LOVE SLAVE FOR TWO

Tymber Dalton

For my husband—my muse, my best friend, my soul mate.

Chapter 1

“Get your arse out of bed. She’ll be here soon.” Tyler’s clipped British accent spoke volumes. He only sounded that pissed when he was…well, pissed. Over eleven years together had taught Thomas that much.

Thomas rolled over and looked at Tyler. “What time is it?” he grumped.

“Seven-thirty, you silly sod. You had to stay up watching that movie.” Tyler stormed out of their bedroom. Thomas smelled coffee,  the good stuff, the caramel truffle flavor Nevvie loved.

“Okay, I’m up.” He would be once Nevvie showed, for sure.

He stumbled to the shower and heard the bathroom door open after he stepped under the spray.

“Here’s your coffee.” Thomas jumped when Tyler goosed his ass.

“Watch it, I nearly slipped.”

“Well, we could have showered together had you gotten up at a decent hour.”

Tyler left, closing the door behind him.

Nevaeh Barton. Their once-a-week housekeeper. Six months, and she still had no clue she had them eating out of her hand. Just thinking about her made him hard. He knew Ty would be sporting wood for her, too.

He finished his shower, shaved, and checked his watch—ten till. No problem, she wasn’t there yet. He sipped his coffee and grabbed a pair of loose shorts from the drawer. Underwear? Hell no, commando today. Thursday was Nevvie Day, the center of their universe.

Thomas walked into the kitchen, where Tyler was putting the finishing touches on a plate of fruit. He leaned in and kissed him. “Look, I’m up.”

“No shirt?” Tyler always dressed up for Nevvie. Today a light blue chambray shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and tan slacks. Barefoot, his only concession to casual.

“I thought maybe she’d like to see me au naturale.”

Tyler’s mood lightened. “She leaves here today, I’d damn well better see you au naturale.”

“See? It’s working already.”

They heard her car in the drive and grinned. “It’s Nevvie time!”

* * *

Nevaeh Barton relished Thursdays. Not that she enjoyed cleaning so much as she enjoyed the clients. Tyler Paulson and Thomas Kinsey were cute. Thank God Alex never drove her on Thursdays. He’d force her to drop them.

That’s the last thing she wanted.

They were sweethearts, and so what if they were gay? Scratch cute—make that gorgeous. Tyler’s British accent and incredibly blue eyes always melted her. Thomas’ soft, sensual Georgia drawl and smoldering deep brown bedroom eyes invoked images of iced tea and pecan pie, among other things. She left their home late every Thursday afternoon feeling attractive and alive. It didn’t matter she spent the whole day working. She also spent it laughing. Both men were usually there. Most Thursdays it was the three of them having a ball, her and her two sweet love gods.

Making her wish she didn’t have to go home to Alex’s surly mug. She’d only told him they were two gay guys, one a writer, the other an architect. He never asked anything else once he heard “gay.”

But she wondered if there was more. At first she thought she imagined the boys watched her while she worked. After her third week she was sure of it. It might creep others out, but it flattered her that they seemed to find her attractive.

Especially since Alex kept harping on her to lose weight. “Her boys” always piled on the compliments. She wasn’t obese but she wasn’t a waif who’d blow over in a stiff breeze, either. She’d long since come to terms with her voluptuous figure, although she wished more of it had settled on her chest instead of around her hips and thighs. Screw what Alex thought, she was in shape—pear was a shape, right?

Not to mention Alex had no room to talk.

Driving into their development always lifted her spirits even if she was embarrassed to be seen in Alex’s craptacular beater, a Ford Escort she’d put to sleep if it was a dog. Her boys lived in a quiet, upscale community in New Tampa. Only a couple of miles from her apartment, it might as well be another planet. Well-kept houses and lawns and expensive cars formed a stark contrast to the dump she went home to.

She parked behind Thomas’ blue Honda Ridgeline truck and Tyler’s black Lexus LS460L sedan, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her heart raced in anticipation of seeing “her boys.”

It was only her dynamite fantasies of “TnT” that had allowed her to make it through sex with Alex the few times she couldn’t bluff her way out of it. Luckily for her she’d managed to get out of it for over two months. Sometimes she had to give him a hand job—a small price to pay, all things considered.

Landing this job was the best thing to happen in years. She never should have left Tampa in the first place. Moving to New Orleans seemed like a good idea at the time.

She met Alex while working at a hotel near the French Quarter. When an uninvited guest by the name of Katrina headed their way, they evacuated east on I-10 to Pensacola. Their small apartment in Chalmette was gone after the waters receded. A call to their landlord left Nevvie in tears that she hadn’t taken things like treasured books and photos, but Alex had to have room in the tiny Escort for his TV and Xbox.

Nothing to return to, they drove to Tampa and crashed with one of Nevvie’s cousins for a couple of weeks until they ended up in the Bellaire Arms Apartments in SuitcaseCity, minutes from the University of South Florida. Not as nice as the Chalmette apartment, and that had been no swanky pad.

Alex worked when he felt like it. She should leave him, but it wasn’t worth the aggravation of starting over—again. Not when she wanted no contact with most of the people in her family.

At least she had Thursdays.

* * *

Tyler swooped when Nevvie walked through the front door. “There’s the birthday girl!”

He enveloped her in a hug and spun her around. He loved putting his arms around her any chance he got. Thomas was his soul mate, but just because he’d decided to settle with a guy didn’t mean he didn’t have a soft spot in his heart for women.

Hell, he had two ex-wives to prove it.

“Hi, Tyler.” She hugged him back.

He was hesitant to release her. While three inches shorter than his five-seven, Nevvie’s rounded curves and long legs inspired visions of her in tall heels and a short, tight skirt that would hug her thighs, her hips swaying back and forth…

And there was his woody.

He took her hand. “Close those beautiful green eyes, love. We’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Oh, Tyler, you shouldn’t—”

“We should, and we did.”

Her full lips curled in a hesitant twist that melted his heart every time. Nevvie obediently closed her eyes while he led her into the kitchen where Thomas waited, and sat her in one of the chairs.

When they were ready, Tyler said, “All right, sweetheart, open them.”

They’d fixed breakfast. Usually they made sure she had a muffin or bagel or something to nosh on, but Tyler had prepared a huge meal. A small, brightly wrapped box waited by her plate.

Tears clouded her eyes. Alex hadn’t even wished her a happy birthday. She suspected he’d either forgotten or didn’t care. Yet these two guys, clients—okay, hell, she could call them friends—had made a big deal over her.

Her!

Nevvie choked back a sob.

Thomas was closer and put his arms around her. “Happy birthday, sugar.”

She nodded, hugged him tightly, then reached for Tyler. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”

Tyler left his hand on her shoulder. “Nothing’s too good for our girl. You don’t turn twenty-six every year.”

A warm thrill ran through her at his words. Our girl.

She knew better than to read anything into it, but it still made her feel good.

The men sat on either side and watched while she opened her present. Inside lay a beautiful turquoise pendant on a sterling silver chain. They’d remembered. Turquoise was her favorite, even though ruby was her birthstone. She’d seen something similar to this on a magazine cover months earlier and had mentioned it in passing.

Tears finally won. Both men leaned in, concerned. She kissed Tyler, then Thomas. “Thanks, guys. This is beautiful. Thank you so much.”

Tyler took the necklace and carefully draped it around her neck while Thomas gently held her auburn ponytail out of the way. “See, Thomas? I told you it was the perfect length,” Tyler said.

Thomas smiled. “All right. One of these days I’ll quit questioning you.” He looked at Nevvie. “I told him I thought it was too long.”

She touched it. “It’s perfect, thank you both.”

They kissed her cheeks and sat down. “Let’s eat,” Tyler said. “This is your birthday breakfast.”

* * *

When she tried to do the dishes the boys shooed her out of the kitchen.

Thomas shook his head. “Even I’m not stupid enough to make a girl wash her own birthday dishes, sweetie. Don’t wear yourself out because we’ve got a little something for you later.”

A thrill of anticipation ran through her stomach and settled between her legs.

Idiot. They don’t mean anything by that.

Boy, she wished they did.

She started on the living room, which only needed dusting and tidying. She always saved the floors for last, doing all the tile at once. Only the bedrooms were carpeted. Her boys weren’t messy, and more than once she wondered why they even bothered paying her. Not that she’d complain. Hell, she’d clean their house for free just to spend time with them.

She went to the backyard before it got too hot. Somehow, little bits of paper always managed to blow into the fenced yard. Even though it wasn’t part of what they paid her to do she policed the area when she swept the lanai and patio because the scraps of paper bugged her.

Of course—little bits scattered through the back flowerbed. She sighed and grabbed a bucket from the gardening shed and bent over to pick up the first piece.

* * *

“Oh, Jesus!” Thomas jammed his knuckle in his mouth and grabbed Tyler’s shoulder. “Did I ever tell you you’re a goddamned evil genius?” The front of his shorts were once again tented at the sight of Nevvie’s backside facing them. Bent over in the garden with her back to them, picking up the little bits of paper Tyler salted out there the evening before.

Tyler leaned against the cook top island and smiled, crossed his arms, watching her. “She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” He held up his hands and traced the contours of her hips and thighs in the air. “Perfection, my dear Thomas. Absolute perfection. Rubenesque in the best possible sense of the term.”

“I’d love to put my hands on that sweet ass and fuck her till she screams my name.”

Tyler raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong with my arse?”

“Nothing. Your ass is fine. But it’s not…” Thomas turned back to the window. “You’re lucky I met you before I met her.”

“That makes two of us.” He stared as Nevvie picked up another piece of paper. “What did I ever see in One and Two?” Those were the nicest post-divorce pet names he had for his ex-wives. “Skinny little toothpicks with nothing to them, including their personalities. Her boyfriend’s an unholy arse, doesn’t know how blessed he is.”

“She’s not happy with him, is she?”

Tyler shook his head. “Watch. Around three o’clock she’ll start on a project that will undoubtedly make her late. Or, barring that, right before she’s supposed to leave, she’ll remember some trifle she ‘forgot’ that will make her at least thirty minutes late.”

Thomas stared at him, his jaw agape. “Shoot! You’re right. Every time. I teased her about it a few weeks ago.”

Tyler nodded and turned back to the window. “She doesn’t want to leave.”

“Hell, I don’t want her to leave.” He put his arm around Tyler’s shoulders as they watched her. She was almost halfway through the flowerbed. Thomas sensed the wheels turning in Tyler’s head and left the silence unbroken until his lover spoke five minutes later.

“Maybe she doesn’t have to leave,” Tyler said.

“What,” he snorted, “hold her hostage?”

Tyler rolled his eyes. “No, dumb fuck, of course not. We seduce her into wanting to stay.”

“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing the past six months?”

“Not with purpose. Just in fun and wishful thinking.”

They loved women, but they loved each other more. Without trying, this woman had worked her way into their hearts. It delighted them to see her take such obvious pleasure in their small acts of kindness. They wanted to make her happy like that all the time and imagined her life outside of Thursdays must be fairly bleak if they were the highlight of her week. Tyler leaned forward and watched her, his arms on the counter. He smiled as Thomas moved behind him, grinding his hips and rock hard bulge against his backside.

“You’ve given me an idea, Thomas.”

Chapter 2

“What kind of idea?” Thomas asked.

Tyler turned and wrapped his arms around Thomas. His Georgia boy stood over him at six-foot. “What if we seduce her into wanting to stay with us?”

“Our full-time housekeeper?” He glanced over Tyler’s shoulder. Nevvie finished with the paper and set to work sweeping. “She wouldn’t buy it. We’re not that messy. Plus she’s got a boyfriend.”

“I was thinking more of grooming her.”

“Doing her hair?”

Disgusted, Tyler released Thomas and turned to the window. “No wonder the South lost. My darling, I mean get her to move in with us. Turn her into our own personal love slave.”

Thomas’ eyes darkened. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I don’t mean abuse her, duh. Study her personality—she’s submissive. She’s been mistreated in her life, that much is obvious. She flinches at loud noises, sudden movements. If we earn her trust and break down her resistance we could easily win her heart. She already drools over us.”

Thomas puffed up. “She does?”

“Us, love. Not just you.” Tyler watched Nevvie through the window while he idly twisted the band on his left hand, a match to the one Thomas wore. “I’ve seen how she looks at you. You’ve seen how she looks at me. I’d be willing to bet if we got a hand down her pants we’d find one deliciously wet, tight pussy waiting for us.”

Thomas groaned. “Do you have to do that? I’m fricking hard enough as it is.”

“Sorry. As I was saying it wouldn’t be a stretch, once we got her to agree to move in, to break down her reserves to let us do whatever we want.”

They watched Nevvie sweep the patio. “She’s a sweetheart,” Thomas said.

“Yes, she is.”

“She’s a cutie.”

“There’s that,” Tyler agreed.

Thomas watched her. “She’s got a great sense of humor.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

“I’m sold. Are you?”

“Since you and I are apparently on the same wavelength about her bountiful natural assets, I don’t see a problem. We could have the best of both worlds, Thomas. Have our cake and eat her, too.”

“Geez I hate writers. Remind me why I hooked up with you?”

“Because I make you see stars when I give you a blow job, and you love the way I fuck you.”

“Ah. That’s right. Plus you’re such a witty conversationalist,” Thomas teased.

In all seriousness, Thomas knew he wasn’t as cultured as Tyler. Thomas was a developer and ran an architectural engineering firm, damned good at what he did. He also enjoyed working on his antique truck.

Tyler was no wuss by any stretch of the imagination, but Tyler was Brain to his Pinky. Tyler quickly grasped the finer subtleties of human nature more so than him. At thirty-nine, Tyler was only four years older than him, and a successful novelist. He made his living due in no small part to that magnificent brain and ability to turn abstracts into words so others could enjoy them.

Thomas draped his arm around Tyler’s shoulders. “You really think we’ve got a chance with her?”

“Of course we do.” Tyler slipped his arm around Thomas’ waist. “Just don’t let her know we’re bi or we’ll lose her trust. It works to our advantage for her to assume we’re gay.”

“When do we break that news to her?”

Tyler grinned. “If we’re lucky, the night she finally lets us fuck her.”

* * *

Nevvie finished the backyard. She’d felt the boys’ eyes on her and every so often glanced at the kitchen window and caught them watching.

She reached up and touched her shirt where the pendant lay cool against her skin. She’d slipped it inside her collar, afraid it would get damaged if she left it out. How would she explain it to Alex? He’d throw a tantrum for damn sure. Then he’d try to con her into hocking it.

She’d kill his lazy ass first. Why was she still with him? Right, because it beat living on the streets.

Didn’t it?

Alex worked under the table two or three days a week for one of his buddies. Most of his money went to beer or anything but bills. Nearly every last cent she earned went to keeping the rent paid and the lights on. He always had money to buy beer or video games, but if she asked for money to buy groceries it was like she’d asked him to donate a kidney.

Tyler had a cold glass of water waiting for her when she returned to the kitchen. She gratefully took it. “Thanks, Ty.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

She glanced around. “Where’s Thomas?”

“He’ll be back momentarily.” Tyler wouldn’t admit Thomas, unable to stand having a brick between his legs, had retreated to their bathroom and was stroking his way to a Nevvie-inspired orgasm as they spoke. “Listen, I know this is short notice, but are you available this Sunday?”

“Sunday?”

“We’re having some friends over for dinner and a poker game Saturday night. Frankly, I’m too lazy to think about cleaning up. Of course, we’d pay you for a full day, and still want you on Thursday as well.”

Extra money and an extra day with her boys? She damn sure wouldn’t say no to that. Usually the only thing Alex wanted to do on Sundays was sleep late and whine that she wouldn’t fuck him. Thank God he was too stupid to figure out the calendar. She used her period as an excuse at least twice a month.

“When did you want me to come?”

Tyler fought a losing battle against his smile. “Ah, the puns I could make from that innocent statement.” She blushed but returned his smile. “Ten would be splendid, Nevvie. It’s not an imposition?”

“I didn’t have any plans. To be honest, I could use the money.”

Tyler gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Then we’re glad we can help.” She didn’t flinch or pull away from his touch. That was a good sign—a really good sign.

“Oh, drat. Alex might want the car since he’s not working. I might need a ride home.”

Tyler’s smile widened. This was too perfect. “No problem, dear. Do you want me to pick you up?”

Jesus, his smile was so sweet. Why do the nice ones always have to be gay? Maybe it was for the best because Thomas was equally delicious. She’d never be able to choose between them if they were available. She certainly wouldn’t mind being alone in a car with Tyler.

“Sure. I’ll give you directions before I leave. It’s not far.”

* * *

“Aces.” He watched her hips sway as she walked away, then closed his eyes and imagined her without clothes. Thomas startled Tyler when he tapped him on the shoulder. “Jesus, you scared me.”

Thomas was all smiles. “Sorry.” He leaned in and kissed him. “Well?”

“Sunday it is. I’m picking her up and taking her home.”

“How come you get the honors?”

“Because it would appear odd if both of us do it. I want a look at the Neanderthal we’re in competition with, size him up.”

“Ah. Good point.” He put his arms around Tyler and hugged him. “I saved some energy for you,” he whispered.

Tyler swatted him on the ass. “I bloody well hope so, my little southern fried stud muffin. I’ve progressed well past blue balls.”

Thomas retrieved a can of soda from the fridge and popped the top. “Now all we have to do is invite the gang over for a party on Saturday night.”

“Be a dear and make the calls, please.”

Thomas grinned and held up the can in a mock toast. “To the evil genius.”

* * *

Around one o’clock, the men dressed in shorts and T-shirts and called Nevvie into the kitchen. “Ready for lunch?” Tyler asked.

“I sure am.”

“Excellent, darling.” He held out his hand. “Come with us. Thomas and I are abducting you. I hope you don’t mind.”

She grinned and took his hand. “No, I don’t mind at all.” Heck no she didn’t mind. If they were her captors she would fight them if they tried to turn her loose. “You can kidnap me any time you want.”

Both men grinned, sending her heart racing. They were clueless. They had no idea what they did to her, how it nearly ripped her heart out leaving them every week. She chided herself for her stupidity. If she wasn’t with a jerk…

They piled into Thomas’ restored 1958 Ford truck and drove to HillsboroughRiverState Park, where the plan became clear. Nevvie daydreamed of a riverside ravishing, but Tyler had prepared a wonderful picnic. They found a great spot in the shade and, checkered blanket and all, spread out for a huge meal.

She stretched on her stomach, propped on her elbows. “This was sweet, guys. You don’t know what this means to me.” She fingered the pendant, now hanging outside her shirt.

Tyler leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Nothing is too good for our girl, Nevvie,” he said. “We’ve already told you that. I wish you’d believe it.”

She blushed, looking away from his blue eyes. She could easily get lost in them.

“You look like a girl who needs a back rub,” Thomas said.

“Are you offering?” She met his sweet brown eyes and felt heat race through her.

“I surely am, sugar. Are you accepting?”

Next to him, Tyler’s eyes twinkled. If she didn’t know any better she’d think he had something up his sleeve.

“I’d be an idiot to refuse.” She stretched flat on her tummy and tried to quell her anxious stomach. Thomas straddled her and started working on her back.

It felt fantastic! As his strong fingers kneaded her muscles, it wasn’t difficult to imagine lying naked with him in bed instead of on a picnic blanket.

“How’s that feel?” Thomas asked.

“Ohhhh. That’s…wonderful.” No one had ever touched her like that, with such heat and yet in such an innocent way.

“Our dear Thomas is very talented, sweetheart.”

“Uh huh,” she mumbled. Both men laughed.

“Am I putting you to sleep, sugar?” Thomas asked.

“Mm hmm.” For several long, luscious minutes she indulged a delicious fantasy of the two men taking her right there on the blanket. Then Thomas gently patted her backside.

“All done.”

“Aww.”

Tyler laughed. “Isn’t he amazing? Plenty of nights he’s put me to sleep like that.” She felt the blanket move, his voice closer. She looked to find Tyler’s blue eyes inches away, boring into hers. “I don’t mind sharing him with you, darling, but only with you.”

She gulped.

Eventually they packed their picnic supplies and returned to the house. She hated finishing the day and had to pull over on her way home to dry her tears. The necklace was beautiful. And Jesus, that back rub! Not to mention Tyler’s comment, innocent but full of double meaning and so close to the fantasy she’d been working on.

At least she had an extra day with them. Sunday couldn’t come too soon.

* * *

They watched her leave. Tyler closed the front door and Thomas kissed him, hungry and eager.

“My, you certainly are anxious,” Tyler gasped.

Thomas grabbed Tyler’s hand and dragged him to their bedroom. “You have no idea, Ty. Jesus, that was agony.” He fell to the bed, pulling Tyler with him.

“What was agony?” He smiled, knowing damn well.

“You are a fucking evil genius.” He ran his hands under Ty’s shirt and pulled it off him. “A back rub? It was all I could do not to grind my cock against that sweet ass of hers. Then—” Thomas pulled him down, kissing him again. “You said you’d share me with her? Jesus, I nearly came in my pants.”

“From the look in her eyes, I believe she wouldn’t have been far behind you.”

Thomas rolled Tyler onto his back and kissed him again. “Why did we take the Ford?”

“What are the seating configurations in the Ridgeline and the Lexus, Thomas?” Tyler worked Tom’s shirt off him.

Thomas closed his eyes and shook his head. “Fucking evil genius. Only two can sit up front, and in the Ford all three—”

“We had a wonderful, sweet Nevvie sandwich.” He ran his hands up Thomas’ chest, pulling him down to suck his nipples. Tom’s cock ground against his hips, as hard as he was. “Just think, Thomas. One day, hopefully, if the heavens smile upon us, we will have that sweet angel between us, moaning our names.”

Thomas moaned and kissed him again. “Jesus, I loved having my hands on her.”

“Tell me how she felt,” Tyler whispered in his ear, nibbling his neck.

“She felt great, she was wearing a sports bra—”

“Damn, we could have tried coaxing her out of her shirt had I known that.”

“Oh, no. I would have come in my pants for sure.” He worked his way down Tyler’s chest, kissing and licking him. Then he pulled Tyler’s shorts off and ran his tongue around his cock. “Damn, I love you, Tyler,” he whispered. He wrapped his mouth around Tyler’s cock and slowly worked his way down his lover’s shaft, exploring every inch of its smooth flesh with his lips and tongue.

Tyler closed his eyes and smiled, tangling his fingers in Tom’s hair, gently thrusting his hips in time with Tom’s mouth and hands. “I love you too. You have no idea.”

Chapter 3

Thomas didn’t have any trouble playing the role of a hung-over party host on Sunday morning. He was a hung-over party host. He staggered into the kitchen at eight-thirty and glared at Tyler.

“I’m going to kill you. You and your freaking evil plans.”

Tyler leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee and reading the paper. He was already showered, shaved, and dressed—slacks, button-up chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and loafers.

“Not my fault you decided to play quarters with Eddie and got pissed. You of all people should know better. He drinks like an Irish fish.”

Thomas groaned and held his head. “How am I going to enjoy Nevvie today, feeling like this?”

“You should have thought about that earlier.” Tyler surveyed the patio and house. Not quite comparable to the bombing of Dresden, but a good start in the right direction. “I guess I’ll have her all to myself.” He smiled.

“Asshole.” Thomas rummaged through a cabinet. “What do I take for my head and stomach?”

Tyler reached around him and grabbed a box. “Take that, follow the instructions. Then two pieces of wheat toast, dry—that means no butter, dear—and a large glass of water. To start. Let that settle your stomach and we’ll go from there.”

Thomas squinted at the box. Tyler sighed and took it from him. He fixed the remedy, dropping the tablets in a glass of water then handed it to Thomas. “Wait until it dissolves, then bottoms up.”

“I’ll up your bottom when I’m feeling better,” Thomas grumped.

“Yes, that’s a great comfort, love. You could have upped my bottom last night had you not been drunk as a skunk.” He handed Thomas the bread. “I assume you can toast it yourself?”

Thomas nodded. Tyler rooted through another cabinet, found a box of ginger tea. “Make yourself a cup of this. It’ll help settle your tummy. No coffee this morning.” He started down the hall. “Oh, when you’re done, go take a shower. You stink like a rancid brewery. I’ll have to change the sheets. It smells like someone spilled beer in the bed, you drank so much.”

Thomas burped. “Oh, sorry. I did spill beer in the bed last night. You’d already gone to sleep.”

Tyler shook his head in disgust and set off to change the sheets, muttering under his breath.

* * *

Thomas felt nearly human by the time Tyler was ready to leave. He’d settled the worst of his upset stomach and made it into the shower.

Tyler stepped into the bathroom. “I’m taking the truck.”

“The Ford?”

“No, the Ridgeline.”

Thomas stuck his head out of the shower. “Why? You never drive the Ridgeline.”

Tyler dangled the keys. “Because there is something psychologically impressive about showing up in a large, brand new vehicle. It speaks money and power. We have no idea what this moron is like, but the difference between that piece of shit he makes our poor Nevvie drive and your truck is the difference between Queen Elizabeth and King Kong. My Lexus, while nice, doesn’t give the same psychological advantage. Neither does the Ford. In other words, dear Thomas, size matters.”

Thomas muttered “evil genius” under his breath and continued his shower.

Tyler had made a few assumptions based on Nevvie and the car. She was always tidy, plain and understated, usually wearing men’s golf shirts a size too large. When he went shopping one day at Wal-Mart, they were on sale for only five dollars each, identical to the ones she wore, versus similar women’s shirts costing ten dollars or more. The next week after the sale she wore a new one, obviously recently purchased.

She was broke.

The boyfriend was a pig, the car proof of that from the way he left his things in it. She carried a small, practical purse, functional but not fashionable. Her shoes were also discount-store standard. Some of the shorts he imagined she either got on sale or bought them at thrift stores. Never short-short or incredibly tight—damn—usually mid-thigh or longer. She wore jeans on cooler mornings, but those were few and far between.

She rarely wore make-up. She probably couldn’t afford it, but the truth was she didn’t need any. He found her creamy skin with a hint of freckles across her cheeks absolutely magnificent. The way she blushed when they paid her a compliment took his breath away. She had no idea they found her attractive.

Attractive? Hell, she was his beautiful angel.

Traffic was light—he’d expected as much. He’d driven by the apartment complex on Friday afternoon, horrified that their poor Nevvie lived in such a place. Best to get that shock out of the way so he could keep a straight face when he met the man whose girl they were stealing.

Suitcase City was the common term for an area sandwiched between the University of South Florida and University Square Mall. Run-down, low-rent apartments and high crime. The apartment complex’s better days were at least two decades past, and several junk cars took up parking spots along the cracked and weed-strewn asphalt. More dirt than grass populated the open areas, and paint peeled from the stucco walls in several different colors from the most current—beige—to a plumbago blue and baby poop yellow.

He didn’t tell Thomas. If Thomas knew where she lived he’d insist on talking to her immediately, begging her to leave her boyfriend and live with them. Tyler didn’t know if Nevvie would take that step in such a sudden way.

This called for finesse.

Tyler had planned his arrival for twenty till ten. She might be ready, for all he knew. He expected her to be ready at least fifteen minutes early, eager to leave. Twenty minutes pushed it, but he willingly risked it to possibly speak with Alex for a few minutes, size him up.

Tyler parked in an empty space next to the Escort.

Pitiful.

The Ridgeline was by far the nicest vehicle around.

Nevvie lived in apartment 111. Tyler quickly found it, and Nevvie immediately replied to his knock.

“Hold on!”

Seconds later she opened the door, fully dressed and ready to go. Her welcoming smile couldn’t be denied a reply. Tyler idly wondered what the unshaven, shirtless, surly-looking man standing in the kitchen would think if he kissed Nevvie right in front of him. He looked at least twenty years older than her but it might have been from hard living. Nevvie kept the sparse apartment tidy and clean.

He expected no less from his angel.

“Hi, Tyler.”

“Hello, dear. I’m sorry I’m early,” he lied, “but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t running late.”

“That’s fine. Let me get my purse.”

“You gonna innerduce me?” the Neanderthal grumped.

Nevvie turned bright red. “Tyler Paulson, this is Alex LaRougue.”

Tyler grabbed the bull by the bollocks. He strode over and stuck out his hand. “Nice to finally meet you, sir. We’ve heard a lot about you.”

Both lies, of course. It was neither nice to meet him, nor had they heard a lot about him. Although it was nice to see it wouldn’t be difficult to steal her away.

Alex finally shook and Tyler didn’t give an inch when the man tried to turn it into a pissing contest of strength. Tyler would be damned if he’d flinch.

The Neanderthal finally let go. “Yeah. Ain’t you a writer?”

“That would be me.”

“Have a good day, Nevaeh,” Alex muttered. Her name was beautiful, but the way the caveman said it sounded harsh and ugly.

Nevvie hadn’t budged from the front door. “Yeah. I’ll be back later.” Tyler noted she didn’t say when.

“Thank you for sharing her with us today.” Tyler winked, hoping it would piss Alex off. “We had a bunch of friends over for dinner and a poker game last night. As expected, our home looks like a bomb went off.”

“Sure. Whatever.”

Tyler turned and walked to the door. “Shall we?”

She smiled and followed him. Three steps outside, Tyler placed his hand on the small of her back, carefully timing his steps to match hers, hoping the jerk watched. They’d rounded the corner to the parking lot when Tyler heard him.

“Nevaeh!”

She cringed. Tyler wanted to take her into his arms and hold her.

They turned and watched as the Neanderthal practically jogged across the commons, barefoot and still shirtless.

“What, Alex?” Tyler noticed she didn’t look at her boyfriend. She stared at the ground with her jaw clenched. She didn’t just fear him—she loathed him. She’d made no attempt to kiss him goodbye or pay him any terms of endearment. Her smile had been for Tyler alone.

“I need money. You didn’t leave any.”

She turned bright red again and dug into her purse, practically flinging a twenty at him. “Here, it’s all I’ve got. I gave you the rest yesterday.”

Without another word she turned and headed for the Ridgeline. Tyler followed, unlocking the door and holding it for her. With smug satisfaction, he noted the look of enraged impotence on Alex’s face. Tyler grinned and waved as they drove off.

That’s right, arsehole. Watch the rich queer steal your girlfriend.

* * *

“We need to make a couple of quick stops. Bob down to the bakery for some fresh bagels, and our Thomas is feeling less than stellar.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, he imbibed a little too much last night.”

“Poor guy.”

Tyler patted her hand and squeezed it, and didn’t let go. “Don’t worry, my dear. He’ll survive, but he won’t enjoy it for a day or so.”

She squeezed back and hoped he didn’t let go. With Tyler holding her hand she could easily forget how mortified she’d been when Alex followed them. She’d kept the pendant hidden under her shirt so Alex wouldn’t see it. With her right hand, she quickly teased it out from under her collar.

Tyler left his hand where it was. Every signal she sent screamed, “Rescue me!” If she’d let him hold her hand, he’d hold it until hell froze and re-thawed. Their first stop was a drugstore to get a few things for Thomas’ comfort. Their second, the Panera bakery on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, near the mall.

Nevvie must have thought he’d leave her in the truck. She looked surprised when he opened her door and offered his hand. He held the bakery door open and let her go first, then led her to the short line in front of the counter.

“Are you in the mood for anything special, sweetheart?” He leaned in close, near her ear. She gripped his hand a little tighter. Bingo.

She shook her head. He adored the way her skin flushed, not in embarrassment this time, but the cute pink that colored her cheeks and around her collarbone.

“Anything special?” Yeah, how about you, naked, with a heaping side order of Thomas?

Jesus, this was crazy! How could she feel like this about him? He would never in a million years want her, not with yummalicious Thomas in his bed every night.

And he was gay.

Duh.

She’d glanced at their matching wedding bands many times, wishing she had one from either man.

Hell, she wouldn’t mind both. Her sweet love gods.

Tyler stood behind Nevvie, putting his hand on her waist and standing close. “Did you want coffee or anything?”

Huh? Wake up, stupid! “Sure. Whatever you’re having.”

Tyler rested his chin on her shoulder. “I could make a few jokes about that, love,” he purred.

She looked over her shoulder and studied his playful smile. Sweet Jesus, is he kidding? She didn’t know which was more dangerous—his blue eyes or British accent. He was in a great mood today, even better than usual. Flirtier than usual. Their eyes locked for a moment, making her decidedly damp between the legs. Then he looked away as they stepped forward to place their order.

He moved his hand to get his wallet. Then he returned his hand to her waist and gently guided her to the pick-up counter.

The clerk handed them their coffees. Of course he’d ordered something Nevvie loved. She carefully sipped hers, sneaking looks at Tyler over the lid. Then his eyes met hers again, and for a long, sultry moment he didn’t look away. She sensed he purposely held her gaze.

When the clerk called his name for their order, Tyler winked at Nevvie. She involuntarily gasped when that simple, playful gesture made her quiver.

* * *

On the drive back to the house, Tyler decided to probe a little. “Alex is an…interesting fellow.” Still not totally certain of her feelings for the arse, he carefully weighed how he said it.

She turned bright red again. “He seemed like a good idea at the time.” She paused. “I’m sorry. I guess I don’t have a good track record.”

“He’s older than you.” A statement, not a question.

“Eighteen years. I met him in New Orleans, when I worked at the hotel. He worked in maintenance. I was training to work in the office.”

“What attracted you to him?”

She shrugged and stared out the window. “When he moved in I could pay the rent again.” She finally looked at Tyler and her voice dropped. “Like I said, I don’t have a good track record.”

Tyler patted her thigh and left his hand there, sensing he shouldn’t push more on the topic at that moment. She took his hand and held on.

He changed his approach. “You know, I’ve always meant to ask about your name. It’s beautiful. What does it mean?” Of course he knew this, or suspected he did. He’d spent an hour Googling it when she first started working for them.

“It’s ‘heaven’ spelled backwards. My mom came up with it when they adopted me.”

“You’re adopted?” Tyler hoped his surprise didn’t show. He didn’t know that about her. In fact, he didn’t know much about her history. She rarely mentioned her background.

Nevvie’s voice developed a bitter edge. “I didn’t know until I turned fifteen, when my mother and stepfather turned me over to a cousin. My dad—adopted dad—died when I was eight. I hated my stepdad, and the feeling was mutual.”

Tyler’s brain whirled, a lot of pieces fitting into place in Nevvie’s puzzle. He didn’t need to push her any further right then.

“Well, sweetheart, you bring a slice of heaven to Thomas and myself every week.” He squeezed her hand and smiled. When she smiled in return, it lifted his heart.

She would be theirs. Now he knew exactly how to approach it.

* * *

“Uh, wow. You guys did have a party.” Nevvie paused at the front door and surveyed the debris.

It went against every fiber of Tyler’s being to allow their guests to make a mess, but he’d choked back the urge to clean up.

Thomas leaned against the kitchen counter. At least he was vertical. “Yeah. The First Annual Kinsey-Paulson Pulled Pork Poker Party was a success.”

Nevvie laughed. “Try saying that five times fast.”

“Don’t worry about the grill,” Tyler said. “Thomas and I will clean that.” He put the bags on the counter and handed one to Thomas. “Things for your hangover, love.” Tyler set out bagels and cream cheese and made Nevvie eat before starting her chores.

Tyler watched Nevvie throughout the day. Thomas, practically useless and still suffering from a headache, grumpily went to lie down after lunch. Tyler noticed how Nevvie slowed as the day progressed, not from exhaustion, but deliberately stretching her time with them.

He walked to their bedroom and closed the door behind him. “Thomas, are you conscious?”

Thomas nodded from the bed. “I’m awake, but I’m not in the mood.”

“You stupid sod. We need to talk to Nevvie this afternoon.”

Thomas sat up. “What?”

Tyler dropped his voice. “Before I take her home, we’re going to proposition her.”

He focused on Tyler for a moment. “You’re talking the job, not sex?”

“Yes, Thomas, and would you like ‘Even More Reasons Not to Drink’ for five hundred?”

He collapsed to the bed. “I’m going to kill Eddie.”

“Not his fault you got snockered.” Tyler sat next to him. “I’m serious. We need to ask her today, move her in as soon as possible.”

“What’s going on, Ty? What did you see this morning?”

Tyler studied his hands. “Let’s just say we need to act sooner rather than later.” He met Thomas’ now-steady gaze. “We’ll ask her to be our full-time housekeeper, to be my personal assistant, and to work at your office part-time.”

Thomas rubbed his head. “That bad, huh?”

“Let me do the talking, love.”

“Duh.”

* * *

Nevvie didn’t want the day to end. It was after four, and Alex had called her cell once already. She’d let it go straight to voice mail, not wanting him to ruin her day. He probably wanted to come pick her up now that he’d seen Tyler and the truck, to show his ass and try to intimidate her boys.

If she didn’t know any better she’d think Tyler drove the Ridgeline on purpose to goad Alex. Tyler never drove Tom’s truck, preferring his elegant Lexus sedan.

Tyler insisted she stay for dinner. After washing the dishes, they all sat at the table, Tyler on her left and Thomas on her right.

They were cute, like mismatched bookends you knew were perfect for each other. Tyler’s sandy brown hair bordered on blond and held the barest traces of grey at the temples. It was smooth and looked silky soft, neatly styled and just long enough to run your fingers through and have enough to hold on to. He looked thirty, not nearly forty. Thomas kept his wavy dark brown hair trimmed shorter than Ty’s, and she imagined if he let it get long it would be a hideous mess. He kept it at the perfect length, just long enough the texture allowed him to wash and run his hands through it.

Tyler took her hand. Jesus, those blue eyes. Deep and sweet like the Caribbean Sea.

“Nevvie, we need to talk with you about something serious.”

Her heart sank. Oh please, don’t fire me!

He glanced at Thomas and squeezed her hand. “We would like to discuss a new arrangement with you.”

Huh? “What? You’re not firing me?”

Tyler’s face went blank, then the men laughed. “Fire you? Are you mad? We would never fire you, sweetheart!”

He hugged her. Her relief was so strong and piercing she nearly cried.

Still holding her hand, he paused as if composing his thoughts. “Nevvie, we are very fond of you, if you haven’t already guessed. We truly consider you part of our family. Thomas and I are in need of a full-time personal assistant. It takes too much of my time for the day-to-day things around here, and write and take care of email and phone calls. His assistant at work is preparing to go on maternity leave, so he’s short-handed as well.”

She nodded, not quite following him. She only cared that they weren’t firing her.

“What we’d like to suggest is this. We feel very comfortable with you. We trust you, you respect our privacy, and your personality matches ours. We love you, Nevvie. You mean the world to us. Frankly, we hate seeing you leave every week.”

He glanced at Thomas. “Now, you don’t have to give us an answer today. If your answer is no, we still want you to come in on Thursdays, that wouldn’t change. There’s no pressure to say yes. If you say yes, we’d want you to start immediately with your new duties.”

She tried to absorb what he said, still stuck on, “We love you.” She knew what Tyler meant wasn’t what she felt, but who cared? She looked at Thomas. “Personal assistant?”

Thomas took her other hand, and now his big brown eyes had her soul impaled. Jeezus pleezus, he was a cutie pie. Freckles peppered his cheekbones, and since Thomas spent lots of time on construction sites he had more of a tan than Tyler.

“Nevvie,” Thomas said, “please move in with us and be our personal assistant.”

She gasped, sure they were teasing. She looked at Tyler. “Move in?”

“Yes.” He dropped his voice and she struggled to listen. “But just you, Nevvie—not Alex. Only you. We’ll pay you whatever salary you think is fair, we’ll provide full room and board, a car, medical and auto insurance, everything. You decide what days off you want, you come and go as you please. You’d become a full-time member of our family.”

She couldn’t breathe. “Move in?”

“Yes.” Tyler’s eyes held hers, drawing her in. God, she wanted to lean over and kiss him, kiss both of them!

Thomas squeezed her hand. “Nevvie, we’ll help you move if you want.”

If she didn’t get air into her lungs she’d pass out. She took a gasping, hitching breath. “Just me?”

Thomas nodded. “Just you.”

She could be free of Alex! This was too good to be true. “Are you teasing me?”

“No, Nevvie,” Tyler assured her, “this is a serious offer. We feel after six months that we’ve spent enough time with you that we’re comfortable making this offer. I know it’s overwhelming, and I understand you will want some time. Please, think about it. Give us your answer on Thursday.”

Tyler, then Thomas, leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

She could live with her two sweet love gods, be free of Alex, and get paid!

Tyler studied her. “Are you afraid of Alex?”

She dropped her gaze. “Yeah.”

Thomas’ hand tightened around hers. “He won’t hurt you, Nevvie. We won’t let him or anyone else hurt you as long as you’re with us, we promise. And think, sugar, all the back rubs you can handle.” He winked.

Tyler sighed. “I suppose I need to run you back to the apartment. Think about our offer, and let us know on Thursday, right? If you say no, nothing changes. If you say yes, it would make the two of us very happy.”

Make that three, Tyler—I’d be thrilled. “Okay.”

* * *

Tyler drove her home and she hesitated before getting out. No Escort, Alex was probably out drinking.

“You guys are serious?”

“I’ll come help you pack right now, if you wish.”

She wanted to say yes. “I’ve got the Pattersons tomorrow, I clean a half-day there. Then on Tuesday, the Leopolds. I need to tell them, it wouldn’t be fair to cancel on them.” She paused. “If I say yes, can I move in on Thursday?”

“Absolutely. Do you need help?”

She shook her head. Alex would be pissed enough. “I don’t have much, just clothes.” She studied his face. “You’re not joking?”

“Thomas and I already view you as part of our family. You aren’t our employee, not in our hearts.” He touched her cheek and lowered his voice. “I’ll be honest with you—we miss you when you’re not around. It feels right having you with us. Please say yes. It’ll break our hearts if you don’t.”

She studied his eyes for a long moment. “Okay. Yes, I’ll do it.”

Tyler leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Thomas will be as pleased as I am.” Then he smiled, and it melted her heart.

She had it bad for both men. How about that? Not only was she a dumbass, she was a dumbass times two, falling for not one, but two cute guys she could never have.

She’d never had these feelings for the guy she did have. Or any other guy, not that she’d been with that many guys. Alex was her fourth boyfriend, and the first time…

She didn’t like to think about that. It made her skin crawl, made her want to throw up.

“I’ll see you Thursday at eight,” she said. “I’ll need to get the car back to Alex without him following me. He doesn’t know where you live.”

“Thomas and I will take care of that, don’t worry. What about your mail?”

“I have a P.O. box he doesn’t know about.”

“Excellent. We can change that over. Are you sure you don’t want to leave sooner?”

“Thursday will be fine.”

“Do you want my cell phone, in case there’s an emergency?”

“No, that’s okay, but thank you.” She didn’t want to get out of the truck, and knew the longer she sat there the more the neighbors would talk—most likely to Alex.

“May I walk you to your door?”

Tyler even smelled good. She didn’t know if that was his deodorant or body wash or what.

Screw the neighbors. “Yes, please.”

Tyler walked around the truck to open her door. The perfect gentleman. Alex never held a door for her. Tyler walked her to 111 and she fished out her keys.

Tyler waited until she stepped inside. Then he smiled and, apparently well aware of the nosey neighbors, mouthed, “Thursday.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thursday,” she silently mouthed back. She locked the door and leaned against it, trying to catch her breath. Looking around the apartment she tried to think of anything she’d want so she wasn’t scrambling at the last minute. She didn’t have much in the way of clothes, maybe three suitcases, if that. She didn’t want any of the furniture. The kitchen stuff was cheap dollar store crap. She’d rather smash Alex’s Xbox than take it.

Nothing. There was nothing she wanted except her purse and clothes. Learning a valuable lesson after Katrina, she kept important paperwork in a safe deposit box Alex didn’t know about.

Thursday.

Freedom.

She sank to the floor, closed her eyes, and cried.

Chapter 4

Nevvie took a shower, wanting to finish before Alex returned. He usually stayed out late on Sunday nights and hopefully would tonight. She relived the day, the way Tyler held her hand at the bakery, how both men looked at her when asking her to move in.

So they weren’t interested in her body. Who cared? They wanted her.

They wanted her to be part of their family.

Mentally she planned what to take, how to pack. Maybe she should have left today. Away from them, standing in the rat-hole apartment and dreading Alex’s return, Nevvie felt more alone than she had in years.

With the boys she felt like a part of a family. That was an alien feeling, but one she had quickly grown to love.

Growing up she’d never felt like she belonged. When she found out she’d been adopted, it made sense. The man she thought of as her father died when she was eight. When her mom remarried two years later, “Preacher Jim” wasn’t her favorite person in the world.

A strict and unyielding man, Nevvie proved to be anything but compliant. He never tried to molest her but she’d be damned—literally—if she’d spend all her free time doing nothing but reading the Bible as he insisted.

A voracious reader, Nevvie’s favorite Nancy Drew and other books were taken away, deemed too immoral. He permitted only school texts and her Bible. He forbid any music except the Christian radio station. No TV allowed. Or movies.

Preacher Jim insisted the Earth was only a few thousand years old despite what scientists said. Even at ten Nevvie knew that was pretty damn stupid. While all her friends wore jeans or shorts, Preacher Jim forced her to wear long-sleeved, ankle-length dresses.

At twelve she ran away for the first time, which puzzled everyone except Nevvie, because she earned straight-A grades. She ran away at least once a month to her second cousin’s house for sanity and sympathy, riding the school bus with her the next morning. Finally, Preacher Jim deemed her a child of the Devil and encouraged Nevvie’s mother to reveal the truth about her parentage and give her cousin’s mother custody of the unruly girl.

Nevvie flourished once free of her stepfather’s restrictive tethers. Even her teachers noted with confusion that while most children should be failing by that point, if anything, her already impressive grades improved. She graduated with honors and an academic scholarship to the University of South Florida. Her mother and Preacher Jim and two younger half-brothers moved to Utah or some godforsaken place when she was sixteen, and she hadn’t heard from them since.

She didn’t want to.

Everything was on track until late one August night, when Nevvie was eighteen and in her first semester at USF. The alternator on her beater Chevy died on the way home from her job at the Bowl-A-Rama on 56th Street. She made the mistake of trusting Steve Moses, a guy she knew from high school, to give her a ride home in his daddy’s brand new Jag.

She’d been a virgin. A piece of her died when he left her lying on the side of the road. She supposed she was lucky he didn’t kill her. She dropped out of college and wanted to put Tampa far behind her, especially after Steve Moses’ daddy bought him out of trouble and blamed her for the whole thing.

Now, back in Tampa, her luck had finally changed for the better.

She rolled over and feigned sleep when she heard Alex stumble in around two a.m. She was too excited to sleep.

Alex staggered into the bathroom then fell into bed smelling of beer and perfume. She’d never let him fuck her without a condom, thank God. She especially didn’t want him touching her now. It didn’t matter that Tyler and Thomas were gay, she was their girl.

It’s all she wanted to be.

* * *

The days crawled and Nevvie’s stomach twisted into knots. She resisted the urge to call Tyler and make sure the offer still stood, afraid Alex would catch her. She hid the necklace in her shoe when in the shower. Otherwise she always wore it, even in bed. There was no way in hell she would take it off.

Thursday morning. Emancipation. Freedom.

Alex didn’t get ready for work like he normally did on Thursdays. Nevvie fought the urge to pressure him out the door. That would set him off and he’d never leave.

She washed the dishes and tried to act normal. By seven, Alex had made no move to get ready. “Don’t you have to go to work today?”

“No. I’m going to drive you and take the car. I need it.”

No! She froze, trying to think.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “They’re very private. They don’t want people knowing where they live. You screw this up, they’ll fire me.” Crap, even she didn’t believe that.

“Hell, you know where they live.”

“I clean their house. I’m supposed to know.”

He paused his video game and eyed her over the back of the couch. “You get ready. I’ll take you. If your little queer boy boss has a problem with that, have him talk to me.”

Nevvie was glad he couldn’t see her fists clench behind the counter. She fought the urge to sling every plate in the drainer at him.

Alex stared her down, daring her to defy him. She backed off and gathered what she’d need for her shower, taking it into the bathroom. She might never get undressed for her boys, but she damn sure wasn’t getting undressed for Alex. She decided on jeans instead of shorts. She wasn’t showing Alex any more of her body than she absolutely had to.

She tucked the necklace into the toe of her sneaker and started the shower, finishing as quickly as possible. The latch on the door was iffy at best and a strong tug would open it. She didn’t want Alex walking in while she was naked.

Nevvie dressed and had put the necklace on when she heard the knob pop. Alex appeared in the doorway.

“What the hell you doing in here with the door locked?” He saw the necklace. “What the fuck is that?”

She protectively covered it. “A present.”

His eyes narrowed and he advanced. “From who? Those fag boys? Who the fuck gives their maid a necklace? How fucking long you had it?”

She tucked it under her shirt and shoved past him. “They gave it to me for my birthday, asshole. Which by the way was a week ago, and you didn’t even say anything.”

He grabbed her arm and spun her around, slamming her painfully into the wall. “What the fuck did you call me?”

She yanked her arm free, trying to catch her breath. If she had to she’d walk and call Tyler to come get her. Her purse sat by the front door. Alex snooped through it anyway. At least there she could always grab it fast.

“I called you an asshole!” She tried to walk to the front door and he grabbed her by the hair. Her first instinct was to fight, but when he reached for her neckline she twisted and kicked and pulled away, trying to protect the necklace.

Her boys gave it to her. She damn sure wouldn’t let this shithead take it.

“You haven’t been treatin’ me real good lately, Nevaeh. You getting some from them fag boys?” He shoved her sprawling across the plastic crate doubling as an end table by the couch.

She turned and scrabbled backwards. Alex frequently yelled and shoved her, but never hit or came after her like this before. There was a dangerous gleam in his eye she didn’t like.

He advanced. She finally regained her footing, put the couch between them.

“You shut up about them. You don’t know anything about them. They’re my friends, and they treat me a hell of a lot better than you ever have!”

“We could pawn that goddamned thing, you selfish bitch.”

“Go pawn your fucking Xbox!” She looked at the counter where she always kept her cell phone—it wasn’t there. He must have taken it. The clock on the stove read seven-fifty. If she wasn’t there on time and the boys couldn’t get her on the phone would they come looking for her?

“Fuck, you gotta set of brass balls on you, bitch. I bust my ass and make us a new life here, and you go fucking a couple of gay guys for a necklace?”

“For your information I’m not fucking them, and you do shit around here. I’m the one who’s always worked my ass off. Well, fuck you, Alex. I’m leaving, and I’m not coming back.”

She bolted for the door. He hooked an arm around her waist, slamming her against the kitchen counter and knocking the wind out of her. “You’re not leaving until I say you are.”

He punched her and grabbed her by the hair again. “In fact, I’m going to teach you a lesson and take you to work so your little fag boys can see what it looks like when a real man fucks a woman.”

She fought like a wildcat, kicking and scratching, screaming for help. She landed a punch to his ear, loosening his hold. With a cry she launched herself at the front door, but he caught her foot and she kicked at him, unable gain purchase on the cheap linoleum floor.

She screamed, hoping one of the neighbors would, for once, call the police, but not holding out any hope. She fought Alex and held onto the bathroom door frame. Then he launched a kick at her ribs and she curled into a tight ball, trying to catch her breath and protect the necklace.

She’d die before she’d let him take that from her.

* * *

Thomas and Tyler were a bundle of nerves. They woke early, eagerly anticipating Nevvie’s arrival.

Tyler also had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that worsened by the minute. Something was desperately wrong. Nevvie wouldn’t change her mind, he was certain. Had the caveman discovered the plan? Was she okay? He’d fought the urge to call her yesterday for fear of making Alex suspicious, unsure if he monitored her calls.

Eight o’clock came and went with no sign of Nevvie. Tyler paced in the kitchen while Thomas glowered at him from the counter.

“Are you sure we didn’t go too far? Maybe she changed her mind.”

“No, I’m telling you something’s wrong,” Tyler insisted. “If anything, she’d be early today, not late. She wouldn’t be late and not call, especially not today.” The sick feeling had grown to a fully enraged, gut-twisting scream. His instincts were never wrong, and a feeling like this meant something bad.

Eight-ten. “I’m calling.” Tyler grabbed his cell, called, then frowned. “It’s going straight to voice mail, not even ringing. Her phone’s off.”

Thomas looked out the front window. “I’ll admit this doesn’t look good. You said she’s close?”

“Only twenty minutes on a bad day. Not even three miles.”

Thomas disappeared to the bedroom. He returned, fully dressed, and tossed a pair of shoes to Tyler. “Let’s go find her.”

Tyler slipped on his shoes. He left a note in case she arrived while they were gone, and followed Thomas out the door.

“Which way?”

Tyler gave him directions and Thomas frowned. “That’s in SuitcaseCity.”

“It’s a dump. I hate the thought of our sweet girl living there.”

Thomas pulled the Ridgeline into a parking spot next to the Escort, his jaw set in a hard line. “If we’ve got to drag her out of here kicking and screaming, she’s coming with us.”

Tyler grimly nodded. “Agreed.” So much for finesse.

They climbed out of the truck. That’s when they heard a woman’s terrified cries.

Tyler sprinted across the commons toward her apartment, Thomas on his heels. Sure enough, the loud crashes and frantic cries came from apartment 111. Thomas tried the knob, found it locked, and pounded on the door. “Nevvie, open up! It’s Thomas!”

They heard another loud crash and a man’s enraged roar, followed by the sounds of someone being struck and Nevvie crying again.

Thomas pushed Tyler out of his way, took a step back, and kicked the door. It gave way on the third blow and the two rushed inside. They didn’t see her and raced through the spartan apartment to the bedroom, where Nevvie cowered on the floor in a corner. Alex towered over her, kicking her.

Thomas played defensive end for three years on his high school football team. The old skills came back as he dropped his shoulder and, with an enraged howl, charged Alex, driving him into the wall.

Tyler raced to Nevvie’s side. At first she shrank from him. Then, recognizing him, she sobbed with relief and threw her arms around his neck. He scooped her up and carried her to the living room.

“It’s all right, sweetheart, I’ve got you,” he soothed. “What do you need to take?”

She felt her chest. “My purse. By the door.”

“Anything else? Anything at all? You’re not coming back here—ever.” She looked horrible, at least one black eye, her lip split. “Pictures? Paperwork? Jewelry?” He heard Thomas’ enraged voice and assumed the caveman was getting a taste of his own medicine.

She shook her head and rested it on his shoulder, tightening her grip on him. He dipped to the side to grab her purse as he passed and exited the shattered door.

He turned, waiting for Thomas and murmuring soothing words to Nevvie. A moment later Thomas appeared in the doorway. Shaking and flexing his now bruised and scraped right hand, he took Nevvie’s purse from Tyler and walked ahead to unlock the truck. The men didn’t speak. Thomas helped Tyler ease her into the back seat. Tyler climbed in next to her—she refused to let go of him.

“Let’s get out of here,” Thomas growled, backing out.

“We should call the police,” Tyler said from the back. “Get her to hospital—”

“No,” she cried. “No police. Please, I want to get away. Before he follows us.”

The men exchanged looks in the rear view mirror. Tyler placed a calming hand on her cheek, trying to get her to look at him. “Nevvie, we have to report this, file charges, have a doctor check you out—”

She frantically shook her head. “No! Please, no…” She sobbed against him, hysterical.

“All right, sweetheart. It’s all right.” He protectively cradled her while Thomas drove them home.

She could barely walk. Thomas carried her into their bedroom where he carefully placed her on their bed. Her right eye had nearly swollen shut. They watched as she compulsively touched a spot on her chest through her shirt. At first Tyler thought she might have a bad bruise there until he spied the silver chain under her shirt collar.

The necklace.

Tyler sat on the bed next to her, pulled her into his lap, and let her sob against him.

“Tom,” he whispered, “I think I have some chamomile tea in the cupboard. Make her a mug, use lots of honey and a couple shots of bourbon, right? And a dishtowel and a bag of frozen peas for her eye.”

Thomas nodded and set to it.

“Nevvie, sweetheart, why won’t you let us call the police?” Tyler asked.

She shook her head, clutched him tighter, and trembled. “He didn’t follow us?”

“No, love. He most likely wasn’t conscious when we left, if I know our Thomas.”

“Good.”

Thomas returned with the makeshift ice pack. Tyler carefully placed it on her forehead, wishing he could take her pain away. The doctored hot tea soon had her calmed and she lay in his lap with a glazed, distant stare. She’d once mentioned that she didn’t drink because it hit her hard and fast.

Thank God.

Thomas sat on her other side, holding her hand. Eventually, she rolled over in sleep, facing him.

Tyler took the melting bag of veggies and carefully extricated himself so as not to wake her.

He walked around the bed to Thomas and kissed him. “I’ll make us breakfast,” he whispered in his ear.

“Thank you for listening to your instincts.”

Tyler looked heartsick. “I wish I’d listened sooner.”

* * *

Nevvie slept past lunch. One or both men stayed with her. When she awoke she was so sore she could barely move and needed help sitting up to get out of bed. Thomas brought her some Tylenol and both men helped her into the bathroom, standing outside the door and waiting for her. She’d been wearing jeans, but before she went in Tyler handed her a pair of his lounging shorts and one of Thomas’ T-shirts.

“These should fit you, sweetheart, you’ll be more comfortable. I’ll take your other clothes and wash them and we’ll pick you up some other things later.”

She nodded. When she finished, they helped her back to bed and she curled on her side, her hand over her chest where Tyler suspected the necklace lay. Her thighs were black and blue, her arms covered with ugly bruises. Alex’s work boots had left horrible marks.

Tyler left Thomas with her and went to his office, closing the door. He called and made an appointment for the next day with their doctor, a woman. Like it or not, Nevvie was going. He wouldn’t force her to do it today, but she would go.

When he returned he sat on her other side and took her hand. “Sweetheart, you’re going to let us take care of you for now. You’re not going to work, you’re going to heal.”

She started to protest and Thomas laid a gentle finger on her chin. “Sugar, hear us out, please.”

Tyler continued. “We meant it when we said you’re part of our family. We take care of our family. Once you’re feeling better, then we’ll sit down and discuss exactly what you want to do in regards to our arrangement, how many days you want to work here, how many with Thomas, pay, all of that. For now, until you’re feeling better, you are going to let us take care of you and what you need. You are not going to feel guilty about it. Understand?”

She closed her eyes and nodded.

He carefully patted her shoulder. “That’s my good girl.” His eyes traveled her face then brimmed with tears. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry we weren’t there for you when you needed us.”

Nevvie squeezed his hand. “You saved me,” she said. “If you guys hadn’t got there…” She shuddered and looked at Thomas. “Did you hit him good?”

Thomas brushed hair out of her face. “Sugar, I have a wicked right hook.”

She laughed then groaned when it hurt her ribs. “Ow.” When she recovered she looked at them. “Any house rules I should know?”

Tyler smiled. “Flush after you go. My only unbreakable rule.”

“Yeah,” Thomas snarked, “ask me how I know that one. Forget to flush one time and you’d think I scalped a dog or something.”

“OW!” Nevvie laughed and moaned at the same time. Tyler shot Thomas a nasty look.

“Terrific. So not helpful, Thomas.”

* * *

Tyler coaxed some soup into her and ran her a hot bath. After dinner, she joined them on the couch to watch TV. Before bed Tyler finally broached the subject.

“Sweetheart, where did you wish to sleep tonight?” She looked at him and he clarified. “Do you feel comfortable sleeping alone? You’re welcome to curl up with us if you’d feel safer. Or one of us could sit with you in your room.”

Her boys. Her fantasy come true and she was too damn sore to even think about taking them up on it. “Let me see how I do tonight. I’d like to reserve the option for company if I need it.”

“It’s up to you. We meant it—we’re taking care of you.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you.” She looked at Thomas. “You have no idea how grateful I am.”

Thomas kissed her forehead. “You don’t owe us a thing, sugar. Get to feeling better and put that nightmare behind you.”

They helped her to her room and Tyler fussed with the bedding until certain she was comfortable. Both men kissed her forehead.

“Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” Thomas said. “We’ll leave our door open.”

“Anything at all,” Tyler echoed.

In the hallway they hugged each other, standing there for a long, silent minute. Thomas finally stepped back. “Are you sure she’ll be okay alone?” he whispered.

“For tonight. She’s exhausted and needs to be alone. She’ll reach out when she needs us, I have no doubt. Let’s let her be. We’ll hear her.”

The men left their door open and went to bed, too upset to do anything but fall asleep in each other’s arms, dreaming about the woman they loved one room away.

Chapter 5

The next morning, Thomas had to go to work. He knelt by Nevvie’s chair and took her hand. “How do you feel, sugar?”

Her face looked red and puffy in addition to being bruised and battered, the black eye horrible. They’d stood outside her bedroom in the middle of the night and listened to her crushing sobs. They’d wanted to go in and hold her and kiss her tears away, but she needed time to decompress. She would come to them if and when she needed them.

“I’ll be all right, Tom. Thanks.”

He kissed her hand, squeezed it, then stood and patted her shoulder. Tyler looked at him from where he prepared her breakfast, his normally playful blue eyes hard and cold, mirroring his own anger. Thomas leaned over the counter and kissed him goodbye.

“Call me later,” he whispered in Tyler’s ear. “Let me know how she is.”

“I will.”

When Thomas left, Tyler set her plate in front of her. “Nevvie, sweetheart, we need to talk.”

Her eyes flicked to his face, then down to her plate. She nodded slightly.

She flinched when he gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. The black eye looked even worse today.

“I’ve made you an appointment to see our doctor this morning. She’s good.”

“Tyler, I can’t afford—”

“Stop.” He took her hand and waited until she finally met his eyes. “Nevvie, Thomas and I will take care of you. We’re paying for it. You need to get checked out, and she can do everything, including a full woman’s exam. After what he did to you it’s best you see her.”

“Will you please go in with me? I hate doctors,” she whispered.

He firmly gripped her hand as she trembled. “Of course I will, darling. I won’t leave you alone. Ever.”

* * *

Nevvie could barely walk from the pain. Tyler kept his arm around her through the parking lot and lobby. She shook so badly he worried she’d faint. He’d called ahead and the receptionist waved them through to an exam room, not wanting Nevvie subjected to the stares of other patients.

She sat on the exam table, leaning against Tyler, his arm protectively around her while she filled out forms and signed releases.

Dr. Aston walked in and paused when she glimpsed Nevvie’s battered face.

“Miss Barton? I’m Dr. Aston.” Dr. Aston’s voice was kind and soft. In her fifties, she had a friendly, motherly face and demeanor.

Nevvie shivered under Tyler’s arm. “Hi,” she whispered. She tightly clutched Tyler’s hand.

The doctor noticed. “Would you like Tyler to stay?”

Nevvie frantically nodded. Dr. Aston patted her knee. “It’s all right. We don’t mind if you don’t. What happened?”

Nevvie shrugged, not meeting the doctor’s gaze. Finally she whispered, “Tyler and Thomas rescued me. My boyfriend went nuts and attacked me. He’d never done that before. Not like that. He saw the necklace they gave me for my birthday and accused me of cheating and went crazy. When I didn’t show up for work, and Ty and Tom couldn’t get me on the phone, they came looking for me.”

“Did he rape you?”

“No. The boys got there in time.”

“Did you press charges?”

“No. I want to forget about him and get on with my life.”

“I can help you talk with the police.”

Nevvie frantically shook her head.

“We wanted to call,” Tyler said. “She wouldn’t let us.”

Dr. Aston’s expression was unreadable. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to do the exam.” She called her nurse, who brought Nevvie a gown and started taking her vital signs. The nurse finished and then drew several blood samples.

He’d already told the doctor he wanted a full screening done, for normal health issues and full STD/HIV testing as well. God only knew what that stupid bastard had done to their poor girl.

The nurse handed her a plastic specimen cup. “We need a urine sample, too. The bathroom’s right across the hall. Leave the cup on the tray in there, then come back here and change into this paper gown. Here’s a sheet to cover yourself. We’ll return in a few minutes.”

Nevvie nodded. Once alone with Tyler, she tried to stand and couldn’t get off the table.

“Can you help me to the bathroom?” she whispered.

“Of course.” Tyler grabbed the specimen cup and helped her across the hall. He turned to leave when he felt her hand on his arm.

“Stay in case I need you, please?”

He locked them in, turning his back while she slowly did what she had to do. When she finished, he heard her groan as she tried to stand.

“Are you all right?”

“No. I need you. I’m sorry.”

He turned to help. “Sweetheart, don’t apologize, ever, for anything like this.” He braced her while she pulled her pants up, then helped her to the sink.

With his arm around her, they slowly returned to the exam room. Tyler steadied her while she undressed. He’d given her a pair of sweat pants to wear, knowing she’d be too sore to manage jeans. She leaned against him and winced as she lifted her arms to pull her shirt off. Unable to do it, she met his eyes, and he helped her remove it. In too much pain to manage it, she’d forgone her bra.

She displayed no modesty around him. Tyler wondered how much of that was due to her emotional trauma and how much was her comfort level with him.

While he’d spent many hours dreaming about holding her naked body, the sight of her bruised and battered flesh nearly drove him to his own tears of pain and fury. He loved her—he knew that with certainty—and wanted to kill Alex with his bare hands.

The damage they saw earlier paled in comparison to the wide swaths of black and blue over her chest and back. God only knew how many times the caveman had kicked her, but she was a mess. It was a wonder she could move at all.

He helped her put on the gown, then picked her up and gently set her on the table, pulling the sheet over her. She looked at him with eyes full of tears, and he held her while she cried.

When the doctor returned a few minutes later, she stopped the nurse and told her she’d call her. Then the doctor sat and waited, meeting Tyler’s gaze while Nevvie cried.

Tyler couldn’t control the emotion in his voice. “Nevvie, please sweetheart, tell us why you won’t file charges.”

She wouldn’t look at them. “A guy raped me when I was eighteen. I told them who did it, knew him from school. They took me to the hospital and did all the exams, never even arrested him after they questioned me for hours. Blamed me for it. My goddamned car broke down on the way home from work and he offered me a ride and fucking raped me. The stupid fucking cops said it was his word against mine because his dad had money and I had nothing.” She started sobbing again, and Tyler held her, not wanting to let go.

The doctor caught his eye and motioned that she’d be right back. He nodded, fighting his own tears. No wonder Nevvie was so scared, afraid to be dragged through that again.

The doctor returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a small paper cup. She handed them to Tyler. “Have her take that.” In the cup was a pill.

He raised his eyebrow and she mouthed, “Sedative.” He gently shuffled Nevvie around.

“Here, sweetheart. Take this to calm your nerves, right?”

She took the pill, downing it without question. Then he sat on the table next to her as she curled up, still sniffling, her head in his lap.

When the doctor and nurse returned twenty minutes later, Nevvie wasn’t unconscious, but she was a lot calmer. She closed her eyes and maintained a death grip on Tyler’s hand during the exam. He turned his back to the doctor, keeping his eyes on Nevvie’s face.

The doctor finished. “I want X-rays of your ribs. Let’s make sure he didn’t fracture them. Have you noticed any blood in your urine?”

Nevvie shook her head.

“You can put your underwear on, but leave your shirt and pants off.”

Nevvie nodded. The doctor took out her prescription pad and wrote two scripts, handed them to Tyler. Valium, a week’s supply, and Darvocet for pain. “Did you want a prescription for birth control pills?”

Nevvie shrugged, but Tyler spoke up. “She gets migraines some months. Let’s have one. If she decides she doesn’t want it, we won’t get it filled.”

Dr. Aston handed him the prescription. “You seem to know a lot about her, Tyler.” She’d known Tyler and Thomas for years and knew their relationship.

He tucked the scripts in his pocket. “We consider her part of our family. I wish I’d listened to my intuition sooner. Maybe we would have got there before he did this to her.”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” the nurse said. “The radiology room’s right down the hall.” The nurse handed him a long gown.

He waited until they left to help Nevvie sit. She was woozy, the sedative working its blessed magic on her system.

He dressed her in the hospital gown then steadied her as he carefully pulled her underwear into place. To think, two days ago he’d be rock hard doing this, and now it was all he could do not to cry.

He fastened her gown up the back and put his arm around her waist, supporting her, guiding her down the hall. They gave him a lead apron to wear while he stood watch over her during the X-rays, then he carried her to the exam room, gently laying her on the table. She was finally asleep. He managed to dress her without waking her.

Making sure Nevvie didn’t roll off the table, Tyler waited for the doctor to return with the results. She noted Nevvie’s state.

“We could admit her right now.”

“Is she injured that badly?”

“I’m thinking of her mental state.”

“We’ll take care of her, Doc. How is she otherwise?”

“Miracle of miracles, her ribs aren’t fractured. God only knows how she managed to avoid that. Hopefully no internal damage. If she doesn’t have blood in her urine, that’s a good sign. Keep an eye out for fever, or pain that doesn’t get better. Damn, that asshole beat her to a pulp.”

“What about the rest?”

“We’ll have STD, HIV, and blood results back in a few days. And she should be retested in six months. I’m assuming I should call your number?”

“She’ll be with us.”

“What’s going on, Tyler?”

“Thomas and I will take care of her. Tell me what I need to do to keep her comfortable and get her through this.”

“You don’t get this involved over your cleaning girl.”

He looked into Nevvie’s battered face. “She’s special, Doc. Thomas and I care for her a great deal. We want to take care of her.”

She shook her head. “I hope you boys know what you’re doing. I’ll send the paperwork back here so you can check out. They’ll help you get her to your car through the side door. No reason to take her out the front. She’s been through enough.”

After settling the bill, Tyler handed the nurse his car keys and carried Nevvie to the Lexus, buckling her into the front passenger seat and reclining it so she didn’t slump forward. At home he carried her into the living room and settled her on the sofa. He had to go shopping, get her what she needed—so much to do. He walked into his office and called Thomas.

“How is she?”

“Asleep. They gave her a sedative at the doctor’s office, knocked her out. When can you get home?”

“I can leave in an hour.”

“I need to get her prescriptions filled and go shopping. I don’t want to leave her alone. I want someone here when she wakes up.”

“Hold on.” Thomas briefly spoke with someone. “I can leave in five minutes. I’m supposed to meet with a client, but Kenny’s back from lunch and he can meet with them.”

“I’ll see you then.” Tyler returned to the living room and sat in a chair across from her. He turned on the TV, kept the volume low. Forty minutes later, Thomas rushed in.

“How is she?”

Tyler held a finger to his lips and motioned him to his study. “She’s still asleep. I don’t know what they gave her this morning, but they gave me a script for Valium.”

“This isn’t how I wanted it to happen, Tyler.”

“Join the club. I nearly lost it at the doctor’s office. She told us why she refused to go to hospital—”

“The hospital.”

“Whatever. The hospital yesterday. Or let us call the police.” He repeated her story and Thomas’ warm face shifted to a granite mask.

“We can’t let her leave. We need to protect her.”

“If she decides to go we can’t stop her.”

“We love her.”

“I know.” He put a comforting arm on Thomas’ shoulder. “The best thing we can do is show her how much she means to us. Let her get to know us without any stress, just back off and let her be.”

“Romance is the last thing on her mind.”

“Exactly. Let nature take its course. Once she’s feeling better we’ll set up a working arrangement. I expect if we insist she lives here carte blanche and no strings attached, it will make her nervous. We’ll still pay her, and she can keep up her duties and learn how to work at your office.”

“Maggie’s maternity leave starts in five weeks. With twins I’m sure she’ll be out at least six months.”

“We’ll have more than enough for Nevvie to do to keep her busy and not put any pressure on her.”

Thomas hugged him. “Please tell me she’ll stay.”

He rested his head on Thomas’ chest. “If I have anything to say about it, she’ll never want to leave.”

* * *

Tyler’s BlackBerry rang as he prepared to depart. He glanced at the number and did a double-take—Nevvie’s phone. She’d never called the house, only his cell. Their home number was unlisted.

He waved Thomas into his office and closed the door before he answered, punching the speaker button. “Hello?”

There was a moment of silence, then a ragged voice. “Is that you, you goddamn fag?”

Tyler’s blood boiled. “Yes, it’s me, you fucking bastard. How’d you like your first look in the mirror today? Did my sweet Thomas put a hurting on you?”

“Watch your back, fag boy. If I catch up with either of you, I’ll kill you. Where’s Nevaeh?”

“She’s no longer your concern. She’s decided she’d rather be with us. She wants nothing to do with you. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave her the fuck alone.”

“Listen you goddamned queer—”

“No, you listen.” Tyler’s voice hardened. “You’re lucky you’re not in jail. If it was up to us you’d be getting your arse reamed out in a cell by a bunch of men who know only chickenshit peckerheads beat up women. If you so much as look at her again we’ll bring some friends with us and show you what a bunch of pissed off fags can really do. Remember, we know where you live, dickhead. Don’t you ever come near her again, and don’t you ever call me again, or it’ll be the last phone call you ever make.” Tyler hung up and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

Thomas smiled. “That was…” He pulled Tyler to him and kissed him. “Sexy.”

“You did the hard work. I’ll be damned if I’ll let a piece of shit like him push me around.”

Chapter 6

It wasn’t hard for the men to control their libidos, especially with Nevvie’s black eye and wounded stare. She flinched at sudden movements and loud noises. At night she curled up next to one or both of them on the couch while watching TV, her need for tender security washing off her in desperate waves.

They held her when she cried and slept with their door open to listen for her screams as she awoke, terrified and combative, swinging against the memory of Alex’s attack. Valium didn’t even help. She shivered in their arms when yet another night terror shook her awake. After one particularly bad night, Tyler took a book to her bedroom and sat with her, reading until she fell asleep tightly clinging to his side.

Thomas leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed. Tyler motioned him over and whispered in his ear, “Do you want to sit with her? I only had about an hour’s sleep last night.”

Thomas nodded and they carefully swapped places. Tyler reached over and brushed the hair from her face, then leaned in to Thomas. “Do you want me to come back later?”

“I’ll stay with her.”

Tyler kissed him, touching foreheads for a moment before he returned to their bedroom.

Thomas closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the anger coursing through him threatened to boil over. He knew where the bastard lived. It wouldn’t take much to grab a couple of buddies and beat the living shit out of him again. A new meaning to “gay bashing.”

His hand had nearly healed. He imagined Alex had two great shiners the next day, and he suspected he’d broken the asshole’s nose. He’d never tell Tyler how close he came to strangling the guy. It would have been so easy. Alex was nearly unconscious when he finally stopped pounding him. He kicked him in the balls several times, that much he remembered. And in the ribs, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Fucker.

He studied Nevvie as she shifted in sleep, her hand resting on his thigh. She was so sweet. How could anyone but a sadistic asshole want to hurt her? An hour later he was nearly asleep when she moaned and jumped. He instantly enveloped her in his arms, holding her tightly before she started swinging.

She stiffened, fighting at first, then relaxing when he murmured in her ear, “It’s okay, Nevvie, I’ve got you, sugar. You’re safe, you’re okay.”

She broke down, sobbing and clinging to him. He rocked her, soothing her. She finally drifted off with his arms around her and slept until morning.

* * *

Nevvie didn’t want to leave the house while she still looked like hell. The first day, Tyler had scrounged some of their clothes, T-shirts and shorts for her to wear around the house. Then he purchased a few basics in her size to tide her over until he could take her shopping.

Nearly two weeks after the attack, Tyler coaxed her out of the house. He loaded her in the Lexus and drove across town to WestShorePlaza. Tyler didn’t want to risk running into Alex or his cronies at University Square Mall so close to home. Tyler wasn’t afraid of Alex for his sake, but without Thomas to help protect Nevvie, he wouldn’t risk her safety.

She hesitated in the parking lot. “Tyler, I can’t afford—”

“Shush.” He held the car door and extended his hand. She finally took it, and he led her inside to Macy’s. She balked at the doorway, but he insisted.

“Come along, love.” He leaned in close, his mouth to her ear. “Please, let us do this. You’re our girl, and we want you to have whatever you need. Trust me, we can well afford it.”

She reluctantly followed him through the store. First stop, lingerie. He found a sales clerk and instructed her to get whatever Nevvie wanted. Of course she gravitated to functional versus fun. Before they finished in that department he looked Nevvie in the eyes.

“Sweetheart, you need to get something else.”

“What?”

He dropped his voice. “Pick some fun things. We want you to feel good about yourself.”

