Lincoln narrowed his gaze quizzically, but he was also smiling. “I see. Is Erica here tonight?”
Dayton shook his head. “Not sure if she’s coming. She was…not happy with us.”
Lincoln nodded, looking back and forth between them. “She looked blissful to me.”
“Long story,” Rex added.
Lincoln held a hand up and chuckled. “Sounds like it includes details I don’t need to hear, but think about it. Talk it over. Let me know if you’re interested in dominating someone else.”
“Okay.” Rex turned back to face Dayton as Lincoln turned and headed back into the main room. “I didn’t realize we were such a spectacle.”
“Me neither. My attention was mostly on Erica.”
“Mine too.”
Dayton hesitated, his mouth opening several times before he finally spoke again. “Maybe we should do it. Dominate another woman, I mean. Just to see if the same chemistry is there between us.”
Rex wasn’t sure he fully understood what Dayton was implying. Who the hell cared if he and Dayton had chemistry? Then again, if it helped his cause… If it brought Erica back into his good graces… “Okay.”
Dayton gave a half smile, seemingly overly pleased with Rex’s agreement. He held up a finger to indicate he would be back in a second and turned around.
Rex took several deep breaths, closing his eyes as he tipped his head back to work out the kinks. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea of dominating another woman tonight, but Dayton seemed to think it was a good idea, so fine. Rex had dominated plenty of women in the last few years, most of whom he hadn’t known. This was no different. Well, other than sharing the task with Dayton.
Five minutes later, Dayton returned. “Okay, so we’re going to do a scene with a woman named Jessica. She watched us the other night and thought it was hot.”
“What is she interested in?” Dominance, Rex could do. Flogging. Spanking. Something like that. His dick was not going to get hard though. Nor did he think he had it in him to help the sub get off. His brain was wrapped around Erica.
Dayton smiled. “That’s the best part. She doesn’t want to get naked, and she says she has a boyfriend, so sex is off the table.”
Rex blew out a breath. “Good.”
Five minutes after that, Rex was digging around in his bag looking for a particular flogger while Dayton was discussing the scene with Jessica. The woman was submissive, but nervous. She kept glancing around and twisting a ring around her finger. She lacked the confidence Erica had. Submission was either new to her or she wasn’t as submissive as she thought.
Rex returned to their side, trying to shake thoughts of Erica from his mind. It wasn’t fair to Jessica for his head to be in the wrong space. Hell, it wasn’t fair to Dayton either. They would need to be in sync again or someone would get injured.
Dayton was speaking to her. “Let’s start out with a gentle flogging and see how it goes. Neither of us would do more than that with anyone we haven’t dominated before anyway.”
She glanced back and forth from Rex to Dayton and back, swallowing her nerves. “Okay. Just the flogger?”
Rex held it up.
“What will you do?” she asked Dayton.
“I’ll go along behind Rex and smooth my hands over the places where he heats your skin. You’ll be amazed by the sensation it gives. With just one Dom, he has to set the flogger down and check on you. With two of us, he can keep going while I take your pulse. The combination of the burn and the gentle touch will give you a new experience.”
Rex turned to face Dayton, impressed by how well he described the experience. He was totally dead on. Rex had performed like that with Charlotte in the past, sharing the domination with one or both of her other men, but he’d never articulated it quite like that.
Jessica nodded. “Sounds great.”
“I know you don’t want to get fully naked,” Dayton continued, “but it would be helpful if you took off your dress so we can see most of your skin and be able to judge how hard to strike you. Everyone is different.”
She nodded. “Right. Okay. Sure.” She was shaking as she pulled her dress over her head and set it on a nearby chair. Almost immediately, she shivered and crossed one arm under her breasts. She was wearing a matching white lace panty and bra set.
They were near one of the far walls, intending to use a pegboard as their main apparatus.
Rex stepped closer, holding out the flogger. “You can touch it. I want you to know how soft the leather is. No reason to be stressed. Has anyone flogged you before?”
“Yes,” she breathed as she fingered the strands and then pulled her hand back as if they had burned her. “I mean not a lot, but several times.”
“Are you okay with red as a safeword?” Rex asked.
She nodded.
Dayton turned around and adjusted the pegs on the tall board. He motioned for her to approach. “Can you lift your hands for me so I can adjust the height of the pegs?”
Jessica did as instructed, and Rex watched as Dayton made the adjustments.
“Keep your hands wrapped around this rung. We’ll do the rest,” Dayton informed her, his expression serious.
Rex had no idea what the man was thinking, and he wished they had a few minutes to talk, but maybe talking wasn’t such a good idea. After all, this entire thing—Rex and Dayton making nice—was all designed to get Erica back in their court. Nothing else. Right?
Dayton stood to Jessica’s side, speaking softly in her ear while he reached out blindly with his hand and squeezed Rex’s fingers. Encouraging him? Telling him to begin?
Rex licked his lips as he stepped forward, his gaze on Dayton. He needed to stop worrying about what Dayton was thinking and focus on the sub waiting for a flogging. He certainly hadn’t worried about what Dayton was feeling the night they dominated Erica. Or had he?
