by Roni Loren
His frown deepened. “No, you didn’t.” He stepped closer. “Look at me. Come on, Benning.”
She forced her gaze upward. So many guys called her Benning. But somehow when he said it, it didn’t sound like bro speak. It sounded like an endearment. That made her want to cry more.
“This doesn’t change the things I said to you that night. I still mean them. You said this was none of your business. But that doesn’t have to be true. This could be your business.”
She stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “Your relationship with someone else could be my business. What the hell, Ren?”
“You know what I’m saying,” he said carefully. He stroked his thumb over her knuckles. “How long did you watch?”
Her gaze slid away and her fist balled against her thigh. “Ren—”
“Were you turned off by it? Seeing us like that?”
“That is so not the point.”
She caught a quirk of his lips in her periphery. “Oh, I disagree. In fact, that’s the point I’d like to focus on most. I’ve been honest about being kinky. And you already knew Hayes and I used to share women. Yet, you said yes that night anyway.”
“I said yes to you,” she said, her voice coming out too sharp. “Not to being you and your boyfriend’s temporary blow-up doll.”
Though, hadn’t that been exactly what she’d fantasized about that night in the dark privacy of her bedroom? Being used and passed between the two of them. But the reality hadn’t included the two guys being so obviously into each other. She didn’t want to be a third wheel. She spent too much of her life already looking from the outside in.
“Hey,” he said, his voice gentle. “I would never disrespect you like that. And I know you said yes to me. That was all I was suggesting at the time, honestly. The Hayes thing was unexpected.”
“Congratulations.” The bitterness in her voice probably wasn’t fair, but so be it.
Ren sighed and his hands went to her shoulders. “Look, I know this feels like a bait and switch, and I’m sorry for that. That’s my fault. But can you trust me for a second?”
She met his eyes, defiance rumbling through her bones.
“I don’t want you to walk because you’re scared or angry. If you want to leave and tell me to go to hell, do that after you hear what I have to say. I like you . . . a lot. Every word I said that night was true. And I know I’m unconventional. Most people would and do bolt when they find out how I am, who I am. But I feel like maybe you know that feeling, too. Like maybe you can find something you’ve been looking for if you put the fear aside for a minute.” His palms were warm against her shoulders. “Come back to the office with me. Just for a few minutes.”
She stared, not wanting to give in, but the truth of his words and the nakedness of his expression were doing more to her than they should. He was handsome and rich and talented. He could probably check off all those boxes on most people’s wish lists for the perfect guy. But she could hear what he was saying. It was all smoke and mirrors, not the real him. The real Ren was like her. Different. Other. On the outside. He understood. Maybe you can find something you’ve been looking for . . .
After a few more seconds of tense silence, she gave a little nod. “Okay.”
He let out a breath and moved alongside her, pressing his palm to the base of her spine. “Thank you.”
When they walked back into the office, Hayes was sitting in a chair by Ren’s three-monitored workstation, elbows on this thighs and hands clasped behind his neck. He looked up when she and Ren entered the room. His eyebrows rose and he stood. “I’ll leave you two—”
“Sit,” Ren said, his tone brooking no argument.
Hayes sent him a look but lowered back into the chair.
Ren perched on the edge of his desk and guided Cora in front of him so that she was facing Hayes. Her position between the two of them, even with Hayes at a distance, was far too close to her fantasy from that night to convince her body not to react.
“Cora,” Ren said, his voice like the calm surface of a lake. “I know you’ve had some shitty experiences with guys in your life. You’ve been mistreated and used and unappreciated. I get how this looks, how this might appear to you. But I swear to you on my life, I would never treat you that way. And I would never lead you on or play with your emotions like that.”
She closed her eyes, the personal words far too revealing. She didn’t want them to see her like that. The truth was too mortifying.
