Chapter Text
Chapter 1
I down my fifth glass of champagne just like the first four—quickly. I barely have time to taste the bubbles slide over my tongue before I discard the glass on a nearby table, uncaring of who’s actually meant to be sitting there since it’s currently empty. Most of the attendees at this pretentious gala are up and moving about, schmoozing it up with all of the other rich snobs over canapes.
I had agreed to go as Dain’s plus one months ago. Little did I know our relationship would be all but over by now.
We haven’t made it official or anything, but we both know it’s only a matter of time.
It had been exciting at first, dating the guy I’d grown up crushing on. Like I had finally made it. Transformed from the kid I used to be into someone worth returning those feelings.
But the energy between us had been like a firecracker. Once it was finally lit, it barely even sparked. It just fizzled out, leaving that hole that had once been filled with so much hope for the idea of me and him dark and empty in its place.
When he was just my best friend, his protectiveness had been endearing. It felt nice to have someone in my corner. Someone who cared. Now, it feels more like I’m being held on a short leash, choked every time he holds me back because he’s concerned about my health. My joints. My temperamental body.
It’s like when he looks at me, all he sees are deficiencies.
We’ve been arguing every single day for the past week.
I shouldn’t have come tonight.
Especially not after Dain had snapped at me this morning—the result of yet another fight which ended in me asking why he even wanted me to be his date to the stupid thing. Okay, maybe it was more yelling than asking but still, nothing excused his comeback. He fixed his hurt glare on me and sneered that he would just invite Amber if I really didn’t want to go.
Because inviting your ex to a fancy gala is a totally normal thing to do.
So I had begrudgingly agreed to honor my promise to attend just to prove a point, though I’m not even really sure what that point was anymore. Of course, I regretted the decision not five seconds after stepping foot in the ridiculous, gold-embellished double doors.
Dain’s barely spoken three words to me since we arrived, much more interested in mingling among his father’s friends, networking…
Without the courtesy of a warning, my foot gets caught up on the hem of my dress—just slightly too long for my short frame—and I stumble for half a heartbeat before catching myself on a passing stranger’s arm. My face flushes a shade of red that would make lobsters proud as I quickly mutter an apology and make a beeline for a table of appetizers against the far wall. Maybe getting some food in my stomach will help with the light, floaty feeling that seems to be making my limbs tangle more than usual.
I’m just grabbing a plate when I realize my mistake.
“Violet?”
Fuck.
I’d been so focused on not tripping over my own two feet that I hadn’t noticed Dain standing by this very table. I try to come off casual rather than caught out when I glance his way, but there’s no hiding the blush in my face and the slightly rounded quality to my words that I just can’t seem to sharpen despite my best efforts.
“Hey,” I murmur, glancing away to start loading my plate. “I’m just grabbing some appetizers.”
“Where have you been?” I’m not sure if he means for the words to sound as accusatory as they do, but they make my throat feel tight all the same. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
My brows shoot up, and I almost laugh right in his face. I’m actually pretty shocked that I don’t. Hell yeah, me. Look at that self control. “Yeah?” I tug my lower lip sullenly beneath my teeth as I level him with a glare that could scare off even my mother’s military coworkers. “You didn’t look particularly concerned to me,” I tell him, stumbling over the longer words just a bit, “over here rubbing elbows with your father’s friends.”
His eyes narrow in suspicion. “How many drinks have you had, Vi?”
I scoff, grabbing my plate and turning away. I begin to stride across the room, but he follows. Of fucking course he follows. God forbid he let me be on my own for a damn minute. “I am a grown woman, Dain,” I snap at him when we reach the far corner, tucked away from the crowd in the center of the ballroom and most of the curious, prying eyes. I make a conscious effort to keep my voice to a hushed hiss, even though the desire to raise it claws at me. “If I want to have a few drinks, who the fuck are you to tell me I can’t?”
The exhale he breathes is sharp and pointed. “You’re drunk.”
Ugh. How dare he judge me? “So what if I am?” I fire back, standing to my full height, annoyed that even in heels I barely come up to his chin. “It’s a party, Dain. Loosen up a little. Half the people here are drunk.”
He’s always been relentlessly rigid. Even when we were younger, he was so terrified of disappointing anyone that he hardly ever let himself have fun.
Maybe that’s why kissing him tasted like stale bread.
