“I’d love to be able to hear what you’re thinking, Ayasha. Your emotions play over your face like a marquee, but knowing how you’re feeling doesn’t tell me what brought it on.”

  Oh, damn.

  “I hope I’m not that easy to read. That wouldn’t make me very mysterious, would it?” She wasn’t very adept at flirting, but the heat in his eyes told her she wasn’t a complete failure, either.

  Taz stepped closer and stared down at her. His arms crossed over his chest and his legs spread shoulder width apart making him look more like a Greek God than the owner of a kink club. Holy hat racks, talk about intimidating. “If you think subs are allowed secrets, we haven’t done a very good job training you. Perhaps you are need of a little refresher?”

  Uh oh. She’d been grateful they hadn’t made her repeat the club’s mandatory training when she’d returned, but now it looked like her luck might be running out.

  Who was she kidding? The fact they’d rehired her had been an enormous blessing. There wasn’t a chance in hell she would complain about having to retake the class. She hoped they’d let her fit in around her working schedule, though…damn, she really couldn’t afford to miss any work.

  “Okay. I guess that’s fair. When is the next class? Can I still work until then? I really need this job. Maybe I could work extra hours to make up for those I’d miss to attend the training sessions? All of my limits are still the same. Nothing’s changed there, so that should make it easier, right? You aren’t going to fire me, are you?” Kodi was working herself up into a genuine “tizzy” as her dad used to say. But the whole thing felt like she’d pushed a snowball off a mountain. Once she’d started talking, everything just kept getting bigger and faster. And the worst part was both men were staring at her like she’d lost her mind. Yes, indeed, that’s not out of the realm of possibilities considering what a cluster-fuck your life has been the last couple of years.

  For the first time in recent memory, Nate found himself struggling to process what the sub in front of him had said. He and Taz both prided themselves on their ability to sense where things were going during a scene. Their intuitive abilities ordinarily allowed them to stay several steps ahead of the woman they were topping. But Kodi had so totally missed Taz’s point it had blindsided him. From the look on Taz’s face, he hadn’t fared much better.

  “I have to give you credit, sweetness; you’ve rendered Master Nate speechless. Hell, I can’t remember the last time that happened.”

  Nate wasn’t sure Kodi would hear the amusement in Taz’s voice, but he certainly hadn’t missed it. Shooting a quelling look at his younger brother, Nate watched Taz’s eyes dance with mirth. Asshole.

  Taz tilted his head, turning his face back to the Kodi, a slow grin tugging up the corners of his mouth. “No, Kodi, you are not being fired. And, I had something else in mind for your refresher course.”

  Nate had taken her left hand, holding it between his own much larger mitts, his thumb brushing over her wrist in slow, teasing circles. Her pounding pulse told him she was excited, and he was thrilled with how perfectly her body was responding to them. She wasn’t trying to pull back, so he knew she wasn’t afraid—apprehensive, yes—but he could live with that. Hell, he preferred a certain level of trepidation, because it enhanced the senses—ensuring the sub absorbed every nuance of a scene. And even though they weren’t going to fuck her tonight, Nate was sure even as inexperienced as Kodi was, she’d be aware things had shifted between them. She might be inexperienced, but she’d worked in the club long enough to recognize a scene when she saw one.

  “Wha…what do you mean?” Her eyes were the color of rich milk chocolate and getting darker by the minute as her body’s sexual responses kicked into high gear. Oh yeah, she definitely felt the same zing with Taz she’d experienced with him earlier. Nate’s gifts weren’t as strong as his brother’s. He needed touch to connect, and even then, it was a rare person he could tune in to. He could hear bits and pieces of her frantic worry about losing her job, and that wasn’t the direction he wanted this discussion to go.

