~ ~ Zack ~ ~

Sasha was the first to look away, and with a small shake of her head, she spun around and walked off.

"Sir?" said Abe.

"Did I give you permission to speak, boy?" I barked without looking at him. No, my eyes were watching Sasha walk away.

Fuck.

Eyes back on Ellis, his anger radiated from him like he had swallowed a hot coal. "Wait up, Sasha," he growled, taking one last look at the other subs and then he was off chasing Sasha down.

Well, that went to shit at warp speed.

Straightening my clothes, I issued my final command. "You are all free to leave."

Without a look back I headed out and almost walked slap-bang into Nia. "Oops!" She grinned, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip.

At least I now knew how Sasha and Ellis had found me.

"Have fun did we, Nia?"

Batting her eyelashes. "Oh, " Pressing a finger to her bottom lip. "Was I not meant to lead them right to you, Sir?"

Not worthy of a reply, I shouldn't have been shocked.  But Monk and Shawn?  I'd expected better from them.  And if I had the time I would have gladly punished Nia myself. "Aren't your masters waiting to punish you somewhere?"

She hummed. "...Now that you mention it..." She flipped around swaying her hips as she walked away. "Oh, I like them by the way," she said over her shoulder. "Don't hide them away next time you visit."

Next time?

Inside the elevator, I wondered how best to handle this.

Hold up. Why did I have to handle it? 

They were under contract—not me.

I was free to do as I pleased, with whoever I pleased.

Then why did I feel like the biggest shit on the planet?

As I walked into my apartment I half expected to be jumped on. Shutting the door I paused to listen.

Nothing. Not a sound.

Not hanging around, I headed straight for the bathroom. I showered in record time and slipped into my bedroom to dress and still,  I couldn't hear anything.  

Had they left?  

My guts twisted, growing increasingly uneasy as the minutes dragged on.

Man up, my inner voice suggested.

Fantastic advice.

Except that could be taken in more than one way.

Exiting the bedroom, I wandered back through to the main living area. 

There I found Ellis. Body tense. Hands clenched. I buckled up for a bumpy ride because he clearly had something on his mind. "Ellis—" I started only to be cut short.

"Shut the fuck up." Ellis took three fast steps eliminating the distance getting right up in my face, his fist grabbing hold of my shirt. "You wanna explain what the fuck that shit was downstairs, huh?"

I thrust my arm between me and his body, dislodging his grip on my shift and then shoved him away from me.

"What the..." Ellis stumbled back but came back at me shoving me back.

Well, this was going well.

I didn't get a chance to try and diffuse the situation as he took a swing at me. Easily dodging it, I hooked one foot around his leg and sent him to the floor. Hard.

Ellis made an oomph sound but I was already following him down and straddled him, gripping his tee-shirt in both my fists.

"Fuck you, Zack!" he fired at me.

Having him pinned beneath me on the floor, I outweighed him, not by much, though our strength was most likely evenly matched. Looking down at him, I leaned in, my face only inches from his. Chest heaving, his lips parted whilst his pupils exploded. "Enough, boy!" I commanded but it only made him more irate.

"Don't fucking me call me that!"  he snarled.  "I ain't like them downstairs, I ain't your fucikin' boy."

My body seized. And I stared, breathing heavily.

Was he jealous?

And fuck, I didn't know what to do with that either.

Swallowing, I needed to know if I was reading this right. "Are you jealous, Ellis?"

"What!?  Fuck no." His top lip curled. "You can stick your dick in any hole you like. Fuck anyone you like. Like I give a shit what you do with your boys!" His eyes betrayed his lies. "I'm pissed at you because you hurt Sasha."

Again, his level of protectiveness and newfound loyalty toward Sasha was surprising.

And weirdly I wanted that same loyalty.

Easing my grip on his clothing, I stupidly relaxed which gave him the advantage as he bucked and rolled us, pushing me off him, and in a flash he moved over me.

The pressing of his hard body against mine sent a clear signal to the cock. It was back in the game.

I was about to shove him off me. "Fuck you, Zack," he said again before smashing his mouth onto mine.

Okay.  Hadn't expected that. 

Ellis made some kind of sound, something deep and throaty, almost agonised.

Our mouths moved over one another, hard, practically grinding teeth. His tongue plunged into mine and I let him take control which brought another sound, just as tortured out of Ellis. He nipped my bottom lip as his weight on me became heavier. I could feel his cock was now just as hard as mine as he deepened the kiss, although still brutal, almost ferocious kisses of pent-up need.

