Bonds of Desire

by Lynda Aicher

  “Oh, you know my interest. You’re just too scared to do anything about it.”

  “You arrogant—”

  “Not now.” Tyler cut Allie off, the fun of the moment gone.

  To his surprise, they both listened. Seth dropped down behind him, the thumb rub restarting.

  Allie clamped her lips tight, her lashes brown and long against her cheeks as she closed her eyes. The room had brightened since he’d first woken up, the light coming in around the curtains growing stronger as the sun rose higher. This unguarded view of her was so different than the one he’d seen last night. Her cheeks were flushed a pale red, offsetting the dark stain of her lips.

  She was way out of his reach, but then, so was Master Seth. Yet the strong Dom’s hand on his neck felt like a claim. It couldn’t be, but Tyler was going to take what he could from the moment. Steal the illusion for when he left. Because there in no way in hell they’d want anything to do with him once he’d healed. These two were too good for a whore.

  Don’t get attached. They’re just slumming, boy. His dad was right, but he was in the middle of them now. His old man’s mirthless laugh bounced around his head, insinuating itself within the grind of his headache.

  The strange, almost surreal sense of the moment urged Tyler forward. He had nothing to lose at this point. He pushed the heavy mass of her hair over her shoulder before resting his palm on the warm skin of her nape. The tiny shiver that raced down her spine trembled like a chain through his arm and into his chest. He exhaled a long, slow breath as a foreign sense of contentment flowed through him.

  He mimicked Seth’s steady motion on his neck, stroking his thumb in a matching rhythm over Allie’s skin. The baby hairs at her nape were soft and springy under his coarse pad. The contrast was a reminder that he was too rough for her.

  She lifted her eyelids, her stare one of searching wonder, not penetrating scrutiny. “You’re my client,” she whispered as if she didn’t really want to voice the words.

  “I told you I don’t want a lawyer.” Especially if that stopped this from happening. He didn’t want the lawyer, he wanted her. The grip on his neck tightened a touch.

  Tyler wasn’t dumb. The grappling tension between the two people on either side of him was still in place, even stronger than last night. It layered over him, wrapped around him in a sizzling cloak of suppressed desire.

  “Then I really should leave,” Allie stated.

  The only movement in the room was the slow, consistent pace of thumbs over skin. The occasional clink of a pipe in the wall and the low bang of a truck lumbering over a bump in the street below were reminders that the outside world still existed.

  He lifted a brow. “We’re back to that again?”

  “You need your prescriptions.”

  “I’m good for now.”

  Behind him, Seth shifted closer. The sheets rustled with the jiggle of the bed as he moved. He looped a foot over Tyler’s lower leg to rest between Tyler’s feet. His claim remained on Tyler’s neck as he messed with the pillow before going still.

  Tyler could sense the long length of the man down his side, even though he only physically touched him at his neck and calf. The heat from Seth’s bare torso was like a furnace simmering so close, singeing without burning.

  Allie glanced up, her eyes narrowing a fraction. The touch of Seth’s lips against Tyler’s crown was unmistakable, the kiss soft but certain. A keening hum, almost a whimper, stuck in Tyler’s throat, the protective spell the Dom was weaving over him an enchantment he couldn’t refuse. Had no strength to deny, nor desire to do so.

  “I don’t understand,” Allie said, her gaze shifting between the two men.

  “What?”

  Her eyes held on Seth, her lips pressing together. “All of this. Any of it.” She stared at Tyler. “Why am I here?”

  Exerting a touch more pressure on her, he reinforced his words with the tightening of his grip. “Because you want to be.”

  The stillness made the moment that much more compelling. It was as if none of them wanted to move because motion of any kind would send the whole thing crumbling apart.

  She closed her eyes. “This is crazy.”

  “What’s crazy?” Seth asked. “We’re just three people lying in a bed talking.”

  “Then why does it feel like something more?” There was doubt-laced skepticism in her question, but it couldn’t hide the underpinnings of longing that sneaked in.

  “Do you want it to be?”

  It seemed like a question that applied to all three of them, yet none of them spoke.

  He followed Allie’s lead and closed his eyes. The fire that smoldered on his back was manageable with the two beside him. He refused to acknowledge the grumblings of his bladder or think about his other injury. He wasn’t going to ruin any of this.

  Even the lingering snarls of his father’s digs couldn’t bring him down. It won’t last, boy. No one would want a slut like you. The internal cuts were worse than the external ones. Some scars never went away. But he could bury them, at least for a while.

  He inhaled, the blended scents of flowers and spice creating a place for him to linger. Hide. The consistent swipe of Seth’s thumb, the steady warmth of Allie under his palm—things to hold him grounded.

  Keep him from falling.

  But experience told him the ground would still come and hurt like a bitch when he smashed into it. Unwanted, his toes started bouncing. Too many thoughts, too much pain. So much he should forget.

  Even more that he shouldn’t want.

  * * *

  What am I doing? She couldn’t open her eyes. If she did, she’d have to leave. Because there was no way she was lying in bed in Seth’s T-shirt with Tyler’s hand possessively tucked against her neck. None. Allison English did not do things like this.

