Full Position

by Mari Carr

  And neither he nor Justin had been shy about returning those casual touches—offering a friendly hug whenever she got dumped or placing an arm around her shoulders whenever she created something truly amazing on the computer.

  Then Ned spoke the one thing that concerned him the most. “I don’t want to scare her, Justin. I don’t want to freak her out so much that she goes away.”

  Justin rose slowly. Something in Ned’s tone must have alerted Justin that he was weakening, that he was actually considering this idea. Ned was afraid he didn’t have any choice. Now that he was aware of his feelings for Bella, he knew himself—and Justin—well enough to know nothing would stop them. Not pragmatism or common sense or even fear.

  “We won’t, Ned. We’ll plan it out. Take it slow. This will work. I really believe that.”

  Justin’s confidence went a long way toward soothing Ned’s nerves. In fact, he felt a spark of hope emerging.

  “It has to work, Justin, because failure isn’t something I can even consider at this point. I want her too badly.”

  Justin released a short, almost sad snort. “Join the club.”

  Chapter Three

  “I need a favor, but I don’t want you to judge me when I ask.”

  Justin looked up from his desk as Bella hovered in the doorway to his office. “I’m from New Orleans, Bells. I think it’s safe to say I’m as jaded as they come. Nothing you say will shock or appall me.”

  Bella stepped into her boss’s office and closed the door behind her. She’d decided to approach Justin with her question as opposed to Ned for the very reason he’d just stated. Justin rolled with the punches and took everything in stride. He was easy to talk to and really funny. There was something totally attractive about a man who could make a girl laugh. Plus, he’d said something last Friday night at happy hour that made her think he could definitely provide the information she needed.

  While Ned was a really cool boss, he was definitely more serious than his party-guy business partner. Plus there were simply too many times Bella went tongue-tied around Ned. He was quieter, more mysterious and sometimes, when he looked at her, she felt the overwhelming urge to rip off all her clothes and kneel in front of him.

  Which was equal parts disturbing and weird and…well…hot.

  Whenever she was around Justin or Ned, her nipples tightened and her face flushed. It had actually been like that from the beginning and she’d worked hard to overcome her racy desires. She was proud of her efforts—or had been. Her attraction to the two of them had gotten worse over the past few months—or hell, maybe even the last year. She wasn’t exactly sure when she’d lost control of this annoying schoolgirl crush on her bosses, but it was really starting to piss her off. She knew better.

  She had thought she’d done a great job hiding her feelings. Bella actually prided herself on her poker face, but she feared she’d let it slip last Friday. As a result, she’d spent the past three days at work dodging Ned and Justin, while searching for some way to rein in her raging hormones. Unfortunately, they weren’t going anywhere. If anything, her body was in a constant state of sex-starved need. It was becoming painful.

  However, she needed their help and time had run out. Bella took a deep breath and plowed forward with her request. “My girlfriend, Missy, is coming to visit tomorrow. We went to high school together and I introduced her to Tim, the new guy from accounting. They’ve sort of made this online love connection so now she’s traveling here for a face-to-face meeting.”

  “Wow. Someone else managed to break free from the hold of Carlisle, Pennsylvania? I didn’t think anyone besides you ever willingly left that Mecca of the East Coast.”

  “Very funny. You know, you really should visit there before you make fun of it.” Bella didn’t bother to hide how enamored she was of her hometown, frequently declaring it one of the best places on earth. Maybe to people who’d been raised in the Big Easy, like Ned and Justin, her little Podunk town looked boring by comparison, but she loved where she’d come from and she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise.

  Justin picked up a pen, tapping it on the desk in his usual way. “So Missy and Tim are checking each other to make sure neither of them is hooking up with a catfish. Cool. So what’s the favor, Bells?”

  Bella tried to ignore how gorgeous Justin looked in his royal blue polo shirt. It matched the color of his eyes almost perfectly. Of course, he’d look a hell of a lot hotter without it…and the jeans, now that she thought about it.

