by Cara Adams
Cam came up to him, hands on hips, jaw thrust out. “The lady with the big boobs is going to get her way, isn’t she? We’re going to be putting in a swimming pool on the third floor.”
“That’s what it looks like, Cam. But not any old swimming pool. An infinity pool.”
“What’s an infinity pool?”
“Fuck if I know, but that’s what she wants.”
“Right. Well, likely we’d better get a move on finishing off the first floor or we’ll never get to the third floor.”
Personally, right now, Jason wouldn’t have cared if they didn’t get to the third floor, but a job was a job and the contract had been signed. Even if it was about to be rewritten. Not that he could understand why anyone in Ohio would want a swimming pool on their balcony. Unless they planned to use it as an ice skating rink in February.
* * * *
Promptly at nine o’clock on Wednesday, Jason knocked on the door of the manager’s apartment, ready to escort the manager and his lady to order the infinity swimming pool. The manager opened the door a mere crack and whispered, “Barbie’s still asleep. Give me your number and I’ll call you when we’re ready to go.”
Jason did as he was told and then walked downstairs, looking at his clean clothes and sighing. He was wearing good jeans, clean boots, and a button-down shirt, instead of his usual work clothes. Now he had the choice of getting his good clothes ruined by working in them or sitting and watching his men work when they were really busy and needed his help.
He’d thought when he’d been told to take the manager swimming pool shopping this morning he’d gotten lucky since he was due to go out to lunch with Juliana and Beckett. He’d been patting himself on the back that he wouldn’t be as dirty and disreputable-looking as he’d feared he might have been.
Now, he was going to be just as dirty, but it was his good clothing that would be damaged, his good boots scuffed, and he’d have to go out with the client looking messy as well. He took off his button-down shirt. Maybe he could save it even if his jeans were going to get soiled. He was sure his boots wouldn’t survive the treatment they were likely to get. Dammit. Why hadn’t he put a spare pair in his truck this morning?
Before beginning work he made sure the sound on his cell phone was turned up to the loudest setting so he could hear it over the talking, hammering, and sawing.
Every ten or fifteen minutes he stopped and checked his phone, but there were no messages. Ten o’clock passed and then eleven. Now he was really worried. Could he tell them he was unavailable until one? Or even two? No, he couldn’t. Sighing, he rang Juliana and then Beckett to tell them about his job.
“What’s an infinity pool?” asked Juliana.
“If we ever actually get to the pool supply store, I’ll be able to tell you.”
“Don’t worry. Your work is important. We’ll have plenty of other opportunities to have lunch together.”
Beckett simply said, “It can’t be helped. I’ll see you and Juliana on Sunday.”
But that didn’t mean Jason was pleased. He was incredibly disappointed to miss his date with Juliana and Beckett. As he slid his cell phone back into his pocket, he tried to quantify his feelings. I think I’m falling in love with Juliana. She’s everything I want in a woman. It’s early days as yet, but she’s definitely very special.
As for Beckett, he was a man he trusted, and a friend.
Just then his cell phone rang. “Barbie’s in the shower. We’ll be downstairs inside an hour.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Jason swiped off the call. An hour in the shower? And she still wanted a swimming pool? He shook his head. This is going to be an interesting afternoon. And likely it will take the entire afternoon at the speed we’re moving right now.
* * * *
Juliana wasn’t sure what her feelings were about the broken lunch date. On the one hand, she’d been looking forward to spending time with both men again. On the other hand, her feelings toward Beckett, and her own responses to him, were incredibly conflicted.
Around and around and around her thoughts went, like a hamster on a wheel. Did Beckett even like her? Was he right person to be her Dom? Could she really trust him, or had she been painting him with the characteristics she wanted him to have, rather than those that genuinely belonged to him?
She remembered how terribly angry he’d been the day his roof was leaking. Next she remembered how he’d just thrown her over his shoulder and taken over the end of their stage show. Was that just him being a Dom, or was he uncaring and arrogant, not willing to put her needs first? Had she just played into his hands by going on that picnic?
She remembered her mom taking her aside when she was fifteen or sixteen and saying, “Remember, Juliana. No man will buy the cow if the milk is free.”
At the time her cheeky teenage response had been, “But why would I buy a pig when all I want is a little sausage now and then.”
That had gotten her face slapped, and deservedly so. Not that she’d done much more than even kiss a boy at that age. Her mom had been worried because one of the girls in her grade had just announced that she was pregnant. Juliana had taken that message onboard and had always insisted on a condom being used. It had been a reality check in its own way. Did she need another reality check now?
Hmm. Should she cancel out on her dungeon scene? She really, really didn’t want to. She’d wanted, craved, longed for one for years. But maybe she needed to postpone it. To take her time and truly get to know Beckett as a person a little more first.
She didn’t have to postpone it. Perhaps they could all spend time together on Saturday and talk. Not fuck. But meet somewhere a little private and talk about what each of them hoped to contribute to a relationship, and then what they required from it. Because she needed acceptance and respect as well as sex and submission.
For the rest of Wednesday, and then all day Thursday and Friday, no matter what her hands and body were doing, Juliana’s mind was still pondering the question of the ménage. Finally on Friday afternoon, she texted the two men.
