Hard to Hold

by Nicole Edwards

  “What happened?”

  She shook her head again and this time there were tears in her eyes.

  “Please don’t make me talk about it. Can’t we just…?” A sob tore out of her. “Please, Rhys. I can’t. I really can’t.”

  Wolfe’s heart ripped to shreds as her tears began to fall. This wasn’t a woman prone to dramatics, and it was clear she did not want to talk about this. As much as they needed to know what was going on, he also knew forcing her wouldn’t help the situation.

  Putting one hand on Rhys’s shoulder, the other on Amy’s, he urged them back toward the doorway. “Come on. I’ll cook and we can … talk about somethin’ else.”

  Rhys clearly wasn’t happy about that, but he gave a jerky nod, wrapping his arm around Amy and steering her back into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair, but she refused to sit.

  “I’ll cook,” Amy insisted. “I need something to do. Why don’t y’all … I don’t know. Go outside or something.”

  Outside?

  Wolfe hoped like hell she wasn’t trying to get rid of them, because it would take a hell of a lot more than that to make him leave right now.

  “I just need a minute,” she pleaded.

  Nodding his understanding, Wolfe grabbed Rhys’s arm and tugged him back through the living room and out the front door.

  As soon as the door was between them and Amy, Rhys let loose a string of curse words that would’ve made Wolfe’s father blush. And that was saying something.

  “What the fuck did he do to her?”

  “He?” Wolfe was lost.

  “Oh, come on.” Rhys stomped across the porch, his voice low, probably so Amy couldn’t hear. “Someone hurt her and I’m inclined to believe it was a man. A police officer.”

  Yeah, that was the conclusion Wolfe had come to as well. Although, at this point, he had no fucking clue.

  “Why won’t she let us help her?” Rhys turned to look directly at him.

  “Give her time.”

  “You know, she asked me if Billy hit Reagan,” Rhys informed him.

  Wolfe nodded, waiting to see where Rhys was going with this.

  “I told her no. Told her Reagan would never put up with that shit. I think it was the wrong thing to say.”

  “But it’s true,” Wolfe agreed.

  Wolfe knew Reagan’s relationship with Billy wasn’t healthy by any means, but he did know that the little shit didn’t hit her.

  “It is. But you should’ve seen the look on her face. It was as though I’d personally offended her.”

  Interesting. “So, you think…?”

  Rhys shrugged. “I don’t know what to think, but yeah, I think it’s safe to assume someone abused her.”

  Wolfe nodded, considering this. It made sense. It certainly explained how tense she was, always looking over her shoulder.

  “I can’t fucking sit here and do nothin’, Wolfe. It’s not who I am.”

  Wolfe knew that. It wasn’t easy for him, either. “We don’t have a choice.”

  Rhys gripped the railing and bent over, bowing his back as his knuckles turned white around the old wood, his entire body tight with his anger.

  He didn’t know why he did it, but Wolfe moved over and put his hand on Rhys’s back. “We’ll figure this out.”

  Rhys stood, pivoting to face him.

  Wolfe found himself face-to-face with a very pissed-off sheriff.

  “You’re right. We will.” Rhys didn’t sound convinced. “Which is why I need to go. I need—”

  In an effort to distract him, Wolfe grabbed Rhys and slammed his mouth over his. Jerking the man against him, he released all the pent-up frustration through that kiss.

  “Fuck,” Rhys moaned, his fingers digging into Wolfe’s waist, their mouths separating only briefly. “God, I need you.”

  Wolfe knew exactly how Rhys felt. This thing between the three of them, it was building. Wolfe knew he had to be careful with Amy, but he didn’t have to do the same with Rhys. He could be as rough, as passionate as he wanted to be.

  And boy did he want to be.

  Wolfe pushed Rhys up against the wooden post that held up the porch’s roof. He held Rhys’s jaw in place, roughly kissing him, thrusting his tongue into Rhys’s mouth. It didn’t matter that they were outside, or that it was still daylight and anyone who came down Amy’s driveway might see them. He didn’t give a fuck about that. He wanted this man too damn much.

  Rhys was the first to pull back, but not completely. Wolfe remained close, their lower bodies still touching.

