Chapter Twelve

Nicole looked at the big man sitting on the couch in front of her and couldn't help but stare. And hope she wasn't drooling. He was a delicious-looking man. If one went for glorious Vikings in their prime. Which she didn't.

"Do you have any questions, Nicole?" Case Taggart looked perfectly comfortable in the luxurious room that served as Club Subversion's conference room.

"She usually talks more than this," Grim said with a frown. "I guess she's distracted."

Oh, that sounded like a warning.

"You know if she doesn't want to talk, ball gags can be fun." Josh frowned her way, too.

Definitely a warning. So they knew she was staring at the pretty man. She couldn't help it. She wasn't truly attracted to Case Taggart, but he was like a painting by a master. She couldn't help but stare at it.

"I understand the contract and I'm happy to sign," she replied.

They'd been at the club for a few hours, taking a nice tour.

Everything about the last few days had been nice, and she wasn't sure she was going to be able to work up the will to leave them.

Could she trust them with her secrets?

She was practically living with them. Oh, the majority of her things were in Heather's motel room. She'd taken her friend up on her offer, and now she wasn't losing thirty-nine ninety-nine a day. But she'd spent every night back at their place. Josh had taken to coming into the café right as her shift ended, and then Grim picked them both up in his truck. Sometimes they grabbed dinner before heading back to the ranch. Sometimes they went up to the big house and spent an hour sitting around the table, laughing and talking and enjoying each other's company.

She was sinking into the joy of being a member of a real family, and it was amazing and frightening all at the same time. The scariest thing was how calm she'd been. She believed Heather. When she got back from Colorado, Nic was going to talk to her. Heather knew about domestic violence survivors. Heather would listen to her.

And then she would be ready to talk to Josh and Grim.

It was almost time to make her stand.

"I would normally ask for you to have someone negotiate on your behalf," Case explained.

Ah, when he opened his mouth, she could see there was a real man under all his blond, god-like beauty. "But we live in the twenty-first century, and I'm an adult woman who can make her own decisions."

"Yeah, she's deciding right now how hard the spanking is going to go." But Josh was chuckling, and he winked at her.

"She didn't mean any disrespect, Master Case." Grim was definitely the rules follower of their family. Josh made the rules. Nicole didn't care about the rules, so that left Grim.

When she thought about it, they meshed together quite well. Without Grim, Josh could become a possessive tyrant. Without Josh, Grim might never ask for what he wanted.

Without them, she would be so fucking sad.

Case Taggart had a wide grin on his face. "Oh, I think that's a perfect response. Don't you, baby? Come here. I'd like you to meet my wife, Mia."

The woman who walked in the room was this man's natural mate. She was tall and blonde and stunning. She grinned as she sank down on the couch next to her husband. She leaned over, brushing her lips across his, and it was obvious these were two people deeply in love.

"I thought you were in New York settling Heath in," he said.

"He's happily in his new condo, and I caught a ride back with Riley." The gorgeous Mia—who reminded her a lot of her new friend Heather—turned their way. "Our son is taking over the marketing department for a division of our family company."

"Yes, and as a Taggart," Case grumbled. "Damn brother-in-law offered my only child a million and his own private jet if he would legally change his name to Lawless."

"He was joking about that." Mia's nose wrinkled. "My brother can be obnoxious at times. I'm the lone girl, so Heath is the only one of the nieces and nephews without the Lawless name. Just wait until one of Drew's daughters gets married. He's going to lose his mind."

Now Nic was staring for another reason. "Lawless?"

"Did I not mention that?" Josh asked like forgetting your family was close friends with one of the greatest technological minds of the last century was no big deal. "Yeah, Mia's family runs a company called 4L. Case is the head of their security division."

"And Mia stays far, far away," Mia said with a smile. "Our main offices are here in Austin, but there's a big 4L office in New York, and guess where my son decided to be?"

"He needs some freedom, baby," Case said. "Honestly, he needs to be somewhere where neither of our last names mean anything. That's what your brother doesn't understand. As a Taggart as long as he stays out of the security business he's a regular guy. There is no outrunning the Lawless name. Josh knows all about that. Is that why you never changed your name, Grim?"

Grim seemed taken aback by the question. "What do you mean?"

"I thought they adopted you. Jack did, right?" Case asked.

From what she could tell, the Barnes-Fleetwood family treated Grim exactly the same way they treated Josh and Olivia. If she hadn't been told they'd taken Grim in, she would have assumed he was their biological child.

