31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Mason

The golden light of midday spilled through the open curtains as I crept down the hallway, hoping to catch fragmented bits of Sebastian and Cameron’s conversation. When Seb and Cam asked me to leave, they didn’t tell me I had to go quickly . I knew eavesdropping was wrong, but I needed to know how it was going. If things went well for him and Cameron, maybe everyone would be okay with me sticking around.

In spite of myself, I was starting to like it here. But I couldn’t stay without Sebastian; he and I were kind of a package deal. He was probably the only person on Earth crazy enough to hang out with me all day and still enjoy himself.

As the remnants of Cam and Seb’s conversation faded, I began to notice a new sound. Faint chords from an acoustic guitar echoed off the high ceilings, making the halls lined with family photos feel even more homey. I recognized the song—soft and melodic, resonating somewhere between blues and soul—but I couldn’t quite place it. Following the sound, I found myself with my ear pressed against Lucian’s door.

A shiver overtook me in response to his muffled voice. I could never shake the feeling that Lucian should’ve been the one to become a musician, not me. He couldn’t play as many instruments as I could, but the velvety timbre of his voice was to die for.

I started to softly hum along before realizing he was playing “Cherry Wine” by Hozier. A beautiful song in its own right, and fuck was he doing it justice. I waited for the last chord to fade, then knocked gently on his door.

“Give me a minute!” he called, his guitar audibly sounding as he put it down. I could have been patient, but I liked the feeling of annoying Lucian. So, I knocked again, this time with force.

“I said to give me a fucking minute!” Irritation crept into his words.

My lips twitched into a smirk, and as I knocked a third time, the door fell away under my knuckles. Lucian glared at me, but the venom in his gaze was diluted by the glasses he’d told me were broken. His face reddened as his hand inched toward his face. For a moment I thought he might try to rip them off and hide them; instead, he slowly pushed the thick black rim up the bridge of his nose.

“Two weeks went by quickly,” I commented, trying to make light of the fact that he had lied to me. What could he possibly have gained from forcing me to drive him to work?

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” His breathing slowed, and he crossed his arms.

Yesterday had been so hectic that I barely had time to marvel over Lucian’s physique. Now, though, it felt like we were frozen in time. He was thin, built almost like a figure skater. His long-sleeve crop top showed off his delicately-muscled, mostly hairless torso. My gaze trickled down, meeting the eyes of the crudely-drawn smiley face poking out of the top of his low-rise jeans.

“I’m guessing you’d like to come in?” The smooth tone of his voice wrapped around me like a blanket. This was Lucian’s roundabout way of inviting me in, and the idea of hanging out in his room felt cozy.

So, I nodded.

“Ah-ah-ah,” he tsked, and a sly smile slipped across his lips. “Use your words.”

My chest shuddered with a breath as I looked up. His hair was loose, leaving long, vine-like curls to cascade over his shoulders. Why did Lucian have to be so pretty? I swallowed, trying to find an excuse that would allow me to maintain the upper hand in this power struggle of his. I certainly couldn’t tell him I just wanted to be around him.

“You promised you’d get my violin down for me to play,” I whispered.

“Mmm, I don’t recall doing that.” Lucian gripped the top of the door frame as he leaned down, bringing his nose dangerously close to mine. “You’ll have to jog my memory.”

He rejected a kiss from me last night; I had to respect his boundaries. But a tingly feeling washed over my face as I recalled the distant memory of his lips on mine. Somehow, he inched even closer. Heat rushed to my face—I must’ve looked like one of those old-timey cartoon thermometers. If I got any hotter, I’d surely burst.

I stepped back with a squeal of a breath.

“Your piano needs tuning!”

Surprise overcame his face briefly before he blinked away the expression. His lips puckered, then he nodded and straightened his posture.

“... I remember now.”

“So, can I come in?”

“Just for the violin?” His question came off as more of a challenge, like he was daring me to tell him the whole truth.

I nodded, hoping my deceit wouldn’t show through. Lucian chuckled as he stepped back, gesturing for me to come in. Every time I entered his room, I discovered something new. As I looked around this time, a few things caught my interest. First, it was the record player in the corner, so dusty I wondered if he may have forgotten about it. The second was my violin on the wall. And finally, the stack of books under his nightstand. The black cat I had met on Saturday was asleep beside them.

“What are those?” I asked, pointing to the stack.

Lucian glanced at them, but quickly turned his attention back to the violin as he retrieved it from its wall mount.

“That’s Pepper. You know what a cat is.”