  Not in high school, college, law school or after. Never.

  Attending the Mardi Gras party at The Den was the riskiest thing she’d ever done. And then it was only because she could hide behind a mask. Pretend to be someone else for the night.

  But here, there was nowhere to hide. Except in the dark. And she didn’t want to leave. God knew why, but she didn’t want to fight it. Not now.

  Later there would plenty of time to sort out the crazy jumble of feelings that twisted in her stomach. It was so easy to convince herself of that as long as she kept her eyes closed.

  The gentle presence of Tyler’s touch unsettled her almost as much as Seth’s kiss last night. But she didn’t pull away. Even now. How long had it been since she’d felt this...safe? Crazy really, given that should feel far from that. And she was supposed to be doing that for Tyler, not the other way around.

  The shift in movement was subtle, slow. The slight pressure on her neck tugged her forward and she allowed it. She knew what was coming and still she went.

  “You’re not my lawyer, Allison.” Tyler’s soft words breathed over her cheek right before his mouth touched hers. It was light at first, a brief test that passed into a longer caress when she didn’t resist. His lips were slightly chapped but so certain and persuasive. Touching, nipping but never pressing further. It was as if there was nothing to fight. No reason to resist. The warmth radiated from his palm and flowed through her in a languid flush that had her clenching her legs together to hold back the warmth that ignited within her.

  He was courteous almost, so very different from the harsh, demanding man of the night before. She moaned, a low-pitched whimper that broke through the delusional haze she had allowed.

  She jerked back, pushing on the mattress to thrust off the bed. This wasn’t right. Her pulse raced and her gaze swung between the two men who hadn’t moved. Curled together, both half-naked, they appeared so intimate. How did she fit into that?

  Why would she want to?

  “W-what are you doing?” she stammered. A vicious replay of Seth’s kiss whipped through her mind in a bad déjà-vu moment. She backed away from the bed, the need to run clamoring full force w
ithin her.

  “Kissing you,” Tyler responded, his steady voice much calmer than her own.

  Seth watched her, his position behind Tyler practically screaming his claim on the man. Yet Seth had kissed her last night. Now Tyler had.

  “I can’t do this.” She shook her head, the verbal denial needing reinforcement. The sharp corner of the doorjamb dug into her shoulder blade, and she shuffled to the side.

  “Do what?” Seth asked. “I thought you were committed to helping Tyler.”

  She glared at him, in some ways thankful that he riled her. “I am, and you know that’s not what I’m talking about. Stop twisting everything to get what you want.”

  “And you know what I want?”

  “You obviously want Tyler.” And why did that thought anger her?

  Seth smiled, the look one of devious intent that was just for her. “That’s not all I want and you know it, Allie.”

  She didn’t need this. Dang it. Lifting her chin, she pulled her business armor around her and faced off. “I’m here because Tyler needs legal help and I promised not to abandon him. But I will not be played with.”

  “I wasn’t playing,” Tyler said, the quiet firmness more forceful than if he’d shouted the words across the room.

  “Neither am I,” Seth said.

  “Yeah. Whatever.” She waved off Seth’s statement, not willing or able to believe anything either man said. “I have to go to work. I’ll get your prescriptions filled while I’m out.” She turned to leave but stopped to give them both one last glance over her shoulder. “I will be back.” She shut the door behind her. Maybe Seth would take the hint and stay in there until she left.

  To that end, she quickly changed into her business suit and made to leave, hoping to avoid the walk of shame that came with the bedhead and morning departure. The click of the bedroom door opening had her almost sprinting to the exit. She wasn’t afraid of Seth. She just needed time to regroup.

  “Your car is in the parking garage beneath the building.” His deep voice stilled her retreat, her hand on the door handle, so close.

  She gritted her teeth and refused to turn around. “How’d it get there?”

  “I had it moved last night.”

  With everything that had happened since then, she’d forgotten about that. Giving over her keys at the door hadn’t been high on her worry list when she’d thought Kendra was in trouble. “Right.” She finally turned to face him. “And where are my keys?”

  He pointed to the side table next to the door. Sure enough, hers were sitting in a container with a collection of other keys. She snatched them out of the bowl and shoved them in her purse.

  She forced a smile. “Do you need me to grab anything while I’m out?”

  He shook his head, a half smile on his lips. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Blowing out a breath, she resisted the urged to yank her hair out. “Yes. I do.” She held his challenging stare, not backing down. “I should be back by five.”

  “And then what?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “How long are you staying? What are you going to do?” He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his bare chest. “He said he doesn’t want you as his lawyer. There’s no reason for you to stick around.”

  She took a step forward, ready to charge across the room to defend her position, before she stopped herself. “He might not think he needs a lawyer, but I made a promise and I won’t let it go until I’m assured he’s protected. And since you show every indication of taking advantage of him, I don’t know that he is.”

  “Really? You’re still on that?” His lifted brow of doubt was like a match to her anger. “If it’s that much of a concern, why don’t you take the week off and stay here?”

  “What?” The suggestion threw a curveball into their sparring. “You’re admitting that you’re manipulating him?”

