She looked a bit taken aback.
“So you what? Order women off a menu? You pick them up at bars then go to their place or a motel or something? Gain their attention at a coffeehouse?”
“Do you really want to know?” Stone asked her. Emerson stood right beside his best friend. He could see that Antoinette wasn’t pissed off. Instead she seemed turned on.
“Tell me,” she whispered. Her sexy little lips were parted and her breathing sounded hitched.
“Emerson and I always get what we want.” Stone pulled her tighter against his chest. Emerson could see the way he was holding Antoinette snugly against him and his hand was plastered over her ass. He was massaging her there.
“You feel it, Antoinette. The need to kiss, to lick and suck,” he whispered.
She lamely shook her head. He jerked her a little snugger. “Don’t lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. I can feel how aroused you are. Your nipples are tight and hard. Tell me I’m right. Tell me that you want me and Emerson just as much as we want you.”
She was silent. Emerson watched her face. He stared at her mouth, on the edge of what word would come from her moist lips.
“Yes,” she whispered, barely audible, but they heard it.
“That’s right. You want to know what it feels like to be naked between two men. You want to experience our touch, our lips, and our hunger to fuck every orifice on you.”
“Oh God, you’re crazy.”
He pulled her tighter and she gasped. “Crazy for you,” he replied, and then leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Emerson felt his own cock harden as he watched Stone massage Antoinette’s backside, then maneuver his thigh between her legs.
Stone released her lips as he kissed along the corners of her mouth.
“You feel it. I know you do. Let’s not stop. Let’s not say good night. Come home with us.” He said it again, and this time Emerson felt his heart race. He wanted Antoinette to say yes, yet he knew she was fearful.
“I can’t. I don’t know you.”
“When then?” Stone pushed.
“I don’t know. God, this is so difficult. I do want to be with both of you. It’s insane. We hardly know each other.”
“That’s an excuse. Follow what’s inside, and you won’t make the wrong decision,” Emerson added. Then he caressed her hair from her cheek and placed it behind her ear. He saw the little pearl-drop earring. It was delicate and feminine, just like Antoinette.
“Kiss me again, Emerson,” she said, shocking him. Emerson looked at Stone, but Stone’s face was fixed on Antoinette.
Emerson moved closer. “With pleasure, Antoinette.” He lowered his mouth to hers, and this time, she pushed her tongue deeper, and relished in controlling the kiss. Emerson allowed it, but then he gripped her hair, pulled gently from her lips, and nipped at her lower lip, pulling it between his teeth, sucking it, then releasing it slowly.
He kissed her again and then released her lips slowly. He never disengaged his hand from her hair.
“Give me some time. I don’t want to screw this up. I don’t want to get hurt. Please understand,” she said. He could tell she was being sincere. The last thing they wanted to do was to scare her or make her feel conflicted and unsure.
“Okay. We wait,” Emerson said.
“When can we see you again?” Stone asked.
“Next week?” she suggested.
“Tomorrow night,” Stone stated, and then slowly released her as if he had the final say and Emerson chuckled.
“Hey, I didn’t agree to that.”
“You will. It’s Sunday. The store closes at five. Correct?” Stone asked as they headed out of the park.
“How did you know that?”
Emerson took her other hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed the knuckles. “A little blissful birdie told us,” he stated.
“Tina?” she asked then sighed in annoyance.
“It seems your friend has taken a liking to us. You should listen to her and spend as much time with us as possible,” Stone told her.
“Really? You think so, huh?”
“We know so,” Emerson added.
“A friend of ours has a boat. How about we pick you up around four o’clock. We have dinner out on the Hudson?” Stone suggested.
“The store doesn’t close until five.”
“Tina said she can close shop. She’s like a manager, too, just like you.”
Antoinette was about to say something and then she closed her mouth. She appeared as if she were debating about accepting the invite.
“Okay. I haven’t been on a boat in years.”
“Well, we’ll be cautious. Both of us love boating. We know a lot about boats,” Emerson told her as they waited on the corner to hail her a cab.
This time Emerson grabbed Antoinette and pulled her into an embrace. He ran his hands along her waist to her backside. Then he whispered into her ear as he felt her soft, small hands caress his lower back.
“Or maybe, to be safe, we’ll keep you inside the cabin. In the bedroom. That would be safest.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her, and Emerson knew that this woman in his arms was exceptional.
Many things in life were a dime a dozen. But finding the perfect woman was like finding a needle in a haystack. He and Stone had just found their perfect woman. He was going to do everything he could to keep her. Tomorrow, they would have to tell her the truth about who they really were. They had to.
* * * *
Toni climbed the stairs to her apartment. It was late, but she was in a fantastic mood. She felt so happy, and nervous and excited. Two men were attracted to her. Two sexy, hot men whom she hit it off with so well tonight. God, their kisses were amazing. She was smiling wide, and wondering how the hell she had the self-control to not go home with them. Making love to two men would be quite the amazing experience. A total first for her. She thought about the fact that Stone and Emerson liked to share women. She pondered over Stone’s words about getting a woman anytime they wanted one, and not dating. Should she have been turned off by that, or maybe even a bit scared? She certainly wasn’t.
