The Silken Edge (Silken Edge 1) (15 page)

“Is that a promise?” The panic receded from her face, and she gave him a slow, sexy smile. He pulled her face to his and their tongues explored each other’s mouths slowly and sensually.

“It is. Now let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving.”

“Huh, I am too now that you mentioned it.”

They washed up and got dressed in the adjoining bathroom, which Kristy hadn’t noticed behind the open closet.

“Sorry, things didn’t go as planned. I wanted it to last longer, but it’s been a long time, and you felt so fucking good.” He pulled her close and kissed her on the top of her head.

“I’m not complaining. My ex used to fail me miserably, sometimes not even making me come once, never mind several times, and never one after another. Like I said, no complaints here.”

“And you were with Steven for how long?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Too long.” She shook her head.

They opened the bedroom door to find his sister sitting on the couch plugged into her iPod. Jake’s face turned red and his forehead crinkled. He walked up to Roxi and pulled the ear buds out of her ears. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m staying here with you. I would have left but my keys are in my purse, which is in your bedroom, and I wasn’t going in after it.”

“You could have gone for a walk, or went to the gym.” He spoke to her through his teeth.

“I took two walks, sat in the hall for awhile until my ass went numb, and my clothes for the gym are in your bedroom.”

Resigned, he sighed. “Whatever.” He looked through the window and noticed the sun high in the sky. “What time is it?” he asked, exasperated.

“Almost two,” Roxi said. “Yeah, you guys were in there through breakfast and lunch.”

“Longer than I thought,” he said, and winked at Kristy. Her cheeks flushed a deep red.

“What are you blushing at? Like I didn’t know what you guys were doing, and besides my iPod can only block out so much of your yelling and moaning. The whole gym downstairs probably heard. And I can’t pretend that either of you don’t have the freshly fucked look about you.” Roxi gave a shrewd shrug of her shoulders.

“Kristy, have you met Roxanne my sister? My rude, crass sister, because what you see is what you get.”

“Shut up
little
brother,” she retorted.

“Hey, fuck you.” He picked up a magazine and threw it at her, and things seemed back to normal for them.

“I thought you guys were twins?” Kristy pointed between the two of them.

“I
was born first.” Roxi stuck her tongue out at Jake.

“By a whole four minutes,” Jake said. He noticed Kristy smiling at their sibling banter, and she stood there looking beautiful as ever. He knew he’d never be able to resist her again after the morning they had together. She was his.

Back in her apartment, Kristy took a long, hot shower, talking to herself like a crazy woman. “Holy shit! Did I do what I think I just did?” She giggled manically. “I slept with young Jake! Mr. Gym Hardbody, and Master Jay. Holy fuck.” She leaned up against the wall feeling a little faint. “I slept with Master Jay.” She hugged herself tight.

She knew she couldn’t stay in there all day, so she shut off the water and grabbed a towel. Looking in the mirror, even though confused by her attitude and feelings, she swore she looked happier and healthier than she had in a long time.

The clock in her bedroom taunted her, and she needed to get dressed quickly. She was going out to dinner with Jake, Roxi, and Jonathan to a local Japanese restaurant, the kind where you sit on the floor to eat. So she opted for dark blue cotton Capri pants with a light blue short-sleeve button up blouse, and tied the outfit together with a cute pair of slip-on sandals. She let her hair air dry for a wavy look and applied minimal makeup.

Her stomach was in knots. How would things be with Jake from now on? Would he still want her? How was she supposed to act around him? Were they together, as in exclusive? She didn’t know, and the not knowing made her stomach flip.

A knock at the door alerted her that Jake had arrived, and made her feel slightly nauseous. “Just a minute!” Flying from the bedroom to answer the door, she saw Jake standing in the middle of her living room. Coming to a halt, she stared at him with wide eyes.

“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked. You never know who might walk in.” He lifted the corner of his lips in a sexy grin. “Come here, baby.” He held his arms open.

