Unequaled

by Charity Parkerson

  “Yeah,” Rhys agreed, unsure of what to say.

  Asher moved to roll off the bed. In a flash of motion, Rhys found himself hovering over the man, and pressing him back against the mattress.

  “It mattered, okay?”

  He couldn’t explain why he needed Asher to know the night had not been pointless, but he did.

  Asher’s face and voice were devoid of emotion. “Okay.”

  It was a mask. Rhys didn’t know why he wore it, but he recognized the defense mechanism for what it was. Lowering his head, Rhys touched his lips gently to Asher’s, almost expecting a denial. The tip of his tongue teased open Asher’s mouth. The way he tasted and smelled made Rhys incapable of allowing Asher to leave without a final kiss goodbye. Maybe the sexy male would never think of him again. Even if he didn’t, it hadn’t been meaningless.

  * * * * *

  The moment Rhys turned his attention on Asher, Kerry slipped away. With her clothes left behind her, she traversed the maze-like hallways with the familiarity brought about by hundreds of nightly visits. Her body hummed. Even the brush of cool air against her thighs heightened her desire. When the unmarked door came into view, a shiver of excitement ran through her. Kerry’s knuckles barely grazed the wood surface before it swung wide revealing the man on the other side. A pair of worn jeans slung low on his hips. His broad shoulders and flat stomach were bare. She enjoyed the vision of golden skin. Blue eyes dropped to her painted toenails before slowly lifting to her face. They darkened, showing his lust even as his expression revealed nothing.

  “I’ve been waiting.”

  “You’re a patient man.”

  “No,” Dane argued. “I’m not.”

  His hand shot out. Cold metal hit her wrist. Kerry didn’t need to look. The familiar sensation of steel handcuffs sliding across her skin told her everything. With a tug, he hauled her inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

  “You look delicious. Good enough to eat, in fact.” The low tremble of his voice caressed her skin. Her hard nipples somehow managed to tighten further. “Have you enjoyed having all the power tonight?” She didn’t answer. No good could come of anything she said. “I think it’s time I took control, don’t you?”

  Kerry held her silence awaiting his command. She didn’t have to wait for long. “Get on the desk,” Dane demanded as he crowded her against it. Meekly she obeyed. The cool planks almost shocked her system as it touched her inflamed flesh. Her juices soaked the surface as she slid backward. “On your back,” he added when she didn’t move quickly enough. With the ceiling staring down at her, Dane tugged her hands over her head, weaving the empty cuff through a metal bar on the wall before securing her other wrist. He eyed her nude body. Hunger etched in his face. Spreading her knees wide, he ran his finger down her slit. Her hips left the desk seeking his touch.

  “Look how wet you are.” She was powerless to do anything other than feel. “All of this for my little brother.” Kerry didn’t miss his emphasis on the word little. “I had a blindfold all picked out for you, but now, I think I should let you see who owns your pleasure.” Gripping her thighs, he massaged her muscles, moving closer to her center with each pass. When he finally reached her cunt, his thumb dipped inside her opening. “Who owns this?”

  She recognized he was punishing her. She took it as her due. “You do,” she answered through parched lips. His touch eased and his face lost its hard edge at her confession. Using her moisture against her, he trailed a path from her channel to her asshole.

  Without looking away from her face, he circled the puckered strawberry. “Tell me what you want,” he demanded.

  She didn’t hesitate. “I want you to crawl up my body so I can taste your cock.”

  His eyes flared at her answer and his hands went to work on his jeans. In a matter of moments, they were gone, and he was straddling her body. Only, instead of giving her what she wanted, he pressed his lips to hers. The tip of his tongue touched the corner of her mouth. She accepted him inside. Dane’s familiar flavor coated her taste buds. It tasted like love and acceptance. Her body cradled his when he shifted positions. Dane’s hard shaft ground against her needy pussy. Every word he spoke had been the truth. He did own her, but she owned him, as well. Just as she would never allow anyone to touch her the way he did, no one else tasted what belonged to her. The lifestyle surrounding them didn’t matter in the least. She would kill any woman who encroached on her territory. There also wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Dane would tear apart any man who attempted to steal her.

