Page 98 of Lesson In Honesty
Fifteen.
It was the longest time of his life.
The aftermath of Liam’s lesson was ingrained in Mack’s memory, a kind of beautiful poetry. How the Masters came together as soon as he’d recovered from his ball-twisting orgasmand retreated from the unconscious sub, taking hold of Sierra’s limp body and lifting her so Ford could release the rope harness from the hooks on the rigging.
Keeping her aloft as the Master deftly unfastened knots until black and green tendrils dangled to the carpet. In minutes, he’d unbound her, and Sierra was wrapped in a blanket, cradled in Liam’s arms.
Face slack and flushed, damp and warm, she’d looked ravished, exhausted, and astoundingly innocent, as though no matter what was done to her, she rose above it all to keep the kernel of inner purity unblemished.
Levi had graciously offered them the run of the house, and Mack had joined his lovers in the hot tub-sized bath to pamper Sierra from top to toe—he’d enjoyed the process of soaping her up, tracing every faint mark left from her bindings, restoring her physical form to clean and unsullied.
They’d commandeered Levi’s bed and been here ever since.
“Stop pacing,” Liam ordered gruffly. “Levi won’t be happy if you wear a track in his carpet.”
“Fuck the carpet,” Mack muttered, shooting the bed an unhappy glance. He honestly didn’t know how Liam was stretched out beside Sierra’s curled form, ankles crossed, arms behind his head, looking like the apocalypse wouldn’t move him. “She should be awake by now. Fifteen hours is coma territory, Liam.”
“She went through a Shibari scene and got fucked by five men shortly after an intense mental trauma, Mack. Exhaustion was the devil on her shoulder before we even started—something had to give.”
“How are you so calm about it?”
“Because she’ssleeping, Mack, not dying or slipping into a coma. She’s recovering and with any luck, healing. God knows she needs to heal.”
“Maybe I broke her.” Guilt savaged his heels, his heart. “Jesus, she was nearly sparked out when Ford finished. I should’ve called it quits and just—”
With a disgruntled sigh, Liam heaved his lanky body off the bed and stretched. Prowling barefooted toward Mack, he jabbed a finger at the space he’d just vacated. “Lay down next to her and close your eyes. Don’t argue—I know you’ve been up most of the night playing guardian. She’s not the only one exhausted.”
Shit, Mack thought he’d been sleeping and hadn’t noticed his nighttime stalk around the room. Besides, it wasn’t only Sierra who’d kept sleep from kicking in; he’d checked his emails and found several from his lead R&D manager that sent prickles of foreboding down his spine.
Christ, he didn’t have time to sleep now. Once he got a handle on what was happening in his company, he could maybe take an hour if Sierra was still in dreamland. “You know what? I’m going to go get some fresh air, clear my head. If she…”
“I’ll come get you if she wakes up,” Liam promised, slapping him gently on the shoulder. “You did nothing wrong, Mack. That last orgasm just wrenched the rug out from under her feet is all.”
“Just fucked her into a—”
“Say coma and I’ll kick your balls so high into your throat, they’ll replace your tonsils. We all played a part in breaking her down when she was already broken. It was necessary. Unorthodox,” he admitted, “but necessary. If anyone has to take the blame for what comes next, it’s me. My idea, my implementation. I took the risk.”
It wasn’t as simple as that, was it? Mack was just as complicit—he hadn’t come up with the idea, but he’d agreed with it. Helped set it in motion. Partaken in its execution. Liam’s risk becametheirrisk as soon as they tackled the situation together.
“Go take a break. Sierra isn’t going anywhere, and you’re starting to look slightly insane.” Liam gave him a hearty nudgetoward the door. “Maybe put some shoes on if you decide to go outside, otherwise you’ll be crazy and hypothermic.”
Mack glanced down at himself, grimacing. Bare feet, rumpled pants with the button undone, shirt wrinkled and open all the way down. He ran his hand over his face; yeah, the stubble was making an appearance.
Christ, if his staff saw him now, they’d wonder what the hell happened.
Rolling his eyes, he muttered sarcastically, “Yes, Daddy.”
“Careful,” Liam warned. “This Daddy swings both ways.”
Mack was beginning to contemplate whether that affliction was contagious. There was definitely something stirring and he couldn’t figure out what it was. “That’s not what worries me.”
“Falling in love with us isn’t the worst that could happen,” Liam pointed out, shrugging as though falling in love was an everyday occurrence. “Sierra guards her heart carefully and she’s already let you in; I’m pretty damn fond of you as well. This isn’t a one-way street where unrequited emotions die a tragic death.”
No, that sounded more like his family tree, Mack mused. Every time a new branch sprouted, the one it stemmed from turned black and withered into ash. He suddenly needed to know one thing. “Are you going to marry her?”
Liam grinned. “Do I look like a moron? Of course, I am.”
“Why not sooner?”