  “Stop worrying about losing your job, Ayasha. We’ve already assured you that you are not being fired. We won’t ever lie to you.” When she dropped her chin to her chest, looking at the place where his hands held hers safely nestled between his own. Nate could sense her confusion. She didn’t understand why the small gesture made her feel secure. He got the odd feeling she was trying commit the feeling to memory. Years of Special Forces missions had shown him how uncertain the future was; but knowing Kodi was experiencing uncertainty on such an emotional level made him want to wrap her in his arms, shielding her from the world.

  Nate lifted her chin until she was forced to meet his gaze. “You and I both felt something downstairs, pet. What my brother and I want to do is explore that something. Let’s find out where it leads. Desire shines in your eyes, but you have to be brave enough to take a chance.”

  “It takes courage to set your fears aside and go after what you want, Kodi.” Taz paused for a minute, letting the subtle truth of his challenge sink in. “Nate’s right. We won’t ever lie to you, but we won’t always tell you everything we’re planning, either. There are times when anticipation of the unknown amplifies response. It’s a powerful aphrodisiac for many subs.” Taz knelt in front of her, taking her right hand and enclosing it in the same way Nate held her left. “My brother and I are attending a play party at the Morgan’s on Saturday. We’d like for you to go with us. It will give us a chance to spend some time together.”

  Nate knew why Taz hadn’t touched Kodi until this moment. Once his brother made any kind of skin to skin contact with someone, he often felt the connection for a long time—even if he didn’t want to. Sheltering her delicate hand between his own told Nate how interested Taz was in Kodi. Nate felt her response the instant their hands touched—the spark of electricity between them had been strong enough to carry through to him.

  They’d never dated any of the subs who worked for them for a reason. In a regular business, a relationship between an employee and the boss was a bad idea—in a kink club, it was a short road to disaster. Nate and Taz had also agreed they wouldn’t spend time outside the club with subs they played with to keep them from being misled. They seemed to be batting a thousand today with rule breaking. But the older they’d gotten, the less they played—it was as if they somehow sensed they were close to finding their one.

  Nate watched his brother’s brow furrow, but the small tell disappeared so quickly he wondered for a few seconds if he’d imagined it.

  Kodi took a deep breath before answering—her voice so soft he could barely hear her. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I’m not really…well, what I mean is, I’m not very good at socializing, so parties aren’t that much fun for me. It wasn’t something my parents encouraged, so I just didn’t ever master the whole small talk thing. Besides, I’m not even sure what happens at a play party.”

  Now Nate was frowning. too. Even without any special gifts, he’d have been able to see she was lying. When he looked at Taz, Nate saw the flicker of annoyance in his eyes. Oh yeah, she is definitely going to pay for that whopper later.

  Taz didn’t ordinarily allow subs to lie to him, particularly when it was so blatantly obvious. Hell, he certainly hadn’t needed any of his gifts to see the longing look that flashed in her eyes when he first mentioned the party. Her story about not enjoying social events was clearly a cover—but for what? He’d bet his half of the club she was no different from most women. She probably loved parties, even if most of the men he’d ever talked to avoided regular parties like the plague. But this wasn’t an ordinary party—not by any stretch of the imagination.

  After listening to Doms and fellow soldiers grumble about social occasions for years, Taz had come to a few conclusions. Married men attended social functions because they knew their wives loved them and getting laid was a sure bet when their women were happy. Guys with girlfriends avoided them, if possible, because they felt it gave their women ideas about ownership. Single men attended for the free booze and access to happy women. Everyone knew hostesses invited all their single friends. Those ladies were also enjoying the free bar, so it usually worked well for everyone. What he didn’t know was why Kodi would deny herself the chance to attend a party when he could sense how much she wanted to go.

  “Tell me the real reason you don’t want to go, sweetness. Let me remind you we are still in the club, even if we aren’t downstairs. We don’t consider our living space part of the club, but the rest of the building—including this office—is subject to all the same rules pertaining to honesty as you’d follow in the main room or one of the private playrooms.” He saw her eyes widen when she realized the implication of his words. She’d signed several documents as part of her employment contract with the club. One of those was a standard membership agreement complete with all the usual requirements for honesty and full disclosure.

