by K. L. Donn
Considering her amnesia and the obvious danger she was in, he had to wonder if he would ever get the quiet life he’d always hoped for after seeing the world. He felt selfish, though, worrying about what he wanted when the woman he’d been waiting for his entire life was in such turmoil.
He never did claim to be a perfect man.
It wasn’t to say he regretted meeting Pepper, either. He adored her; she was a breath of fresh air. She made his heart beat when his mind threatened to swallow him whole on some nights.
Shaking the morbid thoughts from his mind, Ace went inside looking to reassure Pepper that they would protect her from further harm. Also, to check that the shotguns were loaded and ready for action. Something else had spooked Nick this morning. He wasn’t so easily convinced of things that didn’t present in physical evidence. So, when his cousin agreed to search outside for anything amiss, Ace was shocked.
“Is everything alright?” Pepper asked as soon as he cleared the door. The snow that had found its way inside had been cleaned up.
“Yeah, Nick just wants to have a better look around.” Ace hoped that would ease some of her fears until they had more solid answers.
“Right. Good. Coffee?” Pepper’s voice sounded distracted as she spoke.
Not waiting for an answer from him, she was off to the kitchen and had the kettle on the gas stove heating up in no time.
Deciding to leave her to her distraction, Ace went in search of the two shotguns Nick kept in a safe in his office, knowing they might eventually need the firearms. Punching in the alarm code, he opened the door and grabbed both guns along with the ammunition they would need and brought them out into the kitchen. As he placed them on the table, he knew she would have questions that needed answering.
Lucky for him, after the look of horror crossed her features, she brought him a coffee and sat in one of the chairs watching as he cleaned and loaded each weapon. Never saying a word, she just watched his precise movements as he cocked chambers for each shell to be put into. Once finished, he sat down in the chair opposite her and waited for the inquiry to begin.
Her eyes wouldn’t meet his as she watched her coffee cup with a focused intent.
Taking her silence as a sign he was going to have to break the quiet, he finally asked, “Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”
Her head popped up in confusion at his question. Clearly, she didn’t remember them waking her up. “I,” she stopped to gaze out the window, a look of concentration on her face. “I don’t remember,” she finally confessed.
“Nothing?” She shook her head. “It looked as if you were taking quite the beating,” he told her, hoping to jog something. Her blank stare told him what he needed to know.
They remained quiet for a few minutes when she finally asked, “He was here, wasn’t he?”
Lying to her wasn’t an option, especially without firm answers, so he omitted what he had been thinking and answered with, “Someone was. We don’t know who, though. That’s what Nick’s out there doing now.”
Her head whipped around to Ace’s. “He’s dangerous!” she called, rushing for the door and flinging it open before he could catch her. “He can’t be out there by himself!” she screamed as he grabbed her around the waist before she could leap off the porch.
Hauling Pepper’s shivering body back inside, he carried her to the couch. Sitting down, he tried to calm her visibly fried nerves.
“Ssshhh,” he soothed, “Nick will be fine. This is what he does.”
“No! He can’t be hurt because of me!” Her sobs threatened his control as the temperature seemed to drop and the sun disappeared behind the clouds.
Cupping her face in his hands, he gave her a little shake. “I promise, baby, he’ll be just fine. Trust me,” he implored.
Searching his gaze, her curvy body finally collapsed into his own after exhausting herself with worry and fear.
Looking at the clock, it had been more than two hours since Nick left. He had to admit worry was setting into him, too.
The anxiety and terror that had settled into Pepper’s bones since she awoke felt like it was unwarranted, yet justified all at the same time. She was a ball of nerves, and she knew it.
Running out on Ace was stupid on the epic scale of proportions; nonetheless, she couldn’t have stopped herself even if she wanted to. Her attacker was here, whoever he was, and Nick was out there alone.
A thought occurred to her as her eye caught sight of the guns on the table. “Is Nick armed?” she asked Ace, leaning back to see the truth in his eyes.
