Chapter 11
Eleven
Laila
“ W here to, sir?”
We are in the back of another limo, this one just as spacious and elegant as the last. Large seats, smooth leather, and lots of legroom. Harlon’s driver is about to pull away from Club Genesis when Con instructs him to take us to a hotel for the night.
“The Four Seasons, please.”
They no doubt have a big evening planned where they’ll ravish me in between meetings and then back to Seattle we go in the next day or so.
I chew at the inside of my lip and rub my ass on the seat. It’s delicious and if they catch me, I know I’m in trouble.
My phone vibrates again, and I check the screen. A pang of fear races through me, but I quickly dash it away. The men got me this phone and no one outside of them has it. I kill the screen and slip it into my bag.
Wait. Four Seasons? Yeah. That’s not going to work for me. “No,” I quickly correct Con with a confident smile and a hand over his knee. “We’ll be spending the evening at The Gilded Key Society, please,” I call over his shoulder to the driver. “I believe you know the way. It’s only a few miles from here, right?” It’s a miracle I can keep my voice level.
Step one, complete. Con’s comment about control being an illusion is more right than he knows. I just took theirs and none of them are happy about it.
A pair of kind eyes find me through the rearview mirror where I sit between Bastian and Dante. Con is opposite me, lasering golden eyes my way. If looks alone could peel clothes off a person I would be naked and over his lap getting the spanking of a lifetime right about now. He doesn’t like his word challenged.
Oops. Oh well. This is happening my way and I want to play a little before I have to tell them everything. And I mean everything. Gurgling acid bubbles in the pit of my stomach but I’ve come too far to throw on the brakes now.
“Ma’am. As you wish.” I want to hug the man for not waiting to see what the men would say about my change of plans. I’m sure the hard glare I nailed him with helped make my message clear.
I do wish. “Thank you.”
I raise the tinted visor between the driver and us. I instantly feel the heat in the cabin change from warm to sweltering. I might as well be sitting next to three furnaces.
Night has fallen while we were inside Club Genesis and a few of the brighter glittering lights make it past the shaded windows. There are a lot of people window shopping after getting out of work and before going home. People with normal lives and normal relationships. Every single one of them goes about their business unaware of the torture I am enduring locked inside this car.
Neon blue led lights run along the inside of the roof and give a sensual atmosphere to my temporary prison. Now for step two. Getting them inside and signing on the dotted line.
Three curious gazes track my every movement as I try to relieve a little of the pressure.
“Something wrong, little birdie?” Con growls. His face looks seriously wicked sitting in the dark with only a splash of blue for lighting.
“Nope. You three are not the only ones with surprises.”
“Come here.” Dante drags me over his lap, and I gasp from the friction against the anal plug.
“Oh, fuck! Dante!” Air whooshes out and I inhale just as harshly.
His hands slide around my waist, pulling my ass snugly against his hard cock. He rocks his hips and with every forward thrust, he nudges the plug in just the right way to have me nearing the edge of an orgasm. I clamp my legs in the hopes it helps relieve some of the pressure that has been building ever since the private plane. It does not help much. The fire stirring inside has slowly built up until flames are swirling through my core like a fire tornado.
My mom would be either proud of me for the way I’ve handled tonight or deeply disappointed with the idea of having three lovers at once.
I send up a silent prayer for forgiveness and give in to the dark desires they lure from the depths of my soul.
“Our poor little birdie. Did you suffer while you waited for us to finish with the men of Genesis?”
As he talks, Dante edges the hem of my sweater dress up my thighs. Bastian helps him the last few inches until I’m no longer covered by beige cashmere. Instead, I have three men pouncing on me and each of them looks hungrier than the last. Hands slide down my belly and push my thighs open wide. Other hands move up to cup my breasts as another set grips my ass possessively.
“Do you know why we put the plug in that delectable ass?” Dante asks.
“To torment me all night.”
“To teach you how to school your expression under the gaze and scrutiny of others. Being by our sides makes you our partner. When people see you, they see us.”
Con comes to settle on one knee in front of me. He takes one leg and slowly peels me open until all my intimate parts are on full display. “And you did beautifully. With you in our world, we have to do everything there is to make sure you are protected.”
Bastian leans his substantial weight over and his lips are a breath away from mine when he says, “And we hoped you would see you had the power to end anything you didn’t want. Giving us that fuckable ass is your decision.”
