By the time they reached the club, Mel was wondering if shed rushed into this. When Marcia practically tackled her at the front door and took her outside again, she knew shed been set up.

Well?

Mel stared at her. There wasnt an electrical problem, was there?

Marcia waved it away. Theyre nice, theyre employed, theyre single.

You set me up.

Are you complaining? Youre going to be single. Youre a hardworking, gainfully employed, non-psychotic woman who needs friends, if nothing else. Right?

Marcia couldnt argue with that logic. True.

Okay, then. Im tired of seeing those guys look lonely. Theyre nice guys. Youre a nice woman. If something happens, great. The worst that happens is you eventually move out again once your divorce is final. Right?

You need to fess up to them.

Are we moving you tomorrow? Marcia looked altogether too hopeful.

Why are you so eager to get rid of me? Before, you said you were happy to have me living with you.

Sure, until I saw how you looked playing with them that first night. Both them, and you, lookedchanged. Thats the only way I can describe it. Ive seen them play before, and Ive never seen them look the way they looked playing with you. It was like lightning hit all three of you. The good kind of lightning.

The guys stepped outside. Is everything okay, Mel? Carl asked.

Mel crossed her arms and glared at her friend. Tell them.

Fine! Marcia turned. Yes, I set the three of you up. Happy?

Instead of being upset, the men laughed. Told you, Don said to Carl. To Marcia, he said, You are not sneaky like Eliza and Tilly. It was all over your face. I hope you dont play poker. Yes, were still happy to have her move in, but none of the three of us are going to promise you anything. You, however, have to let us live our lives. Deal?

Marcia frowned. This s.h.i.t looks so d.a.m.n easy when Tilly and Eliza do it.

Don hugged her. Theyre a lot sneakier than you are, thats why. And theyre both more toppy than you are.

Marcia turned back to her. I really do vouch for these two. Please? Justgive it a chance?

Were play partners, Don told her. Weve already talked about her listing an under protection designation with us on FetLife because of creepers. But were adults. Let us get to know each other as friends and play partners before you and Loren start planning a d.a.m.n wedding or something, all right? She might hate our guts after a month.

Fine, Marcia said. But, listen, in all seriousness, if it doesnt work out, you can move back in with us. Promise me to give it a couple of weeks though, please?

Okay, Mel said. Deal. Just no more fiendish plots, all right?

Deal.

When Mel played with the men that night, they did rope bondage, spanking"this time including a paddle shed handpicked from Dons implement bag"and over-the-panties o.r.g.a.s.m play.

One thing she couldnt help but notice about a lot of the other women was that they shaved completely baredown there.

Embarra.s.sing question, she said.

Considering she was already tied up and facedown over Dons lap meant it was a little embarra.s.sing to start with. Sure.

Itrim down there. Should I completely shave it?

Youre not our submissive, Don said. We wont order you to do that.

If you did have a say in it?

Carl shrugged. Are you saying youre giving us a say?

Yeah. Im not playing with anyone but you guys.

Then I say shave it. You might feel less self-conscious when you eventually feel comfortable playing completely naked.

Ditto, Don said.

Okay. She started to relax, then lifted her head again. Can I call you guys Sir?

Don sat her up and leveled his blue gaze at her. What are you asking of us?

She took a deep breath. Look, I know were not in a relationship. But while Im trying to figure out my future, and get the divorce out of the way, itd be nice to have some breathing room and not have a fresh meat sign on my head, so to speak. If you two are okay with it.

The men exchanged a glance, nodding to each other.

Okay, Don said. For the purpose of play, and on FetLife, you can say youre our submissive. If you want, well add you to our profiles, too. But not collared.

Relief flowed through her.

The irony didnt escape her that she wanted to be free from Mike, and yet have the invisible barrier of protocol around her to give her breathing room.

Thank you. I really appreciate it, Sir.

Don grinned. I could really get used to you calling me that.

Me, too, Carl said.

