Chapter 32 Dante
DANTE
Walking Harper into my penthouse proved to be as interesting as I’d suspected.
She stopped in the middle of the living room, planted her hands on her hips, and turned a slow circle. “Is that an original Van Gogh?” Her mouth popped open with a delicious sigh when I nodded. “Not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?” Her mind intrigued me. What did she think of when she looked at me.
A devious smile tipped her lips upward. “Oh, you know. Black walls. Red curtains. Maybe a hidden room full of…interesting toys.”
Julian laughed so hard he had to grab the back of the leather couch to keep from falling on his face. “Oh, trust me, he has all those things. This is just the muted version of Dante that he considers acceptable to the outside world.”
“Not that he lets people in here.” Alexander scoffed from my kitchen, where he popped open four bottles of sparkling water and carried them our way. He handed the first to Harper.
Harper took a long drink and padded around the room in her socked feet. Exhaustion lined her face, but I managed to keep from telling her she should get some rest.
Letting her explore my space—curated though it was for public consumption—gave me a strange sense of peace.
She met my eyes in the mirror hung on the far side of the room. “Will I get to see every room?”
“Yes.” I nodded and managed a smile. “Nothing is off limits to you, Harper.”
“Good.” She continued her slow appraisal, but her eyes grew heavier by the minute.
Once she’d explored the open living room, dining room, and kitchen, I tipped my head toward the hallway. “Would you like to see your bedroom?”
“My bedroom?” Her emphasis on the word came with lift in her voice.
I chuckled and led the way. “I have four bedrooms here. You’re welcome to sleep in any of them, but I was concerned about us waking you up. It’s up to you if you want to sleep in your own room tonight or in one of ours. Again, this is your home now too. Pick and choose at will.”
“I would love to sleep in the same bed with all three of you. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about waking me up, and even if you do, it’ll be a welcome change from the last few months.” She yawned, covering her mouth with one hand and setting the last of her sparkling water on the counter.
I’d left most of the lights off this morning when I headed to work, and the muted glow accentuated her curves as she walked toward me. I walked her to the bedrooms, opening each door to let her see into them.
Julian’s room was a wash of blues and greens. Alexander’s boasted maroon and gold. Mine, well, she’d been right about mine. Black and red like I was some kind of vampire hiding away in a gilded coffin.
She squealed and bounced on her toes when I opened my door. “I knew it.” Laughing, she spun into the room and held out her arms. “I love this place.” Her spinning brought her flush against my chest. “I’ve missed you.”
“We missed you too. And we’ll show you exactly how much once you’ve rested.” I brushed my thumb over the dark shadows bruising her eyes. “It’s good to have you in my arms again, Harper.”
We readied for bed and fell into a heap of arms and legs. The relief of having her with us again lulled me into a deep and dreamless sleep.
I woke at dawn and scooted from the bed, tapping Alexander’s and Julian’s legs to wake them. They followed me into the kitchen and the three of us cooked a wholesome and healthy breakfast for all four of us to share once Harper woke.
Julian grinned when the shower started. “You think she found the clothes?”
“Are you kidding? Harper is way too curious not to have explored every inch of that room, and probably all the others.” Alexander flipped the eggs and piled them onto a plate.
“Good thing you have a personal shopper.” Julian finished the bacon and set it aside. “Even better that he’s a dude who doesn’t blink an eye at odd requests.”
Harper stepped out of the bedroom wearing a pair of gray slacks and a white blouse, with her freshly washed hair curling around her face and a brilliant smile that brightened her entire face. “That shower is incredible.”
She’d slept longer than I expected, making me wonder if she’d slept properly since leaving New York.
I’d made it today’s mission to ensure she had every comfort available to her. She might not suspect this about us, but lavishing her with care, affection, and anything that might make her life easier was about to become a daily part of her life.
Julian handed her a glass of water and winked. “Wait until you see the hidden room.”
“Oh?” She shot a look my way, a look so full of raw desire that my cock responded in an instant.
I tamped down my need and focused on Harper.
“We made breakfast. Would you join us?” I waved toward the heavy oak table that took up a large portion of the dining room. I preferred heavy, old-fashioned furniture despite most of my design consisting of sleek lines. There was power in the old things that people often overlooked.
Harper sipped her water and slid into a chair at the side of the table.
Alexander had carried everything over and he handed her a plate while sitting across from her. “We realized we didn’t know any of your favorites. If you wouldn’t mind making us a list, we’ll make sure you have everything you want on hand.”
“Thank you.” A light quiver shook her chin. “This is…I never expected all this.”
“This is just the beginning. We’ve never had the chance to spoil you. We do now, and we plan on taking full advantage.” I sat beside her and spooned eggs onto my plate.
Harper built a plate with a bit of everything and we all tucked in to the meal with our usual gusto.
Halfway through her eggs, Harper looked up at the intricate grandfather clock in the foyer and gasped. “Aren’t you going in to work today? It’s after nine.”
“Not today.” I set my fork on the edge of my plate and faced her. “We’re staying with you today. We’ve spent two agonizing months without you.”
“We’re not going anywhere until we’ve made up for lost time and made sure you have everything you need.
