Operation Ginger Avenger [Divine Creek Ranch 24] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  “We conked out pretty quick, and I forgot to pull the covers over her. Once I did that, she was out. She may not even remember waking up. She has this cute little wiffling snore.” Troy snorted and took a sip of his coffee. “Adorable.”

  “Last night was okay then?” Tank asked, worried that Troy was holding back from letting him know the trauma of her abusive captivity was continuing to hold them back.

  Troy blew on his coffee again and then grinned at Tank over the top of the mug. “Imagine all your fantasies about making love to Jessica coming true. That’s what it was like. She’s so fucking sweet and…vulnerable. But she’s got a little sex goddess hiding behind all that sweetness. She knows what she likes, and she’s a giver, too. It was perfect. Amazing. She’s still asleep if you want to go wake her. I imagine Bella will be awake as soon as she hears your voice.”

  Tank chuckled. “Then I’ll be quiet. Maybe I can sneak in a kiss or two.”

  “Don’t let me hold you back.”

  I don’t think you could. There was a part, bigger than he cared to admit, that had been straight-up jealous of Troy, his blood brother. He’d worried himself into a lather the night before, thinking of her panicking and begging off from their threesome arrangement, after being with Troy alone.

  He’d even debated calling Gil, or Chance and Clayton, and asking one of them if they’d stand in for him. Gil had a ménage with Jake and their wife, Margot, and Chance and Clayton had Lydia, so of course they’d understand the care that had to be taken with the sweet centers of their ménages.

  They’d stand in for him if he’d just admit to his insecurity, but it was more than that. Jessica struggled with everyone knowing about what had happened to her, and he wanted their situation and the timing of certain events, like making love to her, to be private. Theirs alone. So he’d stayed at the other cabin with Brian Dornan.

  The man wasn’t exactly an open book, but once he’d sat down with Tank, a lot more of his story came out, including the fact that his mother had also been a victim of abuse at the hands of his father. The man had been abusive to all of them, and Trevor—not surprisingly—had taken after the man. Bonnie Dornan had done everything she could to protect her son, even sacrificing herself. Dornan’s father had succeeded one night in beating her spirit right out of her.

  He didn’t trust Brian one hundred percent quite yet, but the words he’d spoken had rung with truth.

  Tank had the distinct impression that Brian considered himself too dumb to lie properly, part of the reason he’d finally pushed the boundaries of decency to see Jessica when she’d refused his calls. But he’d gone on to say that his better angels, or “the angel over his shoulder,” had told him he needed to do whatever it took to protect and help Jessica and Bella.

  Time would tell if he could be trusted. Tank and the rest of the men were committed to keeping an eye on him until he proved himself one way or the other.

  He stretched the cramps out of his shoulders as he trod quietly down the hall to Troy’s bedroom. He eased the door open and peeked inside, waiting a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimness, silently pulling the door closed behind him.

  Jessica lay spread eagle under the sheet and weighted blanket that Troy favored. Her lips were parted. The tiny hint of a snore rasped in the quiet, and he grinned. It was indeed adorable. So was the way she hogged the bed, as if she was seeking each corner of the mattress with her extremities. Lucky for him it put her smack in the center of the bed—easy to reach, but hopefully not startle her as he sat down on the edge. He reached out to caress her rosy cheek.

  Her skin was warm, and his dick perked up when he thought of how warm the rest of her probably was, snuggled under the covers. He wanted badly to strip naked, slide under them, and find out for himself, but he needed to see how she was first.

  “Mmm,” she groaned softly, her eyelashes stirring and then rising. She stared up at the ceiling blankly. “Hmm?” And then memory evidently dawned, bringing a gorgeous smile with it. He sat there quietly letting her come to full consciousness, enjoying how cute she was as she raised her head and looked at the blankets covering her and the way she was spread out. “Huh.” Then she looked around the room and caught her breath when she saw him. “Oh, hey, how are you?”

  “I’m sore from sleeping in a chair last night but glad I’m back here with you. How was last night?” Uncertainty filled her eyes as she evidently searched for words, and he stroked her cheek again. “Just tell me how it was.”