“My father is an honoree, Vi,” he hisses back, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one is watching our argument. Wouldn’t want anyone to see me embarrassing him. I roll my eyes at his paranoia. “You’re attending as my guest, and you’re over here getting wasted—”
“Well then maybe you should have brought Amber!”
Dain’s mouth falls open, his face flushing red as I throw his words from earlier back at him. Then, he snaps it shut again as anger burns bright in his eyes. “Maybe I should have.”
The words hit their target right in my chest, and I muster all of the resentment that’s been brewing between us these last few weeks into an icy, decided glare. “Well then, feel free to call her up for the next one because we’re done, Dain.”
I turn on my heel, my head spinning with the movement, but before I can storm away his hand snatches my wrist, tugging me back with a sharp jerk of his arm.
Ow, that fucking hurts.
“Violet—” He pauses, hesitating for just a moment when he spots the fierce anger in my eyes, but then continues, lowering his voice an octave. “You’re not really breaking up with me here.” He sounds almost pleading now, and when I try to wrench my wrist free he doesn’t let go. “Let’s talk after the gala, alright?”
I jut my chin up in defiance. “You want to talk? Let’s talk now. Take me back to my apartment and we can sit down and talk as much as you want.”
His jaw works nervously, and even though he tries to hide it, I catch the way his eyes dart across the room toward his father before he responds. “I can’t just leave, Vi.”
“Well, that’s your choice then,” I tell him, a dull note of finality in my voice as I finally wrench my wrist free from the cage of his fingers. I’m never going to be his first priority. Much as he might pretend, I never have been. “Goodbye, Dain.”
With that, I head directly for the bar against the back wall of this huge ballroom and flag down the bartender.
Nursing a drink with gin and lavender and some other ingredients that I’ve already forgotten, I savor the burn of the liquor as it runs down my throat like the tears I refuse to let fall.
I have no reason to stay anymore. After this drink, I’ll order an uber home. In fact…
I open the app on my phone and schedule a ride fifteen minutes out. Now if Dain tries to get me to stay, I’ll have an excuse at least.
Not that I particularly want to go home and be alone tonight. I should have accepted Rhiannon’s offer to go skiing with her family this weekend instead. Now, all that’s waiting for me at our shared apartment is taunting silence and a night of self pity. We don’t even have any ice cream in the freezer. How depressing.
I sigh, staring down at the surface of my drink while I lick a stray drop from my lower lip.
God, what a mess.
Luckily, Dain leaves me alone while I sip my drink from the sidelines—finally—and so does everyone else. My self-imposed time limit is almost up, the app buzzing to let me know that my driver will be arriving in four minutes, when I raise my gaze just enough to notice two pairs of eyes staring directly into mine with startling intensity.
Maybe I should be unnerved but…
After a moment of shock, I recover enough to let my eyes wander, taking in the rest of these two strangers.
And I like what I see.
These men are… fuck they look like they’re carved from stone. Like models in a magazine. Tall and strong and perfectly sculpted in a way that makes my mouth water.
In ancient times, they probably would have been worshipped as gods. Perfect faces and physiques that must be blessed by the heavens. There’s no other explanation.
Well, except for good genes and an insane workout routine. I may be drunk, but I’m still smarter than people who thought honey was a sufficient contraceptive and that sweat had magical healing properties.
The men look similar enough that they might be brothers—two heads of soft, dark hair and strong, straight noses, two sets of broad shoulders and arms that look like they’d have no trouble lifting me up and throwing me around. When one of them notices me staring, a playful smirk tilting his gorgeous lips, the other one quickly follows up with a smug expression of his own.
The one on the left, maybe half an inch shorter and with slightly softer features, leans in and whispers something that I obviously can’t hear.
The other one nods, extends his hand out in front of him—extends it in my direction—and crooks two of his fingers in a silent command to approach them.
It’s a horrible idea.
I’m drunk.
I’m in a weird as fuck place emotionally.
I just broke up with the boy I’d been pining after for my entire life for god’s sake.
Talking to not one, but two hot guys is the absolute last thing I should be doing right now.
I should go home, drink a few glasses of water, take a painkiller, and pass out in the safety of my own bed.
My phone buzzes again. My uber is outside.
Yet another reason to just ignore these gorgeous, potentially dangerous men and leave.
I hold the phone in my hand, staring at the screen for a long, long moment.
