Zack was right there, a hand on her back. "She's coming down. Here, baby." He spread a blanket over her, an extra one she'd left in the room in case the air conditioning was too cold for Zack. "Warm her up," he instructed Aidan. "Hold her tight. She needs it right now."

Aidan did so and Zack continued to rub her legs through the blanket in slow, strong motions, sitting on the side of the bed next to them. Surreal.

"Got any aloe lotion?" Zack asked.

Maddie tried to speak but words didn't come out. Aidan said, "Yeah, in our bathroom."

"Rub some of it on her ass before you go to sleep," Zack advised. "It'll help."

"Jesus," Aidan muttered.

"I'm okay, honey." Maddie stirred. Her legs were stiffening up. Wincing a little, she moved off Aidan's semi-hard cock and slid to her side. "Really. That was..." She swallowed. "Incredible."

"Went easy on her." Zack touched her hair. She felt his gaze on her. "First time."

First time. There would be a next time. He'd already talked about something else he wanted to do. Maddie pushed to sitting, keeping the blanket over her breasts. She met Zack's eyes. "You're staying?"

His eyes flickered, then he nodded. "Yeah. I'll stay. For now. But you know I'm supposed to leave in three weeks."

"Yes," she whispered.

"We can do this," Zack said. "While I'm here. If you want."

"I want to." She reached out and grabbed one of his hands.

"This is fucking weird as hell," Aidan muttered. "But...thanks, man. For giving her that."

Zack lifted his chin. "Thanks for letting me."

Maddie looked at Zack. She'd felt bad earlier because she and Aidan had both been had orgasms and he hadn't. But looking at him now, he wore a look of supreme satisfaction. More than just from masturbating. It clicked inside her that they'd also fulfilled a need for him...his need to dominate. A sense of wonder filled her.

"It's late," Aidan murmured. "Come on, sweetheart. I'll carry you to bed."

He picked her up, wrapped in the blanket, carried her to their room next door and gently laid her on their bed. "Are you really okay, sweetheart?"

"Other than freaked the hell out...yes. I am." She reached out and caught his hand. "Thank you. Are you okay?"

He came down next to her. "Yeah." He hugged her close. "I am."

"When you told him you'd fuck him up if he hurt me...I love you so much for that."

"I'll always look after you, Maddie. That will never change."

"Thank you." Emotion clogged her throat. After a moment, she said, "I'm a little scared."

"Of Zack?"

"No." She swallowed. "I'm afraid we're taking a big risk here. We have something so good and perfect together. What if this wrecks it all?"

"Maddie, baby." He tipped her chin up. "I love you more than anything. But we have to be honest. We're not perfect."

She gazed into his dark eyes, her lips trembling. It was true. God, it was true.

How could they love each other so much and not be enough for each other?

But maybe they'd found the way to be enough. Maybe Zack would show them the way to be enough.

Chapter Twelve.

Maddie lay on her and Aidan's bed with her wrists bound and fastened to the headboard, which Zack had been happy to see was wrought iron. Her blue eyes were huge in her small face, her hair a dark tangle on the pillow. She was so fucking beautiful it made Zack's chest hurt. Breasts high and round on her chest, tawny-brown nipples hardened into perfect points, the sensuous curves of her waist, hips, and legs were outlined against the dark green duvet cover. His gaze roamed over her flat stomach and the neat little patch of dark hair on her mound.

"Spread your legs."

Naked other than the ropes at her wrists, she obeyed him. It had been a week since that night he'd taken control and directed Aidan and Maddie to have sex in front of him. They'd played again the following night, and he'd taken things a little farther. The rest of the week had been a build-up of anticipation for all of them, heightened by a little dirty talk, a few taps on Maddie's sweet ass in the kitchen and his announcement to Maddie and Aidan that he'd gone online and ordered "a few things."

"Like what?" Maddie'd breathed, wide-eyed.

"You'll find out." And he'd tapped her cheek with firm authority.

Now he'd just finished tying her up with the rope he'd ordered, with Aidan watching. He sensed Aidan's attention to how he wrapped and tied the soft rope, firmly restraining her, but without the rope biting into her soft skin. "How does that feel?"

"Um...secure." Her eyelashes fluttered, and she bit her bottom lip. She gave a tug on the rope.

"Good."

"Are you going to be able to undo those knots?" Aidan frowned.

Zack lifted an eyebrow. "You doubt my skills?"

"Just asking." Aidan lifted his chin and met his eyes. "Safe, sane and consensual, right?"

