When Henry emerged from the closet Saturday evening, Alice felt certain the scrap of black fabric in his hand was for her. He’d already laid his own clothes on the bed, though he hadn’t changed into them yet.
She and Jay stood waiting, naked, fresh from the shower, toweled off and tranquil. In theory.
Henry had permitted the two of them hands-only play in the shower, which she suspected had been an attempt to settle their nerves. Jay had pressed her to the wall, water making her skin slick as skillful fingers pulled an orgasm from her. And then she’d plastered herself to his back, off center, her head resting against his shoulder, and stroked him to a beautiful climax. A better job than she’d done at the cabin, if she did say so herself.
The strategy had worked for Jay. He stood with a quiet focus, watching Henry move, his cock at rest. He’d slipped into the proper mindset for tonight, the subservient watch-and-wait they’d practiced last night.
But last night had been for fun. A dress rehearsal, with Henry teasing them with ridiculous commands and laughter sprinkled throughout their education. Tonight was the real deal. William was a true guest, another dominant and a friend of Henry’s.
She wanted Henry’s skills acknowledged. Her own performance flawless, a credit to his training. Do not fuck this up, Allie-girl. The pressure wasn’t the weight of Henry’s expectations but her own need for perfection.
“Jay. Sit, my boy.”
Jay sat on the edge of the bed, his body loose and his smile mellow. His cock didn’t even stir when Henry raised the black fabric up to his thighs.
“And stand, please.”
Jay stood. Perfectly calm. Perfectly obedient. While Henry dressed him in boy shorts that hugged his ass and outlined his cock. The amount of skin on display drew attention directly to the small black band around Jay’s hips.
Henry grasped Jay’s chin in one hand and delivered a bruising kiss to his mouth. “My beautiful boy. You need no adornment, hmm?” Their second kiss proved softer. “Fetch the trays from the refrigerator, please. We’ll want them to warm to room temperature. And listen for the door. You’ll be in charge of buzzing our guest in when he arrives.”
Jay nodded. When Henry let him go, he left the room with no more than a small, encouraging smile for her. Focused. Like she ought to be.
She wasn’t worried, exactly. Henry had laid out guidelines for her thank-you. She wasn’t trading favors with her body, wasn’t property to be passed to a friend. He’d assured her Santa would enjoy the night, even if he left with nothing more than a few kisses and a hard cock.
Henry approached her and touched her face, knuckles brushing her cheek.
She quivered with excess energy, spilling weakness the way an incandescent bulb shed heat.
With a soothing hum, he disappeared into the closet. He returned with something white and flowing. Gauzy. He urged her to feel the fabric draped across his hands.
She pinched the cloth between two fingers, rubbing back and forth. Soft, with lace edging. Thin. Sheer. Definitely see-through. Her fingers wouldn’t stop moving. Her nipples tightened.
“All right, Alice?” He tossed the gown on the bed atop his own dinner clothes. Holding her head between his hands, he tipped her back until she had to meet his gaze. “If you’re not ready, sweet girl, there’s no shame in stopping things before they begin. You’ve nothing to prove to me, or to Jay, or to Will. Do you wish to use your safeword?”
Henry standing so near, smelling so good, and putting his hands on her skin worsened the problem. Combined with her nudity, it didn’t matter that Jay had made her come twenty minutes ago or that she’d played with them both this morning. Wet and needy, she’d embarrass herself if she couldn’t find the postorgasmic tranquility Jay had. Back out, or be honest?
“Henry, I—I need you.”
He inhaled, a sudden, sharp breath. His eyes flashed wider. He rubbed circles on her cheek. “We’ve little time, dearest.”
She knew. She’d manage without the peacefulness somehow.
“So you’ll have to be quick for me, Alice.”
Legs trembling, she moaned her relief.
He dropped his hands to her shoulders. “How quick can you be, my sweet girl? Are you ready to come for me now?”
“I am. I am. Please, Henry.”
He spun her, his hand firm on her back, and pushed her facedown into the mattress.
She stretched her arms over her head, hands clasped, imagining the embrace of restraints on her skin.
“Spread your legs for me. Show me how ready you are.”
She widened her stance and tipped her pelvis. Her clit brushed the duvet. Her body clenched in anticipation of Henry’s entrance. A rustle of fabric, the hiss of a belt.
His casual khakis thudded on the floor at the same time foil ripped. He’d carried condoms in his pocket all day. For her. Not much longer, though. She’d already made the appointment.
Henry nudged her entrance and stroked her hip. “So beautifully wet for me. Let’s see if we can’t fulfill your need now.”
He pushed in hard, deep, without stopping.
She gripped his cock as if she could pull him in faster by force of will.
His hands stayed on her hips. He wasn’t using his fingers to rush her, but she didn’t need the help. Once he’d hit his depth, he set a hard pace, rapid thrusts forcing her against the bed and grinding pressure on her clit as she jerked beneath him.
Her breaths became whines.
Henry’s vocal encouragement turned to grunts with every thrust. He delivered the hard fuck she needed. Pinned beneath his body, she provided the lubrication while he provided the piston.
She shouted a silent count. Three thrusts before her body grew rigid, tension locking up every motion, every hope of motion. Two more released it, her pleasure shrieked into the sheets as Henry kept going, driving her harder and higher to reach a second peak. Only then did he let himself go, his hips slamming hers, his growl rattling above the buzzing of her blood rushing past her ears.
She sagged against the bed.
Bending over her back, he extended his arms alongside hers. “My lovely temptation.” He kissed her shoulder blade. “We haven’t time for another shower. You’ll have to spend the evening with my scent on your skin.”
