by Maren Smith
Both Jim and Kyle opened their mouths to argue, but Kelly waved them to silence. She understood what Tiffany meant, and contradicting her would only exacerbate the issue. Her smile broad and welcoming, Kelly extended an arm, then dropped it. Vanna White she wasn't. "Come on into the living room, you two, and have a seat near the fire." She ushered them forward before turning to hand Tiffany's coat to Jim who already held Kyle's. "I'm going. I'm going," she muttered in whisper.
"You'd better," he whispered, freeing one hand to deliver a warning smack to her behind. Not hard, but firm enough to tingle.
"Ow," she mouthed with an exaggerated frown as she back-stepped toward their friends, pleased to note the twinkle in his eye that belied his stern glower. She grinned, then twirled around to join the couple who remained standing. "Sit wherever you like," she prompted. "We don't assign seats here."
"Tiffany's ankles have been swelling lately."
"Kyle!" Tiffany protested with a cuff to his shoulder, but he merely clasped her hand in his and ignored her.
"Is there any way we could prop her feet up while she sits?"
"Sure. Let me get an ottoman from Jim's office."
"Kellian," Jim snapped, stopping Kelly in her tracks. "I will get the foot stool. Both you and Tiffany should sit down. Now."
The only time Jim called Kelly by her full first name was when he was determined she listen and obey without delay. It was cause for concern. "Yes, Sir," she replied softly, letting him know she got the message loud and clear.
Giving her a curt nod, he strode into his office while Kelly gazed at Tiffany.
"Sorry," Tiffany mouthed silently.
Kelly shrugged. "Why don't we sit together on the couch? That way we can chat more easily."
When Tiffany agreed, they sat down and gave each other a conspiratorial grin. Subdued, but not cowed, Kelly thanked Jim when he set the ottoman down by Tiffany. The scowl she received in return was more disgruntled than angry, so she took heart that even if all wasn't forgiven, he wasn't nearly as put out as he strived to appear.
"So, what would you ladies like to drink?" he inquired politely as Kyle bent forward to help raise Tiffany's now shoeless feet on the cassock.
"What are we allowed to have?" Kelly asked sweetly.
"You? Water, and maybe a little bread later, if I'm feeling generous."
Kyle grinned. "What? Prison rations already? We've got at least five hours until midnight. Isn't that going to make for an awfully long evening?"
"Right now she's lucky I'm not flogging her for insubordination."
"Kelly. Kelly. Kelly," Kyle teased with mock disapproval.
Kelly wrinkled her nose in reply.
"What would you like to drink, Tiffany?" Jim asked again.
"Whatever you have is fine, but I'd love some Ginger Ale if you've got any."
"Ginger Ale, coming right up. Kelly?"
"Ginger Ale's good for me too, if it's allowed."
"Possibly," he conceded. "Help yourself to the hors d'oeuvres, folks. They're Texas favorites."
"Are any of them spicy?" Kyle asked Kelly when Jim strode toward the kitchen.
She shrugged. "Depends on whom you ask. For Jim, they're all greenhorn safe. For me, the queso dip along with the Monterey Jack and green chili eggrolls carry a punch. But the mushrooms are pretty mild. Why?"
"Kyle..."
"Tiffany's stomach has been on the finicky side of late. And since Jim's idea of hot would burn the roof off most people's mouths, I thought I'd best check first."
"That wasn't necessary, Kyle," Tiffany pouted. "I'm fine."
"Right. So, throwing up at all times of the day is just a new hobby for you then, is it?"
"Not funny."
"No. It's not," he agreed as Jim returned with their beverages.
"Somethin' up?" Jim asked after he placed Kelly and Tiffany's drinks on coasters and handed Kyle his Heineken.
"Nah. We were just trying to decide if we'd need a fire extinguisher on hand before we tried any of your appetizers."
Jim chuckled as he took a seat in an upholstered armchair situated across from the couch. "The mushrooms are on the mild side," he suggested. "I took your pansy taste buds into account before I chose my selection."
Kyle sat in the chair closest to Jim's and took a swig of his beer before he admitted, "It's not my taste buds that are in question as much as Tiffany's stomach."
