Sweet Venom: A Why Choose Romance

‘So, what are your plans for my Granddaughter?’ My grandmother’s eyes flick between Ellis and Tate, who sit on either side of me in the back of the limo we are taking to Napa.

Ellis is on my right, his fingers interlaced with mine as my hand rests in his lap while Tate sits at my left. Unlike Ellis, he hasn’t touched me. Instead, he’s kept his gaze out the window with his fists firmly clenched. He’s uncomfortable, and I can’t exactly blame him. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t experiencing a similar level of anxiety with Ellis’s unexpected surprise. I knew we were having dinner two hours away in Napa tonight. That has been on the agenda for the last week. What I didn’t realize was that my grandmother would not only be attending the dinner but driving with us. Clearly, I haven’t been able to ask Ellis about it, seeing as how she’s currently in the car, but I think this is just as much of a surprise to him as it was to me.

‘Please, don’t everyone speak at once.’

Her comment brings Tate’s eyes forward. I don’t think he expected that question to be directed toward him, but rather the man on my right holding my hand. Ellis clears his throat and says, ‘Vivian will be my forever, as long as she’ll have me.’

My grandmother raises a brow and says, ‘Yes, well, that’s all fine and good, but that’s not what I’m asking. I don’t doubt that you care for her. My question is concerning this.’ She pauses and gestures between the three of us before adding, ‘There’s clearly something going on between the two of you and my Granddaughter. I imagine both of you care for her deeply, yet only one of you is acknowledging that.’

We all sit in silence, none of us sure what to say. I know how Ellis feels, and I’m beginning to understand my own heart, but I’m not so sure about Tate. We haven’t discussed the long-term, or the short-term for that matter. How does this all play out? Both men know about the other. We’ve had a threesome, but what’s next?

Tate steals my thoughts and answers, ‘It’s not that simple.’

‘Matters of the heart never are, but I can tell you this: jealousy is a disease. It is love and hate at the same time, rooted in fear.’ Pulling in a breath, she moves her purse off her lap before bringing her eyes to mine to add, ‘I’ve watched it rot my son and steal all that is good in his life. You three will have enough battles to fight just existing as you are. Make sure whatever you have is built on a firm foundation; otherwise, you will crumble when the first stone is cast.’

There’s a long silence before Tate and Ellis focus their attention out of their respective windows again. However, just as my mind starts to worry about Tate’s headspace, his hand finds my thigh, and I can’t help but look down at the connection. While his words are vague and leave room for doubt to seep in, his actions speak the loudest. He keeps showing up. He’s trying, and that’s everything.

We’ve just walked out to the backyard when Nico loops his arm through my grandmother’s and pulls her away to show her around the property while we meet up with Charlie and Mason, who are already in the pool having drinks.

‘Vivi,’ Mason chants, holding his beer high as I walk out. ‘Get your ass in the pool.’

I bring my hand over my eyes to shade the sun before calling out, ‘I didn’t realize this was a pool party. I didn’t bring my suit.’

‘I have extras in the pool house. There should be some in there for the guys as well.’ Charlie tosses back.

‘I guess we’re swimming,’ I say as I clap my hands together.

Ellis grabs my hand. ‘Come on,’ as he pulls me toward the pool house, but it only takes me a second to stop in my tracks and remember Tate.

‘Wait,’ I say as I squeeze his hand and turn back toward Tate, who has followed us around like a silent shadow since we arrived. While my grandmother’s words held merit, it doesn’t make any of this easier, and now swimming. ‘Are you okay with this? We don’t have to swim if you don’t want to. I can just hang my feet over the edge.’

His beautiful eyes pull away from the pool to focus on me, and when they do, they squeeze my fucking heart. It’s evident my words were the last words he expected to hear. I was right about his scars. I was the first person he’s let close enough to see them, which tells me a million things without saying much at all. If I’m the first one to see them, then I’m the first one he let in. I’m the first one to care.

