War of Hearts

by Julia Sykes

  “Relax, princess,” Marco cooed. “Let Joseph make you feel good. I want him to show me what you like.”

  “Hold her wrists,” Joseph told him. “She loves that.”

  Marco chuckled. “Of course she does.”

  They were talking about me, discussing me. It should have been insulting, but their rapt attention made me squirm. They stared down at me like I was the most fascinating thing they’d ever seen. Two sets of intense eyes studied me: depthless black and stunning blue.

  Marco released my shoulders so he could capture my wrists. His long fingers encircled them fully, and he drew my arms over my head. He squeezed slightly as he pinned my hands against the pillow, reinforcing his control over me.

  A strange, feral sound eased up my throat, and a wicked smile split his features.

  Joseph’s hands fisted in the silky nightgown, and he ripped the flimsy material down the middle with one jerk of his powerful arms. It wasn’t the first time he’d stripped me like this, but it was different this time. I felt like he was stripping away all my defenses and exposing my soul.

  “I liked that one,” Marco commented. “The pink looks very sweet on her.”

  “I’ll buy her another one. I’ll buy her ten more.”

  His fingers teased beneath the torn fabric, slowly parting it to expose my body.

  “I…” I struggled to formulate a protest. “I can’t do this. I shouldn’t. Joseph, I—”

  “Hush, angel,” he said gently. He began to stroke my skin in the reverent way that drove me wild. “I want this. Marco wants this. And I think you do, too. If you don’t want it, just say stop, and we’ll stop. Do you want us to stop?”

  I bit my lip and shook my head, too much of a coward to admit aloud that I didn’t want them to stop. I wanted Joseph to keep caressing me. I wanted Marco to keep holding me down. I wanted them both to keep admiring me like I was the most breathtaking thing they’d ever seen.

  “No more teasing, Joseph,” Marco said gruffly. “I need to see her.”

  Joseph obliged him, easing the ruined nightgown aside so the silky fabric pooled at my sides. I heard Marco’s sharp intake of breath, and I watched as his thick fingers neared my breasts. My skin tingled when he trailed his fingertips over the soft swells, and I arched toward his touch.

  “You’re even prettier than I imagined, princess,” he told me, his voice soft with awe. His touch swirled around my nipples, and they pebbled to throbbing peaks. “Do you want Joseph to suck on your sweet little nipples?”

  “Yes,” I whined, hardly able to believe that this was happening, that I was allowing them to do this to me.

  “Yes, Daddy,” he corrected me.

  My cheeks flamed red hot at the word, and I shot a shy glance at Joseph. Surely, he wouldn’t want me to say that? Surely, he would think it was weird?

  His pale gaze fixed firmly on mine. “Go on,” he said. “Be a good girl for Marco.”

  A small whimper eased up my throat, and I shivered as a fresh wave of lust rolled over me. I was caught between them. What they were asking of me was dirty and wrong, but they were handling me carefully, as though they cherished me.

  “Do you want Joseph to suck on your nipples, little girl?” Marco prompted, his voice dropping impossibly deeper.

  “Yes, Daddy,” I whispered.

  Marco hummed his approval, and he leaned closer to me. “You make me very happy, babygirl,” he said, just before his lips crashed down on mine. At the same time, Joseph’s hot tongue flicked my nipple.

  I cried out against Marco, and his tongue surged inside my mouth. He kissed me roughly, hungrily. Joseph began to tease and torment my breasts. He’d grazed them with his teeth a few times before, but he was being harsher with my body this time, more demanding. He nipped at the tight buds, sending sizzling lines of pleasure straight from my breasts to my clit. I rocked my hips up, mindlessly seeking stimulation. Marco’s ruthless kiss was making me delirious, depriving me of oxygen and making my head spin.

  When he finally broke contact, I gasped in a desperate breath, only to let it out on a harsh cry as Joseph bit my nipple. He released it immediately, soothing away the pain with his tongue. My lashes fluttered as pleasure washed through me. I trembled in Marco’s hold, and I continued to roll my hips into the air, seeking Joseph’s attention where I needed it most.

