Darkest Desire

by Tawny Taylor

  How many times had she thought she’d been followed since she’d been freed? How many times had she reported to the police that she was being stalked?

  When would it stop?

  “Oh, nothing.” She click-clacked up to the back door.

  Perhaps her therapist was right. Maybe it had been too soon to cut back to two sessions a month.

  2

  In the past few months, Lei had learned a few things about the family she’d been more or less adopted into.

  First, men were slobs. She found dirty socks in the oddest places. And used dishes . . . popcorn kernels . . .

  Second, residing with three brothers was a lot like living among a pack of rabid wolves. As much as the brothers loved each other, which was often evident, the boys snarled and snapped and growled at each other. Oddly, their behavior made them endearing.

  And finally, as they sang a truly wretched rendition of “Happy Birthday” to Rin, she learned the Alexandre brothers were the world’s worst singers. From the first eardrum-splitting note to the last, Lei held her hands over her ears.

  To her credit, Rin smiled, hands clasped in her lap.

  After Rin gave herself a paroxysm by blowing out all the candles blazing on her cake, they all applauded, and her husband, the eldest Alexandre, kissed her and asked, “What did you wish for?”

  “If I tell you, it won’t come true.” Rin beamed up at her husband, then turned her sparkly eyed gaze on the rest of the family. “Actually, my biggest wish has already come true. I have an announcement to make.” Her gaze slid to Drako. Her smile became impossibly bigger. “Drako, you’re going to be a father.”

  The soon-to-be father’s face went white, then flared a deep crimson. He stammered, “I . . . I . . . I.”

  Malek clapped him on the back. “Damn, big brother. You work fast. Congratulations.”

  Drako hauled his pregnant wife into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you.”

  She tipped her head back. “No need to thank me. I’m proud and very happy to be carrying your child, Drako.”

  Talen smacked his brother’s shoulder. “Congrats.”

  Drako gave both brothers an evil smile. “You two have a lot of catching up to do.”

  Lei wondered what he meant by that. Surely, they weren’t in a competition to see who could get married and get their wife knocked up first. That would be downright barbaric. Then again, the Alexandre brothers were a little old school in some regards, but very much new school in others. And they were competitive. Made a girl wonder, not that it mattered so much. After all, it wasn’t like she was planning on marrying one of the younger brothers anytime soon. She had no plans to marry anyone.

  Lei shuffled up to her visibly overjoyed sister and gave her a hug. “My sister, soon to be a mother. I’m very happy for you. And I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful mom.” She intentionally left out the part about how their own mother had failed in that department. It was, after all, that woman who’d sold Lei into slavery. In their books, she’d relinquished the right to call herself a mother when she’d done that.

  “Thank you, Lei. Of course I want you to be a big part of my baby’s life. Godmother. Surrogate mom.”

  Lei stepped aside to let Drako get the cake and take it to Talen, who was standing at the opposite end of the long dining table, knife in hand. “Oh, I don’t think I’m ready to be anyone’s mom, surrogate or otherwise.”

  Rin’s glowy expression dimmed. “Lei, give it more time. It hasn’t been very long.”

  “I know.” Lei gave her worried sister a pat as she plopped into the chair next to Rin’s. “Don’t get all worked up about me. I’m fine.”

  Rin slitted her eyes. “I’m not sure if I believe that.”

  “Believe it.” Lei nudged Rin, motioning toward the husband who was now waiting patiently with a little gift-wrapped box in his hand. “Now, open your present.”

  Rin gave her one last glare, then accepted her husband’s gift. “Thank you.” Like always, she carefully, meticulously peeled the tape away, leaving the gorgeous wrapping paper intact. That practice was a vestige of their past, when there were so few gifts to unwrap during holidays and birthdays, that they’d learned at a young age to draw it out as long as possible.

  Eventually, Rin’s ministrations revealed the small jeweler’s box inside. The top was stamped with Drako’s logo. No doubt she’d find another gorgeous piece of jewelry inside. Drako was, after all, a jewelry designer. And she was already, after only a few months of marriage, a walking testament to his talent.

