POV: Reed
It was late evening by the time Sloan and Avery joined us at the pool. She was a knockout, with her long braided pigtails and tight green bikini. More than that, though, she seemed genuinely happy, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She now appeared more like the girl I'd grown up with than ever before. It made my heart ache.
Whatever Avery had done, I already wanted to thank him just for chasing away the darkness that usually clung to her like a wraith.
"You had fun, princess?" I asked.
Sloan walked over to the edge of the pool and sat, sliding her legs into the water up to the knee. I could see some of the scars on her thighs, but she didn't try to hide them like she usually did. I was surprised she had so much skin on display to begin with. It made me happy that she was that comfortable with all of us.
Like everything else about Sloan, her casual reply was completely unexpected. "Avery and I found a gateway to the underworld."
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I decided to humor her anyway. "You did? That sounds terribly exciting."
She flipped a pigtail over her shoulder. "It was."
"Anything else exciting happen?" Deacon asked, striding through the water until he stood between her legs. He tugged her forward for a quick kiss.
"We saw a really ugly shark."
All of us laughed at that.
"You need to be more open-minded about basking sharks, angel," Avery teased as he bent down to place a kiss on her crown. "I'm going to make you a hot toddy. I'll be back in a few."
She beamed up at him. "Okay. Thank you."
"Anyone want anything while I'm in the kitchen?" Avery asked us.
Sumner lowered the harmonica he'd been playing before pointing to a bottle of liquor on a small table next to a sunbathing chair. "Appreciate the offer, Ave, but we brought a handle of whiskey."
"Cool. BRB."
Sloan screeched as Deacon pulled her into the water, directly onto his lap. "Why don't we play a drinking game?" he suggested.
She lifted a honeyed brow. I noticed then that her hair was nearly blonde now. "Like what?"
"Never have I ever?" I supplied.
Sloan frowned. "I suck at that game. Haven't exactly been able to lead a normal life."
"That's exactly why we should play," I argued as I waded over to her and D, careful to hold my drink above the water.
"We promise not to make fun of you, sunshine," Sumner added.
I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist before kissing her cheek. "In any romantic relationship, it's normal to discuss your lover's level of experience, their boundaries, their fantasies. Just because there are five of us doesn't mean we shouldn't do what most people do."
She looked at me over her shoulder. "I guess that's true. We still haven't discussed our group dynamic, by the way. I've just had to take everyone's word for it that y'all are on board with sharing."
Sumner left his chair to join us in the water. "Everyone wants to share you, Sloan. That I can guarantee."
"And what does that mean exactly?" she pressed.
"It means," D started, "you're with all of us, and we don't want anyone else. The five of us are exclusive."
"That can't be true, and even if it is, that arrangement doesn't seem fair to y'all. I get to be with four amazing, gorgeous men, and the four of you only have me. How could I ever be enough to satisfy all of your needs?"
"You're more than enough, Sloan—physically, emotionally, and in every possible way we could ever need," I said adamantly. I knew she'd already had this conversation with some of the other guys, but clearly, she didn't believe it for whatever reason.
Her gaze dipped. "You say that now."
Deacon cut in, "You really think we'll tire of you so easily, minx?"
She shrugged against my chest. "It's inevitable. Once the honeymoon phase wears off, you'll want more than what I have to offer."
"That's literally impossible, sunshine," Sumner said dryly as he approached the three of us. "I speak for everyone when I say we've never felt like this about anyone before. That's why no one minds sharing. Frankly, I'm just glad you're willing to take a chance on us after everything."
She released a long exhale. "It still feels too good to be true. I also don't see how someone won't eventually get jealous."
My voice deepened. "I think D and I proved how much we enjoy sharing on our first night here, or do you need to be reminded?"
"Considering my dad's security, I'd prefer you not in this particular area of the house."
"What if it's PG-13?" Before she could protest, my lips found hers.
Sloan arched simultaneously against my chest and Deacon's lap as my tongue plunged into her warm mouth. She tasted sweet and ripe, a fruit ready to be plucked from the vine.
The moment I released her, Deacon pounced, kissing her fiercely. Sloan's expression was dazed as he pulled away, and Sumner quickly replaced him, plundering her mouth.
She was panting when he leaned back and said, "How about now, sunshine? Still think we're jealous?"
"Jesus," Avery cursed from the side of the pool where he held two cocktails in the air. "Sorry, angel, but as you can see, I'm hard as a fucking rock again."
