Page 11 of Treasured by Them (Rose and Dagger #3)

Edmund

I grin at Troy. “Yeah. That’s a brilliant suggestion.”

He rolls on the condom and hauls Danica over his lap again—this time so she’s sitting and facing out. I pull off her shorts and panties while he lifts her top up and over her head. She isn’t wearing a bra. My dick’s so hard, it’s difficult to think.

I tilt Danica’s chin and hold her in place for a kiss. Her tongue tentatively strokes mine. I deepen the kiss and she moans.

Pulling back, I say, “You were so good for your spanking. We should celebrate.”

We successfully negotiated a compromise, the three of us. If that isn’t worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.

“Let me in, Dani.” Troy nuzzles her neck. “Let me fuck that pretty little pussy.”

She gasps as he grabs her hips, lifts her, and lowers her over his dick.

“Doing okay?” he asks.

“Yeah.” Her eyes flutter shut.

“You want to behave,” I say, “but sometimes you just can’t let yourself, huh?”

“I’m sorry.” She squirms against Troy.

He brings his hands up to cup her perfect tits.

Troy pumps his hips slowly, helping to ease her farther down on his cock. This is so fucking hot, watching him disappear into her.

I drop to my knees in front of them. Looking up, I see Danica staring down to meet my gaze.

“That’s right, angel. Watch me while I lick you.” I stroke her inner thighs and caress her pussy lips around Troy’s cock.

She reaches for me and threads her fingers in my hair, her gray eyes beseeching. “Please.”

“All right, since you asked so sweetly.” I lean forward and kiss her clit. Soft, at first. Then with more pressure.

“Yes,” she moans.

I lick and suck in between kisses, lapping up her sweet and tart taste. She tastes amazing, always does. I could do this for hours. I push my shorts down my hips so I can pull out my cock. The ache feels good as I grip my shaft.

“You can take more,” Troy encourages her. “I know you can. Just relax, baby, let me fill you up.”

Danica makes a soft sound, half-whimper, half-moan. “I’m trying, you’re just so big.”

“I know, I know. You can do it. Slow and steady, baby girl.” He groans and flexes his hips. More of his cock disappears inside her. He brings a hand around to hold her lower stomach. “Fuck, I can feel myself inside you.”

Hot. I keep licking her, jacking myself at the same time. I keep my pace slow. I don’t want to come yet. Need to see her writhing and wiggling over Troy, first.

“Daddies,” Danica sighs. “I’m close.”

“Good. Come on my cock, sweetheart.” Troy thrusts, his cock moving in and out.

I keep licking and kissing our girl. I flick my tongue over her clit, lapping rhythmically at the little button in time with Troy’s thrusts.

Danica moans repeatedly, her pitch heightening. Her fingers tug at my hair as she rides Troy’s cock and my face.

“Come for us, baby.” Troy sounds strained, like he’s trying to hold back. “Come now.”

I suck hard at her clit.

“Yes!” Danica cries out—muscles tensing, body rippling.

I keep licking her. I don’t even need to move my tongue because Troy’s pumping his hips faster, chasing his own orgasm.

He comes with a groan and falls back with Danica splayed over the top of him.

I stand and glide my hand over my cock. The sight of Danica like that, her skin blushing pink with arousal, her hard nipples pointing up, her pussy pink and used—fuck.

It only takes a few jerks before I’m coming, the white liquid splashing over Danica’s stomach.

Troy and I clean her up, cuddle her, and fuck her again before sending her to work.

This time when she leaves the apartment, she doesn’t complain about Caleb guarding her.

* * *

Danica

On Saturday night, Leah and Caleb follow me up to the front door of my old place. I hesitate at the door. Should I knock? I don’t exactly live here anymore.

Nah, I’m paying rent, and these are my friends. I turn the handle and push it open.

My roommates jump to their feet, smiles on their faces.

“Danicaaaaaa!” Wallace rushes toward me, his brown bangs artfully styled. He carries a big, white sash in his outstretched arms. The word brIDE glitters in pink rhinestones. “I have something for you!”

I tug down the tight fabric of my white dress.

Tonight, I’m in white and everyone else in the party is wearing pink.

Wallace and Elias are wearing pink button-up dress shirts, and Elias even switched out his usual black gauges for pink ones.

Leah and Rita have on pink dresses. Leah has her brown hair down in waves over her shoulders, and Rita put up her curly red hair in a high ponytail, tied with a pink ribbon.

It’s a small bachelorette party, but all of this is happening last-minute. And I prefer a smaller group of besties over a large group of shallow acquaintances.

I allow Wallace to put the sash over my shoulder. Elias hands me a rhinestone tiara with brIDE spelled out on that, too. I’m living up to the “princess” pet name Edmund uses for me. I smile to myself as I adjust the tiara on my head.

At Vice, there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind who is getting married.

