I glance around, a little uncomfortable, and Axel notices. He’s incredibly perceptive, and it’s unnerving at times. Landing his hands on my shoulders, he starts kneading the tense muscles there. “Relax, Blaire. We’re not going to do anything you don’t want to do.” Sweeping my hair to one side, he trails a line of hot kisses up and down my neck. “I just want to help you unwind.” I nod, letting him lead me to the bed. “Take off your sweater and shirt, and lie on your stomach on the bed,” he commands, kicking off his boots and playing some music from his cell.
I hang my leather jacket on the back of the chair and then strip my sweater and T-shirt off, tossing them on top. I toe off my sneakers and approach the bed with my pulse jumping wildly in my throat. I lie down, fluffing a pillow and resting my head to one side. The pillows and sheets smell like him, and I close my eyes, inhaling the intoxicating masculine scent. The bed dips as he crawls over my body. Heat radiates from him where he hovers over my ass. I tense up a little, jumping when his warm, slicked-up hands land on my back. “Relax, Blaire,” he says as he starts to massage my sore muscles.
“Is this okay?” he asks gruffly after a few minutes, and I mumble an affirmative reply. His hands are like magic as they roam my back, working the kinks out. I’m hot from his touch, squirming and whimpering, especially when his fingers accidentally brush against the sides of my breasts.
“You want more, baby?” he whispers against my ear, leaning over me as he starts dropping tantalizing kisses across the nape of my neck and lower.
“Yes,” I rasp in a breathless voice, not protesting when he unsnaps my bra and the straps fall along my sides. His hands spread out, exploring more fervently, and the ache between my legs is growing in intensity.
“Can I touch you?” he whispers, his fingers tugging at the band of my jeans.
“Please.”
“Turn around.”
My body tenses ever so slightly at his brusque command, but I do as he asks, too aroused to consider rejecting him. Besides, I feel safe with him. He might look like the quintessential bad boy, but I’ve seen enough to know he’s way more than that, and I don’t feel threatened. I trust him to have my best interests at heart. Maybe it’s crazy, because I don’t know any of them that well, but I’m a better judge of character nowadays, and my instinct doesn’t usually let me down. He tosses my bra to the ground while I brush matted hair out of my face, watching while his heated gaze rakes over my bare breasts.
“You’re perfect, Blaire.” His tone is awed as he brushes his hands over one breast and then the other, gently cupping me. My back arches off the bed as I push my tits into his hands, needing his touch as much as I need oxygen to breathe. “If I do anything you don’t like, tell me to stop, and I will.”
I blink through the sudden stab of tears pricking my eyes. He’s going to so much trouble to reassure me, to let me know I’m in control, without even realizing exactly how much that means to me. I knew my instincts were right about him.
“Touch me, Axel. Please.” I reach out, sneaking my hands under his shirt, exploring the dips and planes of his toned abs and muscular chest. “Off. I need this off,” I pant, yanking on the hem of his shirt. Without breaking eye contact, he rips it off his body and throws it across the room. My fingers trace over the intricate tattoos that run from his left hand all the way up his arm, down across his chest, and up over one side of his neck.
He shivers under my touch, and I smile at him as he presses his body down against mine until we’re skin to skin, face to face. “I want to take your pain away,” he murmurs before claiming my lips in a searing-hot kiss.
His hips rock into mine, and I thrust up against him, needing the friction to ease the almost painful throbbing in my panties. His lips trail a path from my mouth to my neck and back again. And then his mouth goes lower, trekking kisses along my collarbone and lower still. He sucks one nipple into his mouth, and I cry out, my body already close to the edge.
All thoughts flee my mind, and I’m adrift in a sea of blissful sensations. This is exactly what I need to let go of the problems troubling my mind. Axel’s skillful hands and tongue make me forget everything but how good it feels to have him touch me.
