by Mari Carr
She thought he was worried about what she would think of him?
“I have three months to secure suitable partners. The bylaws are very clear. All members must be married before their forty-fifth birthday.”
“You have to find the partners? I thought they were assigned to you by the Grand Poobah or whatever his name is.”
Harrison chuckled. “The Grand Master.”
“Right. He makes the decision. Decides your future for you.” Though ten years had passed, it was obvious Alexis’s opinion of the way the organization chose its partnerships hadn’t changed. Her tone was rife with disapproval.
“Lex—”
She released his hands and stood up. “Regardless of your upbringing, I think you’re selling yourself short.”
“How so?”
“What’s wrong with falling in love the normal way? Finding a woman who touches you, who moves you? Why can’t you choose for yourself who you want to marry? Letting a stranger decide who you love is unnatural. Wrong.”
Alexis would never truly understand the beauty of the trinities unless she witnessed it for herself. Unfortunately, she refused to give up her romantic views, to allow herself to see that sometimes love worked in more than just the traditional way.
He steeled himself as he stood. He was about to break a major rule, go against everything he’d been taught. It didn’t matter. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
“I’m the Grand Master.”
Alexis didn’t respond immediately as a plethora of emotions crossed her face—surprise, confusion, maybe even a bit of anger. “You?”
He nodded.
“You weren’t supposed to tell me that, were you?”
He shook his head. “Only the most established members of the Trinity Masters know my true identity.”
“Then why would you—”
“Confess that to you?” Harrison took a deep breath. “I told you. I have three months to choose suitable partners for myself.”
There was no denying what he saw in her eyes. Alexis was usually quite good at masking her feelings, but sheer devastation was reflected back at him. It gave him the courage to continue, convinced him the risk he was taking was worth it. Then, she battened her hatches, opting for humor instead of truth. “So which two women have you picked out? You know you really shouldn’t settle for just anyone. Any female Supreme Court Justices in your group? Or congresswomen? Or princesses?”
“Why do you assume I’m choosing two women?”
Alexis appeared taken aback. “I just thought, I mean, you’re as straight as they come, Harry.”
He grinned. “I explained to you when I invited you to join the Trinity Masters that most of the matches were made between three heterosexuals.”
“Yeah, but you’re kind of overly macho. I don’t see you as the type to share a woman with another guy.”
“I’m not sure I’m very flattered by your opinion of me. Do I seem that insecure?”
She laughed. “No. Not at all. So you’re choosing a man and a woman?”
Harrison nodded slowly. “Yes. I have one partner picked out.”
“Oh. So now you just have to figure out which man you’re willing to share her with.”
He tilted his head. “Another assumption?”
She frowned. “You have the man figured out, but not the woman?”
Harrison didn’t answer her question. “Tell me your reason for turning down my invitation to join the Trinity Masters again.”
“Why?”
“Humor me, Lex.”
“There were really two reasons. First of all, I think marriage should be based on love, not something that’s assigned to you like homework.”
He grinned at her analogy, though he disagreed with her assessment. Besides, she’d shared that opinion with him ten years ago and he’d been ready to counter the argument. What he hadn’t realized was there was another thing holding her back. “And the second reason?”
“I’m a jealous person. I don’t share.”
Harrison took a deep breath, hoping he could change her mind on that. If he couldn’t, it wasn’t just his heart that was on the line. It was Michael’s as well. “I see. Well, that means I’m no longer choosing my second partner.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m leaving the Trinity Masters.”
“What? Why would you leave? You just said this society is your life, your legacy.”
He stepped closer and took her face in his hands. Alexis gasped but made no move to pull away.
“I have no choice, Lex. The woman I’m in love with won’t join the Trinity Masters. And I won’t live without her.”
Before she could respond, Harrison gave in to the desire he’d held at bay for ten long years. He bent his head and kissed her.
He’d waited too damn long for her. Now that he had her in his arms, he wasn’t holding back, wasn’t denying himself this taste. He deepened the kiss, pulling her closer. Alexis accepted the embrace, put her own spin on it as she nipped at his lower lip, demanding access to his mouth. Her tongue stroked his, betraying her hunger.
Harrison grasped her hair, tugging at her long auburn tresses. She moaned when he increased the pressure. Then he twisted their bodies—careful not to break the connection of their mouths—as he pushed her against the desk.
Alexis placed her hands on his shoulders, shoving him away. “What are you saying, Harry?”
“I want you.”
She shook her head, clearly confused. “Is this a proposal?”
His patience was in tatters. Now that he’d opened the gate, the time for conversation was over. There was nothing more to say. At this moment, action took precedence to words. He unbuttoned her blouse.
“Harry.” She insisted on an answer.
“What if it is, Lex?” He kissed her before she could respond. He didn’t want her answer. Couldn’t stand to hear her refuse or deny this. He wouldn’t let her lie to him. Not now. Not ever. He moved his hands, pushing them beneath her skirt.
