Tempting the Crown

by Violet Paige

  She nodded. She had to fight the tears. These weren’t happy ones. “Cal has had all kinds of ideas to make cash. It never ends. One of those ideas was training me to be a hacker. And I hacked HiTech’s payroll for a quarter. I transferred the payments into one of Cal’s offshore accounts. Small amounts so they wouldn’t be traced. And only for three months. But it was me. I stole from you.”

  The room was quiet. She looked up. Abby’s heart fell to her stomach.

  34

  Cole

  He’d never loved a woman like he loved Abby. He couldn’t imagine sharing anything more intense than taking her virginity the way he had this morning. But now she was sitting in between him and Deacon, confessing to theft. To hacking. To hiding money.

  Cole bit his lip. He was stunned.

  “Cal made you hack into our payroll?” He tried to keep his voice calm.

  She nodded. “I knew it was wrong. I knew stealing from you was wrong. I didn’t touch the employees’ income, just the company portions. I know that doesn’t make it any better, but Cal didn’t know where the money came from, only that it ended up where he wanted it.”

  Deacon pressed his lips together. “This is it, isn’t it? This is what the fucked up money philosophy is all about?”

  She nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

  He pushed off the bed and paced at the window. “Damn it, Abby.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

  Cole stared at her. “What did you mean we were going to find out?”

  “Cal is blackmailing me. He said if I didn’t get cash to him this morning he was going to the press and outing me.”

  “That’s insane.”

  She sniffed. “I didn’t want to ask for the money and I don’t have enough to pay him.” He saw the look of desperation in her eyes. “I don’t want you to be embarrassed by me. I don’t want to tarnish Soar. It means so much to you. God, I don’t know what to do to make this right.”

  “You should have told us,” Deacon growled. “From the beginning. You should have told us.”

  “I wasn’t in the best position to say much.” She stared at him. “I wasn’t a guest here.”

  Cole placed a hand on her knee. “It doesn’t matter. You’ve told us now. We have to figure out how to deal with your cousin.”

  Deacon continued to pace. He knew his friend would be angry for a while. But he knew exactly what was going through his head. He was pissed at Cal—not Abby.

  “You what?” She blinked back the tears.

  Cole pressed a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”

  She shook her head, her hair flying around her bare shoulders. “No. I’ll leave. I’ll resign from my position at Soar. You can clean up the PR nightmare when I’m out of the picture.”

  Deacon rushed to the side of the bed. “Hell no.”

  Her eyes flew to his. “Don’t try to protect me in this. I did it. I hacked in. I helped Cal. And maybe I didn’t get caught then, but I’m going to have to pay for it now.”

  Deacon’s hands moved to her face. “We’ve all done shit we’re not proud of, sweetheart. But no one is going to hurt you again. Cole and I will make sure of that.”

  “How can you forgive me?” she whispered.

  Cole smiled. “You were in bed with us about thirty minutes ago, weren’t you?”

  She blushed. She was beautiful and sexy. Still so innocent. “Yes.”

  “You belong to us. We belong to you. That means something, Abby. Deacon and I will take care of your cousin.”

  There was alarm in her voice. “Are you going to pay him off?”

  Deacon scoured the room for his clothes. He threw a shirt at Cole. “He’s not going to bother you.”

  “Wait. Please tell me something. Anything,” she pleaded.

  Cole leaned to kiss her on the cheek before he and Deacon left. “We’ve got you. We’ve got this. Try to get some sleep.”

  “Sleep? You expect me to sleep?”

  “Work?” he suggested.

  “I have to get to the office. I have another Soar meeting.”

  “Good. We’ll meet you there. And stop worrying.”

  35

  Abby

  There was no point in sitting around her room. Abby hopped from the bed and walked to the master suite. She started the hot water in the shower. At least if she were in her office she could be distracted. She’d rather listen to Maureen ramble on about her dating life than sit alone and worry about what could happen when Cole and Deacon faced Cal.

  She had never expected them to take on her problems. As she stepped in the shower she wondered if knights in armor were a real thing. Were Cole and Deacon her knights? It didn’t seem possible they could forgive her after what she had done.

  But they had rushed off to fix everything.

  The water ran over her shoulders and down her back. On top of everything, she had shared something with them this morning she never imagined she could experience. They had both been inside her at the same time. She wrapped her arms around her body trying to hold on to that feeling.

  What it felt like to be totally possessed. To be filled beyond her dreams.

  Cal couldn’t take that away from her. Cal didn’t control her destiny anymore. She turned off the water, watching the last bubbles slide down the drain and disappear.

  Abby reached for a towel. She loved Deacon and Cole for what they wanted to do, but this was her mess. She had to clean it up.

  She got dressed and grabbed her keys.

  ***

  Abby squared her shoulders as she faced the Mantelli compound. She had prayed she would never set foot inside this place again, but she couldn’t run from her problems. And she couldn’t send her knights in to rectify something she had done.

