced him close, grinding his groin against him.

  Josh pushed the kiss to its limit, until Oliver pulled back with a gasp. Josh opened his eyes and took in the most beautiful sight he’d seen in months. Swollen red lips and hazel eyes so dilated only a sliver of color remained. Josh hadn’t realized how firmly they were leaning together until, with the dawning awareness of Oliver’s hard cock against his thigh, the promise of a good hard fuck became more of a reality.

  Oliver licked his lips as he ran a hand across Josh’s chest. “Wow.”

  “There’s more where that came from.” Movement beyond Oliver’s shoulder caught his attention. Beth. Still well out of reach.

  Resting his forearm on Oliver’s shoulder, Josh beckoned her forward. “You started this. Don’t think you’re getting off easy, miss.”

  Josh had never considered her a delicate woman, even though she was considerably shorter than he was. Partly it was knowing she’d been attending kickboxing classes for years and was one of only a handful who could put him on the floor. Mostly it was because Beth was one of those women who projected a quiet strength, who rarely freaked out, and who found a way to protect everyone within her sphere.

  Pushing the intrusive thought aside, he hooked his fingers around the back of her neck and turned for a kiss. Where Olive
r was solid and sure, Beth’s mouth had that wonderful pliability only a woman possessed. Where Oliver bit and sucked, Beth tasted and caressed. Her body melted against them; the combined weight was pleasant against Josh’s naked chest.

  Oliver’s breathing grew ragged as Josh deepened the kiss with her. The other man’s hand caressed Josh’s shoulder before delving into his hair, his fingertips scraping his scalp. A shiver passed through Josh at the intimate caress. Sex for him was normally hard, fast and demanding. Rarely was it filled with caresses and gentle kisses.

  When they finally pulled away, Josh took a moment to savor the treat being offered him. Two beautiful, sensual creatures offering themselves up for his pleasure. Without asking, he knew they would listen to him, do what he asked. They would put themselves on display, taking and receiving pleasure at his command. But this was something more than his normal encounters. This came dangerously close to his comfort line between sex and something deeper. He’d gotten burned once when he dared hope there might be something more for him. This time, he needed to keep himself in check.

  Taking a step back, he shifted his grip so he held each of them by the wrist. Their pulses raced and he knew what they were about to experience would be a memorable treat for all. As long as he kept in control.

  “I think it’s time we move this to the bedroom.” With a gentle tug, they followed.

  Chapter Seven

  Getting naked in front of someone for the first time was never a comfortable thing, no matter how confident they appear to be. Josh could tell a lot about a person from how they reacted as the first pieces of clothing fell to the floor. How they stood, which clothes they removed first, it all said something. Most of the time, he was the dominant one in such situations and that gave him a certain level of control. In those rare other times, the last thing on his mind was clothing.

  Right now, there wasn’t enough nakedness.

  Beth held onto Oliver’s shoulder, trailing behind him as Josh moved around the room ahead of them. His bedroom was always neat and organized, though he rarely had people over. He preferred the safety and distance of the club for his sexual encounters. Bringing people home implied a level of intimacy that wasn’t there.

  That didn’t mean he was without a selection of toys in his home. One could never be too careful or too well prepared.

  Josh picked up a book from the chair by the bathroom and tossed it to the floor before he sat. “Are you two going to come in or hover there all night?”

  Beth giggled as Oliver moved to the foot of the bed. He ran a hand over the duvet before patting the cover. “Classy, boss-man.”

  Josh leaned his chin in his hand. “I try.”

  The pair didn’t know what to do at first, each trying to take a cue from the other. It was as though they’d only planned so far, and now they didn’t know what to do next. They began checking out the pictures on his nightstand, the books lining the small bookshelf. Beth fingered the chocolate brown curtains, peeking through the blind. She was sucking on her bottom lip, which meant she was making her mind up about something. It didn’t take long for her to finally come to a conclusion.

  “Josh?”

  “Yes?”

  A little huff from her. “I thought we were going to have sex?”

  “Well, we can. I can tell you both to get naked and get on the bed. I can arrange us all for a fast fuck, but that takes some of the fun out of things. Don’t you agree, Oliver?”

  The young man jumped, his gaze snapping to Josh. “What?”

  “If we just jump right into bed, things are a lot less entertaining.”

  Oliver nodded. “No reason not to enjoy ourselves. Make things last.” The way he said it gave Josh the impression Oliver didn’t count on this happening again. Best to make the most of it in case the unspoken prediction came true.

  “So what kind of game, Josh?” Beth abandoned her position by the window and joined Oliver. “I mean, what do you have in mind?”

  The possibilities whizzed through his mind. But the first priority was clear. Bare skin.

  Some people were comfortable with their bodies and others weren’t. Oliver was a runner, had even participated in a few marathons in the region. With that level of dedication, a strong sleek body went with it. Muscles danced beneath the fabric of his clothing, teasing Josh until he was impatient to rip Oliver’s clothing free.

  No, he had to wait. Patience.

