Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
BELLAMY
“I want you to sit in the front row,” Adam instructed me as his arm looped around my hip. “I hate that this function has pulled me away from you so much.”
“It’s fine.” I leaned into him, my head falling to his chest. “Ace and Mercer have been with me most of the time.”
Mercer had to go get things in order for his speech, and I hated the loss of him. I hated more that just a single dance had made my core pulse and my thighs shift, trying to ease it. Is this what I’d become? A melty mess of want for these boys? Maybe I was better off never having known what Adam felt like buried deep inside my body. Maybe then, the want wouldn’t constantly gnaw at me, making me wonder just what Mercer and Ace would feel like, would taste like, would look like as I writhed under their bodies.
“I expected to spend more time with you. I know you’re fine with it, and you are taken care of, but I’m still disappointed.” He kissed my forehead. That fucking forehead kiss. Why did it make me feel like mush every damn time? “You should have Ace give you a tour after the speeches. I can find you two later if you wish.”
“I don’t mind being here.” I actually loved dressing up. This dress, this magnificent piece of art, really made me feel like a princess.
“I know, baby. I know.” He squeezed my hip and let me go. “I’ll bring you some food to eat, then I want you and Ace to find a place in the reserved seating. I want to watch you as I’m up on stage.”
He leaned into Ace, whispering something into his ear, and Ace nodded, a little gleam in his eyes before speaking. “My pleasure.”
When Adam walked away, Ace took my hand, pulling me toward the tables. I was still picking a spot to sit when Adam appeared, a plate of food in his hand. With another kiss and a heated look, he disappeared, leaving Ace to be my babysitter for the rest of the evening.
Babysitter.
I wondered if Ace minded. He was so hard to read. Mercer left no questions about what he wanted from me, but Ace… well…
“You like me, don’t you, Ace?” I blurted out and jeez, I sounded like an insecure middle schooler.
He looked over his shoulder at me before pulling out a chair for me to sit. “Of course I like you. Why would you even ask that?”
“I just- I don’t know.”
I didn’t want to say here in the middle of a crowded event that sometimes I wondered. That he acted as he should, but I could tell he held back. That I didn’t want to be forced on him, and he had a choice, whatever that was, and I’d honor it. I’d honor him because I did like him. I wanted him. I was so fucking attracted to these men that sometimes, when I looked at them, I found it nearly impossible to breathe. And because of this, I only wanted what was best for him, and nothing more.
“You have doubts?” His brow furrowed, like the thought of me not believing him truly bothered him.
“No.” I shook my head. “I trust you.”
“Trust and doubts are two different things,” he reminded me, and I knew he was right.
I wanted to say more, but Mercer was there up on the stage, the light beaming off him, and for a moment, I forgot how my lungs worked. He looked so damn beautiful, fucking angelic. He had no business looking that serene when I knew the hands that could belong to an angel were also coated in blood. Watching him made my heart pound, and I couldn’t look away. I didn’t want to.
When a hand touched my thigh, I jumped, my body not prepared for the touch. Ace leaned in. “Adam gave me special instructions to take care of you.”
I tore my eyes away from Mercer, who had spoken into the mic, and leaned into Ace. “Haven’t you been doing that the whole night?”
“Minimally.” He tilted his chin. “Eat your food, little Belle.”
I picked up my fork, dipping it into some creamy mashed potatoes, but the moment I brought it to my mouth, Ace’s finger moved slightly, a twitch that I might not have noticed if the thin silk didn’t give way to the warmth of his hand searing into my thigh. I froze, the fork hanging in the air as I wondered, internally begging for his finger to move over just an inch, even as I prayed it didn’t.
Ace leaned into me again. “Eat. Your. Food.”
I brought the fork up, wrapping my lips around the creamy mashed potatoes as I brought them into my mouth. Ace’s finger moved again, swirling gentle circles over my inner thigh, making me fight a squirm. I looked over at him, not needing to speak, as the question was clearly written on my face.
“You eat, I continue, little Belle. I’m taking care of you, remember?” His voice was the closest thing to a purr that a man sitting at the top of a bloody empire was capable of, and that only made his words hotter.
I fought a shiver as I spoke. “Surely, this isn’t what Adam meant.”
“Specific instructions, and you know I like to obey. Look at Mercer, up there, eyes on you, knowing exactly where my hand is right this moment. Do you think he’s jealous? I know he is. He’s always wanted what others had. Think he’s up there, thinking about your skin under this dress, wondering when he could watch it fall to the ground around you? What about Adam? I wonder if he’s up there, waiting to speak, thinking about what you taste like. I can’t wait to find out. Eat your food, Bellamy.”
