Back to Black: A captive ménage romance

by Katerina Winters

  “Zane?” She questioned, her heart pounding against his stomach as she felt the brush of his turgid length against her thigh.

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he began to wash her back hugging her close. Everly tensed as she felt him stop at the cleft of her ass. Pulling away, Zane slid his bracing hand down her back and over the curve of her ass as he kneeled before her, face-to-face with the apex of her thighs. Nervously she tried to back away, but the dangerous flash of his eyes and tight grip on her ass cheek kept her firmly in place.

  “Lift your leg and hook it on my shoulder,” he barked, tapping the back of her left leg.

  Tremors ran through her body as she caught the blue steel edge of his eyes. Balancing on one foot, Everly’s whole body heated as she followed his instructions, exposing herself shamefully mere inches from his face. The steadying grip on her ass tightened, digging his blunt fingers deeper into the soft globes of her ass cheeks. Water pouring down both of their faces, their eyes met and Everly’s heart lurched in her chest. Dangerous and dark, Zane’s expression was unforgiving as stone as he dragged his gaze from hers to stare directly at the glistening sex before him.

  Shameful, sinful anticipation gripped her body like a vice as he slowly began to move the soapy loofah up and down her thigh and calf. Puffs of hot breath sporadically hit her tingling folds momentarily stealing her strength to maintain her balance. Letting out a small yelp of alarm, Everly flung out one arm to brace herself against the wall while the other instinctively grabbed a fistful of his wet hair. The deep vibrating growl shook her thighs and filled the shower.

  Snatching her hand away as if burned, Everly squeaked out a hurried apology.

  “Next leg,” he grumbled.

  Carefully switching legs with his help, Zane resumed his torturous wash. Bracing herself now using both hands on the opposite walls, Everly’s head hung between her shoulders as she fought the chaotic heat he was causing. The feel of his breath hitting her swollen tender flesh while his mouth, the mouth she knew firsthand that could break her into a million pieces, was only inches away undoing every thread of sanity in her mind.

  “Please Zane,” she cried pathetically. She wanted him to just touch her, to satiate the uncontrollable need he was building within her that threatened to fracture her very sanity or stop this torture altogether.

  Steadying her again, Zane stood up abruptly and pulled her flush against him. Everly whimpered into his chest, as his now fully erect length brushed against her, teasing and tormenting. Grabbing her jaw, Zane tilted her face up towards his, forcing her to meet his wild burning blue eyes. Deep in her mind she was comforted, even if just a little, that he was just as affected by all of this as she was.

  “What the fuck were you thinking?!” Gripping her shoulders, he turned her away from the spray. “Do you even comprehend what could’ve happened to you if I hadn’t gotten to you in time?” The angry desperation in his voice startled her, he was truly scared for her. He wasn’t just angry at her for trying to escape, he was scared about her safety. “You could’ve drowned, become hypothermic, or hit your head on the rocks below, you…” With every word, his voice got deeper, tighter with emotion and his angry grip on her shoulders tightened painfully so. His anger would not let him finish the frightening possibilities.

  “Zane please,” she begged, she couldn’t stand to see the wounded look on his face. Zane’s anger was horrible and consuming, she never thought she would crave to see that dimpled smile as much as she did at this moment. “I only wanted to…”

  “And for what Everly?!” He ignored her with a snarl, jerking her against him for emphasis, his eyes positively glittering with rage. “To escape? To run away to the lonely desolate freedom, you seem to crave? Well, I won’t let you, do you hear me? I would follow you to the ends of the earth,” he rasped lifting her off the tile floor slightly, Everly closed her eyes as he nuzzled her cheek, burying his face in the crook of her neck. “You belong to me, Everly.”

  His words felt like tethers wrapping around her body holding her firmly in place. There was nothing she could say in response to his determined words. When she looked into his bright cold gaze she knew he meant every word.

  Without a word, Zane finished washing her hair and then quickly washed himself. Dried and dressed, all by Zane’s hands, he instructed her to lay down in the bed.

  Climbing into bed, Everly caught a glimpse of the evident bulge in the front of his sweats. Nervous fear crept along her spine, would he… Grabbing the blankets, Zane leaned over her and began tucking the covers tightly around her until she could hardly move. Confusion and relief battled each other as he stepped away from the bed.

  “You’re not allowed to move from this bed, do you understand me?”

  He waited for her to answer, his expression cold and unreadable. Quickly she nodded in silent reply, her throat too tight with the need to cry. She hated his anger.

  Walking towards the bedroom door, Zane stopped with his hand on the doorframe and looked back at her.

  “Everly,” his tone demanded her full attention. “If you ever try to leave again, I will give you a whole new meaning to barefoot and pregnant.” Tears stung in her eyes as she stared at him in horror. The seriousness in his eyes scorched through to her soul as she clutched tightly at the covers around her. “I will burn every last piece of your clothing until all you have on is the ankle monitor I will personally strap onto that pretty little ankle of yours. So that way you will never set one foot out of this house ever again.”