  “No. It’s going to take at least a week before Tyler is healed enough to leave. I want you to see that whatever develops has absolutely nothing to do with manipulation or coercion.”

  “So you want him?”

  “Yes. But...” His tired headshake was one usually given to someone who was slow or obtuse. “Whatever happens, if anything does, will be because it should.”

  She couldn’t think about the stab of pain that sucked at her chest. If he wanted Tyler, where did that leave her? Was he being honest or purposely open just to mess with her?

  “When was the last time you took a day off?” Again with the tangent question.

  “I don’t know. What does it matter?”

  He shrugged. “Think of it as a break. Get away from the office and appease your conscience that I’m not abusing, screwing or harming Tyler.”

  Oh, he might appear casual and uncaring, but there was no missing the calculating stare or stiff shoulders. This was another challenge he thought she’d duck from. Just like the kiss last night. He was probably used to pushing people until they folded. Not her.

  “That sounds like a great idea,” she heard herself saying before her brain had processed her intentions. But the triumph whizzed through her. She opened the door and gave him a broad grin as she left. It wasn’t until the door had closed solidly behind her that the reality of what she’d done hit her. Oh, God. Had she really just committed to spending the whole week with them?

  Sucking in a breath, she squared her shoulders and calmly walked to the elevator, road it down in stoic composure and found her car. She was a half mile and a turn down the street before she pulled into an empty parking lot.

  The shaking started before the gearshift was in park. Her hands trembled so badly she didn’t even try to turn off the ignition. A clammy sweat covered her skin, her body flushed with heat. She wanted to claw at her tight suit that had become incredibly claustrophobic.

  What had she done? She couldn’t stay with them, not separate or together. Especially not together. Not after they’d both kissed her. She swallowed back the rising panic, but she couldn’t make the queasy roll of her stomach stop.

  Allison English did not do things like this.

  But Allie had just kissed two different men within twenty-four hours, the second in front of the first. And she’d liked them both. The kisses, that is. The men were still in question.

  She scrubbed her face with her hands. It didn’t help. There was no hiding from the situation. It wasn’t the first time her stupid competitiveness had gotten her into a screwed-up situation. Obviously all of the hours spent kneeling in church praying for help because of that exact sin hadn’t worked as her mother had intended.

  But she’d learned something growing up—she either needed to rescind on her promises and run away or suck it up and follow through on her commitment. Hell, she didn’t even know if she could get the time off from work. Given that she had over two hundred backed-up vacation hours to use, that was really just an excuse. Time off wasn’t something a thirty-eight-year-old female wannabe law partner took.

  Feeling marginally better, she shifted the car into gear and headed from home. A shower, a strong cup of coffee—or two—and then she could think this through. As if there was something to think through. There was no way she was backing down. So it was time she pulled on her big girl panties and called Seth’s bluff once again.

  She laughed, the sound startling and sharp in the silence of the car. From the way things had played out that morning, big-girl panties were not what Seth and Tyler wanted her to wear. Wouldn’t it serve them right if she showed up in a thong, collar and nothing else?

  Right. Like she’d ever dare to do that. Yet the thought of it made her squirm in the car seat before she jerked on the radio and let the noise drown out her thoughts.

  Chapter Eight

  Seth rounded on his business partners, the unjust anger boiling out of him. “I don’t care who he is. I want him to pay. He can’t beat someone like that and just walk away. How can you accept that?” He glared at Deklan and Jake before stalking to the
door. The small office didn’t give him the freedom to go far, but he couldn’t sit still.

  “There’s nothing we can do,” Deklan said, the patience barely holding in his voice. “You know the contracts.” Unless Taylor filed a complaint or went to the police, there was little The Den could do.

  “Fuck our contracts.” Seth needed to hit something, and Deklan was becoming a very good target.

  Jake barked out a laugh. His chair banged on the floor as it came off its precarious two-legged tilt. “Fucking’s what got us into this mess.”

  Seth spun around. Jake would do just fine for a punching bag. “Fuck you.”

  Neither man responded, which was a dirty tactic they’d probably learned from him. Son of a bitch. This was not like him. He was normally the calm one.

  He slumped against the wall, the anger deflating out of him. He hung his head, his hair falling forward to shield his embarrassment. The entire last day had been nothing but a fucking mess. Make that the entire last six months.

  “What’s really going on?” Deklan asked.

  Seth couldn’t answer that. “Nothing.” He rubbed his palms on his jeans and straightened. “Look. Sorry.” He dragged his hand through his hair, the temptation to hack it all off almost too strong to resist. Something like Tyler’s cut would be more manageable. Shit, he didn’t need thoughts like that. He strode back to his desk and forced himself to sit.

  Deklan took a seat in the last available chair. Apparently, he was willing to sit now that Seth had finally stopped pacing. Deklan hooked a booted ankle over his knee and eyed Seth. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “I’ll take care of everything.” After all, it was his job. “The notice of expulsion will go out today, along with the standard staff notification.” He stared at both men. “I don’t care who he is, Master Rex is banned from this club.” When neither of them objected, he took their silence as consent.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Deklan warned. Like the man was a mind reader now. Even dressed in worn jeans and a T-shirt, his military background clung to him like a uniform.