It was the night before our wedding rehearsal. To say I was nervous was an understatement. The thought of marrying Zeus so soon made my stomach turn in knots to the point where I was throwing up every day. I blamed it on morning sickness. Why was he pressing so hard? What was the point? If everything he said was true, why did he want to marry me so soon? Yes, his explanation was sound, but why the hard push? "You look stunning!" Tanya beamed, "That dress is perfect for tomorrow!" "I mean, she did put a rush on all the dresses. I'm surprised she got all four done in such a short amount of time," I commented. I love how our dresses are nearly identical—just the sleeves are different." "So expensive," she added. "Yeah, never had a dress so nice, not even when Callista and Dimitri bought them," I concurred. Knock. Knock. Knock. "Come in," I called. Eric entered my room. He was so handsome. His wet, loose, touseled hair fell around his face. He was wearing a black suit wi
I looked in the mirror at myself. The wedding dress was exactly as I described it to Pnina. The cape she made for me was perfect, with its black lace choker, shoulder coverings, and red mesh train perfectly matching the dress. I didn't eat anything to fit into it; I was gaining weight faster than I realized. It was a struggle pulling the dress up over my hips. The makeup artist and hairstylist gave me a vamp look with smoky black eyes and a deep red lip. I was already so pale I looked like I was walking to my death, which I suppose I was in a sense. How was this any different than selling your soul to the devil? "Wow," I heard a whisper from behind me. I turned to see Tanya standing in her stunning bridesmaid dress, choking back tears. "Do I look okay?" I asked. I felt self-conscious because of my weight gain. "You look breathtaking," she smiled, "You look like you." I smiled as she walked over and held both of my hands in hers. "I'm nervous," I shuttered. "You have Er
"She should be okay," a female muffled voice echoed in my throbbing mind. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?" a less muffled man's voice replied. "She will," the female's voice came into focus. I blinked the blur from my eyes to see an office-like ceiling above me. I raised my arm to feel something strange taped to it. I glanced down to see some form of IV in my arm. "Ivy!" Tanya exclaimed. I looked to my right to see Eric gripping my hand and Tanya rubbing my leg. I studied my surroundings to conclude that I was in the hospital. "What happened?" I croaked. Tanya held my cup of water and put the straw in my mouth. "I can do that-" "Drink!" she ordered. I gulped down two cups of water before being able to prop myself up. "Easy," Eric warned as he helped. "What happened?" I repeated. Eric and Tanya nervously looked at one another. "I remember the fight with Eve," I commented while wracking my foggy brain, "I remember seeing you laying there with blood coming out o
When I left the hospital, Zeus did everything I asked except write me a five-million-dollar check. The note he went with it explained that he wanted to make sure I was taken care of for the rest of my life. Little did he know that I used the money to book a first-class ticket to Monterey, CA, buy a two-million-dollar house on the beach, and never look back. I've lived here for nearly six months now. Waking up to the sounds of the waves crashing along the shoreline, followed by seagulls squawking, was peaceful. When I'd sit on my porch, all I could smell was the saltwater of the oceans, with the wind combining its fingers through my long red hair. The thought of the events that happened that day slowly faded away. Tanya and Eric were still in New York. Tanya couldn't leave until Cameron graduated from High School because of his football scholarship, and Eric was waiting for his apartment to be sold before he left. I was on my own again. I'd been going out every day, buying usel
I decided to accept Deacon's offer and come to the college. It wasn't a far walk from my beach house, making it convenient. Walking through the endless halls and classrooms, I finally came to a smaller building in the back. It was dark and quiet in this area of the college. I walked down the steps leading to two old brown double doors. I knocked before opening one of the handles, but they were locked. "Well, not here after all," I muttered to myself. I turned to walk back up the steps when I heard the bolt in luck. "Ivy! You came!" I heard Deacon's voice behind me. I rolled my eyes in annoyance; why did I come if I knew this would bother me so badly? I faked my best smile. "Yeah, I decided to see if you were a Professor or just trying to fuck me; I guess you won," I turned to leave when I felt a form rough hand seize my left wrist. "Wait, that's it? Come inside," he said. I didn't have a choice but to follow when he pulled me inside after him. It was small and dark, but
"Take off your clothes," Deacon ordered. I nervously laughed, "What?" "Take off your clothes," he repeated. "Why would I do that? Why can't you paint me dressed?" I defended. "Are you afraid?" he asked. "No, I'm not afraid to be seen naked," I scoffed. "Then what frightens you?" he questioned. I pressed my tongue to my cheek in annoyance. Can I not want to get naked in front of a man I barely know? It had been months since anyone had seen me naked. Perhaps I was a little anxious; why wouldn't I be? I don't know this man. I looked back at him and froze; I could have sworn I momentarily saw Zeus in Deacon's face. A pang of hurt hit me, and I didn't know how to feel. "I don't know," I confessed, "I don't know what's stopping me." With that confession, I dropped my purse to the ground and sat on the lounge chair. I fought the tears that were battling their way along my tear ducts. "I never meant to hurt you," he solemnly said, "I know how you feel. Unless someone bl
"That's all I could do," Deacon dropped his head in shame. There were balls of paper covering his feet and other attempts he had made while trying to sketch me. You can tell that he hadn't drawn in some time: the shaky lines and oblong faces to the langolier-like fingers. I looked back over at him to see his head still hanging low. "Hey, maybe I can come by after hours, and you can use me to practice until you get it right," I offered, "I'm sure it's like riding a bike, right?" "Don't you have to work?" he asked. "No, I don't work," I stated, "I could if I wanted to, but I don't." His confusion shined, "H-How-" "Buy me a drink, and I'll tell you all about it," I interrupted. "You don't need me to buy you a drink, remember?" he joked. "Shut up," I nudged him, "Come on, I'll buy you one." I strolled out of the classroom, and Deacon followed. Once we reached the bar, we met the bartender, who recognized me and brought out a shot glass with my bottle of Bushmills.
