by Rhian Cahill
“Damn, you’re gorgeous. And your ass is so fucking tight. I can’t wait to ride it.”
Rand’s words floated around her mind as she tried to breathe. Gasping with the final pulses of release, her position finally began to hurt. Struggling to speak, Sunnie fought against panic as her vision blurred. Fingers brushed against swollen tissue as they withdrew from her throbbing body. She moaned when her legs were lowered to the bed. Soothing hands rubbed her from ankle to hip as blood flow returned. Sunnie lay there, slowly coming back to normal while the guys continued to run their hands all over her in comforting strokes.
“God, I could watch you come like that for hours,” Z said.
“You keep making me come like that and I’ll be dead in hours.” Sunnie licked her dry lips. “A body can only take so much pleasure.”
Rand climbed up on the bed to lie beside her, his head propped on his hand. “You shouldn’t lay down a challenge like that, Sunshine. I’d love nothing more than to prove you wrong.”
Her eyelids lifted slowly and her lips curled into a smile. “You know, it might just be worth it, but not yet.” Her eyes drifted closed again.
“Hey, no time for sleep. We should have been on the road already.” Z pinched her nipple.
“Ouch!” Sunnie opened her eyes to give him a dirty look as she slapped his hand away. “And whose fault is that?”
“Yours,” they said together.
“What? How’s it my fault?” Her gaze darted from one to the other.
“Besides the fact you’re too much temptation for one man, never mind two? Getting yourself off without permission would be the big no-no of the day,” Rand said.
Sunnie gaped at Rand. Without permission? What the hell?
Rand trailed a fingertip along her bottom lip. “It’s simple, Sunshine. All you have to do is ask.”
Z took the exit for the Central Coast Highway off the F3 Freeway. His brother’s house was in Pearl Beach, a tiny beachside suburb located on a secluded section of the coastline north of the Hawkesbury River. They’d been on the road almost two hours, but if traffic remained light they’d be pulling up to the beach house in about thirty minutes. Just in time for lunch. Good thing too; his stomach had started rumbling an hour ago. He reached for his water bottle and attempted to pacify his hunger.
It wasn’t the only appetite he had, but for now it would be the only one satisfied. Z figured it would be wise to take a step back from the physical connection for a few hours. While there was no doubt they clicked just as well at sex as they did in every other area of their friendship, they needed to learn to combine the two. That’s what he hoped their weekend getaway would achieve. He sneaked another glance at Sunnie in the rearview mirror.
Sunnie hadn’t argued back at the house, but Z had a feeling there would be hell to pay if Rand bossed her around too much. He was actually looking forward to watching the sparks fly between them, but not at the expense of their relationship. If Rand couldn’t learn to dial it back when necessary they’d be banging heads because, as much as Sunnie had seemed to enjoy the bondage, Z didn’t believe for one second that she’d be into the whole submissive mindset. She was far too independent for that.
The car interior was cool but the climate-control display showed the outside temperature had already soared to unbearable heights. Once lunch was out of the way he’d suggest a swim. With any luck the beach would be empty. Unlike the public beaches in the area, the one at his brother’s back door wasn’t accessible to anyone but the row of houses on Gabe’s street. And a number of the surrounding properties were home to elderly couples so in all likelihood they’d be the only people around.
“Hey, Rand, wanna check when the storm front is due to come through here?” Z asked.
“It’s supposed to hit Sydney around four this afternoon so I would think an hour or so after that, but I’ll double-check.”
“Did you pack my swimmers?”
Zeke glanced up into the mirror to find Sunnie still staring out the side window, but at least she’d spoken.
“Yep. The blue striped ones.”
Her head snapped around, her gaze colliding with his through the glass. “They’re too small and you know it.”
