Marked (Tattoos and Leather)

by Jaymie Holland

  “I appreciate it.” With her bag hooked over her shoulder, she hurried into the hotel and to her room.

  She sped through taking a shower. Once she dried off, she looked in the mirror and groaned. She was still wearing the incredibly expensive necklace and earrings that were no doubt worth far more than she made in a year. Whatever decision she made, she’d have to see the men again to give them back the diamonds. That or drop the jewelry off at their office, praying she wouldn’t run into them.

  If she took them off now, she took the chance of losing them, but a flight attendant didn’t wear at least fifty thousand dollars in diamonds.

  She bit her lower lip and found her simple jewelry roll and slipped the earrings and necklace into a zippered pocket before tucking the roll into her carryon bag, inside the beach bag, between her casual clothes and the dress she’d worn to the nightclub. She put her jacket on the very top to make it easier to take out when she returned to the cold in New York. She’d learned how to pack light but still get everything she needed inside it. She wasn’t about to let her carryon out of her sight.

  After she used the hotel blow dryer to dry her hair, she pulled her hair back in a simple ponytail before putting on the slacks, shirt, and shoes that comprised her uniform.

  Eighteen minutes after leaving the car, she was back downstairs with her belongings. She’d arranged for fast checkout so she had nothing to do but leave.

  A sense of jitteriness made her feel as if she might come out of her skin as the driver opened the rear passenger door. He offered to take her bag but she shook her head. “I’d like to keep it with me.” No, she wasn’t going to let her carryon out of her sight.

  He gave a single nod like that was perfectly normal.

  When she was once again in the car, she leaned back. As she watched the scenery speed by, she felt like she was leaving a part of herself behind.

  * * * * *

  Damn, but Kane couldn’t stop thinking about Tracie. She was sweet, intelligent, and passionate. He loved everything about her.

  And then there was her soft skin, her sensual touch. The way she’d looked on her knees as she’d sucked his cock, and the way it had felt inside her as he and Lucas had taken her at the same time. He’d won the bet that she’d meet them at the hotel, so he’d been the first to get to go down on her in the shower.

  Kane wanted to lick and suck her pussy again, to taste her creamy wetness as she squirmed beneath him.

  Being with her had been life changing—he knew he’d never be the same again… And he would never be satisfied with another woman.

  Even though she’d had to leave to get to her flight, he’d seen the confusion in her gaze, the hesitancy, the indecision. She didn’t know how she felt. It was as if she was on sensory overload and needed to gather herself. It was the reason Kane had held himself back from insisting that he and Lucas go with her to the airport to see her off. He was certain that Lucas had seen the same thing in Tracie. She needed time.

  Kane grabbed his suit jacket before he walked out of his room and saw Lucas was in the suite’s sitting area.

  “Tracie was running scared.” Kane shrugged into the jacket. He looked into the mirror as he fixed the collar and the sleeves. “Maybe we pushed her too hard too soon.”

  “Perhaps.” Lucas was already dressed and was checking his cufflinks. “I don’t believe she was hesitant in any way.”

  “No, she wasn’t.” Kane adjusted his tie. “But she hasn’t known us long and she might have regrets. It was her first time with two men.”

  “And we’ll be the only two men she’ll ever be with. The only men she’ll be with again.” Lucas’s expression was intense, his voice hard as he braced one hand on the back of a stuffed chair. “She’s ours, Kane. We’ll make sure she has no regrets once we return to New York, and she’ll have no doubts about who she belongs to.”

  “Damn it, but I wish we could call her now.” Kane shook his head. “I hate the thought of her having doubts. The farther she gets from us, the more she will probably question everything.”

  “She’s well into her flight so it’ll be some time before we can reach her.” Lucas looked thoughtful. “Were you able to get our flight changed?”

  “Couldn’t find a damned thing going out today.” Kane dragged his hand down his face. “The only thing available is tomorrow morning, coach, and I snagged the tickets.”

