Finding You Bk. 02: Paradigm Shift

Full and partial nudity was the norm for Elysium and it wasn't unheard of to find members engaged in acts that would have had them arrested for public indecency if they had been in a regular nightclub. In fact, the designers had skillfully planned the seating areas to provide some semblance of privacy for those that wished it. It wasn't unusual to take a stroll through the lounge and witness numerous acts of intimacy occurring in the semi-secluded groups of sofas hidden behind artfully placed potted plants and decorative screens.

Elysium celebrated sex, in every variation possible and just about every aspect of the club encouraged and promoted it. So long as the participants adhered to the club rules, they were free to seek their pleasures wherever or however they wished. For those that didn't, monitors routinely patrolled all areas of the club, ready to enforce them.

Groups of happy patrons parted to let the two men pass and Marcus found himself thronged by enthusiastic people and friends that were thrilled to see him back amongst them. He smiled and shook hands, hugged a few of the female submissives and generally pretended to be back to his old self. A few unattached subs tried to get his attention but he ignored them, having no interest in touching another woman sexually, except for his angel.

They reached the bar and Cooper flagged the busy bartender over and ordered a whiskey for himself and a beer for Marcus.

"Lydia got out of rehab last week," he said, picking up their conversation where they had left off. "Claims she's sober but, as you know, with Lydia "sober" has a very flexible definition." He slid the open bottle along the bar top, into Marcus' waiting hand. "Get that down your neck and then we'll go formulate a game plan."

Marcus scowled at Cooper and took a swig from his bottle. "You're hanging around Jaz too much. You're picking up on his English slang."

Cooper laughed. "What do you expect? You've been holed up in your office or at home, spending your time with your hand wrapped around your dick."

Marcus glared at him and debated whether slugging him would make him feel any better. Cooper caught the dirty look and just grinned back, reading his thoughts. "You could hit me, if you really wanted to, but then you'd risk busting up your hand and there would go your sex life."

Marcus burst out laughing. "Fucker."

The cold beer tasted wonderful to Marcus as he took another long pull from the bottle. Cooper had moved off, heading for an open booth and Marcus trailed after him, curious to see what ideas his friend was hatching in that active brain of his.

They got comfortable and indulged in people watching, both content to sip their drinks and let their minds wander. Marcus had to focus on the semi-clad crowd on the dance floor because if he started thinking about Tabitha, he'd find himself in trouble and he'd had enough of the empty orgasms to last him a lifetime.

Cooper's mind was busy churning on how to deal with the problem that was one, unpredictable, unknown woman named Tabitha. He needed to figure out how they should approach her and how to introduce her to their kinky lifestyle, without scaring her off. He was still feeling a little dazed by how easily Marcus had accepted his interest into the mix.

He had been hoping that he'd be willing to turn his duo into a triad but wasn't sure after the possessive, obsessive way he'd been behaving where Tabitha was concerned. Broaching the subject of sharing Tabitha had been a risk that could have ended up with his ass beaten to a pulp if Marcus hadn't been surprisingly amenable to the idea. He shuddered. Cooper had seen the damage that Marcus could inflict with his fists and thanked God, repeatedly, that Marcus hadn't reacted badly.

What to do? He ran through numerous ideas and possible scenarios in his head, almost every one ending in dismal failure. This was bad because since the moment that Marcus had included him in the potential relationship, Cooper had felt the need for Tabitha growing in strength in his heart. Marcus' unexpected approval had given Cooper permission to acknowledge the attraction to Tabitha that he had felt and then denied, out of deference to his best friend.

If it had gone the other way, once he had finished bleeding on Marcus' office floor, Cooper would have backed off and stayed out of their way. It would have killed him, and been the first time in their lives that the two men hadn't shared something - or someone - but he would have bowed out gracefully.

Marcus could practically hear the gears grinding in his friend's head and sat quietly enjoying his beer, watching Cooper ponder the problem. He was the analytical one of their small group, talented at figuring out a mess and finding a solution; Cooper loved nothing more than to have a puzzle to figure out.

