Writes of Submission (24 page)

“Do what?”

“Read out loud in those silly voices.”

“They might be silly, but it helps me make sure the dialog works.” He sat back down in his desk chair and regarded her. “How are you feeling?”

She looked at him accusingly, obviously remembering her earlier grievance. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“You don’t sound fine. Come on, let’s talk about this.” Of course it wasn’t going to be easy. It never was when Nikki was concerned. He stifled the urge to refill his wine glass and concentrated on her instead. There was something appealing about her, even when she was staring at him with that disapproving glower that she had now. It made him want to put her over his knee and give her a spanking, as Travis had done. But in real life that was a tricky business. At this point it could backfire and alienate her completely. He put his hands in his lap and tried to look reasonable and concerned. “Why are you mad at me?”

She opened her mouth but then stopped before any words came out. Frowning, she seemed to scan her memory as if there had been some legitimate reason, but she couldn’t quite remember what it was.

“The accident,” he prompted. “You grabbed your brakes too hard and flipped your bike. Remember?”

“Of course I remember.” Her arms crossed over her chest and her face darkened. “You thought it was funny.”

“I most certainly did not think it was funny.” He hadn’t so much as cracked a smile. “In fact, I jumped off my bike and ran to see if you were okay, if you recall. I damn near killed myself doing it. I haven’t ridden one of those things in a very long time either, you know. So I ask you, did I laugh, or make fun of you? I did not. I sent Dante to call the ambulance while I carried you back up the hill to the road. How is that offensive to you?”

Her lips twisted. “You made fun of me later.”

Allowing his voice to go down a notch, he lowered his eyebrows and gave her a serious look. “I never made fun of you. Don’t think you’re going to get away with wild accusations. I merely pointed out that if you’d listened to Dante’s warnings about hitting the brakes too hard you might not have hurt yourself, therefore it was unreasonable to blame me for it.”

There was silence for a minute while she apparently searched for something else to attack him with.

“Is it possible—” he knew he had to word this very carefully, “that part of you was expecting me to protect you and you’re upset that I didn’t?”

“I—” She lit up for a second, as if he’d hit on something, then the ramifications of what he’d said seemed to register with her. She looked confused again. “But that would mean—”

“Yes. That would mean that you had been viewing me as your protector. Your
Dom
.” He let it sink in for a few seconds. “Is that where our relationship was heading, before this happened?”

“I don’t know where our relationship was heading.” Her face was stubborn and her arms tightened on her chest.

He smiled. “Then that sounds like an excellent place to begin. Once we figure that out, maybe we can figure out how I really can protect you from doing silly things like taking trails that you weren’t ready to take.”

“Why did you let me do it this time?” The childlike note was back in her voice.

“Because you’re not officially under my protection and you wouldn’t have listened if I’d tried to tell you that trail was too steep for you. Would you?”

She shrugged. “So if I was under your protection you’d be in control of everything I do?”

“Oh, no.” He laughed. “I’m sure you’d still get into your fair share of trouble. It seems like part of your personality, and I think I like your personality the way it is. I don’t want someone who sits around waiting for me to tell her what she can and can’t do. What I do want is a partner that makes sensible choices and takes my opinion under consideration even when I’m not there.”

“If I were under your protection, you would have stopped me?”

“I don’t know.” They stared at each other. “I would have made it a priority to know what you were capable of and what you weren’t. I probably would have waited until we could practice on an easier slope before letting you try that one.”

“So you’re saying it’s Dante’s fault?”

“Not at all. I’m saying it’s your fault for not speaking up if you weren’t comfortable with the trail. Even if one or both of us were your Doms and asked you to do something, it’s ultimately your responsibility to decide if you can handle it. I wouldn’t insist that you do something you didn’t think was in your best interest. If you ask me to become your Dom and make those kinds of decisions for you, I would still expect you to use common sense.”

She scowled. He couldn’t blame her. There was always the desire to blame somebody else for stupid situations like this. He let her stew for a minute, then leaned forward and ran a finger over her cheek. “Sweetie, everybody does stupid stuff. Nobody’s laughing at you or blaming you for what happened. It just happened, okay? Now get over yourself. We still need to decide if I
am
going to be your Dom.”

Her eyes widened.

“Do you want me to be your Dom, Nikki?” He caught her gaze and held it, deliberately putting a soft, caressing warmth into his voice.

“I’m not sure.”

“Aren’t you?”

She blinked. “Shouldn’t we talk about what that means?”

“Sure.” He sat back. “I would think, though, that the important thing would be to decide
if
we want to be together, then negotiate how it would work. Do you want to be in a relationship with me?”

Her voice was breathy. “Yes.”

There was a knock on the door and they both jumped violently. Dante cleared his throat as he stepped in the room.

“I’m sorry to barge in,” he said. “But I think I need to be part of this conversation.”

“You absolutely do,” Kane agreed, waving him in. “Great timing. Have a seat.”

Chapter 20

Dante glanced at Nikki as he sat on the bed, obviously trying not to jar her too much.

She seemed very embarrassed now, her cheeks flushing red and her fingers twisting together in her lap. Kane wondered if this was the best time to make her talk, but then he remembered that she’d been sleeping all day.

“I heard you saying that you want Kane to be your Dom,” Dante stated flatly, looking away from her now. There was an awkward pause. “Does that mean you don’t want to be in a relationship with me?”

When she didn’t answer immediately, Kane stepped in. “It’s not necessarily one or the other, Nikki. I don’t know about you two, but I’ve enjoyed what we’ve been doing so far and I think that a poly relationship might work out very well for us. Would you be opposed to that, Dante?”

“Me? Hell, no.” Dante grinned at him. “In fact, that’s a huge relief. I’d thought you wanted Nikki for yourself.”