  She took each of the stone steps with confidence. This wasn’t like the last time she was here. No one would ever drag her out and stuff her in a trunk again.

  Deacon’s sports car was parked in front. She could hear their loud voices from the other side of the door.

  Abby burst inside. Their eyes darted toward her.

  “What are you doing here?” Deacon asked. His face was stern. Cole was as determined as his friend.

  “Abby, you don’t need to be here.”

  She stepped forward, locking eyes with her cousin. “Yes, I do. Cal has no right to do any of this.”

  Her cousin laughed. “So you sent your men to take care of your little fuck up, but you don’t trust them enough to take care of it?” he mocked. “This little arrangement the three of you has is fucked up.”

  Her eyes narrowed. She could claw at his face. She could kick him in the balls. She could spit on his cheek. But she held her ground. She didn’t want him to know how much she hated him.

  Deacon stepped in front of her, but she didn’t want him to protect her this time.

  “I can do this, Deac.” She pressed a hand to his elbow.

  She stared at Cal. “You’re not going to the media.”

  He rolled his eyes. “You sound like these two. I’m happy to keep your escapades to myself if you hand over a hundred thousand to start.”

  She didn’t let her eyes bulge or her jaw drop. She had to stay steady.

  “You aren’t getting the money and you aren’t releasing the story.”

  Cole was behind her. She felt the warmth of his body as he laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, trying to convince him she could do this.

  Cal sat on the couch, crossing a leg over his knee. “See, what you don’t get is that I have dirt on you.”

  “What you don’t get, is that I have way more on you,” she hissed.

  He raised his arms in the air. “My hands are clean. I had nothing to do with your internet heist. You can’t trace that to me. Not even the accounts. You know they are ghost accounts.”

  Abby reached in her pocket and held up a thumb drive. “But I have every other piece of dirt on you I could find.” She slammed the drive on the coffee table. “
And that is just one of many, many copies.” She tilted her head in his direction.

  Cal reached for it, but Deacon cut him off. “Don’t touch it,” he snarled, knocking Cal back on the couch.

  “You collected evidence against me? Against your own family?”

  Abby nodded. “You wanted me to be hacker. Don’t you remember? You created this little skill I have.”

  “But you’re using it against me? You’re turning on me?”

  “It’s all there, Cal. And if something happens to me, or to one of them there are plenty of copies that can be discovered that will incriminate you. You’ll be in prison the rest of your life.”

  He looked at her and then his eyes flicked to Deacon and Cole. “Fuck.”

  Deacon collected the drive from the coffee table. “We’ll take this as one of the insurance pieces that you aren’t going to release that story about Abby.”

  Cal turned his head, ignoring the three of them.

  “Let’s go.” Abby feathered her fingers through Deacon’s strong hands and then Cole’s. “I want to go home.”

  They followed her outside, closing the door to the compound behind them.

  Abby felt her knees buckle, but Deacon held her steady. “I think you better ride home with me, sweetheart. Cole can drive your car.”

  “Of course.” Cole looked for her keys.

  He buckled her in the front seat as Deacon stuck the key in the ignition. She looked at them. “That drive is blank.”

  “What the fuck?” Deacon stammered.

  “I had to think of something. It was all I could come up with.”

  Cole laughed so hard he almost hit the top of his head on the inside roof of the car. “You are the smartest woman I know, Abby.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek. “I can hack him now and get the insurance policy. If you want, I can do it?”

  Deacon shook his head. “I think he’s scared shitless. We’ll worry about that later if we have to. I have a feeling he isn’t going to bother any of us.”

  Cole kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you at the house.”

  “I’ve got a meeting.” She remembered the design team expected to see more details about Soar.

  Cole shook his head. “No. The three of us are taking the rest of the day off.”

  “And doing what?” she asked.

  Deacon’s hand squeezed her thigh. “What we do best.” He winked.

  Epilogue

  Four months later

  Abby stretched her arms overhead, reveling in the softness of the bed. She realized the bed was empty. She sat forward, letting the sheet fall from her bare chest. She looked at her breasts. They were huge. Rounder and fuller than they’d ever been.

  She strained her ears to listen for Deacon or Cole, but the master suite was quiet.

  She sank into the pillows letting her hands fall to her belly. It was round. She caressed the gentle slope, whispering.

  “Your daddies are here somewhere.” She grinned. “I bet they went to get us breakfast.” She was suddenly starving.

  It seemed to be how she started the day. Now that the morning sickness had eased up, Abby loved waking up and feeling how different her body was. It brimmed with life. She had never felt more sensual or alive.

  The door creaked open. She smiled when she saw Deacon.

  “Good morning.” He grinned.

  “Good morning.”

  “How are you feeling?” He walked in carrying a tray of fruit and tea.

  “Now that you’re here, we’re much better.” She giggled.

  He placed the tray on the table and sat next to her. He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her until she mewed.

  His hand dropped to her breast. “I love how beautiful your body is,” he growled. He held her weighted breast in his palm. Abby sighed.

