Keith laughed before he moved his tongue lower. I shuddered in anticipation. Yes, that was exactly where I wanted his tongue. Behind me, Quinn bit down on my shoulder. I cried out. He licked the spot where he had bit me and moved his hand around me to grasp my breast.
After a quick palming, Quinn squeezed my nipple, hard. My knees might have threatened to collapse except that Quinn held me tight in his arms. In the meantime, Keith’s tongue was doing amazing things. Eventually he found my clit and circled it. Over and over. Once. Twice. A third time. Quinn bit me again, and that was that. I came hard. Keith moaned, which only made me come even harder.
By the time he was finished, I was panting. By the universe, they played my body like a musical instrument.
Quinn hissed in my ear before he picked me up and moved me to the couch. My front was against the side. I widened my eyes. We were going to do this from behind. He caressed my ass. “Is this okay?”
“I’m game for trying everything once.”
Keith kissed my cheek. When had he moved? “I’m next.”
I wondered for a second what Clay was doing, but then Quinn pushed inside of me. I cried out. From that angle he had deep penetration, and it felt… amazing. My head dropped forward while I tried to press back against him. In and out, he moved in smooth jerks. Quinn moaned before he wrapped an arm around my front, pulling me closer against him. I had to let go of where I held on, and instead I leaned back against him.
He sighed in my ear. It was such a sweet sound. “I love you in my arms.” Quinn was so loving when we were intimate. “I love that you’re my wife.”
Quinn dropped his hand, finding my clit and stroking it.
“Oh, just like that.”
“Anything you want, forever.”
Over and over we moved together until there was so much pressure in my body that I could even feel it in my ears. I could feel his cock had hardened a lot and throbbed inside of me. He was close, and damn it, so was I. I pressed back just a little more, and then I exploded.
My own pleasure must have called his. He came hard, throbbing as he shattered. We didn’t move for long moments. I closed my eyes, letting Quinn hold me to him and listening to the sounds of our breaths coming in and out. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. I smiled. There were dogs in Oceania. I had only heard them on some of the movies I’d seen during screen time.
“All right.” Keith extended his arms. “My turn.”
I let him lift me away from his brother and carry me toward the bathroom. Clay winked at me again. What was he doing? I didn’t have time to wonder. Keith started warm water in the bath and placed me in it. He stripped off his clothes before he got in front of me in the tub. Keith grabbed the washcloth off the towel rack and laid it gently against my body.
“I want you in the water.”
I grinned. He was so matter of fact. “Sounds like a plan.”
He pulled me on top of him. Perhaps in other circumstances the fact that my butt stuck slightly out of the water would have been a problem. Right then I had to giggle because he took his hand out of the water and whacked me gently on my bare bottom.
“A man could get addicted to having so much access to your ass. It’s all I can do not to squeeze it when you’re walking around.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Is that why you put me in a dress that accentuated my rear?”
“Maybe.”
He was hard, and I stroked my hand down his shaft once, then twice. He closed his eyes. I grinned. I felt sexy and powerful. In a swift move, I climbed on top of him and pressed down. He opened his eyes and smiled.
“You are so unbelievably sexy.”
“Why, Keith.” I lowered my voice. “You say the sweetest things.”
He pinched my nipple and I laughed. I was already ready, still sensitive and ready to go. I rode him, squeezing him between my thighs because I loved the noises he made when I did so. He held onto my legs and let me. I watched his gaze, enjoying every second that his eyes became more and more heated. Keith was holding on by a thread.
Finally he took over the moment, controlling me from the bottom. I sighed. This was the universe moving. Loving my husbands. This had to be what the Sisters had meant when they said the universe moved.
It did. For the Sandler boys.
I came, Keith calling out my name. Tears fell from my eyes. I didn’t try to stop them. Why would I when I had so much to be grateful for?
On shaky legs, I wobbled out of the bathroom and was scooped up in Clay’s arms. I giggled. “Why do you keep winking at me?”
