Two for Alex Read online

  “I’m just saying, let’s not dismiss her out of hand. She’s not what we were expecting, but she’s here so why not just sit down and check her out? It’s not like either of us has a problem with women, right?”

  Daniel shook his head. “No, I guess not. It’s just thrown me for a loop, is all. I was expecting a dude, not a little slip of a girl, which is what she is. She barely looks legal.”

  “Let’s go talk to her. We can’t leave her out there sitting all alone. If nothing else, it’s rude. We should at least explain the misunderstanding. If you want, we can send her away with an apology.”

  “You’re right,” Daniel said slowly. “Let’s at least talk to her. She is pretty hot, for a girl.”

  “She is that,” Liam agreed, smiling.

  ~*~

  Alex looked around the living room as she waited for the guys to decide what to do about the woman in their midst. It was clear the tall, dark one was far more comfortable with the idea than the blond, built one. But wasn’t he the submissive? Wasn’t his Master’s word law? Maybe he was being read the sub riot act back there in the kitchen. Alex grinned to herself.

  The room contained large bookshelves built into one wall, lined from floor to ceiling with books. Someone around here was a scholar, she thought, impressed. The room was nicely furnished with large, comfortable pieces set on a beautiful antique Persian carpet that covered most of the hardwood floor.

  She noticed the arrangement of flowers on the highly polished wooden side table, the same lush purple irises that lined the front walk. To distract herself from her nerves, she stood and moved toward the flowers, leaning down to smell them.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small alcove just off the living room. With a glance back toward the kitchen she stepped inside, intrigued by the long, wide bench upholstered in red velvet just below a large bay window. What a wonderful place to read or write on her laptop. She ran her hand over the soft velvet as she looked out the window. She was riveted by the beautiful flower gardens set along the rolling, lush lawns and growing around the trunks of huge old trees that had to be several hundred years old.

  “Here she is,” she heard someone call behind her. Alex whipped around, feeling her face heat. “We thought you had flown the coop,” Liam said, grinning down at her. Daniel appeared behind him, frowning slightly.

  “I hope you don’t think I was snooping. I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful flowers and lawn.” She turned back to the window, drawn in spite of herself. “The play of color and light—the subtle geometric designs created by the placement of the gardens—it’s like looking at a fine work of art.”

  She looked back at the two men, both of whom were now smiling. “Alex,” Liam said with a laugh. “You couldn’t have picked a better way to break the ice with Daniel if you tried. Come on into the living room and let’s talk.”

  ~*~

  The three of them settled in the living room, Liam and Daniel on the large sofa with Alex across from them in a wing-backed reading chair. She was perched on the edge of her seat, her hands folded demurely in her lap, her bare legs crossed at the ankle. She was wearing a turquoise blue sundress with spaghetti straps, the material something silky and feminine.

  Her skin seemed silky as well, a soft pink lightly kissed by the sun, supple over her collarbone and the hollow at her throat. Her breasts were high and round, the nipples hinting through the sheer fabric. Her hair was cut in layers so it hung in sheets of butterscotch yellow and gold, the longish bangs falling over her large green eyes.

  There was a certain strength in her face and the set of her jaw. She reminded Liam of some kind of fairy sprite—small and pixyish with the look of the devil in her eyes. If they were to take her on, she’d be a handful.

  “Well, Alex,” he said pleasantly, aware she was nervous. Daniel seemed nervous beside him as well. He was out of his ken, clearly less comfortable with the idea of bringing a woman into their lives than Liam was. Liam had had his share of female lovers.

  He liked the soft sweetness of a woman—so different from the hard-muscled intensity he craved with a man. He’d never been in love with a woman, however. He supposed that was what truly defined a person’s orientation—whom one connected with, whom one fell in love with.

  He glanced at Daniel, his face softening into a smile as he did so. Daniel, perhaps feeling his eyes on him, met his glance. Gently Liam put his hand over Daniel’s, hoping the love he felt showed in his face. Daniel smiled back and relaxed beside him.

