Sated (11 page)

Thunderous exhaust reverberated off the surrounding buildings as Hunter fired his bike to life and Killian did the same. Lyric waited until the pair pulled away from the curb. He sprang, closing the distance between them and covering Arbor’s mouth with his. Ambrosia coated his tongue. The throbbing of his cock had nothing on the pounding in his chest. He ate at her mouth, biting her lips and sucking on her tongue. There was no telling how far it would’ve gone if a solid weight didn’t slam into his spine. Arbor burst into laughter. The musical sound caressed his ears.

“I’m so sorry,” she choked out between giggles. He massaged the spot where she’d hit him with the helmet. “I forgot I was holding it,” she said, explaining the assault. Taking it from her hands, Lyric slipped it over her head, adjusting the strap until it was perfect. The smile tugging at his lips was beyond his control.

“It was worth it. I’ve been waiting a million minutes to taste you again.”

“That long, huh?”

Lyric nodded, doing his best to hang onto his solemn expression. “I know. I counted.”

The Harley was sweet as hell. It was obvious from its turbine wheels and custom paint that Lyric had money. Of course, considering the huge number of screaming fans inside Club Exile, Arbor wasn’t surprised. Her mind shied away from the memory. Embracing those thoughts would mean thinking about how the place wasn’t there. For now, she was all about living in the present and, at the moment, she had Lyric’s delicious body cradled in between her thighs.

Moss hung from the trees on both sides of the road, making Arbor feel like they were riding through a dark tunnel. The trees flew by. She had no idea how fast they were going, but her heart raced as he hugged the corners. She wanted to throw her head back and laugh. Arbor couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Meeting Killian and Lyric had caused a shift in her life.

Flattening her palms against Lyric’s stomach, she did her best not to distract him. The temptation to follow the hard lines of his abdomen downward, until she held what she really wanted, was almost too much. There was no way he was missing her hardened nipples cutting into his back. Only the helmet’s face guard kept her from pressing her lips to his spine and inhaling his warm scent. When she thought she couldn’t take the torment a second longer, Lyric hit the blinker and slowed. A left turn took them off the beaten path. She could see the orange glow of a roaring bonfire peeking through the trees. Killian’s and Hunter’s bikes came into view before she spotted the group. Killian stood apart from the others. With his distressed jeans, leather jacket, and windblown hair, he was easily one of the sexiest men she’d ever seen. Hands in pockets and feet braced, it was obvious he’d been waiting for their arrival. The way he lit up as Arbor climbed from the back and pulled off the helmet came from the inside. She did that. It was amazing. In their presence, she was powerful.

Echo didn’t give her time to enjoy it. Snagging her arms the second her feet hit the ground, the woman dragged her in the direction of the fire.

“Come on. I want to play.”

Arbor shot the men a pleading look. They were both smiling unapologetically as they fell in step behind her.

“Have fun, Arbor,” Killian said, encouraging her. She was, but she still mouthed “help me” when Echo began braiding her hair. Hunter handed her a paper cup. The smell of alcohol hit her before she had time to close her fingers around the drink. With a smile of thanks, Arbor prayed for strength as she touched the cup to her lips. It didn’t taste as bad as she’d been expecting.

The combination of Echo’s fingers running through her hair, too little sleep, and alcohol had Arbor floating on a haze in no time. Logs—too big to have found their way around the fire naturally—were strategically placed for people sit. Arbor still chose to sit on the ground. She left room for Echo to squeeze in between her and the log so she could finish braiding her hair. Even though conversation buzzed around her, and Echo was going on about something or another, Arbor couldn’t focus on the actual words. Instead, she concentrated on the people. With Hunter sitting across from her, Arbor had a clear view of the blonde woman hanging on to him.

“Who is that with Hunter?” Arbor didn’t bother whispering since someone had the music blaring, muting their conversation. Echo wrapped her arms around Arbor’s waist and set her chin on her shoulder.

“That’s Lindsay.”

There was something about her tone. Arbor wanted to turn her head and see her expression. Somehow, she knew if she did, Echo would clam up. Instead, she eyed the woman in question—beyond caring that she was openly staring.

“She doesn’t like you touching me.” Arbor didn’t know how she knew, but it was true. Animosity filled the space between them with every brush of Echo’s hands on Arbor’s body.

“She can get the fuck over it,” Echo said, bitterness tinging every word. “Look how she’s pawing Hunter.”