Mel awoke the next morning with a sore a.s.s and a light heart. Theyd given her h.e.l.laciously good o.r.g.a.s.ms, followed by the best part"aftercare.

Snuggling and talking.

And they reiterated that their living arrangement did not include s.e.x, although they could discuss playing at home after shed settled in.

In a way, that disappointed her even as it relieved her. Okay, they wouldnt be creeping on her. Great.

But did it make her a horrible person that she wasnt even divorced yet and really wanted to get f.u.c.ked?

Marcia and Derrick were already awake when she walked out to get coffee.

Theres my girl! Marcia said, swooping in to hug her.

You have got to stop that, Mel said, hugging her back. This is just a living arrangement with them for now.

But youre playing with them. That means maybe more.

Maybe. After my divorce. They brought it up first.

Marcias face fell. But I thought they liked you.

They do, Mel said. And, to be honest, I dont want to be one of those women pinballing from new relationship to new relationship. It took me fifteen years to realize how miserable I was and make a change. It wont kill me to wait a couple of months.

But what if they meet someone?

Then they meet someone. How about if I meet someone? Were not doing any kind of dynamic outside of the dungeon for now, okay? Thats the way I want it.

Marcia, Derrick said, shes being reasonable.

I just want her to have her happy ending, Marcia said.

I know, Mel rea.s.sured her. I appreciate it and love you for it. You did your job"you introduced us and got us under the same roof. Now, its up to us to live our lives. Let us do that.

She could tell Marcia wanted more rea.s.surances than that, but Derrick reined her in.

When Don and Carl and several others showed up at noon to start the move, Mel had been giving thanks that she hadnt really unpacked much, and that most of her stuff was still in storage.

Which they had to go get a few things. Like the bed shed taken from the other house, from the guest room. There wasnt a bed in the mens spare room.

By the time Mel collapsed on the mens couch at nine that night, she felt like her world had been upended.

Again.

Probably because it had.

The men sank onto the couch on either side of her.

Well, Don said, thats done.

She leaned her head over onto his shoulder. Thank you, she said. Peace had settled inside her.

For what?

For this. For humoring me about the protection and submissive stuff. For being so nice. She burst into tears.

The men held her as she cried. Im sorry, she said. But I went from feeling like I was totally alone, and now I have all these friends, and even just hugs from friends is more than I was getting before.

Carl felt horrible for her. At least hed thought things were okay with his marriage before it imploded. Hey, you can always have friend hugs from us, any time you need them. Couch snuggles, friend hugs, any of that. Okay?

Thank you.

Yeah, Don added. What he said. No pressure, ever.

After shed pulled herself together and headed to bed, Carl sat there, staring at the TV.

So did Don.

They looked at each other.

Wow, Don said. Thank G.o.d she wasnt abused by that a.s.shole.

Being ignored can be a kind of abuse.

Don scrubbed his face with his hands. Im glad we decided to take this slow.

Moving her in after knowing her less than two months isnt slow.

Were not sleeping with her. Were just roommates with play bennies. That might be unusual to the vanilla world, but by kinky standards, thats downright puritanical. Don dragged himself to his feet. Regardless, we have plenty of time now to figure out where to go from here. She obviously needs to settle into a new routine, get to know us, we need to get to know her, and the divorce needs to go through.

True.

Then why do you look so upset?

Carl glanced down toward the hall before looking up at him and lowering his voice. I want to go punch her ex. Right in the G.o.dd.a.m.ned nose. For making her cry, if nothing else.

You cant go do that. Not without me.

No, we can go do that. We shouldnt.

All right, Tony, Don joked, turning to head to bed. We shouldnt go punch her ex in the snoot, but I agree it sounds like a d.a.m.ned good idea. Except Tilly and Marcia would probably kill us if we didnt let them come with.

Chapter Nine.

It was a Sat.u.r.day, two days before her final divorce hearing.

Mel had been living with the guys for four months, and she was ready to have the divorce over with. Mike hadnt fought it, fortunately.