I was five years older, and I’d been with my share of women by the time Joseph was ready to lose his virginity. He’d opened up to me about how nervous he was. He’d asked me for guidance. So, I’d provided it. In person.
Telling him how to touch that woman to get her off had been the hottest experience of my life. It hadn’t taken long for us to start sharing in more extreme ways. Over time, Joseph had developed his tastes in kinky toys, but I’d always been the one who was ultimately in charge.
We might not engage with each other sexually, but Joseph was still mine. Mine to guide and protect. I’d always had his back, and it had killed me when he’d disappeared. During his time hiding out in Cambridge, I’d worried he was dead.
That still stung a little, as did Ashlyn’s distance from me. She thought she was supposed to belong to Joseph because she’d been with him first. Her insistence that she should share a relationship only with him was a mark of her loyalty, not a rejection of me. I admired her for that loyalty. Fuck, I wanted her fierce loyalty for myself. For me and Joseph.
We had to make her understand what we wanted from her. What we needed.
“My feelings about you haven’t changed because you kissed Marco,” Joseph told her. “I’m happy you want to be with him too. Don’t you care for him?”
“I…” She bit her lip against the admission. She still thought it was wrong, a betrayal to Joseph.
“Tell us the truth,” he prompted in a deeper tone that made her shiver.
“Yes,” she breathed.
He trailed his fingers through her hair, and she leaned into his touch.
“Look at Marco, and tell him how you feel.”
Her sapphire eyes met mine. They were still dark with confusion, but she uttered the words that made my heart squeeze.
“I care about you, Marco. I thought I was scared of you, but I’m not. Not really.”
I nodded. “So, you understand? We both need you, Ashlyn. We’ll never get jealous or fight over you. We’re supposed to be together. The three of us.”
“Don’t you want that, angel?” Joseph asked, coaxing.
She nodded, still too shy to give voice to her secret longings.
“I need to hear you say it,” I told her. “Tell us you want us.”
She licked her lips. “I want you,” she whispered. “Both of you.”
I finally allowed myself to close the distance between us. I wrapped my hand around her nape and bent down to crush my lips against hers. She was soft under my mouth, pliant. She shuddered and opened for me, welcoming me. I kissed her until she sagged into Joseph’s waiting arms.
When she was trembling and gasping for breath, I finally released her.
“I think it’s time to punish our naughty girl,” I told Joseph.
“Past time,” he agreed.
“What are you—” Before she could finish her question, Joseph had her over his lap.
She tried to kick out, flailing in surprise more than struggling to be free. Joseph caught her wrists and pinned them at the small of her back before settling his other arm around the backs of her knees, effectively ending her struggles.
“What are you doing?” she panted.
I stepped in front of her so she could watch me unbuckle my belt. I took it off slowly, allowing the leather to whisper against my jeans.
Her wide eyes fixed on my movements, and she licked her lips. My cock throbbed, but now wasn’t the time to explore the silky heat of her mouth.
“You shouldn’t have tried to run away, princess,” I told her. “You put yourself in danger. You were hurt. We can’t allow that kind of behavior.”
I doubled the belt over and touched the leather beneath her chin, lifting her face so she had no choice but to stare up into my eyes.
“We’re going to punish you because we care about you. We care enough to correct your rash behavior. You want that, don’t you?”
“I don’t want you to hurt me,” she said, her voice small.
“This is going to sting, babygirl.” I wouldn’t lie to her. “You’ll feel the heat of our discipline. I’m not going to beat you, but I am going to teach you a lesson.”
Joseph peeled her pants down her thighs, exposing her pert ass. He dipped two fingers between her legs, testing her pussy.
“You’re wet, angel,” he told her, his voice husky with his own lust. “You want Marco to punish you while I hold you down.”
“But why?” she asked, her eyes tight with confusion. “I don’t understand why I’m like this. It’s wrong.”
“It’s not wrong,” I countered firmly, increasing the pressure of the belt beneath her chin to keep her attention on me. “There’s nothing wrong about the connection we share. I’m going to give you five lashes for trying to run away from us. I think you’re ready for that. If you’re not, say the word now, and everything will stop.”