He shook the confusion out of his mind and let the flogger swing through the air several times, finding his rhythm. When Dayton moved back a few inches, Rex let the tips of his flogger graze Jessica’s shoulder blade.
She flinched at the first contact, but relaxed into the soft blows after a few strikes. Her head tipped forward. She rested her forehead against the wooden pegboard. Her shoulders dropped. All the signs Rex needed to demonstrate she was okay, and he could increase the pressure.
When he picked up the pace, Dayton stepped closer, his palm landing on Jessica’s lower back and smoothing upward over her skin in between Rex’s swats. Jessica moaned, not in a sexual way but more in a relaxed way.
Rex continued. Dayton was right in sync with him, palming her heated skin as Rex moved to the other shoulder blade and then down to her butt. At one point, Dayton moved around behind Rex to switch sides with him, Dayton’s hands sliding around Rex’s middle as he moved.
The only difference between this scene and the one with Erica was that Dayton wasn’t using a Wartenberg wheel to increase the sting. Instead he was using his palms to soften the blows. Had they been this in sync the other night? Jesus, Rex couldn’t remember. He’d been far more focused on Erica than Dayton.
Rex was peripherally aware that people were watching them, a crowd had gathered. Apparently, it was true. They were good at this. An unlikely pair considering they also wanted to choke each other.
When they finally slowed and then finished the scene, Jessica was smiling broadly. Her voice was emotional. “You two are really good at that. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” Dayton responded, slapping a hand on Rex’s shoulder. “Maybe we should do it more often.” He glanced at Rex with a sly, mysterious grin that Rex could not read and wasn’t sure he wanted to.
How far did Dayton want to take this? Did the man really think the two of them could make nice with each other indefinitely and share Erica often?
Jessica thanked them again, pulled her dress on, and left them to grab their things. She hadn’t been in any kind of subspace that required aftercare. Thank God. The thou
ght of sitting with her and holding her made Rex’s stomach flip over.
Rex followed Dayton to the break room again and sighed. “So, apparently we’re good at that.”
“Yep. Maybe you could talk to Erica? Get her to try something like that again? I’m at your mercy here.”
“I’ll try. Not sure she’ll talk to me,” he murmured.
“At least you have an audience. I don’t have that luxury. My only chance is to stand outside her apartment, hoping to catch her when she gets home from work.”
Rex lifted his gaze. He had an idea. “Maybe I could get her to talk to me if I said it included you. What if we offered to meet with her and discuss another possible arrangement?”
Dayton nodded. “I like this plan.”
Rex sighed again. “Whatever it takes to get back in her good graces.”
“And you think if we both get back in her good graces at the same time, she might acquiesce?”
“It’s worth a try. At the moment we’re both losing. She’s proven she won’t choose. In my mind, she can’t go on like this forever, not choosing, I mean. Eventually, she’ll decide she really prefers one of us over the other. Maybe if we prove to her we’re willing to play nice and wait for her to decide, she’ll let us back in.”
Dayton stared at him for several moments. “Might work.” He glanced away. “Might drive me insane.”
“You want to see her half the time or none of the time?” Rex asked. “Because right now, I’d rather share her with you than never see her again.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Set something up. See if she’ll meet with us.”
Chapter 31
By Monday morning, Erica was miserable. She hadn’t gone to Zodiac either night of the weekend because she wasn’t in the mood to hash things out with Dayton or Rex. Not getting the opportunity to blow off her own steam at the club infuriated her though.
She went over her decision to cut them both off about a dozen times, coming just shy of making an actual list on paper like a teenager.
She knew she’d been playing with fire; she just hadn’t cared. What did the universe have against her that fate would drop the first two men to show her any real interest in her lap at the same time? How cruel.
It would be easy if it were simply that two guys liked her and she had no feelings for them. But that wasn’t the case. She had the time of her life with both of them—in real-life settings, in the club, and in private. She’d been having fun. Playing the field. Keeping things light. Or at least that’s what she told herself.
Over the weekend she’d realized nothing about the past week had been light. She’d let her damn emotions get involved. She liked them. Both. Shit. And now she had neither of them. And even if she were to choose, who the hell would she choose?
It pissed her off that they argued about her as if they had permission to decide which one of them got the prize by duking it out. But could she really blame them? She’d put them in an impossible position if either of them had half the feelings for her she had for them.
Sure, it was unconventional that she was sleeping with both of them but refused to choose. However, she’d made herself clear to both men. Share, or don’t let the door hit you in the ass.
She shouldn’t have been surprised that after less than a week, shit hit the fan. How could it not? She hadn’t played fair. She also had no experience in this arena.
What she should do is forget them both, find another club to join in Miami, and submit to another man. One this time. Not two. After all, she was in no position to get into a serious relationship. She wouldn’t be staying in Miami forever, she reminded herself. The problem was she had no desire whatsoever to find another Dom. Dayton and Rex were both so good at what they did. Better than any previous experience she’d had.
As she got ready for work, she stared at herself in the mirror and admitted she had probably overreacted. Maybe she should apologize. Try to figure something out. Based on Rex’s puppy eyes and the number of texts she’d gotten from Dayton, they were both still interested. The ball was in her court.
