Clifftop Fantasies [BDSM Menage Fantasies] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (21 page)

On Sunday evening after dinner, Karl excused himself to go back to the barn and work on some personal things. Jane had gone to hang out with some friends of hers from the club, so Brad and Allie were sitting by themselves, watching television. It was difficult for Allie to concentrate on the program they were watching. She had been expecting all weekend that something would happen. She’d certainly been hoping and preparing for it to happen, but things seemed to be settling back into the way they’d been before Jane and Charlie showed up. Karl showed no signs of initiating sexual activity, and Allie didn’t dare do it. She felt, ridiculously, like neither of them was going to have sex with her now. Karl wouldn’t because he didn’t want to interfere with her relationship, and Brad wouldn’t because he thought Karl was taking over that part of her life.

But Brad surprised her suddenly by saying, “So can we talk about this kinky stuff?”

“Sure,” Allie said after a brief moment of surprise.

He turned the television off with a click but remained staring at the blank screen. “I think I’d like to try some of it. Do you think you and I can do—what do they call it, a ‘scene’?”

Allie felt her face break out into a smile. Brad actually wanted to do a scene. She couldn’t believe it. “Of course,” she said, feeling energy well up inside her at the thought. “What kind of scene are you interested in?”

He sounded embarrassed. “I’m not sure. I wanted to talk to Jane about it, but I didn’t want her to think I was asking her to do it. How do we figure out what people do in those things?”

Allie had no doubts. “I think we have to ask Karl.”

Brad gave her a dubious look. “If we ask him, isn’t he going to assume…”

“Assume what?” Allie raised her eyebrows at him.

“You know. That we’re—he and I are—going to…”

Allie laughed. “No, I really don’t think he wants to fuck you any more than you want to fuck him.”

Brad looked almost offended for a moment, and she wondered if he was reacting to her strong language. But then he let out a small abashed laugh. “I guess I won’t take that as an insult.”

“I think we should talk to him about the possibilities,” Allie said thoughtfully. “Do you want to go out and do it now?”

“Sure, okay,” Brad agreed, getting up. As they walked together through the house and out the back door, he put an arm around her shoulders. “So you guys really haven’t…done it yet?”

“No. I’d have told you. Really. I don’t know much about polyamory, but I know that it’s about being honest and up front. It’s not about sneaking around and having sex behind your partner’s back.”

He nodded, thinking about it. “Okay, I get that. When do you think…”

“I don’t know.” She sighed. “I’m not sure what he’s waiting for. It seems too complicated to ask him about.”

Karl, to their surprise, was painting. He had an easel set up in the barn and seemed to be copying a photograph, although it was facing away from them, and from the brief glimpse that Allie got, she thought it was a nude. Jane, maybe? She felt foolish for the small, jealous stab that went through her at the thought. Surely not Jane. It really could have been any of the women from the club, or from his past, whatever that was. From what she remembered, probably none of the people she had met would have any objections to being photographed or painted in the nude.

“Karl, we wanted to talk to you about doing a scene,” Brad said as an explanation for their interruption of his personal space.

“Sure.” Karl pushed his work up against the wall, still facing away from them. Allie resisted the urge to go over and take a look. He definitely didn’t seem like he wanted to show it to them. Maybe he was the type who hated people seeing his work before it was done.

“When do you want to do this scene?” Karl asked, taking a seat at the table. Brad pulled out a chair for Allie, startling her. He wasn’t normally the chivalrous type, but this didn’t feel like an everyday courtesy kind of thing. There was a slight thickening of the energy in the room, as if a formal and important ritual were beginning.
I could get used to this
, she thought, nodding her thanks to Brad.

“I was thinking maybe tomorrow night,” Brad said, addressing Karl. “I want to go to the club with you sometime, but I’d like more of an idea of what kinds of things people do first.”

Karl nodded then found some paper and a pen. “Let’s make a list of some of the things you might be interested in trying,” he said. “I assume that you want Allie to top you, with me assisting?”

Brad looked apprehensive, and Allie wondered if his earlier concerns were coming back. “I wouldn’t know how to do stuff by myself,” she put in hastily. “I’d need Karl there to teach me.”

“I suppose so,” Brad said slowly. “Is that normal?”

“Yes,” Karl told him. “Just because people play together, it doesn’t mean that they have to have sex. Are you interested in playing with anyone else?”

“No.” Brad shook his head, understanding exactly who Karl was referring to. “I want Allie to ‘top’ me, as you call it.”

“And are you willing for me to be there?”

Brad thought about it. “I don’t see why not. Like she said, she doesn’t have a lot of experience. And if we are going to do this, I’d better find out if I can handle it.”

“That’s right. And one more question, are you willing for me and Allie to be affectionate, maybe even sexual, in front of you?”

Allie’s breath caught. She had imagined herself and Karl in a lot of different erotic situations, but none that involved Brad at the same time. She had assumed that the physical relationship between her and Brad would remain as it had been, private, sporadic, a little boring. To have sex with either of them while the other watched? Her eyes darted between the two men as they regarded each other. There seemed to be a bit of a challenge there, but one she didn’t really understand.

Brad finally shrugged, a rueful smile on his face. “I never thought I’d be involved in anything like this,” he said apologetically.

“Are you changing your mind?” Allie asked him anxiously.

“No, not really. There’s a lot to get used to, though,” he said thoughtfully. “To answer your question, Karl, I think I could handle it. I mean, you’ve seen us being affectionate and kissing, and you—wanted her. Is it difficult to deal with?”

“For some people, yes,” Karl said seriously. “It comes naturally for me, but there are people who never get used to it. We’ll see how it works out with us. If it bothers you, then we’ll have to negotiate how we handle it. I don’t want to drive you away, but I also don’t want to have to ask your permission to kiss my lover, or only do it in secret.”

