Merrick
The question, asked in that timid voice, made him smile.
Obviously, the extent of what they’d just done hadn’t sunk in yet—in all honesty, he was still blinded by the volume of trust she’d given him over the last hour or so. He hated seeing her afraid, hated putting her in that position, but this time it seemed to have paid off.
Whether it would next time remained to be seen.
Setting her feet back into the supports, he raised the backrest into a sitting position. “What happened is, you earned another reward, little owl.”
Blanching, eyes huge and round, she shook her head vehemently. “If you make me come again, I’ll die, Sir. Literally. I will be dead, Sir. Dead .”
Well, one thing was for sure, she’d definitely learned her lesson when it came to honorifics. He needed to let Mack know that the modified anal speculum his company had designed was not only easy to use, but highly effective.
“Aftercare, darlin’. I’m talking about lots and lots of aftercare.” Stroking her thigh, he picked up a blanket from the bottom shelf of the rolling table and shook it out, draping it over her; he wasn’t quite ready to clean her up, not when that sweet little asshole looked so pretty with his cum leaking out. “Nobody’s dying tonight.”
Her huge sigh of relief made his lips twitch.
Grabbing a handful of wipes, he tidied himself up enough to hitch his pants back into position and fasten his belt. He checked all the equipment he’d used was on the tray, then slid the whole thing into a Ziplock bag ready to go for sterilization when the cleaning crew arrived; the disposable stuff was shoved into the trash can.
Gathering her clothes, sneakers, and sling into a pile, he carried them over to Fordham and dropped them in his lap. “Redeem yourself.”
“Sorry, Merrick. She caught me off-guard with that comment.” Chagrined, he rubbed a hand over his nape. “It was unprofessional; I’ll apologize when she’s not drooling into her blanket.”
Frowning, Merrick glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, in the last thirty seconds, she’d succumbed to exhaustion, curling up in the chair with the blanket pulled up to her chin. “Might’ve pushed her too hard.”
“Could be you pushed her just hard enough.”
“No thanks to you.”
Fordham chuckled and laid his forearm on the clothes. “Come on now, let’s not be modest. It’s all thanks to me and you know it—you’d have been jacking off in the shower if she’d convinced you to take her home. Some subs need their Dom to stand up and do everything in their power to make her face her fear head on, otherwise they’ll just shy away from it again and again. Tamsyn’s one of them.”
Merrick grunted. “Tamsyn’s issues are a very fine line to walk, Ford. If I shove her too hard, she’ll break.”
“Don’t shove her hard enough, she’ll be afraid for the rest of her life.” Flicking his fingers toward the table, he continued, “That was a productive scene, for both of you. We can be too close to the picture to see it clearly, miss the vital details. I like monitoring scenes because I get to read the players, Merrick. I get to see the big picture unravel in real time.”
Too tired and edgy to play word games when he wanted Tamsyn on his lap in a quiet space, Merrick folded his arms over his chest.
“All I’m saying is don’t be afraid to challenge her; she’s gutsy enough to handle you if you give her the confidence. Trauma doesn’t make her weak, Merrick. Being treated like she’s fragile every time she catches her breath will do that.”
All right, his friend had a point. Tamsyn had fired up when Ford accused her of being a coward for wanting to go home, inciting her temper enough she’d stripped without thinking about it. If she was pushed, truly challenged, what kind of submissive would he have on his hands?
Fiery. Passionate. Sassy.
The confidence would come—it was already flourishing like a seedling burrowing through decades of rotten undergrowth. She thrived the more he touched her, taking each experience and learning from it; learning about herself and her needs, as well as his.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what she’d picked up from today?
“I’ll take it under advisement,” Merrick replied gruffly.
Fordham stifled a grin as he rose, the bundle of clothing in his arms. “You do that, big guy. Should you ever decide to expand her boundaries with some two-on-one, sign me up. There’s something about a sub with no filter on her expressions that’s strangely arousing.”