"Yeah, Avery's so not jelly," I joked.
"Jealous? Why would I be jealous? That was fucking sexy as hell. In fact, you should do it again."
"That's a great idea, Ave," D said with a wicked grin as he went in for a longer, deeper kiss. This time he ground Sloan against his lap, causing her to arch against my crotch. Sloan and I groaned at the same time. Now I was hard too. Shit, everyone probably was. Somehow it felt completely natural. There was no awkwardness, just pure unadulterated desire.
"Goddamn," Avery exclaimed, hurtling himself into the water just as I claimed her lips again. He didn't even wait a full second after I released her to jump in.
I was enthralled as I watched Deacon's finger slip beneath the bikini bottoms. He growled instantly, "Mmm. You're slick as sin, sweetness. I knew you enjoyed being worshiped by me and Reed, but you really enjoy all four of us, don't you?"
"This doesn't feel very PG-13," she managed to joke, although her words sounded strained.
My palm found and kneaded the bottom of one peaked swell as Deacon removed his finger from her entrance and grazed the front of her bottoms, stroking the sensitive bundle of nerves over the material.
The keening sound coming from her made me want to rip those green bottoms off and fuck her. I wanted to watch everyone fuck her too. Wanted to watch her come over and over again until she begged for mercy like she had the other night.
"Cameras," she whispered, voice high and breathy.
"Fine, Sloan," Deacon purred, releasing her from his grasp, and I followed suit so that she could stand on her own two feet. I didn't trust myself not to make her climax when she was that close to me, making those sounds. "But you won't be able to get out of it later. And in case you think of trying, let me remind you that the odds are stacked against you four to one."
Her swallow was audible as she took a sizable step away from the four of us. "I believe we were supposed to play a game."
Avery came forward, handing her a drink before moving away once more. I laughed at his stiff walk and visible hard-on.
"That's right, princess. Just as a reminder, you can only say something you've never done." I looked pointedly at Sumner.
He scoffed, flipping me off. "Oh my god, Reed. That was one time in college. When are you gonna let it go?"
"Never, probably." I grinned, before continuing my explanation of the rules, "In any case, if anyone in the group has done the thing in question, they have to put a finger down. The first person to put down five fingers usually has to drink, but I say we do it for every finger, just to make things interesting." I held my hand in the air. "I'll go first. Never have I ever had sex in a car."
Everyone but me put a finger down and took a sip of their drink.
When Sloan noticed us looking at her, she demanded, "What? I've basically been living out of my car for the last ten years. It's seen some action, okay." Which earned her a round of laughter.
Deacon looked pointedly at her as he said, "Never have I ever lied on my resume."
"Oh come on." Sloan put a finger down, shaking her head. "Why am I being targeted here?"
"Because it's fun," I offered. "And because there's no rule against it."
"I've got next," Sloan said, eyes narrowed into lethal slits. "Never have I ever peed in a pool." She was the only one who didn't drop a finger. "Oh my god, seriously? Ew!"
"Never have I ever sang in public," Avery interjected, swiftly changing the subject before she could exit the water.
Sloan and Sumner put a finger down.
"You sing, princess?" I asked, brows knitting. I hadn't known that. Judging by Avery and Deacon's surprised expressions, they hadn't known either.
"Oh yeah. She's fucking phenomenal, too," Sumner answered for her. "You should sing How Do You Sleep? by Sam Smith for them, sunshine."
Sloan turned beet red. "I can't."
Sumner approached her then, cupping her cheeks so that he was the only thing she saw. He kissed the tip of her nose. "This is a safe space. I'll even sing with you if it'll make you more comfortable."
"Please?" I begged. "Let us hear you, Sloan."
She rolled her eyes. "God, I just know I'm going to regret this."
"Yes!" Sum cheered. "Hold up. Your dad actually has an amazing sound system in here. I already synced up a YouTube playlist to it."
Sloan looked like she might puke as Sum went to the edge of the pool and grabbed a remote. He came back to her, turning her to face him so that we could only see her from the side. "Ready?"
She blew out a long breath. "Yeah, I guess."
He hit play and the music started. It was a rather subdued pop melody, but Sumner held her gaze as he sang the first and second verses alone.
When Sloan joined in on the third verse, my knees nearly buckled at the sound. Her voice was deeper than expected, soulful, and slightly raspy, reminding me of Amy Winehouse or Adele.
Baby, how Do You Sleep when you lie to me?
