by Lacey Thorn
Table of Contents
Title Page
Arranged for Pleasure Copyright © 2013 Lacey Thorn Edited by Andrea Grimm and Venus Cahill
Product Description
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
About the Author
Also Available from Resplendence Publishing
www.resplendencepublishing.com
Arranged for Pleasure
A Pleasures Story
By Lacey Thorn
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
http://www.resplendencepublishing.com
Arranged for Pleasure
Copyright © 2013 Lacey Thorn
Edited by Andrea Grimm and Venus Cahill
Cover Art by Les Byerley
Published by Resplendence Publishing, LLC
2665 N Atlantic Avenue, #349
Daytona Beach, FL 32118
Electronic format ISBN: 978-1-60735-720-9
Warning: All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Electronic Release: December 2013
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and occurrences are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places or occurrences, is purely coincidental.
River, Tara, and Kat met in the police academy, but decided to forgo becoming cops and try life as private investigators instead. That easily, Angel Investigations was born.
Targeted by a killer, Kat is forced into lockdown, guarded by the three men she most wants to escape, along with her vivid memories of the night she indulged in her wildest fantasies. One woman can’t have three men as lovers forever… Can she?
Rafe has loved Kat since they were kids, spending his entire life looking after her and introducing her to his two best friends and the pleasure of being with them. He knows Kat loved every moment, despite her fleeing the following morning. Now Rafe, Liam, and Adrian are back, helping to protect Kat and wanting only one more thing— to arrange for her pleasure, in hopes of showing her just how possible it is to keep three men forever.
This one goes out to all the fans of the Pleasures series. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to keep doing what I love best, writing. To my amazing editor, Andrea, and all the staff at Resplendence Publishing, I couldn’t ask to work with better people! Thanks so much!
Chapter One
Rafe couldn’t keep his eyes off her. It hurt him to know how unhappy she was, how caged she felt, but he couldn’t allow her to leave as long as the threat of danger hovered around her. He loved her too much to allow her the freedom to get herself killed.
“She still asleep?” Liam whispered as he slipped quietly into Kat’s bedroom.
Rafe nodded, his eyes never leaving her form. She’d been tossing and turning, a bundle of restless energy even in sleep. He wanted to join her, to do his best to help her expend some of that energy. He wanted to feel the caress of her long black locks over his skin, feel the smooth whisper of her lips as well. He wanted. Period.
“We’re doing the right thing. Christ, when her brother called and said she’d been shot…I think my heart stopped for a minute.”
“It’s just like Kat to antagonize someone to protect those she loves, especially some whacked out detective intent on killing her best friends.”
“Who would’ve thought he’d have a psycho sister hidden away?” Liam shook his head. “They just get rid of one problem and pick up another.”
“And Kat nearly took our heads off when we stopped her from jumping on a plane and returning to the ranch to check on Tara.”
“Maybe we should have let her,” Rafe whispered. Maybe if she’d gone there, she wouldn’t be in danger now. Maybe they should put her on a plane now and send her home.
“She’s better off here with us,” Liam offered, their deep friendship aiding him in knowing just what Rafe was thinking. “Our best chance of ending this is by keeping her here and drawing out Juliana’s deranged boyfriend. Otherwise, we’ll always be looking over her shoulder. None of us can live like that.”
“I just wish there was another way. I hate keeping her confined with us, knowing how much she hates it.”
“I’d rather have her angry than dead. And with that hot head of hers, she’s bound to do her best to get herself caught in the crossfire.”
Kat had no sense of self-preservation. Her goading the detective into shooting her was a perfect example.
Liam continued. “She always puts everyone else first. We have to put her first. No matter how much she bitches about it.”
Once again, Rafe nodded. Liam knew how much it hurt Rafe to see Kat this way. Some days, Rafe felt like he’d spent his entire life loving her in one way or another. Liam understood how much it devastated Kat to have her every move watched, to have her independence taken away. He didn’t care; whereas, Rafe did. Liam would protect her period, even give his life to save hers. Rafe would do the same, but he’d feel guilty for making her miserable in the process.
“I want to find this bastard and rip him apart with my bare hands. Those pictures Kat has on her phone…” His breath shuddered out as he brought those images to mind, the ones of the victims with their throats slit, their eyes glazed with fear even in death. “To think about someone doing that to her…” Rafe shook his head. “I’m not sure I could live…”
“Feeling’s mutual,” Liam agreed. His glance fell to the bed where a restless Kat still slept. “I can’t help remembering her the way she looked that night. Her hair tousled around her shoulders from the things we all did together. Tight nipples red from our mouths. Those long legs splayed wide from all the fucking. She’s sure a wildcat in bed. Wouldn’t mind getting her there again.”
“Is she just a memorable night to you?”
