Chapter 11

ELEVEN

WYATT

Cuddling my girlfriend while trying not to touch her husband is some weird feat I didn’t know I would attempt to master in my life. Over the last few days, we’ve developed a bizarre bedtime routine. Ari and Ace brush their teeth and do some skincare thing I don’t understand, but Ace takes too long and is still standing there applying some shit to his face while I floss using her sink. He and I pretend not to notice each other in the mirror, moving around the bathroom like we’re planets orbiting a sun. Not needing each other, except to maintain distance, both trying to get closer to the center.

Ace usually gets in the bed with her first, the two of them spooning while I finish up in the bathroom. When I slide under the sheets, she links her arms around me and pulls at me, saying, “I need you closer.” Then there’s some odd combat with hand placement, like a modern battle of wills. I think Ace chooses her hair because he loves it, and I choose her hips and get to kiss her lips while he takes her neck.

War begins sometime around dawn when the mattress rocks, jarring me into a state of alertness. Ace likes to spoon fuck her with his morning wood, saying shit like, “I need your body, sugar.” When he finishes with a light groan, I try to keep my eyes closed, but Ari’s cries of ecstasy usually make my own hardness painful. When he’s finished, I tug her underneath me and rub myself between her wet pussy lips, not giving a fuck he just came in there. So desperate for relief, I’m willing to coat my cock in whatever’s left.

Ace watches us with some disinterest, like he’s judging my performance the entire time. While eyeing him, I’ll tap the head of my cock piercing right on her clit, which gets her jumping off the bed. Tiny wails fly across her lips until his eyebrows give a slight raise. Knowing I pleased her in front of him makes me come so hard, I spray all over her tits or stomach. And once on his face, a splash landing on his chin.

“Watch it, fucker.”

Blissed out, I smirked and laid back on the bed with a gentle, “Sorry.” I mean, I tasted him, so he should do the same.

Then the strange part happens. He and I fall back to sleep, and she must escape at that point, because Ace and I are like strange bed buddies after, waking up around the same time. Peeking an eye open every morning, I’m greeted with one of his crystal blue ones flittering open to take me in. Kicking Ari’s clothes and shoes and purses and whatever else she’s dropped right where she left it, I head downstairs first while Ace styles his hair or some shit. At least he picks up after himself in our bathroom.

As I approach the dining room this morning, the smell of the chef’s pancakes hits my stomach until it growls. Ari is already sitting down, dishing out food for us on the fine plates that are thinner than my patience for all the white stuff around here. It’s blinding.

Leaning down, I place my lips to her temple as she smiles and wiggles in her chair, reaching for my hand. “I can’t sit, vix. Got a big shipment in and I haven’t been around as much.” Her face drops. “I’m sorry.”

“Okay. But you have to be here for dinner. I have something special planned.”

“What time?”

“What time for what?” Ace walks in, no shirt, of course, and full-on tongue kisses my girlfriend, then smirks at me before sitting down and pulling her on his lap as she fucking giggles. It annoys me. Not the sound, no. It’s that I’ve never made that laugh come from her. She’s reserved it for him.

“Stop.” She slaps his hand as he tries to dig it between her thighs. “For dinner tonight. I have something planned for us. All of us.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” Ace says, shoving his face into her neck while maintaining eye contact with me. Yeah. That’s a threat. My stomach twists, thinking of what the two of them will be up to today.

“Sure. What time?”

“Six o’clock? Will you get your drops done by then?” Okay, by now, Ace is fully feeding her a bite of pancakes from his fork, watching the bites head into her mouth like it’s his dick.

Nodding, I turn and head toward the stairs. “Yeah, I’ll see you.”

When I moved in, I knew she’d be having sex with her husband. But watching the two of them together is contorting my feelings into something I can’t make sense of. It’s become less jealousy than I expected and more like…damn. Maybe it’s a turn on to watch him fuck her. And it definitely makes me come harder knowing he’s watching me. I don’t know what to call that, but it’s probably got some weird, kinky name for freaks in the sheets that I never want to discuss in front of the guys at the shop.

