Submission

Chapter Nine

“Hey, Ella, you missed dinner. Are you in there?” Ella jerked awake at the sound of her friend’s voice that evening, her shocked eyes going to the bedside clock. Damn, she had forgotten about Charlie having the key to the house, and her habit of just coming in as she pleased.

It was dark, a little after ten, and James was still in the bed with her. Even worse, his half erect cock was still buried in her pussy where it had been after her last climax.

She moved to jerk away, but his arm around her hips stopped her, and her heart raced as his cock began to harden inside her.

“In a minute, Charlie,” she called out, pushing at his arm. “I fell asleep. I’m sorry.

I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Well, hurry,” Charlie called back. “It’s getting late and I need to head home.” The sound of the other woman’s footsteps fading away from the bedroom door eased her harsh breathing until she felt James thrust inside the tight grip of her vagina as his throttled groan sounded at her ear.

“I have to get up,” she whispered, pulling at his arm, wanting nothing better than to push back against him, to scream out in the pleasure again.

“Damn,” he muttered, though there was no anger in his tone, only regret.

Ella bit her lip as the hot length of flesh eased from her and he rolled lazily to his back as he reached over and flipped on the light at his side of the bed. She looked back at him as she wrapped the blanket around her and rose to her feet. He was naked and unashamed of it. His long fingers scratched at his chest as he smothered a drowsy yawn. His erection lay against his lower stomach, glistening with her juices and his earlier release. He looked sexy as hell.

Ella shook her head before he could tempt her any further, grabbed her robe and rushed to the bathroom. It took longer than she would have liked to clean the evidence of their spent passion from her body. Thankfully, James had removed the butt plug earlier, though her vagina, and her tender back entrance were still a little sensitive.

Ten minutes later, she left the bathroom, covered in her long gown and robe. James still lay on the bed, watching her through narrowed eyes.

“She doesn’t know you’re here,” she whispered.

His eyes narrowed further. “Who does know?”

She licked her lips nervously. “Just Tess and Cole.”

“I see.” His tone of voice suggested he might see more than she was actually saying.

“So you want me to stay put?”

She shrugged. Hell yes, she did. Her friends rarely kept secrets. What Charlie knew, Terrie would know, and Marey would know and Tamera. She winced at the thought.

She especially didn’t want Tamera to know.

“Fine.” He shrugged, though she didn’t trust his tone of voice. “Go visit your friend. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

He closed his eyes. Ella breathed in deeply in relief before she rushed from the room.

“It’s about time. What were you doing in there, anyway?” Charlie turned from the refrigerator as Ella moved into the kitchen.

Charlie was nearly five years younger than Ella, slim and sophisticated, dressed in a gray silk sheath with matching heels. Her long, black hair fell to the middle of her shoulders like a fall of midnight silk, contrasting to the perfect peaches and cream perfection of her bare shoulders.

“I was asleep.” Ella went to the coffee pot and put on a fresh brew of coffee.

“You’re never asleep before midnight, Ella,” Charlie scoffed. “Hell, you’re still up at one and two in the morning. I know, I can see your bedroom light from my house.” Ella lowered her head. She was unaware Charlie kept such a close eye on her. It was disconcerting.

“Sometimes I take a nap.” She shrugged, flipping the switch and listening to the machine begin to hum as it began to heat the water. “It’s no big deal.” She turned back to her friend, aware of Charlie’s steady regard as she took a slice of cheesecake from the refrigerator and moved to the table. She collected a fork from the cabinet as she passed by it, but still, she watched Ella.

“What’s going on? You’re acting strange.” Charlie was the most perceptive of her friends, but Ella didn’t like how easily even she was reading her.

“Nothing’s going on.” Ella moved two cups from the cabinet and set cream and sugar on the table. “I was just tired, Charlie.” She was just damned uncomfortable now. Her thighs were weak and tender, her breasts marked by James’ mouth, her body longing to return to him. She usually enjoyed her friend’s visits, and looked forward to them. Charlie was usually easy going and filled with laughter, but now she just wanted her to leave. Ella wanted to return to James, his heat, his hard body.

“Ella, you aren’t acting right, honey.” Charlie watched her with sharp, deep blue eyes. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Ella shook her head as she poured the coffee. She had to fight the trembling of her hands, and the knowledge that everything was suddenly out of control. And not just sexually.

She set Charlie’s coffee cup in front of her, then moved to the other side of the table and sat down. As she looked up, her stomach dropped. Charlie was staring across the room in complete shock. Ella’s head turned slowly, knowing what held her rapt attention. Her brows snapped into a frown as James walked barefoot through the kitchen.

