~ ~ Ivy ~ ~

A knock on my office door had me looking up from my iPad. In walked Tia, James's personal assistant. "You have those marketing figures, Ivy? James wants to go over next quarter's budgets."

"Sure, they're done. I'll send them across now." I reached for my laptop, already having the email prepped and ready to go.

She smiled. "Great." She closed the door behind her, leaving me to refocus on my to do list. But I couldn't concentrate, because I had other things on my mind.

Two other things to be more accurate.

Josh and Alex.

And there it was again... a weird heat blossomed in my stomach... and lower.

What was with that?

I'd liked guys before, but never where I would sit and think about them and get horny? I normally had to be with them, naked, preferably riding their face.

It left me feeling weird, but not in a bad way. I just didn't get it. What made them different? Yeah, I was attracted to them.

But what else?  Had to be something else, surely?

Sitting back in my chair, I rifled through my thoughts, but it was short-lived with another knock on my door.

"I'm decent!" I yelled out, and the door opened.

"Hey." Warm eyes greeted me.. "Was passing by—I'm not disturbing you?" She pushed the door fully open and stepped inside, looking her usual immaculate self.... My girl, Trix.

For Trix—I'd never be to busy.  "We're good." I spied a bag from my fave bakery. "Girl, tell me that's for me?"

She shook the bag. "Ah-huh," she hummed. Coming around my desk, I rose, and we hugged.

"And you can swing by anytime if you're gonna bring me goodies."

Pulling back, she handed me the bag. "I wouldn't dream of coming empty-handed?"

Peeking inside, I squealed in delight. Inside was a handful of Ben's cookies. Best freaking cookies in London.

"And just when I thought I couldn't love you more than I already do." I sighed, and she grinned.

"I miss waking up and not sharing our coffee and cookie moments." Sitting herself in the chair in front of my desk.

"What—do Clarke and Finn not do, sugar or gossip at first light?"

She shook her head. "No. At the moment, it's all business from the minute we wake."

Paying closer attention, I could see she was tired, her eyes not as bright. "Everything okay between you three?" If one or both of them hurt or made my girl unhappy, then I'd beat down on their ass's.

She waved it off. "Oh, god. Yes, better than good." She heaved an enormous sigh. "Just not enough hours in the day, you know?"

Phew. I nodded. "So, you three have a good time last night?" After they'd watched me in rehearsal, they'd booked a play-room. Reaching inside the bag, I pulled out a cookie, taking a bite. "Hmm," I muttered. They were still warm.

I offered the bag to Trix.

She reached over and dipped her hand into the bag. "Last night was just what we needed." She sat back in her chair, taking her first bite. "We've been kinda stressed lately with the launch and getting the product out there and now having employees." She quirked a knowing brow. "Especially Cam." Chewing on her cookie, she caught the crumbs in her hand. "It was good to just forget it all for a few hours and have fun."

"All work and no play, makes Clarke uptight, eh?"

"He's definitely more relaxed this morning."

I bet he was. I kinda envied how the three of them made being together look so easy.

"So, how did it go last night with you? Did Alex and Josh enjoy the show?"

"Good. Did they not mention it?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Not a peep."

I took another bite, but wasn't surprised that they'd not said anything. Neither seemed like the kiss-'n-tell type.

Her smile widened lighting up her eyes. "They both arrived at work early with matching dopey grins. Like little boys caught with the hands in the cookie jar."

I laughed. "Yeah, I can imagine."

Her expression changed to one of curiosity. "So what's the deal with them? Is it casual or something else?"

"Something else?" Not following her meaning.

"You know... a relationship?"

My face twisted. She had to say the R word. "Girl. You know I don't do relationships."

"I know, so what's going on?" Her eyes seemed to intensify. "You hardly ever date guys, and these two are the complete opposite of the guys I've seen you with."

Honestly, I didn't know, shrugging. "When I figure it out. You'll be the first to know."

She lowered her hand with her half-eaten cookie. "Cam and Finn are worried."

I rolled my eyes. They'd already given me the 'talk' about Josh and Alex being good guys and not to mess with their heads.  As if I would?

"What do they think I'm going to do to them, exactly?"

"Cam's worried you're going to try to push them to be together—that you're seeing something that's not there."

"What—like I saw what was between him and Finn?" I scoffed.

"I told them you know what you're doing."

Yeah. Kinda. Not really.

"Look, we're just getting to know one another. I'm not planning on traumatising either of them." I hoped. "Tell both of them to quit stressing, they're big, grown ass men!"

"I'll try." She looked down, then her eyes returned to mine. Concern replaced curiosity. "I just want you to be happy, Ivy."

That was code—she was worried about me.

"Who says I'm not happy?"

"You've not talked to me about your dad or much of anything since you came back from Canada." Her eyes dropped. "Your mom's worried, too."

Ugh. My eyebrows scrunched. I couldn't change my dad dying, and I wasn't one for sharing my feelings. I took care of everyone else. Not the other way around. "No one has to worry."

Her blue eyes lifted to mine. "Okay. Well, I'm here. I'll always be here—you know that, right?"

I did.

We chatted for a little while longer before she trotted off, promising to get Clarke and Finn to quit worrying.

On my own again. I picked up my iPad and refocused my attention on the first task on my list.

Schedule meeting with James re the new club opening in Ireland on 28th

I read it three times.

Fuck.

My face screwed up in confusion. What the hell was wrong with me today? It normally wasn't this hard to concentrate.

Was I tired? No. I was used to late nights and early mornings.

Putting the iPad down again, I rubbed my temples. I felt uneasy at everyone's warnings and worrying about Josh and Alex.

