Marking him.
Maybe it was Landry’s collar, but until their ring was also on Bob’s hand, he wanted the man to know he was owned in more than one way.
As he eased up, Bob’s hands traveled lower, fingers tracing the spot on the back of Cris’ left ass cheek where his kanji character tattoo was.
“I do want one,” Bob said. “I meant it when I told you guys that. I want to be marked like you.”
Cris stared down at him for a long moment before gently kissing him, a brush of lips, sweet and easy. “When we get to a year, you think you might want to marry me?”
Bob nodded.
“Because you want to, not because you have to.”
“I want to marry you.”
“Fair warning, we do that, I’m gonna ask Lan and Til to let me have you to myself at least for the night.” Cris smiled down at him. “That’s only fair considering what happened on their wedding night.”
“Okay.”
“Why are you so okay with all of this?”
“Like I keep telling you, you had your issues, I had mine. When you met Landry and moved in with him, you felt like you were finally loved and wanted and understood and appreciated, right?”
“Yeah?”
“It just took me a lot longer to find you guys. Honestly? If I’d never met Tilly, and somehow I’d met you and Landry first, and you guys had started playing with me, I might still be in this exact same place right now.”
Cris settled next to him again with Bob draped over his chest. He twined a hand in Bob’s hair, lightly scratching, petting him.
“Let’s snuggle for a few minutes, boy, see if we can get it up again, and go for round two. Cage stays off for the rest of the day. I’ll take it inside and put it away.”
Bob’s lips pressed against his chest, a series of kisses. “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”
“That’s my good boy.” Bob melted against him. “Such a very good boy.”
Chapter Six
Tilly stood in the kitchen with a smile on her face and watched Bob slip into the pool house. Cris had gone in first a few minutes earlier.
Good for them.
She returned to the living room, where KC was almost out and Landry was comfortable on the sofa. Tilly sat on the other end of the couch and propped her feet in Landry’s lap where he could reach them, wiggling her toes at him.
He smiled and started rubbing the right one for her. “Tired, love?”
“Hard day’s shopping, you know.”
And her plan was to keep him settled there and not moving around the house just to realize he couldn’t find either of his boys, which would send him looking for them.
She could play the sadist’s games against him, too.
And she knew Cris and Bob needed alone time.
Plus, Landry was damn good at giving foot rubs.
“Maybe Cris and I should fly out to LA with you next week.”
“Why? I didn’t think you needed to come out.”
He shrugged and glanced at the movie on the TV like he was paying attention to it. “We do have some matters needing my direct supervision.”
“Uh-huh. Last time I asked, you said that wasn’t until August. Try again.”
He rolled his eyes and returned his focus to her. “Cannot fool you, can I, love?”
“And yet you’re still not answering the question.”
“I am reminded how lovely it is when we’re all under the same roof. It’s not as easy for us to leave for the UK, but we could spend time in LA with you.”
She thought about it and slowly nodded. “One condition.”
“Yes?”
She leveled her gaze at him, well aware that KC could snap back fully awake at any time.
“A certain set of titles get left behind. It’ll be Landry, Tilly, Cris, and Bob in LA. Not…you know.”
Although sadist was who he was, not what he did. It was ingrained in his personality and everything he did, both subtle and large.
“You think you can handle that for a week?” she asked.
* * * *
Landry studied Tilly. She never failed to fascinate him. When he’d first met her, it’d been Cris who’d provided the pivot their dynamic hinged upon, whether she could forgive Cris and accept him back into her life, and whether Cris could accept Landry’s place in Tilly’s life—and his place under Landry as Tilly’s husband.
Now, their future hinged upon Tilly as the pivot with their life with Bob.
Landry would be a liar if he said it wasn’t like a dream come true. Not that he’d originally wanted one more person to make them a quad, but Bob had been the perfect person and the perfect opportunity and the perfect circumstances, and Landry agreed he wanted no others in the future.
Maybe the four of them together, spending time vanilla—as much as they could be vanilla—wouldn’t be a bad thing. The condo in LA was small enough to be impractical for escapes like what Landry suspected Bob and Cris were currently engaged in, either in the pool house or in what had been Bob’s bedroom before he’d been permanently added to their bed.
He also suspected Cris had rid Bob of the chastity cage. Not only did Landry want Tilly feeling protective and territorial of Bob in some ways, so did he want Cris to feel that as well.
One of the things Landry had discovered early on about Bob was that the man developed a strong bond with someone who felt like that about him. He longed to belong, to be owned, to be useful and appreciated.
Landry had no problem doing that and had earned the man’s love and obedience. Then there was Tilly, of course, for whom Bob already felt that. For this to truly last, Bob needed to feel that from and for Cris.
And they would have few opportunities over the next few months to all be together at the same time.
“I believe I could handle that quite well, love,” he said. “And I do like to keep the office out there on their toes. I don’t wish them to grow too complacent that we might not stop in at any time.”
She smiled. “Aaaaand there it is.”
