Chapter 2
A Tactical Liaison
Harper
Nico’s gaze leaves me and goes to each of the horsemen. “So what? You’re going to take turns with her?”
I grow hot all over, mostly from embarrassment, but partly because the thought turns me on.
“Eventually.” Luke spreads his arms over the back of the couch and crosses his foot over his knee. His cool gaze locks on me, making me want to squirm. “But as we take her firsts, we all want to be there. So far, we’ve kissed her all over.”
Heat flows through me at the reminder of his tongue against my clit. Hot, firm, and so fucking wicked.
“And touched her all over.”
My core aches and tightens.
“She hasn’t made it past second base with us. Yet.”
My gaze flies to Luke’s. His earlier comment to Eli about not damaging my mouth rings through my head. My gaze drops to his erection and I clench my thighs together.
“Though last night when we all shared an orgasm over webcam, she gave us an idea of what else she could do with that mouth.”
I don’t think I can get any redder, any more turned on, or any smaller.
Luke’s heated gaze slides over me, reminding me of what he can do to me with just a touch. Fuck, I wish I didn’t want him. I wish I didn’t want them all. It would be a hell of a lot easier to resist.
He smiles at me before turning to Nico. “So our question is what do you want to do?”
Nico straightens and his gaze flicks to me before he meets Luke’s. “Harper has been mine since kindergarten.”
His words send sparks flooding through my veins and make my heart feel lighter. Kenz was right. He wants me. What the fuck does that mean?
“You may have claimed her in my absence, but I came back for her. You guys are a bonus, but I could have stayed in New York for my senior year. I planned to come back and claim my best friend.”
Luke nods thoughtfully. “Harper?”
I whip my gaze to Luke’s. His eyes are narrowed on me with a fire threatening to burn me whole.
“Do you acknowledge this claim?”
The rest of the horsemen lean forward. I’m not sure what will happen if I tell the truth. But I know for any of this to work, I have to be honest. I don’t look at anyone but Luke.
“If Nico hadn’t left, would I have a boyfriend? Probably. Would he have stood up for me in that cafeteria? Maybe.”
“Yes.” Nico straightens and his dark eyes hold mine. “Not probably. Not maybe. Yes, Harper, if I hadn’t left, I would have been more than your best friend. I had a crush on you, but knew I was moving and didn’t act on it.”
My heart throbs, but the problem is I’m no longer free to choose. Whether I made my choice or was forced to make a choice, it’s still mine. They’re mine, but for how long? And when they decide to leave me, will Nico still want me? After they’re done with me?
I blow out a breath. He may have wanted more, but he never actually offered it.
“He was my best friend, but I haven’t spoken to him since he left,” I admit. He may have claimed me when we were children, but he didn’t keep in touch. So it doesn’t matter now.
“Harper is ours.” Luke relaxes into the couch and looks between the two of us. “We’ve made our claim and she’ll be ours all year, no matter how she tries to back out of it.”
My cheeks are on fire. Besides the fake grounding and suggesting they get with the Cheermonsters and asking for a boyfriend… Well, shit, I have been actively trying to get out of this. Just nothing works.
When they put their hands on me, my mind shuts down and the horny bitch in me starts panting for more. I want them to want me.
“Do you acknowledge that, Harper?” Luke doesn’t call me princess.
It may not have been what I wanted, but I want them now. Will I still fight? Probably. But I also accept their ownership over me and enjoy the benefits. “Yes.”
Nico’s gaze is on me, but what can I do? I don’t want to fear punishment my whole senior year. As overwhelming as their attention is, I crave it. And I much prefer the kisses and the touches to being a social pariah.
“You have a choice to make, Nico.” Luke leans forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped.
Nico straightens.
“You can remain a member of the horsemen and enjoy all the benefits that come with it.” Luke’s gaze flicks to me, so no one can mistake I’m a benefit. “Or you can become our enemy, which means Harper isn’t anything to you. Not your friend. Not even your crush.”
My heart falls into my stomach. I don’t want to give up Nico as a friend. I’d love to explore our connection to see what more there could be. But I don’t really have a choice, he does. This may be too much for him. I haven’t known him for years. I don’t know who he is now.
But if he came back for me, this is the only way he can have me.
“If you’re with us, then you play by our rules. Harper has limits. Until we push the limits as a group, you stay within those limits. No one goes beyond what has been shared by the group. When we play our games, you respect everyone’s turn.”
Caden scoffs. “Even if the fucking bottle plays favorites.”
I almost laugh at his pout. The bottle didn’t like him last night. I give Caden a smile, and his green eyes light up, sending a burst of heat through my insides.
“We take care of what’s ours. When she steps out of line, we punish her,” Luke continues.
I squirm in my seat.
“Her virginity is still intact. When we take it, we take it together and only when she begs for it.”
Yeah, probably not going to happen. We can all come without anyone penetrating my body. Though their fingers thrusting inside me feels really good.
Luke’s blue eyes capture mine. “She was untouched when we found her and she has yet to do more than kiss us, grind on us, and kiss our chests.”