He looked away momentarily before meeting her own eyes dead-on. “No, he’s not.” While she was happy he was honest with her, at least, the thought of Nick out there and unarmed scared her to near death.
“Hey,” Ace’s hand ran down her hair soothingly. “Nick’ll be just fine. Roxie has his back.” His smile at any other time would have been disarming, but right now, she could see his own concern about his cousin.
Needing a distraction, she started asking him mundane questions as he continued to play with her long hair. “Are you both from here?”
“More or less,” Ace replied, not expanding on the answer.
“What does that mean?”
Looking down into her eyes, he must have seen something because he explained. “Nick grew up here. I moved here when I was about ten or so. When I turned sixteen, I moved in with him and his parents.” He sounded sad.
“Why?”
A wistful smile preceded his next words. “My parents were killed in a plane crash.”
So much for her “getting to know you” questions.
“Now, now, don’t get that look. Everything happens for a reason, right?” Ace said.
She hated that he was trying to reassure her now. She hated that everyone died. She hated so much in that moment.
“I just wish…” Pepper didn’t even know how to put into words how she felt or what she wanted anymore.
“You wish what?” he whispered against her neck, his hot breath igniting a flame she thought had been extinguished.
Before she could say a word, Nick and Roxie came bursting through the door, a flurry of cold following them in as the dog shook herself off, right onto them.
“Thanks, Roxie,” Ace muttered as they wiped the snow residue from their faces.
Standing, Pepper looked at Nick hopefully, slightly sick to her stomach in preparation for whatever news he may have. Shaking the snow from his coat, he hung it up to dry as he slipped the boots from his feet. Walking towards her, she couldn’t read his face. His features were hard, his eyes cold.
Cupping her face in his hands, Nick leaned forward, surprising her with a kiss to her lips. Pepper’s hands immediately went up to cover his, to hold him to her as he played with her tongue. A moan left them at the same time as a sweet flow of heat surrounded them in their desire. Pulling back only enough so they could catch their breath, he exhaled more than spoke as he said, “I don’t want you to leave.”
Her eyes flew open at the confession that secretly matched her own wish. Just the mere thought of leaving left a bad taste in her mouth, but like them, she knew that it might be inevitable. So instead of making promises she wasn’t sure any of them could keep, she pressed her mouth more firmly against his.
A sigh of relief passed Pepper’s lips as Nick took control. Her supple body yielded to his hard frame as he slid one hand down her back, pressing on the curve at the top of her ass so her pelvis and chest would press against him more intimately. Leaving no room for argument about how he felt towards her as his hard shaft pressed into her stomach.
He slowly began to move her backwards with small steps. When the backs of her knees met the couch, she was forced to lay back. Not once did he break contact with her. Instead, he followed her down as he continued his ultimate domination of her mouth.
She was helpless, yet willing, to all the things he wanted to do to her. As he separated from her lips to come up for air once again,
she followed him, not ready to break contact.
Nick’s eyes roamed her face as she fought to catch her breath. When no words were forthcoming, she could feel a blush begin to stain her cheeks just as a predatory smile crept across his succulent mouth.
“So, beautiful.” His voice was full of reverence. “Don’t you think so, Ace?” When he turned his head, she followed suit to see Ace standing back watching, his own satisfied grin appearing.
The two of them giving the hottest looks she’d ever seen on any man—full of heat, want, and need—had her panties dampening with her own lustful desires. Rubbing her thighs together, she tried to be inconspicuous about it but knew she had failed when Nick’s hand ran the length of her body to grip her thigh.
Pepper hadn’t expected him to pull her legs apart, placing her thigh in his hand on the back of the couch. She was speechless but also intrigued. Anticipation flowed through her as Ace walked around the sofa to replace Nick’s hand with his own. The shorts she was wearing did nothing to help her cause, leaving her wide open for their perusal, and boy did they have fun with that.
