by Chase, Nikki
“It’s good to see you laugh,” Sandy says. “You seemed sad earlier .”
“Did something happen?” Fraser props himself up with his elbows .
“No, it was nothing.” I shake my head, embarrassed to bring drama into the house on my second day at work .
“Come here,” Fraser orders in a voice I can’t say no to. He pats the bed .
Before I can answer, Sandy slings his arm around my shoulders and leads me inside. As I take a seat on the edge of the bed, so does Sandy. On my other side, Fraser sits up and looks at me with concern .
“Are you okay?” Fraser asks .
“Yeah. I’m fine .”
“When a woman says she’s ‘fine,’ it usually means the opposite,” Fraser says .
“That’s a generalization, but in this particular case I agree,” Sandy says. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, Emma, but if there’s anything we can do for you, don’t hesitate to let us know, okay ?”
I bite my bottom lip until it hurts as a lump forms in my throat. Tears prick my eyes. I blink to make them go away, but they continue to well up and finally roll down my cheeks .
Neither Sandy nor Fraser says anything, but they wrap their arms around me, stroke my hair, and kiss my temples. They make me feel safe, like nothing can get to me and hurt me. Every little touch is healing .
“I just . . . I feel like I’m letting my mom down.” My voice is shaky, punctuated by sniffles .
“If I were your mom, and you told me the things you said on the phone earlier, I’d feel like you cared,” Sandy says in a gentle voice .
“Do you want to see her?” Fraser asks. “You can take the day off. We can drive you there .”
“No.” I shake my head. “She sounded scared on the phone, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to visit her. I think it’s just going to make things worse .”
“Okay,” Fraser says .
I know I’m not making any sense. I’m not telling them any kind of a coherent story, but neither man asks me a question. They just sit with me and make me feel less alone .
As I close my eyes and let myself enjoy their soothing touch, my muscles relax. I lean on their strong arms. My tears stain their shirt sleeves dark before they eventually dry up .
“Is your mom in any kind of danger?” Sandy asks. “You said she’d sounded scared on the phone .”
“Maybe,” I say quietly, fear entering my bloodstream once again. I worry for what Ted could do to her in my absence .
“We can go there right now, Emma. You know that, right?” Fraser asks .
“Yeah. Thank you for your generous offer, but she specifically told me not to do that. I don’t want to make Ted angry.” I realize I haven’t given Fraser or Sandy any details and add, “Ted is her . . . boyfriend. Partner. Whatever .”
“Can we take you there on the weekend?” Sandy asks. “Sorry. I thought I heard you mention that on the phone .”
I pause to think about their offer. I was planning to call Mom again and decide what to do after that .
I don’t need Sandy or Fraser to take me there, though. They’ve done enough to help me, and I haven’t even done any work today .
“It’s okay. I’ll just take the Greyhound if I have to go.” I pull their arms off me so I can take a good look at them. “You’re so busy you need to hire a helper. I can’t take you away from your work. And I don’t want to be a burden .”
“You’re not a burden, Emma,” Sandy says as he gazes at me with earnest eyes. He puts his hand on my cheek and plants a light kiss on my other one .
I close my eyes as, ever so slightly, Sandy brushes his lips against mine .
My mind spins. This feels so good. Sandy kisses me with more pressure and teases me with his tongue, coaxing me to respond .
But what about Fraser? He’s sitting right beside me .
As if he can read my mind, Fraser’s arms wrap around my waist and I feel his lips on the back of my sensitive neck .
I open my mouth, letting out a sigh, and Sandy takes the opportunity to sweep in with his tongue .
I moan into Sandy’s mouth as Fraser pulls on the neck of my shirt to kiss my collarbone and my shoulder. Fraser’s fingers work on the top button of my shirt, undoing it so he can slide my shirt off my shoulder .
This is wrong. What am I doing ?
I’m making out with two guys at once—that’s what I’m doing. This is wicked and wrong. I thought I was moving too fast when I was only with Fraser, but now . . .