My chest tightened, and even though I knew he’d misinterpreted me, I felt a little silly. Fortunately, it was easy to regain my composure when Lucian wasn’t looking at me.

“Not the kitty… the books behind Pepper.”

“Hey, I got your violin,” Lucian said plainly, turning to extend the instrument to me.

I eyed it for a moment before cautiously taking it from his hands. I put it in place on my shoulder and under my chin before plucking one string. It was supposed to be tuned to D, but it was so flat it’d dropped to a C. My nose scrunched.

“Are all your instruments out of tune?”

Lucian’s shoulders rose as he inhaled deeply.

“Only the ones you touch.”

My gaze narrowed, and my lips pursed. I sat the violin on his desk so I could put my hands on my hips. My lips parted, a sharp lashing for Lucian at the tip of my tongue, but he beat me to the punch.

“If you’re going to be a brat, I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap,” he warned, holding up a finger.

But I wasn’t going to be deterred.

“Fine, I’m sorry.” I crossed my arms.

“Thank you—”

“I won’t do it again, Daddy .” If he was going to threaten me like a child, it was only fitting for me to address him accordingly.

Lucian closed his eyes, grumbling something under his breath as he rubbed his temple. Clearly, I’d pissed him off. A slight electric current pulsed through me as I eagerly awaited his retribution.

Would he make me kneel on uncooked rice like Sophia said? Or would he leave my ass black and blue before making me cum so hard I couldn’t breathe? When Lucian’s earthy eyes opened again, I was practically bouncing with anticipation.

His lips curled into a wry smile as he shook his head and murmured, “Fucking brat.”

He approached me with slow, menacing steps, circling me like a wolf hunting his prey. Before I could begin to guess what his next move might be, he lunged forward and tangled his fingers in my hair, tugging my head back to force me to look into his eyes. Shivers ran down my spine as I basked in the delicious mixture of pleasure and pain.

“On. Your. Knees.” His dangerous tone masked an edge of excitement.

“You can’t make me do anything I don’t—”

My sentence was cut short by Lucian’s palm pressing on the top of my head. It wasn’t hard enough to be uncomfortable, let alone hurt, but it was enough pressure to make me comply with his demands. The chill of the floorboards under my knees provided a thrilling contrast to the heat budding in my core.

My heart raced as I looked up at him. His gentle fingers teased my scalp as he knelt, bending himself over to press his nose to mine.

“Apologize. Now.” His tone was rough, his smirk cool.

My heart fluttered as I squirmed under the weight of the moment.

“Or what?”

His fingertips feathered down my jaw, tracing invisible patterns on my skin before collaring my neck with his hand. He squeezed the sides carefully, restricting blood flow while avoiding the center of my throat. Lucian had choked me more than enough times to know how to do it without impeding my breathing. My pulse was buzzing, and I wondered what it felt like for him.

“Six years apart, and you’ve forgotten all the manners I taught you,” he mused.

I fought desperately to hold his gaze. Lucian’s hot breath grazed my lips, setting off a burning need for him to kiss me. My legs shook despite my kneeling position, and as he tightened his grip, the whisper of an apology hung on my tongue. I tightened my jaw, determined to savor the tension between us for as long as I could.

“This is your last chance, fucktoy. Apologize to me before I have to fuck you like a filthy whore to remind you who owns you.”

The door softly creaked open, allowing the cat to dash out as Lucian’s threat hung between us. A knot of fear joined the heat of arousal as I wondered if we’d been caught red-handed by Sebastian. Sure, he’d given me permission to do this, but walking in on your sibling with anyone was probably an awkward experience.

But it wasn’t Sebastian at all. Instead, a curvaceous feminine figure lingered in the doorway. Lucian sucked in a hard breath through his teeth as he noticed Sophia’s presence.

“How long have you been listening?”

“Long enough.” She stepped in, sealing the door behind her. “By the way— who owns Mason? I’m dying to know.”

A subtle flush spread across Lucian’s cheeks like a sunrise creeping over the horizon, coloring the sky and anything it touched in a rosy, ethereal glow. He slowly released my throat, sheepishly casting his gaze on the floor. Sophia cupped Lucian’s chin and knelt beside us, brushing her nose against his with a smile.

“Ah-ah-ah.” She mirrored his tone from earlier, albeit sweeter. Had she really been watching us the whole time?

“Use your words,” Sophia prompted.

Lucian’s breathing deepened, and the flush intensified.

