11
Alarie
Luke and I decided to cut our trip short and head back to the High Court with Rhett and James the following morning. Luke felt that he had fulfilled enough of his familial obligations for one trip. For my part, I would be sad not to have the extra days at the beach, but there was no denying that this situation with Rhett had put a damper on any relaxation I’d hoped to have that week.
We dropped James off first upon reaching the High Court. The silence in the carriage wasn’t uncomfortable, but it was out of the ordinary for us. When we arrived at House Rein, Luke popped out of the carriage first.
“I’ll carry your stuff up for you,” he offered, already grabbing my bag and walking toward the front door. Out of habit, we stopped in Rhett’s parlor, which was on the way to my wing of the manor. My quarters were a floor above his and farther down.
“There’s a way to test it out, you know, Al,” Luke said hesitantly, like he was still trying to decide whether it was wise to speak up.
Rhett handed me a glass of sparkling water, which I gratefully took. I was thirsty after our carriage ride.
“Test what, Luke?” I asked, taking a sip.
“Whether you’re Rhett’s”—his lips thinned into a straight line—“mate.”
I looked at Rhett to see if he knew what Luke was talking about. Rhett’s expression told me he wasn’t sure what Luke was suggesting.
“You need to have sex with me and Rhett,” Luke said matter-of-factly.
My eyebrows shot to the top of my head, and I choked on the carbonated water I had been in the process of swallowing.
Rhett gave Luke a sly smirk at the same time he firmly patted me on the back a couple of times, helping me dislodge the water from my lungs. But Luke didn’t break out into laughter. And Rhett looked like he was considering it.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” I asked.
Luke gave me an upward jerk of his head.
“And how would that help?” I asked. I thought about taking another sip of my water, but then decided it was best to set the glass aside until this conversation was over.
“You mean other than the obvious?” Rhett asked, wagging his eyebrows at me.
But Luke’s weighty look tempered our friend’s endless flirting.
“If you’re…” Luke gritted his teeth, like it hurt him to say it. “Rhett’s mate, then he’ll be able to confirm it with that kind of… ahem, closeness.”
“He’s right, Al,” Rhett chimed in.
“Not everyone can tell their mate just by having sex with them. But that’s part of my magic. If you let my magic”—He paused, quirking his brow at me—“roam over you while you are having sex, I will be able to feel if something in you answers me.”
“Then why don’t I have sex with just Rhett, then?” I asked incredulously. “Why both of you?”
I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation with my two best friends.
“Well, Al, first of all, both of us mean twice the fun,” Rhett said cheerily.
Even glares from Luke couldn’t make Rhett behave, not when we were discussing something that was so quintessentially Rhett.
Rhett’s teasing set off an involuntary pulsating, throbbing between my legs, which almost overcame my need to hear if there was a second reason for why I should go through with this.
“And also, I would be there to shield you if you get overwhelmed and feel that you need it,” Luke added more practically.
“What about James, Rhett?” I asked.
“Well, I think I can say with confidence that James would not begrudge me a kiss if it comes down to finding out who my mate is,” he answered.
“Just a kiss?” I questioned. “I thought you just said sex?”
“Well, let me clarify. For my part, I will only need a kiss. My dear friend Luke here, he can do the other work”—his eyebrows rose—“that will open you up for my magic.”
I rolled my lower lip between my teeth. Luke was already positioning himself behind me. I felt his hard length press against my ass. Then he grabbed my face, turning it up to him. He slid his tongue deep into my mouth. My resolve weakened as I melted into our kiss, and the effect of our kiss moved directly to between my thighs.
Then Luke broke away from our kiss and turned my head toward Rhett, who was now standing directly in front of me. Luke offered Rhett my mouth. Rhett’s eyes were on my lips with a hunger that he had never looked at me with before.
“Worst case, Al, we have a lot of fun,” Rhett teased, but the look of desire on his face was no joke.
I’d be lying if I said I had not thought about it before. I dared anyone to spend any amount of time with the boys and not think about it often and fondly.
“But what if I’m not that?” I asked.
Mate. I couldn’t say it. It still seemed absurd that we were having this conversation.
“Won’t I just fall under your spell and turn into a pile of smiles and giggles?” I said.
“No, we can be careful and make sure that doesn’t happen,” Luke answered.
They’d disposed of nearly all my concerns.
“If I open myself to your magic, Rhett, will that mean that you imprint on me? Or that we are bonded?”
I didn’t know much about the magical relationships that could develop between fae. But I knew enough to know that there was significance to willingly subjecting yourself to another person’s magic.
“No, Al. I will make sure to keep a rein on my power. I’m not trying to make my mark on you with my magic. I’m just trying to feel you out. Think of it like the difference between a kiss and a bite. I’m just going to kiss you with my magic,” he said, reaching for my hand and lightly grazing his lips over my skin. “No teeth,” he assured me, looking up at me through his eyebrows. “Unless you ask me to, of course,” Rhett said mischievously.
