Given (5 page)

“I’m relieved. I’m glad you’re all young and attractive. I’m
glad you live in the same house, and I’m glad you are friends. I’ve heard
stories of how awkward the sharing can be.” She blushed fiercely. “I’ve only
seen propaganda about what it is to be with six men, but have you talked about
the reality of how we’ll accomplish this?” She glanced over at the security
guard and her embarrassment grew. Krista reminded herself the guard knew why
they’d picked her up. She turned her attention to
her
men again.

“We’ve spoken about this often, usually after one too many
beers, but yeah we’ve got a rough idea.” Max was the one to speak. “We all have
our own rooms, and you also have a room of your own. We thought tonight we’d
give you your choice, and then after that we’ll use an order determined by
drawing lots,” he said. He turned to look at Krista again. “Everyone wanted to
be first. It sucks to be the guy who has to wait.” He winked. “Unless you’d
like to take on more than one of us at a time, baby, what do you think?”

Her mouth dropped open. His words were too horrifyingly
close to the creepy propaganda film she’d seen the day before. Braxton slugged
him in the arm.

“Geez.
You’ve just traumatized her
again, and we were making progress,”
Brax
chided.

“I don’t
hear
you saying all the right things, blondes—Jesus
,” Max retorted. He glared
at his friend.

“He’s kidding. We don’t expect anything that’ll make you
uncomfortable,” Jared said, and she could tell he was trying to sound soothing.

“Umm, okay. I—I want this to work. So far you guys aren’t as
bad as I’d imagined. I understand the practical need for order in this
arrangement. Sorry, I’m so…absolutely terrified.” Her voice trailed off, so the
last two words came out as a whisper.

Braxton reached out and cupped her cheek with his hand. He
ran the pad of his thumb over her skin softly. She froze, unaccustomed to being
around men, let alone being touched by one. “Sex can be pleasurable for a
woman, Krista. I don’t know what they taught you at that school, but I promise
you, we aren’t going to forget to see to your mutual satisfaction.” The way he
said satisfaction made her shiver. She liked his voice.

“Can I touch you too?”
DeAnthony
asked, and she liked the deep rumble of his voice as well. He sounded unsure,
and she realized just how much this had to mean to him, to all of them.

Krista reached out and took his hand with her free one.
“This is so strange, all of it,” she told
DeAnthony
.

“I know. We’ll make it work,” he replied.

They pulled up to an extravagant home in a gated
neighborhood just outside of Minneapolis. The geography here was so much
flatter than the bluff country she’d grown up seeing glimpses of on the other
side of the compound walls, but the small community was beautiful. The security
guards got out first.

“Why do you have two guards?” Krista asked.

“Because we aren’t taking any chances,” Damon replied. “They
live on-site twenty-four seven in a private guesthouse and work twelve-hour
shifts. Yesterday was their first day. Living with security will be new for all
of us. These gentlemen are Carl and Timothy, both are gay and both come from an
elite company that provides services to men who’ve won the lottery.” The others
began getting out of the limo. Damon helped her out of the car. “You’re safe,
Krista.”

She gazed up at the house. The building looked fairly new.
Brick walls stood three stories high. There were large windows, and the design
was very modern and geometric. The lawn was perfect and the gate to their
property looked impenetrable. The driver used a call box to have it opened.
Trees obscured the fence, but she could still see it. They’d built a compound.
She frowned at the thought that she’d left one fenced home for another.

The driver got her bags from the trunk, and
DeAnthony
took her arm. His touch was warm and she saw the
gorgeous contrast between his dark skin and her fair flesh. He smiled down at
her and her stomach did a little flip. He was so handsome, and she could feel
how hard his body was just standing next to him. Jared ran up and took her
other arm, and
DeAnthony
rolled his eyes at the
younger man.

The two men led her up the stairs and ushered her into the
house. The design was open and everything appeared spotless. The art was cold,
modern. The furniture looked new and unused. It looked more like a showcase
than a home.

“We aren’t here
often,
most of us
travel frequently for work. I’m sure that’ll change now,” Malcolm told her as
he took her bags from the driver. The man nodded and left. “Let’s show her to
her room.”

