“My problem is,” I added, “I don’t want to seek out another Daddy Dom.”
“I know.” He sighed and drummed his fingertips against his lips. “That’s what I’m trying to make them understand.”
I snorted softly. “I mean, you can stop with Master Greer. I know he’s not interested in me, but maybe Sloan could be? I think we have a spark.”
He hummed. “Master’s a whole other issue. Stubborn fool.” He flicked me a glance. “Do you think you could play and have fun with Sloan without involving feelings?”
Um.
Was that the middle ground he’d been talking about? Finding a happy medium between rushing into a new relationship and doing nothing at all?
I frowned. I had to be honest here. “No. I might not trust myself at the moment—or know exactly what I want in the future—but Sloan is so dreamy and kind and everything. And why would I want to play with someone who’s safe?” I made a face. “I’ve done all that, Archie. Back when I started in kink, I would go home with random Doms who were just hot. We’d meet up for a drink and then play, and I’d think, maybe the chemistry comes later on.”
“Ugh, I remember that too. And when an online profile sounded close to perfect, and then you meet the guy, and he’s…”
“Yeah. Exactly. Bleck.”
He smiled faintly and reached out and touched my cheek. “You gave the right answer, by the way. I wouldn’t want you pursuing anything with Sloan if he was one of those safe men.”
He sure as hell wasn’t. Neither was my attraction to Archie. There was nothing safe about any of them, and yet, I felt safe with them.
I tried to push down my wanty-neediness, but it was tough.
The fact that Archie was still brushing his thumb over my cheek didn’t exactly help.
“So far, I’ve only picked up a few hints about your openness,” I admitted. “With me, specifically. Sloan said you guys were flexible and wanted to discuss future play as a unit. But are you okay with all this? With me latching on to Sloan and my ridiculous crush on Greer?”
I’d half expected Archie to chuckle and reassure me—or the opposite, maybe show a hint of possessiveness—and none of that happened. Instead, he kept watching my face, flicking his gaze from one point to the other, and he slipped his fingers into my hair.
I shivered and swallowed against the sudden pressure coming over me. Like a heavy, weighted blanket of sexual tension.
He had a slight pinch between his brows, as if he were trying to decide something, but the decision had already been made. He closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine.
Fuck.
I sucked in a breath.
He couldn’t steal control I’d never had, and it was laughable to think about resistance. I went all in and kissed him back, pressing myself closer to him as he did the same. Desire roared ahead, and we parted our lips at the same time. It was the softest fucking kiss, tentative yet heavy with lust, and it was nowhere near enough. I cupped his cheek and deepened the kiss, sweeping my tongue around his.
It seemed to set him off, and he rolled me onto my back and landed on top of me, never breaking away from my lips.
“How long does it take to meet a man for a drink and decide if you want to go home with him?”
I swallowed dryly and reached for his T-shirt. “I don’t know. Half an hour?”
“Mm…and I knew yesterday at breakfast.” He disappeared long enough to throw his shirt on the floor, and I gawked at his upper body. Fuck me, he was hot. “Sorry I took so long.”
I exhaled a laugh and had a million butterflies in my stomach.
Then he was back, and he grabbed my jaw and kissed me so hard that the outside world just fucking vanished. He flooded me with urgency. With zero self-restraint, all I could do was take as much as he would give.
I wrestled the covers off me, and he groaned as our chests touched. His pajama bottoms were next. I pushed them down until he took over, and then it was just the two of us under the covers. Not a damn thing between us.
I got greedy.
The second his cock pressed against mine, I reached down to squeeze his ass to me.
“Oh my fuck…” I smashed my lips together to keep from moaning.
“Fuck that,” he whispered. “Don’t be quiet. We’ll make those pigheaded Doms understand together, and in the meantime, you and I will have all the fun we want.”
I gasped as he formed a fist around our cocks, or as far as he reached. “But—Christ—are you allowed…”
“Yes.” He swirled his tongue around mine and reduced my brain to mush. “Then…right after we green-lit play with you, Sloan had to get all Daddy-like. ‘Keep in mind that he’s vulnerable. The last thing Corey needs is to jump into bed with anyone new.’” Silly, silly Sloan. “And of course, Master had to chime in. ‘Corey doesn’t know what he wants, and we shouldn’t take the initiative. I can’t foresee a scenario where I’m sexual with him, but if he needs pain, I’ll be there for him.’”