  Stop it, you horny slut!

  She glanced away quickly, afraid Justin would recognize the lust in her gaze. She really needed to find a way to get over these feelings. She had her dream job in the French Quarter and she didn’t want to screw that up. Of course, that didn’t stop her from indulging in some of the raciest fantasies ever dreamt up by a horny woman every single night. Justin would probably be amused—and Ned concerned about her professionalism—if he realized all the incredibly wicked things the three of them had done together in her dreams over the past year or so. Dreams that had only grown hotter since their conversation at happy hour last week.

  “This is Missy’s first trip to New Orleans and she’s sort of, well, she was hoping, um…”

  “Spit it out,” Justin prodded.

  “If things work out with Tim, she was hoping to go to a sex club with him.” Bella felt flames licking her cheeks and could only imagine how red her face was.

  Justin, true to form, simply grinned. “Damn. Didn’t see that coming.”

  “Missy was always the wild one in school. There’s nothing she wouldn’t try. Apparently she and Tim have been sexting some pretty hot things and she’s hoping they could explore some of that while she’s here. Problem is, Tim only moved to the area about six months ago and he doesn’t know of any sex clubs, and I sure as hell don’t, so I thought maybe you…”

  “You figured I was just the sexual deviant to help you out.”

  That was exactly what she’d thought. Especially after his talk of bondage. “I never said that. It’s just that you grew up here. So…”

  Justin stood, his expression proving he was enjoying this conversation and her discomfort a great deal. Reaching on top of the filing cabinet, he pulled down a box, rifling through a stack of business cards. “Here,” he said, handing her one. “Extreme Connections. There’s a big event happening this Saturday. Perfect timing for your friend’s visit.”

  “An event? How do you know that?”

  Justin took a step closer to her. “I’m a member.”

  “Oh.” Shit. Any chance she had at reining in her overactive fantasies about Justin was officially blown out of the water. Not only would she be dreaming of him tying her to his bed, she was suddenly imagining him in black leather pants.

  How freaking hot would that be? She resisted the urge to fan herself. After all, the AC kept the office a perfectly cool sixty-five degrees.

  “So you’ll all come Saturday night?”

  Bella shook her head. “Oh no. Not me. I’m just going to send Missy with Tim.”

  Justin studied her face. “You have no interest in seeing the club?”

  She started to shake her head again, but Justin raised his hand. “Bear in mind, you’re a terrible liar, Bells.”

  She blew out a long sigh. “Fine. I’ll admit I’m curious, but I think in this situation, three might be a crowd.”

  “You won’t be the third wheel. Meet me there at nine. Tim and Missy can go do the nasty in whatever kinky way strikes their fancy and I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

  Bella’s heart stuttered, skipped a beat as she considered his offer. “That would be…”

  “Awkward.”

  The deep voice from the doorway distracted her and she turned around just in time to watch Ned come into the office. Bella glanced at his handsome face quickly before her eyes drifted lower. The response was instinctual, instantaneous, annoying. She’d never had trouble maintaining eye contact with Ned before he’d planted
that damn seed about punishment, but now his overwhelming presence had her deferring to him in ways she couldn’t control or understand.

  Justin chuckled. “I feel confident the word she was looking for was ‘awesome.’”

  Ned sat in a chair in front of Justin’s desk, stretching his legs out before him. Both men were tall and well built, with dark hair and slight southern drawls that made her panties melt. They were both about a decade older than her, each in their mid-thirties.

  And to make matters worse for her libido, they had a casual dress code at Lewis and Kinnaman, which meant most everyone in the office worked in jeans, including them. As she studied Ned in his faded Levi’s, she tried to decide if there was anything hotter than a sexy guy in blue jeans.

  Justin and Ned had never made her feel too young, accepting her as a valuable employee at work and then including her in their Friday happy hours, offering her genuine friendship.

  However, now, when she considered Justin’s membership to a sex club, she realized exactly how inexperienced and small-town she must seem.