“Damn you,” she muttered against his lips. “I didn’t lock the door.”
He grinned. “Don’t move.” He crossed the room and engaged the lock. Upon his return, he lifted her and urged her to sit on the desk as he pushed her skirt higher.
She worked the knot of his tie loose and then started to unbutton his shirt. Three buttons down, she got fed up and simply ripped the last few free, dragged the cotton away and dropped it to the floor.
Harrison kissed her once more, pressed his lips hard against hers, demanding, unyielding. He reached beneath her skirt and pushed her panties aside so he could draw his fingers along the slit between her legs. She was hot, wet, ready.
Alexis leaned away from him, gasping for breath. “Stop. Wait. We can’t do this.”
He tugged her blouse open, slid it off and found the clasp of her bra. “We’re not stopping.”
“Harry.” She half-heartedly tried to push his hands away, but they soon fell to her sides when he freed her breasts. Bending forward, he sucked one turgid nipple into his mouth roughly.
“God.” She gripped his hair, attempting to hold him to her. Harrison had never been called a gentle lover. He’d always been careful to choose bedmates who liked their pleasure laced with pain.
Alexis threw her head back, digging her fingers into his scalp. “Harder, Harry. God, suck it harder. Need to feel…”
He gave her what she wanted. And more. He cupped the flesh of her breasts, kneading firmly as he continued to draw on her nipples, increasing the suction until she cried out so loudly there was no way his secretary wouldn’t know what was happening in his office.
He tried to make himself give a damn, but he didn’t. Instead, he doubled his efforts until she moaned again.
Once more, he reached beneath her skirt and found the elastic waistband of her thong and garter belt. His actions jerked her back to reality.
“We can’t do this, Harry.”
“Of course
we can. This is way overdue. Stop pretending you don’t understand that.” He’d loved her for years. Now it was time to prove to her just how much.
He tugged her panties down and tossed them to the floor. Her skirt was gathered at her waist, giving him a clear view of her neatly trimmed pussy and sexy as hell stockings.
“Birth control?”
“Pill,” she responded.
It was all he needed to hear. There would never be anything between them. He unzipped his pants and pulled his cock free. Alexis reached down to touch him, but he brushed her hand aside. There would be time for that later. Right now, he needed to be inside her.
When the head of his cock breached her opening, Alexis released a long breath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve—”
He kissed her softly. “Me too.”
That said, he pushed inside with one firm thrust. Alexis lay back on his desk, lifting her hips, matching his rhythm.
They gave up any pretense of civility, the two of them clawing and grasping for each other like starving beasts. Over and over, he came into her. Each time, Alexis was there, reaching for him, demanding that he take her harder. Faster.
She hit the pinnacle first, releasing a loud, keening cry as she arched her back and closed her eyes. Harrison gave her a moment to ride the wave, gritting his teeth as her pussy muscles clenched tightly around his own aching flesh.
He wanted to come more than he wanted breath, but there was no way he’d let this end so quickly. After a minute or two, Alexis’s gaze focused on his once more. She frowned when she realized he hadn’t climaxed as well.
Before she could question him, he withdrew from her body and turned her until her stomach was pressed against the slick surface of his desk.
“I need more,” he whispered in her ear as he bent over her back.
“Me too.”
He thrust inside her roughly, showing her exactly what he meant. He couldn’t give her soft. Not this time.
Alexis pushed up on the tips of her toes, allowing him even better access to her body. Harrison gripped her hips firmly and let go, fucking her roughly, passionately.
Alexis came twice more before he finally permitted himself to climax. Harrison closed his eyes as he pumped deeper, filling her with his come.
For several minutes, neither of them moved as Harrison covered her delicate frame. Then he placed a kiss on the back of her neck before rising. He took three steps and dropped into his desk chair, studying her beautiful profile as she remained draped over his desk, her eyes closed. She was clearly too exhausted to move.
“That was stupid,” she said, just as he’d decided she had fallen asleep.
“No, it wasn’t.”
She started to rise.
“No. Stay there. Just like that.”
“Perv,” she teased, though she made no effort to stand. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it again. She repeated the action twice more, never managing to utter a single word.
Harrison understood her predicament. There were a million things they needed to say, but at the moment, he couldn’t think of one of them.
Instead, he leaned forward and ran his hand along her back, enjoying her slight shiver at his touch. Her skin was soft, flawless. Suddenly, he couldn’t stand the distance between them.
He grasped her arm and tugged. “Come here.”
She started to stand, to move away. He pulled her closer, refusing to release her until she was sitting on his lap.
She struggled against his hold. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t cuddle me. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
He tightened his grip. “Stop moving, Lex.” His tone was firm and she responded to it instantly, stilling. “Now, tell me. What’s hard about this?”
She looked at him. “Are you proposing to me?”
His heart ached with desire. There was nothing he wanted more than to marry her. He’d hoped he could convince her of his plan without having to make promises he couldn’t carry through with. He should have known that would never work with Alexis. He swallowed and nodded. “Yes. I am.”
