Page 12 of More Than We Know

“Hello, gorgeous,” Kat says as she slides onto the empty barstool beside me. Her voice has always had that confident, flirty edge to it, and it makes my stomach flip in excitement.

“Right back at you.” I laugh, shaking my head, trying to stave off the heat rising to my cheeks.

Quentin offers a friendly smile. “Glad you could make it.”

Kat’s gaze shifts briefly to him, giving him an appraising look and saying, “Thanks, me too,” before she returns her attention to me and stares at me long enough to make me squirm under her gaze. “You really do look beautiful.”

My heart leaps. “So do you.”

Quentin doesn’t seem fazed by the exchange. If anything, he seems amused by my reaction. He takes a slow sip of his drink, then casually drapes an arm over the back of my seat.

We all fall into easy conversation after that, talking about everything and nothing. I had been worried it would be awkward with the three of us together, but it isn’t. In fact, sitting here between my husband and the woman I used to care for feels right in a way I can’t quite explain.

There’s something electric about the air between us. Quentin, with his charming, attentive demeanor. Kat, with her confidence and sultry appeal. And me, between them, absorbing all this sensual energy until I’m ready to burst.

Somewhere between our first and second drinks, the conversation shifts to Club Caliber itself—what brought us here in the first place.

“So,” Kat says, swirling the last of her red wine in her glass. “How often do you two come here?”

“Not as often as we used to,” Quentin admits. “Life got busy for a while. But we’re trying to change that.”

Kat smirks. “Gotta keep things exciting, huh?” I sense the deeper meaning behind the phrase, though. She’s still worried she’s a temporary fixture here, someone to “spice things up” before Quentin and I go back to normal.

“Something like that,” I say, “but not exactly. This lifestyle is a part of who we are, not just a fun distraction. It’s only now that we’re able to explore that freely again, though.” Just as I noticed the underlying fear in her words, I hope she senses the double meaning in mine.

Kat hums, tapping a maroon nail against her wine glass. “Does that mean you two have a specific dynamic within all of this? Certain preferences?”

A thrill runs through me at the question. I steal a quick glance at Quentin, who only raises an eyebrow in encouragement.

“Yes. We’re in a Dom/sub dynamic, though it’s not a 24/7 thing. And we usually end up in one of the rooms here where others can watch…”

The corners of Kat’s lips lift in a curious smile. “Interesting”

“Mhm.” I take a sip of my wine to quell the awkward, nervous energy in my chest. I’ve never had a problem talking about it before, but saying it to Kat feels different, though maybe that’s because she and I have a past.

Kat leans in just a bit and lowers her voice as she says, “It doesn’t surprise me that you’re submissive. You always did like to let go of control.”

My cheeks flush and I take another sip of wine.

Quentin chuckles beside me, clearly entertained by the exchange. “She does,” he confirms, his voice warm as he brushes his fingers along my wrist. “And she’s very good at it. Though it sounds like you have a pretty good idea of that already.”

Kat pauses before saying, “Only a little bit.”

It’s true that while we had gotten involved physically as well as emotionally, both of us were so young that we didn’t really know anything about kink or BDSM at that time. There are many things we never got the chance to do, but now…

“What about you?” I ask her. “What tempted you to come here in the first place?”

She shifts so her knee brushes against mine. “When I started traveling, I ended up getting more involved in the kink community in a couple different cities. Figured out I’m a switch, so I had some fun over the years.”

Quentin studies her with open curiosity. “Is that so?” That seems to have piqued his interest. She not only is into both men and women, but apparently can be dominant or submissive. I also can’t help but consider the implications. Is there a chance that all three of us become involved? I hadn’t assumed there would be before, but with the way we’ve all been flirting tonight, I wonder…

Kat shrugs, but the glint in her eye suggests this is anything but casual. “I have my preferences,” she says, “but I don’t mind switching things up, depending on the right partner.”

The air between us thickens with tension.

I don’t know if it’s the drinks, the club, or the years of wondering what it would be like to touch her again, but I don’t hesitate when I reach out to thread my fingers through Quentin’s, then do the same with Kat.

“Should we head to the back?” Kat asks.

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