Dare to Surrender

by Jeanne St. James

  She paused for a quick bathroom break on her way back down the hallway to her room. Not long after, she climbed back into the spare bed, snuggling deeply under the covers.

  Then she laid there wide awake. Her nipples still ached, and her pussy kept clenching in need. She hadn’t felt like that in a long time. It had been years since she’d trusted anyone enough to date or even just sleep with someone. She’d never had a one-night stand or even slept with a stranger. Hell, she never slept with someone after the first date.

  No. She’d been very selective who she allowed to get close to her.

  “They’re gay,” she whispered, hoping her body would get the hint. She slipped a hand under the large T-shirt Grant had lent her and then let her fingers do the walking down under her panties. She was wet, that was for sure. Her back bowed as soon as she touched her own clit. She was super sensitive and ready, too.

  She shoved the T-shirt up with her other hand and found her nipple still peaked into a tight bud. Pressing it with a fingertip, she snagged it between her thumb and forefinger and pinched hard.

  She gasped, and her hips tilted. Her breathing shallowed and she swallowed hard before her mouth parted. Rolling the nipple between her fingers, she moaned and closed her eyes. She could only imagine that one of the men, or, hell, both, was doing it for her. But they wouldn’t, they never would, so she was on her own.

  Her finger slipped between her slick folds, stroking between them from bottom to top, circling her clit, then sliding back down. Over and over, her hips moving slightly with each stroke. She teased herself with one hand while the other continued to caress her breast, cupping, squeezing, pinching, pulling.

  Fuck. She wanted Eli’s mouth on one, Grant’s on the other. She wanted to watch them kiss again. Behind her closed eyelids, she pictured them doing just that while in the kitchen, only in her mind, they did take it deeper, harder. She imagined them touching each other, groaning, stroking each other’s cocks.

  She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as she finally slipped two fingers inside herself. Crying out, her hips jumped off the bed.

  She was so ready, so ripe for contact, that it wouldn’t take much for her to orgasm. And her fantasy of the two men together made her even more wet, more wanting.

  She desired to be sandwiched between the two, their hands exploring, their mouths brushing her most sensitive places. Their cocks ready to enter her. She was open to them, ready to feel their lengths, their girths deep inside her.

  She pushed her fingers deeper and faster, her thumb sliding over her clit.

  “Oh, fuck me,” she groaned.

  And then it happened. Her toes curled, the ripples ran through her, radiating from her core outward. Her pussy throbbed around her slick fingers, her head was thrown back, and a ragged cry escaped her as she came hard.

  With a groan, Grant came hard into Eli’s mouth. Between Eli sucking him and hearing Liv’s long wail from down the hall, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

  After a moment, Eli lifted his head, gazing up Grant’s naked body. “I want to go to her.”

  So did he. They had both been awake, feigning sleep, when Liv snuck out of the bed a little while ago. Both had raging hard-ons when she did so. And both knew it was way too soon to take it any further than what they had already. Which was letting her sleep between them.

  As soon as Liv closed the bedroom door behind her, Eli had made his move, pushing down Grant’s PJ bottoms and taking him into his mouth.

  And, of course, Grant didn’t fight him off. He needed a release and Eli was eager to give it to him.

  Though now, Eli was still hard as a rock. And probably expecting to top him this morning.

  “I know,” Grant finally said. “I do, too.”

  “So you want her.” Eli made it a statement instead of a question.

  “Yes.”

  “I wasn’t sure what you were pulling last night when you invited her into our bed.”

  “I wanted to see if I was as interested as you.”

  “And you are?”

  “Yes.”

  Eli smiled. “So what are we going to do about it?”

  Well, that was an easy fix but the “easy fix” would end up complicating matters more than they already were. “We need to take it slow, Eli. I mean, her situation isn’t ideal.”

  “Right.”

  “And we have no condoms at all in the house. We haven’t for years.”

  “Right,” Eli said again.