  “I can’t wait much longer,” Wolfe admitted.

  He could wait forever for Amy because that was what she needed, but he knew Rhys was as tired of putting this off as he was.

  “What do we do about that?”

  Wolfe didn’t know the answer to that yet. But he got the feeling that he’d know by the time he went home tonight.

  One way or the other, he was going to have Rhys. Whether they were alone or Amy was with them, Wolfe wasn’t putting it off any longer.

  Rhys was doing his best to keep his temper in check. Wolfe’s distraction had helped. Well, sort of. It had also riled him in a completely different way. Now he needed something to sate the urges that had been building and building. His hand was no longer doing it for him. He needed more. Wolfe, Amy… Rhys needed to feel them, to touch them, hold them. It was slowly driving him to the breaking point.

  “Be patient,” Wolfe said, throwing Rhys’s words from the other night back at him.

  Patient. Right. His patience was so fucking thin at the moment. Still, he managed to laugh and relaxed a fraction.

  That lasted until Wolfe backed away from him. Once the heat of the man’s body was no longer pressing against him, the source of his initial frustration made a reappearance.

  After Amy’s comment, he was itching to know just who had fucked with her and what they’d done. She clearly didn’t put a lot of faith in the police, which led him to believe that whoever had hurt her was in law enforcement. But who? Was it someone back in Houston? Or had she met him somewhere else?

  Unfortunately, his searches so far had netted absolutely nothing. He needed more information to go on. At some point, he figured she would tell him more or he would hit Wolfe up for the personal details from her employee file. Rhys couldn’t sit back and let her continue to fear someone who might be out for her.

  He wanted to fix it. It was who he was. Not something he could change, either.

  The door opened and Amy appeared. She looked as though she’d washed her face, probably dried up the tears that had managed to escape. Rhys had noticed how rough that was on her. She was trying to push it all down, put it behind her. The fact that she still lived in fear told him that it wasn’t something that would just go away.

  “Dinner’s ready.” She forced a smile. “Although I’m not sure this can really be called dinner.”

  “If it’s got meat on it,” Wolfe said as he stepped into the house, “then it’ll work for dinner.”

  “I’ll have to remember that,” Amy said with a genuine laugh.

  Rhys stopped in front of her, brushing her hair back from her face and watching her as she watched him. Rather than say anything more to upset her, he leaned down and gently kissed her. He wouldn’t apologize, but he would give her a little space.

  For now.

  “I guess we should be goin’,” Wolfe prompted, two hours later.

  They’d had dinner, scarfing down the grilled ham and cheese in a matter of minutes. After they’d helped her clean the kitchen, Amy had curled up on the couch between the two of them. Rhys figured she’d purposely put on a movie to keep from having to talk. Although it frustrated Rhys, he managed to let it go.

  “I have to get up early,” Amy said, far too agreeable for Rhys’s taste. “Plus, Reagan’ll be here around midnight, so I’ll have to be up when she arrives.”

  Wolfe looked between the two of them. “Reagan’s stayin’ here?”

  Rh
ys nodded. “She left Billy. Hopefully for good this time.”

  “You think Billy’ll come out here and start shit?”

  That had crossed Rhys’s mind, but if Billy was consistent, he was going to spend a couple of weeks screwing any female who’d give him the time of day before he decided he wanted Reagan back. “Doubtful. Not for a while, anyway.”

  Wolfe nodded, but he didn’t seem satisfied.

  “I’m sure Reagan can handle herself,” Amy told them. She looked at Rhys. “Plus, you said he never hit her. So you won’t have to worry about that.”

  Rhys didn’t say anything. He remembered that conversation in his truck. Amy had seemed offended by his statement that Reagan wouldn’t put up with that shit. Add to that Amy’s fear and her comment from earlier and he was starting to put all the pieces together.

  It didn’t make him feel a damn bit better.

  Wolfe was the first to get to his feet. He took Amy’s hand and led her to the door, stopping to kiss her before he stepped outside. “I’ll see you at work in the mornin’.”

  Amy nodded, holding on to Wolfe’s hand for a second before releasing him.