“Which she only got to do to you,” Eli complains. While the bottle liked Eli, the coin didn’t last night.
“I don’t control the bottle or the coin.” Luke smirks. “Or I would have been the first to kiss her breasts.”
Heat engulfs me as I think about the first he took this morning. His tongue on my clit and his finger inside me. I’m going to need a fan just thinking about how amazing it felt when I finally let go. They must have all agreed to what they would do to me in that closet for it to work so effectively.
“We also have a webcam set up in the evenings when Harper is away from us.” Luke’s gaze gentles. “She likes to watch us sleep, amongst other things.”
If human combustion were a thing, I’d be ash. I can’t even look at Nico. What he must think of me. Why would he want any part of me when I’m just the horsemen’s whore?
“Are you in or are you out?” Luke raises an eyebrow at Nico. It feels like bargaining with Death himself.
Nico rubs his hands together and gives me a searching look. “Can I talk to Harper alone for a few minutes?”
“You may, but remember Harper has limits. If you’re even considering not being a horseman, don’t touch what’s ours. We won’t stand for disobedience.” Luke gestures to Caden.
Caden comes over to me and offers me his hand. When I slip mine into his, he helps me to my feet. He nods to Nico, who follows us. We leave Caden’s bedroom and cross the hall. There’s a small study with leather chairs and leather-bound books lining floor-to-ceiling shelves.
“You have five minutes.” Caden kisses me gently. “Behave, little nympho.”
I’m pretty sure if Nico crosses any lines, I’ll be the one punished. When Caden closes the door, I sink down in a chair and put my feet up under me. I watch Nico curiously. He’s attractive, and I definitely feel sparks with him. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if he wanted to join in.
He sits on the edge of the chair next to mine and stares at me for a few seconds. “Do you want any of this, Harper?”
I hold my breath for a moment, trying to figure out how to make him understand.
“Honestly at first, no. I thought I could find someone to pretend to date me, but not in five minutes.” Releasing my breath, I bite my lip before confessing, “I’m not saving myself for anything in particular.
I just never found someone I liked. It’s really hard to get to know someone when you’re always hiding. ”
“And you like them?” His question sounds a little bitter.
It’s so hard to explain what I feel for them now.
I meet his dark eyes. “I won’t lie to you.
At first they scared me, not because of potential sex, but what they could do as punishment.
That first day, they paraded me into the cafeteria and had me on a table over Luke’s lap with my skirt up.
The whole cafeteria counted along with Luke’s spanks.
That was mediocre compared to what they can do. ”
“What have they done?”
“Sophomore year, they had a project like me, but she fought against them. It got so bad she transferred schools. Guys get beat up. They made a guy take his underwear off and put it in his mouth before covering his mouth with duct tape.” I meet his gaze and hold it, trying to make him understand. “You don’t want them as an enemy.”
Nodding, Nico settles into his seat. “What about me?”
My heart thumps and my insides feel crazy. “What about you?”
“Do you want me to join them or fight them?” His gaze drops to my lips, and I throb between my thighs. It’s like the horsemen awakened something inside me and it likes what it sees in Nico.
“I don’t want to see you hurt,” I admit. “And if you fight them, they will hurt you.”
“But do you want me to take part in this?” Nico stands and lifts me off the chair.
I squeal and grab his arms, but he settles into my seat and puts me on his lap, facing him. I swallow as I straddle his legs. The guys didn’t really approve him touching me. I glance toward the door nervously.
“Do you want me, sunshine?” His hands come up and cup my face. He searches my eyes.
Sparks race through my veins along with a throb in my heart. How different my life might be right now if he stayed. I would have lost my virginity already. For sure.
“Yes,” I whisper, afraid if I say it too loud, he’ll pull away.
He brushes his lips gently against mine. Tingles dance where he touches. “If I stay, will you give me all of you?”
“I—” I hesitate. I can’t commit to just him. That isn’t an option anymore. I don’t know if I’d want to. I’m not ready to give up Jack, Eli, Caden, or even Luke.
He breathes out against my lips and smiles. “As much as the others. Will you let me share you?”
“Yes, but it’s for the entire year. You can’t touch or fuck another girl. You have to be all mine.” These terms are nonnegotiable. Especially given the other clause. “The others are getting tested, because…”
Heat engulfs me. This is more embarrassing than anything else and so against everything I’ve learned.
“Because?”
“They want to have sex without condoms. I’m on birth control and have been for a while. And since they know I’m clean, they want to…” I can’t say it.
He captures my lips. My heart races as I open beneath him. He tastes of beer and mint and something uniquely Nico. His kiss is gentle and respectful, so unlike the others. Is he holding back?
It’s a sweet kiss and makes my insides soften. But I miss that edge the other guys have. That element of fear that they’ll push too far. Want too much. That they’ll make me want to give in.
He pulls away and searches my eyes. “I’m not a virgin, but I got tested before we moved. I can’t promise I won’t want to protect you from them. But I’ll do what I can without breaking any rules.”
“You aren’t going to leave?” I push my fingers through his thick black hair.
“No. I’m here to stay. For you.”