by Lacey Thorn
* * * *
“I still say we should just kidnap her,” Sawyer grunted.
“Yes, because that would show her how being with us won’t change anything about her life she doesn’t want to. Nothing says unobtrusive like kidnapping.” Rance shook his head and walked back to the window.
Jeff laughed. “Rance is right. She’d never trust we wouldn’t take over her life if we kidnap her to show her how we all belong together.” He held his hand up when Rance would have said something. “But Sawyer is right, too. Hell, the only way it seems we’ll even get the chance to show her is by kidnapping her.”
“She’ll call,” Rance asserted.
He’d been lucky that neither Sawyer nor Jeff had had the chance to call her in the aftermath of what had gone down. There’d been too much involved in wrapping up the case. Rance and Sawyer had both been shot, and Jeff had wanted to make sure everyone was okay before he called Skye. But Rance had asked him not to call her. He’d known the moment he’d woken that his life needed to change. They couldn’t go on flitting in and out of her life. It wasn’t fair to any of them. He’d asked his two closest friends for some time before any of them contacted Skye. He wanted time for the three of them to talk and decide the best way to persuade Skye they could be more than temporary lovers. Still, part of him had wanted Skye to be the one to call and check on him, on them.
“You’ve been saying that since you woke up in the hospital. She hasn’t called,” Sawyer reminded them. “We’re either nothing more than a good fuck to her or she doesn’t know you were shot.”
“My mom said she spoke with her. She knows.” Rance ignored the hurt he felt at that.
He knew why, but it didn’t make it any easier. She’d told him she’d never call him once he left that first time. It would be up to him to let her know when he was in town. She wouldn’t take the chance of catching him at a bad time or doing anything that might compromise him while on a case. He loved that about her. She might not like his job, but she respected him enough to accept it was part of him, part of all of them. So they always contacted her. Sawyer and Jeff both watched him, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Well? What did Skye say?” Jeff finally asked.
“Mom said she seemed concerned. She told Skye I’d be coming home to heal.”
“So why the fuck hasn’t she called?” Sawyer grumbled.
“You know why,” Jeff countered. “We all know why. She’ll wait to hear from us just like she always does. She won’t make the first call.”
“Because that might make us think she wants us just as much as we want her,” Sawyer griped, but Rance knew it was his hurt talking.
Out of the three of them, Rance was the one who knew Skye the best outside of the bedroom. Having grown up living next door to her, Skye couldn’t keep Rance firmly in the bedroom and out of her day-to-day life. He’d been there before they became lovers. Still, though her sisters knew exactly who he was, he was fairly certain neither Melda nor Deja knew he and Skye had been lovers. As far as Sawyer and Jeff knew, she’d never once told her sisters about any of them. For all her closeness with the other two women, Skye was still and would most likely always be a private person when it came to certain things. She could joke around about stuff, but she wasn’t one for deep confessions.
He gave a weary sigh and paced away. She’d driven him nuts when they were younger, with her big blue eyes always following him, watching his every move. Then she’d made him burn with desire as she matured into the woman she was. It’d played hell on him to keep his distance and his hands off. He’d always had darker desires, needs that vanilla sex couldn’t fulfill.
He’d dared her the first time, never believing how much she’d be willing to give him. Everything. She’d given him everything he’d ever desired and then some. Every order he gave, she followed. But she’d worried her ability to submit to him in the bedroom would trickle over until he was controlling other parts of her life. He couldn’t get it through her head how much he respected the strong confident woman she was. Hell, he was awed she trusted him enough to give up the control he knew she craved. Her faith made him feel like the luckiest man alive.
Still, there were things he couldn’t make her see. She was so blinded by what she perceived she gave up, that she wasn’t aware of just how much control she still held. He might give the order, but she had all the power. One word from her and everything ended. She thought he was in control, when really he was the one at her mercy, taking only the crumbs of a relationship she allowed.
“Well, I guess that tells us where we stand,” Sawyer muttered.
“You know better than that,” Jeff said. “She’s scared. Always has been.”
“What does she have to be scared of? I know I’ve never done a damn thing to hurt her,” Sawyer almost yelled.
“You left her. We all left her,” Rance reminded him.
“I fucking asked her to go with me,” Sawyer grunted.
“And have her leave the only home she’s ever known? Not going to happen.” Rance shook his head and blew out a breath.
“You mean her sisters. Yeah, it’s obvious she puts them first,” Jeff agreed.
“She always has. Man, you should have seen her when she first moved in next door to me.” Rance laughed. “All long coltish legs, big eyes and yards of dark hair. She was skittish from the beginning, watching everything as if preparing herself for that moment when something would go wrong and she’d have to leave.”
“She was in foster care back then, right?” Jeff asked.
Rance nodded. “She was the first girl Mrs. Potts took in. Mr. Potts had passed away the previous fall. Mom said those three girls were the perfect medicine for a broken heart. Lord knows I’d never seen Mrs. Potts laugh so much.”
