Esme
I blinked my eyes open, reality slowly returning to my brain as I lay snuggled between Benson and Parker.
Every orgasm they gave me was more intense than the previous one. If they kept it up, I was going to die from how hard I got off. Still trying to catch my breath, I pressed my face into Benson’s chest, inhaling his scent while I attempted to collect my thoughts.
My daddies didn’t want me to leave. Which was kind of sweet. If Amelia didn’t need me to take her back to Durst Manor, I might have considered one more night in their bed. But I couldn’t leave my friend to fend for herself.
Plus, there was the Eloise situation to figure out.
Resolved, I pushed up onto my elbows, disturbing the three men surrounding me. Malcolm lifted his head from my belly, where he’d dropped it after eating me to release two more times before I must have passed out from the pleasure. He licked his lips, those dark eyes turning to chocolate.
“I’m starving,” I complained, and as if on cue, my stomach growled. “Does anyone know how to cook?”
“I make a mean omelet,” Parker offered, lifting his head from the pillow. He trailed his fingers lazily up and down my arm, his smile causing a burst of butterflies to flutter in my belly.
“That sounds divine,” I murmured. Too bad I wouldn’t be around to taste it.
Brushing a soft kiss over my lips, he got to his feet. “Be back soon, little love.”
Watching him go, I had to remind myself that I needed to leave. But I still had two yummy daddies holding me to the bed. “While he’s gone, can I shower?”
Malcolm jumped up. “Of course, baby girl. I’ll turn it on, so the water is hot when you get in.”
As soon as he entered the connecting bathroom, Benson rolled us so that I was beneath him. My legs had a will of their own as they wrapped around his waist, my body opening up for anything he wanted to give it. “Hello, my beautiful girl.”
Warmth filled my chest. “Hi,” I whispered. Something about Benson made me feel vulnerable like I never had before. Parker and Malcolm made me feel needed—vital. I got those same vibes from Benson, but it was different. Muted. Almost as if something was in our way.
Deep down, I knew it was because of Eloise. But he said he didn’t know her, so I was the one throwing up walls for no reason. Yet I couldn’t shake the sensation that something stood between us, locking us away from each other in a way that Parker and Malcolm hadn’t allowed.
“How are you feeling? Any discomfort?” He tucked my hair behind my ear, rubbing his thumb down my neck before stopping at the fluttering pulse at the base of my throat. He bit his bottom lip, as if needing the small sting to remind himself to be good. Parker said they wouldn’t put their cocks in me again until I was healed, but I felt fine. A little sore, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
“I’m fine, Benson. Really, I don’t understand why you three are so concerned.”
“We want to take care of you, . Pamper you. Spoil you.” It was so hard to stay strong when he was holding me like I was the most precious person in the world. “Let us, little one. Please.”
“Okay,” I gave in, knowing it might work to my benefit.
All I needed was a few seconds of a head start. His legs might have been longer, but he was weighed down with muscle. I was smaller and quicker. But what I really needed was for him not to be touching me so I could force myself to take the leap out of bed for the door. Otherwise, I’d stay there all day.
Reminding myself that Lia needed me to be responsible, I skimmed my fingers over his tattoo. “I’m really sore. Could I possibly get a few more ibuprofen?”
“Sit tight. I’ll grab the bottle,” he promised. Like Parker, he brushed a kiss over my lips and stood. As soon as he went through the bathroom door where Malcolm was still readying the shower, I was on my feet, running.
I wouldn’t have much time. Every second counted as I rushed out of the bedroom and tried to figure my way out of the house. The house was huge, but I had a decent sense of direction. Malcolm and Parker had been all growly earlier when I’d mentioned leaving, and I didn’t trust them not to try to hold me captive. Not that I would have been all that unwilling with how addicted I was growing to them.
As soon as I cleared the stairs, I raced to the front door. All I had on was a T-shirt, but that was better than nothing. I’d just thrown it open, finding an amused Astro on the other side, when I heard my name being roared from above.
“!” Malcolm appeared at the top of the stairs, his face set in angry lines, his hair sticking up in an unkempt fashion that told me he’d been raking his fingers through it.
I already missed him.
Gulping back a whine, I pushed past Astro and ran barefoot to the waiting SUV, where Otto sat behind the wheel. Opening the back door, I threw myself inside while Astro took the front passenger seat.
Malcolm and Benson stormed out of the house, and I had the most insane thought of running back to them. “Drive!” I cried, desperate to have temptation taken away before I gave in.
Otto hit the gas, putting much-needed distance between my daddies and me.
