Forbidden Legacy

by Mari Carr

  “That’s not true. Dammit, Michael. I’ve already shared far too much with you. Protecting the Trinity Masters’ privacy at all costs is the first and foremost duty of the Grand Master. I take that responsibility very seriously. If I think there’s a threat—no matter how small—I will thoroughly investigate and shut it down.”

  “Our privacy?” While Jonathan had appeared angry, nothing the man had said led Michael to believe he’d reveal the Trinity Masters. Jonathan was upset, not insane. Revealing the organization was the quickest way to complete and utter ruin. Besides, Jonathan had said it himself—he’d held his tongue about his suspicions regarding the accident and the fire because no one would believe him in his grieving state. Yet Michael knew Harrison, knew his friend didn’t speak without carefully choosing his words. Harrison perceived a threat. “What’s going on?”

  “Trust me, Michael. Please.”

  Michael picked up a pen and tapped it against the surface of his desk. He wanted to press the issue, but Harrison had given him as much as he was going to get today. “Fine.”

  Harrison glanced at his watch. “I need to return to campus. I have a meeting in an hour. Are you free tomorrow evening?”

  Michael nodded, perfectly aware that Harrison was anxious to see Alexis again, to press their suit. He’d been able to think of little else since their rendezvous in the doctor’s lounge two days earlier.

  “Very good. I’ll call Alexis this afternoon to see if she’ll have dinner with us.” Harrison walked to the door. Before he opened it, he turned to look at Michael. “If I need help, Michael, I will ask you.”

  Michael nodded. It wasn’t exactly the answer he wanted, but for now, it would have to suffice. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Goodbye.”

  Michael stared at the surface of his desk for several minutes, seeing nothing. His thoughts whirled as a ball of ice formed in his chest. Harrison’s silence cut like a knife, felt like a betrayal.

  He clenched a fist as the pressure built. He needed…

  Needed.

  He recalled Alexis’s face in the doctor’s lounge. She’d let the pain grow until she’d had to find an outlet or face falling apart. She had turned to them.

  Michael picked up his phone and dialed his secretary. “Please find Dr. Jenner and have her report to my office immediately.”

  He hung up, a smile emerging. He and Alexis had different definitions of immediately. She hated being summoned, so she’d make him wait. Michael glanced at his watch and then leaned back in his chair, anticipating her arrival.

  Twenty-three minutes passed before he heard a knock at his door.

  He wondered if she had been genuinely busy or if she’d lingered on purpose.

  “Come in.”

  Alexis opened the door, her face telling him instantly she didn’t appreciate having her work routine interrupted. She’d only taken two steps inside when he pointed to door.

  “Close and lock it.”

  She narrowed her eyes and paused. For a moment, he thought she’d refuse and storm out. Then she turned and did as he asked.

  However, she didn’t bother to walk into the room. Instead, she leaned against the door. “What do you want?”

  He crooked his finger at her. “Come here.”

  She crossed her arms, refusing to move. “I was in the middle of treating a patient, Michael. You need to respect that. I’m not about to start jumping whenever you beckon.”

  He felt the slightest twinge of guilt for his actions. He had called her for selfish reasons. “I understand that.”

  Something about his tone must have given him away, let her see too much. She walked across the room and claimed one of the chairs. “What’s wrong?”

  He didn’t want to answer, didn’t feel like explaining himself. He’d asked her to come here because he’d wanted to lose himself inside her body, distract himself from his concerns about the Trinity Masters, his annoyance at Harrison.

  “Nothing.”

  She tilted her head. “Try again.”

  “Take off your clothes.”

  She snorted, shaking her head. “You have three seconds to start talking or I’m walking out of here.”

  Her refusal triggered his dominant side, pushed the alpha male to the forefront. He’d been cut down and cast aside by Harrison. Michael wouldn’t let her dismiss him as well.

  He stood slowly. “I don’t repeat myself, Alexis.”

  She rose as well, leaning toward the desk in a manner that proved she wasn’t afraid of him. Alexis would never cower, never truly submit except in the bedroom. Ordinarily, in every sexual relationship he’d had in the past that had been his desire too.

  But today, right now, he needed someone to listen to him, to offer him more. To give him everything.

  “Listen, Michael. It’s not going to work this way. I’m not your fuck buddy or some sex toy you can pull out whenever you get horny. I agreed to this month because of my feelings for Harrison. You need to—”

  Her words sent his temper into orbit. He walked around the desk and grasped her upper arms. “Harrison isn’t the only person whose future is at stake, Alexis.”

  She tried to shake off his grip, but he held tight. “I know that, but you have to understand that you and I—”

  “You and I are as much a part of this as Harrison. The truth is this month has fuck-all to do with him.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “That’s not true and you know it. The Trinity Masters—”

  “Can go take a flying fucking leap for all I care.”

  She gasped. “What?”

  “I’m tired of jumping through hoops, going through motions like some passive little dog. Stay, sit, trust me. I can’t keep obeying blindly. I need something that’s mine, that’s real, that I choose.”

  Alexis stopped trying to get away from him. Her face softened as she lifted her hand to his cheek. The touch was more comforting than he cared to admit. He hadn’t meant to say so much.