Because she couldn’t hide anything from her Dom, Merrick thought smugly. Not a damn thing. Pleasure, fear, pain, apprehension, arousal… she was an open buffet for men like them, feeding their desire for control and their intrinsic urge to protect.
“Don’t think she’s keen on exploring that far. I’ll suggest it, but that’s all I’ll do.”
“I won’t hold my breath. Need a hand with anything here?”
“No. I’ll get her cleaned up and bring her over in a few minutes.”
“I’ll order the drinks; you look like you’re ready for one.” Chuckling, Fordham elbowed him in the ribs before making his exit.
Merrick shook his head. It was good having friends who understood him.
Friends who were willing to step in, help, offer insight when they thought it necessary.
Evander’s dream was having a club where the membership was family. In Merrick’s eyes, the boss was doing a damn good job of achieving that dream, slowly but surely. It wasn’t immediate—nothing came of rushing bonds like that—but on a whole, they were all beginning to form those ties.
Returning to Tamsyn’s side, he ran the back of his fingers down her cheek, enjoying the way her cheek lifted into the caress. “Not sleeping, little owl. Faking it.”
She struggled to keep her face relaxed, but it only took a few seconds for a sweet, playful smile to curve her lips. When her eyes opened, however, they were hazy with fatigue. “ Trying to sleep, Sir. Too much talking.”
He snorted. “You were eavesdropping.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Of course you weren’t. So you didn’t hear me tell Fordham we’ll arrange a threesome next week?”
A muscle under her eye twitched. “You didn’t.”
Gently, he rolled her onto her back, folding the blanket up over her waist. “He’s taken with you, darlin’. But then, you know that already. Legs open, little owl,” he ordered, tapping her thigh lightly, pleased when she let them fall to the sides. A soft growl rumbled in his throat. “Look at you. Freshly fucked and pretty as a picture.”
Hot color exploded up her chest and neck to stain her cheeks with embarrassment.
He wondered how red she’d become if he pulled out his phone and took a photo or ten as keepsakes.
“M-Maybe I should take a shower.”
“Oh no, darlin’.” He traced her puffy labia reverently, ignoring the stir of interest from his cock. “Gonna clean you up and take you for some quiet time. Next time, however…”
What was it about her that made his caveman instincts swell and erupt? Dabbling in his own cum wasn’t one of his kinks, but he wanted to paint it over her skin until everyone in the vicinity knew she belonged to him. A consequence of being in love, maybe?
Taking a handful of wipes, he tended to her pussy first, paying attention to every crease and fold. She stiffened slightly, finally relaxing with a soft moan that sounded more like a contented purr. Her clit was still sensitive; even the lightest touch jerked her hips.
She tried to clench her ass when he moved down to deal with the mess he’d made there, angling her hips defensively. Her kitten moans turned into hissing, spitting growls of warning.
He dragged his finger down to circle her abused anus, dipping the tip inside the swollen ring to dab at the trickle of semen still visible. “This is such a waste, isn’t it? A plug would solve that.”
“Merrick—”
Dabbing at the evidence with the wipes, he admired his handiwork. She was going to need a few days rest from anal play, otherwise she’d never let him in there again. “I’ll get you some ibuprofen, little owl, once you’ve had a snack. I’ve got some cream at home that will help with the soreness. When you shower and get ready for bed, I’ll put some on.”
“My butt appreciates the offer, but no, thank you, Sir.”
Amusement rippled through him. “Do we need to discuss prerogative again?”
“My butt would like to point out that your prerogative resulted in an incredibly large offensive weapon being repeatedly rammed into my…” She trailed off with an adorable frown, then threw her hands up. “Butt.”
“Rectum,” he supplied, keeping an impossibly straight face.
“Whatever. It would like some alone time to sulk.”
With a snort, Merrick tossed the wipes in the trash, then flipped the blanket back down. He crossed over to the sink to wash his hands thoroughly. “Is it going to sulk every time I fuck it?”
