Kayla
Two days had passed since the four of us had hooked up, and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it for a minute since. Taylor. Dominic. Logan. The men invaded even my dreams. And like a true chicken, I’d avoided them. Avoidance hadn’t been easy, since Dom and Taylor were still working on the house, but with their focus on the living room, far from the kitchen and my upstairs bedroom, I’d been able to avoid them almost entirely. Apparently Logan had some big commercial development deal he was finishing up, so avoiding him was easier. Still, I was a chicken, for sure. A lonely chicken who missed her roosters and didn’t know what to do about it.
When it became clear I wasn’t going to talk to Dom or Taylor when they showed up to work, both had taken to calling or texting me to see how I was doing. Logan did, too, but I couldn’t answer any of them. It wasn’t because I had no idea what was supposed to happen next or that I was scared shitless that things were going to take a kinky turn into something I couldn’t control or wasn’t ready for.
It was because I absolutely loved being with them.
There was nothing scarier than that. I finally understood what I thought I’d accepted all along—that while we’d probably all be together again, what we had was temporary. Which was supposed to be fine with me, so I couldn’t figure out what the heck was going on in my head to make the temporary part of this massive hook-up no longer okay.
As soon as the house was fixed up enough to sell for a decent asking price, we’d all be going our separate ways, and that idea made me want to burst into tears. Some warrior woman I was turning out to be.
I’d spent the day rearranging furniture and cleaning the loft, taking care to avoid the nest with the baby birds who were making a racket—as much care as I took to avoid Dom and Taylor. Later in the afternoon, I’d heard the sounds of them packing up for the day, and dashed into the bathroom for a quick shower.
With the grime washed off me, I wandered into my bedroom and slung on a pair of jeans and an old T-shirt, my new outfit of choice. Even after the shower, though, my nerves were still jangled. Maybe I could bake a pie to calm myself. The day before I’d found a great farmer’s market in Fosterman and had bought a bunch of mixed berries. Berry pie with vanilla ice cream sounded great right about now.
I’d just stepped out of my bedroom to head downstairs when I heard a creak on the bottom step. Oh, god—they hadn’t left!
“Hey.” A deep voice suddenly called back from below—Dominic. I froze as his voice continued up the stairwell. “You might as well come down, Kayla, my sweet. You can’t avoid us much longer, gorgeous. You’re going to talk to me, one way or another.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, the dominance in his tone making me shiver, and then I somehow plucked up the courage to head downstairs. As I descended the steps, I could see all the improvements they’d achieved today. Hanging from the middle of the living room ceiling was a sparkling new chandelier, the crown molding had been put up, and wow…this place was really coming alive.
It all made my heart ache that much more, knowing our time together was ticking away. Maybe I could punch a hole in the ceiling or accidentally-on-purpose pull a few cabinet doors off their hinges to keep my men coming back?
I finally made my way to the first floor, arms wrapped around myself. Dominic waited in the hallway. He stood there, hands braced on his hips, like he was ready to do battle. His grimace told me I needed to be wearing body armor rather than a faded T-shirt and pair of skinny jeans, but shit, even forged steel wouldn’t protect me from his fiery gaze.
“Are you okay?” he asked with more calm than his expression belied.
“Yeah, sure, fine. How are you?” I smiled sheepishly.
“Cut it out, Kayla. We know you’re not okay. You’ve been avoiding us for two days.”
“I just needed space, Dominic. It was overwhelming for me, you know.”
He watched me a moment, then sighed. “Look, we know. That’s why we haven’t pressured you, but you’re also ignoring our calls, and…” He dropped his hands off his hips, letting them dangle. “If what we did was too much and you want to cancel our renovation arrangement, just tell us.”
“Oh, God, no!” I suddenly wanted to cry. The thought of not having Dom, Taylor, and Logan killed me. “No, that’s not it at all. I loved what we did together. I want more…of you…of all of you. But I’m scared I enjoyed it too much.”
“You did?” His eyebrows took on a lighter, less menacing look. “You do?”
