Forbidden Awakenings (Awakenings #1) Read online

  “Then, I guess he doesn’t approve,” he said, shifting his eyes from her to Callum. “I won’t give him up without a fight, Elle.” He looked back at her. “Or you and Sadie. I love you, all of you. You’re … Well, you’re the best part of my life, and I refuse to let you go.”

  “Jesus Christ, we sound so pathetic.” Sadie laughed and shook her head. “We can’t change what’s happened this weekend, but we can make the decision not to dwell on it. Now, it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, so why don’t the four of us go out?”

  “Where should we go?” Elle asked.

  Sadie smirked. “I have an idea, but I’m not going to tell you. Let’s just get dressed.”

  Though she normally wasn’t one for surprises, Elle nodded.

  —FA—

  An hour later, the four of them had showered — together — and dressed. Now, they were in Sadie’s car while she drove them toward their mystery destination. Half an hour later, after a quick stop for coffee and donuts, Sadie pulled into the parking lot of Le souffle de l’Angle. She parked in a space in the front and looked back at Elle with a smile on her face.

  “What are we doing here?” Elle asked, her excitement already getting the better of her.

  High on the headlands above the Golden Gate Bridge, where the Pacific Ocean spilled into San Francisco Bay, stood Le souffle de l’Angle, which was French for Angel’s Breath. Located in Lincoln Park, the unique art gallery’s spectacular setting was made even more dramatic by the imposing French neoclassical building. It was one of Elle’s favorite buildings in the city, and when she was in college, she’d often come there to sketch. Of course, that had been years ago before Leo tried to beat the life out of her.

  “Well,” Sadie cooed, “the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is closed for renovations right now, but they are exhibiting their Matisse Collection here.”

  Elle gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth. “Are you serious?”

  Sadie smirked and nodded.

  Letting out a loud squeal, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the woman. “Oh, my God! Thank you, lover!”

  Sadie laughed. “You’re welcome.”

  “What’s the Matisse Collection?” Derek asked.

  Elle’s eyes flew open as she looked at him with utter shock. “Are you serious?”

  Smiling weakly, he nodded.

  “Oh, my …” She blew out a heavy breath. “Henri Matisse is one of the most influential painters of all time. His work is … Well, there isn’t really a way to explain it. He’s spectacular.”

  He stared at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” he was quick to say. “I’ve just never seen you so … excited. It’s hot.”

  Elle opened her mouth a few times, but couldn’t seem to respond.

  “Come on, beautiful,” Derek laughed, opening the door and climbing out. “Teach me about this Matisse person.”

  Elle trembled with excitement as the four of them headed inside. As they strolled through the gallery, making their way to the Matisse exhibit, they’d stop and look at a few of the more recent paintings that had found a place on the walls. There was a very beautiful painting of a man and a woman. They were facing each other as they sat on what looked like a soft cloud. She had her legs wrapped around him, her hands tangled in his dark hair. He held her against his naked skin, one hand splayed across her ass while the other gripped her shoulder. Their lips were just touching, but the intimacy that poured off the canvas was incredible.

  “It’s sexy,” Callum commented.

  Elle smiled. “It’s sad, actually.”

  “How so?” he asked.

  Her skin warmed as she felt him, Derek, and Sadie look at her. “Because she’s dying, and he’s desperate to hold on to her.” They stared at her, so she continued. “See the way he’s clutching at her, the need in his eyes. He can’t let her go, even though she’s dying. She’s trying to stay for him, but she can’t because her body is tired and weak. She’s frail. It’s incredibly sad, yet beautiful at the same time.” Sighing, she shook her head and looked at her lovers, all of whom were still staring at her. “What?”

  “When you talk about art, you get this light in your eyes. It’s sexy as fuck,” Derek murmured.

  Elle laughed. “Oh. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  With a glance back at the painting, they moved on with their tour. After several minutes, they found themselves standing in the middle of the Matisse exhibit. A dozen of Henri Matisse’s finest works hung on the walls of the small room. Elle wasn’t sure which one to look at first. They were all marvelous.

