Ménage Material [La Belle sans la Bete Ménages] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Akeroyd, Serena

  Now…he wasn’t content with the idea of his many foibles turning his lovers away from him. Especially after he’d realized his love for Devvy was as concrete as his love for Bastien.

  A life without them was worse than a life of inhabiting a house such as this one, with a small pack of staff that kept it ticking like a clock.

  Priorities.

  Everyone had them and it was time Alex reassessed his.

  As he pondered such a reassessment, his eyes wandered over to the catalyst for such change.

  In the light and airy vestibule, with the central circular table loaded down with freshly-cut flowers that perfumed the room with a clean tinge of the season and the lights beaming into the room from the windows surrounding the door, Devvy’s dirty-blonde beauty was highlighted to perfection.

  The light golden tones in her hair shone and glistened in the bright, hot sun. The darker shades, the light chestnut and almost bronzy hues, were given extra contrast in the shadows of the hall. Her skin, the shade of magnolia tinged with the rosiness of a downy peach, gleamed in the muted, dusky glow from the windows.

  She was unique and she was his. As he was hers.

  In a way, it was a miracle. She was his miracle.

  Intelligence was a burden as well as a gift. The higher a person’s capabilities for brilliance, the higher the chances that same person could crack. Alex had more cracks than he could count, and he was on the brink of a Humpty Dumpty moment.

  Only in his case, he could be put back together again.

  If Devvy chose to do the repair work.

  He was laying all of this on Devvy’s shoulders and not Bastien’s, because Bastien’s love gave him a different kind of support.

  With him, Alex was at peace. When they were together, the outside world didn’t exist. But the instant they were apart, the demons returned. They attacked.

  With Devvy, perhaps because she was just as brilliant as he, perhaps because they were both scientists, albeit in different fields, she kept the demons at bay. When he was with her, memories of the past, his nightmares would return, but she would dampen their effect with her unique outlook. And when she left him, while he felt lost, his lips would often twitch as his mind recapped a conversation they’d had as he worked on something or other in the lab.

  They were two halves of a whole that would keep him sane.

  “What are you staring at?” she asked, turning to him with a scowl. Her eyes glanced down as though she were looking for a stain on her shirt, and a smile graced his mouth at her lack of artfulness.

  “The flowers,” he teased, deadpan.

  Her scowl deepened as her gaze flickered over to the pink-purple azaleas. “I didn’t realize you were a flower lover.”

  “Whatever made you think I wasn’t?”

  She rolled her eyes. “The complete lack of anything green in your penthouse.” She mock shivered. “I don’t know how you can stand all the recycled air without some plants in there to rebalance and cleanse the space.”

  Alex shrugged. “I like them but they don’t like me. We can’t all have a green thumb, Devvy darling.” Stood beside the table loaded down with the huge display of blossoms, she was in the center of the door-lined space. He strode over to her and calmly, presumptuously, wrapped his arms about her and pulled her close. “Don’t change, ma petite.”

  “Why should I? I’d say I’m too set in my ways to go through a complete personality shift.”

  He grinned. “You say that and yet you’re deep in the midst of a relationship that most would consider taboo.” The dimness of the room had dilated her pupils, but the icy-blue orbs darkened further as his tone dropped into a husky growl, “You know what’s going to happen tonight, don’t you? When Sebastien gets home and finds us both here?”

  Swallowing, she turned her head from side to side. Her eyes never left his, not for a second and he reveled in being at the center of this woman’s glorious attention.

  “He’s going to fuck you. And as he takes your ass, I’ll sink into your pussy. When we’ve flooded you with cum, I’ll fuck him and you can suck his cock…” He paused, waited and watched as she sucked in a breath and held it with expectation. “Just think of all the different positions, Devvy.”

  “If you think I haven’t already contemplated what you two will do to me, you’re very much mistaken, Alex.”

  He grinned. “I’m glad to hear that you’ve been looking forward to it as much as I have.”

  “Damn right.” She snorted, and then looked sheepish. “Well, I did freak myself out. Just a little.”

