Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3) (The Thalia Series) Read online

  “Because,” Kalen pointed a finger at James’ chest and leaned forward, “Ye told me before ye left that ye love Thalia, are in love with Thalia. And in sixteen years there are only two women ye have said that about, and one ye left behind in Amsterdam as soon as yer father called ye home.”

  James gritted his teeth and fought the urge to throw some of the stupid shit Kalen had done in his face. Hundreds of nights, and almost as many women, when they’d trekked across Europe each holiday. Any time James had a break from his responsibilities. Had all that idiocy stopped Kalen from finding and falling in love with Maggie? No. So why was he treating him differently? “That’s low, Kalen. I thought we were past this, I thought you understood.”

  “Give me yer glass.” Kalen stood and held out his hand, James handed it over and Kalen walked to the table against the wall and refilled both of their glasses with more than a few fingers of scotch. When he came back they both took a hefty drink. “I’m not trying to be cruel, James. I want ye to talk to me about why yer saying it this time, about Thalia.”

  James grimaced as he took another drink and watched Kalen settle across from him. “I do love her, Kalen. I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

  “How do ye know ye love her?” Kalen asked.

  James started to respond and stopped. Thalia’s smile popped into his head, the one she only gave him. He thought of the way her eyes always found his in a room and lit up. He thought of how the sound of her even breaths when she slept were the best antidote to his insomnia he’d ever had. He thought of her mouth, and the way she kissed him, sometimes tentatively, and sometimes hungrily. The way her cheeks flooded with a blush, the way she arched into his touch, and how she always trusted him with every inch of her.

  There weren’t enough words for that. Weren’t enough words to describe the way he wanted to dress her up to show off how beautiful and brave and incredible she was, and still strip her naked to lay her out for him to taste and touch and savor.

  How could he put that in words?

  “Kalen...” James took a drink and tried to roll his sore shoulder, which only made him wince. “I just know. I just know I love her, it’s so much a part of me now that I can’t separate it. I love everything about her, I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

  “I want ye to tell me that yer not going to say it to her until yer beyond sure about her.” James started to respond that he was sure, but Kalen talked over him, “That girl has ripped herself apart here to prove to ye, and to me, and to Ailsa, that she wants ye. She went through hell, and instead of wallowing in self-pity she’s fighting for ye.”

  There was an ache in James’ chest as Thalia’s history flooded him. He knew it was hard for her to face all the shit with Marcus, but she had – and it only made him love her more. “I know. That’s one of the reasons I love her, Kalen. She’s strong.”

  “Then ye need to respect that, and not abuse it. She’s strong, but ye could crush her, because everyone can see that she’s in love with ye, even if she hasn’t said it.” Kalen took another drink and ran his hand over his mouth, “She doesn’t deserve to have her heart broken after everything, so if there’s even a chance ye will leave her, if there’s even a chance you’d let yer father yank yer leash again... don’t tell her.”

  “I wouldn’t do that, they don’t have any sway over me anymore. And... I can’t tell her yet.” James sighed as the weight of Kalen’s words rattled around inside him. Part of him soared at the chance that Thalia could feel as strongly as he did, and flashes of a future with her tumbled through his head on fast-forward. The other part shook him with why he needed to wait, why he couldn’t rush those words out of his mouth.

  “Why’s that?” Kalen asked.

  “I promised her six months. When I took her from Marcus I promised her six months of my best, of showing her what a D/s relationship could be. Away from that nightmare. I asked if she would give me that long to show her so she could decide if she wanted it, if she wanted me.”

  “It hasn’t been six months.” Kalen said it like he understood.

  “No,” James shook his head, “it hasn’t. And I won’t fuck with her head by dropping an ‘I love you’ into this. She has to decide what she wants first.”

  “She wants ye, James.” Kalen leaned back.

