“She’s important to you.”
Zee looked at him, searching his face. He hated that. Hated Zee could pick his brain, but it was one of the things he loved most about him. “She should be important to you too. She hasn’t had an easy time of it.”
Rory snorted. “Yeah, I saw the house, looked tough.”
“You’ve always been cynical but you’re worse now than ever before. When did that happen?”
It had nothing to do with being cynical. There was a deep-set panic in his gut that told him that Zee cared more about Maura than any other woman he had been involved with. That alone had him being nasty, but Rory was having issues himself. The woman had drawn him in before, but now…he was hooked. Other than Zeke, he couldn’t get the woman out of his head.
He ignored his worries and smiled at Zeke. “I’m not any more cynical than you are, my love.”
“Yes you are. Besides, money won’t bring her parents back.”
Shit, he hated that admiring tone Zee got when he talked about Maura. He knew he was jealous and hated that too, but there didn’t seem to be a damned thing he could about it.
“She had Conner.” Fuck, now he sounded defensive. He didn’t like when they had discussions like this. Zee always got hurt and Rory ended up ticked off.
“Yeah, but she was in the car with them when they died.”
“She survived.”
“Just to watch her parents die.”
“Is that what she told you?” he asked, not able to keep the snarl out of his voice.
“No. Conner told me she used to have nightmares. I do know she was stuck in the car with them for three hours after. The bastard drunk who hit them just sped off and left them there. When…” Zeke glanced at him apparently not wanting to reveal too much. He sighed. “When we were together, every now and then, she would have the nightmares. She tried to hide it, but they disturbed her. If she’s under a lot of stress, she tends to have them. It’s another reason Conner probably wants her over there.”
Rory said nothing to that, mainly because now he was starting to admire her. She never mentioned anything about it. And, she did work like she was just like everyone else at work. Tonight had to be one of the few nights she left before anyone else, and she worked as if her brother didn’t own the company. That made him like her even more. Not once did she act as if she expected something to be done for her. Dammit.
“Then, add in that she is a geek, a woman with a mind so sharp it's scary. She was always an outcast. In college at sixteen...it wasn’t easy.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Stop being an ass,” Zee said without much heat. “This isn’t a one night stand or even just a week. If we pull her into a threesome, then we just go on together without her, she’ll be an outcast again. She doesn’t need that. No one deserves that.”
Rory knew he spoke of his mother and father. Zeke’s father’s family had never accepted the wife and child he had brought back from Haiti. They were pretty much left on their own when his father had died.
“Okay. We’ll be careful, but I already put it out there. Besides, we don’t have to end it when we come back.”
It was dark but he sensed Zee’s glance. “What are you saying?”
“Maybe we leave it up to her at the end?”
Even as he said it, it sounded so wrong...but so fucking delicious. Having a sub that enticed Zee the way Maura did in the relationship would be beyond anything they had done before. She wouldn’t go for it probably, but there was always the slight chance she might.
“I have a feeling she’ll say no anyway.”
Rory said nothing. In their line of work, he had learned a long time ago how to read people and what he saw today told him that there was at least a good chance she would say yes. Of course, arguing with Zee was like arguing with a brick wall. Once he set his mind on something he just would not let it go. The only way to prove Zee wrong was doing it in front of his face. He wanted it as bad as Rory did, he was just afraid. Worrying about it tonight. They had an early start to their day and there was no reason to keep debating what Maura might or might not do. Rory turned toward Zee and slipped an arm over his waist. With Zee’s even breathing filling the air, Rory followed him into sleep.
Chapter Four
Irritation slipped down Maura’s spine as she hurried along the tarmac. She was late. She was never late, ever. It always made her feel as if she had lost control. Her stomach clenched. Her head was pounding, her eyes scratchy and her basic attitude was crap. Seriously, if someone challenged her on something, there was a good chance she would punch the person in the throat. This was not how she wanted to start her day off. Normally she liked to be up with the sun. Today, not so much. Maybe she would sleep for the entire seven days she was in Hawaii.
Her phone buzzed with Zeke’s ringtone. She flipped it open. “What?”
“Well, top of the morning to you, darlin’.”
She sighed. “Sorry, I’m on my way to the plane right now.”
“Are you alright?”
No, she wanted to scream. She had spent most of last night thinking about Rory’s invitation. When she had grabbed a few hours of sleep, she had been haunted by the idea of having two sets of hands on her, two mouths and two voices thick with an Irish accent as they drove her crazy.
“Yes, just had some things that caught me off guard. I can see the jet.”
He said nothing for a moment. She sensed he wanted to ask her questions. About what? Did Rory tell him what he had asked her? Of course he probably did. Those two shared just about everything.
And they wanted to share her.
Heat slipped through her blood and danced over her nerve endings. She stopped in mid step and ordered herself to calm down. She had decided not to allow it, right? She had thrown the idea out to Zeke when Rory had moved in but it had been desperation. She had been scared of losing Zeke once and for all—even as a friend. Knowing that now, she would be beyond pathetic. Her emotional well-being would be damned to hell if she agreed to it. She had thought about how it would hurt when they returned and that had been the deciding factor. She would never be able to work with both of them after that. Seeing them together now was tough enough. After seven days in their bed, it would be too painful.
