Page 31 of Malice and Surrender
“I missed you too,” I said. “Tell me, do you like her?” I held my breath for the answer. Jace’s eyes went to the bathroom door and then back up to mine.
“I think she’s smart and sexy as hell. I also think she is exactly what we’ve always wanted, but I have my reservations.” He glanced at the door for a second time. “She’s terrified, Avro. The bravado is covering something terrible. You must see it.”
“Yeah, I know, she…she reminds me of me,” I said quietly, and Jace searched my face.
“That may be difficult to unpack,” he said, his fingers trailing down my arm. “You ready for that? I’m not here to help you.”
“Were you ready to help me when I needed you?”
He licked his lips. “Fine, if this is what you want, I’m willing to give her a shot. Something about her gets under my skin,” he said.
Dropping my lips to his nipple, I licked at the droplet of champagne I’d somehow missed.
“Fuck yes,” Jace groaned, his hand gripping my hair.
Jace would give Raine a shot. Now all I needed was to get Raine to see that this was what she wanted too. Easier said than done with all the fear she had bubbling under the surface.
Raine
The shower felt incredible. I was so caught up in the wide assortment of shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and all the other goodies that I almost forgot why I was in this shower in the first place. Almost.
My nerves were still happily jumping around and making me edgy. I had too many reasons now, and I couldn’t seem to focus on which one was the most important. Laying my hands against the tile, I let the hot water seep into my back and run down my body.
Closing my eyes, all I could see were amber eyes and an equally sexy pair of silver. That was a fucking hot combination. Never mind the kiss that had me blushing and would’ve set anyone’s underwear on fire. I may have lived in fear for a long time, but I wasn’t oblivious or immune.
Hell, the way Avro kissed me was enough to have me begging for more. I could only imagine what his touch would do. Then there was Jace. I wasn’t sure about him. He made every hackle bristle with his smart mouth and penetrating stare that challenged me all on its own. I trusted Avro. He made me feel safe and accepted. I didn’t feel like I was some alien or freak when he was near me, so if he trusted Jace, I needed to try and trust him.
I was so curious about how they’d begun their relationship. I suddenly wanted to know everything. How did they meet? How long had they been dating? And most importantly, how the hell did you keep something like that secret? I’d never once seen Avro in a magazine, tabloid, or newspaper. He was the full-time love interest of the guy who’d just hit the cover of Sexiest Man Alive, and no one freaking knew but me and maybe his bandmates? Was that possible?
Stepping out of the shower, I quickly dried off and realized I had no spare clothes. Fuck, I didn’t even have my regular clothes. I glared at the door as I realized Avro had snuck in and taken them, but at least he left a large black robe in their place. It served me right for not locking the door. I looked at the handle and realized there was no lock, then paused.
I hadn’t locked the door. I hadn’t even tried. I’d stripped naked, got in the shower, and wasn’t worried about locking the door. I covered my mouth as a well of emotion burst inside my chest. That was massive for me. It needed an award. I felt like I’d just climbed Everest and reached the peak.
I made my way over to the massive, intimidating mirror, stared at my shocked, smiling face, and took a moment to think.
This was a big step for anyone. This could be a whole new chapter in my life that I hadn’t even dreamed of, or it could be a disaster. Avro was my best friend. Shit, he was my only friend, and if this went wrong, I’d be losing the one person in my life that I’d learned to trust and even lean on.
On the other hand, here I was in my twenties with all of one experience to my name, and I knew it was time for me to try to move past it. I needed to make strides to find out who I was and what I wanted for myself within a relationship dynamic. Was that both of them? I couldn’t answer that. I didn’t even fully understand it yet, but I knew I wanted to be with Avro, and that meant I wanted to try.
My heart fluttered, and my skin got hot as I pictured them out there on the bed together.
“Seriously, what the fuck is up with this?” I clutched the counter hard and leaned over as I tried to steady my breathing. The thoughts of them made me lightheaded.
The voice in the back of my mind was screaming that they only wanted to use and embarrass me. I was nothing more than a joke. The logical part of my brain told me that Avro was a great guy, and I felt in my gut that he was the same decent person I’d always known. Hell, he’d practically dated me without me even realizing it and had never made me feel uncomfortable. That took skill and patience.
The kiss at the bar and stealing my clothes aside, he’d never pushed or asked for anything that I hadn’t been ready for, and somewhere along the line, I’d begun to see him as more than a friend. Hell, I tried to convince myself daily that we were only friends, but the pangs of jealousy would stand up and call me a liar every time. I couldn’t even remember when I first fantasized about him, watched him work, and wondered, what if? I’d needed to drink extra water and had been tempted to stand in the walk-in freezer to cool off after watching him dance.
So why now? Why was he suddenly whisking me off to the beach and kissing me in front of a packed house? There had to be a reason for the rush and showing me all this now and all at once. I looked up, and the answer hit me. Jace. Fuck, this was wildly complicated.
It was like elementary school, and I was the item for show and tell. At least that was how it felt, even if Avro didn’t mean it that way. The moment we knew Jace was coming to town, he’d been different. A little bolder and then he’d asked me out and kissed me in front of him. He was proving a point or showing me off, maybe. I wasn’t sure, but I knew he was doing this because of Jace, whether Jace asked for it or not.
“Okay, enough thinking. You can do this,” I said to myself, like I was giving someone a pep talk. “You’re going to go out there and act like an adult, badass woman and fuck two men,” I said, and I swear I watched my reflection take off out the door. “Who am I trying to kid? I’m not ready for that. I’ll be lucky to get past kissing without having a coronary.” I shook my shoulders and did a ridiculous little jog on the spot, like I was getting ready for the hundred-meter dash.
“Thank God they can’t see this,” I mumbled, then looked around the bathroom for a camera. “Okay, stop being crazy. Just walk out there. You’ve got this.”
Grabbing the thick robe that was huge on me, I wrapped it tight around myself and tied it into place. Gripping the door handle, I took a final deep breath and opened the door. I froze as a very naked Avro kneeled on the bed, giving Jace the hottest blowjob I’d ever seen. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the stunning sight of these two men together.
My hands dropped to my sides, and my mouth fell open as Avro looked up, but his mouth never stopped working. I blew out a breath, trembling as a roaring heat spread throughout my body. My eyes followed his movements as his lips traveled up and down the long cock. I could feel my pulse in my throat, and my heart hammered inside my chest as the spark of passion flared into a raging inferno. I was shocked by my own wanton desire.
