Tempted by her Daddies: Chapter 10

“We need to talk about Tamsyn,” Salem said as they all sat in his office. Alexei was sprawled across the couch. Roman was sitting up straight in a chair while Salem settled into the other armchair next to him.

“About the fact that we all want to fuck her, you mean?” Alexei drawled.

“It’s more than that!” Roman said hotly, glaring at Alexei. “Do not talk about her like that. This isn’t just about sex.”

Alexei seemed shocked at Roman’s outburst. But he shouldn’t have been. Hadn’t he seen how much time Roman spent with Tamsyn? Nothing could ever draw Roman away from his work.

Except for her.

So of course, he was going to take offense to Alexei making it sound like they just wanted to fuck her.

None of them wanted that.

Alexei was just testing them. Pushing them.

Even if he got a reaction he obviously hadn’t been expecting.

Alexei held up his hands. “Whoa. I didn’t mean any offense.”

“Then why would you make it sound like we were only interested in her for sex? That isn’t even close to the main reason I enjoy her company. Although it is a part of it,” he muttered.

Salem wasn’t sure that he meant for them to hear that last part. In all the time that he’d known Roman, he’d never seen the other man take an interest in another woman or man romantically.

So this was big for him.

And the look on Alexei’s face said he got it too. Then Alexei sat up. “So you want her? You want to date her? To be her boyfriend?”

Roman straightened his shoulders. “I do. And if all you’re interested in sex, then you should back off. Because I want forever with her.”

Alexei frowned at Salem. “And you?”

“I want her as well. And not just for sex. I like her. She’s soft and vulnerable, but she can also be strong and fierce. I’ve found myself at a loss lately. I thought it was because of work and I hate feeling like a failure. So I threw myself more into my job, only that hole grew deeper and wider and darker. Until she came along. Now, I have another focus. A reason to get up. I feel a purpose again. I have a tendency to become hyper-focused on one thing at a time. Usually work, like Salem. But when Tamsyn is around, I want to be with her. To make her smile and laugh. I don’t think she’s had a lot of that in her life. I enjoy her company.”

Alexei jumped to his feet.

“And you, Alexei?” Salem asked calmly. “How do you feel about her?”

The big guy had a strange look on his face. “I want to hate her. I don’t want to care about anyone.”

Salem knew why he felt that way. Because caring meant he risked losing them like he had his family.

“Nothing is going to happen to her, Alexei,” Salem told him.

“Get out of my head,” he snarled. “But, yes, I want her too. As mine.” He swung around to glare at them both. “And it’s not just about sex.”

Salem knew that was as much of a declaration of his feelings for Tamsyn as they were going to get out of the big guy.

“All right. So, I’ll start again, we all want Tamsyn,” he repeated.

“I’m not backing down,” Alexei warned. “Just because she’s the only girl you’ve ever likely wanted.” He pointed at Roman as he said that before turning to Salem. “Or because she gives you some feeling of control back.”

“It’s not just about that,” Salem said as calmly as he could. He could feel Roman growing tense next to him. “This is also about Tamsyn and her needs and desires.”

“Oh yeah? And do you know what they are?” Alexei asked, folding his arms over his chest.

“I haven’t talked to her about this. I wanted us all on the same page. If we’re not, then I don’t think she will believe in what I have to propose.”

“And what’s that?” Alexei asked.

“We share her,” Roman said quietly.

“Share her?” Alexei repeated. “What do you mean, share her?”

“It’s not a foreign concept to any of us,” Salem said.

Understanding filled Alexei’s face. “Like your sister? Like they do in Escana? Like in Roman’s books? We form a harem?”

“Yes,” Roman said. “It’s the simplest way to solve things.”

Alexei started pacing and muttering to himself. “That is not simple.” His accent started to slip through.

“Well, not simple, no,” Salem said. “But it’s the only way where we can all get what we want.”

He’d been thinking about it for a while. They only had another week of Tamsyn working here left and they had to make a move if they wanted her.

And he did.

“What we want? And what if I don’t want to share her? I don’t share things well,” Alexei warned.

“Well, perhaps it’s time you learned,” Roman said firmly.

Alexei gaped at him. “What is going on with you?”

“I like her. A lot. I want her. I could fight you both for her. But then I might lose my two best friends in the process, and I don’t want that. Even worse, I might lose her. But I think she’d walk away before that could happen. Because she wouldn’t want the three of us to fight over her. She’d pull herself out of the equation. And then none of us would have her. And I am aware that it sounds like I’m not taking her feelings into consideration. I am. I’ve noticed how she looks at the two of you. She wants all of us. This is what she needs too,” Salem told him.

