by Sofia Daniel
I clenched my jaw. “Was it because they wanted to change my decision to press charges?”
“He didn’t say why.” Leopold turned to Sebastian. “Is there anything else you want to tell Willow?”
Sebastian drew his shoulders up, bringing the collar of his winter coat around his ears. My stomach twisted with awkwardness. I’d forgotten to take their coats and offer them a cup of tea.
Pushing aside those thoughts, I leaned forward and fixed my gaze on Sebastian. If there was any light he could shed on that mysterious Monday, it might trigger a memory to help work out who had tried to murder me.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Sebastian muttered, “But—”
“What the fuck is going on here?” An exhausted-looking Aunt Hortense whispered.
“Mummy!” the children chorused.
Leopold and Sebastian shot out of their seats.
“Ashley, who are these boys?” she asked with more steel in her voice.
“Friends from school,” I replied. “They—”
“The same school where they perform deadly rituals?” Her eyes flashed. “You brought them into my home, w-with my children present?”
My shoulders slumped. Once she got an idea into her head, it was near impossible to get her to change her mind. Add that to the stress of having had unexpected surgery, and she was understandably furious.
“Aunt Hortense, Leopold and Sebastian aren’t like—”
“Get out,” she snapped in a voice as cold as winter. “And take your boys with you.”
After gathering my things, we piled into Sebastian’s jeep, and he drove along the vast expanse of land that separated Upperby and Cummersdale.
“Your aunt’s a bit of a bitch,” muttered Leopold.
“She isn’t usually this bad,” I replied. “Can you turn right at the next junction, please?”
“We’re not going to your old house,” said Sebastian.
“Where are you taking me, then?”
“The hideout,” said Leopold. “You need a few days to recuperate, and we’re going to be the ones to take care of you.”
“This isn’t a good idea,” I muttered. “What about Christmas and New Year’s Eve?”
“You’ll spend it with us.”
I stared at the backs of their heads. “At the hideout?”
Leopold snickered. “Certainly not at my house.”
“Or at the academy,” added Sebastian.
I shook my head, watching the fields whizz by through the window. With each passing second, we moved further and further away from Mom and Dad’s house.
A lump formed in my throat. This would be the first Christmas I would spend without them. Uncle Trevor would probably ask Aunt Hortense where I had gone. Would she tell the truth or twist things so it looked like I’d run off with a pair of handsome rogues?
Clutching my possessions to my chest, I asked, “What about my medication?”
“You’re holding it.” Leopold twisted in his seat. “And there’s plenty of drinking water at the hideout.”
My shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure what to do.”
“You have sixteen days to piece together your memories,” said Leopold. “Let’s take things a day at a time. Focus on getting better, clear your head. Maybe the fresh air, good food, and all the hard cock you’ll get over the next couple of weeks will restore you to peak health.”
I raised my head. “What did you say?”
“Just checking your mental reflexes.” He flashed me a grin. “I would have worried if you weren’t excited at the prospect of what’s to cum.”
My eyes narrowed. Was that a double-entendre, or had I misheard him?
“Joking apart,” said Sebastian. “You need somewhere quiet where you can focus on getting better and remembering who shoved you over that mountain.”
My stomach twisted. “Are you alright? You seem a little melancholy.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Just thinking about that night.”
highway, which bisected swathes of frost-covered countryside. A long sigh heaved out of my lungs. Had I offended him on that Monday? From the way he often avoided my gaze, I guessed the answer was yes. Whatever I might have said couldn’t have been too bad, because Sebastian still wanted to spend time with me, and Leopold was friendlier than ever.
“What’s the last thing you saw me doing?” I asked. Perhaps he would hint at what had caused this new rift.
Nobody answered for a while, and then Leopold nudged Sebastian.
“I walked you to Kash’s room,” said Sebastian. “He was going to patch up your injuries.”
“Where is he?”
The two boys exchanged suspicious looks.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“He went to India,” Sebastian blurted.
