Three Words: A Novella Collection (47 page)

“
Do you want to stop here for a minute?” Joel asks, pointing
to a doorway into a tiny round room built next to the spiral of the
staircase.

I poke my head
in the door. There’s a long thin rectangular window set into the
wall. It has a blind pulled over it so it’s dark, there’s nothing
to see apart from something that looks like a desk below the window
and an armchair. I’ve no idea why we need to stop. “Let’s
keep—”

Before I can
finish my sentence Joel has dropped his backpack on the floor in
the doorway. He’s stepped towards me, his body half covering mine
as he guides me into the stone of the wall. His eyes catch mine and
I’m frozen, unable to move, even if I wanted to. Slowly, he takes
my hands and slides them above my head where he holds them in his
big hands.

“
Let me feel you,” I beg. “I need to feel you.”

“
Not part of the deal. You know that. Not when you’re eyes are
open anyway.” Joel’s lowers his lips, covering me in kisses. He
takes my bottom lip into his mouth, gently biting it. He sucks at
my tongue as if his mouth is fucking my mouth. I have a vague
recollection of feeling something like this last night. Was it Joel
that did it? I have no idea; it was such a jumble of body parts.
All I know is my lips are swelling at his touch and my body is
arching, wanting more of the same.

Joel’s kiss
deepens as his tongue explores my mouth. I find myself responding
with equal fervour. It’s amazing how quickly he can turn me on. The
breath has been stolen from my lungs. My blood is on fire; my veins
are set to explode with the desire he’s igniting. I twine my
fingers in his and caress his knuckles. I feel him wince when I
accidentally touch the cut on his hand and I want to feel every
part of him, know every part of him. I want to savour him if only
he’d let me.

Then, I feel a
hand skittering along my side and down to my waist and hip.
Nicholas is tracing the silhouette of my skin through the fabric of
my t-shirt and my body is tingling in the wake of his fingers.
Having reached their destination, he presses himself close to my
other side. I feel his fingers between us, pushing the hem of my
t-shirt up to gain access to my bra. He exposes my torso and I feel
the tiny hairs stand to attention as a rush of cool air touches my
skin. His hands reach behind me, flicking the clasp of my bra open
and letting my breasts spill free. Any thought of stopping this
becomes a distant memory. The need to be adored by them both is
becoming stronger with each touch, each kiss.

“
You’re so beautiful,” Nicholas says. “So perfect.”

Then with Joel
devouring my mouth, Nicholas bends his head and tentatively takes
my nipple in his mouth, fondling it with his tongue before he
begins to suckle. A surge of heat shoots through me as he squeezes
my breast with his fingers. The sensation of being kissed and
sucked by both men simultaneously is overwhelming.

Oh God. I want
them. I want them both.

“
Close your eyes,” Joel whispers as his lips continue their
trail of demolition around the right side of my mouth and neck.
“Please. I can’t go on if you don’t close your eyes.”

And that’s
when my good sense kicks in. “No,” I gasp, barely able to speak.
“We can’t do this here. What if someone comes?”

Ignoring me,
Nicholas moves his attentions to the other side of my neck. He nips
at the skin below my earlobe. He knows full well this sends me over
the edge because he experienced it last night. I can’t think
straight when he kisses me there. I can’t.

“
Nobody’s. Going. To. Come,” he’s saying. “It’s almost dusk.
And if someone does, we’ll hear them. We can stop.”

“
Or shut the door,” Joel adds.

Somewhere in
my sex-addled mind, I agree with them. At least, I think I do.
Thinking and reasoning sort of disintegrated when I climbed those
stairs.

“
Have you never had sex in a public place?” Joel asks
me.

“
What do you think?” My breath is ragged but my appalled
reaction has to be a pretty big clue.

He smiles.
“Then let’s make this a first. You’ll love it. It’s a huge turn on,
knowing you could be caught at any minute.”

That’s the
part that worries me the most. It’s not that I don’t want to do it,
I’m afraid of being caught. “I’m gathering you’ve done this
before?”

