Bitter Pills

by Coralee June

“You're infuriating!” She stomped her foot to emphasize her point. I knew she was right, but that didn’t stop me from needing her right this moment. Her eyes flickered over my shoulder, likely landing on Alessandro. I carefully watched her expression as she took in his appearance. I didn’t have to look at him to know that he was probably struggling to watch Grace and me collide like this.

  But if I was being honest, I wanted him to see. The trouble with Alessandro and me was that he never liked the people I invited into our relationship. I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he loved the person I loved in his own special way. The three of us could be something incredible if we gave it a shot. I knew in my gut that our time was limited, so I was going to stop being a dumbass and make the most of every second.

  “Say something!” she demanded. Grace wanted me to grovel. Alessandro wanted me to choose him. The Ringleaders wanted me to kill, kill, kill.

  What about what I wanted?

  I wanted to apologize the only way I knew how. With my body. With my cock. With Grace Moretti screaming my name over and over and over again.

  I wanted to bury myself eight inches deep inside of her and cram five years’ worth of loneliness into her pleasure. I turned around and gave Alessandro a knowing look. He didn’t understand my need for Grace yet, and I wouldn’t push him. But eventually, he would participate in this. “Are you staying or going?” I asked him.

  His lips thinned into a straight line. “Funny,” he began. “That’s the exact thing I said to you last time we did this.”

  He walked up to the door where Grace was still catching her breath and fuming from the moment.

  He paused to brush his fingers along hers before gently pushing her aside, opening the door and leaving the room. It felt like he took a part of me with him, but we’d address that later. “I’m not fucking you,” Grace growled. She looked like she wanted to turn around and follow after Alessandro, but her feet remained planted firmly in front of me. The heaving rise and fall of her chest brought my attention to her breasts. They’d gotten bigger over the years. Her waist was still small, but her hips were more pronounced. Like shelves for my hands.

  She wanted me to make the decision for her. Fine. “Strip,” I demanded. Fuck, it felt good to feel in control again. She puffed out her chest and shook her head. Good. A challenge. It had been a while since I felt the thrill of making someone bend to my will. “Grace Moretti,” I said in a deep voice. “Do you remember the last time we were together?” I asked.

  Her eyes flashed with a pain I recognized. I hated knowing that my fucked up world put that look on her face. I wanted to ease it. “I do,” I continued. “I remember the way you fit perfectly in my hand. I remember how you trusted me with your beautiful body. How you were like a wild cat, dragging those long sharp nails of yours along my back.” Her breath hitched as I spoke, and I took a moment to close in on her. Our chests were touching. Her minty breath was flowing over my skin. “I remember how peaceful you looked. I remember how you screamed my name.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t have trusted you,” she whispered.

  “And maybe I shouldn’t give you hope when we both know this is just going to blow up in our faces. But I want you. I want you right here. I want to feel your tight pussy choking my cock and reminding me of all that I’ve been missing out on.”

  Grace wrapped her arms around my neck and cried against me. She felt like an echo of the girl that was rescued from Santobello’s home. Broken but full of hope. We both held back then, but not anymore. She pushed against my chest, urging me backward with the force of her shove. I followed her lead like a greedy fucker until the back of my legs hit the mattress. “You’re not allowed to leave me again,” she whispered.

  “I can’t make any promises, Grace,” I replied. It might not have been the answer she wanted, but I refused to be anything but honest. I’d been lying and hiding for so long it felt good to own up to the truth.

  “Fair enough,” she whispered before pushing at my chest and forcing me to sit down. Her skin-tight pajamas strained against her hard nipples, and I wanted to wrap my lips around them. She straddled my lap, placing her heat right over my steel erection.

  We kissed like sloppy teens with a curfew. She moaned and grinded against me. I could feel how hot and wet she was through her sleep shorts. She smelled like honey and sex. She tasted like sin. I wanted her sweet cunt on my tongue. “Why did you push me away?” she asked between kisses.

  I gripped her ass and held her close. “To keep you safe.” I slid my fingers past the waistband of her pants so I could have a full grasp of those soft porcelain globes.

