“It’s true that I’ve never felt like this before. I’ve never been with a man and don’t have anything to compare this to, but I want to feel something. And want to feel it with you. I trust you. I care for you.”
“Those are all awesome things. Seriously. It makes me proud that someone I respect as much as you believes so much in me.” Trevon cleared his throat.
“What?” she prodded him. “Be honest, remember? I can handle it. Say what you’re thinking.”
“I want to make love to you. I want to show you what it’s like to experience physical pleasure. You have no idea how much I would enjoy teaching you about your body and the rapture it can bring you.” Trevon practically melted her panties off. She’d never seen this side of him before. Romantic, funny, sweet, hardworking, loyal—yes, he was all those things. But seductive?
Never, before now.
“Sounds good to me.” Her voice cracked and she didn’t even care that he could tell how much his words were impacting her. “But how will that give you what you need too?”
“Because I want to invite Quinn to watch me do it,” he said it plainly, as if it wasn’t the most outrageous thing he’d ever said to her.
Shivers ran the entire length of Devra’s body as she instantly pictured what that might be like. Two gorgeous men worshipping her instead of one. As lucky as Mustang Sally or their friend, Devon. It made her feel powerful in a way she hadn’t since she’d been forced to flee and lost everything she’d ever known, including her family and her faith in humanity.
“Would you get off on that, too?” She refused to be selfish about this. He had to enjoy it or she wasn’t going to even consider it.
He swallowed hard.
“Be honest. Please. Either way, tell me so we can figure this out,” Devra begged. If there was an avenue to save their relationship and still be happy, she wanted to take it. For them both.
“Yes. Son of a bitch, I’m so hard thinking about it.” He shifted where he sat, a slight wince cutting across his face.
Devra couldn’t say what came over her. She didn’t tell herself she shouldn’t have the urges she did or refuse to allow herself to give in to them. Instead, she shook her hand free of Trevon’s and slowly glided it up his thigh. He didn’t stop her. So she cupped the thick length of him, weighing and measuring it for herself.
His cock was even bigger than she’d imagined. Heavier, too.
He groaned when she involuntarily squeezed his shaft. So she pulled away, leaving him breathing hard.
“No. It’s okay.” He leaned his forehead on hers as if it was too hard to hold his head up. “It just felt…so good.”
“Then why haven’t we done this before?” She couldn’t erase the past two years where he’d kept her at a civil distance from her memory. “You know, the Hot Rods and Powertools ladies told me something wild. Except, the more I think about it, the more I think they might be right.”
“Wilder than how they’re into threesomes and orgies?” Trevon’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Devra laughed, then nodded slightly. It was the first hint she had of the man who’d become her best friend and how their lives might transform if they took this next step together. “Yeah. They said that you might feel like you’re taking advantage of me. Because of how we met.”
“That’s not ridiculous at all. It’s fucking true.” He put his hands on either side of her face and held it so that she had to look deep into his eyes. She could see the agony there and the indecision. He was as torn about this as she was. But he shouldn’t be. She wanted it. Desperately.
“But I want you, Trevon. I always have.” She closed her eyes and hoped he knew it was true.
“You didn’t have a choice. You didn’t pick me.” The last words were a mere whisper. One she felt more than heard. And when her eyes fluttered open, she realized he was there. Right there. His lips a hairbreadth from hers.
“I like to consider it destiny.” Devra had always assumed divine intervention put them together at precisely the right moments in their lives. But he didn’t share her beliefs. Not all of them. And she shouldn’t have assumed he would think the same. “Is that why you want Quinn there? To make sure you’re not taking advantage of me?”
“He’ll have a clearer mind. He’ll stop me if you’re not into it. He’ll be able to think rationally, which I can’t do when I’m around you. And certainly won’t be able to do if I’m inside you.” He trembled at the thought alone, inspiring her to put her arms around him and hold him close.
