by Anya Nowlan
Not wasting any time, Chloe jumped up and all but ran to the ice.
“Dominic, Dante. We have that prior arrangement, remember? I’m afraid we have to get going,” she quickly intervened.
Janice’s instructions were very clear in her mind. Dante was not supposed to put any more strain on his shoulder than absolutely necessary, and participating in this game had ‘terrible idea’ written all over it. He would no doubt try and impress the Shovelers and not even think twice about his injury.
Not on my watch.
“Sorry, guys,” Dante shrugged.
“No problem. Another time,” Cannon replied.
The twins skated towards the locker room, leaving her on the ice, and as Chloe turned to leave, she was stopped by someone calling out her name.
It was Tyler Solomon, skating towards her with his brother at his side.
“Miss Marks,” Tyler said, his hazel eyes fixed on her.
He was tall and built, like all the other players, including his brother. The twins shared sharp, angular features, both with a thin nose and a square jaw. Once upon a time she might have considered them handsome, but having spent time with Dante and Dominic, they barely registered on her radar as anything else but competition for her clients.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Trent and I would like to have dinner with you sometime. Discuss some business, among other things,” Tyler winked, handing her a piece of paper without bothering with further courtesies.
Almost too surprised to react, her body went on autopilot as she accepted the note, seeing there was a phone number scrawled onto it.
“We look forward to hearing from you,” Trent added with a toothy grin before the brothers skated away as quickly as they had appeared.
Oh boy. Things have just gotten a whole lot more complicated.
Chloe knew TP had been eyeing the Solomon twins as clients for a long time now. They were almost as popular as the Kenners, and if they somehow managed to get on the Shovelers instead of Dominic and Dante, their stock would only rise.
I know what Janice is probably going to say. That I do anything I can to coax them over to Top Performance, she thought with not a small bit of trepidation.
There was just one problem. How the hell was she going to explain recruiting their worst rivals to Dominic and Dante?
Eighteen
Chloe
Listening to the murmur of Dante’s and Dominic’s voices downstairs, Chloe got out her phone and dialed Janice’s number, teetering on the chair set up in the corner with cell reception. She gnawed on her nails as she waited for Janice to pick up, still going back and forth about telling her boss the big news up to the point she heard Janice’s voice on the other end.
“Hello?” Janice said after a few rings.
“Hi. I wanted to report that I was approached by the Solomon twins today. I think they expressed interest in joining TP.”
“You think?”
“They gave me their number and said they wanted to talk business.”
The line was silent for a moment and Chloe nervously chewed on her bottom lip, moving on from her nails.
“Sounds promising,” her boss finally said. “Nabbing them is just the sort of publicity we need right now. See where it leads and keep me posted.”
The call ended, leaving Chloe to wonder if her boss hung up on her or if the reception gave out. Either way, she had her confirmation. TP wanted the Solomon twins, and she was in the position to make it happen. And what a position that was…
Still, she resolved to keep this whole thing to herself for now. Who knew, maybe the Solomons were just messing with her. She would tell Dante and Dominic all about it when she actually had something concrete to tell them.
Glancing at the piece of paper in her purse, she tucked it away between her day planner, like the mere presence of it was shameful somehow. That was ridiculous. She was the Kenners’ agent, but she was still an employee of TP. Her loyalty to the company had to come first.
I probably won’t even be the agent assigned to the Solomon twins, she thought, confused by her own mixed emotions.
The more time she spent with Dominic and Dante, the closer she felt to them, to the point she was starting to feel more and more protective of the brothers. Knowing what they thought about the Solomons made her feel like she was betraying Dominic and Dante by even talking to them, even though it was all just business.
Hopping off of the chair and shaking her head, she tried to put it all out of her mind. She was getting ahead of herself again, like Amy had told her earlier. It seemed like that was all she did, either think too much about the future or dwell on the past. She had to admit to herself she was letting it color her view of the present.
The fact that her father was a deadbeat who weighed her mother down instead of supporting her had influenced her life more than she had realized. Chloe was still cynical enough to think most people only wanted to get where they were going and didn’t care who they stepped on in the process. But she was starting to wonder if her new clients fit that bill or not…
Dante called out her name as the smells of something delicious cooking downstairs began to waft into her room.
“Dinner’s ready!” Dominic added in a sing-song voice, making her smile.
Letting her hair down and changing from her pantsuit to a comfy little cotton sundress, Chloe left her bedroom and bounded down the stairs, trying to fight the excitement in her belly and failing. Being around the twins had gotten way too comfortable, and living under the same roof way too normal.
The dining table downstairs was set and covered with food, from baked potatoes to pork chops, and everything in between. Dominic was already sitting down while Dante was carrying the last dish onto the table, looking adorable in his apron.
“What’s all this?” Chloe asked in amazement.
“We like to eat,” Dominic shrugged.
“The fridge was stocked, I didn’t want to let it go to waste,” Dante added nonchalantly.
“There’s definitely enough here to feed a small army,” Chloe commented, sitting down.
