As she reached the top of the stairs and turned in the direction of her bedroom, she came to the conclusion it was probably a bit of both. Even as a child, she’d been particular over her bedroom and her toys—when her friends came to play, she’d tell them off if they were too rough or careless with her belongings, and meticulously check everything was all right once they were gone. Perhaps that side of things was different with Thomas because, like Elias had pointed out, hitting the nail precisely on the head, he represented home for her. Not that he’d ever been rough or careless with her belongings—and nor would Elias or Alex be, but she was sure it was something to do with that protective instinct.
Suddenly, she missed Thomas with an ache that burrowed right into the centre of her being. She’d been in touch with him earlier in the day. He’d been having an incredibly successful day at the gardening show, and was more than happy to meet Elias and Alex when he got back. He’d planned an early night so he could get back on the road early the following morning because, as he’d pointed out, the sooner the three men met, the better.
Hell, maybe she should give Arjun a call and see if he could make it, too? Get the whole gang together at once.
She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip to stifle a chuckle, then flipped the switch to turn off the downstairs hall light before continuing along the corridor. She stopped outside her bedroom door, glanced at the men, who had stopped a couple of paces away, and opened the door. “Welcome to my boudoir,” she said in a silly voice, then cringed inwardly. Fuck, what had she said that for? Now it sounded like she’d lured them there under false pretences and intended to seduce them, after all. Nerves, that’s what it was. Nerves were making her talk rubbish.
She hurried into the room without looking back—she didn’t want to see their facial expressions. They probably thought she was nuts. Maybe she was.
After placing her water down on the nightstand, she went over to the windows—there were two in her room, set in the same wall with a couple of metres between them—and drew the curtains. She spent a few seconds twitching and pulling at the material hanging over the second window, trying to calm herself down. She couldn’t get her head around why she was so bothered—she’d shared a bed with both of these men before, both in a sexual sense and in a going-to-sleep sense, so why should the change of venue make any difference? Or perhaps it was because they were here and Thomas wasn’t?
Forcing herself to turn around before her thoughts descended into further weirdness, she smiled. “You guys got everything you need? Nearest bathroom is the room straight across the hall from this one. Who wants to go first?”
Both men had looked up from the bed, where they were pulling items from their respective overnight bags and placing them on the mattress. Elias said, “Ladies first.” He winked. “Plus it means you can get the bed warmed up before we get in.”
Alex chuckled and threw a pair of balled-up socks—hopefully that meant they were clean ones—at his friend. “That mean you’re going last, does it? A cold bed doesn’t bother me if it means I get to snuggle up with Mia for longer.” He looked over at her with a cheeky grin.
And, just like that, her nervousness evaporated. Then she realised: she’d fallen back into the trap of worrying and what-ifs and had forgotten about the part where this whole thing was supposed to be fun. As she looked at the two men, who were now on the verge of descending into a hitting-each-other-with-hopefully-clean-socks fight, she could hardly believe that vital piece of information had slipped her mind. What a moron.
Chapter Sixteen
Mia awoke to sensory overload. Or at least she thought she was awake. Behind her, warm fingers had pulled the neck of her pyjama top aside just enough to allow soft lips, surrounded by stubble, to dot kisses on the exposed skin of her neck and shoulder. In front, a large hand cupped her cheek, then gently scraped her hair back from her face. A light kiss was pressed to her lips.
“Mia. Mia, darling. Wake up,” Elias’s voice broke through the last of her sleepiness and she opened her eyes. “There you are.” He smiled. “Good morning.”
“Mmm? Oh, good morning,” she said. “What a lovely way to wake up.”
“Morning, Mia,” Alex said huskily against her ear, sending a delightful shiver down her spine. It was immediately joined by another one when he scooted his lower body close to hers and she felt his erection against the back of her leg.
She twisted her head to look at him over her shoulder, but the angle meant she only got the merest glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. “Someone’s woken up horny, haven’t they?”