As I roll up to work, all I can think about is that they’re getting closer and not just physically. And if I’m gone all day working…when will she be done with me? With him given the power of his husband title and certificate, I’m the demoted “boyfriend” with no claim to anything.

For the first time in my life, I feel like I don’t fit in.

“’Bout time you actually came to work, rich boy,” Garg says, picking up a wrench off the table. Murphy’s leaning against the back wall smoking a cigarette. Like these guys do any real work around here when I’m not around.

Ignoring both of them, I head to the corner and inspect Rogue’s finished masonry on the side of the building. It’s not bad.

“You like?” Rogue comes out with a grease rag between his hands.

“Yeah, good work.”

“Jaws is lookin’ for you. He’s pretty pissed.”

“When is he not? You guys need help with the shipment?”

Jaws comes around the corner, looking every bit the meth head he is, chewing on a piece of his tongue, eyes wide and darting in every which direction. “No, we got it handled, boss. Since you haven’t been around, we had to.”

Shoving past him, I head to Murph, who turns his back and starts working on the bench.

“Murph. Any more homeless buy from us?”

“Nope.”

“You had any leftovers? Just sold to the regular crew, right?”

“Yep.” Every syllable he makes is said with strained effort.

Throwing my hands on my hips, I prepare for a fight. “What? Just fucking spit it out.”

His shoulders slump as a huge sigh deflates his back muscles. Spinning around, he narrows his eyes at me. “Man, you’re too busy with your princess and playing at being a rich kid, you don’t need to work anymore. Glad you got your money pipeline, but the rest of us need that cash, Steele.”

Behind me, Jaws spits venom with his words, “You cuttin’ outta our meetings, too. We respected you. You stood up for us. You were the voice for all of us stuck over here in the east and now you’re just gonna up and leave? ’Cause you gotta pretty pink pussy with money? I mean…Steele, come on. What were all those union meetings about, huh?”

“Rise up! Rise up, workers!” Murphy snarls and lights up another cigarette, mocking my motto. “What happened to taking this town over, man? Isn’t that what you said you was fightin’ for? Huh, Steele?”

These fucks are so stupid, they don’t even know how big of fools they are. But I’m not about to have a mutiny on my hands.

Reaching over with a snap, I tap two fingers to Murphy’s forehead as Garg makes a move to come at me. “Think! Think, you idiot. If we kill these fucks, they’ll be replaced with more just like ’em. Maybe worse. No. The way out of this is through it. I’m working the system from the inside.”

Rogue and Jaws are at my back, but no one is moving. Everyone seems to finally use their brains and I can practically hear the wheels grinding in their heads.

“So, you’re workin’ them over.”

“Best way to get a vote in the senate is to put my mouth over the ear of the senator, right? I’ve got Freidenberg’s ear. And now I’m living with Donovan.” Swallowing, I don’t tell them that Ace and I aren’t exactly close. But I’m there physically.

“That’s only two outta three,” Garg’s deep voice spits out. “What are you gonna do about Von Dovish?”

Twisting my neck to stare him down, despite having to lift my eyes to meet his much taller ones, I snap out, “Who do you think has the biggest grudge against him, huh?”

I shove through them and take a few steps backward as they continue to look bemused. “I’ve got it under control. And you know what? I’m fucking busy. So give me that cash so I can make the drops and get home to my girlfriend and her husband. You know, do the real work to take care of everyone in the entire fucking city.”

They all shift into motion, Murphy suddenly finding the money bag and shuffling forward with a half bow in apology. “Sorry, man. I shoulda known you always have a plan,” he mutters.

Slinging the bag onto my back, I call out over my shoulder as I walk to my bike, “The meeting tonight is cancelled. Got a dinner I need to attend.”

