A knock sounded on my office door and I peered up to see Ben standing there. He was holding a mug of coffee and leaning against the doorjamb.
“Morning,” he greeted.
I leaned back in my chair and smiled. “Morning.”
For a brief moment, his eyes roamed over my face and I wondered if he was going to launch into something about how I looked different. My sister had already called it out this morning, and since I was known to give everyone shit, I figured Ben was gearing up to launch into the same thing.
He didn’t. He simply smiled, white teeth flashing in his dark face. “I thought I’d check in, see what you decided on the hiring front.”
I sighed heavily. “Heather accepted the offer and I’m still on the fence about Lance. Because I wasn’t thrilled with the other interviews, I’ve got a couple more coming in this afternoon.”
“Want my help talking to them?”
“If you’ve got time, sure.”
“Always have time for you.” He stood tall. “Send me the calendar invites and I’ll block out my afternoon.”
“Will do.” I fully expected him to say something more, but Ben simply turned and disappeared.
I stared at the empty space, which was the only reason I caught Greg trying to slip by unnoticed.
“Edge!”
He grumbled something but then appeared in my doorway.
“Come in,” I urged. “Let’s chat.”
Electric-blue eyes shot to my face momentarily, then darted down the hall. I expected him to come up with an excuse. I couldn’t blame him. I would run from me, too.
When Edge peered back over, he looked… I’d go so far as to say the man looked scared. Which could only mean something had happened with my sister.
“Sit,” I commanded.
A smile pulled at his mouth but he did join me. “I’m not one of your submissives, Zeke.”
“Nope. You’re not. However, you are the Dom who introduced my sister to kink.”
He practically fell into the chair across from me. “Is this where you give me shit about it? Keep in mind, that was your idea.”
“Technically, it was Ransom’s.”
“But you went along with it.”
True. I did.
I stared at him for a moment, hoping the silence would intimidate him. I should’ve known better. Edge wasn’t intimidated easily. He had a backbone of steel, which I actually admired.
“So, how’d it go?” I held up my hand quickly. “But spare me the details. I mean overall.”
He seemed to consider his words carefully. “It …” Edge thrust a hand through his thick, black hair. “Fuck, Zeke. Why’d you have to go and do this?”
I sat up straight when I heard the torment in his voice. “What happened, Edge?”
He dropped his head in his hands and I instantly came up with worst-case scenarios, hating myself for doubting my friend. He was right. This had been my idea. I thought back on Jamie’s responses at breakfast. She had seemed so happy. Well, except for the fact that she’d obviously been waiting for Edge to call her and he hadn’t.
Leaning back in my chair, I forced myself to relax, to take deep, even breaths. “Talk to me, Edge.”
“What do you want me to say?” he snapped, his eyes lifting.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Tell me how it went.”
“I assume you’ve already talked to Jamie?”
“Not in depth, no.” That much was true. I’d only heard what I had to hear and even then I had tried to block it out.
He huffed out a breath. “Fine. You want to know?”
I tilted my chin as a confirmation.
“It was great. Your sister’s a beautiful submissive and I enjoyed her company far more than I thought I would. She was eager, attentive.” He raised his hand quickly. “And no, there was nothing sexual about the encounter. I answered her questions, listened when she wanted to talk and…”
And holy fuck, Edge had a thing for my sister. It was so fucking evident I could hardly breathe.
“You know how old she is, right?” I asked, my tone curt.
“I do,” he quipped. “She’s thirteen years younger than me. Yeah. I get it. I’m too old for her.”
“Twelve,” I corrected, not that it mattered. “She’s twenty-four.”
“Fine. She’s twelve years younger than me.”
It was obvious he hated that fact.
“She mentioned she’s going back?”
Wary blue eyes locked on my face. “She asked. I told her I’d call her.”
“And you haven’t called.”
“Fuck,” he growled before launching to his feet. “What the fuck do you want me to do Zeke?”
