The Reluctant Dom (29 page)

“This really sucks. Man, I'd never thought it. He looks so good.”

Seth nodded and tried to focus his gaze on the flame from the propane burner under the turkey pot. He did not want to have this conversation. Most people had left it as a simple, “I'm sorry, let me know if I can do anything for you guys,” generic bullshit comment.

Tom shook his head. “I can't believe it.”

“Join the club.”

The three of them sat in silence for a moment before Tom spoke again, his voice nearly a whisper. “Is Leah going to be okay?” Seth knew Kaden had revealed a little of Leah's past to his cousin but not about their lifestyle choices.

Seth nodded. “I think so. That's why Kaden asked me to move in now.” Well, that was close enough to the truth to count, he supposed.

“Yeah. I think she'll be okay eventually if you're there for her.” He kept shaking his head. Seth wanted to pound it down between his shoulder blades to make him stop. “She always seems very relaxed around you, sort of like she is with Kaden. You'll be good for her.”

Seth didn't want to have this conversation. At all. He couldn't leave the turkey while it was cooking, and he couldn't tell Tom to get the hell away from him.

He hunkered down. “We'll all get through it.”

* * * *

When they gathered around the tables outside to eat around five o'clock, Kaden stood and proposed the toast. He had Leah sitting on his right and insisted on Seth sitting on his left even though Seth had tried to move to a different table to not call attention to himself.

By this time, Seth knew everyone had been told the news. A few of the women looked a little red-eyed and weepy, as did Kaden's brother.

Denise had specifically not been invited.

“I want to propose a toast. To all my family and friends who have gathered to eat with us today, thank you for joining us. I want this day to be fun, and I have a surprise for you all once it gets dark enough.” Kaden had been eagerly talking up the light display all afternoon.

He paused, gathering his thoughts. “This is a great day, and it's the kind of day our lives should be filled with. I want you all to remember that for me. I feel blessed to have my beautiful wife and my best friend beside me. I love all of you but these two people are my strength and my closest comfort.” He raised his glass. “To family, to friends, and to life. Cheers.”

Everyone joined him. Seth fought to control his rolling stomach. He'd noticed that lately, little jagged bursts of grief threatened to spill out sometimes when he could least afford to lose control.

Once everyone was up and taking turns going through the buffet line, Seth snuck inside the house to his room for a moment. He thought he'd gone unnoticed when he heard the tap at his door a few minutes later.

“Yeah?”

Kaden stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “You okay?” he softly asked.

Seth started to nod when it hit him. He hated himself for it but he sat on the end of his bed and cried.

Kaden sat next to him and silently put his arm around his friend's shoulders. When Seth composed himself a few minutes later, he apologized. “I'm sorry, dude. I shouldn't be dumping this on you. I just ... I couldn't hold it back. I don't know how you're dealing as well as you are, man.”

Kaden smiled but it looked sad. “Who says I am? I've had twenty years of practicing putting on a poker face as a Dom. Plus I'm an attorney. We're all good liars. It's genetic.”

His comment had the desired effect—it made Seth laugh. Then they hugged, long and hard. Kaden patted him on the back. “Having you here makes it easier, believe it or not. I can see how good she is with you and it's one less worry. I really mean it when I say I love you.”

“Love you too, dude. Still not doing you.”

Kaden laughed and sat back, brushed his hands across his eyes. “Not doing you either, buddy.”

The men sat and looked at each other. “Happy Thanksgiving, Kaden. I'm glad we've still got you here. I hope you're here next year.”

Kaden smiled. “That makes two of us.”

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Chapter 18

The week after Thanksgiving, Seth methodically worked at the oak tree with the singletail. It was one of Kaden's favorite whips, a sixteen-plait six-foot bullwhip made of kangaroo hide, with a well-balanced handle. Seth seemed to have the most accuracy and control with it, and worked to master it first before tackling some of the others. He'd gotten good enough he could nail all the balloons on the target without missing, and now worked to fine-tune his control and aim with both hands, not just his right. He had also progressed enough that he was equally good in the three main throwing styles, overhand, reverse and forward crack.