She started walking again and watched as he stepped out onto the steps.
“I can see you and this conversation is ridiculous.”
She didn’t wait for an answer; she just turned her phone off.
He was watching her, his gaze on her as she approached. At least, she thought he might be, because he was wearing those aviator sunglasses. God, she loved them. He looked so fuckable when he was wearing them. If she had time to think about it, Maura would probably worry more about her attraction to him as an authority figure. When he stood there like that, those badass glasses on, it reminded her of a cop or a military dude. What the hell was wrong with her?
He jogged down the stairs and Rory appeared behind him. Her heart did a little jerk, then her stomach muscles clenched again. Dammit, how was she going to be able to ignore the temptation that they represented?
Zeke walked out to meet her and took her bag. “I’ll take your bag around.”
She nodded.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just a little off. I have been the last few days.” She didn’t want to talk about the insomnia that seemed to be her constant companion these days. If she told him, he would tell Conner. Then, there would be a talk. Lord help her if Conner wanted to talk. “I think I just need a week in Hawaii to rest. And see Conner.”
He nodded, then turned, taking her arm to walk her to the jet. Rory was still standing there, waiting and watching. Heat slid down her spine and it had nothing to do with the fact that she was on a Miami tarmac. She could smell Zeke’s musky aftershave.
“There isn’t an attendant,” Zeke said when they reached the stairs.
“I didn’t think we needed one, do we? Th
ere’s food on board, right?”
It was odd that he would bring that up because it had never really been an issue before. They rarely had an attendant on board when they used the jet for leisure. It just wasn’t in her nature to be waited on.
“Sure.” He handed her up the stairs and there was Rory, waiting still. She got a very odd feeling that Zeke was handing her off to Rory. Just the thought caused her to shiver.
Rory held out his hand and she hesitated. It wasn’t as if there was a final decision. She had decided not to do anything, right? This wasn’t a good idea because…
Okay, she couldn’t remember why it was a bad idea, but she was sure it was.
“Maura?” Rory asked, his voice threaded with concern. She shook herself and took his hand.
“Sorry. Not enough sleep last night.”
He led her into the plane. “You can just doze in the bedroom until we get there.”
“I have to call Conner first.” As soon as she said it, her phone rang.
Rory shook his head. “It’s the middle of the night there.”
“He’s waiting to go to bed until I tell him we are on our way.” She clicked the phone on. “Hello, Conner.”
“Hello, Maura. Everything fine?”
“Yep. Zeke is just putting my case in the storage compartment and there he is,” she said when he stepped into the jet. Maura collapsed onto a couch. “We should be leaving pretty soon.”
“Good. Get some rest. I want to talk to Zeke.”
“I love you too, Conner.”
He sighed. “I love you, Maura.”
She smiled and handed the phone to Zeke. “Grumpy bossman wants to talk to you.”
“Hey, Conner.”
He walked off to the back of the jet as they pulled up the stairs to close off the jet. The copilot smiled at her. “Morning, Ms. Dillon. We should be in the air within ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Henry.”
“Let us know if there is anything you need,” he offered with a smile before he returned to the cockpit. Zeke was still in the back talking to Conner so that left just Rory and her. She glanced at him and he was staring at her.
“Did you get any breakfast?” he asked.
His voice sounded normal. How could someone act normally after what he suggested the night before? She had to think extra hard just to make conversation. All she could think about was having both of them touching her. Being in a plane for the next ten hours was going to be tough enough.
“Uh, no.” She rolled her eyes. “And you can tell from my very intelligent conversation that I haven’t had any kind of coffee either.”
He grinned at her and for a moment, her brain just completely shut down. Part of it was the lack of sleep and caffeine but the bigger part of it was him. Rory was a stunning man, but when he smiled…he stole a woman’s breath. He was wearing a black t-shirt another pair of jeans. He looked badass and fuckable.
Lord, she saw them both as authority figures. And she wanted them. What the hell was wrong with her?
“We can remedy that. You take it black, right?”
She nodded and he went off to get her a coffee. Why was she so stupidly happy that the man remembered such a small detail? Maybe because it was one of the things she liked about Zeke. So many guys took her for granted. She wasn’t a women who enjoyed flowers or extravagant gifts. Simple pleasures were all she needed. Zeke had understood that, and now Rory did too, apparently.
They would make good partners in bed…especially both of them at the same time.
You are not here for that. For him, or Zeke. Do not make yourself crazy wishing for something that is not going to happen. Probably.
If she could remember that when either of them smiled at her she would be better off. She could save herself from playing the fool. But was she a fool for letting an opportunity like this go?
He poured her a cup and brought it to her. After setting it down, he settled on the couch next to her. This time, she was enticed by the citrusy aftershave that Rory preferred. It teased her senses and turned her on as much as Zeke’s had just a few moments ago.
“Your brother needs to learn to relax,” Zeke said as he walked back to them.
“You have to admit he’s better since he and Jillian became involved.”