“What do you want to do?” I was surprised by how calm my voice was.
His head snapped around to me. “I want to call her. I want to invite her back to the club or out to dinner. Fuck. It’s all I can think about, and I know you want to punch me right now. Sadly, I can’t blame you. I want to punch me, too. But don’t worry. I know what you wanted from me and I did it. My obligation’s over.”
“Call her.” I shook my head quickly. “Wait. No. I didn’t just say that.”
Edge was staring at me, his eyes wider than I’d ever seen them. There was a glint of hope there.
“Zeke.”
“No, I know.” I sat up and stared at the hard surface of my desk before taking a deep breath and looking up at him. “It’s not my place. Jamie’s told me that a million times. And she’s right. She’s an adult. She can make her own decisions.”
Edge was still staring, but now his mouth was hanging open.
I laughed because fuck me running. I couldn’t believe what I was saying. I was giving this man permission to… Hell, I wasn’t even sure what I was giving him permission for. To talk to my sister? Have dinner with her? Chain her up and— Nope, not going there.
“Zeke? I need you to open your mouth and tell me what’s on your mind,” Edge said, his tone pleading.
Swallowing hard, I forced myself to maintain eye contact. “You like her?”
“More than I should,” he admitted and I had to admire the man. He had balls of steel. No one had ever admitted as much to me. “And not in a one-night kink club encounter sort of way, either.”
Son of a bitch.
I pushed to my feet and stepped around my desk. “Fine. Call her. Take her out. Wine her, dine her. Do whatever the fuck you feel you need to do.” I stopped when I was right up in his face. He was only a few inches shorter than me, so we were nearly eye to eye. “But you hurt her, Edge, and I will break every fucking bone in your body. Then, I’ll wait for you to get out of traction and I’ll do it again.”
His eyes were stone-cold serious when he said, “The last thing I want is to hurt her, Zeke. I swear to you. That’s the last thing I want.”
I could hear the sincerity in his words but I couldn’t speak. I had just given this man—one of my best friends—permission to date my sister. And I knew deep down that he wasn’t some blowhard college kid who wanted to take her for coffee and stare deep into her eyes while they chatted about mundane bullshit. This man was into kink, which meant he would likely—
Nope. Not going to think about it.
“Just promise me one thing,” I said on a sigh.
He looked skeptical. “What’s that?”
“That’ll you’ll warn me when she’s coming to the club. Because … no. If you forget, and I show up to find my sister… I mean it. If I walk into Dichotomy and see her, I swear to God, I will kill you, then resuscitate you and do it again and again.”
A small smile pulled at Edge’s mouth. “You’ve got my word.”
There was gratitude in his eyes and I found myself oddly relieved. My sister could do far worse than Gregory Edge. I just had to remember that this was my idea when things went south between them. And when that happened, I was going to lose one of the closest friends I had, because no matter what, I would never turn my back on my sis
ter. Not for anyone.
Edge nodded, then turned to go. He cast a quick look over his shoulder as though expecting me to launch myself at him and beat him to a pulp. It was surprising that I didn’t want to. I’d never felt as though anyone was good enough for my sister. However, Gregory Edge was one of the finest men I knew.
When he walked out, I stared after him.
It was time I found my fuck toys.
*
Brax
(The cowboy)
“I HATE TO INTERRUPT THE party,” Dale said when he popped his head into the break room, “but you two are being summoned.”
He was looking directly at me, so I assumed he was referring to me and Case.
“Well, ladies,” Case said with a smirk. “That’s our cue. It seems our Sadist is ready to inflict some pain.”
He didn’t appear at all bothered by the notion.
“Good luck,” Addison teased. “I think I’ll go back down to my office, too. Maybe I’ll get to hear some moans and groans coming from that direction.”
“Not if he gags them,” Luci noted. “Does he enjoy that? Gagging you?”
Case waved her off. “A masochist never tells.”