  Keeping the covers pulled up to her neck, she rolled to her side facing him and put her hand into his when he reached for her. His confidence soared when she scooted even closer, still keeping those covers pulled tight to her, but her smile was unreserved.

  “It was beautiful. I felt free. He didn’t give me a chance to be afraid—”

  “Afraid?”

  “Wrong word choice. He didn’t give me a chance to get stuck in my head. Stuck in memories. He helped me make new ones to replace the old, bad ones.”

  Tank looked at their joined hands and nodded. “I’m glad to hear it, honey. Bella sleep okay?”

  She squeezed his hand, drawing his gaze back to her beautiful face. “You don’t need to redirect like that. Troy gave me hope, and if you still want to try for a ménage like the ones my friends have, then I want what we had last night with you, too. If you can still handle the thought of sharing me?”

  “If I can still handle the thought of sharing you? The thought of sharing you with Troy has been uppermost in my mind for three years now, woman.” He wanted to jump her right then and there when she sputtered with laughter.

  “I wish you’d been here with us,” she said and then clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her amusement.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You look ready to jump my bones and boink me into oblivion.”

  Tank could barely suppress laughter. “Boink you? I think you’ve been hanging around all the girls too much. Who did you hear that one from? No, let me guess. Lucy?”

  “Nope. Bunny. She calls Joseph ‘Sir Boinks-a-lot’ to rile him up.”

  “That’s not the only thing she does to rile him up, I’m sure. But yeah,” he said, levity being replaced by tenderness. “I wish we did have time for a little one-on-one.” He leaned toward her, and she put her palm over her mouth and said, “You don’t want to kiss me.”

  “I couldn’t care less about your morning breath, darlin’.”

  Pulling her hand away, she giggled and then puckered up nice and tight and pointed to her lips with an affirmative muffled sound, giving him the green light.

  “That’s very sexy.”

  But her silly pucker softened as his lips brushed hers, and he sighed softly as she released the edge of the blanket. He stroked her shoulder, and tempted too much, he wrapped his arm around her back and lifted her into a semi-reclining position as he continued kissing her, enjoying the superheated tenderness of her skin.

  “It was miserable last night, imagining what I was missing out on.”

  “Touch me,” she whispered, glancing at the closed door and then looking up at him. “She’ll be up any second. What can I do for you?”

  “Lie still. Spread those sweet legs for me,” he ground out, his dick going rock hard as she complied. “I want to see you come.”

  “Oh—”

  Brushing a finger against her lips with one hand, he slid the other hand under the covers, hissing at the heat of her skin against his palm. Her breasts were tender, the nipples soft and silky then suddenly stiff and puckered. She trembled, and her breath caught as he gently pinched one and then the other.

  “I want you to come, but you can’t make a sound.”

  Her cheeks flushed, and her lips grew rosier as she caught her lower lip between her teeth and nodded. She lifted her knees and spread her legs wide, shuddering as his fingertips drifted over her abdomen in a lazy trail to her pussy.

  He teased her, enjoying the glazed heat in her eyes, h
er back arching as she anticipated his touch. The soft curls tickled his fingers, and he shuddered a little and chuckled.

  Then his fingertips met slippery, silky heat. She stared at him, her breathing suspended as she waited for him to do something, biting her lip harder.

  “So wet,” he whispered. “So hot and sexy.”

  Her clit was a swollen nub, moving side to side as he stroked it. He knew he was doing it right because her eyelids drifted closed and he could feel the tremors rippling through her whole body in his fingertips.

  His heart pounded as she rubbed her pussy against his fingers. The silky heat of her sent shards of lust arrowing through him. He’d never wanted a woman so much in his entire life, but he wanted this moment of release for her. Not just the release of orgasm. The release from the bonds of captivity.

  Her eyes flashed open as he began a small circular motion, rubbing her pussy lips and her clit with the pads of his fingers, an all-over stroking through all her sweet juices, over and over.

  Her cheeks were flushed, and he could see the lust glittering in her gaze, and he smiled when she thrust against him, trying to take his fingers within her.

  She mouthed, “Please.”