  “Don’t worry, Bella. I’ll join you and Justin on your tour of the club. Keep things from becoming uncomfortable.”

  Ned actually thought taking a tour of a sex club with both of them would make things easier? Her pussy went wet just thinking about what they were proposing. How the hell was she supposed to walk around watching people engage in all sorts of provocative sex acts and manage to hide her attraction to not just one, but both of them?

  “I’m not sure—”

  Justin leaned on the desk. “It’s a private club, Bells. The only way Tim and Missy can get in is if I put their names on the guest list.”

  “And you won’t do that if I don’t come?”

  Justin winked. “Don’t make it sound like blackmail.”

  She crossed her arms, hoping the action would conceal her suddenly taut nipples. “Why not? That’s exactly what it is.”

  Justin’s gaze traveled south and she realized she’d actually drawn attention to what she was trying to hide. “I know you. You’re dying to see that club. I’m just helping to ease your conscience by taking the decision out of your hands. If you have no choice, you don’t have to feel like a dirty girl for wanting to go.”

  Sometimes it sucked having observant bosses. While they never manipulated her, Ned and Justin seemed to understand what made her tick. She wasn’t sure if she should be touched by how well they knew her or terrified by the fact they seemed to be able to see straight to the heart of her.

  They had her back against the wall, which never failed to make her want to come out swinging. Even if they were giving her what she wanted. “Fine. I’ll come along with Missy and Tim. But only for a quick tour. No touchy. No sucky. No fucky. At least for me. I’m just watching. You two can do whatever you want after I leave.”

  Justin walked toward her, placing his arm around her shoulders. “It’s a sex club, Bells. No limits, no holds barred.”

  “But I don’t want—”

  Justin placed his finger on her lips. “Shhh. Bad liar, remember?”

  She was tempted to open her lips and bite his finger. Or better yet, suck it into her mouth and show him exactly what she wanted to do to him.

  Instead, she took a step away as he released her.

  “Saturday at nine,” she repeated, stupidly trying to fill the silence in a room that suddenly felt too sexually charged.

  She backed toward the door and was almost home free when Ned said, “Oh, and Bella, wear something sexy.”

  Chapter Four

  Ned stood in the foyer of Extreme Connections and glanced at his watch again. “It’s ten after nine. Think they chickened out?”

  Justin shook his head. “I hope not. I’ve had a hard-on for three straight days, thinking about how tonight will play out. If Bella doesn’t show up in the next half-hour, there’s no way in hell I’m going to be able to keep myself from driving to her place and taking her there.”

  Ned agreed. “Yeah. I’m good with that plan.”

  Justin grinned at him. “It’s about time you got onboard.”

  Ned shot his best friend a dirty look. “Bella’s different, Justin. You know that. If we don’t take things slowly and ease her into what we want, she’ll be on the first plane to Pennsylvania two seconds after we issue our proposal.”

  Ned’s feelings for Bella had turned from an employer/employee relationship he’d managed to maintain for six years to cock-burning lust about two minutes after Justin pointed out her submissiveness to him at happy hour. Since then, there was something about the way she looked at him with those innocent green eyes that had him aching for her. The fact that Justin felt exactly the same way only made those desires burn hotter.

  Now that the game was about to change, the Dom Ned kept under wraps was unrestrained. He was finished waiting.

  He glanced at Justin, noticing for the first time the special pains his friend had taken with his appearance tonight. He wore new black jeans and it looked like he’d gotten a haircut.

  Justin was struggling to remain composed, but Ned could sense the same nervous energy radiating from his friend that he felt.

  While the concept of a threesome was familiar territory for them, Bella didn’t fit the same mold as the lovers who’d preceded her. Those other women came to them because they liked the idea of an illicit one-night affair and desired the forbidden pleasure to be found in indulging in a ménage for a single evening. No one had ever wanted more than the solo adventure, Justin and Ned included.

