Strength In Numbers 1: Double Jeopardy

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Strength In Numbers 1: Double Jeopardy Page 6

by Rachel Bo


  “Aargh!” Kendall exclaimed, frustrated, but she pushed back her chair and left the room. She flopped onto the couch, restless and primed. After a moment, she cocked one leg and feathered her fingers lightly along her inner thigh. No reason she couldn’t touch herself. Just for a minute. Just to make the wait a little easier. Idly, she dipped two fingers into her wet cunt.

  “That’s a no-no.” Sutter came up behind her, grabbed her elbow and pulled her hand from her crotch. He leaned over the couch and brought her fingers up to his nose, inhaling her scent. “Your pussy belongs to us today. Unless we tell you otherwise.” He buried the offending digits in his mouth and sucked her juices from them noisily. He let go and came around, then pulled her up from the couch, covering her mouth in his. Kendall could taste her essence on his lips. Once again, the taste of herself on another person’s tongue birthed a powerful tide of lust within her.

  Sutter sat down and patted the cushion next to him. Kendall sat just as Josh came in from the kitchen. He joined them on the couch. Nodding to Josh, Sutter slipped his hand inside her pants leg. “Mmmm.” Kendall brought her legs up, resting her heels on the edge of the cushion. “Here you go, baby,” Sutter whispered, sliding his thumb inside her pussy, oriented upwards, massaging as he slowly glided it in and out. Josh’s thumb joined his, facing the opposite direction, kneading the back wall of her vagina. “Oh, yes,” Kendall whispered. “Yes.” She began pumping her hips back and forth.

  “That’s it, baby,” Sutter murmured. “Mmmm. I love the feel of your hot, wet pussy.”

  “Faster, baby,” Josh urged. “Come for us.”

  Kendall moaned, driving her hips faster and faster.

  “That’s it, baby,” they said in unison, rubbing harder. Deeper. Kendall’s pussy convulsed briefly. “Oh, yeah,” they breathed. “That’s it. Squeeze, baby. Squeeze.” Kendall gasped, contracting her pussy determinedly.

  “God, yes!” Sutter moaned. He reached inside his shorts.

  Kendall clamped her knees together, trapping their thumbs inside her as she held her breath while the climax ripped through her. “Yes!” Sutter roared, pumping his cock as semen spurted from its tip.

  Kendall turned her head. She could feel Josh’s mind, feel how he was holding back. Always holding back. She caressed his cheek. “Why do you do that?” she whispered. “Come for me, Josh.” She pushed the waistband of his shorts down so that she could see his magnificent cock. “Please, Josh. I want to see you come.” She took his hand in hers and wrapped it around his swollen member. “Come for me, Josh.” She urged his hand up and down. She spread her thighs and pulled Sutter’s hand from between her legs, guiding it to Josh’s manhood. Josh moaned. “That’s it,” she whispered. Together, the three of them caressed Josh’s staff.

  Sutter liked the feel of Josh’s rod in his hand. He could feel Josh’s control weakening. Abruptly, he wrapped his hand firmly around the lower half of Josh’s cock. He sent Josh and Kendall mental images of what he wanted them to do. Josh’s hand closed tight on the upper half of his penis. Kendall captured the flushed head between the tips of her fingers, rotating them round and round its thick circumference. Slowly, then faster and faster, Josh and Sutter milked his cock together while Kendall played with his head until he thought he would explode. The dam collapsed, and Josh’s cock did exactly that. Kendall smiled as pearly iridescence spangled his abdomen.

  Josh ran shaking hands through his dark hair. “Damn!” he said. He rested for a minute. “Damn,” he said again, apparently at a loss for other words. Sutter and Kendall basked in the warm flood of satisfaction that emanated from him.

  “You have to stop doing that,” Kendall admonished.

  “What?” Josh asked.

  “Holding back.”

  Josh blushed.

  “Why do you do that?”

  Josh shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m just like that. Even in the bond, it’s hard for me to open up completely. I’m kind of like you, I guess. Trying to keep from being hurt because of things that have happened in the past. Only I haven’t dealt with it as well as you have.”

  “Who hurt you, Josh?”

