by Lynn Stark
“Marley, we’ll give you all the time you need. Just never think we don’t want you, because that would just be wrong. We do want you. I want to kiss every butterfly on your body, make love to you, and make you mine. And I know Gray feels the same. Don’t you, babe?”
Grayson nodded, relieved Roarke knew him well enough that he could speak for them both. He had done it well, too. “Yes, that’s how I feel, too. We’re willing to wait.”
Marley opened her mouth to speak, but all hell broke loose just then when a woman wearing only a collar around her throat came running through the club. She was crying and there was blood streaming from a gash across her cheekbone.
Jumping up from his chair, Grayson caught her midflight, pulling her close. “What’s going on?”
“My Dom went nuts. He refused to respect my safe word,” she sobbed brokenly. Marley grabbed the linen napkins Bambi hurried forward with. He took them and pressed them to the bleeding wound. “I need to get out of here.”
“We’ll get you right to the hospital. Don’t worry.”
Colt appeared just as a huge man appeared from the rear hallway where the stairs leading to level four were located. As the leather-clad bruiser charged along the wall, the owner of the club stepped forward, blocking his path.
“I want to know what’s happening here.”
“Get the fuck out of my way, Redford,” the man shouted furiously. “I want that bitch back downstairs. I’m going to teach her a new lesson or two.”
Grayson handed the woman over to Roarke. He moved swiftly to stand beside his friend. “The only thing you’re going to do is get arrested for assault.”
That pissed the guy off even more. Grayson wondered who he was. The woman, too. He had never seen either of them before. How had they passed Colt’s vetting process? He would have contacted other BDSM club owners before these two could have even crossed the threshold. The Dom shook Colt loose like he was a mere annoyance. It was the wrong move, followed up by another. He took a swing. With a swiftness which made those around them blink, Colt had him on the floor with his arm twisted behind his back.
Grayson handcuffed him then pulled him to his feet. The guy had to weigh over three hundred pounds and most of it was pure muscle. He should have anticipated it, but he never saw the headbutt come his way.
With pain shooting through his skull along with bright light and stars, Grayson staggered backward. As he clutched his throbbing head he heard a loud howl. He shook off the pain long enough to force his eyes open. He saw that the guy was on the floor again, doubled up in a fetal position.
He pointedly ignored Marley when she kicked the guy in the gut. Obviously, the way the man was writhing and gasping, she had kicked him in the balls as well.
“You fucking bitch!” the man snarled between gasps, his eyes full of malevolence.
When Roarke kicked the guy next, he knew he was going to have to tutor his lovers on how to avoid being arrested. Blinking, wishing his head would stop hurting, he reached for the guy again. Colt and Roarke helped him this time. Bouncers from the club surrounded them. He wouldn’t be pulling any more crap. As they got outside he was relieved to see his deputy, Tim Macon, pulling up to the curb. It took several men, but they finally got the guy into the back of the cruiser.
“Don’t try to get him out on your own. We’ll be over there in a minute.” Tim nodded grimly then got back in behind the wheel and drove in the direction of the sheriff’s office.
The Silver Edge was on the perimeter of the old section of town, in a building which had housed more than one brothel over the past decades. Colt’s father had been the one to turn it into something more, catering to the sexual needs of some of Silver’s residents. It had been a lucrative venture and very popular, since many no longer had to travel far from home to satisfy their needs. Colt had expanded upon his father’s successful enterprise, incorporating the rooms on level three and expanding on the impressive BDSM rooms on level four. All in all, The Silver Edge was a very successful enterprise which had an excellent reputation.
Colt worked hard to give everyone a place where they could play safely, indulging their kinkier side without fear. Grayson knew this episode with the abusive Dom would piss him off. The vetting process would definitely get tougher. People unknown to him would find it harder to get inside the door, which was fine with Grayson. The locals using the club didn’t cause trouble.
Getting the woman to the hospital was his first priority. They got her clothes for her, Marley staying with her while she dressed, and then they took her to the hospital. It didn’t take long for the doctor to treat her. He cleaned the gash then closed it with butterfly bandages. After that they went to the sheriff’s office where she filed assault charges against her former Dom. The woman might have been a submissive inside a dungeon, but there was nothing submissive about her once she was outside it. He was pleased because it could so easily have gone the other way and they would have been able to do little with the man.
Two hours later Grayson found himself at home, on his back, with an ice pack melting over the lump on his forehead. The doctor had told him he was going to have a couple of shiners. Great, just what he needed was two black eyes.
Having taken medication for the pain, he was just waiting for it to go away, right along with the throbbing lump. The only thing that made the whole situation better was the fact that his head was resting in Marley’s lap and she was running the fingers of one hand through his hair while the other stroked his chest.
“You’re an angel,” he told her huskily, daring a peek up at her face.
The lights were low in the room, just giving off enough of a glow to caress her soft features. To add to what could have been a romantic moment in their lives, but wasn’t, was the flicker of firelight dancing over her skin and giving her eyes an added sparkle. Yes, it all could have been so much more. Too bad the pain in his head seemed to be shutting down all feeling everywhere else in his body. It was probably a good thing. What woman wanted to make love to a man who had two black eyes? Unless, of course, Marley had a hot, masked cowboy lawman fantasy she wanted to play out.
