Page 31 of Gilded Desires

Somewhere around four in the morning she’d stirred awake and reached out for me.

My cock jerks awake at the memory and tests the elastic fabric of my sweatpants. She gripped my shaft with her delicate hand and fell asleep holding me. I chuckle low at the idea my cock is her sleeping pill.

What the fuck was that about? Not that I am complaining. Honestly, I haven’t slept that well since my first tour overseas.

I palm my phone and pull up Raja’s name. Two rings and he picks up.

“Just waking or just getting to bed?” I ask.

“I have a better question. What day is it? Did you find a girl?”

I turn back around and lean against the railing, hooking my ankles. “I think we did.”

“Think?”

“Okay, fuck, man. We did. Three nights from now you will have your sex show. She gets scared I will break the contract and you can bill me for the penalty. We will sign before going on stage.”

A grunt feeds through the earpiece. “I haven’t heard you sound so torn. Ever, now that I think about it. She’s that good?”

I pause. Through the window, I see Aziel wake and head to the bathroom probably to shower. He can’t seem to live without feeling water on him first thing in the morning. Must be the Navy man in him.

“I don’t know yet.” I end the call and pass a steamy mug of joe to Aziel when he joins me a few minutes later, dripping wet with a towel wrapped around his hips.

We both welcome the sun’s rays as they feed through the branches of the surrounding pines. It has momentarily won against the darkness prowling closer, but the shadows always wins in the end.

A long dock we had built when we bought the place extends into the water. As tempting as a swim sounds, I have to admit last night left me tired as hell. Besides, the undercurrents this time of year can turn deadly.

“Can’t sleep?”

I take a deep gulp of my black coffee not ready to share the mess of shit I’m feeling. I don’t think I can put it into words if I try anyway.

“Yeah, sleeping isn’t coming easy but for a whole other set of reasons than usual, though.”

“She’s not what I expected either.” My brain zeroes in on the worry that darkens my friend’s expression.

“What has your face lookin’ like you’d rather punch me than talk?” We both drink more coffee as he considers his words. Aziel isn’t one to just blurt out everything he thinks. He likes to chew on his thoughts and then offer up whatever tastes best. Usually, the sugar-coated shit as to not hurt people’s feelings.

But when he’s with Rush or me, we get the unvarnished version of Aziel.

“We have how many shows in the contract with The Society?”

“To start a week straight and then decide how many and how often.”

Aziel nods. “You felt what I felt last night, didn’t you? Rush did too. Hell, he hasn’t let her out of his arms since she arrived.”

Aziel pauses. “She trusts us and I know the instant comfort we feel with her will cause us pain in the end. This girl gets emotionally connected with just a kiss.” He hisses through his teeth. “If we see this contract through there is no way she is walking. She’s not the kind of girl who does a quick fling. You can see long-term written all over that irresistible body.”

What is left unsaid is felt the hardest. Can we walk away from her when the contract ends?

We both stand silently looking at Belle in my bed. The three of us are assholes for what we did to her last night. We should have walked away back at The Society and picked one of those other women.

The thought churns my gut. We should have dumped the whole thing. Acid burns the back of my throat at the idea of just picking some random stranger to sink our cocks into.

But isn’t that what we did? Belle doesn’t feel like a stranger at all. Her sass, quick wit, and willingness to seek pleasure and be pleasured spoke to me in a way no other woman has.

“It feels like we’ve known her our whole lives. How is that possible?”

I’m speaking low but my brother hears me. “I don’t know, man. How is anything we share possible?” Hard blue eyes swing from Belle to land on mine. “How did I come back from the dead? How do we read each other so easily? How is being so connected to another person so strongly that you feel them in your bones real?”

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