by Jayne Rylon
It did.
Jace roared as the desperate criminal resorted to biting Jace’s arm while they grappled. The guy took advantage of the temporary loss of motion in Jace’s arm and emerged from their tussle holding Jace’s gun.
Ian leaned forward, prepared to take up the fight.
“If you come one step closer, I’ll blow his head off!” the intruder roared at Ian while pointing the gun at Jace. “Then I’ll take care of your lady friend here and save you for last. Maybe I’ll make you watch me fuck her first, since you’ve tied her up for me. It seems she’s the kind of bitch that’ll fuck anyone based on all that racket you were making. I appreciate it. If the fucking floor hadn’t given out, I’d have taken off before you even realized I was here. Stupid fucking cops.”
He spit on the floor then pointed the gun directly at Jace’s face.
“No! Don’t hurt him!” Casey screamed. How would she live the rest of her life after watching his brains splatter all over her dove-gray walls and the white carpet of her perfect penthouse? She couldn’t survive it. Couldn’t stand for him to be stolen from the world now that she’d just rediscovered him and their undying connection.
In that moment she knew, unequivocally, that she loved Jace West.
Always had and always would.
He glanced over his shoulder at her and Ian. The look he gave them said everything she’d ever needed to hear from him. Pure adoration radiated from him in that moment.
Jace was resigned to his fate.
Except right then a bang sounded from down the hall.
Not a gunshot.
It sounded more like the front door smashing into the wall after being kicked in.
A moment later, Gabriel’s voice rang out, ordering Goliath, “Go, boy! Find them, get ’em. Go!”
Their savior must have heard her screams on the way to their morning walk.
After playing with the friendly if oversized pup, she never would have imagined he could transform into the vicious, snarling freight train of terror that barreled into the room a few seconds later.
His head whipped toward her, then to Jace, who whistled. “Goliath, here.”
The animal must have sensed the aggression in their intruder. He didn’t hesitate. He barked furiously as he leapt. His weight crashed into the guy holding a gun on Jace, causing enough distraction to allow Jace to duck just as the man pulled the trigger.
Goliath yelped and fell to the floor along with Jace.
Ian shouted for his partner and joined the fray. He bashed the intruder in the face with his elbow, dazing him long enough that Jace was able to wrestle the gun from his hand and turn it on him. Jace trembled with a rage Casey hadn’t seen in him since he was young and powerless to help the women his father attacked.
“Jace, no!” she screeched, trying to drag herself closer to him. With her wrists bound and completely numb, it was futile.
Casey shouldn’t have worried. Ian was there. He wouldn’t let Jace do anything that would land him in trouble. He wrapped his fingers around Jace’s wrist and spoke softly, calmly. “It’s over. Backup will be here in a few minutes. Don’t do it, Jace.”
From the doorway, Casey heard Gabriel praying through his tears as he looked at the blood pooling on the floor beneath Goliath, who’d gone still.
“Is he…?” Casey couldn’t even say it. She felt sick.
Ian watched Jace, while Jace watched the man responsible for this nightmare.
Gabriel ran to Goliath. He whipped off his shirt, wrapped it around him, high on his front left leg, then cradled the dog in his arms. “I think I can feel a pulse. A faint one. He needs a vet. I can’t wait. Everly went to call 911.”
“Take him,” Ian said without once shifting his focus off Jace.
Gabriel lifted the dog and staggered out, the rest of them be damned. Casey didn’t blame him one bit.
“You might as well shoot me,” the burglar taunted Jace, trying to get him to do it. “I’m a dead man in prison. I know too much. You know the boss will have me killed before the first night is over. At least this will be over before I know it.”
Ian stepped in then. “Or you could help us out. Tell us everything you know and put a stop to it. Our captain will cut a deal with you, protect you.”
The man scoffed, but he didn’t seem entirely committed to his disdain.
“You’re right. You don’t have a very long life expectancy in prison. Think about it.” Ian morphed into cop mode before her eyes. He was persuasive as fuck.
The guy didn’t respond. He gave Ian a barely perceptible nod, though. With a key witness like this scumbag, they were going to have all the testimony they needed to put the kingpin away for good. “They sent me to check around for anything that had been left behind. There’s at least a million dollars stashed in bundles up there and I know where the body is.”
“Which body?” Jace asked.
“The one of the guy who used to live here.”
At least this had all been worth it.
13
Casey admitted it. She was hiding.
After tolerating what seemed like endless questioning, which she generally understood the need for from her law classes—even if she wasn’t a criminal attorney—but definitely did not appreciate, she slunk off to her master bathroom.
She’d dumped an entire box of bath bombs into the claw-foot tub overlooking the Manhattan skyline, filled that fucker full of steaming hot water, and climbed inside, hoping to scrub away some of the lingering terror and hopelessness that would haunt her for a good long while.
The mirrored film on the window allowed her to see out without giving anyone with binoculars or a telescope a show. She studied the patterns of the traffic on the grid of streets and the frantic pace of life most of New Yorkers reveled in.
Casey was one of them. Or had been.
