Cardinal's Rule

Chapter Twenty-One

At the one-month mark following the end of his last round of chemo, Landry’s doctor looked pleased. “I’ll see you in six weeks. Then after that I think we can move to every three months.

Landry closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief as Tilly squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Doctor,” he said.

Cris smirked from the other side of the exam room, where he stood leaning against the wall, his arms casually crossed over his chest. “I sense a celebration.”

Landry looked at him and grinned. “You bet your ass.”

“Literally,” Tilly snarked. Since the reconciliation, as she thought of it, she’d finally found a comfortable dynamic with Cris. Landry eased up on the Master stuff in some ways with Cris, still having that dynamic with him outside of bed, but inside, they were three lovers without labels.

Cris slept with them in their bed every night, except when he had to fly out to L.A. for business.

Then the old Landry emerged, and Tilly welcomed the chance to let go and submit to him.

Maybe one day she could enjoy that dynamic with Landry around Cris, but she needed time to get to that place.

It was a Friday, and later that night they went to the club. Landry persuaded her to wear her school girl outfit. As he scened with Cris she sensed a carefree joy in Landry that she’d never witnessed before.

Even Cris, despite the walloping he took, seemed happy and at ease. Watching Landry scene with him, she realized, made her wet. Not entirely because of Landry, either. There was something delicious in watching Cris take it, knowing he enjoyed it as much as Landry did.

Thinking about how they could pin her to the bed and melt her will before fucking her brains out without being her “masters” only amped up her own need.

Her heart raced. She would be the happy recipient of a really good, hard fucking times two when they got home.

She couldn’t wait.

Loren leaned in close. “You three look happy tonight. Even Count Craptastic.”

She hadn’t yet confided in her friend about their change in relationship status. Pulling Loren aside into one of the private alcoves, Tilly closed the curtain. “Promise me you won’t yell at me. Or punch me.”

Loren frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Well, for starters, Landry got a clean bill of health this morning.”

“That’s good, right? So what’s wrong?”

Tilly had put this off, concealing their change in relationship dynamic from Loren. “I’m sort of together with Cris again.”

Loren stared at her, stunned. “By together you mean kicking the shit out of him every morning, right?”

Tilly shook her head.

Loren swore. “After what that fucker did to you, how can you even think about letting him touch you?”

“Because Landry was right. I never stopped loving him. You know that.”

“Can’t you send him a Hallmark card? Do you have to let him back into your heart?”

“I’m stronger now, Loren. He’s not my Master or my Dom. He’s just…Cris.”

“What about Landry? He loves the hell out of you.”

“And I love him. That doesn’t change.”

Realization struck. “Oh, fuck me, you went poly. Honey, are you sure you want to do this to yourself?”

“I’m not leaving Landry, and he’s not leaving me. No matter what, we’ve always got each other.

If Cris decides to leave, that’s his problem. I’m tired of trying to pretend I don’t have feelings for him.”

Loren sat on the padded bench in the room, mulling it over. “What are you asking me to do here, Til? I can’t be nice to the sonofabitch yet. I can barely stand looking at him, unless it’s to watch Landry beat the crap out of him. Which I enjoy the hell out of, by the way. We should sell tickets, we’d make a fortune.”

“I’m not asking you to like him, or even like what I’m doing. I just want you to support me as my friend.” She tried to find the words. “I feel complete. Finally. Lan’s never tried to make me submit to him.” She wouldn’t tell Loren about the birthday celebration. Some things were best left unshared.

“He loves me and I’ve healed with him. It actually makes this easier, being with Cris, too. My jealousy’s totally gone. It feels right loving both of them. I don’t seriously think I can ever go back to being Cris’ slave, but I feel safe and secure with Lan. It’s like having my cake and eating it too. For the first time since Cris left me, I really feel happy again.”

Loren let out a melancholy sigh. “I can’t judge you. I didn’t walk in your shoes and I hope to god I never will. Promise me you’ll let me kill the bastard if he hurts you again.”

“I promise you’ll get first crack at him if I leave anything left.”

Loren stood and hugged her long and tightly. “Please be careful,” she said. “Please don’t let him hurt you again.”

“He won’t. He still loves me, too.”

“Funny damn way he had of showing it.”

Tilly smiled. “Don’t worry, Landry and I got our pound of flesh out of him on our wedding night. And then some.”

Loren snorted. “Wish I could have been a fly on that wall.”

The men were finishing up when she spotted a familiar face walk through the door.

Bob.

