Laid Open (7 page)

Chapter Eight

“Go take a shower. I’ve ordered dinner, something light,” Todd said as she came out of the bathroom.

Ben poked his head in from their lanai. “I just turned the hot tub on.”

She stood there, her hands at her sides, and looked at them both. Her big, braw men who’d softened and gentled around her. Who looked at her with so much love.

Her bottom lip wobbled and Todd’s smile fell away as he moved to her, gathering her into his arms.

“I’m all right.” She said it through a voice thick with tears though, and he knew it. “Really. I’m just strung out.”

Todd set her back and looked into her face. “You’re exhausted.”

“I didn’t do anything today.”

“Sweetheart.” He shook his head. “You grieved today. That takes a lot out of you. You’re emotionally exhausted. Do you want my help in the shower?” A glimmer of a smile, and suddenly she felt so much better. Just that the smile was still there. She was more than her grief.

And that was all right, wasn’t it?

She decided it was.

“I promise to keep my hands to myself if you’re worried.” It was a tease and she blew out a breath.

“But he’ll be thinking dirty things,” Ben called out from the lanai.

She laughed, really and truly.

Todd snorted. “He’s got my number.”

She tiptoed up to kiss his chin. “You’re not that mysterious when it comes to sex.”

“A man knows what he likes. And you’re it. But I mean it, you need to fortify yourself. Rest. Relaxation and definitely a meal.”

“I’m sandy.” Despite the teasing, she knew he had no intentions of making any moves. He would, when the time was right. That was also what she knew about him. He was a physical man. One who often showed affection in a physical way.

“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

She grabbed a towel and went in to take a quick shower.

And when she came out her dinner was waiting and their lanai had been lit with dozens of candles.

She paused at the doorway, and that flood of love for them just burst through her. This had been for her. All of it. The trip, the way they let her process that whole day, even though she knew they’d had a hard time holding back.

“Come on and sit. We’ll eat and then soak. That work for you?” Ben pulled the chair out for her to sit, and she did. He bent to kiss her shoulder and joined them, across from Todd.

Dinner was simple and delicious. Exactly what she’d needed.

“Today you both wanted to take over and fix me.”

Todd looked up from his plate. “I did. Ben and I worked through it. He told me we couldn’t fix you. And we can’t. He saw it the way I should have been able to.”

The light of the candles wasn’t necessary to let Erin know Ben blushed.

“It’s not that we don’t want to fix you. We just know we can’t. Because some things are never going to be okay.”

Todd gazed over at Ben with a look of so much love it brought a hitch to Erin’s breath. Then they turned to her and she smiled.

“I forgot.” It was still there, a thread of the guilt.

Todd shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You didn’t know the date today, which is not the same as forgetting what happened. Do you see that? Be sad. Tear at your hair and weep. Whatever you need to to get through it. I won’t try to manage your grief. But I won’t let you beat yourself up for not knowing today was the anniversary date. You remember her every day. You had flowers delivered graveside today. You arranged for that three weeks ago.”

Oh. She had. And she and Alexander had gone to Adele’s grave just a week before with Brody.

“Just because we know we can’t fix you doesn’t mean we’ll allow yourself to beat yourself up over something that isn’t your fault.” Ben said it quietly, but full of resolve.

She dabbed her lips and stood, leaving her robe on the chair.

Both men watched as she stepped into the hot tub and settled.

“I don’t know how it is I deserve you. But thank you.”

* * *

When she awoke the next morning, she turned her head to find the satin bag that held her nipple weights on the pillow next to her. No man in sight.

A thrill wended its way through her. She grabbed the little bag and headed into the bathroom where she managed to clean up and get herself in some semblance of presentability before she hooked the weights to each ring piercing her nipple.

She sighed dreamily. The chain was new, shiny silver against her skin. The beads were onyx, and heavier than her others. She stared at herself in the mirror, and aside from the faint stretch marks on her hips, she delighted in the way she looked. In the way her nipples had darkened and hardened as the weights slowly heated her sensual awareness.

She went out again, aware of each step she took as the chain between her breasts moved, tugging on her nipples.

Todd sat in a chair on the other side of the main room, reading a book, a cup of coffee at his right hand.

