by Fiona Archer
“All you had to do was share.” Dillon’s tired voice matched his sagging shoulders. “There was plenty of time afterward for you to let us know her wishes.”
Adam’s chest rose and fell with his heavy sigh. “Yeah, well, by then I felt the judgment.” He shrugged. “And I thought, ‘fuck ’em’.” He dropped back into his seat. “My brothers were the last people in the world I imagined would think I’d cut and run.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Seth saw Harper slide out of her seat and head inside. She was giving them privacy—again. He looked over his shoulder to see her disappear into the living area.
When he turned back, he noticed his brothers had followed her progress. Zach had sat back down, his expression thoughtful, Heath’s full of remorse, and Dillon’s? Sad. Plain sad.
Seth broke the silence. “We’ve all been idiots.” That was an understatement. “Whether you shared or not, Adam, I should have asked since your leaving pissed me off. Once Aurora passed, everyone moved out while I stayed with Dillon. As time went on, it got harder to ask you.” Seth raked a hand through his hair. “And that scared me, because the one thing we’d had, all of us, was the ability to say what we felt with the understanding the other person would take it on the chin and give an honest reply.”
Dillon once again leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together in from of him. “Since we’re being honest, I’ll say I was angry, hurt that Zach and Heath left so fast after Mom’s funeral. Adam I understood because he had to go back to base. Zach left after two weeks.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I felt like since Mom was gone, I didn’t rate any importance.”
“Brother,” Zach’s tone now had a harder edge. “I moved because the cabin came up for sale. I’d wanted that place since I first visited Razor’s Mountain years before. You know that.”
“You left before the sale had gone through,” Dillon accused.
“That’s how the owner wanted it. Those old timers have their own ways. Didn’t matter I’d been visiting the town for years. He was a mountain man, didn’t give a fuck about convention, wanted to see how I fit into his place. Considered it a fucking audition.” Zach’s laugh was mirthless. “And, bro, embracing the honesty here, I’ll share that Heath and I felt you needed your space after Aurora passed.”
“That’s true.” Heath glanced to Dillon on his left. “You were always closer to Seth, and that was okay. He was the youngest, the one you could most easily be big brother to. And you needed each other when we lost Aurora.”
Seth remained silent. He understood Zach and Heath’s points, yet he still felt Dillon’s isolation, his brother’s need to belong.
The muscles in Dillon’s throat strained as he swallowed. “I cared about all of you,” he said in a rough voice.
“Yeah, but you bonded with Seth, and that’s a good thing.” Heath spoke quietly. “Seth had just graduated. You had the business skills to help him realize his dream. We all gave money from our inheritance as financial backing but you gave more, not just in money but in expertise.” He switched his gaze to Seth. “We’re proud as hell of your achievements, Seth. But we also know Dillon’s played a bigger role than us in helping you make them a reality. Adam, Zach, and I are grateful he could.”
Seth battled to draw in enough air through resisting lungs. When was the last time Heath had discussed their relationship as brothers in such a stripped back, honest way? Years ago. “I couldn’t have made Shazad a success without all of you.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Seth.” Adam’s words sounded more like a command than a brother giving support. “You’re a fighter. All of us are in our own way.” He speared Dillon with his gaze. “That includes you.”
Dillon’s expression was wary. “Did it piss you off, when Mom left me the house and a bigger share of the money?”
The Aussie contingent had received two million each, but Dillon got the house, which was worth at least ten million, plus five more in cash. As far as Seth knew, none of them had ever questioned Aurora’s decision.
Adam’s expression lost a hint of hardness. “When I met Aurora, I had two changes of clothes, a torn copy of my birth certificate, and a knife to my name. By the time she passed, she’d given me a family. Everything else after that was a bonus.”
Family. Something priceless.
Trust Adam to give everyone a clear perspective.
And talking about what really mattered, Seth needed to check on Harper. He glanced over his shoulder, but she hadn’t emerged back into the kitchen. Probably sitting in the living area, wondering what the hell she’d stumbled into. After the last twenty-four hours with Seth, his coffee girl likely thought her family dynamic was now ideal.