“I imagine so.”
As water rinsed away the suds on his hand, he glanced at her over his shoulder. “I’m very proud of you, Tamsyn, you know that, right? Not just for handling tonight as well as you did, but for using your safeword. I like knowing you’ll stand up when you hit your limit.”
“My butt—”
“No,” he said sternly, switching off the tap and snagging a towel from the counter. Methodically drying his hands, he turned to rest against the edge. “Your butt doesn’t have a voice, darlin’. You do, and you used it tonight. Some subs have difficulty utilizing a safeword, believing their Dom will be upset if the scene halts temporarily, or even ends if needs be. That reluctance is dangerous.”
“Would you…”
He waited for a minute, hoping she’d finish the question, but she started worrying her lip between her teeth instead. Sighing, he tossed the towel into the laundry basket in the corner and walked back to her. “Would I have been angry if you wanted to end the scene?”
Tamsyn nodded.
“No. If I was doing something that you absolutely hated to the point you couldn’t bear it anymore, or was hurting you to the brink of harm, I’d damn well expect you to call it quits, little owl.” He slid his hand around the back of her neck; he couldn’t help but touch her when she was in reach. “Don’t think I don’t understand or appreciate what you gave me tonight. I was rough, and I deliberately scared you more than once. There’s no shame in saying your safeword when you need it; I’ll never reprimand you for it.”
She exhaled quietly, her relieved eyes meeting his. “Okay.”
“Anything else you need to talk over before we go chill out and cuddle?”
Oh, she perked right up at the mention of cuddles, didn’t she? She sat up, the blanket sliding down to her waist, and lifted her arms around his neck, evidently ready to settle down and process the evening properly.
Merrick laughed and tugged the blanket away, letting her plaster herself against him before wrapping it around her back. Hitching her on his hip, her head settling into its rightful place on his shoulder, felt like the perfect ending to the scene.
*
It was a full house tonight—Evander, Elias, and Callie were here, along with Grit and Tabitha, Sierra and Mack, and Jasper and Anarchy. Conversation was in full swing, which barely took a hitch in stride when Merrick and Tamsyn joined them.
Sliding into the largest booth near the bar, Merrick dragged his little owl down on his lap, thoroughly enjoying her squirming. Fordham and Levi were to his right; the former nudged a short glass with a finger’s worth of scotch across the table, followed by a bottle of water.
Callie took one look at Tamsyn and immediately frowned at Merrick. “It’s too cold out there to be carrying naked people around, Master Merrick.”
An adult Callie was a rarity nowadays. Comfortable in her Little skin, doted on by two fierce Daddies, the majority of her time in and out of the club was spent causing chaos.
She’d proven, however, to be equally as fierce herself when defending fellow subs.
“Is it? I didn’t notice.” Eyebrow raised, he stared her down. Of course, he had noticed, which was why he’d rushed over from the medplay building before Tamsyn got a chill.
“Yes, it is. Daddy Vander bought me a onesie; you should get one. It has booties and mittens, so when it’s really cold, I’m all snuggly.” Turning to her monstrously large husband, she said, “Daddy, tell Master Merrick where you got my onesie so he can get Tamsyn one, too.”
Big, blond, and besotted with his wife, Evander glanced at Merrick apologetically. “I’ll give you the website if you want. Don’t feel obliged.”
Ignoring him, Callie continued, ticking points off on her fingers. “There’s pink, and blue, and yellow like a buttercup. Oh, and one has ducklings!”
Sierra’s eyes lit across the table. “Ducklings?”
“Ducklings!”
When the girls squealed in tandem, Tamsyn flinched at the noise and snuggled deeper into Merrick’s chest. He’d learned that when she was tired, truly exhausted, she became sensitive to sound, as though her brain couldn’t handle any added stimulation.
Callie’s suggestion, however, wasn’t a bad one. As Callie’s attention veered away into an animated discussion on ducklings with Sierra, Merrick jerked his chin at Evander, keeping his voice low. “These onesies, are they soft?”