  There was no time to make love to her. The door wasn’t locked. Bella would be up any moment. If he got started now, the way he wanted to make love to her, it’d be noon before they left the bedroom, if at all.

  “You’re going to come for me, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, nodding emphatically. Determined. He was so proud of her. Not for giving him what he wanted. For taking what she wanted.

  Still rubbing her pussy and clit, he dipped his middle finger into her entrance. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The ecstasy in her eyes told him what he needed to know. He rubbed, over and over, working her higher. And then he slid a second finger between her lips. Her entrance was swollen with arousal and grew even tauter with her excitement. “That’s right, baby. Take what you need.”

  “More,” she whispered.

  A third finger joined the other two, and his dick tingled with pain and need for her, but he ignored it as he worked his fingers in and out, stroking her walls and reveling in how much wetter she became at his touch.

  She lifted her hips, bucking against his hand, taking his mouth when he offered her a kiss, sensing she was close. Her movements shifted the covers, revealing her sumptuous flesh in the early morning light. The most glorious thing he’d ever seen.

  He shifted his hand slightly and rubbed her swollen clit with the side of his thumb as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. “You’re so sweet and hot for me, Jess. I can’t wait to fuck you and fill you up with my cock. I’m so hard just thinking about filling your pussy with my cum.”

  A hard tremble shook her body, accompanied by a slight high-pitched inhale, and she lost control. A flush spread in a pink wave from her throat to her chest and down to her lush breasts. She held tight to him, and her hips rocked in a slow, fluid motion in counterpoint with the sweet contractions happening around his fingers as he stayed right with her, finger fucking her until she collapsed with the last shudder. Utterly limp with rapture, she gazed up at him with shiny eyes, glazed with satisfaction.

  That was a look he could get used to seeing on her beautiful face. She’d been worth waiting three years for. Yeah, he was dying to spend time with her under the covers, on the covers, with the covers flung across the room and them banging the headboard against the wall…but to watch her as she came, feeling her coming apart under his fingertips, was exactly what he’d needed.

  His dick begged to differ, and was bound to suffer, when they heard a tiny squeaking yawn from across the hall, followed by a thump.

  “And she’s up,” Jessica whispered with a big grin. “I wish we had time for more.”

  “You know I’ll take a raincheck, baby.” He hoped his chance would come soon. Blue balls were not going to be fun.

  “Welcome to my world, honey. I hope you can handle it.”

  “Rest assured I can,” he replied as he eased her back against the pillow with another light kiss. “Take your time getting up. I’ll corral her before she comes busting in here and you have to explain why you’re all nekkid.”

  “Thank you very much. I’m not quite ready to have that happen.”

  “We’ll get breakfast going while you get rolling.”

  He breathed deep and thought about football stats as he washed and dried his hands. There was nothing to do about his rigid cock, and so he ignored it best as he could.

  Coming out of Troy’s bathroom, he heard the patter of little feet in the hall and grabbed the knob, winked at Jessica, and blew her a kiss. “Make sure to eat a good breakfast because you’re getting nekkid and warmed up all over again the first chance I get.”

  Jessica’s smile, her rosy face, and her shiny eyes as she clasped the blanket to her cleavage while sitting in that bed was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  He felt a slight twist on the doorknob from the other side and eased it open just enough to slip through. Thanks to his boner, he was unable to squat or kneel down, so he bent over to Bella as she held up her arms, wanting to be picked up. Her cheek bore a mark from a crumpled blanket or pillow, and she yawned right in his face and then cupped his cheeks in her chubby hands.

  “Tankie! Dood mornin’! Is Mama in ’ere?” She rubbed an eye with one hand while pointing at the door behind him.

  “Yep, but she just woke up so we’re going to make you some breakfast and give her some time to get herself together.”

  “Why? I like to jump on her bed to waked her up.”

  “Because ladies like it when they get to wake up naturally on their own. Not that Mama doesn’t enjoy you waking her up by jumping on her bed, but we’re going to give her a little time this morning, okay?”

  “Okay. What’s fer breakfast?”

  “What would you like? We have pretty much everything.”

  “Cheetos?”

  “Nice try, kid.”

