Given (6 page)

“Dude, you never told me that,” Jared said, looking pale.

“You got a problem with it?” Damon asked his brother.

“No, it’s just—you’re my big bro and I guess I never thought
you’d be with a guy.”

“Deal with it, Jared. I had needs and found a solution to my
problem. I cared about the man I was seeing, but the relationship felt empty.
We were both lying to ourselves. Both of us knew we wanted a woman. We’re still
friends, but it just wasn’t what either of us truly wanted. Does that disturb
you, Krista?”

“No. If the situation reversed, I might have done the same
thing. No one wants to be lonely. I didn’t mean to cause more drama, but I was
curious.”

“Well, I’m finished. Anyone else finished?” Jared said. He
wiped his palms on his pants nervously.

“I think we should just get night number one over with. I’ll
be upstairs and you can
all
come to me as you please,
together
.”

“Wait just a goddamn minute here! No fucking way! Just
because we share you
doesn’t
mean I have to see all
their asses naked!” Max shouted at her. Krista flinched.

“You, calm down.
Now.
She’s
offering this for us, not for herself, you asshole. I’m in, and I bet everyone
else is too. If you don’t want to see my ass naked, then go to bed. I’m going
to her room!” Damon shouted at his friend. The two men glared darkly at each
other. Max threw his napkin on the table, but didn’t make a single move to
leave. No one said anything else.

She stood and the sound of every man in the room scooting
back his chair was loud and conclusive. She couldn’t watch as they stood
graciously for her to leave. She didn’t blame them for being eager; none wished
to be her last. She just couldn’t choose, or make them do it. As scared as she
was, the idea of them all being there the first time was actually slightly
comforting.

Krista went quickly up the stairs to her room. Hastily, she
shut her bedroom door and looked around at the unfamiliar setting. Everything
felt so strange. Outside her window, evening was beginning to darken the sky
and the room had a dreary, purplish cast as the natural light died. She flipped
on a small table lamp. The cheerful glow chased some of the shadows away, but
Krista still wrapped her arms around herself, trying to calm down.

Panic contrasted with the resignation she felt over the
situation. These men would all, at some point in the near future, have
intercourse with her.
Now seemed like just as good of a time
as any to get over the awkwardness of them all vying for physical release
inside of her.
She’d never have a flowers-and-candy romance, but she
wasn’t without common sense. Having every one of them participate the first
night avoided her concerns over jealousy and infighting. These men would be
keeping her in the beautiful prison they’d built to house her, and she wanted
to live as peacefully as possible. Her destiny didn’t belong to her, but that
didn’t mean she wasn’t wise enough not to know subtle ways to shape it to her
liking. She was glad to have such a lovely home, but it still didn’t excuse the
fact she may never leave here again. With the dangers lurking beyond the gates,
she wouldn’t have let herself leave if the decision had been hers.

Krista knew her situation could be worse, but right now,
everything felt bad. Knowing some of them had some sort of sexual experience
was both disturbing and reassuring. She worried that perhaps her inexperience
would make them feel she wasn’t as good in bed as the men they’d been with, or
worse, they wouldn’t know what to do. She didn’t really know what to do.
Someone had to lead, and she knew it wouldn’t be her.

Slipping out of her navy blue dress, she looked down at the
lacy, black bra and matching panties. They contrasted nicely against her pale
skin. She pushed her hair off her shoulders and took a deep breath before
looking in the mirror. Her face was grim. Krista thought about how different
her first time would have been with a single man who’d taken her on dates as
love had slowly built between them. No woman would ever experience that again.

She was as ready as she’d ever be for them. Krista lay on
the bed awkwardly. She pulled her legs up, and then stretched them out. She
spread them a bit, but it all felt too weird. Huffing with exasperation, she
stood again and began pacing the room. Six men would have her tonight, and
she’d have to endure it all.
What if it hurts me, what if they’re rough? I
don’t care what Miss Stanley said, this could be painful.