  “Do you love Alessandro?” she asked while tilting my chin up with her dainty finger. I glared at her. This was such a mood killer, and I just wanted to fuck her into oblivion already. But if she wanted to demand honesty with her hot cunt pressed against my cock, then so be it.

  “Yes. I love him. Is that going to be a problem?”

  She swallowed and went still. I was losing her.

  “And what about me?”

  I grabbed her hips and slammed her down on the mattress. I yanked at her shorts and ripped them off, pried her thighs open, then growled against her wet pussy. “Does this look like love, Grace?” She whimpered and jerked her hips up. “Because this tastes like love.” I breathed her in. “Smells like love.” I licked a long slow line up her slit. “And when you come so hard you can’t see, I hope like fuck it feels like love.”

  I circled her clit with my tongue as her juices coated my chin. She moaned and whimpered, her tight body so responsive to every flick. I loved watching her unravel. I’d dreamed about having her again since the day I left. I couldn’t believe she was really here, recklessly falling apart against my mouth. A voracious craving left me prostrate and overwhelmed. Grace was inside every fucking cell. Every atom that made up my worthless body. If there was any light left in my soul, she clutched it in her palm.

  “Oh fuck,” she cried out. “Just like that.”

  Her directions were cute, but I didn’t need to know how well my quick tongue was working her over. I could sense her impending orgasm by the way her legs shook. By the way her breathing turned ragged. By the way her moans echoed across these walls.

  She exploded. Writhing, she clutched the sheets with her strong fingers and arched off the bed. I had to hold her down by her thighs to restrain her bucking body. I wanted nothing to stop me from tasting every last drop.

  Once she came down from her high, I climbed over her languid body and wiped my lips on her shirt. My hands grabbed her top, and I tore it from her body. She immediately covered her chest, and her cheeks turned a ruddy hue. “Shy?”

  “I just don’t want you to think I’m crazy…”

  “What do you mean?” I cocked my head to the left and gently pulled at her wrist, trying to see what she was hiding from me. What I saw made me feel undeserving and cocky. Under her right breast was a beautiful tattoo of a phoenix. The bird was rising from orange flames that danced on her skin. “When did you do this?” I asked softly. I’d been keeping tabs on her but never once saw this.

  “A few months after you left. Sunshine and I got them together.”

  I didn’t want to cry, but seeing my namesake mark her beautiful skin did something to me. I ran my tongue across the ink, worshipping her devotion to me. “I love you, Grace. I’ll love you for however long they’ll let me.”

  She grabbed my chin and lifted up off the mattress to stare at me.

  “Don’t let them decide how long this lasts. Fight for forever, Nix.”

  I settled at the apex of her thighs and slowly slid inside of her. She whimpered at my large cock. I knew she was tired and sore, but she didn’t seem to care. She wanted sleep, she wanted rest, and she wanted time to understand all of this. But more so, I knew that Grace Moretti wanted to ache. She wanted to feel every throbbing inch of me deep within her, pounding, punishing, and pulsing with need. I wanted to drain her of doubts and for ther
e to be nothing left inside the shell of her soul but my dick.

  Her face flushed red. Those rosy cheeks, parted cherry lips, and wide eyes were so picturesque. Our bodies flowed like a lazy river. Slow. Steady. Settled. I didn’t want it to end. But there was still power there. There was still a divine force bringing us both to the edge. Her slick thighs coated my skin. I noticed every detail. The miniscule chip in her front tooth. The bead of sweat slipping down her temple. The peach color of her pert nipples. The long lashes casting shadows on her cheeks as her eyes slammed shut and she cried out.

  The room was a barren basement. One bed. Tile floors. Stark white walls. But she looked like contemporary art, splashes of color and movement and a design that stayed with you. “You look so beautiful,” I whispered, mostly because awe was something I wasn’t used to anymore. I didn’t know I was capable of holding something so precious. She glistened. Melted. Her limbs wrapped around my body like she couldn’t stand the breath of distance between our chests.

