Devil's Own (Palm Island Book 6), page 12
No sense getting my hopes up, and no reason to scare Raven away just when he’s starting to come around.
I let go of him and turn back to the box of tea before our water can cool down too much. I grab a couple of tea bags labeled ‘sweet cinnamon,’ and he grins widely.
“That’s my favorite one,” he says, and I preen a little.
Raven adds the bags to each cup, and when he’s done, I catch his hand in mine.
“We’re still on for your rope lesson tonight, right?”
He blushes and his fingers twitch against mine.
“Yeah, we are.”
“Good.”
RAVEN
It’s early afternoon by the time Angel and Devil leave my apartment. My shower is fixed, my water is restored, and I got a lecture from Devil about routine maintenance on the mechanical elements in the basement while Angel gave me amused, sympathetic looks over his shoulder before I rolled my eyes and shooed them both out the door.
Angel and I spent the morning drinking tea, gorging ourselves on the cinnamon rolls he brought over, and talking about innocuous things while a home renovation show played on the TV, more background noise than anything. We also kissed. A lot.
I brush my fingertips absently over my slightly tender lips and slip a hand into my pants to palm my cock. I’ve been achingly hard since I woke up from another downright filthy dream and found the stars of it knocking at my door. No, that’s not true. I went to bed just as hard last night, rubbing my cock against one of my pillows under the guise of making myself comfortable while stubbornly refusing to actually get myself off.
I could do it now.
I drag my thumb over the throbbing, oversensitive head of my cock, gathering a slippery bead of precum from my slit and smearing it over my crown. It would probably take me all of five seconds to go off like a firehose thinking about the hour-long makeout session Devil and I shared last night like a couple of horny teenagers, and the druggingly sweet kisses Angel and I traded on and off all morning. My cock jumps eagerly in my hand and spills more precum onto my fingers.
It’s not like Angel told me to save it for tonight. He didn’t even bring up again whether I wanted our rope lesson to be platonic or… what’s the opposite of platonic? Orgasmic? A half moan, half laugh rumbles in my throat. Yeah, I want that one.
I can wait a few more hours. I squeeze my eyes shut and pull my hand out of my pants.
Of course, that just leaves me with my hands clenched awkwardly in my lap as I try to resist the lure of my aching boner. I reach for my deck of tarot cards on the table next to the couch, just for something to occupy me until I can get my libido to calm down.
A peaceful, comforting feeling comes over me, like a blanket being wrapped around my shoulders as I shuffle the worn deck of cards. Some of the cards have slightly bent corners or sticky spots where a droplet of tea landed on them at one point or another. I know every worn edge and dark stain like I know my own hands, and there’s something about that that reminds me of home.
While I move the cards back and forth between my hands, I let my mind wander.
There was some stupid part of me that was hoping I would hate kissing at least one of them. I laugh out loud, all alone in my apartment. I think I need a stronger word than ‘stupid’ for that one, actually. They both kissed exactly the way I knew they would. No big surprise there. Devil’s mouth was demanding and greedy, like he’s used to taking anything he wants without bothering to ask. Except, he didn’t do that. He seemed content to just get lost in our tangling tongues and chastely wandering hands, even though he was just as hard as I was.
And Angel…
I sigh, feeling a dopey smile spread over my lips as I think about the tender way his lips moved against mine. He’s the one who’s truly dangerous. Not because I like him any more than I like Devil—that’s actually pretty even—but because it might be too easy to get lured in by his natural sweetness and convince myself there’s something more than lust behind it.
At least neither of them tried to sell me any bullshit. We all know what this is. That’s the only way I can do this, with open eyes and a guarded heart. I groan and let my head fall back against the couch.
Maybe the rope play is a mistake. I’ll be too vulnerable. It’s like giving up my virginity. Even when this is all over, he’ll still have been my first rope Dom. And while I rarely spare a fleeting thought for Trevor Novak, the himbo gym bro I gave up my anal v-card to, something tells me it won’t be the same with the rope play.