  Taking hold of what control she could, Kerry sucked hard on his tongue while hooking her ankles at the small of his back in an attempt to draw him closer. Dane growled against her mouth. The blunt head of his cock probed at her entrance before easing away again. She whimpered, protesting the loss. Turning his head, Dane buried his face in the crook of her neck. He chuckled. The sound made her blood boil. Fury raced to the surface.

  “Fuck me.”

  At her demand, he tsked. “You’re so greedy.”

  He was right. When it came to him, she could not get enough. “Only for you.”

  At the admission, Dane surged forward, spearing her with his shaft. She cried out in surprise and pleasure. Buried to the hilt, Dane held still, giving her time to adjust to his intrusion. Going up on his elbow, he brushed her hair away from her face as he held her stare. The light above his head shimmered off the golden strands in his hair. He was such an enigma, a bad boy hidden behind the face of angel.

  “Thank you for helping my brother.”

  Her eyes fell closed at his words. She’d been so scared. He would never know how goddamn frightened she’d been of failing him. If Rhys couldn’t find his way back home, she didn’t know what it would eventually do to Dane. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye without her permission. Swallowing down her fear, she met his gaze again, attempting to make him see the truth.

  “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  “This time, it wasn’t for me.”

  “Everything is always for you,” she stressed but his face only softened further as he rocked his hips against her. Her clit pulsed at the direct contact. Dipping his head, Dane froze an inch from her mouth. He ground his pelvis against her again making her pant.

  “You couldn’t stand the sight of his pain,” he whispered. “It’s one of the many reasons I love you so fucking much it hurts.” Without giving her another chance to argue, he sealed his mouth over hers. Her reasons no longer mattered when he was pumping inside her. Kerry’s mind couldn’t cling to anything other than the pressure building between her legs. The tingle continued to grow with each pull of his skin across her love button. Her greedy cunt convulsed and sucked the seed from his dick. Even focused on her goal, she didn’t miss the words he whispered as she came apart. “You are my whole goddamn world.”

  Chapter Three

  “What the hell? Do you work here or something? Every time I stop by you’re here.”

  Screwing up his face, Dane scoffed at Rhys’ question. “No.”

  “Okay,” Rhys drawled.

  “Why are you here?” Dane asked before Rhys could question him further.

  “I came for Kerry. She owes me something.”

  Dane bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling or growling. He wasn’t sure yet which side he would emerge on. Either way, he didn’t want to take any chances of giving himself away. When he didn’t offer up her whereabouts, Rhys rocked back on his heels and his eyebrows rose in question.

  “Well, I guess I’ll just check inside for Kerry then…”

  Dane shrugged. “Knock yourself out. Like I said, I don’t work here.”

  Rhys shook his head as he turned away. Dane fought the urge to pound his head on the countertop. As the door swept closed behind his brother, Dane shifted his gaze to where Kerry sat on the floor at his feet.

  “You’re not going to be able to hide from him forever.”

  She blew her bangs away from
her face. “I know. I don’t intend to, so don’t worry. I have a plan.”

  “Does this plan include sleeping with my little brother?”

  With a roll of her eyes, she punched him in the thigh. “Of course not! You ought to know by now I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a cheat.”

  Lowering his lids, he swept a hot gaze over the body he could not get enough of, and his balls grew heavy. Her nipples showed through her shirt, proving her body’s willingness to participate in whatever he planned. He could hear the lust in his voice when he responded. “I know you’re not a cheat. There aren’t enough hours in your day for anyone except for me. As for you being many things, you are really only one thing. Mine.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the front door swing open but Dane couldn’t look away from Kerry. Her expression gave him every reassurance a man could need. She loved him. He knew it with only a glance.

  “You’re always here,” a deep Italian accent rumbled from across the counter.

  Kerry jumped, visibly startled by the sound. Dane loved that he was able to hold her attention so completely with only a stare. Dane still didn’t look away from her as he responded.