I release Ellis’s hand and step into Tate, resting my hands on his hips. The embrace is sensual, and anyone watching could easily concur that we are more than just friends, especially when his hand finds the side of my cheek before he leans down and kisses my forehead. ‘I’m good, Vi. We can swim.’

Taking his hand in mine, I turn around and find Ellis staring on with a pinched expression, but it’s not one of jealousy. If anything, he’s curious. Ellis is trying to understand why Tate wouldn’t want to swim, but he says nothing, instead choosing to leave it alone as we head to the pool house.

I’ve just finished putting on one of Charlie’s yellow string bikinis. It’s more sexy than I would typically wear around the family, but it is the only one that fits my breasts. Charlie’s tits are at least two cup sizes bigger than mine. I’m standing at the bar inside the pool house, adjusting the front, waiting for the guys, when big hands wrap around me from behind, quickly cupping my breasts.

Ellis buries his face in my neck before saying, ‘These bottoms barely cover your ass. I will be fucking hard the entire time we’re out there.’ His hands quickly move the small triangles of fabric covering my breasts, exposing my tits for anyone to walk in and see as he sucks on my neck and tweaks my nipples between his fingers.

‘Mmm,’ I draw out as I feel his growing erection pressing against my ass. He feels so damn good.

‘Fuck it,’ he says as he spins me around and crashes his mouth to mine. His tongue battles with mine as he lifts my leg to press his hard cock against my pussy, drawing out another delicious moan that he swallows down on a groan before releasing me and dropping to his knees. ‘I need to taste you, baby.’ And with one pull, my bottoms hit the floor.

‘Ellis,’ I hiss as I move to try to tuck my breasts back in.

‘No, don’t do that. I want to see them when I look up and watch you come on my tongue.’

‘Someone could walk in,’ I whisper-yell.

‘Don’t pretend you don’t like the idea of getting caught. Now stop talking. The only noises I want to hear from that pretty mouth are you screaming my name.’

Before I can offer any further objections, my leg is draped over his shoulder, and his tongue is licking me straight up my center. ‘God, yes.’ We’ve been wound so tight. Between riding in the car with my grandmother and introducing Tate to Nico, we are all beyond stressed. When we walked in, Ellis introduced Tate to Nico as our friend, and I could tell there was a shift in Nico’s demeanor. I’m unsure what exactly he believes is going on, but if I had to guess, he and my grandmother are doing more than just viewing the property. I’m sure they are discussing us at length.

A door closing to my left startles me, and when I see that it’s Tate, I don’t exactly settle. I’m still tense, unsure of how Tate will react to catching me with Ellis, but before I have time to give it too much thought, Ellis says, ‘You’ve had her mouth, and I know you’ve had her pussy, but tell me, have you had her tight ass?’

Ellis lazily runs his index finger through my swollen lips as I try hard to stay cognizant of Tate and how all of this might be affecting him. However, those endeavors are short-lived when Ellis replaces his finger with his tongue and dives deep inside my pussy. My eyes roll back of their own accord. I’m so fucking turned on. Anyone could walk in right now and see me completely naked with Ellis on his knees, eating my pussy as I lean against the bar. But right now, it’s not just anyone watching. It’s Tate, and thoughts of the last time we were all together have me clenching in anticipation. ‘Fuck, baby, this pussy is hungry,’ Ellis says as he pulls back to pump me with two digits.

My hooded eyes find Tate’s, and I say, ‘Touch me.’

The entire purpose of his coming with us tonight was to get to know Ellis. We were supposed to talk, and none of that has happened. In the car, he acknowledged my grandmother’s assessment that the three of us were something, but we haven’t discussed what that is. However, the tent in his pants tells me that whatever we are… he doesn’t hate it.

