by Louisa Neil
Jack decided his best defense was to play by their original rules and not expect some grand gesture from either person. He should go home, find a job and a life, whatever that turned out to be. Originally he’d come on the cruise to debate just that, his future and what he wanted to do with it. Now, seven days later, it hadn’t entered his mind once on a serious level. If only he could wipe the smile from his lips. Hell, life was great, even if it came in short glimpses of time. It would work itself out when he got home. For now, he didn’t want to miss one last meal with Rhia and Donovan.
* * * *
When the knock on their cabin door came, Rhia opened it, assuming it was the steward to collect their luggage. Instead, she found Nigel holding a canvas tote bag. She knew from previous experience, he would have gathered all their toys, paddles, handcuffs, etc., for her to pack and take home.
“Good morning, Nigel. Come in.” She closed the door behind him.
“I wanted to make sure you had time to pack these before they came for your luggage.” He handed her the bag and smiled. “Did you and Donovan have a good time this trip?”
“I certainly did,” she said with a laugh. Donovan came from the bathroom and nodded to Nigel. “He wanted to make sure we had a good time. I did. What about you?”
“As always, Nigel, you take our cruises beyond our expectations.” Donovan walked toward him, and the two men hugged, slapping each other on the back. “All the movies are there?”
“Of course. No copies made of any of them. You have the masters.”
“Good.”
“I’m glad you both enjoyed your trip. I know I always have a good time when you’re on board.” He hesitated and finally asked, “What about your toy, Jack?”
“The week’s over,” Rhia quickly said, ending that line of conversation. While she liked and trusted Nigel to a point, he didn’t have to know all their private secrets.
“I’ll look forward to seeing you in a few months. Let me know if I can do anything for you in between.”
“We will,” Donovan said and shook his hand. Rhia finished packing the toy bag in her suitcase and went to Nigel. With a light kiss to each of his cheeks, she smiled. “Be safe, Nigel. And don’t have too much fun without us!” She winked at him, and they all laughed. He left quickly.
“That’s about everything,” she told Donovan. “Would you like breakfast?”
“I’m starved, and we still have to deal with Jack.”
“Yes, we do. I think in this case I’ll let you lay out the options we decided on, man to man.”
“I think he’d rather hear them from you.”
“We’ll do it together,” she said and glanced around the room one last time. “I’ll miss this place.”
“We’ll be back in a few months.”
“Yes, we will.” She grabbed her tote bag and large straw hat, knowing the steward would collect their baggage while they ate. “I’m ready to go home.”
“Me, too.” Donovan paused to lock the room behind him, to lock away the memories of what they had done there.
* * * *
Rhia and Donovan sat at a table with coffee before them. They waited for Jack to come up before helping themselves to the buffet. “Well, at least Calvin looks like he had a good time.”
“Setting him up with our little piano player was a stroke of genius.” Donovan nodded to Rhia.
“They just seemed like a fit. Much better than he would have fit in with our plans.”
“Research can only tell you so much about a person. Until you meet them in person, you never know for sure. I think they’ll make a good couple.”
“So do I.” She leaned back in her chair and waved to the two women she had supper with the first night of the cruise. “They seemed to have relaxed into their relationship.”
“I can only wonder what will happen when they get home. Will they continue as a couple, or will pressure separate them?” Donovan seemed pensive with his thoughts.
“It’s up to them to decide. Just like it’s up to us to decide what to do with Jack.” She smiled and covered his hand with hers. “I haven’t seen much of George this week, and the few times I did, he seemed a bit green around the gills.”
“We knew he was a long shot,” Donovan said. “He’ll go back to his old life and be a leech on society for the rest of his days.”
“That’s not our problem, Donovan.” She paused to look at him. “You are in a strange mood this morning, the epitome of your name, my dark warrior.”
He smiled and kissed her cheek. “And you, my dear Rhiannon, live up to your name. You’re a witch who entangles men in your web.”
“I guess we both lived up to our names. While our motives were purely for fun, I think we’ve both come to realize Jack is more than a week’s worth of fun. He has potential.” She looked at him and smiled.
“You’re just accepting of him because you like how he sucks your cock.” Rhia laughed and dropped her hand to Donovan’s thigh. “And since his cock is smaller than yours, he doesn’t pose a threat in that area, either.”
“Do you think he’ll run from us or take our offer?”
“I don’t know. I’d like him to take our offer, but only if he can live within our rules. I don’t want anyone to come between what we’ve built together.” She glanced over his shoulder, adding, “Here comes Jack now.”
“So, do you want to take the lead or should I?” Donovan asked, pausing to tilt Rhia’s hat to block out more sun.
“I think you should take the lead as the dominant male. I’ll throw in my two cents, but I think the offer should come from you.” Rhia sipped from her coffee and put it back on the saucer when she saw Jack approaching. “Good morning, Jack. Did you sleep well?”
“Not really,” he said, nodding his head to the waiter poised to fill his coffee cup. When the waiter was out of earshot, he continued. “I spent most of my night reliving this week and how it’s changed me.”
“What did you decide?” Donovan asked, relaxing back in his seat.
