by Marla Monroe
Lana thought back over everything that had happened over the last week and decided that they had lost interest in her, but still felt responsible for her since she was in their home and going to be working for them. There was no doubt that they needed help with their business in the office setting, so she knew it wasn’t a job made just for her. Still, now that she’d slept with them, they were tired of her. It would be up to her to pretend that none of it mattered and keep things on a business level from here on out.
Somehow she had to convince her heart that it wasn’t broken and that she didn’t need them to survive day in and day out. This job was paramount in her being able to move out of the dump she was living in and begin to build a new life for herself. She would not screw it up by becoming a simpering idiot hanging on to them like a leech. She had more pride than that.
“What are you thinking so hard about over there?” Justin’s voice startled her.
“N–nothing. I was just going over some things about the office in my head.”
He was quiet for so long that Lana thought he’d fallen back asleep. When he spoke again, she heard something strained in his voice.
“Somehow I don’t think that was the entire truth, sweetheart. Get some sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
Lana felt him nuzzle his face into the back of her neck before he sighed and turned over. Tears slipped from her eyes and wet her cheeks. Come morning, she vowed that she would have better control over her emotions. Come morning, she would be a professional and everything would go back to normal.
Chapter Sixteen
As soon as the men had gotten up Monday morning, Lana slipped out of bed and took a quick shower and dressed for her trip to the doctor. Then she made sure she had everything packed and sitting by the door so that they could easily carry it all downstairs to load in the truck. They ate a quick breakfast then Justin and Paul loaded the truck, putting all of her things in the back seat rather than in the bed of the truck. This meant she was stuck sitting between them in the front.
Justin held her hand as the doctor removed the stitches from her head and checked her wounds before giving her the all clear.
“You healed up nicely. There won’t even be much of a scar, and it will be hidden by your bangs. If you’re self-conscious about that one or the one on your thigh, you can get something over the counter at the drugstore to help fade it.”
She thanked the doctor, but wasn’t worried about the tiny scars. It wasn’t like she was a beauty queen needing to defend her crown or anything, and Lana had never been vain about her looks.
The men ushered her out of the doctor’s office and back into the truck. They stopped at the Riverbend Diner and had a quick lunch before Paul finally headed toward her apartment. She felt as if they had been postponing the inevitable for some reason. Once they pulled into the parking lot and she saw the custom security doors and windows truck in the lot, Lana knew what they had been doing.
“What have you done?” She stared at Paul.
“Why do you assume I’ve done anything? It could have been Justin.”
“Justin would have put new locks on the door, but you don’t do anything as predictable as changing the locks. You have to change the entire fucking door!”
“Calm down, Lana. I didn’t put up a security door like I wanted to. I had them put up reinforced locks and dead bolts and put up security bars on the windows. You can unlock them from inside if you need out for a fire. Merely changing the locks on the door wouldn’t have done a damn bit of good when the bastard went through the window like he did.”
Lana swallowed around the lump in her throat at that reminder. Still, she couldn’t allow them to just take over her life like they were. Like Paul was. The jury was still out on Justin.
“I want a bill so I can pay you back.” She stubbornly crossed her arms and glared straight ahead.
“You don’t have to pay me back. The apartment owner knows his apartments aren’t up to code in a lot of areas and agreed to accept their installation as your rent for the next two months. You don’t owe us anything.” His knuckles had turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly enough she was afraid he would bend it.
Justin muttered something under his breath and opened the door to get out. He helped her with her seat belt then lifted her off the seat and set her down outside the truck. He took her hand and led her toward the apartments. She heard Paul behind them as they walked up the sidewalk toward her door.
“We’ll look around and be sure it’s clean and safe before we unload your things.” Justin walked up to the man working on the door to her apartment. “Hey, Vance. Thanks for getting to this so quickly.”
The other man grinned, shifting the screwdriver to his other hand, and shook Justin’s hand before stepping forward to shake Paul’s as well.
“Glad to help. We got both of the windows installed without any trouble and they work smooth as silk. I’m just adjusting the dead bolt so it’s not so stiff. I’ll have the keys for you in a few minutes.”
“We’re going to go inside and be sure everything is okay to move her back in.” Justin nodded at the other man and stepped inside the building.
Lana wanted to pull free of his hand because it was doing a number on her ability to think straight and remain resistant to the pull he had over her. When she looked over her shoulder, it was to see Paul still talking to Vance.
“Let’s check out your bedroom first. The key to the window is in the lock right now, but I want you to keep it on the bedside table so you are able to get to it, but an intruder can’t reach it through the bars if he breaks the window.”