“I’m glad we’ve cleared the air.” He and his brothers had a way to go, but in ten minutes, they’d talked more about their true feelings than in over the last seven years. For a bunch of men, that was probably enough to last another seven.
Seth stood. “Before Adam demands we all hug and sing “Kumbayah” with joined hands, I’m grabbing my girl and taking her home.”
He had no warning before Adam grabbed him in a headlock. “I should slit your throat for suggesting I’d insist on a display of such emotion and sensitivity.” Adam made a mockery of his words by releasing Seth only to crush him in a quick bear hug. “Now get lost,” he added as he pushed Seth away.
Zach grinned and gave Seth a one-armed man hug. “The hug I’ll allow. The singing is a step too far. Since we probably scared the crap out of Harper earlier, I’ll hang back and give you privacy before I check on Milly.”
Heath and Dillon both slapped Seth on the back. Heath waited until the others had stepped back, before speaking. “About Lincoln, Seth.”
“Don’t,” Seth interjected, his body tensing. “We’re cool, Heath. Don’t fuck that up.”
“Shut up and listen for a second.” Heath proved he was as stubborn as he was smart and ignored Seth’s warning. “Zach was right. I want the chance you’ve got for another conversation, another hour with someone you thought lost to you. But in fairness, you need to know Lincoln isn’t the one behind our problems. If and when he’s beyond suspicion think hard before denying yourself the possibility of getting to know him better.”
That’s why he wanted time, not just to ensure Lincoln’s name was cleared, but to make certain both he and his brother had clear expectations of what they wanted from each other. He’d already lost Lincoln once. The pain was raw enough he didn’t need to repeat the experience.
“I hear you. Now you have to let me decide.” Seth ignored the way Heath’s face tightened and walked back into the house. He grabbed Harper’s now empty basket from the kitchen counter and headed into the living room to find his coffee girl sitting on the chunky brown leather sofa with Milly’s head on her lap, his niece stretched out and fast asleep. “Hey, gorgeous.”
Harper’s smile didn’t hide the concern shown in the small lines between her brows. “Everything okay?” she asked in whisper.
Seth gently lifted Milly’s head so Harper could slide out and placed a thin cushion in Harper’s place. After checking that Milly didn’t stir, he led Harper into the foyer. “Scarily enough, yeah. We all shared a moment and then retreated back behind our manly exteriors.” She stared back at his attempt at levity. He sighed. “We’re guys Harper. There’s only so much talking allowed before our balls start to shrivel, and we revert to using fists as a primitive form of self-protection.”
“Considering I don’t see any bruising or bleeding, I’m guessing you scraped through okay.” Harper glanced down at the basket. “We’re leaving? Should I go say goodbye?”
“They know I’m stealing you away, babe. Zach was worried they’d scared you off.”
She looked back at the sofa. “Hang on a sec.” Harper walked toward the kitchen. Seth followed. She grabbed a piece of blank paper, picked up one of Milly’s crayons, and wrote a note, complete with a smiley face. “I don’t want her to think I just walked out.” With a wave to h
is brothers, she headed back to the sofa and dropped the note next to Milly. She dropped a soft kiss on the child’s head, and she and Seth headed outside.
“By the way, you can tell your brothers I don’t scare that easily.” She bumped his arm with her shoulder and grinned when he threw his arm around her and pulled her close.
He opened the front passenger car door, and when she moved into the space, he circled her with his arms, boxing her in. She looked up, her mouth slightly open. Full access. He made the most of the opportunity, pressing his lips to hers and sliding his tongue inside, tasting her. She moaned, a soft, feminine sound that heated his blood and his arms tightened around her. She pressed her hands against his chest, curling her fingers in his shirt. He wanted to feel them elsewhere; on his back, nails digging into his flesh, dragging over his skin. Leaving marks.
The piercing sound of a blaring car radio jerked him from his carnal haze. Two teenage boys gave him the thumbs up as they drove past. Little smart arses. But he’d been the one acting like a teenager. He risked a glance down at Harper.
Well, damn. Her eyes twinkled as her face lit up with her grin. How could he not smile in return?