Oh god, they’re brothers, too .
Who makes out with two brothers at once? What kind of a person am I ?
But, even though the voices in my head protest, they’re drowned out by the overwhelming sensations I’m feeling .
Sandy’s mouth claiming mine .
Fraser’s lips on me as he bares more and more of my skin .
The tingles all over my body and the shot of pleasure straight to my core .
The yearning in my center .
The throbbing between my legs .
I raise my hands to caress Fraser’s cropped hair and Sandy’s dark, tousled hair. They feel so different yet both of them equally as alluring .
My brain’s stopped working as my feelings overflow, and my senses get overloaded with pure, sensual pleasure. I’m not even going to try to untangle the strings of my thoughts. I’m just going to enjoy this and deal with the aftermath later .
Sandy pulls away and gazes deep into my eyes. I want to hide—what does he think of me? Does he think I’m easy? Cheap? What came over me to make me do this with two brothers at once ?
“You’re so damn sexy,” Sandy whispers. There’s no judgment in his voice; no condemnation. Just amazement and pure, unadulterated desire .
Without any warning, Sandy dips down to bite down on my neck—hard. It’s not a kiss, and it’s not a nibble. It actually kind of hurts . . . but in a good way .
I gasp, partly out of surprise from the sudden assault and partly from the fact that it’s coming from sweet, gentle Sandy, of all people .
Fraser traps my face with his hands, leans in, and kisses me—no, he smothers me with his lips. He inhales me. It doesn’t matter that Sandy’s here, too. Fraser wants me and he wants me now. His hand grabs the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair .
As Fraser moves down my throat and lingers between my breasts, I realize Sandy’s undone all my buttons. He’s kissing the top of my cleavage now, sucking in the flesh and biting so hard it’s going to leave a mark .
Well, at least, it’s not on my neck. And at least my bosses won’t mind .
As I arch my back, Fraser quickly slips his hand underneath me and unhooks my bra. I give no resistance. All I can do is reach up and tug at both Fraser’s and Sandy’s shirts .
“Take off your shirts, too.” My voice comes out as a hoarse whisper—needy and sensual .
Fraser’s lips curl, winding down into a cheeky grin, as he lifts his brawny arms up and removes his shirt, the pupils in his blue eyes dilated as he focuses on my face. No doubt my skin is flushed. I can barely breathe .
Just as I expected, deep lines crisscross Fraser’s broad chest and cut abs. He’s got the body of a Greek god, with his six pack and his chiseled arms .
“You don’t need this anymore,” Sandy says as he roughly yanks my bra off, making me cry out in surprise. He pushes me until I’m lying down on the bed with my legs dangling off the edge .
Sandy’s already removed his top. He obviously doesn’t spend as much time at the gym as Fraser does, but his lean body is sexy in its own way. Those broad shoulders, long torso, narrow waist, and subtle muscles make me wonder if he dons a tight pair of swimming trunks every now and again .
Fraser wastes no time waiting for my invitation. He kisses one breast and cups his hand over the other one, letting his fingers tease over the pink, sensitive nipple. He hums happily as he takes it into his wet, warm mouth .
I let out a moan as Fraser starts to
French-kiss my nipple, playing with it using his lips and tongue. “I’ll bet you’re sweet all over,” he says, his hot breath falling on my skin .
“Let me get a taste,” Sandy says impatiently .
When Fraser removes his hand from my breast, Sandy says, “Looks delicious .”
Before I can respond, Sandy rubs his face against my breast. As I close my eyes and let my head roll back, he suckles on my nipple .
The sexual chemistry in this room is potent enough to make a room full of asexuals strip naked and start an orgy. I become lightheaded from all the attention I’m getting. I’ve never had a pair of lips around each nipple before. It feels heavenly but also wickedly sinful .
Fraser is playful, licking all over my pink areola and mashing my nipple with his lips. Sandy traps my other nipple between his teeth and assaults the sensitive peak with his tongue, sometimes biting until it hurts, and I whimper .
