Briar Valley: The Complete Duet

25. Willow

CHAPTER 25

WILLOW

DON’T HOLD ME - SANDRO CAVAZZA

“Ready, sweetheart?”

Arianna hoists the miniature, sparkly pink backpack up her shoulders. She’s wearing her favourite unicorn dress and new strappy sandals which were a gift from Killian.

He’s a complete sucker for Arianna’s puppy dog eyes and can’t resist indulging her every whim, no matter how much I discourage him from spoiling her. With July bringing hot weather, we’ve had to switch to lighter clothing.

“I’m ready!”

“Got your packed lunch? Water bottle? Pencil case?”

“Mummy,” she drones. “Johan is waiting outside! I need to go.”

Fussing over her, I smooth her neat, two-part braids and wipe a spot of toothpaste from the corner of her mouth. It’s proving harder than I thought to let go of her. We’ve barely been apart in seven years.

But today is the day that Arianna joins the other children of Briar Valley. Rachel runs a homeschooling program from the barn behind her cabin.

I’ve fought against it for weeks, but it’s time to let her be a normal kid. Even if I hate it. My little girl is growing up.

“Mummy!” she startles me.

“Okay, okay. Go on then and be good!”

Arianna gifts me a toothy grin. “I’m always good.”

“Don’t be giving Rachel any sass either.”

Bounding down the wide porch steps, Arianna hooks her thumbs into her backpack as she meets Johan at the edge of our cabin site. He waves at me, an excited smile etched across his face at the sight of Arianna. The pair have become inseparable.

“Be careful,” I shout at them.

“We will,” they reply in unison.

The route is safe enough for them to walk back down into the valley alone. Aalia usually takes Johan, but she’s started helping out at the shared allotment behind Lola’s cabin that supplies fruit and vegetables for the whole town.

Aalia has a real knack for teasing the life out of parched strawberry plants and drooping crops as we suffer through a July heatwave. Amie is more than content to be swaddled and strapped to her back while she works.

As soon as Arianna disappears from sight, my shoulders slump. In front of her, I can just about plaster on a brave face and pretend like I’m keeping it together. It’s the moments I spend alone that allow the soul-sucking hole of grief to return.

“Willow!” Ryder yells from across the street. “I’m towing a car into Highbridge to drop it off. Do you want to come and get some fresh air?”

I cup my hands around my mouth to shout back. “No, thanks.”

“Sure? Might be good for you.”

“Really, I’m fine.”

Plastering on a smile to cover his concern, he hops into the cab of Albie’s truck and sets off, towing a freshly repaired estate car behind him to return to its owner.

In his overgrown garden next door, Killian is getting his workout in early this morning as he tackles a monstrous pile of wood that needs to be chopped. Lola’s hosting one of her regular bonfires next weekend to celebrate Albie’s birthday.

“You should have gone,” he calls out, resting on his shining axe to take a breath. “Rachel will call if there’s an issue with Arianna at homeschool.”

Shaking my head, I wave him off. “I didn’t fancy it.”

Swinging the axe high above his head, he buries it in a slab of wood and leaves it there. His golden-hued skin practically glows in the morning sunlight, lit with a glistening layer of sweat, while his tangled blonde hair flows over his shoulders.

He crosses the street, wiping off his brow on his green flannel shirt. It’s unbuttoned and flaps open to reveal the chiselled lines of muscle that carve his chest. I almost swallow my tongue. It should be illegal to look this hot so early in the morning.

“You’ve barely left your cabin for days.”

I stare down at him. “You’re worrying again.”

“It’s kinda my job to.”

“Is it?” I snap back.

Hurt crosses his strong features, twisting his lips into a grimace. Ever since my row with Lola, things have been tense. It feels like we’re tiptoeing around each other again.

They’ve all been gifted a glimpse into the horror of my past, and none of them know what to say to me now. I’ve shut down any further attempts to talk about what I revealed that day.

“I have work to do.” I turn my back on him. “The spare bedroom isn’t going to paint itself.”

As I head back inside the cabin, Killian’s loud footsteps catch up to me. My arm is wrenched backwards, preventing me from escaping. I’m powerless to resist the magnetism of his eyes burning into me, demanding something I’m not able to give.

“Willow,” he rumbles. “Please.”

I push his chest, trying to wriggle free. “What?”

“You’ve got to stop pushing us away. We can’t do this again. I’m not going back to how things were between us when we first met.”

“You didn’t have a problem with it then.”

“Well I do now, alright?” he thunders. “I care about you too much to watch you self-destruct in private while giving us this bullshit smile in public.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my smile.”

“You think I can’t tell? I know every goddamn inch of you, inside and out. You’re in pain and it’s killing me that you won’t let me help you carry the burden.”

“This is what I need to do to survive! Can’t you respect that?” I shout at him.

