by Roni Loren
Finn traded spots with her in the chair and smiled. “We’ll have them done way before that. Now go. I’ve got this.”
She gave his shoulder a squeeze and headed toward the small storage room in the back that they’d converted into a makeshift break room. She flicked off the overhead fluorescent and adjusted the blinds on the small window so that only a little of the afternoon light filtered in. Already she could feel her body giving itself over to the idea of rest. The phone rang in the front of the studio, but she resisted the urge to head back up there to grab it. Finn was capable. She went to the old radio they’d put on one of the shelves and turned it to the local light rock station, hoping that would block out any noises from up front.
Elton John’s “Sacrifice” filtered through the room, and Evan headed over to the plush couch she’d splurged on at an estate sale. She settled onto the soft cushions and tucked a throw pillow behind her head. If she could grab half an hour of sleep, she’d probably be good to go for the rest of the day. She’d overbooked herself lately. And though she’d protested that she was fine to Jace and Andre when they’d brought it up the morning after the wedding, she had to admit that it was wearing her down. Maybe she could clear some time at the end of the month and take a few days off.
She rolled onto her side, trying to get in a comfortable position, when the song on the radio ended and the news and weather break came on. She listened with half an ear as the weather guy talked about the cold front rolling through in the next few days and the possibility of thundersleet—which had to be the best word she’d heard all week—and was almost asleep when the news started. Some football player arrested for drunk driving, the price of gas going up again, and . . .
“. . . A batch of the most popular brand of birth control pills is being recalled nationwide. The manufacturer of Brelia says—”
Evan’s eyes popped open.
“. . . did not contain active hormones. A class action suit will surely be forthcoming . . .”
She sat straight up, her heart rocketing up to her throat. The newscaster moved on to something else, but Evan didn’t hear any of it. All she could hear pounding through her head was the name of her birth control pills and the words “did not contain.” Oh, God. She clamped her hand over her mouth, afraid her heart might hop right out.
She hadn’t heard the dates of the batches affected, but she was already doing math in her head. She didn’t know when her period was technically due because she took the kind of pills that let you have periods only four times a year. Her last period had been two months ago. But she was still on track as far as she knew. She shouldn’t panic. Her batch might not be affected. But trying to tell herself that was like trying to stop a jet from lifting off after it was already zooming down the runway. She knew the signs of pregnancy. She’d been through it once before. And though it was a very long time ago, she remembered one thing with crystal clarity—how bone tired she’d been in the early months. But she’d also suffered a lot of morning sickness. And though she’d felt sick that night after the wedding, she hadn’t had any more nausea since that night.
She took a deep breath and rubbed her palms on her thighs, trying to get herself together. Freaking out wasn’t going to help anything. But she found herself rocking in place anyway. Dammit. She shook out her arms, trying to clear the nerves and adrenaline out of her muscles, but she couldn’t stave off the anxiety. Her situation now was so different from the last time, but her brain only had one trained response to a pregnancy scare—utter freaking panic.
And though she wasn’t a teenager without a penny to her name like last time, she also wasn’t under the impression that this was good timing. She, Jace, and Andre were still figuring out how things were supposed to work in their relationship. Kids had been one topic they’d all agreed to defer. It was the most complicated of all the issues with their arrangement. First, she didn’t know if the either of the guys wanted kids. Hell, she didn’t know if she wanted kids. And how would that even work? Beyond the obvious—figuring out who was the biological dad and how that would play into the relationship dynamic—they had a decidedly un-kid-friendly lifestyle. They lived in a loft above Jace’s sex toy shop. They spent their weekends at a BDSM resort. And they lived in one of the most conservative areas in the country, where a kid from a family with three parents would surely get some scrutiny.
God. Evan put her face in her hands and took another few deep breaths. She couldn’t play this what-if game yet. This might be a false alarm. Maybe everything was fine.
For some reason, that thought didn’t make her feel any better.