“I have to live by your rules. I promised when this started that I wouldn’t cling after the week was over. But I will say, you two are quite a pair. I’ve never met two people who are so in sync. Asking me to join you was truly a gift. I never would have found this new side of my personality without you.”
“The real question is do you like this side of you?” Rhia asked.
“I’m becoming accustomed to this new side of me, although I don’t think I’ll have the courage to continue my training back home. There is no one I can think of that I would trust with this side of me. Male or female.”
“What if we made you a different offer?” Donovan continued to keep eye contact with Jack. “We know you’re unemployed right now. Do you feel you have to live in New Jersey, or would you consider relocating?”
Jack swallowed hard, obviously not believing what he was just offered. “What kind of offer?”
“One that has strict rules.” Rhia nodded for Donovan to continue.
“We’ve been talking and think you might make an interesting addition to our circle. But the offer comes with rules.”
“What are the rules?” Jack sat back, his eyes wide, watching Donovan.
“First, the bond of secrecy is always intact. No matter who you meet, with or without us, none of this is ever discussed. If you take us up on our offer, you’ll be required to sign a nondisclosure form. That means if you leave us for any reason, you can’t ever talk about our times, even in passing, not even referring to us or we’ll sue you. And Jack, I’m not fooling around with this. We will make your life miserable if you try to out us.” Donovan’s expression was stern.
“I get that. What else?”
Rhia held his gaze as she spoke. “You’d be joining us as a pup to be trained. You’d have to remember that Donovan and I are always in charge. That we never hide sexual acts from each other, and you’d have to accept you’d never be able to talk about anything that happens. Anything, Jack. Even if
you progress to training your own pup one day, you can never talk about us. Ever.”
“I never thought about training my own pup.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jack.” Donovan let out a quick laugh. “One week does not make you a trained dominant. There are rules to be followed, the first one being never harm your pup or master.”
“I think I’d enjoy being trained by the two of you. Hell, you know all my secrets. What else could you ask of me that would be more embarrassing then what we’ve already done together?”
Rhia smiled. “Jack, we’re talking about years of training. Of taking our orders and following them without hesitation or questions.”
“I did that this week and survived.”
“Did you ever think you’d suck your own cock and like it?” Donovan was trying to push Jack to see how far he’d actually go before getting angry.
Jack’s face turned bright red, and he glanced around to make sure nobody was listening. “I can be discreet, especially when it comes to sex.”
“It would also pertain to our private lives. If you decide to let us train you, you’d be entering our private lives. If you think we’re strict about our sexcapades, we’re even more intense about our privacy at home.”
“Are you offering me a chance to come and live with you and be trained?”
“No. Not at all.” Donovan lowered his voice and continued. “If you decide you want us to train you, you’d have to have a steady job and a place of your own to live. No money is involved with this proposal. You must become completely self-sufficient before we’d start your training. Are you willing to relocate to South Carolina, and what do you think you’d do for a job?”
“I’m a licensed engineer. I like what I do. And I only live in New Jersey because that’s where I found work. Right out of school, my first job was there. After that, I took an offer from a larger company that kept me in the state. But I’m not averse to relocating and starting over.”
“Think about it, Jack.” Rhia leaned forward, her words hushed. “We’ve never made this offer before. Hadn’t planned on offering it to you. But this past week we’ve seen a side of you that makes us think you might fit the role, if you’re inclined to consider it.”
“Remember one thing, Jack. Besides the privacy issues, you’d have to be willing to let Rhia and me both dominate you.”
“We’ve gone easy on you this week, Jack. Once you’re in training, the pace will change, as well as your punishments. You’ll have to be willing to accept the handcuffs, chains, paddles, and a world of toys and props you’d never think of.” Rhia smiled. “When I’m in charge, I’ll use cock rings to keep you from coming until I decide you can, along with other various items. When you’re with us, you’ll always wear a butt plug, and you’ll keep your cock, balls, and anus shaved, as Donovan does.”
“We understand it’s all a bit overwhelming.” Donovan reached for Rhia’s hand, clasping it under his fingers. “Go home and think about it. Look for a job and a new life. If you decide you can come to us as a self-sufficient being, we’ll discuss the rest of the rules.”
“Okay,” Jack said, “I’m stunned you’re offering me this chance. I figured we’d have breakfast and you’d reinforce the privacy rules and we’d never see each other again.”
“We can still work with that option if you’re more comfortable with that.” Rhia gave him a reassuring smile. “What will be will work out. Take your time, Jack, and think this through. We don’t want you to ever think you were forced or pushed into a situation you’d regret later.”
“I think,” Donovan said, “we’d better get some breakfast.” He stood and reached for Rhia’s chair. “Jack, are you going to eat?”
“Yeah, I mean yes.” He followed them to the buffet, filling a plate. Donovan noted he didn’t eat much of it once they sat down. When he and Rhia had eaten their fill, he glanced at his watch. “It’s time to go.”
Rhia stood and moved to Jack’s side. She bent down and hugged him, tucking a small slip of paper into his shirt pocket. “This is a private e-mail address. Don’t give it to anyone, do you understand? Use it if you decide you want to talk more about our offer.”
