She was worth more to him dead than alive, that was for sure. Languishing in a jail cell provided him with nothing, which if he framed her for the house fire, jail would be her home for a long time. But upon her death, he'd receive a great wad of cash. He knew which he preferred.
Hugh Jakman was definitely going to be a pain in the ass, though. Joe could just feel it in his bones.
But, fortunately, life was expendable. If Jakman did get in his way, then it would be easy enough to get rid of him. Or maybe he would frame him for the house fire . . . .
Smiling as he had more options now than he had had an hour ago, Joe walked from his office and to the hallway. Picking up the house phone, he dialed a number and waited for a response. As he tapped his fingers against the console table, Joe thought about the millions that were coming to him and felt like doing a jig of glee.
Chapter Three
Hugh looked down with a sensual smile as Nicole sagged limply against the shower wall. He liked that he wore her out. His wolf was especially pleased!
"How about coming out for supper with me?" he asked nonchalantly then watched with unhidden amusement as a blush stole over Nicole's cheeks. As it spread to more delectable areas, his cock began to grow hard, and, completely at ease with his body and arousal, he reached down to jack himself off a little.
Grinning at her, he watched as she closed her eyes nervously while licking her lips. Her gaze was focused on his hand and his dick and he couldn't help the satisfied smirk that graced his mouth. He watched as she ducked her head to hide her porcelain-like features, and for the moment, allowed her to hide herself from him.
Nicole's face was a picture of femininity, a throwback to the Renaissance period. It set his body on fire as soon as his gaze washed over her.
Her pouty lush lips teased sensually without her even trying. Cheekbones that were sharp enough to cut glass but instead of adding an angularity to her face, merely gave her a heart-shaped visage complete with gemstone green eyes that did little to conceal her thoughts and emotions. She was the first woman he'd ever met who was truly guileless. There was something so open about her that everything in him responded to it. Nicole needed to be protected, and all that Hugh was cried out to be that protector.
"I . . . I . . . . W-well, actually, it's kinda funny that you asked because Byron already asked me earlier," Nicole said in an attempt at being casual about the situation, but she couldn't disguise the fact that her voice was laced with guilt and discomfort.
Chucking her under the chin with a crooked forefinger until she looked him in the eye, he then stroked the calloused digit along the length of her jaw. Feeling her shiver, he smiled faintly as he looked directly into her eyes. Seeing the embarrassment there made it difficult for him to contain his anger at his brother's forwardness. After so many damned years together, years where he'd grown to know his brother like he knew himself, Hugh should have realized Byron would have done something like this. Byron could be a cocky son of a bitch and always grabbed the bull by the balls. In this case, he'd outmaneuvered Hugh, but not for long.
None of that was Nicole's fault, however, so he tempered his anger. "Why are you so nervous, Nicole?"
"To be honest, I'm not really sure," she said, laughing uneasily before replying, "You've obviously never been in an awkward situation like this before." Shrugging when he didn't respond to her observation, she continued, "I hate feeling gauche, but I seem to spend half of my life feeling that way regardless."
Hugh tilted his head to the side and looked at her, his penetrating gaze assessing her for a second. "We could all go together?" he suggested, his voice noticeably husky even to his own ears.
He watched as she bit her lip indecisively and saw the need to play the role of peace-maker. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she didn't want any conflict between him and Byron. He noted that with some astonishment. No woman he'd ever met had cared for the closeness of his and Byron's relationship. In fact, they had more often than not resented it. It was a shock to see the complete opposite in her luminous eyes.
"You're sure Byron won't be upset?" she asked warily.
Her question merely confirmed what he'd suspected about her. "No, he won't mind at all."
"I mean there's no real reason to mind, is there?" she asked, a challenge in her voice.
"What do you mean?" he asked with a cocked brow.