Want to meet me for lunch at the Aardvark tomorrow at noon?
The Aardvark was a popular restaurant, and at midday on a Saturday, it was certain to be crowded and noisy, giving them all the privacy they needed. It would also be suitable for Jason if he had to come from work. It was in the city and wouldn’t take him long to get there from his office renovation job. He’d seemed to think he might have to work Saturday, although he wasn’t certain, which is why Sunday had been chosen for the dungeon scene in the first place. A bit of paint on his jeans wouldn’t be noticed at the Aardvark either. It wasn’t the kind of restaurant that had a dress code.
Having made her decision, Juliana was still on edge waiting for the men to reply. About half an hour later, her cell phone beeped.
Will be working but should be there for an hour or ninety minutes. Good idea. Well done.
She sent a smiley face back to Jason. Even in his text messages he was caring and sweet, praising her for the suggestion. He was also likely putting himself out to give up some of his time to her when it sounded as though he was still busy. She wondered how his shopping expedition for the swimming pool had gone. She’d ask him at lunch tomorrow.
The late stage show was underway when Beckett came to her reception desk. He was dressed in regular clothes, presumably on his way home having finished his shift. His black gaze was hot with lust when he looked at her. That surprised her. It wasn’t what she’d expected at all.
“You’ve seen the schedules so I expect you chose noon deliberately, knowing it would suit me. I look forward to seeing you and Jason for lunch.”
Without waiting for her to reply, he marched over to the stairs and walked down them, heading for the parking lot. She stared at his back. It wasn’t exactly a warm reply like Jason’s, but he wasn’t Jason. In his own way, he’d acknowledged her, though, crediting her with the intelligence to check his schedule before choosing a time
to meet. And the look in his eyes had heated her blood. Oh yes, she’d still be going ahead with the dungeon scene, even though nothing had been clarified as yet.
* * * *
Jason hoped Juliana had booked them a table. He’d had to drive around the parking lot twice to find a space. Since the lot was full, likely the restaurant would be as well. He jogged across the parking lot to the door, slapping his palms on his thighs to ensure there was no sawdust on his jeans. He’d changed his boots from the heavy-duty steel-capped version he’d been wearing to a less heavy-duty pair he had on now. He loved his steel-capped boots for work, but they were rather grungy-looking. The pair he had on now were the ones he’d worked in on Wednesday. They’d been his favorite pair right up until a chunk of drywall had smashed over them. But still, they didn’t look too bad. Just not as smart as they used to.
The Aardvark was very crowded. He stood just inside the door, looking at the tables, row by row, trying to find Juliana. There were so many people walking back and forth through the room, it was hard to keep the lines straight in his mind and be sure he hadn’t skipped a row or looked at the same row twice.
But she must have been watching for him as well because he saw her waving to attract his attention. Smiling, he waved back and began working his way through the narrow aisles to reach her.
“I’m glad you made it. Are you very busy at work?”
“Yes. The job just got a whole lot more complicated.”
“Because of the swimming pool?”
“That’s right. It’s not just any swimming pool though. It’s an infinity pool.”
“You said that before, and I asked you what an infinity pool was, but you said you didn’t know.”
Jason pulled a face. “Yeah, well, unfortunately, now I do know.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse. Much worse.”
“Oh look. Here comes Beckett.”
Jason turned around in his chair as his friend approached. One advantage in being tall was that Beckett could wiggle between the tables because his butt was higher than the tables themselves. That meant he could take a more direct route from the door to where they were sitting than Jason had done.
“How did you do finding a parking space?” he asked.
“I thought I was going to have to go home and walk back for a while, but I got one in the end. Some people had only stopped to pick up takeout.”
“I thought being a popular place it’d be noisy, which would mean we could talk in private. But I hadn’t realized it would be quite this full or this noisy,” Juliana said.
He had to lean forward to hear her so she was telling the truth about privacy. He only hoped they were served their meal before he had to go back to work. Quickly, he picked up the menu and looked through it.
Juliana handed another menu to Beckett. “Yes, we’d better order straight away. I don’t know how fast the service will be.”
She stood up and waved at a server, who nodded in response and came over to take their order as soon as she’d finished at the table she was serving.
Juliana asked for salmon and salad, Beckett chose a burger, and so did he.
Once the server left, Juliana turned to him again and said, “You were about to tell me what the big deal is with an infinity pool.”
“What’s an infinity pool? A swimming pool in the shape of a figure eight on its side?” asked Beckett.
Jason shook his head. “No, and no. It’s an edgeless pool.” He waited for that to penetrate their minds.
“How can a pool be edgeless? The water will fall out.” Juliana just stared at him, and he couldn’t hide his grin any longer.
“Exactly.”
Juliana looked adorably confused, but Beckett was frowning. The Dom would work it out.
“So the edges are optical illusions, right? What? Are they glass or something?”
“Only one edge. The one toward the horizon, or in this case, the side of the balcony with the view. It’s a very heavy-duty toughened glass for that side of the pool. There’s a weir, just one quarter of an inch below the edge of the pool so the water falls into the weir and recirculates. A bit like a fountain really. But to anyone looking at the pool, it extends off the side of the balcony into open space.”
