Flipping the Switch by Brigham Vaughn

THIRTEEN

Jude awoke to two warm bodies pressed against him. He smiled sleepily and Logan shifted on the bed beside him. He let out a small, contented noise, running his hand across Jude’s chest in idle patterns. Jude turned his head to look at him and saw Logan’s eyes flutter open.

“Hey,” he rasped.

“Hey yourself.”

On Jude’s other side, Tony grumbled and flipped over, facing away from them.

Whoops.Tony wasn’t a morning person apparently. Not that Jude usually was either, but at this point, he wasn’t likely to fall back asleep.

“I’m going to get up,” he mouthed to Logan, who nodded and slid out of bed. Jude expected Logan to climb back in, but instead, he walked over to his overnight bag. They both dressed as silently as they could manage, then slipped out of the room, leaving Tony sleeping in the bed.

“Want some coffee?” Jude asked when they were in the kitchen.

“That would be nice. Thanks.”

The condo was a new development. All white walls and large open spaces, with views of the bay from the right angle. Jude probably could have found something much cheaper, but he’d loved the view and the kitchen too much to settle for anything less.

Jude put water on to boil and ground some coffee in a hand-cranked burr grinder.

“Do you ever do anything halfway?” Logan asked with a little smile as he took a seat on a stool at the large island topped with a slab of white quartz.

“No,” Jude admitted. “I think if I’m going to do anything, I’d better go all in.”

Logan’s lips twitched and his eyes crinkled. “I can see that. For what it’s worth, it’s not a complaint. I find it rather charming.”

“Glad to hear it. I usually annoy people.” Jude leaned back against the counter as he cranked. “How was last night for you?”

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Do you really have to ask?”

“I can assume things, but I’d prefer to hear it. And no, not because I need my ego stroked. I just … I like feedback.”

Logan nodded. “I understand. Last night was, frankly, extraordinary. To have a single submissive to play with as freely as I’d like is incredible. To have both you and Tony …”

Jude smiled. “Tell me about it. Being able to switch within the same scene is just mind-blowing.”

He unscrewed the top of the grinder and dumped the ground coffee into the French press.

Logan hesitated. “Do you think what we did worked for Tony?”

“It seemed to,” Jude said. “He looked incredibly happy and content after.”

“He did,” Logan agreed. “I just worry the impact play at the end was too much.”

“I get it. Well, only way to find out is to ask him.”

“True. And I would like to see him get past the hurdle about whipping. Not for my sake, but for his.”

“So, keep working up to it. Actual restraint next time, not just our hands. Then add in the whip another time. Or however many times it takes for him to be comfortable with it.”

The kettle whistled then, and he turned off the burner, letting the boil settle before he poured it over the grounds. He glanced up at Logan. “If Tony is okay with that, of course.”

“If Tony is okay with what?” a voice rasped from the hallway.

Jude turned to look at him and found Tony looking sleep-rumpled, wearing nothing but boxer briefs and bedhead. It was thoroughly appealing.

“Oh, Logan and I were discussing ideas for future scenes,” Jude explained.

Tony smiled sleepily. “You two never turn off, do you?”

“Not really,” Jude admitted. “Is that a problem?”

“Not for me.” He stepped a little farther into the kitchen. “Although my ass could probably use a break.”

Jude pouted playfully.

Tony chuckled. “Not from sex. Just … the paddling was a lot. I liked the smooth side but when you got to the textured side, that really hurt.” He bit his lip. “I mean, if you want to go again I could, but …”

“Hey, if you need a break, we’ll give you a break,” Logan said firmly. He stood and walked around the counter so the three of them stood in a little triangle. “I want you to tell me when it’s too much. Or tell Jude. Both of us. Whatever works for you, but I want you to promise me one thing, Tony.” There was a firm note at the end and Tony straightened his shoulders.

“What’s that?”

“You will never take more than you can handle just to please me.”

“I promise.” Tony’s voice was soft but sure.

“The same goes for me,” Jude said, matching Logan’s tone. He poured the water over the grounds and swirled it around for a moment.

Tony nodded, his expression serious. “I understand. I won’t take more than I can handle to please either of you.”

“Good.” Logan let out what sounded like a relieved sigh.

“We’ve been talking about this a lot lately,” Jude said, relaxing a little. “The idea of finding a better balance with the impact play for you. I know you want to overcome your earlier fears, but we want you to enjoy it as well, so we want to find a good balance.”

“But if you need—”

“Hey, we’ll figure out some ways to make it work for all of us,” Logan said. “Leave that part to us, please. I know you said the paddling was a lot. Tell me honestly, was the paddle too much for you last night?”