“Because I like how you blush when I do.”
Did I? “What do you have in store for me?”
“Bed. You’ve had enough of today.”
I touched his cheek. “But you haven’t…”
“I’m good, Paloma. Every minute I get to be with you is pleasure for me. It’s not a bad idea to hold off and wait. It can make the pleasure even higher. Denial heightens the sensations.”
He climbed into bed after setting me down into it. The pillow was soft, the blankets were warm. Clay sighed. “I love you, Paloma.”
“I love you, too.” But I couldn’t stand the thought of him trying to sleep with his penis that erect. I rolled on top of him and his eyes widened. “Just because you tell me to go to bed doesn’t mean that I’m actually going to bed. Maybe I want to finish the night with you, Clay Sandler. Maybe that’s what I want.”
He flipped me over until he was on top of me. “Is that so?”
“That’s so.”
His smile was slow, hot, and full of promise. He kissed me, and I leaned up to stick my tongue into his mouth. He met my advance and our tongues danced together for a few minutes.
He reached between us, stroking my clit. I jolted against him. “So sensitive, Paloma. Do you want long and slow or hot and fast?”
“I want you, Clay. However you want it.”
He must have wanted hard and fast because that is what he gave me. He pressed his fist against my pussy first, the hard pressure being exactly what I needed. I cried out, and he leaned forward until he could bite down on my bottom lip. Sparks of excitement travelled through me.
Clay replaced his fist with his cock and soon he was inside of me. I didn’t have to do very much but hold on and enjoy the ride. He took me like a man who knew what he was doing. Every move of his body rubbed my clit. I cried out with each encounter until I was screaming his name and digging my fingers into his back.
Colors flashed before my eyes, and with my ears ringing, I exploded around Clay. He wouldn’t have any trouble getting me to go to bed now.
18
A Long Process
At some point in the middle of the night, Keith and Quinn joined us in bed. Clay held me tight against him in sleep, but he loosened his hold just a bit when I squirmed. Keith kissed my forehead and put his arm around me, too. Quinn climbed onto the end of the bed. I closed my eyes, and darkness took me back into her sweet embrace.
In what felt like only minutes but couldn’t have been because there was light streaming through the windows, I woke up to a clearing of someone’s throat. I looked around, confused, until I saw Tommy standing by the end of the bed with a smirk on his face.
“So I’ve been working nonstop for hours, and you’re all here cozy in bed, sleeping soundly.”
Keith leaned back on his elbows. “Jealous?”
“Totally.” He flopped down on the bed, lying on top of all of us. “And I don’t have easy news.”
Quinn groaned. “You lost?”
“No. I mean, I got Graham Alexander on my side. I think he’d say yes to anything Melissa asked him to do. Her tablet message to him did the trick. Our father-in-law was less than thrilled to make my acquaintance, particularly after the news got to him that you told off your mother, love.”
I groaned. I wasn’t ready to make nice, but I would if Tommy needed me to. “Do I have to apologize?”
“I’d never ask you to do that.
I’m proud of you. He doesn’t have that much power. He’d like more, but whatever. Graham thinks I’m going to have to make personal appeals to all the rich families to get their battalions involved. He won’t have the support to send Earth to war without that.” He shook his head. “I’m going to be shaking a lot of hands. And I’m going to need Quinn and Keith with me to do it. You too, love, if you’ll go.”
I sat up. “Whatever you need, Tommy. You know that.”
He yawned. “Right now what I need is peace and quiet and slumber.”
Quinn kicked him. “Well, you’re not doing that lying on top of us, man.”
Clay laughed. “It’s okay. I’ve got to get up. I’m working today.”
“That’s what I figured.” Tommy took his spot when Clay moved. “That’s why I’m letting you out of shaking hands.”
Clay leaned over and kissed me, a quick peck. “Lucky me.”
Tommy was already snoring by the time Clay left the room. Quinn grumbled a few moments later and followed Clay out the door. I closed my eyes, and for just a little while longer, I was able to sleep cocooned between Keith and Tommy.
