by Leah Brooke
It had become a routine somehow, and she treasured it, and felt the loss deeply.
Tightening her hands over the back of the chair in front of her, she studied their expressions, seeing the same loss in their eyes.
Clay took another sip of coffee. “When we got home, we stripped you and ourselves and went to bed. No, I didn’t sleep much.”
Rio’s usual morning grin was conspicuously absent as he brought her a cup of coffee, another sharp reminder of the differences between this morning and all the others.
Forcing a smile, she accepted the cup, knowing that he would have fixed it the way she liked it.
“Thank you.”
Rio’s gaze slid lower, lingering at the opening of her robe, his attention making her nipples bead tighter and ache with the need to be touched. “You’re welcome.” He smiled, one of those dangerously wicked smiles that always made her heart race, but they danced in a way that alarmed her now more than usual.
“You’re very lucky you’re not facedown over my knee with your bare ass wiggling on my lap after the stunt you pulled last night.”
Tightening her thighs together against the sharp pang of need, Jesse took a sip of her coffee before lowering herself into one of the kitchen chairs. Curling a foot around the leg of it, she eyed him over the rim of her cup, swallowing heavily and wary of his mood.
Raising a brow, she met his gaze squarely, hoping he didn’t see the effect his threat had on her. “You’re very lucky I didn’t knee you in the balls this morning when I had the chance, and put you out of business.”
Not appearing the least bit intimidated, Rio reached out a hand, tracing the opening of her robe with the backs of his fingers. His eyes glittered with hunger as his fingertips trailed over the curve of her breast barely an inch from her nipple.
“It wouldn’t make any difference. I could fuck you anywhere at any time. My cock is hard anytime I’m with you and at least a dozen times a day when I think about you. The thought of spanking that beautiful ass of yours is all that kept me from losing my mind last night.”
Gathering the lapels of her robe together in one strong hand, he pulled her close. “I never stop wanting you. I’ll want you until I die.”
Staring into her eyes, he smiled humorlessly and released her. “And for some reason, that surprises you. Amazing.”
Fighting back a moan at the sharp tingling in her nipples, Jesse wrapped both hands around her cup to warm them and to hide the fact that they shook. Desire flooded through her veins, and part of her wanted to forget the talk and go back to bed, to reestablish the connection between them in the most basic way possible.
It would only be temporary, however, tainted with the knowledge that they still had issues to face.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she lifted her head, meeting their eyes squarely.
“You lied to me.”
Clay set his cup aside and approached, turning her chair and kneeling in front of her. “We did, but you took off without letting us explain.”
Rio dropped into the seat on the other side of her, turning his chair and sliding it closer to settle in right behind her. “We kept a secret from you, but it was nothing that deserved that. I know we had a misunderstanding when we first met you and that neither one of us gave you a chance to explain then. But, honey, that was a long time ago and we didn’t have what we have now.”
Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he rubbed his cheek against her hair. “We’re dealing with a bigger issue here than a small lie, aren’t we, Jesse?”
Clay ran his hands over her thighs, the heat from them making her pussy clench with anticipation.
“An issue we need to address. You really shook us up, baby.”
She knew their touch, and the pleasure that followed. She knew that if this had been any other morning, Clay’s hands would have been under her robe instead of over it.
They always seemed to be touching her.
They’d learned her body well over the last two years and used that knowledge to arouse her every time they had a chance.
Her thighs shook with the effort it cost her to sit still, so she straightened her leg, placing both feet on the floor. She couldn’t allow herself to show any sign of weakness, at least until she got the answers she needed. Shaking so hard that coffee sloshed over the side of her cup, she set it carefully on the table and unwrapped her hands from it, pushing it aside before meeting their eyes.
“Don’t think you’re going to change the subject. Where were you going when you told me you were going to the club? You said I didn’t suspect anything and you wanted to keep it that way. Who were you meeting with? What did you mean when you said that I felt things too strongly? Am I smothering you? Have you decided you made a mistake? Do you want a divorce?”
Clay’s jaw clenched. “That mind of yours has been really busy thinking the worst.”
Rio cursed, lifting her from her seat as he stood and gathered her against him, sitting again with her on his lap. When she tried to get up, he merely knocked her off-balance, catching her when she fell against him. “That’s better.” Taking her hand in his, he waited until Clay took the seat Jesse had been sitting in and turned it, effectively surrounding her.
She stiffened, recognizing the look in their eyes. “Damn it, Rio. Stop it. We have to talk.”
Ignoring her protest, he slipped his hand inside her robe, closing it over her breast. “We were meeting Jake at his store after closing. You know he and Nat have had some issues and Jake wanted to talk.”
Jesse opened her mouth to ask what the hell was going on that made her sister so unhappy, but Rio put a finger to her lips, shaking his head.
“No. We’re not going to tell you what he wanted to talk about, which is why we didn’t tell you we were meeting with him to begin with. It’s between them. Nat talks to you and we don’t ask questions, and Jake feels comfortable talking to us. He just needs someone to talk to. This thing with Nat is eating him up inside and there’s nothing he can do about it right now.”