Tony made a face. “The textured side definitely was. I liked the smooth side though.”

“Okay. Now we know.”

“I’m not sorry I tried it though,” Tony said earnestly. “I just don’t think I want a lot of it in the future. The smooth side would be great though.”

“I’ll remember that,” Logan said.

Warmth built in Jude’s chest. Logan was very quickly becoming an excellent Dom. He’d had all the makings of one from the beginning, but it was clear he was settling into the role fully now. His hesitation was fading as his confidence grew and that was sexy as hell.

Jude stepped a little closer to Tony. “How did you like the scene last night otherwise?”

“It was great.” Tony’s face lit up. “Loved the sensation play.”

Logan gave him a fond smile. “You could do with a little pampering on a regular basis, couldn’t you?”

Tony dipped his head. “I don’t know. No one’s ever really done that.”

Oh, Tony.Jude’s heart ached a little. There was this sweetness to Tony that made Jude want to wrap him up and hug him. He got the sense that Tony never asked for much. Never expected much from anyone else in his life. Just accepted the scraps he was given. But Jude refused to be one of those people who took advantage of his kindness and willingness to give.

“I think it’s high time we make that a regular thing then.” Jude slid an arm around Tony’s waist and pulled him close enough to brush their lips together.

Tony’s happy little hum mingled with a contented sigh from Logan.

Jude reached out and grabbed a fistful of Logan’s shirt and tugged him closer. “I want you too.”

“I think that could be arranged.” Logan was smiling as he brushed their lips together. “Though I think we need breakfast before we get too carried away.”

“The only thing guaranteed to distract me from sex and kink is food,” Jude said with a laugh. “Fine, let me whip up breakfast for you two.”

* * *

“Oh my God,” Logan said as he set down his fork. “That was fantastic, Jude.”

“Seriously.” Tony stared at him. “This is so good.”

Jude smiled at both of them across the dining room table. “It feels so nice to cook for people again.”

He’d made one of his favorite breakfasts, a Spanish dish with potatoes cooked in olive oil, smoked paprika, chili flakes, onion, and garlic, topped with eggs that were cooked until the white was set but the yolk was still runny. Rich, flavorful, smoky … it didn’t get better than that.

“It’s best with some nice crusty bread,” Jude admitted. “But I didn’t have any on hand.”

“How in the hell do you have an eight pack when you cook like this?” Logan teased.

“Ehh, good genes. Plus, today’s cheat day and we got in a very good workout last night.”

Logan smiled. “We certainly did.”

Tony half rose from his seat. “May I do the dishes?”

Jude chuckled. “Darling, if you want to do the dishes, I am never going to stop you.”

“I’ll help.” Logan stood and reached for the plate.

Tony gave him a puzzled look. “But you’re …”

“A Dominant?” Logan smiled at him. “Dom or not, I’m a guest.”

Jude waved it off. “I won’t turn that offer down either. I think there’s a time for roles, but sometimes it’s nice to just have another person around willing to help shoulder the load of … whatever.”

Logan nodded. “Agreed. And, for what it’s worth, Tony, I think I can still be dominant while helping out. If you and Jude were my collared submissives, I would still want to take care of you both. That would be part of my role as a Dom. Looking out for you. Guiding you. Offering help where you need it.”

“To be perfectly honest, I’m just a spoiled chef,” Jude said with a little laugh. “Used to dirtying every dish because I know someone will be there to wash them.”

“Well, he’s just a lazy asshole then,” Logan teased with a wink as he walked toward the kitchen.

Tony chuckled as he followed him. “I wasn’t going to say it.”

“Hey!” Jude protested, laughing too. “I don’t know how I feel about you two ganging up on me this way.”

“My point still stands though,” Logan said. “I think when it comes to being dominant or submissive, intention is more important than the act itself.”

“Hmm,” Tony said. “I never thought of it that way.”

“We could do the exact same act, but for you, it might be an act of service, while for me, it’s caring for you because you’re my responsibility. It’s all in your mindset and how you approach it mentally.”

“That’s really interesting,” Tony said. “I see what you mean though.”

Jude smiled at their retreating backs, feeling a warm wash of affection for them both. He’d enjoyed the threesomes he and Donovan had done. At the time, he’d desperately needed that outlet and loved the different flow of energy. But it always felt out of balance. There had always been an undercurrent of tension—he realized now it was because Donovan had never enjoyed playing with a third and had only done it to try to make Jude happy—and that had colored everything.

It helped that, in this case, he, Logan, and Tony were on more level footing. Jude had a prior friendship with Logan, and he’d played a few times with Tony before they began, but it all felt far more balanced. Most importantly, they all wanted to be here.