Jaz was their action man, if something needed doing, he was the one to get it done; he had charm and wit and could out talk a politician to accomplish his goals. The last man in their posse was Diego. He was their elder, the one who could always think clearly, when all was going to hell. Diego was their conscious and their voice of reason. His calm, steady temper and cool rationality had kept their collective butts out of jail on more than one occasion.

Marcus acted as their leader and motivator; he was the glue that had pulled four men into a functional unit that became a force to be reckoned with when they worked as a team. He had faith in Cooper. If a solution existed to their problem, Cooper would be the one to find it.

Cooper sighed and finally seemed to come to some conclusion, sitting forward and steepling his hands together with a serious look on his face.

"I think that there is only one way to tackle this, bro."

"And that is what?"

"There are too many unknowns in this equation that need to be sussed out. You like her and from what Petra has shared, it can be assumed that Tabitha feels something for you too, though I can't figure out for the life of me why," he added cheekily.

Marcus let the good-natured insult slip by as he was curious as to where Cooper was heading, trusting that he had a point to his teasing. Marcus smiled and played along.

"Okay. I'm with you so far."

"You don't want to scare her off by introducing too many variables at once - namely BDSM and multiple partners. You have no choice but to take this one very slowly, I think."

Marcus nodded and took another swallow of his beer. "So approach her as a single and introduce her gradually into the lifestyle, unless she's already into it. Petra never mentioned whether Tabitha was into kink or not."

"I think that's our best course of action. Let her get comfortable with you first, if she's amenable; train her to be your sub. Once she bonds with you, you can slowly introduce the possibility of a second Dom into her life.

"And if she's not into it? How are you going to be with that?" Marcus asked gently, suddenly feeling like they were playing hot potato with a live grenade.

"I don't know, but I think that we'll have to cross that bridge if we come to it. I have a feeling that she'll give us both hints long before we get to that point."

Cooper hoped like hell that Tabby would accept him. Poly relationships weren't for everyone and he and Marcus had been searching for a permanent sub for them to share for years. Lydia had been a prospect until her instability and insecurity had turned both of them off her. Since then, they had had a string of casual encounters, but no one who had the potential to become their permanent submissive.

Then Tabitha entered their lives and everything changed.

Marcus already had an undeniable attraction to her and, now that Marcus had opened the door for Cooper and invited him in, he could finally acknowledge that he felt the same way. She would be perfect for them, if only she could overcome society's preconceived ideas on what composed normal relationships.

Would Tabitha be able to accept, not one, but two strong Dominants in her life?

That was the big question that they needed an answer to, and only time and great care would get it for them.

CHAPTER 5

Marcus narrowed his eyes speculatively and regarded his best friend. He could see the uncertainty warring with hope in his expression and had sympathy for Cooper. If they proceeded as he'd stated, Cooper would have to watch Marcus get closer and closer to Tabitha, not knowing if he'd ever be included in the payoff. They would be taking a hell of a risk. Once the subject was out in the open, Tabitha could refuse both of them. He just didn't know how she was going to react to their proposition.

"Shit," he breathed, a great weight settling on his shoulders.

"Yeah. Shit," Cooper echoed with a heavy sigh. He fixed Marcus with a stare. "I won't stand in your way, if she only wants you, Marcus. What we want may be too much to ask from her. The fact is, she may not want either of us, especially once she finds out about the lifestyle. Who knows where her head really is at?"

"I want her, Coop. I want her so fucking badly that it is eating me up inside like a fucking cancer."

"I know. You have to go after her and see what happens. All we can do is take one step at a time and see where the road leads." Cooper tipped his glass and let the burn of the whiskey soothe the anxiety brewing in his gut like a bitter soup. His mind kept circling back to the same sentiment: She'd be perfect...absolutely, fucking perfect.

"Hey guys," Diego's voice came from behind them just before he slid into the booth beside Cooper. A naked, leashed and gagged Petra sunk obediently to her knees and bowed her forehead to the carpet.

Cooper chuckled and peeked under the table. "Looks like someone's little subbie must have gotten herself in trouble tonight."