Her insecurities melted away and she ran to him wrapping around his body squeezing tight, and not letting go. “Whoa! What’s this all about?”

“I’m happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you too, but let’s get out of here before I bend you over the back of the couch.” He nodded to the black leather couch behind her. Her insides went to mush, and she moaned. “Let’s go…quickly.” He ushered her out
of the door.

She looked around the hallway. “Where’s Roxi and Jonathan?”

“They’ll meet us there.”

It was a five block walk from the gym. At first, they walked with his hand on her lower back, but then he dropped his hand and wrapped his fingers through hers. A smile spread across her face that she didn’t think would be leaving anytime soon.

When they arrived, removed their shoes, and walked through several wooden screens, they found the other two already seated on pillowed floor benches at the table. “Hi guys.” She tried to get their attention. They were clearly in a heated discussion. “Should we give you a moment?”

“No, just ironing out some wrinkles between the two of us.” Jonathan glared at Roxi.

“Sit, Kristy. It’s all right by me if you want to know our dirty laundry. I don’t care if you know what a dick he is.” She rolled her eyes. “If it’s okay with him.” She pointed at Jonathan.

“Really, I don’t care.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Go for it. Tell her.”

The waitress came over and took drink orders before their conversation continued. Kristy noticed a fish tank across the room and watched as the fish swam back and forth along the glass while she waited for someone to speak. The Japanese music filled the room, seemingly louder than before.

Jake took a deep breath and began the tale. “Roxi and Jonathan used to be an item. They were never far apart from one another; they would eat, sleep, and breathe each other. I never thought I’d see the day they’d part. It made me give up hope when they split up.”

It was obvious to Kristy that Roxi and Jonathan never knew how Jake felt. Their faces said it all, a combined mix of surprise and sadness.

“That’s when Jonathan really began to get into the BDSM scene, and Roxi didn’t mind it, but didn’t want it
all
the time and he did. It became a wedge in their relationship. The next thing I knew Roxi ran off five states away, and I haven’t seen her in over a year. Jonathan hasn’t talked to her in all that time. When she left, he severed all ties with her. I don’t think it’s what either of them wanted.”

The tense mood at the table turned somber. Luckily they were saved when the waitress brought their miso soup, and took the meal orders. After the waitress left, Roxi started in again.

“So, while you guys were having your fuckfest at Jake’s, Jonathan and I went and had a brief version of our own at his place. It was easier than talking.”

Kristy felt her eyes go big and round, and Roxi laughed out loud.

“What? I just thought you should know.” She lifted one shoulder in an awkward movement.

“Does this mean you guys are getting back together? Because I miss my sister, and I miss all of us hanging out together. It’s hard, after growing up together with the three of us being so close, and then not so close.” Jake put his hand over Roxi’s.

“No, it just means we fucked,” Jonathan spat.

Jake sighed and looked down to his cooling soup.

Kristy couldn’t take it anymore, and blurted out the first thing on her mind. “So you guys want to go back to my place and watch a movie after dinner?”

“Sure.” Roxi smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes.

A discussion of what movie to rent from the rental machine down the block ensued. It dawned on Kristy the oldies they were talking about weren’t what she would call an “oldie”. Feeling her age, she retreated from the conversation and averted her eyes to the napkin laid out on her lap.

Jonathan caught on before anyone else. “Hey, old lady! Stop it, now!”

Kristy’s head snapped up, and she began to smile.

Jake’s body went tense next hers and his voice rang loud. “What the
hell
did you just call her?”

Kristy’s hand went around Jake’s strong bicep. “Jake, please, it’s all right. Calm down. You're making a scene.”

“No, what he called you is
not
all right.” He started to stand but Kristy pulled on his arm and he settled back down. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is Jonathan, but you better back off. Fast. That was rude and disrespectful. We’ll discuss this later.”

Jonathan nodded, and Roxi looked stunned.

