Page 11 of Bound by Them (Rose and Dagger #1)

Troy

E dmund’s question strikes Dani dumb for a long moment. Then she laughs. “I guess nothing says fuck you like actually fucking you .”

I chuckle. Little brat.

Edmund climbs out of the pool. He grabs a towel and puts it down on the deck. “Up we go, out of the pool, everyone.”

Dani lifts herself over the edge to climb out. Her ass is within biting distance, so I give her a little nip. She gasps in surprise, then looks over her shoulder at me and smiles.

As soon as she’s on the deck, Edmund grabs her by the hips and tugs her toward him. He kisses her thoroughly. He reaches behind her to unhook her bra. It falls to the deck at her feet.

“You feel what you do to me?” His voice is husky. He takes her hand and guides it to his dick. “Even though you hate me?”

She grips him and jacks her hand up and down slowly, exploring his length.

Condoms. We need condoms.

I hurry inside to retrieve them from the bathroom.

I’m back out in record time, greeted by the sight of Dani spread out on the towel.

Her breasts are gorgeous, bared to the night air.

Edmund has her panties pushed to the side and fingers her pussy.

Fuck. My cock twitches, upright against my stomach.

I toss a condom to Edmund and put the second on myself.

Dani turns over and gets on all fours. She leans over Edmund’s cock. She holds the base and rubs the tip over her lips. Moving her gaze to Edmund’s face, she whispers, “Fuck you, I hate you.”

“But you don’t hate my cock.” He cups her cheek and slides one of her wet braids away from her face so I can see her better.

“No. Your cock is glorious. The one good thing about you.”

He laughs. “I’ll take it.”

But then her lips glide down his length and he groans. “Fuck. Fuck, Danica. You’re a little princess with the mouth of a devil.”

I kneel next to them, watching for a long moment, savoring the sight of her curves in the dim, teal lighting.

Edmund slides his hand from her shoulder to her ass, then gives her a little spank. He raises an eyebrow at me. “Are you joining us or what?”

“You know it. Just enjoying the view.” Enjoying is stretching it, though. I’m half-tortured by the sight. A growing need heats my blood, urging me forward.

I kneel behind Dani, watching the way her back and shoulders move as she sucks on my friend.

“You want this, little girl?” I smooth a hand over her supple ass, sliding her panties to the side to reveal her delectable pussy.

She pops off of Edmund and turns to look at me. “Yes.”

I line up my crown with her cunt and start pressing in. I go slow—she’s small, and I’m big.

Dani moans. “Oh—ow?—”

I freeze. “I can stop.”

“Don’t you dare fucking stop.” Her voice is breathy. “Just…slow. Give me time to adjust. You’re the thickest I’ve had.”

“Gotcha.” I don’t thrust any farther. Instead I reach down to where we meet and gather her arousal on my fingers. I spread it to her clit, sliding my fingertips softly over her.

“Oh. Fuck. Fucking yes.” She pushes back, taking more of me, and her inner walls squeeze me tight.

I keep moving my fingers on her clit. “You got this. You can take me, Dani, I know you can. Just a little bit more.”

She rocks carefully forward and back. I let her do the work so she can take me at her own comfort level. Soon, I’m in all the way and her inner walls are fluttering over me, squeezing as pleasure ripples through her.

“You feel amazing.” I stroke out, then back in again.

“So do you.” She lowers her head to Edmund’s cock, sucking him into her mouth.

He groans and grips her two braids, subtly directing her. “I knew you’d be a good little princess for us. Look how you take us both so well.”

The sounds of the city below are the background music to Dani’s moans and Edmund’s and my encouragement.

My orgasm is building with every pump of my hips.

I splay my free hand over her ass, tempted to finger her asshole.

Another time. She’s stuffed full enough as it is.

I keep my other hand moving at her clit, experimenting with the angle, pressure, and speed.

Soon, her moaning gets louder. More insistent. Greedy.

“You’re close, aren’t you?” Edmund asks. “I hope you come soon. I want to hear how you scream around my cock.”

“She likes your dirty talk,” I tell him. “You should feel how she just clamped down on me. Going to come for us, little girl? I can’t wait to feel your little cunt spasming on my dick while I fill you up.”

Suddenly, she goes rigid, crying out around Edmund’s length, her pussy gripping me tight, so fucking tight. I can’t hold back my release, either, and I spill into the condom.