“First? Didn’t her sisters come with her?” Jeff asked.
“You wouldn’t know it to hear them talk, but Skye, Deja and Melda aren’t sisters by blood. They’re sisters because they chose to be, because Mrs. Potts made them so when she took all three of them in and raised them through their teens that way. She loved those girls, and they loved her.”
“I guess I never realized that,” Sawyer admitted.
“As far as each of them is concerned, they’re sisters, and that’s all that matters,” Rance said.
“I bet she was a handful back then,” Sawyer said.
“Not really. Her sister Deja, who arrived shortly after Skye did, was the one who led them into mischief.” Rance glanced out the window. “I caught Skye hiding in the woods behind our houses once, crying. It was just after Melda came home from the hospital. Skye was upset because she hadn’t protected Melda.”
“What happened?” Jeff asked.
“Melda had been so worried about Mrs. Potts not wanting to keep her that she starved herself. Skye felt like she should have paid attention and known what was going on.” Rance still remembered her tearstained face and the way his heart had caught in his chest.
“She was just a child herself,” Sawyer said.
“Skye’s parents were both drug addicts,” Rance informed them. “She should have been taken from them long before she was. Somehow she managed to take care of herself and of them. Her parents overdosed one night when Skye was nine. A neighbor became concerned about the smell coming from the apartment and contacted the landlord to check it out. Rent was due anyway, so he showed up and used his key to get in. First officer to arrive said Skye was sitting in the corner, knees drawn up to her chest, rocking back and forth. They think she’d been there a few days.”
“Holy shit!” Jeff exploded.
“She told you all that?” Sawyer asked.
“Hardly,” Rance snorted. “You know how private she is. I overheard my mom and Mrs. Potts talking one night. Broke my heart.”
“She’s a remarkable woman,” Jeff stated.
“I’d say that’s why all three of us are in love with her,” Sawyer agreed.
Rance nodded. They were in love with her. Whether
she wanted to admit it or not, he knew she was fully engaged emotionally with them, as well. It was more than sex or she never would have been honest with him and told him she was still seeing Sawyer and that Jeff was in the picture, too. She wouldn’t have confessed to Sawyer and Jeff she was still seeing Rance. Her honestly said more than she realized.
“You’re right, Sawyer,” Rance finally admitted. “If she doesn’t call soon, then we’re going to have to take this into our own hands. We all love her and want to convince her she can love and trust us.”
“It helps that both her sisters are now in serious relationships,” Sawyer said.
Jeff laughed. “No, what helps is they’re in ménage relationships with three men a piece.”
“That could definitely work in our favor,” Rance agree. “We just have to figure out a way to let Skye think a similar relationship with us is her idea.”
Sawyer and Jeff both nodded.
“I guarantee you she’s been thinking about it, about the three of us,” Sawyer said. “Hell, I think she has for a long time.”
Rance opened his mouth to reply when he felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket. He pulled it out and almost dropped it when he saw who was finally calling. Skye. Something must have shown on his face as both Sawyer and Jeff turned toward him, tension in their bodies.
“Hello.” He held the phone to his ear, breath caught somewhere in his throat as he waited just to hear her voice.
“Rance?” Her voice was soft and low, sultry like the woman.
“Skye.”
“I… How are you?”
“I’m good. Still a little sore but fast on the mend. You?”
“I…I’m good.”
“Skye?” He could tell her emotions were high, could hear something she was obviously trying to hide. “What’s going on?”
“I…miss you.”
“I miss you, too.”
“Are you coming home soon?”
“Maybe. Feeling lonely, Skye? Need a little sexual pick-me-up?” The words were like knives to his heart. The last thing he wanted was to go back to the relationship they’d had in the past. He wanted more. But did she?
She was quiet, so quiet, he was almost afraid she might have hung up on him. What did it mean? That his words had hurt her? Or that she was done with him? Damn it, he needed to know. He wanted everything with her. They all did.
“I… Have you heard from Sawyer or Jeff?”
“You haven’t?”
“Not in a while. I thought maybe if anything had happened, you would know.”
“They’re both okay as far as I know.” Rance looked over at both men. They were pissed, hungry and totally in love. Just like he was. “What’s going on, Skye?”
“There was a fight in the club tonight. I think I broke the guy’s nose.”
“Some guy fought with you! I’ll fucking kill him!” He could see Sawyer and Jeff more than agreed with him.
“I’m fine. I just needed to hear your voice.”
“You can call anytime,” he reminded her, though they both knew she never had before.
“I know. I…”
“You what?” Rance prompted when she just stopped.
“I…I need you, need to see you, hold you, reassure myself you’re okay.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
She sighed as if she’d been afraid he might tell her no. It broke his heart to hear.
“Want me to get ahold of Sawyer and Jeff?” He made the offer, and the room was deathly silent as all three of them waited for her answer. Though Jeff and Sawyer wouldn’t hear her reply, they’d know from his expression.
“I’d like that.”
