breathing of the ventilation heating/cooling system. All the rooms down here were carved out of a natural cave system, so we didn’t actually need a lot of cooling, or heating, but if you did need it, you needed it, and Jean-Claude didn’t really believe in skimping. He was spoiling us all, I think.
J.J. kissed Jason and said, “I’m going to freshen up and change into something more comfortable.” She walked toward the bathroom, big bag swinging at her side.
I called after her, “Is it really more comfortable, or just the opposite?”
She laughed. “You’ll see soon enough.”
“Shit, that means I need lingerie, too.”
She looked over her shoulder as she opened the door. “Oh, I don’t know, you naked would be fine.” She gave me a smile that went with the comment, then was through the door before I had a comeback. Just as well, because I didn’t have a comeback. I just stared at the closed door feeling suddenly all deer-in-the-headlights.
Jason hugged me. “Don’t get all weird about that, okay? Remember, she likes girls a lot more than she likes boys.”
I drew back enough to see his face. “You’re not the only boyfriend she’s ever had, are you?”
“No, but I am the only serious one.”
Nathaniel hugged me from the other side, and for a minute I was held in the warm comfort of a boy sandwich. I liked that, and they both knew it. It helped calm me down.
Nathaniel kissed me. “I’ll go get you some lingerie, and shoes.”
“I can get it,” I said.
He grinned at me. “You’ll agonize over the choices, or use it to delay coming back; I’ll just pick something awesome for you to wear.”
I couldn’t argue with his reasoning, so I didn’t try. I could be taught. He went, I stayed, and Jason held me. I realized he wasn’t touching just to reassure me.
“You’re nervous, too,” I said.
“She means more to me than any woman ever has, Anita; it’s kind of scary.”
“And wonderful,” I said, arms around his waist, staring into those spring-blue eyes. He looked worried and had stopped trying to hide it.
“Yes,” he said, “wonderful, but still scary.”
I hugged him, putting my face against the warmth of his neck. “We got this.”
He held me tight, the strength in his arms pressing me against him. “I hope so, Anita. God, I hope so.”
I wanted to keep being comforting, but we needed truthful more. I rose back to see his face and said, “I’ve tried to help Richard make peace with some of his girlfriends and it’s never worked well.”
“Like Envy,” Jason said.
“Yeah.”
“I think if Richard had been having rough with you, he’d have behaved himself with Envy.”
I shrugged. “He didn’t have time to see Envy, date the new mundane chick, and fit BDSM booty calls into his schedule. He has a full-time job and a lot of family obligations with his parents and siblings in town.”
“Richard likes sex rougher than almost anyone else in our group; when you play that hard, you can’t skip it.”
I agreed. “Not without it coming out somewhere else.”
Jason nodded. “Which lost him Envy.” His face fell into sad lines.
I moved my hands so I was gripping his shoulders, and I shook him a little. “Snap out of it; we are not Richard. We are all more in touch with our needs, and priorities, than that.”
He smiled, and it almost filled his eyes.
“You’re getting J.J. and me in one bed at the same time; come on, if you don’t make at least one lesbian fantasy joke, I’ll be disappointed.”
He gave me the full smile then, making his eyes shine with it. “If I said I’d never fantasized about the two of you in bed with me, I’d so be lying.”
I hugged him, smiling. “That’s my lecherous wolf.”
He hugged me back. “Thanks, Anita, for everything.”
I wanted to say,
Thank me after this works
, but that would have undone all the reassurance I’d just done, so I just said, “You’re welcome.”
Nathaniel came back with my clothes and a
J.J. kissed Jason and said, “I’m going to freshen up and change into something more comfortable.” She walked toward the bathroom, big bag swinging at her side.
I called after her, “Is it really more comfortable, or just the opposite?”
She laughed. “You’ll see soon enough.”
“Shit, that means I need lingerie, too.”
She looked over her shoulder as she opened the door. “Oh, I don’t know, you naked would be fine.” She gave me a smile that went with the comment, then was through the door before I had a comeback. Just as well, because I didn’t have a comeback. I just stared at the closed door feeling suddenly all deer-in-the-headlights.
Jason hugged me. “Don’t get all weird about that, okay? Remember, she likes girls a lot more than she likes boys.”
I drew back enough to see his face. “You’re not the only boyfriend she’s ever had, are you?”
“No, but I am the only serious one.”
Nathaniel hugged me from the other side, and for a minute I was held in the warm comfort of a boy sandwich. I liked that, and they both knew it. It helped calm me down.
Nathaniel kissed me. “I’ll go get you some lingerie, and shoes.”
“I can get it,” I said.
He grinned at me. “You’ll agonize over the choices, or use it to delay coming back; I’ll just pick something awesome for you to wear.”
I couldn’t argue with his reasoning, so I didn’t try. I could be taught. He went, I stayed, and Jason held me. I realized he wasn’t touching just to reassure me.
“You’re nervous, too,” I said.
“She means more to me than any woman ever has, Anita; it’s kind of scary.”
“And wonderful,” I said, arms around his waist, staring into those spring-blue eyes. He looked worried and had stopped trying to hide it.
“Yes,” he said, “wonderful, but still scary.”
I hugged him, putting my face against the warmth of his neck. “We got this.”
He held me tight, the strength in his arms pressing me against him. “I hope so, Anita. God, I hope so.”
I wanted to keep being comforting, but we needed truthful more. I rose back to see his face and said, “I’ve tried to help Richard make peace with some of his girlfriends and it’s never worked well.”
“Like Envy,” Jason said.
“Yeah.”
“I think if Richard had been having rough with you, he’d have behaved himself with Envy.”
I shrugged. “He didn’t have time to see Envy, date the new mundane chick, and fit BDSM booty calls into his schedule. He has a full-time job and a lot of family obligations with his parents and siblings in town.”
“Richard likes sex rougher than almost anyone else in our group; when you play that hard, you can’t skip it.”
I agreed. “Not without it coming out somewhere else.”
Jason nodded. “Which lost him Envy.” His face fell into sad lines.
I moved my hands so I was gripping his shoulders, and I shook him a little. “Snap out of it; we are not Richard. We are all more in touch with our needs, and priorities, than that.”
He smiled, and it almost filled his eyes.
“You’re getting J.J. and me in one bed at the same time; come on, if you don’t make at least one lesbian fantasy joke, I’ll be disappointed.”
He gave me the full smile then, making his eyes shine with it. “If I said I’d never fantasized about the two of you in bed with me, I’d so be lying.”
I hugged him, smiling. “That’s my lecherous wolf.”
He hugged me back. “Thanks, Anita, for everything.”
I wanted to say,
Thank me after this works
, but that would have undone all the reassurance I’d just done, so I just said, “You’re welcome.”
Nathaniel came back with my clothes and a
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