Then, with the press of a button, I cancel the ride and cross over to where the two most handsome men at this goddamn gala are eyeing me like I’m their next meal.
And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t willing to give them a taste.
I’m proud of myself for not stumbling over my dress—not even once—as I come to stand in front of them, cocking my head to the side in a silent question.
God, they’re even prettier close up.
“Your drink is just about empty,” the one on the right says in a smooth, low voice that reminds me of sitting by the fire on cold winter nights, warmth wrapping around my aching joints like a blanket as I let myself melt just a little. “Let us get you another?”
I bite my lip to stop the smile threatening to break free out of my melancholy mood. “Nice try, but it’s an open bar.” The other one huffs a quiet laugh. “Besides, I can see what you’re doing. I’m not naive.”
“And what is it exactly,” the first one muses, “that you think we’re doing?” He tilts his head as he studies my face brazenly. Against my wishes, I find myself blushing even redder than I’m sure I already was.
I swallow down my embarrassment and force my head high, meeting his dark eyes with a stubborn confidence that jumps out from some untouched place deep inside of me. A place I’d nearly forgotten existed. From this close, it looks like there are little flecks of gold in his irises. I swallow down any inhibitions and raise my brows in indignation that I don’t really feel. “You’re trying to have to sex with me.”
The other one, the one who’s been quiet so far, finally turns to me with an equally intense look and asks, “So what if we are? It’s a big, expensive party, and we’ve got nothing to do after it ends. Why not try our luck with the prettiest girl here?”
Well, that throws me for a loop.
Not ‘so what if he is’, or ‘so what if I am’, but ‘we’.
It takes my alcohol-hazed brain a few extra seconds to process what exactly that little detail means in the context of everything else they’ve said, and when I finally open my mouth, I swear my voice is a full octave higher. “Wait—you mean… both of you?”
The one on the right runs his tongue along his full lower lip, and it does nothing to help me focus on forming coherent sentences.
“Would that be a problem?”
When I don’t—can’t—immediately respond, the other one breathes a quiet chuckle, putting a hand on the first’s arm in an overly familiar sort of way. “How about this? We start with a drink and just see where the night takes us.”
“Alright.” I nod slowly, the motion making the room sway a bit. “One drink.”
The two men turn to each other with matching grins, and the sight of them—so fucking beautiful and smiling because of me—makes my stomach do some impressive somersaults.
“I’m Bodhi by the way,” the one on the left tells me as he heads in the direction of the bar, bringing his hand to the small of my back and guiding me to walk with them. “Durran. And this is my cousin—”
“Xaden Riorson,” the first one—Xaden—interrupts to introduce himself, his eyes fixed to my lower lip where I keep pulling it between my teeth—a nervous habit I’ve never been able to kick.
“Violet,” I tell them both, trying to focus on my steps and not tripping even while Bodhi’s touch at my lower back—bare due to the plunging material of my gown—sets my thoughts spiraling. “Violet Sorrengail.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Violet Sorrengail,” Xaden says, his tongue wrapping around my name like it’s something precious. And god, that voice makes me fucking melt. “What brings you to a veteran fundraising gala? Do you have family that served?”
Well, yes.
But no, not the reason I’m here, and I’m not about to tell these two hot men about my mommy issues over drinks. That’s more of a third date topic.
…not that this is a date.
I swallow around a throat that’s suddenly far too dry and give them both a sheepish shrug. “Well, I came here as a plus one, but…”
“The guy you were arguing with?” Bodhi tilts his head, waiting on my response with polite interest, and I suddenly want to sink into the shiny, polished floor.
“Uh, yeah. Dain.” I cringe as I say his name, realizing they probably do not care about my drama with my boyfriend.
Ex-boyfriend.
Fuck.
“He’s… well. We broke up. And now I’m here at this gala,” I tell them, words rushing out of me like they have someplace to be, stumbling and tripping over themselves, “feeling completely, ridiculously out of place, and, well… yeah,” I finish lamely, making a face at my own sudden lack of verbal acumen.
“Well, you certainly don’t look out of place,” Bodhi says, the words half under his breath as his cousin gives me an appreciative once over, his dark eyes caressing the sparkling black gown that hugs every curve on my slender body. His gaze lingers on the neckline where it dips low into my cleavage, and I feel the blood that thrums through my veins heat in response.
