Page 11

11

Brianna

T his was insanity… wasn’t it?

But as Bri looked down the aisle once more, past the rows of dusty paperwork, down to where Aldous sat at the table, even she couldn’t deny the look he was giving her.

Roman was right. Aldous liked this.

This morning had been depressing. She’d been filled with thoughts of rejection and the overwhelming prospect of a loveless, touchless marriage.

It wasn’t like she’d been demanding Aldous fuck her immediately. But she liked him, and she’d been trying to make the best of a bad situation. Having him look at her with utter revulsion had hit her hard, but there was no revulsion on his face right now.

There was something else entirely .

She was thankful Roman had spelled it out for her. Her brain had been conjuring all manner of ideas. Did he think she wasn’t good enough to touch him? Did he think she was tainted because of who her mother was?

In all her theories, Bri had never considered that Aldous’s issue wasn’t specific to her .

Way to be self-centred, you egocentric dingbat.

The intensity of Aldous’s gaze almost set her on fire. He luxuriated in his attraction to her, his powerful thighs spread and his fists clenched.

Bri loved it. She loved seeing him like this. Her new husband came alive in his lust. She needed to see it—the magnitude of his attraction was palpable, coming off him in wave after wave.

But Aldous wasn’t the only one looking at her.

Roman leant in to whisper in her ear, “I’m at your service, Mrs Stone.”

Goosebumps sprung up in response, setting off a chain reaction right down her spine. “But do you want to be , Roman?”

“I’ve wanted you since you first walked into Koa’s office that day.”

The answer made her giddy, but she did her best to conceal it. She’d flirted with Roman from the start, but his default setting seemed to be flirtatious. Bri was never sure if it was genuine attraction between them or whether she was even more na?ve than she thought she was.

College had been an eye-opening experience, but Bri had never been physically involved with anyone. She’d saved her virginity, as her mother expected of her. It wasn’t necessarily because she wanted to obey, but in fear of what Mom would do to any man she became involved with.

But now she was free.

Bri bit her lip, sending a seductive look at her husband before giving Roman her answer. “Then show me how much you want me.”

Roman seized her lips with his own, devouring her kiss and demanding more. His hard body pressed hers against the shelves, letting her feel the rigidity of his arousal. Papers fell to the ground behind her, scattering at their feet. She clutched at his shirt, pouring everything she had into their embrace. There was a dichotomy to his touch—those deceivingly soft lips and the rough scrape of his stubble as he carried the kiss down to her neck.

Whilst Roman was there, Bri chanced a look at Aldous.

He glared at them with a feral hunger, his barely-sheathed arousal burning so brightly she doubted he could hold himself back much longer. His detached response from last night seemed almost laughable in comparison.

A thread of something formed in their shared gaze. A potential for something more.

“Can I undo this?” Roman asked, guiding her back down the aisle—until they were within feet of Aldous.

It took a second for her to realise what Roman was asking, but then he tapped her neck—specifically, the neck part of her halter neck dress.

Summoning all of her courage, she nodded. She’d fantasised about being with a man a thousand times. What would it be like to feel his eyes on her body?

Except her first experience wasn’t with a man. It was with men .

Roman pulled to loosen the knot, keeping his eyes on hers as the fabric slipped down her chest, exposing her pebbled nipples beneath.

“Fuck,” he whispered against her lips, before pulling her into a consuming, drugging kiss. His hands caressed her bare skin, raising goosebumps wherever they went. His soft, stroking tongue soon had her forgetting her own name.

Warmth flooded beneath her navel as Roman’s hands began to explore, coming dangerously close to her breasts before moving away. God, this man was driving her out of her mind in a records room , for Christ’s sake. This should be the most boring place on earth, and yet her panties were soaked. Her upper thighs were slick with her arousal, and he hadn’t even touched her nipples yet.

Bri broke the kiss. “Please.”

Roman’s triumphant glare only made her wetter, but he turned to Aldous. “Your wife is begging me. Can I give her what she wants?”

Aldous crooked a finger. “Put her where I can see her.”

She let herself be pulled over to the table. Up close, she could see the long, hard outline in her husband’s pants—and the bitemark in his bottom lip, as though his teeth had been sunk into it whilst he watched. She gasped when she felt Roman’s fingers under her skirt, but instead of going between her legs, he hooked his touch into her panties, pulling them to her knees in one quick swipe.