"He did that so he could protect me from my stepfather, and I'll always be grateful, but I loved my dad." Grim reached out, his fingers tangling with hers as though he needed support to talk about the subject. "My biological father was a good man, and changing my name felt like I was erasing him. Especially since my brother did change his last name. Not legally, but he refers to himself as Smith not Burch. I guess I didn't want to erase him."

"It does," Case said with a nod. "Though if you and Josh follow the whole double up name thing, your wife is going to be a Barnes-Fleetwood-Burch. Or Burch-Barnes-Fleetwood."

"Fleetwood-Barnes-Burch sounds like a band," Mia added.

"I think we'll deal with that when the time comes," Josh said with a shake of his head. "Mia, do you mind showing our sub to the women's locker room? The club is about to open up, and I don't want to miss our scheduled play time."

Play time. She was going to play with two gorgeous men in an opulent club. Anxiety flashed through her. Did she belong here?

Mia stood. "Of course. Come with me."

She gave Grim's hand a squeeze and stood to follow her out because there was nothing else to do. "See you soon."

Grim stood and brushed his lips over hers. She was about to step back when he cupped her cheeks and stared into her eyes. "I'm so glad you're here with us. It finally feels right." He kissed her again, lingering this time. "I know it's intimidating, but it won't always be."

He always seemed to know how she was feeling. Grim's quiet words sent her anxiety fleeing. How had he felt walking into this building for the first time? He didn't have the Barnes-Fleetwood name. He hadn't grown up around wealth and privilege. He'd probably felt exactly the way she had.

"Hey, what about me?" Josh asked, moving in. He kissed her and whispered into her ear. "I hope you enjoy the fet wear, but know I'll have you naked before the end of the night."

A bolt of heat shot through her as she stepped back. This was why it was perfect to be with both of them. Grim knew how to ground her and Josh how to make her fly. "I'm sure you will."

She would have them naked, too. Naked and surrounding her. Tonight they planned to take her together after days of prepping her for anal sex. Tonight she would know what it meant to be their woman.

She stepped away and followed the ridiculously wealthy Mia Taggart out into the hallway. "I'm Nicole, by the way. They forgot to introduce me."

"Yes, they were obviously preoccupied." Mia started down the elegant hall. "I've known Josh and Grim for a while now. Since they joined the club at the tender age of eighteen, and they've never once brought a woman here much less someone they refer to as their sub. Not a sub. Our sub. You want to know why I hustled back from New York? I wanted to meet you."

"I don't think I'm anything special," Nic replied. "I'm the new girl in a small town, and I don't mind dating two men."

"I'm fascinated with the thought. Not that I need another man in my life. I'm surrounded by them, but I'm always intrigued by how the threesome thing works." Mia stopped, her face flushing. "I'm sorry. I wasn't talking about the sex part. I do understand that. I was more talking about the emotional parts."

"Well, we're in the honeymoon phase right now, I think. It's been great getting to know them, but I don't think those men are going to be hard to love. They're kind of like halves of a whole. They function better together," Nicole explained. "They're really brothers."

"Case has a twin, but they weren't like some I've met. They've always been very different people. I've met a couple of threesomes and they're much like you've described." Mia started walking again. "And I don't think they're into you simply because you're the new girl and they've already worked their way through everyone in town."

"Sometimes it feels like it," Nic said with a sigh. "They're not playboys, but they are healthy young men with way more experience than me."

"Josh and Grim are considered thoughtful when it comes to women. They might have played around when they were younger, but it's been obvious for the last couple of years they're ready to settle down. If they've brought you here and they're introducing you to their lifestyle family, it's because they're serious about you."

"I'm serious about them, too," she admitted. It wasn't something she would have said days before, but she'd been fooling herself. She was going to take the risk. Once she figured out how to tell them.

Hey, guys, you know that job I talked about? Doesn't exist. I've been lying to everyone. Also the name's Nora, but there's a warrant out for my arrest, and I'd like to avoid going to jail. Oh, yeah, and it's for murdering the husband I told you I divorced.

She was going to work on her confession. Delivery was important.

"I'm glad because those young men deserve some happiness." She stopped in front of an ornate door. "Here we are. This is the women's locker room. We've got pretty much anything you could need. Josh let the manager know what you required."

"I required something?"

