Binding Love Read online

  Chapter Three

  Cooper wanted to snarl in anger. He hated reliving everything. He’d spent the last two years of his life trying hard to forget it all, and here she was, dredging it all back up. He was being a grade-A ass and he knew it. By the look on Liam’s face, he’d probably pay for it in blood. He didn’t blame the guy. If Mallory were still his and someone put the look on her face he just had, Cooper would be pissed off too.

  It was Mallory’s turn to push her chair back from the table and stand. She took her cup with her to the counter. Her back was still turned to them when she spoke. “No, Cooper. I was shocked because my boyfriends were fucking each other and I was the last one to find out about it. Even then it wasn’t because I was told. It was because I just happened to stop by unannounced.”

  The last came out on a ragged breath. Had he heard her right? It couldn’t be. What kind of game were they playing?

  “Let me get this straight. You had no issue with the fact Liam had me tied up and was fucking me. Your problem was in that neither one of us mentioned it to you?”

  When she whirled around, her hair breezed past the pink shell of her ear, a few of the silky strands catching at the corner of her mouth. “And that surprises you?” She seemed irritated he might not understand why it would.

  “Yeah, actually it does.” Time to get it all out. “When we first started dating, you made sure I understood you were not looking for a monogamous relationship. It was one of the things that drew us together. Both of us were experimenting, and at the time had no desire to settle down. We were able to date others, to fall in love with others, to spend time with others.” He spoke the last slowly to punctuate what he was trying to convey. When she stood there, still staring at him, Cooper continued. “On more than one occasion the three of us went out together. Jesus, Mallory, Liam and I fucked you together!”

  “I know, damn it!” Pain welled in the depth of her dark brown eyes. “Don’t you think I know?” She tipped her head back and took a deep breath, causing her chest to rise. He could see her throat work as she swallowed, and prayed when she looked back at him there would be no tears. “I’m not saying it makes sense. I’m not saying what I did was right. I’m just trying to tell you what went through my head when I saw you two together.” She came back to the table and sat in the empty chair across from him. “If there is one thing I learned, besides how important you both are to me, it’s that having a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ relationship rule leaves way too much room for misconception.” Her tremulous smile was depreciative, her lower lip quivering slightly.

  Cooper pushed a hand through his hair then ran it back down over his face. “I’m going to be honest here. I’m having a hard time believing you.”

  Liam cleared his throat, garnering Cooper’s attention. “She’s telling you the way it happened, man. If you had stayed around or gone to her place and threatened to take the door off its hinges, you might have found out firsthand.” Liam’s stare was intent, non-flinching. “It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact we were together.”

  “Wait. You thought…” Mallory’s tone was incredulous. “You thought I’d walked out because I was grossed out by you two fucking?” She turned her gaze on Liam. “And you knew that’s what he thought?”

  Liam’s sigh filled the otherwise quiet room. “I suspected. I knew Cooper hadn’t come out to anyone and was still getting used to the idea that he was sexually attracted to men.”

  “And no one thought it might be a grand fucking idea to let me in on this little secret?”

  “It’s not something people go advertising.” Cooper’s grumbled response sounded defensive.

  “Watch it, baby.” Liam’s words seemed to settle Mallory somewhat. Cooper filed their little byplay away for a later time. Something seemed a little different in their relationship.

  “Had you been with men before Liam?”

  Cooper knew she was going to ask him all sorts of questions. Even knowing, he still hated answering them. Is this how it would be every time someone found out he was bisexual? Would everyone always want to know when and how it happened, as if he’d come down with some sort of sickness? He shuddered at the thought.

  “Not all the way. Just some play.”

  Mallory left her seat again. This time she paced a few feet away before turning back to face them. “I don’t really care about the details, Cooper. I just wish you had trusted me enough to say something.” She tilted her head to the side as if thinking carefully about her next words.

