Switch It Up

by Sara Brookes

  He used exacting precision, alternating between his fingers and the oversized head of the handheld vibrator against her clit. He worked her higher and harder. Maddy gave off a sudden high-pitched wail, her climax unleashing an abrupt gush of fluid over the seat, her thighs and Kochran’s hand.

  Ezra suddenly wasn’t content with observation. Neither was his dick. His rock-hard erection screamed for relief, pulsing with the need to have a slice of these two people.

  When Maddy stopped quivering, Kochran continued manipulating her oversensitive nerves. She had ceased to make any sound except the rapid staccato of her breathing. Kochran held her, using his other hand to unlace the ties on the head cover to remove it. Maddy’s face was flushed red, her hair an unruly mess of tangles. Kochran brushed the sweaty strands back, pressing a tender kiss to the center of her forehead.

  “You’ve never been more beautiful, baby girl,” Kochran said, loud enough for the audience to hear. He signaled for Enver’s assistance, turning over the process of unraveling the bindings while he prepared for Maddy’s aftercare.

  Kochran looked over the crowd, as though he sought something in particular. The instant their gazes collided, Ezra knew. Unspoken need arched between the men. Ezra sensed Kochran had something to say, something vitally important to tell him. Yet, Ezra suspected they both knew exactly what type of animal they each were: two Doms teasing one another, with no intent to engage.

  It wasn’t so much what Kochran had done for Maddy, it was what he’d done to her. As though he could accomplish it through sheer force of will. The tools weren’t simply an extension of Kochran, but they were Kochran. He hadn’t been controlling the flogger and the vibrator, he was those things. That uniqueness was what drew so many people to admire him. Men and women, regardless if they were dominant or submissive, wanted that alluring spark Kochran possessed. Ezra understood Maddy’s draw, why she simply had no choice but to surrender to Kochran.

  He missed the intricacies of domination and submission. That need, that sense of belonging, had drawn him to seek out a job at Noble House. A way to still experience all the lifestyle had to offer without actively participating. Issuing the command to Maddy for her to seek out and explore, watching her follow it through with boundless enthusiasm, stabbed at something deep inside him. Had a more profound effect on him than expected.

  Ezra exited Court. He tried to tell himself it was because aftercare was a private and deeply personal experience, but he damn well knew that was simply an excuse. He had to suppress the urge to join them, to cradle them.

  The simplest explanation was that he was lonely again, a sensation fueled by the intense nature of the scene. By the knowledge he’d been the one to command Maddy to ask Kochran for the public scene. His resentment only stemmed from the fact he hadn’t been a part of it. Looking back, he would have worded his order to Maddy differently.

  Next time it would be all three of them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After the scene in Court, Ezra returned to his office and buried himself in code. He’d wanted to pretend he hadn’t been waiting for Maddy to come talk about her experience, but she’d never returned to his office that night. Probably too caught up in the afterglow. When he’d emerged from behind his computer screen at the wee hours of the morning, he’d discovered he was the lone occupant of the club. Not even Kochran was around. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but it was the first time since he’d started working there that he hadn’t wanted it to be. A strange phenomenon he was still coming to grips with Monday morning when he walked through the club’s front doors.

  After the death of his wife and subsequent abandonment by Kyle, Ezra had fallen into a pattern. He’d become a loner, happier with only himself than having to worry about putting on a facade in order to keep people from inquiring about his life. In the space of a few weeks, that all had changed. He looked forward to coming to the office, making small talk with the other members of the club and listening to their suggestions.

  Most of all, Ezra looked forward to the time he got to spend with Maddy. She’d had to fly to New York for the weekend for more business meetings with her partner. He missed her in the days between the scene in Court and now. Missed seeing her face, smelling the unique notes of her perfume. Even more, he longed for the connection they’d shared every time they’d been together sexually. After seeing her play with Kochran, he wanted to expand things between them. If she was still interested, of course.