Arbor wasn’t sure she could look any harder than she already was, but out of loyalty, she tried. Hunter and Lindsay were almost mimicking their pose, except Lindsay was sitting on the log at Hunter’s back while he sat on the ground between her thighs. His position left Lindsay free to watch Echo’s every move, and she had. As Arbor looked on, Lindsay shaped Hunter’s shoulders with her fingers—massaging. If he noticed at all, he didn’t show it. Echo—on the other hand—tightened her hold on Arbor’s waist.

“It’s a show,” Arbor decided. “You’re watching what her hands are doing when you should be paying attention to what her eyes are saying.”

There was so much hunger in Lindsay’s gaze, Arbor couldn’t believe she was the only one staring. It was mesmerizing. Echo didn’t respond. A wave of longing washed over her. For once, it wasn’t for herself. She wanted Echo to have this woman who was obviously under her skin. In a bid for courage, Arbor turned up her drink, downing the contents. She set the cup aside.

“Let’s dance.”

Echo’s giggle let her know she’d made the right decision. Sheesh! Arbor hated being the center of attention, but she would do this. Moving to her feet, she ignored the way the ground shifted a little as she tugged Echo to hers.

“Come on, babe,” Arbor cajoled, hauling the woman against her and touching her mouth to Echo’s ear. “If she can put on a show, so can you. Make it good.”

Echo growled. Arbor’s body shook with suppressed laughter. “Make it good, eh?” Echo grabbed a handful of Arbor’s ass, hauling her even closer. “Oh, love, you have no idea how good it would be.” Arbor shook harder, even as she swayed to the music. She couldn’t help it. Her nervousness mixed with the alcohol, making it almost impossible to suppress the laughter. Peeking over Echo’s shoulder, she sought Killian and Lyric with her eyes. When her gaze landed on them, the air changed. It wasn’t an act any longer. Her performance was for them. With their focus upon her, she allowed Echo’s hands to slide down her body—shaping her every curve.

Steering the woman in Lindsay’s direction, Arbor moved slowly, hoping it wasn’t too obvious of a move. As soon as she was within striking distance, Arbor twisted in Echo’s hold, pressing her ass against the woman and coaxing Lindsay to her feet. Hunter followed as well. It was okay. Lindsay was strong enough to handle them both. Arbor found her men with her gaze. Killian was the first to move, coming to the rescue. He extricated her from the middle of the group like a master. Actually, it was a bit more primal. He shouldered his way in between the gyrating bodies and threw her over his shoulder.

“Excuse me. This one is mine.” They ignored him and the space she’d once occupied closed immediately as Echo and Lindsay came together. Hunter had the blonde’s backside covered. Arbor watched it happen with a smile. “I’m guessing you’re rather proud of yourself,” Killian said, running his hand over the curve of her ass as he set her on her feet. A dizzy spell hit her, but she managed a nod. Lyric rushed to steady her.

“Oh, babe, liquid courage doesn’t suit you.” Sitting down on the ground with his back to the log, he pulled her down between his thighs. With his chest supporting her back, the world steadied. Killian dropped down to his knees beside them. Turning sideways, he lit up like a schoolboy as he crawled his way beneath Arbor’s knees before settling down on his stomach. With his head pillowed on his hands, he stared at her with his heart in his eyes, reminding Arbor of a large puppy. She chuckled at the sight. He could be so outrageous.

“There’s no way you’re comfortable like that.” Even as Arbor made the argument, she settled deeper into Lyric’s hold and tucked Killian more solidly beneath her knees. The toes of Lyric’s boots were shoved beneath Killian. There truly was no way in hell Killian could be comfortable, but she didn’t want him to move.

“Hush, Arbor,” Killian fussed. “I’m relaxing over here.” Lyric’s low laugh vibrated against her back. “You’re such a softy, by the way.” Arbor huffed at Killian’s words.

“Just because I don’t want sticks stabbing me in the stomach.”

Killian cut her off. “I was talking about what you just did for Echo.” Arbor shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise. Glancing away, her gaze landed on the topic of their discussion. Her mouth fell open before she snapped it closed again, hoping to hide her reaction. Echo’s hand was down the front of Lindsay’s pants. Their tongues clashed as Hunter worked toward divesting both women of their clothing. Blushing, Arbor began stammering.