  James felt his mouth tick up into a smile, “I think she does, she thinks she does. God knows how many times she’s tried to tell me that. But our time here has been the most comfortable and natural we’ve ever been together. She said my fucking name, Kalen.” James took a harsh drink of the scotch, and almost coughed. He shook his head, “No way would she have ever said that before we were here. I mean, she yelled at me, in public, she cursed at me because she was so fucking worried about me.”

  “Thalia loves ye, James. What did ye expect her to do when I dragged her out of here in the middle of the night and told her ye were in an accident?”

  “The Thalia before this would have had a panic attack at the entrance to the hospital and been unable to speak.” James felt the grin on his lips as he remembered her pulling back, anger flushing her cheeks as she shoved him. So small, and cute, and feisty. He’d wanted to kiss her mid-sentence, but at the same time had reveled in listening to her berate him for making her worry. “The Thalia at the hospital? That was my girlfriend, not my submissive. That was the girl who twisted my arm to get her a coffee pot, and who gets so much delight in waking me up with it. And I love both halves of her, I love having both halves of her now. And I won’t tell her I love her yet, but I’m going to show her every day so that when my six month promise is up, she’ll choose to stay with me.”

  “It’s all about choices, brother. We give them choices, and enjoy the results whatever they are, because we love them.” Kalen was smiling and James knew he was thinking of Maggie, “I knew ye were still a good man.”

  “When I decided to come I had hoped you would remember that.” James said it quietly and they both drank. The scotch was humming in his blood, softening the edges of his pain, and somehow their conversation shifted to a rugby match that would be on television in the afternoon when Thalia was visiting Ailsa.

  James and Kalen were in the middle of trading laughing insults on the other’s supposed knowledge of rugby when a knock came at the door. Kalen leaned to the side and called out, “Come in.”

  The door cracked and James twisted in his chair to see Brad poke his head in. “Hey, um, never mind.” Brad waved a hand and moved to shut the door.

  “Brad! What do ye need? James and I are just talking about his ignorance of the game later.” Kalen grinned and James rolled his eyes. Brad pushed the door open and leaned on the doorframe, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

  “Ah, it’s the girls. If you’ve got a minute I’d love some suggestions.” Brad chuckled to himself and held his hands out with a shrug. “They’re a handful.”

  Kalen looked to James and grinned, “Why don’t we see if we can help Brad out? Eh, James?”

  “Alright.” James grinned back and stood. Chloe and Lauren had fast developed a reputation around Purgatory for being untamable. Brad had been the only Dom in Leeds willing to even take on the pair. Kalen had told him that Chloe and Lauren had toured local clubs and events for over a year as a pair. They were both subs, but their only rule was anyone taking them on, had to take them both. No preference, no favorites. Their time together had made them bolder than they already were, and as high energy as the two were he was amazed Brad kept up with them at all.

  James could hear the two girls shouting and laughing as they approached the double doors that led to Kalen’s main playroom at the Dormitory. Over the years Kalen had held a lot of events in that fully-stocked room that had things day-to-day Doms could only dream of. Most people just didn’t have the space.

  Brad was grinning when he got to the door and opened it to reveal Chloe and Lauren chasing each other around the room in some very nice lingerie. Chloe had a flogger in her hand a
nd Lauren was squealing as she put a spanking bench between the two of them with a wild smile on her face.

  “Girls.” Brad had stepped into the room as Kalen and James followed him, and his voice was threaded with humor. Brad didn’t have a hint of temper in him, he was always in a good mood, which matched the chaos that was Lauren and Chloe perfectly.

  “Sir! Help me!” Lauren laughed loudly and vaulted the spanking bench, sprinting to tackle Brad to the ground. He caught her and dropped to the floor with her. Lauren ended up straddling him and wiggling on his hips just as Chloe caught up and snapped the flogger across Lauren’s backside. Brad leaned up and grabbed the hand Chloe held the flogger in and tugged her down. She didn’t argue and knelt with her knees wide next to him as she kissed him with a brazen laugh. James’ eyebrows were up as he watched the display and he glanced at Kalen who was trying his best not to laugh.