“I know.” And I did. I had the power. I know I did. I felt it, but I also felt the need for the pleasure their actions brought me. It overrode everything inside me that would have stopped me from enjoying this moment with them. I spread my thighs even wider, and his gaze drops to the V of my legs.
“Mm. Were you this wet during our meeting, malyshka? Be honest.”
“Wet? I was dripping so much that I thought I would be standing in a puddle of my juices. I kept looking down.” I hold the air in my lungs and savor the strength spreading through me. I just realized something. Every word I just told them is true. Not too long ago I would be shivering with fear of what a man could do to me. The power that could be wielded over me.
My men didn’t take anything away from me. Instead, they handed it to me.
I begin to breathe heavier. These men unknowingly have shown what the right men can do to a woman’s body.
Unaware of my inner revelation, they laugh softly, and the masculine sound does what it always does to me. My pussy clenches which causes every other muscle down there to constrict. My only answer to the rush of adrenaline spiking my system is to give my body what it wants. I run a hand over the bunched cashmere and stroke my middle finger over my slick clit. The pulse of need throbbing there is slowly driving me crazy.
Con leans in and runs his tongue from the seam of my pussy all the up to replace my fingers.
Bastian guides my leg to settle against his shoulder. He traces the tips of his fingers up the back of my thigh and down the inside. With each pass, he grows closer to where I want his touch the most.
“Bastian, please,” I beg. He reaches for the plug and when his fingers slide around the rose petals, I rock my hips to help create the friction I am after. The rose has been inside me so long my nerve endings are literally on fire. The slightest movement has me writhing on Dante’s lap. The unmistakable bulge of his hard cock has me wondering if we should skip the Society and just fulfill our fantasies here.
But I have a bigger purpose for tonight and it goes beyond just fun.
Focus, Laila.
Bastian gently tugs on the plug causing me to lose my mind. I slap a hand over my mouth and scream through the uncontrollable sensations rocketing from my core outward. He does it again. Not to free it from my body but to send a bolt of heat through me. This time I moan quietly and open for Dante’s kiss as he swallows my sounds of pleasure.
A knock on the window sends another kind of jolt through me and I don’t know which is causing it—the anticipation of the orgasm Con is building inside me, of what I am about to tell them, or the chances of getting caught in a compromising position.
Con moves back to his seat, wiping his mouth with a silk handkerchief he pulls from the inside of his jacket, and the other two help right my dress. “Until later then.”
“No!”
The car slows to a stop and Dante opens the door. He steps out of the limo with me in his arms.
He slowly lowers me until the soles of my boots touch the wide Chicago sidewalk. Shaking from the pent-up orgasm, it takes me a minute to regain my composure.
I take in my surroundings in the hopes of cooling down. The converted hotel from days gone by reminds me of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. It’s beautiful and imposing. And nothing like the last The Gilded Key Society I’ve been in. There are no hanging willows, whispers of past generations, or comforting silence on this side of the large glass doors. However, its weathered limestone and brick in various shades of gray lend the old building a welcoming quality.
A canopied entryway leads to a luxurious interior. Cool, floral-scented air wraps around my heated skin and I sigh with welcomed relief when the wide, polished doors snick closed behind us.
“Ms. Romano. We’ve been waiting for you.”
The silence coming from the wall of muscle at my back is deafening.
“This way please.”
I don’t turn to see if my three villains follow. I can’t show an ounce of weakness here. I do and I might as well kneel in front of them and give them the reins to my life. Besides, it’s too late for nerves now. I shove down the jittery feeling of a thousand tendrils of electricity fluttering through me and follow a sensually dressed hostess.
We pass through the lobby where several members lounge with others. A few eyes grace the line of my tight dress. As soon as they see the three bratva men on my heels, eyes avert quickly.
Our heels are muffled on the floor as we are led to a bank of elevators.
I swallow thickly at the memory of what happened the last time we were in an elevator at The Society.
As we wait for ours an arm comes around me. Maybe it’s crazy to feel relieved that at least one of the trio isn’t mad at me. I didn’t realize how tense my muscles had become until this moment. Con’s touch pushes away my hesitation and self-doubt.
“When did you pull this together?”
“This past week while you slept. All it took was a couple of calls and your black credit card.”
Amusement crosses his face when I peer over my shoulder. “I was going to tell you, but that would have ruined the surprise. And since I don’t have my own money at the moment?—”
“Yes, you do. What is ours is yours. You have no need to ask.”