This whole situation was all too familiar. In our past life, Lucian would try to be the Dom he wanted to be, but Sophia would always overhear. She would then remind both of us who really wore the pants in this relationship—which was funny because she much preferred skirts.

“Come on, baby boy, tell me who my Honeybee belongs to,” she purred as she tightened her grip on Lucian, pushing his cheeks together with a sticky sweet smile.

Lucian swallowed hard, his gaze flickering to me for just a moment before settling on Sophia.

“Mason’s always been mine.” His words came out muffled, but there was conviction in his tone.

Sophia’s lips pursed into a mock pout. She stroked his hair as if she was comforting a tantruming child.

“Try again. I know what a smart boy you can be.”

Lucian huffed, his gaze hardening as he squirmed.

“Don’t talk to me like that.”

“You’re going to end up with a writing assignment if you don’t stop.” Sophia tsked before letting go of Lucian. “Something like I will not talk back. I haven’t quite decided yet.”

Sophia’s sapphire gaze fell to me, and her smile reappeared, causing slight creases to form in the corners of her eyes.

“Now, let’s get you off those pretty little knees, Honeybee.”

My stomach flipped as her warm hands found mine and guided me to my feet. The sunlight caught in Sophia’s platinum hair, forming a halo around her as she dusted me off. Part of me feared this would be the end, that she would make Lucian write a hundred sentences in a notebook and leave me to use my own hand to get rid of the needy ache in my pussy. She slowly guided me to the edge of Lucian’s bed before resting her hands on my hips.

“Can you take your pants off, or do you need me to?” she asked.

My heart skipped exactly one beat as I realized she had no intention of de-escalating the situation—just changing the power dynamic.

“I can do it.” My words were barely a whisper as my fingers snaked under my sweater toward the elastic fabric covering my stomach. Switching to maternity pants had felt like admitting defeat, but I had to admit, they were comfortable.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Lucian staring at me as I slipped out of the soft faux-denim pants. I kicked them under the bed and stood before Sophia, my lacy underwear barely visible under the hem of my honeydew-colored sweater.

“Good girl.” She purred, softly rubbing the cashmere stretched over my stomach. She softly kissed my cheek, then gently pushed me to sit on the bed.

I glanced over to Lucian, who was still on his knees, as Sophia’s fingertips traced over the lace clinging to my thighs. A thrill ran down my spine as she walked her fingers up my stomach. When she reached my chest, she drew a figure eight around my breasts. An airy hiss escaped my lips as she grabbed one and squeezed less than gently.

“Did that hurt, Honeybee?” Her tone rested somewhere between concern and teasing.

My breath caught as I nodded, and she continued. The soft, warm pain caused a needy whimper to rise from my throat, and I bit my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut as her free hand teased me through my panties, and my whimpers grew to a stifled moan.

“Open your eyes and look at him, Honeybee.” Her hand moved from my breast to my chin as she forced my attention toward Lucian. “Show him what he’s missing because he’s such a bad boy.”

She slid the gusset of my panties to the side before plunging her fingers into me, using my arousal to lubricate me as she circled my clit. I shakily gasped, winding my fingers into Lucian’s satiny comforter.

Lucian’s gaze went dark, and I could see the outline of his cock straining against his jeans. His hand twitched, but he didn’t dare make a move toward his zipper. Instead, he pulled his lower lip through his teeth.

Pressure began to build between my thighs, alerting me to an impending orgasm, and Sophia guided my shoulders toward the mattress, leaving my legs hanging off the bed. I arched my hips out of instinct, and she pulled my underwear off, tossing them at Lucian.

“Don’t touch,” she warned.

His jaw went tight, but Sophia paid him no mind. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail using the pink hair tie she’d had around her wrist. With her platinum locks out of the way, she inched toward my cunt. Her fingers trailed along my inner thighs, causing goosebumps to erupt all over my body. I couldn’t see what she was doing, but I could feel her breath tickling me.

“You’re so wet for me, Honeybee. Do you like seeing my bad boy suffer?”

I jerked as her words warmed my cunt. I didn’t like the idea of Lucian suffering, but it was fun to watch him squirm.

The ache in my pussy was overwhelming, and I was dying for her just to let me finish. Sophia ran her fingers over my clit one more time, and then I felt her tongue. Her movements were slow but deliberate. She’d press the very tip of her tongue on my clit, gradually increasing the pressure until the tension was almost unbearable, and then flick her tongue upwards at the last second. This process kept me teetering on the brink of release. By the time she let me have the orgasm I desperately craved, I was a sputtering mess.