“I do want her,” Kane said, returning his smile. “But let’s face it. She’s a lot to handle. I’d worry about either one of us attempting it on our own.”

Nikki stood up. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”

“Well, then, speak up,” Kane said, holding out a hand to steady her as she wobbled. “If you want a say in your relationship, then say something. What do you want?”

She looked from one to the other of them, her face going even redder. “I want to know why either one of you would be interested in me. I’m older than you both, and not exactly your type. Shouldn’t you be screwing cute young groupies?”

Kane roared with laughter. “Just how many groupies have you seen hanging around here, sweetie? The publisher hasn’t exactly let me advertise who I am, so I don’t have crowds of women lining up. I don’t think it would be that way even if I was public about my identity.”

“It might be.” She looked at him stubbornly. “You’re—you’re both—gorgeous. I’m just average.”

“Well, thank you.” Kane stood up and took her into his arms. “I don’t think I’d agree with your assessment, but it’s very nice of you to say so. However, I do think Dante would agree with me that you’re ten times better looking than either one of us.”

“I definitely would.”

Kane kissed her on the nose. “Now sit down, please, before you fall down again, so we can discuss our relationship in a reasonable manner. Or do I have to ask Dante to hold you down?”

“Can do.” Dante held out his arms and Kane lowered her gently down next to him.

“Now.” He sat back down, noticing with gratification that she had sunk quietly into Dante’s embrace. That was a good sign. He knew the kind of connection that was possible with a D/s relationship and he intended to make sure that it was as good as it could be. “Are you willing to be in a relationship with both of us?”

“Of course I am.” Her voice was a little stronger than it had been before, as if there was an implied “What kind of idiot do you think I am?” attached.

“Good.” He and Dante exchanged a grin over her head. This was going to be fun. “Dante, you said you’re willing as well?”

“Fuck, yeah.”

“Do you want to be a Dom?”

Dante glanced down at Nikki, lying safe and snug in his arms. “Maybe at some point,” he said thoughtfully. “Being a Dom seems all serious and shit, though. Can’t I just have the fun parts for now?”

“For now.” Kane narrowed his eyes. “But there will be discipline, especially when it comes to writing. If I am the boss, then you will need to respect my decisions.”

“Understood.” Dante nodded solemnly. “Can I make a suggestion?”

“Of course.”

“I hereby propose and submit that we all get naked and consummate the agreement.”

Nikki jerked away from him. “I couldn’t!”

“Why not? I thought it was a great idea. I second the motion.” Kane steepled his fingers in front of his face to hide his amused smile.

She gestured to her rumpled T-shirt and shorts she’d been sleeping in. “I’m filthy. I don’t even think I could stand in the shower long enough to clean up.”

“Easy enough to fix.” Kane stood up and walked to the bathroom door. “Dante, please prepare our girl for a bath. I’ll start the water.”

* * * *

“A bath? What about my ankle brace?” Nikki stared after Kane as he disappeared through the bathroom door.

“I think we can manage to keep your foot elevated while we scrub you down.” Dante pulled the shirt over her head and then tipped her back so he could get to the shorts. She squealed in protest but didn’t try to stop him as he removed them, picked her up easily, and followed Kane.

The water was hot and bubbly as Dante carefully lowered her into it. Nikki’s half-hearted objection to be being bathed like a child melted when she felt the soothing warmth on her skin and the guys’ strong hands settling her in and putting a towel behind her head.

“I could get used to this,” she murmured to herself, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensations.

Kane was smoothing back her hair and running his fingers lightly over her face. “Get used to what?”

“Being treated like a queen.” Nikki turned her face slightly so his fingertips would glide gently over her lips. It was the lightest of touches, but it sent waves of relaxation and pleasure through her.

He gave a throaty chuckle. “You will be, my dear.”

“But isn’t it my job as the submissive to wait on you?” His fingers were trailing down her neck now, leaving little paths of tingling fire. It was all she could do to concentrate on the conversation. She felt Dante propping her injured foot up on a pile of towels at the other end of the tub and smiled as he began scooping hot soapy water onto her shin.

“Oh, you will.” Kane’s voice was a deep, rumbling sound next to her ear. “But a good Dom knows when to pamper his sub, too. It isn’t always about us.”

She sighed. “That’s nice.” His fingers were under the water now, circling her breasts and coming back up to trace a sudsy path over her chest to her neck. His hand closed very softly over her throat and she opened her eyes.

“Do you like this?” His grip tightened just a little. It wasn’t quite enough to constrict her breathing, but it sent a small shock of alarm through her.

“I don’t know.” He smiled into her eyes, holding on just long enough to cause another wave of trepidation, then he released.

Endorphins coursed through her and she smiled, closing her eyes again as her body relaxed. She thought it was like those exercises where you tense up then relax completely. “I think I do, actually.”

“Good.” He picked up the bar of soap and began to lather his hands. Then he handed the soap to Dante and ran them over her shoulders, chest, and torso.

For fifteen minutes they worked in silence, allowing Nikki to bask in the attention and the calming effect of their combined touch and the hot water on her body. She had never felt so pampered or cared for in her life. Kane soaped and caressed the top half of her body, spending much more time than was strictly necessary on her breasts and nipples, while Dante massaged her legs. He occasionally allowed his fingers to slide down between her thighs and tease her pussy, but mostly the two men kept it to a sensual rather than a sexual encounter. She lay back, her eyes closed, and luxuriated in the feel of big, strong, warm, male hands all over her, feeling her excitement building and frustrated by their slow pace. By the time they drained the water and helped her stand, drying her off with big, fluffy towels, Nikki was aching for them.