Kade asked you. If nothing else...” She choked up, paused, then spoke. “If nothing else, I mean, down the road ... I know I can always turn to you, like that at least, even if you decide you want to move on. I know I can count on you. You guys have been best friends for so long. You're my best friend, too. You're my oldest friend. I mean that. You really are. I've always felt comfortable around you."
"Even that night in the Keys?"
She laughed, loud and genuine that time. “Yeah. Especially that night."
Kaden smiled. “She almost let the cat out of the bag that night."
Seth thought back, then remembered. “Wait! You did call her love that night, I remember now. And you—"
She nodded. “I almost called him Master."
Seth remembered the night fifteen years earlier. They'd been on a lobster trip with some other friends, hitting the two-day mini season when every yahoo with a tickle stick and a lobster gauge was out on the water. Two of their buddies got into a bar fight. Kaden had gone to the bathroom before it started, and by the time he returned the whole place was involved.
Leah had gotten trapped in a corner behind two guys duking it out. When Kaden started her way, another guy jumped him. Seth, realizing what happened, immediately abandoned the friend he'd been trying to help and fought his way over to Leah, grabbed her, and ran outside to the car with her.
And in near hysterics when she'd seen Kaden fighting with another guy, she'd screamed for him, shouting, “Mas—Kaden!"
When Kaden finally fought his way out a minute later and ran to join them, he scooped her into his arms and called her love.
Seth never would have admitted it, but later that night he laid in his bed in their rented condo and listened to them make love the next room over and thought how good it felt holding her for those few seconds, how good her hair had smelled, how protective he felt of her.
How envious he'd felt of Kaden.
"I made apple pie this afternoon,” she said, bringing him back to the present. “I bought vanilla ice cream for you. Can I get you some?"
He blushed again. Leah taking care of him.
"Admit it,” Kaden gently teased. “She takes good care of you already."
"How the fuck do you read my mind like that?"
"I keep telling you. Maybe the problem all these years was that you hadn't found the right woman."
"I'll be honest with both of you. I'm not sure I can get used to having a ‘slave’ serving me hand and foot.” Seth used finger quotes around the word.
"It's not like that,” Leah insisted. “I get as much out of this as Kade does. With you, too.” She blushed. “I mean, when I'm doing things for you. Like cooking dinner and stuff."
Kaden patted her thigh. “Go fix us some pie, please."
She kissed him and went to do it.
Kaden dropped his voice. “It's not about sex, either. That's tied into it, but in our case it boils down to giving her what she needs to function. Some people are in it for the sex. Yeah, the sex is hotter for us because of this. I won't lie, you'll find it's the hottest fucking sex you've ever imagined. But it's not about the sex. It's about fulfilling a need for someone. She needs to serve, she needs the structure, the safety and security. And the release for her emotional pain. Just keep an open mind. Have I ever lied to you?"
Seth shook his head. No, Kaden had never, as far as he knew, lied to him.
He was probably the one person Seth knew never would lie to him.
Kaden stood and motioned Seth to follow him to the kitchen. They took up two seats at the counter and watched while Leah finished the preparations. She even nuked Seth's a little to warm it before adding the ice cream.
The perfect way he liked it.
She handed Kaden his first. When she slid Seth's plate in front of him, she touched his hand and waited until he met her eyes.
"It's okay,” she said. Then she gently squeezed his hand before letting go and fixing her own plate.
He hated himself that her touch made
"Even that night in the Keys?"
She laughed, loud and genuine that time. “Yeah. Especially that night."
Kaden smiled. “She almost let the cat out of the bag that night."
Seth thought back, then remembered. “Wait! You did call her love that night, I remember now. And you—"
She nodded. “I almost called him Master."
Seth remembered the night fifteen years earlier. They'd been on a lobster trip with some other friends, hitting the two-day mini season when every yahoo with a tickle stick and a lobster gauge was out on the water. Two of their buddies got into a bar fight. Kaden had gone to the bathroom before it started, and by the time he returned the whole place was involved.
Leah had gotten trapped in a corner behind two guys duking it out. When Kaden started her way, another guy jumped him. Seth, realizing what happened, immediately abandoned the friend he'd been trying to help and fought his way over to Leah, grabbed her, and ran outside to the car with her.
And in near hysterics when she'd seen Kaden fighting with another guy, she'd screamed for him, shouting, “Mas—Kaden!"
When Kaden finally fought his way out a minute later and ran to join them, he scooped her into his arms and called her love.
Seth never would have admitted it, but later that night he laid in his bed in their rented condo and listened to them make love the next room over and thought how good it felt holding her for those few seconds, how good her hair had smelled, how protective he felt of her.
How envious he'd felt of Kaden.
"I made apple pie this afternoon,” she said, bringing him back to the present. “I bought vanilla ice cream for you. Can I get you some?"
He blushed again. Leah taking care of him.
"Admit it,” Kaden gently teased. “She takes good care of you already."
"How the fuck do you read my mind like that?"
"I keep telling you. Maybe the problem all these years was that you hadn't found the right woman."
"I'll be honest with both of you. I'm not sure I can get used to having a ‘slave’ serving me hand and foot.” Seth used finger quotes around the word.
"It's not like that,” Leah insisted. “I get as much out of this as Kade does. With you, too.” She blushed. “I mean, when I'm doing things for you. Like cooking dinner and stuff."
Kaden patted her thigh. “Go fix us some pie, please."
She kissed him and went to do it.
Kaden dropped his voice. “It's not about sex, either. That's tied into it, but in our case it boils down to giving her what she needs to function. Some people are in it for the sex. Yeah, the sex is hotter for us because of this. I won't lie, you'll find it's the hottest fucking sex you've ever imagined. But it's not about the sex. It's about fulfilling a need for someone. She needs to serve, she needs the structure, the safety and security. And the release for her emotional pain. Just keep an open mind. Have I ever lied to you?"
Seth shook his head. No, Kaden had never, as far as he knew, lied to him.
He was probably the one person Seth knew never would lie to him.
Kaden stood and motioned Seth to follow him to the kitchen. They took up two seats at the counter and watched while Leah finished the preparations. She even nuked Seth's a little to warm it before adding the ice cream.
The perfect way he liked it.
She handed Kaden his first. When she slid Seth's plate in front of him, she touched his hand and waited until he met her eyes.
"It's okay,” she said. Then she gently squeezed his hand before letting go and fixing her own plate.
He hated himself that her touch made
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