Hunter squeezed her hand again and ran his other hand up her arm. There was such a myriad of feelings racing around her body, Stella couldn’t even identify half of them. Many years had passed since she’d been single and receiving attention from men. Her body thrummed as adrenaline pumped through her veins, while her tummy seemed to be constantly flipping between excited butterflies and nervous apprehension. Her heart raced every time one of them touched her, sending tingles dancing all over her skin, and her lips itched to be kissed. Squeezing her pelvic floor muscles didn’t help relieve the dull, insistent longing between her thighs. If anything it made it worse. Every time Ben gazed into her eyes or Hunter stroked her cheek a jolt would surge through her, pooling warmth in her pussy and coiling her desire tighter.
Ben loved the mixture of shy innocence and independence he sensed in Stella. One minute she would laugh and joke with them and the next she seemed nervous and inexperienced. She had a story waiting to be told, he would bet on it. How many women started fresh, with nothing, in Sydney, in their mid-thirties? What had she been doing for the last fifteen years to have landed in Sydney with no money?
As far as he was concerned, they’d struck gold. Stella was perfect for them both and he could tell by the way Hunter looked at her, reacted to her, that he felt the same way. It didn’t happen often, that they were both attracted to the same woman, but it did happen. They’d loved women before and it hadn’t caused any problems. In fact, it’d been great and was now the preferred type of relationship for them both, if they could find the right woman. Unfortunately, two men looking to hook up with one woman wasn’t as easy as it sounded. The circumstances had to be perfect and often they weren’t.
“So how’d you guys meet? You live around here, too?” Stella asked.
“We’ve know each other for nearly twenty years,” Ben said.
“It’s been a really long twenty years,” Hunter joked, winking at Ben. “We live within walking distance but usually catch a cab home.”
Stella smiled and her eyes lit up, her whole face radiated happiness, and Ben’s heart melted. He wanted to kiss her cheek, she looked so sweet. “And what do you do?” she asked looking interested.
“We met at uni and started investing in property. We renovate and sell on,” Ben said. “What’s your new job?”
“It’s reception and P.A. for a guy at Trina’s work. It should be really interesting, diverse duties.” Stella frowned for a second. “So, you guys live together?”
Ben studied her face. It looked as though she was genuinely curious and not judging them. They’d lived together since the beginning, and sharing the same massive house in one of the best leafy green suburbs worked well for them. They were within close proximity to each other to discuss business anytime and set up a spare bedroom as a home-office.
Hunter had said something unusual a few weeks ago about settling down with a woman and committing to a house. Ben hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but Hunter’s words kept creeping back into his mind. The idea of being stable and having a woman live with them did appeal to him.
“Yeah, we always have,” Ben answered honestly. Looking into Hunter’s eyes as he smiled back at him, his belly flipped over. It seemed incredible that after all these years, a smile from Hunter and he turned to Jell-O.
“Let’s dance. I love this one,” Hunter said, jumping up.
When Stella danced she moved gracefully, and he’d been mesmerised by her hips sashaying to the music. Hunter definitely had a soft spot for her. He had that look in his eyes that Ben had seen only a couple of times before.
Between dances, they’d been impressed by her quick wit and easy smile. Her moments of insecurity were obvious as she flushed and ducked her head, and they really endeared her to him. He suddenly wondered if she was too sweet to take home. He didn’t want to scare her. If they needed to take it slowly, then he was pretty sure Hunter would sense that too and be prepared to wait.
Surprising him a little, Trina and Rob had made moves to leave and Stella had decided to stay. Trina insisted on chatting with Stella in private and came back to the table with a smile on her face, apparently satisfied with whatever it was Stella had said.
She pointed a finger at them both sternly and said, “You’d better look after her and make sure she gets in a taxi.”
Nodding, both he and Hunter thought that she’d finished but she took a breath and carried on, “And I want your mobile numbers.”
