by Vivian Wood
“So, Abby. What’s your deal?” Noah asked suddenly, leaning forward on his elbows as he stared the darker-haired cousin down.
“What do you mean? She’s fine!” Charlotte declared.
“She wants to leave. Do you have a boyfriend or something? A human?” Noah asked, watching the woman’s face contort with anger.
Abby drew herself up, pushing her chair back, and threw her napkin down with a huff.
“Ladies’ room, Char?” she intoned, staring daggers at Charlotte.
“Uh, right,” Charlotte said, rising and clearing her throat. “Right back, guys.”
Noah and Finn watched in silence as the women disappeared into the back hallway.
“Are we going to end up in a fist fight?” Finn asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
Noah raised his eyebrows, surprised at his twin’s bluntness.
“Not if I have any choice in the matter. You have a killer right hook, if I remember correctly,” Noah said.
“So, what, then? We let Charlotte choose between us?”
“That’s the way of the animal kingdom, brother.”
Finn gave Noah a deadly glare, shaking his head.
“That’s not fair of you. You’re going to stay in the game even though you’re not playing for keeps,” Finn said, looking bitter.
“Who says I’m not? And for that matter, who says you are?”
“You would sweep her off her feet, fuck her, and then leave for Cairo in the middle of the night,” Finn said, matter-of-factly. He pinned Noah with a knowing look, making angry heat rise in Noah’s cheeks.
“And you’d take her as a mate, right here on the table, huh?” Noah replied, running his fingertips around the rim of his wineglass, aiming his words to rile his brother.
“No, but at least I’d only be a few hours away. Something could blossom between us,” Finn insisted.
“I’m not traveling for a while, as it happens,” Noah said. He looked up at Finn’s flushed face, knowing that the aggression he saw there was mirrored in his own expression.
“What are you talking about?” Finn asked, giving him a bored look.
“I’m a sabbatical. I’ve been setting up interviews with different news agencies, trying to get a cushy desk job.”
Finn gave him an assessing glance before shaking his head.
“You’re going to give up your life’s passion to sit at a desk?” Finn laughed. “You won’t make it a month.”
“I’m serious, Finny. I’ve burned out. I’m going to do something else—”
“You are such a son of a bitch!” Finn declared, cutting off Noah’s sentence. “You’re just going to sweep in, be the charming twin, and scoop her up before I can have a chance. God, you haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“Hey, guys!” Charlotte called, approaching the table. “Uh, Abby’s not feeling that well. I think she had a little too much to drink. She’s going to get a cab home.”
Noah kept his expression clear, but he was highly skeptical of Charlotte’s excuses for her cousin. Finn rose to his feet, looking concerned.
“Should we escort you both home?” Finn asked, wincing when Noah stomped on Finn’s foot under the table.
“I wasn’t quite ready to call it a night. I mean, unless you guys are worn out…” Charlotte said. Something in her expression belied her words; Noah could tell that her invitation to keep partying was more of the same, covering up something about Abby. Still, he wouldn’t deny himself the pleasure of Charlotte’s company if she offered it.
“Finn’s had the first dance… maybe I could have the next?” Noah said, raking his gaze up and down Charlotte’s thick curves, grinning when she blushed under his frank appreciation.
“Maybe both of you,” Charlotte teased, her eyes growing wide after the words were out of her mouth. Her cheeks truly flamed pink now, but Noah wasn’t going to let her take it back.
Could she really be interested in both men at once? Noah gave Finn a hungry look, smirking when Finn just shook his head and sighed in response.
“Only one way to find out, I guess,” Noah said, signaling the waiter for the check. In moments they were paid up and following Charlotte outside, toward a club she claimed to enjoy. If she had any idea the kind of raunchy images that were in Noah’s head, she would drop everything and run.
