Chapter 13
Blissful Masquerade: A Dark Why Choose Romance (Ruthless Desires Book 1)
WE SPEND the day just existing together.
None of them will do more than kiss me, saying they donât want to make me too sore. Itâs sweet, but every goddamned thing they do turns me on, so it leaves me squirming with want.
Elliot wakes up some time before lunch, and we spend our afternoon hanging out in the living roomâreading, playing games, completely normal stuff.
The whole day is a blissful masquerade of pretending that weâre more to each other than we are. Pretending that, at the end of the day, Iâm not leaving.
The thought makes my heart ache. I tried so hard not to let these men burrow their way into my affections, but I failed. Iâve never felt so cared for before, and I donât want to let it go.
But you barely know them, I tell myself all day. Is it worth the risk?
My heart tells me it isâthat itâll be worth getting broken again if it means more time in the arms of Elliot, Oliver, and Rhett. But my mind isnât so sure, and itâs always been more reliable than my foolish heart.
Theyâve known each other since high school. And while they may be a few years older than I am, thatâs still almost ten years for me. So for them, itâs even longer.
How can I compare to that? They know each other inside out. Could I fit into their relationship? Do they want me to?
As Iâm sitting on the couch next to Elliot, the thought that they donât want me stings. Of course, this all started as a one-night thing with Elliot, and then it turned into a weekend.
But none of them have brought up the idea of extending thisâfor a week, a month, indefinitely, whatever.
And Iâm too scared to brave asking the question myself.
âSomethingâs on your mind.â Elliot closes his book, setting it on the arm of the couch and turning to me.
Both Rhett and Oliver look up from the puzzle theyâre working on together. With all three of them watching me, I canât help but squirm.
âI donât really want to talk about it. If thatâs okay.â I stare down at my book while I say the last part.
âOf course it is, love.â Elliot kisses my forehead, and it sends a mixture of happiness and dread through me.
Maybe I should just leave now. The longer I draw it out, the harder this is going to be.
But I canât seem to bring myself to ask one of them to take me home. And when dinnertime rolls around again, I find myself sneaking into Elliotâs room to change into the skimpiest, laciest nightgown Iâve ever seen.
It doesnât even come halfway down my ass, and it shows off a bit of underboobâwhich Iâm sure will have Oliver drooling. With a smile at myself in the mirror, I turn, admiring myself from every angle.
Last night, it was ridiculously satisfying to watch all three men adjust themselves in their pants when I came down to dinner dressed in almost nothing. I canât wait to do it again.
I catch Rhettâs reflection in the mirror. Heâs holding something in his hands that I canât quite make out.
âChrist,â he mutters.
I turn, letting him admire my curves. âWhat do you think?â
âIf I didnât know better, Iâd say you hate us. Youâre really going to make us sit through dinner with you wearing this?â
I nod, giggling.
He sighs. âAt least itâll be worth it.â With a few steps, heâs on me, backing me into the bed. One of his hands fists the hair at the back of my head, pulling it so Iâm looking up at him. âTonight, Iâm taking this perfect ass of yours. And youâre going to thank me afterward.â
I nod, a smile forming on my lips.
âNow turn around and put your ass in the air.â
I obey, gasping when he shoves my panties down and gives me a lick from my clit to my asshole.
âRelax, sweetheart.â
I do, taking a couple of deep breaths. I feel his finger prodding me, already wet with lube, and I moan when he pushes inside of me.
âTell me, do you want me?â He nips at one of my ass cheeks.
âYes,â I whimper as he adds a second finger. I havenât forgotten that heâs only been in my mouth so far. âPlease, Rhett. Please.â
He eases his fingers out of me before replacing them with something else thatâs bigger, but not warm enough to be his cock. âYouâll have to wait until after dinner.â
I relax as he pushes the butt plug into me. Then he stands up, keeping a hand on my back as he admires his handiwork.
âYouâre going to feel so good, sweetheart. Now come and eat.â
Downstairs, Oliver lets out a groan when he sees me. âWhat did I tell you about teasing me, princess?â
I just grin at him.
