When she shifted again, I moved a bit to give her some space. She stirred and cracked open her eyes. “Hey.”
“Hey, love.”
“How long have I been napping?”
“A few minutes.”
She grinned sleepily. “Few more minutes.”
“Of course, darling. Anything for you.”
She hummed long and low, nuzzling in close to my face. “I love you both.”
I shot up from the sheets so fast that it frightened her awake. She scooted up on the bed and grabbed the comforter to wrap around her shoulders, shivering. I stared at her as I adjusted my legs beneath me. “What?”
“Did I say something?”
Smiling, I tried to play it off. “Oh, I thought you said you wanted fried eggs.”
“No, I'd never want fried eggs. I like mine poached.”
“That's good to know.”
“Where's Elijah?”
I nodded towards the bathroom. As she glanced over, she grinned wider and scooted over to the edge of the bed. “Want to join me?”
Delighted that she invited me, I stood up from the bed and followed her into the expansive bathroom. She tapped on the glass shower door and nudged Elijah with her nose, stepping inside. I shortly followed. The shower head was wide enough to accommodate all of us, allowing enough steam to clear my sinuses and make me feel refreshed. Belle grabbed a cloth from the shelf inside the shower and soaked it with water before lathering it with soap.
She pressed the cloth to my shoulders. “So, what should we do first today?”
“Whatever you want, princess,” I replied.
I watched as she ran the cloth all the way down my body, not shy about scrubbing underneath my balls and between my thighs. I admired how delicate yet firm her hands were while taking care of me and felt a balloon expand in my chest. I considered her words from the bedroom for a few seconds but discarded them into my memory bank.
Now wasn't the time.
When she was finished with me, she directed me underneath the stream of water and went to work on Elijah. “I'd love to catch a late lunch and then go see the horses.”
“That sounds excellent,” Elijah said. “And then we could take a swim out here on the roof.”
“I'd love that,” she said with a grin. She trailed the cloth up his legs and his chest, scrubbing in little, gentle circles around his nipples.
He shivered. “You might start round three with all that.”
“I could only hope.”
I laughed as I rinsed myself off, applying shampoo to my hair to scrub away the sweat. Once I felt properly washed, I scooted close to them and took the cloth from her, applying it to her skin in the same wonderful way she had just done for us. Elijah grabbed a cloth and lathered it with soap before pressing it to her back.
We washed her together—as one—and I swear I could feel our connection toppling up into the clouds of the sky. I was overwhelmed by the sensational warmth it brought me, by the way, it made the balloon in my chest grow wider, and by how it made me want to laugh and cry all at the same time. I couldn't believe it.
She stepped into the water stream when we were done and rinsed off. Hypnotized, I watched the way the water slid over her skin and pooled around her feet prior to disappearing into the drain right next to her toes.
I smiled. “Ready?”
She nodded and took my hand. Elijah turned off the water and we each stepped out, grabbing a fluffy towel from the counter. When we were sufficiently dried off, we went into the bedroom and started opening our suitcases to find clothes.
Belle lifted her mangled dress from the bed. “Good Lord—I can never wear this again!”
“We'll get you a new one,” I offered. “Besides, it was tattered.”
“It was my favorite,” she claimed with a grin. “But fine—I'll take a new one.”
Elijah smiled while pulling on his pants. “Anything for you.”
As I searched for something relaxed enough to ride horses in, I felt dizzy. Maybe coming twice wasn't such a good idea on an empty stomach. I acted like nothing was wrong and pulled on a pair of designer jeans with a fitted collared shirt to match in my favorite earthy green. I stood aside as the other two got dressed and wondered silently about how this was going to go.
I felt pressed to ask her about her comment, but it wasn't right. I could feel it becoming an itch in the back of my throat with the only relief being my voicing it out loud. But that would just ruin everything, especially with how Elijah was feeling. I didn't want any more pressure on his shoulders. As strong and level-headed as he acted, he had a propensity to be dramatic.
I sighed.
Belle turned around in front of the mirror with a bright purple maxi dress that had a sunflower painted over the front. I smiled at her. “Gorgeous.”
“Oh, this old thing?” She shrugged. “Some guys gave it to me once.”
Elijah chuckled. “That attitude is going to land you another punishment.”
“Oh, no—what will I ever do?”
I drew in close behind her while she was distracted by Elijah and dug my fingers into her side. A blast of giggles erupted from her as she fell forward into his arms, trying her best to get away from our wandering fingers. She giggled herself into a frenzy, causing her face to turn red and her eyes to water up.
“Uncle!” she cried. “Uncle! Please!”
“I didn't realize we had agreed on a safe word,” I joked as I continued tickling. “Better take a deep breath.”
While gasping for air, she flung her arms around and landed a blow against my cheek. She paused in shock, and I smiled wide, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Elijah had his arms around her waist, cradling her.
“Let's get going before we get distracted again,” Elijah proposed.
“Good idea, brother,” I agreed. “I'm starving at this point.”
“Same. I need a cheeseburger,” she chimed in.
“Nothing fancy for lunch today?” I inquired.
She shook her head and grinned mischievously. “Nope, I just want meat.”