As she pulled out her keys, she felt her cheeks warm at the thought. Stone totally knew that his words, his descriptions of touching her, sucking, licking, and tasting one another were driving her wild. The man was knowledgeable in the seduction department. That was certain. She was going to have some fabulous dreams tonight.
As she unlocked her door and entered the dark apartment, she sighed as she leaned against it. Her eyes were closed and she thought of them. Stone and Emerson.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
She screamed as the light turned on and Vince stood in the living room. Arms crossed, anger she unfortunately recognized, and she kept her hand on the doorknob. Her heart was racing.
“What the hell are you doing in my apartment?”
“Waiting on you. You never go out. Where have you been?” He stalked toward her.
“Get out. It’s not your business. I’m not your business. Get out.” She raised her voice, but she shook with intimidation and fear.
He was on her fast. His body pressed against hers. His hands grabbed her hands and held her wrists behind her back. She turned her face away from him as he loomed over her.
“You fucking slut. You’re fucking them aren’t you? Those two assholes from Bliss? I saw them talking to you and you were flirting.”
She couldn’t deny the truth. She was scared right now. Vince was capable of so many things. She felt the tears hit her eyes. Fighting him or instigating his anger would not be wise.
“I don’t know what you want from me. I told you things are over between us.”
He shoved her harder so her back and ass hit the door. He wedged a thigh between her legs. One hand held her wrists behind her back and she couldn’t move. He used his other hand to grip her chin and force her to look at him.
“Baby, I’m so angry with you right now. I’m finding
it too fucking difficult to forget what I saw, and imagine what I’m imagining. Are you fucking them, baby? Which one? Tell me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He gripped her wrists tighter and she knew they would be bruised. She gasped in pain.
“Don’t lie to me. Don’t you know that you belong to me? There won’t be any others, Toni. There’s no one but me for you.” He was breathing heavy. He looked like such a psycho, and then he lowered his head. He took a series of long breaths and then he began to release her.
“They’re no good for you. They want to use you.”
He held her gaze and then moved his hand from her chin to her cheek. He caressed her face.
“You’re mine, Toni. All mine. You’ll see that only I can protect you and keep you safe. I don’t want you to see them again. I have some things to take care of for the next few days. But I’ll find out if you’re fucking them. I’ll find out, and there’ll be hell to pay.”
He stared at her lips. His words sent chills through her body. She knew that he was serious, and that he would do what he said. He could go after Stone and Emerson.
He licked his lips as he stared at her mouth.
“Don’t do this to me, to us. Don’t ruin yourself with those men. They’ll hurt you, and then you’ll come crying back to me. Listen to me, Toni. Listen to what I’m telling you.” She didn’t know what to think of him right now. He was threatening, yet he was consoling. She closed her eyes as his mouth reached hers. He kissed her, and she struggled in his hold.
When he released her lips, he gave her wrists a squeeze.
“Lock the door when I leave. Remember what I told you. They’re no good. You belong to me.”
When he released her wrists, she felt the sting to her skin. She moved her hands and stretched them as he opened the door. He stared at her dress. He ran a finger down her shoulder, over her breast to her nipple. She didn’t move a muscle.
“Your body knows my touch.”
She moved his hand away from her breast.
“You shouldn’t touch me. You lost that right.”
He stared at her and she swore she actually saw the evil within Vince.
“I never lost it. You’ll be mine again. You’ll see.”
He left the apartment and she closed the door. She locked the locks and laid her face against the hard door.
“What am I going to do?”
The tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at her wrists. They were already red and bruising. The obvious fingerprints were apparent against her fair skin. Anyone with a brain would know that she was manhandled. Now what? she wondered as she pushed away from the door, and let the events of the evening fill her mind.
Nothing could ever be simple. She minded her business, and still trouble found her. She couldn’t go out with Stone and Emerson. They were finished, before it even got started.
Chapter 8
“I thought that you were going out with them today at four o’clock?” Tina asked Toni as she stood in the kitchen with nothing to do. Everything was done. Toni could take Sundays off if she wanted to, but Bliss was her life.
She carelessly rubbed her wrists beneath the bracelets she wore to cover the redness and bruising. Tina must have noticed because she placed her arm over Toni’s shoulders and led her outside to the back. No one was out there.
She placed her hands on her hips.
“Okay, what the fuck happened on the date last night?”
Toni looked away. She thought about both men, and even used thoughts of them to wipe away Vince’s touch and kiss.
“Nothing. It was nice, but they’re really not my type.”
“Not your type? Who the hell are you kidding? What happened to make you change your mind?”
She looked away and then the tears hit her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. As she turned Tina grabbed her wrist and Toni gasped as she pulled it to her chest.
“Oh my God. You’re hurt.” Tina reached for her again.
“No. Don’t. I’m okay. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Tina asked. “Did Stone and Emerson tie you up and have their way with you or something?”
“No! Geesh, Tina, what the hell kind of woman do you think I am?”
“A scared one. Who hurt your wrists?”
Toni looked down at the ground then toward the Dumpster. She inhaled then exhaled. She felt Tina touch her shoulder. The next thing she knew, she was in Tina’s embrace.
