Chapter Twelve

Odette

L iving in this house, I’d woken up in several ways: freezing cold, in Dominic’s arms, with a cat stepping on my face, or with Niko’s head dangerously close to my pollution factory. However, today, I woke up with what can only be described as a hangover.

My body wouldn’t stop shaking, my stomach was in knots that made me want to curl up in a ball, and my head was throbbing. I wish someone would have told me that having a hangover was like having the flu, only worse. I had no recollection of leaving Reesia’s house or getting home.

The upside was that I woke up in Aiden’s bed with his arm loosely draped over my hips. My body was so achy that I didn’t want to move—so I didn’t.

Instead of getting out of bed, I admired how at peace he seemed. Aiden was a get-them-before-they-get-you kind of man. He was always anticipating, planning, and calculating. Even in his sleep, his eyelashes twitched as he dreamt. Watching him asleep, I realized that he held a lot of his expression on his lips. I would have never noticed there was a difference unless I was as close as I was. Asleep, his lips were full and somewhat round—natural. They were more upturned in the corners when he was awake, like a soft smirk, making them slightly thinner.

It was a subtle difference that I counted myself lucky to know.

“I can feel you staring,” he mumbled, his eyes still closed. His morning voice was raspy, and if I didn’t feel so shitty, it probably would have turned me on.

I didn’t have the energy to lie or quickly close my eyes and pretend I was asleep. “What does it feel like?” I asked, noticing how hoarse my voice was.

Aiden opened his eyes, where his electric met my ocean blue. He shifted, propping himself on his elbow, “Have you ever gone to a family-owned breakfast diner? One where every cup is different because they don’t have any matching dish sets?” He questioned. “Those diners always have the best coffee.”

I pushed my eyebrows together, not entirely understanding if that was an insult or not. “You’re comparing me staring at you to coffee in mismatched cups?” Was I still drunk?

He moved a few locks of hair out of my face as a small smile slowly appeared on his lips. “There’s not many things that I like more on a Sunday morning than those mismatched cups of coffee, Odette.”

Blinking up at him, I swallowed the meaning behind his metaphor. A simple, ‘I liked waking up next to you’ would have sufficed, but no, he had to go and make me blush. I was easily flattered as it is; my stomach would explode from how easily I got butterflies around my professors.

The worst part was that I think they knew how easily flustered I was and liked it.

“Awe, that’s so sweet of you, Aiden.”

Aiden and I both shared a confused look at the intrusion that came from the end of his bed.

As I sat up to inspect, I groaned as my stomach ached and my head throbbed at my movement. Aiden and I were met with Niko’s smug smirk. He must have been sleeping on the floor at the end of Aiden’s bed. He had his arms crossed, resting on the end of the bed, and his chin on his arms, giving him an innocent demeanor.

Aiden narrowed his eyes at him, “What are you doing in here?” He asked calmly.

“Beats me,” Niko responded nonchalantly. His gaze shifted to meet mine with a kind smile. “Good morning, Cari?o. Feeling better?” He asked.

“Better?” I repeated, looking between the two. “I feel like I got hit by a bus. What happened?” I asked, desperate to fill in the blanks between butt-scooting down Reesia’s stairs and now.

Aiden ran his hands down his face, softly chuckling. “Well, after about an hour of you promising that you don’t have a piss or shit kink, you threw up about eight times, cried over Cat being so fluffy, then cried about puking, then cried again when we told you to stop apologizing, drank about a gallon of water, chewed the Tylenol I gave you, cried about how bad it tasted, threw up again, and passed out.”

My jaw about unhinged the more he spoke, knowing that even with how unlike myself that sounded, it was entirely true. “Oh my God,” I grabbed the blanket and covered my face before lying back down. I physically felt like I did exactly that. It was funny or would be in a few weeks, but mostly embarrassing. “I’m so sorry,” I apologized.

Niko grabbed my ankle under the comforter and gave me a small tug, “Hey,” he said more seriously than I was prepared for. The tone of his voice made me peek my eyes out from under the blanket to meet his gaze. “No more apologizing,” he ordered, a strong tremble in his voice that left me no room to question him.

“Okay,” I agreed quickly.