“Picked this up for you last night, Es.” Astro held out my phone.
“Thanks,” I muttered, fighting against the lump of emotion choking me. “Let’s find Lia and get home.”
—
It took a while before I could track Amelia down. She’d gone home with her hookup too, but I didn’t have a GPS on her like my guards did for me.
I wasn’t sure whose night had been more eventful, hers or mine. Considering she’d fucked her stepsister’s dad, I was going to call it a draw. Karma was so freaking wonderful at times. At least it gave me something to think about other than the hollow sensation inside my chest from kissing my daddies.
Otto stopped in front of the Barbier manor, and Astro stepped out to open my door. I glanced down at my bare feet and shrugged. My soles had scratches on them from running barefoot down a dirty Manhattan street, so I doubted I could cause any more damage than I’d already inflicted.
As I hopped down, I winced. Every muscle in my body ached. Maybe Benson had been right to be concerned. I was sore in areas that had never been tender before.
It was cold outside, and I was still only in my borrowed T-shirt. Hurrying into the house, I let the front door slam behind me as I turned for the staircase that would take me to my wing. Most girls would have tiptoed around in hopes of not coming across their parents. Mine were laid-back in a way that was probably considered neglectful in some parts of the world. I liked being able to come and go as I pleased, and if it meant not having to see Eloise, all the better.
Before I reached the first step, my phone went off with a loud emergency weather-style alarm. Startled, I nearly dropped the phone before I turned it over to see what was going on.
Expecting it to be an inclement weather alert, I nearly stopped breathing when I read the message.
Unknown: You are in so much trouble, little one.
Excitement immediately bubbled up inside me, a smile starting to tease at my lips. I didn’t know how they’d gotten my number, but I knew it was my daddies.
Me: Daddy, is that you?
Unknown: All three of your daddies. Now be a good girl and come home.
Me: But I am home, Daddies.
“You look like shit.”
My head snapped up at the sound of my sister’s voice, my smile fading, the excitement turning to lead that sank to my belly. I couldn’t take a breath without her ruining anything that brought me a little happiness. She stood halfway up the stairs, obviously on her way down, hands on her hips like she was my disgruntled parent about to chastise me.
I cut her off before she could go on a power trip. “How do you pass any classes if you’re always here and not at school?”
She was dressed in a pale-pink sweater and jeans that looked painted on her amazing legs, her hair perfect, her makeup flawless. Meanwhile, I was covered in sweat and other bodily fluids, with no makeup, and I wore a T-shirt as a dress. Malcolm had put my hair up in a messy ponytail and washed my face while we were in the tub together. I would have definitely been doing the walk of shame if I felt any.
I missed my daddies so much.
I never should have left them. Amelia could have gotten home fine with Astro and Otto. I should have just sent them to pick her up instead of running away from my men.
Eloise gave me a disgusted scan from head to toe. “Some people don’t have to try hard to be smart. It simply comes naturally.”
“And some people live in the land of delulu, thinking that they have a genius IQ, when really, they barely have two working brain cells struggling to keep them alive. Guess which category you fall into, Eloise?” Rolling my eyes, I started up the stairs.
If she were truly smart, she would have stepped aside and let me pass. Instead, she showed her lack of intelligence by moving to block my way. “You hacked my email and found the password to Inferno. I know you snuck in there. A friend of mine saw you there. Who did you fuck?”
For all of five seconds, I wondered if Astro and Otto had blabbed to Eloise’s guards. But my boys were loyal. I trusted them to have my back in any type of situation, including dealing with my sister. As often as Eloise went to Ignite, I didn’t doubt someone had told her they’d seen me there with Amelia.
From the way she was practically vibrating with suppressed emotions, I knew she was aware I’d done more than sneak over to the Inferno side of the club. She wanted me to tell her what and—more importantly— who I’d been doing. But I wouldn’t.
When I didn’t respond, Eloise stomped her foot, already working herself toward a tantrum. “Who was it, ?”
“That’s my business,” I told her calmly while inwardly raging at myself for leaving Malcolm, Parker, and Benson. Why had I considered this bitch’s feelings when I’d been so happy with them in that bed? “I don’t kiss and tell.”
Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “You better not have so much as breathed on Benson, Malcolm, or Parker. They are mine, . Do you hear me? Mine! ”
Ears ringing at her screeching, I tried to walk around her again, wanting nothing more than to get to my room and maybe call the number that had texted me. Maybe take a few pain relievers and sleep for the next twelve hours.
Grabbing my arm, Eloise swung me around, causing us both to stumble down a few stairs before we each regained our balance without breaking our necks. In the process, my phone fell, showing an incoming call from an unknown number.