  Grant smoothed a hand over Eli’s head. “That’s if it gets that far. But we should be prepared if it does.”

  “It sounded like she just took care of herself, so I’m assuming waking up between us turned her on.”

  “Clearly it sounded like that. But a fantasy and reality are two different things.”

  “Right.” Eli glanced toward the closed bedroom door. “Do you think she’s fantasizing about being with us?”

  “Do you?”

  “I hope so.”

  “Me, too, baby.”

  Eli smiled up at him. “This is crazy.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ll go pick up the condoms at lunchtime today.”

  “Get a big box,” Grant suggested with a smile.

  Eli chuckled as he grabbed his erection and squeezed it. “So now, let’s work on our immediate problem.”

  “Which is?” Grant teased him.

  “What I’m holding in my hand.”

  “A beautiful cock, that’s for sure.”

  “Merci, mon amour.”

  “Yes, well, you’re going to be thanking me after you stick that beautiful thing inside of me, big man.”

  “Certainly will.” Eli moved up Grant’s body and laid a light kiss on his lips.

  “That’s all I get?”

  “No, mon cher mari, you get all of me.”

  “Mmm. I look forward to it.”

  “Then pass the lube.”

  Grant laughed and passed the lube to his mari, his husband.

  Chapter 6

  Liv watched Trey pace the kitchen.

  “You lived that close and never said a word? Never found me? Never called? Never came to a game?”

  “I couldn’t afford to go to an NFL game, Trey.”

  He waved a hand her direction. “I’m just saying...”

  “I know what you’re saying,” she said softly. “I was sixteen. I had no money, I did what I had to do, Trey.”

  He stopped his pacing and spun on his heel to face her. “So did I.”

  “I would like to talk about it.”

  “Now?”

  “When you’re ready.”

  “Olivia...”

  “Liv,” she corrected him.

  He groaned and ran an agitated hand through his hair. “I’m older than you, I actually should have taken care of you. I was supposed to be the man of the family.”

  Liv closed her eyes for a moment, then shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. You were a teenager like I was. We’re only eleven months apart.” She rose from her chair and approached him, laying a hand on his arm. “I didn’t want to be a burden to you.”

  “But you should’ve told me you were running away.”

  “You had football. That was your way out of our situation.”

  “You had...”

  “Nothing.”

  “No. You had me.”

  She shook her head. “No. Again, you were doing well in football, even as a freshman you were playing Varsity. Your coach was sure you’d get a scholarship to college. Why would I want you to go with me? You had that. You had someone looking out for you.”

  “Yeah,” he snorted.

  “What does that mean?”

  “He looked out for me.”

  The cynicism in his voice chilled her. She waited. Trey stood frozen, his body stiff under her hand.

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” Trey said too quickly.

  “Tell me,” Liv said softly.

  “Noth
ing I didn’t want to happen.”

  Liv’s heart suddenly thumped heavily in her chest. “What does that mean?”

  “I did what I had to do and so did you. Can we drop it for now?”

  “Trey...”

  “Seriously, Liv, you’ve been out of my life for the past sixteen years. Don’t come back now and act concerned about the things I went through.”

  “A little harsh there, Trey,” came a low, deep voice from behind Liv. She looked over her shoulder to see Eli walking into the kitchen, carrying a bag from a pharmacy chain, his dark eyes pinned on her brother.

  Trey stared at Eli for a moment, then moved away from Liv. His Adam’s apple bounced as he swallowed hard. “I made out just fine, Liv. I’m doing fine. I’m not struggling. I have Rayne and Gryff in my life. I’m loved. I’m wanted. I’m successful. I now have it all.”

  What he said didn’t come off as cocky at all, it came off more as bitter. Liv didn’t think Trey had it all. He had a past that haunted him, as did she. And only she could understand it since she lived through most of it with him.

  “How are things going here?” Trey asked Eli, sounding desperate to change the subject.

  “Great. Olivia is making herself at home, right?” His dark eyes turned toward her.

  “Liv,” she reminded him.

