The Dom With the Perfect Brats (20 page)

Izzy brushed her mouth upward, her lips barely touching Gemma’s smooth thighs. When
Gemma’s legs didn’t part any wider to make room, Cross spread them for her. She tried to wriggle away.

“Quit being shy. She needs to see what she’s doing. Do you know what to do, Izzy?”

Her eyes widened. “Um... I have the same parts and I know what I like, but...”

Cross smiled reassuringly. “Listen to her breathing, the noises she makes, the way she tenses. She’ll direct you with her body, even if she doesn’t mean to.”

“No, I won’t!”

“Okay, Gemma. You lie there and pretend you don’t like it and I’ll just walk Izzy through this then.”

“Shut up,” she snapped.

His hand snapped out and buried in her hair. Gemma squeaked. He stared down into her eyes. “Do you tell me to shut up, girl?”

“No.”

“No, what?”

“No, Cross. Sorry.”

“You will be sorry. If it happens again you’ll be wearing a ball gag.”

“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled meekly.

Fuck. He’d never expected a spontaneous “sir” from Gemma
and today there’d already been several. “Good girl.” He pinned Gemma’s hands above her head and smiled at Izzy, who was looking back at him and awaiting instruction. “Go ahead. I’ll watch her. If she doesn’t like something, I’ll tell you.”

Izzy planted a kiss on the top of Gemma’s smooth pelvic bone, and Gemma sucked in a breath. Cross had the urge to toy with Gemma’s nipples, but didn’t want to distract her from Izzy.
Those kisses inched lower. She pressed a chaste kiss on Gemma’s slit then her little tongue flicked out and tasted her. Gemma squeaked, but didn’t move. Without direction from Cross, Izzy brushed her tongue over Gemma’s clit several times, pausing in between to listen. When Izzy waited too long once, Gemma’s body arched toward Izzy’s mouth and she fought Cross’s restraining grip on her arms.

“You don’t want to get away, Gemma. Doesn’t what she’s doing feel good? Do you like her soft lips on you?”

“Yes,” she panted. “But she’s being a tease.”

“What do you want her to do?”

“Do I have to say?” Gemma whined. She gasped as Izzy’s tongue started to trace gentle circles around her, never quite touching where Gemma now obviously wanted her.

“I think Izzy wants to hear you ask for it.” Cross chuckled.

“Come on, Iz. Don’t be mean,” Gemma pleaded.

“Use your words,” Izzy whispered against Gemma’s softness.

Gemma loosed a string of profanity that made Cross wince. They’d be working on that dirty mouth of hers, although he understood her frustration.

“Those aren’t the words I meant
.” Izzy got up on her hands and smirked at both her and Cross. He smiled. Watching these two play off each other was an entertaining side to bratting that he’d never thought about. “Aren’t you still sensitive here from when Cross made you come?” She leaned in again to stroke the flat of her tongue over Gemma’s clit.

“Yes!” Gemma whimpered in response. “Please, Izzy. I need more.”

Izzy seemed to have the hang of things, so Cross moved to the end of the bed. Grabbing her by the ankles, he dragged Izzy down until she was bent over the edge. Izzy yelped, but stayed where he’d moved her, looking over her shoulder at him, brow furrowed. He ignored her silent question and moved to Gemma, yanking her down until she was under Izzy’s mouth again. She applied herself to Gemma, kissing and sucking at her clit, flicking her tongue and holding Gemma’s thighs down with her hands. Abandoning her shyness, Gemma buried her hands in Izzy’s hair. Her moans made Cross’s cock demand some action.

He toyed with Izzy’s wetness, sliding a finger up and down her opening. She gasped, but didn’t stop working on Gemma. Cross grabbed a condom out of his dresser
, rolling it on while watching his girls play. Fuck, they were hot. Izzy might not have known what she was doing, but she was doing a good job of guessing, if Gemma’s vocals were any indication. She was getting close again.

Poor Izzy was an orgasm behind the two of them. How did Jude ever make things fair between his girls? He shook his head. The last thing he wanted to think about right
now was Jude. He grimaced to himself and moved back to Izzy.

Poised at her entrance, Cross reached a hand around Izzy’s hip and rubbed her sensitive nub with one finger. She shrieked, shoving back against him, but she was already well into an orgasm by the time he thrust all the way in. Izzy’s orgasm almost seemed to trigger Gemma’s, since she started a moment later – her body seizing and grinding up against Izzy’s mouth. Cross rubbed hard at Izzy’s clit as he lazily shoved in and pulled out. She screamed through a few more orgasms before he was satisfied she’d had enough. When her legs gave out, Izzy collapsed partially on top of Gemma. He grabbed her hips, fucking her hard and fast until he released into her, growling as his own orgasm took him. After a few last vicious thrusts, he gathered Izzy to him, hugging her, a rumble of contentment deep in his chest.

