11. Lace

11

LACE

“Once we go there…” His words fail at sounding convincing. The man just made me come. My skin prickles, and his does the same. Neither of us moves, we just kinda freeze for a second as if to really take it all in.

“If we don’t have sex, it isn’t really a thing,” I mumble against his mouth.

“You’re just tryin’ to get around my house rules.”

“They’re hot, by the way.”

My hand stilling in his underwear, and his stilling in mine, it does nothing to quench the rush of desire inside me. I’ve never been into two guys at the same time. I’ve never done this kind of thing before. But the deep desire burning inside me can’t be ignored.

He snorts. “House rules are hot?”

I nod. “Yes, because it means you won’t be bringing anyone else here.”

He stares at me. “I told you, this is my safe haven.” He clears his throat, then asks, “Is it just me and him?”

I bite my lip. “I told you, I’m not a slu?—”

He puts one finger up to my mouth to quieten me. “Don’t use those words. I never thought you were. I just wanna hear you say it.”

I think about Bandit calling me his dirty little sweet butt slut and I clamp my mouth closed. I want Manny to be dirty, too, but something about this caring, nurturing side to him makes me want that more. Thinking about what it would be like to have him inside me, like I have Bandit? It makes me shudder. Would he be rough like him? Or soft and ready to drag my pleasure out over and over. I know from what he’s already done so far that he’s good at this, but I’m no angel. I like it dirty and Manny can treat my body like an amusement park if he wants to.

“Why not? I can be your good little club slut, Manny.”

His eyes go round. “You did not just?—-”

I giggle, shutting him up with a kiss and as our tongues collide, I squeeze his cock. I make the moves, yanking down his sweats and his briefs by the elastic so I can get better access. When he lifts his hips to help me, I know he’s not saying no. I glance down at his erect cock and I lick my lips. Despite him saying he’s average, he’s not. He also has a piercing, which surprises the hell out of me. “Holy shit.”

He cups my face. “Shocked?”

I’m unable to move. This is… hot. “What is it?”

“A Prince Albert, I also have a lorum piercing.”

My eyes wander to the skin between the bottom of his shaft and where his balls meet. My mouth waters. “Can I play with it?”

“Gently, of course you can.” I bite down on my lip, my heart racing in my chest as I tug the higher one and he growls. I can see pre-cum leaking from his tip and I lean down and lick it off, my eyes meeting his. “Holy fuck.”

He has this primal look in his eyes that I could get used to. I know that this man hides his feral side behind his sunny nature, and I’m so freaking glad we decided to watch this dumb movie together.

I smile, taking his tip into my mouth but he yanks me up. “I’ll come so fast.”

I pout. “I want to play with it.”

He smiles against my mouth. “I’m not sure how much more playing I can handle.”

I fondle him, my palm stretching around his girth as our tongues meet. It’s hot and wet and so dirty. He’s not as thick as Bandit, but he’s just as long. Big dicks must be a thing around here and I’m not complaining. All I can think about is him inside me.

“You’re no fun.”

He yanks my sleep shorts down and I awkwardly pull them off, then I discard my tank. Suddenly, I remember my scar. I always cover it because it’s a self conscious scar that brings back a flood of memories. One hand darts there and Manny lowers his gaze. “You okay?”

I nod.

“Want to talk about it?”

I shake my head.

“I won’t touch you there if you don’t like it.”

I swallow hard. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s ugly?—”

He leans up, his lips close to mine. “Nothing about you is ugly.Got me, Chantilly? Nothing.”

Tears prick my eyes. The guys I’ve been with, of course, asked me about it and how I got it. Some of them wouldn’t let up until I told them the story, which killed the mood. I love how Manny doesn’t push.

I’m fully naked on top of him, and I feel safe. Pushing all negative thoughts out of my head and ripping off his t-shirt, I smooth my hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of his hot, smooth skin. I love the rose tattoos covering one arm. It’s so Manny.

He’s so beautiful it hurts, and his perfect hair is something out of a men’s style magazine, though right now, he looks like we’ve just got done fucking. Oh, we’re only getting started, and taking it slow like this is making my pussy weep.

“You won’t be saying that when you’ve had my tongue inside you.” My eyes almost bulge out of their sockets, but he just laughs. “Rub against me. Let’s get off together.” He runs his hands up my body, sending a tingling sensation down my spine.