Mia grinned as Nic walked into the gracious space. "I should have known. He's a good kid, but he's kind of a hard-ass Dom, though I would bet he's indulgent. You have what Josh wants you to have when it comes to clothes and toiletries and such. He's got excellent taste."

"That's good because I would have said get me some soap and a drug store shaving kit and I'll make it work," Nicole admitted.

"Yeah, you'll find your locker is stocked with something a little more elevated," Mia said with a chuckle.

The locker room was not like anything she'd ever seen. It was posh beyond her wildest dream, with an elegant sitting room complete with a buffet with snack foods and a tea and coffee station. Several women sat around in robes, relaxing before their nights began.

"That's my sister-in-law, Carly." Mia nodded at the pretty brunette. "She's written a bunch of cookbooks. Let me tell you her four-cheese ziti is life changing." She turned as a younger woman in bright pink leggings and a corset stepped out from behind a row of lockers. "Oh, hey, Harlow. I didn't know you were in town. How are your dads? I saw your mom a couple of weeks ago."

The lovely woman had an electric blue bob and a face that could be on the cover of a magazine. She was tall and graceful yet also managed to have some killer curves. "I heard Mom talked you into buying the whole collection for the new office. It was a good buy. The artist is very popular. The whole new Western sculpture thing is a mood right now." Harlow turned her way. "I'm Harlow Dawson, by the way. My mom runs an art gallery up in Dallas."

"Her mom is Natalie Buchanan," Mia corrected. "She's considered one of the best painters working today. There's one hanging in the lobby."

"The one of the man in blue? It's pretty," Nic said, feeling distinctly out of place among all these wildly successful people.

"It's one of my dads, though she'll never say which," Harlow explained. "If she did then one of them would get super jealous. Dad number two can be a man baby. I come from a weird household."

"It's feeling more normal all the time," Nic admitted. "I'm Nicole Mason. It's nice to meet you."

"You're Josh and Grim's new girl." Harlow held out a hand. "I've heard a lot about you."

She felt herself flush. "You have?"

"Josh and I are practically family. We grew up together. His parents spent a lot of time at a club in Dallas my parents also belong to, so most weekends we ended up hanging out together." Harlow glanced back at Mia. "And to answer your question about my dads, they're good. They're in town, too. We're here on business, though. And luckily Mom's back in Dallas, so I get to play tonight."

"Well, tell them to call me. We can have dinner," Mia offered. "Do you mind showing Nic to her locker? I need to get changed myself."

Harlow smiled. "Of course. She's right beside me. Come this way."

She waved good-bye to the woman who looked so much like Heather and followed Josh's friend. Who he'd apparently been talking to about her. It made her gut clench. It was a good thing, right? He liked her so he talked about her.

She'd spent so long trying to hide in the shadows any kind of light felt dangerous.

"So you've known Josh a long time?" She should keep her talks as short as possible, but she couldn't help herself.

"I don't remember a time when I didn't know him. He's a couple of years older than me so he always played the big-brother role." Harlow led her down a row of beautifully crafted lockers. They were dark wood with brushed-copper hardware, and each had a name plate. "Josh is protective of the people he loves, but you've probably figured that out by now."

There was something about the other woman that put Nic on guard. She was perfectly pleasant, but Nic had learned to trust her instincts, and every single one of them told her Harlow Dawson could be a predator if she wanted to. She wasn't sure if the feeling came from jealousy, though. She said all the right things—calling him a big brother—but it didn't mean she felt like his sister. "Yes. He's a great guy, and so is Grim. I'm lucky to know them. There I am. Thanks for showing me around. This place is huge."

"This place is tiny compared to the club I grew up in." Harlow didn't look like she was ready to leave. She leaned against the locker beside Nicole's. "Grim is great, too, though I haven't known him as long. Josh told me you're from Chicago."

Yes, she was definitely getting a bad feeling from this woman. She opened the locker door. "Born and raised. I should get ready. Is there a place I can shower?"

She hadn't intended to, but it seemed like a way to shake the curious Harlow.

"There is, and I'm pretty sure Josh gave you a robe and a shower kit." Harlow stared for a moment longer. "Well, I guess I should go. I'm actually working a little tonight. I'm waiting on a phone call, so I'll be in the lounge until I clear it up. Case is cool, but the man does not allow business calls on his dungeon floor."

"I hope it goes okay for you." Nicole pulled out the shower kit which was stocked with luxury brands. She also caught sight of her "clothes" for the evening. Well, they didn't take up much space.

