Page 6

Landon

Never in my life have I felt more helpless than right now. A million horrifying possibilities race through my mind for what could cause Nicole to look and act like this.

She’s withering away. This strong-willed, brilliant, cunning, independent bombshell is…

“Are you sick? Have you… been diagnosed with something?”

Jesus, what if she has cancer? Or some rare disease that they haven’t identified yet?

Nicole shakes her head and sips the water. Hoping she’s not actually going to yack up her meal, I let go of her hair and rub her back instead.

Kerrington squats down in front of her and places his hands on her thighs. “What’s going on, Nicole? Please talk to us.”

Her sweet chin trembles and she shakes her head, not answering more than that.

She’ll share when she’s ready. Or maybe we’ll never know. Nicole doesn’t owe us anything, least of all an explanation for her current state. But it’s obvious neither Kerrington nor I will let her leave here tonight. Shit, if I had my way, she’d never walk away from us again.

Nothing’s been the same since our one and only night together, and I’d give anything to turn back time.

I want to take care of this woman. I think Kerrington does too. Not that we’ve ever really discussed our feelings or desires much. He and I? Well, we just go with the flow. Only lately it’s been less flow and more like white water rafting.

“Landon, run our girl a bath.”

My stomach does a weird twist when he orders me in that tone of his. I don’t always like it and I sure as shit don’t need to be bossed around in a moment like this. Still, I get up and follow his orders because I want desperately to take care of her, and Kerrington is extremely good at taking care of me so… I guess he’s just used to calling all the shots.

Getting the tub ready, I make sure it’s perfect. Bath salts, dim lights, some lavender oil. This suite has everything one needs to be pampered like a bougie bitch.

It’s me. I’m a bougie bitch.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Kerrington called ahead and had all my favorites delivered ahead of time to our suite. He’s thorough and thoughtful like that.

The man’s perfect.

Guilt makes my hands clammy. What the fuck are we doing? Not just today, but…

“Almost there,” he says from the doorway, helping Nicole walk.

Is she so fucking weak she can barely hold herself up? What’s happened to her, goddamnit? The worst part about this is I like that she’s become this helpless. I said what I said. I don’t want her to suffer, but if hitting some kind of rock bottom is what’s brought her back to us, I’m grateful.

I’ll burn in Hell later for that when the day comes, but it won’t be today.

“Just a few more steps,” he encourages. “I’m so proud of you, Duchess. You’re doing great.”

Duchess .

We gave her that nickname the night we shared her together. Actually, I gave it to her, and I told her to call me Trick. It made the things we did that much more fun because we weren’t ourselves. I got to be someone I’ve always wanted to be, and Nicole didn’t have to be Nicole.

I saw the way she responded to it earlier today, too. Her eyes sparked a little. Or maybe I’m delusional.

Tabling that thought, I help her out of her clothes. My heart stutters to a stop when I see her ribcage. She’s lost too much weight. Fucking hell.

“I’ve got it,” she snaps, when Kerrington tries to unclasp her bra.

He puts his hands up in surrender and backs away.

With her gaze cast to the marble floor, she slips out of her bra and panties and climbs into the soaking tub with my guided help. Christ, her hands are icy. “Easy, baby. Don’t slip.”

She finally settles into the water and sighs, looking relieved and exhausted.

“Kerr, go order our girl some chocolate and more water. And tea. Jasmine green tea.”

After he slips out of the bathroom, she looks up at me with her gorgeous hazel eyes. “How did you know I like jasmine green tea?”

I know a lot about Nicole, actually. Probably too much, considering my best friend Mason was her betrothed for years. Even though they’ve always acted like they can’t stand each other, he’s been there for her, which means so has Kerrington, Gage and I. Leah now, too. Nicole’s part of our rebellious family. She just doesn’t see it that way yet.

Kerrington’s deep voice echoes from outside as he orders room service, then he peeks back in. “You want chocolate mousse or a box of chocolates?”

“Both,” I answer before she can. It’s a dick move, but I’m too riled up and my possessive instincts have taken control. “And send someone out for those thin mint candies we get with the bill at Marcellos in Manhattan.”

Yeah, I’ve gone off the deep end now. But they’re her favorite, and so help me God, I’ll fly to New York myself tonight if I have to, just to go to that restaurant and get them if that’s what it takes to make her feel better .

“How did you—” Nicole huffs a little laugh and shakes her head. “You’re crazy.”

For you , I wish I could say, but I’m not trying to sound like a douche. Besides, I’m too awestruck by the smile she’s finally got on her face.

“I’ve missed you,” I blurt out. “Why’d you leave us that morning?”

So much for taking things slow and feeling her out. I suck at subtlety. That’s Kerrington’s specialty. I’m more like a bull with a red flag. I see it and go for it.

Nicole sinks into the water and doesn’t answer me.

“Duchess,” I warn. “We’re here to help you, and that can’t happen if we don’t know what’s going on.”

She didn’t get to this state overnight, or over a month or two. Our girl has been going through something for a while for her to be in this condition now.

“If you’re not sick,” I say cautiously, “then is it stress?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because you matter,” I’m quick to answer. “Always.”

