by Sharan Daire
26
Chris
I didn’t need to bring out the whiteboard and draw out the next play. It was already eight, and we had to be up at five in the morning for the biggest day of Shelby’s life. She’d say it was my big day, but we were all here for her.
It was my line, yeah. My major debut as a fashion designer. But I’d designed for her. I’d dreamed it up with her in mind. Hoping we could someday find this mythical goddess of a woman who’d love all four of us despite our flaws.
Me especially.
For me, fashion was a hobby. Granted, I had enough money and privilege to be able to make it a reality. I had the time and infinite resources to make it a success. My obsessive personality could focus on a task like nobody’s business. But I wasn’t emotionally invested in creating a fashion line. Not really.
It was all for her. If she woke up tomorrow and said, “never mind, I don’t want to do this,” we’d pack up without a word of complaint and go home. I’d cancel all the contracts, shut down the advertising accounts, lock the fucking doors, and I wouldn’t care.
I would never be disappointed. As long as she was happy.
She was our Red Velvet Angel, the heart and soul of Blakely Four Brothers. Tonight, she would be pampered and pleasured and pleasured some more until she slept like a baby. Though now that I was learning more about kids, I had no fucking idea where that idiom came from, because evidently kids never fucking slept a wink.
She video chatted with her kids while Kaleb drew a bath for her. I couldn’t help but sneer at the relatively tiny bathtub this five-star hotel had to offer, but then again, they hadn’t seen my design for the ideal master bathroom.
“Not too hot,” I reminded him.
Kaleb rolled his eyes. “I know, Mom.”
Everett poked his head in. “I talked with the team so we’re all on the same page. They’ll be downstairs ready to go at quarter till six. We’ll take one car this time and get as close as we can.”
“Do we need to send someone over to make sure our shit made it?”
Everett huffed like I’d called him a slacker. “Already done. Carsen ran over this afternoon, found our spot, and organized everything. Gowns are steam pressed and ready to go.”
“Give him a bonus.”
“Already done,” Everett repeated, rolling his eyes the same as Kaleb. “I’m no amateur. They all received travel bonuses and are planning a shopping trip before we fly home.”
Great, I was two for two. Now I only needed to micromanage Derek and make sure he was annoyed. Though I’d already busted his balls for letting that idiot talk to Shelby at dinner, so mission accomplished. “Well, give him another bonus. Shelby likes them, so I don’t want to lose them.”
“They worship the ground she walks on and have no intention of leaving us.”
Pent-up energy made me want to pace like a maniac. Or better yet, find the gym in this over-priced hotel and pound some iron.
Eyes narrowed, Everett opened his mouth and I cut him off. “Yes, I took my meds, and I brought plenty with me in case I get over stimulated. I’m not stressed.”
Concerned doubt was written all over his face. I knew they were only worried about me, and I certainly deserved the same Mother Goose treatment that I dished out.
“Then what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I retorted, at the same time that Kaleb said, “He’s horny.”
Everett laughed. “Well, join the club.”
“What club is that?” Shelby asked behind him.
Everett stepped back, opening the door for her to pass through to the bathroom. “The Official Shelby Anderson Harris Blakely Fan Club.”
She laughed softly as if he’d told a joke though her laughter turned into a frown when she saw the tub. “Guess I’ve been a bit spoiled in that department.” Though she looked from Kaleb to me and Everett at the door, and her lips curled into a sensual, knowing smile of carnal heat. “In all departments.”
Fuck.
“Everybody out,” I growled, striding to the door. “Let her bathe in peace.”
If my dick got any harder, I’d have to sew up my pants before I could mingle among the fashion rich and famous tomorrow. I’d only brought the one pair of black slacks.
SHELBY
If anyone had told me that I’d be staying in a five-star hotel and be disappointed by its furnishings, I’d have laughed my head off. But as I stared at the regrettably normal-sized bed, I could only think fondly of the gigantic bed at home. I’d gotten used to having at least two if not three men with me when I slept, but Kaleb was already lying in bed, and I had no idea how anyone else could lay with us unless we did coordinated rolling over all night.
