by Maya Banks
“Come with me, baby. Come now. I can’t last. Oh God, baby.”
He raised his head, pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes closed tight. He kissed her, forceful, their tongues clashing.
Her orgasm built, became unbearable in its tension. She reached for it, desperate for release.
He withdrew then thrust into her in one forceful lunge. He cried out, and his every muscle locked against her. Even as his raw power slammed into her, he sheltered her, cradled her tenderly in his arms.
Kisses fell on her lips, her cheeks and down her neck.
Oh God, she was almost there, and he was slowing down. She let out a groan of protest, and he stiffened then looked down at her, regret flashing brightly in his eyes.
She was sorely tempted to fake it, but he’d know. He knew her better than anyone. She wouldn’t lie to him this way, and she was so desperate for release, there was no way she could fake the lazy aftermath of a really good orgasm when every nerve ending in her body screamed and begged for mercy.
“Jesus, I’m sorry, Reggie. God, I’m a selfish bastard.”
He reached down and slid his fingers between them. He found her clit and rotated one finger around the quivering mound of flesh.
She moaned and strained upward, reaching for the pleasure he offered. His hips rocked back and forth, slower now but with enough force to give her what she wanted.
“Tell me what you like, baby,” he murmured. “Show me what to do.”
“That,” she gasped. “Your fingers. Touch me, harder.”
He complied, applying more pressure, and he thrust deep.
She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth together. She was rising rapidly, nearing her peak with frightening intensity. After being on the edge for so long, she hit the rise with a sharpness that was nearly painful.
He rolled her clit hard, pressing in with his finger, finding that sweet spot. She exploded around his cock, her legs, her body, straining and spasming.
“That’s it, baby. Come for me. God you feel so good.”
She reached for his hand and pulled it away, no longer able to bear the sharp pulses shooting through her pussy. She pulled him down to her, and he continued to thrust until he slipped out in a warm rush.
He kissed her and pushed her hair away from her face with a gentle hand. Regret shone bright in his eyes, but she put a single finger over his lips.
“I should have taken better care of you, Reggie,” he said around her finger. “You weren’t with me, and I damn sure should have made sure you were before acting like a randy teenager with his first girl.”
She smiled and rubbed her hand over his cheek. “I’m only your second girl, Hutch.”
She could swear his cheeks reddened.
“I didn’t say that to embarrass you,” she said quickly.
He smiled back at her. “I know you didn’t, baby. I’m just sorry I didn’t make it better for you.”
She shook her head. “It was perfect, Hutch. You were perfect. Just perfect.”
He eased off her then looked down. “Want to take a shower with me? As much as I’d love to stay in bed with you for the rest of the night, I did promise you cheesecake and fudge.”
“Mmmm, can’t wait,” she said drowsily.
“I’ll go turn on the water. Meet me in two minutes.”
He stood then leaned over and kissed her brow before turning to walk toward the bathroom. She watched him, enjoying the view of his toned body.
She’d almost give up cheesecake and fudge to spend the rest of the night in bed with him. Almost.
CHAPTER 24
When Regina came downstairs a few minutes after Hutch, Sawyer was sitting on the couch watching television. He looked up when she stopped in the doorway.
Quiet intensity made his pale blue eyes even paler. He stared at her with something more than want or need. It was longing.
She crossed the room, and without waiting for his invitation, she crawled onto the couch next to him and snuggled into the crook of his arm.
He was warm and solid. She burrowed deeper, and he chuckled.
“If you don’t quit digging, you’re going to be underneath me in a minute.”
She grinned and laid her arm across his chest. He caught her hand in his and simply held it, lacing their fingers together.
“Where’s Cam?” she asked.
“Out firing up the grill.”
“Oh. We’ll have to go out in a bit and keep him company.”
Sawyer grunted. “I’m comfortable right here.”
“Mmmm, me too, but we should go out. Crank up some music. Maybe eat outside. It’s not so hot today.”
“Sure, if that’s what you want,” he said easily.
She raised her head to look at him. “Did you get things straightened out at the job site?”
He grunted again, and she smiled and shook her head.