  “Good you got the tickets.” Lucas picked up his briefcase and held it as he rested the case on the couch arm. “But damn, I was hoping we’d get something after our meeting.” Lucas glanced at his cell phone. “I’ve tracked her flights, so we’ll know when she arrives in La Guardia.”

  “Good.” Kane nodded. “We’ll try calling her when her flight lands and she’s had enough time to head home.”

  Lucas looked deep in thought and Kane went to his room.

  Kane returned, gripping his own black leather briefcase. “Let’s go get that Chaney account. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get back to New York and Tracie.”

  * * * * *

  Rain poured from the gray New York sky and it was so damned cold. Tracie gathered the jacket around her that she’d pulled out of her carryon. It was hard to believe that yesterday she’d been lying out in the sun, enjoying the warmth…

  With two men rubbing lotion on her body.

  The thought sent liquid warmth through her body. She swallowed and tried not to think of Kane and Lucas. It was impossible though… Every other thought was of the two men.

  On the flight back from Hawaii, she’d come to realize something. She may have only known the men for two days but she was falling for them. Both of them. And she didn’t know what to do about it. She was strong enough to survive when people she loved moved on, but she didn’t know if she’d be able to move on if Lucas and Kane left her behind.

  Tracie had been partially distracted by her thoughts about the men during the flight home. She’d really had to work to get her job done with a smile and to not forget any requests from her first class passengers.

  With as distracted as Angel had seemed on the flight too, it was a wonder they’d made it without a hitch back to La Guardia. Tracie had thought about talking with Angel about Lucas and Kane, but Angel hadn’t seemed like herself. She’d been closed off, clearly not wanting to talk about whatever was bothering her when Tracie asked if she was okay. As Angel said everything was fine, she had smiled, but it seemed as though she had to work on making the effort to do so.

  A call came in just as Tracie reached the edge of curb, waiting for her turn to snag a cab back to Brooklyn. She stared at the screen and this time recognized the phone number as Kane’s.

  Before she’d left Hawaii, she’d told Lucas and Kane to call tomorrow. She wasn’t ready to talk to either of the men until then. Her thoughts were tangled like jewelry in a box and she couldn’t sort them out. She clenched her jaw, sent the call to voice mail, and tucked the phone in her bag.

  Speaking of jewelry, the diamonds weighed heavy on her mind, and the bag felt heavier on her arm, as if the diamonds were dragging her down.

  “Miss?” A man’s voice jerked her attention to a waiting cab.

  “Oh.” She hitched the bag higher on her shoulder and shook her head when the driver asked if he could put it in the trunk for her. Nope. Not letting go.

  The drive to the house in Brooklyn, where she roomed, seemed to take forever. Bad traffic, an accident, and the rain made for a slow ride.

  When she got to Mrs. Tucker’s home, she paid the cab driver, and then hurried through the downpour to the house. When she got onto the porch, she dug the key out of her bag and let herself in. It was late and the older woman was likely asleep by now.

  It had been such a long day that Tracie was exhausted and planned to crawl into bed just as soon as she changed into her jammies, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. Her body felt heavy as she made her way upstairs. She avoided the squeaky steps and slipped inside her room, shutting the door as qui
etly as possible. She dropped the carryon beside the door and shrugged out of her wet jacket before putting it in a hanger and hooking it on the shower rod so it wouldn’t drip on the floor.

  The moment she saw the bed, thoughts of being between Kane and Lucas filled her mind. Not to mention thought of being on her knees, sucking their cocks and then Lucas with his head between her thighs while Kane played with her nipples. But the ultimate was what she couldn’t stop thinking about the most…both of them fucking her at the same time.

  God, she couldn’t stop thinking about them. They had turned her world upside down.

  She went through the routine of getting ready for bed, exhaustion making it difficult to keep her eyes open. When she had her jammies on, she crawled beneath her comforter, her body starting to warm from the chill of the rainy day.