By the time evening rolls around, I’ve dished out the money, made nice with the bear, and head toward home. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I find Ace and Ari in almost the same positions I left them in at breakfast. The gnawing feeling is not only hunger. It’s jealousy.

As I slide into a seat, Ace doesn’t even look at me, his lips occupied kissing my girlfriend’s neck. “Hey!” the vixen yells as the chef sets down our plates. Gourmet food again. It’s too rich for my taste. I loosen my clenched jaw.

“You ever going to sit in your own seat there, vix?” Stabbing a piece of jiggly meat, I stuff it in my mouth and toss back the glass of red wine. No beer here and that drives me crazy, but it would be weird to stock a fridge for a place that isn’t mine.

With a smile, she slides off Ace’s lap and into the seat next to me. “Bad day?”

“My day was just fine.” I turn my fork over and point it between the two of them. “Looks like you guys didn’t even move today.”

Ace snorts and places his wineglass to his lips, saying, “Oh, we moved.”

Ari giggles and kicks him playfully under the table. Slamming my knife down, they both eye me cautiously. “You fucking wanted me here for this shit? To watch the newlyweds flirt and fuck in front of me? I’ll go sleep in the shop if that’s the case.” I push back from the table and stand, but Ari grabs my hand, giving me her perfect begging face. The one I can’t resist.

“No, I wanted to discuss that very thing. Talk about expectations and so forth. Sit back down here.”

I do, only to hear what she has to say, but if she utters one damn word I don’t like…the meeting is back on, and the uncomfortable scratchy sofa in my office is getting a companion tonight.

“No one is having relations without anyone else,” she says, her head turning between Ace and me.

“So you guys didn’t…” I ask, some relief hopeful in my heart.

“No, not without you.” Her chocolate eyes warm up my face as she scans my expression. “Okay?” she asks us.

Nodding, I relent. Sounds good to me if that fucker will also agree.

Lifting one corner of his lips, he says, “Yep. Agreed.” Like he has no plans to obey anything. Fucking maverick.

“And this is Wyatt’s house now, as much as anyone’s.” Her hand grips my thigh and squeezes. “So you should treat it as such and stop playing like you’re a guest in your own home.”

Ace’s jaw drops. “Uh…I’m the one who pays the bills! It’s my house! I grew up here!”

Closing my eyes, I give my head a slow shake. “I’m the one who pays the bills now, fucker. Where do you think your income comes from?”

Quickly, like he’s proud of himself, he answers, “Freidenberg.”

“And where do you think Freidenberg gets his cash from…”

He closes his mouth as he slumps in his chair.

“That’s what I thought. And from what I know, Ace Donovan doesn’t do too well with money.”

“Fuck you,” he snarls.

“Stop it!” Ari stands abruptly, her chair almost flipping over. “This is why I wanted to have dinner. I want you two to get along for me. You’re both with me now. And you’ve agreed to it, right?”

My eyes drop to Ace’s face, who raises an eyebrow in return. “Yes,” I say.

“Yeah,” he says while still staring at me.

“So then, you two need a night together. I’m locking myself away in the guest wing or the old wing. Whatever it’s called. When I come to bed in the morning, you two better be best friends. Or you’re going to make me miserable.”

God, a miserable, crying Ari is not one I can stand to be around for long. There’s some frantic energy that travels over to me from the shifting man at the head of the table, and when we lock gazes, I know he’s thinking the same thing.

“Got it, sugar. We’ll be best buds. Promise.” Ace snags her hand and kisses the knuckles, and I roll my eyes. What a fucking schmuck.

“Yep. We’ll be getting along, for sure,” I call to her as she saunters off toward the stairs.

“Goodnight, you two.”

With a casual glance at Ace, I return to my dinner. Both of us eat silently for the entire meal, except when I groan out of frustration, tossing back my wine. I wish it was beer.

“Yeah, me too.”

Oh, I must have said it out loud. “Well, why don’t you ever have any?”