  Rhys took his turn, kissing her gently, wishing he could keep her in his arms for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

  They both knew it.

  “Good night,” he said, keeping his voice low. “If you need anything, call me. Or Wolfe.”

  She nodded, but she wouldn’t hold his gaze.

  As soon as he stepped outside, she closed and locked the door.

  “Is it just me, or did it seem like she was anxious for us to leave?” Rhys asked as he followed Wolfe down the porch steps.

  “It’s not just you.”

  They both stopped at Rhys’s truck, Wolfe turning to face him.

  “You’re on days this week, right?”

  “Yeah.” He alternated weeks working days and nights. It wasn’t always easy, but it worked for him. Allowed him to interact with everyone in the community.

  “Come out to my place.”

  Rhys glanced up at Amy’s house, then back to the sexy man in front of him. “I’m not sure…”

  Wolfe stepped in closer. “I wasn’t asking.”

  “Fine.”

  Wolfe gave a curt nod and walked over to his truck.

  Swallowing hard, Rhys battled back the natural urge to argue. He wasn’t going to win this one.

  But then again, he didn’t really want to.

  14

  __________

  When Wolfe walked into his house a half hour later, he instantly wished he’d brought Amy with him.

  Oh, sure, she would’ve declined the offer, but he hadn’t been ready to leave her yet. It seemed the more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. Which was crazy. Hell, he’d loved his job before she started working there. Now that she was with him all damn day, he hated when it was time to leave.

  A knock sounded on his front door a second before it opened.

  “Was startin’ to think you weren’t comin’,” Wolfe told Rhys when he waltzed into the kitchen, where Wolfe was leaning against the counter, drinking a beer.

  He hadn’t bothered turning on the overhead lights, knowing he’d just be turning them off again, so he stood in the dark, the light above the stove providing a white glow that didn’t reach far.

  “Almost didn’t.”

  Wolfe tilted his bottle to his lips, waiting for Rhys to elaborate.

  He didn’t.

  Clearly they had some things to discuss.

  “Scared?” Wolfe taunted. Hell, it was as good a conversation starter as any.

  “If I said a little, does that bother you?”

  No.

  In fact, Wolfe understood.

  “So, how does this work?” Wolfe figured if anyone would know, Rhys would. It seemed the guy had some experience with these situations. If some of the rumors were true, anyway.

  “How does what work?”

  Crossing one ankle over the other, Wolfe took another swig of his beer. “This thing with you, me, and Amy.”

  “Like, you want to know which tab goes in which slot?”

  Wolfe flipped Rhys off. “No, smartass. I’ve got that one figured out.”

  “Do you?” The taunt in Rhys’s tone was evident.

  Setting his beer on the counter, Wolfe pushed away from the cabinet and stalked across the room. As usual, Rhys stood his ground, not budging even when Wolfe got up in his face. Wolfe liked that about Rhys. He liked that the man wasn’t intimidated by him, that he was willing to stand up to him. It was fucking hot.

  Wolfe leaned in, his lips hovering mere centimeters from Rhys’s. “Trust me, I’m not questionin’ what I want from you.”

  “What about what I want from you?” Rhys asked, his low tenor sending a chill down Wolfe’s spine.

  “If you’re man enough to take it, you can have it,” Wolfe told him.

  Okay, it had been a dare. However, Wolfe hadn’t expected Rhys to call him on it.

  The next thing Wolfe knew, he was up against the refrigerator, Rhys’s lips fused to his, their tongues dueling. The man was a hell of a lot stronger than Wolfe gave him credit for.

  This was exactly what Wolfe needed.

  “I’m definitely man enough,” Rhys murmured against Wolfe’s mouth. “And I’ll take everything you’re willin’ to give.”

  Wolfe was breathing hard, his fingers digging into Rhys’s lower back as he held him close, their chests and hips pressed together, his cock becoming intimate with his zipper.

  “I get this part of it,” Wolfe admitted, pulling back slightly. “And jeezus, fuck, I want you more than I want my next breath. But I want Amy so fuckin’ bad. I want her here with us. I want her between us. I want her beneath me.” Releasing his death grip on Rhys, Wolfe thrust his hand through his hair, glancing up at the ceiling. “I don’t know how this fuckin’ works, Rhys. I just don’t.”