  “So choose,” she said. “Tell me what you really want.”

  He pulled her against his chest. “I want you, Alexis. I want you to look at me the way you look at him. For you to admit that you have feelings for me too. I want you to be here because you want to be, not because you’re trying to make Harrison happy.”

  She sighed as she hugged him, her face pressed against his chest firmly. “Did you know Harrison was going to pick me as your third?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  “When?”

  He considered her question. There were two answers, but only one was correct. “Ten years ago.”

  She loosened her grip and tilted her face up to look at him. “So for the past decade, you’ve looked at me as a potential wife? As someone you could grow to love and spend your life with?”

  He’d always been aware of Alexis. Of her presence in any meeting or at faculty functions. Of her state of being—if she was tired or hungry or happy or worn-down. He’d taken stock of everything. Let it wrap itself around his consciousness until he’d fallen in love with her. “Yes.”

  “That was Harrison’s choice. Not yours.”

  He’d seen her argument coming. “Maybe it was. At first. And we could debate freewill and all that bullshit for hours, but it doesn’t change the end result. It doesn’t impact where I am right now. I want you in my life, Alexis.”

  She smiled sadly. “You’ve had ten years to imagine the possibilities between us, Michael. I’ve had less than a week.”

  Though her words made sense, they still caused his heart to ache. Then reality slammed down on him. His feelings for her hadn’t hit him like a bullet—striking him in a split second, taking him down hard. Instead, they’d grown slowly, sort of like water shaping a rock in a river, molding it incrementally over years. “A month isn’t long enough, is it?”

  She shook her head.

  “You knew that all along and yet you’re still here.”

  Alexis reached for his hand, lifted it and pressed it to her c
hest, just above her heart. “This month isn’t about love. Not really. It’s about forming relationships based on trust and respect.” Then she grinned. “And testing sexual compatibility, of course.”

  He chuckled. She may not be a member of the Trinity Masters, but she understood the logistics of the triad better than she realized. Hell, she understood it better than him.

  “And at the end of the month?”

  She blew out a long breath. “I wish I knew. I walked into the deal thinking this month would prove to me what I’ve always believed. That arranged relationships, that threesomes aren’t normal. Aren’t for me.”

  “You feel differently now?”

  She lifted one shoulder. “Sometimes I think about the three of us and I can see it working. Then there are moments—like earlier—when you act like a cocky, arrogant asshole. Those times make me want to throw you through that window behind you and I can’t imagine tying myself to you for a lifetime.”

  Michael laughed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I hate to point this out, but that sounds exactly like a normal relationship to me.”

  “Yeah. I guess it does. Do you mind if we keep the status quo for now? Honestly, I have no idea how I’m going to feel in three weeks. I’m hoping the answer will be obvious at that point.”

  “Because right now?”

  She gave him a rueful grin. “I’m totally fucked up, confused. Horny.”

  He started to act on the last, but she twisted out of his hold and took her seat again. She gestured to the chair next to her. “You’re angry at Harrison.”

  He dropped down, the tension in his neck returning. He reached up to rub out the kinks. “Yeah. I am.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  Earlier, he’d wanted nothing more than to fuck his anxiety away, but now what she offered seemed better. Real. “Something is going on in the Trinity Masters.”

  “Something bad?”

  “Yeah. I think it’s pretty bad. But Harrison won’t talk to me about it. Keeps acting like he has to shoulder all the burdens of that damn organization on his own.”

  Alexis tilted her head. “Doesn’t he? I thought that was sort of the role of the Grand Master. One almighty leader?”

  Michael shook his head. “It’s not a dictatorship, for God’s sake. There are very strict bylaws that all the members—including the Grand Master—have to follow. The rules are there to protect us and our beliefs, but they also keep the leader in check.”

  “So it’s more like a presidential role.”

  Michael enjoyed the way her eyes widened when he said, “Yeah. President Harrison Adams.”

  “President Adams?”

  Michael winked at her. “I’ll let you wonder about the family tree.”

  She pretended to be annoyed, but she let the subject pass. “So like a president, he’s allowed to have a cabinet, advisers, people like that?”

  Michael wasn’t supposed to be telling Alexis any of these things, but he was nothing if not an optimist. He refused to believe anything other than the fact Alexis was going to join the organization in a few weeks, then she would be bound to him and Harrison for the rest of their lives. “Our organization isn’t big enough to support such a top-heavy administration, but yes, the Grand Master is allowed to pull two other members into his confidence, to help him with the day-to-day running of the Trinity Masters.”

  “You’re one of those advisers?”

  He nodded.

  “And yet he’s still keeping you in the dark?”

  “Harrison’s not beholden to tell me anything. Like you said, ultimately the power to make decisions rests with him. But I can tell he’s worried about something. I’m not going to say we don’t have issues to deal with in the organization. That’s par for the course any time you get a group of diverse people together. But I’ve never seen him this uptight, nervous. Whatever is going on, it’s bad.”

