by Rayna Stone
James climbed on the bed above her, leaned back against the headboard, and ripped off the condom. “Suck me off, Ryan. You take me deep. I’m gonna fuck your face and you’re going to take it. Then you can come.” Jesus. That was really crass. And so fucking hot. Alexa decided right then and there she really liked dirty sex. Filthy, nasty sex. I’m a dirty bird. Dirty, dirty, dirty.
And then she watched as James fisted what he could of Ryan’s hair with both hands and proceeded to fuck his face. Seeing them do that, so raw, right above her head, sent her to the top instantaneously. Without warning she curled her legs tight to Ryan’s arms to give her the leverage she needed to shove him deeper with each bruising thrust. James shouted out a roar and planted his cock deep down Ryan’s throat. She watched Ryan’s neck as it swallowed around James. Her own cries brought James’s focus to her long enough for him tell both Ryan and her to come, and that was all it took. Her orgasm wasn’t as deep as before, but it was still intense, locking all her muscles around Ryan. As soon as James released his head, Ryan gripped her hips and roared as he pumped twice more inside her before grinding in and staying there.
It took a few minutes for everyone to open their eyes. It didn’t seem possible that such a thing could have happened, but that entire scene was so powerful that Alexa knew what James meant by it searing her soul. She was burned deep. And recovery was impossible.
Chapter Seventeen
Alexa woke up feeling more refreshed and happy than she thought possible, even if every move she made reminded her very vividly that she’d had a very active evening. She didn’t even try to wipe the smile from her face while she showered and stole a robe to dress in, leaving the men in a tangle of body parts and sheets. She made her way to the kitchen to make them all breakfast and settle into what she hoped would be a relaxing Sunday.
She just finished setting the table and pouring the coffee when she heard four shuffling feet enter the slate-covered kitchen floor. What a floor. As soon as she saw it, she wanted to smother it with kisses. This house was even more fabulous than hers. Granite, river rock, amazing wood touches everywhere, and slate. Perfection. Alexa turned to face James and Ryan and almost burst out laughing. They looked like what she imagined two-year-olds must look like when they woke up. Utterly adorable and completely a mess. Hair in every direction, marks on their faces from where the pillowcases were pressed to their faces, and a glaze in their eyes that clearly stated they wouldn’t comprehend sentence structure until someone gave them coffee. Poor Ryan even had a drool stain on his face. All those romance novels she read about men and women waking up and devouring each other. Not so much. In real life, people had morning breath, crust in their eyes, and pillow-crease face. And she treasured seeing it even as she hoped they brushed their teeth.
“Coffee’s ready and the eggs are done. Toast is next. Have a seat.”
James gave her a radiant smile as Ryan blankly stared at her. “You’re a goddess. Ryan will tell you so after he has a cup of coffee. Ignore him till then, baby. This is normal, don’t be alarmed.”
Breakfast was a quiet affair, everyone clearly needing to refuel and caffeinate, but during the second pot of coffee Alexa noticed their gazes had sharpened. More specifically, their gazes had sharpened on her. And not in the sexual way. Her concerns were confirmed when James said, “Okay, baby, I think there are some things we need to talk about. How about we go to the living room?”
Alexa doubted that if she suggested they just have sex again it was going to work, so living room it would be. They each grabbed their mug and moved to the open-floor-plan living room. It was simply huge. It had those deep leather couches with slightly tilted backs that meant there was not an uncomfortable position possible. The numerous windows afforded plenty of light, but the seclusion of the property meant privacy and plenty of trees. There was a gorgeous fireplace and a huge television. She hated when women said that of course men would have a big TV. What the fuck? She loved TV. She could watch all her Egyptology and criminology shows on that monster and feel like she was friggin’ there, son. That was living. Screw the man cave. She’d be up in that cave with that TV. What did women do? Knit? Pass.
“Lex, honey. Eyes on me, not the TV. Come sit,” James said, though she heard the smile in his voice. Seriously nice TV.