She poked the tip of her tongue out at him. “I’m only here because Roarke is worrying himself sick. You’d think you were on your deathbed. I thought you cowboy types were tougher.”
Grayson managed a smile. “Roarke tends to be a worrier. He’ll make a great mother someday.”
“I heard that!” his lover shouted from the kitchen.
“See? He’ll always know what the kids are doing, no matter where they are in the house. He has bat hearing.”
Her smile widened, especially after they heard Roarke grumbling loudly. “How long have the two of you been together?”
“Almost twelve years.”
“That’s a long time to be together, and then add someone else to the relationship. What happens if it doesn’t work out? What if you get jealous or angry with one another? I don’t see how these relationships work yet.” She bit her lip as she leaned her head back against the couch cushions. She stared off into space for a moment. “I know they work. I’ve seen the evidence all over town since I’ve been here. But what if it didn’t work out between us? What then?”
“Don’t all couples wonder that when they start out together? There are a lot of what-ifs in life. I’m willing to risk it. My parents, of whom I have three, are very happy together. Sure, they have their moments when they might question their sanity, but they make up and move on.”
“Still, it’s scary.”
“Yeah, it is, but I’m willing to risk it all to see if we were meant to be together.”
Those amazing eyes widened in surprise. “You’d risk losing Roarke to have me be your wife?”
Taking a chance of another kind, Grayson sat up so he could look at her in an upright position. There was only a brief moment of dizziness. It passed quickly as he reached for her hand. Roarke was coming through the doorway, obviously realizing they were at a pivotal point in their
relationship with Marley.
“Yes, I’m willing to risk it all. But there’s one thing you don’t realize yet. I know Roarke as well as he knows me. We love one another. We trust each other with our lives. We didn’t just choose to find a woman to be our third, our wife and partner. We’ve thought about it, we’ve discussed it, and more than once. This isn’t a snap decision on our part. The only thing quick was our attraction to you.”
“But what is it about me? What makes me different from any other woman?”
Grayson doubted Marley was searching for a compliment. She was a simple and honest woman. She just wanted to know what they saw in her to make her stand out from the many other women they might have considered over the years. They hadn’t considered a lot, but there definitely had been a few worthy of consideration.
It was Roarke who answered her. “It’s your spirit. When I was behind you on the sidewalk, I was watching you move. Your whole body, your inner spirit, was dancing. You were happy in that moment when I was watching you. And that called to me.” He paused, and then said with typical Roarke audacity, “That cute little skirt and top you were wearing didn’t hurt any either.”
Marley laughed and sent a pillow flying in his direction. He caught it as he moved forward to lean down and place a firm kiss on her mouth. “Okay, so it was my dancing spirit. I have to admit I was feeling really good at that moment. There’s a vibe in Silver. It’s so positive that even when I’m feeling off, something happens that brings it right again. I don’t know if it’s the people or the place, or a combination of the two, but I made the right decision in coming here.”
“From what I understand,” Grayson teased, “the only decision you made was whether you should have your eyes open or closed when you threw the dart at the map.”
Another laugh escaped her. “Yeah, well, I decided to go with eyes closed. I didn’t want any subconscious motivations guiding my aim.”
Roarke moved her over so she was sitting between them. Both men stroked her arms.
“Now, we’re not going to crowd you. We’re willing to wait, to give you the time you need to sort everything out. But we both would really like to spend more time with you. No sex, no demands. Just friendship,” Grayson told her firmly.
“And kisses. I can’t go without kisses.”
Grayson shook his head at the other man. “You really have to work on that pouting thing.”
Marley lifted a hand to stroke Roarke’s lean jaw, rubbing over the shadow of stubble along it. “I think it’s adorable.”
Grayson thought it was, too. He had never seen so much of this side of Roarke. He wasn’t girly in any way, but it did please him. Maybe his man had a little bit of the queen in him.
They had been together so long they could read each other. They leaned toward one another, their mouths meeting in a hot, clinging kiss right in front of Marley.
“Oh, that is so hot!”
Both men chuckled as they pulled back. “You think so, huh?”
“Yes, I do think so.” She paused for a moment, looking from one to the other through her lashes. Pretty pink color was seeping into her cheeks. “So, if we decide to do this, do I get to watch the two of you together?” she asked in a low voice, looking from him to Roarke.
“Fuck yeah!” Roarke pumped his fist in the air to display his enthusiasm for the idea.
Marley giggled and blushed even more. She pressed her palms to her cheeks. “Okay, then. It’s something for me to look forward to.”
Grayson hugged her close. “That’s it. Keep thinking about all the positives. If you decide you want us, you’re going to have to know that we’re not going to be hiding anything from you. There won’t be any secrets. We’re not going to lock ourselves in a room and indulge by ourselves. You’ll be a part of this from start to finish.” He paused then, looking at her with stern curiosity. “So, tell us, sweetheart, what were you doing alone at the Silver Edge?”
The blush deepened but the chin came up. “I was having fun. And I wasn’t alone. Colt took me over to see his club. He was only gone a minute before you came in.”
