Page 139 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
I immediately thought of Jasper and I had to wonder whether or not she was right. After all, I did not believe in coincidence.
Several hours later, I was sitting on the small patio overlooking the pool behind my house. I’d been out here for an hour, watching the sun sink in the sky while I enjoyed the warm breeze on my skin, the salty smell of the ocean. It hadn’t been until a few minutes ago that I realized I was feeling better. Significantly better, actually. Every now and then there was a twinge, but my ribs were no longer protesting. The shoulder still ached from time to time, but it was manageable.
What I wanted now was some alone time with Jasper.
Speaking of…
The sound of voices drew my attention to the swimming pool. I got to my feet, wandered closer. I remained out of sight as I watched Jasper and Cody launch themselves into the pool. They were laughing, though I couldn’t hear what they were talking about. The chatter continued as they swam back and forth a few times before leaning against the side and relaxing.
I dared to get closer, wanting to hear what was being said.
“Are you thinking about a replay of the other night?” Cody asked, chin resting on his arms, his head turned to the side as he looked at Jasper.
“The other night?”
I smiled. No way Cody didn’t catch on that Jasper was purposely playing dumb.
“It was hot, right?”
“Hot. Right.” There was something in Jasper’s tone that said he wasn’t happy about the direction the conversation was going.
“If I had a say in it, I’d ask for a replay,” Cody said with enthusiasm. “The way Ransom commanded you to fuck me… Have you ever done that before?”
Jasper peered over. “What?”
“A threesome.”
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that was a threesome, but I listened for Jasper’s response.
“No.”
“Not even when you were with Ransom before?”
“No.”
He was right. I had never shared him. Then again, back then I hadn’t taken on two submissives at one time. I wouldn’t lie, I enjoyed it. Like I’d said before: endless options.
“Well, don’t worry. I’m not gonna get attached to him.”
“I’m…” Jasper shook his head. “I’m not worried about that.”
“You think he’ll get attached to me?”
I laughed, couldn’t help myself. And that was when I gave myself away.
Jasper spun around, his eyes searching the area. Because I was busted, I stepped onto the patio surrounding the pool.
“Nice night,” I said casually. “Don’t you think?”
*
Jasper
Oh, hell.
How much of that had he heard, I wondered, even as I stared up at Ransom and tried to read his face for the answer.
Standing as close as I was to Cody, I heard his breaths become more labored. He was turned on from the mere sight of Ransom. And though I understood the reaction, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I’d actually given it some thought—what happened that night—before Cody had brought it up, and I still wasn’t sure whether I wanted to relive it.
Yes, when I let my thoughts wander and I relived it as though it was happening all over again, my cock got hard. It had been hot, like Cody said. But it had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, instigated by Ransom. I hadn’t even considered the fact he might bring a third person into our encounter, but there was a first time for everything, right?
Now I was wondering whether or not Ransom wanted a replay. If he did, then I was the odd man out, because if someone asked for my vote, I would say no.
Probably seemed selfish of me, I figured. After all, I’d once belonged to Ransom, and in recent months, I’d been having sex with Cody. I was the one who’d had them both, so why couldn’t I envision Ransom and Cody together?
Even thinking about it caused a tightness in my chest. Which, when you thought about it, was stupid. It wasn’t like Ransom had promised me anything. In fact, last night, I’d found myself back in my own bed. Alone.
I wanted something to happen, for Ransom to want more from me, and maybe that was my problem. I’d spent the past nine years without Ransom, having walked away from the best thing I’d ever had in my life. I’d never expected to see him again and here he was. I was a fool not to figure out whether or not we might get back what we once had.
Then again, maybe what we once had was no longer an option. I’d heard stories about the Doms at the club Talon belonged to. How most of them had hooked up with more than one person. Permanently. Some with two Doms, one submissive. Others with one Dom, two submissives. Maybe that was the way of Ransom’s world now.
I tracked Ransom when he strolled around the pool, utilizing the stairs to ease his way in. He was wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else, his broad chest highlighted by the underwater lights, all those tattoos shifting as his muscles bunched and flexed.