Clay sighed, slipping his hand under the hem of her robe, his eyes watchful. “We don’t like keeping secrets from you, but we didn’t think it was worth us fighting about, so we didn’t tell you.”
Jesse raised a brow, shifting restlessly on Rio’s lap as Clay’s hand moved higher, her abdomen clenching as a rush of moisture dampened her thighs. “Especially after you told me to stay out of it and then got involved in it yourself?”
Clay slid his hand higher, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips when she gasped. “He’s our brother-in-law, Jesse, and we’ve been friends for years. We’ve been worried about both of them, but we didn’t want you to. You’ve been making yourself sick worrying about Nat, and with being overworked at the store, you’ve been under a lot of stress. I don’t like it.”
Jesse bristled at his arrogance, but her insides began to relax.
“I’m a big girl. I can handle the store, and of course I’m worried about Nat. She’s my sister, and she’s not happy. Is Jake cheating on her?”
Clay frowned. “Of course not, and that’s all I’m telling you. It’ll work out for them one way or another.”
Jesse sat up, crying out at Rio’s tug to her nipple, and the answering sharp pull to her clit. “What do you mean, one way or another? Is there a chance they might get divorced?”
The thought of it scared her to death. Her sister adored her husband, and Jesse had always thought Jake adored her. Her sister and brother-in-law had always seemed so close, touching each other all the time and sharing intimate looks that shut out the rest of the world—looks that Jesse now shared with Clay and Rio.
It scared her that they seemed so distant now.
With the hand cupping her breast, Rio nudged her back, draping her over his arm, the look in his eyes reminding her that she had her own issues to deal with right now.
Running his hands over her, Rio smiled. “I don’t think either one of them will let that happen. They love each other,
don’t they?”
Jesse nodded. “Of course, but—”
Clay slid his hand higher up her thigh, his fingers dancing erotically over her bare mound. From the very beginning, they’d insisted she keep her mound waxed, something that seemed to give all three of them a great deal of pleasure.
“Enough. This is why we didn’t tell you anything about meeting with Jake. You have enough to worry about. I would rather talk about why you were in such a hurry to jump to the conclusion that we were cheating on you.”
With Rio’s fingers teasing a nipple and Clay’s moving dangerously close to her clit, Jesse swallowed heavily, struggling to hide the tremors that fluttered under her skin.
“What was I supposed to think when you talked about meeting someone and that I didn’t suspect anything? What was that crap about me caring too much? Caring about you? You didn’t answer me. Am I smothering you?”
Clay scowled and forced her legs apart. “You couldn’t smother me with your love if you tried. I always want all I can get. I would like some trust, though.”
Jesse’s stomach muscles quivered under Clay’s lips, her body trembling helplessly at the feel of his warm lips moving lower to her mound. Holding her breath as he used his thumbs to part her folds, she jolted, going stiff when his hot tongue darted out to touch her clit.
Clay lifted his head, his eyes filled with love, concern, and devious intent as he slid a finger through her slick juices.
“You’re always braced for disappointment, aren’t you, baby? You still don’t trust us enough to let go of that. It’s frustrating as hell, you know.”
Jesse shrugged and tried to gather her robe around herself, but Rio stopped her. Baring the rest of her and cupping both of her breasts, he ran his thumbs back and forth over her nipples, something that always drove her wild.
She tried to push his hands away, struggling to keep track of the conversation, but couldn’t budge them. “Damn it, Rio. Look, Clay, that’s my problem. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you and—”
Rio chuckled and rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, increasing the pressure and sending ripples of pleasure to gather at her slit. “How sorry?”
Jesse couldn’t hold back a cry, her breath catching when Clay lowered his head, placing a kiss on her mound.
“What? Wh–what do you mean—how sorry? You’re the one who lied to me and oh!” Jolting at the slide of Clay’s tongue over her sensitive clit, Jesse gripped Rio’s forearms, her entire body shaking.
Clay lifted his head slightly, his mouth dangerously close to her slit.
“And we’ve apologized for that and explained why. We’ll do whatever we can to make it up to you, but Jake needs someone to talk to. There isn’t, and never will be, another woman.”
Rio nuzzled her neck in that sensitive spot they both exploited at every opportunity.
“I thought you knew how much we love you, Jesse. We tell you constantly and I thought we’d shown you just how much you mean to us.”
With a sigh, Jesse stiffened, not knowing when or where they would touch her next. “I told you—it’s my problem. I overreacted.” She wanted to scream at Clay to finish her off, but she had the feeling that he’d purposely left her poised on the edge.
He moved forward, spreading her thighs wider as he got in her face, his eyes narrowed.
“Tell me what happened last night. Why did you look at us as if we were strangers and take off without even talking to us? You’ve never had any trouble yelling at us or demanding answers before.”
His eyes gentled, the hurt and love in them making her feel like a fool.
“Why, honey? What happened?”
Jesse blinked back tears, trembling helplessly with arousal. “Let me up a minute. Please. I can’t think like this.”
“No.” Clay stared into her eyes while his thumbs caressed her folds, keeping her open to him. “I like you like this.”
Jesse moaned, sucking in another breath when Rio tugged her nipples.