  “Thought ye were running a practice session with them, Brad?” Kalen couldn’t keep the laughter from his voice. Brad detached from Chloe’s lips and looked up at James and Kalen with a grin. Lauren was rocking on Brad’s hips as she tugged at his waistband, and he moved his hands to her hips to stop her.

  “Ah, yeah, that’s why I came to get you. My girls are wild,” his eyes flicked between Chloe and Lauren, “aren’t you, girls?”

  They cackled and Chloe tackled Lauren backwards off Brad’s hips. In a moment they were kissing, Lauren grasping Chloe’s face to hers and James shifted his growing cock in his pants. Kalen seemed to be having the same difficulty as the girls slipped out soft moans between giggles. Hard to ignore the display they made, and his cock wasn’t consulting him on appropriate reactions. Brad pushed himself up to a seated position and just tilted his head as he watched them.

  “Ach, Brad.” Kalen laughed openly, “I told ye that ye were in for trouble.”

  Brad shrugged, keeping his eyes on them as Lauren slipped her hand between Chloe’s thighs. “Totally worth the trouble, and you are supposed to be helping us.” Brad finally took his eyes from the girls and looked up, his cocky, satisfied grin still plastered on his face.

  “That I am.” Kalen shifted and James noted the change in his stance. “Girls! Present!” His voice cracked across the room and effectively short-circuited the little tryst unfolding before them. It took Lauren and Chloe a moment to separate and move into kneels, their hands clasping behind their heads as their breathing calmed. Both were still grinning and glancing at each other occasionally, their lips swollen and red from their efforts.

  “Hi, Master Kalen.” Lauren spoke up with a smile.

  “Quiet, Lauren.” Kalen’s loud voice silenced her. “Chloe, explain to me why ye two are not obeying Brad.”

  “We are obeying -”

  “Master Kalen, we’re trying to -”

  “Hush!” Kalen snapped and both girls bit down on their lips. “Ye two chose Brad, right? Just nod.” They both did. “Ye two are submissive in nature, but both of ye are doing a shit job of obeying yer Dom. Submission is a gift ye give him, it’s something ye have to choose, and work on. We have been training ye both on how to do this, and yet -” Kalen gestured towards them, their eyes looking sad suddenly, “- this is what ye give him?”

  “We’re sorry, Master Kalen.” Lauren spoke softly.

  “Yeah, we like Brad, we don’t mean to -” Chloe started.

  “Be disrespectful?” Kalen clapped his hands together and then crossed his arms, the picture of stern control. “Well, ye are.”

  Brad stood smoothly, and both girls looked at him. He had an indulgent look on his face. Kalen had been right that Brad was a lucky idiot, the girls were delicious to watch but an absolute mess as subs.

  “Sir, I’m so sorry -” Chloe spoke directly to Brad.

  “I never meant to disrespect you, sir!” Lauren sounded upset at the idea of it.

  “Girls,” he shrugged, “I just want us to have fun. I know you like our play, but you have to give up the control like Kalen has explained.” Brad stepped forward and brushed his thumb across Chloe’s mocha toned cheek. “You two can’t top from the bottom and expect me to be an effective Dom. After all, I am outnumbered.” He grinned and chuckled.

  “We’ll listen, I promise.” Chloe leaned her head against his hand.

  “Promise.” Lauren added, her eyes on Brad’s face.

  “So what was yer plan today, Brad?” Kalen made a point of deferring to Brad in front of the girls, further solidifying who was really in charge regardless of Kalen’s coaching. James had always respected his friend’s ability to do that, and he was glad they had moved past the awkwardness of Kalen wanting to run Thalia’s training.

  “Ah. That.” Brad’s grin turned mischievous. “The girls have been so excited by some of the things you offer in this playroom, that I thought we could take advantage of some things I don’t have back home.”