“You clearly haven’t seen us eat enough times,” Dominic said, giving a small nod in appreciation to his brother’s addition to the stocked table.
She was all too aware of the two sets of eyes following her every move, with the brothers either not very good at hiding the way they stared at her or just not caring if she noticed.
“You were great with the kids today,” she said, talking away to distract herself from the way her body was reacting to the brothers’ gaze. “They all looked so happy when they left.”
“Children are our favorite fans,” Dominic grinned, filling his plate.
“Yeah, and they’re not as critical as adults,” Dante laughed. “I can’t even count how much advice I’ve gotten over the years, from people who’ve barely even had skates on.”
“When did you first put skates on?” Chloe asked, looking from Dante to Dominic.
“As soon as we could walk,” Dominic replied. “Our dad used to play, before settling down and having a family.”
So the rumors tend to be true about these two, Chloe thought, noting a small spike in discouragement at that realization.
“I remember falling down, over and over. I think I might have given up, but when Dom got back up, so did I. I couldn’t let my little brother outdo me,” Dante smirked, elbowing Dominic as they sat, side-by-side, opposite her.
“You guys can be real cute when you’re not being egotistical jerks, you know,” Chloe joked.
“I think that might be a compliment,” Dante said, widening his eyes in mock shock.
“Hell must have frozen over. Which is fine by me. That only means I can keep skating after I die,” Dominic winked at her, laughing at his own joke.
The dinner flew by as they enjoyed the delicious food Dante had cooked, with the brothers entertaining Chloe with their ribbing. She was a little surprised by how much she enjoyed their company. The
y were still as arrogant as ever, but that was just one side to them.
They were also funny, kind and hardworking, probably having sacrificed a lot to get to where they were in their careers. With the sun growing low in the sky and their stomachs full, they settled down on the couch, with Dominic pouring all of them a glass of wine.
Sitting so close to the men was dangerous, Chloe knew that. But she was tired of hiding out in her room, trying to ignore the fantasies building in her head. They had all agreed to be friends, and friends didn’t avoid spending time alone together.
I have enough self-control to keep this situation from crossing any lines, she told herself.
“Do you skate?” Dante asked, returning to the previous topic.
His eyes glimmered in the dim light of the living room, his wide frame angled towards her.
“I know how, but I’m not any good at it,” she replied truthfully.
“You should get on the ice with us sometime,” Dominic said.
“Sure, I’ll let you know if I feel like totally embarrassing myself,” Chloe laughed, taking another sip of her drink.
She felt small between the two hulking men on either side of her, and the heat radiating off their bodies was only adding to the warm knot twisting in her stomach.
“We won’t let you fall,” Dante said quietly, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“You can trust us. We’ll take good care of you,” Dominic murmured, sliding closer to her.
Chloe’s heart was now beating out of her chest, both brothers closing in on her like the predators they were. Stomach clenching with forbidden desire, she tried to form a coherent sentence despite her head spinning and her muscles twitching with nervous energy.
This is crazy.
“What are you doing…”she said, her voice sounding as quiet as a whisper. “We agreed to be friends.”
“And we’re being friendly,” Dante smiled at her, letting his finger trail down the side of her neck.
Dominic’s hands were now on her shoulders as he gently massaged her back, making her relax against his touch. Chloe hadn’t been prepared to have both of them make a move on her at the same time like this, and the lust she had been trying so hard to keep at bay was taking over.
Her core clenched as her insides began to throb, her whole body flooding with need as two pairs of strong hands roamed across her skin.
“I can’t do this… I’m your agent… And I can’t choose between you.”
“You don’t have to,” Dominic said before leaning down to slide her dress down her shoulder and pressing his lips against the bare skin there.
All of her thoughts screeched to a halt. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? And if he was, what was she going to do?
“All we want is you,” Dante whispered, sending her reeling from the questions and doubts rattling around in her head.
A small voice in her head, growing ever stronger, told her none of it mattered. It told her to go with her gut for once, to let go.
For once, she listened.
Nineteen
Dante
Whatever doubts or reservations Dante might have had, they were all washed away. It was clear to him now that Chloe was the one that would complete both him and his brother. Having never put much stock in fate, the way she stumbled into both of their lives and changed them so thoroughly was surprising to say the least.
It didn’t matter now. Chloe was his mate, and she was Dominic’s mate. She would belong to both of them, and they would belong to her. In the shifter world it was known as a triad. In the human world… Well, it was probably called something more scandalous among the humans.
Sharing a partner was anything but shocking among shifter twins, and if Dante were being completely honest, he’d had a feeling that this was coming for a while now. The competitiveness between him and his brother took a backseat as they both focused on Chloe.
She was breathing heavily, responding to their every touch, wearing a most gorgeous flush on her cheeks. Looking overwhelmed and ready to lose control, Chloe let her head fall back as Dominic kissed her neck and he slid a hand up her thigh and under her skirt.
