“Have you been wanting me to take you down and give you a night out of your head since before Payne got here? That’s all I’m asking.”
“Yes, okay, yes, I have, and I wasn’t sure if I had the right to ask, since I was the one who broke what we had with Cory, but I swear to you, Thor, I tried to be all that he needed, and he still wanted to add someone else. I couldn’t be you. I tried and I failed, and he left, and I got broken, and nothing has been right since then. So, I’m trying to be different in case I’m ever in that situation again and you can’t be with us, I can be enough.”
“You were always enough,” I said, cupping the back of his neck and giving a gentle squeeze, making sure to hit the pressure points that I knew would turn him to putty. “One night soon, we are going to sit down and have the conversation you tried to have with me about Cory when you got here. I’m ready to listen. I’m sorry I wasn’t ready before. Maybe if I had let you say what you needed to say then, you wouldn’t be standing here trying to convince yourself that you needed to be someone other than the amazing man you’ve always been. I’m sorry; that was unfair of me. I love you, Wylde. I’ve loved you ever since the day you smirked at me and told me that we were going to be the best of friends whether I wanted to be or not. I did, by the way. I don’t remember if I ever told you that before. I was just jealous of the way you caught on to everything so quickly while I had to fight for every inch of ground I made with those bulls.”
“Only because you overthink and I don’t think enough,” he said softly.
“Which is why we’ve always made a good team,” I reminded him. “Because your strengths are my weaknesses. So, let’s take our strengths with us into the Dungeon tonight so we can give Payne, and each other, everything we need.”
“I’m down for that.”
“Good, now let’s get these dishes finished up so we can have supper. I can hear your stomach rumbling even with the water running.”
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Same.”
In no time at all, we finished the dishes and shared a quick shower to save time. Wylde wore the leather boots Payne had lovingly polished to a high shine, along with his favorite black leather pants and one of the many Harley t-shirts in his collection. He had his toy bag in hand when we got into the SUV, with Payne in lavender and gray tonight, from his ankle-length boots to the beanie he wore. I loved his collection of boy shorts, and this pair was no different. It had sparkly lettering across the ass that read "Prime Time," and a mesh crop top that showed off the purple and silver glitter he’d dusted along his skin. In short, he was stunning.
I’d opted for a kilt instead of jeans, leather boots instead of cowboy boots, and a harness over my black, form-fitting top, because I preferred keeping my shirt on, unlike Wylde, who I knew would discard that t-shirt the moment he stepped past the Dungeon doors. In so many ways we were opposites, but in so many others, we were the same. Sometimes, I forgot that when he needed me to remember that deep down, he had as many uncertainties and insecurities as I did. Yeah, we made the perfect pair, and after what Payne had said to us the night he’d cleaned our leather, we were well on the way to becoming a trio again.
Payne must have really liked the idea of the beef tips because that’s what he ordered after only a short glance at the menu, while Wylde ordered his usual. I swear that man ate more shrimp and seafood than anyone I knew. We’d discussed implements too, with the flogger being the hardest one Payne wanted used on him, while I had a trio of canes in my case forWylde if he needed me to use them on him. A bit of pain always helped him dial in on a task, and well, if pain was what he needed to help him give Payne all the soft, sensual moments he needed so he’d stop thinking so hard, then I was ready to give it to him.
We took our time eating, then walked through the greenhouse so Payne could see where the fruit, vegetables, and herbs used in the various restaurants on the grounds came from. With the way he loved to cook, I knew he’d find it fascinating. Seated on the bench near the water, listening to it flow, allowed our food to digest and our minds to settle before we stepped through the glossy, highly polished Dungeon doors.
“The floor sparkles,” Payne said, gesturing to the flecks of mica in the polished stone floor. “The whole space is a work of art.”
“It is, isn’t it,” I said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
The three of us had been holding hands since we left the garden, Payne in the middle, eager and excitedly chatting about all the different plants we’d seen. Wylde had told him about the classes that were being planned to teach residents and guests how to create potted gardens so they could still have the plants they desired, even if they were working with limited space. It got me thinking about the small yard behind the houses Derek would either sell or rent to employees in the housing area he’d built up on the Ridge. There would be room for herbs and other things too if Payne wished to plant some. Of course, that also depended on if he chose to be ours.
I hoped he wanted to remain so long past the end of his two-week fantasy vacation here. Personally, I wanted him to belong to us forever.
Since we’d arrived not long after the Dungeon had reopened for the evening, there were plenty of available play spaces to enjoy. I knew from Payne’s Q & A sheet that he preferredrestraints, so I led him to a comfortably padded leather table with wrist and ankle restraints that were soft and satiny on the inside while still firm and able to securely hold him in place.
“Let’s get you comfortable while Wylde gets his treats set up for you,” I said, as Payne ran his hand over the surface and then knelt to remove his boots.
He had mesh socks that he left on his feet. He always wore socks because his feet got cold easily even if the rest of him ran hot. I loved learning those little tidbits about him. Instead of letting him peel his shirt off, I removed it for him, inch by slow, careful inch, caressing his flesh as I revealed it, keeping his focus on me while Wylde unpacked his toy bag. Payne opted to keep his shorts on as he hopped up on the table, then I helped him position his blindfold, which matched his outfit, right down to the sparkles across the front. These spelled outI don’t need to see to have fun. The quirky sayings on his clothes were just as endearing as the man himself, and with so many other outfits I’d yet to see, I knew there were plenty more to enjoy in the days to come.
I took my time securing him to the table. Ran my hands over his arms and back, stroking slow circles over his skin, especially the backs of his hands, before I wrapped the restraints around his wrists. Wylde was carefully lining things up in the order we intended to use them, so I kissed down Payne’s spine and felt him shiver beneath my lips when I reached his tailbone, the waistband of those shorts just as soft as the rest of the material. He’d gone all-in on comfort tonight, which was perfect for what I knew was in store for him.
I massaged his calves much as he had mine on his first night here, ending at his ankles, which I secured to the table just as Wylde straightened up from the stand he’d laid everything out on. He gave me a nod as I looked it over and saw the way he’d organized everything so we could easily work our way down theline. Just so he knew I had them, I added the canes to the stand, grinning when his gaze flickered to them and his eyes immediately lit up.
We were ready, and I was more than ready to get started. Judging from the eager look on Wylde’s face, he was too.
The only thing left was to begin.
Chapter Eleven
Payne
“Hey, sweetheart,” Master Wylde said as he stroked my hair. “I know your safe word, but I need you to say it for me so we’re on the same page before we get started.”
“Tinsel. I hate it. It gets everywhere, especially in a rolling RV. My safe word is tinsel.”
“Good boy,” Master Wylde said. “And what are you going to say to me if you need me to pause or slow down?”
“Yellow.”