  He looked away. Kendall slipped to the floor and leaned forward, running her tongue along the top of his thigh, cleaning his seed from him. “Hmmm?” she murmured. “Who?”

  He shook his head, looking down at her. “Are you trying to bribe me?”

  Kendall grinned. “Is it working?” She tickled the tip of his cock with her tongue.

  Josh groaned, but began talking as he watched her. “My mom died in a car accident when I was two. My dad—well, he never got over it, I guess.” Josh’s tone was bitter, and Kendall raised her eyebrows questioningly. “He was a drunk. We lived on welfare and money he got from odd jobs and selling off things that used to be my mother’s. I was only able to go to Whitecliff—that’s the private school where Sutter and I met—because I had this great teacher in second grade. I’m kind of a whiz at science and math, and she saw my potential and went out and found someone to sponsor me at Whitecliff, so I started there in third grade.”

  “That’s great,” Kendall said softly.

  “Yeah. I didn’t realize how much she’d done for me until I was older, of course. But eventually I did. I tried to find out who my sponsor was once, to thank them; but the security on records of confidential donations to Whitecliff is incredible. I can hack into financial institutions, but I can’t break into Whitecliff’s donor database.”

  Kendall raised her eyebrows. “Hacking?”

  Josh reddened again.

  “It’s stupid.” He shook his head. “I’m—kind of a genius with computers, too. I hacked into Sutter’s dad’s bank when I was fifteen. I transferred a bunch of money from his accounts into a dummy account that I created.” Kendall was staring at him with wide eyes. “We didn’t touch the money,” he insisted. “It was basically a way of getting even with him for trying to keep us apart.”

  “See,” Sutter interjected, “When we started high school, my dad kind of went berserk over how close we were. He thought we were gay. I tried to explain to him how it was, but he didn’t believe me. We just wanted him to sweat a little.” He nodded as Kendall frowned. “I know. Stupid. But we were just kids. Anyway, they found it and traced it back to Josh before we could put the money back.”

  “Luckily,” Josh finished, “I was considered such a good boy—great recommendations from my teachers, excellent grades, all that jazz—that since we hadn’t spent the money and I’d never been in trouble before, I just got probation.”

  Kendall licked the last drop of semen from his belly and sat up, leaning back against the coffee table. She looked at Sutter. “That must have made things with your dad even more difficult.”

  Sutter grimaced. “He was furious, sure. But it was kind of weird. After he found out what we did, he sat me down and told me I could resume the friendship, as long as I could promise him we hadn’t ever touched each other in a sexual way.

  “I mean, I had already told him we weren’t gay, but this time he seemed to believe me, and he left us alone after that.” Josh tensed and Sutter frowned. “Until now, anyway.”

  Kendall looked from one to the other, sensing a sudden strong tension through the bond. “Did something happen?” Kendall asked.

  “He’s on a campaign to get rid of me,” Josh said bitterly.

  Sutter nodded. “Basically, he’s threatening to cut me off if I don’t quit playing around and get serious. To quote him, I’ve got to ‘stop fucking up in school and start acting normal, find a girl, get married.’ Get rid of Josh.”

  “What do you mean—cut you off?”

  “My dad pays the mortgage on this place. The utilities. Hell, he pays for everything, including groceries and the car.”

  “Why?” Kendall said. “I mean, I can understand him supporting you while you go to college, but if he dislikes Josh so much why would he pay for all this, knowing that he’s living here?” She swept her arm out, indicating
the house.

  “Because he’d rather pay for us to build a house out in the boondocks where we live together, than have his friends knowing that we’re living in town together.”

  “Lots of people in college have roommates, Sutter. I don’t think—”

  “We’re different, though. We don’t hide how close we are. We can’t. And Dad knows that. People talk about us. At first they think we’re gay. Eventually, they figure we’re not. But they still sense there’s something different about us, and it bothers them. And that bothers my dad. He can’t handle it. He’s third generation Texas lawyer. Powerful, tough macho man. Appearances are important to him.”

  “What about school? Are you having trouble?”

  “Only because his heart’s not in it,” Josh said before Sutter could answer.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Sutter doesn’t want to be a lawyer. He hates law.”

