One Ring (Suncoast Society #28)(19)

When Mel played with the men that night, they did rope bondage, spanking—this time including a paddle she’d handpicked from Don’s implement bag—and over-the-panties orgasm play.

One thing she couldn’t help but notice about a lot of the other women was that they shaved completely bare…down there.

“Embarrassing question,” she said.

Considering she was already tied up and facedown over Don’s lap meant it was a little embarrassing to start with. “Sure.”

“I…trim down there. Should I completely shave it?”

“You’re not our submissive,” Don said. “We won’t order you to do that.”

“If you did have a say in it?”

Carl shrugged. “Are you saying you’re giving us a say?”

“Yeah. I’m not playing with anyone but you guys.”

“Then I say shave it. You might feel less self-conscious when you eventually feel comfortable playing completely naked.”

“Ditto,” Don said.

“Okay.” She started to relax, then lifted her head again. “Can I call you guys Sir?”

Don sat her up and leveled his blue gaze at her. “What are you asking of us?”

She took a deep breath. “Look, I know we’re not in a relationship. But while I’m trying to figure out my future, and get the divorce out of the way, it’d be nice to have some breathing room and not have a ‘fresh meat’ sign on my head, so to speak. If you two are okay with it.”

The men exchanged a glance, nodding to each other.

“Okay,” Don said. “For the purpose of play, and on FetLife, you can say you’re our submissive. If you want, we’ll add you to our profiles, too. But not collared.”

Relief flowed through her.

The irony didn’t escape her that she wanted to be free from Mike, and yet have the invisible barrier of protocol around her to give her breathing room.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it, Sir.”

Don grinned. “I could really get used to you calling me that.”

“Me, too,” Carl said.





Mel awoke the next morning with a sore ass and a light heart. They’d given her hellaciously good orgasms, followed by the best part—aftercare.

Snuggling and talking.

And they reiterated that their living arrangement did not include sex, although they could discuss playing at home after she’d settled in.

In a way, that disappointed her even as it relieved her. Okay, they wouldn’t be creeping on her. Great.

But did it make her a horrible person that she wasn’t even divorced yet and really wanted to get f*cked?

Marcia and Derrick were already awake when she walked out to get coffee.

“There’s my girl!” Marcia said, swooping in to hug her.

“You have got to stop that,” Mel said, hugging her back. “This is just a living arrangement with them for now.”

“But you’re playing with them. That means maybe more.”

“Maybe. After my divorce. They brought it up first.”

Marcia’s face fell. “But I thought they liked you.”

“They do,” Mel said. “And, to be honest, I don’t want to be one of those women pinballing from new relationship to new relationship. It took me fifteen years to realize how miserable I was and make a change. It won’t kill me to wait a couple of months.”

“But what if they meet someone?”

“Then they meet someone. How about if I meet someone? We’re not doing any kind of dynamic outside of the dungeon for now, okay? That’s the way I want it.”

“Marcia,” Derrick said, “she’s being reasonable.”

“I just want her to have her happy ending,” Marcia said.

“I know,” Mel reassured her. “I appreciate it and love you for it. You did your job—you introduced us and got us under the same roof. Now, it’s up to us to live our lives. Let us do that.”

She could tell Marcia wanted more reassurances than that, but Derrick reined her in.

When Don and Carl and several others showed up at noon to start the move, Mel had been giving thanks that she hadn’t really unpacked much, and that most of her stuff was still in storage.

Which they had to go get a few things. Like the bed she’d taken from the other house, from the guest room. There wasn’t a bed in the men’s spare room.

By the time Mel collapsed on the men’s couch at nine that night, she felt like her world had been upended.

Again.

Probably because it had.

The men sank onto the couch on either side of her.

“Well,” Don said, “that’s done.”

She leaned her head over onto his shoulder. “Thank you,” she said. Peace had settled inside her.

“For what?”

“For this. For humoring me about the protection and submissive stuff. For being so nice.” She burst into tears.

The men held her as she cried. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But I went from feeling like I was totally alone, and now I have all these friends, and even just hugs from friends is more than I was getting before.”





Carl felt horrible for her. At least he’d thought things were okay with his marriage before it imploded. “Hey, you can always have friend hugs from us, any time you need them. Couch snuggles, friend hugs, any of that. Okay?”