Tate wordlessly walks over, his eyes bouncing between mine and the man currently eating my pussy. Right when he reaches me, he stops, and my lips part on a gasp as Ellis pumps me harder and sucks my clit into his mouth. ‘Fuck,’ I say as I throw my head back, ready to come. That’s when I feel Tate’s hands glide up my ribs and cup my breasts, pushing them together before his lips wrap around one of my nipples as he sucks it into his hot mouth. ‘Oh god, I’m going to come.’ The sensation of both men pleasuring me simultaneously is a sensory overload.

Ellis curls his fingers and hits my g-spot as Tate moves to the other nipple and sucks hard, setting me off. ‘That’s it, baby, fucking soak my fingers. I need you drenched.’ I feel him pumping me slowly through my orgasm, but instead of licking up my juices like he always does, he lets them drip before spreading them to my ass.

‘Tate, on the couch,’ he commands.

I watch as Tate swallows hard before looking back at the door. I can tell he’s nervous, so I distract him. Running my hand down his torso and gripping his hard dick, I plead, ‘Please.’ Not bothering to disguise the need in my voice. He bites his bottom lip with a groan before heading toward the couch. Ellis lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks me over. ‘I love you,’ I whisper against his neck as he takes me over to the couch to share me with another man, one he knows I care for deeply.

Before I know it, he’s setting me down, kissing me softly, and saying, ‘I love you more.’ Then looking at Tate, he says, ‘Take your pants off.’

Tate runs his hands through his hair and mumbles a few curse words before finally conceding. His hard cock stands at attention, hitting his stomach and leaving a bead of pre-cum there that has me licking my lips. I move to take him into my mouth, fully expecting a repeat of the night by the tree, but Ellis stops me. ‘No, baby. I’m giving you your fantasy.’

It takes me a minute to wrap my head around what he’s saying, but as he slowly backs me up and my calves hit the couch, I realize what he’s saying. I’m getting my club scene. It’s the very scene I watched at Covet the first night we fucked. ‘Tate, spread your legs wide and grab your cock. She’s going to ride it.’

‘Fuck,’ Tate draws out as Ellis guides my hips down until I feel Tate’s crown hit my lips. As I slowly sink down on another man’s cock, I watch my boyfriend. It’s important to me that I see no reservations. I need to know that this is truly what he wants, that he’s all in because he’s allowing me to fall for another man, and I have words in my heart I won’t be able to hold back—not after this. But when my eyes seek out his, they are not on mine. Instead, they are entirely focused on my pussy as it stretches around another man’s cock, and by the way they are hooded, I know he likes it. When I’m fully seated, we all let out a moan in tandem, and I watch as Ellis takes himself out and yanks hard.

‘Ride him, baby.’

I lift up slowly the first time, letting myself acclimate to his size before dropping back down hard. Ellis’s hands find my breasts, and he tweaks my nipples in tandem, making my pussy clench and gush all at once; he knows exactly what I like, so when he says, ‘Up.’ I know what to do without his words. He wanted me to soak Tate’s cock so that I could put it in my ass, and fuck if I don’t want that.

I immediately grab Tate’s cock as Ellis reaches around to spread my cheeks. ‘You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I hear Tate mutter. My boyfriend has my cheeks spread wide for him as I take his cock and rub the juices from my pussy through my cheeks with his dick. I wish I could fucking see it, because I’m sure it’s hot as fuck.

Once I feel lubed enough, I place his tip at my back my entrance, and slowly take him in. He’s not small, so it takes a few tries to relax. That is when Ellis says, ‘You’re doing so fucking good, baby. Put that cock in your ass so I can eat that pussy.’ Those words of praise are all I needed to take him all the way in.

No sooner have I fully seated myself than Tate says, ‘Don’t you dare fucking move.’ I feel his cock twitch inside me, and I know he’s on the brink of coming.

Ellis smiles before quickly taking my mouth and slowly swiping his tongue against mine, only to pull back and say, ‘You’re so damn beautiful.’ His mouth finds my neck before he begins to trail kisses to my breasts and down my stomach, until he finally reaches the place I want him the most. He places a kiss on my pussy before taking his fingers and parting my lips, only to run his thick tongue through my folds.