I was on fire.
My skin flamed.
My core pulsed.
Was this my life right now, or was I dreaming? Because there was no way this was real. Except the fingers on my thigh reminded me that this very much was my reality, and I got out of it what I wanted only if I obeyed.
I brought another fork full of food to my mouth, and his finger moved again, rubbing the slowest torturous circle that I thought I’d eventually die if he continued at this pace. I finished my plate, followed instructions, and still his finger danced just outside the V of my thigh, not going further than teasing me.
Leaning forward, not caring who was around, I practically begged into his ear, “Please, Ace.”
“Patience, sweetheart,” he cooed, his eyes on the stage. “Look at how much they want you. So fucking much that they don’t even care that their cocks are solid rocks on that stage.”
I followed his gaze to my men as they stood off to the side, letting some old man who looked like a bear hyped up on cocaine have the stage. But even from here, I could tell they were hard as a rock. Their eyes burned into me. “They are watching us.”
“They can’t even concentrate on the mayor, knowing how bothered I’m making you.” His fingers scrunched up in the silk for a moment before he let it fall. Then, he shifted his hand, bringing his thumb over the junction of my thigh and pressing down. “No fucking panties. You dirty girl.”
“The—“ Shit, I was losing my mind. I couldn’t even form a coherent sentence or thought when he nudged his finger between my folds, pressing into my clit with such a delicious pressure that I had to use all my will not to pant.
“The what, sweet girl?” he cooed.
I searched my mind, trying to remember what we were even talking about before I formed a sentence. “They left a line.”
“I see.” His breath against the shell of my ear made gooseflesh rise on my skin. “Do you think we’d care about a little line when you look this fucking hot?”
“I… No.”
“That’s right, baby. It’s not the clothes. It’s you.” His teeth caught my earlobe for a moment. “And you’re so fucking perfect.”
He pressed down, rubbing slow circles around the sensitive nub, and the feel of the silk against my skin only intensified the sensation. I’d made a mistake not wearing anything under this dress tonight. I knew that now. Because with his fingers pressed between my thighs, there was no way I’d be leaving here without a wet spot gracing the silk of my dress and giving away just how much I wanted these men. There was no way I’d be able to walk out of this building without feeling my flesh sticky with the want that was consuming me.
“Focus,” he demanded. “The mayor is talking.”
I couldn’t focus. I didn’t care about the fucking mayor. I only cared about the nerves that were sparking to life and dancing with sensations. “I’m focused.”
“You aren’t.” His whisper was so damn gentle, even when I suspected a storm brewed within him. “What’s he talking about, Bellamy?”
Fuck. He got me. “About…” I was panting. “Land development.”
It was a wild guess, and I knew it. I wasn’t listening. I couldn’t. That he expected me to recite what was being said was outrageous. His hand pulled away. “Wrong.”
A whimper escaped me. “Please.”
“Are you begging Bellamy? So early in the evening?”
“You’re not funny, Ace.” I turned my head to look at him.
He smirked. “I wasn’t trying to be. I’ve got orders, and I take orders seriously. Don’t you know that?”
“What were the orders?” My hand was on his leg, my nails gripping him tightly as I tried to settle myself.
“I can’t tell you that.” He had the nerve to fucking wink at me. “Confidential.”
I was beginning to think all these men hated me. This was torture, and I hated every second, even when I craved it. I turned my focus from the scrumptious man next to me and listened to the mayor speak, his nasal voice repulsing all my senses. Finally, I whispered, “City expansion.”
“Excuse me?” Ace leaned forward, placing an elbow on the table, pretending to be interested.
“He’s talking about city expansion,” I gritted out, “and what this new wave of tourism will do to benefit the city.”
“Ah, so our girl can listen.” He continued to face forward, looking interested in the mayor, but his hand sneaked between my thighs again, and I sighed in blissful relief. I sank into his touch, leaned into his body, and he nudged my shoulder. “Sit straight. Eyes on the stage, baby. I’d hate for anyone to notice that you’re weeping for us right here at this table.”
“No one will see,” I promised, but even I knew it was a lie. Anyone and everyone could see, and maybe that was the allure. I glanced around, seeing more than one curious glance in our direction, and I knew the glances had everything to do with me being the popular businessman’s wife, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they suspected what Ace was doing with his hands under the table, right under their noses.
