Chapter Two

Chapter TwoKaleb took my purse from me and tossed it on the nightstand. “Don’t move.” He smoothly and deftly divested me of my dress, bra, panties, and shoes in record time.It all happened so fast it was almost dizzying.Stood in front of me while sweeping his gaze over my naked form, Kaleb hummed. “Fucking gorgeous.” He skimmed a fingertip from my temple down to my jawline. “Do you know what I thought the first time I saw your face?”I swallowed. “What?”He dipped his head. “That I wanted to fuck it.” His eyelids drooped. “Tonight, I will.”And my hormones had a breakdown.“You’re blocking my view, Kaleb,” said Trace. “Move.”Chuckling, Kaleb moved to stand behind me yet again.A naked Trace prowled toward me—solid, sculpted, his cock long and rock hard. His blue eyes glittered with need as they drank me in. “Beautiful.”I gasped as Kaleb pulled my arms behind me, the wrench in my shoulders making my nipples tighten to the point of pain.Trace didn’t miss it. He swooped down and sucked one taut bud into his mouth. He lavished it with licks, nips, flicks, and sucks while Kaleb slowly kissed and bit his way from the hollow of my ear along to the curve of my shoulder.My breathing quickly went to shit. There was so much sensation. So much raw need. It was intense and overwhelming and I craved more.Trace released my nipple. “I’ve wanted you since the moment I first saw you.” He hauled me against him. “I’d say I’ve waited long enough.” He tossed me on the bed with a deliciously casual strength, like I didn’t weigh a thing.Kaleb sat near the headboard behind me, his bent legs bracketing me, and pinned both my wrists to the mattress. That move went right to my pussy—it fluttered, heated, dampened.Taking a firm grip of my thighs, Trace shoved them wide apart and swiped his tongue between my folds—a lash of wet fire that trapped a gasp in my throat.“How does she taste?” Kaleb asked him.Trace licked at my slit again. “Like a fucking dream.” He buried his face in my pussy and feasted. There was no other word for it. He ate me out with a devastating intensity that was nothing short of mind-numbing.Making it all the more maddening, I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even arch into his mouth—his hands kept my thighs pinned to the bed as he took what he wanted. It sent my arousal soaring.The tension inside me built and built as he pumped his tongue in and out of my pussy over and over and over. My release hit me out of nowhere, arching my neck as so much pleasure flooded my body, hot and blinding.“She looks even prettier when she comes,” murmured Kaleb.My heart stuttered as I noticed Trace rolling on a condom while licking his lips. He settled his hips between my legs and gave me his full weight—oh God, that flipped some major switches for me. Feeling the pressure of his dick pushing inside me, I inhaled sharply. He was thicker than I was used to, causing my inner muscles to burn with the stretch.His jaw went hard. “It’s gonna be a tight fit.”“She can take it,” said Kaleb, an urgency in his voice. “Fuck her.”“Like I planned to do anything else.” Trace drove deep, forcing every last inch inside me, stealing the breath from my lungs. Then he was jacking his hips forward again and again, pounding into me. So hard. So deep. So urgently.I wrapped my legs around him, moaning with each brutal slam. With his weight pinning me down and Kaleb’s grip holding my wrists captive, I felt taken, surrounded, and utterly helpless … just as I’d wanted.“That’s it, Briar, take his cock, make him feel good,” said Kaleb.Trace grunted, still hammering into me. “You’re gonna love this pussy, Kaleb. It’s so fucking snug and hot.”“I’m gonna take her from behind. I want to have a good grip on that ass while I fuck her. You can hold her still for me.”Oh, God. My inner muscles clenched.Trace let out a groan that was edged with amusement. “She likes that idea.” He upped his pace, gripping one of my breasts. “These tits would look perfect covered in my come.”Kaleb hummed. “It would be a pretty sight. You gonna be able to pull out before you come, though?”“Fuck, no.”A chuckle rumbled out of Kaleb and I swear I felt that sound dance over my heated skin.I’d never had a quick trigger, but I was so close to fracturing. The deep drives of Trace’s cock, the slapping of flesh each time he slammed home, the rub of his chest against my nipples, the heaviness of his body, the feel of Kaleb’s fingers curled around my wrists … it was a sensual overload, and I couldn’t get enough. And there was something about the way they talked around me, like I was a mere body to be used, that made it even hotter.Trace released my breast, hiked up my leg, and plunged even deeper.Oh. fuck.He said something else. So did Kaleb. I didn’t register the words, too swept up in the build-up of pleasure coiled in my lower stomach. It twisted, curled, contracted. And then it burst outward.I screamed, digging my heels into his lower back, clamping down on the cock that pounded and pounded and pounded.Trace shoved his face into my neck and spat a curse as he rammed his hips forward one last time, locking his dick inside me as he exploded.Limp as a stringless puppet, I closed my eyes, my chest heaving with every ragged breath.