“Are you fucking purring?” Gemma snorted.

“Neanderthals don’t purr,” he grumbled.

Cross picked up Izzy and tossed her on the bed, then crawled between the two of them. Gemma wriggled around until her head was on a pillow, too. They snuggled him. Izzy kissed the side of his face, a languid hand playing with the stubble on his head, while Gemma traced the bands of muscle on his chest.

He should stop them. Their affection felt so good, but accepting it
was wrong. What if they fell in love with him? Cross tensed, struggling with a conscience that told him he should get up and go do something else. Let them cuddle together – at least they could love each other. He tried to lever himself up.

Gemma frowned, pushing him back down on the mattress.
“You’re not going anywhere, Cross. Sex etiquette demands you stay here and cuddle us, even if your testosterone is making you all fight or flight. Stay, or we’re going to tie you to this bed.”

“Yup
.” Izzy nodded. “And we don’t know how to tie good knots, so this could get ugly.”

Hesitantly, he settled back and they both pillowed their heads on his chest. Keeping his hands to himself was beyond him, and he ran them through their hair, watching the
fire red and mocha brown weave together under his fingers. Hands and mouths touched him, bringing him a contentment that made his eyes prickle. He scoffed at his sentimentality and tried to focus on the girls being a conquest – a notch on his belt.

Gemma kissed Izzy’s forehead, and Izzy’s palm cupped the side of Gemma’s face, her thumb stroking along her cheekbone. Cross ached. Today wasn’t the day to explain he was damaged goods. Today he just wanted to have this.

Gemma

Gemma lay silently awake until the sound of Izzy’s restful breathing filled her ears. She looked up and saw Cross was awake too.

He smiled at her then ran the tip of his index finger down the length of her arm. Her eyes
drifted shut as he traced the lines of her tattoos. The gentleness of his ministrations now was such a contrast to the stern disciplinarian earlier. Her ass was still a little sore from where he’d strapped her. The delicious memory almost sent her reeling into arousal again. That she’d loved it, craved the sting after the first stroke, shocked her. Was she a masochist? The thought had occurred to her before – back when she started learning how to tattoo. That she didn’t mind the pain and almost found it soothing used to worry her. Once she’d become an artist, she’d seen how common it was for tattoo addicts to feel the same way and stopped thinking about it. But now...now that she’d learned spanking turned her on and the strap gave her the same high as getting tattooed – it made her wonder just how deep her need for pain went.

“
What does it mean?” Cross’s voice yanked her from her thoughts.

Her eyes popped open and s
he looked where his finger rested. The man in the moon tattoo was one of her favorites. She shrugged. “Tattoos don’t always have to mean something.” Though a few of hers did, most she just liked, for one reason or another.

His finger
wandered down her forearm, tracing the big, colorful flowers, then to her ribs. It tickled and she did a little wiggle. Then he moved over her hips and started tracing the many tattoos on her thigh. When she tried to bat his hand away, he merely gave her a look and kept going. She squirmed so her thighs were out of sight but Cross put his hand on her hip and pushed her back.

“Why hide them?
” he asked when she settled down with a sigh. “Are you embarrassed?”

“Y
es. It was my practice spot.” Her first couple tattoos had left scars under the ink, making the tattoos look mangled and messy. She hadn’t covered them because they were high on her thigh and weren’t usually visible. Plus, with the scarring and blown-out lines, it almost wasn’t worth trying to fix.

He ran his finger over the anchor then the cross, the rose then the wobbly letters that spelled the word dream. She flinched when he got to the wolf print. It was her first and most
traumatic tattoo. The bathroom at her friend’s house had not been the most sterile environment to be doing a tattoo. She could still remember the blood pouring down her leg as her friend freaked out and called in her parents. At first, they’d thought she was trying to commit suicide. When they’d realized she was giving herself a tattoo with a beginners’ tattoo kit she had picked up at a pawn shop, they kicked her out of the house and banned their daughter from talking to her again. She’d fixed up the misshapen print since then but it still brought back painful memories when she looked at it.

“They tell a story,” he said softly.
“The story of an artist perfecting her trade. This one is timid.” He pointed to the rose then the beveled stars. “And these gaining confidence. And this,” his finger made a circular motion around the woman wearing Day of the Dead makeup, “now this is a work of art.”

Speaking of work of art
... “And what story do yours tell?” She looked over his naked body. His back piece was stunning but now she studied the one on his upper arm that flowed down to his chest. Saint George slaying a dragon. She knew the scene well because she’d tattooed it on a man much like Cross – a serious soul with deep convictions. “There’s a lot of confliction in these tattoos.”

No answer. Just staring as his finger glided across her skin.

With her sweetest smile, she said, “Please won’t you tell me, Sir?”