Jeez, it’s getting hot in here. The steam in the bathroom feels like sticky fog in my lungs and my shirt is too tight.

“Why do I matter to you, Landon? What we…” She plays with the water a little bit and sw allows hard. “What we did that night was just fun. It wasn’t reality. It didn’t matter.”

She’s a fool if she truly believes that.

Or maybe I’m the dumbass because I don’t agree. One night with Nicole wasn’t enough for me. It’s put a huge rift in my relationship with Kerrington because I haven’t told him what’s up. I’m scared he’ll leave me. But seeing how fast he was to swoop in like a knight in shining armor today and help her gives me hope that maybe he’s a fool for her too.

Blowing out a long sigh, I sit on the floor and rest my chin on the edge of the tub like a puppy. “The night we shared you was the best night of my fucking life.”

She freezes and looks straight ahead.

The growing silence is killing me.

“Why did you runaway, Nicole?” My heart gallops as I await her answer. “Answer me.”

“Because,” she whispers, “I was ashamed.”

Her watery gaze swings to meet mine and all the air leaves my lungs. “Ashamed of what?”

It was a bad idea to ask that. She’s likely ashamed of me . Sometimes I think Kerrington is too. Both of them are too good for me. I’m an embarrassment and a brat who doesn’t give a shit about what others think of me.

“I…” Nicole bites her lip and shakes her head, swallowing whatever she was going to say.

“Did we do something wrong? Or me? Was it me? Did I—” Fucking hell, I thought I’d Dommed her exactly like how she needed me to. I didn’t think I’d gone overboard and everything we did that night was consensual. But maybe I’d misread something. “If I fucked things up, or scared you, I take full responsibility, and I’ll make it up to you.” It guts me to think I somehow messed this up. “You don’t have to stay with us if you don’t want. Kerrington can take you back to Mason’s if you—”

“Landon,” she all but growls. “Can I answer your question, or are you going to keep rambling?”

I shut up and stare at her.

God, I want to kiss her. Wrap her in my arms and hold her until she feels better. I want to feed her and bathe her and fuck her and worship her until whatever has gone wrong between us is fixed.

Nicole tucks her hair behind her ears, making her look adorable. “I was ashamed of myself.”

“Why?”

She shakes her head. “Because I wasn’t me that night.”

I beg your finest pardon. She was exactly herself that night. She showed us the real Nicole that no one else has gotten to see. Talk about a motherfucking honor.

“Who were you then?” I ask cautiously.

“Duchess.”

“Duchess.” I repeat. “And I was Trick. ”

“Yes.”

Is she trying to pretend that I’m not the same person? Yes, the honorific brings a level of escapism and fantasy to the scene, but I’m still me. I’m still Landon. The goofy, mindful, wild card with a big appetite motherfucker who had her choking on his cock. Twice.

“And when you woke up, you weren’t Duchess anymore. You were Nicole.”

“Correct.”

“So, you ran.”

“Yes.”

Anger stirs in my chest. “Did you like Trick?”

“Yes,” she says, a little softer. “And I like Landon too. I know you’re the same person, but it just felt different. For me. Being called Duchess made me feel different.”

Okay. I can work with that. “Did you like the way you felt, Duchess?”

Her eyes flutter as she looks up at me. “Yes.”

Good. Because I’m going to make sure she feels that way again as soon as we understand what’s going on with her body and stress levels.

My mind clicks back into Dom mode. “What do you need from me, Duchess?”

Her breath hitches, but she doesn’t respond.

Okay. Let’s try this another way. “Lift your arms out of the water and rest them on the sides of the tub for me.”

She obeys with ease .

“Good girl.” I grab a washcloth and soak it before running it down her neck and shoulders. “When Kerrington gets back, I want you to take three sips of water. Not four. Not two. Three . Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, Trick.”

My dick hardens immediately.

Kerrington walks in with perfect timing. I know he was listening on the other side of the door. He’s carrying a tray with a glass of ice water and a small plate of chocolate mousse with one spoon. I grab the glass and hand it to her.

She gulps it greedily. Three times.

Next, I hold up a spoonful of the chocolate dessert. “Open.”

Her jaw slackens and lips part.

“I want you to eat two bites of this for me, and then we’re going to revisit those fries again.” I push the spoon into her mouth and watch her lips wrap around the silverware.

“She takes orders so well,” Kerrington says from behind me.

“Yeah, she does.” My smile is so wide, I’m sure I look like a shark about to devour a little mermaid in my tub. “Take two more sips of water for us.”

Nicole does it.

Jesus, it’s like she’s gone into some kind of trance. I can’t tell if I like it or not. It’s fun to give orders, but this is a little unsettling.

“Do you need us to take care of you like this, Nicole?” Kerrington asks gently. Dropping to his knees beside me at the tub, he brushes some of her hair away from her forehead. “There is no wrong answer, baby. As long as it’s the truth.”

Her cheeks turn red, eyes water. She doesn’t answer.

“There’s no judgement here,” I reiterate. “And what happens in the hotel room, stays in the hotel room.”