‘Holy shit.’ The sensations that wrack my body from just that one swipe have me practically seeing stars.

My pussy clenches on air, and just as the thought of needing to be filled enters my mind, I feel Ellis’s finger push inside me. ‘God, yes,’ I moan as I hear Tate hiss. I know my ass clenched his dick.

‘Man, if you’re going to fuck her, you need to do it.’ Tate pants breathlessly.

Ellis’s finger slips out, and I whimper at his loss. It is then that I feel Tate’s hands glide up my hips and waist before I feel him sit forward and kiss my shoulder. ‘My dick in your ass is the hottest thing I’ve ever fucking seen. You’re so goddamn perfect.’ He tilts my chin toward him and steals a slow kiss that sends my heart spiraling because it’s those words, coupled with that kiss, that assures me he wants this. He wants us.

I feel Ellis’s tip run through my folds, and my attention quickly shifts to the man at my front. ‘Are you ready, baby? Are you ready to accept what I’ve wanted to give you all along?’

‘Yes,’ I say confidently. ‘I want this.’

He kisses me roughly before lining up and pushing in. His hands push my spread legs wider, allowing him access to slide home deep, and we all collectively moan out our shared ecstasy once he’s fully seated.

‘Fuck, you are so damn tight with him in your ass, baby. My god.’ He pulls out before pushing back in. ‘Look how pretty these lips are, stretched around me.’ His hands slide up my thighs and around to my ass, where I feel him spread my cheeks once again and lift as he starts a synchronized rhythm of pumping me and bouncing me on Tate’s cock. I can see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he works to lift and pump. That’s when I dig my heels into the side of the couch. Ellis sees my movement. ‘You want to ride us, baby?’

His hands move to my hips to keep me steady as I get into position. Once I have my footing, I lift up slightly before slowly coming back down. Tate smacks my ass and says, ‘You like taking our dicks. Fucking ride ’em. Let me see this ass bonce’ He gathers my hair, and I can feel him wrap it around his hand as he lightly tugs, only further spurring me on. I start to bounce, and the sounds of our arousal permeating the air, mixed with their grunts and the multiple sets of hands I feel all over my body, is electrifying. I feel myself starting to clench as my body gives in to the orgasm that comes tearing through my body harder than anything I’ve ever experienced.

‘Oh fuck, milk our cocks, baby,’ Ellis says as he stills my hips and holds himself deep while Tate’s hands wrap around my front, pulling me tight against his chest as he grunts out his own release.

Ellis’s forehead rests against mine, and he gently kisses my lips between ragged breaths, murmuring, ‘I love you so damn much.’

I know Tate hears those words because his arms slightly lose their grip around my center. It’s then that Ellis pulls out and says, ‘I’ll give you two a minute.’ His thumb grazes my cheek knowingly before he stands, tucks himself back into his swim trunks, and exits the pool house.

I’m still sitting on Tate’s lap, his head is on my back, and I know this experience was already a lot without hearing Ellis’s words, but it doesn’t change the truth behind mine. I gently drag my fingers over the tops of his arms before pulling them tight. ‘I love him, Tate, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love you too.’

He groans against my back before saying, ‘I never thought the first time I heard those words would be with another man’s cum dripping out of my girl’s pussy.’

I immediately move to get off his lap. I hadn’t thought my words through before I said them. Do I love Tate? Yes, it’s all I’ve felt through our entire experience, but I selfishly thought of myself and not him when I said them. He deserved a moment all his own. ‘Tate, I’m sorry,’ I start as I turn around to face him, but my words die when he shakes his head no, pulls my hips forward, and lays his forehead against my stomach.

‘Don’t say sorry unless you didn’t mean it.’ He kisses my stomach before looking up to meet my gaze and saying, ‘Because I wanted to say it so fucking bad.’ His hands dig into my hips, and he says, ‘I love you, Vi. I want this. I want us.’

