Caught by Cupid: Overheard

by Maya Banks

  “Fire’s built,” Luke said from the doorway.

  She turned to see him leaning against the doorframe, watching her and Wes. She uncurled her legs and stood up beside the bed. Wes got up as well, and they walked out of the bedroom into the living room.

  She curled onto the couch directly in front of the fireplace and sighed in pleasure. To her surprise, Luke sat down beside her and pushed her chest down to the cushions. He pulled her arms behind her back and tied them with the same rope he’d used the previous night.

  “Totally and completely at our mercy,” he murmured.

  She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth against the tide of desire rolling over her body.

  Luke stood up and pulled her up to stand beside him. He guided her around to the side of the couch then bent her, belly down, over the arm of the sofa. Her feet left the floor, and her cheek rested against the soft material of the couch. Her ass was in the air, vulnerable.

  She heard the jingle—of a belt? Seconds later, she felt the sting of leather across her buttocks. She gasped and squirmed. She had no idea who was administering the spanking.

  Again the slap of the belt, the sound of it striking flesh, the delicious burn across her ass. After the fourth stroke, she panted for breath. After the fifth and six, she was begging. After the seventh, she felt hands smooth over her burning ass. Fingers curled roughly around her thighs and spread them.

  A cock nudged then rammed into her. Wes. Oh God. He wasn’t as gentle as he’d been earlier. Maybe he knew now she could accommodate his size. He thrust hard, sending her spiraling into a world of unbelievable pleasure and the thrill of erotic pain.

  He paused for a moment, so tightly wedged into her that she couldn’t move if she wanted. Then he forced himself deeper and she cried out.

  He slipped from her body, and Luke slid into her, immediately replacing Wes. He squeezed and kneaded her ass cheeks as he thrust into her again and again. Then he slapped her butt with his hand, and she yelped. The skin, so sensitive from the belt, tingled and singed under his hand. He rode her harder, spurred on by her cries. His hand rained down again and again until she sobbed her release. And still he continued.

  Unbelievably, her body reacted to his demands. She felt herself climb toward another orgasm even as tears streaked down her cheeks from the first.

  Then Luke stopped. He smacked her ass one more time before pulling out.

  “No!” she cried out. They couldn’t stop now. Not when she was so close again.

  She heard a chuckle and wasn’t sure who it came from. Then she felt her ass being spread, the cool lubricant soothing over her anus. She trembled from head to toe. Wes stepped between her legs. She recognized his touch. Oh God, surely he wasn’t going to take her ass.

  “We’re going to take this nice and slow, Gracie girl,” Wes said soothingly. “You’re going to take all of me.”

  She closed her eyes as he positioned his cock and pushed forward. Slowly, the pressure agonizing. Pleasure ripped through her abdomen even as the pinch of pain unsettled her. It was a heady combination.

  The couch dipped and Luke picked up her head and slid underneath her. He fisted his cock in his hand and curled his other hand into her hair. He slipped his cock between her lips just as Wes plunged into her ass.

  The momentum carried her forward, forcing Luke’s dick deep into her mouth. The tightness in her ass was nearly unbearable. Then Wes smacked her cheek with his hand and she bucked against him.

  “I’m going to ride you now, Gracie,” Wes said as he began moving within her. “I’m going to ride your ass while Luke fucks your pretty mouth.”

  Gracie closed her eyes, her body tightening and spasming uncontrollably at Wes’ erotic language. She was wild with need. She wanted more. She was helpless between them, unable to move. Her body was theirs to do with what they wanted, and she loved it.

  They fucked her mouth and her ass, foregoing their earlier gentle style. This was raw sex, hard, sweaty, the kind she’d dreamed about. They were unrelenting as they made demands of her body. They owned her, they used her, and she never wanted it to stop.

  She cried out, but Luke thrust deeply into her mouth, halting all attempt at making sound. She closed her eyes, squeezed them tightly shut as her body splintered and broke apart under their relentless assault.