Lucky for Noah, Charlotte seemed more interested in her game of distraction than in reading his intentions. Lucky indeed…
38
Eight
The second that Charlotte stepped inside the darkened hallway leading into Club Baroque, she wondered if she was making a mistake. The music pulsed all around her, a persistent beat that seemed to make her very blood thrum with excitement. The wine made her feel warm and excited, happy and relaxed in a way she’d never been on previous visits to Club Baroque. The last time she’d come here was for a friend’s bachelorette party, and Charlotte had spent the whole night sipping expensive bottled water in a VIP booth, watching out for all her drunk friends.
Not so, tonight. When the doors closed behind them, Finn grasped her hand and Noah touched the small of her back, both guiding her toward the packed dance floor. Beautiful, well-dressed people writhed in time with the music, and beautiful dancers stalked up and down high platforms adorning each wall.
“Do you need something to drink? Water?” Finn asked, leaning in to make himself heard over the booming music. His lips brushed her ear, and Charlotte bit her lip. She looked up at him, saw the earnestness in his expression, and nodded. A little water wouldn’t hurt her right now, and it would definitely help her tomorrow.
Finn gave her a wink, pure sweetness, and made his way toward the bar. When Charlotte made to follow, Noah gripped her waist and pulled her toward the dance floor instead. She glanced up at him, saw the desire written plain on his handsome face, and melted a little bit.
She allowed Noah to lead her into the crush of dancers, let him tug her close as they both began to move to the music. Charlotte swayed her hips as Noah pressed against her, chest to chest. She tipped her head back, looking up into his beautiful turquoise eyes, licking her lips as her heart hammered in her chest in time with the music. She let her eyelids flutter closed, wondering if he would kiss her, ravish her mouth right here on the dance floor, but an icy sensation made her start.
Broad, warm hands touched her lower back as she opened her eyes, realizing that Finn had pressed a bottle of water into her hand. She let her head drop way back, looking up at his face and giving him an upside-down grin. Finn moved closer, pressing against her back just as Noah was pressed against her front, moving in perfect rhythm with his twin.
Charlotte paused for a moment, uncapping and downing the water before carelessly tossing the bottle onto the darkened floor. She was littering, but she was also way beyond caring.
Refreshed, she laid one hand on Noah’s shoulder and reached the other back to caress Finn’s neck, enjoying the heat of their bodies as they moved against her. She leaned her head back onto Finn’s chest as he held her waist, half-supporting her. Hands trailed up and down her hips and ribs and arms, presumably Noah’s. Charlotte wasn’t sure, and she felt much to good to analyze.
A little voice in her head cried out, telling her that she was beyond the pale, that everyone in the club must think she was some kind of slut. She couldn’t help herself, though. The way they were touching her, the press of their hardened bodies against her ass and thighs made her sigh with want. Noah and Finn were both fully erect, their expressions that of unabashed hunger, so Charlotte reasoned that they must be enjoying this as much as she was.
Charlotte was always a good girl, always a dutiful daughter, a benevolent nurse. In this moment, though, she saw herself reflected in Noah and Finn’s gazes: a sexy bombshell, something they wanted to pleasure and devour. She wanted that, she wanted it so badly it nearly hurt. It had been over a year since her last one-night-stand, and suddenly she didn’t want to wait another minute. She was tipsy and horny and
ready, ready for the promises she saw written on Noah and Finn’s faces.
Only… how was she supposed to choose between them? They were literally identically handsome, though she was fond of Noah’s longer hair. She reached up and thrust her fingers into his damp, disheveled locks, loving how warm and soft his hair felt against her fingers. She could imagine herself tugging at those locks while he did unimaginably dirty things to her…
Then she looked up at Finn, thinking how caring and kind he was. He was all the things she looked for in a man, all the things she’d never found in such a pretty package before. He’d be a careful, thorough lover, taking care of her every want.
Finn wore a light gray dress shirt and a black tie with dark slacks, where Noah was dressed once again in a white shirt and black dress pants. Noah’s shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, giving her a glimpse of smooth, tan skin. Finn cut such a dashing figure in his tie, though…
She looked between the two one last time and heaved a sigh. She arched her back, bringing her lips to Finn’s ear.
