BriarEdge Academy: Second Semester Read online

  Candace was amazed at how confident Octavia sounded, since she hadn’t been in the class. She sounded like she had witnessed every incident of Suzanne belittling and trying to humiliate her.

  Fortunately, Philip apparently didn’t think about the fact that Octavia was a couple of years behind her and unlikely to be in the same math class. “I see. I know you wouldn’t lie about such a thing, Octavia. I didn’t realize this was an issue. Still, I’m certain Suzanne would never deliberately fail someone. I suggest you apply yourself and buckle down.” He seemed like he was on the verge of dismissing them.

  Candace cleared her throat. “I know she’s your friend, Headmaster—”

  He stiffened. “My friend? What are you talking about? Professor Barnes works under me.”

  Candace’s lips twitched in spite of the seriousness of the situation, since she could well imagine Suzanne working under him, but not in the context he meant. “I thought you were friends after seeing some pictures that are passing around school.” She couldn’t very well reveal she’d been the one to take them.

  He frowned. “What pictures?”

  “These,” said Octavia as she handed him the flash drive. “I don’t think it’s gone very far. I squashed it when I saw someone circulating it, but it doesn’t look good.”

  Philip seemed to be on the edge of collapse for a moment as he took the flash drive and inserted it in his computer. They couldn’t see the monitor, but Candace knew what he was looking at, and his complexion grew progressively paler.

  “Faculty have dinner together sometimes.” He was glaring at both of them. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “The timestamp is from three-oh-eight a.m.,” said Candace. “That’s a late dinner, or maybe an early breakfast, Headmaster.”

  He drew himself up, his face turning red with rage as he pointed at her. “See here, Munroe. I don’t appreciate—”

  “I think Aunt Bev might question the lateness of that faculty meeting, Uncle Philip. Of course, we wouldn’t want her to be upset by anything. Since Suzanne is your friend, maybe you could talk to her about easing up on Candace and not giving her unfair grades?” Octavia said it so sweetly, like it was the practical thing to do, and there was no judgment or implication of anything tawdry in her voice.

  Candace admired her for handling it just right when Philip sagged. He didn’t look threatened. He just looked worried. He nodded in Candace’s general vicinity. “I’ll discuss the grading policy with Professor Barnes and look over your last tests to make sure everything is in order.”

  “Thank you, Headmaster. The first one was done in pencil, and there were quite a few mistakes that I’m sure I didn’t make. I did the second one in ink so it would be a lot harder to change anything.” With those words, she stood up. “I’m heading back to the dorm. Are you coming, Octavia, or are you going to stay and chat with your uncle?”

  Philip flinched. “I think you should head back now. I’m sure you have homework. Good night, girls.”

  As they left his office, Candace squeezed Octavia’s hand and struggled to hold back a giggle. “You handled that just right. You’re a master.”

  Octavia flushed. “I figured he’d be defensive if I tried to make him feel bad or guilty, so I focused on Aunt Bev. She’s in fragile health, so he won’t want her upset.” Her grin faded. “I can’t believe he’s cheating on her though, and with that skank, Barnes. Nasty.”

  “Agreed.” She hadn’t met Octavia’s Aunt Bev, but even if the woman was ninety, weighed six hundred pounds, and had no teeth, she would still be more appealing than Suzanne Barnes to Candace’s way of thinking.

  Chapter Ten

  Candace

  It was no surprise when Candace passed her next math test, though she could do nothing about the ugly glowers Suzanne sent her way. That was fine. The professor didn’t have to like her, but she did have to give her a fair grade, and it was clear Hastings had brought her in line.

  In the span of a week, she received three letters of acceptance from the colleges of her choice, along with two others accepting her to institutions she’d been less enthused about, but had applied to as her Plan B.

  She found Dalton and Lex in the rec room on the main floor after she received her third letter, the one to her first-choice school. She was practically squealing with excitement, though she was struggling not to appear like a total dork as she sat down on the chair between the two couches they occupied. “I got into Emerson College.” She could still barely breathe through her excitement. It had long been a top choice but way out of reach until Hannah married Ashton. She waved the letter exuberantly. “It was my number-one.”

