Finding Their Balance (23 page)

No tingles, but fondness all the same. Her body didn’t consider him a threat. Interaction accomplished. Alice two, fears zip.

“This isn’t the same little Alice who waited on me last month.” Backing off, he released her wrist as he stood tall. “That girl carried nerves in her eyes.” He nodded to her with new respect. “You’ve brought a woman with you, Henry. A breathtaking one at that. With a yellow ribbon? Brave man.”

“Would you care to help me keep the jackals at bay, Will?” Henry smoothed the dress draped over his arm, but his gaze followed the line of her body instead. “I thought Alice and I might take in the sights. She has a lovely appetite for novel adventures.”

“No boy this evening?” Frowning, Will looked over their heads at the crowd in both directions. “Is he well?”

“Quite well. A family matter.”

“Ah. Distasteful things.”

Santa’s home life beat out Jay’s for complications. Rejection left simmering too long in Resentment Reservoir. Though she had Henry to purify her emotional wells, Santa went without.

“If you’d care to make it a foursome”—Henry floated a light, careless tone—“perhaps we might tempt Em away from hostessing for a spell.”

“I’ve tried, Henry.” Will exhaled with gusto. “She’s a stubborn one.”

“Stubborn can be managed.” Cupping her chin, Henry caressed her cheek. “With the proper incentives and care.”

She nuzzled into him. “Dominant can be managed.” Her smile peeked through without permission. “With the right incentives and care.”

Both men laughed, Henry flashing white teeth and Will’s red cheeks rounding.

Joining in, she snuggled beside Henry not out of a need for protection but because she wanted to. He’d been right about the body chemistry. She craved him like a drug. No—like a vitamin or mineral. Salt. Necessary for her survival and damn tasty.

Henry squeezed her ass. “Will, have you—”

Fuck, he kept his massage going, strong and possessive. If he’d let her wear the toy tonight, she’d be halfway to Climaxville. Focusing beyond her rolling arousal took effort.

“—Jacob’s seat?”

“If I can make myself appear respectable enough.” Squaring his shoulders, Santa almost managed an imposing presence. His wry smile softened the effect. “Em gave me the sharp side of her tongue for fighting.”

His friendly tone suggested admiration, and his blue eyes sparkled. He ought to—damn. Harpy wife.

“She also says you’ve been wrangling wannabes on Saturdays.” Will nodded, decisive and firm. “Those young ruffians could use a smack from the decorum stick.”

“Young ruffians and good girls.” With teasing gentleness, Henry smacked her ass.

As he propelled her forward, her laughter spilled out, loud and unexpected. Dropping a fancy dress over her head didn’t magically give her polite dom-sub society manners. The quiet obedience even Jay-the-comedian excelled at eluded her. Ribs heaving with suppressed chuckles, she slammed her lips together.

“Henry, your lovely little one is having a veritable attack.” Will’s false concern upped the difficulty level on regaining control. “Don’t you let the poor dear laugh?” Ducking his head level with hers, he mimed a severe frown. “So dour you are. It’s no wonder she needs Santa’s jolliness to brighten her day.”

Henry snorted. “My girl has a fine playmate to give her plenty of jollies.” He stroked her hair as she quieted. “But she’s trying exceptionally hard tonight to be a model of submission.”

“Head of the class?” Clapping Henry on the shoulder, Will rocked them both. “I’d say she has the teacher’s pet position all sewn up.”

By default. Her favorite competitor had conceded the field, leaving her to play for both of them tonight. If she lost her shit in front of Henry’s best friend, Jay’d never get his chance.

“It’s not only me she wishes to impress.” Confidence filled Henry’s declaration, though she hadn’t told him her intention. He knew her well enough without asking. “My Alice has a kind heart, and you’ve rather found a place in it after your valiant defense.”

“An easy decision. The man’s a jackass, and your Alice is—” Sighing, Will stared past her, somewhere over Henry’s shoulder. “A lively, spirited darling, and an innocent in the scene before she met you, I’d say. Her first explorations, finding her legs and taking those tentative steps? It’s lovely to watch. If we can’t protect that, we may as well go out fighting.” He stiffened. “And we may yet tonight.” Leaning closer, he dropped into a deep whisper. “He’s here, watching you.”

Cal. As her heart tripped into overdrive and her throat tightened, a phantom hand slipped into her own. Jay. Hot and trembling and gone when she tried to squeeze back.

Will smirked. “He seems more irked than usual.”

No walls or corners waited to trap her, just people and fancy furnishings. She sidled away from the chairs grouped around a low table.

