Mia let out a little snort. “Typical man—you like a mostly-naked woman better than a clothed one. I’m shocked.”
Instead of responding, Elias had apparently opted to keep her quiet by making sure her mouth was otherwise occupied. He kissed her on the lips—a long, hard, and demanding kiss that left her breathless and silently begging him to fuck her.
When he eventually pulled back, he looked as lust drunk as she, but still managed make a start on removing her underwear. He captured her mouth in another urgent, hungry kiss as he slipped the straps of her bra off her shoulders, then reached around to undo the clasp. He shifted away once more, letting out a low moan as he dragged the garment from her body to reveal her breasts, which were already heavy and aching for his touch. Her nipples stood proudly to attention, snagging Elias’s gaze and holding it firmly. “Absolutely breath-taking,” he murmured, then reached for her knickers.
“Ah-ah,” she said, stopping him with a hand on his wrist. “You first.” She raised an eyebrow, wordlessly daring him to disagree.
He shrugged. “As you wish.” He scooted to the edge of the bed, then stood and removed his tight, black boxers before retrieving a condom from his bedside table. He returned to her with a smirk on his face. “Satisfied?”
The sight of his naked form ramped up her arousal, but she wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “I think maybe you should ask me that afterwards,” she shot back, mirroring his expression, which quickly faded as her words sunk in.
“Ooh,” he said, soon recovering from his surprise, “sassy. I can’t promise the stamina of two men, unfortunately, and I have precisely half the number of body parts, but luckily they’re all in perfect working order, and I can promise I’ll do my best to make sure you’re satisfied. I just hope you don’t hand that engagement ring back when we’re done.” He winked, then grabbed her left hand and pressed another kiss to her knuckles. “Because it already looks like it belongs there.”
Her heart lurched excitedly at his words—she’d had the exact same thought earlier.
“Since I’m in danger of waffling again—and I don’t wish to receive another telling off from my future wife—am I allowed to take those knickers off your delectable body now?”
She nodded. “You are.”
“Hallelujah.” He dropped the condom onto the duvet, then hooked his fingers into the waistband of her lacy thong. At the same time, he placed his lips just below her bellybutton, then began kissing a trail downwards, leaving a scorching line of heat in his wake. Just before he got to the top of her knickers, he started pulling them down, then kissed each bit of flesh as it was revealed, halting as he reached her crotch, but continuing to draw the scrap of material down her legs. He dragged in a deep breath, then let out a groan before moving into a position that allowed him to pull the underwear all the way off. They joined her other clothes on the floor, and he hurriedly insinuated his head back between her thighs.
He slipped his hands beneath her legs and tugged her close. “Christ, but this is heavenly. Fucking perfection.”
Mia, who was on a knife edge as she waited for him to touch her there, where she needed it the most, had been about to tell him to stop talking and take action, when he beat her to it.
His hot, talented mouth pressed against her already-swollen pussy lips, and his deep groan of pleasure rumbled and vibrated through her sensitive flesh, causing her to let loose with a cry of her own. “Oh my God,” she said, fisting her hands in his hair, distracted for just a second by the still-unfamiliar glint of gold and red on her left hand, “Elias. Don’t tease. Please…”
Whether he was responding to her plea, or whether he’d intended to anyway, she’d never know, but he immediately dove in and began feasting on her. He dipped his tongue into her folds, tasting her, then tickling at her entrance for a moment, before drawing slowly up towards her clit. It felt to Mia like he took eons to get there, so when he finally did, she let out a yelp and jerked her hips.
Elias chuckled, sending further tremors through her pussy, then pulled his hands from beneath her and placed them on top of her legs. Pressing down on the soft skin of her inner thighs, he lifted his head and said, “Steady on, gorgeous. You’ll do me some damage if you carry on like that. Don’t send me in to work with a fat lip—they’ll think I’ve been brawling. And I can’t tell them the truth now, can I?”