  At the reminder of Kochran, Ezra detoured to the lounge and made his way to the door on the far side of the room. He passed a mural of the Noble House crest, looking at it with a new appreciation. Someone had touched up the paint recently, and the three lions were more lifelike.

  The door had been propped open and he pushed it a bit without stepping inside. He wasn’t looking to intrude if Kochran was dealing with club business. But the owner sat alone at his desk, staring off into space. The pen he held was poised in the air, as though he’d stopped in midsentence. It was uncharacteristic for Kochran to be in such a daze. Clearly something weighed on him.

  Ezra had an instant flash of wanting to take care of the man, shield him from his trials and tribulations. Once again, he was compelled to offer comfort where none had been asked for.

  Ezra tamped down on the compulsion and instead cleared his throat. The pen dropped to the desk with a heavy thud as Kochran blinked. “I can come back.”

  “No. It’s fine.” Kochran gestured to the chair. “Excuse me for a second.”

  He disappeared to the lounge, but Ezra knew it wasn’t because Kochran needed a drink. The bar at Noble House didn’t serve liquor and never had. One of Kochran’s strict rules for the club was no alcohol to dull the senses, or be the cause of questionable consent. The bar stocked a steady supply of fruit juices, smoothies and various caffeinated beverages if someone needed a buzz.

  Ezra settled back into a smooth leather chair. Nothing in the room seemed out of place, a sign Kochran was in desperate need of a vacation. The position he held at the club had to be stressful. Handling the everyday workings, paying the bills, interviewing new members, in addition to taking part in scenes he’d been booked for. It was a wonder Kochran managed to find pleasure in this lifestyle anymore.

  Kochran returned with two glasses of ice water, one of which he offered to Ezra.

  “Long day?” Ezra asked before taking a sip.

  “Long life,” Kochran offered with a half-smile. “If I’m not here handling things, I’m at the hospice.”

  A reminder Kochran’s sister wasn’t healthy. Ezra had been down that road before, understood the ins and outs of watching someone you care so much for die a little each day. Knowing there was nothing you could do to control their descent to hell. “How are you doing?”

  Kochran drew his eyebrows together as he blew out a breath with a snort. “No one’s asked me that. Everyone asks about her, as though asking will make the situation better. Like they expect me to have a different answer or that science has suddenly found a miracle cure. Thank you. I’m as well as can be expected.”

  Ezra understood all too well. “People ask because it’s the polite thing to do. They forget terminal illnesses take a toll on the loved ones just as much. Sometimes more. You’ll get through it, being strong for her and then, when it’s over, you’ll fall apart.”

  Kochran’s mouth twisted at the unvarnished truth. Maybe he wouldn’t, but Ezra had watched Kyle, one of the strongest men he’d ever known, crack wide open when Nora passed.

  “I came to talk to you about Maddy.”

  Kochran’s expression softened. “Quite a surprising treasure.”

  “One you wasted no time exploring.”

  “Says the man who had the woman in question pinned to a wall in a server room while he finger fucked her.”

  Ezra smirked. “The King is always watching at Noble House.” He took a drink and
continued, “Nice job with her in Court on Thursday.” No point in pretending he hadn’t been there when Kochran had made eye contact. “We both obviously have an interest in her. Given the fact you know she was with me prior to then, you don’t have an issue with sharing her.”

  Kochran circled around his desk, pulled a sheet out of a drawer and offered it to Ezra. “You may find that interesting.”

  Ezra took the paper and immediately recognized the handwriting as Maddy’s. Though he was already interested in what Kochran had to share, that curiosity increased tenfold.

  He strips away everything just as he strips me. I am naked. Free of any bondage because he pins me with nothing more than his gaze. His voice, stern yet tender at the same time, compels me to follow any command he issues. I know he has my best interests in mind, just as I know he understands what I need more than I do. I am on my knees for my Master, watching him open his pants with a hungry gaze that I know pleases him. The length of his already erect cock is so beautiful I want it inside me. It doesn’t matter where—mouth, cunt or ass—as long as he is a part of me once again.

