Personally, I kind of had a penchant for the ebony and ivory Doms currently waiting downstairs.
But totally not the point.
“They’ve invited me to stay at Master Parker’s apartment tonight.” I could tell he was trying to figure out what my point was. “Alone. And I…I guess I want to make sure that I’m not going to end up on the ten o’clock news tomorrow night.”
I was attempting a small amount of humor. Master Edge didn’t so much as crack a smile.
“Do you not have anywhere else to go, Addison?”
“Actually”—I dropped my gaze—“no.”
“No family? Friends? Other submissives you’ve become close with?”
I shook my head. I didn’t have any family because…well, because I didn’t have any family.
As for friends, Josh had ensured I didn’t have any of those. The few I’d had before him, I’d lost touch with because he’d managed to keep me isolated.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Another red flag I had ignored.
“Both Ben and Justin are friends of mine,” Master Edge explained. “I’ve known Justin for years. Used to work with him, in fact. I trust them implicitly. As for whether or not this is an appropriate choice for you, that’s a decision you’ll have to make. They’re respected in this community and they will not push themselves on you, if that’s what you’re wanting to know.” He clasped his hands over his flat stomach. “In my opinion, you’d fare better with them than with…that asshole.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Were you aware that Justin insisted you attend my class again?”
I nodded. “He told me.”
“Do you believe you need it?”
Honestly, no, I didn’t think I did. However, I also knew that was the wrong answer, so I said, “If Master Parker believes it’ll be good for me, then yes, I think I need it.”
He regarded me for a moment, but then nodded his head and a small smile tilted his lips. It was a rare sight.
It didn’t last long, though.
“Addison, you deserve a hell of a lot better than that poser,” he said, his eyes locked with mine. “I suggest you take any advice that Ben and Justin give you. Like I said, I trust them. They won’t steer you wrong.”
“Thank you, Sir.” I pushed to my feet, ready to get out of there.
“Addison…”
I turned back to look at him.
“If you need anything at all, I expect you to come to me. You’re a member here, which, as you know, makes you family.”
I figured that was his way of being polite, but I nodded anyway. “Thanks.”
“We’ll get you signed up for my class when you come in for your next shift.”
Fan-fucking-tastic! Not. “Of course, Sir.”
“Good night, Addison.”
I offered a quick smile as I pulled open the door. Hoping Master Parker and Master Snowden hadn’t left, I raced down to the main floor, stopping short at the bottom of the stairs. I composed myself as best I could, then slowly traversed the remaining steps.
I found the two masters in the bar, standing together and deep in conversation. They had changed and were both wearing jeans and chest-hugging T-shirts that did wonders for their amazing physiques. The one thing that stood out to me was that Master Snowden’s collar was gone.
I did my best not to ogle them as I approached, but it wasn’t easy. Admittedly, I’d always been fascinated by Master Parker and Master Snowden. Mostly because I didn’t truly understand their relationship. For the most part, I’d known them to co-top the submissives they played with, although that was rare. But for the life of me, I didn’t understand the real dynamic there.
They were talking softly but must’ve sensed my presence, because two sets of eyes moved over to me, one set blue, the other gold. I could tell they were assessing me, their gazes sliding down, then back up.
Yeah, so I dressed like a teenager. So what? In my defense, the clothes were comfortable and I’d never had a reason to dress any differently.
“Are you ready?” Master Parker’s intense gaze lifted to mine and I felt as though he was holding me hostage right there in that moment in time.
Shaking off the weird vibe, I nodded. “I am, yes.”
When Master Parker placed his hand on the back of my neck, I didn’t flinch. What did catch me by surprise was the way he put his hand on the back of Master Snowden’s neck as well. It was such a possessive gesture. One I didn’t expect one Dom to do to another, even if, you know, they did have a nontraditional relationship.
I thought back to the times I’d seen them play at the club. I couldn’t remember exactly what they’d been doing, but I didn’t think it was sexual in nature. Not actual intercourse or oral sex, that was. Or maybe I was totally off base.
No. That couldn’t be it.
Surely if I’d come across those two together, I would’ve stopped to watch. Intently. Because, holy jalapeño. That would’ve been hotter than hell in July.
Unfortunately, my memory was too fuzzy to put the mental image together and it wasn’t like I was going to ask.
A few minutes later, I found myself in the backseat of a fancy Audi while Master Parker drove, Master Snowden riding shotgun.
They hadn’t been kidding about going down the street to eat, because a few minutes later, Master Parker steered the car into an all-night diner. After parking, once again, Master Parker guided us toward the restaurant with a gentle yet possessive grip on the backs of our necks. Admittedly, I really liked it.
When we stepped inside, Master Parker removed his hands, then shifted me so that I was between them. It was another protective intimation that I couldn’t help but be flattered by. It certainly wasn’t something I was used to. The few Doms I’d been with previously hadn’t been much on gentlemanly gestures. I figured that probably had a lot to do with the fact that I refused to have sex, even if they were willing to scene with me.