Bodhi’s hand splays more firmly against my skin, his touch warm and grounding in a way that a stranger’s certainly shouldn’t be.
“And what about you two?” I ask, more to get their unnervingly intense focus off of me than because I truly care about the answer. “Why are you here?”
Bodhi snorts like I’ve said something hilarious, and I turn my furrowed brow on Xaden. What could I have possibly said that was funny? An amused smirk is tugging at his pretty lips, but he somehow manages not to sound condescending when he informs me, “My father bankrolled the charity this gala is benefitting. He was in the army himself before he made it big in the business world. Now that he’s passed, I’m the one in charge of keeping the funding going.”
Oh shit.
These guys aren’t just attending-a-gala-rich. These guys are the-main-donors-to-keep-an-entire-charity-running kind of rich.
I have no business even talking to them, let alone flirting with them.
“Oh.” I swallow hard as we approach the bar, the bartender’s eyes sliding over the three of us with a raised brow before masking the curiosity in his eyes and taking the drink order from Xaden.
“Whiskey neat, dry martini, and whatever she’s drinking.”
The man gives Xaden a nod and gets to work. Luckily for me, he must remember what I ordered earlier, because I sure as shit don’t.
I turn back to the two cousins, arching a brow. “So you… what? Organized this whole thing?”
This time it’s Xaden who laughs, leaning an arm against the bar in a stance that comes off effortlessly casual and devastatingly attractive, his eyes sliding over my face slowly. “No, not quite. People much better at this shit than I am put this whole night together. I’m just required to make an appearance so the donors know that I’m still invested.”
“Besides,” Bodhi adds in with a playful wink, “it’s nice to get out of the apartment, and the food never misses at these things.”
“Easy to say when you’re not the one they inevitably force up onto that stage at some point,” Xaden grumbles, and it’s surprisingly… endearing.
I find myself cracking a smile finally as my drink is pushed across the bar.
Bodhi shoves a generous tip into the jar before snatching his martini, and Xaden leads all three of us to a quieter corner.
But I’m quickly realizing that no matter how far into the shadows we try to stay, eyes seem to follow these two men everywhere.
Which means now they also follow me.
There’s no hiding when almost everyone in the room knows who they are and would do anything to stay in their good graces.
My own better judgement obscured by the alcohol in my system, I scan those stares for one set of eyes in particular.
Dain is sitting alone at his father’s table, the seats on either side of him empty, and his eyes are fixed directly on me. He looks like someone just force fed him a bowl of sand, his face contorted into a sneer that screams disgust. Betrayal.
Screw him.
I take a long sip of my drink, oblivious to how carefully the cousins have been watching me until Xaden offers in that low, silky smooth voice that sends shivers down my spine, “Do you want to make him jealous?”
“What do you—?”
My voice fails me as Xaden takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting my face up toward him until those dark, gold-flecked eyes are all I can see. Like stars in the night sky; I’m captivated. He leans down to meet my mouth, towering over me even in my heels, and his face is just inches from my own when he pauses.
I know exactly what he’s doing. He’s giving me the chance to pull away. To put a stop to this before I go somewhere I can’t turn back from. To say no, if I want.
I don’t want.
I raise up onto my toes and bridge the stubborn space between us, pressing my lips tentatively to his. He tastes like expensive whiskey and an intriguing sort of excitement I haven’t experienced in years.
Something about these men lights a fire in me, and I want to be absolutely consumed by it. Burnt to a crisp until there’s nothing left but a pile of ash.
I’m just parting my lips, trying to take the kiss deeper, when a throat clears behind us.
“Mr. Riorson?” A no-nonsense voice chirps from somewhere over my shoulder. “We need you on stage to introduce the honorees.”
His cousin’s laugh is bright as Xaden straightens up, leaving me dazed and a little bit light-headed in the wake of that kiss. The feeling of that gorgeous mouth on mine. Bodhi’s arm wraps around my middle as Xaden turns to address the worker who’s interrupted us with a few polite words, keeping me securely upright despite the fact that my legs feel like jelly.
Xaden glances back at me with an expression that I could almost classify as longing. If I believed in things like that when it came to men. Which I don’t anymore.
Especially not with men that I’ve just met.
“I’ll be back soon,” he says apologetically, then turns to Bodhi with a stern look, though there are glints of teasing at the edges of his eyes. “Don’t let her leave without saying goodbye. Lock the doors if you have to.”