Nick slid down the couch, his eyes never breaking contact with her own as he lifted her shirt, baring her hips and stomach while raining light kisses on every square inch he could reach. Movement from Ace’s hand drew her in his direction. Surely, he could see the need in her eyes reflected back at him as he trailed his callused palm down her thigh towards her core.
“So smooth,” Ace whispered in awe, a husky note to his voice.
Closing her eyes as they continued their assault on her body, she was mindless with the pleasure they were bringing her. Their soft touches had her skin breaking out in goosebumps, and their words of praise had her heart doing double-time in her chest. Hope bloomed high and bright in her mind’s eyes as she realized in her heart of hearts that she was free to be with these two caring and compassionate men. Pepper knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was unattached. Fate wouldn’t have her committed to one man only to begin falling so helplessly for two others she knew were etched and intertwined so deeply with her soul.
“Please,” she begged, a hitch in her breath.
“Please what, Pepper?” Nick asked from between her thighs, his breath hot and heavy, hovering over her core.
“Please,” she looked between them so they could both see the assuredness in her own gaze. “Take me.”
Their grips tightened where they were placed on her body.
“You sure?” Ace asked gravelly. His voice pure sex.
“You don’t have to. I got carried away,” Nick tried to reason with her.
She knew that. She knew it all. They would never force her into something she didn’t want or wasn’t ready for. There was never a doubt in her mind.
Leaning forward, she first cupped Nick’s cheek in one hand, then reached up to do the same to Ace. “I’m positive. I know what I want. And what I want more than anything is to be with you.” She looked between them again to make her point clear. “Both of you.”
Nick’s possessive growl was followed by the guys’ shirts flying across the room. Laughter bubbled inside of her at their enthusiasm. It was spontaneous and fun; everything she needed to make the moment perfect for them.
When Nick began to remove her shorts, she hesitated for just a second, and apparently, they felt it. “What is it?” he asked, nothing but concern in his voice.
Embarrassed, she quietly said, “I don’t know if I’ve done this before.” Hoping they would know what she meant so she didn’t have to say the words.
It took them a moment, but they both seemed to understand at nearly the same time. “We’ll go slow, ‘til we know for sure.” Ace smiled reassuringly at her.
Nick stood and walked over to the window, pulling the curtains closed as Ace helped her to her feet. Lowering his mouth to hers, she raised up and met him halfway. Their lips clashed in a fierce kiss, need a driving force in both of them.
She wanted so much to feel anything but the emptiness she had been filled with since waking up. And between the two of them, they made her feel like the richest of queens. Only her treasures weren’t in gold and diamonds but love and understanding. She was a precious gem to them, and they were her soldiers of passion. With their affection, she knew she was safe. No harm would come to her.
While she was busy being conquered by Ace, Nick began lifting her shirt from the back. With no bra on, she was nude before them in no time at all.
They both pulled away from her naked body, giving her a single moment of doubt because of her curves. As they circled her, their fingers lingered in certain places. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the feelings they evoked in her body. A finger traced the dimples just above her butt cheeks, making her arch involuntarily towards it for more. When another trailed down her chest from collarbone to hip, she knew they were toying with her.
Nick’s hushed voice confirmed it. “Keep your eyes closed.” Even with the chill in the air, she was in no hurry to cover up. They made her feel beautiful, enjoying her full curves. When she felt a body at her back kneel behind her, she felt worshipped. A set of lips kissing first one butt cheek then the other forced the air from her lungs. The deep chuckle that followed confirmed it was Ace fondling the globes.
“Fuck, they’re the perfect handful,” he murmured, flexing a cheek in each hand, massaging as he did so. A moan had left her lips before she knew it was happening.
Nick’s hands cupping her breasts had her eyes popping open when he trailed kisses down and across each one. He sucked a nipple into his mouth, and her knees went weak with desire. Her pussy dampened even more with the exquisite need to feel them inside of her.