"Ah. Sorry, Tiffany. I didn't think."
"My stomach's fine, Jim. Thank you. Kyle is being overly protective as usual. That's all."
"And rightfully so," Jim concurred before taking a sip of his Jack Daniels. "You'd think you girls would be pleased by the way your men looked after you."
"Sometimes what you do is indeed pleasing," Kelly agreed. "Other times, however, you can be a bit of a pain."
"Only a bit?" Jim murmured. "Looks like I'll need to intensify my repertoire."
"I think I'd like to try one of the egg rolls, Jim," Tiffany swiftly interceded.
"No!" Kyle vetoed as Jim shook his head.
"If you're at all sensitive to spicy foods, Tiffany, I'd suggest the mushrooms instead. Though I did seed the jalapenos I added to the egg rolls, this time, which makes the cheese filling a little less hot. And you can skip the jalapeno pepper dipping sauce if you want, which should bring down the heat level significantly."
"Sounds great," Tiffany agreed, rising from the couch.
Kyle surged to his feet. "Sit down, Tiffany."
"You're being a bully, darling," she warned taking a step forward, but he intercepted her by placing his hands on her arms.
"No. I'm being a concerned husband. Now, sit down."
"I'm not an invalid, Kyle. I can walk on my own, and I don't need you hovering over me like a worried nanny."
He gave her elbows a slight shake. "Do you recall what my conditions were for us to come here tonight?" he inquired tightly.
She glared at him. "That I needed to stay off my feet."
"Right. And what did I say would happen if you didn't obey me in this?"
"That you'd take me home."
"Or?"
"Kyle."
"Or?" He repeated a little more firmly.
"You'd spank me."
"Right." He turned around, gave her backside three firm swats then led her back to her chair. "Now, sit down before I decide you require more inducement than that to appreciate how serious I am about this."
Obeying with a growl, she scowled at him. "You're still being a bully, and I'd like to try one of the egg rolls, please."
"I'll bring you one of each. Take a nibble of the egg roll, first. If it's too hot, switch to the mushroom. We don't want you getting sick."
"Whatever," Tiffany conceded, though the grimace she cast Kelly indicated she was far from placated by her protective husband's concession.
After Kyle handed Tiffany a plate that had three mushrooms and one egg roll,
Kelly said, "Any chance you guys could go watch some football or something, so we girls can chat without you looming over us like a pair of cantankerous vultures?"
Jim's right eyebrow arched for a second before he switched his gaze to Kyle. "I think the Fiesta Bowl is still on. Wanna retire to my office? I gotta big screen TV in there along with two comfy lounge chairs, and I can load up on appetizers so we'd be all set for another hour or so."
Frowning, Kyle regarded his wife. "Can I trust you to stay in place while I'm gone?"
"You can trust me not to over exert myself, but I may need to go to the ladies’ room before you return. So, I'm not going to promise I won't move about."
With a shake of his head, Kyle turned to Jim. "You're on."
CHAPTER THREE
ONCE THE GUYS HAD LEFT, Kelly asked, "Has he been impossible lately?"
"I love him to pieces, honestly. But sometimes he gets on my nerves. He treats me like I'm six years old and unable to make a rational decision on my own."
"To be fair, though. You were awfully sick in the
beginning."
"Yeah, but I got over that and began feeling really good. Then two weeks ago, I started getting ill again at all different times of the day."
Concern wrinkled Kelly's brow. "What does your doctor say?"
"He's not nearly as worried as Kyle is, but I think that's because of what I went through in the early days. Kyle fears I may have done some damage to myself or the baby before I realized I was pregnant. How's Jim been with you?"
Kelly shrugged. "Bossy, but I think that's in his genes. I barely had any morning sickness, but he still gets annoyed with me when I try to overdo things."
"Does he put you on a regimen?"
"Only when he thinks I need one because I'm not being careful enough, or acting like I'm not pregnant. That's when he puts his foot down. Like today. I thought you and I could have a small glass of champagne at midnight. I understand alcohol isn't recommended during pregnancy, but a sip or two shouldn't hurt either of us. And it is New Year's Eve after all."
