The Exhibitionist
Page 4
I didn’t know Jeff quite as well, but I’d actually met him first, and one of the things I picked up on was an underlying sadness about him. There was no sadness now. Only joy and, as he gazed down at the woman who wore both his collar and his engagement ring, love.
It made me a bit nostalgic for the early days of my relationship with Nathaniel when everything was so new and we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Of course, we still didn’t want to, but it was harder to find time to ourselves. I hoped the move to Delaware would mean more time at home for him and allow us to connect more.
“Angel,” Jeff said, “didn’t you want to talk to Abby and Julie privately?”
“Yes, as long as it’s okay with Masters West and Covington.”
“Of course,” Daniel said, dropping a kiss on Julie’s cheek. “Don’t stay away too long. I have a new toy.”
The brunette’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Master.”
“I don’t have a new toy,” Nathaniel whispered in my ear. “I just want to fuck you.”
My knees almost turned to jelly. “Yes, Master.”
“Hurry back to me,” he said.
I would. I definitely would.
Dena took us up the stairs to the small bedroom that wasn’t in use. The house belonged to William Greene, a Dominant I had only met in passing. The lack of furniture and minimal decorating led me to believe he lived alone.
“I wanted to wait until Sasha was here, too,” Dena said. “But I’m not sure when all of us will be together. I’ll tell you guys and will catch up with Sasha later.”
“Everything’s okay, right?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up, and I swore she was so excited they sparkled. “Everything’s great. I’m pregnant.”
Julie’s hand flew to her mouth, and tears filled my eyes. Dena had already had one late-term miscarriage. She had told me part of her history with Jeff while she was living with us. I had been fortunate, both my pregnancies were trouble free and full term. I could only imagine how scary a pregnancy would be following a miscarriage. At the moment, though, she didn’t look frightened. She positively glowed.
“I thought it was strange you didn’t have a corset on tonight,” Julie said, and then pulled the willowy blonde into a hug.
Dena smoothed a hand over her short skirt and cropped shirt. “Yes, this isn’t my normal party outfit by any stretch, but my corsets are going into storage for the next eight months.”
“What does Jeff think?” I asked.
“Jeff’s completely besotted,” she said. “He reads Goodnight Moon to my belly every night. I told him hearing hadn’t developed yet, but he said since no one knew exactly when it did, there was no harm in it.”
“I love watching strong men get all melty because of a baby,” I said, remembering Nathaniel with our kids.
Dena nodded. “There is nothing hotter, that’s for sure. We haven’t publicly announced anything yet, so please don’t tell anyone. I had to tell you guys, because, well, I just did.”
“How are you doing?” Julie asked.
“Scared to death,” Dena said with a tight laugh. “Trying to relax, but going crazy with each ache, pain, and cramp. Jeff’s so good. He’s a great listener and he gives the best back rubs. But I know it’s hard for him, too.”
“I imagine so,” I said.
“I don’t think I’ll completely relax until I bring this baby home.”
Julie reached for her hand. “I’m glad you told us. Now you have Jeff, Abby, and me to talk to.”
“Thanks.” Dena wiped a tear from her face. “Damn pregnancy hormones. Anyway, I also wanted to ask you guys if you’d stand with me at the wedding. I’m going to ask Sasha, too.”
“Yes!” Julie nearly shouted, and I hugged Dena and told her I’d be honored.
“Jeff wants to get married before the baby’s born. I told him that was fine, but I wasn’t walking down the aisle looking like a whale.”
“Oh, we’ll go wedding dress shopping,” Julie said. “All four of us.”
“It’ll have to be soon.” Dena looked over at me. “Can you go this weekend, Abby?”
I shook my head. “No, we’re starting the move this weekend. But don’t let me hold you up. You go without me.”
“We’ll see how it goes. I hate for you not to be there,” Dena said.
I hated to miss it. Wedding dress shopping was fun.
“What do your parents think about your wedding plans?” I asked.
“Mom wouldn’t care who I married as long as it meant there would be the potential for grandchildren in the future. But she’s taking her directions from Dad and he’s not speaking with me.”
I winced. “Sorry to hear that. Will they be at the wedding?”
“Only if I marry someone other than Jeff, but that’s okay.” I knew Dena’s father was a bit of snob and didn’t approve of Jeff’s working-class background. “I stopped needing their approval a long time ago. And to be honest, it’ll be better without them.”
“I’m so happy for you guys,” I said. “Everyone should be as happy as you two are.”
“I think we both finally realized we deserved happiness.”
If anyone deserved happiness, it was Jeff and Dena. They’d gone through so much to be together. But like with the journey Nathaniel and I were on, those hardships only served to make their relationship stronger.
“Okay,” Julie said. “I hate to cut this short, but I’m dying to see what Daniel has planned for tonight.”
We hugged good-bye and went our separate ways. Nathaniel was waiting at the foot of the stairs and crooked a finger at me when he saw me.
Oh yes, I couldn’t wait to see his plans.
Chapter Two
NATHANIEL
“I want you to go inside the suite and head to the bedroom,” I said when we pulled up to our hotel. “Kneel on the rug and while you wait, I want you to think about what I promised I’d do to you when we got home.”