Niko’s serious expression disappeared in two seconds as he tapped my ankle. “Good,” he stood up, groaning as he held his lower back, which was probably sore from sleeping on the hardwood floor all night. “I’m going to make breakfast. Any special requests?” he asked.

I cringed; the thought of food made my stomach turn. “Nothing.”

He and Aiden gave me a firm look. “You need to eat something, Babydoll,” Aiden advised. “You’re running on empty.”

I shook my head. Nothing sounded worse than food.

Niko sighed, “Pancakes? Eggs? Toast? I can make soup—”

I was running to Aiden’s bathroom before he could continue. I dry heaved over the toilet, wishing the Grim Reaper would take me. As much as my body tried to expel anything that was in my stomach, nothing came up, making the experience nothing but painful.

“You know what? Actually, let’s rain check breakfast—”

“Get out,” I heard Aiden’s agitated voice demand.

My hair was in two braids, and I was impressed with myself for braiding last night. Aiden was by my side, sitting on the ledge of his bathtub. He grabbed the braids with one hand and rubbed my back with the other. “I don’t miss being twenty-one,” he tried to joke.

I groaned, my body over its fit as I leaned against his legs. “I’m twenty.”

He sighed, “I don’t miss that either.”

“I’m never drinking again,” I swore. I meant it, too; this was worse than any sickness I’d ever had.

“Let’s go back to bed,” he gestured to the door.

As lovely as that sounded, “I have homework,” I sighed. It was Sunday, and I needed to complete next week’s assignments. I usually finished them by Saturday, but I wouldn’t trade yesterday.

“You don’t want to do it later today?” He questioned.

I shook my head, not wanting to explain to a Professor how long it took me to retain information. I had to read a single page at least five times to understand something. I wasn’t smart; I really studied hard.

Aiden didn’t push any further on the subject, which I was thankful for. If he did, I would’ve let myself stay in bed all day and get nothing done.

He helped me stand up again, and I noted the baggy sweatpants and sweater I was wearing. I could tell I had nothing underneath, and my hair was slightly damp. I glanced at Aiden, “I couldn’t make it down the stairs last night, but I survived in a shower?” I questioned. With the slipperiness of the stone floor, I was sure I would discover a bruise on me somewhere later from falling.

He cocked an eyebrow at me, “You probably wouldn’t have on your own,” he teased as he walked out of the bathroom.

Widening my eyes, I had so many more questions. Mostly, I was just sad our unspoken game was over. He saw my tattoo, and I didn’t even remember his expression. Dang, I was really looking forward to basking in my own triumph. At least he didn’t let me slip and die in the shower.

Seeing my toothbrush already in his bathroom, I brushed my teeth and splashed some water on my face. My eyes had massive purple circles under them, my looks reflecting how I felt. Like shit. I didn’t even change out of Aiden’s clothes or take my hair out of its loose braids as I went downstairs.

The fireplace was on, giving the room a warm glow. Outside, it was gloomy and rainy—my preferred weather. Dominic and Wyatt sat on the sofas around the large living room, coffee on the side tables beside them. They were both utterly engrossed in whatever paperwork they had in front of them. I could only assume they were grading; the red pens in their hands were a telltale sign.

An incredibly old black-and-white horror movie was playing on the TV at a low volume. To avoid disturbing them, I quietly went to the front door, where my backpack with schoolwork was.

“She lives,” Wyatt joked, his eyes following me as I sat beside him.

“Barely,” I assured, pulling my homework out. I sat with my legs crossed, a giant workbook—courtesy of Niko—in my lap. Niko’s class had always been less difficult than the others I’d taken. He taught in a way that simplified the work. Still, he assigned a lot of homework and studying.

Wyatt chuckled, “You’re hungover and decided to do homework?” He questioned as if the idea was strange to him.

I held an amused expression. He was a Professorat a prestigious college—he, of all people, should know just how much homework got assigned. I didn’t want to comment on the amount of work I had to do, not with four of them in the room—I may strike a nerve.

In response, I glanced down at his pen, “And you’re grading in red ink because it’s supposed to be intimidating,” I shrugged.

Dominic muffled a laugh, “Is that what students think?”