  “Okay, so, what’s so amazing about this guy?” Derek asked, lifting an eyebrow.

  Elle smiled. “Henri Matisse was a French painter, who was born in 1868. He’s known as being one of the three artists who were responsible for the development of the use of plastic in art, which set the stage for revolutionary painters and sculptors. I love his use of color.” She moved over to his painting, Woman with a Hat. “He painted this in 1905. Look at how he blended the colors together. And the way he used deep strokes, which causes her to almost explode of the canvas.”

  “It’s nice,” Derek agreed.

  “At the beginning of his career, he painted still-lifes or landscapes, but in the early 1900’s, he painted a series of nudes. I’ve never seen them in person, just in a book, but they’re fantastic. The raw sensuality that comes out in each one is arousing.”

  It wasn’t until she looked back up at him that she noticed he was staring at her again with a smile on his face. Feeling her skin flush from his attention, she moved onto a different painting. Derek chuckled and followed her, but didn’t say anything as she explained each painting to them.

  Elle took her time, appraising each piece as if she’d never seen them before. No matter how many times she found herself standing in front of Matisse’s work, she always found herself in awe of his ability to convey so many emotions. And it made her miss painting. It had been years since she’d picked up a brush or attempted to sketch anything that didn’t consist of precise angles and straight, clean lines.

  She’d long given up any hope of having a future as an artist, and she was fine with that, because she loved being an architect, but she missed having a creative outlet for her emotions. Sadie had always encouraged her to paint, but Leo hated it. He would make snide comments when he saw her with smudges of paint on her skin or clothes, telling her that she was no better than a toddler at pre-school. Eventually, she’d just stop painting altogether, and even after Leo was convicted for assaulting her, she hadn’t gone back to painting, though she wasn’t sure why. The motivation just hadn’t been there, anymore.

  Sighing, Elle turned to Sadie, Derek, and Callum, all of whom had followed her with great patience. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “You’re welcome,” Callum said. “Though, we should thank you.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  He smirked. “Because watching you talk about his work is erotic.”

  Elle gasped.

  “You get this look on your face, baby,” Sadie added, stepping up to Elle and snaking her hand around her neck, drawing her lips down toward hers. “Takes all my control not to push you against the wall and eat your pussy right here, right now.”

  Derek and Callum moaned, but a loud, harsh gasp drew their attention to their left. Standing ten feet away from them was an older woman with messy light brown hair and narrow, beady blue eyes.

  “Of all the …” she shuddered. “You should be ashamed of yourselves. There are families here, respectable families. We should not have to watch as you … sin.”

  The woman brought her hand up to her mouth like she couldn’t stand the taste her words had left in her mouth. A man with wispy silver hair and kind blue eyes stood next to her; however, the red tint in his cheeks made his embarrassment by the woman’s actions clear. Elle closed her eyes; she’d known better than to e
ver think they could go out like any other couples. Because the last thing the four of them were was normal.

  “Who in the hell do you think you are?” Spinning around, Elle, Sadie, Derek, and Callum found another woman standing behind them. Unlike the other woman, she had soft, luxurious blond hair and honey-brown eyes. Elle opened her mouth to defend their actions, but the woman put her hand up and moved so that she was standing between them and the shrew. “They weren’t hurting anyone. Just because you’re a judgmental bitch does not give you the right to scold them like children.”

  The shrew opened her mouth to speak, but the woman defending them held up her hand once more, silencing her. “Get out.”

  “Excuse me?” the shrew spat. “You can’t tell me to leave.”

  The woman folded her arms in front of her and smirked. “Oh, but I can. See, this is my gallery, and I do not tolerate hate here. So, again, get out.”

  The shrew squared her shoulders before grabbing the hand of the man next to her and walking past them. Everyone inside the exhibit watched them leave without a sound. Elle looked back at the owner, unsure of what to say or do.

  “I hate bitches like that,” the woman muttered, catching Elle’s eye. “Don’t you?”