His words sent a shock wave through Allie. He hadn’t even kissed her yet, but he was calling her his lover. She felt a small spasm in her core and glanced around, even though there was no way anyone else could have been aware of her excitement. The men were beginning to discuss different things that she could do to Brad, and as they talked it was as if there was a new entity in the room. She became aware that something was being born between them. There was her relationship with Brad and the beginnings of her relationship with Karl, but there was something else, too. There was a new dynamic in the air, and it included all three of them. The two men had their own kind of chemistry, and though it wasn’t explicitly sexual, she realized it had the potential to be a very satisfying, comfortable kind of energy. The three of them together just felt right. She settled back in her chair and listened, enraptured, for the next hour and a half as they discussed the possibilities and what Brad might want to try.

Allie thought about the new energy all day on Monday, trying to analyze exactly when the new bond had begun. Brad hadn’t trusted Karl much at first, probably because he could sense the sexual tension between Karl and her. But once they had all acknowledged it, and he knew he was included in it, the attraction had turned into something almost tangible, a whole new paradigm. By the end of the day, Allie was in a state of almost delirious excitement about the situation and what was going to happen that night. She had been listening for the sound of Brad at the front door and hurled herself into his arms from the kitchen doorway, nearly bowling him over. Her body trembled with anticipation as she smiled up into his face.

“Hi, there.” She reached up to pull his head down and gave him a long, sensuous kiss. She had expected an enthusiastic response from him, but his kiss seemed halfhearted. She pulled back, her smile fading as she saw the tense look on his face.

“Please tell me you haven’t changed your mind about tonight,” she begged.

“No, I haven’t changed my mind,” he assured her, “although I’m not as excited as you seem to be.”

“More nervous than excited, really,” Allie told him, trying to downplay the exhilaration that had been driving her all day. She felt it deflating rapidly in the face of Brad’s hesitation, but she wasn’t ready to give up on it yet. Leading him into the living room, she pointed toward the couch. “Sit. I’ll get you a drink.”

Brad looked a little surprised at her commanding tone but obediently took a seat.

You know, I think I could get used to this dominant thing, Allie thought to herself with a smile, pushing her worry down.

With her head in the icebox rummaging around for the smooth, brown bottle that held Brad’s favorite brand of beer, Allie heard the back door open and close. Without looking up, she called, “Would you like a beer while I’m digging?”

“Yeah, that would be great. Thanks,” Karl’s voice answered.

Straightening up, she handed two bottles to Karl as she bumped the fridge door closed with her hip. “Can you take one of these to Brad in the living room? I’m just going to put the finishing touches on dinner. The table’s already set. Go ahead and take your places.”

There was no sound from the living room as she dished up the fried chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes. She had herself convinced that Brad’s reticence was nothing more than hunger when she carefully carried the three plates into the dining room. Her heart fell again when she saw Brad and Karl sitting silently at opposite ends of the table. Brad was staring off into space, and Karl looked frustrated.

“What’s the matter?” Allie asked.

Karl just shook his head. Brad shrugged and mumbled, “Nothing.”

“Okay.” She looked from one to the other apprehensively as she set plates in front of them and took her own seat.

There was almost no sound as they began eating. Allie made an effort at conversation by asking a few questions about Brad’s day, but they only drew monosyllabic answers. Karl responded a little more openly, but there was a worried crease in his forehead, and he glanced frequently at Brad.

Finally Allie burst out, “I can’t stand this anymore. Brad, what the hell is the matter with you? You look like you’ve lost your best friend and someone kicked your dog.”

“Haven’t I?” he snapped, not raising his head to meet her gaze.

Allie was taken aback. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, my girlfriend is about to let another guy fuck her. Am I supposed to be thrilled about that?” He shot a quick, angry glare in Karl’s direction.

“No,
we
are about to let another guy fuck me. At least, that’s what we spent last night discussing and negotiating, as I recall. And now you’ve decided that it’s not okay?”

“Well, yes—I mean no. I don’t know. I guess it’s still okay.” He stared at his plate like a grouchy teenager that wasn’t exactly sure what he was mad about. Finally he said slowly, “It’s just that this is going to take some getting used to. I’ve been worried about it all day, and the closer it comes the more I think you’re just going to decide you like him better and that you don’t need or want me anymore. I love you, Allie, and I don’t want to lose you.” His face was red and uncomfortable as he finished.

“Babe, this is not about getting rid of you,” Allie said gently, trying to hang on to her patience. “It’s about us trying to see if we can grow and be even more than we are on our own. We agreed to see if adding these new elements to our relationship makes us stronger and closer than we were before. We both agreed that something was missing, didn’t we? Well, now is our chance to see if this is what that was.”

He sighed. “I know. I’m just nervous. I still don’t know how well I’m going to react when it finally happens. I never thought I would have to share you. But you’re right. Something has been missing, and I guess we have to see if this is it. I’m sorry I snapped at you.” He gave Karl an embarrassed glance, including him in the apology.

“We don’t have to do this tonight if you’re not ready, Brad.” Karl’s voice was carefully neutral, although Allie wondered if he was as annoyed as she would be if they had to start over.

“No, but thanks,” Brad replied and then added more briskly, “If we are going to try this, we might as well get started before I talk myself out of it.”

Allie stood up and waited until she had the attention of both the men at the table. Her men. Feeling a rush of arousal and determination, she said in her most aggressive voice, “Good. Then clear the dishes, and I will be back in a few minutes.”

She locked the front door and started up the staircase to her room. As she went she heard Brad remarking, “Well, this has certainly made her a lot more assertive than I’ve ever seen her. I hope that’s a good thing.”