Jude’s phone buzzed on the table where he’d set it earlier and he glanced down.

Jackson Maddox.

His heart sank, his happy mood deflating like a neglected balloon.

In the distance, Jude heard Logan and Tony continuing to talk, but the words were like white noise. His father rarely called, and when he did, it was usually because he had some issue with Jude. And there was no avoiding him. Jude could choose not to answer it, but he’d just call back until Jude eventually gave in. It wasn’t worth the hassle.

Steeling himself, Jude picked up the phone and answered it. “Hey, Dad.”

“Jude.” His tone was stern and unamused.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine. Why didn’t you let me know you were having trouble with your contractors?”

Fuck.Jude had been afraid of that. His father was too well-connected to not have heard. It was inevitable, he supposed, he’d just hoped for a little more time.

“Because I’m a grown man and I can take care of my own problems,” Jude said shortly.

“You call hoodwinking Logan Shaw into cleaning up your mess taking care of it?”

Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck. His dad had found that out too. Jackson had his fingers in every pie on this side of the state. Of course someone had told him about Logan.

“I didn’t hoodwink anyone!” Jude protested. “Least of all Logan. I called to ask for his professional expertise and he offered to help.”

“You claim you’re an adult, Jude, but you can’t keep expecting your family and friends to bail you out.”

“That makes no sense,” he said furiously. “If I ask for help, I’m expecting a bailout. If I don’t, I get lectured for not asking. I can’t win.”

“This isn’t about winning.”

It was always about winning with his father.

“Do you want to know why I didn’t call you? Because of this. Because you were never going to say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear you’re having a tough time, Jude. Let me listen and sympathize.’.”

“That’s because I raised you to be tougher than that.”

Jude could scream. Asking for sympathy wasn’t being weak. But that wasn’t a point he wanted to argue at the moment.

“I have this handled,” he said between gritted teeth. “And for what it’s worth, Logan isn’t bailing me out. He seems to genuinely enjoy the project and I’m paying him fair market value.”

Well, sort of. His crew was getting paid fair market value. But Logan had waived his fee voluntarily and hopefully his dad wouldn’t discover that part of it. There was at least a small chance of success there, since Jude, Logan, the lawyer, and the notary were the only ones who had seen the contract. Hopefully, client confidentiality would keep that under wraps.

“I’m disappointed in you, Jude. I told you opening a restaurant wasn’t a viable career move and you went ahead and did it anyway. Rather than give up when it became clear it was unsalvageable, you doubled down. You’re going to blow your inheritance on something that’ll fail in a few years anyway.”

Jude swallowed back the hurt that left him feeling like he’d been punched in the chest. His father praised tenaciousness and risk taking in everyone else. But not Jude. Not when he was going after something he loved. Then it was being foolish and reckless.

“Well, it’s my mistake to make,” Jude said shortly. Because what else could he say at this point? He was thirty-six years old, and this was a tired argument. He’d spent more than half of his life fighting it and it had gotten him nowhere.

“Don’t come crying to me when you’re broke.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I have no intention of doing that,” Jude’s tone was icy. “I’ll be fine. Now, did you just call to lecture me or was there anything else?”

“Your mother misses you.”

Jude’s head spun at the abrupt change in subject. “I … what?”

“She misses you. You never email her back.”

Jude winced. Okay, that criticism was valid. He’d been caught up in the construction and Logan and Tony and … well, it hadn’t been a priority. “I’ll work on it.”

“And I hope you know you will be coming to the holiday party this year, Jude.”

Jude stifled a groan. “Why? So you can lecture me more?”

“No, because your mother wants to see you and you’ve skipped the past two years. I know you were upset because of your breakup with Donovan, but you can no longer use that as an excuse. You aren’t working right now. You have no boyfriend. You have no excuses, Jude. Your mother and I expect you to attend.”

“Fine,” Jude said between gritted teeth.  “I’ll be there.”

He hung up the phone and tossed it aside, all his earlier happiness stolen away by his father’s disapproval. He glanced over at the guys, wanting to go to them and forget all about the call that had spoiled their perfect morning, but they were preoccupied with each other. Tony was wrapped tightly in Logan’s arms, a big smile on his face as they laughed about something. Worry trickled through Jude.

What would happen once Tony got his feet fully under him? Once he was completely comfortable submitting to Logan without any hesitation or fear of restraint or whips. Jude had brought them together but what would happen if they no longer needed him at some point in the future?

If Logan wanted a submissive and Tony wanted a Dom, why would they need Jude in the middle? He’d been a good intermediary to get the ball rolling, but it wouldn’t be long before they’d be perfectly fine without him.