Sophie Oak - Siren Beloved

Once Karen saw him around town with Lexi and Lucas, she would get the picture.

There was a scratching at the back door and a little whine. Aidan walked across the kitchen and let in the only good thing he’d found in Iraq.

“Hey, Ike, how you doing, boy?” He got down on one knee, wincing at the pain, but he was used to it. The dog was a mutt, some odd mix of retriever and Great Dane. He was a huge monster, but sweet as the day was long after he’d settled in. He’d been adopted by Aidan’s squad. Though the Army banned pets on base, the truth was most officers looked the other way. Aidan had nearly cried the day his former platoon CO showed up on the ranch leading Ike by a leash.

Ike’s nub of a tail wagged, and he licked Aidan’s face frantically. It was like this every time he left. Though Ike didn’t mind Bo, he preferred Aidan to everyone else. Ike looked up and started to growl.

“Don’t,” Aidan commanded.

Ike growled at a lot of men. He’d done it in Iraq, growling and barking at everyone. It had taken Aidan awhile to get the dog to come to him. Aidan wasn’t sure why he’d tried. Maybe he’d just seen something in the dog that called to him. Ike had obviously needed affection, but he’d been too scared to take it. Yeah, he and the dog had a lot in common. Eventually Ike had calmed down, but despite the fact that he’d been around Dwight during their time in Iraq, the dog still growled when he got too near. Aidan really hoped Ike and Lucas got along. The last thing he needed was for Ike to hate Lucas.

“Dumb dog,” Dwight said as he started out the back door. “I’ll be out in the south field. We’re going to have to replace that whole section of fence. I’ll take Clint with me.” Dwight slammed out the back door, and Ike calmed.

“Hey, boy,” Lucas said in that honey chocolate voice of his. Aidan looked back and he was on one knee with a hand held out.

“He doesn’t like a lot of people,” Aidan warned him.

“That’s okay,” Lucas replied. “He doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to.”

But Ike was already moving toward the stranger. He sniffed Lucas’s hand warily, his nose poking and retreating as though he expected a slap at any moment. Lucas was patient, allowing the dog to become accustomed, to make his own judgment.

“That’s right, boy. We can be friends.” Lucas patted the dog’s head, and Ike’s stub started to wag again.

Just like that, Lucas made friends with a dog who took forever to get used to anyone. Aidan watched them with a great deal of pleasure.

“This coffee needs sugar,” Lexi groused as she walked into the room. There was a dour look on her pretty face, and her hair was tousled from sleep. She wasn’t a morning person, but Aidan had always thought she looked so damn cute when she was grumpy. She frowned at him, but her face lit up when she saw the dog. “Oh, hi, puppy!”

Lexi set the mug down and was on her knees in an instant. Aidan’s first thought was to warn her about the dog’s bad temper, but apparently they were soul mates. Ike abandoned Lucas and started sniffing Lexi. Lexi ran her hands all over the dog’s massive, somewhat stinky body.

“He needs a bath,” Aidan said, worrying she would find his dog unattractive.

Lexi grinned as the dog licked her face. “He’s perfect. You’re a pretty boy, aren’t you?”

Lucas stood and lent Aidan a hand. “Come on. She’s lost to us now. Let’s get some work done. Actually, there’s a little side project I’d like to talk to you about.”

He took Lucas’s hand and allowed Lucas to help him up. Even with the help, his back seized, and Aidan stumbled. Lucas steadied him, but the weakness had shown itself. Aidan flushed and inwardly cursed the muscles that always let him down now. He pulled away, not wanting to lean on Lucas.

Lucas’s arm tightened on his. “Stop it, Sir. Let me help.”

Aidan made it to his feet, but he couldn’t help the sense of shame that flushed through his system.

“Doms.” Lexi was shaking her head as she petted the dog. Aidan looked at her, ready for the rush of pity he got from a lot of people. “Such dumbasses.”

No pity from his girl.

“I believe what our lovely and infinitely sympathetic female is trying to say is, lean on us. The mistake most Doms make is to think that we’re burdens or something soft to play with in bed. We’re a part of this. If you don’t want our help and support, then we’re worth nothing to you. I don’t intend to submit to a man who needs nothing from me but sexual pleasure.”

“What he said,” Lexi shot back, but her lips were quirking up.

Aidan leaned into Lucas and allowed himself to steady before he pulled away. He took a long, deep breath to control the deep emotion he felt. What Lucas was talking about wasn’t a D/s relationship. He was talking about a family.

