He looked at least ten years older than Tyler. Short-cropped hair, almost a military cut, liberally peppered with grey. Probably well-muscled at one time but some of that had softened into middle-aged flab. John nodded to them as Tyler made the introductions.
Thomas took a deep breath and grabbed Nevvie’s hand. “Did the company tell you why I requested a new therapist?”
He shook his head. “No, but when I talked with Jennifer to get the case file, she didn’t seem to want to talk about it.”
“She’s not in any trouble, is she?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
Thomas looked at Tyler, then Nevvie. “Well, I wasn’t exactly honest and open with her when she first started and didn’t do anything to correct her erroneous impression. It sort of shocked her when it came out, and it pissed off these two. Understandably,” he added. “We’re polyamorous. I told the company that when I called the other day. Will that be a problem?”
John dropped his bag to the carpet and shrugged. “Should it? I’m not doin’ any of you, no offense. I’m happily married, and it’s not any of my business.”
That out of the way, he spent a few minutes talking with Thomas to make sure he had all his notes correct before starting on a similar set of exercises Jennifer had used.
Tyler and Nevvie watched from the kitchen. Thomas noticed John wasn’t nearly as gentle as Jennifer, and thought perhaps this wasn’t a bad change after all if it helped speed his healing.
Maybe she’d been too easy on him.
By the end of the appointment Tom was sweating from pain and exertion. John took a moment to update his notes. “I’ll be back Wednesday, same time.” He gathered his things and said a quick, friendly but professional good-bye to them before leaving.
Nevvie raced into the living room and hugged Thomas. “Thank you!”
He waved Tyler over. “Yeah, well, I deserve the torture, that’s for sure. And I need help getting back to the bedroom. I want to take a warm shower and lay down for a while. I’m in real fucking pain.”
Nevvie helped him while Tyler kept an ear out for Adam waking up. When she got Thomas into bed she gave him a long massage, trying to work the pain from his muscles. He looked so sexy with just his silver collar on. As his pain pill took effect he drifted, held out his arm to her. She cuddled close, snuggling with him until she knew from the slow, deep sound of his breathing that he’d fallen asleep.
Tyler stuck his head in the door and smiled. “Is he asleep?”
Nevvie nodded and carefully extricated herself. She pulled on her clothes and joined Tyler in the kitchen.
He enveloped her in his arms. “He’s really back, sweetheart. He’s not leaving us again. I know it.”
“I still wonder if I didn’t overreact.”
He shook his head. “No, love. I think it was exactly the shock our sweet boy needed to get his head on properly.”
* * * *
Three weeks after Tommy’s change in attitude, Nevvie awoke curled with him pressed into her back. From the slow, soft sound of his breathing she knew he was still asleep. Tyler wasn’t in bed. Her heart sped with anxiety until she heard him in the kitchen making coffee and softly talking to Adam.
She relaxed. How long would it take her to quit feeling anxious about him when he was out of her sight?
Falling back to sleep looked like a tempting option. As she started to change position her stomach took a dangerous roll. She bolted from the bed straight for the bathroom.
The action elicited a startled yelp from Tommy as she jostled him but she didn’t have time to apologize. She made the toilet in time to heave up what little was left of her dinner from the night before.
From the bedroom, Thomas yelled, “Tyler! Get in here, now!”
“What?”
Nevvie closed her eyes and fought another round of nausea. For a moment she worried she was sick. Then another realization struck.
Tyler appeared at her side a moment later, one arm around her, the other holding her hair away from her face. “Are you all right, love?” he murmured.
She shook her head and spit, tightly gripped the bowl.
He kissed her temple. “I’ve got a test kit in the cabinet. Let’s get your tummy settled and see what’s up.”
Their psychic connection strikes again. She nodded as she dry heaved. Oh yes, how could she have forgotten
this
part of being pregnant?
Thomas’ voice came from the doorway. “You all right, sugar?”
Tyler looked at him, his voice hopeful. “I think you might get a little respite from your stud services, dear.”
He laughed. “Damn! I was really enjoying being a sex toy.”