What had happened earlier, nearly losing her own life or those of her loved ones, had her rethinking a few things. She wasn’t ever going to be happy being idle. But maybe there was a middle ground. If the guys agreed with her, she hoped they could explore it together.
A soft knock came on the door. “Are you decent?” Jace asked.
“No. But you should come in anyway.”
He poked his head around the door. “Damn.”
Jace came inside and closed the door. Either because there were still people out there, documenting the crime scene, cleaning the blood out of her rug, and conducting interviews with Ian. Or because he realized she wanted to keep the steam inside where it filled her lungs with warmth and the soothing scent of essential oils.
He stared at her.
“What?” Casey lifted her hands, cupping her breasts and shielding herself from his scrutiny.
“Sometimes it’s hard for me to see the girl I used to love inside all this fancy wrapping.” Jace sat on the edge of the bathtub and swiped the washcloth from her hand.
“I’m still the same person, but better. Why can’t I be both?” She blinked up at him, damp lashes probably looking even darker on her pale skin when they clumped together. Hopefully he didn’t mistake her temporary need to recover for weakness. “Is it so bad, to enjoy these things I’ve worked hard for?”
“That’s not what I’m trying to say.” He ran the soft linen across her skin reverently. “It’s just like going to a museum or something. Like I should look, but not touch. Like I’m some common slob staring at a masterpiece.”
“I like it when you touch,” she admitted in a sultry murmur. “Maybe this will jog your memory. Do you remember that summer I talked you into manning the dunk tank at the school fundraiser?”
“The summer you were also the high school’s star softball pitcher?” Jace shook his head, laughing. “Uh huh, sure do.”
Casey wrapped her fingers around his wrist and yanked, sending him tumbling into the sudsy water. Sputtering, he surfaced, slinging water everywhere with a shake of his head. “What the—?”
Ian burst through the door then, gun dra
wn. “Is everything okay?”
“She’s lost her fucking mind.” Jace stared at Casey with huge eyes. “And now I made a mess.”
Oh no, that wouldn’t do. Casey lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, plastering their soaked bodies together. “Just because I can afford nice things doesn’t mean I don’t like to get down and dirty. And if you think for one damn minute that you’re not good enough for me, I’m going to dunk you again until you listen to what I’m saying. If you freak out and leave me right now, when we’ve only just found each other again, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get over it. If you want to be with me—both of you—now that you don’t have to stay, it’s going to be important not to trigger my fear of losing you again. Especially after what could have happened today.”
Ian chuckled from the doorway. “Maybe he’ll believe it considering you’ve said exactly what I told him a minute ago.”
“See, Jace, Ian’s so smart. You should listen to him.” She kissed him then so he knew she thought he was plenty amazing, too.
When they finally broke apart, he said, “I’m taking you to bed before someone slips and knocks themselves unconscious. We work with the paramedics too often to have to call in something like that. We’d never hear the end of it.”
“Here, let me dry her off before you mess up her pretty sheets.” Ian whipped a towel off the heated rack and held his arms open. Jace lifted her from the sudsy water and offered her to his partner. They really were like a two-man machine, working in tandem.
Ian collected her from Jace, then set her on the bathmat. He paid special attention to her breasts and between her legs while Jace shed his own sopping clothes then hurriedly swiped a towel across his stunning body. Casey promised herself she’d take time to explore every single inch of it with her tongue at some point soon.
“I think she’s dry enough,” Jace growled.
Dropping the towel, Ian followed the same trail he’d brushed the terrycloth over with his fingers. He hummed and stole a kiss. When he lifted his head to look at Jace, who didn’t seem to mind too much, he said, “Wrong again, my friend. She’s plenty wet.”
Jace cursed, then scooped her up and hoisted her over his shoulder. Her bare ass stuck into the air as he strode into her bedroom and tossed her on the bed. Casey squeaked as she bounced.
It took her a moment to realize the curtains were still drawn, thanks to the circling news choppers. The soft, warm light flickering around them came from at least a hundred different tea light candles scattered around the room. Flower petals dotted the spaces between them. She knew Ian was responsible for the intimate setting.
“I take it this means everyone’s gone and the place is locked up?” Jace asked.
Ian nodded.
“How did you pull this off?” Casey asked, touched that he’d bothered, even knowing he was going to get lucky regardless.
“Everly had some supplies leftover from a reception on the rooftop deck.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal that he’d gone to the trouble of asking her and making sure what might be their last time together was perfect.
As if by tacit understanding, the guys shifted gears from the animalistic claiming they’d staked previously to something softer, more romantic, and sincere. Something she’d have a hell of a hard time resisting. Afraid to ask if this meant they were looking for more than a few quick fucks, Casey decided to enjoy their time together before ruining it with worries.
“Ian’s going to fuck you,” Jace told her as he sat near her head and rested her face on his thigh. “I want your mouth on me while I watch. I love to see you enjoying yourself.”
“You never were one to turn down a blowjob, either,” she joked.
Ian spanked her then, surprising her. “He’s not joking. It means a lot to him to see you happy, you know?”
Casey nodded. “Same for me.”