She sighed wearily. "Oh, nothing. I'm just being silly. If we're going to eat out then you'd best get home and get changed. I'd like to go to Mariana's, if that's OK with you guys?" She paused for a second when he didn't say anything. "The reason I asked if it's okay is because they have a dress code and I know a lot of guys don't really like . . . ."
"That'll be just fine," he said, interrupting her. "I'll be back in about an hour. Don't worry, I'll be suitably attired," he said, grinning at her from ear to ear when she blushed at his assurances. Bending down, he planted a kiss on her damp temple. He paused in the doorjamb and spun around, watching her as she dried herself off. "Never change, Nicole."
"What?" she asked, a note of confusion in her voice and a query on her brow.
"There's no shame in being a little gauche every now and then. We're all human," he murmured with a shrug.
On that last word, he strode into the bedroom and quickly dressed. A truck horn sounded. Hugh hurried down the stairs and quickly jumped into the cab. When he'd buckled himself in, he settled back and sat quietly, watching the houses flash by as he thought back over the conversation he'd just had with Nicole and wondered why something she'd said hadn't seemed right.
"Dammit, I forgot to give her that fucking money back!" he said angrily into the silence as the conversation truly registered in his brain.
"What money?"
"She thought I didn't want to fuck her so she pressed some cash in my hand. I meant to give it back to her today," he said, shrugging angrily, "but with everything that happened today, I just plain forgot. Dammit."
"I can return it tonight when I come back to take her out, so what's it matter?"
"She said something that I didn't really understand, and it just now registered why she was a little upset."
"What did she say?" Byron asked curiously.
"I said that all three of us could eat together …."
"Dammit, Hugh!" Byron interrupted angrily. "I asked her out earlier. I didn't want you coming along."
"Tough shit," Hugh murmured sourly. "You can't outmaneuver me, little brother. I said that you wouldn't mind us going out as a threesome because let's face it, it's never been a problem in the past, has it? We've shared other women before, haven't we? Anyway, when I said you wouldn't, she went all defensive and said why should you anyway …? Then she requested Mariana's, that new restaurant that's opened in the port. I just realized that she thinks she's paying for our services. Hell, that would have been a perfect time to hand her that damned money back. Because I don't know about you, but it's more than that that makes me want to go out with her!"
"Damn right. Did you pick up her scent?"
"Yeah," Hugh muttered gruffly. The thought of it, just the memory of it stirred the beast within him.
"Affect you the same way it did me, huh?" Byron asked. To the untrained ear he sounded cocky, but, underneath that veneer of arrogance, he sounded young and confused.
"Yeah. It's all getting a lot more complex than I'd ever expected."
"Seems that's the story of our life. I can't believe you're going to be a third wheel tonight. Hell, Hugh! You've single-handedly ruined all my plans."
Hugh snorted derisively.
"What? You have!"
"Like any plan you had didn't already include me! We both know her scent was that damned tasty because it was all three of ours blended together."
Byron sighed heavily. "Dammit."
"Yeah."
Drumming his fingers against the armrest, Hugh sat in silence until Byron parked the truck outside their garage. Climbing out, he headed to the door. Once in
the hall, he rushed up the stairs to the bathroom.
Reaching for the shaving foam, he poured some into his palm, lathered his face, and began to shave. He didn't need to shower, but he needed to shave and change clothes. As he dragged the razor over the curve of his jaw, he watched as Byron stormed in and turned the water in the shower on. As soon as it was hot he stepped in and began to wash himself quickly. He soon joined Hugh in front of the spare mirror and sink, and they both shaved in silence.
Earlier, they'd been annoyed and angry at one another. A fraternal competition of sorts had started between them with Nicole acting as the main prize. But now, it wasn't as lighthearted a game as they'd imagined, Hugh thought with a grimace. For them, things had turned serious, and it was a damned pain in the ass that Nicole thought they were just a pair of fucking gigolos.
