by Shaw, Leia
Her mom shook her head. “I’m afraid she’ll go temporarily insane and leave the best thing that’s ever happened to her. I’m just looking out for her best interests.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes and dusted her hands off over her plate. “Mom, you’re such a dork, but you’re pretty awesome, so I forgive you. And you’re not fooling me, by the way. There’s no way you made these cookies.”
Outrage, denial, and finally ruefulness cycled on Jorah’s face. “Fine. So I didn’t make these. It doesn’t mean I couldn’t. I’m good with cookies.”
“You are,” Scarlet admitted. “But we both know better than to eat your meatloaf.”
Chapter 9
When was the last time he’d hung around at a girl’s place to help her sew? Never. He may as well wear a t-shirt with I’m available if you want to jump my bones on the front.
“Help” was an exaggeration. It was more like watching Reece sew and grabbing foreign sparkly items for her. Reece occasionally employed his muscles to rip seams or carry bolts of cloth.
He wandered over to the second of the clothes-wearing dummies set up in the middle of the living room floor and tried to look knowledgeable as he circumnavigated it. The dress was blue and long but he needed a real woman in it to tell much. A pile of bags off to one side contained the yet-to-be-improved gowns. A rack with gowns hanging from it held completed ones.
The place resembled a clothes shop hit by a hurricane – a rainbow-inducing hurricane at that. Prom dresses seemed designed to scald the eyes with their brilliance.
The front door banged shut. Scarlet must be back.
“What do you think?” Reece had paused, mumbling a little with two pins in her mouth.
“Not bad.” He scratched his goatee. “Could use another sparkly thing on the bottom to lure those unsuspecting males. Other than that, thumbs up.”
Reece took the pins from her mouth. “Lure? Unsuspecting?” She shook her head. “Not good for teenagers. I’m not clothing date rape bait.”
He decided that birds with their mating displays had nothing on what women did to attract men.
In the process of attaching a lace panel to the magenta gown her dummy wore, Reece bent her knees to stick another pin into the fabric lower down. The cozy temperature in the apartment meant he’d taken off his coat and she’d only bothered to don a simple black dress. It was nicely short. Whenever she squatted, the dress revealed a devastating vista of ample thighs. More than once he’d been hit with an impulse to put his hand there.
Not polite. The girl was Scarlet’s, not his.
“Is that the one you plan to wear, Malachi?” Scarlet said brightly as she tapped up to them in low-heeled boots, jeans, and a snappy black leather coat.
“Pay me enough and I’ll do anything. Except wear aircraft landing lights.” He flicked the trail of shiny spots. “I’m allergic to them.”
“They’re sequins.” Reece said absentmindedly, still placing pins, but her girlfriend wrapped her arms around her from the back and kissed her neck. Then she gently made Reece stand and turn. Reece sighed dramatically. “I can’t pin anything if I’m not looking.”
“I know, baby, but your eyes...” She swiped a finger delicately under Reece’s eye. “So red.”
“It’s the hazard of this time of year. If I don’t get these done, I’ll let someone down.” She ducked her head to look at Scarlet from under her eyelashes. “It’s important to me. You know that.” She popped another pin in her mouth then eyed the manikin.
“And I can’t even kiss you with all those pins in your mouth.” This time Scarlet sighed. “Malachi have you ever dated a girl who was a porcupine?”
He chuckled. “Can’t say I have.”
Ignoring them, she placed the last pin in the fabric at the bust. “You two go have a private pity party while I do the work. Just leave me alone. I don’t think I need any more muscle, but thanks for the help.”
Scarlet hissed between her teeth. “How long since she had a break, Malachi?”
He got the drift. “Too long. Where do you want her? Kitchen stool?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll do the carrying, but you need to disarm her.” He gestured at the pair of scissors in her hand. At least the pins were gone.
“Okay.”
Reece looked from one to the other of them, her eyebrows raised. “No. No way. Give me another half an hour.”
Mouth firm, eyes set, Scarlet put out her hand, palm up. “Scissors.”