“How am I supposed to choose one of you?” she asked, her tone pleading.
Finn stiffened against her, and she noticed that Noah mirrored him after a second. She raised her head and looked at Noah, who was engaging in some silent communication with Finn. For a moment, Charlotte actually wondered if they had some kind of twin telepathy. She giggled to herself, her lips twisting up in a smile.
Noah lowered his lips to her ear, his warm breath against her sensitive flesh making her shiver.
“You don’t have to choose tonight, Charlotte. Do you want us both?” he asked.
Charlotte bit her lip, looking up at him. His expression was sincere, free of judgment. She nodded, and was rewarded when Noah brushed his lips against her neck. Half a second later, Finn kissed her neck in the same spot on the other side, and Charlotte thought she might die from want.
“Be right back. Stay with Noah,” Finn whispered. The wonderful heat of his body vanished, but Noah’s arms encircled her waist and held her close. Charlotte swayed to the music, savoring Noah’s strength as they moved together.
Finn returned after a few minutes, whispering in Noah’s ear. Noah nodded and they both took her by the hand and led her out of the club.
39
Nine
Charlotte kept her eyes on Noah and Finn, loving the way they flanked her as they crossed the street. They walked into a plush hotel lobby, bypassing the check-in desk. Charlotte looked up at Finn, her gaze questioning, as they stepped into a gleaming brass elevator.
Finn leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers. When he withdrew, he placed a plastic keycard in her hand. She looked at Noah, who gave her a wink. They rode the elevator in silence for a minute, and before she knew it they were standing outside the door of room 315.
Charlotte glanced at Noah once more, appreciating his smile of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, she slid the keycard into the slot and opened the door, leading the way inside. The room was beautiful, all done in blush pink and ivory and gold, but Charlotte hardly noticed the decor. The only thing that caught her eye was the king-sized four poster bed, freshly made up with crisp linen sheets.
Finn dimmed the lights as Noah led her to the bed, lifting her at the waist so that she sat on the edge of the tall bed, sinking into the lusciously soft comforter. Finn approached and stood behind his brother, his expression somber as he watched Noah kneel to remove Charlotte’s stilettos.
Noah traced his fingertips up Charlotte’s shins to her knees, moving to take a seat next to her. Finn took a seat on her other side, lacing his fingers with hers. Charlotte looked down at their clasped hands and then up into Finn’s luminous, ocean-colored eyes, shuddering with anticipation when Noah’s lips touched her shoulder through the thin cotton of her dress, then brushed the exposed skin at her neck.
Finn saw the question in her eyes and gave her a soft smile, cupping her chin with his strong fingers. He lifted her lips as his descended, his mouth seeking hers in a gentle, tentative kiss. Charlotte’s lips parted, her tongue darting out to seek Finn’s. He was warm and spicy-sweet, his tongue exploring hers with sure strokes, his boldness growing every moment until the kiss turned hot and demanding.
Finn pulled back after a moment and nodded to Noah, drawing her attention to his twin. Charlotte turned to Noah, settling her hands on his shoulders as she sought his mouth. Noah’s kiss was more demanding, fiercer than Finn’s. Noah’s tongue ruled hers in an instant, teasing and flicking and making her moan into his mouth.
Finn’s fingers found the zipper at the back of her dress, the cool air against her bare skin giving her goosebumps. Noah’s hands came up to tug the sleeves of her dress down and off her arms, his hands coming up to cup her breasts through her lacy pink bra. Finn pushed the dress down, shifting Charlotte a little this way and that to slide her dress all the way off.
Charlotte’s fingers found the buttons of Noah’s shirt, pulling it from his waist and baring his chest. She sucked in a breath as she looked at him, every inch of bare, tan, muscular perfection. He was lean and strong and hard, his chest smooth under her searching fingers.
She broke from Noah’s hungry kiss and turned to Finn, making short work of his tie and shirt, baring him as well. Noah’s hands stroked her hips, her ribs, the outer curves of her breasts. Finn pulled the straps of her bra off her shoulders, unhooking the front clasp. Noah pulled the material away and tossed it aside, his hands gripping her waist as he looked over her shoulder, admiring her heavy breasts.
