by Maya Banks
Elle sat cross-legged in the middle, her back against a pillow, while Cade reclined on his side next to her. Merrick served up the plates and then crawled up on the other side of Elle and propped his back on the headboard.
“What did you want to talk about?” Elle asked as she cut into her omelet.
Merrick paused and glanced at Cade before lowering his fork. Cade pushed up to a sitting position that put him more at eye level with Merrick and Elle.
Then Merrick cleared his throat. “You said you wanted to wait until after the fight to get married. Okay, so the fight’s over, and Cade and I would like to marry you if you’re still willing.”
Elle’s hand shook, and she had to set her fork down to keep it from falling onto the plate. She’d been so happy and…content…over the last weeks that she hadn’t given marriage any further thought. All her focus had been on Merrick and Cade and the impending fight.
“I want that more than anything,” she said, her voice trembling as hard as her fingers.
The relief in Merrick’s eyes was stark. Cade’s eyes darkened, and he slid his hand over Elle’s leg, gently squeezing her knee.
“Then I’m going to book an afternoon flight to Vegas,” Merrick said. “We’ll be there tonight. Tomorrow we’ll take you shopping for a kick-ass dress and everything you need to look and feel your best. Whatever you want, you’ll have.”
Elle smiled, her heart fluttering wildly at the tenderness—and excitement—in Merrick’s face. She reached down to put her hand over Cade’s where it rested on her knee, and she squeezed, her own excitement overtaking her.
“After we go shopping, I’ll book you into a spa where you’ll be pampered. You can have your hair and nails done, and then Cade and I will pick you up and take you to the chapel in the hotel.”
“You both spoil me so much,” Elle said.
“Get used to it,” Cade said in a gruff voice. “We plan to do a lot more of it.”
Her face flushed with happiness, she threw her arms first around Cade, squeezing him fiercely. He laughed as he caught her and returned her affectionate hug. He kissed her temple, and then she pulled away and launched herself at Merrick.
She pulled up at the last second, remembering how sore and bruised he was. But he wouldn’t let her get away with that. He hauled her up against him.
“Don’t hold back with me,” Merrick said. “I want all of you all the time. Stop worrying about hurting me. I’m fine.”
But still, she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck, and though she hugged him, she didn’t squeeze as fiercely as she’d done with Cade. Then she kissed the side of his neck and whispered next to his ear, “I love you so much.”
“I love you too, baby. Always. Remember that. It’s not going away. I’m not going away.”
She sat back against the pillows and surveyed the gorgeous specimens in front of her. A feast of male flesh. Finely toned bodies. She could look her fill for hours. And touch. She loved touching them. Simply running her fingers over their skin, feeling the hardness of their muscles.
“How long do we have until the flight?” she asked.
“I haven’t booked it yet,” Merrick said. “Was going to call Cathy and have her do it.”
Cade studied her curiously. “Why do you ask?”
She grinned slyly. “Because I wanted to know if there was enough time to show you and Merrick just how much I adore you both.”
“Oh hell,” Merrick breathed. “Let me call Cathy now. I’ll make damn certain we have time for whatever it is you want to do.”
C H A P T E R F O R T Y
SHE’D NEVER HAVE IMAGINED CADE or Merrick dress shopping, or that they’d be so patient. They indulged her every whim, though, and encouraged her to find the perfect dress and not to settle.
In the fifth shop, she found perfection. It was a strapless silver dress that fell down her legs in a shimmery curtain. It conformed to her every curve and gathered gently at her ankles.
Next she bought a pair of three-inch Cinderella heels that sparkled and caught the light, reflecting it so they shimmered when she walked.
Afterward, Cade and Merrick carried the bags to the spa and handed them over to the receptionist with strict instructions to pamper and indulge Elle and then have her dressed for the ceremony.
If the woman thought it strange that two men would be so adamant about having her ready for a wedding, she didn’t say anything. But when it came time for the two men to leave and they both kissed her long and hard, Elle could swear she saw a look of pure envy on the other woman’s face.
For the next two hours, Elle was immersed in pleasure. She was massaged, her toes and fingers done, and then her hair was swept into an elegant knot and arranged so that several tendrils floated down her face.
Then it came time to put the dress on, and Elle’s stomach was in knots as her excitement grew.
It was really happening. She was dressing for a dream wedding in Las Vegas, and Cade and Merrick would be here any moment to pick her up.
She slipped on the heels and surveyed her reflection in the mirror. She looked…radiant. Blissfully happy. Just like all women should on their wedding day.
As she stared back at herself, an image flashed in her mind. A fleeting memory, or maybe it was just a sensation.
Will he ever ask me to marry him?
It was a thought she knew she’d had before. More than once. There was lingering sadness—and worry—feelings she knew she’d experienced before.
Who was she thinking of?
The knot of anxiety grew in her belly. Was she doing the right thing? Was it really fair to Cade and Merrick to commit to them when she couldn’t remember her past?
“Miss Walker, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Walker are here for you.”