  Lex gave her lazy grin as he leaned down to open his backpack and sorted through before pulling out a letter identical to hers a moment later. “I got it yesterday, but I didn’t want to say anything until you heard back. I’m going to Emerson too.”

  “Oh, that’s fantastic.” She hopped off the chair and into Lex’s arms, and he embraced her. The hard length of his erection pressed into her, letting her know he was excited in more than one way. She sank against him for a moment, sharing a deep kiss, before a coughing sound made her look up.

  The first-floor resident advisor stood in the doorway, arms crossed, giving them a disapproving glare. “Really.”

  Candace cleared her own throat and stood up, straightening her skirt. “Sorry. Good news.” She waved her letter of acceptance.

  The resident advisor’s expression thawed slightly, and she nodded her head once. “Congratulations.” Seeming satisfied that they were maintaining a respectable distance, she turned and left.

  Candace turned to Dalton. “You’re for sure going to MIT?”

  Dalton nodded, leaning back and not seeming nearly as excited as they did. “We’ll be in the same area.”

  She wanted to kiss him as enthusiastically as she had Lex, but that was impossible with the audience of a few other students hanging around. All she could do was move a little closer and hug him briefly, whispering, “I wish we could celebrate.”

  He shot her an appraising look and then looked at Lex. “Lex, wanna to see something interesting?”

  Lex arched a brow. “What?”

  “Come on.” He walked down the hallway with confidence as they followed, heading straight to the basement. They didn’t run into anyone besides a couple of other students, and they were soon in the sublevel.

  “What’s this?” asked Lex with a nervous chuckle. “You aren’t setting me up for some scene out of ‘Hostile.’ Are you?”

  Dalton wasn’t facing her, so she couldn’t see his expression, but she heard his amusement when he said, “Don’t tempt me.”

  Lex subsided into silence, but she reached behind him to grasp his hand and squeezed reassuringly. She doubted he was truly afraid, but he was probably apprehensive about entering the basement with Dalton, though they were getting along much better than they had at the start of the school year.

  For her part, she was amazed Dalton was willing to share their meeting spot with Lex, and her stomach churned with excitement and a little bit of nervousness. Would she be able to handle both of them? She’d done so before, but she hadn’t gone as far with them as she could have, and she suspected it was going to be a more intimate bonding happening now.

  Dalton opened the door, and they slipped inside after ensuring no one else was using it. Lex was last to enter, trailing behind a little slower, and he jumped visibly when Dalton closed the door and locked it as Candace turned on the sole bare bulb that hung from a wire connected to the ceiling.

  He looked around. “What is this place?”

  “It used to be quarters for maintenance people before the school changed that arrangement,” said Dalton.

  “Now, it’s pretty much the sex room,” said Candace with a grin.

  Lex chuckled. “I like the sound of that.”

  “So do I,” said Dalton as he reached around Candace, pulling her against his chest while he started unbuttoning
her shirt.

  Lex moved closer, stripping off her skirt and panties, along with her stockings. Dalton dealt with her shirt and bra. Her tie ended up somewhere, but she wasn’t sure where. She closed her eyes and leaned back against Dalton as Lex bent down to lick first one nipple, and then the other before taking it into his mouth to suck lightly. Dalton was sucking on her neck, and she squirmed with need.

  Lex was great at reading her, so he slid his tongue down her stomach as he went for her pussy, which was hot and wet already, aching for one of them to fill it. He parted her folds with his thumbs as he settled on his knees, and she couldn’t help thinking he looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem to mind. That was the last thought she could focus on for a few minutes as she buried her hand in his hair and held his head against her core while he continued to explore her folds.