  “Drako,” Rin said, blinking teary eyes up at him.

  “Open it. I have a feeling you’re going to be surprised.”

  She flipped the hinged top up with her thumbs. Her mouth formed a little “O.” “You’re right. I am surprised.”

  Lei shifted her position so she could see what was in the box. Was that a . . . seashell?

  Rin lifted the item from the box. It was white, round. “What is this?”

  “A seashell,” Drako answered.

  “I see that. But what’s it mean?” Rin asked as she scrutinized it.

  “It’s a very special seashell. From a very special place. I want to take you there.” He produced a large envelope that Lei hadn’t realized he’d been hiding behind his back.

  Rin flipped the flap up and pulled out a photograph of a gorgeous home. The next picture showed an infinity pool that seemed to be feeding into a deep blue sea. Next, she pulled out a piece of paper and read, “Tarragona, Spain? Spain, Drako?”

  He nodded.

  “We’re going to Spain?” she repeated.

  “I’m hoping we are.”

  “Ohmygod!” She jumped up, flung her arms around her husband’s neck, and kissed him with such enthusiasm Lei felt a little awkward and averted her eyes. For some reason, her gaze met Malek’s and locked there. Something weird happened inside of her. And then she jerked her gaze free and decided to risk another look at her sister.

  It seemed Rin had stopped shoving her tongue down her husband’s throat. A good thing.

  Rin grabbed the picture again. “Wow, Drako. I can’t believe it. Spain.” She glanced at Lei.

  “Lei is welcome to join us,” Drako said, as if he were reading Rin’s mind.

  There was no way she was going to be the third wheel on that romantic getaway of a lifetime. “Oh, no. I can’t,” Lei said. “I have classes starting soon, after the holidays.”

  Rin didn’t get what she was trying to say. “Well, I’m assuming we’re not going right away. Right, Drako? We’ll be leaving sometime after Christmas. Maybe during spring break?”

  Drako cleared his throat. “Actually . . . our flight leaves tomorrow morning.”

  Rin’s jubilation dimmed. “Oh.” Now, instead of looking like a child who’d been told she was getting a pony for Christmas, she was looking like a child who’d been told Santa was dead.

  Lei couldn’t stand it. She pointed at the picture. “Rin, look at that place. It’s paradise. You deserve a vacation. After what you did for me. After all the sacrifices.”

  “But—”

  “If you don’t go to Spain with your husband, I’ll move out.”

  Rin’s face turned the shade of a slice of Wonder Bread. “You wouldn’t.”

  Lei crossed her arms over her chest. “I would.”

  “But I can’t leave you alone. What if that bastard of a pimp I bought you from decides he wants you back?” Rin turned pleading eyes to her husband.

  He glanced at his brothers. Talen was dishing out cake onto plates. Malek was licking some pink icing off his finger. “Talen and Malek will be here. She won’t be alone.”

  “How long will we be gone?” Rin asked.

  “The house is ours,” Drako said, accepting a plate from Talen and setting it in front of Rin. “We own the property. So there’s no set amount of time. We can come home whenever you want.”

  “See?” Lei said. “You can come home whenever you want. Once you�
��re tired of all that sunshine and sweet ocean breezes. In the meantime, I have my babysitters.” Lei slapped Malek’s arm as he set a piece of cake in front of her. Talen was out of reach. “I’ll be fine.”

  Rin lowered her head in thought. “I don’t know. Maybe we can go later, in a few months.”

  “You’re pregnant, Rin,” Lei pointed out. “If you wait too long, you’ll be too uncomfortable to travel. I’m guessing the flight’s at least ten hours.”

  “What you mean is, I’ll be too fat to enjoy it,” Rin said, cringing.

  Lei shrugged. “I was trying to be polite.” She took her sister’s hands in hers. “Listen, I don’t need you planning every moment of your life around me. As a matter of fact, I won’t be able to live with the guilt if you do. So either you get on with your life, and your marriage, or I will have no choice but to move out. Please don’t make me do that. I’m liking the service here.” She winked.