“Mmm.” She stretched beneath his weight. “It’s my favorite.”
He chuckled. “We’ll at least get you cleaned up and dressed.” He kissed her other shoulder. “You have what you need now, hmm? Feeling more relaxed?”
“Relaxed and ready to serve.” The importance of her earlier anxieties fell away. She’d asked Henry to fulfill her needs, and he’d provided for her. He hadn’t questioned her need. He wouldn’t question her performance tonight. He understood she’d do her best.
“Good girl.” Henry squeezed her hands before rising from her back. “Now, Jay, was there something you needed?”
Jay, washcloth draped across his arm like a waiter at a fancy restaurant, stood at the bedroom door. Hoo boy. Those shorts didn’t hide a thing.
“I heard a noise.” Jay’s lips twitched. “It seemed like you might want some fetching done. Sir.”
Henry snorted. “Such a thoughtful, brilliant boy. The reasons to love you, my little charmer, are too numerous to count. Bring that here, please.” Henry slipped free of her body, planted a kiss on Jay’s cheek, and cleaned her before himself.
Finally upright, she eyed Jay’s shorts and gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, sweetheart.”
Jay shook his head, tranquil despite the stiffness straining the fabric. “Don’t be. You’ve helped me hit three orgasms since midnight. I doubt I could come again if I tried. This”— he waved at his crotch—“is me appreciating one of my favorite sights. If Henry told me to sit still and watch him fuck you like that all day, I’d do it with a smile.” He smirked. “Die of blue balls by the end of the day, probably, but I’d die a happy man.”
She kissed his cheek, the one Henry had left untouched. For balance. “Love you, stud.”
“I love you, too, Alice. You know that, right?”
“I know.” She patted his chest.
Henry, having swapped the rest of his day clothes for sleek black slacks, buttoned on a dress shirt that matched his eyes.
“But I bet Henry’s about ready to dress me.”
“An excellent wager, my dear. You win the prize.” Henry pointed at the white gown on the bed. “It consists of two parts.” He picked up a scrap of fabric even smaller than Jay’s. “First, some lovely panties.”
She stepped forward and raised one leg at a time at Henry’s direction. The panties seemed hardly less sheer than the gown, and the back was a thong. Because her boys were ass men and wanted something to look at, or because Henry was playing more games to get her thinking about things rubbing against her ass all night?
Both, of course, sweet girl. Her mind provided the answer in his voice, her mental mimicry a match for reality.
She raised her arms, and he dropped the gown over her head. Sheer was an understatement. The darker tips of her breasts stood out easily. The gown channeled more lingerie than dress. A nightgown in virginal white, if the virgin didn’t intend to hide a thing.
The vee cut, front and back, came to a high empire waist with a bow Henry tied below her breasts. Tied, she wasn’t in real danger of spilling out of the fabric. Untied, she’d have offered easy access for hands or mouths. The gown fell above the knee, an embroidered floral motif running around the bottom edge.
The intercom chimed as Henry kissed her forehead. “Ah. Will always has had an excellent sense of timing. Jay, the door, please.”
“Yes, Henry.” Jay trotted off ahead of them. His voice drifted back as he asked who he might say was calling and were they expected this evening?
“Please inform the master of the house it’s Santa Claus calling.” The speaker distorted William’s voice. “My naughty-and-nice list indicates both are true for the well-behaved little ones at this address, and I’d like to speak to him about clearing up this discrepancy.”
Jay snorted. Alice giggled.
“We may as well let him in, my boy.” Henry shook his head, but his voice was fond.
Jay pressed the button to talk. “Certainly, Mr. Claus. The door will admit you momentarily. If you’ll please head straight back to the stairs, you’ll find those well-behaved and extremely deserving youngsters on the third floor behind the door to the left at the end of the hall.” Holding the button to unlock the building’s main door, he grinned at her with infectious enthusiasm, eyes dancing, body relaxed.
“Well done.” Henry squeezed Jay’s shoulder. “You’ll both do quite well, I’m certain. If you’ve any confusion, you know how to gain my attention or Will’s.”
A hand on the shoulder or knee and patient stillness, like the club. Otherwise, follow directions, answer when asked, and enjoy themselves. Not significantly different from any other night at home. Except, of course, for who’d be giving the directions.
She took a slow breath. In. Out. Nothing to worry about. I got this.
* * * *
Footsteps in the hall preceded a knock at the door. Henry nodded to Jay.
Alice waited to Henry’s left while Jay opened the door with a smooth flourish. Standing behind it, he stepped back as it swung open to admit their guest.
William, dressed not unlike Henry, filled the frame. Gray slacks, dark purple dress shirt open at the collar, gray suit jacket with the buttons undone. In the crook of one arm he carried a bottle with an unfamiliar label. A small gift bag dangled from his fingers.
“Charming, Will. Quite the fashion statement.”
Henry’s laugh made her glance up.
That was all right. Watch-and-wait didn’t have the same rules as the club’s eyes-down policy. She needed to read her dominant’s cues to attend him for the evening. Tonight, a red Santa hat with white trim perched atop William’s white-blond hair.
“Christmas in June?” Henry clicked his tongue. “A bit early, isn’t it?”
“Ah, but Christmas in July is such a cliché, and I hate to be boring.” William winked at her and projected innocence at Henry. Stepping forward, he let Jay close the door. “If your girl’s going to call me Santa, I can’t arrive without looking the part and bearing gifts. Imagine the disappointment on her sweet face.”
“Gifts are entirely unnecessary, Will, but I won’t turn them away.” Henry leaned to his right. “Is that a Graham’s port?”
