Calling the Shots

by Christine d'Abo

  She stiffened. “I know.”

  “But you still pulled away.” He opened his mouth and licked a short trail across her skin. The taste and smell of her made his cock swell in his pants and a possessive impulse build in his gut. Fuck, he was starting to lose it. “Why?”

  “Josh—”

  “Why?”

  “Mitch was waiting for me today after my class.”

  Pulling back, Josh had to grind his teeth to keep from making a comment about her asshole of an ex. “What did he want?”

  There was tightness in her expression as she let out a soft breath. “He’s getting married. Wanted to tell me in person so I wouldn’t find out from someone else.”

  When Beth had first told Josh about what Mitch had done and her subsequent kicking him to the curb, Josh had been furious on her behalf. Irrationally so when he thought back on it. He’d been forced to watch the spark go out in her eyes, something that took him months to reignite. Mitch’s sudden reappearance and Oliver’s bad timing certainly explained Beth’s mood.

  Beth was a vibrant person once you got her morning coffee into her. She’d been embarrassed, then mortified when she’d been caught having sex at work and subsequently fired. When she’d started at Mavericks, she’d worked harder than the others to prove herself. Josh hadn’t regretted his decision to hire her, and over the years had encouraged her impulsive nature and her natural sexiness.

  He wasn’t going to let Mitch and the memory of one bad decision pull her back down. Josh knew there was only one way to make this work.

  “What if I’d told you to stay?”

  Beth shifted her hands to his shoulders, where she squeezed hard. “You did.”

  “No. I mean really told you. Like in the bedroom. Would you have listened?”

  Josh pressed his lips to her pulse point, chuckling when it jumped beneath his touch. Her nails dug into his shoulders harder as she bucked her hips up. The air around them thickened with the unmistakable scent of arousal, making his head spin.

  “Answer me, Beth.”

  “Yes.” She turned her face to nuzzle her nose against his cheek. “Yes, I would have.”

  “Then why did you make him stop?”

  “It was too much…like before.”

  “When Paige caught you and Mitch at the shop?”

  “It’s the single most embarrassing moment of my life.” Her jaw muscle bunched before she bumped her head against his. “For a second Oliver and Mitch were the same in my head and I just couldn’t make that mistake again. I didn’t want Oliver to be another…” She shrugged.

  Josh pulled back enough to see her face. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but no tears had fallen. He knew her well enough to understand the hell she was currently subjecting herself to. Beth wanted Oliver. That much was clear.

  “Oliver is not Mitch.” Josh could never be attracted to a self-absorbed ass.

  “I know.”

  “Oliver cares for you. He came back in right before shift start. Do you trust me?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. Let me fix this for you. I know you could do this on your own, but consider it payment for everything you’ve done for me over the years. Okay?” He could tell she was about to protest and pressed his hand to her mouth. “Okay?” Beth had grown into her ability to take charge. He knew it was a hard habit to break, but she wasn’t going to be able to easily break out of this funk. Not that she couldn’t do it on her own, but Josh could help speed up the process.

  A puff of air squeezed its way between his fingers. She nodded.

  “Good girl. We’ll meet you at your place after close and we’ll work this out.” Before he released her, Josh slid his hand between her legs and pressed gently. “And I don’t want you doing anything about this yet. I want Oliver to finish what he started.”

  “Fine.”

  “Now, go out to the club and do a sweep. You don’t have to go down to the bar, but it couldn’t hurt to let him see you. If I know that boy, he’ll be beating himself up over this.”

  Getting to his feet, Josh pulled Beth out of the chair and against his chest. Her muscles melted under his touch as she relaxed against him. “Thank you.”

  He spun her around gently and nudged her toward the door. “Do a round and then go home. I’ll swing by later and we will make this better.”

  Josh kept his gaze locked on Beth until she left the office. Falling into his chair, he shut down the document she’d been working on and flicked off the monitor.

