by Lexi Blake
She wanted more.
A hand pressed against her back. “Habibti, you’re here.”
Kade’s smooth tones soothed her, reminding her she wouldn’t be alone with Talib, who both intrigued and scared her. Not because she was worried he would hurt her, but he was so charismatic, she worried about her heart. Kade was different. Kade had spent days and days convincing her that he wanted her. Of course it wasn’t long term, but Kade’s desire was real and she’d grown comfortable in his presence. Same with Rafe.
She wasn’t so sure about Tal. She knew he liked her. She knew he and his brothers shared. What if he was only willing to make love to her because Rafe and Kade wanted her? Tonight should be simple, but her pride kept complicating matters.
She felt another hand on her waist. Rafe. “Piper, beloved, please come with us.”
How could she possibly deny them? They were so sweet. Rafe had spent days teaching her how to fit in. Kade had made her laugh even when she’d been so stressed she’d thought she would break. And Talib had been her friend for months, trading barbs online about their research and making her feel like she had something special to contribute. Even this week, he’d deferred to her on economic matters. It would have been so easy for him to take control of the meetings, but he’d allowed her the power.
She wasn’t sure he would give her any power tonight. She’d lost her power the moment she’d said yes. Now she would belong to them for the night.
Two hands cradled hers. Rafe and Kade. They gave her such strength.
“Did you enjoy the banquet?” Rafe breathed the words against her ear.
She’d loved every minute of it. It had been worlds away from anything she’d ever experienced. She’d eaten new food, talked to interesting people. It had been a wild magic carpet ride, and she’d loved every surprising turn. “Yes, I did.”
“I didn’t,” Kade said. “I spent the whole time wondering when the hell the damn thing would be over.”
Talib chuckled. “You should know Kadir is the most impatient of us all. He will make you crazy.”
She could enjoy Kade’s kind of crazy. Especially since she had Rafe’s perfect patience. “I can handle him.”
She could handle both Kade and Rafe. Her smile fell. Talib was another story.
“You certainly can.” There was a rumble to Kade’s voice that made her skin sing. His hand came up and turned her chin toward him, his face glancing down. “You handle me quite well, habibti.”
His lips smoothed over hers. Heat infused her, making her heart rattle and surge. This was what she’d been waiting for. Connection. That was what she felt when they touched her. She’d never known just how alone she was before Rafe and Kade had pulled her into their world. The sense of belonging was so much stronger when they both had hands on her.
What would it be like when Talib touched her?
He’d been so careful, only kissing her that once. But she couldn’t forget it.
“I’m a little scared.” She couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Tal. He stood there looking so gorgeous and remote. He’d removed his tuxedo jacket and tie, exposing the long line of his throat and the terrible scar Alea had explained. Golden skin peeked out from where the snowy white dress shirt had been unbuttoned.
Tal took a step toward her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of Piper. I have no desire to hurt you.” A little grin ticked his lips up making him look decadent and sinful. “Well, not in any fashion that won’t enhance your pleasure. I like to play games, Piper. Do you understand what I mean?”
She was pretty sure he wasn’t talking about checkers. “Sex games?”
A chuckle rumbled from his throat. He was close now, his hand coming out to cup her face. All three men had a hand on her. “Yes, Piper. I enjoy sex games. Sex should be fun, no?”
It should be. It should also have meaning. This had a lot of meaning for her, and it went beyond how much she adored the three men in the room. This was proof that her life was starting. Finally. Mindy was happy in school, and now it was time to truly live, even if it meant her heart would ache when this affair was over. At least she would have felt. And she was going to be brutally honest, with them and herself, about it all.
“I hope sex is fun. I don’t actually know much about it.” She hoped that didn’t sound too stupid.
Talib’s eyes warmed as his hand moved down her body, fingers trailing toward her chest. The touch was light, causing her to shiver. Already her body was heating up. “Yes, my brothers mentioned you are a virgin. Is that why you’re afraid?”