  The moment her head hit the pillow, she was gone.

  Chapter 13

  Tracie waited to go downstairs until it was past time for Mrs. Tucker to go to work. Tracie’s landlord owned a housekeeping company and she left the house early every morning to oversee her business. Mrs. Tucker was a great landlord and a nice lady, but right now Tracie wanted to be alone.

  After she’d slipped her cell phone into the front pocket of her sweatpants, she headed downstairs to the small kitchen. She’d have a protein shake and go for a jog. A run was just what she needed to clear her head, and the last time she looked out the window it was overcast but it wasn’t raining anymore.

  Thankfully she had the next few days off before she would head back to work. It was for the best that she wasn’t flying right away after yesterday’s distractions. She was also glad that when she did go back to work, she was scheduled for shorter flights and not another long one.

  She grabbed her soy milk out of the fridge and then the canister of whey protein off of the shelf allotted to her in the pantry. She absently stirred the protein into the soy milk then drank it.

  It wasn’t long before she was jogging through the neighborhood in sweatpants and a warm hoodie. Her running shoes hit the wet asphalt and dead leaves as she ran and she did her best to avoid puddles. Her nose was cold and she kept her hands in her hoodie pockets. The air was crisp, smelling of rain, a scent she loved.

  While she worked everything through her mind, she jogged and jogged. She found Kane and Lucas attractive in so many ways, and it wasn’t just a physical thing. She’d enjoyed their talks and learning more about them. Lucas was still somewhat of a mystery, but maybe after time…

  She blew a deep sigh out through her mouth, her breath hanging in the cold air. She really did want to get to know them better, but she didn’t know if she could conquer her fears of abandonment.

  How did a three-way relationship work, anyway? If what the men wanted was more than sex, and a relationship was even possible, did she want to go there?

  She mentally shook her head. She was putting the cart before the horse.

  The one thing she did know was that she wasn’t into casual sex. That had been exactly what had happened with the two men, but she couldn’t do it again. Wouldn’t do it again. No matter how badly she wanted to.

  And she did. Badly.

  Her thoughts turned to having a Dom/sub relationship with the men, like she’d had with Glenn. She frowned and dodged a mud puddle. Was that what Lucas and Kane wanted with her? A D/s relationship? Did she want that? She and Glenn had become close before they’d had an exclusive D/s relationship and she had gotten to know him before they’d actually had sex. They’d played, but no intercourse until she’d felt good about it. She didn’t know Lucas and Kane well at all.

  When she got home from her run, she jogged up the stairs to her room. She stripped down to her panties and bra, the sweat on her skin drying in moments.

  While she’d jogged, she’d decided that she definitely didn’t want just sex. She wanted to get to know the men better, which was what she should have done to begin with. She needed to push past her fears of abandonment and see if something more was there with Lucas and Kane.

  She leaned against the bathroom counter, her hands braced on either side of her as she stared ahead, seeing nothing but images of her night with the men. She was so tempted to slide her fingers between her thighs and relieve the need that only grew more intense with every moment. She groaned and pulled out her ponytail holder, and fluffed out her sweaty hair. Time for a shower.

  The muffled ring of her phone had her looking around before she realized she’d left her phone in the pocket of her sweatpants. Her heart pounded a little faster as she picked up the sweatpants and dug her phone out. When she looked at the screen, she saw Kane’s phone number.

  She bit her lower lip as she touched “Answer”. She brought the phone to her ear. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Tracie.” Kane’s warm voice made liquid heat pool in her abdomen.

  She considered the time difference. “When does your flight get in to New York?”

  “Late.” Kane sounded a little frustrated, but then it changed to melty-sexy. “We want to see you tomorrow.”

  Tracie hesitated. “Lunch?”

  “Excellent.” Was that a note of relief in his voice? “We can have our car pick you up at eleven if that works for you.”

