Kidnapped at the Gun Show [Ransomed Hearts] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Lavender Daye

  “Something to consider.” Sara smiled at him. “What about you?”

  “Already there, honey. Already there.”

  The heat in his expression had her believing every word. Scary how easily she fell back into trusting him with her heart.

  Riley was setting a fresh plate at her place when they walked into the kitchen.

  “Eat,” he told her. “You’re going to need the calories.”

  “See,” she said to Kale, “he’s going to fatten me up.”

  Riley leaned close to her ear. “I’m hoping to help you burn these calories later.”

  Sara’s face warmed with the innuendo, and she smiled at both men. What they were proposing was filling her head with erotic images she couldn’t ignore.

  The waffles were tasty, and she finished hers while trying to decide what to tell them about her former employers. Finally, she decided blunt would be best. “Kale, Riley, before we talk about anything else, there’s something you need to know about me.”

  “Please don’t tell us you’re already married to some schmuck,” Riley said.

  “No.” She chuckled. “Worse.”

  “Nothing could be worse than divorce proceedings.”

  “I need to be in Dallas by Tuesday.”

  Riley shook his head. “Not possible, Sara. The roads are a mess.”

  “Remember when I told you about my job with the software company?” she asked Kale.

  “Yeah. Are they opening back up and need you to work?”

  “No. But I have a meeting with the district attorney’s office to discuss my employers.”

  Riley sat forward, his hand on hers. “What exactly are you going to tell them?”

  His touch was comforting while his expression was all business. “I’m not sure. I think they want to ask me some questions about why they went out of business.”

  Riley, again, while Kale kept quiet. “Why don’t they just ask your employers?”

  “Can’t find them.” She snagged a piece of bacon from Kale’s plate and stuck it in her mouth, hoping they would see chewing as a reasonable delay to the conversation.

  “Do you know where they are?”

  “Exactly what kind of business did your employers have?”

  “Why is the district attorney interested in them?”

  The rapid-fire questions were getting on her nerves. “Let me guess. You’re a cop?”

  “No.”

  “Then what?”

  Riley huffed. “Attorney. Sweetheart—Sara, did they give you any papers when they asked you to come in Tuesday?”

  “No. Well, yes, they gave me a paper with the address and a reminder of what time and what room to go to at the courthouse.”

  Riley smiled. “Just one page? Did it say ‘Subpoena’ at the top?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Maybe it’s still in my purse.” Sara pushed her chair back and stood, the thought of a few minutes of solitude calling to her. But both men rose beside her.

  “Stay here with Riley,” Kale said. “I’ll get it.” He leaned close and planted a wet one right on her lips. No hands, no tongue, just a sweet, openmouthed melding of two people. Then he turned with a grin and walked off in search of her purse.

  A strong hand captured her shoulder, and she found herself looking into sparkling black orbs. Riley moved a mere inch closer, as if giving her time to stop him, but Sara was past the point of resistance.

  She met him halfway.

  His mouth pressed against hers, heat flashing between them as he took possession of her senses. Riley changed the angle, and suddenly Sara felt surrounded and overwhelmed by the warmth of his arms around her, the strong contours of his body against hers, and the complete submission of her body to his control. He was convincing her with his lust. The only problem she could see was herself. Lust and love were not always compatible, and she was in love with Kale.

  The logistics of this type of relationship baffled her. Sara pressed her palms to Riley’s chest and stepped a few inches away. “I need time to think.”

  “I agree. But sometimes thinking doesn’t help. Give yourself a chance to feel.”

  “How do I know you’re serious about this?” Sara lowered her voice and checked to see if Kale was in the hall. “I haven’t seen Kale in three years. Suddenly, he wants back in my life. And, oh yeah, he wants me to sleep with his best buddy while he watches, maybe participates.”

  She turned to look at Riley and realized she’d been pacing. “How do I know you don’t have a video camera running right now?”

  “Sara.”