  “Say whatever it is you want to say.” Cooper wanted it all out in the open. This whole damn mix-up needed to be settled so they could all get on with their lives.

  “I’m glad Liam was your first.”

  Oh great! Cooper could feel his face heat, and if that wasn’t bad enough, his cock twitched at her words. He had no clue what to say in response, so decided to remain quiet.

  Their conversation had been a revelation. It was evident they had all caused the issue at hand. Years had been lost due to what boiled down to a lack of communication all the way around. There was no way to recover that time, but was there a way to work things out so they didn’t lose any more? Is that why Mallory and Liam had come? Cooper didn’t even want to hope. He just couldn’t put himself out there that way. He was going to have to wait and see what happened. Sort of place the ball in their court and go from there.

  Liam could nearly hear the wheels turning in Cooper’s head. He’d just been given a lot of information. Probably too much all at once, but it sure was nice not to have so much weighing them down.

  It wasn’t extremely late, but the sun had already set. Liam wasn’t sure how long they had been sitting there talking, but it was long enough that his ass was numb and he was tired from the emotional drain of it all. He’d remained mostly quiet during the whole thing, so he could only imagine how Mallory and Cooper felt.

  What he desperately wanted was for the three of them to be able to snuggle into a bed together, to sleep while touching skin to skin. He knew it wasn’t something that was going to happen tonight, so he wasn’t going to allow himself to feel disappointed. Instead he was going to take Mallory to the little hole-in-the-wall motel where they’d reserved a room. He could tell by the look on her face as silence loomed between them that he might have to drag her out kicking and screaming. He would do so if necessary. Cooper needed time to think about everything that had been said.

  Pushing his chair away from the table, Liam stood, stretched and then held his hand out to Mallory. She looked at it and then up at him and then quickly over to Cooper before shaking her head. She was a stubborn woman.

  He completely understood why she felt the need to stay. He felt it too. There was a worry that if they left they wouldn’t be welcomed back. Again. Liam also knew pushing for too much too soon could also backfire on them.

  “Now, Mallory.”

  She reached out and put her hand in his just as he knew she would. He also knew she wasn’t happy about doing so. Cooper watched them intently. Liam could only imagine what was going through his mind. Once things were settled between the three of them, if there was the chance of a relationship, he would try to explain their dynamic to Cooper.

  “We’ve reserved a room at the little place outside town.” Cooper’s brow furrowed as if he wanted to say something, but he kept his mouth closed. Instead he nodded.

  “Would it be okay if we came over in the morning?” Her voice cracked just a little. Liam knew how hard it was for her to ask, how vulnerable it made her feel. She was squeezing his hand, probably leaving crescent marks from her sharp fingernails. Tension radiated through her body, hitting him in waves. He wasn’t sure how in the hell he would deal with things if Cooper said no.

  They waited.

  “That’ll be fine.” Cooper didn’t sound as if he were completely sure.

  “Good, we’ll see you tomorrow for coffee.” Liam released his hold on Mallory and offered his hand to Cooper.

 
; The other man accepted the shake without hesitation. Liam felt his energy as soon as their skin touched. There was a zap of electricity that seemed to hum just beneath the skin. It was one of the ways he always knew if someone was right for him. And there was no doubt in his mind now that Cooper still belonged with him, with them.

  Mallory stood stone-still, as if concentrating hard on not running in for a hug. She was the touchy-feely sort, so it was probably killing her. Cooper took a step forward then stopped and nodded toward Mallory.

  “Good night, Cooper.” Her voice held the tears she wouldn’t allow to fall in front of others. It was soft and sad. Its tone held a longing she’d harbored for years. Just hearing it made Liam hurt for her. It also made him want to do anything at all to make her happy and see a smile on her face.

  In that instant, he became a man on a mission. He was going to do whatever was necessary to take Mallory’s mind off their troubles. Before the night was over, she would be crying, begging and maybe even screaming, but it would not be in misery. Liam would see to it.

