Page 18 of Plaything

“We’re in the perfect situation. The board knows she’s living with us; they fucking handed her to us! She’s graduating in spring; after that, there’s nothing that will restrict us,” I explained.

His jaw clenched. “She’s still a student. And she will be for another four months. This conversation alone is entirely unethical,” he shook his head. “Please, you or Wyatt need to convince her to leave,” he pleaded.

Dominic was scared of getting hurt. Possibly, for the first time in his life, there was someone he wanted, and he couldn’t have her. It went against every moral and ethical bone in his body, but he wanted her all the same.

Unfortunately for his pleading, my mind was already made up. “Nope, sorry,” I smirked, knowing my carefree answer irked him. “You’re being selfish. You might want her to go, but I don’t. Wyatt doesn’t, either. You’re worried about your job. I’m worried about letting her slip away.”

He stood still for a few long moments, my decision sinking in. A deep look of defeat overtook his features as he turned to the door. “Then I hope she doesn’t feel anything... for everyone’s sake,” he husked. “Because none of us will be able to stay away if she does,” he finished, leaving my room.

I smirked. “That’s the plan,” I whispered to myself after he was gone.

I looked away from Dominic, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He’d been one of my best friends for... ever? I was willing to bet anything that his plan was to ignore her—push her away with his cold exterior.

Aiden narrowed his eyes on the seat next to me, the one she sat at yesterday. He was always planning, thinking ten moves ahead. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking; I’d never been able to read him.

As for me, I wasn’t holding back. I couldn’t care less that she was a student, especially with her graduating in mere months. Why would I hesitate? She was everything I wanted and needed for years; I wasn’t letting her slip away.

With the one exception, she didn’t feel the same way. But I’d seen her shivers. I noticed her eyes lingering where they shouldn’t be.

Deciding to bring up the elephant in the room, I straightened in my chair. “So, how was everyone’s day?” I smirked, adding a playful, teasing edge to my tone.

Dominic let out a breath, rolling his eyes at me.

Aiden’s gaze moved to me, but he didn’t comment.

“Fine?” Wyatt gave me a tentative stare. “Don’t start, Niko. We’re not discussing this.”

“Why not?” I questioned. “We’re all thinking the same thing; it’s not a secret.”

“No, I don’t think we are,” Aiden corrected. He looked at each of us as he spoke. “Wyatt is in deep denial, trying to convince himself that Odette isn’t exactly what we’ve been searching for. Dominic is pissed off because he won’t let himself catch feelings for a student. You have already convinced yourself that some kind of relationship with her is inevitable. And I am trying to come up with a scenario where this doesn’t end horribly,” he said matter-of-factly.

I pushed my head back, taken back by his confidence. So, there was a part of him that was also convinced this was going to happen.

Wyatt shook his head. “Why are you so convinced?” He asked. “Yes, she’s beautiful; a blind man could see that. She has attributes that we’ve been looking for and more...” he mumbled the last part. “But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s young, a student, and probably has no clue about the lifestyle we want.”

Aiden perked up, looking intrigued. “Actually, I think you’re wrong about that,” he raised his eyebrows. “I’ve been trying to figure her out. Someone is rarely as submissive as she is without some training, for lack of better phrasing,” he shrugged. “I think she’s had a dominant.”

That caught everyone’s attention. Aiden was rarely wrong about these things.

I didn’t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, great, she had experience. On the other, I hated that some douchebag got to be that for her. Was it serious? She was obviously single now; was there trauma? Was it a bad experience? Was she misled? Were we going to have to show her our way of doing things and have her unlearn what she may have been taught?

“I don’t know; I think you’re wrong about this one, Aiden,” Wyatt shook his head, deep in thought.

Aiden shrugged, not looking for an argument. “Ask her,” he smirked.

I grinned, too, imagining how frazzled she’d look if any of us were to ask her that very personal question.

Wyatt rolled his eyes, dismissing us. A few minutes later, he glanced at Aiden. “I wish you wouldn’t have said anything. I can’t stop thinking of some fake wannabe dom teaching her all the wrong things,” he admitted.

“My thoughts exactly,” I agreed. I shouldn’t be jealous of a man who may not exist. Or a relationship that may not have happened. But I was.

In the past, experience was something that we looked for in a submissive. But the thought of another man’s grubby hands on her soft skin made my blood boil.

“She gives a lot away when she speaks. Her facial expressions and body language have no filter. I’ll see what else I can decipher,” Aiden decided.

“It’s none of our business,” Dominic said sternly, still convinced he could stay away.

“Not yet,” Aiden responded quickly, a sly grin on his lips.

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