  She froze. Swiveled to see Kale in the doorway. He held her purse out to her, every emotion buried in a cold mask.

  Chapter 7

  “Do you really think I’d do that to you?”

  Damn it. Kale was hurting because she couldn’t curb her tongue long enough to use her brain. Pain floated on the air around him, wrapping her in a hurt all her own. Remorse followed.

  “I don’t know, Kale. I’m trying to figure it out.”

  He dropped her purse onto the table and stepped in front of her until all Sara could see was Kale. The room, the cabin, and Riley disappeared.

  “I would never intentionally hurt you, Sara.”

  He didn’t touch her, but his hands twitched at his sides, and she knew, knew he was forcing his body to slow down and give her time.

  “I want to believe you, Kale. I really do. This is just an awful lot to take in. I know you, but not him.”

  “I understand.” He flexed his fingers, and she relented, stepping closer and taking his hand. Kale lowered his head to brush his lips across her temple. “Give us a little time to convince you this will work. Just a little time, that’s all I ask.”

  Sara stepped back and took a deep breath, trying like hell to keep her focus. “I’d, well, I really need to talk to Riley for a few minutes. Just the two of us?”

  A grin popped two gorgeous dimples in Kale’s cheeks. “So I should go take a walk, huh?”

  “Yes. No. Wait, it’s snowing like crazy and you’ll freeze.”

  But Kale was already pulling on his boots and jacket. “I think I can manage a little cold weather. Besides, we might need more wood for the fire.”

  He disappeared out the door, and she was alone with Riley.

  Sara wandered across the room and settled on one end of the couch, hoping the open-concept room would allow her to talk to him while still putting a little distance between them. She needed a little physical space and a few minutes to come up with a way to phrase her thoughts. Unfortunately, Riley-the-lawyer didn’t give her the space or the time, following her to the far side of the big room. He did, however, sit on the other end of the sofa.

  Well, one little concession was a start.

  “I don’t know if I can do what you and Kale are asking.” She fiddled with a throw pillow, killing a few minutes and knowing she was wasting precious time alone with Riley. “I’ve been in love with Kale for years. Even when he left me like he did, I still loved him.”

  “He told me what happened. He was devastated, confused, and hurt. I tried to help him exorcise you from his heart, but he couldn’t let you go. Had to find out what happened between you. I helped him with the research.”

  “You tried to help him get over me?”

  “I was being his friend. He’s like a brother to me, Sara. I’ll support him in any way I can.”

  Riley looked sincere, but she still watched for flaws. “And you want to be a part of our relationship.” It just seemed weird that he’d want a threesome when he knew she was in love with Kale.

  “In the last two years, Kale and I have shared a few women, with the hope of finding one we could both love. Someone we could make a life with.” He shook his head, a smile nudging up the corners of his mouth, and Sara could see his emotional involvement with Kale. There was love there, maybe not sexual, but still love.

  “Twice, we came close. But he couldn’t make a commitment because of his feelings for you
.”

  “That’s why he came looking for me?”

  Riley nodded. “He needed closure, if nothing else. He needed to know if you’d moved on. He’d hoped you still cared for him.”

  “I never stopped.” Damn, it was easier to admit that to a relative stranger than to tell Kale. Her insecurity was showing.

  “I’m hoping you’ll be able to love me, someday.”

  Herein all problems lie. “And if I can’t?” Sara looked away, unable to face him when she said, “What if all I can manage is lust for you?”

  His soft chuckle brought her eyes back to his face, and she had to smile at his expression.

  “At least admitting you feel lust is a beginning for us. Are you willing to give me a chance? Let me earn a little piece of your heart?” he asked.

  “I might be willing to try, but I have no concept of how this will work. I’ve never even imagined this sort of relationship.” Not quite true, since she’d read a few articles about nontraditional relationships, but she hadn’t believed it was real. Wasn’t it all just titillating fiction?

  “If you decide to stay with us, we will love and cherish you.”