Tiffany's eyes grew wide. "I think Kyle would turn into a spitting cat if I said I wanted champagne."
"Exactly. But it's not as if I'm suggesting we go on a drunken binge. However, if you don't want any, that's fine, too."
"Why? What are you thinking?"
Kelly shrugged then grinned. "Champagne looks an awful lot like Ginger Ale, don't you think?"
"You are a Sneaky Pete, aren't you?"
"Well, I think Jim is being overly strict, and I want to celebrate."
Looking thoughtful, Tiffany asked, "How long has it been since you had wine or a cocktail?"
"Our wedding was the last time I imbibed, and Jim almost refused to let me join in the fun then, too, because we'd only just learned I was pregnant."
"I remember. He planned to restrict you to a sip from his glass until you insisted."
"And that went over really well, too. Didn't it?"
Tiffany chuckled. "I was so scared of him back then. He always looked like he was pissed about something."
"He probably was. We tend to push each other's buttons. Though as far as Doms go, I'd say he's pretty lenient with me."
Tiffany scoffed. "I can still recall the day you knelt in our kitchen doorway with your head bent in disgrace because he was angry with you. Sorry, girlfriend, but that's hardly lenient in my eyes."
Wincing, Kelly said, "I'd been lying to him for over three months. And for him, that's breaking a cardinal rule. He didn't insist I kneel before him. In fact, I'm not sure he even wanted me to. I was kneeling because I wanted to express repentance for my deceit. Despite his anger, he came after me when I needed him, but he still hadn't forgiven me or my lies by that morning."
"I can understand getting punished for lying, but you were miserable, and I thought he was mistreating you."
A twinge of guilt twisted in Kelly's stomach. "I know you did, and I'm sorry for that. He's never mistreated me, Tiffany. Not even when he insisted on treating me like a slave."
Tiffany's jaw dropped as she turned to face Kelly. "What? You never told me he did that."
Quick to fix words that might have given her friend the wrong impression, Kelly insisted, "He only did it once, when we were practically strangers, which made the interaction more difficult, for both of us. He doesn't hold a grudge, but whenever I choose to openly defy him, no matter the reason, I need to earn his forgiveness."
Tiffany pressed back against the sofa. "He doesn't appear the sort who forgives easily."
"He's not unreasonable, unless I disobey a direct order. That's when I have to pay a penalty for absolution."
"I couldn't live that way. Kyle can be dominant at times, as you saw earlier, but he usually only exerts his authority when he decides my wellbeing is in danger."
"So, he doesn't mind if you ignore his advice because you disagree with him?" Kelly asked with feigned innocence.
Tiffany grinned. "I wouldn't say that. He minds, but he'll listen to my side of the story before he acts."
"And have you ever managed to alter his intentions through discussion?"
"No. At least, not as a rule. But if I strenuously object to one of his edicts, he'll give way a little. We don't always agree, but both of us are willing to negotiate."
"Yeah. Jim will compromise, too, but Kyle always seemed more laissez-faire in his attitude about protocol, while Jim prefers things done a certain way. He's not overbearing in his requirements, but he is insistent I do as he asks."
"Kyle tends to get ticked, too, if I completely disregard his wishes on a matter. Like wanting to select and fetch my own appetizer."
"Speaking of which, did you try the egg roll, yet?"
Tiffany grinned. "No. But I only insisted on having one because Kyle was being a pill."
Laughing, Kelly said, "I gathered. All the same, it doesn't hurt for us to exert our own authority every once in a while."
"Maybe not them, but it can hurt us." Tiffany picked up the egg roll and nibbled on the corner. "It's good, and nowhere near as hot as Kyle warned me before we came here."
Kelly sampled one of Tiffany's mushrooms, since she hadn't gotten up to fix her own plate and Jim was still too peeved to prepare one for her. Though he did relent and give her a Ginger Ale. "What else did Kyle warn you about before you arrived?"
"The usual. To remember you two have a different relationship and that as long as you were happy I should be tolerant of Jim's displays."
Kelly coughed. "Displays?"
"You know. When he likes to play Tarzan to your Jane. Kyle said Jim is master in his jungle and we, or I, have no right to interfere in how he elects to swing from his vines."
