by Chloe Lang
“Your pride is getting in the way of you really seeing this for what it is, Megan,” Gretchen said. “I’ve been with these boys for many years. Their parents were still alive, God rest their souls.” The woman did the sign of the cross over her chest. “Rich people in their own right. Eric and Scott were so young when they lost them, not even out of high school yet. I tried to console them the best I could but their grief was more than even I could help with. Luckily, the O’Learys stepped in. For Irish folks, they aren’t half bad. Being English myself, not a big fan of the Emerald Isle.” She winked, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Patrick and Sam took these two, the Stone boys, and the three Coleman children under their wings. With their help, Eric and Scott found a way to channel their sadness into another outlet, making money, and the money they made kept multiplying their inheritance again and again. And you know where they stand now. Billionaires.”
“I’m not sure what this has to do with me, Gretchen, or all this merchandise I need to return.”
“Listen to yourself, Megan. Of course you’re uncomfortable. It’s a lot to take in. Eric and Scott have never been slow to boil.”
Megan absolutely had experienced that.
“These and all the rest.” Gretchen picked up several of the shopping bags. “Can’t you see this is my boys’ way of trying to win your heart?”
She’d come to expect bad things—abandonment, betrayal, heartache. That worldview resided deep inside every fiber of Megan’s being. Since Kip, keeping her guard up was as natural to her as breathing. No one would ever want her, not really, not forever. What did she have to offer anyone? Nothing. And men like Scott and Eric, who had everything? Again, nothing. But what if Gretchen was right? What if they were trying to win her heart?
“Gifts aside, there’s more to Eric and Scott than just stubbornness and bravado.” Gretchen kissed her on the cheek. “Take the leap of faith. You know you want to. Open yourself up, Megan, and you’ll see.”
She sucked in a deep breath and glanced at Scott and Eric. They were giving the one-two punch to her resolve and Gretchen was about to land a knockout. “Does this dear woman always play matchmaker for you two?”
Scott shook his head. “We found you before Gretchen ever met you, sweetheart. She’s a hopeless romantic, yes?” He kissed Gretchen on the top of her head.
“My turn,” Eric said. “Megan needs her rest. It’s been a very long day.”
His words seemed to reach into her, and her tired and tensed muscles relaxed, as she imagined how good it would feel to get into her big, comfy bed.
“For all of you,” Gretchen added. “There’s some stew in the kitchen I’ve kept warm for you. Go. I’ll put away your things. Your beds are all turned down and ready for you when you finish your meal.”
Megan walked between the Knight brothers, still holding the Hermès bag and thinking about what Gretchen had said.
She inhaled the aroma of Gretchen’s stew before they even got to the kitchen, one of the many spaces in the mansion she hadn’t seen yet. The room was decked with every appliance and contraption that would’ve left even world-class chefs drooling. The attention to detail in every single inch of the kitchen was easy to see. Copper pots of every shape and size hung above the eight-burner range in the center of the massive granite island.
Eric pulled out a chair for her at the long counter. “Have a seat, Megan.”
The butterflies in her stomach just wouldn’t settle, not after Gretchen’s revelation in the foyer. “Thank you,” she said, sitting down. She blew out a breath to try to calm her nerves. No help.
Scott went to the cabinet and pulled out three bowls. Eric got some spoons for them out of one of the kitchen drawers. Being waited on was still new to her but she definitely liked it.
“What would you like to drink, sweetheart?” Scott asked.
“Water is fine.”
Scott turned to Eric. “How about you?”
“Same for me.” Eric began loading up their bowls with Gretchen’s savory-smelling stew. “Here you go.” He pushed the first bowl in front of her.
She leaned down and inhaled the medley. It smelled yummy, and her stomach grumbled again, reminding her it had been nearly seven hours since her last meal that consisted of a salad and a Coke Zero.
Eric placed a bowl on each side of her, clearly meaning to hem her in between his brother and him. He took the seat to her left and Scott the one to her right.
