Finding You Bk. 02: Paradigm Shift

He groaned and kissed her back, restraining the need to deepen the kiss and claim her mouth. Even in the state she was in now, Tabby was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Thank you both for the lovely bath, my muscles feel much better." She squirmed on the counter where Marcus had set her down. "My ass on the other hand, still smarts like a bitch." She gave Marcus and accusatory glare.

He laughed and tapped the end of her nose. "You earned that ache, baby."

"I know, but it still hurts," she whined and then shifted hopeful eyes to Cooper. "Maybe you could kiss it better for me?"

Both men cracked up and Cooper shook his head and waggled a finger. "Oh no you don't, you little minx. Playing one of us against the other will only get you more bruises on that pretty little ass," he warned. "But any other day, I'd be more than happy to kiss, lick and fuck your ass, should you wish it."

"Party pooper," she pouted and then smiled. "I was just teasing you. But, seriously, can I stand now? This counter is really, really hard."

Marcus lifted her off and set her on her feet before leading her into the bedroom. "As much as it pains me to say this, angel, but you'd better get dressed now. When you are done, come join us in the living room. We have something that we need to discuss before I drive you home."

CHAPTER 72

Home.

Just the thought of leaving made her stomach drop like a lead weight into her bare feet. She didn't want to leave Marcus or Cooper, even though she knew that she had to go home eventually.

Marcus caught the sad expression that had darkened her features and pinched her forehead. He ran a finger along her jawbone and she turned her face up and stared at him with eyes shiny with unshed tears.

"Why so sad, little one?" he asked gently.

Her gaze alternated between him and Cooper. "I don't want to leave either of you," she replied quietly.

"We don't want you to leave either, angel. Do you think that this is the last that you're going to see of us? You will be coming either here, Cooper's or the club on a regular basis. It's one of those things that we still need to discuss, sweetheart." He leaned down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Don't think for a moment that now that we have you, that either of us is going to be able to be separated from you for long, kitten. You belong to us now...and we belong to you," Cooper added, taking his turn to give her a kiss that underlined the possessive intent of his words. "Marcus and I will be working out a schedule for you in the next few days." He slipped his hand through the folds of her robe and his fingers found her wet center. She gasped and clutched onto his forearms to keep her balance. "Do you think that I can go a day without tasting this or burying my cock in you?"

"Or I?" Marcus rumbled from behind her, rubbing his erection into her backside as a stark reminder of how much he desired her.

She shook her head, "N-n-no," she stammered. Cooper's fingers were distracting her and when he removed them and sucked them into his mouth, Tabby almost growled in frustration.

"That's just a little reminder for you, kitten, which will keep you wanting to come back to us as soon as possible."

Tabby shifted her weight and winced when an ache deep in her pussy responded. "I already have a reminder Cooper. I can still feel both of your cocks whenever I move."

Marcus leaned in and his hot breath tickled her ear. "Good."

Cooper laughed at the blush that crept over Tabby's cheeks. "Ten minutes, kitten. Then we want to see you dressed and ready in the living room. Oh, in case Marcus forgot to tell you, one of the rules you will now be obeying is that your orgasms belong to us. That means, you are not allowed to make yourself cum without our permission." He winked. "Just in case you were thinking of easing that little ache I just created for you."

Both men walked out, leaving her gaping in shock. That wasn't fair! Of course, now that she knew that she couldn't relieve the arousal herself, doing so was all she wanted to do. Tabby glared at their retreating backs and stuck her tongue out in childish defiance.

Assholes!

"Keep up the bratty attitude, angel and I'll be happy administering a readjustment for you," Marcus called back from the hall.

How the hell does he know? Every time? God! She groaned and envisioned the many spankings to come in her future if she couldn't rein in her temper.

She rummaged through the overnight bag and found new undergarments, a pair of sleek looking jeans and a comfortable TNA hoody. She was loath to remove Marcus' robe, even if the length pooled around her ankles like Princess Di's wedding train. It smelled like Marcus and she considered stuffing it into her bag to take it home with her, but the damn thing was large enough to fit a giant and she'd have to dump everything else out just to get it in.

