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I was stilloverwhelmed and wasn’t sure when I would be able to take a full breath again. My life felt like one insane event after another. Or, at least, it had gone from being your average life of a young twenty-something, trying to make her own way while still shamelessly hanging onto the comfort of her parents.
I was working in an old, dusty bookstore, loving every minute of chatting with the customers, and finding it my mission in life to find the perfect book for each individual person that came looking through the old tomes. I was making just enough money to say I was independent while still going to my parents every Sunday for dinner and accepting the little handouts that my dad snuck me while my mom pretended not to notice.
I had loved my relatively boring life. But then it was upended. In the worst way. I thought I was going to die. There was no better way of saying it—as I had lain there on the freezing concrete floor, there were times Iwishedfor death. Escaping had been pure luck and desperation. Since then, each moment has been lived in a fog. I didn’t know where my life would take me next. I didn’t know if the Castle Killer would suddenly turn up one day to finish the job he had started. I didn’t know when I’d get to see my parents again. And I didn’t know why I was sitting on this comfortable bed more than a thousand miles away from where it had all gone wrong.
I stared down at my hands folded in my lap as I sat against the pillows with my legs crossed. I was ready for bed after having a pleasant dinner with the two men that had all but carried me to their home, not taking no for an answer. I was sure if I threw a giant fit, they would have let me go, but there was something about them. Something about the way they looked at me and the promises in their eyes. I didn’t know what it meant. But for the first time since that awful night when I had been abducted and thrown in a cage, I felt… safe.
After giving me the full tour of their house, ending with my bedroom that was just a few doors down from theirs, we had our dinner of steaks, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli. It was so domestic, yet it was exactly what I would have guessed two grown men would have. I hadn’t expected the place settings at the table, nor did I expect that it would be Brent that seemed to slip into the role of caretaker. That wasn’t to say that Ethan didn’t pitch in. He did by making sure everyone had drinks and setting the table. They worked together like a well-oiled machine. I was jealous.
I swallowed at the thoughts invading my mind. I was jealous of two men that had been all but married for years. I should be scoffing at myself and reminding my brain that they were taken men in a committed relationship and to stop longing for something out of my reach. Instead, I was daydreaming about what it would be like if they opened their arms and pulled me into the center of them…
I ran my hands over my face in disgust and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It had been over a half-hour since I had said goodnight to them, closing my door firmly after reassurances that I knew where everything was. Once again, overwhelmed by their concern and generosity. I sighed and straightened my legs, scooting to the edge of the bed.
I needed to get a drink of water and use the restroom. I was used to having water at my bedside when I went to sleep. I rarely used it, but it was a comfort thing. Or a habit. Whatever it was, I needed a glass of water.
I straightened my tank top, nervously smoothed my hands on the smooth cotton sleep shorts I wore, and walked quietly to the door. I twisted the knob and quickly, without looking toward the end of the hallway, walked in the direction of the kitchen. I stopped in the bathroom, wincing when I flushed the toilet, then berated myself for being apprehensive. They’d invited me here, they wouldn’t care if I went pee in their house.
Once I was done washing my hands, I flipped the light off before opening the door and slipping out towards the kitchen. I found a tall glass in the cabinet, having to stand on my tiptoes, leaning against the cold marble. Once I had it secure in my hand, I filled it from the fridge door dispenser. I took a small sip of the cool water, grateful for the soothing coolness it provided against my parched throat.
I made my way back through the dark house, grateful for the small bit of glow from the lamp turned down low in the living room. I suspected it was another kind gesture from one of them. Just another way to make sure I was comfortable getting around in their house. The thought had moisture brimming in my eyes that I quickly blinked away.
As I walked down the long, dark hallway, I looked up from where I had been watching my feet, and my eyes went to the door at the end of the hallway. My breath caught when I realized it was cracked open. I hadn’t noticed before since I hadn’t looked. But now I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
I stopped in front of my door and lifted my hand to push it open so I could slip inside, but I paused when I thought I heard movement. As I stood there in the dark, my ears strained to listen for whatever I had heard before.