Jack stood and accepted a pat on the back from Donovan. “Thank you both for…a vacation I’ll never forget.”
“Or talk about,” Rhia reinforced.
“That, too.” He glanced behind her and noted Nigel was approaching.
“I hope you all enjoyed your cruise. The transports to the airport are here. Jack, your bags have been loaded.”
“Thanks, Captain.” He reached to shake Nigel’s hand and stared at him for a moment too long. Then he smiled and blushed. “It’s time to go. It was my pleasure to meet you. I’ll never forget you or this trip. Thank you both.” He walked away, looking back over his shoulder several times before disembarking from the ship.
Donovan took Rhia’s hand and guided her off the ship and to their private limousine. Once ensconced in the air-conditioned vehicle with the privacy screen up, Donovan finally spoke. “Do you think we’ll ever hear from him again?”
“Time will tell,” she said and snuggled against his shoulder. “If not, it will be his loss.”
Chapter Seventeen
Jack stared out the window of the van on the way to the airport. Once on board, he fell asleep. Waking when they were near landing, he felt better, sleep taking the sexual fog from his mind. He waited on line for a taxi and kept a keen eye on the road that took him home. Home, to a nondescript furnished apartment.
Once inside, he dropped his bag in the hallway, as well as the mail he’d collected from his box in the lobby on a side table. Then he wandered around the rooms, looking at each with a keen eye. He’d taken the apartment when his last job started and promised himself he’d look for something better as soon as he was settled. That was four years ago, and he never found the time to look. Then three months ago he’d been phased out. He had his benefit package and had transferred his 401K. He knew he had enough money for a year if he was careful.
He ordered a pizza and jumped in a quick shower. After the food was delivered, he sat on the sofa, the television on low in the background to an all-news channel. He didn’t care what they were talking about, just that there was noise around him. He scarfed down a slice while waiting for his laptop to come to life. Jack opened his e-mail, found nothing important but a lot of spam, and closed the cover. If asked before his trip, he would have said he couldn’t live without the lousy machine. But he’d left it home on purpose, not wanting it to take over his trip.
It struck him that he had a new opportunity to restart his life. Now he had to decide if he wanted to start it alone and where, or with Donovan and Rhia in South Carolina. Grabbing the laptop, he plugged the name “Donovan” into a Google search. He found pages of garbage that didn’t apply to his Donovan. Since he had no last name to search, he tried “Donovan and South Carolina.” He only came up with one hit, a small article about the cruise line’s new partner. There was no last name or photo accompanying the article.
Then he tried a “Rhia,” and was amazed at what he found. Rhia was actually Rhiannon Carr. From his searches, he found she was a trained profiler for a federal bureau. Then he came across the articles on her finding a murderer, the gunfight that ensued, and ultimately how she arrested him. He also found out she’d been shot in the back shoulder during the arrest. After that, there were a few articles about the murder trial, including her injuries and recovery.
That was his light-bulb moment. The tattoo on her shoulder was to cover the scar left from this case. Jack smiled at the irony. Her tattoo, half white angel and half black devil seemed more appropriate than he could have imagined. One of the last entries was the article of her resigning from the bureau and moving from Washington, DC. He knew she lived in South Carolina now, with Donovan, and wondered how they met. It didn’t matter. He had to accept he’d fallen in love with Rhia and with Donovan. While he wouldn’t say the words out loud, they
rumbled in his brain, refusing to let him forget them.
Trying a clean search, he plugged in her name and state. The results were disappointing, to say the least. As he was about to shut down the machine, he thought of one last search. He looked up "private investigators.” She had no listing in the phone book. But when he searched state records, he came up with her PI license.
So, she’d been shot, managed to survive, and put the murderer behind bars for life. Then she left and became a private investigator. Suddenly it all began to fall into place. How he won his trip from a raffle he didn’t remember entering. How they knew so much about him and his personality. “Christ, they chose me,” he said aloud and closed the computer. Jack paced the small living room, trying to decide if he was annoyed they’d targeted him, or thankful. He saw both sides and decided at least he’d had a good time.
That brought up a whole new list of questions about himself and his sexuality. Was he truly bi and never knew it? Or was it just the situation that freed him to experiment? For three days, he tried to go through his normal routine. He looked for jobs, contacted firms he’d already interviewed with, hoping for a second chance, and scanned the newspaper want ads. Nothing seemed to fit him.
That night, he took the computer on his lap and began looking up websites that pertained to bisexual, bondage, and dominant-submissive relationships. He stroked his cock halfheartedly while scanning sites. He was on information overload and decided to look for books on the subject. An Amazon search turned up too many novels for him to fathom. He chose one and, after reading the excerpt, went directly to a related site.
This was another revelation for Jack. He knew erotica was out there. He just never bothered to look for it. Now he looked and downloaded. For two days he stayed in bed, reading as much as he could until he was bleary-eyed and his cock was sore from jerking too often. He was about to shut down the machine and saw a note on the top of one of the publisher websites. It was an advertisement for an editor. With a few clicks, he learned it was a job he could do from home on his computer, on his time frame. While he was an engineer, he had minored in English literature.