This felt like a huge fucking mistake... on my part.

But I didn't stop him. And this was the first time I'd let a man have the upper hand.

"Fuck you," he whispered against my mouth. "I don't know whether to beat the shit out of you or..." he didn't finish.

He eased back looking down at me, our chests both heaving. "What is it you want from me, Ellis?"

"I don't know what the fuck I want, alright!" He was angry again as he pushed off me and got to his feet.

"Aren't you going to ask me that question Zack? Ask what I want?"

I lifted my head to see Sasha standing in the doorway watching us. She shivered and curled her fingers into her palms.

Ah, fuck.

I rolled onto my side and got myself up off the floor. "Sasha..."  I was fairly certain that look would be the death of me. "What is it you want?"

Sasha didn't blink or hesitate. "I want all of you, Zack." She hiked up her chin, telling me, "Not just the Dom who owns me and my orgasms. I want everything."

My eyes wandered to Ellis who was now pouring himself a glass of scotch. "Get anyone a drink?"

What, at this time?

Diverting my attention back to Sasha. "I didn't agree to this," I said, with Sasha's eyes searching my face as though she was seeking the truth.

"I know." She nodded slowly. "You didn't. You warned me, us, upfront that you weren't in it for a relationship or commitment."

I was beginning to wish she'd just been pissed off at me, having found me with my dick inside another sub's mouth, instead of standing here feeling like she was squeezing my almost-dead heart with both fists.

She carried on. "I agreed to your terms, Zack. But even in this short time, somewhere along the way, it changed. And don't tell me it hasn't changed for you. I feel it." She turned to Ellis and then back to me. "And I see the way you and Ellis act around each other too."

Ellis, who was about to take a drink, paused. "What are you saying, Duchess?"

She closed her eyes for a second with a sigh before pinning him in place. "Don't play dumb Ellis. You might not be into guys but you clearly like all the things Zack does to you."

He scoffed and grumbled something I couldn't make out.

"You don't want me, Sasha. Trust me.  I'm bad for you."

"My dad tells me all the sweets I crave are bad for me too." She threw her arms up. "But I'm an adult, Zack and the sooner you, my dad and every other man in my life realises that. The better!"

Although very un-submissive like, her anger only added to the magnetic intensity of her beautiful features. And despite the heated emotion, her sass remained undeniable, a potent mix of strength and beauty.

And made my dick throb.

Yeah, not helping.

I exhaled noisily as I dragged my hand down my face. This was getting us nowhere fast.

"The change of our terms is non-negotiable," I told her with my eyes flicking to Ellis who was pouring himself another large measure of scotch.

Obviously not listening to me, she charged on. "I will tell you what's non-negotiable for me and Ellis." She paused, inhaling all available air around her. "You using anyone another sub! You don't get to do that.  You don't get your rocks off anywhere else. Is that understood?"

And my dick got even harder.

But past the fire in her eyes and the venom in her words, I knew she was holding back as her chin trembled before she spun around and I watched her walk away again.

Ellis held up his drink as if he was about to make a toast. "Like I said earlier. You're a dick," he muttered. "And if I were you, I would apologise, better yet—grovel, asshole."

I was trying to give him some leeway, but he was starting to piss me off. "When the fuck do you tell me to—"

Butting in. "You ain't the boss of me." Finishing off his scotch he slammed the glass down and turned away and started walking away from me too.

"Ellis Jenson. Stop!" I commanded, putting every ounce of dominance I possessed into my tone.

He immediately halted his retreat, and his obedience caused a familiar punch in my gut. Lust. Only this was mixed with something else, something more potent.

"I am in every respect the boss of you until you say otherwise," I informed him. "But..." I dragged a hand through my thick hair. "...I was wrong. I disrespected you both. It won't happen again."

When Ellis finally turned, I saw the wariness in his eyes, but there was something else there. Trust, maybe?

And it was then, that very moment in time when I felt a sudden, life-altering shift within me. And it was fucking powerful and terrifying.

The room had warmed several degrees since our confrontation and with every passing second, it was increasing.

I had to make my exit, a moment to corral my thoughts—alone. I stormed past Ellis and into my study, slamming the door behind me. Every muscle in my body was rigid, my thoughts competed for attention in the crowded corridors of my head as my gaze remained fixed on the overpriced rug covering a majority of the floor as I blazed a trail back and forth over it.

