Chapter 22
PHOEBE
Ifind myself standing outside the door, the Hamptons sunset painting the sky blood red behind me. This is the only place I could think of that felt safe. And as soon as the guys let me in, I realized I was right.
“Rough day?” Theo asks.
“You could say that. Can we talk?”
“We’ve been waiting for you to reach out,” Dominic says. “We’ve always been here, Phoebe. Always.”
Hearing that makes me want to cry even more. “I know. And in my panic, I pushed you away. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” August says and takes me in his arms.
For a moment, I lose myself in his embrace, wrapped in his strength and comfort.
I feel the soft linen of his shirt against my cheek.
The scent of his cologne fills my head with sweet memories of the wonderful times we had together.
I know they were always here, and I should’ve known better than to doubt any of them.
“It’s going to be alright,” Dominic says, running his fingers through my hair.
I close my eyes, cherishing his touch. The three of them hold me while I cry my heart out and melt against them, letting go of everything. My purest form emerges as they guide me into the bedroom.
“There will be plenty of talking later,” Theo whispers in my ear. “We’ve got some catching up to do first.”
“I agree,” I reply and kiss him.
We lose our clothes somewhere along the way. My dress lingers in the doorway, a shapeless mass of pink under a ray of sunset light. My fingertips explore every inch of bare skin, tickled by curls of chest hair and enticed by the curves of taut muscles.
“It’s been such a mess,” I say as they trail kisses down both sides of my neck. “What we have is the only certain thing, isn’t it?”
“Nothing will get between us unless we let it,” Dominic replies.
He cups my breasts, squeezing hungrily as our eyes meet. He lowers his head and takes one nipple in his mouth, suckling feverishly before he does the same to the other.
My breath hitches and my head falls back to rest on Theo’s shoulder, his hand moving around my hips to find that swollen, wet spot between my legs.
“Oh, I’ve missed this,” I moan as his finger circles my clit, priming it for what I know will be an explosive release. “I’ve missed this so much.”
“I can tell,” Theo growls, going further and slipping a finger inside me. “Baby, you’re already so wet and hot.”
“Fucking hell,” August manages as he bites into my shoulder.
I wrap my hands around the twins’ cocks, both hard and throbbing as I stroke them, slowly at first, until the rhythm builds, until they come closer with ragged breaths and darkened eyes.
Dominic’s teeth graze my nipple. Theo’s cock is wedged between my buttocks. He presses the head against my opening, then slides it back up, making me wet all over until, finally, he penetrates me easily.
“Oh, fuck!” I cry out as I welcome him inside me.
I hold on to Dominic’s sculpted shoulders, my lips locked on his while he takes over for Theo, proceeding to tease my clit until I’m pushed closer to the edge. August handles my breasts, kneading the tender flesh.
“Give it to me,” Theo commands as he fucks me harder and faster from behind. I love the sound of skin slapping skin as he rams into me, stretching my pussy in the most glorious way.
Dominic stares at me, breathless, as he waits for me to reach the pinnacle.
“Don’t stop,” I whisper, the pressure becoming unbearable as he flicks my clit with perfect persistence. “Just like that, baby, don’t… don’t stop.”
I come hard, convulsing in wave after wave of pleasure. Theo gives me his all, slamming into me as I ride the wave, my pussy pulsating with every thrust.
My knees are weak, but we’re nowhere near done. By the time we reach the bed, the mechanics of our dynamic shift. I end up riding Dominic’s massive cock while August takes Theo’s place. Theo climbs up on top of the bed, and I grasp his hips while welcoming him in my mouth.
“Baby, you taste fantastic,” I smile as he pulls back for a second, his cock twitching excitedly.
“I taste like you,” he replies, then cups my face and deep-throats me to tears. I lose my mind in the process, fucked every way until I forget who I am and why I came here in the first place.
“You’re so fucking perfect,” Theo says. “Don’t you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”
I swallow him whole as August rams deeper and harder.
I’m filled to the brim, stretched and tender by the time we’re done. We lay naked in bed for a while, dusk turning into evening with starry skies, the ocean lazily lapping at the beach mere yards away from the bedroom’s open French doors.
This is where I belong.
Where I should’ve been all along.
“We’ll figure it out,” Theo says. “Whatever Helen thinks she’s got on you to justify stripping you of your inheritance, we can fight it in court.”