“The classes and Em’s outreach are making waves.” Henry, curling his arm around her, pulled her in front of him. “Perhaps he’s having trouble finding a partner.”

Widening his stance beside them, Will flexed his hand. “Coming this way.”

She hadn’t caught sight of Jay’s tormenter, and her protective escorts had likely cut off any line he had on her without a word.

Henry transferred the overdress to her arms. “If you want to avoid this, sweet girl, simply tell me.”

Temptation tasted like fear, thick and chalky.

He rubbed warmth into her hands. “He’ll skirt the line. Give offense but stop short of a threat I can point to as such. Deliberate unpleasantness is his stock-in-trade.”

“He’ll be prodding to see if he can hurt me.” Because tears and pain aroused Cal, and he didn’t care about obtaining consent.

“Precisely.”

His moral shortcomings made him unsafe. Not the pain, the games, or the toys—the person wielding them who didn’t respect limits but pretended to long enough to steal trust. Jay’s trust.

“It’s fine, sir.” She emphasized the title Henry earned with his caring leadership, the one the pompous ass demanded like a defiant child. “Every word out of his mouth is worthless bullshit.” She blew out a breath. Her blood sought vengeance for Jay beyond the campaign to cut off Calvin Gardner’s supply of naïve novices and not-my-problem dominants. “I’m ready for this.”

“Yes, you are.” Forceful, possessive, Henry growled low and claimed her mouth.

As her tension flowed out, she turned pliant and submissive in his arms. A moment worth living in forever. Pure freedom from everything but pleasure.

Will gave a slight cough.

“I see the cuddler-in-chief”—the fucking sneer Cal embedded in his voice tensed her right back to fight status—“has returned with his crying cunt. No little bitch tonight?”

Ignoring the intrusion, Henry gentled his kiss to a slow devouring as he cradled her.

His unconcern restored her to reason. Satisfying as kneeing Cal in the balls would be, she’d only set back their cause. And Jay wouldn’t get to enjoy the sight anyway.

“Funny, I could’ve sworn I just saw a whiny little bitch,” Will mused. “Wherever did he go? Oh, Cal, I didn’t see you there.”

Inarticulate scoffing served as a reply. Weeks of rejections might’ve knocked Cal off his game.

Henry kissed her forehead. Leaving one arm around her, he faced the jackass. “Cal.”

“Henry.” Cal dragged out his name. “You’re one short tonight, aren’t you?”

“The whereabouts of my subs are no concern of yours.” Offering a close-mouthed smile, Henry lacked the warmth that permeated his voice when she or Jay pleased him. “Though I’m certain it eases your mind to know they are well cared for.”

Cal’s perfectly tweezed and arched eyebrows shot together. “Too frightened to show his face? I always preferred to see the back of him.” He oozed glee in a conspiratorial whisper. “He only sobbed for the whip. Cram his mouth full of cock and he’d beg for more.”

She scrunched the dress, resisting the urge to rend and tear. At her back, Henry dug in with curling fingers.

“Beg?” Will snorted. “Sounds like his mouth wasn’t full if he had the breath to beg for more.” Thick fingers flying, he waved a dismissal.

Cal flinched.

Glorious. God, let Santa keep going.

“His partner at the time must not have been big enough to keep him satisfied.” In his mellow bass, Will goaded with an oh-so-cheerful fuck-you singsong. “I’ve never heard him begging with Henry’s cock in his throat.”

Choking on a laugh, she lowered her chin to smother the sound. She’d have laid money on him never watching Jay blow Henry, but he hadn’t lied. If he hadn’t witnessed the blowjob, he would’ve missed the theoretical pleading.

“Your pet is dangerously close to mockery, Henry.” Arctic chill in his eyes, Cal glared at her. Unlike their first meeting, the hair-gelled hedgehog sported a shirt tonight. He’d hauled out a netted, nipple-chafing monstrosity belonging on a raver two sizes smaller.

Her chuckles came harder. He’d lost the ability to unsettle her and thrust her back to the wall. This pathetic man clung to shreds of power she refused to grant.

“I don’t expect you to control the lumbering ape.” Cal waved at Will. “But these ludicrous classes should be teaching cocksluts civility.”

Will eyed the fingers flapping inches from his chest and raised his stare to meet Cal’s.

Hand plummeting to his side, Cal rounded on Henry. “You’re brainwashing them into baby games and disrespect.”

She sucked in air between giggles. Fuck it. She was no church mouse, and she had a yellow ribbon. She’d damn well enjoy herself.