Honesty was painful sometimes. And hard to keep track of. They were distracting her. Rafe was nuzzling her ear, licking at the shell. She’d never thought of an ear as particularly sexy, but wow, she felt that touch in her female parts. In her pussy. They were right. There was no place for silly euphemisms here. Rafe’s tongue traced the line of her ear and the sparks went straight to her pussy. Kade pushed her hair back and kissed the back of neck. So sensitive. The play of his lips sent shivers down her spine. And with one finger, Tal traced the V of her bodice. The dress Rafe had selected left a generous amount of her skin on display, and Tal seemed intent on exploring it all.
“Piper?” Tal’s deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Darling, I asked you a question. You should answer me. Unless you want a spanking.”
Piper took a long breath. He was talking about games again. What had he asked before? Why was she scared? “I’m worried I won’t be able to please you.”
She knew next to nothing. The evening she’d spent with Rafe and Kade had been about them pleasing her. She wanted to learn, wanted to be more than a doll they passed between them.
Tal’s mouth was a sensual line, just the slightest hard edge of desire making him look ruthless. “You wish to please me?”
She wanted to please them all. Pleasure, romance, sex—that was a whole portion of life that had been closed off to her before this moment. “Yes.”
“You want to please the sheikh?”
That question felt like a landmine, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. She answered as honestly as she could. “I want to please Tal.”
Her friend. Her secret crush. She knew he’d never really existed. He’d been a facade to protect the sheikh, but she’d dreamed stupid girlish dreams of him for months.
An almost sad look crossed his face. “Sweet Piper, they are one in the same.”
He took a step back, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt as he moved. He shrugged out of it as he walked past the arched doorway that led from the living area of the suite. She hadn’t been past this gorgeously decorated set of rooms before. This was Talib’s private sanctuary, and it consisted of an entire wing of the palace. The most she’d seen of the bedroom was the balcony, and even that had been from the outside. The sheikh’s bedroom opened to a huge sun-dappled courtyard. Rafe had given her the tour and explained that when he and his brothers had been born, each was brought out on to the balcony and presented to huge crowds of cheering citizens.
She was just a girl from a dusty West Texas town. When she was born, she’d been presented to a herd of farm animals.
The marbled floors under her feet felt cool and too unfamiliar.
“All is well, Piper,” Rafe promised. “We will take care of you.”
“Don’t be afraid.” Kade hugged her from behind.
“Present her to me.” Talib commanded to his brothers as he disappeared behind those arches.
She pressed her lips together to hold in a gasp. Her stomach knotted. Present her?
Rafe moved to her front so they enveloped her. “Let us show our brother how beautiful you are.”
“He will be so crazy about you, habibti.” Kade’s erection brushed against her backside. “Trust us.”
She did trust them. They’d been nothing but kind to her. Sometimes she didn’t understand their customs, but she had come to care about them very much. She was in love with them. It was stupid to lie to herself. She might only have a few s
tolen days, a month at most before she had to return home and they got on with their royal lives. She wasn’t going to beg off now because she was afraid. “Just tell me what to do.”
Rafe touched his nose to hers. “Be your beautiful self, love.”
“Follow our lead. We’ll have the sheikh at your feet in no time at all.” Kade took her hand and led her down the hall.
She followed, her heart racing . There was no turning back now. She’d come so far. She had to see where this led.
Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest when she finally entered the room. Bedroom didn’t seem to cut it. It was a magnificent slice of the palace. With high ceilings and columns, the “bedroom” was larger than her parents’ entire house. An enormous, curtained bed dominated the space. The flowing curtains were tied back, and the bed had to have been custom made because she’d never seen one so big. It surely fit three or four people. Maybe five.
There was a sitting area just to the left of the bed. The room was lit with soft candles and a small buffet had been set to one side, complete with everything they could need for a romantic evening. Despite the beautiful nature of the room, the man sitting on the chaise was what really took her breath away.