Amused, Zack nodded. "Right. I'll be able to undo them. But if I can't..." He jerked his chin toward a pair of shears on the dresser. Aidan acknowledged them with a move of his head. "Now she's restrained." Zack turned to Aidan. "Take my clothes off."

Aidan froze. "What?"

"Take my clothes off." The command in his tone was unmistakable. He could feel the vibrations flowing off Aidan's tight body standing next to him. He held his arms out at his sides. "Do it. Now."

Aidan moved closer and took hold of the hem of Zack's T-shirt. His face was impassive, but hot color washed into his cheeks. He yanked the shirt up over Zack's chest. Zack lifted his arms to allow him to pull it off over his head. Aidan was clearly trying not to touch him, but their arms brushed together as the shirt came off. Sizzles ran down Zack's arms and converged low in his belly. Shirtless, only inches away from Aidan, he smiled a dirty smile. Aidan's mouth tightened as he balled up the shirt and tossed it aside.

Zack jerked his chin down to indicate his jeans. Aidan unbuckled the belt, lowering his gaze to his fingers. He worked open the button and lowered the zip. His fingers grazed Zack's heavy erection behind the denim and heat flared through Zack's veins.

"Why?" Eyes still lowered, Aidan gripped the sides of the jeans and yanked down. "Why are you making me do this?"

"Because I can."

He heard sharply indrawn breaths from both Aidan and Maddie.

Yes. This was what it was about. Him controlling them.

A small fear edged his consciousness, still, a fear that what they were doing might not have the results they all wanted. For his part, he wanted to help them, to show them what they needed, to give them that while he was here. Then he'd leave, go back to traveling the world and taking pictures of how fucked up that world was, and they'd stay here in their perfect life.

"Fuck." Aidan pulled the jeans lower, along with Zack's boxers. Loose-fitting jeans and underwear pooled around his ankles. His cock thrust out aggressively, and Zack felt Aidan's attention there like a touch, everything going still and electric around them. Aidan's tongue swiped along his full bottom lip. Zack's cock twitched.

He gripped Aidan's chin and lifted it so their eyes met. "You did good." He brushed his thumb over Aidan's wet bottom lip. Aidan blinked, eyes a little dazed. "Now you go sit and watch."

Aidan stared at him.

"Now." Zack released Aidan's jaw.

Aidan moved to the chair and sat.

"Sit there and watch. You can take off your clothes, but don't touch yourself until I tell you to."

Aidan's eyes flickered and his lips thinned but he said nothing. He pulled his shirt off over his head, then stepped out of his jeans.

Zack turned to the bed to see Maddie watching them with even bigger eyes which were now bright with excitement.

He approached the dresser where he'd left the box with the items he'd purchased, and pulled out another item-a sweet little whip named "Sting." When the package had arrived at the condo and he'd unpacked it and held it in his hand, he'd gotten painfully hard. The handle fit in his palm with perfect weight and smoothness, the sleek steel tapered to a point at the bottom, topped with a globe and extending into a smooth shaft. At the end of the shaft was a strip of soft silicone that could tickle, tease or...sting.

Zack flicked it against his palm and glanced at Aidan. Aidan's eyes shifted from the whip and back up to Zack's face. Zack read the hint of anxiety. The toy definitely had an evil look with its ruby-red metallic point at one end and the silicone strip at the other.

"You gonna be able to handle this?" he asked Aidan as he had the week before. He sensed his friend's concern. Zack was about to lay this whip on his girlfriend while he watched.

There had to be trust. Aidan had to trust him to take care of Maddie. And he had to trust Maddie to know herself and her limits and safe out if she needed to.

Aidan's eyes tightened up at the corners but he nodded. "Yeah."

"Good."

Zack looked back at Maddie. Her eyes glowed. Her bottom lip parted from her top just enough to show a gleam of white teeth.

He smiled at her and she gave him a slow, uncertain smile back. He liked that she was excited but still a little nervous, because if he read her right, the hint of fear would only add to her pleasure.

"Now we play." He strolled over to the bed and stood on the side opposite of Aidan, giving him a clear view of everything he did. He touched the silicone strip to Maddie's breastbone and dragged it lightly down her abdomen, all the way to her pubic curls. He teased her there for a few minutes, then let the whip dip between her parted thighs, brushing her pussy.

Her breathing hitched and her legs shifted on the bed.

He traced over her thighs, her calves, the bottoms of her feet, making her squirm, then back up. He drew the whip in a circle around each breast, then with a flick of his wrist gave a little snap of the whip on one nipple. Maddie gasped. He did the other one.

"Nice. This baby is sweet." He liked the weight of it, the feeling of control he had with it.

