by Avery Gale
Gage was certain Holly had forgotten that he had actually asked her two questions and he was just getting ready to demand a response when he heard her breathy answer. “Yes…yes to both questions. He said I couldn’t, but I do.” Gage had damned well understood the first thing she’d said, but the second was a complete mystery and judging by the confused expression he saw on Jace’s face, his friend didn’t know what she’d meant either.
Holly’s head had fallen back against Gage’s shoulder and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was actually grateful for a sub’s failure to follow an instruction because it gave him a chance to get the go ahead from Jace. At his friend’s signal to proceed, Gage leaned down and bit just hard enough at the tender place where Holly’s neck met her shoulder to get her attention. When she jerked her head back up, her eyes wide and glazed over with her arousal, Gage had to suppress his smile. “That’s right, sweetie, you need to keep those beautiful emerald eyes focused on Master Jace. No matter what I do to you, I don’t want you to look away from him, do you understand?”
Gage would have bet she hadn’t heard a word he’d said because her breathing was little more than shallow pants and he felt her heart pounding against the hand he had splayed over her chest. Being so tall was a definite advantage at times like this because he was able to reach around her with his other hand and slide it up under her dress until he was at the top of her panties. Slipping his fingers under the elastic and feeling the lace rasp against his knuckles he groaned as his fingers slid over her bare mound. God in heaven, if there was one thing he loved on a woman it was a waxed pussy and Holly Mills was completely bare to his touch—and touch he did. He slipped his fingers through the soaking folds all the way to the tight rosette at the back and whispered, “Oh sweetie, you just made me a very happy man indeed. I wish Master Jace could see your waxed pussy because he’d be as turned on by it as I am.” He felt her body tremble and knew she was getting closer.
“Open your legs a little further for me sweetheart. I want to feel each and every one of the soft petals of your soaking sex. You are so wet for me and I am very pleased by the feeling of my fingers gliding effortlessly through your nether lips.” He felt a fresh wash of her syrup roll over his fingers as he spoke to her. The small bud of her clit was peeking out from under its hood and when he gave it a gentle squeeze her felt her begin to shake. He was glad he had both of his arms wrapped around her so all he had to do was tighten his grip, because he was sure her legs weren’t going to hold her much longer. And the Dom in him was pleased more than he’d admit that he was going to knock her right off her feet.
“Tell Master Jace how wet you are for me, Holly.” He heard Jace groan and knew there was going to be hell to pay for torturing his friend, but fuck it, Jace was the one who had sent Gage to secure her, so in Gage’s view that set the stage for the scene playing out now. Gage heard Jace growl what sounded a lot like “fuck me” and worried that his own voice had been too abrasive for a woman he had barely ever even spoken to.
He felt her knees begin to sag so he gave her pussy a small swat, and nearly came when her words immediately started to tumble out. “Master Jace, my pussy is very wet and the feel of Master Gage’s fingers sliding all the way from the front to the back is making me want to come more than I want my next breath. He was wrong, I’m so happy he was wrong, because this feels so good.” Gage had been fighting off his own release and he wanted to attribute his confusion over her words to the fact that his brain was being forced to function with a minimum supply of oxygen since all his blood was currently residing between his navel and his knees. He needed to get this moving along before he bent her over, tore her lacy little panties off that smooth pussy and fucked her until they were both sated—and God only knew how long that would take.
Glancing to his right, Gage noted Ian and Callie standing just a few feet away. From what he could tell Ian was mirroring his actions and using the scene to feed his sweet sub’s voyeuristic kink. Since he didn’t know how Holly would react to being watched he wasn’t going to draw her attention to her boss and his new wife. He’d just keep Holly’s attention on Jace and they’d save the questions about her hard and soft limits for later—a lot later.
“Don’t take your eyes off Master Jace, sweetness. Tonight is about your pleasure, but I won’t let you be a bratty sub either. If you close your eyes or look away, he’ll tell me and then I’ll have to paddle your beautiful ass, and that isn’t how I want tonight to play out. Oh no, baby girl, I want my hands all over you, but first I want to feel you come apart in my arms.” Holly Mills was probably the sexiest woman he’d held in his arms since he and a few of the others in Ian’s trusted circle had helped him with a punishment scene for Callie a few months ago. But that had been entirely different because everyone had always known that Callie’s heart and soul belonged to Ian. But Holly was reacting to both he and Jace and he wondered to himself if perhaps she might be the one they’d been hoping to find.
Jace pulled her small curvy body even tighter against his chest and just as he felt her body start to convulse in his arms he bit down on her shoulder again and growled. “Come for us, Holly.” He heard her low-pitched scream just as he felt his fingers being flooded with her cum. He couldn’t wait until he could feel her come over his tongue as he fucked her with it and curled it up to scrap over the sensitive spot he’d felt with his fingers. One scrape of his callused finger over her G-spot and she’d gone off like a rocket. Gage’s only regret was that he hadn’t been able to see her eyes as she’d climaxed, but from the look on Jace’s face it must have been spectacular.
