Chapter 9 - Fates, Fins, and Fangs

WE ALL ENDED UP IN Rhys's room. It was the closest to the bathroom where Chike had gotten cleaned up and miraculously healed. Rhys's space was as warm and comforting as the person himself. The entire space was full of white and cream, contrasting with the occasional piece of dark wood. His bed was the one exception, a king-sized nest of black—black sheets, black comforter, piles and piles of black pillows. It seemed a bit at odds with his boy next door demeanor. I stopped staring at the bed when a big hand landed on my low back and ghosted up my spine, leaving behind that strange feeling that everything was right with the world, as long as Rhys was touching me.

Chike moved in front of me, his long, pale lashes flicking downward as he looked at my mouth. His hasty face wash-up earlier had disturbed the light coat of black mascara he wore, and his pale blond lashes almost looked lavender in the soft light coming from Rhys's bedside lamp.

I closed my eyes when things wanted to shimmer again. I saw a hint of that opal sheen on Chike's high cheekbones before my lids fluttered closed. I pushed down the fear. No way was I going to let a little thing like a hallucination ruin this moment.

Chike's soft lips caressed my own, feather light at first, then growing firmer. I leaned into him, wanting more, wanting to know this secret part of my best friend, the one part of him that had always been off limits to me. He didn't make a move to do anything more than kiss me, and I realized he was still holding back, asking rather than taking.

I lifted my hands and cupped his lean jaw, tilting his head, angling him so I could deepen the kiss and show him I wasn't afraid of what this change meant for us. His arms slipped around my waist, pulling me closer, so my generous curves were flush against his lean body. When I came up for air, I stared into his amethyst eyes, completely lost.

"Hi," I said on an exhale. I felt like I was seeing Chike for the first time. My Chike. The one who, somehow, by some wonderful miracle, wanted me too.

He gave me a wicked smile and planted a kiss at the corner of my mouth, by one of my dimples. "Hey there."

Thankfully, his face stayed the same as always, not flickering or shimmering for the moment. I swiped a thumb under one of his high cheekbones, wondering at how a guy could feel so...soft. He tilted his head and nipped playfully at my finger, his eyes twinkling at me, full of mischief. "Stop staring at me like that, Troy. It's just me."

I huffed a laugh. "Oh, trust me, I know. I just still can't believe this is happening."

Big hands gripped my hips and Rhys pressed closer to my back, leaning down to plant a soft kiss on my shoulder. "You two are so sweet, it's just too much."

Chike glanced over my shoulder and lifted one winged lavender brow. "Is that a complaint?"

Rhys huffed a laugh against the sensitive skin of my neck as he dragged his lips up toward my ear. "Not a complaint. Just...hunger." He caught my earlobe between his teeth, and I let out a hiss of surprise and pleasure, goosebumps rippling down the left side of my body in response to his touch. "The waiting has been killing me."

I turned my head and Rhys was there, waiting for his turn to kiss me senseless. His chiseled lips moved over mine, nipping and teasing, as his big hands held my hips, my ass pressed against his obvious arousal.

I pulled back panting for air, my head falling back against Rhys's shoulder and my eyes falling closed. I didn't think my heart could take this. Rhys took the opportunity to nibble a path up the side of my neck again, as Chike pressed to my front, pining me between them. Chike cupped my breasts through my shirt, pressing them upward, then bending his head to drop playful kisses along my exposed cleavage.

They were going to kill me. And we weren't even naked yet. "Clothes," I managed to gasp out, when Rhys bit down a little harder on my neck, causing a jolt of pleasure that was just this side of pain. "We have too many clothes on."

Chike laughed against the swell of my breasts, his sparkling eyes full of lust. "We can definitely remedy that." His hands dropped lower, fingers undoing my jeans. Rhys slipped his hands upward, from my hips up my sides, to my breasts, giving me a squeeze before moving lower again, this time taking my shirt with them when they swept upward. I obligingly lifted my arms and he tugged my t-shirt off over my head in one swift movement. Then he stepped back to unclasp my bra and toss it aside.