I nodded, “What other reason could you have for grading in red? Blue or black is less harsh,” I explained. I’d had conversations with my peers about this and read an article about it. They weren’t as sneaky as they think.

Aiden and Niko took their own seats on the sofas, each of us with some kind of paperwork in front of us. Aiden looked intrigued, “Yes, but also, students write in blue and black. Red is noticeable against those colors, so our notes are more visible,” he refuted.

“If that’s true, why not write in purple? Or any color that stands out?” I smirked.

The four of them shared a perplexed look as if trying to think of an excuse or answer to my question.

Wyatt turned towards me, placing his pen down while crossing his arms. “Your argument is that red is supposed to be intimidating?” He started, and I could tell I had them tightly wound.

I nodded, keeping my confident smugness. I was arguing (a friendly argument) with four professors, and I had to hold my ground.

“But red ink is also romantic? Does that mean we romanticize incorrect answers? No. Sometimes, a color is simply a color,” he said, matching my demeanor.

Keeping my response quick, I also crossed my arms, “Hm, so you think red is romantic. That would mean you associate color with emotion. So, is color just a color? Or are you unconsciously using it to intimidate students?”

Dominic smirked at me, “You took debate, didn’t you?”

“Aced it.” I didn’t care much for confrontation, but I loved a friendly debate.

Aiden looked proud as he leaned back. “You’re right. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

I smiled, “Yes.” Filled with satisfaction, I started working on my four pages of equations.

Three hours had passed, and I was on page three of the equations—my brain slowly becoming mush. Niko practically force-fed me a piece of toast. I admit I did feel better after I ate.

I somehow ended up on the ground, sitting at the large coffee table with the workbook in front of me. Niko was sitting on the couch behind me, and I felt his eyes heavily on my back.

Every once in a while, he would make a sound. It wasn’t exactly a groan, but it was like he was in pain. I made the same sound when I had period cramps. I didn’t question it; I just assumed he was annoyed at grading papers.

My other three professors had shifted as well. I never considered how much they had to grade. I’d always assumed students had more homework than professors. Their piles of work to be graded had a slight dent.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the environment. I loved that we could all get our work done and didn’t have to try in each other’s presence. It felt so easy, and I basked in the comfort of the room.

Even with all of us working separately, I’d caught each of them staring at me—and vice versa. It made me feel like I was in high school again, getting giddy because my crush was caught looking.

Cat was curled up in my lap, happily asleep. Of course, he spent about an hour walking between the five of us and collecting any attention he could get.

My pencil glided swiftly across the paper as I continued working on an equation. Just as I wrote a number, I heard Niko make another sound. This time—I was almost sure it had something to do with my homework.

Glancing over my shoulder at him, I saw his eyes flicker away from my workbook. “What?” I deadpanned.

He looked at me with wide eyes. “What, me?” he gestured to himself innocently as if he didn’t know what I was talking about.

“You’ve been making noises every time my pen touches the paper, Niko. You’re driving me nuts.”

He remained still for a few seconds before he sighed in relief. “Well, since you asked,” he said, placing his laptop down and sliding down the couch, sitting on the floor behind me. His legs were on either side of my body as he excitedly grabbed my pencil from me.

Getting whiplash from his quick and excited movements, I tried not to laugh.

He erased a number I wrote: “Eight times thirteen is not 108; it’s 104,” he corrected. He placed the pencil in my hand again: “Try to solve it now,” he encouraged.

I was nervous about solving one of his problems while he was watching so closely. Still, I worked quickly and fixed everything else in the equation that my incorrect number affected. The final number made sense and wasn’t a decimal like my previous answer.

“See, it works a lot better when you don’t write the wrong number,” he smirked, pulling my calculator’s history—which read 104. I miswrote in front of a math professor.

“If that was all, you should have said something sooner,” I reluctantly said. I really thought I was doing it wrong, which would have been embarrassing in front of him.

Niko smiled down at me, grabbing my pencil again before flipping to a previous page in the workbook. I fought a groan as he pointed to another equation, realizing that I had messed up somewhere else.

“How do you undo a square root?” He questioned, a handsome sparkle in his eyes.

I looked down at the page, “The square root and the square cancel each other out,” I answered. I knew that.

