Forbidden Legacy

by Mari Carr

  And if that were all that tonight was going to be about, she’d have been on time. Hell, she would have been early. But Harrison wasn’t the only man she was meeting.

  He hadn’t told her who this elusive third was, and based on what she’d been told about the Trinity Masters when they offered her membership, it could be anyone from a Fortune 500 CEO to a Nobel laureate poet. He had said that the person lived here in Boston, which in theory meant she could have met him, except she and Harrison didn’t travel in the same circles. While he was far more sociable and involved, frequently attending shows and charity events, she spent ninety-nine percent of her time in this hospital. She could count the number of friends she had—who weren’t work colleagues—on one hand.

  Mercifully, Harrison knew her well enough to know time management wasn’t one of her strong suits. He’d arranged to meet her in one of the hospital conference rooms, claiming he’d simply do some work on his tablet until she was ready to go.

  “Dammit,” she muttered, racing out of her office. She hadn’t made it two steps before she plowed into a mountain. Or rather…a mountain of a man. Her boss.

  Michael captured her upper arms, steadying her as her ankles wobbled on her high heels. “I’ve got you, Dr. Jenner.”

  “Sorry, Michael. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

  “You look like you’re in a hurry. Is everything okay?”

  “I’m late for a date.”

  “A date? That would explain the sexy shoes. Thought those heels were impractical for doing rounds.” He grinned as he looked her up and down in a less-than-professional manner.

  Alexis narrowed her eyes and prepared herself. Michael took a great deal of pleasure in teasing her, so she decided to beat him to the punch. “Yep. A date. Dinner, dancing and then kinky, fuck-my-brains-out sex until dawn. I can’t wait.”

  Her words had the intended effect. They took the wind out of Michael’s sails. For about three seconds. “Is that how all of your dates go? Because if so, what are you doing tomorrow night? I’ve got a couple of tickets to a show…”

  The jest hit her in a weak moment and she laughed. “Gross. Shut up. What are you doing on this floor anyway? Shouldn’t you be in the penthouse office sitting with your feet up at your desk pretending to work?”

  The two of them had established this routine of trading barbs nearly a decade earlier and Alexis didn’t see the status quo changing any time soon.

  “I’m late for a meeting myself. I’ll walk with you.”

  It wasn’t until they fell into step next to each other that she noticed the tight lines around his mouth. Then he reached up to rub a kink out of his neck.

  “Rough day?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I had to fire an employee this afternoon and then watch him be arrested for stealing drugs from the pharmacy. And I just ran into an odd young man in the elevator who was very interested in where I got my ring.”

  Alexis glanced at the signet ring. She’d never seen Michael wearing it before, but she understood why he wouldn’t want to field questions about it. The ring was emblazoned with the symbol of the Trinity Masters. It was one of the few pieces of information she’d gleaned from her invitation to join the secret society a decade earlier. Harrison wore the same ring.

  Which meant Michael was a member as well. That realization hit her hard, despite the fact it made sense. He and Harrison had been best friends forever. Her thoughts whirled over what that meant.

  She didn’t question him about the ring, though it was clear he’d pointed it out to her on purpose. “I…” She had no idea what to say, so she simply said, “I see.”

  An uneasy churning began in her stomach.

  Together they continued toward the conference room at the end of the corridor. When Michael matched her step for step, not bothering to turn, her suspicions were confirmed and panic set in. They were running out of rooms before they would hit the administrative wing, which meant…

  “No,” she whispered, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

  Michael looked around, taking in their surroundings. Only one RN sat behind the nurse’s station talking on the phone while typing on the computer.

  Michael grasped her arm and gestured toward an empty hospital room. She let him drag her inside, her head swimming, white noise drowning out all conscious thought. Harrison wanted her to sleep with Michael? Her boss? The guy who drove her nuts on a good day?

  Surely she was mistaken. Harrison couldn’t seriously believe this would work.

  “Who did you say you were meeting?” she asked once Michael closed the door behind them.

  “I didn’t.”

  “Michael.” She was in no mood for games.

  “You agreed to a month.”

  She gasped. “No. No way. Not with you.”

  He gave her a grin that was far too charming, revealing dimples she’d never noticed before. He was almost handsome when he smiled. That thought caught her unaware. Since when did Michael look like anything other than a stuffed-shirt bureaucrat? “Why not me?”

  “Because you make me crazy. Because we fight all the time. Because you’re the Joker to my Batman.”

  He chuckled. “Why do you get to be Batman?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Will you be serious?”

  “You started it.” He sobered up. A little. There was still mischief glimmering in his blue eyes. Blue eyes? God, why was she suddenly looking at his eyes? “I am being serious, Alexis.”

  It was the first time she’d ever heard him call her by her first name. For a decade, she’d simply been Dr. Jenner, despite the fact she’d called him Michael for years. She shook her head. “This isn’t going to work.”

  Michael studied her face for so long she felt heat course to her cheeks. She was blushing, for God’s sake.

  “Maybe not. But I can’t dismiss it this easily. The truth is I’ve always wanted you.”