A smile lit his face, and he watched Sawyer light up while Jeff just grinned. He nodded at them, anyway, just for validation. “I’ll see what I can do.” He glanced at the clock. “You still at work?”
“Yes, and my sisters are going to kill me since this was our girls’ night. I’ll be here another hour or so just wrapping stuff up with the police.”
“The police?”
“The guy in the fight was an employee, a bouncer. I’m having him removed and making sure charges are filed against him. I want the police to keep an eye on the girl he’s been harassing here. She might need to file a restraining order. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to get to her outside of here.”
Rance’s mind spun. He didn’t know about the other girl, but if Skye had been the one fighting with him and broken his nose, chances were she might be the one he went after. They’d just have time to get into town and to the house he kept before she left work. In fact, he might send Sawyer and Jeff to the house and head to the club himself, just to see if he could catch the cops in time to chat with them about this guy. And fuck! That would be controlling. Shit! Fuck! Damn! Hell!
“Rance?”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me, too, baby. Me, too.”
The phone gave a soft click in his ear as she hung up.
“We heading into town?” Jeff asked.
Rance nodded. “She got in an altercation tonight with an employee, a bouncer. She thinks she broke his nose.”
“She fire him?” Sawyer demanded.
“Yeah, plus she’s pressing charges against him. I guess he was harassing a girl who works there. Skye’s hoping to get her to file for a restraining order.”
“I’d be more prone to think he’d come after Skye for interrupting,” Jeff said.
“And for firing him,” Sawyer added.
“I think so, too,” Rance admitted.
“So we make some calls. See what the police have and make sure they’re keeping an eye on this guy,” Sawyer said.
“No,” Jeff replied before Rance could. “That’s almost as bad as kidnapping. You’ve got to fight those caveman needs you have to take over and protect her. We’ll lose her that way.”
“Then what the fuck are you suggesting we do?” Sawyer asked.
“Be there. Keep our eyes open and trust Skye to let us know what she needs from us. It’s the only way.”
Rance nodded in agreement with Jeff. “Trust me, my first instinct was to go talk to the cops and make sure they kept their thumbs on this asshole. But Jeff’s right. We can’t just waltz in and take over. She’s made the first move by calling. We can’t fuck this opportunity up. We might not get another.”
“Agreed,” Jeff replied.
“All right,” Sawyer gave in. “I’ll do my best. But that fucker even threatens her, and I’m ripping his balls off and choking him with them.”
“I’ll help you,” Rance said.
“Me, too,” Jeff added.
They all looked at each other and slowly smiled. They’d been patient. They’d waited, and finally it was paying off.
“Let’s go win our woman,” Rance said, and this time they were all playing for keeps.
Chapter Two
Skye was exhausted, not just physically, but mentally as well. Dealing with Marcus and the police had taken longer than she’d anticipated. Plus she’d had to deal with Deja and Melda. It had taken everything she had just to talk them into staying home and postponing girls’ night for a few days. So instead of their normal Thursday night, they’d be doing a Saturday instead. Skye wasn’t holding her breath, though. She doubted the men in her sisters’ lives would give up a weekend night with them.
Marcus had screamed at her as the police led him out to the cruiser. The guy really was an idiot. The worst time to threaten to kill someone was when the police were present and listening to every word you yelled. Calling her boss had been her next move. He was pissed Marcus had turned out to be an asshole. Asked if she was all right then ordered her to take the weekend off. He’d come in and personally oversee the club. She’d been a little shocked, as he hadn’t made much of an appearance since he’d hired her, but she’d been smart enough to jump on the offer immediately.
So now, almost a full two and a half h
ours after she’d called Rance, she headed out of the club to her car. Was he even now on his way to town? Had he managed to get in touch with Sawyer and Jeff? Would she be seeing all three of her men soon? How long would they stay? How long before she had to watch them walk out of her life again? What the hell was the matter with her? Why was she suddenly longing for more, longing for forever with them? Why was loneliness overwhelming her? Because her sisters were so happy and in love. Skye wanted a taste of that for herself. She sighed as she pushed open the door and finally stepped out of the air conditioning into the fresh night air.
A shadow moved as she neared her car, and she almost screamed until she registered who it was.
“Rance.”
“Hey.”
He looked good, too good. He wore perfectly worn jeans that cupped his crotch and made her mouth water. A button-up shirt hung loose from his waist, the sleeves rolled up and emphasizing his well-muscled arms. She’d never tire of looking at him, especially when he was naked and every delicious inch of him was displayed for her.
He took a step toward her and enfolded her with those hard arms, pulling her against his firm chest and making her heart melt. Home. Rance always felt like home. No matter how long he was gone, every time he came back, every time he pulled her close and wrapped her up in him, it was like coming home. It was the same with Sawyer and Jeff. Once that had made her feel dirty, the fact that three men filled her heart. Now, she just accepted it without question.
“You’re trembling?” Rance whispered, running his hands up and down her back. “Cold?”
“No,” she said, easing back to take another long look at him. “You look good, Rance.”