  “I’m hearing that a lot today.”

  Kerry stood, making herself known. Asher smiled knowingly at them both. “Ah, now I understand your inability to stay away. We should all be as lucky.” It was obvious what Asher thought Kerry had been doing on the floor. Dane bit back a grin when she didn’t try to disabuse Asher’s suspicions. Instead, he leaned on the counter as she began attempting to move Asher along.

  “Yes. Well, you should head in then. Don’t you think?” She let the question hang in the air between them. Asher’s grin turned shrewd.

  “I do believe I’m intruding. Far be it for my usual daily workout to interfere with your…” he paused, eyeing them both carefully before continuing, “time together,” he finished off with a wink.

  Striding away, Asher didn’t give them time to argue before disappearing inside the club. “Huh. His usual daily workout. I see your plan,” Dane said the moment they were alone.

  Kerry’s eyes skirted away. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  Guilty. “Uh-huh.” Dane straightened to his full height and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. In his mind, he was burying his fingers in her hair, pulling gently at the locks as he hauled her body against his. He knew exactly how she tasted, the sounds she made and how hot her cunt got while squeezing his cock. Damn, she was like oxygen to him, completely necessary.

  * * * * *

  Rhys checked every unlocked room except for the women’s locker room before finally giving it up as a bad job. Unable to find Kerry anywhere inside, Rhys headed back toward the door. He wondered for the hundredth time if she’d wussed out on him. The overwhelming sense of someone watching him crawled up his back. Scanning the room once more, Rhys spotted a familiar form striding toward the locker rooms. His every nerve ending went on high alert. In a single glance, he was every bit as turned on as he’d been the night before when the sexy male’s body had been pressed against his. A set of light blue eyes met his before skirting away. There was not even a hint of recognition crossing Asher’s face before dismissing him. It hurt more than expected. No strings. The reminder did nothing to ease the tightening of the muscles in his chest. Damn. The ten-thousand dollar business suit threw him off-balance. He should have known. The cultured accent, expensive cologne and mannerisms all spoke of a certain lifestyle. Yep. Out of his league. Whatever. It wasn’t important. Fuck. Going for the exit, he caught a glimpse of Kerry and Dane in the foyer. Something about the way they looked at each other gave him pause. Instead of charging out the glass door, he hung back for a minute.

  Kerry snagged the front of Dane’s t-shirt and tugged him forward. He kept his hands shoved deep in his pockets, but he went willingly. Since he stood almost a foot taller than her, Dane was forced to lean down in order to touch his forehead to hers. An inch away from one another, they kept their gazes locked. Neither appeared to speak nor did they touch each other in any other way.

  It wasn’t possible. There was no way this could happen twice in one lifetime. Both of his brothers loved a woman who had shared some form of sexual experience with him. Kerry had plans to do it again. There was no goddamn way. He couldn’t deny the truth staring him in the face. They loved each other. The fucking bitch. Anger like he’d not experienced in a long time came rushing to the surface. The door banged against the wall before he recognized he’d been the one who threw it open. Kerry and Dane stared at him as if he was insane. No doubt, he looked it at the moment. Dane was better now. He was finally recovering from his addictions, and she was going to destroy him.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Look man, I can explain.”

  Dane’s attempt to soothe his temper brought Rhys up short. “You have nothing to explain. You’re not the one screwing around.”

  Damned if they didn’t both look guilty, and for once, Kerry had nothing to say. Her lack of argument left him off-kilter. The couple exchanged glances. His head hurt. Something wasn’t right, and as usual, he was the only one who didn’t understand what was going on. Kerry dropped her chin and stared at the toes of her shoes. Dane seemed…unfazed. Scrubbing his hands across his forehead, Rhys did his best to call his temper under control. The cool look on Asher’s face floated across his mind.

