by Shayla Black
“Absolutely. And third, we’re big boys…which I hope we proved more than adequately for the second time.” Beck winked, gratified to see a pink flush steal up her cheeks. “If we get hurt, it’s because we allowed ourselves to. That’s not your responsibility.”
“I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you.”
If that was one of Heavenly’s biggest hesitations, she cared for them even more than she realized.
“What about this? You come back with us until the semester ends. It’s less than two months.” Seth traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “While you deal with school, we can shower you with love and happiness and all the other good stuff in life. Then, once your grades are final…you can make up your mind. What do you say?”
She hesitated a long moment. “Maybe. There would have to be some ground rules.”
It wasn’t the enthusiastic hell yes Beck had been hoping for, but it wasn’t a no.
“Lay them on us,” Seth insisted.
“First, you have to release me.” She tugged on her bindings again. “My shoulders are starting to ache.”
Instantly, he and Seth yanked the quick-release lines and freed her.
Heavenly rolled her shoulders in relief as Seth eased her off his body and set her beside him. “I know this relationship might not last—”
“Unless you walk away, it will.” Seth ditched his condom in the trash before returning to sprawl on the bed next to her.
“Forever,” Beck added.
A frown flickered across her face. Because she didn’t believe them? Time would prove her wrong.
“School has to be my top priority.”
“Of course. You good with that?” Beck turned to Seth.
“Totally.”
“I’ll need time to study.”
“You will. And I’ll be happy to help,” Beck offered. “Anytime. You’ll also have the condo to yourself, so it should be quiet.”
“I’d be living there alone?”
Her startled question gave Beck pause. “You don’t want that?”
“When I thought I was staying there by myself for a few days while Dad got better, that was fine. I mean, the condo is beautiful, but…”
“You’ve never been on your own,” Seth finished for her.
She shook her head. “It will feel empty without you two.”
That shouldn’t surprise Beck. She hadn’t even wanted to sleep by herself the first night she’d stayed there.
“How about we move into my place together? We’ll consider it a trial period to see if we can successfully cohabitate. The condo is too small for all of us.”
“Works for me,” Seth said. “I won’t miss my shitty apartment.”
Heavenly only hesitated for a moment. “Okay.”
Had she really just agreed to come home and move in with them?
“That’s a yes?” Beck clarified.
She nodded. “Until the semester ends, yes.”
He snapped his stare over to Seth, who looked equally stunned—and ready to celebrate. Sure, the arrangement was temporary, but it gave them time to convince her she belonged with them for good. In his head, Beck started ordering monogrammed towels and a bigger bed. The PI looked like he was mentally tying her to it.
“You can reserve the condo as your woman cave for those times you need a break from all of our flexing, muscular man flesh.” Beck winked.
She giggled. “I have no doubt I’ll need a place where I can escape you two and the pleasure you seem incredibly capable of distracting me with.”
“I’m sure we’re a hardship,” Seth drawled.
“What else?” Beck lounged across the foot of the bed, totally at ease now. Her other demands couldn’t possibly overshadow the victory he and Seth had just scored.
She settled back on the mattress, bent her legs against her chest, and wrapped her arms around herself. Beck tried not to be distracted by the excellent view of her still-swollen pussy she was unconsciously flashing him.
Heavenly paused, cocking her head like she had something on her mind. “I’m not sure how to ask this…”
“Just say it.”
She perched her chin on her knees, her lashes fanning across her cheeks, her hair spilling around her. “Whatever goes on at Hammer’s club? I want to know.”
Holy shit. His heart revved. His cock jerked. His mind was beyond blown. Of all the things she might have said, he’d never expected that.
This night just kept getting better.
“You want us to tell you?” Seth quizzed silkily.
Fuck talking. “Or you want us to show you?”
“M-maybe both.”
The triumph on Seth’s face mirrored his own. Oh, they could show her plenty—open her mind and satisfy her submissive desires. But their little girl would never be interested in their respective kinks. They’d need to keep those tucked away.
“We’ll indulge whatever curiosity you have,” Beck promised.
Seth wasn’t that smooth. “Hell, all of them. Let’s start now. We’ll open that bottle of wine so we can drink it off you.”
As the big guy began dragging her down for a kiss, Beck grabbed the tiebacks again and reached for her ankles.
“Wait! I’m not done. One last thing.” She thrust out her hands to stay them, looking decidedly nervous. “You have to promise me… If I don’t want to stay when school is done, you’ll let me go for good.”
He bit back a growl. Heavenly was both smart and cautious. Of course she would give herself an escape clause. Beck had to believe that once he and Seth got her back to LA and under their roof, they would drown her in so much toe-curling bliss and unconditional love, she’d never want to leave. But she was looking for a guarantee.
“Fine. If you decide we’re not what you want, you’re free to go. We’ll even help you.” Beck reached for the notepad emblazoned with the inn’s logo on the front and jotted his assurances on paper, signed it, and passed it to Seth.
The big guy scanned it and scowled. “Fuck.”