Alexis flinched, the response setting off alarms in his brain. He’d expected her to be happy. There was no way he’d misread her feelings. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
“My answer is no.”
He wouldn’t accept that. Not without a damn good reason. “Why?”
“There’s no way I’d let you give up everything for me. I couldn’t live with myself.”
She loved him. If he’d ever questioned that, she had wiped away any doubt. She was walking away to protect him. His chest tightened, agony tearing through his gut. He had known this wouldn’t be easy, but he hadn’t anticipated the actual physical pain. “That decision isn’t yours to make. It’s mine.”
“I don’t care. Take me out of the equation and everything is easier. You’ll find two partners who share your philosophy and who want to share their lives with you. It’s what you’ve always wanted.”
There were too many factors she wasn’t taking into account. Like his feelings for her. And hers for him. And then…there was Michael. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not that simple. It never has been. If it were, I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
He cupped her cheek and kissed her softly, meaning to comfort her. That intention was soon thrown out the window as their tongues tangled once more. Her breath was so sweet it made his mouth water. He’d never been so turned on by mere kisses.
Alexis lifted her head, her eyebrow raised in disbelief. “Seriously? Already?”
He grinned when he realized what she was referring to. “I’ve wanted you for a very long time.”
“Are you sure Michael’s not sneaking Viagra out of the pharmacy for you? You’re nearly forty-five. There’s no way…”
He turned her on his lap so she straddled him. Slowly, he eased back inside her pussy. They groaned in unison.
She rested her forehead against his. “God. We’re being stupid again.”
“No, we’re not.”
This time the sex was slower. Neither of them felt compelled to grab the ring too quickly. Instead, they took the time to explore, to enjoy.
When Alexis reached the peak this time, Harrison was right there with her. For several moments, they simply remained still, her cheek pressed to his. Harrison didn’t seek to pull out, anxious to remain connected to her for as long as he could.
“Give me one month, Lex.”
“What?”
“Give me a month to show you why the Trinity Masters works. Four weeks to prove to you this is a good thing.” Sadly, he couldn’t risk taking any longer than that. He was already pushing the deadline to the limit, endangering the Trinity Masters as well as Michael and Alexis. Unfortunately, he couldn’t walk away until he knew the future was set.
“How would you do that?”
“I’ll introduce you to our third. You’ll agree to keep an open mind about the lifestyle. You’ll date us. Both of us. And I don’t mean cafeteria lunches at midnight. Real out-of-the-hospital dates. And you’ll be open to seduction.”
She shook her head. “I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“How can you ask me to give up my free will? To accept someone else as a potential lover?”
“Lex—”
“It’s time for you to be honest, Harry. If not to me, then at least to yourself. Why aren’t you taking another woman as your third?”
He frowned. “It wouldn’t be fair. I couldn’t love her like I love you.”
She smiled sadly. “And yet that’s what you’re asking of me.”
His brow creased with frustration. “I can’t explain to you why this will work, but dammit, it will. I watched it every day of my life with my parents and I’ve seen it happen over and over countless times with every match I’ve created. I know this will make you happy.”
“Me?”
He realized his error. “
Us,” he quickly corrected.
“And I’m just supposed to put that decision out there in the universe. Let your secret society dictate to me who I’m supposed to love, to spend the rest of my life with.”
They’d had this exact same debate ten years earlier when he’d invited her to join the Trinity Masters and she’d rejected the offer.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
She sighed. “That’s not fair. You know I do.”
“Then it’s not the universe making the call. It’s me. I know you, know your mind, your soul, your heart. Everything. Let me show you what I’m offering. For one month.” He paused and took a deep breath, forcing himself to tell the biggest lie of his life, to say the one thing she’d never forgive him for. “If, at the end, you still don’t want to join, I’ll leave the Trinity Masters and it’ll just be you and me. Forever.”
She shook her head. “I’ll give you the month, Harry. But if I still feel the same way in four weeks, my answer to your proposal is no. I won’t let you give anything up for me.”
“All or nothing?”
She nodded.
“Then I guess I can’t fail.”
Chapter Three
Alexis grabbed her purse and jacket, cursing as she glanced at the clock. She was late. Great.
For some reason, she’d allowed Harrison to convince her to go along with his suggestion of participating in a month-long ménage affair.
What the hell was she thinking? She wasn’t this person.
Then she recalled she hadn’t been thinking at all. She’d allowed Harrison to fuck her into a brainless stupor where she would have agreed to anything and everything just for another ride. All of a sudden, the tune to Lady Gaga’s “Disco Stick” started playing in her head. Hello, unwanted earworm.
This was all her fault. She’d gone years without sex, spending all her time at the hospital pretending her life was fulfilling enough without a relationship. In one afternoon, Harrison had proven just how wrong that assumption was.
Now that she’d cracked the door open, she was a veritable mass of hormones with only one goal. To find Harrison and get laid again…as soon as possible.