[Truyện Tiếng Anh] Into The Lair

Into the Lair
Into the Lair Page 30



Ian—and Braden—had afforded her the first real possibility of any sort of intimacy with a man since she’d run from the reality of what she’d done to Paulo. She craved a stolen moment. Just one. She wanted a strong man’s arms around her, and if that made her weak, she’d just have to deal.

Warm, sensual lips stirred along her skin, lighting a heated path from below her ear to her collarbone and down to the swell of her . His dark head bent to capture one , holding it against his tongue with his lips.

She twisted her hands in his hair, urging him closer, hoping she could convey her need with the sharpness of her fingers. His teeth grazed the rigid, puckered flesh. Ahh. God, yes, that was what she needed. Only more. She wanted that edge of pain. She didn’t want soft and sweet.

He nipped again, and she rewarded him with a moan and a gentle caress at his nape. Then he moved to her other , plumping the swollen mound with one hand while he sucked at her . Hungry, like he couldn’t get enough.

She stirred restlessly beneath him as need powered through her body.

“Slow down, baby,” Ian whispered against her skin. “I’ll give you what you want.”

His sensual promise sent shivers of absolute delight racing down her spine.

For a long while he played and toyed with her s, tweaking the s between his long fingers and nibbling with alternating gentleness and sharpness. He was careful around her wound, kissing a circular pattern around the bandage.

He licked at her bruises, his warm tongue abrading the sensitive skin. When he got to her navel, he dug his fingers into the band of her pants and tugged until it curled down her .

She sucked in her breath when he pressed his mouth to the tender expanse of flesh just above her mound. Her tightened, wanting, little twinges of excitement stirring and exploding. Her swelled, aching. She closed her eyes, imagining his mouth on her, his tongue delving deep to her innermost sanctum.

And then her underwear inched downward under his coaxing fingers. He rose and leaned back on his heels, carefully bent her legs and freed them from the confines of the panties. Then he settled her thighs on either side of his and spread them wide.

He stared down at her, his hands wrapped around her ankles, a look of deep satisfaction on his face. Her gaze never left his as she reached down with her hand to part the folds of her . Her fingers caressed the softness and then delved deeper into the wetness.

His eyes flared, and she saw his groin bulge and tighten when she fingered her in a slow up-and-down motion.

“Kiss me…there,” she whispered.

Ian lowered himself until his shoulders nudged at her thighs. “Spread yourself for me, Katie.”

Cool air blew over her as she complied with his dictate. Then she felt the warmth of his breath. She shivered in anticipation before finally his mouth touched her. Slightly. Just a gentle press. A kiss that didn’t end.

Her other hand snaked down to thread into his short hair. She gripped his scalp, holding him against her as she worked her fingers in unison with his mouth.

His tongue laved through her folds, sparking electric currents. She moved her fingers to give him better access to her erect . Her legs trembled uncontrollably as he licked and sucked. She wanted to move, to buck, but he gripped her to keep her still while he worshipped her with his tongue.

Her head fell to the side, and she looked at Braden with glazed eyes. He watched her with glittering intensity, his eyes bright and feral. The decadence of having him watch, of him being a passive participant, thrilled her and heightened her arousal. She began to imagine what it would be like to have both men touching her, kissing her, their mouths and hands sweeping over her body as though they owned it.

As she stared at Braden, his hand slid over his hip to the bulge between his legs. He rubbed and massaged while he watched Ian’s head move over her .

Ian quietly lapped between her legs, each stroke so intensely pleasurable that she closed her eyes against the agony of such sweet bliss.

Her knees shook. Her orgasm welled. Each touch of his tongue brought her closer to the edge. And then he moved his arm and slid a finger inside her entrance, touching the tip against the swollen passage.

“Ian, please,” she gasped. “I need you inside me.”

His head slowly came up, and he locked eyes with her. He shifted forward and kissed her belly. As he continued to move up her body, he pressed gentle kisses over her skin until he reached her neck.

She arched her throat upward, baring the expanse of flesh to his mouth. She wanted him to bite her and bite hard, to mark her.

“You’re beautiful,” he rasped as he tugged at her hair to expose her neck further.

He bent and sucked hard, his teeth nipping sharply at the column of her neck. He latched onto her skin and suckled, a steady rhythm that had her s and tightening in unison.

His jeans abraded the insides of her thighs, and she impatiently reached down, tugging at the waist, wanting to be rid of the barrier.

He laughed softly against her neck. He kissed just below her ear one more time before pulling away. The bed dipped and swayed as he crawled carefully off her. For a moment, he obscured her view of Braden as he quickly shucked his jeans.

Her gaze was riveted to the white briefs and the bulging outline of his , straining against the thin material. And then with one shove, the underwear slid down, revealing the thick, ruddy erection.

Surrounded by dark hair, it jutted upward, the swollen, distended length rippled with a heavy vein on the underside. Moisture beaded at the tip, just one clear drop of fluid clinging to the head.

She licked her lips, and an agonized groan echoed across the room.

“You’re killing me, woman.”

“Take me,” she said in a sultry, entreating voice. “Please, Ian. Don’t make me wait.”

He bent and scooped at his jeans, his hand delving into one of the pockets. He yanked out a condom and tore the wrapper with shaky hands.

She watched with rapt attention as he slowly rolled the latex over his . His thick, heavy erection strained at the transparent covering, and she wondered if it would hold.

Excitement scuttled at the back of her throat as he stalked forward, closing the distance between them once more. Placing one hand on the mattress at her side, he got onto the bed and settled between her splayed legs.

“Are you ready for me, Katie?” He slid one hand fluttering past the curls at her apex and into the softness beyond.

She flinched when he found her swollen nub. With calculated roughness, he spread her and slid one finger deep, testing her slickness. When he pulled it out again, she could see her fluids glisten on his knuckle.

He put it to his mouth and licked it clean. Then he lowered himself to her, taking care not to put his weight on her belly. He propped himself up on his arms and flexed his . The movement sent his over her and lower to her waiting . She moved frantically, trying to sheathe him, but he stilled her with his thighs.

He reached down and positioned himself. Her breath caught in her throat as she nearly came apart at the first touch of his crown rimming her entrance. He put his arm back at her side and then rolled his forward, sinking into her with excruciating precision.

She closed her eyes and expelled the pent-up breath in long, painful bursts.

“Am I hurting you?” Ian panted.

She opened her eyes to stare up at him. “You aren’t hurting me nearly enough. Take me, Ian. Hard. I want you.”

He surged against her. She could feel him swollen and stiff deep in her .

“You destroy me,” he whispered.

He began to stroke, back and forth, deep, hard, foregoing the gentleness he’d been so careful to exert. Even so, he was careful not to brush against her wound.

She wanted so much. She wanted to wrap herself around him so tight that he’d never let go. She wanted to roll him over and ride him hard and unrelenting. She wanted him to ride her mercilessly.

“**** me,” she panted. “Let go, Ian. Stop trying not to hurt me and let go, damn it.”

A snarl rolled off his lips, and he slammed against her, rocking her up the bed. Oh God, yes. Finally.

“Harder,” she urged. “Make me feel it, Ian.”

He swooped down and ravaged her lips in a hot, open-mouthed kiss that was as carnal as she’d ever experienced. He breathed into her, for her, with her. He rammed into her, forcing himself harder and deeper.

Pain speared her abdomen, but she didn’t care. She wanted it, needed it, craved it like an addict craved a fix.

His thighs slapped against hers, and he reached down to pry her legs further apart. He looped them over his arms and shoved upward, forcing her into a position of greater vulnerability.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes!”

His balls pounded the curve of her , the crisp hairs tickling her anus as he wedged himself deeper into her .

“Come, damn it, I’m close,” he grated out.

“Don’t stop,” she demanded. “Please, please don’t stop. Oh…I’m going to come, Ian, please don’t stop.”

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Her pleas came out as half uttered, brainless sobs. He gave an agonized groan and then ripped into her, his driving with ruthless intensity.

Her orgasm stabbed, sharp and edgy, suddenly exploding like a short fuse on a stick of dynamite. She heard him shout, felt him pummel into her one last time before he stayed there, deep and straining, pushing himself as though he couldn’t get far enough into her.

He leaned into her, burrowing his hands underneath her body so he could gather her close. For a long moment, he heaved against her, his breaths exploding in the silence. Her pulsed around his , sending aftershocks floating through her belly.

It had been way too long since she had such a magnificent orgasm. Man, she missed good ***.

Unfortunately she was going to pay for this. Pain ripped through her belly, fierce and edgy. A whimper escaped her lips before she could call it back.

Ian rolled off her immediately, his eyes flashing with concern. “Goddamn it, I knew I’d end up hurting you.”

She shushed him before he got too absorbed in his self-condemnation. “I don’t regret a minute of it, and so help me, if you don’t shut up, I’ll castrate you. But yeah, it hurts like a bitch about now.”

He slammed his lips together, and she could tell it was killing him to remain silent. He scrambled off the bed, and it was then she noticed that Braden had left. She didn’t spare a lot of thought as to why he bolted, because frankly she was too busy sucking wind as waves of pain aulted her.

“This was stupid of me,” Ian muttered as he yanked on his jeans. She nearly laughed when the pants met his —his still-condom-covered . He swore then yanked it off and aimed it at a nearby garbage can. He shoved his semi-erect into his pants and then fastened the fly.

“Don’t move. I’ll be back with something for pain.”