  She dug her hands into the hair on either side of her head and squeezed, trying to make sense of what she was feeling. “If I try and it doesn’t work out, what happens to Kale? I know how he feels about your friendship. I can see it when he talks to you. I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to come between you and Kale.”

  Well, hell. She had to leave that particular phrase hanging between them. His expression burned her, had her creaming her panties, and left little room for air in her lungs.

  “Yes, you’ll do exactly what you just said.” His slow smile was in anticipation. “You will come, repeatedly, daily, between Kale and me. And you’ll love it.”

  Heat flooded her face, swept down her chest until she could swear her feet were in the fireplace on top of the burning logs. “I didn’t mean—”

  “Don’t worry, Sara. Sometimes, our unconscious thoughts come out at the most inopportune times.”

  Sara shook her head, tried to smooth down the mess she’d made in her hair, and laughed a little at her predicament. “I have no idea what I’m doing here,” she told him.

  “Look at it this way. Life is an adventure, and yours just got a little more complicated.”

  “Complicated?”

  Riley stood and reached for her, taking Sara’s hands and pulling her into his arms for a warm hug. “Yes, complicated. Managing the affections of two headstrong men will be a challenge for you. We both know we aren’t easy to live with, but we’re hoping you will keep us in line.”

  She couldn’t stop her smile. “I’m in charge?”

  “I didn’t say you were in charge. But you’ll be the center of attention for Kale and me.”

  The front door opened, and a snow-covered Kale crossed the threshold carrying several medium-sized pieces of kindling. Sara quickly stepped out of Riley’s reach and took a few of the sticks from Kale. “Let me help.”

  “Woman, give me a minute to get in the door and dry off. I don’t want you getting too cold, and I’m covered in this stuff.” He set the rest of the kindling in the bucket by the door and pulled off his coat, stamping his shoes on the mat to get rid of most of the snow. Kale pulled off the boots and padded toward the fireplace, snagging Sara’s hand as he passed her.

  “What did I miss?” he asked after a thorough kiss.

  “Nothing much.”

  What was the point of a private conversation if she spilled the beans when he got back? Did he have any sense of propriety? What was she thinking—of course he didn’t.

  He pulled her tight to his body and whispered in her ear, “Tell me everything, honey.”

  “Nothing to tell,” she whispered right back.

  Kale pulled her even closer, and she felt his thick erection pressing against her stomach. “Should I convince you?” he whispered right before nibbling on her earlobe.

  She was losing control, her body heat rising with each swipe of his tongue, each press of his body against hers. Kale sucked her lobe into his mouth, sending shivers down her spine, and suddenly she was overwhelmed.

  They weren’t alone.

  Chapter 8

  Riley leaned close, not allowing any of his body to touch Sara—except his mouth. The baggy shirt she wore had slipped off her shoulder, exposing her throat, shoulder, and a sexy red bra strap. Moving as slowly as he could manage with his body aching for more, he blazed a trail of wet kisses from the incredibly tasty curve where her throat met her shoulder to the alluring little lace strap.

  Her gasp when his lips made contact with the initial bit of flesh had him fully erect and ready to take her. Keeping his distance would be an exercise in self-denial, but he’d do whatever it took to convince her she belonged with them.

  Kale claimed her mouth, sinking deep, and Riley felt her body’s response, relaxing into the moment. He placed the final kiss next to the red strap then slid it down her shoulder. When she didn’t protest, Riley moved his body closer to the action, letting her feel his arousal as he pressed against her pert little ass. His hands cupped her there of their own accord, knowing they’d fit perfectly around each globe.

  Sara flinched at their possession. Almost immediately, he felt her hips shift, pushing back and into his hands.

  He squeezed, caressed, and then slipped under the hem of her top. The bare flesh of her back was smooth as silk against his palms. Sara’s breath hitched at his touch. Her heartbeat pulsed against his hands, and he knew Kale was working in the same direction he was. Finding the clasp of her bra was a simple thing, and as he opened it, Kale slid the front up to free her breasts.