  He cocked a brow, urging her silently to explain, but she shook her head, untangled herself from his embrace, and then grabbed him by the hand. He let her lead him into one particular room and from the slight touches of femininity, he knew this was her lounge. He’d often heard Bastien complain about her refusal to change any of the other rooms.

  “While you can’t leave a statement like that unexplained, my curiosity has me changing the subject.”

  “Oh?” was all she said.

  He hummed and looked around the white walls with the cream cornices and café au lait decorative touches. A light, moss green linen sofa sat squatly in front of the original carved stone fireplace. To the side, a matching armchair overfilled with stuffing had the best seat in the room to stare out through the double-paned French doors and out onto the gardens. Cream cushions with a silky texture had been plumped and arranged artfully on the chairs. Small, occasional tables dotted the room with pieces he could only assume were her favorites. Everything from an ornate, mahogany armoire the size of his hands, carved in an Asian style with jade-inset doors, to an elaborate plant pot filled with a plant he’d never seen before but had the most delightfully silky petals.

  It was a woman’s haven, restful, calming, and peaceful.

  It shocked him but he knew he could sit in here and feel at ease. It wasn’t overfull with stuff. The room wasn’t at all cramped. In fact, for the amount of space she had, the room was rather over furnished. In comparison to his own haven, it was full, but still…. On an afternoon, while Bastien was out at the office, when he didn’t want to be cooped up in his lab, he could imagine himself in here.

  That was enough to have his stomach twisting with nerves.

  “Why haven’t you changed any of the other rooms? I know Sebastien asked you to.” Her blush charmed him into crossing the room to caress the silky leaves of the unknown flower. “What is this?” he asked, before she could answer his other question.

  She frowned at him, then down at the plant and absentmindedly said, “It’s a camellia. Seb has them on standing order for me with a florist. They won’t grow in our garden. I think our soil has too low a soil acidity for them. They’re my favorites.”

  When he nodded his understanding and continued to caress the petals, the sound of a heavy sigh crossed the room. He turned, looked at her, and immediately interpreted this new flush as arousal. Hiding a smile, he trailed one finger down over the frothy bloom. She shivered at the touch, so he did it again. And again, until she stepped backward and sank onto the armchair.

  “I actually think I could come from watching you do that,” she whispered hoarsely, her honesty surprising but pleasing him.

  “Perhaps I should stop.”

  “I don’t think you should.”

  His lips twitched. “Why touch a flower when I can touch the real thing?”

  At that, she grinned. “My grandmother used to call “the real thing” her “lady garden.” Maybe my grandfather was a lot more adventurous than we realized.”

  Stepping away from the flower, he crossed the room, ignoring her sigh to sink down to his knees in front of her. Tucked into the armchair, she looked comfortable, even if he’d inadvertently put her on edge by touching the flower the way he had.

  His hands slipped over her skirt-covered thighs and he sighed with pleasure as they fell apart slightly. He pushed them wider so he could kneel between them. “I do like this new hab
it of yours.”

  “What new habit?”

  “In the last week, I’ve seen you three times in a skirt.”

  She blushed again.

  “It isn’t that I dislike you in jeans, because, ma petite, I can’t deny your ass is perfect in trousers, but it means…”

  “…easy access,” she butted in before he could finish his sentence.

  “Exactly,” he murmured with pleasure. “Now, tell me why you won’t change any of the rooms.”

  “It isn’t my place to.”

  He snorted. “Bullshit. When I move in here, there will be a lot to change. That god-awful salon is the first to go.”

  She stilled at his words. “When?”

  “Yes. I don’t know when it will be, but I shall move into Les Fenêtres, Devvy.”

  It unnerved him to see tears moisten her eyes. “Thank you, Alexei.” She reached forward and cupped his chin. He relaxed into her hold and rubbed his cheek against her palm.

  “I should be thanking you. I can be stubborn, at times. I can’t guarantee it will be soon, but I can guarantee it will happen.”

