'M' is For: [Ch10] Of Wolves and Sheep - Part 2

Manhattan in hand, it wasn't too hard to find Missy. She'd dismissed Jacob and was now relaxing up against a naked Thomas on the loveseat. A few individuals sat on the floor at her feet and off to her side on the adjacent furniture, paying court to their queen.

"If it isn't my sweet Mal," Missy said, smiling up at me as we approached. "That took longer than expected."

She extended her arm and I handed her her drink.

"Yeah, about that..." The words, when I found them, came harder than I expected. I could feel my heart starting to pound as though I were taking up position at the start of a race. "Do you have a moment?"

"Oh no," Missy laughed. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, nothing like that at all. It's just, it's probably better to talk to you alone." I could feel Thomas's eyes on me, but I kept my gaze on Missy.

"No need for secrets amongst friends." Missy leaned back and flung out an arm, eyes half-closing in a display of absolute contentment. "I'm so comfortable here. Please don't make me move. I beg you."

"I..." I hesitated. Already it felt like things were off to a bad start, but I didn't want to force Missy to leave her friends. "Well, okay. It's about Roger."

"Oh, I thought I saw you two talking." Missy grinned. "What did he do now?"

I felt a prickle of irritation at the cavalier way Missy had posed the question. "He was trying to slip a spiked drink to one of your new friends," I said a little sharply.

"He was probably just trying to be friendly," Missy said. "I mean, yeah, maybe it wasn't the smartest thing, but that's just how Roger is."

I stared at Missy, temporarily at a loss for words. I hadn't really thought much about what would happen once I told Missy what had happened, but never had I doubted for a moment that she would understand and take immediate action. After all, she started every book club reminding people to be responsible, especially when it came to club drugs and alcohol. They weren't empty words, either; I'd seen her kick people out if she thought their judgment was impaired enough to pose a safety risk. Having to convince Missy why Roger's behavior was dangerous wasn't a possibility that had even crossed my mind.

Looking around, I saw that Missy's entourage was staring up at me, their faces hard to read in the shifting light. No one spoke up or questioned Missy's judgment. For the first time, I felt completely alone in the room.

"Missy," I said, trying again. "You're the Mistress of Ceremonies. Is this really okay with you?" My eyes found Thomas's. Our gazes met. "Because," I added, a steely edge finding its way into my voice, "it's not okay with me."

"Mallory's right, Missy," Thomas said gently after a moment. "Things could have gone pretty badly. You can't make an exception just because it's Roger."

Missy stared wide-eyed at Thomas like he had grown horns. They locked eyes for a long moment...and then it was over as quickly as it had begun. I watched her as, piece by piece, she recollected herself into the Missy we all knew and adored.

Missy shook her head with a little chuckle and took a drink from her glass. "Alright, alright. You win. I'll find Roger and pull him aside. What do you think, a two-month suspension? Would that make you happy?"

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks," I said, though I had a feeling that a 'suspension' was little more than a slap on the wrist for someone like Roger.

"Thanks, my Lady," Missy corrected me playfully, wagging a finger in my direction.

"My Lady," I said automatically.

Backing away, I had the thought that I myself could use a strong drink right about now. My heart was racing in my chest, and I could feel the heat in my cheeks. Knowing my luck, it probably just made me look all blotchy. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to relax.

"You alright?"

Edward was suddenly there at my side. He touched my arm lightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered. I looked at him. "How much of it did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it," Edward said, not looking apologetic in the slightest. "For what it's worth, I think you did the right thing."

"Well, I suppose it could have gone worse." I forced a laugh. "She really didn't look too thrilled with me."

Edward gave a thin humorless smile. "I don't know what Missy was thinking, but she knows she can't afford to let this slide. Safety is one of the features she guarantees for her guests."

