Page 3 of Going Deep (Odyssey #3)

“I had to trade various kinky and unnatural sexual favors for them, but yes.”

Ginger wrinkled her nose. “ Pass . I’ve got leftover Chinese at home. And ,” she indicated the papers in her lap, “ I have homework to do. But call me the next time Simon wins the pizza war.”

“He may be eating anchovies, but believe me, he still won.”

Ginger stood up. “ And that’s why I’m leaving before he gets home.”

Lola rose to follow her to the door. “ Call me if you have questions about the list.”

“I will, believe me.” Ginger paused at the door to give her friend a hug. “ Thanks , Lo .”

“You’re welcome,” Lola said and opened the door. “ Hey , Ginger ?”

Halfway across the hall to her own door, Ginger turned. “ What ?”

Lola winked. “ Welcome to the dark side.”

Ginger burst out laughing. “ Thanks . I think.”

She waved goodbye and let herself into her apartment, immediately going to the refrigerator, and the bottle of white wine she had chilling.

Her evening was definitely going to require alcohol.

* * *

“Are you sure this is going to be okay with Lola ?” Michael asked, following Simon out of the elevator.

“It’s fine,” Simon said, juggling the pizza boxes with one hand while he dug his keys out with the other. “ She was going to tag you anyway, with the proposal for her needle demo. This way you can talk it out in person.”

“Give me those,” Michael said, reaching for the pizza boxes. “ You’re going to dump them on the floor.”

“Just the one with anchovies.” Unencumbered , Simon fit his key smoothly into the lock and swung the door open. “ Honey , I’m home!”

“Thank God , I’m starving,” came the fervent reply. “ Where’s the pizza?”

Michael stepped into the apartment behind Simon . “ Right here, beautiful.”

“Hi, Michael ,” she said, a smile curving her lush mouth. She was curled on the sofa in leggings and what looked like one of Simon’s t-shirts, her face bare of makeup and her hair pulled back. She looked like a million bucks. “ You pick up a side hustle?”

Appreciating her, Michael smiled. “ The hours are lousy, but the tips make up for it.”

“Stop flirting with my woman,” Simon ordered and crossed the room to kiss the woman in question. “ Hi .”

“Hi. Did you get a second pizza without anchovies?”

“Yes.”

“That’s cheating,” she accused.

“That’s strategy,” he corrected smugly. “ And being a good host. I couldn’t make our guest eat smelly fish.”

Michael set the pizza down on the kitchen counter. “ Don’t drag me into this.”

“Go with me here,” Simon hissed, then grunted when Lola poked him in the belly.

“When exactly did you invite Michael for dinner?” she asked. “ Before or after you ordered the second pie?”

“After,” Simon admitted, laughing when she poked him again. “ But the reasoning stands.”

She poked him a third time, then grabbed his tie and yanked him down for another kiss. “ Cheat .”

“Smelly fish eater.”

She pushed him away with a laugh. “ Just for that, you can get the plates and the beer.”

“Worth it,” Simon decided and straightened. “ Michael , beer?”

“I wouldn’t say no.” At home, Michael took a chair opposite the couch. “ You’re looking well, Lola .”

“I am well,” she replied with an amused smile. “ And how are you?”

“I’m good,” he replied, taking the beer Simon offered with murmured thanks. “ I hope it’s all right, my joining you for dinner. Simon wouldn’t take no."

“It’s fine,” Lola assured him.

“He was wandering the streets, faint with hunger,” Simon said from the kitchen where he was plating pizza. “ Oliver Twist in designer jeans.”

Michael choked on his beer. “ I just said I’d been in meetings all day and skipped lunch.”

“That’s what I said.”

“You’re such a humanitarian, Simon ,” Lola drawled. “ Actually , I’m glad you’re here. I have the needle demo proposal ready, if you want to look it over.”

Simon handed Michael a plate with two slices of pizza. “ Told you.”

Michael inhaled the scent wafting up from the plate, the spice of red sauce, the tang of sausages and peppers, and thankfully no anchovies. “ I’m happy to take a look at it.”

“Great.” Lola took her plate from Simon , thanking him with a kiss. “ There was something else I wanted to talk to you about, too.”

