33. Kiera
KIERA
I couldn’t stop thinking about the dog on the drive home, backpacking Leo as she drove us back to Dom’s mansion.
I wasn’t sure when I’d started calling it ‘home’. Somewhere between the cult ritual and the art studio.
When we got inside, Leo and Spencer brought me back to my room and told me to get a swimsuit. I raided my stash, not thrilled about any of my options. I wasn’t big into beach days, especially with Gabriel who would just make shitty comments about how my body looked in a bathing suit.
Trying to ignore the voice in my head, I grabbed a black gingham patterned bikini and slipped it on. At this point, I knew Spencer and Leo would love whatever I wore— even if I had a hard time believing that.
Once I was dressed, I stepped out of my room and toward the staircase. My bare feet padded against the hardwood floors, signalling my entrance to my two captors waiting at the top of the stairs.
Without a second thought, Leo swiped her arm under my legs and scooped me into her arms. “No stairs for my princess.”
I couldn’t pretend that I wasn’t relieved, my body aching from a few active days.
Leo and I had been talking more about the Ehlers Danlos Syndrome stuff lately.
But the more we talked about it, the more worried I became that if I gave in to the pain that I’d lose the muscle I’d built up from just living.
I didn’t have very long to get lost in the thought, something I’d been keeping to myself for a while. Leo pushed open the pool door, the humidity of the salinated water hitting my face. The heat had turned on in the house a couple weeks ago and it was drying out my skin like crazy.
So much so that Spencer had brought me a humidifier for my room.
“Time to cheer our girl up.” Spencer clapped her hands together as Leo placed me gently on the cool stone floors.
A strange cognitive dissonance washed over me as I looked out onto the lawn through the pristine windows that overlooked the property. Outside, leaves had completely fallen from the trees, bare branches left behind. The grass had started to dull as the cold night swept through Valemont.
And here I was, standing in my skimpy bikini.
My brain wanted to convince me that I was freezing cold, but I was certain it was at least 75 degrees in here.
Spencer didn’t wait, didn’t even bother grabbing a towel from the stack of clean ones by the door, instead rushing to the edge of the pool and folding her body up into a cannonball as she leapt into the air.
The water broke at the impact, a huge splash lifting from the surface as she disappeared into the pool.
As I watched, Leo had brought over two clean towels and set them on the lounge chairs.
Not quite ready to leap in, I positioned myself at the edge of the stone and dipped my feet into the warm water. The sensation sent a pulsing to my center, a desire for release washing over me.
Leo walked up to the lip of the stone and dove into the water, her arms creating a perfect triangle over her head as her muscles flexed and tensed.
My throat tightened at the sight of her. I was nearly suffocating by the time Spencer whipped her head out of the water and slicked her messy hair back. It was a good thing I hadn’t gotten all the way into the water yet, I’d probably be drowning after visibly swooning.
But god, they looked good. Spencer wore a colorful pair of board shorts and a simple, black racerback swim top that made her traps look huge.
Leo hadn’t bothered with a top, instead opting to use her chest tape. The tape matched the black of her tight swim shorts. The inseam was shorter than Spencers, showing off her meaty, toned thighs.
“Going to get in, Bunny?” Spencer asked, a cheeky grin on her face as she looked up at me.
Shrugging, I played it coy. “Maybe, if you think you can behave.”
“Never. And that’s a promise." Spencer winked as she sank below the surface, swimming closer to me. When she popped out of the water, she rested her elbows on the edge of the stone next to me.
Leo came up on the other side of me, making mischievous eye contact with Spencer as they quietly came up with a game plan.
Lifting a finger to warn them, my eyes narrowed. “Whatever you’re considering, just remember that I know where you sleep.”
“That’s the hope.” Leo smirked. Quickly popping out of the water, both of my saviors gripped my ankles and a spot just above my knee. With easy force, one yank from each of them pulled my ass off the wet stone and catapulted me forward.
My body crashed into the water, as the world around me became muffled and quiet under the surface. Even still, I could hear their maniac laughter overhead.
Opening my eyes, I was surprised that the water didn’t hurt at all. I guess that’s the benefit of salination. My gaze caught on the gold flecks at the bottom of the pool, one of the only garish design choices in the entire building.
But I knew it had been there before Dom bought this house. The mysterious previous owners had specific taste.