“My dear, you did not say I couldn’t bring that persona to work.”
She snickered. “No, I did not. Feel free, those poor bast—um, poor guys.”
“Language, love.” He grinned.
“Hey, I caught myself.”
He worked on her foot, relaxing her. “So they retired to the pool house, then, I take it?”
From the way her entire body went rigid, he knew he’d guessed correctly.
He smiled. “You also did not say I had to stop being me now, love.” He blew her a kiss.
She stifled her laugh so as not to awaken KC, and he was pretty sure she mumbled, “Frickin’ sadist,” under her breath.
* * * *
Landry didn’t get up and stalk off after his boys like he knew Tilly assumed he’d do. Actually, he was content to let them play for now, because that kind of play would be rare out in LA.
He switched to rubbing Tilly’s left foot after a time. Eventually, he heard the utility room door open and close. Whoever had returned hadn’t tried to be quiet this time.
Then the master bedroom door opened and closed.
Ah, my sweet Cristo.
After another long moment, the utility room door opened and closed again, but this time took longer, like someone had a heavily laden laundry basket in their arms and had to stop and turn to catch the door and pull it shut behind them.
And there’s Bob.
The master bedroom door opened, but didn’t close.
Cris finally reappeared in the living room and settled in one of the recliners.
“Work all done then, love?” Landry asked.
“For now. I might need to call in on the afternoon conference bridge.”
“He busted you,” Tilly said.
“Huh?”
“Technically, darling, you busted them for me,” Landry corrected. “I wasn’t even sure. I suspected you saw them, and then you came to me looking for a foot rub to keep me distracted. I si
mply guessed, and from your reaction, I knew.”
She stared at him. “Wow. You’re sneakier than I thought.”
“I have to be, with you three around. Otherwise, you’d all run roughshod over me quite easily.” He smiled. “Though I didn’t say I don’t enjoy the game, darling.”
Cris slowly shook his head, the handsome, amused smile Landry had first fallen in love with so many years ago creasing his face. “You’re something, Lan.”
“And did you have fun?”
Cris’ smile widened, and he nodded.
“Good. Love, would you like to tell him the plan?”
“Let’s get Bob in here first.”
Landry wouldn’t deny a little jolt of sadistic satisfaction when he knew from Cris’ face he—erroneously—assumed Tilly would be announcing a drop of that final restriction. Except that wasn’t something they’d discuss with KC around, obviously.
Bob joined them a moment later, looking adorably flushed in the cheeks, the way he always did for a short time after having had a couple of orgasms.
“Good, we’re all here,” Landry said. “Love?”
She looked up at Bob. “Landry and Cris are coming to spend the week in LA with us,” she said. “He’s got stuff he can do out there. Bonus—it means you have extra backup for KC and can spend more time with me at the office focusing on learning operations out there.”
Landry studied Cris as she made the announcement, glad to see a little disappointment on Cris’ expression that he quickly schooled into agreement.
Good.
Landry had wondered at first if Cris would have a problem seeing Bob with Tilly. Cris’ reaction had just confirmed to Landry that wouldn’t be the case. Add in the fact that being able to also play with Bob, once that restriction was dropped, would help bring them all closer.
As much as he wanted that restriction to end, he didn’t want it to fall at the cost of creating a chasm between any of them.
Now they simply had to wait Tilly out.
* * * *
Bob hoped Landry wasn’t too disappointed in them going off alone for a little while. It would be nice having him and Cris in LA with them, able to help with KC and help reassure him he wasn’t letting Tilly down.
When Bob walked to the kitchen to get dinner started, Landry followed, pressing against him at the kitchen sink, one hand circling around him to cup his groin.
Bob froze despite knowing what Cris had said.
The sadist let him spin in silence for a moment before he chuckled and gave Bob’s uncaged and temporarily satisfied junk a gentle squeeze.
“How many times each, then?” Landry murmured against the side of Bob’s neck.
“Twice, Master,” he whispered.
“And did you ask for release, or did Cris take the initiative?”
“Cris, Master.”
“And the other…item?”
“Cris, Master.”
“Good boy.” With that, he wrapped his arms around Bob in a hug from behind, resting his head between Bob’s shoulders. “You are our very good boy. That pleases me, you two getting along so well.”
“How will LA work, Master?”
Landry turned him around and stared up into his eyes. “While we are out there, Tilly has asked for no formalities. Just…us.” He lightly tugged on Bob’s necklace, indicating Landry wanted him to lean in for a kiss. “I still insist on you calling her ‘Ma’am.’ Understood?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Good boy.”
Landry looked around Bob, presumably at the time displayed on the microwave’s clock. “After dinner, while Tilly is bathing KC, meet me in the bedroom for a shower, hmm? Just you and I.”
Bob smiled, nodding. “Yes, Master.”
“Good boy.” One more kiss before Landry released Bob’s necklace. “Get dinner prepared.” He started to step away. “Oh, and boy?”
“Yes, Master?”
Landry smiled. “You’d best have at least one left in there for me or I shall be very cross indeed.”
