by Tara Rose
“I’ve never had this much fun watching movies.”
“Me either.” They both spoke at the same time, and then all three laughed again. By the time they’d watched the last movie and made their way upstairs to Dallas’s bedroom, Arizona could hardly keep his eyes open. As much as he wanted to make love to her again, he was sore in places he hadn’t known existed, and he hoped just holding her would suffice for tonight.
“I’m exhausted,” said Dallas, as if reading his mind. “But tomorrow morning…” He waggled his eyebrows at Celina.
“Thank God,” she said. “I am, too. You two won’t mind if we just sleep tonight, will you? I had the most amazing time. Thank you.”
Dallas pulled her close. “So did I. Sleep sounds good.”
When Dallas released her, Arizona gathered Celina in his arms and kissed her gently. “I would love to sleep with you. We’ll all be rested tomorrow morning, and then look out.”
She laughed softly and snuggled against him, and it was all Arizona could do to keep breathing. He was in very big trouble here, and he didn’t even care. He loved it. It was exactly where he wanted to be.
* * * *
Even though Dallas was both physically and mentally exhausted, he had trouble falling asleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Celina had said earlier, and how much he’d wanted to tell her that he felt the same way. Why the fuck hadn’t he done so? She’d totally captivated him, and it wasn’t right not to tell her that. How the hell were they going to let her go on this job interview? There was no way he could watch her leave this island for good. No fucking way.
He rolled over and watched her sleep, curled up on her side and breathing softly. He’d never felt this way about a woman. Not even close. Lucie would be shocked to see all three of them together this way, so easy and carefree as if they’d been a triad for years.
And even though he and Arizona both had told Lucie she was wrong, he’d never been sure something like this could actually work. But that was because the books had it wrong. Or at least most of them did. Sharing Celina in and out of bed wasn’t a challenge for him and Arizona as it was for the Doms in most of the books.
They might have each been wary at first because they weren’t sure how this week would go, but they didn’t feel that way now. He didn’t need to confirm that with Arizona. He could see that truth in his eyes.
And Lucie’s belief that one Dom had to be in charge had turned out to be false as well. That ceased to matter when they were with her, holding her and touching her.
Sharing her in and out of bed enhanced everything, from the sex to something as commonplace as watching a movie and having a food fight with popcorn. He was certain Arizona felt the same way, but they’d need to talk tomorrow, privately. They had to figure this out before Monday morning because Dallas knew two things. He was falling in love with Celina, and there was no way he could let her leave the island forever and still keep his sanity.
* * * *
On Sunday, Dallas woke to the smell of food and coffee.
Arizona was awake and just pulling on his clothes. “I think she’s downstairs making breakfast.”
Dallas glanced at the clock on his nightstand.
“Okay. Lunch.”
Dallas sat on the edge of the bed and watched Arizona for a second or two, gathering his thoughts. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know. But I know I can’t watch her leave. I can’t do it.”
Dallas sighed and rested his chin in his hands. There was no need for detailed explanations. He knew exactly what Arizona meant because he felt the same way. He’d watched it happen to his friend, just as he’d marveled at the same feelings growing in himself over the past two days.
“Neither can I. Fuck it all. I’m in awe here. I really am. I swear to you if someone had told me Friday morning that I’d feel this way in forty-eight hours, I’d have laughed my ass off.”
Arizona took a seat next to him. “I know. Me, too. What the hell are we gonna do?”
“We have to tell her.”
“But is that fair to her? I mean I know she talked about working for us and all that, but she’s had her heart set on getting off this island and doing other things for a long time. Lucie has talked about Celina’s talent for years and how she’s always surprised Celina sticks around. How can we ask her to give that up?”
“Fuck. I don’t know. But you heard her last night. She said she’s never had this much fun in her life, and that she thought we’d simply do this and move on, content that we’d proven Lucie wrong. She said she doesn’t give a shit about the bet, or the job interview.”
Arizona shook his head. “But can we ask her to give up that chance? Is that fair?”
Dallas stood and shrugged. “I have no clear answers here. I’ve never been this confused in my life.”
“Me either. It’s not like either of us to be so conflicted. We make decisions all day long at the drop of a hat.”
“Yeah. But not like this. This is different.” He brushed a hand over his face. “Shit. I’m going to grab a quick shower before I go downstairs. Maybe the answer will fall from the sky. This is seriously fucked up.”
“I know. I’ll run to my house and take one, too. We’ll figure this out somehow.”
As Dallas headed for the bathroom, he wished he believed Arizona’s words.
* * * *
Sunday afternoon, after Celina had taken a quick shower, letting Dallas and Arizona sleep, she found some frozen chicken breasts and grilled them with cheese, mushrooms, and tomatoes, then tossed a salad. As she was finishing up, Arizona came downstairs, kissed her quickly, and told her he was running next door to take a quick shower and would be right back.
“Dallas will be down in a few minutes. Don’t eat without me.”
“I won’t, Sir.”