I lean into him and fall onto his lap to kiss his perfect mouth. He is mine, and I am his. They are mine, and I am theirs.

When we exit the pool house, Mace and Charlie have moved to the hot tub, where Ellis sits with his legs draped over the ledge. Tate and I are holding hands as we exit, and I don’t miss the way Mace stares hard at the connection before taking a long pull of his beer. Mace knows I haven’t been in a monogamous relationship ever, but he’s never seen me with anyone either. Hearing that I partake in polyamorous relationships and seeing me in one are very different things, and I’m sure the fact that one of my partners happens to be his brother-in-law doesn’t exactly sit well. If things don’t work out, it would only further strain his relationship with Charlie’s family.

Tate must sense my unease because he squeezes my hand and says, ‘Solid foundation and all that shit…’ He drags out, and it makes me smile. He’s paraphrasing my grandmother’s words, and it brings me comfort because I know he more than listened. Tate took them to heart, and I now know he’s confident in what we share.

When we reach the hot tub, I sit on the ledge across from Ellis, simply because it’s closest to Charlie, and I want to talk to her, but the moment Tate sits down right beside me, Mason is standing and extending his hand out to Tate.

‘Mason Croft. I don’t think we’ve formally met, but Vivi and I go way back.’

‘Tatum Carroway,’ Tate says as he gives him a firm shake.

‘And you are what, exactly?’ Mason asks as Charlie hisses out his name in warning.

But Tate doesn’t miss a beat and confidently replies, ‘I’m Vi’s boyfriend.’

Mason turns and points his beer toward Ellis and says, ‘So that makes you?’

‘Fuck off, Croft. We don’t answer to you.’

Mason throws his hands up in mock defense. ‘Hey, no judgment. I’m just making sure I understand the dynamic, so I know which asshole to come after if one of you fucks around and breaks her heart.’

Nico and Indie appearing on the path steal my attention away from Mason and his antics. I study their body language and try to gauge what they could have been discussing. Their arms are still linked and they smile and talk like old friends merely catching up. Hell, maybe they are. My grandmother’s appearance here is perplexing. I have unresolved feelings about our relationship. We’ve yet to have whatever talk she said we needed to have, so maybe it’s then that I’ll find resolve and clarity on what I want from my past and if it has a place in my future.

That reminds me I wanted to scold Ellis about springing her on me today. I told her I would meet up with her for lunch on Sunday after I got her settled into her room at The Ritz in Half Moon Bay. ‘Ellis, you could have given me a heads up that my grandmother would be accompanying us to the Estate today,’ I say with a hint of annoyance.

‘Yeah, well, I gave you the same heads up I got. I was opening my door to pick you up just as she was about to knock. She is a very persuasive woman, if you haven’t noticed, not to mention I wasn’t going to be rude to the first family member of yours I’ve actually met. I told her we had dinner plans, and the next thing I know, she was inviting herself, and here we are.’

Mason and Tate are still carrying on with small talk. It sounds like they found common ground in their ink. Both men have full back and chest tats with sleeves to match. I briefly overhear Tate telling him that most of his came from a friend who needed to get his hours in before he could get licensed and open a shop.

Charlie nudges my arm and asks, ‘Hey, how old is she? I mean, she looks a little young to be your grandmother.’

‘Umm, she’s about sixty. Why do you ask?’

‘Just curious.’ She shrugs.

However, Ellis must have been listening to her hushed inquiry intently because he says, ‘Charlie, don’t start. Not everyone needs somebody.’ My eyebrows rise, and he adds, ‘Charlie’s been trying to set him up for months to no avail. I think that’s half the reason why he left to Italy for a month.’

She splashes water at him and says, ‘It is not, Ellis.’

‘Get dressed. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.’ Nico calls from the back patio before he and my grandmother go inside.

