by Shayla Black
Hammer wore a matching expression, cradling her hand from beneath so they completely surrounded her. “Liam is much better with words than I am, but everything he said is true. Open the box, precious.”
Why would they bring her to a stranger’s doorstep to give her a gift? Her heart started to race. A dangerous fantasy crossed her mind… But no. They couldn’t possibly give her a gift like this.
“What is this place?”
“Go on,” Hammer whispered as both men lifted their hands away.
Carefully, Raine gripped the sides of the box and tugged gently. It opened without a sound. Inside lay a key.
Raine stopped breathing as she looked first at Liam, then Hammer. More of that insidious hope filled her. She blinked away rapidly welling tears. “Y-you…” She shook her head. It wasn’t possible. “It can’t be.”
Liam stroked his finger down her cheek and nodded. “I never seemed to find the right time to give this to you, but I understand why now. It’s meant for all three of us. Put the key in the lock, love, and open the door to our new home.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and the buzzing in her ears felt as if a swarm of bees had taken over her head. “You’re serious? This is… It’s…”
Raine couldn’t finish her sentence through her onslaught of tears. She covered her mouth with her hands to hold in a shocked sob.
“Yes,” Liam confirmed softly. “I know how long you’ve wanted a home to call your own, something that no one can take away. So I bought this for you. Regardless of what happens between us, this is your house. You’ll always have these four walls and sturdy roof to shelter you, Raine.”
“I-I can’t accept this. It’s too much. It’s—”
“Too late,” Liam cut in. “It’s already done. The title and deed are in your name.”
His words shocked her system again. She tried to comprehend, but her brain whirled. Time seemed mired in a slow, thick honey. Nothing made sense except the key in her hand and Liam’s words echoing in her brain.
Hers. The house was hers. And Liam had done this for her.
“Oh, my god.” Sobs wracked her body.
Had anyone ever done anything half as wonderful for her? Why would they?
Suddenly, Hammer nestled her from behind, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her close against his chest. His warm breath brushed her ear as Liam stood frozen, studying her expression intently.
“Are you happy?” Macen asked.
She nodded. “I’m speechless. It’s…amazing.”
Liam looked relieved. Had he actually imagined she wouldn’t be thrilled?
“You haven’t seen the inside,” he reminded her.
“It doesn’t matter.” She shook her head. “Whatever is inside is the most beautiful thing in the world to me. Why would you do this?”
Raine wasn’t under any illusions. This wasn’t some little one-bedroom cottage in the sticks. He’d bought her a palatial home. It must have cost a whole pile of pretty pennies.
“Because I wanted to give you everything,” Liam murmured. “Especially the security you should have had as a child.”
He was destroying her one word at a time in the best way possible. Had she really been wondering minutes ago if they could possibly love her?
“I always wanted to give you that, too, precious.” Macen’s voice cracked, thick with emotion. “It’s why I took you in…and why I couldn’t let you go. I should have bought you a place of your own years ago but couldn’t stand the thought of not having you near me every day. I was afraid I’d lose you.”
A cry filled with a confusing mix of shock, sorrow, regret, and delight tore from her throat. She launched herself into Liam’s arms, pulling Hammer with her. From behind her, he held tight.
Tears slid down her cheeks as she trembled, the reality finally registering. “You really bought me a house?”
“I did.” Liam pulled away and cupped her face, staring into her eyes with a fierceness she’d never seen before.
“When?”
He hesitated. “Before Thanksgiving.”
Guilt tore through her. He’d never given it to her because she’d run away, been a defiant, difficult handful.
“I see the self-reproach on your face. Don’t,” Liam insisted. “It’s worked out for the best. We’re all meant to live here together.”
Her tears started in earnest again. “That would be a dream come true.”
“For me, too.” Hammer leaned around to press a kiss to her cheek.
“Understand us, Raine,” Liam went on. “You’re not a whim. You’re not a sport or a conquest for either of us. You’re the center of our lives.”
Before she could say another word, Liam claimed her lips in a kiss somehow tender and primal at once, teeming with painfully pure love. She wrapped one hand around his neck and opened to him completely. He felt so solid pressed to her chest. Raine couldn’t imagine loving this man more.
When he broke away from her, the passion and fire still blazed in his eyes. “Forever, love. Don’t ever question that again.”
How could she? “Thank you, Liam,” she whispered, her voice quivering as more tears spilled down her face. “Not just for a gift that’s beyond amazing. Thank you for understanding me and what I need.”