Harlow stopped at the end of the lockers, looking back. Nic could have sworn her eyes went hard. "Yeah, I hope it does, too. Have a nice night, Nicole."

Nic watched the other woman stride away and wondered what kind of trouble she was going to cause.

* * * *

Grim's whole body felt alive as Nic leaned back against him, but his mind wasn't in synch. Something was going on in Nic's head. She said all the right things, but there was a tension he couldn't deny. They stood in front of the main stage, watching as Case Taggart sweetly tortured his wife with a flogger.

The good thing about Subversion was Josh hadn't grown up with Case Taggart or the Lawless clan. There was no one here who'd helped raise him like there was at The Club or Sanctum.

Of course the same was true of The Hideout, but Josh was too fancy for that particular club. Grim kind of liked it. It was stripped down and raw. Kind of like himself.

But this was their home club, and he'd become comfortable in it. Now he had to work to make Nicole see she belonged here, too.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered the question in her ear.

Her head turned slightly. "I'm okay."

Josh was ensuring their semiprivate space was set up properly because he was a heinous control freak. It was semiprivate because there was a two-way mirror. It was sort of the best of both worlds. His sub could pretend they were alone, and his perverted exhibitionist partner could know someone was probably watching their gorgeous sub.

He took her hand and led her away from the main stage. Perhaps they should start their first official scene with some talking. "You're stiff as a board, baby. You're not okay, and you know lying to me in this space isn't cool."

She bit her bottom lip. "I'm not lying. At least I'm not trying to. I don't want to wreck this for you and Josh. I know it's important. So I'm okay, and that's all I want to say about it."

"Not how this works." He needed some backup. He did what came naturally. He leaned over and hauled her over his shoulder in a fireman's hold.

He glanced over and saw Harlow at the edge of the lounge, a martini in her hand. She sat alone with her cell phone on the table in front of her. Which was odd because Harlow was usually surrounded by friends. And she was usually in Dallas.

What was she doing here? He knew Josh had brought her in to try to figure out what was wrong with Nicole, but she could do the investigation from Dallas.

She tipped her drink his way and Grim acknowledged her with a wave before starting down the hallway leading to the semiprivate rooms. There was another floor with privacy rooms, but they wouldn't need them tonight. They would be taking Nic back up to their suite when the scene was over. That was where they intended to take her together for the first time.

"You can't pick me up and move me whenever you want, Grim," Nic complained.

He brought the flat of his hand down on her ass. Hard. "In this club I can. Unless you want to safe word out, and then I should go and get Josh because he's spent the last hour getting our rooms ready."

Josh was the planner in this case. He'd tricked out the suite with roses and champagne and the perfectly romantic plug they would use on her ass. Then he'd come down to ensure their scene space was ready.

"I'm not using my safe word," Nic protested. She was perfectly compliant as she lay over his shoulder. "I just…I just don't feel comfortable here."

So he'd been right. He passed the big Dom who was acting as a monitor for the evening. The man waved him through, holding up three fingers to let him know what room they were in.

He stopped in front of the door marked three because he was fairly certain this was a conversation Josh wouldn't understand. He set her on her feet. "Why don't you belong here?"

She steadied herself but her eyes remained on his chest. "Grim, you know why."

"I might, but you need to say it. We can't face something that you won't say out loud." He needed to make a few things plain to her. "Nicole, I'm in deep with you. I know you're planning to walk away…"

Her eyes came up and her hands found his chest, flattening against him. "You're making it hard."

"I want to make it impossible," he admitted. "But I can't do that if you're unwilling to talk to me. Look, I'll give you all the time in the world to get to know and trust me about whatever happened in your past."

Tears were suddenly in her eyes. "And if it's bad?"

"Then we'll face it. All three of us," he said. "No matter what it is. But you take your time. However, you can't lie to me in this club."

She seemed to relax. "I wasn't lying. Not exactly. I am okay."

"You're not. You're uncomfortable, and I want to know why. I want you to admit it."

Her jaw tightened. "Grim, I grew up in a rundown three-bedroom that my dad and stepmom rented. They were always late on rent and pretty much everything else. The lights would go out for weeks at a time because they couldn't pay the bill. I didn't own a car until a few years ago. I tried this. My husband's family had money, and they never let me forget it."

"I'm not your damn ex," a deep voice said.