Recoiling like I’ve slapped him, Killian’s grip on my arm releases. I take a big step backwards, needing space between us before I melt into his arms.

“Fine,” he growls out.

“Fine.”

“I guess I’ll be going then.”

With a final muttered curse, he turns on his heel and marches away. I stand frozen in the doorway of the cabin, watching him return to his woodpile and resume chopping with renewed rage. The logs don’t stand a chance.

After throwing on my painting clothes in a torrent of frustration, I return to the spare bedroom and face my task. This room has been left until last to be repainted, while I’m beginning to furniture shop for the others.

We’ve been sleeping off bare mattresses and eating dinner in our laps since we officially moved in. The guys insisted that we could stay with them for as long as we needed to, but I was all packed up by the next day, needing my own space.

A couple of hours into painting, I’ve zoned out. The monotonous back and forth of the roller against the wall drowns out all other thoughts. I don’t register the slow clapping and someone else entering the room until it’s too late.

“This is looking great.” Zach stops beside me. “Nice and bright.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You need a hand? Killian’s gone to haul all that wood to the town square for next weekend, so I’m off the hook.”

“I’ve got this.”

“I know you’ve got it,” he echoes. “I’m asking if you need help.”

With a snarl, I throw the roller down into the paint palette. “Did Killian send you over here? What is it with you three? I told you all that I needed space.”

Swiping a hand through his hair, Zach sighs. “There’s a difference between needing space and hiding from us. Trust me, I know after living with Micah.”

The fight is knocked out of me. Pain radiates in his eyes, and in that moment, all I can see is his brother’s anguish filtering through into Zach. The two are indistinguishable to my exhausted mind.

“He’s spent most of his life hiding,” Zach continues, inching closer. “It wasn’t until you came along and showed him what bravery looks like that my brother came back.”

“I’m not brave, Zach.”

“You’re the bravest person I know.” He stops an inch in front of me. “I just wish you could see yourself like I do. I wish you’d give yourself the credit you deserve.”

Tears sear the backs of my eyes. “Please stop.”

Shaking his head, he slides his palm across my cheek and cups the back of my head. My breathing hitches, and his lips near, those damned green eyes freezing me in place.

“I need you to know that I’m falling in love with you.”

“Y-You… are?” I stammer.

His nose brushes against mine. “Head over fucking heels, babe. I don’t give a shit about whether I have to share you. All I want is the privilege of owning a piece of your heart.”

Lips parted on a shocked breath, I lose all sense of control. My arms wind around his neck, drawing us flush together. I’m drowning in the malachite depths of his gaze.

“I’m not worth loving, Zach.”

His lips tease mine in a brief whisper. “Then I’ll make it my mission to spend the rest of my life convincing you otherwise. I don’t care how long it takes.”

When his mouth imprisons mine, I know fighting is futile. I can run from them until I have no strength left in my body, but it won’t prevent the inevitable recapture of my heart. It doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Zach tilts my head up and his lips move against mine in a slow, torturous dance. I push my breasts into his chest, seeking relief from the slow-burning ache of need setting my core alight.

He walks me backwards, his kiss deepening into a ravenous wrestle. I squeak as my back meets the still-wet wall, covering me in paint. He doesn’t care. His body aligns with mine, our hips pinned together.

The steady rub of his hardness against my belly reveals his intentions. I’m caught in his web, the sacrificial prey awaiting its doom. Zach is going to consume me, and I’ll happily be his long-awaited meal.

“Babe,” he gasps into my mouth. “I need to feel you around me.”

I hook a leg up on his hip, letting his cock push between my thighs. Every part of me is humming, welcoming the rush of endorphins after weeks spent awash with grief.

“Me too.”

His teeth nip my bottom lip, becoming more demanding. I moan loudly when his mouth travels along my jawline to the shell of my ear, and he bites down on the lobe. Each graze of his teeth floods my core with more heat.

“I’ve spent months dreaming about the feel of your perfect pussy clenched around my cock,” he says gruffly. “It’s taken all of my self-control not to bend you over and fuck you senseless.”

Grabbing the hem of his t-shirt, I pull it up over his head. “Prove it then.”

“Prove what?”

I ball up his shirt and toss it aside. “Prove that I’m not some broken doll you like to look at. Prove that you aren’t scared to touch me, or kiss me, or take me as your own.”

He grabs me by the throat, a delicious darkness in his eyes. “You want me to prove it? I’ll fuck your tight little cunt until you scream so loud, all of Briar Valley will hear.”

“Then do it.”

He strips off my loose t-shirt, disregarding the paint soaking into the material. I clasp his shoulders as he drags my leggings and panties down together, too impatient to begin another slow tease.

My pussy is exposed to him, and I can feel how wet I am already. There’s an invisible clock ticking down in my head, creating a sense of urgency. Months of tension have driven us to this primal moment.