“And I’m not a liar or a cheat. I’m telling you with one hundred percent honesty that when you said yes to me that night, I felt like a lucky son of a bitch. The thought of exploring kink with you, of showing you submission, makes me hot all over just thinking about it. And I can absolutely still do that. Hayes has given me his blessing.”
Her eyes popped open at that, catching Hayes’s watchful gaze. He gave a slight nod.
“But I’m also going to be honest and say that in a perfect world, I’d want you both in my bed. Together. Sharing. Watching. Touching.”
Some expression flickered over Hayes’s face—something hot and dangerous, but he quickly smoothed it. She shuddered and had no doubt Ren had felt it in his light grip on her shoulders.
“But you’re afraid of the unknown and letting your guard down, and Hayes is afraid of another woman betraying him.”
“Betraying?” she blurted. “I would never—”
“I know that,” Ren said. “But he doesn’t. If he did, I have no doubt that he would’ve been pursuing you from day one. Tell me I’m wrong, Hayes.”
Hayes’s jaw ticked. “I’m not going to lie to her.”
Cora’s lips parted.
“And right now,” Ren said, his voice a low song against her ear, “he’s probably desperately wishing that I would touch you, that I would show him what I want to do to you. He’d probably want to tell me exactly how to tease you, how to make you beg, how to make you come.”
She sucked in a breath and her skin flushed, fever hot.
His fingertip traced the curve of her neck. “And I’m guessing you might not mind that so much. I’m guessing you’re already a little turned on from watching us kiss. That you’re as much of a voyeur as we are. That you’re dirtier than you’d ever admit out loud.”
She swallowed hard and it was impossible to miss the erection becoming visible in Hayes’s jeans. This was doing it for him. And God help her, it was sending her thoughts off the rails, too. Her heart was pounding and the spot between her thighs throbbing.
Ren slid off the desk and pressed his front to her back. She gasped at the feel of his erection against her backside. “He won’t touch you, Cora. And if you say the word right now, I won’t either. I know this is a big leap and not for everyone. You can walk out and we’ll all pretend we never had this conversation. I’ll leave you alone. Continue our professional relationship. But if you stay, you can have this. No video games needed. No one to judge you or criticize. You can always say stop if it goes too far, but aren’t you tired of wondering what it might be like to let go for real? To try some things instead of just wondering about them? To submit . . .”
She pressed her lips together, trying for the life of her to access her logical side. They were offering her fantasy—right here, right now. Sex. Kink. Two ridiculously beautiful men. “We’re at work.”
“With a door that locks and an assistant who knows not to disturb me when my door’s shut.” His hands slid down to her hips. “All I’m asking for is your honesty. I would never push this on anyone, but I’m trusting my gut here. Tell me you aren’t attracted to us, Cora. Or that you hate the idea of being watched or shared.” He pressed his nose to her hair. “Tell me that if I pulled your zipper down and slid my hand inside your jeans I wouldn’t find you wet.”
Embarrassment burned a path up her neck to her cheeks. It was like he’d stripped her
already, looked in her head, and plucked out her thoughts. Her fists flexed and her blood pumped to all her most sensitive places. “You know I can’t tell you that.”
Hayes let out a breath and a whispered fuck.
Ren’s hand slid to her belly, holding her to him, exhaling as well. “Thank you.”
She licked her dry lips, riveted by the look on Hayes’s face.
“See,” Ren said with a smile in his voice. “Look what we’re doing to him. He’s imagining you slick and turned on, picturing my fingers sliding inside you while he watches. I bet if we’re really good, he’ll have to take his cock out and stroke himself.”
A hard shiver went through Cora. “Christ.”
Ren pressed a kiss to the curve of her shoulder. “The door is locked. You’re safe with us. But you say red and we stop, no questions asked. Understand?”
Oh, God, this was really happening. She wasn’t in her room. This wasn’t some fantasy reel. Or a scene in Hayven. She was about to let Ren touch her while his lover watched. This was insane. They were at work. It was the middle of the day. But somehow her brain couldn’t snuff out the need rushing through her like wildfire. It was burning down every argument—a funeral pyre of logical thought. “I understand.”