She didn’t need Quinn to be their safety net—she already knew she was falling for her husband and that he would catch her when she did. But if it made Trevon feel better, and maybe would get him something he needed that she couldn’t provide… Devra was in. All in.
“Let’s do it. That’s what I want. To experience this with you in whatever way it takes to make you comfortable and enjoy it as much as I already know I will. I love you, Trevon. Please, make love to me.”
“I’d be honored to, Devra. I love you, too. All I ever want is to make you happy and bring you pleasure. It broke my heart to see you cry today,” Trevon whispered. “Let me make it up to you.”
And he did.
By sealing their mouths together in the first passionate kiss they’d ever shared.
From the first moment their lips touched, Devra saw stars. She would have sworn there was a meteor shower overhead considering the number of sparks flying through her system.
It was sweet. Achingly gentle. And so damn delicious she knew she’d never get enough of it.
The brush of their tongues against each other in the slightest of contacts made her lean closer into his hold. They sat there, kissing, for long enough that she couldn’t catch her breath. If she passed out, so be it—she didn’t want to let him go and probably wouldn’t have if a blinding spotlight from a wandering flashlight beam hadn’t startled them both.
“Oh. Shit. Sorry.” Quinn practically stumbled over them where they were making out in the dark. “I didn’t see you. Just wanted to make sure everything was okay, but…damn…it looks like it is. So I guess I’ll leave you to it. Okay, bye. Have fun.”
Devra separated herself from Trevon reluctantly. A riot of laughter belied her euphoric state. How had things gone from utter shit to a fireworks display in a matter of hours?
She didn’t know, but she was sure it was going to get even better before the night was done.
With one final look at Trevon, who nodded enthusiastically at her, Devra set their plan in motion. “Quinn, don’t go.”
He froze, then turned around very slowly. “Why not?”
“Because I’m going to need you to do us a favor tonight.” She drew a deep breath. “I’m officially giving that plan you mentioned the green light.”
“You are? Both of you?” He looked at her and then Trevon.
They didn’t respond verbally. They stood, their hands clasped. Then Devra reached out to him with her free hand and Trevon did the same.
It felt…right. Like fate had steered them here at this very moment.
“Wait, you want to do this tonight? Like…right now?” Quinn asked, licking his lips.
“We’ve waited long enough, don’t you think?” Trevon asked.
Devra couldn’t agree more, especially after Trevon’s kiss had started her engine purring. So she issued the invitation to Quinn. “Will you come in?”
“Hell no.” He shook his head, making Trevon hiss and Devra nearly collapse.
Had he changed his mind?
“Why not?” Trevon straightened, like he might rip into Quinn if he’d led them on only to let Devra down. That wasn’t how this worked, though. Anyone could say no at any time for any reason. While she appreciated his protectiveness, she wasn’t about to let him do something he’d regret later. Devra tugged on his hand to keep him in check.
“If we try to get it on in that loft, someone’s going to end up with a broken neck and I’m not going to be res
ponsible for one of those freaky trips to the ER for a sex accident. No way.” Quinn tucked the flashlight in his the waistband of his pants, grabbed one of their hands in each of his, and dragged them down the stairs. He walked backward across the lawn separating the cottages as he towed them very willingly along. “We’re going to do this right. In my house, and my big, soft bed that’s on the main floor of the cottage.”
Devra couldn’t help but tease her husband. “You’re right, Trevon. He’s going to make sure no one gets hurt.”
Quinn winced at that, and Devra hoped that he was as capable of guarding himself as he was of looking after them. Either way, they weren’t stopping now. She was finally going to make love to the man she was married to and give him what they both needed. Hopefully that would make her feel like less of a fraud when she called Trevon her husband.
17
Quinn should say no. He should turn around and leave this beautiful, fragile couple to resolve their issues on their own instead of allowing them to use him like some sort of sexual crutch. He knew this wasn’t the right answer. Or maybe only a temporary solution to their problems.