  Tonight, they would have to proceed with caution and care. Neither of them would be satisfied with a one-night stand with Bella. When he looked at her, Ned saw a future. Justin saw the same. That added even more pressure to an already tenuous situation.

  Bella had begun to provoke some deeper needs that Ned had managed to control for most of his adult life. However with her, he found it impossible to curb the Dom who sought to claim his sub permanently. BDSM had always been a part-time lifestyle for him, something he indulged in on weekends at the club. Suddenly he was envisioning Bella at work and at home, submitting to him, belonging to him.

  And Justin.

  They’d share her.

  Ned could barely remember a time when Justin wasn’t in his life. Now that they’d decided to take this incredible step toward grasping something unique, special, amazing, Ned was anxious to begin.

  And Bella was late.

  Justin sighed, then straightened. “Hey. There they are.”

  Ned glanced toward the door. His cock had been riding at half-mast all day in anticipation of tonight. As he watched Bella walk into the club in her shimmery blouse and mini-skirt, he gave up trying to hold back. He’d simply have to spend the rest of the night trying to walk around with a tent pole in his pants.

  “You’re late,” Ned said, kicking himself when Bella gave him a guilty look.

  “I’m sorry.” She tugged at her skirt, clearly feeling conspicuous in her sexy attire. Ordinarily Bella was the queen of conservative, living in jeans and t-shirts that did little to accentuate her firm, full breasts and tiny waist. Once she was theirs, they were buying her a new wardrobe. One that showed off her assets. “We got lost.”

  Justin gave her an exasperated look. “You’ve lived here for six years, Bells.” Bella’s severely lacking sense of direction had been a source of entertainment for them ever since she’d moved to New Orleans.

  “I know, but all these damn streets look the same to me.” She turned to her friend. “Justin, Ned, I’d like you to meet my friend, Missy.”

  Given the way Missy was currently wrapped around Tim, Ned assumed the online love affair was translating very well to real life. He and Justin shook her hand in greeting and said hello to Tim.

  Then Justin gestured behind him. “Should we start the tour?”

  Missy and Tim followed eagerly, while Ned noticed Bella’s reticence. He hung back with her. He and Justin agreed they would tag team at first, take tu
rns approaching her, so as not to overwhelm her.

  “Cold feet?”

  She shrugged. “I guess. A little. Not sure exactly what to expect.”

  “Just stay close. If you have questions, ask. If you’re uncomfortable, say the word and we’ll move on.” He grasped her hand, squeezing it for encouragement as they proceeded to the bar area. Ned felt it tremble slightly, so he tightened his grip and held on. Justin had started the tour with the most innocuous area of the club. Even so, Bella’s eyes widened as she took in the scantily clad men and women seated at the tables and bumping and grinding on the dance floor.

  Ned turned to look at her. “What do you know about sex clubs?”

  She glanced around the room. “I know there’s usually someone in charge and someone who follows orders.”

  He was amused by her layman’s terms. “Dominant and submissive.”

  “Right.” She let her gaze travel over his clothing, taking in the dark jeans and tight black t-shirt. “I think it’s a safe bet that you and Justin fall into the ‘Dominant’ category.”

  He was pleased she didn’t seem intimidated by that idea. “We like to be the boss—in and out of the bedroom.”

  She licked her lips when he mentioned ‘bedroom,’ the sexy gesture driving even more blood to his already too-thick cock. “You’re good when it comes to taking charge.”

  He chuckled. “I suppose you’ve noticed that at work.”

  “So it’s the same when you’re here?”

  He lifted one shoulder casually. “The same, yet very different.”

  Her eyes lowered, her voice softer when she spoke. “So when you’re with a woman, you prefer to have her on her knees? Calling you Master?”

  Ned swallowed heavily. He’d never been in a serious, committed relationship with a submissive, never gone to that level with a woman, though he’d dreamed of it. He wasn’t sure how to respond. God knew he didn’t want to scare her off this early in the evening.