Conquering India

by Conquering India [lit]

  He smiled. “I’ll write down the address.”

  “If you just tell me the name of the rest—”

  “Oh, this is our apartment.” He handed her the slip of paper. “Marc here is a gourmet chef. Say, six? Will that give you enough time? ”

  She hesitated for a moment. “Your apartment?”

  Ah, cautious. Was she getting the vibe that he seriously wanted her?

  “Strictly business,” Marc assured. “It’s quieter at our place. We know all business we discuss will be relaxed and completely confidential.”

  “We security people are a bit paranoid about that.”

  Her confusion cleared, then she nodded. “I’ll have to contact my assistant, let her know where I’ll be for the evening, but it won’t be any trouble.” Again, she looked at Marc and then back to Wade before rising from the chair. “I’d better get going.”

  He took her arm and walked her to the door. “Do you have any objections to salmon?”

  “No.” Then she seemed to gather her senses and stopped. Turning to face Marc, she said, “Thank you again for your consideration.”

  Marc stood, and from the look he shot Wade, he had a few choice words for him when they were alone. He was nothing but charming to Ms. Singer. “This is just a formality, Ms. Singer. Your reputation is fantastic. And we do boast one of the best views of the Riverwalk.”

  She smiled at both of them, the excitement back in her eyes. “Great! I’ll see you both at six.” She slipped out the door, closing it with a barely imperceptible click. It didn’t take long for Marc to let Wade know exactly how he felt.

  “That’s the sorriest display I have seen in a good long while.”

  * * * *

  Marc watched his best friend turn to face him and sighed inwardly. The smile Wade sported confirmed his suspicions about his plans for the evening.

  “Don’t even think it.”

  Wade laughed. “Too late. Besides, after I plowed into her in the elevator, there was no way I could resist her.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “That woman is built.”

  “That doesn’t change the fact that she’s part of the business community, a conservative Texas business community, that would happily kick us out of the club if they found out what we do. Besides, you can’t ask a woman we just met—one that we are about to hire—to have sex with both of us.”

  No matter how much he wanted to. Damn, it would have been better if Wade hadn’t been at the meeting. If Marc had known what India Singer looked liked, he would have made sure Wade wasn’t around for the meeting. Now Marc knew he’d be listening endlessly to Wade spouting just how badly he wanted to take her to bed. Not that Marc needed help from Wade in that corner. From the moment he saw her in their office, Marc had wanted to do nothing more than strip her down, bend her over, and fuck her until he couldn’t see straight. He didn’t usually react that quickly to a woman. It was unnerving.

  Wade opened his eyes, his dark gaze narrowing. “Why not? We’ve done it other times.”

  “Not with women like her. A lady. She’s not a groupie from a bar.”

  “Don’t tell me you aren’t interested.”

  Interested was too simple a word for what Marc felt. His body still hummed from the encounter. Even now he could smell the moist trace of rain mixed with vanilla that made him want to lick over her flesh and ferret out where the scent was hidden. It had taken most of his control not to lean over the desk and sniff at her.

  Her makeup had been washed away, and her clothes had clung to all her wonderful curves. Real curves. Full hips and breasts, with a world class ass.

  “That ass,” Wade said as if reading his thoughts. Marc shot him a look, and Wade shrugged. “I know your tastes.”

  “No matter what they are, we can’t start up with Ms. Singer. First of all, she’s a long-standing member of the community. Her company may be new, but if she knows Nelson Delgado, she’s got some clout.”

  Wade settled in the chair in front of Marc’s desk. “Yeah, what is with that? She seemed uncomfortable when you mentioned his name.”

  Marc bit back the groan of irritation and reminded himself that the two years Wade had on him didn’t amount to much in maturity. Not to mention the man had one of the worst cases of ADD Marc had ever seen. “Not sure. Although, I think he might be related to her.”

  Wade shook his head and then leaned forward. “Either way, I don’t think staying away is an option.”