She forced herself to stand and turn off the radio. There was only one way to deal with this. She’d get a pregnancy test and find out. Simple as that. If she was pregnant, she’d handle it. She was a grown woman. And though she didn’t know if the guys were on board with having kids, they weren’t going to bail on her. They were too good to do that to her. Still, she dreaded the thought of laying such an unexpected thing in their laps. Whether they wanted it to or not, it would affect the relationship, if not break it apart entirely.
Her stomach rolled.
No. She needed to stop with the racing thoughts. Focus. Drugstore. Pregnancy test. Home. That’s all she should be thinking about right now.
She headed back to the front of the studio, making some excuse about not feeling well to Finn, and told him to close up whenever he was done. He looked concerned but told her he’d take care of everything.
Evan didn’t remember getting to the drugstore or picking up the two different kinds of pregnancy tests. She’d gone into numb, robotic mode. But by the time she arrived home, her heart was knocking so hard against her ribs, she worried she might pass out.
She tucked the drugstore bag in her purse in case either of the guys was home and opened the door. Luckily, she’d beat both of them there. She hurried into the bathroom and followed the instructions, the wand trembling in her hands. How she hit the target at all was a wonder. But by some miracle she managed not to drop the damn thing in the toilet.
Then she waited, perched on the edge of the bathtub, watching the little window with unblinking eyes. Five minutes seemed like an eternity. Whole lifetimes passed as she sat there alone in the bathroom, staring. So many thoughts and scenarios went through her, her head swam.
Please God. Please God. Please. But praying offered no help.
When the symbol finally appeared, she sagged to the floor and cried.
Chapter 4
Jace moved on quiet feet around the loft, gathering the things he needed and tucking them into the bags he’d laid out on the floor. Andre and Evan were still asleep in the other room, but they’d be waking up soon. And though he’d planned to wait another few days, when he’d seen how Evan looked when he got home yesterday, he knew he had to get this show on the road. She’d waved him off when he’d asked her if everything was okay, but he knew there was more to it than simply having had a long day. There’d been a melancholy about her. And when they’d all gone to bed that night, she’d barely talked to them before rolling over and falling asleep.
Something was going on. The worry that had been burgeoning before was now a heavy, sharp-edged rock in his gut. What if Evan’s depression was coming back? When they were teenagers, he’d seen how bad it could get for her. Or what if she wasn’t happy with the decision to be with him and Andre? What if they were failing her in some way?
Ugh. Typically, Jace wasn’t one to ruminate over things, preferring to tackle issues head on and see what’s what, but for the first time since Evan had moved in, he was damn nervous.
“Hey, what are you doing up so early?”
Jace turned around as Andre entered the living room and yawned. Jace set down the gloves and knit caps he’d pulled out of the closet. “I could ask you the same thing.”
Andre’s dark eyes tracked down to the open suitcases. An eyebrow lifted. “Leaving us in the cover of night? Did you finally kill your ex-wife or something?”
Jace snorted. “I would definitely not rot in jail on Diana’s behalf. Plus, last I heard, her boyfriend gambled away the money she blackmailed out of me. I don’t need to worry about her when karma is such a ruthless bitch.”
Andre stepped closer and nodded toward the suitcases. “So what’s with the bags then? Ranch weekend?”
Jace frowned. So much for surprises. But trying to keep anything from Andre was an exercise in futility anyway. The cop in him could sniff out bullshit from miles away. “We’re going to Lake Tahoe for the week. We have a flight in a few hours.”
Andre lifted his head. “Wait, what? I can’t just—”
“I already called the station and talked to Rosenblatt. He said he has the cases you two are working under control and to tell you to have a good time. Finn is going to take care of the stuff Evan needed to finish up for the week. And I’ve got managers to cover any issues that pop up with the stores for me.” He grabbed the gloves he’d set down on the back of the couch and tossed them into one of the bags. “All I want for the week is the two of you, no phones, no laptops, and a quiet mountain cabin fully equipped by the devious Grant Waters.”