Like I said, this submissive thing…I lived for it. It wasn’t a hobby of mine, it was my life. I craved direction and structure, needed it to feel whole. No, I couldn’t really explain it, but it was part of my chemical makeup and I no longer questioned it. There were a lot of people who didn’t understand and I’d encountered plenty of them in my lifetime. However, I’d long ago stopped trying to defend my needs to those who looked down their noses at me.
Thankfully, this time of night the restaurant was relatively empty, so we didn’t have a problem getting a table. A booth, to be exact. Master Parker sat on one side while I scooted into the other, Master Snowden dropping in beside me.
“Order anything you’d like,” Master Parker instructed as we all glanced at the menus.
A few minutes later, a waitress arrived with a pen and notepad, waiting for our orders. It didn’t take long for us each to relay what we were having and then she was off once again. Going for cheap and easy, I selected the B.L.T, fries, and a glass of water.
“I take it Greg gave a good recommendation?” Master Parker prompted when we were alone again.
“He did,” I said, smiling shyly as I studied my hands. “He said he trusts you implicitly.”
His eyes cut to Ben’s. “Well, I’ll believe that when he finally gives in and comes to work for us.” There was amusement in his tone and it helped to ease some of my anxiety.
I couldn’t help but be nervous. For some reason, this was vastly different than being at the club. There, I felt as though I had a little more control over the situation. Here, not so much.
Oh, who was I kidding? Around Master Parker, I didn’t think anyone could possibly have control. The guy exuded power and confidence from every pore.
I looked up to see he was watching me. “What I don’t understand,” I said, having difficulty holding his stare, “is why you would want to help me.”
“Because I’m in a position to,” he said simply, his eyebrow darting up as though daring me to challenge him.
Okay, then.
“Tell me ab
out yourself, Addison.”
“Like what?”
“Start with your age.”
“Twenty-nine.”
“When do you turn thirty?” Master Snowden asked.
“February fourteenth.” Yeah, as though to add insult to injury, I’d been born on Valentine’s Day, yet my own mother still opted not to keep me.
“Aside from working at the club, what other jobs have you held?”
That was a strange question, right? Not normal for a few people just getting to know each other?
I answered anyway. “Well…I’ve held several. A few years ago, I worked as a receptionist at a tattoo shop, but mostly I’ve worked in retail. At the mall. Until I met Josh, anyway. After I…uh…moved in with him, I became his personal assistant.”
Master Parker’s eyebrows formed a perfect V. “Is that an alternate word for submissive?”
I grinned. “No. I was actually his personal assistant. He and a friend of his own a construction company. Medium size, I guess you’d say. They make decent money.”
“What’s the name of it?” Master Parker inquired.
“T and A Construction.”
“T and A?” Master Snowden didn’t appear as amused as Josh and Liam always were when they said it.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “It’s the initials of their last names. Josh Tudor and Liam Anderson.” Yeah, it was immature, but Josh and Liam had found it funny. Of course, that was because they were practically children in grown men’s bodies.
“What does his personal assistant do?” Master Parker asked.
“Answer phones, schedule appointments.” That had been the gist of it, but they seemed to be wanting more. “Oh, and call customers whenever they weren’t able to handle a job on the timeline they’d promised.” I didn’t add that I had also serviced Josh sexually whenever he felt the need. I figured that had been his reason for calling himself a Dom. It allowed him to have complete sexual control over me, and for a selfish man like him, that meant a whole lot of blow jobs.
“Did that happen often?” Master Parker asked. “Calling customers to reschedule?”
I glanced between the two of them. “Probably once or twice a week. Why?”
Master Parker cocked an eyebrow at Master Snowden.
I’d never given any thought to Josh not taking care of business in a timely manner. He told me it was part of the job. That most customers expected it. Since he continued to take on new customers, I figured it was something they were used to. And truth be told, I hadn’t really cared. Working for Josh had been a means to an end. I hadn’t intended for it to last forever, just until something else happened to change my course.
I just hadn’t expected that something else to cause me to be homeless and jobless. Again.
Master Snowden cleared his throat, then turned his attention to me. “How long did you work for him?”
“Since I met him nine months ago.”
“You said you started working for him when you moved in? How long had you known him?”
Okay, now the questions were getting harder. And by harder, I meant my responses weren’t going to make me look like a Disney princess. But it wasn’t like I had anything left to lose, so I opted for the truth.
“Two days.”
Neither of their expressions changed.
“And you’re now unemployed?” Master Parker finally asked.
“Yes. No house, no job, no…” Anything. I knew I sounded defeated, but I couldn’t help it. “I was living with him and working for him.” Feeling slightly defensive, I tacked on, “I knew things were going downhill.”
“He made you sleep on the porch?” Master Snowden asked, his tone reflecting his disdain.
“Only a few times,” I clarified.
Master Snowden’s deep, rumbling growl made me feel slightly off-balanced. As though it truly bothered him that I’d endured that.
“How much did he pay you?” Master Parker asked.
Oh, goodie. I got to tell them how big of an idiot I really was.
“He didn’t. Pay me. He said my payment was being able to live with him for free.” He also had me do all the chores as a means of rent, but I kept that to myself.
A few minutes later, the waitress delivered the food and I was grateful for the distraction. I was sure at this point Master Parker was seriously reconsidering his offer. As long as I got food in my belly, I could deal with him changing his mind, so I merely focused on shoving my sandwich into my mouth.