“Okay, what do you want to talk about?” Alexa tried not to fidget, but it was tough. James placed her between him and Ryan again, but she was more reclined into Ryan. Like he was there for support and James wanted better access to see her face. What, did they have interrogation techniques? She was noticing a trend with these two. But, whatever, they always made her safe in the end, so she’d suck it up and trust them to do that now.
“We want to know about the scar, Lex. We need to know what happened. Who hurt you? How were you hurt? We need to make sure we never do anything that might bring that back for you. But more importantly, we care about you, baby. I want you tell me what son of a bitch made you bleed.”
Alexa didn’t realize how stiff her body had immediately become, but she felt herself slip back to the little girl she used to be. Whenever she thought about that time in her life, it was like she couldn’t separate it from her mind without actually going back in time physically. Ryan was no longer supporting her body, nobody ever did.
She’d tell her story and get it over with. They had a right to know if they were going to be in her life. Even she was smart enough to know the scars weren’t just physical, no matter how much she wanted to believe nothing her parents had done to her affected her anymore. She still felt unwanted and unlovable sometimes. Psychology was a real bitch.
“I told you my mom married a guy her mother didn’t approve of, but I left out the part that she should have known not to marry him at all. He wasn’t a solid guy. He couldn’t keep a job or keep his dick in his pants. Only really targeted my mom because he thought he’d be set for life with her as his meal ticket.”
Alexa closed her eyes and could see her mom in vivid detail. Every hair perfectly in place. The designer clothes from before her marriage, painstaking taken care of, making her look like a runway model. “My mother was only nineteen when she met him. He was rough around the edges, but apparently there weren’t many women in town who didn’t look his way. And he could have any of them he wanted, but he chose her. I got an earful of the gossip when I got older and went to town to settle some financial affairs, so I’m not sure what all is valid, but I’m guessing most.
“My dad liked how much animosity the relationship caused between my mom and grandmother at first because it isolated my mother and put him in the spotlight.” Alexa smiled ironically. “I’m guessing he didn’t like it so much when good ‘ole Grams cut Mom off though. He started stepping out on Mom. That”—she narrowed her eyes dramatically—“is when Mom started to get desperate. I suppose she thought it would make him happy if she gave him a pretty little girl, or even a perfect baby boy. Who knows where her head was at that point? She was grabbing at straws even then. I doubt he ever really loved her, but a baby certainly wasn’t going to persuade him to be faithful to her.”
Alexa stared out the window that overlooked the front yard and large oak trees that dominated the landscape. So peaceful here. Somehow it made this easier. “Anyway, I wasn’t really a wanted child on either of their parts. Dad was indifferent toward me. Drunk most of the time, not even around a lot actually. And from what I can remember, when he was around, he and Mom were always fighting. That’s why I was always hiding. It was easiest that way. I didn’t get dragged into the fights then. Once the fight was over, he’d leave for the night. I rarely saw him. Mom would ignore me or blame me for everything that was wrong with her life.” She shrugged her shoulder like it was all the same to her, when they all knew it wasn’t.
“I’m sure you can guess it wasn’t a great childhood, but you asked about the scar, so we’ll just jump to that. Bottom line, my mom wasn’t right in the head. Nobody knows exactly what was going on with her, but the
estate attorneys think she lost what was left of her hold on sanity when my grandmother died. Dad was probably hanging around thinking they’d get Gram’s money at last, and then they went to read the will only to find out she put everything in a trust for me. Mom and Dad didn’t get a friggin’ cent.” Alexa bugged her eyes out at James comically in an unsuccessful effort to lighten the heavy weight in the air.
“Apparently he was beyond pissed and stormed out of the office. Mom just sat there like a kid that couldn’t understand what was going on, trying to figure out how to break the trust. Which was untouchable. Anyway. That night, the speculation is that he was going to leave her. Nobody knows for sure. All we know, because of me, is that there was a huge argument. I heard it from inside my closet. Then I heard a gunshot, which I later found out was my mom shooting my father.” Alexa only slightly noticed Ryan’s sharp intake of breath from beneath her.