Ren’s body relaxed behind her, like he’d half expected her to bolt. But then he lifted his head away from her shoulder. “You with us, Fox? Safe word applies to you, too. We all have to want to be here.”
There was a challenge there. Something in Ren’s voice had gone hard. That’s when she realized that Hayes and Ren hadn’t done this kind of thing since Hayes had been out. He didn’t trust women. She was a threat. She wasn’t the only one jumping hurdles by being here. Hayes was facing down miles of them.
Hayes looked up, torment there. Torment and something else. Hunger. “I’m not going anywhere unless she wants me to.”
His gaze flicked to Cora, and she found herself shaking her head. “Stay.”
Those green eyes of his lit with something she hadn’t seen from him before. Something fierce and intensely, deceivingly calm. The dominant.
Ren shifted behind her and nerves rushed to the surface, making her go stiff.
“Shh,” Ren said against her ear, soothing hands running up her sides. “I’ve got you. Just relax. There are no expectations and you don’t have to put on a show. Just let me make you feel good.”
He turned her in his arms and captured her gaze. Demanding she hold it without saying a word. Suddenly there was no Hayes in her vision or the intimidating thought of a threesome, just the beautiful man who’d told her the other night how much he wanted her in his bed. The man who’d fueled her fantasies since the day she’d met him.
His hands cupped her face. “This is what I wanted to do that night.”
And with that, his head dipped down and he kissed her. Soft. Tender. Almost sweet. A first-date kiss.
But that little how-do-you-do slowly morphed from gentle to something altogether more heated when their lips parted. His kiss cajoled, promised things. This is how I’ll take my time with you. I’m not going to skip steps. I’m going to savor you. Then his tongue touched hers and electricity sparked through her like live wires had been cut. His taste, his singular focus, everything about it lit her up. Stroke by stroke he dialed up the intensity. A slow, wicked burn.
When his hips pressed against hers, letting her feel how turned on he was, she moaned into the connection and wrapped her arms around his neck. It’d been a long time since she’d made out with anyone, but she couldn’t remember it ever being like this, like she wanted to drown in it and never come up for air. Like he could make her lose her shit with just his mouth.
Ren’s hands slid to her neck, gripping and holding her just where he wanted her, and she couldn’t help but remember that just a few moments ago, it was Hayes’s tongue in his mouth, his cock in his hand. Fuck. The image was too much and she arched into him, rubbing his erection against the spot she needed it most. Ren groaned and pulled her knee up, rocking her against him. Soon, she was breathless and burning up and so turned on that she was cursing the heavens that she hated skirts so much. One would be so convenient right now. She needed more, his touch, skin against skin.
Ren broke away from the kiss, panting and little wild-eyed himself. “Tell me how long it’s been, Cora.”
“Huh?” He expected her to answer questions in this moment? To access words? When her brain was all guhhhhh . . .
“Since you’ve come?”
The question snapped her to attention. “Uh.”
“Tell me.”
Her ears burned. “Last Friday.”
A pleased smirk touched his lips and he gathered her against him, those colorfully tattooed arms wrapping around her. “After our dinner.”
“Yes.” Her palms were trapped between them, pressed against his chest. She loved the feel of the hard muscles beneath her fingertips, wanted to tear his shirt off Hulk-style. “Probably while you were in bed with your hot boyfriend.”
Hayes made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
“So were you thinking about me when you did it?” Ren asked, touching his forehead to hers, his tone playful.
She rubbed her lips together, finding a glimmer of bravery. “I’m more creative than that. I was thinking about you both.”
Ren’s grin spread wide, a predatory edge to it. “I knew you liked him. I love when I’m right. So what were we doing to you in this sordid fantasy?”
“How do you know it was sordid . . .”
He lifted a brow.
“Fine. It was sordid. And private.”
