Take Your Time

by Sophie Stern

  “Little things really add up,” Keagan continues. “Maybe you don’t like the way someone folds laundry or they hate that you have to serve dinner at a specific time. Little habits are difficult to deal with and when you don’t communicate, resentment builds.”

  “And you didn’t communicate,” I say, seeing where they’re going with this.

  “None of us did,” Eli admits. “It was our first serious relationship and our first ménage, as well. The woman we were with was just as guilty as not communicating. She had needs we didn’t meet because we simply didn’t know they existed.”

  “We should have known,” Keagan looks distraught, and I place a hand on his knee. For such a big, burly man, he has a heart that’s much more tender than I expected. “We should have been there for her.”

  “Eventually, everything sort of fell apart. It wasn’t just one big fight. It was a series of fights that didn’t end. We were all guilty and we were all hurt. Jennifer walked away and we were left with nothing but our wounds.”

  “I’m sorry. That must have been really difficult.”

  Keagan laughs, but the sound is soulless, like he’s been transported back in time to when the pain was fresh.

  “It was a long time ago,” Eli says. “But you know what they say.”

  “Time heals all wounds,” I finish.

  “Only, sometimes those wounds leave scars, and those last forever.”

  10

  Keagan

  We’re silent together on the couch for a long time. It’s hard to believe how long it’s been since we were with Jennifer. Damn. Years. It’s been years and sometimes, when I think about her for too long, the pain still feels fresh.

  I felt damaged for such a long time after that relationship ended. I shouldn’t. There’s no reason for that. So many relationships fail because there isn’t a guidebook for how they’re supposed to work. There isn’t something that shows exactly how you’re supposed to behave.

  If I could turn back time, I would have been smarter. I would have been more attentive. Jennifer struggled with society’s views of ménage relationships. At the end of the day, most people aren’t ready for unusual relationships. Jennifer had to deal with her grandparents thinking she was a slut and her parents’ readiness to cut her out of their will.

  Eli and I don’t have parents anymore, so we weren’t nearly as understanding as we should have been. Instead of helping Jennifer learn to stand up to her conservative family, we ignored her concerns until they festered, until they became this huge issue.

  We ignored the problem until it blew up in our faces and she ended up walking out of our lives and into the life of someone who would give her what she wanted: normalcy.

  We failed her and part of the reason we haven’t tried with anyone else is that this fear has taken root. It’s gotten hold of me and I don’t know if I can ever conquer it. Ménage relationships are so unusual that I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to commit to two men.

  So many women are happy to try a threesome if it’s just for a night or a couple of nights, but to commit to that?

  To live that lifestyle?

  That sort of move takes serious guts.

  Suddenly, I feel Melody’s hand on my leg. I look over at her in surprise. She’s staring up at me with those big, beautiful eyes and I realize she’s silently offering me comfort. She doesn’t know my entire life story, but then, she doesn’t have to. She just knows that someone needs help, someone is feeling lost, and she’s offering a little bit of help.

  It’s been a long time since someone offered me comfort without expecting anything back. It’s been a long time since someone was kind to me without wanting me to give them anything in return. It’s been a long time.

  “Are you okay?” She asks after a minute, and I nod.

  “It was a painful experience,” I admit. “But I think it’s safe to say we all learned a lot.”

  “What did you learn?”

  “That when you love someone, you have to tell them, Melody. You tell them every damn day. You tell them all day because they need to know, they need to hear it. When you love someone, you live and breathe it. Love isn’t perfect. It hurts sometimes. It can be painful, but it can be so, so worth it.”

  “Have you ever been in love?” Eli asks her softly, but she shakes her head.

  “I’ve only had a few relationships,” she admits. “None of them were terribly serious. None of them were incredibly amazing or memorable. To be honest, my self-esteem has always been so closely tied to what my family thinks of me that I haven’t really put myself out there. I’ve always felt bad about myself, so I haven’t really dived into any serious relationships. It’s hard to love anyone else when you can’t love yourself, you know?”