âWe ordered takeout,â Elliot says, pulling me into his lap. Heâs sitting at the table, picking at a bowl of grapes. My stomach growls at the sight, so he grabs one and places it against my lips.
I open my mouth. He slides it in slowly, and then he runs his thumb across my bottom lip. The simple action sends sparks shooting down my body. When the sweetness of the grape bursts on my tongue, I moan.
He gives me another one, and this time, I capture his finger in my mouth, too, sucking while he slowly pulls it out.
âYou know what?â Elliot says, one of his hands running up my stomach before cupping my breast. âFuck waiting until after dinner.â
I roll my eyes. âYou can wait.â
âI donât think I can.â He kisses the back of my neck. âYou smell so fucking good.â
His words cause me to shiver, but I donât give in. I tested my limits with Oliver last night. Today, itâs time to see what Elliot will do when I tease him.
So I turn to him, wrap my arms around his neck, and lean in slowly for a kiss. But at the last second, I jump from his lap and bolt out of the room.
Itâs less than five seconds before he grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. I squeal, giggling as he hauls me back into the kitchen.
âYou fuck us a couple times, and all your shyness disappears, huh? Trust me, love, itâs in your best interest to drop the attitude right fucking now.â
âHmm.â I tap my finger to my chin, like Iâm thinking, which causes Oliver to snort. âWhy donât you make me?â
He sets me down roughly, but it doesnât go unnoticed how he keeps his hands on me until Iâve gained my balance. âGet on your knees.â
I raise an eyebrow. âMake me.â
And oh, he does. With his hands on my shoulders, he forces me down until Iâm at eye-level with the erection straining against his pants. He has it out in seconds, brushing the tip against my lips.
âOpen up,â he says, âso I can fuck the attitude right out of this pretty little mouth of yours.â
For a moment, I just smile up at him. But the want stirring between my legs doesnât let me hold out for any longer. I flick my tongue out and lick him before opening my mouth wide.
âGood girl.â He fists my hair, yanking me forward until his cock hits the back of my throat.
I gag, but I close my lips around him as he sets his paceâfast and punishing. All I can do is hold on to his legs and try to breathe. He groans when he looks down to see tears streaming from my cheeks and a mixture of saliva and precum trailing from my mouth.
âThatâs it. Youâre doing so well. Such a pretty little slut.â
I whimper as he takes me even harder, his grip on my hair tightening.
âTap my thigh if you need a break, love.â
I donât. Iâve loved every gentle, caring thing these men have done for me. But this? Iâve wanted it for so long. I just didnât trust anyone to respect my boundaries the way they do.
âIâm going to come in your mouth,â Elliot grunts. âBut youâre not allowed to swallow until I give you permission. Understood?â
I let out a strangled sound that I hope he takes as a yes. And then he swears, and his pace finally slows as I feel him finish in my mouth.
When he pulls out, I keep my mouth open so he can see, tilting my head back.
He smiles down at me. âI like you best when you look like this.â
Then he walks behind me, and I hear him doing something, but Iâm not quite sure what. Until I feel his hands on the back of my thighs, pushing them apart. And then he appears in between my legs, on his back and looking up at me.
âSit.â
I do, and his tongue lashes out at me, like heâs still angry that I talked back to him. My moans come out garbled and muffled, since my mouth is still full of his cum. Itâs an odd sensation, and yet another thing Iâve never done before.
Elliotâs hands come to my hips, steadying me, and I realize Iâve been rocking against his face.
âSit still, or I wonât let you come.â
I whimper, my hands grasping his. Then he goes back to work, sucking my clit into his mouth.
Oliver kneels in front of me, his lips brushing across the skin of my jawbone. When he runs the pads of his thumbs over my nipples, and then pinches them between his fingers, it takes everything in my willpower not to scream.
âFuck,â he mutters. âYouâre so goddamned hot like this.â
Then he leans down and sucks one of my nipples into his mouth. His tongue flicks it back and forth, and it sends the first wave of my undoing through me.
All I can do is keep my mouth clamped shut as my orgasm rips through me. Oliver catches me when I fall forward, and Elliot gives me one last lick before sliding out from underneath me.
He comes around to stand over me. âShow me one last time.â
I open my mouth, panting.