Liam sighed and let some of his obvious frustration slip free. “You know she’s not. You know I want more. One taste of Kat will never be enough. But last time…Hell, last time, one mention of the L-word from you, one mention of maybe seeing what the four of us might find, and she ran as fast and far as she could. Ran straight to this hellhole and the current mess she’s in. I don’t want her running again. I’m tired of coming back to an empty house. I want more. We deserve more. And we all have our hearts set on Kat. Even Adrian, though he’ll do his best to deny it and pretend it’s only about the sex.”
“I want more too. But I won’t lie to her. I won’t pretend it’s only sex when it’s so much more to me.”
“My whole life I’ve watched my mom and dads, and I’ve known I want something similar someday. I want to find the perfect woman and share her with someone I trust to watch over her if anything happens to me. I want Kat to be that woman. There’s such strength, such fire inside her. She’s more woman than one man could ever hope to handle.” He grinned, shrugging his shoulders in what Rafe understood was an attempt to lighten the tone of conversation. “Good thing I’ve got you and Adrian to help.”
Rafe chuckled. Liam was damn lucky Rafe had decided to introduce the guys to Kat and had persuaded her into the one night they’d all spent together. “What about Adrian?”
“He puts up a good front, but I’ve noticed he can’t keep his eyes off her.”
Rafe shrugged. “Sure, he wants to have sex with her again. But does he want more? Or is he just along for the ride. I don’t want Kat hur
t.”
“Adrian would die before he purposely hurt a woman. He’s not built that way.”
“But he’s bound and determined he’ll never fall in love.”
“Maybe it has something to do with finally agreeing to see where things might go with a woman and having her disappear the next morning. Does a number to the pride.”
“She’s scared,” Rafe stated.
“Kat?” Liam shook his head. “That girl’s not scared of anything.”
“Sure she is,” Rafe replied. “She’s afraid of getting too attached. We might let her down.”
“We might make her sigh with pleasure every day for the rest of her,” Liam countered.
“Ahhh, but she’d have to be willing to take the risk in order to find out.”
Liam shook his head. “If we don’t wear her down soon, I think my zipper will be permanently tattooed into my dick.”
Rafe chuckled softly again. “Let’s go find Adrian.” He glanced back at Kat. She was finally motionless on the bed. He knew exactly what that implied. The hellion was awake, but Kat, being Kat, wouldn’t move as long as they were in the room. She’d just keep pretending to be asleep and eavesdrop. He figured they’d given her enough to think about.
He stepped out of the room after Liam and pulled the door shut behind them. He loved Kat, but he wasn’t sure he could be unselfish enough to let her walk away if she decided one night with the three of them was all she wanted. He knew it wasn’t; he’d seen the awe, the satisfaction on her face that night. She’d run because she was scared.
Kat had one hell of a tough girl act going for her. But Rafe knew the truth. No one loved with the intensity of Kat or with the passion. When she gave you her word, it meant everything. And when she finally decided to give her heart, it would be forever.
He just hoped she’d open her eyes and realize she had nothing to fear from him, Liam, or Adrian. He wished the fact both her friends were currently in relationships with multiple men would open her eyes to the possibilities that existed. She could love all three of them with no fear. They’d do everything within their power to keep her happy and satisfied. All she had to do was take a chance.
* * * *
Kat blinked her eyes open as soon as the door closed. One hand fisted over her heart and rubbed there. Would it be so wrong to just give in? She’d already spent one night with all three of them. She could still feel their hands and mouths moving over her skin, tasting and licking. Her nipples ached, and her pussy pulsed for a repeat performance. She was wet and ready. All they had to do was look at her and moisture coated her channel, preparing for penetration.
But Rafe loved her. Liam felt something for her; though, she wasn’t quite convinced yet it was love. And Adrian? She’d hurt him by walking away. She hadn’t realized just how much until she’d seen him again. There were shadows in his eyes and a distance between them she wasn’t sure she could breach.
Since they’d shown up in Greenville two weeks ago, memories of that night plagued her. She could admit to herself that she’d always been a little in love with Rafe. There was just something about him. The way he spoke his native Spanish when he was extremely angry or in the throes of passion. The way he threw his head back and laughed from his gut. The way family came first with him. The way he took care of himself and always pushed himself harder, further. It was most likely one of the reasons he was now part of a very elite group, the Rangers.
Every time she looked at him, she wanted him. Visions of him above her filled her mind. His weight held up by muscular arms, his hips firm against hers, while his cock pulsed deep inside her pussy. She loved the way his abs rippled, his thighs flexed, as he rode in and out of her. She loved the way he whispered, calling her mi amor as he came. She’d thought no one would ever touch her the way he did.
Then he’d left for the Army. No promises to one another. Her choice, not his. She didn’t regret it either. They’d needed to grow and experience other things, other people. She couldn’t doubt her choice, or it would drive her crazy. But Rafe had changed a lot over the years. Gone was the boy she’d loved, replaced by a man who made her blood scream.
