“It’s crazy to think I’m the light packer out of you guys.” I tease.
“You’re just getting started, I bet after we take you on a few more shopping sprees you’ll be able to hang with us,” Ethan says, smirking, then slapping my ass playfully as he throws a duffel bag over his shoulder to load up the van taking us to the airport.
Ever since we slept together, Ethan has come more and more out of his protective shell. I love seeing this open, easy going side of him.
“Hey, we wanted to show you something,” Enzo says. “It’s important.”
I frown. “What?”
“A little present, that’s all,” Mason tells me.
I raise my eyebrows, not having any idea what this might be. But then Ethan pulls out his laptop and pulls up a video player.
“First, champagne,” Enzo says, pulling out a bottle from the fridge and popping the cork.
I look at Enzo in surprise as he grabs five champagne flutes and fills them.
“Really, you boys will have this sugary drink with me?” I’ve been teasing them mercilessly for never having cheat days.
They say my cunt is sweet enough, which of course makes me blush wildly. But not-so-secretly, I love the sentiment.
“Yes, Chloe,” Noah says handing me my glass, his eyes twinkling. “You’re a very bad influence.”
Mason laughs. “Yeah, Chloe is really corrupting us.”
I grin, raising my flute. “So what are we toasting to?”
“We’re toasting you,” Ethan says stoically.
“Me?”
The four of them nod. “Yes, Chloe,” Mason says. “You’re the most incredible woman we’ve ever known.”
“And we wanted to thank you for taking a chance on all of us,” Enzo adds.
“You said you have had a lifetime of bad memories, but we wanted you to know that is no longer true, Chloe,” Ethan says. “Now there are plenty of good ones, too.”
He presses play on the computer and what comes next brings tears to my eyes, almost immediately.
The song in the background is Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”. The lyrics and melody are romantic and sweet, but that’s not what takes my breath away.
It’s the video montage the guys have made that has me in a puddle of tears.
It captures our time in Jamaica.
Me standing up on the surfboard for the first time, catching a wave, with Mason cheering me on. There is footage of Enzo and me skydiving, the gorgeous island around us. It shows me as I swung from the rope, into the pool of water under the waterfall after the hike with Noah.
There is Ethan and me wrapped in one another’s arms, out at the airport, the morning after they saved me. He is holding me so tightly, swearing he will never let me go.
There are snippets of Mason making us dinner. All of us smiling around the table as he offers a toast in my honor. In another, Noah wrestles me in the sand, we push one another into the waves playfully.
Clips of Enzo pulling me into his arms and slow dancing on the deck. There is footage of Noah and me on the couch, he’s trying to me how to navigate the PlayStation controllers, me failing miserably, but him cheering me on.
Someone captured Ethan holding my hand on the beach at sunset, another of Enzo painting my toenails, another of all five of us taking terrible selfies with a selfie stick.
But even that clip is perfection.
All of it is.
My vision is a blur by the time it ends—all I see is love.
Love as deep as it is wide, just like Enzo’s mom taught him.
I pull them into a hug because sometimes there are no words.
They know I love the video because they’re all smiling like lovesick fools. But that is why I’m so crazy about them. They aren’t interested in hiding how they feel about me.
And I certainly have no interest I hiding how I feel about them.
After Mason hands me a tissue, he asks if I’m hungry.
“I can fix you something to eat before we go if you are.”
I shake my head. “No, I couldn’t eat now. Besides being an emotional wreck at the moment, I’m a little jittery about the trip.”
“You’re going to love Tahiti,” Enzo says, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. My mind instantly goes to my memory of him and me last night. Enzo drew me a bath and we made love in a candlelit bathroom, rose petals in the tub. It was luxurious, to say the least.
See? Good memories are taking place of the bad... my future will be nothing like my past.
Since our first time together, I’ve been sleeping with the guys one by one, our bodies memorizing each other’s, and I’m learning that I’ve only just begun to understand what sex is all about.