“Look at this gorgeous pussy,” he purrs, kissing over my pubic pone. “Fuck, Willow. I need to taste your sweetness again.”

Grabbing fistfuls of his caramel hair, I throw my head back and bite out a moan of pleasure. His mouth lands on my mound, tongue flicking across my clit. I tug on his hair, silently begging him for more.

When his tongue spears my entrance, I cry out again. Nothing but his touch and tongue can break me free from the prison of my anguish. Zach circles my entrance before pushing a finger inside.

“There you go,” he hums. “So wet and tight. My perfect girl.”

“Zach,” I mewl. “Please.”

“You’re very impatient today, aren’t you?”

He adds a second finger, driving it into me without warning. I feel my walls stretch around him, the warmth tricking through my veins. Bucking against his hand, I savour the swipe of his tongue over my folds as he fingers me.

My bare back slides across the wall. I can feel the paint sticking to my skin and hair, but I don’t care. All that matters is the feel of him dominating every last dark corner of my mind and driving the demons out.

Zach pauses, licking the gleaming moisture from his lips. I take the chance to unclasp my bra and toss it aside, until I’m completely bare and at his mercy.

“I need you to fuck me, right now.”

His eyebrows lift. “What, no please?”

Dragging him up with a tight handful of his hair, I seize his belt. “No. Stop treating me like some precious wallflower. Prove nothing’s changed and you still want me, even now that you know the truth.”

Zach lets me shove his jeans to the floor and he steps out of them, peeling his boxers off next. His length stands tall and proud, straining to be touched. I seize a handful and begin to pump.

“Turn around,” he orders. “Hands on the wall.”

“It’s still wet.”

“I honestly do not give a flying fuck. Do it.”

I turn and face the wall. My hands become slick with paint, ruining my hard work, but that doesn’t stop Zach from grabbing my hips to pull my ass against his crotch.

“Shit,” he curses. “Hang on.”

Zach ducks down to reach for his wallet, tucked into his jeans pocket. He retrieves a condom from inside, a grin blossoming on his face when I laugh at his preparedness.

“Hey, you can never be too careful,” he defends.

“I really don’t want to know why you’re so prepared.”

“Only for you, if that’s what you’re thinking. There’s no one else.”

“Good.”

Shoving a hand into my lower back, he bends me over. I stare at the wall, a fine tremble running over me with the torment of anticipation. Zach caresses my hip, leaving me clueless as to when he’s going to enter me.

When his control snaps and he finally thrusts into me, it’s in one slick, relentless pump. I scream out his name, overwhelmed by the press of his cock buried deep inside of me.

“Goddammit, Willow. You feel so fucking good.”

Drawing out again, he slams back into me, adopting a brutal, punishing rhythm. It isn’t like the first time I slept with Killian, and he was afraid of making a single wrong move. Zach’s gentleness has dissipated along with his patience.

Keeping my knees slightly bent, I take every inch of steel sliding into my pussy. Each stroke adds to the building pressure that submits to Zach’s demands for my submission. His hand circles around me, lifting two fingers to press against my lips.

“Suck.”

“Why?”

“Stop asking questions and fucking do it.”

I take the digits into my mouth and swirl my tongue around his fingers, covering them in saliva. His thrusts slow for a second as his hand glides down my spine. When he tickles the tight ring of muscle at my rear, I almost see stars.

“I want to feel how tight this asshole is too,” he muses.

He eases one finger inside of me, and an agonised gasp slips out of my mouth. It’s a burning intrusion at first, but as he begins to finger-fuck my rear, I adjust to the strange sensation. It begins to feel good—really fucking good.

“Such a dirty girl,” Zach groans. “Do you like that?”

“Yes,” I moan.

His cock begins to pound into me again, working in perfect timing with his finger sliding into my ass. When he’s stretched me wide enough, he pushes a second finger in, making me cry out so loud, I’m thankful we’re alone on a mountaintop.

“Louder, babe. I want to hear how much you love it when I worship this beautiful body of yours.”

“Fuck, Zach! More.”

He keeps going, fucking me with his fingers and dick, until the coiled band of tension inside my core snaps in a spectacular fashion. I shout his name again, relinquishing control of my own body and handing it to him on a gold platter.

When Zach abruptly pulls out of both holes, I mourn the sudden loss, feeling my orgasm begin to ebb away. He turns me around and shoves my back into the wall with a low growl, yanking my legs up to wrap around his waist.

“I want to watch you fall apart for me, babe.”

In this new position, he surges back inside me. My release comes roaring back to the forefront, even stronger than before. I drag my nails down his broad biceps, drawing blood that smears across his tanned skin.

“Now, Willow,” he growls.

I feel like I’m going to fracture into a million irreparable pieces. If I wasn’t so wildly turned on, it would hurt to take his length with such careless ferocity. The smog of my climax taking over consumes everything.