  Cooper walked them to the door. He stood on the threshold until they started driving away. He looked just as lost as Mallory. “He needs some time to think, baby. Time without us around.”

  She sniffled a little before answering. “Yes Sir. I know.”

  Liam reached across the center console and buried his hand in the back of her hair. “He’ll let us in to talk some more tomorrow, Mal. He wouldn’t have agreed if he didn’t plan to. Besides, you told him where we were staying. If he wants to or needs to talk, he knows where to find us.”

  Her eyes were closed, her head relaxed into his hold. “I hope you’re right.”

  “I am.” Liam had no doubt they would be welcomed back in the morning. He also had no worries Cooper would still harbor animosity toward either of them. What bothered him was the possibility of clearing everything up and yet not having the option of having Cooper in their lives.

  Liam didn’t share his thoughts with Mallory. He didn’t think she needed the extra stress. She’d been so worried about clearing the air she hadn’t given thought to the fact Cooper was still in the closet, and from the looks of his brothers, probably with good reason. As far as Liam was concerned, that was where issues were going to come into play.

  The rest of the drive was done in silence. They held hands but remained quiet, lost in their own thoughts. The room they’d rented was simple but clean. They’d been placed at the back of the building, and from the lack of cars in the parking lot, not many others joined them. He considered it to be a good thing. He’d brought along a gag though, just in case. The thought made him smile. He much preferred to hear the sounds she made, to keep her mouth free for whatever he chose to do, but gags were nice too.

  “Oh god!”

  Liam quirked a brow at her outburst. “What?” he asked while opening the door in order to get out of the car.

  She laughed, sounding a bit nervous. “When you get that evil little smile on your face, I know I’m in trouble.” Liam smiled as he rounded the car to open the passenger door for Mallory.

  Whenever he had that particular look on his face, Mallory felt excited. Hesitant but excited. Liam often pushed her limits, and she had a feeling tonight was going to be one of those nights. He was pretty adept at discerning her emotions and knew when to push and when not to. When he pushed, he was usually going for an emotive response, namely tears.

  He liked them and she hated how they made her feel weak. Liam always said it was the best of both worlds in that sadistically wicked way of his. He could manipulate her body and mind in a way that would leave her no choice but a release of what she usually held on to so tightly—her emotions.

  Afterward he would hold her and whisper words of nonsense while they snuggled close, the skin-to-skin contact acting like a balm to the both of them. Tonight he was going to force her to let go, she could see it in his eyes. How, Mallory did not know. She didn’t think he’d packed much in the way of toys, but if she knew him as well as she thought, she’d guess he had at least a few lengths of rope hiding somewhere.

  “Strip down for me, baby. Nice and slow, just the way I like it.”

  Oh man, she loved it when he talked dirty. She liked it even better when Liam ordered her to do things in that low tone that indicated he meant business. Her immediate reaction was to become wet and ready even though mere minutes before she’d been sulking at being made to leave Cooper’s home.

  Mallory made a show of peeling off each and every article of clothing so slowly he would be able to see each inch of flesh as it became exposed. When her jeans and blouse were gone, she turned her back to him then reached around to unhook her bra, all the while rocking her hips from side to side.

  “Drop your bra on the floor and then bend at the waist, Mal.”

  She did as instructed, being sure to widen her stance so he could clearly see between her legs. It was not a very becoming position to be in for someone with an ass the size of hers, but he seemed to enjoy it, and that was what mattered.

  Mallory peered over her shoulder, the little devil there making her wink and saucily ask, “Like this, Sir?”

  Liam sauntered close enough to touch, but didn’t. “Yes. Just like that, baby. Now reach back with both hands and lower your panties. When they’re all the way off, I want you to hand them to me.”