Elle shook off the lingering uneasiness and turned to the woman standing in the door of the dressing room. Cade and Merrick were waiting. For her. They wanted to marry her and build a future together with her.
No matter what was in her past, they were her future.
At peace with her decision, she walked out the door and into the waiting room where Merrick and Cade stood. When they saw her, their faces lit up and there was approval in their eyes.
When she saw them, her heart pounded a little harder.
They were both wearing black suits. Expensive. Well tailored. They looked absolutely mouth-watering, and they were all hers.
“Elle, you look beautiful,” Cade said as he came forward.
“You look fucking amazing,” Merrick breathed.
Cade reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box and handed it to her. With shaking fingers, she opened it to find a pair of glittering diamond earrings.
Merrick held up a necklace that matched and motioned for her to turn around so he could clasp it around her neck.
She felt like a fairy-tale princess.
They both reached for her hands after she’d attached the earrings to her ears, and they led her out of the spa to the waiting limousine.
Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a casino and were ushered out. The two men led her to the wedding chapel, where they were met by a couple who explained how the ceremony would be held.
Though the legalities concerned Merrick and Elle, there would be a special vow exchange between her and Cade at the beginning. At the end, instead of pronouncing Merrick and Elle husband and wife, the declaration would be made that Elle was given into the care of Merrick and Cade and that they would love and cherish her all the days of their life.
She was so jittery as they walked into the room where the ceremony would be held that she nearly stumbled. Cade caught her elbow, and then he pulled her in close to his side as they continued forward.
Positioned between the two men in front of the man performing the ceremony, she turned first to Cade as they exchanged vows.
His eyes were full of love as he held her hand, his thumb stroking over her knuckles. To her surprise, he produced a sparkling diamond solitai
re and slid it onto her ring finger.
It was the most gorgeous ring she’d ever seen, and it fit her perfectly.
When their vows were said, Cade leaned in and kissed her long and deep, his hands framing her face.
“I love you,” he whispered.
She smiled and kissed him again. “I love you too.”
He gently let her go, and she turned to Merrick.
His eyes were fierce, and to her complete shock, they glittered wetly. He caught hold of her hands and held on so tightly her fingers were bloodless. It was almost as if he were afraid if he let her go, she’d disappear.
His voice was choked with emotion as he recited his vows, and when she in turn recited hers, he swallowed visibly.
Then, as Cade had done, he produced a ring. He slid her diamond off and pushed on the platinum band before sliding her solitaire back in place.
“On the inside is inscribed, Merrick, Elle and Cade forever,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“I love it,” she whispered. “It’s perfect.”
And then he kissed her. Sweet. Hot. Deep and aching.
“You’re mine now,” he said softly, fiercely, his voice ringing with possessiveness.
She slid her hands into his and leaned up to kiss him once more. Then she reached back for Cade, pulling him in close so she was flanked by both men.
She listened to the rich, beautiful words that bound her to Merrick and Cade for all time. Absorbed them and held them precious in her heart.
A year ago, she’d been no one. Desperate, cold, more dead than alive. Cade and Merrick had taken her in. Given her care and love and had been infinitely patient, allowing her time to recover both physically and emotionally.
Now she had a new life. She had focus. And she had a future.
She loved and was loved in return.
She gazed up at her husbands’ faces, saw the joy and adoration in their eyes.
A year ago, she wouldn’t have considered herself lucky or fortunate. But now, she realized that whoever had tried to kill her had in fact done her a huge favor.
“Come on, Mrs. Walker-Sullivan,” Merrick said, pulling her toward the doorway. “I feel the distinct need to make love to you for the next forty-eight hours straight.”
“Only forty-eight?” she teased.
“To start with,” Cade said. “After that? Who knows. We have all the time in the world, and I plan to make love to you for the next forty-eight years.”
C H A P T E R F O R T Y - O N E
ELLE WOKE SPRAWLED OVER CADE’S body, her legs tangled with Merrick’s in the huge king-size bed in the posh resort where Merrick had booked their honeymoon.
Two whole weeks on the beach. A private beach where they wouldn’t be disturbed by the outside world. A veritable paradise where their every whim would be catered to.
They could make love, they could never dress if they wanted. They could play in the ocean or swim in the private pool assigned to their villa.
But the outside world had crept in via her dreams.
Even now as the fog surrounding her mind began to lift, she was left with a heavy ache in her chest that threatened to suffocate her.
Bits and pieces came back. More vivid than in the past. They lingered where before they’d always faded as soon as she’d awakened.
An image flashed. A man. A strong, hard man with piercing eyes. Even as she thought of him, her breathing sped up, and she wasn’t sure if it was fear or something quite different that made her react.
She shivered despite the fact she was sandwiched by two warm, male bodies.
She should be glowing in the aftermath of the tender lovemaking the two men had bestowed on her. They’d kissed and touched and caressed her for hours. Driving her to the brink of insanity with mindless pleasure. Only then had they let her achieve the ultimate satisfaction, and afterward, she’d lain in their arms, listening as they whispered their love for her.
And now, a shadow had intruded, and she hated it. Hated it for evaporating her earlier euphoria.