Hunter sat up straighter and, despite his dislike of taking work phone calls, he was the smooth talker of the two of them. Ben tended to shoot first and ask questions later but Hunter had a calming manner that made people feel secure. He looked at Trina and pulled out his mobile. “Absolutely, we’ll treat her like a princess. What’s your number?”
He tapped it in and rung Trina so that she had his number in her phone. He then said, “Don’t worry, we’ll look after Stella. She’s told us she’s just arrived in Sydney. So we know not to let her go wandering off on her own.” Hunter had winked at Stella then. Her smile and blush sent a stirring to his balls.
Trina seemed reassured by his words and genuine smile because she nodded once and kissed Stella on the cheek, saying, “Okay, babe? Be good. Call me if you need anything. Are you sure you want to stay out?”
Stella nodded and grinned at Trina. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. It’s been years since I’ve been out and I’m having fun.”
Understanding, Trina nodded at her and squeezed her tightly before heading off.
Now, at ten to twelve, they were thinking about making a move, too. Dancing back to the table, Stella’s face glowed with enthusiasm and she finished off her drink in a quick, head-tipping knock back. Looking between them she said, “I have had the best night. Thank you so much. I never expected to have so much fun. You guys made the night for me.” Leaning down she pecked them each on the cheek and went to sit opposite them on the other side of the table.
Ben’s hand shot out, caught her wrist and pulled her back to his lap. “The night isn’t over by a long shot. Want to come back to ours for a nightcap?” With his heart beating hard, he held his breath, waiting for her answer. He could see Hunter’s knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists, also waiting with bated breath.
Chapter Five
Stella hesitated. Did she want to go back to their place? Well, obviously the answer was, fuck yeah. The real decision was, should she go back to their place? Was it wise to go home with two men who were virtual strangers? Probably not. Did she really want the two of them to fuck her senseless? Yes. More than almost anything, she wanted that to happen.
She could feel the tension in Ben, his body rigid. He might even be holding his breath, waiting for her answer. Hunter gazed at her, his face cheerful and open, but she could tell he also waited for her answer.
It’d been so long since she’d felt desired and there was no better way to break a drought than with two men, right? When would an opportunity like this ever present itself again? It might be the only time in her life that two men ask her to go home with them. It would be an experience missed if she didn’t give it a go. In fact, she would be doing herself an injustice, just like Trina said, if she missed the once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience two men at once. The alcohol dulled her inhibitions and bolstered her confidence just enough for her to throw caution to the wind and say, “Yes.”
Stella giggled as Ben squeezed her. “We’ll look after you, in more ways than one.”
Hunter was on his feet and Ben stood with her still in his arms. As her feet touched the floor, Hunter joined in and they both hugged her enthusiastically. “Let’s get a cab,” Hunter said with laughter in his voice.
A ripple of excitement ran through Stella as she remembered she’d left Kevin. It was a bit like having a weight lifted off her shoulders, and every now and then, she remembered that she didn’t ever have to see him again, sleep with him again, or have any contact whatsoever. She couldn’t have been happier, a
nd the idea that these two kind, handsome men wanted to spend time with her was incredible. She quickly texted Trina to let her know what was happening and included the boys’ address so she didn’t panic.
Openmouthed and turning in circles, Stella couldn’t believe the size of the guys’ place. When they’d driven up, she thought the huge house must be four townhouses on the inside. No way would two people need a place this big. Everything looked very modern and sculpted. There was little chance you could maintain even the small bit of the garden she could see in the dark without a gardener conscientiously pruning everything back into straight lines.
From the massive entranceway she noticed a very masculine lounge off to the left with big flat screen TV and dark blue furniture. Glancing in the other direction, she could see through to what she guessed was a sun room and atrium.
“What is this place?” she asked in wonder.
Hunter nodded but Ben answered. “It’s our home and work. We use a couple of the spare bedrooms as our offices.”
“Oh.” It was all she could think to say and then a question popped into her mind. “Does anyone else live here?”
“Only us,” Hunter answered, “but we were thinking about getting a puppy.”
