It was cooling off by the time they'd finished, and Avery went in for her third shower in twelve-ish hours to wash the chlorine from her skin and hair. Carrying the bag, Carter marched upstairs with Mason in tow and walked into Avery's room. He pulled out the black boned corset he'd bought and laid on Avery's bed.
"You really think she'll wear that? Get dressed up like some sex toy?" Mason asked skeptically. The underwear and halter had been one thing, but this was putting her in straight up lingerie.
Carter eyed Mason levelly. "She will do anything we want," he responded. "She's completely aware of what's going on. We don't need to dance around it anymore, like putting on a movie, which you should know considering you had sex with her while I was out."
"And you had sex with her right in front of me on the couch," Mason countered. "Which hurt her. I was showing her that it didn't need to hurt, and frankly, she liked it."
Rolling his eyes, Carter folded his arms over his chest. "Just as much as she liked it when I spanked her in the kitchen," he said deviously. "You know what she said to me when I'd finished?" Carter gave Mason a moment, quirking a brow at him. "She said,
I want you
. She wants to play, Mason. If you're not up for it, by all means, take off to the bonfire. I'd love to be with her alone tonight."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Mason asked, astonished. "We're supposed to be in this together, and you know I have my reservations about that in the first place, but I've put it aside because I want her. You just want to use her."
"We really doing this?" Carter demanded angrily. "You think just because I want to play up the punishment side that I don't want her?"
Mason was feeling just as pissed. "You've always known I had a thing for her growing up."
"Oh, my sincere apologies that I didn't want to hit on a thirteen-year-old when I was nineteen," Carter drawled. "That it took her becoming an adult to find her attractive. Of course it's different now. A six-year gap doesn't mean anything anymore."
"I see," Mason said, nodding his head as he squinted his eyes at his brother. "It's a competition now?"
Carter grinned. "I guess it is, since you're making it one," he responded. Holding up a finger, he added, "Just don't be surprised when you find out that she actually likes playing rough."
"You don't know that," Mason disagreed. "She's too inexperienced to know what she wants."
"She's learning what she wants," Carter replied confidently, stepping closer to his brother so they were shoulder to shoulder. "Try to remember, this whole thing started as a punishment, and she had an out. She decided not to take it, knowing full well what it meant. And if you don't believe me, just ask her. When she gets out of the shower, give her that out again. See if she wants to go to the bonfire. I haven't been wrong yet."
With that, Carter left the room. Mason walked over to Avery's bed, picked up the corset and studied it. She'd look incredible in the matte black, he had no doubt of it. And he didn't know why he was letting Carter get to him like this. They'd never really fought, at least not over anything serious. Battles over what to watch on TV, yes. But maybe it was that they'd both realized that there was much more on the line than who got to control the remote. It was fair that Carter had fallen for Avery, even though it irrationally pissed him off, since he'd fallen for her ages ago.
He should have known it would turn into a competition. Though their personalities were very different, they'd always been competitive. What he couldn't determine was if Carter was right about Avery. Which was probably where his anger stemmed from. Deep down, he had a feeling Carter had tapped into something. He was sure that none of this would ever be happening if it wasn't for Carter. Then again, if this hadn't ever happened, maybe he'd have eventually worked up the courage to make something happen on his own, and Carter wouldn't have ever stood a chance.
Setting the corset down in defeat, he left the room. No point in considering the
what-if's
; they were in it now. And he sure as shit wasn't leaving. Despite his reservations on Carter's rougher play, his desire for Avery won out. He didn't think a day could go by ever again when he wouldn't want to be with her.
Returning to her room after a long shower, Avery spotted the corset on her bed. Wrapped in a towel, she lifted it, holding it out with a scrutinizing gaze. It was fairly simple, though she'd never worn a corset before. Matte black with no real pattern, boned throughout with laces in the back and eyehooks down the front. It didn't even have a heart-shaped top or underwire, nothing resembling a bra-like structure. It instead cut straight across, though angled down in the back.
Tossing it aside, she set to drying her honey-colored hair in front of the mirror, every so often eying the piece of lingerie warily. Her heart was already pounding. She'd been well aware that everything had been leading up to a night with Carter and Mason, but now it was near. She felt a pit low in her stomach that felt a little like light cramps, from nerves along with what she'd learned was arousal.
Once finished drying her hair, she ran her curling iron through the ends to create some body, then pinned it to the side so it fell over her shoulder. A little light makeup was put on, just mascara and clear gloss. She applied lotion to her entire body, then slid on another pair of black panties, similar to the ones she'd worn this morning. Finally she picked up the corset, working out just how to put it on.
Her first attempt had her trying to tie the laces in the back, which was futile. After retying the back, she wrapped it around her and worked the eyehooks up the front. It was a bit tighter when she reached her chest, taking some real effort, but once finished, she turned to the mirror, studying herself.
It was strange to actually feel sexy. She was well aware she was beautiful; large green eyes with hazel flecks, symmetrical features from forehead to chin with lovely lips that created an even lovelier smile. But she'd never really felt sexy until now. The cut of the corset lifted her breasts, making them round across the top, and created a curve to her waist that wasn't always there; thin as she was. Running her hand over the corset, she felt its firm structure contrasting with its soft fabric. And turning to the side, she was mesmerized by her profile.
"Wow," she breathed, then again felt that pit in her stomach as she remembered the reason she was wearing this in the first place. Soon, she'd leave her room and find Carter and Mason somewhere. In a corset and panties.
After a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, heart thumping in her chest, Avery left her room to search the house.
She didn't have to look far. Downstairs toward the back of the house, she could hear the television and knew with dead certainty she was destined to spend the rest of the evening in the master bedroom. No prancing around making breakfast like this morning before sprawling on the couch. No more swimming in the pool like it was a normal day.
Leaning back against the headboard, Mason's breath caught as he saw Avery appear and lean against the doorframe. Carter had been sitting at the end of the bed with his elbows resting on his knees, but his back straightened, taking her in. There was such simplicity to it. Corset, panties, nothing else. She didn't need anything else; garters or stockings or heels would have just overcomplicated it. Instead she looked sexy, while still vulnerable. The effect was unreal.
"Jesus, Avery," Mason breathed, then muted turned off the TV. Her chin was tucked low as her eyes flicked between them demurely beneath her long lashes.
Carter was in motion, up from the bed. Taking her hand, he gently pulled her into the room. "So sexy," he noted, placing his hand against the front of the corset as he walked around her, taking in every inch of her. Hooking his other hand in the top of the corset, he gently tugged.
A nervous laugh left Avery as she looked over her shoulder. "All this just so you can take it off?" she teased, quirking a brow.
"Oh, this isn't coming off for a long time," Carter said slyly, feeling along the bottom of the corset. The top was tight, but the bottom was loose. The laces in the back met in the middle, and he untied the lower of the two bows. "This however," he said, then pulled at the strings, listened to her gasp. "Needs to be a bit tighter."
"Wait," Avery began, then laughed again, nerves intensifying. "I need to be able to breathe!"
Carter pulled once more despite her protest, then retied the bow before running his hands down to the bottom of the corset. "Tighter is better," he said, then tested the top again, found it a bit more slack now that the bottom had been tightened. Beginning at the top, he worked to tighten each lace.
Avery did not protest again, though was shocked at just how tight he was making the corset. She thought she'd done a pretty good job. Still did, given she'd been more comfortable a minute ago than now. She felt his hand hold her shoulder as he gave a particularly rough yank midway down her back and gasped.
Carter tied the upper set, then tested the seams. Proud of his work, he leaned around to meet her eyes. "Can you still breathe?"