  Today had more crap piled into it than Josh wanted to deal with. Between the escalating vandalism attacks on the clubs in the area, idiotic lawyers who took pleasure in making others feel like shit, and the newfound tension between two people he was starting to care for, he was exhausted.

  Robert Kingston’s words echoed in his head once more. The temptation to punch the sneer off the other man’s face was one Josh didn’t want to be faced with again—he couldn’t guarantee he’d be able to restrain himself next time. Josh hadn’t intended to sue Allison for her attack. She’d been devastated by the news that her husband was leaving her and had gone a bit far. But based on Kingston’s obvious animosity, he might reconsider out of spite.

  How dare the bastard imply his club members invited the attack on the club? That they shouldn’t be surprised if deviants were being targeted, and perhaps they should be servicing a different clientele?

  Fuck him.

  Whore.

  Josh closed his eyes and let out a long breath. It wasn’t worth the stress to worry about the opinion of a narrow-minded jerk. The views of people like Kingston hadn’t mattered to him before now, and Josh had more important things to concentrate on. Oliver being at the top of that list.

  You’re a filthy whore who needs to be fixed.

  Josh shifted his focus to what was important. He had to figure out a way to get Oliver talking. With Beth it had been easy, but Josh didn’t know the other man as well as he might like. While they had talked about sports, politics and local issues, Josh didn’t know much beyond the basics of Oliver’s life before coming to Mavericks. He’d had a marriage, a house, a breakup and maybe even a breakdown. No details though, and that bothered the hell out of him. He had to get Oliver to lower his guard enough to let Beth in.

  It was time for Josh to make things right.

  Picking up the phone, he waited for the bar line to be connected. “Yeah, Josh?”

  “Oliver, get someone to cover for you and come up to the office. I need to check something with you.”

  “Ah…sure, boss-man. Give me a few.”

  Josh hung up and reached into the bottom drawer of his desk. The bag—hidden in plain sight—had never been questioned by Beth the few times she’d opened the drawer. It wasn’t the sort of thing people thought twice about at Mavericks, which was part of why he enjoyed the nature of his business. It gave him the excuse to keep his favorite toys close at hand. He’d slipped this extra order in the last time he’d restocked the rest of the club. One for Beth. One for Oliver.

  Both for Josh.

  “You needed me?”

  Josh grinned, keeping his hand below the desk so Oliver couldn’t see what he held. “Shut the door and come here.”

  Frowning, Oliver did as instructed. His cautious approach would have been amusing if there wasn’t an issue lurking beneath the surface. Josh fisted the item and put his hands behind his head, leaning back in the chair.

  “Do you trust me?”

  Oliver’s frown deepened. He shifted so he was now half turned toward the door, braced to flee. “Most of the time.”

  “Do you trust that I wouldn’t intentionally do anything to hurt you?”

  “I…” Oliver’s shoulder dropped and he finally faced him. “Trust and I have difficulty sometimes. But I don’t think you�
��d do something maliciously.”

  Josh understood that level of hurt. He’d had front-row seats to so many of his parents’ fights, when they’d still cared enough to fight—seeing anger and mistrust on a massive scale was commonplace for him, and he relived that same pain every time he thought about his mother. “You liked what I did to you the other night at my place?”

  Oliver stiffened and sucked in a deep breath. He didn’t answer immediately, instead he locked his gaze on Josh’s chest and let out a soft moan. “Yeah.”

  “Did you like what I did to you in the bondage room? Suspending you? Spanking you?”

  Oliver closed his eyes. “Yes.”

  Josh lowered his voice but kept the command firm. “Come here.”

  Oliver shuddered but followed the order with only the slightest hesitation. He stopped beside Josh’s chair, his hands balled into fists at his side. “Now what?”

  Sitting up straight, Josh spun his chair so Oliver stood between his thighs. “Now you’re going to listen to me and do exactly what I tell you.” Without asking permission, Josh tugged on the belt that held up Oliver’s jeans. “You walked away from Beth earlier. I didn’t like that.”