We never told Mason, Leah, or anyone else about our last threesome. We knew it could fuck up her home life and social circles if she was caught with us. Unfortunately, our time at the club was leaked, anyway. Christ, just dancing with her set off the rumor mills.

We took care of it swiftly, though.

If she needs to be a complete submissive to two Doms, we’re more than happy to oblige. I get it. Sometimes you need to just stop thinking and be told what to do. Let the stress of life sit in the corner for a while and be controlled so you don’t even have to come up with what to eat, or what chore to do next, or what to wear. Give all the burdens and responsibilities to someone you trust for a hot minute so you can fucking breathe.

“You have to use your words,” Kerrington reminds her. “Nothing can happen here before then.”

A tear slips down her cheek and my heart cracks in half. Is it so hard to admit what you want?

“You can think about it,” I casually say. “Take your time in here and relax. Finish drinking that water for us, too.”

I tap Kerrington’s shoulder, signaling him to get up, and we both leave her in the bathroom to consider our offer.

“I don’t think she’s going to go for it,” Kerrington whispers. “We’re not that lucky.”

Luck has nothing to do with this. “She’s desperate.”

His brows pinch.

“She went to Mason’s house,” I explain. “You know she can’t stand him. Their love-hate relationship has never changed. If anything, I suspect it got worse when he cut ties from everyone while she was left in hell after the gala. But she ran to him . And look at her. She’s skin and bones.”

Kerr nods with the corners of his mouth turned down. “Do you want her?”

“Yes,” I admit without hesitation. The way he nearly flinches makes me pause. “Do you?”

He takes a moment, but finally says yes. His hesitation makes me reconsider our offer. “If this is going to fuck us up more, put more strain on what we have, then we need to stop before we start.” His silence makes me tense. “Kerr. Are you listening to me?”

He grabs me by the throat and pushes me back against the wall, holding my stare for so long, I melt. Then he kisses the ever-loving shit out of me. I have no clue what’s gotten into him, but I love it. Crave it.

“It won’t ruin us,” he finally says after breaking away from me. Letting me go, he backs up, still catching his breath.

“But what if it does?” I’m scared for us. I want the three of us back together badly, but am I willing to risk everything for it? Fuck.

I am.

And I think Kerrington is too because he pops off with, “If it wrecks what you and I have, then maybe we were never meant to be.”

My heart crashes.

He must see the devastation on my face because he adds, “Come on, Landon. Don’t pretend you haven’t been obsessing over her ever since she sprinted out of our bed the last time we did this.” He closes in on me again. “I see you up in the middle of the night checking her socials. I know you think of her when you jerk off. And that bit about the special chocolates?” His gaze drags down my body. “How long have you been studying her? Memorizing every little thing about her?”

Since the day I first met her, but I can’t say that. I don’t think I could ever admit that.

“I’m just as observant as you are,” I snap.

“It’s not the same.” Then his eyes round and brows pinch because it’s dawned on him that it’s exactly the same. “You’re in love with her.”

I shake my head, stupidly denying it. I can’t lose Kerrington. I loved him first.

I want them both, but what if—

“Okay,” Nicole says, walking out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. “My answer is yes.”

“Yes, to what, exactly?” Kerrington takes the opportunity to escape our problem.

“Yes, I want to be treated like I was before with the two of you.”

Kerrington stalks closer to her. “You’ll submit wholly and completely?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ll stay in this room. No running away in the morning.”

“No running away,” she confirms.

“And you want us both ?”

She first looks at him, then at me, and drops her head. “Yes.”

“For how long?” Kerrington tilts her chin, so she’ll look at him again. “How long do we get to have you, Duchess?”

“I… I’m not sure.”

He lets her go and steps back, and I swear there’s disappointment in his gaze. “We do nothing until you give us an end date.”

Her hands ball into fists. “Goddamnit, Kerrington! I don’t know. A week? A month?”

“Which is it?”

“A week,” she huffs impatiently .

Kerrington looks towards me, his brow arched. “Do these conditions work for you, Landon?”

A week is nothing. It’s not good enough. However, desperation urges me to take what I can fucking get. “Yes.”

“Good.” Kerrington points at the sofa and says to Nicole, “Go over there and sit down, Duchess.”

She gracefully and quietly, walks over to the couch and sits.

“Eat the rest of the French fries in that bag,” I say, my pulse racing.

Nicole snatches the bag and grabs a handful, stuffing them in her mouth.

“Slowly,” Kerrington growls. “We don’t want you to choke or make yourself sick, baby.”

She swallows and tries again, only putting two fries in her pretty mouth this time.

“Good girl.” I fall to my knees at her feet. “Do you remember your safe word?”

“Teapot.”

“Perfect.” Kerrington sits next to her, and we make sure she finishes her meal. “How do you feel now?”

“Full.” She leans back, sighing, and rests her head against his shoulder.

“Not full enough,” I tease, tugging her towel away to expose her body. “Sit in Kerrington’s lap.”

He lifts Nicole easily and settles her on top of him. “Spread your legs, Duchess. Trick has gone too long without eating too.”

He hasn’t called me Trick since that night the three of us shared. Hearing him use the name now stirs up a lot of things inside of me. We stare at each other for several heartbeats, and then I devour the woman between us.