Kaden lounged in the shade of another nearby tree. There were no Christmas lights or decorations this far back on the property, so Seth didn't have to worry about accidentally snagging any wiring with the whip.

“Time for you to tackle a different target. That tree never did shit to you, buddy.”

Seth looked at him. “And what would you suggest? You told me when I could take the tips off leaves, I'd be ready.”

“I'd say you're ready. You keep that up, I won't have a goddamned leaf left on that thing.” He stood, then walked back to the house.

Seth continued practicing. A few minutes later, Kaden returned with Leah, who was now dressed in jeans, a heavy leather jacket, heavy leather gloves, and sneakers. Kaden carried another heavy leather jacket and a bottle of talcum powder.

As realization dawned, Seth felt his balls crawl up tight inside him. “Oh,
hell
no. I'm not using this on her yet!”

“Why not?” Kaden asked. “You're good enough.”

“What if I hurt her!”

Leah smiled. “That's sort of the point.”

Seth glared. “You know damn well what I mean!”

“You won't hurt her through her jeans. That fall and popper can't cut through denim. Not the way you're throwing, at least. And that's why I brought this—” he held up the jacket. “I'll lay it over her ass while you practice. Once you're sure on your distance, we'll take it away and you can hit her on denim.”

Seth vigorously shook his head, nausea threatening. “No! I'm not ready to do that.”

Leah walked over and looked up into his face. Her eyes went wide. “Please?”

“Oh, no. Not the fucking puppy dog eyes. Stop it!”

“Please, Seth?”

He clenched his jaw. “This isn't fair. I'm not ready!”

She gently grabbed his collar and stood on tiptoe so she could kiss him. “Please, Sir? For me?” Her huge, green eyes melted him.

He closed his eyes and swore. “All right. But it's your ass.”

“Thank you!”

Kaden laughed and handed Leah the jacket. She walked a short distance away and knelt on the ground, her rear facing them. She draped the jacket across her hips.

Kaden leaned into Seth. “You are so fucked, buddy. You know that? She's got you wrapped around her little finger.”

“Look who's talking.”

Kaden smiled. “Yeah, I know. Who's really in charge, right? We've both got it bad.”

Kaden dumped some talc into his palm and laid the tip of the whip in it. “This'll help you see where you're hitting.”

Seth nervously gauged his distance before he threw, hitting her a little lower than he intended but on her right ass cheek. The faint white mark from the talc showed the strike.

Kaden nodded. “Excellent.” He grabbed the end of the whip, applied more talc. “Do it again.”

Kaden worked with Seth for fifteen minutes. Then Kaden removed the jacket from her ass and brushed the powder off. “Now, hit her like that.”

Seth's nerves returned. “Man, I don't know about this.”

“It's okay. Go ahead.”

Leah was in heaven, the thuddy and not at all uncomfortable impact through the multiple layers of clothing nearly putting her in subspace despite the lack of an ongoing scene and relatively minor discomfort. She wiggled her ass at Seth. “Please, Sir.”

He took a deep breath. “All right.” On his first throw he choked and pulled at the last second, sending it wide and to the left.

“Stop.” Kaden walked over to him. “Don't hesitate. That's when you will hurt her. Or yourself. You changed at the last second. Just picture where you want it to strike and don't hesitate. If you're going to hesitate, it's better to wait and not throw than it is to throw badly.”

“All right.” Seth tried again, this time hitting her exactly where he intended, on her left cheek.

Leah wiggled her ass at him and made a content sound.

“You okay?” Seth asked her.

“Ohhh yeah.”

Kaden leaned against another tree, out of the whip's range. “She's going to jump us once we're finished, so you might as well nail her good now.”

After a few throws, Seth didn't need the talc anymore. He slowly gained confidence as he took his time, carefully placing each strike to hit as close to the fleshy center of her ass cheeks as he could.

Kaden could easily go after her bare flesh. Seth knew it would take him some time—and a hell of a lot of practice—to reach that degree of confidence in his abilities.

After twenty minutes, Seth's arm and nerves had reached their limit. He coiled the whip. “I'm done. I need a break.”

Leah sat up and pouted. “I didn't get any sting out of that at all.”