"I'll take that, I guess." I looked in Missy's direction. She was curled up on Thomas's lap, laughing at something one of her friends was saying. Up until that moment, I had thought Missy golden and untouchable, a perfect goddess for this modern age. But the incident with Roger had marred that a little, throwing a puzzling inconsistency that I just couldn't reconcile. I was, I realized to my surprise, disappointed.

"You look like you could use a break," Edward said, calling my attention back to him. His eyes were fixed on me, his touch still warm on my arm. "What say you to checking out the patio? Get a little breath of fresh air?"

I exhaled sharply. "That," I said seriously, "sounds perfect."

Edward and I slipped on our clothes and stepped out onto the patio connected to the master bedroom. The summer night air was refreshing, with just enough of a breeze to siphon some of the heat off my skin. There were a couple others outside enjoying the night, but aside from a brief glance in our direction, they ignored us.

"So have you been coming to these parties for a while?" I asked Edward.

"I think I only have one or two parties on you," Edward said. "They're well enough, and all the ladies are incredibly fit, but honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to keep coming. It's hard when you don't find anyone you have a good connection with."

"Oh?" I gave Edward a teasing grin. "And do you feel differently now?"

"Definitely." Edward's eyes took on the sleepy, half-lidded look that I was beginning to become familiar with.

"Mmm." I leaned back, letting Edward feel my eyes as I looked him up and down. Even clothed, the thin fabric of his cotton tee did nothing to disguise the gentle swell of his muscles and the hard lines of his torso. "I'm glad to hear it." I raised my eyes to his. "I have to admit, I was hoping we might pick things up where we left off."

"Me too," murmured Edward. "Let's forget that limey bastard and have some fucking hot sex tonight, yeah?"

"Yeah."

We closed the distance between us and locked lips. Edward pressed me against him as I cupped his ass with my hands.

"Maybe," I said in a low, breathless voice, breaking off our kiss, "we could get a room?"

"Brilliant," Edward said, brushing his lips against my ear. "Let's."

I led Edward back inside to the guest room. There were a few occupants already on the bed, but one look at me and Edward, and they quickly slid off and left. Being part of Missy's inner circle definitely had its advantages.

Edward, seeing this, raised an eyebrow at me. "Impressive."

Deciding to milk the moment for all it was worth, I flipped my hair and gave him my sauciest smile. "What can I say? I have my ways."

I helped Edward out of his T-shirt and jeans. Muscles gleamed in the red light of the room. With tense anticipation, I reached for the waist of his boxer briefs and eased them down, freeing his growing erection. His cock was truly a work of beauty, proud and unyielding with the shadow of veins along its length. I hadn't been with too many uncut guys, and there was something particularly erotic about the way the head of his cock peeked through the foreskin.

I drew off my outfit of the night and pushed Edward back onto the mattress. He fell back obligingly, his eyes locked on me.

"God, you're gorgeous," Edward breathed.

I smiled, glowing with his praise. "Good response." I reached over to the nightstand and opened one of the drawers, where I knew Missy kept an assortment of props and toys. I easily found what I was looking for: a black silk blindfold with an elastic band. Fishing it out, I joined Edward on the mattress.

I bent over him, my loose hair falling around his face, as we kissed. His mouth was hungry, urgent. I resisted the temptation to give in and instead drew it out, pressing against him and winding my tongue around his, only to pull back, little by little. He instinctively tried to follow my lips off the bed, but I firmly kept him down with one hand on his shoulder.

"Are you ready to be blindfolded?" I teased him.

His eyes roved over me, and I felt a visceral, deep pleasure in knowing that my body aroused him. "If you insist," he said with affected airiness. "But only because my mum raised me to be a gentleman."

"Good woman..." I slipped the blindfold onto him. He lifted his head ever so slightly to accommodate it, his eyes on my face until the very last moment. Adjusting the silk to ensure it didn't slip, I smiled. "Now, to pick up where we were..."