“Mm-hmm. A thirty-year tawny for us.” William raised his arm, displaying the bottle, and waggled his fingers, making the dangling bag dance. “And something sweet for the young ones.”
The bag was suddenly the most important object in the room, if the speed at which Jay’s head turned was any indication. She stopped herself from snickering at his wide-eyed interest.
“Yes, because what they need most is more indulgence.” Henry’s dry tone made William laugh. “Jay, please take Will’s gifts to the kitchen. The port should be fine on the counter. The bag—” He looked to William.
“Needn’t be refrigerated, either. The chocolates ought to keep as they are.”
Jay loosed the barest hint of a moan as he accepted the bottle and the bag. Loot in hand, he headed toward the kitchen.
Henry chased him with his voice. “No sampling yet, my boy.”
“Yes, Henry.” Jay disappeared around the corner. He’d find an excuse to busy himself for a few minutes.
Alice folded her hands behind her back. Her turn. She’d agreed to this game. Santa wasn’t likely to turn her down, but the nervous thrill of waiting to be picked for dodgeball, of standing in the hall as a professor posted grades, soaked her in a burst of adrenaline.
Henry drew her forward. “The most special woman in my life feels she owes you a debt, Will.”
Aside from an eyebrow raise, William gave zero feedback. Damn Neutral Mask 101, the intro class for all dominance majors.
“I see.” He tucked his Santa hat in his coat pocket while he studied her face.
He scanned her body once, a casual glance, and with less of her on display than he’d seen at the club. No cause for embarrassment, not in front of a man who’d seen Henry and Jay make her climax in less than a minute.
“I’m owed no debt, but I’m happy to accept her gratitude in whatever way she feels the need to offer it.”
“I thought you’d see it that way, Will. As it happens, she has chosen to offer you a novice submissive for the evening.” Henry clasped her shoulders, his fingers firm on her collarbone, thumbs rubbing her back. “May I introduce you to Alice?”
“Mine, Henry? For the evening?” William’s thick blond eyebrows soared. “I can’t imagine you allowing that even if I’d found the bastard a shallow grave to lie in.”
“No, not even then, Will.” Henry’s voice was quiet but unyielding. “Domestic play. Victor’s rules, you remember?”
William nodded, his face and voice uncharacteristically serious. “With the utmost respect and restraint, Henry. On my honor.”
“Then I’ve no doubts all will be well.” Henry squeezed her shoulders and released her. “Go ahead, sweet girl.”
She stepped forward, breathed deep, and spoke her first words to her temporary dominant. “May I take your coat, sir?”
“Are you certain you can reach, little one?” William lifted her hands.
He dwarfed her. She wasn’t tiny, but she was used to Henry and Jay, and he had as much height on them as they had on her. The top of her head met his chin.
“You won’t need a footstool?” He smiled, ducking his head. “Henry must have a pedestal here with your name on it.”
Laughter threatened. He was as bad as Jay. “No, sir. I can reach.”
“All right then, little one. You may take my jacket, with my thanks.” He released her hands.
She moved behind him and curved her fingers under the jacket collar with only minor tremors. William’s broad back hid Henry from her, though he’d watch her closely, at least at first, ready to smooth over any confusion or nerves.
William held his arms out and down. “But we’ll stop this sir nonsense immediately, pet. We’re not so formal as all that, are we? I thought we were friends.”
She stripped the suit coat down his arms and clutched it. A misstep so soon. She’d promised herself perfection.
William turned and lifted her chin. “You’ll call me Santa, little one, else I’ll wonder if you’re doing so in your head where I can’t hear you. We can’t have that, can we?”
“No, sir—no, Santa.” Embarrassment swamping her, she curled her arms around his jacket. She’d never live their introduction down. Twenty years from now—yeah. Yeah.
Confident contentment rallied. Twenty years from now, she’d still be calling Henry’s best friend Santa. She’d still be Henry’s sweet girl. She had no doubt the grin on her face rivaled Jay at his goofiest.
“Ahh, what delightful color in your cheeks.” William paused. If he’d recalled the color in her other cheeks on the night they’d met, he had the sense not to mention it. “Go and put my coat away, little one, and then come back to me.”
“Yes, Santa.”
He touched her arm as she turned. “First, though, you’ll tell me your safeword.”
“It’s ‘pistachio,’ Santa.”
He repeated it, and she nodded.
“All right. On your way, pet.”
She eavesdropped on Henry and William’s conversation as they moved to the living room. Henry sounded happy to reconnect with an old friend. He’d devoted so much of his time to her in the last year, and she’d only recently understood how much. He’d probably practiced with Jay, held run-throughs before every one of her contract nights with them the way the three of them had done last night to prepare for William’s visit.
She was as important—no, more important to him than William was, even if William had been his friend since who knew when. Henry would’ve made certain he and Jay were properly prepared and in sync. Like they’d been for her birthday.
Shifting her weight forward, she grabbed a padded hanger from the rod in the armoire. Her thong stretched and rubbed with her. Mmm. Henry always thought ahead. Now he had her anticipating. She hung William’s jacket and closed the doors before crossing the room with quick steps.
Jay had done impressive work this afternoon. While she’d played kitchen helper, he’d rearranged the living room to Henry’s specifications. The coffee table had been draped in bright tablecloths, layers of overlapping colors matching the large floor pillows surrounding the table and the slipcovers thrown over the chairs and couch, which had been pushed back to create a floor-level dining space. Moroccan, Henry had said, though the menu was more traditionally Spanish.
