Page 17 of Piece Us Together
As my best friend since college, James Wells has been with me through many stupid decisions. So many, in fact, that his responses can usually be predicted. If it was a silly mess up, he’ll roll his eyes fondly and say, “You idiot.” If it was a decent mistake, he’ll widen his eyes, mumble, “Shit,” and then ask how he can help. If it was a straight fuck-up, he’ll give me his disappointed dom look, say, “You idiot” alotless fondly, and then proceed to get me drunk.
I expected the second or third.
This…isn’t even an option. He’s not following the script.What does that mean?
“I was thinking that they needed help,” I say honestly.
Or maybe not quite so honestly, which he’s totally aware of because he has an eyebrow raised at me, daring me to stick with the lie. I sigh.
“Okay, I was thinking that I want him.” I grab my glass of wine, wishing it was something much, much stronger. “And when I met Nolan, I was thinking I want him too. Want them both. Very much.”
“You goddamn idiot.”
Well…that’s at leastcloserto the script.
“I know.” I shrug, even though it’s nothing to shrug about. “But I think I know how to make it work.”
“Hunter,” Wells murmurs, his face entrenched in disappointment. “This boy—Nolan, yes?—he’s either going to pick you or the boyfriend. He can’t juggle the both of you, not forever. It’ll tear him apart. Where does that leave you? An asshole who broke up two men in love? Or the guy who didn’t get picked, left behind, heartbroken?”
He leans forward, eyes widening. “Or worse—Nolancanjuggle you both, and you get trapped in this. Trapped in a threesome where you’re nothing but a service dom. Where they love each other and no one loves you. Where you’re just scratching an itch, a stand-in, a fucking sex doll for all intents and purposes. Maybe you stay that way for years. For fuckingdecades. Because you fall in love and you can’t walk away. Maybe you never find your own submissive, you never find your own happy ending, because you’re too fucking busy giving them theirs. Is that what you want?”
It takes a few breaths and a gulp of wine for me to sort my thoughts out enough to respond. “I don’t have to give them my all. I can help them once or twice a month while having my own life. There are plenty of established relationships that bring in a dom or a sub once in a while. Look at Kayla and Max. Kayla is married to a completely vanilla man, a man who met Maxonce before the arrangement began, then never saw him again. They’ve been doing that for eight years and they’re all perfectly happy, as far as we know.”
“They sure are. Max also has a collared submissive that he’s engaged to now. He has someone for himself while providing a service for Kayla.” He tilts his head at me, eyebrows pulling in. “Are these men asking you to be exclusive? Are you able to have your own submissive while doing this?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t discuss it.”
I don’t think I want one, so it doesn’t really matter.
“And Max doesn’t have a thing for Kayla’s husband. He barely even knows him, as you pointed out. Are you saying your feelings for Maison wouldn’t make things more complicated?”
“I don’t havefeelingsfor him. For either of them. They just—there’s something about them, something I didn’t want to walk away from. But it’s not anything more. I barely know them.”
He raises his brow. Hisdombrow. I’ve seen him use it on subs for years. I’ve seen his current sub, Jax, melt completely beneath the power of it.
I finally understand why.
“I promised them I would help, Wells. You don’t understand. He needs this.”
“Them,” Wells says before tilting his head. “He.”
I shake my head. “What?”
“You promisedthemyou’d help.Heneeds this. Which is it?”
“I—” I stop. Drain my drink. Pour myself some more. “Okay. I met Maison first, as I said. It was clear he was about to self-destruct if he tried taking this on himself. It would ruin him, James. He needed someone to step in. And Nolan needs someone to give him what he needs so he doesn’t have to stuff it down until he’s miserable.”
“You think Nolan would be the first person to have to pick someone they love over kink? To settle for dirty fantasies when they masturbate and vanilla sex with their partner?”
“Not if he doesn’thaveto,” I growl. “If they can make it work adding a dom to their dynamic, then it’s worth a fucking shot, isn’t it? Besides, it’s not just sex for him, it’s lifestyle. Youknowthat’s much harder to put aside for love.”
“Andyouhave to be the dom who helps them?”
“Yes. They aren’t open to anyone else.” I think of the look on Maison’s face when I suggested it. The betrayal. The hurt. The desperate want, flickering beneath waves of confusion. “They want me.”
Wells whistles low, shaking his head. “Oh man, the way you justsaidthat. You’re in too deep already, aren’t you?”
I can’t answer that. I swallow hard instead, looking anywhere but at him.