But I like what I’m learning.
“I just can’t believe you’re actually taking me,” I say shaking my head.
“Enough with that,” Mason says. “We aren’t going anywhere without you. You are ours now. Our virgin.”
I bite my bottom lip, blushing. Loving the nickname for me, their virgin, but also knowing I am anything but.
“Well, I’m excited too,” I admit. “I’ve always dreamed of going to Tahiti.”
“And next... we will go where the wind takes us,” Noah says. “That’s the beauty of our job, we get to go to exotic locations, make amazing videos and now, spend our time with the most beautiful girl we’ve ever known.”
“I love you,” I tell them.
They pull me into their arms, and I resist reaching for the waistband of their pants, taking hold of their cocks, and giving into another group sex session. They are delicious but lengthy. Every time we start, we know the day––and night––is lost. And right now, I know we have a plane to catch.
“I better step away from you before things get out of control,” I say, laughing.
Noah wiggles an eyebrow. “We can get out of control once we get on the plane.”
I shake my head but know it’s the absolute truth. “That sounds perfect.”
The guys step back, adjusting themselves, and I feel so beautiful, so wanted, so adored. All four of these men get hard just hugging me.
I don’t know how I got so lucky.
How this fairy tale became my life.
But it did.
These men have proven they will do anything to protect me, and in return, I will love them with all my heart.
Chapter 20
Chloe
By the time we land in Tahiti, I’m exhausted. The flight from Jamaica was long and I didn’t get much sleep. Yes, perhaps the guys and I overdid it a bit, but it’s hard to pace ourselves. This relationship is still so new and there is so much unchartered territory when it comes to these men and me. And our bodies.
So, since we had a very long flight we had to take advantage of it. But it’s left me a little weak at the knees and slightly worn out.
As I disembark the plane, the fresh air of the tropical island overwhelms my senses. If I thought Jamaica was sex-on-a-beach romantic, it has nothing on Tahiti. As we jump in a Hummer and drive toward our lodgings, I see nothing but turquoise water, lush green plants, and a sun shining so bright I squint to see the road ahead of us.
“Here, take these,” Mason says, handing me my shades. I kiss him on the nose as a thank you and slip them on.
“Much better,” I say as Noah pulls into the resort where we’ll be staying. Getting out of the car, a bellman helps unload our bags and tells the guys that their sports gear is set to be arriving later this afternoon.
A woman in a sarong hands us tropical fruit cocktails, and I drink mine with a smile, taking in this exotic locale where I’ll be spending the next few weeks. The guys, though, all politely decline the alcoholic beverage. I try not to roll my eyes at their health-nut inclinations, and while I could be the supportive girlfriend who refuses in solidarity, I’m not quite that resolved. Instead, I grab another glass and take a sip.
Bliss. Pure coconut-rum-infused bliss.
�
�Is drunk-Chloe going to be joining us in Tahiti?” Noah asks, squeezing my shoulders, then kissing my neck. “Because I haven’t met her and I must admit to being curious.”
“Ha-ha,” I say as Ethan and Mason leave to check in for us. “I’ve never actually been drunk before. A few drinks here and there, sure, but I’ve never gotten crazy.”
Enzo grins, calling over the waitress and asking for another cocktail. She looks at me with judgment in her eyes, and I glance at the floor, not wanting to call attention to myself. But I can feel her watching me, seeing Noah’s hands around my waist, noticing Enzo’s bright eyes as he looks at me. The way the guys all treat me. Like I am theirs.
When Enzo replaces my empty glass with a new one I smile and thank him, determined not to let a stranger dictate how I feel. But then I also remember the pilot’s frown when he took a look at us, our bodies a tangle of limbs. And the way the woman at the airport scowled at me when I held both Noah and Ethan’s hands.
But Enzo smiles back and his attitude rubs off on me. “You guys, I’m already jet-lagged, this is gonna be trouble.”
“Aww, live a little, Bambina.”