“Sure…” She trailed off as he turned and stalked out of the room.

So much for post-coital glow.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Braden looked up in surprise from the darkness of the small kitchen when Ian charged out of the bedroom. He fumbled with the light switch, and Braden shoved his hand up to shield the sudden flood of light.

“Sorry,” Ian mumbled as he poked around the cabinets with no clear direction.

“Something wrong?” Braden asked calmly.

Ian stopped and grimaced as he swung his head back and forth, surveying the countertops. “I hurt her, man. I was too ing rough. You seen the pain **** that Marcus left?”

Braden almost laughed. He would have if Ian wasn’t so intense. Ian wouldn’t take his irreverence in this moment. He’d probably try to take his head off.

“She wanted it, Ian. Wanted it pretty damn bad, I’d say.”

“There’s no excuse,” Ian said.

“Dude, I was there, remember? She didn’t exactly give you a choice. As long as she didn’t bust any of her stitches, she’ll be fine.”

He reached over and snagged the package that was right in front of Ian’s nose. He held it out, and Ian made a sound of disgust. Then he stared up at Braden.

“You go in and make sure she’s all right. I need to…get cleaned up.”

Braden rolled his eyes. Big, bad Ian was scared of a woman. Katie had knocked him for a loop, and his nuts were so twisted that he didn’t know his head from his . It was pretty damn funny.

“So you get to have great ***, and I get stuck with the cuddling afterward? Hardly sounds fair to me.”

Ian yanked his head around, ready to jump down Braden’s throat until he saw Braden’s grin. Braden held up his hands. “Chill, man. You’re way too uptight for someone who just had bone-melting ***.”

Ian leaned heavily against the counter and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, you sound like a jealous bitch.”

Braden laughed. “Maybe I won’t be jealous for long.” He grabbed a bottle of water and sauntered past Ian.

Ian caught his arm. “Don’t mess with her now, Braden. She’s hurting pretty bad.”

Irritation seized Braden, and he looked pointedly down at Ian’s hand. Ian let it fall away. “I didn’t tell you how to handle your when you were with Katie. I don’t need you telling me what to do with mine, okay?”

Ian muttered under his breath and turned away. Braden headed toward the bedroom. He paused at the door and looked in to see Katie curled in the covers, her hand clutching her side.

Shaking his head, he strode toward the bed. When she heard him, she looked up and then did a double-take. No doubt she was expecting Ian.

He stopped at the edge and then sat down at her hip. As he shook out her medicine, she looked at him in amusement.

“Ian afraid I’m going to insist on a preacher and a ring?”

Braden grinned and choked back his laughter. Yeah, he liked this woman. A lot.

“He’s more worried about the fact that he hurt you. Here, open up,” he said as he shoved a pill at her lips.

She opened her mouth and then took the bottle of water he handed her. As she tilted her head back and swallowed, her gaze settled on his face.

He took the bottle back when she was done, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“You enjoy the show?” she asked bluntly.

Willing himself not to flinch or act like her question caught him off guard, he calmly regarded her. “I’d have enjoyed it a hell of a lot more if I was participating instead of watching.”

Let her make what she wanted of that statement. At least he’d get a good read on whether she’d ever be down with both him and Ian at the same time.

She didn’t so much as blink. “So why didn’t you?”

“Join in?” he asked, surprised by her seeming acceptance.

She nodded.

“I don’t think Ian would have appreciated it,” Braden said with a small smile.

“And yet you kissed me before he ever touched me. Some might say you had more to be unappreciative about.”

“Are you saying you wanted me to join?”

“Maybe.”

“There’s no maybe about it, sweetheart,” he drawled. “Either you wanted me there or you didn’t. An extra person doesn’t just show up for *** without some preplanning.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said thoughtfully. “Some of the best *** is rather spontaneous, wouldn’t you say?”

As soon as she’d delivered that cryptic remark, she closed her eyes, her face creased with pain.

“Damn,” he murmured. “Ian was right. You totally overdid it.”

“If you knew how long it had been since I , you wouldn’t have begrudged me,” she muttered.

He laughed and touched her face in a tender gesture. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she stared back at him with wide blue eyes.

“Want me to stick around and do the post-*** cuddling thing since Ian bailed?”

Amusement glittered deeply in her eyes. The corner of her mouth quirked up in a grin. And then her expression grew serious.

“Hey, what’s that for?” he asked.

As he waited for her answer, he stood and pulled his shirt over his head. She watched while he kicked off his boots and then began undoing his pants. When he was down to his underwear, he crawled back onto the bed and eased close to her body.

With a contented sigh, she spooned back against him, nestling her pert little to his aching groin. Hell, he should have jerked off before attempting this ****.

Still, she felt good against him, all limp and contented, even if he wasn’t the reason she was all limp and contented. He slid his hand down the curve of her body and settled it on her hip.

“So what was the look for?” he asked when she still hadn’t responded.

He felt her grimace. “Just an observation,” she murmured. “A nice one. I was going to say that it was cool that you and Ian were so relaxed about women. And ***. Paulo and Ricardo were psychotic. Both were jealous. Insanely so. It was what destroyed them. And nearly me,” she added softly.

Braden’s arm tightened around her, though he was careful to stay away from her wound. Her fingers found his and trembled as they cautiously slid over his palm. He twined his with hers and rested them comfortably over her middle.

“Ricardo was an egotistical ,” Braden said darkly. “And Paulo sounded like an immature .”

She shook against him then groaned when her laughter caused her pain. “Yeah, but he was good in the sack.”

Braden growled close to her ear. “I’ll show you good in the sack, woman.”

“Promises, promises,” she whispered as he grazed her ear with his teeth.

His entire groin tightened. Nice, sensitive Braden was saying: She’s exhausted, in pain and in no shape to be rode long and hard again. The Braden with blue balls was shouting: Flip her over and her senseless.

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“What I can promise is that when I to you, you won’t be thinking about how good Paulo de la Cruz was in bed.”

“Mmmm, I’d like to take you up on that challenge.”

“It wasn’t a challenge, sister. It was a promise.”

“Braden?”

He frowned at the thready sound of her voice. “Yeah.”

“Can we go to sleep now?”

She sounded faint, like she was already ninety percent there.

He nuzzled against her neck, his lips finding the softness against her hairline. She sighed in contentment and scooted back further against him until you couldn’t fit a hair between them.

“Yeah, baby. Go to sleep.”

“You won’t go anywhere, will you?” she asked sleepily.

He kissed her behind the ear, inhaling her sweet scent. “I’ll be right here, Katie. I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Braden awoke with Katie sprawled across him like she owned him. Half her body was draped across his chest, her cheek pressed tight against his skin and her mouth open.

There was nothing maidenly or shy about her.

For a long time he lay there, quiet, studying her while she slept. Her hair was tousled, the strands teasing his skin. He toyed with the uneven locks, twirling them around the tips of his fingers.

She stirred against him, a restless little move that sent her soft body seeking further into his. His stood up and paid attention, much to his dismay.

She went still, and he felt the catch in her breath. Then she raised her head and looked up at him with sleepy, drugged eyes.

“You got a condom?”

He blinked in surprise. Of all the things he thought she might say, that wasn’t it. His chest shook with laughter, but he kept his lips tight to prevent any sound from escaping.

Her eyes narrowed, but he caught a glint of amusement sparkling in their depths.

“If you tell me that’s just your usual morning hard-on and that I have nothing to do with it, I’m going to be deeply offended.”

“Oh, it’s all you,” he said. “And yeah, I have a condom. Give me a sec to go get it.”

He carefully extricated himself from her body and strode out of the room. He found Ian asleep on the couch in the living room, and a distinct chill in the air. Damn, but it was cold.

Sparing his brother only a quick glance and a whispered directive for him to sleep a while longer, he dug into his pack for one of the condoms and then headed back to the bedroom.

He paused inside the doorway to shed his underwear. Katie watched from the bed, her eyes tracking his every movement. His hand curled around his heavy erection, and he worked up and down in a slow, steady motion.

Hunger flashed in her eyes, and a bolt of awareness sizzled through his groin. He walked over to the bed, tossed the condom onto the pillow and then climbed back onto the mattress. She covered him immediately, her body warm and supple. She fit. So damn perfect.

She reached for the condom and rapidly tore the wrapper off. With deft fingers, she rolled it over his , and he nearly groaned at the restriction.

“You don’t want foreplay?” he asked with a raised eyebrow as she moved to straddle him.

“What I want is to you,” she said in a voice tight with desire.

“Oh hell, I think I just fell in love,” he murmured.

He helped her by spanning her waist with his big hands and positioning her so she didn’t hurt herself. Then he allowed his fingers to wander up her lush body to cup her s.

She leaned up, did a tight little fidget and then sheathed him.

They both groaned. His entire body tightened and spazzed out. He felt like he was going to twitch right out of his skin.

“You have to move, baby,” he said as he lifted her . “Oh, yeah, like that. Just like that.” He expelled all of his breath in one long sigh.

She rolled forward and then back, undulating her pelvis so that her rippled over every inch of his .

“Kiss me,” he said huskily as he urged her on with his hands. He couldn’t wait to taste her again. He’d thought of nothing else ever since kissing her on the plane.

Her lips melted over his, sweet like syrup and soft. So deliciously soft. His hands skated up her sides to cup her s, and he brushed his thumbs across her s. She shivered delicately against his hands as their tongues met and dueled for supremacy.

