by Evelyn Vox
It really fucking hurt.
The beast was licking the wound of it.
Still, it was my fault. I pushed too far, too hard. I should have known Brian would have been pissed about dinner. Alexandra pushed me to limits beyond my control. It wasn’t enough to wait for her at the club.
No. I wanted it all.
Mind, body, and soul.
Fuck.
I was in a very bad place.
I considered my options. I could leave her. I winced as the beast snarled. No. Never. I could never leave her. I could ask her to leave Brian. I huffed. Even if that was what I wanted, I knew she never would. And even if, in some fantasy world, she did leave him, the only way I could accept that she really wanted it was if she left him of her own accord.
I couldn’t ask that of her.
So that left me with this arrangement. This little bargain between the three of us. A bolt of real fear lanced through me as I wondered what would happen if Brian ended this. Perhaps it was him I’d pushed too far, and not Alexandra.
Maybe she’d only safeworded for his sake.
I didn’t think I’d be able to stay away from her if he ended this. The question was if she would she be able to stay away from me? My fingers itched to text her, call her. But I couldn’t. She asked for space, and I had to give it to her. To them.
My eyes burned with tiredness, but I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping tonight. A light knock on the door caught my attention, and I frowned. There was only one person it could be. I debated not letting her in as I stood up and paused by the handle.
“Come on, D,” she called. “I have whiskey.”
The glass clank of the bottle on the door proved she wasn’t lying. Despite myself, a small grin quirked the corned of my mouth. I opened the door.
“You read my mind,” I said, grabbing the bottle and turning back into the room.
“What else are twin’s good for?” Vanessa laughed, shutting the door behind her.
I opened the bottle—black label, very nice, and very Vanessa—and took a swig. She clinked two glasses together before resting them on a table. I knew what she was thinking: guess we won’t be needing these.
She eyed me as I took another swig. “Wow, it was that bad, huh?”
I wiped my mouth and scowled at her. She held her hand out, waiting for me to pass her the bottle. She took her own hearty gulp, shook off the burn as it went down, and handed it back to me.
“Your little spies chirp in your ear, oh mighty Empress?”
Vanessa laughed and sat down on a plush armchair. She wore simple clothes, leggings and a plush sweater. She looked like she should be curled up in front of a fire with a book. She played with a loose string in the upholstery as she spoke. “Yep, I have them watching you like hawks.”
She yanked the offending thread out and examined it with a slight frown, as if she was mad at herself for letting such an imperfection mar her club. I didn’t take her bait. Instead, I sat on the armchair across from her and glared at her.
She sighed. “Of course, I don’t have them watching you, D. But when someone safewords in such a dramatic fashion, it gets back to me.”
I swiped my hands across my face. She leaned over to take the bottle from me and I noticed that she held onto it after she took her sip. That was what Vanessa did. She had to control everything. I was a few sips away from being beyond her control, so she took it back and kept it. She used a normal social convention to dominate the entire situation.
In some alternate universe, I just knew my sister was an insane super villain, manipulating and charming the entire world into doing what she wanted. Those violet eyes that everyone went crazy over met mine.
“You’re really into this woman, aren’t you?”
I groaned. “Yes.”
“And she’s married?”
“Clearly, you already know the answer.”
“Just confirming all the details,” she said with fake sweetness. “I never imagined you’d be the type to share.”
“I’m not.” I eyed the bottle and she sighed before handing it over. I took another swig, wincing as it went down. “She makes me…I don’t know. She’s different. I can’t explain it.”
“You want to be with her.”
It wasn’t a question. I swore. Vanessa and I couldn’t hide anything from each other. It was a fun little trick when we were kids, but it made our adult relationship a bit more complicated. There were certain things a person didn’t want to share with their sibling, twin or not. And we both understood that. It wasn’t personal. Neither of us was upset by the fact that we’d grown apart in some ways.