  He ignored her correction. “Grant made us a great meal last night and probably will again as soon as he gets his ass home.”

  “I’m sorry I was busy today at the office and didn’t get to ask...” Trey started. “Did you find out anything?”

  Liv didn’t miss Eli’s eyes sliding to her then quickly back to Trey. “No. Not yet.”

  Trey nodded. “I brought some clothes for Liv. Some basics Rayne picked up. But maybe she should call Rayne and give her a better idea of what she needs.”

  “Well then, tell your sister that and not me,” Eli suggested.

  Trey glanced at her.

  “I’ll do that. Thanks,” she responded. “Hopefully, I won’t be here long, so I won’t need much. But I do need my laptop.”

  “I can buy you a laptop,” Trey said.

  “I have documents for school on mine.”

  Trey’s eyebrows furrowed. “School?”

  “Yes, she’s attending community college online,” Eli volunteered.

  She quickly added, “Just one course at a time.”

  “Why only one?”

  “I have a job... or did. I’m sure I’m going to lose it since I went AWOL. But even with it, I can’t afford to take more than one at a time.”

  “Next semester you can go full-time. I’ll cover it.”

  “Trey...” she whispered.

  Her brother lifted his hand. “I got it. It’s the least I can do.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want hand-outs. I’ve been fine on my own for a long time.”

  Eli shot her a frown. “You’re no longer on your own, Olivia. Accept his generosity. He has more money than he knows how to spend.”

  “Gryff won’t let me spend it how I want to.”

  Eli laughed. “Well, yeah, you need to invest it wisely and stop buying the stupid shit you do.”

  “A Maserati isn’t stupid.”

  Eli tilted his head. “True. I’m with you on that one. But some of the other stuff...”

  “I earn it.”

  “That’s true, too.” Eli turned to Liv. “So, please, let him help pay for your education. It’s either that or another ten-thousand-dollar massage chair.”

  A what? Her brother spent ten thousand dollars on a chair?

  “It’s sweet,” Trey insisted.

  “A complete waste of money.”

  “Okay, Gryff,” Trey mocked.

  Eli laughed and shook his head. “I’m sure Gryff wasn’t pleased when that was delivered.”

  “He didn’t even notice it for two weeks.”

  Eli laughed again. “Right. Then you had to have hid it in the basement because it’s hard to miss that atrocity.”

  “I have Rayne sit on my lap when—” Trey’s eyes flicked to Liv. “Never mind.”

  “Yes, that’s for the best,” Eli agreed. “I’m sure your sister doesn’t need to hear about her brother’s sexual exploits.”

  “Yes, I’ll pass on that, thank you very much,” Liv agreed.

  Grant entered the kitchen, coming up behind Liv and putting his hands on her shoulders. “I thought I heard a stud muffin in the kitchen.”

  “Which one is the stud muffin?” Liv asked him.

  “Me,” both Eli and Trey said at the same time.

  Grant laughed and squeezed Liv’s shoulders. “You two can fight it out while I make dinner. Any requests?”

  “Steak,” Eli suggested.

  “Filet or strip?”

  Liv hadn’t had steak in a long time and her mouth watered at the thought. The only beef she’d bought in the last few years was cheap hamburger. It must be nice to have a choice of premium cuts.

  “Liv?” Grant asked.

  “Oh, I... Don’t waste a steak on me.”

  All eyes fell on her.

  “What?” Trey whispered, his eyes wide.

  “Nonsense,” Grant said, recovering first. “Your choice. Filet mignon or New York strip?”

  “I... Which doesn’t cost as much?”

  “Liv,” Grant practically breathed. She tried not to wince at the sorrow in his voice.

  “Filets, please, mon amour,” Eli cut in, taking charge.

  “Perfect,” Grant murmured then turned to Trey. “You staying?”

  “No. We have reservations at that,” he waved his hand in the air, “golden fork place.”

  “La Fourchette D'Or?” Eli asked, clearly impressed.

