Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ACE
I was jealous, a feeling I wasn’t all too familiar with. I didn’t get jealous. I didn’t care enough to be. But watching Adam on his knees in front of Bellamy was too fucking hot for me to handle, and I wished it were me. I was angry it wasn’t. Then Mercer had to go sprinkle salt on the wound and kiss her, and I just stood there. Frozen. Like the idiot I was, not making a move.
Adam swooped her up, walking past me, and all I could smell was her scent, which made me so incredibly hungry I felt like I would die if I didn’t get a taste of her. My fingers curled into my palm and I panted, trying to control the urge. I wouldn’t go after them, though I wanted to. I wanted to swing her into my arms and stomp off to my room, having my way with her.
Why was the line so fucking fuzzy now?
When she first got here, I knew my place, and I had no problem staying in it. But the more time she spent in this house, the more the line blurred. The more I wanted to test her, see how far she’d let me go before she crushed me under the weight of sin. She looked so damn beautiful in the garden, with dirt smeared over her pale skin, that all I wanted to do was stare, take the image into my mind and hold it close when she wasn’t near me.
I could have gone into the office. Hell, I fucking planned on it. But the disappointment that I was leaving was too much, and I refused to disappoint her. The cost of some clothes was nothing compared to the happiness on her face. It was worth it. Even when ghosts of my past nagged at me, reminding me of times I’d done the same thing before, when my sister was alive and she had to have a rose garden.
With a sigh of defeat, I forced my steps toward the kitchen, where I had lunch ready. It would be cold now, though I doubted anyone cared. Everyone was too caught up in their dicks to be here in a timely manner, but I refused to give in and use my hand for pleasure too. If I was going to cum, it was with her fingers wrapped around my cock, at minimum.
Twenty minutes later, Mercer stumbled to the table. I took in his rosy cheeks and commented dryly, “You’re looking well.”
“Never came so hard in my life,” he confirmed, not looking the least bit ashamed of the fact that the whole house knew he was getting himself off in the shower. “They aren’t here yet?”
“Do you see them?” I rolled my eyes.
“Bruh, I can’t believe he did that with us right there.” He was smiling while shaking his head in disbelief.
“Don’t fucking call me bruh. Are you fifteen? And I’m pretty sure no one uses that term anymore.” I pulled out a chair, sitting in front of the formerly hot ham and cheese sandwich. “Why would he not? He said we could share.”
“I just always assumed he meant separately.” Mercer reached over, grabbing a chip from the bowl in the center of the table. “It was fucking hot.”
“It was…“ I let the words hang because damn it, I didn’t know how to describe what it was like to see my sister’s former husband consuming a girl's pussy, on display for me to watch. I didn’t know how to voice how much I liked the sight and how my only regret was I didn’t get to touch her too.
His eyes grew serious, knowing exactly what I was thinking, though. “There is no shame, not between us. You know that, right? This house has only the rules we create.”
“Except—“ My argument was cut off.
“Except you feel guilty for wanting what wasn’t yours to begin with. But guess what? I kissed her, and she fucking kissed me back. Do you think that’s a sign that she doesn’t want us too?”
“You,” I clarified. “Not me.”
“Bullshit.” He laughed. “You think she doesn’t watch you when your back is turned? Decoding all that shit you keep guarded. When we showed her that video a few weeks ago, do you know what she whispered under her breath when she felt panicked? You. She wished you were there. She didn’t want Adam. Or me. She wanted you.”
That made no sense. She barely liked me most of the time, right? We were just now becoming friends. “You must have misheard?”
“I didn’t. You made her less panicked at the doctor and she remembered that. She feels safe with you,” he pressed on. “Are you going to join us?”
Us.
The word was so fucking heavy. Was there even room for me? What could a girl like her, with her innocent perfection, want with three men? Did she even want one of us, let alone three?
I was about to ask when Adam’s voice broke in as they walked into the room. “We’re working from home the rest of today. We’ve got that project to finish.”
He rose a brow, speaking to us with his eyes instead of his words. That project was filling our existing library with all the smut our girl could want, before gifting it to her. But he didn’t want to give the surprise away. He’d had boxes and boxes of books delivered, all handpicked by his secretary, and I could assume it was almost done. How many more books could a human own? Two weeks in and the books kept coming.
“I’ll contact the floor manager. Let him know not to expect any of us this evening,” Mercer confirmed.
“No need. My secretary is handling it.” Adam pulled out a chair next to Mercer and Bellamy sat down, looking nervous as she wore Adam’s shirt, which went to her knees.
“The new dress looks good on you, little girl.” Mercer’s eyes heated as he looked at her legs. “Wear mine next.”
Her eyes went wide at his bold order, and I wondered if Adam had talked to her at all about what he intended to happen in this house. I doubted it. I leaned forward on an elbow before pushing the plate toward her. “Bellamy, has your husband talked to you at all about what he intends for his household?”
She glanced at Adam, the motion quick and fearful, like she was afraid to speak against him. Hadn’t she realized she was nothing but protected in this house? Still, after an inner battle, she squared her shoulders, looking more confident than I am sure she felt. “My husband and I rarely talk.”