His gaze flicked up and then over her body when she entered the room.

“I’m glad you understood my instructions.”

She shivered at the use of that voice. He had this . . .
tone
he used when he topped her. It tapped into something deep inside Erin. Turned her knees to jelly, left her eager to please.

She nodded.

Ben padded in from outside. She gasped when she caught sight of the rope in his hands.

“I like that response.” Ben circled her, slowly unwinding the rope he’d been carrying. When it hit the floor she nearly jumped. He saw that and smiled.

That smile brought a shiver. She was so in for it.

He trailed the edge of the rope over her shoulder. Rough. She loved the scent of rope, loved the way her skin would look when he removed it. Loved, most especially, the way his face changed as he wrapped and knotted, twisted and knotted.

“Going to wrap you like a present.”

She closed her eyes a moment.

Todd stood, taking one last sip of coffee. “Would you like some coffee?”

Torn, she looked from the coffee back to the rope.

Ben laughed. “You can have both.”

“But I want this.” She nodded at the rope, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

“Oh, baby. You’ll get that. I want it. You want it. We’ll have it.”

“Come.” Todd sat again and patted his lap.

She moved to him, settling in his lap, curling herself into his body.

“Don’t choke.” Ben laughed as she gulped from the cup of coffee. “This rope is meant for you. It’s not going anywhere.”

Todd looked to Ben. “Bind her hands.”

He fed her a piece of fruit, and then another. And then he slowly wound the rope around her wrists and forearms until she was unable to move. The embrace of the rope brought her breath shorter at first, and then, as she gave over, she breathed slow and deep, watching Ben’s face as he worked.

“She needs a sip of coffee,” Ben murmured to Todd as he kept working.

Todd held the mug to her lips as she drank. And then he followed up with more fruit and some toast. She felt cosseted and spoiled. They took care of her, all while putting her on display for their pleasure. There was something so very alluring about that.

“Full?” Todd murmured into her ear. Languid from the rope and from being so very spoiled, she nodded with a happy sigh.

Todd stood then, setting her on her feet. Ben tugged on the rope to get her attention. The shock of it echoed through her system, bringing a gasp to her lips, bringing her from that warm, lazy place to full attention.

“Your nipples just got even harder.” Ben said it with that supreme maleness he had, and she shivered at the sound. Knowing what it meant when he took on that persona, giving rein to that part of himself.

He started to wrap her upper body, around each breast, careful to leave the chains and nipple weights free.

She was confined there between each man, content to fall back into rope space.

Until Todd stepped behind Ben, reaching around his body to grab his cock, fisting it a few times until Ben’s face went sort of blurry for long moments. He leaned back, resting his head on Todd’s shoulder as Todd jerked him off.

Erin licked her lips, watching Ben get harder, his cock darker, the smear of shiny pre-come at the slit.

Todd’s gaze went to hers, locked there. “I’m going to fuck him first. Get him ready for you. Would you like to watch?”

She nodded quickly, not wanting to be misinterpreted. Yes, yes, she wanted that.

Ben led her to the bed, settling her on her knees so she could rest her ass on her heels. The ropes were tight enough to raise the
throb-throb-throb
of her pulse, but not so tight she couldn’t feel anything.

Ben was perfect with rope.

Todd pulled his shorts off, rendering them all naked at last. He was hard, so hard his cock tapped his belly.

She relaxed into that position. Delighted that each of them looked at her as if she were so lovely and bewitching before Todd grabbed Ben’s hair and held his head still for a kiss.

Kiss. Ha. Kiss seemed a pale word for what it was. Tongue and teeth, a gnashing of mouths as they hit the mattress, rolling, kissing and kissing some more. They writhed, cock to cock, she knew.

Todd reached to the nightstand to grab the lube. Erin caught her bottom lip between her teeth and just watched, rapt, as Todd poured it over his cock and Ben’s. Ben grunted as Todd took his balls in his palm, twisting his wrist so he could slide slippery fingers over Ben’s asshole.

“I’m going to be right here. Very, very soon.” Todd said it with his lips right against Ben’s.

“God, please, please.”

Ben rarely begged. But the sound of it went straight to Erin’s clit as she shifted to ease the build of pleasure and only succeeded in sliding her pussy against itself. Slick, swollen flesh providing sensation. But not enough.