  Rin’s gaze searched hers. “Are you sure?”

  “I have two grown men to keep a watch over me. Which is honestly two more than I need, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll deal with it. Go. Enjoy. Soon you’ll be too busy chasing a toddler around to relax by that gorgeous pool.”

  Rin looked up at her husband. Gradually her scowl of confusion turned to a gentle smile of decision. “Okay. All right. I’ll go. Tomorrow.” Then she glared at Malek and Talen. “But I swear to God, if you two let something happen to my little sister—”

  “Don’t worry,” Malek said, sliding a glance at Lei. “We’ve got her back.”

  Rin’s eyes watered. “Thank you.” She clasped Lei in a stranglehold. “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you while I was lounging by the pool.”

  “Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to me. I promise.” Of course, after last night, Lei wasn’t so sure she could keep that promise. But she wasn’t about to tell her worrywart sister that. “Now, can we eat the cake? I’m dying here.”

  Hours later, Lei woke to the distant cry of a woman. This was no shout of grief or pain. It was a scream of ecstasy, a familiar sound.

  This house was worth over a million dollars. Why hadn’t the builders insulated the freaking walls better?

  Lei lay in bed, listening to her sister’s moans and groans and “ohmygod’s” for a while. Finally, she got up, used the bathroom, and headed downstairs to get something to drink. In the kitchen, she heard more voices, male voices. Hushed whispers. They were coming from downstairs, the lower level. Her nerves prickled. Had the person who’d followed her from the dungeon broken in?

  After grabbing a knife, just in case, she tiptoed down the steep steps leading to the walkout basement and rounded the corner.

  The private dungeon on the right—that’s where the sounds were coming from.

  She hesitated, relaxed. The likelihood of some stalker breaking in and making himself comfortable in the dungeon were slim to none. Had to be one or both of the brothers burning off a little excess stress.

  The image of Malek nude, pounding his rod into a woman, flashed through her mind. Her blood simmered.

  From her vantage she couldn’t see who was in the room. The hallway was dark. The door cracked open, a blade of light from the dungeon cutting across the otherwise dark corridor. She could easily get a little peek without being seen, if she was careful.

  She could.

  But she shouldn’t.

  Talen and Malek deserved their privacy.

  Then again, they left the door open. If they cared about privacy, wouldn’t they have closed it?

  Could.

  Should not.

  What the hell?

  Moving very slowly, carefully, she inched toward the door and peered in.

  Talen was in there. With him were two other people, a man and a woman. There didn’t appear to be a whole lot of bondage going on. Just fucking. The woman was lying on top of the man, on her back, her legs spread wide. Talen was on his knees, ramming into her from above. Based on the motions of the man’s hips beneath the reclined woman, Lei was guessing he was fucking her ass from underneath.

  Double penetrated.

  Lei’s pussy clenched.

  During her days as a slave, she’d been fucked in the ass lots of times. In some ways, she preferred it over intercourse. In her head, it was less of an invasion. She couldn’t really say why. But never had she been double penetrated.

  Being that full, feeling two thick rods gliding in and out...

  The woman’s guttural groan said it all.

  Deciding she’d seen enough, Lei turned around and slammed smack dab into Malek. She stumbled. The knife dropped to the floor. He grabbed her waist, steadying her. His eyes flashed in the darkness as he held her.

  She jerked away, snapping, “Sorry!”

  “Looking for something?” he asked, gaze wandering up and down her body.

  Her face couldn’t get any hotter. Or her body any tighter. “No, I just... heard a noise, and I thought we might have an intruder.” She glanced at the knife, and Malek’s gaze dropped to the floor.

  He picked up the knife. His gaze slid to the open door. “Hmmm. In the dungeon?”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Sure, you never know. Someone could be in there, waiting for the right moment to come out. After all, there are plenty of handy places to hide in there, with all that equipment.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” He flipped the knife in his hand a few times.

  “Anyway, now that I know a prowler isn’t creeping around, looking for stuff to steal, I can head back up to bed.” She stepped a wide circle around Malek or rather, as wide as the narrow corridor allowed.