“Let go, baby,” Ace murmured behind her, his face buried in the top of her ass, the whiskers from his facial stubble leaving a light burn in its wake.
Her hands came up to grip Nick’s biceps as he continued his assault on her breasts, taking long pulls from her nipples as he did. Suddenly, his hands fell away to wrap around her waist, pulling her as tight as he could to his body. His face in her neck, he mumbled, “I need inside you so fucking bad, Pepper. Let me have you.”
He wasn’t exactly asking or begging, but she wouldn’t call it a demand, either. The raw necessity conveyed in his words had her hiking one leg up his hip and pressing her naked body as fully into his as she could.
“I need you, Nick,” she implored him, letting her own feelings for him bleed through her words.
They helped her lay down on the make-shift bed, taking care that she transitioned smoothly. She wasn’t sure when they had gotten naked but seeing Nick kneeling between her thighs with his long member thick and angry-looking, ready to claim his prize, had her mouth watering. Ace handed him a foil package, and she suffered a moment of regret at not being able to feel him inside of her with nothing to block every hot sensation. She understood, though. There were still too many unanswered questions to take any chances.
Ace gripped one of her legs as Nick pulled the other to sit on his shoulder, clearly opening up her most intimate areas to display.
“Goddamn,” Nick mumbled. “Such a pretty pussy,” he told her, swiping one finger through her heat. A gasp left her as he brushed her hardened nub. Pleasure took hold of her body when he slowly inserted the same finger inside of her.
Never in any of his sexual experiences had Nick ever admired a woman’s pussy, but Pepper’s was a work of art. Ripe like a peach, appealing enough that he was going to regret not tasting her first. His need to be inside of her won out. As soon as his finger met her entrance, he nearly burned up from the heat emanating from her body. Closing his eyes, he concentrated so that he could smell her essence at its core. Her gasp of pleasure brought him back from the edge. She was tight as hell, tighter than anything he’d ever felt. If she weren't a virgin, he’d be shocked as hell.
“You ready, sweetheart?” He gave her one last chance to back out.
“Yes,” she hissed through gritted teeth. Her eyes were glossed over w
ith pleasure and need. Pride pounded at his chest knowing they’d done that to her.
Looking to Ace, his cousin’s eyes were firmly planted at her entrance, heat searing his gaze. Placing his cock at her opening, Nick slowly started pushing his way inside of her. He had to close his eyes and clench his jaw to keep from blowing too soon.
She was perfect.
Only an inch or two inside of her, and he had to stop to give her time to adjust to his girth. When she started wiggling her hips for more, he began the slow slide in again. Forcing himself to move slowly wasn’t easy and having the barrier of the condom between them pissed him off for reasons he couldn’t examine too closely at this point.
Realizing he was finally all the way inside her as his pelvis met hers, a mixture of emotions swept through him. She wasn’t a virgin, so they weren’t her first, but he knew better than he knew his own name that they would damn sure be her last.
Sitting still inside of her was hard as hell. Feeling her rippling walls trying to suck him further inside her channel made him want to pound her through the floor, but he knew he had to be gentle. While she wasn’t new to this, it had obviously been a while since she’d been with anyone.
“So, so, tight,” he mumbled, biting his lip.
“Nick,” she moaned when his cock got a mind of its own and started flexing inside of her.
“So much tightness,” he said again. Not hurting her was his goal at that point.
“Ace,” she pleaded with the other man. “Do something.” Her breaths were coming in pants.
Ever the one to please a woman, Ace bent forwards, capturing a nipple in his mouth, and holy shit did Nick feel that in the contraction of her pussy. This had forced him to move inside of her, and the sweetest torture he’d ever felt rolled down his back. Her walls gripped him in such a vice-like hold, it was hard to move. The heat surrounding his length from her own desire was fiercer than anything he’d ever known. Pleasure shot straight from his spine to suck the air from his lungs, sending the message to his balls that it was time to fully indulge her willing body.