It was torture to watch, but the best kind. They knew exactly what she needed. Damn they were good.

“Please what?” Todd nipped Ben’s bottom lip and then bent to lick and scrape his teeth across Ben’s left nipple.

“Make me come. Fuck me. Whatever. Just please.”

Todd’s smile was one of his most wicked. He was in his zone and Erin swallowed, hard, knowing just how Ben felt as Todd put all his focus on him.

“Please fuck you? You want my cock, baby? Hm?”

Ben nodded. “Yes.”

“I want to see you when I fuck you. Get those knees up.”

Ben obeyed quickly and Erin was so wet, so totally close to coming just by watching, that it was delicious agony.

“I like it when my man is compliant.” Todd smiled again and Ben arched.

Todd moved between Ben’s thighs, getting close enough to brush his balls against Ben’s. From her vantage point on the bed Erin could see everything.

Could see Todd tease the head of his cock around Ben’s hole. Brushing at first as he slid a finger, and then one more to stretch him. Ben shouted a groan and Todd bent to lick up his throat.

“Found it, didn’t I?”

“Fuck yes. You know you did. Fuck me, damn it.”

“Oh, we’re feisty all the sudden,” Todd teased.

Ben grabbed his cock and fisted a few times.

“Uh uh uh. Not yet. Your cock is mine. Don’t you dare come yet.”

Erin held her breath as she watched Todd push Ben’s hand out of the way, taking Ben’s cock in his hand while he slowly pressed his cock into Ben’s ass.

“Shhh,” Todd murmured as Ben hissed at the invasion. “Relax.”

The next sound Ben made wasn’t from pain, and Erin knew Todd must have brushed his cock over Ben’s sweet spot.

“Yesterday I learned to lean on Ben for a change.” Todd spoke as he began to slowly thrust and pull back. “I was reminded why I love our man so much, Erin. He knows us both so well.”

“Loves us,” Erin said, though her words were slightly slurred.

“Yes, definitely.”

Erin briefly wondered at what exactly went on between them. She’d noticed the closeness they’d built, knew something important had happened. They’d tell her in their own way, she was sure. She only knew she was glad for it.

“Your cock is so hard,” Todd said to Ben.

Ben nodded with a groan.

“You’re so fucking hot and tight, baby. I’m not going to last long. Look at our girl waiting there so patiently. She’s so hungry for it.” Todd ran covetous hands over Ben’s body and she surged forward just a brief moment before she got herself back under control.

“Did you see that? She’s hungry for it.”

Both men looked to her, Ben’s face a mask of helpless desire, Todd’s more tightly controlled but no less full of pleasure. He teased Ben’s ass, teased himself, hell, teased her until he fell forward with a groan as she knew he came.

His mouth met Ben’s in another kiss, and Erin swallowed back the cry she wanted to make. They were so beautiful.

They left for long moments as she remained in place. Wondering just exactly what Todd had planned. Hoping like hell it had something to do with that hard and ready cock Ben had been left with.

“Now then. The edge has been taken off and I feel so much better.” Todd came back into the room and circled her. “How are your nipples?”

He flicked one and the shock of pleasure echoed through her.

Ben came out just a minute later and began to untie her. He brushed kisses over the marks on her skin.

Each circle he undid, taking the rope from her body, kissing over the marks momentarily before he went back to it, sent her back into ropespace.

“Now then, Erin. Ben’s cock is very, very hard. I can take care of it.” Todd’s mouth kicked up at the corner. “Or you can. Any preferences?” He leaned in close to nip her bottom lip and then bent to lick over both nipples.

“Please, fuck me. Lick me. Anything. Just . . . please.”

Ben sat and patted his lap. “Seems to me, Erin, you doubted us yesterday.”

She arranged herself like he told her to and arched when his fingertips brushed up the backs of her thighs and over the seam of her ass. Teasing.

“I didn’t. Exactly. You two want to fix me. I . . .”

But she had no more opportunity to speak when the first crack came. Open palmed, Ben had slapped her ass once, twice and three times.

It only made her wetter, something he verified when his fingers slid into her cunt and drew out to tickle her clit until she moaned.