“You know I’m right,” Beck challenged. Heavenly would only truly give them a chance if she felt like she had options.
“Yeah.” Despite his grumbling, Seth signed it, too, then shoved it back in his face.
“What is that?” Heavenly craned her head to see the note.
Beck ripped it off the pad and handed her the slip of paper. “We’re giving you a safety net. This says that if you want to leave at the end of the semester, we’ll hand you a plane ticket to anywhere and fifty grand. But only after you talk to us. No more running off without a goddamn word.”
She gasped. “Oh, my gosh. That’s so generous. I don’t know what to say…”
“Do we have an agreement?”
“Yes.”
“We have to decide the future together,” Seth growled. “Even if that’s apart. Your disappearance gutted us.”
Note in hand, she launched herself against the big guy. “I’m sorry. You may not believe me, but leaving you hurt me, too.”
Seth curled his arms around her and held her tight. Beck braced her from behind, dropping a kiss on her head.
It would be easy to linger here like this, but their negotiation wasn’t over.
Beck forced himself to pull away. “Now that we’ve agreed to your terms, we have some of our own.”
She whirled his way. “You do?”
“Why are you surprised? This is a two-way street. Well, three-way,” Seth put in. “But we all have to agree on everything we discuss today if we have any chance of making this work.”
“What do you want?”
“First,” Beck began. “No more objections about how much we spend on you or how we decide to pamper you. If we didn’t want to or couldn’t afford it, we wouldn’t. Agreed?”
“It makes me feel guilty.” When they both opened their mouths to object, she held up her hands. “But I’ll try not to say anything else.”
“Good. Second, as long as we’re living together, we’re e
xclusive—all three of us.”
She seemed taken aback. “Of course. I never imagined anything else.”
“Really?” Seth raised a brow. “What about River?”
“I was never interested in him.”
“You offered him your virginity,” Beck reminded through clenched teeth.
“Not because I wanted him.”
“We don’t care why. You won’t be propositioning any man for any reason. And when they hit on you”—he raised a brow—“you can be perfectly polite, but your answer is always no. And if any man persists, you tell us. No excuses. No thinking you’ll handle it yourself. Is that clear?”
He and Seth would take care of any tenacious bastard who wouldn’t leave their girl alone. Maybe not with the same gusto as her landlord, but he’d definitely be dealt with.
“All right.”
“Third, don’t forget you promised to communicate. If you don’t tell us how you feel, what you want, and how this can work better for you, we’re doomed to fail.”
“I’ll do my best. But I kept so much to myself for so long because I couldn’t tell Dad. He’d always want to lend a hand and he couldn’t. That would only upset him more. So it’s a habit to deal with my problems alone.”
“We’ll help you break it.”
Seth nodded. “Your problems are our problems. We won’t waste time getting upset and we won’t shy away. We’ll just work together to solve them.”
She gave them a wavering nod as if she saw their point but… “As long as you understand it might take me a while to switch gears.”
Seth smiled. “We have ways of helping you remember, angel.”
That gave Heavenly pause. “Like what?”
“Let’s just say that if you thought waiting to come tonight was torture, you don’t want to find out.”
She blushed furiously. “You’d intentionally make me go without to prove a point?”
Beck laughed long and loud. “In a heartbeat.”
“Every single time you don’t live up to your promises.”
“Those evil grins make me think you’ll enjoy tormenting me.”
“We will.” Seth put out his fist.
Beck bumped it. “Damn right.”
She swallowed, her mouth turning down in a worried frown. “You two are twisted.”
Seth’s grin widened. “Angel, you have no idea…”
She blushed and cast her stare down to her knees. “Is that it? I’ll come back to LA with you and we’ll stay together until the semester ends—”
“Not quite.” Seth suddenly turned deadly serious. “I only have one demand, but it’s unconditional.”
Beck turned to the other man with a scowl. If Heavenly didn’t agree, he would just bail?
“I’m listening,” she said softly, as if she heard the gravity in his words, too.
“You have to let me protect you, angel. It’s in my blood. It’s what I do. I need to know you’re safe. Every day. All the time. You have to let me do it my way, no questions.”
Beck stared at Seth. Where the fuck was this coming from? Sure, he wanted her safe, too. When Heavenly had wanted to traipse across the country without them, he’d been all for the tracking device. The man could obviously protect her, if the way he’d knocked Pike unconscious with one punch was any indication. But they couldn’t put her in a gilded cage and expect that she could keep her promise to Abel to fly free.
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I have to track your phone…just in case. And I need a few texts a day so I know you’re okay.” He backed off the bed and reached for his boxers with a shrug, as if backpedaling to convince them that he wasn’t manic. “That’s all.”
Bullshit. Maybe Seth’s profession had made him overprotective…but that wasn’t all he wanted. Beck didn’t call out the PI now, but he intended to ask some questions when she was out of earshot.
“I did that for my dad, too. That’s not a big deal.”
“Cool.” Seth tried to act nonchalant. “Give me your phones—both of them. You’re done using the burner.”