She paused to let Jay pass her, tray in hand, before making her way to William’s side. Her drop from standing to waiting pose wasn’t as graceful as Jay’s. Jesus, how did he do that so naturally while he balanced dinner on one hand?
But William smiled and stroked her hair, so she couldn’t have done too badly. She laid her hand on his knee and waited.
“A question already, little one?” He lifted her chin.
“For your comfort, Santa.”
“A topic I take great interest in.” He tickled her jawline.
Unusual, but not uncomfortable. Odd to have a man who wasn’t Henry or Jay touching her so familiarly, even one who wouldn’t expect anything when the night was over.
“Ask, then, pet.”
“May I take your shoes and bring you a drink?” Her head felt stuffed with knowledge of the menu. “We’ve a fine dry sherry, a Manzanilla.”
She’d practiced her pronunciation, at first as a way of teasing Henry, who’d laughed long and hard when Jay had pulled the bottle from the refrigerator and asked what “man vanilla” was and whether it was good for licking off breasts. Jay’s wink and sly grin told her he’d known exactly how far off his pronunciation was. He took his post as Henry’s little comedian very seriously. Was that irony?
“Both delightful suggestions, little one. I see we’ll get along famously. You may, in fact, do both.” William lowered his hand from her face.
She slipped off his loafers and carried them to the door.
The kitchen next, where Jay poured two glasses of sherry.
“I pulled the cork while you were getting your temporary transfer,” he teased in a quiet undertone. “So it’s been resting a few minutes already. If you come back for a refill, don’t forget to return the bottle to the bucket. It’s gotta stay under room temperature for the best flavor.”
She bumped his hip. “I know, goof. I listened to Henry this afternoon, too.” Across the room, their lover relaxed into his cushions and laughed at a quip of William’s. Beautiful. “But thanks for the reminder, sweetheart.”
Jay bent toward her ear. “That’s senior sweetheart to you.” He grinned before dancing off with another tray and Henry’s glass.
She followed with the glass for William.
“No, no main meal this evening, Will.” Henry accepted his glass from Jay and lifted it to his nose. He took a breath and a sip. “I thought we’d dine tapas style tonight.”
Alice knelt, offering the sherry with her hands cupped beneath the glass, thumbs atop the base for stability. Jay had spread the trays on the coffee table, displaying all of the bite-size treats she’d helped Henry make, the combinations of cheeses and olives and figs and ham and sausages and mushrooms. The list seemed endless, though they’d limited the menu to a restrained half-dozen recipes. All made to serve well at room temperature, so no one needed to tend the stove away from the conversation, Henry had said. Little appetizers. Finger foods.
“An excellent choice, Henry. I’ve often found eating with one’s fingers to be a delicious experience.” William took the sherry, raised her hand to his lips, and kissed the tips of her fingers. “Especially when one’s fingers are so lovely.”
He resettled himself on the pillows, one propped against a chair as a backrest. “Tell me, little one, did you have a hand in preparing this feast?”
“As an under-chef, Santa.”
William’s eyes sparkled.
She had five seconds to realize why before he pounced.
“Ah, so you spent the day under the chef? And left Henry’s poor boy to finish by himself?”
He tsked twice while her cheeks heated. If he only knew what she’d been doing five minutes before he arrived. Or did he? The man had been friends with Henry through an uncountable number of sexcapades. He recognized freshly fucked on a girl.
She schooled her face to blandness and mustered her driest tone. “A girl can learn a lot working under the chef, Santa. I can’t imagine anywhere I’d rather spend the afternoon.”
William barked out a laugh so loud it startled her. “Henry, you’ve found another comedian. I swear you’re building a clown troupe to entertain yourself. Do they juggle and tame animals, too?”
Henry stroked Jay’s bare chest, coaxing him to nestle deeper into the pillows. “Not as yet, no, Will. But they’re both wonderful acrobats. Quite…flexible.”
Jay preened under the attention.
Her shoulders twitched as she stifled a laugh.
Will gave an exaggerated groan. “I cry peace. At least until I’ve tried this delicious-looking assemblage.” He surveyed the table.
She waited for her cue.
“The bacon wrap first, little one.”
She retrieved a bacon wrap and offered it to William, one hand on the toothpick and the other cupped beneath the appetizer.
For such a bear of a man, he took it delicately between his teeth and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor, before declaring it a success. “Was this a piece you made, little one?”
“No, Santa.” The almond-and-cheese-stuffed dates with bacon around them had been the last menu item to be prepared. Henry had sent her and Jay off to shower and finished them himself.
“No?” William patted her shoulder. “Then you pick me out your favorite. You must have had a taste or two in advance.”
She relaxed into her role as a charming-but-submissive dinner companion, catching snatches of Jay’s interactions with Henry on the other side of the low table but focusing on William. Their guest’s wishes were hers tonight. Playing with him was fun and low pressure. Her anxiety drifted away long before she realized it. William was witty, kind, and gentle. No wonder his friendship with Henry had lasted so long. Not that she knew how long, exactly.
She accepted a cherry tomato stuffed with an olive puree—her work—from William, nibbling and teasing his fingers as she considered the question. Finishing the treat, she raised her gaze to wait for another command.
He shook his head in three slow movements. “Alice, little one, you’ve something on your mind.”
Christ. Had he and Henry learned attentiveness together?
William laid a hand on her head. “Tell me your thoughts, pet.”
“Just silly thoughts, Santa.” It wasn’t her place to ask him about Henry. If she wanted to ask those questions, the decision of whether she ought to have the answers lay in Henry’s hands.