âSwallow.â
I do. I swear, Iâve never wanted to obey a man before these three. But now, Iâm ready to do whatever the hell any of them tell me to.
âSuch a good girl,â Oliver says before pressing his lips to mine in a kiss that takes my breath away. âMmm. Ell, you taste good on her.â
Oliver pulls me up, and Rhett comes behind me. At some point, they both stripped. I take a deep breath to calm the butterflies that appear in my stomach at the sight of them.
âAre you ready for more, princess?â
I nod.
Rhett comes behind me, palming my ass. âBend over, sweetheart, and relax.â
Oh god.
I do, and he slowly pulls the butt plug out of me. He disappears for a moment, coming back with a bottle of lube in his hands and a smirk on his face.
Oliver bites my ear lightly. âWeâre both going to fill you, and youâre going to take it like the good little slut you are.â
âOh, fuck,â I whisper as Oliver picks up one of legs, holding it to give them more room. I help guide his cock to my entrance, and we both moan when he slips inside.
Once heâs settled into a decent pace, I feel Rhett fill me from behind. Heâs gentle, easing into me slowly.
My head falls back and hits his chest.
âRelax, sweetheart,â he whispers in my ear.
Oliver slows, giving me a chance to catch my breath. Rhett pushes himself in further, holding onto my hips.
âYouâre doing so well, Wren.â I donât know who says itâIâm too lost in the new sensations, in the way they both feel inside me.
My eyes meet Elliotâs, and I find him watching with an appreciative look on his face. But I only catch his gaze for a moment before my eyes close from pure bliss.
âOh fuck,â I whisper, grabbing onto Oliverâs shoulders.
He chuckles. âI donât think sheâs going to last long.â As if to prove his point, his free hand snakes down my front, and he presses his thumb against my clit.
Tiny explosions erupt with every movement he makes. Rhett keeps his pace slow and steady, but Oliverâs thrusts turn rougher as they push me closer to the edge.
One of Rhettâs hands wraps around my throat, squeezing lightly. And then Iâm coming, lost between the two of them. Rhettâs other hand clamps over my mouth as I scream, and it only makes me come harder.
They donât relentânot until my body calms down, just to be manipulated into another earth-shattering orgasm. When they both finally come, my legs are shaking, and their arms are the only things keeping me from collapsing onto the floor in a shivering puddle.
Someone takes me into the shower, washing my hair and cleaning the sweat off my body. The faint smell of sandalwood and sweet citrus calms me as he dries me off.
And then my body is swinging, a pair of strong arms lifting me off the floor and carrying me.
Dread pangs in my heart, and I canât get rid of the nagging feeling that thereâs something I need to do. But Iâm too sated and dazed to figure it out, so I drift off to sleep, sandwiched between two warm bodies.
WHEN I WAKE, itâs dark out. Iâm on a couch, my head resting on someoneâs leg. Flames flicker in the fireplace, the only light in the room.
âShe needs to go,â someone says. Elliot, I think.
âI donât want her to.â Oliverâs voice is pouty, and it puts a small smile on my lips.
âIâm pretty sure she works Mondays. Sheâs gonna have to get home so she can get ready for work in the morning.â
Are they talking about me?
âWhy?â Oliver says too loudly, almost angrily. âWhy canât we figure out a way to make this work? She means something to all of us, so why not just admit it to her? We can take care of her.â
âThatâs way too fast, O,â Rhett says from above me. His hand comes down to stroke my hair, and I have to fight the urge to look up at him. I want to hear where this conversation is going.
Elliot sighs. âOliver, you literally said just Friday that itâs a bad idea to pursue a relationship with her.â
âWell, I changed my fucking mind. I canât go back to just seeing her once a week. And neither of you can, either.â
Oh my god, theyâre talking about me.
âIâve been contemplating finding a new coffee shop,â Elliot says in a defeated voice. He sounds . . . deflated.
âYouâre never going to get her out of your head, Ell. You said so yourself. Weâve wanted her for so long, and we never thought we could have her, but now sheâs here. How can you let her go?â
My heart squeezes. Are they really so head-over-heels for me that the thought of seeing me without having me would be that hard? Hard enough to make them switch coffee shops?