  “Do you?” she asked Sutter. He sighed and rested his head back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. Sadness, anger and regret were swirling through the bond.

  “Yes.”

  “What do you really want to do?” Kendall prompted. Sutter shook his head and didn’t answer.

  “Tell her, Sutter.” Josh reached over and nudged him in the ribs, but Sutter ignored him. Josh sighed. “He wants to be an artist.”

  “I remember. You said something about that last night.”

  Josh nodded. “He only thinks he’s no good at it because that’s what his dad’s been telling him all his life. David Campbell wants Sutter to be just like him. Go to law school, marry some society babe that knows how to play the game. Have another boy to carry on the Campbell tradition. Art’s not an acceptable alternative.” He grimaced. “Nothing would be. David’s got Sutter’s life mapped out for him, and I’m an unexpected detour. He wants me erased.” He pointed toward the staircase. “Look at those carvings.” There was fierce pride in his voice. “I mean, just look at them. Have you ever seen anything like it? One reason David doesn’t like me is because I keep encouraging Sutter to do what he really loves.”

  Kendall had been too preoccupied the night before, and even that morning, to notice the posts supporting the banister up to the second floor. She stood and walked over to the stairs. The posts had been hand carved and sanded satin-smooth—each one a sleek, slender representation of a different ocean denizen, both real and fantastic. There was a dolphin, a mermaid, a narwhal, a sea horse; and as Josh had said, Kendall had never seen anything like them. She recalled the carvings above the front door and windows that she had seen the night before and remembered that he had done those as well. “These are unbelievable, Sutter,” she breathed. She turned and stared at him. “Why haven’t you—”

  “My dad may be a jerk,” Sutter interrupted, “But outside of Josh, and now you, he’s all I have. My mom was a Scandinavian model. She moved back there after they got divorced, and we hardly ever talk. I’ve had about a half dozen stepmothers, and I didn’t like a single one, and they didn’t like me. I don’t think it’s that wrong for him to want me to follow in his footsteps.”

  “It is if following in his footsteps makes you miserable.” Kendall walked back into the living room and sat down on the coffee table. “What does your dad think of your relationship with Sutter, Josh?”

  “Actually, my dad’s the one person who never thought we were anything more than friends. He was usually too drunk to pay any attention to us. He used to tell me ‘Josh, you’re doin’ the right thing, hangin’ round that Campbell kid. He’s gonna be big some day. Can’t hurt to ride on his coat tails, now, can it?’ Just before he passed out.” Josh was quiet for a long moment, then continued. “That’s why we always hung out at my house, because all my dad did was watch TV and drink all day long. He pretty much didn’t care what we were doing as long as we made his beer runs and kept him fed.”

  “And now that you’re out of the house? Do you keep in touch?”

  Josh stared unseeingly at a spot just above Kendall’s head. “He’s dead,” he answered woodenly. “Died last year. Liver failure.”

  Kendall’s sorrow mingled with theirs through the bond. They were right. The longer she spent with them, the easier it became for her to tap into the connection; to read their thoughts and feelings without the necessity of touch. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Josh shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but he swallowed thickly. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Are you happy with what you’re doing?” she asked. “Studying to become an architect? Living here on David Campbell’s good graces?” she finished.

  A red flush crept over Josh’s cheeks. “I don’t have any family, Kendall. Or any money. I’m going to college on scholarships. Yeah, I could start working and live in some student apartment in town, take fewer classes, but…”

  “I’m not trying to shame you, Josh,” Kendall interrupted softly. “I’m asking if you’re happy.” Once again, Kendall considered the difference in their ages. The gap between twenty-two and thirty-two suddenly seemed terribly pronounced. “Do you really want to be an architect?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, so you’re happy with your career choice.” She turned to Sutter. “What about you? What do you really want to do with your life?”