Diego grunted and waved a server over, ordering a beer and a bottle of water. "She had a little trouble controlling her bratty attitude earlier today, so I decided that a lesson was in order." He leaned over and stroked his hand over her upturned ass before giving her a sharp smack that made her utter a muffled yelp. "The only time that gag is coming out of her mouth, is when my cock is replacing it. We'll see how much sass is left by the end of the night."

The server returned with the drinks but Diego ignored them, focusing all his attention on the beautiful woman kneeling at his feet instead. He was irritated with Petra tonight, something he wasn't used to being with her, and it had soured his mood. He hated having to mete out a punishment, but she had been argumentative during the day with him and he'd had finally had enough of her stubbornness.

"Sit up," he ordered and undid his fly. "I think we'll get started on your attitude adjustment, sweets." He reached around Petra's head and deftly unsnapped the clasp on the strap that held the gag in place. He slipped the rubber, penis-shaped plug from her mouth and his cock stiffened as he watched the silvery strings of drool escaping from her ruby red lips. She glanced at his growing erection and shot him a dirty look, her pretty lips parting as if to speak.

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back so that she had no choice but to look him in the eye. "If you speak, it had better be to give your safe word because if it isn't, I will beat that beautiful ass of yours so hard that even the thought of sitting will hurt you for the next week." He lowered his face until he was inches from hers and fixed her with a hard look. "Nod if you understand, Pet"

Some of the defiance left Petra's eyes as she slowly nodded in his grasp. Diego gave her a dispassionate smile then closed the distance and kissed her lightly on the lips. She closed her eyes and tried to deepen the kiss but he held her head firmly and pulled her away. "None of that now." His eyes darkened with arousal and he guided her under the table. "I have other plans for that saucy mouth."

She shuffled between his legs while Diego used his free hand to stroke his cock until it was fully erect. He lowered her head, pressing the fat crown until it rested lightly against her lips and ordered, "Open."

Petra obediently opened her mouth and Diego guided her head down over his dick, sliding along her hot tongue until the head bumped against the back of her throat. He could feel the quivers of her gag reflex trying to kick in and held her still for a moment, impressing the point of who was in control, before allowing her to pull back and take a breath. She looked up at him with watery, questioning eyes.

"Remember who you chose to serve, Petra. Now, suck me while I enjoy a beer with my friends."

He pushed into her mouth again then settled back, widening his thighs and relaxing while Petra began licking and teasing him. Pleased that she was applying herself to the task, he shifted his attention back to Cooper and Marcus. Both men looked tense and he meant to find out why.

"So, you two were deep in conversation when we walked in. What's going on?" God the woman could suck a dick. Diego wanted to groan as she slowly slid down over his shaft, fluttering her tongue along the vein that ran along the underside, using just the right amount of pressure to make his heart stutter in his chest. He wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of hearing his enjoyment though. He wasn't pleased. He was annoyed. The tip of her tongue swirled around the sensitive head and he supressed the shudder that made his belly clench in desire.

Annoyed. Remember, you're supposed to be annoyed.

Fuck, it was hard to remember anything when she grazed her teeth along the underside of his shaft like that. Diego lifted his beer and took a sip, but just as the cold liquid splashed into his mouth, Petra's warm hand wrapped around his scrotum and gave his balls a firm squeeze. The jolt of arousal that blasted up from his testicles caught Diego by surprise and he inhaled his beer. Coughing and spluttering, Diego remembered fully, why he was perturbed with his submissive; it was behaviour exactly like this, which had pissed him off today.

The little minx, she did that on purpose!

He glared down and wound his free hand into her blonde hair, roughly pulling her off his cock. His actions were precise and tightly controlled betraying his level of annoyance. Petra's nervous, wide-eyed stare told him that she had finally realised that she may have gone a step too far in pushing his buttons.

Angry as he was, Diego would never touch her with violence in his heart so he bottled his temper and gave her his frostiest smile. Her eyes went even wider and she began to tremble. Temper she could deal with, but the calm, calculating Dom staring down at her terrified her.

