Page 27 of Kings
“She means that as a compliment,” Axel said dryly, flopping down on the couch with his arm draped over the back. “She’s a nerd for that shit. Always smelling old books.”
Ella rolled her eyes. He wasn’t wrong. “How did you guys move everything that fast?”
“We cut class,” Bishop admitted. When he saw the look Ella was giving him, he grinned. “I’m not sure about this asshole, but I can miss a day without taking a hit. Let me show you around.”
They’d barely made it into the kitchen before Axel leaped over the couch, not willing to be left behind. The kitchen was surprisingly big, and furnished with enough modern appliances to make it comfortable. There was a patio out back on the other end of the dining room, and the stairs that wrapped up around the kitchen reminded her of one of the things she actually liked about Axel’s family home.
As she climbed the stairs, even the creak of the floorboards seemed charming. The hallways were narrow, typical of a Victorian, but there was an open foyer overlooking the downstairs entryway, and there were more rooms than she knew what to do with. Bishop opened the door to one, and Ella gasped as she took in the already furnished room. She recognized more than a few of her own things, most of them put away.
They really had hedged their bets on her liking the place, but she couldn’t even be mad anymore. It was the kind of home she’d never even dreamed of owning, and the room alone had more than enough space for the three of them to share.
“Well?” Bishop asked from the door, his voice slightly laced with nervousness. “What do you think?”
Even Axel was silent, watching anxiously for her reaction.
“It’s perfect,” she admitted, realizing there weren’t any other words that came close to describing it.
A slow smile spread across Bishop’s face. “So you’ll stay here, then?”
“I guess I could adapt,” Ella said dryly, slipping her arms around his neck. She wasn’t about to let him get away with this without a hard time.
Bishop wasted no time pulling her into his arms and kissing her hard. She knew it was as much for Axel as for her, but it felt too good to care. He kissed her breathless and when she felt another strong hand on her waist, she realized they had company.
Ella looked over her shoulder to find Axel staring Bishop down in challenge. “I guess if I can put up with sharing you, a house isn’t that big of a deal.”
Bishop smirked. “You say that like you’re competition.”
Ella sighed. “Guys…”
“You talk a good game,” Axel sneered. “But I think we both know who’d win that competition.”
“Put up or shut up,” Bishop challenged.
Ella looked between them, wondering if they were still talking about the same thing. “Please tell me you’re not seriously arguing over who’s better at sex.”
“It’s not an argument,” Axel said with a shrug.
“Why don’t we let a more objective party decide that?” Bishop asked, folding his arms.
“You’re on,” Axel said without hesitation.
“You are serious,” Ella muttered in partial disbelief. Only they could come up with such a ridiculous idea. Ridiculous, but not without its intrigue.
“So what’s the metric?” Bishop asked. “Whoever makes her come first?”
“Please, that’s amateur bullshit,” Axel scoffed. “Making her come is nothing.”
“Hey,” Ella said. “I’m not a vending machine.”
“Then what do you suggest?” Bishop asked, as if he hadn’t heard her.
Axel thought about it for a moment and turned to Ella, studying her with an intensity that put her on edge.
“What?” she asked warily, unable to believe they were actually talking about this. Or how turned on she already was by the idea of it.
“How about a good old fashioned pussy-eating contest?” Axel sneered. “We take turns, and she gets to decide who’s better.”
“Axel,” Ella grumbled.