“Ohhh! This is so annoying.” She shook her head, eyes shut, exasperation brimming. “Fine!” But she didn’t give the scissors to Scarlet, instead placing them on the desk that held the sewing machine. “There. I can walk.” She scowled at Malachi.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Besides, how often did he get permission to pick up an armful of girl like this? Before Scarlet rescinded her agreement, he scooped up Reece. “Your eyes are probably so worn out you’d trip and land in a basket of sequins.”
“Put me down!” She huffed as he strode for the kitchen with her in his arms. “At least then you’d be allergic to me and have to stay away.”
Before he could check himself, he replied, “I’d rather die of sequins poisoning than stay away from you.”
Oh fuck. Before he could instead die of foot-in-mouth disease, both she and Scarlet laughed so he grinned and went with it. Thank god they both had a sense of humor.
“I’ll get the groceries I left at the door,” Scarlet said.
In the kitchen, he placed her on the stool at the breakfast bar then went to the coffee maker and switched it on. A herd of used mugs sat on the sink so he ran some water for dishes.
While it filled he asked, “How do you like your coffee?”
“Low fat milk and Splenda.” She reached down and rubbed her feet. “Stupid how sore my feet get sewing. My eyes, my feet, my head.”
“You have a headache?” The pleasant warmth of the dishwater, the conversation, the way they assumed he was here to help them...he just fit in. It made him feel like he was home, or somewhere so familiar he’d visited for years. It also made him sad, because it was a lie.
“Um. A small one.” Reece rubbed her temples.
“Maybe no more coffee then. Do you have tea? I think I saw some.”
“We have chamomile.” Scarlet came in and plonked two plastic bags of groceries on the counter and started putting them away. “It’s nasty though.”
“Eww.” Reece pulled a face. “Yeah, it’s gross. Coffee is fine.”
“So headache. Foot ache. Eye ache.” He put the last cup on the draining board. “No coffee for you for the rest of the day.”
After perching on a stool next to Reece, Scarlet beckoned to her. “Put your feet here.”
Reece leaned back into the corner of the counter and put her feet on Scarlet’s lap. “What are we having for dinner? Ohmigod, that’s good. Sooo good.” She groaned as Scarlet kept up the massage of her soles, digging her fingers in deep.
“You, pet, are having... Oh shit, I forgot to buy chicken. I got the onions, garlic, tomatoes, bread, all the other stuff.” She sighed. “I’ll go back to the store.”
“Tell you what. You girls stay here and I’ll get us some takeout from a new restaurant I want to try. Mongolian food.”
“Mongolian?” Reece looked incredulous. “You’re serious?”
“I am. One of my hobbies. Trying different takeout. You have to be fast, though. The Turkish one only lasted a month before they closed.” He looked at them both. “Agreed? Anything else? Some beer? Wine?”
“Nuh-uh.” Reece waved her hand. “I have an hour I can sew after dinner, at least. No alcohol.”
“Get wine. She’s not sewing after dinner.”
Reece opened her mouth to protest but Scarlet cut her off. “Don’t argue or there will be tickle torture.”
“Scarlet,” she grumped. “I have to!”
“No, kitten. You’ll wear yourself out. We’ll get back to work tomorrow morning, I promise. I’ll ev
en be your human pincushion.” The tension in Reece’s body was obvious. “Please, baby. Take a break.” Scarlet stroked Reece’s legs and the girl’s eyes started to drift shut.
Then she gave in with a sigh. “Okay.”
Scarlet smiled at her tired girl then turned to look at him. “How much money do you need, Malachi?”
“It’s on me.” He waved off her offer and headed out.
Since he wasn’t sure what sort of wine they liked he selected a few different types at the liquor store, figuring he could always take it with him if they refused to drink it. And then, as an afterthought, he picked out some gourmet beers. The Mongolian restaurant takeout menu had been chock full of hearty-sounding meals. Beer might go better with the strong flavors than most wine.
They ended up eating on the couch since Reece declared she wanted to slouch back into some soft cushions rather than be all polite at the dining table. The coffee table had the four different dishes on it as well as the four bottles of wine. When he’d asked which they’d like to drink, Scarlet admitted she’d only agreed with wine since he was buying.