A crazy thought hit her. Landry had agreed that if Bob was open to it, he’d willingly help her scene with him. And no, it hadn’t bothered him that she made him climax.

“If he’d made you climax, love,” he’d said with a smirk, “then yes, I would certainly feel different and less charitable.”

She walked over to him and didn’t miss his smile as she hugged him. “Nice to see you here,” she said.

“Nice to see you, too.”

“Alone?”

He smiled. “Yeah.”

She pulled him off to the side and pointed at Landry and Cris, who were winding down their scene. “I talked with Lan. I can scene with you, or if you’d like, he can, too.”

He looked a little hesitant, but she didn’t miss the bulge in his jeans. He nervously licked his lips before responding. “I don’t want your ex to help.”

She squeezed his hand. “He won’t.”

He looked good in her collar. His blue eyes turned on her. “Okay,” he softly said. “If it gets too intense…”

She offered him a smile. “I’ll call the scene if you safeword.”

“Even if he doesn’t use one?”

“We’ll play by Cardinal’s Rule—She Must be Obeyed.”

He laughed.

Cris sat along the wall nearby, watching. Wrapped in a light blanket, he was still recovering from their intense scene despite the peaceful smile on his face.

Tilly took over getting Bob ready while Landry leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, and watched. After Bob was blindfolded and bound to the bench, she motioned Landry over.

Together, they started massaging him, quickly settling him into a relaxed state. Tilly stepped to the front of the bench to stand by his head and massage his back while Landry started bare-handed spanking him.

Bob moaned, but he wiggled his hips, enjoying it.

Landry smiled at her.

As the scene progressed, Tilly used implements on him while Landry took over massaging him and keeping his sexual tension amped up. She had him begging to come by the time she reached between his legs and stroked his cock while Landry pinched his nipples. Bob exploded with a loud cry, his body arching off the bench as far as his restraints would allow him until he collapsed again.

Landry leaned over him and placed a deep, passionate kiss on Tilly’s lips. “You’re fucking sexy, love. I hope you realize you’re getting one hell of a hard fucking when you get home. That was gorgeous.” His lips moved to her ear. “Maybe one day you’ll help me top slave?”

“Give me some more time before that happens.”

They helped Bob sit up, and Tilly sat with him by the wall, giving him aftercare while Landry cleaned up their toys and the bench so other people could use it. Later, as the four of them sat in one of the social areas, Tilly next to Bob, they talked.

Bob stared at Cris. “I guess I can’t kick your ass now,” he joked.

Landry grinned. “Oh, no, you absolutely can, if you wish. I’ll even hold him down for you.”

Tilly laughed. “Stop. No ass kicking, no holding anyone down.”

Bob didn’t take his eyes off Cris, but he directed his comment to Landry. “I’m not complaining, but you’re really okay with this?”

Landry nodded. “As long as you remember she’s married to me, and respect me as her husband, I don’t have a problem with it. I trust Tilly. The question is, can you be okay with this?”

Kim and Kylee chose that moment to come over and say hi. They eyed Bob. “Who’s your friend, Til?” Kim said. “Are you getting greedy?” While the women had settled down together, they made no secret about the fact that they were bi. They didn’t live the lifestyle twenty-four/seven, but Kylee usually took the dominant role when they played.

Tilly rolled her eyes. “You’ve met Bob before. He was one of my clients.”

Kylee opted for brazen. “I saw you playing with him. You back in business, or is he a free agent?”

Tilly laughed. “Bob, you realize a target just appeared on your forehead, right?”

He smiled. “I wondered what that feeling was.”

Kim, a short, petite little thing, slithered into Bob’s lap and draped her arms around his neck.

“So, Bob. I’m Kim. You single?”

By the time Tilly corralled her two men and said good-bye to everyone to head home, she’d spotted both her friends with their tongues down Bob’s throat.

She couldn’t help but smile. Kim and Kylee were persistent and had often lamented they couldn’t find a good man who didn’t want to be dominant with them.

Why didn’t I ever think about pairing him up with them before?

She answered her own thought. Because I was jealous.

Cris slid behind the wheel to drive them home. He caught Tilly’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

“Divine intervention?”

“Sure seems like it.”

Landry draped his arm over her shoulder. “I hope Kim and Kylee don’t mind if we still play with him. That was fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that.”

She didn’t miss the way Cris’ shoulders tensed. “Don’t worry,” she reassured him. “I have no desire to add a fourth to our arrangement. Play only. It’s all I can do to keep the two of you assholes in line some days.”

Both men laughed.