  Kalen grinned and they all looked around the room at the possibilities. Doms in Kalen’s playroom might as well be kids in a candy shop. Almost hard to decide what to use, because you wanted to use all of it. “What are ye thinking?”

  “Lauren hasn’t been able to keep her eyes off your Sybian.” Brad’s voice edged on sinister, Lauren’s little gasp of breath had James smiling.

  “I’m sure. And Chloe?” Kalen was running a hand across his beard as they watched the girls’ breathing increase as their excitement spiked.

  “Chloe likes to have control over Lauren in our sessions, I’d like to balance the scales a bit and give Lauren some control over her.” Chloe gaped at him, and Brad continued, tilting Chloe’s head back by her hair. “Lauren’s challenge is going to be not coming on the Sybian. For Chloe, I’ll have her bound across my lap in your spanking chair. As long as Lauren holds out, Chloe gets pleasure, if Lauren comes Chloe gets spanked. Harder than the last each time Lauren comes.”

  “Lovely.” James was grinning as he imagined the control Lauren would have to exert to hold back her orgasm, a devious plan since both girls struggled with self-control.

  “One more thing,” Brad tilted Lauren’s chin up so she looked at him, her face flushed in her arousal, her eyes losing focus as her pulse increased, “Lauren, doll, you aren’t allowed off the Sybian until Chloe comes. Only fair, right?”

  Both girls were stunned into silence, their arousal blatant as their knees pulled together and they squirmed at Brad’s feet. Maybe James had underestimated him; Brad seemed more than capable of handling both girls at once. Evenly, fairly.

  “Want some help?” Kalen was smiling, and a whimper slipped out of Chloe’s mouth as she looked up at Kalen.

  “I’d love some. Let’s get them sorted.” Brad walked past the girls to a cabinet on the wall.

  “Strip.” Kalen ordered and the girls stood to take the lingerie off. In a matter of minutes Brad had grabbed the items he wanted and with Kalen’s help had set up the Sybian with an impressive dildo towards the front and a smaller one just behind. James slid leather cuffs on Chloe’s wrists, ensuring they weren’t too tight, and he guided her to kneel by the spanking chair that Brad had moved in front of the Sybian.

  Both girls were a bundle of nerves, taking shallow breaths as they waited for Brad to take control. The addition of two other Doms in the room probably wasn’t helping their tension. James could read the anticipation in Brad’s shoulders, and in the nervous tic of Kalen running a hand across his beard over and over. When Brad had Lauren stand by the Sybian she shifted her weight from foot to foot, “Sir, I don’t think I can handle -”

  “Hush, doll. You have your safe word if it’s too much, but I want you to try this for me.” Brad was the most in control that James had ever seen, and he was impressed with this side of the young, fun-loving guy. He held on to Lauren as she climbed on after he had applied some liberal lube to both dildos. At first her thighs shook, but Brad pressed his lips to her ear and James could hear him talking to her as she started to ease down, the shaft slowly disappearing into her pussy. Brad held her there for a momen
t, and she moaned as he slid his hand over her ass before pressing a finger against the tight ring of muscles and then dipping it inside, slowly warming her up. Lauren arched, beautiful to look at as she held on to Brad’s arm across her chest. After a minute or two he removed his fingers and Lauren eased down further, taking the second shaft in with a groan that had Chloe moaning softly next to him.

  “You’ll have your turn soon.” James smiled down at Chloe, brushing hair behind her ear. Her pupils were dilated and she swallowed before returning her gaze to Lauren. The look of focus on Lauren’s face as she rocked down slowly, had all of them holding their breath. Her harsh breaths and moans filling the quiet of the room.

  “That’s my girl, come on, doll, just a little more.” Brad was running his hand down Lauren’s back as she finally gasped prettily and her flesh pressed against the Sybian. She rocked her hips again and moaned, gasping already at the sensation. James chuckled to himself because Brad hadn’t even turned it on yet. “Perfect, Lauren, just perfect. Give me your hands.”