by Shayla Black
me was sent to the back of the line. I was acting like a self-sacrificing martyr, but I’m done with that. I’m afraid you’re going to have to deal with me.”
“I don’t understand.” The whole world seemed to have tilted and she wasn’t sure where she stood anymore.
“I’m well aware. You didn’t fully know me before. I let Oliver take the reins of the company because he needed the work to occupy him and he needed to feel in control. So I stepped aside from the CEO position and took over legal. When he’s ready for another role, I’ll assume the helm again. I’m the shark, Tori. I’ve buried that part of me because my brothers needed someone to hold us all together, but I’ve always been the shark. So you’re going to have to deal with me and I’m not going to politely sit down and listen to all the reasons you think this won’t work. I’m going to dance with you and lay out my rationale. You’ll listen because I haven’t even had a kiss out of you yet.”
Heat zipped down her spine. Tori had been fooled by his gentlemanly façade, but she now sensed his ruthlessness underneath like a living thing. He didn’t play fair. For some reason, that turned her on. “How is that my fault? I didn’t even know you wanted to kiss me.”
“Didn’t you? I suspect you did. Here’s the thing, darling. You can dance with me or I’ll take that kiss here and now in front of everyone.”
She flushed. She could feel her skin turning pink. He wouldn’t. She glanced up at him through her lashes and changed her mind. He would—absolutely. He would lay his lips over hers and claim her lips in front of everyone so there would be no mistaking that she belonged to him.
The orchestra began the waltz and she decided to not start another scandal. Very gingerly she stepped onto Rory’s dress shoes, her right hand in his as she placed her left on his shoulder.
“Good choice.” He wrapped his free arm around her waist, and she felt his strength as he pressed her against his body. “Typically we would keep a bit of space between us, but I don’t feel like playing by the rules this evening. A good dance is a lot like making love. It should be two bodies in complete sync, trust and joy marking the movements. Hang on to me.”
She gasped as he took off. The ballroom whirled around her, but Rory held her firmly and he wasn’t letting her fall. After a moment of panic, complete exhilaration took over. She’d never danced before. Not like this. Rory held her tight, twirling her across the parquet floor. She relaxed and let her body flow against his.
He led her effortlessly. This was what he was offering her. He would assume control. He and Callum, and if she allowed him, Oliver, too. They would take control, surround and protect her. All she had to do was hold them tight and let go of everything else.
Tori wasn’t certain she could manage that in the long run, but for a night… Yes, she could have her night with them.
The music invaded her soul as she let Rory steer them around and around. The rest of the world seemed to fade away as he swept her into euphoria. Tori felt safe with his arms around her. Nothing else mattered—or existed—except Rory and the cresting music enveloping them. A thrill went through her like nothing she’d felt before. She couldn’t help but smile because he was so beautiful and he made her feel alive.
The music began to wind down, and Tori wished it would lilt on longer. As Rory started to slow, she realized everyone stared at them. The people on the dance floor had stopped to watch her and Rory. But he didn’t pay them any mind. His eyes were steady on her as he finished the dance with a flourish. The crowd around them applauded.
Piper stood nearby, grinning broadly. When she caught Tori’s eye, she winked. More flashbulbs burst in the dim room. The speculative whispers started all around them again.
Tori tensed.
“Relax. Smile.” Rory eased her off his feet. “They’re watching us because we’re lovely and I’m a brilliant dancer. Could have gone pro if I wanted to, but I decided one full-of-himself celebrity in the family was enough.” He grinned, then nodded to the crowd. “Thank you.”
“That’s not a nice way to talk about your brother.” Maybe it was a stupid thing to say, but talking about Callum was better than acknowledging all the stares on them.
“It’s true. Did you know that one year he gave us all signed footballs for Christmas?” Rory started to lead her off the dance floor.
Her heart still pounded, her mind whirling from the excitement. And her nipples were hard just from being so close to him. She hoped no one noticed. “I’m sure he simply didn’t have time to be more personal.”
His fingers laced through hers. “He makes the time now. I shoved that damn thing up his arse, and now he’s more thoughtful. You’ll have to be that way with Callum from time to time. He doesn’t always think. Put him on his arse when he requires it and everything will run smoothly. Outside the bedroom, of course. He won’t take orders when you’re intimate, but you’ll have a good deal of control with him in the real world. It’s Oliver you’ll have to worry about. He’s the one who’ll tell you everything is fine when his world is falling apart.”
She had to protest. “But I’m not—”
“Don’t let him get away with it,” Rory kept on as if she hadn’t spoken at all. “Fine is like his safe word. When he uses it, everything needs to stop.”
“Safe word?” She knew that meant a word the submissive used if she’d had too much of a punishment or got scared.
Rory stopped and turned, looming over her like a gorgeous Viking god. “Yes. I was joking about Oliver’s—mostly. But you should choose yours. You’ll need one very soon.”
Her dress suddenly felt way too tight. “I don’t think any of this is a good idea.”