“This doesn’t taste a bit like rum and coke.” She screwed up her nose then took another sip from her goblet of merlot.
“I should hope not!” Reece was in the middle, between them.
Somehow she ended up there whenever they sat together. It was as if he and Scarlet automatically wanted to corral her in. He rolled that idea around – it was probably philosophically correct. Given half a chance, he’d co-dom the woman. If only.
“We can’t all be as hardcore as you, Scarlet. Some people like to have some taste to their alcohol instead of just being hit over the head with it.”
“What’s the point of drinking if it doesn’t hit you over the head?” Scarlet gave her a wicked grin. “Other than to take advantage of pretty girls, like you.”
She giggled. “Yes, Mistress.”
“Mistress?” She looked amused. “I like the sound of that.” Then she reached across the back of the couch and poked Malachi on the shoulder. “Am I allowed to use that? Mistress? Or do I need a PhD in BDSM?”
“You can call yourself whatever you want. Long as whatever you do is safe, or as safe as you can make it, and consensual. There are no BDSM police. It’s all about what you and your partner or partners want to do.”
The little flare of awareness in Scarlet’s eyes at his statement made him tweak into an alert state. Partners…plural – had that been the word that excited her? It had slipped out, maybe because it was always at the back of his mind around these two.
Seemed like the wine was getting to her. He reassessed himself. When he looked up, the ceiling was doing a slow spin. He was slightly drunk. Not surprising since there were two empty bottles on the table along with the plates. And a beer he’d tried as well. Mostly because it was Mongolian and what else did you drink with Mongolian lamb?
Reece wriggled and rested her head on Scarlet’s shoulder. He couldn’t help dropping his gaze to ogle her gorgeous legs. A slim frilled red line at the hem of the dress, said her panties were in danger of showing.
When she’d crawled to him and Scarlet the other night with her top off and only those white ruffled panties concealing down below... Damn.
That sight was seared into his memory – her breasts hanging down, swaying a little as she crawled. Like that they were the perfect shape for a Dom to reach down and handle them. The darker areolae on her pale skin were like cute targets. Then, when she sat up and he asked her to let him put the clothespin on her tongue and she obediently stuck it out...
He shook his head, aware his erection had popped back up like an inflatable toy. Not that it hadn’t been up most of the day and evening. The proximity of these two beautiful women meant being forever tantalized by their scent and the contours of their bodies.
Scarlet met his eyes. After she flicked her gaze toward his lap, a gentle knowing smile grew. She stroked Reece’s back then drew her up into a kiss. Before long Reece was moaning and squirming as the kiss got serious. Her legs curled up onto the couch and the ankle of her uppermost leg ended up on his thigh. Another unexpected squirm and, unawares, she brushed her toes on his erection through the cloth of his jeans.
He hissed and noticed a smirk on Scarlet’s face as she came up for air.
“I have that trouble sometimes too when we’re in public.”
“What, Scarlet?” Reece murmured.
She chuckled. “Shh. None of your business. I’m talking to another Dom.”
“None of my –” Then Scarlet put her hand on her mouth for a second and all he heard was a muffled protest.
Chuckling, he stood. “I’ll bring the dishes into the kitchen. Keep going.”
“We will.” She sent him a calculating and somewhat evil look. “Come back soon.”
What in the world did that mean? An invitation to join in?
He didn’t hurry too much, but since he wasn’t planning to do dishes again, it was all of three or four minutes to move the plates and glasses and bottles and scrape unwanted food into the garbage. He washed and dried his hands, and walked back in, mostly in a straight line. Well, he hadn’t dropped anything so he couldn’t be that drunk, right?
At least the girls weren’t asking him to do any kink.
When he entered the living room, they were still kissing, except now Scarlet had the front of Reece’s dress undone almost to her waist and her bra cups pushed down below her breasts.
Red lacy bra, so it matched the panties. The whole montage was enough to make him wonder if it was his birthday this time.
