3

WEEK ONE

Seduction was a fluid thing.

It was never the same from one woman to the next. Some women, even those experienced in the sexual tastes he and Shane practiced in, were still sometimes hesitant. Being with two men with sexual appetites such as theirs could be a bit discomfiting. In more ways than one.

Seducing Alyssa was pure pleasure, though. Her innocence and unknowing sensuality hinted that her lovers could have been no older than she was herself. Groping, inexperienced boys who had no clue how to ignite the hunger Alyssa was capable of, or how to satisfy it.

Arriving at her apartment, Shane was fully looking forward to giving her the gifts he and Sebastian had purchased for her that morning. The erotic toys were sure to stimulate and build her need if she chose to use them while the cousins weren’t there. They fully intended to convince her to allow them to use the toys on her themselves, though.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” she assured them as they stepped through the French doors. “I’m not much of a cook, though, so I hope you’re not expecting anything fancy.”

“We told you, sweets, anything was fine,” Sebastian assured her as Shane slipped into the living room and laid the bag he carried in one of the wide chairs facing away from the kitchen. Turning, he leaned against the back of it, watching as she moved about the large kitchen preparing the meal.

She wore another of the ankle-length chiffon skirts that flowed around her legs and emphasized the feminine fragility of her small form. This one was white, the same as the racer-back cami she wore with it. The shirt wasn’t snug; instead it whispered over the curves of her breasts and midriff, leaving the tiniest hint of skin to flash between the low-rise band of the skirt and the hem of the shirt.

Sun-kissed blond hair, now lighter than it had been when she arrived, was piled haphazardly on her head and secured with a wide clip. Wisps escaped and framed her inquisitive features and made Shane want to force Sebastian to paint her right at that moment, as she looked now.

Glancing at his cousin, Shane had a feeling he wasn’t going to have to harass him to paint her. He was watching her with a studied intensity normally reserved for the nature-scapes he could become lost in.

“It’s almost ready,” she promised them, the intriguing scents of the meal teasing his senses.

“It smells delicious,” he assured her. “Is there anything we can do?”

The table was set, bread sliced and layered into a basket. Fresh butter rested in the crock she’d purchased it in from the farmer they’d taken her to the day before for his fresh milk and exceptional cheeses.

The wine sat next to it, uncorked and breathing, along with a platter of fresh vegetables that had been seared before baking.

“Walnut-encrusted chicken and baby tomatoes,” she announced, opening the oven door and bending to reach inside.

The view was striking. Shane could feel his entire body tightening at the sight of her curved little rear perfectly outlined by the skirt.

He was about to start sweating despite the comfortable temperature of the apartment.

The meal was perfect. The chicken, baked with walnuts, baby tomatoes, and the fresh cheeses she’d bought from the farmer, a surprising delicate flavor. She was a much better cook than she gave herself credit for.

After the meal Sebastian and Shane urged her to finish her wine as they cleaned the kitchen for her, aware of her amusement as they bickered back and forth.

“You two sound like brothers,” she accused them.

Sebastian grimaced at the charge. “I’m nothing like my brother. Lucien’s the eldest. He’s five years older but far too serious and quiet. He’s rarely accused of being anything like me.”

“Or you like him?” she guessed as he shot her a little wink.

“I am quite proud to admit I’m nothing like him,” he assured her, though his fondness for his brother went deep.

“And you, Shane?” she asked.

“Like ’Bastian, Murphy’s around five years and some odd months older than I,” he admitted. “He looks more like Sebastian, while I resemble Lucien more, I guess. The resemblance ends there.” He chuckled. “Murphy loves the ranch, lives and breathes for those damned cows he’s always talking about.”

“The two of you are very fond of your brothers, though,” she guessed. “That’s good. Families should be close.”

“Oh, we’re close to our families,” Sebastian assured her teasingly. “So much so that they often ship us out of the country just to find a little peace.”

She laughed at that.

“Brothers or sisters in your family?” Sebastian folded the dish towel he’d used to dry the pans and laid it on the counter as he and Shane watched her.

“Only child,” she admitted, propping her chin in her hand, her expression a bit whimsical. “An older brother would have been really nice, but Margot declared I was more trouble than three toddlers and stopped with me.”

Ah, already he liked her mother even less than he had before, Shane thought.

“I can’t believe you were any trouble at all.” Sebastian tipped his head to the side. “I would guess you were a quiet child.”

“And you guessed wrong.” Delight filled the little laugh in her voice. “Especially whenever my friend Summer was allowed to spend time in D.C. with us. She was a hoyden. And always getting me into trouble.” She pouted. But her eyes told a far different story. Filled with the irrepressible spark of a prankster and a child who found wonder in the world.