“Ridiculously. Fluffy, too.”
“Text me with the link.” He liked the idea of her being warm and cozy after a scene; an aftercare onesie fit the bill.
“No problem. We’re working on rectifying the exposure issue between play areas—Denver winters are something we underestimated. Eli’s slotted time in at the next staff meeting to discuss it, but while we’re here, have you got any thoughts?”
Merrick picked up the bottle of water, twisting off the cap as he constructed his answer in a way that wouldn’t offend his boss. Evander and Eli were friends every bit as much as employers; crapping on their dream didn’t benefit anyone. “It’s a flaw, you know that. Ideal in good weather, but snow, rain, wind… it’s problematic.”
Elias’s interest in a conversation between Grit, Jasper, and Mack waned, switching to Merrick instead. He was the dominant husband out of the pair, Evander’s righthand man in business. “Problematic?”
“The external pathways,” Evander explained.
“Ah, yes. Problematic indeed.”
“Here, little owl,” Merrick murmured, tapping the bottle against her lips. “Drink up.”
With a soft mewl of protest, she opened her mouth. After the first couple of sips, she laid her hand on his wrist and drank obediently, slowly chugging the entire bottle.
“Your current options seem to be limited—covered walkways are the obvious choice. It would be a maze, given how spread out the club is. Glass is probably gonna be the way forward; one of the main draws for a lot of the clients, from what I’ve heard, is the access to nature, especially for those who work long hours indoors. They enjoy the fresh air, the natural light. Losing that access won’t damage your volume of foot traffic, but it would disappoint some of the membership.”
Setting the empty bottle down, he wiped a drop of water from Tamsyn’s lip, then pressed a kiss to her head. The quiet sigh of contentment she gave him in return was worth everything. “Another option would be tunnels, but that’s gonna cause disruption for months. Not to mention the safety aspects, structural and security concerns.”
At the mention of tunnels, Anarchy’s head popped up, followed by Tabitha’s. While a predatory expression crossed over Tabitha’s face, there was a flash of fear on Anarchy’s.
Intriguing.
“Not a member,” she said hurriedly, “but I vote no on tunnels.”
Evander smiled at her. “All of Avalon’s Masters are members here too, Archie. You’re welcome anytime, and your opinions are valid.”
The smile she offered didn’t reach her eyes, which was unlike her. She was a vibrant, bubbly brat ninety-nine percent of the time from what Merrick had seen. “Tunnels are bad. Horrible things happen in them.”
Jasper curled his arm around her shoulders, his hand gripping her throat lightly. Light glinted off his wedding band as he whispered something in her ear that made her relax. There was a similar glint in his eyes when he regarded Merrick, then flicked his gaze toward Sierra. “I’ll tell you the story one day. It’s long and complicated. My kitten is right, though—tunnels probably aren’t the best choice.”
Tabitha’s grin was cunning, slightly… demented. “Unless you like to go hunting.”
A shiver ran down Merrick’s spine; he wrapped his arms a bit tighter around Tamsyn. He didn’t think Grit’s submissive was talking about stalking a deer or a goddamn turkey; knowing what he knew about her now, it was fucking weird to think she hunted people for a living—pedophiles, murderers, rapists, the scum of the earth, but people nonetheless.
“Don’t freak everyone out, little tiger.” Grit sipped his beer.
“But it’s fun.”
“For no one but you,” he admonished.
She rolled her eyes, leaning into him with a huff.
“Walkways might be the way forward,” Merrick continued as though the brief detour hadn’t happened. “Some of the other Masters might have ideas; asking the regular clients would be smart, seeing as they’re the ones you’re catering to at the end of the day.”
“We’ll take it under advisement. Thanks, Merrick.” Evander tilted his head in Tamsyn’s direction. “I spoke to a couple people this afternoon about that other matter we discussed. Explained the situation and the likelihood that there’ll be more like Tamsyn heading in their direction. Eli and I have talked about it, and we’ve put forward a proposal to the relevant departments about funding the operation.”
