by Shayla Black
But he probably didn’t have that long anymore.
Refusing to waste another moment, Hammer lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. Everything about her was soft. He pressed forward to deepen the kiss and savored the moment as if rediscovering her for the first time.
His heart tripped.
How many times over the years had he thought of stripping her bare, taking her body, hearing her scream for him? Controlling her, undoing her, drinking in her power? Far, far too many to count. At times, he’d have sworn he would burn alive because he couldn’t have her. He’d kissed her hundreds—maybe thousands—of times since he’d become her lover, but he’d never paused to relish the gravity of the instant their lips first met. Now, the simple connection undid him.
“Macen?” She blinked up at him.
She wanted to know what was wrong with him. The answer was everything, but that wasn’t her fault. Raine had shelved all her worry to give him succor. He had to do the same.
“Shh. I’m here right now.”
Tears shimmered in the corners of her eyes. “I’m here always.”
His chest buckled. Hammer swallowed, then he dipped his head to kiss her again, this time brushing his mouth over hers. Like always, her cheeks flushed. She softly exhaled. Her lips parted.
When he bent again, he couldn’t stop his hunger. He clutched her silky hair in his fists and seized her mouth, plunging deep.
She blistered his control, and he saturated his senses with her. His head screamed at him to slow time down and bask in this breathtaking moment. Make it last forever. But Raine whimpered, curling her hands around his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his hips. Desperation tightened her grip.
Desire crashed through Macen like thunder, and he was lost.
He dragged in rough breaths and surged inside her mouth to lay claim. Raine tangled her tongue with his. He ate at her, starved for her taste. She imprinted her flavor on his taste buds. He pressed her into his heart.
The bed dipped as Liam joined them. Without breaking their kiss, Hammer rolled to his side, taking Raine with him. She wound her thigh over his hip and pressed her pussy against him, letting herself be swept away. He held tighter and took her lips again, diving in deeper.
Then Liam spooned her. Their hands brushed in her hair before the man dragged her shirt down one side, kissing her exposed shoulder, working his way up to her neck.
Raine shuddered, loosed an aroused breath. She reached back to grip Liam’s thigh so she could touch them both before she arched in surrender.
Macen inched back. As the drugging kisses ended, fear and anxiety crept back in. He refused to scare her now or ruin the sanctity of the moment.
But she knew, and her face crumpled. Tears spilled.
“Don’t.” He thumbed the drops away and clutched her cheeks, comforting her with a lingering touch of their lips.
Against him, he could feel her body jerk with a silent sob, but she nodded, exhaling into him, giving him her silent trust.
Liam took her hand in his, caressing his broad thumb across her knuckles. “Love.”
Yes, he should be the one to soothe her. Hammer couldn’t promise her a future, and Liam might be left to pick up the pieces soon. Besides, once Macen had stopped insisting on having her all to himself, one of his greatest joys—and turn-ons—had become watching his best friend pleasure their girl.
Cupping her shoulder, Hammer pressed a kiss on her forehead and turned her to Liam.
Instantly, she reached out, latching on to the man. He took her face in his big hands and scanned her expression, silently seeking. Liam loved her. Of that, Hammer had no doubt. He could see it glowing in his friend’s eyes.
A little frown worked between Liam’s brows. His friend worried a lot. But Raine moved in, laying a soft, searching kiss on his mouth before skating her lips up his cheek, across his forehead, then working her way down his nose. A breath later, she surged forward and fused their mouths together. Liam met her more than halfway, clutching his fingers in her shirt and all but inhaling her. Hammer watched the love ebb and flow between them.
A bittersweet pang twisted his guts. He’d spent fucking years wallowing in the past—in worry, guilt, and other useless emotions. He’d been an idiot. A fool. For the first time, he shoved it all aside and simply marveled at the utter devotion they had forged. At the unconditional love that now melded the three of them.