  The wet, sucking sounds of their fucking filled the room. Luke’s hand wound tightly in her hair, pulling her head closer to his groin. Then Wes grunted behind her and let out a shout as he came.

  “Swallow it, Gracie,” Luke murmured. “I want you to swallow it all.”

  He moaned and jerked against the back of her throat then flooded her mouth with his cum. She sucked greedily, wanting to please him in a way she’d never wanted to please a man.

  Wes carefully withdrew from her quivering body as Luke finished in her mouth. Wes reached over to untie her hands, and Luke pulled her into his arms.

  She lay on his chest, eyes closed, too worn out to form a coherent thought. Luke hugged her closer as he stood, lifting her with him. He carried her into the bathroom and started the shower.

  He washed her gently, taking care with the tender parts of her body. When he was finished, he wrapped her in a towel and carried her to bed.

  She burrowed into his chest and was vaguely aware of Wes spooning against her back. Gentle hands soothed over her skin, petting and caressing her. She yawned and allowed herself to drift away.

  Chapter Twelve

  Gracie opened her eyes, a smile on her face. She sighed and snuggled a little deeper into the covers. It was dark outside, so she’d been sleeping for several hours at least. The guys were gone. Probably in the kitchen since they seemed so determined to take care of her this weekend.

  She kicked off the covers and flexed her toes. Lord, but she was sore. Deliciously so. Her body felt heavy and languid, the kind of feeling you could only get from deep-seated contentment.

  She pulled on her jeans and her sweater, not bothering with a bra. Chances were she wouldn’t have her clothes on long enough to worry about anyway.

  She walked out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. She could hear the guys talking in low voices and smiled. As she got closer, she stopped in her tracks. She kept out of sight and listened to the conversation unfold in the kitchen.

  “I have to admit, when you came up with this idea, I was skeptical,” Wes said. “I wondered if you’d really heard Gracie right.”

  Gracie wrinkled her brow. What on earth was he talking about?

  “You don’t think that now, though,” Luke said with a laugh.

  Wes chuckled. “Hell no. It’s obvious she really wanted this. It’s too bad you didn’t overhear her a lot sooner.”

  “I doubt she and Michelle discuss it that much,” Luke said. “Gracie’s a private person. If she hadn’t just broken up with dipshit, I doubt she would have said anything at all.”

  “You’re probably right. Still, it worked out great. You were able to set up this entire weekend, and I think she really enjoyed it.”

  Luke laughed again. “See, there are advantages to eavesdropping. Gracie would kill me if she knew I’d listened to her conversation, but it worked out great in the end.”

  Gracie’s mouth fell open and a wave of humiliation rolled over her with the speed of a Mack truck. She could barely process what the conversation meant. She was too busy trying to control the burning in her cheeks.

  The whole thing had been an elaborate set-up because Luke had overheard her talking to Michelle about her fantasies?

  She didn’t even realize she’d stumbled into the kitchen until Wes and Luke looked up at her. Guilt flashed in Luke’s eyes, and hurt washed over her again.

  “Gracie…” Luke began.

  She held a hand up, trying to control the shaking. She’d already made a big enough ass of herself. Oh God, when she remembered all they’d done, she just wanted to bury herself in the ground.

  “Is that all this was?” she said in a trem
bling voice. “Were you two just cashing in on my fantasies? You see a way to have a good time at my expense? You are supposed to be my best friends.”

  “God, Gracie, no, you can’t think that,” Wes protested.

  They both started toward her and she shrank back. Her bottom lip trembled and she bit down, ignoring the pain.

  “I thought…I thought this week happened because you cared about me,” she said painfully, her gaze focused on Luke. “I feel like such an idiot. Why the games? Why the elaborate charade? Why let me fall in love with you if none of this was real?”

  “Gracie, you have to listen to me,” Luke said desperately.

  She spun away, grabbing the keys from the coffee table.

  “Gracie, wait!”

  She ignored him and ran from the house as fast as she could. She hurled herself into his truck and locked the doors even as she jammed the key in the ignition.