“That feels so good.”

“You have a beautiful body, Lace.”

I want him inside, but he’s right. If we don’t actually have sex, then it’s not really a thing, right? I don’t know who needs more convincing, but I do know I want to get off. I need it.

He cups my ass, and I position myself so my pussy presses against his dick. The second we touch, we both groan. “Oh, yes,” I sigh.

“Rub that perfect little clit over me, honey, that’s it. Up and down, look how pretty we are together.”

Honey. This man is my undoing.

I hold onto his shoulders while he watches my breasts bounce, his hands roaming my body as I slide my pussy along his cock, his piercings scraping against my sensitive flesh. “That feels so good.”

He grips one hand behind my neck and says, “As good as he makes you feel?”

I nod.

“Tell me what he did.”

I take a breath. There’s no point lying, and this is making us both hot. “He fucked me over a desk.” I don’t tell him who’s desk or where, of course. “We were all hands, and he fucked me so hard.”

“Did you come?”

“Yes, so quickly.”

“Did you suck his dick?”

I moan as he plucks my nipples. “Yes.”

He reaches up, suckling one nipple into his mouth. “Did he like these?”

I nod. “He loves them.”

“I love them, too.”

I shift my hips, moving faster. I can see the struggle in his eyes. It would be so easy for him to push inside me and make each other feel even better. But this is like cheating the system somehow. We’re not really doing anything if we don’t penetrate… Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? We’re adults. If we want to go the whole hog, we should just do it.

“Would you want to fuck me in front of him, like I told you?”

I wait for his answer, praying he’ll say yes. I try not to imagine what he’ll do when he finds out it’s Bandit. Or worse… when Bandit finds out it’s him. But if they don’t know about each other, if Bandit just watches us at After Dark… somehow that feels wrong. I can’t mislead them like this. I need to come clean, even though I know the minute I do, they’ll both head for the hills.

His mouth forms an ‘O’ and I know he’s close. “Yes,” he stammers. “I’m gonna come, Lacey…” Lacey? Bandit calls me that too… I have a vision of Bandit behind us, his dick in my ass as we all fuck together and I come undone. My boys filling me so full.

My clit throbs as my orgasm sweeps through me and I grip his hair, rubbing against his cock as I feel my release dripping down his balls. I rub harder, gripping Manny so tight as he loses it and shoots his load, coating my lower abs and my stomach, as well as his own.

The sounds he makes, it’s like a goddamn symphony.

I ride it out, unable to be quiet as I shout his name; I’m so sensitive everywhere, needing so much more. But if this is all he’s willing to give for now, then so be it. We’re both a hot, panting mess as we gather ourselves. “That was intense.” Patting my chest, I try to slow my heart rate.

He leans up, pecking me quickly. “You’re a bad girl, Chantilly. You got me all hot and bothered, roomie. So Netflix and chill really are code for dry humping.”

I giggle. “It wasn’t exactly dry, we had no clothes on.”

He nips my chin. It’s so comforting. Even though sex with Bandit was rougher than this, he was still affectionate, and his kisses were slow and illicit. A lot like Manny’s.

“You’re perfect, and I think we both know the answer to that?”

I smile. “So,” I prod. “You’d really consider doing more?”

“Eager to corrupt me?” He smiles at his own joke.

“Do you really think little old me could be capable of such a thing?” I flutter my eyelashes and fan my face rapidly.

He glances down my body. “You’re naked on top of me and we just got off without fucking. I think you’re capable.”

My lips part. “I like how your mind works.”

“I’m glad about that.”

“Even if we can’t fuck because we live together?”

He wraps his arms around me. “I can sense this is headed somewhere?”

“The other guy? He’s not out yet, but I know he’s enjoying it. He’s good in bed.” Not that we fucked in a bed, but still. “He knows what he’s doing. I just want to make sure you’d be comfortable with it.”

He brushes the hair off my face. “The real question is, would you, Lace? It’s not about pleasing him, or me, it’s about what you want. Don’t ever do anything to please another person, you got me?”

I nod, but it’s not that. The pull I feel toward the two of them that I’ve never experienced before. I want them both. My body aches for the two of them, and I’ve no idea how Bandit will react when I tell him about me humping Manny, even if we didn’t technically have sex. Not that I can confess that it is indeed Manny I’m fooling around with. What would they think of each other? I know that Bandit would not be okay with Manny knowing this stuff about him, so pushing them together won’t work, either. I need to tell them both, that’s what I need to do. We need to sit down like adults and have a conversation. I just know that Bandit won’t confess shit because Manny is part of the club. If it were anyone else, he might come out of his shell. My heart sinks because I know this is impossible.

