by Avery Gale
In Logan’s mind, this entire evening had been a cluster fuck of Biblical proportions. And now all he could see in his mind’s eye was a steam engine barreling down on a fog enshrouded bridge spanning a deep canyon. The engineer going full-steam ahead in a misguided attempt to make up for lost time and blissfully unaware of the fact that the bridge was missing a large section of track right over the deepest section of the river running at flood stage at the bottom of the rock-lined canyon.
He’d been on missions like this—where one disaster spawned the next and so on until the entire plan was completely unrecognizable. Sighing, he stepped back and watched Kalen pull Abby over his lap so that her bare ass was peaked and in position for the spanking that was to come. Logan wasn’t sure what had snapped inside of Kalen, but evidently his words had finally made it through the cloud of anger that had surrounded his friend.
Kalen looked up at Logan and nodded as if saying “message received” before leaning down and speaking to Abby. “Love, I don’t want to punish you, but you’ve left me no choice. That flippant comment during any scene would have gotten you a punishment, but to be so crass during your collaring and on stage in front of the owner of the club is unforgiveable. Because Master Logan and I both feel we share some responsibility for your confusion, you’re only being punished for the attitude not for your previous remarks which I am certain were self-deprecating.”
All the time he’d been speaking to her, he’d been running his fingers over the smooth lips of her bare pussy, teasing her with his touch and trying to get her back in the right mindset before his palm lit up her ass like the Fourth of July. He was pleased to feel her pussy becoming moist at his touch despite the fact a punishment was coming her way. “You will get ten swats from my hand and ten more from Master Logan. When we are finished, you will kneel and apologize to everyone watching, particularly to Master Ian for your disrespect. Then we’ll continue with your collaring if you still want to belong to Master Logan and myself.”
Logan heard her sniff and knew she was already crying, but hearing it made him feel as if his heart was being squeezed in a vise. Kalen continued, “Because this is your first punishment in the club, you won’t need to count the swats out loud. And you aren’t allowed to come, Abigail, don’t forget that.”
Abby’s thoughts raced through Logan’s mind as surely as if she’d spoken them aloud, “Is he joking? He’s going to beat me and he thinks I’m going to come? Not fucking likely.” Logan managed to not laugh because he fully intended to make her come during his ten swats. He wanted to prove to her that they knew her needs better than she did, but he also wanted to make sure the punishment ended on a note that wasn’t going to ruin her memories of tonight.
Hoping Kalen was going to take it easy on Abby and back off his swats turned out to be a pipe dream as the first several landed with resounding whacks followed by gasps and sobs from Abby. Glancing around him, Logan was frustrated to see several of the subs he and Kalen had scened with smiling smugly. Don’t think this means we aren’t keeping her, because the opposite is true. She is being punished so she understands her value and how her behavior reflects her feelings of security and self-worth. If we didn’t love her, we’d just let her go—like we did you.
By the time Kalen had finished his ten spanks Abby’s ass was fire engine red and obviously the tissues below the skin were swelling in response to the pounding her skin had taken. Logan didn’t doubt for a second that it was extremely sore and he knew he was going to have to be very careful because there was already evidence of deep tissue bruising. He saw Gage Hughes standing to the side, his jaw clenched and his mouth in a straight line. Logan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was glad Jace hadn’t come down because that would have just been too much for Abby to deal with and humiliating her had never been the plan.
Kalen stood her up and her knees buckled, but he caught her before she hit the floor. Logan glanced at Ian and the instant their eyes met Logan’s decision was made. He stepped forward and spoke to Kalen. “She’s done, this stops now.” Ordinarily they always worked in tandem, but for the first time Logan could remember, Kalen had reacted in anger when deciding on a punishment and there was too much at stake with Abby to add another mistake to tonight’s cluster fuck.
* * * *
Abby’s entire body was so sensitized that she feared the slightest touch and she would shatter. During her punishment she’d been mad at herself and Kalen, but it was Logan’s words that broke her heart into a million pieces. She’d seen the angry looks on Ian’s and Gage’s faces and knowing she’d disappointed them as well had been devastating. But when Logan stepped forward to say she was done it had broken her. The room tilted on its axis and black dots swam in front of her. Sounds faded into the background and all she could hear was the sound of blood rushing through her ears.
“No, please. Don’t give up on me.” Abby heard the words but it barely registered that she was actually speaking them out loud.
“Never.” Logan’s voice was strong and his strength seemed to lend itself to her. “We’ll re-negotiate the rest of your punishment later, baby. I think I can find an alternate method that will suit my needs better than continuing down this path.” It was only then that Abby realized Logan’s firm grip around her biceps was the only thing holding her up and that her feet were barely touching the floor. She could feel Kalen’s heat pressed against her throbbing back and ass, and saw Ian and Gage standing on each side of her.
In a flash of insight, Abby realized that they’d flanked her to protect her from the prying eyes of the club members whose morbid curiosity seemed to be feeding on the drama unfolding before them. “Now that you seem to be back with us baby, I’d like to finish this up and get you upstairs so we can take care of you. I’m going to set you down and help you kneel so you can apologize to Master Ian and then you have an important question to answer little sub.”
