Cherished

by Lauren Dane

  He seemed to understand because he withdrew and then thrust deep, with more force this time, though it was still evident he was holding himself in check.

  “Xander, please. I’m not going to break. I’m not a virgin anymore. For God’s sake, I’ve been waited on hand and foot. I’ve taken more hot baths than any human should ever take in a week’s time. I’m completely and utterly healed from the first time. If you keep dragging this out, I swear to you I’m going to jump you, tie you down and have my wicked way with you.”

  He stared at her in astonishment for a moment and then burst out laughing. After a moment, he grew serious again, but there was still a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I’m sure, I’m sure! Just do it already. I need it harder. Faster. I’m dying over here.”

  With a growl that sounded eerily predatory, he hunched down over her, his body covering hers. He forced her legs farther apart with his thighs and then he began thrusting hard and fast. Rougher. Deeper. The slap of his hips against her thighs sounded loud in her ears.

  Her entire body shook with the force of his possession.

  The frenzy in which he took her lit fire to her senses. The orgasm that had quickly built fanned into a full-fledged inferno. Within seconds, she was pulled tighter than a rubber band at full stretch.

  Closing her eyes, she gripped his shoulders, digging her fingers deep into his flesh.

  “More,” she whimpered.

  “I’m giving you every goddamn thing I have,” he rasped out. “Let go, Talia. Let go.”

  She needed just a little more…He thrust hard and then lowered his head to nip at the flesh just below her ear.

  As soon as his teeth sank into her neck, she was hopelessly over the edge.

  Her cry was sharp, almost desperate. She clutched at his shoulders and arched her hips to meet him, wanting more, wanting closer, wanting him as deep as possible.

  Ecstasy, sharp and unrelenting, shot through her veins. Her pulse pounded at her temples. She could hear her heart beating, could feel it pounding against her chest.

  Finally all the tension left her in one quick explosive force. It was like cutting a taut line and experiencing recoil. Euphoria quickly replaced her earlier desperation and she sank into the bed with a deep, contented sigh.

  Xander followed her down, blanketing her with his strong, warm body. Their legs were tangled and he was still deep inside her. A part of her.

  He pulled her head close until she was tucked underneath his chin. She cuddled up to him, content to have him remain there, covering her. She felt secure. Safe. Protected. It was a heavenly feeling.

  She was so euphoric and in such a postcoital haze that she blinked sleepily, her earlier fatigue she’d experienced at the pool returning with a vengeance.

  “Just a little nap,” she murmured.

  Xander smiled at how cute she was all cuddled up to him. She was warm and soft in his arms. All he could ever want.

  After a long moment he stared down to find her sound asleep. He lowered his mouth to her forehead and pressed a kiss to her brow.

  “I love you,” he whispered. “I know I have a hard time saying it. I know I hide behind the others. But I love you, and one day I’ll tell you when I’m no longer hiding behind anything or anyone.”

  Chapter 17

  Talia was alone in the bed when she woke a mere hour later. She stretched languidly and then smiled. She felt like a very satisfied cat. Stroked, petted until she purred. And Xander had most definitely made her very content.

  As she rolled, she found a blossom next to a propped-up note.

  Meet me downstairs. Wear nothing. The others will be present.

  The simply worded message sent a surge of excitement and quickly shook the comfortable lethargy that had settled over her.

  She was to wear nothing, but it didn’t mean she was simply going to roll out of bed and go down looking like she’d just rolled out of bed.

  Hurrying to the bathroom, she swept her hair up into a bun so it wouldn’t get wet and then took a quick shower. Afterward, she rubbed scented lotion over her body, applied a light spritzing of her favorite perfume and then did her face moisturizing and makeup prep.

  She took her hair down, brushing it in waves down her shoulders. Though nothing had ever been said beyond that first instruction for the day she arrived, she knew they preferred her hair down. They rarely missed an opportunity to stroke it or run their fingers through it.

  Pleasing them made her happy. She glowed under their praise and approval. And they did everything in their power to make sure she was happy and provided for.

  For the first time in so very long, she was free of the worries and stress that had plagued her since her mother’s diagnosis four years prior. All she had to worry about was following whatever directive was laid out to her and they’d been so undemanding when it came to her.

  In a lot of ways it was freeing to be under the authority of someone else instead of being the primary decision maker in her life and the life of her mother.

  She was…free.

  Finished with university. Her mother was doing amazingly well. She was truly free to make her own decisions, live her own life.

  A giddy thrill soared through her veins as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

  What had begun as what she viewed as a six-month period “delay” in starting her new life in order to repay a debt had in a lot of ways been the impetus for a new lease on life.

  No matter what happened from this point forward, in the short time she’d been here, she felt renewed. Reinvigorated and optimistic about her future.

  After applying the bare minimum of foundation, she did a quick brush of mascara to her lashes and then chose a shiny lip gloss she knew likely wouldn’t remain on for long.

  She smiled at that thought, remembering what the note had said. The others would be there. Maybe, finally they would stop treating her like she would break at the slightest touch.