“I’m glad to know you weren’t alone, but we would rather you didn’t go there again without us.”
A sly look came into her eyes as she tilted her head, looking from him to Roarke. “And what will happen if we go there together? Will you take me to a new level?”
Okay, his cock couldn’t get any harder. It thumped against his zipper. He had to resist the impulse to rearrange himself. There wasn’t enough room in his jeans for the proportions his flesh had just reached.
“Slow down there, sweetheart. We just agreed on kisses. What happens above level one in the club is far more than that.” Roarke was firm. While they would both like to explore each level of the club with her, she just wasn’t ready yet. “We wouldn’t take you there until we know you’re ours.”
Marley leaned back, getting comfortable against the cushion of the huge couch. “Okay, I get that. So tell me, what happens on these other levels? Colt was terribly tight-lipped about it. He said I had to ask you.” It was her turn to pout. Her plump bottom lip poked out.
“Smart man. It’s more fun if we get to tell you.”
“Can we see your tattoos, Marley baby? Please?”
That request came out of the blue. Grayson blinked as he turned to look at the eager Roarke. Then he was looking at their woman again, seeing her own surprise, then the catlike smile beginning to curve her mouth.
“Okay.”
They moved back to give her room.
“Marley, you don’t have to do this. Roarke thinks with his dick most of the time.”
“Do not.”
“Do.”
“I’ve never heard you complain before. It’s like I’m seeing a whole new you.”
Grayson scowled at him. “Zip it up. You really are turning into my little queen.” The tongue came out again. This was really getting hot.
“I’ll show you queen. It’s damn hard being all manly all the time, tougher than nails, spitting tobacco twenty feet, scratching my balls and burping.”
Something was going on here and he didn’t think he was the only one who was about to make a few discoveries about their partner. Butterflies were completely forgotten by the three of them.
“What are you saying?”
“That I think it would be hot as hell if I could be wearing some silky hot pink frilly thing while you fuck my ass. Maybe I could wear some stockings and stilettos, too.”
With that bombshell Roarke got up and flounced in an exaggerated manner, actually friggin’ flounced, out of the room.
“He’s not the only one who’d think that would be hot. Can I watch?”
Well, Grayson hadn’t seen that coming. After all they had shared over the years, Roarke had never expressed his desire to wear feminine clothing. It stung a little that he hadn’t shared that, but now that he knew, he was like an explosive with a fast-burning fuse.
When Marley jumped up off the couch to chase after their man, calling after him as she did so, Grayson undid his buckle, yanked down his zipper, and then pulled his cock out. “Hey, Roarke, I saw the perfect nightie in a shop downtown! We can go shopping together tomorrow.”
Leaning back, he closed his eyes, forgot about everything but the image of the beautiful, hard mounds of Roarke’s ass draped with hot pink silk and his long legs encased in thigh-high, white stockings. And hot pink stilettos. Oh yeah, he could get into that. Especially when he knew their sexy Marley would be watching them.
Stroking his cock hard, he didn’t care who caught him jerking off in the living room. Right just then all he wanted was a little satisfaction and a whole lot of pleasure.
Chapter Nine
Marley found Roarke in the kitchen peeling an apple. He looked lost and more than a little embarrassed. “What’s the matter, darling?”
He didn’t answer her at once, but continued to focus his attention on the apple. When he answered, his voice held more than a littl
e regret. “I never confessed my little fetish to Gray. He’s probably furious. We always claimed to not have any secrets from each other.”
“Well, as far as secrets go, I don’t think it’s a big one. It’s not like you confessed to killing someone and burying them in the backyard. That would be a problem.”
Roarke laughed as he finished peeling the apple. The skin curled as he held it up proudly. It hadn’t broken. She grabbed it and started nibbling. It was tart, just the way she liked it.
“So you don’t think he’s mad?”
Marley laughed and shook her head. “I don’t think he’s mad. Why don’t you use your bat hearing? I think you’ll discover he’s far from angry.”
When they both were silent they could hear the low, masculine moaning coming from the living room. Roarke’s gaze turned hot as he looked at her. “He’s jerking off thinking about what I told him, isn’t he?”
“I think he is.” She chewed more of the apple peel. “It’s hot, isn’t it?”
There was a sharp nod of agreement. “Will you really go shopping with me? While it was enough to confess to you and Gray, I really don’t want to shop alone. I don’t need the whole town finding out.”
Marley reached across the counter to squeeze his hand. “Darling, you just be who you are. If wearing female clothing in the privacy of your home is what you want, you just go for it.”
“What if Gray really doesn’t like it as much as he thinks he does?” he asked hoarsely, the thought obviously causing him a great deal of pain.
“That’s not going to be a problem, babe,” Grayson told the other man from the wide archway between the rooms. He was composed now, his clothing righted, though there was a flush across his cheekbones. The look he was giving Roarke promised all kinds of wicked things. “Like Marley said, you just be who you are. I’m just sorry you felt the need to hide it. And if you’re uncomfortable shopping for what you want in town, then use the Internet.” He grinned wickedly and winked. “I believe a lot of companies offer overnight shipping these days for a few extra bucks.”
