Enlightened [Sexual Magic 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (16 page)

She laughed and pushed his hand away. “Lord, don’t do that. I’m ticklish.”

“Oh really?” He leered. “Never give ammo to a Dom.”

He proceeded to dart and dig at her sides and knees and pretty much everywhere else her sensitive spots were.

Emma tried to keep her shrieks low and quiet, but it was nearly impossible. “Please,” she finally begged on a gasp. “Please, stop.”

“Are you sure? Tickling is very erotic, you know.”

“Not if I pee on you.”

“Ugh, no way. That is so on the don’t list.” His touch turned from tickle to tender. “Speaking of lists, how are you feeling about yours now?”

Emma licked her lips.
Now
was definitely time for some honesty. “I enjoyed a lot of what we did and not so much other stuff.”

She swore he looked relieved and wondered at it.

“Yeah? What didn’t you enjoy?”

Heat furled in her face, and she cursed her own sudden shyness. This man had not only seen her naked, he’d done incredibly intimate and devious things to her body. She had no more physical secrets from them. And few emotional ones, either.

“Well, uh, I actually didn’t like the TENS unit all that much.”

He stroked her brow. “Yeah, I figured that one out all by myself. But you tried it, and that’s the important thing. What else?”

She shifted. “I don’t know, everything else was pretty stellar. Actually, a lot was better than I thought it would be.”

“Like what?”

In the cold dark of night, telling him that all those nasty words and being unable to move turned her on seemed too stark and revealing.

“Come on,” he said and nudged her shoulder. “You can’t be shy. It’s good you’re starting to understand and acknowledge your limits but you have to be able to vocalize them, as well. It will make communicating with your Master that much easier.”

My Master.

While the concept thrilled her, it also scared the hell out of her. Her chest constricted a little bit, and she wanted to squirm away from his assessing gaze but knew this was one more important aspect of finding out about herself. “I am surprised,” she admitted. “In my fantasies, those words always poured out so easily. Reading them in stories turned me on. But reality was much different.”

He nodded. “Sometimes it happens that way. Anything else?”

“I’m having some trouble with the idea of instant and total obedience. I mean, I
want
to do what I’m told, but at the same time I rebel against the notion.”

“Good. You know, when we first got your case, I was skeptical. Not many people are really as open as you are.” He gave her a surprisingly pensive look.

“What?”

“It’s not good, Emma. Being
too
open leaves you vulnerable to the trolls and dregs out there. So many assholes are waiting for an innocent bit of goods like you to just fall into their laps so they can do horrible, despicable things to you.”

She laughed. “Oh, melodrama!”

His fingers tightened on her thigh. “This is serious, Emma. And it’s not just obvious stuff like that serial killer, though he’s scary enough. These guys are way more subtle in the beginning.”

He is completely serious.
She swallowed hard and covered his hand with her palm. “Hey, I get it, okay? I’m not going into anything until you guys have taught me everything I need to know to be safe.”

Mason remained stiff for a long, silent moment before the tension suddenly seeped from him and he gave her a rueful grin. “Sorry, old habits die hard.”

She drew small circles on the back of his hand. “What habits are those?” She was really curious about his past, as well as Griff’s. Mason definitely seemed the easier of the two to get to open up, though.

“I was a cop for a while,” he said.

Emma gaped at him, totally floored. “Are you serious?”

“Yep. Joined the force as a wet-behind-the-ears rookie at all of twenty-one. Left when I was twenty-eight.” His voice was flat and unemotional.

Had the Council wooed him from his cop job? Did he regret that decision now?

“Mind if I ask why you left?”

“Let’s call it a difference of authoritative style and leave it at that.”

Emma nodded even as she squashed the dart of hurt. He certainly didn’t owe her anything beyond his sexual expertise.

“Sure, not a problem.” She plucked at a loose piece of yarn and let the silence settle around them. But her curiosity rose, and unable to squash it, she tried another tack. “What’s the story with the Council anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. You have to admit, it’s pretty strange. A group of supersexual beings out there watching over us mortals. Guiding us to completion or satisfaction or whatever. I just wondered how it all got started.”

