Beautiful Things: Second Sons Book One

Rosalie could scarcely breathe as she raised her hand and placed it in Burke’s. This was madness. This was quite possibly the worst decision she’d ever made…and nothing was going to stop her now. Burke turned, pulling her behind him as he led them through the second door on the left. Renley followed close behind.

Her eyes had to adjust to the half-light of the storage room. The shutters on all the windows were closed, save the one in the corner, which was only partially open. Lazy motes of dust swirled in the slanting sunlight. A maze of furniture and abandoned art dotted the room—towers of musty leather-bound books on an old writing desk, rolled carpets, a dented suit of armor missing an arm.

The lock on the door clicked into place and the sound rattled her very bones.

“Away from the door,” Burke muttered. “Give poor Bates a minute to realize we took off without our towels.”

She couldn’t conceal her smile as they inched their way around teetering stacks of ballroom chairs. There was a handsome painted screen set up just in front of the window. It was responsible for blocking most of the room’s light.

Renley looked around. “You still use this place?”

“Aye,” Burke replied. “It’s our favorite reading spot,” he added for Rosalie. “James and I have been fighting over it since we were kids.”

She peered around the screen to see a cozy setup—a comfortable chaise covered in a sheet, a side table stacked with all manner of books, evidence of empty drink decanters. It was a perfect hideaway. Rosalie was about to say as much when a voice echoed from the hall.

“Mr. Burke?” Poor Bates was back with their towels. “Lieutenant……Miss?”

She covered her mouth with her hand as her shoulders shuddered. Burke and Renley stood to either side of her, Burke’s hand slipping around her waist until his thumb brushed her hip. Her laughter died as her body began to tingle. There was really nothing funny about this.

“Give him a minute to bugger off,” Burke said, leaning against the wall.

Feeling supremely uncomfortable in her sodden clothes, Rosalie did the bare minimum to relieve herself. She pulled out the pin holding her bonnet and took it off, breathing a sigh of relief.

Renley stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. The gentleness of his touch raised gooseflesh down her arms. “You are so beautiful, Rose.”

She didn’t typically like when people shortened her name, but on Renley’s lips it sounded like the sweetest endearment.

Burke’s hand was still around her waist. He gave her a little tug, breaking Renley’s contact. “In the woods you were about to tell us what you wanted,” he said, voice low.

She shivered, fighting the urge to close her eyes. There was no way this was real, but she didn’t want the dream to end yet. “Have either of you ever done this before?”

The men exchanged a look over her head. With two of them, she couldn’t read both their faces at once. “Yes,” Renley replied.

Her jealousy warred with her excitement to imagine these beautiful men together. “Wait, you’ve shared a woman…or you shared one together?”

Burke took the bonnet from her hands and set it aside. “If our pasts matter that much to you, I’ll tell you I have never been with Renley in any situation like this. As to the rest, a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell…just as we’ll not ask you for details of your past.”

She nodded. She was jealous by nature, so knowing too many details was going to hurt more than it helped. Her body gave another shiver at the chill of her wet clothes, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Both men noticed, their eyes narrowing.

“Let us take care of you, little siren. Tell us your limits and we’ll go from there.”

Limits? Did she have any? Surely, she must. “I can’t…um…” Why was it so hard to say the words? She blushed furiously as she squeaked out, “I can’t get with child.”

Burke chuckled, kissing her again. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I don’t have a French letter to hand, but we’ll make do…unless Tom wants to surprise us?”

Tom laughed. “Don’t look at me. I may be a sailor, but I don’t carry French letters in my pockets to go truffle hunting with George Corbin.”

“We’ll take care of you, love. Now, come here and let us help you out of these wet clothes.” Burke led her behind the painted screen.

Renley followed, dropping his coat to the floor with a sodden flop.

Burke let go of her hand and did the same, tossing his coat and waistcoat aside.

Her core fluttered as she watched them strip out of their wet upper layers until they were both only in their shirts.

“Face Tom,” Burke directed.

Rosalie turned slowly as Renley tugged off his shirt. He dropped it to the floor and Rosalie stifled a gasp. Like Burke, he was well muscled. But what most drew her eye were the dozen or so tattoos peppering his chest, shoulders, and arms. A large anchor over his heart, a ship in sail at his shoulder, some words she couldn’t make out along his ribs and down his forearm, a mermaid down his other arm, a cross in the middle of his chest.

“I thought our little artist might like those,” Burke teased. He settled his hands on her hips, giving her a push towards Renley.

She raised a hand, a question in her eye, and Renley nodded. She stroked the anchor, just over his heart. “I’ve never seen a tattoo before,” she admitted.