Do I want to give that to Angel? Do I want that for myself? What if it makes it too hard to let go later?
With a heavy exhale, I sit up and start laying out my cards, hoping they’ll lead me in the right direction. My favorite quick spread is four cards: past, present, future, and advice. I lay them down one by one in a row and bark out an incredulous laugh almost immediately.
The card in the past spot is The Hermit, situated upside down. Loneliness, isolation, the tendency to be paralyzed by fear. Has my mother been talking to my tarot cards just like she’s been nudging my siblings? I flatten my lips into a thin line. I’m not that lonely. An ache in my chest contradicts me, and I direct my attention to the next card.
In the present spot, The Devil. Cute, real cute. Instead of letting myself fall for the obvious symbolism, I take a second to puzzle over what the card usually represents, which is a lack of control and the need to redirect your energy into more productive things. It’s not wrong, if I’m being honest with myself. But is that a need to redirect my energy by embracing the lack of control? Like, say, letting Angel and Devil tie me up and ravish me? Or do I need to redirect my energy away from them? I frown hard at the second possibility, and I can feel my resolve about tonight firming.
The card in the future spot is The Lovers. My heart squeezes with such intense longing that I can hardly breathe. Love, harmony, and choices, that’s what the card means, and fuck is it on point. Except, there’s no love here. Not for me anyway. I can’t let myself entertain that thought if I’m going to make it out of this with my heart intact. So, harmony, choices… If I make the right choice, I might finally find some peace, and maybe then love will be in the cards for me, so to speak.
And, finally, the advice spot… I chuckle again, dragging my hand over my mouth and looking down at The Fool staring back at me. A leap of blind faith. That’s what it symbolizes. That’s the advice the universe or the gods or the ghosts or whoever has for me. A leap of faith.
I gather the cards back up, stacking them into the deck and standing up in a fluid motion.
It looks like I need to get ready for tonight. How does a rope sub prepare, exactly? No clue, but a shower seems like a good place to start.
Chapter 10
ANGEL
I set down a tray of assorted fruit and cheese on the coffee table. Devil immediately leans forward to reach for a strawberry, and I bat his hand away.
“What if Raven wants that one?” I rotate the tray just a little, then twist it back in the other direction, trying to find the perfect position for it.
Devil’s deep chuckle resonates in my bones and warms my insides, but doesn’t do a damn thing to ease this jittery feeling that’s been buzzing under my skin since we left Raven’s place a few hours ago.
“You think Raven eating that strawberry in particular is going to make or break this evening?” he asks.
I huff and pick up the strawberry he wanted, turning towards him. Unlike the tizzy I’ve been in all afternoon, my husband seems perfectly relaxed, lounging on the couch for a change in a pair of track pants I’m pretty sure are actually mine, and a white t-shirt that’s tight enough to show off the hardness of his nipples. Maybe he’s not as relaxed as he seems. He grins at me and parts his lips expectantly, eyeing the strawberry between my fingers. I lean over, bracing my other hand on the back of the couch as I bend down close to him.
Devil’s tongue peeks out just a fraction of an inch, making it look like he’s waiting for something a hell of a lot more exciting than a piece of fruit. My cock has been half-hard since Raven kissed me this morning, and even if it hadn’t been, this proximity to Devil would certainly do it for me. I bring the strawberry closer to his lips, biting back the shit-eating grin that threatens to spread over my face. He makes a hungry sound, opening his mouth a little more, and I shove the strawberry into my own mouth with a muffled laugh.
“Hey,” he protests, wrapping his arms around me and dragging me down onto his lap while I cackle and chew at the same time. “You’re such a fucking brat sometimes, you know that?”
He follows up the accusation with a rough kiss, licking the sweet, sticky juice off my lips. The rumbling vibrations of his quiet moans around my tongue make my dick swell even more. The stiff feeling of his answering arousal has my hips snapping forward and a moan building in my chest.
