Promise of Eternity: (Promises Book 4)

Chapter 9

Valentine’s Day. Before Rayne, it was nothing more than another greeting card holiday. I’d never understood the appeal of having someone around longer than a night.

Now, everything was different. My entire life had changed once she walked through the door at Duci’s. The first time I met her, I knew she was different. Ethan didn’t immediately charm her. Her words cut through all of our bullshit, leaving no room for argument. “Are you certain that you want to take this job? I can always speak to Oliver and request someone else.”

“I’m certain. Every time I do a job for Oliver, I assume that there is a degree of risk. I wouldn’t have met with you for anyone else. Are you concerned I can’t do the job because I’m a woman?”

It seemed fitting that the four of us were eating dinner at the venue where we’d met. It had been several months since Rayne had confessed that she was pregnant. We’d chosen not to find out what the gender of the baby was. Rayne wanted it to be a surprise, and we had all supported her decision.

The morning sickness had finally passed. It had been weeks of me making her drink ginger teas, eat crackers, and take Vitamin B6. I had also painstakingly planned her meals to allocate additional nutrient-dense calories. Ethan glared at me and brought her peach cobbler ice cream, her current craving, instead. I liked to think that, somehow, our group balanced each other out.

Soon, a small child would wreak havoc at all hours of the night and ruin our sleep schedules–well, ruining them more than they already were. Thankfully, Rayne had begrudgingly agreed to take the night off to spend it with us. I was excited and nervous, though I was careful not to show it. It would be up to the four of us to ensure that a tiny being had all of its needs met.

Rayne sat back in her chair after putting her fork down and placing her hands on her stomach’s slight swell. Seeing her looking content made my heart flutter a bit. She had always been beautiful, but lately, her skin glowed. The extra help at Inferno had helped the ever present dark circles disappear from beneath her eyes.

“Ready?” Ethan asked as he motioned to a server. Her eyes became hooded, and she gave him a small smile. Part two of our date night was probably why she hadn’t attempted to brush us off to reschedule. The pregnancy had brought another change. Our girl was insatiable, and there was one thing she wanted. It definitely wasn’t for me to remind her to take her prenatal vitamins. She grumbled about that each morning as she made her cup of coffee.

Hunter eyed her carefully. “Are you sure about this? You feel comfortable, and your doctor agreed?”

Rayne narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. The action caused my eyes to dip to the cleavage that threatened to spill out of her top. “I spoke to Nia and my doctor about tonight. I’m positive.”

I knew she was sure, even though Hunter was being cautious. She’d been begging me to tie her up for weeks, craving the freedom it brought her. By removing her ability to move, I gave her something else she needed. It was the only time she could turn her brain off and allow herself just to exist. To feel.

She wanted to do it at Rapture. I stood, offering her my hand. When she took it, I brushed my lips against her knuckles in a silent promise. I’d done my research and knew how to make sure she was safe and comfortable for what I had planned. With our schedules, we didn’t get to spend as much time together as I wanted to, and I wanted tonight to be memorable.

I was giddy with anticipation as I sat in a leather chair across the room, watching Rayne slowly strip. Her black wrap dress was held together at the waist by a tie, and her fingers nimbly unknotted the fabric, allowing it to fall to her feet. She’d sworn off high heels not long after we’d met, so she stood wearing a pair of black flats, lacy panties, and a matching bra. The curves of her body were on display, as were the stretch marks and scars that I wanted to worship. Every mark on her skin told a story.

Hunter and Ethan sat nearby on the edge of the bed, waiting to see what I would do next. I hooked two fingers at her, beckoning her to come closer. She wasn’t shy around the three of us anymore and didn’t shield her body from my vision as she sauntered closer, her hips swaying. The silk rope sitting in my lap was ready for me to wrap it around her wrists. We couldn’t play as rough as she had grown accustomed to, but I could accommodate her particular desires.

After everything with Ayers, Rayne liked to feel weightless—free. I wasn’t comfortable suspending her the same way that we had prior to her pregnancy, and her doctors weren’t either for safety reasons. But what I could do was take away her ability to make decisions. That was what she really wanted, even in the beginning—a single moment where the weight of the world wasn’t on her shoulders.

When she finally reached where I was sitting, she dropped to her knees, planting her palms on her thighs. I held a single hand out, and she knew exactly what I wanted. She lifted her wrists to me, and I began winding the cord gently around her arms. The pattern was beautiful, a contrast against her pale skin. I slowly ran my fingers across her jaw when it was tied off. “So beautiful like this, sweetheart.”

And she was. I helped her from her position, and Hunter stepped behind her. He tethered her wrist over her head and kissed along her shoulders while I continued working. The rope crisscrossed her torso, and I tugged, ensuring that nothing was too tight as I created a harness that ended below her breasts. I didn’t want to bind her ankles or legs because her feet had been swelling for the past several months. Safety was always a priority, but even more so now that she carried our child. Our child.

Hunter rolled Rayne’s nipple between his fingers, and she moaned, arching into his touch. Ethan sat on the bed, waiting patiently for his turn. His pants were unzipped, and his hand was wrapped around his cock as he stroked himself, his eyes dark as he watched. He’d be satisfied looking on for a while, just like always. I fell to my knees, running the tip of my nose from her knee up her thigh. Her body shivered beneath the feather-light touch as I nipped along her skin. I avoided touching where she wanted, teasing her. Eventually, she would beg me. The thought of her whimpering the word “please” sent a flush of warmth through me. My gaze lifted to meet hers, and I locked onto her blue eyes that held endless emotions.

The trust she placed in each of us sent another jolt of electricity through my veins. Once upon a time, I had her told that the thing that turned me on the most was trust. “There is nothing sexier to me than someone who trusts me enough to tie them up. There’s something powerful about the experience.” Even then, I knew it was something she would be interested in.

Hunter bit at her neck, and she tilted her head to the side, giving him more access. “Are you comfortable, princess?”

“Yes,” she breathed out, her voice husky from desire. Hunter’s hands slid down her sides, his fingers tracing the swell of her hips as I allowed my nose to brush against her folds. I hooked her thigh over my shoulder before dipping my tongue inside of her. Her weight rested against Hunter’s chest as I feasted on her, bringing her close to release but never over the edge.

“Do you want Ethan to touch you too?” Hunter murmured against her skin.

“Yes,” she gasped, her voice filled with need. Ethan didn’t need to be told twice. Anything she asked or commanded, he would do. Moving from his position on the edge of the bed, he knelt beside her. His eyes never left her face as he took one of her nipples in his mouth, his other hand moving to join me between her thighs.

Rayne’s breath hitched. The sensation of Ethan playing with her nipples while his fingers pushed inside of her caused her eyes to flit closed. Her hands strained at the rope above her head.

“Please,” she begged, and that singular word drove me to the brink. I sucked her clit into my mouth. She let out a shuddering moan, and her body spasmed against her restraints. My cock throbbed in my pants as I watched her come, her arousal damp on my face.

“Do you want to move to the bed?” Ethan asked her, his fingers still deep inside.

She bit at her lip and then nodded. Suddenly, my phone went off in my pants pockets, and I glanced at Hunter. He cursed under his breath. Everyone had been told not to interrupt us tonight; they knew how important it was for the four of us. It was rare that we all had a night off together.

Hunter pressed a kiss beneath Rayne’s ear. “Go ahead and answer it.”

I pulled it from my pocket, and my heart fell. Joey. Unless it was an emergency, he wouldn’t call, especially not on Valentine’s Day.