War of Hearts

by Julia Sykes

  “How can you say that?” he asked, strained. But longing lit his dark eyes.

  “Because I care about you. Just the way you are,” I mirrored his promise of unconditional affection he’d declared for me earlier.

  I went up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips against his. He was stiff against me for a moment, but then his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close in a fierce embrace. He kissed me as though our connection was the only thing tethering him to sanity. And in a way, maybe it was. He’d told me he needed me.

  I believed him.

  He needed to take care of me, to take responsibility for my wellbeing. But he needed my devotion, my trust, in return.

  I gave it to him, opening for him and allowing him to claim my mouth in harsh, hungry strokes of his tongue.

  He stepped toward me, prompting me to move with him. My ass bumped into the cool tile wall that surrounded the garden.

  He finally tore his mouth from mine, gasping for air.

  “I need you, Ashlyn,” he said, his voice rough with desire.

  “Take me,” I urged, pressing my body against his. I craved him as fiercely as he craved me. “I need you, too.”

  He groaned. “You make me so happy, babygirl. Daddy’s going to fuck you now. Are you ready to take my cock like a good girl?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” I panted, losing myself in our strange new dynamic. “Please.” My core ached, and my thighs were slick with more than water.

  He bit out a curse and reached for his belt buckle, freeing himself from his jeans. I stared down at him. He was just as big as Joseph, his girth a little wider.

  “Touch me,” he ground out.

  I stroked my fingers down his shaft, feeling him for the first time. He’d held me down and kissed me while Joseph licked my pussy, but I’d never been with Marco like this before. I wanted to learn every inch of him.

  I wrapped my hand around his cock, stroking more boldly. He growled his appreciation, but he didn’t give me much time to explore. His need was too intense, and so was mine.

  He gripped my hips and turned me away from him. His big hand pressed between my shoulders, urging me to bend forward. I braced myself on my hands, my fingers digging into the cool garden soil as I thrust my ass back at him, offering myself.

  His boot tapped my ankles, urging me to spread my legs wider for him. I complied, eager for him to join with me in the most intimate way possible.

  “I don’t have a condom,” he ground out through gritted teeth. “But I’m clean. Are you on birth control?”

  “Yes.” I’d gotten the shot a few months ago. I’d never had unprotected sex before, but I longed to feel Marco inside me, with no barrier between us. “Please, Daddy.” I arched my back, begging him with my body as well as my words.

  “I like when you say my name, princess.”

  I felt his cockhead pressing at my slick entrance, and I pushed back, welcoming him. His fingers curled into my hips, holding me securely in place as he slowly entered me, inch by delicious inch. My body stretched to accommodate him, my arousal intense enough to ease his way. When his balls finally hit my pussy lips, I felt wonderfully full.

  He stayed still inside me for several long seconds, until I started squirming against him.

  His palm cracked against my ass, and his hand tangled in my hair, pressing my head down so my cheek rested on the soft soil. I was trapped, pinned in place and rebuked. My inner muscles contracted around him as I realized how much bigger he was, how strong and powerful. I was helpless in his hands, but I knew he’d never do anything to hurt me.

  My muscles fluttered around him, and he hissed in a breath. I felt his cock jerk inside me, and I whined my need. He had to move within me, he had to…

  “Oh!” I cried out as his cockhead dragged over my g-spot.

  “You like Daddy’s cock, babygirl?” he asked, the words rough with lust.

  “Yes,” I cried out. “More, please.”

  His grip on my hair shifted, tugging back. My head came up, his hold forcing me to arch against him. He drove back in, sinking impossibly deeper. I whimpered, and my fingers dug into the soil, scrambling for something to hold onto.

  He started to take me faster, harder. With each thrust, pleasure lit up my system when he rubbed the sensitive spot at the front of my inner walls. The weight of his balls slapping against my lower lips only drove me higher.

  “You’re so tight, princess. Daddy’s not going to last long.”

  Keeping his hold on my hair with one hand, his other reached around me to find my clit. He rubbed it in a firm, circular motion. I screamed and shattered, my pussy contracting around him as my orgasm claimed me with ruthless force.

