Page 41 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
“Do you think the pool is warm?” I ask, seriously considering sitting on the edge and letting my feet dangle inside.
Calantha’s smile grows as she pulls me toward the water. The crowd isn’t as full as it was earlier, a sure sign that the night is almost over, even though I don’t want it to be. Dipping our toes in the cool water, I entwine my fingers with Calantha’s and cherish this moment.
We’re here. We’re safe. And things are finally turning around.
“It’s nice to see you so happy,” my sister says, gazing at me intently. “And I already know you understand what I mean, so don’t try to play coy. It’s okay to let them make you happy, Lil. That’s what they want to do, you know. It’s written all over their faces when they look at you. This mix of possession and need, but not in a bad way.”
“That’s not—”
“Oh, please. If either of them had the chance to whisk you into a dark corner and ravish you completely, they would. Hell, I bet they’d even work together to help get the task done, if you know what I mean.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me until my annoyed look turns into laughter.
“It’s not that simple, Calla. Forgetting the fact that they’re my bosses, which already complicates things, they don’t know just how much my past defines me. What if they find out how tainted I am and don’t want me? Or what if they know someone else who traded favors for flesh with our uncle? I barely survived running into that guy at the gala… I don’t think I will a second time.”
“You can’t truly believe they’d kick you to the curb over what happened when you were a teenager. It was beyond your control. What our uncle did to you doesn’t define who you are. Youprotected me, for God’s sake, Lil. Something I will never be able to repay you for but will do my best to.”
“Oh, Calantha.”
“It’s true. And I’m right about this. Stop making excuses for why this won’t work and talk to them. Even if you don’t want to open up about the farm, at least find out where they see things going between you. That’s the only way you’ll be comfortable to move forward.”
I don’t respond, letting her words seep into my skin. Was I sabotaging this already? Fear of the unknown, of rejection and abandonment, weighs me down whenever I think about wanting them both. But if I push all of that aside and truly examine my relationships with Aiden and Kaleb, the truth is obvious. They both want me, and maybe, just maybe, they’d both be happy to claim me as well.
As another hour passes, I try to focus on the people around me, but everything Calantha and I discussed earlier stays at the forefront of my mind. Night descends around us as more people take their leave, and before I know it, my sister says her goodbye.
She hugs me tight, refusing my offer to leave with her before nodding to the men beside me.
“Thanks for having me! Best company party ever,” she tells Aiden and Kaleb, who smile at her warmly. “Make sure she gets home safely, okay? I’m counting on you both to take care of her.”
I don’t miss the slight shift in her voice or the innuendo, and I’m positive my bosses don’t either. Heat flares beneath my cheeks at the eagerness behind their eyes as they nod and say goodbye to my sister. I really should be more annoyed with her meddling, but I can’t help the zing of excitement that flows through me. Could this really be happening?
For some people, the hour is still early and the nightlife of the city beckons them to play. They make their way toward us,praising us for a great time before departing until it’s only the three of us left.
Without speaking, we gather up our things and thank the wait staff for all of their hard work before heading to the exit.
“Would you like to come back to the penthouse for another drink?’ Kaleb asks, stopping at the entrance. I look between the two, wondering if this might be a test. If I say yes to Kaleb, what does that mean for Aiden?
As if sensing my dilemma, a smile grows on Aiden’s face. “The penthouse is ours, in case that helps you decide.”
“You live together?” I ask, startled at the news. I knew they were close, but I never would have suspected these two grown men shared a home. After the gala, I thought we were at Kaleb’s house, and that Aiden had only shown up to make sure I was safe. Why else would he have slept on a chair in Kaleb’s room?
“Come with us, and I’ll tell you all about it on the drive over,” Kaleb replies, throwing me a hopeful smile.
For once, I don’t hesitate. I tamp down the fear and worries threatening to flood my body and do something I want to. Could it all blow up in my face? Possibly. But it’s just as likely that it won’t, and if I don’t give myself this moment to find out, I’ll regret it.
“Okay.”
I sit between them in the backseat with the heat of their thighs pressed against mine and the brush of their shoulders keeping me still as we drive through the city streets. It’s intoxicating. I feel trapped between them, a fly caught in their web, but I don’t think they’ll eat me. At least, not in a way I won’t like.
Kaleb keeps the conversation going, doing exactly as he promised and sharing the story of how they came to live together after college. Even after they started earning enough to live alone, neither of them wanted to. It wasn’t anything I didn’texpect, and to be honest, it made a whole hell of a lot of sense. His words help distract me from the ache in my lower belly, the one urging me to put one hand on each of their thighs, to have them crowd me further and take whatever it is they want from me right here in this car.
Always the coward, I don’t do any of that, and before I know it, the driver has parked in front of a tall building and Aiden holds the door open for me. I take his offered hand, unsurprised by the electricity that passes through our skin at the contact. His gray eyes darken to slate, holding on a moment longer than necessary once I’m free from the car.
He lets me go, heading toward a doorman who smiles at each of us as we pass.Of course they’d have a doorman. Didn’t every rich family in the show Gossip Girl have one?
We pass what must be the concierge desk for the resident’s of this building, and he waves us toward the elevators with a “have a good night.” Once inside, Aiden inserts a key into a little hole above the buttons before pressing P4. I don’t remember this from my last visit, but I hadn’t exactly been myself when we arrived, and when I’d finally left the next morning, my only focus was on getting out of there as quickly as possible.
As the elevator begins its ascent, the sexual tension radiating off the three of us builds. It’s palpable, heady, consuming every single one of my fears for tomorrow. I keep my gaze on the floor, my hands, anything but their faces, because if I see the same lust mirrored in their eyes, I won’t be able to stop myself. And I want to be at least a little smart about all of this.
The doors part to reveal a large foyer with a walk-in closet and views of the open space living room. I let Kaleb take my jacket and step out of my wedge sandals, setting them on the little tray just inside the closet.
