by Lilia Moon
Two more kinky people wondering if maybe a real life is possible.
Tonight is sowing a lot of seeds. Watering a lot of hidden and not-so-hidden yearnings.
But there’s one flower I intend to see bloom personally. Because she deserves it, and because she’s made very clear this is a piece of what she wants from me. And even though I’m a semi-retired Dom, I can’t ignore that kind of request from a woman asking to give me her surrender.
I wrap Gabby a little tighter in my arms. “Tell me why you escaped to the kitchen earlier.”
She turns and leans into my chest. “Don’t worry, I’ve been keeping track of all the negative thoughts for you.” Her head tips up and she smiles. “You can chase them away with your hand later.”
So much trust. “It seems like you’re doing a pretty good job of that on your own now.”
Her head shake is instant—and then she blushes. And then she starts to laugh quietly against my chest. “My head agrees with you. The rest of me is pretty fond of your method of reinforcement.”
I nuzzle into her hair. “It only works because you allow it to.”
She melts a little deeper against me.
I could keep her here all night, but I want her to soak in more of the evidence in my living room. The easy acceptance from so many people that we fit with each other, that we’re good for each other, that I deserve her in my life and she’s entirely worthy to be in mine.
I can, however, give her a taste of what I’m planning for later. Gently, because there are vanilla people here still. “Come with me.”
She looks up in surprise, hearing the Dom undertones.
I stifle a smile and walk away, knowing that she’ll follow.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Gabby
I have no idea what he’s up to—but that determined set to his shoulders says it’s probably going to make me squirm.
I follow him into his bedroom, trying not to squeak as he closes and locks the door. “Daniel. You can’t spank me now.”
He runs his finger along the bodice of my dress, following the curves of my breasts. “Not what I had in mind.”
This time I definitely squeak. “I’m not very quiet when I come.” At least not when he’s the one making it happen. Which is a revelation, but not one I want to share with all my friends and family.
“I know.” He grins and swoops down for a kiss. And then steps away, his game face back on. “There are other ways to give you a little reminder tonight that you belong to me. Bend over, elbows on the bed, panties around your knees, ass bare.”
I’m wet and I don’t even know what he’s going to do. I’m also horrified. “Daniel.”
He hooks a finger into the top of my dress and tugs. “Now, sweetheart.”
There’s a way I feel when he does this—a kind of alive that I don’t feel any other time—that moves my feet, even though I’m already dying inside at the thought of having to leave this room in a minute and face all the eyes. Face my own eyes. The ones inside me that somehow still think that in this realm of sex and desire, I’m not enough for this man.
He scowls at me, and I know he can hear some of my thoughts.
That, more than anything, has me scrambling the last steps to the bed.
He helps me bend over, puts my elbows down on the plush cover, brushes my ear with his lips. “I know you’re trying, Gabby. Trying to believe. Let me help you.”
My breath goes out in a whoosh, and a lot of my worries with it. He knows. And he’s still here. “Okay.”
His hand strokes my bottom, sliding under my panties, pushing them down.
I turn my face into the covers and moan. Quietly.
He runs his fingers into my wetness. “I hope you know what it does to me to discover you all slick and ready for me like this. I’m going to spend hours just licking you later.”
I feel myself spurting into his hand, and moan into the covers again.
He chuckles—and then his fingers change direction, heading back toward my bottom. Fondling the valley where he played last night. He lays something on the bed near my face. “Take a look at this, sweetheart. The next place it’s going is in your beautiful ass.”
My eyes nearly cross as they try to focus. He’s doing things with his fingers that are making it really hard to pay attention. I whimper, very quietly, as his finger slides in. It feels so much better than the other day.
He growls, low and fierce. “Keep that up and we won’t be leaving this room again tonight.”
Party. Guests. Grandchildren.
He picks up whatever was on the bed. I have a vague impression of something turquoise and shaped like a fat arrowhead, but that’s all.