  Turning again to the young woman, Liam said, “I’m sorry for what must have seemed like a pretty lukewarm welcome. We expected a man, as you’ve no doubt gathered. But we’re open to the idea of a female submissive. Tell us, what is it you’re looking for, exactly?”

  She leaned forward, her expression earnest. “I want to learn what it is to submit to a real Master. With straight guys, at least in my experience, they’re too easy to manipulate. I’m never really sure if they’re just playing along for the sex. It occurred to me that a gay man might be the right Master for me. He could take me beyond the purely sexual to something different.” She paused, as if gathering her thoughts. “I’m not really sure how to describe what I mean.”

  “You want a man who can take you where you really need to go, not just where you want to go. To that submissive place inside of us where sex is no longer the object but merely a vehicle—just one more way to serve the Master who owns you, who possesses your soul.” Daniel spoke softly.

  “Yeah,” Alex breathed, staring at him with a rapturous expression. “That’s it exactly. I want that. To serve, to submit. I’ve never done that. Not really.”

  “You’ve no experience, then?” Liam asked. He wasn’t interested in a total newbie, however intriguing she might be. “This is all a fantasy for you?”

  “Oh, I’ve got plenty of experience in the scene, if that’s what you mean. A while back I even joined a BDSM organization, complete with meetings and elected officials. I thought maybe I could meet a real Dom there.” She flashed an impish grin. “Wasn’t for me. I guess I really don’t like organized anything. Maybe that’s why I’m a writer—I can do it alone.”

  She uncrossed her ankles and leaned forward, her expression earnest. “I’ve dated guys who claimed they were Doms but were really more interested in being admired. I even lived—briefly—with a man I thought might be able to give me what I craved. I can take a whipping, I love being bound and I adore sex.” Again she flashed a wide, infectious grin that made both men smile back.

  She sobered as she said softly, “I’ve never found what I need. I’ve always been able to control the man I was with. I suppose it would look on the surface as if I were submitting to him, but in the end, I never did a thing that wasn’t really just for me. I could always get the man to back down, to give in, to stop whatever he was doing the moment he pressed my sensual envelope just a little too far.” She clasped her hands together. “I long to truly relinquish control to someone else. An honest exchange of power, not just a game for some short-term sexual thrill. I want something real.”

  Liam was drawn to the young woman. She seemed to grasp at an intuitive level the potential of a truly romantic submissive experience. Until he’d met Daniel, Liam had nearly despaired of finding a submissive partner who wasn’t really just a masochist looking to subtly control his Dom, topping from the bottom to get his way. From what Alex was saying, she herself was guilty of the same behavior, manipulating her lovers into giving her what she wanted. It took a certain level of honesty and introspection to admit or even be aware of this behavior.

  Yet she claimed to crave a deeper experience. Would Daniel and he be able to provide it for her, given that they were committed to one another? Could a woman really fit into their lives? Would she satisfy Daniel’s dominant needs without coming between them as lovers?

  He looked at Daniel as Alex shared a funny story about a bully at a play club who tried to force her to kneel in front of him ju
st by virtue of the fact that he was supposedly Dom and she was supposedly submissive. Daniel was smiling as he listened to her. His posture was relaxed. Sensing Liam’s eyes on him, he glanced his way, nodding slightly as if to say, “I approve.”

  “Please stay for lunch,” Liam said, glancing at his watch. They’d been talking for over an hour and so far, it was going well. “Daniel’s made chicken pot pie and a salad from our gardens. He’s a great cook.” He couldn’t keep the pride out of his voice. Though they’d been together over a year already, Liam still sometimes had to pinch himself to make sure it was real. Daniel was everything he’d ever wanted in a partner. Surely, they could handle a third person in their lives—nothing permanent, just a way for Daniel to explore his dominant impulses in a safe, loving environment. Neither Daniel nor he much cared for the club scene.

  “I’d love to,” Alex agreed. “I’m starving.”