Because in all the ways that mattered, we were still thick as thieves. She was family. My sister. My twin. Nothing would change that. And I loved her. But right now, the last thing I wanted to do was discuss my bleeding heart with her. So I just took another sip of whiskey, and handed the bottle back.
We sat in silence for a while, passing the black-label back and forth. I never understood how my sister, who was literally half my size, was always able to keep pace with me when we drank. But I was used to Vanessa outshining me. She was good at everything. Even drinking.
“Her husband, Brian Hale,” she said, breaking the silence. “He’s a member here.”
I stiffened, preparing myself for whatever she was about to say.
“He’s been quite involved with Saskia. I could…intervene on your behalf, if you’d like.”
I swallowed the information down with my next sip of the bottle. Fucking Saskia. Of course, Brian would be drawn to her like a moth to a flame.
More like a fly to shit.
I looked at my sister. I knew what she was offering, what she was willing to do for me. Gratitude filled me, but no. That wasn’t the way.
“Thanks,” I said. “But that’s not necessary. This will pass and everything will go back to normal.”
Vanessa knew me well enough to know not to push it.
“Okay.”
And that was that. End of conversation. We sat and moved the bottle back and forth until the weariness consumed me. I passed out right in that chair.
When I woke, my sister was gone, and so was the bottle.
My breath was a reeking, liquor-tinged tang in my mouth, almost as bad as the pounding of my temples. It had been a while since I drank like that.
Drank to forget.
I made a mental note to repay the favor to Vanessa sometime, even if I was secretly grateful I hadn’t been left to stew alone last night. I dragged my feet to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and took a shower. The water washed away the fog in my brain, bringing clarity, and lessening the headache.
Still, the ache in my chest lingered.
I was toweling myself off when the call came. I cringed at the surge of emotion I felt when her name lit up the screen. Pathetic. When did I become so pathetic?
“Alexandra,” I answered.
“Hi, Derek.”
She sounded good. As good as could be expected. But there was something resigned in her tone as she asked me to come over. It left a bad taste in my mouth, worse than the one I’d woken up with. I tried not to worry as I drove over to their apartment. I’d face what they had to say and deal with it accordingly. These nerves were pointless.
Still, they clattered in my body the entire drive. By the time I’d gotten to their door, they’d escalated to big swoops in my stomach. I took a deep breath and knocked. It seemed intrusive to put in the code right now.
Not when they needed space.
Even if I hated waiting for her to open it.
I recalled the first time I met her, how I waited and waited for the woman to answer the door. Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise. I’d never forget the way she looked, naked and resplendent, under the sun. That moment was my undoing.
Maybe it wasn’t a blessing. Maybe it had been a curse.
I heard footsteps, barking, and then the door swung wide. Alexandra smiled at me. She wore baggy jeans and an over
sized sweater. I couldn’t help but smirk in satisfaction when I saw the collar still on her neck.
The look made her blush, and any calmness between us died. Desire rushed in to fill the air around us. Like it always did. I stared, not bothering to mask the hunger I felt for her. She shuddered in a breath and stepped back, gesturing me inside.
“Hello, Derek,” Brian said from behind her.
I grit my teeth and reminded myself to play nice. “Brian.”
Alexandra took my hand and pulled me towards their sunken-in living room. Brian followed. Those runty dogs snuffled at our feet. Noticing my scowl, Brian ushered them into the kitchen, mumbling something about giving them bones. Alexandra sat me down on the sofa, and took the seat next to me.
I didn’t let go of her hand. I held it tight, hoping we’d have a moment to ourselves, but he came back in right away. Brian chose the sofa on the opposite side of the coffee table, his eyes landing on our clasped fingers. She yanked her hand from mine and the beast exploded.
I took a long, deep breath, and closed my eyes. Now was not the time. When I opened them they were both looking at me, expectantly.
“What?” I snapped. “You’re the ones who invited me here.”
“I wanted us to talk about last night,” Brian began. “We need to re-establish the boundaries.”