“Oh.” My insides deflated. I wasn’t sure why because it wasn’t as though we ever spoke to each other much. These days, he barely exchanged words with me in Advanced Calculus, not even to remind me that I should leave Brittas Academy.
Another silence stretched out. This one felt longer than the highway. “Did I say something to offend you on Monday night?”
“Of course not,” he replied.
“Then what’s wrong?” I stared at the back of his head, my eyes lingering on the hair curling at his nape.
“I shouldn’t have left you alone,” he murmured.
“With Prakash?”
Pieces of Corrine’s diary pushed themselves to the forefront of my mind. Corrine had identified Prakash as the person who had played the pull-a-pig game. I’d told Cormac and asked the boys about it, but they had reassured me that Prakash had regretted his actions.
“I should have walked you back to your room or something,” Sebastian replied. “Someone targeted you, and I want to know who.”
Leopold turned in the front seat. “Are any snippets coming back?”
I closed my eyes and thought back to my last memories of that day. “All I remember is sitting in the back of this jeep, and you two.”
Leopold winced. “I’ll try not to put too much pressure on you.”
I dozed off in the back of the car, to a nightmare of a shirtless man chasing me through the hallway, but something was wrong with his chest. By the time I jolted awake, all I could remember was being thoroughly disgusted at something I had seen on his skin.
I ran my fingers through my hair then rubbed my temples. If I didn’t regain my memory, I’d return to the academy blind, without the knowledge of my attacker.
Over an hour later, the jeep’s engine stopped, and I opened my eyes to find myself in the middle of a snow-covered landscape. A thin layer of white covered the naked trees, making them look skeletal. The treehouse stood within its sprawling oak with a dusting of snow on its shingled verandah.
I sucked in a deep breath and hoped that this quiet, happy place would unlock my memories before the beginning of term.
After getting out, Leopold walked around to the back seat and opened my door, letting in a gust of freezing air. He undid my seatbelt and scooped me up into his arms. “I’ll give you a lift.”
I gulped at the snow-covered branches. “Are you sure there isn’t a ladder somewhere?”
His chuckle reverberated against my arm. “Believe me. I can navigate any slippery surface.”
As Leopold made a hair-raising descent up a twisted branch toward the verandah, Sebastian walked around the back of the jeep to the trunk. I squinted at his feet. He was no longer wearing the leg brace.
“Here we go.” Leopold opened the door and deposited me on a brown, leather couch. “I’m going to get a vat of glühwein started. Would you like some?”
“What’s that?”
“Mulled wine.”
Sebastian stepped into the treehouse, letting in a gust of cold air. After kicking the door shut, he set down four bags of groceries in the kitchen area. “It’s probably not a good idea to mix alcohol and prescription medicine.”
Leopold kissed the tip
of my nose. “Another time, then.”
The boys set to work, pulling out gourmet dishes from Marks and Spencer, a national chain of supermarkets we hardly ever visited because of the high prices. Sebastian placed a whole chicken in a stainless-steel oven along with a pack of roasted potatoes and stuffing, while Leopold organized the vegetables on the kitchen counter.
“Who takes care of this place while you’re at the academy?” I asked.
“One of the builder’s wives works at Hessington Hall,” Sebastian replied. “She pops in once a week to replenish the firewood and basics like wine and milk and chocolate digestives.”
I nodded and took a closer look at the kitchen. There seemed to be eight of everything, making it better equipped than ours at home. It sounded like they came here often and had enough space to invite friends.
Whatever seemed to bother Sebastian melted away after a few glasses of warm, spiced wine. His features relaxed, and he cracked his first smile of the day. Perhaps the alcohol had chased away the awkwardness about not sticking at my side on Monday night. He brought over a glass of water and sank into the sofa on my right.
Resting my head on his shoulder, I took hold of his large, warm hand and laced my fingers with his. The kings had done so much for me since the incident with the pork ribs. It was unreasonable to expect them to become my bodyguards, too.
Sebastian pressed a kiss on my temple. “When are you due to take your medicine?”
