“During Christmas.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded anyway.
“And they don’t invite you?”
I chuckled, but it held no humor. “No. I’m a grown woman and I can take care of myself.” Not wanting to go into depth about the strained relationship with my mother, I attempted to redirect. “What about your parents? Will you be seeing them for Christmas?”
I had no idea how long they intended to be here, but considering Sunday was Christmas Eve, there was a good chance they would be missing the holidays with their parents because of me. I didn’t like knowing that.
“We will,” Sir confirmed, his eyes locking with mine. “They’ll actually be down here tomorrow.”
My jaw fell open and I nearly choked on my food. “Here? Like in the house, here?”
Master chuckled. “Probably wouldn’t be wise to force our mother to sleep on the beach.”
No, probably not. However, this was not good news. Not for me, at least. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to act around their mother. Would she approve of me? Did she understand their lifestyle? Could I merely hide in my room for the duration?
“She’s thinking too much,” Sir told Master in a mock whisper.
I couldn’t stop staring, stunned to the roots of my hair by this news.
“Ask a question, pet,” Sir ordered.
“Does your mother… Does she know about your lifestyle?”
Master chuckled, picking up his drink. “I’d hope so. Considering our father’s her Dom.”
My eyes were as round as saucers. “Really?”
“Well, technically, he prefers to be called her master,” Sir clarified.
My jaw practically unhinged.
“What?” Sir said with a chuckle. “Did you think that generations before ours were strictly vanilla?”
Well…actually, I had thought that. Maybe not outwardly so, but it had been an assumption. Clearly, an ill-conceived one.
“Don’t worry, pet,” Master said, his tone soothing. “You’ll enjoy the company of my parents and they won’t make you feel awkward.”
“Will I be naked?”
Sir smirked. “Of course not.”
Well, that was a relief.
However, my thoughts took on a life of their own. I could picture their mother wandering around naked, which would be uber-creepy and wrong on so many levels. How had they grown up in a house like that? I’d never given it much thought, but now that I had, I was a little creeped out by the idea.
Sir exhaled loudly as he leaned forward. “Look at me, Luci.”
My gaze shot up to his face.
“Our parents will arrive tomorrow. They’ll be here for two days. We’ll have a regular dinner. Then, we’re having a party on Christmas Day. No, it’s not the traditional holiday gathering, but I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. We’ll have a number of guests arrive that morning and they’ll be leaving that night.” He grinned. “While our parents are here, we’ll keep it very vanilla, if you will. And they’ll leave before the dirty stuff takes place on Monday.”
I nodded, trying to make sense of it all.
“Do they…?” I grabbed my glass and took a gulp of water. “Do they know that I’m here?”
“They do. We’ve told them about you.”
That warmed me. It was unexpected and it eased some of my tension.
Master pointed at my plate with his fork. “Now finish your dinner. We’ll soak in the hot tub, then get a good night’s sleep. The next couple of days will be the same mundane stuff that most families enjoy on Christmas. And then on Monday, we’ve got some interesting things planned for you.”
“BDSM things?” I asked.
“Well, of course.” Master chuckled. “After all, testing your limits is something we enjoy.”
Grabbing my fork, I focused my attention on my food as I tried to wrap my head around it all. Testing my limits seemed tame compared to having to spend the next two days with their parents. What if they didn’t like me? What if they thought I was all wrong for their sons?
What if…what if…what if…
It was all too much.
Five
FOR WHATEVER REASON—WHETHER BECAUSE they knew I was having some reservations or simply because that was how they intended it—I slept alone last night.
After spending an hour in the hot tub, Master took me to my room, then tucked me into bed. Sir came in a short time later and kissed me good-night. And it wasn’t one of those platonic kisses either. The room definitely heated a few degrees.
But then they both left.
And I was alone.
At first, I was disappointed because the thought of sleeping between them was something I’d pondered for quite some time.
Unfortunately, that hadn’t happened.
For some strange reason, it didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. Simply knowing they were in the same house was enough for now. However, now that the sun was rising and I was alone, I felt alone. I didn’t know what to do, where to go, what to say, so I remained in the bed, staring out at the brilliant blue water that seemed to go on endlessly.