“Then my mom came to my closet. She was disheveled. I’d never seen her that way before. My mom was always put together. It was her mission in life to be perfect, you know? But there she was, just a normal woman with her hair out place. And she was singing to me. Telling me about how I ruined everything.” She took a big breath, remembering that moment, remembering the feeling of being tied to her mother. Then she looked at James and saw the anguish in his eyes. Pain, for her. And she knew that she’d given him enough of her memories. He didn’t need any more to live with. She finished quietly, “And she shot me. Then herself. I was nine.”
* * * *
Okay, all right. James knew she’d sugarcoated a ton of that story, but at least they knew what the story was. If he could control his fury long enough to prevent the aneurysm he was sure was currently ready to explode in his brain, he’d evaluate later how much her past meant in terms of healing her heart today. He knew for sure, however, that she pushed people away so that they couldn’t throw her away, and he was going to make sure she understood her value to them. Right now, he needed to get a few more logistical things straight so he and Ryan could successfully move on in that endeavor.
“Okay, baby. Just hang on for a little bit longer, yeah? Can you answer a few more questions for me?” James leaned back at the same time as he grabbed her hands and pulled her forward. Alexa nodded her head, easily allowing herself to be positioned on top of his lap, straddling him and lying on his chest. Her head snuggled naturally into the crook of his neck and shoulder. Ryan scooted closer so he could rub her thigh and keep eye contact with her.
“You went into foster care after you recovered from the shooting?”
Alexa nodded her head but elaborated on her nonverbal answer. “Yeah, the trust wasn’t to be touched, and I had no family except an uncle I didn’t even know about. Didn’t matter though, as he was in jail. I went into the system and was bounced around till I aged out. I don’t know if information just fell through the cracks or what, but I had no idea about him or the money till it matured and a lawyer showed up at my door one day. That’s when I found out about the money, my uncle, what really happened with my parents, just about all of it. I never asked questions about my parents before then. It was not fun being the kid of a murderer, so I didn’t want to know. Then all of a sudden I had money I didn’t know what to do with and a criminal uncle up my ass I couldn’t shake. The money from the trust made moving from job to job easy since you don’t make much teaching. I could take the positions I wanted. Really do what I loved. I’d been working so hard just to have stability, I never thought I could have that and love what I did, too. It was nice to be me for the first time. And I just ignored the letters. Sent them to the attorneys and went on with it.”
That was the part that worried James. Looking at Ryan, he could tell that was exactly what worried Ryan, too. Uncle friggin’ Pete was not just going to lie down without that money. No man, especially one with a criminal past, stalked his niece for years and took no for an answer. And this guy apparently hadn’t. Now he was in town. “Alexa, I want to bring the authorities here and get them involved. I want a restraining order filed and as much information as we can get about this guy. I’m not comfortable with him being in town. Your safety is my highest priority. It’s my job to protect you, and I did not like the vibe I got from that guy. I may just be paranoid here, but you have to cut me some slack. Too much shit has gone down lately here for me take anyone’s safety lightly. And even regular people do crazy shit for money. Even a little money. I’m not trusting a criminal and what sounds like more than a little money around you. You with me?” James gave Alexa a little shake.
Alexa lifted off James’s chest and looked into his eyes. Hers were serious now, too. It was in that moment James realized she’d been afraid. This fucker had been causing her fear, but she had no one to really fight on her side until now. “It’s not a little money, James. It’s millions. And he’s not just a criminal. He’s hurt people. He used drugs and sold them. If people didn’t give him the money”—she shuddered—“you wouldn’t believe what he did to them. But he’s never threatened me, and I can’t get the police to do anything. He says he’s been clean for years. I’ll do whatever you want, but I’m not sure what can be done or if he’ll really try anything more than persistence to get me to invest in some scheme.”