I woke up when Tommy rolled over. Keith was gone. I rubbed my eyes. My body was sore. I needed a shower and food, in that order.
My husband didn’t notice when I left the room. I took care of myself, and on my second egg, I realized that other than sleeping Tommy, I was alone in the place. It was probably a good time to try to locate the missing uncles. If I didn’t focus, I wasn’t ever going to get anywhere on that project.
Maybe I wouldn’t anyway, but it was worth the try.
I pulled up the information from my tablet that I’d taken off Mars Station and started reading. After a moment, I had the name of the ship where at least one of the Uncles operated in the Dark Planet zone. No Earth control. I tapped the table with my finger and then decided to go for it. Uncle Fletcher. He was the son right after Uncle Quinn. Garrison, Quinn, Fletcher. Then five more.
He looked like he was some kind of pirate. Notations indicated he stole from cargo ships that hauled medicine and gave them to poor planets that needed them. I rubbed my eyes. I typed the name of the ship, The Lafayette, and entered it into my communication section on the tablet. The ship would either take my communication when it received it—which could be who knew when since the Dark Planets weren’t known for their fast comm systems. or not. I quickly typed up an introduction and hoped he would respond.
I’d work on the other uncles later. My tablet dinged. It couldn’t possibly already be Fletcher Sandler. My message wouldn’t even have left Earth space yet. I stared down.
They’re going to kill the Spare right now. If you don’t want him you dead, you might tell the Heir and the Who Cares about it. Clock is ticking, Paloma.
I stared at the message. There was no indication who it was from, which was bizarre. Usually, a message unsigned couldn’t get through the system. I decided to ignore that and read what was said. Again. And Again.
It didn’t make sense. I jumped to my feet. Tommy needed sleep, but this was some kind of death threat. I rushed into the bedroom and shook him till he opened his eyes. He smiled at me. “What’s up, baby?”
I shoved the tablet at him. “What does that mean? Heir. Spare. All that?”
Tommy stared at it for less than three seconds before he was on his feet. He spoke into his tablet. “I need Graham Alexander, and I need him now.”
The tablet binged, and Melissa’s father’s voice boomed out of it. “I know you’ve had as little sleep as me. What are you doing?”
“My brother Clay is going to be killed at the courthouse.”
What? My heart plummeted into my stomach. Tommy had at least understood that message. He grabbed my arm. “Reach Keith and Quinn, wherever they are, and get them here.”
He pulled on his pants even as he communicated with Graham. “Yes.—No, I have no idea who it’s from but I will find out…You can count on that. I don’t think the person threatening Clay is the one who wants to harm him. This was a warning. My father’s people don’t make them. Right. Fine. I’ll stay here. All focus on getting Clay and getting him here. I’ll just be in the way, and if it’s a trap to draw me out, then fuck them.”
I shot off messages to Keith and Quinn. Both answered immediately. Quinn was running errands and almost home. Keith had stopped by the university and would be back momentarily. I sat down on the edge of the bed. “Tommy, I need an explanation.”
“I’m the heir, my father’s heir. Or at least I was until I left. The spare was always Clay. The heir and the spare, lest something happen to me. And then when the twins were born, the really shitty people started calling them the and who cares. The first two weren’t invented for us. That’s been said for millions of years. That last bit some asshole made up.” He touched his wrist. “Clay, viable threat has been made against you. Graham is sending forces to secure you. Don’t give them shit.”
He sat down on the side of the bed next to me. Our tablets dinged. Clay, Keith, and Quinn wanted answers. I answered the twins with the general information that I had no idea what was going on. Tommy put his head in his hands after answering Clay. “I can’t believe I’m going to sit here.”
“It was smart what you said. If you’re meant to go running and get caught, then they would have won. Or if you somehow become a problem and Clay gets killed because of it, then that’s a disaster. You’re staying out of the way and letting the second most powerful man on Earth take care of things. You didn’t act without thinking. That’s why he’ll survive this.”