Her sharp intake of breath left no doubt in my mind that she remembered, but just because I wanted to hear her say it, I asked, “What am I going to do when I get into the bedroom, Abigail?”
“You said you would fuck me properly, Master.”
It made me a bit nostalgic for the early days of my relationship with Nathaniel when everything was so new and we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Of course, we still didn’t want to, but it was harder to find time to ourselves. I hoped the move to Delaware would mean more time at home for him and allow us to connect more.
“Angel,” Jeff said, “didn’t you want to talk to Abby and Julie privately?”
“Yes, as long as it’s okay with Masters West and Covington.”
“Of course,” Daniel said, dropping a kiss on Julie’s cheek. “Don’t stay away too long. I have a new toy.”
The brunette’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Master.”
“I don’t have a new toy,” Nathaniel whispered in my ear. “I just want to fuck you.”
My knees almost turned to jelly. “Yes, Master.”
“Hurry back to me,” he said.
I would. I definitely would.
Dena took us up the stairs to the small bedroom that wasn’t in use. The house belonged to William Greene, a Dominant I had only met in passing. The lack of furniture and minimal decorating led me to believe he lived alone.
“I wanted to wait until Sasha was here, too,” Dena said. “But I’m not sure when all of us will be together. I’ll tell you guys and will catch up with Sasha later.”
“Everything’s okay, right?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up, and I swore she was so excited they sparkled. “Everything’s great. I’m pregnant.”
Julie’s hand flew to her mouth, and tears filled my eyes. Dena had already had one late-term miscarriage. She had told me part of her history with Jeff while she was living with us. I had been fortunate, both my pregnancies were trouble free and full term. I could only imagine how scary a pregnancy would be following a miscarriage. At the moment, though, she didn’t look frightened. She positively glowed.
“I thought it was strange you didn’t have a corset on tonight,” Julie said, and then pulled the willowy blonde into a hug.
Dena smoothed a hand over her short skirt and cropped shirt. “Yes, this isn’t my normal party outfit by any stretch, but my corsets are going into storage for the next eight months.”
“What does Jeff think?” I asked.
“Jeff’s completely besotted,” she said. “He reads Goodnight Moon to my belly every night. I told him hearing hadn’t developed yet, but he said since no one knew exactly when it did, there was no harm in it.”
“I love watching strong men get all melty because of a baby,” I said, remembering Nathaniel with our kids.
Dena nodded. “There is nothing hotter, that’s for sure. We haven’t publicly announced anything yet, so please don’t tell anyone. I had to tell you guys, because, well, I just did.”
“How are you doing?” Julie asked.
“Scared to death,” Dena said with a tight laugh. “Trying to relax, but going crazy with each ache, pain, and cramp. Jeff’s so good. He’s a great listener and he gives the best back rubs. But I know it’s hard for him, too.”
“I imagine so,” I said.
“I don’t think I’ll completely relax until I bring this baby home.”
Julie reached for her hand. “I’m glad you told us. Now you have Jeff, Abby, and me to talk to.”
“Thanks.” Dena wiped a tear from her face. “Damn pregnancy hormones. Anyway, I also wanted to ask you guys if you’d stand with me at the wedding. I’m going to ask Sasha, too.”
“Yes!” Julie nearly shouted, and I hugged Dena and told her I’d be honored.
“Jeff wants to get married before the baby’s born. I told him that was fine, but I wasn’t walking down the aisle looking like a whale.”
“Oh, we’ll go wedding dress shopping,” Julie said. “All four of us.”
“It’ll have to be soon.” Dena looked over at me. “Can you go this weekend, Abby?”
I shook my head. “No, we’re starting the move this weekend. But don’t let me hold you up. You go without me.”
“We’ll see how it goes. I hate for you not to be there,” Dena said.
I hated to miss it. Wedding dress shopping was fun.
“What do your parents think about your wedding plans?” I asked.
“Mom wouldn’t care who I married as long as it meant there would be the potential for grandchildren in the future. But she’s taking her directions from Dad and he’s not speaking with me.”
I winced. “Sorry to hear that. Will they be at the wedding?”
“Only if I marry someone other than Jeff, but that’s okay.” I knew Dena’s father was a bit of snob and didn’t approve of Jeff’s working-class background. “I stopped needing their approval a long time ago. And to be honest, it’ll be better without them.”
“I’m so happy for you guys,” I said. “Everyone should be as happy as you two are.”
“I think we both finally realized we deserved happiness.”
If anyone deserved happiness, it was Jeff and Dena. They’d gone through so much to be together. But like with the journey Nathaniel and I were on, those hardships only served to make their relationship stronger.
“Okay,” Julie said. “I hate to cut this short, but I’m dying to see what Daniel has planned for tonight.”
We hugged good-bye and went our separate ways. Nathaniel was waiting at the foot of the stairs and crooked a finger at me when he saw me.
Oh yes, I couldn’t wait to see his plans.
Chapter Two
NATHANIEL
“I want you to go inside the suite and head to the bedroom,” I said when we pulled up to our hotel. “Kneel on the rug and while you wait, I want you to think about what I promised I’d do to you when we got home.”
Her sharp intake of breath left no doubt in my mind that she remembered, but just because I wanted to hear her say it, I asked, “What am I going to do when I get into the bedroom, Abigail?”
“You said you would fuck me properly, Master.”