“They won’t let me,” he says, finishing his glass, his tongue trailing along his top lip to gather up the juice there.

Furrowing my brow, my chin tucks in with my shock. “Let you? What are you, a child?”

His blue eyes blaze at me. “Fuck you, man.”

Shaking my head slightly, I hold up my hands to show him I mean no harm. “I’m-I’m actually not trying to be a douche. Who is it that’s not letting the King of the South have beer?”

“Uh…well, I guess Kline, mainly. I only really drank when I was with my pack. And they don’t stock it here.” His shoulders relax, but his cheeks flush pink.

“And you can’t leave to get any?”

“Well…” Stroking his manicured short beard, he says, “I wrecked my vehicle and don’t really have a license anyway. Not that anyone would stop me. Except I don’t have actual wheels now.”

With a chuckle, I ask, “You mean the SUV you rammed into my shop, huh?”

“Uh, yeah.” He looks so sheepish. I almost feel bad for him.

A heavy sigh leaves my chest as I stand. “Come on, then. Let’s go get some.”

As if I just asked him to give up a kidney, he starts, eyes wide. “What? On your bike?”

Walking to the door, I nod for him to hurry. He gets up and follows. “Yeah.”

“C-can’t you get it? What do you want me to do, ride bitch?”

I ignore his panic and calmly state, “I need someone to carry the beer, yeah. And yes. Ride bitch.”

“I’m not fucking riding bitch.” But his legs keep moving as he follows me.

Not even looking at him, I kick up some gravel on the drive. “Then you don’t get beer.”

Smoothing out his hair, he protests, but continues to trail me until we hit the garage.

“Grab Ari’s helmet there.”

He stops and pouts next to the door. “So you want me to ride bitch and wear a girl’s helmet.”

My hands jam onto my hips as I scold him. “I’m not questioning your masculinity, Senator. I’m telling you I need someone to hold the beer, and since you’re riding bitch, you need that fucking helmet. Grab it and get behind me.”

“Fine, whatever.” Tossing the bucket on his head, I try not to smile, but it’s too small and makes him look ridiculous. It pleases me.

I turn around slightly when he slides onto the back of the bike. “Put your arms around me.”

Crossing his arms, he sits as far away from me as he can. Which isn’t much. “I’m not fucking doing that.”

“Fine, whatever,” I say, tossing the bike in gear and jutting forward until his hard, thick chest slams into my back, his cut arms naturally surrounding my middle. I can’t help the riotous laugh that jumps from my lungs as I speed off toward the closest liquor store, Ace’s curses fluttering against my ear.

It’s not long for us to visit the store and get back home with a case tucked in Ace’s arms. He even thanked me for paying for the order and I said I’d keep the place stocked for him. Well, for us both.

As soon as we reenter the house, Ace says, “I’m drinking half these in the hot tub.”

It sounds like a perfect night. One I haven’t gotten to experience. I’ve felt fortunate to have a dirty shower at my old shitty place. Here is much nicer than I’m used to. “I’ll join you for our bonding experience,” I tell him, pulling off my shirt, folding it, then setting it on a lounge chair before stripping off my jeans and doing the same with them. Ace pulls off all his clothes until he’s stark naked and he carefully places his next to mine.

Eyeing him as he climbs over the edge of the hot tub while holding two open bottles, I shrug and remove my boxers, then grab some cold ones for myself. When I sit on one side, he takes the other and both of us spread our arms across the back. Fuck. Now I see why rich people like these things. It feels so good on my balls, the bubbles tickling them in just the right way.

A light flicks on in the far wing of the mansion, an area I haven’t really been to. Ari’s silhouette is illuminated in the floor-to-ceiling window as she shuffles about the room. Tipping the mouth of my beer toward the image, I ask him, “So you don’t like to go over that way, huh?”

Spotting the shadow on the second story, he takes a long pull of his drink and sighs. “No.”

I give him a nod. “That was your sister’s room?”