  And when she came, it was exquisite. Priceless. She pulsed with a vibrant, rare burst of love. I spilled my longing into her on a scream. And I didn’t remove myself. Even when our breathing slowed. Even when the veil of reality was lifted from our lusty eyes. Even when I was soft inside of her. I held her close, and in the end, Grace cried.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alessandro

  John tapped on the kitchen tabletop with the tips of his fingers. The world was his keyboard. I’d expected awkwardness when we first met. John had been a friend of mine for so long that he knew more about me than most, but meeting in person had its disadvantages. Online, we read everything we typed to one another as fact. There was no room for misinterpretation with such a careful yet communicative person. Here, I could read his body language. The nervous way he fidgeted. The way he opened and closed his mouth, as if he wanted to say something but was unsure if he should.

  "Spit it out," I said before picking up the flat white coffee his wife had made with their fancy espresso machine and taking a sip. There was something magical about Australian coffee. Nothing in the world tasted quite like it. "Don't start holding back on me now." I gave John a mischievous but challenging look. If I was being honest, I wanted to talk about it all, but I needed him to bring it up first. I was too much of a coward to do it myself.

  "So Nix, huh?" he asked. His question was tentative and testing, like taking the first risky step on a frozen pond. Leave it to John to not ask about the evil group chasing us down or why my back was covered in burns and why his wife had to apply a cream to it. No, he wanted to know about my personal life. It was the one topic of conversation I preferred to have online.

  "I've told you about him before." I'd told John about pretty much everything. Our online relationship was unique and special. There was no judgment, no boundaries. We shared our sins, our likes, dislikes, preferences, and a healthy dose of jokes. He knew how brokenhearted I'd been when Nix broke up with me. He knew that I hated watching Grace. Then, I suppose he knew when I stopped hating Grace. John was one presence in my life I deeply treasured.

  John nodded. "And you told me about Grace. You two seem closer."

  I sighed and leaned back in my seat. John was baiting me. He wanted to know when I finally pulled my head out of my ass and accepted that Grace was going to be a part of my life for good. I took my time answering his question and looked over at his wife, Kaydence, who was working in the living room. She had her headphones over her ears, and her nimble fingers were flying away on the keyboard of her MacBook. I knew she wouldn't eavesdrop, but this wasn't a conversation I wanted just anyone hearing. "I love Grace. We've been through a lot together."

  "Do you love her enough to give up on Nix?" John asked.

  "I'm not sure. Love isn't quantifiable, huh? It feels more like a list of hard limits and compromises."

  John smiled to himself while looking over at Kaydence. "It's more infinite than that." His whimsical nature made me want to throttle him.

  "So you'd share your wife with your best friend?" I asked, eyebrows raised in challenge.

  "No." John's snappy response felt validating in a way. "But if I had to adapt. If I had to choose between her happiness and mine, I'd choose hers. If I had to choose between having her or not, I'd choose to have her. And if I could train myself to find a sense of happiness that way, I'd try. I'd fight for whatever I could with her. I'd do anything for my wife. I guess you need to decide if Nix is the type of person you could do anything for, too. Hell, you chased him across the world."

  "Is it fucked up that I wanted to be picked? I wanted someone to choose me."

  "You're still being chosen, mate. Just not in the way you wanted."

  I let out a sigh and rolled my neck. I hated knowing that Nix and Grace were reuniting right under my feet. I also hated the rope of jealousy wrapping itself around my heart. Seeing Grace upset was killing me. But seeing her happy hurt more. This was such a fucked up situation, and I hated that I didn't know how to navigate it all.

  "Alright. I won't make you talk about this much longer; there's something else we need to discuss. You know I love you, right?" John asked. "You're my best mate. But you can't stay here long."

  I knew this was coming. "I wasn't planning on it," I assured him. When push came to shove, John would protect his wife. He’d let us stay here for a day or two, but we needed to get moving quickly. I didn't want anything to happen to them because of me. "I don't want to put you at risk. I debated on coming here in the first place, but my options were limited."