“Mmm, private is so overrated. Especially when it’s guaranteed neither of us are going to judge you. It’s only going to make us hotter.” He kissed down her neck, making her thoughts splinter again, and then he turned her in his arms to face Hayes again. Ren’s hands trailed up her rib cage and cupped her breasts through her T-shirt, sending sensations straight downward. “Be bold, Benning. Tell him what you imagined us doing to you. Own it.”
Cora could barely lift her gaze without wanting to hide her face.
Hayes was watching her with his full, stoic attention, his presence somehow calming in the storm of arousal. He gave a nod. “Go ahead.”
She swallowed past her constricted throat. “I’ll tell you, if y’all tell me what you two did that night.”
“Ah, look at you. You can’t hide that voyeur streak. I love it,” Ren said against her ear. “Deal.”
He said it so easily. Like he’d have no trouble detailing what he’d done with this man. And Lord, did she want to hear. But there was a price. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “I imagined that you two wouldn’t let me leave work until I took care of you . . . both of you.”
A pleased sound rumbled through Ren. “Nice. And what did we make you do?”
“Ren . . .”
“No shame, Cora. I promise. Nothing you can say will out-dirty us. Believe me.”
She wasn’t sure about that. Her real-world experience wasn’t extensive but her filthy mind was a shameless slut. “You bent me over the desk and fucked me while I went down on Hayes.”
Hayes groaned and closed his eyes, agony moving across his features. As subtle as could be, his hand shifted up his thigh and he pressed a hand over his erection, squeezing it.
The sight made her toes curl in her Doc Martens. Seeing such a hard-to-crack man struggling to keep himself in check because of her was a heady rush. It made her feel sexy. Invincible.
“Fuck, yes,” Ren said after pressing a kiss to her shoulder. “I knew you had a dirty mind.”
Cora closed her eyes. “Your turn.”
Ren’s thumbs grazed over her nipples, slowly, back and forth, making her clit pulse like there was a wire attached between the two zones. “That night, I submitted to Hayes. He made me
suck his cock and then he held me down and fucked me like a man who’s been celibate for four years. Made me come all over my nice clean sheets.”
The words were like gasoline on an already burning blaze, the visuals behind her eyelids overwhelming her. Hayes’s big broad body over Ren’s, wrists captured in his hands, hips pumping hard. She didn’t know why the thought of them together excited her so much, but goddamn, it did.
“She likes that, Fox,” Ren said. “You should feel how fast her heart is beating, how hot her skin is.”
“Show me,” Hayes said, his voice full of gravel. “Take her shirt off and touch her.”
Cora tensed but only for a second because Ren’s warm hands cupping her breasts drained her of cogent thought.
“Lift your arms, gorgeous.”
She probably should’ve thought about it more. She was about to expose herself to these men. At the office. And there was no hiding under these lights. But she was too far gone.
All she wanted to do was obey.
SEVENTEEN
“Good girl.” Ren grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and tugged it over her head, leaving her in her plain cotton Calvin Klein bralette. Her nipples were hard points beneath the fabric and her chest flushed pink. He stepped in front of her and ran the back of his hand over the swell of her breast. “Perfect.”
“I would’ve bought something prettier if I’d known you’d be seeing it,” she said, a little breathless.
His brows dipped and he leveled a gaze at her. “Don’t you dare. Not on my behalf, at least. Wear what you like. In fact, I can’t think of anything hotter than you standing here in your white cotton and those combat boots.”
The words surprised her, dragged her out of her erotic haze for a second. “You have a tomboy fetish, Muroya?”
Ren smirked. “I suspect it’s just a Cora fetish.” He drew a circle over her areola, sending goose bumps along her skin. “What turns me on is seeing you—the woman you are when no one’s watching. No act. No pretending to be something you’re not comfortable being. That’s what I want. Plus, this cotton is mighty thin. I can see all the shades and secrets of you in this. Bonus.”