Chapter 23
Belle
Ravished—I felt utterly ravished.
After giving myself to Elijah and then Arthur, I felt like my soul had left my body. What was left was mere flesh and blood, a bundle of emotions and sensations that didn't exactly make sense.
But they did. Every one of them did.
As we approached the green pastures surrounding the barn near the hotel, I heard the horses whinny gently. It doubled my excitement as we approached. Though I was brave enough in the city to cling to Elijah and Arthur, I didn't quite feel as welcome here. I tried not to attach to either of them, but found myself taking turns holding their hands. I wasn't sure exactly what to do. I think my brain was fried from those two unearthly orgasms.
I sighed while crossing my arms over my chest. I had no idea what to do with my hands, and we were fast approaching the stable. I saw the attendant for the horses wave us over and giddily ran forward like a little girl.
"Welcome to Gaia Pastures! My name is Amelia, and I'm here to give you a tour of the stable," the attendant said.
"Hey, I'm Belle, and that's Elijah and Arthur. We're really excited to see the horses."
“Well, they're excited to see you, too! Let's get started.”
I bit my lower lip as we went inside, nearly forgetting that my men were with me. As soon as I got a look at the first horse—a black stallion who was massive and incredible—I completely forgot who I had come here with. I went to the horse immediately and held out my palm for him to sniff.
“This one is Bolt. He's a Spanish stallion with a long history rooted here in Georgia. Our original founders collected a whole pack of them running out in the Outerbanks of North Carolina. He's very friendly if you want to step inside the stall,” Amelia explained.
Without question, I nodded and stepped forward. I felt like a little girl in a candy shop being offered all the candy in the entire world. I wan
ted to take every chance I could get. The stall door squeaked as it opened and I stepped hesitantly inside, waiting for a reaction from Bolt.
Amelia beckoned me forward. “Don't be shy. He sure ain't.”
“Oh, right...”
I stepped forward and placed my hand on his side, admiring the sheer size of him. As I petted his fur, he whinnied and turned his head to me, shoving his cold snout into my face. I giggled and teetered back. Elijah caught me with a grin and guided my hand back to his fur.
“This is...incredible,” I whimpered.
“Glad we could help,” he whispered. “Enjoy it.”
I was nearly overwhelmed by my awe and inspiration. This horse was an incredible beast who could have very well stomped on me in the wild, but in here, he was letting me pet him. I was moved so deeply that I nearly started to cry. When I was finished, Arthur came up to pet him and smiled wide, just as giddy as me.
“Wow,” he groaned. “I don't think I've ever been this close to a horse. Elijah, get in here!”
“Uh…I think I'm fine with Belle,” Elijah excused. “You enjoy that, friend.”
“Would y'all like to take him out for a ride?” Amelia offered.
“Oh, no. Positively not,” Elijah blurted.
I laughed. “I might take him for a quick spin.”
“Alright, let's get him saddled up,” Amelia said with a smile.
Timidly, I stepped aside to let her do her work. I watched as she dropped the saddle over Bolt's back and prepared the straps. Once he was all set up, she led him out by his reigns out of the stall and invited us to follow. We walked down the long hall of the stable towards the open doors on the other side, passing by a multitude of horses in all different sizes and colors. I was amazed by the beautiful animals gently whinnying in their stalls.
When we were outside, I noticed a brown horse in the distance with one person riding and the other leading. I smiled. At least I wouldn't be the only one on a horse today. Amelia guided me into how to hop on. I hiked up my maxi dress, planted my foot in the strap, and hoisted myself up in one, fluid motion.
She applauded my effort. “Most folks don't get it on the first try. Have you ever been on a horse before?”
“A few times as a kid,” I replied. “I remember a little, but not a lot.”
“Alright, well, just hold his reigns very lightly and click your tongue twice to get him to move forward.”
I did what she instructed, and Bolt began trotting forward at a slow pace, going up the path towards the people that were walking towards us. Amelia stuck to my side and watched us; guided us. I felt comfortable with her there, but I still glanced back at my boys who remained near the stable. They were growing smaller the more we traveled along the path.
“So, how do you like our resort so far?” she asked.
“It's wonderful. I haven't been back to Georgia in a while.”
“Did you grow up here?”
I shrugged. “Here and there throughout the years. I was always between San Francisco and here. I landed in San Francisco for my culinary degree and stayed there.”
She whistled. “Dang, that sounds nice. I never liked the city much.”
“It's not too bad once you get used to it.”
“I hear that.”
The brown horse was rapidly approaching. I noticed the man on top of the beast nervously teetering left and right, trying to keep his balance. His attendant encouraged him to keep steady and hold the reigns. The man looked red in the face and, as he drew closer, I began to recognize his features.
It was Mr. Chang.
I ducked low, hoping he wouldn't see me. But that was stupid. How would he not see me this close on the path? As we started passing them, he yanked on the reins and brought the horse to an abrupt stop. His attendant steadied the horse with soft whispers and gentle pats, angrily glaring up at Mr. Chang.
“Oh, my dear Belle,” Mr. Chang greeted. “What a marvelous coincidence.”
“Right—a coincidence.”