“No, well you wouldn’t,” Burke said with a laugh. “They’re not exactly accepted in polite society.”

“They’re beautiful,” she murmured. “Did they hurt terribly?”

“Terribly,” Renley replied. He cupped her face as he pulled her close and kissed her.

She sighed into his mouth, her hands stroking the hard planes of his chest. She thrilled at feeling his skin. He broke the kiss and dropped his hands to her chest to start fumbling with the buttons of her spencer. He peeled it down her arms, tossing it aside.

Behind her, Burke stepped closer, his hands at the back of her dress. “Stop us at any time.” He placed a kiss on the nape of her neck that made her shiver again.

“Eyes on me, Rose.” Renley’s devastating blue eyes held her captive. His thumb brushed over her lips before he was pressing it into her mouth. She opened to him, feeling his thumb slide against her tongue. She moaned as she sucked on it gently. “Fuck,” he growled, pulling away.

Burke slipped her dress off her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. Renley’s fingers were already working the laces of her stays. He tugged at them, moving expertly hand over hand until he flicked it off her shoulders too. She took an unrestrained breath, her ribs expanding fully for the first time in hours.

Now she stood before them in nothing but her stockings and chemise. It clung to her, showing off all her curves. No doubt Renley could see her nipples through the wet material.

Burke snatched the sheet off the chaise. “Take that off and wrap up warm before your teeth start chattering.”

She nodded, heart in her throat as she shimmied out of the chemise. Renley’s eyes went wide as he eagerly took in her nakedness. Before she could feel too embarrassed, Burke was behind her, wrapping her in the folded sheet. It was blessedly warm and dry. Burke used his large hands to rub her arms vigorously, warming her up. Renley just watched, a smile playing at his lips.

Burke pulled her a few steps backwards. “The boots are coming off too,” he said, peppering kisses down her jaw.

She let him steer her to the chaise. He undid the laces of each muddy boot, tugging it off and tossing it aside. The last piece of clothing that stood between her and total nakedness were her sad excuse for stockings. Burke reached under the folded sheet, his hands sliding up the length of her calves until he found the garters tying them in place. He tugged the string of each garter, then slid the wet stockings down her legs.

She sat there, heart pounding, looking up at her two shirtless men. Burke was perched on one knee, his gorgeous, muscled chest on display, the swirl of black hair across his chest trailing down his stomach and disappearing into his trousers. Renley stood just behind, tattooed and beautiful, his eyes fixed on her. They waited, holding their breath.

Slowly, Rosalie got to her feet. Burke did too. She looked from one man to the other. “We stay in this dream a while longer,” she whispered. “But when we wake…”

Renley and Burke exchanged a glance. “We both know what this is,” said Renley.

She nodded, but the words needed to be spoken. “No one must know,” she whispered. “I’ll be ruined. Please, I’ll—”

“No one will ever know what happens here,” Renley replied, voice firm. “This dream belongs to the three of us alone.”

With more confidence than she felt, she opened the sheet and dropped it back down to the chaise. Both men groaned as they took in her nakedness—the swell of her breasts, the peak of her nipples, her soft curves. “Well…are you just going to stand there?”

“Fuck,” Renley muttered again, stepping past Burke to wrap her in his arms, his mouth claiming hers in another heady kiss. His hands roved from her shoulders down her back, all the way to cup her bottom. He lifted her slightly, pulling her hips flush with the hardness of his erection. It pleased her to know how strongly she affected him.

Then Burke was behind her, his hands sliding over her ribs. He gave a little tug to break her contact with Renley. She moaned, desperate to feel herself pressed against Renley’s warmth, but the moan turned into a sigh when Burke cupped her breasts, using thumb and forefinger to tweak both her nipples.

“Oh god,” she cried, leaning into Burke.

Renley held her by the hips as he dropped kisses down her neck. Burke moved his hand away so Renley’s mouth could close over her nipple. He licked and kissed and teased until she was shaking. Before she could recover, Burke came around the other side of her and dropped his head too, taking her other breast in his mouth. They kissed her in tandem, Burke sucking while Renley flicked with his tongue.

Burke dropped his hand to brush lightly over the curls of her sex. “Is this perfect cunt ready for us?” He raised his head to kiss her neck and she leaned into his touch. “Do you want to let Tom taste it?”

“Yes,” she panted. “Yes, more—”

“You heard her, Tom,” Burke said, tucking her in front of him. He palmed both her breasts with measured strokes.

She wiggled her hips against him, seeking the hardness of his cock.

He growled in her ear, biting the lobe until she hissed. “Play fair. I’m trying to share, which doesn’t come naturally to me. If cocks come out, I might go feral and rip off his fucking head.” Renley just gave a dark chuckle. “Now, let Tom please you.”