  “Lick her pussy, Joseph,” Marco ordered. “I know she tastes like fucking heaven, but I’ll let you do it this time.”

  This time? I could hardly wrap my head around this happening once. Marco implied we’d do this again. But I couldn’t contemplate his words. All thought was blown from my mind when Joseph settled between my thighs and touched his tongue to my clit.

  Stars burst across my vision, and Marco caught my sharp scream in his mouth when his lips descended on mine again. He took me more gently, taking his time to taste and explore. Even though he wasn’t as rough with me, I felt even more thoroughly conquered.

  I wriggled beneath him and whined against his tongue as Joseph’s mouth tormented my pussy. He teased around my clit and lapped at the wetness seeping from my core, but he didn’t touch me firmly enough to push me over the edge. He was driving me higher and higher with each swipe of his tongue, but it wasn’t quite enough.

  “You want to come, don’t you, princess?” Marco murmured against my lips.

  I nodded and made a wordless sound of longing when Joseph’s tongue swirled around my clit again.

  “Don’t let her come, Joseph,” he warned. “Play with her ass first.”

  My eyes flew wide, and I shook my head. He couldn’t. I couldn’t let him do that. It was too…

  I gasped when his fingertip dipped into my wet arousal before trailing farther back.

  “Joseph hasn’t touched your tight little asshole, has he, babygirl?” Marco asked, but he didn’t wait for me to answer. My response was plain on my face. “He’s been holding back with you. Not anymore. You can handle us. You can take what we need to do to you.”

  Joseph’s finger brushed across my puckered bud, and I tensed.

  Marco kept his hold on my wrists with one hand and brushed my hair away from my sweat-damped brow with the other. “Let Joseph in, princess. He’s going to make you feel so good.”

  Joseph’s mouth came down on my clit again, and his tongue flicked over the tight bud. Pleasure surged through me, and I relaxed for a moment. He pressed his advantage, and the tip of his finger penetrated me.

  I gasped and squirmed, but he didn’t withdraw. It felt weird and invasive and…

  “Oh!” I gasped as his tongue drove deep inside my pussy. His finger slipped in to the first knuckle, the lubrication of my own arousal easing his progress.

  I clenched around him, trying to push him out. The sensation of my muscles rippling around his immovable finger lit up sensitive nerve endings I’d never imagined I possessed.

  Joseph groaned against me. “She just gushed all over my tongue,” he told Marco.

  Marco bit out a curse. His hand fisted in my hair, tipping my head back so he could capture me in his burning gaze.

  “You are so perfect, Ashlyn.” He kept me fixed in his onyx stare, but he addressed Joseph. “Let her come. She’s earned it.”

  Joseph’s tongue parted my swollen folds again, and he brought his thumb down on my clit. He began rubbing in firm, rhythmic circles, and he pressed his forefinger deeper into my ass.

  I shattered on a scream, and my eyes closed as bliss assailed me. Marco’s fingers tightened in my hair, commanding my attention.

  “No,” he growled. “Look at me. Look at Daddy while you come.”

  My eyes locked on his, and ecstasy pulsed through me as my inner muscles contracted around Joseph’s invasive finger. Marco watched me with a twisted smile as my entire body convulsed with pleasure.

  Joseph continued to stimulate me, gently pumping his finger in and out of my ass as my body finally surrendered to the taboo intrusion. My sex grew sensitive, the pleasure too overwhel
ming to bear any more. I whimpered and tried to move away from his mouth and hands, but he didn’t stop until Marco told him to.

  “Enough, Joseph. You can play with her more next time.”

  Joseph finally withdrew from me and stepped away. Marco laid down beside me and pulled me into his arms, easing the ruined nightgown from my body. I heard water running in the bathroom, and then Joseph returned a minute later. He climbed onto the bed on my other side.

  “You did so well, angel,” he praised, stroking my back as Marco petted my hair. I was surrounded by their heat, their strength.

  Everything started to seem surreal again, and I was so sleepy. I yawned, and Marco chuckled. He kissed my forehead.