He let her win that particular battle, enjoying how she took control of the kiss.

She tasted him, swept her tongue over his and deep into his mouth. She pulled away and then nipped sharply at his bottom lip. She followed it with a soothing lap of her tongue and then she sucked it back into her mouth to nibble erotically.

He’d never been kissed so thoroughly by a woman. There was nothing inhibited about her, and he found it extremely arousing.

One hand left her and glided downward until he cupped the bandage over her wound. He held her gently to protect the area as she continued to ride him, but she wasn’t having it.

She grasped his wrist and dragged his hand back to her , moaning when his fingers stumbled over her . Remembering the night before when she’d urged Ian to bite her, he gathered the taut point and pinched, lightly at first and then with more pressure.

She went liquid around his . Oh hell yeah, she liked the pain, needed it.

“Harder,” she panted.

He stared up at the hot-as-hell image she posed, head thrown back as she rode him with abandon, her s spilling into his hands as he worked her s with his fingers.

He pinned them both with his thumbs and forefingers and squeezed as she shuddered around his .

“I hope you’re close,” she said in a strained voice. “Because I’m so ready to come.”

“Then get there,” he ordered, his statement spilling out raw and demanding. His release was a razor’s edge, sharp and sliding closer.

He arched his , pounding into her as she fell to meet his thrusts. Her thighs gripped him as her hands came down to grasp at his shoulders.

He pulled mercilessly at her s, leaving them red with his fingerprints. A harsh cry of pleasure tore from her mouth and then her body seized. Her rippled and contracted, spasming around his like molten lava.

“Yeah, baby, like that. Come for me, Katie.”

His left the bed as he bowed and arched wildly. He exploded like a canon just as she dissolved around him. She fell, and he caught her, gentle even amidst their animalistic mating.

This time…this time he was the reason for her soft, sated sounds, and the sweet lethargy of her body. Pleasure that had nothing to do with the mind-blowing orgasm he’d just experienced rippled through his body.

She lay across his chest, limp and unresisting as he stroked her back.

“Should I get you drugs?” he asked wryly. “You’re hell on stitches, woman.”

She trembled slightly, and he couldn’t be sure if it was pleasure or pain making her shake. And he was loath to move enough to see. His fingers made slow circles on her back and shoulders. He slid them to her nape where he gently massaged.

“I’m hungry,” she said. “And cold.”

“It is pretty frigid in here. Either we don’t have a heater, or no one bothered to turn it on. There’s a fireplace in the living room. If you feel up to it we can go in there. I’ll build a fire and see about cooking up some grub.”

“Where’s Ian?” she asked as she pushed herself gingerly off his chest.

“Asleep on the couch.”

She glanced down to where their bodies were still joined. “Is this going to bother him?”

He curled a hand behind her neck and kissed her hard. When he pulled away, her eyes were slightly unfocused.

“I can’t answer that. But I can guarantee he won’t go off the deep end like your previous lover. One, he’d never hurt a woman, and two, he’s well aware that I’m as attracted to you as he is.”

“Guess we’ll go find out,” she whispered.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Katie showered with Braden, more in an effort to use their body heat to keep from freezing than a need for intimacy. The temperature had continued to drop in the cabin, which told her that there was probably heat at one time, and now there wasn’t.

Figured.

She stepped shivering from the tiny shower cubicle, hugging herself in an effort to get warm. Braden stepped out beside her and wrapped his big body around hers while he dried them both with his towel.

“Get dressed. I’ll go build a fire and then get started on the cooking,” he said as he arranged his towel over shoulders.

She watched as he walked from the bathroom. She absolutely loved his pale . His tan line stopped at his waist, and only a fine dusting of hair disturbed the lighter skin of his behind.

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She’d have been disappointed if he turned out to be a pretty boy who sunbathed nude out of vanity. Of course Braden didn’t strike her as the type *****nbathe at all. And he certainly lacked the smooth, polished good looks of pretty boys like Paulo and Ricardo. Braden and Ian both were rugged. Not good-looking in a classical sense or even drop-dead GQ gorgeous. But she positively shivered each time she looked at them, even when they annoyed the piss out of her. They wore power like it was the most natural thing in the world, and they had an I-don’t-give-a-**** look that she found enormously appealing. Maybe it was because it was a sentiment she echoed.

She searched for clothes, and to her surprise discovered several pairs of jeans and sweaters in her size. Or close, anyway. And then she found a pair of boots just half a size larger than what she wore, and she nearly cried. Stupid to get so emotional over boots, but after going so long barefooted, she wanted to kiss the worn leather.

She pulled on heavy wool socks, delighting in the warmth they offered her freezing feet. Then she put on jeans and a sweater. For a moment, she considered the boots just for the luxury of having shoes, but she put them back down and padded out to the living room in her sock feet.

Ian was awake, though he didn’t look like he’d been that way for long. He sat on the couch a few feet away from the roaring fire, his hair rumpled, and a sleepy, disgruntled look on his face.

She glanced toward the kitchen to see Braden clanging around, putting a skillet on the stove and poking in the small refrigerator.

Ideally, she’d feel at ease with either man, after all she’d ed them both. But something about Ian still made her nervous. Or maybe she just wasn’t as sure of herself around him. Or…maybe he meant more to her than she’d like to admit.

Braden, on the other hand…she felt confident with, but only because she knew he was in it for the ***. Ian…well she had no idea what he was in it for.

When she would have gone into the kitchen, Ian looked up and locked gazes with her. She shivered under the intensity of those eyes, and it wasn’t because she was cold.

“Come here,” he said softly and held out a hand to her.

She hesitated for a moment before crossing the room. She didn’t reach for his hand but got close enough that he could touch her. He laced his arm around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap.

Before she could react, he reclined her until her head rested on the couch and her back was laid across his legs. He pushed her sweater up and put tentative fingers to her wound.

He looked over at her and frowned. “This needs to be bandaged.”

“I took it off to shower,” she said with a shrug.

“Stay put. I’ll get Braden to bring me the stuff to cover it again.”

She stopped short of rolling her eyes. Barely. He called over his shoulder to Braden who came ambling out a few seconds later, medical supplies in hand.

He winked at Katie who had brought her arms behind her head in an effort to get comfortable.

Ian didn’t miss the exchange, and he gazed curiously at Katie. Okay, he wasn’t stupid. Surely he hadn’t slept through her and Braden’s rather loud bout of *** this morning. Or had he?

She shot Braden a quick questioning look, and he shrugged and headed back toward the kitchen. And then she shook her head, pissed that she’d spare any guilt over Ian’s feelings. It was ***. Good *** but just *** all the same.

“What are you frowning about?” Ian asked as he carefully applied a strip of gauze to her stitched wound.

“I don’t care if you’re pissed that I with Braden.”

He raised one eyebrow and cast her a sideways glance. “Who says I’m pissed?”

“You’re not?”

“Should I be?”

She frowned again as he finished taping the gauze. “So you’re not?”

“Do you want me to be?”

She growled in frustration. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to beat him or him senseless. Both held a certain appeal at the moment.

A small smile quirked one corner of his mouth. “No, Katie, I’m not pissed. I was the one who asked my brother to watch while I with you, for Christ’s sake.”

“Anyone ever tell you how weird you are?”

He shrugged. “Plenty of times.”

“I see how bothered you are by that,” she said with a grin.

He pulled her to an upright position and then moved her to his side. She leaned back against the couch, content to absorb his warmth.

A few minutes later, Braden brought two plates and thrust them at her and Ian. He returned shortly with his own plate and plopped down in a threadbare armchair close to the fireplace.

Breakfast food. Not her favorite, but she was so hungry, she’d eat shoe leather.

For several minutes, she contented herself with stuffing food into her mouth. Then she became aware that both men were staring at her, their own food forgotten.

“What?” she asked around a full mouth.

Braden shook his head. “God almighty, I thought the first time we fed you was merely an aberration. I’ve never seen a woman put away food like that. It’s sorta scary and ***y all at the same time.”

She choked on a laugh and then coughed when part of her food went down the wrong way. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she finally managed to get her breath. “It’s been a long time since I got a chance to eat good food.”

Ian gave her a look of horror. “Hell, you must really have fallen on desperate times if you consider Braden’s cooking good food.”

“Hey, off,” Braden said good-naturedly.

She grinned. It was amazing to her that she was so relaxed. *** and a full belly certainly helped. More than that, though, she felt safe with Ian and Braden despite their less-than-stellar beginning.

She trusted them.

It was easy to forget what was at stake. That they were in the wilds of Austria because supposedly some goon was after her.

And then it hit her. Truly hit her with the force of an avalanche. Ricardo would never be a threat to her again.

Sure, she knew he was dead. She’d even taken a moment, albeit a brief one, to contemplate what his death meant. But things had moved so quickly. It was all such a blur that she hadn’t really had time to think about what her life might be like without Ricardo breathing down her neck.

She put the fork down when it became obvious that her hand was shaking like the last leaf on a tree facing winter.

“What’s wrong?” Ian asked sharply. He touched her cheek, and she slowly looked up to meet his gaze.

“Nothing. I was just thinking. Realizing, I guess.”

“Realizing what?” Braden asked.

She glanced over to see him studying her as intently as Ian was.

“Just that I don’t have to worry about Ricardo anymore,” she said with a nonchalant shrug that belied just how much she wanted to shout her joy and relief. “It hadn’t really sunk in until now. I’ve been running from him for so long. I mean he’s been the entire focus of my life in a twisted sort of way. My every waking moment has been spent staying a step ahead of him and trying to determine his next move.”