Heat and desire lit his blue eyes as his fingers tightened around hers. “Don’t be scared. Everything we’ll do to you is designed to bring you pleasure and draw us closer together. I’ve trained for this day.”
“But you… I-I didn’t know you wanted me.”
“I fought like hell to hide how I felt. The first time I went to a club, I thought I could rid myself of my desire for you. I followed Callum, seeking a sub who looked like you. I planned to purge myself so I could help Oliver find his way. I found a pretty sub with hair like yours and I trained with her. I learned everything necessary but I felt almost nothing because she wasn’t you. I couldn’t muster any desire whatsoever to touch her in a sexual way because the minute you walked in the door, I belonged to you. I don’t know why or how, but I haven’t looked at another woman since we met. I know Oliver hurt you, but I can’t help but be happy because it forced Callum and me to come to terms. I think in the end, that’s exactly what Oliver needed to be comfortable with our marriage.”
“M-marriage?” She squeaked out the word.
Tori didn’t ask if he was serious. His weight and the heat of his dark stare told her he was.
“Yes, don’t think for a second that I’ll settle for anything less. I love you, Tori.”
She so wasn’t ready for that. She didn’t know how to believe it. Sex was easier. One night with the three of them was something she could conceive of. “I’m not thinking of the future. I’m honestly not thinking of anything at all, Rory. I can’t. I’m not staying here.”
“I know you’re not.”
A hand touched her elbow. “Torrance? I am Abdul al Bashir, cousin to the sheikh. May I have this dance?”
She turned and saw a stunning man. With golden skin and fathomless dark eyes, he was dressed in an immaculate tux and smiled down at her with a flash of white teeth in a stunning face. Oh, he was one of the five cousins she’d absolutely planned on avoiding. No matter how delicious he was, he came with four extras…and her heart belonged elsewhere. Not that she could handle the three currently propositioning her. Not only that, Abdul and his brothers were Bezakistani men. They’d been known to steal the bride they wanted.
Still, it might get her out of temptation’s way if she danced with him.
“I’m afraid not. So sorry,” Rory lied as he began to
Tori stood her ground. “Mr. al Bashir—” Then she squeaked. “What the hell!”
One minute she was talking politely and the next she found herself in Rory’s arms, being carried out of the ballroom. Staid, very British Rory Thurston-Hughes picked her up and carried her toward the exit like a pirate with a particularly thrilling bit of booty.
“Rory, what are you doing?” she demanded.
He was supposed to be the reasonable one, but he’d proven that looks could be deceiving.
Rory kicked opened the door to the hallway. Kicked it open. Yeah, nobody noticed that and it certainly didn’t make her ovaries melt at all. Nope. She didn’t like this side of Rory. Well, no part of her except those softening pink bits and maybe her heart.
“I’m taking charge.” He strode down the hall. He didn’t pause or hesitate. When he walked past reporters, he didn’t bother to look their way. He was a man on a mission.
“Put me down! You can’t carry me off. I thought I was supposed to smile at the press and make my nip slip go away.” Though she’d actually planned to be long gone by now, Tori realized it was too early to leave.
“I don’t care about that. Your breast looked stunning. If it ends up on the front page, I’ll make a poster of it. I don’t care what other people think. I’m done with that and you need to be done with it, too.” He stopped when they passed a security station. The guards allowed them into the palace’s private family wing. One even grinned as he opened the door for them.
Once the door closed, they were alone in a grand foyer. The heavy portal blocked the sounds of the party. Now that her surroundings were quiet, she could practically hear her heart pounding.
Finally, Rory stopped, and she found herself on her feet again. Tori tried to catch her breath as he pressed closer and invaded her space. “This is too fast.”
His fingers brushed her jawline. He dipped his head low. “No. We’ve dragged this out for months. I won’t slow down. Now that I’ve made the decision, I can’t wait any longer.”
His mouth descended on hers in a slow slide. He clutched her hips, pulling her into the cradle of his muscular thighs. His lips took hold of hers, molding in a dominant glide. Her whole body went soft and she was grateful for his arms around her. They held her up when all she wanted to do was drop to her knees.
Rory was kissing her. Finally. Callum had mentioned topping her. She knew what BDSM meant to well-meaning Doms. It meant they cared about her. It meant they protected her and watched over her. She might be naïve, but that was what it meant to her sister and husbands. BDSM didn’t guarantee a happily ever after, but it should mean she got a say in whatever happened. If they were going to this much effort, surely she meant something to them.
Tentatively, she let her hands roam Rory’s shoulders and back as his tongue plunged inside her mouth. There was no questioning lick. He dominated, delving deep. His tongue slid along hers, luring and tempting Tori.
Every cell in her body seemed to soften, and she felt her pussy growing slick and wet. Heat burned through her flesh, and she slid her left leg against his to get closer. Rory answered with a groan, pressing her against the wall and pushing his erection against her. He felt so big, so hard. Tori writhed against him, trying desperately to rub herself against his cock and satisfy her growing ache.