Talib al Mussad, Sheikh of Bezakistan, reclined on a wide, plush lounger. He’d shed his confining clothes, and his body was laid out in all its glory. He looked up as she walked into the room, his eyes narrowing. He was built on bigger lines than his brothers, every inch of golden flesh muscled and toned. Her eyes caught on his erection, and she tried to avert her gaze. It was too intimate.
“No,” Rafe commanded, his voice going hard. “Do not turn away. Look at his cock. It’s for you, as mine is for you. As Kade’s is. You are woman enough for us all. Never think yourself anything less.”
She gulped and forced her gaze up. She wasn’t a girl anymore. She hadn’t been for a long time. The minute she’d taken responsibility for her sister, she’d left girlhood behind and become a woman. Sex didn’t make a woman. Responsibility, devotion, sacrifice. Those things already marked her, and she’d done a damn fine job. Rafe was right. She was woman enough for them.
Piper stared boldly at the sheikh. He was a gorgeous predator, every line of his body hard but graceful. And he was definitely interested in her. If she’d been worried he was just going along for his brothers’ sake, his erection put that idea out of her mind. His cock stood straight up, thick and long, reaching almost to his navel.
“I hope you like what you see. My brothers are right. This is for you.” He wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking from base to bulb. Tal’s cock swelled, growing thicker and longer right before her eyes. “Now show me what belongs to me and mine.”
She started a bit as she felt a hand on her zipper.
Kade steadied her or she would have fallen. He righted her, holding her hand. “Don’t be afraid. Let us show him. This is tradition.”
“You traditionally show off naked women to your brother?” She sometimes didn’t understand this place. And she wondered just how much stuff they made up to get her to do things she otherwise never would.
Kade slowly dragged the zipper of her dress down, every inch a big step toward that moment when he and Rafe would unveil her. “Yes, we do. When brothers take a concubine, the younger ones present her to the eldest. She is a gift to be shared.”
“Concubine.” She knew the word. Mistress. Lover. It seemed so much heavier than girlfriend or momentary hookup.
“Yes, for now,” Rafe said. “Relax and let us show you off. We think you are beyond beautiful, Piper. Let us share this lovely view with Talib.”
The straps of her dress slipped over her shoulders as Kade finished unzipping the garment. She was suddenly grateful for all the spa treatments. Earlier in the day, they had buffed her skin to a dewy glow and taken care of those pesky extra hairs on her brow line. They’d also rid her of every single strand of hair below her neck. Sure, she’d screamed at the time, but now she could stand there with some small amount of confidence.
Her hands shook as the bodice of the dress was lowered.
“You selected her clothes, Rafe?” Tal’s voice was deeper than before, his eyes on her. His hand continued to move up and down his cock in a slow, sexy rhythm.
“The dress is Marchesa. I love how the white makes her skin luminous. She did not care for the deep V-neck at first, but it shows off her lovely breasts.”
He’d known she’d been worried about the dress? It was so much sexier than anything she’d ever worn.
“She looked stunning. But every man in the room was staring at her breasts.” Tal frowned, sitting up, his eyes accusatory.
Rafe chuckled, kissing the curve of her shoulder. “Perhaps, but they did not touch. They can look at our beautiful concubine all they like and merely wish they were the ones in her bed.”
“But the minute they touch, well, we have traditions for that as well,” Kade promised.
Piper was pretty sure she wouldn’t like those traditions. They likely involved blood.
“Show me the corset,” Tal commanded.
The lines of the dress hadn’t allowed for a traditional bra. She’d squeezed into a white satin and silk corset that forced her breasts up like ripe melons being displayed for sale.
“I strove for perfection on the lingerie.” Rafe pushed the dress off her hips, and Kade whisked it away. “La Perla. I think you can agree she looks exceedingly lovely.”
She looked half naked. More than half, actually. She was left in her corset and a tiny white thong, along with stark white stilettos that elongated her legs.
She gasped as Rafe’s hand cupped her backside, his fingers snapping the thong.