  He let out a feral roar, rutting into me as his cock pulsed with his own pleasure. His cum lashed into me, branding me deep inside. Primal chemicals mingled inside me, increasing my bliss.

  I cried out and thrust back toward him mindlessly as we both rode out our ecstasy. His grip on my hair tightened, lighting up my scalp with little bites of pain that made my whole body tingle.

  He thrust in one last time, driving deep with a long groan. His cum dripped down my thighs, and I shuddered as the aftershocks of my orgasm sizzled through me.

  We both came down slowly, breathing hard. Finally, he pulled out and lifted me up in his arms, holding me against his chest as he claimed my mouth again.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, reveling in our connection. It didn’t feel strange anymore. It felt natural.

  I’d thought this was wrong, but nothing had ever been more right.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ashlyn

  I sighed in contentment. After our intense sex in the conservatory, Marco had carried me upstairs and given me a bath. He’d washed and brushed my hair, telling me how sweet and beautiful I was in his deep, rumbling voice.

  By the time Joseph had gotten home, I was completely relaxed, cuddled against Marco on the couch while we watched Arrested Development. Marco seemed to favor comedies, whereas Joseph enjoyed serialized dramas. I liked both, but I enjoyed snuggling up to them on the couch more than I cared about the show.

  I beamed at Joseph when he joined us in the media room. He took one look at me cuddled in Marco’s arms and grinned.

  “Did you have a good day, then, angel?” he asked, closing the distance between us. He sat on my other side, wrapping his arm around me and pressing a quick kiss against my lips.

  “Wonderful, thanks,” I told him with genuine enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re back.”

  I’d loved my special day with Marco, but I’d missed Joseph. The way I needed him was different, but no less intense than the way I craved Marco. They both wanted to cherish me, in their own way. I could see that now. Marco needed my pure devotion, and Joseph needed my willing submission.

  Marco’s drawing popped into my mind for the first time in several days. The image of Joseph looming behind me, binding me with rope, made my sex heat and my cheeks flush.

  One corner of Joseph’s mouth tugged up in the crooked, knowing smile that made my heart melt.

  “What are you thinking about, angel?”

  “Marco’s drawing,” I answered honestly. There was no embarrassment anymore. I wasn’t ashamed of my arousal in response to the image. I couldn’t be ashamed of my attraction to Joseph and Marco. “The one of you tying me up,” I clarified. “Is that something…” I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “Is that something you want?”

  His clear blue eyes regarded me earnestly. “Only if it’s something you want.”

  Marco brushed my hair back from my cheek. “Joseph likes his toys,” he told me. “But we won’t do anything that you don’t like.”

  I shifted in my seat. “I don’t know if I don’t like it. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

  “I told you,” Marco said to Joseph.

  “Yes, you did.” Joseph took my hand in his, keeping his focus on me. “I thought those drawings scared you. I didn
’t want to push you. But yes, that is something I want.”

  “It’s something you need,” Marco clarified.

  I kept my eyes on Joseph’s. “What do you mean?” I understood Marco’s needs now, but I still didn’t fully grasp why Joseph enjoyed dominating me. I’d seen the dark pleasure in his eyes when he overpowered me. I wanted to understand him, the way I now understood Marco.

  Joseph blew out a long breath. “You know I don’t want the life I have,” he said, reiterating a truth he’d revealed long ago. “I didn’t have a choice, Ashlyn. I was born into this world. I have no control over my choices. I do what my father tells me. I don’t like it, but a fucked-up part of me still hates disappointing him.”

  I squeezed his hand. Joseph and I were more alike than I’d ever realized. He felt pressure to make his father proud, just like I did. That desire had trapped him in a life, in a future, he didn’t want.

  Going to Harvard hadn’t been my dream; it had been my father’s. And while I enjoyed my studies, I’d chosen to go against my father’s wishes and elected Art History as my major. He’d wanted me to major in Psychology and follow in his footsteps to a sensible career path. He’d made his disapproval clear; he would withhold his affection if I didn’t make the choice he thought was right, and I’d considered changing my major.