  Fear was a dangerous mercurial emotion, it could be debilitating one minute or volatile the next. Fear had the power to render the rational mind irrational. Pushing someone into a corner with fear might make them cower, or it could make them lash out.

  “You should have just left me in the water,” she whispered, meeting his gaze directly.

  Ignoring his look of shock, Everly turned on her side away from the door and buried herself into the extra pillows. Seconds dragged by as the silence lingered around the room—eventually, the door closed.

  Knowing she was alone, Everly finally let out the sobbing cry she kept in her throat. Clutching the pillow tighter she tried to muffle her sound. How could this be happening? Flashbacks of her hand slipping from the bridge replayed themselves, her body shuddered reflexively as she remembered the shock of the freezing water engulfing her. The first thought she had when she hit the water was her baby. Wrapping her arm around her stomach, Everly curled tighter on the bed bringing her knees higher. She didn’t mean those awful words she said to Zane, she was only trying to hurt him back with equally venomous words. The moment she realized it was Zane’s strong arms pulling her to safety, she thanked God.

  Her tears slowed until all she was left with was a small sniffle. Nuzzling into the pillow, Everly inhaled Zane’s scent from his pillow, there were so many pillows on the bed she was never sure who’s was whose until she laid on one.

  Would Zane ever smile at her again?

  Why did she care if he did or didn’t? She frowned, she stared at the crackling fire Zane lit in the fireplace across the room. The shocked look on his face as she fell into the water, the determination to get her clean and warm, his anger as he carefully dressed her in the thick flannel pajamas like a precious doll, all of that should make no difference to her— she was the victim in this situation.

  So why did it hurt so bad to think of his angry glare, or the way he resisted touching her in the shower as she wantonly exposed herself to him? Ashamed, Everly rolled over with a groan. A thought struck her. Reid! If Zane was this angry, she did not want to imagine what Reid’s reaction would be once he found out.

  Lost in her anxious thoughts, Everly jumped at the sound of the door opening. Was it Reid, was he back yet? No, she had a feeling Reid would have kicked down the door to announce his presence. It had to be Zane, walking silently across the carpeted floor towards the bed. Not moving from her curled up fetal position under the blankets Everly stayed very still even a
s she felt the bed sink with his weight. The gentle weight of his hand on her hip nearly undid her, all she wanted to do was fling her arms around his neck and have him comfort her again like he did on the plane, soothing her and smiling gently, telling her everything would be okay. But she didn’t move, her pride kept her rooted firmly under her covers.

  The comforting weight of his hand disappeared, and she could hear him exhale heavily as he stood up from the bed.

  “Make sure you eat all of the food I left and drink all of the tea.” This time his footsteps were heavier as he walked across the room and shut the door firmly.

  Sitting up, Everly looked at the tray of food on the nightstand with a pang of guilt. A large steaming bowl of what she could only assume was tomato soup and two triangles of a cut grilled cheese sandwich sat neatly on a wooden tray. Grabbing the mug, she took a sip of the tea.

  *thwack*thwack*thwack*

  The repetitive noise caught her attention. Pulling back the covers, Everly cautiously walked to the large window wall in front of the bed. The *thwack* noise continued, following the length of the window she peered out looking for the source of the sound through the trees. Stopping where the window met the wall, she realized it was coming from beyond her line of sight. Standing in front of the bedroom door, Everly stared at the doorknob with trepidation. Biting her lip, she covered her hand over the metal knob in hesitation.

  *thwack*thwack*thwack*

  Curiosity getting the better of her, Everly opened the bedroom door slowly. Peeking out into the long hall, she stepped out when she confirmed it was deserted. Padding barefoot to the kitchen, she listened and followed the increasing sound until she stopped at the large kitchen back window.

  Outside, wearing only his fresh gray sweats he put on earlier and the thin matching T-shirt, Zane bent over and replaced a small log of wood on the stump. Her eyes widened as she watched his angry stony face as he lifted the axe in one graceful swoop before bringing it down in one powerful thwack. Again, he repeated the actions, replace the wood, a vicious arc of the axe and the devastating blow cleaving the targeted log in two. With each stroke, his eyes didn’t grow any softer. The rage in his demeanor was apparent from the flexing tick working in his jaw to the powerful muscles bulging and perspiring through the shirt’s thin material. Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth anxiously, Everly stepped silently back from the window. She should go before he saw her and turned that rage back on her.

  “You better not let Zane see you out of bed,” the deep voice made her heart clench as she whirled around to see Reid silently standing in the foyer staring at her.

  Heart thudding against her breast, Everly searched his face trying to gauge his mood. His thick straight eyebrows weren’t furled with anger, the straight line of his lips wasn’t curled in a hard grimace like Zane’s was. And his eyes, those dark stormy night blue eyes were soft and gentle, not glittering with fury as she expected.

  Knowing she was trying to discern his anger, he cocked his head to the side a bit and crooked a finger at her. “Come here baby,” he said softly.