“Move,” Kaleb growled. “I want at her.”Trace left a suckling little bite on my neck and then withdrew, his weight leaving me.“Flip her over, Trace.”Suddenly I was on my stomach.Kaleb dragged me up the bed, caught a fistful of my hair, snatched my head up, and positioned the broad tip of his cock near my mouth. “Get it wet.”Bracing myself on my knees and elbows, I swallowed him down, feeling the stretch on my lips. His dick was a little thicker than Trace’s. Or maybe it just seemed that way while crammed in my mouth.I drew my lips back, keeping the suction tight, watching Kaleb’s eyes flare. Then I swallowed him down again, taking a little more this time.I flinched as sharp teeth sank into the globe of my ass.“Just had to take a small bite,” said Trace, utterly unapologetic. He smoothed his hand down my back, over my butt, and thrust a finger into my pussy.I jolted but kept bopping my head up and down Kaleb’s dick, rasping my tongue against the throbbing vein.“That’s it,” began Trace, pumping his finger, “you just keep sucking his cock while I play with this pussy. But if you stop, I stop.”Oh, there’d be no stopping.I sucked Kaleb deep over and over, letting the broad head bump against the back of my throat each time because I knew he liked it.Groaning, Kaleb raked blunt nails over my scalp. “Shit, this mouth was made for sucking cock. My cock.”I moaned around his shaft as a second finger plunged inside me.He swore. “Get her there, Trace. I want to thrust my dick into her pussy while she’s in the middle of coming.”Two fingers jammed into me again and again and again, hitting just the right spot with each thrust. All the while, I sucked and licked and swallowed around the throbbing cock in my mouth.A flush swept up my chest, neck, and face as my second orgasm came crashing toward me.“She’s almost there, Kaleb.”He withdrew from my mouth, grabbed a condom from the nightstand, tore the—I came. Just blew apart. My eyes went blind, my thoughts scattered, my back bowed.I was still coming when four hands twisted me around and then a fat cock slammed inside my pussy. It kept slamming, drawing out my release.Standing beside the bed, Trace put one hand on my nape and another between my shoulder blades to hold me down as Kaleb railed me hard from behind, a biting grip on my ass.“Fuck, she feels good,” Kaleb gritted out.“Told you,” said Trace.“So damn tight.” Kaleb switched his angle, lunging deeper, making my pussy spasm. He cursed. “Not gonna last long. Almost came in her talented little mouth.”“Yeah?”“I’m telling you, it’s lethal.”Chuckling, Trace bent slightly, and his lips coasted over my ear. “You’re gonna be sore tomorrow, baby girl.” There was a note of sadistic delight in his voice. “You’ll feel us all day.” He tightened his grip on my nape, and my inner muscles quaked once more.Kaleb groaned. “Don’t know what you just did, but do it again; she liked it.”Trace squeezed tighter. My pussy fluttered. Kaleb grunted. Trace chuckled again.Digging his fingertips deeper into my skin, Kaleb upped his pace, making his balls slap my flesh even harder. The fast, heavy rolls of his hips would have for sure shuffled me up the mattress if I wasn’t held in place.Again, the guys talked around me while Kaleb hammered so deep inside me. The pleasure was so furiously intense I scratched at the sheets, scrabbling for purchase, needing an anchor. Already an orgasm was building once more, and I knew it would hit soon.The hand on my nape slid to the side of my throat. “Time for you to make Kaleb blow his load,” said Trace. Then he pinched my carotid artery.I wheezed, my eyes widening. Behind me, Kaleb lost it—cursing, ramming, growling.Trace released the artery, reached beneath me … and flicked my clit. That was it. I imploded with a broken scream, dragging Kaleb with me, feeling his cock pulse with every harsh blast of his release.He blew out a breath, gentling his hold on my ass. “Jesus Christ.”My sentiments exactly.The moment Kaleb withdrew, I slumped to the mattress, utterly spent. Hands carefully stroked me here and there. Soft words of praise floated over my skin. Gentling kisses were pressed to my face, neck, and shoulders.Damn, I could get used to this.Shame it probably wouldn’t happen again.