“Dig in, baby.” Scott didn’t wait for her to start eating. He dove right in, clearly enjoying his meal.
She’d never seen anyone eat so fast. Dylan had insisted on breaking up her shopping trip, getting her a salad before they went to the Hermès store. But when had Scott had time to eat? The answer was that he hadn’t.
She lowered her spoon into the thick broth. Before she could bring it up to her mouth, she noticed Eric hadn’t made a single move to eat any of his stew. Instead, his eyes were fixed on her like a smoking-hot laser, heating her insides and making her fidgety.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked him, feeling a shiver run up her spine and down again.
He nodded. “After you, Megan.”
Gretchen’s words echoed through her again and again. Can’t you see this is my boys’ way of trying to win your heart?
What if she let her walls down with Eric and Scott? What then? Destiny wasn’t like Dallas or any other place on the planet, she would bet. Marriages consisted of multiples here, and the Knight brothers were no exception. She couldn’t deny she was attracted to both of them. Charming. Handsome. Generous.
They were the type of men any woman would be thrilled to share her bed with. But both? Her books painted worlds where such a thing was possible.
But this is real life.
She was flesh and blood, not some creation from the mind of a writer. Whatever happened here, life would go on. She’d wanted to crawl under a rock and die after Kip’s arrest and losing everything. But she hadn’t. She’d had to pick up the pieces and work through it. That was how things went.
“Why aren’t you eating, Megan?” Eric’s blue-eyed stare burned into her. She trembled.
“Not hungry, I guess.”
Scott put down his spoon. His bowl was completely empty. “That can’t be true. Dylan told me what you had to eat. A salad. You must be famished.”
“She is. She’s lying.” Eric’s eyes narrowed and his face darkened.
She gulped. “Okay. I’m thinking about what Gretchen said in the foyer.”
“Better,” he said. “Continue.”
There were differences between the two that gave her pause.
Scott was open. After their plane ride to New York, she couldn’t stop thinking how incredible it would be to have his lips again, kissing her body everywhere.
Eric wasn’t so open. What was underneath all that dark danger and sexiness? Did she really want to know? God help her, she did. Eric had a tender side with Gretchen, but would he with anyone else? Would he with her?
“Megan, I’m waiting,” Eric said.
Scott was patient. Eric was clearly not.
“I’m not sure what to think or say about all this. Phoebe filled me in on how things work around here. Poly is the term, right?”
“It is. And…?”
What she’d felt coming from Eric and Scott completely unhinged her. They were like two sides of the same coin. Together they created a single steamy blend that awakened something new inside her, something she couldn’t control.
“I’m not sure that’s something I can do.” Why had she said that? Because it was true. Now would be a good time to tell them she was a virgin. Now. Say it, Megan. But the words wouldn’t come. What would they think of her once they knew the truth?
“Why?” Eric said, grabbing her hand and squeezing.
She looked into his eyes and saw something unexpected directed her way. Tenderness and concern. “I’m scared.”
“You would be stupid not to be, and I know yo
u’re not stupid. You made it on your own after the Kip debacle. That’s quite an achievement.”
Now. Tell him the part of the “Kip debacle” they didn’t know. “I didn’t really do too well with that.”
Eric put his index finger to her lips. “Let me finish. Being frightened is very appropriate, Megan. It’s how the human species has survived so long. Knowing when to fight and when to hide is critical to making it to the next day. You’ve done that and more. Scott told me about you wanting to divorce Kip but that you couldn’t get through all the government bureaucracy. What did you do? You put that away for another day and worked on what was right in front of you so that you could survive.”
She looked at him in stunned silence.
He cupped her chin. “When are you going to stop beating yourself up, Megan?”
“I don’t know if I can. It’s been so hard,” she confessed. “I’ve done my best but it’s never been enough.” Ancient tears welled up in her eyes.