  “You know what? I don’t want to know.” Stepping around Dane, he headed out the front entrance and straight for his truck. He shouldn’t have come back to this town. His step slowed when his car and the man waiting beside it came into view. How had he beaten him outside without walking right past him? His tie was missing. The blue shirt, which matched his eyes perfectly, was unbuttoned at the collar leaving a hint of olive skin showing. Rhys could almost smell him. It did nothing to help his black mood.

  The moment he spotted Rhys, Asher straightened away from the vehicle. “I wasn’t ignoring you.” His eyes weren’t cool any longer. Rhys struck without thought, crowding him against the door of his truck. He didn’t give a shit who was watching as he flattened his palms against the sun-warmed steel on either side of Asher.

  “I know you’re not.”

  The wave of raw lust rolling off Asher’s body punched him in the gut. “I didn’t wish to embarrass you by openly acknowledging you. Now, I see you’re not bothered.”

  “Really?” Rhys could hear the sarcastic note in his voice, but his temper wouldn’t allow him to stop. He ran his gaze over Asher’s expensive clothing. “I got the impression you were merely slumming it with me. Perhaps you’re the one who is embarrassed.”

  Asher’s entire demeanor changed in an instant at the accusation. “Ah. I see.” He stepped out of his hold, leaving Rhys no choice except to let him go, or physically restrain him. Rhys watched him walking away. The confidence in Asher’s stride held Rhys’ attention much longer than it should.

  Before Asher could get too far away to fix things, Rhys spoke up, stopping him. “I’m sorry.”

  In a flash, Asher managed to reverse their roles. The solid door came against Rhys’ back as the pissed-off man went nose to nose with him. “Do you know what your problem is?” Without waiting for an answer, Asher added, “You’re obviously used to dealing with people who are weak, and I am anything but. I happen to know my worth. If you ever figure out yours then you know where to find me.”

  Pushing away from the truck, he left Rhys alone and speechless. Not to mention, his dick was now hard as a rock. Holy hell. The smell of Asher’s cologne hung in the air. The accent, damn, he’d forgotten what the sound of it did to him. With a curse, he pushed away from the truck. There wasn’t any sense in staying here any longer. The moment the door closed behind him, he froze. How had Asher known which vehicle belonged to him? It was one question he might not ever get an answer to, since it seemed he’d fucked everything up.

  * * * * *

  The third beer and co
ol night air did much toward calming him. Nothing compared to the Vegas skyline. The bedroom he occupied at Knox’s place had one hell of view from its balcony. Millions of tiny lights in the distance reminded Rhys of how small he was in comparison. Kicking his feet up onto the railing, he settled deeper into his chair. When the French doors opened and Dane strolled out, he wasn’t the least bit surprised. His brother had always been a sneaky bastard. Rhys tipped back the longneck, doing his best to ignore Dane as he claimed the empty chair next to him.

  Fishing around in the cooler at his feet, Dane came out with a bottle of water. “A lot has changed around here since you left,” he said as he twisted the lid off.

  “You could have fooled me. This shit is feeling real familiar.”

  Dane chuckled. “You’ve always been good at turning a blind eye to things.”

  “In other words, I’m a self-absorbed ass. Thanks,” Rhys added with a wince.

  “No. I’ve never believed that, because you can be wonderfully observant when something piques your interest.”

  Rhys threw up a hand. “Great. Now, I’m a self-absorbed ass with A.D.D.”

  With an exasperated sigh, Dane shook his head. “You’re full of heart. Unfortunately, you were also raised in the same home I was. You’ve learned to protect your heart from things you know will hurt. Growing up, you never wanted to see Knox as a victim, or even as human for that matter. As a result, you wrapped yourself in your anger when he left us behind. However, I remember those days all too well. Actually, I’m a bit surprised he made it long enough to ditch us, not that it mattered in the end. He was still just as haunted after he left. Of course, you were too young to hear about the multiple suicide attempts.”

  That got Rhys’ attention. “Who? Knox?”

  Ignoring the disbelief in his tone, Dane simply nodded. “It was bad.” A thoughtful look passed over his face. “Honestly, it was a bit of a relief when he finally shut down.”