  We both nod. We do know this, better than most. It’s taken a long time for Eli and I to come to terms with the fact that we need something most other people don’t. We crave something so many other people just don’t understand.

  That’s okay.

  It’s part of who we are.

  It’s not a bad thing.

  But it’s different, and it takes some getting used to.

  “Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I’m turning over a new leaf,” Melody says. “I’ve decided that I’m tired of playing second fiddle when it comes to doing things. I’m tired of being boring and sad and lonely. I’m going to make some changes. I’m going to get my happy ending.”

  “You’re off to a great start,” Eli encourages Melody. “You told off your family. You set boundaries. That took a lot of courage.”

  “Plus, I made two strangers come,” she winks, and he wraps his arms around her and kisses her forehead. Then he kisses her nose. Finally, his mouth meets hers, and they start going at it again. Just like that, my cock is hard again and ready for her, ready for everything she has to give. I don’t know what it is about Melody that’s so different from everyone else, but I like it. I like her. I like the way she makes me feel. I like the way she’s so sweet and cautious, but fierce and curious.

  I like that she just calls things as she sees them. She says she hasn’t felt brave in the past, but she’s trying now. That’s obvious, and it’s wonderful. She really is trying her best to change her own world, to write her own story.

  She’s had bad stuff happen to her, but we all have. Melody isn’t letting that stop her. She’s being brave and watching her makes me want to be brave, too. I know I’ve held back a lot since our relationship with Jennifer ended, but maybe it’s time to take a chance.

  Maybe it’s time to take a risk.

  Melody kisses Eli like her life depends on it. They go hard and fast at each other. Hands are roaming and I begin to stroke my cock as I watch them. I’m already hard again. It hasn’t been that long since she was licking me, stroking me. It hasn’t been that long since Melody went full sex goddess on me and now she’s doing the same for Eli.

  He’s pinching her nipples and bouncing her breasts in his hands. Her tits are big and heavy. They’re full, and real, and they’re so much better than the fake stuff. Melody lets out a moan and I can’t take anymore. I can’t take another second of not touching her. I reach for her hair and tug, pulling her away from him. She looks over at me in surprise and I claim her mouth, sliding my tongue between her lips.

  “That’s it, baby,” Eli’s words are soft, but strained. I know my brother is struggling to hold back right now. Neither one of us wants to hold back. We’ve done this enough times to know when the other is having a tough time and right now we’re both barely hanging onto control.

  Right now it’s taking everything I have not to throw Melody on the carpet and just sink into her.

  Right now it’s taking everything not to lose myself in her.

  I’m holding onto control, but only barely, and it won’t last for long. Melody kisses me back passionately and Eli moves to kiss her breasts.

  “Keep kissing him,” he murmurs to Melody, and she does. My hands run up an
d down her spine as her lips press to mine, and she groans.

  “Keagan,” she murmurs. “Eli. More. I need more.”

  “Tell us what you need, princess,” Eli says.

  “I need you inside of me,” she says breathlessly. “Please.”

  That’s all the encouragement I need. I stand and lift Melody from the couch. Eli gets to his feet and we carry her into the master bedroom. Yeah, we could make love to her sweet self on the living room floor. In front of the fireplace, sex would be perfect and romantic, but we don’t want romantic right now.

  We don’t need romantic.

  We need her complete surrender.

  We need all of her.

  I place her on the center of the bed and she bounces just a little before scooting up toward the headboard. She rests on her elbows as she watches me climb onto the bed. Yeah, I’m a fucking lion and I’m going to devour her. I’m going to eat her sweet pussy until I’ve had my fill and then Eli is going to have his.

  “Lay back,” I command, and Melody drops her head on a pillow.

  “You don’t have to,” she says, but I push her legs apart and groan when I get a taste of her.

  “Fuck, baby, you’re so soft and wet,” I murmur.