“They’re the inverse of each other,” he agreed. He pointed to a number, “So why’d you multiply?” A playful edge to his tone.

I narrowed my eyes at the number, not knowing why I’d do that.

“I know you know how to do these. I’ve watched you solve twenty of them with no problem. It’s the same steps with different numbers,” he said matter-of-factly, wrapping his arm around my middle. You overthink,” he said.

“Maybe she’s nervous because you’re watching over her shoulder,” Dominic muttered, not looking away from his papers, earning a chuckle from Wyatt and Aiden.

Niko pushed his head back, seemingly offended. “Maybe she’s distracted by you making eyes at her every five minutes?” Niko shot back.

“Maybe she’s been doing math for three hours,” I imputed.

“Have we really been grading for three hours?” Wyatt grabbed his phone and looked at the time. He stood up, “I’m calling a mandatory break,” he joked.

My workbook was closed in a second flat. A break sounded lovely, at least for a little bit. Niko stood, helping me up with him. Cat was distraught, his peace disturbed.

Once everyone was on their feet, I tried to make my way to the kitchen. The four of them circled around me as if they all had the same idea. I felt tiny under all their intense, lustful stares.

There was a drastic mood shift, one that both excited me and made my nerves catch fire.

“Where are you going?” Niko asked in a dark tone.

My wrists were grabbed as Dominic held them tightly behind my back. “How are you feeling, Darling?” He husked against the back of my neck. Chills cascaded down my spine, straight to my pussy.

Just like that, my pollution factory was open for business.

Wyatt held a smirk as he brushed my fly-away hairs out of my face, leaving my face and neck exposed to them. “She feels hot; maybe we should take off a few layers?” He taunted.

A deep blush crept up my neck. I felt like their prey as they all slowly closed in on me. It was overwhelming, exhilarating, and all-consuming. They manipulated me so easily, turning my body and mind to mush.

Aiden wrapped his hand around the end of my—his sweater. “I want this back,” he cocked an eyebrow as of challenging me to protest.

Lust overpowered my embarrassment of being topless. “Then take it,” I encouraged.

The moment the words left my lips, I was ravished. The sweater was lifted over my head in moments, leaving the sleeves hanging off my wrists, which were still bound in Dominic’s big hand. My exposed skin was bitten by the chill in the room, making my nipples harden.

Niko’s fingertips brushed against my hip, playing with the waistband of the sweatpants, a devious smirk across his lips. From his look alone, I knew they were coming off. Instead of feeling nervous, I was surprised at my eagerness.

Something that I’d learned about myself since living here was that I was greedy. I loved having the attention of four men. Their touch was like an endless addiction I’d never tire of. The thought was scary because we’d only just begun.

Wyatt wasn’t shy about where his eyes roamed—not in the slightest. A lustful approval gleamed off his expression as if the bulge in his sweatpants wasn’t enough to flatter me.

Aiden’s eyes were glued to the swell of my left breast—more specifically, the tiny heart in red ink. Relief was mixed with desire in his eyes.

He didn’t look. I didn’t have the time to dwell on the fact that he didn’t look last night. I was so sure he would have because he had the opportunity to.

Aiden’s hand cupped my breast gently, his thumb gliding over my sensitive nipple. I flinched, but Dominic didn’t allow me to get far. Dominic pushed my elbows together, pushing out my chest, presenting me to their greedy eyes.

“Sensitive?” Aiden teased. He shamelessly pinched my nipple between his thumb and pointer finger. I cried out at the sensation of pain and pleasure.

Niko’s hand slipped past the waistband of the sweatpants, inching his way to where I wanted him to touch me.

I was a flinching mess with their hands on me. Wyatt stood with a smirk, watching as they overwhelmed my body.

“Can I take these off?” Niko asked, snapping the waistband against my hip.

I’d be naked, and they’d be fully clothed. The thought made me feel vulnerable and slightly uncomfortable. Luckily for them, a new and rather sick part of me was turned on by the idea.

“Yes,” I answered shyly.

“Yeah?” He smiled; his tone was eerily kind—one that put me on edge.

Again, I nodded, getting impatient. The more Aiden played with my nipples, the more desperate I became. Dominic had started kissing and licking my neck. With each wet kiss, a bolt of electricity shot straight to my pussy.