  “She told me to stop.”

  “She was reliving a bad experience.”

  “She told me to stop.”

  “Yes, but she didn’t tell you to leave.”

  Without warning, Josh reached past the elastic band of Oliver’s y-fronts and grabbed his semi-hard cock. The gasp and full body shudder only spurred Josh on. He pulled the thickening length from its fabric prison, giving it several long, firm strokes.

  “You’re going to have to make it up to her. And me.”

  “Josh—”

  “You need her and she needs you. I’m not going to let your stubbornness get in the way of what could be an amazing relationship.”

  Leaning in, Josh took in a breath of Oliver’s musk. It made his head spin and his mouth water. He opened his mouth and swallowed Oliver’s cock, teasing it with his tongue until it was straining to full. Oliver’s hands flew to Josh’s head, neither pushing him away nor encouraging him. As though he was scared to make the wrong move and send Josh running.

  So not going to happen.

  Sucking the tip of the head, Josh teased the sensitive vein with his tongue until the other man shook beneath his touch. Only then did he pull back and lick from the middle of Oliver’s balls, up the shaft to the crown. Oliver moaned, his hips bucking in unspoken encouragement.

  When Josh didn’t think Oliver would be able to handle much more, he took the cock ring he’d been hiding and got it ready.

  “I’m going to teach you about finishing what you’ve started, Ollie.”

  The other man groaned as his head fell back, exposing his neck. “Don’t call me that.”

  “I’m going to hold you here, right here while you think you’re going to explode or lose your mind. I’ll do it for so long you’ll be willing to do anything to make it better, to convince me to let you come.”

  Oliver’s fingers tightened in his hair. “Don’t. Please. I—I’ll be good. I won’t hurt her.”

  Josh ignored his protest and slipped the cock ring down Oliver’s shaft and around the base of his balls. It was one of the securest he’d ever used, and he knew exactly how far he’d be able to push Oliver over the next few hours.

  Getting to his feet, Josh kept Oliver’s cock in his hand, squeezing down its length to his balls. “You’re going to stay like this until the end of the shift.”

  “You bastard.”

  “Then you’re going to come back to my office and wait for me to finish closing up the bar.”

  “Fucker.”

  “When I say we’re ready, we are going to drive over to Beth’s place and you’re going to finish what you started today.”

  “Josh.” Oliver grabbed his wrist. His eyes were wide as panic colored his face. “She doesn’t want me to do that.”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “She doesn’t want me. I can’t do that again.”

  “Do what again?” Josh knew this was it, the heart of the problem. If he pushed too much, Oliver would clam up, but he couldn’t sit back and watch him slide down a path that would lead to loneliness. Not when there was someone who would love him unconditionally.

  Oliver huffed out a soft laugh and shook his head. “What if I leave here and go to the can to take it off?”

  “Then you do. I wouldn’t force you into anything you weren’t willing to do. But I know you.” Josh squeezed his balls—hard. “You’re locked up in your head with your guilt, not wanting to bother anyone with your problems. I’m not going to let you do that anymore.”

  “You’re one to talk,” Oliver muttered.

  Josh clamped down on his surprise. Not many people noticed that about him.

  “Maybe not. But I’m the one calling the shots.” Josh leaned in until he was almost touching Oliver’s lips with his own. “So you are going to leave the cock ring on and work the rest of your shift. You are going to come back here when it’s done. And you are going to fuck Beth senseless tonight.”

  Oliver’s nod was nearly imperceptible. “What are you going to do?”

  Josh grinned as he tucked Oliver back into his underwear. Stepping back, he surveyed his handiwork. Instead of the self-restrained man who’d walked into the office, Oliver was now a panting, lust-fueled man, ready to fly out of his skin.

  Perfect.