  “Beth, I want you to step behind Oliver and unbutton his shirt.” Leaning back in his seat, Josh waited. Oliver didn’t move, didn’t break eye contact with Josh. Lust and impatience burned in that gaze, both of which pleased him to no end. There was none of the trepidation he’d expected to find. Good. He wanted them both to remember this night for a long time after.

  Beth wasn’t hesitant. With nimble fingers, she popped the buttons free from their holes, exposing inch after inch of firm chest. Josh wanted to laugh at the way she raked her nails across Oliver’s skin, leaving a faint red trail over black ink. Oliver shivered and his nipples hardened. Beth pressed harder.

  Interesting.

  “Beth, answer me something?”

  She peeked around Oliver. Her eyes were lust-filled and her lips wet. “Yes?”

  “You’ve been around the club for two years now. What’s your favorite thing to watch?”

  Her lips parted in a silent O, she flexed her fingers against Oliver’s nipples, causing him to buck forward.

  “I…it’s a bit—”

  “Don’t say it’s silly.” Setting the ground rules was important if they were all going to enjoy themselves. “There is nothing silly about what the people do at the club. There is nothing silly about wanting to do some of those things yourself. But we can’t help you if we don’t know what they are. So tell us, what do you like to watch?”

  “The spankings.” She let out a soft groan and pressed her forehead to the back of Oliver’s shoulder. “I like it when someone gets up on the stage and gives one of the subs a good hard smack.”

  Something in the wording caught Josh’s attention. “And who would you rather be? The one giving or receiving?”

  This time there was no shyness or hesitation. “I want to be the one giving.”

  Very interesting. His naughty little Beth.

  “I—I don’t know why. I don’t want to dominate someone. Not really. But watching them give the spanks…there’s just something…”

  Josh turned his attention to Oliver. The flush started somewhere in the middle of his chest and now rose to cover most of his neck and face. “It seems, my dear, our Oliver isn’t opposed to the idea of being on the receiving end.”

  Oliver’s gaze flashed something, but the emotion was gone as quickly as it appeared. “I’ve always liked strong lovers. Women. My—” he cleared his throat, “—previous lover, she tried, but she didn’t really care about me.”

  “Is that what you want? Beth to dominate you? Me to dominate you?” Encouraged by the lack of argument, Josh smiled. “Beth, I want you to take off his jeans now. Leave the underwear. We don’t want to rush things.”

  Her fingers shook this time as she popped the fly open and pulled down the zipper. “Do you wear boxers or briefs, Ollie?” Her voice had taken on the same teasing note Josh’s had.

  “Don’t call me that,” he whispered. He turned his head to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of where Beth stood. “Please. I hate it.”

  The sound of her hand hitting Oliver’s denim-covered ass had Josh chuckling. “I wouldn’t upset her.”

  Oliver started panting. “No. No.”

  Beth hooked her thumbs around the waistband of Oliver’s jeans. It took some wiggling, but they managed to get them down his hips and thighs. Oliver kicked them off as Beth peeled off his socks, leaving Oliver nearly naked in a matter of seconds. When they were f
inished, they both straightened and faced Josh.

  Oliver, while coming across as shy on occasion, was very comfortable in his own skin. He didn’t squirm under Josh’s scrutiny, or Beth’s fleeting caresses. Shoulders back and cock thickening beneath the tight briefs, Oliver stood still and relaxed, his eyes wide, pleading for Josh to push them to the next step. He clearly didn’t want to be the one in control tonight.

  “Beth, now his underwear. Let’s see what he’s been hiding from us.”

  She took her time as she raked her thumbnails along the outside of Oliver’s thighs, not letting go until she crouched behind him. Josh kept his gaze on her and not Oliver’s straining erection in his periphery.

  “I think he likes your nails. Drag them up the back of his legs as you stand.”

  The moan could have come from either of them. Beth thrust her ass out as she kept herself bent at the waist, scratching her way up Oliver’s body. The younger man cursed and his cock bobbed in the air. Beth wrapped her hands over his shoulders when she was finally standing again. Her fingers contrasted against the stark black ink on his skin.

  “Isn’t he beautiful?” Josh nearly succumbed to the urge to touch his own erection. No, he’d put off his own pleasure as long as possible. “Look at him.”

  Beth finally moved, giving Josh the perfect view of the pair. Her blond hair had curled around her temples and her nipples poked against the fabric of her shirt.

  “I don’t think it’s fair to make him be naked alone.” Josh waited for Beth to finish her slow circle around Oliver before he continued. “I think you should at least get down to those pretty lace panties if you’re going to be working on our boy.”

  “How did you know—?” She snapped her mouth shut.

  “He knows everything at the club.” Oliver took advantage of her distraction, leaned in and traced the shell of her ear with his tongue. Beth gasped but didn’t move. “So do I.”

  “Don’t keep us waiting.”

  Beth tipped her head to the side, letting Oliver taste his way across the expanse of her neck. It was only once she shivered that she stepped away, pulling her T-shirt off and throwing it at Josh.