Edmund’s hips thrust up with his orgasm. “Fuck, fuck.”

I wait until Dani’s done rocking back against me, then ease out of her pussy. She pulls off of Edmund at the same time. She looks from him, to me. “Wow.”

“Do you still hate us?” I ask.

Her lips twist in a rueful grin. “I can’t wait to hate you again.”

* * *

Danica

I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I fucking love every second of this sex-fest. I’m achy in the very best way.

This is the dirtiest, most adventurous sex I’ve had.

Two guys, out on a balcony in the open air?

Scandalous. Yet at every moment I’ve felt completely taken care of and respected.

Even when they’re spouting filthy words with their filthy mouths.

“All right, then, princess. Hate us again.” Edmund’s green eyes are playful. He slides his free hand up between my breasts and lightly rests it against my throat.

It should be sexy.

But this isn’t right. A hand on my throat. Choking.

I freeze against Troy. No. No, I can’t breathe. Am I in the pool again? I’m suffocating. Sinking. Lapping water sounds in the background, and everything is muddy, dank, dirty.

Death .

Where is the air? I’m breathing in water—it’s filling my mouth, my throat, my lungs.

But then there is air, but my throat is closed. I can’t get to it.

I claw at the ground, my fingernails tearing, my limbs rigid, reaching. Help. Help . I lash out, but it’s no use. I can’t breathe. Nothing helps. No one will save me. I can’t escape.

“Dani. Dani! ” Edmund and Troy are both saying my name. Panic laces their voices.

They’re going to hurt me. I strike out again. Clip Edmund in the jaw. I don’t really want to hurt him.

It’s Edmund and Troy. I’m okay. I’m on the deck. Edmund’s pool—that’s the water I’m hearing. There’s no dirt or mud. The deck is firm. I’m not sinking.

I open my eyes. Their faces glow blue-green in the pool lights. They look terrified, like I feel.

Edmund’s hands hover over my shoulders. Troy looks like he’s about to haul me into his arms and carry me to safety.

“I’m fine—I—” I gasp and roll to my side, sucking in breath after breath.

I’m not fine. I don’t know what that was. It’s never happened before, but it was the worst.

“Panic attack?” Troy’s voice is gentle. “Looks like one. You’re safe, Dani. I don’t know if holding you will make it worse or better.”

“You can hold me. Just—” Pressure on the neck. Death. I gasp for air. “Don’t touch my neck.”

“Got it.”

He gathers me into his lap and wraps his arms tight around me.

It’s still hard to breathe. Each breath is fast, shallow. I still can’t get enough air.

“Hey.” Edmund doesn’t touch me. “Slow your breathing so you don’t hyperventilate.”

I’m trying. I nod, making eye contact with him. Regret shines in his usually playful green eyes. But I’m the one who hit him, not the other way around.

Troy speaks. “Dani, I’m going to pick you up, okay? We’re going inside.”

“Y-yeah.” I nod, squeezing my eyes shut.

I feel myself lifted in his strong arms. He carries me inside—I hear the large glass door sliding shut behind us.

Troy sits down, and a blanket is tucked around me while he holds me. “We’re in bed. Stay with us tonight, so we can watch over you?”

“Yeah.” I curl into him and peer around the dark room. I couldn’t leave if I wanted to, because I feel safe now. Whatever that was, it was weird, but it’s over.

“I’m so fucking sorry.” Edmund looks as wrecked as I feel. “I shouldn’t have grabbed you like that.”

“You didn’t know, it’s okay.” I try to smile, but fail. “I didn’t know, either. And, um. I’m sorry for hitting you.”

He shrugs. “It was an accident. I’m fine.”

The guys move the blankets around. Troy puts me on the mattress and I wiggle out of my wet panties.

Edmund sees what I’m doing and takes them from me.

I don’t care what he does with them—I’m too tired to worry about things like clothes.

They give me one of their t-shirts to sleep in. I slide it on, inhaling their scents.

Seconds later, I’m asleep.

* * *

Danica

I wake up disoriented. Bright sunlight filters through deep green curtains. The sky beyond is impossibly blue, like someone filled in the atmosphere with pure blue paint.

This isn’t my room. That isn’t my sky.