“There’ll be nothing to tell if you don’t get on with it,” she almost growled, attempting to pull his head back down to her pussy. God, when had she got so demanding? Perhaps it was a form of addiction—the more sex she got, the more she wanted. A vicious cycle of delicious shagging. She let her head loll back on the duvet and grinned widely.
She forgot all about her amusement when Elias gently spread her lower lips, exposing her fully to his attentions. He gave her clit a series of hearty licks, then fastened his mouth around it and began suckling, causing tingles to race through her body. She gripped more tightly onto his hair and resisted the temptation to buck her hips again—he’d had a point about the fat lip, after all. God, he was good—his suction on her bud just hard enough to cause a little pain, but not so much that it ruined the pleasure. The nip of discomfort actually added to it.
The pleasure built, her body steadily climbing towards orgasm, the tell-tale tightness in her abdomen increasing. It wouldn’t be too much longer…
Elias moved his right hand between her legs and slipped two fingers inside her. He curved them skilfully, zeroing right in on her G-spot and manipulating it like a pro as he continued to lick and suck her clitoris, even giving it a cheeky nibble from time to time.
“Shiiit.” She pushed her hips up towards his face, urging him on. Getting close…
“Mmm…” came the response, causing yet another series of vibrations to zip through her.
He was relentless—each of his movements bringing her ever closer to climax.
She was on the very edge now. Tingles attacked every inch of her body, and his stimulation of her G-spot was making her feel as though she was going to burst—in a good way. It was almost too much, and she hurriedly removed her hands from his hair, then fisted them instead in the duvet—much safer that way. For Elias, anyway. She wasn’t sure about the bedspread.
She lifted her heavy head, trying to tell him just how near she was to coming. “Ohhh… Elias!” But she couldn’t say any more—overwhelming pleasure had robbed her of her voice. The feeling that she was going to burst intensified, then everything happened at once. The pressure in her abdomen released in an amazing rush, sending bliss spiralling out through her every cell, and juices squirted from her pussy.
Elias exclaimed happily, then after a moment carefully slipped his fingers out of her sex and straight into his mouth. He sucked off her juices with obvious relish, the naughty look in his eye telling her exactly how much he was enjoying himself.
She gave a weak smile, not able to summon the energy for anything else, as she felt so wrung out from her waning orgasm. Wrung out, but satisfied—as she’d known perfectly well she would be. She’d tell him if he asked, of course, but wasn’t going to volunteer the information—not least because her tongue currently sat heavily in her mouth and her body felt boneless, liquid even, and in danger of sinking into the mattress.
After pulling his fingers from his mouth with an audible pop, Elias crawled up her prone form and placed a kiss to her damp forehead. “You are so incredibly gorgeous when you come, darling, you know that?” He settled down beside her, then swept her hair away from her face. “You up for carrying on? Only…” he drew her attention to his cock, which was swollen and seeping precum, “I need to be inside you something fierce.”
Curving her lips up at the corners, Mia managed a lazy, “Yes, I can see that.” Attempting to shake off some of her lethargy, she reached down and grasped Elias’s erection, the heat and girth of it in her hand sending a fresh bolt of lust zipping through her veins. Feeling more energised, she added, “I think you’ll be needing th
at condom now.”
Without a second’s hesitation, he retrieved the packet, then opened it and carefully withdrew the contents. A moment later he’d rolled it securely into place. Elias cupped her cheek, then leaned in and gave her a tender kiss before murmuring, “How do you want me, my beautiful fiancée?”
“You know what?” she replied, trailing her fingertips over his face and down to his jaw, “the regular way will do me just fine. So we can see each other’s faces.” A self-conscious chuckle escaped her. “Sorry if that sounds a bit mushy.”
Elias shook his head. “Not at all.” He smiled and clambered between her legs yet again, his latex-clad cock thrusting eagerly up towards his navel. “The regular way, coming right up.”
