AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Noble settles on a stool across from me, beer in hand, as Lorde enters. Immediately, he comes to me, wrapping his arms around me from behind, nuzzling his face into my neck, and nipping where he bit me earlier.
Duke settles next to Noble, holding his own bottle of beer. I suck on my lip, realizing it’s now or never. Closing my eyes, I meet Noble’s stare, and with all the courage I can muster, I say, “Hi, Daddies.”
The men freeze. The air stills. And I swallow nervously as I wait for them to do or say something. The minutes tick by, their breathing grows harsh, and just when I feel the need to run away, Noble speaks up.
“I knew it would steal my breath.” Our eyes clash. “Fucking knew you’d have a beautiful voice.” I can’t contain the smile that steals across my face. The relief is overwhelming.
“Daddy?” Lorde groans into my hair as his hands travel down my body, tickling the tops of my thighs.
“Duke said it first,” I accuse shyly, turning my head to look at him.
“I ain’t complaining, little girl.” He kisses my forehead before letting me go and grabbing a beer from the fridge. Offering me one, I shake my head no. My mother would die if she knew I had drunk one.
I work in silence as I feel their three sets of eyes on me. It’s not as uncomfortable as I would have thought, and I find I like it. I often have thousands of eyes on me when I'm swimming, but in that setting, I hate it. I hate being in the spotlight. Which makes this fuzzy feeling in my stomach even more confusing because it’s not dread I feel when I look up but something more.
Something more like eagerness for what’s to come. Because Noble said they wouldn’t sleep with me until I spoke, until I gave them my voice. Well, I’ve done that. They have it.
“Did you mean it?” My voice squeaks as I turn and rinse the lettuce I just finished chopping.
“Mean what, little girl?” Duke wants to know.
Breathing deep, I leave the lettuce leaves to dry as I turn and meet Noble’s stare. “The things you said that they wanted to do to me.”
“You mean if I want to bite you so hard, I leave a scar?” My hand moves to where Lorde bit me earlier. His mark is fading already.
“Or how I want to fuck that sweet little virgin asshole until you’re screaming from pain but still begging for more?” Duke licks his lips when my eyes shoot to him and nod.
“Whether I want to fuck your unconscious body like my own precious little doll.” Noble states this as a fact, and I swallow, feeling my thighs soaking with my desire. Years of practice keep me from squirming, though, despite how much I want to.
“Yes,” I whisper, my chest shuddering with each breath because that anticipation has ramped up. I want all those things.
“Well, little girl, that depends on you.” My lids fly open at Noble’s statement, waiting for him to continue his torture. “You want those things?” He sounds skeptical, and I wonder if it’s because he thinks I can’t handle their wicked promises because of how tiny I am.
“I do,” I respond, my stare unwavering in his silent challenge. I don’t know who this girl is or where she came from, but I’m convinced she’s risen to the surface thanks to these men. From the moment I met them, I felt this unique, intense connection to them. Almost as if our souls collided and intertwined with each other.
“Then we need some information.” I agree.
“Pretty bird, pretty bird!” Sebastian squawks, breaking the tense moment and eliciting a giggle from me. I know he won’t stop unless I go over to him and reinforce him.
A dainty hummingbird flutters around outside, capturing his attention. “She’s a beautiful bird,” I tell him with a dutiful scratch to his underbelly.
“What do you need to know?” I ask as I come back over and continue with dinner.
“Why you wouldn’t speak before, to start,” Duke demands, earning a glare from Noble.
Chewing at my lip, the reason feels ridiculous now. “Aside from my father and Mr. Scuttleworth, I’ve never been allowed near other men. And if I so happened to be in the same room as them, I was trained to be seen but never heard.”
“Trained?” Lorde growls.
I can only nod and shrug. “Mother forbade me from speaking to the opposite sex, and after so many years, I’ve only been present around the female population, and my anxiety and fear grew. I’ve been locked in this life of swimming and competing for so long that I felt voiceless because anything I wanted to contribute was dismissed. It became easier not to speak at all.”
“Except to women,” Noble adds, and I nod. They each appear ready to rip someone apart, and I have a feeling that someone is my mother. She’s controlled so much of my life, forced me to remain dependent on her. Even when it came to Father, I never really felt like the man had any idea what to do with me.
“Explain this morning with the party. No one ever mentioned you had some kind of act.” Oh, Noble’s pissed about that. Being left in the dark about things must eat at him.
I lift a shoulder. These men have no idea what it’s like not to have something for themselves. The mermaid shows were all I had, and I fought tooth and nail for it. “I began doing them two summers ago. I would lie to my parents and say I was going to the pool to practice, but it was something I could do to bring myself the tiniest amount of joy. This was the first one I’ve done since the shooting.” My throat grows tight with emotion.
I don’t realize I’m crying until I’m pulled into strong arms. “Sshhh, little girl, you’re safe.” Duke’s voice is surprisingly calm and soothing. Rubbing my face against his chest, I yearn to burrow into his strength. These men make me feel safer than I’ve ever felt in my entire life; I never want to let them go. And that right there is a real fear for me.