“No, we weren’t,” Ben said with a laugh. “You want a puppy, I want a cat.”
They both looked at Stella like she could settle the discussion, but she raised her hands in defeat. “Don’t put me in the middle of your cat dog dilemma.” She laughed at them. “Can’t you get both? If you bring them up together, won’t they be friends?”
Both men were momentarily lost for words. Obviously that idea hadn’t occurred to them, Stella thought. Then Hunter said, “Perfect. Great idea. Why didn’t we think of that?”
“I’ll grab drinks,” Ben said, shaking his head as he headed up a long hall, chuckling.
“Come on,” Hunter said, grabbing her hand with a smile. “I’ll show you round.”
Ben joined them at the first corner with a wine and two beers. Handing them over he said, “I love this sun room. We designed the split roof to give both shade and sun. You can press the remote and a cover slides over the glass to shade the entire room, or the roof on the covered side is actually blinds that turn and let in fresh air and more sunlight.”
Stella loved the entire house. The kitchen seemed to be designed for entertaining with an open plan leading to a massive dining table and then out the back. Hunter waved his arm out towards the backyard. “I want to put a deck out here and a pool. We’ve decided not to sell this place on, so we can add all the extra touches that we wouldn’t normally put in.”
This is surreal, Stella thought as she let herself be pulled up the stairs. They led her down a wide hallway that had at least four well-spaced-apart doors on either side. “All of these rooms are designed to be bedrooms and bathrooms. Living downstairs and sleeping upstairs, but we’ve turned these two into offices.” Ben pointed to two doors as they passed before he paused at the end. Releasing her hand, he opened the door and stepped in.
Suddenly nervous and a little overwhelmed, Stella hesitated at the door. Her heart rate sped up as fear threatened to take over. What the fuck had she been thinking? She hadn’t slept with anyone other than Kevin, ever. What made her think she’d be able to do this? Wiping her hands down her sides because they’d become damp and sticky, she glanced around like a fugitive looking for an escape.
Hunter glanced back at her and smiled. Holding out his hand, he said gently, “Come on, Stella, it’s all right. You should see the en suite to this room. Want a Jacuzzi?”
With apprehension running through her belly, Stella took Hunter’s hand and let him lead her in. The room glowed with warm light from bedside lamps on either side of the biggest bed she’d ever seen. The drapes, bedspread and a comfy-looking chair in the corner were all burgundy. The rest of the room and the thick, soft carpet were cream. Stella loved the combination. Despite her internal turmoil, the room felt warm and welcoming. Ben jumped and landed in the middle of the bed with a laugh. He lounged on his side and grinned at her. “Reckon we’ll all fit?”
Stella could feel her face warming and ducked her head. How had she managed to get herself into this situation? The warm glow from the alcohol receded and her confidence deserted her. This proved how stupid and inexperienced she was. As far as dumb ideas went, going home with two men was a really good one and she had no idea how to get out of it.
Her tummy flip-flopped and her breathing became rapid, oh fuck. Suddenly they were there, holding her, stroking her. “Stella, it’s okay. What’s wrong?” Both men’s faces were etched with concern.
“I… I…I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” she whispered on the verge of tears.
Leading her over to the bed, they sat her down. Hunter kneeled down in front of her on the floor with a hand on her knee while Ben sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Hunter asked kindly, “Stella?”
Pressing her hands to her belly and taking a deep breath, Stella just let it all bubble out of her mouth, “Oh fuck, I am so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve been in a bad marriage for nearly twenty years. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with two of you. I shouldn’t have said yes. I’ve let you down and I have no idea, I’m useless. I should just go.”
Both men gazed at her intently and she wished the bed would open up and swallow her. A tear slid down her cheek and she flinched violently as Ben cupped her chin and wiped it away with his thumb. The unanticipated, tender gentleness caught her off guard. Sadly, for a split second, she’d expected a slap. More tears followed down her cheeks as years of being cold and hard, hiding her feelings, and being so alone came pouring out. These two nice guys didn’t need her blue mood bringing them all down. “Sorry, sorry. Please, can I just call a cab and go?”