‘Hey, do you have Ibuprofen? I’m starting to get a headache.’ I nudge Charlie as we sit down for dinner.

‘Yeah, I should have some in my room. Are you getting sick? Do you want me to come with you?’

I shake my head. ‘No, I’m fine. I’ve just been getting headaches recently. It’s probably from all the stress opening Blush.’

‘Do you remember where my room is?’

I place my napkin on the table and say, ‘Yeah, the right-wing from the front entrance.’

‘Yep, that’s it.’

As I stand, Ellis’s hand brushes mine from where he’s seated on my right. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I’m just going to grab some pills. I won’t be long.’

He moves to stand and says, ‘I’ll come with you.’

‘Ellis, no, I’m fine. I promise. It’s just down the hall. I’ll be right back.’

He nods and sits back down. I shoot Tate a smile and head out of the dining room. The Serra Estate is not small by any means. The house is spread over a few acres, with a courtyard in the middle and lighted stone walking paths that guide you to each wing away from the main house. The property is enchanting, but walking to Charlie’s room takes time.

When I reach the front of the property that leads out to the circle drive, I turn and place my back to the fountain and stick out my right arm before heading in that direction. As I walk, I start counting the doors along the lighted path. Reaching the third door on the right, I turn the knob and immediately hear the shower running.

‘Fucking Mason.’ I’m sure he and Charlie had a quickie before dinner and forgot to shut it off. However, as soon as I open the door, I realize I’m in the wrong damn room. I’ve been on edge all night, wondering if Sebastian would show up, and now here he is stroking his long, thick, and very pierced cock in the shower. I was just thoroughly fucked, but damn if I don’t want more. I know what I feel isn’t all lust. It’s the man. I’ve been drawn to him like a moth to a flame since we met.

‘Fuck,’ he murmurs as his free hand meets the glass door holding himself up as he pulls hard, utterly unaware of my prying eyes. I know I should back out, but I can’t. Instead, I’m completely transfixed, watching the water flow over every well-defined muscle as his face begins to contort, and I see the raw, unfiltered man he can be instead of the enemy he’s determined to be.

I watch as his movements slow, and I let my eyes trail back up to his face only to find them staring back at me with a fierce hunger that matches my own. I pull myself together and reach for the doorknob, stepping back before muttering, ‘Umm, sorry.’

‘Don’t leave now. We both know you want to watch.’ He’s not wrong. I would have watched until the damn end. My mind is quickly going over the past week and all the reasons I need to back out of this room, but my silence only pushes him more. ‘Don’t test me, Vipera. Sit your ass on that vanity, hike up your dress, and play with that pretty pussy while you watch me come.’

My god, my pussy is clenching just from the scene he depicted, but that bossy, demanding, I get what I want attitude reminds me of exactly why I started to back out in the first place. He hasn’t made a choice. I don’t know where he stands with all of this, and I refuse to be his plaything.

‘I’m not doing this with you, Sebastian. This isn’t a game for me. You walked away. You didn’t make a choice,’ I remind him.

‘And I’m not going to. That’s precisely why I won’t touch you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.’

I refuse to be used by him, but it’s his last words that have me walking toward the vanity and doing exactly what he asked. He wants to, and if that desire runs even half as deep as mine, I know he’ll give in. Before I hop onto the vanity, I hold his obsidian gaze and step out of my heels before lifting the hem of my little black dress and pulling off my thong. The heat I feel from his gaze alone has me slick with need.

The moment I’m on the vanity, he says, ‘Spread those thighs and let me see you.’ Resting my heels on the countertop, I lean against the mirror and spread my legs wide. ‘Fuck,’ he groans, and my eyes immediately fall to his hand that’s stroking his length from root to tip. He’s pierced on the underside of his cock, right below his head, in a spot meant more for his partner’s pleasure than his own. I can’t help but run my fingers through my folds on a moan, remembering how the balls of the barbell piercing deliciously dragged over my g-spot with every fucking thrust. I sink two fingers in, wishing they were him, but they aren’t thick enough, long enough, or hard enough. When I open my eyes in need of more visual stimulation, he’s standing right in front of me, cock in hand.