That was enough for James. She’d let them do what they could to protect her. And they sure as fuck would watch this guy like a hawk. Anything to put her mind at ease, and theirs, too. He gave her face a squeeze with his hands and brought her forehead to his. “All right, Lex. We’ll do what we can for now. Keep your eyes open and let Ryan and I know if he contacts you or if you see him, yeah? Anything that makes you nervous, we want to know about. You aren’t alone anymore, baby.” The wobbly smile and glassy sheen of her eyes cut straight to his soul, but she wasn’t broken. She was ready to let them show her what it was like to have people in your life who were your walls. She didn’t need to build her own anymore.
“You wanted to know last night what you had to offer,” he rumbled. Alexa’s eyes rounded and she nodded her head. “Honey, I want your mouth. I’m feeling a little stressed right about now and your hot little mouth is exactly what I’m going to take to make me feel better.”
James loved how every ounce of negative emotion had been wiped from Alexa’s face in an instant. Her breathing had accelerated, and her legs clamped to his sides automatically with his words. It was sheer perfection that she responded so beautifully when he spoke to her because he was a very verbal lover. He talked dirty and a lot. That it made her as hot as it did Ryan was going to make for some amazing scenes in their future. “On your knees, Lex. Ryan, you can help soften her up, and you can take her when I leave to get the police, but this is for me so neither of you can come right now. Understand? Help me show Lex she never has to worry about having enough to offer.”
This was actually something James rarely did. Orgasm denial wasn’t his thing. He liked to please his sub, but Lex had a problem. She didn’t think she had enough to give, or was submissive enough. Whatever. He could show her just how giving she could be and take all he wanted because he knew Ryan would finish the job the minute he left the room. He seriously hoped it was sinking in for Ryan why he needed him to co-Dom in this relationship. He couldn’t have anticipated exactly how their sub would need another Dom, but James always understood he’d need to rely on Ryan to help take care of her in some way. Thank God he knew Ryan would instinctively know what to do for Lex.
Chapter Eighteen
Alexa dropped to her knees like a lead weight. Ryan was behind her, untying her robe and pulling it free from her body, but all her attention was on James. When he said “on your knees,” his voice all deep and shit, she could not for the life of her believe how hot it was. She was worried she’d think this stuff would be funny when push came to shove, but it was honest to God not. Something about the way he did everything was so sexy, she’d lick his boot if he asked. Please don’t ask.
She watched mesmerized as he slowly unbuckled his belt and po
pped the button on his jeans. He took his cock out of his boxers and stroked himself nonchalantly like he did it all the time, which she supposed he did, but she thought it ought to be a huge production. Still, his casual demeanor was ramping her up even more. He knew his body, and he knew exactly what he was going to take from her.
“Soon I’m going to start training you to take me just the way I want. All the way to your throat. I’ll be able to put my hand there and feel it if I want.” While he talked, he stroked himself and Ryan cuffed her throat gently to emphasize the point. She didn’t know if that was possible, but if he thought so, she’d give it a go. She’d try anything to get her mouth around him. “Ryan, get her nipples hard, I want to feel them brushing my thighs.”
James stood up and came close enough to give her access to him while Ryan kneeled up behind her. He engulfed her from behind and cupped both her breasts, squeezing and rubbing until her nipples were hard and sensitive. She could feel him all along her back, bringing life to the skin of her neck where his tongue had started to tease. She was surrounded with them and falling fast into her own body’s desire for pleasure, but holding firm to her resolve to please James.
“Hold on to my waist, Lex,” James said as he dug one hand in her hair and tilted her head up. “I want you to lick me and get me nice and wet. Then suck on the head. Since I don’t know your limitations, I’m going to control the pace, but I’ll let you control the depth today.” He held himself at the base while she ran her tongue up and down his shaft. She licked his fingers and sucked on his thumb, nipping the pad when Ryan pinched her nipple particularly hard. When James tugged at her hair she took him in her mouth and gave him gentle suction, dipping her tongue in the tiny slit on top, not sure about any of what she was doing, but knowing he’d tell her if it was wrong.