Heavenly didn’t balk, thank fuck. She dug through her purse and plucked out the disposable phone. Seth crushed it against the nearby desk and tossed it into the trash. Then she pulled the other out of her suitcase, and the PI turned it on with the press of a button. “Passcode?”
His tone suggested she better not protest.
Quietly, Heavenly recited the four digits. While Seth entered them and tapped away at her mobile, she turned to Beck with questions all over her face.
Since he had no fucking clue, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. “You’re important to us, and you’ve scared the hell out of us lately.”
“I know. I really am sorry.”
“The only thing that matters is you’re coming back with us. It’s going to be good, little girl. You’ll see.”
Heavenly sent him a smile as Seth finished syncing up their devices. Beck reached for his mobile. Time to call Gloria and get them a flight home tomorrow. Their girl might think this was a trial period, but as far as he was concerned, it would be the first day of the rest of their lives together.
Chapter Nine
Monday, April 8
* * *
“You all right? You’re awfully quiet, angel.” Seth reached over the armrest to grab her hand.
With the early-morning sun slanting through the plane’s window, Heavenly faced his dissecting expression. “I’m fine. Thinking.”
“About?” Beck quizzed in the seat across from her.
“You two ask a lot of questions.” She ignored the curious glance of the businessman whose plane Gloria had helped them hitch a ride on.
The small aircraft was sleek and luxurious. During her trip to Wisconsin on a similar plane, she hadn’t been in any frame of mind to admire the rich leather, big-screen TV, or sumptuous master suite. Now that she, Beck, and Seth were heading west again, she felt exactly the same—for very different reasons.
“You should get used to that. We want to know what you’re feeling.”
She shrugged at Beck. “After losing Dad, it’s taking me a while to sort out the rest of my feelings. I’m not as overwhelmed as yesterday but…”
“You’re still processing?” Seth asked.
“Yeah.” And now that Dad was where he’d wanted to be, she felt relieved she’d closed that chapter of her life. She had to believe he was at peace, just like she had to believe she would find her future by looking forward, not back. “I’m getting there.”
She had Beck and Seth to thank for that.
“Grief takes time.” Seth pressed tight lips together.
Clearly, he spoke from personal experience. Heavenly wanted to comfort him.
Beck nodded. “So will finding your new normal.”
“I’ll try to stop impatiently wanting everything settled now. We’re going back to LA. I’m willing to give the city another try. How much can I hate it?”
Heavenly caught them exchanging a determined glance. They intended to do whatever it took to make it her home for good. She owed it to them—and her heart—to give it her all.
Seth squeezed her hand. “If it’s any consolation, I’m still getting used to the idea that I’m a West Coast guy now.”
She sent him a little smile. “You don’t sound much like it.”
“You can take the guy out of New York but…”
She’d never want to take New York out of the guy. It would fundamentally change who he was, just like Beck was a reflection of all the places he’d been and everything he’d endured. It was one reason she’d fallen so hard for them both.
And they loved her. She still couldn’t believe they’d said the words. She also couldn’t believe they’d promised—in writing—to help her go. This morning, she’d tucked the note in her purse, torn between relief at having a contingency and never wanting to use it.
Collectively, they fell silent. The businessman pulled a laptop from his brief
case and wandered to a desk in the back. Lulled by the constant hum of the jet’s engines, Heavenly’s lids got heavy. Before she closed them, she realized the guys were drifting off, too. No surprise. Their four-thirty-a.m. wake-up call to catch this six o’clock flight had come early.
A dip of turbulence jolted her awake. From her dry mouth, Heavenly knew she’d been asleep for a while. Beck adjusted in his seat, hands folded over his taut middle, and slept on. Seth’s head lolled to one side. The slanting sun illuminating the disreputable scruff on his jaw didn’t disturb his Zs one bit.
She’d only promised them eight weeks, but did she really want to try life without them? Right now, her heart said no.
When the plane’s attendant appeared at the front of the cabin, Heavenly stepped past the guys and approached.
The woman flashed a professional smile. “Can I get you something, Ms. Young?”
“Water, please. And before we took off, you mentioned hooking up my phone to the plane’s Wi-Fi?”
“Of course.” The impeccably dressed woman demonstrated the procedure. “Now you can stream, text—”
“What about calling someone?”
“Absolutely.”
Since Beck and Seth slept, Heavenly slid onto a long bench at the front of the plane and dialed the person she most owed a call.
Thankfully, Raine picked up on the first ring. “Heavenly?”
“Yeah. Hi!”
“How are you? I’ve been worried.”
“Sorry. I’m okay. How about you?”
“Fine. Learning the joys of acid reflux during pregnancy while one of these little rug rats keeps kicking me in the ribs, but I haven’t had any spotting or swelling in a month, so I’m good. But it’s been days since we talked. I left you alone because Hammer told me Beck and Seth went to Wisconsin…”
“They did. And I’m so grateful. They helped me deal with everything when it felt like too much.”
“There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for you.”
Heavenly smiled softly. “I’m getting that.”