While I chomped and chewed as quietly as I could, Master Snowden and Master Parker continued to chat, mainly discussing their apparent need to bring Master Edge on board to their company. I was pretty sure they were giving me some time to myself, allowing me to eat without their scrutiny.
I was grateful, so I didn’t contribute to the conversation, focusing on finishing off my entire meal. I had no idea when I’d be able to eat next, and having grown up with that exact same fear, I knew not to count on anything.
*
By the time we walked into Master Parker’s apartment an hour or so later, I was completely wiped. With a full belly and a tired brain, I wanted nothing more than to drift into a dreamless sleep for the next eight hours or so. It had been an emotionally draining evening. I figured I deserved that much.
Once Ben veered off to another apartment on this floor, it was only me and Master Parker. Oddly enough, I didn’t have any reservations about being alone with him. Despite his rather hostile manners, he was a nice guy. As long as you did what he wanted you to, of course.
“Come on. This way,” Master Parker said, his hands coming to rest on my shoulders as he stood behind me, guiding me through the living room, across the hardwood, and onto the plush carpet in what appeared to be the master bedroom.
“How many bedrooms do you have?”
“One.”
Well, that explained why he was letting me sleep in his bed.
“Two bathrooms,” he added.
I barely registered any of the space, my eyelids drooping as I put one foot in front of the other.
We didn’t stop until we arrived at the side of a huge king-sized bed. The dark wooden headboard stood tall and imposing against the wall.
“Kick off your shoes,” he instructed, his voice soft but with that edge of command he seemed quite comfortable with.
I toed off my Chucks and tried to move them closer to the bed. They were the only shoes I owned at this point and I didn’t want them to disappear. I’d had that happen at one of the shelters I stayed in, and when you had no money to replace them, it was a pain in the ass.
“They aren’t going to disappear,” Master Parker said, clearly catching on to what I was trying to do. “They’ll be right there when you wake up.”
“Okay.”
“Now take off your shorts. No way you can be comfortable sleeping in them.” He disappeared into a huge walk-in closet, then returned a minute later holding a T-shirt. “You can wear this tonight. Turn around.”
I turned to face away from him and he quickly removed my shirt, then unhooked my bra.
“Put the shirt on.”
I did. It was incredibly soft and smelled like fabric softener. Once I was decently covered, I turned to face him only to see that he had turned away and was folding my clothes, placing them on the nightstand.
I swallowed hard, feeling a little emotional that he was taking such good care of me. Rarely had anyone ever done things like this for me. Without expecting something in return, of course. Not even most of the foster parents I’d had.
“Are you covered?” he asked, his back still to me.
“I am.”
When he faced me, I noticed he wasn’t smiling. “Good girl. Now come on.”
He raised the thick brown comforter, pulling back the cream-colored sheet with it, and I glanced up at him. “Are you sure this is okay? I feel like I’m imposing.”
“I invited you.”
He had, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t putting him out.<
br />
“Now get in.”
So bossy. For whatever reason, a twinge of excitement fizzed in my veins. Not that I intended to do anything about it, but I did acknowledge I liked Master Parker’s directness.
I crawled into the bed and relaxed onto the silky sheets and the downy-soft pillow. The faint smell of Master Snowden wafted around me. A warm, woodsy scent that tickled my nostrils and had my body relaxing. Since his scent was present, I figured that had to mean they slept in Master Parker’s bed together.
The thought had warmth pooling in my lower parts.
I glanced from Master Parker to the door, then back.
“What’s on your mind, little rebel?” he asked, his voice soft as he leaned over me.
I smiled at the nickname. “Little rebel?”
“Are you denying it?”
No. No, I was not. I shook my head, then said, “I was…kind of thinking it’ll be weird to stay here by myself. Would you…uh…maybe stay here, too?” My eyes darted toward the door again. “I could always sleep on the couch so you can have your bed.”
“You’ll be safe,” he said. “We’ll be right next door. And I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
“Oh.” I nodded, my eyes closing as another yawn escaped me. “Okay.”
To my surprise, he leaned over, his lips pressing softly against my forehead. “Good night, little rebel. Promise not to steal the fine china.”
“You don’t have fine china,” I whispered, my eyes closed.
“I know.”
And it was only seconds later that I was out like a light.
Six
JUSTIN
THAT GIRL WAS GOING TO be a handful, I could already feel it.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t put off by the thought.
In fact, I was looking forward to the feisty rebel and her sassy little mouth. I could only imagine how far she would push me when she was at a hundred percent.
However, that wasn’t going to be tonight.
It seemed the second her head hit the pillow, she was out. Not wanting to freak her out by standing over her and watching her sleep, I flipped off the lamp, then turned off the lights in the other rooms, set the security system, then locked the door behind me. I was telling the truth when I said she would be fine. In fact, she would likely still be unconscious when I came back in the morning. She’d evidently had a very trying day. And if she happened to wake up and need something, Ben’s apartment was right next door, so I wasn’t worried.
Their Rebellious Submissive (Office Intrigue Book 3) Page 5