After she’d apologized to Ian, he’d lifted her chin with his fingers and kissed her forehead. “All is forgiven, sweetness. Please don’t do this again, it broke my heart to see you hurting—both physically and emotionally.” He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest and simply nodded in what she assumed was a signal for Logan to continue.
Logan looked down at her and smiled but she could see how tentative he was, and it flashed through her mind that she didn’t ever remember seeing him as anything but self-assured. For the first time she could remember, she saw a hint of vulnerability in his eyes that made her love him even more, because something deep in her soul responded to the fact that he didn’t just assume she would throw herself into their arms. The choice was hers and Logan didn’t seem entirely sure how it was going to go.
She felt her eyes fill with tears but tried to keep them from falling. She might have been successful too, but his words were so sweet she let the tears flow unchecked. “Will you be ours, Abby? Will you wear our collar and accept all that it represents? As a part of that, we’ll arrange a proper proposal, but be forewarned it’s coming, baby.” He smiled at her and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears.
Kalen had stepped around her and picked up her hand. Turning it over gently, he placed a soft kiss in her palm. “Abigail, I’ve never hated a punishment more than that one. We’ll talk it out at length I promise you, but for now, I want you to be completely secure in my love for you. My desire to hold you and care for you until the end of time grows stronger with each beat of my heart.”
Abby hadn’t even seen the beautiful choker was back in Logan’s hands until he moved to place it around her neck. “What is your decision Abby? Because once the lock snaps in place you are ours. We’ll go to the ends of the earth to protect you. Our love for you and our loyalty to you will never be in question, but this decision is yours to make.”
Her decision was an easy one. “Yes, my heart already belongs to you…it has for a very long time. You make me a better person and I hope there is never a single day that I don’t demonstrate the dept
h of the love my heart is filled with.” She barely felt Logan’s fingers move, but the snick of the locking mechanism on the choker was loud enough to bring cheers from everyone around them.
Abby felt herself being wrapped in a soft blanket and then she was in Kalen’s arms. His expression was both filled with love and fierce possession. And even though they were responding politely to the congratulations that were being spoken all around them, neither Kalen nor Logan ever stopped walking toward the secured door that led to the apartments.
Almost of their own volition, Abby felt her fingers move to the choker and trace its smooth texture and cool stones as if it wasn’t real somehow and the whole evening would prove to be nothing but a sweet dream that would disappear like the mist over a hay meadow as the sun rises. The weight of the metal and jewels would serve as a constant reminder of the promises they’d all three made. The feel of it over her skin told her that it was real and so was her love for both of the men she’d just committed herself to.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kalen hadn’t missed Abby’s small hiss of pain as the soft subbie blanket had been wrapped around her back or her gasp as he’d scooped her up and her tender ass cheeks had slid over his forearm. He’d known the minute Ian had stepped back onto the stage that the club owner was sending a not so subtle message that they needed to reevaluate how things were progressing, but for the first time in his life, Kalen had been so focused on a punishment he’d lost sight of the real purpose of each and every BDSM scene—providing the submissive the best possible guidance and pleasure. When he considered those two goals, his performance tonight as a Dom had been a thundering failure.
How he’d managed to fuck up everything about the evening he wasn’t sure, but he’d made one lousy decision after another. The fact that Abby still agreed to be theirs was a huge testament to the strength of their previous relationship because he hadn’t done a single thing tonight to earn her respect or her trust. Walking directly to the master suite’s spa bathtub he set Abby on her feet and unwrapped her from the blanket like the precious gift that she was while Logan started the water and added scented Epson salts to the water. The sweet smell of lavender and sage filled the air and its relaxing effect was almost immediate as Kalen felt some of the tension drain out of his muscles and felt Abby relax against him.
The satisfaction of having her lean against him and rest her tear-stained cheek against the light dusting of hair over his pectorals was one of the most humbling moments of his life. Here was the love of his life, the most important person in the world still willing to give him her love even though most people would have simply walked away. Settling her in the huge tub so that her sore bottom was between his legs, Kalen looked at Logan and hoped his friend knew how grateful he was that at least one of them had had the wisdom to call the scene off. Logan’s subtle nod told Kalen that he’d understood the unspoken thank you.
Kalen let the lavender and sage salts work their magic on Abby. When her eyelids started to droop he smiled at Logan and said, “I think our little sub is about ready for a massage.”
They’d quickly moved to the shower. He and Logan had washed Abby’s long hair and then conditioned it before washing every luscious inch of her with soft tempting touches that Kalen hoped were as arousing to her as they were to him. “Love, your skin is so perfect. It is soft and supple under my fingertips. Watching the bubbles circle your nipples before sliding down your flat abdomen and then disappearing between your legs makes my cock throb from wanting you. Feeling your pussy pulse around me is one of the greatest joys I’ve ever known.” He knelt in front of her and buried his face at the junction of her thighs and inhaled.