But he couldn’t do it.
He was too fucking self-centered to turn them both down. Still, he felt the need to make sure, with them both there, that everyone was on the same page before he did something he couldn’t take back or change. Something that would alter their entire relationship permanently.
Quinn led them into his house, which was about twice the size of the other cottage, though still not grandiose by any standards. When he had them in the living room and Trevon shut the door behind him with a solid click, Quinn tapped in a command on the house’s automation system that partially illuminated several strips of LED lights built into the furniture and soffits, lending the whole place a soft glow. It was flattering and allowed them to see each other without the intensity of bright, direct lights. He would have also had the system light the gas fireplace, but it was too damn hot for that already and it would only get steamier as they went.
Trevon looked at him and tipped his head sideways, as if asking how they should proceed.
If Quinn had been intent on having them at any cost, he would have rushed them into the bedroom. But this was different. He cared about how they would feel in the morning, both about themselves and about him. So he spoke clearly and loud enough there could be no misunderstandings. “Tell me again. If you love her and you love him, which that sexy-as-fuck kiss over there made me sure you do… Why the fuck don’t you sleep together?”
“We do sleep together. There’s only one bed in your other house.” Devra swallowed hard. “We just don’t have sex in it. Or anywhere. Ever.”
Not that Quinn had doubted Trevon, but at least their stories matched and they seemed to be on the same page about where to go from here.
“Tell me why. Each of you. Why haven’t you done this before?” Quinn pointed his finger between them. “You know, with each other, not with…a third.”
They looked at each other, completely mired in old habits and snarled feelings. Then they spoke simultaneously.
Trevon said, “Because I never want her to feel like she has to have sex with me just because we’re married. She doesn’t have to pay for her safety with her body.”
While Devra said, “Because I never want him to feel like fucking me is his duty. He already went out of his way to keep me here. To keep me safe. I won’t force him to give me more of himself than he wants to share.”
The couple stared at each other in shock.
Fools. Quinn interrupted their staring match. “You two are too considerate for your own good. You need someone selfish. Someone horny. Someone like me.”
Quinn wrestled with his conscience for a few moments longer. Then he thought about what his brother had said. What all their friends had said. This was his chance to make a positive change, to bring these two people closer and redress his past transgressions. Instead of ruining their relationship, maybe he could be a bridge. He’d help them close whatever gap there clearly was between them.
Devra looked sidelong at Trevon. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. They needed this as much as Quinn did.
No—more.
“In that case, I’m glad I bought such a big bed for this place.” Quinn smiled, hoping it didn’t seem too wolfish. He strode toward the couple until he stood in front of them—not between them—as a third point in some imaginary triangle. He put one hand on the back of each of their necks, using his thumb to rub an arc beneath each of their jaws.
They were unalike and equally alluring.
Devra’s skin was soft and silky. It made him want to burrow his face against it and breathe deep of the scent—a mix of the delicious spices she cooked with, like cumin and cloves—that always lingered when she’d left the shop.
On the other hand, Trevon’s rasped across the pad of his thumb, his stubble giving Quinn extra stimulation.
Both of them sighed and leaned into his touches.
This was going to be fun. Quinn could already tell that some of their awkwardness and hesitation in their physical relationship came from the fact that they had very similar dispositions. They needed one definite leader, but they were both pleasers—followers, when it came to pursuing pleasure.
He was happy to fill that role for them.
Instead of choosing one or the other to claim first, he urged them together so they could share the moment and loosen up some more. This was about them, not him.
“Kiss each other again. It looked incredible. Better than porn.” Because X-rated movies, like a lot of his previous liaisons, weren’t about emotion so much as physical intensity. What Trevon and Devra had ran so much deeper than momentary desire.
Quinn shifted his grip so he could rub his thumbs over their lips. Maybe he could experience what that felt like through them because he was as new to this aspect as Devra was to sex itself. An emotional virgin. He was curious and somewhat nervous all at once.