He knew it was a huge risk, but she nodded. The sales clerk helped her pick out a few more bras and panties, these with lace and less material. He flashed Nevvie an okay sign, and she smiled.

She wanted shorts and jeans, and while he agreed he also nudged her to the more feminine dresses, slacks and skirts. Today wasn’t the time to convince her she needed a flirty sundress, but he wanted her to dress like the beautiful woman she was. She needed things for home as well as work clothes for Thomas’ office.

This, Tyler knew, was the first of many shopping trips. The next time he wanted Thomas with them, because Tyler knew with the combined weight of their approval she couldn’t refuse. He’d also send her shopping alone with Thomas so he could pick things for her.

Last stop, shoes. Sneakers, of course. While he tried to nudge her into a stunning pair of stilettos that nearly made him hard just picturing her in them, she preferred a pair of dressy flats. He also talked her into loafers that went well with her slacks and jeans, and a cute pair of sandals she decided to wear out of the store.

That was enough for one day. He didn’t want to overload her. They lunched at Olive Garden, then at home he sat cross-legged on her bed while she modeled her new clothes for him. She looked happy and it warmed his heart to see her smile again.

She insisted on cooking dinner. Tyler was watching TV when Thomas returned home. He glanced at Nevvie in the kitchen before leaning over for a kiss.

“Well?” he whispered.

“It’s a start. She had fun and she’s got the basics. We’ll need to take her out again.”

“We? But you’re so good at that.”

Tyler glared at him. “We meaning you and I, lover. I know you’d rather have a colonoscopy than go clothes shopping, but think about having your own sweet Nevvie to dress.”

He considered, then smiled. “You know me too well, evil genius.”

“How do you think I keep your interest up?”

Thomas goosed him. “Maybe we’ll get a chance to get our interest up tonight if she sleeps well.”

Tyler patted his arm. “Let’s see how she is. I don’t want her alone with her night terrors.”

After dinner all three sat on the couch, Nevvie’s head in Tyler’s lap and getting a foot rub from Thomas. They realized around nine that she was sound asleep.

“Well?” Thomas whispered.

Tyler looked into her peaceful face. “I don’t have the heart to disturb her. You go to bed. I’ll stay with her.”

Thomas carefully moved her feet from his lap. She didn’t awaken, and he leaned over and kissed Tyler good night.

“I love you,” he whispered in his ear. “You did good, Ty. If I hadn’t listened to you about going after her…” He couldn’t finish.

“It’s all right. She’s safe, that’s all that matters.”

Thomas nodded and padded down the hall to bed.

Tyler grabbed a throw pillow, wedging it under his right side, leaning over to doze without waking her.

* * *

Around midnight, Nevvie awoke on the couch and realized she still occupied Tyler’s lap. For the first time since being there she didn’t have the terrifying dream that jolted her out of sleep—that the boys didn’t arrive in time and what Alex would have done, Alex morphing into Steve Moses and her terrified screams as she tried to fight him off.

She closed her eyes and inhaled, her nose pressed against Tyler’s stomach, his scent warming her heart. It felt right being curled up here with him. He felt right.

In sleep, Tyler’s left hand had come to rest comfortably over her mid-drift. Like this she could imagine they were lovers, dream of what she wished she had, platonically absorb it.

She laced her fingers through his and snuggled closer, drifting back to sleep.

Thomas awoke at one and realized Tyler still wasn’t in bed. He found them on the couch and knew Tyler wouldn’t be able to walk the next morning if he slept contorted all night. He gently nudged him, then carefully scooped Nevvie up. In sleep she put her arms around his neck and muttered something.

He carried her to her bedroom and Tyler pulled back the covers. Then Thomas whispered in his ear, “You get some sleep, I’ll stay with her. You’ve got to be in New York in two days, and you won’t sleep tomorrow night with your nerves.”

“You know me too well, love.” He kissed him and returned to their room while Thomas curled next to her and went back to sleep.

* * *

Nevvie awoke and realized she was in her bed with a warm, firm body comfortably snuggled against her.

She felt the arm draped around her waist: Thomas. Already she could tell the two apart just by their scent, not to mention their bodies. His arms were longer and leaner, not overly muscled but firm and well-defined, his fingers thicker, the hair on his arms a different texture. Tyler’s fingers were long and thin, and she imagined they were skilled at the most delicate of…

Mmm. Quit thinking like that, or poor Thomas would get a surprise. She snuggled close and laced her fingers through his, quickly returning to a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Nevvie awoke alone to the smell of coffee brewing. She rolled over, wondering if she’d dreamed Thomas slept in her bed. She put her hand on the mattress next to her—still warm. She buried her head in the other pillow and smelled his scent still fresh on the fabric.

She’d slept like a log.

She used the bathroom and walked out to the kitchen. Thomas stood at the counter in his silk sleeping boxers, with his back to the hallway, reading the paper while waiting for the coffee. The muscles in his bare back rippled against his skin. Lean, firm, and tanned, a contrast to Tyler’s softly trim but more compact form.

Nevvie put her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against his warm back. He put his hands over hers and squeezed.

“Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“You slept with me last night?”

He finally turned and gave her a proper hug, kissing the top of her head. “I hope you don’t mind. You fell asleep in Ty’s lap and I found you guys around one. He’s still asleep, probably a pretzel this morning.”

She felt guilty. “Oh, poor Ty. I’m sorry.”

“No, sugar.” He hugged her again. “Don’t be sorry, it’s okay. You’ve got a lot to deal with. Believe me, we’re more than happy to do it.”

It felt good resting her head against his chest, feeling his soft curly hair against her cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I appreciate it. I’m sorry I’ve turned your lives upside down.”

“Stop.” She looked up at his firm tone and fell into his deep brown eyes. “Nevvie, we mean it. You’re part of our family. You’re our girl. Let us take care of you.” He kissed her forehead and patted her back. “Coffee’s almost ready. Why don’t you take Tyler’s in to him? I was already in there, he’s decent. Well, he’s got boxers on.” He smiled. “I don’t know how decent he is.”

“It’s the least I can do.” She fixed herself a mug and took a sip, then fixed Tyler’s—black. Their bedroom door wasn’t completely shut and she cautiously stuck her head in. Stretched on his left side, facing the edge of the bed away from her, Tyler had the sheet pulled up to his waist and his arm wrapped around a pillow.

He looked so comfortable. She’d love to slide into bed with him and wrap her arm around his waist.

Or wrap her lips around his…

Yum.

Tyler’s trim backside and sturdy thighs spoke of ready action. She’d seen school pictures of him on the soccer team—football, pardon—and even then his eyes and smile were addictive. Maybe a few extra pounds across his torso now, but still firm and grabbalicious. Mega-scrumptious.

Kissable.

She walked across the bedroom and placed the mug on his bedside table, then sat next to him. His hair fell across his forehead and she couldn’t resist reaching out and tenderly brushing it from his face. He opened his eyes and sleepily smiled.

“Hey. Good morning, love.”

She struggled not to lean over and kiss him. “Thomas told me you stayed on the couch with me last night. Thank you.”

He caught her hand and kissed it. “It’s all right, sweet. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

“How’s your back?”

He started to turn over and winced. “Been better, I’m afraid.”

“Roll over.”

She straddled him and worked her hands down his shoulders and back, struggling not to lean forward and kiss him.

He moaned appreciatively. “Oh, sweetheart, that’s fantastic.”

“Where’s it hurt?”

“Down lower.”

She scooted lower, his ass between her legs. He groaned louder as she kneaded the muscles above his hips. “Right there. Jesus that’s fantastic, darling.”

Thomas’ deep laugh startled her. “I wondered what you were doing to him.”

She blushed but didn’t stop. “I figured I owed him.”

Thomas sat on the bed and watched. “He likes his back cracked, too.”

“Huh?”

“Stay there. I’ll show you.” Thomas changed position, kneeling behind her with his arms around her, also straddling Tyler. He showed her how to position the heels of her palms and then leaned forward with a quick motion. She heard and felt a distinctive pop.

“Ah! Oh, baby, do that again,” Tyler groaned against the bed.

Nevvie laughed, but something in his voice and the combined feel of the men’s bodies started a deep throbbing between her legs. To have them, even like this, was a dream come true.

Thomas showed her different ways to use her thumbs, how to shift her weight to her hands, where the muscles and vertebrae were and how to trace them with her fingers. Between the feel of his arms and hands over hers, and her hands on Tyler, she could barely speak.

Tyler didn’t complain, happily groaning and melting into the mattress. He sighed when they climbed off him fifteen minutes later.

“I’m not moving. That was heavenly,” he mumbled into the bed.

Thomas swatted him on the ass. “Get up. You’ve got an early flight tomorrow. Lots to do.”

Tyler groaned. “You can’t make me.”

“You agreed to speak at that conference. I bet you don’t even have your speech notes printed yet.”

She smiled at their repartee, enjoyed seeing them like this.

“Fuck you, Thomas,” he muttered from the bed.

Thomas grinned and swatted his ass again. “Promises, promises.”

Sitting on her knees at the end of the bed, Nevvie laughed out loud.

Thomas looked at her. “Oh, you think that’s funny, do you, sugar?”

She nodded, unable to contain her giggles. Thomas grabbed her around the waist and tickled her, pulling her down to the bed as she screamed with laughter. Tyler looked over, realized he was missing out, and started in on her too. A few minutes later she begged for mercy. The men relented, and she laid there gasping and giggling, looking up at them.

Then, realizing this was her new life, she burst into tears.

The men exchanged a worried look. Thomas reached for her, gathering her into his arms. “I’m sorry, I thought—”

“No, it was fun.” She cried on his shoulder and felt Tyler press against her back, his arms around them. “I’m happy,” she assured them.

“Overwhelmed?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah. In a good way.” She finally relaxed between them. “You guys have no idea how much you mean to me.” She took a deep breath and sat up, wiping her eyes. “Happy tears, I swear.”

Tyler kissed her forehead. “Good. We want to keep you happy. There’s no better sound in the world than your laughter, pet.” He reached for his coffee and took a sip. “I guess you’re right, I need to get moving.” He looked at Nevvie. “I don’t want you left alone while I’m gone, sweetheart. Not this soon.” Left unsaid, the men’s worry that Alex might somehow track her to their house.

“She can go to work with me tomorrow, it’s Friday. You feel up to learning that end of the business?”

She smiled. “That sounds good.”

“Great. I know Tyler likes to hog you.”

“Balderdash!” Tyler winked at Nevvie.

“Well, you do, Ty,” Thomas said with a wicked grin that belied his words.

Nevvie laughed. “You guys are too funny.”

Thomas stood and helped her up. “Ty won’t be back till Monday, you can go in with me then, too.”

“Take her by the insurance agent tomorrow, get her added to our policy, and her health insurance,” Tyler said as he climbed out of bed. “Oh, and a cell phone, definitely handle that. Will you have time to get her a car this weekend?”

“Don’t you want to help?”

Tyler looked disgusted. “Since when am I a help shopping for cars?”

“Good point.”

She laughed again and the boys looked at her. “You want another tickling, young lady?” Thomas warned in a playful voice. She clapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head. His next question was to Tyler. “Which account for the car?”

“Use the money market account, checkbook’s in my desk drawer.” He took his mug and walked to the bathroom, stretching and flexing his back. “Damn, you guys can rub my back like that every morning if you wish. That was simply amazing.” He closed the door behind him.

I’d love to rub his front, Nevvie thought. The fact that they talked about buying a car like it was nothing amazed her.

Stupid. They’ll buy you a cheap used one, of course. Don’t get excited over that.

But she was, because it would still be nicer than anything she’d ever had before. She instinctively knew her boys wouldn’t buy her a piece of junk. They’d buy her something they’d be proud to have her drive.

Thomas kissed her forehead. “Well, sugar, unless you want to help us take a shower…” He winked.

Jesus! The thought weakened her knees. She tried to play it back to him. “Don’t tempt me too much.” She winked back and turned to go when she felt a gentle swat on her bottom.

She jumped. Thomas playfully grinned, his sweet brown eyes holding hers. “How much would it take to tempt you?”

Holy Christ, is he kidding? She swallowed hard as her mouth went dry.

He smiled again. “You’re wonderful, Nevvie. Seriously. The three of us are going to have a blast. I don’t know what we did before you were here.”

She nodded and left, closing their door behind her. Then she went to her bedroom and closed her door, leaning on it for support, breathing hard. She was soaking wet. The fantasy of jumping into the shower between her sweet love gods was unbearably close and tantalizingly real.

It took a few minutes for her shaky legs to regain some strength.

* * *

She spent the day cleaning and helping Tyler pack for the conference. When Thomas returned she cooked dinner and they all curled on the couch in front of the TV. She was reluctant to go to bed until Tyler patted her thigh.

“I won’t sleep well tonight, sweetheart. I never do before a trip like this. If you don’t mind me setting the alarm early, why don’t I bunk with you? At least you’ll get a decent rest.”

Her heart skipped. “Okay.” Sleep all night with one of her sweet love gods? Hot damn!

“I’ll be there in a while, all right?”

She nodded, and somehow made it to her room on shaky legs. A few minutes later she heard their bedroom door close and assumed the boys were having a private goodbye.

* * *

Thomas held Tyler, kissing him, caressing his arms. “I’m going to miss you, Ty. This is the one thing I hate about what you do.”

Tyler’s hand traveled lower, between Thomas’ legs, gripping his shaft. “I’ll be home on Monday. You won’t be alone, you’ll have Nevvie to keep you company.”

Thomas moaned as his lover stroked him. “You’ll call me, right?”

Tyler bent down and licked the silky smooth head, swirling his tongue the way Tom loved, using his lips on him. “Of course, love. No speaker phone for you this time. Not unless you want Nevvie listening in.”

“I have to admit, that would be fun.” Thomas sighed. “Way too soon. I promise I won’t push her while you’re gone.”

Tyler looked up. “I never doubted that. I know you would never rush her.”

Thomas ran his hands through Tyler’s hair, loving the soft, smooth texture. “Lucky bastard, you get to sleep with her tonight.”

Tyler deep throated him for a moment, and Tom’s fingers tightened on the back of his head. When he came up for air, “Ah, yes,” Tyler whispered, his voice husky with passion, “but first I get to make love to you.”

He bent to his task, using his lips and tongue and hands to stroke his lover, gently massaging him, bringing him to the edge several times until Tom’s hands gripped his head and he begged, “Please, Ty, do it. Please.”

“Do what?” he playfully asked, running his tongue from the tip to his balls and back again.

Tom looked down at him, meeting his deep blue eyes. “Make me come. Please, do it.”

Tyler smiled. “Anything to make you happy, sweet.” He worked on Thomas, skillfully stroking and licking his shaft, taking his time, working his lips and tongue along the smooth head and ridge. He swirled his tongue around the head, flicking the tip of his tongue underneath at the especially sensitive spot, then stroking him with his hand to bring him over.

When Thomas landed from his climax, he pulled Tyler up to him and kissed him.

“Jesus, I love you, Ty.”

“I love you too. You are my life.”

Thomas worked his way down his lover’s body, kissing him, massaging him, taking his time and also bringing him close several times without release. “You gonna think about me sucking you when you’re in that hotel room all alone?”

Tyler nodded, closing his eyes and enjoying what Thomas did to him. “Yes.”

“Gonna think about me working my tongue all over your balls?” He proceeded to do just that.

Tyler shivered. “God, yes!”

Tom wrapped his hand around Tyler’s rigid shaft and fisted it, taking the tip into his mouth, breathing in his familiar, musky scent. “I’m going to fuck you so good when you get home, sugar. You keep that in mind every night when you’re talking to me on the phone. I’m going to be so horny and I’m going to take good care of you.”

With that he deep throated him, his other hand gently squeezing his balls and Tyler moaned. Thomas knew how to make him last, alternating gentle, light licks along his shaft and head with firm strokes of his hand.

Tyler jerked his hips as he came, his whole body shuddering from the sensation.

After a few moments Thomas lay next to Tyler, holding him, cradling his lover to him, kissing him. “You stay safe. I worry when you go to New York. Don’t forget to lock the door. You always forget that.”

“I’ll be fine. I doubt I’ll leave the hotel where the conference is. It’s a hectic schedule. You take care of yourself, and our girl.”

Thomas hugged him. “You know I will.” He stared into his eyes. “You’d better get some sleep. When are you waking up?”

“Five. The car will be here at six.”

He hesitated. Tyler knew he wanted to say something. “What is it?”

“I don’t want to fuck up while you’re gone. Say the wrong thing.”

Tyler laid a hand on his cheek. “Thomas,” he whispered, “you love her as much as I do. You won’t fuck anything up. Be your sweet self, that’s all. Take care of her. Let her come to you as she needs you.”

“How much can I spend on the car?”

“There’s over ninety thousand in that account. I seriously doubt you’ll spend that much. You’ll have a fight on your hands to put her into a new car. Do not get her a used one. Don’t let her talk you into something tiny, either. I want her safe. Get her into a four-door.” He sat up and thought about it. “Take her to see Rollo, he’s a persuasive fellow. I’m sure he’ll be happy to have the repeat business. He’ll help you talk her into something appropriate.”

Thomas nodded and kissed him one last time. “Wake me before you leave.”

“I will.” Tyler pulled on his boxers and headed for the door. “Sleep tight, love.”

* * *

Nevvie had left her door open. Tyler set the alarm then carefully slipped into bed. She’d been dozing but immediately snuggled against him. He put his arm around her and fought to keep his cock from coming alive again.

She mumbled, “Good night, Tyler,” and squeezed his hand.

He kissed the nape of her neck. “Good night, sweetheart.”

Tyler laid there, listening to the sound of her breathing, the feel of her heartbeat under his hand, now trapped by her fingers laced through his. She was a perfect fit for his body in the same way he fit Thomas. He would miss her every bit as much as he’d miss his lover.

Thomas told him about the flirting after their impromptu tickle fight. That was a good sign. There’d been a few times Nevvie had engaged in playful banter with him, but he expected as much because they were closer and spent more time together each day. He wanted her to be as close to Thomas as she was to him, otherwise they could never take things further. To have her play favorites would rip all three apart, and that would devastate him.

Before a trip like this Tyler usually didn’t sleep well, but he soon dozed with the warmth of her skin against him and the scent of her hair caressing his thoughts like a dream.

Chapter 7

Tyler reached across Nevvie the next morning and slapped at the alarm clock, eventually finding the off switch. He didn’t dare hit the snooze button or he’d be late. His clothes were laid out, his luggage sitting in the front hall, and he would grab a bagel—

Nevvie rolled under him, shifting position. When she opened her beautiful green eyes he was nose to nose with her.

“Good morning,” she said, melting him. It would be so easy to kiss her.

“Good morning, sweetheart. I’m sorry about the early wake-up. Go back to sleep.” Her eyes didn’t leave his. He lost the will to move.

He felt her hand on his arm, as if to keep him there. “Thank you for staying with me. I sleep better with one of you.”

“Believe me, it’s no imposition.” Tyler tried to find a reason, any reason, to stay where he was, locked in her eyes and her sweet lips so close. He wanted to kiss her.

She touched his cheek, then lifted her head and brushed her lips across his. “You mean, like that?”

He nodded, speechless.

“Wait till we start finishing each other’s sentences. You might not want me around that long.”

“Nevvie, we want you forever.”

She sat up, her back to him. “You say that now.” She wouldn’t look at him.

He put his arm around her, still reeling from their kiss. “Sweetheart, I know this is a bad thing for a writer to admit, but I am at a loss for words to describe how much you mean to us. We will do anything to keep you with us.”

She finally met his gaze, and her eyes bore the sheen of uncried tears. “Not anything, Tyler,” she whispered. She patted his thigh and headed for the bathroom.

He wanted to go after her, confess what they felt, still afraid she would reject them. It was one thing for her to be horny for one of them at any given time, totally another for them to overwhelm her with their need and emotion, to love her the way they wanted to.

It was too soon.

He started coffee and went to take his shower. Thomas was asleep and Tyler felt a momentary stab of guilt as he fingered the ring on his left hand. He loved Thomas, his soul mate. He would never trade what he had with Thomas for anything.

But he never had with Thomas what he had with Nevvie, that deep, unspoken connection. He knew Thomas loved him beyond reason, and Tyler would never change a thing about Thomas, not in a million years. The possibility of having two people so perfect in one lifetime boggled his mind.

Perhaps this was for the best, that he was going out of town. His plans could only take things so far. He couldn’t manage the relationship Thomas had with her—they must define on their own. Just as what he had with Nevvie was separate from Thomas. He knew Thomas could do and be things for her that he could not. He was okay with that because he also knew the converse applied.

He took his shower and dressed, checking the time. He had twenty-five minutes before the car arrived, and he still needed to eat. Taking a moment to sit on the bed next to Thomas, he reached over and gently stroked his lover’s chest.

Thomas stirred and opened his eyes. “Mornin’.”

“Good morning.”

“What time is it?”

“Close to six.”

Thomas crooked his finger and Tyler leaned in for a kiss.

“I love you,” Thomas said. “Have a safe trip and call me when you get there.”

“I will.” This was one of the many things he loved about Thomas, that he made him feel safe and secure, that he cared. “Why don’t you cook dinner for Nevvie while I’m gone? A good southern meal.”

He cocked his head at Tyler. “You hate fried okra.”

“Maybe she’ll like it, I won’t be here to eat it. You don’t like blood pudding.”

Thomas made a face. “The name makes me want to barf, sorry.” He propped himself on his elbows. “What’s going on? Is Nevvie okay?”

“I think she’s starting to slip into the next phase of her emotional recovery. Perhaps this weekend you can keep her distracted, take her out for some fun.”

“You won’t mind?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Leaving you out.”

“If I’m not here, how am I being left out?”

Thomas chewed his lip. “I thought about taking her out on the bike, if that’s okay.”

“She might enjoy that.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

Tyler glanced at the time. “Thomas, I know you’ll keep her safe. She needs to have a relationship not only with us, but with you and I. Just as you and I will have a relationship outside of her. Nothing else can happen until we know she loves and wants us both. Right?”

“I love you, Tyler. She won’t change that.”

Tyler stroked Tom’s stubbly chin. “I know.”

* * *

Tyler poured a mug of coffee and toasted a bagel. Nevvie had donned a robe over her T-shirt and boxers, and he poured her a mug, fixing it the way she liked.

She accepted it without meeting his eyes. He waited to let go until she looked at him. “Anything,” he whispered. “You have to trust me.” He let that sink in. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded, but looked unconvinced.

He kissed her forehead. “You must heal, sweetheart. Simply enjoy being a part of our family for now, let that be enough. The future will go where it goes. We will do anything to keep you with us.”

Thomas appeared, yawning and scratching. “Mornin’.” He kissed her cheek. “Sleep okay?”

She mustered a smile. “Good, thanks.”

Tyler ate his bagel. When the driver rang the bell, Nevvie and Thomas walked Tyler to the front door.

He hugged Thomas, kissing him. “I’ll call when I get there. I love you.”

Thomas patted him on the ass. “Love you, too. Safe trip. Come back to me.”

Tyler smiled. “Always, love.” He turned to Nevvie and hugged her. “Can’t break the ritual,” he said, “for luck.” He looked at her. “I’ll call when I get there. I love you.”

She glanced at Thomas. “Love you, too. Safe trip. Come back to me.” Then she patted him on the ass.

He laughed. “Always, love.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ve yet to not return safely from a trip. Why muck about with what works?”

* * *

She watched from the front door as Thomas walked Tyler to the car, helped him load his bags then leaned in for one last hug and kiss. She knew better than to read meaning into her exchange with Tyler.

Obviously he didn’t understand what she meant by “anything.” Just because they had a freaky psychic connection didn’t mean he wasn’t still a guy and able to misinterpret what she said. He might say the future goes where it goes, but hell, they were gay. The future was a dead end when it came to romance with her boys. She knew it, even if Tyler tried to be kind.

Thomas returned. “Well, you ready for your first day at Kinsey Consulting?”

“I guess. I hope I don’t disappoint you.”

“I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Can I scramble you some eggs?”

“If I can make you pancakes.”

“Deal. Why don’t you turn on some music?”

The boys loved their tunes, and while each had distinctively different styles they shared several favorites. Nevvie loved the wide variety of their music library, from classical to jazz all the way to modern music like Pink and Black Eyed Peas.

She picked a Jimmy Buffett CD and soon they were dodging each other in the kitchen, laughing and joking while they cooked. She nearly choked when “Why Don’t We Get Drunk?” played.

Thomas waggled his eyebrows at her. “You trying to give me a hint?”

She blushed, laughing, his words too close to her own desires. She shook her head and tried to play it back to him. “Why, would you take me up on it if I did?”

He grinned and leaned close. “You’ll never know if you never try, darlin.” Then he kissed the end of her nose and winked.

Jeezus pleezus! She still had nearly four full days alone with him!

He smiled at her obvious state and dug into his food. “Better eat, sugar. We’ve got to get ready for work. Casual Friday, so wear jeans. We’ll leave around seven-thirty.”

She shoveled food into her mouth before she said something stupid and embarrassing like, “Please bend me over the table right now and fuck my brains out, Tommy, thank you very much.”

He helped clean up the kitchen before they retreated to their separate bathrooms—damn!—for showers. She was ready to go when he emerged from his bedroom carrying a jacket.

“Try this on. See if it fits.”

She took it. It was a little large, but not huge. Heavy and leather, not a normal jacket.

“Bike jacket,” he explained. “It’s Ty’s, but he hardly ever rides.”

“Bike?” It did smell faintly of Tyler.

“Harley. Didn’t you see it?”

She shook her head and followed him to the garage. Along the far wall, on the other side of the Ford, a drop cloth covered a motorcycle. She’d never noticed it before because the truck blocked it from view. The washer and drier were in the laundry alcove, so she never had a reason to walk around the truck. He pulled the cover off, revealing a red Harley.

“It’s a 1200 Sportster.” He looked at her. “Ever ride?”

She shook her head, the idea of having a legitimate reason to wrap her arms around Thomas’ tight mid-section robbing her of speech.

“Not supposed to rain today. Want to take it?”

She nodded.

He glanced at her loafers. “Go grab some sneakers. You can stow your loafers and purse in the saddlebag. We need to buy you some boots if you’re going to be my biker mama.”

She returned his playful smile and raced to get her shoes. When she returned, he’d retrieved his jacket and two helmets and had the bike wheeled into the driveway. He helped her adjust the helmet.

“Why jackets?” The helmet’s full face shield muffled her voice.

He tugged on a pair of gloves. “Protection. Won’t help if a car hits you, obviously, but might help for road rash and small debris.” He pulled on his helmet and she waited while he stowed their things in the saddlebags.

“Once I tell you, throw your right leg over and slide on. Put your feet on the pegs, keep them there, watch your legs on the exhaust. Then wrap your arms around me. Don’t lean with the bike, feel what I do. If we’re turning, look over my shoulder in the direction of the turn. Keep your weight centered. When we’re stopped at a light, keep your feet on the pegs, okay?”

She nodded, unable to speak even if she had any coherent words to say.

He grinned behind his face shield as he mounted the bike and cranked it. It throbbed to life, the engine roaring off the house and echoing through their quiet neighborhood. He kept a spare garage door opener tucked in a gear bag over the gas tank. Once the door slid closed Thomas motioned for her to get on.

Nervously she did, putting her feet on the pegs, her hands tentatively clutching his hips.

He grabbed her hands and pulled them tighter around his waist. “Like that, sugar,” he called over the noise of the engine. She thought he laughed, and she closed her eyes as they rolled out of the drive.

He took the long way out of their development. She suspected it was to get her used to the feel of the bike at low speeds. When they stopped at the intersection at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to wait for the light he patted her hands and looked back at her.

“Having fun?” She nodded and thought she heard him laughing. “Hang on, baby girl.”

They took off again. She hadn’t been to his office but knew it was on US 301 in east Tampa, not far from the state fairgrounds. She wondered if he’d take the interstate but he didn’t. She finally kept her eyes open, and forty minutes later they pulled into the parking lot at a three-story building.

He drove around back where a carport covered six parking spaces. Two were empty, one with a sign bearing Thomas’ name. He pulled in and shut the bike off, putting down the kickstand. “Like it?”

“Yeah. That was fun.”

“See? You can cop a feel any time you want.” She loved how his eyes crinkled when he smiled.

He helped her remove her helmet. “What floor are your offices on?” she asked.

His grin widened. “Baby girl, the whole building’s mine.”

* * *

Nevvie followed him through the back door and down a corridor. His large office contained more than his desk. There was also a large conference table, a huge drafting table, and a computer workstation. Pictures of what she assumed were completed developments hung from the walls above bookshelves loaded with tomes of various subjects from engineering and architecture to fiction.

“You can drop your stuff on the table, Nev. You’ll bunk with Maggie until she’s gone, then you’ll have that office all to yourself.” He picked up the phone, briefly spoke. A moment later someone knocked.

“Come on in,” Thomas said.

An extremely pregnant woman waddled in. Her dark blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her round glasses sat on a friendly face that was no doubt chubbier than normal due to her condition.

Thomas stepped over. “Maggie, this is Nevaeh Barton. She’s the one I told you about.”

Maggie smiled and extended a hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

Nevvie nervously shook hands. “Thanks.” Being around people again would be culture shock. Since returning to Tampa, Nevvie rarely had extended contact with people other than her clients and Alex’s so-called friends. Comfortably and safely cooped up in the house with Tyler and Thomas, she hardly remembered what it was like being in the real world.

“Get her up to speed on the phone system,” Tommy said. “Give her an overview of what we do, show her around and introduce her. She’ll be doing project data entry. Teach her about invoices, permitting and survey notes, how to run and read reports, show her how the server works, that kind of stuff.”

“Not subjecting her to the full torture treatment, huh, Tom?”

“No, I liked your idea of splitting things up. You’re right, it doesn’t make sense the way we’ve been doing it.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “Finally, he listens!”

Nevvie laughed, and Maggie turned to her. “You know how guys are. They don’t listen until they think of the same damn thing, then it’s suddenly a good idea.”

“Quit trying to turn her against me on her first day, Maggie.” He looked at Nevvie. “We’ve known each other for years.”

“Don’t hesitate to slap him around,” Maggie teased. “That’s the only way to keep him in line.”

“That’s because I like it,” Thomas joked, grinning. “How many times I have to tell you that, woman?”

Nevvie laughed again. She’d been afraid Thomas would morph into a totally different person at work. With this woman, at least, he was still friendly and playful. Nevvie felt a small, jealous pang. She consoled herself that she was the one riding to work on the back of Thomas’ bike.

And riding home with him.

“Oh, stop by HR, get all her paperwork taken care of, get her a set of keys and alarm codes, everything she needs. I’ll call them and tell them to expect you.”

Maggie nodded. “Come with me.” She looked at her. “Nevaeh? Or do you prefer something else?”

“Nevvie’s fine.”

“You can call me Maggie or Meg.”

“Or hell-bitch,” Thomas joked.

Maggie flipped him a bird. “That’s it, keep it up, Tommy. I’ll milk my family leave time.”

“With twins I suspect you’ll do a lot of milking.”

A little shocked, Nevvie gasped. Maggie roared with laughter. “Watch it, buster,” she warned, “or I’ll tell Tyler you’re picking on me.”

“Ha! You’re shit outta luck. He’s out of town, left Nevvie and me on our own.”

“Ah. No wonder you’re acting like you grew a set of balls overnight. Come on, Nevvie, follow me.”

Nevvie grabbed her things and followed Maggie down a short hallway to another office. It would be close with two people but not uncomfortably so.

“Dump your stuff over there. You can put your purse in the desk, but no one should mess with it. I’ve got the place booby trapped.” Maggie looked down at her pregnancy-enhanced chest. “No pun intended.”

Nevvie laughed. “This sounds like a fun place to work.”

Maggie smiled. “Don’t let me fool you. I’ve known Tom since college. Believe me, we don’t joke around like that in front of others.” She hesitated and dropped her voice. “Look, he told me the basics. They’re great guys, and they seem to be crazy about you. I had a shitty ex in my life too, so I know it can be hard to let your guard down around people.”

“I trust them. This is the first time in my life I’ve felt like I belong.”

“You’re a lucky girl. I love my husband but I wish he looked as cute as those two.”

Nevvie blushed. “Yeah, well, all I can do is look.”

“Sometimes being able to look at two really hot guys is a lot better than having some fugly asshole pawing you.”

Nevvie considered that. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Come on. Let’s get your paperwork knocked out.”

The morning flew by. Maggie showed her the basics of the project tracking software and how to enter invoices. Nevvie would handle other information as well, but they didn’t want to overload her on her first day. At noon, Tom knocked on the open office door.

“Can I steal my best girl for lunch?”

Nevvie felt another pang of jealousy until Maggie snarked, “I’m not your best girl anymore, Tommy boy?”

“Honey, you’re damaged goods.”

Maggie laughed. “I’m so telling Tyler on you when he gets back. Seriously Nevvie, he’s normally not this slutty with anyone but me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You’ll need your bike gear,” he reminded her.

She managed the helmet by herself this time. When he cranked the bike Nevvie easily slid into place and wrapped her arms around him. It felt good, like she belonged there.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

They headed south. A few minutes later they pulled into a Harley dealership. “You need decent riding shoes.”

“You’re wearing sneakers.”

He removed his helmet. “Can you imagine the ass chewing I’d get from Tyler the first time I brought you home with a singed ankle? Uh uh. I still can’t believe he let me take you out on the bike.”

Thomas led her inside, holding the door for her, while she pondered his comment. They found a pair of riding boots Nevvie liked. She nearly choked at the price, but he took the box from her and wagged his finger in her face.

“Quit looking at price tags unless I tell you to. Got it?” She smiled and nodded. “Good. We’ll have to get you some dressy boots. I know a place in St. Pete that has a good selection. Did you want a new jacket?”

“No, this one fits fine.” The fact that it was Tyler’s was a bonus.

“Gloves.” He lead her to another display and the clerk helped her find ones that fit. “Rain gear.” Of course he picked top of the line items.

He paid for their purchases and, leaving the packaging, she swapped shoes, tucking her sneakers in the saddlebags with the new rain gear.

They ate at a restaurant in Brandon, then made another stop on the way back to the office. “You need a cell phone, sugar.” He led her inside. When she looked at the cheap phones he made a playful, disgusted sound.

“Honey, you need a better phone than that. You’ll be keeping track of a lot of stuff once you’re up to speed.” He captured her hands. “You’re not understanding us—you’ll be running our lives.” He paused, meeting her eyes. “Kind of like our wife. You get to tell us what to do, spend our money, and we never have sex.” He winked. “Although, you could always get me drunk.”

She playfully shoved him, then he grew serious. “Nev, you need the tools to take care of us properly.” He grinned again when she lightly swatted him as she caught his double-meaning. “Like a whip and handcuffs, you keep that up.”

She finally laughed. “Fine, okay. It’s your money.”

“Thank you, Jesus, she sees the light.” He found a sales clerk and bought Nevvie a BlackBerry similar to Tyler’s, then did the paperwork to add it to their account. The clerk spent a few minutes showing her the basics before they left.

One more stop—adding her to their auto insurance policy. As she prepared to mount the bike she said, “I’m sorry we’re so late getting back to the office.”

“Why?”

“It’s been nearly three hours.”

He shook his head. “Nevvie, sugar, I’m the friggin boss. If I want to take a three-hour lunch with my beautiful biker mama, I will.”

She flushed with pride. She knew it was stupid, but any time either man referred to her like that, usually as “their girl,” it made her feel loved. She was Tommy’s baby girl—or biker mama—and Tyler’s angel.

As they rode she compared the differences between Thomas and Tyler that she never noticed before. She had a fun relationship with Tyler, to be sure, but it was subtle double-entendres, sweet endearments. Thomas was rowdy and playful. How did that one Jimmy Buffett song go? A dirty mind hidden behind a choir boy’s face. That described Thomas.

Then again it probably described Tyler, too, in a different way.

Tyler called Thomas after they pulled in, and both had a chance to say hi. The flight was fine, the hotel room adequate. She hung up, missing him, trying not to think about their morning kiss. It was odd not having both of them around.

They left the office a little after six. There were plenty of leftovers at home thanks to Tyler’s careful planning.

“I’m cooking dinner for you tomorrow,” Thomas said.

“What’s on the agenda?”

He waggled his eyebrows. “I get to play with the checkbook.”

* * *

They settled in to watch a Lightning pre-season game, Thomas thrilled that she enjoyed hockey. “We’ll need to go to a game, darlin.” He was about to say something else when his cell rang. He glanced at it and smiled before answering. “Kinsey Kinky Sex and Company.”

Nevvie clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream of laughter. It had to be Tyler.

Thomas held the phone out to her. “His royal slyness would like to say good night to you first.”

She smiled and felt another pang as she took the phone. “Hi, Tyler.”

“Hello, sweetheart. Everything all right?”

“Apparently I’m now Tommy’s biker bitch, but other than that, life’s good.”

“I said biker mama, Tyler! She’s trying to get me in trouble,” Thomas yelled.

Tyler laughed. “Did you have a good day?”

“I met Maggie and started learning things at the office. Thomas got me a new cell phone.”

“Oh? Give me the number.” She did. “Excellent. I hoped he would.”

They chatted a few minutes before she returned the phone to Thomas and went to the kitchen to give them privacy. After a couple of minutes, he walked to their bedroom and shut the door.

Her loneliness returned.

Dammit, be happy for what you have, not what you don’t. She knew it was just another phase she’d have to ride out, but it was hard to ignore the elephant in the corner, that the boys had the one thing she never could with them. Friends, yes, absolutely. Subject of hot fantasies and wet dreams? Oh, yeah.

Romance?

Not in the cards.

She settled on the couch to watch the game, alone.

* * *

“How is she, sweet?”

Thomas stretched out on the bed. “I think she had a good day.”

“She was rather melancholy when she awoke. I’m glad she’s feeling better.” Tyler paused. “How are you?”

“I miss you.” He slipped a hand inside his shorts and stroked his stiffening shaft. “You don’t mind if she sleeps in here tonight, do you?”

“Of course not, lover. Especially if you’re going to come for me first.”

Thomas groaned, his cock instantly rock-hard and throbbing. “Dammit,” he whispered, “you know what you do to me, Ty.”

“Stroke your cock, lover, and think what I’ll be doing to you when I get home.”

Thomas fisted his cock and closed his eyes and stroked faster, harder. Unbidden, the memory of Nevvie’s arms around him on the bike came to mind while Tyler whispered in his ear.

“I know you’re hard for me, aren’t you, love? Just think, one day, when she’s ours, you can feed your sweet cock to our angel.”

“Ah!” His climax caught him by surprise, especially that Tyler’s words were so close to his thoughts. He took a deep breath. “Shit! You are fucking spooky.”

Tyler chuckled in his ear. “Lover, you have to be thinking about her at least a little.”

Thomas rolled over. “So what are you thinking about?”

In his hotel room, Tyler closed his eyes and thought about that morning, with Nevvie’s sweet face below him, kissing her…

He stroked himself. “What do you want me to think about, love?”

Thomas’ voice dropped to a sensual growl. “How about how beautiful she’ll look when you’re fucking her and she’s sucking my cock?”

He moaned. That was already one of his favorite fantasies, had been for months, even before she lived with them. “God, yes!”

“I bet she’s so sweet, Ty. Think how she’s going sound when we’ve got her begging for it. Think about how she’ll look wrapping her lips around your cock.”

Tyler climaxed, moaning, dropping the phone on the bed. When he finally regained his wits he found his cell. “You play dirty, love.”

“You can’t say you didn’t like that.”

No, he couldn’t. “I’m going to sleep. You need to clean up if you’re sharing a bed with our angel tonight. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Stay safe. Call me.”

Tyler closed his eyes and pictured Nevvie’s sweet face. He tried to sleep but kept thinking about Nevvie’s kiss and her wounded eyes.

I love you, he thought. I love you so much, I wish I could tell you.

* * *

Thomas took a quick shower. This was their routine. When one had to be out of town, they called for phone sex. Not every night, but frequently. It started as a joke but they liked it so much they kept it up.

They had it bad for Nevvie. It was tempting to come right out and tell her, but the more he thought about that, the more he worried she wouldn’t want both of them. Wouldn’t want him.

He knew she loved Tyler, he could see it in her eyes when she looked at him. Would she ever love him the same way?

He tried to push the worry out of his mind as he dressed and returned to the living room.

* * *

“We still ahead?”

Nevvie nodded. “We keep this up, the Flyers will have to pull their goalie.”

“They’ve still got time to blow the lead.”

She looked at him and grinned. He laughed, shaking his head as he realized what he’d said. “Sugar, you are a hoot.”

Nevvie was reluctant to go to bed after an evening of fun with Thomas. Sensing her hesitation, Thomas patted her thigh. “Need company tonight?”

“Do you mind?”

“Honey, the chance to sleep with a beautiful girl and not get in trouble for it? Seriously?”

“Thanks.”

“Want to bunk with me?”

“Tyler won’t mind me sleeping in your bed?”

“Not at all.”

They retired to his bed and she snuggled against him. He closed his eyes, deeply inhaling her scent.

“Why doesn’t Tyler ride with you?” she asked.

“Promise not to tease him?”

“Of course.”

“It scares him. I don’t want to force him to ride when he doesn’t enjoy it.”

“So why don’t you take the bike more often?”

“I don’t like riding alone. It’s not as much fun.” He fell quiet for a moment. “You do enjoy riding with me, don’t you? It won’t hurt my feelings if you say no.”

She pulled his arms tighter around her. “It was fun. Really. I hope we get to ride a lot.”

“Me too, sugar.”

Chapter 8

Saturday morning, Thomas drove the Ridgeline and took Nevvie out to breakfast, then to the dealership. Rollo Smith was an older man, the anti-salesman. Soft-spoken and friendly, he had a laid-back manner and North Carolina drawl that set people at ease.

Before they started, Nevvie had to make a pit stop. Thomas took a moment bringing Rollo up to speed.

“We’ve sort of adopted her, Rollo. She’s special, and we want her in something nice. Tyler and I agree we want her in a safe car, not a little tiny thing. I’ll need your help convincing her to let me spend the money.”

“Why don’t you just buy one?”

“Because we want her in something she’ll like. We want her to feel like it’s her car, not ours.”

“Is it going in her name?”

“No, we’ll do like we did last time, put it in the trust. But as far as we’re concerned it’s hers.”

Of course Nevvie gravitated to the used cars. Thomas put his foot down. “Sugar, if I bought you a used car Tyler would scalp me and I don’t mean my head, you should know that.”

She looked on the verge of tears. “You can’t spend that kind of money on me, Thomas.”

Rollo stepped in. “Actually it’s a better investment. Full warranty, service contract, all that. You won’t get that with a used car.”

“See? Listen to the man. We trust him. We’ve bought five cars from him over the years and he hasn’t screwed us yet.”

She let the men lead her across the lot. She started in the sub-compacts and Thomas took her hands. “Honey, don’t make me call Tyler to chew you out, please?”

Her nerves finally won and she broke down. Rollo stepped away for a few moments while Thomas calmed her.

He looked her in the eye. “Sugar,” he said, “you’re our girl, and we meant it when we said we’re taking care of you. We don’t trade cars every couple of months. We’re working on the presumption that you’ll be living with us for years. Forever, if we get our way. Look at it this way, we’re buying you a quality car that will last you a long time. It needs to be a safe car, one all three of us will be comfortable riding in and driving, and one you’ll be happy with. Can you imagine me and my long legs sitting in the back seat with my kneecaps jammed up to my chin in one of those tiny things?”

She laughed and he helped her dry her eyes. “Nevvie, please, don’t fight us on this. I know this is a lot to take in at once, but just let us do it. Please?” She nodded and he hugged her. “That’s my baby girl.”

He took her hand and they followed Rollo to the larger cars. After test driving a few models she finally settled on a royal blue pearl Acura TL. They completed the paperwork, and an hour later Thomas stood next to her, watching her stare at the car with a shocked look.

“Ready to go home?” he asked.

“Yeah.” He opened the door for her. She got in, still stunned. He knelt beside her.

“Nevvie, this isn’t a dream. You’re not going to wake up in the morning next to Alex. You’re going to learn to love being spoiled.”

That finished her. He knelt there with her, hugging her until she finally composed herself enough to drive home. He followed her in the Ridgeline and called Tyler. He must have been on break because he answered.

“Well?”

“Our girl is now driving a brand new Acura.”

“Fantastic! Does she look good in it?”

“Tyler, she’d look good in anything.”

“Or nothing at all.” Both men laughed. “Seriously, did she give you trouble?”

“Of course, what do you think?”

“How’d you talk her into it?”

“Well, to keep her out of the used ones I threatened to call and have you chew her out.”

Tyler chuckled. “Make me the bad guy. Wonderful.”

“Hey, it worked. Then I flat-out told her the truth, although I’m sure she didn’t know how I meant it. That we want her living with us for forever, and that we wanted her in a good car that would last.”

“See? You’re brilliant. Absolutely marvelous. Couldn’t have done a better job myself.”

“Would have been easier with you here to wrangle her. You’ve got a special touch with her. You know I’m no good at that kind of stuff.”

“Lover, you have the same sweet touch with her as you do me. I’ve got to go, I’m speaking in a few. Give her a hug and kiss for me, I’ll talk to you later.”

Thomas ended the call and watched her as she drove ahead of him. She reached up to her face a lot, probably wiping tears. Hopefully it wouldn’t take long to get her out of her shell, for her to enjoy being treated like a princess. The sooner she did, the easier it would be to show her how perfect she was for them.

* * *

At the house, Nevvie parked behind Tyler’s Lexus and realized she had a text message from him on her new BlackBerry.

How does it drive?

She smiled and figured out how to reply.

Wonderful. I’m spoiled.

A moment later, his reply.

I hope so. You deserve it.

* * *

They went out a few hours later, Nevvie driving her new car with Thomas as her passenger. The Acura was fantastic. She’d never had a nice used car, much less a new one.

“Do you like it, Nevvie?” Thomas asked.

“I love it. So where to?”

He gave her directions. Twenty minutes later they pulled into an upscale grocery complex, complete with farmer’s market. “What don’t you like to eat?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t do spicy. I don’t like liver. Other than that I’m willing to try anything once.”

“I’m going to cook you a good old-fashioned southern dinner.” He picked up collard greens, okra, green tomatoes, cornbread mix, and a few other things. On the way home he had her pull onto a rough back road and stop at a restaurant on the HillsboroughRiver. The building looked like little more than a bait shop, but cars filled the dusty shell parking lot. Thomas left Nevvie in the Acura and returned a few minutes later with a brown paper bag.

“What’s that?”

He grinned. “Surprise.”

Back home and with a Chicago CD on the stereo, Thomas showed her how to make real fried okra, not the batter-dipped restaurant fare. Flour, corn meal, salt and pepper, fried in a cast-iron skillet on the stove. Ditto the fried green tomatoes. He cooked the collards with a piece of ham, and the mystery package contained smoked mullet.

She wistfully smiled. “I haven’t had mullet since my dad died. He always brought it home Friday nights.”

“Aw, honey, I had a feeling you were a girl after my own heart. Can you believe Ty will suck down kippers, but he won’t touch smoked mullet?”

She scooped a small handful of fried okra from the bowl on the counter and munched. “Bet he doesn’t like this either, does he?”

“That, baby girl, is what I was raised on. Georgia popcorn, right there. He will rarely refuse anything placed before him, for politeness if nothing else, but it’s not worth cooking up a batch of something he won’t like.”

They ate once the cornbread was ready. She dipped out a bowlful of greens, then looked at the table, frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t even think. You don’t have any vinegar, do you? For the greens?”

His grin spread ear to ear. He practically raced to the fridge and produced a small shaker bottle. “Wait’ll Tyler gets back. He’s outnumbered by Crackers!”

After dinner they cuddled on the couch to watch Silence of the Lambs, one of her favorite movies.

“I know it’s stupid,” she admitted, “but I always laugh when he’s telling her to put the lotion on.”

“Why?”

She shook her head. “Something about the way he says it, the rhyme. It always cracks me up.”

Thomas chuckled, hugging her. “You’re as warped as I am, sugar. You like Monty Python?”

“Who doesn’t?” She looked at him. “Oh, don’t tell me Tyler doesn’t?”

“Some of the movies he does, but he won’t watch the shows with me. Said he saw them growing up and that was enough.”

They laughed and talked late into the evening. When she curled up next to Thomas in his bed after a brief good night call to Tyler, she fell asleep quickly.

* * *

Thomas watched her sleep, listening to her slow and easy breathing. How crazy was it that she fit them so well? Truly the perfect woman. He had fun with Tyler and enjoyed being with him, but this was something new and different he didn’t have with his lover, something he’d never missed—until now.

What a nearly perfect day they’d had. He’d never forget the stunned joy on her face when Rollo handed her the keys. He’d do anything to keep her that happy, to keep her with them. He was under no illusions she needed Tyler the same way he needed Tyler, the three of them locked together in a fantastic triad, feeding off each other, shoring up weaknesses and complementing strengths—it was amazing. He knew she filled a need in Tyler he could not.

Perfect.

He hated using that word up till now, but no other word described what he felt.

If only they could convince her how right she was for them.

He closed his eyes and curled around Nevvie, dreaming of her.

* * *

Sunday morning she helped him in the yard and around the house. At noon he shooed her to take a shower. “We’re going riding, sugar. Dress appropriately.”

“Any hints?”

“Nope. It’s a surprise.”

The surprise was another shopping trip. They drove across the HowardFranklinBridge to St. Pete and he bought her a dressy pair of riding boots. Then further west to St. Pete Beach for an early dinner on the Gulf. They rode north along the barrier islands, eventually reaching Tarpon Springs before sunset.

They stood on a fishing pier and watched as the sun slipped below the water. He wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling when he felt her hands on his.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, he whispered, “Did you have fun today?”

Nevvie leaned against him. “A lot. Thank you.”

He kissed the side of her neck and didn’t think he imagined she shivered. He’d have to remember she was sensitive there. “Baby girl, nothing’s too good for my biker mama.”

“We’re not going to make Tyler jealous, are we?”

He snorted in amusement. “Do you think he wants me calling him my ‘biker mama?’”

“No, I guess not.”

* * *

Nevvie felt another pang. Here she was enjoying herself with Thomas with poor Tyler out of town. Before this weekend she felt closer to Tyler. Now she could honestly say she was as close to Thomas, but in a different way.

Thomas again invited her to sleep in their bed. Only a moron would refuse that offer. As she closed her eyes and snuggled close beside him, she remembered how his lips felt when they brushed her neck, the smell of his leather bike jacket in the hot sun, his arms around her on the fishing pier as they watched the sunset…

His flesh felt hot, his legs pressed against hers, the entire length of his body hard and taut. Deep within her liquid heat churned and boiled, rising to the surface. Nevvie snuggled tighter with him and felt his cock stiffen, pressing tantalizingly along the cleft in her ass.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

She wiggled her hips, enticing, inviting. His hand slipped under her T-shirt, large fingers cupping first one breast, then the other, teasing her nipples into hard peaks. With his breath ragged in her ear she stretched into him, reaching behind her, tangling her fingers in his hair and pulling his mouth against the nape of her neck. His lips brushing across her flesh ignited a fire deep inside her.

His hand skirted down her belly, slipping inside her sleeping shorts, her breath coming in rapid gasps.

Yes, please. Don’t stop. She was afraid to speak, to break the spell. He continued his agonizingly slow pace across her flesh, his hand coming to rest in the nest of short curls between her legs.

Yessss.

His fingers gently parted and probed her, slowly stroking her clit, his touch hot and achingly sexy.

As he pushed a thick finger inside her, his thumb stroked her swollen nub. She wasn’t far from release and a low, needy moan escaped her. When she climaxed she felt the fireworks start deep in her belly, exploding behind her eyes and she gasped, rolled over—

Alone in the bed. Sunlight streamed through the partially-closed vertical blinds.

Breathing heavy, she looked around, realized it was her own hand buried in her sex.

She closed her eyes as she heard Thomas in the kitchen, preparing their morning coffee. Oh thank God! He hadn’t seen anything.

Immediately upon the heels of her relief followed disappointment that it wasn’t her sweet love god’s hand bringing her pleasure.

She caught her breath and got out of bed. Damn, talk about a wet dream!

“Are you awake, sugar?” he called from the kitchen.

She hunted for and finally found her voice. “Yeah.”

“How’d you sleep?”

“Good.” Well, the last few minutes were apparently fan-damn-tastic. If she had a choice between the nightmares and a dream like that, she’d take the wet dream every time.

Duh.

* * *

They rode the bike to work. Maggie spent the entire day with her, explaining things while Nevvie took copious notes. Nevvie started a slow cooker meal before they left. When they returned home a little after seven, Tyler was back and had prepared side dishes to go with it.

Nevvie slipped past the men while they hugged in the kitchen. A moment later she heard a soft tap on her bedroom door.

“Yes?”

One hypnotically blue eye peeked through. “May I come in, love?”

She looked away and nodded. Tyler stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar.

“Are you upset with me?” he quietly asked.

“No. Why would you think that?”

“Well, from the other morning, and considering you flew through the kitchen without giving me a look, I thought perhaps I’d done something.”

More guilt. Just dump it in a big, steaming pile. “No, Tyler, I’m not upset with you.” She sighed. “I’m sorry I’m moody. Like you said, it’s a phase.”

He enveloped her in his arms and she hugged him back. He felt sooo good. And he always smelled good, too. Was it weird she could identify either man by his unique scent?

God I’m such a stupid dumbass.

“I’m sorry this is difficult for you, sweetheart.” He met her gaze. “Please believe me,” he whispered. “It’s only been a few weeks. You haven’t even begun to deal with what happened.”

“Let the future happen. Yeah, yeah.”

He kissed her forehead. “Dinner’s ready. Did you fix it?”

She nodded.

“It’s wonderful—you did a fantastic job.”

She waited a moment to catch her breath before following him out to the kitchen. It was stupid, she admitted it, but any time one of the men paid her a compliment it caught her off-guard. It always did even though she knew she should be past that. They didn’t heap false praise on her. They showed her appreciation, something she’d never had from Alex.

Or anyone.

Over dinner, Nevvie’s mood lightened. They were together again, her and her boys. It felt right, there was no denying it. Maybe Tyler had a point and she needed time to get her head on straight. Better to enjoy what she had than mope.

She decided to focus on the present, not the past or the future. Most women would kill to have what she had.

Her boys.

At least she didn’t have to worry about sharing them with other women.

Chapter 9

The next Saturday morning, Tyler and Thomas surprised her with yet another treat. After breakfast they led her out the front door, where a limousine waited.

“What’s this?”

“We’re pampering you today,” Thomas said.

Tyler nodded. “You are getting the princess treatment.”

They gently cut off her protests. “Nevvie,” Thomas said, “we’re giving you every reason in the world to never leave.”

“The two of you are reason enough to stay. You don’t have to bribe me.”

Tyler’s blue eyes twinkled. “But it doesn’t hurt.”

They rode with her to the Palimo Sands Spa and left her in capable hands after each man kissed her cheek.

“We’ll be back for you later, sweetheart,” Tyler said. “You’ll also get something to wear. They have all the instructions and everything you’ll need. Simply do exactly what they tell you. We’re taking you out to dinner and someplace special.”

She hugged them one last time before the men returned to the limo for the ride home.

“Did you see her, Ty?” Thomas said. “She was so surprised!”

“She’s never been to a place like that. Never been in a limo before. Time our sweet girl gets a taste of the finer things in life that we don’t normally indulge in. We can afford it, and what better way to spend our hard-earned money?”

Thomas leaned back, smiling. “She’s going to look beautiful tonight in that dress.”

Tyler agreed. “We’ll have a hard time keeping it in our pants.”

Thomas leaned over and kissed him, then knelt on the floor in front of him. “You know, I don’t think we’ve ever done it in a limo before.” He unzipped Tyler’s slacks, looking up at his lover.

Tyler leaned back and smiled. “Then why don’t we take care of that right now, Thomas?”

* * *

The day wouldn’t end when they picked her up. Tyler had carefully planned the evening. First dinner, then South Pacific at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The limo dropped the men at the house and would return for them at three. Tyler inspected their dinner suits one last time, checking the pants and shirts to see if they needed pressing. James Bond never looked so damn good. Tailored exactly, the perfect flattering style for each, Nevvie wouldn’t know what to do.

He hoped.

Tyler tried to write and couldn’t, wondering how Nevvie was enjoying her spa treatment. He’d ordered the complete works from hair to nails, full massage, make-up, everything. Then they would give her the dress and shoes he’d picked for her. She would look gorgeous.

His beautiful angel.

He found Thomas napping in their bed. Tyler curled next to him and Thomas stirred, draping his arm over Tyler’s hip. Then he opened his eyes.

“Oh, hi there.” He smiled. “I had a great dream.”

Tyler slid his arm around his lover’s waist. “What?” He kissed his neck, lightly running his tongue over the base of his throat.

Thomas wrapped his arms around Tyler. “You and me making love in the back of that limo again.”

He kissed Tom’s neck. “That sounds lovely.” He moved lower, brushing his hand over the front of Tom’s now-tented shorts. “Very lovely indeed. Do tell.”

Tom rolled onto his back, hooked his thumbs in his waistband to pull his shorts down, then moaned as Tyler gently ran his tongue along the tip of his cock.

“I think you’re reading my mind, sugar,” Thomas gasped. “Why don’t you turn around here and let me have a little fun?”

Tyler paused, slipped off his shorts, and settled on top of Thomas with his stiff shaft over his lover’s mouth.

“That’s more like it,” Thomas growled, enveloping him with his lips.

Tyler moaned and set to work on Thomas. A few minutes later, both men climaxed, clutching each other until Tyler’s knees finally gave out and he rolled off Thomas.

“You are amazing,” Tyler gasped. “Simply amazing.”

Thomas turned to lie beside him, enveloping Tyler in his arms. He fit perfectly like that and it felt right holding him. “So are you.”

* * *

Nevvie sleepwalked through the day. That’s the only explanation she had. Maybe Tyler had meant anything. A car, now this—it overwhelmed her.

They’re just being nice, girl. Don’t get your hopes up.

It didn’t stop her from fantasizing. She wouldn’t deny how they made her feel. Loved. Cherished. Like she belonged with them. Was that one little thing really worth agonizing over? That’s what vibrators were for, right?

Up till now, none of the guys she’d slept with ever came close to making her feel this good. How fucking sad and pitiful did that make her, that she’d settled for less than simply to have someone in her life?

Alex.

Blech. Boy, if he wasn’t a mistake of the most dumbass order. She hadn’t known how to get rid of him. He soon seized the advantage, knowing he could make her flinch and cower. Once he had that control he didn’t budge and she was stuck with no escape.

She sighed. If she had to trade feeling like this for getting laid, it wasn’t worth it. She was simply emotional the other morning, and having Tyler in bed with her like that, with his sweet blue eyes, it was too much.

Suck it up, girl. Be happy with what you’ve got.

That’s what she should do, what any person with a fraction of intelligence would do. Settle for the fantastic instead of bitching and moaning about what she didn’t have.

It’s what she would do. She had no right to bitch. She’d enjoy this dream she’d dropped into and quit worrying about what she didn’t have.

She took a deep breath and relaxed.

The spa staff led Nevvie through the day. They brought her lunch—apparently Tyler had placed the order, a turkey wrap made exactly the way she liked. She felt even more spoiled than normal, something she didn’t think possible. This had to be Tyler’s idea, it was something he’d come up with.

Nevvie wondered what the boys had planned for the evening. If the staff knew, they weren’t talking. Finally, after her hair and make-up were done, an attendant handed Nevvie a garment bag and shoebox and led her to a private dressing room.

She unzipped the bag with trembling fingers. Tyler had struck again. The black evening dress was form-fitting and gorgeous. She noticed a small bag inside the garment bag—hose, a lacy bra and sexy panties.

She smiled. Tyler. It had to be Tyler’s doing because Tommy did good to put on matching socks in the morning. She’d quickly discovered either she or Tyler had to verify Thomas didn’t leave the house without making sure his clothes matched first. He was that bad.

She hesitantly eyed the shoes. She hoped the boys would let her hold their arms for support. Not quite stilettos, but the black suede peep-toe pumps with three-inch heels were much higher than she normally wore.

Nevvie dressed, careful not to muss her hair or make-up. When she finished she looked in the mirror and turned, studying her body. It was too easy to pick apart what she didn’t like—her hips too round, thighs too full, chest too flat. Well, not in this bra. Tyler chose a style that gave her B-average chest a boost and produced deep cleavage.

Okay, so she didn’t look bad. She wished she had her necklace. Tyler took it with him for safekeeping.

She gathered her clothes, put her other shoes in the shoebox, and dumped everything in the garment bag. Then she carefully tottered out of the dressing room, hoping she didn’t embarrass herself.

Again Nevvie wondered what else they had planned. Studying her nails she realized her hands had never looked so good. She never painted her nails, much less had a manicure. What was the point? Not that she could ever afford a manicure before. Without resulting to fake nails the technician had done wonders, painting them a deep, candy apple red. When Nevvie asked for a different color the technician had smiled and shook her head.

“Sorry, I was told this specific color had to be used.”

Tyler.

He’d asked if she trusted him—she did. If this made her boys happy she’d do it. They wouldn’t do anything to embarrass her.

Well, the shoes could be a little shorter. Other than that, who was she to complain?

A uniformed driver walked into the waiting area. “Ms. Barton?”

She carefully stood. He took the garment bag and gift sack containing make-up and other goodies. Seeing her obvious discomfort with the heels he offered a steadying arm. She gratefully accepted and gathered her long dress in her other hand to keep from catching a shoe on it while going down the steps, her eyes on the ground so she didn’t trip and break her neck.

When they stopped she looked up and gasped. Tyler and Thomas, dressed in…tuxes? Standing by the limo’s back door, ear-to-ear grins on their faces.

They were gorgeous. Her boys.

She sighed. So they slept a bedroom away. She’d never had one man that looked as good as they did, much less two. She was a lucky girl.

The men stepped forward and offered their arms. She released the limo driver and hooked her arms through theirs.

“You’re beautiful, sweetheart,” Tyler said, carefully kissing her on the cheek. “Stunning.”

Thomas leaned over and kissed her other cheek. “I’ve never seen a woman as beautiful as you.”

She blushed, allowing them to help her into the limo. “Can it, guys. I appreciate it, but—”

“Stop.” Tyler knelt in front of her on the limo floor and waited until she met his eyes.

Her heart pounded. How could he do that to her with just a look?

“Nevvie, we will never lie to you. Yes, we love you, but when we say you’re beautiful, we mean it. We’re not stupid, and we’re not blind. Do you understand?”

She nodded.

He pulled her necklace from his pocket. She bowed her head to give him better access, and when he had it around her neck, he smiled. “That’s better.”

He squeezed her hand and moved to sit on her far side while Thomas climbed in next to her. “Did you have fun today, sugar?”

She’d followed Tyler with her eyes and still looked at him. “Yeah. Thank you. I’m officially spoiled now, I think.”

“Anything,” Tyler mouthed.

She nodded.

* * *

They ate dinner at an expensive, upscale steakhouse in downtown Tampa. She enjoyed the show, had never been anywhere like that before. The men took obvious delight in her pleasure, and in her appearance.

She loved the looks they received from people when they emerged from the limo, sure that some assumed they were celebrities. A few people recognized Tyler but for the most part they were left alone other than the appraising stares from women and men alike.

Tyler brought her a matching wrap in case she got cold, but comfortably seated between her boys she was warmed by their arms around her. Nevvie lost herself in the story. She’d seen the movie version of South Pacific, but never appreciated the complexities of the plot and theme before, or the hauntingly beautiful music. On the ride home she found herself engaged in a wonderful discussion with her boys about the show.

She felt smart. Even more, she felt she could in some small way empathize with Nellie Forbush’s plight. Only Nevvie loved two gay guys who loved each other and would never return her affection.

At least Nellie got her shit together and ended up with the guy.

And Nevvie knew damn well it wasn’t as simple as washing the boys out of her hair.

When the limo brought them home after midnight, Nevvie was sorry to see the evening end. The boys escorted her to her bedroom door, each kissing a hand.

“Did you enjoy yourself, sweet?” Tyler asked.

“It was great. Thank you.”

Thomas smiled. “I hope you’re getting accustomed to being a kept woman.”

“Absolutely.”

They hugged her. “Do you need any company tonight?” Tyler asked.

She’d slept alone since Monday night. She didn’t want to risk a repeat of her morning episode with one of the boys in bed with her. That wasn’t fair to them, and might make them uncomfortable. As horny as she felt, it was probably best she sleep alone.

“I think I’ll be okay, thanks.”

They almost looked a little disappointed. “Good night, sweetheart,” Tyler said. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, sugar,” Thomas echoed. They retreated to their bedroom and shut the door.

She replayed the day and evening as she undressed. It was finally sinking in that they wanted her around, but still that niggling fear remained of for how long. How long did they enjoy having her in their life?

And how long until she could get rid of that fear for good? Soon, she hoped.

She carefully hung up the dress and threw on an old T-shirt and boxers—Tyler’s—and crawled under the covers, the lyrics to “Some Enchanted Evening” running through her head.

Chapter 10

After two months with the boys, Nevvie could barely remember life with Alex in the rat-hole apartment. She slept alone most nights, but if the boys heard her have a nightmare one would join her. She wasn’t as jumpy, and she didn’t mind if the men were out of the house during the day for an hour or two. She still didn’t want to be alone at night, and they never left her by herself after dark.

She spent two days a week with Thomas at the office, two with Tyler, and the last wherever most needed. She let the boys decide. They encouraged her to take weekends to rest, even badgering her to stop working to relax or to go somewhere with one or both.

Emotionally she’d leveled out as well. She’d have to learn to listen to Tyler. Let the future go where it would. Well, maybe it wouldn’t go much farther than it already had, but her crushing need had dissipated for the most part.

One morning, Nevvie paused by Tyler’s office as she passed, hesitant to disturb him but he looked upset. “What’s wrong?”

He sighed and shook his head, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his face. “I’ve written myself into a corner. I have no clue where to go from here.”

She leaned against the doorway. “What book is this?”

“Oh, it’s that thriller I’ve been putzing around with for months in between the series books. My agent wants to look at it, but I don’t even have the rough draft.” He looked at her. “Why are you standing out there?”

“You said you didn’t want me in here.” In all the time she’d known them, she’d set foot in his office only a handful of times, and those were to bring him requested items or cups of coffee. She knew she was welcomed in Thomas’ study, spent hours in there alone or with him, talking or using his computer.

Tyler frowned. “When on earth did I say that? Of course you’re welcome in here, darling.”

She took a couple of hesitant steps inside. “Way back when I first started cleaning for you, you asked me not to come in here.”

He laughed, the mellow, amused sound sending her heart into convoluted flutters. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry! I meant I didn’t want you cleaning in here. This is the one place Thomas allows me to indulge in my paper packrat ways without complaint. I know I’m neat and tidy elsewhere, but my work is a different matter.”

He waved at the organized chaos stacked on his other desk in the corner and on the overflowing bookcases. “I know where things are. If they’re disturbed I’ll lose track. Of course you’re welcome in here. You are a beautiful distraction.”

Tyler held out his arms and she walked over for a hug. He left his hand on her waist and pointed at the laptop screen. She struggled to focus on what he said. The feel of him touching her was a beautiful distraction.

“Why don’t you tell me what you think? Read this chapter and give me your opinion.” He gently pulled her into his lap, keeping a hand on her thigh.

Not that she minded in the least. She looked at his keyboard and tapped the PgUp button until she reached the beginning of the chapter. With her elbows propped on the desk, she read.

* * *

Tyler closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the sweetest agony ever bestowed upon a man. Fortunately she wasn’t far enough back she could feel his rock hard cock throbbing in a painful way. He fought the urge to lean forward, put his arms around her waist, and kiss the nape of her neck. With her hair pulled up in a ponytail and leaving her neck perfectly accessible, it wouldn’t take much for him to sweep his tongue and lips over her flesh.

He watched her, her long index finger tapping the PgDn button to scroll through the text. She could read the whole damn manuscript sitting in his lap if she wanted.

* * *

It took Nevvie a minute to focus and she had to re-read the first five paragraphs three times. She could lean back against Tyler, put his hands on her breasts, and beg him to make love to her. Not that he would, but it was a favorite fantasy. The only thing more perfect would be Thomas standing in front of her, slowly unzipping his slacks while she lay nestled between the two men…

She took a slow, deep breath, trying to quell the uncomfortable ache between her legs. They were so cute. They treated her like a princess and made her feel loved. How would she ever meet someone who would make her feel the way they did, and they weren’t even sleeping with her!

The thought she didn’t want to consider, what would happen if they got tired of having the poor, pitiful straight girl hanging around?

Time to clear her mind. She wanted to live here and now, with them, and not consider the future one way or another.

She finally got into the story, holding her questions until the end. When she finished she sat up and thought for a moment.

* * *

Tyler didn’t speak, patiently waiting.

Nevvie turned sideways across his lap and casually slung an arm around his neck. He hoped she didn’t lean too close or…

“Okay, before I offer my opinion, I need to ask a few questions.”

Unable to speak without moaning, he nodded.

“Does Abernathy survive the chapter?”

Tyler nodded again. Thank you God, a yes or no question.

“The shadow you referenced, I’m assuming that’s a person watching from outside?”

Tyler nodded once more. Blessed fortune smiling upon him.

“Okay.” She absently worked her lower lip and tongue under her upper teeth as she pondered a few things. He tightly gripped the chair arms, forcing himself not to kiss her. Then she turned to face him and their eyes met.

He was helpless under her gaze, totally in her power.

* * *

Tyler had the deepest blue eyes. No wonder Thomas fell in love with him. Nevvie almost lost her train of thought and realized he was waiting for her to speak. She licked her lips to form spit because her mouth had dried up.

“Would it be possible to delay Abernathy’s entrance? Either that or have him make a phone call before he gets there that keeps him outside, drag it out for a while so the reader isn’t sure if the shadow is Abernathy or not?”

Her heart dropped at his sudden shocked expression, sure she’d made an ass of herself. “I mean—”

“Brilliant!” He pulled her to him, deeply kissing her on the lips. Before she had time to enjoy it he hugged her, then stood and whirled her around the office in his arms, a huge grin on his face. “Absolutely brilliant!” He kissed her again, long and passionately—that one she had a moment to savor—before releasing her. He plopped down in his chair, fingers flying over the keyboard, an ecstatic smile on his face.

“Nevvie, my sweet muse, you are fantastic! It’s so simple. You are amazing, sweetheart, it’s absolutely perfect!”

She stood there for a moment, unsteady, grabbing his desk for support. If he was gay and he could kiss her like that…holy crap! That wasn’t the gentle good morning kiss of a few weeks earlier. That was a full-on, someone’s-getting-fucked-good-tonight, spit-swapping snog.

“Yeah,” she whispered. “No problem, Tyler. Glad I could help.”

He was already lost in the story, a wild gleam in his eye. She recognized that look. He’d be working for hours.

Once she knew her knees wouldn’t give way she stumbled out the door and pulled it shut behind her. He’d want privacy. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to catch her breath.

Da-yum. With a capital da and emphasis on the yum!

She made it to the kitchen and poured a glass of ice water, then quickly downed it. She regained her wits and the desperate ache between her legs eventually subsided. There was plenty to do, and at lunch she was hesitant to interrupt him. She’d paused by his office door and heard him muttering, fingers racing across his keyboard, on a roll. If he wanted lunch he’d ask for it, but maybe if he heard her in the kitchen he’d take a break.

She fixed them turkey wrap sandwiches. She’d started the kettle to make a pitcher of iced tea when he suddenly swooped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the back of the neck and making her shiver in a pleasant way.

“Nevvie, my love, my precious angel, you are never leaving us!” He spun her in his arms, leading her around the kitchen in a silent waltz.

She laughed, his exuberance contagious. “Boy, you’re in a good mood.” He was a good dancer.

“You have no idea. I wrote over three thousand words, and that’s more in a few hours than I’ve written in months on that story.” They came to a stop but he didn’t release her, looking deeply into her eyes.

“I mean it, Nevvie,” he said, his voice dropping. “Please don’t ever leave us. I—we need you, sweetheart. I told you, we’ll do anything to keep you, give you anything you want. You have no idea how much we love you. Promise me you’ll never leave us, please.”

Had her heart stopped? Was she dreaming? What he meant and what she felt had to be two totally different things, right?

Still she nodded, unable to speak.

Then he smiled. She knew even if it meant never getting laid again in her life it was worth it to stay with these two men and keep feeling the way she felt at that moment. Tyler gently kissed her on the lips and enveloped her in a long, nearly desperate hug.

“Anything you ever want, Nevvie, I mean it. Anything.”

She couldn’t stop the words before they left her mouth. “I love you,” she whispered.

His smile widened, beaming. “We love you too, Nevvie.” He gently kissed her one more time.

Oh, boy. She knew their love wasn’t the love she meant, but she wasn’t too proud to take what she could get.

And she was damn happy to have it.

* * *

An hour later, Tyler appeared in the kitchen with an inch-thick sheaf of papers and a mechanical pencil.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“I want you to go make yourself comfy and start working on this for me.”

“What?”

He pushed in close. “My sweet muse, I want your opinion. Nits, logic and plot flaws, grammar, all of it, mark up the manuscript, anything you have questions or comments on.”

She tried to back away but he cornered her. “Tyler, I don’t have any experience doing that.”

“What grades did you get in English?”

She blushed. “Straight A’s.”

“Then you’ll do fine.” He waited, the papers outstretched.

She reluctantly took them. “Okay, fine. You might be sorry you asked.”

He kissed her cheek, his eyes beaming. “You can do no wrong, sweetheart. Seriously. Even if you aren’t sure of yourself, jot it in the margins anyway. Let me be the judge.”

He returned to his office and she sighed. Obviously the rest of the items on her to-do list for the afternoon were pre-empted.

* * *

Thomas arrived home and found her curled up on the couch with a cup of hot tea and the manuscript. He walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “What’s that?”

“Tyler’s newest. He wants me to edit the rough draft.”

“He’s trying to horn in to get more time with you.” Thomas grinned. “Sneaky bastard, making more work for you.”

“He’s calling me his muse. I think you’re in trouble.”

Thomas found Tyler in his office and gave him a kiss. “Did Nevvie get a promotion?”

Tyler leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face. “She’s brilliant, Thomas. She read one chapter and made a few simple comments that totally cleared my writer’s block.”

“You still have to share,” Thomas teased.

“I know, my sweet. I will. I need her to look through that draft, another set of eyes on it. I know you hate editing.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s worth it just to have her doing that, no offense, sugar. I love your books, you know that, but I’m not an editor.”

“And you benefit from my improved mood.” He winked.

Thomas grinned. “Then it’s definitely worth it.”

* * *

The next day, Thomas had already left for work and Nevvie prepared to start her morning cleaning before tackling Tyler’s manuscript and email. His fan mail ranged from glowing to downright creepy. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out which rare ones to save for him to personally answer, which to answer for him, and which—most—to delete unanswered. She found her thoughts slipped into a British accent when she answered for him, conjuring his voice in her head and typing what he’d say and how he’d say it.

She’d started the dishwasher when Tyler walked into the kitchen to refill his coffee mug. Smiling, he leaned against the counter.

She recognized that playful look. “Okay, what did you do?”

He handed her a sheet of paper and she took it, puzzled. She read it and her jaw dropped. “You didn’t?”

He grinned.

She squealed and threw her arms around him. “Center ice? Oh, Tyler, that’s fantastic!”

“You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. I want to keep my muse happy.”

“Wait.” She re-read the paper. “There’s only two tickets.”

He sipped his coffee. “I like hockey well enough, but I’m not a fan. You and Thomas appreciate it. He’ll be home around four to pick you up, and then the two of you shall make an evening of it.”

“What about you?”

“I’ve got a hot date with Abernathy and the shadow.” He grinned. “I plan to turn my music up loud and pound at the keyboard all evening long.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Shh.” He took her into his arms. “I bought the tickets. Don’t you think I’d get myself one if I wanted to go? It’s not that I don’t want to go, but frankly, it’d be like me dragging you and Thomas to watch Manchester United. You might have fun, but your hearts wouldn’t be in it. In the nearly twelve years we’ve been together, if nothing else Thomas and I have learned it’s perfectly okay to do things alone instead of being joined at the hip. The things we do together we take great joy in.”