Wyatt clicked his tongue as he shook his head, “Tsk Tsk Tsk. Careful, Baby. You almost let your eagerness show,” he called me out.

I felt transparent under their stares. It was embarrassing, being as easily read as I was.

Aiden stopped the torture on my nipples—or so I thought. His fingers were replaced with his tongue. He swirled his tongue around my sensitive bud, earning a soft moan.

Dominic released my wrists momentarily as he took the sweater off my arms. He tied the sweater around my wrists, keeping them restrained behind my back. “Don’t move,” he husked the warning against my neck.

The only word that came to mind when he spoke was Daddy. The memory of him using it was engraved in my thoughts, consuming them. It suited him so well, and I wanted to call him that. I was still too embarrassed to accept that about myself.

He disappeared up the stairs, confusing me. My thoughts weren’t kept for long as Niko began removing the sweatpants. Once he got them over my ass, they loosely fell down my legs, where they pooled at my feet. “So fucking pretty,” Niko cooed as his hand trailed just below my waistline.

A gasp escaped as I felt a slight pinch on my breast. Aiden palmed my right one while his mouth was over the swell of my left. He was sucking hard right where my tattoo was.

Wyatt finally stepped closer, his lips parted in a way that made me want to kiss him. His eye-line kept shifting between me and my exposed pussy. I shivered as he touched me. Without warning, his middle and ring finger rubbed my slit.

“Awe, you’re dripping down your thighs, Cari?o,” Niko said in that same eerie tone.

My thighs tried to squeeze together and close. My attempt was futile as Aiden and Wyatt each used their own legs to keep mine spread. Aiden unlatched from my skin, leaving a dark purple mark around my tattoo. He slapped my inner thigh, and I cried out in pain. “It’s mine now,” he declared. “Keep those fucking legs spread,” he warned.

With nothing to lean on, I was sure I would fall. My legs already felt weak, and my mind was incredibly clouded.

Aiden used both his hands, pinching and playing with my nipples. Wyatt teased me; his touch was gentle compared to what I knew he could do. They were teasing me with light touches.

A fist full of my hair was grabbed as Niko tilted my head towards him. His lips crashed into mine, swallowing the new string of escaped moans. My eyes were shut, and all I could do was feel.

Niko held me, supporting my weight, and I wasn’t worried about falling anymore. His tongue entered my mouth, and I bucked my hips against Wyatt’s hand. I was throbbing for them.

Wyatt chuckled at my desperation, “Tell me what you want, Odette.”

There was a large presence behind me, but I was unable to look. Something soft covered my eyes, stealing my ability to see. The world was pitch black, and my nerves were on edge. “I know how much you like blindfolds,” Dominic husked before he licked my ear.

Niko sucked my tongue as he pulled away from me. Desperate for more, I leaned forward, my lips parted for him.

Deep chuckles filled the room, and I blushed, embarrassment dripping from me like liquid fire. Everything was a haze, as touch took over all other senses.

My cheeks were squished together by a large hand. My lips were forced to picker as I whimpered. “Fuck—do you know the things I’m going to do with this slutty little mouth?” Niko chucked. The threat made my mouth water.

His grip on my face was gone, his hand moving to my lips. My mouth was quickly occupied with his thump, pressing down on my tongue. A deep moan rumbled through his throat, giving me butterflies.

More pressure was added to my clit as Wyatt toyed with me. I moaned around Niko’s finger as I pressed myself further into Wyatt’s hand. “Tell us what you want,” Wyatt repeated.

Aiden’s hands on my breasts disappeared, leaving them tender and cold. Dominic untied my wrists, holding them in his hand above my head. I was completely exposed, my legs spread, every part of me exposed to them.

The feeling of their eyes on me alone was almost enough to make me cum. Adrenaline rushed through me, impatiently waiting for what they’d do next. Everything was new and exciting.

A million answers ran through my mind:

This.

For you to touch me.

Don’t stop.

More.

The one that came out was much more desperate than anything I was thinking. “Stop teasing me,” I practically begged after Niko removed his thumb from my mouth, my voice coming out as a whimper.