“
Once or twice. We thought you might like to try something
new, given your current mood for experimentation. You don’t have to
if you don’t want to. It’s your call.”

I cast my eyes
to the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything, which is
incredibly difficult when all I can think about is having them
inside me. But I know they’re telling the truth. If I say stop,
they’ll do it without hesitation. Imagine the torture I could
inflict being the bearer of such power. I nod.

“
Is that a yes?” Nicholas questions.

Oh, what the
hell. I know I said I couldn’t do this again but what the hell. You
only live once.

While Nicholas
slides my t-shirt and bra over my head, leaving me naked from the
waist up, Joel bends into his backpack, retrieving the blindfold I
wore last night. “Precautionary,” he states. “We don’t want you
knowing who’s the better lover, now do we? Especially when we know
it’s me.”

“
Do I have to?” I plead. “Can’t I see you this
once?”

“
You did. Just then. Blindfold on or no sex.”

I pout as the
blindfold is slid over my eyes. It’s totally not fair but they have
me right where they want me. I’m literally in the dark as two sets
of lips bend to my now naked breasts and suckle. I concentrate on
the movements, trying to commit them to memory because it feels
like Nicholas’ mouth on the left and I love the way his mouth feels
on my skin, the things he can do with his tongue. Then a hand
unzips my shorts. It delves into my knickers and begins to rub the
tender skin between my legs while a second hand squeezes my bum and
slides my shorts to the ground. Is that Joel? I think, shortly
before I feel the second pair of lips between my legs and give
myself over to the sensations.

It’s good, so
good. I push myself against the mouths in front of me. I bit my
lip, trying to delay the inevitable. I’m getting wetter; my longing
is building into something that needs to explode.

“
Do you want it, Sadie? Do you want me to make you come?”
Someone whispers and I ponder how absurdly alike the voices sound
when my sight is gone.

“
Yes. Please. Yes. Do it.”

Through the
sexual fog, I register a set of footsteps on the metal stair, loud
clomping footsteps.

I freeze, my
desire gone. I’m appalled that at any second I will be discovered
semi-naked and practically orgasmic. “Who’s that?”

“
Shhh
.”

“
Get off me.” I try to push the body in front of me away. I
need to get this blindfold off and get some clothes on. A hand
stills me. Lips love my neck again. The tongue between legs slides
over my clitoris and two fingers slip inside me. Oh fuck, now
that’s not fair.

“
Shush, Sadie. It’s okay. Honestly. Just be quiet and she’ll
leave.”

“
No, she won’t. Don’t you remember what happened this morning
with Emily?” The footsteps are getting louder, closer. My heart is
jumping out of my mouth. My insides are clenching and quivering.
This might be okay by the boys but I can’t be found like this. I
won’t.

“
We have to stop.” My voice is a frantic squeal, which the
boys ignore. They suck harder, the fingers increase their tempo and
my excitement, filled with the fear of discovery is about to push
me over the edge. The footsteps are outside the door. Oh God. I’m
going to come. The wave of orgasm is furious and I bite my lip to
stifle the scream.

Suddenly
everything ceases. Everything stops. I’m bereft. Alone. Panting and
pulsing for more.
Nooooo
. Where have they gone? I know I
said I wanted them to stop but not now.
Nooooo
. Why the hell
did they stop?

Afraid of what
I’m going to find as I do, I slip the blindfold away. I spot
Nicholas through the open crack of the door. Joel is leaning
against the wall next to me, his arms folded and grinning like he’s
played the most amazing practical joke ever. Was it him with his
tongue between my legs? I could have sworn it was Nicholas but I
have no idea now. God, I hate this blindfold thing. I want to
know.

We listen to
the voices outside the door. Nicholas is chatting to what sounds
like an older lady. He’s thanking her for allowing him the use of
the lighthouse. He’s complimenting her new hairdo and asking has
she lost weight, cheeky bastard. I can almost see her preening.

Then the
footsteps retreat down the stairs.