  Not wanting to keep them waiting, she did one last check of her hair and appearance and hurried toward the stairs. Midway down, she slowed and forced herself to be casual as she stepped into the sprawling living room.

  Her pulse quickened because as soon as she entered the room, four sets of eyes immediately turned her way. All four men were in various stages of lounging. The television was on a sports channel that was giving updates on football scores, but the moment they realized she was there, someone hit the off button on the remote.

  She walked boldly to the middle of the cluster of sofas and armchairs. She’d gotten over her self-consciousness when it came to being nude in front of these men.

  “What do you wish me to do?” she asked in a quiet, sweet voice she knew pleased them.

  Xander leaned forward in the armchair where he sat. He was adorned in khaki shorts and a simple polo shit. He was barefooted and looked completely comfortable. Sebastien was similarly dressed but he remained sprawled in his chair, drink in hand as he lazily surveyed Talia.

  Garon and Nico were on the couch but both sat forward, eagerness lighting their eyes.

  “Come to me,” Xander said.

  She walked to where he sat and he placed his hands on her legs just below her hips and then slid them upward and then around to cup her behind. He pulled her toward him until she was forced to straddle his lap.

  His hands immediately went to cup her breasts. He palmed them, squeezed lightly just enough to force her nipples forward and then he put his mouth to one, sucking hard at the puckered point.

  She loved it when he got all silent and commanding. She loved that, even though the others often participated in their erotic endeavors, Xander was always in control, even if it was simple as ceding control to the others. He was always there. Watching. And she found it incredibly arousing.

  He pulled away, slid a hand behind her neck and hauled her down into a forceful, passionate kiss that took her breath away. He devoured her mouth as if he
were starving for her, like he hadn’t just made love to her an hour ago.

  By the time he broke contact, she was sucking in mouthfuls of air, her chest burning from the prolonged ravaging of her mouth.

  His hands stroked up and down her body as he stared into her eyes.

  “Nico and Garon will prepare you for what’s to come.”

  Her brow furrowed in confusion. He put a finger over her mouth. “They’ll take care of you. That’s all you need to know.”

  He kissed her again and then nodded in Nico’s direction. And then Nico was behind her, touching her shoulder so she’d turn around. He held out a hand to her and she reached without hesitation.

  He helped her from Xander’s lap and led her to the couch where Garon sat.

  “I want you to lie across Garon’s lap, facedown, and relax.”

  The request made her nervous but she offered no hesitation because she didn’t want them to think that she didn’t trust them.

  Garon helped her down, his big hands covering her body as he lowered her across his thick legs. He immediately began stroking her back and then rolled one hand over her behind, caressing the globes and squeezing gently.

  Nico knelt beside the sofa and ran his hand lightly up the back of her leg to her behind and then traced a line up and down the cleft.

  “I’m putting in a plug,” he said in a soothing voice. “I’ll go slow. I’ll make sure there’s plenty of lubricant and I’ll be as gentle as possible. We want to give you a little time to adjust to having that opening stretched before we take you there.”

  She closed her eyes and clamped her jaw tight as shivers raced over her skin. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t anticipated such a thing. She just hadn’t known when, and now that it was imminent, she was positively twitchy with excitement. Would it hurt? Would it be pleasurable? What would it feel like?

  Then Nico leaned down and pressed a kiss to one cheek and then the other. Afterward he moved to the dimple just above the cleft of her behind and tongued it.

  Lord but the man had such a sinful mouth.

  When he pulled away, Garon reached down to part her thighs. For a moment, he slid his fingers through the folds of her pussy and fingered her clit, making her squirm in pleasure.

  He withdrew after stroking her to a jittery mass and then he gently parted her cheeks to expose her anal opening.

  Nico ran his fingers down the seam and around the puckered opening, warm gel spreading in their wake. He teased and caressed, adding more of the slick lubricant.

  After a moment, he pressed one finger to the opening and gently pushed inward, stretching her to accommodate his finger. Her head came up, but Garon immediately stroked over her hair, soothing her with words and touch.

  “Relax, Talia. He’ll be gentle and he’ll go slow.”

  Comforted by the quiet vow, she turned so her cheek rested against the couch and she sought Xander out.

  He sat just across from her, his eyes glittering with arousal as he watched the scene play out in front of him. Then his gaze found hers, saw her watching him.

  “You please me,” he said in a low voice that carried over the silence.

  Warmth traveled her entire body as she basked in the warm glow of his approval and the heavy desire reflected in his eyes.

  Then she closed her eyes once more as Nico’s finger slid past the resistance and inside her body. His mouth touched the small of her back even as he worked his finger in and out of the distended opening.

  “Too much?” Nico asked.

  “No,” she whispered.

  After a moment, he withdrew and then she felt the blunt probe of two fingers. She sucked in her breath as he began to stretch her once more, this time to accommodate two digits.

  Her clit burned. She wanted to twitch and squirm at the odd heat that Nico was causing. She wanted—needed—clitoral stimulation.

  He slid his fingers deeper, more lubricant was added. Then it felt like he parted his fingers, stretching her opening wider just as a new sensation was introduced.