I offer up a faint smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that, but that is not true. What is yours is yours. You’ve shared, yes. But that needs to change.”
His chin touches my shoulder. “We will have to fix your way of thinking.”
I step into the elevator and stand beside the hostess leaving enough room for the three of them to fall in behind us.
They do, but I know the second we are alone I am so going to pay for not letting them in on my plans.
The hostess leads us to the fourth level of the Society. Up here it’s all corridors and polished lines. Black carpet and elegant chandeliers which are mock replicas of larger versions in the first-floor lobbies.
We pass several doors until we reach the one reserved for us.
“Here we are.” The hostess slips a key into the lock, and we follow her inside.
“As you’ll see, The Society’s book for signing is prepared and waiting for you, Ms. Romano. And as requested I will wait outside for it to be signed. Once you are done, please pass me the ledger and I’ll leave you to enjoy your stay with us.”
“Thank you.”
When we are left alone, I turn to find my quiet trio each with a look of curiosity and tolerance. They want to know why we are here instead of the Four Seasons. Naturally. There’s nothing here that the other place doesn’t have. Except for the ledger on the low table in front of the settee and a very large bed.
“Gentlemen, if you would take a seat, please.”
“What’s this about, beautiful?” Bastian takes my hands and kisses the back of my knuckles.
It would be easy once again to toss aside my plan, but I need them focused on us right now and not the outside world.
“Please,” I ask again and wait until they humor me. I suffer from no misconceptions about controlling anyone here except myself.
I twist my fingers into knots in front of me just like the words that have stuck to my tongue. I’ve practiced this for a week in my head, but I can’t get them to come out.
“Start from the beginning.” Con settles his weight between Dante and Bastian who have both taken the armrests as seats. Their suits are impeccable. Black with black shirts and all three have white ties. The matching has to be planned.
Bastian twirls his skull ring and I know it’s only a matter of time before Dante reaches for his knife.
“Why this room?”
Con is trying to help me relax and it’s working. The walls are a soothing cream color while everything else is either rich burgundy or gold. To the left of the door is a small sitting area where the men currently look between me and the single sheet of paper on the table at their knees.
Behind me is a bed that can hold twice as many people as us and to my left is a large arched doorway that leads to a bathroom.
“Room Seventeen?” I smile and let the nerves go. “I think you know why.” A sly smile tweaks the corners of my lips.
“And because it comes with these.” I pull out three blindfolds from a hope chest at the foot of the bed. “We’ve spent the last three months having a lot of sex, but not a lot of conversations. You have questions. I know you do. I have a hard time talking. So let’s work on our trust.”
Con is on his feet. He paces across the large carpeted room. He stops at the door, and I hold my breath until he turns around and leans a shoulder against the black wood. “You know you can trust us. Why all the games?”
“Do I trust you with my life? Yes. You never let me out of your sight. Something you guys need to work on, by the way. But one step at a time. I never fear for my life with you, but I need to know I can trust you with my heart. My secrets. And I think—no, I know—you want the same. Or I would have been left back in New Orleans the night you found me crying in my car.”
I slide out of my dress and slowly let the rich material drape over a nearby chair. I stand in front of them with nothing on but my boots and my heart on my proverbial sleeve.
“I don’t want to hide who I am from you anymore. But if you want what I have tucked away inside I need to know you are willing to work for it. I’m more than just arm candy. Night one is our trust. On night two, I want to show you off as mine before I bring you back here for dinner on me, prepared by me. Night three is a surprise that involves cuffs, a safe word, and a hidden key.”
Con’s voice dips to a husky smolder. “And night four, little birdie? What do you have planned for your men?”
A twinge of pain arrows through my heart. “And night four…Night four is the biggest night of all.” I tell them they are to be a father and see where we go from there.
I settle on the edge of the large bed and work the zipper of one boot down, slipping it off and letting it fall to the floor with a light thud. Their attention is intent on my motions and not my words. I take the other off and kneel in the middle of the bed. I spread my knees but don’t assume the submissive position. I want these men to consider me their equal in every way. But I also want them to know when it comes to our dynamic, I am willing to show them how much they affect me.
“Before you sign on the dotted line, you should know we won’t be needing the Four Seasons room. I’ve made arrangements for lodging here for the four nights.”
Con sheds his suit jacket and stays silent for a moment. “We have work to do. As much as we would love to play house with you, we can’t lock ourselves away from the world for four days, sweet little birdie.”