“Take these off,” Roman told her. “I think your husband would like a souvenir—fuck, you’re drenched.”

Bri watched him offer her clearly damp panties to her captivated husband with a single finger, squeezing her thighs together when Aldous swiped them off him. She almost whimpered when he bundled them in his fist and ran his nose against them, letting out a carnal growl.

She was so focused on her husband that she didn’t notice Roman laying his jacket out on the table. But then he was hoisting himself onto it, spreading his legs and patting in between them. “Your husband wants a front row seat.”

He wanted her to sit on the desk directly in front of Aldous , whilst she was panties-less and topless.

And she didn’t think she hated the idea. Bri loved the way the two men were looking at her right now.

Fuck it.

She climbed between his legs, until her back was flush against his front and his mouth was on her neck. Bri’s eyes closed, gasping out a tiny moan—but when she opened them, she saw Aldous’s fiery amber gaze locked onto her body.

“Spread your legs,” Roman purred in her ear. Judging by the rock-solid length pressing against her back, he was as aroused as she was. His hands quested over her skin, leaving goosebumps of desire in their wake. “Your husband should know how wet you are, don’t you think?”

Without worrying about the fact that it had been a couple of days since she’d shaved, Bri shifted her legs apart, feeling a peculiar satisfaction at the predatory hiss that escaped between Aldous’s teeth.

Roman flicked his thumb over her nipple, smiling at her gasp. “Do you like exposing yourself in front of your husband?” he asked, his breath rushing over her ear.

Arousal leaked into every corner of her body, the pressure building, screaming to be let loose. She nodded, turning her head to look up at Roman. “More. Please. ”

“It’s not me you should be asking.” Roman looked at Aldous. “What do you think? Should we give her what she wants?”

Splayed out for their viewing, Bri felt like a sacrificial offering caught between them. Both of them looked their fill, their combined gazes dragging across her skin.

But it was her husband whose glare burned hottest. When he finally lifted his focus from between her legs, he inclined his head in acceptance—but there was no mercy to be found there. “Tease her until she begs.”

“I’m already beggi—” Bri’s head fell back against Roman’s muscular shoulder as his fingers slipped between her folds, coating themselves in her wetness. Her attention was so focused on what his left hand was doing that she wasn’t paying attention to his right.

Until he gave her nipple a sharp pinch before plucking it.

Bri’s eyes rolled back in her head, a rushed cry escaping her. It was one thing for her to touch herself like that, but someone else doing it was a million times more intense. “Roman,” she whimpered, another pinch sending hot streaks of desire to her core, even as his fingers played dangerously close to her clit. Another pinch reduced her to a writhing, panting mess. “How does that feel so good?”

“Everyone likes a little pain with their pleasure.” He kissed her neck, clapping his hand over her mouth and finally giving her clit a slow, laborious roll. “Let your moans out, baby. There’s only us to hear them. We’ll take care of your innocent little wife, won’t we, Aldous?”

Bri barely heard them. The hand around her mouth loosened, but she wanted it back. Somehow it made the pleasure even more intense, more visceral . In college, she’d heard of women being labelled “screamers.” Her dorm neighbour had certainly been one.

She’d never understood what was in it for the women. Were they just overdoing it so their partners would think they’re doing a good job? Did they hate their neighbours?

Nope. It just felt really fucking good .

“More,” she begged, half-crazed with desire. “Touch my clit again. Please. ”

Roman took mercy on her, caressing her needy clit until her back arched. His hips began to move behind her, and Bri twisted her arm around to squeeze the unmistakable length safely restrained in his pants. “Careful, cutie,” he laughed, dipping his finger inside her entrance. “Or I’ll bend you over the desk and fuck you in front of your husband.”

She let out a loud whimper. Why did that sound so hot? Losing her virginity on a desk in a Mexican government building to a man who was not her husband had not been on her bingo card today.

Aldous’s eyes lit up at his words, his nostrils flaring. But Bri didn’t know if it was desire or jealousy.