  Dalton wasn’t idle either. He pulled away from her for a moment, but she didn’t move other than to steady her balance, since he’d been helping hold her up. From the rustle of fabric, she wasn’t surprised when he returned to her a moment later, his skin bare against hers. His hard cock pressed into her lower back, and she reached behind her to stroke him gently. It was a little awkward, but his groan of satisfaction certainly made it worth the effort.

  She held tightly to Lex’s head and grasped Dalton’s shaft firmly as Lex pressed his lips to her clit and sucked gently. It was enough to send her over the edge, and she let out a small cry as she came, mildly satisfied, though it had only taken the edge off her craving for both of them.

  “She doesn’t like to be on the couch,” said Dalton to Lex as Lex stood up.

  Candace couldn’t quite open her eyes. She just left her head resting against Dalton’s shoulder and gave an affirmative sound. “It’s gross,” she said.

  “How do you make this work?” asked Lex.

  “It’s usually just the two of us, so I press her against the wall and pound into her.” Dalton rubbed his cock against her lower back as he spoke, and she moaned at the sensation.

  “I’m sure we can figure that out between us.”

  “Front or back?” asked Dalton.

  Candace’s eyes opened as she realized what they were discussing. She was on the verge of refusing, since she hadn’t done that with anyone yet, but she wanted both of them inside her, and she wanted it to be a more meaningful connection than just sucking off one of them.

  Deciding she wanted the three of them joined, she didn’t protest as they discussed semantics before Lex lifted his backpack off the floor. He rummaged through it for a moment before producing a bottle of massage oil. “I was hoping to get some time alone with you to give you a massage, but I think this’ll work for our purposes.”

  She was a little nervous as he handed it to Dalton, who took it. She heard him squeeze some out into his palm with a plastic farting sound that made her giggle. That was mostly from nervousness, but she was struggling to hide it.

  As Lex moved away from them long enough to strip off the school uniform and fold it neatly on top of his backpack, Dalton stepped away from her and pressed his hand gently against her upper back, urging her to bend forward. She followed his lead until her butt was in the air, and slippery fingers explored gently around the outside ring of taut muscle. She took a deep breath and tried to bear down as his fingers slipped inside her, one at a time, until he’d stretched her to accommodate two of his fingers.

  “Is that okay?” His voice was full of tender concern.

  She nodded. “It hurts a little, but it feels good too.” Just like when Jonas had done it to her the first time they had sex.

  Lex approach them, coming to stand at her side. It looked like an awkward angle for him, but he managed to slip two of his fingers into her pussy while Dalton was filling her backside. She felt a little full, and she knew there would be only increasing pressure when she had both of them inside her, but she was suddenly more anxious for that than nervous about it. “More,” she said with a moan.

  “Put your thighs around my waist, honey,” said Lex as he helped Dalton lift her into position. He leaned back against the wall, using it to support his back as his hands cupped her thighs.

  It was pure instinct that had Candace lining up perfectly with his cock is it sank inside her. She tossed back her head and moaned at the familiar sensation of him filling her up. It felt so good, just like always, but she was anxious for more, so as soon as she was fully on him, with his cock plunged deep inside her, she turned her head slightly so Dalton would know she was talking to him. “I’m ready for you too.”

  With another annoying sound of oil squirting from the bottle, Dalton moved behind her. His hands were slippery with the oil as he clutched her hip with one hand while guiding his cock into her pucker with the other. He slipped in slowly, giving her time to adjust. When she cried out, he froze. “Should I stop?”

  She shook her head. “It feels good.” She could barely manage the words. She was nothing but sensation, and it was all centered around her lower body. As Dalton sank the rest of the way inside her back passage, Lex surged deeper into her sheath, and they started moving in sync, always one inside her as the other was withdrawing.

  She’d never felt anything like it, and it was almost too much pleasure and too much pressure, but she forced herself to relax, and any discomfort quickly faded. Soon, she was nothing but a mass of desire as they drove in and out of her, filling her and bringing her another orgasm.