I wanted to tell him to fuck his boundaries. I wanted to bash his teeth in for taking my Goddess away from me last night. For taking her to his bed without my permission. The hurt of that stung. More than it should have. I stayed quiet, waiting for them to explain what these new boundaries were.
“Brian got upset last night,” Alexandra chimed in after an awkward silence, “because we weren’t including him enough.”
I blasted him with a dominant stare. “I thought you got off on that.”
“I do,” he answered, trying to meet my stare, only to look away quickly. “But it was too much last night.”
“Okay.”
He looked back at me, meeting my gaze, his eyes defiant, angry. “Especially when you invited yourself to our dinner date.”
I pinched my nose and sighed. I fucking knew it.
“I didn’t think that would upset you so much.”
“You intruded on our time, Derek,” Alexandra said, softly, almost sadly.
“You didn’t seem to mind.”
She huffed and crossed her arms. Her eyes sparked in beautiful, bratty defiance. “That was before I knew it wasn’t planned.”
Yeah, right. I wasn’t buying it. She could say she was unhappy all she wanted, but she and I both knew she fucking loved the fact that I was there. I stiffened as the realization dawned on me.
That was the problem.
I saw it with terrible clarity in a way I hadn’t been able to last night. Alexandra liked being with me too much. Liked me more than her husband, and not just in the bedroom.
That was the fucking problem here. That was why he got all pissed off last night on stage.
Those lines I worked so hard to maintain had been crossed, the distance bridged. Things had morphed beyond the physical, and Brian knew it. He knew it and he wasn’t happy about it. He watched us carefully, studying, observing, like he was trying to sniff out proof of something deeper than a sexual connection between us.
Well, fuck.
I took a deep breath. If I wanted to keep her around, and god-damn it, I did, I had to play along. I had to pretend like she wasn’t the most incredible woman I’d ever known. Like I wasn’t fucking obsessed with everything about her. I had to act like I just wanted to use her and leave all the other stuff to Brian.
I wondered when it all changed. When my desire for her bled into something more than just sex. I looked between the two of them as they waited for me to say something. Now wasn’t the time to think about it.
“I understand,” I ground out. “I crossed a line.”
I wouldn’t apologize. Not to him.
Brian nodded. “Good. Thank you.”
“I don’t want this to end between the three of us,” Alexandra said, putting a hand on my thigh. “I’m having way too much fun.”
Fun. Right. That’s all this could be.
“Me too,” I said, despite the sudden weight in my chest.
Brian got up and sat next to her, his hand resting on her thigh.
“Me three.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. What a fucking nerd. His hand stroked Alexandra’s thigh, making me bristle.
“Maybe we can try last night again. A do-over?” he asked.
I looked at my Venus. Her sea-green eyes fixed on me, dark and pleading. I understood what she was saying. This was the only way. The only way we could be together. So I growled, kissed her, and said, “On your hands and knees, Princess.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
LEXIE
My hands and knees sunk into the sofa cushions. I could tell Derek wasn’t as happy as he claimed. But I also knew he understood. He understood how close this all was to shattering to the ground. My body relished the feel of his hands on my hips. Finally, the right hands were on me.
He ground his hard length against my ass before he pushed my head into Brian’s lap. My husband’s erection pressed against my face through his pants.
“Suck him off, Princess,” Derek said.
I unzipped Brian’s pants and opened my mouth. He gasped when I licked his sensitive tip. Derek pushed my dress up over my hips, pulled my underwear down to my knees, and rubbed my clit. I moaned around Brian’s dick, the action making him groan.
The three of us needed this. Needed to heal from last night, to re-establish our rhythm. Our boundaries.
Derek’s fingers moved to press inside me, stoking the flames building there, getting me good and wet and ready for him. I pressed back against his fingers, loving every second of his touch. The more I enjoyed the feel of him, the more enthusiastic I became about sucking Brian off.
