“Maybe.” I narrowed my eyes at him.
He narrowed his own in return, mocking me.
“Don’t be an asshole,” I told him. “I’m sick, remember? Be nice to me.”
“I’m always nice.” He said it with a smile on his face, and it was such bullshit.
I huffed. “Do you want me to want to be the prey?”
He chuckled quietly and raked his teeth across his lip. “Let me make one thing clear, pup. I won’t give you an inch until you latch on to me, at which point I might decide to give you eight.”
His words spread some weird liquid heat through me, and I dropped my gaze to his mouth.
“Masochists tend to interpret warnings as invitations,” I noted with a dose of forced confidence. I was in the deep end of the pool already, it felt like.
“Brats too,” he murmured.
“I’m not a brat.” I smiled as a rush of nerves tightened my stomach. The good kind. The kind that made life exciting. And I sort of squirmed in his arms, discreetly trying to press myself closer to him, as if he wouldn’t notice.
He definitely noticed, but he made no mention of it.
“How long have you been involved in kink?” he asked.
I hummed and planted my head on his shoulder instead. Just a few more inches… “A few years? Maybe four. I had a boyfriend who introduced me to rough sex.” Unfortunately, that guy had limits that prevented him from going further than spanking, light choke holds, and using his belt. “I attended my first munch shortly after.”
It was frustrating that River didn’t do anything. Well, he stroked my chest absently and seemed to observe me a lot, but wasn’t it customary to move closer when the other person did the same?
I frowned at him. “You should kiss me, dammit.”
He grinned a little at that. “Should I?”
I nodded and pushed myself a little bit higher. “If this isn’t the definition of latching on to you, I don’t know what is.”
He hummed and removed his feet from the table. “You could get on my lap.”
Fuck yes, I could do that.
Bringing the covers with me, I wrestled myself into position and straddled River, and he straightened in his seat. Playing coy had failed miserably, so there was only one thing left to do. I had to throw myself at the smug bastard.
As I leaned forward and rested my forehead to his, he snaked his strong arms around my back and pulled me even closer. A sluggish stream of lust slithered through me, at war with the remnants of the hellish night I’d had. At war with the exhaustion and skin sensitivity.
The second I pressed my lips to his, it was as if something went off inside me. Like a spark ignited and immediately lit up the rest of me. I hoped he felt something similar, because it became so clear there would be no easing into things with River Tenley. We deepened the kiss simultaneously, and I shivered violently as our tongues met. My hands went to his neck and jaw; his hands went to my ass.
He tasted of coffee, chips, and dark promises.
Fuck me hard. I had to kiss Reese again soon too. Yesterday didn’t fucking count. While he’d turned me on quicker than I’d thought was possible given the circumstances, my head had been a mess. But if he kissed half as passionately and hungrily as River, I was in serious shit.
Need blazed forward too fast for my body to be able to handle. I locked my arms around his neck and kissed him harder, deeper, but I was already losing my breath. My sore muscles protested.
It was just difficult to give a crap, even more so when he grabbed my ass roughly and shifted me over his cock.
I started panting and pretty much ground against him like a desperate slut.
River smirked into the kiss and slowed things down a little. “Reese is back.”
Huh?
“Wha—” The word hadn’t left my mouth before I heard the door open. Oh.
“I didn’t tell you to stop.” River kissed me before I could turn toward the door, and I guess that settled things for me. I just followed. My body thanked him for the more unhurried kisses so I could breathe properly, though it was maddening too. I wanted more.
“I see you two are getting along.” Reese set down what sounded like paper bags somewhere—maybe from his grocery shopping—and then his footfalls came closer, and I was acutely aware of him.
Soon, I felt his hand in my hair, and he tugged at it and pulled my head back.
I sucked in a breath and swallowed dryly, peering up at him with unfocused eyes. It was wholly unfair of them to take advantage while my systems were down.
“Hi,” I croaked.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Reese’s green eyes flashed with mirth. “You’re feeling better, I take it?”
I nodded and shuddered forcefully as River nipped at my neck.
“Good.” Reese gave me what I ached for; he dipped down and covered my mouth with his own, and I fucking died.
“Oh God,” I moaned. It became too much, yet not enough. He’d eaten something that tasted of toffee or caramel, and scratch what I’d thought earlier about his kissing skills. He was as intoxicating as his brother and seduced me in a matter of seconds. Before I even knew it, I was reaching for him.
River pushed up my T-shirt and caught one of my nipples between his teeth.
I groaned.
My head swam.
One of Reese’s knees hit the couch, and his new position brought the three of us closer. My tee was hauled over my head. There were hands everywhere. It felt like my dick was gonna burst. They were so fucking hot I couldn’t describe it. With Reese’s fingers in my hair, he pulled me toward them until we all met in a wild kiss that stole my breath all over again.
They were carbon copies with so much in common, all while some things made them uniquely individual. River’s unwavering strength and quiet calm placed him in the shadow of Reese’s adrenaline-inducing personality and forceful approach, but there was no competition. They complemented each other.
Reese slowed down the kiss while I struggled to catch my breath.
Then he gripped my chin and pecked me softly. “You’re not out of the woods yet, Shay. Y’all stay here and relax while I fix us something to eat. You’re staying here tonight too.”
I wasn’t going to pretend to put up a fight. I wanted to stay. “Okay.”
“Okay.” He kissed me once more before getting off the couch and adjusting his cock in his jeans. Mildly distracting. “If you’re a good boy, I’ll reward you with a beating tomorrow. I’ve already reserved one of the rooms in the house.”
Yes! No!
Every fiber of my being burned to be able to ask for the kind of pain that drove me wild, and it killed me that I couldn’t. At the same time, this was good. It meant I could indulge in this little game until tomorrow, and then I’d pay the price.
“You’ll degrade me too?” I asked to make sure.
He patted my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure you suffer.”
I guess that was good enough.
Saturday was a busy day around here. That evening, River, Reese, and I sat on their little porch, talked, ate, and watched the kinksters who ran around the deck of the main house. And those in the pool. And some who were playing filthy games out on the lawn.
I’d spotted Colt and Kit stroll down into the woods lining the bottom perimeter of the property earlier.