I was the first to get to my feet, but Case was right behind me.
“Maybe we can grab lunch later. You know, if we can walk,” I told them with a smile.
“I’m down.” Addison smirked. “Even if you can’t walk. That way I can make fun of you.”
I couldn’t help but like Addison. She’d come out of her shell ever since she hooked up with her two Doms, her rebellious streak shining brightly.
“Come on,” I urged Case. The last thing I wanted was to keep Zeke waiting.
I practically had to run to keep up as Case darted for the stairs. We arrived at Zeke’s office to find him sitting in his chair, staring out the window.
He must’ve heard us because his attention redirected our way when we stepped into the room.
“Close the door,” he instructed.
Since I was the last to enter, I closed the door behind me, then turned and gave Zeke my full attention.
“Do you know what a humbler is?”
I frowned but not because I was confused. I knew exactly what a humbler was, and while I’d never used one, I knew from research that the damn thing was brutal.
“Yes, Zeke,” Case replied, an edge of excitement in his voice.
Zeke’s grin was ferocious. “Have you worn one?”
“No, Zeke,” we both said in unison.
“That’s about to change. Now strip.”
Instinctively, I glanced out the window, noticing all the windows across the way. Thanks to a thunderstorm brewing, it was darker outside than it was inside, which meant everyone within range would have a perfect view of what was about to happen. Oddly, this excited me. More so than that damn humbler.
Case and I made quick work of removing our clothes. By the time we were finished, Zeke was on his feet.
“I want both of you on your knees.” He motioned toward the opposite side of the room. “Over here. Asses toward me.”
At least the people across the way wouldn’t have a front row view of my asshole.
I dropped to my hands and knees, my breaths already becoming more labored. I wasn’t sure if it was excitement or fear that had me breathing roughly. Maybe a little of both.
“The intention is to keep you on your knees. Once your balls are secured between the two wooden slats, you are not going to want to get up. If you do, you could cause serious damage. Understand?”
“Yes, Zeke,” I said on a harsh exhale.
Why he opted to hook me up first, I wasn’t sure. My breath lodged in my throat when I felt the cold wood as he shifted one side in place. A humbler was a handmade torture device that secured a man’s ball sac between two pieces of wood that were locked together. It was only the length of both of my thighs, curved so that it fit against the backs of my legs, which kept it in place.
Zeke’s warm hands curled around my balls, pulling them away from my body. I could feel the press of the wood against my thighs, where it horizontally curved across the tops of my legs, right beneath my ass cheeks. When my balls pressed against the wood, I sighed, but that quickly transformed into pain as they were compressed by the two pieces of wood. Not crushed completely, but there wasn’t much room, that was for damn sure.
I groaned softly, inching my knees closer to my chest to keep the damn thing from pulling too hard. I gave up trying to hold myself up with my arms, choosing to rest my chest on the floor. The smaller I made myself, the less painful it was.
However, it also meant my ass was completely vulnerable to whatever Zeke had in mind.
“Your turn, pretty boy.”
Case didn’t make a sound as Zeke got the device set up. Before he was done, Case had taken up the same position as me. I was looking at him and he was looking at me. That was a nice twist. At least I would be able to watch his expressions.
“Very nice,” Zeke said, his tone full of approval. “I definitely like this.”
His footsteps sounded on the hardwood but I couldn’t turn to see where he went. The sound of him rummaging through a drawer had anticipation curling inside me.
“Today you’re gonna experience my crop,” Zeke said, his voice deep, his words unhurried. “This particular one is my favorite. Split leather end, which adds a bite.”
Ah, damn.
“Just remember, if you move, that humbler’s gonna pull your balls.”
Yeah. That was a reminder I didn’t need. Unfortunately, it was likely inevitable since that crop was going to be vicious. I could already imagine myself jerking forward, attempting to get away from the sting. It would’ve been easier if Zeke had restrained me. Of course, that defeated the purpose of the humbler.
