Is Three A Crowd? (27 page)

“The library, I passed by it this week. Somehow I couldn’t bring myself to go in.”

“Towards the end of your time here you spent many hours going through the books. You had just started sorting and cataloging when…”

“It’s okay, you can say it. I prefer open and honest. Before my step-sister went crazy and pushed me over
Niagara Falls
in an attempt to kill me.” He nodded but didn’t answer, sipping from his cup. “Thank you for the tea, Aminta, and for not being judgmental. And I appreciate you reminding me about the library.” She stood and took her cup to the sink, rinsing it and placing it in the drain board. Before leaving the kitchen, she went back to him and bent beside him. “I remember you were always very kind to me, no matter how I treated you or the house. Thank you for taking care of Nathan and Blake while I was away.”

“They care for you, Maris. They spent all these years caring for this place so you could come home to it. They’ve even forged a friendship through the years. Your being back here has made them both very happy. Their maudlin days and boring nights are over. Just remember, here at the Chateau, the three of you make the rules of life. As long as nobody gets hurt, why not just enjoy the life they worked so hard to protect for you?”

Maris leaned down and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” Her eyes welled with tears at his kind words and advice, and she left quickly. She wandered to the solar and stood before the fire, warming her hands. Shin appeared at the back door, wet and shaking. Maris opened the back solar door and scooped her up, taking the dog with her to sit beside the fire until she dried off. It was then she noted her collar was missing.

“That’s strange, you’ve never lost your collar before.” She cuddled the dog, who seemed appreciative of her body heat. “Tomorrow we’ll get you a new one. For tonight, don’t go too far.” Maris placed the dog on the floor, and she immediately crawled before the fire and settled down. She brushed the dog’s hair from her jeans and decided she’d waited long enough.

“The library waits,” she said aloud, waiting as Shin rose and followed her across the room, through the entryway and into the old monstrosity of a library.

* * * *

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for the memories that might be lurking. What she got was a rush of heat from the burning logs in the fireplace. “Aminta,” she said, and reached down to pet Shin. Entering, she stood just inside the doorway and closed herself in. The warmth felt good, relaxing. Shin went directly to the hearth and settled down before it. “Smart dog that you are,” she said, and finally reached to turn on the overhead lights. She assumed the space would be dusty, but it wasn’t. Instead, she found a mass of books, stuffed everywhere. Every shelf was full, every flat surface covered with stacks. Along the entire perimeter of the room, books were stacked to the point of sliding over. Maris turned in circles several times, taking in the sights.

There were two old leather high-back chairs on either side of the hearth, their brown hides worn soft with time and use. A large four-seat couch faced the fire, and an old oblong ottoman anchored the space. Behind each chair was a pole lamp for reading. There were several old wooden trestle tables and wood-back chairs scattered along the perimeter in several places. In that instant, Maris remembered.

“Those two tables should be centered under the windows for light.” Walking to the windows, she knew she had been here before, had the very thoughts about the tables being in the wrong places. Had resolved to one day put this space back to its original splendor. There was a door in the far corner, and when opened, it revealed a second room, lined with wood shelves, with others free standing in aisles down the center. Each was stuffed full, and cardboard boxes holding more books ran down their aisles stacked on the floor. “Oh, my God.” She took a step further, noting the auction house address on some of the cartons. “These were not here,” she mused. Slinking between cartons of books and the shelves, she noted several other addresses, all from auctions or antique dealers. These were all purchased recently and never opened. Either Nathan or Blake, or possibly both, had taken to buying books in her absence. “I suppose they wanted to keep me busy so I would have a reason to stay beyond sex.”

She left the area and went back to the main library, heading to the master desk at the far end. She touched the green glass shade on the banker’s lamp. Pulling open the top center drawer, she found what she hoped would be there. A fading manila folder held her notes to reorganize the space. She’d started category lists to do inventory with, and there was a sketch of the other room and how it should be organized.

“After five years, this is just as I left it.” Maris sank down in the swivel seat behind the desk, clutching the folder to her chest. “They bought more books to keep me happy.” Maris sighed, and the enormity of the situation struck her. She let a few tears roll down her cheeks, angry at what had been taken from her. Sniffing back her sorrow, she sat straight in the chair. “I make the decisions from now on. I won’t let anything or any person take away what my men have built for me. They each loved me enough to put up with the situation. I hope I’m woman enough to satisfy them.” Pushing back, she propped her feet on the edge of the desk, the folder still against her. “I wanted to stay here,” she said as Shin came to sit beside her. She reached down to pet the dog. “I loved this place, all of it, the land and this monstrosity of a house. I’d figured out another way for me to continue to stay here.”

Maris knew she’d not leave the Chateau or her men. For as long as they were willing, she’d stay with them there. For her and for them, this was where she belonged.

Chapter Twenty-Two

At supper that night, she noted both her men seemed to relax after she mentioned seeing the library. There were a few snickers between them, and Nat finally spoke.

“We knew you’d just made a deal with the old owner to stay on and inventory the library, to reorganize it. We figured the more books you had, the longer you’d stay.” Maris watched Nat’s cheeks heat with embarrassment.

“Too much?” Blake questioned.

“No, not too much. Although we’ll have to rethink the space. I think it’s very sweet that you bought more inventory for the library. You both know how it drove me crazy to see it left so haphazard. It was a beautiful gesture, and I appreciate it.”

“There’s another reading room beside the storage room. You might think about expanding into that space. It’s not been used in years.” Nathan glanced away.

“Thank you, Nat, I’ll look at it tomorrow. So, it’s basically settled, I think. My mission here, besides taking care of you two, is to put the library right. Is that correct?”

