Authors: Cassidy Browning
Tags: #Romance
“I’m not sure that’s going to be an option anymore, if your girlfriend is a rock star,” Finn told him. “You were aware of the paparazzi issue before? Now, if this new song is as big a hit as I think it can be, it’ll get ten times worse. If I know Daphne, she’s going to want to exploit the BDSM stuff all she can for more publicity.”
“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Decker nodded seriously. “If we can use her notoriety to educate the public a little, I think it’ll be worth it.”
“There’s another thing I wanted to talk to you about. Will it hurt your career to be associated with us?”
Decker tilted his head, pondering. “It might,” he conceded. “I hadn’t really thought about that. It was easy enough to hide a kinky lifestyle. But a kinky lifestyle that’s in the news because it involves a celebrity—that might be something else. I’ve got enough in savings to live for a while yet without getting a job, but that’s not going to last forever.”
“Well, I have an idea. People in our industry are always hiring private planes to go places. If Daphne gets as big as I suspect she will, would you consider being her personal pilot? Either way, I’m pretty sure I can guarantee you enough work from our record company to keep you set. And, of course, if Daphne and I move into your place, you’ll have our incomes as well to help with expenses.”
Decker frowned. “The record company thing might be an option. But I don’t know if I like the idea of living on Daphne’s money.”
“I know what you mean. But think of it this way. If we’re her managers and help promote her, then we’re helping her make money. We can all be working together on her career. Like a family business.”
Decker met his eyes with a thoughtful grin. “You know, you might just have a plan there. That brings up the Domination/submission stuff, though.”
“Oh?” Finn’s eyebrows drew together. He had a feeling that Decker was going to want him to be submissive as well, like Brad was to Karl. That wasn’t something he thought he’d be able to deal with.
“Yes. I have an unusual proposal for how we deal with that.”
“I’m listening.”
Decker took a deep breath. “You’ve been learning to be dominant with her regarding her work schedule. And I think that’s been going okay?”
“Sometimes.” Finn scowled out the window, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Well, you know a lot about the music business
,
and I think it’s appropriate for you to continue what you’re doing. What I’d like to add, if we’re going to do this, is another layer on to that, and another D/s relationship when it comes to time outside of the business day.”
When Finn just gave him a questioning look, Decker went on. “Many people use D/s for personal and professional growth. It’s kind of like what you said about the family business. You’ll be her Dominant during business hours. Keep her on track, make sure her career is going where she wants it to. When the business day is over, then you can relax
,
and I’ll become the Dominant. We both know that she has more energy than the two of us combined. You handle the professional aspect of her life
,
and I’ll make sure she doesn’t get into trouble when she’s not working. She and I can decide what personal things she wants to work on, although I’m going to insist on keeping a tight control of her alcohol consumption. If you want to go to the clubs and take part in BDSM scenes, then you’re welcome to. But if you’d rather just relax and recuperate from the workday, I’ll handle it. Between the two of us, we’ll give her so much to concentrate on that she’ll never be bored. You can correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me a bored Daphne is a bratty Daphne.”
Finn listened with a growing sense of hope. He’d never thought of it that way. If they became a triad, that didn’t mean that he would always be competing with Decker. They would be allies instead, each with his own place in the relationship, and together maybe they could balance the irrepressible whirlwind that was Daphne Monroe.
“You know,” he said finally
,
“I probably could use some help. That sounds like a good arrangement.”
They smiled at each other as Decker began to descend into the Grandpointe Municipal Airport.
Daphne woke up as the small plane bounced to a stop, her head pounding from the aftereffects of whatever Blaze had used to drug her. She lay still while they taxied to the hangar, unable to believe that she was going back to Clifftop. It seemed like a miracle that Finn and Decker had shown up just when she needed them most at that seedy motel. How could they have possibly known that son of a bitch was just playing her again? She never learned
,
and she sure as hell didn’t deserve the men who had rescued her.
Her eyes pricked with tears
,
and she realized that she felt more than anything as if she were coming home. How odd to think of Allie’s bed-and-breakfast as home. She hadn’t had a home since she’d left her parents’ house at the age of fifteen.
I’m such an idiot.
How could I fuck things up so badly? I don’t deserve to have a home to go back to.
Even if she had two knights in shining armor who seemed to disagree. They would figure out sooner or later that she wasn’t worth their effort.
Once they’d come to a complete stop, Finn climbed in the back and knelt down in front of her. He peered into her face, which was probably getting red and swollen again with the tears that were threatening to spill over. “What’s wrong now, honey? You’re safe. It’s over. We’ll take care of you. Decker and I—”
She tried fiercely to blink back her tears. Forcing a smile, she shook her head and mumbled, “I know
,
” as he helped her off the plane.
As much as she wanted to believe Finn when he said that he and Decker would take care of her, Daphne kept falling back into a pit of desolation. Over and over again she kept seeing herself taking that fatal drink from Blaze. Just one, she’d told herself. Just to relax a little. The rest of the day would only come in flashes. The ride to that horrible motel. Blaze yelling, the phone hitting the wall with a deafening jangle. Decker yelling “Police!” outside the door and Daphne’s terrified conviction that something awful was about to happen. But then she’d been in Decker’s arms and Finn was, amazingly, beating Blaze up on the floor. She’d wanted to giggle at that, but behind everything was a nasty voice telling her, “They won’t want you. You’ve fucked up too many times. You don’t deserve them. They’re only being nice. Soon they’ll dump you.”