  “Oh,” she says. “Oh, Keagan. Damn, that feels incredible.”

  “Stop talking,” Eli says. The bed shifts and I feel him climb up next to Melody, but I’m too busy licking her, playing with her to look up. “You talk too much. Just kiss me.”

  Melody gives herself over to Eli and I just keep licking her, tasting her. She’s sweet, like honey, and I’m going to make her explode. I’m going to make her come. I’m going to make her cry out harder than she ever has before.

  I want to feel her orgasm against my lips and then I want to sink inside of her.

  Soon her body tenses and I keep licking, savoring the taste of her. I don’t want to ever forget just how incredible she tastes on my mouth. Even though we only have the weekend together, or maybe just the night, I plan to remember this for always.

  I press my lips over her clit and suck hard, and that does it. Melody arches her back and cries out. Eli’s kiss silences her groans and she shivers as the orgasm washes over her. She shakes and by the time she stops quivering, I’m beside her, ready for her.

  “Tell me you’re ready,” I whisper, biting her ear.

  “I’m ready. Please,” she says.

  That’s all it takes. I slide a condom on and position myself over her. I love this position because it means I can see everything. I can see the look on her face. I can see the way her eyes almost close as she bites her bottom lip. I can see the soft flush on her cheeks as she lets the pleasure take over her.

  And then I slide my cock into her.

  “Holy dragons,” she whispers. “Keagan, I think you’re too big.”

  “You’ve got this, baby. You were born to take my cock. Relax your body. Eli, help her.” He’s beside Melody. He starts palming her breasts and biting her neck. Instantly, her entire body relaxes and then I’m in her. I’m inside of Melody. I’m inside of this perfect woman and I never want to leave.

  The rest of the world can go fuck itself for all I care.

  I want to stay here with her for always.

  I want to lose myself in her.

  Slowly, I thrust in and out. I want to keep watching her. Her eyes are half-closed with pleasure and her mouth is open slightly. She keeps groaning and moaning and it’s taking all of my self-control not to let myself go crazy. It’s taking every ounce of self-control not to fuck her hard, not to mark her. Every instinct is urging me to make love to her so passionately that she’ll feel me for days, but I can’t go all cave-man on her.

  Not just yet.

  Eli climbs up beside her then and offers his dick.

  “Open up, baby,” he murmurs to Melody, who instantly complies.

  “You were made for this,” I remind her. “Fuck, you look so fucking perfect.” She’s watching Eli as his dick slides in and out of her mouth. Her lips are pink and swollen from the kissing and biting, and they look lovely wrapped around him.

  “Wonderful,” Eli agrees. “Fucking hot, Melody. You’re so damn sexy, princess.”

  Melody pulls back and tries to open her mouth to say something, but Eli shakes his head and thrusts forward.

  “No way, beautiful. Not this time. Not right now. I want those lips tight around my cock while I fuck your mouth.”

  “I’m going to come in you, Melody,” I warn her. “Eli’s going to come, too, and you’re going to be a good girl and swallow every drop he gives you.”

  She nods as much as she can, and I feel her pussy tighten around me.

  “Oh, she likes that idea, brother,” I say to Eli. “I can feel her tight pussy squeezing me.”

  Melody closes her eyes and I reach between us to rub her clitoris softly while I thrust into her.

  “That’s it, Melody,” Eli says, thrusting faster into her mouth. “Come for us, beautiful. Come all over Keagan’s cock.”

  As if his words are the magic required to release her inner goddess, Melody cries out as her orgasm rushes over her. The sight of her coming with both of our cocks inside of her is too much to handle, and Eli and I both come at the same time as Melody, filling her with our come.

  It feels good.

  Right.

  Perfect.

  And as Eli and I pull out of Melody’s tired, well-worn body, a satisfied smirk crosses her face.

  Beautiful.