  But then, I’d met Joseph. He’d praised me for pursing my passion over practicality. He’d allowed me to give myself permission to make the choice I wanted rather than cracking under my father’s emotional blackmail.

  Joseph felt the same way, the same sense of powerlessness. That was why he needed to dominate me. It was why he needed to feel in control when we were together, because he lacked it in every other aspect of his life.

  “I want to try,” I said softly. “The rope, I mean. I want to try it.”

  Joseph’s eyes were bright with yearning. “Are you sure, angel?”

  “How many times have I told you she’s not made of glass?” Marco said, growing impatient. He pulled me closer to his side, holding me tight. I leaned into him, welcoming the firm embrace. “Ashlyn was made for us, and you know it.”

  I no longer minded how they talked about me while I was with them. It was important for them to have these discussions, and I knew I still had every right to speak up and voice my own opinion.

  “Yes,” I agreed. “I want to be with both of you. And I want to make you happy, Joseph. I want to give you what you need.”

  He traced the line of my jaw with his fingertips, touching me with awe. “Thank you, angel. I want to make you happy, too.”

  I gave him a soft smile. “I am happy.”

  It was true. I was happier than I’d ever been, despite the fact that I’d been ripped away from my life at Harvard. Joseph and Marco had taken me out of the life I didn’t want and forced me to take a hard look at myself. I understood myself in ways I’d never realized I was missing. And while I still planned to return to a safer, simpler life when the danger passed, I was going to make some different choices. Choices that were made just for me, not to meet others’ expectations of me.

  Joseph returned my smile. “I’m glad, angel. We’re going to play now. If anything makes you uncomfortable or you want to stop, just say the word.”

  “I will. I trust you,” I promised.

  Joseph glanced at Marco, his smile widening to a wicked grin. “Do you want to carry our little captive upstairs, or should I?”

  “I’ve got her,” Marco said, his voice rumbling with a hint of a laugh.

  He stood, taking me up with him as he settled my body over his shoulder. I giggled and relaxed against him, not even thinking about fighting as he carried me out of the media room. I could hear Joseph leading the way, but all I could see were Marco’s boots moving across the floor in long, sure strides.

  We made it up the stairs and into the bedroom within minutes. Joseph had headed in a different direction, but Marco sat down on the edge of the bed, arranging me so I sat in his lap. He tugged off my shirt and worked my pants down my legs. I was barefoot, so by the time he peeled them off my body, I was completely naked. Both men were still fully dressed, and I became very aware of the shifting power dynamic between us. They might be mine, but I was theirs to play with.

  Joseph appeared in the doorway, holding a bulky gym bag.

  “What’s that?” I asked, puzzled.

  He grinned. “My kit bag. This is where I keep all my toys.”

  He walked to the bed and set the bag down. Marco’s hands closed around my elbows, and he drew my arms behind my back. At the same time, he hooked his boots around my ankles, forcing me to spread my legs. I was trapped, laid bare for Joseph’s keen inspection. His pale eyes darkened, and he stared down at my body with hunger that bordered on obsession.

  I wriggled in Marco’s hold, and he nipped at my earlobe.

  “Be still, little captive. Joseph wants to play with his pretty prisoner.”

  I watched as Joseph’s cock stiffened at Marco’s dark words, the hard ridge pressing against his jeans.

  I knew I wasn’t their prisoner. Not really. They might have kidnapped me and kept me on Marco’s estate, but they were protecting me. Rather than frightening me, Marco was getting me hot. I liked knowing that I was powerless against them. They could do anything they wanted to me, and I wouldn’t be able to stop them. What made my head spin with lust was the knowledge that they’d never hurt me, and everything they’d do to me would bring me pleasure.

  Joseph unzipped his bag and reached in to retrieve a long strip of black cloth. I watched with rapt fascination as he wrapped it around his fist and lifted the soft material to my face, rubbing it against my cheek.