“Yes. I’m scared that when it’s time for us to say goodbye, I won’t be able to do it. Or I’ll make a fool of myself and throw myself at your feet and cling to you or something. All of you.” My laugh was shaky, at best. “God, I’d be three guys’ worst nightmare at that point.”
“Hey,” Dominic said softly, moving to me. He held out his arms, and I leaned into him. As he pulled me close, I closed my eyes and inhaled that intoxicating scent that was so specifically him. “We all enjoyed what we did. To hear that you’re not regretting it is music to my ears. You’re anything but a nightmare for us, Kayla, and we’re all afraid of being hurt. Of that day when we need to walk away and don’t want to. Hell, with my history, it probably scares me most of all…”
I backed out of his hold, not to get away from the emotions surrounding the two of us but to better see his face. “I know I’m scared to death of getting hurt and I wasn’t even engaged, like you. What happened with your fiancée?” I asked.
He sighed heavily and the strength seemed to ebb from his bones. He sat heavily on the bottom step, motioning for me to join him. “She met someone else. Simple as that. I was hurt, of course. She claimed to love me. How could she throw away a good thing after all the years we’d spent together? But now I know it wasn’t easy for her. She did love me. She just loved someone else more.”
I reached out and squeezed his arm. “What about Laura Fontaine?”
He side-glanced me. “How do you know about Laura?”
“She was the first real estate agent I spoke to, the one Taylor recommended. I guessed you didn’t know he did that.”
He shrugged. “Nope.”
“So, what happened? I mean, I already figured out that you guys shared a relationship with her.”
“Yeah, it started out good. She was Taylor’s girlfriend at first, but then she met me and…well, things progressed. Logan joined us a few times but the way Laura acted… I believed that she and Taylor were in a relationship, but that she and I were too. That it was more than just sex. That we were a committed unit. Only it turned out I was more like Logan than I thought. We were extras, there for her to get off and to use to get her end goal—Taylor.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured.
He hitched a breath, then blew it out sharply. “Thanks. Anyway, after that, I never shared a woman with anyone again. And the women I did date—I didn’t actually date. I fucked them. No emotions involved. Until Ada. She chose someone else over me, too. So I thought that was it. Twice burned and all that. It would only be physical relationships for me from that moment on.”
“And then I came along.” I raised an eyebrow.
“You’re nothing like them, Kayla. Even so, I know now, they aren’t bad women. Ada especially. She didn’t cheat on me. She fell in love with someone else, and she told me before anything happened between them. As for Laura, well, I don’t know how she is nowadays. I don’t talk to her.”
“I get the sense she grew up. She’s married, and has a baby. And, well, she asked about you when I spoke to her,” I offered. I wasn’t going to at first, but now that I saw how Dom thought Laura didn’t care, maybe it was better if I passed along the message.
“She did, huh?” he said, unimpressed.
“Yes. She asked how you were doing and seemed truly sorry. For whatever that’s worth, I thought you should know.”
He thought about that, nodded a little, like it sat well with him. Hopefully, I’d helped heal an old wound a little bit. I know it sure would help me if someone were to tell me that Grant seemed remorseful over losing me. Wouldn’t make a scrap of a difference but it would definitely be nice.
Dom sighed and stretched. “When we met you, things changed. You were different. You care about people, Kayla. So we can’t help it if we care about you too and want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” I said softly. “I’m just scared of how I’ll feel when it comes time to say goodbye.”
“There’s nothing we can do about that,” Dom said, taking my hand. “Why don’t we enjoy the time we’re given like it’s a gift and not worry about things we can’t control?”
I leaned into his solid shoulder, and he put his arm around me to make me even comfier. There was nowhere else I’d rather be—this felt so good simply being here in his arms.
Dominic tenderly nuzzled his nose into my hair, and my stomach flipped. I’d been hot and bothered since that encounter a few days before so maybe I was just running a little overheated anyway, but the sweet way he touched me got me going again. I looked up at him, and without a pause, he leaned down to kiss me softly.