I break the kiss and sigh, releasing just a little bit of the tension that’s winding tighter and tighter in my chest. You’d think tonight was my first bondage experience instead of Raven’s.
“I feel like I’m already fucking this up,” I confess. Devil runs his fingers gently through my hair and hums to let me know he’s listening. “I need to be calm and centered, or it’s just going to make him nervous.”
“You will be.” The rock-solid certainty in his voice is grounding, even if I’m not sure I believe him. “Just because you’re not a lifestyle Dom doesn’t mean you don’t know what you’re doing,” Devil reminds me. “I’ve watched you do rope work, and it’s beautiful every single time.”
“I can make pretty knots.”
“It’s more than that and you know that. It’s beautiful the way you get your partners to let go and relax.” He bumps his nose against mine. “Tell me what you’re really worried about.”
“I don’t know exactly what he wants from this tonight. I told him it didn’t have to be sexual, that rope play can be totally platonic. I didn’t want to push him by bringing it up again, but once he gets here, I’m going to have to.” I rest my palms on Devil’s chest, letting the steady rise and fall of his breaths calm me.
“So you’ll ask him once he gets here. Then you’ll give him an experience he’ll never forget, even if all he wants to do tonight is let you tie him up.” When he puts it that plainly, it feels silly to be so nervous about it.
A soft, tentative knock at the front door sets my heart racing all over again. Maybe I was more nervous that Raven would change his mind and not show up at all than about what will happen tonight. It’s not too late for him to change his mind and bolt, even now. Devil brushes one more kiss over my lips and then pats my ass to get me moving.
“It’s going to go great,” he assures me. “Do you want me to make myself scarce?”
I climb off his lap and smooth out my shirt, making sure it’s tucked in neatly and fiddling with the cufflinks Devil gave me a few years ago for my birthday.
“No, stay at least until he gets inside and gets comfortable. I think he’ll feel more on the spot if it’s just the two of us.”
He gives me an appreciative once-over then nods to let me know I look good. Or maybe the nod is to let me know he’ll hang around until it feels natural for him to take his leave. Or the nod could just be further reassurance that everything is going to go fine. Devil gives me a crooked smile, like he can read the spiraling thoughts written all over my face.
“Do you want me to get the door?” he asks.
“No, I’ve got it.” I straighten my shoulders and call on as much centered, calm energy I can muster.
Just like this morning, as soon as the door swings open between us, my breath catches in my throat and every thought in my head momentarily turns to dust and blows away in the wind. Raven clearly has no plans to go easy on me tonight, dressed in a short black pleated skirt and one of his black crop tops. He’s switched his usual bejeweled belly button ring for one that features a tiny raven dangling over his navel, and he’s clutching the bundle of rope in his hand. For once, he’s without his usual fishnet stockings, leaving his thighs stunningly bare. It’s not as if the stockings actually cover anything, but he still looks deliciously naked without them.
A slow smirk spreads over his lips, which are a stunning shade of ruby red. He tucks both arms behind his back and gives a subtle half twirl, making his skirt flutter momentarily, his eyes full of a sweet shyness that makes me think even he’s not completely sure he won’t bolt just yet. He meets my gaze though, and I can see a sweet submission lingering underneath his nerves. He wants to play. He wants to see how it would feel to surrender, just for a little while.
More than Devil’s pep talk, or even my own need to project calm, that look in Raven’s eyes settles every nervous impulse inside of me, solidifying them into something steady instead.
“I hope this is okay.” Raven looks down at his own outfit and then back at me. “I wasn’t sure what someone wears for a bondage date. And then I figured it probably doesn’t matter all that much because whatever I’m wearing will probably come off anyway.”
“You look fucking edible, pretty thing.” I step aside and hold the door open.
Raven has been over before. Every year we hold a massive New Year’s Eve party here, and he’s never missed a single one. He stops just inside the entryway with a look of awe anyway. He tilts his head back to take in the original high, coffered ceilings, and reaches up to put a hand over the subtle bulge hidden under his top. The locket Devil gave him… The locket Harold gave George that we found in a drawer here when we first bought the house.