All that shame and all that danger
I'm hoping that my love will keep you up tonight
The harmony they created together was haunting and blew my mind, like they'd been rehearsing it for years, but that was impossible, given the date of the song's release and well, everything else.
The chorus had an EDM drop and voice modulation, but the two of them sang it like pros anyway, improvising, plucking different lyrics and melodies from the song, and making them their own. I smiled as Sloan's shoulders relaxed, and she began to dance to the beat with Sumner. Her hips jerked and swayed hypnotically to the drum and bass.
Then the song turned subdued and melancholic once more, and on the fourth verse, Sumner remained silent, letting Sloan fill the room. And holy hell, did she have a set of pipes on her. I couldn't believe I hadn't known she was capable of this.
Oh no, how did I manage to lose me?
I am not this desperate, not this crazy
Those last three words were sung low but her control was mind-boggling as she easily ran the entire line. Then her voice rose an octave in the second half, shocking me further. It didn't even sound like the same person.
There's no way I'm sticking around to find out
I won't lose like that, I won't lose myself
She took the lead on the next verse leading up to the chorus, Sumner peppering in background vocals that perfectly complemented hers.
All of us started dancing when the beat dropped again.
It wasn't like listening to a trained singer, rather it was like hearing someone with raw talent that couldn't be denied by even the harshest critic. It came so naturally to her. I was addicted to it—never wanted it to end. It was like staring straight into her soul or seeing a piece of her I never knew existed. I heard it then, all of the pain and anguish she never let anyone see. It was right there, looking for a way out.
Sumner took the lower melody lyrics then, while Sloan showed off her range with a series of high-pitched yeah and oh runs.
"Hell yes!" Avery cheered. "Get it, Sloan!"
She was grinning ear to ear as she continued singing, putting her entire body and heart into it. At the very end, she and Sumner riffed, even after the song ended. When they finally fell silent, Deacon, Avery, and I erupted in applause.
"Told you," Sumner murmured before kissing her.
"How long have you been hiding that from us, sweetness?"
"I wasn't hiding it, I just don't sing in front of other people."
D sounded offended as he prompted, "Well, why the hell not? You're fucking incredible. You could easily make a living as a singer."
"Because of The Collectors," Sum supplied. "She can't afford to get noticed."
"I don't know," I chimed in. "Seems like it would actually be a lot harder to unalive a famous person. People would notice that and make a big fuss. That's the opposite of what The Collectors want."
"Well, I have no intention of finding out," Sloan said quickly, bursting everyone's bubble. "They'd probably just use a prosperous musical career to strongarm me into joining them or use me to get to famous people."
"That's a damn shame," D commented sincerely. "The world needs to hear that voice of yours."
"They will," Sumner said quietly.
Sloan's eyes widened on him. "What are you talking about?"
"I already have you slated to sing backup vocals on Sam Smith's next single."
"Come again?" Those emeralds grew so large I thought they might pop right out of her skull. "Even if you're not just spouting nonsense right now, you know that I can't do that, Sum. You just said it yourself."
He continued, "You can, actually—under an anonymous name. No video or press appearances. No link to your true identity or to me on paper."
"How?" she demanded.
"I produced the beat and wrote the lyrics. If I sign away my rights and forgo credit, you get to help bring what I created to life."
"Sumner, I can't let you do that. That's your song. The whole world should know."
"It's already a done deal, sunshine. You're expected to record next month. If you do well, the label will sign you as an accompanying vocalist for other major artists. No one will ever know who you are, but you can still make a living doing something you love from anywhere in the world."
She was tearing up, pink lips quivering. "But that song could give you so much exposure. Why would you waste it on me?"
He chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "First off, I'm well connected in the music industry, and the label won't forget who wrote the song for them. This won't negatively impact my career in any way." His expression turned serious as he held her gaze. "And second of all, I love you, Sloan. Making you happy isn't a waste to me. Your voice...Deacon's right. It needs to be shared with the world. You have so much to offer, and it's time you stopped dimming your light."
"But what if I do too well, and they want me to record my own album or something?"
"Sia, Daft Punk, The Gorillaz, Deadmau5, Banksy," Sum said. "Artists who were either anonymous at one point in time or still are. You can do the same, but you should start cultivating your secret persona now because you're definitely going to blow up, sunshine. That I can promise you."
I couldn't agree more. "He's right, princess. You're going to be huge. Anyone with eardrums can hear that much."
"Kintsugi," she whispered, a fat teardrop skittering down her face and landing in the pool below.