"Pull a stunt like that one more time and I will tie you to this table and let the boys have at you! This is your last warning, Pet. Accept your punishment with grace, or safe word and I'll put you in a cab home right now."

He let go of her hair, unwrapped the hand still clutching his balls and moved it to the center of her back. Unclipping her leash, he reached under the table and deftly bound both of her wrists behind her back with it and threaded the rest of the leash between her legs. He looped the slack around his hand and with an evil smirk at Petra, gave it a hard tug.

The leather strap went taut, slicing into the crack of her ass and pussy and rubbing against her clit, making her gasp and wince at the same time. She glared at him, seething and aroused, but holding her tongue.

"That's what happens when you don't play fair, little pet. Now," he guided her head back to his glistening erection. "Suck."

Marcus and Cooper both chuckled, enjoying the unexpected distraction from their problems. Petra was good match for their rigid friend. She pushed him with her demanding, bratty streak, but he'd been happier since meeting her than they had seen him in a long time. Not one for public displays, Petra must have really pushed his buttons to earn such a punishment.

"You're a mean, mean Dom, Digs," Cooper laughed. "What did your little subbie do this time to get you all riled up?"

"Just the usual bullshit. Someone needs to learn to accept 'No' as an answer and not push, tease and try to guilt her Dom into changing his mind." He was looking down at Petra's bobbing head, making sure to catch her eyes while he listed off her offences.

The stubborn glint in her eyes told him that Petra was not even close to being repentant. He sighed, pushing up into her mouth until her throat convulsed around his cock. She may not be there yet, but by the end of the evening, she would be or would be too exhausted to give him any more sass.

Marcus ducked beneath the table. "You'd better listen to your Dom, sweetheart. Your man is the last person that I'd want to get into a battle of wills with." She shot him a filthy look and he sat up laughing. "You've got your work cut out with that one."

"Don't I always?" Diego groaned and dropped his hand onto Petra's head, caressing her in a manner that betrayed the depth of his true feelings for her. She might have pissed him off and disappointed him, but it was obvious that he was a man totally in love with his woman. It was also obvious that having to discipline her was hurting him almost as much as he was getting off on it.

He took a deep breath and couldn't stop the smile. Wafting up on waves of body heat, he could smell the unmistakeably musky aroma of Petra's arousal. He had suspected that his little subbie secretly enjoyed being on display and playing the slut for an audience, and the smell of her arousal only confirmed it. He would have to find more opportunities to push this particular boundary with her, now that it didn't seem to be as rigid as it had in the past.

Perhaps an evening in a voyeur room to explore her limits would help him find out exactly how flexible this soft limit had become for his girl.

Excitement supplanted the irritation that had been grinding away at his nerves and he suddenly felt lighter and happier. Instead of dreading this evening, he was now rather looking forward to the rest of their night together.

"So back to my original question...What were you two looking so grim about?"

CHAPTER 6

Marcus and Cooper suddenly looked uncomfortable, each darting guilty glances at one another and remaining suspiciously silent.

Diego wasn't an idiot and had a suspicion as to what his two best friends could have been discussing to paste those sheepish expressions onto their faces.

"Let me guess," he drawled, leaning into the back of the booth and glancing down to watch as Petra slid her tongue along the head of his cock before enveloping it into her hot mouth again. He gazed tenderly at the top of her blonde head and felt a little guilty, she was probably getting tired by now, but he decided to push her a little farther. The purpose of this exercise wasn't for her to enjoy the task, but to do it without question until he told her to stop.

"Tabitha." Two pairs of guilty eyes zeroed in and locked with his.

Bingo! Diego thought smugly.

Below the table, Petra stopped at the mention of her friend's name. He gave the leash a sharp tug and Petra crumpled forward into his lap with a moan. "Did I say you could stop, Pet?"

She had the sense to look ashamed, though only barely, and shook her head, remembering her ban on speech for that evening. Diego gave her a hard smile and waited a beat for her to resume pleasuring him.

"So, judging by the hands-in-the-cookie-jar looks on both your mugs, I'm going to assume that I'm correct."

Marcus ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "We were just discussing what to do."