“Is that how good girls ask?” Dominic husked against my neck. He pulled my arms above my head, forcing me to stand on my toes. My body stretched to the maximum.

“Please!” I added quickly. “ Please stop teasing me.” My voice was breathy, and my body had one giant heartbeat that I could feel everywhere.

“Awe, that’s better, Baby,” Wyatt praised. “Please stop teasing me... what?” He hinted. His fingers moved closer to my entrance, encouraging me to answer.

A deep blush heated my cheeks as I pondered. Again, my mind went into overdrive, using my last remaining functioning brain cell. He wanted me to call him something. Daddy—no! Sir? Dominic was the one who reacted to those names, not Wyatt.

A sick, somewhat twisted name came to mind—one that embarrassingly sent another wave of arousal onto Wyatt’s fingers. “Please stop teasing me, professor.”

Dominic slowly moved my wrists lower, relaxing the strain on my torso. Wyatt hummed in approval, “Okay, Baby. We’ll stop teasing you.” His agreement sounded more like a warning, which made me nervous.

Something small, cold, and sharp touched my torso, and I flinched. Whatever it was, it moved down slowly, tickling everywhere it touched. Wyatt’s fingers plunged into me, and I cried out at the suddenness.

My knees would have given out if Dominic wasn’t holding me up. Aiden and Niko continued to move something all over my torso, making me flinch. It tickled more than anything, putting my body into overdrive.

The tickling, mixed with Wyatt’s fingers curling inside me, made me a moaning mess. “W-what is that?” I questioned, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“What does it feel like?” Aiden retorted.

Whatever it was felt amazing—it was small and sent tiny shivers through my body. The object they were using on my skin added to Wyatt’s fingers. The patterns they made on my skin, mixed with Wyatt’s attack on my pussy made a symphony. With a blindfold on, touch was my primary sense, and they were taking advantage of that.

For a moment, I thought I knew what the objects they were using were. They felt like the very tip of a dull knife, gently pressed into my skin, not enough to cut or feel painful—just small enough to tickle. “A... knife?” I attempted to form words.

There was a minor lapse where the only thing that could be heard was Wyatt’s wet palm slapping against my pussy. “That doesn’t scare you?” Aiden’s question seemed mischievous, as if he’d cracked a code.

Barely able to think, I shook my head no. I knew they wouldn’t hurt me. I felt silly for thinking that after knowing them for a short time. They’d gained a significant amount of my trust. I trusted them with my body, at least.

Pushing my hips into Wyatt’s hand, I tried to push his fingers deeper into me. Dominic’s free hand was also holding another object. His was running down my side, my hips, and down to my thigh. “You’re not bothered by sharp knives running down your soft skin? One wrong move—” he pressed the object harder into my skin, and I winced, but it wasn’t a stabbing pain. It felt like a small amount of pressure in my thigh. “And you’d get cut,” he finished.

My pussy clenched as he spoke, and Wyatt moved his fingers faster in response. “She’s not scared, are you, Baby?” Wyatt joined in. “You’re squeezing my fingers at the thought of it. You dirty little pain-slut.”

I moaned, clenching around him again. Pleasure consumed me, quickly building, and I was ready to let it shatter me.

“You look so fucking hot right now,” Niko exclaimed, his voice low. “Do you want to see yourself, Cari?o?” He asked with that same false kindness. “You need to see the mess we’ve made of you, doesn’t she, Wyatt?” He prompted.

My arms were released from Dominic’s grip, allowing them to fall at my sides. I almost stumbled, but Wyatt’s arm hooked around my waist. The objects were taken from my skin, leaving tingles in their wake.

My feet weren’t touching the floor as Wyatt carried me a short distance. One of my legs was lifted, hooked over Wyatt’s arm as he stood behind me. My other leg was straight, my foot touching the ground. Wyatt continued right where we left off as he forced his fingers back inside me.

I cried out, holding onto his arm for support. The blindfold was slowly removed, leaving me distracted for a moment. In front of us, a large full-body mirror rested in the corner of the room.

The reflection made my heart stop—but only for a moment. I was bare; red scars trailed my torso, thighs, and hips in long lines.