She whimpered again as Renley’s hand slid down to her sex. He used one finger to gently open her, testing to see if she was ready. Silly sailor, she’d been soaking since they were in the woods.

Renley groaned. “She’s so wet.”

“I told you,” Burke said, kissing her neck. “She’s perfect. Wait til you taste.”

Rosalie was utterly at their mercy. She let herself be held upright by Burke as Renley slid his fingers up and down against her sex, swirling with each stroke at the top of her legs. She wasn’t going to last long. She chased his fingers with her hips, trying to get them to stay at the spot where she wanted them.

“Don’t get greedy,” Renley warned, his breath hot in her ear. “Good girls who stand still get to come more than once.”

She sagged against Burke, trying to stay focused on her pleasure. Then Renley slid two fingers into her. “Oh—god—” she cried out, her core already clenching around him.

Both men groaned.

Renley pumped his fingers in and out, teasing her with his slow pace.

“Please, please,” she whispered.

“She’s insatiable,” Burke said with a chuckle, tweaking both her nipples in time with how Renley stroked her.

In moments she was doubling over as she came. It was quick and brutal, burning through her.

“There it is,” Burke murmured, kissing her shoulder. “That’s one, love.”

Renley panted, pulling out of her. “We’re nowhere near done with you.” He gripped her face with his soaking fingers and kissed her deep, opening her mouth with his eager tongue.

Burke broke their kiss, dragging her back. “Alright, enough. That sweet cunt is mine now. Rosalie, sit.”

She flinched at the command in his voice, but her legs were already taking her to the chaise. She sat down, eyes wide as Burke dropped to his knees in front of her.

“Lean back,” he said, pressing gently on her abdomen. “Your next release is mine.”

She leaned back on the chaise. It was an odd angle, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was that Burke’s fingers were on her sex. It was almost obscene how wet she felt. She could hear it as he moved his fingers with lazy strokes.

“God, I need to taste you,” he groaned. “I’m dying from wanting you.” He leaned into her spread legs, kissing and licking up her thigh. Then his mouth was on her, and she thought she might die. No man had ever done this to her before. He lapped with gentle strokes, his tongue like warm velvet. When he sucked, she dropped her head back, melting into the chaise.

She moaned, raising both hands to grip the back of the chaise as her hips began to move on their own, pressing into Burke as his tongue teased, working with his fingers to send her over the edge again. As she sighed out her pleasure, Renley was there to swallow the sound, his tongue licking inside her mouth.

“I want more—ah—” Her legs trembled as Burke pressed his tongue in as deep as it would go, rubbing her with his fingers on that sweet spot. She broke the kiss with Renley, panting for air. “Oh—Burke—yes, ahh—”

Burke switched his order, shoving two fingers deep inside her as he dropped his mouth to the top of her sex, sucking on her bud until she shattered. Her core clenched over and over, as her whole body shook.

“Good girl,” Renley murmured. “So beautiful. Fuck, you’re so responsive. You’re like poetry, Rose.” He dropped his head to her shoulder, nuzzling her neck, one hand cupping her breast.

Burke placed lazy kisses down her leg as he slowly pulled his fingers out of her quivering core.

She sighed with contentment, eyes closed, one hand stroking Renley’s golden curls as she reached blindly for Burke with the other.

Burke rose off his knees and sat on her other side. “Do you want to taste?”

She opened her eyes to see his soaking wet fingers. Her heart skipped a beat. Was she allowed to want this? Too blissed to care, she parted her lips and nodded.

“Oh, fuck yes. God, Rose, taste yourself,” Renley groaned, lifting his head off her shoulder to watch as she opened her mouth and let Burke slide his wet fingers inside.

She moaned softly at the intrusion, trying to control how deep he pressed with her tongue. The taste on his fingers was sweet, a little salty.

“I want you so badly.” Renley kissed her shoulder as one hand dropped to cup his erection.

“This time is only about her,” Burke replied, his tone firm. “If she lets us have a next time, we’ll make this a mutual claiming.”

She blinked, looking from one to the other. “But I want to make you feel good—”

“This does feel good, love. This is amazing. You’re amazing. You’re taking a leap of trust by letting us both touch you like this. Next time, you can show us what that talented tongue of yours can do.”

“Do you want to come again?” Renley asked as his fingers traced down her sternum.

She moaned, hips squirming. Was she pulling away or pushing closer? She could hardly tell. Both men took their time kissing her face, her lips, her shoulders, her breasts. They touched her all over, sliding their rough fingers over her smooth skin. She secretly thrilled at the coarseness of their hands. Renley’s were rougher, the pads of his fingers driving her wild with new sensation as he traced along the line of her collarbone.