“Is it hard to build one? I mean, I know it wasn’t in the original plans, and I can see that special glass and so on would be expensive, but is it going to be very difficult?”
Jason leaned his elbows on the table. He loved how she was so interested in his work. Beckett was listening intently as well. It was wonderful to be talking to them like this.
“Think about a swimming pool for a minute. The whole point of them is that they’re five or six feet deep, right? People want to actually swim in them, not just sit in them like a hot tub. So it’s the full length of the balcony, a little over thirty feet and six feet deep.”
“But it’s not in the backyard, so it’s not just a matter of digging a hole to put it in,” said Juliana.
“It’s not like a hot tub where you build a decking and step up to it either. No one wants to have to climb up a ladder from the living room to get into the swimming pool,” added Beckett.
“Oh, I see. This pool is going to be on the third floor so it’s got to extend down six feet toward the second floor. How is that going to work?” asked Juliana.
“There’s a structural engineer working on the plans now, but it’s going to be hellishly expensive. Water is heavy. If you’ve ever carried a couple of buckets any distance you’ll already know that. And not only that, the pool will be blocking the upper part of the windows all along that section of the second floor. All those windows will have to be redone as well. I’m really glad we’ve only just finished the renovations on the first floor. We’ll start from the opposite side of the second floor in case anything else has to be modified.”
“I hope the lady likes it when it’s done,” said Juliana.
Beckett laughed. “I hope the manager still likes her when he’s paid for it.”
“That too.” Jason said.
Their food arrived, and they talked about other things, but Jason just relaxed and enjoyed being with these two people he liked very much. He hated having to rush away back to work, but at least he’d see them again tomorrow. His dick hardened at the thought of watching Juliana in her very first dungeon scene. He wouldn’t have minded if she was a Domme, but the thought of her as Beckett’s sub was even sexier somehow.
* * * *
Beckett was almost nervous at the thought of leading Juliana through her very first experience of submission, especially with Jason watching them both. He’d prepared the dungeon and set it up how he wanted it to do this scene. For many scenes he left it as it was usually arranged, but this time, he needed to make sure Jason could see everything. As well, the equipment had to be arranged so that he could act as he needed to, but also that Juliana was placed best for her satisfaction.
He wanted to use the ball gag on her as well as having her tied up, but after she’d complained on the picnic, he wasn’t certain if she’d accept the ball gag just yet, so he was prepared to let her choose. By and large she had to learn, and learn quickly, to leave everything to him. To trust him completely. But this first time he was prepared to let her tiptoe into the scene until she was comfortable. It wouldn’t take her long to learn that comfort was irrelevant and that he would always design the scene for her endless pleasure.
Like any other athlete, he had a warm-up routine designed to loosen up the muscles he’d need and to set his thoughts in the correct frame of mind for the scene. But in his case, it wasn’t a focus on winning or in honor for a team. It was a plan for his sub to learn more about him and to place her trust in his guidance so her pain would lead to endless pleasure. The only thing Juliana had to do was trust him to lead her through the scene. As long as she obeyed his every command, her satisfaction was guaranteed. And with that release would come the end of the stress and tension bothering her so much.
But, especially this first time, he had to move slowly and carefully. He couldn’t expect too much of her as yet. Learning was a process.
Beckett stood up straight, raised his arms over his head, and stretched, gradually rising onto his toes until his bones were straight and his muscles pulled tight. He relaxed onto the flat of his feet again, hunching his shoulders, bending his knees, and then stretched completely a second time. Only then did he leave the dungeon and march up to the Stage Lounge to collect Juliana and Jason. He knew they’d be punctual. Unless Jason was held up at work. No, Jason would make sure he was here already.
He didn’t permit himself to grin outwardly, but he patted himself on the back metaphorically for guessing correctly. Jason and Juliana were seated at the table closest to the hallway to the dungeon. And in front of them on the table was plain water.
The Dom’s Dungeon carefully monitored the alcohol intake of anyone wishing to use the dungeons. It was essential for safe, sane, and consensual play that both Doms and subs were totally in control of their thought processes and ability to make decisions. Anyone who had more than two alcoholic beverages was refused permission to play.
None of the regular Doms ever drank before a dungeon session, and very few subs had more than a single drink. Seeing that both Jason and Juliana were drinking water was a good sign. They were taking this step as seriously as he was.
He crossed his arms over his chest and stood with his legs wide apart. “Are you ready?” he asked Juliana, watching her face carefully. She had her hair out. Damn, she looked beautiful with it hanging over her shoulders, shining in the lights of the room.
She gave a tiny uptilt of the corners of her mouth. Her brown eyes sparkled brightly.
“I am.”
He noticed she didn’t say, “Yes, Sir” or “Yes, Master” and guessed it was deliberate. That was okay. He’d deal with any rebellion in the dungeon.
“Good. Follow me.”
He stomped down the stairs and stopped at the door to Dungeon One. He swiped his card, and when the door clicked, he held the handle, opening the door only a mere fraction of an inch.