Damn it. He'd tried to keep this between the two of them, but Josh had opened the door behind Nicole and stood there, a darkness in his eyes.

When Josh was in top space he could be a bit unreasonable. "She knows that, but this place can be overwhelming when you first walk in. I know you're used to wealthy spaces but Nicole's not, and I understand that. Let me handle her."

Nicole turned, and her hands went to her hips. "I'm allowed to have feelings, Josh."

Damn, but she was pushing him. "That's not what he said."

"You're allowed to have feelings, but you are required to talk about them." Josh stepped back, gesturing for her to enter the room. "And I can have some feelings of my own. I want to know who made you feel bad."

She sighed, and her shoulders came down as she walked into the room. "No one. You can't understand. You've never been in this position."

"She's right about that," Grim said as he followed her. He leaned in, his voice going low. "She's overwhelmed and doesn't need a bunch of jealousy thrown her way right now."

"I'm not jealous of her asshole ex," Josh replied.

"You aren't?" He knew his brother.

"Fine. Of course I am," Josh admitted with a fierce frown. "I'm insanely jealous of anyone who's ever touched her before, but she can't throw me in the same bin with him. The only thing we have in common is money. She started pulling away the minute she figured out my family was wealthy."

Nicole turned to Josh. "I adore your family, Josh. I love them. But I worry they won't love me when they figure out who I really am. And this… Everyone here is so refined. They all have these important jobs. Did you know Mia is some kind of award-winning journalist? And her sister-in-law has been on TV. Your friend Harlow said her mom is a famous artist. I don't even have an undergrad degree. I don't know why I'm here. I won't even go into the whole Andrew Tech God Lawless. Your parents are successful and they taught you how to be, too."

Josh's features softened. "Baby, success is a word we have to define for ourselves. I'm successful because my dad fought for his place. And the truth of the matter is the reason he fits in here is because he doesn't care what anyone thinks. He doesn't have a fancy degree. He and Pops grew up in foster care. My momma was a teenaged single mom who got run out of town. When you talk about me being successful, that's all because of them. My success will be appreciating what they gave me and taking care of it. It'll be in building a family with my best friend and the woman I love. I'm not successful. Not yet. If I achieve that, it might be because of you."

Tears clung to her cheeks, and Grim knew they were past the worst of this episode. "I'm the same as Josh, baby. I didn't pay for my school."

Josh turned to him, his head shaking. "No, but you survived some horrific abuse. You could have given in and become like your brothers. But you were tested, and you showed the world exactly who Jared Burch is. He's a survivor. I would bet Nic is, too. This place isn't some magical space where only the elite are accepted. There are members here who don't pay a fee. They're here because Case thinks they can get something out of this club. By the way, that man you were drooling over—not rich. All the money came from his wife. He was a soldier, and he became a soldier because he had no other place to go. This isn't about our childhoods. It's about what we do with what we were handed, and baby, from what I can tell you were not handed much. So take what I'm offering you and show me what you can make with it. I think it will be something beautiful."

Thank god his brother had a way with words. Grim was better with soothing pats and nodding along.

And he was good with the spanking she was about to get.

Nic moved into Josh's arms, wrapping herself around him. "Thank you, Sir. I didn't think about it that way. And you are so not my ex. You're a good man. You and Grim…you make me want to stay."

Josh's head lowered and he kissed their sub, their mouths mingling in a way that made Grim's cock tighten. His whole body came alive as though recognizing the hard part was over and it was time to play.

"Are you all right now?" Josh asked when he broke off the kiss.

Nic nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry. I got nervous. Everyone here is beautiful, and I met your friend Harlow and she's intimidating. I think she might like you."

Josh snorted. "She absolutely does not. Not in the way you're implying. We're only friends. Well, we're family, but she comes from paranoid stock. I swear if you ever meet her dads, you'll be able to figure out which one's sperm created her."

Grim disagreed. "Nurture is every bit as important as nature."

"And she had two completely lovely normal parents and one paranoid asshole. Using that name doesn't mean I don't love and respect Uncle Chase. He would nod and say that's a fair assessment. He's a lot to take, and Harlow got some of that drama in her. Was she rude to you?" Josh asked.

Grim would be shocked. Harlow was one of the kindest women he knew. Though she did have a habit of protecting the people she loved. In brutal ways, sometimes. Harlow was the first woman to show Grim female badasses weren't some movie myth. Women in his old world were meant to defer to men, to be godly and quiet and never complain. Abby and Olivia had taught him how amazing women could be, but Harlow…well, she scared him sometimes.

