Page 33

Chapter Twenty-One

"Honey, I'm home!" yells Quintin from the front door.

"We're in here!" I call from the kitchen. I'm in the middle of checking that I have all of the resources I need to upgrade my cities in Settlers, and it's crucial to balance my items perfectly.

Quintin comes to the doorway, but instead of greeting us, he looks at Ethan and Lionel and says, "What are you two doing here?"

"I'm trying to trade some wool for ore," says Lionel. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you're in Chicago when you're supposed to be hundreds of miles away with your family," says Quintin.

"Fuck that," Lionel scoffs.

"Agreed," says Ethan. "Will either of you trade me two bricks for one ore?"

"No, I'm trying to get ore," argues Lionel. "You can't take what I need."

"Of course I can," says Ethan. "Clarissa?"

"I do need bricks to upgrade my city." I reach out and trade resources with Ethan, trying not to giggle at Lionel's look of betrayal.

"You have to know what people want in order to get them to trade." Ethan calmly sets out his resources for his own upgrades.

"You're playing games and don't even care that I'm home?" asks Quintin.

"Of course we care." I smile up at him as I rearrange the cards in my hands so I can better plan my next moves. "Sit down and join us."

"Where did we get a board game?" asks Quintin, plopping down in one of the open chairs.

"I'm not sharing my resources," says Lionel.

"Me either," agrees Ethan.

"We went to a store this morning and picked one out." It was part of our continued Artist Dates.

Ethan and I'd spent the whole morning looking around a comic book store.

Normally I wouldn't go in, but Ethan practically lit up as soon as we stepped inside.

He showed me around the entire store even though he swore he'd never been there before.

He'd been into comic books when he was young before discovering anime, and recognized nearly every poster and explained which shows the action figures were from.

The store had had a full row of games, and we'd decided that learning a new game together would be a fun afternoon date. We hadn't expected two more of our roommates to also come home early, but at least we got a game that works for multiple people.

"Fine," grumbles Quintin. "I'm going to shower and unpack. By the time I'm back, I expect the three of you to be done with this game so we can start a new one and I can join."

"We'd finish sooner if someone would trade me so I can get some ore," complains Lionel.

"I don't have enough points yet to win," says Ethan, "so obviously I'm not going to let you finish the game."

"I can do it without your help," Lionel grumbles.

"We'll see." Ethan lays down more resources for another upgrade.

We go around the table a couple more times. I'm so close to winning.

"Did you finish that game yet?" Quintin steps back into the kitchen smelling fresh from his shower.

"I just need wood and then I'll win!" I nearly jump out of my chair with excitement. These guys are some of the best video gamers in the world, yet I'm winning a simple board game against them. I'm not letting myself consider that they might be letting me win.

"Neither of us have any wood to trade you," says Ethan, grinning as he watches me bounce in my chair. I can't help it.

They win all the time so they're used to it, but this is exciting for me!

"Maybe I can help you out." Quintin shifts me out of my chair and sits down, tugging me down onto his lap. "I definitely have some wood for you."

Lionel and Ethan chuckle, but keep working toward acquiring their resources. I try to do the same, except it's a little challenging with Quintin's hand down the front of my pants, playing with my clit.

It's hard to focus and make the best decisions as my pussy begins to leak for him.

"Keep playing," whispers Quintin as he stands me up and tugs my pants just down my hips.

My jeans are still around my thighs, so they keep my legs pressed together as Quintin pulls me back down onto his lap. Right where his hard cock notches against my entrance. As he lowers me down onto him, his cock stretches my pussy until he's all the way inside me.

When it's my turn, I can barely hold the dice, I'm so focused on the way Quintin fills me. I expect him to move, to fuck me, but he simply keeps himself nestled inside me as I take my turn. I acquire two new bricks, but not the wood I desperately need to win.

"Man, I'm getting so much wood over here now," teases Lionel, fanning his cards in his hand.

"Are you sure you don't want to give me any?" I ask.

"It looks like you're a little full at the moment." Lionel laughs as Quintin wraps his arms around my stomach, holding me still and impaling me on his cock.

I really am, but Quintin isn't doing anything. Just being my chair for this game as his cock twitches inside, holding me against him so I can't move. I need to win this game so he'll fuck me properly. I squeeze my inner muscles around his dick.

"Fuck." Quintin nuzzles into my neck as his hands cup my breasts under my shirt.

"Yeah, that's not distracting to our game play at all," says Lionel.

"Don't be jealous," say Quintin. "I saw an opening and took it."

I can't help but giggle as my boyfriends chuckle, because Quintin literally did exactly that.

It's my turn and I finally draw the wood card I need. I lean forward to lay out my cards, Quintin's cock adjusting inside me and hitting a spot that feels so good I almost gasp.

"And I win." I can't help but grin. Our first game and I actually win. Between that and Quintin's thick cock filling my pussy, I'm feeling pretty good.

"Did you decide whose bed you're sleeping in tonight?" Quintin rolls his hips, causing the walls of my pussy to flutter.

"She slept in Ethan's bed the last two nights and you're fucking her now," Lionel points out, "so I vote she sleeps in my bed tonight."

"You got to fuck her earlier today because you got home before me. I'm just catching up on our quality time," argues Quintin.

"I haven't fucked Clarissa since getting home," Lionel protests as Ethan begins to clean up the game.