***Early the next morning, I was jotting down notes while reading a theatrical script when a knock came at my front door. I felt my brows dip. My apartment building had tight security. Visitors had to be buzzed in, but no one had contacted me via my intercom or phone seeking entrance.It could be a resident within the complex, of course. But the only one who visited me was Izzy. She lived next-door. She was also far from an early riser.I set my pad, pen, and the script down on my mattress and slid off the bed, planting my bare feet on the soft rug. I did have a home office, I just didn’t always use it. It came down to one simple thing: my bed was comfier than any office chair, and I liked to be comfortable.As such, when I was in the early stage of a project that involved skimming through scripts and writing notes while I came up with ideas for costume designs, I often did it from the comfort of my bed. Unless, of course, my apprentice—who was scheduled to turn up in a few hours’ time—was along for the ride. We’d together use my office. Mostly because he loved to stick memo notes everywhere as reminders, and I’d prefer he didn’t do it in my bedroom.I padded along the wooden flooring, passing room after room. The décor of my apartment wasn’t what anyone would call minimalistic or subtle. I’d gone for rich colors, timeless furnishings, geometric patterns, and lots of leather and brass. I’d also hung bold artwork here and there, some of which were Izzy’s pieces. She marveled over how I could have an apartment filled with things yet keep it neat as a pin.Reaching the front door, I opened it wide and blinked. Speak of the devil. “Did you shit the bed or something?” I asked Izzy.She snorted. “Good morning to you, too.”I stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. “It was an honest question. You’re not exactly an early bird.”Her brow pinched in affront. “I sometimes get up early to take pictures of sunrises and stuff. I just don’t do it a lot.”“Is that what you’ve been doing this morning?” I asked, only then noticing her camera bag.“Yep.” Following me further into the apartment, she added, “I thought I’d pay you a visit on the way home so I could ask how last night went.”In the kitchen, I opened the solid beech cupboard where I kept my mugs. “Coffee?”“No. Answers.” She took a seat at the circular island. “Did you talk to any blokes? I went looking for you after I left the private room with Cole, but I couldn’t see you anywhere.”After topping up the coffee machine’s water tank, I put my mug in place. “If you must know … I got fucked by Trace and Kaleb.”Her mouth fell open. “You got—seriously?”“Seriously.”She grinned. “Oh my God, go you!”Returning her smile, I popped a coffee capsule into the machine. “I know, aren’t I a woman of the world?”She barked a delighted laugh. “How did that come about?”“Kaleb came up behind me shortly after I walked out of the restroom. Trace approached soon after that. We all had a little chat. There was some kissing. And then they invited me to go play with them.”Izzy leaned forward, planting one hand on the island’s black marble countertop. “What was it like?”“It was … wow.” Never before during sex had I felt that helpless, that alive, that possessed. Trace and Kaleb had given me exactly what I craved. Even better, they’d wanted it as much as I had; it hadn’t been that they did it merely to cater to a need I had—which had been the case with most of my past bedpartners.Just as Trace had predicted, I was a little sore today. I felt no need to complain, though. The discomfort was totally worth it.“I used to think that a threesome might be a little awkward in real life,” I added, pressing a button on the coffee machine that sent it whirring to life. “But it wasn’t at all. Not with them anyway.”“And they both gave you a good ride?”I couldn’t stop my smile from widening. “Very good. Each one held me down while the other fucked me.”Izzy’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, well now.” She fanned her face. “They basically gave you exactly what you get off on, then.”“They did indeed.”“Are they as rough as people say?”“They took me like savages. But afterward, they were very sweet, checking that I was okay and not overwhelmed or anything. They even helped me dress and put me in one of the club’s exclusive cabs.” It was more than anyone else had done for me, including Grover. “They’re decent guys.”“I must admit, I did not expect to hear that this was how you spent your evening—I’m gobsmacked in the best way. You always seemed a bit uncomfortable with their attention.” She tilted her head. “What made you decide to take the jump?”“Their attention didn’t make me nervous, it simply annoyed me because I couldn’t do anything about it.” I leaned back against the counter. “But Grover’s not on the scene anymore, so I’m unattached on every level.”