Gage scooped Holly up into his arms and was quickly making his way toward one of the smaller sitting areas at the back of the main lounge when he heard Ian call out to Jace. Gage didn’t stop to see what their boss wanted because he knew it wouldn’t be a long discussion. Ian had given his tiny sub her own screaming orgasm so he’d be anxious to provide her with a few minutes of downtime before returning to their guests. That was Gage’s plan as well, because proper aftercare was essential following a scene, and particularly so for less experienced submissives because the emotional overload often led to a crash while coming back down from the high. Until subs understood that the crash was perfectly normal, it could be very unsettling and frightening.
Settling down on a leather sofa, Gage cuddled Holly to his chest and just took in the musky scent of her arousal which was overpowering the citrus scent of her shampoo. In a few minutes he’d show her to the ladies’ locker room where he knew she would find anything and everything she might need to freshen up before they joined the party. But for the next few minutes he wanted to give her a chance to come back to earth. He’d let her get her bearings and then there were several things the three of them needed to discuss. He hoped Jace would join them before she started asking questions. He knew they would start—there wasn’t any doubt about that—but at the moment, he wasn’t sure exactly how to answer them. He knew he and Jace needed to present a united front with Holly if they planned to share her at all.
* * * *
Jace stood in front of his best friend and one of the sweetest women he’d ever met, too stunned to speak. When he’d first heard Ian’s voice calling him over, he’d been tempted to ignore his friend and continue following Gage and Holly. But there had been something in Ian’s tone that had told Jace he wasn’t going to be willing to back off. When he’d nodded his head toward his office, Jace had wanted to roll his eyes because this evidently wasn’t going to be a quick conversation.
When they had all three sat on the leather sofa in Ian’s office, he’d pulled Callie’s tiny feet into his lap as he usually did during aftercare and rubbed them gently. When she looked up at him he’d seen tears swimming in her pretty eyes and he’d felt his heart clench. If she’d seen the scene then it was likely she’d seen how fiercely he’d had to fight his desire to touch Holly, and if he’d hurt Callie he was going to feel like a real asshole. She must have see
n the regret in his eyes because her expression cleared immediately and she quickly scrambled onto his lap. She placed her hands on the sides of his face, “Jace, I want you to do something for all of us.” When the little imp looked at him, he could suddenly see the mischief that was always just below the surface with her. “And after all, it’s my wedding day…so you can’t very well deny me this one simple request.”
He was having trouble not telling her to just get on with it, but he decided she was right, there was very little he’d ever be able to deny her when it came right down to it. They had become very close over the past few months and even though he wasn’t in love with her, he loved her. It felt something like his feelings for his younger sister, Abby—but then again, definitely not.
The little minx stroked her fingers through his hair at his temples, a move she knew he found immensely relaxing, and as usual he closed his eyes, lost in the pure pleasure of her touch. He jerked his eyes open when he heard Ian’s chuckle, “Carlin, you better continue or you’re going to start something you aren’t going to be willing to finish.”
Callie shook her head as if her Master’s words had brought her back to the present. Jace almost laughed out loud at her bright pink blush. How she could still manage to blush after all he and Ian had taught her was a testament to what a good person she was. But anyone who underestimated the tiny blonde, as he had that first night, was going to find out the hard way why Ian had nicknamed her Carlin because she more than lived up to the Irish name meaning “little warrior.”
Ian was shocked by Callie’s next words, “Please go after the woman you are so obviously interested in. I’ll miss you as our third, but what kind of a friend would I be if I stood between you and the happiness that you so richly deserve?” Callie leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Just promise me you’ll still be my friend and confidant, even if you aren’t our third any longer. Because, Master Jace, you and I both know I need all the help and guidance I can get.” Her sweet smile squeezed his heart.
God Almighty he was glad Ian had found Callie because she had been a saving grace for both of them. She’d come into their lives when Jace had decided there wasn’t a woman out there worth their salt. He’d been burned once too often and had decided that commitment might not be in his future despite his and Gage’s hope to find a special woman to share. Ian had been antsy for months before Callie’s less than stealthy arrival in the middle of the night, and everyone around him had been worried about him. But everything seemed to fall immediately into place from the first moment Ian touched her, the sense of peace that had fallen over him had been almost palpable.
Thinking back on that night and how “Calamity Callie” had fallen, banged around, and cursed out at the end of the dock still made Jace chuckle. He and Ian had been completely blown away by the little blonde sprite from that first encounter, and her friendship would always be a treasure Jace held close to his heart.
“Sweetness, there isn’t an explosive made that could destroy our friendship. It will always be one of my most valuable possessions.” He paused to hug her tiny frame close to his chest. When he looked up at his best friend, he saw nothing in Ian’s eyes but love and compassion. Lifting her easily and settling her back onto Ian’s lap, Jace stroked his fingers slowly down the side of her elfin face. She was such an amazing contrast of fragile and strong and the combination was further enhanced by her sweet spirit.
But, as excited and happy as he was for his best friend, Jace knew it was time to chase his own happiness. There was just something about Holly Mills that called to him, where exactly it would lead them was anyone’s guess, but it was certainly time to find out.
