I feel my whole body tense with apprehension, but force my voice to remain civil as I answer with aquestion on my own."Why are you here, mom?"She opens her mouth as if to offer one of her cutting, ironic answers, but then closes it again as shethinks better of that."I came here to talk to you, that's all. I also bring this meager offering of food, if that helps make meappear less threatening."I feel like smiling despite the feeling of unease still gripping me, then nod."Sure, do you want to come in?""If you want me to, but why don't we take a walk in the park, like we used to when you were inkindergarten? I even brought some stale bread for the ducks," she adds with a gentle smile.It's obvious that she's trying to pacify me – whether I need to be pacified or not – and before I cananswer Bella slips in beside me, one arm slung across my lower back to keep herself anchored therebeside me. She greets my mother with a sad but nevertheless nice smile, the gesture
Of course it was a little hard for me to process the news when I learned of it last summer, but I'vehad a lot of time to come to terms with it since then, and I've seen how unhappy you were for so long.It's good to see you more like your usual self again."I don't know if I quite believe her, although I really want to, and my silence seems to speak volumesas she resumes talking quickly."I have to admit, there was a time when I wouldn't have been that surprised if you'd one Sundayturned up on our doorstep and introduced Jazz as your boyfriend.""You thought I was gay?"She shrugs."You should have heard yourself talk about him when you two met in your first week at college. Jazzthis, Jazz that, all the things you'd done – it was hard not to take your enthusiasm at finally having amale best friend after spending years tagging after Alice as nothing more than that."I wisely keep my tongue about what I remember never telling her, then I think about what she meantwith
"Cross?""Edward, I'm a woman beyond the age where she still has numbers on her birthday cake, of course I'm'cross', not fucking mad or something like that.I leave the expletives to you, they suit your well versed speech much better than me. But age andemotional distance might lend me a somewhat different point of view here."Sighing, I rub my eyes."I know that she's always hand a penchant for drama, but today, that was simply -" I want to sayfucked up, but then change my mind. "It wasn't like the Alice I've known since before I grew a beard.She was mean and calculating, hostile when no one even provoked her, and deliberately hurtful. Ikind of get why she's mad at me, and while I think it's a very low blow I see why she'd want to flauntNate in front of Jazz, but what I don't understand is why she keeps attacking Bella. Bella never didanything to provoke her, and I'm still amazed that she didn't bite Alice's head off today.""That's because Bella was about the only
ridiculing later if she's right. There's something else that has been eating on me for much, much longerthan the issue with Alice, and as she has more or less prodded the anthill already, I might as well goall the way."Does he hate me for who I am? When you said you were proud of the man I had become, it soundedlike you were skipping over a 'contrary to what others might believe'."A while it seems like she won't answer my question, probably as not to underline my conviction, butwhen she does, her voice sounds a little hollow with defeat."Edward, I won't lie to you, your father has problems with several of the decisions you have made inyour life, and it pains me to see the two most important people for me so at odds with each other. Butthat doesn't mean he's right, or even has a point.""That's not why I was asking. I just -" I have to stop there to keep my voice from skipping an octavewith the sudden tightness in my chest, and it takes me a bit to breathe through
it was the right choice to let you have a life, and make your own decisions in time, while he willnever stop blaming himself for whatever might happen. I don't know why he thinks he is such a failureas a father, but he does, and I don't think either of us has the power to change his mind."Even though her words pacify me somewhat, they still leave me aching inside. If course she is right,I've known for a long time that my parents disagree on virtually everything concerning me, and therewas a time when I was convinced that was my fault, too. Still, as sound as her explanation is, itdoesn't answer the central question."If he thinks it's his fault, why does he behave like I'm constantly letting him down?""Because he's a man stuck in midlife crisis ever since you left the house to live on campus, and as heseems to be too decent to bend his secretary over her office table to shake himself out of it I expecthim to be stuck there until the merry laughter of a horde of gran
"Okay, great, ask away."Grinning at him for a moment, I turn to the fridge, finding a microwave dish with mac 'n' cheese insidethat I heat up while I start to explain."Of course we could do a basic demonstration scene, but I don't think it's too much for me to assumeyou know the difference between a flogger and a cane, so a first-hand experience sounds more fun."The microwave pings and I get the more or less warmed up container out, too hungry to really care.Jazz has joined me in the kitchen in the meanwhile, still excited but sobering up a little already."So what's in store for me?""Do you really want to know? I have no problem explaining it all step by step to you now, but it's notgoing to be that complicated, and not knowing what's coming next might be the more rewardingexperience.""Sure, your call. I trust you with that."I acknowledge that with a nod."Good. My main point with what I have in mind is to see how you react to certain stimuli, and tosimply s
"Do you think I care?""No, Sir," he replies much faster, grinning in spite of himself."Damn right I don't. Now pick up the cuffs and crawl over to Bella on your hands and knees, then helpeach other buckle them onto your wrists and ankles."There's a definite advantage to having two subs at hand, and while they are busy following my orders,I walk over to my toys and select a flogger and cane, both on the lighter end of the spectrum. Leavingthem lying on the padded bench, I pick up a spreader bar, then lower the cable for suspensionpurposes and attach it to the snap hook in the middle of the bar."Come here," I tell them, then connect their wrists cuffs to the ends of the bar, ending with themstanding very close, face to face. Their obvious height difference is something I have to overcome,but I don't think Bella will mind some extra strain on herself all that much.I fetch a pair of wooden cubes and let Bella step onto them, forcing her to widen her stance that way.