  Alexis tried to process that fact, found herself analyzing their relationship. Suddenly, she recognized something that knocked her off-kilter. There had definitely been sexual tension under the teasing. However, she’d ignored it for years, labeling it as inappropriate, wrong. The man was her boss, after all.

  Michael gave her a few moments to come to grips with his confession and then he grinned. The wolfish smile made her uneasy. Had she given herself away? Let him see that somewhere, buried deep, she’d harbored some lust for him as well?

  He reached for her face and cupped her cheek in a way that actually made her pussy tingle.

  He leaned closer. “What do you say we test the waters before we give up so easily?”

  “What do you me—” Before she could finish asking what he meant, he was there, kissing her. She remained still for a moment, marveling over his obvious skill. She would have sworn no one could kiss as well as Harrison, but there was no denying he and Michael were pretty much dead even in that arena.

  Then she reclaimed her wits and pushed him away. What the hell was she doing? “Don’t kiss me.”

  Michael sighed. “Can’t you give me a chance, Alexis?”

  She didn’t respond, but she was certain her face told him what he was asking for was impossible.

  His face was serious—and even a little sad—when he sighed. “If not for me, then can you try for Harrison? I know he told you what’s at stake.”

  She knew Harrison had broken some fairly big rule by taking her into his confidence. Knowing that he’d told Michael what he’d done proved to her exactly how close the two men were.

  Michael tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was a familiar touch that made her melt a little. “He’s one of the best Grand Masters the organization has ever had. He’s steady and serious and he has an incredible ability to read people, to look inside and see straight to the heart of them. I worry about how the Trinity Masters will fare if he steps down as leader. And I’m concerned about him if he tries to walk away.”

  His last words betrayed his true anxiety. Harrison was his be
st friend and Michael was genuinely worried.

  “He’s not leaving.”

  Michael rubbed his neck wearily once more. “Without you, he’ll leave. He’s spent the last ten years alone rather than settling for anyone else. Now that push has come to shove, he’s made his decision, Alexis, and he won’t be swayed.”

  Alexis’s chest constricted and she found it hard to breathe. “So you’re saying I have no choice in this? If I don’t consent to this threesome, he’ll still leave.”

  “The choice is definitely yours. Harrison and I aren’t going to force you into anything that would make you miserable. Both of us want the same thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Your happiness.”

  She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind his words were sincere. Michael wasn’t playing her, wasn’t manipulating the situation to his benefit. She’d worked with this man for years. She knew him, knew when he was telling the truth.

  Apparently, Harrison had known exactly what he was doing.

  She would never have been able to offer herself to a stranger. Alexis didn’t give her trust easily. Harrison had understood that and he had found the one man she’d have trouble remaining aloof with.

  “It’s only a month, Alexis. And the three of us are workaholics, so when you average out how long we’ll actually be together in the same room, it’ll probably be around ten minutes.”

  She laughed, even though she recognized the truth in his joke. “That’s a good point.”

  He stepped closer. She didn’t seek to move away. Michael reached for her and tipped her face up to his with a single finger under her chin. “You’re beautiful.”

  He kissed her once more. This time the action was less exploration, more conquering. Like Harrison, Michael had a possessive, domineering edge. Both men were leaders, used to being in charge, obeyed. She suspected they’d expect the same response in bed.

  More’s the pity for them. She didn’t bend to any man’s will.

  She ran her hand along Michael’s chest, letting her fingers drift lower. Michael broke off the kiss, challenge written on his face. He was waiting to see how far she’d go.

  She almost took him up on the dare before reality crashed on her head. What was she doing? She’d had sex with Harrison in his office yesterday. Now only a day later, she was trying to seduce his best friend.

  “I can’t do this. I can’t be with you. Harrison and I just…”

  Michael waited only a moment, giving her a chance to fill in the blank. When it was obvious she wouldn’t finish, he said, “Had sex yesterday.”

  “He told you?”

  Michael gave her a sweet smile. “We’re hoping to embark on a long-term relationship with you. That can’t begin with secrets or lies.”

  Michael and Harrison seemed to have a far better grasp on the mechanics of a threesome. To her, this felt a hell of a lot like cheating. Didn’t that mean it was wrong?

  Michael ran his finger along her forehead. “You’re scowling. Tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “I don’t want to hurt Harrison.”

  Michael smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “We’re in this together, the three of us.”

  She wished it were that easy.

  “You agreed to a month. Have you changed your mind about that?”

  Alexis understood what was at stake for Harrison, for her. Even for Michael. “What about my job if this doesn’t work out?”

  Now it was his turn to frown. “It’s not in danger, Alexis. I would never be so petty. You’re the best doctor on my staff. The truth is, I’m taking a chance as well. Losing you would be a devastating blow to this hospital. But I’m only a man. And I’m afraid my willpower is gone.”

  “I wouldn’t leave my job.”

  “And you won’t have to.”

  She blew out a long breath. Strangely, in the face of Michael and Harrison’s honesty, their trust, she felt as if she owed it to all of them to try. Because, like Michael, she was tired of denying some hard truths as well. “I don’t know how this trinity thing works.”