“That’s twice in the same day we’ve been caught kissing outside Heath’s,” Seth shared.
“We’re going to get a reputation.” Harper’s smile deepened. He wanted to kiss her again, but didn’t trust himself to stop there. She gently pushed against his chest, and with great reluctance, he released her. “Doing it in front of a cop’s house gives us extra street cred.”
Seth burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it. The curvy minx was so bloody cute—a mixture of tease and sweetness that had him bewitched. The most alluring aspect? He was positive she wasn’t aware of her power; at least not to such a degree that she would use it to intentionally manipulate a man to get what she wanted.
Which only deepened his attraction to Harper more.
Thank God she’d admitted earlier she no longer needed space, because he was all done with waiting. Seth was moving in to stake a claim in a way Harper was left in no doubt. He wanted to know her secrets, her fears, the things she hadn’t shared yet.
How would Harper handle his brand of up close and personal?
Hmm, maybe he could have some fun with that?
Once they were in the car, he kept his gaze ahead as he put on his sunglasses. “When we get back to your place, I want you to stay in the living room while I get things ready in your bedroom.”
“What things?” Her tone was bright with curiosity.
“Your scarves and belts.”
Silence. But from the corner of his eye he caught the way she wiggled in her seat. Outstanding. Without further conversation he drove and watched her curiosity rise as she kept sneaking a look at him, her mouth opening to speak and then shutting before she glanced away.
They’d made it halfway back to her apartment before she cracked. “Seth, I’d like to know exactly what you have in mind.”
“I know.” He turned his head, seeing her gaze fix on his sunglasses. She wanted to see his eyes, but shielding his gaze put her off kilter, left her vulnerable. Ideal for what he had in store. “But some things are best experienced first-hand.”
Her eyes widened, but he didn’t miss the way her thighs pressed together.
Perfect.
****
Harper sat sideways on the sofa and dragged the feather toy over the taupe and lilac cushions. Mal pounced, snatching the blue feather up in his paws and chewed on it like a mighty lion. Her brave Mal. Harper gave a vague smile, but looked back to the living room’s opening into the hallway.
No sign of Seth. What exactly was he doing? She’d been sitting here ten minutes. Okay, maybe seven, but definitely more than five. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Manic much?
Little kitty paws brushed her hand. She opened her eyes to see Mal gazing up with his head back. She snuggled him to her chest, loving his head boops against her chin. “Hey, cutie. You did so well in my bedroom while we were gone. Soon you’ll have the whole apartment to yourself when I’m not here.” They’d graduated from quarantining Mal in the master bathroom to her full bedroom suite. So far, so good.
“Harper, bring Mal here.”
A shiver travelled up her spine. Such a deep, masculine voice. She rose and faced him. Seth leaned against the doorway with an air of easy patience. But that gleam in his eyes. Oh, my. The nerves in her belly quivered.
Once she stood before him, Seth gently claimed Mal from her grasp. “Go into the bedroom. Strip and I’ll be in. I’ll settle Mal in the spare room for now.”
Harper nodded and willed her legs to carry her without tripping on the hall rug. She entered the bedroom and stopped short. Two scarves lay on the end of the bed. Plus one of her thin leather belts—the red one. Her heart hammered in her chest. From excitement. Not fear.
In quick movements, she undressed, putting her clothes in the bathroom hamper. That’s when she noticed Mal’s bed, litter box and toys were missing. She bit her lip. Either Seth wasn’t taking any chances with Mal by including taking his bed in the spare room, or he planned to keep her busy for some time.
The small office chair from her spare room was also near her bed.
“That’s a gorgeous view.” Seth said from behind her. “And it’s all mine.”
She spun around. There he was; tall and broad and eyeing her like he was the big wolf and she a bunny that had strayed into his path.
“Nervous, sweetness?” he asked softly.
Yes!
“No.” She inwardly cursed the strangled note in her voice.
Seth’s gaze sharpened. “I’m thinking that’s not entirely true.”
Bravado pushed her to bluff. “You’d be wrong.”
He made a tutting sound. “Fibs earn punishment.” He grabbed her hand in a firm grasp and led her back to the end of her bed.