Fuck. If Harlow found out something about Nicole she didn't like, he wouldn't put it past her to take matters into her own hands, and that could go very wrong.

"She was nice, but I don't think she liked me," Nic admitted.

"Like I said, she can be eccentric," Josh explained. "We'll spend some time with her while we're here this weekend, and I promise you'll come to love her. She's a wonderful friend."

Nic nodded though she didn't look sure.

He needed a moment with Josh. "Baby, settle yourself on the spanking bench. You'll take thirty for the lying and another thirty for whatever the hell that was when you greeted Josh."

Her eyes went wide. "But…"

"Or we can try the exotic lube," he threatened.

Nic moved her ass toward that spanking bench.

"You're wearing too many clothes," Josh remarked.

Her eyes flared. "I'm barely wearing anything."

"And that's twenty more. You need to think about what shape your ass is going to be in when I fuck it tonight." Grim moved to her, his hands going to her bare shoulders. He loved how small and curvy she was. She was everything he wanted in a woman. Sweet but strong. He thought he was going to find out exactly how strong she was soon. He gently tilted her head up. "Those clothes are for the club. We're alone now."

"Mostly," Josh added, and he moved in behind their sub.

"Mostly?" Her pretty eyes had gone wide.

Josh pointed to the big mirror. "See that, baby? It's a two-way mirror. We can't see who's on the other side. Maybe no one. Maybe a whole crowd."

She stared at the mirror. "Watching us?"

"Watching how gorgeous you are. Looking at you and getting hot enough that they probably go and fuck on their own," Josh explained.

"It can get wild in that room." Grim smoothed back her hair. "We would love to show you off one day. We enjoy running scenes on the big stages so everyone can see how gorgeous our sub is. And also, Josh likes to show off his abs."

Before Josh could protest, a glorious grin covered Nicole's face. "Well, they are pretty nice."

Josh's hands ran down her torso and over her barely covered hips. "I'm glad you think I'm pretty, baby. Because I know you're gorgeous. Did you like the scenes? Did they get you hot? I got so fucking hot setting up our room and imagining what you would look like here."

"You look like my every fantasy," Grim admitted. "When I started this, I knew I wanted to end up here with one sub. I know it's not cool to say, but I only ever dreamed of having one woman."

"Well, half," Nic teased.

He wasn't going to let her think that way. "You are more than enough for both of us. You are the complete package for me and Josh."

"That's all I want. To be enough. For you and Josh. For me." There was an odd pleading in her expression, something that practically begged him to understand.

Fuck. They were almost there. She was almost ready to tell them. Patience. That was all they needed now. He took a long breath, banishing the need to ask her to talk. She would talk when she was ready. Tonight. After they took her to the suite and got her firmly in between them, she would tell them everything and they could truly start their lives together. But for now, he would show her how they could worship her body.

"Do you think anyone's behind the mirror?" Nicole asked as Josh started undoing the laces of her corset.

"I think the minute we locked that door, a light went on letting all those perverts know something's going down in here," Josh whispered.

"Baby, if you want, there's a button I can push that shields us from the two-way." He had to let her know all the options.

"Spoilsport," Josh said, never letting up on his slow undressing of their sub.

She wasn't wearing much. She looked absolutely luscious. The royal blue corset offered her breasts up and the tiny matching thong split her ass cheeks in a way that made his mouth water.

"I'm fine," Nic assured him. "I…kind of like the idea people might be watching. But only because I know they like it. They aren't judging me. They think sex is normal and natural, and as long as we're all okay with it we should have fun."

This was more than fun, but he wouldn't argue with her. She was new to this and she would find her way. "Absolutely no one will judge you here. This is a completely safe space for us to explore."

"No one's going to call me a whore here. Is that what you're saying?" Nic asked, sighing as the corset relaxed around her body.

"Arms up." Josh eased the corset up her torso and off. "No one is going to call you a whore period. Not without some punishment."

"I don't care, Josh." She frowned and turned around, but not before Grim saw a mulish expression cross her face. "I was joking, but you can't punish Alyssa. I don't care about her."

"I'll fire her if I want to," Josh replied.

Oh, things were heating up, and he was here for it. He didn't have to say a word. Just stand back and let the sparks fly.

