Between the Notes

“Absolutely,” Sam agreed, his hand still twined with hers as they settled on the other end of the couch. “And we need to be clear about what we’re comfortable with. For us—” He glanced at Zoe, a silent question in his eyes. “—I think we’re open to touching and being touched, but no penetration with anyone but each other.”

Ava felt a flush rise on her cheeks at the bluntness of the words, but she nodded. “That works for us too,” she said, her voice only slightly unsteady. “Touching, kissing—” She paused, swallowing hard. “But no sex with anyone but Leo.”

She felt Leo’s chin brush the top of her head, a silent confirmation. “Same,” Mia said, her voice bright, unflinching. “We’re good with everything but actual sex. And we stop the second anyone says the word.”

Finn nodded, his thumb brushing circles on the inside of her wrist. “Exactly. This is about all of us having fun, not about pushing limits.”

There was a murmur of agreement around the room, a sense of shared understanding that seemed to settle over them all. Ava felt some of the nerves leave her body, replaced by a low, thrumming anticipation that pooled in her belly.

“We should also talk about protection,” Sam said, his voice practical, matter-of-fact. “Condoms for any contact beyond kissing.”

Another murmur of agreement, a few nods. Ava was grateful for his clear-headedness, for the way he seemed to be thinking of all the things she hadn’t quite put into words.

“And aftercare,” Zoe added softly. “We need to check in with each other. Make sure everyone is okay, after.”

“Yes,” Ava said, the word escaping her lips almost before she’d thought it. “Yes, absolutely.”

She felt Leo’s arms tighten around her, a silent promise. She knew, without having to ask, that he would be there for her, that he would make sure she was okay.

For a long moment, they all just sat there, the weight of the conversation settling over them. The music outside had shifted again, a slow, sultry number that seemed to seep into Ava’s bones, into the very air she breathed.

“So,” Mia said, her voice breaking the silence, a bright, clear note that seemed to cut through the tension. “I think we’re all on the same page.” She stood, holding out a hand to Finn. “Shall we take this somewhere more comfortable?”

There was a challenge in her eyes, a restless energy that seemed to vibrate in the air around her. Finn laughed, low and rough, and let her pull him to his feet.

Ava felt Leo shift behind her, his lips brushing the sensitive skin just below her ear. “You ready for this?” he murmured, his voice rough with want.

She turned to look at him, her body molding itself to his side. His eyes were dark, intent, and she knew he saw the answer in her face before she even nodded.

“Yes,” she said, the word barely more than a breath. “I’m ready.”

She stood, Leo’s hand finding hers, his fingers twining with hers in a grip that was both possessive and reassuring. Across the room, Sam and Zoe rose too, their bodies close, their eyes locked on each other as if they were the only two people in the room.

Mia led the way down the hall, her hips swaying with a confidence that seemed to pull them all in her wake. Finn followed, his hand resting low on her back, guiding her forward.

Ava felt her own pulse thrumming in her veins, a counterpoint to the low, insistent beat of the music that still drifted in from outside. She didn’t know what would happen next, didn’t know how far they would go or where the night would take them.

But she knew, with a certainty that settled deep in her bones, that she was ready to find out.

The bedroom was all soft light and shadows, the festival music a distant thrum through the open window. Mia didn’t hesitate, turning to Finn with a smile that was all heat and promise, her hands already finding the hem of his shirt.

Ava felt Leo’s gaze on her, felt the weight of his attention like a physical touch. She turned to him, her hands trembling only slightly as she reached for the buttons of his shirt, her fingers clumsy on the smooth plastic.

He caught her hands, stilling them, his own fingers warm and steady. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” he murmured, his voice rough but gentle. “Just say the word.”

She shook her head, leaning in to brush a kiss against the corner of his mouth. “I want this,” she said, the words barely more than a breath. “I want you.”

He smiled, a slow, heated curve of his lips that made her stomach clench. His hands left hers, finding the zipper at the back of her dress, sliding it down with a soft rasp of metal against fabric.

The dress pooled at her feet, leaving her in nothing but the scrap of black lace she wore underneath. She heard Leo’s breath catch, saw the way his eyes darkened as they swept over her, hot and hungry.

Behind her, she could hear the soft sounds of the others, the rustle of fabric, the low murmur of voices. Finn’s laugh, rough and warm, Mia’s answering giggle, high and breathless.

Leo’s hands found her hips, pulling her closer, his body warm and solid against hers. His mouth found the sensitive skin of her throat, trailing kisses down to her collarbone, his teeth grazing lightly over the curve of her shoulder.

She shivered, her hands finding the waistband of his jeans, tugging him toward the bed. They tumbled down onto the mattress together, a tangle of limbs and heated breath, Leo’s weight settling over her, his hips fitting perfectly between her thighs.

He kissed her, deep and filthy, his tongue sliding against hers, claiming her mouth with a possessiveness that made her weak. She arched into him, her body seeking more, seeking everything he could give her.

She was dimly aware of the others, of the way the mattress dipped as Sam and Zoe joined them, of the low, breathy moans Mia made as Finn’s hands found her skin. But Leo was her world in that moment, the heat of his body, the scent of his cologne, the low, rough sounds he made as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

He broke the kiss, his lips trailing down her body, over the curve of her breast, the sensitive skin of her stomach. His tongue dipped into her navel, a wet, filthy slide that made her squirm, her fingers tangling in his hair.

He kept moving, his mouth finding her hip, her thigh, the soft, sensitive skin just above her knee. He hooked one leg over his shoulder, his fingers finding the damp lace between her thighs, pressing against her with a pressure that was almost enough.

“Leo,” she gasped, her hips bucking against his touch. “Please.”

He laughed, a low, dark sound that vibrated through her, his breath hot against her skin. His fingers hooked in the lace, dragging it down her legs, leaving her bare to his gaze.

He didn’t hesitate, his mouth finding her center, hot and wet and filthy. She cried out, her back arching off the bed, her fingers scrabbling for purchase in the sheets.

She heard a low, male groan from somewhere to her left, felt the mattress dip again as Finn and Mia joined them on the bed. She opened her eyes, her gaze hazy with pleasure, and saw Sam’s hands on Zoe’s body, saw the way her head tipped back as he kissed her throat.

There was something almost surreal about it, about the tangle of limbs and heated breath, the low moans and whispered words that filled the room. It was like something out of a dream, a fantasy she’d never quite dared to voice aloud.

Leo’s tongue circled her clit, a slow, deliberate tease that had her hips bucking against his mouth. She could feel the pressure building low in her belly, a tight, hot coil of need that seemed to wind tighter with every pass of his tongue.

She reached for him, her fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, needing more, needing everything. He groaned against her, the vibration sending sparks of pleasure shooting through her veins.

She was close, so close, her body trembling on the edge of release. She could feel it in the way her thighs shook, in the way her breath caught in her throat, in the way her fingers dug into Leo’s scalp.

He seemed to sense it, his tongue moving faster, harder, his hands gripping her thighs to hold her open to his touch. She heard a low, filthy curse from somewhere nearby, heard Mia’s answering whimper, but she was too far gone to care, too lost in the feel of Leo’s mouth on her, the heat of his body against hers.