  “Go to sleep, princess. We can talk about everything in the morning.”

  I didn’t want to talk about anything. I didn’t want to think about anything. I just wanted to stay here, cocooned in bliss and their body heat.

  So, I closed my eyes and obeyed Marco, falling into sleep.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ashlyn

  I woke up, alone and cold. I felt the sheets beside me, searching for Joseph’s warmth.

  Joseph. He hadn’t been the only one to cuddle me while I fell asleep.

  I became aware of the sheets caressing my bare body.

  I was naked. Joseph had ripped off my nightgown while Marco held me down. They…

  My stomach did a funny flip.

  Wrong. So dirty and wrong.

  How could Joseph share me with his friend like that? Just yesterday, I’d been ready to confess my love for him. He must think of me as nothing more than a slut. Otherwise, he never would have allowed Marco to touch me like that. Once he learned that I’d cheated with Marco, he must have decided I was a whore.

  My body burned at the memory of their hands on me, and I recognized that the heat wasn’t entirely the result of shame. My sex throbbed, and my nipples peaked against the cool sheets. I buried my face in the pillow, biting my lip against the sensation.

  Maybe I was a slut. I must be, to come so hard while two men held me down. Joseph had fingered my virgin ass, and I’d come all over his face.

  This isn’t me. This is crazy. I’m acting crazy.

  Ever since Marco had brought me to his mansion, I’d become more of a sexual being with each passing day. I’d fallen into Joseph’s arms, willingly abandoning my life at Harvard. I’d traded my responsibilities for the pleasure of his touch.

  Within the space of two weeks, I’d become such a whore that I’d allowed two men to use me. I’d allowed Marco to spank me. I’d called him Daddy, and it had gotten me hot.

  It was weird and taboo and wrong.

  Get out. I had to get out before I lost myself completely. I’d allowed myself to forget that Marco had kidnapped me, that I was being held here against my wishes. All I’d wanted was to go back to Cambridge with Joseph, but I’d become docile and warped in my time on this estate.

  Now, he’d never love me. I’d lost his respect and the respect of everyone else in my life: my professors, my father.

  Joseph wasn’t here this morning, holding me and calling me his angel. I’d never be his angel again. I was dirty now, damaged goods.

  I threw the covers back and hastily found some clothes to cover my nakedness. I jerked on the yoga pants and camisole. I wished I had a coat to keep me warm once I ran outside, but I’d be in the warmth of Marco’s BMW soon enough.

  The men had left me alone. The bedroom door was open. They hadn’t bothered to lock their compliant captive in her cage.

  I knew if I could just make it to the garage, I could retrieve Marco’s keys where he kept them hanging in a neat row. Once I got into the BMW, I could get off the estate. I’d ram my way through the gates if I had to.

  I picked up my flats, deciding to carry them so I could walk across the marble floor of the foyer without making any noise. I wasn’t sure where Marco and Joseph were, but at least one of them would be in the house. Probably Joseph. Marco often left to go into the city to deal with his business.

  How could I have forgotten what that business was? Marco and Joseph were criminals, and last night, they’d revealed their true, depraved nature.

  I tiptoed down the stairs on bare feet. As I descended, I could make out the rumble of their voices emanating from the kitchen.

  They were both here.

  My heart hammered against my ribcage as adrenaline surged. If they caught me, I’d be helpless in their strong arms. I wouldn’t be able to escape them.

  I got to the front door and turned the knob slowly. The latch slid back silently.

  I didn’t dare close the door behind me in case it made noise, so I left it cracked.

  I shivered as soon as the chilled autumn air hit my exposed skin, but I broke into a run. My feet sank into the grass as I tore around the side of the house, making my way toward the garage.

  Luck was with me, because I didn’t hear sounds of pursuit. I reached the garage without incident, and I slipped in the side door. I found the BMW keys on their designated peg, in their neatly organized place.

  I rushed to the car and cranked the engine to life, slamming the driver’s side door.