It was probably just one of them turning over in their sleep or trying to get comfortable!I chastised myself and turned, taking a step, one foot inside my room and the other still in the hallway, when I heard it again. A muffled moan. I gasped in the dark, my hand flying up to cover my mouth. Were they having sex? Every wicked part of me wanted to know. I wanted to crawl to the end of the hallway and push that door open so I could witness in person what I had so often read about in my books.
I needed to know who was dominant in their relationship. They had struck me as light and dark when I had first seen them together, and I wanted to know how true that really was. I wanted to know if Brent was as sweet in bed as he was out of it. I shook my head, a part of me remembering how forceful he had been at the inn. There was more to the lighter one than he showed the world, I was sure of it. Maybe he was secretly dominant, and the strong detective was the one that conceded his power behind closed doors.
I heard another grunt and curse, movement speeding up, the bed making noises that made it obvious what was happening in the room that definitely did not have a closed door. With rapid breaths rushing out of my aching lungs and my heart beating frantically, I turned and practically shoved myself into my room. Thankfully, I collected myself from my frazzled state before closing the door behind me. I dove toward the bed, sloshing water over my hand and not giving a shit. I set the glass down harder than I intended before sliding under the covers. I shamelessly dove my hand under my shorts and groaned when I touched myself. I was wetter than I ever remembered being, and it was all because I’d heard them having sex.
I didn’t care that it made me a pervert for getting off on what I was imagining they were doing. I felt a need unlike anything I had felt before. With my eyes closed, I let my mind go wild with the images playing in my mind. I furiously circled my clit after using my own wetness as lubrication. It only took a few seconds to detonate, my back bowing off the mattress and my legs straightening, muscles so tight that my thighs cramped. It was worth it for the best orgasm I’d ever had.
I straightened my sheets and blanket, turned to my side, still breathing heavily from my orgasm, and let my eyes drift closed. For the first time in months, I slept without nightmares.
A knock on my door had me blinking my eyes open, staring at the gray walls of a room I didn’t recognize. I jerked my head toward the door as a second knock came, and memories of the day before came rushing back.
“I’m—” I cleared my throat and tried again, calling out groggily. “I’m awake.”
“Can I come in, sugar?”
Ethan’s voice carried through the door, and I glanced down at myself to see that my tanktop had shifted in the night, one boob hanging out, and quickly adjusted the fabric so I was covered again. “Sure.”
The door cracked open, and he poked his head into the room as I sat up, smoothing my hair back from my face and surreptitiously wiping my mouth to make sure there was no drool covering my cheek. He smiled with his eyes first as he took in my disheveled appearance, his lips following immediately, turning up into a grin.
“You’re adorable. Do you know that?”
I blushed to my roots, knowing that I looked like a mess, having forgotten to tie my hair up in my haste to pleasure myself while thinking of their act of loving each other. He didn’t make me feel bad, though. His face softened.
“We are getting breakfast ready and wanted to know if you would join us in the kitchen?”
“Uh, sure,” I said dumbly as he stood there, taking me in. I could swear his eyes heated when I shifted, making my breasts sway under the light cotton of my top. “I’ll be right out,” I promised.
“Good girl.” His words sent a shiver down my spine, but he was gone before I could turn any redder from the pleasure it gave me to be called that. I wondered if they knew what their words did to me.
I glanced over at the table where my water sat in a small puddle. I groaned and whipped off my tank to mop up the mess of water before it could do any damage to the wood. There was already a bit of discoloration there from the water sitting all night, making me feel bad. I hoped once it dried out, it would go away, or I was going to be indebted to them even more. A thought played in the recesses of my mind of what I could do for them to pay them back, but I shoved it way down. I could have my fantasies, but I wouldn’t let them take over, or this arrangement would become extremely awkward.
I got up and threw on a bra, t-shirt, and shorts from the drawer. They had made sure I unpacked last night, not liking when I had said I would live out of my suitcase. Their eyes had gone hard, both of them. They had both ground their teeth, and it was like looking at two sides of the same coin. One dark, one light. They were so alike.