‘I’m going to come all over that pretty pussy.’

I shake my head and say, ‘No.’

‘You’re going to refuse me?’ he questions, taking a step forward, his chest inflating with annoyance. He’s on the edge of losing control. Good. I need him to. I need him to get out of his head and let this happen. Let us happen.

‘No, if you want to come on me, you do it deep inside me.’

The words haven’t even finished leaving my mouth, and he’s on me, pulling my ass to the edge and impaling me on his cock. As he bottoms out, he murmurs, ‘Fuck yeah,’ into the crook of my neck. He pulls out slowly before thrusting in hard one more time, making me whimper from the pinch of pain I feel as my body adjusts to accommodate him.

‘Oh, mia piccola vipera, you know how I like it. If you thought I wouldn’t leave my mark, you were wrong. You’ll always walk away with a reminder of where I’ve been.’

‘You better stop marking me. People might think you want to keep me.’

‘Maybe I do.’

On the next thrust, he bites the side of my neck hard enough to break my skin, and I cry out, only making him pick up his pace. His tongue flicks over the sensitive skin from his bite, making my entire body prickle from the pain of the sting and the caress of his tongue. I feel his hands dig into the sides of my hips as he holds me steady and drills into me at a piston pace. I’m so damn wet, I can hear it over the shower still running. Sebastian Lykos knows how to fuck. I’ve never been fucked so hard in my life. I didn’t realize it was something I wanted, something I craved, until him and his hate. I love every damn second of his depravity. The sting of his bite, the pinch of his grip on my hips, and the force of his unrelenting cock have me coming.

‘That’s it, Vipera. Come all over my cock. Squeeze me so I can fill you up.’ His words send me spiraling and I come hard, screaming his name. He slams in hard with one last thrust, and I feel his release coating the inside of my walls as his cock twitches inside of me. His lips find my shoulder, and he kisses the spot where his teeth scarred me weeks ago before pulling out. My pussy immediately spasms from the loss until he runs his finger through my folds and says, ‘This pussy, swollen and dripping with my seed, is the hottest thing I’ve ever fucking seen. Too bad it can’t happen again.’

I sit up quick and slam my legs shut just as he brings his finger to his lips and sucks off our joined arousal. ‘What the hell are you talking about, Sebastian? I want you, and you want me. This is happening. You knew my terms.’

He runs his hand through his hair, clearing it from his face before turning toward the shower to shut it off. ‘Vivian, I didn’t agree to anything. Whatever you think you heard was what you wanted to hear. I’m not doing this.’

‘And why not?’ I ask as I watch him grab underwear and throw them on before heading out of the bathroom. Hopping off the counter, I grab a towel and clean myself up quickly before finding my underwear and throwing them back on. When I stomp out to the bedroom, it’s empty. That’s when I hear him rummaging through the walk-in closet. ‘Answer me, Sebastian.’

‘I already told you. I don’t want to share.’

‘That’s bullshit, and you know it. If this was about sharing or possession, you wouldn’t have taken me just now. You already knew my heart going in. You know I won’t leave Ellis. So, try again and tell me the damn truth.’

It’s true the Sebastian who fucked me in the gym is not the same one who fucked me just now. The old Sebastian wanted to get rid of me; he believed he’d hurt Ellis, and he wanted to hurt me because I didn’t remember. His motives were different. He could use those excuses as a cover for how he truly felt. Not anymore. Those covers have been blown; the lies no longer work. What happened just now happened because he wanted me.

‘My brother foolishly allowed me to have his girl,’ he says as he pulls on a shirt and adds, ‘And because I’m a selfish bastard, I took her, but I’m sure he’ll regret his choice soon enough.’