  Alexis reached out and clasped his hand in hers. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine how much it must hurt for him to cut you out. But I can say that Harrison loves you. You’re the brother he never had. I genuinely believe that when push comes to shove, if he can’t handle things, he’ll turn to you.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”

  They sat quietly for a few moments, just holding hands, until Alexis said, “What did you think was going to happen when you called me up here?”

  “What makes you think my plan has changed?”

  She gave him a warning look that failed to intimidate him. Instead, it inflamed his desires once more.

  “If you try to tell me to take my clothes off again—”

  He used his grip on her hand to tug her up, cutting off any complaint she might lodge. “I’ve changed my mind.” His fingers began to work at the button on her jeans. She didn’t bother to brush them away or pretend to be annoyed. “I’m going to take your clothes off.”

  He shoved the denim over her hips and gestured for her to remove them. She toed off her shoes and then shed the jeans.

  Michael considered taking off her shirt and bra, laying her down on the couch and making love to her. God knew he wanted to be inside her more than he wanted the Celtics to win the NBA Championship.

  But Alexis wasn’t ready for the emotions that would evoke. She had admitted to needing more time to sort through her feelings. Rather than push her, he decided to expand on the concept of stress relief through sex.

  “I called because I was hoping you could distract me from all the shit going on with Harrison.”

  Her sexy smile told him she didn’t mind. She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You and Harrison made me forget about the fire, the victims, all the pain and sadness. I’m glad you called me.”

  “Hold that thought,” he said, not bothering to mask the warning.

  He led her toward the center of the room and turned her away from him. “Spread your legs, then bend over and grasp your ankles.”

  She hesitated only a second before obeying. He’d felt powerless after his meeting with Harrison, his confidence and ego taking a blow. Now Alexis was putting the power back in his hands. It solidified his feelings for her, made him love her even more.

  He walked to his desk, opened the drawer and withdrew the tube of lubrication and butt plug he’d purchased yesterday after work. He’d removed the plug from the wrapping and washed it while he’d waited for Alexis to arrive.

  “You took too long coming up here. You made me wait.”

  She started to rise at his imperious tone, but he’d anticipated the move, made sure he was close enough to keep her in place.

  “Don’t move.”

  “Don’t be an asshole.”

  He chuckled. “Ironic choice of insult.”

  She started to respond but fell silent when his finger grazed her anus. He wasn’t sure what it said about him, but knowing that he and Harrison would both claim her, take her at the same time was the dream that played over and over in his mind. Oddly enough, he’d never participated in a threesome before the doctor’s lounge a few days earlier. All of his affairs in the past had consisted of him and a female companion. He’d wanted to save the ménage for his marriage.

  Perhaps it would surprise Alexis to discover that, to realize that in this realm they were both inexperienced. He pressed the lube to her ass and squeezed the tube. She trembled slightly as the gel touched her sensitive skin. No doubt it was chilly.

  Satisfied he’d used enough, he tossed the tube to the desk. He still held the plug, but it was too soon for that. Instead, he used his free hand to work the lubrication deeper into her ass. He needed to make sure she was ready for what he was about to do. The plug was thicker than three of his fingers, so she’d definitely know it was there.

  “What’s your experience with anal play?” he asked.

  She sighed. “Honestly? This.”

  It touched him that she trusted him enough to try it with him. It also gave him hope for their future.

 
When he didn’t respond, she continued. “I haven’t dated much, Michael. You know that.”

  “I do. Work comes first.”

  Even bent over, he could see her nod.

  He needed to increase his pace or she’d get dizzy. “Well, I’m about to make your work a hell of a lot more interesting.”

  He placed the tip of the plug against her anus. She jerked forward, but her response wasn’t based on escape, rather surprise and nervousness.

  “Hold still, Alexis.”

  Her breathing became louder, more labored as he pressed the plug deeper. The lube was easing the path, but she was too tight, too new to this. She moaned softly as he pushed the flared part in. Then it was there. Lodged inside her.

  Alexis had begun to gyrate her hips, her arousal rearing its head in full force.

  He reached down and helped her rise.

  Her brow creased. She’d obviously expected more.

  “How does that feel?”

  She frowned. “Um…okay?”

  He tilted his head impatiently, her answer far from enough. “Does it hurt?”

  She shook her head quickly. “No. It’s just tight. Full.”

  “Good.” He ran his hand along her slit and his fingers were coated with her hot juices instantly. “You like it.”

  It wasn’t a question so she didn’t answer. His touch had triggered her need even more. She leaned closer, grasping his hand and pressing it against her clit.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “You want to come, Alexis?”

  She nodded. It was fascinating to watch the self-assured, take-no-prisoners woman reduced to this in the heat of the moment. He would have bet his entire income that Alexis Jenner didn’t have a submissive bone in her body. And while she put up a good fight, when he brought her to this moment, to the brink, it was beautiful to watch her give herself to him. It humbled and touched him.

  “I’m not going to fuck you.”

  She opened her mouth to complain, so he bent his head and kissed her—roughly. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and then nipped her lower lip.

  “I wouldn’t say anything if you want that orgasm.”

  She pressed her lips closed, though he could see it took some effort for her not to lambaste him.