Trevon parted his lips on a low groan while Devra pursed hers and tried to wrap them around Quinn’s finger. Not yet.
Quinn wasn’t going to budge on that. They were the focus of this exchange. It would stay that way or he wouldn’t play along. He wasn’t a pawn to be used in their game. He was going to be the one making the rules. And this was one of them—Devra and Trevon came first. His enjoyment and involvement was secondary.
He refused to become a wedge between them.
The husband and wife paused, staring at each other from a few scant inches apart. It seemed insane that they’d done so much to stay together and couldn’t get over those final speed bumps keeping them separated. So Quinn nudged them. Literally.
He cupped the backs of their heads and pressed gently but insistently until their mouths made glancing contact. Which was all it took. Devra made a sound—a cross between a whimper and a moan. It turned Quinn’s cock to steel in an instant. Trevon was right there to absorb it. He echoed it with a low groan of his own.
Why the hell had these two forced themselves to abstain from enjoying their partner? They were clearly meant for this. For each other. How couldn’t they see it?
The moment they connected, they committed to the exploration. Devra went up onto her tiptoes so she could seal their mouths more completely while Trevon speared the fingers of his free hand into her thick, glossy hair. They trembled as he cupped her head.
“Go on. Deeper,” Quinn urged Trevon. “Taste her. Put your tongue in her mouth and kiss her like she’s your goddamn wife. Yours as much as you are hers.”
Spurred on, Trevon grew bolder and more aggressive. His tongue flicked out and pressed into Devra’s mouth, making her shiver.
Quinn admired the picture they made. Trevon dark and tall, lean muscles clenched as he held himself in check. Devra, petite yet fierce, fiery and alluring, reacting so naturally to her husband’s unleashed passion.
They were going to set the sheets on fire tonight.
Quinn would settle
for absorbing even a few degrees of the warmth they generated.
He let them distract each other as he guided them across the wood floor to his bedroom and then inside. They made out, ravenous now that they’d gotten a taste of what was to come.
Quinn steered them closer to the edge of the bed. He sank to his knees in front of the couple, wishing he could bury his face between each of their legs, taking turns driving them wild as they enjoyed each other.
First, he had to get them naked. Bared to each other and to him. To the truth that was evident to him in this moment.
Devra and Trevon were in love and in lust. They simply hadn’t given themselves permission to admit it before. It would be a crime to let them waste any more time being together and yet so alone.
It had to be heartbreaking. Soul crushing.
Quinn got to work. He unbuckled Trevon’s belt, then pulled open the button at the top of his jeans. By the time he was tugging down the guy’s zipper, Trevon was pressing forward, rubbing his stiff cock on Quinn’s hands. He was desperate for contact. For acceptance.
Quinn wasn’t about to deny him either.
He pushed Trevon’s jeans the rest of the way down, shoving them off as Trevon marched in place, helping Quinn remove one of the last barriers between him and his wife and the paradise they were about to discover together that night. His underwear was stripped from his long, powerful legs next. Unceremoniously, Quinn got rid of them, leaving Trevon in his tight black T-shirt before turning to Devra.
Considering she’d never done this before, she seemed to be catching on quickly. She was wild, arching in her husband’s grip. One of her feet left the floor as her leg climbed to Trevon’s hip, her knee bent around him to pull him closer.
Quinn chuckled. “Not so fast, Devra. Soon. But not yet.”
He took her knee in his hands, loving how different she was than Trevon, how petite and yet strong. More assertive. Quinn caressed her thigh and calf until she let him manipulate her, trusting him to take care of her. Of them.
Quinn felt honored that they’d let him in to this place in their relationship. He kissed Devra’s hip, then let his fingers wander upward to the waistband of the plum-colored leggings she had on under her sundress. A gasp followed when his fingers snuck inside, against the soft, bare skin of her stomach, then lower to the sensitive place above her mound.
Love in the Dark Page 213