  He released a deep breath, trying to hold on to his temper. “Aren’t you listening to me? Besides, Ms. Singer is just not the type of woman who would jump into bed with two men.”

  Stretching out his long legs, Wade settled back as if in no hurry. And why not? There was no four-thirty appointment.

  “Don’t know until we try.”

  His jovial manner grated on Marc’s nerves. Best friends through boot camp, the hell of Afghanistan, and now their own security firm, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for Wade. But at the moment, he wanted to kick the shit out of him. Marc didn’t need Wade dangling the idea of bedding the very delicious India Singer in front of him. Not when Marc fantasized just how wonderful her nipples would taste, how tight her pussy might be, how pretty that lush little mouth would look wrapped around his cock.

  He shook himself free of the idea and brought his mind back to the task at hand.

  “I’m not arguing this with you. But I’m making a list for you. It’s Friday, and I’m not fucking shopping. You are.”

  Wade said nothing as Marc made out the list and handed it to him. “Make sure the salmon is fresh.”

  “Yes, sir.” Wade rose from the chair and walked to the door.

  “You know, she probably thinks we’re gay. Didn’t you see the way she looked at us when you said it was our apartment?”

  Glancing over his shoulder, Wade smiled. “Yeah. But then, I used that to our advantage. This way she’s not on guard. She thinks she’s having dinner with two life partners.”

  With a laugh and a salute, he left Marc alone with his thoughts. There wasn’t anything they hadn’t shared in the last seven years. Beer, fear and a whole lot of females.

  They discovered their need to share women when they were still in boot together. Neither one of them suffered from a lack of companions, but one particular night, after many beers and shots, they’d gone home with a woman interested in bagging two Marines at once. Even though he’d been wasted, Marc had known the night had opened a whole new world to both of them.

  There was an extreme pleasure sharing a woman with Wade. Nothing had felt as right in the bedroom. Bringing her to the brink, enjoying her pleasure…it was one of the biggest turn-ons. Their time in Afghanistan further solidified the bond. In an intense firefight in the mountains, Marc almost died and would have if it hadn’t been for Wade.

  He knew a lot of people would theorize they were gay or at least bi. Marc didn’t really give a fuck what other people thought, except when it came to business. San Antonio was still Texas, and for two ex-Marines trying to build a reputation, they didn’t need the shit that would come from everyone learning their proclivities.

  It pretty much doomed them to live as bachelors for the rest of their lives. Unless one of them decided to break the connection. For Marc, that would never happen. He didn’t need or want marriage. Their one try at a permanent relationship with a woman had turned into a disaster. Add in his parents’ wreck of a marriage, he’d decided long ago to avoid that particular insanity.

  He shook himself out of his morbid thoughts and decided to head home. They only had maid service on Mondays, so he wanted to make sure the place was neat enough for India.

  His lips curved when the vision of her came surging back. All that luscious skin, the full, sensuous mouth. His cock hardened, his blood heated. From the moment they’d spoken, even before he’d seen her, he’d wanted her. She had a quality in her voice that was comforting but at the same time arousing. Warmth oozed from her every word, and he continually found hi
mself wondering just how he would react when he saw her.

  Now he knew. His body still hummed with need and she had been gone over fifteen minutes. When she showed up tonight, it would take all of his will to keep his hands off India until they knew if she would agree to their arrangement. He stopped in mid-step as the implications hit home.

  Shit, he hated when Wade was right.

  Chapter Two

  India tugged on the bottom of her blouse as she rode the elevator to Marc and Wade’s apartment. Her nerves danced the two-step. She glanced down at her sheer red blouse, straight khaki skirt, and sandals. Had she dressed too casually? It was a business meeting, after all.

  Or did it matter? The deal seemed more or less done by now. If that were the case, her attire shouldn’t matter, professionally speaking.

  With a snort, she wondered why she was so concerned. It wasn’t as if either of them would be interested in a woman her size or age.