“Good.” Ian smiled and put her in position. She was lying on her back, her head still on Jace’s thigh. He cradled her head in his hands and directed her mouth where he wanted it.
She licked him first, remembering the musky taste of his flesh and how turned on she got using her mouth to unravel him. Jace, her strong, protective boyfriend, could be easily undone with attention from her tongue and lips in just the right places. Casey did her best to drive him wild.
In the meantime, Ian began to do the same to her. He put on a condom then settled over her. The weight of his full contact was nearly as good as the handcuffs had been earlier. She felt secure, surrounded, maybe even loved.
He eased inside her and began to make lazy love to her. No hurry this time.
They wanted it to last. So did she, afraid that this might be a farewell fuck.
For longer than she could keep track of, they took care of each other’s needs, indulged each other in a competition to see who could give the most pleasure.
She sucked on Jace’s cock, softly at first, treating him to gentle licks and hums. Only after she began to taste his precome did she begin to escalate her attentions. Around that time, Ian also cracked, beginning to pump inside her a little faster and harder.
It was the most decadent sex of her life. And also some of the most meaningful. Because it became about what each of them could give instead of what they were receiving in return.
When a moan slipped from her, the guys responded in turn.
Finally it was too much. She began to clench around Ian.
“It’s time,” he told Jace.
Jace smiled down at her. “I love you, Casey. I always have. I’d do anything to give you this feeling forever.”
It was as if he’d found a secret G-spot in the region of her heart. Casey responded in the only way possible. She came, shuddering between Jace and Ian. Her climax wrecked them, drawing the come from Ian’s balls as surely as her moans around Jace’s shaft triggered his orgasm as well. He shot pulse after pulse of seed down her throat.
Greedily, she drank it, eager to have any part of him he’d share.
Ian groaned, locked himself as deep as possible within her, then collapsed on top of her. She reveled in the weight of him, pressing her to the mattress.
Eventually he rolled, taking her with him so she lay on his chest. Jace stretched out beside them, putting a protective arm across her back. She took turns kissing each man until they succumbed to exhaustion.
14
It was late afternoon before they roused from another round of spectacular sex. Jace untangled himself from her and Ian reluctantly followed suit, letting her go from his embrace. Was this where things got awkward?
“Well, I guess we should head home and let you get a good night’s sleep since you’re going back to work tomorrow.” He brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes, then kissed her forehead softly and sweetly. “I know you’re going to want to be on top of your game.”
Didn’t he understand that she’d sleep far better with him and Ian here than when she was alone? “Why don’t you guys stay?”
“Like for the night?” Ian asked.
“Or however long this lasts. Maybe a lot longer…” She was afraid to over commit or frighten them away. They were notorious bachelors, after all.
Speaking for herself, she couldn’t imagine ever growing tired of their special brand of loving or how they satisfied both the base and sophisticated facets of her personality.
“What will you do when people talk?” Jace asked.
“Living with us, having an unconventional relationship, could jeopardize your career.” Ian frowned. “We wouldn’t ever do something that would hurt you.”
“Oh no, not this again.” Casey shook her head vehemently, grinning inwardly when their gazes locked on her jiggling tits. “I’ve learned my lesson the hard way. My happiness is more important than what people think of me. If anyone objects to my personal choices or my lifestyle, they can fuck off. I’m still one of the best at what I do. If my place in the company deteriorates, I can always start my own practice and become t
heir competition.”
“So…are you asking us to move in?” Jace asked.
“This penthouse—and my bed—are plenty big enough for three. Just saying.” She nibbled her lower lip. Each second that passed seemed to take as long as one of her bar exams. “There are even enough rooms for you each to have your own if you’re not sure about sharing the same space right away. Or I could sell it if you prefer Ian’s townhouse. Not that I’m inviting myself or anything.”
“Maybe we’d better test your bed out again, so we can compare it to Ian’s place.” Jace winked at her before tackling her to the rumpled sheets. She shrieked as he and Ian ganged up to tickle her ribs.
At that, a deep bark echoed off the walls and windows of her room.
“It’s okay, Goliath. Don’t get up. I’m fine. They’re just playing.” Casey hopped off the bed and sat on the floor next to the ginormous doggy bed—which was really more like a doggie palace—they’d set up for her new favorite neighbor. While Gabriel was out volunteering, she kept an eye on his faithful companion. It was the least she could do since they’d risked their lives for her, Ian, and Jace.
The vet had said it would take a few weeks for him to heal completely after the procedures they’d done to repair his shoulder. Until then, he was being treated like a king. They’d offered to pay the bills of the fancy in-home vet that allowed him to avoid staying in the pet hospital for long.
The big brown dog laid his head on her thigh and stared up at her with wide mopey eyes until she caved and cracked open his treat jug. He snarfled the handful of nuggets in her palm before she could even properly hold them out to him.
“He has you wrapped around his tail.” Jace shook his head, though he patted Goliath too. Ian joined in with a few good doggys.
“I know how he feels.” She grinned up at the two men flanking her.
“Just imagine how much worse it would be if he was a baby instead of a dog,” Ian said to Jace.
Jace blanched. “Uh…is that something you would like?”