His eyes. Those damned blue eyes. With her arms around his neck she could pretend he was her boyfriend and not her boss. Sexual harassment? Ha! Could she sue them for not sexually harassing her?

“Okay.”

His smile melted her heart. Whatever he wanted, anything, she’d give it to him. She spent more time with Tyler, but she knew she loved them both. She could spend the evening with Thomas without guilt. Riding the bike together was one thing, but a whole evening without Tyler was something else.

“Good.” He kissed her forehead and patted her on the bum. “That’s settled then.”

Chapter 11

She was ready to go when Thomas arrived. It took him a few minutes to change clothes. At the door he hugged Tyler and gave him a goodbye kiss.

They noticed her expression.

“What’s wrong, sugar?” Thomas asked.

She stuck out her lower lip in a fake pout. “I don’t get one?”

Both men laughed. Thomas, then Tyler, gave her a kiss. She closed her eyes. Between her fantasies and her right hand, if she could live like this forever, she would. Just to feel like this all the time.

“Sorry, dearest,” Tyler apologized after he stepped back. “Didn’t mean to leave you out.”

“That’s better.”

Thomas offered her his arm. “Ready?”

“Let’s go.”

“Have fun, you two,” Tyler said. “I hope they win.”

They arrived over an hour early and snagged a great parking spot. Thomas held the truck door for her and offered his hand for the walk to the box office. She didn’t want to let go, enjoying the feel of his warm, strong fingers around hers. Her fantasy that he was her boyfriend could survive a few moments longer. Thomas retrieved their tickets from Will Call and escorted her upstairs to eat.

The restaurant was expensive. As if reading her mind, Thomas caught her eye. “Anything you want, Nevvie, you order it. Don’t worry about the price. My treat, seriously.”

She nodded and forced her eyes from his. Tyler’s eyes set her heart and soul on fire while turning her body into a puddle. Thomas’ smoldering look melted her heart while setting her body ablaze.

After dinner they made their way to their seats, center ice, three rows up from the glass, behind the Lightning bench. Tyler had done damn good for a man who didn’t appreciate hockey.

She risked resting her hand on Thomas’ thigh and nearly moaned when he put his arm around her shoulders. Game? What game? Who cared about hockey! All she cared about was Thomas’ arm around her and her hand on his firm, solid thigh.

Eventually the action on the ice pulled her in. The Bolts scored against the Hurricanes two minutes into the game, then again with thirty seconds left in the first period, two unanswered goals that rocked the nearly-full house.

During the first intermission they settled back in their seats, Thomas’ arm once again around her. They watched the festivities on the ice and laughed at the antics of two people wearing inflatable sumo wrestler suits, slipping and sliding, racing to win a set of tickets to a game.

Then Thomas tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the scoreboard video display hanging over center ice. The Kiss Cam was pointed at them.

She smiled and looked at him. He laid his palm along her cheek and bent in for a deep, passionate kiss that took her breath away, the audience cheering their approval. When he lifted his head his eyes remained locked on hers. Without thinking she reached up and touched his face, pulling him down for another kiss.

With the fans around them cheering, drowning out her words, she whispered, “I love you.”

He caressed her chin. “We love you too, sugar.”

* * *

Thomas couldn’t focus on the game. Tyler had nearly exploded the night before in his eagerness to get him alone in their bedroom and tell him what happened in the kitchen.

“She said it, Thomas! She told me, ‘I love you!’”

He fought the slight pang of jealously that she’d said it to Tyler first, but it didn’t matter. Tyler was with her a lot more, had been with her at the doctor. It was natural she’d spontaneously say it to him first.

“What did you say?”

“I told her we loved her too.”

“‘We?’”

“We.” Tyler stepped back. “Oh, stop.” He handed Thomas the paper with the ticket information. “Don’t worry, lover, you will hear her say it, too. I see the way she looks at you.” Tyler smiled and stepped in close. “When the time comes, I want her to feel you inside her first. I want to hold her and watch you make her ours.”

Thomas studied the floor. Tyler knew him too damn well. Getting tickets was a stroke of pure genius. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop.” Tyler tilted Tom’s chin and met his eyes. “She loves us. She wants both of us. I will make sure of it.”

Thomas looked at the paper. “Evil genius.”

“You love it.”

Thomas grinned and pushed him to the bed. “You better believe it. You’re so much better at this stuff than I am, you know that.”

Nevvie’s voice brought him back to the present. She’d said something.

“I’m sorry, sugar, what?” He leaned close, his arm still around her shoulders.

“I said, you look deep in thought.”

“Just relaxing. Enjoying the company.” Tyler had been right.

Again.

Thomas hated himself for his earlier jealousy. Of course Tyler would make sure she wanted both of them. Tyler loved him, loved her. If nothing else, he knew Tyler would put everyone before himself. Tyler was the one who bought presents for others, picked out the cards. Tyler twisted himself in knots to make everything perfect so people were happy.

He showed Tyler his love by loving him. By making sure his oil got changed and the roof didn’t leak. He fixed the garbage disposal and mowed the grass, all the things he knew how to do. Tyler never tried to change him, loved him as he was. But if Tyler told him to do something he knew it needed attention.

Like going to find Nevvie that morning. Tyler wasn’t an unnecessary worrier. He planned far too carefully for that. Tyler rarely asked for things, and it was sometimes difficult to do or get things for Tyler to truly show him how much he loved him. Back rubs for sure, he adored those. Thomas loved giving them to him, felt connected to him, enjoyed knowing he was giving him so much pleasure that wasn’t even sexual.

Although, it frequently ended with them making love. Not that either minded, obviously.

He always made sure he never forgot Tyler’s birthday or their anniversary. That would break Tyler’s heart and he knew it. If he was running late he always called so Tyler didn’t worry.

Every night before they went to sleep he told Tyler he loved him. Without fail. Tyler owned his soul, regardless of the love Thomas felt for Nevvie. He might not always have the right gifts or actions to show Tyler, but every day he made sure he told him. He wished there was something special Tyler and Nevvie could do together. He had hockey and the motorcycle. Yes, she loved being with Tyler, but they needed something.

He glanced at her and had a thought. “Do you like to dance?”

“I’ve always loved watching that show on TV, the ballroom dancing. Why?”

Thomas smiled. “Oh, no reason.”

* * *

Nevvie tried to watch Thomas out of the corner of her eye without being obvious. He wasn’t as much a talker as Tyler. He was decisive action, the big picture guy. Without indulging in stereotypes, Tyler was the soul of the pair, and Thomas was the strength. They complemented each other and her. With Thomas you got what you saw.

Not that Tyler wasn’t honest. She’d never witnessed him engaging in petty mind games, but she got a sense that he weighed everything, trying for the best possible outcome. He certainly went out of his way to do everything for everyone else without asking for anything in return.

Thomas was the “guy,” Tyler was the “girl.” In a metaphorical sense, of course, because both men were all man. Plenty of mornings they’d walked into the kitchen for their morning coffee, wearing boxers, and she wanted to drop to her knees and yank their shorts down around their ankles. She couldn’t be positive but she suspected both men were well-endowed.

“So Tyler’s not a puckhead?” she asked.

“No. He’ll come with me if I ask, but if he has other things to do, it’s not fair to make him come.” He thought about that and looked at her, winked. “To the game, I mean. Make him come to the game.”

She laughed, laying her head on his shoulder. “Flirt.”

He rested his head on hers, kissing the top of her head. “You don’t mind, do you?”

She patted his thigh. “I love it.”

He squeezed her shoulders, pulling her snugly against him. “Good. Because we have fun with you, Nevvie. We mean it.” He paused. “Are you happy with us?”

“Absolutely. I’ve never been happier in my life than I am with you two.” It was the truth.

He hugged her again and kissed the top of her head. “Anything you want, Nevvie,” he said. “We mean it. Whatever it takes to keep you happy and keep you with us, sugar, it’s yours. Name it.”

She sat up and looked in his eyes, seeing the truth to his words and once again replaying her morning exchange with Tyler. Her mouth went dry, but she chickened out. “I want to make you guys feel as loved as you make me feel.”

Jesus, she’d die for that smile. He touched his forehead to hers. “Sugar, believe me, you make us feel loved.”

* * *

She spent the whole game with his arm around her and her hand on his thigh. She reluctantly left her seat to go to the bathroom only because she couldn’t hold it any longer. When she returned she was afraid he wouldn’t put his arm around her again, but he did.

The Bolts won. She was in no hurry to get up and leave, afraid to break the spell. It didn’t matter they were surrounded by thousands of other people. With Thomas she felt like her world ended outside the protective sphere of his arm across her shoulder.

He stood once the crowd had thinned. As if sensing her desire he offered his hand. She clutched it, following him up the stairs to the main concourse. He slipped his arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the exit. She dared put her arm around his waist, and her heart hammered in her chest as he pulled her tightly against his side.

He held the truck door open for her and before closing it he leaned in. “Did you have fun?”

She nodded. “It was great, thank you.”

He hesitated, like he wanted to say something else, then finally closed the door and walked around the truck before getting behind the wheel. “I’ve always wanted to get season tickets, but it’s no fun coming alone all the time.” He paused then looked at her and grinned. “To the games, I mean.”

“I’ll come with you…to the games.” She smiled and he laughed, patting her thigh and finding her hand, squeezing it.

“Nevvie, sugar, don’t ever change, please. Promise me.”

She squeezed back and made no move to let go. “Whatever you want, I’ll do it.”

The more time she spent with Thomas the more she realized she had as deep a connection with him as she did with Tyler, it was just different. Whether cooking dinner and doing an intricate dance around each other in front of the stove as if silently communicating, helping him work on something in the garage, riding the motorcycle, or even in the office, there was no denying the physical rapport they had. With Tyler, it felt like they talked with their minds. With Thomas, it felt like they talked with their bodies.

“How did you and Tyler meet?”

“Fate. Seriously.” He winked, igniting a sensual tingle deep in her belly. His eyes weren’t as intense as Tyler’s but they still managed to rake across the most sensitive areas of her psyche in an incredibly erotic way. “One Saturday, he had an author’s talk over at Haslam’s, in St. Pete. Ever been there?”

She shook her head.

“We’ll have to take you. It’s a huge bookstore, neat place. You know I love to read, almost as much as Tyler. Well, I met a few friends over there and we listened to him. I was still in grad school. He still taught at USF, and it was his second book.” Thomas paused, deep in his memories, allowing her a glimpse of him she didn’t see very often, the intimate emotions he felt for his lover. “Those damn blue eyes.”

She nodded her agreement.

Thomas smiled. “Sugar, I’d worry about you if he didn’t make you hot under the collar. He could make a straight guy drool if he tried hard.”

“They’re spooky. In a good way.”

“That’s a perfect way to describe them.” He paused for a moment. “I was still trying to figure things out, you know? Pick a team.” He winked again, and she laughed. She noticed she did a lot of laughing with him. “He’d just divorced Two, and during the Q&A session after his talk this perky little co-ed asked if he was single. He smiled and looked at me, I mean, right at me. Then he said,” Tom imitated Tyler’s accent, “‘As of now, but I’m looking for a good woman…or man…to settle down with.’”

“Jesus! What’d you do?”

“I dropped my hands in front of me, holding the books to hide my hard-on, is what I did. Everyone laughed, thinking he was joking. From the sound of it I think half the women in the audience came in their pants. Probably a couple of the guys, too, but he was looking right at me when he said it.”

“How’d you hook up?”

“I stood in the back of the line to get my books signed, let people cut in front of me, wanting a few minutes to talk with him. He kept looking at me from across the room. I’m standing there and he’d be talking to someone but looking at me. When I finally got to him he asked if I wanted to go out for coffee. Together ever since. Going on twelve years now.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Sugar, I didn’t stand a chance.” He stopped for a red light and met her eyes. “You know what he’s like when he sets those hooks in you. You don’t want to get free.”

She stared. Did he realize how close he was to the truth?

“It’s okay. He already told you he’d share me with you. I’ll share him with you, too, but only with you, baby girl.”

She nodded, dumbfounded, her mouth dry and her sex damp and throbbing. Thomas didn’t have Tyler’s subtle finesse. This wasn’t flirting—this was something else.

He wasn’t finished, and those deep, sweet brown eyes bored into hers. “Tyler and I, we don’t share well with others. We won’t share you with anyone else. You’re our girl. You okay with that?”

She swallowed hard. “Yeah,” she whispered.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Good.”

The light changed and, unable to speak, she settled in her seat and tried to ignore the throbbing between her legs.

When she could finally form consonants again she said, “He doesn’t talk much about his family.”

Nevvie didn’t miss how Thomas’ jaw tightened in a hard line. “His father’s an asshole. His mom, she’s…different. He’s got a sister and brother, but they’re not close. They all live in England.”

“Is it because…” She didn’t know how to finish, so didn’t.

Thomas shook his head. “Naw, his father was a dick before Tyler met me. I wasn’t Tyler’s first man, but I was the first serious one. His father left his mom when Tyler was thirteen. Left her and the three kids and moved in with another woman. They struggled for a while financially. The brother and sister are younger than him by a couple of years each. He doesn’t like to talk about it. I get the feeling his father wasn’t easy to live with, one of those ‘nothing’s ever good enough’ kind of guys. Since Ty was the oldest, he probably got the largest ration of shit.”

“What about your family?”

“My dad died when I was in college, car accident. My mom and sisters are cool. I was pretty scared to tell them about Tyler at first, not sure how they’d react. As you said, those spooky blue eyes did it for me.”

She imagined Tyler charmed all of the Kinsey women unless they were homophobic jerks. “How many of your sisters made passes at him?”

“Damn, you’re good, girl. I’m the baby, but the two youngest still lived at home. They tried their damnedest, especially Karen. Thought I’d have to take a cattle prod to them.”

“How many sisters?”

“Five. If I’d been a girl, my mom would have made my dad get clipped.”

“What’d he do?”

“Architect. He took me to work with him so we could find a little corner of the world that didn’t overflow with estrogen. I had fun with it, liked it, was good at it. I studied engineering. I went to USF and decided to stay here when I graduated.”

“And you met Tyler.”

He nodded. “And I met Tyler.” He turned onto their street. “You know, they’re going to love you.”

“Who?”

He parked in the driveway. “Mom and my sisters. You’ll go with us. Tyler and I drive up to Savannah every year at Thanksgiving. We can’t go without you. We’re damn sure not leaving you by yourself on a holiday.” Thomas’ brown eyes filled with earnest intent.

“That’s a family thing. You guys don’t want me there.”

He kissed her hand. “Nevvie, what part of ‘you’re part of our family’ don’t you understand?”

She finally nodded.

“Good. Glad you didn’t make me sic Tyler on you.”

* * *

They bid her good night. When the bedroom door closed behind them, Tyler practically tackled Thomas. “Well?”

Thomas swept his lover into his arms and kissed him. “Damn,” he whispered, “I don’t know who’s hotter, her, or you for thinking of it.” He related the evening. After, Tyler desperately hugged him.

“See, I told you! I knew she felt that way about you.”

“We’ve got a long way to go from a kiss to a commitment, Ty.” He extricated himself and started undressing. “Saying she’s got the hots for us isn’t the same as saying she’ll be comfortable wanting both of us.”

Unable to contain his grin, Tyler sat on their bed. “It’s only a matter of time, Thomas. I have a plan.”

“What?”

“Pete and Eddie’s party.”

Thomas turned. “The Halloween party?”

Tyler nodded. “It gives me more than enough time to prepare. Wait’ll you hear what I have in mind.”

* * *

Three days later, Thomas came home and found Nevvie cooking dinner. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Where’s the other half?”

“He’s in his office. I don’t think he’s writing.”

Thomas stuck his head in the door. “You busy?”

Tyler sat back. “Not as busy as I bloody well should be. I hate editing, did I ever mention that?”

Thomas smiled and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “A thousand times or more.”

“Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?”

Thomas walked to Tyler’s desk and leaned on it, propping his elbows on the corner, a piece of paper in his hand. “Because I know I can be a dumbass sometimes, and I know I’m not the best at picking presents, but I think you’re rubbing off on me, mister. I hope you like it.”

Tyler took the paper and unfolded it, his eyes bugging as he read. “You’re kidding?”

“Did I do good, sugar?”

Tyler grinned and crooked his finger. Thomas leaned in for a long, tender kiss. “My dear, sweet Thomas. You amaze me.”

“I think it’s only fair. I can take her to hockey any time. Well, during season. She likes riding the bike.” He motioned to the paper. “It’s not fair you don’t get to do that. This way you can do something you enjoy, and she can have fun with you. I can come watch, right?”

“Of course!”

Thomas kissed him again. “That, my dear Tyler, is a bonus. Watching your sweet ass and her sweet ass together…” He glanced at Tyler’s lap and reached down to goose his lover’s rock-hard bulge. “I think it’ll be time well spent for the two of you. As long as you promise to show me what you’re doing.”

Tyler’s grin broadened, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Can you imagine if we talk her into one of those little dresses? We’d have a legitimate reason, you know, as part of the costume.”

“I already thought about that.”

Tyler’s hand drifted to his lover’s crotch. “I can see you have.”

* * *

Nevvie nervously agreed. Why not? It was an opportunity to be in Tyler’s arms. She went with Tyler to the first class and found her butterflies disappearing when she focused on his eyes and let him lead her around the dance studio floor. He was a good dancer, had taken lessons years before. Thomas didn’t dance unless you counted the limbo and the hokey pokey.

The first two-hour class flew by. Nevvie only remembered Tyler’s blue eyes and strong arms.

At the end of class he pulled her in for a hug. She laid her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, inhaling his scent. Now she knew the components—detergent and deodorant, a touch of cologne, and the body wash both men used that gave them a hint of the same wonderful fragrance.

“This was wonderful,” he said. “I’m so glad Thomas gave this to us.”

“Me too. This’ll be fun.” The first series of classes was three times a week for eight weeks, and Nevvie knew time would fly by as quickly in each one.

If she tried to focus on her feet she tripped and stepped all over poor Tyler. Only when she looked him in the eyes, let her body follow his while he kept time, responding to his movements, did she get the hang of it. They spent at least an hour a day practicing, either on the patio or in the living room, depending on the weather.

Like hell she’d refuse a chance to be in his arms!

She especially loved the Latin dances. The rumba, the mambo, the tango—all of them. She never thought she had a knack for it, but when she tuned out the world and put herself in Tyler’s hands it felt effortless. She knew she didn’t have a dancer’s body and she’d never win any contests, but Tyler was thrilled with her progress and Thomas gushed over how good they looked together.

The teacher taped one of their classes, showing each pair what they did right and wrong. When their turn to view the tape, Tyler put his arm around Nevvie and patted her waist, knowing she wasn’t comfortable watching herself.

Nevvie’s jaw dropped. Was that her?

Tyler was, as usual, amazing. Maybe not as flashy as a professional dancer but a damn sight better than the other students.

Who the hell was that woman dancing with him? That couldn’t be her, could it? She looked effortless, her feet taking steps she couldn’t begin to explain.

And their gaze. The two people dancing the cha cha cha on the screen looked like hot lovers, not platonic partners. Nevvie had no idea her feelings for Tyler were so blatantly obvious while dancing. Not to mention he looked like he wanted to rip her clothes off.

Nevvie nervously glanced at the other students, most of them nodding their approval as the teacher pointed out pros and cons. Mostly pros. No, her back and arms weren’t always right, and sometimes her steps weren’t as crisp as they should be. Her hip action could be more pronounced—

I could be about twenty pounds lighter.

“Look at their intensity,” the teacher said. “Watch how they play off each other, the showmanship they exhibit. It’s obvious they’re passionate about each other and what they’re doing. That kind of performance, if you ever compete, will go a long way to judges giving good marks over a couple who is technically perfect in execution but look like they can’t stand each other. If Tyler and Nevvie didn’t have clothes on we could call this porn, they’re so hot together, and that’s what you want your Latin dances to look like. Especially a cha cha cha. Hot and steamy. Makes me want to go home and jump my husband.”

The class laughed. Nevvie blushed, and Tyler smiled.

Then he winked at her.

Oh, baby.

Chapter 12

Maggie taught Nevvie well in the early weeks. It wasn’t difficult, mostly keeping project files up to date. Nevvie learned data entry and basic bookkeeping when working for the hotel in New Orleans, in line for more training and a promotion when Katrina hit. She’d had a knack for it and enjoyed it.

Nevvie’s primary duties at Kinsey Consulting consisted of data entry, updating project notes with billing and invoice information, reports, permitting issues and deadlines, and related tasks. Originally split between several departments, Thomas used Maggie’s departure to restructure and streamline procedures as she’d begged him to for years.

Thomas and Nevvie rode the Harley to work many mornings if the weather looked good. In front of others he acted friendly, but professional, with her.

In private he playfully teased Nevvie, not that she minded. She played his jibes and sexual innuendoes back to him without hesitation, creating a pleasant undercurrent in their relationship.

On a Friday morning, Nevvie studied a pile of invoices for the GDK building project while updating the records and comparing them to the billing memos. Something wasn’t right. She didn’t know what, but something niggled at her intuition. As Tyler had drilled into her, never ignore your intuition.

She pulled up records for another project and studied the invoices, comparing the sub-contractors and suppliers. There were three different suppliers used for the GDK job that weren’t used for the other project. She tried another job site. Then another.

When she found a job site using those same three suppliers, she dug deeper into the project notes and found another similarity—Bruce Geller was the project manager.

She audited all of Geller’s projects for the past six months and found in every case the same three companies appeared. Even more odd, the invoices were for different services or supplies, but nearly the same dollar amounts every time. Always totaling around ten thousand per project. Each company with a P.O. box instead of a physical address, and at the same Zip Code, meaning the same post office.

None of the other project managers used them.

When Thomas returned from his meeting, Nevvie asked him into her office and closed the door. She knew Bruce Geller was a long-time employee, and what she proposed wasn’t good.

“What’s wrong, Nevvie?” He settled across the desk from her.

“How did you know something’s wrong?”

“You look sick to your stomach. Spill it, baby girl.”

“I need to ask you about these three suppliers.” Nevvie showed him the project expenditure sheets she’d printed and pointed to the highlighted items. He frowned, studying them.

“You need to tell me what you think. I trust you.”

“I could be wrong. I don’t know this business like you do, but there’s a weird pattern.” She pointed out Geller’s other projects. “No other project manager uses these three suppliers. Every job Geller manages, these invoices appear in some combination, always totaling ten thousand.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“I’m not saying he’s doing anything wrong,” she hastily added. “It could be a freaky coincidence, or a legitimate expense.”

“He bought a brand new boat last month, Nev. Told me they inherited some money. His wife doesn’t work.” He looked at the papers. “Shit.”

“Tell me I’m wrong, Tom.”

He shook his head, his face grim. “I can’t, because I don’t think you are.”

“Wouldn’t Maggie have caught this?”

“No. She’d spot obvious things, but this wasn’t obvious before we changed stuff around. Especially since she was one of several people sharing the duties. She’d have no reason to think Geller would cheat us or that those weren’t legitimate expenses. He probably spread them around to different people. If we didn’t question them at the project level, accounting wouldn’t have a reason to question them.”

He made a call on his cell, asked someone to meet him in his office immediately. When he finished he turned to her. “Make back-ups of everything. Go into the server, lock his projects down, and do a back-up, right now, in case the son of a bitch tries to delete stuff. Then get me copies of all the print outs. I want listings of all his current projects and billables, including outstanding invoices. As soon as you get the other stuff ready, bring it to my office. Come on in, I’ll be there.”

“Okay.” This wasn’t easy-going Tommy, the man who soothed her out of nightmares, took her to hockey games, or carried her on the back of his Harley. This was Thomas Kinsey, architect, and a very pissed man. From the hard set of his jaw she knew someone was getting an ass chewing—and most likely a trip to jail.

He started for the door then turned and kissed her. “Thank you, sugar” he whispered. “You’re the best.”

Unable to speak, she simply nodded.

Nevvie walked into his office thirty minutes later with everything he requested. Six men and two women sat at the conference table. She hadn’t met Geller in person, but she’d be willing to bet he was the nervous-looking man at the head of the table.

Thomas waved her in. “For those of you who haven’t met her yet this is Nevaeh Barton, my personal assistant.” She handed Thomas the papers and he motioned for her sit behind his desk. “She took over for Maggie. Today she discovered something disturbing and brought it to my attention.”

Thomas thumbed through the paperwork as he circled the conference table, stopping by the nervous man. “Bruce, can you explain this?” Thomas laid out copies of the records.

Nevvie watched the man’s face. He blinked and licked his lips, but shook his head. “Tom, you know we go through so much I can’t keep track in my head—”

Thomas slammed his fist on the table. Everyone else jumped, startled by his uncharacteristically angry display. “How long have you been false billing the company?” he shouted.

Nevvie realized she’d been the only one who didn’t jump.

Because I’m not afraid of him.

Geller stammered and tried to lie his way out of it. When the man dared shoot a nasty look Nevvie’s way, Thomas immediately put himself between her and Geller.

“Don’t you fucking look at her, you goddamned thief. This isn’t her fault. This is you getting your ass caught. I trusted you, you son of a bitch!”

“How do you know she didn’t make those up? Awful funny you get a new helper and suddenly I’m a bad guy. C’mon, Tommy, you’ve known me for years.”

Nevvie watched as Thomas clenched his fists. She thought back to the morning of the fight with Alex, when she wanted to sling the dishes at him to defend her boys.

Please don’t hit him, Tom. He’s not worth it.

Thomas finally turned from Geller. “Cal, escort him straight to his car, get his keys, his ID badge, everything. He’s not allowed back in the building.”

Geller turned red. “What?”

“You’re fired. I’ll go through your desk and box up any personal items and ship them to you. You’re not setting foot in this building again. I suggest you get an attorney. You’re going to need one.”

Cal stood and motioned to Geller, who started handing over items. Then Cal escorted him from the room. Thomas looked at the others, talked with them for a few minutes, and then excused all but two men. When the door closed, Thomas sat where Cal had been, near the head of the table, and motioned for Nevvie to take Geller’s seat.

Now she felt nervous. She hesitantly sat.

Thomas reached over and patted her hand. “Nevvie, this is Mike, and you’ve already met Kenny.” She nodded, still uncomfortable being the center of attention. “Mike’s our accountant. I need you to work with him on this, help him with the audits, track how long this has been going on and see if it’s happening elsewhere.”

“Sure, Mr. Kinsey.”

“It’s okay, sugar. Around these two guys you don’t need to be formal. They’re friends.”

She relaxed. “Okay, whatever you need me to do, Tommy.”

“You’re the first person who had all the information readily available to see the big picture and pick up on it. Geller used that to his advantage all these years. We may have to borrow you from Tyler an extra day or two a week for a while.”

“He won’t mind.”

Thomas winked. “I’m sure he won’t.”

* * *

They were the last two in the office. Nevvie assumed that after the day’s events they would work late. Thomas stuck his head in her door around seven. “Ready to blow this joint?”

She smiled then blushed, her comment bit back before she could utter it.

He grinned. “Blow something, huh, sweetie?”

She laughed. “How do you do that?”

“Because you and I are both twisted. Let’s go. I already called Tyler to meet us for dinner.” When she stood, he pulled her to him.

“Seriously, you were great today. I mean, I know it wasn’t the best of circumstances. I’m sorry if I scared you when I lost my temper.”

She shook her head. “You didn’t scare me, Tom.” She wanted to kiss him. So close, so sweet.

As if sensing her thought he brushed his lips against hers. Nevvie fought the urge to drive her tongue into his mouth.

“I’m glad I didn’t scare you. I don’t ever want to scare you. That would break my heart.” He gave her one more hug and carried her helmet. “Let’s go. Don’t want to keep Ty waiting.”

She followed him and he stowed her purse in the saddlebag while she donned her gear. He turned before swinging onto the bike, his helmet already on. She couldn’t tell if his voice sounded different or was just muffled by the helmet.

“I love it when you ride with me, sugar.”

“Me too. Any excuse to cop a feel of your abs, Tom.”

He roared with laughter, cut off by the sound of the bike’s engine firing to life. When he had it running and balanced she swung up behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She patted him, their signal she was ready, and off they rode.

* * *

Tyler stood outside Outback Steakhouse with a table beeper in hand. He grinned when they walked up and gave Nevvie a hug. “I hear our girl was magnificent today.”

“I was doing my job, Tyler.”

He kissed Thomas. “Is she being modest?”

“Very. It looks like well over a hundred grand, and we haven’t audited previous years.” He shook his head, looking grim. “I still can’t believe it.”

The hostess showed them to a corner booth and Nevvie enjoyed sitting between her boys, comfortable with them, enjoying their easy rapport. She never sensed any unease from the men. In fact, if she tried to give them time alone it wasn’t unusual for them to draw her back into their tight triad of effortless friendship, like they’d known each other forever. A gentle ebb and flow, always in flux, but in perfect harmony with both.

She gave up trying to refuse when they bought her anything. It was far easier to let them spoil her. She didn’t know how much they were worth, but they took obvious pleasure in pampering her, so why not? It’s not like they couldn’t pay their light bill.

After dinner they made their way to the parking lot. Thomas paused at the bike. “Did you want to ride home with Tyler?”

She held up her hands. “Oh no you don’t. Don’t you guys dare ever make me choose.”

Tyler smiled and looked at Thomas then held out a closed fist. “Odds or evens?”

Thomas extended his fist. “Odds.”

“Best two out of three, right? One, two, three, shoot!”

Nevvie watched, amused, as the men played “Odds and Evens” to win the right to take her home. Thomas won, triumphantly hugging her. “Ha! I still get a little time alone with her.”

Tyler grinned. “Ah, but in all fairness I should get to kiss her goodbye.”

Jesus! Was he kidding?

Apparently not, because before she could respond Tyler grabbed her and planted one on her lips.

Thomas laughed. “You’re right, Ty, fair’s fair.”

Tyler let her go and she staggered slightly on her feet, breathless.

Clueless. Totally oblivious dumb fucks, both of them.

It didn’t matter they were gay, they were still men and completely unaware of what they did to her.

“You all right, sugar?” Thomas’ brown eyes wickedly gleamed.

She nodded and pulled on her helmet before she said something stupid like, “Can I give you a blow job now?”

Tyler kissed Thomas and patted him on the ass. “I’ll follow you home, sweet. Be careful.” Tyler tapped her face shield and winked. “You all right, love?”

She mutely nodded, his blue eyes burning a trail straight from her heart to her lower belly.

Chapter 13

Two days later, Tyler was deep in his writing when his publicist, Elliot Paterno, called.

“Hi, Nevvie. He’s all set for the New York writer’s conference in two weeks.” She noted the information. She’d be going with him on this trip. Tyler had already cleared her calendar with Thomas.

“Week before Halloween, that should be interesting.” She’d never met Elliot in person but had talked to him on the phone several times.

“Yeah, the theme conferences are always a blast. Oh, one more thing. What kind, and how many rooms? I blocked out two.”

She glanced at Tyler’s closed office door, her heart racing. “Single room, one queen bed will be fine.”

“Got it.”

She hung up. It was sneaky, it was underhanded.

It was done.

* * *

She stood quietly at Tyler’s side at the check-in desk. The hotel was full, and he’d just discovered the rooming arrangement.

“You don’t mind bunking together?”

She smiled. “Do you really have to ask?”

“I suppose not, darling.” Once in their room, Tyler called Thomas and chatted briefly, then handed her the phone and went to freshen up.

Thomas’ deep chuckle set her insides stirring. “A reservation screw-up, hmm?” Nevvie blushed and tried to fumble an answer. “Sugar,” he murmured, “feel free to screw up my reservations any time you want.”

She took the risk. “Next time, I will.”

His laugh warmed her heart. “I hope to hell so.”

If her boys weren’t so damned sexy…

Maybe this was a bad idea. Now she was horny.

* * *

They ate dinner in the hotel restaurant. Next door at the bar the music throbbed, but the crowd hadn’t thickened. Taking her hand, Tyler led her to the doorway where she balked.

“I don’t drink, Tyler. You know that.”

He pulled her to him. “But you are a fantastic dancer.”

Tyler led her into the bar and left her standing at the edge of the nearly-empty dance floor. He spoke with the DJ, then pulled a bill from his pocket and handed it to the man. Tyler walked to the middle of the floor and motioned Nevvie to him as the song changed.

She couldn’t refuse him. Glad she’d opted to wear a skirt and low heels to dinner instead of slacks, she walked over and met his eyes as she took his hand. His other hand skimmed her side, coming to rest at her waist.

“Mambo,” he whispered. She fell in step with him, not thinking about the moves, letting him lead.

The song ended to scattered applause. She started to pull away but Tyler didn’t release her hand.

“Rumba,” he whispered. Without will of her own she fell into step, under his spell as another song started. This was the connection she didn’t have with Thomas, a hotline to the epicenter of her soul.

Her heart raced, not from their dance but from the heat between them. She didn’t hold back, flipping her hips and pretending he was her lover, not her friend.

As the song finished she ended in his arms, her head on his shoulder. The audience cheered, hooting their approval.

She finally straightened and looked at him. He held up a finger. “One more,” he silently mouthed and she nodded, helpless. She couldn’t refuse him if she tried.

The audience saw and went wild. A larger crowd had gathered, perhaps drawn by the applause. She blushed but didn’t look away from Tyler’s eyes.

He didn’t tell her what they were dancing. He didn’t have to. She read it in his heated gaze.

Nevvie took his hand and set her feet, deciding to play it back to him for all she was worth. Her steamy, sexy cha cha cha was for him and no one else. The audience cheered their approval as she spun around the floor with him. At one point he pulled her close after a spin, and she knew she didn’t imagine the hard bulge pressed against her hip.

At the end of the dance she gripped his hand and silently dared him to let go. He pulled her to him and kissed her, long and deep, greedily devouring her. For an agonizing moment she refused to let reality into her mind and buried her hand in his hair, eagerly kissing him back.

The audience exploded in wild applause and catcalls, asking for more.

He finally ended their embrace and slipped his arm around her waist, leading her to the hotel elevators.

Neither spoke. When the elevator door slid shut he pulled her to him.

“Sweetheart,” he said, his voice hoarse, “I have to ask you to trust me that when we step out of this elevator, we leave the dance behind us. For tonight.”

She fought her tears but nodded. He pulled her to him and kissed her, his tongue gently stroking hers.

Then he held her, his lips hot against her neck. “Tonight is not the night for this. I promised you anything, but you must have faith in me.”

When the elevator opened, Tyler took Nevvie’s hand and led her to their room without further words. The mini bar carried a wide variety of alcohol and the well-supplied snack bar had a coffee maker and hot tea. He fixed her a mug of chamomile tea generously laced with bourbon. After she changed into a T-shirt and sleeping shorts he laid with her, holding her and nuzzling the back of her neck.

Nevvie felt its magic almost immediately. He knew her so well. She would sleep tonight. Not sure if he would, but at least she could dance with him through her dreams.

* * *

When Tyler knew Nevvie was sound asleep he called Thomas.

“Well?”

Tyler went into the bathroom and closed the door. “I could fucking cut diamonds with my dick. I think the party next Saturday will bring about quite a few changes.” He told Thomas about the evening.

Thomas was quiet for a moment. “Are you sure the party’s really necessary? I mean, why wait? Why didn’t you go ahead and do something tonight?”

“It has to be both of us together when this happens.”

Thomas didn’t reply.

“She’s asleep,” Tyler continued. “I made her a hot tea with bourbon and she’s out like a light.”

“Sound asleep?”

“Yes.” Thomas didn’t reply. “What?” Tyler asked.

“Go lay next to her.”

His heart raced, his pulse pounding. “Why?” he whispered.

“You’re smarter than that, Ty. She did this on purpose. The room reservation? It wasn’t an accident. She told Paterno to reserve one room.”

“What?”

Thomas laughed. “When I talked to her on the phone earlier I teased her about it, and she nearly shit herself. I think our girl has more of an evil genius streak than you, sugar.”

He stuck his head out the bathroom door. Stretched on her left side, her back to him, her auburn hair loose—his angel.

“Tyler,” Thomas insisted, “go lay next to her.”

“But—”

“She’s asleep, right?”

“Yes.”

“You know you want to. I want you to. I’m lying here, stroking myself right along with you. She won’t wake up, not if you made her drink strong.”

Tyler forced his feet to move. Had he danced with her earlier? Now he dragged two concrete blocks at the ends of his legs. He carefully climbed into bed, afraid of disturbing her.

“Are you in bed with her?”

“Yes,” he whispered. He stared at the nape of her neck, so close.

“Lay the phone by your ear so you can hear me.”

Tyler did.

“Touch her hair.”

“No!” he gasped.

“Shh.” Thomas paused. “Why do you want me to be first?”

Tyler squeezed his eyes shut. “Because I love you,” he whispered.

“When the time comes, I won’t do anything until after you make her come for us. She needs you to do that for her, and I want you to do the honors. Now reach out and touch her hair, sugar.”

With trembling fingers he did, imagining what she’d feel like stretched out naked next to him.

Thomas’ voice echoed hoarsely in his ear. “Stroke your cock for me. You know you want to. You know you want to come laying there next to her. Snuggle in close, right up against the back of her neck, that delicious little spot that makes her shiver.”

Unable to resist Thomas’ command he did, his breath coming in terrified, desperate gasps, wanting to please him, loving her, needing release.

“Run those talented fingers up and down your cock and think about what it’s going to feel like making her come for us.”

Tyler’s imagination ran wild, picturing her on the dance floor, praying when the time was right that she’d be hot and willing and ready—for both of them.

“I want you to come for me.” Thomas’ ragged, deep growl told Tyler he was close. He knew that sound like he knew the feel of his own cock. “You gonna come for me, lover?”

With a final gasp he did, rolling away and afraid he’d wake her, riding it out. He heard Thomas climax on the other end and took a deep, shuddering breath.

He grabbed the phone and staggered to the bathroom on shaky legs. “Okay.”

Thomas sounded out of breath. “Sleep good. Hold her tight. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Tyler cleaned up after he recovered, then peeked out the bathroom door.

She hadn’t stirred, had no idea what they’d done.

Moving carefully, he slid under the covers next to her, nestling his chin on her shoulder. In sleep she felt him and pressed her back tight against his chest, sliding her leg down his.

He put his arm around her waist and kissed her shoulder before settling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Nevvie woke before the alarm. They had a long day ahead and she needed to get Tyler moving, make sure he had time to eat a good breakfast and get coffee or he’d be a mess later.

As he shifted against her in sleep, the night before came back and she fought a wave of nearly dizzying melancholy. She thought she was past this, had reconciled this.

She was wrong.

When they got home he’d go behind closed doors with Thomas and get his rocks off, leaving her alone and working her way through an eight-pack of C-cell batteries.

Worse, they still had two more nights in New York. She’d have to ask the front desk to find alternate arrangements for her. She could go across the street, see if they had any rooms.

“Good morning, sweet,” Tyler whispered, kissing the back of her neck.

Nevvie squeezed her eyes shut. “How did you know I was awake?”

He rolled her onto her back. “I heard you.” He stroked her cheek. “The way you sound when you’re trying not to cry.”

She buried her head against his chest and sobbed while he held her.

“Let it out,” he murmured, stroking her back. “Don’t keep it inside.”

“I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m not strong enough. I can’t spend years loving you guys like this with nothing to show for it. It hurts too much.” She hated admitting it to him, knowing now she had to either figure out a way to deal with it…or figure out a way to let them go.

“Do you trust me?”

“This has nothing to do with trust.”

“Do you trust me, sweetheart?” His soft whisper quieted her. She knew his still waters ran deeper than the freaking Atlantic Ocean. What wasn’t he telling her?

Hating herself, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to ever leave them, feeling fucking pitiful that she’d willingly spend her life accepting the crumbs they threw her way, she said, “Yes.”

The emotion in his voice startled her. “I promised you anything. I bloody well know what you meant. You have to trust me.”

“How do we get through two more nights like this?”

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I need you with me. Please. We can do this.”

She took a deep breath and looked at him. “No more fucking dancing. Not while we’re here alone and can get ourselves in trouble.”

“Fair enough. Can I take you to a show tonight?”

She nodded.

“Now be a good girl, go get your shower, then I’ll get mine, right?”

She got out of bed, and the hotel room door caught her eye. “You didn’t flip the safety bar last night!”

“What?”

She walked over and closed it. “You can’t forget that, Ty.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, love. I forget, you know that.”

She took her things into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

* * *

Nevvie felt Tyler’s eyes on her most of the day. He didn’t hesitate to take and hold her hand while walking from one event to another. She finally met Elliot in person, and Tyler’s agent, Steve Maris. She loved watching Tyler from the wings as he entertained the audience, sat on a Q&A panel with other well-known authors, the fans lining up for autographs after lunch.

She stood behind the table with him, opening the books to the signature pages, nudging slowpokes along to keep the line moving. She’d never seen this side of Tyler. She was used to Thomas’ business persona. Watching Tyler pound away at his laptop wasn’t the same as the deft way he handled the public. To see him the way others saw him was a strange experience, in a good way.

Others never saw the steamy, sexy dancer, or the man who walked out to the kitchen for morning coffee dressed only in his boxers. The man who carried her to safety after Alex’s attack, and who tenderly held her at the doctor.

She felt she had a secret—and of course, she did. The audience thought they knew Tyler, including a few aggressively adoring fans who followed him around most of the day until Elliot helped her turn them away. Nevvie did know Tyler. She would sleep in his bed that night—even if all they did was sleep—and she truly got to love him.

Sort of.

Nevvie admitted a smug satisfaction at the obviously smitten looks of a few fans, male and female. Tyler was all hers.

Well, as much as she could have him. She knew she didn’t have to worry about anyone else, and she didn’t mind sharing him with Thomas.

That night, Tyler took her to a Broadway show, followed by a late dinner at Sardi’s. She avoided looking into his eyes, afraid she’d cry remembering how close she’d felt to him the night before. Despite that they talked, and she had a good time before they returned to their hotel a few blocks away.

The bed looked huge, like an elephant in the corner instead of a comforting place to rest. Tyler followed her gaze.

“Do you want me to make you a cup of tea, sweetheart?”

Euphemism for, “Want me to fix you something to knock you out?”

“No. Can we talk for a while?” She could do this. She would do this. She’d suck it up and quit acting like a baby.

“Of course, love.”

She prepared for bed while Tyler called Thomas. They didn’t chat long. Tyler passed her the phone and went to freshen up.

“Having fun?”

She missed him. Mixed in with her crazy desire was the guilt that she wasn’t with Thomas, especially with so much to do. Geller’s indictment would come down any time, and she was helping audit not only Geller’s projects, but all of them for the past ten years. Apparently the theft was limited to Geller, as far as they could tell, but to the tune of five hundred thousand dollars.

“I’m okay.”

“You don’t sound okay.”

“Just tired.”

He dropped his voice. “Sugar, you’re going through another stage. Trust us on this.”

Trust. She did trust them, but she wanted to sit them down and beg them to fuck her brains out. “Yeah. I guess.”

“Sweetie, we love you, you know that.”

She knew it, but their kind of love and what she wanted were two different animals. “I know.”

“Sleep tight, sweetheart. Don’t let Tyler bite.”

She finally laughed and hung up, crawling into bed. Tyler joined her a few minutes later, and she couldn’t deny snuggling with him felt right.

“What did you wish to talk about?”

“Why did you marry twice before you ended up with Thomas?”

He tensed for a second. Obviously not a subject he enjoyed talking about.

“I met One while I was still teaching at USF. She was a graduate student, and we had a lot in common. I was in love with her. After six months she told me I smothered her.”

“Smothered?”

He hesitated. “I wanted everything to be perfect.”

Nevvie could imagine that. “Was she pretty?”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you, sweet.” He stroked her thigh through the sheet, his hand coming to rest on her hip. “She was a marathon runner, always training, measuring her carbs and protein and all that. I got yelled at once for making her a peach cobbler.”

“Ungrateful bitch.”

“Quite.” Nevvie suspected there was more but didn’t want to push.

“What about your other wife?”

“Two was a rebound relationship, I’m sorry to say. I didn’t try hard enough, which wasn’t fair to her. I feared repeating mistakes with One, and I was dealing with the aftermath of another break-up.”

“How long were you married to her?”

“Nearly a year. I met Thomas soon after.”

They laid there for a moment. “When did you have your first relationship with a man?”

She wasn’t sure he would answer. When he did, his voice sounded quiet. “After One I thought maybe I’d look around, finally admitted I wouldn’t be adverse to it. I had a couple of dalliances here and there. Then I met someone I liked and found out a few weeks into it that he wasn’t interested in forever, just for now.”

“Then you met Two?”

He nodded against her shoulder. “I thought I’d try it again with the fairer sex.”

“Why did you fall for Thomas? How did you know he was interested?”

She wanted to hear Tyler’s version of how they met. After a long moment he spoke, his voice full of fond memories.

“When he walked into Haslam’s I noticed him immediately. His smile, his laugh. I loved his eyes. The way he walked, held himself, talked with his friends, he struck me as someone open and honest. So I took a risk and put out the suggestion during my talk that I’d be open to meeting a man. Fortunately, for once, he was listening.”

“How was your first time?” She dared meet his eyes.

“You mean…intercourse with a man?”

She nodded.

He couldn’t hide his pain, not from her. After a few moments he answered. “It wasn’t with Thomas, and it wasn’t pleasant. I thought he wanted more than sex. He was older and I made the mistake of trusting him too soon. I’d done other things with men but not that, wanting to be sure I could be emotionally invested in it.” He took a deep, shuddering breath and managed a wan smile. “I promised myself that if I was ever someone’s first I wouldn’t repeat that man’s mistakes.”

Her heart broke for him. “Did he hurt you?”

Tyler looked away. “He wasn’t gentle, if that’s what you mean.” He took another shuddering breath at the obviously painful memory. “It wasn’t at all romantic or loving. Apparently I’m not as good a judge of character as I thought. He walked out and I never saw him again.”

“So that’s when you met Two?”

“It wasn’t fair to her. She got a lot of my anger. I was tired of trying to take care of others and getting hurt for my efforts.”

“Thomas?”

A true smile. “Our sweet Thomas had played around with men and women, but I was fortunate enough to be his first, in that way.”

She couldn’t help but smile with him. “I’m guessing he enjoyed it?”

Tyler’s sly grin made her laugh. “Well, twelve years later he still says he does. I’m assuming he’s not ready to pitch me quite yet.”

The comment slipped from her mouth before she could stop it. “I’ve never done that before.”

He kissed her forehead. “We would never hurt you, sweetheart, I promise. Let’s try to get some sleep. We have another long day tomorrow.”

She snuggled against him, still reeling from his implied message. Despite her desire she realized she wasn’t ready to push harder for answers. No matter what, she didn’t want to ever come between the men and what they had.

Whatever Tyler had in mind she’d have to find the strength to let it unfold as it would, no matter how she wanted to rush.

Because she trusted him.

“Promise me I won’t ever come between you, Tyler. I couldn’t stand it if you guys broke up because of me.”

His voice sounded muffled against the back of her neck. “We love you, darling. Have no worries of the future, please?”

Nevvie closed her eyes and eventually dreamed of slow dancing, protectively nestled between her boys and floating around an empty dance floor, their movements perfectly coordinated.

Chapter 14

They flew into Tampa Monday afternoon. At home, Thomas waited with dinner on the stove. Nevvie gave him a quick hug and retreated to her bedroom to unpack.

“How is she?” Thomas whispered to Tyler after hugging and kissing him.

“She’ll be all right. Are you still going tomorrow?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Will the weather be good enough to take the bike?”

“It should be.”

* * *

She was surprised to find they’d be on the road the next morning but didn’t protest. Maybe a bike ride would help. Spending time alone with Thomas might level out her emotions.

Thomas rolled the Harley out of the garage while she hugged Tyler goodbye.

“Have a good time, sweetheart.”

She forced her eyes from his and pulled her helmet on. Feeling guilty that she wanted to be away from him, she climbed onto the bike behind Thomas.

Thomas took I-75, heading south to Ft.Myers, a first-hand check of a job site he hadn’t visited in over a month. He wanted her with him to examine paperwork and hopefully catch any improprieties.

The warm day wasn’t oppressively humid. Florida Octobers were fickle months, sometimes hot, sometimes cool, wet or dry, it was hard to predict. They stopped for lunch before going to the job site. Once there, she followed Thomas around, taking notes and helping him examine invoices and records.

Fortunately everything appeared copacetic. After six hours Thomas was satisfied and called Tyler before they left.

Nevvie watched his face. From the way his jaw suddenly clenched she knew there was a problem. He motioned her close and pointed to her BlackBerry, clipped to her jeans. She handed it over, and while he talked with Tyler he looked at something.

“Shit. I see it. Okay, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll call you after we get to a hotel and eat dinner… Love you, too.”

Hotel? “What?”

Thomas held up her phone, the browser displaying the National Weather Service radar page. A wide swath of severe thunderstorms lay between them and Tampa, stretching from Punta Gorda all the way to Brandon.

“Can’t we hang until it’s over?”

He shook his head. “Sugar, I don’t mind riding in rain, but a frontal boundary like that means wind shear. I-75 will be wet for hours after it stops. I’m not risking our lives in it.” He studied her. “I’ll get us two rooms.”

She quickly shook her head. “No.” She took a deep breath. “We can bunk together.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Double beds?”

She met his eyes. “No. Just one.”

They were alone in the office, the manager doing a final check of the job site before closing down for the evening. Thomas crooked a finger at her and she went to him, wishing she didn’t feel guilty over leaving Tyler alone for the night.

Wishing she didn’t feel an aching need for Thomas.

He hugged her. “Let’s go get a room and we’ll stop somewhere, get what we need, grab some dinner. Tyler will be okay without us tonight.”

“How’d you do that?”

“I’m not a totally stupid guy. Some of Tyler’s rubbed off on me over the years.” He patted her back. “Come on, I know a place.”

They climbed on the bike. Twenty minutes later, he turned at a resort complex on the Intracoastal Waterway, complete with hotel, marina, shops, and restaurant.

“You know, Tommy, I’d be happy with a Motel 8.”

“I didn’t build a Motel 8.”

She took another look around. “You built this?”

“Guilty. But if it ever falls down, it was built by a guy named Goober.”

She followed him to the reservation desk. They checked in and walked to the shops, purchased a few essentials. As they passed a gift shop he stopped and took a couple of steps back. “Whoa.”

“What?”

He motioned to her and pointed at the sundress on display. “You, in that, for dinner.”

She started to protest and he grinned, taking her hand and pulling her into the store.

“No, baby girl, I get the final say.” Not only did he buy the dress, but a matching pair of sandals and an oversized T-shirt for her to sleep in. They retreated to their room, and he let her get ready first.

Nevvie wasn’t sure about the sundress, but if it made him happy, she’d wear it. Light teal and a gauzy crepe material, the loose skirt flowed mid-calf. He stood when she emerged from the bathroom, and she didn’t know how to interpret his look.

“Well?”

He held out his arms and she went to him, relaxing as he hugged her. “You look great, sugar. Beautiful. I’m a lucky guy. Give me a few minutes to get ready.”

He took her hand and led her to the waterside restaurant. With a beautiful Gulf sunset as their backdrop, they ate on the covered patio and enjoyed the balmy sea breeze. They talked for an hour while the restaurant emptied and the tiki bar filled. She enjoyed being able to relax with him like this, not have to rush back to work—or home.

Thomas made her laugh. Not that Tyler didn’t, but Tom’s playful, bawdy sense of humor fit well with her personality. She loved engaging in verbal battles of dirty puns with him. Where Tyler was serious, Thomas was silly. Truly the brain and the biker.

He paid their bill and led her to the tiki bar, leaving her at the only open barstool. “I’m going to run to the little boy’s room,” he said. “Order me a bottle of beer please, and then we’ll go back to the room.”

Nevvie nodded and finally caught the bartender’s attention, ordering Thomas’ favorite bottled brand. She smiled when she felt a hand on her shoulder a brief moment later. “That was quick. What, your lizard didn’t need draining after all?” She turned.

Her eyes widened. The hand on her shoulder didn’t belong to Thomas. She pulled free. “Uh, excuse me!”

“Hey, baby, why don’t you sit at our table?” The guy smelled like he would blow twice the legal limit.

She was trapped against the bar, the stools on either side of her occupied and the drunk blocking her escape route. He reached for her again, and she slapped his hand away, pushing him back a step.

“Don’t touch me!” she yelled, fighting her panic. He was taller than her by a good six inches, with a beer belly. “Leave me alone!”

“What, I’m not good enough for you? Come on, baby—”

“She said leave her alone.”

Nevvie didn’t recognize Thomas’ voice at first. The hard, steely edge and dangerous tone startled her. Was this her gentle, playful Thomas?

The drunk tried to focus on Thomas. “Who the fuck are you?”

Thomas stepped between Nevvie and the man, and now people watched. Thomas stood an inch or two taller than the guy, but the drunk outweighed him.

The man was forced to step back. Thomas held up his left hand, pointing at his wedding band. “She’s my wife, asshole. Back. The fuck. Off.”

The drunk took another unsteady step back. She watched as Tom clenched his fists, the war for control raging inside him.

And inside her. Something about the set of Tom’s body, his voice, started her lower belly throbbing and aching. He would fight for her.

His wife.

Jesus! She knew it was an excuse to try to diffuse the situation, but still…

She could almost see wheels turning inside the drunk’s head. He wasn’t anticipating this. Fight to save face, or admit he was a jerk for hitting on another guy’s wife?

Unfortunately one of the guy’s equally drunk buddies thought he was helping when he staggered over and tried to pull his friend away. “C’mon, Jack, let’s go.”

The drunk opted for ego and yanked free, then took a swing at Thomas.

Thomas caught the guy’s fist and followed with a well-placed undercut to the man’s breadbasket, knocking the wind out of him. Jack folded like a trailer in a hurricane and hit the wooden deck, on his knees and gasping for air. Thomas stepped back, feeling for Nevvie behind him without taking his eyes off the drunk or his friend.

Nevvie grabbed Thomas’ arm and he backed against her, blocking her in with his body. She suspected they’d have to kill him to get to her. She instinctively put her arms around his waist.

Thomas’ low, possessive growl made her ache with need. “I suggest you get your friend the hell out of here before he gets the crap beat outta him.”

Another not-quite-so-drunk friend helped the drunk friend get Jack to his feet and manhandled him out of the bar. The show over, the other patrons returned to their conversations.

Nevvie clung to Thomas, breathing heavy and realizing she ached to feel his arms around her—and his dick in her. He turned and threw a couple of bills on the bar to pay for the beer and grabbed the bottle. “Come on, sugar. Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him, forcing her to practically jog to keep up with his long strides. She followed him, still mentally reeling.

Inside their room with the door securely locked behind them, Thomas set the beer on the dresser and started emptying his pockets. She hadn’t moved from beside the door.

He looked at her. “What?”

Nevvie launched herself at him. She threw her arms and legs around him, and he caught her, returning her kiss with urgency, moaning as he cupped her ass and held her to him, grinding his hips against her.

She wanted him to fuck her. Right then. Raw, hot, bed-bouncing, lusty, screaming at the top of her lungs sex. From the feel of him between her legs, so did he.

“Goddammit, Tommy, that was—” She couldn’t finish, because his tongue was down her throat.

He greedily devoured her, falling with her to the bed, running his hands down her body and under her dress.

Hell yes, she was getting laid!

Thomas’ fingers skimmed up her bare thighs and found her panties. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband, he started working them down her hips. He moaned, running his lips from her shoulder to her ear, blistering hot against her skin. “Jesus, baby, I want to—”

His cell phone rang, Tyler’s custom tone, like a splash of ice water on them.

His eyes met hers for a split-second before he rolled off, she rolled the other way, and he answered. She sat on the edge of the bed, panting, her eyes closed.

What the fuck am I doing?

Thomas took the phone into the bathroom and closed the door while she sat there trembling, still tasting Thomas on her lips, his scent on her skin like a dream.

So close. So. Fucking. Close.

She groaned, falling back on the bed. What the hell was wrong with her?

The bathroom door opened and she caught part of Thomas’ conversation, felt the bed give under his weight as he sat across from her. “She’s okay, Ty. It was a stupid drunk… Everyone’s fine, we’re back in the room. Sugar, don’t worry about it. We’re fine… All right, here she is.”

He gently nudged her hand with the phone. Without opening her eyes, she took it. “Hi, Tyler.”

“Sweetheart, are you all right?”

His nearly frantic tone made her feel even more guilty. Fuck. She nearly jumped him a few days ago, and now Thomas. “I’m fine. We’re okay.”

“Oh, thank goodness you weren’t hurt.” She spent several long, agonizing minutes assuaging Tyler’s rattled nerves before saying good night and returning the phone to Thomas.

“We’re fine. We’ll start back in the morning after breakfast… Yes, we’ll be careful. Are you okay?… All right. Make sure you lock the doors before you go to bed. I love you, Ty…You too. Good night.”

Thomas dropped the phone to the bed. She felt him fall back, his head near hers. He broke the silence after many long minutes. “You okay, Nev?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“What the hell are you sorry for?”

“For jumping you.”

“I’m not sorry. Why should you be?”

Nevvie didn’t know how to take his comment and finally rolled over to look at him. “Dammit, I nearly raped you, Thomas.”

“Sweetie, were you and I involved in the same encounter a few hot minutes ago? Because I sure felt like I was in complete control of what I was doing.”

His brown eyes held her. She felt as attracted to him as she did Tyler, but in a different way.

A dangerous way.

Anger flashed through her. What the fuck were two monogamous and happily committed gay guys doing kissing her anyway? She couldn’t come between them like this!

“Is this some sort of game to you two?”

He rolled over to look at her right side up and dropped his voice. “Did it feel like I was playing a game, sugar?” he growled.

She gulped and shook her head.

“Okay then.” He sighed. “Thank God he called when he did. I know he said he’d share me with you, but tonight isn’t the time or place. Go get ready for bed, and I’ll give you a back rub to put you to sleep.”

She nodded, not pressing him for further explanation. What did he mean it wasn’t the time or place?

Dare she hope that meant one day there would be? Somehow, she needed to find the strength to confront them, get answers.

But not tonight. While she wanted answers, it would kill her to hear confirmation that they weren’t serious. At least this way her fantasies remained intact.

She changed clothes and settled in bed.

“Roll over, hon. Time to send you to dream land.”

Nevvie did, moaning in a different way at the feel of his hands on her. Damn, he was good. He’d learned to melt her the same way he did Tyler, and on more than one occasion had put her to sleep in this fashion.

He shifted position, straddling her. She closed her eyes and fantasized about what might have happened if Tyler hadn’t called.

When she opened her eyes the bedside clock read two-seventeen, and Thomas had a protective arm curled around her, his breath even and steady in sleep.

Closing her eyes she tried not to think about how safe it felt being nestled in his arms.

About how it might feel sleeping cradled between her sweet love gods.

* * *

She awoke first the next morning, a little after six, and took a shower and dressed. When she emerged Thomas still lay in bed, watching her dry her hair at the sink.

He met her eyes in the mirror and crooked his finger.

As helpless as she was with Tyler, she went to him, sitting on the bed.

“You okay, sugar?”

She nodded. In the light of day it felt worse. Not only the fact that she was apparently doing her damnedest to get the two men she loved to cheat on each other with her, but what a freaking way to repay their kindness and generosity.

“Then why do you look like hell?”

Nevvie closed her eyes, afraid to meet his sweet brown gaze. “Because I don’t like myself this morning. I don’t like what I’m becoming.”

“What’s that?”

“Does it matter?”

“It matters to me.”

“You two have been wonderful to me, and now I’m running around trying to seduce you.” She didn’t know how much Tyler had told him about New York.

“You do realize I have free will, right? So does Tyler.” He sat up and stretched, setting off a flutter in her nether regions. Such a gorgeous man. “Why don’t you call our boy, make sure he didn’t get murdered in his sleep, and tell him we survived the night.”

He kissed her cheek and disappeared into the bathroom.

Our boy. It fit. Despite the age difference, when the three were together it felt like they took care of Tyler in some ways.

Nearly seven, Tyler would be awake. She called from her cell and suffered another wave of guilt when Tyler pounced as soon as it rang.

“Nevvie?”

“Hi, Tyler. This is your morning wake up call.”

“What a beautiful wake up you are. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. You didn’t get murdered in your sleep? Thomas wanted to know.”

“I actually locked the doors last night.” He hesitated. “You sound a little off this morning. Are you all right, sweet?”

She held the phone away from her mouth and took a deep breath. Not much got past him. “Yeah, I’m okay. I swear I was a good girl.”

Tyler hesitated before answering. “I never doubted you would be.”

Guilt times one gazillion. The difference between angel and adulterer was Tyler’s phone call and maybe thirty seconds, not her or Thomas’ self-control.

She opted for humor. “I can’t promise I won’t feel him up on the way home.”

Did he chuckle? “I hope you do. Have him give me a call when he’s out of the bathroom. Talk to you later, love.”

Huh? She was still stuck on, “I hope you do.”

She dropped her voice. “Tyler, what the fu—”

“Sweetheart.” His firm, steady tone silenced her. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded, realized what she was doing. “Yeah.”

“Then trust me now. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Stunned, Nevvie ended the call and sat on the bed. It wasn’t that they’d exchanged, “I love yous.” That was part of everyday life now, and she knew they meant it one way while she meant it another. That didn’t surprise her.

How did Tyler know Thomas was in the bathroom?

Probably the same way she instinctively knew Tyler wanted to kiss her that morning. The same way she knew he wanted to dance the cha cha cha in New York.

The same way he knew exactly when to call them last night.

She composed herself by the time Thomas emerged, showered and shirtless. And what a nice bare chest he had.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He frowned. “Is Tyler okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine. I’m…tired.”

“Well, hold on tight so you don’t fall off. I’ll get the ass chewing of my life if I bring you home with so much as a sunburn.”

He looked in the mirror and rubbed his face. “Dammit, I hate not having my razor.” The boys were different in this way too. Tyler was a traditionalist, but if Thomas didn’t have his electric razor he wouldn’t shave.

Nevvie grabbed the chair from beside the small table and pulled it over to the sink. “Sit.”

“What?”

“I’ll shave you.”

He sat while she got a fresh disposable razor from the pack she’d bought herself the evening before. She draped a towel around his shoulders and carefully applied shaving gel.

“You’re not gonna slit my throat for last night, are you, baby girl?”

His teasing smile made her laugh. “No, Tommy, I wouldn’t do that to one of my boys. If I can shave my legs every day without lopping off an ankle, I think your chin won’t be any trouble at all.”

She carefully shaved him, trying to ignore how his eyes followed hers, looking at her as if wanting her to meet his gaze. His big, sweet eyes softened his rugged face. Where Tyler’s face was gentler, more rounded, Tom’s was longer and leaner, like his body.

When she finished she ran her fingers over his cheek. “All done.”

He rinsed and looked in the mirror. “Damn, you did good, baby girl.” He looked at her. “Your boys, hmm? I like that.”

She looked away, but he caught her arm and pulled her to him. “Please, Nevvie,” he said. “It’ll be okay.” He kissed her on the forehead and held her for a long moment before finally releasing her.

They ate breakfast and packed their few extras into the saddlebags. When she swung onto the bike behind Thomas, she put her arms around him. He grabbed her hand, placed it between his legs, and squeezed.

Too shocked to react, Nevvie felt him laughing and he leaned back. “Thought we should get that outta the way now so you don’t make me wreck on 75.”

She finally choked out a laugh. He patted her arm as she slid her hands back to their usual position.

This was too much. Not that she minded the flirting, but this ratcheting up of the sexual overtures was killing her.

She had time to contemplate on the ride north. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to flirt and play with them like that, but the empty feeling of going to bed alone wasn’t worth it. Sure one—hell, both—would sleep in her bed if she had nightmares or if the situation called for it.

Sleep being the operative word.

How many years could she do this? Be the frustrated straight girl in a house with two gorgeous gay guys who were determined to keep her libido on a high simmer despite not doing anything about it. Screw their appeals to trust them.

They were so good to her. She couldn’t complain how they treated her. Yet the guilt that she wanted more, wanted what she couldn’t have ate away at her like a cancer. Guilt that she was willing to put her needs over their relationship.

They’d been on the road for an hour and she needed to pull over. She tapped Thomas and he took the next exit. While he topped off the bike at the gas station, Nevvie locked herself in the restroom.

Damn what a mess. She’d desperately fallen in love with two men she could never have, no matter what stupid illusions she held or mysterious innuendos they fed her to keep her spirits alive.

Wasn’t that all they were? Tyler was a master at reading people. She’d been with them long enough to see that. Throw in their special connection, and it would be totally in the realm of possibility that he was simply trying to cheer her up, not realizing it killed her one wink at a time. And her encounter with Thomas, well, it probably just the adrenaline rush of the fight.

They. Are. Gay.

She donned her helmet before Thomas saw she’d been crying. He put a hand on her shoulder.

“Sugar, you feel all right?”

She nodded, swinging up behind him. “I’m tired. Let’s go.”

* * *

The house smelled good. Tyler’s slow-cooker dinner was already in full stew when they arrived home a little after one. She avoided Tyler’s eyes on her way to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Worried, he turned to Thomas. “What happened?”

Thomas motioned Tyler out to the garage. Tyler smiled when Thomas finished the story. “I think we’re on schedule for the party this weekend.”

Thomas crossed his arms and looked at the floor. “I guess.”

“What’s the matter?”

He finally met Tyler’s eyes. “If you hadn’t called when you—”

“Stop.” Tyler put his arms around his lover’s waist. “Look at me.”

Thomas finally did.

“Don’t feel guilty.”

“But what if—”

“Shh. No ‘what ifs.’” Tyler’s eyes locked onto his. “It’s all right.”

“I shouldn’t have—”

Tyler kissed him, cutting off his protests, holding him until Thomas finally responded. When Tyler knew he had his full attention again, he smiled.

“She referred to us as ‘her boys!’ Don’t lose the forest for the trees. Saturday we will finally get to show her how we feel and believe me, you will forget any guilt you have right now.”

“Are you sure we shouldn’t just tell her how we feel? Let’s get it over with.”

“It’s a brilliant plan, and she’ll absolutely love it. It’s only a few more days. You want everything to be perfect, don’t you?”

Thomas nodded. “I’ll be more careful. I promise.”

Tyler hugged him then stepped away. “I know, sweet.”

Chapter 15

Late Friday afternoon, Nevvie curled on the couch, watching a horror movie marathon on TV. Tyler returned from a shopping trip to St. Pete and slipped in through the garage door, bag in hand.

“Did you get it?” Thomas whispered.

Tyler waved him into their bedroom and let him peek at the last two items they needed to complete her costume.

“It’s perfect! Jesus, you think we can talk her into that?”

“Guaranteed. Let me do the talking though, lover boy.”

They waited until bedtime to spring their trap. Tyler took the lead. “What are you doing tomorrow evening, sweetheart?” She’d already declined their invitation to the party weeks ago, before recent events.

She shook her head. She looked listless, sad. “I’m staying home. You guys go and have a good time, really.”

She never insinuated herself into their plans. They practically begged her to go with them anywhere involving other people. Always happy to take off with the two of them, she was still nervous in settings such as parties. She’d also settled into a melancholy state and was quieter than normal. Now she’d had time to sit and think about the past, about the traumas to her psyche, and had reached a plateau not even the hottest night of cha cha cha-ing could cure.

Tyler knew the time had come, especially after last weekend and her trip with Thomas. Tyler had planned for over a month, sensing the subtle shift in her demeanor. She was equally comfortable with them. He’d noted the sadness in her eyes when she watched Thomas and him together, holding hands or talking quietly. Even with the two of them she felt alone. He knew they had the power to heal her of that.

If she’d let them.

He sat next to her on the couch. “Halloween is a time to let go, have fun.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here and hand out candy to the little goblins.”

“Nonsense. You’re going with us to Pete and Eddie’s party.”

“I don’t have a costume.”

“We’ll take care of it.”

“Ty, you guys don’t have to—”

He laid a gentle finger on her lips. Thomas had slipped into the room and watched. “Do you trust us?” Tyler asked. Her eyes flicked to Thomas and she nodded.

“Will you give yourself to us for twenty-four hours? Let us show you a good time? Guaranteed to get you out of your funk.” His finger still gently rested on her lips and again she flicked her eyes to Thomas’ playful smile.

She nodded again.

Tyler pressed forward. “Tomorrow afternoon, we will dress you in a fabulous costume. Then we will take you out and show you the best time you ever had.” He moved his finger and kissed the end of her nose. “You promise? We get twenty-four hours of your time?”

“Okay.”

Both men grinned. “Excellent,” Tyler said. “Then as of four o’clock tomorrow you are all ours, right? Promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

Tyler hugged her, breathing in the scent of her coconut shampoo. Damn, he loved that. “We love you, sweetheart. We promise to take good care of you.” He stood and Thomas leaned in for his good night hug, kissing the top of her head.

“Good night, Nev. We’ll see you in the morning.”

They waited until behind their closed bedroom door to do a silent happy dance.

Thomas fell into bed, a broad grin on his face. “You think she’ll go through with it?” he whispered.

“She has to. She promised. If she tries to renege I’ll use the sad puppy eyes.”

Thomas grabbed a pillow and laughed into it to muffle the sound. “Jesus, she’s a goner.” He looked at Tyler. “Do you manipulate me like that?”

Tyler undressed. “Of course not.” He looked at Thomas and grinned.

“You shit! When?”

“I’m kidding. We have to gently break down her defenses. If we rush her we could lose her forever. Just because she’s willing with one of us doesn’t mean she’ll automatically be open to a threesome.”

Thomas closed his eyes. “That would break my heart, man. I love her.”

Tyler slid into bed and Thomas put his arms around him. “As do I.” He looked at Thomas. “We have to go slow. She lets me lead her on the dance floor. I have no reason to believe she won’t let me lead her into this as well.”

“I trust you.” He kissed Tyler. “I saw a great ring the other day. It would look beautiful on her.”

“That’s putting the cart before the horse.”

“Do you think she’ll go for it?”

“She wants to be submissive to us. You saw how she was. But only if she trusts.”

“Remind me never to complain about those college psychology books you kept.”

“Paying off now, aren’t they?”

“Damn straight.” He trailed his fingers across Tyler’s shoulder. “We’re gonna need a bigger bed.”

“That’s the least of our concerns right now. Let’s get through tomorrow first.”

* * *

Tyler decided to play extra dirty the next morning. He cooked her favorite breakfast—French toast, scrambled eggs, and sausage—and took a mug of coffee in to her, made exactly the way she liked.

She’d left her bedroom door partially open, something she frequently did. Nevvie looked beautiful in one of Tom’s old T-shirts, the sheets twisted around her legs, her hair mussed and loose around her shoulders. He imagined what she’d look like dressed for the party and his cock throbbed between his legs.

Slowly, he thought. Don’t screw this up.

He sat on her bed and gently stroked her cheek. “Sweetheart,” he whispered, “breakfast is ready.”

She stirred and turned, throwing her arm over his thigh, cuddling close, not quite awake. He leaned over and kissed the nape of her neck, and she softly moaned in her sleep. He placed a tender hand on her shoulder.

“Nevvie, darling, breakfast is ready.”

Her eyes fluttered open, a brief second of startle reflex before a sleepy smile caressed her face. Tyler longed for the day they could take that pain from her soul once and for all.

“Hey, Ty,” she said, her voice still husky from sleep. “I had this great dream right before I woke up.”

“Yeah?” He imagined it had something to do with his kiss. “Coffee and food, love.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“You guys are spoiling me.”

“I would hope so. You deserve it.”

She caught his hand. “Ty, about tonight.”

“You promised.”

“I know. I’ll go. It’s just…”

He knelt by the bed so he could be eye-to-eye with her. “Listen, you trust us to keep you safe, take care of you, right? You know we’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

She nodded.

“It’s Halloween. If you go for no other reason than to make us two blokes happy, have a little pity on us.”

“I don’t want to look like a cow.”

“Stop.” He sat on the bed and pulled her into his lap. “Listen to me. You are a beautiful woman. Thomas and I will have our work cut out for us beating the other men off you tonight. Don’t you dare ever talk badly about yourself. Ever. If I have one inviolate rule in this house, that’s it.”

“And flushing.”

“Well, there’s that. Seriously, as long as you live under this roof, you are not allowed to disparage yourself or tolerate others talking badly about or to you. Understand?”

“Okay.”

He hugged her tightly to him. “That’s my good girl. Now let’s eat. It’s getting cold.”

He returned to the kitchen and flashed Thomas a thumbs up. Nevvie used the bathroom and joined them a few minutes later, half of her coffee already gone.

She started to sit when Thomas crooked a finger at her. She smiled and leaned over to give him a good morning peck on the cheek.

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me, sugar.”

She flushed deep crimson. “Never.”

The day crawled for the two men. Tyler fought the urge to snipe at Thomas, knowing it would ruin the mood. Tom’s incessant pacing and fussing nearly drove Tyler nuts, and that was a short enough trip to begin with.

At three-thirty, Tyler finally gave in. “For God’s sake, Thomas. Go get your shower and get dressed.”

“We don’t have to be there until seven.”

“You’re driving me crazy.”

“What about Nevvie?” Thomas whispered. They were in Tyler’s study. She’d curled up on the couch in the living room, watching TV. She’d spent the morning cleaning the kitchen and utility room until Tyler made her go rest, afraid she’d wear herself out.

“I’ll take care of her. Remember, you’ll get your turn later. You’re better suited for the brute role,” he teased.

“Brute role?”

“You know what I mean. Let me get her in the mood. You can keep her there. Good master, bad master, that sort.”

Thomas laughed and walked to their bedroom, shaking his head.

At three fifty-nine Tyler shut down his laptop. Struggling to ignore the throbbing between his legs, he walked into the living room. Nevvie had dozed off on the couch. Good, she’d need the rest. He didn’t honestly know if she’d let them make love to her tonight, but he counted on this evening going a long way to getting them there. They had to break down her walls, get her to let them in. As long as they didn’t betray her trust or hurt her, he sensed she’d give them any and everything they asked.

He didn’t want her to do anything out of guilt or pressure, but out of genuine desire to be with both of them.

He knelt beside the couch. “Nevvie,” he whispered. “Sweetheart.”

She woke up smiling. “Hey, sorry.” She sat up and stretched. He caught her hand and kissed it.

“It’s time.”

“What?”

“You promised.” He smiled. “Four o’clock. You’re ours.”

A moment of fear flashed across her eyes. He quickly leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. “Trust us. Please?”

She nodded and let him lead her from the couch. Thomas emerged from their bedroom, dressed as Zorro, complete with a plastic sword.

“Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes.”

“Watch what you do with that sword,” she joked.

He waggled his eyebrows. “You watch out or maybe I’ll use it on you, young lady.”

Tyler gently swatted her bum. “Shower, now, skewer later. Maybe, if you’re a good girl.” He winked.

She laughed and headed for her bathroom. Tyler turned to Thomas, who watched her walk away. “Watch it,” he whispered.

“I’m trying, but your head’s in the way.”

“Don’t be an arse, Thomas. Slowly, got it? Stick to the script.”

Thomas grinned. When the door closed behind her he looked at Tyler and kissed him. “I want her so bad it hurts.”

“No worse than I, but we have to take it slow.”

* * *

Nevvie climbed into the shower, closed her eyes and tried to quell her anxiety. The boys wouldn’t embarrass her, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous. What they thought she’d look good in would most likely differ from what she thought she looked good in.

Thomas looked yummy. Damn, he looked sexy. She didn’t think she imagined that in his skin-tight pants he seemed a little larger in the crotch than usual.

She’d love to feel him. Nevvie soaped up and closed her eyes, imagining Thomas’ hands all over her, especially after the sample she got in Ft.Myers. Tyler too, of course. He was probably the more inventive one. Thomas struck her as a vigorous romp, energy and strength, with Tyler likely a lot of sensual fun.

She stood outside their door one night on her way back from the kitchen, her sex throbbing as she listened to them make love. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but they sounded too good not to listen. She’d wanted to crawl into bed with them. Instead she’d gone back to her room and played with herself, imagining them making love to her.