“Wonderful. I adore silly thoughts. I entertain them myself all the time. Tell me yours, and I’ll be doubly entertained.” His voice teased, but he held her gaze with serious intent.
Withholding her answer might disrupt the entire night.
“I was wondering how long you and Henry have been friends. How you’d met.” She shook her head. “But I don’t need to know. It was idle curiosity, Santa.”
William looked past her. “Henry, I’m heartbroken. You haven’t shared the tale of our meeting? The adventures of our youth? However could you be filling your time together if not with that? Surely you won’t mind if I rectify the situation.”
“Be my guest, Will.” Even when she couldn’t see Henry, his familiar baritone quelled her doubts. “Do try and stick to the truth, if you can manage it. Your flair for the dramatic is legendary.”
“Embellish a tale? Me? Nonsense. I’ll tell it as simply as possible.” William paused, pursing his lips. “To start, I’ll need crucial information from you, Alice.”
“From me?” She couldn’t possibly hold key details for a story about how William and Henry met.
“Indeed. Quite crucial. When were you born?”
She blinked before rattling off the date on automatic pilot.
“Excellent. I believe I recall Jay’s birthdate, so we’re ready.” William sipped his sherry and cleared his throat. “As our story begins, young Jay has mastered the art of toddling a few steps before falling on his ass. A fine ass, undoubtedly, but many years away from the delectable vision it is now.”
Henry hummed in quiet agreement, and Alice and Jay giggled.
William raised his voice, amusement threaded through every word. “Dear little Alice has only just learned to stand on two feet by the expedient method of gripping everything in sight. Furniture, pant legs, the dog if she has one—no?—very well, no dog in this tale. Pity. Every children’s story needs a dog.”
“Were you telling a story, Will, or merely rambling to yourself? I’m certain I could tell the story in the same amount of time you’ve spent on the prologue.”
William waved a dismissive hand. “You’re always in such a rush, Henry.”
She guffawed at the blatant untruth and clapped both hands over her mouth to stop more from escaping.
William patted her thigh at the knee, his expression triumphant. He must love teasing Henry as much as Jay did.
“In the wilds of New England, we find Henry, a strapping lad of eleven, already taller than all of his classmates—ah, wait, no, that’s me. Let’s see. We find Henry, a sensitive, focused artiste of eleven years, beginning the sixth grade. It’s the youngest grade offered at this academy, and both boys are new to the school. As luck would have it, the class is scant on W’s and lacking V’s entirely. Thus ‘Upton, William’ and ‘Webb, Henry’ are forced into cohabitation.”
Jay’d been right about Henry and William meeting at school. She’d imagined them older. Teenagers. Boarding school at eleven sounded lonely. Luck indeed.
“It is, of course, much harder on William, as he’s such an angel to room with. Perfect in all ways. This goes without saying, I’m sure.”
“If one were capable of not saying something, certainly. But we’ll make an exception for you, Will.”
“I’m exceptional in all ways, Henry.”
A snort in reply.
“But I’ll forgo sharing tales of my amazing athletic prowess and general brilliance, as I suspect the crowd at this story time is far more interested in hearing about young master Webb.” Eyebrow cocked, William gazed over her head. “Who, it must be said, was as devoted to the people he loves and as unconcerned about the opinions of others at eleven as he is at thirty-nine.”
“Mind you don’t make me a candidate for sainthood. My dear ones will develop unreachable expectations.”
Impossible. He’d always exceeded hers so far.
“Says the man who called his mother after dinner every day for the first semester to make certain she was coping well without him.”
“Will—”
“And—and—mind you, as this was before children ran around with cellphones in hand, made those calls from the public phone in the floor lounge with the taunts of ‘baby’ in his ears, to which he replied—” William cast a pointed glance across the low table. “Come now, Henry, you recall better than I.”
A story from Henry’s childhood was too good to pass up.
Henry sighed, and sipped his sherry, and stroked Jay’s cheek with one finger. The king of his castle with his jester lazing at his feet. “It was one day, Will.”
“And they never said a word about it after that day you spoke back to them, did they?”
Chuckling, Henry outlined Jay’s mouth and tugged at his lip. “No, they never did. Which was partly your doing.”
“You can’t leave your pets with half the story, old friend.” William leaned forward and touched Alice’s chin.
She jerked toward him, flushing with the awareness that she’d neglected him to stare at Henry.
“They obviously want to know you. And you want that, too.” His gentle push turned her until Henry filled her vision once more. “Now, the idiot boys were running their mouths about babies who needed to be tucked in and must be afraid of the dark, and our young hero said…”
Henry cleared his throat. “Why? Are you afraid to call your mother? Do you worry bigger boys will call you a baby? I’m sure she’d want to hear from you. I know mine does.” His tone stayed calm and even.
Oh hell. She knew what had happened next. No bully would hear that and not feel patronized.
Jay rocked side to side. “And then?”
William stroked her hair. “Oh, and then they thrashed us both, of course.”
“Only because you wouldn’t stand clear, Will.” Henry hugged Jay to him, kissing the top of his head.
“What, and let my roommate take a beating alone? Absurd. And then Henry calmly pulled out his handkerchief, wiped his bloody nose, and called his mother to tell her about his day.” William laughed. “Everything but the thrashing. It ruined their sport entirely.”
“I suspect your punches might have had something to do with that, Will.”
“Can I help it if my father put me in boxing lessons from the time I was eight? Certainly not.”
Henry made a sound of dismissal, if not disagreement, and gave Jay another hug before patting his ass. “Clear the table, my boy, and we’ll have games before dessert.”
Jay gathered dishes, rose to his feet, and headed to the kitchen without complaint.