  She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I bet that hours ago, she wouldn’t look like this after making love to two men. Hours ago she wouldn’t have even dreamt this was possible. Hours ago she was a different woman, but things have changed.

  She’s ours now.

  We settle down on the bed and she snuggles between us. Somehow, this feels natural and perfect. There’s no awkwardness, no strangeness. There’s no feeling of clumsiness that sometimes accompanies a first time with a new partner.

  Instead, my brother and I surround Melody with our bodies and wrap our arms around her.

  “This feels good,” she murmurs. I pet her hair softly as she faces me. Her back is to Eli and I know he’s touching her, too.

  Soon her breathing deepens and she drifts off to sleep, leaving Eli and I alone with our thoughts.

  “I like this one,” I whisper quietly.

  “Me too,” he admits.

  “I don’t like the idea we only have a day left with her.”

  “Do a rain dance, then, brother, because I feel the same way.”

  Asking her to stay with us, to date us, is a bad idea. I know it. These things rarely work out. They’re simply not meant to be, but I want this so badly I feel like there must be a way to make it happen. If we try hard enough, if we work hard enough, we can make it different. Surely, there’s a way. Surely.

  Eventually, my thoughts consume me and I finally drift off to sleep.

  11

  Eli

  I smell bacon, and for a second, I wonder what the hell I was dreaming about and why it involved food. Then I realize I’m awake, and there’s a very beautiful, very naked Melody standing next to my bed.

  “I’m sorry to wake you guys up,” she says with a smile. “But I cooked too fast and the food was ready before you were.” She holds the plates up and asks, “Hungry?”

  “Fuck, yes,” Keagan growls, sitting up in bed and reaching for a plate. “Holy dragons,” he groans through a mouthful of bacon. “This is insane.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” she says. “I’m impressed with how much food you guys have in your fridge. For a weekend place, you have a ton of groceries.”

  “We get hungry,” I shrug, taking my plate. “And I like to cook.” I grasp her hand and kiss it gently. “Thank you for breakfast, love. This is above and beyond.”

  “Not really,” she climbs back into bed and positions herself between us before grabbing a piece of toast off my plate. “I just like breakfast in b
ed. I figured that if I asked to eat in bed, Grumpykins would say no, but it’s hard to say no when the food is actually here.”

  I laugh out loud, but Keagan frowns.

  “Wait a minute, am I Grumpykins?”

  “Oh, did I say that out loud?” Melody winks, but kisses him on the cheek as a sort of peace offering.

  “Oh, no, darlin’,” he growls, setting his place on the nightstand. “You’re going to have to do better than that. You’ve hurt my feelings now, you see. Come here.” She straddles his lap and kisses him freely, eagerly, and Keagan kisses her back.

  I continue to eat my breakfast because while I’m definitely aroused at the sight of them making out, I also really do want to eat. I need to check the weather, too, and clear the walkways if the snow has stopped falling.

  “Hey Frowny-Face,” Melody says, looking over her shoulder at me. “Put your food down. I have a better idea for something we could do in bed.”

  And just like that, my self-control is shattered. I set my plate down and reach for Melody, feeling more at peace than I have in a very long time.

  ***

  “You really have a beautiful place,” Melody says, looking out the back window. We have a view that’s to die for. We can see for what feels like miles from up here. It’s one of the reasons we chose this place for our weekend hideaway. We love the view and the solitude. Even with the snow covering the mountains and grass and trees, we can still see really clearly.

  The storm seems to have stopped, at least for now, and although the roads aren’t clear yet, we have a great view of the quiet nature that surrounds our cabin. Sometimes we see deer and moose. Once I even saw a bear up here. While I enjoy living in the city during the week, it’s nice to get away from the busyness of it all. It’s nice to have a place where I can come and relax with my brother, drink beer, and unwind. It’s nice to have a place where I can let loose for a little while, and it’s nice to share this place with Melody.

  “It was a selling point,” I tell her, coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her soft body. She snuggles back against me with a soft sigh.