We grabbed a drink at the kitchen bar afterward. Around us, the idle conversation had subsided and most people were copulating all over Missy's furniture. I caught a glimpse of Liam sucking cock along with one of his new friends. His eyes shone in the low light, and I felt relieved that he did seem to be having fun after all.

"Would you ever consider hanging out outside of Missy's parties?" Edward asked me casually.

"What kind of hanging out?"

"I'd like to take you on a proper date."

"A proper date?" I raised my eyebrows, surprised despite myself. No one I'd met at the book club had ever asked to see me outside. If it had been anyone else, I would have politely refused, because I liked having that boundary. But I enjoyed the flirtatious banter I shared with Edward, and I trusted him not to make it weird. Smiling, I gave in. "Sure, why not."

We exchanged numbers. Not long after, Edward headed out, but not before giving me a quick kiss on each cheek.

"Thank you, darling," he whispered in my ear. "I'll be seeing you soon."

Shaking my head, I watched him leave. If nothing else, Edward was a damned charming person.

❖❖❖

I was sitting to the side watching the others enjoy themselves when Thomas sat down on the ottoman beside me. It was unusual for him to approach me on his own at these events, and it occurred to me that maybe we'd both been avoiding each other for similar reasons. Still, despite the collar he wore around his neck, he was back in his jeans and generally had the look of someone emerging for a breather. I tried not to think how sexy he looked with his sweat-dampened skin and wet hair falling into his eyes. I also avoided staring at the cursive 'M' on his chest that marked him as taken.

"Hey," said Thomas.

"Hey," I said. "Decided to come up for some air?"

Thomas lifted a shoulder in a light shrug. "Came to get some water. Just taking a few minutes before I dive back into the fray." He gave me a wry smile. I noticed he had a smudge of lipstick along his collarbone.

"Yeah, make sure to hydrate," I smiled. Without thinking, I licked my thumb and reached out toward Thomas. I tried to rub the lipstick off his skin while Thomas held very still. I even mostly succeeded. Grinning, I showed him my pinkened thumb. "You had lipstick on you."

Thomas's eyes flickered down to my finger. "Ah. So I did."

We sat in silence for a few moments while the music played. I thought about how he'd ventured to speak up for me when no one else would. The alcohol I'd had earlier had me feeling warm and sleepy and maybe just a little tipsy. I opened my mouth to thank Thomas, but he broke the silence first.

"That was good of you, helping that new kid out tonight," Thomas said quietly.

"Yeah. I guess. I didn't do it to be good, though." I leaned my head back against the wall. "I've been that new kid at some college frat party, and I wish that someone had been there for me then."

"Oh." Thomas frowned, his gaze on me a little too understanding. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, no," I said quickly. I hesitated. "Back there...what do you think Missy would have done if you hadn't said anything?"

Thomas was silent for a long moment. "I'd like to think she'd have done the right thing, in the end," Thomas said slowly. "But sometimes, I feel like I don't really know her at all."

I nodded. I knew what he meant. I'd forgotten that Missy, with all her sparkling warmth and effortless charm, was someone I'd only known for a matter of months. Tonight had shown me a side of her I'd never seen before, and it was making me realize that she might not exactly be the person I'd thought she was.

"Well, thanks anyway," I said. "I was glad you did."

"Of course," Thomas said.

I couldn't tell if it was just in my imagination, but it seemed that his eyes lingered on me in a way I couldn't remember noticing before. I blushed beneath the soft focus of his gaze.

The night's revelries started to wind down around us. It was maybe another fifteen minutes before Missy came to find Thomas, but find him she eventually did. When she saw the two of us sitting together, it seemed to me that her expression stiffened despite the wide smile that broke across her face.

"Oh, there you two are. Looking thick as thieves. Thomas, come here. There's something I need you for."

"Yes, Ma'am," Thomas said, rising to his feet. He glanced backwards at me. "See you later."

"Bye." I nodded at Missy, and she tipped her fingers to me in a saucy salute as she led Thomas away.