I turn to Joel
who’s still leaning against the wall. I’m cross, so cross that
they’ve played me. “Did you know about this?”

“
Maybe.”

“
You planned it? Did you do this to get me here and embarrass
me? Is this some kind of joke you have running? Geez, Joel, that
lady nearly caught us.”

Nicholas opens
the door, closing it quietly behind him.

“
Who was
that
?”

“
Mrs Schmidt. I’ve known her since I was a kid. Her husband
was the lighthouse keeper until it was un-manned. Now they run it
as luxury holiday accommodation.”

That old lady
lives in the bay? She probably knew me when I was a kid or knew Mum
at the least. This can’t be happening. It can’t. “She didn’t see
me, did she?”

“
Nah. It’s too dark in here for that.”

One small
mercy.

“
But you knew she was coming? You stripped me bare and got me
worked up and you knew the entire time that she’d be popping by at
some stage.”

Nicholas’ lips
press together. “When I asked her this morning if I could bring a
special someone here to see the view she was pretty keen to meet
you.”

“
I’m not going out to meet some ancient Italian lady looking
like I’ve just been shagged. She heard me moaning, Nicholas. She
has to know what we were doing.”

“
It’s alright. She’s gone. I told her you were in the
shower.”

I fold my
arms. I glare at them both.

“
Why am I here? What do you want from me?”

“
I told you. I thought you might like to see the view. The
fact that we get to see a view of you is a bonus. I didn’t mean to
embarrass you. I meant to turn you on.”

“
You did that.”

“
So, do you still want to see the view?”

“
Will we be interrupted?”

“
I’ve locked the door.”

“
Does seeing the view involve seeing the two of you?”
Suddenly, I’m up for it again. I want to continue this
adventure.

“
Not a chance,” Joel chuckles. “But you’ll definitely feel
us.”

*****

The uppermost
floor of the lighthouse is walled in glass. There’s a table set for
three and a small bar fridge filled with food and drinks. White
gauzy curtains billow against an open window and on the far side,
behind the disused lamp there’s a bed. It’s the type of romantic
setting a couple might have for a honeymoon.

The sun has
gone down now and while Nicholas and Joel are lighting candles and
getting drinks, I make a quick call to Emily. I don’t want her to
worry or think I’ve deserted her. Not that she’d care much about
the latter. I think she’s pretty wrapped up in Alex.

“
Don’t wait up,” I tell her. “I might be staying here the
night.”

“
Where are you?”

“
At the lighthouse. It’s been converted into a holiday house.
I’m on the top floor about to have dinner. The view’s
awesome.”

“
God, how romantic. No wonder you don’t want to come home. But
where’s Joel? He’s not doing some creepy voyeur thing is
he?”

“
Um, he went home. Two’s company and all that.”

“
Sensible boy. I still can’t believe he’s gay. He’s so
freakin’ hot—”

Me
neither.

“—
It’s such a waste.”

Not for much
longer.

“
I’m gonna go now,” I say. “Have fun with Alex.”

Emily blows me
a kiss through the phone. “See you in the morning. We can debrief
over breakfast.”

“
Cool.”

I stow my
phone back in my pocket and turn to the boys. They’ve seated
themselves on either side of the table, leaving a space for me
between them. There’s a bottle of champagne in the centre and three
glasses have been poured.

I sit.
“Bottoms up,” I say.

They pick up
their glasses, saying nothing. They don’t have to. I can read their
minds. I’m rather clever like that.

Chapter 10

It’s five in
the morning. I’m lying in the massive king-sized bed; an Egyptian
cotton sheet draped strategically over my lower half. I’m watching
the sunrise and the way the gauzy curtains are billowing at the
window in the early morning breeze. I’m pondering whether I should
get up and go for a dip before a breakfast of juice and soft-boiled
eggs.

Okay, that’s a
lie. I have a huge hangover from over consumption of champagne. My
eyes feel like golf balls inside my skull and my brain has
shrivelled up. Then there’s my hair. Oh God. Let’s not even go
there. I have post-sex hair.