The pressure she had been expertly building exploded with the final flick of her tongue. I wound my fingers in her hair—not tight enough to pull it, but just enough to support myself as the world around me dissolved into a haze. Breaths came to me in ragged gasps as my vision returned.

Sophia stood up, a triumphant grin on her lips, and she looked down at Lucian.

“Are you ready to be good?” she called.

He nodded slowly.

“Then you can get up, but no touching her yet. She needs to catch her breath, maybe get a drink of water.” Sophia traced soft circles on my knee. “Do you want me to make him get you some water?”

“N-no, I’m good,” I panted.

Her smile was kind, and she continued to trace the patterns on my skin as she turned her attention back toward Lucian.

“Come here and taste our girl on my lips. Tell me if she’s as sweet as she looks.”

He scrambled to his feet, almost as if he was afraid she would change her mind if he didn’t get to her quick enough. As he approached, she placed a hand on his shoulder. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Their kisses started as brief pecks, gradually becoming deeper and more passionate. When Sophia pulled away, a strand of saliva stretched between them.

My heart swelled as the hot coals of my desire slowly reignited. I always loved watching my partners enjoy each other. I was still trembling from my last release, but as I watched Sophia and Lucian, I craved more.

Sophia stepped back and began rummaging through Lucian’s closet. After a moment, she emerged with a rose-shaped toy in hand.

“Lucian, I want you to take off your pants. Slowly, I like to watch.”

Lucian removed his belt with one hand, slowly pulling the leather through each loop. Sophia slipped off her PJ pants and sauntered toward the bed, making herself comfortable in a sitting position just above my head. A soft buzzing from Sophia’s toy filled the air as Lucian’s pants dropped, revealing his fully erect cock. I watched it pulse slightly as he eyed me over.

“Mmm, now take her sweater off.” Sophia breathed, and Lucian complied.

I did my best to sit up, trying to make it easier for Lucian to undress me. Once the sweater was off, Lucian tossed it over his shoulder and gently shoved me back onto the bed.

“Touch her breasts, Luci. Be gentle. I don’t want to see you h-hurt her.” Sophia was circling the toy around her clit, causing her breath to hitch.

Once again, Lucian obeyed; his fingers slipped under the band of my bra, and he fiddled with my nipple. My skin was still sensitive from Sophia’s exploration, and every caress from Lucian left a fire in its wake.

“N-now fuck her. I want to hear Mason scream your name.” Sophia’s words came quicker as the buzzing intensified.

She only swore during sex; I knew this, but it was still strange to hear the word ‘fuck’ come out of her dainty little mouth.

Lucian looked down at me as he caressed my cheek before mouthing, “Can I?”

I nodded, and he plunged in without hesitation. He let his head fall back as his hips rocked against me, and I whimpered.

“Lucian. Fuck. Her. Harder.” Sophia barked.

“I’m trying!” he rasped, before sinking his fingers into my hips.

I yelped at the sudden pain, but he paid me no mind, pulling me further onto the base of his cock. His tip massaged my insides, causing me to gasp with each plunge. Sophia’s moans mingled with mine as the world started fading to black. Just as another tsunami of orgasmic pleasure washed over me, Lucian pulled out. A ribbon of cum shot over me, gathering mostly on my chest and neck. Sophia collapsed beside me as she panted, and the buzzing stopped.

“Ewww, you got your jizz on my arm,” she whined, and I giggled.

Lucian slid me over slightly to make room for him to lie down as well. He was just as sweaty and messy as Sophia and I, which was impressive considering he wasn’t even involved in half of the sex.

“Good. I’ve gotta mark you two somehow.” A crooked grin penetrated his words.

“After we shower, you’re going to write, I will not be possessive one hundred times.“

“But–”

“Two hundred times!” She shot a glare at Lucian. “Want to go for three?”

“No, ma’am,” Lucian groaned, folding his arms under his head as he focused on the ceiling.

Neither of them were looking at me, so I was free to smile with my teeth showing. Not like I could have helped it, anyway. I liked the way it felt to be with both of them. This relationship was new and nostalgic at the same time, and each second I basked in their glow left me hungry for more.

Once we’d cleaned up, Sophia was adamant that Lucian was going to do his writing assignment right away. I had no interest in watching their battle of wills, so I snagged one of Lucian’s hoodies and a pair of his pajama pants before venturing into the main part of the house. The black plaid pooled around my ankles as I rounded the corner, pleasantly surprised to see Cameron cleaning the kitchen. The corners of my lips twitched, begging to form a smile as his honey gaze lingered on me. I couldn’t remember the last time I smiled this much. Honestly, my cheeks were starting to get tired.