Leaving it hanging on the back of the bathroom door where it had hung before, Tabby quickly pulled on her new clothes and ran a brush through her damp hair. She didn't have time to do anything fancy with it so she found a package of hair ties in the makeup bag that Petra had packed for her, scooped up her locks into a fist and put it up into a messy pony tail, leaving a few choice curls to hang loose and frame her face.

Satisfied that she'd made herself as presentable as possible, Tabby gathered up all her scattered belongings, including the clothes that she arrived with and all the new ones that Petra had thoughtfully provided, and crammed everything back into the duffle and zipped up the bulging bag with some difficulty.

Taking one last look around the room for forgotten items, she spied the simple cotton tunic that Marcus had worn the previous night at the club and, on an impulse, grabbed it, and quickly stuffed it into her bag. Groaning, she squeezed the heaving bag until she could get the zipper almost completely closed; no matter how she yanked or tried to compress the overstuffed contents, it remained stubbornly opened a couple of inches.

"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath. She could see a patch of white fabric from the purloined shirt and briefly considered taking it out and leaving it behind. The thought made a stab of loneliness pierce her chest; she had an irrational need to have something of his with her just as much as a child clung to a favourite blanket or toy. With the shirt remaining in her bag, she left the bedroom and headed into the hallway.

She walked into the living room, feeling a little guilty for her act of thievery, but also quietly comforted by its presence in her things, reassured that she'd have something with his scent on it to console her loneliness when she was alone at home later on.

"You can put that down by the kitchen and come and sit with us, angel," Marcus said, seeing her exit the hall with her overnight bag. Both men had gotten dressed while she'd been in the bedroom and looked as sexy as devils.

Boy could they ever fill out a pair of jeans! Her face heated with the scandalous thought and she tried to calm herself down so that she could face whatever it was they had to discuss with a clear head.

Cooper's keen eyes had caught the flush and he nudged Marcus. "I think our kitten just had a dirty thought about us. Do you think that there is a little tarnish on her halo, brother?"

Marcus gave her a knowing look and smirked. "Yup, and it's getting dirtier the longer she is with us." He crooked a finger at her and beckoned her over slowly. "Come here, angel."

Tabby hesitated and then began to take small steps across the living to where Marcus sat in the leather armchair and Cooper waited beside him on the sofa. Both men were staring so intently at her that it made her feel even more self-conscious than when she had been naked. She approached Marcus, stopped in front of him and sunk to her knees.

"I will never get tired of seeing you on your knees, beautiful kitten," Cooper said with lust roughening his voice into a sexy rasp. Tabby didn't respond and kept her eyes averted, but she couldn't keep the hint of a pleased smile from teasing the corners of her lips.

Marcus cleared his throat and had to adjust the erection that had sprung up at having his angel kneeling at his feet, silently echoing Cooper's sentiment in his head. "You may raise your head, angel and go sit beside Cooper. We have many things to discuss in the coming days and most will be done with everyone on an equal footing."

Tabby stood and settled on the sofa beside Cooper, who handed her a cup of hot chocolate and a plate with some Oreo cookies on it. "Eat while we talk, kitten. The sugar will actually help with the drop."

"Thank you," she said, accepting a cookie and taking a bite of the sweet confection.

"You'll have to tell us what your favorite snacks are so that we can have them on hand for you, love."

Tabby laughed and almost choked on a mouthful of cookie crumbs. "If it has sugar in it, then it's a safe bet that I'll like it, Cooper. I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas."

Marcus grew serious and regarded Tabby with a critical eye. "We are at the start of a beautiful journey, angel. However, we all need to exercise care and patience as we travel along this path. You've had a taste of some of the good parts of a D/s relationship and, unfortunately, you've gotten a small sampling of the not so good parts as well. Do you wish to continue, knowing that it only becomes more intense and demanding as we proceed?"

How could he even ask her that question? Didn't she endure the belt whipping to prove her commitment to him...to them? Tabby set down her mug and stared Marcus straight in the eye. "I had thought that I had made my intentions clear when I accepted the punishment, but just in case there was any question...Yes, Marcus, this is what I want. I want to be with you and with Cooper as my lovers, my friends and my Doms. Is that clear enough for you?"