“Don’t touch me, psycho,” I bit out, getting in her face, heart racing because she could have killed us both. “I’m in no mood to deal with your shit, Eloise. Who I have fun with is none of your business. You can’t call dibs on people. There’s this thing called free will, and you don’t get to play with it.”
Fire flashed in her brown eyes. “You’ll regret it if you touch them, sister. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll never let you have another moment of peace if I find out you touched my men.”
“Enough!” I shouted. “Don’t threaten me, sister . All you do is yip at my heels like an annoying puppy. But we both know you’ll scurry away with your tail tucked between your legs if I decide to bark. I will tear out your pretty little throat and walk away without a flicker of regret, licking your blood off my lips.”
She shrank back a step, some of her fire smothered by my own flames. Tired and done with her shit, I turned, giving her my back, and bent to pick up my phone. My fingers touched the device at the same time Eloise grabbed a handful of my hair and jerked hard.
Without another thought, I straightened. It gave her the advantage of pulling my hair again, harder this time, but her small victory was short-lived when I caught a fistful of her blond curls and brought her face down to meet my knee.
Her pained scream bounced off the walls, her nose already gushing blood when I released her. Running feet came from all directions. Her guards must have realized that she’d gotten off her leash, because they were out of breath when they appeared at the bottom of the stairs. They rushed toward us, trepidation on their faces, while behind them, I saw several of the weekend house staff ducking their heads, pretending they didn’t see Eloise bleeding all over the place.
No one was surprised when Eloise and I fought anymore. The majority of our staff tried to stay as far away from us when we were under the same roof, only venturing out to clean up the mess when someone—usually Astro and Otto—secured the situation. Our parents started including hazard pay, a bonus for anyone who had to break up one of our disagreements. But not many people were brave enough to attempt that after the first time.
“You broke my nose!” Eloise accused, clutching both hands to her face. All that time and makeup ruined with so much blood, but in my opinion, it was an improvement.
“Consider it an early birthday present. You always wanted rhinoplasty. There, I fixed that hawklike beak you had going on.”
Her angry shriek could have broken glass as she started to leap at me.
“Why are you two fighting this time?” Papa demanded when he spotted us on the staircase, only stopping his eldest daughter from getting herself more beat-up than she already was.
Eloise pointed a bloody finger at me, stomping her foot again. “She’s a dirty slut who wants everything I have!” Having heard that same spiel before, Papa didn’t engage, just kept climbing the stairs toward us, earning him another stamp of her dainty foot. “Look at what she did to my face! Do something, Papa. Punish her!”
Papa’s gaze jumped from her to me, while my sister’s guards offered her their handkerchiefs, attempting to soothe and clean her up but failing as usual. Her nose was gushing, and her face in general was turning into a pretty rainbow of bruises. From the throb in my leg, I was well aware I’d done some serious damage, but I had zero regrets.
“Why did you break your sister’s nose, ?” Papa grumbled.
“She pulled my hair,” I told him with a lift of my shoulders, not bothering to make excuses. They didn’t matter anyway. Our parents had stopped caring about the why a long time ago, because they always knew the answer.
He muttered something under his breath. “Will you two ever get along?”
“No,” Eloise and I answered honestly.
“I need a drink. , my office. Now.”
Spiteful glee filled my sister’s eyes, but they were already swelling closed, so I refrained from punching her in the face like I wanted to. Instead, I smirked at the spoiled bitch. “Can I at least change clothes, Papa? I’m a tad underdressed at the moment.”
“Hurry up.” Muttering to himself in French, he walked back down the stairs, and I rushed up the stairs to my room.
I met Maman on the journey, her eyes full of resignation. “All I wish is for my daughters to get along.”
“You need to make more realistic wishes, Maman .”
After I shut my bedroom door, I pulled the shirt over my head and placed it on my bed. Walking into my closet, I stepped into a pair of panties before grabbing yoga pants and a hoodie. Gathering my hair into a ponytail, I chanced a glance at my phone and saw three missed calls from the unknown number, along with a dozen new texts.
Deciding to give Papa a few more minutes to calm down, I picked up the phone and hit connect. It barely rang once before harsh breathing filled my ear.
“Angel.”
“Baby girl.”
“Little one.”
Their voices blended together, making my knees go weak. All the chaos Eloise had caused faded away, my heart burning with the absence of the men who had become vital even though I’d tried to keep my heart disengaged. Eyes stinging with tears, I sat on the end of my bed. “H-hi, Daddies.”