"I realized you thought Jim could be a little harsh at times, but I had no idea you were quite so averse to his approach."
Tiffany shrugged. "He manages to push my buttons, too. Not in the way he treats me, but in the way he assumes full mastery over you. Seems like you have to ask his permission before you're allowed to do anything."
"He's not that bad. I can do what I want as long as it isn't in direct violation of our rules."
"See? He's even given you rules. I couldn't put up with that. I'd end up telling him he could stuff his list of regulations up his jockeys."
Kelly grinned. "Not more than once, you wouldn't."
"Maybe not. But if he retaliated against me in any way, I'd walk out. I wouldn't stay with him."
"Are you saying Kyle lets you drink, swear and talk back without any consequences?"
This time Tiffany coughed. "No. But he doesn't insist I call him 'Sir' all the time, and I can sass without fear of getting swatted."
"As long as your sass is respectful, right?"
"Well, he has limits, but he'll warn me if I'm approaching a line."
"I guess that's one of the differences between them. Jim doesn't need to warn me, because I'm already aware of where all the lines are drawn. They're in our rules. Kyle can change his limits from one day to the next. What was okay yesterday, could earn you a warning today."
"Hmm. I hadn't quite thought of it that way, but you've got a point. Some days he is more lenient toward my attitude than others."
"Exactly."
"So, what sort of rules did Jim give you?" Tiffany asked before taking another bite of her egg roll.
Kelly strived to appear nonchalant, but her insides churned a little as she recalled how much work and tears went into building their list. "We put together a chart based on our roles. I wasn't comfortable being his submissive twenty-four-seven, and he doesn't prefer or even want that type of relationship, but he's not a vanilla kind of guy, either. So, we compromised. We interact under relaxed guidelines unless the situation requires him to take a more dominant role or stance. Then, he calls D/s rules and I am subject to stricter protocol."
Tiffany scowled. "What if you don't want to be under D/s protocol? Can you protest or appeal?"
Hesitating for a moment, Kelly struggled over how to answer. Deciding the truth would serve her best, she admitted, "No, and that's wh
ere our relationship becomes unequal. He can call for D/s rules at any time he feels they're appropriate, and I need to fall in line or pay a consequence. Though, if it's in the middle of play, like when we're in the bedroom, he'll give me time to make the adjustment by either reminding me he's Sir, or keeping his swats light, so they're more like pats until I'm in the proper headspace."
"And you like it that way?" Her tone sounded incredulous.
Given Tiffany's prejudice against BDSM, Kelly carefully considered her next words. Point was, she needed Jim, probably more than he needed her, and he kept her grounded. "I love him, Tiffany. Prior to me he was a fulltime Dom. Whenever he was with a sub, she didn't get to negotiate off-time with him. She was his submissive for as long as they were together, which was mostly for a scene or two at the club on the weekends, and I wanted more than that. I don't think he was seeking a full-time relationship when I first met him, but my first weekend as his sub was intense, emotionally and physically. Because of that we grew incredibly close in a short period of time and things moved much too quickly for his comfort. I fell in love with him much faster than he was ready to admit his feelings for me. He cared for me and he enjoyed being with me, but..."
"He considered you high maintenance?"
Fearing her flaws might be a little more obvious than she realized, Kelly met her friend's gaze. "Yeah. How did you know?"
"Kyle mentioned it to me. I worried about that for a long time because after I got to know you better, you didn't seem the least bit high maintenance to me."
Kelly sighed. She didn't blame Kyle for feeling as he did. She'd given him a lot more grief than he'd deserved when they were together. "I think I'm only high maintenance when I'm insecure. Because of some things that happened before I met Jim, I can require a lot of reassurance when I'm uneasy about something. He caught onto that almost right away. In some ways he understands me better than I understand myself. He can see the warning signs, even when I can't, and he'll take action. At times, all it takes is a few words with a hug and a kiss, and I'm fine again. Other times it requires him to be a bit more firm, because I'm too upset to listen. And sometimes it's necessary for him to take full control as a dominant over me. But whatever I need, he makes sure I get it."