Zach watches me shatter, stealing every drop of pleasure he can take. Each pump of his dick inside my slit drags out the waves of bliss until I can hardly lift my head. His hands gripping my ass is the only thing keeping me upright.

“I want you to make yourself come again.” He walks backwards, taking me with him as he sinks to the plastic-covered floor. “You’re going to fuck me now.”

With Zach seated on the floor and his legs spread out, I shift to position myself on his lap. My legs band back around his waist, and I grab a handful of his erection, lining it up with my soaked entrance.

Sinking down on him, it’s intoxicating to watch his head throw back and pupils blow wide with satisfaction. I did that. Me. There’s a strong, powerful man beneath me, but right now, he only lives to service my every whim.

Lifting myself from his lap, I push back down, filling myself with his dick. It takes a few attempts to get the angle right as my legs tremble, weak from one mind-blowing orgasm. His hands move to my hips to help lift and guide me.

Zach begins to rut upwards, driving into me each time I slam down on his cock. Every rough thrust pours pain and pleasure into the vacant spaces of my soul.

“Come on, beautiful,” he murmurs. “Spread those sweet juices all over my cock.”

A second orgasm is on the cusp of invading my senses. When his hand circles my neck, gently squeezing to test the waters, I feel the approaching peak appear on the horizon. If it was anyone else, I’d be triggered by them clamping down on my throat.

“More,” I wheeze out.

His nails dig into my skin. “You like that?”

“Y-Yes.”

Our bodies smack together, working in perfect harmony. I feel like I’ve been dipped in fuel and set alight. Zach begins to chokes me harder. I should be screaming in fear, but the hint of violence heightens my pleasure.

He’s guiding me to the edge of an endless abyss, standing ready to make that final, murderous push that will send me plummeting to my death. I’d happily die here in this room, filled with every inch of him.

“You will come back to us.” Zach slams the words home with a harsh pump. “No more hiding. Your ours, Willow. Fucking ours. You have nothing to hide from any of us. Say it.”

“Yours,” I gasp.

Another orgasm rushes over me. I let out a strangled moan as he manages a final stroke upwards into my pussy. Zach releases my throat and buries his face in my breasts, bellowing through his own climax.

We come together in unison. Zach jerks beneath me, pouring himself into the condom. Part of me longs to tear that scrap of plastic and feel his seed filling me up. I want to be claimed by him—body and soul.

My head falls to his shoulder, too heavy to hold up. Aftershocks race over my skin, extending the ecstasy that’s corroding my vision. Everything is blurry. I’m thankful we’re alone because I can’t move to cover up right now.

“Are you still with me?” he asks breathlessly.

I peel my eyes open long enough to look down at him. “I… I don’t think I’m ever going to walk again.”

Zach presses a soft kiss to my collarbone. “You chose to play this game with me.”

“I’ll give you that. You ruined my painting though.”

“We can fix it together.”

“Or we could climb in the shower and do that again.”

“Again?” Zach chortles. “You greedy little slut.”

Fuck, I never thought being called his little slut would be a turn on. Turns out, I’d happily toss away my pride and be whatever the hell he wants me to be.

“You don’t want to fuck me again?” I ask innocently.

His smile turns dark. “There is nothing in this world that could stop me from fucking you again. I want to ride that tight asshole of yours next. Maybe while you fuck my twin.”

I forget how to breathe for a second.

“Your t-twin?”

“Hell yes. I can only imagine how wet you’ll be then. Full of both of our cocks.”

Even with my aching body, a flicker of arousal threatens to reignite this new, wanton creature inside of me. Being sandwiched between the twins was one thing. The idea of being with them both at the same time is too tempting to ignore.

Weaving my fingers into his long tresses, I push strands of hair off his slick forehead. Before I can lock our lips together, the bark of Killian’s voice sounds from the other room.

“If you two are done, I’m very frustrated out here.”

“Oh my God.” I cover my face with my hands. “Please tell me that didn’t just happen. He was supposed to be delivering wood into town.”

“No can do.” Zach snickers. “Looks like he came back early.”

“Shit! I need thicker walls. Like, yesterday.”

“Nope.” Killian’s voice travels through the wall. “No can do.”

Zach kisses the tip of my nose. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”

“I’m never going to live this down. I literally just told him to get lost before you walked in here. Please move so I can go drown myself in the shower.”

“Take Killian with you,” he suggests. “Promise I’ll cover my ears.”

I won’t tell him that I don’t want him to cover his ears. What I really want is for him to join us in the walk-in shower and fulfil his dirty promises. In my current frame of mind, I’d let all three of them fuck me.

“Willow?” Zach whispers.

I look into his eyes. “Yeah?”

The corners of his mouth crinkle in a smile. “I love you.”

Instead of panic or fear, I’m filled with contentment.

“Zachariah… I love you too.”