"No, you won't because she didn't do it to you. She did it to me, so I get to say what…" Nicole gasped as Josh picked her up. "What are you doing?"

"I think you know what I'm doing, baby." Josh stalked to the spanking bench. "I'm taking care of business."

Grim grabbed his rope. It was time for him to join in. "You woke up the beast, darlin'."

"But I'm right," Nic protested. "It wasn't a big deal. It was some words."

A loud smack sounded through the room and Nicole yelped. Yeah, Grim was pretty sure Josh had meant that one. Nicole's head came up as he spanked her again.

"Josh," she began.

Grim knelt down. "Baby, you're arguing with your Doms about your protection in the middle of a club during a scene where you know the rules."

She winced as she took another smack.

"I will protect you," Josh said, punctuating each word with a smack. "I will not allow anyone to talk about you the way Alyssa did."

Tears pierced Nicole's eyes, and he wasn't sure it was all about the pain.

"He can't stop being who he is any more than you can stop being who you are," Grim said as he held up the rope. "Or I can stop being who I am, as my stepfather found out. Should I tie you down or should we talk?"

She lowered her hands. "Tie me down, and please, Grim, please kiss me. I don't want either one of you to change. I love you exactly the way you are."

Josh stopped, and for the first time in all the years they'd spent together, his best friend seemed at a loss for words.

Grim wasn't. He knew what to say. "We love you exactly the way you are, too."

He also knew the words he couldn't say yet. Even if you have a whole life we don't know about. Even if you've got a ton of trouble coming your way.

"Exactly the way you are, Nicole," Josh said softly.

Grim got to one knee, wrapping the length around her wrist, tying her tight enough she would feel it but not so tight it would cut off her circulation. It was an art form, and he thought he'd found his muse. He moved to her other wrist and when he was done, he stepped back. "She's not getting away from us."

"She's worked that mouth of hers tonight. I think she might need to work it in another way." Josh stepped over and selected a paddle. "Nicole, do you think you might want to make up for all that brattiness?"

Grim's cock was already hard. Now it was painful.

A sweet smile came over Nicole's face. "I can do that, Sir."

Josh gave her a quick smack. "You make it good and I'll take care of you. But first you owe me. Grim, you get ready. I'll deliver some discipline and then she can start making it up to us."

Grim reached for the ties of his leathers, ready to start their night.

* * * *

The pain wracked through her causing her to gasp right before it settled in as heat, sinking into her muscles and skin. Josh used the paddle, peppering her backside with the most delicious warmth. She would feel those smacks all tomorrow, and she would think about them.

She bit her bottom lip as Josh continued on relentlessly. He would give her ass a smack and then she would feel his fingers between her legs. She was completely open to him, her legs splayed and pussy and ass pressed up so her Doms could play with them.

Tied down and helpless to them. She knew it should scare the shit out of her, but she felt oddly free. There was no worry in this place, no fear of the future. No regrets for the past. There was the here and now, and it was perfect.

The here and now was Grim and Josh focused on nothing but bringing her pleasure.

"You dirty girl," Josh said, his voice as smooth as silk. "You like this. You like it when the big bad Dom takes a paddle to your pretty ass. Your pussy is soaking wet, baby."

She was sure it was since every inch of her body felt alive and aroused. The pain in her backside did nothing but heighten her need for sex.

She'd never needed before. Never craved physical contact the way she did with these two men. It was like breathing with Josh and Grim.

And whoever was watching them on the other side of the mirror. Yeah, that did something for her, too. She would never have thought having eyes on her would turn her on, but it was okay here. This club was a safe space for her to explore, and it turned out the first big revelation was she was kind of into exhibitionism.

And she was definitely into the big cock Grim exposed as he shoved down his leathers.

"You are so gorgeous like this," Grim said as one big hand stroked his cock. "I love it when you're all tied down and there's nothing you can do."

He was wrong. "I can think of something I can do." Another smack rocked her whole body and she winced. "When he's done, of course. I think doing it while he's spanking me might be a mistake."

Josh smacked her again. "Oh, one day you'll be so well trained and we'll figure out the perfect rhythm, and there won't be anything the three of us can't do."

"Well, until then, I'll watch until you're done," Grim said with a chuckle. His free hand came out and smoothed her hair back. He was so close she could smell his arousal, feel the heat coming off his hard as a rock cock. She could practically taste him. She would never have said she would genuinely enjoy sucking a cock, that it would make her feel powerful and loved. But here she was.