I wasn’t sure whether it was meant to be a comforting gesture or a come-on, but I instantly warmed up to him. My body had been craving him all this time without me even realizing it. His hand came to rest on the small of my back as our tongues met. I noticed that he had the lightest smattering of stubble on his chin, as though he hadn’t shaved for a couple of days. I wondered if this was because he’d been worrying about me—about us. All of us.
“Follow me.” He grabbed my hand and drew me up to standing. I followed him up the stairs, a grin playing on the corner of my lips, as he headed to the bedroom.
As soon as we were through the door, he scooped me up in his arms. I loved the way he made me feel when he did that—as if I were so delicate and dainty. He kissed me and carried me over to the bed, his mouth sweet and lingering against mine.
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” he purred in my ear.
I grinned and squirmed lightly in his grasp. “That makes two of us.”
He laid me down on the sheets then leaned down and kissed my neck, his mouth warm and sensual against my skin. I closed my eyes and shuddered slightly. I’d had sex with all three of them on this bed so recently, but being alone with Dominic felt new and thrilling. He could do whatever he wanted to me, because I felt like I was his. Owned. Taken. His.
He ran his hands over me slowly, taking his sweet time, stripping me down like he was unwrapping the best gift he’d ever had. Slowly inching down my jeans, he planted a series of kisses following the path the fabric had uncovered, then took my socks and tossed them aside. He pulled off my shirt and deftly unhooked my bra with one hand.
His slow moves had me going crazy for him.
“Mmm, you look so good,” he groaned once he’d stripped me bare. As he reached out to brush a strand of hair away from my face, he leaned in to kiss me once more, pulling me onto his lap and dipping me back in what was close to a swoon, as though he couldn’t resist me any longer. “You smell good, too. Like raspberries.”
“You’re still a little overdressed.” I giggled, running my nose softly over his neck. There was something about the soft glow of the mid-afternoon light that made this feel so romantic, as though the two of us were being shot in soft focus. And because it was just the two of us, I took my time inhaling the scent of his skin and hair, tasting his lips.
“I would agree.” He grinned, and I nervously peeled up the bottom of his shirt and exposed him. Defined abs and pecs, strong arms, thick neck, all so damn excellent. I leaned down to kiss the spot right above his jeans and he let out a sigh of pleasure.
“You look so good, I can’t wait,” I told him, and got to work stripping him. In moments, and with a lot of help from Dom, I had him stripped of his pants, underwear, and socks. I left his shirt on because he was so sexy in it. With him now leaning back on his elbows on the bed, I took his thick cock into my hand. I hadn’t fully seen it until now, since I’d been flipped over the other day, but now having it all to myself, I stroked it while marveling at its size. Big, but not too big. Thick, but not too thick. And oh so stiff and hard.
I bit my lip and looked up at him. The way he was staring at me right then sent a surge of desire through my body. “Dominic, I need to feel you inside me again,” I groaned, reaching to the bedside table for the condoms. I pulled one out and he took it from me, opening it and quickly sheathing himself.
“Feeling’s mutual,” he replied as I kneeled above him. He wrapped an arm around my waist, kissing me again. His kisses were sweet but hungry, reminding me of everything that the two of us had shared already. I loved how his mouth felt, his lips soft and pliant contrasting with the slight roughness of his stubble against my face. I reached down to hold him there, fisting one hand in his hair while the other came to rest on his cheek. And then, feeling his cock pressing up against me, I reached down, took him into my hand, and guided him inside of me.
“Oh, fuck,” I groaned as I moved down on top of him. How lucky was I that every single one of these guys had the most perfect cocks in the world? I had slept with enough guys in the past to know the difference, and the three of them were perfect. It was as though each of them had been built for me, to satisfy a different mood—Taylor when I wanted a quick romp, Dominic when I wanted to slow things down, and Logan when I wanted to feel dominated.