* * * *
Hearing the truck pull up in her front yard, Nicole took a fortifying breath and slithered into the tightest, sexiest dress she owned. Seeing with her own eyes in her bedroom mirror that she'd never looked better not only improved her mood but also enhanced her self-confidence. It was something she desperately needed, and she truly felt herself blossom at the image she presented.
The path she'd taken in trying to regain her husband's affections felt very demeaning, and, if she were honest, pathetic. Only the fact that she'd managed to inveigle Byron and Hugh into this scheme of hers made it seem less humiliating. They were unbelievably gorgeous, and she was grateful, yes, as terrible as that sounded, grateful for their attentions.
Be they bought and paid for or not!
Grimacing at the route her thoughts had taken was enough to make her miserable.
It wasn't nice to believe that the two hunks she'd been intimate with were only doing it because of the cash. It wasn't nice to think that they were willing to go out with her tonight for a free meal on her tab. It wasn't nice that she was going to this restaurant in the vain hope that her bastard ex-husband would be there with his new piece of fluff.
Nothing about her life had been nice these last few months, and it was a real bitch that was really pushing her self-confidence down to the mire. She felt uncertain and confused and wasn't sure how to take back control of her life once more. Everything felt as though she was on a runaway train, gripping on for dear life, hoping against hope that the train would somehow stop, that something or someone somewhere would make it stop. She had no control. She was being controlled, and, dammit, she hated feeling that way.
She glared at her image and promised herself that she would enjoy the night ahead, whether she was footing the bill or not. It wouldn't make an ounce of difference, she decided, nodding her head stoutly. They were handsome, charming, and she was sure they'd be great dates. Even never having spent that much time with them, it was obvious to her. They exuded charm and while her nerves began to twang and her body began to sing for them, especially now that they'd slept together, something about them always put her at ease. It was something she'd always liked about them.
She wouldn't deny that she was excited about being with them, but, at the same time, she was nervous about potentially meeting Joe again, nervous about seeing him face to face after all these months apart. Grimacing, she told herself she needed to forget about Joe for the moment. If he came to the restaurant-she knew it was one of his favorites and one he frequented a lot-then she'd deal with that hurdle when she came to it. She wouldn't let the possibility of it happening or not happening spoil her evening.
Hearing the doorbell ring, she straightened up and stood tall. Smoothing her hands over the lines of her dress, Nicole peered into the mirror to make sure her makeup looked alright, slipped into the high heels she'd chosen, and shot herself the thumbs up since she had no one else to cheer for her. She looked and felt good, and she would have a great time tonight, come what may!
She walked carefully down the stairs and opened the door to the two of them. She watched, amused, as they sort of straightened up, putting their shoulders back as they tightened their abs and lengthened their spines. It was obvious they'd been fighting to get to the door first and the thought of it made her grin widely. There was something about it that it tickled her sense of humor greatly.
When a dog-eared bunch of flowers was thrust under her nose, she smiled again. "Thank you," she murmured meekly.
"You're welcome," they replied simultaneously.
"Why don't you guys come on in while I put them in a vase?"
Pressing the flowers to her nose to inhale their sweet scent, she smiled softly at their kind gesture. She certainly hadn't expected them to treat this as a date date, but she had to admit that she was kind of glad that they had. It was nice to be treated to a pretty bunch of blooms, and it gave her a sense of satisfaction to know that they'd gone out of their way to purchase them for her on such short notice.
Leading them from the front door to the kitchen, she swept her hand towards the breakfast bar, silently inviting them to take a seat. Grabbing the steps that were her constant companion in the kitchen, she dragged them over to a cupboard and climbed them in order to open it and reach for a vase.
Once on terra firma again, she walked over to the sink and began the process of preparing the magnolia blossoms for the vase.
"Do you have to climb those steps to reach everything?" Byron asked with a frown.
The question hit Nicole hard. It was just the kind of thing that pointed out how little thought Joe had given her during their marriage, and she was a little reluctant to complain about it let alone discuss it with them, considering their current situation.