” Julian propped his forearms on the edge of the table and leaned his weight forward.
“We won’t be letting you out of our sight.
I hope you enjoyed your few minutes alone in the shower, because I’ve missed seeing you, and I’m not about to leave the room you’re in. ”
Her cheeks turned that delicate shade of pink I’d learned meant she might be a bit embarrassed but also turned on.
She shifted in her seat and wiped her mouth with the linen napkin I’d pulled from the depths of a drawer.
“You’ve already done so much for me. You’re not obligated to stay with me or prepare my breakfast.”
“We want to.” The iron in Alexander’s voice and the enthusiasm in his expression stopped Harper from saying more.
She thought about it. The tiny little crease between her eyes gave her away, but after a moment of hesitation, she gave in with a nod. “It’s nice to be taken care of, but I want to be able to give back to you too. I already feel like you give so much more than me. What do I have to offer you?”
“Yourself.” Julian met her gaze, his playful smirk disappearing. “We love you, Harper. You and only you. There is no greater gift than to hear you say you love us too. No one else has ever given us that. Not individually and definitely not as a set.”
“You’ve already given us everything. All this, the food, the penthouse, it’s dressing.
A show we’ve put on to give you a visual representation of how we feel.
The love we share for you, that’s deeper.
There is no physical object or thing we could do for you to show you that.
” Alexander tossed his napkin down beside his plate.
“But we can try.” I draped my arm across the back of Harper’s chair.
“We’ve had sex with you multiple times, Harper, but we’ve never made love.
We never let ourselves consider the possibility that you might return our feelings, so we did our best to keep things base and carnal. I’d like to change that.”
“So…no whips and handcuffs and blindfolds?” She twisted her hands in her lap.
Julian grinned. “You almost sound disappointed. Do you think we can’t please you just as well, maybe even better, when we open our hearts and let love lead?”
“No. It’s not that. It’s just…” She trailed off again in that adorably embarrassed way of hers.
I brushed her hair over her shoulder and kissed the side of her neck. “Use your words, darling. You can tell us anything. There will be no judgment or laughter.”
Her lips parted when I kissed the soft spot below her ear. “I like when you use all those things.”
“And we will again. I promise. But not today. Let us love you in a different way today.” I stood and held out my hand. “Do you trust me?”
“Always.” Her smooth hand slid into mine, and I pulled her to her feet.
“Don’t forget that next time.”
We made our way to my bedroom, and the three of us worked to remove Harper’s clothes, stopping to kiss every inch of exposed flesh.
She shivered and held on to us, gripping my shoulder when I knelt to remove her socks and pants, and digging her hands into Julian’s hair when he kissed the valley between her breasts.
We move slowly, carefully, worshiping her in a way we had avoided.
She reached for my pants, and I shook my head. “Not yet. This is all for you. We want to show you how much we’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. I want to make up for it.” She tried a second time to unfasten my pants, and I locked my hands around her wrists, guiding her hands to the side. Her lips quirked. “Sure you want to keep things PG? I could go for a little roughhousing.”
God this woman was going to unravel every part of me. I kissed the corner of her mouth and nibbled on her earlobe while brushing my cock over her lower belly. “Trust me, this will be just as good. You’ll still scream for me.”
Her breathing hitched, and she arched her spine, pressing closer to my body until any hint of space disappeared.
I walked her backward to the bed, nudging her until she sat then reclined on her elbows.
Julian and Alexander sat on either side of her, paying careful attention as they stroked and teased her body with soft kisses.
I ran my hands up her thighs and over her stomach. “You’re so beautiful. The thought of you carrying our child is the most incredible gift. I never want you to think you have to hide anything from us.” Her gaze met mine. “We belong to you.”
“I am yours.” She bit her bottom lip when I stroked her inner thighs and inched her legs apart.
I could spend the rest of my life on my knees in front of her and it would not bother me. I belonged here, worshipping her and living with her and our family that we’d carved from the fabric of society, tearing away the expectations, and taking what worked for us.
The first swipe of my tongue over her clit sent her head falling back with a soft whimper. She bucked her hips, rocking her clit over my mouth in a desperate cry for more. I would give her everything. For the rest of my life.
Julian and Alexander teased her breasts and kissed her until they were breathless.
I lapped at her clit and slid a finger inside her, slowly adding a second and pumping in a deliciously slow motion that caused her entire body to thrum with excited energy.
I wanted all of her, and I would have that, but only after we’d proven we could give her what she needed with our whole hearts.
Pressing my tongue against her clit, I rotated my fingers and added a third.
Curling them gave me the exact reaction I’d hoped for as she gasped and her pussy locked down on my fingers.
I worked her in that same slow manner. Stroking deep.
Retreating. Then curling my fingers. With every touch, her breaths came shorter, faster.
She moaned in the back of her throat. “I want one of you inside me. In my mouth. My hands. My pussy. I want you everywhere. You feel so good. So damned good.” Her hands fisted in the sheets, and Julian guided her down until she rested flat on her back.
I continued playing with her, nowhere near ready to give up my spot or use my cock to please her. Not yet.