Punishment? “Er, wait a minute,” she said, dragging her feet, but to no avail as Seth sat on the bed and wedged her between his thighs.
“Don’t fear me, Harper. Do you remember your safe word?”
Would she need that? “Red.”
“Good.” Seeing his answering smile was like liquid happiness running through her veins, chasing away any unease. “I promise you’ll enjoy yourself tonight.” His eyes shone with a wicked gleam. “At least, after a while.”
What? Her mouth opened, but her voice fled as Seth lifted one of the scarves and ran it through his hand. The whole time, he kept his gaze fixed on hers, silently demanding her trust while tempting her with what he knew she craved.
And he was right. She so wanted this—the excitement, being brave, ramping their dirty play a notch—or two—higher.
A sense of rightness filled her. She lifted her hands in front of her. “Do your worst, handsome.”
His dark laughter ignited a flare of heat low inside of her. “Now you’ve challenged me, luv. I can’t let that go unanswered.”
She inhaled a steadying breath as he used the scarf to secure her wrists behind her.
“Step back.” He gently pushed her away from him, keeping his hands on her hips so she remained steady. Then he guided her toward the built-in closet until she was lined up with one of the half-moon shaped metal door handles. “Turn around, your back to the closet.”
She obeyed, and saw a glimpse of the red leather belt before feeling it slide through the scarf. Glancing over her shoulder, she watched him loop the belt around the door handle and secure it, effectively tethering her to the polished metal.
He pulled her out a step, enough for the belt to tug against her restraints. “Just right.”
Hell, his words sounded like a kinky-ass version of Goldilocks. And for a predator, Seth could definitely pass as the bear with his strong, wide shoulders.
Seth grabbed the footstool sitting in front of her wingback reading chair and dragged it over next to her right side. “For later,” was all he said before walking to her nightstand.
&n
bsp; What could he want there?
He turned sideways to glance at her while opening the drawer. “Checked these earlier. You have some interesting items in here, Harper.” He reached in, lifted out her eyemask, the extra wide ones she’d bought that didn’t let in a trace of light when she wanted to snooze in the afternoon. Okay, so maybe he hadn’t found—Then he pulled out her small silver vibe and a tube of lube. Lordy. His voice dropped to a subterranean level. “I think we’ll make good use of them tonight.”
She curled her toes in the carpet as he stalked toward her. Seth grabbed the office chair and slid it close, dropping the vibe and lube on the seat.
“Feet apart.” He looked down, watching her positioning. “Wider.” She shuffled farther making the distance about two feet. “Good.” He ran one hand through her hair, catching the strands at the back and softly pulling it and forcing her chin up. “Now we begin.” He leaned down and took her mouth with overwhelming skill, not ending the kiss until she leaned heavily against him, wanting more.
“Let’s start with a blindfold.” He slid the mask over her face, settling the elastic strap at the back of her head. His warm breath caressed her ear. “I want you feeling and hearing me, not getting distracted by thoughts and sight.”
Tied. Blindfolded. She was helpless. But he hadn’t ordered her to keep silent, right?
“Can I speak?”
His voice held amusement. “I’m counting on it.”
Somehow his words didn’t reassure her as much as she’d hoped.
She startled as his hands grasped her hips. His touch so firm. Yes, he always gripped her with purpose, like he wanted to feel her curves.
One of his hands moved higher up her side, skimming her flesh to cup her breast. He gently kneaded and stroked the plump mounds, drawing deep moans from her lips.
“One night I’m going to keep you like this, Harper. Naked. Hands tied behind you.” He pinched her right nipple, rolling the bud, first gently, then ever firmer. She bit her lip as a sweet stream of need flowed to her core. “Sitting beside me on the sofa while I read or at the table where I’ll feed you.” He moved to the other breast, pinching and rolling. “Then I’ll lay you on the table. Spread you wide.” His hand dipped low, sliding through her moist warmth. “Eat you.” He slid a wet finger over her clit, once, twice. Shudders of delight raked through her. She twisted her wrists, but the knots held tight. “Fuck you.” He thrust two fingers into her.