Captivated, he stared as Liam and Raine poured themselves into the hungry kiss. Liam soothed her, stroked her as she writhed gently, open, accepting. Hammer felt the tremors of need rippling through her. His friend answered by drawing her closer, almost as if he intended to absorb her.
Hammer realized they needed affirmation of their love and connection every bit as badly as he did.
When Liam eased away, Raine rolled to her back, glancing between them as they shifted above her. Hammer stared at Raine’s swollen mouth and her blue eyes full of turmoil. She looked close to breaking again when she reached out to them, torment in her touch. In unspoken consolation, Macen nuzzled his cheek in her hand, then turned to kiss her palm. He drank in the feel of her slender fingers, the burn of her flesh, the love in her eyes.
Beside him, Liam rose to toe off his shoes, shuck his shirt and pants. Hammer followed suit. Raine watched them with a desperate gleam. Some reckless part of him wanted to dive onto the bed again and ravish every inch of her. But if this was one of his last chances to savor their love, he wanted to take his time and surround her with the tenderness and devotion she deserved, immerse himself in them.
He and Liam shared a glance as they shed the last of their clothes. A look told Macen they were in the same place—heads and hearts. They would focus on nothing except one another.
Together, he and Liam prowled toward the bed and tugged off Raine’s blouse and bra. The silky fabric whispered away to slowly reveal her soft skin—shoulder, swell, breast. His breath caught. She glowed. Every time he thought Raine couldn’t get more beautiful to him, she proved him wrong.
Beside him, Liam unveiled her other breast with a soft curse of need.
She glanced between them, her lips trembling. And she held her arms out to them.
Hammer didn’t waste another second.
He fell to his knees beside her, cradling her swelling flesh in his hand. Then he swooped down to suckle a berry-hued nipple between his lips. From the corner of his eye, he watched Liam bathe her other breast in reverent attention.
They drew her deep in their mouths, lavishing all their focus on her adoration and pleasure. Raine softly sighed and held their heads to her breasts, moaning, giving herself over to them completely.
As he curled his tongue around the bud and reveled in her arching and soft cries, he trailed his fingertips down her body, skimming the curve of her waist, pushing her yoga pants down, and inching to her naked folds.
Liam’s hand was already there, arousing, exploring. “How does it feel with both of us touching you after so long, love?”
“Better than good. Meant to be.” Her voice cracked with emotion. “I don’t ever want this to end.”
None of them did.
Melancholy hung in the air. If Hammer let it, that desolation would crush him, so he focused on their intimacy. He filed away every shred of love they shared and committed it to memory.
Liam tugged her pants off and curled his fingers into her opening, making room for Hammer to skim her swollen clit.
As they enveloped her cunt, she spread her legs open to them. No coy games, no barriers. Just soft moans of pleading and worship that fired his desire to insane, head-swimming heights.
Dizzy, drunk on her, Hammer lifted from her breast. God, he couldn’t even glance at her without wanting to swallow her whole. His blood scorched. His cock throbbed.
Nothing could ever fulfill him the way being with Raine and Liam could.
Growling, Macen dove in and slanted his lips over Raine’s. Sweeping his tongue along every crevice and reces
s of her mouth, he poured out his longing as one sweltering kiss rolled into the next. He drank in her flavor and tucked away every nuance so he could pluck it out when he missed her most…like every fucking day.
He stared at her pretty mouth. “Precious.”
“I love you, Macen,” she whispered.
Christ, how was he ever going to survive without her?
“I love you, Raine,” he whispered. “I always have. I always will.”
Hammer trailed his tongue toward her navel. He tasted the salt of her skin as he caught sight of Liam’s glistening fingers working in and out of her core. Her feminine scent hung strong and alluring in the air. Macen had no doubt he and Liam would take her in every way until she was limp and spent and thoroughly loved.
As Macen’s stare trailed down the naked flush of her skin, he zeroed in on the barely perceptible bump of her belly. It would be indistinguishable to someone who wasn’t her lover. But to him, the changes were staggering.
