“Come here,” I said, speaking directly to my fairy princess.
Her smile was brilliant as she fluttered over. “Yes, my Liege?”
I pulled her closer, widening my legs so she could stand between them. “Have you ever seen Dante naked?”
“Yes, my Liege,” she said, her eyes scanning mine as though looking for something. “But it was by accident.”
I nodded. “This isn’t accidental. What do you think?”
I turned her in my arms, ensured her only focus was the man finishing up the dishes.
“He’s beautiful, my Liege.”
Dante’s shoulder muscles tensed slightly.
“I agree.”
The shoulders relaxed.
“What about you?” I asked Heaven, who had found her towel quite fascinating.
“No. I haven’t seen him naked.”
Ian got to his feet, walked over to Heaven, stopping to stand behind her.
She inhaled sharply when he put his hands on her shoulders. Ian turned her to face Dante. “What do you think?”
When she didn’t respond right away, Ian pulled her hair back over her shoulders, teasing her skin with his fingertips as he leaned down close to her ear.
“Do you find him attractive?”
“Yes,” she said, her tone clipped.
“Yes, what?”
“I don’t know.”
Ian lifted his head, met my gaze, and motioned toward the door.
“All right, you two,” Ian announced. “Let’s go for a swim.”
I pulled Everly close before she could slip away. “You are to keep the towel on until I instruct you otherwise.”
Her eyes glazed over, her excitement palpable. “Yes, my Liege.”
Dante, realizing Ian was talking to him, too, shut off the water and turned, revealing his obvious approval of the conversation taking place around him. His thick cock bobbed proudly as he dried his hands, then followed Ian and Everly out the back door.
“Heaven, wait. You and I should talk.”
She slowly pivoted to face me. “I’m sorry if I’ve offended someone,” she said softly. “I just don’t know how any of this stuff works.”
“How do you want it to work?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know the rules.”
“There aren’t any rules.” I walked toward her, tilted her chin up, catching her gaze with mine. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I’m not a submissive.”
I grinned. “You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“Why does it matter so much to you?”
She shrugged.
“We’re in the privacy of our own home, Heaven. We’re all adults. Rules of proper etiquette are a given. Aside from that, I’m a firm believer in going with the flow. The one thing Ian and I will always be is honest with you.”
“I’m not looking for anything serious,” she blurted.
“I wasn’t offering.”
I could see a hint of disappointment flash in her eyes. While I hated that it was there, I wasn’t going to lie to her. I found her attractive, interesting even, but there was no chemistry between her and me. Likely due to the fact that I couldn’t see beyond Everly. Didn’t want to.
However, I did want Heaven to feel comfortable while she was here. And I got the feeling Ian wasn’t opposed to including her in a scene or two.
“What do you say we pretend for a little while?” I offered.
“Pretend?”
“Yes. Let’s pretend we’re all just normal people, hanging out.”
“We are normal people,” she countered.
“Then I don’t see the problem. If you feel like joining in an activity that interests you, no one’s going to stop you.”
“You’re talking about sex.”
“Was I?”
She rolled her eyes, smiled.
“Do you have a problem with exploring your sexuality?”
“No.”
“Then I say you pretend for a bit, see how it plays out. Who knows. You might end up enjoying yourself.”
She nodded. “What do I have to do?”
“Enjoy yourself,” I said softly. “That’s the only rule for tonight.”
“Why does Everly call you that? My Liege?”
“Because I’m her Dominant. It’s her way of relaying her desire to submit to me.”
“What am I supposed to call you?”
“Whatever you’d like.”
“Can I call you Isaac?”
“If that turns your crank, sure.”
She grinned, relaxed.
I took a step back. “Shall we join the others?”
She nodded, then skipped out through the back doors and onto the patio.
Not wanting to keep my fairy princess waiting, I grabbed two more beers, then joined them.
“Towel must go,” Ian told Heaven when she eyed Dante getting into the water.
“Is it cold?” she asked.
He shook his head.
I smiled to myself.
“Sneaky Doms,” Heaven teased. “It’s heated, huh?”
It was. But it was more fun to let them believe otherwise.
“Lose the towel,” Ian snapped, his gaze locked on her.
While they battled it out, I took Everly’s hand, led her toward one of the tables. I took a seat in the tall chair.
“What’s on your mind?”
She smiled sweetly, then, as gracefully as she did everything else, she unhooked the corner tucked in by her breast, then allowed the towel to slide to the ground. “This is me making the first move, my Liege.”
I would forever remember that single moment in time because it was the very moment when I fell completely in love with Everly Hughes.
With my heart in my throat, I smiled. “Thank you, fairy princess.”