  They talked of trivial things over lunch, saving weightier matters for later. As Daniel served them, Liam asked, “How old are you, Alex?”

  “Twenty-four.”

  “You mention you’re a writer. What do you write?”

  “Erotic romance mostly. Some straight romance as well. I’ve got four novels published and several more in the works. It’s my passion as well as my vocation.”

  “You’re lucky. So you support yourself with your writing?”

  “Well, not entirely,” she admitted. “I earn enough to get by, but I have this trust fund from when my dad died.” She looked embarrassed but continued. “I get an allowance from it once a month. It’s not a ton, but it enables me to cover the rent and food when royalties aren’t enough. My needs are modest. I live in the garage apartment of a friend of my mother’s. My old clunker of a car is paid for.”

  “Tell us about some of your experiences in the scene. Do you still go to the BDSM clubs?”

  “Not very often. In my experience, they’re mostly just a pickup scene with whips and chains instead of booze.” Alex entertained them with her lively stories about people she’d met in the scene, most of whom were little more than posers and wannabes. She made the people she was talking about come to life, painting an especially vivid picture of an odious little man she’d met at a club in the city. They laughed out loud as she described him strutting in black leather, metal cuffs dangling from his belt, snapping a whip to punctuate his conversation, which consisted of what he would do to her once he had her in his clutches.

  When Alex excused herself to use the bathroom, Liam turned to Daniel. “What do you think? Should we give her a try?”

  “I like her. She’s funny and she’s sexy. Whether she’s submissive or not remains to be seen.”

  “Agreed. You’re in the unique position of a switch. You’ll probably sense, even better than I could, if she’s being sincere in her reaction or just playing us to get what she wants. Let’s give her a few tests and if she passes, we could invite her for a week’s stay, if you still want to.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Daniel said, grinning. “And, Liam, thank you for this. I know you’re doing it for me.”

  “I’m doing it for us,” Liam answered.

  When Alex returned, they moved back into the living room, Liam and Daniel again side by side with Alex across from them. Liam noted Alex was no longer nervously perched on the edge of her seat but sat back, her legs curled beneath her.

  “You need to understand this isn’t an invitation for some quick sex with strangers. Daniel and I are partners. We’re both bisexual. Our goal in inviting a third person into our lives isn’t to have an excuse to have sex with someone new. Rather, it’s a way of extending our lovemaking, of deepening it by adding a new dimension.” He glanced at Daniel, who nodded. “Daniel has dominant impulses. He’s ready to explore these impulses in a meaningful way. If we choose you, you will be expected to submit to both of us with the understanding that Daniel belongs to me, and my word is the final one.”

  Alex stared at him with those vivid green eyes, her lips lightly parted. “Yes, Sir,” she said softly.

  He was pleased at her use of the honorific. “We’ve never done anything like this before,” he continued. “We’d be feeling our way along with you. There are no hard and fast rules, save for the underlying aspect of a total power exchange. You would be expected to obey each of us in every aspect. We, in turn, would promise to keep you safe, never asking you to do something that could cause you harm. If we all agree, you’d be invited here to live on a trial basis. Let’s say a week?”

  Liam glanced at Daniel, who nodded his agreement Returning his gaze to Alex, he said, “You’d have your own bedroom. You will be expected to devote yourself fully to serving us in every possible respect. We’d train you in obedience, grace and sexual service. In the process of training, you will be subjected to erotic torture, including the whip, the cane, bondage, and whatever else pleases us.”

  “Oh,” Alex mouthed, the word coming out as a whisper, her eyes wide.

  “I work outside the home during the week. Daniel will have complete control over you while I’m gone. You are to think of him as an extension of me. Of course, this is all theory at this point, but I want you to understand our intentions before we continue.”

  “What’s the catch?” Alex flashed a grin.

  Confused, Liam replied, “Catch? What do you mean?”