I’m in the Salding district, in Edmund and Troy’s apartment. Holy shit. Did all of that happen? The threesome on the balcony…

I can’t believe it. Two guys, with me? I’ve never had any big hang-ups surrounding sex. I was raised to believe that sex is a healthy expression of love, lust, and many other feelings. But in my mind, it was always about doing those things and connecting with one other person.

Last night, I connected with two. And I guess it technically wasn’t the first time.

Leah’s with two guys, I reason with myself. She’s happy, and I still respect her. There’s nothing shameful about this. And even if there was, how the fuck could I choose between Troy and Edmund?

I wouldn’t be able to.

Discarding the worries, I think back to what we did. Little pings of arousal dance over my nerve endings as I remember how they held me, kissed me, fucked me.

There was only one negative to the whole experience—the panic attack. And they handled it really well.

I don’t know what that was about, when Edmund put his hand on my throat. Why would that faint touch make me feel like I was drowning? It makes no freaking sense.

The human brain is weird sometimes, so I guess I’ll have to let it go as one of life’s mysteries.

Troy wakes before Edmund. His dark eyes lock with mine and he smiles.

I reach forward to touch his scruffy face. “I like your whiskers.”

He turns his head so he can kiss my palm. “I like your everything. Are you okay?”

He’s talking about my panic attack. I frown, wishing it had never happened. Maybe we can pretend it didn’t. “Yeah. All better. Thanks.”

Edmund stirs behind me, bringing a hand around to cup my breast and pressing his already-hard dick against my ass. “Mmm, angel. Morning.”

“Good morning.” I arch back, pushing hard against him.

He tweaks my nipple. “Lie on your back, I’m going to make it a better morning.”

He dives beneath the sheet. I moan in anticipation while Troy presses soft kisses to my cheeks.

Edmund lifts one of my ankles and starts kissing his way along my leg. Then he stops. “What’s this? What the fuck?”

I try to pull my leg away. Shit. My tattoo. I should’ve cleaned it after our swim—I didn’t even think about it. I shouldn’t have gotten into the pool at all. Grady told me not to go swimming. “Is it infected?”

“No. It’s fucking clear as day. You have the Aseyev symbol.” Edmund’s voice is low. I can’t tell what it means, what emotion he’s hiding.

“Yeah. It’s my family.”

“Got it.” He crawls out from the beneath the sheets and flops onto his back next to me.

I sit up. He has his eyes closed, like he’s shutting himself off from me.

I poke his arm. “What’s the big deal?”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Do you have a tattoo for your family?” I look over his bare torso, but I don’t see anything. There’s ink on his bicep opposite me, though.

“It doesn’t matter,” he snaps.

He said he wanted to make it a better morning—but that’s not happening now. At this point, the only thing that can make it better is my absence.

Troy is incredibly quiet on the other side of me.

Fuck this stupid shit. I fling back the covers. “I should…I should get going. I have work.”

They don’t say anything as I climb to the foot of the giant bed so I don’t have to crawl over either guy. We’re in Edmund’s room, I think. The same one where I took a shower in the adjoining bathroom, with the forest green accents, the giant picture window looking out over San Esteban.

I hurry out and find my clothes in the living room. t-shirt, jeans, and shoes. No bra, no underwear. That’s fine. It won’t be the first time I’ve gone home from a hook-up commando, probably won’t be the last.

“Hey.” Troy comes in as I’m pulling on my jeans. I try not to ogle him in his boxers. “Dani?—”

“Don’t. I told you both a thousand times how much I hate you yesterday. Looks like, with Edmund at least, the feeling is mutual.”

“It isn’t. Don’t say that.”

I whip off the borrowed shirt and tug on my own. I’d like to say I’m pissed, but I’m mostly disappointed. I put aside the petty warring family shit last night, but Edmund is scared off by a fucking tattoo ?

“Both of you, lose my number,” I shout over my shoulder as I jab the button for the elevator. “For real, this time.”

Troy doesn’t say anything back. I don’t turn around when I get into the elevator. I don’t want to look at him.

But I catch his reflection in the mirrored wall. His expression is flat, blank. Nothing there.

Guess I don’t matter to him, either.

The door closes, separating us. I sag against the wall, wishing I could bring Troy back to me, wishing I could reach them both.

Stupid Layton family. I really do hate them.

With every tear that escapes my eyes, I hate them a little bit more.