Nevvie laughed until another round of nausea cut her off. Ten minutes later she shakily climbed to her feet. Tyler brought her a wet washcloth and glass of water so she could rinse her mouth. Both men looked on as she took the pregnancy test.
She couldn’t bear the wait. Five minutes later, Tyler turned from the test with his face a mask.
Tommy leaned against the bathroom wall and held Adam in his arms.
“Well?” she whispered.
Tyler’s face broke into a beaming grin and he swept her into his arms, kissing her, then leaned in and kissed Thomas. “Looks like we’re adding another to our family.”
Nevvie sobbed with joy. This time, unlike with Adam, they were all together to receive the news. A tear rolled down Thomas’ cheek as he kissed the top of Adam’s head. “You hear that, buddy? You’re gonna be a big brother.” Nevvie wrapped her arms around him, burying her head against his shoulder. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the father this time. They’d been very careful.
Tyler completed their group hug. “Will you please consider taking it a little easier this time around? I thought you were going to work yourself to death the last time.”
She nodded, wiping her tears. “Only if you promise not to treat me like I’m going to break.”
“I promise, love.”
* * * *
With Thomas now fully participating in their lives again, Nevvie settled in and relaxed as her pregnancy progressed. She let Tyler and Thomas coddle her and take over in many ways. As Thomas’ physical rehab continued and doctors cleared him to drive again, he started taking over most of the daily operations at Kinsey Consulting. Although there were plenty of days Nevvie or Tyler had to drive him to work because of his pain.
Although these days were fewer in number, he made a point of asking when he needed extra help.
Now that Tom’s secret about his fine motor skills was out in the open, Nevvie consulted with occupational therapists and started working with him several times a day on exercises designed to help him. His handwriting still sucked compared to what it had been, but Nevvie recognized his steady progress as he took less time getting ready in the mornings.
She gently teased him about it one morning while she watched him shave with his electric razor. She was sitting in the bathroom, waiting for her stomach to settle enough so she could stray more than twenty feet from the toilet. “I could have been helping you out with that all along, stubborn.”
He smiled into the mirror. “Yeah, I know.” He still wore the collar, never asked to take it off. He didn’t hesitate to wear open-collared shirts to work that didn’t hide the collar, either.
His cane was propped by the sink. He’d progressed from needing crutches to mostly using the cane. Sometimes he could limp from the bedroom to the bathroom or kitchen without it, but for now he kept it close. He drove her Acura, she drove his Ridgeline, because it was easier for him to get into and out of for now.
Nevvie stood and walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his waist. First he’d lost a few pounds from his hospital stay. Then regained it and a few extra once back home. Now he was back to his pre-accident weight. “Do you have to go in today?”
He patted her hands. “Kenny and I have meetings this afternoon with clients. Can’t get out of them, sugar. Sorry.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Want to ride in with me?”
She started to say yes when another wave of nausea hit and she bolted for the toilet.
“I want to,” she finally managed. “I don’t know if I can.”
He smiled. “I understand.”
* * * *
Nevvie was relieved when the morning sickness finally disappeared. As much as she enjoyed working, she enjoyed staying home with Tyler even more. This pregnancy, he wasn’t afraid to make love to her like he had been with Adam. It also meant she didn’t have to sneak around with Tommy this time either.
She walked into Tyler’s study one morning to refill his coffee and found him sitting back in his chair and staring at his laptop, his hands templed, index fingers on his lips.
“What’s up?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Darling, this many years later, and you still lead in with that?”
She perched on the corner of his desk and stuck her tongue out at him.
Tyler snagged her hand and gently pulled her into his lap. “I was thinking about our sweet little slave boy.” Between her pregnancy and Tommy’s pain, they didn’t often play either version of the slave game. It’d been a couple of months since the last instance.
“What brought this on?”
He shrugged, but she recognized the playful glint in his blue eyes. “He certainly loves his collar, doesn’t he? I have to admit I had a delicious thought while we were showering this morning.”
Nevvie had slept in and missed that one. “What?”
“Well,” he purred, “you are a very good girl and keep yourself shaved for us. Perhaps our little slave boy should keep himself shaved, too.”