“Talk to me, honey. I’m your best friend. We have no secrets.”
“Really?” Toni asked with an attitude.
“Hell yeah. You know I like Charlie and his brother. You know I want to tag-team them.”
Toni chuckled. “Everyone knows that.”
“They do not,” Tina said then stepped back but held Toni by her shoulders. “Spill the beans.”
“I had an amazing time with Emerson and Stone. I wanted to go home with them. I wanted to have sex with them.”
“No big surprise there. What happened?”
“I got scared. I started thinking about how I don’t really know them. Maybe I can’t trust them. A lot of fears ran through my mind so I asked for more time.”
“Hence the date for today. I still don’t get why you want to cancel it.”
Toni was silent a moment. She stared at Tina, and felt the one stray tear escape her eye.
“Vince,” she whispered.
She saw Tina squint and then her eyes widened. “That motherfucker hurt you again? When? Where did it happen? What happened?”
Toni explained about getting home to her apartment and finding him there. Again.
“He’s been breaking in and you haven’t called the cops?” Tina asked, raising her voice.
“Shhh.”
“Shh my ass. That man is a psycho. He’s stalking you. There are laws against that.”
“He threatened me and I’m afraid of him. I’m afraid of what he may try to do to Emerson and Stone. I just met them. They don’t need this.”
“Oh hell. They like you a lot. Both of those men are pretty damn big dudes. I’d say that my money would be on either of them against Vince.”
“No. I won’t allow that. I won’t get them involved with this.”
“How are you going to hide those bruises? You can’t wear bracelets to bed.” Tina placed her hands on her hips.
“I’m not going to sleep with them. That’s why I want to cancel for today. I don’t think I should start dating again until Vince realizes that we’re through.”
“Honey, the man is not dealing with a full deck. If he hasn’t gotten the hint by now, or the fact that you’ve told him straight out you’re through, then he isn’t going to. You should get an order of protection. That way he can be arrested instantly for coming anywhere near you or your apartment.”
“I thought about that.”
“We’ll do it. We can call Leo and he can start the process. I’m sure he has connections to the department, so they can push through the paperwork faster.”
“I know I should. But then Leo will worry. Then he’ll call my uncle. I want to handle this myself right now.”
“It’s not quite working well enough, you handling this yourself, honey. Let’s call Leo together. He can get the ball rolling and you can complete everything tomorrow. But today, you’re going on the boat ride and to dinner with those two sexy businessmen. They are not like Vince. They’re just a couple of regular guys who are into ménage relationships. They want you and you deserve to get the royal treatment.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“You can’t let Vince rule your life. If you let him force the issue, then he gains control of you and your life. Forget about him. We’ll get the process started for the order of protection. We’ll call your cousin, Leo. He’ll know what to do.”
“I don’t want my uncle to find out.”
“Then get the order of protection and you can take it
from there. We can ask your cousin to not inform your uncle unless things get worse and the order of protection doesn’t get Vince off your back. Hopefully he’ll get the hint. In the meantime, you deserve to be happy. It’s obvious that you like Emerson and Stone. Follow your heart.”
“I’m not sure that I can,” Toni said, and then Tina hugged her.
“Call them and tell them to pick you up earlier. I’ve got Bliss covered. You get your mind off that asshole and focus on those fantasy-come-true men of yours. God, you’re so fucking lucky. What I would do if Charlie and his brother looked at me the way Emerson and Stone look at you.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was obvious how much they like you. When they were here, they watched you like hawks. That was sexy as damn hell to witness.”
Toni smiled. “Thanks, Tina. I hope I can handle this. Stay with me, while I call Leo?”
“Definitely. I wish I was going on a ride with those two.”
“I’m a little bit nervous.”
“Honey, you handle it and you ride it. All night long if you can,” Tina teased and Toni chuckled.
“You’re nuts.”
“You’re doing the right thing. Have fun, and be sure to remember every detail. Hearing about the details the morning after from a real ménage encounter will be ten times better than reading about one in a book.”
* * * *
Toni had changed into a pretty yellow sundress with white polka dots on it. The bodice was snug to her breast, causing a bit of cleavage to show in the halter top style. She pinned her hair up in a cute, sophisticated style that Mia helped her with. She put on her white sandals, and then applied a small amount of lip gloss. Toni wasn’t big on makeup or jewelry, but she added the thin cluster of gold bangle bracelets to both wrists and hoped she could stall explaining the marks or perhaps not have to explain at all to the men. She felt better after talking to Leo, and him confirming that she did the right thing, and that he would get things started on the order of protection. He promised not to tell their uncle, for the time being.
She was getting nervous again, as she looked at the clock on the wall in the back office. She wanted to take a cab to meet Stone and Emerson, but they insisted on picking her up. The moment they arrived at Bliss, her fear and reservations turned into excitement and arousal. Both men looked simply stunning in their designer jeans and light colored T-shirts. Their muscles were even larger than she imagined them to be, and was that a tattoo peaking from Stone’s shirt sleeve?
Their Sweet Desire [Power Surge: The Billionaire Club 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