He smiled as he returned his gaze to the road. They’d been a gift from Sunnie’s mother last Christmas. An incentive for her daughter to lose weight, she’d said. From his perspective Sunnie was the perfect size. Tall and stacked, with a chest measurement most women envied and all men wanted to get their hands on, him included. Phoebe Michaels was barely five feet and no bigger than a stick insect, and thought anyone beyond those proportions was obese. Z ground his teeth at the thought of the mind games that woman had played with Sunnie all her life.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he answered Sunnie. “I know you don’t think they cover enough of you, but they’re more than adequate. To be honest, you look sexy as hell wearing them. I just couldn’t resist the thought of you lying on Gabe’s secluded beach in those two strips of cloth.”
“Whatever.”
Z heard Sunnie’s sigh and could imagine her rolling her eyes. He laughed but didn’t dare look in the mirror again for fear those baby blues would be shooting daggers at him.
“If the beach is deserted you can go without them, Sunshine.” Rand turned to look at Sunnie. “Of course, you may not make it out of the house at all.”
Sunnie sucked in a breath, and another quick glance in the mirror showed Z she was about to launch both barrels at Rand. As much as he’d been looking forward to the fireworks between his two friends, Z preferred the explosion not take place in the car.
“Oh, no. We’re getting out of the house. There’s no point driving all this way and not enjoying the beach.” Trying to keep his attention on the road as well as the two other occupants of the car, Z chanced a couple of quick looks to be sure the battle wasn’t about to begin. Finally he glared in Rand’s direction to make it clear he wasn’t happy with him, but the bastard only grinned. That’s when Z figured out Rand was pushing Sunnie’s buttons on purpose. For what reason he couldn’t guess but the second they had two minutes together he’d find out.
As Z approached a sharp bend in the road he turned his full concentration back to driving. The curve revealed Broken Bay to their left; the beautiful blue stretch of water eased his breath. He loved the ocean. Everything about it called to him—the sand, the surf, the sun, all-important parts of summer life for him since he was a kid. That was why he and Rand got on so well. They often joked about being twins separated at birth. Not surprising that they’d found themselves equally hooked on Sunnie. She wasn’t the only one they’d discovered a mutual attraction for over the years, but she’d been the only one they’d kept their hands off.
He drove down the quiet residential street that joined his brother’s road. It always made him smile, driving this last stretch of pavement, because he knew in five minutes he’d be relaxing on his brother’s back deck looking out over the water and enjoying a cold beer. With a sigh, he swung the car around the last bend and caught a glimpse of crystal blue sea through the trees on the left, a small snippet that was quickly swallowed up by the surrounding trees and houses. When he reached his brother’s place he drove into the carport and killed the engine.
“We’re here,” he said.
“About time. For a man with a V8 supercharged under the hood you sure drive slow.” Rand unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door. “The key in the usual spot?”
“Yeah, I’ll grab the bag and cooler while you get it.” Z slid the keys from the ignition and flung the door open while popping the catch on his belt.
Z hit the button to open the trunk as he climbed out. He pocketed his keys and opened Sunnie’s door on his way to the back of the car.
“I’ll carry something to the house,” Sunnie said as she stepped next to him.
“There’s only the cooler and one bag of clothes. I can grab both.” Z bent down and grabbed the sports bag. Throwing the straps over his shoulder he hoisted
it high and reached for the cooler. “If you want to help, shut the trunk and lock the car. Keys are in my front pocket.”
He cocked his right hip toward Sunnie and tried not to drop the bag or cooler. Her hand slid into his pocket and Z froze. Heat from her fingers scorched his skin through the quick-dry material of his board shorts. It only took Sunnie a moment to notice what she was doing and even less time to work the situation to her advantage. Before she removed his keychain he was breathing heavy and threatening to burst out of his pants.
“Not fair, Sunshine,” he groaned.
Sunnie smiled. “Life never is.” She reached for the trunk lid and slammed it down. With a flick of her wrist she aimed the alarm fob at the car and the telltale double beep told him she’d locked it tight. Picking up her beach tote, she strode off in the direction of the front door.
Z’s jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together as he fought to pull himself back under control. The woman had him on the verge of tossing his armload and tackling her to the ground so he could do the one thing they hadn’t gotten to yet. Bury his cock in her pussy. He didn’t have time to dwell on his problem though. A bigger one presented itself, with a rustle of leaves, a roared obscenity, and a loud crash. Rand fell out of the tree beside the front steps.