Bob grinned. “I’m sure you can coax at least one out of me.”
“You’d best hope so.”
Chapter Seven
When Landry got up to follow Bob—likely to suss out exactly what had happened, if Tilly had to guess—Cris moved from the recliner to the sofa to take his place.
KC still slept, lightly snoring, from her place on the rug. She was spread out on her nap quilt and her pillow, where she’d started falling asleep almost as soon as the movie had started.
Cris put Tilly’s feet in his lap and started with the left. “I warned you he’s sneaky.”
“You never warned me he’s practically psychic.”
“Regretting it?”
“Heck, no.” She smiled. “Did you…” She pointed at her crotch and mimed unlocking the chastity cage.
“Of course I did.” Cris smiled. “He’s a very good boy.”
She giggled. “Softy.”
“Hey, I never tried to pretend I was up to Fussypants’ standards when it came to that side of things.”
They had their own code for talking about things around KC, even if she was sound asleep.
“Was LA his idea or yours?” Cris asked.
“His. But my…condition,” she said. “Apologize to your office peeps for me, though. I didn’t say Fussypants couldn’t show up at work.”
He shrugged. “They’re used to that side of him. They actually think that’s the way he is all the time. They don’t see the softer side of the sa…” He glanced at KC’s sleeping form. “The softer side of Him. Not like we do.”
She heard the capital H. “I’m surprised he hasn’t pissed people off.”
“Oh, he has. But they also know he’s consistent and doesn’t always move the goal posts on them. And he is fair. He’s as eager and willing to reward achievement and success as he is punishing avoidable failures.”
It felt so good having his hands on her feet. Even though Landry’s foot rub had been amazing, she’d be stupid to turn down a second one by someone equally capable.
Because Cris had learned from Landry.
If someone—anyone—had told her before Landry walked into her life and brought Cris back to her that she’d be sitting here with him, like this, she’d have decked them.
That it was impossible.
Now?
She couldn’t imagine her life without him.
Without any of her three men.
Wasn’t that the point? That she loved them? They were different men with different personalities and each fulfilled something different in her.
And in each other.
“You really happy?” she asked.
He stared at her foot in his hand for a moment as he kneaded her flesh, the smile playing across his lips.
“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.”
* * * *
Bob and Cris were loading the luggage in the minivan Sunday afternoon. They’d park in the long-term lot at TIA since they’d only be out in LA for a week. They’d pay more hiring a shuttle van to drive them all the way up there and back again.
Cris was looking forward to more time with all of them together, even if it was in LA.
Landry set the alarm and locked the house while Tilly got KC buckled into her car seat.
“Bob, you may drive,” Landry said. “I’ll ride up front.” He reached for the passenger door handle.
Tilly snorted. “Didn’t even make it out of the dang driveway.”
Landry glanced at her over his shoulder while he reached for his seatbelt. “No, love. Would you prefer a different arrangement?”
“Does Bob mind driving?” she asked.
“No, Bob does not mind, Ma’am,” he playfully replied from behind her.
Knowing KC couldn’t see, Cris reached over and smacked Bob’s ass, giving him a grin.
Once the luggage was stowed, Cris climbed into the seat behind Tilly. “Okay, we’re loaded.”
“Onward,” Landry said. “If that’s amenable to everyone?” he added.
“Smart aleck,” Tilly snarked.
KC had become a seasoned traveler, even at her young age. She was asleep almost before the plane left the ground in Tampa. When it came time to decide who sat where, since they were in first class and the seats were only two per row instead of three, they’d put Tilly next to KC, and Cris and Bob together across the aisle. Landry sat in the row ahead of them, and they could all change seats as they wanted throughout the flight.
Cris reached over to lace fingers with Bob as the engines revved for takeoff.
“Here we go,” Cris said. “You ready?”
“Not sure how I’ll deal with the paparazzi. Tilly said it’s worse out there than in the UK.”
“It can be sometimes. Hopefully you won’t have to deal with too much. Just remember not to say anything to them. Don’t react. They might try to provoke you to get a reaction.”
Bob laid his head on Cris’ shoulder as the plane picked up speed and rumbled down the runway.
* * * *
Flying was not his favorite activity, but Bob knew getting used to it was mandatory.
Something he hadn’t had trouble getting used to was no longer feeling alone in the world. Unwanted.
Not understood.
Just when he’d resigned himself to spending the rest of his life alone and unfulfilled, enter Landry and Cris, with Tilly.
His family.
The contractor would be starting on the addition to the house next month. They’d pulled the permits for the job, and Landry and Cris had finalized the plans after checking with Bob. He’d have his own mini suite with a bedroom, office and sitting room area, and a bathroom as big as the master bath.
A place for all his stuff, a place to retreat to.
A place where if two or three of them wanted to retreat to it and still be in the house, yet unable to be overheard by KC, they could.
The plane climbed and then gently banked toward the west. This was a direct flight to LA, no layovers or stops or plane changes.