He gave her a look of surprise then chuckled. “How can I
resist such a pretty request?”

“Maybe
being good has its advantages.”

With a deep sigh, he answered. “The scene on my back is a symbol of my battle between good and evil.” He gazed down at the dragon. “This one is Saint George slaying the dragon
after he baptized the people of Silene. Do you know the story?”

“Yes. Though some people say Saint George was really a woman.”

He smiled indulgently but she could tell he didn’t believe it. “And the gargoyle means Malachi hired a hot girl.”

She laughed. “
Flatterer.” They gazed at each other for a moment, making her feel a little like an adoring puppy dog. She liked him like this. Relaxed, good-humored, intimate. Like this, she could be herself. No expectations, no orders to obey and worry if she got wrong.

He dropped his gaze and his brow furrowed in an expression of deep pondering. It
saddened her that he was so hard on himself. He couldn’t really worry he was evil. He was a hard worker who cared about others above himself.

“
You don’t really think you’re evil, do you, Cross?

His shoulders
were tense but he shrugged. “Everybody has a little evil in them.”

“
Not really evil. Just the inability to maintain perfection. Do you believe in God?” From his tattoos, it barely needed asking but she did anyway.

“
Yes.”

“
So if we were perfect, the human race I mean...what would we need Him for? There’d be no reason for redemption.”

He gave her a sad smile. “
Some people need more redemption than others.”

“
No.” She shook her head firmly. “We all need the same amount.” When he remained quiet, she tried to think of a way he’d understand. It hurt her heart that he thought himself more sinful, or possibly just a worse person, than everyone else. Maybe if she related it to being a Dom, he’d see her point. “Just because I’m not as obedient as Izzy, does that make me less deserving of forgiveness?”

A long silence then he rubbed his hand up and down her arm before giving it a pat. “
No,” he said with a smirk. “You just require more patience.”

She gave him a mock scowl and he laughed and kissed her forehead.

“You’re lucky I went easy on you for punishment tonight. You’re in training. I shouldn’t have let you come after strapping you.” He moved his hand to her ass and she winced. “Next time I’ll go harder. You enjoyed that too much.”

“Did not.”

He arched a brow in that Domly look she was getting to know. “Don’t lie to me, girl.”

“Okay. Fine. I liked it
, but is that so bad? We’re having fun, aren’t we?” His lips were so tempting she reached up and ran her thumb along the bottom one. “Isn’t that good enough for you?”

He took her wrist in his hand and held it firmly, as if it added to his point. “
No. Having fun is not enough. When I own a sub, I want everything.”

That’s what she was afraid of. “Everything is a lot to ask of someone.”

After he placed a kiss on her hand, Cross let her go and asked, “What do you get from submitting, Gemma?”

For a moment, she was stumped. What
did
she get out of it? There had to be something. Or was she just going through the motions in order to keep them together? No. There was something more. Hesitantly, while staring down at their intertwined bodies, she answered. “Well, I’m learning a lot about myself. And it makes sex all sorts of hot.” She chuckled and fumbled with her hands. “But more importantly, it makes me feel a deep connecton with you. It makes me feel cared for and important that you want me that way.”

“
What way?”

She shrugged. Fuck
, this was hard. It’d be easier if she weren’t lying here naked and already feeling vulnerable. “Like you’d do anything to protect me. Like I’m desirable. But it’s hard. It’s hard for me to push aside my pride and give up my will to yours.” Finally, she looked up to check his expression. Was this freaking him out? Did she sound pathetic?

He nodded sincerely and his eyes warmed.
“The things that challenge us most are the things that are most worth doing. We grow into better people when we conquer a challenge, especially when it’s presented in a loving way with lots of support.” His brow creased into look of concern. “Have I given you enough support, Gemma? I know I’m hard on you and I’m trying to keep myself in check. It’s hard for me too. You’re right that I desire and want you. And I’d do anything to protect you.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “Sometimes I worry I’m protecting you from everyone but myself.”

“Doms are human too.”
Feeling mischievous, she added, “Well, we think you’re mostly human. With some cyborg parts.”

He chuckled. “Oh really? And which of my parts are cyborg?”

Instinctively her gaze dropped to his cock. She licked her lips.

“Tease.” He flipped her onto her back and rose over her. “You drive me crazy with that mouth.” Leaning down, he planted kisses all over her face and neck and chest until she
was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe.

“Shhh!” she said between giggles. “You’re gonna wake Izzy!”

“Don’t shush your Dom.” He nipped the side of her neck then levered himself above her with his hands on the mattress.

They gazed at each other silently. Until now, he’d seemed so inaccessible – not emotionless but guarded. He could see inside her soul with just a look
, but this was the first time she’d been given a peek inside his. If it weren’t for his rigid demand to conform to his rules, she could easily see herself falling in love with him.