  “Then let me show you.” Michael pushed her back until her legs hit the edge of the hospital bed. He continued to apply pressure, guiding her down onto the mattress.

  Alexis felt her heart pick up its pace, racing with fear of being caught while anticipating what Michael would do next. So much for her lack of submissiveness. There was something about Michael that felt almost dangerous. It was heady and horny, a huge turn-on.

  He didn’t bother with formalities or foreplay. Instead, he lifted her skirt and pulled her panties aside. “Open your legs.”

  She parted her knees and then gasped when Michael pressed two fingers inside her. It didn’t hurt. If she was perfectly honest with herself, she had been wet since he’d pushed her into the room. Her hips began to move in time with his thrusting fingers, and suddenly she wished he’d take off his pants and fuck her properly. “You’re going to take us both, Alexis. Every night, you’ll be in our bed. Ours.”

  She shook her head, partly in denial—her feminist side rearing its head—and partly in fear—because she was starting to worry he was right.

  At least for the next month.

  “Put your feet on the edge of the bed. I want your legs wider apart.”

  She closed her eyes but did as he said, letting him dictate, take over.

  He pulled his fingers from her pussy. She cried out, empty, unfulfilled. When he touched her again, his hand was lower.

  Her eyelids flew open, her gaze landing on his. He watched her face as he pushed the two fingers—wet from her own arousal—into her ass. Then he thrust his thumb into her pussy, fucking both holes with ease. Her body was dripping wet, on fire. He didn’t hesitate to take her hard, pushing her limits, demanding that she give him more.

  “Cup your breasts. Squeeze them. Play with your nipples.”

  He hadn’t bothered to undress her, but it didn’t matter. She used the silk of her blouse and the lace of her bra to add to the sensations as she followed his commands.

  “Harder, Alexis. Do as I say or I’ll flip you over my knee and spank you.”

  Her mind and body went to war as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. Why was she letting him talk to her like this? Touch her this way? She should have threatened to cut his dick off for his cockiness, his condescension. Instead, she was seconds away from coming. She squeezed her breasts more firmly, gasping at the extra pressure, the intensity.

  “Good girl. You like it rough, don’t you?” His hand still pounded inside her ass and pussy, driving deeper with each thrust. “Give those nipples one last pinch and then you can come.”

  She bit her lip, tempted to tell him she’d come whenever the hell she wanted to, but who was she fooling? She was too close to put the brakes on now. She tightened her fingers on her nipples and went off like a bottle rocket. Stars flew behind her eyes and her body jerked as if she’d been electrocuted.

  She wasn’t sure how long she lay there, but when she opened her eyes, Michael was sitting in the chair by the bed, studying her face. She glanced down, shocked to find herself completely covered, her clothing back in place.

  Alexis pushed herself upright on the bed. He hadn’t found his own release, but she wasn’t sure she could offer any more than she’d already given him.

  Her head was whirling and true terror was setting in. What the hell was she going to tell Harrison?

  Michael gave her a soft smile, one in complete contradiction to the domineering man who’d just taken her. “Harrison is waiting for us in the conference room.”

  She nodded slowly, wondering if there was any way she could beg off, claim a headache.

  Michael chuckled. “You’re not getting out of our date tonight. That was just an appetizer of what’s to come later.”

  “You’re going to tell him what we did?”

  He stood, reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “We’re going tell
him.”

  She resisted, tugging back when he tried to lead her to the doorway. “Michael. I’ll go out tonight. With both of you. But I can’t handle it if…I’m not ready for…” God. She’d never been at a loss for words.

  He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Just the date then. And a goodnight kiss at the front door. We’ll save the kinky, fuck-your-brains-out sex for later. Okay?”

  She took a deep breath, then smirked at the way he’d used her own joke against her. “Okay, Tin Man.”

  He grinned. “Come on, Dr. Jenner. You’re not going to stop looking like someone facing the firing squad until we talk to Harrison. We may as well get this over with.”

  *****

  Michael led Alexis toward the conference room where Harrison was waiting for them. He felt the slight trembling in her hand. She was afraid of Harrison’s reaction to finding out Michael had finger fucked her to orgasm down the hall. He wished there was some way to reassure her everything would be okay, but the only way to convince her was to let her see it firsthand.

  Harrison glanced up when they walked in the room. His smile was friendly, but his gaze was far too astute, too knowing. Michael should have known they wouldn’t have to confess a damn thing.

  Alexis was flushed and averted her gaze. Michael hated that she felt guilty. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

  Harrison glanced his way and raised his eyebrows in question. Michael answered with a shit-eating grin.

  Michael had known since Harrison took over as Grand Master they would make up two parts of a trinity. And he’d accepted that their trip to the altar wouldn’t come easy. Harrison had been in love with Alexis forever. He’d watched his friend try to conceal his broken heart when Alexis refused the invitation to join the Trinity Masters, and he’d been forced to stand by as Harrison tried to get her out of his heart.

  After a few years, Michael had begun to realize Harrison would never get over Alexis.

  Which meant they needed to convince her to accept them. Together.

  “Lex. Are you okay with this?”