Rita whistles at the sight of the limo parked in front of the house. “Wow.”

“Yeah.” I’m a little embarrassed by all the fuss. Yes, this is all for my bachelorette party, but this is a marriage of convenience, after all. Nobody proposed or accepted the ring because they’re in love . So all the celebration feels somewhat fake.

Other than the very real feelings forming on my end.

Edmund said he liked me. I can tell Troy does. But it’s easy to like someone. Hell, I like my roommates. I like my parents’ friends Malcolm and Zora. I like my boss, Isabelle. Lots of people to like.

Love , though…that’s harder.

“Danica?” Rita waves her hand to get my attention. “Are you all set?”

“Oh, right.” I flash her a smile. “I’m ready, let’s go!”

Caleb, who has been my quiet shadow, sits up front with the chauffeur. Good enough, I guess. Since the big discussion with Edmund and Troy, I’ve spent the past three days tolerating his presence. Tonight will be no exception. Where I go, Caleb follows. Yawn.

Wallace and Elias wrestle with a bottle of champagne, which pops open and startles Rita, who shrieks. We all laugh as they pour us glasses.

Leah clinks the edge of her flute with her fingernails.

“This is the first toast of the evening, and I just want to say…Danica, you are my best friend. Ride or die. You are one of the kindest people I know. Smart, loyal, funny, fierce. Edmund is a lucky son-of-a-bitch. Also, he’s paying for our drinks tonight. So let’s get shit-faced!”

We laugh, clink glasses, and cheer.

My heart beats happily in my chest. I throw an arm around Leah’s shoulders and place a smacking kiss on her cheek. “I’m so fucking grateful to call you my friend.”

At Vice, a long line stretches down the block. I move to get at the back of it, but Leah waves me forward. “Nope. Special treatment tonight.”

“Edmund doesn’t have any sway here, does he?” I ask.

She grins. “No. But Gage and Dmitri do.”

An intoxicating beat filters into the night air, calling us forward. The five of us, plus Caleb, strut to the entrance like we own the place. And maybe we do, because the bouncers step aside with big smiles to let us through.

“Here comes the bride!” one of them sing-shouts into the club.

The crowd closest to the entrance—the only people who could’ve possibly heard him—break out into cheers.

My face hurts from smiling so much. Maybe the wedding is fake, but this celebration is real.

The only reminder that things are weird is Caleb lurking nearby. I resolve to ignore him.

Strobe lights flash in time with the thumping bass. My hips are moving of their own accord—we’re barely inside and I’m already dancing. The champagne I drank is moving smoothly through me as a nice, comfortable buzz.

“We have a room upstairs.” Leah points to a second level overlooking the dance floor. “Do you want to go up and check it out, or dance first?”

I grab her hand and Rita’s. “Dance. Definitely dance!”

Pretty soon, we’re rocking out. Wallace is one of the worst dancers I’ve ever met, but he does it so joyfully, it works.

Rita and Leah teach him a new dance that Rita picked up from some social media challenge.

Elias frowns, but eventually joins in, so I do, too.

The five of us get the hang of it, and the dance spreads across the floor with more and more people joining in.

I catch Leah’s eye and we both smile.

“This is so much fucking fun!” I shout over the music.

“I know, right?” She executes a perfect spin.

The song blends into a new one, the beat maintained. We keep the dance going. The floor is packed, and I’ve lost sight of Wallace, Elias, and Caleb. Rita dances with a random guy, but she seems happy about it. I wave at her and she waves back, grinning.

“Let’s head upstairs for a bit, see if we can’t find Wallace and Elias on the way,” I say to Leah, before motioning to Rita.

Rita sends back a thumb’s-up, so Leah and I move toward the stairs. I glance around, searching for the boys. Wallace and Elias are dancing in another area, and Caleb’s standing nearby. Good, we’re all accounted for.

“Should we let the guys know where we’re going?” I have to shout to be heard over the music.

“Yeah, head on up—I’ll tell them.” Leah hands me a key card. “The reservation is under your name. I’ll order some shots to send up to our VIP room.”

“Sounds good!” I fight my way through the crowd, aiming for the wide set of stairs that lead to the club’s exclusive second level.

I haven’t even reached the stairs before a guy steps into my path. His brown hair is slicked back and his suit screams money .

“Excuse me.” I step around him.

“You’re the bride, huh?” He laughs.

I don’t turn around. “Yep.”

“When’s the wedding?”

What about me walking away makes him think I want to engage in a conversation? I could say next week, or I could ignore him. I opt to ignore.

His hand comes down on my shoulder, stopping me. “Do you actually love the groom?”

“Let go of me.” I try to spin out of his grasp, but he squeezes. He digs his thumb into my flesh, causing me to cry out. Tears spring to my eyes.

“Quiet. I have a gun and I won’t hesitate to shoot up this entire club, starting with your friends. It would be a shame to make their pink outfits all red with blood.”