She allowed herself to be placed gently in the back of Decker’s car. Finn got in the other side and settled the blanket around her, even though she protested that the drug was wearing off and she felt fine. But he kept acting as if she was something delicate and precious that must be protected at all costs. It was almost funny. She was positive that once they reached Clifftop, both men would pack up and go away, leaving her to her own fate as a drugged-out, washed-up has-been.
She was so busy wallowing in her own self-recrimination that Finn had to say her name three times before it got her attention. When she finally realized that they wanted to talk to her, she turned to him, almost cringing from what she was sure he was about to say.
“I said, are you ready to talk about our
future
?” Finn was actually smiling, Daphne realized with a shock. Was he that relieved to be getting rid of her?
“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and tried to steel herself. There was no doubt going to be a lot of yelling.
“We’ve decided that you’re too much for one person to handle,” Finn said, exchanging a nod with Decker in the rearview mirror.
“Okay,” Daphne said in a small voice. It hurt worse than she’d expected
,
and a small tear began working its way down her cheek.
Finn was still smiling for some sadistic reason. She hadn’t realized he had such a cruel streak. “So we’re going to divide you up.”
It took a second for that to sink in. Despite her lethargic despondency, Daphne’s head whipped toward him. “You’re going to
what
?”
Decker chuckled
,
and Finn’s smile got broader. “We’re going to divide you up. I’m going to be your Dominant while we’re working and when we’re at shows, and Decker is going to be in charge of you the rest of the time, so I can have time to recover.”
She stared at him, able only to shake her head in confusion.
Decker’s voice came from the front. “Of course, we haven’t actually asked you if you’re willing to be divided. Are you?”
An eternal second or two went by while Daphne tried to process what they were saying to her. “So you’re going to—you’re not—during the workdays—you’re really not leaving?”
“Of course not, Daph.” Finn clucked his tongue at her. “I told you I wouldn’t quit. But the truth is I’m getting too old to be able to watch you all the time. Decker here has kindly agreed to take some of that responsibility off my hands. Do you think you can afford another babysitter?”
“I promise I’ll work off the wages,” Decker put in as she stared at him. “My abilities as a pilot, small as they are, are always at your command. I can lift and carry heavy things, including you if necessary. And I have a little experience at fighting off stalkers for you.”
“So do I, now.” Finn grinned in self-conscious delight. He held out his hand
,
and she saw that his knuckles were scraped and developing large bruises. “I’ve even been wounded in your defense. So what do you think? Are we hired as your managers/bodyguards/babysitters/pilot/lovers/Dominants?”
Daphne was still squealing and giggling when they pulled into the driveway of Clifftop Fantasies. She’d hugged Finn, crying and laughing, then she’d thrown her arms around Decker’s neck from behind, squealing, “Seriously? You both want to be with me? You’re going to be my Dominants?”
Even half
-
strangled, Decker had managed not to wrap the car around a tree or run over any errant photographers in the driveway. As soon as he’d come to a stop, he jumped out of the car and opened the back door. Daphne got out to give him a proper hug
,
but he suddenly swept her up into the air and threw her unceremoniously over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked, pounding on his back as he strode up the front steps, Finn laughing like a crazy person as he followed.
Allie opened the door for them, staring at the spectacle of Daphne being carried like a screeching and laughing sack of potatoes over Decker’s shoulder. But to her credit, she didn’t ask any questions, simply stepping back so they could go through. Decker took the stairs two at a time, Finn right on his heels, and Daphne giggling and squirming.
“You’re going to hurt yourself! Put me down!”
A hand came down with a forceful, stinging smack on her ass. Daphne gasped but Decker just laughed. “Quiet. I’ll put you down when I’m damn well good and ready to. You need to learn your place, wench.”
They went to Decker’s bedroom. When he finally set her on her own feet, his face had gone deadly serious.
“No more joking,” he said. “Do you accept the arrangements we’ve proposed?”
Daphne locked eyes with Finn as she took one step forward and reached to grab each of their hands. Her stomach fell. Maybe they hadn’t meant it after all. A deep, shuddering breath ran through her. “I know I’ve done nothing but cause you both pain and misery.”
Nobody said anything for a moment. Daphne nodded, realizing they weren’t going to argue with her. She hadn’t really expected them to. “But for God knows what reason, you’re both still here.”
She let her words sink in for a few heartbeats before kneeling before the two of them and continuing. “If you really meant what you said, then the answer is yes. I want to be yours. Both of yours.
Forever.
”
Finn spoke first. “Do you really mean that? No more running off?”
“Yes, Sir. I really do mean it.”
“You’ll be ours?” She turned her head toward Decker as he spoke.
“If you’ll have me, Sir.”
“And are you willing to give up alcohol, drugs, partying
,
and politicians? Completely?”
A shocked expression crossed her face. She thought about it for a moment and nodded. “Yes, I can do that.”
Decker turned to Finn and asked, “You’ve known her longer than I have. Does she mean it?”
Finn studied her face for what felt like a year before he nodded. “I believe she does.”
Decker’s face relaxed in a smile. “Then let’s show her what it means to be owned by the two of us. Let’s do what we discussed doing on the plane.”
They turned back to her. Decker narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. It looked like a stern and angry posture, but she could see a small sparkle in his eye as he asked, “Are you sure? If you answer yes we will make you ours here and now. If you’re not sure, then say so. Otherwise—”
Daphne’s insides clenched at the possibilities behind that “Otherwise.” She bent her head and said simply, “I’m yours.
Now and forever.
”
* * * *