"That's right, Sloan." Avery moved to her, placing his palms on her upper arms and kissing her shoulder. "This is your kintsugi."
I had no idea what the hell that meant, but I didn't need to. Whatever it was, it clearly meant a lot to her.
She swiped the wetness away from her face. "Never could I have imagined being reunited with the four of you or how it would change my life. I don't know what to say, aside from, I love you. Desperately."
"Then let's go back to our game," I suggested, giving her an emotional out.
"Okay," she said without missing a beat. "Never have I ever sent a dick pick."
The four of us groaned at the same time as we dropped a finger and took a sip of our drinks.
"I'll ignore the fact that you skipped my turn, sunshine," Sumner said sweetly. "Never have I ever received anal."
I choked on my drink. I guess we were done with the warm-up questions for the rest of the evening.
Sloan cocked her head to one side. "Just to clarify, fingers and tongue don't count, right?"
I stiffened instantly at the mental images she'd just conjured. "I'm not sure. Maybe you should demonstrate for us? You know, just to be sure."
"If you need a volunteer to help with the demonstration, I'm happy to help out," Sum offered. "I'm sure you remember how good I am at worshiping your ass."
"Horndogs," she muttered under her breath.
"I interpreted it as more than a tongue or finger, angel."
"Fine," Sumner conceded. "What Ave said."
I hadn't been sure about Sloan, but she confirmed that she hadn't done anal before when she didn't drop a finger, instead clearing her throat as she stared at the pool floor. That meant we had to be gentle with her, ease her into that particular act. I didn't have much patience when it came to making love to her, but I knew I had to find some if I didn't want her getting hurt and if I wanted her to enjoy it.
Unexpectedly, Deacon's finger did drop, distracting the absolute shit out of me. I gaped at him. He'd kept that secret under wraps fairly well considering we were years-long roomies and knew everything about each other. He was being surprisingly candid about it too, but I guess that made sense if Sloan was now his one and only. I could see why she was so worried about keeping everyone happy. All of us were insatiable in different ways when it came to her. It was a lot for anyone to keep up with.
Sloan's brows lifted at the giant. "You're into pegging?"
He chuckled darkly. "From time to time."
She shook her head. "Why is it always the biggest dudes?"
"Maybe because we're always expected to be the strong, dominant ones, and it feels nice to lose control sometimes. I can show you how, Sloan," he promised her.
Her cheeks went ruby red. "I think you already have."
"Does the idea of fucking me like that turn you off, sweetness?"
To her credit, she didn't hesitate in her response. "Not at all. I've never done that to a guy, so you might have to walk me through it, but I'm down. I just want you to be happy."
Deacon beamed at her. "Just for that, I'm going to make you feel extra special tonight."
"Speaking of which," I cut in, wading over to her and letting my hands settle on her hips. The unsolicited image of D's finger slipping beneath those green bikini bottoms nearly did me in again. "It's been a long day. Why don't we take a nap and regroup a few hours from now in a more private space?"
"You don't want to...hang out now?" she probed. If I wasn't mistaken, she sounded disappointed that we wouldn't be railing her in the next few minutes. It gave me no small amount of pleasure.
I laughed, tugging one of her long pigtails. "I think you'll need to rest up before tonight. You won't be getting much sleep, princess. Plus, you still need to eat dinner with your father."
"Don't even think about getting yourself off while you're alone either, sweetness. We haven't decided exactly how to torture you yet, but I'm leaning toward another competition." Deacon smirked knowingly when Sloan pressed her thighs together. The action made my cock throb. "Since you're always trying to deprive us of your orgasms, we may just have to tie you to the bed and take turns. Or maybe we'll take you together, filling every hole. Either way, you won't know what to expect."
I wasn't sure who was more turned on by his descriptive threat, Sloan or me. Or maybe it was Avery or Sumner. All of us looked equally hot and bothered at this point.
"Shit, I'm leaving and taking an ice-cold shower," I informed everyone as I made my way to the steps and exited the pool. "Any more of this, and Sloan won't have to wait until tonight. I don't give a fuck about those cameras."
There were some noises of agreement as Avery and Sumner followed suit, getting as far away from Sloan as they could and exiting the water. Finally, Deacon climbed the steps, laughing at her strange expression. She appeared caught between fear and anticipation.
Yeah, I definitely needed to get my ass out of here, stat.
I pivoted toward the hall, not stopping until I stood beneath the freezing shower spray in my personal quarters.