"Wanna come in?" I drunkenly offered. Deacon studied me in confusion, "Are you sure?" "Nothing I haven't done before," I answered. I seized his shirt within my grasp and pulled him through my front door after me, placing my lips firmly on his. He pushed me back my shoulder, breaking our kiss. "Wait, I don't think you know what you're doing," he hesitated. "Just shut up and fuck me!" I grunted while pulling him into me with such force that we fell back onto my couch. He tried resisting but soon gave in to me. I felt his rough, frigid body relax between my splayed legs. I wrapped my legs around him, pressing his hard-on against my sex, rubbing up against him with intent. "Wait," he pulled back, looking down at me lustfully, "Are you sure?" "Yes," I rasped, "Please, help me feel something again." Am I drunk, or did I just see an emotional look flash across his expression? "Where's your room?" he asked. "Down the hallway behind you to the right," I answered.
Dimitri continued to unsparingly spank me with his belt as Reign held me in place. I was unable to do anything but take the punishment they gave. Something cold and thick dripped down the crevice of my cheeks, causing a tremble that rattled me to my core. Before I could object, I felt a finger shove its way up my ass. "Agh-" Reign covered my mouth to prevent my son from hearing as Dimitri shoved his finger in and out of my ass relentlessly. Tears of pleasure began streaming down my cheeks. "Shh," Reign hushed as he spanked me while Dimitri's fingers were still inside. My muffled cries only encouraged the both of them more. Reign shifted beneath me, sliding a finger of his inside of my slick opening. Being fingered by both ends was something I wasn't used to. The burning pleasure and feeling my holes expanding with each thrust almost caused me to cry out in ecstasy. I dug my nails into Reign's chest and arched back into each thrust. "Fuck!" I cried out. Reign's fingers
"We're back!" Dimitri announced. "Mom! I learned how to ride a bike-" "What happened to your knee?" I interjected. "Calm down, all kids scrape their knees," Reign hushed. "I fell a few times," Aodhan said sadly, dropping his head, 'But I did it!" "He did. We got a video for you," Reign confirmed while extending his phone. I glanced at the phone and then at my son, "Why don't you go shower? Dinner's almost ready." I watched the video of Aodhan successfully learning to ride the bike for the first time—the victorious look on his face from succeeding. "You aren't going to leave, are you?' I questioned. "No," they replied in unison. "Nervously, I bit my lower lip, "Well, I work a lot with the bar, and I can't be home as often as I'd like, and Aodhan looks happy that you're here." They both perked up in a pompous way. "If I think you need to leave," I warned while closing the gap between us, "Then you leave." "We're not leaving-" "I'm not negotiating," I interr
How could this happen? How did they find out?! What do I do now? "Why don't you both just leave? You won't get the answers you want," I grimly groaned while drinking my espresso. "We know he's one of ours. We won't be leaving," Dimitri responded while cooking breakfast. "We'll both stay and raise him if you insist on not having a DNA test to see which of us is his father," Reign added. With a frustrated grunt, I tossed my espresso aside and wanted nothing more than a drink. Only I couldn't drink. This situation was making my head spin in circles. "You think you can just move into my home?" I snapped. "I think you'll let us," Dimitri replied. "Why's that?" I huffed. Dimitri's eyes met mine. Fuck. Why did he have to be so handsome? "I'm a good father, and Reign is an exceptional young man. We both love you. We'll both love Aodhan in the same way. We have a right to be in his life. He shouldn't grow up thinking he had a father that didn't love him," Dimitri stated.