I groan as I feel it replacing his finger. Pushing. Trying to get inside me. I squirm, not sure whether I like this or not.
“Easy, Gabby. Just relax for me.” His fingers are massaging the muscles around the plug, but it’s his voice that does the job. I feel a strange pop, and then an odd fullness. He chuckles and plants a kiss on my bottom. “You made that very easy.”
He collects my panties at my ankles and slides them back up my legs, over whatever he’s just put inside me. “Stand up now.”
I do, and it’s a very strange feeling. I hold on to his shoulders and wiggle a little, doubtfully. “Can I sit down with this?”
He laughs and kisses my cheek. “Ask Doxy for tips. I’d lay bets she’s wearing one tonight too.”
That is so not something I ever imagined asking my friends.
His eyes get serious. “I want you to use this just like my hand spanking your ass. If you doubt at all for the rest of tonight, even for a moment, that you’re everything that I need and want, all you have to do is look at me, and I’ll help you remember.”
He’s so sweet. And then I process his actual words. “Wait. What do you mean you’ll help me remember?”
He lifts a tiny turquoise two-button remote out of his pocket and hands it to me. “Go ahead. Give it a test run.”
This is a very bad idea. It must be a very bad idea. I push the on button and dive for him as the thing in my bottom starts to move. Just a little, but enough that everything in me is focused on what it’s doing.
“Perfect.” He takes the remote from me and turns the vibrations off. His voice is full of approval—and desire. “That should redirect your mind from any unfortunate thoughts.”
My mind, and my blood, and my ability to string together coherent sentences. I’ve read about this in books. I know what will happen if I go back out there like this. I grab for the remote as he slides it into his pocket. “Daniel, everyone will know.”
He catches my hands. “Trust me.”
The voices object. I take a deep breath, because I don’t want them to win. And because somewhere that matters deeply, I do trust him.
Chapter Fifty
Daniel
I make sure I’m the one meeting people’s eyes when we come around the corner out of the bedroom. I’m not worried about my poker buddies, but the rest are wild cards in this particular game.
It doesn’t surprise me at all that there’s a wall of them waiting. Jules, Emily, Scorpio, and Shani, who’s holding a very sleepy Evie. None of them are watching me. All of them instantly scan the woman beside me.
I breathe an invisible sigh of relief when their faces collectively soften.
Emily winks at me. I huff a laugh. Apparently my relief is more visible than I think it is.
Jules walks over to us. “Shani and I are going to take the girls home. Evie’s getting ready to crash.”
I wave my arms at the many beds behind me. “They can sleep anywhere here if you’d like to stay longer.” I’m suddenly very loath to have any of the magic of this evening leave.
She reaches up and kisses my cheek. “I’ll take you up on that someday soon, but Evie’s cutting her two-year molars, so she’ll do best in her own bed.”
Jimmy looms up behind her, a tiny, sleeping girl curled into his chest. “I’m pr
etty sure this one wants to stay with me.”
He gets a kiss too. “I heard you promising to take Tash to the zoo.”
The toughest Dom in Seattle turns red. “Sorry. I probably should have checked with you first. My daughters haven’t figured out how to make babies yet, and it’s killing me.”
Doxy pats his arm and smiles at Jules. “We’d love to take them, if you’d ever like to have an afternoon free. I promise to make sure Jimmy gives them back.”
Jules strokes her sleeping daughter’s hair. “That sounds really good, actually. Will you carry her to the car for me?”
Jimmy looks like he’s just won the Super Bowl.
Amma is right behind them, Meghan at her shoulder. “I’m off too. I’ve got an early shift tomorrow. Meg’s on my way home, so I’ll give her a ride.”
I smile. The vanilla people are all headed to bed. The Fettered crowd is used to staying up later, so they’re all still on the couches, although there are more than a few wistful glances at the departing toddlers. I open the door to let some of our guests out, and grin at Quint, who’s just arriving.