While he worships one breast with his mouth, his hand teases my other nipple, flicking the tautened peak with deft fingers. We grind against one another, and the feel of his hard length pushing into my core sends me over the ledge. I scream his name as my climax rips through me, clasping his hair tight and keeping his mouth suctioned against my breast as I come undone. I ride wave after wave of pleasure until I’m sated, and I sink into the bed, my bones feeling like Jell-O.
“Oh my God,” I mumble, feeling my cheeks heating. I’ve never come without being touched down there before and I’m partly amazed, partly embarrassed. I slide my hand down the gap between us, palming his rock-hard erection, but he wraps his fingers around my wrist, pulling my hand away. “I want to return the favor,” I say when he lifts his head, piercing me with an unfathomable look.
In a tender, sweet move, he takes my hand, planting a feather-soft kiss to the underside of my wrist. “I appreciate the offer, but this was about you. All you.” He props up on his elbows, scrutinizing my face. “Feel better?”
I can’t keep the grin from spreading across my mouth. “What do you think?” I quip, raising one brow.
Dropping onto his side, he pulls me into him, kissing me deeply, and I melt all over again. Cupping my head on both sides, he stares into my eyes. “You terrify me, Blaire, in the best possible way.”
“I do?”
“Yeah,” he says, moving in to kiss me again as the doorbell rings. He glances at his cell, cursing under his breath. “Shit. I lost track of time. That’s the guys.”
“What?!” I shriek, sitting bolt upright and grabbing the sheet to cover myself. I reach over the side of the bed, snatching my bra up. “You didn’t tell me they were dropping by.”
“We need to talk,” he replies, scooting out of the bed. “All of us. Before things get messy.”
“Hey, Blaire.” Heath greets me at the bottom of the stairs with a tentative smile. “You feeling better?”
I blush from the top of my head all the way to the tips of my toes, and Skeet busts out laughing. Taking my hand, Skeet gently pulls me into his chest, kissing the top of his head. “I think it’s safe to say Ax took care of our girl.”
“Skeet.” Axel’s firm tone puts him in his place, reminding me of that other side of his personality.
“Living room or kitchen?” Heath asks Axel, deliberately not commenting either way.
“In there.” Axel tips his chin in the direction of the living room, and we all traipse inside. Skeet pulls me down on the couch alongside him, instantly snaking his arm around my shoulders. I snuggle into his side, feeling safe and protected.
Heath sits down on my other side, clearing his throat. “So, how are we doing this?” His gaze bounces around the room as he threads his fingers in mine.
“Skeet.” Axel leans back in the chair across from us, throwing one leg over his knee. “This is your area of expertise, so you kick off.”
With my heart in my mouth, I fix my attention on Skeet, wondering what exactly I’ve got myself into.
Chapter Fifteen
I look up at Skeet, watching as he shakes his head. “Let’s get one thing straight. This is a team effort. A team decision. A team discussion. No one person is calling the shots.”
“Don’t split hairs,” Axel snaps. “We’re in agreement on that, but you’ve lived this your entire life. Heath, Blaire, and I haven’t.”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, dude. I’m just making sure we’re all on the same page.”
A layer of tension settles in the room, and I drag my lip between my teeth before deciding to pull my big girl panties on and kick-start the conversation. “I’ll go first.” I sit up a little straighter
, still keeping hold of both guys. “I like all of you, as friends, and more, and I’d find it really difficult if I had to choose one of you to spend my time with.”
My gaze flits between them, slowly, purposely, one at a time. “I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’ve kissed all of you, and there’s definitely chemistry, so I’m open to exploring this if we keep it low-key and casual.”
Skeet angles his body so he’s looking me directly in the face. “You’re the one in the driver’s seat. None of us want to make this uncomfortable for you. You set the pace, and we’ll go along with that.”
“What if the pace is different with all of us?” Heath asks, dragging his free hand through his hair. “How do we deal with that?”
Skeet looks reflective. “The pace should be natural, and the dynamic will probably be different with each pairing; however, I don’t see any issue with that.”