Kristy leaned over the table. “Look at me Jonathan. It’s okay, I got it and I needed to hear it. I won’t forget, but sometimes I need reminding. Thank you.” They shared an intimate gaze that must have lasted too long for Jake.

“Kristy?” In her peripheral vision, she could see that Jake was staring at her.

Without looking away from Jonathan, she responded. “Remember the intense session I told you about? Well, if it weren’t for Jonathan, I wouldn’t have had enough courage to be with you this morning. You should be thanking him, and not threatening him. What he said was his way of reminding me that age isn’t a factor.” She turned to look at Jake. “Please don’t give him a hard time over it.”

The four of them sat quietly for a few moments, everyone probably taking in and digesting the ever-changing subject for the evening. The food arrived a minute later, they began eating, and trivial discussions resumed amongst them.

Kristy scrunched up her nose at Jonathan when he took a bite of his fish sashimi, and he laughed at her. They shared another special moment and stared into one another’s eyes.

Kristy wasn’t surprised when Jake just couldn’t let things go. “Kristy, I still don’t get what happened in your session. Since then, you guys are acting…weird.”

Her head jerked up and she locked gazes with Jonathan again. He didn’t move or say a word, in fact, it looked like he stopped breathing all together. She set down her chopsticks, and flattened her palms on the table. “Should I tell him?”

He closed his eyes, and shook his head slowly. “It’s your call.” He opened his eyes.

Jake waited quietly and Kristy didn’t dare break eye contact with Jonathan. Clasping her hands together, she set them in her lap. “Well, as I said, the session was intense, so intense I—I experienced subspace.”

She heard Roxi gasp and Jake sat motionless and speechless. No one dared a word.

“Oh. I see,” said Jake. He proceeded to eat, as did everyone else. The rest of the meal was quiet with soft sounds of the Japanese music overhead.

On the way back to the gym, Jonathan and Roxi bowed out from the movie. He went home and she headed back to Jake's.

Kristy stood with Jake outside the gym as twilight faded to darkness. Maybe it was the dark that made Kristy brave. Pressing up against him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He only lifted a hand and placed it in the middle of her back. She leaned up to kiss him and he turned his head.

“I’m tired. Goodnight Kristy.” He pressed a small kiss to her cheek and went inside.

Kristy headed up to her place, alone. She wasn’t sure how she felt or how things were between her new friends. Did they all hate her now, and each other for that matter?

She readied for bed when she heard a soft knock at the door. She ran to it and looked through the peek hole. It wasn’t him, it was Roxi. She unlocked the door and let her in. They walked to the black leather couch and sat down.

“I want you to know, Jake is in a strange place. He isn’t talking so I can tell he needs you more than ever right now. You should go to him, but first I want to explain something to you.”

Kristy nodded.

“Jake has been sending women into subspace for years now. He has it mastered with his regulars, and he tried on several occasions to mentor Jonathan. I only know this because the guys always talked candidly around me. I don’t ever ask.” She waved her hand in the air. “I really don’t want to know, and can usually ignore them when they get into a pissing contest. But this subspace thing, apparently Jonathan has never helped any of his bottoms attain that level of pleasure before. So for you to be Jonathan’s first, as a newbie, and only days before you hooked up with Jake, it has my brother reeling. Jonathan would win the pissing contest this time, and probably always will. He would never boast about it, but it’s just hanging there, and they’re both aware of it.”

“What about you, how do you feel about me?” Kristy was afraid of the response coming her way.

“Honestly, I’m confused. I have no right to be jealous, but I am for some reason. I was the one who left town last year so I can only blame myself for not being with Jonathan now. I keep thinking it should have been me with him for his first subspace session. I love Jonathan, but we can’t ever be together. We just don’t work.” She adjusted on the couch, settling in. “But enough about me. You should go to Jake. Do you mind if I stay here? Then you guys can have some privacy.”