“We don’t think this works any other way,” Roman added. “She’s not going to choose. And she won’t want us to compete for her. She’s not a damn prize. If we’re not all onboard, all united, then I think we all lose her. Is that what you want, Alexei?”

“Of course it’s fucking not! But how would this even work? What? We’d have a schedule for when we got time with her?”

Salem sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“I don’t think we want a schedule, do we?” Roman asked, sounding confused. “We haven’t talked about that, but I’m not sure she would like that. It sounds clinical.”

“That’s because it is. And he doesn’t mean that we would actually have a schedule.” Salem understood Alexei’s reaction. It was hard to wrap your head around sharing the woman you wanted with other men.

He’d always thought that one day he would get married, have kids.

Do things the normal way.

But what if the normal way didn’t work? How often did he or Alexei have to leave for weeks at a time? Maybe longer? Or what about when Roman got pulled into a project? He could work day and night.

Then there was Alexei’s fear of loving someone and losing them again. And Roman’s aversion to touch.

And what about you? What about the fact you feel more alive with her than you have in years?

“I get it,” Salem said. “It’s not the norm and it’s a lot to wrap your head around. But think about what your life would look like with just you and her. What about when you’re given an undercover job? Would you be happy leaving her for months on her own?”

Alexei’s jaw clenched.

“I actually think harems could become more of a normal thing,” Roman said. “Since Escana has come into the public’s eyes with their reverse harem relationships it’s become more popular. More mainstream. There are a lot of reasons to think about forming a relationship like this. Financial, emotional, sometimes even physical reasons. But the reason I came to the conclusion that I wanted this is because I know Tamsyn wants all of us and I want to give her whatever she desires. And because I don’t want to lose the two of you. You’re my family.”

Alexei stared off into the distance for a long moment.

“If you need some time—” Salem started to say.

“I’m all right with seeing dick, even some accidental touching, but I don’t swing that way.”

Roman’s eyes grew wide as Salem gave a relieved sigh. This was Alexei’s unique way of saying he was in.

Although Salem thought he should probably take some more time to think about it, that wasn’t really who Alexei was. He was used to making snap decisions and sticking to them.

“I don’t believe anyone mentioned anything about a sexual relationship between the three of us,” Roman said. “Am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong,” Salem told him. “That’s just Alexei’s way of saying he’s in. Do you not want to think about it?”

“What’s to think about?” Alexei replied. “If I don’t do this, then I lose you two or her. If I do this, I get to keep the three of you. That’s a no-brainer, then, right? You all belong to me. I will keep all of you safe.”

“I don’t believe that I belong to you,” Roman said, sounding slightly alarmed.

Salem shook his head at the younger man. “He doesn’t mean it like that.”

“Uh, yes, I do,” Alexei said.

Be calm. Be patient.

“Alexei. You don’t own anyone. That’s not the way a relationship works,” Salem lectured.

“Uh-huh, sure Mr. Dom. Or do you prefer Master?”

“I’m not looking for a master-slave relationship. And I prefer Daddy,” Salem said.

“Do you think she’ll call you Daddy?” Alexei asked.

“I am certain that she will,” Roman said, surprising them both. “Or perhaps she might like Papa. Or Tata or Baba. I’m not entirely sure of her background, are any of you?” Roman glanced at them both, seemingly only just seeing their surprise. “What?”

“Has she mentioned being a Little to you?” Salem asked. He’d seen signs. But he was a Daddy Dom. Even if he hadn’t been with a Little in years, he didn’t believe that was something you just forgot or that disappeared. However, he couldn’t see Roman picking up on those cues. He didn’t always pick up on social cues from others.

“She hasn’t come out and said as much,” Roman said. “But I’ve seen signs.”

“You have?” Alexei asked.

“Yes, I believe so. Times when she’s let her Little side slip. It’s not hugely obvious. And she enjoys reading Daddy books with me. Not that that is a sign of being a Little. After all, I read them.”

“And you’re not a Little,” Salem said just to be sure. He didn’t think Roman was a Little. But he also hadn’t been aware that he was interested in age play.

“No, I’m not a Little. I’m not sure if I’m anything. Not all Daddy Doms come in one shape and form. I could be a Dom and be softer, you know. But my aversion to touch complicates things.”

“But you’d be open to being her Daddy?” Salem asked. “If that’s what she wants? I know she’s a sub since I met her at Club Slade, but she hasn’t said anything about being a Little.”

“I’m not certain. I’d need to think about it. Do you want to be her Daddy?” Roman asked him.

“Yes, but I would want rules and boundaries. And I would enforce them. For her health and safety, but also in the bedroom. I can be nurturing too.” He wasn’t all rules and punishments.

Roman nodded. “I think she needs some rules and boundaries. And someone who will enforce them. I don’t want to say I would be a pushover, but I do think that if I am a Daddy Dom I would enjoy the more nurturing side.”