“Where’d your sweater go?” he called as he leaned onto the island.

“Lucian’s room. Same place as my panties.” I sat on the stool across from him before realizing that I probably shouldn’t say that stuff while little ears were potentially lurking. “Where are the kids?”

“Nappin’.” He pointed to an expensive-looking baby monitor near the window. “Leona put ’em down earlier before she left. After all the excitement, they crashed pretty hard.”

I squinted slightly so I could focus on the black-and-white video feed. The twins had both burrowed into their comforters, but one had their butt in the air and their feet poking out.

“You didn’t eat much at breakfast… Are you hungry?”

My stomach flipped. My dad had outlawed questions like that, so I hadn’t actually let myself think about my own hunger in a very long time. When I began to feel the familiar burn of an empty stomach, I sated it with water. Pregnancy made that technique impossible, of course, but celery sticks filled an empty stomach as well as anything else.

But... I wanted to be honest. I wanted to get better, to make myself less of a burden.

So I nodded.

A gentle smile wrapped Cameron’s lips. Despite his rugged good looks, a lot of Cameron’s expressions were boyish. You’d never guess the man was pushing forty, except for the subtle creases on his face. The shape of these faint lines hinted that he spent more of his life happy than sad—or at least, outwardly so.

“Anything specific you want?” he asked.

Why the fuck did eating have to involve so many decisions?

“Am I allowed to ask for something sweet?”

His copper brows inched toward his hairline. “Darlin’, you could ask for anything in this world, and I’d make it happen.”

“Not out of guilt, right?” The question fell from my lips before I could stop it.

Somehow, Cameron’s eyes widened even further, and it felt like the loose collar of Lucian’s hoodie was strangling me. I softly pulled the fabric away from me, hoping the small influx of air could calm the inferno on my skin.

“Not that I think you should feel guilty!” I squeaked, “It’s just—”

Cameron reached over the island, scooping both of my hands into one of his. A weird feeling of safety washed over me. I hadn’t known this level of comfort for quite a while, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it.

“Everything I do is my choice. Don’t you worry yourself about that.”

My breathing slowed as he held my gaze, sending me into a free fall alongside the stars in his eyes. Was I allowed to have feelings this strong for someone I barely knew? Was it safe for me to get attached to someone as caring as Cameron? Would I hurt him one day?

… Would he hurt me ?

“Cameron... Are you going to want me to stay after Lavender is born?” I asked softly.

His expression softened, and a chill ran down my spine as his thumb caressed the back of my hand.

“Only time will tell.”

Of course. That was the only reasonable answer, after all. Still, my heart sank.

“The kids seem to like you, and I hope you’ll want to stay…. But I can’t answer ya until I know what you want.”

Oh.

“I do have one request though,” he continued.

My breath caught. I knew my line of thought wasn’t a healthy one, but I hoped this would lead to some kind of confession about his feelings. I wanted this man, the father of my daughter, to beg me to stay.

“What?” I tried to keep the excitement out of my voice.

“I talked to Seb earlier—”

“How did it go?”

“Fine. That ain’t the point, though.” He looked down, rolling my fingers between his own. “He said he chose our baby girl’s name… Is that true?”

I swallowed hard as he lifted his gaze. All I could do was nod. No part of me wanted to tell Cameron that I hated the name Lavender , or that I was so desperate to keep Sebastian in my life that I’d allowed him to choose my child’s name.

“I know I ain’t been there for a lot… but I’m not comfortable with another man naming our daughter.”

Something about his unbridled honesty struck a chord with me. He was being open about something that bothered him, something I could change. I wanted to do that for him.

But... if I did, would it upset Seb?

“I’d really like it if we could pick a name… together,” he explained.

My pulse rushed to my ears.

“If we can’t find one we like, you won’t be mad if I don’t change it… right?”

He dropped my hands and began stroking my hair.

“Ain’t a thing for me to be mad at. I just want to make sure our baby ends up with a name you love.”

I took a deep breath, sinking into him as he massaged my head. The more time I spent in this house with these ghosts from my past, the more I wanted to stay. My life was starting to make sense here... and the sex was incredible .

But Sebastian and I had planned a future together. What would he say if I asked him to stay here instead?

But I was being presumptuous—nobody had even asked me to stay. If I was going to consider living in Hartwood long-term, I would need to wait for some confirmation that I was actually wanted here.