Ian’s hand curled around the back of her neck, cupping it possessively. He stared hard at her, his green eyes flashing with anger and determination.

“You don’t ever have to worry about anything again, Katie. Braden and I are going to see to that.”

Her brow instantly furrowed at the od***y and finality of his statement. How could he make that kind of guarantee? They were nothing to each other. There was no permanence, no relationship. Until a week ago, she’d never known they existed.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m afraid I’m the only person who can make sure I don’t have men like Ricardo to worry about.” She added a reassuring smile for emphasis. “It was sweet of you to say, though.”

“Sweet, my ,” Braden bit out. “You aren’t alone anymore, Katie. You may not be used to it, but you damn well better get that way. We aren’t going away.”

She blinked at his ferocity. His entire body was taut like a bowstring, and determination was locked into his face. She let her gaze flicker to Ian only to see the same steely resolve reflected in his eyes.

Not knowing how to respond to that little outburst, she calmly picked her fork back up and resumed eating. After several long, awkward minutes, she gripped her now-empty plate and started to get off the couch.

Ian circled her wrist and tugged her back down. “I’ll get it, Katie. You sit.”

No escape. It nearly made her giggle. It seemed her life revolved around escape and capture. Granted she was convinced that Ian and Braden were the good guys here, but still, she’d exchanged an unsavory prison for a much better one. But still a prison all the same. Freedom was an elusive creature indeed.

But was freedom really what she wanted? Did she want to be away from these two men? She could lie to herself—she’d certainly been less than honest with herself in the past—but the truth was she trusted these two men as much as it galled her to admit, and more than that, she wanted them. Wanted to be close to them, wanted...

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The fire had warmed the room or at least taken the bitter chill. She awkwardly positioned herself so she could curl her feet underneath her as she turned in the direction of the fireplace.

Braden watched her, and she peeked at him from underneath her lashes.

“What now, Braden?” she asked. “Do we stay here forever? Wait for the boogeyman to come get us? What are we doing, exactly?”

To her surprise he looked briefly away. She was used to his bluntness, counted on it. While Ian usually tried to couch things and be more diplomatic, Braden tended to say it like it was without deference to her feelings. She liked that.

There was a hint of unease in his expression when he turned his eyes back to her. “Eli and Tits along with the Falcon secondary are hunting Esteban. We stay here until it’s safe to leave.”

“And?” Surely there had to be more to their plan than that.

“And nothing. When we get word that Esteban is no longer a threat to you then we take things from there.”

She continued to stare at him in silence. He probably didn’t understand her worries or concerns. He had a place in the world. He and Ian were part of this Falcon team. They had friends, jobs, each other. She had no one. No home to return to, no life to get on with.

It was a daunting thought and something she had to do a lot of thinking about, because when it was all over with, she would be solidly on her own again. And for the first time in a long time, that scared the hell out of her.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Katie stood at the window watching the snow drift steadily downward. She raised the cup of cocoa framed in her palms and took a cautious sip. A flood of sweet, warm chocolate filled her mouth and trailed down her throat.

A few days of rest and plenty to eat had damn near made a new woman out of her. She felt stronger. And she wasn’t afraid. Despite the unknown danger, a danger that only Ian and Braden seemed aware of, she still felt safe. It had been so long since she’d known anything but the paralyzing fear that gripped her every time she went out, walked down the street or tried to sleep at night.

She liked the quiet of the snow. The peace. It was clean and beautiful. A clean slate. She’d like one of those. Redemption. Freedom from mistakes.

Forgiveness.

No. She didn’t want forgiveness. Forgiveness implied a guilty conscience in need of soothing. She only regretted her own personal choices.

For the first time in so long, she was…happy. It sounded ludicrous, that here, on the run, shacked up in a remote cabin with men determined to protect her, she could be so content. She’d relaxed her guard willingly and allowed herself to become immersed in the fantasy of being taken care of by two men who took her breath away.

She didn’t want it to end. Esteban was a world away, not a reality to her, and she wanted it to remain so. No intrusions, no awakening to the real world.

Never before had she felt cherished, like she mattered. Here in Braden and Ian’s arms, she’d found… She swallowed, refusing to say it, to think it. Home. Even she couldn’t become that delusional.

She bowed her head, tearing her gaze from the snow-blanketed ground to stare into the mug she held. Firm hands gripped her shoulders, squeezing lightly as lips nuzzled her neck. She smiled and closed her eyes, leaning into Braden’s strong chest.

“Hi,” he murmured.

She set the mug on the windowsill and then turned to face him. His hands settled on her , and he pulled her to his body until she was flush against him.

“Hey yourself.”

He knuckled her chin up and kissed her lingeringly. “Want breakfast?”

“Mmm, does this mean I have to go wake Ian up?”

Braden chuckled. “Yeah, you drew short straw. I’d rather have KP duty.”

“Give me twenty minutes,” she murmured as she reached up on tiptoe to give him another quick kiss.

She stepped around him and headed for the bedroom. She paused inside the doorway and took in Ian’s sprawled body. He was lying on his stomach, one arm tucked underneath his pillow and the other flung over the other pillow at his head.

Quietly, she walked further, not wanting to disturb him even though she’d come to wake him. She eased onto the bed, her gaze sliding up his muscular form.

The past days had been satisfying even if odd. The three had formed an easy camaraderie, and both men took every opportunity to to her. Separately. It was as though she enjoyed a relationship with both men simultaneously, and they were okay with it.

She caught the looks they exchanged, usually about the time one of them put the moves on her. There was an understanding between them. She was an understanding between them. And yet they hadn’t attempted to have a threesome with her.

Based on previous conversations, she knew they’d gone that road in the past, and she also knew from innuendo laced into their flirting that they were certainly open to ing her at the same time. Which begged the question: Why hadn’t they?

Unless…they were waiting for her to make the move.

Considering she’d made the first move the first time with both men, it wasn’t too hard to believe that they could very well be letting her call the shots.

She placed her hand at the small of Ian’s back and slid it upward, enjoying the feel of his skin, the roll of his muscles under her palm. She leaned in and put her lips to his shoulder.

He tensed against her lips, and she heard the change of his breathing, signaling his break from sleep. And then he rolled, snagging her with his arm and hauling her against his chest.

She came willingly, landing against him with a slight jolt. Her mouth was inches from his lips, and she didn’t shy away. She took them in a hungry movement, sucking his bottom lip between her teeth. She nipped and then licked and swallowed his growl.

He was usually slow to awaken, and when he did, he was surly and grumpy. She and Braden spent the first hour of Ian’s day avoiding him and the rest of the time giving him a hard time about what a grouch he was. This morning, however, he went from a dead sleep to instant alert.

His bulged in his underwear. It was rigid against her side, hot and thick as his body worked against hers. He was aroused and ready, and a dark thrill singed through her veins when his hands tore impatiently at her shirt.

“Good morning,” she murmured.

“Shut up,” he growled as his lips slammed against hers in a kiss that drove the breath from her chest.

Oh hell yeah, she liked waking the beast.

She tried to get her hands into his underwear, but he yanked her arms back, pinning them behind her. Then he rolled her over so that he straddled her body and stared down at her with glittering eyes.

She was at a distinct disadvantage, and while it would usually irritate the living hell out of her, she found herself liking it. Liking it very much.

As soon as his hands touched her s, a shudder worked through her body. He cupped them roughly, massaging and kneading the plump mounds. Then he pulled at both s, elongating them. He gave each a sharp pinch. A long hiss escaped her clenched teeth.

His engorged , still encased in his underwear, rested on her belly. His knees dug into the bed at her sides, and then he rubbed his groin up and down her pelvis until she moaned and twisted restlessly.

“You know what they say about not starting something unless you can finish it,” he said in a voice thick with desire.

She spread her hands in a gesture of helpless innocence. “All I did was wake you for breakfast.”

“And if I plan on having you for breakfast?”

“I try never to interfere with a man and his appetite,” she murmured.

“I guess neither of you will be making it to the table,” Braden said dryly.

Katie turned her head to see Braden leaning against the door, his gaze raking up and down her body. She stared boldly in return and then looked back up at Ian to gauge his mood. Would it be as simple as telling them both she wanted them? Together?

She glanced back at Braden. For a moment, indecision wavered in her mind. She didn’t want to screw up what she had. *** with both men was fantastic. Even as good as she knew it would be with both of them together, she could certainly live with their current arrangement. For as long as it lasted.

“Say what’s on your mind, Katie,” Braden drawled.

“We’re not mind readers,” Ian said.

“I want you…both,” she said simply.

Braden shoved off the doorframe and stalked toward her, all sense of easygoing teasing gone. There was a hint of darkness to his face that sent prickles of excitement dancing over her skin.

She peeked back up at Ian who had the same smoldering intensity lurking in his eyes. What the hell had she just done?

Braden leaned down, his fingers caressing her cheek. “Be sure about this, Katie. Be damn sure. We’ve played things your way, but if you want us both, it’s going to be our way. Can you handle giving up that kind of control?”

Holy hell. It was suddenly all sorts of hard to breathe.

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“In bed,” she said coolly. As coolly as she could under the circumstances. “It doesn’t go any further than in bed. As long as we’re clear on that.”