“You didn’t tell me you were fixing coffee, baby.” He wore blue jeans and nothing else. And those damned jeans. The top button was loose, and the waistband rode low on his tight abdomen. Right above it was a strawberry love bite. She remembered marking him, and now her face flamed as she realized her friend couldn’t miss it.

“Dear God,” Charlie breathed as she obviously fought for breath, her gaze swinging from Ella to James.

Ella could only cover her face as James poured his coffee, dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head and said, “I’ll finish up some of that paperwork you dragged me away from earlier while you talk to your friend.” She peeked through her fingers as he ambled away. The jeans molded his buttocks to perfection, and Charlie wasn’t missing a second of the view as he left the room.

As he disappeared through the doorway, Charlie turned to her, her eyes wide, her expression shocked.

“James Wyman,” she breathed out in shock. “Oh my God! Ella, you fucked James Wyman? Or is it Jesse?” she squeaked in fear, well aware of Tess’s interlude with Jesse Wyman and Cole.

Ella squirmed in her chair. No, she thought, he had fucked her, thoroughly. And more than once. She sighed tiredly. Everyone would know it now.

“It’s not Jesse,” she groaned, pushing her fingers restlessly through her hair. “You should know better than that.”

“James!” she squealed.

“Dammit, Charlie, shut up,” she shushed her frantically. “He’ll hear you.”

“Ella, do you have any idea what you’re doing? What you’re getting into?” Her voice lowered. “Honey, he and Jesse have shared their women more than once…”

“Not me.” Ella came out of her chair, her hands trembling violently as she shoved them into the pockets of her robe.

“Maybe not with Jesse, but Ella, James and Jesse aren’t the only members of their pack, hon. I could name you half a dozen now.” She shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about?” Charlie sat back in her chair, her mouth falling open in surprise. “You haven’t heard? They’re called the Trojans, babe. Because of their dominance, and their sharing.

They like submissives, Ella. You aren’t a submissive. Are you?”

“You know I’m not,” Ella bit out. But she wondered. What James had done to her that night, the dark promises he had made to her as he buried his cock inside her over and over again, threatened her belief that she wasn’t.

“Ella, those men, they don’t mess with women who aren’t submissive. Women who won’t give them that ultimate commitment.” Charlie came to her feet, facing her in concern. “You ran from Jase because of his demands. James will be worse.” Ella shook her head. “I’m in control,” she whispered. “He won’t do it if I don’t want it.”

“And when he leaves because you can’t do it?” she whispered fiercely. “Dammit, Ella, haven’t you been hurt enough?”

“It’s my choice, Charlie.” She raised her head in determination. “My choice. No matter what happens.”

Charlie watched her silently.

“He’s the one,” she finally said slowly. “The one that came in while Jase had you tied down. The reason you divorced him and moved so damned far away for so long.” Ella turned away, her lips opening as she fought to drag in more air, to stem the panic rising in her chest.

“Stop, Charlie,” she whispered, turning back to her as she stared at her friend pleadingly. “Please, let it go.”

“My God. You’re in love with him.” Charlie shook her head, amazement shaping her expression. “Ella, he’s the one. The reason you ran and turned into a bitter old nun.

My God. He’s younger than you are.”

“Six years…”

“He shares his women,” she pointed out again.

“I don’t have to agree…”

“But you will to keep him.” Charlie was angry now. Her voice throbbed with it, her face flushing with it. “You will, Ella. Because you love him.”

“Enough.” Her hand sliced through the air as her soul trembled with the knowledge. “This isn’t any of your business, Charlie…”

“The hell it isn’t.” Charlie’s voice rose with her anger. “Dammit, Ella, I watched you destroy yourself after that divorce. Turning into a bitter old woman before your time because of that bastard…”

“Lower your voice.” Ella was shaking with her own anger now. “And remember, Charlie, I didn’t ask you for your opinion then or now.”

“Like you have to ask for it,” Charlie snorted is disgust. “Really, Ella. It’s voluntary, darling.” The sarcasm was a clear sign that Charlie was rapidly losing her temper. Ella wasn’t far behind.

“Everything okay?” Ella’s head swung around to the doorway and she wanted to groan in dismay when she saw James standing there, watching them mockingly.

“Don’t you know how to dress?” she bit out in irritation, seeing all the smooth, perfect muscle that she knew Charlie was eating up with her eyes.

He arched a dark brow questioningly. “I thought all good little boy toys went around half naked? Don’t tell me you’re firing me after only a few hours on the job.”