He navigates the river of small children and big Doms and sneaks Gabby out of my arms. “Hello, sexy lady. Ready to dump this guy and run away to Argentina with me yet?”
She smiles at him. “Why Argentina?”
He runs a hand over his damp hair. “Because it’s not raining there?”
She laughs. “You like the rain. I see you out running in it all the time.”
Quint doesn’t live anywhere near Gabby.
He grins at me. “She feels sorry for me when I’ve been running for hours. She feeds my poor, tired muscles lasagna.”
And her neighbors see a big guy and his big muscles, just passing through. I keep quiet. If she hasn’t figured out yet that Doms can be a little overprotective, I’m not going to be the one to break the news.
Quint takes off his wet things and leaves them in my front closet. “I heard there’s food. And Mattie to harass in the kitchen.”
She sticks her head out and I wave her over. “You’re officially off duty now. Come join us in the living room.”
Quint wraps an arm around her shoulder. “Show me where all the good food is first.”
She elbows him like he’s her very annoying big brother. “You think all food is good.”
I wait until he drags her off to the kitchen. And then I slide a hand in my pocket.
Gabby gives me a dirty look as she gasps and grabs my shoulders. “What’s that for? I was only thinking happy, slightly maternal thoughts.”
I grin and kiss her pouting lips. “Just because I can, sweetheart. Because I love to see you all flustered and hot and wanting.” I lean forward and nuzzle her ear. “I’m going to set this off later when I slide inside you.”
She leans into my chest, cursing a very interesting blue streak under her breath.
I turn it off and nip the top of her ear. “And maybe when I bend you over and lick you, too.”
This time I don’t get words. Just a very creative, threat-laden moan.
Chapter Fifty-One
Gabby
I stand in front of Daniel’s hallway mirror, looking at my puffy lips and rosy cheeks and wild eyes, and the only sound I can make is a strangled laugh. I pat my hair in some kind of hopeless attempt to look like I didn’t just beg to come at the front door.
And then I hear a click. A shutter. A sound I know very well.
I spin around and glare at Leo, standing behind me with his camera.
He laughs and takes a rapid series of shots. “You look absolutely gorgeous when you’re mad, darling.”
I snarl and laugh all at the same time. “Flattery won’t get you out of this, Leo Garrity.”
Daniel steps up beside me. “I asked him to take some pictures tonight, so that I can remember what it feels like to have my home full of this kind of energy.”
Leo smiles. “I got one of Tash and Jimmy that’s going to make everyone weep. And some of Ari doing couch cartwheels with Evie, and a really romantic shot of Damon and Emily that she’s probably going to kill me for.”
Emily’s insanely camera shy. I lean my head on Daniel’s shoulder. “You’re going to get killed and fired and then killed again.”
“Yeah.” Leo’s clicking away, and I’m letting him, because the man beside me wants these pictures for all the right reasons and I can’t resist him at all.
Leo crouches down, catching us from a low angle. And then he winks at Daniel and I have just a moment to be curious before the damn plug in my bottom comes to life again.
I try valiantly not to let it show all over my face, but it’s a hopeless battle. I turn to the man with the remote, murder in my eyes.
He wraps one hand around my back, the other around the nape of my neck, and kisses me thoroughly enough that by the time he’s done, I can’t even remember my own name.
And then he nuzzles into my neck and turns the remote off. “You’re completely irresistible when you do that.”
Leo snickers quietly from his spot safely down the hallway. “You could have at least told the rest of us to bring toys too.”
Daniel laughs and kisses me again. “Sorry. It wasn’t planned.”
I stare at him, and then at the man foolish enough to still be kneeling in the hallway grinning at us. “Oh no. Does everyone know?”
“In this group?” Leo nods. “Yeah, I imagine so. You’ve got a pretty cute wiggle going on there. Nobody with eyes is going to miss that, and nobody with kinky eyes is going to be confused about why.”