“I panicked, okay? I’ve always believed that saying that if it’s too good to be true, it usually is.” She took a shuddering breath, her knees shaking. “When all this started happening to Nat, I wondered how long it would take for it to happen to us.”
Her words came out in a rush, her breathing ragged. Watching Clay, she tightened her hands on Rio’s forearms, her body tight as she waited expectantly for a touch that could come at any moment.
Clay brushed his lips over her mound, his eyes sharp and filled with self-anger. “And you walked in to hear us talking about meeting someone and that you didn’t suspect a thing.”
“Yes.” Now that the crisis had passed, she felt weepy.
“It’s my fault, though. I should have stayed and talked to you. I just…couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I just wanted to get away until I could function again.”
Clay straightened and took her in his arms, pulling her against him. Threading a hand into her hair, he tilted her face up for his kiss.
Lust, hot and intoxicating, slammed into her, the desperation in his kiss feeding her own. Her head spun when she felt herself being lifted against him and carried from the room.
Halfway down the hall, he broke off their kiss and lifted his head, the intense possessiveness and need in his eyes making her shiver in reaction.
“It amazes me that after living in Desire for over two years—being married to Rio and me for almost that long—you still don’t understand that the word wife means something here, Jesse. We don’t take women or marriage lightly in Desire.”
His deep voice had a gruffness to it, filled with an anger directed at himself that left her staring up at him in shock. It also held more than a hint of pride in the fact that the men in this town took such good care of their women.
A muscle worked in his jaw as he strode into the bedroom and paused next to the bed. He stared down at her, his eyes darker and glittering with raw emotion.
“You know we protect and cherish the women here in Desire, but when that woman is your wife—it’s more, so much more.”
Rio moved in beside her, running his hand up and down her leg, his expression hard, while his eyes swirled with frustration and love. “It’s everything. Everything. How you can’t know that by now is beyond me.”
Looking from one to the other, Jesse shook her head. “It’s not that. It just hit me so hard and I realized just how empty my life would be without either one of you. I hate feeling so needy.”
Clay moved in behind her and loosened the belt of her robe. “We need to be needed.” He slid the robe from her shoulders, letting it puddle at her feet.
Bending from his considerable height, Rio brushed his lips over her shoulder as he ran his fingers over her breast, leaving trails of heat behind. “I adore you, Jesse Erickson. You’re my world.”
Clay stripped off his clothing with a speed that spoke of urgency. “I want you, Jesse. Badly. Words just aren’t going to be enough for any of us.”
As always, the sight of his nakedness made her heart race.
He stood a foot taller than her own average height, every inch of his body packed tight with muscle. Sexy as hell, he excited her with just a glance, but it had always been the way she felt in his arms that turned her inside out.
Until she met Clay and Rio, she’d never known it could be possible to feel beautiful, feminine, and desired, while feeling so safe and secure in their arms.
Naked, aroused, and with a gleam in his eyes, Clay nudged her, knocking her off-balance to land in the soft bedding. He followed her down, keeping most of his weight off of her while covering her body with his much larger one.
He slid a hand beneath her neck to lift her face to his, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes narrowed to slits.
“Do you have any idea, Jesse Erickson, how much my life’s changed since you became my wife?” Sliding a hand under her body, he lifted her against him, his cock hard against her inner thigh.
“Do you know that I look forward
to every day now because you’re in my life? I live to be with you, Jesse.”
Rio, now naked, tossed back the covers on the other side of the bed. Reaching into the nightstand drawer, he retrieved a tube and tossed it by the pillow, the bed shifting as he slid in beside her.
“Only both of us taking you together is going to be enough today, isn’t it, darlin’?”
Jesse knew he was right.
Nothing could match the closeness or the passion of having both of her husbands taking her at the same time, the trust and level of intimacy involved unmatched by anything else they’d ever done.
Her husbands both had a bit of a dominant streak, one that reared its head with delightful frequency.
Her pussy and ass both clenched in anticipation, the erotic tension in the air heightening and sending a thrill of alarm through her.
“Yes. God, yes.”
She rubbed against Clay, her body on fire. “You always do this to me. You make me so crazy that I can’t even think.”
Some of the tension drained from Clay’s features. “Good. I don’t want you to think. I just want you to feel. Feel how much we both love you.” Bending, he touched his lips to hers while sliding a hand from her hips to her breast, closing his fingers over her nipple. “Want you. Need you.”
Crying out, Jesse clung to him, shaken by the intensity of raw emotion and lust.
“I need you both so much. I was terrified that you’d found someone else, someone younger who could give you more children.”
Clay groaned, brushing her jaw with his lips.
“You’re everything to me, baby. I don’t know how I ever lived without you. I know I can’t ever do it again. I don’t want any other woman. I don’t care about more children. Between my son, Rio’s, and yours, we have three, and they take enough of your time.”
Lifting his head, he massaged her breast before rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes flaring with heat when she cried out and bucked against him.
“I’m selfish. I want every minute I can have with you. I didn’t know what happiness was until I met you. Damn it, Jesse. How could you not know? Christ, I have to have you. I swear, I could eat you alive.”