The dinner was nice, but Cameron's intentions were clear. Anyone with a brain would know what he wanted. Ironically, all I could think about was Dimitri and Reign. One of them was the father of Aodhan, and now, my baby is growing in my belly. I didn't want anyone but both of them. Sure, Cameron was a very handsome young man, but I don't feel like having another man's cock shoved up in me with my son in there. I decided to talk at home; it was a beautiful, warm night. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Ariel, how's it going? Everything okay?" I answered. "Well, there's two men here, Dimitri and Reign, and they said they needed to talk to you about Aodhan?" Ariel said. I felt my heart sink to my stomach. I froze, the tightness in my throat growing, making it more and more difficult to breathe. My lips began to tingle, a numbness filling me. Without thought, I started sprinting home. "How long have they been there?" I panted. "They just got here. That's why I called," she replied, "I
"We have two weddings this month and a divorce party in between," Veronica stated."Divorce party? How rich do you need to be to throw a divorce party?" I complained. "The type that pays two hundred fifty thousand dollars," Veronica implied. I waved my hands in surrender, "You just had a baby two months ago, and you're running around like it never happened." Veronica glared, "While I'm here, I'm not Mom. I'm Veronica; believe it or not, that holds some meaning to me." "Jeez, calm down," I hushed. I'm just saying you're a badass. Not everyone will insult you for being a working mom; I am myself." "I know; it just can't be more obvious how most people feel, including my mother." "What did she have to say?" "You know, the usual, why don't you be with a man who can care for you and my grandbaby? Why must you work? Why must you must you make my heart hurt and ache?" "At least you have a mother that cares." "I know, sometimes I just wish I could go spontaneously deaf when
When I awoke, Ariel was lying in bed, and the red suction and bite marks all over her body gave me a sense of pride. Instead of waking her, I went to the kitchen and made a quad over ice for us. Coffee hasn't been strong enough since I became a mother. I walked out to my back porch and watched the sun over the horizon. The light blue shades with yellow lines dancing among them let me know it was almost sunrise. I leaned on my elbows, playing with the coffee cup as the breeze ran its fingers through my long red hair. "Hey," Ariel greeted me while hugging me from behind. "Good morning," I greeted, "I made you your favorite." "Four shots of espresso?" she beamed. "Yes, but iced," I warned, "It's already seventy-five degrees out here." "Yum," she purred before drinking. We stood there side by side quietly. Had I just done the unthinkable? Ariel was the one person I could trust. I mean, sure, I thought about fucking her before, but I would always stop myself. The thought o
I rushed Reign from my home moments later. After that, Arie came back to drop off my son. "Sorry, I didn't know you'd have company," Ariel apologized. "It's alright; I didn't think I'd have company myself," I admitted. "Seems like you two know one another," she commented. "What makes you say that?" While drinking some champagne, I asked, "Aodhan, why don't you shower? It's getting late." "But mom!" Aodhan protested. "No, baby," I groaned. I rubbed my temples. "Everything alright?" Ariel asked. "I feel like my head is squeezing in on itself; I forgot what it was like having a cocaine hangover," I replied. "Oh, you had that kind of fun," she giggled. "Sory of," I sighed, "Never thought I'd ever do that again, especially after my son, but I had the best time." "I can tell you've been smiling despite being hungover," she smiled. "If I'm being honest, I was wrapped up in work and Aodhan and forgot about me and the woman I am. I'm not just a power career-driven
I quietly left the hotel room before the three woke up from the party the night before. Ariel called to let me know my son wanted to see if he could have ice cream for breakfast. I couldn't resist saying yes, and it made me realize how much I missed him. I needed to get home and clean up for the day ahead. I know I will see all of them again; it's just a matter of time. "Reign?" I hesitated while walking from the cab, "What are you doing here?" Reign hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck, uncertain of how he should speak. "I left last night because the thought of seeing someone else touch you makes me angry," Reign confessed. "I-I-" I stammered, "You and Dimitri-" "I did it because you wanted it," he interrupted. "Oh," I hushed. "You fucked them last night, didn't you?" he questioned. "That's not any of your business," I replied. Reign turned thunderous and angry, a reminder of who his father was. He kissed me deeply and passionately. We collided into my front do
It was all that I remembered: the cocaine, the alcohol flowing from left and right. Before I knew it, we were at the hotel in the best suite money could buy. "Come now, give the bride a kiss," Callista enticed, grabbing my face and kissing me. The familiar scent of her perfume, her delicate lips, her tender touch, I missed this. My body caved into her without hesitation, inviting her in. "You still taste the same," Callista purred against my lips. She gently eased me onto the smooth wooden coffee table. I saw Reign, Dimitri, and Roy looking down at the both of us. Callista propped herself up, took out a small container, and emptied a small pile across my chest. My cheeks flushed red; I'm not necessarily used to an audience. "Shhh," Callista hushed, brushing my cheek in comfort. She inhaled the line from my chest and seductively licked it clean before kissing me once more. The bitter taste on my tongue soon numbed both my mouth and throat. Callista removed my top, gentl