  He coasted over her nipple, grazing her belly. “And knowing my baby is inside you.” He kissed her again. “You’re so fucking gorgeous.”

  She moaned as the kiss deepened. Her body fired with new tingles of sensation. Everything was heightened in this pregnancy. She wondered if it was double the pleasure most women felt.

  “Don’t forget the other baby,” she teased.

  “That’s right.” Cole walked into the room. “My baby is in there too.” He crawled onto the bed, pinning her under him with a delicious kiss.

  “Mmm,” she moaned.

  Deacon moved his hand to the side as Cole fit his along the edge of her belly. It was bump noticeable to the three of them because they knew what was inside. They knew how beautiful the lives were that were growing because of Abby’s love.

  Abby broke free and glanced down at their hands on her belly. She didn’t know if she had ever loved these two men as much as she did right now.

  “I still can’t believe we’re having twins,” she whispered. Deacon’s hand was the first to sink deeper between her legs.

  “What did you think would happen?” Cole kissed her neck and lowered to her breast. He plucked her nipple between his teeth.

  Her head rolled to the side, moaning as Deacon slipped a finger inside her. They were easier with her. More gentle, even when she begged for them to take things deeper or harder. They had already taken the role of fatherhood seriously. They worshipped her body in new ways.

  “You’re happy?” she asked, feeling her core tingle with electricity.

  “Are you kidding?” Deacon flicked a free hand over her clit. “These babies are going to be amazing. With you as their mother…” He pumped a finger inside her as her back arched off the bed.

  Cole’s tongue lapped at her nipple. “So fucking amazing.”

  Abby was lost in the dizzying haze of their lust. The things they could do to her body. Cole rolled on his back, dragging her on top of him. Her eyes locked on his as she scooted down to his waist.

  Deacon was behind her, adjusting his cock to her pussy.

  “Ohh, Deac,” she hissed, wishing her would take her like he did in Vegas.

  Cole’s sapphire eyes sparkled. “Let me fuck you next, baby.”

  “Together?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No way.”

  She wanted them inside her again. She wanted to feel the fullness of everything they had created. But they were both so worried about her, creating new rules and guidelines that she thought were too restrictive.

  “What if I told you we were having boys?” She grinned wickedly.

  “What?” Cole almost rolled her to the floor in his surprise. Deacon caught her.

  “Did you just say we’re having boys?”

  She nodded, trying to hide the excitement she felt.

  “I found out yesterday, but I was waiting until all three of us were together to tell you. I’m carrying your sons.”

  Cole groaned. “Deac?” He looked over her shoulder.

  “Please. Just fuck me a little, Cole. Please. There’s one place you belong. Please fuck me.”

  “Shit,” he murmured. “How can I say no to you? I’m never easy on your ass, baby.”

  She smiled. “I want it.” She felt her stomach do somersaults. She loved this more than anything. Sex with both of them at once.

  Deacon kissed her back. She knew they were going to give in. She was giddy, and thrilled. Controlled by hormones and lust. They switched places and Abby happily climbed on Deacon, sliding his shaft deep inside her.

  “Oh yes,” she moaned. It was home. Exactly where it was meant to be. She rode him with long sensual thrusts, rotating through her hips, squeezing his cock, feeling every thick inch of him.

  Deacon’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Fucking nirvana.”

  Cole pressed against her ass, rubbing it gently as his cock began to penetrate it. She didn’t need all the toys anymore of the special preparation. He had taken it, trained it, made it his.

  “Oh, Cole,” she squealed as he pushed into her with a gentleness she’d never experienced with him.

  Her eyes flew open to meet Deacon’s.


  “We’re taking care of you and them.” He trailed his fingers over her swollen belly, as if that explained this style of lovemaking.

  It felt so good taking it slow. It was satisfying in a new way. They eased in and out of her, rocking her orgasm to the surface before she could catch it and reign it in.

  “Oh, God,” she called to the ceiling, as they both pushed inside her together. “I love you,” she whimpered. “I love you so much.”

  The three of them came together in a last burst of thunder and lightning, searing the love and ecstasy into their skin.

  Cole pulled out of her and laid down next to Deacon, making room for her to snuggle between them. Abby was on her side, trying to catch her breath.

  “I take it you’re happy about the news?” she giggled.

  Deacon laughed. “I don’t know how you kept that secret all night.”

  She looked at Cole. “You were working late last night. It didn’t seem fair to tell only one of you. But I’ve been dying to tell you they are both boys. I found out three weeks earlier than I thought I would.”

  He kissed her. “A son? Two sons? This is incredible.”

  She felt the love and warmth wrap around her. Deacon’s hand rested on her stomach. Their babies were safe and protected. No, it wasn’t conventional. No, it wasn’t what she had planned in her life.

  But falling in love with these men was meant to be. This was her happily ever after. Now she knew the real meaning of family. The meaning of truth and safety. It was all here in this bed. Their arms wrapped around her as Abby drifted to sleep.

  ###