He chuckled just as the laugh track on the sitcom roared to life, and she jumped lightly.

“No one is really sure how the Council came into being, to tell you the truth. I’ve heard it dates back to the Middle Ages and some wealthy baron’s wife who first discovered both the Goddess and her own sexual powers.”

“What Goddess?”

But he shook his head. “It would take way too long to explain, not to mention I’m pretty sure that would be breaking some hefty rules and regulations. Suffice it to say we’re out there and we’re helping where we can.” His smile was flirtatious and bright. “All in all, it’s a pretty cush job. I get to travel the world, meet a lot of interesting people, and use my abilities to help them find fulfillment.” He lowered his voice. “Plus the sex isn’t bad, and I get a lot of gratification knowing I’ve provided a service.”

Fulfillment
. Envy, long and deep, ricocheted through her. Though she loved her job at the graphics firm, it didn’t give her near the sort of satisfaction that rang in his voice. Her photography did, but she wasn’t able to pay her bills with that.

Not yet.

“How long have you been with them?”

“Six years.”

“And Griff?”

A longer silence.

“Also six years.”

She tipped her head back. “What’s his story?”

His jaw worked, and he shook his head. “Griff’s past is his own, Emma. If he wants you to know, he’ll tell you.”

Another rush of embarrassed disappointment flooded her at the gentle reminder she was a job, not a date.

“Right.”

He picked up the remote and flipped through channels.

“He’s a good guy, though. A little tough. Hard to know. But once you do, he’s in your camp forever.”

Emma held her breath, focused on the screen, and hoped he’d continue.

“He was married once.”

Mason’s voice was so quiet she had to lean in to hear him.

“She destroyed him when she left. He’s said the Council is the only thing that saved him from the bottle. Or the grave.”

He went quiet again, and she waited while he skipped through the channels again, but he wouldn’t say anything else.

Damn.
Now she was really fascinated. Griff was an enigma she was eager to decipher. Beyond his hard Dom demeanor was an intriguing man and one she definitely wanted to know better.

The TV flickered, and a new movie started.

“Ah, I love this one,” Mason said, scooting closer. He hauled her to his side, draped an arm over her shoulder, and proceeded to cuddle like a professional.

Emma allowed the tension to flow from her and decided to just enjoy the experience while she had it. “Really?”

He scuffed the top of her head with his chin. “You sound surprised.”

“Well, it
is
a chick flick, you know. Romantic comedy at its finest, I grant you, but I never picked you for the rom-com type.”

“I appreciate a good story and a happy ending. Besides, I love Meg Ryan.”

“Duly noted.”

“Wait a sec,” he said. “Didn’t you look in the armoire?”

She tilted her head back. “A little bit, why?”

He winked. “I’m much too comfortable to move and show you, but it’s filled with dozens of these kinds of movies.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yep.”

She giggled and cupped his cheek. She ran her thumb over the stubble of his overnight beard. “A romantic at heart, are you?”

Mason lowered his head and nipped her nose with his lips. “Absolutely.”

The low tenor of his voice raised goose bumps on her legs and made her breath catch. She moved lower on the couch and gave him a come-hither stare.

His expression turned sensual. “What do you want, little one?”

Emma licked her lips and trailed her fingertip down the strong column of his neck. His pulse beat strong and sure beneath her. “You,” she whispered.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Griff’s harsh voice jerked them both upright. Mason looked slightly guilty, and Emma couldn’t help but feel it, too.

She smoothed a hand over her hair as she watched him. Like Mason earlier, he, too, stood in the doorway. But his posture was stiff and unyielding. He appeared unapproachable.

Maybe I should get my stuff together and go home.
She felt unsure of herself. His expression was closed, but tension radiated from him in waves that touched her all the way across the room.

She looked at him closer, caught the wariness in his carefully guarded face.