God, he wanted to paint her. Just as she was now, her expression both innocent woman-child and emerging sensualist. With her elbow propped on the table, her chin resting in her hand as the softness in her gaze hinted at the secrets behind the soft curve of her lips.

“Not Summer Bartlett?” Mock horror filled Shane’s voice as Sebastian grimaced and shot Alyssa a surprised look.

Surely not.

“So you know her?” Delight filled Alyssa’s voice now. “Isn’t she wonderful? She’s always causing trouble. Margot never knows quite what to do with her or what to say whenever Summer flashes her one of those little-girl looks and assures her that she deserves all the credit, mind you, for whatever catastrophe we caused together. It’s the only time I can’t convince her that I was behind the disaster myself.”

“She should be burned at the stake,” Shane muttered, and Sebastian well agreed with him.

“The world would lose so much laughter if you did that.” A hint of seriousness stroked over the amusement. “I would be very bored, Shane.”

“Honey, I promise, we’ll keep boredom at bay.” Moving toward her, his expression hinting at the hunger raging beneath the surface, he gave her a slow, sensual smile. “We bought you some presents, just for those times when we might not be here. Would you like to see them?”

Alyssa swallowed tightly. Presents? She had a feeling it wasn’t some charming little keepsake.

“Will I know what to do with it?” she asked almost fearfully. She had no doubt it had better come with instructions as well as batteries.

The fact that she could just look at them, no matter how bland their expressions, and often guess what they were up to was scary. Barely a week into the sort of relationship, as she called it, and sometimes it felt as though she’d known them far, far longer.

“Well, if you don’t, we’ll help you learn,” Shane assured her, his expression at once teasing and as hungry as any starving wolf.

She turned to Sebastian. “Is he serious?”

Why had she bothered to ask him? The look on his face was pretty much identical.

She was going to blush. Alyssa could feel it coming. She would start stuttering and they’d get that dazed expression they always got when that happened, which only made her feel more self-conscious.

Breathing out heavily, she stared at the two men. How could hungry wolves get those flashes of male Christmas anticipation at the same time? These two had their moments of incredible contradictions. And frightening sexual intensity.

“Okay, let’s get it over with,” she told them. “What kind of completely inappropriate presents did the two of you bring me?”

The edible panties she’d hidden hours after they’d left several nights before. The day before, they’d actually brought her edible body oils. She’d not said a word. She took the box to the bedroom and shoved it into an empty drawer.

Shane retrieved the dark gray bag from the chair and approached her with such sexual anticipation she could feel the blush already coming on.

“Sure you don’t want to just open it for me?” she suggested.

His grin was positively devilish. “No, but I really think you should let us help you try it out.”

She accepted the bag cautiously.

“The two of you are going to have to stop this,” she sighed. “Before I die of overexposure to lust.”

“That’s possible?” Sebastian’s completely false look of shock had her shaking her head in exasperation.

Well, hell, she might as well be a good sport about it. She’d learned that fine art when Summer hit sixteen and decided they were dinosaurs for still being virgins and they should just take care of things themselves. She’d even bought the tools required to do so and left Alyssa howling in laughter.

Steeling herself, she glanced in the bag, then reached inside cautiously.

“I promise it doesn’t bite.” Sebastian was about a breath away from dying of laughter.

The ass.

“Says who?” She had to make herself pull the first item free.

Lifting it from the bag, she stared at it for long minutes. She turned it sideways, upside down, then right side up, and tilted her head as her lips pursed thoughtfully.

“Baby, it’s not rocket science,” Shane assured her as Sebastian snickered, coughed, and tried frantically not to laugh.

She looked up at Shane. “You know,” she said doubtfully, “I really can’t imagine you or Goofy over there actually allowing me to use this on you.”

For a moment Shane’s expression completely cleared.

The butt plug wasn’t overly large, at first. It started out kind of narrow actually. The base was a far different story.

“Alyssa, it’s not for me,” Shane assured her.

She turned to Sebastian, or Goofy. He was dying to completely collapse with laughter. She looked from the toy to him.

“I don’t see Goofy taking it, either.” She looked up at him with complete seriousness. “Who’s it for?”

Sebastian was choking again. If he kept that up she’d hit him on the back. With a chair.

“It’s for you.” He was glaring at her then.

“Well then.” Laying it aside, she turned back to the bag. “What else do we have here?”

She should have kept her mouth shut. One of these days she’d learn.

The black box was too damned big for jewelry, that was for sure. Setting it on the table, she opened it slowly.

She felt the blush move from her toes to her hairline. Before she could catch herself, her eyes widened. Slamming the lid closed, she pushed it and the other toy back into the bag before folding the top over, scared the second item would actually escape and cause some damage.

She cleared her throat.

“Well then…” She couldn’t find anything else to say.

“All you can say is ‘well then’?” Shane was watching her as though he couldn’t believe her reaction.