Smirking, I take another drink. “We have no idea what kind of person drunk-Chloe might be. I could be totally boring and pass out for fourteen hours.”
Noah laughs. “Or, she could be totally wild and…”
I cut him off, raising an eyebrow. “Honestly, I think I’ve been wild enough the past few weeks to get a free pass there. Remember what I did with that chocolate sauce?”
That shuts him up. A few days ago I poured chocolate sauce on Noah’s cock and went to town. What can I say? I have a penchant for sweets.
He raises his hands in defeat. “I retract. You’re plenty wild without any libations.”
I smile, a twinkle in my eye. “Well, now I’m curious.” I down my drink and wipe my mouth as ladylike as possible, considering I’ve had three cocktails in fifteen minutes.
When Mason and Ethan return with five room keys I admit to being surprised and it isn’t the booze reacting. I don’t want to be alone.
“Here’s your key, Chloe,” Ethan says.
In Jamaica, we shared a house, which meant we prepared our meals together and could sprawl out in the shared spaces, but at a big resort like this? “I’ll be flying solo?”
Mason squeezes my shoulder. “We just thought this way you could have space if you need it, and we’re all staying pretty close to one another, we each have our own hut on the water, in a row.”
I nod. “I see. It’s just, I get a little anxious being by myself in a foreign country.” I shake my head, hating how insecure I feel. But I clearly remember how alone I felt in Jamaica, on the beach before the guys found me. How scary it was.
Enzo lifts my chin, our eyes locking. “It’s okay, Bella. We’re here for you. You can share your room with someone every night, or if you want to be in someone else’s room, that’s okay too. We mostly want to make sure you aren’t overwhelmed by all of us.”
“That’s thoughtful, and space might be important. You could all get sick of me,” I tell them, linking arms with Enzo as we walk toward the water where our rooms are. He tsk-tsks me, telling me that it would be impossible to get tired of me. The sentiment is sweet, but even when they’ve all admitted they love me, sometimes it’s still hard to accept.
The view is breathtaking. The water is so vivid, so clear, the sand so white. It’s truly paradise. There are dozens of huts on stilts over the water, and just like Mason said, our rooms are in a row––and my room is right in the center.
“Want to check it out?” Ethan asks, taking my hand. I nod, and we walk down the dock to my room. The other guys scatter to their own spaces, needing showers and time to unpack.
In my room, I drop my tote bag and pull open the blackout curtains so I can see the view. I blink in astonishment as a group of dolphins jumps in the distance.
“This is insanity,” I say, still not quite believing that my life landed me here. I could be in a cubicle working as an accountant. Instead, I’m here. “It feels like too much.” Suddenly a wave of emotions washes over me, and I blink back tears, not expecting to cry at this moment.
“When life has been cruel for so long, it can be hard to accept the good things when they come.” Ethan steps behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. I lean back into him, knowing his past matches mine in some ways. We were both alone for so long.
“When your career took off,” I ask him, “was it hard to accept the change in fortune?”
“Really hard. It wasn’t until this last year I started spending my money. I’d been terrified I’d wake up one day and our sponsors would have dropped us.”
“What changed?”
“My pessimism started pissing the guys off.”
His hold on me tightens, and I sink into him. “So, they convinced you this was all real?”
“They convinced me life was fucking precious. And to walk around on eggshells, waiting for the other shoe to drop, was a waste.” He pulls my hair back, kissing my ear, my neck. “Don’t be scared of this ending, Chloe. We aren’t going anywhere.”
“I know, but this arrangement is complicated. I hardly understand it, let alone the rest of the world.”
“You care about the rest of the world?” Ethan asks.
I sigh, the booze catching up to my already exhausted body. I don’t think drunk-Chloe is very wild after all. I’m ready for a nap. “Sort of,” I admit. “Does that make me weak?”
Ethan kisses my neck. “Chloe, I think that makes you human.”