Alex chuckled, his warm breath caressing her neck. “What do you expect, since I’ve woken up next to you?”
“He’s not the only one, either,” Elias commented.
She turned to look at Elias. “Isn’t this an interesting turn of events? What can we possibly do about it?”
Her fiancé’s brown eyes glinted with mischief. “Oh, I don’t know… how about some mutual masturbation to start the day?”
Alex pressed his cock harder against her thigh. “That sounds like an excellent idea, my friend. What do you think, Mia?”
Wriggling her bottom against Alex, she reached a hand out to find Elias’s crotch. Despite the thick duvet, she soon found it. His erection was red hot beneath her fingers, even through his boxer shorts. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
“In that case,” Elias said, rocking his hips gently, thrusting his dick into her hand. “We should get you out of these pyjamas.”
“Yes,” Alex added, his hand already hooking into her waistband and pulling. “Cute as they are, sweetheart, they’re kind of in the way.”
Mia rolled onto her back, then lifted her bum to allow Alex to remove her bottoms. As soon as they were gone, Elias’s hands were at her waist, dragging the material of her top up. She obliged him, too, sitting up just long enough for the garment to be whisked from her body and join its companion on the floor.
The men hurried out of their boxer shorts then, as one, closed in. She shivered with anticipation as the heat of their naked skin reached her. There was some fumbling as hands criss-crossed bodies, but after a moment or two, Mia had a thick cock in each hand. Elias and Alex had evidently decided to divide and conquer, since Alex was playing with her pussy and Elias had gone for her breasts, their talented fingers already sending pleasure zipping through her veins.
She swallowed hard, fighting to maintain her concentration. It was difficult to stroke two cocks at once, especially when the owners of said cocks were skilfully teasing her towards climax. And she’d barely woken up. But she continued valiantly, soon figuring out a rhythm that worked for her and more importantly for them, too, judging by the increasing girth beneath her fingers and the sounds of heavy breathing from both sides.
“Mmm, so sexy,” Alex said, leaning in to kiss her shoulder as he drove two fingers deep inside her and pressed his thumb to her clit.
“Ahh,” she cried out, tightening her fists and triggering a chain reaction as they moaned too, and redoubled their efforts on her. A delicious cycle of pleasure began, and soon Mia was on the cusp of coming, and she shut her eyes in an attempt to keep her focus on what she was doing to them. Somehow she managed it, and just as she tipped into a downward spiral of bliss, another cry escaping her and her muscles spasming around Alex’s fingers, she felt Elias stiffen and swell even further in her hand, then heard him grunt. A second later his cock throbbed in her grasp and semen spurted onto her fingers and who knew where else. “Oh, Mia…”
Once he was done, she released him and concentrated solely on finishing Alex off, even as she was slipping into a post-orgasmic haze of her own. It didn’t take long; he’d removed his hand from her crotch and laid it on her thigh, and he dug his fingers into her flesh and swore as his climax took hold. A jet of his cum landed on her hip, and he moaned. “Fuck, that’s good. Oh!” More warm liquid hit her skin, and she pumped him a couple more times until he relaxed, then let him go.
>
They lay in silence then, the only sounds their slowing breaths. If it hadn’t been for the stickiness of the sheets and their bodies, Mia suspected they’d have fallen back to sleep.
The rumble of Alex’s stomach made them all laugh and shook them into action.
Mia sighed, then shoved her elbows out and nudged both men. “Guess we’d better get up. Come on, I’ll show you where the other bathrooms are.”
***
Mia hummed happily as she cooked a fried breakfast for three. After a wonderful night’s sleep and a very sexy interlude before getting up, she felt great. Now a gloriously unhealthy meal was imminent, and Thomas’s return was on the horizon.
Today was going to be an amazing day, she knew it in heart of hearts. And the sun, which was pushing its pale beams through the window and bathing the kitchen in natural light, seemed to confirm it.