Despite the phraseology, she suspected their lovemaking would be far from regular. Because nothing about Elias was regular. He might be the perfect gentleman in public, but she was quickly learning when it came to sex, he was endlessly enthusiastic, inventive, and adaptable—an amazing combination, particularly in a man she was soon to be married to.
He entered her in a swift, decisive movement, and she stretched easily to accommodate him, her already plentiful juices easing his way. “Christ, Mia,” he said on a groan, “you feel amazing.”
“Likewise,” she replied, slipping her arms around his back and cupping his buttocks, then pressing the soles of her feet into the bed so she could meet him thrust for thrust. At least now if she bucked against him, there was no danger of harming his handsome face. She was sure his pelvis could take the impact.
They soon settled into a delicious rhythm, all slow rocking and deliberate pressing and grinding, ensuring that Mia’s clit was stimulated. They alternated between long, languorous kisses and simply looking into each other’s eyes, which, far from feeling like an ordinary fuck, lent the experience an intensity that touched Mia just as much emotionally as it did physically. They were bonding, she realised, on a deeper level she hadn’t expected so early on in their relationship. But then, if the last few months had taught her anything, it was to expect the unexpected. It wasn’t love, not yet, but with every moment that passed, every thrust, every kiss, every smile and touch they shared, she grew surer that it would come. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when. And given she was getting hitched to the bloke in a matter of months, it was a welcome realisation indeed.
She couldn’t help wondering, minutes later, as she and Elias came together in a series of blissful moans and abandoned cries, whether she might just be the luckiest woman alive.
Chapter Six
It wasn’t until Mia rested her left hand on the escalator’s handrail as it transported her out of Oxford Circus Tube station that she realised she’d forgotten to take off the engagement ring. Shit! She hadn’t been planning to tell her friends about Elias’s proposal today, especially since his parents didn’t even know yet—not to mention Thomas and Alex. Then she remembered they didn’t know about Elias, full stop, never mind how quickly their relationship was progressing. They didn’t know very much of anything, in fact, since they’d barely spoken since Edward’s death. It hadn’t been a deliberate thing, but now Mia thought about it, perhaps she’d been keeping them—and her other friends—at arm’s length since losing her father, needing to grieve privately, and in her own way. And it wasn’t like she’d been alone. Thomas had been there for her constantly, and given his own orphan status, knew exactly what she was going through. She shuddered to think how she would have coped without him.
It didn’t matter, anyway. Phoebe, Gabrielle, and Lucia had been her friends for years—they’d understand. And hopefully, she thought as she looked again at the ring finger of her left hand, they’ll be able to keep a lid on this news for now. She didn’t want to risk taking the ring off and putting it in her handbag in case it got lost, so it would have to stay where it was and she would answer to the consequences when one of the girls spotted it. Which Mia guessed would be within five seconds of their meeting.
And now it was almost time to find out. She stepped off the escalator and headed for the exit barriers. She swiped her Oyster card on the reader, waited for the gate to open, then manoeuvred her way through the ever-present crowds to the exit she needed.
As she passed out of the building and into the crowded city streets, Mia got to thinking. Could she tell her friends anything else about her life right now? What would their reaction be if she told them not only was she marrying a man she’d only known for a couple of months, but she was also in a relationship with his best friend, and her gardener? Would they be horrified, disgusted, jealous? Or, after getting over the initial shock, would they simply accept it?
She nodded and smiled her thanks to a motorist who let her cross the road, then continued on her way to the Soho bar she was meeting her friends in. As she spotted the first rainbow flag that told her she was almost there, her heart sank. No, she couldn’t tell them about her reverse harem arrangement—she was almost certain they wouldn’t “get” it. She snorted a derisive laugh, startling a young man as they passed each other. It’d be easier to tell them she was a lesbian, for heaven’s sake! Society was changing fast, and mostly for the better, but although gay and lesbian relationships were no longer frowned upon in the way they used to be, polyamory was still a long way away from being understood and accepted. Honestly, she wasn’t even sure herself how it was all going to work, so until she could explain it in a satisfactory way, it was better to keep quiet.