They’re making me weak. With their bodies hovering over me, there’s no room for me to move away—and I . . . As much as I feel immoral for doing this, I can’t resist .
When a hand—I don’t know whose—runs up my thigh and rests between my legs, I liquefy. I mold myself to their touch, rising and falling at their command .
I . . . God, this feels so good. But I can’t . . . I can’t possibly do it with two guys at once, can I? Two brothers at once .
When another hand moves up to the fly of my jeans, I snap myself awake and reach down to grab that hand—it’s Sandy’s. He freezes, and Fraser lifts his head up, too, letting go of my nipple .
“Anything wrong?” Sandy asks, as if he didn’t just have my nipple in his mouth while his brother attacked my other nipple .
“I . . . Everything . . . I . . . Um . . .” I stammer .
How do I tell them this is depraved and I can’t do it? Do I really have to spell it out ?
“If this is making you uncomfortable, we can stop,” Fraser says between heavy breaths laced with desire .
“Yes.” I nod. “I . . . I can’t . . . I . . .”
“It’s okay,” Sandy says in a tight voice. He’s holding himself back. “You don’t have to explain anything. I get it .”
“I just . . . I need a moment,” I say. “I . . . That was . . . I . . .”
“Really, it’s okay,” Fraser says with a charming smile .
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I just . . . I need time to think. I . . . But it was . . . I got carried away . . .”
“Like I said, you don’t have to explain anything.” Sandy glances at Fraser and says, “I think we both got carried away, too .”
Just then, the front door opens and shuts with a bang. Heavy footsteps echo down the hallway .
“Hey, are you guys going to the thing?” a male voice booms .
“Who’s that?” I grab my shirt and cover my chest, sitting bolt upright as I watch the open doorway with alarm .
“It’s just Ian. Don’t worry,” Sandy says, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder, which is still bare .
As the footsteps get closer, I consider my options. I can run up to the door and slam it shut, but Ian would see me. Or, I can stay put . . . but Ian would see me in bed with two of his brothers .
“Don’t worry,” Fraser says. “It’s not like Ian’s going to judge us for this. If anything he might want to join in .”
“Can you just close the door?” I’m not ready for this, whatever this is .
“Sure.” Fraser hops out of bed and into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind him .
“He forgot his shirt,” I realize .
“It’s okay,” Sandy says. “Really .”
It’s okay? I just made out with two guys—two brothers—and they just basically offered to get another brother to join in, but it’s okay ?
“Look, this is a judgment-free zone,” Sandy says, as if he can read my thoughts. “There’s nothing wrong with what we just did. We all enjoyed it, right ?”
I wrestle with my feelings of unease as I listen to unintelligible murmurs of conversation between Fraser and Ian just outside the door. Finally, I give Sandy a nod .
“Great.” Sandy gets up off the bed and puts on his shirt. “I’ll be in the office. Whenever you’re ready, you’re welcome to join me .”
Ian
F raser practically jumps out into the hallway from the guest bedroom while pulling the door shut. What is up with that? And why isn’t he wearing a shirt ?
“Hey,” he says a little too casually as he leans against the wall .
“Uh . . . hey .”
“What thing is that? Jog my memory,” he says a little too loudly .
“You forgot about Hudson’s gig this week? There’s a festival by the — ”
“Oh, right. Hudson’s band thing,” he says, cutting me off. “Of course, I remember .”
“Cool. Is everyone going?” I ask again, eyeing the door. What’s going on ?
My brothers sometimes treat me like I’m an outsider, like they need to protect me. But I get the distinct feeling this is not about me .
“Yeah. It’s . . . what? From Wednesday until Friday, right?” Fraser asks .
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know about Friday. There’s this party downtown. There will be investors there I need to chum up to. But, I’ll go on either Wednesday or Thursday,” he says .
“Okay.” I drop my voice. “What’s going on ?”
“Nothing,” Fraser whispers. As he notices my disbelief, he adds, “I’ll tell you later. Just leave now .”