Knowing there was no way she was going back to sleep and wanting time to sort through the dream while it was still fresh in her mind, she carefully extricated herself from Cade’s hold.
He muttered a protest, and she whispered, “Bathroom.”
He let her go, and she slid down the length of the bed, careful not to disturb Merrick as she got up from the bed. She did go into the bathroom, but only to get one of the fluffy robes she’d thrown over the hook on the back of the bathroom door.
Cinching the belt tightly around her, she padded out of the bedroom and through the sitting area to the French doors leading onto a veranda overlooking the ocean.
As she slid open the doors, the sea breeze ruffled her hair and teased her nose. She inhaled deeply as she stepped outside, and instantly, the song of the ocean danced over her ears.
Overhead, the full moon shone brightly, surrounded by a crystal clear sky and a million stars that twinkled like fairy dust. The light from the moon reflected off the water and lit up the entire horizon like a splash of silver.
Taking a deep breath, she curled her fingers around the edge of the railing that circled the veranda, and she leaned forward, absorbing the serenity around her. She needed it because her thoughts were in turmoil.
Alabama. The ocean. Warm, sultry summer nights. Her feet in the sand. Warm Gulf water foaming around her ankles. And a warmer than usual October night where her life had been irrevocably changed.
She squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to still the images, the memories, but for once, they wouldn’t stop coming. Random. Impossible to sort out. So fast and senseless that it left her head spinning.
Eden, Alabama.
A coastal town.
Maybe being here in Fiji with Merrick and Cade had prompted her to remember the place where…
She shook her head because she couldn’t be certain it was where she’d lived at all. But she knew she had history there. She could feel it. She could remember vaguely. The name felt right. If she concentrated hard, she could conjure up images of the ocean and feel the hot sun beating down on her shoulders.
It was where she’d been betrayed.
“Elle?”
She turned to see Cade and Merrick stepping onto the veranda, the moon illuminating the area so she could easily see the concern on their faces.
“Is something wrong, baby?” Merrick asked.
The two men stopped on either side of her, both reaching to touch her in some way, whether it was to reassure her or them. She wasn’t certain which.
She took a deep breath. “I’m remembering,” she said in a soft voice.
Cade tensed. “What do you remember?”
She turned back to stare over the ocean, her hands curling tightly around the rail once more.
“Eden, Alabama.”
There was a long pause.
“Is that where you lived?” Merrick asked, finally breaking the silence.
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “It’s where I was raped.”
Cade slid his hand over her shoulder to her nape, and he squeezed comfortingly.
“There’s something there,” she said baldly. “Something familiar. I can almost see places. It’s so strange. They dance like images in my mind, but they’re just out of reach. I can’t touch them, but they’re there, and it’s so frustrating.”
Merrick put his hand over hers, his warmth bleeding into her cold fingers.
Then she looked up at him, their gazes meeting.
“I need to go back,” she said quietly. “I have to face my past and find out what happened to me. Who I am.”
“There is no way in hell you’re going alone,” Cade said in a menacing voice.
Startled, she swung her gaze to him. “I hadn’t even considered it.”
“Good,” Merrick said gruffly. “I don’t like the idea of you going back at all, but I understand why you have to. I don’t have to like it, though.”
She slid h
er arm around his waist and then reached for Cade. They pushed in close until she was surrounded by them. Their touch. Their heat. Their love.
It emanated from them in a tangible wave that she could sense with every breath.
“No matter what my past is, you’re my future,” she said, her jaw firming with resolve.
She didn’t want them to have doubts even for a minute.
“Damn straight,” Cade growled.
Merrick’s hold on her tightened, and he pressed his lips to her temple. “We’re keeping you, baby. Always.”
Some of the tension that had knotted her insides loosened and relinquished its stubborn hold. When she’d awakened, she’d been terrified. Afraid of what the future would hold. Afraid that somehow her past would threaten her present with the two men she called husband.
Now, standing between them, their quiet vows echoing in her ears, a perfect companion to the rush of the distant waves, peace enveloped her.
Her past couldn’t hurt her. It couldn’t control her. She’d survived whatever horrific thing had happened to her. Her future was with these two wonderful, amazing men, and no matter what, she’d never look back with regret.
“We have all the time in the world,” she said. “No hurry. First I intend to have the best honeymoon a girl could ever ask for. And then we’re going to go home and finish settling into our new house and celebrate Merrick’s victory with family and friends. Then and only then will we worry about what’s in Eden, Alabama.”
Cade tugged at the belt of her robe, loosening it so Merrick could pull it away. As it came free, the moonlight splashed over her naked body, and both her lovers lowered their heads to press kisses to her flesh.
“Eden, Alabama can wait,” Merrick said, his voice thick with desire. “Right now we’re going to make love to you until the sun creeps over the horizon.”
“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you both so much.”
Cade’s mouth closed over one taut nipple. “I love you too, honey. Always.”
Merrick claimed her mouth, and then he walked her backward to the plump couch just under the lanai at the edge of the veranda.