“I’d hate to be on the front pages of the paper tomorrow.” Ace’s voice was low, the seduction like little fingers reaching into me and stroking from the inside out. “I’d rather be lathering attention on you in the early hours, not dodging the press. You know how rumors are when you're rich, don’t you?”
How could he talk like he’s having a serious conversation when I was literally melting? I tensed. My limbs shook from not crumbling under the feel of my nerves catching fire with his single touch.
I tried hard to keep my composure. I really did. But it was damn near impossible when I was moments away from exploding in this crowded room. My hand clenched at the tablecloth, my nails pulling the material into my fist as lightning zipped up my spine. I was so fucking close, seconds away from losing all my senses, and he pulled back, putting his palm on the table over my own.
“What are you doing?” I hissed, and I didn’t care how deranged I sounded, or that everyone else at the table looked at me like I’d gone crazy. All I cared about was relieving the ache that was welling up inside of me, begging to be sated.
“The mayor is done speaking.” His eyes watched the stage right as the room’s lights were turned back on, nearly blinding me with their brightness. “You’d know if you were paying attention like I asked you to do.”
How was I supposed to pay attention when his fingers were so damn skilled? He had an unfair advantage. I leaned over so our faces were inches apart. “This is Mercer behavior, Ace. Not what I’d expect from you.”
His eyes burned and a brow rose. “Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes.” I straightened in my chair, trying to relieve some pressure.
“Then you don’t know me at all, do you, sweetheart?” He laughed. “You think I could run an empire with those two and not be ruthless? They call us the beasts for a reason, or had you forgotten? You don’t get nicknames like that by behaving.”
Chairs scraped as people rose, and Ace did the same, pulling out my chair and taking my arm, linking it with his. “I believe I was instructed to give you a tour, if you want it?”
Did I want a tour? No. At least not today, when all I could think about was relief. But this was my men’s new resort, their pride and joy. They had this in the works long before I came into their lives, and although they did groundbreaking three months ago, it wasn’t for the full area it encompassed, only the smaller portion still under construction.
“Will the tour take long?” I looked around, then at my feet that were getting painfully swollen.
"It depends on you." His gaze fell to my feet. “Your flats were dropped off with the guard at the door. They didn’t want to disrupt the speeches by entering.”
“Okay,” I agreed because even if I was suffering and didn’t want to do the tour right now, it was better than suffering with my unquenchable need right here in front of these watchful eyes.
With Mercer and Adam watching us longingly as they talked to guests, Ace slipped us through a door, grabbing my extra shoes as he passed. I switched them out, wiggling my toes in sweet relief, before he took my heels from my hand and guided me away from the bustling noise of people chatting to a quiet hallway.
“This is the event center, if you haven’t noticed. Further down are the casinos, but I’ll show you on a different day. It’s illegal to have children there.” He tapped my stomach.
I rolled my eyes, feeling a little prissy. “Har har har.”
“Is our princess a little bitter? I thought my joke was funny.” He beamed, his smile so wide that it was nearly painful not to crack and smile back in response.
Still, I kept a straight face when I responded, “I think you’d be bitter too if positions were reversed. I ache, Ace, and you did that on purpose.”
“Honey, if you want to reverse positions, I’d gladly drop my pants right here.”
“If we’re reversing positions, I’d be leaving you wanting.”
Ace stepped closer. “And that’s what you are? Wanting?”
“You know I am.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“You’re a needy little thing, aren’t you?” His eyes roamed my face, touching every part of me and seeing into my soul.
I held strong. “I wouldn’t be wanting if you’d kept your hands to yourself.”
A devilish smile took over his face before he laughed. “Where’s the fun in that?” His hand grabbed mine, interlocking our fingers. “Come on, we’ve got a hotel to tour. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
I will admit, he was right. I wasn’t disappointed. My men were creative and smart, having come up with the concept and the layout themselves. They had some investors, who Ace said he pitched the deal to himself, and they somehow landed what I imagine would be the area's biggest attraction in years to come.
It was a casino, which was Adam’s specialty. But it was also a place for families to come and spend time. Maybe the idea derived from these men’s need to create a family experience they never had, and that was heartbreaking. But they did well, and for that, I was so fucking proud of them.