Chike's fingers stilled at my fly and he gave me an exaggerated look of wonder. "I knew you had trouble containing those things," he whispered in awe. "But gods, Troya." He bent his head, drawing one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it in a way that made my writhe and gasp.

Rhys stepped close behind me again, and I felt the warm heat of his bare chest before he slid a hand around to cup my other breast, kneading and running a thumb softly over the nipple to elicit another gasp. "Breathtaking," he agreed.

And yeah, I kind of hated my ridiculously oversized boobs most of the time. But in moments like this, all the other discomfort was worth it. Because men generally did lose their minds over them, even if they weren't all perfect and perky. I arched my back, pushing my breasts up and out, encouraging the two men to keep going.

Chike lifted his head and kissed me again. Then he pulled back to tug my pants down. Rhys steadied me as I stepped out of my clothes. I pressed my lips together and forced myself to meet Chike's eyes. I loved my body. But it wasn't like the ones I saw plastered on magazines and TV ads. I might work out to stay strong, but I was still well-padded. I had cellulite and rolls. Not at all the kind of slim beauty I'd always imagined Chike or Rhys would be into.

Chike's lips stretched into a wicked smile and he reached for his own fly, clearly overeager to move on to naked time. I laughed at his silly leer. "I worry about you," I muttered.

He arched a brow at me. "You should. I've had to keep my hands to myself for years. It's hard on a person's body. And his brain."

Rhys let out a deep chuckle that rumbled through his chest into my back. "He's not exaggerating. It has been a special kind of torture keeping a distance between us."

He curled around me to kiss my jaw, then he whispered in my ear, "Go to him," and gave me a little shove.

I laughed in surprise, but did as I was told, joining Chike as he got rid of his pants. "You're so damned pretty," I said, lifting a hand to caress his lean chest, trailing my fingers downward, over the graceful but defined lines of him, across his abs and lower. He had his head tilted back, eyes closed. His Adam's apple worked in his long throat and a shudder shivered through him as I trailed my fingers across his skin.

I glanced down and...what the heck?

My motions stopped and I jerked my gaze away from Chike's beautiful, rock-hard cock to look at his face in astonishment. "Seriously, Chike? That's just...."

He opened his eyes and looked at me, confused. "What?" He glanced down at his own crotch and the confused expression on his face had me laughing again. He looked up at me, still confused, but slipping into pissy. "Haven't you ever seen a cock before? Geesh."

I snorted. "A few times, actually. But I've never seen purple pubes before."

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, giving his long hair a toss and completely ignoring our current, awkwardly naked state while we argued over the state of his neatly trimmed and very lavender pubic hair. "The carpet matches the drapes. It's aesthetically pleasing. Can we move on?"

Rhys snorted and I turned to him. Then I promptly forgot what I was thinking about. Because while I was picking on Chike. Rhys had been getting naked. And holy shit, that was a sight to behold. Miles and miles of broad, muscular golden perfection.

My eyes darted downward, and I swallowed hard at the sight of his thick, eager cock. I yanked my eyes back upward and tried to get my synapses to fire again. "What were we talking about?" I murmured.

Rhys closed the distance between us, using one finger under my chin to tilt my head back so I stared into eyes so light green they were almost clear. "I think there's been enough talking. You two are cute when you tease each other, but there are much better ways to spend time together."

I nodded emphatically. Yes. All of that sounded good.

Chike stepped behind me and I found myself sandwiched between two slabs of perfection again. "Can we please just go over to that big-assed bed now?" Chike pleaded, pressing his erection against my ass. "I know we can get her to stop questioning every little damned thing if we put our...minds to it."

Sure. Minds. Right.

Rhys smirked down at me. Then he bent and swept me up into his arms. I might have gasped and swooned a little. I mean, really. When you weigh more than most of the men in your life, being swept up in a pair of big, strapping arms is something that only happens in romance novels. But Rhys made it look easy. Like I was just this delicate little thing, rather than a couple hundred pounds of...squish.

Rhys carried me to the bed and lowered me down in the middle of the silky black sheets, bracing himself over me to peer down hungrily at my exposed body. "So beautiful," he said with a hungry look. "Like a statue of a Greek goddess come to life. All abundance and pleasure." He kissed my forehead tenderly. Then my eyelids, my cheeks, the tip of my nose. Finally, he pressed a soft, sweet kiss to my lips. One hand lifted to brush my hair back from my face and his eyes met mine, so intent and serious. "Are you sure this is what you want, Troya?"