Instead of sending her to help Jay clear, William crooked his finger. “Come closer, little Alice.”
She knelt on the pillow, her knees touching William’s hip. He clasped the side of her neck. His thumb brushed her ear. Leaning close, he whispered, “Was that the sort of story you wanted to hear, pet? Do you see things more clearly now?”
She tried to picture the two of them as boys, Henry calm and composed, William throwing punches, but her mind kept returning to the night at the club. Henry. Calm and composed. William. Throwing punches.
“You’ve been friends for a long time.” Understanding clicked. William didn’t feel she owed him anything because he’d been doing what he’d always done. “You’ll always have Henry’s back.”
He pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “And yours and Jay’s, little one, so long as you’re his.” Pulling away, he gave her a slight push. “Now, go and help young Jay clear. I’m eager to see what entertainment Henry has planned for the rest of the evening.”
She scrambled to gather plates. William’s satisfied sigh and Henry’s quiet hum informed her she’d flashed her ass at the former and given the latter a view straight down the front vee of her nightgown. She savored the heady sense of her own power, even now, when she’d technically handed that power to another. The extra sway in her hips as she walked to the kitchen wasn’t an accident.
The games would be fun, though Henry hadn’t agreed to her original suggestion. For the best, anyway. Her mouth had been running on pure bravado when he’d sat her down at the table and asked what sort of thank-you she’d wanted to give Santa.
“You could give me a spanking. The good kind. So I can get it right this time.” Right almost certainly did not involve sobbing like a child.
“Get what right, sweet girl?” Neutral-Henry acted as if he didn’t know what a poor reflection of his training she’d demonstrated.
“Show your friend that I’m not such a baby, that you did train me and I can take it.”
Henry looked at her for a long moment. “No, Alice.”
She leaned in, reaching for him. “But—”
He laid a finger to her lips. “Your response wasn’t babyish. Nothing was shameful in any of your actions that night, Alice. You’ve nothing to prove.” He cupped her cheek. “Neither you nor Jay is ready for that, even in play. Something more entertaining is in order, I expect. We want Will to laugh with us.”
Between Jay’s story about Santa’s wife throwing a hissy fit and Emma calling the woman a harpy, Henry’s reasoning needed no further explanation. “To see our happy home.”
“Precisely. We’ll give Will an evening in a happy home, with a charming companion.”
She shook off the memory as she set her dishes on the counter alongside Jay’s. He was already on his way to get the rest. Santa had been right about one thing, for sure. Jay had one fine ass. And she got to play with it.
She picked up the bowl waiting on the counter. No food in this one. She and Jay had spent part of last night filling it with slips of paper. Henry had set down a few rules but otherwise allowed them to write whatever they chose, refusing to vet the slips on the grounds that it would give him an unfair advantage.
Passing Jay in transit, she carried the bowl to the coffee table. She knelt and waited. Jay returned with a tray of two glasses of port, two dessert plates with thin slices of Henry’s chocolate torte, and a plate of truffles that had to be William’s gift to them.
“Lovely, thank you, my boy.” Henry waved toward the open space beyond the coffee table. “Will, if we may borrow Alice for a bit, she and Jay will do some acting for us in a game of charades.” A curving smile overtook his face and lightened his eyes. “There are, of course, valuable prizes to be had.”
“Going head-to-head, are we?” William sank back against his pillow. “All right, then. Bring it on. I’m feeling brilliant tonight.”
“Mmm. I’m feeling motivated to win, myself.”
They haggled over the rules, settling on alternating guesses, with her and Jay allowed to act out their words singly or together, at their option. The first correct guess earned a kiss from the primary actor, with placement at the winner’s discretion. As William was the guest, “his” submissive would be up first.
She drew a slip from the bowl and unfolded it. Jay’s handwriting, not hers. She suppressed a grin. Why am I not surprised?
She beckoned him up beside her, turned their backs to the men, and showed him the slip. After waiting for his goofy grin to subside, she whispered, “Stand still and look happy.” The second part would be easy. The first part would give him fits.
Turning him sideways, she held up a finger toward William and Henry in the universal charades sign for “one word.”
She slid to her knees, trailing her hands over Jay’s bare chest, warm and firm, kissing the skin below his navel. She lacked permission to remove Jay’s shorts, but William wouldn’t have trouble guessing once she brought her mouth in position.
Kneading Jay’s ass, she dragged her cheek up and down alongside his cock and listened to his choked-off moans. Tsk-tsk. No sounds during charades. No climaxes, either. Bet he wished he hadn’t written “blowjob” now.
“Let’s see.” William stretched out his words in a syrup-thick drawl. “I’ve two minutes to figure this out before you’ll have a chance to steal, is that right, Henry?”
She hadn’t factored in William’s sense of fun. Logically, the object of charades was to guess as quickly and as often as possible until coming up with the right word. That’s how she’d have played. Obviously why she’d never played sex charades before. She’d have ruined the fun too fast.
“Two minutes, mm-hmm.”
“I must say, this is a difficult game. I think ‘ways to make a man moan’ would be a good guess.”
“It does run into that pesky one-word problem.”
“Oh, true, one word. Well. That makes things harder.”
She muffled her laughter against Jay’s shorts. No way he could get any harder in this fabric.
“Would you like to pass, Will? I’m happy to make a guess if the game is too difficult for you.”
“No, no, I’ll take my full two minutes. Is ‘ass massage’ one word, Henry? Do you have a dictionary for these tricky problems?”
“I could find one, I suppose. But the search might take a while, and you’ve only ten seconds left to guess, Will.”