Wait. Why do they think they canât have me?
âWhat about what Wren wants?â Rhettâs hand moves to my shoulder, running down my arm. âWhat if she wants us, too?â
I do. Fuck being careful.
âWhat if she doesnât? Besides, we all know itâd be too complicated. Our sleep schedules are a mess, and itâs not like we can change that. And what aboutââ
âI know,â Oliver snaps, and I can just barely see him slump in his chair in my peripheral vision.
âWe need to take her home, and then we need to leave her alone,â Elliot says. âThis weekend has been amazingâa fantasy come true. But thatâs all itâs been. A fantasy. We need to let her go and try to forget about her.â
No, I shout in my head. But the sound echoes throughout the room, very real and very audible.
âFuck,â Rhett mutters, pulling me up and into his lap. âHow much of that did you hear?â
Tears spring to my eyes, but I blink them back. This is exactly what I was afraid of. I caught fucking feelings, and theyâre going to do their best to forget me regardless of what I want. What they want.
I try to slide off his lap, but he holds me to him.
âWhat all did you hear, sweetheart?â
I turn to Elliot, and his face falls at my hurt expression. Yesterday, he made the claim that he cared about me more than any of the men who came before him. And I agreed with him. But now? Now, he just wants to forget me.
âWhy?â
He sighs. âItâs . . . complicated, love.â
âDonât call me that.â
He winces.
This was a mistake. This was a huge, giant mistake, and itâs going to make your life so much more fucking miserable.
âI want to go home.â
âAbsolutely not.â
I think weâre all surprised when the words spill from Elliotâs lips. I try to squirm from Rhettâs arms, but he just holds onto me tighter.
âNot like this.â Elliot stands, coming to crouch in front of me. âI need you to understand, Wren. Itâs not because I donât want you. We all do. But our lives are . . . different from other peopleâs. Itâs not easy, and itâs not always safe.â
As he explains, I remember how theyâve all avoided telling me what they do for a living. Are they spies? Assassins or something?
âI donât understand,â I say flatly.
He rubs his face with his hands. âI guess Iâm worried weâd add more stress to your life than happiness, lov- Wren.â
âBut you wonât know unless you try,â I whisper. My tears have come back, and one falls onto my cheek.
He brushes it away tenderly, shaking his head. âI donât think itâs worth the risk. You donât know what youâre walking into.â
Then explain it to me, I want to yell.
Is this weekend the universe playing some cruel joke on me? Breaking my heart, showing me that there are kind men out there, and then ripping them from my grasp?
No. No.
I canât watch myself fall apart again. I donât care if itâs only been a weekend. Somehow these men have stolen my heart, in a much bigger capacity than I was prepared for.
And I canât just walk away.
I twist, looking at Rhett. âLet me go.â When he hesitates, I brush my fingers across his cheek. âI wonât run.â
He swallows, his gaze piercing me, like heâs looking straight into my heart. And then he releases me with a sigh.
Elliot touches my arm. âWren, I think you shouldââ
âNo!â I shout, standing and glaring up at him. âNo. You donât get to be patient and gentle and fucking nice to me, just to do this. You donât get to make me feel the most cared for, the most safe, the most valued Iâve ever felt in my life, just to rip it away from me because youâre afraid. Iâm afraid, too, Elliot. Of this. Of getting my heart broken again. But the three of you have embedded yourselves so deeply into me that I donât think Iâll ever get you out, so here I am. Iâm fucking facing my fears, Elliot. So why canât you?â
He just stares at me for a moment. Oliverâs mouth is hanging open, and while I canât see Rhett, I can feel his stare burning the skin on the back of my neck.
âWrenââ
âDonât you dare tell me I should leave,â I whisper. Another tear falls.
He swallows. Sighs. âI think youâre right.â
I was already preparing a counter-argument, so his words are the last thing I expected. I stumble backward, shocked. Rhett places a hand on my back to steady me.
He thinks Iâm . . . right?
âJesus,â Oliver mutters. âYou can reason with this fuckwit? Shit. Now weâre never letting you go.â