It was making me second guess myself. And I never second guessed myself. This was unfamiliar territory for me.

I grabbed my phone and scrolled up the messages between me and Josh. My intuition was spot on with him. Although I'd kept the messages on the fun, teasing side.

But Alex? His messages were much harder to read. He was much harder to read.

I'd thought one thing, but then his kiss had blown my idea out of the water. And his messages offered no insight.

My intuition screamed out, he had a secret.

I wondered if Josh could shed some light on it. But I didn't want him to think I was trying to get info on Alex through him. That would be wrong.

Until we all started playing together.

And that was my end goal. To what extent we played together, I wasn't sure. I'd seen a longing in Josh's eyes when I'd asked again about their relationship, but Alex didn't notice—or was just clueless about his best friend's feelings?

But I could worry about that later.

First. Focus on tonight. Normally when I set a scene in the club, I walked into it knowing what the sub liked/wanted. But here, not so much. I wasn't so sure Josh knew what he liked.

So tonight was all about figuring that out and introducing him to a whole new world—my world!

My iPad pinged with an alert. Zack was leaving at two today, flying to France for a few days.

I sat back, nibbling on my lip. Should I ask for his advice on this?

Ugh.

He was gonna love this.

Fifteen minutes later, I walked toward his office armed with his current favourite, a Caramel Macchiato. The air con brushed over my bare legs as I came to a stop in front of Zack's office door.

I didn't have a clue why I was so nervous. With my free hand, I straightened my skirt and paused to listen before knocking.

That's right—I knocked! Something else apparently new for me today.

"It's open." His gruff voice answered.

Opening the door, I stepped inside to see. Sat behind his desk, his eyebrows scrunched together, engrossed in something on his laptop. Today he was back to wearing his usual designer styled suit. It never failed to surprise me how much sexual energy the man exuded without even trying.

His eyes lifted, widening. "Christ, what's wrong?"

I shrugged. "Why should anything be wrong? If there was a problem, I would have mentioned it in the staff meeting?"

He scoffed. "You knocked."

I tsked. "You told me off for barging in on you fucking one of you sub boys." Rolling my eyes for extra dramatic effect.

He turned in his chair, his attention dropping to the drink in my hand. "But you never listen."

"Are you busy?" I walked toward his desk and dropped the drink in front of him. "Here, for you." Without waiting for another sarcastic comeback, I made my way to his huge leather sofa, trying to act casual.

That made him smile as he picked up his coffee and relaxed in his chair, swivelling to stare at me head on. "Well fuck. I was, but now you've got me all curious with the knocking and—" He raised his coffee. "—fetching me gifts." Flipping the lid. "Am I going to get a phone call any second to say there's a dead sub in one of my playrooms?" His eyes flickered with humour. "Tortured to death?"

"Nah, no one is dead." I smirked. "But the day is young."

He sat his coffee down. "Okay. You have my undivided attention."

"I want your advice."

He spluttered a cough. "Fucking hell. Where's my calendar?"

"Calendar?" I watched him reach for his phone.

"Yeah." Chuckling. "This is a date to remember."

Asshole. "Sleep easy—it's rare like Halley's Comet... once in a lifetime."

I watched his top lip curl as he set his phone down. "Okay... joking aside. I'm listening."

I might as well dive in the deep end. "Its Josh and Alex." I paused. "More Alex than Josh."

He arched his brow, but kept quiet.

"Something you said last night had me thinking, and I don't want to scare them shitless. Ruin the experience of kink for them." I sighed. "Josh is straight forward but Alex... not so much."

"I still think both guys are vanilla."

"You're wrong. Josh is a closet sub. But Alex—definitely not a sub, but not a typical dom type either"

"Are you sure you just want something to be there because you hate being wrong?" He paused. "And you like them?"

That was true. I hated being wrong.

He continued. "I know this. You can't make them like kink. Just as you can't go back to vanilla."

He was right again. Once you'd drilled a guy or a girl in the ass with a nine-inch dildo—vanilla would never cut it.

He continued. "The club scene sets expectations, but it's not that different outside the club. Wherever you play—Stick to the rules. You know them."

I did. Safe. Sane. Consensual.

"And communicate throughout. Never be afraid to stop if you sense they won't use their safe-word."

Looking back. Kyle, the first person I'd tried this with outside the club had totally freaked when I had my finger in his ass. But was that my fault? I'd not exactly asked him. Perhaps that had been a hard limit for him. Zack was right; communication was everything.

"You're doing that face?"

My eyes snapped to his. "What? What face?"

"The one where you're overthinking and it looks painful."

I glared at him.

"Look, you've got good instincts. Don't rush things. Go at their pace."

I took a breath. I could do that. Why the fuck was I stressing so much?

"And try to remember, it's supposed to be fun. Relax." He rubbed a hand across his chin. "And Donna—"

Donna was Mistress Angela's real name and the one who'd been guiding me since I joined Risk.

"She said the subs she sent your way have nothing but good things to say about you."

Although it was a great to hear, it didn't surprise me. I did everything to make sure I delivered on satisfaction.

"And it's clear those two are into you." He shook his head. "The drooling pretty much gives it away." A serious expression shifted across his face. "But." his tone shifted down a gear. "Be careful. Playing outside the club in an intimate setting can give rise to attachment. Be clear they know where you stand."

"Attachment? Do you mean feelings?"

"Yes. It's pretty easy, especially for new subs to develop feelings. See things that aren't there."

"Way ahead of you, boss. Already made it crystal clear."

"Okay then. My work here is done." He picked up his coffee. "Anything else?"

"Nope. All good." The stress I'd felt melted away.