He wants to play hardball. Okay.
His tie comes off next and joins his suit jacket. I watch as his nimble fingers work the cuff links loose and then the buttons of his shirt.
I drag my eyes off the sliver of taut pecs and abs showing through the hanging sides of his shirt long enough to make sure he understands my next words.
“The days belong to you. But if you want my secrets you have to be willing to trust me as much as I need to trust you before handing them over. Your call.”
Dante is the first to pick up his pen. He doesn’t think twice before scrawling his name in the next available space in the Society’s ledger.
He pushes to his feet. “Done. Tell me what you need and I’m there, malyshka .” I love how when he’s turned on his words grow heavier with his native accent. And the way his words drip with sincerity has my heart growing in size.
His suit jacket joins the pile and it’s a mere few seconds before his tailored pants, tie, and shirt are gone, revealing irresistible plains and dips of tanned skin.
I hold a hand out to him and he crosses the room to me.
“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips when our mouths touch. I move my hands through his loose hair and our breaths mix. I can physically feel his shields drop around me and mine begin to crack and grow weakened.
I turn to the other two who seem more reserved. Damn if that doesn’t hurt big time. What else do I need to say to get them to give me a little control?
Con peels himself off the wall he’s leaning on and settles next to Bastian. The older of the three takes the pen from Bastian. He touches the blue tip to the cream paper and raises his gaze to mine. When the gold of his eyes mixes with the turmoil of his soul the results are stunningly haunting. Someone hurt him deeply. And now I understand the hesitancy.
I will never force someone into doing something they don’t want. I refuse to be that person.
“I can understand if you would rather not. There’s no right or wrong here. You can go and I will only remember you fondly and cherish the time you looked over me and loved me.”
He lets me finish before speaking. “Foolish woman.” Tinged gold turns to deep bronze. The heat I find there plays with my senses and causes warm juices to spill over my thighs. I must have moved in a way that clues him in on my body’s reaction. The line of his mouth turns up with raw, predatory hunger.
“There’s no corner in this universe you could slip away to and keep us from you.” In English the words would sound poetic, but when spoken in his native tongue as he did, they reach into me and create a bond.
Seeing his name in blue next to Dante’s is a relief. Two down, one to go. Admittedly, this won’t work without all three. I know it just as much as they do. These three are the “one for all, all for one” kind of brothers. Together they are stronger than blood and in it until death.
Bastian exchanges a look with both Con and Dante making the acid in my stomach gurgle up with the fear of him walking out of the door instead of taking the bait.
Con and Dante, both silently tell him something that I’ve yet to decipher as part of their bro code.
“We’ve been here before,” he states matter-of-factly. There’s a hint of hesitancy in his tone, too, but I don’t see him heading for the door. There’s hope.
I know he’s not referring to the Society. “She used us and left us wondering if we would ever find someone who could fill this need we have inside of us to be together.”
I’m not stupid enough to give him a chance to tell me no, but I crave to know if I could be that special someone they want. I watch my next words. “Maybe you can let tonight be a new beginning?” I didn’t mean for it to be a question, but now that it is out there, I hold my breath expectantly.
“I can do that.” His expression fills with lust…anger? I’m not entirely certain.
Despite each step being an agony of sensations, I leave the bed and cross to stand between his spread thighs. He visually strokes my curves but it’s my eyes that hold him captivated when I kneel in front of him. He’s leaning against the back of the sofa, his suit jacket open and his shirt neatly tucked in. I work the edges free and run my palms up the perfectly contoured flesh. Full contact seems to soothe both of us, so I leave my hands over his heart and let the rhythms of our heartbeats sync.
“Let’s start trusting one another. You’ve not taken any step beyond having me as your bed partner for three months. Either we do this, or we don’t.”
“Why the rush?” He moves a heavy swath of my hair from my shoulder. His palms circle my face, and he sits up to kiss me lightly on either cheek.
I swallow thickly. I can’t tell them yet, but I’m dying to let them know we are all going to be parents. But not yet. I need them to see and know the true me. And then they can decide if I am worthy.
He considers me for a moment and understands I won’t answer the first, so he tries another. “Trust, huh?”
I nod. “Please,” I whisper, moving my hands from his chest to grip his wrists.
“Give me the pen, little birdie. You want your men to play. We play. But if you need four nights, I have to ask. How many secrets do you have to share?”
“Play to find out.”