Michael grunted around his first bite, gesturing with his free hand for her to continue.

“Ginger wants to visit Odyssey ,” she said and bit into her pizza.

Michael paused for a moment, then continued chewing while he rolled that thought around. When he’d swallowed, and was sure he could speak casually, he asked, “ As an observer or a participant?”

“Both.” Lola picked an anchovy off her slice and popped it into her mouth with obvious relish. “ She’s not sure what she wants exactly, but she wants to play, and I’d guess sooner rather than later.”

“Really?” Beside Lola on the couch, Simon was frowning.

“That surprises you?” Lola asked.

“Yeah. I didn’t think she was kinky.”

Lola’s expression was amused. “ She didn’t either. Until she saw me all tied up and giving you a blowjob. Apparently , that moment was her personal kink awakening.”

Simon’s expression went from confused to pained to annoyed in a blink. “ You’d think someone having a personal awakening wouldn’t be so quick to get her stun gun.”

“She thought I was being assaulted,” Lola soothed.

“I know, but that shit hurt,” Simon muttered and glared at a laughing Michael . “ You can shut up anytime.”

Unbothered, Michael spoke through his snickers. “ You’ve got to admit, it was a gutsy move.”

“Let’s stun gun you mid-blowjob and see how you feel about it.”

“Pass,” Michael said, grinning.

Lola gave Simon a consoling pat on the knee before picking up her plate again. “ Back to Ginger . She’s been thinking about this for a while, and she’s ready to explore. She asked if she could come with us to Odyssey sometime.”

Though he would’ve liked to poke at Simon a bit more about the Great Blowjob Stun Gun Incident —really, that never got old— Michael shifted gears. “ I have no problem with you bringing her as a guest, but she’d have to fill out the paperwork before being allowed to play.”

“I gave her the checklist.”

Michael nodded in approval. “ Does she have any experience?”

“Not with organized kink, no. A few sexual partners who’ve played at being dominant. She enjoyed that, wants to expand on it.”

“That’s his specialty,” Simon put in with a grin, eager to turn the tables.

Lola’s eyebrows inched up. “ Is it?”

“Oh, sure. Eager subbie wannabes are Michael’s jam, aren’t they, Mikey ?”

Lola dropped her pizza on her plate to jam a finger in Simon’s face. “ Don’t say that word.”

He blinked at the finger hovering at the end of his nose. “ What word? Wannabes ?”

“Subbie.” Lola’s lips twisted like just saying it left a bad taste in her mouth. “ I hate that word.”

He looked at the finger at the end of his nose, then at Michael , his confusion clear. “ What’s wrong with subbie?”

Michael shrugged, then goggled when Lola’s finger shifted to poke Simon just below the collarbone.

“What the hell, Lo ?”

She jabbed harder. “ I just said don’t say that word.”

“Okay, jeez.” Simon scowled, rubbing his chest. “ Damn , that hurt.”

“Good. Remember that the next time you think about saying that abomination.”

“Believe me, I will.” He pulled his t-shirt away from his skin. “ I think you drew blood.”

“I did not.” Offering Michael an apologetic smile, Lola picked up her pizza again. “ Sorry . Where was I ?”

Enjoying himself, Michael grinned. “ Ginger’s experience.”

“Right. She hasn’t had any D /s experience, and she’s not sure what she thinks about that.”

“Not surprising,” Michael decided.

“It’s not, no. Her only exposure there is Anna and Grant , and they’re on the mild end of the scale. Honestly , if she ends up being interested in that, that’s where I see her landing.”

“Okay, well, when she’s ready, let me know. We’ll arrange for a visit.”

“Will do.” Lola picked up her beer. “ She likes you, you know.”

“Oh?” With studied casualness, Michael picked up his pizza. “ In what way?”

“In the you’re hot and she’s horny way,” Lola said drily. “ At this point, I don’t think it’s any deeper than that.”

“All right.”

“I got the sense that when she does come to Odyssey , she’s hoping to attract your attention,” Lola continued, then raised an eyebrow. “ But she already has that, doesn’t she?”

Michael allowed himself a small smile. “ I keep forgetting you’re as observant as any Dom .”

Simon rolled his eyes. “ Buddy , you don’t know the half of it.”

