16. Chapter 16
16
Kelly
M ost of the rest of the day, after arguing with not only Malak, but Rose and Grey, was spent huddled up in my room until I managed to sneak out for food. I wanted to avoid talking to any of them. I could’ve gone over to Emily’s but, usually on Saturday, she was finding someone to hook up with, and well, I had enough options.
I didn’t sleep well. My head plagued by thoughts about Lindsey, guilt and…frustrating desire regarding Rose. I wanted to know what was going on with Rose and Malak. I texted my sister again, asking her where she was; it was almost midnight though, so I wasn’t getting any reply anytime soon.
My stomach ached. Where was she? I knew she wouldn’t do anything reckless. That was my job. Lindsey was always the more responsible of the two of us. I only managed to sleep when the anger relating to her not even letting me know what was going on, knowing I would be worried about her, replaced by concern.
In the morning I decided to lay in bed and read a good historical romance. I’d read the book at least three times, but it was one of my favorites. I had been working and stressing so much lately; I had barely had time to do anything else I liked. I sighed as I looked away from the book and at the ceiling. At least working at the bookstore was closer to becoming a writer than anything else I’d done.
I was nine chapters in when my hunger urged me out of bed. I pulled on a pair of leggings under my pajama shirt, not planning on getting dressed that day unless absolutely necessary. It was Sunday, after all.
The second I opened my bedroom door, the sent of pancakes and coffee hit my nose. My tongue ran along my lips and my nose led me to the kitchen. My stomach dropped as I saw Malak there at the store. My knees weak at the sight of his bare broad strong back. I gulped and stuck to my gut of not talking to him.
“Morning,” Malak said.
I simply grabbed a mug from the cabinet and started to pour some coffee. I didn’t let my eyes drift over to him again.
After about five seconds of silence, Malak seemed to break.
“If you’re not going to talk to me, at least have breakfast,” he insisted.
I sighed. “Fine, but I’m taking some next door,” I replied.
Malak motioned an arm at the variable buffet of pancakes, fruits, bacon and syrup all laid out on the counter. It all smelled absolutely delicious and, to be honest, I was impressed with Malak’s cooking. I wasn’t exactly the best cook myself and I don’t think I’d ever seen Grey or Taylor cook anything that didn’t just require boiling water or the microwave.
I didn’t say this, however.
You’re avoiding him, remember?
Instead, I simply grabbed two plates, kept them stacked on top of each other, put several pancakes, bacon, and fruit on the plate, and stole one of the almost empty bottles of syrup before grabbing two forks.
I wobbled as I headed out of the kitchen, but Malak didn’t follow me. When I got out into the living room, Taylor and her brothers were all eating at the coffee table. We made eye contact for a brief moment before I was struggling with the door. I managed to get it open.
How I made it to Emily’s door without crashing into a pile of food was beyond me, but I stayed steady even as I bumped my knee on the wall next to her door and cursed under my breath.
I used the side of my foot to bang on the door.
It took a minute, but the door opened wide and there Emily was, looking much more awake and ready for the day than I was. She looked more relaxed than usual.
“I hope you didn’t already eat, cause I brought breakfast,” I chuckled and shifted the contents in my arms.
Emily smiled softly and stepped to the side. “I didn’t actually,” she replied.
“I know Vicky isn’t usually home Sunday’s, so I just brought enough for us,” I said, though a sudden wave of anxiety hit me as I realized maybe I shouldn’t have assumed.
“That’s fine. She’s not here,” Emily confirmed.
I stepped inside and she lead me to the living room. I got everything set down, and we were plating the food and pouring the thick maple syrup over the pancakes a minute later.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been visiting much,” I told her.
Emily shook her head. “It’s fine,” she insisted. “We see each other five days a week at work. I know you need your alone time.”
I nodded and shoved a bite of pancake and strawberry into my mouth.
“I’m worried about you, though,” Emily said. “What’s going on with Lindsey and Rose?”