"Good boy. Keep that up and there's a reward waiting for you later."I let go of him and walk back to my toy rack to exchange the light flogger for a somewhat sturdier one.I catch Bella smiling slightly when she sees it but Jazz looks a little concerned, yet does his best notto shy away from the next few hits too much. The fact that they don't hurt more than the light strokesfrom before the thirty heavier ones seems to surprise him, but I pay attention to keep each impact onthe pleasurable side of things. Bella, of course, is another matter entirely, and I'm quite happy to teasethe first real cry out of her when I hit her hard enough to leave two faint, red lines between hershoulder blades. On my next track around them I see her smile in spite of her clenched jaw, whileJazz is frowning ever so slightly. I can't tell whether it's his protective side rearing its head, or someform of fear that I will hit him just as hard, but for the moment I ignore it.Things get a lit
Their almost identical grins make me laugh, and I let my head fall against the back of the couch just soI don't have to look at either of them."I really don't give a fuck. As far as I'm concerned, the only room I'm in charge of decorating is theattic upstairs. The rest is up to you.""You can't do that! Don't be such a pussy just because you're afraid Jazz will keep bitching like a littlegirl when you make the right choice.""And what, dear Bella, is better about Edward's former room than mine? My room has the betterfixtures for lights and electronic equipment, and there's even a specially built nook in the back for asmall freezer!""Which is the reason why I think it's better equipped to be the office, not the bedroom! I so need adoor between where I sleep and where you keep your porn collection. Your computer isn't cominginto the bedroom, either.""It's not porn, it's my World of Warcraft collectibles collection!"Thankfully the sound of the doorbell saves me fr
My remark makes her draw her forehead into a frown."You really think he'd be self-conscious just because I was around? He should know that I wouldn'tdo anything to him or talk him into doing anything that he doesn't want to do.""I don't think it's that. It's hard to explain, but he seems happy where he is right now. With us, includedas an equal, loved and cherished, but without any responsibilities or anyone having any expectationsof him. He obviously likes to top in a scene, but he doesn't want to be a Dom, and I don't think thatwill change much. You know that not all of us get off on having to care for someone else like that.""Don't even dare to speak another word. Last time I checked, I was the one telling you it was okay tobe into power play but that it wasn't necessarily a prerequisite, just like everything else. Differentfolks, different strokes, right?""Yes, Mistress."I get an eye roll for that, and I'm disappointed when she doesn't even try to slap me pla
if that still bothers me, and will likely only get worse if we have kids – I know that our family, as itis, will be a warm and nurturing environment for anyone to grow up and live in.The last part of her remark turns my smile into a grin again, and I snort."I already pity the unlucky bitch or bastard who calls Bella's righteous wrath down upon them. Whenshe was out with Rose and her baby last week and someone looked at them in what she thought was acondescending way, she got right in their face. I don't want to think about how much worse it will bewhen it's her own brood that's under scrutiny. She really doesn't suffer fools gladly anymore.""Did she ever? I still remember a time when you didn't have the balls to confess your undying love toher because you thought she'd laugh at such a mushy sentiment, particularly when admitted after themutual destruction of a bottle of tequila."Although it has only been a year, thinking back to a time when I couldn't just walk up
"Can I get you anything else, or will that be all?"Handing Raven back my signed receipt, I smile at her and shake my head."No, thanks. Assembling all of this and putting the new equipment through a series of stress testsshould keep us busy for a while."It's still somewhat weird, but without a doubt more relaxing, to just get a nod and my credit card backfrom her."If you change your mind, we have the scented lubes on sale until after the weekend.""I'll remember that. Thanks," I reply, then grab the last package and carry it to my car, barelymanaging to close the rear hatch after I add my purchases. When I go back into the shop I see that Bethis finally done talking to the woman she has been holed up with in a corner of the café area for the lasthalf hour. I wait until she has left the shop before I saunter over to my former mentor, hugging herbefore I take the seat opposite her."I take it everything is okay - you spent an extra twenty minutes hanging around here