In the right place. With the right men. She was going to find out if the timing was right, too.

"How do you feel, baby?" Josh asked, and she heard the sexiest sound of his leathers moving, likely being untied and shoved down so he could get at his cock, too. "Where are we?"

"I'm green, Josh. So green." They'd talked about using the stoplight method to ensure they always knew how she was feeling. Green definitely meant go. She wasn't even close to yellow, which would slow things, and not once had she even thought about shutting things down with the word red.

"I disagree," he replied with a chuckle, and she felt his big hand stroke across her ass, making her shiver with the sensation. "This gorgeous flesh is a lovely shade of pink. I think it needs one more thing, though."

She gasped as he split her cheeks, and she felt the hard edge of an anal plug. "When did you have time to prep a plug?"

"That's the beauty of the club." Josh pressed the plug in, spreading the lube he'd used around her tight hole. "The room is always prepped and ready, so you'll never know what's coming. You won't know how we'll fuck our little toy. You'll be surprised when I slip clamps on or use a violet wand on all these pretty parts of yours."

"We'll always have rope to tie you up with, and when you're ready, we'll introduce you to suspension play," Grim promised. "All tied up and in the air so there's absolutely no part of you we can't get to."

It sounded adventurous. It sounded like heaven. "I'm ready for anything."

She meant those words. She was ready to try everything with these men.

"We'll have so much fun in this club, baby. You'll see. And we'll set up a playroom in the house. Everything we can ask for to torture our sub," Josh promised. "But you better let me in. This is my sweet ass, and I'm not going to be kept out."

Her whole body clenched and then she released a breath, relaxing and letting the plug slip inside.

She always felt so full with a plug deep inside her. Soon it wouldn't be a plug. Maybe even later tonight when they were tucked into their spectacular suite. They would make it special. She had no doubt.

"Now, let's talk about what we do and don't do in this club," Josh said, playing with the plug and making her squirm. "Who's the boss in this club, Nicole?"

They were going to make her say it before they gave her all the good stuff. Well, she supposed it was only fair since they kind of let her lead a lot of the time. For sexually domineering men, they let her pick what they watched or what games they played or what they ate for dinner. She could definitely give them what they wanted here. "You are. You and Grim. My Masters."

"Damn straight," Grim agreed. "We're the Masters here. Here you let Josh talk all about how he's going to wreak bloody vengeance on our enemies, and all you do is smile and tell him how smart he is. Then when we leave the club you can remind him of how much lawyers cost."

"Really?" Josh asked, still slowly fucking her ass with the plug. "You know she doesn't need any encouragement in the sarcasm game. She's doing fine on her own. However, I am going to fire Alyssa for being mean to my sub."

Oh, he was not, but she knew how to play now. "Yes, Sir. You are going to protect me."

"Little brat." But she could hear the smile in Josh's tone.

She could handle being their little brat.

Grim moved closer and pressed the head of his cock to her lips. "Taste me, brat."

She swiped her tongue across his cockhead, gathering the fluid she found there. Grim's groan went straight to her pussy. She couldn't move her hands so she had to concentrate on working her mouth over him. She whirled her tongue around and around, sucking him deep.

Josh moved between her legs, and then she felt his big dick breaching her pussy. She was slick and ready, so he was free to thrust in one smooth move.

She was so full, her skin still sensitive from the spanking. Josh's hands gripped her hips, and every thrust moved the plug as well, lighting up her ass with pure sensation.

Grim filled her mouth, one hand stroking her hair. "You feel so perfect, baby."

"Damn straight she does. She feels like fucking heaven, and later on we're going to get her between us. She's ready," Josh said, never missing a beat. He fucked her hard, matching Grim's rhythm so naturally.

"We're all ready, and it's going to be special." Grim was looking down at her, watching the place where his cock disappeared behind her lips.

She'd known they were planning to take her together this weekend, to show her what they wanted.

Josh thrust in hard, bringing his hand around to rub her clit, and she went flying. The orgasm was stronger than ever, heightened by the way Grim came in her mouth, filling her with his unique essence.

Nicole's whole body pulsed with satisfaction as she drank him down and felt Josh slip from her pussy.

"Give me a second and I think we'll change places," Grim said, his lips turning up in a satisfied grin.

She could handle that. And she could handle them.

Tonight, her life began again.