‘What does that even mean, Sebastian? I heard what Ellis said in the kitchen the other night. He knew about us then, and he’s more than aware now. It’s clear we have feelings for each other. Ellis isn’t trying to keep us apart. And what about the parachutes? You may not have made a choice on that cliff, but you did the next day. You chose me.’ He stills momentarily, and I see his fists clench. I may have doubted his intent for the past week, but I know in my heart that I am right now. Taking a step forward, I say, ‘You want me, and I want you—’

He closes his sock drawer rather loudly as if to say he’s had enough before tightly closing his eyes and saying, ‘You’re right,’ his voice is strained, and he clears his throat before turning away and reaching for his shoes and adding, ‘But not for the reasons you think. I didn’t want you to die, but only because you don’t get to be the one to break my brother’s heart. That job is mine.’

Now I’m pissed. He’s talking in circles, and I don’t believe for one second he’s subscribing to the bullshit he’s trying to sell me on now. ‘It’s clear you’re hiding something, and for someone so hell-bent on airing everyone else’s dirty laundry, you’re doing a bang-up job of being a spineless coward now. So, you have a truth. Guess what? We all do, fucking be a man and own it. But you don’t get to stand here and tell me that I’m wrong. What we have is different. It’s not normal because we are not normal. A part of your soul lives in the shadows, and just like mine, it craves the pain. It feeds on the torture and discomfort that years of hurt made us accustomed to. Your shadows fill my void, and the way I see it that makes you mine, Sebastian Lyk—’

He’s on me before I can finish saying his name kissing me hard as if my words were a pact, a binding vow of assurance that I promise not to break. ‘You’ll regret those words when I refuse to let you go.’ Then releasing me, he says, ‘Come on. I have business to discuss with my brother.’

We barely just entered the dining room, where everyone is sitting around the table with drinks, before Sebastian makes a scene.

‘What the fuck is he doing here?’ he booms, earning everyone’s attention. The fury on his face is almost tangible. I can practically feel it rolling off of him. I know Sebastian doesn’t care for Tate, but I assumed it was because he didn’t like me talking to other men, the status of our friendship being a moot point. Tate is a man, which, in Sebastian’s eyes, meant I shouldn’t speak to him, period, but right now, his anger leads me to believe this is more than just that.

Ellis sets his water down, seemingly unaffected by Sebastian’s outburst, only further serving to piss him off before saying, ‘He’s with me and Vivian.’

Sebastian losses his cool and drops my hand as though it scorched him before grinding out, ‘As what?’

That’s when Nico stands up and slams his hands on the table, ‘Cazzo! Enough, Sebastian. He is a guest in my house. You will treat him with respect.’

‘He is no guest in this house. He’s the man behind the attacks on Covet, him and his girlfriend.’

A small amount of relief floods my body when I realize that this is all a mix-up. Stepping into him, I grab his hand and say, ‘This is clearly a misunderstanding. Tate doesn’t have a girlfriend. The girl from the party the other night was his sister.’

I watch as Sebastian’s face pales before he turns back to Tate and confirms, ‘She’s your sister?’

‘Yes, she is my sister.’

Before I can wrap my head around what’s causing Sebastian’s shock regarding Tate’s sister, or the fact that he’s accusing Tate of stealing, the room erupts into chaos. Ellis is out of his chair, rounding the table to get at Tate. Mason throws his napkin down, muttering a few choice curse words, and joins him.

That’s when I yell, ‘Enough.’ I just got all three of these men to find one piece of common ground, and that’s me. I’ll be damned if I lose them all over some stupid misunderstanding, but just as everyone turns to look at me, my vision starts to blur, and I pinch the bridge of my nose. ‘Damn it, I forgot to take the pills.’

The next thing I know, Charlie is beside me, guiding me to a chair. ‘Vi, come on, sit down.’ My palms get sweaty, and the sound of my heartbeat increasingly gets louder in my ears before I give in to the wave of nausea that steals my focus and plunges me into darkness. Fuck.