  He almost let her by before stopping her with a touch to the arm. “Lei, I told your sister I’d watch your back. I always keep my word.”

  “I don’t doubt it.”

  “Now, about the car that was following you—”

  “Oh, that was nothing. I was mistaken.”

  His eyes narrowed a smidge, just enough to let her know he didn’t believe her.

  She explained, “I wasn’t watching the rearview mirror the whole time I was driving home.”

  “Of course.” He raised one eyebrow. “And . . . ?”

  “I assumed when I pulled out of the dungeon parking lot that the headlights behind me were yours. So, I think I convinced myself that you were following me, which was wrong. I’m guessing the car that turned out of the lot after mine probably turned somewhere and I didn’t even realize it.”

  “Maybe.”

  “So, wouldn’t you agree it’s too soon to be jumping to conclusions ?”

  His expression said no. His mouth said, “Maybe.”

  “Good. Now I’m going back to bed. Good night.”

  “You shouldn’t go to dungeons by yourself.”

  How she hated it when someone tried to tell her what to do. Yes, he was looking out for her safety. Yes, his motives were probably good. But after being told where to go, what to do, when to sleep, what to eat, and who to fuck for over a year, even words of well-meaning advice made her teeth clench. She was still working on that with the therapist, along with a bunch of other shit.

  “I appreciate the concern, Malek. And I’ll keep your suggestion in mind.” She took a couple more steps.

  He stopped her again, this time by grabbing her wrist. She hadn’t even turned around before he’d released her, though. “Lei, about the dungeon—”

  “I was admiring your flogging technique,” she said, cutting him off before he said anything about her panic attack. “Nothing more. Now, I need to get to bed. Good night.”

  He lifted his hands, letting her know he wouldn’t stop her again. “Good night.”

  As she rounded the corner, turning back toward the stairs, she heard the dungeon door shut with a click.

  Malek paused a moment after entering the dungeon to get his bearings and clear his mind. Lately, since seeing Lei scening with that submissive, his thoughts had been almost exclusive
ly focused on one strong, determined, vulnerable, and damaged young woman with a set of dark eyes that made his heart race. He’d tried—how fucking hard he’d tried—to shove those thoughts aside. But he’d failed.

  Since that moment in the dungeon, even his dreams were haunted by those dark eyes, precious face, and tight little body. In fact, it was after he’d woken from such a dream, hard and hurting and needing release, that he’d come down to the dungeon to see what Talen was up to.

  Finding her here, touching her, had his balls aching now. He needed a wet, tight sheath. A willing partner. Male. Female. Preferably both.

  “Malek,” his brother yelled, invading his thoughts.

  “Yeah?” He gave a mental head shake.

  “Get the fuck over here.” Talen was standing now, his cock limp, his face flushed a deep crimson. Brent and April, two of his best friends, and closest lovers, were looking at Malek with expectation.

  April licked her lips. “Yeah, Malek,” she said, her voice a low, silky purr, “Get the fuck over here.” She stood, sauntered toward him, curled her fingers into his hair, and sneered.

  Malek’s nerves electrified. She wasn’t Lei. She was nothing like his little Lei. But April was sexy. She was willing. And ... she was cupping his balls through his clothes, making his knees weak. He gathered her long silky hair into a fist and pulled, gently easing her head to one side. Then he tasted her neck while fingering one hard nipple.

  April’s grip on his hair tightened. A little moan slipped between her full lips, the sound igniting tiny sparks of desire through his entire body. His engorged cock pressed painfully against his boxer shorts.

  “I’ve had enough for one night,” Talen said, heading for the door. “Night.”

  Malek tossed a wave at his brother before murmuring, “Suck my cock,” to April. With his fist, he eased her head down where it needed to go.

  “Oh, yes. Please, may I?” April was an unusual vixen. She was just submissive enough. She loved to suck cock. Loved to fuck, loved to be fucked. But she wasn’t Lei. Was she wife material? Her eyes sparkling up at his, she fingered the waistband of his pajama pants. “Please?”