“Thank you, Lucas. I promise the next time my back gives out and I’m going to fall to the floor, I’ll let you catch me.”

“I would appreciate it, Sir. Now, can I go play cowboy?”

Aidan nodded. Lucas was a lawyer, but he’d spent enough time on a cattle ranch that he knew what he was doing. Lucas on a horse was a sight to be seen.

“Great, what am I supposed to do?” Lexi asked, standing up. Ike sat down beside her, his loyalty already obvious. “Since I don’t have a job anymore.”

Aidan had an answer for that. He pulled the notebook he’d stashed hours earlier from its drawer along with a pen. This was the good part about being the Dom. He was obligated to order her around. “Write. I don’t care what it is. You can write Aidan is an asshole four hundred times, as long you write.”

Lexi stared at the notebook like it was a snake that might bite her. “It won’t do any good. It’s not like I haven’t wanted to write. I just don’t do it anymore.”

Aidan shrugged. “Bullshit. It’s like anything else. You just do it. I don’t care if it’s any good. You will drink your coffee, and you will write whatever comes into that perverse, gorgeous brain of yours. You’ll meet me and Lucas for lunch at noon. If you don’t write something down, there will be punishment.”

Lexi took the pen and paper. “Fine. But it’s going to be crap.”

She turned and flounced out, Ike padding after her.

Lucas picked up her forgotten coffee and added a spoon of sugar. “I like this. I get to be the good cop.”

Lucas followed her back down the hall. Aidan could hear Lexi’s soft voice thanking him. She went up on her toes to kiss Lucas’s lips before she disappeared into the bedroom Aidan had designed with her in mind.

Lucas walked back down the hall with a smile on his face. Yep, the good cop looked ready to work. Aidan watched as Lucas practically jogged out the door. Aidan was comfortable with his role, but he really had to make sure the bad cop got a little love, too.

Lexi walked out on the porch and into the midday sun. It was warm but not overly hot, yet the sight in front of her sent her temperature soaring.

Lucas and Aidan were working outside the barn, loading carefully packed hay into the back of a bale rack attached to an oversized truck. Their shirts had been flung off at some point, leaving two gloriously hard male bodies on full display. They wore nothing but low-slung Levi’s, boots, and their Stetsons.

She’d gone way too long without sex.

They were so different, much more now than they were before. It had only been a few years since all three of them had been together, but they seemed more mature. Pain in each of their lives had changed them. Aidan was physically changed, but she could see the mental scars, too. She’d glimpsed the naked pain on his face when he’d had to lean on Lucas for balance.

Lexi could have told him that Lucas was the best balance in the world. Lucas thrived on people needing him. Jack had been the first person to really give a damn about Lucas. Lexi had been there that first summer. She’d watched Lucas change from a scared boy to a calm, patient, infinitely strong man.

Why was he so willing to let Aidan back in? Did she love Lucas enough to follow him?

Pain had changed Lexi, too. Had it changed the three of them enough that maybe it could work this time?

Lucas used the bale hooks to hoist the last of the hay onto the rack. His lean muscles rippled in the sunlight. He glanced up and saw her standing there. He took his hat off, his thick, dark hair curling around his ears. A devilish little glint came into his eyes. Aidan walked up close to the back of the rack and secured it. He drew the lock on the rack and turned. Lucas was in his space. Lucas said something to Aidan that had Aidan’s lips curling up and his dimples flashing.

Lucas’s hand came up and trailed down Aidan’s chest. It was a soft touch, the sort Lucas was good at. He always treated her so gently. The way he’d fucked her mouth the night before had been different. Lucas had been fully in command. He’d been rough, and she’d loved it. He’d held her head and forced his cock in and out of her mouth. She had loved looking at the dark expression on his face as he used her. It wasn’t like she wanted to be abused. She wouldn’t allow anyone but Lucas to do that. Lucas loved her. Hell, most of the time Lucas worshipped her. It was safe to submit to Lucas. It was perfectly fine to indulge that part of her sexuality.

And suddenly, with Aidan around, Lucas felt safe to indulge his. It was the only explanation. He’d spanked her and performed scenes with her, but the night before was the first time he’d just let go. Lucas had trusted Aidan to make sure she didn’t get hurt.

She wanted to have sex with Aidan.

Damn it. She’d always known Aidan would be masterful. She’d tried to steer him that way once she’d figured out a little of what she wanted, but Aidan had been very vanilla.