“Wait there. Don’t move.” He vaulted off the bed.
“Where are you going?” She sounded worried.
“I’m not leaving,” Hammer assured. “It’s just… I need to see you.”
He flipped on the canned lights overhead, bathing the room in brilliance, before dashing to both the nightstands. Once he’d turned on the bedside lamps, he climbed back onto the mattress, loving the way the soft glow illuminated her like a pearl.
His gaze drifted over the darkened flesh of her tightly drawn nipples before caressing its way back to where their baby grew inside her protective womb. Ever since the ER doctor shocked them with the news of her pregnancy, he’d comprehended that she carried life inside her, but seeing the evidence now made it sharply real.
Would he ever see Raine’s belly grow ripe and full if he was locked away? Would he feel the child they had created roll and kick beneath her stretched skin? And when this sweet little miracle entered the world, would Liam and Raine welcome this baby alone? Macen knew he might miss the first cry of life, the feel of the wriggling bundle in his arms, and the clean scent of their child. He wouldn’t rub the warm skin or peach-fuzz hair beneath his lips. He wouldn’t be there to watch their little one grow, to protect, guide, and teach the million and one things he ached to bestow.
“Macen?” Her voice shook.
Even Liam froze behind her, waiting with a scrutiny he could feel.
They wanted his reaction. Words jumbled in his head.
This baby would need him someday. And he needed his son or daughter, too. Hammer closed his eyes.
With one reckless act, River might well rip him from this blissful family and all his wildest dreams. A ragged breath tore from his lungs.
While everything inside him seemed to crumble—his control, his future, his fucking soul—the silence in the room screamed through his head.
They were both still watching, waiting. It seemed crazy to him they’d actually worried he wouldn’t find a pregnant Raine attractive.
Hammer shoved aside the looming ugliness for later and focused on the two people he loved. He pressed his lips against the life growing inside Raine. “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
Liam relaxed against her. “It’s true, love.”
Jaw clenched, Macen sank his fingers into Raine’s belly, desperate to brand their child with a father’s touch. He wanted to beg them all not to forget him. But that would be selfish.
He said nothing and began to pull his hand away.
Before he could, Liam anchored his palm over Macen’s knuckles.
Understanding sheened his best friend’s eyes. “Whatever happens, I’ve got this. You need never worry about Raine or our bairn, my brother.”
“Our baby will always be safe and loved,” Raine swore.
Hammer choked. He couldn’t say how fucking grateful he was. Instead, he nodded and memorized the feel of Liam’s hand mingled with his as they covered their woman’s swelling belly.
A sob tore from her throat.
As much as Hammer struggled to regain his composure, he refused to allow dread and what might happen to destroy their remaining time together.
Positioning himself between her legs, he took her hips in his hands and brushed a kiss on the inside of her thigh. “Give everything to us, Raine.”
* * *
“Always,” Raine vowed, forcing herself to breathe.
Inside, she unraveled. She wanted to rail and scream and ask a million questions. The LAPD had upset her, but to see that they’d rattled the usually unshakable Macen Hammerman…
His interrogation must have been grueling, brutal, and painfully personal.
They obviously believed he was guilty of their terrifying array of charges. Oh, god… Would he go to prison for the heinous crime of helping her when she’d needed it most?
And the last thing he needed now was to hear that she and Liam had been questioned, too. Liam had been right about that. At this moment, Hammer simply needed their love. No matter how difficult it was to shut out her fear and grief and put him first, Raine vowed to do it.
“Anything you need. I belong to you two.” Under him, she spread her knees wider, inviting him deeper into her.
“Raine…” He choked.
As her heart shredded, she gripped Liam’s hand, silently begging him for strength. He hovered beside her, a gentle command in his eyes. She would surrender. She would set Macen at ease. Then he scooted closer to lay an affirming kiss on her lips. “I’m here.”
