Chapter 13

Danielle

I lay there, with Holden’s brother’s cum on my belly, my breasts, my pussy, and stare up at him, the aftershocks of the strongest orgasm I’ve ever had rocking through me.

What. The. Fuck.

I stammer wordlessly.

How is this possible?

How could this have happened, and why didn’t he tell me sooner?

“You’re—” I manage.

“Yes,” he replies and stands up. He tucks his moist dick back in his pants and zips up, then walks away.

I’m stunned. I should feel violated or betrayed, but I don’t. Every second I’ve spent with him has been magical. But does that mean it was only him? Just Joey Long, the twin brother I never realized Holden had?

He mentioned a brother, but I had no idea they were identical twins. No wonder they smell different. No wonder Holden has been hot and cold. It hasn’t been just him.

I’ve fucked them both. Or at least, I’ve fucked Joey and sucked off Holden.

This is incredible. It’s terrible.

“This is a nightmare,” I say, pressing the heels of my palms to my eyes. This is a fucking nightmare.

All I wanted was a weekend with the man I’ve fantasized about and now… this. But what is this? I came hard the minute he told me it wasn’t Holden, that it was him. Like his truth, the one that should leave me feeling dirty and betrayed, instead unlocked some great desire inside me.

The connection we have is unbelievable.

Footsteps approach, a beat passes, and then Joey drags a damp towel down my body. He cleans me off, focuses on my breasts, my belly, and then my pussy. He takes special care with my lips and clit.

“I don’t understand how this happened,” I say and drop my hands.

He offers me one of his, and I actually take it. Why does it feel so natural with him?

Even now, when he should be a stranger to me, he isn’t. He’s not strange, he’s familiar, but not in the same way Holden is familiar. It’s like my body understands what happened even while my brain reels to catch up.

Joey sits me up then takes the seat next to me, still holding my hand. My robe is open, my pussy still wet with my juices, throbbing with aftershocks. “How?”

“I invited you here,” he says.

“What?”

“Yes,” he replies. “For Holden. I knew he was obsessed with you but that he’d never act on it, but when I saw you down on the beach, I couldn’t resist. Something about you called to me, Dani. Something in the way you move, how sweet you looked in your white cotton dress.”

“So, it was you on the beach,” I say.

“Yes. It was me. I claimed you that first day as mine. I still feel that way. You belong with me.”

“Belong with you?” I swallow. This is too much.

I’ve loved Holden since I met him, and I definitely don’t know a thing about Joey. Certainly, not enough to claim I love him. Have I loved every second of being with him? Yes, because I’ve loved everything about this past day and night, apart from crying.

The real Holden was probably the one who told me he couldn’t do this anymore. The one who saved me on the boat then abandoned me.

The cold Holden.

The hot Joey.

I’ve liked the time I’ve spent with both of them equally but hated the confusion. Now, everything’s clearing.

“You should’ve told me,” I say and focus on Joey again. “You—you tricked me.”

“I know,” he replies. “Trust me, I’m not big on lying, but fucking you was… it was like I couldn’t stop. And when I wanted to tell you, I found you crying because of something Holden had said.”

Last night, he was the one who came and took me down to the sand. He walked with me and wanted to know more. He cared.

“I wanted to tell you now,” he says. “That’s why I came to the villa. I was here this morning but you were already gone. I went to the docks to find you, but it was too late.” Joey brushes my hair behind my ear and holds my lobe for a second, then releases it. “You, uh, you distracted me with the fruit.”

I glance at the abandoned syrup and cream, the strawberries, pineapple, and raspberries. “Sorry,” I say.

“What? No.” He laughs. “Listen, I’m not big on apologies, but if anyone owes one, it’s me. If I hadn’t led with my dick, none of this shit would’ve happened. Or maybe, I’d have told you sooner.” Joey holds my hand, and I pick out the differences between him and his brother. A mole beside his nose, more of a beauty spot, small and covered by the mask this entire time, and the warmth in his eyes.

He’s more relaxed than Holden.

Stop. This is wrong. You can’t betray Holden like that.

If anything, the confusion is way worse.

Two brothers. Both on the island, and both of them have made me orgasm.

“What do I do?” I whisper and shake my head. “This is a disaster. What do I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything,” Joey replies, then lifts my hand and brushes his lips across the backs of my knuckles.

Heat surges through me. God, my core tightens for him all over again. This is ridiculous. I should feel violated, but it’s like he’s my oldest friend, like we’ve known each other forever.

“I do,” I say. “I have to speak to Holden about this. I—I’m sorry, Joey, but I came here for him. As much as I’ve enjoyed being with you, this isn’t fair. I—a”

“No.” He squeezes my fingers. “No. None of this is your fault. I’ll handle Holden.”

“Handle Holden?” The voice that whips through the room is that same whipped velvet I fell in love with back in New York, except it’s kinked with anger. It’s broken with emotion.

I look up.

Holden stands in the doorway of the villa, his hand on the knob of the front door. He holds it open and glares at us. Me naked, my robe hanging open, my cheeks still flushed from sex with his brother.

No, no, no, not happening.

“Holden!” I jerk my hand from Joey’s grasp and wince. It’s fucked up to do that, but I can’t help it. This is the man I’ve been infatuated with for a month. The one I followed here. And he thinks I purposefully betrayed him.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Holden growls.

I leap to my feet and take a step toward him, grasping at the ends of my robe.

He holds up a palm to me and I stop. Holden points at his brother. “Explain.”

Joey shifts to his feet beside me, the lemony cologne drifting toward me. I tighten again and hate myself for it. “I invited her here,” he says, evenly. “For you. But shit doesn’t always work out the way you plan it. Right, bro?”

Tension bubbles through the room, long, thick ropes of it connecting the two men, drawing them toward each other. Muscles clench, jaws twitch, fists balled up at their sides. This can’t be happening.

“I didn’t know,” I say. “I’m so sorry, Holden, I thought it was you the entire time.” It’s the truth, but I still feel like I’m throwing Joey under the bus, and I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t care. He lied.

But so have I. I’ve lied to myself, because I can’t fucking imagine going back to New York and pretending like none of this has happened.

“She’s telling the truth,” Joey says and places a warm, massive hand on the back of my neck and holds me there.

It’s such a possessive gesture, but I don’t shake him off.

“She didn’t know that it was me who gave her the best orgasm of her entire life until just a few moments ago.” Joey grits his teeth. “And then she came even harder.”

“Stop.” I step away from him, and he lets his hand fall.

“Motherfucker,” Holden growls. “What the fuck have you done? You had no right bringing her here. You had no right to touch her.”

“Touch her! Don’t talk about me like I’m not here,” I snap. “I’m not a commodity to be pulled apart between the two of you.”

They ignore me and stare daggers at each other.

“This is ridiculous,” I say. “It’s a mistake, and we’ll figure it out, OK? Just, don’t get angry with each other over this. Don’t. You’re brothers.” Oh god, and I’m the one tearing them apart.

Joey doesn’t speak. Neither does Holden.

Those ropes of tension connect them in their silence. It feels as if the whole room is about to explode.

Is there any resolution to this? Because I sure as hell can’t figure what that’s going to be.

“I invited her here,” Joey says, as if that’s the end of the matter.

Holden squares his shoulders, rage bubbling across his expression. “She wasn’t yours to invite. She was always my girl.”

Since when?