He winked, and Celina’s pussy grew wet again. When Dallas came downstairs a few minutes later, she poured him a cup of coffee and sat next to him, drinking in his scent and the fresh, clean look of him. “Was it all right that I did this? Made lunch?”
“Of course. Thank you.” He took a sip of coffee. “What would you like to do after we eat?”
She smiled. “I thought you two had a plan for that.”
He laughed softly. “Give me a break, woman. I’m only human.”
She brushed a hand along his arm. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who is sore all over.”
“Arizona and I were just talking about that, but don’t think it’s going to get you out of sex later today.”
“Oh, I hope not, Sir.”
“Not a chance.”
When Arizona returned and the food was ready, they ate lunch and made small talk about nothing. Celina tried not to dwell on what she’d said last night, but her words kept trying to crowd in. One of them asked her a question that she had to ask him to repeat.
“I asked if you wanted to take a walk into town,” said Dallas. “We thought it might be a good idea to be seen together.”
“Oh…yes. That’s a wonderful idea.” Everyone would see them, and it would help them win their bet. Plus, it would get them out of this house and among others. That might help her find some perspective. Reality would return in the morning, and she had to be ready for whatever came with it.
Chapter Eight
Dallas drove them in his Jeep into the town square then parked it so they could walk around. They visited the craft stalls, bought fresh fruit to snack on, and even wandered into some of the gift shops. Celina ignored the stares and curious looks. That was why they were doing this, after all. When she stopped in one of the stores to admire a beaded handbag, Dallas surprised her by buying it for her. It cost more than she made in a month, but he didn’t even hesitate.
“You don’t have to.” She didn’t want either of them thinking she was taking advantage of their wealth.
Dallas leaned close and whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine at his words. “When one of your Doms wants to buy
you a present, don’t argue with him.”
Is that what they were? Her Doms? Maybe for now, but what would happen in the morning? What would happen after her job interview on Wednesday?
At a stall down the road that sold wind chimes, Arizona found one featuring a waterfall design that he told her reminded him of their time in the pool Friday night, and insisted on buying it for her. She’d never had such a fun time walking through town with her girlfriends, and certainly not with another man. She could easily picture doing this with them for the rest of her life.
But she couldn’t let her thoughts go there. She was only setting herself up for heartbreak to imagine a happily-ever-after with them.
They had a light dinner in an open-air restaurant featuring Jamaican food, and Celina told them in hushed tones that their food tasted much better. She meant it. When they returned to the top of the hill, they made love to her gently and slowly, with so much passion that she cried. It was as if they all knew their fantasy was nearing an end, and they didn’t want to rush anything.
There was no anal this time, and they didn’t ask her to give them blow jobs. Instead, they stayed in the great room of Arizona’s house, and the men took turns holding her on their laps. She straddled each one and they fucked her slowly, almost as if she might break if they weren’t careful. If either of them thought it was weird that she crawled from one man to the other, they didn’t show it. Celina thought it was the sexiest thing she’d ever done.
They laid her on the floor and took turns on top of her, again fucking her with care and tenderness, and gazing into her eyes with what could only be called love. They stroked her face and hair, and brushed their fingers along her skin, sending shivers up and down her spine.
Even when they laid her facedown on the sofa and took turns inside her pussy from behind, their lovemaking was emotional and sweet, not rough and tumble as it had been all weekend. When they finally went up to Arizona’s bed, she curled up in their arms and tried not to think about the coming week.
Just before she drifted off to sleep, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She had to say something. “I’m taking vacation time this week.” She crawled out of bed and dug in her bag to retrieve her phone. “I’m calling Lucie. I can’t go into work in the morning. I don’t want to leave. Can you two stay home from work as well? Shit. I should have asked you that before tonight, I guess…”
Her voice trailed off as she watched the incredulous looks spread across their faces. She was such an idiot. Of course they couldn’t do that. But then they exchanged a look that wasn’t full of disbelief. Rather, it gave her hope that she didn’t dare let take root yet.
“Um, sure,” said Dallas. “I don’t see why not. We have a boatload of employees who can handle things for a few days.”
Arizona nodded. “Yes, we do. In fact, I don’t know why this didn’t occur to us earlier. Good idea.” He grabbed his phone from the nightstand. “I’ll make a few calls and you call Lucie. We’re staying here with you.”
* * * *
Celina, Dallas, and Arizona spent Monday and Tuesday together, preparing meals, swimming, and making love. They went into town every day but only to be seen. By Tuesday night, the bet no longer mattered, although all three agreed they’d already won it.
Tuesday night, Celina told them she wasn’t going to New Orleans in the morning.
“You owe it to Lucie,” said Arizona, “but more importantly, you owe it to yourself.”
“Lucie would be very upset if I didn’t go.”
“Yes, she would. You said yourself that you felt obligated to at least go on the interview.”
“But is that fair to them? What if they offer me the job? What should I say?”
Dallas cupped her face and gazed into her eyes with so much intensity that she nearly started to cry. “You are the only one who can make that decision.”