“I won’t, Manny.”

“Pinkie swear?” He’s so adorable.

I giggle, bringing my pinkie in front of his face. He links his with mine. “Pinkie swear.”

He pecks me quickly on the lips. I’m glad this isn’t awkward or weird. Then again, things can be different in the light of day. I just hope Manny doesn’t change his mind, because that was really hot.

“I’m not seeing anyone else,” I whisper.

His gaze meets mine. “Just you and him.”

He kisses my nose. “Let’s keep it that way, Princess . Don’t wanna complicate things even more.”

I take a deep breath. I need to get this off my chest… “There’s probably something you should know about?—”

My phone rings, blaring out into the quiet room. The movie stopped eons ago; the illumination from the screen is the only light in the room. I let it ring out, though it’s late, and nobody ever rings me unless… the phone rings again. I move off Manny as he tosses me his shirt and I slide it over my body. I grab my phone off the coffee table and check the screen. It’s my brother. Shit. The one thing I’m terrified of is judgment from him about this. He definitely wouldn’t approve, and he still sees me as his kid sister with pigtails and a gunshot wound. He’s always been overly protective, but after the trauma of our childhood, he stepped it up ten thousand notches.

“Riot?” I know the news is bad before I even hear his voice.

“Lace, it’s Charles.”

Panic hits me from all sides. “What’s wrong?”

“He… the stupid old fool fell off the fuckin’off a ladder tryin’ to get on the roof.”

Manny lifts from the couch, wiping his stomach with a wad of tissues as he watches me, concerned.

“Is he… is he gonna be okay?”

“He’s in the hospital, I’m gonna swing by and pick you up. I knew you’d want to be there.”

My hand flies over my face. “Jesus, Riot. I’m scared.”

Manny mouths ‘what’s wrong?’ and I wave him off, picking up my underwear as I hold the phone to my ear.

“We’ll know more when we get to the hospital. He may have a fractured pelvis, a broken arm, and a head injury. But he’s as tough as nails, you know that.” It sounds like Riot is more trying to convince himself, rather than me.

Tears well in my eyes. Charles is the father I should’ve had. The man who took us both in when our parents died. It’s gut wrenching imagining him injured and hurting. I can’t blink back the tears.

“Okay, but Manny can take me.” I glance at him as he nods and mouths, ‘of course.’

“If you’re sure?”

“I’ll be there soon.”

He hangs up. I drop my phone into my lap as I sit on the end of the couch. “It’s my dad,” I whisper. “Charles, well, he’s not my real dad, but he may as well be. He raised me and Myles when we were…” I trail off, unable to say anymore. I only ever use Riot’s real name when I’m trying to embarrass him, or when recalling our childhood.

Manny’s pulling on his jeans, jumping into action as I sit there in shock. I mean, I know it’s just an accident, but it sounded pretty severe. My brother is right; Charles is as tough as an old boot. He’ll be okay. He has to be okay.

Manny puts a hand on my shoulder, holding his hoodie in one hand as he pulls it gently over my head. “I met him,” he reminds me. Oh, I forgot about that. It was when Riot was kidnapped and Cash, Manny and Charles rescued him. “He’s been hurt?”

I nod. “We need to go to the hospital.”

“Okay.” He kisses the top of my head. “Anything you want.”

“Riot said he fell off a ladder.”

He watches me, his big, beautiful eyes laced with concern. “We’ll leave now, it won’t take long.”

“He…” I brace myself as I plant a hand on his chest. “Nothing can happen to him, Manny, not yet, it’s not his time.” Tears well in my eyes. He pulls me into a hug, one that I need desperately.

“It’s gonna be okay. I promise. He’s as strong as an ox.”

“What if he hit his head hard? Riot sounded like he knew more. What if he isn’t telling me the truth?” A new panic hits me.

Manny braces his hands on my shoulders. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions until we know more. Do you need anything except your phone?”

I shake my head.

“I’ll go grab another hoodie, be right back.” He takes off upstairs, leaving me for a few seconds to pace and panic a little more. Charles is my touchstone. The man who has been a pivotal point in my healing since I was twelve.