His blue eyes flash to mine, illuminated by the neon lights underneath the water. “How’d you know about my sister?”

“Everyone knows about her. Plus, the Von Dovish thing…”

He dunks one beer back and tosses the bottle until it shatters on the concrete near the diving board of the pool. “Yeah.”

Sticking my tongue into my cheek, I think about not giving up anything real about myself. But Ace Donovan is a maverick. A lone wolf now. He wouldn’t have anyone to tell. Not here in Gnarled Pine anyway. So, I let him in on a secret I’ve never told anyone. “I have a younger sister.”

Long black lashes flutter rapidly until he raises his eyebrows at me. “You do?”

“Yeah. She’s back home in Lecherton. That’s where I came from about ten years ago when I turned sixteen.” And all that is true.

Instead of accepting what I tell him, he gets a look of disgust and asks, “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why the fuck would anyone come here?”

Good question. “Bus brought me here. It’s as far as the ticket I could afford would take me.” It’s an easier answer than what really happened. Saying I was trafficked through here as a young stud opens an entire set of questions I don’t want to answer.

“That bus was cursed,” he says with a little laugh, and I join in.

“Yeah, it must have been.” I thrust my bottle over to the same fate as his splattered on the ground and he gives me a smirk and a nod. We chug our next two and do the same. Each making a louder explosion than the one before it.

“Fuck, this feels good,” he says, relaxing into the water more. His eyes trail up to the window again and mine follow. Ari’s now in front of it, removing pieces of clothing. The light has dimmed so we can see her curvy naked frame dancing for us without her even realizing. My cock pumps up with blood at the sight.

“Does it feel weird?”

The strip tease gets interrupted by darkness overtaking the scene and I realize Ace is staring me down hard. “What? Does what feel weird?”

“Rubbing one out with all that shit on your dick?”

“It’s not shit. And no. It feels great. Wanna feel?”

He lets out a small huff and smiles, then drinks his beer. A glance under the water shows him hard, too.

Situating more comfortably on the seat, I reach down and adjust myself. “Maybe we could storm in there and, you know, take her,” I suggest.

He’s staring at the back of the house as he asks, “You mean, like with you in her ass and me in her pussy? Like DP?”

I can’t help the grin that takes over my face. Ugh, he’s been thinking about it, too. “Yeah. There’re so many ways we could do things, too.” Swallowing, my brow furrows. “But, I mean, she’s your wife. So…”

“Well, she’s your girlfriend. So…” His head tilts to give me a knowing look. I hear what he’s not saying.

But just to confirm, I ask, “So she’s ours.”

“Yep. But shh, shh. Here she comes.”

My head whips to the back door where Ari steps out in a tiny bikini, her full breasts bouncing as her hips sway dangerously. Now engorged at the sight, my cock demands service.

“I thought you were going to bed, empress,” Ace asks as he helps her get in with us.

“I couldn’t. Not with you cowboys out here breaking glass. What are you doing? I thought you were trying to kill each other or something.”

Gripping her tiny waist, I tug her onto my cock, and she squirms. “We’re bonding. Ain’t that right, maverick?”

“Yeah, wild card. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

“Naked?” she asks, lifting her hair and tying it into a bun on top of her head.

“You know I hate clothes,” Ace says.

“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” I tell her, shoving my dick up between her thighs. She giggles, and the sound feels just as good as the vibrating jets.

“If you have bonded, then I think it’s time to reward you both.” She slides off me and kneels in the middle of the tub, beckoning us with a seductive wave of her finger.

“What do you mean, vix?”

“Stand up. Bring those big dicks over here.”

Neither of us hesitates. Tossing my bottle to the graveyard with the rest, I hurriedly stand and fit my cock in her hand and Ace does the same to her other one. Stroking each of us gently, she greets my eyes with a sparkle and sucks the head of my cock between her luscious lips. All the heaviness of the day rushes out of my body with that first lick.