I wanted to move forward, but Amelia had us paused, and now she was striking up a conversation with the other attendant.
I was stuck.
“It's so nice to get out of the city, isn't it?” Mr. Chang asked rhetorically.
“It sure is.”
“And you're here with Mr. Warren and Mr. Powers?”
“I sure am.”
He forced a smile. “I bet they're having fun.”
“We all are. It's been a lovely visit so far.”
“And how long will you be staying?”
“Not long.”
“Oh, such a shame.” He clicked his tongue, causing the horse to shimmy forward. “I mean to say, I would love to have dinner with you--”
“Can't—gotta go—bye.”
Amelia took my heated farewell as a cue to get us moving forward. Once we were away from Mr. Chang, I let out a loud sigh of relief.
“It may not be my business, ma'am, but I had a feeling that guy was a creep,” she commented.
“Oh, he's a huge creep.”
“Grace doesn't like him—the horse he's on—that's always an indicator to me of bad people.”
“Yeah, he's a real piece of work. I think he's been following us around.”
“That ain't good. Would you like me to alert security?”
I sighed wearily. "No, I don't think that's necessary. I'm sure he'll run into the boys back there, and they'll make sure he stays a good distance away."
“That's good. They must be good friends of yours. They stayed very close to you in the stable.”
I smiled warmly. “They're very good friends. I'd be lost without them.”
“Can't do without good friends these days. This world can get pretty heavy.”
“It certainly can.”
We fell into a silent pace as we walked along the path. I was happy to be in the presence of nature with the lilacs surrounding me and the trees gently swaying side to side. I felt at peace here. When we turned around, I saw the little dots of Elijah and Arthur up ahead. I grew excited as if I were approaching the stable again, feeling the growing intensity of it bubbling in my gut. When we made it back, Elijah looked tense, and Arthur gave me a playful smile.
“There's the princess,” he stated. “Did you have fun with Bolt?”
“So much,” I chimed as I stepped down. “He's a great baby.”
“Do you guys want to feed him? I've got some carrots--”
“Oh, no—we should get back and maybe prepare for dinner,” Elijah interrupted.
Taking that as his cue to leave, I reached out to hug Amelia and thanked her for her help today. I turned and followed Elijah back through the stable and out to the other side, watching as the hotel loomed up ahead. I checked the area for Mr. Chang, half-expecting to see him peeping from the bushes between the trees.
I shuddered. “God, I can't believe he's here.”
“How did he catch wind of where we were going?” Arthur pondered.
“He's probably following us,” I replied. “And I don't like it at all.”
“He's not going to bother you again,” Elijah assured firmly. “Even if it's the last damn thing I ever do, he won't get near you.”
I felt his tension in his words, practically cowering underneath them as if he was directing his rage at me. But he wasn't. There was such a strange combination of energies in the air that I felt nauseous at their presence, ducking my head down as we walked back to the hotel. I was hungry again, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to eat with this looming sense of doom over my head—and with my boys just as tense as me, I wasn't sure what was going to happen.
Chapter 24
Elijah
“Bastard,” I grunted. “What an absolute fool.”
“Calm yourself, brother. You're getting worked up again,” Arthur warned.
I growled at him. “Don't tell me what to do.”
“What the hell is going on in here?”
Belle appeared in the doorway with h
er hair wrapped in a towel, wearing nothing but white lingerie. I nearly melted when I saw her, but remembered my anger from earlier. I retained it stubbornly.
“This Mr. Chang is becoming a problem. We're discussing whether we should cut ties with this contract we signed,” I explained. “And it's nothing to do with you, princess, so please leave.”
“Nothing to do with me?” she scoffed. “I'm the reason he's been following you two.”
Arthur held out his arms to her. “Oh, darling—please, don't blame yourself.”
“No, she's right,” I stated. “She is the reason he's been following us around like a dog waiting for his bone.”
She took a step back from the doorway, appearing hurt. As she crossed her arms over her chest, her hurt expression shifted into a dark one with her sapphire blue eyes glaring me down. “And I suppose to get rid of the situation, you need to get rid of me?”
“Is that what I said?”
“No, but it's what you implied.”
I chuckled, amused. “I didn't realize you could read my mind, dear.”
“I don't need to read your mind when your actions say something else.”
“Oh, really? And what are my actions saying now?”
I firmly folded my arms over my chest, imitating her stance. It prompted her to drop her arms and expose her beautiful breasts again. The sight of them made my mouth water. I felt like a wolf being teased with a bloody lamb, and I was beginning to get sick of getting distracted.
“Your actions say you're disappointed in the fact that I can't be kept completely under your watch,” she replied matter-of-factly.
“Do you think I treat you like property?”
“No, but it's starting to seem like you're jealous.”
I scoffed. “Me? Jealous?”
Arthur began to chime in until I shot him a hard look. Sighing, he rolled his eyes and looked in the other direction.
“Yes, jealous—you've been this way since Mr. Chang came to your mansion. You've been watching me like a hawk and studying my every move.”
“You haven't left our side in weeks. What does that say about you?”
The Virgins Double Bosses: A MFM Billionaire Menage Romance Page 13
