Page 58 of Van Cort
His kiss deepens, his tongue claiming my mouth, licking against mine, and I have to hold onto his forearms or risk my knees giving out.
And then he pulls away, gives me an odd smirk, and raises my cut hand to his mouth. His tongue licks across the blood, and whilst I automatically want to pull away, it’s somehow one of the most intimate things he’s ever done with me. I swallow, still breathing rapidly from the kiss, and watch his eyes watch mine. First he fucks my mouth like I’ve been gone a week, and now this moment of… what? Need?
He lowers my hand from his mouth, licking his lips like I was some kind of meal. “Let’s clean that hand of yours.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BEFORE
LARA – AGE FOURTEEN
Lara waited.
The dark she was used to, and didn’t mind. She enjoyed it, actually. Especially as it added to the fun. The passageway had become their meeting point. A concealed door at the back of the music room gave them quick access for the lessons that she still partook in, even if she wasn’t that interested in the music anymore. She loved spending time with the boys so much that she’d endure Mrs Avery, and in fact, quite liked the cranky old lady. The music teacher adored the boys andalways spent more time on the lesson than she was meant to. Sometimes, Lara thought it was to keep them safe in that room.
Because that room – their music room – was the safe space for all of them.
Things had begun to shift between them all since the summer when West had finally found his courage. It didn’t take Rhett long after he got mad and sent her home to act on what he wanted. She wanted him to kiss her, too, but she couldn’t admit that out loud. Liking them both was wrong, she knew that. The girls at school would brag about making it to first base or whatever, but they never talked about liking two boys.
But Lara had the Van Cort boys. Twins. And they didn’t have anyone else. They both liked her, so what was wrong with that?
They didn’t talk or ask about it together. It was just that one day, when West kissed her, it was in front of Rhett. She’d felt funny when his lips pushed against hers, and she kept her eyes on Rhett in case he got mad, but he just stared. It made her flush with warmth. So much so that she had to close her eyes and concentrate on West.
It had only gotten more intense between them since then. Like the first time was a test of sorts. That first day in the woods when she could have turned back home instead of going up to the house was like that, too. A choice had been made, which set the direction of the next stage of their friendship.
Lara listened, waiting to hear the footsteps that might give away who was going to find her first.
She could tell the difference between the boys, at least when looking at them. And they both kissed in a different way, too. Rhett was hard and demanding, almost fierce with it. It stole her breath and had goosebumps covering her skin the moment his skin touched her. West’s smile was sweeter, like she could taste it on her lips. Warm and comforting, she couldn’t get enough ofthose lips on hers, and missed them when they pulled away, even if Rhett was watching when she did.
At night, when she would lie in her room, tucked up in her bed, she’d think about where their hands wandered, too, how it was growing harder and harder to deny what they all wanted, and if she’d make that next step with both of them or not.
A creak of a door brought Lara to the present, back to the small space she had grown used to hiding in - hiding and waiting for the games to begin. So, she stepped further along towards the sound, ready to play.
A hand smothered her mouth, creeping over her lips and pulling her tight. The urge to thrash ran over her, and she did, for a moment, before the other hand turned her around and then her mouth was free and lips that were harsh and demanding punished her. Claiming her in the dark.
Rhett.
It meant West was waiting somewhere. He was softer with her, like he wanted to put her on a pedestal for both of them to have. But he got jealous, too. They both did. The jealousy twisted something inside of Lara, but she kept that locked away with the desire she felt for the two of them.
“Are we playing today?” Lara asked when Rhett finished their greeting.
“Oh, we’re playing.”
“Mrs Avery won’t like us being late.”
“We won’t be.” His fingers laced into hers, a rare gesture from him, and he led her through the small, dark passageway before pushing open the door to the music room.
West was at the piano, running scales, and Mrs Avery was already in her chair looking out at the garden. She didn’t hear as they entered, or she chose not to say anything. Her hearing could spot a flat note at a hundred paces, but what they actually got up to in her lessons, Mrs Avery chose to be oblivious to. At least,that’s what Lara hoped. She was always turned away from them whilst they played and sang. How could she see anything?
West continued at the piano as both she and Rhett crept into the room. Lara stood next to the gleaming black instrument. Rhett detoured to the door and shut it, making sure it clicked closed loudly enough to signal they were there.
“Ah, finally. I don’t have all day, you know,” the woman said sharply.
She did. And often stayed late or just arrived in the morning. It certainly spoiled the days when they wanted to make use of the music room for themselves.
West’s lips tugged up in a mischievous grin as his fingers continued to run over the keys. Lara’s eyes sparked with his, and West answered with a flourish of notes to show off, dancing over the harmony to create a tune for her.
Lara’s burst of laughter was too much to contain, even with both hands plastered over her mouth.