Ian chuckled. “We don’t expect you to undergo a complete lobotomy.” He twisted her between his fingers, sharply enough to send a spark of pain racing through her .

She closed her eyes. She craved the darkness she saw lurking in their eyes. Wanted it, needed it with a dangerous appetite. The bite of pain, the heat of raw, uncontrolled passion.

They knew her secrets, and now they were going to wrest control from her hands and give her everything she most desired.

She emitted a low growl. A primal sound of a woman greeting her mate. Her submission and her acquiescence. It wasn’t the sound of a weak, helpless female.

Ian tensed, and then he swung away from her, his feet hitting the floor with a thud. He tore his underwear off while Braden’s clothing flew in the other direction. And then two hulking, men faced her down with the promise of everything she’d ever desired flashing in their eyes.

She swallowed and lay still, waiting and wanting.

“On your knees,” Braden said in a low, silky voice.

Slowly she rolled, and then she pushed herself to her knees until they were planted in the soft mattress.

“Turn to me,” he said.

She turned, her fingers dug into the edge of the bed. The bed dipped behind her, and she glanced back to see Ian positioning himself at her . His hands gripped her , and there was nothing gentle about his grasp.

Braden’s hand slid into her hair, and then he fisted the strands and pulled her head slightly to the side. He grasped his with his other hand and pumped a few times as he guided it toward her mouth.

“Open,” he said.

Adrenaline-laced desire centered in her belly and fanned outward, tightening every nerve ending in its path. Her fisted and tingled, and then she felt Ian nudging impatiently at her opening. There was no finesse, no gentle coaxing. He lined up and thrust deep.

She gasped, and Braden took advantage by sliding to the back of her throat. She was simultaneously filled by both men, and she’d never felt anything like it in her life.

“That’s it,” Braden said approvingly. “You’re ours, Katie. Take it deep. Just like that.”

Her body shook and rocked with the force of their motion. Neither man gave her any reprieve, and God, she loved it. She wanted to mount them both, take them hard and hungry. Her need was feral and demanding.

Braden’s musky scent filled her nostrils. His taste invaded her mouth and exploded over her tongue. She sucked hungrily, matching his thrusts with the bob of her head.

Ian rocked against her with enough force that each stab into her was an exotic mix of intense pleasure and sweet pain. His swollen dragged over her entrance, stretching her mercilessly. He felt bigger than before, as if only now had she plumbed the depths of his desire.

And then she realized that she wasn’t feeling the sleek latex of a condom-covered . Every ridge, every swollen vein slid over the walls of her . Flesh to flesh.

She ripped her head from Braden’s only to have his hand tighten in her hair, his displeasure over her action evident as he shoved his back to her lips.

“Condom,” she said hoarsely. “Ian. Condom.”

Ian stilled against her and then cursed vividly. Then he pressed a gentle kiss to her spine. “Sorry, baby.”

He left her, and cool air brushed over her behind, chilling her as she lost his comforting warmth. Braden’s hand softened in her hair and he stroked, caressing the strands between his fingers.

She looked up, an invitation. He touched her cheek with his other hand and then shifted his so that his brushed across her lips. She tongued the head, lapping in a circle as she tested the contour of the flared tip.

He plunged, taking her breath in one forceful thrust. He lodged in the back of her throat, and she swallowed to accept him. His hand tightened again in her hair, all softness gone.

He ed her mouth with rapid, hard strokes. For several long seconds, she didn’t breathe. She just felt. Absorbed. And then he tore himself away, and both their ragged breaths filled the room.

“Come here,” he rasped.

She got off the bed, her legs shaking. He yanked her to his chest and kissed her fiercely. Then he walked her back until she met the bed.

“Lay down.”

She sat first, her palms going down to brace her fall. Slowly she reclined until her head was pillowed in the tangle of sheets. He hooked her legs over his arms and pulled until her was aligned with the edge of the mattress. And then he let her down and stepped back.

Ian loomed over her, picking her legs up as Braden had done. He spread her wide and moved in, his brushing her . He let one leg go long enough to grasp his erection and position it at her entrance. Then he reclaimed her leg and surged forward.

She cried out. Standing as he was, leaning over her, he had more power in his thrusts. He was deep. So deep. For a long moment, he stood there, wedged tight, staring down at her with eyes that burned.

His fingers fluttered over her stitched cut, his gentleness in direct contradiction to every other action.

“Don’t let me hurt you,” he said in a low voice. “Take what we give you, but don’t let me go too far.”

She nodded.

“Promise me. I want you. I want to you long and hard, but I won’t hurt you.”

“I promise,” she whispered.

At that he closed his eyes, reared back and then slammed into her so fiercely that her entire body jerked. Her hands came up, grasping at air, needing, wanting something to hold on to, to anchor her as she spun out of control.

Braden caught her wrists and pulled until her arms were over her head. His face appeared over hers, and he kissed her, his lips upside down against hers.

“Do you have any idea how ***y you look all laid out beneath us, your body ours to do with as we please?”

He moved to the side, gathering her wrists together with one hand as he shifted his big body. With his free hand, he cupped and kneaded her .

“You like pain, but how much, Katie? You love it when I nip and bite, when I pinch and twist your s.”

She moaned softly, her entire body awash in soft euphoria. She shook again as Ian retreated and powered forward, his thighs slapping against the backs of her legs.

“Tell me,” Braden ordered. “Tell me what you want. I won’t give it to you until you do.”

“God,” she whispered. “Please, Braden. I need…”

“Tell me what you need.”

“Bite me,” she begged. “Hard. My s, my neck. Make it hurt.” She looked down at Ian. “Harder.”

“Oh hell yeah,” Ian said in a strained voice.

He rammed, hard and fast just as Braden’s teeth descended, a flash of white against her skin. They sank into her , and pleasure, white hot and piercing, exploded through her body. Her vision blurred, and her mouth opened in a soundless scream.

He alternated, roughly biting and sucking the taut peaks. The friction caused by Ian’s huge abrading the walls of her sent spears of heat and indescribable ecstasy shattering through her groin.

Hard, rough, hot. Ian slammed ruthlessly. Braden’s mouth slid like silk to her neck, and then sweet agony seared over her skin when he sank his teeth into the column just below her ear.

Her entire body bowed, her back arching off the mattress. She sailed in an endless freefall into a bottomless canyon. Her orgasm shattered, rained slivers of pleasure like the skies opening after a drought.

She had no knowledge, no thoughts except the softness of the mattress as she floated gently downward. Her throbbed around Ian’s as he continued to rock against her.

Braden knelt up and then leaned over her as he turned her head to the side. His bumped against her lips and he pressed inward until she opened and let him in. He thrust, arching up over her so that he had a dominant angle.

His hand left her head as he braced himself with his palms flat on the mattress. He was over her mouth, pumping, mimicking Ian’s movements between her legs.

The two men ed her ruthlessly, and she surrendered to the mindless euphoria that swept over her. Ian shuddered against her, thrust hard and then stilled, his legs shaking as he gripped her with bruising strength.

Braden slipped deep, bumping the back of her throat. She swallowed, holding him there with her tongue. He pulsed and then hot liquid filled her mouth. She swallowed rapidly and sucked as he thrust frantically, his balls slapping against her jaw.

He powered deep once more and held himself rigid as he finished emptying himself into her mouth. Then he carefully pulled away and rolled his body over her head to collapse onto the bed.

He touched her hair, caressing softly as he cradled her head against his chest.

She glanced down to see Ian’s eyes closed in agony as he leaned into her. When he opened them, his expression was one of complete satisfaction. He leaned to brush his lips across her belly and then stepped back, slipping from her still trembling .

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His hands slid over her and underneath to pat her affectionately before he walked over to dispose of the condom. Braden reached down and urged her to cuddle into him, and she turned readily, aligning her back to his chest.

Ian returned to the bed and slid his knee onto the mattress as he climbed toward Katie. His eyes were intent as he settled on his side to face her. Braden’s hand glided lazily back and forth over her hip, and he kissed the curve of her shoulder.

Ian put a palm to her cheek and hesitated a moment before leaning in to capture her lips in a kiss so tender that she couldn’t reconcile his actions with the animalistic way he’d possessed her.

“No, you didn’t hurt me,” she said before he could voice the concern she could see shining brightly in his eyes.

“Good,” he said huskily. “Because I sure as hell want to do that again.”

Braden’s teeth sank into her shoulder, sending a shiver cascading down her spine. She closed her eyes and moaned.

“Hell,” Ian muttered. “Give me a minute to recover before you make those kinds of sounds.”

She snuggled a little closer to Braden even as her hands went out, seeking Ian’s body. “Give me an hour and we’ll do it again,” she said as a huge, contented yawn split her lips.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Katie came awake as her legs were spread and one long finger rimmed her anus. Her eyes widened as she processed that she was flat on her belly, her splayed open to seeking fingers.

Cool gel contrasted with the spark of heat and edge of pain when another finger pushed bluntly at the tight ring.

“Don’t tense,” Braden murmured next to her ear.

She turned her head to see him lying beside her, which meant Ian’s fingers were the ones inside her.

“Relax, let him in.”

“How is your stomach?” Ian asked from behind her.

“What stomach?” she asked as she tried to squeeze breath into her lungs.

Braden chuckled. And then his hand smoothed over her back, warm and sensual.

“We’re going to your , Katie. Did Paulo ever do that?”

Slowly she nodded.

“And did you enjoy it?”

She nodded again.