There was a kid zone, a massive warehouse size building, packed with everything a kid could want. Ball pits, playhouses, trampolines, tunnels… it was a kids' dream. Daily daycare was an option for their guests, though he assured me that our child would never step foot in the daycare facility; they wouldn’t allow it. He explained that by next summer, they would have a row of artisan restaurants and would break ground on a mini water park. They had big dreams for this vacation resort. Dreams that included a mini shopping mall within the next five years.
The state-of-the-art gym was an athlete's dream. Not only did it have a heated pool, all the latest equipment, and come with a free sports bottle, but it had a sauna. What I wouldn’t give to relax in one of those for five minutes, though the mere mention of it caused Ace to huff in outrage. Not while his daughter was inside me.
The tour of the guests’ rooms was quicker, but no less impressive. With rooms coming standard with a mini fridge, courtesy snack basket, and coffeemaker, there wasn’t much more a person could ask for. The beds were soft, the decoration dreamy, and the bathroom was so luxurious that I almost wanted to book a night just to get one of the free robes.
“When the water park is finished, we’ll add some family cottages that include a full mini kitchen. We understand the importance of bonding over cooking and eating meals together. The goal here is that a family doesn’t need to leave our facility to have all they want. Everything possible would be right here at their fingertips, in one place.”
Eating together was the most important daily ritual for these men, even before I entered their lives. I could understand why they’d want to offer the experience to others. “Oh, could we stay in a cottage?”
He gave me a get real look. “Bellamy, if you just ask, we could build you one that is not a rental to guests. That way you could come here as much as you wanted. Actually, I’m texting the others now. This is a fantastic idea for the family.”
Wow! They sure take things to the extreme. “I’m okay with just a cottage stay, Ace.”
“I think it will be good for us. We could come visit you and the children if we have a few minutes and you will be on our property but still be able to explore outside the house.” He was nodding his head to himself as he typed, as if he had sold himself on the idea, and I honestly didn’t think I could change his mind. When he was done texting, he twined our fingers together again. “I know this tour has been long and you’re probably tired, but before I return you back to the gala, I had one more thing I wanted to show you.“
I honestly didn’t want to go back to the gala. I liked this private time exploring with Ace, and though I enjoyed dressing up and becoming the literal Belle of the ball, I was becoming overwhelmed by meeting people. I felt like we spent way too long greeting strangers, to where we couldn’t even move more than five feet without getting stopped. My men were popular, and I wondered how many of these people here tonight knew the other, more bloody side of them and opted to turn a blind eye.
"Are you going to tell me what it is?” I gave him my most charming grin, though it had no effect on him. It never did. He could be like an unwavering pillar sometimes.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
While I pretended to pout, he led me down a hallway vacant of any doors toward an elevator. He stopped in front of the door, using a keycard and a series of numbers to open it. After we stepped in and the door shut, I asked, “What did you type in?”
“Your birthday.”
“Excuse me?” I stuttered, and it occurred to me I didn’t know any of their birthdays.
“It’s my personal passcode.”
“I never told you my birthday.” Though it seemed odd to even have this conversation after the things we all had shared.
“You didn’t need to tell us, Bellamy. You never told me your middle name, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t know it was Rose.”
“When’s your birthday?” I squeezed his hand. I guess it's better to know now than later.
“April eleventh.”
“Hmm. Adam and Mercer’s?” I’d feel like shit if I’d known these men and missed their birthdays.
“Mercer was born on Christmas day. Adam is February seventh.”
I felt sorry for Mercer. It must have been hard growing up with his birthday not only on a major holiday, but also having no one to celebrate such a day with. But Adam… well… “I could see him being an Aquarius.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, to start, he can be quiet and sulky. But clearly, he’s creative because look at what he’s taken part in. He likes to be alone. His office is like his personal sanctuary, and he’s fiercely loyal to those few he’s close with.”
“Good observation.” He let go of my hand and used his palm to guide me forward by the small of my back as I stepped off the elevator. “We are here.”
“Where is here exactly?” I questioned.
“Our offices.” The mischief in Ace’s eyes was terrifying. I couldn’t look away.
“And we like our offices, it appears.”
“Yes, princess. We do.” That tone should have me worried. The deep groveling sound of trouble was like a warning. But then it changed, and he was back to the everyday sweet Ace I knew. “This is Mercer’s office.”
He pushed open a door to the office, and it was nice, but it wasn’t extraordinary. It was a desk in front of a large window. Off to the side was a mini fridge, and along the opposite wall, empty bookshelves.
“It’s nice,” I said as I walked around. “Very…”
When I didn’t finish, Ace supplied, “Sterile.”