“You ready to have a look inside?” Liam grinned.
“Yeah.” A big smile broke out across her face. “Beyond ready.”
“One more thing…” Hammer turned Raine to face him. “The previous owners lived here for about thirty years. It might not be decorated to your taste. But you can make it whatever you want. It’s empty, so I know we’ll need to buy furniture, but if you want to redecorate the kitchen or bathrooms or whatever…then do it. That’s my gift to you, precious.”
Her heart split wide open for the second time tonight. “Macen, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure it’s beautiful the way it is. I don’t need—”
“Let me. Liam has given us an amazing house to live in. Let me make the inside as beautiful as you.”
That might be one of the nicest things he’d ever said to her. She started to cry again and pressed her lips to his for a slow, reverent kiss before her face got too sloppy again.
“I’m overwhelmed. You two are the most wonderful men who ever happened to me. I love you both.”
“And we love you,” Macen murmured. “Now open the door.”
Chapter Eleven
Her fingers shook as she tried to align the key into the lock. After the third try, she finally managed and turned the handle. The impatient part of her wanted to shove the door open and run through the house. Another part wanted to savor every moment of this amazing dream.
Raine gave the door a tiny nudge, and it swung open, revealing one tantalizing inch at a time.
“I know we’re not married, but…” Liam swooped her up in his arms, then carried her across the threshold.
She giggled as he set her down. Hammer stepped in and palmed the light switch by the door, flooding the expansive foyer with light. Raine could only think of one word to describe the place.
Wow.
The hardwood floors gleamed a pale cherry and spread down the long corridor and up the wide staircase to the second floor. A crystal chandelier hung above her head, minimal and elegant—perfect for the space.
An opening to her right revealed a family room with walls painted in a tranquil pale sage and built-in bookshelves a lovely dove gray around the white marble fireplace surround. Liam turned on the lights in the room, and she saw a traditional gleaming white mantel with intricate columns and moldings, making her ooh and ahh. On an adjacent wall sat the brace for a giant flat-screen. Raine could imagine comfy couches in here, reading by the fire, snuggled with Liam doing a Sunday crossword or watching football with Hammer.
Three French doors lined the back of the room, leading out to a cozy little sunroom that flanked the backyard and would let in a ton of natural light.
Drawn as if it were a beacon, Raine wandered
toward the space with her mouth hanging open. She couldn’t have imagined a more beautiful house if she’d tried.
“Look to your right,” Liam murmured.
Raine whirled. And gasped. “Oh, my god…”
The family room extended a good twenty-five feet. Moldings at the ceilings and baseboards were pristine and substantial but somehow just right for the space. Three cottage windows, topped with leaded-glass eyebrows, would let in more sunlight on the far side of the room. Two built-in shelving units, arched and obviously original to the house, had been restored lovingly.
“Everything is…perfect. When was the house built?”
“Nineteen fourteen.” Liam smiled as he guided her around the room with a hand at the small of her back. “Since I bought it, I’ve had the plumbing and electrical brought up to code. The house was in good shape, but I’ve had the necessary minor repairs completed. Most recently, the contractors have been painting.”
The faint smell of it lingered in the air, and Raine nodded in amazement at all his choices. “It’s as if you read my mind, Liam.”
Hammer watched her intently, seemingly pleased by her response. He sauntered closer and dropped a kiss on her mouth. “We want you happy.”
“How could I be anything else?” She feathered her lips across his, then turned to Liam and sank into his kiss for a sweet moment.
They continued the tour by peeking into a powder bath at the end of the foyer with floor-to-ceiling polished travertine and a large oval mirror. Funny that a bathroom should look regal, but this one managed.
Across from the family room sat a formal living room, complete with a black baby grand. It opened to an expansive dining room with more French doors leading to more gardens. Silk drapes, pale gray walls, and classic moldings all framed a beautiful eight-armed fixture made of a fascinating blend of a white rustic wood and glittering crystal.
Toward the back of the dining room, a leaded-glass door drew Raine’s attention. She tiptoed toward it. Her head told her this was now her house. Her shock told her not to touch or break something that belonged to someone else. Carefully, she pushed at the door.
Hammer grabbed her arm. “Brace yourself.”
A little warning gong resounded through her. She could easily dial back her expectations since the house had already far surpassed anything she’d imagined.
She smiled his way, then Liam’s. “Whatever is behind this door will be great. I can make anything work.”