She nodded and let him show her how to work the lock on the window and open the bars to escape in case of a fire. Then she pulled the key from the lock and placed it on her bedside table. She looked over the room and realized someone had cleaned it and her mattress had been replaced. She didn’t broach the subject with Justin because she was secretly relieved not to have to deal with the blood stains on the sheets and mattress. Just thinking about it had the newly healed wounds on her belly itching.
Justin seemed to realize what she was thinking about because he wrapped her in his arms and turned her away from the bed to check the rest of the tiny room.
“Is everything like you want it?”
“Yes, thank you for having it cleaned for me. I don’t think I would have been able to handle coming back to deal with the mess.”
Paul walked in. She turned to him and licked her lips. His eyes followed the movement, making it hard to think for a second.
“I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I’m just used to handling things myself, and you both tend to go a bit overboard with it all.”
“We only want what is best for you, baby. Your safety is very important to us. If we go a little overboard it’s because we care about you so much. I wish you could accept that.”
Lana took a step closer to him and reached out to smooth a hand down his shirt. Just that simple touch sent shock waves through her body. Everything about the two men not only turned her on, but settled her to some degree as well. She knew that if circumstances had been different, she would have hung on to them with both hands.
Paul covered her hand with his and stared down into her eyes as if he could read her thoughts. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other before gently pulling from his grasp. Then she turned toward Justin and smiled.
“I guess we can unload my things now. I need to get everything put away so I can get some rest before work tomorrow. I hear my new bosses are slave drivers.”
Justin grinned and urged her through the door and back into the living area. He settled her on the loveseat. Vance walked up and handed him several keys.
“Everything is done. The keys all fit and work smoothly. The locks all work on the same key. If you need anything else or if there’s a problem, call me. I’ll get right over.” Vance smiled at her and followed J
ustin and Paul back outside.
A few minutes later, the men returned carrying some of her things. When she would have gotten up to follow them into her bedroom, Justin shook his head and told her to wait until they had everything inside. She figured it was a good idea since the apartment was so small and they were two very large men. Getting around would be an issue if she was trying to unpack as they added more stuff.
Once they had made the last trip, Lana joined them in the bedroom. She wasn’t sure what to say to them. Paul looked around the room with an unreadable expression on his face. Justin just sighed.
“Need some help unpacking, sweetheart?”
“Thanks, but I can manage better on my own. I know where everything goes and you don’t. I really appreciate…”
“Don’t thank us again, Lana.” Paul’s clipped statement had her biting her tongue.
“We’ll let you get busy so you can rest. Don’t overdo it. We want you rested and happy tomorrow.” Justin smoothed over Paul’s abrupt words.
“Well, okay. I’ll see you out.” She held out her hand for the keys and noticed that Justin only handed her two. They each kept a copy for themselves.
Deciding not to push the subject, Lana followed them to the door. Justin pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His lips brushed lightly against hers then pressed harder to gain entry into her mouth. She opened easily to his. Her hands rested against the top of his shoulders and she had to resist the urge to curl them around the back of his neck. Then Paul was pulling her from his arms into his. He crushed her lips against his before stabbing his tongue insistently into her mouth. She couldn’t resist his taste or the way he dominated the kiss. They were so different in how they approached everything, from their kisses to their styles of lovemaking.
When Paul released her, he looked as if he wanted to say something, but he just turned away and walked through the door. Justin touched her cheek with a soft smile.
“Lock up, Lana. We’ll see you in the morning. Don’t bother knocking. Just come on in. You know where everything is.”
“Goodnight, Justin.” She watched him walk out to the parking lot, but closed and locked the door when he shook a finger at her.
It took her nearly two hours to put away everything they had taken to their house for her. She was thankful that someone had stocked her refrigerator with milk, eggs, cheese, and orange juice. She also had some fresh fruit and bread. After a light meal of cheese and crackers with an apple, Lana sat down to evaluate her finances and how she would rearrange her budget.
By the time bedtime rolled around, she had figured out how to get her debts paid off faster and still manage to move to a nicer apartment within the next six months. She would save for her deposits and start looking right away. Sometimes there was a waiting list and she didn’t want to lose out on a nicer, safer place. Now all she had to do was manage to work with Justin and Paul without making a fool of herself around them.
Hopefully they would remain out on jobs the majority of the time and she would be by herself and not have to deal with being around them so much. Still, it wouldn’t be easy keeping her feelings under lock and key when they were near. She had no doubt they wanted their sexual relationship to continue, but she had to put a stop to it or she wouldn’t be able to continue to work for them when they finally broke it off. Already the idea of never feeling their arms around her as they filled her body tightened the band around her heart. Lana wiped away the tears that snuck up on her and refused to think about it any further. It was time for a bath and then bed. This was the start of a new life for her, and she would be damned if she fucked it up because she wanted something she couldn’t have.