  Luke ran out of the house toward the truck, shouting her name. He tried to open the door as she began to back up.

  “Damn it, Gracie, don’t go!”

  She rammed her bare foot on the accelerator and gunned the engine. When she’d backed far enough out of the drive, she threw it into drive and whipped around.

  She raced down the highway, her embarrassment so acute she wanted to curl up and die. If you looked up ass in the dictionary, there had to be a picture of her.

  A tear slid down her cheek and she wiped angrily at it. Could she have misread the situation any more? She’d just made the biggest fool of herself ever. With guys she considered her best friends on earth. Guys she couldn’t even look in the face anymore.

  The forty-five minute drive back home seemed interminable. She’d been stupid to take Luke’s truck. She’d be lucky if he didn’t have her arrested. But then she’d done a lot of stupid things in the past week.

  She drove up to her house and parked Luke’s truck next to her car. She left the keys in it, knowing he’d come by looking for it. She went inside long enough to get a pair of shoes and her jacket then she got into her car and took off.

  She was being hysterical and unreasonable. She knew that much. She’d carried on like a complete nitwit, but she’d been so humiliated to learn the real reason why Luke had gotten close to her.

  She drove with no real sense of direction until she found a quiet, secluded place to park. She needed to calm down, start acting rationally again. Again. Ha. She hadn’t acted rationally in months.

  Her first mistake was going out with Keith. She’d only compounded that mistake by allowing herself to fall in love with her best friend. Her third mistake had been thinking he had feelings for her beyond those of friendship.

  She wasn’t going to cry. Even though she felt the sting of tears, she was determined not to give in. She’d already made a big enough ninny of herself.

  She sat there, staring at the sky, numb. For several hours. Luke would have his truck back by now. He and Wes would be home, probably wondering what the fuck her problem was.

  Emitting a weary sigh, she started the engine and drove slowly toward the main road. She instinctively headed for Michelle’s. It was late. Or early depending on your point of view, and she hated to disturb her friend’s sleep, but she needed a shoulder to cry on in the worst way. This whole stiff upper lip was getting old fast.

  It was nearly four in the morning when she pulled into Michelle’s driveway. She turned off the engine and slowly got out. Before she closed the door, she saw Jeremy hurry down the steps and stride across the lawn toward her.

  She trudged toward him, and he held his arms open to her. He caught her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.

  “We’ve been worried sick about you, Gracie. Come on in. I’ll make you some hot chocolate.”

  She smiled gratefully at him. “I’m sorry, Jeremy. I didn’t mean to worry y’all. Especially not Michelle.”

  “Luke and Wes are worried too,” Jeremy said quietly. “I need to call and let them know you’re okay.”

  Gracie stiffened.

  “Gracie, Luke is frantic. He’s worried something happened to you. I’m just going to call and tell him you’re all right.”

  She nodded, guilt creeping over her.

  Once inside, Michelle hurried over and hugged her tightly. Then she dragged her over to the couch and made her sit down.

  “What on earth happened?” Michelle demanded.

  Gracie sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. “I made an ass of myself. That’s what happened.”

  Jeremy returned and pressed a hot cup of chocolate into her hands.

  “Thanks,” she said.

  Jeremy sat down on the other side of Gracie and put a comforting hand on her leg. “Tell us what happened, Gracie.”

  She flushed and set her cup down on the coffee table. “Apparently Luke overheard our conversation,” she said to Michelle. “The one about my fantasies.”

  “Ohhh,” Michelle said, her eyes wide.

  “And apparently he wanted to fulfill those fantasies for me. He asked me out and we spent the week together. I thought he was interested in me. I confided those fantasies in him and he arranged this weekend. Wes was a surprise.”

  She broke off and ducked her head in embarrassment when Michelle’s eyes widened further in shock.

  “You mean, you and Luke and Wes?”

  “Yeah,” Gracie muttered.

  “You’re angry with them for not telling you they knew?” Jeremy asked in a confused voice.

  Gracie sighed. “I’m not angry with them,” she said quietly. “I’m angry with me. And I’m so humiliated I want to just find a hole to crawl in.”