His forehead pressed to hers as he took a long breath, trying to calm himself. “Keep doing that and I’ll prove to you I don’t mind risking a scandal. I’ll pull up this skirt and fuck you right here.”
She had to be the sensible one. “I don’t think this will work.”
“The sex will be divine. I already know it.”
Tori had no doubt of that. “I meant anything more.”
“We’ll make it work, sweetheart.” He brushed another kiss against her lips.
All the reasons it couldn’t work pressed on her. The Thurston-Hughes brothers were overwhelmingly possessive men. How could they share? They fought. Would they fight over her? She’d seen Callum’s anger at Oliver and she’d wondered… “Why were Oliver and Callum fighting the day the reporter came to the office?”
Even as she asked the question, her hands roved over Rory’s hard form. The woman inside her wasn’t sure she wanted the answer right now. That part of her craved what these brothers could give her. She might have been a virgin until Oliver, but she wasn’t stupid. He could offer her more. They all could, and she wanted to feel the pleasure she’d been denied her first time.
He kissed the line of her jaw, then his tongue found her pulse point, making her shiver with desire. “You, of course. You didn’t see the very nice punch I landed. We were fighting over you, but that’s not going to happen again. We’ve talked in detail. Now we’re a united front.”
For how long? If she only wanted a night, it didn’t matter…but deep down, Tori suspected she wanted far more.
Every cell in her body quaked as he kissed her neck. “Rory, I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. You’ve always known.” He took a step back. “But I’m going to give you a choice. If you’re scared, walk back into that ballroom and I’ll consider the matter finished. I’ll talk to Callum and Oliver, and we’ll court you in a more proper fashion. We’ll be polite and escort you out and take turns like gentlemen. But if you walk into that room with me, there won’t be anything polite about the way we take you. I won’t be a gentleman. I’ll be a Dom. Your Dom, and you’ll know what it means to be utterly possessed by three men who can’t breathe without you. We’ll start preparing you because we’re going to take you in every way a man can take a woman. Think about this because you’re selecting the path we travel. Polite and proper? Or as wild as you can handle it? Do you want to know what it means to submit to men who love you?”
“Yes.” The word was out before she could think about it. It didn’t matter. Despite all the reasons she shouldn’t do this, she couldn’t walk away.
“Then come with me.” He grabbed her hand and strode down the hall.
Tori hurried after him, knowing nothing would be the same again.
CHAPTER NINE
Oliver stared at his brother as he pulled out a pink plastic plug and laid it on a towel on the bar. Callum had turned the bar into a buffet of sex toys. He wasn’t sure he knew what some of them were for. Still, even he knew that was an awfully small plug if it was supposed to serve the purpose he supposed. “I’m bigger than that plug, Cal.”
It was a bit surreal to be standing in his brother’s room laying out sex toys and talking about how they were going to seduce their woman. He’d never been a big planner when it came to sex. He went with the flow and now he was wondering if that wasn’t his problem.
Callum snorted as he pulled out a bottle of lube. “Of course you are, but she’s got a little tiny virgin arsehole. It’s got to be trained to accept a cock. This is a training plug. When she’s used to it, I’ll move her up to something bigger. It’s going to take a while.”
The thought of her virgin backside made him wince as his cock hardened painfully. “How did you get into all this stuff?”
He had to admit he was curious. His brother was so happy-go-lucky. He wouldn’t have believed he could turn into a Dominant male, but he could see the change now. Callum wasn’t the cheeky boy he knew. He seemed dark and commanding.
“A teammate introduced me. So much of my life was out of my control. I spent all my time reacting—to rivals, to coaches, to fans, to the press. I needed a place where my control was absolute.”
Oliver had never thought of it that way. He’d seen Callum as a charming playboy, jetting all over the world and playing a game. He’d never considered that his brother’s life had likely been highly regulated by someone other than himself. He would have been told when to practice, when to play. Everyone would have wanted a piece of him. Callum likely had to constantly deal with women like Thea who wanted him for his money and fame and would do anything to get it. No wonder his brother had been determined to seize control where he could.
Oliver thought he had taken back his control when he’d assumed the helm of the company, but now he wondered. Had he pursued the wrong kind of control? “And you think Tori will submit to you? That she needs to?”
Callum started to unbutton his shirt, his jacket and tie gone the minute they’d left the party. “I know she does. I’ve seen her work. She’s excellent at her job, but she’s also the kind of woman who tries to please everyone around her. She struggles to say no, and the world is filled with people out there who take advantage of her.”
Oliver nodded. “She takes on far too much because she doesn’t want to disappoint anyone. I don’t see how taking more choices away helps her.”
“Because you don’t understand the philosophy. I’m not taking a single choice away from her. Every time she obeys in the bedroom, it’s because she chooses to. It’s because she trusts us with her pleasure. She can always say no and walk away, but I intend to teach her that she never has to. I intend to teach her that she’s worthy of being pleased and that her choices matter. Gradually, I hope that she’ll learn she can say no to people because she’s got a strong core of self-confidence and trust in her family. We’ll be the ones who matter.”
Oliver frowned. “But—”
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