While Noah nuzzled her neck and ear, Finn shaped her breasts, cupping and lifting them. Charlotte gasped as he pinched her nipples, then dropped his head and flicked his hot tongue over one.
“Finn, yes!” Charlotte cried, arching into Noah. Noah’s hand slid around to cup and squeeze her free breast, pulling her backward into his lap so that her ass pressed against his long, thick erection, leaving only his pants and her thin panties between.
Charlotte traced the firm muscle of Finn’s shoulder, down his chest and over his taut abs, until the found his belt buckle. She unbuttoned and unzipped him, pushing at his pants until he chuckled and pulled back for a moment to shuck them.
Finn was left in nothing but white boxer briefs, the tight fabric clinging to his package and revealing his incredible size. Noah adjusted beneath her, stripping off his own slacks before bringing the backs of her bare thighs down onto his lap once more.
“Lean back, darling,” Noah purred in her ear, lifting the thick cascade of her hair with one hand. The tip of his tongue traced the shell of her ear, making her moan. Wet heat trickled low in her body, and her breasts tightened with need even as Finn nuzzled and sucked at her sensitive skin.
Noah leaned back against the bed’s pillows, drawing Charlotte back with him. Finn moved her legs so that she lay stretched out on the bed, Noah supporting her and cupping her full breasts. Finn gave her a questioning glance as his fingers tugged at the band of her panties, trailing down to brush her damp mound through the lacy fabric.
“Yes,” Charlotte whispered, flushing when Finn stripped off her panties.
“God, you’re beautiful…” Finn said, drawing close and kissing her lips once more. He worshipped her shoulders, collarbone, and breast as Noah’s fingertips explored her hip, the top of her thigh, her mons…
Finn nudged her knees apart, exposing the damp curls at her bare, heated core. Charlotte cried out when Noah’s fingers brushed the top of her slit, now slick with readiness. Two broad fingertips circled her aching clit even as Finn used his teeth on her nipple, giving her quick, gentle bites that made her writhe and moan.
Charlotte lost herself in sensation, her eyes drifting closed as Noah stroked her clit in soft circles. Finn’s fingers found her damp core, two thick digits probing her before pressing deep into her taut, wet channel. Charlotte’s hips jerked, wetness rushing to her core and covering Finn’s fingers.
Noah’s hands came up to her hips, adjusting her body onc
e again. Charlotte opened her eyes to find Finn lowering himself to his elbows, dropping a trail of hot kisses from her knee up her inner thigh until his nose brushed her slick lower lips.
“Oh god…” she murmured, bucking her hips against the first touch of his lips against her throbbing clit. Noah tipped her head back, sucking and nipping at her neck before taking her mouth in a consuming kiss.
Finn’s lips and tongue licked and swirled around her clit, bringing her to the brink even as Noah’s tongue thrust into her mouth, stealing her very breath. Noah’s touch on her breasts, the steady pulse of Finn’s hot mouth sucking and licking her clit…
Charlotte exploded, darkness and light and every conceivable color bursting within her as she bucked against both her lovers, giving a throaty shout. As her eyes fluttered open once more, her heart pounding in her chest, she gave a feeble chuckle.
“Finn…” she said, tugging him up from the bed. She gave Finn a long, deep kiss, tasting her own essence on his lips and finding it very erotic. Charlotte sucked in a breath, trying to slow her heartbeats, and noticed how badly her whole body was shaking.
Noah nuzzled her ear, his hips gripping her hips.
“Do you want more, Charlotte?” he asked.
“I want you both,” she said, hesitant. “But I don’t know how… how this works.”
Noah’s knowing chuckle send a fission of heat down her spine.
“Then both you shall have,” he said.
“Why are you two still wearing clothes when I’m completely naked?” Charlotte teased, Noah and Finn’s obvious desire for her making her feel bold.