“Oh dear. I’ll have to go out on a limb and say ‘blowjob.’ Do I win?”
“I believe Jay wins,” Henry murmured, laughter in his tone. “Though perhaps it’s more of a torture.”
She stopped her torment and raised the slip to display the word.
Broad smile in place, William clapped his hands. “Excellent. A kiss for me, then. Come here, please, little one.”
She trotted over for instructions.
He pulled her into his lap.
Straddling his thighs, not quite brushing the bulge in his pants, she waited for him to claim his kiss or direct her. Mouth? Neck? Some earlobe nibbling?
He raised his left arm, rolled his sleeve up, bent his arm back, and patted his elbow. “A peck here, pet. My elbow has felt terribly neglected all night. No fault of yours, of course. How were you to know it was crying out for attention?”
Giggling, she bestowed the kiss, the kind a child might give, or a parent kissing a boo-boo.
“Ah, such miraculous healing power in your lips, little one. My elbow feels much appreciated.” He patted her shoulder. “But I suspect your playmate is in need of your assistance now.”
Jay, holding a new slip from the bowl, had directed his watch-and-wait intensity at her with William.
“Run along, pet.”
She hurried to Jay’s side. He pulled her in front of him, dropping his arms around her, and showed her the slip. Her handwriting.
“I’ve seen how this works.” He tickled her ear with soft, full lips. “You seem to like it.”
His eager nudges and sultry tone promised he’d pay her back for the faux-job. He took his hand off her long enough to hold up two fingers to Henry, and then he gripped her hips tight and pulled her hard against his groin.
She went to her knees.
He followed, a solid wall behind her ass and thighs.
She about died of cuteness the way Jay imitated Henry, hips rocking against hers and hands skimming up her back. The side effect pushed up her nightgown, which left her bare ass rubbing Jay’s shorts.
Should she? Aw hell, why not?
Henry made a smart remark about whether “rug burn” counted as one word or two. She missed William’s reply as she crossed her arms on the floor and laid her head on them. Back arching, she shoved her ass into Jay’s crotch.
He sang out a groan as quick and automatic as his cock thumping against her. But the way he dropped over her back, his hands coming down alongside her arms, and the kiss he pressed to her spine demonstrated pure intent.
Pure intent to mimic Henry.
She closed her eyes, reminding herself this was just a game of charades.
Heated air coasted across her ear. A breath. Two. And then a growl.
Hips jerking, she shivered and moaned. “Unfair.”
“No talking, remember?” Jay was quick to tease.
“Ah, yes, I recall the term now. ‘Doggy style.’” Henry spoke warm, liquid syllables. “It’s the growl that sells it.”
Henry-style was more like it. Jay kissed her hair and helped her to her feet.
“Vocalization, though, hmm.” William tapped his fingers against his thigh. “That might be a violation of the rules, don’t you think?”
“What would you suggest, Will?”
“This little play did have two actors.”
“It did.”
“We might split the prize. A kiss each?”
“That seems a more than fair compromise.”
Henry and William wore matching grins.
They played several rounds, and she bounced between hovering on the edge of orgasm or collapsing into giggles. Both made for a hell of a good time. Henry and William finally agreed to call the game a draw.
William treated her to a sip of his port—fruity, with an aftertaste like thick caramel on her tongue—and one of the dark chocolate truffles he’d brought, which had a maple syrup center. She kissed his fingertips as he fed her.
He tipped her chin up and kissed her cheek. “Will you come snuggle with me, little one? It’s traditional to sit on Santa’s lap.”
Warmth flooded her face. Traditional conjured memories of the birthday traditions Henry and Jay had celebrated with her.
Though William held his arms open, he didn’t tug, prod, or pressure.
She settled into his lap, comforted to find him flaccid beneath her despite the arousal he’d obviously felt off and on throughout the night. He wrapped her loosely in his arms. Trying to guess his cues, she leaned into his touch and tucked her head against his shoulder when he stroked her arm or hugged her to him. Seemingly content, he made no demands.
From across the coffee table, Henry let out a soft hum. Jay massaged his feet, intent on his task.
She felt relaxed. A little sleepy, even. Santa warmed her back with steady strokes. Nestling closer, eyelids drooping, she glimpsed Henry’s smile.
“Your girl has given me quite a gift, Henry.” William spoke in a low tone, as if he feared to disturb her. “She’s shown lovely poise. And such comfort.” The light touch of his fingers tickled her arm.
“My Alice has taken a liking to you, Will.” Henry shook his head and loosed an exaggerated sigh, his voice teasing and soft. “Heaven knows why. As if you aren’t entirely too jocular, always jumping in without looking, always finding trouble—”
“Oh-ho, I’m the one who finds trouble, am I? I seem to recall—”
“Now, Will, let’s not be hasty. Little pitchers have big ears, and they’ve had their story time today.”
William snorted, waving aside Henry’s words. “If you found my boyhood antics so troublesome, you’d hardly have gone and chosen a joyful pup for your own household. You’re too serious, Henry. You need lighthearted souls around you.”
“They are a wonderful comfort, that’s true.” Henry ruffled Jay’s hair and tugged him to lie half atop him in their nest of pillows. “My home is never short on laughter.”
“Would that mine were the same.” William sagged into the pillow, his chest deflating beneath her.
She tilted her head back in question.
He frowned, his eyes distant, before he laughed and chucked her under the chin. “But you say your girl’s taken with me, hmm? I admit, I’m hard to resist. Is that true, little one? Have you been comfortable in my hands for the evening? Speak freely.”