I wasn't a man prone to apologies. It wasn't in my DNA. Yet, I found it was a driving force I couldn't ignore.

And despite trying, my thoughts kept returning to Sasha and the disregard I showed her and yeah, Ellis too.

Admittedly, I'd been angry at breakfast, an emotion I didn't have much use for. As a rule, I kept my emotions in check, avoiding relationships that would rile me up. With other subs, any sub generally, I didn't have to run the gauntlet of feelings. I commanded them and treated them as fuck-toys. They knew what I wanted and I understood their needs and we all maintained our places. This morning with the subs downstairs was no different. It got me outside my head. It meant little to nothing. It didn't overly excite me and they didn't disappoint me either.

But apparently, I couldn't treat Sasha or Ellis the same as any other sub.

My phone buzzed and I yanked it free from my pocket. It was my pilot, asking about our departure. Fuck. We should have left by now. But I wasn't taking this shit show back to London. It got sorted now. One way or the other.

Asking him to wait for instruction, I left my study and went in search of Sasha. I found her in the kitchen, sitting at the breakfast bar where she held onto a coffee mug with a grip that suggested it was her lifeline, yet the contents remained untouched.

Neither of us said anything as I approached. Suddenly not sure what I wanted to say, my thoughts eluded capture, dancing just beyond my mental reach.

Apologise, Asshole. My conscience reminded me.

Sasha's eyes widened, putting the mug down as I neared, her head tilted back.

As was my true nature, I didn't ask permission when I curled my hand around her wrist and drew her to her feet, never looking away from her. She stood, the pulse in her neck beating faster.

Cupping her face, I leaned in and did the right thing for maybe the first time in a long time. "I'm sorry."

Yes, indeed, it marked the first instance in my existence where I offered an apology with genuine sincerity. More importantly, the first time in my life when I felt it was deserved.

I willed her to see my earnestness, to hear it in my voice when I continued. "You didn't deserve that this morning. I was defensive and dismissive of your feelings."

She swallowed hard and nodded.

"Accept my apology, Sasha" I leaned in so my lips hovered over hers, lowered my voice. "I need you to tell me you accept it."

Her hands curled around my biceps, gripping tightly as she nodded, hanging onto my words. "I will understand if you want to end our contract, but if you want to continue. I won't do that again, You have my word."

"Why not talk to me, us? Why go downstairs and use... them?"

"I fuck up, Sasha." I pulled back, stared into her eyes. "I'm frustrated about this whole thing between us and if I give an inch toward..." I stopped.

"Toward what? Why are you scared to let your walls down? Let me in?"

"I'm not sure I'm even capable." 

"You are. That's why you fetched us here, isn't it?" She tightened her grip. "You wanted us to see what the three of us could be, right?" And then her eyes narrowed. "I know you're freaking out, Zack, and that's why you lied about Nia and the guys."

I dreaded to think what Nia might have told her.

I opened my mouth to speak but she jumped in again. "If you can't be honest then at least don't lie to me."

"I wasn't going to lie," I growled. "But you're right, I did lie. I didn't want you speaking to them."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons." Her eyes carried on searching my face and I wondered what she was looking for. I brushed my thumbs over her cheeks. "For now, just say you will accept my apology."

It took several heart-thumping beats before she finally nodded. "Okay, I do... accept it."

I released a breath. Suddenly, I felt like a gravitational force had eased, like an imaginary anvil had been lifted off my chest, leaving me unexpectedly lighter.

"But you have to promise me you will at least try."

It had been so long.  Could I? "This is new for me, Sasha, and I don't want to hurt you or Ellis." My hands tightened infinitesimally on her face, my voice lowering to barely a whisper when I admitted out loud. "And contrary to popular belief. I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing here."

Sasha breathed in as though surprised by my admission, then did the one thing I didn't expect. She shifted up on her toes, her lips finding mine. The kiss was soft and sweet, and weirdly it sent warmth straight to my chest, replacing the heaviness from earlier.

Tilting my head, I aligned my mouth with hers and kissed her softly. I fought the heat that churned when she was near, not wanting to ruin whatever progress I might've made.

This woman and that man were going to be my undoing, I knew it deep down, maybe in that place where some said the soul was. Both had completely unhinged me in just a few days. I was a man accustomed to being in control. Always. With them, I was starting to feel anything but.

"If you really want to show me you're sorry." A sexy smirk filled out her lips. "I have something in mind."

I knew that look. "... Tell me, dirty girl."

"Simple. I want you to use me, Zack..."