He walks me to the bed and pulls back the covers, telling me I need to lie down. Exhaustion taking over, I’m unable to argue with his request, and instead, I close my eyes as he shuts the curtains. When he leaves, he keeps the door open so the sound of the gentle waves can lull me to sleep.
I fall asleep, wrestling with not knowing how to make sense of my emotions, and wondering how a love like this fits into the real world.
Chapter 21
Mason
Sitting around the campfire on the beach, I take the bottle of rum from Noah’s hands. The sky is dark, stars are out, and it feels like a lifetime ago that we were in Jamaica, even though the reality is we just flew into Tahiti this afternoon.
Chloe was out cold moments after entering her room, but Enzo, Noah, Ethan and I are wide awake even though we should be trying to sleep off the impending jet-lag too.
“Think Chloe’s doing okay?” Ethan asks. “She seemed a little down today.” He tosses another log on the fire and the crackling sound reminds me of when I was a boy scout. Not quite as innocent as I was back then working on earning badges. Looking around at my best friends, it is crazy to think how we’ve all grown up. Come a long fucking way, that’s for damn sure.
“Really?” I frown. “She seemed so happy, tossing back those cocktails in the lobby this afternoon.” Truth is, I don’t want to believe anything different.
Noah grins. “I know taking her to Disneyland one of these days will make her even happier.”
“Disney?” Enzo asks.
“Yeah,” Noah nods. “I promised to take her to the happiest place on earth.”
“Well she deserves all the happiness in the world,” Ethan says. “She’s been through so damn much.”
I take another pull from the rum, letting the warm liquid slide down my throat. “Seriously. I’ll do anything in my power to give her everything she wants.”
The other guys nod in agreement. We’ve been friends for a long fucking time, and I’m glad that through thick and thin we’ve been able to keep things real.
“I feel like the luckiest man in the goddamn world,” I tell them. “But I want to make sure everyone else is cool, I mean, I don’t take this arrangement lightly.”
“Neither do I,” Enzo says. “Chloe is my world.”
“Mine too,” Ethan agrees. “I still can’t believe she found us and we found her. It was destiny.”
“You’r
e a sappy fool, Ethan,” Noah teases. Then his jaw tenses, and he runs a hand through his hair. “But damn straight it was destiny. Chloe is our woman now and we need to make sure she knows we’ll always have her back. Her everything.”
“What was she worried about?” I ask Ethan.
“I think she gets worried about having enough time for all of us,” he says, shaking his head.
“We need to do our best then, to make sure no one is keeping score here. This isn’t a contest,” Enzo says.
Noah nods. “We need to make sure she knows that we get that—love isn’t always going to translate into equal time with all of us.”
I smile, raising the bottle of rum in the air. “But Chloe will always be worth the wait.”
Chapter 22
Chloe
When I wake it’s dark, and when I step outside my hut, I see the sun is just beginning to rise. I yawn, counting the hours. I must have slept fourteen hours straight after all.
Across the water, I see Noah stepping out onto his deck. I wave, and he calls me over. It’s early and still chilly, so I grab a hoodie from my bag and slip on my flip flops before walking down my deck, and then up his.
He greets me with open arms. “Hey, sleepyhead,” he says kissing my cheek and squeezing me tightly around the waist. He picks me up and the hoodie that barely covers my ass lifts, and I wonder for a moment if I should have worn panties, but then I remember the five huts in a row are ours alone and anything that happens here is private.
I breathe Noah in and he smells like driftwood burning on the beach, and when I kiss his lips, rum lingers on his mouth, his tongue. The guys must have had a fun night, and when I lean into the kiss I feel like I was right there with him.
“Mmm… maybe early-morning Chloe is better than drunk-Chloe,” Noah teases, looking down at me. His eyes are so blue and bright, his stubble so damn sexy, everything about him causes me to toss aside my insecurities from yesterday and vow to never let him go.
Our Love Story: An MMFMM Romance Page 10