Chris had pulled one of the armchairs closer to the bed. His face was in shadow, but I could make out enough to see his bare chest and thighs.
“You’re not going to sleep there, are you?”
“Nope.”
I wasn’t consoled in the slightest, because I had the feeling that he didn’t plan to sleep at all. The chair was carefully positioned so he could see the entire room, especially the door. As if he was a sentinel, standing watch over me.
The curtains were open, letting in the lights of the town that never slept. We were high enough up for an incredible view of the skyline, stretching out as far as I could see.
Kaleb flipped the blankets down, inviting me to get into bed. “We’ll rotate every hour if you’d like.”
I let the robe slip off my shoulders to puddle on the floor. For a moment, I stood illuminated in the light of the window. Letting them both look at me. Unashamed. Confident in my skin as I’d never been before. How could I be embarrassed by my body when I saw how they looked at me? They loved my curves.
Kaleb’s gaze focused on my breasts first, naturally, but then he looked down my body, drinking in every detail. Chris leaned forward, bracing his forearms on his knees. I could hear his breathing, quickening as I did a slow turn in the light.
“You really are a goddess,” Kaleb whispered, his voice reverent. “Come to bed so I can worship you.”
I knew why Chris had sent Everett and Derek into the other room. He wanted me to sleep, not fuck all night. He’d probably taken note of the way I’d stared at Kaleb eating that cake and decided the best way to make sure I was able to get a little rest before our big day would be to put me on the dessert menu next.
And what woman would argue with that brilliant logic? Not me, that was for certain.
I didn’t climb into bed in the empty spot. I went around to Kaleb’s side, letting him lift me up and roll me over onto my back in the middle of the mattress. His soft lips roamed over my face, pressing gentle kisses to my eyelids, nose, and chin. Behind my ears. Down the column of my throat.
His fingers stroked over my skin, gentle and slow like angel’s wings. My skin came alive with sensation, drinking in the warmth of his hands and lips. He deepened the pressure of his hands, kneading away any lingering tension in my muscles.
I groaned with bliss, even though he hadn’t touched me intimately yet.
He lifted his head, his lips quirked to reveal the dimple in his cheek. “If you roll over, I’ll give you a full-body massage.”
I rolled onto my stomach, shoving the pillows out of my way so I could lie flat. He rose up beside me on his knees, and a deep growl rolled from Chris’ vicinity.
That deep, vicious rumble made me arch my back, curling my toes.
Kaleb shifted over to my other side. “See, grumpy bear? I wanted to make sure you had an unobstructed view.”
Leaning down over me, he massaged my neck and shoulders, making me groan again. I hadn’t realized I was tense, but my muscles began to unwind and uncoil as I melted beneath his touch.
He trailed kisses down my back, tracing each bump of my spine with his tongue. His fingers worked the back of my thighs. My calves. His thumbs rubbing circles in the muscles that had tightened up over the last few weeks. The soles of my feet.
I gr
oaned again. I ached as he worked those muscles, but it was a good, deep throb as everything loosened up.
“I’ll tell Ev to add a masseuse to the spa,” Kaleb murmured. “The crazy shoes you’ve been wearing have really fucked up your feet and legs.”
“No,” I whispered. “I don’t want a stranger touching me like this. Not when I can have you or one of the guys.”
He started a slow path up the backs of my legs. Kisses in the hollows behind my knees. The slow slide of his tongue along my hamstrings. My thighs trembled, but not because of the massage. I opened my thighs wider, scooting one knee up to give him more access. A silent invitation to take this massage to something much more arousing.
His palms glided up over my buttocks, kneading and squeezing with perfect pressure, while his tongue traced the underside curve of my cheek. Slipping deeper. A slow tease that made me arch my back, lifting my buttocks, begging him deeper.