  The slightly rounded tip of what felt like rubber pushed its way inside, eased by the added lubricant. Slowly, he drew his fingers back, pushing the plug forward at the same time.

  She flinched away when the burning sensation increased and she stretched even more than she had before.

  “Shhh,” Garon soothed. “Just a bit more and it’ll be in. Take a deep breath and push back against it and you’ll be there.”

  She did as he said, whimpered as the burn increased so much that she could no longer remain still. She squirmed and twisted and then suddenly the tension lessened and she was left with a sense of fullness that overwhelmed her.

  Nico kissed each cheek of her behind as Garon rubbed and petted her back and shoulders. For several long moments, they continued their tender ministrations and then Sebastien walked over, slid his hands underneath her and lifted her from Garon’s lap.

  He sank into the armchair, cradling her in his arms. The fullness in her bottom increased as she changed positions and she let out a light whimper as she sought to situate herself to lessen the tension.

  Sebastien eased his hand between her thighs, parting her folds and sliding his finger over her clit. She nearly bolted out of his arms. It was like an electric shock, magnified by the intensity of being stretched around the anal plug.

  “I’ll take the edge off, sweetheart,” Sebastien murmured against her ear. “Relax while I make you come.”

  Relax? Relaxing was the very last thing she could do. She was wound tighter than a spring. Her senses were so heightened that she could barely breath.

  She wrapped both arms around his neck and hung on tight as he continued to stroke her clitoris.

  Then he moved his hand down so that his thumb replaced his finger over her clit and he eased one finger inside her pussy.

  It was cataclysmic.

  All the buildup came to a head in one enormous explosion that rocked her entire body head to toe.

  She gasped but couldn’t seem to draw a breath. The orgasm was sharp and edgy, nothing like anything she’d experienced to date.

  Sebastien drew her in close, cradling her tightly against him as she shuddered through the last waves of her release. She clung to him, burying her face in his neck. He pressed a kiss to her temple and stroked his hand through her hair.

  “Wickersham has prepared a fruit and cheese tray if you’re hungry,” Sebastien murmured. “We have wine and your favorite juices. We’ll stop and eat for a while, but we want you to wear the plug to get used to it. Later…Later we’ll take it out and replace it with something else entirely.”

  Chapter 18

  Nico draped a quilt over Talia as she cuddled in Sebastien’s lap just moments before Wickersham entered wheeling a cart full of fruit, cheese, breads and drinks.

  It thoroughly warmed her that they were so mindful of her modesty. She’d certainly grown accustomed to being nude in their presence, but she was still painfully shy when it came to others in the villa being able to see her. Instead of pressing the issue and bending her to their will, they simply shielded her whenever it was necessary for someone other than themselves to be exposed. That kind of thoughtfulness endeared them all the more to her.

  She’s surrendered herself to them. She’d willingly given them her obedience. They could easily demand of her whatever they wished. But the knowledge that they didn’t try to force on her things they knew made her uncomfortable made her…love them.

  She knew it was crazy. All of it. She knew she was living some bizarre fantasy she couldn’t quite make sense of, but then she didn’t want to. If reality was what she’d lived for the last four years, she was more than willing to dive into the fantasy that was her current existence.

  Garon went to the tray and prepared a plate of her favorites—how well they were acquainted with her tastes now. Then he turned, found her gaze and gave her that little half lift at the corner of his mouth that signaled a smile.

  “Wine or juice?”<
br />
  She was so buzzed from the whole day so far that she knew mixing alcohol in with her current rush would be a big mistake.

  “Juice please.”

  He poured a glass full and then carried the plate and juice to where she sat and set the glass down on the end table within Sebastien’s reach.

  To her surprise, Sebastien took the plate, set it on her lap that was covered by the quilt and then he began to feed her bites of the fruit and cheese as tenderly as Garon had once done.

  She already knew that Sebastien was a hard-ass shell with a soft center, but it surprised her that he was making such an overt gesture of tenderness and caring.

  After a bit, he picked up the glass and held it to her lips so she could take several sips.

  The entire time he fed her, the lower half of her body still hummed with arousal and was tingly from the intense orgasm she’d experienced.

  If she moved even the tiniest bit, the plug stretched or moved just enough that the burn would start up all over again and blood rushed to her head. She stayed in a constant state of arousal and it was driving her insane.

  She’d already started to imagine one of them thrusting into her from behind. Of driving deep, deeper than the plug rested. Of all the candidates, she knew it could only be Xander or Sebastien because there was no doubt she wouldn’t be able to take Nico or Garon. She was having serious doubts whether she could take them vaginally, much less in a much tighter area…

  Sebastien held a strawberry to her mouth, waited as she bit into it and then when juice spilled onto her lip, he swooped in and sucked it off.

  “Tell me something, Talia,” he murmured a mere breath from her mouth. “Have you imagined taking more than one of us at a time? Having all of us working to pleasure you? Making love to all of us? Of having us inside you and then another and another until all you can feel is us and nothing else?”

  She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes, vivid images splashing through her mind. Oh God, had she imagined. She’d thought of little else. Had anticipated when that time would come. Had they known? Had they purposely made her wait to heighten her anticipation?