God, they’d sounded good! They wouldn’t want her. They had each other. Playful, friendly flirty banter only went so far. She wasn’t stupid enough to seriously think they would want to take her to bed, even after the events of the past week. Duh. At home reality had once again reared its ugly head. They were her boys but they only wanted each other, and she knew it.

She was slowly but surely learning to live with it. She had no choice. She damn sure wasn’t giving them up.

A knock on the bathroom door startled her. “Yes?”

The door opened—Tyler. “Sorry to interrupt.”

She didn’t mind being naked in front of him. Hell, it’s not like he hadn’t seen her at her worst.

He stuck his head into the shower, and she didn’t think she imagined his eyes slowly traveled up her body before settling on her face. “We have a request.”

He’s talking to you, stupid! “What?”

He smiled, taking her breath away. Those damn blue eyes melted her, set her heart pounding. “Thomas and I would appreciate it if you’d shave for us.”

She had to force air into her lungs. “What?”

He reached into the shower, his finger gently blazing a trail from her collarbone down between her breasts, over her tummy to where the fine curls between her legs concealed her sex from his appraising glance. He paused, his finger resting just above her mound. She resisted the urge to drag him into the shower with her.

“Everywhere. Please?”

She numbly nodded, her body on fire.

His smile finished her off. “Thank you, love. We guarantee you a fantastic time tonight. We’re going to prove how sexy you are.” He crooked his finger and she leaned in. Instead of the expected peck on the nose, he lightly brushed his lips across hers.

“You are beautiful, Nevvie. We want you to see yourself the way we see you.” He started to close the shower curtain when he poked his head in one last time. “Oh, pet?”

“Yeah?”

“When you finish, wrap a towel around yourself and come to our bedroom. Walk right in, sweetheart. We’ll be waiting to dress you.”

She nodded, speechless. His grin widened.

Once alone in the shower again she rested her head on the cool tile, trying to catch her breath, still feeling the gentle path his finger traced down her flesh. She’d trimmed, but never shaved down there before.

She wouldn’t question why. They were her boys, and if it made them happy, hell, she’d shave her head if they asked. If Tyler flashed those blue eyes at her she’d do anything he wanted.

Anything at all.

She waited until she finished to do it, resisting the urge to play with herself. The boys waited. But dammit, when they got home she’d wank herself like a four-fisted monkey. Did the boys have any idea what they did to her? They had to, they couldn’t be that stupid, could they? Especially after last weekend and the trip to Ft.Myers.

Well, they were guys.

On shaky legs she finished and ran a hand over her smooth mound. Wow! Maybe she’d keep it that way from now on. It felt fantastic. She wrapped a towel around her hair, another around her body, and brushed her teeth. Then she walked to the boys’ bedroom.

Tyler, his hair still damp from his shower, was dressed as a pirate, complete with loose, ruffled white shirt and tight black pants, a red sash tied around his waist. Both men turned and smiled as she hesitated at the door.

“Come in, Nev,” Thomas encouraged.

She forced her feet to move.

She trusted them. They wouldn’t hurt her. She trusted them. They wouldn’t hurt her…

“Now,” Tyler said, “are you ready to give yourself to us for the next twenty-four hours?”

She nodded, and the men smiled. Jesus, she’d do anything if they’d keep smiling at her like that.

“Do you have any questions?” Tyler asked.

She licked her lips and didn’t think it was her imagination that Thomas softly moaned. “You won’t let anyone touch me?”

Both men frowned. Tyler took her hands, his face stern. “Nevvie, you’re our girl. Especially tonight. We promise, no one will ever lay a hand on you but us. Right?”

She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “I’m sorry, I—”

He placed a finger on her lips. “Don’t apologize. We want you to trust us, and if that means you need to ask questions like that, it’s all right. No one will ever touch you but us, Nevvie. We promise.” He lowered his hand.

They could touch her all they wanted. Hell, she wished they would.

She met Tyler’s eyes, then Thomas’. “I trust you. Both of you.”

“Excellent,” Tyler said. “You won’t be disappointed, sweetheart, we promise.” He took her hand and led her to the bathroom where they’d set up a folding chair. “First, we need to do your hair.”

“Isn’t that a stereotype?” she asked with a smile.

“He had three years of drama in college, sugar,” Thomas said. “He learned a lot.”

“Oh.” She sat and felt pampered as Tyler removed the towel from her still-damp hair, fluffing it with his fingers. He massaged her scalp and she closed her eyes, glad she still wore the other towel because she was soaking wet already. While Tyler tended her hair, Thomas picked up her right foot and massaged it. When she peeked he sat at her feet, a bottle of toenail polish in his hand.

Was it her imagination that his eyes hovered on her lap—oh hell. He could see between her legs. Screw it, let him look. In fact, she decided to tease him and spread her legs to give him a better view. Let him see what he missed in Ft.Myers.

She closed her eyes as he rubbed her foot, drawing more contented moans from her. His hand caressed her calf and she wished she was brave enough to ask them to forget they were gay and fuck her blind for the night. Except for the risk of hearing that little two-letter word that would crush her soul—no. At least if she didn’t ask she could still pretend and fantasize. And that was damn sure better than nothing.

“You like that, Nevvie?” Thomas asked.

“That’s wonderful. I didn’t know you did pedicures.”

“Only for you, sugar. Remember, I have five older sisters. I learned a thing or two about foot care. Most of it under duress, but I learned.”

She held still while he painted her toenails. He’d placed a towel in his lap and when he finished with the dark peach polish she felt his breath on her foot as he blew on her toes.

She didn’t care what Tyler did. He wouldn’t make her look like an idiot, he had too much style and class for that. She closed her eyes and indulged in a few naughty fantasies while her boys pampered her.

Thomas massaged her left foot. When he placed it in his lap to reach for the nail polish she realized where he’d put it. She felt his decidedly hard bulge and peeked under her eyelids to watch his reaction as she carefully massaged him with her toes.

He grinned, winked, and another flood of moisture soaked her already-wet sex. God, this was torture. He left the nail polish bottle on the floor and massaged her calf, his hand trailing up her leg to her inner thigh, teasing her with his feather-light touch.

* * *

Thomas looked at Tyler and winked after Nevvie closed her eyes again. Tyler grinned. She’d warmed to the situation if she was flirting with Thomas like that. She had to know he had a bird’s eye view, so to speak, of her now-bare pussy.

He couldn’t wait to steal a feel of that tonight—if not a lot more.

Tyler finished her hair and made her keep her eyes closed while he applied her make-up. They didn’t want her looking like a whore, just sensuously fuckable. When he was happy with the result he made her stand.

“Keep those eyes closed, sweetheart. We’ll tell you when to open them.” He grabbed a bottle of coconut-scented lotion. Something about that scent on her, the men agreed, drove them to distraction. “Now, keep them closed, right?” He removed her towel.

She was exquisite. Tyler glanced at Thomas, who jammed his fist in his mouth to keep from moaning. He hadn’t seen her like this before and looked stunned and amazed. Tyler’s cock finally won the fight for control and stiffened in his pants. She didn’t move, didn’t open her eyes, as instructed. Good, that meant she was willing to take orders from him. Tom would get his chance later once she was fully into the spirit of the game.

Tyler leaned in close to her ear. “We’re going to put some moisturizer on you, love.”

“No Silence of the Lambs jokes, right?”

Thomas laughed. “No, sweetie, we’re not making a girl suit.”

Tyler squirted lotion into his hand and passed the bottle to Thomas. He started with her arm and worked from her shoulder to her hands, taking his time and carefully massaging all of her fingers. He watched her face as they worked, Thomas mirroring his actions on her right side. Her lips parted slightly and he watched the rise and fall of her chest.

She liked it.

They took their time on her arms, then her feet and legs, stopping inside her thighs below her bare mound. Tyler looked at Thomas, sure his thoughts ran the same as his. Thomas kissed him and then licked his lips as he looked at her mound, inches from his face. Tyler swatted him on the shoulder and shook his head.

No. Not yet.

They caressed her back, leaving her chest for last, working from her hips to her breasts. They gently kneaded them, carefully avoiding her nipples, massaging her, both placing a steadying hand on the small of her back. She moaned softly and leaned into them. Thomas grinned at Tyler. Yes, she was willing to let them have control of her, at least this much.

The men reluctantly released her, each taking a hand. “Keep those eyes closed, sugar,” Thomas warned. “We’re not done yet.”

She nodded, her skin flushed. They’d obviously had an effect on her.

They led her to their bedroom. First the panties, which were little more than bikini bottoms. The tight material outlined and clung to every curve of her sex. Tyler knew if he ran his fingers over her while she wore it that she’d feel him as if he touched her bare skin. She placed her hand on Tyler’s back for balance when he bent over to pull them up. That’s when he “accidentally” brushed his fingers against her bare lips as he helped adjust the bottoms. She gasped, but didn’t object.

As ordered, she’d kept her eyes closed. Then they slid the pants up her legs, silky, wispy sheer layers that fell open perfectly since Tyler had taken a seam ripper to the crotch earlier. It wouldn’t be obvious to others, but Thomas and Tyler would have clear access.

Perfection.

The barely-there top exposed her mid-drift, lifting her breasts while creating a delicious illusion of fullness. Thomas clamped his lower lip firmly in his teeth, no doubt trying to maintain control but still managing to brush his thumb across her right nipple. Then the sheer, layered outer top completed the main ensemble. Their little slave girl, beautiful and alluring. Sexy, but enough covering to keep her from being X-rated.

Tyler carefully affixed the veil, not wanting to mess up her hair. He’d spent weeks going through magazines to find the right style he could pull off without drowning her in hairspray. Thomas leaned over and slipped sandals on her feet, tying the laces around her ankles.

Then one last accoutrement. Thomas held it up, looked at Tyler, then bent in a mock salute to the master planner, handing it to him to do the honors.

Tyler bowed and accepted the thin pink, jeweled leather collar. He’d finally found it yesterday at an upscale pet boutique in St. Pete. It perfectly matched the colors in the little harem girl outfit.

As did the matching leather rhinestone leash.

Tyler stood behind Nevvie, touching her shoulder so as not to startle her. “We have one last item. You promise you’re ours for the next twenty-four hours?”

She licked her lips and nodded.

He kissed the nape of her neck and enjoyed watching the gooseflesh run across her back. He knew that was one of her most sensitive areas and planned to make good use of it tonight. He didn’t need to plunder her pussy to get her wet when he could kiss her there. She was more than ready for them to take her, but they couldn’t yet. She had to voluntarily submit to them, not simply because they’d got her hornier than hell—although that helped. For this to have any chance of succeeding long-term, she had to ask them to be with her.

Tyler dropped his voice to a sexy growl. “Then we put this on you. It’s our reminder that you are our sweet girl, only ours, and we promise to take care of you and protect you. All right?” He’d carefully scripted their lines, yet another reason Thomas was willing to step to the side during this phase.

She nodded again.

He carefully slipped the collar around her neck. He’d guessed at the size, poking extra holes in it in case he had to adjust it, but it fit perfectly. He didn’t want it so tight that it choked and panicked her, and he didn’t want it so loose it would spin and twist and irritate her skin. If she would tolerate this from them, she was as good as theirs.

Her breathing quickened, sensing what it was, but she didn’t move or open her eyes.

He nodded to Thomas, who clipped the leash to the collar. They stood in front of her, close, inside her personal space.

“Open your eyes, sugar,” Thomas said.

She did.

Tyler had already covered the ground rules with Thomas, iron-clad rules they could not break. They had to be extremely gentle with her. The leash must always be in their hands, never laid down. When seated, she’d be at their feet or in their lap except in the truck. They would have a hand on her at all times in addition to holding the leash, or have her seated as to be touching one of them. This was for control as much as it was for her peace of mind. She wasn’t allowed off the leash once outside their house, even to go to the bathroom. If she said stop, they would. They weren’t giving her a safe word, but they knew if overwhelmed she would resist—and they would immediately end the game.

Both men smiled and touched her arms. “You’re beautiful, Nevvie,” Thomas whispered. “Devastatingly beautiful.”

Tyler agreed. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. We are the luckiest blokes on the planet.”

She looked at her outfit, then back to them, but didn’t ask.

“You’re playing our little slave girl, sweetheart, and we’re your masters.” Tyler took the leash from Thomas and showed her. “I promise, we will protect you. Always. One or both of us will, at all times, be by your side and in control so you are safe. No one will touch you but us. All you are responsible for tonight is to enjoy our little game. Let us do the rest. Can you do that for us?”

She hesitantly smiled. “Yes.”

* * *

Tyler let her go to the bathroom off-leash before they left, but before he put it back on her he made her sit on their bed.

“Are you ready, Nevvie?” Thomas asked. Tyler had prepped him. She needed to respond to Thomas to ensure all went well.

She nodded.

“Would you like to leave now?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s get into the spirit of the game, sugar. You need to ask me to put your leash on. You can’t leave the house unless you’re properly attired.”

She smiled, getting into the mood. “Please put my leash on.”

Tyler stepped in. “Sweetheart, you need to say it properly. A good little slave knows how to ask her master for things.”

He made her hunt for the answer and she smiled again. “Master, please leash me?” It was more a question than a request, but it sufficed.

Both men grinned. Thomas snapped the leash to her collar. “You’re our beautiful, sweet slave girl.” She stood at his gentle prompting.

Thomas and Tyler each caressed her cheeks. She didn’t flinch from their tender touch.

“Do you know what you’ve done to us, Nevvie?” Thomas asked.

She shook her head, confused.

Tyler looked at Thomas and together the men stepped close, pressing against her hips so it was obvious how hard they were. Tyler kept his eyes on her face in case she reacted badly, but she gasped.

“Sugar,” Thomas whispered, “you’ve done that to us. You have power over us beyond your wildest imagination.”

The truth, yet also another carefully scripted line Tyler had fed Thomas. He executed it perfectly. Her face flushed, and her eyes travelled from Thomas back to Tyler.

“Yes, Nevvie,” Tyler whispered. “Tonight you may be playing the role of our sweet little slave girl, but the truth is you are our mistress.” God, he’d have to remember to delete that file from his hard drive, the one he worked on for weeks to get the dialogue perfect so they could memorize it. “So, knowing that you have two men under your control, two men who would die for you, sweetheart, are you ready to let us play your masters tonight?”

She nodded and licked her lips. Tyler wanted to kiss and fuck her luscious mouth.

“As our sweet little slave girl,” he continued, “you aren’t allowed to touch anyone but us, understand? Not even to shake hands. If someone says hello you can speak and bow your head to them, but that’s all. Remember, you’re playing a role for us tonight. Do you understand?”

Her voice dropped to barely more than a sultry whisper. “Yes.”

Thomas’ eyes flicked to Tyler, who tipped his head slightly in a nod, giving Tom the okay to push her a little. “Yes, what?” Thomas asked.

She smiled. “Yes, Master.”

Both men grinned, unable to contain themselves. “Very good,” Thomas purred. “That’s a very good girl. That pleases me.”

Tyler returned to the script. Who said drama class would never pay off? “If you wish to eat or drink anything, you must ask us for it. We will take care of your every need tonight. But if anything happens that you don’t like, do not hesitate to say no and we will stop. We will never force you to do anything. We may be playing your masters, but we take our responsibility to protect you seriously. You are our number one priority tonight. Understand?”

“Yes, Master.”

He kissed her forehead, as did Thomas. “Very good, sweetheart,” Tyler purred. “Do you have any questions or objections to anything so far?”

Both men held their breath as she looked from one, then to the other. Her lips curled in a sultry smile. “No, Master.”

Chapter 16

Tyler the evil genius made sure Thomas left the old Ford truck parked furthest out so it would seem logical to take it without moving cars. Not as comfy as the Ridgeline, but Tyler wanted Nevvie between them on the bench seat. Thomas shook his head and smiled at the simple, yet brilliant planning.

As much as Tyler could he’d scripted every aspect of the evening, dependent upon her willingness to play along. This included their choice of costumes, and just not because the tight pants made their reactions obvious. Thomas dressed as Zorro, romantically dark and dashing, conjuring safety with a little danger. Not to mention his cape provided instant cover for her without having to carry an extra cloak. His own pirate outfit for a similar reason, the implied hint of a ravishing to come, yet someone who would fight to the death to protect what was his. An implied dominance to both.

Tyler wanted the night to be perfect for her. Not so much for them to achieve their goal—truth be told, that would be fan-damn-tastic—but so she felt good, had a taste of the power she wielded even when supposedly submitting to them. If they didn’t screw it up, maybe she would be theirs, loving them as much as they loved her. She had to want them together.

They arrived at the party, not the earliest guests but early enough they could stake out the best location. Tyler knew Eddie and Pete still had the wonderfully huge, soft sofas with large throw cushions in the informal living room.

When they stepped out of the truck, Tyler held her leash, checking her over and adjusting her veil under her chin. It could, if necessary, cover the lower half of her face. He’d wanted to avoid smudging her lipstick—or hiding her deliciously red lips from their appraising eyes. If he sensed her getting nervous he would raise it to give her anonymity, which might help calm her.

“Do I meet approval, Master?” she coyly asked. While he’d softened during the ride over, his cock sprang to life and stretched his already tight pants to the limit.

They’d parked near the caterer’s van in a dark, empty, mowed lot two houses down from Eddie and Pete’s, one of the first arrivals. Tyler took her hand and placed it against the front of his trousers.

“Does that answer your question, little slave?” he asked.

She gasped.

Thomas walked around the truck. “What am I missing?” He’d left the plastic sword at home because it kept catching on his cape, and had donned his mask and hat.

“Come here and see, lover.” When Thomas crowded in, Tyler took her hand from his crotch and placed it over Thomas’. He moaned, and Nevvie gasped in reply.

“Good little slave,” Thomas purred.

* * *

This was torture. Well, Tyler had guaranteed to get her out of her funk. So far, they’d succeeded. Her pussy felt uncomfortably wet and aching for a finger—hell, aching for one of their cocks inside her. She wasn’t questioning how horny her boys were. If she made them hard, more power to them. She wished she could be in the middle of a ménage between them, God help her. Maybe she could get them drunk…

Tyler held the leash and put his arm around her waist. “Come along, sweetheart.”

Thomas walked on her other side. She didn’t feel quite so naked with his comforting presence beside her. She reached for his hand and he gently squeezed it.

She took a deep breath at the front door when Tyler rang the bell. The house was huge, even bigger than theirs, in a golf and country club development not too far from their house in New Tampa. A short, fat Frankenstein wearing a painfully loud Hawaiian shirt answered the door. His eyes popped when he saw Nevvie.

“Holy crap! How’d you two losers end up with an angel like her?”

“Nice to see you too, Eddie,” Thomas drawled. “You gonna let us in, or you gonna stare?”

“Can I at least hug her?”

Tyler stepped forward and held up a finger. “Sorry, darling, she’s totally off-limits. Our adorable Venus has agreed to be our little slave girl for the evening on the condition that only we get the exquisite pleasure of her touch. But feel free to say hi and drool and grovel at our studliness.”

Eddie laughed and clapped Tyler on the shoulder, smiling at Nevvie. “Hello, gorgeous. I’m Eddie, your ghost of a host for the night. I hope your boys show you a great time. If you were my cuppa tea, I’d be getting refills all night long.”

She blushed, but smiled and bowed her head. “Nice to meet you, Eddie. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Did someone say horsebrutality?” An overweight, middle-aged Dr. Frank-N-Furter—complete with wig, huge pearl necklace, bustier, fake tat, fishnet stockings, a garter belt, and impossibly tall, chunky platform heels—tottered into the hallway. Then, in an exaggerated, fake British accent he said, “Ah! The Brit and his git have arrived…”

He fell silent when he saw Nevvie. His jaw dropped, his voice reverting to an awed whisper. “Jesus Christ, Ty, I know you told me you’d be bringing a guest, but holy crap! She’s gorgeous!”

Thomas pulled Nevvie close, his arm around her shoulders, his cape covering her back. “And she’s all ours, Pete.”

The implied, possessive warning in Thomas’ voice weakened her knees. She slipped her arm around his waist and he pulled her even closer.

Pete goggled for a moment then seemed to remember his manners. “Uh, sorry. Right. Day-yum.” He poked his finger at Tyler. “Lucky for you, asshole, most of our guests are either happily married or don’t cross to the other team’s bench. Although there’ll be a few butch gals you might have to hose down. I can only imagine trying to break up a riot of drunken jerks over her.” He turned back to Nevvie. “No offense, honey, you’re stunning, truly.”

She tipped her head. “Thank you.”

Tyler smiled. “Why do you think we brought her, Pete? Do you honestly think we’d be daft enough to parade her around a party full of drunk, straight blokes?”

“Then why did you bring her? Again, honey, no offense, you’re more than welcomed in our home.”

She laughed but didn’t reply, interested in Tyler’s response.

“Pete, our angel has had a rather miserable time of it,” Tyler explained. “Only because you’re our hosts, I’d like you to meet Nevvie. For the evening, however, we would prefer she remain anonymous.”

Recognition dawned in Pete’s face and his voice softened. “Wow! Oh, sweetie, Ty told me what you’ve been through.”

Tyler held up a hand before Pete could spoil her mood. “That’s why we brought her. We promised her a spectacular evening of fun and frivolity, and thought what better place than your party? We want to bring her back to the living, so to speak.”

Eddie finally found his voice. “So you parade her out to the annual ‘Night of the Dead’ soiree?”

Thomas chuckled, the sound rumbling from his chest through her body. “She needs to have fun. We didn’t want to worry about her getting hit on.”

“Little chance of that,” Eddie said. “Well, come in, come in. The caterer is setting up. You’re really early, although I expected as much from you, Ty. I’m sure you’ll be rearranging the crudités platters before I can say ‘Martha Stewart.’”

Tyler handed the leash to Thomas, meeting Nevvie’s gaze as he did. If the other two men noticed they said nothing. “I’ll be back momentarily, dears. Feel free to start without me.”

He winked, filling Nevvie with a warm pulsation from her clit to her collarbone. When the other three left she looked at Thomas and found him smiling. His hat lay at a rakish angle and his mask was narrow enough it didn’t hide all his delicious smile lines.

“Shall we, my sweet little slave?” he whispered. All she could do was dumbly nod.

* * *

With Nevvie tucked under his arm, Thomas led her to one of the large, comfy sofas in the living room. Shaun of the Dead played on a big screen TV, entertaining early guests. He staked out the far end of a sofa and dropped one of the throw cushions on the floor in front of him.

Thomas whispered into her ear, “Your master wants you to sit at his feet like a proper slave.” He’d committed the lines to memory. Tyler hadn’t screwed up so far, why ad lib?

She sat so fast he almost didn’t have time to loosen his grip on the leash so she didn’t choke. Damn, Tyler was an evil genius, real and truly. Thomas never in his wildest dreams imagined she’d do this. The costume, probably. The party? Okay. But the collar? And her total compliance?

“Very good,” he whispered. “That pleases me.”

She smiled.

He sat, careful not to kick her as he positioned himself so she sat between his legs. Once he stopped moving she started, settling her back against the couch and wrapping her arms around his legs, pulling them tightly along her sides, her hands resting on his knees. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his cock throbbed. If she kept this up he’d come in his pants before the other guests arrived.

Where the hell did Tyler disappear to?

* * *

From the kitchen, Tyler snuck a look at Nevvie and Thomas and smiled. He didn’t have time to enjoy the sight because Pete hooked a meaty hand around his bicep and dragged him into the laundry room, closing the door.

He turned on his friend. “Ty, what the fuck? By that I do mean, what the fuck?”

“What?” He knew damn well what.

“I want you to tell me what the hell you think you’re doing? Don’t go fucking up what you and Tommy have over her.”

Tyler’s eyes hardened. “Pete, you know I love you mate, but you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Pete studied him. “What’s going on? You know I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

Tyler looked at the floor and crossed his arms. “She’s special. You know Thomas and I are bi.”

“After what she’s been through—”

“We love her.” He looked at his friend. “Both of us are in love with her. We didn’t mean for it to happen like this. It was our fault the arsehole attacked her. He saw the necklace we gave her for her birthday, and it set him off.”

“Don’t feel guilty over something that’s not your fault.”

“We’d decided the week before that we would ask her to move in with us as our housekeeper and personal assistant. She’d worked for us for six months, and I think we loved her from day one. We could tell she liked us, Pete.”

Pete closed his eyes, realization dawning. “You didn’t tell her. She doesn’t know you guys are bi.” He shook his head. “Jesus-H-fucking-Christ, she thinks you’re gay.” He glared at Tyler. “This is over the top, even for you. How long do you work your little mind fuck on her? She’s been through enough, don’t you think?”

“She knows tonight is a game. It’s not a mind fuck.”

Pete moved in close and lowered his voice. “You might be able to fool your little Cracker boy in there, but I’m not an idiot. I’ve known you too long and seen you work people, Ty, but this is fucking low. Getting her hopes up—”

“We want her, Pete. Not for a night or a weekend. We love her. We want her to be our third.”

Pete pleaded with him. “This can’t end well. I’m not saying she’s not a great girl, Jesus, I don’t even know her. What happens when the two of you start going at it over her, she plays one against the other to get what she wants? What if Tommy boy decides he doesn’t want to share her anymore? A third’s okay for a fuck, but not for family. This isn’t goddamned Big Love, Florida Fag Edition. She’s young! What if she wants kids, a normal life? How the hell will she have that with you guys?”

Tyler’s face burned. “We love her,” he insisted. “We aren’t in this for a goddamned fling. Thomas even found a ring for her.”

“You don’t know she’ll want to even look at you guys when you break it to her you’re bi.”

“That’s our problem, right? I don’t need a lecture on morality from a guy dressed like a hooker rehab escapee.”

“How much of this is about her, and how much of it is your need to rescue her and fix everything?”

Tyler reached for the door. “I think we’re done here, Pete.”

He put a hand on Tyler’s arm and softened his voice. “Ty, please. Don’t hurt her. She’s been through enough, hasn’t she?”

Tyler finally patted his friend’s hand. “I promise you we know what a treasure she is. The last thing we intend to do is hurt her in any way.”

“Yeah, well the road to hell is paved with those kinds of good intentions.”

Tyler returned to the kitchen and snuck another look at the living room, trying to force Pete’s words out of his conscience.

* * *

There weren’t a lot of guests there yet. Nevvie watched the movie. Thomas tried to focus on it and not the feel of her warm body, heat radiating from her flesh through the fabric of his costume while he chatted with other guests. At one point he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

“Are you okay, my little slave?”

She tipped her head back to look at him. It would be a perfect position to feed a cock into her mouth…

“Yes, Master.” A playful smile teased the corners of her lips and he kissed her forehead, resisting the urge to lean forward a little more and kiss her on the mouth. Tyler was right—they had plenty of time to take this slow.

He would get laid tonight though. Whether inside Nevvie or Tyler, he couldn’t stand the crushing ache that had settled deep inside his balls and refused to go away even for the thirty seconds he wasn’t rock hard.

* * *

Tyler returned with two cups of iced tea—one with a straw—and handed the other to Thomas. He settled next to Thomas on the sofa and smiled at Nevvie. “How are you, my sweet?”

She replied in a soft voice, “I’m doing well, Master.” She couldn’t deny she liked saying it. In any other case she would have run kicking and screaming. But these were her boys. They were having fun, she was having fun, and she trusted them.

Tyler’s eyes widened a fraction. She imagined she’d surprised him with her response. Two—okay, three—could play this game. If it made them happy to have her as their little slave girl for the evening, she’d do it. She had no illusions how the night would end, with them parting company at their bedroom door. For right now, Nevvie was okay with that. The feelings they created in her were worth the empty ache she’d feel later. At least she had them in this way, for a little while, and she could extract a little payback for the past week.

And she’d put fresh batteries in her vibrator.

Thomas smiled at Nevvie but spoke to Tyler, keeping his voice low. “Our little slave seems content tonight, lover.”

“Is that right, love? Are you content?”

She honed her sultry “fuck me” voice. “Yes, Master.”

Both men sucked in a sharp breath.

This was fun! She felt powerful, that she could do this to not one, but two gay guys! Two really cute, fuckable gay guys.

She spied the straw in Tyler’s cup. “I’m thirsty, Master. May I have a drink?”

“Very good, love.” Tyler leaned forward, holding the straw while she sipped. She decided to tease them a little and ran the tip of her tongue around the straw, then licked her lips when she finished.

Thomas’ legs tightened around her. He muttered, “Holy crap!” under his breath.

If she’d had a hand between her legs she could have exploded at that moment. Tyler’s smile lit every square inch of his face and touched the farthest reaches of her soul.

“Thank you, Master,” she whispered.

Tyler nodded, apparently unable to speak. That game point went to her.

Thomas leaned in and murmured, “That’s a good little slave. You have pleased us.” It was her turn to gasp. Something about the seductive, possessive timbre of his voice stirred the very depths of her passion.

Point to the boys.

* * *

More people arrived, filling the house. Costumes ranged from boring and tame to wild and X-rated. Nevvie almost looked G-rated in comparison. Thomas sat her across his lap and she slung her arm around his neck. He slipped an arm around her waist and she noted he never put the leash down. In fact, one of the men had always held it since the game started.

The possessive gesture made her incredibly horny.

Music started outside. The crowd in the living room thinned as people gravitated to the backyard and large patio around the pool to dance and talk. Tyler and Thomas, apparently well-known among the guests, spent plenty of time talking with others. She watched them interacting, able to observe them in a way she normally didn’t.

Tyler always asked about others, their families, jobs, seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of those he talked to. If not, he gently milked them for information, storing it in his ginormous brain for future reference. When people asked about him he would answer, but always steered the conversation back to focus on whoever he talked with.

Thomas was the opposite, discussing sports and other general trivia. He had an easy, open manner and friendly way, but was content to watch and listen to Tyler, or exchange friendly winks with Nevvie.

Those made her pussy quiver. His deep brown eyes were so different than Tyler’s and yet able to ignite such equally exquisite passion.

Thomas patted her thigh. “Sugar, I hate to say this, but I have to excuse myself for a moment.”

“Need help, Master?”

Tyler didn’t hear her comment, busy in conversation with someone. Thomas studied her then leaned in close, his lips by her ear. “If I had your beautiful body standing there to look at I wouldn’t be able to go. I’d be rock hard, you should know that.”

She gasped as he sat back and winked. That point definitely went to the boys.

He held her hand as she stood. Tyler immediately took her hand and the leash from Thomas.

Tyler patted his lap and she sat, happy to put her arm around his neck. She was used to being this close to him, but this was different, raw and sensual.

Thomas returned a few minutes later with a plate of food. “Eddie and Pete went all out again, as usual.”

“I would expect no less, dear Thomas.” He glanced at the plate, then at Nevvie.

She decided to play it back to them. “I’m hungry, Master.” Her eyes never wavered from Tyler.

“Then let’s take care of that shall we, my little slave?”

Tyler dredged a carrot stick through ranch dressing before holding it to her lips, Thomas closely watching. She touched the tip of her tongue to the carrot stick, teasing it in Tyler’s hand before slowly running her lips along it. She sucked the dressing off, drawing a low, hungry moan from Tyler, then used her lips to pull the snack from his fingers and completely into her mouth.

Both men stared, slack-jawed. When she finished chewing she met Tyler’s eyes. “Does that please you, Master?”

Tyler nodded, stunned. “That pleases me very much,” he hoarsely whispered.

Game, set, and match.

Hah! Teach them how it feels for a change.

She turned her gaze to Thomas. “Master, may I have another?”

The men dumbly nodded, and Thomas’ hand trembled slightly as she repeated the process. Again she asked, “May I have another, Master?”

The men alternated feeding her. Not just carrot sticks, although she imagined if they’d had a truckload of them they would have gladly watched her fellate each morsel till hell froze over. At one point she sucked a little crab dip off Tyler’s finger, then gently caught Thomas’ thumb in her teeth, and ran her tongue over it.

Neither man spoke, apparently too entranced to form vowels, much less coherent words.

Her pussy throbbed, and when she shifted position in Tyler’s lap she felt his hard bulge against her leg.

Bet they’d have some interesting noises coming from their bedroom later. Hmm. Maybe once she knew they were at it she could sneak outside their door and wank off in the hall.

That was a deliciously naughty thought.

She asked for a drink. Thomas’ hands trembled slightly as he held the straw. Then she leaned back in Tyler’s lap and smiled. “Thank you, Master. I’m full.”

She’d never had one, much less two men fawning over her. Tyler hadn’t lied—she was fully out of her funk and enjoying every minute.

Time to push the envelope. It’s what they wanted, right? “Am I being a good little slave?”

Two heads bobbed, their eyes never leaving her.

“Am I pleasing my masters?”

Again they nodded.

After a long moment, Thomas noticed the empty plate in his hand. “I’ll…uh…go throw this away.” When he stood, she didn’t miss his sizeable bulge.

Ty’s arm tightened around her waist while his other hand now rested on her thigh. She shifted position and placed his hand higher on her leg, so his fingers brushed between her thighs.

“Shouldn’t Master have his hand there?”

His eyes burned with an intensity she’d never seen. “That’s a good little slave,” he uttered in a choked whisper. “That pleases me.”

That point went to her.

She grinned and leaned close. “Frankly, Master, your little slave will have a very hard time getting to sleep tonight. You were right. This is fun.” His fingers twitched against the fabric of her panties, and she fought the urge to moan. Great, rape her friend on the couch at a Halloween party.

But damn, it felt good! He was asking for it.

Thomas returned and started to say something, then grinned when he spied the latest development. He knelt in front of them, one arm around Nevvie’s shoulders and the other resting on Tyler’s.

“Is our slave having fun?” he whispered.

“Yes, Master. A lot of fun.”

Thomas shifted his position and put his hand high on her thigh, his fingers touching Tyler’s. With his eyes boring into hers he asked, “Does our little slave have any other needs we must take care of right now?”

Okay, so that point went to the boys. She shook her head.

His eyes never wavered. “If you do, make sure you tell us, we’ll be happy to oblige. Anything.”

“Very happy to oblige,” Tyler echoed. Then he winked. She gasped, wiggling in his lap to get closer to their hands.

The men smiled and, seeing she was a little too fired up, pulled their hands away.

Tyler whispered into her ear, “Later, my sweet slave. If you’re very good and you ask us properly, maybe that’s a need we can take care of. We did promise you anything.”

He had to be shitting her! Screw later, she wanted it now, before they changed their minds!

Thomas took the leash from Tyler and coaxed her to her feet. With his arm around her shoulder he led her to the patio where quite a few couples danced. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed against him. His arms automatically enveloped her.

“Dance with me, please, Master. You’ve never danced with me.”

Thomas nodded. They stood off to the side and swayed in time to the music, grinding against each other.

He pulled his cape around her. With little more than her feet and head visible, she whispered, “Do you like dancing with your slave?” She smiled when his cock twitched. “I’m assuming that’s a yes?” Point to her.

He softly growled in her ear, “This is payback for all the teasing I’ve put you through, isn’t it?”

“No, Master. This is your little slave wanting to be everything you want her to be.” She rotated her hips, feeling his reaction through his skin-tight pants and her practically non-existent costume. One of his hands skirted down her back, cupping her ass, pulling her closer.

“Goddamn, girl!” he muttered.

Tyler could thank her later for priming Thomas’ pump.

They slow danced like that for ten minutes before Tyler caught up with them. He stepped close behind her, embracing them. His granite bulge rubbed the cleft in her cheeks through the cape.

“So how is our little slave enjoying the party?” he whispered in her ear.

She tipped her head back. “Very much, Master.” She bucked her hips in a sexy roll she knew he’d feel along every inch of his throbbing cock.

Tyler skimmed his hands down the cape and found her hips, his fingers clamping around them and using the leverage to seductively grind against her backside.

“I want to see you dance with him, sugar,” Thomas growled. “Show me how hot you danced in New York.”

She gasped, shocked.

Thomas wore a playful smile. She studied his eyes for any hint of jealousy and found none.

“Of course he told me,” Thomas murmured. “I wish I’d been there to see it. God, I bet the two of you were sexy.”

Point to the boys. If Tyler had told him about their dance…

Tyler nuzzled her ear. “Yes, my sweet slave, he told me about the bike trip. We don’t keep secrets from each other.” He ran his tongue from her ear to her shoulder, where he kissed her. “Especially not about you.”

Screw getting them drunk, she’d have to get herself drunk. They couldn’t be serious, could they? They were gay! What the hell was going on?

She never knew a person could be this horny and not die, so bad it hurt, throbbing, cramping waves of need pulsating from her clit through her lower belly. She’d never tease a guy about blue balls again if this was a fraction of what it felt like.

“Dance with him, Nev,” Thomas ordered. Steamy, dark, burning passion reflected from his sweet brown eyes. Was this her playful Thomas? This man looked like he wanted to fuck her right there, and maybe would if there weren’t quite so many people around.

Like he looked in Ft.Myers.

A cool draft brushed her flesh as Thomas dropped the cape and stepped away. He handed the leash to Tyler, who took her hand and led her through the crowd to the DJ.

Tyler leaned in and said something to the DJ, then stepped to the middle of the large patio, pulling her to him. She felt the leash in his left palm as he laced his fingers through hers.

“Don’t let go of my hand,” he squeezed her right hand, pressing the leash into her flesh, “because I don’t want to choke you, right?”

As the music started, his other hand gripped her waist, his fingers scorching hot on her bare skin.

He nudged her, picking up the time, and caught her eyes. “Give us everything you’ve got, love,” he whispered. “Don’t hold back.”

As in New York, he didn’t need to tell her which dance.

Nevvie occasionally felt the leash brush her arm, but unless he was spinning her she kept her eyes on his.

The throbbing ache coursing through her pussy spread as liquid fire through her body. She danced for Tyler—and Thomas. Knowing he also watched her, she danced even harder than she had in New York.

* * *

Pete stood next to Thomas and watched.

“Aren’t they great together?” Thomas asked.

“Fuck, Tommy, I need a goddamn cigarette watching that, and I haven’t smoked in ten years.”

“I’m hoping it gets even hotter later.”

“As worked up as she is you boys could probably fuck her right here in front of everyone and she’d beg for it.”

Thomas reddened. “That obvious, huh?”

Pete shook his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“You don’t understand, Pete. We love her.”

“Funny, most guys would settle for a romantic dinner or a card, not dirty dancing on my fucking patio.”

“Tell me that’s not a beautiful sight.”

Pete blew out a long breath as Tyler and Nevvie cha cha cha’d in a tight, erotic circle while the other partygoers cheered and hooted their approval. “I’d be lying if I did. They look good.” He patted Thomas on the shoulder and leaned in close. “Tommy, remember, three’s a crowd. The asshole that coined the phrase probably had a good reason. You guys have been together a long time. Ask yourself if she’s worth risking that.”

Pete walked away. Tommy watched his lover and his love dance together. They were sexy, as if they had danced for years, like they’d loved each other for years. Tyler had dropped all illusions. His desire for Nevvie screamed in every move, every nuance of gesture.

Tom’s cock throbbed. Seeing their unmasked passion for the first time made him want her all the more. She looked like she did on their bike trip—filled with raw, basic need. Had she ever felt like that about anyone before them?

He suspected the answer was no.

Pete didn’t understand. They would make her happy, be everything she needed. Tyler could be her brainy guy, he’d be her tough guy. No one would ever hurt her again, not with the two of them protecting her. They could and would give her anything she wanted, make her happy, take care of her. Hadn’t she suffered enough in her life?

* * *

The music faded away, Nevvie’s throbbing pulse the only sound in her ears. There were no other people in her world except her boys—Tyler dancing with her, Thomas watching. She danced for them, feeling Tyler’s movements and keeping time not from the song but with his body. She danced closer, grinding against him, hoping Thomas enjoyed what he saw. For tonight, screw the consequences. They were her masters and they wanted her to dance for them.

She’d dance her ass off.

When the song ended Tyler pulled her to him while everyone went wild with applause. She thought he’d kiss her but he wrapped his arms around her and held her, breathing heavy, his heart pounding against her flesh.

Thomas stepped behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around them, his hard bulge pressing into her back. His low, growling voice in her ear electrified her. “That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said.

She leaned back and tipped her head to look at him. “Did I please my masters?” she panted, still trying to catch her breath.

Tyler kissed her throat. “Sweetheart,” he breathed, “you’re everything we ever wanted.”

Thomas stepped away and took her other hand. They left the porch for the quieter living room, Tyler bashfully accepting praise and slaps on the back from others as they threaded their way through people. No doubt his friends never saw that side of him. He was back to quiet Tyler, friendly and nice, not a sexy dancing machine.

They found a secluded corner away from others. Thomas gathered them close, an arm around each. “It’s time we head home,” he said, his eyes on Nevvie.

She couldn’t read his emotion. Desire, certainly. Need, absolutely—and something else. She hadn’t gone too far, had she?

Nevvie gasped when his mouth brushed hers, feeling the tip of his tongue trace her lips, making her shiver. “You were amazing, sugar.” He turned to Tyler. “And you…” He kissed his lover, long, deeply, and she wanted to push between them and feel their lips on hers.

As if sensing her state Tyler kissed her on the lips. “Anything,” he murmured.

Thomas left to find their hosts and say good night while Tyler’s eyes silently burned into hers.

Yeah, a couple of straight shots of bourbon might knock her out quick. She couldn’t stand the thought of listening to them make love one room over and not being a part of it. She could pound a couple back and lay down on the couch with the TV on, drowning out any sounds until she passed out.

Of course, another need now pushed its annoying way to the front.

Blushing, she whispered, “I’ve got to go to the bathroom.”

Tyler smiled and without a word led her through the house. She thought he’d unclip the leash at the door and wait, but he followed her inside and locked the door, then pulled her to him for a deep kiss, long and tender.

How the fuck could he do this to her? He was gay, for chrissake! A tiny part of her was upset that they knew this wouldn’t go any further, no matter what they said. But only a tiny part. Tyler would never try to hurt her. Neither would Thomas. They were trying to make her feel good, feel needed, she understood that. They were still guys and as such didn’t understand that it was almost worse this way.

Could she label them cunt teasers? How about that for equality?

Tyler released her. “Go ahead. I won’t peek.”

She tried to regain the advantage. “What if I want you to?”

His smile tied her heart and soul in knots. He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead, back to sweet Tyler. “The evening’s not over yet.”

He turned, still holding the leash.

She pulled down her pants and watched him in the mirror. He didn’t peek, his knuckles white as he wrapped his fingers around the edge of the sink. In the mirror she noticed his cock tightly outlined by his trousers. He looked large.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to still her heart. She finished then stepped to his side to wash her hands, their eyes meeting in the mirror. How could she live years with them like this? So close, but they might as well be a million miles away, with the constant undercurrent of desire and attraction between them.

How many damn vibrators would she wear out?

Yet she couldn’t imagine being anywhere but with them, even if it meant torturing herself. Somehow, she would deal with it. She couldn’t lose them.

His blue eyes shifted from passion to worry. “You all right?”

She nodded, letting him envelop her in a hug.

“Trust me,” he whispered into her hair. “Please, my love, trust me.”

Trust him to do what? Keep her perpetually horny for the next gazillion years?

Thomas waited by the front door. They held her hands as they led her back to the truck.

Chapter 17

They didn’t speak on the ride home, each absorbed in an erotic cloud of feelings and letting the party soak into their memory. Tyler held her leash, his left hand resting on her upper thigh. When Thomas didn’t have his hand on the gearshift he had it on her other leg. She scooted her hips forward on the seat a little and spread her legs as far as she could without interfering with Thomas’ ability to drive, hoping they would take her up on her invitation.

The men frequently looked at her and each other, the passion painted on their faces mirroring her own. Maybe she could talk them into taking her to bed, just for tonight. She was uncomfortably, achingly desperate to feel more than her own fingers.

Maybe this once they’d make an exception?

In their driveway Tyler offered his hand, helping her from the truck. Thomas took the leash and hooked his arm through hers. In the living room, Tyler nodded to Thomas.

Nevvie realized unless she did something quick that the night—and her fantasy—would end.

Thomas stepped behind her while Tyler took her hands. “You were breathtaking tonight,” he whispered. “Truly, absolutely marvelous. Did you have a good time?”

“Yes, Master, I had a good time.”

“You don’t have to play any longer if you don’t wish to.”

She squeezed his hands. “But I do wish.”

“Go ahead, Tom. Take it off.”

Thomas touched the collar. She yanked her hands free from Tyler’s and clamped them to the back of her neck, preventing Thomas from getting to the buckle. Both men froze.

She finally worked up the nerve. “I promised my masters twenty-four hours of my time. It hasn’t been twenty-four hours yet.”

Thomas spoke near her ear. “Sweetie, we don’t expect you to—”

“Please.” She met Tyler’s eyes. “You promised you’d take care of my every need tonight,” she whispered, struggling not to cry at the thought of sleeping alone. She admitted it. She wasn’t strong enough to do this. She needed them, would beg and plead if she had to. Fuck, groveling looked like a damn good option, if necessary. “My masters promised their little slave. You told me to trust you. I trust you, both of you.”

Tyler’s gaze never wavered. He took her hands again. “Nevvie,” he said, “we have a confession to make.”

Confused, she didn’t reply.

He continued. “Thomas and I are not gay, love. We’re bisexual.”

As his words sank in she looked at Thomas. He nodded. “That’s right, sugar.” One corner of his mouth curled in a playful smile. “As if you couldn’t guess.”

Tyler spoke, recapturing her eyes as she struggled to absorb this new information. “We have been attracted to you since the first day we met you. We were afraid to tell you for fear of making you uncomfortable.”

Dare she hope? “You’re not teasing?”

Both men shook their heads.

“You’re not gay?”

Again they shook their heads.

She stared into Tyler’s eyes then looked at Tom for a long agonizing moment before deciding to step off the cliff, praying they caught her. She put an arm around Tyler’s neck, her other hand finding Thomas and pulling him against her back.

The men put their arms around her and she looked into Tyler’s eyes. “Will my masters take care of my every need tonight?”

“We promised you anything,” Tyler said. “We meant it.”

Thomas ran his lips along the nape of her neck, making her shiver. He placed his lips to her ear and whispered, “Any need our sweet little slave has.”

She closed her eyes. “If I want to say no to anything?”

“Absolutely,” Tyler assured her.

“I’ve never…you know…in my ass. I’m not ready to do that.”

Tyler pressed against her, pushing her into Thomas. She felt their hard erections. “We will never force you to do anything, sweetheart. Ever. If we wish to do that, we always have each other.”

She wiggled her hips and both men groaned.

She could have both her sweet love gods tonight and they wanted her!

This was too good to be true. What was the downside? “What happens in the morning?” she asked. “After this. What next?”

Tyler stroked her cheek. “We are at your beck and call, love. We will do whatever you want. Perhaps you didn’t understand. When we’ve told you we love you, we meant it the same way you did.”

Her heart pounded in her chest. Thomas had worked his way across her shoulders to her other ear and was still nibbling.

Tyler spoke again. “We love you. It broke our hearts when Alex attacked you. We will never hurt you, sweetheart. We want you to be a part of our life in all ways.”

Nevvie couldn’t catch her breath. “In all ways?”

Tyler nodded. “In all ways. We don’t mean a night or a weekend. For as long as you’ll have us, but it must be both of us.” The men froze, and she realized they waited for her to speak.

“Yes. Please.”

Every muscle tensed, her skin on fire from the heat of their bodies and Thomas’ lips on her flesh. She kissed Tyler and heard his hungry moan, his tongue and hers dancing, exploring. Thomas wrapped his arms around both of them and gently nipped her neck.

Forget throbbing, her sex ached from need and desire. Tyler broke their kiss and slowly worked his way down her body with his lips while Thomas held her against his chest. She closed her eyes as she tipped her head back and Tom’s lips found hers, eagerly devouring her with hungry, possessive need.

Tyler removed her sandals, then slid her costume bottom off and caressed her legs. He held her hips and she felt his hot breath against her wet slit. Her knees trembled. If Thomas wasn’t holding her, she’d collapse. Then Tyler’s tongue, soft and gentle, a light tease from the top of her folds down as far as he could reach.

“Ohhh!” she whimpered, sucking harder on Thomas’ tongue, spreading her legs for Tyler.

“Did you like that, little slave?” Tyler asked.

She made a sound she hoped they knew meant, “Hell yes!”

“She’s beautiful,” Tyler whispered, one finger carefully spreading her. She loudly moaned into Tom’s mouth as Tyler’s words set her on fire. “You should feel her, Thomas, she’s very, very wet.”

Thomas broke their kiss. “Why don’t you give our little slave a reward right now, Tyler? She was so good tonight. Then she’ll be able to focus on what else she wants to do.”

“Hmm. That’s a good idea.” Tyler licked her again. She shivered, every nerve in her body screaming for release. Thomas held her tightly as Tyler set to work, running his tongue up and down her clit to her pussy, where he slowly worked two fingers into her.

No longer capable of coherent speech, Nevvie threw her head back against Tom’s shoulder, closed her eyes, and moaned. Tyler’s lips and tongue scorched her, branding her as theirs. She gave in to the pleasure, desperately in need of release.

Nothing had ever felt this good, this right. Tyler drew tight circles with his tongue around her clit, then gently wrapped his lips around it, lightly sucking. As her climax rocked her she screamed, grabbing his hair and grinding her hips in time with his motions as he kept her coming and coming for what felt like hours.

When her knees finally failed her, Thomas scooped her into his arms. Tyler stood and leaned in, kissing Thomas.

Thomas moaned. “Damn, she tastes good!”

Tyler licked his lips and touched his lover’s cheek. “You’ll get your turn soon enough.” He unsnapped the leash. “Do you want your collar off or on, sweetheart?”

“On.”

She was recovering from the sensation, her body covered by a fine sheen of moisture as Thomas gently laid her on their bed. Tyler kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, throwing a leg around him.

He laughed. “Did you like that, my sweet little slave?”

“Yes, Master.”

Thomas stretched out on her other side and slid his hand under her top, gently massaging her breast. “I think our little slave should get completely naked.”

Tyler helped remove her top. The men gasped, each bending to take a breast in their mouth, running their tongues around her nipples and drawing soft mewing sounds from her. She put an arm around each head, clasping them to her, tangling her fingers in their hair, praying this wasn’t a dream. Or if it was a dream that she never woke up. Their mouths on her soon had her pussy aching again, throbbing, begging for relief.

Both men were still dressed. Thomas lifted his head from her left breast. “I want to taste you next, little slave.”

All she could do was nod. Tyler took her left breast in his hand, gently rolling her nipple between his fingers while still suckling her right. Thomas kissed down her belly and shifted position to lay between her legs, driving his tongue into her throbbing sex, fucking her with it.

She arched her back and spread her legs wider, giving him full access. This couldn’t be happening! Then he slipped two fingers into her and nibbled on her clit, and as she felt the build-up to her next climax she sobbed with need. His touch was different than Tyler’s, and still so hot and perfect it wasn’t long before she cried out as the next wave hit, leaving her shaking and trembling on the bed.

Tyler took her into his arms and kissed her as she gasped for air. “Did our little slave like that?”

She nodded.

“Would our little slave like us to fuck her?”

“Yes!”

Then Tyler bent to her ear and softly whispered, “Have you been taking the Pill?”

She nodded.

He nuzzled her ear, his voice low. “Tom and I haven’t been with anyone else since we’ve been together. We’re clean, but if you wish, we will use condoms.”

He wouldn’t lie to her. “No.” If there was no risk she wanted to feel her men, wanted them to totally possess her.

“Very good, sweetheart.” He cradled her against his chest. She reached behind her and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. Thomas sat up and looked at Tyler.

“Go ahead, Thomas. I think we have a very ready slave who’s dying to feel us inside her.”

Thomas stood and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “Sugar, I’m going to enjoy this so much,” he said. She shivered in Tyler’s arms as he held her.

“Our Thomas has a wonderful cock,” Tyler murmured in her ear. “Believe me, love, he knows how to use it. I can’t wait for you to feel it.”

She’d seen Thomas bare-chested plenty of times, but knowing his bare chest was about to be pressed against her bare chest intensified her aching need. Lean muscles rippled as he dropped his shirt to the floor. Sparse, curly hair dusted his chest and a thin line of dark hair started under his navel and disappeared beneath his waistband. How many times had she fantasized what he looked like down there?

Thomas opened his pants and as he slid them down, his hard cock sprang free. She moaned. Christ, he was beautiful!

He spread her thighs, kneeling between them, rubbing his swollen head between her legs from her clit to her ready entrance and back. “Do you want to feel me inside you?”

She nodded, clinging to Tyler. “Yes, Master, I want to feel you inside me.”

He placed his large head against her and leaned forward, his hands on the bed on either side of her.

Tyler nibbled on her neck. “Do you want him to fuck you, sweetheart?”

“Please fuck me, Master!”

He pushed in a little, and both groaned. “Jesus, Nevvie, you’re so tight! God Tyler, she’s wet and she’s so tight. Damn!” He slid a little further, not wanting to hurt her, taking his time. Thomas kissed Tyler, then her, sliding in more. “Damn, she’s so hot, Ty.”

“Fuck her well, Thomas,” Tyler said, slipping a hand between her legs, his fingers playing with her clit. “She’s been very good tonight.”

“Do that again. Her whole pussy throbbed when you did that.”

Tyler kissed her neck while he stroked her clit. “Do you like that?”

“Uh huh!” She didn’t care what they did to her. Between Tyler’s mouth and hands and her extremely full pussy, she was beyond reason. She’d never been with someone as large as Thomas before, and he stretched her in an incredibly erotic way.

Thomas gave one last, gentle thrust. “Jesus, I’m all the way in. I won’t last long, not as tight as she is. See if you can make her come again.” He gently massaged her breasts, rolling her rock-hard nipples in his fingers as Tyler kissed and licked her neck and played with her clit.

“Come for me Nev,” Tyler whispered in her ear. “Come for me, my sweet, beautiful angel. Show us what we do to you.”

She cried out, sobbing, arching against Tyler, her fingers digging into the back of his neck. Thomas started thrusting, trying to come with her. She was beyond trying to thrust back, unable to do little more than lay there and enjoy it.

He gave a final, hard, deep stroke. “Oh, God, baby!”

He fell forward, throbbing inside her, collapsing on her with his head between her breasts. She wrapped her arms and legs around him. Nevvie kissed Tyler, deeply, longingly. Even overwhelmed she knew she wanted him inside her, too.

Soon.

Panting, Thomas kissed her between her breasts and pushed up. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

She broke her kiss with Tyler and smiled. “No, you didn’t hurt me, Master.”

“Oh, baby girl, you are amazing!” Thomas pulled her to him, hugging her. “We love you, Nevvie. Really and truly.”

“I love both of you, too,” she said.

Tyler nibbled the back of her neck, tracing her spine down to her hips with his tongue, making her shiver.

Thomas whispered in her ear, “I think it’s time Master Tyler gets to sample you, darlin.”

“Uh huh!”

Thomas released her and took up where Tyler left off, cradling her in his arms, his fingers lightly stroking her, his lips teasing the sensitive spot behind her ear. Tyler stood and unbuttoned his shirt. Both men were fit, but where lean angles and hard edges defined Thomas’ body, Tyler’s trim and compact form spoke of a softer sensuality, yet still hinted at his years playing soccer. Where Thomas was darker curls, Tyler’s body hair grew fine and straight and soft, just enough to make her want to kiss him all over.

His eyes burned into hers as he dropped his shirt to the floor. “Nevvie, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.”

Nevvie gasped when he dropped his pants. Almost as large as Thomas, he was still larger than anyone else she’d been with. He was nearly as long but not quite as thick, and his cock stood rigid and ready.

She relaxed against Thomas while Tyler lifted her legs to his shoulders, kissing first one ankle then the other. “I’m going to make love to you, sweetheart. I’m going to come deep inside you, and then our sweet little slave will have been well and truly taken by her masters.”

She couldn’t look away from his eyes, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her heart afire. These two men were so different and yet owned her so completely.

“Please fuck me, Master!”

He easily slid inside. Both moaned as he deeply plundered her, pressing into her thighs and at that angle bottoming out in a way Thomas hadn’t. His eyes locked onto hers and he slowly thrust, taking his time, giving a little extra push at the end of each stroke. “You’re so hot, Nevvie, you’re like sliding into an oven.”

Thomas kissed Tyler. “Isn’t that the greatest feeling in the world?”

Tyler nodded, capturing her eyes again. “You’re all ours, aren’t you?”

She nodded, his gaze filling her soul.

“You belong to us, don’t you, Nevvie?” Tyler asked.

She nodded.

“You’re our sweet, beautiful girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes!”

Thomas stroked her clit and she didn’t think she’d ever come again, but Tyler’s eyes and words had drawn her close to release. As Thomas’ fingers brought her to the edge, Tyler leaned forward a little, gaining even more depth. It felt like he was in her throat he plunged so deep, and damn it felt great! She’d never felt this kind of sensation before, ever. If this was sex then she’d never had sex before, because no one had ever ignited her the way these two men did.

No one had ever made love to her before.

Tyler’s eyes smoldered with an intensity she never dreamed possible. “Nevvie, do you love us?”

“Yes!”

“If we promise to take care of your every need, will you stay with us forever?”

“Yes!”

He picked up the tempo, sensing she was close. “We love you. Will you be ours and ours alone? The three of us together, and no one else?”

“Yes,” she sobbed. “Please take me, make me yours. Ah!” She arched against Thomas as she came, her eyes locked on Tyler.

Tyler moaned as his climax hit. With two hard thrusts he cried out, closing his eyes as he throbbed inside her. She felt him coming, hot liquid mixing inside with her and Thomas’ juices, and when he finally collapsed on her she wrapped her arms around him, still sobbing into Thomas’ neck as he hugged her to him.

Tyler pushed up and kissed the base of her throat, her chin, then kissed Thomas. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“Are you all right?” Tyler asked.

“Do you mean it?”

Tyler lay next to her, and the men cradled her between them. “Yes,” Thomas said. “We mean it. If you want us. If you’ll have us—both of us.”

“Please, yes!”

The men held her, whispering to her, gently stroking her arms. They wanted her.

They loved her.

As she drifted to sleep between them they looked at each other, smiling. They leaned in and kissed. She wanted—loved—them.

All three slept.

Chapter 18

Nevvie awoke sometime in the night feeling comfortably sore and well-fucked.

Wow, what a dream! She stretched and froze when her foot touched someone else. She glanced over her shoulder. Thomas lay behind her. In the darkness she made out Tyler on his side, facing her.

Then she felt something around her neck and reached up, finding the collar.

She sat up. It really happened!

Used to listening for her nightmares, her gasp woke the men.

Tyler touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Did we…?”

He caught her hand and kissed it. “You’re not dreaming.”

Thomas kissed her between the shoulders. “We’re all yours.”

They held her, reassuring her. She started laughing.

“I’m sorry,” she eventually managed.

Tyler kissed her, a real kiss with lips and tongue and teeth and passion. He left her gasping for breath, her heart racing. “Never apologize for showing your emotions. We love you. You can always talk to us.”

Thomas’s lips brushed her neck. When she turned he kissed her, differently, but as passionate as Tyler, his hand gently cupping the back of her head. “We love you, Nevvie. You’ve had us wrapped around your finger forever, it feels like. We’ll do anything to make you happy.”

“Please don’t tell me tomorrow morning this is going to end. Don’t mess with me like that.”

Tyler reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. He cradled her chin in his hands and met her eyes. “Sweetheart, have we ever lied to you?”

She shook her head.

“Then believe us. We find you sexy and attractive, and we love you.”

Thomas hugged her. “Nevvie, we love you. As in we are in love with you. We want to make love to you. We won’t share you with anyone else.”

Tyler still cupped her chin. “I know it’s an odd little arrangement, but if it doesn’t bother you it certainly doesn’t bother us. Sweetheart, you own our hearts. Thomas and I love you the way he and I love each other.”

Her tears flowed but she smiled and fell forward against him. “I can be with you every night?”

“Hey, we don’t want you only for sex, sugar,” Thomas teased. “Of course, if you’re in the mood for a quickie at work—”

She gently elbowed him and laughed. “I don’t want people thinking I got the job because I’m sleeping with the boss.”

“Hey, you were sleeping with the boss. Just not having sex.”

She looked at Tyler and studied his eyes for a long moment. “This won’t mess up what you two have?”

“No. We didn’t plan to fall in love with you, but everything worked out so perfectly. All we ask is that you’re honest with us, talk to us. We will do the same. There will be times one of us wants you alone for a while. Or we might want to be alone. Or you might want to be alone.”

“No chance of that!”

Both men laughed, but Tyler looked her in the eye again. “Seriously, never hesitate to tell us if you’re not in the mood. Or if you wish to be alone with one of us, or by yourself, feel free to speak up. The only way this will work is if we’re open with each other.”

“I can sleep with you every night?”

“Sleep sleep, or sex sleep?” Thomas asked.

She smiled. “Both.”

Tyler laughed. “Sweetheart, we would love for you to be in our bed every night, if that’s what you want.”

She looked at Thomas. “You’ll still make love to each other, right?”

He winked. “Try to stop us.”

She studied her hands. The men let the silence lay between them until she spoke again. “If you’re sure this won’t mess up you guys…and if you’re not screwing with my head…okay. I never thought this dream would come true.”

They enveloped her with another hug. “Sugar,” Thomas said, “all we ask is honesty. Don’t cheat on us, we won’t cheat on you.”

“You won’t have to worry about that,” she assured them.

Tyler grinned. “I bloody well hope not. If the two of us can’t keep you happy then we’re doing something seriously wrong.”

She leaned forward and kissed him again, deeply, then dropped her voice to a sultry purr. “It would make your little slave happy to be fucked by her masters again.”

Tyler’s eyes widened. He instantly rolled her onto her back, entering her, plunging balls deep inside her wet heat. She wrapped her legs around him and met each thrust, knowing she wouldn’t come this time but happy to feel him inside her after months of fantasies.

Thomas leaned over and swept his tongue across hers, gently massaging her breasts, playing with her nipples and making them hard. “How’s it feel? Tell me how it feels to have him fuck you.”

She met his eyes. “It feels great, Master. He fucks me so good!”

Thomas kissed her possessively, exploring and tasting. Then he sat up and leaned in to Tyler. “Tell me how she feels.” He caressed Tyler’s backside and Tyler gasped.

“Oh, love, she’s amazing! She’s snug and wet and beautiful.”

Thomas kissed him and nipped his earlobe. “Then come for me. Show me how good she feels.”

With a cry Tyler plunged deeper still and she felt him coming. She wrapped her arms around him, stroking his back as he shuddered inside her. She pulled him to her chest as he gasped for breath while Thomas wrapped an arm around him, cradling both of them.

Tyler lifted his head and kissed Nevvie, then Thomas, and pushed his weight off her. “Are you all right, love?”

She smiled. “I’m fine, Master.”

Tyler chuckled. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to play that if you don’t wish to.”

“But I do wish to.” She looked at Thomas. “I think my other Master should fuck me, too.”

Thomas grinned and pounced, easily slipping inside her. He took his time, long, sensuous strokes, kissing her breasts and neck. Tyler curled next to her, her head resting on his arm.

“How’s he feel?”

She gasped. “Amazing, Master.”

Tyler tenderly kissed her, his lips nibbling hers. “Do you think you could come again for your masters, sweetheart?”

“Maybe in the morning.”

“Did we wear you out?” Tyler asked.

“A little.” She smiled. “But it feels great to be fucked like this.”

Thomas leaned forward and gently suckled one breast, then the other. “It feels great to fuck you like this.”

Tyler wrapped an arm around Thomas. “Tell me, love.”

Thomas closed his eyes. “Damn, she’s so tight. If I go too fast, I’ll explode.”

Tyler sat up and reached under Thomas and massaged his balls. “You like that, don’t you?”

Thomas picked up speed. “Yeah, don’t stop. God that’s fantastic!”

Tyler looked at Nevvie and held her eyes with his. Then he winked.

“Come for me, Thomas,” he said, his gaze never wavering from Nevvie. “Fuck our beautiful, sweet angel—”

“Oh, God!” Thomas thrust, moaning, and Tyler held him as he came. She stroked his arms then pulled him to her when he finished, cradling him like she’d held Tyler.

Tyler kissed Thomas then curled beside them, his arm still across Tom’s back.

Thomas finally extricated himself from their embrace. “Doesn’t seem fair you didn’t get to come that time, sugar.”

“Considering I fell asleep on you before, don’t worry.” She snuggled against Thomas and pulled Tyler to her, his head resting on her breasts. “Someone turn out the light so I can get back to that wonderful dream I’m stuck in. What time is it, anyway?”

Thomas reached for the lamp. “Almost five.”

She sighed, content. “Will my masters let me spend the day in bed with them?”

“Damn straight,” Thomas said.

* * *

They awoke around seven. Tyler put his robe on and went to make the coffee and get the paper. Nevvie went to freshen up. When Tyler returned to the bedroom, Thomas had Nevvie on top of him, his hands wrapped around her hips, bouncing her up and down on his shaft.

“Starting without me, are we?” Tyler smiled.

“I’m just warming her up.”

Tyler dropped his robe and climbed in bed behind Nevvie, massaging her breasts. She moaned and relaxed, kissing him while Thomas reached between her legs and found her clit. Between the two men she started trembling, and in a few minutes Thomas moaned as she came.

“Jesus, Tyler! God she’s squeezing my cock!”

“Then fuck her well, my love.” She leaned forward. Thomas rolled her onto her back, burying his cock deep inside her, the bed shaking as he thrust.

Tyler bent down behind Thomas and wrapped his lips around his balls.

“Ah, fuck!” With a last, gasping cry he thrust into her, shaking at the force of his climax before falling on his side, gasping.

Tyler patted him on the ass. “I take it you liked that.”

Thomas laughed and rolled onto his back. “Holy crap, that was amazing!” He kissed Nevvie. “You’re a dream come true, sugar.”

“So I please my masters?”

Both men grinned. “Hell yes!”

Thomas excused himself as Tyler stretched out next to her. “How do you feel?”

She smiled and rolled on top of him. “Horny.”

She enjoyed watching his face as she slowly sank his full length into her, so deep it felt like he almost slid inside her womb. Even though Thomas was larger, Tyler fit her differently, able to go deeper.

She leaned forward and kissed him while he put his hands on her hips, gently gripping her. She took long, languorous strokes, enjoying the way he stretched her.

She brushed the hair from his eyes and felt their connection take hold.

“Are you okay with this?” she asked.

She noted his split-second of hesitation before he nodded.

She froze, looking into his eyes. “Tyler,” she whispered, “are you really okay with this?”

He caressed her face. “If I can have the two people I love most on the face of this planet by my side all the time, then I could never ask for anything more.”

“That’s not answering my question.”

He smiled. “You and I are alike in many ways, you know that?”

“That’s why I know you haven’t answered my question.”

He crooked his finger and she leaned forward. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and whispered in her ear, “You and Thomas are my world. I would never do anything to hurt either of you. As long as I never lose the two of you then yes, I am really okay with this.”

“I love both of you, but differently. Does that make sense?”

“You meet needs in us that the other cannot. You enjoy things with him that I don’t, and you complete me in a way he cannot. You have made us whole in a way that we never knew we were incomplete before. I’d be a bloody idiot to give this up.”

She kissed him. “The brain and the biker.”

He laughed and laced his fingers through hers, prompting her to sit up. “Yes, my sweet. Lace and leather, as it were.”

She slowly rolled her hips and he looked into her eyes. “I love you, Nevvie,” he whispered. “I love you so much. Please don’t ever leave me—us.”

“As a wise man once said, I’d be a bloody idiot to give this up.”

He squeezed her hands and as she stared into his eyes she glimpsed a part of his soul that she normally didn’t see, without his defenses and snark, without his humor and safeguards to keep others out. She knew he already gave her access others, including Thomas, didn’t have, but now she felt she was a part of him. She also confirmed what she’d long suspected. Tom might be younger and defer to him in many ways, but Tyler was the more fragile of the two, emotionally and spiritually.

Thomas laughed from the bathroom doorway. “That’s a gorgeous sight.”

Tyler’s eyes never left hers. “Why don’t you come get a closer look, lover?”

The fire in those two deep, blue pools took her breath away. She squeezed his hands tightly, enjoying it when he squeezed back.

She felt the bed dip as Thomas rejoined them. He knelt behind her and cradled her against his chest, one hand alternately tweaking her nipples and the other sliding between her damp folds, caressing her. While his touch jump-started her climb toward release, Tyler’s eyes held her and carried her there.

“Come for me,” Tyler whispered while Thomas kissed the back of her neck. “Come for me, my beautiful angel.”

She didn’t want to look away but as the men brought her over again she closed her eyes and rested her head against Thomas’ shoulder. Tyler groaned as her muscles squeezed him, and his hands tightened on hers.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he encouraged. “Ride it out.”

His voice finished her. She let out a primal moan of passion and pleasure. She caught her breath and leaned forward, kissing him, then started bucking her hips as she recaptured his eyes.

“Come for me, Master,” she whispered. “Come for your little slave.”

“Oh, God!” Tyler grabbed her hips and thrust hard. She felt something brush her backside and realized Thomas had reached between Tyler’s legs and stroked his sac, sending him into orbit.

She touched Tyler’s cheek, waiting for his eyes to open and settle on hers. He pulled her to him, kissing her.

“My sweet, sweet angel,” he whispered in her ear.

Thomas stretched out next to them. “We keep this up, I won’t be able to walk tomorrow.”

“You’re complaining?” Nevvie asked with a smile.

“No, not complaining. Tyler, she might even manage to wear you out.”

Tyler caressed her thigh. “I think I’m there. I’m totally shattered. This beats back rubs for a wake-up.”

“I think I need coffee and a shower. And a nap,” she added.

“We just got up, sugar.” Thomas grinned. “You need a nap?”

“I had a hard night.”

“Not any harder than us two blokes,” Tyler said with a laugh. “I could have cut diamonds most of the night. Jesus, you were so sexy. Did you have fun?”

“I had a lot of fun, Master.”

Thomas groaned. “Christ, I’m hard again. Nevvie, you can’t use that voice in the office or I’ll be screwing you on the conference table every day.”

Nevvie gave him a sultry wink. “That’s a bad thing?”

“‘Scuse me, Ty, stay right where you are.” Thomas knelt behind her, straddling Tyler’s legs, pushing her onto his chest. She met Tyler’s eyes and laid her head on his shoulder and kissed him.

“Sugar, you have the most beautiful ass on you.” Thomas caressed her backside and lifted her hips where he wanted them. “I’m sorry, darlin, but I’m dying to fuck you like this.” He wasn’t kidding. He was hard.

For a second she worried he meant something else, but his cockhead pressed against her freshly-fucked entrance and she relaxed as he grabbed her hips and slowly sank into her. He stroked her cheeks, massaging them with his strong hands.

“How’s that feel?”

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured, while Tyler caressed her back with feather light strokes. “Wonderful, Master.”

“Damn!” He fucked her, slowly at first but then picking up speed, each stroke harder than the last. “Baby, you are so hot and wet and tight, ah!” She felt his last stroke, harder and deeper than the rest.

The whole time, Tyler stroked her back and murmured in her ear, “Fuck him, baby. Take him, my beautiful sweetheart.”

Tom’s hands tightened on her hips, pulling her against him as he emptied into her. He kissed her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

She looked at him. “Why?”

“Because you didn’t come that time.”

She laughed and pushed off of Tyler. “Hot news flash, you guys have set a new personal record for me.”

“Times in one night?” Thomas joked.

“Times in one year, not counting using my own hand. Don’t feel bad if I don’t make it every time.” She dropped her voice. “Sometimes my masters will need to use their little slave for their satisfaction.”

Both men groaned.

“Darling,” Tyler said, “you’re positively sinister with that voice. Give us a short rest, right?”

“Yeah, Nev,” Thomas agreed. “Holy hell, you’re a dangerous weapon.”

Something surged inside her. These two men wanted her, needed her. She could seduce them with her voice, not even counting what she could do with her body.

Damn, that felt real good.

She kissed Tyler, then Thomas. “All right, I’ll play nice.” She paused. “Until my masters are ready to take me again,” she purred.

“Incorrigible!” Tyler squeezed her hand. “You like that game, I take it?”

“Only because it’s the two of you.”

“We can play any time you like. For now, you can take that off.” He pointed to the collar.

“Don’t you like it?” She’d actually grown accustomed to it.

“Oh, I love it,” Tyler said. “But I damn near chipped a tooth on it.”

“Yeah, rhinestones seemed like a good idea at the time, huh, Ty?” Thomas quipped.

She tipped her head so Thomas could reach the buckle. He removed it, kissing her neck and eliciting another pleasant shiver. “Besides, sugar, you don’t need this to play that game with us. You already know how to get us in the mood.”

She smiled. “I sure do…Master.”

Both men moaned.

* * *

They took a short nap, then all three regrouped in the shower. Nevvie enjoyed the feel of their hands on her, soaping her skin, fingers sliding between her legs and over her breasts. They somehow managed to get out of the shower without making love again, although she noticed both men’s members enticingly twitching.

They cooked breakfast together. Nevvie donned one of Tyler’s chambray shirts, unbuttoned, while the boys wore boxers. Standing between them in the kitchen she turned and punched Thomas in the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?” He rubbed his bicep where she slugged him.

Tyler grinned then she punched his arm, too. “Sweetheart, what’d we do?”

“That’s for keeping me fucking horny all these months. Why the hell didn’t you say anything sooner?”

Tyler quit rubbing his arm and pulled her to him. “Darling, we knew the only way this would work was if you wanted us. Together. After last weekend, and then what happened on the bike trip, the party seemed the perfect opportunity. That way if you didn’t want to take things further, you wouldn’t feel awkward refusing us or changing your mind. Or if it didn’t work out for some reason you could blame the mood of the party. We didn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

She couldn’t resist his damn eyes, recalling all his statements that now made perfect sense. “You’ve felt this for a while.”

Thomas enveloped them in his arms. “Sugar, Tyler and I love each other. We weren’t willing to risk what we had if you didn’t want us. We knew you wanted him, but we weren’t sure you wanted me.”

A wave of guilt washed over her. She assumed Thomas knew how she felt from all the time he’d spent with her.

“Oh, Tommy, I’m sorry.” She hugged him. “I thought you knew. I never meant to make you feel—”

“It’s okay. Obviously you have the hots for me. It’s nice to know for sure.”

She kissed her way down his chest, down his abs, dropping to her knees and pulling his shorts off. He moaned and stepped out of them, leaning against the counter, his hands on her shoulders.

“Let me show you how much I love you, Master, so you know for sure.” He’d been semi-stiff. At her words and tone his cock turned rock hard, and she wrapped her fingers around him, licking the tip of his shaft.

Tyler knelt behind her, holding her hair away from her face. “He loves that. Wrap your lips around the head and swirl your tongue, stroke the ridge with it.”

Tyler’s soft voice in her ear and the feel of his body electrified her. When he wasn’t coaching her he kissed her neck, his other hand gently teasing her nipples, turning them into hard pebbles.

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart,” Tyler cooed as she licked Thomas’ shaft. Thomas moaned, apparently enjoying it. “Cup his balls in your hand. He likes them played with.”

She did, and Tyler’s free hand drifted between her legs, dipping into her to gather moister and play with her now swollen nub.

Nevvie moaned around Thomas’ cock. He groaned. “Jesus, Ty, I’m gonna explode here in a minute.”

“That’s the point, lover.” Tyler returned his attention to Nevvie. “You’re going to swallow every sweet drop, aren’t you, darling?”

She couldn’t talk but took Thomas deeper in her mouth, coaxing more sensual sounds from him. Tyler now had three fingers in her, stroking her, feeling how ready she was. His own cock throbbed as he watched her suck Thomas.

“You’ll feel when he’s about to come because he’ll start making these wonderful new noises, and he’ll usually grab the back of your head.”

“Jesus!” Thomas grabbed her and pistoned his hips, emptying inside her mouth as she sucked every last drop from him.

Nevvie pulled him to her and tried to hump Tyler’s hand while Tyler held her. When he knew Thomas had finished, Tyler pushed her to the floor on her back and slid in, thrusting, his own climax close.