  “Me? I’m going to make sure it happens.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Beth adjusted the red silk corset and black leather skirt again, questioning the intelligence not only of wearing the outfit, but of going through with Josh’s plan. Her thoughts bounced between wondering if the two men would clue in to the fact that they didn’t need her, and leave, and the memory of the lost look on Oliver’s face.

  Oliver had become a great friend over the past few months, and she cared for him more than she’d realized. The sex they’d shared with Josh had been better than anything else she’d ever experienced with another partner, something she hadn’t anticipated. It shouldn’t be surprising, considering how well they’d slotted into each other’s lives, and yet Beth couldn’t help but question it. She’d been the reason for the absolute dejection on his face, the pain she glimpsed when she’d told him to stop. If she wasn’t careful she might do something else unintentionally and destroy their fragile, fledgling relationship. She didn’t want to be responsible for hurting him.

  Or Josh.

  There was still something going on with him too, though she’d be damned if she could figure it out.

  She’d overreacted to Oliver back at Mavericks, which wasn’t like her. Sure, it was easy to blame her run-in with Mitch. He’d dumped a bomb on her and she’d barely had time to process it, let alone deal with Oliver on his knees begging for sex. But Oliver was different and hadn’t deserved her reaction. Mitch had rarely taken her feelings into account when they’d been together. The whole basis of their relationship had been getting caught having sex at work, not the best of foundations for a long life together.

  Oliver and Josh were her friends first and foremost. She knew in her heart they would never intentionally hurt her. Now she had to prove it to them.

  Beth left her bedroom in a nervous flutter to go in search of boots she could wear with the outfit. She hadn’t even taken the corset out of the bag until tonight, having dropped it in the corner of her bedroom and promptly ignored it ever since. It had been an impulse purchase a few weeks ago, back when she’d been consumed with thoughts of primal sex between the three of them. Images she’d been scared to acknowledge until that night at Josh’s place.

  Had Josh not said something tonight, she might never have had the chance to wear it. Still might not if he wasn’t able
to convince Oliver to come around.

  She jumped, letting out a squeak when the doorbell rang. Shit, she hadn’t even finished cleaning up. She ran through, straightening pillows, shoving dirty dishes into the dishwasher and kicking her kickboxing pads into the closet. She let out a breath as she tucked her hair behind her ears and ran her hands down the length of her leather skirt, before slipping into her boots and opening the door.

  Josh’s large body filled most of the empty space. His long hair had slipped forward, framing his face as he grinned down at her. He looked feral, primitive, the sexiest she’d ever remembered seeing. “Well, hello there. Gorgeous.”

  She pressed her hand to the side of her throat. “This old thing?”

  “Tease.” Josh leaned forward, his forearms resting on the doorjamb. He was holding a bag with the logo of the sex store that supplied them with the toys for the club. Beth’s pussy clenched at the thought of what was inside. “I brought you a present.”

  “What is it?”

  “Consider it part two of what I gave to him.”

  Oliver stood pressed against the far wall of the hallway, eyes locked on Josh. His shirt was unbuttoned already to the middle of his chest so she could see the flush in his pale skin. Oliver’s gaze slid to her belatedly, as if he was barely holding on to what little sanity he had left.

  What the hell had Josh done to him?

  “You two better come in.” She stepped back. “I don’t want my neighbors to think I’ve taken up prostitution as a hobby.”

  Josh chuckled and followed her. Oliver stayed where he was until Josh turned and beckoned him in, crooking his finger before pointing at a spot on the floor.

  “Now.” His tone was as hard as anything she’d ever heard one of the Doms use at the club.

  Like a whip, Oliver bolted to the spot Josh indicated. Beth gasped, mesmerized by the utter surrender in Oliver’s movements. The muscles in his body vibrated with tension even as he knelt before her. Josh closed the door, ignoring Oliver, and made his way to the kitchen.

  “Do you have any special water, or is tap good?”