  “Two gorgeous men, this incredible house”—she waved her hand around the room—“the chance to be trained in obedience, grace and sexual service. It sounds like heaven on earth to me. In order to be your submissive sex slave, do I have to promise my firstborn child to you? Give over my inheritance from a great-aunt, that is, if I had an inheritance from a great-aunt?”

  Liam smiled. “No catch. Hopefully, the arrangement will meet our needs—all three of us. First, I want to ask you some questions and give you a little trial test.”

  “Trial test?” She was twisting her hands nervously in her lap. She saw him looking, and slowly her hands stilled. She took a deep breath and met his eyes, both trepidation and excitement in her face.

  “That’s right. To determine your suitability.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, clearly nervous, but determined.

  “Stand up,” he directed brusquely.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Stand up. I want to have a look at you.”

  Alex got to her feet, wrapping her arms protectively around her torso.

  “Drop your hands to your sides. Look straight ahead.”

  She obeyed, pink color washing over her cheeks. Her erect nipples pressed against the silk of her dress.

  “Take off your dress and again stand at attention,” Liam directed. She drew in a sudden breath and opened her mouth to speak.

  Before she got past the first syllable, he cut her off. “I didn’t tell you to speak. If you can’t obey the simplest of requests, this meeting should end now. You’re applying for the position of submissive sex slave, to quote you, are you not?” He smiled to soften his words.

  “Yes, Sir,” she squeaked.

  “If you are to belong to us, you mustn’t hesitate, not for a fraction of a second, when either of us gives you a direct command. Is that very, very clear, Alex?”

  “Yes, Sir,” she replied, her voice returned to its normal register.

  “Good. Now, we’ll try this again. Take off your dress, Alex. If you can’t do that, thank you for coming and goodbye.”

  Taking a deep breath, Alex gripped the hem of her short dress and pulled it over her head. She wore no bra. Her breasts were firm and quite lovely, the nipples dark pink, erect beneath the gaze of the two men. Her body was lean, curving in to a narrow waist and flaring gently at the hips. Her legs were slender and strong, the legs of a runner. She wore white cotton bikini panties edged with lace.

  “Hands behind your head,” Liam directed.

  Alex obeyed, her face now beet red, her shoulders hunched with tension.

  “Relax,” Liam soothed. “Turn around so we can see y
our ass.”

  She turned. The globes of her ass were full and round, perfect for spanking.

  “She’ll do, won’t she?” Liam asked Daniel quietly.

  “Put her through her paces,” Daniel replied, his eyes fixed on her. “Let’s see how she handles that.”

  Turning to Alex, who still stood facing away from them, Liam said, “You’re doing very well, Alex. Now, I want you to take off your panties. Then bend over and hold on to your ankles. You will stay in that position while I touch you. You are not to move. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Sir,” came her whisper.

  Alex pushed her panties down slender thighs, her fingers trembling slightly. Kicking them away, she squared her shoulders, as if gathering courage. Then she bent forward in a graceful movement, keeping her legs straight as she leaned down to grip her ankles.

  Liam got to his feet and approached her. “Spread your legs,” he commanded.

  Alex obeyed. She was shaven, her labia like the petals of a flower. He moved closer, reaching out to place a hand on her shapely ass. Alex jumped slightly but otherwise remained still.

  Lightly holding her hip to keep her steady, Liam dropped a hand to her bared cunt. He ran a fingertip over the smooth lips, drawing a sensual shudder from her. He cupped her entire sex for a moment before letting one finger slide toward her entrance. He chuckled softly as he touched her. Despite her obvious trepidation, the girl was sopping wet.

  As he pressed a finger inside her, Alex moaned softly, pushing back against his hand.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered, and she stilled at once. He moved his finger inside her, enjoying the clench of her vaginal muscles. After a few moments, he withdrew and glided his fingers up to her clit, rubbing lightly over the little nubbin. Her breath quickened, her body trembling as she struggled to remain in her awkward position.

  Using several fingers, he rubbed and teased her cunt, occasionally sliding a finger into her tight tunnel. Before long, Alex was panting, her body trembling uncontrollably