“We won’t be gentle,” he said silkily. “It’ll probably hurt.”

Her shoulders shook as a spasm overtook her. She had to close her eyes and breathe deep through her nose.

Ian pressed a third finger, stretching her until her twitched in pain.

“And you’ll lay here helpless while we your ,” Braden continued. “First Ian. Then me.”

She whimpered as Ian worked his fingers back and forth.

“How much hurt can you take, Katie? How rough do you want it?” Ian growled.

“Hard,” she whispered. “I want it hard.”

Both men sucked in their breath.

Braden yanked her arms above her head and quickly tied them to the headboard. She jerked her head up in surprise, blinking when she saw her wrists bound. She couldn’t be in a more helpless position. On her belly, unable to move.

Braden left her side and disappeared from her vision. Hands gripped her ankles and spread her wider. Oh God.

The heat of a body, male flesh, covered her back. A huge , blunt and pressing, striving to gain entry into her body. There was no easing, no gentle wooing. He thrust forward, opening her wide.

She screamed hoarsely, her head rearing back as her entire caught fire. Pain. Wonderful, excruciating pleasure. Oh God, it hurt. She’d never felt anything more exquisite.

She panted and curled her fingers into her palms, tugging at the bindings around her wrist.

Ian didn’t give her any time to recover. He planted his hands on either side of her waist and pulled back before slamming his against her again.

Her vision blurred. The headboard swam in front of her and she squeezed her eyes shut to try and prolong the sensation, the burn. She grabbed it and held on, not wanting to let go, fearing the sharp edge would subside as her body stretched to accommodate Ian’s size.

He withdrew, easing out as her body clutched greedily at him. She released him with a small sigh. He paused just a moment before ruthlessly opening her again.

“Yes, oh God, yes,” she panted.

He hunched down over her and began riding her, his undulating and slapping against her over and over. Braden’s hand tangled in her hair, pulling her sharply back until her gaze found his.

His eyes glittered with lust as he watched her, as he forced her to watch him. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her, his teeth sinking into her lip. She bit him back, taking him every bit as hard as he took her. Their kiss was no loving meeting of mouths. It was a battle, fierce and ungiving.

“I’m next, Katie,” he breathed against her mouth. “I won’t be as gentle.”

She closed her eyes and moaned. Anticipation flickered like flame to dry wood. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she taunted in a hoarse voice.

He yanked her head back and stared at her with glittering eyes. “You’ll beg for mercy.”

“I don’t beg.”

And the challenge was laid.

He let go of her head, and she slumped forward as Ian slammed into her again. Her orgasm lurked, building, each burst of pain and raw pleasure sending her ever closer. But she wouldn’t go. Not without the right stimulation. And it was killing her. She couldn’t last like this, and they both damn well knew it.

Ian leaned down, his body covering hers, his weight blanketing her. His teeth sank into her shoulder as his body trembled with his release. She writhed, needing her own release, but Braden merely laughed softly as he left her side.

Just as she squirmed in protest of Ian’s weight pressing her wound into the bed, he propped himself up with his hands and eased out of her body.

She moaned and lay there limply, trying to collect herself, to steel herself for Braden’s ault. She was a fool to think she could. He was on her, fast and furious, his hands spreading her as his found its target.

No, he wasn’t as gentle as Ian, and Ian hadn’t been a bit easy. Braden ripped into her and never gave her a moment to react. He knew what she needed, maybe even better than she did. He knew she wanted even more than she thought she could take.

His thumbs spread her cheeks impossibly wide and with each thrust, he pulled completely out only to ram inside again. It was torture. She dangled so precariously close to her orgasm, but something held her back. If they would only touch her. Her s, her , anything.

Back and forth, he opened her, then pulled away. Opened her again. Retreated and held her open before tucking his back and sliding inward.

She jerked at her bonds, needing to be free. If only she could touch herself.

And then suddenly her hands fell. Ian had untied her. Braden yanked out of her body and flipped her over. She spread her legs wide, arching upward, seeking what, she wasn’t sure.

“Please,” she whispered, and then she remembered saying she never begged and that she’d done just that minutes ago. Her lips clamped shut, refusing to let another word pass. But they’d heard her.

Ian leaned down and sucked a into his mouth just as Braden parted her folds and thumbed her . She went crazy. Her release billowed up, and she screamed then screamed again.

Braden lifted her, bent her legs back and thrust into her again. The final edge of pain sent her spiraling into a black void. Shadows overwhelmed her vision. Freedom from the unbearable pressure that had built as the two men ed her mercilessly.

As Braden jerked and trembled against her in his release, she floated free. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she reached for sweet oblivion. She felt so good. Wrapped in tendrils of pleasure.

She barely registered Braden pulling free of her body or the two men carefully tending to her. Fingers brushed over her wound, light and seeking. Then lips kissed a line across her stitches.

Ian gathered her in his arms, laying her head against his shoulder. His hands stroked and caressed her body as she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

“That was incredible,” she murmured.

“I take it we didn’t go too far,” Ian said into her hair.

She shook her head. “Perfect. You were perfect.”

His hand smoothed over her tingling , and she moaned all over again.

“Where’s Braden?” she said, her voice muffled by Ian’s chest.

Ian kissed the top of her head. “He’s coming. Getting cleaned up.”

“Going to sleep for a while,” she said groggily.

The heat from Ian’s body enveloped her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and dove into the comforting veil of sleep.

Chapter Thirty

Damiano stared out at the rugged outline of the snow-capped mountains. There was no glass to block the chill. Just a simple cut-out with a crude flap that could be drawn down to prevent a draft. This place that Marcus had brought him to was stark and beautiful, but the accommodations were lean.

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The floors were made up of packed dirt, made smooth by repeated footsteps. Just a makeshift hut erected on the ground. Sturdier than a tent but nothing that would withstand a strong storm.

Surely they had them at this elevation. The snows would come in but a few weeks.

Fatigued from the journey, from the weight of his worry, he pulled clumsily at the flap and turned away to the pallet on the floor. Remnants of the sedative still traveled sluggishly through his veins and tugged at him, calling him to rest.

He might need more. What if he woke on the fringe of a shift? Marcus hadn’t seemed worried. He said they waited for Nali. Whoever that was.

Damiano lay down on his back and stared at the poorly constructed roof. How had this place lasted as long as it had? It wouldn’t surprise him if the ceiling fell in on him during the night. Or was it day? It was a testament to his state of mind that he had no idea if it was morning or evening. He only knew he wanted to close his eyes for a while and forget all that he’d become.

He drifted tiredly toward sleep. But in the shadows he saw the tiger. He saw Ty and himself as children on the streets of Prague as they looked in sympathy at the caged predator.

“We should free him,” Damiano said fiercely.

Ty looked at him with big, worried eyes. She twisted thin fingers nervously in front of her. “It’s dangerous.”

He hugged her to his side in an effort to reassure her. “He is like us, Ty. He wants to be free. The orphanage was our cage.”

The rich gold and amber eyes stared at them from behind the bars of the too-small cage. They called to Damiano in a way he didn’t quite understand. He only knew that somehow he and the tiger were connected.

He walked forward, and the tiger’s keeper immediately issued a sharp reprimand to stay away.

“He eats children like you!” the man jeered.

Damiano scowled. “I wish he would eat you,” he muttered.

“Let’s go, D,” Tyana whispered urgently. “We don’t want to be caught. I don’t want to go back to the orphanage.”

Reluctantly, Damiano turned away and took Ty’s hand in his. But to the tiger, he silently promised that he would return.

He turned restlessly on the pallet, the fingers of sleep pulling him deeper into the twisted myriad of his dreams. He saw himself standing on the street in the black of night, only he was alone. Where was Tyana? The streets were completely deserted, and when he looked again at the cage, the tiger was gone.

This wasn’t how it happened. He’d freed the tiger. With Tyana’s help. He turned, his bare feet scraping against the jagged cobblestone, and there it was.

Standing a few feet away, the tiger stared thoughtfully at him. Damiano froze, afraid to move, afraid to breathe. And then they were no longer standing on the streets of Prague. Damiano was on the island, in the game room, watching helplessly as Tyana fought for her life against the tiger. Why had he attacked her?

He tried to lunge forward as the tiger ripped the crutch from Tyana’s hands, but he was frozen, paralyzed. Never before had he felt so utterly helpless.

And then it was just him and the tiger, face to face in the rugged Nepalese mountains. Damiano stood before him, his hands at his sides, his palms facing forward. An eagle swooped down behind the tiger and landed on a tree branch a short distance away. From behind rock outcroppings, more animals appeared. He knew them. They were all the animals he fought so desperately when the shift came over him.

“You are one of us,” the tiger said, startling Damiano. “Why do you fight us so?”

“Our brother,” the eagle cried.

“No,” Damiano whispered. “I’m just a man.”

The tiger tossed his head. “You are flesh, but your spirit cannot be confined to your human form. Free yourself as you have freed me.”

Damiano shook his head. Sweat beaded his forehead as he struggled with invisible bonds.

“Damiano. Damiano! Wake up.”

He heard Marcus’s voice from a distance. He stared back at the embled animals. One by one, they disappeared until only the eagle and the tiger remained. Then the eagle took flight, circled once overheard and disappeared into the clouds.

Embrace us.

Damiano’s eyes flew open as his body jerked to awareness. Marcus knelt over him, his brow creased with concern.

“Are you all right? Do you need another injection?”