Thomas sank to his knees, reaching between her legs and gently tweaking her swollen clit. “Come for us, sugar,” he growled. “Be a good girl.”

“Ah!” She closed her eyes and arched her back. With one last thrust Tyler finished with her. Panting, sweating, they curled on the cool tile to catch their breath.

Nevvie found her voice first. “You realize we’re going to starve to death like this, right?”

Tyler laughed. “What do you mean, love?”

“We still haven’t eaten breakfast.”

* * *

They spent the day in bed reading, watching TV, and making love. By dinner Nevvie was pleasantly sore and exhausted. It was one of the rare times they ordered a pizza. They ate in bed, naked. As they curled up together before falling into a deep sleep, Nevvie enticingly wiggled her backside against Tyler.

He gently tweaked her breast. “No fair, sweet,” he mumbled. “Give a bloke a chance to recover, right?”

Thomas nuzzled her forehead. “I think you and I might call in tomorrow.”

“I don’t know,” she said, mustering a sleepy smile. “My boss is a hard man.”

“Jesus Christ, Nev. How the hell am I ever gonna get any work done now?”

* * *

Monday morning, Tyler awoke to the pleasant sensation of a mouth swallowing his cock. Without opening his eyes he reached down and found Nevvie between his legs.

She lifted her head from where she’d been having fun. “I wondered how long you’d sleep through it.” She returned to her ministrations.

“Not bloody long…mmm.”

Thomas stretched out against him, kissing him. “Good morning.”

“Mmm.”

“Think you can handle having Nevvie and me around all day today?”

“Mmm hmm.”

Thomas kissed his way down Tyler’s body, taking a few long moments to gently suckle his nipples, then kissed Nevvie’s neck. “Keep doing what you’re doing, sugar. Don’t stop.”

She didn’t, more than happy to oblige.

He continued his journey down the bed to kneel behind her, nudging her hips into position. She started to look back but Tyler tangled his fingers in her hair.

“Please don’t stop love. That’s fantastic.”

His words ignited a fire deep within her. She relaxed, stroking Tyler’s cock with her tongue and lips. He tasted different than Thomas but equally scrumptious. Months of fantasies hadn’t disappointed.

Thomas’ skilled fingers gently explored her, adding to the heat already building inside her body. She spread her legs further and enticingly wiggled her hips.

His deep, rumbling chuckle stoked her passion. “Ah, you know what I like, don’t you, baby girl?”

She gently stroked Tyler’s sac, eliciting another happy moan from him. She loved the feeling of his fingers tangled in her hair, tenderly encouraging her.

Thomas caressed her hips and slid his stiff cock along her slick cleft, eventually pushing home with a satisfied grunt.

“Oh, sugar, damn you’re fantastic!” He carefully stroked his full length into her. He curled his firm body around hers, one arm propping himself up, the other circling her waist and teasing her swollen clit.

“That’s it, take him deep in your throat,” Thomas murmured. “Jesus, that’s so sexy.”

Nevvie closed her eyes, lost in the sensations. The heat from Thomas’ skin radiated through her. Being held between the two men she loved—more importantly, who loved her—started her climb to orgasm.

She moaned around Tyler’s shaft and his fingers pleasantly tightened in her hair.

“That’s right,” he whispered. “There’s my good girl. You know how to take care of me, don’t you?”

Her eyes flicked up, meeting his. Those damn, sweet, spooky blue eyes that turned her insides out in a good way. She was their girl.

It felt like she’d always loved them, from day one. Maybe she had. Nothing felt more right than being with them, loving them and letting them love her.

Nevvie closed her eyes and savored the feel of smooth skin sliding between her lips and over her tongue, enjoying his unique, tangy taste. The searing heat of Thomas’ body held her in place, his shaft taking possession of her very soul, his fingers carefully stroking her.

Thomas kissed the back of her neck, lightly brushing his lips over her skin, a wave of gooseflesh in reply as she shivered with pleasure. “Please come for me,” he whispered. “Let me feel you come for me, baby girl.”

Giving herself to them was no difficult task. They could have every last ounce of her being if they wanted. With a gasping, hitching breath she let go and moaned again as her orgasm hit, deep-throating Tyler and pushing her hips back against Thomas.

“That’s it, sugar,” Thomas urged, his fingers stroking her faster. “Give it to me.”

Tyler gently thrust his cock into her mouth. “Take her, Thomas,” he gasped. “I’m almost there.”

Thomas grasped her hips with both hands and took long, deep strokes as the last vibrations of her climax squeezed him. “Don’t hold back, Ty,” he moaned. “I’m close.”

Nevvie met Tyler’s gaze. “Get ready, sweetheart,” he whispered and she clutched his hips, holding him tightly as Thomas stroked into her. Then both men came. She felt Tyler first, tasting him and not losing a drop. Thomas groaned and took a last, deep thrust before holding himself inside her, dropping his head to her back and kissing her shoulders.

She waited until Tyler’s grip relaxed in her hair to finally release him, nestling her cheek along his abs, closing her eyes and savoring the musky scent of their lovemaking. His fingers gently stroked her hair, maintaining contact with her.

Thomas didn’t move except to hold himself up with his arms, keeping his weight off her.

They were all quiet for a moment. Thomas trailed kisses down her back. Tyler closed his eyes and relaxed but didn’t release her.

Nevvie didn’t want to move, didn’t want the moment to end. Her dreams never came true, ever. Now it seemed her biggest one had.

Thomas finally rolled to the side, taking her with him. Tyler put his arm around them, kissing Thomas and then her.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?” he asked her.

She nodded, her eyes firmly closed. Better than all right. Way better.

Thomas released her, letting Tyler hold her. “This is real. We’re not going anywhere. You have us for life.”

She felt Thomas’ hand gently rest on the small of her back. “We’re all yours, Nevvie,” Tom said, kissing her neck. “Forever.”

“I love you guys so much,” she whispered. “Please, don’t ever leave me.”

Thomas crowded close behind her and his strong arms encircled them both. “Never, sugar,” he promised. “We’ll never leave you. Ever.”

Tyler kissed her forehead and she opened her eyes to meet his gaze. “You own our souls.”

She reached behind her, found Thomas’ head, and turned to kiss him. “My boys,” she smiled.

He grinned. “That’s right, sugar, we’re all yours. Only yours.”

She looked at Tyler.

“And you’re our girl,” he said.

She nodded. “Only yours.”

He kissed her, long and sweet. “Only ours,” he whispered.

* * *

They dozed until mid-morning, with Nevvie securely nestled between them. After a long group shower they cooked brunch and retreated to their bedroom, Nevvie dozing between the men as they quietly read the newspaper.

At one point Tyler looked into her peaceful face, then at Thomas.

This time, Thomas wasn’t painfully ignorant of his lover’s thoughts. He smiled. “You did it,” he silently mouthed.

Tyler shook his head. “We,” he mouthed in reply.

Thomas leaned over and kissed him, touching his forehead to Tyler’s. “I love you,” he whispered in his lover’s ear.

“I love you, too.”

* * *

Thomas had to go into the office Tuesday morning. He carefully extricated himself from Nevvie, gently rolling her over to face Tyler.

Tyler awoke. “Hey.”

Thomas leaned over and kissed him. “Hey,” he whispered. “You two sleep in. I have meetings today I can’t get out of.”

Tyler glanced at Nevvie’s sleeping face, then back to Thomas and crooked a finger at him.

Thomas leaned in close, his ear next to Tyler’s mouth. “Can you get it today?” Tyler breathed.

Thomas looked at him. “The ring?” he silently mouthed.

Tyler smiled and nodded.

Thomas grinned and flashed him an okay sign.

Tyler mimed writing. Thomas handed him a notepad and pen from the bedside table. Tyler quickly scribbled something and handed it back. Thomas read it and ripped off the page, tucking it into his wallet so Nevvie wouldn’t see. They wanted it to be a surprise.

He started coffee, showered and dressed. Nevvie still slept. Going in alone, he’d take the Ridgeline and hit a drive-thru for breakfast. He kissed Tyler goodbye and leaned over to kiss Nevvie.

She stirred, stretched, and opened her eyes. “Are you leaving?”

He sat on the bed, brushing the hair out of her face. “You stay here today, get some rest. Just save me a little energy.”

She smiled and kissed his hand. “Yes, Master.”

Both men groaned.

* * *

Tyler was going to get up when Nevvie snuggled close and drifted back to sleep. He curled around her and closed his eyes. His dream come true, his angel safe in his arms.

She awoke an hour later and stretched. “Good morning.”

He kissed her. “How did you sleep?”

“Wonderful. I keep getting stuck in this great dream that the three of us are making love. Like right now, I’m dreaming I’m naked in bed with you lying next to me.”

He laughed and rolled on top of her, kissing her deeply. “Funny, I’m having the same exact dream.”

She put her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes, rolling her hips against him. “Then let’s not waste it.”

His breath caught in his throat. He nudged her legs apart, instantly hard, slipping inside her.

He dropped his head to her shoulder and took long, slow strokes. “I love you so much, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”

She stroked his back. “I’m an idiot for not seeing it sooner.”

He stopped, pushing up to look at her. “Nevvie, look at me.” She did. “Never, and I repeat, never call yourself that. You are a brilliant woman, darling. Truly.”

“I’m sorry Thomas and I almost…in Ft.Myers…”

He kissed her, lovingly, deeply. “Nevvie, had it happened, well, it would have been all right. My fear was you wouldn’t respond to him the way you did to me. I desperately wanted to confess to you that morning when we kissed. But I love him, Nevvie. I can’t lose him any more than I can lose you. It would break my heart. I couldn’t risk that you wouldn’t have the same feelings for him that you do for me.”

He took a few more slow strokes, smiling. “Now I can freely love you the way I wished I could from the start. We both can.”

“He won’t be jealous?”

“No, love. Just like I won’t be jealous of time he spends with you.”

“Not that I’m complaining, but I still don’t understand how you two can share me.”

“Because we love each other, and we love you. I told you, we don’t keep secrets from each other, so there’s nothing to be jealous of. You complete us.” He kissed her again. “And I’m sure he’ll want to sleep in over the weekend, affording him plenty of time to catch-up on his alone time with you. We won’t be like this every morning.” He smiled. “We’d all starve to death, as you said.”

She tangled her fingers in his hair, loving the silky-soft texture. “Can I watch the two of you make love to each other?” she softly asked.

“Of course.” He nuzzled her neck, gently nipping and kissing her as he took several slow strokes. “It certainly won’t bother us if it doesn’t bother you.”

Her lower lip caught under her teeth. “Maybe one day I’ll want…that…too.”

He nodded and gently kissed her, tracing her lips. “If, when, that’s up to you, sweetheart. I promise we’ll never, ever force you to do anything. We’ll never hurt you.”

Nevvie touched his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?”

“For saving me. For loving me.”

He stopped again, meeting her eyes, his heart breaking for her. “You never have to thank us for loving you, angel. We are the ones who should be thanking you for allowing us to be a part of your life. Simply let us love you. Let us take care of you. All the thanks we need is for you to be a part of our lives.”

He rolled to his side with her cradled in his arms, murmuring to her, understanding her emotions. To live her entire life not feeling truly wanted—worse, unwanted—then to have their unconditional love must be overwhelming.

His stiff member was still inside her and after a few minutes she gently rolled her hips against him. He touched his forehead to hers and carefully reached between them, gently stroking her.

“Let me love you, my sweet, beautiful angel,” he whispered. “Let me show you how you make me feel.”

Drawing slow, sensuous circles around her swollen nub, he held her with his other arm, his lips pressed to her forehead. “Just let me love you, angel. It’s all I want to do.”

Her breath quickened, gasping. Her other arm tightened around him and he felt her muscles contract as she cried out, burying her head against his shoulder.

“That’s it, darling,” he said. “Let me love you.”

When he knew she’d finished he carefully rolled them over and took long, slow strokes into her. He propped himself on his elbows and looked into her green eyes while her hands traced aimless circles across his back. She wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping him there.

“I love you, Tyler,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain why it’s different from what I feel about Tommy.”

“You don’t have to.” He kissed her, never closing his eyes, not wanting to miss a second. “It’s the same way I feel about you and Thomas. The same way he feels about us.” His climax built. He slowed, trying to prolong it, wanting to savor having her alone for as long as possible. He could let Thomas have her first because he knew he would be able to spend more time alone with her like this over their many years together.

“You know my soul,” she whispered.

He kissed her and couldn’t contain himself. With several long, deep thrusts he came, calling her name. He lowered himself to her chest, breathing hard, his skin damp with sweat while she clung tightly to him.

They eventually made it to the shower. Without talking they held each other under the spray, months of built-up emotions freed. They dressed without speaking, content to frequently kiss or simply meet the other’s gaze. This was what neither had with Thomas, that unspoken bond.

Before he went to his office to try to work she put her arms around him and kissed him, smiling, finally breaking their comfortable silence. “Let me know if you need your muse to come in and inspire you.”

He laughed. “Sweetheart, I won’t hesitate, believe me.”

Chapter 19

That afternoon, Thomas fiddled with the slip of paper. Tyler had taken Nevvie shopping a few weeks earlier, stopping by a department store jewelry counter on the pretense of looking at watches for himself. He’d nudged her around the counter as he browsed until she saw the display of ruby rings—her birthstone—then he insisted on buying her one.

Now they had her ring size.

Damn, he was good.

Thomas walked into the jewelry store and looked through the displays, afraid the ring he’d seen was gone, but then he found it. It was perfect. Two diamonds on either side, with an unusual arrangement of amethyst, rubies, and emeralds—their three birthstones—circling a central diamond.

It was fate. It must be. Tyler didn’t even ask to see it, trusting Thomas’ judgment.

“I know you would never pick something gauche, Thomas,” he’d said. “You love us. Your heart always does what’s right. If you say it’s perfect, then I know it is.”

It amazed and touched him that Tyler let him do this, but he’d make sure Tyler did the talking. He didn’t want to screw it up.

He caught the clerk’s attention and pulled the slip of paper from his pocket. “I’d like that ring, please. In a size six.”

She took it from the case, looked at the tag, and smiled. “It is a size six.”

He slid his platinum AmEx card across the counter. “Then it’s mine.”

He sat in the truck and opened the box. The stones shimmered and shifted colors in the sunlight. It was beautiful, like their Nevvie. How long until they asked her? He knew it would take Ty at least a week or longer to perfect something. He trusted Tyler to do it right. Look how great everything had been so far, Tyler was right yet again, doing it the way they did. That was one of the many things he loved about Tyler, that he took the time and cared enough to put the effort in. Ty was fantastic at that kind of stuff.

Thank God Tyler’s first two wives were too stupid to appreciate that, or he might never have met him.

Tyler was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Thomas hugged him, kissed the back of his neck.

“Where is she?”

Tyler tipped his head to the backyard. “I made her relax. She spent the morning cleaning, damn near wore herself out.” Nevvie was stretched out on one of the lounges. “Did you get it?”

Thomas slipped the box from his pocket. He watched Tyler’s expression as he opened the box.

Tyler’s jaw dropped, his eyes misting. “Oh, Thomas,” he whispered, “it’s perfect!” Tyler threw his arms around him. “You’re absolutely amazing, lover. It’s simply perfect.”

“Did I do good?”

Tyler kissed him. “You’re brilliant. Now go tuck it away in your office until later.”

He put it in his desk then helped with dinner. Before they called Nevvie in to eat, Tyler swatted his bum. “Go get it.”

“Get what?”

Tyler stopped by the back door and shooed him toward his office. “The ring!” he whispered.

“What?”

“The r-i-n-g. Have you forgotten?”

“Tonight? We’re doing this tonight?”

Tyler glanced out the back door. “Yes, tonight. Do you want to wait?”

“I figured you’d have something all planned out.”

“I do. You’re going to propose to her for us.”

“What? No, I–”

Tyler kissed him. Thomas stopped resisting as his cock stiffened against Tyler’s hip. Tyler stepped back and held his gaze. “Thomas,” he whispered, “any man who can pick a ring that perfect for the woman we love will have absolutely no problem finding the right words. They will be as true and real as any I could ever think up. I have every confidence that you will say the perfectly right thing to her.”

Thomas flushed, simultaneously puffed with pride at Tyler’s confidence in him and scared shitless. “You always do this kind of stuff. You’re good at it. This is your department.”

“Thomas, you are the one who asked me so many years ago if we could make our relationship permanent and exclusive. You are the one who had me in a puddle of tears when you slipped the ring on my hand. I have every confidence if you could melt me like that, you will have no problem with our Nevvie.”

He finally nodded. “I’ll get it. Give me a minute. We’ll do it now. I’ll be a wreck if we wait until after dinner.

“See? You’re a man with a plan.” He stepped to the door to get Nevvie while Thomas went to his office.

With trembling hands he retrieved the ring box and looked at it one more time. It was perfect. He slipped it into his pocket.

Tyler sat on the couch with Nevvie. Thomas took a deep breath and walked over.

She frowned. “What’s wrong, Tom?”

“Nothing. We want to talk to you.” He sat and tried to focus on her eyes and not Tyler’s behind her. He took her hand. “Nevvie, we want you to know how much you mean to us. You are the best thing to ever happen to us. I mean from the first week, we felt you were special.” His eyes flicked to Tyler who nodded, encouraging. He refocused on Nevvie. “The longer we knew you, the more we realized something.”

Her eyes never budged from his. “What?”

“We both love you. We love you as much as we love each other, and we don’t want to lose you. In a perfect world, we’d all be able to stand up in front of everyone and make it legal.” He knelt in front of her on one knee, slipping the ring onto her left hand. “Nevvie,” he said, “we want to love you forever. We want you by our side forever. I know we can’t exactly do it the normal way, but we want to know if you’d be our wife.”

She froze, her eyes shifting from the ring to his face and back again. For a moment he was afraid he’d blown it. Then she sobbed and threw her arms around him. “Yes!”

Tyler hugged her from behind, met Tom’s eyes, and winked.

Tom winked back and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of their arms around him.

* * *

Friday morning they rode downtown in Tyler’s Lexus. Tyler sensed Nevvie’s nervousness and tried to calm her.

“Relax, dear, it’s only paperwork.”

“Lawyers make me nervous, I’m sorry. After everything I went through, I can’t help it.”

Tyler patted her knee. “It’s okay, love. We’ve known Bob Campbell for years. He handles all our paperwork, and he goes through my contracts.”

“He’s a nice guy,” Thomas echoed from the back seat. “Don’t worry.”

She nervously twisted the ring on her left hand all the way up in the elevator. This wasn’t exactly a normal situation. The office door opened and a tall, lanky man with short, curly red hair waved them in.

“Ty, Tom, nice to see you.” He shook hands with them and Thomas introduced her.

“Bob, this is Nevaeh.”

Bob smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.” The attorney closed the door and motioned them to chairs in front of his desk. “What brings you here today?”

Nevvie studied her hands while Thomas and Tyler exchanged looks. Tyler cleared his throat. “Uh, well, we have an interesting situation for you, Bob.”

“Hey, it’s just billable hours.”

Tyler laughed. “Right. Well, in a nutshell, we need you to add Nevvie to everything.”

She noticed a picture on a shelf behind the desk, the attorney and another man, both in matching tuxes, holding hands and looking at each other in an intimate way. Wedding picture? Maybe he would understand.

“What do you mean, ‘add her to everything?’”

Thomas finally spoke. “Add her. To everything. Make her our partner. We’ll need whatever paperwork you did on us for her, too. You know, bank accounts, medical power of attorney, update the trusts, wills, insurance beneficiaries, etc. Everything.”

Bob looked from Thomas, to Tyler, then to Nevvie. “What?”

Tyler, sitting on Nevvie’s left, took her hand and held it up, showing him the ring. “We’re complicating your life, Bob. As you said, it’s just billable hours.”

Bob tried to wrap his head around it. “What?”

“We’re turning our gruesome twosome into a gleesome threesome,” Thomas joked.

The attorney finally grasped the complexity of the situation. “You’re marrying her?”

“Well,” Tyler snarked, “not according to the state of Florida. Are there any laws on how many domestic partners you can have at one time?”

Bob closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “You guys are going to be the death of me yet.” He looked at the men. “Can I speak to her alone for a moment?”

The men looked at Nevvie, waiting for her consent. “I guess,” she said. Thomas and Tyler left the room and she nervously stared at the attorney.

“I’ve been handling their paperwork for years. I consider them friends.”

“I love them.”

“I didn’t know they would love someone like you.”

She scowled. “What do you mean by that?”

“Relax. I meant a woman. I knew Ty had a thing for the ladies, I handled his divorces. I didn’t think Tom did.” He studied her. “Why do you want to do this?”

She forced herself to stare down the attorney. “I love them.”

“You do realize I’ll insist they draw up a prenup, so to speak. So if your little arrangement ends they are protected financially.”

“Okay.”

The attorney eyed her. “Just like that? No negotiations?”

She shrugged. “If it’s what I have to sign to be with them, whatever. Give it to me.”

He contemplated her. “You do realize they’re worth a lot of money, don’t you? You’re willing to walk away from it?”

“I don’t know how much they’re worth. I don’t care. I had nothing except the clothes on my back when I moved in with them. Before that I’d lost everything in Katrina. I’m not a stranger to starting over, Mr. Campbell.”

“You don’t know how much they’re worth?”

“I don’t ask stuff like that. It’s not my business.”

“Yet.”

“I told Tyler I don’t want to be involved in that. If I need to buy groceries or stuff, I ask him how much I can spend and how to pay for it, he gives me a credit card or cash, and I give him receipts for his records.”

“You have to get permission to buy groceries?”

“No, it’s not like that.” She gathered her thoughts. “Look, they still pay me for working, and I help out at Tom’s office. They won’t let me pay for stuff at the house, won’t let me spend my money, they insist on paying for everything. I tried to get them to keep my pay for food and expenses and they won’t. They made me open a savings account so I put it in there.”

He slid a legal pad and pen across the desk. “Write your full, legal name, social, and date of birth.”

She did while he watched.

He took it and turned to his computer, typed for a few minutes. The printer hummed to life and he retrieved the sheet of paper, looking at her. “They’re worth over twenty million dollars between them. Some of that’s real estate, of course, and Thomas’ business, and the retirement investment portfolio. You sign this, it means you get absolutely nothing if you leave, only the clothes on your back and your car and whatever money is in your savings account. You’re willing to sign away the right to be a part of what they’re worth without negotiating?”

She grabbed the pen and reached for the paper. “Is this what I sign?”

He handed it to her. She started to sign when he snatched it back. “Aren’t you going to read it?”

“No. Why?”

He stared at her for a long moment in disbelief. “Why? You have no idea what you’re signing! Don’t you know you never sign something without reading it? This could be obligating you to be their slave or something!”

A wry smile curled her lips. “That’s a bad thing?”

“Why do you want to be with them?”

“Because I love them, and they love me. Yeah, I know it’s not ‘normal.’ I know it makes life complicated. We’re happy. We’re all adults and no one is being forced to do anything. Isn’t that enough?”

He stood and dropped the pre-nup into a shredder on the floor by his desk. “I guess it should be.” He started for the door. “Why don’t you marry one of them? Legally it would protect you.”

“If I can’t marry both of them, then I can’t marry one of them. They are both my husbands. I refuse to choose.”

Chapter 20

“I’d really rather not go. I’ll be fine,” Nevvie said.

Thomas shook his head. “If you think I’m leaving you alone, especially on our first Thanksgiving together, you’re outta your pea-picking mind, sugar.”

“I cannot believe your family is going to welcome me. I mean, okay, they were fine with you coming out with Tyler, but this isn’t the same.”

“Hey, my mom watches Big Love.”

“I’m glad you think this is funny.”

He took her hand. “Look, they’re my relatives. They welcomed Tyler, they’ll welcome you, too.”

“This isn’t the same.”

“No, you’re right, it’s not. I’m not saying it’ll be easy. I’m not leaving you alone.”

She looked at Tyler. “Can I get some help here?”

“What do you want me to say? He’s right, it’s his call. I’m not willing to leave you alone either. I go where he goes. If he says we’re all going to Savannah, then we go.”

Nevvie fought a losing battle against her tears. “Thomas, your family loves you guys. I don’t need to go.”

“Look at me.” Thomas’ sweet brown eyes captured her heart and soul. “If you don’t want to go, then none of us goes. It’s that simple.”

“No, Thomas, I want you to go.”

“We go with you, or we don’t go.” He looked at Tyler. “Right?”

Tyler nodded. “Right.”

“If you’re worried about me being alone, I’m sure Pete and Eddie wouldn’t mind—”

“Nevvie,” Thomas’ voice was unusually firm and quiet. “We’re a family. Either we all go, or none of us goes. End of story.”

“They’re going to hate me. Then they’re going to be upset with you. Please, don’t make me go!” She’d had more than enough rejection in her life. She didn’t need to voluntarily walk into one more.

“They’re not going to hate you, love,” Tyler assured her. “They’ll be startled when we break the news, but they’ll get used to it, never fear.”

“Yeah,” Thomas agreed. “The evil genius will sweet-talk them and blink those baby blues and have them eating out of his hand.”

“I think this is a mistake, boys. I think it’s way too soon to dump this on them.”

Thomas carefully brushed her tears away. “It’s my mistake to make.”

* * *

They would leave early Wednesday morning, and Nevvie’s stomach had twisted in painful knots by Tuesday. She couldn’t eat and drank Mylanta straight from the bottle. Tyler waited until Thomas left for the office to confront her in the kitchen.

“Trust him. I know this isn’t easy on you.”

She whirled on him. “You have no idea! They’re going to hate me, and then I have to live with the guilt that I’m responsible for him being estranged from his family!”

He took her hands and kept his voice quiet. “Love, I do know what you are feeling. Thomas has chosen to make us a part of his life. Those others are his relatives, yes. He is blessed that his family welcomed me, but I have no doubt he wouldn’t hesitate to cut them out of his life if they chose not to accept you or I.”

“I don’t want that guilt.”

“It’s not your guilt to bear. It’s his choice. As someone who loves him you should support him.”

“They’re not going to want me. Nobody wants me. They never have.”

He stroked her hair, holding her tight against his chest. “We wanted you, sweetheart. We loved you from the moment we met you. Are you saying we don’t count?”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

Tyler knew she needed to get it out of her system.

“Look,” he whispered, “we’re staying in a hotel. It’s not like we’re staying at the house. We’ll be able to unwind and decompress every night. They’ll come to love you, I promise.”

“You can’t promise that. You have no control over what they do.”

“I won them over, so can you. Simply be your sweet self.”

“Has he told his mother about me?”

“Not exactly. She knows you’re coming with us and that you work for us. He wants to tell her in person.”

* * *

They left early Wednesday morning before sunrise and arrived in Savannah late that afternoon. With her nerves wrenched into a contorted mess, Nevvie struggled not to throw up as Thomas pointed the Ridgeline up a clay road, then down a rutted driveway. A few minutes later the driveway opened into a huge yard. Peggy Kinsey walked onto the wrap-around porch, smiling and waving.

Tyler opened the back door and coaxed Nevvie into taking his hand, leading her to the porch where Thomas engulfed his mom in a bear hug.

Peggy’s rich Savannah accent made Thomas sound like a Yankee. “Oh, Tommy sweetie, I’m so glad to see y’all!” She let him go and gave Tyler a similar welcome. “Y’all have got to be tired.”

Nevvie stayed at the bottom of the steps, struggling to control her nervous tears. Thomas grabbed her hand and forced her up to the porch.

“Mom, this is Nevvie. Nevvie, this is my mom, Peggy Kinsey.”

Nevvie mustered a smile. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

Peggy hugged her. “Oh, sweetie, Tommy told me you’ve had a rough time of it. Come inside with me. Let me get y’all some tea.” Peggy left her arm around Nevvie’s waist, making her walk with her.

Nevvie cast a nervous glance at Tyler, her steadying force in situations like this. He smiled and silently waved her on.

The house was large and airy, what she’d imagined a true Georgia home would look like. Tyler had told her it was built by Tom’s father, Adam Kinsey, with plenty of room to accommodate all the girls. After her husband died Peggy didn’t have the heart to sell it. She’d just retired from nursing that past summer, and enjoyed spending time at home.

High ceilings, exposed beams, and a homey, country, lived-in feel welcomed her. The huge eat-in kitchen held an enormous table, and Peggy patted Nevvie on the shoulder.

“Sit right there, I’ll get you some tea.” She pointed Nevvie to the seat at the end of the table and turned to Thomas. “Oh, shoot, I nearly forgot. I told Mr. Jones next door I’d send you boys over when you got here. He got his tractor stuck down by the pond this morning, and he can’t get his truck started to pull it out. Can you go yank it out for him with your truck?”

The men exchanged nervous looks. “Ty doesn’t need to go, Mom.”

“You might need his help. Go on.” She waved them toward the door. “We’ll sit and have a nice chat until you’re done. Shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes.”

The boys shifted uneasily. Nevvie felt close to a panic attack. “I could go help.”

“Sugar, those two big strappin’ boys won’t need y’all’s help. Now, go on. Shoo.”

Tyler cast a look back at Nevvie as he followed Thomas out the door.

Stay calm, that look said. We’ll be back soon.

Peggy opened a cabinet and fetched glasses, retrieved a pitcher of tea and ice from the fridge, and sat next to her. “You like sugar in your tea?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You can call me Mom. Unless you don’t want to.”

Nevvie mustered a smile. “All right. Thank you, Mom.”

Peggy beamed. “That’s better.” She poured tea and handed it to Nevvie, along with the sugar bowl and a teaspoon. “Now, tell me a little about yourself, honey.”

Thomas had his mom’s friendly eyes. Nearing seventy, Peggy’s bobbed brown hair was shot with grey, but it looked good on her.

Nevvie wrapped her fingers around her glass to keep them from trembling. How long until the boys returned? “Um, what did you want to know?”

“Well, where are you from, all that.”

“Uh, I was born and raised in Tampa. I left eight years ago and spent a few years in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina destroyed my apartment. We’d evacuated to Pensacola, so we ended up in Tampa.”

“Tommy told me you were their housekeeper before you moved in.”

“Yes, ma’am, uh, Mom. I cleaned for them on Thursdays. I had a few other clients, too.”

“I bet Tyler charmed the pants off you, didn’t he?”

Nevvie blushed, then realized it was an innocent comment. “He’s a sweetheart. They both are.”

Peggy took a sip of tea. “When did they give you the ring?”

Nevvie glanced at the small ruby on her right hand. “Oh, a while ago. Tyler bought it for me one day. It’s my birthstone. It wasn’t expensive.”

Peggy put her glass down and touched Nevvie’s left hand. Her voice was quiet. “No, sugar. I meant this ring.”

Nevvie blanched.

Peggy eyed her over her glasses. “Darlin, I know their birthstones. I’m not an idiot, and I know an expensive piece of jewelry when I see it.”

Nevvie cried, hiding her face in her hands. Peggy stood and walked behind her, hugging her. “Why are you crying?”

“Please don’t hate them.”

“What? Why on earth would I hate those boys? Obviously they care a great deal about you.”

Maybe she doesn’t know! Maybe she hadn’t blown it. Maybe—

Peggy straightened and patted Nevvie on the shoulder. “It’s not my business what goes on between the three of you. If those boys love you, you’re welcome in my home.”

That finished Nevvie. She sobbed, and Peggy kindly laughed as she hugged her. “Good lord, darlin, you’re not going to spend the entire weekend crying, are you?” She handed Nevvie a napkin.

“No, Mom. I won’t.”

Peggy sat down and took Nevvie’s hands. “Just tell me something. Do you love them?”

Nevvie nodded.

“Then promise me you’ll take good care of them and not hurt them, okay?”

Nevvie nodded frantically. “I will. I love them so much.”

Peggy patted her hands. “Then that’s all that matters. Although I won’t go bragging to my church ladies group that I gained a daughter-in-law. They’re still trying to come to grips with Tyler, and here it is, over a dozen years later.”

Nevvie laughed again, blowing her nose. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“That this is complicated.”

“I wish Tommy had fessed up before y’all got here. Bless your heart, you’re a wreck, aren’t you?”

“Uh huh.” Nevvie blew her nose again. “How did you figure it out?”

Peggy smiled kindly. “Sugar, you looked like you were being marched to the electric chair. Tyler had to drag you outta the truck. I can’t imagine anyone who didn’t have some sort of big secret would look like that. When I saw your ring, and the way they didn’t want to leave you alone, well, it wasn’t hard.”

Nevvie looked down. “I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t want to come. I’ll be honest, I was afraid you’d be upset. I tried to make them come without me and they wouldn’t.”

“How long y’all been an item?”

“Halloween. Before then it was…platonic.” She certainly couldn’t call it innocent. Nevvie met Peggy’s kind gaze. “They saved my life. Alex would have killed me, I really believe it.”

“I don’t know how y’all want to handle the girls. Frankly, it’s not my business. Emily and Katie might be a problem. That’s between Tommy and them. It’s none of your worry.” She chuckled. “I’d be willing to bet their men won’t have a problem with it. Hell, they’ll probably be jealous.”

“You’re okay with this?”

“Honey, I don’t have a say in it. I didn’t particularly agree when he brought Tyler home. Not that I don’t love Tyler, because I do. He’s a sweetheart. It’s not a choice I’d have made, or have had him make if I’d had a say in it. You’re adults.” She took another sip of tea. “Am I getting any grandchildren out of the deal?”

“It’s way too soon to think about that. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

“That’s probably wise, sugar. You’ve got a lot of years yet to make that decision.” She sighed. “Why don’t you marry one of them? It would make all three of y’all’s lives easier, wouldn’t it?”

“No. Like I told our lawyer, if I can’t marry both of them it wouldn’t be fair to marry one of them.” She looked at Peggy. “I won’t choose. I love both of them. I know it’s weird.” She took a moment to compose her thoughts. “They approached me first. They’d already made up their minds. I knew I loved them, but I never…it didn’t seem possible. I assumed they were gay. I was so happy to be a part of their lives, they welcomed me in. When they finally confessed how they felt it was like I hit the lotto.”

Peggy’s wry smile traveled to her eyes. “I’d wondered if something was going on. Tommy was so upset when you got hurt, but there was more to it. Every time I talked to him on the phone it was Nevvie this, and Nevvie that. Sounded like he did when he first met Tyler, before he finally admitted they were a couple.”

Nevvie blushed again but met Peggy’s gaze. “It’d break my heart to lose either one.”

Peggy looked like she wanted to ask something else. She studied her hands for a moment, picking at her fingernails. “What happens in the future? I mean, any other surprises? You know, partners?”

“No. The three of us agree we wouldn’t share well with anyone else. It works for us. I don’t think this would have worked out the way it did if they hadn’t been together for so many years, either.”

Peggy nodded. “Okay, then.”

* * *

Nevvie felt a hundred pounds lighter with her crushing anxiety gone. When the boys returned nearly an hour later, the women were still in the kitchen, assembling pies for the next day.

Tyler raced into the kitchen ahead of Thomas and slid to a stop inside the doorway, scoping the situation. Thomas appeared seconds later, nearly crashing into him.

The women turned, their hands covered with flour. Peggy shook her head. “What on earth are you two doing? You dang near gave me a heart attack.”

Tyler looked at Nevvie, trying to read her. She smiled and he let out an audible sigh of relief. “Uh, everything all right?”

Peggy leveled her gaze at him. “Why wouldn’t it be, Ty?”

Nevvie choked back a giggle. For the first time since she’d met him, she realized Tyler was without a plan or rejoinder.

Thomas cleared his throat. “Um, how is everything, Mom?”

“Tommy, you need to sit yourselves down. I’ve seen expectant fathers calmer than you two.”

“Secret’s out, boys,” Nevvie said. “She knows.”

Tyler closed his eyes and quietly swore. Thomas approached his mom. “Now, Mom—”

“Hush.” Peggy looked at Tyler, cutting him off. “You too, Ty. I’ll say this once. You put this poor girl through hell because you were too chickenshit to confess. You should be ashamed of yourselves.” Both men looked at the floor, like a couple of scolded children. “She’s perfectly adorable, and as I already told her, it’s none of my business. How you deal with your sisters is up to you. I’m not fighting that battle for you.”

Thomas nodded. “Thanks, Mom.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“I consider myself an enlightened person, boy. I do have the Internet and HBO. I just don’t need to know the details. And you—” she jabbed a flour-covered finger at Tyler, “should have known better than to let him get away with not telling me.”

Tyler looked appropriately chastised. “Sorry, Mom.” The way he said it sounded like “mum.”

Nevvie couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“What are you laughing about, sweetheart?” Tyler asked, approaching.

Thomas smiled, sensing Tyler’s thought. “Yeah, what are you giggling at?”

The men surrounded her, tickling her. Nevvie couldn’t fight back with her hands full of dough. “All right! Uncle!” Each man planted a gentle kiss on her cheek before releasing her.

Peggy smiled, shaking her head. “I imagine you’ve got your hands full with these two.”

Nevvie blushed and went back to rolling pie crust. “We have a lot of fun.”

Thomas and Tyler sat across the table and watched them work. Peggy smacked Thomas’ hand when he tried to snarf a piece of raw dough.

“You should have seen her, Mom,” Thomas said. “She’d only been working at the office for a few weeks and she discovered an embezzler. Asshole robbed me for nearly a half-mil over the years.”

Tyler nodded. He winked at Nevvie and managed to steal a piece of dough from her board before she could stop him. “She’s amazing, Mom. She’s a wonder, truly. She helps me edit my manuscripts, manages the business end for me. I have so much more time to write now.”

“How is the latest?”

“Sent the manuscript to my agent last week. So far, so good.”

They all fell quiet for a moment. The men watched the women roll out crust and line the pie plates.

Peggy cleared her throat. “At least now I know why you insisted on staying at a hotel.”

Thomas dropped his gaze. “Well, it would have been weird trying to explain it over the phone. I didn’t know how you’d react.”

She reached over and gently smacked him on the cheek with a flour-covered hand. The shock of her action more than the actual force stunned him. “Look here, Thomas Ryan Kinsey, have a little more faith in me than that. How did I react when you brought Ty home?”

Thomas stared at her in disbelief, his left cheek still bearing her flour handprint. Tyler smirked.

Peggy wagged a finger at him. “Don’t you be getting smart either, Tyler.”

Nevvie tried to hold her giggles and couldn’t.

“Have y’all checked in yet?” Peggy asked.

Thomas shook his head.

“I don’t know how you plan on telling your sisters, Tommy. I’m assuming you’re going to. Y’all would be the only overnight guests. None of the rooms have a bed big enough for the three of you, so someone’s going to have to bunk alone. Unless one of you wants to keep falling out all night. I don’t mind you staying over. I would prefer some discretion, if you get my drift, but you’re always welcomed. You’re family.”

“I need to tell them,” Thomas said. Tyler reached over with a napkin and wiped the flour off Thomas’ face.

Peggy sighed. “I’ll make the eggnog extra strong and serve doubles before you do it.”

* * *

The women put the pie crusts in to bake while the boys unloaded their luggage and cancelled the reservation. Nevvie got the last word, and the boys grudgingly settled in Thomas’ old bedroom with her next door.

Thomas gave Nevvie a tour of the house and large property while Tyler answered an email from his agent that came through his BlackBerry.

“See? I told you she’d love you.”

“Your sisters might not be so easy.”

He hugged her to him under an old pecan tree down near the pond. “Let me worry about that.”

Nevvie closed her eyes and breathed in Thomas’ scent. “She asked me about grandkids.”

His rumbling laughter rolled through her. “That doesn’t surprise me. Remember, I’m the only boy. I think she saw her chance for another Kinsey fly out the window when she met Tyler.” He hesitated. “What did you say?”

“I told her it was too soon to think about that.” The three of them hadn’t even discussed it yet.

Thomas’ eyes burned into hers. “Is it something you might want to think about? In the future?”

She nodded, trying to ignore the sudden, aching need fighting for attention in her lower belly as he hardened against her.

He buried his face in her hair. “It’s your choice, sugar. It’ll only be your choice—if, when, how many. Whatever you want.”

Tyler called to them as he walked down from the house. “Karen’s on her way with a bunch of stuff for tomorrow.” He smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. “I just got another reaming for not making you tell, Thomas.” He put his arms around both of them, kissing them. “Make sure you spend the weekend sucking up to Peggy, right?”

“I will.” Thomas looked at Nevvie. “See? This worked out fine.”

“No, we haven’t told your sisters yet.”

Tyler took her into his arms. “Karen will be the easiest, I suspect. She’s next to youngest. She was the first of the girls to welcome me into the family.”

Nevvie had memorized their names. Oldest to youngest: Emily, Katie—short for Kathryn, Cheryl, Karen, and April. She’d asked Tyler to help her prepare when Thomas wasn’t around. Thomas wouldn’t understand her desperate need to not fuck this up, but Tyler did.

All too well.

“Mom asked her about grandkids.”

Tyler froze, then looked into her eyes. “And?”

“I told her it was too soon yet.”

“Yet?”

“That’s a strong maybe, Tyler.”

He hugged her. “Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered. “We love you so much.”

“I already told her it’ll be her decision if and when, that we’ll go along with whatever she wants to do.”

“Absolutely.”

“Give me a chance to get used to what we have first, boys.”

The men held hands with Nevvie as they returned to the house.

Chapter 21

Karen was four years older than Thomas and looked most like him. Tall and lanky, her shoulder-length brown hair was sprinkled with grey. Thomas made the introduction when his sister walked in, her arms full of groceries. Nevvie mustered a nervous smile and accepted Karen’s warm hug after she’d set the groceries on the counter.

“It’s nice to meet you, Nevvie. There’s always room at the table.” She turned to Thomas. “Where’s Blue Eyes? I need help unloading.”

“I’ll help.”

“If I wanted to look at you, bro, I woulda asked you for help.”

“Quit putting moves on him, Karen. He’s taken.” Thomas winked at Nevvie, who stifled her nervous giggle.

“Tyler!” Karen bellowed. “Where the hell are you?”

Peggy winced. “Watch your volume, missy. You weren’t born in a barn.”

“You screeched?” Tyler appeared in the kitchen doorway, and Karen’s eyes lit up. She flew into his arms.

“There you are!”

He gave her a perfunctory hug and Nevvie noticed Peggy glanced at her before looking at her daughter.

Thomas nervously shifted his weight. “Uh, sis, we need to talk.”

“You’re breaking up, and I can have him?”

Tyler had sidled around the table to stand by Nevvie, slipping his arm around her waist. Best to get it over with.

“Not exactly. We’ve added to our family.”

Two plus two equaled seven in Karen’s mind. She squealed with joy. “A surrogate? You’re going to have a baby? That’s gr—”

“No, Kar,” he said. “She’s not our surrogate.”

Tyler held up Nevvie’s left hand, displaying the ring. “Surprise.”

Stunned, Karen looked at Thomas, then Tyler, then Nevvie’s ring, then her mother. “Momma,” she finally whispered after several long moments, “do you have any bourbon?”

“Top cabinet, sugar. Use a large glass. You’ll need it.”

“Kar, we love her,” Thomas said to his sister’s back as she retrieved the bottle. “We both love her.”

Karen nodded and poured three fingers, thought about it, then added another splash. She leaned against the counter and took a sip. “Momma, how long have you known?”

Peggy glanced at the clock. “About three hours.”

Karen nodded and took another sip. “Right.” Sip. “What does this mean? What are you, like, reverse Mormons or something?”

Tyler smiled. “Not quite. I believe the appropriate term is ‘polyamorous.’”

“Right.” Sip.

Nevvie hoped Karen would be staying a while and didn’t live far, the way she was drinking.

“Momma, are you okay with this?” Karen hesitantly asked.

“I wouldn’t have asked them to stay if I wasn’t. That’s why Tommy insisted on going to a hotel. He was scared how I’d react. I talked them into staying.”

“Right.” Sip.

Thomas touched Karen’s shoulder. “You okay?”

Karen’s eyes widened as she still tried to process the news. “Sure.” Sip. She was halfway through what she’d poured.

“I love her. I love her as much as I love Tyler. He loves her, and she loves us. It just happened.”

Karen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. You didn’t, like, start a cult or something?”

He smirked. “No. The only potential future additions will be born into our family, not married into it.”

“Too much information, Tom.”

Tyler’s arm tightened around Nevvie’s waist, reassuring her. One down, four to go.

Karen looked at Thomas. “Em and Kate are gonna shit bricks. I gotta be there when you tell them. I can’t wait to see their faces.” She drained the rest of the glass in one gulp, wincing. “That’s enough of that. Okay, so who’s gonna help me stagger out to the car and get the rest of the groceries?”

* * *

The boys walked outside with Karen. Nevvie, shaking from nerves, leaned against the counter. Peggy patted her shoulder.

“She’ll be fine once the booze wears off. Good news is, she was probably the one you needed to worry most about. He was closest to her, like twins, even though April was closer in age.”

“I hope this doesn’t get nasty.”

“Darlin, there’s nothing to get nasty about. They like it or lump it. They’ll behave themselves whether they want to or not. It’s my house.”

“I still can’t believe you’re taking this so well.”

Something shifted in Peggy’s eyes and her face took on a sad expression. “Life’s way too short. If Tyler and you make him happy, then what more can I ask? Like I said, don’t be offended if I don’t brag about what y’all are doing.”

Nevvie smiled. “I understand. Thank you.”

Peggy hugged her. “You didn’t have a close family growing up, did you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Honey, I’ve seen beat dogs less scared than you.”

* * *

Karen promised not to tell anyone and stayed to help with the preparations. An hour later Thomas drove her home in her car, with Tyler following in the Ridgeline.

Nevvie grabbed a shower, and by the time the boys returned she was ready for bed, chatting with Peggy in the living room. Nevvie said good night and each man gave her a hug and fairly chaste kiss.

It was weird having her own bed. Not bad, but…

Lonely.

It was also weird sleeping with clothes on, even if it was only a T-shirt and an old pair of Thomas’ boxers. She’d grown used to the three of them piling together, warm skin on skin, the contact soothing her to sleep and keeping her nightmares at bay. Since their new arrangement she hadn’t had a single bad dream.

She was drifting to sleep when her bedroom door opened, then someone slipped into bed with her. Instinctively she snuggled against the warm body.

Tyler.

His scent, subtly different from Thomas, betrayed him even before his arm slipped around her waist.

“Are you asleep, love?”

“Not yet, but I’m tired.”

He kissed the back of her neck. “Not that. We didn’t want you sleeping alone.”

“Thank you.”

Nevvie quickly fell asleep with Tyler wrapped around her. At one point in the night she felt the mattress dip, but it wasn’t until a little before dawn she awoke and realized she was sandwiched between the two men.

She nudged Thomas, who muttered in his sleep. “Get up,” she whispered.

He tried to roll over, like he would in their huge bed at home. Unfortunately the full-size mattress was much smaller than their king-sized bed, and he landed on the floor with a thud.

Startled, Tyler sat up. “What was that?”

Thomas groaned from the floor. “Me.”

Nevvie looked over the edge. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll live.” He climbed to his feet. “I guess I’m awake.”

“You guys need to go back to your room before Mom wakes up!” she hissed.

Thomas rubbed the back of his head, yawning. “What time is it?”

“Almost five-thirty.”

“She’s already up, sugar. She’s usually up by five. She’ll be waking us up for breakfast soon.” He climbed back into bed. “Besides, she didn’t say she didn’t want us sleeping together, she asked for discretion. That means she doesn’t want to hear anything. She said if we tried sleeping three in a bed one of us would fall out.”

Tyler pulled Nevvie tightly against him to give Thomas more room. “She was right. Go back to sleep for a little while, sweetheart. We don’t need to get up yet. We’ll behave, we promise.”

Nevvie managed to grab a little more sleep. Around six-thirty they heard a soft knock on the door. “Nevvie, sugar, I’ve got coffee and fresh sweet rolls in the kitchen.”

She froze. “Thank you, Mom. I’ll be right out.”

There was a pause. “You too, boys. I’m assuming you’re in there?”

Thomas laughed, then reached over and swatted Tyler, who snickered. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome.”

Thomas kissed them and left the room. Nevvie snuggled with Tyler. “Promise me I’m going to survive this weekend.”

He kissed the back of her neck. “Of course you will. I remember how terrified I felt. It gets easier, trust me.”

She might share a bond of southern culture with Thomas, but feeling like a stranger tightly melded her to Tyler.

“Let’s get up before you get me up and I want to play.”

She started to say something and he kissed her before she could utter it. “And,” he growled warningly, “no slave girl voice. Please. You can torture us on the way home.”

“How’d you know?”

“You always get that evil, cheeky gleam in your eye. You know it gives us both instant erections. Please, play nice this weekend.”

“All right. I will.”

He kissed her one more time. “That’s my good girl.” He stood, offering his hand. “Come along, love.” Once on her feet he pulled her to him and whispered in her ear. “If it’s too much, look to me, right?”

She nodded, reluctant to let him go. This was how she needed Tyler. She could always lean on Thomas, but in this way Tyler was her steady rock.

Nevvie pulled on her robe and followed Tyler. The kitchen smelled warm and inviting, cinnamon and caramel and coffee. The rolls were hand-made, not from a can. Thomas leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee.

“Morning.” Peggy smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

Tyler guided Nevvie to a chair at the table and prepared their coffee. “Yes, like a rock, thank you,” Nevvie said.

“I’m guessing you didn’t need an extra quilt on the bed last night, Nevvie?”

Nevvie blushed, but Peggy’s smile reassured her. “I was out-voted.” She accepted a mug from Tyler, then he made his own. “What’s the plan for today?”

“We need to start the turkey and get things cooking. Everyone will show up throughout the afternoon, but supper’s set for five. Karen said she’ll be here this morning by eight.”

“If she’s not too hung-over,” Thomas snarked.

Tyler laughed. “She was rather soused last night.”

“Let’s eat. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

* * *

They were showered and ready by the time Karen arrived, not looking too worse for wear. The boys were outside retrieving a folding table and chairs from the storage shed when Karen walked into the kitchen. Nevvie tensed, hoping Karen still accepted the situation.

Nevvie’s hands were buried in a pan of dressing. Karen put an arm around her and hugged her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t at my best last night.”

“It’s okay. I totally understand.”

Karen looked her in the eye. “You’re planning on staying around for the long haul, right?”

Nevvie nodded. “I love them.”

Karen patted her on the shoulder. “Okay then.” She leaned in and dropped her voice so Peggy couldn’t hear. “You can’t expect me to quit drooling over Tyler.”

Nevvie smiled. “I understand.”

“Good. No problem with that, right?”

“No.”

Having at least one sister on her side, Nevvie relaxed and enjoyed the morning. With similar personalities, Karen and Thomas kept everyone in stitches. A house full of laughter wasn’t something Nevvie experienced growing up. At one point she slipped away to the bathroom to be alone.

She opened the door and jumped. Tyler leaned against the doorframe, his blue eyes full of concern. “Everything all right, sweetheart?”

Nevvie nodded. He pushed her into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, locked it, and pulled her into his arms.

“Don’t try to hold it in, it makes it worse.”

She relaxed in his arms. “How’d you know?”

“I nearly hyperventilated my first weekend.”

She pulled herself together and washed her face. He met her eyes in the mirror, searching.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you, love?”

“I will be. I’m just overwhelmed.”

He stood behind her, his arms around her waist, still looking at her in the mirror. “Remember, lean on me. Or Thomas.”

“He won’t understand.”

“I know. They’re his family.” He kissed her neck and opened the door. “Deep breaths. You’re doing fine. I love you.”

Nevvie mustered a smile. “I love you, too.”

* * *

April arrived next, around ten-thirty. Single and currently without a boyfriend, she drove up alone. Thomas was outside and broke the news. Nevvie watched from the kitchen window, where she washed pots in the sink. She froze, holding her breath and praying, when April’s face dropped in stunned disbelief. Nevvie jumped at the feel of Tyler’s hand on her back.

“What is it?” he murmured.

She pointed with a soapy hand. Tyler frowned, watching the scene play out in the yard.

Thomas talked. April sat on the picnic table bench, obviously digesting the information as Thomas knelt in front of her, still talking. Tyler slipped an arm around Nevvie’s waist and kissed her neck.

“He’s persuasive, love. Just wait.”

“What’s going on?” Peggy walked over.

Tyler nodded at the window. Peggy stood on Nevvie’s other side and joined their vigil. After a few minutes April nodded and stood, then hugged Thomas. Hopefully all was well.

Peggy let out a long breath. “Two down.”

A few nervous minutes later, Thomas returned to the kitchen, followed by April. Nevvie turned from the sink. She dried her hands and forced another anxious smile.

“April, this is Nevvie. Nevvie, my sister, April.”

“Nice to meet you, April. Thomas has told me a lot about you.”

April’s cautious, cool smile was expected. “Hi. Uh, welcome to the family.”

“Thank you.”

“Hello, Tyler.”

He still stood firmly planted at Nevvie’s side. “Nice to see you again, April.”

Karen looked up from where she sat peeling apples at the table. “Jesus, April, it’s fine. Chill out.” Karen had added a splash of bourbon to her coffee. “It’s not like they’re going to have sex in the middle of the living room before dessert.”

Nevvie nearly choked, while Tyler and Thomas roared with laughter. Peggy shook her head. “I can see I’m gonna have to lock that cabinet, you keep that up, missy.”

But the comment put a smile on April’s face and she relaxed, walking over to hug Nevvie, then Tyler. “I’m sorry. I’m just—”

“In shock?” Tyler suggested.

“Yeah.”

Karen wasn’t through. “Maybe we can get her drunk later and get details about Tyler.”

Thomas grinned. “Now you listen, he’s taken times two. You can stop trying to steal him.”

“Says who, baby brother?” Karen stuck her tongue out at him.

It took a little longer, but the undercurrent of tension dissipated as Nevvie and April both relaxed. Cheryl and her husband didn’t have any children. Katie’s two sons were spending the day with her ex-husband, and she was bringing her boyfriend to dinner. Emily’s twins, a boy and girl, were in college and spending the weekend skiing in Colorado with friends from school.

In other words, no children to worry about explaining the situation to. Thomas decided to wait until after dinner to tell the others. Tyler disagreed, wanting it out in the open, but Thomas thought it would be easier for the others to take the news after spending the day getting to know Nevvie.

Peggy and the other sisters stayed out of it. Tyler left the decision up to Thomas.

Thomas stubbornly shook his head. “After dinner.” He looked at Peggy. “I mean, if I tell her before dinner you know Em’ll pitch a fit and ruin the day.”

Peggy held up her hands. “I told you, I’m staying out of it, Tommy. It’s your call.” She patted Nevvie’s shoulder.

Nevvie struggled not to throw up from her nerves, and refused to let anyone else take a turn washing dishes. It was the only thing she could do to keep herself remotely calm and distracted.

Cheryl and Pete arrived after noon. Tyler caught Nevvie longingly eyeing the incredible shrinking bourbon bottle and shook his head, a half-smile caressing his face.

No, he silently mouthed, then winked.

Nevvie tried to spend her time with Peggy, mostly in the kitchen, practically glued to her. Nevvie felt relatively secure with her new “mother-in-law” and didn’t want to do anything to screw up around the rest of the family. When Emily and her husband, Clay, arrived a short while later, Thomas made the introductions. Nevvie didn’t miss the suspicious glance the eldest Kinsey girl shot her way.

Trouble.

Katie and Shaun drove up a little after three. The men took over the living room and tuned the TV to football. Tyler made several trips to the kitchen to “help” and made eye-contact with Nevvie, trying to calm her.

It didn’t help.

The chill in the air around Emily didn’t go unnoticed. Ever helpful, Karen had stopped drinking but her snark remained fully intact. “Em, sheesh, what the hell is wrong with you today? Someone jam a stick up your ass?”

Nevvie, at the sink washing dishes, clamped her lips together and tried to calm her rolling stomach. At least when washing dishes she didn’t have to face as many people and it gave her an excuse to hide out in the kitchen.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Nevvie glanced at the window and the glass reflected Emily’s blue eyes glaring at her back.

Tyler unfortunately chose that moment to reappear. “How is everything? Need any help?”

Peggy sensed the impending storm. “Everything’s fine, Tyler. Go sit and watch football with the boys and stay out of trouble.”

Nevvie slowed her hands, submerging the baking dish and scrubbing at non-existent grime, biding her time. In the window she watched Tyler’s reflection hesitate, then finally retreat down the hallway.

April put the finishing touches on a casserole and gently nudged into the sink next to Nevvie to wash her hands. “Why don’t you come help me set the table?” she whispered.

Nevvie anxiously nodded and finished with the last pot, rushing to follow April.

In the dining room, April caught Nevvie’s eye across the table and smiled as they spread one of the table cloths.

“It’s okay,” April whispered. “It’ll be fine.”

Nevvie nodded, fighting yet another bout of nervous tears. Ever vigilant, Tyler appeared in the dining room and took one look at Nevvie.

“April, may I borrow my girl for a moment?”

“See if you can calm her down, Ty.”

Tyler took Nevvie’s hand and quickly led her down the hall, away from the kitchen to the back door, onto the porch. Out of sight of the others, Tyler wrapped his arms around Nevvie, whispering to her, kissing her, trying to soothe her.

“Emily hates me already. I can feel it.”

“It doesn’t matter, love. Truly.”

“It matters to me. I wish he’d tell her and get it over with—”

“What’s going on?” Nevvie jumped at the sound of Emily’s strident voice, ripping herself out of Tyler’s arms and turning to wipe her face.

Tyler faced Emily and headed her off. “Nothing, everything’s fine, Em. Holidays are rough on her…”

Nevvie lost their voices as Tyler wrangled Emily into the house. Spying the back steps, Nevvie raced off the porch, down the hill to the pond, losing sight of the house. Wearing only jeans and a T-shirt in the chilly air, she shivered. She sat on an upturned canoe and drew her legs to her chest. With her arms wrapped around her knees she rocked, trying to comfort herself.

This was a mistake. A huge mistake.

She didn’t know how long she sat there when she heard footsteps in the dried grass behind her. Sensing it was one of her boys she didn’t turn to see who. He stood behind her—Thomas—and she closed her eyes as he draped his jacket over her shoulders and wrapped his arms around her.

“You okay, sugar?”

“No.”

“Don’t worry about Emily.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“It’s all right. Come back to the house. Please? Look, I promise, as soon as we finish dinner, I’ll tell them.”

She looked at him. “You’re scared of Em, aren’t you?”

He shrugged. “Not scared. But I remember how she reacted when I broke the news about Tyler.” He hesitated. “I’m hoping at least we can have a nice dinner before she goes storming out in a holy huff.”

She let him take her hand and lead her to the house. On the back porch he put his arms around her.

“Just breathe. It’s only a weekend. We’ll get it out in the open and go home Monday.”

“Okay.”

She stopped by the bathroom to wash her face. Again Tyler startled her when she opened the door.

“Will you quit doing that!” she angrily hissed, pushing past him.

“I’m sorry, love, but I’m concerned.”

She took a deep breath. This wasn’t his fault. “I’m sorry.”

He brushed the hair from her face. “It’s all right.” Then he kissed her forehead. “Relax.”

Nevvie gave Emily a wide berth. Katie’s previously welcoming air soon chilled after Emily had a private word with her in the dining room.

Apparently Cheryl was out of the loop because she still chatted with Nevvie.

At dinner, Thomas and Tyler flanked Nevvie, occasionally patting her leg under the table to reassure her. The other men were oblivious to any problems, chatting and joking with everyone. Emily and Katie made a point of ignoring Nevvie, other than shooting her evil looks from across the table. After everyone ate their fill, Peggy stood to clear the table and Nevvie jumped to help.

Nevvie automatically took up her secure position at the sink to wash while Peggy went back for more dishes. Nevvie heard someone walk into the kitchen. In the window reflection she spied Emily and Katie.

They walked to the sink to dump their dishes and Nevvie tried to calm her stomach as the women glared at her.

Emily finally broke the uncomfortable silence. Keeping her voice low she said, “I don’t know who the hell you are, but if you think I’m going to let you go screw up his relationship with Tyler, think again.”

Katie tag-teamed her from the other side. “Maybe you see them as a meal ticket, but he loves Tyler. They’ve had a good thing for a lot of years now. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave them the fuck alone.”

Nevvie’s heart raced, panic threatening. “What?”

“I saw you,” Emily snarled. “I saw you with Tyler on the porch, and the way he’s been watching you all afternoon. Now I don’t agree with my brother’s lifestyle, but I damn sure won’t let some skank come in and—”

“What’s going on?” Cheryl carried two serving bowls.

Katie looked at her. “We’re putting an end to something.”

“What?”

Emily pointed at Nevvie. “This little witch is trying something with Tyler.”

April and Karen entered, carrying dishes. “What’s going on?” Karen asked. April looked worried.

Cheryl shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Emily said. “We’re going to show this little tramp she can’t screw with our baby brother.”

Karen pushed in, trying to separate Emily from Nevvie. “What the hell is your problem? You leave her alone.”

“Leave her alone? She’s trying get something on with Tyler!”

April added her two cents, taking Nevvie’s other side. “You girls have the wrong end of the stick on this one, and I strongly suggest you let it go.”

Cheryl, still confused, watched them like a tennis match. “Would someone please explain what the hell is going on?”

Nevvie panicked, unable to deal with the rising voices and angry words as the women faced off. She bolted for the kitchen doorway and ran smack into Thomas, coming to investigate the fuss.

Seeing Nevvie’s state he pulled her to him. “What the hell is going on?” he yelled.

All the women quieted except Nevvie, who cried against him.

Emily glared at Nevvie. “That little tramp—”

“Don’t you dare call her that!” he yelled. Tyler rushed into the kitchen. “Take her,” Thomas said, handing Nevvie off. Tyler pulled her to him, trying to soothe her.

Thomas advanced on his sisters, pointing at Emily. “Don’t you ever talk to or about her like that again, do you hear me?”

Katie found her voice first. “Tommy, you don’t understand, Em saw her! That little bitch—”

“Belt up, both of you! Just shut your bloody gobs!” Tyler’s uncharacteristically enraged outburst brought Peggy and the others to the kitchen doorway and shocked the other women into silence. Peggy stood firm, not allowing anyone else in, hushing them.

“If anyone doesn’t understand,” Thomas growled, “it’s the two of you.”

Emily tried again. “Tom, I saw her and Tyler kissing on the porch!”

“Yeah,” he turned on her, “because she’s our wife.”

“Son of a bitch!” one of the men in the hall uttered. Peggy shushed him.

“I wanted to put off doing this, but let’s get it over with.” Thomas continued. “Tyler has every right to kiss her.” He put his arm around Tyler and Nevvie. “It’s the three of us. Do you understand me? Tyler and I asked her to be our wife. No, we can’t legally marry her, but she’s our wife.”

Emily’s face reddened. “You can’t do that! That’s not right!”

“You said the same thing when I brought Tyler home and you’ve accepted him.”

“That’s different!”

“No, it’s not different, Em. I love her as much as I love him. You don’t decide who I can and can’t love.”

Cheryl was slow on the uptake. “What the hell are you talking about, Tommy? You mean the two of you share her?”

“You asking for details or generalities, Cher?” Thomas shot back.

“No, I mean…Wow.” She sat, stunned.

Emily tried to enlist help and turned on April and Karen. “Are you two going to just stand there or say something?”

Karen held up her hands. “Hey, we don’t have a problem with it. We like her.”

“What?” Emily realized something else. “How the hell long have you known?

April shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. They love her.”

Katie, realizing they were no use, shook her head. “Mom, come on, help us talk some sense into Tommy.”

Peggy stepped forward. “Girls, you are apparently the only ones with a problem. It’s not our business. She’s a guest in my home. You have two choices—stay and be sociable, or leave.”

Emily’s color darkened. “You have got to be shitting me! You cannot stand there and tell me you’re fine with this!”

“It’s not our business. I think she’s sweet, and I think she loves them. They obviously love her.”

Katie leaned against the cabinet, her hands pressed to her forehead, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this. I just cannot believe this.”

Thomas turned to Cheryl. “Are you okay with this?”

Realizing he was talking to her, she looked up. “What? I don’t know.”

He turned to Katie. “Kate? How’s this going to be? Are you going to respect my decision, or are you going to keep going at her? If you can’t play nice you need to leave, or I will take her and Tyler and go to a hotel. I will not have her picked on by you two.”

Katie had drifted from righteous indignation to confusion now that her mother had weighed in. “What, are you guys like swingers or something? I can’t believe you’d—”

“Tyler and I have been faithful to each other our entire relationship. We met her and both fell in love with her. Lucky for us, she felt the same way. We’re like anyone else, except there’s three of us instead of two. This has nothing to do with sex, it’s about love. We love her, she loves us. If you can’t wrap your head around it, that’s your problem, not ours.” He turned to Emily. “That goes for you, too. Back off, or we’ll leave. Take your holier-than-thou crap and shove it up your ass.”

Peggy stood next to Tyler and Nevvie. “What’s it gonna be, girls? Can we move past this and get on with dessert?”

Katie reached for the bottle of bourbon and poured a few splashes, downing it. “I need some time with this.”

“That’s fine,” Thomas said. “I’m not asking for your approval or blessings. I’m only asking for respect and civility. For all three of us.”

Katie nodded. “Okay.”

That left Emily, who looked ready to explode. “Well?” Thomas asked.

“How dare you do this to our mother! It wasn’t bad enough you brought Tyler home, now this?”

Peggy stepped forward and shook her finger in Emily’s face. “You listen to me, lady. I love Tyler, and I think I’m going to love Nevvie, once I get to know her. Don’t you be thinking you have to fight some morality battle for me. You suck it up or get the hell outta my house.”

Emily looked shocked then stormed out of the kitchen. They heard the back door slam a moment later.

The collective relief was palpable.

Karen sighed loudly. “Well, now that the floor show’s over, can we have pie?”

Nevvie nervously laughed. Karen’s tone and inflection was so similar to Thomas, she couldn’t help it.

* * *

At first, tension filled the air. As the others settled into the news, nerves eased and eventually all relaxed. Emily returned a half-hour later. She grabbed her husband and hugged Peggy.

“I’m sorry, Momma, but I need to need to go. I’ll call you.” She left without saying goodbye to anyone else.

The mood lifted with their departure. Thomas cornered Nevvie in the kitchen a few minutes later.

“I’m sorry, Nev. I knew she’d explode one way or the other, and I was hoping maybe if she had a chance to get to know you…She’ll come around eventually, sugar. She did the same thing when I brought Tyler home.”

Nevvie glared at him.

“Okay, not quite as bad, but it took her a while to accept him. It’ll be okay. Hey, four out of five, plus Momma, that’s good.”

Tyler joined their hug, kissing the back of her neck. “Are you all right, sweet?”

“Yeah. I’ll be okay.”

“Ooh! Me too!” Karen rushed across the kitchen and hugged Tyler from behind. “Hiya, Blue Eyes.”

The others laughed. Nevvie understood this was a not quite completely innocent running joke with her. “Sorry, Karen. They’re a matched set. If you take one, you’ve got to take the other.”

Karen released Tyler with a shudder. “Ick! My brother? Yuck. Thanks for the ice water on my fantasy. Blech.” But she smiled. “Don’t worry. Em’s big concern was probably that you guys would give Clay bad ideas. I swear that man is gay.”

“I doubt it,” Tyler said. “He’s never made a pass at me.”

“That means he’s blind, Ty, not straight.”

The rest of the evening was relaxed as they passed the eggnog around and the mood stayed light. With promises to get together for lunch on Sunday at the house, they all said good night a little after eleven.

Peggy smiled at Nevvie. “Could have been a lot worse, sugar. You did good today.”

“Thanks, Mom.” She wouldn’t deny it felt good calling her that.

Peggy yawned. “I’m going to bed. Whatever’s left in the kitchen, we can wash it in the morning.” She started down the hall to her bedroom when she turned.

“Oh, Tommy?”

“Yes, Momma?”

“Try not to fall out of bed again. You shook the whole house.”

They all laughed. “Yes, Momma. I’ll try.”

* * *  *

The weekend flew by. All the sisters except Emily dropped by the house at various times to visit or have dinner. Nevvie relaxed and eventually felt like part of the family. The boys carefully kept their public displays of affection to a minimum around others, and the three crammed into the too-small bed to sleep every night.

Nevvie and the boys helped Peggy put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house, apparently an annual tradition. Tyler was relieved when Nevvie insisted he stay on the ground while she went on the roof with Thomas to help string lights.

Peggy watched them from the front yard, standing next to Tyler. “She’s good at that kind of stuff, isn’t she?”

“Absolutely. She loves working on the Ford with him, things like that. She’s amazing. You know I’m bloody worthless at this, always have been.”

Peggy shook her head. “Funny how this all worked out, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” He looked at her. “Now you understand.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, Tyler. I can’t say I understand. As long as y’all are happy.”

Tyler loved Peggy. He wasn’t close to his own mother, usually saw her only once a year, if that. They talked on the phone from time to time, but she always steered around the subject of Thomas like he was non-existent, treating him like the elephant in the corner. Tyler hadn’t bothered trying to tell her about Nevvie.

Peggy, however, felt like a mom to him.

“She’s had a rough life, Mom,” he said, dropping his voice. “She was adopted, then her adoptive mother basically abandoned her after her husband died and she remarried. We’re the first real family she’s had that she can count on.”

Peggy nodded. “I can tell. You two hold onto her tight. I think it would kill her to lose you.” She sat at the picnic table. “We once had this little dog, it’d been abused. Poor thing scared of its own shadow. The longer we had it, the more it settled down, but it still clung to me. If I left a room, here it’d come, on my heels. She’d get frantic if I went outside and didn’t crate her first. She’d try to look out the windows and find me.”

Peggy watched Nevvie. “She reminds me of that little dog, Tyler. She only looks comfortable if one of you are around. If you’re both there, she relaxes.” She leveled her gaze at Tyler. “Don’t go ruining this by being stupid men, either. Stay focused on the important stuff and stay away from the petty crap. Hold her tight, son.”

Tyler nodded. “Believe me, we will.”

Chapter 22

Nevvie strolled into Tyler’s office, waving a card at him. “When, pray tell, sir, were you telling me about this?”

He looked up and a sheepish smile erupted. “Sorry, sweet. I guess it slipped my mind.”

“Mmm hmm.” She sat in his lap. Wearing an oversized T-shirt and nothing else made it easy to feel his bulge grow against her thigh. “Thomas just called and asked me to find out what to wear and remind me to send anything to the cleaners if that was necessary.”

“Oops.” He kissed her. “Forgive me?”

“Tyler, I can’t go.”

“All three of us are going. I’ve already RSVPd.”

The card in question was an invitation to a Christmas party, being thrown in three days by the head of the English department, a professor emeritus, one of the men Tyler used to work with.

“How are we supposed to explain who I am?”

“You’re my wife.”

“And Thomas?”

“He’s my husband. Don’t complicate this, dear.”

“I don’t care about me, but you’ve got a reputation.”

He kissed her, silencing her protests. “Love, it’s my reputation. If my being open about my relationship with Thomas didn’t raise any eyebrows, why should this?”

She glared at him.

“Right. Love, I don’t have a problem with it. Seriously.”

“You don’t have a problem telling your former co-workers about me?”

“No.”

There was more. She recognized the playful gleam in his eye. “Tyler.”

The sheepish look returned, melting her. “You’ll look beautiful in that black gown.”

“Tyyylerrrrr.” Now she knew for sure there was more.

“It’s supposed to be dressy.”

“Tyler!”

“My ex-wife might be there.”

Nevvie absorbed this information and snickered. “Which one?”

“One.”

“And you can’t resist the urge to parade me around in front of her.”

“I can’t get much past you, can I?”

“Not anymore. I’ll make sure my black dress is ready. I’m assuming you want me to buy different shoes?”

His cock throbbed along her thigh. “Can I pick?”

“Sure, but I’ll be glued to your arm all night so I don’t fall and break my neck.”

“All the better.”

He sent her to get dressed and drove them to the mall. It took a few minutes of wobbling and careful steps, but she finally agreed to a pair of stiletto pumps.

“If I break my ankle in these things, you’re waiting on me hand and foot, got it?”

He pressed close into her hip, letting her feel his stiff cock. The shoes brought her almost to eye level with him. “Love, I plan on keeping you on my arm all night long.”

“You’re deliberately baiting these people.”

He kissed her. “If you and Thomas ever team up against me I fear I’m in trouble. You know me too well.”

She sat, removed the shoes, and put her sandals back on. “What’s going on?”

He sat across from her, his elbows on his knees, and dropped his voice. “I left the department on good terms. As with any workplace, there were cliques.” He shrugged. “Because I didn’t write ‘literary’ books I was somewhat of a pariah amongst the tenured profs.”

“But your books make damn good money.”

“Lucky for me.” He took the shoebox from her so he could pay.

“Where in the food chain was your ex?”

He looked away and shrugged. “She moved in with another professor during our divorce. They both still teach there.”

“During?”

He shrugged again. It finally hit her. There was more to the story than he originally told her. “You didn’t tell me everything about how and why she left, did you?”

He eventually met her gaze. “It doesn’t matter this many years later, does it, love?” he softly replied.

Nevvie wanted revenge for the bitch cheating on him. That’s the only thing the old pain in his eyes could mean. “What does she teach?”

“Her specialty was American literature.”

“Literary type.”

He nodded. They stood.

“I can’t dance in those shoes, you know. I can barely walk in them.”

His smile reached his eyes. “We’ll tuck your shorter heels in the car, just in case. Thomas can always fetch them for us.”

“I’ve never been arm candy before.”

He leaned in close, his lips by her ear, his voice barely a whisper. “Believe me, Thomas and I will enjoy snacking on our arm candy after the party.”

She gasped as his eyes twinkled. Damn he knew how to get her wet!

“It doesn’t bother you some of the people there will talk behind your back and think I’m a slut for having two men?”

“No, because all the men will be jealous. I don’t care what the women think.”

“Except One.”

“I don’t care what she thinks either.”

“Liar. You want to rub her nose in it.”

“That, my love, is a bonus.”

* * *

If she could survive her first weekend with Thomas’ family, a party with a bunch of strangers she might never see again should be easy.

That was her rationale.

Thomas insisted she ride in the front seat of the Lexus while he took the back. “I’m surprised you didn’t hire a limo,” she snarked as they pulled up to the country club where the party was being held.

Tyler smiled as they waited for the parking valet. “I considered it, but then I figured that would be showing off.”

Both Thomas and Nevvie laughed.

“Is he always like this?” she asked Thomas.

“No, but if the usual snots are here, it’s the first time they’ve seen him in a few years. Believe me, they make shit for pay, a lot less than you’d think. I don’t mind dropping a few jaws.”

“You’re as bad as he is.”

Thomas helped her out while Tyler handed the keys to the valet and walked around the car. “Sugar, it’s a guy thing. I’m sorry, we can’t help it. We have penises, and that means we sometimes get into pissing contests.

She tried to stifle her laughter.

Tyler grinned. “I don’t know I would have phrased it exactly like that, but he’s absolutely correct, sweet. Come along.”

He hooked his arm through hers, slowing his steps for her benefit. She’d spent an hour at home practicing in the stilettos and prayed she wouldn’t have to walk far by herself. If she took her time and didn’t lean, she could manage.

Thomas took her other arm. When they entered the country club she clung to Thomas while Tyler went to check in with the host in the foyer. She poked Tom so he tipped his head close.

“What happened with One?” She’d never outright asked before, knowing Tyler didn’t like to talk about it.

His face clouded. “Skank cheated on Ty. He came home and caught her in bed with the guy.”

“The guy she moved in with?”

Thomas nodded. “Tyler had to work with both of them for a couple of years until he finally quit.”

“Ouch.”

“Do me a favor, baby girl.”

“Anything.”

He leaned in closer and dropped his voice. “Make him look really good for me. Vamp it up, seriously.”

“You really hate her, don’t you?”

“If you get the chance to dance with him, knock ‘em dead.”

It moved her that he wanted vicarious revenge for his lover.

Then again, so did she.

Tyler finished and returned to them, offering Nevvie his arm. “All set, loves. Shall we?”

She smiled and carefully kissed his lips, not wanting to smudge her lipstick. “Let’s knock ‘em dead.”