Adam winced, but he couldn’t deny the truth behind that statement. I’d witnessed all the creative ways the big, bad leader of organized crime could avoid his little wife. He got crafty. But something told me he no longer planned to avoid her. In fact, if I had to guess, his new plan was to flaunt the pretty little thing, worship her, own the oddly-formed relationship.
Was one taste that good, that even a man like Adam would weaken his defenses?
I wanted to believe nothing could weaken him, but a single glance told me different. He’d accepted his position as hers, and now he was going in full force, as he’d done with most things in his life. And Mercer had no problem trailing him, picking up the scraps he left behind. But where did that leave me?
Adam cleared his throat, taking the spot next to her. Leaving me on one side of the table alone, while they united on the other. A separation that screamed loudly in the silent room. When Adam was settled, he reached forward, grabbing a sandwich off the plate, then adding chips. After he was sure she had everything she needed as well, he braved speaking.
“I’ve talked it over with Mercer and Ace, and if it’s alright with you, of course, I gave them permission to spend time with you. I can’t keep you safe alone, but with them, you’d always be protected.”
Her brows scrunched up so damn cute at her confusion. He was shit at explaining, but I would not do it for him. “I already spend time with them. You don’t have to explain.”
“I-I think you’re missing the point.” His eyes begged for help. I was going to let him flounder. He should have talked about his plans with her instead of us to start with. “We all spend time with you now. That’s correct. But if you want, I mean, I’d like to share you.”
“Share me?” She blinked.
“Like the novel on your bedside table.” Mercer spoke into his hand, trying to hide the fact he was giving her hints and helping Adam. The minute the knowledge became clear, her face turned scarlet. Mercer fed on her embarrassment. “Oh yeah, darling. I flipped through those pages. Does your husband know you read that smut?”
“Clearly, her husband doesn’t care if he’s forming his own proposition,” I mumbled, earning myself a glare from Adam.
Mercer continued on, “It’s okay, baby, we all have our thing.” Jesus. Stop with the pet names. I scrunched up my nose, my face pulled in disgust. “For instance, mine is?—“
“Enough,” Adam growled, clearly not wanting to know what Mercer’s kink was. I’d thank him later for that, because I could die and not be more thankful I’d never received that bit of information. “I want to be clear that we are not forcing you into anything, Belle. But you have a choice. All or one. Either way, I wouldn’t be mad. I understand my strengths and my weaknesses, and I think you deserve nothing but strengths. But it’s your choice to make when you’re ready.”
Her eyes were solidly on her plate, not daring to look at us and give away any of her emotions. After a silence that was heavy enough to suffocate us, she finally asked, “Is this a trap?”
Adam put a single chip into his mouth, the crunch echoing through the room before he asked, “Why would you think that?”
She finally raised her head to meet his eyes. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Now, I’ve got a husband who might hate me, and two men who follow me around to keep me company out of some obligation I know nothing about or would never fully understand. And that doesn’t even include the addition of the two men at this table who I can’t decide if they want to be my friends because they like me or because you told them to be.”
“Belle—“
But she held her hand up, cutting off Adam as she pushed her chair back. “I’m actually not hungry. I think I’m going to take a nap.”
“Belle, you need to eat,” he argued. But she was already up, leaving us as she sought the safety of her room. When she was out of view, Adam groaned, “Well, that went well.”
“Could have been worse.” I smiled, loving the torture of the moment.
He glared. “Doubt it.”
“She didn’t say no.” I shrugged. “I think you’re more annoyed that everything she said was true. She pinned it all perfectly. Our little meek queen is more observant than you gave her credit for.”
“Things need to change,” he mumbled.
“Clearly,” I laughed. “You think just because you ate pussy once she’d fall to her knees and praise everything you do? You put no real work in, nothing physical at least. Nothing intellectual, that’s for damn sure. And you expect optimum results.”
“You’re in a shit mood.” He pushed his plate away. “I’m going to the library. If I’m going to start fresh, at least I could do it in a big fucking way. What a shit show I’ve made things.”
I wasn’t about to hold his hand and tell him things were going to be alright. He should have talked to her before now. Before he even offered his wife, his fucking wife , up as a side piece for us. Would she be a side piece? I wished I could say yes, but everything in my soul screamed I could never. I could never have another woman when I had her waiting at home for me.
But she wouldn’t be waiting at home for me , really, would she? Not when she had Adam, her husband, and Mercer, the lapdog, always at her call. Was I jealous? Was this what it felt like? Hadn’t we made some progress in the garden?
Mercer was unaffected by my mood, like he was unaffected by most things. “Well, she’ll pick us. Maybe not at this moment, but she wants us. And listen, those books she reads… fucking criminal. There is no way a girl would have the opportunity to live that out and not take it up. How would you feel about touching my cock?”
He asked that question right as I drank a mouthful of water, which I ended up spraying over the table as I choked out, “Excuse me?”
“Okay, damn. I’ll touch yours, I guess. Don’t need to be dramatic.”
“No one is touching anyone else’s dick,” I clarified. “What’s wrong with you?”
“She’d like it.”
“I bet she’d like a pony too, but I’m not buying one.” I stood, grabbing the plates of uneaten food. Max and Drew would eat it. I swear they’d eat nearly anything put in front of them. “I don’t care how much you beg, Merc. I’d never touch your dick.”
His laughter followed me into the kitchen before his voice drifted in. “Famous last words.”