  "Ah, we can handle ourselves. But I don't like sitting ducks in my pond. I'll get you some gear. Kaydence will take care of Grace, and we will send you off with a fighting chance. I've been trying to look into this group ever since you told me about them. What I found is bad, Alessandro. If you've got powerful friends, I suggest you shack up with them. It'll take an army to protect yourself. And even then, you probably won't win. I found hits. Trafficking. They all use the term Ringleader. It’s like a cult. A very powerful, very rich, very evil cult."

  Fuck. I wasn't sure the Bullets were our best bet, but we were running out of options. At least Gavriel had some connections. Nix was right, though. He ran for a reason, and something told me that we'd be on the run for a while.

  "We will rest up and get out of your hair," I promised. "Thank you for all your help. I wish we could have met under better circumstances."

  "Stay alive and maybe we can have a better visit next time," John replied with a wink.

  I smiled at my friend, then stood up. "I should get some rest."

  "About that..." John licked his lips and folded his arms across his chest. "Kaydence accidentally locked the guest bedroom door. Can't get the fool thing opened. You don't mind sleeping in the basement with Nix and Grace, do you?"

  I clenched my jaw. Nosy, meddling, bastard. "I can sleep on the couch."

  "No can do, mate. Kaydence has a major book deadline with her editor. She's pulling an all-nighter to get the last couple of chapters done and prefers to work in the living room."

  "The floor?"

  "We have spiders. Haven't you heard about the massive spiders in Australia?" John countered.

  "How about my rental car?" I tried.

  "Get your ass downstairs and get some rest. Go cuddle. Go confront this. You're gonna be stronger together. Just try, okay?"

  "Fine," I replied before stalking off. I loved John like a brother, but that didn't mean I had to like him right then.

  I walked down to the basement with my footsteps heavy and my heart racing. My ears were peeled for sensual sounds, but I didn't hear a thing. When I got to the basement door, I debated on running upstairs and sleeping outside in the dirt; it would have been preferable to confronting my demons with Nix and Grace.

  But instead, I slowly turned the knob. The scent of sex hit me first. Lust filled my nose, and I breathed it in like it was a drug. My mind buzzed with painful images of them fucking hard and fast—the reunion I'd
been craving. The room was dark. The soft glow from the hallway illuminated the room, and I noticed two bodies resting on the mattress. The white comforter was pulled up to their necks, and I saw the steady rise and fall of their chests. The two of them were snuggled close together.

  Walking over to the side of the bed where Grace was, I slowly shrugged out of my shirt and took off my pants. It had been one helluva long couple of days. I eyed her peaceful face and the scratches on her cheek. Her neck was bruised. She looked utterly spent. I couldn't bring myself to look at Nix, but I felt his eyes on me. "Get in bed, Alessandro," he whispered.

  I dragged my eyes to the man that had been haunting my dreams for as long as I could remember. He looked on edge, as if my presence made him nervous. "I love her too, you know. Not in the same way as you, but she's important to me." Nix licked his lips and nodded. I continued. "So you have to know that I refuse to let you hurt her. And I won't be used again, Nix. I won't let you manipulate my feelings for you to push her away."

  We had fought earlier about his public displays of affection when Grace walked in. I hated wondering if there was any authenticity to our kiss. He had me questioning every touch, every secret smile and sentimental linger. "I'm sorry, but what I feel for you is real. You're stronger than she is. It's easier to push her away because..." he rambled.

  "Because you don't worry about me, huh? You don't care if something happens to me. It's always been her. It'll always be her."

  "It'll always be both of you. You and I have a lot to discuss. I owe it to you. But don't confuse my protective instincts for preference." Grace stirred in her sleep before nuzzling deeper into the pillow. "I have to push her away, because she doesn't give up. You've already proven that you'll leave me without a second thought, Alessandro."

  That statement hit like a punch to the nuts. "You expected me to stay when you were sleeping with others. I'm no fool," I snapped, trying to keep my voice down but failing.

  "I'm not perfect. I don't do monogamy. But I loved you, Alessandro. I still do. And I love her. The only difference is, it's going to take both of us to keep her safe. So you're going to have to decide if you're up for the job."