Luke lowered his mouth to my ear. “I’ll be here to protect you, Al. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
And as soon as Luke said it, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Except getting naked in front of my two best friends, who happened to be two of the most attractive guys I had ever met. Rhett stepped in closer to me with an irresistible glint in his eyes. Luke’s hand was still on my face, waiting for his offer to be accepted.
I took a deep breath in through my nose, allowing the air to fill my lungs as my eyes roved over Rhett and, for the first time ever, I allowed myself to take in his perfect looks and his sexy charm and want him. I nodded at Rhett, beckoning him to join us.
Rhett took my face from Luke, delicately wrapping his hand underneath my hair and around the back of my neck as he lowered his soft lips to mine. His kiss was gentle, and his tongue explored my mouth with the same finesse. He pulled away from our kiss, lightly taking my bottom lip between his teeth.
“A kiss…or two. And maybe a little teeth,” Rhett teased.
I suddenly wondered what I had gotten myself into. Luke turned my head back to him. His kiss was rougher, which was the perfect contrast to Rhett’s soft kiss. They had done this before, I realized. They worked with each other with a practiced ease that made it clear they had shared women before.
Luke slipped the straps of my dress off my shoulders, causing my dress to pool at my feet. Rhett immediately followed Luke’s move, reaching behind my back and planting a kiss on the side of my neck as he unsnapped my bra and allowed it to fall to the floor. At the same time, Luke hooked a finger under the side of my thong, pulling it to the ground. I stepped out of my panties and stood starkly naked before my two best friends.
Mustering up more confidence than I felt, I joked, “It seems I’m outnumbered here. You guys are going to have to help me get your clothes off.”
Luke chuckled, and Rhett joined in.
“Actually, Al, for what I have in mind, Rhett and I don’t need to take off any of our clothes.”
“Well, that seems kind of unfair,” I retorted, still very naked.
Without discussing it, Rhett and Luke moved to change positions. Luke moved to the front of my body, kissing me and lightly rolling my nipple between his fingertips. Any further protests disappeared from my lips. Rhett lined up behind me, and I leaned into the weight of his tall frame for support.
Luke lowered to his knees, causing a catch in my breath. He picked up one of my legs, kissing his way up the inside of my thigh. He wrapped my leg around his shoulders so that he could bury his face against me. Rhett turned my face back to him and kissed me once more deeply as Luke ran his tongue down the center of me. I opened my mouth, and Rhett swallowed my moans.
“Open yourself to us, Al baby. Let my magic in,” Rhett whispered.
I relaxed further into his embrace.
Luke lifted my other leg off the ground, supporting my weight with my legs wrapped around his face. Rhett wrapped his hands around my breasts, and he fed at my mouth, while Luke fed on me as well.
I squeezed my eyes closed and allowed their efforts to consume me. My body was humming with pleasure from head to toe. And then I saw it in my mind. It was like a glowing golden string. Was it Rhett’s magic? Was the sex so good that I was hallucinating? Near the middle of the string, there was a part that looked thin and fraying. I was drawn to it.
Was I supposed to touch it to allow Rhett’s magic to enter me? If I managed to fix it, did that mean I was his mate?
In my mind’s eye, I reached out a hand and hesitantly touched the golden thread. The frayed ends connected with a sharp snap, and I felt a jolt of adrenaline surge through my body.
“You going to come for us?” Luke purred, bringing my consciousness back to the edge of the pleasure I neared.
I panted heavy breaths into Rhett’s mouth in reply. Luke swirled his tongue around my opening before darting inside of me, then rolling up to the top of me. I arched my back, pushing myself toward Luke, who buried himself deeper into me. Rhett slid his tongue into my mouth in the same rhythm that Luke worked. I rocked my hips into the embrace of each pass of Luke’s tongue. The swelling built up inside of me and I held my breath in anticipation.
I moved my hands on top of Rhett’s, encouraging him to squeeze my breasts harder, as Luke’s tongue moved to the top of me again. I dug a hand into Luke’s hair, riding his face, then I shattered over the incessant flicking of his tongue. Rhett pinched my nipples, rolling them between his fingers as my orgasm dragged on.
Luke rose from his knees, handing me my clothes as he did so. Legs still weak from my release, I slid on my panties and then threw on my dress, deciding not to go through the trouble with my bra.
“Now I see why you guys were holed up in Luke’s bedroom all weekend. That was—” Rhett tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, as if just realizing something. Luke and I both looked at Rhett expectantly, waiting for him to finish his sentence.
“That was fun. But…” Rhett said, taking a step away from me. “That’s it, guys. Just fun. My search for my mate, at least, continues.”
Luke swooped me into his arms, his laughter warm against my neck. I didn’t even have time to feel relieved or say anything at all to Rhett. Luke was already heading straight to my room with a determined glint in his sky-blue eyes that told me I would not be leaving my bedroom for the rest of the day.