Her soft sighs were barely audible over the soft sounds of the multiple water jets but he’d heard them anyway. Her pleading, “Please touch me” was all it took for him to move her legs apart enough that he could move the tip of his tongue around her clit in slow circles until she was gasping and writhing in Logan’s arms. Kalen felt the muscles in her thighs begin to tremble and knew she was close so he pulled back and smiled at her sweet sounds of frustration.
“Bed. Now.” Those two words were all he managed to get out before they all moved out of the shower. They dried her quickly with soft pats of the towel so they didn’t aggravate the marks she’d gotten in the club. The welt from the whip’s lash wasn’t as swollen now, but it was still clearly visible even though the first two which had been carefully placed were just a faded memory. But the cheeks of her ass needed tending to and Kalen was going to make sure they massaged them with a cool gel that would wick the heat out and hopefully abate the pain as well.
* * * *
Logan had never seen Kalen as hesitant with a woman or sub as he was acting with Abby since they’d returned to the apartment. He was sure his friend didn’t realize the effect the change was having on their woman either. Kalen was reacting to Abby’s tension, which was being fed by the fact Kalen was acting so distant. The whole thing was a vicious cycle and it didn’t look like it was going to fix itself which left it up to him to broach the subject.
While he helped Abby comb out the tangles in her long hair he spoke up. “Abby, in keeping with the openness we’re going to demand of you, I want to talk to you about what happened tonight. I feel it is like the elephant standing in the corner that no one wants to mention but everybody sees clearly.” He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her and walked her into the small sitting area of the bedroom. He pulled a silk robe over her shoulders and loosely tied it in front of her, making sure the gap provided him with enough of a view to satisfy the Dom in him.
Setting her in the softest of the chairs, he sat on a chair he pulled up in front of her. Grasping her hands in his he smiled as she nervously bit her lower lip. He was able to easily grasp both of her wrists in one hand and raise the other one and use his thumb to pull her lip from between her teeth. “That lip is ours to enjoy, baby.” Her shy smile warmed his heart. “The only thing that went as we’d planned tonight is that you are now wearing our collar. And while that is the most important part of what we’d planned, it doesn’t change the fact that both Kalen and I made several errors tonight.”
Logan smiled when Abby looked confused by his confession. “Don’t look so surprised, baby. Doms are human too you know and we make mistakes just like everyone else. But I’ve always believed the key to turning around mistakes is not making the same one more than once. And that means you have to think back over the steps you took so you can clearly see where things went south. Or as my parents would say, when things went from sugar to shit.” He was relieved to hear her giggle, because even though they hadn’t been raised near each other, he knew she would recognize the southern expression.
“I assure you there is going to be ample discussion about what went wrong this evening and how we can prevent any ‘not-so-sweet’ repeats. But right now Kalen and I want to celebrate the fact that our collar is laying against your lovely neck and that you have agreed to become ours legally as well. We’ll leave the wedding details to you and your mom, but we aren’t patient men, baby.”
* * * *
Kalen pulled a chair up alongside Logan’s and Abby looked over at him for confirmation. She wondered why he hadn’t joined them earlier and thought perhaps he’d changed his mind after her behavior earlier in the club. “Are you sure Kalen?”
He looked stunned by her question and then understanding seemed to dawn in his eyes. “Love, I wasn’t over here sooner because I was setting up what I hope will be a very special surprise for you. Please don’t misinterpret my late arrival in this conversation as not being fully on board with what Logan has just said.” His smile warmed her from the inside and when she started to turn around, he stopped her. “Abigail, don’t. We want it to be a surprise, so let’s finish this discussion before we move over to the bed.”
“I’m sure my mom will want to host things just like she did for Jace, and I’m sure she’ll be able to meet any time deadline consideri
ng how quickly she pulled together everything for their celebration. But I really want you to be sure…well, because I’m kind of a hot mess sometimes and I think we know how badly things went tonight. Sometimes I think out loud and it is just how my mind works. And I don’t think I can change it and quite frankly I’m not sure I want to. I have to process information in certain ways or things just don’t work. And…well, I don’t want to disappoint you again.”
This time it was Kalen who answered, “Love, tonight was the most important one of my entire life and I’m not really sure I could have handled it any worse. We won’t allow you to be disrespectful to us or any Dom and particularly not while in the club. But that being said, my response was disproportionate for several reasons, including the fact you had already been injured by my hand. Honestly, even now when I think about it, I feel like I might actually be ill.” She could see the pain in his expression but he seemed to pull the strength up from deep inside and it looked like he was going to forge on before he lost his nerve and retreated to the contemplative place she’d seen him retreat into when things were troubling him.
“Abigail, I have never been more certain of anything in my life than I am about the fact that I love you and want you with a desperation that humbles me. Logan and I will hold our expectations for you to the highest standard because we know how much you are capable of. My only explanation about my mistakes tonight is that I was frustrated with myself and didn’t take time to consider how much better we all would have been served if we’d used a more creative punishment.”