  He denies me at first, taunting me with the tempting flesh. When he finally grants me the privilege of tasting him, experiencing the texture of him, I nearly explode. But I hold back, knowing I haven’t been given permission to orgasm yet. Only my Master can grant that privilege.

  His voice is low and sexy as I work the ridged head, the steel shaft, the velvety skin of his balls as he blankets me with his loving accolades. He cradles my head, holds it reverently as he fucks my mouth, my throat. He thrusts hard and I don’t care about anything but bringing him pleasure. Not the lack of oxygen, the tears streaming from my eyes or the ache of my empty pussy.

  My only concern is him.

  With a quick rush of breaths mixed with visceral growls, he jets into my throat, forcing me to swallow a piece of him. I know I am blessed because I have been granted this exceptional gift he has allowed me. The power of that knowledge makes me long to have him everywhere possible, to be filled with him until I feel as though I am going to rip in two. And still, I want him to take me deep and hard, surrender to him in a way that I’ve never surrendered to anyone.

  I taste the flavor of his essence still lingering on my tongue as he positions me at his knee, my head cradled on his thigh in a position of total subjugation.

  I am his.

  He is all mine.

  Ezra was tempted to read the words again, but he set the paper on the corner of Kochran’s desk. When he adjusted in his seat, pulling the fabric that was constricting his dick, his gaze lifted to Kochran’s.

  Kochran smirked. “I had the same reaction.”

  Ezra wondered just how many times Kochran had indulged in that little pleasure since Maddy had given it to him.

  “There’s more,” Kochran said as he offered Ezra a few more sheets, printed on different paper. Ezra recognized the handwriting as Maddy’s again. These words were organized in a neat column, but far less care had been taken to make sure the print was legible.

  “What did you do, make her—well, shit, you did,” Ezra said with a short laugh as he scanned through it. Most of the items were common on most submissives’ lists. A few things stood out in relief against the beige paper. “Seems like we’re all on the same page without even trying.” Given the way she’d reacted to hearing Ezra’s suspicions about being watched, he’d easily guessed her as an exhibitionist. Plus, she’d willingly gone into a scene with Kochran after being with Ezra, so her desire for multiple partners wasn’t a shock either.

  “Yes, it seems we are. But these certainly help understand her a little better, which is why I shared them with you. You two have a connection I’m not interested in tampering with. Not to say I won’t use something I see between the two of you to influence her when she’s with me, just as I’m sure you will.” Kochran tapped his fist against the edge of the desk, holding Ezra’s gaze for a long minute. “Which brings me to discuss a few things with you in regard to our resident blonde. Clearly she doesn’t have a problem with experiencing a little fun. I was thinking this would be a good opportunity to work together.”

  “Play with Maddy at the same time?” Ezra stood, shoving his hands into his pockets. He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet as he thought about Kochran’s proposal. “Would tick a few of those boxes.”

  “Eventually. I was thinking more of what happened at Court. The scene we had.”

  “While I watched,” Ezra finished. The thought sent a thread of hot desire unfurling through him. The idea of uncovering those slices he’d kept buried thrilled him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the sight and smell of a submissive. The taste of the commands as they slid off his tongue. It would give him the opportunity to delve deeper into his suspicions about the owner of the club and spend some quality time with Maddy, opening her up to the realm of possibility.

  “I’m betting you want to know about sex given what she had written here.” Ezra tapped an item midway down the list on the paper with his fingers. “And the fact she and I haven’t had intercourse yet. As long as everyone is safe, I’m good for anything. If you’re concerned about jealousy, I’m the last person you should worry about. The green-eyed monster hasn’t visited me since high school. Unless you’re worried about how you’ll react?”

  He held Kochran’s unflinching gaze as a figurative line in the sand etched the tense air between them. Ezra had just thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak, where the prize was unimaginable pleasure.