“This was Harold and George’s house. Most everything is still original, with some minor touch-ups and light updating where necessary.”
His smile widens a little more. “I know.”
Of course he does. He is the unofficial island historian, after all. I wonder what made him so interested in the history of Palm Island. I want to know everything about what makes him tick. Where did he live before this? What’s his real name? What’s going on behind those mysteriously dark eyes of his when he’s holding himself so quietly, just on the outside of any group he’s in? I’m as desperate for all of that as I am to touch him.
Raven starts to bend down to untie his boots, but I drop to my knees before he can get there. He makes an adorably surprised sound when I gently bat his hand away and start on the laces myself, trying not to take too much notice of the expanse of bare leg that ends at his skirt, right at eye level.
“You’re mine to take care of tonight, pretty thing.” I say with just enough firmness in my voice to keep him from arguing.
I glance up and notice the bob of his throat as he swallows hard.
“Okay,” Raven whispers with a quiver in his voice.
He puts a hand on my shoulder and leans into me. The move brings his concealed cock closer to my face. It’s harder to tell through a skirt than those skimpy shorts he usually wears, but I think he’s hard. He’s so close that I can practically smell his arousal—the salty, earthy scent between his legs, with subtle notes of his bodywash and the ever-present incense-and-tea smell.
“Good boy,” I murmur, brushing a kiss to his thigh, then slipping his first boot off.
He gasps and stumbles, but I catch him with both hands on the backs of his thighs before he can trip backward. His skin is burning hot and smooth as silk under my fingers.
“You might want to cool it with the kinky shit until you actually have me tied up. Unless you want me to come right here in the entryway and ruin the night before it even starts,” he warns.
I chuckle and start on his second boot.
“If you think an orgasm would ruin the night, I might have more to teach you than rope play.” I give him a playfully heated look, and a blush rises on his cheeks. “But you’re right, I need to give you a chance to get your bearings and we need to sit down and talk before things get fun.”
He’s more prepared for it when I pull off the second boot. It probably helps that I don’t kiss his bare skin or call him any slutty pet names this time too. I set his boots off to the side then get back to my feet. There’s no hiding the swell of my cock, testing the limits of my black slacks. Raven’s eyes drop to it momentarily, with a hungry look that tempts me to pick him up, press him against the door, and force him to make good on his promise of coming all over himself right here in the foyer.
Maybe next time.
Fuck, I want there to be a next time. I suppose that means I’ll have to make sure he walks away happy this time. And I intend to. I put a hand on the back of his neck, and he melts into my touch. I wouldn’t consider myself a Dom, more just someone who enjoys a little power exchange from time to time and has a mild fascination with rope play. I don’t think Raven is looking for a true Dom-sub relationship anyway, but it’s obvious he needs someone to give him permission to let go, and that’s definitely something I can help him with.
“Come on, sweetness,” I say softly.
I can feel him relaxing under my touch as I guide him into the living room. Feeling the evidence of what he needs bolsters my confidence that I can give it to him. I tighten my grip a fraction, and he sighs.
“You took so long I thought you might have run off together,” Devil says when we step into the living room. He swipes a strawberry off the plate and pops it into his mouth with a cheeky expression that dares me to reprimand him in front of Raven.
I narrow my eyes and he laughs while he chews.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” I steer Raven over to the couch right next to Devil.
As much as I want to sit down on his other side, maybe just a little too close so I can keep getting drunk on the smell of his skin, I don’t want him to feel trapped. So I nudge the plate of snacks closer to him and then take a seat on the ottoman.
Raven sets his ropes down on the couch and shifts around a little, making himself comfortable. His skirt rides up dangerously high, but it doesn’t seem intentional. He’s pure temptation, even when he’s not trying to be. He reaches for a couple of slices of aged cheddar from the tray, and one of the strawberries. My chest puffs out the same way it did when he approved of my tea choice this morning.