I reached up and slid my arms around him, running my hands up and down his smooth, muscular back. "It's sweet that you're asking. Really. Very gentlemanly." I smirked, letting humor wash away my nerves. "But if you guys don't fuck me soon, I'm gonna die."

He smiled in response—that golden, award-winning, boy next door smile. "Good answer."

Rhys stretched out beside me, making room for Chike on my other side. For a time, we were nothing but an eager tangle of hands and lips and limbs, of smooth skin sliding over skin, and soft sighs. I felt need rising in me like a wildfire, consuming everything but the need to have them inside me.

Who was this sex-crazed new Troya and what had she done with the nerdy, self-conscious Troya of days gone by?

When Rhys urged me up, I went eagerly. Chike knelt behind me, his graceful hands on my hips as he dropped kisses on my shoulder and down my spine. I quivered in expectation of what was going to happen next, still somehow feeling it couldn't be real.

Rhys riffled around in his bedside table and came up with a foil packet, tossing it to Chike and taking one for himself. Then he knelt in front of me and kissed me, one big hand slipping between my legs to stroke my clit, bringing me right to the brink with his masterful strokes.

Chike tossed the empty condom wrapper aside and stroked his hands over my hips again. Rhys moved back, his eyes traveling up, a hungry look on his handsome face as he watched Chike slide inside me. I groaned and pressed back, clenching tight around Chike's cock, wanting him deep, so I could somehow know this was real.

He folded forward and kissed my back again before straightening and starting to thrust, slow and deep. I gasped and threw my head back as pleasure built inside me faster than ever before. Big hands carded through my hair and I grinned, reaching out to stroke Rhys's thick cock before taking him into my mouth. He was big, but I was determined, and I took him deep, glorying in the taste of him, swirling my tongue around his shaft and head, pleased when his grip on my hair tightened in response. I moved my hand to his hip, urging him to thrust, and was rewarded by a muffled curse and a little less of the treat-Troy-like-she's-breakable act.

Soon, I had my way, and both men were thrusting into me with abandon, two pairs of hands anchoring me as I shuddered between them.

Chike groaned and slammed into me from behind, his smooth motions stuttering. I shoved back harder, and he collapsed forward, getting a hand around to stroke my clit, sending me screaming over the edge with him as we came.

Rhys pulled away, and I flopped onto my back, still trembling with aftershocks. I grinned like an idiot when he was back a moment later, all suited up, sliding between my thighs, lifting my legs to wrap around his hips as he thrust into me, hard and deep.

I arched my back and groaned at the sensations flooding my body as another orgasm built. Chike lay beside me, and he turned my head and kissed me as Rhys angled my hips to take him deeper. I screamed when I came again, and Rhys let out a deep, animal growl as he came with me, his head back and all the muscles in his neck and upper body corded with tension.

He flopped forward and pulled me into a gasping, breathless kiss. Then he turned his head and his eyes met Chike's. I swear the earth stopped spinning or something. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Then Rhys dropped his head and gently withdrew.

Holy fuck, for a minute there, I'd thought...wow. I was outdoing myself in the kink department today. Down girl.

I was treated to soft kisses and caresses—and fond laughter—as Rhys got us all re-arranged under the covers, with me tucked between him and Chike. I stared up at the ceiling, wondering what I'd done to deserve something so amazing.

"What are you grinning about?" Chike's usually smooth voice was heavy with sleepiness. "You've got that crazed look on your face."

I turned my head to meet his amused expression. "I was just thinking I might believe in god after all. Maybe all the gods."

He arched his lavender eyebrows at me, then shot a look across my body, to Rhys on my other side. "Oh no," he whispered in mock-horror. "We've fucked her brains out."

Rhys huffed a laugh and I turned to look at him. "What? I'm like, the luckiest woman alive!"

He smiled fondly and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Maybe. But that makes us the luckiest men alive. So, at least you're in good company."