As she nodded gratefully, Hammer dropped his head and kissed the bare pad of her pussy as if he’d never touched anything more fragile and treasured. As if he never wanted to leave.
The reverent gesture both humbled and undid her.
For years, he’d been the master of his domain, able to bend life to his will. He’d been her everything. Everyone else had left her. Not Macen. He’d been steadfast. He’d protected her against all odds. He’d earned her trust, even as he denied himself the love she’d ached to give him—love he’d needed so badly—while he waited for her to mature and bloom.
Now that they shared something so special and real, he couldn’t be leaving her.
Liam caressed her cheek, offering more of his strength. Her insides twisted again. Her Irishman had always shown her such tenderness and patience. He’d listened, offering either exquisite understanding or punishment—whichever she needed—at precisely the right time. Like now.
Both men loved her, even when the personal cost had been deep and harsh and almost impossible.
How could she pack a lifetime of love into this small sliver of time? How could she do anything less than surrender her everything to them?
She nodded Liam’s way. His tender smile was full of heartbreak as he dropped a kiss onto her lips and nudged her open to sweep inside at the same moment Hammer licked his way up her most sensitive spot.
Shocking pleasure slashed through her grief. It had been so long since the three of them had become one. She wanted them with every cell in her body, every beat of her heart, every thought, every breath. Every way they could take her.
With a cry, she arched up to them.
They knew precisely how to work together to dismantle her resolve and ramp up her desire. They had an unspoken communication she’d be forever grateful for but would never fully understand. It was almost as if they were halves of the same soul. Raine feared one would never be whole without the other.
She would never be complete without them both.
As if sensing she was letting sorrow distract her again, Liam grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head. Hammer anchored her hips to the bed in his unrelenting grip. They had immobilized her—as a team—in an instant. They both knew that taking away her control was the fastest way to hijack her thoughts. They wanted her surrender.
Raine melted for them—an act of love she’d happily give over and over.
“That’s it,” Liam murmured over her lips. “Give me your tongue.”
She op
ened, accepting his sweep into her mouth again with a hitched cry. Hammer traced her slick folds, then teased her clit, suckling it, nipping it, rhythmically laving it until tingles raced and thoughts drifted away. Until she thrashed between them.
“Excellent. Now arch your breast into my hand.” The low, intimate demand sent another hot thrum of need through her. Raine did as Liam asked. “Perfect. Her nipples are tight.”
“Her cunt is juicy.” Hammer grunted before he lowered his head again.
She gripped the sheets, caught up in the hot, driving rush.
Liam pinched her nipple. “Her surrender is so heady.”
“Let’s make her come so hard her fucking knees shake.”
“Please.” Raine dissolved between them. “Yes. I’m yours. Forever.”
“Precious…” Hammer swallowed tightly.
“Ah, love…” Liam released her wrists to caress her as he nibbled at her bottom lip.
She sent him a longing stare and parted to allow him anything he sought. He probably saw the tears swimming in her eyes. As always, he would understand. He would also wipe them away and replace her woe with bliss.
As he kissed her, Macen thumbed her clit before taking her into his mouth again. Raine closed her eyes and just felt.
As if her fingers had a will of their own, she combed them through Hammer’s hair. He needed a trim. It was curling slightly at the ends. For a man who prided himself on ruthless control, he wouldn’t appreciate the subversion of his will. But she enjoyed sinking into his soft strands and tugging gently as she lifted her hips to offer him every bit of herself.
He took her in a ravenous press of lips, a slide of his tongue. Her desire swelled, brimmed. She clutched him desperately.
His scent blended with Liam’s, surrounding her, filling her head. The dual press of their bodies intoxicated her and tugged at her heart. She knew the sounds each made when they gave in to their pleasure, the way each smiled when she amused them, the words each used to praise her, and the expressions each wore when they told her they loved her.