“I find her laughter pleasing.” Tickling her in his gentleness, Henry traced her collarbone with a lone finger. “Whether it pleases you is irrelevant. My desires are the only ones she needs to sate.”

Obedient as a compass needle chasing magnetic north, she swayed toward him. “Your desires are mine, sir.” He’d calmed her with no more than a touch, and the softening line of his lips suggested she’d pleased him. Reciprocity. “I’m privileged to belong to a man who knows how to wield his power to motivate his lovers.”

Eyes darkening, Henry slipped his hand behind her neck. Santa had better be on guard for them, because the world stopped existing beyond their heated stare. Stroking, teasing, Henry twined wisps of her hair in his fingers and tugged.

Christ, that pull. She tipped her head, a motion inexplicably tied to breasts and belly, a tingling ache he roused and soothed daily. She burned with competitive fever to outdo their morning, to take his cock where she’d only taken her toy. To show the room how her gently commanding lover mastered her. “Will I get more sizeable rewards for good behavior, sir?”

Tightening his fingers, he dropped his gaze to her throat. “I’ve gifts aplenty for my good girl.” In his stare, he promised bruising kisses she’d need a midsummer turtleneck to hide.

Intrusive Cal huffed. His slacks rustled. “If your bitch wants to open her mouth, she should be on her knees. At least then she’d offer something worthwhile with her noise. Does she squeal as loud as the slave boy?”

Clenching her fists beneath her overdress, she almost swung at the bastard’s jaw. Self-control edged out of reach.

Henry held her captive with firm fingers and steady eyes. “Prodding.” He breathed for them both, slow and untroubled, and even her lungs obeyed his tempo. “My girl has no wounds to infect.” With his intimate tone, he salved verbal grazes and slights. “No weakness to exploit.”

Henry and Jay had seen to that. Sealed the three of them together with an amalgam of love and pain and growth. Cal’s barbs offended without significant injury. Inconsequential, like the man himself. “None, sir.”

Fuck, the things she’d do to earn his smile. Approval in upturned lips. Delight in smoldering eyes.

Alice three, fears zip.

“Be easy, Cal.” Will’s thunderous clap silenced nearby chatter. Maybe he imagined crushing Cal’s skull between his hands. “I’m certain the girl didn’t mean for her laughter to imply anything about the size—or lack thereof—of the bulge in your pants.” Pinching his fingers, Will shook his head in teasing concern. He’d pitched his voice loud, his rumbling bass gathering attention and snickers. “She’s a giggly little one by nature, and she likely has her eyes on bigger prizes.” With a satisfied lip-smack, he leaned in as if confiding a secret. “The things she does in a man’s lap—Calvin, you can’t imagine the pleasure.”

True, if misleading. Cal couldn’t begin to understand the joy Will took in non-sexual cuddling.

“Why, the evening she spent in mine?” Sighing like a bellows, Will tweaked her chin and winked. “The best I’ve had in ages.”

As Henry cradled her close, he tickled her neck. “You still blush beautifully, dearest.”

“Any of these whores”—Cal flung his arm wide toward the crowd—“can be taught to adequately suck a cock.”

A disapproving murmur raced through their nearest neighbors.

“I don’t see any whores here, Cal.” Mild though it was, Henry’s voice carried in the following quiet. “To whom were you referring?”

“Sounds like sour grapes to me.” Gaze on her, Will brushed his knuckles along her cheek.

She tipped into his touch. Nuzzling as performance art. He meant to goad Cal, and Henry was letting him. So long as she only participated indirectly, the club’s rules would survive.

Will tsked. “Poor Calvin calls them whores and cries when they won’t play with him.”

“Whores play when I tell them to play.” Cal thrust forward.

Forearms clashed in a cross beside her head. Will left an echo on her cheek, so fast he reacted. With a beefy block, he shoved Cal back a step.

Henry stood motionless as he did before a sublime work of art. “Lay hands on her and I’ll have you ejected.” Voice cool, light, and measured, he projected complete unconcern. “Has your dullness dimmed your eyes as well?”

“Yellow ribbon, Callie-boy. Touch by invitation only.” Arm still raised, Will cracked his knuckles. “If you need a refresher on the house rules, Henry could kindly school you on Saturdays with those hoping to better themselves.”

“A lovely thought, Will.” Henry wrapped her, settling the weight of his palm above her ass. “Some novices have delightful minds. The quick-witted and strong-willed few.” Bending his head, he trailed his lips across her jaw. “Others, however”—he pulled back, leaving her heart racing—“claim expert titles while neglecting the comportment and refinement implied by such things.”