  “That’s all I want.” She sucked in a breath, obviously overwhelmed by his agreement and said, “I guess, the house does need a makeover. It still looks like a bachelor pad.”

  “Which is miraculous, considering Bastien has never been a bachelor.”

  Her mouth rounded at that, into a lusciously round O that had his cock pricking up to attention.

  A chuckle escaped her. “Deliciously true.” She grinned.

  “You know you could have changed any part of the house and Bastien wouldn’t have given a damn, don’t you?”

  She bit her lip. “I don’t think that’s the truth.”

  He shook his head. “You could have painted all the rooms bright pink and he’d have looked at it, grimaced, but wouldn’t have said a word. He wants you to be happy here, ma chérie. That’s all that ever mattered to him.” When she still looked unconvinced, he shrugged and changed the subject. “I’ve been patient. Tell me how, in your words, you ‘freaked yourself out a little.’”

  She groaned, lifted a hand to her eyes, and then peeked between the small spaces in her fingers.

  Alex grinned. “That bad, hein?”

  A nod was his only answer. For a second, anyway. “I did some research.”

  Lips twitching, he murmured, “As any good scientist would.”

  “Exactly! I needed to see what went where. I mean, I knew what went where but I needed to see it. I didn’t want to…”

  “You wanted to see if it was attractive or repulsive to you,” he commented, no inflection to his tone.

  She nibbled her bottom lip. “Well, it might have been. When I watch you kiss, it turns my stomach out. I can’t explain it. You’re…” She sighed. “You’re so beautiful together, but I didn’t know if that side of it would be.”

  “Perfectly natural.”

  She looked relieved at his easy acceptance of what was, in truth, perfectly natural. The idea of two men together was a turn-on to some women and a definite switch-off for others.

  “Well, it wasn’t repulsive. Not at all,” she assured him quickly. “But, when I watched the ménages, I knew when it was my turn to be in that situation, it would be a life-changing moment.”

  He frowned. “Hardly, chérie. These things happen all the time.”

  Devvy snorted. “To other people. On the internet. These things might be okay to some people, but you’re forgetting, I grew up in a house with a mother as prim as Jane Austen, for God’s sake! You’re lucky I didn’t pass out when you first showed up at the house!

  “When I saw what it would be like, I knew it would define me. Or, it would change the way I viewed myself. I knew I might think of myself as some kind of slut.” When he made to interrupt, she held up a hand. “No, wait. Look, I know that’s a bit extreme. It was how I felt, but notice I didn’t let it stop me. I was nervous, yes, I’ll admit that. The other day, the idea of what was going to happen had me running hot then cold. When I watched you together, though, I didn’t give a damn. I needed you both and I loved seeing you like that. It was so beautiful. Even hotter than just watching you kiss.”

  “I’m glad, mignonne,” he told her, voice husky at the depth of emotion in her words. She really meant it.

  Her smile was gentle as she continued, “Some people can easily accept situations like this, but I think the majority don’t. I guess, considering who you and Bastien are, once we live together, the truth will come out. Like I told you before, I won’t deny you, Alex. I couldn’t do that. I—I love you, you see,” she whispered, and damn near broke his heart. “Very much. If you love someone, you don’t betray them by refusing to acknowledge them.

  “My being freaked out wasn’t just about the sexual side of things. But the way we’d be viewed in society. The way I’d be viewed in society. I mean, my mother probably will never speak to me ever again, which to be honest, might not be a bad thing!

  “It was just a very overwhelming moment. Seeing the mechanics of it all, well, opened my eyes to more than just what we’d do together.”

  “It is true we French are more liberal in these matters, but I think to a certain extent, we will be outcasts among a certain crowd. This is something one keeps secret. Behind closed doors. Perhaps our wealth will smooth the way. On the other hand, it might not. And to be honest, my sweet, darling Devvy, I don’t give a damn either. I love you, and for a love like ours, who needs the approval of anyone else?”

  She cupped his cheek and traced her fingers over his jaw. “You two, sometimes, you make me want to pinch myself.”