I’m never going to be able to face my friends again. “I have to work with you and Emily and Scorpio. And I have to teach a bunch of those people in there how to make deviled eggs next week.”
Leo’s lips quirk. “Sweetie, Sam is mad at me because I left our anal plugs at home. Nobody’s judging you, and the ones lucky enough to have their Doms along just want to get in on your brand of fun.”
I stare at Daniel, because I’ve just realized there are so many places where this might be headed—and I can’t handle any of them.
He shakes his head, amused, and kisses my forehead. “Leo, quit scaring her. This isn’t a play party, sweetheart. Nobody will be taking off any of their clothes. They might follow my lead a little because I couldn’t resist teasing you, but that’s all. If you get uncomfortable, you just say so and everything will stop.”
I passed uncomfortable miles and hours ago. But I don’t want him to stop. I just don’t know how to hold my world together when I walk back in his living room.
Leo stands and reaches for my hands, looking a lot earnest and a little worried. “I’m a bad friend, so let me try to explain a little. Gabby, this is just like when you make everybody cookies.”
I stare at him. “What?”
He chuckles and squeezes my fingers. “Think, sweetie. Why do you bake for all of us?”
That seems like the most obvious thing in the world. “Because I like you. Because it helps bring a little happiness into your days and it makes me feel good to be able to do that for you.”
He nods, his eyes soft and warm. “Exactly. And when you stand beside Daniel and squirm and look at him like he’s the most edible hunk of man ever, that shares happiness too. All of us feel a little more desire toward the special person in our life because you’re letting us see yours.” He leans forward and kisses my astonished cheek. “It’s like the kinky version of baking us all cookies.”
My brain can’t compute. And then it can. “Like when Emily forgets to finish a sentence at work because she’s so in love. Or Scorpio gets all gooey when Harlan calls.” It melts the rest of us a little too.
Leo smiles. “Or when Evie squeals and latches on to your leg, or Tash peers at Jimmy from under those luscious eyelashes of hers and the big man turns to putty. Good feelings are contagious, and it’s a gift to share them. The vanilla world tends to keep the sexy ones under wraps, but we don’t.”
I can’t believe I suddenly
feel proud to have a vibrator in my bottom—like it’s some kind of embarrassingly wonderful public service. I grin at Leo. “Thank you. And I need to be the first one who sees those pictures.”
He laughs. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Edible hunk of man?” Daniel’s voice is dry and very amused.
Leo snickers and winks at him as he walks away. “Roll with it, hot stuff.”
I laugh—and then Daniel’s pushing the evil turquoise button again and it’s all I can do not to come right where I stand.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Daniel
They look like a harem. Gabby and her retinue, draped all over my biggest couch.
She’s the star of them all, vibrant and gorgeous and so close to being mine I can taste it. And if I keep messing with her, she’s absolutely going to kill me where I sleep. I grin and give the anal plug another buzz, just to see the coherence in her eyes shatter.
Ari laughs and wraps her arm around Gabby’s shoulders. “He’s a heartless bastard, that one.”
Quint snorts at her from over beside me. “We can find someone to spank you, you know.”
Ari sticks out her tongue at him. “You can try.” Then she turns back to my sexy, still quivering woman. “Breathe now, Gabs, or you’re going to get off just sitting here and that’s going to make me totally jealous.”
Gabby turns tomato red. “I couldn’t do that.”
Everything in me stills, because there was a lot more in those words than simple embarrassment. The voices that slice at her happiness have just come out to fight.
And I’m not the only one who heard it. Ari casts me a careful look, but a very clear one. Somebody’s going to deal with this. I’m being given the first chance.
I keep my head shake to myself. This evening has taken on a life of its own. In the old days, I ran things. Tonight, I’m a Dom with more accomplices than I have fingers. And none of them are doing this for me. Gabby’s guardians all want to help make the same point I do, once and for all.