He’d introduced her to Liam, who was sheer masculine perfection. He had the boy-next-door good looks and the “aw, shucks” routine down to an art. But she could see the man behind the green eyes and perfect blond hair. She could see the warrior inside, the man who would die protecting those he felt deserving. He’d touched her mind first, intriguing her with his wit and wisdom. She’d opened up to him, shared memories from her past and listened to his. He came from a unique family, a mom who openly shared her life with two men. Yet, he seemed unfazed by that, laughed at the memories of his childhood.
Then he’d casually touched her body. A brush of his fingertips along her bare arm. A pat on her back, a rub along her neck. And her nipples had tightened, her cunt had heated and dampened. She’d wanted him, and he’d known it. It terrified her. Was Rafe so replaceable?
No. Even worse. She wanted them both. What kind of woman desired two men? What kind of woman envisioned having them both? The type of woman other women whispered ugly words about. The type of woman men told steamy tales about. Not the kind of woman a man loved and kept. So, she’d shied away. Pushing Liam’s stories from her mind and denying both of them.
The next time Rafe came home, Liam returned with him, and they brought Adrian. Adrian was the type of man a woman craved. Ebony skin over a body built to incite lust in a woman’s veins. His voice deep and rich sent shivers down her spine. And the more she got to know him, the more she’d wanted him too, which proved she was a bad girl, undeserving of any of them.
Adrian tried to play it as the tough guy, only looking for a good time, a no-strings-attached affair. But they’d sat up late one night talking. He’d told her about losing his mom to cancer just before he’d joined the Army. He’d spoken with obvious love and pride about her, saying how pleased she’d be of the Ranger he’d become. And he’d confessed how losing her made him a little afraid of ever opening himself up again.
Still, they’d laughed over their future plans, and he’d admitted he’d like to have someone waiting for him, thinking of him, and praying he’d come home safe. But he’d shrugged his shoulders like it didn’t matter one way or another if it actually happened. It had been on the tip of her tongue to say she’d say a prayer for him, but the words wouldn’t come. How could she give him those words?
She wanted them all. Rafe, the first lover she’d known. The man who always made her feel loved. Liam, a warrior of worth, a man who would love a woman completely, holding nothing back from her. A man deserving of the same. And Adrian, a wounded soul, just as afraid of love as she was. He wanted, but was so afraid of rejection, he clung to the physical. How could she choose? Who did she deny? Who did she spend her life loving? The girl in her screamed Rafe’s name, but the woman wanted more, wanted them all.
And one night she’d had it. She’d blame it on the tequila, but it was a lie she couldn’t even tell herself.
“Come back to the house with me.”
“I can’t, Rafe.”
“Why? What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I’ll keep you to myself?”
Her eyes had widened, her heartbeat racing in her chest.
“I know you want Liam and Adrian. It’s okay, Kat. You can have us all.”
“What?”
“Shhhhh.” He’d crooned, pulling her close enough for her to feel his rock hard shaft against her lower stomach. “You don’t have to choose, Kat. You can have all three of us. Our hands, our mouths, our cocks. All worshipping you, bringing you pleasure like you’ve never known.”
She’d gone, too intrigued to walk away. They’d opened her eyes that night, shown her things she’d never dreamed possible, and spoiled her for every other man out there. Nothing had been the same since then. Especially sex. But she hadn’t known it might be possible to love more than one man back then. She’d been scared, terrified of what she’d done a
nd how she felt. She wanted to stay, wanted to shut the world out and just stay with them. So, she’d run.
And now she couldn’t. They were here. She was here. And none of them could leave as long as the threat of a psychopath hung over her head. She wanted the choice of staying or going, and right now, she didn’t have it. Her eyes narrowed as she sat up and reached for her phone.
Charlie answered on the first ring.
“Call off the dogs, Charlie.”
“Hey, sis. Good to hear from you.”
She sighed. “I mean it, Charlie. Juliana’s boyfriend probably doesn’t even exist, except in her crazy, twisted brain.”
“I’m not taking chances with your life, Kat.”
“Charlie, please.”
“No.”
There was a scuffle on the other end, and her brother’s grunt of pain echoed over the line before another voice greeted her. “Hey, you. How are you?”
It was so good to hear from Tara. “I’m barely holding it together here.”
Tara sighed. “Hang tough, Kat. I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy. Like he’ll make Raymond and his crazy sister seem like a cakewalk.”
“It’s been two weeks, and he hasn’t shown his face yet.”
“He’s probably smart enough to know you have three very capable men watching over you.”
Kat snorted.
“I know it’s tough, Kat, but I have confidence in you.”
“I’m not going to last much longer without killing someone.”
“What are you so afraid of, Kat?”
“I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Bullshit! The Kat I know would be jumping in with both feet and making the most of the situation. Instead, it seems like you’re climbing the walls.”
“This is different, Tara.”
There was a beeping sound.
“Hang on a moment,” Tara said and with a click switched lines on her phone. After a minute, there was a double click and then another familiar voice spoke.