I hug myself, afraid that if I don’t, my heart might just fall right out of my chest on the floor.

Manny is back in a flash, taking me by the hand as he grabs his keys and we head out on his motorcycle. He pulls on my helmet and I wrap myself around his body as I climb on. Pressing up against him feels warm and safe. He makes me feel that way.

A shot of guilt runs through me over what we just did, but I remind myself that I’m not doing anything wrong. Bandit is aware there’s someone else, he’s just too chicken shit to go after what he wants. I warred with myself because I know I need to tell them both, and I was about to confess to Manny before Riot rang. Now it’ll have to wait.

I close my eyes, pressing my head against Manny’s back as we weave through the city. I’d normally be living in the moment, enjoying every second of being on the back of his Harley, but this is hardly the time to be pleased about anything. When we see Riot and Halo out front as we pull up, I jump off and throw myself into Riot’s arms before I even tug off my helmet. He helps me out of it and Halo hugs me, too.

“Have you heard any more?” I blurt.

“He’s had an MRI and they can’t see any blunt force trauma or otherwise. They just wanted to be sure and tick every box. He broke his pelvis and fractured his arm.”

“Holy shit.”

Halo puts an arm around me as Manny parks and then jogs over. He gives Riot a pound hug and Halo a chin lift.

“But the good news is he’s going to be fine,” Halo echoes.

“When can we see him?” I glance from Halo to Riot.

“They said soon, when he’s in recovery. They’re watching his blood pressure.”

“Is Peggy here?” I glance around. Charles has a lady friend, and while it’s new, I know she’ll be taking good care of him.

He nods. “She’s inside. We can go grab a coffee while we wait.”

“Okay,” I whisper. Halo still has her arm around me as go inside, find Peggy, and all take a seat.

When we finally get to see Charles, he’s more banged up than I thought. A sob escapes me as I fold into his arms. He’s groggy, but semi-coherent. “You silly fool!” I chastise. “You know you’re not supposed to get on ladders or climb roofs with your dizzy spells!”

He coughs and I cringe, looking across to Riot, who’s sitting on the other side of the bed.

“Give an old man a break before you bust his balls,” Charles croaks.

Riot snickers. “See, told ya he was gonna pull through.”

“I’m so mad at you!” I try not to sound as mad as I feel, but this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this, and it probably won’t be the last. “You’re not a spring chicken anymore, Dad.”

I’ve called him that for years. Plus, I hate using his real name because it feels impersonal.

He glances at my brother. “Is she gonna keep bustin’ my chops, Myles?”

Riot shrugs. “I guess she has a point, old boy. You know you can call me to do that shit anyway, I’m only a phone call away.”

He rolls his eyes. “The two of you are ganging up on me.”

My voice softens. “It’s only because we care about you.”

He pats my hand. “I know that. In future, I’ll call your brother, but he’s gonna get pretty sick of me every time I need something done.”

“If it’ll keep Lace off both our backs, it’ll be worth it,” Riot snickers.

I lean over and punch him on the arm.

Charles laughs, which in turn makes him cough again.

Peggy went to make a phone call, but I’m glad he has a lady friend in his life. He’s been by himself for so long. At first I teased the shit out of him for it, but then I saw she brought the soft side out in him, and it warmed my heart. It also makes me feel a whole lot better knowing Peggy is only a block away in case there’s an emergency.

“Very funny. Expect lots of visits from me, and I’ll bring food and make sure you have crosswords and sudoku to do while you recover,” I say.

Charles grunts a thanks, his eyes closing.

“We should let him rest,” Riot says. “We can come back in the morning.”

I’m reluctant to leave. I’ve never liked hospitals. The last time I was in one, I was twelve years old with a gunshot wound. The trauma of that night will never fully leave me, but I’ve learned to cope.

I lean over and kiss Charles on the cheek. “I love you, daddy,” I whisper. “Be back tomorrow.”

He opens his eyes and smiles, mumbling something incoherent.

Riot’s already standing, his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s let him rest.” A few tears leak as Riot pulls me into a hug. “I know this is hard for you.”

“It never gets easier,” I admit. “But it was a hospital that saved my life, well, after you and Charles got me there.”

“Let’s not go there.”

A pained look crosses his face. He never talks about it, and I never push the issue. Some memories are best left in the past.