  “Chicken nuggets?” she asked with a familiar sparkle in her eyes.

  “Nope. How about scrambled eggs?”

  “Oooh! With honey?”

  “Mmm-hmm. I think we have some.”

  “My Uncle Beck makes honey, you know that?”

  “I did. In fact, our honey is honey from your Uncle Beck.”

  She cackled with glee, balling up her hands and wiggling in his arms as if that was the best news ever, and to a three-year-old, he supposed it might be. “I want it on some toast, too, okay?”

  “Okay. Do you need a new Pull-Up?”

  She gasped and got big eyes. “I gotta go potty.”

  Tank had no idea if that was precocious or not, but stopping for conversation on the subject was asking for disaster, so off they went, and Bella took care of business. Once in the bathroom, though, she realized she needed her hair brushed.

  With Bella’s morning toilette finished, complete with a headband with a bow on it adorning her head, Tank carried her into the kitchen where Troy was cracking eggs into a bowl at the counter. Looking very relaxed, Jessica yawned and poured coffee in a mug. Tank paused when a knock came at the back door. He opened it to reveal Brian, waving at Hank as he drove away before nodding at them.

  “Mornin’, everyone.”

  Tank nodded in greeting and hoisted the solid toddler into the booster seat he’d bought at the store, just in case Jessica ever brought her over for a meal. He grinned when she started singing, clapping her hands softly—an odd juxtaposition for such a noisy kid.

  “I fly away, oh Dory, I fly away.”

  Jess paused at the coffee pot and turned to look at her.

  “When I die hammanulla by and by, I fly away.”

  Jessica tilted her head, and Tank’s attention perked up as she came to the table without filling a plate and sat in front of Bella. “Where did you learn that song, baby?”

  “The lady taught me.”

  “W
hich lady? Someone at daycare?”

  “Uh-uh,” she replied with a shake of her head. “The spuhzarkely lady.”

  Brian set his fork down in his plate, his attention riveted on the conversation. “You know ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ sweetie?”

  “Uh-huh! Wanna sing? I fly away, oh Dory! I fly away—”

  “You sing so pretty, baby. Which ‘spuhzarkely’ lady?”

  “In my dream. I dreamed it.” In a sweet babyish voice, pure as an angel’s, she continued singing while clapping her hands together. “Oh, how glad ‘n happy we will meet, I fly away. No more col’ iron shackles in my feet, I fly away!”

  A tickling shiver rippled over Tank’s shoulders, a sensation that his mom would’ve described as someone walking over his grave.

  Brian looked down at his plate, his hand over his mouth and an odd sound came from his throat.

  Jessica swayed in her seat, and Tank caught her as she listed to one side. “Whoa, honey! You okay? Hey, we need to get some food into you, or would you rather lie down?”

  Putting her hand to her ashen forehead, she shook her head and murmured, “It’s okay. Baby, tell me more about the spuhzarkely lady. What does that mean?”

  Bella raised her hands and waggled her fingers demonstrably. “You know. Spuhzarkles and twinkly-like…I don’t know. I dreamed it.” She shoveled in a bite of scrambled eggs from the plate Troy had placed on her high chair. “These are good. Can I have honey on ’em?”

  “Sure, Belly-button,” Troy murmured distractedly as he kept his gaze on Jessica.

  Jess looked up at Tank and then gave a shrug, but the sheen on her forehead and the paleness of her skin gave away her inner turmoil. “I sang that to her when she was a newborn, but…I stopped.”

  “Why?” Brian asked. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be nosey.”

  “It’s okay. When I was…” She glanced at Bella and then looked up at him. “When I was away, I used to sing that song or at least the chorus and the couple of verses that I remembered…”

  “From church? Sunday school?”

  Jessica shook her head. “I went to church with my grandmother, but that wasn’t one I learned there. I must’ve heard it somewhere else. But I sang it to myself while I was gone, and it…helped.” Her lips began to tremble on the last word, and a flush filled her previously pale cheeks. “I stopped singing it because it brought back memories. But when I sang it to her, she was an infant. Do you think she could remember it from that far back? I’ve never heard her sing it before.”