I pursed my lips after I finished chewing. “A lot,” I mumbled and looked at her guiltily. “I haven’t told you anything, really.”
Emily frowned. “You can tell me anything,” she insisted.
I sighed. “I know. I guess I’ve just been trying to keep it to myself. Maybe if I did, it would…” I shook my head at a loss for words.
Emily finished my thought. “Go away?” she asked. “That’s not how it works. Tell me, Kel.” She scooted closed to me.
I took a deep breath and tried to put my words together, but it all came out in one big ramble. “Rose and Lindsey are breaking up because Rose has feelings for me, but I found out their marriage was arranged and they never really even were in love with each other. Rose kissed me twice. I kissed her back. I feel horrible. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do and Lindsey left the condo, said she was going to stay with a friend but Rose doesn’t know what friend and she’s not answering my texts, or calls and honestly I’m kind of pissed off that she decided to leave without even telling me, but maybe I deserve it.”
Emily looked at me with a wide-eyed expression and blinked several times. “Uh, wow,” she mumbled and looked away for a second, her mouth open. Her gaze met mine again, and she licked her lips, seeming to try to figure out when she was going to say.
“Okay, so, first of all. Lindsey never told you the marriage was arranged?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No, everyone knew, our parents, her, Rose, Rose’s parents. Everyone but me.” My brow knit. I felt the frustration bubbling up again.
“That’s messed up,” Emily frowned. “Why wouldn’t they tell you?”
I looked at the floor for a second. “I guess they wanted as few people to know as possible,” I replied. “I just can’t believe my own sister wouldn’t trust me not to tell anyone.”
Emily nodded, a sad look on her face. “I’m sorry,” she shifted the subject to one I was even less pleased with, “Rose has feelings for you?” she asked.
I nodded. “For a while, I guess, but according to her, she just figured it out.”
“Wow,” she mused, “You kissed? Twice?”
I flushed and looked at the floor. “Yes,” I mumbled.
“How do you feel about it?” she asked.
I looked up at her, surprised by the lack of judgment on her face and in her tone of voice.
“I-I don’t know, I liked it, I guess, but I shouldn’t. I feel terrible, but I also feel—-” I trailed off, my stomach suddenly fluttering wildly.
“What?” Emily asked.
“Exhilarated,” I admitted, “Like something’s just beginning, and I don’t know if it’s going to end good or bad.”
“Hm,” Emily hummed out, eating slowly, thoughtfully, “I don’t know if I agree with the whole Rose situation, but I don’t think you should feel bad if you have feelings for Rose too.”
I tilted my head to the side. “No?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I mean, it sounds like a mess, but this whole situation really could’ve been avoided if they’d told you about their marriage in the first place and just seems like a lot of missing communication.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “You have no idea,” I sighed. “That’s not even all of it.”
She blinked at me and excitedly put another bite of food in her mouth. “What?” she asked, “Come on, you can’t just say that and not tell me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment before opening them again. “Grey and Malak,” I added.
She coughed. “What?”
“I had sex with Grey, and…something’s going on with Malak, I don’t know what, but,” I groaned, “They’re both so hot, but, I think Rose and Malak know each other and I don’t know how.” I explained.
“Woah,” Emily said, “So, I’m over here single as a pringle and Miss. ‘I’m not looking to date right now’ has not one, not two, but three people trying to get it in. You have to tell me more.”
I blushed deeply. “Stop it,” I mumbled. “Besides, didn’t you go out last night like usual?” I asked.
Emily blinked and then scratched at the back of her head. “Actually, I meant to, but then after my shower, I got distracted and ended up just falling asleep.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised, “Work must’ve tired you out more than usual. I get it. I’ve been tired too.”
Emily chuckled weakly, “Yeah, must’ve, but you have a bunch of drama going on. Continue, tell me everything.”