“Is it the girl ?”
Fraser hesitates before he says, “Yeah .”
“You were just with her, weren’t you?” I ask. “Nice. She’s hot .”
“Yeah, I know. Beat it. Don’t make this weird,” he says .
“Oh, I’m the one making this weird ?”
Fraser waves me away before he disappears back into the room .
I guess Austin’s stupid no-girls rule doesn’t apply to this girl, then .
Good. I saw the way she looked at me. It doesn’t have to be today, but I’m going to get a piece of the action myself .
To the average guy, seeing his brother in a girl’s room may be a sign to stay away from her, but let’s just say we’ve always been particularly good at sharing .
* * *
Thursday
“Hop on, babe,” I tell Emma .
“Huh?” she asks, half-yelling from inside the helmet that obscures her pretty face .
Damn it. Of course, she couldn’t hear me .
I shake my head and gesture at the seat behind me .
On the way to the festival where Hudson’s band is performing tonight, the powerful roar of the engine between my legs fills my ears .
It’s been a while since I had a girl on my bike. Maybe a car is better for conversation, but I’ve never been the kind of guy who’s interested in talking .
On a bike, though, there’s a lot more physical contact. The closeness; the vibrations; the illusion of danger—I should stress here that I’m actually a safe rider, but Emma doesn’t need to know that .
I park the bike and wait until Emma gets off—I wish this was a double entendre, but that’ll have to wait for now .
As I store our helmets in the hard case bolted onto the back to the bike, I glance at Emma, only to catch her running her fingers through her blonde hair .
In the afternoon light, it looks like it’s glowing, like she’s an angel. But I know there’s a sexy little devil in there, waiting to be invited out to play by a guy like me .
“I’ve got the, uh, backstage passes,” she says, fishing in her bag as we walk toward the entrance. “Hudson told me these will let us in for free .”
“Great. Glad you’ve got those, babe. I would’ve forgotten completely .”
I’m also glad everybody else is so busy they have to bail, leaving just the two of us. I love my brothers, and I’ve got no problems sharing this girl with them, but I need a little one-on-one time
with her .
“Are you sure it was okay that I took you straight here? I could’ve given you a little tour of the city,” I say .
“Oh, no. That won’t be necessary. I actually went to college here.” Emma gives me a smile before she shows our passes to the guy inside the ticket booth .
“So, you lived here before, moved away, and decided it was a good idea to come back?” I whistle .
“Yeah.” Emma laughs—always a good thing. “Hey, wait a minute. You live here, too. What’s your excuse ?”
“That’s an easy one. All my brothers are here, and we’re running a business together .”
“Oh. Right.” Emma smiles .
She’s wearing light make-up today, with pink, glossy, kissable lips. I want to pull her close and claim her right now, but I need to be patient .
She wraps her arms around herself and shudders, almost imperceptibly .
Some genius decided to make this an outdoor event, even though it’s Christmas. It’s San Francisco, so it’s not like it’s snowing, but still. Idiot .
On the bright side, it gives me an opportunity to do something like this . . .
“Are you cold?” I don’t wait for an answer before I sling my arm around her shoulders and pull her closer .
“It’s a little chilly,” she admits. She leans against me, although her thick coat means I don’t really feel much. I can’t wait to peel off those layers of clothing .
“There are some heaters over there, if you want to go somewhere warmer.” I point at a clearing in front of the stage. Along the edges, there are free-standing propane heaters. I lead Emma toward one located a little out of the way. A little privacy is always a good thing in a situation like this. “Better ?”
“Yeah. Thank you,” she says as she raises her hands closer to the blue flame. “So, uh, I don’t see you much at home .”
“Yeah. I’m in charge of making sure the toys get delivered on time to the right addresses, so I spend a lot of time outside—often at odd hours, too. When I’m home, I’m usually so tired all I can do is crash. Or, even if I’m awake, it’s often when everybody else is asleep .”