“Your verbosity never ceases to amaze me. Of course you have plenty to say when you’re ordering me around,” she said dryly.
He laughed, and she watched in fascination as the action lifted away the darkness in his expression. The brooding look faded from his eyes as he gazed back at her.
“I have to go back out in the morning to meet the guy from the city, but it looks like a simple miscommunication. At the worst, we lost two days on the job. We can make it up.”
She leaned up and pressed her lips softly to his. “I’m glad you’re back. I missed you. Now, let’s go outside and find Cam.”
Sawyer studied her for a moment and then he touched a finger to her chin, tracing a line to her mouth and around her lips.
“You look . . . happier,” he said.
Before she could respond, he pushed himself off the couch. When he reached down to take her hand, she pushed him around so his back was to her. Then she stood up on the couch and hopped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He chuckled but reached around to grab the undersides of her legs with his big hands.
“Playful today, I see.”
She pressed her cheek to the side of his head as he walked toward the patio doors. “Maybe I’m just finding my way back.”
He stopped for a minute, his hand on the handle of the door. “It’s about time. We’ve missed you, baby girl.”
Sawyer stepped outside, and Cam looked up from the grill. He grinned when he saw Regina perched on Sawyer’s back.
“Where’s Hutch?” Cam asked.
“Making me cheesecake and fudge,” she said gleefully.
Cam shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Sugar’s going to kill you, Reggie darling.”
“Yes, but what a way to go.”
“I can think of better ways,” Sawyer said with a hint of suggestion to his voice.
She squeezed her arms a little tighter around his chest.
Sawyer walked over to the porch railing, turned and bent enough that Regina could rest her bottom on the rail but still hang onto his back.
“When’s the meat going on?” Regina asked hopefully.
“In about two minutes,” Cam replied. “Hungry?”
“Starving. I want the biggest steak.”
Sawyer grunted again, and she poked him.
“Where the hell do you put all that food, Reggie? I swear you have tapeworms.”
She grinned and stared at Cam over Sawyer’s shoulder. “I need food. And sugar. Red meat and sugar.”
“What you need is to start eating healthier or you’re going to keel over with a heart attack before you hit thirty.”
“That gives me two more years of culinary bliss then.”
He eyed her balefully. “Not funny. I want you around a lot longer than that, love.”
She softened and went all gooey inside at his tender words. She could endure daily lectures from Cam when he topped them off with statements like that.
“You’ve got Hutch all wrapped around your little finger,” he continued. “That’s why he’s in there contributing to your bad habits. I on the
other hand am not so easily manipulated.”
“Which is why you’re grilling steaks?” Sawyer asked innocently.
Cam shot him a glare.
“Maybe Sawyer and I should do the cooking,” she suggested.
Sawyer choked against her, and Cam looked so horrified, she giggled.
“It was just an idea,” she said.
“Yeah, a bad one,” Cam muttered.
She moved her arms from Sawyer’s neck and burrowed them under his arms and around his waist. She laid her head between his shoulders and sighed contentedly.
Life didn’t get much better than this. Nice weather, steaks on the grill, good times and her three best friends on earth. Correction, her three lovers. They were still the best friends she’d ever have, regardless of the fact that she was sleeping with them. And she’d never love anyone else more.
She hugged Sawyer tighter. When would their time come? And would he hold back as he’d done a year ago? There was so much latent power bottled up inside him. He wouldn’t make love to her as Hutch had, and it both excited her and made her nervous as hell.
Sawyer was . . . all rough edges and wild, untamed urges. And knowing him as well as she did, she knew he’d try and hide that part of him from her.
She sighed.
Sawyer tensed against her. “What’s wrong, Reggie?”
She smiled. “Nothing. Just thinking.”
He took her wrists and pulled them away from his chest and slowly turned around in her arms.
“About?”
“You,” she said simply.
“Going to share those thoughts?”
She stared up at him as an impish grin took over her face. “Nope. That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
There. She’d seen it. Flashing in his eyes. One moment of unrestrained power and dark, edgy desire. If she didn’t know Sawyer so well, he’d scare the shit out of her right now.