“No,” he croaked.

Slowly he sat up with Marcus’s istance.

“What happened, D?”

Damiano shook his head. The images so vivid before now blurred into a mass of confusion.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “God, I don’t know.”

Marcus put his hand on Damiano’s shoulder and squeezed. “You’re going to be okay. We’re going to beat this. You have to believe that.”

He looked up into Marcus’s eyes, and for the first time let all the doubts and fears flood him. Before he’d kept a positive attitude, more for Ty than for himself. But she wasn’t here. He was alone, and there was no reason to keep living a lie.

“I’m not okay, Marcus. I’ll never be okay. What are we trying to do here? How is any of this going to change what I’ve become? Am I looking at spending the rest of my life anticipating the next time someone sticks a needle in my arm? Will I have to forever separate myself from the people I love for fear that I might kill them?”

Marcus blew out his breath and let his hand fall from Damiano’s shoulder. “You can beat this, D. I believe that, and you have to believe it or you’re going to lose. That’s all I can offer you. Tyana believes in you and so do your brothers. Don’t let them down by giving up. Don’t let yourself down.”

Damiano reached for Marcus’s hand and grasped it tightly. “I don’t know that I’ve ever thanked you for everything you’ve done for me and Ty.”

“Falcon saved me,” he said simply. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to repay that debt.”

Damiano shook his head. “You’re family now. There are no debts among family.”

A sound outside the small room had Marcus turning his head. He got awkwardly to his feet and extended a hand down to Damiano. “That’ll be Nali. Come, and I’ll introduce you.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Her stomach growled, and she remembered breakfast had been forgotten. And now it was well past lunch as well. Katie got out of bed and hurriedly dressed. When she stuck her head into the living room, she found it empty.

Distant noise from the kitchen told her where they were, and she headed in that direction. She rounded the corner and found both men in the process of making lunch.

“Hey, there she is,” Braden said when he looked up. “We wondered if you’d slipped into a coma.”

She grinned and leaned against the cabinets close to the stove.

Ian walked over to her and pressed inward, crowding her with his big body. He bent to kiss her. “You okay?” he asked, his eyes bright with concern.

She reached up to touch his face, her fingers trailing down the slight stubble at his jaw. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been better.”

“I’m glad,” he said simply.

“Have a seat,” Braden called. “I’m about to dish it up.”

Ian kissed her quickly again before backing away so she could go to the table. Braden’s gaze followed her as she slid into her seat, and she smiled up at him, allowing the full force of her contentment to shine through. A dimpled grin was her reward as he ambled over, skillet in hand to scoop out her omelet onto her plate.

Not to be outdone by his older brother, evidently, he cupped her chin with his free hand and gave her a lingering kiss. She savored it, his taste and the heated feel of his lips over hers. It was a possessive kiss, one meant to remind her of his ownership of her body.

As much as she should have balked at such a notion, she couldn’t help but enjoy a delicious shiver.

“You’re ours, Katie,” he murmured as he released her mouth. “Whatever you’re thinking or feeling, you remember that fact.”

A flutter started deep in her stomach. She loved that they were so possessive, and she loved it even more that they didn’t treat her like a piece of glass. *** with them had been volatile. Edgy and rough. They’d treated her like an equal.

Braden returned to the stove while Katie dug into her food. Moments later, both men joined her with their own plates.

“How is your wound?” Ian asked between bites.

Both were looking at her like they’d prefer to have her for lunch. Her cheeks went warm, and a flush worked over her body at the blatant sensuality in their stares.

“It’s fine,” she said. It was a lie. It ached like a bitch, but there was no way in hell she was telling them that. Not when the promise of more really scorching *** reflected in their emerald stares.

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“I’ll have a look at it after you finish eating,” Ian said in a tone that suggested he’d be looking at a whole lot more.

She slid the last bite over her tongue, letting the tines linger at the tip. The bitch of it was, she could really get used to being taken care of by these two men. As much as Gabe had taught her never to rely on anyone but herself, surrendering her wellbeing to Ian and Braden was so potently tempting that she’d begun to fantasize about it in her waking hours.

And that sort of fanciful mess was what had gotten her into trouble with Paulo and Ricardo. Because at the heart of her abrasive, bitch-on-wheels attitude was a woman who wanted to be loved and cared for. Apparently she was like every other woman out there, and quite frankly, it pissed her off that she couldn’t be smarter than that.

“Don’t you know that *** should never be analyzed, only enjoyed?” Braden drawled.

She jerked her gaze to him to find him watching her, analyzing her. Then she smiled ruefully. “Busted.”

“I love an honest woman,” he said with a grin.

“I don’t like an overly analytical one,” Ian said in amusement. “Kind of takes the fun out of really good ***.”

“Make you a deal. You don’t analyze me and I won’t analyze ***,” she said evenly.

“Deal,” Braden said. “I think we should shake on it in the bedroom.”

She stood and pushed back her plate. Resting her palms on the table, she leaned forward, letting her gaze slide suggestively over the two men. “Last one there is a rotten egg.”

She turned away, even as the scrape of chair legs over the wood floor echoed across the room. With a laugh, she bolted into a run only to be overtaken in two steps.

Oh, she loved it that they weren’t all careful and cautious with her. Ian yanked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She looked up to see Braden following, his hands unfastening his jeans with every step.

She landed on the bed with a thump, her back meeting the still-tangled covers from earlier. Both men loomed over her in various degrees of undress.

“How rough do you want it?” Ian rasped as he pulled at his shirt.

“As rough as you can make it.”

Braden crawled onto the bed, his erection heavy and swaying between his legs as he made his way up her body. “We like it rough, Katie. Not some fake, half-ass crap. Be damn sure you know what you’re in for.”

“Haven’t we had this conversation already?” she asked in exasperation.

In response, he yanked her pants down, mounted her and stroked deep. Her breath caught in her throat. She tried to move her legs, but her pants were bunched around her ankles. God, she was full, stretched so tight around him that every nerve ending in her pulsed and vibrated around his thick .

Ian pulled at her pants and underwear, tossing them aside as her legs came free. Braden tugged at her shirt, impatient as her s bobbed into view. Still embedded deep, he lowered his head and nipped sharply at the puckered tips of her s.

Then he reared back, nearly sliding free before ramming forward again. She groaned, part in pain, part in delicious ecstasy.

“Hurt?” he asked with a grin.

“Yes,” she whimpered.

“Good,” he said as he captured her mouth.

Then he wrenched free and climbed upward, positioning his knees on either side of her s. His touched her chin, and he reached behind her head to grasp her hair.

His fingers tightened painfully as he yanked her forward to meet his thrust. “Suck me,” he said. “Open that pretty mouth and take me deep.”

Just as he thrust, hitting the soft tissues at the back of her throat, her legs were spread wide again and Ian mounted her. Both men rode her body, rocking back and forth, their s penetrating with ease.

They weren’t easy. They weren’t gentle. They took. She didn’t offer her surrender, they demanded it.

Braden’s fingers relaxed and gentled in her hair as he leaned forward and held himself for a long moment. She opened, accepting, trusting that he wouldn’t stay too long, cutting off her air supply.

“Open wide,” he said in a strained voice. “Just open and let me your mouth, baby. I want all of it.”

She tilted her head back as much as his grip would allow and relaxed, letting him take control. He arched over her, positioning himself above so that he had leverage and power.

And then he started ing her without mercy. Relentless. Ian paused, deep in her , and she knew he watched as Braden brutally ed her mouth.

Her body hummed in response to the erotic position, her underneath him, so submissive, so powerless. Her s swelled and her tightened around Ian’s . She wanted him to move so badly. She’d come with the slightest touch. But he held still as Braden owned her mouth.

Then his hand came down and he slipped free of her lips. “Keep it open,” he rasped. He jerked frantically at his , the tip bouncing off her tongue.

Hot liquid surged, splattering across her lips. Then he sank deep as more come, hot and salty, flooded her mouth. He arched his , ing her with ease as he forced his creamy release past her tongue and into her throat.

“Oh, yeah,” he breathed. “Taste it. Take it all.”

As he slowed, he continued long, slow strokes, dragging his over her tongue. “Lick it,” he whispered. “Clean it off me, baby.”

She sucked at his length, tasting the tangy drops as she licked them from his skin. She took him all, his balls resting softly against her chin as he held himself there for a long moment. Then he withdrew and rolled away, leaving her panting for breath—and want. She was so close and she needed release.

She found herself staring back at Ian who was still lodged in her . His eyes glittered with savage intensity, enough that she realized whatever Braden had just done to her was going to pale in comparison.

“Be sure this is what you want,” he said in a voice that sent shivers cascading over her entire body. Before, Braden had always been the one she feared while Ian was the one she drew comfort from, the one more likely to take care of her and worry over hurting her.

She swallowed nervously, but she was excited. God, she was so excited. She was going to orgasm just from the thought of what he’d do.

He pulled out of her and got off the bed to stand at the foot. He studied her with hard eyes. Goose bumps puckered and spilled over her. She swallowed again.

“Come here,” he ordered.

Without thought, she obeyed, coming to her knees and crawling to the end of the bed.

“Clean me,” he said. “Taste yourself and lick me clean.”

She allowed him to cup her head and guide himself into her mouth. Her taste exploded on her tongue, creamy and slightly sweet. Not as tangy as Braden had tasted.

For a moment she sucked and licked as he thrust forcefully into her throat. Then he pulled away and gripped her shoulders.