  Sutter raised his head. The usual look of utter confidence had disappeared. Instead, he looked older, tired. But he didn’t answer. “Sutter. I want to help. Tell me what you want.” Sutter had been so demanding, even controlling, in the few days she’d known him. She expected to see that defense mechanism yet again but suddenly, he was like a lost little boy. She opened her heart to him, allowing the love that she was feeling to flow into him, willing him to open up to her. He closed his eyes. “I hate living off my dad,” he admitted. “I hate Law,” he added vehemently. “It would be nice to just—be me,” he said.

  “Thank you.” Kendall thought for a moment, then continued briskly. “Here’s what we do. Is this house in your name or your father’s?”

  Sutter looked puzzled. “Actually, it’s in mine and Josh’s name. I told my dad that’s the only way I’d do it. If something happened to me, I didn’t want him to be able to take the house from Josh.”

  “That’s good. So, what about us? Were you serious about wanting this to be a long-term, permanent relationship?”

  The two of them stared, offended. “How can you ask?” Sutter protested, “Can’t you feel it?”

  Kendall nodded. “I can. But I wanted to be sure.” She looked down at the floor, her brusque confidence suddenly overshadowed by a troubled uncertainty. “Because here’s the deal. I’m thirty-two years old. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you need to deal with problems right up front. This relationship is going to be pretty damn interesting even without any additional pressures. I want us to have the best chance possible to make it. And that means we have to be completely honest, not just with each other, but in how we live our lives.”

  Kendall could feel Josh weighing her words, calculating. “What does that mean?”

  Kendall looked up. “It means—” she hesitated, then met Sutter’s gaze squarely. “I can fix this. I can move out here,” she held up a quelling hand at Sutter’s slow grin. Josh was watching shrewdly. She could feel that he knew what was coming. “The girl who works for me has been looking for her own apartment, and she loves mine. I’ll rent it to her. I can move out here and make the house payment, the utilities. Even the car. I can support us until Josh graduates from college and gets a job.

  “But you have to quit, Sutter.” His gaze narrowed, and she swallowed nervously before continuing. “You have to give yourself a chance at what it is you really want. You have to try to establish yourself as an artist.”

  He started to protest, but she reached out and grabbed his knee, talking urgently. “I can help. I’ve done it.”

  Sutter shook his head. “Please.” Kendall looked at him, her eyes bright and determined. “I love you, but I won’t do this. If I come into this relationship the w
ay things are now, it won’t work.”

  “Kendall—”

  “It’s true,” she insisted. With sudden insight, she looked at Josh. “It’s one of the reasons Josh holds back.”

  Sutter chuckled, looking to his friend for support, but Josh nodded. “Why?” Sutter asked.

  “Because I know you’re not happy, and it eats at me. Plus, you give in to your dad more and more as time passes. Ultimately—I guess I’m afraid that one day David’s going to manage to finally drive that wedge between us.”

  Chapter Seven

  Parlor Games

  “Let’s start out on the right track, Sutter.” Kendall’s heart was pounding, worried what he might decide. She was absolutely serious. She wasn’t going to come into this knowing already that one of them was unhappy. Too much potential for failure and turmoil. Not that there wouldn’t be strain anyway, if Sutter decided to finally stand up to his father. But at least it would be open, honest tension, for all the right reasons. Not something beneath the surface that ate away at them and undermined their relationship.

  Sutter finally smiled. “You’re going to change everything, aren’t you?”

  “Hopefully for the better.”

  Sutter leaned forward. “Deal,” he whispered just before he claimed her mouth. He unsnapped her shorts and tugged down her zipper. Kendall stood, Sutter moving with her, exploring her mouth with his tongue as she slid her shorts down and tossed them aside.

  Sutter guided her to a sitting position on the rug, his hands slipping under her blouse. Kendall raised her arms and Sutter pulled the blouse off, letting it drop. Kendall shivered as Josh came up behind her and began kissing his way down her back. Kendall pushed Sutter’s shorts down, releasing his cock, and he lay back against the floor.

  Kendall straddled him. His cock tested the opening to her vagina, but she was swollen and tight after all the unaccustomed activity of the night before. Kendall supported herself on her knees while she reached between her thighs and pulled her tender labia apart. She lowered herself onto him, her pussy enveloping him like a custom-made glove. Sutter grasped her waist, helping her to move up and down, deliciously slow and deliberate.

 

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