He beamed back at her, proud to see that his angel had a backbone under her sweet shell. "Good answer, Tabitha. I had to be sure, sweetness. Tonight, we've established a mutual interest in each other. We want you and you want us...that is enough to initiate the first stage of your journey." He shifted his attention to Cooper. "Cooper, if you'd be so kind..."

CHAPTER 73

Cooper produced a black, velvet bag from behind him and passed it to a surprised Tabby. "Open it, Tabitha. Your future begins with what's in that bag, kitten."

With clumsy fingers, Tabby picked at the silver cord wrapped around the neck of the bag. When she finally had it undone, she pulled the bag opened and reached inside. The first thing she pulled out was a gorgeous, black leather collar with a silver, heart-shaped plate riveted to the front. On it was inscribed the word "Ours" in large cursive script and underneath it, in a smaller font was written: Protected by M.C. and C. D. She knew Marcus' initials stood for Marcus Callaghan but she didn't know Cooper's last name. She traced of the "D" and looked at Cooper.

"It stands for Dawson," he clarified for her.

"It's beautiful," she said to both men, running her fingers over the collar's surface. The leather was buttery soft and had to be made of lamb or kidskin to be so supple. There were twin rows of flat, silver studs that sparkled along the top and bottom edges, and in the space between, butterflies flitted among lilies tooled into the leather.

It was a gorgeous work of art, but what took Tabby's breath away was the weight of possibility that it carried. It felt heavier in her hands than it had any right to be, her heart recognizing the promise and responsibility that the simple collar represented. She was only a newcomer to this lifestyle, but Tabby already knew enough to understand that what she held in her hand was much more than a fashion accessory.

"Marcus made it for you himself, kitten. While he waited for you to heal, he was already planning for the day when he could present this to you." Cooper reached over and settled his palm on her thigh. "I am so happy that you've given us both a chance to offer it to you, Tabitha. It's going to look beautiful around your neck"

"Is this the same as what Petra wears?"

"Not quite. This is the first of three possible collars you can receive as you progress on your journey. This one..." Cooper indicated, taking it from her hand and undoing the silver buckle at the back. "...is called a Collar of Consideration. Petra already upgraded hers for the second collar, which is her formal Training Collar."

Tabby regarded Cooper and Marcus with curiosity. "And the third? What is that one called?"

"The final collar is the Slave Collar."

Tabby's eyes widened in surprise, Cooper's answer had caught her off balance. "Slave? Does that mean what I think it means?"

Marcus chuckled, but underneath the amusement, was a dark edge of longing to the sound that sent thrills of excitement and arousal coursing through Tabby's nervous system.

"That depends on the people involved, angel. There are countless variations when it comes to the individual dynamics to every relationship. Some Doms desire a submissive that is completely dependent on them for everything, where they are in control of every aspect of their slave's life and that slave serves them exclusively - a true slave, if you will, and there are some submissives want or need that level of control."

"For Cooper and me, we prefer a more fluid application. We have no interest in robbing you of your independence or free will and neither of us want the hassle of micromanaging every aspect of your life. For us, the Slave Collar would come hand in hand with a traditional marriage; it is the final stage of a true lifetime commitment. We like to blend our vanilla lives and BDSM lifestyle together, but also understand the need to be able to separate the two at certain times. Should we be so lucky as to reach the Slave collar, angel, you will be very clear as to what our expectations and intentions are by that time."

"That makes sense," Tabby agreed and gave a small laugh. "I've jumped the gun though; maybe you should explain what this collar means first!" She pointed to the collar resting in Cooper's hand.

"The Collar of Consideration is basically an agreement to get to know one another, you will be treated as if you were our collared submissive so that you get an idea of what we want, but there is more freedom to explore. It also gives you time to learn about not only our needs, but also your own as well, and to see if they match up and are compatible. It's generally used for a set amount of time - for us, three months seems to sufficient - and then the parties sit down and discuss whether or not they wish to proceed to the next level and on what terms that new relationship will exist under."