“Around now.” My heart filled with sweet contentment. Not only did I sit in peaceful and spacious surroundings, but I had two gorgeous guys to help me convalesce. “It can wait a bit, as I’m still feeling okay.”
“Don’t leave any gaps between doses, or you’ll regret it,” said Sebastian.
“Right.” I reached down into the shopping bag I’d borrowed from Aunt Hortense and pulled out into my baggie of painkillers.
“What have you got?” Sebastian looked over my shoulder. “Codeine phosphate, ibuprofen, and Zopiclone. I was on the same after my accident.”
“Did you have any memory loss?” I asked.
“Fortunately, I didn’t hit my head.” His gaze flickered over my hair. By now, the cuts in my scalp had scabbed over, and I’d gotten rid of the bandages. “But the broken wrist and ankle wasn’t fun. Neither was the wait for mountain rescue.”
I extracted the correct number of pills from each bottle and placed them in the back of my throat. Then with a nodded thanks, I took the glass of water and downed its contents. Having recently finished a course of medication designed to protect me from the dangers of close contact with raw meat, I was no stranger to swallowing pills.
“Did you go to the Royal Infirmary?” I asked.
“At first, but Grandfather had me moved to London and kept me at his side for the entire summer.”
“He even missed his welcome party,” Leopold said from the stove.
Sebastian’s lips spread into a grin that made my heart flip-flop. His eyes sparkled with the kind of mischief that promised I would enjoy whatever he planned to do or say next. “I was there. But I met the most fascinatingly beautiful girl. After giving her a ride home, I didn’t feel like socializing.”
My cheeks warmed. I dipped my head and gazed at him through my lashes. It only made his grin widen.
Leopold brought a huge pitcher of mulled wine with two filled glass mugs containing cinnamon sticks, fruit slices and star anise on a tray with a mug of steaming, hot chocolate. The spicy aroma coming from the wine made my mouth water. He sat on my left and placed the tray on the coffee table. “It must have been a good, hard ride.”
“She ran away once things got interesting.” Sebastian placed a hand on my thigh and gave me a gentle squeeze. “But she won’t escape me this time.”
I pressed my legs together, remembering that sizzling hot kiss and the way his hands trailed up my inside thighs and to my pulsing clit. It had been a pleasant awakening, and I couldn’t wait to kiss him—kiss both of them—again.
Leopold chuckled. It was a low, deep sound that made the pulse between my legs quicken. “Ah… Love is a smoke and is made with the fume of sighs.”
I swallowed hard. “Are you quoting Romeo and Juliet?”
“Merely predicting the evening’s events.” He smiled into his glass of mulled wine.
My tongue darted out to lick my lips. After nearly a week spent on Uncle Trevor’s sofa, I was ready to sink into that soft, huge bed. But with my sore shoulder, would I live up to Sebastian and Leopold’s expectations? “Um… Guys? I’m not sure I can—”
“Willow.” Sebastian’s hand left my thigh, and he placed his arm around my shoulders in a comforting embrace. “Even a horny dog like Leo knows you’re still not up to anything strenuous.”
I turned to Leopold, who gave me an eager nod. “Sorry, Wills. Force of habit.”
We sat in companionable silence, enjoying our drinks until a timer went off, indicating that the food was ready. The pleasant scent of roasted chicken mingled with the aromas of spiced wine, making my stomach rumble. It felt like an eternity since I’d had a decent meal.
Dinner was exactly how it smelled. Sumptuous. The roasted chicken was moist and flavorful, the vegetables fresh, and the sage and onion stuffing herbalicious. I polished off my portion but was too stuffed to enjoy the profiteroles Leopold had plated for desert.
Once we’d eaten, he swept his gaze over my borrowed clothes. “We’ve been terrible hosts.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re our convalescing guest, and we didn’t even offer you a bed bath.”
I glanced across the table at Sebastian, who smiled and shook his head. “Tell him to bugger off.”
“What does this bed bath entail?”
