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.

Epilogue.

They celebrated their one year wedding anniversary at the club, playing. Tilly decided to mark the occasion by helping Landry top Cris for the first time before she and Landry topped Bob. Kim and Kylee didn't mind sharing their "love stud" with Tilly and Landry in the dungeon, as long as he still went home with them.

The wistful guilt had finally disappeared, too. Tilly no longer had the little nagging "what if" thoughts where Bob was concerned.

After returning home, the three of them made love until they collapsed, exhausted. Landry lay sandwiched between them, Cris on his left. Cris had rolled onto his right side and lay with his right hand tucked against his chest, his left splayed flat on Landry's abs.

Tilly studied the wedding band on Cris' right hand before her gaze fell to the rings on her own left hand. Landry let out a soft snore she knew meant he'd fallen deeply asleep. Her heart pounding, she reached across Landry, to Cris' right hand, and gently tugged on his ring. At first surprised, he relaxed his hand and silently watched as she slipped the ring off his finger. Then she reached over to his left hand and slid it onto that ring finger before she laced her fingers through his.

"There," she whispered. "That's better."

He looked stunned, his eyes on their hands. When his gaze silently swiveled to meet hers, she winked.

A slow smile crept across his face. "I love you, baby girl. I love you so much, and I'm so sorry I hurt you. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, I swear."

She squeezed his hand tightly. "I love you, too. If you leave again, I'll hunt you down and kill you in a very slow and painful way. Then I'll hold you down while Bob, Loren, and Ross have their way with you."

He tried to stifle his amused snort so he didn't wake Landry. "Never again. I'm not leaving unless he orders me gone."

He let out another soft snore from where he lay between them.

Cardinal's Rule Tymber Dalton Page 285 "Good." She laid her head on Landry's chest and closed her eyes. She enjoyed the feel of Cris' thumb gently stroking hers. "You still have my pendant?"

His finger froze. "Yeah?"

"I'd like to wear it. Not as your slave," she quickly added. "I miss wearing it. I loved that necklace." She eventually added, "I always knew you loved me when I had it on. It was like a wedding ring, in a way. I can't be your slave again. And I can't wear your ring because I'm his wife. But I would like that back. I love you. I never stopped loving you even when I hated your guts. I wear his ring. But I wouldn't mind wearing your necklace again. I'm sure he won't either. Just to be fair," she clarified.

"I love you, too. Always and forever," he softly promised.

She smiled. "Always and forever," she agreed.

THE END.