“He’s worried about the Petersen case. More worried than he has to be,” Zeke said. “I told him this was silly.”
The plane started up and Zeke sat down on the chair across from the couch. All of them buckled their seatbelts.
“Why are you two complaining? We get to do a little consulting and spend a lot of time in a million dollar house for the week. Sun, sand, tropical drinks.”
“We live in Miami. You can go the beach any time,” Maura said with a smile.
“When was the last time you went? Or any of us? We all work so many hours we don’t have time. And when we do, we’re so damned tired, we just want to sit on the couch or sleep.”
That was true. Living so near the beach they all took it for granted. And all of them had been a little overwhelmed by running the office without Conner.
“Okay, I agree with that. I’m really looking forward to seeing the new office though.”
“Nope, you are not talking about work. Not now. We are going to enjoy the trip over as if we are just going to be on vacation,” Rory said. “What do you say, Zee?”
God, it always turned her on when he called Zeke by his nickname. She had resented it at first but after awhile it started to get to her. There was something very sexy about knowing these two men had an intimate relationship. Every time Rory said it, Maura could imagine what it sounded like when he said it when they made love. His voice dipped every time he said it too. It was easy to hear the love and desire between the two of them.
Zeke was watching her as if waiting for her to object. But she didn’t.
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Zeke said slowly.
The next few minutes were taken over by getting ready for take off. It came off without a hitch. Once she knew it was safe to move around, she undid her seat belt and stood.
“I think Rory’s right,” she said. “I’m going to catch a few more hours of sleep. Knowing Conner and Jillian, they’ll want to keep us up for hours.”
Rory took her cup of coffee. “Call if you need anything.”
Maybe she had gone insane but she was pretty sure it was a loaded offer.
“Sure,” she said, before escaping to the back. She shut the door to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed with a sigh. She closed her eyes trying to forget Rory’s offer yesterday.
She had known for a long time she was a sub. When she had become curious about it, she had researched it. It was the way she could deal with things. It was always the way she dealt with life. After the trip to Rough ‘n Ready while on an assignment, she knew without a doubt she was. The problem was, the man she was in love with wasn’t a Dom.
Zeke had tried, but it hadn’t been in him. He just did not get into the life like she had. It had hurt—more than she would ever let him know. But their relationship at the office was more important, especially now that they were running things without Conner there. Oh, her brother still had his hand in everything, but he had been the buffer for them. Now, it was mainly them, with a little help from Rory. Jennifer was good at her job, but Maura and Zeke were now the face of the company. She couldn’t let her brother down.
She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. A shower would clear her head. With a huff, she pulled herself out of bed and headed for the small shower stall. And if this didn’t help, she didn’t know what she would do.
* * * *
Rory’s blood was humming. Just being on the plane alone with Zee and Maura had him ready to jump both of them. It wasn’t like him at all. He might not practice BDSM with Zee, but he could always control himself for the most part. Sure, he didn’t have a problem with getting down and dirty in places they shouldn’t—like the office. But he could control those urges if
he needed to. Now he seemed unable to keep his mind on anything else. It was hard not to think about Maura, about what kind of sub she would make.
He wasn’t a Dom who liked a pushover. He didn’t know many Doms or Dominatrixes who liked a sub who didn’t present a challenge.
“I can hear those little wheels turning in your head,” Zee said without looking up from his computer.
“What?”
“She didn’t say anything. So, it’s a no go.”
“No, saying nothing does not mean no. It means she hasn’t decided. Or maybe she wants to wait until we get there.”
With an aggravated sigh, Zee leaned back. “Will you stop talking about it? Bloody hell.”
The outburst surprised and delighted Rory. Zee held onto his emotions too tightly. If this is what Maura did for him, it was a welcome change for the two of them.
Rory smiled. “Sorry, love, but I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Well, neither can I. You aren’t making it any better.”
Rory jumped up from his seat. “Maybe we should check on her. She’s been asleep for awhile.”
Zee rolled his eyes. “Stop.”
He knew that tone. Zee’s temper was getting the best of him. It had nothing to do with anger though. No, that had to do with his frustration…and with Maura. He knew Zee wanted it as bad as Rory did. That was a very good sign.
“It won’t hurt to ask.”
Zee shook his head. “Leave her alone. Didn’t you see how tired she was? She was barely making it across the tarmac. She’s been under a lot of stress.”
“And what is better stress relief than sex?” he asked.
He meant it as a joke but even Rory heard the dark need in his voice. Zee gave him a dismissive glance, then looked back to his work.
“You need to give her space. She’s not like you. Maura is more like me.”
He frowned. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Zee tapped a few more keys, then looked up at him. It was easy for Rory to see the irritation in his lover’s eyes. It was a rare day when one of them hid their emotions any more. “She doesn’t rush into anything. Maura has always thought things through. If she hasn’t decided to spend the week as ours, then you have to give her the space to decide. If you crowd her into a corner, there is a good chance she’ll shut the whole fucking thing down. It’s the way she responds to things like that.”
A Little Harmless Fantasy Page 5