They all followed Malcolm up the stairs and down a long
hallway. Her room was very large. A king-size bed with fresh, white, plush
bedding sat in the center of the room. Malcolm set her bags at the foot of the
bed. There was a walk-in closet, as large as the room she’d shared with
Cina
. She had a private bathroom with a garden tub and
personal vanity table. There was a big, white couch and television in the
corner. Everything looked new and untouched.

“This room has been waiting for you for four years, ever
since we began the process to participate in the lottery. This is your home
now, Krista. When you finish unpacking, come back downstairs, we want to show
you around,”
Brax
said.

They left her alone. She sat down on the bed and air
whooshed from her lungs. She shook a little due to nervous anticipation.
Oh
God, who should I pick?
Choosing felt so very wrong to
her.
She may belong to these men for a long time, and the idea of
alienating any of them, or getting off on a bad start, twisted her stomach in
knots of nervous anxiety. She stood up and unpacked her few belongings. The
closet looked so empty after she’d put her scant possessions into it. She began
walking down the stairs and she heard their voices. Krista paused to listen,
feeling a bit evil for eavesdropping.

“It’s only right that she pick.”

“We’ve all waited so
long,
shouldn’t we draw straws or something?”

“For God’s sake, she’s a human being, not a new toy. Let the
girl have her pick. We’ll all have a chance.”

“What if we all share her tonight? Then it’s fair to all of
us.”

“It wouldn’t be fair to Krista. If she was your new bride,
would you want to pass her around to five other guys?”

“There’s no more marriage, so the question isn’t valid. The
world isn’t nice and romantic. The fact is
,
she’ll
have to sleep with all of us.”

“For tonight, let her have some peace. I say no one should
touch her.”

“Are you fucking kidding? Hell no, she picks at least one of
us and that’s final!”

“
Shh
, she’ll hear you.”

“It’s not like it’ll hurt her the first time, they have
their cherries popped by the doctor. I say we ask. She seems understanding.”

She’d heard enough. She finished walking down the stairs,
one squeaked. They all turned, giving her guilty looks.

“Yes, I heard. I was thinking about the same thing. I don’t
know if I can pick. I don’t want to cause infighting here, and I don’t want
anyone to feel hurt. I don’t know what to do,” she finished miserably.

“We won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, but
you should sleep with at least one of us tonight,” Damon said.

“If you want to pick more than one, that’s okay too,”
DeAnthony
amended. Krista blushed.

“Let’s show you the rest of the house and have some dinner,”
Mal said, his tone quiet and even. He took her hand and led her through the
house, showing her the other bedrooms, the numerous bathrooms, and the game
room. She could tell they used the game room most often. It was the only room
that felt lived in. In the kitchen, a man stood at the stove stirring
something. “This is Steve, our housekeeper.”

The man looked at her with intense longing, but quickly
cleared his throat and wiped his hands on a dishtowel. He held out his hand and
she took it; they shook awkwardly. “Do you have a favorite food, miss?” The
housekeeper wouldn’t look at her.

“I’m not picky, but I’m a huge fan of strawberries.”

“I’ll remember that,” he said, still not looking at her.
“Supper will be ready in a few minutes, if you’d like to have a seat in the
dining room.”

“Thanks,” Malcolm said as he took Krista’s arm. “I want to
show you the garden. It’s been my personal hobby when I’m not on tour.” He led
her out the side door onto a big outdoor patio. Everything was magical. The
garden was huge. She noticed a
koi
fishpond too.

“It’s perfect,” she said honestly.

“Thanks.
It’s
how I’ve dealt with
my celibacy,” he replied tongue-in-cheek.

Krista giggled. “You are funny.”

“Yep, that’s what my agent tells me.” He smiled.

“Soup’s on, come in,” Jared called out the door.

Malcolm walked her back toward the house, but before they
went in, he turned to look into her eyes. “Will you chose tonight?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

“I won’t lie. I want you to pick me. Krista, can I kiss
you?”