“I have no issue with that either, but we’re not the possessive type.” As one, both Heath and Skeet shift their gaze to Axel.
“What?” he barks. “I’ve already told you I’m in.”
“You can’t get jealous,” Skeet says.
“And you can’t monopolize Blaire,” Heath adds, “we need to spend time with her too.”
“I fucking get that, and, like I said, I already agreed.”
“How does your mom manage it?” I question Skeet, wanting to defuse the mounting tension in the room. I’m also genuinely curious to see how she’s made it work all these years. It’s so new to me, and while I’m willing to give it a shot, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be smooth sailing. “Does she have set times or days she spends with each of your dads, or they just go with the flow?”
“There are certain things she does with each of them, but it’s not regimented. She makes sure she spends equal time with each of my fathers, and it seems to work.”
“I like that idea too. I don’t want it to feel like I’m on a set schedule. If I agree that I’ll do my best to divide my spare time equally among you, does that work for everyone?” They all nod. “And I’d like it if we kept stuff private. Not that I’m saying we keep secrets from one another, per se, but I think each relationship should be allowed to develop naturally, and it will work best if we don’t share too much private stuff.”
“You mean sex?” Heath asks with a slight frown, as if he’s only just considered this.
“I mean anything we talk about that’s private or anything we do that’s intimate. That should be private to each couple and not something shared. I think that’ll help quell any jealousy too.”
“Speaking of sex,” Axel butts in. “I’m not into group sex. Not now. Not ever. I won’t share in the bedroom.”
“What?!” I screech, my eyes almost bugging out of my head as panic roars to life inside me.
Skeet chuckles. “You haven’t fantasized about having all of us at once?”
“No!” I splutter. My mind wouldn’t ever go there. I’m an open-minded person, and I’m willing to give this poly relationship a try, but that’s not something I believe I’ll ever be comfortable with. All the tiny hairs on the back of my neck lift, and my stomach sours, but I push all invading thoughts from my mind, refocusing on the conversation. “I’m with Axel. That’s not something I’m into or will ever be into.”
“Great, so we’re all in agreement,” Heath says, emitting a relieved breath.
I peek at Skeet, glimpsing the fleeting disappointment flaring in his eyes before he disguises it, fixing a smile on his face as he turns to me. “We need complete honesty if this is to work, so I need to ask you this, Blaire, but don’t be offended.”
“Ask me.” I think I know where he’s going with this, but I’ll let him pose the question.
“Have you had sex before, or are you a virgin?”
“I’m not a virgin, but I’ve only had sex with one boy. My ex-boyfriend Cam.”
“How long were you two together?” Heath asks.
Both boys’ knees are pressed against mine, and we’re so close we’re almost sitting on top of one another. I’d expect to feel crowded, and tense, but I don’t. I feel … secure, protected, and I like it. I like it a lot. “A little over a year, but I’d known him most of my life.” I wet my dry lips. “He was my brother’s best friend.”
“And you broke up because you moved here or …” Skeet lets the sentence trail off.
I shift uncomfortably on the couch, averting my eyes as I speak. “We broke up just after Ethan died. Cam dumped me,” I admit.
“What a fucking asshole.” Skeet runs a hand up and down my spine, and I’m every bit as tense as I was when I first stepped foot in the door of this house.
“His loss is our gain,” Heath adds, trying to make me feel better.
“What about you guys?” I inquire, tipping my chin up and working hard to keep emotion from my tone. “What’s your history with girls?”
“I’ve never had a girlfriend,” Axel says. “But I already told you that. I’ve had my fair share of hookups, but that stops now.”
“I haven’t had a girlfriend since ninth grade,” Skeet supplies.
“How come?”
“Didn’t meet anyone I wanted to date,” he replies, shrugging. “And I’ve indulged in hookups too, but none since you arrived in town.”
