Page 47 of B is for Beg

Blake:I’ve got to look after Lexi until one of my brothers gets home. Seven?

Even that might be pushing it, depending on where Calvin lives.

I wait for another message while I help Lexi get the tea party things out. She has a cute china tea set that she likes to use. Before long, we’re sitting around the table, sipping imaginary tea, and eating make-believe cake with her dolls, Miss Mary and Miss Clementine. I have no idea how one of her dolls ended up getting called Clementine.

The next message that pops through is Calvin’s address. It’s not in an area I’ve ever been to before, which means I’m going to have to figure out my tube route and hope I can get there on time. Calvin and Gabe have been clear I’m not allowed to be late. Ever. Where’s super-organised, knows-how-to-get-everywhere Archie when I need him? Oh yeah, probably screwing his boss.

Gabe:See you both at seven. To be clear, we’re talking tonight. Not playing. Agreed?

Calvin:Agreed.

Blake:Yes, Daddy.

Gabe:Good boy.

11

Calvin

I make a quick pasta dish and serve it up with a bottle of wine. If we’re not going to play tonight, we might as well drink. Blake was on time by the skin of his teeth. He’s wearing a T-shirt with horizontal blue stripes and pink hibiscus flowers paired with faded blue jeans. A touch of make-up makes his hazel eyes pop, his already killer cheekbones stand out, and his lips shimmer. He definitely looks pretty.

“Evening, princess,” I say as I show him into my studio apartment. I lean down and kiss his cheek, smiling as a blush creeps across his nose.

Gabe is already here, sitting at the table in the window. My apartment is on the fifteenth floor, so I get one hell of a good view across London.

“You look lovely, baby boy,” Gabe says, standing to kiss Blake. He pecks our sub on the lips, and I end up wishing I’d done the same.

“I hope I didn’t go overboard,” Blake says, sitting.

“Not at all.”

I leave them talking while I bring food over and pour us all a generous glass of white wine.

“You have a really nice apartment,” Blake says, sounding a little awestruck.

Half the reason I chose it was it’s nice. The other half of the reason was its location, close to a tube station that has a direct line to my photography studio. My apartment is small but neat. The kitchen sink, a couple of cupboards, and a glass divider provide a barrier between the living space and my bedroom. The kitchen appliances are all integrated along one wall, which blends seamlessly into the built-in wardrobes in the bedroom. The only room that’s separate is the ultra-modern bathroom, which I instantly fell in love with.

“Wait until you see the shower, princess.”

“The shower?”

“It’s big enough for three,” I say with a suggestive wink.

Gabe raises his eyebrows.

I gesture towards the bowls of steaming creamy pasta. “Eat up.”

“I can’t wait,” Gabe says. “It smells amazing.”

“We need to figure out what we all want,” I say once everyone has started eating. “The most important part of any kink relationship is communication. We need to make sure we’re all on the same page.”

Not that I know what page I’m on, let alone what their thoughts are. Blake might have changed his mind since Saturday, and I still don’t know what any of this means for Gabe and me. The one thing I do know is that if this becomes more than casual, Blake can’t be the only thing holding us together as a threesome. That won’t be a good basis for anything more tangible. I’m nervous and afraid, but I also don’t want to call an end to this sexy thing we’ve got going just because I don’t know if Gabe and I can ever fit together rather than only fitting with Blake.

“I meant what I said on Saturday,” Blake says. “I want to be yours exclusively. I don’t want to play with anyone else.”

“Have you ever had an exclusive Dom before?” Gabe asks.

Blake lowers his gaze. “No. I haven’t found anyone I wanted that with before.”