My shock didn’t last long as my eyes adjusted. The scars weren’t scars. They were red ink. All down my body, they used their pens to tickle and tease me. Such a simple, everyday utensil...

My eyes focused on Wyatt’s hand. He was fingering me ruthlessly. With each slap of his palm against my pussy, I felt myself closer to the edge.

I watched in a trance, completely engrossed in the sight of myself, of Wyatt’s Hyde smirk, and my other professors in the background watching with lust. It was the most beautiful I’d ever felt in a mirror.

“Tell me, Baby. Is red ink romantic or intimidating?” Wyatt husked in my ear, his lips pressed against the skin of my neck.

His words were enough to tip me over the edge. With one final pump into me, I cried out in pleasure. My eyes closed, and my head rested against his shoulder as I came. The world around me felt like clouds, and I felt weightless as I basked in my release.

My legs were shaking, and my heart refused to steady as I came down from my high. It felt like an eternity, but only seconds passed before I opened my eyes again.

In the reflection, I was met with four sets of eyes. Each looked proud and held more happiness than I understood. I turned my head, wanting to look at Wyatt directly. Before I could ask him why they seemed as happy as they did, he spoke.

“You did so good for us, Baby,” he pressed his lips against mine in a long, passionate kiss. His arm unhooked from my leg, allowing me to put it down.

Despite the chill in the house, warmth spread through my body. Wyatt broke away just as my other guys approached. Aiden held his sweater in his hand, “I retain the right to take this away from you at my discretion,” he joked before he touched my elbow, prompting me to lift my arms.

Unfamiliarity was becoming familiar. I wasn’t used to this kind of treatment, but I somehow knew they’d never leave me feeling anything less than content after a ‘scene,’ as Reesia called it. I preferred to call it tutoring—one-on-one lessons with professors. I liked our little study sessions. Maybe a little too much.

Aiden helped me dress, covering me back up again. Of course, after assuring me that the ink would wash away easily in the shower.

I’d gotten their message loud and clear.

One, I challenged them earlier about the red ink. Now, it was all over my body. If I decide to talk back, I should prepare to face the repercussions.

Two, I didn’t need to think around them. During tutoring , I knew they had me. They wouldn’t let me fall.

“Odette.” Dominic’s voice caught me off guard. It seemed softer than usual. I turned to him, still feeling a slight haze around my thoughts. “We’d never hold a knife to your skin or anything else that could hurt you without you agreeing to it first,” he explained. His eyes didn’t leave mine as he spoke, and I couldn’t tell if he was worried, thought I was a freak for even thinking it was a knife, or if he was simply informing.

He held out a piece of paper to me. “So you’d better mark it yes on the list,” his tone had a hint of playfulness in it.

My checklist of things I wanted to try, was open to trying, and would never want to try was in his hand. I didn’t know where I left it last night—I was just glad I didn’t leave it lying around Reesia’s house.

I took it from him, noticing that ‘knife/sharp objects’ was marked as yes in red ink. Seeing Niko’s grin out of the corner of my eye, I returned his smile. “Just helping?” I teased. I didn’t mind; after being blindfolded and teased with the tips of pens, of all things, I was going to change my maybe to yes anyway.

“I thought I’d speed up at least one of them,” he nodded towards the kitchen. “Help me make lunch?” He asked.

Wyatt let go of me, allowing me to walk with Niko.

“You need to choose a safeword sooner rather than later, Babydoll,” Aiden chimed in, walking next to me. “It makes me nervous that you don’t have one yet,” he admitted.

Luckily, I remembered what a safeword was from my horrible Google search. I really liked the concept, but every word I thought of either sounded weird or inappropriate. “Can you help me with the list?” I asked, looking down at some of the kinks that I wanted more information about.

Aiden looked strangely eager; some would even say giddy. “Of course,” he smiled.

“Starting with the fact that you totally have a piss kink,” Niko smirked down at me, obviously having read my answers from last night.

I cringed, “Absolutely not.”

Niko pointed to a very obvious ‘yes’ that was whited out. “You can try to hide it, but the paper speaks for itself,” he teased.

Shame on drunk me for not thinking twice before marking yes. I’ll never live this down, even if he was messing with me.

“Ha... ha...” I glared at him.

