One Dirty Night

“Says the owner of a porn circus.”

“Says the guy who believes in love in all facets. Sexual or friendship. Physical or spiritual. I can fall in love with someone for a single night.” His arms squished me. “And be brave enough to open my heart to strangers, all because I’ve learned that every person I meet might end up becoming someone infinitely precious to me.”

Hunter kissed my cheek as he shifted his arms to incorporate Nick, plastering me even tighter between the two naked men. “I’m glad I get to share her with you. Truly. I like you, Nicholas. I like your morals. I like your passion. I like that you have the instincts of a Dominant yet choose to nurture instead. I like that you finally let yourself out to play because no one should go through life repressing who they truly are.”

“You don’t know me,” Nick snarled.

“I know enough to understand you use control as a method of protection.”

Nick’s head snapped up. “You’re saying I whipped Ella because I’m a scared little boy who would rather hurt someone he cares about than actually admit how he feels?”

I sucked in a breath as Nick’s cock twitched against my lower belly all while Hunter’s pressed against my spine. Such an erotic hold yet somehow ever so sensual at the same time.

“You said it, not me,” Hunter whispered. “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing ever since you moved in with her? Hurting her through avoidance, quips, and coldness?”

I froze.

Nick muttered a curse. I waited for him to retreat, but…he didn’t.

He permitted the embrace, turning us into an unlikely throuple.

For a long moment, no one spoke but then Nick sighed into my neck. “I didn’t mean to be so cold, Ella, but…you affect me. You always have. And…and I can’t let that happen. I have to stay on my own.”

“Loneliness is said to be the worst disease on earth,” Hunter whispered before I could reply. “Loneliness kills, man. It drains us of life. It infects our happiness. Loneliness is the true sickness, but it can be cured so easily.”

“No, it can’t,” Nick snapped.

“Sure, it can. All it takes is a choice. A choice to put yourself out there. Join a club. Message in a Facebook group. Take up a new hobby. People are pack animals, Nick. Your lonewolf attempt is only gonna get you killed.”

“I already told you, I’m dying anyway.”

“And I told you, we all are.” Hunter squeezed us both, gifting such kindness and wisdom, all while we stood in the eye of a sexual storm we’d conjured.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. Not because my back smarted or because I’d had mind-blowing sex with a man who just proved himself to be as beautiful inside as he was out but because it seemed tonight was always meant to happen.

Fate had made me notice Hunter, drawn in by his good looks only to find such a wonderful soul. And fate had nudged Nick to come and blow off some steam, even as he wallowed in misery that I’d never noticed.

I shivered at the poignancy. At the depth this evening had taken.

I’d come here hoping for a few orgasms and a night of dirty freedom.

Instead, I’d found a connection I would never forget. A sense of belonging that filled me fit to bursting.

“Nick…” I licked my lips. “I understand why you want to stay single and completely get your drive to find that elusive cure. And…I need you to know, I won’t push you into something you don’t want. If you’d prefer to move out and forget all about me after tonight, then…I won’t make it difficult. I won’t hold you to anything that happens between us in this room. But I do want you to know…I like you. Very much. I already like you, despite you trying to push me away. I care for you regardless that we aren’t in a relationship, so if you think being together will only end up hurting me, you’re wrong. You can’t stop how I feel about you—”

“Ella.” Nick tipped up his chin, catching my stare. “Don’t.”

I opened my mouth to argue. To ask him if he wanted to go back to our apartment and forget all about this, but Hunter cut in.

“What do you want, Nick?” His voice was dark and tight. “Do you want to forget about this? Do you want to go home nursing blue balls and wrap yourself back up in chains or…” He kissed my cheek and growled, “Do you want to fuck this delicious little sub? Do you want her begging for you? Do you want her at your every beck and call? Because if you do…I’ll be nice. You can have her anyway you want. I’ll even teach her how to please you so you can spend the rest of your life alone, jerking off to memories of what happened here tonight.”

Before Nick could reply, Hunter lowered his voice to a seductive, spine-tingling murmur, “What do you say, Ella? Do you want to help me cheer Nick up? Tonight took a heavy turn, but that lust still burns. We have a fuck ton of chemistry together; it would be a shame to waste it.” Rocking his hard-on into my back, activating the lashes Nick gave me, he groaned, “Are you ready to step back into lust, little witch? Because I desperately want you again. And Nick? Well…he really, really needs to fuck you.”

My stomach clenched.

My core melted.

Every nerve ending sprang back into the fire that’d cindered me to the ground, but…I hesitated.