“Yes, sir,” Bodhi answers with a mock salute and a laugh that has Xaden rolling his eyes as he walks away.
I’m expecting it to be awkward with just the two of us, but I’m pleasantly surprised to find Bodhi’s presence just as comfortable alone as it had been with all three of us. He keeps his hand around my waist, and I’m not sure if it’s because he saw earlier how unsteady I’d been on my feet or simply because he likes touching me. Either way, I don’t particularly mind.
I lean into his side, letting the smooth material of his suit rub against my bare arm.
“You know,” Bodhi muses, his fingers playing with the fabric of my gown, “it really doesn’t seem fair that Xaden got to kiss you and I didn’t.”
I hum softly, turning in his hold and tilting my face up to look at him. “Is that so?”
He leans down just enough to speak the words directly into my ear. His warm breath raises goosebumps along my skin, and despite the fact that I’m far from cold, I shiver. “Wouldn’t want me to feel left out, now would you, Violet?”
It must be the alcohol that pushes every objection to the back of mind as I tug Bodhi’s face to mine by the back of his neck and crash my lips against his.
The quiet noise in his throat is a hungry sound, begging for more, and I’m desperate to give it to him. I drag my hand up into his curls, luxuriating in the feel of soft strands against my fingers as his tongue presses against the seam of my lips in silent demand.
It’s so perfect, so consuming, that I barely notice the music come to a sudden stop, the speakers crackling as the output is switched over to a mic. The sound of Xaden on stage introducing himself while his cousin shoves his tongue down my throat makes a certain spot between my legs absolutely ache. Bodhi’s fingers brush the bare skin along the lowest part of my gown’s back, just above my ass, and I find myself arching into him, wanting to get closer if that’s even possible.
When I shift my weight slightly, Bodhi presses his thigh subtly between my legs, right against my clit, and I can’t help but whimper into the warmth of his mouth. The angle, the way his body shields mine, is just right so that no one should be able to see what exactly he’s doing to me. We simply look like any other drunk party guests, making out in a corner.
The bulk of his body blocks me from view as I grind against his leg, doing my best to be as inconspicuous as possible while still chasing that delicious friction. “Do you still feel left out?” I whisper teasingly against his lips as we break apart to catch our breaths.
“No,” he tells, his voice rough from the kiss, “but a little extra convincing never hurts.”
I dive in for another kiss while the majority of the room is focused on Xaden and the stage, and Bodhi’s hand at my waist drops down lower, trailing along the slit in my skirt that reaches all the way up to my thigh. His touch against that soft, sensitive bare skin makes me gasp against his lips.
I quickly bite down to keep quiet, and Bodhi chuckles, stroking my inner thigh with the pad of his thumb in slow, tantalizing circles.
“Everyone is watching my cousin up there,” he says, leaning in to breathe the words directly into my ear, “but I’d be willing to bet he’s watching us. You’re putting on a great show for him, pretty girl.”
I press my lips together to stifle my whimper. Knowing that a man like that—a man with all the money and power in the world—is watching us, that he likes what he sees… fuck. The idea alone has me dripping.
He slides his thumb half an inch up my thigh and pries my lips open with his tongue, smothering any noises I might be tempted to make with another kiss.
It’s downright electric, the way Bodhi’s mouth moves against mine, lighting up every nerve ending along every inch of my body, heating my skin and flaring the arousal that until now was only smoldering beneath the surface.
I bring a hand up to Bodhi’s bicep, gripping him tight through the expensive material of his suit and finding myself even more turned on by the feel of hard muscle underneath.
Yeah, these men could definitely throw me around.
I press my body against his, desperate to feel every point of contact, when Xaden’s words break through the thick haze that’s currently clouding my mind.
“And so now I’d like to introduce tonight’s first honoree, General Gabriel Aetos.”
Well, if anything was going to douse the fire in my veins, it’d be that. I detach my face from Bodhi’s just in time to see Dain’s father take the steps onto the stage, shaking Xaden’s hand with a smug look on his face.
Bodhi tilts his head to the side, noticing the pinched look on my face as I twist in his arms to get a better look. “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just…” I cringe as the admission starts to fall from my lips unbidden, immediately regretting it. What is it about these men that has me admitting things so easily?
“Just what?”
His hand slides lower down my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze instead of continuing to tease, and I sigh.