“She’s angling for a moral clause,” I tell him. “There isn’t one stipulated in the will itself, but there is one pertaining to maintaining the integrity of Baldwin Corporation’s public image.”
It’s early morning and we’re in the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hits harder than usual, and for the first time in a very long time, I don’t find the Colombian roast as appealing. I set the mug aside and stick to water, while a knot keeps tightening in the back of my throat.
“Helen would have to prove that your lifestyle has an impact on the company’s public image,” August says, his gaze bouncing between my mug and my face. “I don’t think a Twitter war qualifies.”
“She’d have to look at stock value, first and foremost. Has that decreased since Matthew broke off the wedding or since we went to Hawaii?” Dominic replies. “A one-day difference could make or break the case.”
I’m on my phone, going over historical stock changes over the past couple of months. There have been fluctuations, but I can’t find anything I would deem worthy of consideration. “Company stocks are doing just fine,” I announce after several minutes of scrolling through data.
“What about company sales?” August asks. “A drop there could be tied to this, but it would be difficult to prove. Consumer confidence isn’t as black and white.”
“Helen’s lawyers could still make a compelling case,” Theo points out. “Just enough to get a judge’s ear, for sure.”
“This is insane.” I sigh deeply, the knot tightening even more.
“You look kind of pale. Are you okay?” August asks, giving me a concerned look. “You haven’t even touched your coffee.”
I reply with a weak smile. “Exhaustion must’ve caught up with me. I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he says. “Are you hungry? We can whip up a decent breakfast.”
“That’s right, you fine gentlemen also cook,” I reply with a giggle, eager to change the subject. I reckon the lawyers will do a better job of dealing with this mess, and I’d rather not slip into another bottomless puddle of overthinking again.
The twins exchange amused glances.
“Hey, last time I checked, you were into our maple bacon pancakes,” Dominic quips. “Or were you just being nice?”
“No, those were good. I just don’t have an appetite right now,” I reply.
“As much as I hate to admit it, we might have to be careful with the public perception from now on. At least until we resolve this inheritance issue in court,” Theo says.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my brow furrowed.
“Public displays of affection, declarations, outings. We should refrain from all of that until the judge rules in your favor,” he explains.
I understand what Theo is saying, yet I can’t help but feel awkward.
There are good intentions behind this approach, but they would only serve to prove people like Crystal and Georgina are right.
It would also make it appear that Dominic, August, and Theo aren’t willing to commit to me long term.
That they’re embarrassed to be seen in public with me.
Of course, it’s all ludicrous.
But the little voice in the back of my head has already jumped on the train, eager to proliferate it until my brain soaks it up and accepts it as a reality. It’s nothing more than self-doubt sucking directly from my soul once again.
“You’re saying we should be careful so as not to give Helen another reason to make her case in front of the judge,” Dominic concludes, looking at Theo. “It makes sense, but I don’t like it. We’ve made a point of going public with our relationship since day one.”
“Yes, but that was purely to mess with Matthew,” Theo replies. “It’s different now. If that moral clause can be used to prove a connection between our relationship and the Baldwin Corporation’s overall well-being, then we’d be doing more harm than good if we stay out in the open.”
As much as I hate to admit it, his words make sense. It still feels like a kick to the gut. I’m afraid I might puke if I don’t get this nausea under control. What the hell is going on? Breaking into a cold sweat, I take another long sip of ice water and get up from the table.
“I think I should go home,” I say, my voice wavering slightly. “As much as I’d like to stick around, I think Theo’s got a point.”
“It doesn’t mean we have to like it,” August grumbles. “Phoebe, seriously, you’re really pale. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I promise. We didn’t get much sleep last night, remember?” I reply with a small smile. “I just need a few hours in bed to recharge, that’s all.”
Dominic gets up and grabs his phone. “I’ll get our lawyers on the line in the meantime.
We need to prepare them for the rebuttal as soon as possible.
Helen will try to keep this in family court, but I’ll push for a 3rd circuit judge, just to be sure we get a solid one.
There’s a hell of a lot of money at stake here. ”
“You’re already doing so much,” I sigh and wrap my arms around his waist.
I find comfort and peace in his arms. Maybe even the promise of some kind of happily ever after as he tightens the embrace. I breathe him in, his heart echoing against mine.
After a few moments, I gather my things and prepare to leave.
It feels like I’m running away as if I’m some sort of criminal.
Despite their reassurances, none of this feels right.