“Only if you want to.” Blake hesitated. “We figured it would give you a winter hobby when the snows came. But if you don’t want to, we wouldn’t be upset.” She smiled at Blake and glanced to Nathan.

“I’ll think about it, but for now I’d rather think about taking you two before the fireplace in there. I have an image of the two of you fucking me before it.” Maris took the napkin from her lap and placed it beside her plate. “Anyone interested in joining me?” As she stood, both her men did, too. Shin approached, and Nathan reached down to pet her.

“What happened to her collar?” he asked.

“I don’t know, she came back today after a run without it.”

“We’ll get her another one next time we’re in town.”

“For tonight,” Blake chimed in. He held up a new bottle of wine for their inspection. “Shall we? The library awaits.” Maris went to the sideboard and took three clean glasses in her hands. No further discussion was needed as they walked across the house toward the library.

* * * *

Their time in the library was easy and languid. None of them was in a hurry, and they spent a long time just stroking and necking, each man taking his turn kissing her. Eventually Nathan’s hand dropped to her breast when Blake kissed her mouth. When Nathan kissed her, Blake moved his hand between her legs. They were all very relaxed, clothes coming off and being tossed aside without thought. Maris maneuvered herself to sit on the ottoman, her back to the fireplace, the heat warming her almost naked body. The silk panties she still wore were a pale shade of pink, the firelight turning them almost translucent. She noted the crotch was moist and pushed between her pussy lips from her men stroking her.

“Come and stand before me,” she said and waited while both men struggled to get rid of the rest of their clothing. Finally naked, they stood shoulder to shoulder before her, their erections full. With a hand on each man’s cock, she leaned forward, flicking her tongue against their bellies while stroking their erections. There were low moans and groans, but she was in control. Eventually she let her lips cover Nat’s cock head, then turned to Blake’s, going back and forth between them until she felt Blake’s thighs start to quake. His hand squeezed her shoulder.

“I’m going to come soon, Maris, sooner if you keep doing that with your teeth to my cock.”

“Nathan, are you close, too?” She swallowed his erection and slid her teeth along his length on an outward pull.

“You can taste me already, Maris, I’m surprised I lasted this long.” He groaned when she did it again. Maris reached behind the men, taking a butt cheek in each hand, using her fingers to pinch their skin, directing their movements in her mouth. Suddenly she stopped and sat back.

“I want you to fuck me,” she told them and reached to Blake. “Condoms, please.” They waited until he found his pants and took them from his wallet.

With his sexy grin on his lips, he declared, “We’ll get a stash for each room so we don’t have to go looking.” Maris laughed, and Nathan just nodded. When Blake was back standing beside Nathan, she lavished their cocks with her lips and tongue a bit longer before sheathing each man. She stood and slipped her panties down her legs, Nathan’s hand reaching to steady her as she lifted each foot and finally kicked them away.

“Blake, you lie down on the ottoman.” He moved quickly into position and held her waist as she slid down over him. Nathan needed no prompting moving beside her head, within her reach when she wanted. Settled on Blake, she fucked him slowly at her whim, feeling him tense under her when she squeezed her pussy muscles around him. At the same time, she reached to the side and swallowed Nathan’s cock. He pulsed between her lips as she coated the condom with her saliva and looked up at him.

“Fuck my ass, Nathan. I want to feel both of you inside me tonight. Both at the same time.”

“Whatever you want, Maris.” He moved behind her and took his time licking her. His fingers pinched her butt cheeks while he licked at her anus.

“Stroke your cock while you lick me, Nat.” She looked down at Blake. “And you, sir, should be fondling my tits.”

“Happy to comply,” he managed to say, reaching to grasp her breasts, pushing them together as he pumped them in rhythm to her sliding up and down his shaft.

Nathan moved behind Maris and grabbed her hips, holding her steady over Blake’s cock. He bent slightly and rubbed the head of his erection all over her ass cheeks before centering his weight and nudging at her opening. Maris pushed back to accept him, taking him inside her tight space. It was always tight when either of her men fucked her ass, but with Blake’s cock in her pussy, she was full beyond reason. Nathan paused behind her until she shook her hips, helping him to settle where she needed his bulk.

“Oh, God, this is amazing.”

“Your ass is pink from my pinching it,” Nathan told her, using his fingers to pinch them again.

“I’d tell you to let me see it but we’d all have to move,” Blake added, using his fingertips to tease her puffy nipples.

“That’s it, that’s what I crave, both of you filling me beyond reason. Make me come, please.” The sigh that filled the room was hers. “Nathan, go faster,” she whispered, allowing Blake to hold her torso, bracing her on top of him while Nathan’s push-pull motions became almost frenzied. Maris dropped her hand to her crotch and used her fingers to rub her clit. “Oh, God,” she said in a strangled voice and tossed back her head, riding out the swell of climax that swept through her body. As she tightened, Nathan grunted behind her, and she felt his cock throb inside her as he let himself come. Blake jutted upward only once more before dropping his hands from her and holding the side of the ottoman as he rode out his release. Maris let herself drop over his sweat-coated chest, Nathan following her move, dropping over her back for only a bit before he finally started to move.

“Don’t go,” she whispered.

“Wine and relaxing a bit, then we’ll talk about seconds.” She watched him strip off the used condom and toss it in the flames.

“Oh, all right, if I must.” Slowly she disentangled her body from Blake’s and grasped Nat’s outreach hand to steady her climb over Blake’s thighs.

“Shower first.” Nathan grasped her around the waist and all but tossed her up on his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He headed to the hallway door and turned to Blake, asking, “Can you get the wine?”