“I had a long-term girlfriend.” Heath confirms what Shaznay already told me. “She moved out of state, but things were on the outs anyway. Then I had the whole Cassie fiasco, and I’ve been single ever since.”
“If we do this,” Skeet interjects. “Then it’s an exclusive arrangement. No dating or hooking up with anyone else.”
“Agreed,” Heath and Axel say as one before all three boys turn to me.
“Uh, agreed. I’m not interested in anyone else.” I’ll be lucky if I can handle these three. Adding more guys into the mix is not on my agenda. It’s a miracle I’m even doing this, and I’ve no desire to push my boundaries any further.
Skeet pecks my lips briefly, grinning like he’s just won the lottery. My cheeks flush, and I look over at Heath and Axel to see if they’re bothered by his PDA, but both look unflustered. Which leads me to another question. “So, it’s okay if I kiss and touch you around one another or … what?”
“I’m cool with that provided it doesn’t become too intimate,” Axel says, piercing me with a grave look. “I’m a naturally jealous person, and I don’t want to see you getting it on with either of them. I’m likely to knock the shit out of someone that way.”
Skeet smirks while Heath looks deep in thought. “What about in public,” Heath asks a second later. “What are the rules then?”
Skeet loses the smirk fast. “Blaire, what are your thoughts?”
“I don’t want anyone to know,” I blurt, quickly rephrasing when I see the hurt look on Skeet’s face. “It’s not that I’m embarrassed, but a lot of people won’t understand, and I don’t like being the center of attention.”
“It’s none of their business, but people will talk the more we hang together,” Axel agrees.
“What if I was Blaire’s boyfriend in public?” Heath suggests. “That would deflect curiosity.”
“It shouldn’t be you,” Skeet says. “Because Cassie will freak the fuck out, and we don’t want to give her additional ammo to go after Blaire.” He scrubs a hand over his chin. “And if it was me, it’d probably only invite speculation because of my parents.”
“I’ll do it,” Axel readily supplies. “Blaire and I will be boyfriend and girlfriend in public.” His laser-sharp focus pins me in place. “If that’s okay with you?” His voice lowers a few decibels as he lets me make the decision.
I want to fling myself at him and hug him tightly. I don’t act on my impulse straightaway, convention keeping me rooted to the couch, but it only takes a few seconds for me to toss convention aside. I jump onto his
lap, circling my arms around his neck. “Yeah, that’s more than okay with me.” I smile at him, and he kisses me firmly on the lips.
“Except that Cassie already saw me kissing Blaire,” Heath adds, and I tear my lips from Axel’s mouth. “If you show up to school on Axel’s arm, she’s going to figure it out.”
“Shit.” Skeet’s brows knit together. “You’re right. And she already insinuated that. Looks like there’s no choice. You and Blaire will have to be the official couple.”
I glance at Ax, and he reluctantly nods. “That’s the best way of keeping Cassie off the scent.”
“My turn.” Heath pats his knee, motioning me forward with his fingers.
I climb out of Axel’s lap and into Heath’s. He cups my face and kisses me deeply until I’m seeing stars.
“Anything else we need to agree on?” Axel asks, directing his question at Skeet.
I rest my head on Heath’s shoulder, watching Skeet as he thinks about it. This has got to go down as one of the strangest conversations ever. All formal and business-like even though we’re discussing something so intimate. But I like that Skeet corralled us into talking about it, forcing us to set some rules. Hopefully, it will help limit the arguments and jealousies. I’m curious, excited, and a little anxious about it, but pushing myself out of my comfort zone is good for me too.
“I think we’re good. The main thing we’ve got to remember is to openly communicate. If anyone has a problem, there’s no point letting it fester. None of us have tried this before, and it probably won’t be smooth sailing, but if we talk about it, we can work through our issues one at a time.”
“I like that,” I pipe up. “And the last thing I want to do is cause any friction in your friendship.”
Surviving Amber Springs: A Stand-Alone Contemporary Romance Page 12