Aiden sat next to me at the counter as Niko made sandwiches. “What questions do you have?” He asked.

I shyly turned the paper over and pointed to a list of what I could only assume were weapons. Flogger, whip, paddle, belt... many others. “What will these be used for?”

Aiden raised his eyebrows, “Your ass.”

I widened my eyes, “How hard?”

“That depends on how well you behave,” he gave me a pointed look. A warning if I’d ever seen one.

“Are we talking about punishment?” Niko grinned as he chopped tomatoes.

“I’m not worried about anything like that,” I admitted. “I’m a serial rule follower,” I assured. As much as I’d like to be someone who lived on her own terms or wasn’t scared of anything, I wasn’t.

“On the contrary, you haven’t heard our rules,” Niko argued.

“Enlighten me?”

“No touching yourself without permission.”

“No covering yourself.”

“No lying.”

“Drink at least two bottles of water a day.”

“If you brat or tease us in public, expect a punishment when you get home.”

“Being a brat in general.”

“Not telling us where you are.”

“No more apologies.”

“No skipping meals—coffee is not a meal, Cari?o.”

“Backtalk and arguing unless it’s justified.”

“You must tell us when somethings wrong.”

Both of them were rapid-firing me with their rules and preferences. I raised my eyebrows. “Should I be taking notes?” I joked. That was a lot all at once. I didn’t disagree with anything they said, but some of those things weren’t easy for me, like telling them if something was wrong. I wasn’t good at intimate conversations.

Aiden smiled at me, “The only thing I want you to write right now is a safe word,” he said again. “Something short, something you’ll remember.”

“She already wrote one,” Niko interrupted, twirling his finger to indicate that we should flip the paper back to the front.

“Swan?” I thought. If I’d drunkenly written down a word, that was what it’d be. When I was younger, I’d always thought I was the long-lost swan princess because of my name. It was short, memorable, and pretty sounding.

Aiden nodded, “If that’s what you want,” he agreed.

Niko stopped chopping for a moment. We made eye contact, and he smiled at me, “Clever.”

“What about aftercare?” Aiden changed the subject, obviously not getting the reference like Niko did. His brows fell as he read my answer, almost looking disappointed by it.

I shrugged. I knew what this was, too; it was just how someone is cared for after sex. “I don’t need that,” I dismissed.

They both seemed annoyed at my answer. “I just don’t need any special treatment, that’s all?” I defended.

Aiden cocked an eyebrow at me. “Do you really think that, or are you just uncomfortable with someone actually wanting to take care of you?”

“Aiden...” Niko gave him a stern look. “Filter.” He turned to me, his expression more worried than annoyed now. “Aftercare isn’t special treatment, Cari?o. It’s how we make sure you’re okay after an intense scene. It’s something that we want to do for you. So whether you like it or not, it’s happening. Okay?” He left no room for argument as he slid a sandwich in front of me.

I still thought it unnecessary, but I wouldn’t argue if they insisted. “Okay.”

“Good girl, now eat up; you’ve still got a lot of homework,” Niko winked at me.

Aiden stood up, “I’ve got more to grade,” he kissed my head before walking out of the room.

He seemed off. Irritated? Frustrated? “Did I say something?” I asked Niko.

Niko smirked, “No.”

Guilt slowly ate at me. “He seemed mad,” I stressed.

Niko quickly shook his head. He walked around the kitchen and sat next to me. “He’s not mad, Odette. Not to be crude, but he’s probably got an attitude because he’s frustrated,” he widened his eyes at me.

“Frustrated... because of me?” I repeated, feeling worse.

“No,” Niko said quickly. “Frustrated over what just happened in that room. Frustrated because we stupidly agreed that we wait to fuck you, but really we’re teasing ourselves,” he admitted.

That sparked my interest. So, Aiden had a sex attitude? He was sexually frustrated because of me! It was a strange victory, beating them at their own game. They’d been making a great effort to tease me. No matter how many green lights or hints that I give that I was ready for sex, they tease.

I was no stranger to being sexually frustrated, especially recently. I wanted them to feel good; I wanted to please them. Intrigued, I made plans to relieve their frustration. It would take more guts and courage than I had, but as Niko liked to say, I had one hell of an oral fixation.