* * *

Thomas knew a few of the people there. The irony that she had more in common with Thomas in this instance than she did with Tyler didn’t escape her. Tyler handled the introductions. The shocked looks were well worth the beating her feet took in the heels.

At one point Tyler was pulled away by an old colleague to meet the man’s wife, leaving Nevvie tottering on Thomas’ arm.

“How am I doing?” she whispered.

“Great.” He leaned in closer. “You realize you’re getting fucked when you get home, right? Dammit, you’re gorgeous.”

“I better get a foot rub before anything happens.”

“You got it, sugar. Uh oh.”

“What?”

“One at twelve o’clock.”

Nevvie watched an anorexic-looking woman and an older man walk toward them. “That’s her?”

“Yeah, and her sugar daddy.” The man looked at least thirty years older than the woman, with a beard and mustache, a few inches taller than Thomas.

“The professor?”

“Yep.” The couple approached, the woman pasting a false smile on her face.

“Well, hello, Thomas. How are you?” Nevvie didn’t miss the quizzical look shot her direction.

He tightened his grip on Nevvie’s arm. “I’m fine, Erin.” His voice sounded tight, strained. “Robert.”

The man forced a tense smile and tipped his head to Thomas.

“Where’s Tyler?” the woman asked.

That’s exactly what Nevvie wondered. This woman was approximately Tyler’s age, but looked at least ten years older.

She felt a gentle touch on her other arm. Tyler carried two glasses, one of punch, another of wine. “Here, loves. Ah, Erin. I wondered if you’d be here.”

Erin eyed Tyler, apparently not quite sure how to respond. Tyler handed Nevvie the glass of punch, Thomas the wine, and kissed them both. “Sweetheart, make sure the punch isn’t spiked, I didn’t sample it. If it is, I’ll get you something else.” He put his arm around Nevvie’s waist. “How is tenure treating you, Robert?”

The man looked even more uncomfortable, if it was possible. She’d left Tyler for this fugly dude?

“Fine. Um, congratulations on your writing career. I hear you’ve done well.”

“Yes, the public’s been rather kind to me. Forgive me, where the hell are my blasted manners? Nevvie, I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Erin, Robert, this is our wife, Nevvie.”

Nevvie smiled, not because she was pleased to meet them, but in response to their shocked expressions. That alone was worth her cramped toes. Nevvie released Thomas’ arm and shook hands. “Pleased to meet you.”

Tyler, knowing Nevvie wasn’t steady on her feet, kept his arm around her waist. She took a sip of punch, making sure the ring on her left hand was clearly visible.

Erin found her voice first. “Wife?”

Nevvie stepped on Tyler’s foot before he could answer. “We decided to make it permanent. The boys finally made an honest woman out of me.” She took another sip of punch to hide her smile.

Erin and Robert were again at a loss for words.

Thomas showed his evil streak. “Excuse me for a minute. I’ll be right back.” He kissed both Nevvie and Tyler on the lips, then headed down a hall toward the bathrooms.

The kisses once again confounded the other two, who exchanged a glance, not sure how to handle the situation.

Nevvie wasn’t letting this go. “What do you do, Erin?”

Erin was apparently still trying to wrap her mind around Nevvie’s “our wife” status. “Uh, I teach AmLit over at USF.”

“That must be very interesting. Oh!” She turned to Tyler. “Remind we when we get home, honey. I got an email this afternoon from your agent. He received a counter-offer on the movie rights to Damning Thoughts, but there’s nothing we can do about it until Monday anyway.”

He picked it up and his eyes bored into hers, crinkling at the corners. “Oh? Excellent. I wondered when we’d hear back from him about that. Thank you, pet.” He kissed her, pulling her tightly against him.

Erin cleared her throat. “Movie?”

“Yes, but you know how that goes,” Nevvie said. “Just because the rights get sold doesn’t guarantee they’ll make the movie. Hey, we still get paid regardless.” She looked at Tyler. “You promised me a trip to Paris once they sold,” she said in her best pouty—but not quite little slave girl—voice.

Tyler’s eyes never left hers and smoldered with amused humor barely held in check. “I thought you wanted a new Mustang. Did you change your mind again? You cheeky little thing. What am I going to do with you?” He playfully swatted her bum, but not hard enough to knock her off-balance.

“Thomas said he’d get me that for Christmas anyway,” she purred.

“Incorrigible.” He looked at Robert. “She has us totally wrapped around her finger.”

Curiosity got the better of Robert. “I…uh…thought you and Thomas were…uh…partners.”

“We are.” He met Nevvie’s eyes again. “This sweet angel fell in love with us poor blokes, and us with her. The more the merrier, right?”

Nevvie winked at Erin. “I’m a lucky girl. But you lived with him, so I don’t have to tell you that, do I?”

“You’re also very naughty, aren’t you, love?” Tyler teased. “Telling all our secrets.” He nuzzled her neck.

Erin had turned a lovely shade of crimson.

Thomas reappeared, his wine refilled and a glass of what Nevvie assumed was iced tea for Tyler. “Still chatting?” He kissed Nevvie. “Are you behaving or causing trouble?”

“What do you think?” she purred.

Erin and Robert looked on, speechless.

Tyler would not be outdone. “Thomas, love, did you promise Nevvie the Mustang for Christmas?”

He sipped his wine and slowly nodded, understanding something was going on and playing along. “Why?”

“Because now we have to take her to Paris, too. It looks like the movie rights will go next week after all. We’ve had a counter-offer.”

Nevvie met Thomas’ eyes and prayed that for once he was in tune with them. Bless his heart, he was.

He sipped his wine, buying himself a few seconds. “You promised her the trip, Ty. I promised her the car. We haven’t been to Paris in a while. Why can’t we do both?” He reached out and stroked Nevvie’s cheek.

Tyler let out an exaggerated sigh. “Well, darling, looks like you get your way…again.”

“Like you mind.”

Thomas leaned around her and kissed Tyler. “Yeah, evil genius, like you mind.”

Tyler turned to Erin and Robert. “I’m overruled.”

Nevvie didn’t know if shock or sick fascination kept Erin and Robert talking with them.

“I hate to break this up,” Thomas said, “but I need to get some food in my stomach or you two’ll be pouring me into bed. Mind if I take our girl, Ty?”

“I could use something to nosh on. Well, Erin, Robert, take care.” The men each took an arm and escorted Nevvie out of the room to the buffet. They found a quiet table in a corner and sat, finally exploding with laughter.

“What’d I miss?” Thomas asked.

Nevvie grinned. “You were perfect. You caught right on.”

Tyler’s beaming face was more than worth the pain in her feet. “Paris, hmm?” He kissed her. “You, my love, are inspired. Absolutely brilliant.” He filled Thomas in. “Well, now we owe our girl a Mustang and a trip to the City of Lights.” Tyler smiled.

“I was happy to play along. Bitch. I loved the look on her face. One of you please get me some food, my feet are killing me.”

Tyler jumped to do it.

Thomas patted her hand and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, sugar.”

“Hey, a chance to put that whore in her place for cheating on our guy? Anytime.”

* * *

They took their time eating. Tyler introduced her to several people who stopped by their table seeking him out. She didn’t get tired of the looks.

Then the inevitable. “I’ll be right back boys. I hope.” She carefully stood, wincing as she regained her balance on the heels.

“Need help, darling?” Tyler asked.

“I could use it, but I doubt they’ll let you in the ladies room. Just listen in case I scream.”

She carefully made her way to the bathroom without tripping. Erin entered the bathroom while Nevvie washed her hands, stopping short when she saw Nevvie’s angry glare.

“Hello again,” Nevvie said. She didn’t know if there was anyone else in the bathroom.

She didn’t care.

Erin hesitated. “Listen, I don’t know what Tyler’s said—”

“Tommy’s the one who told me you cheated on him.”

Erin reddened again. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“You’re right, I don’t. Tyler doesn’t talk about you. Apparently you hurt him very deeply.” Nevvie stopped next to her on her way to the door. “And I thank you for that. So does Tommy. If you hadn’t screwed up, we might never have met him and had the chance to love him.”

Nevvie forced her feet out the door, taking faster, stronger strides than she should. Thankfully she spotted Thomas walking down the hallway, looking for her, and he offered his arm. She grabbed him.

“Get me to a chair, quick,” she whispered.

Concerned, he ushered her into the foyer and she winced as she sat.

“You okay, sugar?”

She shook her head and handed him the shoes. “Please?”

He nodded and rushed out the front door. A few minutes later he reappeared with her other shoes and she slipped them on. “No dancing for me tonight, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay.” He helped her back to the table.

Tyler stood, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

She offered a game smile and related her exchange with Erin. “It was worth the pain of those dang shoes to see the look on her face.”

“I’m sorry, sweet. I never should have asked it of you.”

“Don’t feel guilty.” She laid a hand on his cheek and dropped her voice. “She’s lucky I wasn’t in flats or I would have stood there and given her a huge piece of my mind at the top of my lungs.”

Tyler touched his forehead to hers. “You’re truly amazing, love. We won’t stay much longer, I promise.”

They didn’t. And when they got home, Tyler insisted on carrying her from the car into the house, gently laying her on their bed. The men pampered her for the rest of the night, Thomas and Tyler each rubbing her feet before making slow, tender love to her.

Yes, Nevvie genuinely thanked Erin for cheating on Tyler.

Chapter 23

Tyler stopped by Thomas’ office door on his way to the bedroom. “What’s wrong?”

Thomas looked up. “How the freak do you do that?” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head.

“Over twelve years, I’ve learned a thing or two about you. What’s up?”

“I need to go to Ft.Myers tomorrow.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I need to go overnight. We’ve got a permitting snag on a job down there.”

“Take Nevvie with you.”

Stunned, Thomas stared at him. “How the hell—”

“You need her for the paperwork because she’s the project supervisor. It doesn’t bother me.”

“Why don’t you come with us? We can take the truck or one of the cars.” It would be the first trip the three of them didn’t go on together since the Halloween party.

Tyler dropped his voice. “Thomas, she’s with us forever. She’s going with me to New York in a couple of weeks. Why should I be stuck in a hotel room all day when I can be here working? I’m on a deadline.”

“But you’ll be here alone.”

“So?” Tyler’s eyes twinkled. “Maybe you can finish what you started last October.” In the five months since the night of the party, Nevvie had become such an ingrained part of both men’s psyche that they barely remembered life before her.

“Fucking scary, that’s what you are.”

Tyler winked. “Well, love, you are the one who dubbed me the evil genius. I expect a phone call.”

Thomas nodded.

“Then it’s all right, isn’t it? Fair’s fair.” Tyler glanced down the hall and didn’t see Nevvie. He suspected she was in the garage doing laundry. He stepped back to Thomas’ desk. “When we decided to do this, we decided this was all or nothing, right?”

Thomas nodded.

“She’s not mine, she’s not yours. She’s ours. I’m not keeping a scorecard about who did what, understand? It doesn’t matter.”

Thomas looked away, nodding, but Tyler caught his chin. “Fuck her brains out, lover. Make her moan for me. Just promise to bring my angel safely home. And yourself, right?” He kissed him, feeling Thomas respond before he pulled away. “When will you leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

Tyler grinned. “I should expect a little extra-special treatment from the two of you tonight, shouldn’t I?”

* * *

Tyler and Nevvie headed to the bedroom first. When Thomas caught up with them a few minutes later, she was on top of Tyler, giving him a back rub.

“Don’t put him to sleep. We want to have a little fun first.”

Tyler squirmed against the covers. “No, not sleepy right now, Thomas. Trust me.”

She leaned forward and traced his spine with her tongue from his neck to his hips. “I know how to wake you up.”

“You bloody well do.”

After a few minutes he patted her leg. “On your back, sweetheart. I want some fun, too.”

She rolled over. Tyler spread her legs, bending his lips to her mound. “Do you like this?” He lightly teased her with his tongue, knowing damn well what it did to her.

She moaned, trying to grind her hips against him.

Thomas smiled and knelt by her head. “I think she needs something else to do.” He touched the silky smooth head of his cock to her lips and she swallowed him, making him moan. “Jesus, I love it when you do that.” He tenderly stroked her hair, brushing it away from her face.

Tyler slipped two fingers inside her ready entrance and she arched to meet him, trying to thrust against his hand.

“Do you like that, baby?” Thomas asked.

She moaned her assent as she took him deeper into her mouth, using one hand to stroke the rest of his shaft and the other to play with his heavy sac.

Tyler wanted to plunge inside her. With his tongue and lips he suckled her swollen nub, making her scream around Thomas’ shaft as she climaxed.

“That’s a good girl,” Tyler whispered as he lifted his head from between her legs, kissing her tummy. “That was very good, sweetheart.”

He knelt between her legs and grabbed her hips, sliding into her ready heat, holding still for a moment to savor the feeling. She trembled, gasping, the last echoes of her orgasm still resounding within her.

Thomas pulled his stiff cock from her mouth. She groaned with disappointment.

“You lay back and enjoy it, sugar.” He got out of bed and disappeared to the bathroom.

She focused on Tyler’s eyes as he slowly stroked into her.

“You’re my sweet angel,” he whispered. “Aren’t you?”

She nodded, pulling him down, kissing him. She felt the bed move and they realized Thomas had returned. Tyler jumped, breaking their kiss to glance over his shoulder, then turned to her and closed his eyes. “Mmm. Oh…yes.”

Thomas knelt behind Tyler and dropped a bottle of lube to the bed.

Ah. Now she knew why he went to the bathroom.

Tyler opened his eyes and kissed her again, holding still while Thomas gently slid his cock past Tyler’s rim with a satisfied grunt.

Nevvie rolled her hips under Tyler and he gasped, bending his head to her neck. “Oh, sweetheart…yes.” He gently bit down on her shoulder with a satisfied moan, sucking, shifting his hips against Thomas.

Nevvie wrapped her arms around Tyler and met Thomas’ eyes. He caressed Tyler’s back, his hands settling on his lover’s hips as he took long, slow strokes.

Tyler trembled in her arms, moaning. She’d have a hell of a hickey in the morning, and she loved it.

“That’s it, baby,” Nevvie whispered in his ear, stroking his hair. “I want to feel you come for us.”

The men found a rhythm. As Tyler moaned, Thomas’ eyes never wavered from hers. Tyler’s strokes into her grew deeper, harder, faster. As his breath came in shallower gasps, she knew he was close and nodded to Thomas.

He closed his eyes, his lower lip caught under his teeth as he struggled to hold back. With a loud cry Tyler jerked, spasming, burying himself deep inside her as he came. She held on tightly as Thomas took his cue, his last several strokes faster, before he cried out and fell on top of Tyler.

They all caught their breath, Thomas the first to recover. “You okay down there, Nev?”

She kissed Tyler’s damp forehead. His eyes were closed, his head resting on her shoulder. “I’m okay. I think we wore our poor guy out.”

“Mmm hmm.”

She felt the bed move as Thomas withdrew and went to the bathroom to clean up. He returned with a washcloth and cleaned Tyler before stretching out beside them, his hand on Tyler’s back.

“You okay, sugar?” Thomas asked him.

“Mmm hmm.”

Nevvie smiled and looked at Thomas. “I’m telling you, we wore him out.”

“Am I smooshing you, love?” Tyler mumbled.

“No. You’re fine where you are.”

Thomas turned off the lights and pulled the sheet over all three of them. He nuzzled against them, and within a few minutes, they fell asleep.

* * *

The weather was nice enough to take the bike. They left at seven the next morning, making Ft.Myers before lunch. Nevvie helped Thomas and the site manager sort through the paperwork issues, including arranging a conference call with one of their environmental specialists to try to resolve the confusion. They knocked off at six. The snafu wasn’t untangled, but should be by the next afternoon.

They rode to the same hotel and checked in. Nevvie was surprised to find the sundress and sandals packed in the saddlebags with their other things.

She held them up. “Whose idea was this?”

Thomas grinned. “Tyler’s I suppose, but a damned good one.”

They went to dinner and enjoyed the evening, skipping the tiki bar. Nevvie recalled their earlier visit, and by the time they returned to their room her passion had warmed to a low boil. Thomas started emptying his pockets and turned to look at her.

“What?”

She smiled and launched herself at him, much as she had the previous time. He was a quick study and grabbed her, his hands cupping her ass, grinding his hips into hers, falling to the bed on top of her.

“You don’t have to stop this time, Tommy,” she whispered, nibbling his neck.

“Damn straight,” he growled, his hands running under her dress and yanking down her panties.

When he had them off he unzipped his pants and freed his cock, grabbing her hips and sinking hard and deep into her with a satisfied moan. Then he held still for a moment, his forehead touching hers.

“Jesus, I love you.”

She kissed him, her tongue stroking his. “I love you too. Now fuck me, goddammit.”

He grinned and slammed home again. She wrapped her legs around his waist, thrusting to meet his hips. “That’s it,” she said, her voice hoarse with passion. “I want you to fuck me hard, Tommy.”

“Don’t you want to come, sugar?” But he didn’t slow his deep, powerful thrusts.

“Later. Right now I want you to fuck me. You know you want to. Fuck me harder than you ever have.”

“Yes!” He did, pounding into her, drawing satisfied grunts from both. It wasn’t long before he felt his climax nearing.

Her nails raked his back, her hands slipping on his shirt. “Come on, fuck me baby, do it, pound that cock into me.”

“Shit!” He came, collapsing onto her, trying to catch his breath. He finally rolled onto his side, taking her with him. “Baby girl, you’re wild. Wow.”

She snuggled tight against him, knowing he’d take care of her soon enough. “I know you love it like that sometimes. I do, too.” He couldn’t be that rough with Tyler because it would hurt him. Nevvie, however, enjoyed it. They waited for the rare times when Tyler wasn’t around, to unleash. Both understood it might worry Tyler seeing them like that, and they never acted that rough together around Tyler.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Did I sound like it?” she purred.

He laughed, hugging her. “You’re amazing.” He rolled her on top of him and lifted her sundress off while she worked on his shirt buttons. His phone was still clipped to his belt on his pants, which had dropped to around his knees. He dialed Tyler and handed her the phone, nudging her off him while he removed his shoes and pants.

“Hello, Master,” she purred into the phone. She put it in speaker mode and laid it on the bed.

“Jesus, Nevvie, you know what that does to me,” Tyler said.

She laid back and looked at Thomas while he straddled her. “That’s the point, Master.” Thomas kissed her.

“Did you wear the sundress to dinner?”

“Ah, so it was you.”

“Of course. And?”

“And what?”

“Did you finish any unfinished business?”

Thomas shook his head and grinned. “Fucking spooky, Ty. You really are, I’m not kidding.” Nevvie gasped when he took one of her nipples in his mouth and suckled it, teasing it into a hard pebble.

“I’m assuming our girl needs a little relief?”

Thomas moved to her other nipple. “That’s the idea.”

“Mmm. I’m sitting here in bed, stroking myself, my eyes closed, imagining what she must look like freshly fucked and laying there with that delicious smile on her face, ready for us to make her come. Do you want to come, sweetheart?”

She moaned from his words and from the feel of Thomas’ tongue flicking her nipple. “Please make me come.”

“I wish I had your luscious mouth here to suck my cock. I’m guessing our dear Thomas can use his tongue on you and make you moan loudly for me, right?”

Thomas bent between her legs, firmly stroking his tongue against her swollen clit.

“Ooh! Yes!”

Tyler laughed. “Ah, Thomas, work your magic on her.” Tyler’s voice had dropped to a husky growl that Nevvie knew meant he was rapidly approaching release.

Thomas spread her legs wider, running his tongue down to her virgin rosette, rimming her and then back up to circle her clit. She moaned louder, closing her eyes and throwing her head back. “Jesus, that’s good.”

“Lay back and enjoy it,” Tyler said. “Let your master make you come.”

Thomas slipped two, then three fingers inside her as he firmly stroked her clit with his tongue. She thrust her hips to meet him. Where Tyler finely targeted every nerve in her body, Thomas went for the scattershot approach, no less effective in bringing her release. She grabbed his head, wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling him tightly against her. As her climax hit she tried to hold back her screams.

“Jesus…yes! Don’t stop!”

Tyler moaned into the phone. “That’s it, sweetheart. Ride it out, let him do it…ah!”

She finally relaxed on the bed and Thomas lay next to her, cuddling her in his arms. “How was that?” he asked Tyler.

Tyler sounded out of breath. “Wonderful. Simply wonderful.”

Thomas reached for the phone. “I think we’re ready to go to sleep now. Love you.”

“Love you both.”

“Love you too, Tyler,” Nevvie said. “Go lock the front door.”

“Damn! Right, as soon as I hang up. Talk to you in the morning.”

Thomas ended the call and put the phone on the bedside table. She felt his stiff shaft rubbing her leg.

“You don’t really want to go to sleep yet, do you?” She stroked him, feeling his cock twitch against her palm.

He grinned. “Hell no. Roll over.”

She did, assuming his favorite position—on her knees, ass in the air, head resting on her forearms.

Thomas kissed her cheeks, stroking them, then spread her legs further. “You are so beautiful.” He rubbed his cock up and down her damp folds. He pushed deep, and when he bottomed out he folded his body over hers and slowly thrust. He couldn’t fuck her as hard or fast this way for fear of hurting her, but he went deep.

“You want to try to come again, sugar?”

Nevvie wiggled her hips. “I don’t think I can. That’s okay. I want to hear you come.”

He kissed her shoulders and gripped her hips as he took long, deep thrusts. “I want us to take a trip to the Keys, Nevvie. The three of us. We can rent a boat and go fishing, have a lot of fun.”

She looked over her shoulder. “You just want an excuse to get me naked on a boat.”

He smiled, giving a little extra push at the end of his stroke, making her gasp. “You better believe it. Tyler and I always wanted to go down there, never have made it. Talked about it a lot. The three of us alone on the water, able to have some fun.” He closed his eyes, his fingers tightening on her. She knew he was close and started thrusting with him, helping him. He moaned, “Jesus you’re so sexy,” and he took one more stroke, balls pressed into her flesh as he emptied inside her.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and rolled to his side, Nevvie nestled against him with his softening cock still embedded inside her. He kissed her shoulder, where Tyler’s love bite still showed on her skin. “He left a good one on you last night, didn’t he?”

She felt for the sheet, found it, pulled it over them. “I think he likes being in the middle.”

“I know he does. We should do that for him more often. We don’t do that enough.” He closed his eyes. “I love you, but I miss him.”

She patted his arm. “I miss him, too.”

As she fell asleep with the sound of Thomas’ breath in her ear she thought about Tyler, missing him and wishing he didn’t have to sleep alone.

* * *

They cleared up the permitting issues by late afternoon. After a call to Tyler to not hold dinner, they grabbed a meal on the road and made it home by ten. He waited up, hugging them.

While Thomas put the bike away, Nevvie undressed and climbed into bed, snuggling with Tyler.

“I missed you last night,” she said.

He kissed her and touched the mark on her shoulder. “I missed you both.” He chuckled. “I didn’t realize I’d got you that good.”

“You marked me well, Master.”

He groaned, and she smiled when she felt his cock spring to life.

“Torture. Absolute torture, love.”

“What?” Thomas walked into bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt.

“Little Miss Sinister Voice.”

“Ah.”

“You boys will have to play alone tonight. I’m sorry, I’m not feeling very perky.” Their code for, “I’ve got cramps.”

“Don’t apologize, sugar,” Thomas said, kneeling on the end of the bed. “Why don’t you let Master Tyler cuddle up to you while I take care of him?”

She shifted positions. “Gladly.”

Tyler rolled onto his back, nestled in her arms while Thomas bent between his legs.

She rested her cheek against his hair, her arms wrapped around him. She loved watching them play together. He tightly clung to her arms, closing his eyes and flexing his body while Thomas expertly went down on him, making Tyler writhe in pleasure.

“That’s it,” she whispered, watching Tyler’s cock disappear inside Tom’s lips. “Come for us, Tyler. We want to hear you come. How’s it feel having his mouth around that sweet cock of yours, baby?”

“Wonderful,” he gasped.

She worked her lips along his jaw, flicking her tongue against his neck, nipping his earlobe. With her lips pressed to his ear she softly breathed, “Come for me, Ty. Come for your angel.”

He moaned, bucking his hips, closing in on his climax until he finally made it, his fingers clamping around her arms as his whole body tensed from the feeling.

Nevvie waited until he relaxed in her arms to shift position. She looked to see Thomas still gently sucking him, finally releasing him with one last kiss on his balls.

“How was that, sugar?” he asked.

Tyler nodded, still recovering.

Thomas moved next to them, throwing an arm around Tyler. “Does that make up for last night, having to sleep alone?”

Tyler nodded, his eyes still closed.

Thomas kissed him then kissed Nevvie. “How’d that feel, being curled up in our baby girl’s arms like that?” She loved that Thomas was always so gentle with Tyler.

“Wonderful.” Tyler opened his eyes. “My turn.”

The men traded places, and Nevvie cuddled Thomas to her while Tyler repaid the favor. The men were so different in their styles. After a few minutes she knew Thomas was close and she wrapped her arms around him. “I want to hear my sweet master come for me,” she whispered.

It was more than enough to push him over the edge. Thomas’ body went rigid as he came, his face tight and hard as Tyler drew out the sensation. With a final cry he collapsed against her, moaning as Tyler took his time releasing him.

“God that was good!” Thomas gasped.

Tyler smiled, and once again the three of them curled together.

“We ready for sleep now, boys?”

Tyler and Thomas both kissed her. “I think so, sweet,” Tyler said. “Happy dreams.”

“No problems there.”

Chapter 24

Two weeks later, Thomas drove them to the airport. The flight was uneventful and they landed at JFK a little after five. A few people recognized Tyler on the plane so Nevvie behaved, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention. Tyler seemed unconcerned, holding her hand, oblivious to anyone’s opinion. The publisher sent a private car and driver to meet them. Once safely ensconced in the back seat, Nevvie felt free to lean over and kiss Tyler.

“Too bad Thomas couldn’t be here,” she said.

Tyler nodded, looking through the final itinerary given to him by the driver. “Why don’t you call him, let him know we’re safe and sound.” He browsed his New York Times.

Thomas answered on the second ring. “How was the flight?”

“I behaved myself.” She caught Tyler’s eye and winked.

“No chance to join the Mile High Club?”

She blushed. “Not this flight.”

“Where are you?”

“In the car.”

Thomas’ voice growled in her ear. “Well, I think you owe your poor Master Tyler a little relief, don’t you?”

Her breath quickened. “What?” she whispered.

“You heard me, little slave. Keep the phone to your ear and lean over and unzip him.”

Her heart thundered. “Okay,” she breathed, feeling the blood rush between her legs.

Tyler perused the paper, not paying attention to her conversation until she briefly met his eyes as she shifted position and bent into his lap. He adjusted the newspaper to hide her and stretched his legs as she unzipped his slacks and freed him.

Thomas knew what this did to her. “Are you wet, baby?”

“Mm hmm.”

“Go down on him. Is he hard yet?”

“Oh, yeah.” She wrapped her lips around Tyler’s instantly-hard shaft. She swirled her tongue around the ridge at the base of the head.

Tyler softly moaned and closed his eyes.

“Well,” Thomas said, “deep throat him, sugar. I want you to suck him dry for me.” He gave her commands over the phone as she drew soft groans from Tyler.

Beyond caring if the driver knew what was going on, Nevvie only cared about pleasing her boys. She used her free hand to massage his shaft and sac, trying to ignore the nearly uncomfortable ache between her own legs. After a few minutes she felt him tense and prepared, taking him deep into her mouth. As he came, one hand dropped the paper and cupped the back of her head.

When he finished he took the phone from her.

“Thank you, lover,” he whispered to Thomas.

She sat up and adjusted his clothes, zipped him, and smiled. Tyler kissed her.

“Did our girl take good care of you?” Thomas asked.

“Yes, she did. We’ll call you later when we’re settled and can repay the favor,” he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.

“Make sure you do. I want to hear her moan.”

“That I’ll do.” He hung up and kissed her. “Do you know how much I absolutely love you, sweetheart?”

“Don’t you mean, ‘little slave,’ Master?” she asked coyly.

He grinned. “Bloody hell, woman. I’ll be walking around hard all weekend if you keep doing that.”

“That’s a bad thing?”

He stroked her chin and kissed her again, gently taking her lower lip in his teeth and tugging a little. “You are wonderfully, sweetly kinky,” he whispered.

“But only for my masters.”

He moaned again, sitting back and patting her leg. “I’m in trouble, I fear.”

* * *

She turned as he closed the hotel room door and leaned against it.

“Lock it,” she said.

He smiled and flipped the dead bolt and safety bar. “Better?”

“Yes.”

He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, his blue eyes smoldering. “That’s the last command you give me tonight, isn’t it, little slave?”

She nodded, loving this game, loving him. The dull, needy throb had quieted during the ride to the hotel, but his words and gaze brought it back with a full-fledged pounding.

“I think you should get undressed and get in bed.”

She nodded, her pulse beating in her ears. How he did that to her, she didn’t know. Didn’t care, to be honest. Never in her life had she felt such knee-weakening desire as she did with Tyler. Thomas too, in a similar way, but Tyler pierced through her very core, as if he knew exactly which buttons to push.

Nevvie unbuttoned her blouse and dropped it to the floor, followed by her slacks, bra and panties. Tyler still wore his shirt, but had unbuttoned it. “How would you like me, Master?” she asked.

“Flat on your back for starters, love.” He made a call and moved to stand at the foot of the bed while she complied. “Hello, lover…yes…hold on.” He set the phone to speaker mode and placed it on the bed. “Can you hear?”

From the sound of his voice, she knew Thomas was smiling. “Perfectly. Is our little slave ready?”

Tyler’s eyes never left hers. “I suspect she’s more than ready, Thomas.”

Thomas laughed. “Nevvie, sugar?”

“Yes, Master?”

“You’re going to talk to me while he’s making love to you, darlin. I want you to describe it all to me, you hear?” Tyler had draped his shirt over a chair and was working on his slacks.

“Yes, Master.”

“So what’s he doing?”

She licked her lips as Tyler shucked the rest of his clothes. “He’s taking off his clothes, Master.”

“Is he hard?”

Tyler turned from the chair and she spotted his rigid shaft. “Very.”

He smiled and knelt over her, kissing her, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He moved lower, tracing the curve of her neck down past her collarbone, and she gasped.

“He kissed me…now he’s kissing my breasts.”

From Thomas’ hoarse grunt she knew what he was doing on his end of the phone. “Is he licking your nipples?”

She closed her eyes and moaned as Tyler took one nipple into his mouth, gently nipping it with his teeth until it peaked with desire. He played with the other, using his fingers to tease it into a similar state.

“He’s sucking on one and playing with the other.” Saying it honed her passion to a fine edge. She tangled her fingers in his hair and tried to rub against his hip but he chuckled under his breath and moved teasingly out of reach.

“Do you want him to go lower, baby girl?”

“I want to feel his tongue on me, Master.”

Tyler moaned around her breast and moved south.

“Is he doing it, sugar?”

She lifted her head and caught Tyler’s gaze and teasing smile for just a second before he plunged between her legs. Nevvie threw her head back and moaned. “Oh, God, yes!”

“Use that sweet tongue of yours on her, Ty. I wish I could be there now, watching you. Talk to me, Nev.”

Nevvie was nearly beyond speech. “He’s running his tongue around my clit. Oh, God, that feels good!”

“Do you want to feel his fingers in you too, baby?”

“Uh huh!”

“Ask him.”

“Please fuck me with your fingers, Master!”

Tyler wrapped his lips around her swollen nub as he stroked two fingers in and out of her wet heat. She was close. “He’s doing it,” she gasped.

Thomas panted. “Jesus, you sound so freaking sexy, sugar. I bet you’re really wet, aren’t you?”

Tyler was an expert at keeping her on the edge for what felt like hours. It hadn’t taken him long to unlock secrets about her body she never even dreamed existed. “Yes!”

“I’m close, Ty,” he growled. “See if you can bring her over with me. Talk to me, Nevvie. Tell me what’s going on.”

Nevvie twisted her hand in the sheet and moaned into the pillow. “I’m—I’m so close!”

Tyler’s fingers changed tempo. He stroked her clit with his tongue and she felt her climax start. “He’s—oh, God, I’m coming!”

Tyler drew it out, finessing her body as they heard Thomas groan over the phone. She felt like she wouldn’t stop, her nerves stretched on a thin, heated wire, Tyler drawing it taut time and again as wave after wave of pleasure swept through her. As her descent started she trembled from the power of the feeling. When Tyler knew she’d finished he gave her mound one last kiss before working his way up her body.

“How are you, lover?” he asked Thomas.

Thomas gasped, “Jesus, that was good.”

“Did I do good, Masters?”

“Sugar, that was amazing. You sounded great.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes once again locked onto Tyler’s.

“Now you two have some fun. I’m going to take a shower and grab a bite to eat and read a little while before I go to bed. Love you both.”

They said goodbye and Tyler put the phone on the table. “My turn, sweet.”

She wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her. Then he spent long, teasing minutes suckling one, then her other breast, stirring feelings deep in the pit of her belly. Before him she’d never dreamed she could have such strong—not to mention so many—orgasms in one day, much less in the span of a few minutes. But he could do it to her, more so than Thomas. Thomas always made her climax, but Tyler had the gift of coaxing multiple orgasms out of her even when she didn’t think her body could take it. Before long the deep, throbbing ache returned with a vengeance.

He knelt between her legs and lifted them over his shoulders, making her moan when he plunged into her wet heat. He took several long, slow strokes before settling all the way in and slowly caressing her clit with his thumb.

“I want you to come again for me, my sweet angel,” he whispered. “You came for your other master, now you’ll come for me, won’t you?”

She nodded, his eyes touching her soul.

She would, too. She couldn’t refuse him, and he knew exactly how to bring her back to the top. Feeling him deep inside her, bumping her G-spot, only intensified the sensation. As she spun toward release she cried out and thrust against him, wanting him to fuck her. He grabbed her hips and pistoned his stiff cock as deep as he could, far deeper than Thomas ever went it felt like, filling her, owning her.

When the final explosion hit she arched into him, screaming his name. His body stiffened as he emptied deep inside her and held himself there for a long moment before lowering her legs and dropping his head to her chest.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him and kissed the top of his head.

“I love you, sweetheart,” he murmured against her flesh. “I love you so much. You have no idea.”

She hugged him tightly to her. “I’m yours forever. Ever and ever,” she whispered.

He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him, his heart still thrumming in his chest. In this way, too, he differed from Thomas. Thomas liked to cuddle, never a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guy. Tyler had to cuddle after making love, as if he needed the extra contact with her—or Thomas—as the post-coital bliss receded. She loved that about him, just one of the things that made him uniquely Tyler.

Nevvie was dozing when he finally kissed the top of her head. “Did you want dinner?”

“Do we have to go out?”

“No, I’m sure they have room service.”

She cuddled closer. “Okay. But let me lie here a while longer before you move.” Nevvie was nestled against his side, reluctant to break the spell he had her under.

“Did I wear you out, love? Not already? We still have two more days.” She loved his playful chuckle.

“I need some time to recharge, that’s all.” Tyler’s cell rang, interrupting her peace. “Shit.”

He stretched over her to reach it, looked at the screen. “Sorry, sweet, it’s Elliot. Hello?” She watched him while he talked. At one point he winked at her, making her smile. After a moment he said, “Hold on, mate.” Tyler held the phone over the side of the bed. “He wants to take us to dinner,” he whispered.

She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head. “That figures.” She sighed. “Fine.” Nevvie slipped her hand between his legs, making him jump. “But,” she purred in his ear, “don’t be surprised if your little slave tortures you.”

He grinned and cleared his throat before speaking while Nevvie massaged his limp cock in her hands, stirring some interest. “Uh, sure, that’s fine. Want us to meet you?…Right. See you in an hour.” He hung up and rolled her onto her back, making her giggle.

“You are a naughty girl,” he growled, kissing her, his cock springing to life. “What am I to do with you?”

“I could think of a lot of things, but not in the space of an hour.”

He sighed. “Right. Let’s shower and grab a taxi.”

* * *

Nevvie liked Elliot, hadn’t seen him since her last trip to New York with Tyler, although she frequently spoke with him. He was a short, loud, likeable native New Yorker with a Brooklyn accent. Tyler led her by the hand to Elliot’s table in the restaurant. She didn’t miss the publicist’s brief, questioning glance. He obviously sensed the change in her relationship with Tyler.

Elliot gave Tyler a hearty handshake and pat on the shoulder, and gave her a gentle half-hug and air kiss on her cheek. Both men waited for her to sit.

“So? How was the flight?”

“Splendid, as usual. First class hasn’t failed me yet, Elliot.”

Nevvie noticed Elliot’s eyes flicked to her then back to Tyler. “How’s Thomas? I’m surprised he didn’t come with you.”

Tyler put his elbows on the table and cupped his hands together, motioning Elliot to lean in. Dropping his voice so it wouldn’t carry, he said, “Everything’s fine. The three of us are fine.” Then he sat back and took a sip of water, watching Elliot’s reaction.

Elliot didn’t move, glancing at her, then back to Tyler. He lowered his usually loud voice to a whisper. “I’m not going to have to deal with weird shit like them whackos in Texas, right?”

Tyler smiled. “Thomas and Nevvie and I are perfectly happy together.” He winked at her. “Aren’t we, sweetheart?”

She blushed a little but smiled, clasping her hands together on the table so Elliot could see her ring. “Absolutely.”

Elliot eyed the ring then sat back. “Then mazal tov, my friends.” He took a sip of his water. “Lucky bastards.”

“I got the better deal,” Nevvie said. “Two for one.”

Elliot grinned. “You’ve got a live one here, Ty. Better keep her on a short leash.”

Nevvie and Tyler looked at each other and exploded with laughter.

* * *

“There’s nothing to it, sweet.” Tyler slid, naked, under the covers next to her. “Just smile and talk. I do that all the time.”

His calm demeanor amazed her. “But it’s The Today Show!”

He kissed her shoulder. “They are normal people. You’ve seen how fans sometimes react to me. All goo-goo because they’ve met a famous writer. It’s the same. I, however, can pick my nose when I work and not worry about ten million people watching me do it.”

“Ew!” She laughed. “I hope Thomas remembers to tape them.”

Tyler nuzzled the back of her neck. “I’m sure he will, love.”

“You keep that up, you won’t get to sleep any time soon.”

He kissed the back of her neck. “You mean that?”

“Mmm hmm.” She sighed. “I like this. But it’s kind of weird.”

“How so?”

“Without Thomas here.”

“I miss him too, sweetheart.”

They settled in. She tried to sleep and couldn’t. The way his body cupped hers, she felt his soft member comfortably nestled against her.

While she wasn’t quite ready to take that one last step, give that final piece of herself to them, she was curious.

“Are you asleep?”

“Not yet,” he mumbled. “What’s wrong, sweet?”

“Nothing.”

He lifted his head when she didn’t continue. “What?”

“I was just wondering.”

He rolled her onto her back so he could look at her. “Do we play twenty questions, love, or do you tell me?”

It was the question she’d pondered, especially after watching Thomas and Tyler make love to each other so many times. “How does it feel?”

He must have been tired. “How does what feel?”

“You know.”

He finally grasped her meaning. “You mean…” He ran his tongue down her neck to the base of her throat, drawing a soft mewling sound from her, making her heart race. “How does it feel to have your lover slide his sweet cock into your arse?”

She nodded, breathless. “Yeah. That.”

His soft chuckle did what it always did to her. Sensing her state, he skimmed his hand down her belly to rest tantalizingly still between her legs. “You don’t really want to do that tonight, do you?”

“I’m…curious.”

He teased her with his finger, slipping it inside her then sliding up to draw slow, sensuous circles around her clit.

“We think it feels good. When you’re truly ready to give yourself to us like that, we will make sure it feels good for you, too.” He slipped his finger inside her again and she closed her eyes, the muscles in her belly tight under his arm as he worked his finger into her, then back around her clit. “We will never force you to do anything, love.”

He maintained a sexy rhythm with his finger, circling her swollen nub just enough to make her pant for more, then back inside her, gathering more cream with every stroke. He could keep her gasping for hours like this and had on several occasions.

Tyler tenderly kissed her, exploring her mouth with his. That’s when he changed his pattern. Instead of running his finger up to her clit he slowly inched his way south to her virgin rim, gently massaging her, but making no move to press in.

She gasped, tensed, then relaxed when she realized he wasn’t going to penetrate.

But she liked it.

He broke their kiss and worked his way to her ear. “This is why we should wait. You’re still too nervous, sweetheart. Besides,” he ran his hand to her clit and gently rolled it between his thumb and fingers, drawing a passionate moan from her, “I would rather wait until it’s the three of us together to share it.” With that, he made her come.

She clutched him, closing her eyes and pressing her body into his as he whispered in her ear, “That’s it, my angel, come for me.”

Panting, she went limp in his arms.

“Did I finally wear you out, love?”

She weakly nodded but felt him pressing stiff against her hip. She nudged him on top of her, kissing him, moaning again as he slipped inside her.

Tyler nestled his head against her neck while she gently raked her nails down his back, rolling her hips to meet his thrusts. He was different when they were alone. Not drastically, but she noticed.

Then again, so was Thomas.

Nevvie felt him tense inside her, knew he was close. She wrapped her legs around him and whispered, “Come for your sweet slave, Master.”

He cried out and thrust deeply several times, then came buried inside her.

When he caught his breath he rolled to his side, cradling her in his arms, kissing her. “I love you, sweetheart. Jesus, I love you so much it hurts sometimes.”

She snuggled with him. “I never thought I’d ever feel the way I do. Times two.”

Tyler laughed and pulled the sheet over them. “Yes, quite. Now I think we can go to sleep, dear. Right? Or do you have any more questions you wish answered?”

“Sleep,” she whispered, already drowsy. “Definitely sleep.”

* * *

He told her they didn’t have to worry about breakfast, just coffee, before they met the car downstairs at six. “They’ll have lots to nosh on in the green room,” he assured her.

They showered together, resisting the urge to get too playful, and made it downstairs with five minutes to spare. It was a little too early to call Thomas and she enjoyed snuggling with Tyler in the backseat. Without Thomas around she noticed Tyler acted stronger, like he stepped forward into a dominant role. Usually Tyler was content to allow the other man to be the stronger presence. Not that Thomas didn’t defer to Tyler, because he did. Tyler took care of their finances and running the household.

It was an interesting dynamic, and one she loved.

When she found herself alone with Thomas, he was playful and tenderly rowdy with her. With the three of them together he seemed to almost take on a protector role, nearly the exact opposite of her relationship with Tyler. When Tyler was alone with her he became more protective, dominant, even his body language was different. Only with the three of them together did he relax his guard, as if assuming Thomas would take over.

She didn’t think either man consciously realized they did it.

Interesting.

Elliot met them in the studio lobby and leaned in close to Tyler, talking as they walked, following a network page to the elevator bank for the ride upstairs. She kept a step behind, not wanting to intrude or look like anything but an assistant. Tyler stopped and turned, reaching for her.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to leave you back there.”

She smiled and tried to wave him off but he insisted. Instead of making a scene she let him take her hand and caught a glimpse of Elliot’s frown.

She leaned in to Tyler as they waited for an elevator. “Do you think this is wise?” she whispered.

He brushed her hair from her neck and with his lips by her ear whispered, “Little slave, let your master worry about appearances.”

She gasped, his grip tightening. He winked and let her step into the elevator in front of him.

Damn him, it worked. Now she could care less that she was about to meet network morning show anchors. She cared about how soon she could get Tyler alone and boink him.

He knew it, too.

In the green room she tried to fade into the background. Nevvie noticed yet another persona Tyler put forth—the author dealing with media professionals as opposed to dealing with fans. The stars were all pleasant, and, as Tyler had assured her, they seemed like normal people.

She snacked and watched the morning show from monitors in the green room. When Tyler went in for make-up, she called Thomas to make sure he was awake and had set the recorder.

“How are you doing, sugar?”

She turned away from the others and dropped her voice. “I’m a wreck. All these people.”

Thomas’ sweet laugh soothed her. “It’ll be fine, he always charms them. They love him. Elliot there?”

“Yeah.”

He hesitated. “Did Tyler tell him?”

“Last night. He took us to dinner.”

“And?”

“As long as we don’t make headlines, he’s fine with it.”

“Cool. I figured he would be.”

They were ready to introduce Tyler. “Gotta go. He’s coming on next. Go watch.”

“All right sugar. Love you. Tell him I love him, too.”

“I will. Love you. Miss you.”

“I’ll see you when you get home. Call me tonight. Keep our boy safe there in the big city for me, sugar.”

Nevvie didn’t have time to ponder his last comment. Elliot pulled on her arm. “Come on, we can stand in the studio.”

Together they watched Tyler do his thing. As usual he was charming, sweet, energetic, charismatic. Typical Tyler.

The interview was over in a few minutes, and they were off and running to the next stop.

* * *

By the time they grabbed lunch, Nevvie was exhausted. Tyler seemed energized and kept up a vibrant conversation with Elliot all through their meal. When they eventually returned to the hotel she was content to curl up and nap in Tyler’s arms while he channel surfed. He took her sightseeing before dinner, then later they played on the phone with Thomas before calling it an early night.

The next day was a repeat of the previous, only with two different networks. That night she was too tired to do anything other than chat with the boys, Tyler filling Thomas in on the day’s events before falling asleep. By the time they flew home, she was exhausted.

Tyler, on the other hand, seemed recharged.

Thomas snuggled with her while Tyler used the bathroom. “He’s always like this after one of these things. I don’t know why. Like the fricking Energizer bunny.”

Thomas had more than enough energy to deal with Tyler. Nevvie was content to watch them make love to each other, one or the other taking time to kiss her or curl up with her. When they’d sated their needs they held her, cradled between them, kissing her good night.

Chapter 25

Nevvie was on her hands and knees in the backyard flowerbeds, weeding and preparing to plant the trays of annuals she’d bought at the garden center. It would look nice, a good color contrast, and she could change them out late in the summer after they’d run their course.

It was hot for May, not even ten and already eighty-five degrees under a scorching, cloudless Florida sky. With the privacy fence surrounding the backyard she didn’t have to worry about prying eyes, and opted for a loose tank-top and a pair of Tom’s old sleeping shorts to wear, and nothing else. It kept her cool, and when she was ready to hose off she knew Tyler would come running to help.

She smiled at the thought. He was preternaturally sensitive, like he constantly had an ear to the ground. Not in a creepy way, but it never failed to amuse her how he would “just happen” to show up to help take a shower.

Then again, he was the same with Thomas.

Mmm. There’s a thought. A nice shower sandwich between her boys. Her skin flushed. She needed to focus or she’d be hornier than hell, and she hated interrupting Tyler. Thomas had left at seven for the office, had meetings all day, and wouldn’t be home until after dinner.

She’d suck it up until later. That would make her really ready. They’d all been exhausted the night before, too tired to do more than say good night. Today her fantasies made her pay for it.

The novelty of having two horny guys chasing her hadn’t worn off yet. They didn’t make love every day, and they didn’t play the slave game most the time, either. If she was tired or didn’t feel good and they were in the mood, she was more than content to lay there with them and watch them, talking to them, touching them while they pleasured each other. Sometimes one of the boys was in the mood and the other wasn’t. Again, the third content to watch and be a part simply by being there, or even by holding her while the other fucked her. There were plenty of times where it started like that, then the third got in the mood along the way.

She enjoyed cuddling in front of the TV with one or both and not getting groped if she wasn’t in the mood. Sometimes all she wanted was the contact of their skin against hers, and they were happy to oblige.

She moved down the flowerbed, stretching to reach a weed on the far side near the fence. Almost like Thomas’ favorite position…

Okay, so not helping—

“Isn’t that a lovely sight.”

She jumped, startled. She turned to see Tyler, wearing shorts and nothing else, smiling at her.

“I thought you were working.”

He sucked an orange Popsicle, working on it in a way that made her pussy quiver. “I was. I stopped for a break and I spied an angel in my backyard.” He squatted beside her, his eyes holding hers. “Or are you a devil in disguise?” He touched the cold treat to her lips.

She ran her tongue around the tip of the frozen snack. “I suppose that’s for you to decide, isn’t it?”

The front of his shorts tented. “How do you suppose I determine that?” he whispered hoarsely.

This wasn’t helping, but screw it, she was horny and it wasn’t like she was interrupting his work. She sat back on her heels. “I guess you’ll just have to figure that out for yourself.” She stripped off her shirt and went back to her weeding, casting a “fuck me” glance over her shoulder.

He reached out with one hand and slid the shorts down her backside. She kicked them off, leaving her totally naked as she knelt on the grass. He caressed her cheeks with his left hand and whispered, “Just keep doing what you’re doing, love.”

She did, and when his hand explored between her legs she spread them a little, a hungry moan escaping her.

“Do you like that, sweetheart?” he asked.

She nodded, hanging her head and watching his hand between her legs. Sweat trickled down her back and neck in the hot sun, and so what if she ended up with a hellacious sunburn? She didn’t care, as long as he didn’t stop.

After a moment he pulled his hand away, resting it on her hip. She moaned. “No…please don’t stop…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not. It looks like you’re very hot, aren’t you, sweetheart?”

She nodded.

“Would you like me to cool you off?”

She nodded, wiggling her hips, hoping he’d do something, anything, to get her off.

He placed his hand on the small of her back. “Hold still, then, and let me cool you off.”

She jumped when she felt something cold between her legs—the Popsicle—but he kept his hand on her back, firmly holding her in place. He swirled it around her entrance, running it over her clit and then slowly inserted it, fucking her with it.

She moaned. The cold in contrast to how hot she was made her shiver with pleasure.

“Do you like that?” He fucked her with a slow, deep rhythm, knowing her body, knowing what he was doing to her.

“Mmm.”

“Spread your legs wider, sweetheart.” She did while he changed position. Then he was lying under her, his lips and tongue massaging her swollen nub while he fucked the frozen treat into her. It didn’t take long.

“Oh, Tyler!” She exploded, grinding against him while he kept wave after wave of pleasure racing through her body. She collapsed, her head on her forearms as he slid out from under her. She rolled over on her back in the grass, trying to catch her breath, his hand still between her legs holding the Popsicle—what was left of it—in place. He finally sat up and removed it, then sucked on it.

“So, are you angel or devil?”

She crooked her finger and he lay beside her, propped on one elbow. She opened her mouth and he touched the treat to her lips. She sucked on it, her eyes never leaving his. He pulled it out and kissed her, then tossed it away and rolled on top of her. At some point he’d removed his shorts and he slid into her, both moaning as he buried his throbbing cock into her wet and ready sex.

She wrapped her arms and legs around him as he fucked her. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re a beautiful angel, Nevvie. My sweet angel with a devilish streak that has me under your control.”

She grabbed the back of his head, grinding her mouth and hips into him. Then she broke their kiss and whispered in his ear, “Then fuck your angel, Tyler, and feel what heaven’s like.”

“Jesus!” He came, burying himself deep inside her, and she felt him climax. She held him, whispering to him. When he stopped trembling he rolled to his side, still holding her, kissing her neck.

After a few minutes he sat up and smiled. “You all right, love?”

“Yeah. But now we’re sticky.” They had pieces of grass stuck to them, especially where the melted, sticky juice coated their skin.

He beamed. “I could make a few jokes, but I think we should shower before the ants find us.” He leaned over and caressed her cheek, looking into her eyes. “I love you, Nevvie,” he said. “I love you so much.”

She kissed him. “I love you too.” She loved him, and Thomas, more each day.

He stood, helped her to her feet, and led her to the shower. They managed to clean up without making love again, although she noticed him twitching with interest while she dried off.

* * *

She already knew Thomas wasn’t eating dinner with them, so she fixed a light supper for Tyler. He kissed her before returning to his study.

“Oh, sweet, I laid an outfit on the bed for you. I know Thomas was planning on working on the Ford for a little while when he got home, something about a distributor hat.”

“Cap.”

He smiled. “Right. Distributor cap. I thought you might want to help. Have fun.” He kissed her then retreated to his office with a cup of hot tea, closing the door.

On their bed lay a spandex micro skirt and a short crop top, one that barely covered the bottoms of her breasts. On the floor he’d laid out her fuck me stiletto heels. She smiled, knowing Tyler wanted Thomas to have some solo fun with her.

There was absolutely no jealousy between the men. If one of them wanted time alone with her, they simply asked and the other willingly gave it. They rarely asked though. The time seemed to naturally happen, like today, with one offering the other equal time.

She enjoyed time alone with each, but loved having them together, the decadent treat of two willing men devoted to giving her mind-blowing pleasure.

She felt like a queen.

Nevvie changed clothes. When she heard the garage door slide up she quickly peeked outside and saw the Ridgeline parked in the drive. Smiling, she stepped into the garage and enjoyed watching Thomas’ stunned look turn to one of pleased appraisal. He carried a couple of plastic bags from an auto parts store, and when he was all the way inside he said, “Hit the button.”

She did, and the door slid shut. He dropped the bags next to the Ford and crooked his finger at her. She sashayed to him and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply.

Nevvie moaned when his cock stiffened against her. He nibbled on her ear. “Are you wet, baby girl?”

“I am now.”

He slid his hands down her back, gently massaging her ass before sliding lower. “Then what should we do about that?”

She looked into his eyes. In a sultry voice she whispered, “Whatever Master wants to do.”

“Damn, girl, you know what that does to me!” His voice deepened to a husky growl. She knew he was more than ready. “Why don’t we go into the bedroom?”

She playfully traced his ear with her tongue. “Because we wouldn’t want to disturb Master Tyler while he’s working. He sent me out here to you. He thought you might want some help with the truck. I’m all yours.”

Thomas laughed. “Nailed you today, did he?”

She grinned. “This morning in the backyard while I was bent over weeding.”

“You can tell me all the details later, little slave.” With his lips on hers he backed her against the hood of the Ford. He ran his hands up her waist and gently massaged her breasts, sending shockwaves straight to her pussy. Then he softly nibbled her nipples, tugging on them with his lips, making her moan. She felt the moisture between her legs and tried to grind against his thigh, begging for relief.

With his arms around her he backed her away from the truck and opened the door, then laid her on the seat, putting her legs over his shoulders and lifting her skirt. He knelt between her spread thighs. “What would my little slave like?”

“Please make me come, Master!” The feel of his breath against her clit drove her nuts. She ached for his touch.

“Like this?” With his tongue he traced a slow, sensuous line from her clit down to her pussy, rimmed her virgin rosette, and then back up again, drawing several feather-light, slow circles around her nub.

She moaned. “Oh, God, yes!”

“Or, like this?” He firmly stroked down with his tongue, inserting it in her pussy and slowly swirled, tasting her.

She moaned again, louder. “Please!”

“Tell me what your other master did to you today, my sweet little slave.”

Nearly mad with need, she gasped out the story. When she got to the part where Tyler had fucked her with the Popsicle, Thomas inserted two, then three fingers into her pussy and slowly stroked her.

“Like this?”

“Uh huh!”

“I must say, Master Tyler is very creative.” He laved her clit again and she squirmed against his hand, trying to fuck his fingers. “So, will you come as hard for me as you did for him?” With that he gently sucked her swollen nub, pushing her over the top.

She grabbed his hair, grinding into him. “Oh, God, yes!”

When he was sure she’d finished he kissed his way to her navel, licking and running his tongue along her flesh to her breasts, suckling one, then the other. He grabbed her hips and pulled her to him, unzipping his pants, his cock stiff and ready. He placed it at her entrance and teased her with it, kissing her left ankle and nibbling.

“Do you want me to fuck you?”

“Yes!”

He kissed her other ankle. “How badly you want me to fuck you, baby?”

“Real bad.” She met his eyes and felt their connection. Tyler could ring her bell every time, but if she wanted to be rode hard and put away wet, Thomas was her man. If she was Tyler’s angel with a devilish streak, then she was Thomas’ horny little devil with an angel’s heart.

And she damn well knew it.

His deep brown eyes bored into hers. “You want it, sugar? Want your master to fuck you?”

She nodded, trying to thrust. He grabbed her hips and pistoned his cock into her, bottoming out and drawing happy moans from both.

“Yes! Fuck me, Master!”

He took another long, hard stroke. “That’s my good little slave.” He picked up the tempo, burying himself deep inside her with every thrust. She grabbed his hands and hung on, knowing from the look in his eyes he was close.

She waited until she knew he was almost there and purred, “Make me yours, Master. Come for your little slave.”

With a final grunt and hard thrust he closed his eyes and came deep inside her, riding it out, finally letting go of her hips and holding onto the dash and seat back for support, his head hanging.

She stroked his arms, waiting for him to come down from his climax. Without pulling out he lowered her legs so she could wrap them around his waist. He pulled her to him and deeply kissed her, running his tongue down her neck and nipping at her shoulder.

“God, I love you,” he whispered in her ear. “You have no idea.”

The door to the house opened. Tyler stuck his head in. “I’m assuming the truck didn’t get worked on?”

Thomas grinned. “Come here, you.”

Tyler walked over and leaned against the truck. “My, I must say, that’s a delicious sight.”

Thomas kissed him. “Popsicle, huh?”

He kissed him back. “Yummy.”

“Hey!” Nevvie complained. “Quit ignoring the girl.”

They laughed. Tyler walked around Thomas and leaned in to kiss her, caressing her breast.

“You keep that up, Ty, I’ll be ready to fuck her again in a minute.”

“You keep talking like that, you’ll get me ready,” Tyler replied, winking.

“You keep talking like that,” she said, “I’ll be ready to fuck both of you.”

The men looked at each other and grinned. “Well,” Tyler said, “let’s not disappoint her.”

All three laughing, with Tyler on her arms and Thomas on her legs, they carried her to their bedroom and playfully swung her onto the bed where she landed with a bounce. The men pounced, and an hour later they drifted to sleep with Nevvie snuggled happy and content between them.

Chapter 26

“Bloody hell!”

“Yell a little louder, Ty, I don’t think the neighbors heard you,” Nevvie snarked as she walked into his office. “What’s wrong?”

Storm clouds brewed in his blue eyes, as deep and threatening as any in the June skies outside.

Time literally flew, it seemed. Life was heaven with her two boys. She rarely had nightmares, and her individual relationship with each man had deepened to the point she didn’t care where she ended and they began. She and Tyler could finish each other’s sentences. He wouldn’t send anything to his agent unless she’d sat down with it for editing first. Nevvie was now a senior manager at Thomas’ office, overseeing several project managers in addition to being Thomas’ personal assistant. It was a juggling act with her time, but she loved every second of it.

“I’ve lost one of my files. Apparently I didn’t name it what I thought, and I cannot find the blasted thing.”

“What is it?”

“Notes for a character for the novel I’m working on. I wrote a whole character outline when I was working on the last book and meant to use it now, but I can’t find it.”

She leaned in the doorway. Considering he didn’t even look at her and she was wearing one of his chambray shirts, unbuttoned, and nothing else, he was definitely distracted.

“What about your back-up CDs?”

He scowled. “Perhaps.” Then he had a thought. “Oh, bloody hell! I might have worked on that on the desktop in Thomas’ office when my laptop was out for repairs.”

“Want me to look?”

He glanced at her and did a double-take. He crooked his finger and motioned her to him, kissing her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

She sat in his lap and put her arms around his neck. “‘Bout time you noticed,” she pretended to pout. “I was starting to think you’d gone totally gay on me.”

He laughed, hugging her and patting her thigh. “No chance of that with you around. Yes, I would appreciate if you’d take a look for me while I start on my back-ups. I think it’s called ‘character london’ or something. It’s a man named London Baxter.”

In Tom’s office, she powered up his desktop. Thomas was outside mowing and taking care of a few items on Tyler’s honey-do list. She started her search, finding a multi-level directory Tyler had created in the documents area. It looked like a full back-up of Tyler’s laptop documents file section and would take a while to go through. Most of the folders and files were dated at least six months prior, with one eight months old. That one, a top-level file titled halloween-script-nev.doc, caught her attention. She opened it.

Her finger hesitated over the mouse button. She’d been prepared to close out the file when she started reading. The title: “How to Properly Seduce a Love Slave.”

Barely able to breathe, she hit print, and with an unsteady hand took the two single-spaced pages from the printer to read again.

* * *

Thomas took a break from his yard work to get a glass of ice water and cool off. He stopped by Tyler’s office. “What’s up?”

Tyler looked up from his laptop at Thomas’ bare chest and snug shorts. “Me, if you and Nevvie keep walking around here mostly naked.”

“It’s ‘nekkid,’ if you want to say it right.” Thomas kissed him. “What’s going on?”

“I’ve got a missing file. Nevvie’s looking on your desktop for me. I’m going through my back-ups—”

A door slamming somewhere in the house startled them.

“What the hell?” Thomas said.

They investigated. Nevvie wasn’t in Tom’s office, and they found their bedroom door locked.

Tyler and Thomas exchanged puzzled looks. Tyler knocked. “Nevvie? Are you all right?”

They pressed their ears to the door and heard dresser drawers opening and slamming, punctuated by the distinctive tone of her sobs.

Thomas knocked. “Nev, sugar, what’s wrong? What’s going on?”

They nearly fell over when she flung the door open. Her face looked white; she’d put on jeans and had most of the buttons done up on the chambray shirt. Her eyes were puffy, nose red. She shoved two pieces of paper at them before slamming the door in their faces again and locking it.

* * *

Nevvie’s hands trembled as she dressed, panic taking over. How dare they? The script completely outlined the night of the Halloween party. She would have been willing to sit and talk to them about it, ask for an explanation, until she reached the bottom of the document: Hopefully by the end of the party she’ll be begging for us. The perfect little slave, our mission complete.

How could she have misjudged them so badly? How could she ever trust herself again? She’d fucked up and let Alex control her, he damn near killed her. What did these two have in store for her now? Perfect little slave?

No. Never again.

Then her rage took control. Never again would she let a man hurt her. Fuck them, she didn’t need anyone.

* * *

Tyler ended up with the papers and he juggled them, nearly dropping them until he got them in his hand and turned right-side up. He blanched when he read them.

The slave girl script for the Halloween party.

“Oh, no.” He dropped them and frantically knocked. “Nevvie,” he pleaded, “sweetheart, please let me explain.”

“Fuck you, Paulson. Just go fuck yourself, because you’re never getting your dick in me again, that’s for goddamned sure!”

Thomas picked the papers up and read them, closed his eyes and swore. “Jesus fucking Christ, Tyler. I thought you deleted this. You stupid shit. I knew we should have just told her how we felt. You and your fucking games.” He shoved Tyler out of the way. “Nevvie, please, talk to me.”

The door flew open again, Nevvie fully dressed, purse and keys in hand. She shoved past them. “Fuck you too, Kinsey. You’re a couple of goddamned assholes.”

Tyler tried to catch her arm and she pulled away. “Don’t fucking touch me,” she warned, holding her key like a weapon. Her eyes narrowed, the color high in her face. “If either one of you ever fucking touches me again, I’ll castrate you with my bare hands!” She stalked toward the front door.

Both men followed and she turned on them, tears streaming down her face. “I trusted you guys! I thought you really loved me and now I find out you fucking played me. This was all some sort of game to you right from the start, wasn’t it?”

Thomas held his hands out to her, pleading. “No, Nevvie, it wasn’t like that, seriously. We wanted that night to be special.”

“Yeah, it was real special, all right. Some sort of sick fucking game. I love you! You wanted to use me for your sick fantasy. I thought we were playing that for fun, not for real. Is that all I am to you, a fucking slave?”

Tyler wanted to take her hand and knew he’d likely pull back a bloody stump. “Sweetheart, we do love you! We’ve loved you from the moment you first entered our lives. After you were living here, we decided we wanted to make you part of our lives.”

“Oh, so you go ahead and pull some sort of mental shit on me, get me under your spell and make me fall in love with you instead of doing what normal people would do and say, ‘Hey, we think you’re cute and we’re bisexual, would you like to have some fun?’”

Thomas pushed Tyler out of the way. “Nevvie, we were afraid we’d scare you off.”

“Oh sure, because training a sex slave is a lot better than telling someone the truth from the start. Fuck you, Kinsey.” She jabbed her finger at Tyler. “And especially fuck you, Paulson. You’re a manipulative asshole.”

She reached for the door and Thomas tried again. “Nevvie, where are you going?”

“I’m getting the hell out of here. I’m not sticking around to see what else you have in store for me. I swore after Alex I’d never let anyone control me again, and I was too fucking dumb to see that’s exactly what I let the two of you do to me. Sorry, Master, I’m not asking permission. I’m getting boxes and moving out. Cancel all my credit cards and take my name off all the accounts, I’m done with both of you. I’ll be out of here in a couple of hours. Oh, and by the way, I fucking quit.” She slammed the door.

Stunned, Tyler slumped against the wall. Thomas grabbed him by the shirt. “You were supposed to delete the goddamned file! You told me you did!”

“She must have found a copy on your desktop. I forgot I copied the directory there when I used your computer.”

Thomas slammed Tyler into the wall, hard, then ran down the hall to their bedroom. Outside, Nevvie’s car peeled out of the driveway in an angry squeal of tires.

Thomas returned less than a minute later. He’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt and stormed past Tyler, roughly grabbing his arm and dragging him. “Come on, dumb fuck, let’s go after her.” He turned, glaring, jamming his finger in Tyler’s face. “I never should have listened to you. If we lose her because of your stupidity, I’ll never forgive you.”

He flung the door open and jogged for the Ridgeline. Tyler numbly followed.

* * *

Nevvie gave up fighting her tears and sobbed. She loved them, and now it turns out she was a fucking game. They’d planned to get in her pants the whole time.

Reason tried to regain a foothold in her panicked mind. But they rescued me from Alex.

Fuck them. Someone would have called 911 eventually. Or maybe she’d be better off if he’d killed her. That was preferable to the gaping wound where her soul used to be. Her cell phone rang, and she angrily hit the end button, sending it to voice mail.

She loved them, both of them, would have done anything for them. To see Tyler’s meticulously calculated agenda in black and white shocked her. As always, Tyler had planned everything. He’d carefully researched and scripted it. No doubt he’d spent weeks gathering the costume components.

And Thomas going along with it? It must be Tyler’s plan. Thomas was smart, but he didn’t have the sense God gave a box of rocks when it came to shit like that. That was one hundred percent Tyler.

Once again she’d let herself get sucked in. Yeah, they weren’t abusive like Alex, but it boiled down to the same fucking thing, didn’t it?

She didn’t know where she’d go. She had less than fifteen grand in savings. She wouldn’t have that if it they hadn’t paid for everything, so she could thank them for that. She’d need an apartment. Find a job. Maybe ask Eddie and Pete if she could crash there for a day or two.

She bitterly laughed. No chance those two would play mind games with her. They were sweet, but definitely not her type, and she wasn’t theirs.

Her hands shook, her stomach bound up in painful knots. The boys were her world. She saw the three of them growing old together. She loved working with them, having individual relationships with them and their unique triad. She’d never wanted to imagine what it would be like when one of them died, hopefully many long decades in the future.

Both gone, in one day. Worse, the pain and betrayal ripped through her, fracturing her universe into a million pieces. Less than three miles as the crow flies from the rat-hole apartment, but she’d felt a million miles away, safe and secure and happy, her life a fairy tale.

Okay, so an X-rated one, but her happily ever after had happened, times two.

Would she ever feel that joy again? Worse, could she ever trust again? How would she ever find one man who could be to her what those two were—her rock and her soul?

She sobbed at the thought and angrily beat the steering wheel. Then Nevvie spotted a huge pile of empty boxes stacked outside the front door of a liquor store. She pulled in.

Nevvie backed in and started loading the trunk and backseat, still crying and angrily muttering under her breath.

She fit as many boxes as she could carry in the Acura and pulled out of the parking lot, headed for home.

Well, her soon-to-be former home.

* * *

Nevvie didn’t realize someone watched as she loaded the boxes.

In her anger and anguish, she never noticed the battered Ford Escort pull out behind her and follow a short distance behind.

Chapter 27

Tyler felt heartsick. When they reached Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Thomas hesitated, finally turning right, muttering under his breath and casting nasty looks at Tyler. He drove for ten minutes. Seeing no sign of her, he turned around and passed the entrance to the development, traveling the other way. After twenty minutes he realized it was useless and turned toward home.

He glared at Tyler. “Why? Why the hell couldn’t you leave well enough alone?” When he was especially upset, Thomas’ southern drawl sounded more pronounced. “You and your goddamned master plannin’. I cannot believe I let you talk me into this. I knew better, and I still went along with you. Fuck. If I can’t talk her into calmin’ down and hearin’ me out, she’s gone, thanks to you. We coulda talked to her in the beginning, been open and honest about how we felt and hoped she didn’t freak out. Oh no. That’s not easy enough for you. God knows you have to play around with her fuckin’ heart.”

“I love her too, you know.”

“Well, goddamn, ain’t that great! You fuckin’ love her, and you can’t do something as simple as be honest an’ tell her how you feel? Why can’t anything be simple with you, Ty? Life isn’t fuckin’ complicated enough, gotta go workin’ people round like they’re characters in your books? You always do this. Shit!” He pounded his fist against the steering wheel and fell silent.

A few minutes later, Tyler started to speak and Thomas steamrolled him. “You know, I shoulda kept my fuckin’ mouth shut about her. I shoulda been happy with what we had. I was happy with what we had. I loved you, you loved me, we had a great thing goin’. No, I gotta be a greedy fuckin’ dumbass and fall in love with her, and let you talk me into thinkin’ that’s a great goddamn idea. Forget that everyone says three’s a crowd, and now I fuckin’ know why.”

He turned to Tyler at the next red light. “I mean it, Tyler. We lose her, you and I might as well say goodbye because I won’t forgive you, and every time I look at you I’ll hate you for it.”

Tyler swallowed hard and nodded. Thomas was right—this was his fault. He was on the verge of losing the two people he loved more than his own life, and for once he didn’t have the slightest idea how to make things right.

* * *

Nevvie backed into the driveway. The Ridgeline wasn’t there. Good, that meant at least one of them had left. She opened the garage and angrily threw the boxes in, slinging them toward the back wall. When she had them unloaded she slammed the trunk and doors and stormed into the garage, leaving the big door open. She’d be coming back in a few minutes to start loading.

She grabbed as many boxes as she could carry and walked inside. The house felt empty.

“Hello?”

No answer. She stomped to the bedroom, yanking open dressers and ripping hangers out of the closet. At least she had a decent wardrobe. She could probably get a position with a temp agency, working in an office. The ring on her left hand flashed in the light and she stared at it, sitting on their bed and crying.

Why did they do this to her? Why fuck with her heart? They didn’t have to play games to win her love. Didn’t they know that? Didn’t they know how much she loved them, even before all this started? All they had to do was tell her how they felt. She would have jumped at a chance to be with them. Okay, so a little weird, yes, but to have two men who made her feel the way they made her feel…

Nothing hurt as bad as this. Couldn’t she turn back time—Jesus, only an hour, not even that—and have her life back?

She hesitated. Maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she should talk to them, wait for an explanation.

But how could she trust herself? How could she trust them, be sure they weren’t playing yet another mind game?

The garage door opener kicked on, startling her. She never heard them drive up. Crap. She tensed when the door from the garage into the house opened. Which one would try first? Probably Thomas. He looked as pissed at Tyler as she felt.

No. She needed to leave, at least for now. There was plenty of time to hate herself later, but there was no way she could ever think straight around the two of them. They’d melt her reserve, and once again she’d do whatever they wanted. Her problem was she’d never lived by herself as an adult. She needed to get away from them, get her head on straight. Then, and only then, would she talk to them and hear what they had to say. Maybe then she could sort fact from fantasy.

One of these fucking days, she had to learn how to stand on her own two feet, quit waiting for some white knight to swoop in and rescue her.

Today was that day.

She took a deep breath and started packing again. She sensed one of them standing in the bedroom doorway. After a few long minutes, she turned.

Alex leered. “Well, bitch, I see you found yourself a happy little whorehouse to live in. Shoulda known you would.”

She dove for the phone and he was on her in a flash, ripping it from her hands and pulling the cord from the wall. He hit her with it. She managed to push him off and stumbled for the door, screaming for help.

“Quit screaming. Your little fag buddies aren’t here to save you. What the hell you doing with them anyway? They fuckin’ you up the ass? That what I shoulda done to keep you in line, treated you like a fuckin’ whore?” He grabbed her arm and slammed her into the wall, stunning her. When he threw her to the bed she bounced and rolled off the other side, on her feet and bolting for the bedroom door.

Alex tripped over one of the boxes but didn’t fall. He caught her in the hallway, pinning her face down on the floor. “Just hold still and take it up the ass, why don’t you? I bet you do for them and love it.”

He punched her in the head, and for a moment she feared she’d black out. When he changed position she scrambled up and he fell backwards. She kicked him in the thigh when aiming for his crotch, and managed to break his grip. She stumbled into the kitchen, still screaming.

* * *

Tyler couldn’t look at Thomas, unable to bear the weight of his angry glare. Thomas was right that they never should have played with Nevvie the way they did. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but don’t all horrifically awful ideas start out that way?

“What the fuck?” Thomas swore.

They’d rounded the final corner to the house and Tyler looked up to see Alex’s battered Escort parked across the end of their driveway.

Tyler’s instincts screamed. “Oh, no. Call 911!” Before Thomas had the truck completely stopped, Tyler flung the passenger door open and raced for the house.

* * *

Nevvie tried to grab the cordless phone from the counter but Alex tackled her again. He smelled like sweat and beer and rank body odor. He was drunk, and that made him even more dangerous. She pulled free but he caught her leg. As she turned to kick he grabbed something from the counter. She barely registered the silver flash in his hand before the knife sank into her stomach.

Hot, searing pain flooded her body. She screamed in agony.

“Like that, bitch?” He punched her with his other hand, splitting her lip. He pulled the knife out and sliced her shirt up the front, cutting her flesh several more times. “Gonna git a little action out of you whether you like it or not, fuckin’ cunt.”

She couldn’t speak, tried to put her hands to the wound. Nevvie saw the front door open behind Alex and she reached out.

* * *

Tyler flung the door open. “Nevvie!” He immediately saw Alex on top of her. Tyler charged, grabbing Alex by the shirt and pulling him off of her. The knife fell from Alex’s hand, clattering to the floor and sliding under the fridge.

That’s when Tyler saw the blood.

“Oh, Nevvie, sweet Jesus!”

Alex roared and slammed Tyler against the counter, knocking the wind out of him.

Tyler turned to take a swing at him when a chair flew at his head, dropping him to the floor. As Tyler lost consciousness, he looked at Nevvie and heard Thomas’ enraged scream.

* * *

Thomas parked on the lawn and was seconds behind Tyler, already on his cell to 911 and asking for a deputy. He raced through the open front door in time to see Alex swing the chair at Tyler, knocking him out. Alex had his back to the front door and Thomas dropped his cell, the operator still asking him questions. He tackled Alex, pummeling him with his fists, finally knocking him out.

His legs shaky, Thomas grabbed his cell, and that’s when he saw Nevvie lying on the floor behind the counter.

She was barely conscious. He screamed her name when he saw the blood. She looked at him, her eyes unfocused, trying to talk.

He cried, dropped to his knees next to her. “Oh God, he stabbed her! Please, send an ambulance! Oh, God, she’s bleeding everywhere!”

The operator tried to calm him. “Who was stabbed, sir?”

“He stabbed my wife!”

“Sir, please calm down—”

“God fucking dammit, send a fucking ambulance! She’s dying!” He looked at Tyler. “He hit Tyler, he’s out cold, but she’s dying, you’ve got to save her!”

“Who is Tyler? Is he okay?”

“He’s my partner—I don’t know, he’s on the floor unconscious, he got hit with a chair when he tried to help Nevvie. Please, you’ve got to send an ambulance!” Thomas heard sirens down their street and dropped the phone, cradling Nevvie in his arms, sobbing, caressing her face.

Her eyes focused on him, and he touched his forehead to hers. “Nevvie, please baby, hold on, they’re coming, you’re going to be okay.”

She tried to touch him and he grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

“Tom,” she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Nevvie, honey. I love you so much. I’m so sorry. You’re gonna be fine.”

“Where’s Ty?”

“He’ll be fine, he’s knocked out.”

“Tell Tyler I love him too, okay?”

“You’ll be able to tell him yourself, sugar.”