Kaden laughed. He pushed away from the tree, handed the jacket to Seth, and took the whip from him. “Then get your ass bare for me and I'll take care of that, love.”

Like a flash she was on her feet. She kicked off her shoes, jeans, and panties, then knelt on the ground again. “Thank you, Master!”

Kaden uncoiled the whip and took a moment to stretch his neck and roll his shoulders. As weird as it was, Seth never tired of watching Kade work with a whip. He was truly a master at it. Seth knew he needed to get plenty of video footage of them together, not just still pictures. Pictures couldn't capture the confidence, the fluidity of Kade's movements, the surety of his aim.

A true Dom.

“How are we, love?” Kade asked.

“Green, Master.”

“Set of twenty.”

“Twenty, Master.”

“Count.” He struck, nailing her square on the right ass cheek.

Leah sighed and said, “One, Master...”

Now she'd fully dropped into subspace. Even Seth could tell from the way her eyes looked glazed and the almost dreamy quality of her voice. Even when she didn't need a session she still enjoyed them.

Kaden worked her through the full set and she begged for another. After the second twenty he walked over to her and she curled in his arms, sated and content. She hadn't climaxed from the session, and since she'd started it in a good frame of mind emotionally, she simply closed her eyes and cuddled with him.

Seth walked back to the house and left them alone. A few moments later, Leah, still naked from the waist down, ran into the kitchen and threw herself at Seth. He was forced to catch her and she wrapped her arms and legs around him as she kissed him.

He turned, setting her on the counter before he managed to come up for air. “Whoa, hey. Hello to you, too.”

Kaden walked in. “Our girl needs some relief. I warned you she'd be jumping us.” He held up her clothes. “Go take these to the bedroom and wait for us there.”

She jumped off the counter, grabbed the clothes from Kaden, and ran to do it.

Kaden laughed and started unbuttoning his shirt. “Well? You can't say you don't want a nooner with her, can you?”

Seth rolled his eyes. “No, can't say that.” He followed his friend to the bedroom.

* * * *

Leah spent nearly two hours turning her men every which way but loose. When she finally fell asleep, contentedly tucked between them, Kaden fumbled for and found his glasses and the television remote. Seth needed a nap. He dozed next to Leah while Kaden watched TV.

It felt right. He wouldn't deny it. With the initial weirdness out of the way, and except for his sometimes guilt, it felt right sharing her.

The woman they loved.

The right woman.

* * * *

A few days later, Seth had conquered the worst of his hesitation over using the whip on Leah's denim-clad rear end. Each time he did she always jumped the two men, who were more than willing to allow her to lead them to bed.

Seth was eating breakfast when Leah sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I know what I want for my birthday.”

He had a feeling it was a present he couldn't buy. His friends had insisted on giving him an allowance when he refused to let them pay him for being there. He didn't have to spend any of it and kept it in the joint account he now shared with Leah—yet another of Kaden's careful plans. Seth was also a co-signer on their other bank accounts but he didn't want to have anything to do with those yet if he didn't have to.

“What would that be?” He slipped his arms around her bare waist.

“I want you to use the singletail on me.”

He frowned. “How's that a present?”

“On my bare ass.”

“Oh, no you don't. That's not fair!”

She broke out the puppy dog eyes. “Please?”

“Why can't I just buy you something?”

“This is what I really want. Please?”

“Stop the puppy dog eyes.”

“Please?”

He groaned. “You're killing me here, babe. Why are you asking me to do this?”

Kaden rounded the corner with his morning cup of coffee in hand. “What's she prying out of you now?” he teased.

“I told Seth what I want for my birthday,” she said with a fake pouty lip, “and he won't agree to it.”

Kaden took one look at her and burst out laughing. “You are too much, little girl.” He leaned in and kissed her. “And what are you trying to sucker Seth into now?”

“Using a singletail on my bare ass.”

Kaden's spit take looked genuine. His rolling laughter certainly was. “Holy shit! She's really got you this time.”

“How about a little back up here, dude?”

Kaden grabbed some paper towel to wipe up his spewed coffee. “No, I'm not getting between the two of you on this one.” He pointed at Seth. “You've got to man up and learn to stand up to her.”

“She used the eyes!”