"Well, I wasn't entirely included in Joe's design process. Everything in here is too high for me to reach. I got sick of standing on chairs and almost falling off them just to reach a can of carrots pretty quick, so I put these steps in the kitchen to make getting things a little easier on myself," she replied easily.
Although Hugh nodded politely, she could see he was a little nonplussed by her comment, as well.
"It must be hard being short," he said quietly.
Nicole laughed at his serious tone. "Yeah, it can be really trying at times!"
"Damn that came out all wrong. I'm sorry," he apologized gruffly as he rubbed a hand over his face.
Byron laughed heartily and smacked Hugh on the back in commiseration, glad that he wasn't the one who'd stuck his foot in his mouth. The two of them sat in moderately uncomfortable silence until Nicole had finished with the blossoms and had them in a vase.
"There," she said with a faint smile, "they look beautiful. Thank you."
They both smiled at her, with just a touch of that earlier awkwardness she'd seen at her front door. She grinned back at them.
Leading them through to the front door, she settled the vase on the console table in the entrance way. As she did so, they stepped out of the door and waited for her to lock it before each of them grabbed an arm and they all walked to the truck, arm in arm.
Byron let go of her arm and dashed over to the passenger's side of the truck to open the door for her, bowing in a very gentlemanly manner.
"Why, thank you, Byron!" Nicole said, gushing with enthusiasm for his unexpected gallantry.
Hugh glared at Byron over the top of Nicole's head. Kiss-ass.
Byron grinned back at him as he helped her step up and into the truck before seating himself. The two waited silently for Hugh to round the vehicle and jump into the driver's seat.
Realizing as the driver's door slammed shut that she was sandwiched between them forced her to blush a little and the temperature in the cab to rise a little. As Hugh started the engine, she was grateful that they hadn't come until dark, thankful that the darkness concealed her mild discomfort.
Seconds later she became tense all over when, at almost the exact same time, their strong, warm, and admittedly calloused palms rested upon her bare thighs. The dress she wore was short and sexy. Had she realized what her reaction would be to the feel of their skin to her bare flesh, she would've worn a l
onger dress.
Hugh's rough hand slid along the expanse of her left thigh while Byron's hand was stationary and merely gently squeezed her right thigh at random.
When their hands accidentally touched, she almost squeaked in shock as the truck swung out into the middle of the road for a second before returning to the center of their lane.
She couldn't see their reactions, but boy could she feel it. The top of her head burned, as their eyes shot fire at one another and their hands gripped her thighs even tighter than before, as though refusing to relinquish possession of it.
It was difficult to hold back the grin or the chuckle that longed to break free, but, instead of adding fuel to the fire, she behaved herself and coughed back the urge. The atmosphere was tense for a few seconds before it relaxed and each of them drew a sigh of relief.
Their hands remained in prime position, though, and damn how it stirred her body. The feel of them truly awakened her, woke up every nerve ending and every centimeter of flesh on her frame. They were so hot, the palms of their hands seemed to sear her everywhere they touched, and the very intensity of that heat made her feel shivery and faint with desire.
Suddenly, she no longer cared that she could be meeting up with Joe this evening. She didn't care about having paid Hugh and Byron to date her. No, she didn't give a damn about all of that. Nothing mattered apart from what their touch did to her. At that moment she realized that she didn't want to go to the restaurant. She wanted nothing more than for them to touch her more intimately and make her forget the last few hellish months of her life. But just the memory of what she'd been through these past weeks, settled, and calmed her spirits. It reminded her why she was doing this, what her motives truly were.
Blowing out a deep breath, she mentally recounted why this was necessary. She had to get back with Joe, for her family. They depended on her. It was as simple as that.
Nicole tried to reason with herself. She tried to tell herself that Hugh and Byron were only doing this for the cash, anyway, but it was difficult to reconcile that with their touch, their searing hot touch that made her burn within seconds.
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