  Their employment and membership contracts were plainly written to avoid any misunderstandings. He knew the rule about honesty was easy to understand. Ironically, it was also one of the rules Dominants and submissives had the most trouble adhering to. It was difficult to force people to be honest with themselves and their peers when the club’s kink community struggled even more to accept themselves than their straight vanilla counterparts.

  Society imposed an absurd number of norms on adult sexuality, which was an oxymoron if you asked Taz. How could anyone determine what was normal or appropriate for another person to enjoy? He believed the only taboos in adult sexual behavior were those that were nonconsensual or hurt someone else in a way not designed to bring both parties pleasure. Anything else between consenting adults was fair game.

  Nate studied Kodi with an intensity Taz had never seen before. His brother’s dark eyes were completely focused on her, but there wasn’t any censure in his gaze, only curiosity. “Let me tell you what I see, Ayasha. Maybe it will open the door to your honesty.” Nate waited for her to nod her agreement before continuing. “I see a beautiful woman who appears to be as attracted to us as we are to her. I think there is a simmering cauldron of desire bubbling just below the surface, but for some reason, you don’t think you deserve the fulfillment the lifestyle could give you. You’ve chosen to work in a kink club because it lets you experience Dominance and submission in a way that feels safe—even if it’s only a shadow of what it could be.”

  Taz saw her eyes fill with tears. Nate’s observations had obviously been accurate. He knew from experience it was hard to hear the truth when you already felt like you weren’t doing your best. “It doesn’t have to be like that, sweetness.” He saw her eyes widen and watched her pupils dilate. Perfect. He’d piqued her interest. “But first, tell us why you lied about not wanting to go out with us.” Taz deliberately rephrased their invitation—maybe he was playing dirty by pointing out she’d turned down a date with her bosses, but at this point, he didn’t care. Whatever was holding her back, he and Nate would help her work through it.

  Grasping her hand, he felt the sudden surge of emotion flowing through her. It was so strong he was certain it had come from the depths of her soul. She was filled with yearning but embarrassed because she didn’t have anything appropriate to wear. Of all the potential entanglements he’d considered, a dress hadn’t even made the list. Damn, it had been too long since he’d had a steady girlfriend if he hadn’t at least considered the possibility.

  Fuck me. There isn’t any way to approach this without causing her further humiliation. He suddenly understood the aghast looks Doms got when they lectured subs about embarrassment not having any place in a D/s relationship. When she dropped her gaze to her lap, Taz tugged on the collar of his shirt and mouthed nothing to wear to Nate. His brother’s nod was almost imperceptible before his smile turned wicked.

  Nate looked inordinately pleased the problem was so easily handled. Taz knew his brother loved nothing more than taking a woman shopping. Nate swore the smell of new clothes was an aphrodisiac to most women and dressing room sex was some of the best anyone could experience. “It’s all those mirrors, little brother.” Taz accompanied Nate on a few of his expeditions, but personally, he didn’t see the appeal of fucking a woman when she was more worried about drawing unwanted attention than soaring over the moon. “If she’s thinking about anything but her pleasure, you’re doing it wrong,” was Nate’s often repeated response.

  When they were teens, Taz had been busy attending every martial arts class his dad could enroll him in. Taz had been a trouble magnet in school, and their dad had insisted he channel all that excess energy into a variety of self-defense disciplines. At the same time, Nate had been learning the finer points of retail debauchery. The real irony was Nate’s already impressive flirting quickly became world class seduction skills.

  Nate would make it a shopping experience unlike any other Kodi had known, but he wouldn’t fuck her. It was important to establish a strong bond as a triad before making love one-on-one to a woman they planned to share. However, if Nate felt the same pull with Kodi he was feeling, it wouldn’t hurt to remind him they needed to take her together the first few times.