Nodding, Hammer cupped the curve of her waist before his palm took a slow slide down her ass. “Good girl. Go on.”
Tummy tightening, Raine poked at the swinging door. As it opened, Liam flipped on the light. She filed into the space, seeing a sizeable butler’s pantry immediately to her left. Then the portal swung wide, and she spotted the kitchen.
Her jaw dropped. She couldn’t speak.
Gleaming marble floors, medium-toned walnut cabinets, every appliance known to man. She wandered around the room, checking out the Sub-Zero refrigerator built in behind faux panels to match the rest of the room, the convection and conventional ovens, the six-burner gas cooktop… Amazing. This was a cook’s paradise, complete with two sinks, one in the huge island that seated three on wide, black leather barstools. A wine fridge, a storage rack for stems, and a lovely door that led to the backyard. This kitchen just kept on giving.
“Anything you want to change?”
She wasn’t terribly fond of the black granite counters, mostly because she suspected they would be a bitch to keep clean. But spending time here would be a treat. “No.”
Hammer faced her and leaned down until they stood eye to eye. “You forget how well I can read you. Let’s try again. Anything you want to change?”
Raine didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but Hammer was insistent. “The countertops.”
A wide smile spread across his face as he sauntered over to Liam, who looked about ready to burst with his grin. They high-fived one another.
“What’s that about?” she asked.
“We both guessed you’d feel that way, love,” Liam supplied. “I had a feeling when I bought this house that the kitchen would be your favorite room, but I saw you wanting something brighter that matched your personality.”
The fact that he’d thought of the interior design in such detail touched her. In fact, they looked very pleased with themselves. She was pretty happy, too.
At the far end of the kitchen, a long, narrow room housed a full-sized washer and dryer, a long countertop for folding, and a stainless-steel sink for industrial cleaning. A kitschy ironing board pulled out from the wall. Whoever had built the house really had thought of everything.
The kitchen led to a pale yellow breakfast nook surrounded by three walls of windows that overlooked the backyard. When Liam flipped a switch, light flooded the back patio. A pool glimmered just outside. Raine couldn’t wait to walk out and see it.
Through a back door, the three of them pushed their way into the moonlight. Raine blinked and stared at their own personal Shangri-La. Unreal…
The pool lay like a blue oasis across the yard, long, curved, and serene, surrounded by a spa, fountains, and classical urns filled with ferns and flowers. Giant palms swayed in the slight breeze all around the pool like solid sentries, ensuring privacy.
“You know what I was thinking when I first saw this yard?” Liam asked with a grin.
Raine scanned the space. Surrounded by the house on one side, the towering plants and full shrubs on two more, and another two-storied structure she couldn’t identify, the pool and patio were completely private. Even the gazes of nosy neighbors in their big houses on either side couldn’t penetrate the wall of greenery. Only someone in a helicopter could see them. Maybe.
She shook her head at Liam. “That I won’t need a bathing suit.”
His smile widened and turned devilish as he cupped her breast. “Exactly. I mean to fuck you out here. A great deal.”
Hammer ambled up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Then his hand drifted down to cup her pussy. “Hmm. I see more than one surface I can bend you over and fill you with my cock.”
Raine gasped. Her head rolled back on Hammer’s shoulder. Liam moved in and trailed kisses down her neck, then reached into her shirt and pulled one breast from her bra and over the V-neck. The wind barely caressed her nipple before he engulfed it in his mouth. As she gasped, Hammer lifted her swishy skirt, tucked his fingers under the elastic of her panties, and began rubbing her clit.
“God, that’s so fucking sexy,” Hammer groaned as he watched Liam suck on her nipple. “You’re so wet.”
Her body felt wide open to them. The pleasure they never failed to bestow sent her head reeling, her body aching…her soul pleading for more.
“Spread your legs.” Macen nudged at her thighs with his fingers. “And no more panties.”
“This bra is in my fucking way,” Liam snarled. “Damn it to hell, I can smell her.”
They were driving her mad, dousing her body with ecstasy, flooding her veins with heady desire. She wriggled against Hammer’s fingers for more friction.
“Why don’t we help each other?” Hammer suggested.
Liam didn’t hesitate. “Deal.”
Before Raine could question what they meant, Hammer unhooked her bra at the back and pulled it away from her breasts, leaving them to dangle, while Liam reached under her skirt and pulled her panties down to her ankles.
“Step out,” Hammer commanded.
Raine did so automatically. Did they really mean to fuck her right here? Right now?