"While you wear the Collar of Consideration, you may choose to walk away from us at any time, angel, no questions or obligations. The other function of the collar is to announce that you are temporarily off the market. When you are with us in private or at any BDSM related function, you will wear our collar. It tells prospective Doms that you are off limits and protects you from unwanted attention."

"So it's like the dating phase of a vanilla relationship then?"

Marcus nodded. "Pretty much. It's a trial period to see if there is chemistry and real interest before taking the relationship to a much more serious level."

"Come kneel in front of me, kitten," Cooper said, pointing to a spot on the floor between his spread knees. Tabby did as he asked, her eyes fixed on the collar in his hand and a hopeful smile on her face. Cooper pressed the cool leather to the front of her neck and slid the open ends towards the back. "Would you care to do the honors, brother?"

"Absolutely," Marcus growled, reaching forward so that he could thread the tongue into the buckle and cinch it so that the collar hugged her skin. "How's that feel, angel? It's not too tight is it?" he asked once he had it secured.

"No, Sir. It feels..." Tabby paused for a moment, trying to sort out her emotions. The collar fit her perfectly and Marcus had lined it with ultra-soft, suede so it was comfortable to wear. Something had changed though, and it was something that she couldn't put her finger on. It took her a moment to ponder and when she finally understood what it was, she flushed with pleasure.

Marcus noticed the rosy hue colour her cheeks and would've paid dearly to have a front row seat to the thoughts running through her head. "What is it, angel?"

She flushed an even deeper pink and averted her eyes shyly away from both of them. "I love the collar, Sir. I-I like how it makes me feel inside," she stammered.

"And how does it make you feel, kitten?" Now Cooper's curiosity was piqued.

"Safe...Wanted...Different," she rambled, wishing she could express the feelings bubbling inside her.

Marcus grinned and clasped her shoulder, giving her a light squeeze. "I think the word that you are searching for, little one is owned."

That was it. With their collar around her neck, she felt like she belonged to someone who cared about her for the first time in years. It made her feel desired and she glowed with a joy that was infectious. Marcus and Cooper beamed proudly back at her as she nodded her head in agreement.

"Owned," she whispered quietly and turned her liquid, green eyes up at them. "I like the sound of that."

"As do we," both men said in unison.

Marcus stood, walked behind her and sat beside Cooper. There was silence between all three as the two men caressed her skin with their hungry gazes. Under the heat of their proprietary stares, a flush surged up from her belly and blazed across her skin, raising goosebumps and tightening her nipples into hard pebbles. If she was ever in doubt of their interest in her before, the greedy, possessive glow in each of their eyes effectively dispelled it. The ferocity of their need was undeniable and it consumed every inch of her body until Tabby felt like she was on fire.

"The only way you could possibly look more beautiful, angel, would be if you were naked while wearing that collar." Marcus picked up her hand and placed it on his zipper. "I'm so hard for you right now that it is taking every ounce of self-control not to rip your clothes off and fuck you until you can't walk. I need your mouth on me, angel or else I'm going to give in and you won't be leaving here on your feet."

CHAPTER 74

His beast was doing the talking and it made shivers of dark desire prickle her skin. A big part of her wanted him to do exactly what he'd just threatened, but the more rational side of her brain had to admit that she really wasn't in any condition to take another sexual pounding.

Cooper was wearing an exact duplicate of the ravenous expression on Marcus' face, so Tabby was positive that she wouldn't just be contending with Marcus's rampaging libido. It wouldn't be fair to tempt either of them when she couldn't follow through.

He guided her fingers to the zipper tab on his jeans, and with his hand wrapped around hers, helped her pull it down. As soon as the restrictive denim parted, Marcus' swollen member immediately stood to attention. He was so hard that his cock had turned a dusky red riveting Tabby's attention by the way it pulsed in time with his thudding heartbeat, seeming to grow bigger in her imagination.

"Your mouth, angel...take me into your mouth now!" he growled roughly, dropping a heavy hand on the back of her head and pushing her down until he could push the broad head past her lips. He was so aroused that he left a smear of precum on her lips as he powered into the wet sanctuary of her mouth.