  Riley slid one hand around her torso and cupped her breast, let the weight of her fill his hand, knowing Kale was doing the same. He laid his mouth on the side of her throat, just below her ear, and sucked, tickled with his tongue.

  A ragged moan floated around them. Sara’s head fell back to lie on Riley’s shoulder. Kale must have moved lower. Riley reached for the hem of her shirt, found it bunched under her arms, and lifted it over her head, taking the open bra with it.

  Fuck. She was exquisite.

  Riley watched, mesmerized as Kale suckled at her breast, one arm around her waist, the other wrapped around her thigh. Sara was perched precariously between the two men with only one foot on the floor. Riley slipped his hands around her waist and cuddled her against his body, the texture of her soft skin against his chest making his dick throb. Kale dropped to his knees in front of Sara, and Riley helped him divest her of the rest of her clothes in short order, working as a well-practiced team.

  As her clothes dropped onto the floor, Riley took full advantage, his fingers sliding up the smooth plains and valleys of Sara’s legs. Fuck. She was made to be theirs. He could feel it with every beat of his heart. He leaned in close and repositioned her head against his chest. When Sara looked up at him, her eyes glazed with passion, he couldn’t resist. He needed to taste her. He leaned down and took her mouth, plundering, exploring. And she let him have his way. Riley’s hand flattened on her ribs, slipped around again and cupped her breast, rolled the tight bud between his thumb and finger. He took her moan into his mouth, an echo resounding through his soul.

  She was more than he’d imagined, more than he’d hoped. Kale was right in wanting her so much. Sara would be perfect for both of them.

  “Sara, Sweet Sara,” Riley crooned while Kale eased pants and undies off her hips, “we’re going to take you to the bed, baby. We don’t want to take you on this hard floor. Okay?”

  She nodded. At least, Riley thought it was a nod. Kale was nibbling on her bare hipbone at the moment, but he took the dip of her chin as acquiescence. Kale maneuvered the rest of her clothes past her knees, and Riley scooped her up into his arms, letting what was left of her clothes fall to the floor.

  Sara cuddled into his chest, her bare body warm against him. She was all smooth skin and soft c
urves, and she fit perfectly in his arms. He dropped his chin and kissed her forehead, enjoying her arms around his neck, how comfortable she was with him. They’d aroused her to the point of complete submission, and he knew once the sex was over, she might not appreciate his participation. Keeping her aroused and willing would get them plenty of sex, but when they came up for air, she’d be ready to walk. She deserved a little control in her life, and he wouldn’t take that away from her.

  He’d be an observer for now.

  Riley reluctantly set her on the bed then walked around to the other side and removed his jeans, leaving the boxers with the big tent in place. Kale came through the door carrying a couple condoms and a towel, offering them to his buddy. Riley chose the towel, knowing he wouldn’t need a condom, but there was no reason to make a mess in the bed they all planned to sleep in tonight.

  He leaned in to kiss her anyway.

  Watching Kale part her thighs and kiss his way up the inside of her legs was enough of a turn-on for the moment. He was an expert at prolonging a climax, knowing just when to pause and when to plunge back into the fray.

  Riley stretched out on his side next to Sara, propped up with his head in his hand, while the other hand played with her breast. She was panting, getting close, and Kale was making her wait.

  He and Kale both knew she wouldn’t last long, and his friend wasn’t going to withhold climax much longer. Already, he was reaching for the condom. A few fresh swipes through her wet slit and Sara was ready to explode.

  Kale moved up her body and settled his hips between her thighs. One smooth push and he was buried to the hilt. Riley watched as the two melded, moved in a rhythm designed to take all of them over the edge. He made sure the towel was nearby then fisted his cock, matching the rhythm his friend set. Almost like active participation, but not quite. Kale pushed against the mattress, lifting his upper body, and the two men made eye contact. Riley accepted the invitation and leaned in, taking Sara’s mouth in a blistering kiss as they all climaxed together.