  “Joseph’s going to blindfold you,” Marco murmured in my ear. “He wants you to focus on the feel of his ropes caressing your body for the first time. Don’t worry about not being able to see, princess. I’ll draw it for you later so you can see how pretty you look.”

  The warmth of his words fanned across my neck, and I shivered despite the heat. I stared up at Joseph, falling into his glowing aquamarine eyes. I’d never seen him look so… powerful. Self-assured. At peace.

  I wanted to keep drinking him in, but he pressed the cloth over my eyes and knotted it at the back of my head. Darkness closed over me, and my skin pebbled as all my nerve endings crackled with awareness. For several long seconds, no one moved or spoke. I could still feel the heat of Marco’s body against mine, could hear him breathing near my ear. I couldn’t sense Joseph physically, but I could feel his power rolling over me. I felt small and deliciously vulnerable in his shadow.

  A soft moan left my lips as desire overwhelmed me. Marco chuckled and kissed my neck. I tilted my head to the side, welcoming more.

  “I knew she’d be like this,” he said to Joseph, his voice heavy with satisfaction. “You haven’t even touched her yet, and I can feel her getting wet against my jeans.”

  I should have been mortified that my slick arousal was getting his pants damp, but he sounded so pleased with me that I couldn’t be embarrassed.

  I heard a shuffling sound, and I realized Joseph must have been retrieving something else from his bag. He touched something different to my cheek, a rougher material. The earthy scent of hemp surrounded me, and I sucked in a small gasp.

  Rope.

  Joseph really was going to tie me up. Before seeing Marco’s drawings, I’d thought kinky couples might tie each other up. Something simple, like binding their wrists to the bedposts.

  What I’d seen in Marco’s sketches was far more intricate. The way the rope had bound me in his drawing had shaped and stretched my body, as though I were Joseph’s work of art.

  My pulse raced, and I could hear my heartbeat drumming in my ears. My mouth watered, and a small tremor raced across my skin.

  Marco hummed against my neck, the sound vibrating through my flesh. “I do love when you tremble, babygirl.”

  Joseph wasn’t the only one who was hard. I could feel Marco’s erection press
ing into my ass. My pussy wept for him, aching for him to thrust into me and fill me like he had in the garden.

  But I wanted Joseph, too. I wanted to feel his ropes around me.

  The rough fibers shifted from my face. He trailed the rope over the top of my breast, and my nipples pebbled to hard peaks. I arched my back, straining toward the stimulation. When the rope brushed over my tight bud, I jerked and moaned at the hit of pleasure.

  “You’re perfect, angel,” Joseph said, his voice deep with satisfaction. “You’re going to love being in my ropes.”

  I wiggled against Marco, trying to rub my breasts against the rope again. He growled when I rubbed my ass against his erection.

  “Go on, Joseph,” he urged roughly. “Restrain our naughty little captive. If she keeps grinding on me like this, I’m going to come.”

  “Punish her if she’s being naughty,” Joseph said, his offhand tone implying it was a suggestion rather than a command. Marco seemed to be the one who issued orders, but Joseph was still thoroughly in control over me.

  Marco kept my arms trapped behind my back with one hand. A harsh sting bloomed on my inner thigh when he slapped me with the other. I squealed and twisted against his hold, and he spanked me again.

  “Be still,” he growled in my ear.

  When I didn’t comply right away, his next slap landed directly on my spread pussy. Pleasure and pain lit up my system, my labia stinging even as the brief stimulation to my clit made me gasp in need.

  I stopped moving against him, practically vibrating with the effort of holding myself still.

  “Good girl.” He nuzzled my cheek. “Don’t tease Daddy.”

  A high whimper eased up my throat as lust rolled through me. Between Marco’s dirty words and Joseph’s toys, I was getting intoxicated. My mind began to float. All I could think about was them. Pleasing them. Being their good girl.

  I couldn’t see what Joseph was doing, but I wasn’t nervous about that. Marco held me, and I was secure in his strong arms. I relaxed, staying in place for them. Marco kissed my hair, conveying his pleasure with my obedience.