She had to think for a moment, then grinned. “No way! You want to make him shave his balls?” The very thought of running her hand over his bare sac drenched her sex.
“You and I have been rather neglectful owners for the past several weeks. I was thinking along the lines of his first time should be a more memorable sort of occasion.” He placed his hand over her tummy. She was showing, but not uncomfortably huge yet. “You won’t feel like playing very much at all in the not-so-distant future, so why not a little in-home slave spa treatment?”
Nevvie kissed him. “I’ll call Eddie and see if he can babysit tonight.”
He could. Tyler dropped Adam off and stopped by the store to pick up a few things they’d need, as well as the fixings for a nice dinner. When Tommy made his usual call home as he left the office, Nevvie talked to him.
“By the way, we have a surprise for you.”
Tyler silently watched, grinning.
“What kind of surprise, sugar?”
She met Tyler’s gaze and winked. Then she switched to the sultry Mistress voice, a variation of her little slave girl voice that she knew would instantly harden Thomas’ cock. “Master and Mistress order you to come straight home.”
There was a momentary pause then Tommy’s hoarse, “Goddamn!”
“When you come home, you will immediately walk inside and stand inside the front door. You will strip all your clothes off there. Then you will walk into the bedroom.”
She heard him gasp. “Fuckin’ A!”
“When you get to the bedroom, you will lie down on the bed, on your back, and be ready for us. Do you understand?”
“Yeah!”
She smiled. “Yes, what?”
He gasped again, “Yes, Mistress!”
They were waiting for him. Nevvie and Tyler grinned at each other when they heard the front door open and shut. A moment later, Thomas walked into the bedroom using his cane and wearing nothing but his collar and a broad, beaming smile.
“Very good,” Nevvie said.
His stiff cock led the way as Thomas walked over to the bed and laid down on top of the towels they’d put out. “Like this?”
Tyler nodded. “Exactly. Now spread those legs.”
He did, without question.
Nevvie, who’d stripped, perched on the bed next to Thomas. “Do you know what we’re going to do to you?”
“Don’t care. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.”
Tyler laughed as he brought a folding chair over and placed it in front of Thomas. “My, you are a trusting thing, aren’t you?”
“Do I really have a choice?”
Nevvie shook her head. “Nope!” She’d spent most of the day wet and eager. Tyler, displaying a little of his evil genius streak, refused to give her any relief.
Tyler settled in the chair, the scissors in his hand. “First, I suggest you hold very, very still, love. Otherwise this will not be fun.”
Thomas met Nevvie’s gaze, his brown eyes twinkling. She leaned in and kissed him as Tyler started trimming. After a few minutes Tyler seemed satisfied and disappeared into the bathroom for a moment. When he returned he carried a bowl of warm water, a wash cloth, shaving cream, and a razor.
“Now as you’ve already no doubt guessed, we decided our little slave boy should be appropriately groomed. Once you’re suitably bare, you shall keep yourself this way for us. Understand?”
Thomas broke his kiss with Nevvie. “Yes, Master!” he gasped.
Tyler chuckled. “Good. I didn’t think you’d object.”
Nevvie wanted to keep kissing him, but even more she wanted to watch Tyler shave him. She turned around on the bed and Tommy nuzzled her leg while she enjoyed the show.
Tyler took his time, making sure to tease and torment Thomas’ stiff cock with his hand as he worked. When he finished ten minutes later, he wiped away all the soap and examined his handiwork.
“Well, Mistress Nevvie, what do you think?”
She reached over and cupped his bare balls. “I like it,” she said. “Why the hell didn’t you think of this earlier?”
Tyler shrugged and tidied things up. “I don’t know. But he shall stay this way for us from now on.” He lay down next to Thomas, who rolled over and kissed him deep and hard.
Nevvie pressed her body against Tom’s back and slipped her arm around his waist, her hand cupping his sac again. “That’s for damn sure. This is nice.”
Beyond speech, Thomas moaned.
Tyler rolled Thomas over to face Nevvie and reached for the bedside table. Thomas kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth as he ground his hips against her.
“Nev, love, hold him open for me.”