  Her heart was thundering against her ribs. She was trying to focus, but couldn’t. Cooper kept worming his way into her thoughts. Picturing him there with them had her so damn aroused the crotch of her thong was damp from the slick cream of her pussy. Would he watch her with Liam, or would he be touching her, helping her as Liam guided them both?

  A moan escaped her without warning, causing Liam to chuckle. Mallory tried to stifle another as she slid her barely there panties over her thighs and down her calves. Removing them while bent was harder than she thought it would be.

  “Dare I think all of this is just for me?” Liam had moved up behind her, and without preamble buried two fingers deep into her pussy.

  Mallory remained quiet. She didn’t know how to respond and was sure he already knew the answer anyway.

  “My guess would be no, which is perfectly okay with me. I was planning to bring Cooper into our play tonight anyway, even if not physically.”

  Now she was even more intrigued. Mallory fucked back on Liam’s fingers. She needed to feel him as deep as possible. She longed for him to be rough, to use her and take whatever he wanted without explanation. So when he pulled his fingers free from her depths, wiping them across her ass, she nearly cried out at the loss. The only thing to deter her was the startling smack he delivered to her ass.

  “On the bed on your back.”

  Mallory stood straight then scrambled to do his biding. Once she was on the bed as she’d been told, she watched him while playing with herself. Her fingers delved into her slickness then up to her clit where she circled slowly. She knew better than to get off, but he had no such rule against actually touching herself, and she did so, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her fingers.

  He moved across the room then stooped to retrieve something from the duffle he used to pack his clothes. She was not at all surprised to see him holding two lengths of rope when he straightened and turned toward her. He enjoyed turning her into living art with his rope nearly as much as he enjoyed binding her until she could barely wiggle a toe and then fucking her.

  He removed his shirt and shoes then climbed onto the bed beside her. “I’m going to tie you up the way I did Cooper that night you walked in on us.”

  Mallory knew exactly what he was doing. He was forcing her to remember that night, only he was adding a positive spin to it. She loved him more by the minute even if she was uncomfortable with the possibility of delving into those memories for a second time in the span of only a few hours.

  Liam worked at securing a length of rope around her calf and then her thigh, pulling her leg high and leaving her foot dangling in the air. He repeate
d the same maneuver on her other side, leaving her ass and pussy completely exposed for his pleasure.

  Mallory thought Liam would stop there, but he didn’t. His next move was to use the other length of rope to immobilize her hands. He did so by attaching each wrist to the rope at her thighs, leaving her unable to use her hands or legs at all. She had absolutely no way to cover herself except to close her legs. She nearly snorted at the thought.

  The rope was tight against her flesh, pulling and rubbing if she struggled against it. Mallory had no desire to get free, but it was always fun to test his knots, to see just how far she could move.

  When he removed his jeans and boxer briefs, she had to work hard to slow her pulse and ragged breathing. He was magnificent. His cock was standing proud and erect, its tip a deep and angry-looking red. The drop of pre-cum glistening along the slit made her mouth water.

  “Please, Sir. Fuck me.”

  The smile curving his lips was predatory. “Oh, I’m going to fuck you, baby. I’m going to fuck you just as I did Cooper that night.” He retrieved a condom and bottle of lube from off the bedside table. After donning the condom, he slathered a good amount over his length and then moved in on her. “Do you want to feel what it’s like to be my boyfriend, Mallory?” The feel of his fingers on her puckered hole overwhelmed her senses. He dribbled copious amounts of the slick liquid over her heated flesh then worked it into her tight entrance with first one finger and then two. “I’ve always been rougher when fucking the men in my life.”

  Mallory could hardly breathe, she was so excited. When he leaned over her for a very heated, soul-searing kiss, she could feel the length of his shaft against her belly.

  His mouth took hers, nipping and licking, chasing her tongue in a duel Mallory knew she would lose. She moaned into his mouth, hoping he would take it as the plea it was.

  “Being close to Cooper again has made me feel the need to fuck like men fuck. I hope that’s okay with you, baby.”