He lightly nipped the tender skin, making me quiver and gasp, so he could soothe me all over again with long strokes of his palms up and down my flanks and hips. Little bites, followed by the glide of his tongue. Up my buttock. Down the crease of my inner thigh.
I whimpered, fisting my hands in the sheets.
“Enough.” Chris’ low fierce command stroked over me as surely as Kaleb’s tongue. Reminding me that he watched. That he wanted my pleasure as much as I did. “Give her what she wants.”
Kaleb shifted between my thighs, his broad shoulders pushing my legs apart even more. One hand slid beneath my stomach, his fingers teasing my clit. His tongue slid along my folds, making me shudder and squirm against him. He sank his tongue inside me so he could lick inside me. Swirling his tongue, rubbing with his entire face. I rocked against him, pushing down against his hand, trying to get more pressure on my clit.
So good. I couldn’t stop wriggling against him, trying to push myself over the edge.
He pulled back enough to nip and nibble around my pussy, making me growl at him with frustration. I’d been so close—
I felt him smile as he worked his mouth up the crack of my ass. I jolted with shock as his tongue circled and teased.
“Yeah,” Chris growled. “Eat her ass like you ate that cake earlier.”
Goosebumps rippled up and down my arms and I quivered, drowning in sensation. I had no idea he’d be willing to do such a thing.
Let alone that it’d feel so fucking good.
Dark and dirty but dangerously delicious at the same time. I couldn’t stop quivering, moaning and shaking beneath the onslaught. His fingers pushed inside me, while his tongue teased my asshole. Everything tightened inside me, a brutal tsunami that threatened to turn the entire hotel into rubble around me.
Climax rippled through me. I bucked and heaved beneath him, trying to stifle my scream against the mattress. It went on and on, an endless rolling wave of pleasure that pulled me to the bottom of the ocean and left me a quivering, boneless, limp mess.
Kaleb gathered me close, smoothing my hair back out of my face. He curled around me, stroking my back. “Shhh,” he whispered against my ear. “I’ve got you. Sleep now, Shelby. Rest your eyes. Let me rock you to sleep, safe in my arms.”
I couldn’t have opened my eyes even if the hotel was on fire. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. I knew they would carry me to safety. I didn’t have to walk or think or worry about a thing.
Not here. Not with them.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been asleep or what time it was. It was still dark, at least as dark as it could be with city lights shining into the room.
“What’s wrong?” Chris whispered, pulling my gaze to where he still sat in the chair.
“What time is it?”
“About two AM. You’ve got another couple of hours of sleep.”
Frowning, I lifted my head, focusing on the shadowed corner where he sat. “You didn’t sleep.”
He leaned forward so I could see his face. He held the camera in his hands. “I couldn’t take my eyes off such a beautiful scene. I didn’t want to miss a single moment.” He hesitated, his gaze flickering down my body. “I wanted to take a picture, so I could capture this moment forever, but I didn’t want to invade your privacy while you slept.”
I wasn’t sure what he found so entrancing. Kaleb was nestled against my side, his head pillowed against the curve of my breast. He’d dragged the sheet up over me at some point, but I could feel air on my naked skin. The weight of his thigh lay over mine, keeping me safe and secure.
“I don’t mind,” I whispered back.
Chris stood, lifting the camera to his face. “Close your eyes, then. Go back to sleep.”
My eyes were already heavy, fluttering closed as if unable to resist his command. “I will,” I mumbled, stretching out my other arm into the empty spot beside me. “If you’ll come lie with me too.”
I heard the click of the camera. Again. I didn’t open my eyes, even when I felt the mattress dip. He slid closer, wrapping his arms around me. I pressed my face into his chest, breathing in his scent, and I had a sudden moment of clarity, even as I drifted back to sleep.
He loved being behind the camera. Taking pictures. Because it was like sitting in the chair. Watching. While I made love with Kaleb. It was an act of voyeurism for him. A moment caught forever.
For his eyes only.