“Whoa, Grant’s cabin? I’ve heard that place is swank.”
“At this point, I don’t even care. If I have you and Evan there, preferably naked most of the time, I’m good to go.”
Andre chuckled under his breath. “The practical side of me wants to protest because I know I’m leaving Rosenblatt with a plate full of crap to handle, but the image you just painted is way too enticing to turn down. Snow, mountains, and kinky sex with our girl? I’m so in.”
“Good.” Jace cocked his head toward the hallway. “Then you can help me sneak around the bedroom to get Evan’s stuff before she wakes up. I don’t want to give her a chance to talk her way out of this one.”
“She’s gonna try.”
“Yeah, well, she’ll have to safe word her way out if she’s that against it. Otherwise, I’m not giving her the option.”
Andre smirked. “Well, mock abduction worked with her the last time.”
Hmm. Jace leaned forward, bracing his hands on the back of the couch, an idea blooming in his head at that. A really, really delicious idea. His lips curved. “I like how you think, Dre.”
“That’s because I’m brilliant.”
“Uh-huh. Let me make a quick call, and you start gathering clothes together for Evan. I’ll be in there in a minute to help.”
Andre eyed him for a moment longer but didn’t ask any more questions. Once he’d disappeared back down the hallway, Jace went into the kitchen to grab his cell phone. He scrolled through the numbers until he found the one he wanted.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” his brother, Wyatt, said by way of greeting.
“Why does something have to be wrong?” Jace asked, leaning against the counter.
“Because it’s five A.M. No one calls this early to shoot the shit. And you don’t call this early ever.”
That’s because the only time Jace wanted to see five A.M. was if he was just coming home. A morning person, he was not. But lucky for him, his older brother Wyatt was like a damn rooster with his schedule. “Nothing’s wrong, but I am calling for a favor.”
In the past, Wyatt would’ve groaned, made a comment about Jace always needing something. But the two of them had grown tight over the last year or two, so, thankfully, all Wyatt said was, “Sure, what do you need?”
And within ten minutes, Jace had everything in place.
Oh, this was going to be even more fun than he’d planned.
He just hoped to God it worked.
***
Evan rolled onto her back, warm and lethargic beneath the covers, as she hovered in that dreamy space between sleep and wakefulness. Mmm. The smell of dark roast coffee filtered through her senses, calling her toward the land of the living, but the soft, stroking sensations moving over her body made her want to hang on to whatever dream she was having. Head. Thighs. Back. Breasts. The touch seemed to be everywhere all at once, and she sighed into the feel of the hands moving over her. Maybe she didn’t need to open her eyes after all.
But when the languid, amorphous touching turned more specific—fingers lightly pinching her nipples and others tugging down her panties—she catapulted into full wakefulness. Her eyes opened, but instead of seeing the room around her, there was only more darkness. She blinked once, twice. Then she tried to reach for whatever was over her eyes, but something tugged at her wrists when she tried to move.
Oh.
Warm, wet lips moved up her inner thighs, marking a path until they found the sensitive flesh between them and kissed. Oh.
“Ah, look who’s waking up,” Jace said, his voice drifting from lower on the bed, letting her know he was the one who was teasing her with his tongue.
Firm fingers drew her nipple between them and tugged in that way that sent hot sensation straight downward.
“It’s about time. You slept right through us tying you up, blindfolding you, and unbuttoning your shirt,” Andre said close to her ear before dipping down to kiss her neck, his morning stubble raising goose bumps along her now naked body.
She moaned softly, and Jace put his mouth fully against her, sucking and kissing and licking her with slow, savoring strokes, making her wet and achy in the span of a few seconds. She tried to shift her legs, to open wider for him, but they’d cuffed her ankles, too.
God. What a wake-up call—spread-eagled, bound, and at the mercy of two sexy, determined men. Good morning to her.