“This is insane,” she muttered, even as her eyes fluttered closed and her scent carried notes of lust and desire.
Smelling her need and finally being able to touch her again sent a growl through Dante. His cock was already straining against his pants, throbbing almost painfully. With his fingers sliding up her thighs and reaching the wet spot on her panties, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers.
Chloe’s lips parted for him easily, letting his tongue snake inside and taste her. Unable to hold himself back anymore, his kiss was deep and ferocious, claiming her all to himself. She responded in kind, moaning into his mouth, the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.
With his thumb circling her clit, Dante continued exploring her mouth, swallowing up her little whimpers. Dominic’s hands reached forward to massage her breasts, and she relaxed against them, her breath becoming erratic. Feeling and seeing her pleasure only added to the heat in Dante’s veins and he drowned her in his kiss, not able to get enough of her taste.
With his brother pinching her nipples underneath her bra and Dante’s fingers picking up the pace at her clit, Chloe was putty in their hands. Everything about this felt right. He and his brother, working together to give their mate pleasure she could only have dreamed of. What could possibly be wrong about that?
Chloe started to tremble under his touch, her thighs tensing around his hand. Dante pulled away from the kiss to study her face, to see how beautiful she looked when she was finally ready to let go.
“Do you still think it’s insane?” he asked Chloe, sharing a knowing grin with his brother.
“Yes,” she moaned.
Whether it was an answer or just an involuntary sound that slipped out, he couldn’t be sure.
“So you want us to stop?” Dominic questioned while Dante slowed his fingers under her skirt.
“No, please… Don’t stop,” she whimpered, her eyes opening.
“You are very confusing,” Dante remarked glibly, sliding her underwear to the side and slowly slipping a finger inside her wet pussy.
She gasped, bucking her hips against his hand. Dominic started nibbling at her neck, his hands still under her dress.
“Tell us what you want,” Dominic prompted.
Dante started to pump his fingers inside her, reaching for the little cluster of nerves that would make her go wild. The sounds that tumbled out of her mouth sounded broken, her whole body rippling between them. Painfully hard now, Dante was all too aware of his cock rubbing against the fabric of his jeans.
Fingers coated in Chloe’s juices, he gritted his teeth and waited for her response, fighting the urge to rip her clothes off right there on the couch and explore every inch of her skin.
“I want to wrap my mouth around your cock,” she whispered, opening her eyes just enough to look at him. “And I want Dominic to take me from behind…”
She looked like she was more shocked to say those words than they were to hear them. Their buttoned up little Chloe, finally showing her wild side… Delicious.
Chloe’s words were cut off when Dante added another finger and pumped even harder into her pussy, making her moan and squirm. Dominic let out a strangled groan, moving closer so his body rubbed up against Chloe’s.
Her scream echoed in the room, her pussy squeezing around his fingers as she came. Dante could hear his brother growl, his own bear mirroring the sound. Gasping for air, Chloe sagged against them, warm and soft.
Dominic removed his hands from under her clothes but continued to rub and kiss her neck and shoulders. Dante pulled his fingers away, waiting for Chloe to open her eyes before licking them clean in front of her.
“Oh, God,” she mumbled, entirely transfixed on his mouth.
“Are you ready for all your wishes to come true?” Dante asked, his eyes burning into hers.
“Or were you just teasing us with what you said earlier?” Dominic chuckled against her skin.
“What do you say, Miss Marks,” Dante teased, unbuttoning his shirt. “Ready to blow off being professional for the night?”
“I think we’re well past that now,” she replied, voice hoarse. “And I meant every word,” she said, licking her lips as she eyed his bare chest coming into view.
There was a fire in her eyes he had gotten used to seeing when she was angry at them, but there was a dangerous edge to it now. Dante knew there had to be another side to Chloe, and this was it. He just hoped she wouldn’t regret this in the morning, when the real world came crashing in.
Right now, it was as if they were in a dream. Everything outside of their bodies together fell to the wayside. All that mattered was what they wanted, needed, couldn’t get enough of – each other.
In a move so smooth it almost seemed practiced, Dominic pulled Chloe’s dress along with her bra over her head a second before Dante threw her over his shoulder and got up, marching towards the staircase.
Climbing the steps two at a time, he headed for his bedroom, with Dominic close behind. Chloe only giggled, her reservations apparently taking a backseat for now. Kicking the door to his room open, Dante threw her onto the bed, her body bouncing off the mattress.
Standing at the edge of the bed with his brother at his side, all he could do was stare at the gorgeous, curvy woman in front of him, dressed in a pair of black panties and nothing else. With her dark hair spread out on the white sheets and her long legs sprawled on the bed he had thought about sharing with her so many times, Dante felt his body hum in anticipation.
Both he and Dominic peeled off their clothes, with Chloe watching with rapt attention. Her hands slid down her sides and down to her hips as she put on a show of removing her last piece of clothing. With his underwear the last thing to go, Dante found himself standing, naked, stroking himself to the mere image of Chloe ready and willing on his sheets.