The Kissing Bough (6 page)

Percy released his lover’s cock from his mouth, to complain, “That’s not funny, Will.” Being worse for wear on drink wasn’t an excuse for making light of a sensitive topic. Percy had never actually believed Viola would come. He’d already realised when he’d suggested it that she’d decided that what they were asking of her was too scandalous and too big a risk. She wasn’t the woman he’d hoped for at all. Leastways, that was what he was trying to convince himself. Actually, he was doing his damnedest to let go of his thoughts of her altogether by focussing all his attention on Will. It’d been working too, until Will had spoken.

“It wasn’t a jest. She’s actually come.”

Percy turned his head, resting his cheek against Will’s thigh so he could look toward the door to their room. He’d heard no knock, and there was no glow of candlelight seeping around the frame. Evidently Will was more inebriated than he’d realised, if he was hallucinating things.

“Not there. Outside the window.” Will pushed him off. “Go. Let her in before she catches her death.”

Percy stumbled to his feet. “You’re serious?” All he could see were windowpanes caked with rime, and how the devil could she have got out their anyway, without wings or an exceedingly long ladder? He opened the French doors, but the balcony appeared empty save for a few sad looking potted shrubs. “Miss Marsh?” he enquired softly, feeling faintly ridiculous, not to mention chilly. “Viola, are you there?”

“To your right,” Will informed him. “She has her enchanting derriere pressed tight to the glass, and a pleasanter sight I’ve not seen in a long while. Well, besides the vision that’s your derriere.” The latter, Percy was relieved to report was not currently on display, but concealed by his breeches and shirttails. If Viola truly was here, most likely the sight of him naked wasn’t the sort of greeting she’d be anticipating.

“Viola?”

Startled, she leapt forward, and skidded to a halt right before him.

“Viola,” Percy said, catching her. “You’re here!” Her warmth filled his arms, as a delicate scent of lavender and rose surrounded him. She was indeed, as Will said, in her night gown, with only a thin shawl about her shoulders to ward off the chill. Percy stared at her, his throat all of a sudden tight, as he caught sight of her nipples steepled by the cold pressing against the thin cotton sheath.

What he wouldn’t give to simply take her in his arms and close his mouth around those points. His cock stiffened at the thought, prompting him to take a step back from her. No sense in unnecessarily alarming her. “I didn’t think…I never imagined you’d—” The position of the moon made the simple garment she wore almost translucent, so that he could see her every curve.

Oh God, he was doomed. If she changed her mind now, his damned head would crack open.

“I had to know,” she replied. “I couldn’t leave things as they were. If there’s a chance we could be happy, I want to take it.”

Percy just stared at her, his heart in his mouth. He knew they could be happy. The fact that she’d come to them told him that. He didn’t like to boast, but he was pretty certain that between them he and Will could be damned persuasive particularly as they wouldn’t have to purely rely on words to get their point across.

“Don’t keep her in the cold, you dolt. Invite her in so we can warm her up,” Will called.

“After you,” Percy mumbled, stepping back so that she could pass him. Was this real? Were all his Christmas wishes actually going to come true?

Viola hesitated for a second, and then purposefully entered the room. Percy followed, watching the sway of her golden-blonde hair against her back. She’d tied it in a long braid ready for bed, and the end of it tickled the curve of her plump bottom. He couldn’t wait to see her naked, so he could admire it properly.

All at once, his physical need for her became an ache in his gut and a deep throb in his balls. Lord, could this really happen? Would she really allow them to make love to her, and show her how wonderful it could be?

“I want…You said if I came…” She didn’t quite seem able to get the words out. And no wonder, Percy realised, given that Will was still sprawled across the feather bed in exactly the position Percy had left him. Breeches missing, one arm in his shirt and one arm out, and his cock standing just as proud and ready as it could be. He watched Viola’s eyes go wide, and her mouth fall open. “Oh, my!” She gave a little gulp, and turned her head as if she wasn’t sure where she should look or she might flee.