  She closed her eyes again as she remembered Wade’s flirtation. Now that she knew his orientation, his teasing manner must be part of his personality.

  She’d called her best friend, Delilah, who found the incident uproariously funny. Delilah could laugh because she never found herself in those situations. From graduating at the top her culinary class to every venture she tried, Delilah always succeeded. In the same situation, Delilah would have never thought Wade was coming onto her. Instead, she would have enjoyed flirting with him and left it at that.

  The elevator door dinged open. Drawing in a deep breath, India stepped into the hall. Ceramic tiled floors and elegant light fixtures gave the corridor a rich appearance. In the last few years, San Antonio had renovated several downtown areas, turning older buildings into upscale apartments. And this one was the choicest of the lot. Some of the apartments had more square footage than her entire rental house.

  She located their door and rang the doorbell. Before it opened, she tugged at her blouse again. It didn’t cover her hips as she hoped, and she only further exposed her breasts. Not that it mattered. Why she kept thinking their personal opinions about her mattered, she didn’t know. They were gay, partners, but here she was wishing otherwise and slightly disappointed. And she’d been doing that all afternoon. There were moments where she thought of both of them, naked…she shivered.

  Stupid, India. When are you going to learn not to want things you can never have?

  Just then, Wade opened the door, a smile curving his lips. Thank God, he’d changed into more casual clothes. But just looking at him, heat shivered through her. Her nipples tightened.

  “Right on time.”

  She couldn’t help returning the smile. There was something so inviting, so warm about Wade. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms, especially if he was naked.

  Oh, good Lord. She needed to stop. She would drive herself insane if she kept thinking about him in that way. At her age, she should know better. He looked damn fine in a pair of light beige, loose-fitting pants and a white linen shirt. She blinked at the sight of his bare feet against the wooden floor. God, they were huge and strong. When she realized she’d been staring, she shook herself, then looked up at him.

  He didn’t say anything, but she knew he’d noticed her study. His gaze swept down, briefly pausing over her breasts, then continued down. Her whole body tingled, heat surging through her blood, as his eyes moved back up her body. Odd, he paid more attention to her than most heterosexual men did. Her heart galloped like a wild thing.

  When he finally met her gaze again, a little smile bent the corner of his mouth. The fire she thought she had seen in his eyes was banked.

  Lord, now she was imagining things, projecting her own interest onto the man. Wishful thinking, pure and simple. She liked dark looks, especially on a man built like Wade. With him, she would never feel too big or clumsy.

  She shook herself out of her stupor and smiled at him. “When food is involved, I’m always on time.”

  He took her hand and led her through the door, closing it behind them. Instantly, the aroma of butter and garlic surrounded her.

  She took an appreciative sniff.

  “Something smells good.”

  Wade’s smile widened. “Marc’s ability in the kitchen is one of the reasons I keep him around.”

  She smiled up at him, and they exchanged glances once more. His stare heated her again, and she bit her lip.

  Oh, God, she wanted someone like this. Warm, funny, built like a sex god. Was that asking too much? He slipped her arm through his, and she had to fight the urge to lean into him. They strolled down a hallway that opened into a living area. Browns and reds decorated the room, the bold colors adding to the architecture. Ceiling-to-floor windows allowed for much light and afforded a stunning view of the Riverwalk.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” His accent deepened, his sensual tone skittering down her spine.

  She glanced at him as he took in the same view. The late afternoon summer sun lit his features, adding shadows and bringing out the gold rim around his eyes. They should build statues of men like him. With his chiseled jaw and pronounced nose—her gaze slipped down his body—not to mention other mentionable, incredible attributes, he was a sculptor’s dream come true.

  He turned to her, sent her a long stare she couldn’t decipher. Almost as if he tried to figure her out. Her thoughts scattered, any hope of conversation disappearing under his attention. The man had her head whirling and all he did was stare.

  Think, India.

  She broke her trance and shifted her attention back to the windows. “How long have you lived here?”