I looked at him over my shoulder as I ran my finger over the desk. “That.”
“We haven’t personalized it much yet, but Adam’s and my offices are the exact same layout. This won’t be our main place of operation, but when we were here, we still needed our space.”
Connecting our hands again, he led me out into the hall. “And the other offices?”
“There.” He pointed to the rooms next door to Mercer’s. “And on the other side of the hall are conference rooms. Though I think we’d most likely use the ones downstairs.”
“So up here is just a boys' zone, then?” He guided me to the door at the end of the hall and pushed it open. ”What’s this?”
“Our lounge.” He paused and my pulse picked up. “My queen.”
Before I could register his intent, he picked me up, causing a squeal to escape me, and carried me toward the window, dropping my feet to the ground, making me face the glass. His voice was low in my ear when he demanded, “What do you see?”
I looked down, taking in the view. “Water.”
“What else? Lower.”
I let my eyes fall to the sidewalk below, littered with guests in gowns and tuxes. “People. Guests.”
“People of power and money, you mean?” His correction made no difference to me. People were people. But when his arm snaked around my body, his hand going low before scrunching up my dress to my hips and dipping his fingers between my legs, I think I understood. “Look at them. They’ll never be as powerful as you are right now, standing over them, owning the three most powerful men in the city. They wish they could be you. Wish they could be had like you. If they looked up, would they see us right now?”
A moan escaped me before I could get a word out. The thought, the promise, was too fucking alluring. “Oh god.”
“Could they see your perfectly pink skin begging to be licked? Your dripping cunt begging to be filled? Will they see those perfectly pebbled tits as I bend you over and fuck you against the glass?”
Just his filthy words had me panting, my body squirming against his touch, wanting more. Ace. This was fucking Ace and sweet Ace never said such dirty words. But here we were, and I couldn’t deny that I liked it.
He leaned into my body, pressing me hard against the glass, and I could feel his cock pushing roughly against my ass. “Tell me you want me, Bellamy. I want to be yours, too.”
His words. Fuck. They did something to me. My chest heaved, my words strangled. “I want you.”
His teeth bit my earlobe. “I didn’t hear you, princess.”
The pressure at my pussy disappeared as his hands trailed up my body, teasing my skin. I swallowed hard, my body needing his. “I fucking want you, Ace.”
“That’s my fucking girl,” he cooed as he laced our fingers together, bringing our joined hands up to the glass. He flattened my hands against the cool surface as he nudged his thigh between my legs. “Don’t move your hands from that spot. Understand?”
I nodded and he leaned down and bit my shoulder. “Good girl.”
Before I could register the loss of him, he had fallen to his knees behind me, his fingers gripping into my legs, forcing me to widen my stance before he pulled my dress up, bunching it at my waist and twisting the fabric in such a way that it held it in place.
“This ass has been torturing me for weeks.” He squeezed it, before laying a sharp bite against the cheek. “It’s fucking gorgeous this close. Look at me, baby, can you see my reflection in the glass, on my knees for you, queen? Watch me as I pleasure you.”
Those were the last words he spoke before his mouth was on my body, sucking and licking, devouring my flesh with such precision that my legs shook and my vision blurred from the tears of pleasure he brought to my eyes.
My fingers flexed against the window as moans left me. I fought the urge to see if anyone was watching below, but the temptation of keeping my eyes on him, watching his mouth move, and his tongue flick against my skin, was much more alluring. He was masterful in his skills, and I wasn’t sure if I should be jealous of his past or thankful that he gifted me with this experience.
“Fuck,” I cried when he pulled my clit between his teeth. “Oh god, Ace. I don’t know if I can last much longer.”
That confession urged him on, his mouth and tongue picking up their pace, making my head swim with want and need, pleasure mixed with a bit of pain. His fingers joined, crooking inside my body as he pumped in and out, and I was going to go mad. Words fell from my mouth unfiltered. Pleas for anything and everything he could give me. I needed to cum. I didn’t want this to end. I was stuck in the middle of desire and torture, and I had no control over it.
A click behind us tore my gaze away from Ace as Mercer and Adam entered the room, closing the door behind them. And it was at that moment, when my eyes met theirs, that I crumbled, cumming so hard that my legs gave out, and the only thing keeping me up was the width of Ace’s broad shoulders between my legs. I trembled through the waves of pleasure, gasping, until it faded, and I collapsed, sliding down the window and into Ace’s arms.