  She nodded. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She smiled as she looked from Elle to Sadie, and then to Derek and Callum. “Are you enjoying your visit?”

  “Very much,” Sadie replied, slipping her hand into Elle’s. “Matisse’s work is a favorite of Elle’s.”

  “And you’re Elle?” the woman asked, shifting her eyes over.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Elle Reid.” The woman’s eyes seemed widen for a moment, but she looked at the others. “And this is Sadie Williams, Callum Davis, and Derek Flores, my … well, girlfriend and boyfriends, I guess.”

  The woman laughed. “I assumed as much.”

  Elle’s frowned.

  “Oh, please, don’t take that wrong,” the woman said. “I was watching as you toured the exhibit. The four of you move together with sense of delicacy, it wasn’t hard to figure out.”

  “Great,” she murmured.

  “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing,” the woman stated.

  “We know,” Sadie replied. “Anyway, thank you again, Mrs…”

  “It’s Ms., actually,” she said. “Angel Beaumont, but please don’t call me Ms. It’ll make me feel older than I am.”

  Sadie smiled. “Thank you, Angel, for … standing up for us, I guess. It was very kind of you.”

  “Please don’t thank me again.” Angel shook her head. “My father would never have let that woman stand here and spout off such malicious words, and I couldn’t, either.”

  “Your father?” Callum asked.

  “Yes, my father built Le souffle de l’Angle when I was just a wee girl. I guess you could say that I grew up here. He passed away last month, and the Matisse exhibit was his favorite, so …”

  “We’re sorry about your father,” Derek told her.

  “Thank you, but he’s in a better place now. He was a very sick man, but he loved art with his dying breath.”

  “Was he an artist?” Elle asked.

  “Oh, God no.” Angel laughed. “He couldn’t even draw a straight line, but he loved the grace that comes with art.”

  “The grace that comes with art,” Elle mused to herself. “I like that.”

  “So, do you paint?” Angel asked.

  “Not anymore,” she said, and the sadness that filled her heart had her struggling to keep her tears at bay.

  “Why not?” Angel wondered.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Just lost my passion for it, I suppose.”

  Angel nodded before looking down at her watch. “Oh, I’ve got to run. I’m going to be late for a meeting.” She shifted her attention back to Elle, before looking at Sadie, Derek, and Callum. “I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your visit, and have a wonderful day.”

  “Thank you,” Derek said, sliding his arm around Sadie’s waist. “You, too.”

  Angel smiled before bustling out of the room.

  “That was …” He trailed off as he shook his head.

  “Odd,” Elle said, looking at her. “But I liked her.”

  “Me, too,” he replied.

  “Any other exhibits you want to see?” Callum wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to the side of her neck.

  Elle moaned and turned in his arms. Sliding her hands in his hair, she pulled his mouth down against hers. “No, I want to go home and fuck.”

  A growl reverberated from deep inside his chest and he turned and pulled her out of the room. Derek and Sadie followed, both of them laughing at the caveman in front of them. Quicker than she thought possible, Callum had them at the car. While Derek and Sadie took the front seat, Callum pulled Elle into the backseat with him.

  The moment Sadie reversed out of the parking space and merged into traffic, Callum had Elle in his arms, his lips moving frantically against hers. His kiss was needy, full of desire and yearning. It was clear that their unique relationship had caused a lustful awakening in all of them.

  Shifting her so that Elle was lying across the backseat, Callum moved so that he was hovering over her. His lips left hers and began to slide across her neck, down to her collarbone, all while his hand was unbuttoning her jeans. Once he had the zipper down, Callum slid his hand inside her panties, cupping her weeping pussy.

  “Oh, Jesus, Elle,” he groaned, pushing his fingers inside of her while nipping at her skin. “You’re fucking soaked.”

  “For you,” she gasped out.

  “That’s right, baby,” he growled, plunging his fingers in and out of her. The palm of his hand would press against her clit with every thrust. “Your pussy belongs to me, Derek, and Sadie, doesn’t it? It’s just ours to do whatever we want with. Right? Right, Elle?”