Burke slipped a hand under her leg and pulled it wide as Renley dropped off the couch and settled on his knees in front of her. She whimpered, not ready for another round, and aching for it at the same time. These men were going to ruin her. There would be no other men after this. No other kisses. No other caresses. The adoration they showed her was so tender. She felt precious, promised…sacred.

Burke wrapped her in his embrace, holding her open. “Come one more time for us, love.”

“So perfect,” Renley whispered, kissing and licking her sex, stroking his hands over her hips, making her twitch in Burke’s grip. Renley’s tongue lapped at her with slow, even strokes and she began to shake.

Burke tightened his hold. “Good girl,” he whispered in her ear, his thumb stroking the underside of her thigh while his other hand cupped her breast, kneading it softly. “Feel how he touches you, how he worships you. Do you like it?”

“Yes,” she moaned.

Renley pressed his fingers deep inside her and held them still, filling her up, as he continued his slow, steady strokes with his tongue. She wiggled her hips, trying to get his fingers to drag along her inner walls. “Hold still,” he growled, nipping the inside of her thigh.

She squeaked and sank back, body going limp as he kept his fingers inside. The tension made her pant.

“What do you want, siren?” Burke whispered. “Where does it ache?”

“There,” she moaned. “Everywhere.”

“What do you want?”

Renley hummed against her sex as he started to move his fingers at last. He twisted them as he dragged them in and out and she wanted to die. With his free hand he pushed on her other thigh, opening her even wider. He pulled his mouth away, glancing up at Burke. “She’s close. If we’re doing this—”

“Are you?”

“I’m willing if you are.”

She tried to listen as they had one of their special conversations where less than half the words were spoken aloud.

“What do you want, siren?” Burke pressed again. “Do you want to come? You have to say it. We don’t finish unless you say it.”

She moaned. She’d give anything to chase the high of being theirs a little longer. When this ended, they’d all go back to being…whatever this was. Friends? Housemates? Acquaintances with a primal urge to possess?

“I want to come,” she whispered. “Please, god—”

Burke kissed her neck as he slid away from her.

Still on his knees, Renley shifted over. Burke dropped next to him. Her perfect, shirtless men rubbed shoulders as they each took hold of one of her legs. What were they doing? What was happening?

“Oh god, I can’t—it’s too much—”

“Want us to stop?” Renley asked, hearing her incoherent protests.

“Don’t you dare—ah—”

Burke descended, his tongue making her quiver. After a moment, he pulled back, twisting his torso and putting an arm around Renley, pulling him forward to take his place. Renley sucked and flicked at her with his velvet tongue as Burke watched, one hand still on his shoulder.

She was writhing under them, her hips desperate for more friction, more everything.

They switched places.

“Hold still, and we’ll tongue fuck you together until you come apart,” Burke growled, keeping his face low to her sex.

She whined, taking short, labored breaths. Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, they muttered a few low words to each other, their breath hot against her thighs. Then they attacked. Both tongues worked her over at once. Her head fell back, eyes shut tight.

In the end, she was too cowardly to look. She couldn’t bear to see the way their hot mouths came together, tongues stroking each other as they consumed her. She didn’t even know whose fingers plunged inside her, but as soon as they did, she came harder than either of the first two times. It rocked through her, sending her body curling forward with wave after wave of euphoria.

Once the cresting ceased, she felt weak and boneless, utterly spent. Her naked body wanted to curl up on the sofa as she fought sleep…and the urge to cry. The dream was over. They were done…and this might never happen again.

Renley sat next to her and pulled her into his lap, hugging her to him as he slowly stroked her naked back. “You did so well,” he murmured. “You were so perfect. You’re amazing, Rose. So beautiful.” He dragged the sheet out from under them and wrapped her in it, all while kissing her wet hair and whispering more soft words.

She soaked up his praise, pressing her cheek over his steady heartbeat. It calmed her to feel him so calm, so perfectly comfortable with what just happened between them. She smiled against his warmth, knowing her cheek was pressed against his anchor tattoo. How fitting. Without realizing the how or when of it, he was becoming her anchor.

Burke gathered all her clothes and brought them over. “I’m sorry, love, but if we don’t get you back in these wet things and upstairs, you’ll miss the dinner gong, and they’ll likely send out a search party.”

“Can you stand yet?” Renley asked, stroking her loose hair behind her ear.

She shook her head, not yet capable of speech either. She was right to worry. These men ruined her. The violence of their passion, their dedication to her pleasure…and they were holding back. What might it be like when they were fully unleashed? When they let her give them pleasure in return? The very idea made her tremble all over again.