“Hey, it’s the least I can do for the woman who I shared my first girl-on-girl action with.” How Killian continued ignoring what was happening behind him was beyond Arbor, but she kept her eyes locked on his face in hopes of doing the same. A dimple appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“First? Do you intend for there to be more?”

“Most likely not, no.” Arbor shrugged. “Still, you never forget your first, right?”

“Is that so?” The wicked tint to Killian’s tone should’ve warned her. Better yet, she should’ve watched her words to begin with. “Do tell?”

“Um,” Arbor said, stalling for time. “What would you like to know?”

“Don’t pretend to be daft. Tell us all about this fellow. Was he wicked handsome or were you simply young and dumb?” Her face was on fire. Every ounce of her strength went into not covering it with her hands and cackling like an idiot. Lyric nudged her.

“Come on, Arbor.”

Damn. She couldn’t ignore Lyric. Her embarrassment caused her words to sound higher than was strictly necessary. “Why do you want to know this?” The humor drained from Killian’s expression at her question.

“If you were gone tomorrow, not knowing the answer would drive me insane. Every day, I’d wonder why I never asked. I don’t want there to be a million unspoken questions, billions of words I never got to hear you say. I’d mourn for every single one of them equally.”

A tear slid from the corner of her eye and down her cheek. The trio who’d triggered the conversation disappeared inside the woods. Arbor barely noticed. His confession rocked her. She more than heard the words. Arbor felt them.

“Same.” It was the only word she could force past her swollen throat, but Arbor hoped he understood. If they were gone tomorrow, she’d hate herself for every unspoken word and detail she didn’t know about them. Every second of their lives, even the ones they’d lived before meeting her, mattered to Arbor. Killian’s smile returned. It was different—sweeter.

“Now, tell us all about this wanker who stole what should’ve been mine.”

“Wait,” Lyric said, cutting in. “Yours?” His offended tone caused Arbor to laugh while Killian merely looked thoughtful.

“After due consideration, I agree with Lyric. He’s the gentle one and you deserve that.”

“The gentle one,” Lyric repeated, sounding even more insulted and obviously intent on continuing the argument. Arbor was dying inside. Having the loss of her virginity discussed openly between these men was in—the very least—her top twenty of most embarrassing moments ever.

“His name was Brandt,” Arbor said a bit too loudly, in an attempt at cutting off their bickering. It worked…sort of.

“Brandt,” Killian and Lyric repeated simultaneously, sounding disgusted.

Killian was the first to find fault. “Sounds like a banker’s son or a prat…possibly both.”

“Okay, well, I’ve never been one hundred percent sure what a prat is exactly. Considering it sounds bad, I’m going to say, yes, he was. Of course, I didn’t know it at the time. He was on the football team and I was me.”

Killian pulled a face. Lyric’s arms tightened at her waist. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Lyric asked, sounding pissed.

She shrugged. “There wasn’t anything special about me. I was just me. We were lab partners and were supposed to create one of those ridiculous working volcano things. Outside of school, he was nice. We were so different. It gave us plenty to talk about. The first time he kissed me, I saw stars and pictured how jealous all the other girls would be when they found out. Of course, then I learned he wanted to keep it a secret.”

Lyric and Killian released matching sounds of loathing along with a few choice words. It warmed her heart. Now that Arbor had gotten past the initial wave of embarrassment, she let it all fly. “My mom did the best she could for me, but she was still only one person. My clothes were always clean, but they weren’t the latest styles. I had a hard time fitting in. Not only was I young and stupid, I was also terribly lonely. Having a secret friend was better than no friend at all. Naturally, it ended badly. Turns out, he had a girlfriend—a cheerleader, no less. When she found out about me, she spread around the typical whore rumors. Teenagers aren’t known for their inventiveness. Anyhow, I spent the remainder of high school in hell.”

“Please tell me something horrible happened to these people? If nothing else, Brandt must’ve gotten fat and lost his hair.” Killian was amazing, but she didn’t want them to think she carried around any old hurts.

“I have no idea,” she answered honestly. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t spared another thought for any of them until you asked.” She twisted in Lyric’s arms, ensuring she could see both of the men’s faces. “Now, turnabout is fair play. Give up the goods, boys. I want to hear all the dirt.” She didn’t want to miss a second of their confessions. Judging by what she’d seen of their lifestyle thus far, it was bound to be a good story. “I don’t care which of you go first,” she said, nudging them along when neither one appeared intent on answering.