  “Yeah, whatever. Gryff made the reservations.”

  “Are you celebrating something?” Grant asked over his shoulder. “Nothing was said at the office. It’s not your anniversary, is it?”

  Trey shrugged. “Probably. I guess I’ll find out when I get there.”

  Eli chuckled and shook his head. He watched Grant as his husband moved around the kitchen, pulling stuff out of the fridge and cabinets. “They probably don’t tell him, so he doesn’t buy more ten-thousand-dollar chairs.”

  “I love that chair.”

  “Unless it sucks you, fucks you, and has your babies, it’s not worth ten G’s, mon ami,” Eli said.

  “Hmm. Gryff said something similar about my Maserati.”

  Eli grinned. “He would. What time is your reservation?”

  Trey looked at his cellphone. “Fuck! Like in twenty minutes.”

  Grant turned and put his hands on his hips. “You know it’s like forty minutes from here, right?”

  “Fuck! I gotta go,” he shouted then ran up to Liv and encircled her in his arms.

  Liv’s spine stiffened as her brother hugged her tight and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Gotta go, sis. Love you.” And then he was gone.

  She remained frozen where she stood as she watched his retreating back. Even after he disappeared from view she couldn’t make herself move.

  Eli stepped up to her and with a finger under her chin, closed her gaping mouth. “Sisters and brothers do tend to hug and tell each other they love one another. At least after the teenage sibling rivalry passes.”

  “I... I guess so. I just never...”

  “I know,” Eli said softly. “It’s been a long time. From what I discovered about your mother, you didn’t get any love or affection from her. And your father died before you were born.”

  Liv looked at him in shock. “Yes.”

  “You two only had each other.”

  “Yes,” she repeated, then closed her eyes. “And I left him.”

  “Olivia...” Eli murmured.

  She opened her eyes.

  “It’s done, over. Move on. You’re here. Your brother’s back in your life. Embrace it.”

  Liv glanced over her shoulder in the direction where he went. “I’ll try.”

  El
i gave her a soft smile. “That’s all he could ask for.”

  “Now,” Grant announced loudly. “Steaks and what else?”

  “We’ll get Trey to buy her a new laptop,” Grant said, his head in Eli’s lap. They lounged on the couch watching Thursday night football on the big screen in the family room, which sat off the kitchen.

  “Mon amour, you heard her. She has her school work on the one she has. And, not only that, she may have incriminating files that could finger Randall in the murder. We need those files.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “I know you don’t. But we don’t have a choice,” Eli reminded him. He raked his fingers through Grant’s dark brown hair, careful not to knock his glasses of his face. He loved when Grant wore his glasses, which he had to do while watching TV.

  “What’s she doing right now?”

  “She’s upstairs reading. She found a book in the study and I think it’s an excuse to stay out of our way. She’s still worried about being a ‘burden’ and being an interruption in our life.”

  Grant snorted, trailing his hand over Eli’s thigh. “Nonsense.”

  “Je suis d'accord.” Of course, he agreed. He wanted to know more about Olivia and at dinner, she hardly spoke about herself, instead asking generic questions about their relationship, about the firm and their positions there. He’d like for her to volunteer more about her past and what she went through. He really didn’t want to have to investigate her himself, he’d rather it come from her.

  “Did you get condoms?”

  “I did.” He certainly did. Grant and he hadn’t worn condoms with each other in years. They had been together for the last ten, married for the last two and every year they’d gotten tested, even though each was sure the other was faithful. However, they had no idea about Olivia’s past and... And what?

  Eli sighed. Why couldn’t he get Olivia joining him and Grant in their bed out of his head?

  If she knew, she might be shocked or very uncomfortable at the least. She might even want to leave.

  Though, she did take matters into her hands this morning after leaving their bed. All day he’d thought about her touching herself and making herself come. And all day, he fought an erection. At one point he was so hard, he locked himself in his office and played videos of kittens on his computer until he got himself back under control. He didn’t even like cats.