“That’s Dain’s father,” I admit in a mutter, turning my face slightly more to the side so Bodhi can’t keep watching for my reactions.
Dain’s father. The whole reason Dain wouldn’t just leave this stupid gala and go talk to me.
Because I’ll never be as important to him as following in that man’s footsteps. Carving out a legacy for himself.
“Aetos is your ex’s dad?”
Something in Bodhi’s voice gives away that he knows who he is beyond him being an honoree tonight.
“Yes?” I pull back, brow furrowing. “Why?”
“Oh, ah, it’s nothing.” He tries to mask his surprise, but it’s too late.
“Bodhi.”
He breathes out sharply. “It’s just that Xaden’s been complaining about him for weeks for now,” he says, lips twitching. “He doesn’t like to argue with the board when they pick honorees for this sort of thing, but he did take issue with Aetos. Said something about his service record being questionable and that there were other more deserving nominees.” He holds his hands up in defense. “But I don’t have any other information on all of… that. I try to stay away from all of this stuff. I only show up at the galas because Xaden asks me to, and I know he’d be miserable attending on his own.”
I glance back up at the stage where Dain’s father is currently flashing a smile as he accepts a plaque. He did get promoted rather quickly, bypassing other officers who had seniority on him. Even my mother had found it a bit odd.
Before I can fully turn back toward Bodhi, my eyes catch in the crowd on a familiar pair of brown ones fixed directly on the corner of the room where I am currently pressed up against a very attractive man, my cheeks flushed and my lips still tingling from our kisses.
Suddenly, I want nothing more than to be gone from this god-forsaken gala and Dain’s judging glances. What right does he have to judge me? Bringing up Amber this morning had been the final straw, but he’s been wearing me down for weeks now, slowly chipping away at every piece of happiness that had existed between us until the idea of breaking up had been like a breath of fresh air, filling my lungs with the chance of freedom.
“How long does Xaden need to stay?”
Bodhi’s brows raise in surprise, but he gives me an easy shrug. “He usually stays for a little bit after the speeches, just to make sure no one feels like he’s rushing to get away from them—even if that’s exactly what he wants to do half the time,” Bodhi adds with a quiet chuckle, his fingers tracing the curve of my waist in little patterns that drive me crazy. “But if you really want to get out of here, I’m sure he can make his excuses.”
“I really want to get out of here,” I agree, staring up into his face and pleading with my eyes, though it’s probably unnecessary. Bodhi doesn’t seem to have any intention of denying me, but still, driving the point home never hurt anyone, so I slip my hand inside his suit jacket, running it along lines of hard muscle covered by a very nicely made shirt while I murmur, “Then, like you suggested earlier, we can see where the night goes.”
I run my finger along his waist, the fine leather of his belt, and heat flares in my chest when Bodhi breathes out the quietest moan. “Keep teasing me like that, and I’m not waiting for my cousin to finish with all of these silly responsibilities. I’ll drag you out to the car and rip that dress off of you myself.”
“As tempting as that sounds,” I tell him, tongue darting out to wet my lips, preening on the inside at the thought of him being that impatient for me, “I think we can wait a few more minutes.”
An image of the two of them bending me over a bed together, taking turns with me, floods my mind, and I grind forward slightly into Bodhi’s body again to relieve some of the pressure building between my thighs. Being fucked by either of these men would be mindblowing, I’m sure, but there’s something about the thought of being used by both of them that has me so turned on I can barely think straight. It would be a shame to abandon that desire now, when I’m so close to finally achieving it.
“Delayed gratification it is,” he says, flipping us around and spinning me in his arms so my ass is pressed against his front instead. I suck in a breath when his very obvious erection presses against it through his pants, proving exactly how truthful he was being when he said he’d fuck me out in the car right now if I’d let him.
Keeping a straight face is near impossible with Bodhi’s cock pressed up against my ass, his lips whispering filth into my ear every minute or so while boring people up on stage go on and on about how important this funding is and the sacrifices our service members have made and other bland platitudes that I’ve heard a million times over during my own mother’s prestigious military career.
By the time Xaden finally steps forward to thank everyone for coming, telling them to enjoy the music and food and drinks and to donate generously, I feel like I’m going to burn right out of my skin. I watch him duck and weave through the crowd from the comfort of Bodhi’s arms, doing his best to dodge guests who insist on speaking with him and making polite excuses to those he can’t.