  The garage door seemed to take an eternity to lift open, but eventually, there was enough space for me to hit the gas. In my haste to get away, the tires squealed against the asphalt, but I was already in the safety of the car. I sped around the house and headed for the long driveway that led out of the estate.

  The front door to the house burst open, revealing Joseph and Marco. Their shouts followed me down the driveway, and I saw them running in the rearview mirror. They weren’t running after me. That would be futile. They were headed toward the garage, likely to get their own vehicle to pursue me.

  I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal, increasing my speed.

  In a matter of minutes, the gates appeared before me. They weren’t pretty, wrought iron gates; they were solid steel.

  My heart jumped into my throat, but I didn’t have a choice.

  I screamed as I barreled toward the barrier between me and freedom. I caught sight of the red Ferrari in my rearview, and I firmed my resolve.

  A shockwave hit my body when the car smashed into the gates. The hood of the car crumpled, the airbag deployed. Pain burst through my head, and the world flickered around me.

  The car door was wrenched open, and Joseph’s panicked voice penetrated my pained haze as he freed me from my seatbelt.

  “Ashlyn,” he rasped. “You’re okay. You’re okay.” He repeated it several times, sounding as though he was trying to convince himself as much as reassure me.

  His arms closed around me, and he lifted me up. The world spun as he moved my body, and I groaned when pain spiked through my head.

  “Shit, shit.” That was Marco’s voice. “I’m calling a doctor. Get her back to the house.”

  Something warm and wet trickled down my cheek, and my forehead stung.

  I closed my eyes against the spinning world, falling into darkness.

  Everything was soft and warm. I was floating.

  “Give her more,” Marco demanded. “She’s hurt.”

  “She’ll be fine,” a strange man’s voice said. “I can’t give her any more painkillers. She’ll have a headache when she wakes up, but she’s okay.”

  I hummed my contentment, happy to continue floating.

  I recognized the feel of both their hands gripping mine; Joseph on my right, Marco on my left.

  Reassured, I sank into the warmth.

  My throat was dry, and my head ached. I stirred with a groan.

  “Here. Drink this.”

  I kept my eyes closed, but I knew it was Marco who propped me up and Joseph who held the glass to my lips. I gratefully gulped down the water.

  “Open your mouth,” Joseph commanded when he pulled the glass away.

  I complied with that order, too.

  Something small and round dropped onto my tongue, and the glass returned to my
lips.

  “Swallow it. You’ll feel better soon.”

  I did as I was told, swallowing down the pill.

  Marco was still holding me up, and his other hand was wrapped around mine. He squeezed gently, and I finally opened my eyes to look at him.

  His gaze was dark, the fine lines on his face drawn with concern. His thumb traced little circular patterns on my palm.

  “You scared me, babygirl.”

  “What were you thinking?” Joseph demanded, his cutting voice making my head throb.

  I winced, and he softened his tone. He set the now-empty glass aside and took my other hand in his.

  “Why did you do that, angel?”

  My mind was still foggy. “You think I’m a slut.” My words were thick on my heavy tongue. “I had to get away.”

  “Of course I don’t think you’re a slut. You’re perfect: our sweet girl. You got yourself hurt.”

  “It was wrong,” I slurred. “You… Both of you…” I couldn’t quite focus on why I should protest. My mind was growing foggier, my body heavier.

  “Yes,” Marco said firmly. “Both of us. We care about you. We don’t want anything to happen to you. Go back to sleep, princess. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

  He eased me down onto the bed, and I drifted off without a thought.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Marco

  It took a couple days before Joseph and I eased off on feeding Ashlyn painkillers. Neither of us could bear to see her in pain, and we only woke her for meals and to see to her essential needs before we dosed her again.

  She wasn’t hurt. Not really. She had a small cut on her forehead. I knew how freely even benign head wounds could bleed, but the sight of crimson blood trailing down her pale cheek had made panic rip through my system.

  If we hadn’t been ensuring her comfort, her entire body would have ached from the whiplash. Thank fuck the BMW’s safety features had protected her. The doctor we’d called to the house had promised she’d be fine after a few days of rest.