She glanced over at the table, where Elias was wiping down placemats and arranging cutlery, then towards the fridge, where Alex was pouring out three glasses of juice. She’d allowed them to help this morning for two reasons. One, because juggling the preparation of the multiple parts of their breakfast was a challenge and she didn’t want to burn anything, and two, because she’d realised if she ever wanted the two of them to feel at home here, and for her to feel like they belonged, she had to stop treating them like guests. They’d seemed much happier with this turn of events too, which was a bonus.
Suddenly, a loud clatter almost made Mia jump out of her skin—someone was trying to open the back door. She let out a squeal and almost dropped her tongs into one of the hot frying pans. “What the fuck—Tom!” Gripping the tongs more tightly, she shuffled so she was at an angle to the cooker, able to use it—albeit awkwardly—but see what was going on at the same time.
Elias, who’d been closest to the door, unlocked and opened it with an inquisitive expression on his face. “Morning—you must be Tom.”
Thomas stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. “I am.” He held out his hand, and the two men shook, smiling. Thomas looked closely at Elias, then over at Alex. He winked at Mia before returning his attention to Elias. “You must be Elias, then, and that’s Alex. Good to finally meet you.”
“Correct. But how did you—?”
He shrugged. “Just what Mia’s told me about the two of you.” He clapped Elias’s shoulder, then walked over to Alex and held out his hand. “Hello, mate. Good to meet you, too. Glad to hear you finally got some time off work.”
Alex grasped Thomas’s hand and pumped it enthusiastically. “Likewise.” He released Thomas’s hand and pointed at the juice. “Want some?”
With a nod, Thomas said, “Please. I literally just got back—haven’t even been into the cottage yet. For some reason, I was in a hurry to get up here.” He grinned and crossed the room in a couple of long strides, then took Mia in his arms and kissed her.
She squeaked a protest, but then felt a hand taking the tongs from her, and a gentle nudge of her hip. Elias’s voice said, “I’ve got this. You say hello to him properly.”
Mia allowed Thomas to drag her away from the stove, still kissing her, then returned his ardour with plenty of her own, wordlessly telling him just how much she’d missed him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed a little, then slipped her tongue into his mouth while he did the same to her. Even as she enjoyed their rapidly-deepening kiss, she couldn’t help wondering why she wasn’t self-conscious about standing in the middle of her kitchen snogging Thomas while Elias and Alex looked on. But then, she didn’t know if they were looking. And if they were, what did it matter? Everybody here knew the score. For all she knew, they thought it was hot. And Elias had encouraged it.
She pulled away from Thomas reluctantly, but if they’d carried on much longer they’d have gone beyond the point of no return and breakfast would have been forgotten. As it happened, she now had to make food for three stretch to four. She grinned up at him. “I missed you, too. What are you doing back so soon? That’s not a complaint. I’m really glad you’re home.”
He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and released her, then walked over to the kettle. He checked it was full of water before turning it on. “Woke up early, couldn’t get back to sleep. So I thought, sod it. I showered, packed my bags, and hit the road. And it looks like I got here just in time for breakfast.” He grinned momentarily, then it faded. “If there’s enough, that is. If not, I’ll grab some toast or cereal, or go back to the cottage.”
“Nonsense,” said Elias, before Mia could reply. “I think Mia is a bit of a feeder, to be honest. There’s more than enough here for all of us. Alex, could you—”
“Lay another place at the table?” he replied as he dipped his hand into the cutlery drawer and withdrew another knife and fork. “Already on it.” He moved back to the table.
Mia took in the sight of Elias standing at her cooker, looking perfectly happy and comfortable as he turned sausages and flipped rashers of bacon, then peered over at where Alex was rearranging the table to seat four. She blinked and shook her head incredulously. How was it that things were coming together so easily, so quickly? Thomas had literally only just met Elias and Alex, and already Thomas was taking orders for hot drinks from the other two, while they cooked and saw to the table. “You know what,” she said quietly to herself as the kitchen buzzed with activity around her, “I think I’ll just sit down. They seem to have this handled.”