Tal stood, staring down at her. “She glows like a pearl. You have an eye for dressing her, brother. But I need to see more. Show me her breasts.”
She felt caught. Trapped by Rafe and Kade’s hands. Captive to the dirty promise in Talib’s dark eyes.
Cool air caressed her skin, causing her nipples to tighten even before Kade and Rafe went to work on the corset. In mere seconds, they were lifting it away from her, and she was left in nothing but a tiny thong and her shoes. She bit her bottom lip, forcing herself not to cover her breasts with her hands.
Tal simply stared, his eyes on her nipples. He didn’t move toward her, just stroked his hard cock and looked. “They are beautiful. Like the woman herself. Lift them for me.”
Kade sighed from behind her, his arms sliding around her torso. His big hands cupped her breasts, lifting them up. His thumbs flicked her nipples, making her shake in his arms. Piper held her breath to trap in her moan.
“She has the loveliest breasts in the world, and they’re so sensitive.” Kade demonstrated by pinching them lightly and watching them bead tighter. “See. She responds beautifully.”
Tal sat up and leaned closer, his fingers lightly touching her nipples. “Tell me something, beautiful girl. Have my brothers played with your breasts?”
“Yes.” The word came out on a breathy moan. She had two sets of hands on her. While Kade’s lifted her breasts, Tal’s fingers continued to toy with her so-sensitive nipples. He stroked lightly at first and then caught them between his thumbs and forefingers, twisting just a bit.
“Did you like it? Did you like it when my brothers licked and sucked your nipples?”
She was shaking, a dizzying ache coursing through her. Embarrassment rapidly drowned in a sea of want. Being put on display should make her angry, but nothing about this felt wrong. In fact, the hunger in Talib’s eyes made everything about this feel good and right. “I loved it when they touched me.”
Rafe stood behind Tal, watching with a smile on his face. “Our pretty concubine has trouble with dirty words, brother.”
His fingers tightened, making her moan again. “Does she now? Tell me what they did to your breasts, Piper. And your pussy. I want to see that, too. I think, perhaps, my brothers made a meal of you. I might need a taste.”
Kade imm
ediately pushed the thong off her hips as Tal stepped back, the loss of his touch making her cold. Kade held her hand as she stepped out of the thong, and Tal took in a long breath, his smile dangerous and predatory. Then she wasn’t cold anymore. The raging heat in his stare made her shiver and swelter with need.
“Rafe, you’ve been at work here, too. That is a lovely pussy. Spread your legs, Piper. I can already see those lips are wet. I want to see them as you tell me the tale.”
They expected her to talk? She was lucky to be standing.
Tal edged closer and loomed over her, a patient expression on his face. “I need to make something clear. When we are in the bedroom, you follow my rules. I won’t hurt you, but I will spank that gorgeous ass if you don’t obey. Indulge me. I love to give a good spanking.”
“He does,” Kade affirmed. His hand slipped to her backside, cupping a single cheek. “He would love to get this ass a sweet pink. And he’ll make you love it. Before we’re done with you, you’ll love many things you can only dream of now. We’ll have you bound and blindfolded so all you can concentrate on is the sensation of our tongues and our cocks. And we’re going to make you love it when we’re all inside you. But not tonight. Tonight should be gentle. Don’t tempt Tal’s beast tonight. Give him what he wants. Tell him about our night together.”
Spankings and bondage? She couldn’t say she was completely terrified by the thought, but daunted at the moment, yes. She just needed to get through her first time. Right now, Tal wanted words.
“It will be all right.” Rafe’s soft tone soothed her. He winked at her as he dispensed with his shirt before working his way out of his slacks. “I’ll help you. We were in the plane, and Piper kissed me. I love the way you kiss.”
Nervous laughter bubbled up. “I didn’t think I was very good at it.”
“Well, let me remind you.” Rafe strode over to her and cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head back. His lips descended on hers, a sweet melding of flesh that soon sent heat zipping through her. She relaxed, almost drugged by the desire he coaxed from her.