Page 39 of Caged in Desire
Leaving my axe deep in the log I’m currently working to split, I observe my pile as I pull down my suspenders to take off my shirt underneath. As soon as I do, I see steam rise from my skin, hitting the cool crisp air, and a cheer rises from the deck where the women are sitting around a firepit sipping their drinks. Luckily, they’re too far away to hear us as I turn to threaten Jack.
“If you keep making jokes about fucking my baby sister, so help me, these babies will be the last you ever give her,” I say menacingly, but Ledger already has him in a light chokehold.
“You still can’t talk about her like that, man, even if I am happy you’re together,” Ledger says, before releasing Jack.
“Fine, fine. But my question stands. Why so much wood? Are you trying to prove to Kat you can provide for her? Show her what a daddy you can be, taking care of things?”
Picking my axe back up and brandishing it briefly at Jack to shut him up, I resume my chopping, enjoying the burn in my muscles as I get a steady rhythm going. I decide to cut straight to it.
“Your wives are ruining my life,” I say.
“What?”
“How?”
“My baby angel would never…”
I push through the log, finally, and turn to grab my scotch off a stump.
“Your wives took Katarina shopping after Thanksgiving, and since she got back, she’s been flouncing around my house in scraps of clothing. Doing stretches. Holding babies, for fuck’s sake!” I polish off my scotch before moving to take a seat across from the guys around the smaller fire we have burning away from the house.
They both stare at me for a beat before bursting into laughter.
“Oh, I wondered when you would come to us for help, big brother,” says Ledger. “I didn’t expect you to be down this bad when you did, though.”
Jack stops laughing first, but only to make more jokes at my expense. “Are your joints starting to creak from trying to keep up with her? You might need to join her for daily stretches.”
“Did she finally tell you about her student/professor fantasy? She told Sloane she was nervous to bring it up, but…”
Perhaps sensing that I’m seconds away from reaching for my axe again, Ledger elbows Jack, and they give me more sober looks.
“Really, bro. Sloane and Margot told us a decent bit about their time with Kat. Are you planning to be celibate forever? Are you punishing yourself or her at this point?” Ledger asks.
Sighing, I realize I could use some perspective and decide to be honest.
“It’s not about punishing either of us. It weighs on me a bit. The age difference. I told myself I wouldn’t give anyone a chance to say anything untoward was happening. To make sure she was comfortable here and with me before I tried anything. I wanted to make sure she wanted me, and not just fleetingly or for sex. I want her toneedme. For everything,” I say, and neither of them is looking at me like I’m crazy. Yet.
Jack speaks up first, and being with my sister seems to have made him at least a little wiser. “Margot made it sound like you guys have become really good friends first, which is always a good thing. Not as good aschildhood best friends, but…ow!”
Ledger’s smack shuts Jack up before he gets himself hit, but he echoes the same sentiment. “We all know you aren’t just interested in her physically, man. She’s clearly super fucking smart, and it’s cute that you guys do all your little nerdy stuff together. She seems extremely mature for her age. Where’s the problem? Something happened at the gala, Sloane said. But she wouldn’t give us details.”
Well. Might as well lay it all out there, even if I’m about to sound like a giant douche.
“At the gala, Katarina overheard two of my former submissives discussing our marriage, my disdain for intimacy, and some of the intricacies of our contracts…” I begin.
“Yikes, dude.”
“Damn.”
Ignoring their interruptions, I soldier on. “After she came back from the bathroom, she said she didn’t feel well, but I didn’t pry. The two women in question came over, and I introduced them as old friends. She recognized their voices and knew who they were.”
“Jesus Christ, brother.”
“Yeah, you might have to go the masked route, man. I suggest a full face balaclava and…ow!”
This time, it’s my hand to the side of Jack’s head that shuts him up, but I continue.
“She got upset even though she’s known about my history for a while, and I gave her the chance to ask any questions she wanted. I think it just reminded me of how young she is, this flash of immaturity.” I sigh.