“Cover yourself up, Will. There’s a lady present.”

A lazy smile spread across his lover’s face. “This is what she came here to see. She was peeping through the window at us, so don’t imagine she doesn’t already know it’s your fault I’m in this state.”

Two bright pink spots expanded across Viola’s cheeks. “I wasn’t. I didn’t see anything,” she said. “Only that you were both on the bed. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She back stepped a pace, making Percy relieved that he’d fastened the latch upon the French doors.

“You didn’t,” he said reassuringly, and turned her about so that she didn’t have to see Will and his nonsense. Only, she didn’t stay facing him, she turned straight back to look at Will, who not content with flaunting his assets, proceeded to wrap his hand around his shaft and stroke himself.

“Do you want to move a bit closer?” he whispered into her ear.

“I don’t think so. Not yet.” She glanced at him, at how close he was.

“You’re shivering. Are you cold?” He drew her toward the still roaring fire, so that she stood facing him, but stood side on to the bed, and could hence still see Will. “Let me warm you.”

“I’m not cold,” she said, putting her arms around herself, and thus making her bosom swell. “Just a little apprehensive.” Her head continued to turn back and forth between them.

Terrified more like. She looked like a deer peeping at the barrel of a hunter’s gun. “Don’t be. We won’t hurt you.” He stroked a wisp of blonde hair back from her face, before cupping her cheek. “Neither of us will do anything you don’t want us to. I promise you that.”

She gave him a little nod of acknowledgement. “But how will I know whether I want you to?”

Percy brushed his little finger across her lips, prompting her to part them. “The same way you know whether you want to be kissed. Can I kiss you, Viola?” He’d wanted to so desperately from the moment he’d spied her beneath the kissing bough.

To his astonishment, rather than answer him with words, she rose on her tip-toes to reach his mouth, and kissed him. The taste of her delicate lips sent a thrill right through his body, making him groan and his blood heat to an intolerable level.

Viola looked at him in concern. “Did I do something wrong? I didn’t hurt you?”

“You didn’t.” By God, no! She could never hurt him, leastways not like that. He crushed her to his body, and assaulted her mouth with hungry kisses, until she too was making funny, desperate little noises in the back of her throat. She tasted so sweet, like champagne and syllabub; two of his very favourite things all rolled into one that he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

“You’re supposed to share,” Will complained after a while, prompting Percy to recall that the occasional breath was essential. Viola was flushed and her eyes dazzlingly bright as she stared at him. “That was…That was…amazing.”

“He has a few talents,” Will remarked dryly, adding a sigh. “Do bring her here, Percy, so that I can kiss her too.”

He was of half a mind to tell Will to move his lazy bottom and come over here, except the prospect of getting Viola onto the bed was far too appealing.

“I will if you show some respect and cover up.”

Will tutted. “I might be flaunting it, but you’re the one poking her with your pizzle.”

“I’m not poking her. I wasn’t, was I?”

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head, though he noted that her attention did drop to the hummock tenting the front of his breeches.

“Oh, very well.” Will rolled his eyes upward, but nevertheless reached for the sheet.

“Actually, don’t.” Viola darted forward, her hand outstretched to stay him. “You both promised that if I came, you’d show me everything. Percy was kissing you there, wasn’t he? I saw you though the window.” Her voice was whisper soft, like the snowflakes settling on the window ledge. “I know I shouldn’t have spied on you, but when I saw what you were doing, I couldn’t look away. I really couldn’t. It was not like any kiss I’d ever seen or imagined. It was beautiful, and raw. It made me feel alone.”

She seemed determined to fracture his heart. How could he not have noticed her there out in the cold, looking at them, thinking perhaps that there wasn’t space in their lives for her? He wanted her with every inch of his body.

“He wasn’t kissing me, he was sucking me,” Will informed her. “There’s a world of difference.”

“Sucking. As a babe does?”

Percy was glad she’d turned around, and couldn’t see his face at that moment, because goddamnit, there was an inferno blazing across his cheeks. “Not entirely like, no.”

