“Baby, no,” I tell her, pulling her to my chest. “You need to stop worrying about that. Everything we do together is just for us. Nobody else gets to judge us for it. And you don’t get to be ashamed when Shane and I are right there with you doing the same things.” I wish I could convince myself.

Shane starts putting on a shirt and realizes its mine. “I think you’re just the right amount of slut, little bit. I don’t understand why girls get called names for doing stuff with guys, and the guys get pats on the back about it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the word slut or slutty behavior that goes along with it. I’m all for it. I am totally into you being as slutty as possible, and I will join you every step of the way.”

She’s got a fragile look about her right now. She needs me. Us.

She needs the guy I keep turning into when things start heating up between the three of us. The one in control. When she moved in a few weeks ago, I started changing.

They both feel it. I know they do. This energy shift that happens when the three of us start dropping our guards.

And that guy, the one I become during our sex lessons, is kind of a dominant motherfucker. Time to bring him back out. She doesn’t feel bad when I’m controlling the room. She can let me take responsibility and just get into a different head space, trusting me completely. Her submission is a gift.

It looks like I need to change the dynamics of the room again, and so I will. I find her hand and squeeze it firmly. “Do you like being our slut, Penelope? Our dirty girl?” Her eyes get bigger, and Shane pauses with his shirt half on. “I’ll take full responsibility for whatever actions we make you take. You don’t have to worry about a thing. We know what you need.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what, Pen?”

She shakes her head a little. “Yes, I want to be your dirty girl.”

Shane leans down and kisses her. “I’m glad we’re all on board.” He kisses her deeper. “I’m not kidding about tonight. That blow job changed my whole world. That was amazing.” He makes eye contact with me, and I suddenly remember what it was like when she was sliding her tongue around us both and our dicks were touching each other.

It didn’t bother me then. It doesn’t bother me now.

I think it’s supposed to. Another thing I’m supposed to feel guilt about but don’t.

Being with her, the two of us at the same time, is natural. I can’t explain it. It just feels right.

“You should get some sleep,” I tell her as Shane starts blowing out all the storm candles.