Glancing at the couch, she sighed. Krista sat down on the
pristine, white cushions and tucked her legs under herself. The lamp’s light
surrounded her. Darkness chased the dying daylight away completely; she forced
herself to look away from the window and forget there was a world beyond the
walls of this pretty cage. This house was her world now, and the population of
her new world was six men who had every right to her body. No one was coming to
rescue her from this duty.

Startled by a noise outside the closed door, she jumped. She
could hear feet in the hallway and whispered voices. She turned her attention
to the white, wooden door.
Such a minuscule barrier between
who she was right now and whom they’d create in the next hours.
If they
were rough or cruel they might destroy her, and that’s what she feared the
most. Her six were coming to claim her. A soft knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” she called out hoarsely.

Jared, Max, and Mal vied to be the first in the door. The
sight would’ve been comical if she wasn’t feeling sick from nervous fear.
DeAnthony
followed them and then Damon. Finally,
Brax
brought up the rear of the group, he looked pensive
and his lips were pressed into a hard line. They all stopped and gazed at her
with lustful and excited expressions.
Brax
was the
only one who didn’t ogle her with open desire.

The heat crept down her cheeks, neck, and chest. For an
awkward and extremely uncomfortable moment, they just stood silently, unmoving.
She didn’t know what to do. This didn’t feel natural. She’d heard of women overcome
with need who enjoyed sex, but she just felt uncomfortable. Krista nibbled at
her lower lip, fighting tears.
What if I’m the other kind of woman, the one
who doesn’t like sex?
She knew she’d be having sex at least six days a
week, possibly more often. The thought that intimacy would be a chore was
terrifying.
If only I had time to get to know them. I should’ve chosen one,
this is so much worse. Why did I think I could handle this?

The men all seemed content just looking at her mostly nude
body. She felt so dirty. “What do we do now?” Krista asked quietly, looking
away from them. “Do you want me to just lie on the bed and close my eyes until
it’s over?” Her voice was the merest of whispers. Her face was so hotly
uncomfortable, she put her chilly hands on her cheeks to take away some of the
burning.

“No, Krista, we don’t want you to do that. We want you to
enjoy this,”
Brax
replied quietly. She glanced up at
him in surprise and she saw the intensity of his look. His face was so
different from the others, she believed him.

“Speak for yourself,” Max grumbled. Then remorse filled his
expression. “It’s not that I don’t want you to enjoy it, but damn it, seeing
you like this has my cock so hard it’s killing me.”

Krista swallowed around the lump in her throat.
I just
hope it doesn’t hurt.
She tasted blood from where she’d worn the skin raw
on her lower lip.

Jared was the first to move. He sat down on the couch next
to her. “Can I touch you?” he asked.

She didn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nodded.
Jared’s hand slowly began to caress her back. Light strokes skimmed her body so
gently that his soft touch caused her to relax a little. With the eyes of so
many men on her, she couldn’t enjoy the tender caress as much as she might have
in private.

“Your skin is really soft.” Jared’s voice sounded strained.
He began brushing the hair off her forehead. “Can I unhook your bra?”

Krista jumped. The question took her by surprise, which was
ridiculous, but still the query shocked her inexperienced sensibilities. She
gave him a single, tense nod. She heard the subtle sound of the stays unhooking
as he pushed the small hooks apart one-by-one. Jared was infinitely tender as
he pushed the lace straps off her shoulders and arms. The insignificant bit of
fabric fell to the floor unceremoniously. She heard a moan and a gasp from the
group of men, but she wasn’t sure which ones had made the noises.

Krista managed to look at Jared. His reverent gaze made her
flinch; no one had ever looked at her like that before. Prickles tingled inside
her core. The first hint of excitement caused her heart to pound. Jared leaned
close to her and placed a delicate kiss on her shoulder. He sat up and looked
into her eyes. “You have beautiful breasts. May I touch them?”

Her heart was beating so ferociously it hurt. She couldn’t
speak, couldn’t nod. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for such an intimate
touch. Her back was one thing, but her breasts were entirely different. She
cleared her throat. “Start slow,” she uttered quietly.

Another groan came from the voyeuristic group still huddled
in the doorway. She heard the cracking sound of one of the men hitting the
groaner. “Quiet,” Max commanded in a loud whisper.

