Page 33 of Theirs to Desire (Club M: Boxed Set)

FIONA

A fter dinner, Adrian lights the fireplace, and the three of us settle around it. I stare at the flickering flames in silence, my need warring with residual fear. A few moments of silence pass, and then I gather my courage in my hands. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What do you like about being dominant?”

Brody and Adrian exchange looks. “It turns me on,” Brody replies carefully, “when a submissive puts her faith in me. When she trusts me enough to put her pleasure in my hands, knowing that I will give her what she needs.”

Raymond liked ordering me around. “You’re not attracted by the power?”

“You mean, am I interested in barking orders at my submissive all the time?” he asks, his lips curling into a smile. “No. Both Adrian and I get enough of that at work.”

I sip my wine and consider that. Adrian speaks up. “I have a theory about Downing.”

“You do?”

He nods. “Downing doesn’t have any power in his life,” he says.

“He doesn’t work. He’s dependent on his father for money and connections.

Because of that, he looks for total dominance over his submissive.

He’s compensating. The more obedient you were, the more he could preen in front of all his friends. ”

“That’s not you?”

“No.” He reaches forward and rubs my shoulder, his hands warm and strong.

“It’s about you,” he says. “Your pleasure, your happiness. If you were ever afraid of me, the way you were with Downing, it would fill me with shame. That kind of terror has no place in a BDSM relationship. Your submission should come from a place of trust, not fear.”

I’ve managed to ignore the box of sex toys all afternoon. Now, I look at it again, my blood heating with anticipation. “Why did Xavier send me these?”

Brody rolls his eyes. “He can’t keep himself from meddling,” he says, his voice exasperated. “Don’t worry about it. I told you, no pressure.”

But what if I want to? When Adrian took off his wet shirt, it was everything I could do to stop myself from licking the raindrops off his skin. Those firm abs… I do not have the power to resist.

Adrian gets up to refill my wine glass. I pull the box closer to me, and Brody’s eyebrow rises. “What?” I ask defensively. “I can look, right?” I take a fortifying sip of my wine. “Why does Xavier like to meddle?”

“He was in love once, and he lost her,” Adrian replies. “I think that’s made him a romantic.”

Oh. I’m definitely interested in knowing more. Had I not been curious, I would have chosen a different profession. Private investigators tend to be a nosy bunch. But right now, I’m more interested in Brody and Adrian, and in this box of sex toys.

There’s a buttplug inside, one with a tail attached to it. I reach for it, my cheeks flaming. “The demo that I volunteered to do,” I say, my voice barely a whisper, “What does it involve?” Will you walk me through it?”

“Now?” Adrian asks quietly. He sits next to me, so close that our thighs are nearly touching. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Their eyes are boring into me, demanding honesty. Honesty that I’ve withheld from them so far. Not any longer. “I’m a little afraid,” I whisper. “But I trust you to respect my limits.”

They’re big men, ripped and strong. They’re both ex-CIA, and from the way they carry themselves, they didn’t spend their time there working behind a desk. They’re probably dangerous.

But I’ve always felt safe with them. I’ve always felt protected.

My body tingles with a mixture of nerves and lust. I want to kneel at their feet. I want to feel their hands on me, swatting my ass, stroking my pussy.

I want them.