  Kochran leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “I’m concerned you may not be ready for full domination of a submissive. It’s been a while, Ezra. While I like a good challenge as well as the next Dom, I have to put aside that mindset for a minute and confirm a friend isn’t biting off more than he can chew.”

  The world stilled as Kochran aimed that penetrating gaze Ezra’s way. It wasn’t an inquiry he’d expected Kochran to make. A rush of memories enveloped him, but this time, he was prepared and handled them one breath at a time. He still remembered how it had been waiting for the hospice nurse to pronounce time of death. Nora hadn’t been the type of woman who liked for others to see her out of sorts, so part of her do not resuscitate order had been for her husbands to take care of her. They’d given her a sponge bath, discarded the housecoat she’d worn for nearly a week and put her in her favorite dress and heels. Taken care to place the bracelet the men had given her for their first anniversary around her wrist. Her wedding bands had gone with her as well, though that hadn’t hurt as much as the silver necklace Nora had refused to remove even when she’d been confined to the bed.

  A lot of emotional and sentimental value in her collar.

  After watching the hearse pull away, he and Kyle had sat on the front porch. For the first time since she’d been diagnosed, they’d purged every emotion kept hidden inside. The sadness that she hadn’t been able to live longer in order to experience all life had to offer. The resentment that flared when the initial diagnosis had been made. The anger for what had been taken away too soon.

  “Are you ready for this?” Kochran repeated in a low voice. For an inexplicable reason Ezra didn’t want to waste much time evaluating, Kochran was offering him a lifeline. An escape clause.

  Ezra sat again, unable to remain still. “I will never stop grieving the people I loved and thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Their memories are ingrained in me. Maybe not as prevalent, but—”

  “Still there,” Kochran finished.

  “Always.” Ezra swallowed. “I’ve asked myself that question more times than I care to count. To be perfectly honest, I never had an answer until now.”

  He sat up straighter as the phantom sound of Maddy coming undone rang in his ear. The sight of Kochran tipping her over the edge in front of an audience flashed behind his eyes at the same time. He needed both those things, and he wanted to exp
lore the strange phenomena of the synchronicity they all shared.

  He shifted again in the chair as a slender thread of anticipation wove through his stomach. If he was truly ready, he wasn’t going to half-ass it or second-guess every decision he made. He would have to play a few hunches, hedging a lot on something Kyle had once told him about exceptionally strong Dominants—like Kochran.

  That strength usually came from submission. Though Kochran may have preferred the dominant aspect of the lifestyle, Ezra suspected he had once found pleasure in submission. But given Kochran’s attitude—and his reputation—he wasn’t the type who would want others to know something he probably saw as a flaw.

  As Ezra drew breath to ask a few questions of his own, he stopped. Kochran wouldn’t answer even if asked directly. If he was really going to do this, he’d get more pleasure from allowing the path to unfold organically.

  “Yeah. I’m good.” He finished off the last of the water, noticing the look Kochran gave him when he licked a few drops from his lips. Oh, this is gonna be fun. “Real damn good.”

  * * *

  As Ezra left his office, Kochran tried hard not to stare. Or worse, go after the man. He wasn’t surprised Ezra had come to see him. In those last moments with Maddy at Court, Kochran had recognized that predatory glow to Ezra’s eyes. He’d wondered for a time if Ezra was going to stake claim on the fascinating woman, and he’d hoped it wouldn’t come to that because he was keen to watch Ezra scene with Madeline in a more official capacity.

  He was genuinely concerned about Ezra’s unique situation, but if this sort of arrangement was going to work, he was going to have to trust Ezra. Take him at his word that he was physically and mentally prepared.

  Kochran spun around and tapped the keyboard to bring the monitors out of sleep mode. His routine at this point of the day was to scan through the feeds and gauge where the most activity would be for the evening. With this new facet, he had to guess where the most likely place was for Ezra to take Maddy for a session. Court was usually the top choice, but for some reason, Kochran’s gaze was drawn to the security feeds for a row of semi-private rooms. He checked the reservation logs. Only one name marked in a single room for Wednesday night.