“It’s an operation now?”
“It will be once the others have been liberated. Tamsyn’s been fortunate—she found her way here, she met you. You’ve been integral in her healing and integration into society, and she’ll have your continued support for the rest of her life.” Dark eyes turning a little distant, Evander tapped his fingers on the table in an out of character sign of agitation. “The other women in that compound, the children, are not going to have that advantage. The majority are not going to have homes or families to return to, or a safe place to hide once they’re removed from everything they know.”
“My husband has a soft heart,” Eli commented, reaching over to lay his hand on Evander’s solid forearm. “Tamsyn’s situation is a reminder of how fortunate we are—successful businesses, a home, each other. We have the resources and connections to make the community victims’ transition back to reality a smoother one.”
“Someone will be in touch with you about Tamsyn’s paperwork. Once it’s completed, she should be fast tracked for official documentation—it’s part of the deal we’ve put together. We will pay for the community women and children to be documented—all through legal channels once the deal is approved—and relocate them to safe houses across the state, further if they need more distance. We’ll provide medical care, psychologists, and help them with their educational needs. Everything they require to get back on their feet will be offered until they have the resources to make their own lives.”
Merrick’s jaw dropped. “That could cost you thousands, Evander. Hundreds of thousands.”
Unperturbed, the big guy just shrugged. “Current estimate is into the million mark. Until we have exact survivor figures, the numbers are flexible. It doesn’t matter; I’m a self-made man who is fucking lucky with the cards I’ve been dealt.” His eyes drank in Callie with utter devotion. “I have more money than I can spend, and once my father finishes arguing with God and drags his sorry ass off this mortal coil…”
Elias snorted. “Van’s the heir to one of the biggest chocolate empires in the world. Although he hates the notion, when his father dies, he stands to become a billionaire.”
Merrick glanced at the bowl of chocolate drops in the middle of the table, plucking one with a raised eyebrow. “One of yours?”
“For all my father’s faults, he knows how to pick excellent chocolatiers.”
Huh. Who would’ve guessed?
Unwrapping the small chocolate, Merrick pressed it to Tamsyn’s lips. “Open, darlin’.”
Grumbling sleepily, she parted her lips wide enough for him to slip the drop onto her tongue, then her eyes opened, filling with pleasure as the flavor hit her taste buds. Her quiet moan of appreciation perked his cock up.
“Are you gonna save the world, Evander?” Merrick mused.
Was that a flare of heat in his cheeks beneath that blond beard? “I don’t want or need credit for it. The system is slow and corrupt; too many people in need slip through the cracks. We have the means to help, so why not start with those who are close to someone we care about?”
Oblivious to the conversation, Tamsyn tipped her head back, smacking her lips until Merrick supplied another treat. Humming happily, she closed her eyes again, sucking on the chocolate this time.
“Well, I guess this is as good a time as any then.” Lifting his glass, he waited for the others to catch on, bringing the entire group together. “A toast. To men with big wallets, bigger hearts, and the vision to create a family from scratch. To Evander and Elias.”
Callie squealed and enthusiastically clanked her glass of juice against the others. “Daddies!”
“To Evander and Elias,” the group repeated, followed by a lot of clinking glasses.
Merrick tossed back his drink, set the glass down, then peered down at Tamsyn. Her eyes were at half-mast, her lips curved in a beatific smile. The body he’d put through hell earlier was loose, relaxed, conforming to the contours of his while her hand kneaded his chest.
She was going to be his wife.
Thanks to Evander’s generosity, that blessed event wouldn’t take months while they waited for paperwork and red tape, bureaucracy and regulations. With any luck, it might only be weeks, if not days.
The sooner the better as far as he was concerned. He wanted a ring on her finger, his life bound to hers, with their future stretching in front of them for years to come.
There was just one more hurdle standing in his way.