He was holding the door closed. She stood trapped between
his arms as he leaned in, putting his weight on the door. They were alone. She
wet her lips in anticipation of her first kiss. The shade trees near the house
obscured the late afternoon sun. Looking into his face with intensity, she swallowed
nervously. “Yes.”

Malcolm smiled and leaned closer. His lips brushed hers
gently and then she was in his arms and he was pressing her against his body,
hard. Something poked her in the side.
His erection.
Her heart pounded with the realization that his body was ready for sex. She
hadn’t realized men could become erect while still wearing clothing. Her cheeks
heated. For a fleeting moment she worried he might try to claim his right to
her immediately. There was no doubt Malcolm wanted her. When he didn’t start
ripping her clothing off, she relaxed enough to enjoy the kiss. Instinctively,
her arms wrapped around his neck. His lips moved over hers and she moaned,
leaning against him. His hands moved through her hair and she heard him growl
as he pushed away from her.

“Damn it, you taste so good.” He was breathing heavily.
Desire was evident in his expression. She saw him struggling for composure.
“You have no idea how badly I want you right now. The next time I kiss you, I
won’t stop at your lips.” His face flushed. He opened the door and she ran past
him, rushing inside.

Jared turned and his expression darkened. “What happened?”
the youngest of her six queried angrily. When Malcolm came in, looking
disheveled, Jared glared at him. “What did you do?”

“Let’s eat.” Malcolm brushed past the other man, bumping him
with his shoulder. Krista saw Jared’s fist clench.

“
It’s
fine, Jared, really. It was
just a kiss that I gave permission for.”

“You kissed him?” Jared looked hurt. “He got the first kiss?
That son-of-a-bitch, we agreed no sneaky stuff. If I’d known we could just ask
for a kiss, I’d have asked first.”

“I’m sorry.” She blushed and looked down at her feet,
feeling odd.

“God, I’m sorry. Don’t look like that, Krista. I’m just so
afraid they’ll push me to the side because I’m the youngest. I have the least
to offer. I’m still a student. If it weren’t for my father’s money, I’d still
be waiting to apply for the lottery. I’m afraid of losing my chance with you
somehow. This whole process has made me a little crazy.”

She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his cheek. It
was so weird, but she felt sorry for him. It was nice to feel sorry for someone
other than herself for a moment. Krista leaned forward, closing her eyes, and brushed
her lips lightly against his. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her.

“Thank you,” he said tensely. They walked down the hall and
Jared opened the door for her.

The others glared at Jared suspiciously and he flushed
deeply. He held her chair for her and she sat down, quietly thanking him. Steve
served them in courses. She couldn’t remember a meal she hadn’t eaten cafeteria
style from a rectangular plastic tray. The meal was tense. She noticed them
giving her longing looks, and glaring at each other. By the time a dessert sat
in front of her, she’d had enough.

“I won’t pick,” she stated flatly. She heard a few forks
clatter and the men all looked at her with varying degrees of anger and horror.

“We’ve waited so long. Fuck,” Max mumbled.

“Tonight, I want you all to join me in my room. I don’t know
what will happen, but I can’t stand this…whatever this is!”

“Are you sure about this,
Kristannie
?”
Braxton asked, raising his eyebrow.

“Yes. I can’t live with you all fighting over me. I want
everyone to be as happy as this terrible situation allows for. I refuse to live
in a house filled with intrigue, designed to get in my pants. Just promise me
we can go slowly, please. Okay?”

“As slow as you need,” Max reassured.

The dessert sat on the table, forgotten, as they all looked
awkwardly at each other.

“So were any of you…you know, sexual with each other?”
Krista asked, and immediately she heard choking. She turned to see Damon
struggling to swallow his water. Jared patted his brother on the back.

Malcolm snorted out a laugh. “When I was younger, I used to
get a lot of blowjobs from fans. I’d close my eyes and pretend they were
female, but no, I’m not attracted to guys, so it’s been rough on me.”

“We aren’t that kind of friends, and worse, some of us are related.
I’ve been with men, but it wasn’t what I wanted,” Damon told her.