“Do you want that, husband?” Bri managed to bite out. Warmth was building beneath her navel, spreading its roots out. Her breathing quickened, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him—until there was another pluck at her nipple. “ Oh, Roman!”

“Or perhaps,” Roman began, “we could both—” His watch gave a deep beep, vibrating against her hip. He froze, leaving her on the edge of her climax. “Shit.”

“What’s wrong?” she whispered, shifting her needy hips.

He yanked her skirt back down. “Someone just set off my motion sensors at the entrance.” He pulled the straps of her top back over her neck, rapidly tying them in a knot before sliding off the desk and turning out of the little nook they were in. “Keep yourself covered. Stay up here.”

What? Bri sat on the edge of the table, the delicious ecstasy of her approaching orgasm rapidly draining away. Her eyes made contact with Aldous’s for a brief moment. As the seconds passed by and her sense of reason returned, embarrassment washed over her.

Had she really just hiked up her fucking skirts for two men who were practically strangers to her?

To avoid looking at her husband, Bri walked the short distance from the table to the papers she and Roman had scattered over the floor in their exuberance. Her heels clipped along the tired linoleum flooring, almost matching the furious beating of her heart.

Bri bent down with her back to Aldous, kneeling on the floor. She couldn’t risk seeing revulsion on his face again. Not now.

A lump formed in her throat as she piled the papers together. They’d scattered far and wide when they landed. Even, to her disgust, under the shelves themselves. As she reached underneath, she tried not to think about what else would be lurking under there. Used chewing gum and rat droppings and spiders.

Perhaps predictably, thinking of rat droppings didn’t help the lump in her throat to go down. Her lips turned downwards, and Bri surreptitiously wiped at her eye with her clean hand. Through her tears, she counted the pages. Thirty two, thirty three, thirty five, thirty six.

She started her recount of the pile. Thirty four had to be in here somewhere.

Somewhere around nineteen, footsteps approached her, pausing behind her before moving again—until Aldous’s shoes came into her peripheral vision. He bent down in front of her, his knee thudding against the floor. “There was a page stuck under the shelves behind you.”

Bri nodded, not looking up at him. How could she feel so confident one minute and so shitty the next? It was like all of her arousal had soured within her, poisoning her mood from the inside out. “Thank you,” she murmured, pretending to still be counting the pages.

Until she blinked, and a tear splashed onto page forty-five.

“What’s wrong, love?” he murmured, his voice as soft as it was during her seizure recovery.

She shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. Somewhere far at the other end of the building, a vacuum cleaner whirred to life. It was the cleaners, then. “I don’t know.”

Everything had come to a stop so… suddenly. Was that it? She’d been right on the edge of her release, in front of not just one but two men, only to be cut short when Roman dashed off—and hadn’t yet come back.

Her lips parted when she realised why her emotions had gotten the best of her.

“I… I know it’s not rational,” she began hesitantly, wondering if he was going to think she was insane.

Aldous chuffed out a soft laugh. “I’m the last person to judge you for irrational behaviour.”

Finally, she looked up at him, meeting those amber eyes head on. “I feel discarded.” Even though it was for a good reason. Damn that cleaner. Couldn’t they have waited two more minutes? “I always thought my first experience of sex was going to be this romantic thing where—”

“That was your first experience of sex?”

Incredulity yanked her eyebrows together. “Of course. Mom was always going to sell me off, Aldous. And the kind of men she associates with expect their wives to be virgins.”

Aldous’s mouth contorted into disgust, a muscle on his nose twitching. “Your mother is vile, and so are those men.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “So you would have accepted me even if I’d have slept my way through college?” she asked, before her brain caught up. Of course he wouldn’t have, because he didn’t want to marry me in the first place.

To her surprise, however, he nodded. “I would. Also…” He cleared his throat, dipping his hand in his pocket. “You may be wanting these back.”

Bri blinked, a watery laugh springing from her. “I thought you were going to offer me a tissue.”

He grinned. “I’m afraid not. Just your pants.”

“Excuse me, those are pant ies .” She gave him a tart look as he dropped them into her palm. Oh jeez, those are damp.

He reached over to the missing piece of paper he’d found, passing it into her keeping. “Do you need my help putting them back?”

“The panties or the papers?” she sniffed, the last of her tears leaving her.