He traced the silicone over the sides of her neck, across her throat and down one shoulder. He tickled the inside of one arm, stroked it up and down the arm, then moved to the other.

He watched her responses carefully, assessing every flutter of her eyelashes, every indrawn breath, every twitch of her body. She loved sensation play. This was good.

He tickled and teased her everywhere, making her sigh and whimper, finally laying a sharp tap on her pussy, the soft folds below her clit. She whimpered.

Zack withdrew the whip and turned it around. "Let's see how wet you are, baby." He slid the handle through her pussy, careful of the pointed tip, and brought it up gleaming with her arousal. He turned his head to Aidan. Then he circled the bed and moved to stand in front of the other man. "Here. Taste her."

He held the handle of the whip to Aidan's mouth. Aidan opened and Zack slipped it inside. The sight of Aidan's tongue curling around the red metal before his lips closed over it made Zack's hard dick twitch.

He let Aidan lick and suck-Christ, that was hot-before withdrawing the handle. Watching that made him ache for Aidan's mouth to close around his cock like that. Lust pulsed in his balls. "How does she taste?"

"Amazing."

"Yeah. Now my turn."

He returned to the bed and did the same thing, drawing the handle through her creamy pussy. This time he opened his own mouth and took it in. Eyes on Aidan, he slowly drew it out between his lips, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked. Aidan shifted on the chair, hands gripping the arm rests.

Zack turned his attention to Maddie, who regarded them with fascination. She touched the tip of her tongue to her bottom lip and need burned through Zack. "Your turn."

Once more he gathered up her arousal on the whip handle and now turned it toward her. Her eyes went huge and she swallowed. Her fingers curled above her bound wrists.

"Open."

Her lips tightened briefly then parted. He inserted the handle into her mouth, and watching her little tongue and lips was just as hot as watching Aidan's. He wanted both their mouths on him. Christ. Imagining her and Aidan both going down on him, sharing him...he'd store that fantasy away. He wasn't sure they'd ever get there. Aidan was being almost shockingly obedient...confirming Zack's suspicions that he wanted to be dominated as much as Maddie did. Just maybe in different ways...and maybe he didn't even realize how much.

"Taste yourself, baby. That's it."

He withdrew the handle and wiped it on his left palm before gripping it in his right again. He once again began to flick the silicone strip over her body. Excitement pounded through him. Fuck, he loved doing this. He'd pondered many times why, but had never come up with a real answer other than it was just the way he was. He supposed he was considered a sadist, since he enjoyed inflicting pain. But it wasn't that simple. He didn't enjoy giving pain when it didn't bring pleasure. After the horrible things he'd seen, he was a pacifist, opposed to war and violence. The difference between hurting someone or giving someone the kind of sensation that was pleasurable was huge-even if that pleasurable sensation was pain.

His attention returned to her breasts. He again traced around their round shape, then one again flicked her nipples. They tightened even more, darkening to a cinnamon color. He moved from one to the other, taking his time, teasing them into dark, stiff points.

"Fucking gorgeous." He climbed onto the bed, and moved between her legs, nudging them farther apart. He was hard as a post and he knew Maddie was aware of it, her gaze dropping to his erection. When she looked back up at his face her eyes were wide and hot.

"Need to taste those nipples. Are they burning?"

"Yes." Her whisper barely reached his ears. He moved over her and leaned down to lick a hard nipple. He heard Aidan's sharply indrawn breath.

"That feels good." Maddie moaned.

He licked and soothed the tender tips, then closed his lips around one and sucked. Her body twitched beneath him. She made hot little noises of arousal that he loved.

After playing with her nipples for some time, he kissed his way down her flat belly, slowly, with lingering tongue and an open mouth. When he reached her pussy, he set his palms on her inner thighs and gently pushed them wider.

"Christ." He admired the view. "That is the sweetest pussy I've ever seen."

She made a strangled noise. "Zack. Oh my god. I need..."

He knew what she needed. She needed to be touched. She needed to be fucked. That wasn't going to happen yet, but...he leaned down and set his mouth to her soft, wet skin. She choked on a breath as he kissed her there, soft, gentle, slow. He kissed all over her pussy and inner thighs, leisurely kisses and touches of his tongue. He inhaled the exotic, intimate scent of her. It made him dizzy and he had to struggle to keep his mind focused. It would be so easy to get lost in all that was Maddie and lose his mind.

He stroked her with his tongue, tasting her arousal. Pleasure assaulted his nerves-her taste, her scent, the feel of her incredibly soft flesh on his lips and tongue. The sweet sounds of excitement she made inflamed him even more. He circled her straining clit with his tongue, then brushed over it, and her body jerked.