Monday at work was more fun than usual. Especially with Emily, knowing all the juicy details I’d been keeping to myself. It gave us something to talk about, and me an outlet to deal with what I was feeling as she stocked books and made sales. Emily made me feel a little less like I was losing my mind about everything.
Still, as I made my way back to the apartment, I felt nervous about being face to face with the boys again. I couldn’t deny anymore that I had feelings for them, even if my feelings for Grey were a fine line between like and hate, and my feelings for Rose and Malak were growing ever complicated.
I was attracted to them, that I could admit. Unfortunately, it only made being around them even harder.
As it turned out, when I walked into the apartment and saw no one in the living room and didn’t hear a single thing, I figured I might actually be home alone. I sighed in relief and started to take my coat off.
Just as I was walking further into the living room, however, I heard a sound from the left of me. My shoulders twitched a bit as I looked around.
My shoulders were grabbed, and I was suddenly being pulled backwards. I gasped in surprise. My gaze shifted downwards, and I instantly recognized the tattoo of a vine and skull on Grey’s left forearm. I growled and whirled around in his arms.
“What are you doing?” I huffed, flailing my arms against his chest. I was almost laughing at the hilarity of him scaring me, but before I could even think, I was being shoved into a dining room chair.
“What—” I said confused. My head was dizzy from the quick movement.
The next second, Grey was wrapping a soft corded rope around my body, just underneath my bust and around my arms. I squirmed, realizing he was tying me to the chair.
“What the fuck!” I said.
Grey rounded the chair in front of me and tilted my head up.
“I know you’ve been avoiding me, and Malak,” he said.
I glared at him. “So you tie me to a chair?” I asked.
“It’s the only way I could think of to get you to tell me what’s going on,” he insisted, his eyes dark.
Something in that darkness made my body flood with warmth. I was torn between anger at him for doing something so stupid and arousal at how the restriction to the chair felt.
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” I insisted. I had just spilled my guts to Emily, but it didn’t mean my stubborn choice to keep Grey guessing had withered away.
I attempted to tug my chin away from his hand, squirming. The rope only hugged my plush body tighter when I moved. My breath caught in my throat.
I realized my legs were tied and quickly kicked a knee up.
My body tensed as Grey caught my ankle.
He growled. “Do I need to tie these too?” he asked.
I tried not to let him see me shiver, and my hands balled into fists.
He tossed my leg back down and crouched down in front of me.
I swallowed thickly and fought the urge to attempt to kick him again. Frustration was welling up in my stomach, mingling with all the other feelings that being around Grey brought to me. I would have expected myself to panic given my past. Memories of pain, and fear — but in that moment, even as Grey had me tied to a chair against my will, looking at me with those cold eyes of his, I didn’t feel scared. Just irritated and horny.
“Tell me,” he ordered.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”
Grey brushed his fingers along the top of my thigh. I felt the pressure of his touch along the scar, hidden by fabric, and my breath hitched. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on something else.
When I opened my eyes, I noticed him looking down curiously and then back up at me.
“Who caused the scar on your thigh?” he asked.
I blinked, my stomach tensed.
“Yeah, I saw it when we fucked the other night. I know you tried to hide it.” He tilted his head to the side.
I shook my head. “No,” I mumbled.
Grey brushed his fingers along it again, this time harder, and my toe curled against the floor. My eyes burned.
“You tell me, I’ll let you out,” he insisted.
“If I don’t?” I asked.
Our eyes met. “Why don’t you want to tell me?” he asked.
The idea set my teeth on edge. “You’re an ass,” I spit at him, “Instead of just telling me you care and want to know what happened to me, you do this.”
His eyes narrowed. “And you don’t like it?” he asked.
He stood up, and took a step back. There was a look of both guilt and suspicion in his eyes.
“Fine, tell me to untie you, and I will.”
My lips parted to do just that, but it didn’t come. I looked to the side.
Do you want this?
My pussy was wet, my pulse quick. He was giving me an out. For some reason, I trusted him to do as he said and yet I wasn’t telling him to untie me immediately and punching him in the face.