  Shaking off how far ahead of himself he’d gotten, Taz looked at Nate and wanted to groan at the look on his brother’s face. Damn. He recognized that look even though he hadn’t seen it in a long while. Anytime Nate was listening in on Taz’s thoughts, he’d get a knowing look that told Taz he’d been made.

  Chapter Five

  Kodi looked between the two club owners who’d been starring in her romantic fantasies since before she’d even met them. She wasn’t sure if her brother’s stories had painted the two of them as heroes or if her young, romantic heart had filled in the blanks. But she’d heard the admiration in her older brother’s voice whenever he talked about them, and her overactive imagination had always envisioned them as her personal knights in shining armor. But the reality she’d found when she walked into Mountain Mastery all those months ago had been so much more delicious.

  Now she was at a total loss. How was she supposed to interpret the knowing looks passing between them? She was sure there had been some sort of silent communication, and whatever it was didn’t seem likely to bode well for her. Her lack of experience with men would be glaringly obvious to these two experienced Doms in thirty seconds flat if she didn’t figure out what was going on.

  What do you expect? You’re a virgin pretending to be an experienced submissive. You’ve used your brother’s stories to fuel your childish fantasies of who Nate and Taz Ledek are…without paying particular attention to the facts. And you’re working in a kink club where it’s impossible to think about anything other than sex, because you’re surrounded by it four nights a week. Oh yeah, she was surrounded by sex alright. Hot, seductive, scream-the-walls-down, mind-altering acts of sexual depravity that made her crave their touch more every single damned shift.

  Each night she worked, Kodi watched couples, threesomes, and more—in every conceivable gender combination—engage in sexual acts that probably should have scandalized her. But they didn’t. The things she’d seen might have embarrassed her a time or twenty, but only the most extreme acts made her turn away. She’d already done plenty of reading about the lifestyle before she’d applied at the club, so she’d been somewhat prepared. And if her brother ever realized she’d found his stash of books, there would be hell to pay. The e-reader he’d gotten her one year for Christmas was filled with erotic romance novels, also. Probably not the use he’d envisioned when he bought it, but it wasn’t something she planned to share with him, either.

  Kodi accidently discovered her brother was a sexual Dominant while still in college. Koi always crashed at her small condo when he was on leave, and she’d loved the time they spent together. During her senior year, she’d skipped her last class on Friday because she’d been so anxious to see if he’d made it home. The scene she’d walked in on had surprised her, but she hadn’t been repulsed.

  Koi had been dressed in faded jeans with a tight black t-shirt stretched over his broad chest. The naked woman bent over the back of Kodi’s faded floral sofa was sobbing in apology; even though Koi didn’t appear to be buying it. Kodi tried without success to step back out the door without being seen. Her brother turned toward her before she’d managed to escape. His eyes widened in surprise, but no shame reflected in the dark orbs. Somehow, she’d found the courage to pepper him with questions later.

  He’d been honest in his answers about the lifestyle, and understandably evasive about his personal kinks. Koi had also declined to comment on the woman Kodi had seen way too much of earlier in the apartment. Her brother’s straight forward, honest answers to her questions fueled the fire of her already smoldering interest in ways nothing else had. The two of them had discussed things several times over their few days together before he’d gotten the call they’d both known would eventually come, pulling him away from her once again.

  Koi had woken her up long before daylight to tell her good bye, and the last thing he’d said before walking out the door was a warning to not go to a club he hadn’t personally approved. The irony of his words wasn’t lost on her. Who on God’s green Earth asks their brother for a recommendation to a kink club?

  During the next year, she’d gathered bits and pieces of information during their email exchanges before finally deciding to make her way to Mountain Mastery. She should probably feel guilty for milking Koi for information, but she didn’t. In fact, she had gotten the distinct impression he was harboring secrets of his own, making it easier to push her own shame and guilt aside.