Lola kept her eyes on Michael . “ You haven’t answered my question.”

“What was it again?” Michael asked pleasantly.

“Are you interested in Ginger ?”

“I’m…” Careful , he warned himself. Be careful. “ Intrigued by her.”

“Do you want to fuck her?” Lola asked bluntly.

A glance at Simon told Michael he’d get no help from that quarter, so he focused on Lola . “ I’m attracted to her, and I’d have no objection to a physical relationship.”

Lola’s gaze didn’t waver. “ So , yes.”

“Yes.”

“All right.” Lola nodded. “ Thank you for being honest.”

“You’re welcome.” Michael waited a beat. “ Is that all?”

“Well, it’s not really my business, is it?”

Simon’s snort told Michael his friend didn’t buy that any more than he did. “ No , but why should that stop you?”

Lola’s smile was sharp. “ Ginger’s a big girl, well able to handle herself.”

“As Simon can attest,” Michael said, unable to resist. Simon just shot up a middle finger.

“And you’re not an asshole,” Lola continued, ignoring the byplay.

“Thanks very much,” Michael said drily.

“However, Ginger is my friend, and she’s at a…crossroads in her life at the moment. She’s vulnerable, and if you’re careless with her?—”

“Lola,” Michael began, then snapped his mouth shut when she shot up a hand.

“If you’re careless with her, and she gets hurt, you and I will have a problem.”

More than a little irritated by the threat, and the implication that he was anything but a responsible Dom , Michael drew a calming breath. “ I understand your concern for your friend.”

“Good. Then we don’t have a problem.”

He glanced at Simon , who was grinning, then back at Lola . “ You know, I have at times regretted that I never had the chance to play with you before you and Simon made your relationship official.” He paused for a moment. “ I no longer have that regret.”

Lola smiled, clearly unoffended. “ I like you, Michael . I consider you a good friend.”

He waited.

“But if I have to choose, I’m on Team Ginger .” She rose from the sofa, crossed to his chair, and bent to kiss his cheek. “ Don’t make me choose.”

He returned the kiss with irritation, and reluctant admiration. “ I won’t.”

“Good enough. I’m going to go get the proposal for the needle demo.”

“All right,” Michael agreed.

She walked away, disappearing down the hall, and Simon cleared his throat. “ She wasn’t kidding, you know.”

“Yeah, I got that.” Michael huffed out a breath. “ Is she always so protective of her friends?”

Simon snorted. “ You remember how she was with Grant when he and Anna got together, right?”

“I remember.” Grant had gotten both a lecture and a kick to the balls for his misstep with Anna . “ If she goes for my balls, I expect you to head her off.”

“Sorry,” Simon said, rubbing at the sore spot on his chest again. “ I have my own balls to worry about.”

“I bet.” Michael eyed his friend. “ What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you have any concerns about me playing with Ginger ?”

Simon shrugged. “ You’re a safe player, a considerate one. I’ve never known you to ignore a submissive’s limits or safeword, and you don’t skimp on the aftercare. And you’re good with the new subbies-newbies.”

Michael’s lips twitched at Simon’s quick correction. “ Am I ?”

“Sure. Most of them fall a little in love with you, but you manage to slither out of that without too much drama.”

Michael wasn’t sure how he felt about the word slither. “ They don’t fall in love with me.”

“Sure, they do. Most of them get over it pretty quickly,” Simon continued, “because it’s actually the kink they fall in love with, not you.”

Michael narrowed his eyes. “ Lucky for them.”

“You know it’s true.”

He did. New submissives were like kids in a candy store, wanting everything all at once and heedless of the coming tummy ache.

It was his job as a Dom to guide and direct, not only to make sure their experiences were positive, but happened when the submissive was ready, and in a way that not only satisfied but helped build their confidence.

And to step away when they no longer needed him.

“Ginger probably won’t be any different, especially if she’s as eager as Lola thinks.”

The thought brought an unexpected stab of discomfort. “ Right .”

“When it’s time, just ease her away the way you always do, and you’ll be fine,” Simon said, and clapped a hand on his back as Lola’s returning footsteps echoed down the hall. “ And just in case, maybe wear a cup.”