“Turn around,” he ordered.

She complied, her knees shaking as they dug into the mattress. He gathered her hands in his and tugged until they were behind her back, resting just above her . Then he pulled upward, linking his fingers with hers just as he rammed into her , forcing her forward.

Braden was there to catch her. He placed his body in front of hers, blocking her so that she didn’t fall to the mattress. He was semi-hard, and he wasted no time fitting himself to her mouth again.

****ed from both ends. Two huge s dove deep into her body, stretching her mouth and her . Ian held her arms tightly behind her as his slapped against her . He yanked out of her, his body quivering as he sucked in deep breaths. “I want her ,” he demanded over her head to Braden.

Braden slipped from her mouth and got off the bed. In the distance, she heard the crackle of wrappers. Braden crawled back onto the bed, lying flat on his back.

“Ride me, Katie.”

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She climbed over Braden’s legs and eagerly sheathed herself on his latex-covered . They both groaned as she sank down. It was too much. He was too big. God, he felt good.

Firm hands gripped her then slid over her , impatiently spreading the globes. Ian’s huge prodded her back entrance, and she gasped as he tucked himself against her. There was no lubrication this time. Her body tightened in anticipation even as she braced herself for the pain. Oh God, the imminent pleasure.

She started shuddering as the first waves of her orgasm rolled over her, and he hadn’t even gotten inside yet.

“Slow down, baby,” Ian murmured in her ear. “Make it last.”

She took several steadying breaths as she fought the breaking wave. Her body heaved, and Braden stilled for a moment as he let her come down slightly.

Then Ian’s hand twisted tightly in her hair, and without warning, he thrust past the tight ring of her anus, seating himself deep in her bowels.

She screamed as her body bowed forward, and the orgasm she’d so desperately fought exploded with the force of an atomic bomb. Braden surged. Both men were buried so deep in the most sensitive parts of her body.

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She sobbed desperately, begging them to stop, not to stop, to move, to her, to hurt her. She writhed uncontrollably, her body on fire as they slammed in unison.

Braden reached up and twisted her s, plucking the stiff tips with enough pressure to cause a wave of pain and exquisite, numbing pleasure to throb through her veins.

Instead of subsiding, instead of the orgasm breaking sharp and gradually lessening, the men drove her higher. The sensation of both their s, rubbing against the thin separation between her and anus, stroking and ing with no mercy, merely sent her higher, the pleasure sharper, the pain wonderfully excruciating.

Her only regret was that they both wore condoms, and she wanted to feel their release, wanted their come deep and hot in her body.

As if reading her mind, Ian pulled out, and suddenly come splattered her back and . He’d torn off the condom and come on her body.

With a moan, she looked down at Braden. “You too,” she whispered. “All over me. Please.”

Braden surged up, holding her against him. They slid from the bed until her feet hit the floor.

“On your knees,” he ordered.

She fell to her knees as he yanked at the condom and tossed it across the room. No sooner was it off than he grabbed clumsily at her jaw, squeezing it in his hand and then plunging deep into her mouth with his .

For several long seconds, he thrust fiercely and then he pulled out. The first rope of come landed across her cheek. She closed her eyes as more coated her s and then her lips.

The tip brushed over her mouth, pushing incessantly until she opened and he slid back in. He thrust forward, rocking up on his heels, burying himself and then stilling as the last of his release quivered over her tongue.

She knelt there, sucking in air through flared nostrils. Come coated her front and back. She felt exotic, beautiful and desirable. She felt powerful in a way she’d never experienced. Not even with Paulo in the early days. Utterly feminine. Wanted.

As Braden eased from her mouth, she turned her gaze upward. Ian moved into view, his heavy dangling. She reached out to touch him and then Braden, cupping them both in her palms. Ian moved forward, giving her easier access, and she had both men in front of her.

Gently she stroked, loving the softness over the turgid steel of their shafts. Her fingers traveled up to fondle their balls. She loved the supple give, the silky, pliable pouch that responded to her every touch.

“We want to taste you now,” Braden said in a husky voice. “Every inch.”

She took her hands from their s and slowly cupped her palms over the wetness that streaked her body.

Their eyes followed her every movement. Their s came to life at the erotic sight of her rubbing their thick cream into her skin.

She cupped her s and circled her s then coated the tips until they shone.

Ian groaned and lifted her up.

“Shower?” she asked innocently. “As much as I want you to lick every part of me, I doubt you’re interested in tasting your come.”

Braden laughed. “You got that right, sister. It’s fun to play with, but I draw the line at consumption.”

“Who gets to bathe me? I feel rather weak. I’m not sure I can stand in the shower.”

“Manipulative heifer,” Ian muttered, but he grinned the entire time. “Come on, we’ll all rinse off, and then I plan to give you a bath of a completely different kind.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Katie got out of the shower shivering, but not for long. She was enveloped by two male bodies, warm and comforting. They sandwiched her between them as they dried her hair and rubbed the dampness from her skin.

“I’ll go build up the fire,” Braden said as he slipped out of the bathroom.

Ian tucked his hands over her bare shoulders and pulled her into a leisurely kiss. It lacked the urgency of their earlier lovemaking. It was unhurried, sensual, sweet where before there had been so much roughness.

Gentle fingers tucked damp strands of her hair behind her ears then stroked over her cheekbone. This man was a study in contrast. That he could be so bone-meltingly gentle after being so hard, so relentless—it was enough to make her go weak in the knees. She didn’t know how to handle this softer side of him.

“I know you hurt,” he murmured as his hand brushed ever so lightly across her stitches. “We’re going to go in the living room, you’re going to take something for it, and Braden and I are going to give you so much pleasure that you’ll forget all about the pain.”

“Oh…” she said on a soft intake of breath. There was nothing else to say.

“Come here.” He bent down and tucked an arm underneath her knees then hoisted her up against his chest.

He walked into the living room where Braden was still tending the fire. He’d added logs until it burned briskly, the flames leaping upward.

Ian laid her on the couch, and Braden came over to stand next to her head. Neither made an effort to disguise their arousal, nor did they seem abashed to be standing in the nude. They could have been completely clothed for all the attention they gave it. No, their attention was focused solely on her.

“I’ll be back,” Ian said.

First he returned with a glass of water and some of the pain medication Marcus had left for her. After he made sure she’d downed it, he turned and left the room again.

She watched in confusion as he left only to come back a moment later with several blankets and pillows. He positioned them on the floor in front of the fire, making a comfortable pallet. Then Braden bent and lifted her from the couch.

He carried her over and settled her among the blankets. The warmth from the fire skittered over her skin and seeped into her bones. It felt wonderful.

She settled against a pillow with a sigh of contentment. When she looked up, two , hugely aroused men stood over her.

Ian moved first, kneeling at her feet. Braden positioned himself beside her and cupped a hand to her .

Without a word, Ian carefully spread her legs, bending her knees just slightly so that she was comfortable. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to her ankle just as Braden’s mouth closed around one .

She moaned soft and low as warm pleasure shot through her body. Ian took his time, kissing a line up her leg, paying careful attention to all her sensitive spots. The inside of her knee, the back of her knee. Then he spread her thighs and lapped softly at the inside of her leg, just inches from her .

She arched involuntarily as he licked and nibbled, keeping just far enough from her to drive her crazy. He pressed his tongue to her skin, starting at her knee and sliding it upward, leaving a damp trail all the way to the soft folds of her mound.

Braden circled each , showering her with kisses and soft licks. Never once did he bite down or even suck too hard. He regarded her so tenderly that it brought tears to her eyes, and then she blinked furiously, dismayed at the welling emotion.

And then he moved to her mouth, kissing her with reverence. Sweetly, so sweetly, like the kiss of a first lover. He licked the moisture from her cheek that she’d willed not to leak down, and then he kissed both her eyes, fluttering the softest of lips over her lids.

What were they doing? And why?

Ian parted the plump folds of her and pressed his tongue to her quivering entrance. He licked upward with one long swipe, ending over the sensitive bundle of nerves tucked under the hooded flesh.

Her came off the floor. Her fingers curled into tight fists at her sides. And still he continued, lapping, licking, sucking and probing with his tongue. He hadn’t lied when he said he was going to taste every inch of her. There wasn’t a part of her lower body he hadn’t covered with his tongue, and Braden was doing his damndest to cover the top.

As Braden swirled around each again, Ian mimicked his brother’s actions around her .

“Oh!” she cried.

“That’s it, sweetheart, let it go,” Braden softly encouraged. “Don’t fight it.”

She closed her eyes tight and arched into both men, wanting more of their intoxicating sweetness. Light. So light. Like a feather stirring in the wind. Each lick sent her higher until finally her entire body tightened and clenched. Then, deafening still. She shattered, her body going slack.

The ceiling blurred above her. Tears swam in her eyes, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she was crying. But weep she did. At first it was light. Silver tears trickled down her cheeks. But then those quiet tears gave way to noisy, messy sobs. Her shoulders shook with abandon.

Strong arms gathered her close. Two men, holding her between them as they petted and caressed her. Murmured words against her hair, soft and understanding. But she didn’t understand. How could they?

So much had been released, let go. For so long she’d held it all in, and now it flooded out, a broken dam that had no hope of being repaired.

Braden held her to his chest, rocking back and forth as he kissed her hair. Ian’s hands were at her back, rolling over her shoulders, his lips pressing to her spine and upward to her nape.