“Fine,” I mumbled and met his gaze again, “Maybe I like it.”
Grey stepped closer to me once more and towered above me. His thumb and pointer finger grabbed my chin and tilted it up so our eyes were on each other again. His other hand dipped to the nearly faded bite mark on my neck.
“What was that?” he asked.
I bit at the inside of my cheek.
“I like it,” I said quietly.
Just as he was leaning down, both of our heads turned to the side as we heard a soft, “Shit”.
There Taylor was, holding an empty glass, looking only slightly surprised.
“Uh,” Taylor mumbled and took a couple of steps back, “No judgment, but I’m glad I’m moving in a few days.”
My entire face turned beet red, and I watched guiltily as Taylor rushed back to her room.
“Grey!” I hissed. “Did you know she was home?”
Grey shrugged.
The front door opened. I panicked. Taylor’s brothers?!
I started to squirm, but Grey didn’t do anything. My pulse rocketed into my ears.
“What the fuck are you doing, Grey?” Malak’s voice hit me first. Then the sight of him.
My entire body was hot. I saw the worried and angry look on her face.
“She likes it!” Grey insisted.
Malak rushed over, towering even higher above me. My head was dizzy just looking at him. I stopped squirming.
“Kelly?” Malak looked over at me.
I swallowed. “He’s trying to get me to tell him—” I mumbled.
“About what?” Malak asked.
Grey knelt down and brushed his hand over my thigh. I shivered again.
“The scar,” he told Malak.
Malak looked at my lap and stepped closer. I looked with pleasure as he shoved Grey out of the way and crouched down in front of me. He was so tall that his face was still near my head, even at that level.
“Did you agree to this?" he asked. He brushed his fingers along the side of my face, and I melted.
“Kind of,” I mumbled.
“Do you want to tell us about it?” Malak asked.
“No,” I replied, “Yes.” My brow furrowed, and I squirmed.
I felt Grey’s fingers along the other side of my face, and I was helpless.
Both men touching me, the scent of their skin, the tension.
“What do you want?” Malak asked.
I looked at the both of them. Both of their eyes were dark, cold, but in different ways. Grey hated the world around him, but I wasn’t so sure what caused the darkness in Malak’s eyes. I had a feeling it was something more selfless.
Me, however? At that moment, I was selfish. As I looked into back over into Grey’s face, a darkness pooled in my stomach. A desire to piss him off, just as much, if not more, than he’d pissed me off. I wanted to punish him for tying me up, scaring me, arousing me.
I licked at my lips and my gaze met Malak’s. “You,” I replied. I kept my eyes locked on his.
Malak eyed me, and that darkness in his eyes grew harder, needier.
I refused to look at Grey, keeping my eyes on Malak. “Just you.”
“Uh, seriously?” Grey asked.
Malak looked at him. “You heard her,” he told him. “Untie her.”
Grey growled under his breath and didn’t move. “You don’t get to ju—”
Malak’s jaw tightened. “I said, untie her, or we’re going to have a problem.”
“Fine.” Grey’s hand darted behind the chair. A moment later and the rope was falling slack around my body. “Wouldn’t want to have a problem.” Grey flexed in Malak’s direction, bumping against his shoulder as he passed.
Seeing that look of irritation, jealousy, and desire on Grey’s face nearly made me grin. My stomach was fluttering with a whole different kind of butterflies now.
My breath hitched in my throat as Malak lifted me off my feet into his strong arms. He hauled my plump body over one of his broad shoulders like it was nothing. A feeling I had never experienced until that moment. Every embarrassing moment of a man trying to pick me up and failing fell away, and was replaced by that memory.
I met Grey’s gaze as I looked up while I was being carted down the hallway. I couldn’t stifle a giggle, and the sound of my laughter caused a look of realization to cross over his face.
Good, he’d figured out I was fucking with him. I saw his fists clench and then he disappeared from my view.