27
Shelby
A month ago, I couldn’t imagine this moment. I would have expected to be a nervous wreck, vomiting in the bathroom and terrified of making a mistake.
This morning, I had still vomited in the bathroom and again here in the staging area, trying to wretch quietly into a trash can while my guys closed ranks around me. But I wasn’t nervous.
I was absolutely calm as Isa touched up my makeup again.
Chris stood behind me, arms crossed over his chest, glaring at me in the mirror. “If you throw up again, I’m pulling the plug.”
I smiled at him. “The crackers are helping. It’s not nerves, just morning sickness.”
His eyes glittered like chips of black ice. “You look like death warmed over. I swore—”
I lifted a hand, stilling his tirade before he could start. “I’m fine. I’m not in danger. Early mornings just don’t agree with me. My stomach will settle down before the show, and Isa is working her magic so I don’t look so bad.”
She snorted, daring a quick glare up at her boss. “You could never look bad. We’ll just add a little more blush than usual to bring some color back into your cheeks.”
My serene calm continued despite the mad dash of other models around me. People rushed to their stations, throwing on fresh makeup, touching up hair, dragging on yet another outfit, while designers frantically clipped loose threads or pinned up hems. None of it touched me.
We only had three dresses to worry about, and I knew full well that Mr. Overachiever Perfectionist had every thread clipped and hem perfectly even. Everett had gotten us here early thanks to his careful scheduling. We had plenty of time, even when my stomach finally settled enough to growl with real hunger.
Naturally, Everett had arranged for a plethora of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks for everyone on our team. I polished off a huge bagel while Carsen did my hair.
Half an hour left. My stomach gurgled happily, and my nerves were steeled and steady. The twins clowned and joked, making us all laugh. Even Chris started to enjoy himself. Once I finally convinced him I was feeling better, his grim menace softened to merely grumpy.
I caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the mirror. “Paolo!”
“Welcome to New York!” Our photographer shook hands with Chris and then took my hand, bowing low and kissing the back of my hand like I was royalty. “Ms. Kent, please let me introduce my friend, Alice Wong.”
Carsen turned the chair around so I could properly greet them, though he continued pinning my hair into the complicated design Chris wanted.
Chris shook hands with the woman. “Thank you so much for giving us the opportun
ity to steal a few minutes of your time slot today.”
“Not at all,” Alice replied warmly. “Paolo has nothing but praises for your work, so I’m thrilled to see what you show today. Ms. Kent, you are indeed as beautiful as he promised.”
I blushed, especially when Paolo kissed my hand again, murmuring, “Magnifica.”
“Actually, I’ll be changing my name soon. Please call me Shelby.”
“Of course, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Shelby,” Alice replied. “Have you started production yet?”
Chris and Everett immediately launched into a discussion of factories and warehouses and costs that made my head spin.
“Let’s get you into the first dress,” Carsen said.
My heart leaped, my pulse fluttering a moment. This was it. The moment we’d been working so hard for. I stood and slipped out of the robe, only slightly embarrassed to be changing clothes out in the open. Other models had been changing, tits out and some going commando, all morning. At least I wore Chris’ signature lingerie.
Isa and Sagarika carefully slid the red velvet dress over my head, while Carsen made sure my hair stayed put. They started to zip up the dress and I had a moment of panic when the zipper caught midway up.
My boobs. They must have grown again.
I opened my mouth to wail Chris’ name, but Derek stepped closer. His palms closed over my breasts, and all thought flew from my head.
“I’ve got this.” He chuckled, bending down to whisper in my ear. “At last, something I’m good at. Let me hold this precious cargo so they can fix the zipper.”
He squeezed and flattened my breasts, giving the team enough room to zip the dress up the rest of the way. I leaned into him, tipping my mouth up to his. “My hero.”
“Motherfucker,” Chris growled. “I turn my back for a second and you’re groping my model.”
Derek rubbed his lips against mine and straightened. “Wardrobe malfunction. All fixed now. You should really have a talk with the designer.”