Big, hulking mass of humanity, intense blue eyes boring holes straight through her. His shaved head and trimmed goatee just added to that tough-as-nails exterior. The whole look made him unapproachable by most, and she suspected it was purposely affected. Sawyer didn’t exactly get up close and personal with anyone outside of her, Cam and Hutch. It was something she and Sawyer had in common.
She reached up and fingered the gold hoop earring in his left ear.
“You know, for someone who looks like such a badass, you sure are a big marshmallow.”
He frowned. “What was that for?”
“Just thinking out loud,” she said unapologetically.
“Well keep it to yourself,” he grumbled.
Cam snickered, and Sawyer turned to give him a ferocious glare.
He turned back to Regina. “Marshmallow? You call me a marshmallow and I’m not supposed to be offended?”
She grinned. “But you’re my marshmallow and you’re only marshmallowy with me.”
“Marshmallowy? Reggie, have you been sniffing cleaning products?”
Instead of answering, she leaned into his chest again and hugged him tight. Soon. She’d have him soon, and she’d make damn sure he didn’t treat her like a piece of glass. But for tonight, she was ready to enjoy being near them all again. Laughing and having a good time with the three people who meant everything to her.
CHAPTER 25
Regina slid the last bite of cheesecake into her mouth with something that resembled orgasmic bliss. When she opened her eyes, she saw all three guys staring at her. Not just staring at her, but devouring her with their eyes. Like she was the cheesecake she’d just scarfed down.
“What?” she asked.
“I think I’ve changed my mind about letting you have cheesecake,” Cam muttered. “If you eat it like that every time, I’ll be glad to let you have it as often as you like.”
She slowly drew the fork out of her mouth, letting her tongue linger on the tines as she got every last morsel.
Hutch groaned.
She grinned and set her saucer on the coffee table. “Is that all you guys ever think about?”
“Yes,” came the identical response from all three directions.
She leaned back as Hutch collected the saucer then made a pass through the living room to get the other dishes on his way to the kitchen.
The similarity between that night a year ago and tonight wasn’t lost on her. Much had been the same. She’d driven over. They’d grilled out then sat around joking and laughing. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, one of them had kissed her. She couldn’t remember who had instigated it. At the time she hadn’t questioned something she’d wanted for so long.
Tonight there was subtle tension. They were all thinking about that night, but they were probably also thinking about the fact she’d hightailed it the next morning.
It would be up to her to make any move. They wouldn’t push her. They didn’t want her to run again.
Her heart pounded as she gathered the nerve to do what she most wanted. They’d done the seducing the first time around, but tonight she would do it.
She pushed herself off the couch and walked slowly to the center of the room. She turned to see Sawyer and Cam staring curiously at her. Hutch returned from the kitchen and stopped behind the couch, his gaze on her.
She started to raise her hands to her shirt, but they shook too badly. She curled her fingers into tight fists and drew in breaths to regroup.
Nervous? Yes. But she wasn’t afraid. Not this time.
Slowly she uncurled her fist and began unbuttoning her shirt. She raised her stare to the three men in front of her as she shrugged out of the shirt and let it fall to the floor.
Hutch stood, hands shoved in his jeans pocket, his gaze riveted to her. Cam sat at the end of the couch, watching her every movement. Sawyer . . . he stared at her, peeling back her skin, digging deep. He simmered. She could feel the tension rolling off his shoulders. Big, powerful . . . hungry.
“Reggie, what the hell are you doing?” Sawyer growled.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” she asked softly.
Cam scooted forward, perching on the edge of the couch, obviously torn between the need to go to her and the need to gauge the reactions of Sawyer and Hutch.
“But why are you doing it?” Cam asked in a steady voice. “We don’t want this if you don’t.”
“But I do.”
She reached to undo her jeans and shimmied out of the confining denim. She kicked off the flip-flops and stood before them in just her panties and bra. Honestly, she’d prefer they do the rest. She hadn’t ever performed a striptease, especially not in front of an audience, but she wasn’t a coward either. Not anymore.
Her fingertips glanced over her rib cage as she ran them underneath her bra, around the back to the clasp. One hook, then two, and the bra fell loose around her. She straightened her arms, letting it glide to the floor with her other clothing.