“Fuck!” Z dropped the cooler and bag and ran toward his friend.
“Rand. Rand, talk to me.” Sunnie knelt, a look of concern on her face.
“I’m. Good,” Rand puffed out between his teeth.
“What the hell happened?” Z asked.
“Either I’ve put on weight,” Rand gasped. “Or your brother moved the bird feeder higher up.”
Z glanced up into the tree. Sure enough, Gabe had moved the feeder and it now sat in the smaller branches. He looked back down at Rand.
“Think you can get up?”
“Yeah. Give me a hand.”
He offered his hand and waited for Rand to get a good grip. When his friend gave the nod, Z slowly eased him to his feet. At first he thought Rand might fall but Sunnie quickly wrapped her arm around Rand’s waist and let him lean on her shoulder. Not that Z thought she was actually holding up the six foot two inch frame that was their friend. Nope. Rand was milking the fall for all it was worth. Z grinned and went back for their gear.
“In all that drama did you even get the key?” he called over his shoulder.
“Yes, thank God. There’s no way I’m risking life and limb again,” Rand said as Sunnie helped him up the three front steps.
“Want me to call an ambulance to take your pansy-ass to the emergency room?” Z chuckled at the dirty looks both his friends sent in his direction.
“Z, have some sympathy.” Sunnie glared at him with narrowed eyes.
“Sure, sure. Just get the key off him and open the door. This thing is damn heavy.”
Sunnie pushed the door open and helped Rand inside to the couch before racing around the house to open windows and doors to let some of the stale, hot air out. She took off upstairs when she had the ground level done. The sea breeze blew in through the deck doors and Z sucked in a deep breath.
“Damn that smells good.”
“Yeah, it does.” Rand turned to look out the patio doors. “And get a load of that view. Why don’t we come up here more often?”
“Don’t know. I’m starting to wonder why I don’t take my brother’s advice and buy a place up here.” Z walked over to the kitchen area and set down the cooler just as Sunnie came back downstairs. “Sunnie, want to help me unpack the food and get some lunch together while the bird with the clipped wing rests his sorry ass?”
She frowned at him but didn’t reprimand him for calling Rand more names. “What did you pack in the way of food?”
“Let’s see.” Z lifted the lid and started removing food. “Steak, salad, ham.”
“I threw in a frozen pizza too,” Rand said.
“You think it’s still frozen?” Sunnie’s right eyebrow arched.
“No, I guess not,” Rand murmured.
“Did you bring any bread to make sandwiches with?” Sunnie asked.
“Shit. I knew we had to stop for something.” Z pulled out the pizza box and ripped open the end. What came out didn’t look too appetizing. As it thawed all the toppings had slipped to one side because Rand had stupidly packed the box on its end, not flat. “Crap.”
“Here. Give me that.” Sunnie snatched the defrosted pizza from his hands. “You go down to the shop and get either fresh bread rolls or a loaf of bread. By the time you get back I’ll have everything ready to eat.”
“Are you sure?” He glanced at Rand. “I’m happy to fix it all when I get back.”
“I’m sure.” She started to cut open the plastic wrap on the pizza. “Take Rand with you. He looks fully recovered to me.”
“I think we’ve been dismissed, Z.” Rand pushed from the couch. “Do we want anything other than bread?”
Sunnie rummaged through the rest of the cooler contents. “Nope, looks as though you’ve got everything else covered.”
“Okay, we’ll be back in ten.” Z kissed Sunnie on the lips. “So you don’t forget me while I’m gone.”
Rand walked over and mimicked Z’s move. “Or me.”
They left the house with Sunnie staring openmouthed after them.
Chapter Six
Sunnie hadn’t meant to run them out of the house earlier, but she’d needed space and she wasn’t getting any with them around. She was certain they didn’t intend for her to feel smothered, but that’s exactly how she felt. Like someone had wrapped ribbon around her chest impossibly tight, restricting her air intake. They were longer than ten minutes at the shop and she hadn’t a clue what was said, but since their return the day had taken on an easier tone. The nerve-racking tension of earlier had gone, much to her relief.