Right. But just spoiling her all the time could end in disaster. Especially for Tamsyn who didn’t always seem that conscious of her limits. Or that mindful of keeping herself healthy and safe.

“So you want to be her Daddy Dom, Salem,” Alexei said, pacing back and forth. “And Roman is exploring that side of himself.”

“If that’s also what she wants,” Roman said.

Salem was sure it would be, but he nodded. Consent was everything. Especially in a relationship where he would be in a position of power.

There had to be trust, communication, and caring.

“I’ve spanked her,” Alexei said.

“Wait. What?” Salem jumped to his feet. “You spanked her? Without her consent? Without going through her limits?”

Alexei waved his hand. “It wasn’t a hard spanking, just a few slaps on her ass. I told her not to bench-press without me. When I came into the gym, there she was lifting weights that were far too heavy for her. She got into trouble, she was losing control . . . if I hadn’t been there, she could have gotten seriously hurt.”

“Fuck,” Salem snapped. He didn’t blame Alexei for punishing her.

“The spanking just sort of happened. Won’t lie, I knew it was skirting a line. Hell, going right over that line. I’m her employer. Well, Roman is.”

“I think we have all skirted that line,” Roman said.

“You’ve spanked her too?” Salem asked.

“No, I thought I made it clear that isn’t something I am comfortable with. No, I mean, I, uh, the books we read together can be sexy and my body, uh, reacts.”

“You did not fuck her?” Alexei snarled.

“No. I just got . . . aroused.”

Right. Something that he was sure they’d all done on a regular basis. But obviously for Roman it felt like a big deal. And it was skirting over that line when they were her employers.

Alexei grunted. “I suppose I should confess to kissing her.”

Salem and Roman gaped at him.

“You what?” Salem snapped.

Alexei shrugged. “When I spanked her, I also kissed her.” His tone was challenging, as though he expected them to get angry. But Salem didn’t actually feel angry.

Maybe a bit jealous . . .

“We can’t be her bosses anymore,” Salem said. “That won’t work. And Evette is back next week anyway.”

“That doesn’t matter, I can support her,” Roman said.

Alexei and Salem shot Roman looks.

“What?” Roman asked.

“What if she doesn’t want you to just support her?” Alexei asked. “She might not want to rely on us for everything. That might make her feel . . . helpless.”

Salem blinked.

“What?” Alexei asked. “You don’t think I can be sensitive to her feelings?”

“Umm,” Salem replied.

“Until right now, no,” Roman told him. “Are you sure she’d feel that way? I don’t like the idea of her working for someone else, though. They might take advantage of her. She’d have to be away from us, where we can’t watch over her properly. Can’t we just . . . command her to be our full-time sub?”

“What would your books say about that?” Salem asked dryly.

“Well, in plenty of them the Little doesn’t work. But in most of them, they do. Hell.”

Salem looked to Alexei. “What about you?”

“If Roman wants me as a kept brother-husband, who am I to say no,” Alexei said.

“Brother-husband?” Roman asked. “Is that what we’re calling each other?”

“No,” Salem snapped, sitting once more. “Alexei is being an asshole because he doesn’t want to answer my actual question.”

“Which was?” Alexei challenged.

“I know you’re a Dom, but you’ve never mentioned being involved with a Little or being a Daddy.”

“Are you asking if I’m a Daddy, then?” Alexei asked.

“You can be a pain in the ass sometimes,” Salem grumbled.

Alexei sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “The truth is that I’m not good at being nurturing and caring. Before I got kicked out, I’d go into the club, do a scene, then leave. I chose subs who wanted minimal aftercare.”

“So you just want to be a . . . a Dom for scenes and, uh, in the, uh, bedroom?” Roman asked.

“I don’t know. If she’s a Little, then she needs someone who can give her what she needs.”

“She has us for that,” Salem told him. “And you will give her something she needs and wants. We’ve seen the way she looks at you. She wants you.”

“I don’t want our relationship to be just about sex. Or to just be the person who ties her up and spanks her when she disobeys. I need to be more than that,” Alexei said.

Salem was unsure what to say. What did Alexei want?

“When are we talking to her?” Alexei finally asked.

“I thought this weekend we could all invite her for dinner,” Salem said.

“Fine.” Alexei turned and walked out of the room.

“Is he all right?” Roman asked, standing. “Should we talk to him? Is he upset?”

“Leave him. I think he’s realized he needs to think about everything.”

Roman sighed and sat back. “Well, that could have gone worse.”

Salem nodded. “On the whole I think it went better than expected.”

“He didn’t break anything, punch any walls, or storm off to the gun range so I agree. Definitely better than expected.”