It wasn’t long before Derek removed his fingers and replaced them with the large, thick girth of his cock. God, I loved that moment when he first slipped inside me. It made my breath catch in my chest and filled every inch of my body with pleasure.
It just felt so right. So good.
I lost myself to it. I let myself forget, just for the moment, all the drama, all the tension. Forgot all my problems—Brian not being supportive of my class. Brian hinting I was getting fat. Brian never being home. Wanting Derek more than him.
I let the worry fall away. Let myself become nothing but pleasure.
“That’s it, Princess,” Derek panted from behind me, “suck his little cock for me.”
Brian whimpered, his dick twitching in my mouth at the words. Derek’s thrusts made it hard to keep up a good rhythm, but Brian didn’t seem to care. His body tensed and he cried out as he came in my mouth. Derek laughed.
“So soon? Pathetic.”
God, I loved the dominance in his voice. Loved the way he was so in control. His hands tightened on my hips, strong and unyielding.
“Let me show you how it’s done, cuck.”
Derek pummeled into me. His pace was fast, hard, and athletic. My fingers curled in the fabric of Brian’s pants. Fuck, yes. Yes. This was what I needed. What I craved. Derek fucking me with brutal force. There was nothing like it. Nothing could compare to the fierce, extreme pleasure he wrought within me.
I screamed his name, moaned and whined as each thrust brought me closer and closer. Brian stroked my hair and whispered words of comfort, encouragement.
It annoyed me. I wished he would just shut up and let Derek fuck me.
My eyes flew open as the thought barreled through me. No. No. No! I wasn’t allowed to think that, to feel that. So I gripped Brian’s hand tight, rested my head in his lap, and let Derek fuck me into oblivion.
I surrendered to the pleasure, and the orgasm hit me rough and quick. Derek hissed as I clenched around his girth. I expected him to keep thrusting, but he pulled out, grabbed my hair, and lifted me up. Brian he
lped him spin me around.
“Open your mouth.”
I obeyed, relishing the feel of him in my mouth. His cock was so perfect, so delicious. I wanted it all over me, inside me in every way. He pushed deep inside, groaning as he spilled himself down my throat. He pulled out slowly, cupped my cheek and looked me dead in the eyes.
“Good girl.”
He smiled, that devilish, wicked smile that made my heart jump and my clit throb. Brian’s hands stiffened on my shoulders. Panic, bitter and sobering, stole through the fuzzy feelings. Shit. This was the kind of crap that set Brian off. The kind of thing he didn’t want to see anymore.
Derek must have seen the look on my face because his own hardened. He smacked my cheek. One, then the other.
“Slut,” he said, mean and cold.
Brian’s hands relaxed, and I tried to thank Derek with my eyes. His own remained cold and distant. I sat up and stretched, easing the ache in my back and neck. I smiled at both of them, hoping things would be better now. Brian looked happy, but Derek…
“Stay for lunch?” I asked him, not ready for him to go yet.
He nodded, but the look on his face was still worrisome. I wished we could have a moment alone, but I didn’t think it would happen today. Not with Brian watching us so closely. I sighed to myself in the kitchen, watching Donnie and Coco munching on their bones.
I prayed we could make this work.
I really wasn’t ready to let Derek go.
Lunch was strained, but better. The air seemed to be cleared. They took me again before Derek left, sandwiched me between them like a piece of meat. Derek in my ass, and Brian in my pussy. I was so exhausted by the time it was all over, I almost forgot to ask Derek.
“Can you unlock this?” I gestured to the collar on my neck.
My breasts heaved, a sheen of sweat making them gleam. Derek watched them rise and fall, looked like he wanted to pinch my nipples, but got up and collected his jeans from the ground instead.
“I’m hopping in the shower,” Brian announced, “I expect you’ll be gone by the time I’m done?”
His dismissal was evident. Derek’s hulking, muscled frame rippled with annoyance, but he nodded.