Dominic flexed his hips up and pushed into me, burying himself deep. He let his hands come to rest on my waist so he could guide me up and down on top of him. I rolled my hips, looking deep into his dark eyes, forgetting that there was anything else in the world but this moment and how unbelievably good he felt inside of me. He shifted his weight, coming up on one hand so he could get close enough to draw my nipple into his mouth. With soft flicks of his tongue against it lightly, he made my nipple pebble. I squirmed with delight. I moved slowly, holding on to him, eyes closed even though the light was filtering through my lids.
I wasn’t sure how long we were like that, the two of us grinding against each other, but I felt as though time had dropped away completely. Eventually, he took my hand and pressed a kiss against my open palm, drawing two of my fingers between his lips and running his tongue across them. His eyes were closed. He was too focused on the way we felt together. And then, he drew my fingers from his mouth and moved them down between my legs.
“Make yourself come,” he whispered into my ear.
I moved my fingers against my clit, pushing down onto him to match the pace, as he thrust up into me. “Ah,” I gasped, my mouth dropping open. Pleasure grew inside of me, swelling, building, threatening to take me over. When I opened my eyes and looked at him, that’s when it happened—the orgasm swept over me, radiating throughout my body, overcoming me.
He covered my lips with a kiss before I could make a sound.
Something about the gentleness of his kiss matched with the roughness of his cock pushed deep into me was more than I could take, and I crumpled against him, holding him tight and close. I wanted to cry and I didn’t know why. As my rapid breaths died down, he moved hard into me once more. My pussy still clenched tightly around his cock, the pleasure flooding out to own me, and soon enough I felt him edging near the end, too. With a grunt, he came, holding himself still within me.
We were so intently wrapped around each other that it took us a good long moment to unwind when we came apart. I kissed him once more, noticing that the filtered evening light picked him out so beautifully that it almost hurt. Jesus, he was one of the sexiest men I’d ever laid eyes on in my life. And he wanted me. All of me.
“That was amazing, Kayla.” Dom ran his hands over my bare back, making my skin prickle.
“It really was,” I sighed. “I didn’t know you could be so…”
“Yeah, me neither,” he admitted with a grin. He kissed me again, and for a moment I was totally up for round two, but Dom had other ideas.
Lying alongside me, head back on the pillow, he closed his eyes and caressed my arm with his hand. “You said you have an interview soon, right?”
“Yes, tomorrow.” I sighed. I’d have to pick out something to wear, and make the long drive to the East Bay. “I’d be writing for a food magazine in the Bay Area.”
“Is that what you want to do?”
“Not anymore.” I closed my eyes and focused on his breathing, his words, the warmth of his hand.
“What would you be doing if you could do anything you wanted?” he asked. “Dream a little.”
“Man…” I’d never been able to do whatever I wanted. That had never been in the cards. As my mind drifted off and my body relaxed, I felt dreamy as my thoughts wandered. “Open a bakery,” I said. “Maybe even a small bakery, working here in this house making custom orders. Though that would be impossible with the oven downstairs, I suppose. But I could bake all day and see you guys all the time. I can’t think of anything better, really. But maybe that’s silly. I bake for fun—I’m not a trained pastry chef, this house has an abysmal oven, and I’m gonna have to sell it anyway.” I shrugged. “But you said to dream a little, so there it is.”
I felt the shudder of a chuckle go through him. “Nah, you wouldn’t be perfect for that. It’s not like you know how to bake or anything.”
“Ha.”
“One thing I know from being a professional is that training is one thing, but being able to do something with skill is quite another. You have that skill, that finesse. I’m not sure you’d need the training.”
An interesting point.
“What else do you dream of?” Dom’s voice was a whisper, and I wasn’t sure if he was falling asleep, the way I was.
I started to drift off, imagining what else I dreamed of. “Living in this beautiful house,” I murmured, falling away, falling asleep. “Being with you, Taylor…Logan.”
All was quiet.
“Being a family,” I added. “Taking care of one another.”
The last thing I remembered was his kiss in my hair.