  “Yes!” she cried out, lifting her hips to meet his touch. “Just yours. Always yours.”

  “I want a taste,” Derek demanded, watching them from the front seat. Callum pulled his fingers out of her and offered them to Derek, who kept his eyes locked on Elle’s as lapped up every bit of her. Licking his lips, he smirked. “Fucking delicious.”

  Callum hummed out an agreement as he shoved his hand back into her pants and began finger-fucking her again. Elle’s heart was racing, beating against her ribs. She could feel her climax building, and every time she was tittering on the edge, he would pull back, leaving her hanging. When she’d whine in protest, he’d laughed and kiss her until she was so lost in the feel of his lips against hers that she’d yelp in surprise when he started using his fingers on her again.

  Sadie slammed on the brakes outside of Callum and Derek’s house, climbed out from behind the wheel, and threw open the back door. She grabbed Callum’s arm and pulled his fingers from inside of Elle, brought them to her mouth, and sucked them clean.

  “Get your asses out of this car and into the fucking house now!” she ordered, giving them a look that said not to argue.

  Callum scrambled out of the car and grabbed Elle around the waist, lifted her over his shoulder, and carried her inside. Derek had his hands on Sadie’s ass, causing her to squeal as they led the way upstairs to the bedroom. Along the way, they were stripping off their clothes, letting them fall from their fingers without a care in the world.

  The moment they had the door to the bedroom opened, Derek had Sadie on the bed and was eating her pussy like a man possessed. She was writhing in pleasure, grabbing the back of his head, and begging him to make her come. Elle pushed Callum against the wall before dropping to her knees and stripping the last of his clothes off, leaving him standing in front of her naked. She snaked her tongue out, dipped it into the slit at the tip of his cock before sliding him into her mouth and down her throat.

  “Fuck, Elle,” he hissed, tangling his hand in her hair.

  She moaned, which caused him to buck his hips toward her. With a smirk, she grabbed his hips, k
eeping him still as she slowly — ever so slowly — began to suck on him. She knew what he liked, what he needed, and what he wanted. In that moment, she was in control, he was hers and she was going to make sure he never forgot that just as she belonged with him, Derek, and Sadie, Callum was theirs.

  As she continued to ravish his cock, Callum’s breathing became heavier, thicker, and four-letter words spilled out between the pants and grunts. His grip on her hair had become almost painful, but at the same time, Elle loved the way he wasn’t afraid of being aggressive with her. He wouldn’t hurt her, not on purpose, and all she’d have to say was stop and he’d release her.

  “Elle,” he grunted, struggling against her hold on his hips. “Baby, I’m fucking close.”

  Taking a deep breath first, Elle shifted her eyes up to his, plunged him into her throat, and swallowed around him. Callum cursed, his head falling back against the wall as he came, releasing in her mouth and throat. Elle drank him, reveling in the taste of his come. She loved the way he tasted, and knew she’d never get tired of having him in her mouth.

  Callum grabbed her arm, pulled her off her knees, and over to the bed, tossing her down next to Sadie, who was pushing her pussy into Derek’s face. His eyes met Elle’s and he smirked as he pressed his tongue against Sadie’s clit, causing her to scream as her orgasm washed over her. Elle reached for him, needing to kiss him. He launched himself onto the bed, crushing his lips against hers.

  Together, they moaned at the taste of their lovers on each other’s lips. It wasn’t until Derek gasped and looked over his shoulder that Elle realized that Callum was standing behind him. His hand was caressing Derek’s ass, and though he had just come a few minute before, she saw him cock stiffening at the thought of taking Derek as his lover.

  Smiling, Elle moved so that she was sitting up in front of Derek. She knew, in this moment, that everything was about to change once again.

  “Do it. Take him,” she told her lover.

  “Derek?” Callum asked.

  Elle shifted her eyes down to the man in front of hers. She could see the fear in his eyes, but there was also a need that she understood. Bringing her up to his face, she tried to ease the doubt by lowering her lips to his ear. “Let him love you.”