She turns her head and does the same to Ace, his firm abs tightening as she does. Man has a body like a Greek statue, carved from the same type of stone. But every inch of his skin is a work of art with the amount of ink covering it.

Returning to me, she shuffles on her knees slightly before she looks up at us and says, “Scoot closer together.”

I take a step toward him without looking his way, and he does the same.

“Closer,” she demands. “Closer.”

Ace and I stand basically hip to hip, my right hand awkwardly almost touching his bare ass as he lifts his left to comb through his hair like it was a purposeful gesture. Turning so my front is more toward her mouth, he mimics me so we’re not standing like soldiers in line.

“Perfect.” Without warning, she takes the head of my firm cock in one hand and his in the other and rubs them together. The sensation does something absolutely fucking crazy to my nerve endings as sparks fly through me, heat nuzzling my balls.

My teeth puncture my bottom lip, trying to keep myself from letting the groan of pleasure escape my throat. It’s too fucking weird to make those noises with a dude’s dick on mine. Ari smiles widely as she rubs us together, and before I can say anything, she sticks both of our dicks in her wide-open mouth.

“Oh, fuck!” Ace yells the words I wanted to, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Vixen… Vixen. Fuck, that feels good.” Inside her warm hole, she moistens our shafts while sucking them together, then pulls them out with a pop.

Her big brown eyes greet our faces as if seeking approval. “Was that good?”

Ace strokes back some of her hair that has fallen down. “Sugar lips, you’re fucking amazing.”

His hips punch forward as she circles the ridge of his cock head around my apadravya. The sensation makes my spine straighten as my dick surges in her hand. “Ari!” I yell. “You’re—you’re gonna make me come.”

She takes the tip of Ace’s dick and rubs it slowly along the underside of me, all seven frenum rungs shooting tingles down my legs and to my toes. Tightening my ass cheeks to hold myself back, I try not to think about the fact that some guy’s dick is about to make me explode. But it feels incredible.

Just before I can, she shoves us back in her mouth, swirling her tongue, licking, sucking and then cups our balls for a moment, before pulling us out of her mouth again. It’s the best blowjob I’ve ever had. Ace’s blissed-out expression is probably the same as mine, but I try not to focus on him. I’m not gay.

Which is why it’s so fucking confusing when she rubs us together again and I feel myself on edge. I want to reach down and stop myself from coming, but Ace’s hips start pumping against me as Ari holds us together, a perfect wet pocket for both of us.

His cock is smooth, thick, and hard. “Fuck, fuck…I’m coming,” he groans, and with a completely erotic guttural cry, spews all over my dick. The sight of his creamy cum causes me to lose my control completely as I pump myself against him feverishly. A brief moment passes where he’s exploding his load on me, and I leak all over him that we meet eyes. His gaze shifts something within me. If Ari’s head wasn’t so close, I’d grab him. Not sure what I’d do with him, but the need to be closer is near insatiable. His heavy-lidded eyes hold the same lust as I feel inside.

“Fuck, yes. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Ari strokes us softly as our full lengths throb against each other. “There, there. Nicely done, boys.” She uses a finger to gather up some cum and stands, then smirks and says, “Open wide.”

There’re no thoughts left in my brain, only pleasure. And obediently, we both open our mouths as she stuffs the remnants of this unexplainable event against our tongues. It’s him and I mixed together. Like we’ve actually bonded.

As we get out of the tub and make our way upstairs to bed, with Ari deciding to join us after all, I’m ever grateful to have her between Ace and me. I’m not exactly sure I want to be alone with him after, well, whatever that was. We avoid eye contact and certainly physical touch as we load into the bed, the vixen nestling between us.

When I turn off the light, she says, “Goodnight, boys.” We murmur goodnight, but she makes a pouty noise and says, “And say goodnight to each other.”

There’s a pause, us both trying to pretend the other doesn’t exist, but I say, “Night, maverick.”

“Night, Whitney.”