Sitting back in her chair, she regarded both men for a long, thoughtful moment.

Goofy had his forehead against the counter, his shoulders giving a jerk every few seconds.

“Shane? Sebastian?” She even used a totally reasonable tone of voice.

Sebastian lifted his head, his eyes practically watering.

“Uh-huh?” Shane asked, a bit cautious now.

“What part of ‘virgin’ have the two of you had trouble understanding? Or is it my English? Accent too thick to penetrate or something?” She did not have much of a D.C. accent and she knew it.

Sebastian stumbled. Which was amazing really, because he hadn’t moved from behind the kitchen counter. His expression cleared of every emotion but complete confusion.

Shane just blinked.

“You need to repeat that,” he finally cleared his throat enough to croak the demand.

Alyssa frowned back at both of them. “I don’t stutter, Cowboy,” she reminded him. “Do you really want me to use either of those items? Those would not fit, not with a ton of oil or whatever the hell it is you use with them. Now, I understand a few erotic toys, I really do,” she assured them seriously. “But come on, get me something I can at least lie about and say I use. Right?”

Shane just blinked again.

Sebastian wasn’t laughing anymore at least. He was staring at her. Like she was an alien that had materialized in front of him.

“You two are impossible.” She rolled her eyes before standing, grabbing the bag, and walking past them. “I’ll put them with the rest of the toys.” She paused and glanced back. “Mind you, I love presents. But the next time you get in a buying mood, I think I might deserve something a bit more traditional for putting up with your weird-assed sense of humor.” Turning back, she carried her “gifts” to the bedroom, found an empty drawer, and pushed them all the way to the back before closing it.

Lord help her. She needed another glass of wine.

Returning to the kitchen, she found both of them still where she’d left them. They looked a bit disconcerted perhaps.

“Did I offend you?” She hadn’t considered that. Maybe they thought the present was a good one. What the hell did she know? She’d never had a steady date, let alone a lover. She didn’t dare introduce a guy she was interested in to Margot. It would be a disaster.

“Uh, no.” Shane shook his head frowning before glancing at Sebastian. “We need to go, though.”He still had that confused look on his face.

“What did I do?” Crossing her arms over her breasts, she glared at both of them. “Come on, spit it out. Did I miss something?”

“No. No.” Shane rubbed at the back of his neck, still frowning. “We just need to go now.”

A hard shake of his head and he just left.

Sebastian followed, though he shot her a quizzical look through the glass door as he closed it behind him.

She obviously had missed something.

Shrugging, she filled her wineglass before plopping back into the chair she’d vacated moments before. She had a feeling she was going to end up drinking a lot of wine this summer.

* * *

Shane managed to drive halfway to the De Loren property before Sebastian actually spoke.

“I told you to get one smaller than we were,” he reminded his cousin with a glower. “What did you do? Buy one that looked like a baseball bat or something?”

Shane was in shock. He knew he was. He frowned at the road as he drove, wondering if there was some way he’d misunderstood her. Surely he had.

“Shane?” Sebastian snapped.

“Huh?” he answered a bit absently. “Hey, ’Bastian?”

“What? How did you fuck that up?”

“Did she say she was a virgin?” Shane asked. “I had to have heard her wrong. I did, right?” He had to be sure.

Sebastian went dead silent for a full moment. “You heard that too?” There was an edge of disbelief in his cousin’s voice. “I thought I misheard.”

“Fuck!” The word exploded from their lips at the same time.

“I thought our sisters were the only virgins left in the world,” Sebastian finally ventured.

Shane shook his head. “We heard wrong.”

“How big was the fucking dildo, Shane?” Sebastian snapped then. “What did you buy?”

Shane wiped his hand down his face. “Well, that’s the thing,” he sighed. “It’s actually probably much smaller than we are.” He glanced at Sebastian. “I don’t think we heard wrong, ’Bastian.”

Sebastian didn’t speak. He stared straight ahead, just as Shane did.

Hell, a virgin.

He was so damned hard his dick was like iron, blood rushing through his body in excitement while pure shock held him a bit mesmerized, Shane thought.

A complete innocent.

Hell, they’d known she was inexperienced. Very inexperienced. But by eighteen, most young women had at least had one sexual encounter that included penetration. That, neither of them had expected. The fact that no other man, young, mature or otherwise, had taken her, was blowing their minds.

They were in some real fucking trouble here. The never-let-her-go kind of trouble that was sure to cause a nuclear meltdown in both D.C. and Barcelona.

And he didn’t give a damn.

A virgin. Their virgin. Sweet, innocent, and completely theirs.

Now he just had to figure out what to do about the virginity thing.

“Trouble,” Sebastian murmured. “Real fucking trouble this time.”

And they were going to love every minute of it.