“You’re kidding, right?” Scott stroked her hair. “Anyone else would’ve gone over the deep end, but not you. You’re a fighter. You get knocked down and you get right back up.”
Looking from one to the other, she began to tremble. Two men, so different in personality, brothers, wanted her, wanted to share her, wanted to win her. The truth was they’d already captured her heart. In their eyes, she saw a future that she’d never even dreamed of.
“Enough,” Eric stated firmly. “Words can only convince her so far.”
While Scott rubbed her neck with his massive hands, Eric leaned over and pressed his thick, manly lips to her mouth. Her insides exploded with wicked shivers. His toe-curling kiss went on and on.
When Eric finally released her lips, her pussy was soaked. His eyes raked over her, assessing and shameless.
Scott’s fingertips skated along the back of her arms.
A dangerous smile spread over Eric’s face, one dark brow going up. “Are you ready to take the leap of faith, little one?”
Little one. It was the first time he’d called her anything other than her name. She squeezed her thighs together, trying to quell her want. It didn’t work.
Her life had been one long spiral down, tragedy after tragedy—until now, until Eric and Scott. Hearing Eric call her “little one” and feeling Scott’s fingers in her hair awakened something new inside her—hope. Her future had never seemed brighter.
She was about to say “yes,” to tell them she was a virgin, when shattering doubt washed away her courage. As much as Eric and Scott had changed her life already, would she be able to be all they needed in a woman? Even though she could see her way around some of the challenges of being with two men at the same time, there were others that still seemed insurmountable, and most of the latter were about her inexperience. Could she honestly be enough for them?
Eric kissed her again, sending her into a delicious state of abandon. When she felt his hands on her breasts, she whimpered into his mouth.
She felt Scott’s lips on the back of her neck, the gentleness in his touch making her tingle all over. She was wet and her pussy ached.
Closing her eyes, she melted between them.
Chapter Eleven
Megan’s walls were down. Eric’s and Scott’s kisses and caresses were pressing forward, seizing every one of her thoughts, and crushing every one of her hesitations.
“Let’s give her a tour of the playroom, Scott.” Eric’s voice came from deep within his chest. It rumbled at an octave that vibrated along her skin, raising her temperature.
Scott laid his hand on her arm. “I agree. It’s time.”
Now. Tell them now. The words were caught in the back of her throat. Why couldn’t she get them out? If not now, when?
Eric swept her up into his muscled arms. He smiled when she looked up at him, in what must’ve been his attempt to calm some of her anxiety. It had the opposite impact on her system, triggering a fresh round of trembles.
Walking out of the kitchen and heading to that room, she thought of all the heroines in all her romance books. This must’ve been how they felt just before surrendering themselves to their lovers. She swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the words that needed to be said, but still nothing.
Hearing their boots echoing from the floor to the walls and ceiling had an odd effect on her, both unsettling and exciting. Why was she having such a difficult time telling them the one thing they needed to know? Maybe if she could start talking about another topic, the more important one—her virginity—would slip out.
“Have either of you had a…a woman…I mean…”
“Are you asking if we’ve ever fucked solo?” The distinct sarcasm in Eric’s voice made her shiver.
She nodded, forcing her eyes to remain on his. “That’s right. Have you always shared?”
Scott walked beside them and touched her arm. “Mostly. Only a few times have we done our own thing. Don’t worry, sweetheart. If you want either of us one-on-one, I’m happy to comply, and I’m sure so is Eric.”
“Agreed, but I’m sure she’s excited to have us both at the same time.” Keeping a tight hold on her and heading up the stairs, Eric’s blue eyes seemed dangerous and kind at the same time. “This will be your first ménage, won’t it?”
“Yes,” she confessed but held back the full truth. Now. Say it now. I am a virgin.
“It’s okay, little one,” he said. “It’s not our first, but I have no doubt it will be our best. We’re going to give you an introduction into our lifestyle.” Eric’s lips curled up into a wicked smile.
She found it suddenly hard to breathe.