She dropped into a chair, her back to the window so she could watch the three men.
Alex had finished what he was doing and took a seat beside her, then put his hand on top of hers. “You all right?”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah… I think so. I’m just wondering if I’m still asleep, to be honest, and if this is all a dream.”
Frowning, Alex replied, “What makes you think that?”
“The three of you. Getting on so well, like you’ve known each other forever, like this is a normal scene of domestic life.”
He entwined his fingers with hers and squeezed gently. “Elias and I have known each other forever, so there’s that. As for Tom… well, I dunno.” He lifted and dropped one shoulder. “Maybe it’s because he’s already so settled here. Maybe he—”
“Feels like part of the furniture?” supplied the man in question as he arrived at the table, two steaming mugs in his hands. He put one in front of Mia, the other in front of Alex. He was smiling. “Mia,” he said seriously, “I know what you’re like. Stop overthinking this. Just let it be. We’re three blokes who’ve got one major thing in common—you. Maybe we won’t always get along, but even if we don’t, it’s not like we’re going to be living in each other’s pockets, is it?”
“That’s true,” she conceded. “And you’re right—I was overthinking it. As always.” She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I wish I could switch my brain off altogether.”
“Well I, for one, am glad that’s physically impossible,” Alex said. “Because your brain happens to be my favourite thing about you.”
“Really?” Thomas asked. “Because mine’s her arse!”
“And mine’s her amazing rack. Toast rack, that is!” came Elias’s voice as he approached, the item in question in one hand, full of toast, and the butter dish in the other, a huge grin on his face and his dimples showing. “Right, who wants what—I’ll start dishing up.”
“Oh, fuck off, the lot of you,” Mia replied, laughing and shaking her head. “Nobody’s fussy, Elias—just stick a bit of everything on all the plates, please.”
“Alrighty.” He hurried off. Thomas quickly retrieved the other two hot drinks from the worktop and brought them back to the table, before sitting down.
A few minutes later, as they sat around her kitchen table digging in to their food, Mia got the merest glimpse of what her life could be like going forward. Granted, it wouldn’t always be like this—as Thomas had rightly pointed out, they wouldn’t be living in each other’s pockets—but right here, right now, everything
felt pretty damn perfect. The men seemed to like each other, despite their differing backgrounds and lifestyles, and were already starting to bond over breakfast and some gentle teasing at Mia’s expense. But, as always, she gave as good as she got, and regular giggles, chuckles, and peals of laughter punctuated the sounds of eating and drinking, filling the kitchen with just as much warmth and light as the sun, which still shone valiantly through the window.
***
“Right,” Mia said, having slotted a detergent tablet into the dishwasher and switched it on, “who’s up for a tour?”
“Er, I think I know my way around by now, love,” Thomas said with a smirk.
She jabbed her hands onto her hips and stuck her tongue out at him. “Well, duh. You two?”
Elias and Alex nodded. “That would be wonderful,” Elias said, getting to his feet, with Alex following suit.
“Tom, you coming? I thought I’d show them the house first, then head outside. We’ll need you for that bit, if that’s all right.”
He pursed his lips for a second, then said, “How about I meet you back in here in half an hour or so? That’ll give me time to get my stuff out of the car and put away.”
“Sounds good.” She smiled. “See you in a bit.”
As Thomas headed out of the back door, the other three left the kitchen, and Mia led them upstairs. “You know what,” she said, as something occurred to her, “this is going to sound ridiculous, but I don’t even know what state some of the rooms are in—I don’t use most of them. I know my butler keeps an eye on the artwork, books, antiques and stuff, and I assume my housekeeper cleans them from time to time, whether they’re used or not, but I’m not sure. I’m always so busy with work that I don’t take much notice. They’re so efficient that things just happen. God, doesn’t that just make me sound like the biggest snob?”
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