  “Is that a good thing?” he asked, brow cocked.

  “Oh yes. I can’t believe how lucky I am. That’s all.”

  “You’re more than worthy, Devvy darling.”

  She grinned. “I’ll get a big head, you know.”

  “I’m counting on it. It’s about bloody time you started to value yourself. You’re more than a match for Bastien and me.”

  “Did you talk about me?” she asked hesitantly. “The pair of you…before, I mean.”

  “Of course. We had a lot resting on your delicate shoulders, Devvy. He didn’t betray your trust, ma petite. Bastien’s not like that. He shared his concerns with me.

  “We’d expected a lot from you by asking you to move away from everything you’d ever known. That was a great concern, wondering if you’d settle or not. Then, after you’d taken the job, making the first move was a huge topic of discussion.

  “He seems so suave, but Bastien is, how you say, a clod. Especially with women. I should have been the one to make the introductions. I’m blunt, but I have common sense.”

  “He is pretty, though,” she retorted, a wicked gleam in her eye.

  “Oh, he certainly has his uses.”

  Devvy laughed. “Did he ask you for advice on how to handle me?”

  He pulled a face. “That’s dangerous talk. Remember, I’m the one with the common sense. Sebastien might be able to handle a company with over ten thousand employees, but with women, he’s like a teenager still trying to get rid of his virginity.”

  “I’ll be sure to tell him that.”

  “Agent provocateur!” he claimed, then spoiled his show of outrage by winking. “You think I have not told him this already? He knows I think he’s useless with women. When I showed him the magazine with your interview and told him to go and meet you, we had a huge row. Both of us realized I should be the one to go, but if stepping outside my door is hard enough, entering a convention is like climbing Everest.” He shuddered. “I just couldn’t do it. Not even for that silent promise in your eyes.”

  “I’m sure I was just looking into the camera, you know. I don’t think I was silently promising anything. Actually, I know I wasn’t.” She tapped her chin. “I remember that interview. The photographer was a pain in the ass. I had to change outfits three times before he was happy. I think, more than anything, I was pissed off.”
<
br />   A clap echoed around the room and both of them jumped as Sebastien’s bark of laughter ricocheted alongside it. “All these years, he’s gone on and on about that bloody photo and she was angry! Mon cher, now who is the fool with women, hein?”

  Alex just grinned. “Eavesdroppers never hear good of themselves,” was all he said. Piously, too. And pious was an achievement considering he was on his knees, tucked between Devvy’s thighs, hands smoothing up and down the sleek curves of their woman’s legs.

  “So it would seem,” Bastien retorted and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.

  The instant they were closed in, a strange atmosphere overtook the room. Alex decided to break it by saying, “You weren’t supposed to arrive home so early.”

  “Disappointed, cher?” Bastien cocked his brow and began to remove his tie.

  As he tugged at the knot, Devvy sucked in a breath and Alex’s eyes flickered over to hers. He grinned. “More than pretty, hein?”

  Bastien rolled his eyes and shrugged out of his jacket. “God, it’s good to be out of that.” He flexed his shoulders, inducing another sigh from Devvy.

  “I love it when he’s all rumpled.”

  “Rumpled is a good word, chérie,” Alex admitted.

  “You’re both trying to distract me from the fact Alex is actually here, at Les Fenêtres.”

  Devvy’s smile was loaded with triumph. “I made him a deal.”

  “Deals are more my forte,” Bastien chided with a mocking grin. “I’m not sure if I like you overtaking my territory, mignonne.”

  Alex snorted. “She has a way with words that you, cher, do not share!”

  “Curiouser and curiouser!”

  “Whatever he wants to do to me, he can, so long as he leaves his apartment.”

  Bastien smiled. “I can now understand why he’s here. Well done, Devvy. Very imaginative.” He winked at her.

  She looked very pleased with herself, and Alex couldn’t help but lean forward to bestow a soft kiss to her lips. “Come, I see no reason to wait now the main guest has arrived. It’s time for you to work off your dues.”