Chapter 5
The sadness Jace had expected to feel at the idea of stepping away from being the third for Ian and Callie didn’t materialize and he was certain that was mostly due to the anticipation he felt about finally being able to pursue a relationship with the curvy little brunette who had captured his interest so many months ago. Rounding the corner into the small sitting area he had been sure Gage would use, his heart stuttered at the sight of Holly curled in Gage’s lap. Jace sat down on the small loveseat and was happy to see the soft subbie blanket his friend had wrapped her in was tucked around her loosely enough that he could easily slide his hands inside and pull her legs across his lap.
He felt her stiffen, but held her calves firmly in his large hands. He felt Gage’s gaze on him and when he looked up into his friend’s eyes he could see the silent question there. At his nod, Gage seemed to relax, knowing that everything with Ian and Callie had obviously been resolved. Both men were firm believers in loyalty and fidelity. Their Texas upbringings and values their families had instilled were still rock solid despite the fact neither of them had lived in the Lone Star state for many years.
“Holly, I want you to know that Ian and Callie have released me from our agreement. If I was still their third I wouldn’t be touching you. I want you to understand that as long as you, Gage, and I are exploring the attraction we’re all feeling we won’t touch another woman unless our jobs at the club require it for some reason.” Even though she was looking at him, he wasn’t entirely convinced she was fully focused on his words yet.
“Pet, I need you to focus on me for a moment, can you do that?” He watched as her eyes seemed to clear for a moment just before they filled with tears. He watched, completely stunned as the tears ran in streams down her cheeks. Glancing up at Gage he could tell that he was just as baffled. “Holly, tell us why you are crying.” Jace let enough of his Dom tone ring through the command that she would know he wasn’t going to let it go, but he also knew that she would have heard the compassion and sincerity as well. She shifted her gaze between the two of them quickly before dropping her eyes to her lap, but still hadn’t answered. Jace lifted her chin with his fingers so she was forced to look at him. “Right now, Holly, or we’ll have to take you to one of the private rooms and deal with your misbehavior. And since this is our first chance to really have a conversation, that isn’t how either Master Gage or I would prefer this to go.”
Gage moved her face to his own and raised a brow. “Sweetheart, don’t make us punish you right out of the gate. Much as I can barely contain myself thinking about getting my hands on your sweet ass, I would rather your memories of tonight are not of us paddling an answer out of you.”
“I’m sorry, I just got lost in thought for a bit. It’s been so long since anyone actually saw me that I…well, I was overwhelmed at the feeling of it for a bit, you know?” For the life of him, Jace couldn’t figure out what she’d just said. Hell, it had sounded like English, but it hadn’t made any sense whatsoever.
Gage looked at him and shrugged, “I don’t have a fucking clue what she just said, but something about it makes me think somewhere along the line this little beauty has been sold a bill of goods about her value. And the part that chafes my ass is that she seems to have bought into it hook, line, and sinker.” Jace knew Gage as well as anyone, and there was no doubt in his mind that his friend was only half kidding. Both Jace and Gage were like the other Doms at Club Isola who believed that protecting their submissives meant not only looking out for their physical needs, but meeting their emotional needs as well. None of them had any patience with abuse, no matter what form it was presented in. Gage continued looking at Holly and then lowered his tone. “Sweetness, you need to clarify your statement. You’re dealing with a couple of country boys here, and well darlin’—sometimes we can be a bit thick.” The only thing thick about Gage Hughes was his Texas accent when he decided to let it out in full force. As a Special Forces operative, Gage had been trained in two other languages and had actually become fluent in several others as well, so his accent was usually nowhere to be heard. But, if it suited his purpose, he could call it forth in a heartbeat.
Jace looked at Holly’s wide-eyed look and nearly laughed out loud. “Pet, try that answer again. This time, make sure you aren’t just thinking out loud.” If he’d
had to guess, he would have to assume she had answered the question aloud, but her answer sounded more like she’d been speaking to herself than to them. He could only hope that he and Gage would be as lucky as Ian and their woman would think out loud. God he and Ian had enjoyed Callie’s little mental road trips as they’d referred to them, because she had often narrated the journeys so they had been able to easily figure out what she had been thinking most of the time. Lately she’d seemed to only lapse into that when she was particularly stressed or tired. He and Ian had both commented how much they missed listening to the quirky way her mind processed information.
The puzzled look on Holly’s face was adorable, but she seemed to clue in quickly and for the first time, Jace saw a glimmer of spirit in her pretty green eyes. “Oh, well okay. I’ll be happy to explain, but just so you know, I’m not buying that lame country boy routine at all. I know you are both former Special Forces and since I’ve had friends in various branches of the military’s special teams, I am well aware of how bright you have to be to get into the SEALS and Rangers.”
Both Jace and Gage blinked at her in surprise and then burst out laughing. Jace recovered first so he was the one to respond, “Well, my sweet pet, I don’t know why I’m startled to find out how well-informed and articulate you are when I should have known you would be. Hell, anyone who works in Ian’s executive offices has to be the cream of the crop. And impressing Daphne Craig would be even harder than performing satisfactorily for Ian. So, on behalf of Gage and myself, I’ll ask you to forgive us for assuming that excuse would fly. And I assure you we’ll come up with something better to cover up our intellectual failings in the future.”