To her surprise, she got the impression Griff was vulnerable in that moment. That he felt hesitant and was angry about being that way. She lifted the blanket and patted the couch next to her. “Come snuggle with us,” she said.

Surprise washed over his face. In the space of one breath and the next, his body relaxed entirely and he sported a cocky grin. He sauntered across the room and plopped down next to her. “Who could resist an invitation like that?”

She squirmed between the bulk of both men and put a hand on each of their thighs. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He exhaled sharply then slid his fingers beneath hers and laced their hands together. “Me, too.” He cleared his throat and looked with studious intent at the television. “To be honest, I thought you’d left.”

Emma’s heart tripped, and she didn’t need Mason’s special ability to feel Griff’s vulnerability return. She squeezed his hand. “Nope, you’re stuck with me until the end of this thing.”

“Good.” He looked at the television and smiled. “Hey, I like this movie.”

* * * *

Griff woke with a crick in his neck and his left arm asleep. He groaned and shifted. A dead weight smacked against his chest, and he opened his eyes, meeting Emma’s sleepy green gaze.

His throat tightened at the sight of her sweet face.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Hi.”

She flattened her palm to his chest and pushed up and away. He missed her warmth almost immediately and frowned.

“Something wrong?” she asked. Worry colored her voice.

“No,” he said, though he wasn’t entirely sure of that. What was going on with this little bit of baggage? He wasn’t used to waking up to someone in his arms. More than that, he sure as hell wasn’t used to it feeling so damn good or so right.

He rose and stretched. His back unkinked with loud, emphatic pops.

Emma stood up as well, gently easing Mason onto the couch.

Griff was surprised at her strength. Mason was no lightweight, but she handled him just fine.

She tugged on the bottom of the shirt she wore—his, he noted—and smiled tentatively up at him. “I guess I should get going. I have to work today.”

Disappointment shafted him, and he started to nod then stilled. “Call in sick.”

She blinked. “What?”

Griff flicked her chin. “Call in sick. Stay home and play hooky with us today.”

Her green eyes grew large and her talented, luscious mouth worked. “I’ve never done that.”

“First time for everything, right? Come on, Emma, play with us today. We’ll do something fun.”

Her eyes flicked toward the hallway, and he shook his head. “While I would love to take you back to the play room and work your delectable body over again, I think you need a little break.” He tipped his head, remembering just how much of his hand and whip she’d taken last night. His cock stirred. “Unless you really want to.”

A light pink flush crested on her cheeks, and she looked down at her feet. She mumbled something.

The hint of submission aroused him even more. She made him truly contemplate forgoing all his usual controls and cautions. He wanted to be inside of her, to control her with a ferocity that stole his breath.

“Speak up, little one,” he said. He infused his voice with harsh authority to gauge her reaction, though he knew that rationale was not entirely accurate. He liked Domming her and how she responded so beautifully.

She lifted her chin. “I said I would not mind another session.”

Ah yes, exactly that spark of rebellion and defiance was what excited him. It’s what begged him to take her in hand and redden her ass.

But this was not about
his
wants. It was about her needs. Most importantly, she needed to learn to properly understand her limits and vocalize them.

Right now, though, he would have to do that for her. He crooked his finger, turned, and stalked down the hallway toward the play room. He knew she followed him, could feel her excitement.

He opened up his own talent and amplified her desire as he turned to face her. She stumbled and gasped, one hand flattened against her tummy.

“Come here,” he ordered.

She moved closer, and he cupped her breasts, flicking her nipples with his thumbs.

“Ah,” she said on a long breath as she leaned into him.

“Tell me what you want.”

She reddened in the dim light of the hallway. “Another session.”

He tweaked harder, and she rose a bit on tiptoe.

“Sir,” she bit out. “Another session, Sir.”

Griff found himself fighting his base instincts even harder and forced himself to relax his hold. “I’ll note that omission for next time.”

“Next time?”

He tapped her nose. “Yes, little one. While I would love nothing more than to spank your pretty little ass to burning pink, your body is not ready. It’s something you
must
learn to recognize and control.”