Aldous wore the gentle smile he seemed to reserve just for her. “I think I’m going to leave that up to interpretation.”

God, how had she ever been terrified of him? Her trembling fear at the altar was a thousand miles away now. Aldous was grouchy and sweet in equal measures, all whilst being shockingly, surprisingly filthy when he wanted to be.

“I remember,” she began, unsure of why she was whispering, “I thought my life was going to be over when I married you. But of all the men I could have ended up with, I’m glad it was you, Aldous.”

His lips curved, and Bri fought the urge to lean in and kiss him. “I’m glad it was me too.”

As Aldous collected the pile of papers and climbed to his feet, Bri flipped over the page he’d found under the bookshelf. Thirty four . Yep. That was the one she was missing, all right.

“Give me your hand, love.”

Her gaze shot up. Aldous stood over her, his jaw knotted tight—and his hand held out. Willingly.

Bri did a double take, her jaw slackening. Since they’d married, he’d sprinted away from every chance of physical contact. She hadn’t asked questions—she’d just accepted her husband for who he was.

A sigh of relief gusted out of her lungs.

He’s starting to let me in.

Slowly, Bri lifted her hand, anticipation making her muscles twitch. She went slow, letting the very tips of her fingers land first before sliding into the centre of his large palm. Their eyes locked together. Somehow it felt more intimate than a kiss.

His hand tightened, the strength hidden in those broad shoulders pulling her to her feet with ease.

“Thank you, Aldous.”

He nodded, slowly looking her over before turning to replace the stack of papers her and Roman had knocked over.

Smiling to herself, she glanced at the single piece of paper left in her possession—page thirty four. She took a brief glance at the page’s contents to double check the page number, but something else caught her eye.

Ruta de Los Cardónes 193.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she muttered, more to herself than to Aldous.

“What’s wrong?”

Bri stabbed an accusatory forefinger into the paper. “This is the address.” Where was Roman when you needed him? She moved past Aldous, visually searching the little nook their table had been hidden away in to find it empty. He had been gone for a while, now she thought of it. Oh fuck . Had he been caught up in some nefario—?

Twenty feet down the corridor, Roman leaned against the wall. “Hey, cutie patootie.” He winked, a shit-eating grin on his face. He slid his phone into his pocket, and she caught a glimpse of bright colours on its screen.

She blinked. “Have you been out here playing games on your phone?”

“And messaging an ex. Seemed like you were having a private conversation.” He chucked his thumb over his shoulder, lowering his voice to a whisper. “The alarm was just the cleaner coming in, by the way. Although you didn’t seem too bothered.”

Bri held up page thirty four, bypassing the comment about his ex. “I think we found the property ownership records. I need you to translate.”

Roman approached her. His eyes flicked over the page as she waited with bated breath. “The property was owned by J. Hernández Sr from 1968 up until around 15 years ago.”

She choked out a little sigh of disappointment. Was that it? “Does it say his full name anywhere? Hernández wasn’t exactly an unusual name.”

It took a few seconds for Roman to scan the document in full. He shook his head. “It doesn’t, but we’ll find him.”

“I know,” she murmured, trying to believe it. One step forward, two steps back.

“I promise, Bri.” He came closer, tilting her chin up to slant his lips over hers.

Bri jumped, cutting off the embrace before he could deepen it. She glanced over her shoulder, her brows knotted together. It was one thing for the three of them to be sexually intertwined, but casual affection was different. As much as she wanted to embrace Roman, she didn’t want to ruin her progress with Aldous.

Leaning against the end of the aisle, her husband gave her a gentle nod. It’s okay , his eyes seemed to say.

Breathing in a breath of relief, Bri tried to focus on Roman’s words. She felt Aldous behind her, surprised by how much comfort he brought with him..

“Dex—my ex—has been in Argentina for months working on a case, but apparently, he arrived back last week. He wants to meet up.”

She didn’t understand the significance. “Are you wanting to have the day off?”

“He’s a private investigator.” Roman gave her an endearing smile. “And a really fucking good one. We’ve made a start on finding your father, but Dex does this for a living. He thinks he can help.”

There was that hope again, rising from the ashes of disappointment. “How much does he cost?”

Aldous’s snort was decisive. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll pay it.”