* * * *
Early the next morning, Lana dressed and drove to her new job. She let herself in through the front door since it was closest to the office. Since she parked out front, she didn’t really even know if the guys were still at home or if they had already left for the day. It didn’t really matter as far as her job duties went, so she settled in and began organizing her day.
A little after eight the phone began ringing and between filing, filling out orders, and answering the phone, Lana didn’t slow down until nearly one. Lunch was to be a peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had brought with her. She knew there were Diet Cokes in the fridge in the kitchen, so she took her sandwich with her and ate on the island. No sooner had she taken her first bite than the back door opened and both Paul and Justin stepped into the kitchen. She couldn’t help but notice that their eyes lit up when they spotted her.
“Hey there, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?” Justin leaned over and kissed her on the nose before following Paul to wash up at the sink.
“I’m doing just fine. Staying busy. The phone has been ringing off the hook. I have quite a few messages for you. None were serious, so I didn’t bother you with them while you were out.”
“That’s fine. Unless there’s a problem, it can wait until we check in with you.” Paul grabbed a loaf of bread and some things from the refrigerator to make sandwiches.
Justin took a stool next to her and bumped shoulders with her. “Missed you today. Got used to being home with you.”
“Got lazy, huh?” She grinned at him.
Paul chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that. He whined all morning about checking on you.”
“Hey, it was her first day and we just left her to sink or swim.”
“Well, officially maybe, but I actually started last week, so it wasn’t a big deal at all.”
Paul handed over a couple of sandwiches to Justin and everyone settled down to eat in silence. Lana was glad that it was a comfortable silence. She didn’t feel like making small talk, and it wasn’t expected of her. She figured once they were through, they would want to go over the messages. She also had a couple of questions on some invoices that needed filing.
If things continued like this, she would be okay dealing with her feelings about them and the job. As long as they didn’t push her, everything would work out for the best in the long run.
“When you’re ready, I’ll be in the office and we can go over your messages.” Lana stood up and cleaned off her spot.
“We’ll be in there in a couple of minutes.” Paul crumpled his napkin and picked up the glass of tea he was drinking.
By the time she had gotten settled and answered the phone again, the men walked into the office and took up residence on the corners of the desk. Justin leaned over her while she took a message and ran his fingers up and down her arm. She tried to glare at him but wasn’t sure if it came out that way or not. So much for an easy, professional relationship. He had already set the stage for how things would be.
“Here are the messages. If you have any questions, I think I can remember them all fairly easily.” She handed over the small stack to Paul as soon as she got off the phone.
Paul divided them up and handed some to Justin. She busied herself entering information on the computer while they mumbled between themselves on things. Then Paul reached over and dropped two on the blotter in front of her.
“Those two you can call back and tell them both that we’ll contact them next month when we have an opening. Put the notes in the file for August. I’ll handle these others and let you know if you need to do anything with them later.”
Justin handed her three slips for the August file and kept the rest. “Good notes. I know exactly what they want without having to sound clueless when I call them back.”
Lana couldn’t help but bask in the praise. She turned and dropped the papers into the August file in one of the cabinets. When she turned back around it was to find Paul standing in front of her between her and the desk. His eyes promised all sorts of bad things. Things she would love to experience, but she had promised herself to make this into a professional-only relationship.
When he backed her up against the filing cabinets, she gasped at the sudden impact. He dropped his hands to her shoulders and pulled her toward him. There was no ignoring t
he hard ridge of his cock pressing at her belly, nor was there any way to avoid the temptation of his lips as they closed over hers in a heated exchange. Tiny electrical impulses fired along her nerve endings as he deepened the kiss until she was digging her fingers into the muscles of his arms as they held her.
All of her well-intentioned plans to remain immune to their advances melted in the heat of that kiss. God, was that her whimpering as he ate at her mouth? She needed to stop him. She needed him to take all of her.
Then Justin eased between her and the filing cabinet. He braced her against his hard chest and equally hard dick. The thickness of him rested between the cheeks of her ass. It drew another moan from her mouth that was swallowed up by Paul. Justin’s hands smoothed up and down her arms before he moved her hair to one side, baring her neck. She shivered when his moist lips rested there just below her ear.
“God, you taste amazing.” He nipped then sucked in her earlobe.
One of Paul’s hands slipped beneath her shirt to rest against the bare skin of her waist. It wasn’t exactly where she wanted it, but it was a start. She whimpered around Paul’s kiss, hoping he would move his hand higher to her breast. Where had her resolve gone?
“You’re wearing too many clothes, sweetheart.” Justin nipped once more at her neck before running his hands under her shirt and helping his brother pull it over her head.
“But we’re in the office.” She pulled back from Paul and stared up into his face.
“And I’m going to bend you over that desk and fuck your brains out in about two minutes.”
“Hell, yeah!” Justin ran his callused hands up her torso before unhooking her bra so that his brother could pull it off of her.