She twisted to meet his gaze. “I trust Henry’s judgment. He chose you as a friend. His best friend, I think.” The evidence suggested it was true. “So when he tells me I’ll be safe with you, I know it’s the truth. He wouldn’t lie. And he didn’t. I’m not uncomfortable, Santa.”
William stared at her. He blinked, twice, sharply. “My God, Henry.” He pulled her in tight and kissed the top of her head. “What I wouldn’t give to have half—a quarter, even—of that trust and devotion.”
His chest expanded beneath her shoulder as he breathed. “The faces that come and go over the years are fun for play, but they’re so focused on short-term needs. All wanting me to be someone or something else for them. I can hardly offer them more, can I?” William laughed. “Emotional connections. I’m not sure I recall how to make them. My wife acts as though my slightest touch will contaminate her with unspeakable desires.”
Henry hummed a soothing melody. “It’s all right, Will. Alice is an excellent cuddler—the consummate lapwarmer.”
He knew how much she enjoyed touch, how she’d come to depend on his in so many ways.
“I guarantee you she won’t tire of it, and she already has affectionate emotional ties to you.”
To soothe the stresses of the day, to comfort her, arouse her, and to make her feel she belonged.
“Her needs are being met.”
She’d isolated herself, afraid to mix love with sex because she refused to risk emotional involvement. William had been isolated by circumstances, wanting love but unable to have it. Along came Henry, determined to fix everything for everyone. She was glad he was so good at it. Be nice to know why, though.
William rested his face against the top of her head, his breath warm. He didn’t see her as a potential sex partner. Or not simply a desirable woman who might be available to him if she weren’t with Henry and Jay. He could find sex with willing partners at the club. Despite his apparently sexless marriage, what he lacked wasn’t sex but affection.
That explained why Henry had been comfortable allowing her to offer her thank-you to William as a temporary submissive. The subs Santa played with wanted something from him, and they negotiated to get it. She’d only wanted to give him something.
The conversation moved on, Henry asking William about his son. He’d be a senior in high school in the fall. The near dozen years between her age and Henry’s had never seemed such a vast distance. But she had the same number of years on Santa’s kid. If life had worked out different, Henry could’ve had a kid that age by now. Jesus.
“One more year, then.” Henry’s quiet, knowing tone suggested he meant more than the kid and his graduation.
William bumped her head as he nodded. “The marriage has been hell, but I did get an amazing son out of the deal. Her hatred and deceit was worth living with to have a son who knows I love him instead of one who’s been told nothing but lies.” Pain and determination mingled in his voice. He shook it off, patting her knee. “But who knows, Henry? Maybe you’ll have a son of your own soon, now that you’ve finally found perfection.”
A mother? Her? Soon?
“Alice?” Jay echoed her own surprise before he clamped his mouth shut.
“A premature notion, Will.” Henry’s voice was firm. “I’m content with the joyous blessings already in my home. My Alice is young yet.”
“Ah. I’ve overstepped. Forgive me, little one. It wasn’t my intent to startle you.” William kissed her forehead. “I’ve heard nothing of any plans in that direction, Alice, and any such decisions would undoubtedly rest in your hands.”
“As they should,” Henry murmured.
Laughing, William ran his hand down her arm. “Tell the truth, Henry. It’s those sleek muscles you love so much. You want more time to capture them on canvas before trying your hand at beautifully swollen curves.”
Henry shook his head, smiling as he stroked Jay’s cheek. “Alice has delightfully swollen curves with the proper encouragement, doesn’t she, my boy?”
“Yes, Henry.” Jay licked his lips and met her gaze. “Delicious curves.”
Her nipples hardened. The sheer, gauzy fabric of her nightgown did nothing to hide them as she shivered. William followed her spine down and rested his hand above her bottom. Larger than Henry’s, with wider fingers, his hand didn’t make her heart thump the way Henry’s touch did. The way Jay’s eyes were doing now.
William twitched under her thigh. “My God, Henry. Living with these two, how are you not walking around with a permanent hard-on?”
“Meditation. Willpower.” He tousled Jay’s hair. “An unending succession of exquisite blowjobs.”
Will groaned. “Have a heart. I’ve a cold bed waiting for me. A man can only take so much torment.” But he rubbed her back with a light hand and kissed her head. “You’ve been a charming companion, little one. It’s no wonder Henry’s so ass-over-teakettle in love with the both of you. Go and join your playmate, and I’ll leave you to your games. Whatever debt you felt you owed is more than paid.”
She grazed his lips with hers and wrapped her arms around his neck in a quick hug. “Thank you, Santa,” she murmured. “I’m glad you’re such a good friend to Henry and to us.”
Henry welcomed her return with a tight hug and a whisper in her ear. “My dear, sweet girl. Such a beautiful gift.” He settled her on the pillows beside Jay, who clutched her in a fierce grip. “You’re both at leisure while I see Will out, my dears.”
They lay in silence, Jay curved as tight around her as Henry’s slacks hugging his ass when he walked to the door. Yum.
“I had a wonderful evening, Henry.” William slipped his shoes on. “It’s been a long time.”
“Too long.” Henry handed him his coat from the armoire. “We’ll plan something again soon.”
William smiled at her and Jay in their nest, and she smiled back. “They’re a credit to themselves and to you, Henry.” He must have said something else as he turned away, because he and Henry chuckled together.
“I wish you luck, Will. Give our best to Em if you see her.”
Ah. Santa was off to the club, to find a playmate of his own before he went home to that cold bed. The rest of her night would probably be much more fun, even if it involved cleaning the kitchen and falling asleep. At least her bed would be warm and full of love.