Actually, she decided, she’d keep her… unusual relationship status under wraps until after the wedding. There was no way she wanted to risk anything or anyone stopping her and Elias from exchanging vows, thereby securing her inheritance. Once everything was legally under her control, she’d be much less concerned about who knew what she was doing, and with whom. If people wanted to gossip about her behind her back then, so be it.
There was still a way to go before any of that could happen, though, so she’d ease her friends in as gently as possible with the news. Hopefully the thought of dresses, locations, flowers, cake and the like would whip them up into such a frenzy of excitement that they wouldn’t question her too much about the whys and wherefores of her sudden engagement. Mia smiled then—would one of them ask if she was pregnant?
Soon, she reached her destination and headed inside, then made a beeline for their usual corner booth. Phoebe and Lucia were already there, barely-touched glasses of wine in front of them. Gabrielle, as was her wont, would be late. Over the years, the three of them had got into the habit of deliberately giving her a meeting time that was between fifteen and thirty minutes before the actual time in the hope she might be punctual. It had worked well to start with, but unfortunately, she’d sussed out their ruse and so they’d now gone back to their previous waiting-for-Gabrielle-to-arrive routine.
She approached their table. “Hey, ladies!”
Both women turned, huge grins spreading across their faces as they realised it was her. They jumped up, and Mia exchanged heartfelt hugs and kisses with each of them, before all three of them settled back into the booth. If a server didn’t come along in a few minutes, she’d go to the bar and order her own drink—but for now, she was more than happy to dive in to catching up with her friends.
“So,” Mia tucked her handbag between herself and the wall, then placed her hands on the table. “It’s been a while… where the hell do we start?”
All three of them laughed, then suddenly Lucia stopped dead, her expression turning serious and her mouth dropping open. “We start, Mia Harrington, with that.” She pointed at Mia’s left hand.
Phoebe let out a squeal, then clapped a hand over her mouth and looked around apologetically as she realised how loud she’d been. “Oh my God, Mia! Is that what I think it is?”
Mia suppressed a laugh. She’d been about right with the five second estimate. Oh, to hell with it. She nodded and slid her hand across the table so they could get a closer look at the ring.
Her friends were so busy gawping and gab
bling that they didn’t notice Gabrielle arrive. Mia did, though, and she waved at the other woman as she made her way across the room. Once she got to the table, Mia said, “Hi, honey. Good to see you. Sorry we can’t get up, but you might have noticed these two are rather preoccupied.”
At her words, Phoebe and Lucia snapped their heads up, and the hugging and kissing started all over again.
Once they’d settled down for the second time, Mia was given a temporary reprieve from the onslaught of questions by the appearance of a waiter. The amount of noise they were making already, she wasn’t surprised the staff had noticed them. It often got rowdy when the four of them were together.
“Good afternoon, ladies. What can I get for you?”
Lucia piped up, “I’ve barely touched mine yet, so I’m fine, thanks.”
“Same here,” Phoebe agreed.
“I’ll have the house white. Large, please,” Mia said. She had a funny feeling she was going to need the extra booze to get her through this afternoon with her friends. She loved them dearly, but when it came to getting information out of her, they were relentless.
“Make that two, please,” put in Gabrielle.
“Very good, ladies. Can I get you anything else? Some snacks for the table, perhaps?”
“Yes, please. That would be wonderful,” Gabrielle said, batting her eyelashes at him. When he was gone, she turned her attention back to the table. “Nice. However, I think you may be in possession of something rather more interesting than an admittedly gorgeous waiter,” she said to Mia, then grabbed her hand and tugged it into the centre of the table. “Now, spill! Just who gave you this breath-taking piece of jewellery, and what is it doing on your ring finger? And why are we only just finding out about this now?”