“Don’t be nervous, sweetheart.” Scott opened the door and walked into the room.
“I’m thrilled to bring you here, Megan.” Eric carried her to the contraption she’d seen the day she’d arrived at the mansion. “I know what you want and I know what you need.”
Scott closed the door.
Eric lowered her slowly to her feet next to the device. Again, he kissed her, adding fuel to her already roaring internal heat.
“What do you know about protocols?”
She recalled some of her steamy books. “You mean safe words?”
“Exactly.”
“The submissive—”
“That’s you,” he stated as a matter of fact.
Juiced palpitations sped through her at his declaration of what role she played here. She was dizzy and floaty, and she loved every bit of it. “I’m to say them to a Dom—”
“Your Doms,” Eric corrected.
She nodded as her nerves went into high gear. “My Doms. I’m supposed to say them when I am past my limits.”
“Not past.” Scott cradled her chin as Eric began gathering up a variety of toys. “Before we get close to your limits. This is your first time with BDSM play, so we expect safe words from you. We’re going to use colors.”
Crawling with apprehension and expectation, she said, “So ‘green’ is go, ‘yellow’ is slow, and ‘red’ is stop?”
Scott’s mouth dropped. “How do you know that?”
“Megan knows more than you can imagine,” Eric said, stepping up beside him right in front of her. “She’s a reader. Tonight, she’s about to become a doer.”
How did he know that? Good guesser, apparently.
Megan opened her mouth to tell them her truth, but she had to slam it shut when her two Doms went into high gear. She was stripped of her clothes in nothing flat. Unlike on the plane, her panties weren’t removed slowly but were tossed to the far corner of the room.
Eric’s lurid scan of her body caused her cheeks to burn and her pussy to dampen. Like a well-oiled machine, the duo had her facedown and in cuffs on the bench.
“We want your surrender, little one,” Eric said, feathering his lips against her ear.
Scott asked, “What color state are you in now, sub?”
Sub?
The word felt right. With them, and only them, it seemed to fit her to a tee.
Eric and Scott deserved the title of “Dom.”
Outside this room, she could be strong, like she’d always been. But in here, she could be vulnerable, embracing everything feminine within her.
She didn’t dare glance at either of them, but she couldn’t bring herself to answer. It should be so easy to say “green,” but it wasn’t. She’d read a ton of books about this lifestyle. It was about trust. But that didn’t come easy for her, especially still being a virgin.
Did they really want a future with her? She wanted that with them with all her heart. God knew Eric and Scott had changed everything for her. They wanted her right now. She owed it to them to try to be what they needed.
Now. Tell them now.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Eric asked. “Do we need to stop?”
She shook her head. “Sorry. Just need a second to catch my breath.” And then she immediately followed it with what she’d read in all her books, “Sir.”
“You ready to continue your lesson?” Scott asked.
“Yes, Sir.”
“That pleases me, baby, more than you know.”
Thwack. The slap of Scott’s hand on her bare ass shocked her into silence.
“Look at my handprint on her ass,” he said.
Eric bent down until she was face-to-face with him. His icy blue eyes were unblinking. “Color?”
“Green, Sir.” Her voice, barely more than a whisper, was filled with want. Her pussy clenched and moistened just imagining how she looked to them strapped to this bench.
“Very nice. Again, Scott. Three times.” Eric remained right in front of her, a fixture of dominance.
Scott’s open hand smacked down on her right ass cheek. Thwack. Her clit began to throb and burn terribly. And she got even wetter.
Thwack. The bite of his hand on her other cheek smoldered on her skin like embers.
Thwack. Passionate tears welled up in her eyes as a tremor rolled through her body.
Eric brushed his lips over her face, from her mouth to her nose to her cheeks and even to her eyes. “You’re doing great, little one. Three more, Scott.”
Vowing to become the kind of woman Eric and Scott deserved, she braced herself for the next round of pussy-soaking slaps, curling her fingers until her hands were little balled-up fists.