After the awful day she’d had yesterday, she welcomed the distraction. She didn’t want to think about the anxiety of yesterday, the panic. And she definitely didn’t want to think about the negative sign on the pregnancy test and how it made her feel. No, she’d deal with that later. Right now, she was going to revel in the benefits of being with these two men. Focus on the love she felt for them . . . and the unadulterated lust. She wouldn’t let any sadness touch this moment.
“I’m not sure I gave you my consent to do this,” she teased as Andre moved down to kiss her breasts, his tongue teasing her nipples with relentless precision.
“Uh-huh,” Jace said, his breath hot against her damp flesh as he slid his fingers inside her and stroked. “Tell us to stop, then. Say, ‘Please, don’t make me come first thing in the morning. Please don’t lick my pussy until I scream. Please don’t fuck me even if I beg.’ Because I promise, you’ll be begging soon, baby. Desperate for it.”
She groaned and tilted her hips upward as Jace rubbed against the perfect spot inside her. Both of them knew damn well there wasn’t much she wouldn’t consent to when it came to the bedroom. They’d introduced her to kink, but now she wasn’t convinced that her thoughts didn’t out-kink them sometimes. And with these two, she didn’t have to be shy about any of it. They were up for most anything.
Jace returned to licking her, keeping his fingers moving in perfect rhythm, and she sighed into the decadence of it all, letting them take over. But just when she thought she’d guessed how things were going to go, Andre tugged her blindfold off and cool liquid drizzled onto her chest. She gasped at the cold fluid hitting her heated skin, and blinked in the low morning light. Andre straddled her above her waist, his body beautifully naked and fully aroused above her. His nipple rings glinted in the soft lighting, and she wished her hands weren’t tied so she could explore that delicious chest of his.
But the devilish smirk of his said he had other ideas. His big hands closed over her chest and massaged the oil over her, the liquid warming in an instant. She wet her lips. The slippery feel of his hands moving over her sensitive breasts and nipples in combination with what Jace was doing to her had her wanting to give in to orgasm already. But both men knew how to bring her to the edge and not push her over until they wanted to. Andre moved his hand from her body and closed it over the length of his cock, stroking the lubricant up his shaft and making it glisten. She watched, mesmerized, as he handled himself.
“Buenos dias, bella,” he said, that low voice full of sin.
Goddamn. How was she supposed to hold it together with these two?
Jace sucked her clit between his lips and she arched, her fingers flexing in the bindings.
“Easy, J,” Andre said. “She’s running hot.”
Evan made a desperate sound when Jace backed off. But she knew that wouldn’t matter. They wouldn’t let her come until they were ready to give that to her. Jace pushed himself up from his prone position between her thighs and peered down over Andre’s shoulder. His green eyes met hers, the hunger in them unmistakable. “Now there’s a view.”
“I could say the same,” she said, trying to breathe through the need coursing through her. “But y’all are going to kill a girl first thing in the morning.”
Andre rocked forward and rubbed his slick cock between her breasts and over her nipples, making everything as slippery as the aching spot between her legs. God, were they just going to rut on her and use her for friction? Because somehow that only made her more turned on. Lubed-up men rubbing themselves all over her? Yes, please.
But she couldn’t stop the pleading sound that eked out of her. Her clit throbbed. She needed relief.
“Think we should put her out of her misery?” Andre asked.
“Hmm,” Jace said. “I do love this flavor of misery, but I’ll grant some mercy. It is early. Hand me that bottle.”
Andre gave Jace the bottle of lube, which had Evan’s brain spinning through illicit possibilities again. But Jace seemed to have a clear plan in mind. He unstrapped the leather cuffs around her ankles and drew her knees into a bend. Then he positioned himself between her thighs and put a hand on Andre’s back, pushing him forward. Andre grinned when he lowered himself onto his forearms above her. He continued rubbing their slick bodies together, and because he was higher up on her body, it put his nipple rings within reach of her mouth. Ha. Now she could tease, too. She let her tongue flick one and he grunted. But before she could inflict any real torture, Jace pushed inside her, and all of her focus went to the oh sweet heaven sensation of being filled and stretched by him.