I shook myself out of the thought and swam to the surface, immediately smacking each of them on the chest.
“You bastards.” They were goddamn lucky the water was so warm that it may as well have been a hot tub. Otherwise, I would’ve caused a real problem.
Spencer let out a laugh, wrapping her arms around my waist under the water. “You like us like that. Otherwise you never would have realized just how good women felt.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook her off and let myself float at the center of the pool. I felt the water lift all the pressure off of my joints, giving my exhausted body a break for once.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Leo swam up next to me, treading water as she watched me. I could feel her eyes traveling down my body, enjoying the amount of skin I had exposed.
“Yeah, rough couple of days. Everything hurts.” I hoped she didn’t see the nervous, involuntary swallow.
But her forehead creased as concern took over Dr. Leo’s face. “More than usual?”
Lifting my head above the water, I shrugged. “Maybe? I just feel like I’m losing my muscle because you fuckers are too gentlemenly.”
With a scoff, Leo shook her head. “As your lover, I resent that implication. As a doctor, I’ll tell you that isn’t really how muscle works.
” She let her words sink in for a second before going on, “But, if you’re really worried about it, I can build you a physical therapy routine.
Then we can focus on muscle growth in safe ways to protect your joints. Only if you want.”
I could feel myself hesitate to take the help, always afraid of becoming too reliant on these two. I’d always been independent. Not needing anyone’s help. But Major Callahan and Spencer made that really difficult.
Shrugging, I pushed her deeper into the pool. “Maybe, we’ll see.”
“I’ll take that.” Leo nodded as she started swimming around. With each stroke, her muscular back flexed. Each muscle looked like it had been chiseled with the discerning eye of a renaissance sculptor.
And then there was Spencer, who was dipping under the water to do handstands and flips. Her leaner muscle wasn’t any less impressive. She was agile and quick, ready to move at any moment.
Catching me staring, Spencer splashed some water toward me. “You like the show now, don’t you, Bunny?”
I let out a dramatic groan. “You’re ridiculous.”
My denial was enough to spur her on. Running through the water, she closed the distance between us and grabbed me. She lightly wrestled me in the water, showing me just how easily she could toss me around if she wanted to.
Leo swam across the pool and put two hands on Spencer’s shoulders, pushing down as hard as she could until her best friend was under the water.
“Don’t worry, Princess. Your knight in shining armor is here.” She patted her back and lowered herself about a foot as Spencer recovered from being dunked.
I squealed as an excited — almost hungry — Spencer rose from the water and slicked her hair back. A fight was brewing and I was right at the center. I decided to take my escape route, hopping on Leo’s back and wrapped my ankles around her waist.
My two captors squared up to each other, lifting playful fists in the air and covering their faces as they bopped around in the water.
“How dare you try to steal my maiden, you beast!” Leo was getting into character now.
And from the look on her face, Spencer was just as excited to play a monster.
The two launched on each other, my body caught in the crosshairs of their sparring. I could feel my grip on Leo’s waist slipping as water splashed up into the creases of my skin. Slowly, I was slipping off her back.
Until Spencer paused to catch her breath. “Good knight, why don’t we just share the maiden?”
A devious grin took over Leo’s face, one I could see from behind her head.
“Now, that is a good solution.”
Before I could even process being betrayed, Leo grabbed my thighs and swung me around to her front.
“Sorry, Princess. Compromise is necessary in any conflict.” With a wink, Leo leaned forward and dunked me into the water.
The world went quiet for a moment as I went under, only my thoughts to keep me company down here. After a brief second, Leo lifted me out of the water and dragged me toward the wall of the pool. Her strong arms held me in place as I tried to thrash away.
But she was far too strong, there was no escaping her now.
Once my back was pressed into the cold stone walls of the pool, Spencer lined up next to Leo. Her chest heaved with excitement, an eager grin taking over her entire face.
“Time for an interrogation of our prisoner.” Spencer laughed as she brought her lips to my ear, letting them graze my flesh. “Since you’ve had us both now, why don’t you tell us who’s the better kisser?”
Scoffing in her face, I shook my head.
When I didn’t answer, Leo leaned forward. Her musk carried over the water, a smokey sandalwood cologne filling my nose. “She might need a bigger sample size.”