  “Marc heard they were renovating this area and bent the ear of a contractor working for the owners. We were one of the first occupants. It’s worth every penny just for this view.”

  “It figures you’re standing around chatting while I’m hard at work.”

  India twisted to look back over her shoulder as Marc approached. And she gulped.

  Lord Almighty, the man was gorgeous. His ruthlessly styled hair now looked mussed, as if he’d threaded his fingers through it. A warm, sensual smile—which included a dimple—sent a sizzle along her nerve endings.

  “You have your areas of expertise, and I have mine.”

  At Wade’s quip, Marc’s smile deepened. Her heart tripped a couple of beats, then swung into a rhythm that would surely kill her. They were both so sexy. What she wouldn’t give…

  No, very wishful thinking to want them both.

  Marc came closer. His clothing wasn’t any less casual than Wade’s. His blue, fitted polo shirt clung to his sculpted pecs and lightened his gray eyes. The khaki trousers showed off his trim waist and lean hips. Her gaze dipped lower.

  Great guacamole! The bulge behind his zipper proved that he was well proportioned. Hoping he hadn’t noted her hesitation, she continued her appraisal. His feet were bare, too.

  Realizing they had probably lived in different parts of the world and had perhaps taken on different customs, she glanced at Wade and asked, “Do you want me to take off my shoes?”

  “I want you to do whatever you want, India. We like to relax at home and we want you to do what feels good for you.”

  Again, his voice slipped an octave lower, raising goose bumps across her flesh. She would love to hear it in the dark as he whispered against her skin. Even as she reminded herself that he was gay, her body ignored the warning. Heat churned through her veins, her nipples tightened against her bra. Since before her divorce, she hadn’t been interested in men. It was just her luck that her sex drive finally reared its naughty head about the time she meets two gorgeous and sexy gay men.

  She smiled, though it was hard with her out-of-whack hormones throbbing. “Now how can a woman refuse an offer like that?”

  * * * *

  Wade took another sip of wine as he watched the interaction between India and Marc with an inward sigh of relief. He’d been sure they would hit it off, but there was always a chance Marc’s damned worry about
their lifestyle would insert itself into the evening. Wade knew it was a valid concern, one he didn’t take lightly. His gut told him that even if India turned them down—which he hoped she wouldn’t—that she wouldn’t spread rumors.

  India was the first woman they had up at their apartment since moving in, and he didn’t think that insignificant. Granted, he hadn’t given Marc much of a choice but his buddy also hadn’t put up a fight. If Marc hadn’t wanted her as badly as Wade did, he would have invented a way to miss the meal.

  She laughed at something Marc said. Her throaty voice slipped under Wade’s flesh. Everything about her intrigued him, called to him. Soft blue eyes, the cute little turned-up nose, those fantastic breasts. He could just imagine wrapping his lips around one of her nipples, sucking it into his mouth—

  “Wade?”

  Marc’s voice cut into his fantasy. He blinked and looked at his companions.

  “What?”

  “I asked if you wanted coffee.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Thanks, both India and I would like a cup.” Marc offered him a nasty smirk, but Wade didn’t complain. If Marc wanted to be alone with India, he saw that as a good sign.

  As Wade exited the room, he hoped spending time with India convinced Marc the three of them together would be amazing. Without a doubt, both of them would enjoy India.

  From the next room, he heard her laugh again and smiled. Marc could protest all he wanted, but he never bothered charming a woman unless he was sexually interested. In business, they had their roles. Wade lured them in. Marc sealed the deal. Hopefully, it would be the same with India.

  As he filled the coffee mugs Marc had set out, Wade thought about his next move. Marc had accused him of jumping too fast with India. While he wasn’t about to propose they have a wild night of sex tonight—though he wanted to—he would pursue her, continue luring her. She was just the kind of woman they liked. Great sense of humor, smart, with a lush body clearly capable of pleasing them both at once. And maybe it would even mean more than sex. Given a bit of time in her company, Marc would see it.