  The warmth pressed against him disappeared as Rhys moved back.

  “What you’re askin’ is whether she’ll accept us bein’ together without her?”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” It seemed like a logical question. Would it bother her? Would she be hurt? Or did she expect it?

  “Will you question if I’m with her without you?”

  Wolfe thought about that for a minute. There was some dark, devious side of him that liked the idea of knowing Rhys and Amy might be fucking, that one or both of them would tell him about it at some point. Perhaps they’d tell him in vivid detail.

  He found himself shaking his head. “I wouldn’t question it. But I’d want you to tell me what happened in detail.”

  Rhys cocked on eyebrow, his breaths deeper. He was clearly thinking about that, too. “I’d want that, too.”

  They stared at one another for several seconds before Rhys spoke again.

  “And I’d expect the same … if you’re with her without me there.” Rhys turned away.

  “You want me to tell you how I touched her? Kissed her? Licked her?”

  “Fuck yes,” Rhys hissed, his hands balling into fists. He was obviously holding himself back the same way Wolfe was.

  “Is that how it works?” Wolfe asked, genuinely curious. “Are there parameters? Only at certain times? In certain situations? Are there rules?”

  Rhys turned to face him. “Do you want there to be?”

  Wolfe didn’t know. He only knew that he wanted Amy there with them. Tonight. He didn’t want to wait for her. He wanted to feel every inch of her against every inch of him. He wanted Rhys naked beside him, touching him, tasting him. He wanted to do the same to them.

  But he didn’t fucking know how it worked.

  Rhys sighed and Wolfe forced all the shit from his brain. He was overthinking this.

  “I should go,” Rhys said. “It’ll happen when it’s supposed to happen. If it’s supposed to happen.”

  When Rhys turned toward the door, Wolfe debated on whether or not
he should stop him. He was torn, but if he let Rhys walk out that door, he’d go fucking crazy.

  Hell, he was already halfway there.

  “It’s supposed to happen,” Wolfe assured him, talking to Rhys’s back as he moved toward the door.

  Rhys put his hand on the doorknob. “Is it? Because I’m startin’ to wonder.”

  Wolfe put his hand on the door above Rhys’s head, keeping him from opening it. “Turn around.”

  There was a slight pause before Rhys turned, looking directly in Wolfe’s eyes.

  “You’re makin’ me crazy,” Wolfe told him.

  “Funny.” Rhys chuckled, a gruff, frustrated sound. “I was thinkin’ the same thing about you.”

  Wolfe let his eyes travel over the smooth lines of Rhys’s face. “I need this,” he admitted.

  Rhys nodded, obviously understanding Wolfe’s pain.

  “I need you, Rhys. I need you to take the edge off. To keep me in check. That way when we have Amy, we can go slow, give her everything she needs.”

  Wolfe noticed the way Rhys’s eyes widened. The man needed the same thing, but he clearly wasn’t going to admit it.

  “Don’t go,” Wolfe whispered. “Stay with me tonight.”

  Rhys dropped his head against the door. “I think you’re gonna have to convince me.”

  “Think I won’t?”

  One shoulder lifted as Rhys gave one of those expressions that said Who knows, where you’re concerned.

  But Wolfe knew.

  He knew what he wanted.

  Sure, he was conflicted, but that didn’t change the fact that he wanted Rhys.

  Right here.

  Right now.

  I need you, Rhys. I need you to take the edge off. To keep me in check. That way when we have Amy, we can go slow, give her everything she needs.

  Those words ran on repeat in his head, making his dick throb as the doorknob dug into Rhys’s back when Wolfe crushed him to the wood, their mouths aligning, tongues moving together. The kiss was brutal. It was every damn thing he needed, every damn thing he’d thought about, dreamed about for too long now.

  He was tired of thinking, tired of worrying, tired of trying to figure it all out.

  He just wanted to feel.

  “Holy fuck,” Rhys groaned when Wolfe’s rough hands slid beneath his T-shirt, forcing it higher. Callused palms abraded his skin, making his nipples harden, his dick throb impatiently.