I squirm, biting back a sigh when Xaden is interrupted by yet another old man in a navy suit, and Bodhi’s grip tightens around my middle.
“Impatient?” he teases. “Maybe my cousin will reward you for waiting so nicely for us.”
I press my lips together, stifling the needy sound that claws at my throat.
Xaden’s eyes lock on mine from across the ballroom, and I swear they visibly darken.
“I don’t think you know what you’re in for, pretty girl,” Bodhi says, the words warm against the shell of my ear, his voice tinged with dark amusement. “Between the two of us, we can keep you screaming with pleasure all night, constantly filled and fucked, making you come over and over again until you can’t even remember your own name.”
“Fuck,” I sigh, wetness gathering uncomfortably between my legs as I press back against his cock. My eyelids flutter closed as the vision he paints plays behind them. “Bodhi, please.”
“You’d like that?” he asks, his voice dropping low and sensual.
“Yes.”
He kisses just behind my ear and it sends a shiver down my spine. “How many times do you think you can come for us tonight?”
“I—” I swallow hard, the words suddenly sticking in my throat. “I don’t know.”
“Five?” he asks, nipping at the sensitive skin of my earlobe. “Six?” When I don’t immediately respond, he hums in contemplation. “I bet we can get even more out of you. We’re very persistent.”
I press back again, using all of my willpower to stop myself from flat out rutting against him. When I open my mouth to respond, no words come out.
He’s rendered me goddamned speechless.
A beat later, my heartrate skyrockets as a second pair of hands joins Bodhi’s at my waist, the warmth of a large body blocking me in at my front, and my eyes fly open.
My pulse calms immediately when I see it’s only Xaden standing before me, his handsome features twisted in clear amusement at my jumpiness. “You two certainly look cozy back here.”
“Our sweet Violet seems to be getting a bit tired,” Bodhi tells him, voice soft and smooth in a way only adds to my compounding arousal. “Think we can dip out early? Head back to the penthouse?”
The penthouse. Oh, for fuck’s sake. They would have a penthouse.
Xaden lifts a hand to my face while he considers the request, cupping my jaw and running his thumb along my lower lip in a way that feels incredibly intimate for a man that I met maybe half an hour ago.
Despite that fact, I find myself leaning into the touch.
“I’m sure no one will miss me that terribly,” he murmurs, pressing his thumb in just a centimeter.
I part my lips obediently and suck the tip into my mouth, watching as his eyes heat with a swell of satisfaction.
He and Bodhi are mostly blocking me from anyone else’s view—they’re huge—but still, acting so desperate for them in the middle of a crowded room has me blushing up a storm. There are dozens of incredibly influential people in this room. My ex is in this room.
And I can’t find it in myself to care one bit when I feel the hard line of Bodhi’s cock press insistently against my back. Sandwiched between these two gorgeous men, it’s hard to think about much of anything besides getting them somewhere private.
“I’ll let the driver know to pull around back,” Xaden mutters.
The driver. Of course.
This night is getting more and more surreal.
I watch as Xaden pulls his thumb from my mouth and wipes it off by trailing it down the column of my throat, right over my pounding pulse point.
I press my lips closed on a whimper and watch his lips curl into a smirk as he taps out a quick message on his phone.
“Bring her down to the car,” Xaden tells Bodhi over my shoulder, the desire in his eyes not flagging for a moment as they meet his cousin’s. “I’ll make my excuses and join you in a minute.”
Bodhi takes a moment to discreetly adjust himself, hiding the evidence of just how turned on he is, then takes me by the hand and drags me through the crowd of people as Xaden splits off in the other direction.
“He won’t take long, will he?” I ask, doing my best not to sound as horrifically needy as I feel.
Judging by the amused tilt of his smile, Bodhi must see right through me. He laughs lightly as he guides me through hallways with marble floors. It’s not the entrance where I arrived with Dain earlier tonight, but some other door that he’s leading me to. A back entrance perhaps. “Given that he looked like he was about to swallow you whole right there in the ballroom?” Bodhi drops my hand to rest his palm at my back instead, his fingers light and warm along my bare skin. The simple, possessive touch sends a pleasant hum through my veins, and god. I can’t remember the last time I felt so alive. “No, I don’t think that he’ll take very long at all. But that doesn’t mean we can’t play while we wait for him.”