  “Oh honey,” Michelle said. She reached over and squeezed Gracie’s hand. “Why on earth should you be embarrassed?”

  “I just wish Luke had been up front. Told me from the beginning that this was about sex. Instead he made me believe…he made me believe he cared about me. He made me fall in love with him,” she said miserably. “And all along it was just a game. His heart was in the right place. I know he’s never approved of the men I’ve slept with. He wanted to give me a weekend I’d remember. I understand that.”

  Michelle wrapped her arms around her and hugged tight.

  “I let my mouth get ahead of my brain again, and I basically blurted out that I loved him. Just before I ran like a scalded cat. Now I’ve got them both mad at me because of a huge misunderstanding. One I perpetuated. I guess in a way, I wanted it to be the truth. I wanted Luke to love me.”

  “Are you so sure he doesn’t?” Jeremy spoke up.

  She nodded, tears burning holes in her eyelids. “I heard him and Wes talking. And Luke’s never said anything to make me believe he cares for me beyond a friend. I just got wrapped up in the whole going out thing and confused sex with love. You’d think I was twelve years old or something.”

  She bowed her head as hot tears splashed onto her arm. “I screwed up.”

  Jeremy gently nudged her chin up with his knuckle until she looked him in the eye. “Don’t blame yourself, honey. There are two grown men who are as big a part in this as you are. I don’t know what the hell happened, but I don’t think we have the full story here.”

  Gracie leaned forward and hugged Jeremy. “I’m sorry to put you in this position. They’re your friends too. I just needed to come by and talk to Michelle.”

  He hugged her back and stroked her hair soothingly. “You’re always welcome here, Gracie. Michelle and I love you. Nothing will change that.”

  “Of course not,” Michelle said firmly.

  “I should get home,” Gracie said as she pulled away from Jeremy.

  “You’re not going home in your condition,” Jeremy said. “You look exhausted. It’s four o’clock in the morning. You can crash on the couch and go home after you’ve rested.”

  “I’m too tired to argue,” Gracie said.

  Michelle stood up. “I’ll get you some pillows and a blanket. We’ll talk more in the morning when you’re feeling better.” />
  “Thanks, Chelle. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

  Michelle hugged her again then hurried toward the closet down the hall. She returned a few minutes later with the linens.

  Gracie took them gratefully and made a comfortable spot on the couch. Jeremy and Michelle said their goodnights and disappeared into their bedroom.

  Gracie sank wearily onto the couch and pulled the covers up to her chin. Dummy, dummy, dummy. She closed her eyes. She was even too tired to further castigate herself.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Luke pulled up to Jeremy and Michelle’s house and parked beside Gracie’s car. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon when he mounted the steps to the front porch.

  Before he could knock, Jeremy opened the door and motioned for him to be quiet. He followed Jeremy inside and saw Gracie sound asleep on the couch.

  “She’s wiped out,” Jeremy whispered. “She was pretty upset when she got here.”

  Luke raked a hand through his hair and swore under his breath. What a mess. His gaze drifted back to Gracie, drinking in her appearance. He’d been so goddamn worried when she’d tore off in his truck. He and Wes had driven the entire way home afraid they’d find her wrecked on the side of the road.

  “I’m going back to bed with my wife,” Jeremy said. “I don’t know what all is going on between you and Gracie, but I know she’s hurting.”

  “Thanks for calling me,” Luke said softly.

  “No problem. I know how worried you were about her.”

  Luke watched as Jeremy left the room and then he went to kneel beside the couch where Gracie lay. His chest tightened when he saw the evidence of her tears. Tenderly, he stroked her hair away from her cheek then he leaned forward and kissed her lips.

  God, he didn’t like to see her hurting. He never had. She had a way of twisting him up on the inside that no other woman had ever managed to do.

  He hated to wake her up. God knew she could use the sleep. So could he. But they had to talk. He had to make her understand.

  “Gracie,” he whispered. “Gracie, sweetheart, wake up.”