She wished he’d said something else. She wished they both had. She’d wanted them to beg her to stay on the island, but she also understood why they weren’t doing that. They felt she owed this to herself because her dreams went way beyond working for Lucie. She’d told them both that.
They knew that she’d regret not going on the interview. She’d always wonder what if. They were truly gentlemen, and that made this even more difficult. All she wanted to do was stay with them, but she still wasn’t completely sure they wanted that as well.
And to push the issue now would be wrong. She had no right to make demands or issue them ultimatums. They’d treated her with nothing but respect, and they’d been open with her. She owed them nothing less.
* * * *
Wednesday morning, they drove her to the small airstrip on the island that both Cove Cargo and McMurphy Flight used. The former to fly small cargo on and off the island, and the latter to fly passengers. She kept turning around as she walked toward her plane, wishing they’d run after her and beg her not to go.
What was it like to live on an island and know you could never leave it? Celina had been to the mainland before, many times. She couldn’t imagine a life where that was not only impossible, but would mean her death. If she was offered this job today and took it, she’d never see them again unless she came back here. She could do that. She could return every single weekend. It was only a one-hour flight. This could work.
But was that what they wanted? They’d never given her an indication that this was happily-ever-after. They’d done this to win the bet. Nothing more. She was jumping to some mighty large conclusions here.
Once she boarded the plane and glanced out the window, there they were. Looking as gorgeous as ever as they stood on the tarmac, waving. She waved back, and then kept them in sight as long as possible. When the plane was in the air, she searched for their figures below, and spotted them, eyes shaded against the sun, watching the plane ascend.
Celina finally settled back and closed her eyes, fighting back tears. She didn’t want to do this. She no longer gave a shit about the job in New Orleans. She wanted to stay on Sybaris Cove and work from them in marketing. Why would she leave, when everything she’d ever wanted was right there? It always had been. She’d simply never known it.
* * * *
After she left the airport and made her way to a taxi stand, she didn’t want to be dressed in a suit and heels. She wanted to be back in the pool with Arizona and Dallas, naked. This felt wrong. She’d been in New Orleans before and had always loved the sounds and smells.
Now, it only reminded her of the lush beauty of Sybaris Cove. She couldn’t stop thinking about Arizona and Dallas, and the way their hair looked in the morning, all tousled and spikey. Or the way both men sipped coffee loud enough to wake the dead. What were they doing right now? Had they gone into work, or were they in one of their houses, thinking about her and wondering if she was in her interview yet?
She almost called them, but then decided not to. If she did that, she’d start crying and then she’d forget the interview and come home. They wouldn’t want her to do that. And Lucie would never forgive her. She had to give this a fair shot. The guys were right about that. She owed it to Lucie, to herself, and in a weird way she also owed it to them.
Because Celina knew they wouldn’t accept her telling them she loved them and wanted to stay with them unless she’d done this. They wanted her to have a choice. A real choice. This couldn’t be only a token interview. They’d expect her to take this seriously.
The Caldwell Law Firm was everything she’d been told it would be. Stuffy, pretentious, with an aura of old money and expensive tastes. Two men and a woman interviewed her. The woman reminded Celina of Lucie, and the men wouldn’t stop staring at her legs.
They asked all the expected questions about her background and experience, and then they asked her to tell them her goals. That was easy. She spoke from the heart, and finally the men looked at her face. Celina didn’t need to know what they were thinking to know they were impressed with her. At least she could honestly tell Arizona and Dallas that s
he’d done her very best today.
When she finally left, they each shook her hand and told her they’d be in touch by Monday at the latest. She tried to pretend she cared, and was sure she’d pulled it off, but every fiber of her being was screaming to get out of the building. The very air inside it made her claustrophobic. She wanted to be outside at the pool between Dallas’s and Arizona’s homes, naked, with the guys beside her.
She had enough of a wait for the return flight to grab something to eat, but it might as well have been cardboard. She could still taste the incredible food that Arizona had made them all week. Nothing would ever taste as good for the rest of her life.
Finally they were in the air again, and she watched the water below, trying her best not to think of the curse that had taken their great-grandfathers and one of their grandfathers. It was horrible. There had to be a way to find out who had cast it so someone could try to reverse it.
Celina could barely stay in her seat as they approached the island, and when they landed, she fidgeted impatiently until she could get off the plane. The sun was just beginning to set as she ran across the tarmac to where Dallas and Arizona waited in the Jeep for her. She took off her heels and ran faster as they both exited. They wore huge smiles, and she embraced each man, not wanting to let go.
They climbed back in the Jeep and sped off up the hill.
“Well?” asked Dallas.
She shrugged. “It went fine. And it’s exactly what you’re picturing.”
“What about the job?” asked Arizona. “Is it something you’d want to do?”
“It’s perfect.” That much was true. And, they’d all but told her that if she wanted to earn a law degree, they’d pay for it.
“When will you know?” asked Dallas quietly.
“They said they’d make their decision by Monday.”
“Then we still have the rest of the week,” said Arizona.