That white-blond short hairstyle of Scarlet’s set off everything perfectly, and centered her in his vision. One female creature at another, licking her lips, making her prey groan and strain to rub herself on her captor. The perfect exposure of the breasts, the curl of the black dress beneath the bottom, the see-through red panties showing the divide of her ass. The writhe of thighs. Fuck.
An erotic jigsaw puzzle that made him wonder if his dick could get any more erect than it was. The pulse of the thing would drive him nuts soon.
Then Scarlet broke the kiss so she could stand to take off her jeans. From the mostly undone zip and button, Reece had been busy. She shimmied them down. White underthings this time. Cotton and practical but they rode up into Scarlet’s cleft like they were designed to show off every part of her sex. Now he had two posteriors to stare at. With one long finger, Scarlet pointed at the vacant spot on the couch where he’d been before.
Should he? His cock answered for him and he slid into his place next to Reece. Challenge accepted. He wasn’t pushing in though. He’d wait. This was a woman and her submissive and mistaking the cues would be disastrous. Even somewhat tipsy he knew when to go slow.
Though Reece managed a fleeting look at him, Scarlet distracted her. The kiss went southward, across that soft white shoulder, down the upper curve of her breast, as Scarlet shifted their position until she was more on top of her girl with her knee keeping her legs apart. No doubt that knee was pushing in on her groin from the increasing loudness of Reece’s noises.
He was impressed at the fortitude of this new-fledged Domme. She kissed what seemed every inch of flesh of Reece’s heavenly breasts except the nipples and had her writhing like a woman in heat.
“More. Please, Scarlet,” she squeaked, attempting control by trying to pull down Scarlet’s head.
“Let go.”
“Scarlet, please.” She thrust her breast upward. “I need you to –”
The next whisper struck him like a blow.
“Hold your breast up so Malachi can kiss you there.”
He was ready to play dumb and get a refusal but Reece turned to him immediately and stared, absorbing him with those big brown eyes. Even the curve of her dark eyebrows were perfect. She was an amazingly sexy woman.
“Malachi? No, I can’t! He wouldn’t want that.” When a tiny frown appeared on her brow at the same time as she sucked on her lip, his desire
shot up ten times hotter.
“Oh, he does. Guaranteed.” Scarlet laughed throatily but she held Reece’s chin and seemed to check out her expression. “And, baby, I think you do too.”
“No.” She ducked her head.
Where was this going? Did Reece have a non-con fetish? There was nothing better he liked to role-play.
“Do you hear that?” Scarlet said. “No safeword. Come over here and take what you want.” She slipped her hand down to Reece’s throat. “Stay right there for the big bad man to come get you.”
“Scarlet. Nooo.” Reece whimpered yet only plucked weakly at Scarlet’s hand.
Fuck. Was this what she wanted? They were all a bit sloshed. But though he waited, Reece said nothing more.
He leaned in, over her, until he was only a breath away from her luscious mouth with Scarlet stopping to watch them. She rested her head on Reece’s opposite shoulder and bit skin.
“If you want me to –” he began.
Then Reece put her hand on his chest and pushed. He was not her Dom. His good, gentlemanly instincts thought about kicking in. Still no safeword though.
Her lips parted the slightest. He’d wanted her since forever. The dawn of time had nothing on his high school crush.
“Do you need a printed invitation, Malachi?” Scarlet nipped her shoulder again, making Reece jump and whine.
“Fuck, no.”
“She’s such a sweet thing, isn’t she?”
“Scarlet!” she whispered, outraged.
Good could take a hike. Growly beastman mode stomped to the fore. If only he’d brought his obligatory loincloth. He plucked Reece’s hand from his chest, easily restraining her wrist against the back of the couch while he studied his little victim. She squirmed under the double onslaught of Scarlet’s teeth and his examination.
Lips or the offered breast? He settled for both, going in to kiss her mouth hard and long enough to taste her and slide his tongue in, to wrap his fingers through her madly tangled locks at the back of her neck, while Scarlet kissed her neck on the other side.
Her murmured protests were in passionate counterpoint to what her body was saying and soon became soft moans.