They’d enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the deck before changing into their swimmers and heading down to the beach. Rand and Z were swimming about fifty feet from shore while Sunnie sat in the cool, wet sand at the water’s edge letting the gentle waves roll over her feet. She was in the dreaded swimsuit—the one that barely covered her. Like the pinup girls of the last century, Sunnie had curves and an impressive bustline. Sunnie smiled. She might not be comfortable in the bikini but even she had to admit she looked hot in it. Her mother couldn’t undermine Sunnie’s confidence in her body image no matter how many tiny bathing suits she bought her.
Unfortunately her mother had the ability to make her doubt every other aspect of herself. From her career choice to her taste in ice cream flavors, Phoebe Michaels could destroy Sunnie with a few words. And why the hell was she thinking about her mother now? She had far more enjoyable things to contemplate. Starting with the two sexy men currently swimming back to shore. Sunnie dug her fingers and toes into the soggy sand and pushed to her feet.
“Last one back to the house has to do the dishes,” she yelled before she took off up the beach.
Sunnie made it up the stairs and to the patio doors before they caught her. Unprepared for the tackle that took her down, she lost her breath and the rest was squished out of her when two solid, dripping wet bodies sprawled on top of her. Pinned beneath them she gasped for air until they scrambled off and dragged her from the floor.
“You okay?”
“Where does it hurt?”
Two sets of hands roamed her body searching for injury. They squeezed and stroked, checking her limbs with exaggerated care. But the simple touches soon changed; the long sweeps and gentle probes turned erotic, sending chills and goose bumps in every direction, and Sunnie became breathless for a completely different reason.
“Damn, Sunshine, tell me you’re not hurt,” Z growled in her ear. He nuzzled the sensitive spot on her neck just below her jawline, and a shiver raced down her spine.
“Tell us.” Rand followed his demand with the scrape of his teeth over her collarbone.
“I-I’m fine.” Words left her lips on shaky breath.
“Bathroom.�
�� Z lifted her off her feet. “We need to wash off the sand and salt.”
She clung to his neck and stared at Rand as he followed them deeper into the house and up the stairs. When Z placed her feet on the bath mat her knees shook, threatening to give way, but Rand gripped her elbow to steady her while Z started up the water.
“Shit. I forgot Gabe said the hot water wasn’t working.”
“Then we better make this quick,” Rand said.
Z sucked a breath through his teeth when he stepped under the spray. Sunnie shuddered at the thought of a cold shower. She liked hers on the hot side, even in the middle of summer, but there was no escaping this necessary wash down. She turned to see Rand, grim faced, stripping off and getting ready to follow Z.
“After you,” Rand said.
“Oh God.” Sunnie leaped forward. “Aargh…”
Any breath she may have caught in the last few minutes instantly evaporated. The water wasn’t just cold; it was damn near freezing. Goose bumps broke out all over her body, her nipples turned to rock-hard nubs beneath her swimmers, and shivers rattled her bones from head to toe.
“Move over. Let’s get this done.” Rand squeezed in behind her, his body warm against her back.
“G-good th-thing your b-brother has a b-big sh-sh-shower.” Sunnie’s words were punctuated by the clacking of her chattering teeth.
“Fuck. It’s worse than Bondi in winter.” Rand reached passed Sunnie and grabbed the soap. He quickly lathered his hands and offered her the bar. “Here, pass the soap around.”
Sunnie’s fingers were shaking so much she couldn’t hold on to the slippery bar and the small square shot off into the wall before falling to the floor. “S-sorry.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of you first,” Z said.
Dropping to his knees, Z retrieved the soap and began washing her legs at the same time Rand cupped her shoulders. Together they rinsed away the sand and salt from her body, removing her swimsuit as they went. Sunnie was so cold she couldn’t protest or enjoy their efforts. Not even when Z stroked her breasts and between her legs, or when Rand wove his fingers through her hair. All she could do was tremble and listen to her teeth chattering. As soon as they were satisfied she was clean Rand gripped her waist and lifted her out onto the mat.