  That was all she needed. Soundlessly, she ran across the wooden floor on the balls of her feet hardly making any noise as she launched herself with immeasurable relief into his open arms. She couldn’t stand his anger too, she knew she couldn’t make it through his rage as well, not after dealing with Zane’s. Relief flooded her bloodstream, she thought he would be furious. Picking her up easily, Reid cradled her to his chest and walked to the bedroom kissing her shivering arm that was wrapped around his neck. Everly wasn’t sure if she was shivering from the cold or the pure reprieve she didn’t have to handle Reid’s wrath on top of his brother’s.

  “I need to hold you in my arms baby, I need to know for myself you are safe.” Inside the room, Reid whispered into her ear as he sat on the bed holding her tight to his massive frame. A low burning heat shined in the depths of his dark eyes. Her instincts, feminine, and primal, reacted to the slow change in the man holding her—caging her—in his arms.

  “Reid…” she whispered warily, with wide eyes staring at him.

  “After Zane told me what happened, I swear I never felt more sick to my stomach,” a haunted look passed over his face immediately expelling the desire that stained his gaze moments ago, his grip around her tightened. “What you did today was stupid and dangerous, and if I could, I would shake you,” he growled. “You not only put yourself in danger but your child as well…”

  “Stop, stop,” shaking her head, tears burned in her eyes as she tried to push herself from his lap. She didn’t want to hear that, she knew what could have happened. Her mind wouldn’t let her forget the horrible possibilities. “Don’t you think I know that!” She cried.

  Emotions poured out of her, angry at herself for endangering her and her baby’s life, angry at them for trapping her here with their overwhelming obsession. Tired of fighting them at every turn and feeling helpless because everything she did only made things worse. Crying harder, Everly sagged against his chest as her body hitched with her cries.

  Soothingly Reid stroked her hair holding her close until her tears eventually subsided. Pushing back her loose curls, Reid tilted her face upwards so that her gaze found his.

  “Don’t ever try to run away again,” he warned, the quiet anger in his voice crackled with severity. “Do you understand me, Everly?”

  Shivering at the brutal command in his voice, Everly had no choice but to nod her head in between his hands that cupped her face.

  “Good,” leaning forward he kissed her to seal the promise between them. The firm warmth of his hard kiss electrified her body. Moaning into his mouth, Everly relaxed into his hold as he urged her tongue to glide against his. The low, pleased grumble from his chest shook her body sending the familiar heat only he and his brother seemed to be able to cause, prickling along her nerves. Shifting her in his arms, Everly let out a small whimper as his kiss grew deeper, more consuming. Preparing to lay her on the bed beneath him, Reid stopped suddenly at the low growl of her stomach.

  Leaning back up, Reid gave her an amused astonished look. Looking beyond her to the nightstand he noticed her half-eaten food. Clicking his tongue with mock disappointment, Reid slowly disengaged from her prone body leaving her breathless on her back.

  “You need to finish eating first,” standing up he grabbed the plate. “I will reheat this.” Leaving the room, he left her with her utter disgrace. She didn’t even try to stop him. What in the world was she thinking? Was the need to be comforted so bad that she would let Reid simply have his way with her? Sitting up in the bed she scooted herself against the headboard and piled the pillows high on either side of her like a fort leaving the remainder of the bed clear for him to sit, away from her. She couldn’t trust him nor herself at this point.

  Coming back into the room, Reid returned the tray with the now steaming food back to the nightstand.

  “Fuck, it’s hot in here,” Reid grumbled as he walked around the huge bed. Since she was sitting on the edge, on his side of the bed, Reid stood on the other side of the massive bed where Zane normally slept. Tugging at his sweater, Reid glared at the blazing fire in the fireplace. Turning to her he smirked. “Zane was dead serious on warming you up.”

  Remembering Zane’s anger and cruel threat, Everly looked away.

  “Though, I will say I have never seen my brother that shaken before. Or that angry,” he added.

  Pride helped her ignore the lance of guilt that pierced her heart. “I didn’t do anything… wha…what are you doing?”

  Pulling his thick sweater over his head Reid tossed the garment at the end of the bed before crawling onto the bed and removing one wall of her protective pillow fort. His massive bare chest flexed powerfully while his abs rippled in unison as he seated himself next to her against the headboard. Dark geometric patterns she only caught glimpses of the other night stood out against his tawny skin. Hundreds of black rectangles stained his firm skin interlocking and weaving togeth
er down the length of his thick muscular arm stopping neatly at his wrist. Tearing her eyes from the basket-weave-like design Everly turned away quickly as she caught a glimpse of his amused, watching gaze.

  “Come here,” not waiting for her to comply or even process the command, Reid wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her from her spot. Setting her onto his lap, Everly sat stiff with shock as she gave him a wary look. Reaching easily to the nightstand, Reid balanced the tray of hot food carefully on her lap. “Be very still,” his voice purred.

  Trapped underneath the tray of hot food and steaming mug of tea, Everly sat rigidly in his hard lap.

  Picking up the grilled cheese sandwich he held it to her mouth, “open.”