  “Perfect.” She couldn’t help a smile. She gave him her address before adding, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you.” Kane’s words went straight to her chest like something tangible she could hold onto.

  When he disconnected the call, she stared at her phone. “See you,” she said softly to herself before setting her phone on her bureau and leaving it to take a shower.

  * * * * *

  When it was time for the car to pick her up, Tracie paced the small living room, tempted to chew one of her nails out of nervousness. She wore dressy slacks and a silk blouse. She didn’t want to give Lucas and Kane the wrong message by wearing a skirt, especially a short one. She was going to keep things at a distance.

  She clutched her purse tightly. She had the diamond jewelry tucked away inside so that she could give it to the men. She wasn’t crazy at all about having something so valuable in her possession.

  A knock came at the door, startling her out of her thoughts. She gripped her purse under one arm and went to the door. She opened it and took a step back. Lucas and Kane were both standing outside her door.

  How could she have forgotten just how delicious they were? The sight of the men made her wish she had dressed in a skirt and she had to mentally shake herself.

  They wore suit jackets with white shirts. Lucas wore a blue tie with threads of gold and Kane’s tie was red with darker red diagonal lines. They both had such broad shoulders and she wished she could see their powerful bodies naked…again.

  Heat flushed through her a she realized she’d been staring at them, and they could probably tell she’d been undressing them with her eyes.

  “You look gorgeous.” Kane stepped close and brushed his lips over hers. “It’s good to see you.”

  “I thought you were sending a driver.” It was the first thing that came to her.

  Kane smiled. “We did. We just came along with him.”

  “Okay.” She straightened. “Where are we going?”

  Lucas named an exclusive restaurant that was on par with the restaurant they’d taken her to in Hawaii.

  “First, I have something to give you.” She dug in her purse then brought out a felt jewelers bag that she’d had in her drawer. “I forgot to leave the jewelry when I left the other day.”

  The men looked as if they wanted to tell her to keep the diamonds, but she gave them “the look” that told them not to push her.

  Kane took the bag from her and tucked it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket as Lucas stepped in for a light kiss.

  She felt breathless even though the men had given her such light kisses. She wanted them to sweep her away and take her over and over again.

  Kane held the front door open and after Tracie walked through, Luc
as took the key from her and locked the door before dropping it into her purse that she held open for him.

  She sat between the two men in the back of the black Mercedes. She wanted them to touch her, to take her in their arms and control her like they had before.

  Truth be told, she was relieved and grateful that they were perfect gentlemen all the way to the restaurant. She needed that even though she was conflicted.

  Once they reached the restaurant, they were seated within moments of arriving at the hostess station. Lucas ordered wine and Kane placed an order for an appetizer. Tracie could hardly concentrate on anything—she had no idea what kind of wine Lucas had ordered or what appetizer Kane had selected because her focus was non-existent. Nerves bundled inside her.

  “Are you all right, Tracie?” Kane put his hand on her arm.

  His touch sent tingles through her body. She nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just that…”

  “Don’t say you regret our time together.” Lucas’s dark eyes took hold of her.

  “I don’t regret it.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know what you have in mind, if anything, but I’m not willing to do casual sex.”

  “Nothing about our time with you was casual.” Kane squeezed her forearm. “Nothing.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. “I can’t—we can’t do that again. Not until I get to know you both better.” She looked from one man to the other. “That is if you even want to see me again.”

  Lucas raised a brow. “I think we’ve made it perfectly clear that we want to see you again.” A little shiver ran through her at the intensity of his words and his expression.

  Kane stroked her jawline, drawing her to look at him and deep into his gray eyes. “We—the three of us—have something special. We don’t want you to feel any other way about it.”

  She looked down at the napkin on her lap. “I want to, need to, get to know you both much better before we do anything again. That is if we get to that point.”

  Lucas put his finger under her chin and brought her face up so that she was looking at him again. “As long as it takes, we will be here with you. We’re not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to.”