Ben looked cross and Stella cowered into herself a little, worried that he might start yelling. But instead, he studied her face and said quietly, “You flinched when I went to wipe your tears.”
Stella didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t asked her a question, he’d made a statement. She suspected they both knew the reason why she’d flinched.
Hunter nodded and squeezed her knee. “You can go, Stell. We want you to stay but we won’t keep you.” He stood up. “Come into the bathroom and rinse your face. Run some cold water over your wrists and I’ll get you a washer.”
Gratefully agreeing, Stella stood up and followed Hunter into the bathroom with Ben close behind. She swallowed as she walked into an en suite the size of Trina’s lounge room with the massive tub in the middle. It reminded her of pictures she’d seen on the internet. Never having actually been on a holiday, she often fantasized by looking up destinations and hotels online.
All her troubles momentarily forgotten, she said, “Oh my, this is nice.”
Resting on the edge of the tub and wiping away her makeup and tears with a cool washer calmed her enough to laugh and say, “What a mess I am. Sorry to ruin your evening.”
Ben stroked her thigh and said, “Seriously, it’s fine. Don’t go, though. Just because you don’t want to… you know…” Stella laughed when he waggled his eyebrows before carrying on. “Well anyway, we can still get in the Jacuzzi if you want.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Stella really did want to get in the tub but didn’t want to waste their time or be a nuisance if she wasn’t going to be putting out. Besides, she thought being naked with them sounded like a bad idea. They’d been so nice. She changed her mind and said, “No, actually, I’ll just go so that you can get on with whatever.”
Hunter walked around and turned the taps on while Ben swung open a tall linen closet and started pulling out towels. He turned with a triumphant smile. “Look, my sister Kate’s bike pants and singlet top. She left them last time she stayed. You can wear them in the tub if you want.”
Stella thought that her legs might have given out if she’d been standing. Her head swam with confusion. When did gu
ys become thoughtful and understanding? How kind of Ben, she thought, to offer her something to cover up. He’d correctly read her apprehension and vulnerability and considered her feelings without making a big deal out of it.
“Okay, umm… thanks, then yes.” Her voice sounded hoarse after all her tears and before she’d even had the thought, Hunter passed her a glass of water to drink.
Handing her the clothes, Ben said, “We’ll get changed and be back.”
Stella quickly changed and ran her hand through the water. Adjusting the taps and adding a little of the scented soap on the edge, she sighed with a little smile. Could she have finally met two of those fabled nice guys that she’d read about? These men genuinely seemed to want to have a good time regardless of whether or not she put out. They didn’t seem at all perturbed by her breakdown. All she could do was wait and trust her instincts. Time would tell.
Hunter watched Ben change into his boardies and admired how fit he looked. Muscles rippled down his back as he stretched and Hunter made a silent resolution to hit the gym more often. He glanced down at his own abs to reassure himself that in reality he was fine, but he had to work at it. Ben seemed to build muscle reading the bloody paper.
The competition between the two of them had always been fierce, friendly but fierce, and it was why they succeeded in business and as friends and lovers. They pushed each other and both knew that, in the other, they’d met their mental and physical match. Their relationship thrived on having a worthy opponent to compete against. Where Hunter would excel in one area, Ben would exceed expectations in another. With different strengths, they complemented each other, often joking that together they made the perfect person.
As Ben straightened, Hunter stepped forward and pulled the broader man to him. Standing eye to eye and nose to nose with Ben, Hunter savoured the moment together. He whispered, “I love you,” before gently kissing him.
His cock stiffened as Ben slipped his arms up his back and gripped his shoulders while his tongue swept through Hunter’s mouth. Groaning when Ben’s erection pressed against him, Hunter gripped his butt and squeezed, wishing he had time to bend him over the sink and release the building pressure in his balls.
Saving Stella [Sequel to Tying Trina] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 3