What if she invited them both to dinner? Her place. She could cook. No, scratch that. They would both be scared off if she tried to cook. But she could order pizza like a pro. They could talk. In private. The three of them.
Shit. She had no idea what she would say or how they would respond. It wasn’t as though she’d come up with a solution in the last few days that would make everyone happy.
She had to try though. So, before she lost the nerve, she sent a group text to both of them.
I’d like to talk. My place tonight. All three of us. I’ll order pizza.
She stared at the phone in her hand feeling incredibly stupid and wishing she could take it back. However, moments later she got a text from Dayton.
I’d like that. See you tonight. Seven?
Relief was fleeting because until she got an answer from Rex, she wasn’t out of hot water. Finally, his response also appeared.
Sounds good. I’ll be there.
Finally, Erica blew out a long breath. She had no idea what the hell she was getting herself into, but it felt right. Or at least it felt better than not seeing either of them.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror again, shivering as she recalled how amazing it had been to submit to both of them. If only they might be willing to do something like that again. Maybe if they could set up some sort of arrangement where the three of them played together on occasion, thereby eliminating the jealousy from the times she went out with just one of them.
Then again, maybe she was certifiable and needed serious mental help.
Chapter 32
Dayton had just gotten out of his truck Monday night when Rex approached from across the parking lot. He leaned against the side of the car, knowing the two of them needed to talk before they went inside. Luckily, they were both about ten minutes early.
“Hey,” Rex stated as he got closer.
“How was she at work today?”
Rex sighed. “She hardly spoke to me except to tell me we’d talk tonight. All of us.”
“Darn. So we have nothing to go on.”
“No.” Rex started to walk toward the apartment building, glancing over his shoulder.
Dayton reached out and grabbed his arm. “We should talk first. You and I.”
“Why? What’s there to say? We agree that we both like her and we won’t argue around her again. We’ll see if she’ll let us both dominate her to show our good faith.” Rex glanced down at where Dayton held his arm and then back up. “What else is there?”
“Do you not recognize there’s another component to this?” Dayton’s heart was beating faster as he tried to read Rex, but Rex simply looked confused.
“What other component?” He jerked his arm free and took a step back. For a moment, he held Dayton’s gaze, but then he glanced away, saying nothing else.
Dayton hoped a lightbulb would go off and he wouldn’t have to spell it out. Damn the man was cute when he got flustered. He even ran a hand through his hair and shuffled his feet. Finally, he spun on his heels and started walking toward the building at a fast clip.
“Fuck,” Dayton muttered to himself as he pushed off the truck and followed Rex, jogging to catch up. Just as Rex was about to reach for the door to the building, Dayton caught him, grabbing his biceps and spinning him around. He pressed him against the outside wall.
Rex’s eyes went wide, and Dayton might’ve had the strength to explain himself in words if Rex hadn’t licked his lips, but that’s what happened. Rex licked his lips.
Dayton flattened himself against Rex, cupped the side of his face, and kissed him. He didn’t start out slow either. He angled his head to the side and fully kissed the younger man on the lips. He didn’t want there to be any doubt of his intentions. If Rex was too obtuse to grasp Dayton’s meaning from this kiss, there was little hope for him. Or any of them. This was the only answer.
Rex stiffened at first, his entire
body. His lips didn’t move to return the kiss for several seconds. Finally, his hands came to Dayton’s waist, and when he didn’t shove him away, Dayton licked the seam of Rex’s mouth.
Dayton didn’t think he breathed at all until Rex relented and returned the kiss. The soft whimpering sound that escaped his lips was gorgeous, and Dayton didn’t release him for a long time, and then only to pull back an inch so they could both drag in a breath.
Dayton held Rex’s gaze. It took a few moments before he could manage speech. “I was trying to tell you.”
“Oh.” Rex’s cheeks were heated a dark red.
“Yes. Oh. Took you long enough. I thought I was going to have to hit you over the head.”
Rex lifted one hand to rub the back of his head. “I think you did when you slammed me against this wall.”
Dayton slowly smiled. “Sorry. You wouldn’t listen.”
“I’ve never… I mean, I didn’t even know.”
His smile grew. “I realized that. I didn’t want to go inside before you saw the light. We have something between us too.”
Rex drew in a deep breath. “We do?”
Dayton laughed now. “Yes.” He threaded his hands in Rex’s hair and held his face steady. “We do. I ignored it at first, thinking you didn’t swing both ways, but there was no denying we had some chemistry when we dominated Erica together. And then Jessica.”
“I guess so. I was focused on Erica. I didn’t, uh, realize…”
Dayton lifted a brow. “Were you focused on Erica while we dominated Jessica?”
“Yes.” He was blunt and honest. Refreshing.
Dayton laughed again. “Of course you were. I was thinking about her too. But I was also thinking about you, and how hot you are when you dominate a woman. So in control. So powerful. Between the two of you, my dick was furious when I went home without any relief.”
Rex looked a bit shocked still. He glanced at the door. “What the hell do we tell Erica?”
Taming Rex Page 18
