Chapter 1
Smith
“ S o , you’re finally tying the knot in two days. Took you long enough,” Clayton jibed with his typical wide grin.
I elbowed him in the ribs, but an irresistible smile tugged at my own mouth. “Dick. You know we were waiting until Lydia finished school. She just graduated in May. Besides,” I added drily. “I don’t see a ring on your finger yet.”
“Touché,” he allowed. “But there’s a ring on Rose’s finger and a collar around her neck. That’s enough for me for now.”
“I beat all of you assholes to it, so I don’t want to hear another word about it,” I warned, still smiling. I looked to Kennedy, my mentor and oldest friend. “I even got one up on the old man for once.”
He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Call me old man one more time and see what happens. I can still whoop you, kid.”
I snorted. I hadn’t been a kid in a long time, but Kennedy would never stop calling me that, even when I reached fifty like him. I pretended it annoyed me, but I was secretly pleased at our tight bond. He was the closest person to family I had, other than Lydia.
Looking around at the men who surrounded me, I supposed that wasn’t entirely true. I had a bigger family than ever. All of my closest friends had gathered at Decadence to celebrate my last night before I was married. I didn’t think of it as my last night being single or a free man. My heart had been ensnared by Lydia a long time ago, and I never wanted to be free of her.
“You look like a lovesick puppy, you know,” Reed said blithely.
My eyes narrowed. “And what do you think you look like whenever you’re near Katie?”
He tipped his head at me. “Point taken.”
Javier cleared his throat. “I think you’re forgetting about me. You’re not the first one of us to tie the knot. Charlotte and I are married, remember?”
“I think you’re the one who forgot about us. None of us got to attend your court marriage. You haven’t had a big, fancy ceremony yet,” I countered. “I still haven’t gotten an invite to your wedding.”
He flashed a grin. “You’ll get one soon.”
Even if the group of Doms did irritate the shit out of me sometimes, it was nice having a group of friends in the lifestyle. I didn’t even mind the fact that there was always a bit of a pissing contest going on between us.
“This is my bachelor party,” I pointed out. “Aren’t you all supposed to be celebrating me and shit?”
Derek grinned and gestured around him. “Why do you think I closed down my club for this little party?”
I had to acknowledge that it had been damn decent of him to give us private use of Decadence for the evening.
I didn’t have to say as much, though. It was too much fun goading them.
“So when do our subs get here?” I demanded. “I’m so not having a scene with you guys.”
Dex drew himself up to his considerable height, fixing me with mock-disapproval. “You know the women aren’t invited to the bachelor party.”
I frowned. “So we’re in a BDSM club to sit around and chat about our feelings? What the hell kind of party is this?”
“You know you love to gossip,” Kennedy drawled. “It’s one of your most annoying qualities. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“Don’t worry,” Clayton chimed in, deep blue eyes dancing. “We have something fun planned for you.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “What are we going to do, play a game of Scrabble?”
Clayton’s grin sharpened. “More like wrestling. Only, you lose.”
They didn’t give me a second to formulate a response. Dex and Clayton grabbed my arms, hauling me back.
“What the fuck, guys?” I twisted against their hold, but the two of them together were stronger than me. They pulled me down, and my ass hit a hard wooden chair. My arms were wrenched behind my back, and cold metal cuffs clicked in place around my wrists.
I snarled and jerked against them. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but this isn’t
Smith
“ S o , you’re finally tying the knot in two days. Took you long enough,” Clayton jibed with his typical wide grin.
I elbowed him in the ribs, but an irresistible smile tugged at my own mouth. “Dick. You know we were waiting until Lydia finished school. She just graduated in May. Besides,” I added drily. “I don’t see a ring on your finger yet.”
“Touché,” he allowed. “But there’s a ring on Rose’s finger and a collar around her neck. That’s enough for me for now.”
“I beat all of you assholes to it, so I don’t want to hear another word about it,” I warned, still smiling. I looked to Kennedy, my mentor and oldest friend. “I even got one up on the old man for once.”
He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Call me old man one more time and see what happens. I can still whoop you, kid.”
I snorted. I hadn’t been a kid in a long time, but Kennedy would never stop calling me that, even when I reached fifty like him. I pretended it annoyed me, but I was secretly pleased at our tight bond. He was the closest person to family I had, other than Lydia.
Looking around at the men who surrounded me, I supposed that wasn’t entirely true. I had a bigger family than ever. All of my closest friends had gathered at Decadence to celebrate my last night before I was married. I didn’t think of it as my last night being single or a free man. My heart had been ensnared by Lydia a long time ago, and I never wanted to be free of her.
“You look like a lovesick puppy, you know,” Reed said blithely.
My eyes narrowed. “And what do you think you look like whenever you’re near Katie?”
He tipped his head at me. “Point taken.”
Javier cleared his throat. “I think you’re forgetting about me. You’re not the first one of us to tie the knot. Charlotte and I are married, remember?”
“I think you’re the one who forgot about us. None of us got to attend your court marriage. You haven’t had a big, fancy ceremony yet,” I countered. “I still haven’t gotten an invite to your wedding.”
He flashed a grin. “You’ll get one soon.”
Even if the group of Doms did irritate the shit out of me sometimes, it was nice having a group of friends in the lifestyle. I didn’t even mind the fact that there was always a bit of a pissing contest going on between us.
“This is my bachelor party,” I pointed out. “Aren’t you all supposed to be celebrating me and shit?”
Derek grinned and gestured around him. “Why do you think I closed down my club for this little party?”
I had to acknowledge that it had been damn decent of him to give us private use of Decadence for the evening.
I didn’t have to say as much, though. It was too much fun goading them.
“So when do our subs get here?” I demanded. “I’m so not having a scene with you guys.”
Dex drew himself up to his considerable height, fixing me with mock-disapproval. “You know the women aren’t invited to the bachelor party.”
I frowned. “So we’re in a BDSM club to sit around and chat about our feelings? What the hell kind of party is this?”
“You know you love to gossip,” Kennedy drawled. “It’s one of your most annoying qualities. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“Don’t worry,” Clayton chimed in, deep blue eyes dancing. “We have something fun planned for you.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “What are we going to do, play a game of Scrabble?”
Clayton’s grin sharpened. “More like wrestling. Only, you lose.”
They didn’t give me a second to formulate a response. Dex and Clayton grabbed my arms, hauling me back.
“What the fuck, guys?” I twisted against their hold, but the two of them together were stronger than me. They pulled me down, and my ass hit a hard wooden chair. My arms were wrenched behind my back, and cold metal cuffs clicked in place around my wrists.
I snarled and jerked against them. “I don’t know what you’re playing at, but this isn’t
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