Page 2 of Master Heimdall

“Dinner is ready!” Erik bellowed.

Whatever she was thinking would have to wait. I was starving and couldn’t remember the last time I’d sat down to eat.

“Let’s go before Noah steals all the food.” I stood, scooping up Mari and placing her on her feet.

“Oh, come on, he’s not that bad. He’s too busy making sure Shelby eats to fill his own plate”—she sighed—“they are so adorable.”

I spared a look for Noah and his Middle. He was loading up her plate with dinosaur nuggets and spicy Asian noodles. I shook my head, not able to control my smirk. The two were perfect for each other.

“He really is a doting Daddy, isn’t he?” Mari’s voice held amusement, but I could almost hear an ache hiding in the words. Did she want a Little boy to dote on? As unlikely as that was from what I’d witnessed of her preferences, anything was possible. It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling a little jealous of our friends pairing up with their perfect mates.

Raia was kneeling on a cushion by the head of the table, waiting on Erik to feed her from his plate. I wanted to be happy for them, really I did, but it was hard. I wasn’t into the 24/7 lifestyle like them, but the closeness and connection that practically radiated from the pair was undeniable.

“Two, too many happy couples.” There was a sullenness to my tone. I filled my plate, doing my best to keep my feelings from registering on my face. I was happy for my friends. It was just hard seeing something I wasn’t sure I’d ever find come so easily to them. Before I could take a seat, Mari grabbed my arm.

“You need to get yourself under control. They deserve to be happy.”

“I know.”

I barely tasted the decadent food as my thoughts spiraled through my head. I was happy Erik had found what he was looking for in Raia. Unlike the rest of us, Erik had grown up poor. His family had immigrated to the United States from Norway when he was young, and he’d had to work hard to pay for even the most basic things in college.

If it hadn’t been for him, I’m not sure the eight of us would still be friends. It had been his idea to turn our frat parties into a business and treat them like a club with cover fees and entertainment. God knows how many laws we’d broken in the early days, but the money we’d brought in allowed Erik to quit his side jobs and brought us all closer together.

It was probably the first time I’d used my trust fund for anything important. The guys and I had provided the capital but the work was mostly him. He’d actually managed to break even on the very first party and soon had us making a profit. At the time, we’d tried to tell him he could keep it all, but he was insistent that we were partners and gave us a share.

So when we graduated, it was easy to continue the arrangement, this time with legal permits and much higher stakes. But our faith in him paid off nicely, and now I was part owner in three successful BDSM clubs: Midgard, Valhalla, and Asgard. Erik oversaw them, and to a degree, we all participated in some of the logistics, but mostly we just enjoyed the fruits of his labors.

It was those clubs that led him to meeting Raia. She’d worked as a server at Midgard. Ironically, Noah had also met Shelby at the club. It hadn’t been an easy road for either of the couples, but it had all worked out in the end. Maybe I needed to take a play out of their success books and make time in my schedule to spend relaxing at the club, and with any luck, also find a woman of my own.

Relaxing?

I snorted. Not that I had time for that. While the income from the clubs was nice and padded my accounts, my time was taken up by my own business. G&H Security was a passion project that had quickly taken over every moment of my life. I’d started the company with Lincoln and Colin, using our combined military experience to provide security and background checks for the clubs. It quickly morphed and had become one of the best private security firms in the country.

My skin tingled, alerting me to eyes on me. I glanced away from my plate to see Jared watching me. His expression was a blank mask that I liked to call his courtroom-lawyer face. Of all my friends, he was a mystery to me. He’d graduated top in his class not only in his four-year degree but also in law school. As far as I knew, he’d never actually worked as a lawyer. In all honesty, I had no idea what he did when he wasn’t with us.

Shelby slid onto Noah’s lap, snuggling her head against his chest. The man didn’t even miss a beat, pulling her close and continuing his conversation with Colin. The woman was usually a tiny fireball. If you had asked me a year ago if my friend would have paired up with someone like her, I would have laughed. But seeing her all cuddly made me understand what drew Noah in. While he’d been attracted to sweet baby girls, Shelby was a Middle who was into wearing leather pants and vintage clothing. I had no doubt she kept my friend on his toes. Noah whispered something in her ear, and I watched as she clenched her thighs, followed up by a huge grin.

“Are you open to a suggestion?” Mari’s question startled me out of my thoughts.

I put my fork down and took a sip of my drink, trying to gather my thoughts. “I’m sorry, what suggestion?”

Mari rolled her eyes and I chuckled. If I didn’t know her better, I would think she was a brat trying to get attention by prodding me into blistering her backside.

“Your work issue. I know someone.”

I grimaced. Mixing work with friends wasn’t usually a good idea. “And you think they would be a good fit?”

“Yes, though I’m thinking you don’t have many options unless you’re going to steal one of them?” She nodded in Raia and Shelby’s direction.

My bark of laughter startled even me. “I don’t think they would be a good fit. Besides, you know I don’t steal from friends, but I do enjoy watching.”

Enjoy was an understatement. Not that I’d had much opportunity lately. Though I usually preferred to watch things a little less PG-13.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you with anyone, I’d almost forgotten your kink.”

She wasn’t the only one. With missing my shifts at the clubs and pouring everything into my company, I hadn’t played with anyone in what seemed like forever. Porn wasn’t the same thing as live entertainment, especially when I could direct and control the scene. My cock thickened at the idea of finding time to watch and show off a willing sub. The last time I’d played with any consistency, had been with my previous play partner, Eloise and that had been… oh shit, eighteen months ago?

“Not a surprise. Tell me about your suggestion, Mari.” Maybe talking about work would help me forget the pathetic state of my sex life.