Damn it.
“Hmm. Who should go first?” he mused, his footsteps sounding behind me.
I felt the leather stroke across my ass as he passed. I held my breath, anticipating the first slap. It didn’t come and my nerves ratcheted up, dread warring with anticipation.
Suddenly, a loud smack had me flinching. I inhaled, but the sting never came. Beside me, Case closed his eyes and moaned, a smile tugging on his lips.
Again, I waited, expecting to be hit next, but still it didn’t come. Then a loud smack and Case moaned again. I was driving myself insane waiting for impact. Zeke obviously knew what he was doing, because when that crop hit Case, I couldn’t keep myself from flinching, the humbler tugging on my ball sac. It wasn’t painful but it could be if I moved too much.
Before I could inhale, a slap sounded and this time the pain rained down on my ass. I moaned softly, surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Case’s eyes were open, focused on me. I felt a strange connection with him right then. He was my anchor in the sea of chaos.
While the pain sank in, I breathed in and out, letting it consume me. I was just getting used to it when another slap sounded, but it wasn’t on me this time.
The anticipation was the hardest part. I had no idea what Zeke would do or when. The next few minutes ticked by painfully slowly. Zeke hit me several times, but not nearly as much as Case. I could see the euphoria on my boyfriend’s face. He was enjoying this immensely.
Suddenly, the crop bit into my ass again and again, over and over as Zeke hit me numerous times. The pain was intense, all-encompassing. I hissed and groaned, forcing my body to remain as still as possible. The pleasure radiated through me, again surprising me with its intensity.
Zeke landed the same blows on Case in rapid succession until he was gritting his teeth, his eyes closed. Still, he looked peaceful, as though this was exactly what he needed.
There was something eerily calming about this moment, bent over and held captive by that torture device while Zeke landed swat after swat on each of us. Part of me wondered if maybe there wasn’t a reason for Case’s need for pain. That he hadn’t experienced something at some point in his life that drove him this direction
. Maybe he simply enjoyed how it felt.
Because oddly enough, I was enjoying it.
Right up until Zeke smacked my balls.
TWENTY-EIGHT
ZEKE
Tuesday, October 30
“WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED CLEANING UP, join me in the living room,” I instructed my fuck toys after we’d consumed one of the best meals the cowboy had cooked thus far.
He seemed to be working hard to ensure he pleased me, and I couldn’t deny he was doing a good job. It didn’t go unnoticed, either. Hence the reason I had something rather pleasant in store for them this evening. Something that would allow me to sit back and relax. I was going to take advantage of watching them torment one another.
I flopped onto the sofa and flipped on the television. Rather than finding one of the legal dramas I enjoyed, I flipped it to porn. I mean, why not? It was meaningless, and since it would merely be a backdrop to my plan, I figured what the hell.
I could admit, I was loosening up a bit around them. My guard wasn’t as firmly in place as it had been before. I still refused to think of them by name, but that wasn’t uncommon. I’d known the damn waitress at the diner for roughly three years and I still thought of her as the waitress.
However, I didn’t find myself thinking about her the way I was constantly thinking about my fuck toys. Day, night. At home, at work. It didn’t matter. They were always on my mind. We’d settled into a routine and I’d come to trust them enough that I allowed Tank to stay home with them when they weren’t going to be coming and going all day. It was working for us for whatever reason.
The cowboy appeared before the pretty boy. When he went to sit down on the sofa, I stopped him with a hand.
“Don’t sit. I’ve got something for you.”
His eyes wandered around me as though he expected me to have his surprise behind my back.
“Lift up the towel,” I said, motioning toward the hand towel I had laid on the coffee table.
The cowboy raised it and revealed my most recent purchases. There on the table were two ball stretchers and a handful of small circular weights that would be added for maximum discomfort.
Their Ruthless Sadist (Office Intrigue, 5) Page 29
