A part of her wanted to crawl between them with confidence and snuggle into their chests, absorbing their warmth and scent. In fact, her body wanted to do that. Her nipples ached. A throbbing was annoying her, centered in her sex. It was foreign and frightening.
“Let’s eliminate the claiming from the table for now. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you’ve never had anal sex, and the idea is freaking you the fuck out. So we won’t do it.” Keegan crossed his legs, but there was no way for him to hide the bulge in his jeans.
She let her gaze wander there for only a moment before she yanked her face back up to meet his gaze, a flush stealing over her.
“Don’t we have to?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Neither man laughed. Or even smiled. They remained serious.
Finally Trace took over. “Yes. To claim you we both have to have sex with you at the same time. But what Keegan is saying is we don’t have to claim you tonight. Let’s just enjoy ourselves. There are so many ways we can have sex without anal if you aren’t ready.”
“Okay.” She barely heard her voice. If only they knew.
Trace leaned forward and reached out a hand. He didn’t touch her. Instead he left it up to her to come to him.
She grabbed his fingers and held on, drawn to get closer to them against her better judgment.
“Lie down between us, baby. You’re so tense.”
She let Trace help her turn around, and then she lay on her back, her head propped on a pillow, her hands clasped at her belly. She breathed so hard and so fast, it seemed she shook the bed. She felt like a corpse—her hands folded, her body rigid, her gaze on the ceiling.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, intending to calm her nerves. Instead, she got a giant whiff of both men that scrambled her brain and indeed loosened her tension.
Both men stroked her arms. She didn’t open her eyes. Immediately her nipples pebbled further, and she wondered if they could see them under the front of her dress. Without a bra on, it was inevitable.
“Relax, baby.” Trace’s voice soothed again. He was a master at calming her while heightening her arousal at the same time.
She was losing her grip on reality. And that wasn’t her style. Feeling out of control never set well with her.
Trace stroked up her arm, over her shoulder, and across her cheek.
She tipped her head into his touch, her lips parting.
“That’s it, baby. Just relax. Let us make you feel good. You’re so tight. After the first orgasm, you’ll feel so much better.”
Her eyes shot open. She stared at him with a wide gaze. And then she bolted up and scrambled off the bed. “This isn’t going to work.” She headed for the far side of the room, heaving for oxygen and kicking herself for being so stupid. “I’m sorry. I can’t. I just can’t. It’s too fast. Too consuming. I feel out of control.”
Keegan chuckled, which cut her to the quick. “Honey, that’s the idea.” His face sobered quickly when he met her gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. That wasn’t nice.”
“I don’t… I’m not…” She didn’t have the first clue what to say.
“Have you never had an orgasm, baby?” Trace’s eyes went wide.
“Of course I have,” she shot back. Alone. In my condo. With my vibrator. That doesn’t judge. Or care that I lost control.
Trace narrowed his gaze. “Melinda, what are you not saying? Whatever it is, please trust us. I can’t come up with a thing. Did someone hurt you?” He stiffened.
She shook her head. “No. Nothing like that.” Because I never let them.
“What then?” Keegan asked. “Hon, you’re going to have to talk to us. We’re at a total loss. We don’t know how to help if you don’t say something.”
Finally, she lifted her arms in complete frustration and let all the words she never wanted to speak tumble into the room. “Fine. I’m a virgin, okay? I’ve never let any man get close to me. It scares the fuck out of me to lose control. And in the same room with the two of you, I’m completely out of control.” She turned and stomped from the room.
She had no idea what to do or where to go. Her arms shook. Hell, her entire body shook with the proclamation that undoubtedly left them both stunned and confused. Disappointed even.
She couldn’t go through with this. No matter how badly she wanted them, she couldn’t do it. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.
She was embarrassed beyond belief and humiliated. Her usual strong outer façade was shattered, leaving behind a weak, limp, exhausted bundle of nerves. And the two men she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with were witnessing her at her very worst on the same day she met them.