“They wasted no time in approaching you. They clearly weren’t taking the chance that someone else would get there first. I like that. Like that they made no attempt to hide their interest in you. Would you be up for a repeat?”A grin pulled at my mouth. “Oh, yeah. But I can’t see it happening.” Sadly. “If they did make another move, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. You know how they are. They rarely play with the same woman more than once in a row.” As if to get across that it was only sex.“‘Rarely’ being the key word. They might come back for more.”I gave a small shrug and then pulled my cup from the coffee machine. “If they do, they do. If they don’t, they don’t.” I really wished I felt as flippant about it as I sounded.“One can but hope.”“I was disappointed that there was no male-on-male touching, but it meant that I was their focus—there was nothing disappointing about that.” I took a sip of my coffee. “I can totally understand why they have so many groupies.”“Don’t be surprised if some of those groupies start shooting you snarls and glares. They’re a jealous lot. And proper obsessive. I once overheard one talking to her mate, literally scheming on how to ‘reel’ the two blokes in and get rid of their anti-arrangement rule. She seemed very confident that it’d work. But considering I overheard that conversation four months ago and the blokes are still unattached, her plan must have failed.”“Thank God it did, or I wouldn’t have gotten laid by them last night.”Izzy’s mouth curved. “You know, I’m still taking it in that, wow, my girl had a threesome. Wait until Cat and Inaya find out. They’ll be buzzing.”I drank more of my coffee, taking a seat opposite Izzy. “Maybe it’s a good thing that the guys aren’t into arrangements. It would be too tempting, too easy, for me to settle for one if they made that offer. I don’t want to settle. I want something real. More. I want what you have with Cole, and what Cat has with Danton.”“You never said so before.”“I hadn’t really acknowledged it before. I avoided relationships for a while because my past ones didn’t go well. It was never a simple matter of finding the right person. It was also a matter of finding someone who my mother can’t seduce.” Because Alondra would give it her best shot, no matter how much I cared for them. “We know how good she is at that.”Izzy’s face tightened. “That woman … Ugh, I could honestly light her on fire. I’m not saying I wouldn’t put the flames out at some point—I’m not a monster. I’d just like to see her burn for a little while.”Chuckling, I shook my head. “You know, I can think of quite a few people who’d watch the spectacle right along with you. She’s good at making enemies. But enough about her. And my somewhat eventful evening. Tell me how things are going between you and Cole.”The corner of her mouth tipped up. “I have absolutely no complaints.”We talked a while longer, covering several topics—her relationship with Cole, how happy Cat was these days, how it was baffling that our delightful Inaya was single, etc. etc. We also made plans to stop by Inaya’s house this evening to check on Judy after her fall.A few hours after Izzy left, my apprentice Zhen arrived so that we could go over the new project we were working on. Five years younger than me, the ridiculously adorable Asian was extremely talented and would undoubtedly go far in the industry.He gestured at the box of pastries in his hand. “I come bearing gifts, Your Highness.”I took them, grateful. “Many thanks, peasant.”He smiled, clasping his hands together. “I’m so excited about the charity ball. My tuxedo is ready to roll. I look hot in it, even if I do say so myself.”“I don’t doubt it.”He gave my arm a little squeeze. “Thank you so much for taking me as your plus-one.”“You admittedly wore me down with the many ‘Please take me’ memo notes that you scattered all over my office.”“I wore Chris down with similar memo notes when I wanted him to take me on a date back when he was swearing that he wasn’t bi,” he said, referring to his boyfriend. “He still insists that he’s not.”“Sometimes it’s about the person, not the gender.” My dads were proof of that. “You’re too damn adorable not to love.”“Don’t get mushy on me, I’m an ugly crier.”I snorted. “Let’s get some work done. First, we need coffee.”Once we had our drinks in hand, we headed to my office. Next door to the master bedroom, my workspace was bright, spacious, airy, and somewhat on the swanky side. It was also the only room in my apartment that wasn’t tidy, but it possessed a kind of organized chaos.Evidence of my career was visible everywhere—the mannequins, the sewing machines, the rolls and piles of material, the sketches and notes pinned to the corkboard, etc.Zhen and I settled on the leather chairs at my long-ass desk, where we immediately got to work. We were only in the first stage of this particular project, so our time was mostly spent studying the theatrical script in order for us to determine costume requirements. Only after that would we research styles and fabrics, sketch ideas for costumes, and discuss the aforementioned ideas with everyone working on the show, including the director, set designers, and production team.I loved this stage of the process just as much as I loved bringing the sketches to life with the aid of costume makers and wardrobe assistants. Being on set—whether at a theater or for a movie—and watching actors and performers slip on their costumes was an incredibly satisfying experience. For me, it would never get old.Later on, after Zhen and I were finished and had demolished the pastries, I passed him his jacket and walked him to the front door. “Remember, I’ll be picking you up at six am tomorrow on my way to the airport. Be ready.”He saluted me. “I will, Your Grace.”