“Sheriff’s office!” The deputy in the doorway had his gun drawn.

“Over here!” Thomas screamed. “He stabbed her! Please, help her!”

The deputy holstered his gun and called into his radio, racing to their side. “What happened?”

Thomas pointed at Alex. “He attacked them.”

Nevvie’s eyes closed, and Thomas leaned close to hear her faint whisper. “I love both of you. Please don’t leave me alone.”

* * *

Tyler didn’t understand what happened at first. Then as he gathered his wits and sat up, he realized a paramedic was talking to him.

“What?” His head throbbed, ached.

“Can you tell me your name, sir? What day it is?”

Through the open front door, Tyler saw a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance, Thomas climbing in with it.

“Nevvie!”

He tried to stand and wobbled, his head in agony, what happened coming back with painful clarity. Alex had blindsided him.

“Don’t try to stand, sir.” The paramedic made him sit in a chair, probing his forehead, flashing a light in his eyes.

“Nevvie, how is she?”

“Sir, they’re taking care of her, let us—”

Tyler staggered to his feet. “How is she, goddammit!”

More awareness flooded in. Deputies and emergency personnel swarmed all over the house. Alex was unconscious and handcuffed on the living room floor, another EMT examining him.

“Sir, I don’t know. Let us examine you so we can transport you to the hospital, please.”

The EMTs guided Tyler outside to the back of another ambulance, seating him on the bumper as they examined him. A detective walked over. “Mr. Paulson?”

Tyler nodded. “How is she?”

“Mr. Kinsey went with her.” He handed Tyler a set of keys—Tom’s—and flipped open a notebook. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Tyler recalled what he could of the attack. The EMTs bandaged his head, and Tyler signed a release indicating he was refusing to be transported.

That’s when two deputies dragged Alex, kicking and screaming, out of the house.

Alex’s eyes found Tyler, and he grinned. “I killed your little fag whore, didn’t I?” he screamed. “Ya goddamned queer! I killed the fuckin’ cunt!”

Tyler launched himself at Alex with an enraged scream. “You bloody, filthy bastard!”

It took the detective and two other deputies to restrain Tyler, while two more roughly shoved Alex into the back of a patrol car. Finally, Tyler dropped to his knees, sobbing. He’d failed her twice. Breaking her heart and not keeping his promise to protect her.

Please, don’t let her be dead. Don’t let my angel die.

* * *

They let Thomas ride in the ambulance with Nevvie. As he left, Tyler was coming to and being examined by another paramedic team. Alex was handcuffed and unconscious. Thomas handed a deputy his keys. “Just give them to Tyler.”

The deputy nodded. “We’ll need your statement, Mr. Kinsey. They’re going to take her to Tampa Community. We’ll catch up with you there.” Thomas had given him the short version in the five minutes between the EMTs arriving and loading Nevvie for transport.

Thomas stayed out of the way, praying, unable to focus on their words as they worked to staunch her bleeding, started an IV, and applied monitor leads to her chest.

At the hospital he tried to follow them into the ER but a nurse grabbed his arm, gently but firmly redirecting him to the desk. “Sir, they might take her straight to surgery. You can’t go in there.”

He broke down sobbing, his knees unhinging. An orderly came over to help, caught his other arm, and between them they maneuvered him to a chair.

“Please, they’ve got to save her. Please don’t let her die,” he begged.

The nurse spotted the blood on him and rethought her decision, had the orderly bring a wheelchair. They took Thomas to a triage room on the other side of the ER to check him over.

Nevvie was taken to surgery minutes later. Thomas sat in the waiting room, her blood dried on his shirt and numb beyond tears. He’d managed to fill out some of the paperwork and answer questions without any real certainty how. Nearly an hour later, Tyler, a bandage on his head, appeared in the waiting room door and raced to Thomas’s side.

“How is she?”

Thomas finally looked at him. “She’s in surgery.”

Tyler sat next to him and waited, neither speaking.

* * *

Another long, silent hour later, a doctor walked in. “Ms. Barton’s family?”

Tyler and Thomas stood, and the doctor walked over. “She’s out of surgery, but she’s going to be in the SICU for now.”

“How is she?” Thomas asked.

“She lost a lot of blood, and there is a high risk of infection. We think we repaired all the damage. The knife didn’t hit any arteries or go through her spine. She’s young and her vital signs are strong, so we’ll wait and see. The next twenty-four hours are critical. The longer she makes it, the better her chances.”

“Can we see her?” Tyler asked.

“You can see her for a minute. She’s going to be unconscious for at least twelve hours. She’s on a ventilator, and we’re keeping her sedated and out of pain for now. You’re related?”

Both men nodded.

“Okay, come on.” They followed the doctor to the SICU, washing their hands as instructed. The doctor spoke to the nurse taking care of her and motioned them to her bedside. Nevvie was in a small room separated from the main SICU ward by sliding glass doors.

Dwarfed by the bed, Nevvie looked small and frail. She had IVs in both arms, a tube in her nose, and a respirator tube in her mouth. Tears rolled down Thomas’ face as he carefully caressed the back of her right hand.

“Nevvie, I’m here,” he whispered. “Tyler’s here too, baby girl.”

Tyler stood on her left side and touched her hand. “We love you, sweetheart. You can do this, you’re strong. You have to come back to us.” He choked back a sob and closed his eyes.

Thomas battled with his anger at Tyler. This wasn’t the time. “Sugar,” Thomas whispered, “you’re going to be fine. You’ll be out of here in no time. You have to be okay for me, I need you, I can’t lose you. I love you.” He carefully leaned in and kissed her forehead where an ugly bruise had already formed. “You have to be okay, Nevvie. You have to come home to me.”

The nurse indicated their time was up and Thomas stepped back from the bed. Tyler leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Nevvie.” Then he whispered in her ear and followed Thomas from the room.

The nurse stopped them. “Mr. Kinsey? Take this with you. They took them off of her in the OR and I’m afraid they’ll get lost.” It was a small plastic bag containing Nevvie’s turquoise necklace, the engagement ring, and the ruby ring Tyler had bought her. Thomas choked back a sob and nodded. Tyler watched, but remained silent.

Another nurse stopped them at the SICU desk. “You’re Ms. Barton’s family?”

The men nodded.

“The admissions caseworker needs to talk to you, get the paperwork sorted out. I’m sorry, I know this is a rough time.”

“It’s all right,” Tyler said. “What do we need to do?”

The nurse showed them into a small office right outside SICU. An officious, harried-looking woman walked in fifteen minutes later.

“Mr. Barton? I’m Nancy Park from Administration.”

“We’re Ms. Barton’s family,” Tyler said. Thomas still held the plastic bag, running his fingers over the engagement ring through the plastic.

She smiled, but it didn’t travel any further than her lips. “We need to get her insurance information, all of that handled.”

Thomas took a deep breath. “That’s all at home. I’ll have to go get it. We have a medical power of attorney.”

“Oh, good. Okay.” She handed him her card. “Can you bring that back today? The sooner the better. If I’m not here, someone will be on duty to help. Are you her husband?”

“We’re engaged.” He glared at Tyler, silently daring his lover to contradict him.

The woman glanced at the ring on his hand then saw the one on Tyler’s. Her eyes narrowed. Before she could say anything there was a knock at the door, and a nurse opened it. Behind her stood a deputy. “I’m sorry, but he needs to take Mr. Kinsey’s statement.”

Tyler stood. “I’ll get the paperwork and bring you some fresh clothes. You stay here.”

* * *

Tyler returned home, found the paperwork, and packed a small bag of clean clothes for Thomas. He grabbed the paperback Thomas was reading off the bedside table and tucked that into the bag. Scanning the bedroom, he knew he’d have to find time to straighten it up, but not now.

Back in the kitchen, he nearly threw up at the sight of Nevvie’s dried blood on the floor and cabinets. He sobbed as he ran warm water in the sink and used a dishrag to clean up the worst of it.

It was nearly an hour before he returned to the hospital. He found Thomas in the waiting room and handed him the bag and his cell phone.

“I’ll go talk to the caseworker,” Tyler said.

Thomas nodded, but said nothing.

Tyler found his way to the administration office, and the receptionist directed him to Ms. Park’s desk. The woman took the folder and made copies of everything, frowning before handing it back.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked.

“If Mr. Kinsey is her fiancé, why are you on all of this paperwork, too? Are you related?”

Tyler was in no mood for bullshit. “Isn’t that an improper question, Ms. Park? I assure you, our attorney drew everything up. It’s all proper, and her health insurance is current. Mr. Kinsey and I jointly hold her power of attorney. Is there anything else?”

She showed her true colors. “Mr. Paulson, all I know is there’s something weird going on here.”

Tyler’s voice grew hard and cold. “Are we done, Ms. Park?”

She pressed her lips together, but nodded. He noted she looked at his wedding band.

Before he left administration he made sure they set Nevvie’s admission status to private, requiring a security code to get information about her condition over the phone. That would, hopefully, slow a few people down. He had a feeling that beyond the shitstorm of emotion he was going through, a firestorm would erupt when the news got out.

* * *

Thomas had changed clothes by the time Tyler returned to the waiting room. When Tyler glimpsed the silver chain under his collar and slight bulge under his shirt, he realized Thomas had threaded the rings onto the necklace. He must have, because Thomas’ hands were much larger than Nevvie’s.

“We can’t see her again until eight tonight,” Thomas said. “They have three times we can visit during the day until they move her. Only fifteen minutes at a time.

Tyler looked at his watch. “That’s in three hours. Do you wish to get something to eat?”

Thomas shook his head and looked at the floor. “She told me to tell you she loves you,” he whispered. “At the house, before she passed out.”

Tyler closed his eyes and struggled against his tears. “Thank you.”

“What did you say to her in there?”

Tyler didn’t open his eyes. “I begged her to forgive me for what happened, and for not being there to protect her. I promised I would protect her, never let anyone hurt her, and I broke that promise.”

* * *

The hours crawled and Thomas made no effort to speak to Tyler. At eight they silently returned to the SICU. After scrubbing up they walked to Nevvie’s bedside and gently stroked her hands.

The nurse worked on Nevvie’s chart just outside the alcove and Tyler motioned to her. “Yes, sir?”

“How is she?”

“She’s critical, but stable.”

“How long will they keep her on the ventilator?”

“Probably until tomorrow morning, depending on her condition. We’ll keep her sedated until then to keep her comfortable.”

Tyler wished he could be the one in the bed, not her.

Thomas finally spoke. “Is she going to make it?”

“Would you like me to get the doctor to answer your questions?”

He shook his head and looked at Nevvie. “She hates to be alone. She’s terrified of hospitals. She made me promise not to leave her alone before the ambulance took her.”

The nurse patted him on the arm. “I’m sorry, but you can’t stay with her. Once she’s out of here you can talk with the nurses wherever she ends up.”

Tyler’s voice was choked and ragged. “She’ll be scared to death. We promised we’d always take care of her. She has horrible nightmares if she’s alone.”

The nurse handed Tyler a card. “Here’s the number for the SICU desk, with her bed number. I’m Carol, I’ll be on duty until seven a.m. You can call during the night and check on her. The orders we have say she’ll stay sedated until morning, when they’ll re-evaluate her condition. She won’t wake up before then. The two of you obviously love her, but you need to go home and get some sleep. I’ve got your phone numbers in the chart and I’ll call if anything changes. Be back here by six tomorrow morning and let the SICU desk know you’re here so you can talk to the doctors during rounds.”

Both men nodded, and Thomas placed a tender kiss on Nevvie’s forehead, brushing the hair away from her face. “Good night, sugar. I’ll be back first thing in the morning. I love you.”

Tyler leaned over and kissed her. “I love you, sweetheart. Please come back to us.”

Tyler drove them home. Thomas hesitated at the kitchen, staring at the remainder of the mess. There was still blood in the grout and tracked around the kitchen.

Tyler threw his keys on the counter. “I didn’t have time to properly clean. I wiped up the worst of it.” He ran warm water to finish the job and Thomas continued to their bedroom.

With leaden feet he walked to the bed and started folding her clothes, putting them away, returning hangers to the closet, dragging the empty boxes back to the garage. When Tyler finished in the kitchen he joined Thomas in the bedroom and together they tidied the room.

When Thomas undressed to take a shower, Tyler saw the necklace. As suspected, he’d threaded Nevvie’s rings onto it. Thomas removed it and carefully put it on the dresser with his watch. He glared at Tyler, his message unmistakable: Don’t touch it. I’ll take care of it.

Tyler didn’t dare join him in the bathroom. He took his shower after Thomas finished. Thomas lay on the far side of the bed, his back to Tyler. Another clear message: Leave me the fuck alone. Tyler knew to leave the angry silence unbroken.

Retrieving his cell phone charger from the office, Tyler plugged it in on his side of the bed and set the alarm to wake him at two so he could check on Nevvie. He eventually slept before it sounded.

When Tyler called, Thomas didn’t move on his distant side of the bed. Thomas didn’t say anything, but Tyler sensed him listening. After he hung up, he spoke without turning to face Thomas.

“Her vital signs are stable. She’s still under sedation.” He reset the alarm for five.

Neither slept.

Before they left the next morning, Tyler looked at the answering machine and found twenty messages. He didn’t have the energy or time to listen. They could wait. He imagined it would hit the news today, and it could make life crazy for a while. He wasn’t Stephen King but it wouldn’t surprise him if it hit the wires in the UK, too.

* * *

The doctor talked with them. “We’ll slowly back off the sedation. Her blood pressure was stable last night, and she’s not running a fever, no sign of infection yet.”

“Can we stay with her?” Tyler asked.

“I’m afraid not, Mr. Paulson. If she continues to improve, we’ll upgrade her condition and then look at moving her to a regular room in a day or so.

“She’s terrified of being alone,” Thomas said. “Please, can’t you make an exception?”

“Mr. Kinsey, I understand you’re concerned, but she won’t be alone. She’s in the most intensively staffed area of the hospital. We can give her medication to calm her without sedating her if she’s distressed.”

The men returned to the waiting room. Nevvie wasn’t awake by the eight a.m. visitation. They had removed the breathing tube, replacing it with an oxygen cannula in her nose, and she still had the nasal drainage tube. The next visitation wasn’t until one p.m. The day nurse promised to call them immediately if she awoke.

* * *

Nevvie felt trapped, suffocated. Like she was wrapped in a black cotton cocoon with no way to escape. What happened? Where were her boys?

Oh, God, please let them be okay!

Images roiled through her brain—the Halloween party, the spa day, the boys proposing, when they rescued her from…

Alex! He attacked her!

Nevvie’s eyes flew open. She gasped for air, trying to scream but her throat was sore, raw, her voice little more than a weak croak. She frantically clawed at the air and then a nurse was at her side, trying to calm her. Where the hell was she? She hurt. Goddamn her stomach hurt!

“Ty…Tom…”

“It’s okay, Ms. Barton,” the nurse soothed. “You’re in Tampa Community Hospital. You’re okay.”

Nevvie looked around. “…boys…” They weren’t there.

“You’re safe, ma’am.” A doctor examined her, checking her vital signs. “You had surgery and you’re in the intensive care unit.”

Nevvie looked at the nurse again and tried to speak. “Where are they?” Nevvie tried to sit up but the nurse’s hand and a dizzying wave of pain held her back.

“Where’s who?”

Nevvie felt the tears and didn’t try to stop them. Were they even here? She’d yelled and screamed at them, and now she needed them. She was still pissed, but she was willing to deal with that later. She couldn’t leave them. She needed them. Now.

“Where are my husbands?”

The nurse and the doctor exchanged glances.

* * *

The men looked up when a doctor walked into the waiting room. “Mr. Paulson? Mr. Kinsey?”

They both stood.

“Please follow me.” He left without waiting for them. Tyler and Thomas exchanged a brief look before hurrying after him. At the SICU door the doctor turned and dropped his voice.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, and frankly, I don’t care. It’s not my business. She’s awake. You can stay for thirty minutes unless her condition changes or there’s an emergency.” He looked at the men. “She woke up asking for her ‘husbands.’ I’m assuming that’s you two.”

Both men nodded.

“I’m won’t have to call security to keep the peace, will I?”

The men shook their heads.

“No,” Tyler said, trying to cover. “It’s fine. I’m sure she’s just upset. We did warn the staff she’s terrified of being in the hospital.”

The doctor eyed them and finally let them in. They scrubbed as fast as they could and raced to Nevvie’s alcove. When she saw them she closed her eyes and reached out both hands, sobbing with relief as they huddled close.

* * *

Tyler didn’t care who saw him cry. His angel was awake, that’s all that mattered. “Nevvie,” he whispered, “I’m so sorry, please forgive me. I love you so much.”

She weakly squeezed his hand. “Okay.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you, sweetheart.”

She squeezed again. “Stop. It’s okay.”

Thomas held her other hand. “You scared me bad, Nevvie. I was afraid I’d lost you, sugar.”

She squeezed his hand. “Not yet. Alex?”

“In jail. Denied bond.”

“Can you stay?”

“Thirty minutes,” Thomas told her. “I’m sorry, then we have to leave. Once you’re out of here and in a regular room we can probably sweet talk them into letting us bend the rules so I can stay with you all the time.”

If Tyler noticed his particular phraseology, he said nothing.

But Nevvie noticed. She squeezed their hands. “Both. Not just you.”

Thomas glared at Tyler. Now was not the time to stress her out. “I doubt they’ll let us both stay all the time, sugar, but we’ll work something out, alternate shifts. Okay?”

She nodded and squeezed their hands again. “I love you. Both. I need both.”

Tyler leaned in. “Sweetheart, we’re here for you. Don’t worry, we’re fine. You just focus on getting better.”

“Did you sleep?”

Thomas nodded. “Some. They made us go home.”

She brought her hands together over her chest, forcing the men’s hands to touch while she held them. Neither had the heart to pull away.

“Eat. Rest. Okay?” She held them like that until the nurse told them their time was up. Nevvie was falling asleep anyway. Each man leaned over and tenderly kissed her on the lips.

“I love you, Nevvie,” Tyler whispered.

“Love you, too.”

“Love you, baby girl,” Tom said. “I’ll take care of you. You just get better.”

“Love you, too. Both.”

The men reluctantly left.

* * *

They came back to see Nevvie later. In that time the men had spoken less than ten words. The staff bent the rules and let them stay an hour with the warning that the men would have to leave if another SICU patient had an emergency. Nevvie drifted to sleep before their time was up, and the men kissed her and reluctantly left.

When they returned home they spotted a car waiting, parked on the street. A woman and a man jumped out. “Mr. Paulson? Barbara Walsing, from the Tampa Tribune. Can we talk with you?”

He held up a hand and shook his head, heading for the house. Thomas grabbed the mail from their box, the paper laying in the drive, and shook his head.

“No comment. Please, just give us privacy.”

He locked the front door behind him and dumped the mail and paper on the counter. He yanked the paper from the bag and looked at it, nothing in the A section. In the local section, a headline on the front page above the fold read, “Local Author’s Housemate Stabbed, Critical.”

Goddammit.

He took a deep breath and read. While it didn’t specifically mention them being gay, it said, “…the housemate of famous author, Tyler Paulson, and his long-time partner, award-winning architect and local developer, Thomas Kinsey…”

Great. Hopefully Tyler had called Maggie, because he’d totally forgotten.

Carrying the paper, he stopped at the answering machine. Over forty messages and it blinked that the machine was full.

Craptacular. He walked to the bedroom. Without a word he handed Tyler the paper.

He sank to the bed, reading. “I’m sorry, Thomas,” he finally whispered.

Thomas undressed. He still wore her necklace and rings under his shirt. “For what, Ty?” His anger boiled, barely restrained. “For nearly getting her killed? For breaking her heart? For being a fucking dumb shit? You need to be a little more specific than that.”

“For everything. I’m so sorry.”

“Here’s how this is going to work. I won’t have her become a media sideshow. The gay guys’ girlfriend. So I am going to take care of her. You are going to stay the fuck away from her once she’s out of ICU. She doesn’t need TMZ offering bounties for pictures of you at her bedside.”

“You can’t stay there twenty-four hours a day. You have to sleep.”

“You’re right. You can sit with her at night. From midnight until six a.m. The rest of the time, I’ll be with her, I’ll take care of her. You do whatever you have to do around here, you handle the fucking media, the phone calls, all the bullshit. I will take care of her, and you will take care of any and everything else. Do I make myself clear?”

Tyler nodded, unable to bear the weight of his angry glare.

“Don’t go stressing her out. Don’t go blubbering all over her. For now we’ll pretend everything’s fine between you and me so she doesn’t worry. You and I will deal with the rest of this shit after she’s home and healed up though.”

He jabbed his finger at Tyler. “You and your fucking plans. I will not lose her. Do you understand me? Not for you, or anyone else on this fucking planet. She might not want to choose, but if it means not losing her, I damn sure will.”

Tyler offered no resistance. Thomas was a man usually slow to anger, but when enraged he hated with a passion and was slow to forgive—if ever. Once he formed a grudge it became as solid and durable as the Great Wall of China.

Tyler left the bedroom and found a notepad, started playing the answering machine messages. The Tampa Trib, St. Pete Times. All the local TV stations. CNN. Many leaving more than one message. His agent, his editor, and his publicist. Eddie and Pete and a few other friends.

His mother. Damn, that meant it had reached the UK tabloids. He’d have to get their home number changed.

He wrote them all down and cleared the machine, knowing at this rate it would be full again by the next evening.

When Tyler finally emerged from his shower, Thomas was tightly curled on his side at the far edge of the bed. Tyler didn’t speak to him. He lay down on his side of the bed and tried to sleep, feeling the vast gulf between them through his very core. He desperately wanted to reach out to him, apologize and comfort him, but was afraid it would only make things worse.

Tyler switched pillows, taking one of Nevvie’s. The smell of her shampoo on the pillowcase made his heart ache.

* * *

The men arrived early the next morning to speak to the doctors during rounds, but the doctor intercepted them at the SICU desk. “Fifteen minutes. She spiked a fever overnight and we’re worried about infection.”

Tyler’s heart fell. “Will she be all right?”

“We’ve upped her antibiotics and put her on a morphine pump for pain. She’s pretty out of it. Her blood pressure’s good, but if we can’t knock out the infection with drugs we might have to go in and find the problem.”

Nevvie’s color didn’t look good either. Ashen, her eyes sunken and dull, she managed a weak smile. She squeezed their hands and held on the entire visit. She still had the tube in her nose, as well as an oxygen cannula. Tyler suspected the morphine helped not only her pain but her nerves. She fell asleep after ten minutes and they both kissed her on the forehead before filing out of the SICU.

* * *

Tyler called to check on her every hour while dodging calls from news outlets and his mother. Nevvie’s fever steadily rose. At noon the nurse called and informed him they were prepping Nevvie for surgery, afraid she had an abscess. The men raced to the hospital, but Nevvie was already in the OR.

Two hours later the surgeon appeared in the waiting room. “I think we found the source of infection, but needless to say she’s not leaving the SICU until we know for sure. You won’t be able to talk to her until tomorrow morning at the earliest, so you might as well go home.”

“Please, can we just see her?” Thomas asked.

The doctor nodded. She was in the same bed as before, unconscious and back on the respirator. Both men cried, whispering their love before kissing her goodbye.

A television crew had parked across the street from the house and when they pulled in, Thomas went inside, leaving Tyler to deal with them. This was his mess. He’d have to clean it up.

Tyler took a deep breath and waited while the reporter jogged up, followed by a cameraman. “Mr. Paulson? Tyler Paulson?”

“Yes.”

“Can we interview you, get a statement?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, no statement. Please respect our privacy.”

“What exactly is your relationship with Ms. Barton?”

“Our focus right now is making sure she gets the care she needs to recover. We’ll release a statement at a more appropriate time, but for now I will make no other comments. Thank you.” He retreated to the house. There were fifteen messages on the answering machine.

His first call was to Bob Campbell, their attorney.

“I wondered when I’d hear from you.”

Tyler closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell me what to do, Bob.”

“What do you want me to say? You can’t exactly give a statement to the media saying she’s your common-law wife, or label her your domestic partner.”

“How do I protect her and Thomas from this?”

“You can’t. When the three of you opted for this ‘alternative lifestyle’ of yours you opened a can of worms. It’s not like you’re Joe Mechanic working at the Jiffy Lube. You aren’t flying under the radar anymore. The 911 tape doesn’t help, either.”

“What?”

“Pull up Channel 8’s website. I’m sure they’ve got the clip online by now. That came out around noon today.”

“Shit.” Tyler sat at his computer and found the site. Sure enough. “I’ll call you back, Bob.” He hung up and clicked on the link to play the video from their noon news. The anchor recapped the story and then they played the audio with—how helpful of them—captioning.

Operator: 911, what is your emergency?

Thomas Kinsey: I need a deputy, now, 270 Sailfish Court!

Operator: Sir, what is your emergency?

Kinsey: We’ve got an intruder at our home, just got home, someone’s inside.

Operator: Sir, are they armed? Do you know how many there are?… Sir?… Are you there?

Kinsey: (unintelligible)…Nevvie! Oh God, he stabbed her! Please, send an ambulance! Oh, God, she’s bleeding everywhere!

Operator: Who was stabbed, sir?

Kinsey: He stabbed my wife!

Operator: Sir, please calm down—

Kinsey: God ****ing dammit, send a ****ing ambulance! She’s dying! He hit Tyler, he’s out cold, but she’s dying, you’ve got to save her!

Operator: Who is Tyler? Is he okay?

Kinsey: He’s my partner—I don’t know, he’s on the floor unconscious, he got hit with a chair when he tried to help Nevvie, please, you’ve got to send an ambulance…

The agony in Thomas’ voice crushed Tyler’s soul. He shut down the browser. Just when he thought he’d grown accustomed to their current pit of hell they exposed yet another fresher, deeper layer.

He called Bob back. “I played it.”

“I suppose the only saving grace is that he called Nevvie his wife and you his partner. Partner can mean a lot of things. People will assume it means boyfriend, but you can spin it to make it look like you’re the odd man out and sharing a house.”

“I’ll call Elliot Paterno. The two of you work something out and get it to me to look at before it goes to the media. I want Nevvie and Thomas to look good.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t care what I look like. Say they’re engaged but living together and in the stress he said wife, whatever. Get the heat off of them. If you need to spin it so people come after me, fine.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do mean that.”

Bob hesitated. “What happened, Ty? The news said he followed her home.”

“I screwed up and made an ass out of myself, and she rightfully got very upset with me. She was in search of boxes to move out.”

“Oh, shit.”

“Yes.” Tyler took a deep breath. “It was my fault. I take full responsibility. Nevvie and Thomas should not pay for my stupidity. Please, whatever we need to do to take the focus off them, that’s fine. Let me see it for approval before it goes out.”

“How much does your publicist know about her?”

“He’s a don’t ask, don’t tell guy. He knows we have an arrangement.”

“How much do you want me to tell him?”

“He won’t talk, if that’s what you mean.”

“We need a statement that won’t give the guy’s defense any leverage later at the trial.”

Tyler swore under his breath. Of course. Unless Alex struck a plea deal, they’d all have to testify. More torture for his poor Nevvie and dear Thomas.

“Work it up. Make sure it’s okay from your perspective. I don’t want it going out until I see it.”

Bob paused. “It might be better to push her to marry Thomas when she’s out of the hospital.”

Tyler sighed. He’d already thought about it. “I know.”

He called Elliot Paterno and gave him Bob’s information, fielded his questions, then called his agent and editor. Eddie. A few other friends.

The last—and worst. He checked the time and held his breath as the call connected, then a woman answered.

“Hello?”

He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off a tension headache. “Hello, Mother.”

Chapter 28

Nevvie despised the ICU. She was sick of monitors and beeps and the whoosh of ventilators, hushed voices and jarring alarms that triggered more nightmares. She wanted a shower and a real toilet. She wanted a goddamned cheeseburger, but solid food wasn’t in her future for several days yet.

At least she had a TV. She was turning her brain to mush with SpongeBob, but it was better than going stir crazy.

She’d also had a lot of time to think.

The only reason she could tolerate being there without the boys at her side all the time was the sheer number of people around—and morphine. She could see the nursing desk, where at least one person always sat at the station, monitoring patient data feeds on the bank of computer terminals.

She stared at the nursing station her sixth morning there—the boys had already visited—when a woman walked in and stopped at the desk. One of the nurses pointed to Nevvie’s alcove and the woman headed her way. She carried a clipboard, wore a hospital name tag, and looked like trouble.

The woman walked in and pasted on a fake smile Nevvie saw right through.

“Ms. Barton? I’m Nancy Park from Administration.”

Nevvie didn’t offer to shake hands. She never doubted Tyler’s ability to sense things about a person because she’d begun to think she had that same ability, something else they shared.

Nevvie sensed a bitch with a mission.

When Nevvie didn’t speak, Ms. Park continued. “Uh, I wondered if I could ask you a few questions about your paperwork? There seems to be some confusion.”

Nevvie didn’t respond, instinctively mistrusting the woman.

“We have paperwork,” she finally continued, “from Mr. Paulson and Mr. Kinsey, and we’re not sure who your next of kin is.”

“Whatever they gave you, I’m sure it’s right.”

“Well, if Mr. Kinsey is your fiancé—”

Fiancé? “Do you have a point?” What the hell is going on? She’d have a word with her boys during their afternoon visit.

The woman lowered her voice. “Nevaeh—”

“Ms. Barton.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Ms. Barton, if you are in a situation where you need help, you can reach out to us and we can—”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Ms. Park dropped her voice even lower. “If Mr. Paulson and Mr. Kinsey are holding you hostage or abusing you somehow—”

“What?” If Nevvie could have sat up and hit her, she would. Her rage and indignation swelled. “Those men are not holding me hostage. And they damn sure don’t abuse me.”

And it was the truth. That this woman tried to bad-mouth her boys when they’d never mistreated her… Maybe she was dreaming or it was an effect of the painkillers. This bitch couldn’t be for real, could she?

“Well, yes, I’m sure it might not seem like it, but we can refer you to a women’s shelter, and we have professionals on staff, psychiatrists, who can help you learn ways to break free of their mental abuse.”

“Nurse!” Nevvie punched her call button, realized it was her morphine button. She grabbed the call button, thumbing it.

The nurse ran in and Nevvie pointed at the administrator. “I want her out of here. Right now. And a phone.”

Forty minutes later, Bob Campbell and the SICU nursing supervisor were huddled in Nevvie’s alcove with the door closed and curtains drawn for privacy. Nevvie had ordered him not to tell the boys she’d called.

“Bob,” Nevvie said, “I had a screwy visitor, a Ms. Park from Administration, who tried to convince me that the boys have me held hostage and are mentally abusing me.”

He laughed out loud then stopped. “Oh. Oh! You’re serious?” He scowled and looked at the nursing supervisor. “Is this true?”

“Between you and me, the woman has a stick up her ass. She’s been asking questions about Ms. Barton’s chart that are none of her business, and about Mr. Paulson and Mr. Kinsey and their relationship with her.”

“I’m guessing you can handle this, Bob?” Nevvie asked.

He set his jaw and nodded. “I’ve been looking for an ass to chew. I think I just found it.”

“Come back when you finish, wake me if I’m asleep. And don’t tell the boys.”

“I’ll see you shortly.” He grinned. “I love the smell of a HIPAA violation lawsuit in the morning. Smells like victory!”

Nevvie laughed, then moaned in pain and laughed some more. “Go, before I pull a stitch.”

The more she thought about it, the more she seethed. Yes, she was mad about the file she found, but it didn’t cancel out how the boys had treated her, how they spoiled her rotten, how they practically waited on her hand and foot.

How they obviously loved her.

She closed her eyes. How could she have been so stupid? Why didn’t she just sit down and talk to them?

Okay, scream at them.

She wouldn’t make a mistake like that again. She had a second chance to love them, and she damn sure wasn’t giving them up.

Bob returned an hour later, smiling. “Want the short version, which might not make you laugh, or the long version, guaranteed to be a stitch-ripper?”

“Go with the safe one.”

“Ms. Park will no longer be a problem. She was escorted off the grounds without the ability to ‘accidentally’ take any paperwork. Hopefully she didn’t already get anything she can leak to the media.”

“How are they, Bob? Honestly?” She’d sensed the tension between her boys, especially from Thomas, but they tried to hide it.

“How much have they told you?”

“I can only imagine there’s a lot of publicity.” She hadn’t watched the news, not wanting to know.

“Well, you should see this before it goes out. You’ll need hip waders once it hits the wires.” He pulled a paper from his briefcase and handed it to her. “Tyler’s orders.”

She read the press release, her blood boiling. “Are you shitting me? You are not releasing this to the media. No freaking way.”

“That’s between you and Tyler.”

“Give me your cell phone.” They’d already moved her phone and she didn’t want to hunt for it.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to use cell phones in here.”

She snapped her fingers and he handed it over. She dialed Tyler’s cell. He answered, and Nevvie gritted her teeth to control her voice.

“One word, Tyler. Where are you?”

“Nevvie? Is that you? I—”

“I said one word. Where. Are. You?”

There was a brief moment of stunned silence. “Home,” he whispered.

“Where’s Thomas? One word, Tyler.”

“Store.”

“Get your fucking ass in your car and be here in fifteen minutes. Alone. Do not tell Thomas you’re coming.” She hung up. “Thank you.”

He took his phone back. “Damn, girl. I’d love to see you when you’re really pissed and at full strength. Should I go?”

“No, I might need your help.” Pissed didn’t begin to describe how she felt. Mad at herself for blowing up and walking out on the boys, upset that Alex tracked her because of her childish behavior, the annoying bitch from admin.

Now this.

Fourteen minutes later, Tyler hustled into the SICU while trying to catch his breath. Nevvie hadn’t expected him to make it in fifteen minutes, and the fact that he did touched her through her anger. He must have been in his car seconds after she hung up—and blown a few red lights—to get there.

Tyler paled when he saw Bob. She pointed to an empty chair.

“Sit.”

He did.

She recognized Tyler’s sick look and immediately softened her tone. “No, honey, I’m not leaving you. Calm down.”

Tyler slumped and covered his face with his hands. She looked at Bob. “Wait outside, please.”

She called Tyler to her. He rested his head on her shoulder while she stroked his hair.

“Tyler, I love you. I’m not leaving you. I called Bob for help with a nosy administrator.”

“Nancy Park?”

“You’ve dealt with the bitch?”

“She’s trouble.”

“Not anymore. Bob took care of her.” She forced him to look at her. The grief in his beautiful blue eyes broke her heart. “Tyler, you can’t send out that press release.”

“I have to. To take attention off you and Thomas.”

“I didn’t ask you to take attention off me.”

“I don’t want you embarrassed.”

“I refuse to let you put out a public statement saying I’m Thomas’ fiancée. Did he sign off on this?”

“When he did the paperwork he told them you were his fiancée, but he doesn’t know about the press release.”

“Don’t you think you should have asked us?”

“He hates me.”

“No he doesn’t.”

Tyler dropped his head to the bed and she could barely hear his tortured whisper. “Nevvie, he does. He won’t speak to me, has barely spoken to me since this happened. He blames me and he’s right. It’s my fault. If we’d done things his way, none of this would have happened. This way at least people will think you two are normal and I’m the weirdo. You were right, I’m a manipulative arsehole.”

She kissed him again. This was the first time she’d been alone with him since the attack. “But you’re my weirdo manipulative asshole, and I love you” His eyes brimmed with tears. She touched his forehead, which had nearly healed. “Alex really nailed you, didn’t he? Are you okay?”

Tyler nodded and kissed her hand, pressing it against his cheek.

She shifted in bed so she could maintain eye contact with him. “Tyler, you are not putting out that press release. If you do, I will call the Trib and the Times and let them have a full interview with me, including how my wonderful master fucked me with a Popsicle in the backyard. Then the secret will be out and everyone can relax.”

“You wouldn’t?” he whispered, shocked.

“Try me. I’ve had a lot of time to get my head on straight in here.”

He studied her for a long moment. “I think you would.”

“Now you’re catching on. Do I go around randomly blabbing about us? Of course not. In this case I’ll make an exception. Release a statement along the lines of, ‘Ms. Barton is a member of our household, and as the victim of a violent crime, she asks that her privacy be respected.’ Add something about not wanting to say anything because of the criminal investigation.”

“That will cause more questions.”

“Let them ask. Do you care?” He shook his head. “Neither do I. If someone wanted a confirmation I wouldn’t hesitate to admit that I live with two men I love very much.” She stroked his cheek. “I am not Tom’s fiancée. I belong to both of you.”

He nodded.

“Call Bob in.”

He did, updating him. The attorney nodded. “I’ll call Paterno and draw it up.”

When they were alone again, Tyler kissed her. “Why didn’t you call me to handle Ms. Park?”

“You mean handle it like you were going to marry me off to Thomas without my knowledge?”

“Sorry, sweet. I was trying to do what I thought best.”

“Next time, ask.” She softened her tone. “You are neither responsible for all the troubles in the world, nor are you supposed to fix them all, even though you insist on trying. Bob’s my attorney, too. I’m capable of calling him when I need something. There are lots of things I need you for, but you’re not a lawyer. I need you as my husband.”

“Thomas doesn’t want me around.”

“Let me handle our southern fried stud muffin.”

Tyler harshly laughed, then cried against her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Nevvie. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Ty. When I get out of here you can soothe your guilt by being at my beck and call.” He laughed again, sniffling.

“I’ve always been at your beck and call, sweetheart. From the first day I met you.”

She touched his cheek. “I know. I’m sorry I was too stupid to see it before. Go home and come back later with Thomas. Don’t tell him you came here alone, he’ll think you’re trying to horn him out. We’ll fix this, Tyler. It’ll be okay, I promise. Give me a kiss and go home, sweetie.”

He did, and when he left she hit her morphine button and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to abate.

Chapter 29

Nevvie spent eight days in ICU before being moved to a private room. Tyler admitted to the midnight-to-six shift agreement. Rather than fighting Thomas, she made sure when Tyler was there that he climbed in bed with her, able to at least cuddle with him.

Thomas surprised her with his intense brooding and determination. He took control of everything, hovering worse than Tyler on a bad day. She knew part of that was his guilt and anger over what happened, and part was his anger at Ty and his desire to prove he was capable of taking care of her.

She needed to thaw his stony frost. “Why isn’t Tyler coming during the day, Thomas?” She knew, of course. She’d made Tyler fess up.

Thomas looked away. “He’s taking care of stuff. He’s better at that.”

Nevvie knew Thomas had quickly settled into an angry mindset, had grown way too comfortable there. She had to shake him out of it before it was too late.

“Can’t you take care of stuff?”

He still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t want reporters seeing him here and causing you more grief.”

“Reporters? Oh, goody!” She climbed out of bed, surprising him. She shuffled to the window, pulled the blinds back, and started to lift her gown.

Shocked, he grabbed her hands. “What the hell are you doing?”

She grinned. “Might as well give them a show, right?”

He stared at her like she’d lost her mind. She dropped the act, holding his gaze. “Thomas,” she said softly, “you two need to stop making decisions for me about my comfort level with our situation.”

He studied the floor. “I don’t want people bothering you, Nevvie.”

She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. “I love both of you. Somehow we need to figure out how to get back to what we had.”

“It’s all his fault.”

“Shh.” She put a finger on his lips. “We are a family, the three of us. Suck it up and deal with it, do whatever you need to do to get to that point. Quit treating me like I need to be protected from the harsh, cruel world. I’d rather deal with it head-on.”

She stepped closer and put her arms around his neck. “I am the wife of Thomas Kinsey, a well-respected architect. I am also the wife of Tyler Paulson, a bestselling author. I am proud to be your wife, even if not legally recognized as such by the state of Florida. I love both of you, and I’m willing to deal with public opinion if both of you are by my side. Got it?”

“It’s not easy for me to pretend it didn’t happen. If he hadn’t talked me into this hare-brained scheme—”

“I’m not asking you to pretend anything. I’m asking for you to deal with it, with us as a family, not hold it in and let it ruin what we’ve got.”

“I can’t promise you that right now, Nevvie.”

She held his arm as he helped her back to bed. “Then you think on it and tell me what needs to happen to get you to that place. It’s what I want.” She settled against the pillows and played dirty. Dropping her voice to a sultry whisper, she asked, “Am I still your little slave?”

He nodded, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Master promised anything I wanted, didn’t he?”

He nodded again.

She hardened her voice. “Then you figure it out so we can make it happen.”

* * *

The doctors discharged Nevvie fourteen days after the attack. Thomas’ chill toward Tyler still hadn’t thawed. Thomas protectively scooped her from the car and carried her inside, making Tyler open the door and carry her things. Then he laid her on the couch, where he’d already prepared a comfy nest of pillows. Ty wasn’t the only one who could do things, even if he thought he was.

She could manage on the couch more easily than in their large bed. Frankly, he didn’t want Tyler sharing a bed with her. He’d deal with things once she was stronger, but he refused to fight with Ty while she recovered. It wasn’t good for her, and he wouldn’t be the one to heap more distress on her.

Once she healed, hell would break loose, guaranteed. And if Ty started any shit he wouldn’t hesitate to deck the bastard. For the first time since they’d declared their love for each other nearly thirteen years earlier, he could honestly say he hated Tyler.

She grimaced in pain as she adjusted her position. He hovered, wanting to help.

“I’m okay, Tom,” she said, her voice weak from pain and exhaustion. “I just need to find the right position.” She grimaced. “That sounded bad, didn’t it?”

He smiled, his first real moment of humor since her attack, and gently kissed her lips. “It sounded beautiful, sugar. Just hearing your voice and having you home is fantastic. I’ll get your medicine. You’re due for a pain pill, and your antibiotics. Do you want some soup or hot tea or—”

She squeezed his hand. “I want you to calm down. I’m okay. I’m not dying.”

His vision doubled, tripled, and his knees buckled as he dropped to the floor next to her. His voice a hoarse whisper, he held her hand to his cheek, kissing and nuzzling it.

“Baby girl, I thought you were. I thought I’d lost you.” He buried his head against her and sobbed, finally releasing his pent-up emotion.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, bending her head to his, whispering to him, trying to soothe him. He’d been so strong, so solid this whole time. She’d wondered how he was dealing. Here was her answer: he hadn’t dealt with it at all. Normally he would lean on Tyler, but without that he’d simply pushed it back and focused on her.

* * *

Wracked with guilt and self-loathing, Tyler watched from the kitchen. Thomas was absolutely right. This was his fault. How their sweet Nevvie could forgive him was beyond comprehension. And Thomas also paying for his stupidity.

Tyler retreated to their bedroom and shut the door, leaving them alone for the rest of the day.

Thomas didn’t come to bed. Tyler walked to the kitchen around midnight to get a drink and saw Nevvie in the living room, caught a glint of her eye from the flickering TV screen as she watched. Thomas wasn’t there. He must have gone to her old room. He walked to the doorway and watched her, hating himself, loving her, loving Thomas, and his heart breaking because he felt that love slipping through his fingers. He knew he had no one to blame except his own stupid self.

She sensed his presence. “Hey, Ty.” She lifted her hand and he forced his feet across the living room to her side. He sank to the floor next to the couch, taking her hand.

“How do you feel, sweetheart? Can I get you anything?”

She brushed the hair from his forehead. “I want my family back. I want the two of you to kiss and make up.”

He choked back his sob. “How can you forgive me?”

“Because I love you. Yes, I was pissed, but I’ve had a lot of time to think. About how you guys treated me from day one. Then that stupid bitch tried to convince me I was ‘mentally abused.’ I thought, why was I standing up for you if I was so pissed at you?”

She stroked his cheek. “From the beginning you guys took care of me, even when I worked for you. You always tried to make things perfect. When you found out what kind of coffee I loved, you always made it. My birthday breakfast was perfect, you made my favorite foods. You used to wear shorts on Thursdays until I mentioned one day when you’d dressed up how nice you looked, then you dressed like that every Thursday. How long did it take you to find the necklace?”

He looked away, unable to meet her intense gaze. “I pinched the magazine from the recycling bin after you left that afternoon. It took me a month to find one as close to it as I could.”

“See? That’s you. People who don’t know you, they think you’re a control freak. I’ll admit I did, too, at first. But I realized from the date on the file, you planned the night of the party for weeks. That’s right, isn’t it?”

He nodded, still unable to look at her. She gently tipped his chin so she could see his eyes. He cried, tears streaming down his face, breaking her heart.

“Ty,” she whispered, “I was stupid to run away like I did. I should have locked myself in our room and calmed down and then had it out with you instead of storming off, but I got mad and scared. When I had time to put it all together I realized you spent weeks planning that night. At first I thought it was because you only wanted to get in my pants. Then I realized it was because you wanted it to be perfect. The script stopped at leaving the party. You spent all that time and effort for me. Either of you could have made love to me the week before, and you didn’t, you waited. Okay, so Tommy was interrupted, but he could have tried again and didn’t.”

He nodded, beyond words, his heart shattered, not daring to hope for a miracle.

She tried to dry his tears. “I love you, Tyler. I don’t love you because you’ve forced me to love you, or because of any sex games we play. I know you’d rather die than hurt me. You would die for me. Both of you would. I know you turn yourself inside out to make things perfect for others, you think of everyone before yourself. People who don’t know you don’t see it like that. Now, I do. You do it because you’re terrified of people not liking or wanting you. I don’t even think Thomas realizes that.”

He cried, inconsolable. He dropped his head to the sofa next to her while she whispered to him, her hand in his hair, her head touching his, trying to calm him.

“I’m so sorry, Nevvie. I wish Alex had attacked me. I wish I could take your pain away.”

She forced him to look at her. “Tyler,” she said, her voice firm and unwavering. “Stop. If I hadn’t been attacked I might have left and still be pissed at you. I might never have seen the truth about you. I might never have known. I might have lost you both forever.” She watched him and waited until his eyes finally settled on hers. “How long has it been since you spoke to your father?”

He shuddered. “Since I was seventeen.”

“Don’t you think it’s time you stop trying to make your parents love you by taking care of everyone else?”

He froze, closed his eyes and sobbed, the sound breaking her heart. She slowly rolled to her side, scooted to the back of the couch, and patted the cushion next to her. He carefully curled up with her and rested his head on her chest while she held him. He cried himself to sleep in her arms as she whispered to him, trying to soothe his long-wounded soul.

* * *

When Nevvie awoke at dawn the next morning Tyler wasn’t there, but the cushions next to her were warm. He hadn’t left too long before. She carefully pushed into a sitting position.

It hurt, enough to make her jaw clench from the effort. Thomas had been right to put her on the couch.

Frankly, she didn’t want to be in their bed if both boys weren’t with her.

She stood on shaky legs and used the guest bathroom, then walked to their bedroom. The bed was empty and disheveled. She touched her hand to where Tyler would sleep. Cold.

She heard the shower start and gave Tyler a moment to get under the spray, knowing he’d be standing there thinking, trying to wake up, running through his freakishly endless mental to-do list before soaping up.

She slowly stripped and left her clothes where they fell. Tyler would gladly take care of them. She silently opened the bathroom door and crossed the cool tile floor. Sensing her presence, he turned when she stepped into the shower.

Eyes red and puffy, he looked like hell.

Tyler’s gaze ran over her body, finally seeing what Alex’s knife did to her. Thomas helped her bathe in the hospital. Tyler hadn’t seen the full extent of the damage. He hesitantly put his arms around her, careful to place his hands where he wouldn’t hurt her, cradling her as he cried.

“I’m sorry, Nevvie. I’m so sorry.”

“Shh. It’s okay.”

“Oh God, Nevvie, I love you much it hurts, sweetheart.”

She kissed his chest and carefully wiggled against him, trapping his cock between her thighs and shifting slightly in the familiar way she knew would arouse him.

It did, but he cried. “I don’t want to hurt you, we can’t—”

She put finger on his lips. “Do you trust me?”

He vigorously nodded.

“Do you still want me?”

He’d give himself whiplash if he kept that up. But she felt a stirring inside her, knowing it was the control she held over his soul and body, knowing despite his despair she still had the power to arouse him.

Nevvie wrapped her fingers around his member. She knew there was no way the boys had made love with each other or taken care of themselves while she was gone. She backed up until she felt the cool tile against her flesh, leading him by his shaft. She spread her legs a little. It wouldn’t be perfect; he’d have to compensate.

“Tyler,” she whispered, “get on your knees, baby.”

He dove to the shower floor, gently licking and kissing her damp folds while she braced her hands on his shoulders. He nibbled and sucked her clit, stroking her with his tongue and fingers, moaning with her when she dug her fingers into him as she came.

She patted the top of his head, and he climbed to his feet. She caught his cock and guided him to her entrance, leaning against him for support. “Now,” she whispered, “show me how much you love me, baby.”

He carefully shifted his weight, bent his knees to accommodate their difference in height and her reduced mobility, and slowly seated his shaft inside her still-quivering sex.

She put her arms around him with a sigh of pleasure. She still hurt, but the physical and emotional sensations were well worth the discomfort. “That’s what you did to me,” she whispered. “That’s what you always do to me, baby. Because I love you.”

He took several slow, careful strokes, afraid of hurting her but now a prisoner to the passion building within him.

“Will you promise to never leave me?” she softly asked.

“I’ll never leave you, Nevvie. I promise.”

“Will you do anything I ask, Tyler?”

“Yes!”

She used one hand to hold his chin steady so her eyes bored into his, inches from him. “Do you promise?”

He nodded.

She dropped her voice even further, used the sultry slave voice. “I want you to come for me, Tyler. Show your little slave you still love and want her.”

His eyes widened. He took two strong strokes and she felt his hot liquid shoot deep inside her. He dropped his head to her shoulder and moaned as she caressed his back, then he braced his hands against the wall to maintain his balance as his knees weakened.

* * *

He bathed her, washing her hair, shaving her legs, making her lean on him for support. They didn’t talk. When they finished he carefully patted her dry, kissing her body, constantly murmuring, “I love you,” against her flesh.

He led her to their bedroom and got her some clothes, one of Thomas’ loose T-shirts and a pair of his own baggy silk boxers. He helped her dress, then she held his arm as he walked her back to the couch.

“I’ll get your morning meds ready.”

“Don’t bother,” Thomas said, scowling as he walked into the kitchen, his hair disheveled from sleep. “I’ll take care of her. We don’t need your help.”

Before she could stop him, Tyler’s gaze dropped to the floor. He retreated to their bedroom and quietly closed the door behind him.

Thomas waited until Tyler had departed. “Good morning, sugar.” He knelt beside her, kissed her, and tucked a damp hair behind her ear. “How did you sleep?”

She fixed him with her green eyes. “You need to quit hating him.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You do, because I don’t hate him. It’s hard to have the two men I love at each other’s throats.”

“How can you love him? This is all his fau—”

She put a finger on his lips, stilling him. “Stop.” She left her finger there, waiting for his sweet brown eyes to settle on hers.

“Do you trust me?”

He nodded. She would have to heal them individually before they could heal together.

She cradled his head in her hands and kissed him. At first he tried to pull away, afraid of hurting her. Then he responded, exploring her mouth, his tongue gently caressing hers. That’s when she sat back with his face still trapped between her palms.

“Will you do anything for your little slave, Master?”

His eyes widened, but he nodded.

“Promise?”

He nodded.

“Will you let me suck your cock?”

He started to protest. She used her thumbs to gently silence him and tried again.

“Your slave wants to suck your cock. Are you going to deny her fondest wish?”

He stood. She carefully scooted to the edge of the couch and pulled him to her, between her legs.

She pushed his hands away from his waistband when he tried to pull his shorts down. “Let me do this.”

She laid her face against his hips, closing her eyes at the feel of his fingers tangling in her still-damp hair. She nuzzled his growing bulge, breathing in his familiar scent. She ran her teeth over him through the fabric, enjoying the sound of his low moan, feeling the deep stirrings within her again. She waited until he was hard and throbbing before freeing his thick shaft, running her fingers up and down his smooth flesh, reaching between his legs to gently massage his balls.

“Oh, Nevvie, that’s wonderful.”

“I haven’t started yet.” She licked the head, swirling her tongue around him the way he loved, flicking the tip for several long, slow minutes before wrapping her lips around it and taking him in. She stopped when just the head was inside her mouth, massaging him with her tongue, thoroughly exploring the silky smooth surface. His hips started a slow, sultry thrusting, and his fingers tightened in her hair, then relaxed as if he realized what he was doing, afraid of hurting her.

With steady, pulsating sucks she worked her way down his shaft, tasting him, feeling him throb against her tongue. She used one hand to massage his balls and the other to stroke him. It didn’t take long. When she felt him start to come she grabbed his hips and held him tight, swallowing every hot drop and taking him deep into her throat.

Thomas grabbed the back of the couch, trying not to fall on her as she refused to let go, suckling him until he grew soft in her mouth. Only then did she release him and crook her finger at him to lean in close.

She grabbed his head, kissing him, jamming her tongue deep in his mouth, drawing more moans from him. When she released him she whispered in his ear, “I love you, Thomas. And I love him. I will not choose. I want you to remember how much you love him. It would break my heart to lose either of you. I need both of you.”

He dropped to his knees, crying, his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, rubbing his shoulders. Now she had an idea how to reconnect them, to pull Tyler from his shame and Thomas from his anger. She’d play dirty if she had to.

Tyler wasn’t the only one who could plan.

When Thomas recovered he sat up and tenderly kissed her. “I’ll get your medicine. What do you want for breakfast?”

She smiled. “I just had it.”

He looked blank for a moment before laughing. It was the best sound she’d heard in weeks. He caressed her cheek and touched his forehead to hers. “It’s going to take me a while to get to that place, if ever. I won’t lie to you, Nevvie. Because of what he did—”

“He didn’t stab me. You said you trust me. Do you trust me to make up my mind about this?”

He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “Scrambled eggs?”

“Okay.”

Her pussy tingled again even though pain now climbed through her body, demanding attention and medicine, fighting for control even while she thought about how Thomas sounded when he came for her, and how Tyler moaned against her neck.

Thomas brought her medicine and a glass of water. When he turned she caught his hand and held it. He helped her lay on the couch and knelt beside her.

“Do you hurt, sugar?”

Nevvie smiled. She drew him to her, kissed him, then placed his hand between her legs. She whispered in his ear, “Feel what you’ve done to your little slave, Master.”

He kissed her again as his fingers slipped inside her waistband and found her wet. He gently inserted two fingers, stroking her clit with his thumb. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his ear.

“Please make me come, Master,” she breathed, and in a few minutes, he did.

Nevvie dozed, content, awakened by the smell of eggs and coffee. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings and made an effort not to grimace at how sweet he’d fixed her coffee. Tyler prepared it perfectly for her—the right amount of sugar, just enough to barely sweeten it and take the bitterness away, no milk. Thomas had dumped several heaping spoonfuls into the mug.

Tyler always made it right, closely studying her every move the first few weeks she worked for them, then mimicking exactly how she fixed it. She remembered his proud smile the first time he handed her an already-prepared mug and expectantly watched her face while she sipped and nodded her approval.

He’d beamed.

Now she understood why it seemed so important to him—because it was.

God, how could it have taken her so long to see that about her sweet Tyler? That his entire existence revolved around making them happy?

The bedroom door opened. Fully dressed, Tyler walked into the kitchen. He glanced at her, avoiding Thomas’ glare. She smiled and he finally returned it.

Tyler watched as she choked down another sip of coffee. He reached for a mug, hesitated, and grabbed one out of the cabinet that was a duplicate to the one she held.

She ate. The eggs were good. Thomas wasn’t a bad cook. Plain, basic, hearty Southern food. He just…wasn’t Tyler. Thomas’ strengths lay in his sturdy, solid nature, his willingness to die to protect those he loved, his attention to the big picture and reliability to get the job done, one way or another. Tyler was the detail man.

When Tyler walked into the living room, Thomas took his plate to the kitchen and left them alone. She thought it was odd the way Tyler turned his back to the kitchen before leaning over and setting his coffee mug next to hers. Then he kissed her and picked up his mug, returning to the kitchen. When she took her next sip of coffee, hoping she could choke it down, it was perfect.

Startled, she looked at Tyler and watched as he waited until Thomas had retreated down the hall to dump the mug, rinse it, and pour himself a cup of black coffee.

She mouthed a silent thank you. He shrugged and started to make his breakfast.

That was Tyler: modest, self-effacing, always paying attention. A lesser man would have made a big deal, or at least a snide remark, about the coffee being totally wrong to avenge his bruised ego.

She had to remind Thomas why he fell in love with Tyler if she was going to bring them together again.

Nevvie planned.

* * *

Both men stayed home, carefully avoiding the other. She couldn’t keep them in the same room for more than a few minutes at a time. Thomas let Tyler make lunch. After they finished eating, he wordlessly helped clean up the kitchen. Ah good. Finally, a thaw.

She needed to act before her afternoon pain pill knocked her out. It had to be today. The tension in the air suffocated her. She wanted to curl up with her boys—both of them.

When they finished cleaning the kitchen she called them into the living room to stand before her. She’d retrieved her phone from the office on her last potty trip. Tyler’s BlackBerry was clipped to his slacks.

She held out her hand. “Tyler, give me your phone.”

“What?”

She snapped her fingers. “Give it.” Puzzled but compliant, he unclipped the holster and handed it to her.

Thomas watched, curious.

She studied her boys for a long moment then used the remote to mute the TV. She deliberately kept her voice soft.

“I want you to stay silent and listen. Simply nod or shake your heads unless I ask you a question requiring an answer, understand?”

The men glanced at each other, but nodded.

“Good. I love you. Both of you, got that? Not one or the other. We were perfectly happy a little over two weeks ago, and I want that happiness back. Do you still love me?”

They immediately nodded.

“Do you still love each other?”

The men nodded—Tyler first, without hesitation.

“Good.” She let the silence settle for a moment, allowing them to ponder that. “Am I still your little slave?”

They nodded.

“Are you still both my masters?”

Nods.

“This morning, you have each promised me you’d do whatever I asked. Did you mean it?”

Another glance at each other, but they nodded.

“Strip.”

Thomas started to say something and she pointed at him. “Did I say you could speak? That was an order, not a question.”

His mouth snapped shut, and he shook his head.

The men looked at her, then each other, and started undressing.

She smiled, nodding. “Very good,” she purred. “That pleases me.”

When they stood naked before her, she let them stand there for a few long minutes before speaking. “Thomas, why did you fall in love with Tyler?”

“What?”

“Did you not hear the question, or did you not understand it?”

He frowned, studying her. She saw the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out what she was up to. She struggled to keep her gaze off Tyler. She knew Tyler understood, and Nevvie didn’t want Thomas to think Tyler was in on this, tag-teaming him and backing him into a corner where his ego would force him to resist her efforts.

Thomas finally answered. “I fell in love with him for a lot of reasons.”

“Did you guys have sex on the first date?” She already knew this but had to make him remember.

He looked at the floor. “No. We went out for coffee.” She watched him steal a glance at Tyler, who stood with his arms crossed while studying the ceiling fan.

“What happened on your date?”

“We talked for about four hours.”

“Tell me about your next date. What did you do?” Again she knew this, but in light of her recent insights she now understood why Tyler did what he did.

“He called me the next day and asked if I wanted to go with him to a Lightning game. The Thrashers were in town. I said sure.”

“And?”

Thomas didn’t speak at first. Then, with a soft voice full of memories, “He got us box seats, center ice. Expensive seats.”

“Was it a good game?”

He shrugged. “I was rooting for the Thrashers, but it didn’t matter that the Bolts won. I normally rooted for them.”

“How did Tyler like it?”

A hint of a smile. “It was his first hockey game ever.” Thomas shook his head. “He thought an icing call was when the players cut hard and sprayed snow.” She smiled, as did Tyler. Thomas finally looked at his lover. “He didn’t know what checking meant. I had to explain it all to him, why they’d stop playing when the light at the officials’ bench went on, what a power play was, everything. It was cute.”

“If he’d never been to a hockey game before, why did he take you?”

Thomas remained quiet for a long moment. “Because I’d mentioned it when we had coffee. We were discussing sports and I said I liked hockey.”

“Tell me about your next date.”

“He cooked me dinner.”

“What’d he make?”

“Pork chops and sweet potato soufflé.”

“Interesting choice. Most people would try to impress with steak or something fancy.”

Thomas looked at the ceiling. She knew she’d made progress because his eyes moistened. “All right. He could have written my biography by our third date, and we went out two weeks before I even asked him about his family. I was an insensitive asshole. Point made.”

“No, point not made,” she insisted. “Turn and face each other.”

They looked at her, but complied.

“Move closer.”

They inched closer, still not touching, but she let them be. “What did Tyler give you your first Christmas together when you were dating?” She knew they’d only been together a couple of months at that point.

Thomas frowned then studied his feet again. “A Frank Lloyd Wright book I’d been looking for and couldn’t find because it was out of print. I couldn’t find any copies. He snagged a mint first edition.”

“What did you give him?” He didn’t answer. “Thomas?”

“All right.” He sighed. “I gave him a Wal-Mart gift card.” He looked at her. “Yes, I know, I was a schmuck. He hadn’t had time to wear off on me yet. I was still in grad school for chrissake.”

She laughed. Tyler smiled. Tyler had educated Thomas in many ways since then. “What did he say when you gave it to him?”

“He acted like it was the best thing he’d ever got.”

She let that sink in a moment before softly asking, “Why did you fall in love with Tyler?”

Thomas rubbed his nose. “Because he made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. He didn’t try to change me. I know I’m not stupid, but he’s classy and he never made me feel like I wasn’t, even back then. Because I was still in school and making shit money, and frankly I was a loud-mouthed asshole jock back then, but he wasn’t ashamed to take me to meet his friends or the professors he worked with. He was always proud of me even though his friends turned their noses up at me because I wasn’t classy enough in their eyes.”

He took a deep breath and finally met Tyler’s steady gaze. “He made me feel loved.”

Mentally, she rejoiced. She knew from Tom’s face that the point had been made, but she needed to drive it home in a way he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

“Tell me about the first time you made love.”

Thomas’ eyes remained on Tyler. He took a long time to answer. “We’d been going out maybe two weeks. I already knew I loved him. From talking we both knew we were bi, and I’d messed around with men a few times but I’d never had a serious relationship with a guy before. Not where I’d let them…” He didn’t finish.

“Fuck you in the ass. That’s what you mean, right?” She hated talking about a tender, emotional event in such a crude way, but she hoped the harsh language would help Thomas put his cherished memory in proper perspective.

“Yeah. I’d been with girls. I’d blown a guy and gotten blown, hand jobs, whatever. But I never met a guy I liked enough to do that with.”

“That you trusted?”

He still looked at Tyler. “Yeah,” he whispered. “That I trusted.”

“Did he come onto you?”

“No. We were sitting on his couch, watching a movie and drinking wine. I kept moving closer.” His eyes traveled across Tyler’s face. “We were talking. He looked at me and I fell into his eyes. Then I kissed him.”

“How did that feel?” From the way his cock twitched at the memory, she suspected it had felt pretty damn good.

“Good. I kept kissing him and then I asked if he had any rubbers.”

Nevvie could easily imagine younger Thomas being that tactless and unromantic.

Thomas continued. “I got his shirt off him and offered to give him a back rub, and then eventually we were naked in bed.”

“Then what?” His cock slowly inflated. Tyler apparently enjoyed reliving the memory because he also stiffened.

“He asked me what I wanted to do, what I was comfortable doing. I told him I’d never done that before. So the first thing he did was suck me off.” That brought out full wood for both men. “Then he had me fuck him, talked me through it, how to be gentle and savor it.”

“Had you done that before?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“You didn’t get him off?”

“Not right then.” Thomas looked at the floor and his face turned red. “He got me off twice and then I asked him to…”

“Fuck you?” she helped.

He nodded. “Yeah. If I hadn’t asked he never would have done it. He didn’t want to pressure me.”

“How did it feel?” She assumed he liked it knowing how much they enjoyed it now. Considering her virgin status in that department she looked forward to hearing more.

Thomas took a deep breath and glanced at Ty. “Real good. He was gentle and slow and took a long time. He reached around and got me off a third time while he did it.”

“What did you do then?”

His face reddened again. “I rolled over and went to sleep.”

She let them stand there for a moment. “Thomas,” she whispered. He turned to her. “Why do you love Tyler?”

He looked at Tyler, who was crying. “Because he loves me.”

“Hug, and you’d better mean it.”

Thomas enveloped Tyler’s shorter frame while Tyler cried and apologized, his arms tightly wrapped around his lover, his friend—his soul mate. Eventually they stepped back. Nevvie frowned.

“Ah ah ah! I didn’t say you could let go.”

They both smiled. Thomas’ eyes were wet. They embraced, watching her. She left them standing there for a few moments.

“Can I say something?” Thomas asked. She nodded.

He dried his lover’s tears with his hands. “I’m sorry, Ty.” His voice choked with emotion. “I thought she was leaving, and then I was so scared we’d lose her. I don’t hate you. I love you. I thought she was going to die. I was angry and scared.” He broke down sobbing as Tyler clutched him, comforting him.

This was how it should have been while she was in the hospital.

“Okay, boys,” she eventually said. “Come here and give me some of that.” The men sat beside her, forming their group hug. After a few minutes she handed Tyler his phone. “I want the two of you to go into the bedroom.”

“Why do I need this?”

She touched both of their faces. “Because all the times I’ve gone with one of you and the other phoned in so we could talk while making love, never once have I had the pleasure of being the third on the phone. I want the two of you to go to bed and have some fantastic make-up sex. You’re going to leave the bedroom door open and make a hell of a lot of noise, and we’re going to pretend I’m not in the same house.”

Thomas gently hugged Nevvie, kissing her. “And here I thought he was the evil genius.”

Tyler leaned in and kissed her, then whispered in her ear, “You and I shall talk later, sweet.”

The men stood. Thomas offered Tyler his hand. Tyler took it. She watched their bare asses leaving the living room and said, “Oh, boys.” They turned. “If you don’t do it right the first time, you’ll have to keep doing it until I’m convinced you’ve made up.”

Both men laughed. Thomas slipped his arm around Tyler’s shoulder, while Tyler’s settled around Thomas’ waist. When they were in the bedroom she dialed his phone. Tyler laughed and answered.

“Yes?”

“Speaker phone, sir.”

“Hold on.” She heard him find the button and lay it on the bed. “Can you hear?”

“Yes. What’s going on?”

She heard rustling from the bed, then Tyler. “He’s got me on my stomach and is giving me a back rub.”

“How’s it feel?”

“Good. He’s running his thumbs down the sides of my—oh!—spine. He just cracked me.”

She laughed. After a few minutes she asked, “What’s going on, boys? Talk to me.”

“I’m still rubbing his back,” Thomas said.

“Well, it’s time for you to flip him over and rub his front.”

“Okay, sweet, I’m rolled over.”

She dropped her voice to the sexy tone she knew would get both men instantly fuck-ready. “Now, Thomas, I want you to suck Tyler’s cock for me, sugar.” He must have, because Tyler gasped. She carefully stood and snuck halfway down the hall, far enough she could see into the bedroom without them seeing her. “How’s it feel, Ty?”

Ty had his hands tangled in Tom’s hair and watched his lover. “God, it feels great, Nevvie. I wish you could see him.” He threw his head back and closed his eyes.

“He’s good?”

“He’s the best…no offense.”

“None taken, sweetie. Reach between his legs, Thomas, and gently rub his balls the way he likes. Take your time and make him moan. I want to hear him enjoy it.” She watched Tom bend to his task and from the way he squirmed on the bed, she imagined he was pretty horny, too.

Tyler moaned again, drawing his legs up so Thomas had better access.

In her sexiest tone, “Thomas, why don’t you finger him while you’re at it? You know he loves that.” Both men moaned at her command. Tyler gasped.

“Talk to me, Tyler.”

He barely could. “Oh, Nevvie, sweetheart, he’s got his finger in my arse and my cock down his throat. Oh, God, that feels good!” he gasped.

From the looks of it, Tyler wouldn’t last more than a minute or two. Thomas knew exactly how to send Tyler into orbit. “Do you feel it building in your balls, baby? Do you feel that gentle squeezing he does, the way he milks it out of you? Do you like that?”

Tyler moaned, his hands on Thomas’ head, and there it was. “Oh God, Nevvie, I’m coming!” On the bed he spasmed, thrusting his hips into Thomas’ mouth. Tom didn’t miss a drop, sucking and licking Ty until he knew every last wave had run its course. She wished she was with them but wanted them to have this time alone to re-bond.

“Thomas, don’t stop licking him until you’re sure he’s through.” Thomas moaned. From the way he went at it, she knew Tyler wouldn’t have any problem getting him off.

Thomas eventually lifted his head and kissed Tyler’s cock. “He’s done, Nevvie.”

“Tell me how he tasted. You know I love the way you both taste.”

“Good, Nevvie. Real good.” Thomas’ sexy growl told her he was more than ready.

“Go wash up and get back in bed.” He did, and a moment later was lying next to Tyler.

“I’m back.”

“I want you to kiss.” They did, and she fought the urge to join them. She was wet from watching and listening. The painkiller was starting to work though, and she felt woozy. She needed to sit down soon before it knocked her out. “Tyler, you know what I want you to do, don’t you?”

“You want me to suck his cock.”

“That’s right, sweetheart.” Tyler kissed his way down Thomas’ firm chest, across the flat plain of his abs, and slowly nuzzled his cock. “What’s he doing, Tom?”

Tom lifted his head and watched Tyler. “He’s getting…Oh, baby, he’s got me in his mouth.”

She smiled. Tyler had taught her exactly what to do to get Tom off, so she knew what he was doing. “How’s it feel? Tell me what he’s doing.”

“He’s licking me, baby, swirling his tongue…Oh!”

“Deep throat him, Ty. I want to hear him.”

Tyler did, automatically reaching between Tom’s legs to massage his sac, eliciting a deep, satisfied moan from Tom. “He’s doing it,” Thomas gasped.

“Tyler, I know you love the way he tastes. I want you to suck every last drop out of him. I want to hear him make a lot of noise, baby.”

“He’s—oh yeah!” Thomas fucked his hips into Ty’s mouth as he came, and a moment later the men were cuddled in each other’s arms.

She returned to the couch. “Come out here and kiss me, both of you.”

She hung up and waited, listening for the sound of the bed. They padded out a moment later, smiling, kneeling before her. Thomas was first. He kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless from his passion.

“Very good.” Tyler was next and she tasted more of Thomas on him, or maybe it was her own good memories from earlier in the morning. “Mmm, yum.”

She gripped their hands. “I want you to go back and make love for me, okay? I’m going to take a nap. Leave the door open so I can hear.”

They both leaned in to kiss her one last time before returning to the bedroom. She relaxed, closing her eyes, trying to stay awake. She drifted to sleep to the distinct tone of Tyler moaning while Thomas fucked him.

* * *

She awoke before dark to the aroma of frying bacon. The living room TV was on, but with the sound turned low. The men stood in the kitchen, shirtless, but wearing boxers. She watched as they worked together to cook dinner. Thomas occasionally patted Tyler on the ass to get by, Tyler put his hand on Tom’s back, both smiling and talking in low tones so as not to wake her.

Status quo re-established. Moving with caution she stood, startling them when she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“Are we okay now?” she asked.

They looked at each other and nodded.

She kissed Thomas, then Tyler. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again. Promise?”

“We promise,” Thomas said. “I’m sorry we put you through more stress. And I’m sorry about—”

“You’re still my masters, and I’m still your little slave. Truth be told, the Halloween party was fun.” She looked at Tyler. “Now I understand why you planned it so well.”

He hung his head. “I’m sorry you thought we were using you, Nevvie. I never wanted you to think that, sweetheart.”

“Shh. Stop, it’s okay. Good make-up sex after I fell asleep?”

The men grinned.

“I’m sorry I missed that.” She took a deep breath. “You know, I’ve been thinking I’d like to change my name.”

Tyler frowned in confusion. “What?”

“How does Nevaeh Kinsey-Paulson sound to you two?”

Their jaws dropped and they gently hugged her.

“Fantastic,” Tyler said.

“Beautiful,” said Thomas.

“Good. Then that’s settled. After Alex’s trial is over, we’ll do it. I don’t want to do it before.”

“Because it would look odd on the witness list,” Tyler said.

“Yes. I imagine it’s going to be interesting enough. Don’t need to add any other acts to that three-ring circus. Of course, you know what that means, right?”

Both men shook their heads, confused.

With a sultry smile and sexy voice she purred, “It means once my name is changed, I’ll have given myself, totally, to my masters. Then they can finally take what’s rightfully theirs to have.”

The men were a little slow on the uptake. She blamed it on stress. Tyler got it first, then Thomas a moment later. Both men smiled.

“Seriously?” Tyler whispered.

“It’s only fair.” She studied his blue eyes. God, she loved these men. “I know you won’t hurt me. You’ll be as gentle as you were with Thomas.”

Thomas put his hand on the small of her back. “We’ll be gentle, we promise. And if it doesn’t—”

She stopped him. “It’ll feel great because I know you will have it all planned, right?”

Tyler grinned, kissing her again. “Yes, sweetheart, we’ll have it planned.”

* * *

Dinner was wonderful. She managed to sit at the table without too much pain. Tyler made her favorite comfort food—BLT sandwiches on soft honey wheat bread, the bacon cooked exactly how she liked.

Of course.

After dinner she settled on the couch while the boys cleaned up the kitchen. They watched TV and talked for a while then she waved them over.

“Help me up. Let’s go to bed.”

She sighed as she nestled against Tyler. His body fit her perfectly like that, exactly supporting and holding her. Facing Thomas, she tucked her head in the crook of his arm while his other rested across them on Tyler’s hip. Like that, they fell asleep as one.

She had no bad dreams.

* * *

The next morning she opened her eyes to find Thomas watching her.

“Good morning, sugar.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “How’d you sleep?”

She caressed his cheek. “Real good, now that I’m back where I belong.”

Tyler gently squeezed her shoulder and kissed the nape of her neck. “Good morning, love.”

She patted his hand, still too sore to turn her head that far. “Good morning.” Then she noticed the time, after eight. “Oh, geez, I’m sorry guys. I didn’t realize I’d slept that late.”

“It’s okay,” Thomas said. “We’ve been awake for a while. We didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You stayed in bed so I wouldn’t wake up?” He nodded. “My boys are back for good, right?”

“Yes,” they said.

Thomas leaned in for another kiss. “I’ll go start coffee and get your morning meds.”

“Thank you.”

He carefully rolled away, trying not to jostle her. Naked, he walked to the kitchen. She watched his backside down the hall as long as she could.

“Yum.”

Tyler laughed. “Reading my mind again, sweet?” He moved out of her way so she could roll over and look at him.

She touched his cheek. “There you are.”

He brushed the hair from her face. “Here I am, love. Always.” He leaned in for a proper kiss, his eyes locked on hers. “Thank you, love,” he whispered. “Thank you from the bottom of my soul.”

“Tyler, if you think I’m letting you two screw things up around here, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“You’re bloody brilliant. You should go back to school, become a psychologist.”

“Hey, I learned from the master.”

Tyler laughed out loud. “Have I ever told you how much I absolutely love you?” His eyes bored into hers and she felt the pull with him, that special unique connection that was different from, but equally strong as, what she had with Thomas.

“I love you, too. Don’t you ever forget it. Now help me up and get your ass out to the kitchen to make my coffee before Tom does.”

He grinned. “Gladly. Anything for my angel.”

Chapter 30

Nevvie’s physical wounds healed. She had to force Thomas to go back to the office, and Tyler to get back to writing. Both wanted to wait on her hand and foot. While Thomas moved on and put it behind him, Tyler was still deeply wrapped in his guilt and shame over the events, no matter how much she assured him that it wasn’t his fault.

She didn’t know how to pull him from that, and when she tried to talk to him about it he deftly steered the conversation elsewhere. It affected his writing, even though he tried to hide it from her. Many days he sat in his office for hours without composing a single sentence.

Bob was their contact with the State Attorney’s office and she dealt with him directly. Tyler had enough guilt and she made a point of keeping the men out of the loop throughout the process.

Nevvie steeled herself for the trial preparation. First step was to inform the assistant state attorney handling the case of their “arrangement.” Bob went with her.

“It is likely the defense will try to impeach all three witnesses, taint the jury’s opinion,” Bob said.