Leopold stood, and my gaze dropped to the bulge in his pants. “Let’s retire to the four-poster, and I’ll give you a blow-by-blow demonstration.”
Chapter 4
My first instinct was to glance at Sebastian, who gave me the kind of lazy grin that told me he would not only let Leopold take the lead, but he would participate in this ‘bed bath’ the moment it got interesting.
Before I could sweep my gaze down Sebastian’s body, Leopold took my hand and pulled me out of the dining chair.
The feel of his skin on mine sent a pleasant ripple of anticipation down my spine. Last time I was in this treehouse, the boys had sat at my sides and pleasured me to an explosive climax. That seemed like an eternity ago, especially considering the vast chunk of memory missing from my mind. After such a shitty and stressful week, I really needed the distraction.
I really needed Leopold. And Sebastian.
A strong arm wrapped around my back, enveloping me in Leopold’s fresh, masculine scent that always reminded me of a summer’s day at the beach.
“This way,” he said in a voice deep and resonant enough to awaken the butterflies in my stomach. “I’ll place you on the edge of the bed and get rid of those clothes.”
I swallowed hard. “All of them?”
Leopold guided me through the treehouse’s living area to the back, where the first of the living branches protruded through the wooden floor. It was as thick as a man’s thighs and twisted up to the ceiling, matching the other three that made up the four-poster bed.
When we reached our destination, he turned me around and sat me on a mattress that felt like sitting on clouds. I gazed up into his aquamarine eyes, which twinkled with the most intriguing mix of mischief and lust. Straight, golden hair framed his curving lips and high cheekbones, making me wonder what on earth I had done to attract the attention of this gorgeous creature.
I folded my arms across my chest and raised my brows in question.
Leopold knelt at my feet and placed his large hands on my knees. His body heat seeped through my pants and into my skin, sending a jolt of warmth between my legs.
“How will I do a thorough and professional job if I don’t take off your clothes?” he asked.
My mind conjured up the im
age of lying naked on my back as two fully-clothed boys stood over me with washcloths, and my throat dried. I parted my lips to speak, but Sebastian brought a pile of white, fluffy towels.
“Leo will cover you with these from neck to toe.
Picturing some svelte figure like Geraldine’s lying on this very bed, naked under her towels, I squeaked, “Have you done this before?”
Sebastian shrugged. “I wasn’t allowed to leave my bed for the first few days after driving the Porsche off the mountain. The nurses gave me at least one bed bath a day.”
“Oh.” I turned to Leopold, who slid his hands halfway up my thighs, presumably toward the waistband of my tracksuit bottoms. “Is that what you had planned?”
He ran his tongue along those full, kissable lips. “Absolutely, but with several happy endings.”
My nipples tightened, and I raised my hips off the bed and let him slide my pants down my thighs. A heavy thud-thud-thud reverberated through my chest, down my belly, and into my core.
After pulling off my sneakers and socks, Leopold removed my tracksuit bottoms and set them aside. He ran his hands up my ankle and around to my calves, giving the tight muscles a gentle squeeze.
Rapid, shallow breaths moved in and out of my lungs. Having the full attention of the two kings of Brittas Academy caused my core to flutter, and I squeezed my thighs together and squirmed, hoping they wouldn’t notice my arousal.
With a wolfish grin, Sebastian placed the towel over my lap. “Take off that top, and shuffle down the bed. We can peel off your other layers once I’ve covered you.”
“R-right.” I tried to keep the excited tremor out of my voice.
“Allow me.” Leopold unzipped my tracksuit top, revealing the sports bra I wore underneath. It was one of those thick-strapped, structural garments with a zip along its front.
A flush heated my cheeks and traveled down my neck. At a time like this, under the gaze of such gorgeous creatures, I’d wanted to wear something pretty.
His hand trailed over the neckline of my bra. Each touch of his fingertips on my bare flesh sent lightning bolts of sensation from my breasts to my core. “Do you know how much I’ve been looking forward to having you here, Wills?”