I set a slow and relaxed pace – for one I just love watching Bella writhe under Jazz's mouth, foranother I am aching all over from yesterday's exertions. As much as I don't mind pain in general,feeling my thigh muscles lock up because of that strain is not something that gets me all hot andbothered.Taking Bella's invitation for what it is, Jazz seems to increase the intensity of his ministrationsbecause soon she is moaning constantly as she comes, one hand still gripping his hair, the otherdigging into the mattress. When she goes slack again it is with a glow on her face and a decisive"Ouch!" as she shifts her weight off one hip, wincing briefly.When she pushes his head away he rests it briefly on her thigh, but Bella is not done with him yet byfar. Instead of just lying back now, she starts inching down the bed until she's lying underneath Jazz,their faces almost flush with each other."Let me take care of that," she coos, reaching for his cock and starting to st
I moan into her mouth when she wraps her fingers around my cock, instinctively moving closer to her.Jazz's arm is around my hip while he strokes my stomach, his lips and tongue alternating between myneck and shoulder. None of us is really in a hurry to actually get it on for real, so we stay that way,relaxing and touching each other.Things change when Bella eventually lets me nudge her thighs apart so that I can run my hand up herinner thigh to her pussy, the contact making her moan. Jazz stills for a moment, then pushes his cock alittle more decisively against my lower back, but I ignore him for now. Looking deep into Bella'shalf-lidded eyes, I cup her entire sex with my hand, then push just the tip of two of my fingers into herpussy, feeling her swollen labia wet and warm against my hand. She utters another moan, smilinglanguidly, then stretches and moves her hips into my hand, clearly wanting more.I feel Jazz push himself up at my other side, probably so he can
then I wouldn't have run even if he had told me to suck off a couple of strangers."Jazz shakes his head, still bewildered, while Bella settles back against me and resumes her tale. Hetakes the rest of it better than I've expected, besides a few cut-off moans when she speeds up jerkinghim off. Despite that I'm still curious when he makes a face at both of us at the end."I get why you didn't want me around for roughing her up," he gripes at me, then narrows his eyes."But why did you think you had to keep me from the rest? Beth, Charlotte, Peter and Gerard havewatched me fuck people before. I don't think any of us has a problem with seeing each other's nakedasses anymore."Bella's hand drops from his cock and she rearranges herself so that she is lying on her back, able togaze at the both of us. The look on her face is still somewhat quizzical when she turns to Jazz."I think I'm kind of speaking for Edward and myself when I say we assumed you'd have issues withsomeon
"You know that just like you guys get to fuck each other when I'm not around sometimes, Edward andI end up screwing without you. So what?It's usually a thing of impulsive horniness and opportunity, not a statement of possessiveness. We allknow it happens, and I don't think any one of us is resentful when it does?"She keeps staring at him until he shakes his head."I won't deny that I had a hell of a great time yesterday. We fucked a lot and it was great, we did acouple of things that I've started to miss a little, and a few more I didn't even realize I wanted to dothat badly. But, quite frankly, I think the only reason I felt remotely glad you weren't around the wholetime was because I didn't want to worry about you feeling weird about any of it, because I needed tolet go and have not a care in the world in order for it all to feel as good as it did in the end. I wouldhave loved to share all of it with you if I'd thought you would have appreciated it all as much as
tries to roll them both over. That finally gets her to move for real, but when she tries to push awayfrom him he holds her down, his whole body more or less perched on her back."Let me up, you stupid oaf!""Stupid oaf, eh? What kind of crappy romance novel have you been reading? Is that the worst you cancome up with?" he taunts, then starts tickling her. Bella shrieks, now fighting to throw him off for real,but worn out as she is Jazz has no problem keeping her underneath him.She finally gives up and looks pleadingly over at me; I'm hard pressed not to laugh at them both."Help me!""Now that's unfair," Jazz grumbles, then eases up and rolls off her, coming to lay side by side withher. Bella sneers at him, then grins and settles back into her pillow. She groggily rubs her eyes andyawns loudly, without covering her mouth."You're early."Jazz nods as I repeat my observation, briefly looking from me to her as I join them on the bed atBella's other side."There wasn