"Seriously? You've been home all day and haven't fucked her?"

"We were busy playing a game," argues Lionel.

"You snooze, you lose," says Quintin.

"I'm not a toy you can fight over." I start to stand because if they're going to be annoying, I'm leaving.

Quintin pulls me back down and his cock slams into my pussy. I let out an involuntary cry of pleasure, swiveling my hips so he hits the good spot again.

"We're not fighting over you, baby. We're just having a conversation." Quintin lifts me up and slams my hips back down into his lap.

"Besides, we just want you to be happy," agrees Lionel. "Let Quintin show you a good time now, and after I'll carry you upstairs to bed."

"I'm off to bed myself," says Ethan, standing from the table. He leans over and captures my lips in a sweet kiss. "Another date day tomorrow?"

"Yes, please. Good night." The last part comes out as a moan as Quintin raises me slightly off his lap and fucks me fast and hard, desperate for me the same way he was before they left for the airport.

My arms come up over my head to hold Quintin close as he fucks me in the chair. Lionel turns, crossing his ankle over his knee as he watches. Not commenting or saying a word, but his eyes darken in appreciation.

His eyes on me, enjoying the scene playing out before him, turns me on even more. He's probably sitting there watching how his friend fucks me and imagining all of the things he wants to do to me in bed tonight. The thought has me coming fast and hard.

Quintin yanks me down, using my hips to jackhammer my pussy onto his cock until he's coming too.

"I've missed you." Quintin nuzzles into my neck as we enjoy the after-tremors of our orgasms.

"I've missed you too," I whisper back.

"All right, time for bed," announces Lionel, standing up.

I try to join, but my limbs are weak and my jeans are still tight around my thighs. Lionel makes quick work of them, shimmying them to the floor. He leaves them right there in the kitchen as he picks me up, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"Let's go to bed, Clarissa." Lionel walks us out of the kitchen.

"Okay." I rest my cheek on his shoulder as he carries me. "Good night, Quintin."

We decided on the arcade bar for our group Artist Date. Although maybe that's not the right thing to call it anymore, since it's definitely an actual date-date.

Quintin had wanted to go to the zoo, but it's so chilly out that we didn't know how many of the animals we'd actually be able to see. We promised him we'd try again in the spring when the animals are active, and I tried not to wonder if I'll still be here, in their lives.

Maybe they'll get tired of me and ask me to move out so they can hire a new live-in girlfriend.

Or maybe I'll have earned enough money that I'll be able to afford living on my own again.

Obviously not in as big a house as we live now, because that would be lonely, as I've recently learned.

But a small apartment designed just for me.

"How could you fail so hard at pinball?" Lionel asks Ethan now. "The game is like a hundred years old."

"You game for a living," says Quintin, "and that machine only had two buttons."

"You're supposed to be good with your fingers," Lionel teases.

"I told you," Ethan grouses, "the buttons were sticky. It wasn't my fault."

"A likely story." Quintin laughs as he unlocks the front door.

"All of my winning has me starving," says Lionel as we file inside. "What are we thinking for dinner?"

"Noob! Are you angling to get Clarissa to cook us dinner on a date day?" asks Quintin.

"What? No." Lionel looks at me, panicked. "I wasn't. I swear."

"Sorry to break the news to you," I say, stepping in to relieve his worry, "but I can't help cook dinner. I'm heading out to The Moat tonight. I just came home with you to switch bags."

All three of my boyfriends stop their bickering to stare at me as I step onto the stairs, prepared to leave them in the front hallway.

"Where are you going?" asks Lionel.

"It's Thursday," I say, taking the next step. At their blank stares I add, "Critique group?"

"Ah yes, okay." Ethan nods. "We usually have a game or training session about now."

"So, uh." Quintin looks around the hall uncertainly. "What do we do now, then?"

"Cook dinner for ourselves?" asks Lionel.

Ethan rolls his eyes and heads toward the kitchen, so I jog upstairs.

Grabbing my cute bird bag, I throw in my planner, highlighters, pens, and the marked-up copies of my partners' chapters.

At my bedroom door, I remember my wallet and turn back to my desk to fetch it from my purse.

My train card will be helpful. My credit card too.

As soon as I hit the first floor, I can hear arguing from the kitchen. I could sneak out the front door and leave them to their own problems, but my feet have other plans.

"Is there a problem in here?" My boyfriends seem to be having a heated conversation, but I can't tell what about.

"No, not at all," Lionel says, too quickly.

"Yup, no problem here." Quintin wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me to the front door. "Have a wonderful time at your critique group."

"We'll see you later," says Ethan, following.

Both Quintin and Lionel give him a sharp look.

"When you get home," he adds.

"Have fun." Quintin gives me a kiss on the cheek before opening the door.

Now I'm not sure if it's a good idea to leave. Something is definitely going on, but I don't know what. Or how worried about it I should be.

"Bye." Lionel takes advantage of my pause to kiss me goodbye too.

I've kissed two of them, so it's only fair that I kiss the third.

I go up on tiptoe to kiss Ethan goodbye, then head out the door.

If they don't want to share their problem, I shouldn't press.

Although I'd thought that after the last couple of days, we'd grown closer and they'd start to let me in a little.

But I guess we're not there yet. Maybe we never will be.