  When she tightened around Lex’s cock, Dalton groaned and gripped both her hips, spilling into her backside. Lex followed a moment later, and they were both fully inside her for the moment, though rapidly softening. She felt more connected to them than ever, and she leaned forward to press her cheek against Lex’s shoulder while Dalton kissed her on the back of the neck.

  She stayed there between them, none of the three of them capable of moving at the moment. They had broken her, but in a delicious way that she couldn’t wait to try again as soon as she had the energy and mental clarity to think. She wondered how it would be when Kip and Jonas joined them too, and she shivered in delight at the thought, though the physicality of that still wasn’t entirely clear. She just knew she wanted to be with all of them and soon.

  She got her wish a couple of weeks later, as they took weekend passes and went to Boston to house hunt. Jonas came along too, and they soon found a bright and airy apartment that had four bedrooms, with the master bedroom centrally located. It would allow each of the guys to spend time with her alone, but they could also all be together.

  She giggled when Dalton pulled up a site on his phone that sold a product called the family bed. It was geared toward parents who bed-shared, but she was certain it would suit their purposes equally well, especially since it was twelve-feet long, and it would easily fit in the spacious room.

  With only four bedrooms, that meant one of the guys would always be sharing her room, but she was fine with that. In her mind’s eye, she could easily see sharing with all of them all the time, but she was certain there were times someone would want privacy, or someone might be ill. It was good to have options, but she was happy to know she wouldn’t have to sleep alone.

  Over Chinese food, they discussed financing. “I can get a mortgage for it,” said Kip.

  “There’s no reason to,” said Dalton.

  Candace frowned. “Didn’t you like the apartment?”

  “I loved it, but there’s no reason to finance it. We’ll just buy it outright.”

  “Did you see the price tag?” asked Jonas, looking a little anxious. Like Candace, he came from humbler roots, and he knew the value of that property, just like she did. It was a daunting amount.

  “We have trust funds,” said Lex. He pointed to Dalton to indicate who the we was. “We’ll buy the place. If you don’t trust us, we’ll put you all on the title.”

  Kip frowned. “It’s not that I don’t trust you guys. I just don’t want to feel like you two are bearing the brunt of the purchase price.”


  “I don’t want to feel like a charity case,” said Jonas with blunt honesty. “I’m not in a position to contribute financially to buying it, what with going back to school.”

  Dalton shrugged. “That’s fine, Jonas. I don’t think anything can break us up, but if the worst happened, it’s not like we’d have any trouble selling the apartment. Let Lex and I do this for everyone, so we can all be with Candace.”

  Kip and Jonas exchanged a glance, and Candace gave them both an encouraging smile. The apartment was expensive, but she also knew the Sperry and the Westerly families could easily absorb the cost a thousand times over just from their kids’ trust funds. She didn’t know how much Lex’s trust fund was, but if Dalton’s was the same amount as the one Ashton had offered her that she’d declined, she knew he would barely miss his half of the cost.

  After agreeing on that, they returned to the hotel room. Suite was a better word, since Lex had booked it. It had three rooms, and there were king-size beds in each one, though nothing like the bed Dalton had shown her earlier that he planned to order.

  There was also a sunken tub, and she wanted a bath. She excused herself to go fill it, and it didn’t take as long as she’d expected despite the sheer quantity of water required. She lightly perfumed the water with scented oil and sunk into the hot water, closing her eyes.

  She’d deliberately left her door unlocked, so it was no surprise when it creaked open moments later, and Jonas stuck his head in. “Feel like company?”

  She opened her eyes and gave him a half-smile. “Mmhmm.”

  He didn’t require any further invitation, and he started stripping. He left the door open, and Lex came in next, followed by Kip. Dalton was the last one to appear a minute later, but they were all undressed at roughly the same time and joined her in the large tub.

  The tub was just a little cramped with all of them in it, but she wasn’t about to complain. Kip solved that problem by picking her up and putting her on his lap, which allowed more space. It also pressed his cock against her rosette, and she shifted restlessly against him.