I stood. I really, really hoped I was right.
“Did you know I have to meet with the Prime Minister next week? I’m hoping you’ll come with me on that. Use some of that charm.”
I leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Count on it.”
Quinn was the first through the door. He threw a bag down, which spilled out onto the floor. He’d bought me more clothes. All of them red. With nothing else to do with my time but obsess and wait, I grabbed them and started folding what needed to be folded and hanging the rest. My hands had to be busy, or my mind would explode.
Keith was next. He dropped his tablet on the table and then picked up mine. He was fooling with it, and as far as I was concerned, he could do as he pleased with my device. “What if you had been sleeping?”
I didn’t answer him. Instead I walked into the kitchen and grabbed cleaning tools. I’d scrub. That would be really helpful. The bland nothingness that came with housework…
“Our idiot brother is refusing to leave the courthouse.”
I stopped moving. “What?”
“He has to see the judge about this client, and he is refusing to leave until he’s done so.” Tommy threw his tablet. I winced. I hoped it wasn’t broken. Did the makers of these things keep in mind how frequently they got tossed?
I picked it up. The screen wasn’t cracked, which was at least something. “If he won’t come to me, I’m going to him.”
Quinn shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“No one is threatening me. I’m not listed there. He’s being stubborn, but just because he cares about this guy. This man’s problems have been eating at Clay’s soul. He won’t ignore me. I have to go to him.”
Keith rocked back on his feet. “Not by yourself.”
“Yes, by myself. I can get there and back. You come with me, and it’s a whole different thing. You’ll get spotted.”
Tommy spoke in a low voice. “You were with us at the meeting. They know you now.”
“They knew me like that. Red dress. Dramatic face.” I’d had to scrub it all off in the shower. I was going to have to be careful with when I did that look. My skin would never survive the onslaught. “I can be invisible. I trust you guys. You can trust me.”
They looked at each other. I had news for them; I was doing this whether they liked it or not. Clay needed me to go pull him out of his own head and get him home safely. I loved him. I wouldn�
�t leave him there.
I spoke into my tablet, sending my message to Clay. “I’m coming to you.”
That was that.
Dressed in my best impression of an initiate outfit, which included a long grey skirt and a white blouse—the skirt coming from the maid closet down the hall and the blouse being my own—I’d pulled my hair back in a slick bun. With my new bangs, I looked very severe. I had on makeup but not to make me look better; too much powder had the opposite effect. I was wearing Quinn’s brown boots. They were too big. I hoped I didn’t have to run.
Tommy had reached out to Graham, and Dennis Beene, the commander in charge of Clay—who wanted to haul his ass out regardless of Clay’s wishes, possibly unconscious if need be—knew to expect me. I even knew where I was going, thanks to the feature on the tablet that made getting directions an option.
It buzzed at me whenever I was supposed to turn. I kept my eyes on the ground, not making eye contact with anyone. I took a seat on the train when it pulled in front of me, and entered my coordinates into the machine. It knew where to take me now. We jolted through Oceania, heading for the courthouse district. I popped out when it stopped and made my way forward.
I looked back down at the ground. I was no one. A woman that none needed to pay any attention to whatsoever. If I’d had a headpiece, I could have completed the look completely and then not only would those passing by not look at me, they’d run the other way. As it was, I was enough bland in this grand world of colors that I was okay.
A crowd of soldiers stood in a half circle, their guns pointed at the courthouse. Clay was inside, and he needed to come back out. It was then when I noticed the second group. There were people wearing red on the steps of the courthouse. I didn’t have to guess to know who they were. Sandler red. But not Tommy’s. Not Clay’s. Not Quinn’s. Not Keith’s. That was Garrison’s group on the steps. I wasn’t a betting person, but I would lay credit on the idea that the people of Earth hadn’t known that they had such a Sandler presence here with them.
Loving Them Page 21