“Maybe you’d like to try it?” Will offered. A broad smile spread across his face. He arched his back so that his hips lifted toward her.

“I…Well…”

“Stop teasing her, Will. You’re being frightful. You don’t have to, Viola. It’s a disgusting thing to do.”

“You do it,” she said, walking toward the bed.

“Percy likes anything that’s dirty and lewd; don’t believe this act he’s putting on. The man’s a beast. You’ll see.”

She reached the bed, and stopped by the side of it, her gaze roving over every inch of Will’s glorious body. He shucked off his shirt properly so nothing was hidden.

“If he’s a beast, then what are you?”

“King of the beasts.” He held out his hand to her, and when she accepted, pulled her onto the bed beside him.

Percy followed her, but lingered by the footboard.

“What now?” she asked, as Will slid his hand around the back of her neck and drew her forward to meet his kiss. “I’m glad you came, Viola. I’m glad you gave us this chance.”

“Me too.” She grinned, and shot nervous glances at them both. “Can I touch you?” she asked Will.

“Absolutely.” He sagged against the bolster. “Touch me all over, anywhere you like.”

Viola lifted her hand but seemed uncertain where to put it.

“Here.” Will drew her palm to his bare chest and helped her stroke him in a broad circle. Once she seemed comfortable with that, he moved her hand down a little, over the ridges of his abs toward his straining cock. When she ringed her fingers around the shaft, he exhaled sharply. “Gently, Viola. Else you’ll set me off. Like this.” He showed her how to move her hand to give him pleasure.

Percy watched her explore his lover’s body. He felt no jealousy, only longing. He wanted her touch, her small neat hands roving over his chest, stroking his cock. When Will began kissing her again, and coaxing her to lie back, he knew he had to act, and hence jerked forward suddenly and grasped Will’s shoulder.

“Feeling left out?” Will entwined an arm around Percy’s thigh, and then squeezed him through his breeches. “Whoa, someone’s fit to burst. What do you need, Percy?”

“Am I making things awkward?” Viola asked, her pretty eyes filled with concern. “I don’t want to cause trouble or come between you.”

“I hope you come between us hundreds of times,” Will quipped.

It was clear from Viola’s expression that she had no idea what he meant. That was something they needed to fix right away.

Percy leaned to her, seeking her kiss. He was rewarded with her hand upon his hip instead.

“What does that mean?”

“He’s being vulgar.”

Will flicked his thigh with his fingertip. “There’s nothing vulgar about seeing a woman shatter in your arms. It’s pure bliss. I think maybe we ought to show her. Don’t you, Percy? Why don’t you take the first taste of her? That seems only fair, since I had the first taste of her other lips.” Will rose onto his knees, and shifted his attention to Viola’s neck, dotting it with tiny kisses.

“Would you let me do that?” Percy asked, coming forward a pace, and then dropping down onto his knees next to where her legs dangled over the bedside.

“If I knew what you meant, then maybe, perhaps.”

“He wants to lick your quim,” Will said, straight into her ear, before proceeding to dot her neck with a thousand tiny kisses. “And suck you, like he was doing to me.”

Viola’s mouth fell open, and her eyes seemed to grow round and huge “How? How is that possible? I’m not made like…like this.” She drew the ring of her fingers up to the tip of Will’s cock, causing him to leak bead of precome over her fingers. Surprised, she stared at it, fascinated. Then tasted it with her tongue.

Percy nearly came on the spot. Will groaned as if he’d died a little death. “Keep stroking him like that,” he said, “but open your legs so that I can lick you too.” Forget pretty words, he needed to express what he meant and trying to do so with delicate language just didn’t work. “And let’s get his sack off you. I want to see your curves.” He gathered up the hem of her night gown, swept it over her head and discarded it in a heap on the floor. Lord, she was beautiful, all creamy skin and soft luscious valleys. Will’s attention immediately focused on her breasts: holding their heavy swell, stroking them, and teasing her nipples into beautifully steepled points.