The assistant S.A., Frank Smith, looked like he hadn’t graduated high school yet. “How so?”

“It’s not entirely accurate to say that Ms. Barton is Tyler and Thomas’ roommate. It’s also inaccurate to say she’s Thomas’ fiancée.”

Smith frowned. “Then what would be accurate?”

“The three live together.”

“How is that different than being roommates?”

“They live together. All three of them. Together.”

He chewed on that for a moment, staring at Nevvie before Bob’s words finally sank home. “What? Like those people out in Utah?”

“No. They have a monogamously polyamorous relationship.”

“Try saying that five times fast,” Nevvie muttered.

Bob nudged her foot. “It’s not for religious reasons, and they’re not committing bigamy. I’m assuming you will take a vigorous stance on objecting to any improper questions regarding their personal relationship? It has nothing to do with the fact that Mr. LaRougue stalked Ms. Barton and attempted to murder her.”

Smith grabbed his phone. “Yeah, but I need to talk to my boss.”

The State Attorney, Robert Jimenez, came down to the office and heard Bob out. “All right. I’ll handle this hot potato myself.”

“Won’t that draw more attention?” Bob asked.

“So I get accused of grandstanding in an election year. I’d rather that than lose because a prudish jurist hangs what should otherwise be a slam-dunk case.”

* * *

Nevvie couldn’t sleep the night before the trial. Alex’s public defender was overworked, underpaid, and pissed that Alex wouldn’t take the offered plea deal. He would probably make everyone else’s life miserable as a result.

She figured Thomas would do well. More like her in temperament, he’d roll with the punches. But Tyler…

She worried Tyler would blow his cool and lose it on the stand.

“Remember, if you’re forced to answer the question, do it. Don’t get upset if the attorney says something trying to defame us. Let it go.”

“You certainly are calm.” Tyler had reacted poorly when he learned he couldn’t be in the courtroom with her when she testified.

“I want this asshole locked away. I can sit there and stare the fucker down. He’s the one in the orange jumpsuit and fancy bracelets, not me. Living well’s the best revenge, Ty. We’re living pretty damn good, I think. Besides, Bob will be there. It’s okay.”

While the boys headed for the shower, Nevvie made the excuse of wanting to refill her coffee. She opened the drawer where Tyler kept his wallet and removed his ATM card and all his cash except for a ten dollar bill.

Just a precaution. If he blew up and ran, she didn’t want him to get very far without the ability to track him.

When they were ready to go she tossed Thomas his Ridgeline keys. “I’ll ride in back.”

Tyler shook his head. “Let’s take the Lexus. It’ll be easier to park.”

She looked at Thomas, trying to get him to understand without Tyler catching on. Tyler would have understood, but she didn’t have that same type of connection with Thomas.

Thomas looked at her from behind Tyler, confused by her irate glare. “He’s got a point. I don’t mind taking the Lexus.”

“Tom, I’d really like to ride in the truck today.”

“Sugar, it’s okay. If Tyler wants to drive, it’s fine.”

She stalked out of the bedroom, growling under her breath.

“What’s got into her?” Thomas asked.

Tyler shook his head. “Stress, I’m sure.”

* * *

Bob sat in the row behind the State Attorney’s table. Nevvie took a deep calming breath as the prosecutor worked his way through the attack with her. When Jason Dean, the public defender, stood, she knew from his smile and Alex’s that she was in for a rough time.

“Ms. Barton, what exactly is your relationship with Mr. Kinsey?”

The State Attorney jumped on it. “Objection, relevance.”

The judge nodded. “Sustained.”

The P.D. was prepared. “Your Honor, in the 911 tapes Mr. Kinsey states his ‘wife’ was stabbed. I’m trying to establish the exact nature of their relationship.”

“Tread lightly, Mr. Dean, I’m in no mood for grandstanding.”

The P.D.’s smarmy smile resurfaced. “Ms. Barton, are you married to Mr. Kinsey?”

“No.”

“Then why did he call you his wife?”

“That’s a good question. I suggest you ask him.” She struggled to keep the snark out of her voice, not wanting to sound like a bitch.

“Are you going to answer my question?”

“I thought I did.”

There was a titter of laughter from the gallery. She risked a look at Bob. He smiled and tipped his head.

Dean wasn’t amused. “Ms. Barton, do you live with Mr. Kinsey?”

“Yes.”

“And you work for his company?”

“Yes.”

“So you are a live-in employee?”

“That is why I was originally hired, yes.”

“What is the exact nature of your duties?”

“I don’t understand the question.” This was a tactic Bob taught her. Ask him to rephrase the question, or say she didn’t understand. It would stall him and possibly derail his train of thought.

Dean looked irritated. “What do you do as an employee for Kinsey Consulting?”

“I am a head project supervisor.” Also another tactic—answer as short and sweet as possible. Make him dig for the info. He’d asked about Kinsey Consulting, not Tyler or anything else.

Dig? Hell, he’d need a friggin backhoe.

“So why do you live in Mr. Kinsey’s home?”

“I used to be his once-a-week housekeeper. I moved in after he saved my life when your client attacked me the first time.”

Dean nearly exploded. “Move to strike, your Honor.”

“You opened this can of worms, Mr. Dean. I suggest you fish or get off the dock.”

Dean’s face reddened. Nevvie risked another glance at Bob, who smiled. She was scoring points.

“You were his housekeeper?” Dean asked.

“Yes.”

“Why are you no longer his housekeeper?”

“I still am.”

“You said you’re a project supervisor.”

“I am—for Kinsey Consulting.”

The State Attorney looked pleased. Dean neared apoplexy. “Is it true that you’re committing polygamy?”

“No.”

“But you’re living with two men.”

“Is that a question, Mr. Dean?”

“Are you living with two men?”

“Yes.”

“Are you married to both of them?”

She smiled. “No, I’m not married to either of them. I wish I could be. They’re good men who’ve twice now saved my life when Alex attacked me.”

Dean exploded. “Move to strike!”

The judge shook his head and looked amused. “Overruled. Sorry, Mr. Dean. You wanted it, you got it.”

The P.D. took a moment to compose himself and review his notes. “Are you in a relationship with Mr. Kinsey?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

Dean clenched his jaw. “Are you now or have you ever had an intimate sexual relationship with Mr. Kinsey?”

The State Attorney stood. “Objection, relevance.”

“Sustained.”

Nevvie successfully fought the urge to grin while Dean regrouped.

“Ms. Barton, do you expect us to believe that you are living with two men and not having a sexual relationship with either of them?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Are you sleeping with them?” he practically screamed.

The audience’s reaction to Dean’s anger nearly drowned out the State Attorney’s objection. The judge pounded his gavel and pointed at the P.D. “You will conduct yourself appropriately, Mr. Dean, or I will cite you with contempt. Now move along or end it.”

Nevvie patiently waited, worried about Tyler. Thomas would handle this schmuck, no problem. Tyler wouldn’t. She knew it already. Ty was good at reading people, but he had a huge blind spot when it came to her and Thomas. He would react without thinking to the guy’s emotional outbursts.

Dean tried again. “Do you also work for Mr. Paulson?”

“Yes.”

“And what do you do?”

“I am his administrative assistant. I handle e-mails, phone calls, edit his manuscripts, and general office work.”

“And this is in addition to your housekeeping duties?”

“Yes.”

“And what is your relationship with him?”

“Objection.”

“Sustained. Mr. Dean, move along.”

“Why did Mr. Kinsey refer to Mr. Paulson as his partner on the 911 tape?”

“Because they’ve been together for over thirteen years. They love each other.” Hopefully that would stonewall him.

“But he called you his wife.”

“Objection, asked and answered.”

“Sustained.”

Fuming, Dean finally sat. “No further questions, your Honor.”

The State Attorney stood. “Redirect. Ms. Barton, you said Mr. LaRougue attacked you before?”

“When I still cleaned once a week for them, Mr. Kinsey and Mr. Paulson gave me a necklace for my birthday. Alex saw me wearing it. When I refused to pawn it and suggested he pawn his Xbox, he attacked me.”

“Objection!” Dean screamed.

“Overruled. Proceed, Ms. Barton.”

Nevvie hoped she looked intimidated. “He went crazy and attacked me. He kicked me, punched me, threatened to rape me. I was supposed to clean that morning for the boys, and when I was late and they couldn’t contact me by phone they were worried and came looking for me.”

She looked at the jury. “They saved me. So yes, I can honestly say I do love them. They took care of me, gave me a chance for a new life. I lost everything in Katrina. I don’t have any family. They welcomed me, made me a part of their family, and I don’t care what other people think or say. They’re good men. They asked me to stay, and they pay me to work for both of them. As long as they want me in their lives I’m happy to stay.”

“Thank you.”

She knew she wasn’t done because the P.D. stood.

“Redirect. You said Mr. LaRougue attacked you, but you didn’t press charges?”

“I was too scared. Mr. Kinsey and Mr. Paulson tried to talk me into calling the police, so did the doctor. When I was eighteen I was raped, and when I went to the police they did nothing but blame me because the guy had money. I didn’t want to go through anything like that again. I just wanted to be as far away from Alex as possible.”

Dean looked like he wished he hadn’t asked the question. “Nothing further.”

She had to walk by Bob on her way out. He nodded as she passed.

* * *

Thomas was next. Dean ripped into him for cross examination after the State Attorney finished.

“Mr. Kinsey, if Ms. Barton is your employee, why did you call her your wife?”

“We are very close, and she was bleeding to death on my kitchen floor after your client attacked her. I wasn’t concerned with semantics, it just came out.”

“What is your relationship with her?”

“We are not married, and she works for me.”

“And what is your relationship with Mr. Paulson?”

“He’s my lover.”

A hushed murmur rippled through the gallery. Apparently Dean had expected linguistic gymnastics and the straightforward answer caught him by surprise.

“Lover?”

“Lover.” Thomas held up his hand and pointed to his ring. “Partner, spouse, husband.”

Dean had nothing. He’d been prepared for a sparring match similar to the one he’d had with Nevvie. “Nothing further.”

* * *

They adjourned for lunch. Tyler would testify after they reconvened. Bob caught up with them in the witness room.

“Nevvie, girl, you were a pistol,” he said, laughing.

Bob’s obvious amusement relieved Tyler. “Was she really?”

“I think Dean popped a blood vessel by the time she got done with him. She had him twisted in knots. Judge even threatened him with contempt.”

Thomas smiled. “Sugar, you’re amazing.”

“I told the truth.” She looked at Tyler. “Don’t let him rattle you. If he asks you to admit you’re lovers with Thomas, just say yes, it’ll take the wind out of his sails. It’s okay.” She read the worry in his blue eyes and cupped his chin in her hands. “Tyler,” she whispered, “you need to stay calm. Don’t let him goad you into reacting, please. You don’t have to protect my honor, just answer the questions short and sweet, okay? Promise?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Let’s grab some lunch, right?”

They ate, but Nevvie’s nerves nagged her. She worried more about Tyler’s testimony than her own. Ironically she wished she could be in the courtroom with him, calming him, sending him one of their freaky mental messages to not say anything he’d regret.

When the bailiff called Tyler to the courtroom, she squeezed Tyler’s hand one final time. “Keep your eyes on Bob. Don’t get upset.”

* * *

Tyler took a deep breath and walked into the courtroom. Nevvie was right, he could do this. Alex wasn’t worth the dirt on his shoes. He’d be damned if he’d give Alex the satisfaction of seeing him lose it on the stand, especially not if it could ruin the case.

He took his seat in the witness chair. The State Attorney’s questions were straightforward, but he immediately knew what Nevvie meant when Dean stood for cross-examination.

Apparently, Dean had changed tactics.

“Mr. Paulson, what kind of employee is Ms. Barton?”

Tyler had expected any question but that. “She efficient, she’s smart, she is quick to learn. We are happy with her services.”

“And what exactly are those ‘services?’”

Tyler ignored the implication. “Housekeeping duties, some cooking. She assists me with editing, answering my phone so I’m not interrupted, taking care of emails and appointments, errands, things like that. As for her exact duties at Kinsey Consulting—”

“That’s all right.” Dean sidled up to the witness box and smiled. “And how are her ‘services,’ Mr. Paulson?”

“She is an excellent employee. We are lucky to have her.”

“And how, exactly, do you ‘have’ her?”

“Objection.”

“Sustained. Mr. Dean, the ice is thin and I feel a thaw. Move along, quickly.”

Dean tried another tactic. “Mr. Kinsey is your lover, correct?”

“That is correct.”

“And you’ve been together how long?”

“Over thirteen years.”

“Did it bother you he referred to Ms. Barton as his wife on the 911 call?”

“Objection, relevance.”

“Sustained.”

Dean thought for a moment. “You picked up Ms. Barton from her apartment one morning when she still lived with Mr. LaRougue, did you not?”

“Yes, the week he attacked her the first time.”

“Did you attack Mr. LaRougue in his apartment?”

“What?” Tyler’s temper simmered.

The State Attorney jumped to his feet. “Objection!”

“My bench, right now!”

Both attorneys walked up to the judge and quietly argued for a moment. They eventually broke their huddle. Dean turned to Tyler.

“Tell me about the day you and Mr. Kinsey took Ms. Barton from the apartment.”

“You mean the day your client beat her to a bloody pulp?”

“Move to strike.”

“You wanted it, you got it. Mr. Dean. Ask and ye shall receive, just make sure you really want what you’re asking for.”

Dean glowered at Tyler. “Did you attack Mr. LaRougue?”

“I never laid a hand on him. Thomas and I heard her screaming for help, and we rushed in. Your client was kicking the bloody hell out of our poor girl.” Tyler felt his voice rising in anger and couldn’t stop it. “Thomas pushed him off her, and I carried her outside. She couldn’t walk. What happened after I left the room, I cannot speak to.”

“So you admit the two of you attacked him?”

“I admit no such thing. We came to her defense. He tried to kill her.”

“Did you break down his door?”

“We rescued her from that fucking bastard!” Tyler yelled, pointing at Alex. He regretted the words as soon as they were out. He’d done exactly what Nevvie asked him not to do.

When the gallery settled, Dean continued his questions.

“Why did the two of you go looking for her?”

“We were worried. She didn’t show up or answer her phone.”

“But was there a particular reason to be worried?”

“She’d agreed the Sunday before to move in with us. We feared her boyfriend would react badly when he found out. She told us she was scared of him.”

“Objection, hearsay,” Dean said.

“Sustained, but, Mr. Dean, remember you’re questioning him now. You’re bringing this on yourself.”

“So you hire her, move her into your home, buy her things, and expect people to believe you’re not sleeping with her?”

The State Attorney looked like he wanted to slap Dean. “Objection!”

“Sustained.”

“I wish to answer that.”

Dean turned, shocked. The judge nodded. “Go ahead, Mr. Paulson.”

“Sleep with her? Yes, we have both ‘slept’ with Ms. Barton,” Tyler angrily said. “She went into hysterics in the doctor’s office and had to be sedated, thanks to Mr. LaRougue’s version of tender loving care. We had to sleep with our bedroom door open to hear her when she awoke, sobbing with panic, Mr. Dean, so one of us could hold her while she cried herself back to sleep. For several weeks, one of us had to sleep with her, as in stay in her room, so any of us could get any sleep. There was nothing sexual about that. She wouldn’t leave our home for nearly two weeks because of her injuries. It took her months to feel comfortable being alone in our home without one of us there.”

He turned a hard eye to Alex. “Then he tried to kill her again and nearly succeeded. She did nothing to him. I hope there’s a special hell for him.”

Dean looked shocked. “Move to strike.”

“Overruled. You asked, he answered. I suggest you finish with the witness if you have nothing further, Mr. Dean.”

“No further questions.”

That’s when the adrenaline shakes hit Tyler and he struggled to maintain his composure. If the jury acquitted Alex because of his outburst, he’d never forgive himself. He just couldn’t hold it in.

“Redirect?”

The State Attorney shook his head. “No.”

“The witness is excused.”

On shaky legs, Tyler stood and walked past Bob. Bob followed. Tyler caught his arm outside the door. “Will you take them home?”

“Sure, but—”

“Thank you.” Tyler turned and took long, quick strides down the hall, away from the witness room. Bob lost sight of him in the crowded corridor.

* * *

Tyler loosened his tie and jogged to the Lexus once outside the courthouse.

What a fucking arsehole, Paulson. You’ve done it again.

All she’d asked was for him to stay calm, and he couldn’t even do that one little thing for her. He beat his hands on the steering wheel.

“Fuck!” he screamed inside the closed car. He caught a glimpse of himself in the rear view mirror as he removed his tie.

They’d be better off without him. For now, at least. He couldn’t stand to face her, or Thomas. How would he ever look them in the eye again if they let the bastard go? All because he couldn’t do one little thing his angel had asked.

God, the fucking media would go batshit over him losing it on the stand. Christ.

He started the car and took off.

* * *

“What do you mean he left?”

Bob tried to pry Nevvie’s hand from his arm. “He asked me to take you home. I’m assuming he left.”

“Shit!” Nevvie bolted from the witness room, Thomas on her heels.

Panicked, she pushed through people, praying he hadn’t left yet. She ripped her BlackBerry from its holster and dared glance down for a second to speed-dial his number.

Straight to voice mail.

She heard Thomas behind her yelling for her to wait. She didn’t slow, trying to make it to the parking garage. As she rounded the corner, Tyler’s Lexus turned right, headed for the interstate.

“Tyler!” she screamed, running after him. She finally gave up at the corner, trying to catch her breath.

Thomas caught up with her. “Did you see him?”

She nodded, unable to speak, and pointed.

“He’s gone?”

She nodded, falling into his arms.

* * *

Thomas kept a steadying arm around her waist for the walk back to the courthouse. He suspected Tyler lost it on the stand.

Bob waited for them in the witness room. “What happened?” Thomas asked.

The attorney took a deep breath. “It wasn’t bad. It helped the prosecution.”

“Bob,” Nevvie whispered. “Please.”

Bob retold Tyler’s emotional outburst. She closed her eyes. “Shit,” she whispered. “I knew he’d do it. He’s running.”

Both men looked at her. “What?”

“He thinks he’s fucked it up. He promised me he’d stay calm and he didn’t. He’s trying to get away because he thinks that will take the pressure off us.”

The State Attorney entered the room. “Jury’s got it.” He looked at them. “Where’s Mr. Paulson?”

Thomas shook his head. “Apparently he wasn’t happy with his performance on the stand.”

“Oh. Well, I think he sealed our case. I looked at the jury when he was talking. All the women looked teary, and damn near half the men, too.”

* * *

Thomas was going to take Nevvie to get coffee when a bailiff entered the witness room. “Jury’s back.”

Bob scowled, glancing at his watch. “They have a question?”

Bailiff shook his head. “Verdict.”

“What? It’s only been fifteen minutes!”

Bailiff shook his head again. “Nope, ten. Took me a minute to get in here to tell you.”

Nevvie’s heart caught in her throat. “Is this bad, Bob?”

“I don’t know, but let’s get in there.”

Thomas held her hand as they followed Bob into the gallery. The judge returned and the jury entered. Nevvie couldn’t decipher the judge’s face when he read the paper before handing it to the bailiff to return to the foreman.

She closed her eyes and felt Thomas’ fingers grip hers, Bob’s arm around her shoulders.

“Will the foreman please read the verdict?”

“On the first count, of attempted murder, we find the defendant guilty.”

Nevvie slumped against Thomas, trying not to cry while Bob patted her on the back. She didn’t even hear all of the verdicts.

Alex screamed as the judge ordered him remanded to custody.

When they dragged Alex from the courtroom, Nevvie finally took a deep breath and smiled, then hugged Thomas and Bob.

The prosecutor walked over, and she hugged him too. “Thank you,” she said. “I can’t tell you how much.”

“It’s my job. Sentencing’s on Monday.” He looked at Bob. “Coordinate with my office. We’ll see you then.”

Bob put his hand on her back and guided her out of the courthouse. Thomas followed a couple of steps behind, wanting to hold her hand but afraid to with reporters hanging around. Once they were safely in Bob’s car and speeding away from downtown, Thomas turned to her.

“You okay, sugar?” He reached an arm over the seat and she gripped his hand.

“We’ve got to find him, Thomas.”

* * *

The first entrance ramp Tyler found led him to I-275 south. He followed it across the Bay, through St. Pete, and over the Sunshine Skyway. When he pulled out his wallet to pay the toll he realized not only was he low on cash, but missing his ATM card, too.

Dammit. What next?

When he reached the junction to pick up I-75, he blindly chose south.

Why not?

Maybe Miami. Get a room for a few days, let things die down. Once there he’d send Nevvie a text message so she could quit worrying. The last thing they needed—she needed—was him around.

If she even still wanted him around after that outburst.

Then another thought. No, not Miami. Why not the Keys? He’d never been. A little impromptu escape to the bottom of the continental US, still large enough to afford him some anonymity. Miami was huge and frankly the thought of finding a room there intimidated him. He wasn’t at all familiar with it like he was New York.

Key West then.

* * *

Bob drove them home. Nevvie’s heart sank when they rounded the corner and saw Tyler’s Lexus wasn’t there.

“Dammit,” Thomas swore.

Nevvie kept trying Tyler’s cell. Every call went straight to voice mail without ringing.

“You want me to hang out for a while?” Bob asked.

“No, we’ll call you if we need you.”

Thomas followed her into the house and sat at the kitchen table. “Where do you think he is, Nev?”

“I don’t know. Where do you think he’d go?”

“He’s never disappeared like this before.” He ran his hands through his hair and pulled off his tie. “Jesus, I’m worried about him.”

“Well, he won’t get far with ten dollars in his pocket. I emptied his wallet this morning while he was in the shower.”

Thomas snorted. “Well, no offense, but he can hit an ATM, sugar.”

She reached into her pocket and held up the card. “You mean with this card?”

Thomas sat back. “Jesus Christ, Nev. But he’s still got credit cards, or did you swipe those, too?”

“No, but I can track those online.”

His jaw dropped. “I think you just earned the title of head evil genius in this house. How the hell did you know he’d run?”

“I had a feeling he’d explode on the stand. I wasn’t sure how he’d react.”

“That’s why you were pissed this morning. You wanted me to hold the keys.”

“I love you, Tom, but—”

He opened his arms to her. “I know, leave this kind of thinking to you two.”

She rested her chin on his head, wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “You’re a smart man.”

“Let’s face it. I’m a moron when it comes to this shit. I’m a guy, pure and simple, and I know it. That’s why I leave this kind of stuff for you and Tyler to handle.” He took a deep breath. In a quiet voice he asked, “Is he going to be okay? Do you think he’ll hurt himself?”

“We’ll get him back safe, Tommy. I promise.”

She held him tightly while he broke down crying.

“I can’t lose him, Nev. I love him so much. I mean, I love you, too, but I can’t lose him.”

“We won’t lose him.”

“I’m scared, Nevvie. I’m scared for him.”

“He’s trying to come to grips with the fact that he can’t make this better.”

“Fuck, can’t he understand we don’t need him to make it better?”

“No. He can’t.”

“What?”

She pulled a chair next to him and held his hands. He was so sweet, and at the same time so painfully stupid when it came to this kind of stuff.

“Thomas, his life revolves around making things better, and us telling him we love him. If we never did anything else for him again in this life except tell him we love and want him, he’s happy. He wants to protect us from this, and he can’t and he feels guilty.”

“He doesn’t need to protect us. We can take care of ourselves.”

“You and I know that. He needs to do it anyway.” She met his eyes. “How do you feel about him when he goes on trips?”

“I worry about him, that he stays safe.”

“Why?”

He couldn’t hold her gaze. “I’m afraid something will happen.”

“Why?” she pressed. “He’s a grown man, older than you. When I’m with him, you tell me to take care of him. Tell me why you feel like that.”

He shrugged. “It’s my job.”

“Becaaaaauuuse?” Come on, Tommy, give me what I want.

He sighed and looked at her. “Because I’m worried someone will hurt him. I’m the ‘guy’ and he’s the ‘girl.’ I get it. I’m not a total idiot.”

“I’m not saying you’re an idiot. When I go out on errands, or we go out of town together, you don’t act the same with me that you do with him.”

He opened his mouth to protest then stopped.

“Admit it. In some ways you think I’m stronger than him.”

He studied her. “You’re a lot more street smart than he is.”

“It’s more than that, Thomas. I’ve never seen you fuck him the way you fuck me.”

She ignored the confusion in his eyes. “Nevvie, you said you didn’t want to—”

“I don’t mean anal sex. I mean you guys get hot and heavy, but you’re always gentle with him, very careful.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.”

She tried again, needing him to get this if he was going to help her bring Tyler home and heal him. “You fuck me a helluva lot harder than you fuck him. You nearly put the bed through the wall sometimes when you fuck me.”

“I thought you liked that.”

“I do like it. How many times have you heard me beg him to fuck me harder?”

He studied her. “It’s like he’s afraid of hurting you.”

“I’m your biker mama. I get down and dirty with you. I love every minute of it.”

He closed his eyes. “I’m gentle with him because I’m afraid I’ll hurt him. You’re his angel, he thinks he has to protect you, and I think I have to protect him, and he tries to take care of both of us. Jesus Christ, you’re as spooky as he is. See, you’re the translator. You complete us.”

“You’re our anchor. You’re strong for both of us. But you also know how strong I really am. He feels guilty that Alex knocked him out.”

“The guy hit him with a chair! He might have knocked me out if he’d hit me like that.”

“It’s who he is. He’s sensitive, but he’s a guy, too. His pride is bruised that he didn’t protect me. He’s hurting, and he’s afraid to reach out to us, because he’s afraid if he leans on us that it’ll hurt us and that we won’t want him anymore. Remember, he still blames himself for all of this. He’s scared because I made him promise to stay calm and he didn’t. He doesn’t realize what he did was okay. He hates himself right now.”

He patted her thigh. “Find him, Nevvie. Whatever we’ve got to do, just find him. Use that crazy psychic crap you’ve got with him.”

She walked into Tyler’s office and powered up his laptop. Thomas watched over her shoulder while she went through the credit card accounts, looking for any recent purchases.

Finally, she found one and pointed. “Sarasota.” She had an idea where he was headed, but didn’t know for sure.

He nodded. “Let’s go. Bring that with you, and the aircard.”

* * *

It took them fifteen minutes to pack an overnight bag, change clothes and get on the road. When they reached Sarasota she checked again, found another receipt for a fast food restaurant further south on I-75. They refueled and got back on the interstate. Tyler still had his cell phone off, calls going straight to voice mail.

By dark he’d stopped again for gas, this time in Naples.

“He’s heading for the Keys,” she said. With the aircard connected she refreshed the browser every fifteen minutes. They were still at least one hundred miles behind him.

“How can you tell? He could be heading for Miami.”

“I just know.” She looked at him. “You said you guys talked about it. He’s trying to put distance between him and us. In his mind, probably to keep the press away.”

“I know you’ll find him. Whatever we’ve got to do to get him home safe, I’ll do it. You tell me what you need me to do.”

At midnight, Tyler finally reached exhaustion. A receipt for a hotel in Key Largo appeared on the account. She patted Tom’s arm. “We’ve got him.”

They reached the hotel ninety minutes later. Nevvie left Thomas in the truck, parked next to Tyler’s Lexus, and walked to the office. A small, family-owned place from the look of it, maybe she could bullshit her way through this.

Even better, the desk clerk looked young, probably right out of high school. Nevvie put on a friendly smile. “Hi, I’m with Tyler Paulson, I’m his personal assistant. I need to get another room. We were late getting out of Tampa, and he told us to meet him here. You have another room, right?”

The girl nodded, smiling. “Sure. You want the one next to him?”

“That would be great. There’s two of us.” She filled out paperwork. “Oh, I need two keys. And Ty asked me to pick up a spare for his room. Can you do that?” She smiled at the girl.

“I’m not sure—”

Nevvie laid Tyler’s ATM card, which doubled as a MasterCard, on the counter. “And he told me to put everything on this.”

The girl was, fortunately, not the brightest bulb on the branch. She smiled when she saw Tyler’s name on the card. “Sure, no problem. He seems like such a sweetie. I’ve read all his books. I’ve never met anyone famous before.” The girl worked on the check-in, and Nevvie surreptitiously read the paperwork upside down from her side of the counter.

“He’s in 208, right? I think that’s what he told me, but I didn’t write it down.”

“Yep. You’ll be in 210.”

Nevvie returned to the truck. “Let’s go.”

“Did you find out what room he’s in?” Thomas asked.

She held up the key card. “Of course I did.”

Thomas shook his head as he grabbed the laptop case and overnight bag. “Freaking evil geniuses. Both of you.”

They quietly walked past their assigned room. She whispered in Thomas’ ear. “Look through the peephole, see if the lights are on.”

He did and shook his head.

She put the keycard in and prayed Tyler stayed true to form. She carefully pushed on the door, holding her breath until it swung open unimpeded.

Tyler was asleep on his side facing away from them. She motioned Tom in and silently closed the door, holding the latch, then easing the knob shut. She flipped the safety bar.

In the light spilling from the hall she’d seen the half-empty liquor bottle on the bedside table. He’d spent his cash on liquid comfort.

They undressed in the dark, their eyes growing accustomed to the faint glow from the security lights sneaking in around the edges of the curtains. She walked to the far side of the bed. Kneeling in front of Tyler, she slid the sheet down. He was naked. Well, that made her job easier.

Thomas curled his body around his lover. Tyler stirred but didn’t completely awaken. She smelled the bourbon on his breath.

Nevvie bent between Tyler’s legs, gently licking him. He moaned in his sleep, shifting a little. She felt him respond and took him fully into her mouth, sucking him, trying to arouse him. He was still drunk enough to not fight. He tangled his fingers in her hair, and she reached between his legs to find Thomas, already hard, behind him.

Nudging Tyler’s legs apart, she took Thomas into her mouth, using her hand to stroke Tyler and not lose any ground. She was already wet, and when she knew Thomas was slick enough to not hurt Tyler she sat up and helped position him.

She put Tyler’s cock between her legs and whispered to Thomas, “Now.”

Together, Thomas gently slid his cock into Tyler while she impaled herself on his now-rigid shaft.

Tyler’s eyes flew open. Nevvie planted her lips on his, holding him through his initial resistance. Then he relaxed as he responded to her.

“We love you, Tyler,” she whispered. “We need you.”

He moaned against her neck, wrapping his arms around her and tightly holding her. When he thrust into her she tapped Thomas on the arm. As one they rolled over with Nevvie on her back on the bottom while Tyler kissed her and took long, slow strokes.

Thomas kissed Tyler’s back, lightly running his fingers down his skin and massaging his ass before holding his hips and taking several gentle, easy thrusts.

“We love you, sugar,” he said, his voice low and hoarse. “Man, we’ve been together too long. You can’t leave me.”

She felt Tyler’s approaching climax and held on. With his face pressed against her neck she whispered, “Master, your little slave needs both her masters to make her happy. You promised me anything. I have to have you with me.”

“Ahhh!” He took two hard thrusts before emptying inside her, his body shaking.

Thomas’ climax wasn’t far behind. When he finished he sat up, trying to keep his weight off them.

Tyler sobbed. “I love you both so much. I’m so tired of hurting you.”

“Shh. It’s okay,” she whispered.

Thomas went to clean up and came back with a washcloth for Tyler. He slipped into bed and held both of them. They cradled Tyler between them as he cried, still more than a little drunk. He finally fell asleep in their arms and Thomas kissed her.

“Thank you for finding him. I never would have thought of it.”

She nodded, her arms wrapped around Tyler, and tried to sleep.

* * *

Tyler was still asleep on her shoulder the next morning. She felt Thomas’ foot next to hers and rubbed her toes along it. He lifted his head and looked at her over Tyler’s shoulder.

“Good morning,” he silently mouthed.

She nodded, snuggling tightly against Tyler. He awoke twenty minutes later. She felt the change, then heard his sharp intake of breath when he realized he wasn’t alone and that it hadn’t been a dream. He couldn’t see her face. She knew he was trying to decide if she was awake.

She nudged him to her breast and he gently took her nipple into his mouth.

She sighed, “Thank you, Master.” She’d been more than willing to forego her own pleasure the night before, but she was still horny.

He lifted his head. “How can you both still want me?”

With her hand on his neck, she gently pushed him back to her breast. “Your little slave needs her sweet master to love her. My other master needs you, too. It would break our hearts not to have you with us.” She kissed the top of his head as he suckled her, the familiar pulsing throb starting in her lower belly. “We’re a family. Family doesn’t up and leave when times get tough, right?”

“Mm hmm.”

“Don’t speak with your mouth full,” she teased.

Tyler laughed, lifting his head. His eyes were wet with tears. “I’m sorry, Nevvie.”

She kissed him. “Quit apologizing. And quit trying to make it all better. We can handle this.”

Thomas put his arm around Tyler’s waist. “She’s right. We’re okay. If you need us, you can lean on us the way we lean on you. The two of us are strong enough to carry you.” He stroked Tyler’s cheek, his voice growing hoarse. “We’ve been together too long for me to lose you, Ty. Please.”

Tyler nodded and kissed him, then kissed Nevvie. “How did you get in my room?”

“She’s overthrown your evil genius title, sugar.”

His blue eyes settled on hers, melting her. “Thank you, love.” He kissed her then worked his way down her belly, settling between her legs. Thomas cradled her while Tyler brought her to the edge, working two fingers into her, teasing her, finally letting her come after she begged for it.

After dozing for a while they moved to the shower to clean up. Nevvie didn’t say anything but noticed the empty bottle in the wastebasket by the sink. Thomas must have dumped it.

At breakfast, Tyler sat on her side of the booth and barely spoke.

She patted him on the thigh. “We’re going home after we check out, and tomorrow we’ll sleep late.”

He wouldn’t meet their eyes. “Then back to fucking court on Monday.”

Thomas leaned over the table. “It won’t be bad. Nevvie might not even have to testify again for the victim impact part.”

Nevvie noted Tyler’s confusion. “Ty, they convicted him. The jury came back after ten minutes. Sentencing is on Monday.”

He closed his eyes, dropping his head. “Bloody hell. I thought for sure I’d made a right balls-up of my testimony.”

Thomas patted Tyler’s hands. “This is why we keep telling you to stop trying to fix stuff that ain’t broke. If you hadn’t taken off you’d have known. There weren’t any reporters at the house when Bob drove us home. The State Attorney said your little speech probably sealed the case.”

Tyler finally laughed, lifting his head. “To top it all off, somehow I managed to lose my blasted ATM card. We’ll have to cancel it and get a new one.” He frowned when Nevvie and Thomas laughed. “What? I don’t see anything funny about that.”

Nevvie smiled and handed it to him. Thomas leaned forward again, dropping his voice. “As I tried to tell you, our little slave has overthrown your evil genius title.”

Tyler turned to her and smiled, then leaned in for a kiss. “What would I ever do without you, angel?” he whispered.

She squeezed his hands. “Just doing my job.”

“What, taking care of your master?”

She caressed his cheek. “No, Tyler. Taking care of my husband.”

* * *

Tyler rode with Nevvie. She’d confiscated his keys before breakfast, just in case. He slumped in the passenger seat, his top two buttons open, shirt rumpled, his tie and jacket on the back seat. She didn’t push him to talk and waited to speak until they finally reached Alligator Alley.

“When will you understand you don’t need to break your back or beat yourself up?”

He looked out the window, studying the sawgrass flats and refusing to meet her gaze. “I don’t seem to be doing a good job of taking care of either of you lately.”

“Stop it. That’s the kind of stuff we mean.” She patted his thigh. “We love you the way you are. Just be you, stop trying to make it all better. We love you no matter what. You don’t need to buy our love.”

He looked at her sharply. “What do you mean, buy your love?”

“You don’t get it. If you never fixed me a cup of coffee again, I’d still love you. Thomas would still love you if you never ironed another shirt. All of that. Everything. We will still and always love you. You are more than good enough, Tyler. Take us at our word. You don’t have to prove yourself. There are no scorecards in our heads tallying up how much you do for us on any given day for us to say, ‘Okay, he reached the limit, we love him.’ The fact that you love us is enough.”

She held her right hand out to him until he took it. She squeezed and softened her voice. “Just love us. We love everything you do for us, but that’s not why we love you.”

He finally squeezed back.

She softened her voice even further. “I need you the way you are. I need you nurturing and nourishing my heart and soul. Thomas has enough strength to take care of both of us, and he needs us taking care of him.”

She glanced at him. “All things considered, you did a damn good job. Because of you we are a family. You brought us together.”

He met her eyes the next time she looked at him. Maybe her words finally struck home. He was wounded so deeply, years of not dealing now catching up with him. So many years, so much pain.

If she ever met his father she’d deck the son of a bitch. And she didn’t feel warm fuzzies for his mother, either.

She kept trying. “Let’s face it, I’m the queen of abandonment issues, I know a thing or two about getting dumped by family. Fuck ‘em. Your father’s an asshole, your mom’s an ungrateful bitch. You have Thomas, and you have me, and you have a whole household of Kinsey women who not-so-secretly drool over you.”

Finally, a genuine smile. “Karen goosed my ass at Thanksgiving.”

Nevvie faked a territorial growl. “She’d better keep her hands off my husband. I don’t share well, especially not with my sister-in-law.”

He laughed.

“I want you to ride home with Thomas after the next gas stop.” She glimpsed his fear and clarified. “You need to spend some time alone together because you haven’t had that in a while. I’ll go on ahead and—” she dropped her voice, “prepare something special for my sweet husbands.”

He looked surprised at the way she changed the words. Usually she reserved that tone of voice for the slave game.

“Husband, Ty,” she whispered. “You’re my husbands. Got it?”

He nodded. “I love you, Nevvie. I love him, but I need you.”

“I know.”

* * *

Tyler pumped gas for the Lexus while Tom filled the Ridgeline. She walked over to Thomas and leaned in close. “He’s riding home with you.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“No. You need to talk. Tell him the things that maybe he hasn’t heard from you in a while because I’ve been around. You don’t get a lot of private time.” She turned, blocking the view, and grabbed his crotch. “I’ll have a surprise waiting for you both, my sweet husband.”

Like Tyler, he was surprised, his reaction to her tone of voice the same.

Pavlov would have been proud.

She kissed them both before leaving and hugged Tyler tightly. “Talk with him.”

“Be careful, sweetheart.”

* * *

Nevvie quickly pulled ahead, pushing the Lexus and holding it at eighty. She left them behind and ran through a mental list in her head of things she’d need. She’d completed her preparations by the time the boys pulled into the driveway nearly forty-five minutes after her.

It was dark, and the way she stood inside the doorway made her visible only to the boys from the driveway. When they realized she was naked, both smiled.

Tyler hugged her, sliding his hands down her back to her hips, pulling her to him. “I’m not sure how active I’ll be tonight, sweet.”

“That’s okay. I wanted to give you a nice homecoming.”

Tyler kissed her then Thomas walked in and closed the front door. “Mmm. Me like.”

She grinned and kissed him. “I’d hoped you would.”

They followed her to the kitchen. Except for the light over the kitchen sink, the living room and kitchen were bathed in candlelight.

She’d been busy.

Three steaks sat on the counter, ready to grill, and she had the side dishes almost finished. “I’m assuming one of you will cook these for me?” she purred. “I’ve already lit the grill, but I don’t think you want me covering up, and I don’t want to risk going out in the backyard nekkid in case there’s any free-range photographers on the loose.”

Thomas grinned. “See, Ty? That’s how you say it. Nekkid.” He patted her bum. “I’ll do it. You get the fugitive settled.” He washed his hands and grabbed the plate, taking it out to the patio.

Tyler leaned on the counter. “How did I get so lucky?”

She put her arms around him. “Well?”

He rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “We had a good talk, sweetheart. Better than we’ve had in a long time, I should think.”

“And?”

He finally met her eyes. “Again I ask, how did I get so lucky? To find two people willing to put up with me?”

* * *

Nevvie and Thomas spent all day Sunday focused on Tyler. By the time they went to bed they’d noticed a marked improvement in his demeanor. They met Bob at the courthouse at nine on Monday morning. The State Attorney told him he would get by with reading Nevvie’s witness impact letter and not have her testify.

Nevvie sat, flanked by Thomas and Tyler, with Bob seated directly behind them. She closed her eyes and tightly held the men’s hands as the judge looked at Alex.

“I’m sentencing you to twenty-five years in state prison.”

Alex exploded and lunged. Two bailiffs grabbed him and wrestled him to the floor as he screamed, “I’m gonna kill you, ya goddamned fag whore! Gonna kill you and your little fag boyfriends!”

Tyler tensed but didn’t react.

Another bailiff helped drag Alex from the courtroom. Nevvie looked up and smiled.

Bob patted her shoulder. “It’s over, Nevvie. The nightmare’s over.”

Chapter 31

They were back at the courthouse three weeks later. This time, in family court.

The judge studied the three, probably trying to put it together in his mind, sensing there was more to the story than they let on.

The judge signed the paperwork. “Congratulations, Ms. Kinsey-Paulson. Here’s your paperwork.”

The two men hugged her, they shook hands with Bob, and the three walked out, hand in hand, with her in the middle.

In the hallway they steered Nevvie to a nearby bench and knelt in front of her. Tyler pulled the ring box from his jacket and looked at Thomas.

“Go ahead, Ty,” he said. “I had the honor last time.”

Tyler looked into her eyes. “Sweetheart,” he said in a low tone, “we love you. We want you with us forever.” He slipped the ring onto her left hand, next to the other ring. The intricate pattern on the gold band exactly matched the ones Tyler and Thomas wore. “We will never leave you, always cherish you as our wife, love you forever.”

She smiled and kissed Tyler, then Thomas. “I love you both. I don’t want to be anywhere but with you, my husbands.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I don’t want to be anywhere but with my sweet masters.”

Both men grinned. She suspected it would be a minute before either could stand and walk without their cocks leading the way. Tyler leaned in and whispered in her right ear, “You are our beautiful, sweet slave, and I promise to always be a loving, dutiful master and keep you happy.”

She flushed, the heat behind his words churning her belly with liquid, molten need.

Then Thomas leaned in and whispered in her left ear, “We will always keep our little slave at our side. We are your masters, and we love you with all our hearts.”

She gripped both men’s hands, and they knew she wanted them as badly as they wanted her.

Bob appeared and they tried to compose themselves.

“Well, congratulations you three.”

Thomas asked the question. “Have you heard anything about Alex?”

“He won’t be eligible for parole for at least eight years. Don’t worry, Nevvie, if it gets to that point we’ll mount a challenge to the parole board to keep him behind bars for his full sentence.”

Both men squeezed her hands, comforting her. “Thanks, Bob,” she said.

“It’s okay.” He looked at Thomas, then to Tyler and shook his head, dropped his voice. “You lucky bastards. All the years I’ve known you, this takes the cake.” He looked at Nevvie. “I’m sure the three of you will present me with some interesting situations over the years, won’t you?”

Tyler smiled. “There might be some little ones in the future.”

Bob laughed. “Yes, because you three haven’t complicated life enough as it is. I’ll let you know when the final paperwork is ready to pick up and get all the changes made for you.”

* * *

Nevvie left the courthouse arm in arm with her boys.

“Now we’re truly ‘TNT,’” Tyler joked.

She grinned, staring at the new ring on her hand. “That we are.” She squeezed their arms. “You know you guys can’t ever break up, right?”

“Not that it’s in the stars, but why?” Thomas asked.

“Because you’d have to fight over who gets custody of me, that’s why. You know I refuse to choose. You’re both stuck with me.”

The men laughed. With their arms around her they walked to the old Ford truck and got in, Nevvie between them.

When they walked in the front door at home, Nevvie spun around in the hallway. “I can’t believe this really happened.”

The men smiled and leaned against the door, arms crossed. “Believe it, love,” Tyler said. “You’re all ours.”

“All ours,” Thomas echoed.

“What?” she asked when they didn’t move.

Both men raised their eyebrows. She grinned. She slowly unbuttoned her blouse, noticing how the fronts of both men’s slacks immediately tented. She felt strong, powerful.

Free.

“Leave the shoes on, Nev,” Tyler whispered in a husky voice as he stepped forward. “I want to see those heels up in the air while I’m fucking you. God you’re sexy.”

She flushed, her nipples hardening at his erotic growl. She dropped her shirt to the floor and reached back to unzip her skirt. Thomas stepped forward. As her skirt fell to the tile and she stepped out of it, he reached between her legs. Per their orders she’d gone without a bra or panties. He slipped two fingers into her, found her wet and ready, and slowly pumped them deep inside her.

She bit her lower lip and moaned.

“You like that, don’t you, sugar?” Thomas asked.

“Yes.”

Tyler stepped forward and slipped two fingers into her bare pussy, joining the two already there. The two men stood on either side of her and worked a sensual, alternating rhythm, making her gasp and tremble while Tyler stroked her clit with his thumb.

“Yes, what?” Thomas growled.

Without raising her head she lifted her eyes, a sultry smile painting her face. “Yes, Masters.”

“That’s our girl,” Tyler whispered in her ear. Her eyes closed as she moaned, wanting them.

Thomas grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder, seating two fingers in her pussy as he carried her down the hall to the bedroom. Tyler followed, and she looked up to see him smiling, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked. He reached out and stroked her chin.

“You’re going to get fucked by your masters, sweetheart.”

Thomas patted her ass. “We’re finally taking your cherry, baby.”

A nervous shiver of anticipation ran through her, willing to give it to them, give them anything they wanted.

As long as they loved her and loved each other.

She laughed when Thomas dropped her on their bed. She looked up at her boys, her masters—her husbands—with a playful smile.

“So, who’s first?”

“Oh, are we in a hurry now, love?” Tyler smiled, dropping his shirt to the floor before starting on his slacks.

“No hurry. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Got that straight,” Thomas agreed. “Not till we tell you, least ways.”

Tyler dropped his slacks and climbed onto the bed, gently spreading her legs wide open. “That’s better, sweetheart.” He dipped his head to her pussy and trailed his tongue across her clit. As ordered she’d shaved for them that morning, leaving nothing to stop his tongue from following every line and curve of her sex. She threw her head back and sighed with pleasure, stretching her arms over her head.

“Oh, beautiful!” Thomas said, joining them on the bed. He kissed her, driving his tongue into her mouth. His left hand massaged her breasts, playing with her nipples and sending shock waves through her body.

Tyler wrapped his lips around her throbbing clit and relentlessly flicked it, making her arch her back and drive her tongue deeper into Thomas’ mouth. Tyler worked two, then three fingers into her slippery opening, and she spread her legs wider, trying to fuck his hand as he stroked her. He lifted his head from between her legs.

“Are you going to come for us?”

She nodded, unable to speak with Thomas’ tongue massaging hers. She couldn’t even call what she’d had before these two sex, because it didn’t give her the mind-blowing, body-numbing pleasure these men evoked in her. It felt like her skin was on fire, every nerve ending attuned to their touch.

Thomas lifted his mouth from hers and growled, “Are you going to come for your masters?”

Her whole body shuddered, close to release. Tyler bent to his task, knowing how to keep her on the edge for long minutes before sending her over. As wave after wave of pleasure washed through her she screamed, muffled by Tom’s mouth on hers, her muscles gripping Tyler’s fingers buried deep inside her. He teased her with his tongue, coaxing every last gasp out of her until he knew she’d drifted from pleasure to pain. Then he slowly withdrew his hand from between her legs and looked at Thomas.

Thomas sat, his back against the pillows, and cradled Nevvie to his chest. Tyler lifted her legs high in the air, kissing her ankles. Thomas reached forward and held them wide open for him.

Her lower lip caught under her teeth as she watched him align line his cock with her wet and waiting pussy.

Tyler met her eyes and smiled. “Do you want it?”

She nodded. He slid home, balls deep. She closed her eyes and moaned, throwing her head back on Thomas’ shoulder. He nibbled her neck and ear, watching Tyler take her.

“Who’s fucking you, sugar?” Thomas whispered in her ear.

“Tyler,” she gasped.

“Who?” He spread her legs a little more, enough to allow Tyler to sink just a hair deeper with each thrust.

“Master Tyler,” she sighed, wiggling to take even more of him in.

Tyler picked up the pace, thrusting harder. “That’s right, love, and don’t you forget it. Who’s holding you open for me, baby?”

Her eyes fluttered open briefly, looking at Thomas. “Master Thomas.”

Thomas kissed her. “That’s right. Very good.”

Tyler was close. He grabbed her thighs and increased the tempo. With every thrust it felt like he stroked to the bottom of her soul, filling her completely and bottoming out, stretching her in a way he never had before, making her his.

“I’m going to come deep inside you. Are you ready for your master to come?”

She nodded.

“Ask for it,” Thomas growled.

She opened her eyes again and looked at him, then Tyler. She smiled. “Come for me, please, Master!”

That finished him, and Tyler drove home with a final, deep thrust. “Oh, Jesus!” he gasped, staying deep inside her for a long moment until he finally caught his breath. Thomas released her legs and she lowered them, wrapping them around Tyler’s waist.

Ty leaned forward and kissed her, tasting her, loving her. “I love you, Nevvie.”

She smiled. “I love you too, Master.”

He grinned.

Thomas nipped her earlobe and she laughed and looked at him. “I love you too, Master.”

“That’s better.”

She pouted when Tyler withdrew. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I liked having you inside me.”

Thomas nipped her earlobe again. “Well roll over, sweetheart, we’ve got another willing cock ready and waiting.”

His words sent another shiver through her. Letting go and trusting them sent her into a pleasant free-fall feeling, knowing they’d never hurt her. She looked at Tyler, who had moved to take Thomas’ place. She knelt in front of him as Thomas moved behind her.

“Assume the position, sugar,” Thomas growled.

She flushed, her whole body infused with an erotic heat. Was this it? As if reading her thoughts Thomas laughed and gently pushed her down to the bed, then pulled her shoes off and tossed them to the floor.

“Not yet, darlin. Don’t be in such a hurry. We’ve got all day.”

She assumed her position between Tyler’s spread legs—forearms flat on the bed, crouched on her knees with her ass in the air.

Tyler reached for her, caressing her face and tangling his fingers in her hair. “Show your master how much you love him, Nevvie.”

His cock was already half-stiff again. She ran her tongue around the tip, looking up at him and smiling. “I love my masters very much.” She sucked him in, and he groaned, his fingers tightening in her hair. Tasting her cream and his seed mixed together started a new deep heat within her. She wiggled her hips at Thomas, wanting him inside her.

“Jesus!” Thomas said as he watched her, one hand resting on her ass. “I nearly came just then! You’re so fucking sexy, you don’t know what you do to us.” She closed her eyes as he slipped his fingers inside her and massaged her clit. His touch was different than Tyler’s but still erotically hot. They were perfect for her, each able to wring new heights of passion from her she never dreamed possible.

“You like that, little slave?” Tom chuckled, and she pushed back against his hand in response.

“God, she’s got me in her throat! That’s a good girl, sweetheart.”

Thomas knelt behind her, fucking her with his tongue. She moaned around Tyler’s cock.

“Do that again, Tom, she liked that.”

He did, and in a few minutes he had her screaming around Tyler’s shaft as she came, her hips dancing and twisting. He timed it perfectly, slamming his stiff rod home as the largest, final wave of her orgasm hit, grabbing her hips and fucking her hard.

“You like that, Nevvie?”

She finally released Tyler’s cock and nodded. “Oh God, yes! Fuck me!”

Tyler grinned. “Better do it, Thomas.”

Thomas drove deeper, harder, unleashing on her. But she was wet and ready and while still nice and snug, Tyler’s earlier ministrations had prepared her perfectly. It built in his balls and he made every stroke count. “Ask me for it, Nevvie.”

“Please fuck me, come for me, Master. Please come for me!”

That pushed him over the edge and his last, deep thrust left him spasming inside her. He collapsed on top of her. After a minute he rolled to the side, kissing the back of her neck, his arms around her. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

She purred. “No, Master.”

The men looked at each other and grinned. Tyler leaned down and kissed her. “Love, you are the perfect woman.” He was fully stiff, ready, wanting her. He kissed her and went to get something from the bathroom. When he returned he bent between Thomas’ legs and sucked him, drawing a moan from his lover.

It only took a few minutes to get Thomas in the mood again. He looked at Tyler, winking.

Tyler nodded. It was time.

Nevvie cuddled with Thomas, her hand between his legs, tracing feather-light circles across his balls. Tyler pushed her onto her back and stroked her with his tongue.

“I don’t know if I can make it again.”

“Shh,” both men said. Thomas rolled to his side, kissing her, lightly rubbing her pebbled nipples with his thumb.

Tyler’s cock throbbed. He didn’t want to bring her all the way over yet, wanted to get her nearly there and leave her begging for more. When her hips gyrated in time to his tongue he knew he had her exactly where he wanted.

Thomas laid on the bed while Tyler pulled her up and turned her around. Thomas grabbed her hips and seated her on his cock facing him. She sighed with contentment as she sank his full length inside her and nestled against his chest, his arms around her. He looked over her shoulder at Tyler.

Tyler grabbed the bottle of lube and spread some down the cleft between her cheeks. She froze, stiffened, and Thomas hugged her to him.

“He took my cherry, remember? Just relax, I promise it’ll feel good.” He shifted his hips a little beneath her, drawing another content sigh. Then he kissed her, keeping her mind off what Tyler was up to.

Tyler gently rubbed the lube into her virgin rosette, not entering, wanting her to relax. After several long minutes he applied more pressure with his thumb and she moaned a little at how good it felt.

* * *

What Tyler did made her nervous at first, but with Thomas’ cock deep inside her and harder by the second, she tried to focus on him. It was a different feeling, not painful but not mind-blowing sexy like having them in her pussy. She focused on her breathing and tried to relax, knowing Tyler would take his time.

He poured more lube on her and the cool contrast to the hot heat inside her pussy made her moan again. Her heart skipped as Thomas put his hands on her hips and seated himself even deeper inside her. Then he gently spread her cheeks for Tyler, giving him better access.

Tyler’s firm thighs pressed against hers as his thumb applied more insistent pressure. These were her masters and they would take what was rightfully theirs. That thought made her shiver with pleasure, and as Tyler’s thumb entered her she moaned, gasping.

“That’s it, baby,” Thomas whispered, “you’re feeling him there, aren’t you?”

His words drove her back to the edge of passion. “Yes!”

Tyler gently massaged her virgin entrance. When he withdrew she felt more lube and then two fingers press for access.

Thomas held her tighter. “Relax,” he whispered, breaking their kiss for just a moment. “Relax and let him fuck you, my sweet little slave.”

She moaned, shivering. It felt like hours they kept her body hovering in an erotic limbo, impaled on Thomas while Tyler made slow, steamy progress.

“Oh, Tom, she’s so tight.” He applied more lube and then three fingers made their way in, carefully preparing her. “Jesus, she’s going to feel so good!”

Nevvie was beyond reason, letting go and giving herself totally to her men. They owned her body, and as long as they didn’t hurt her, she didn’t care what they did.

Tyler snaked his other hand between Nevvie and Thomas and found her clit, started rubbing it.

“You should feel how she’s squeezing my cock, Ty.”

“Just wait until we’ve got her properly between us, where she belongs.”

His words electrified her, and she felt her climb toward orgasm.

“Ah, not too much, we’ll lose her,” Tom warned. Tyler stilled his hand. Nevvie moaned, trying to rub against Ty’s hand and Tom’s cock.

Tyler laughed and leaned forward, his breath hot on her back. “Do you want your masters to fuck you, my sweet slave?”

She nodded, her fingers gripping Thomas’ shoulders.

“Ask for it, Nevvie,” Thomas said. “Tell us what you want.”

Ty’s fingers withdrew from her clit and rosette, and she shuddered at the empty feeling.

“I want my masters to take my cherry.”

Tyler smiled and applied more lube to her and him. “Excellent, little slave. You shall be rewarded.” He pressed his now-throbbing cockhead against her rim and felt her tense again. “Relax and breathe, sweetheart. We’ll be here a while.” He waited for her to relax, Thomas’ hands gently spreading her cheeks. When Tyler felt she was ready he carefully pressed forward, slowly, deliberately.

The feeling was amazing, but he was so big she didn’t know if she could take him, afraid it would hurt. She tensed again, moaning. Tyler stopped and looked at Thomas.

Thomas whispered in her ear. “You can do this, trust us. This first time will take the longest because he’ll go slow. Breathe deep.” She relaxed, took a deep breath. Tyler maintained his relentless pressure and finally made it past the first resistance, stopping, allowing her time to get used to it.

She flexed her muscles around Thomas, enjoying the feel of his hands massaging her ass. After a few minutes it started feeling good and she wiggled her hips, trying to take Tyler deeper.

Tyler took that as his cue and gently continued his quest. After ten minutes he was finally balls deep inside her and she sighed, full, settling into the new erotic feelings flooding her. He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder. “How does that feel?”

She was beyond speech and nodded, trying to shift her hips against both men, trying to rub her clit on Thomas.

“How does it feel, my sweet little slave?” Tyler asked.

She gasped. “Good!”

Thomas kissed her. “So how do you like having both your masters inside you?”

“Yes!”

Tyler slowly pulled halfway out, not wanting to lose the progress he’d made. He drizzled more lube on his shaft and gently thrust into her again. Both she and Thomas moaned.

“Damn, Ty, that’s amazing! I can feel you inside her. I’ve never felt anything like that.”

Tyler nodded, trying to focus, trying not to come. “You’re so tight, Nevvie,” he gasped. “Jesus you feel fantastic!” He waited a moment to calm himself before another long, slow stroke, drawing more moans from the other two.

Nevvie didn’t think she’d come like this but she was damn close. She just couldn’t get quite the steady touch she needed on her clit to make it. She felt stretched, full, connected to her men in a way she’d never felt before. They fucked as one and she wanted to come with them both inside her.

When Ty was fully buried again he reached around and found her clit. “How close are you, Tom?”

“It won’t take much.”

Tyler knew one or two fairly fast strokes would send him over so he focused on Nevvie, trying to time it just right, wanting her to come with them and have her first time feel great. “Will you come for us, little slave?” he murmured.

“I want to!”

“Then do it,” Tyler growled.

She shuddered, gasping, contracting around both men. Ty waited another few seconds, then grabbed her hips and took three long, firm strokes. As she moaned, Thomas took several thrusts and it pushed both men over the top. All three cried out, Tyler sinking into her one last time as he came.

They laid there gasping, trying to recover their breath. “Are you all right, sweetheart?” Tyler asked.

She nodded, sweaty and trembling on Thomas’ chest. Tyler shifted his weight to his arms but didn’t pull out, running his lips down her spine. “You are amazing,” he whispered against her skin. “Beautiful and amazing.”

Thomas kissed her damp forehead. “I hope you sound that great for me.”

Tyler finally withdrew and went to clean up. Nevvie didn’t move, feeling Thomas still inside her.

She shivered as his fingers lightly brushed up and down her spine. “I love you, darlin’,” he whispered.

“I love you too.” She snuggled closer, trying to absorb the feelings and sounds and scents of her lovers.

Her husbands.

Tyler returned with a warm, damp wash cloth and cleaned her up.

“Did I do good?” she asked.

“You were breathtaking,” Tyler assured her. “Absolutely better than we ever could have prayed. How did it feel?”

“Fantastic.”

Both men laughed, and Thomas hugged her. “Oh, sugar, you are a true champ, you know that?”

Tyler crawled into bed with them, and Thomas rolled to his side, still inside Nevvie, while Tyler cuddled against her back and kissed her shoulder. “We’re not done yet, you know.”

She nodded, pressing closer. “I know, Master. I still need to be fucked in the ass again.”

That was enough to stiffen Thomas. “Jesus, Nevvie, you know just what to say, girl.” He withdrew and nudged her into position over Tyler.

Tyler, however, wasn’t quite ready.

“Tom, love, I need a few moments. That took a lot out of me.” Nevvie smiled and took him into her mouth, making him groan. “That’s a good girl.” He’d washed and smelled like soap, and wet heat shot through her belly at her memory of how he tasted after he’d fucked her the first time. These men wanted her. Loved her, desired her. Her!

In a few minutes she had him ready. She slid him inside her and met his eyes as she took a few deep, hard strokes over him. “I want to make my masters happy. Whatever I have to do, as long as they love me and they don’t hurt me and they don’t share me with anyone else, and they don’t want anyone but me, I’m theirs.”

Both men moaned. Nevvie smiled.

Thomas placed a hand in the center of her back and gently pushed her down. “Ass in the air, girl. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.”

She looked over her shoulder. “Then my master better get what he wants.”

“Goddamn! You’re gonna make me come before I even fuck you.” He grabbed the bottle of lube and took his time. A little looser than before, she relaxed on Tyler’s chest while Thomas took a moment to massage her with his fingers, ensuring she was ready.

Ty spread her cheeks and whispered into her ear, “Get ready for your masters to fuck you again, sweetheart.”

She gyrated her hips against Tyler. Thomas waited until she settled and gently pressed the head of his cock into her. He didn’t want to hurt her, resisted the urge to push harder until he knew she was ready. But she surprised him, thrusting back and impaling herself.

He laughed. “Damn, girl.” He slowly seated his cock deep inside her, taking less time than Tyler now that she was more ready. The men found a slow, sultry rhythm.

She tried to help, finally looked down at Tyler. “Let me, Master. Please.”

He reached around and patted Tom on the hip. Tom seated himself inside her and then let her thrust against them. Both men moaned. Nevvie felt more than lust surge through her.

She felt power.

She fucked them, slowly at first as she got used to Thomas’ larger cock inside her. Then as she got more comfortable she picked up the pace and felt a deep burning in her belly. She might not come, but she’d damn well make sure her boys did.

Both men closed their eyes, making noises she’d never heard either make before. It energized her, and she increased the tempo and force, adding an extra little push at the bottom of each stroke, feeling both men deep inside her.

Then Tyler reached up and rolled her nipples in his fingers while Thomas found her clit. Not expecting it, she exploded, like a supernova ripping her apart from the inside out. She screamed, “Yes! Fuck yes! I’m coming for my masters.”

The men groaned, thrusting, climaxing with her.

The three collapsed to the bed, both men still inside her, and as their gentle twitching and throbbing finally settled she smiled and closed her eyes, happy.

The men took her into the shower, and all three sat under the spray, holding each other without speaking, nuzzling each other and enjoying the feel of skin on skin. Then the men washed her and each other, not letting her do anything. Tyler changed the sheets while Thomas carried her to their bed and gently laid her in the center. They cradled her between them, falling asleep, sated, satisfied.

Chapter 32

“Time?”

“Jesus, Tyler,” Thomas yelled. “Would you please lay the fuck off?”

“Well I’m a little anxious,” he yelled from the bathroom.

“No, it’s not freaking time yet. I’ll tell you.” He winked at Nevvie.

Nevvie sat on the counter and watched him, returning his smile. If the boys were like this now, she could only imagine…

As ever, Thomas was laid back and rolling with it. Tyler tried to plan it to the nth degree.

The past four years had been breathtaking. She’d let them push her to mental and physical limits she never dreamed. Professionally, getting her college degree, and sexually, always with the understanding they would never betray, hurt, embarrass, or share her with others.

Like wearing nothing under her graduation robe when she walked across the stage to accept her diploma, then fucking them in the backseat of the Ridgeline in the parking lot immediately after. The book signing tour in London that, unfortunately, Thomas couldn’t make, and Tyler fucked her from one end of the British Isles to the other. Then the architecture conference in New York, alone with Thomas, where he took her late one night on the top of the EmpireStateBuilding while Tyler talked on the phone with her, whispering in her ear for her to come for him.

Under their love and attention she thrived, bloomed, and the more she submitted to them the freer she felt. She was their life, love, and work partner in every way. Most of the time they didn’t engage in the slave play, either making tender love or simply curling up together and falling asleep. If she wasn’t in the mood, which happened rarely, she was happy to watch the men at play, frequently helping out, loving how aggressively tender they were with each other.

Thomas patted her leg. “This’ll be okay, sugar.”

She nodded, spreading her legs so he could lean against the counter and put his arms around her waist. She hooked her legs around his back and leaned on his chest, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of his hands on her through her shirt. He was her solid rock, real and earthy, her plain folk man who could soothe her out of a nightmare with his soft drawl. Not that she had many bad dreams anymore.

Thomas glanced at the kitchen timer. “Time,” he yelled to Tyler. Then he looked at her. “It doesn’t matter. Okay? No matter what, it’s what should happen.”

Tyler appeared in the hall, his face a mask, which wasn’t like him. He was the yin to Thomas’ yang, his quick wit and deep intellect and sensitivity always able to soothe her from the worst of moods or steady her with the perfect word and tender touch when she felt like the world had gone crazy around her.

If Thomas physically anchored her, Tyler grounded her soul. She could sense his moods, able to calm him after a scathing review or settle his mind when he suffered from writers block. Then she could go out to the garage with Thomas and help him work on the 1967 Mustang they’d bought her last Christmas, completely comfortable using her hands and enjoying an easy working rapport with him in a way she didn’t share with Tyler.

She felt like the luckiest woman in the world, with two men who complemented her the way she complemented them. She didn’t take it for granted. To lose either would create a gaping, devastating void in her soul she didn’t want to contemplate.

Tyler walked over to the counter and Thomas stepped to the side so they could form their triad, usually with Thomas on her left and Tyler on her right, each with an arm around her waist, and the other around each other. They leaned forward, heads touching. Nevvie finally broke the silence.

“Well?”

“What do you want it to be?” Tyler’s voice was unreadable.

She shrugged. “I don’t know.” She didn’t. She loved having these two beautiful men to herself, able to run around naked all day if she wanted or if they asked it of her, to jump on a plane and take off to a conference or book signing or romantic weekend getaway. But she’d been so sure of what she wanted, and now she wasn’t.

And of course, Tyler had sensed her conflicted emotions.

Not that she’d ever admitted her most secret fear, that if their delicate, stable balance was tipped, her attention pulled too much from either, would one or both leave? She was the fulcrum on which their relationship now balanced.

“Tyler, please.”

He kissed her forehead. “You’re not. I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s negative, love.”

How crazy was it that she broke down, wishing she was pregnant? They’d already decided as a family to let nature take its course and choose not to find out which man was the father.

The men held Nevvie, cradling her, letting her sob against them. Eventually Tyler scooped her into his arms and carried her to their bedroom. Both men cuddled her, consoling.

Tyler looked at Thomas and read the sadness in his eyes, sure it mirrored his own. A baby, fine, wonderful, but not at the expense of Nevvie’s peace of mind. She was the center of their universe, their princess, their Goddess.

Their wife.

No matter what games the three played, the men knew the truth even if she didn’t: Nevvie wasn’t their slave—they were hers.

* * *

She was still mopey later in the day. Thomas gently suggested reconsidering her decision, maybe waiting another year to try. It had only been five months, but each time it was harder on her, more agonizing for the men to watch her distress.

Three days later she still felt depressed, barely eating, staying home and doing little more than stumbling through her daily routine before going to bed early, curled around a pillow. Her grief was theirs and each night they protectively held her and each other, finally drifting to sleep.

Tyler wanted to cancel a four-day press junket promoting his newest book. Thomas insisted he go, that he’d stay home from work while Tyler was gone and take her to Dr. Aston, get a referral to a psychologist, if necessary. Tyler sat with her in bed before the car arrived to take him to the airport, stroking her hair, kissing her forehead.

“Sweetheart, please, don’t do this to yourself. It’s not worth it if you will go through this. We want you to be happy.”

This was the worst. The other times she’d bounced back to her normal self within a few hours, willing and eager to give it the old college try. Maybe it was because she wasn’t on the Pill anymore to even her hormones out.

She shook her head. “I’ll be okay. Please don’t worry. Go have fun. I’ll record the interviews—” She bolted for the bathroom. He made it to her side to hold her hair away from her face as she dry heaved into the toilet.

He called for Thomas, who grabbed a damp washcloth to wipe her face. Tyler looked at him. “I want her to see Dr. Aston today, Tom. Maybe I should stay.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I took a Tylenol for my headache around four this morning, and I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch yesterday. That’s all it is. I should have had a piece of toast or something. Please, go.” She squeezed his hand as they heard the car honk.

“I don’t feel right leaving you.”

She kissed him. “I want you to go. I’d feel horrible if you canceled because I’m a dork.”

He stroked her cheek. “You’re anything but a dork, darling.” He kissed her one last time. “Call me this afternoon, let me know what Dr. Aston says. If she says you need to talk to someone, then you will.”

Nevvie nodded and Tyler stood, kissed and hugged Thomas. “Stay safe, love.”

Thomas squeezed his hand before returning his attention to Nevvie. “We will.”

* * *

They sat in the Ridgeline in Dr. Aston’s parking lot after Nevvie’s appointment. Nevvie cried on Thomas’ shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. It was all he could think to say. Tyler was the one with the right words, and he was in New York by now. Thomas dealt with his spinning crush of emotions, never imagining a diagnosis would flip his world on its axis.

“No, it’s not okay. Dammit, this isn’t what I wanted!” She punched the dash.

“Sugar, life is rarely what we want.”

“This isn’t how I planned everything!”

“Watch it, honey. You’re starting to sound like Tyler.”

She sat back, wiping her eyes. “We can’t tell him over the phone. It’ll break his heart he wasn’t with us. He’ll feel guilty.”

“I agree.”

“If we tell him over the phone, he’ll insist on canceling his trip and coming home.”

“You’re right.”

She stared out the windshield. “He’ll know we’re hiding something. He’s goddamned spooky.”

“Right again.”

“Any ideas?”

He started the truck. “When we get home, I’ll make some phone calls, you pack our bags.”

“Fly up?”

“With any luck we can be there in a few hours.”

“Really?”

“I’ve loved him a lot longer and know him better than you do in some ways. We have to tell him in person, because you’re right, he’ll insist on coming home even though there’s nothing he can do, and if we try to keep this from him, he’ll know something’s up.

Nevvie nodded and stared out the window, Thomas holding her hand on the way home. She was in shock, Dr. Aston’s words still sinking in. There would be tests to schedule, a dizzying flurry of doctor appointments. She knew Tyler would want to take charge and direct everything, channeling his energy into the process to avoid dealing with his own emotions. It would probably be more stressful on him than on her. She knew Thomas would be there for both of them, their rock, their calm in the storm, holding them and keeping the peace, taking care of the big picture while Tyler focused on her.

“We’ll need to call Bob,” she said. “Find out what we’ll have to do, paperwork and stuff.”

Thomas squeezed her hand. “Let Tyler and me handle that. All that matters is keeping you comfortable.”

Thomas booked them on a flight, non-stop to JFK. He rented a car and negotiated the late-day traffic to the hotel. Tyler should have checked in already but he was being interviewed by NPR. They sat in the lobby and awaited his return.

He didn’t see them at first. When Thomas stood, Tyler stopped in his tracks. He rushed to them, sitting by Nevvie’s side on the sofa while Thomas retook his seat. Huddled together she whispered the news, and they held Tyler as he sobbed.

* * *

“Would you please sit down? You’re making me nervous.” Nevvie had received medicine to help with the pain and fought to stay awake.

Tyler paced around her hospital bed. As predicted, he’d taken charge once he received the news and recovered from his initial shock. She and Thomas stood back, knowing it was what Tyler needed. It got to the point where Tyler treated her like a china doll, forcing her to beg him to make love to her because he was afraid of hurting her.

She settled for sneaking vigorous quickies with Thomas in his office or when Tyler was gone to the store, able to moan with passion as he gave her what she wanted, to be vigorously fucked, screaming as she climaxed. These grew less frequent as she grew more uncomfortable. She settled for him burying his face between her legs, using his fingers to gently massage her, still a wonderful sensation but she wondered if she’d ever again have what she once did with her boys.

Neither man failed to make her feel beautiful and cherished and loved, but she wanted to feel sexy. In the last weeks she felt anything but. Worried about her and with growing anxiety, the boys even stopped making love to each other, focusing on her.

The bright spots were stunning moments of pure joy and laughter shared by all three. But when the decision was made to take her to the hospital that final morning, a deep current of anxiety and fear ran through them.

Thomas stood in the corner with his arms crossed, staring at the floor. He knew his role. He frequently caught Nevvie’s gaze across the room and winked at her, trying to keep her spirits up. He knew she was scared even though she hid it well throughout. As her face twisted in pain he stood at her side, Tyler on her other, crowding around her to support and hold her.

She gripped their hands. “No matter what, please don’t leave me,” she groaned. “Promise? Both of you. Don’t leave me alone.”

“We promise, sugar,” Thomas said, kissing her forehead. “You know that.”

“Don’t let them run either of you out.”

Tyler smiled. “Sweetheart, do you think they could if they tried?”

She fought another wave of grief. Everything she’d read, everything Tyler had found out, the classes, all warned of this. Emotions and hormones swinging all over the pendulum. Her life as she knew it was about to end. How would her boys be once everything changed?

Hours later, both men held her hands when the doctor came in to check on her. He nodded to the men. It was almost over.

Weak and tired, Nevvie wanted to give up while both men encouraged her to hold on a little longer. The pain meds had worn off and it wasn’t possible to give her more without knocking her out. All three agreed they didn’t want that.

Thomas carefully climbed into bed to sit behind and hold her. She lay against him, weak, trembling, and scared.

Tyler sat beside her, her hand in his, holding her gaze, talking to her, trying to keep his own emotions at bay.

She didn’t hear the doctor instructions, focused on Thomas’ soothing voice in her ear and Tyler’s calming look. When the end came she tried to hold on through the pain, squeezing their hands, closing her eyes and finally screaming.

Then it was over.

She collapsed against Thomas, his arms around her as he looked down the bed at the doctor. Tyler held his breath and prayed.

All three sobbed at the small, keening cry.

“Congratulations,” the doctor said. “It’s a boy.”

* * *

Three days later, Nevvie laid in bed at home and nursed their son. Tiny fingers and tiny toes fascinated the men. While she had no proof of which was the father, the baby’s intense blue eyes and wispy blond hair provided a hint.

Secretly, she was pleased. Next time she knew Tyler would help ensure their baby had Thomas’ brown eyes. But the few deep wounds that still scarred Tyler’s soul seemed miraculously healed with the arrival of their baby, and it had been Tyler’s idea to name him after Thomas’ father.

When the little guy finished and fell asleep, Tyler carried him to the nursery, the bedroom next door. He returned to find Thomas and Nevvie curled together.

“How do you feel, sweetheart?”

“Tired. Sore. Happy.”

Now that Adam Kinsey-Paulson had arrived, trepidation and anxiety had disappeared. Tyler sobbed with joy when they broke the news in New York, upset he hadn’t been with them to hear it and mad at himself the home test was wrong, causing her days of grief. She couldn’t imagine not having him there with her every step of the way. She’d always dreamed of them getting the news together, holding hands and rejoicing as one, but that minor disappointment was soon overshadowed by their preparations.

The puzzled looks they’d received at childbirth classes cracked them up. Perhaps assuming she was their surrogate, some couples reacted in surprise during class introductions when Nevvie referred to the men her husbands. Eventually those looks ceased and while both men usually went with her, sometimes only one could attend.

Only one nurse had dared to impart her version of morality on them during the labor and delivery process. Thomas’ angry complaint to the nursing supervisor got them a new nurse who made both men comfortable and welcomed during the delivery.

Tyler turned on the baby monitor then crawled into bed next to her. “It’ll be weeks, I’m sure, before you’re ready to ease back into things.

She kissed him. “We can compensate. And that doesn’t mean the two of you can’t have fun.”

The men exchanged looks. “That doesn’t seem fair to you,” Thomas protested, but she watched the front of his jeans fill in as he looked at Tyler.

“Didn’t my masters promise they’d give their little slave anything she wanted?” They had rarely played the slave game during her pregnancy, and not at all during the last few months.

She noted Tyler’s stunned look and his equally large bulge. He nodded.

“Haven’t I been a good little slave?”

Both men nodded again.

“Your little slave would love to watch her masters fuck each other. Maybe they’ll be nice enough to let me suck their cocks, too.”

Thomas grinned and shrugged, sitting up to unbutton his shirt. “Far be it from me to deny my sweet little slave anything she wants.”

Tyler raced to remove his shirt. “That makes two of us.”

THE END

WWW.TYMBERDALTON.COM

Content

LOVE SLAVE FOR TWO
Tymber Dalton

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32