Krista’s cheeks were burning again. She refused to let
herself look at the other men and focused her attention on Jared.

“Let me know if you want me to stop, okay?” He tilted her
chin so that she’d look into his eyes. “I want you to like what I’m doing. If
you don’t, I will stop.”

Her lips pressed together tightly and she nodded, holding
her breath. His fingers skimmed the flesh of her nipple so lightly she wondered
if she’d imagined his touch. Then he pressed the pads of this thumbs against
her skin with more pressure. She groaned.

“Do you want me to stop?” Jared asked quickly.

“No,” she croaked out the word with effort.

He gave her a small smile and knelt on the plush carpet in
front of her. His precise movements and quiet voice reminded her of someone
trying to tame an animal.
Am I becoming a tamed creature, a wild thing that
needs to be broken for them to ride?
Before she could let her mind go to
some place dark, Jared’s voice interrupted her introspection.

“Thank you for letting me
touch
your breasts. Can I kiss them?”

Once again, the escalation of his actions caused her a
moment of panic. This time she glanced at the group standing in the doorway.
They were still dressed, but she could see the evidence of their erections in
the bulges of their pants and the hungry looks in their eyes. She turned her
attention back to Jared, who was gazing at her anxiously. Reaching out, she
touched his face softly. “Okay,” she whispered, then took a deep breath, which
she held.

He took her small breasts into his hands, and this thumbs
swirled around the areolas and nipples gently. The sensation built inside of her
and she let go of the breath she was holding. When he leaned forward and placed
his lips very softly against her left nipple, she gasped, and then he sucked it
into his mouth. She felt the hot wetness against her skin, and as he suckled,
he varied the pressure until she cried out again. She looked down, watching his
face pressed to her chest. His eyes remained closed, and she reached out to
trace his eyelids softly. She ran her fingers over his cheekbones and finally
allowed her hands to come to rest on his shoulders. He began tweaking her other
nipple with his fingers. Krista closed her eyes and a quiet, albeit slightly
primitive, noise issued from her.

She felt heat and her body seemed to hum with need. She
realized she wanted more and liked the sensation. “Jared, you’re wearing too
much clothing,” Krista told him, and she could hear the huskiness in her own
voice. He glanced up at her and she saw surprise in his eyes.

He pulled away. “Are you sure?”

Shyly, she looked at him through the veil of her eyelashes.
“Yes,” Krista whispered.

He stood and took off his shirt without finesse. Then he
paused and glanced at the group of waiting men. Damon gave him a nod of
encouragement. The younger man flushed very red. “I’d feel better if I wasn’t
the only naked man in the room.” His hands went to his fly.

The others shifted uncomfortable. They all looked at Krista.

“Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say. The sound and
sight of the men disrobing made her breath catch and she stared at the group, transfixed
by the image.
DeAnthony’s
body was lean and muscular.
His dark skin was flawless, and he had the least amount of body hair. Jared was
thin, lacking
DeAnthony’s
muscle tone, but she didn’t
find him unappealing. His chest and arms, except for a sprinkle of freckles,
were very pale. Her eyes scanned for Braxton, for some reason she wanted to see
him naked most of all. She tucked the factoid away in the back of her brain for
later examination, when she could think clearly again, but searched for him now.

Her eyes caught his and he paused. They just held the silent
communication for a moment before he straightened and stepped around the others
who were still shedding clothing.
Brax’s
penis stood
erect; she liked how he looked without his clothes on. His body was hard and he
had natural definition to his muscles. She noticed a dark birthmark on his
abdomen. The splotch reminded her of the inkblot she’d seen at her final
evaluation. She’d said it was a butterfly.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she realized she’d been
staring at him for far too long. She didn’t know why she wanted to see him so
badly, or why looking at him naked gave her a jolt right through her core. She
ignored the nibble of worry her need caused her to feel and just enjoyed
Brax’s
nudity. For someone with a sedentary occupation like
writing, his body didn’t show any sign of a butt-in-chair lifestyle.