“That’ll be all, servant.”Smiling, he slipped on his jacket. “Don’t we have the best pet names for each other?”“Only in our own heads.”“You know, Chris said the same thing. But then, he also said that he’d never touch another man’s dick, so I don’t think we can trust his judgement.”I snickered, opening the door. “Just how often do you tease him about how wrong he was?”“Not as often as you’re probably thinking.”Knowing Zhen as well as I did … “I highly doubt that.”“I can’t really claim that you shouldn’t,” he admitted.Just then, my phone began to ring. “Six am tomorrow,” I reminded him as I pulled my cell out of my pocket.He nodded. “Six am.” Then he left, closing the door behind him.Meanwhile, I frowned down at my phone. The caller was none other than my mother. She was no doubt calling to check that I was still attending the charity ball. Walking into the living room, I answered, “Hi, Mom.”“I heard a rumor that I hope is incorrect,” she said, her tone clipped. No ‘hello’ or anything. Nice.“And that would be?” I asked, sinking into the sofa.“That you disappeared into a private room with Trace Lacroix.”Ugh, I should have considered that she might hear about it. Alondra wasn’t a member of the Vault, but she had friends who were. “Yeah, so?”“So it should not have happened.”“Why exactly?” I asked, though I already knew what her issue was. She didn’t like that a man who’d rebuffed her advances would show interest in me. In her mind, it should be the other way around. Every woman was competition to Alondra, including me.“He’s not good enough for my daughter.”She spoke the latter two words with the same depth of emotion one might use when saying ‘my shoes.’I wasn’t much more than an accessory to her. I didn’t lament it. I’d had plenty of time to get used to it, and I couldn’t help but feel pity for this person who had no capacity for love.“The man never commits to women,” she went on. “He seduces them and then discards them when he’s done. He’s a user through and through.”I bit back a snort. Hypocrite, thy name is Alondra. She used people all the time. She also rarely committed to people, so she was in no position to judge.“It doesn’t make him a bad person that he isn’t big on relationships,” I pointed out. But, of course, she knew that already. She simply wanted to convince me to keep my distance from Trace. “Is that all? I have stuff to do.”She spluttered. “No, it’s not all, because I’m sensing that you’re not taking my concerns seriously.”“Trace and I had sex, Mom. Sex. That’s it. We’re not getting married or anything.”Silence fell, and I’d bet my life that she was grinding her teeth over the whole ‘Trace and I had sex’ portion of the comment.“He never should have touched you. He likely only did it to get back at me.”I frowned. “Back at you for what?”“Rejecting him, of course. He fairly fell all over himself trying to get my attention during the filming of Belle.”I rolled my eyes. Like I’d believe that, given how many accounts I’d heard that varied from hers. But there was a possibility that she believed her own lie in this case—it sure wouldn’t be the first time. “The story goes that it was the other way around.”“Briar, if I’d wanted the man, I could have had him,” she said, her voice heavy with condescension and utter surety. But then, she always had complete confidence in her own appeal. She’d likely never forgive Trace for making her doubt it, just as she’d never forgive my dads for delivering that same blow.“Tell me you will not allow him to touch you again,” she added. Well, instructed. “I won’t have him using you to get to me.”I sighed. “Why does it have to be about you? Maybe he’s quite simply attracted to me. Can that not possibly be the case?”Seconds of silence ticked by. “You will turn down any further advances he makes.”I bristled. “I’ll do as I fucking please, Alondra.” The woman had no right to bark orders at me when she’d never been an authority figure in my life.“We’ll talk more about this when you’re in LA.”“No, we won’t,” I told her, but she’d already hung up.I cursed, tossing my phone on the sofa cushion beside me. A common thought floated around my brain … That woman is a pain in my ass.