by Jane Jamison
By the time his orgasm had wracked its way through him, he was worn out and stripped of any strength. He stumbled over to the couch, then reached out to catch her as her own strength left her arms and legs. Wiley dropped to the floor and lay flat on his back, leaving Brody the pleasure of pulling her into his arms.
“Wiley, get some towels.”
His brother groaned, but pulled his body off the floor and staggered into the kitchen. He came back with several kitchen towels, a few moistened and a few dry. Wiley handed him what he needed, then sat next to him and pulled her legs over his. He caressed her, cleaning her body, especially between her legs.
Brody wiped the refuse of his release from her face, then got another towel to wipe between her perky breasts. She remained silent, her exhaustion reflected on her face and her limp torso.
“You did well, little one.” He wanted to keep her in his arms forever. That was where she belonged and he’d waited far too long to lose her now that they’d found her. She’d been open to the sexual lifestyle they liked, proving that she was definitely the one they’d waited for.
They hadn’t known her long, and the dark cloud of the arson fires still lingered over her, but it didn’t matter. His heart knew she was perfect for them. As for the other? They’d work it out.
Michelle was a unique mix of sassiness and submissiveness he couldn’t resist. She was a sexual kitten that could turn into a lioness at other times and that suited him.
He stroked her hair, needing to tell her more. “This is only the beginning. As far as we’re concerned, there will be many more nights like this one.”
She gazed up at him, her innocence mixing with the trust in her eyes to clutch at his heart. The fact that she didn’t say anything, trusting what he said, touched him deeply.
Wiley slid beside them and skimmed his fingers along her arm. “We did this all wrong, baby, what with the fires and all. How we came together was more like a flash fire than the slow burn we would’ve liked to have given you. We should’ve eased into how we wanted it to be between us, but we couldn’t wait a second longer to have you. You’re our drug and we had to get our fix.”
The corners of her mouth curved upward and yet, still she didn’t speak.
“It won’t always be this way. Sometimes we’ll take it slower, softer.” Brody tightened his hold on her. “We’re not much on romance, but we’ll do our best to give you that, too.”
Wiley pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We want you to know how much we treasure you. We’d do anything for you, just like we hope you’d do anything for us.”
She looked at Wiley then at him. “I would. I’d do anything.”
“Even cook?” He chuckled. “Don’t worry. Hey, how about us cooking for you sometime?”
“Do you know how to cook?”
He acted offended. “Do I know how to cook? I’m one hell of a cook. Although I’m used to cooking for thirty people.”
“That’s okay. I won’t punish you for that.”
They shared a laugh as his pride in her swelled. “Thanks, little one.”
The conversation faded away then, leaving them cocooned in a comfortable silence. Brody kept her close, letting her body warm him in a way sex never could. He felt the rise of her chest with her breaths and the heat grow between them as her skin rested against his. Her fragrance, light and sweet, filled his nostrils.
“Little one?”
Wiley shook his head as he brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. “She’s asleep.”
Brody glanced down, confirming what his brother had said. “I guess we wore her out.”
“Probably more my doing than yours.”
Brody chuckled. “Right. Let’s get her into bed and let her rest. We’ve got work to do.”
A shadow came over Wiley’s face. Like his brother, he didn’t want to leave her, either. But for their sakes as well as hers, they had to find out whoever was setting the fires. Once they did, nothing would stand in the way of making Michelle their own for the rest of their lives.
* * * *
They got dressed, then Wiley let Brody lift Michelle into his arms. Even after the time they’d spent together, both at Hope House and in sex, he still couldn’t believe how lucky they’d gotten. To find a woman like her was beyond anything he’d dared hoped for. He and Brody had discussed finding the right woman, one who would have fire in her blood yet would understand and want them to take control. And here she was. She’d come into their lives with an air of suspicion around her, but they both could sense she wasn’t the fire bug. He had no doubt that soon she’d tell them what she knew.
“You know she’s hiding the truth from us.”
Brody paused, and Wiley guessed he’d stalled to delay the inevitable of having to put her down on the bed. He couldn’t blame Brody for wanting to hold on to her as long as possible.
Brody’s contented look died as worry filled his eyes. “Yeah. I know. I’m betting she knows who the fire starter is. Getting her to tell us, even though she submits in sex, isn’t going to be easy. She’s protecting him.”
“It’s got to be one of the boys at Hope House.”
Brody nodded and carried her around the couch and down the hall. “I think you’re right. Now all we have to do is figure out which one it is.”
“We could have Elbert look into their files and see if any of them have done this kind of thing before. Could be that’s why the kid ended up there.”
Brody waited until Wiley checked first one room, then the next. The larger bedroom was the only one with a bed in it. The room was tidy and clean, with simple furnishings and a few stuff animals. Wiley smiled. Why was it women never outgrew the love for stuffed animals?
“Elbert’s not going to divulge that kind of information.”
Brody was right. “Problem is that I don’t think she’s ready to tell us what she knows. I’d place another bet that she’s hoping to help the kid without getting him into trouble.”
“Again, I think you’ve nailed it. So what do we do next?”
Wiley turned toward the door. “It’ll be hell, but all we can do is wait.”
Chapter Seven
Michelle drew in a deep breath.
Five bouquets of carnations. They remembered that I love carnations. Wow.
The fragrance of the flowers floated in the air, reminding her that, although the men hadn’t called again—did they have a thing against phones?—they’d still thought of her. One bouquet had arrived each day since they’d made love. Each large vase was filled with a dozen flowers, three with red carnations, one with white carnations, and the last one with yellow carnations.
She stared at the cards that had come with the flowers. The messages were always short, but there was no mistaking their meanings.
The first card was simple and all too short.
For you. W & B.
The second contained only one word. But it was a word that had left her breathless.
Yours.
What did that mean? Did that mean they were hers forever?
The third message was even better. She couldn’t help but feel a tingle of excitement.
Ours.
It was the truth. She was theirs for as long as they wanted her.
The fourth made her heart pound so hard her chest hurt.
Always.
Always? Did they see a future with her? Did she dare hope they wanted everything she did? Would they want a home together? Could they become a family? If so, did they want children? She’d heard of other women who had more than one man and were blissfully happy. But could that dream become a reality for her?
The fifth card made her dance around the room and hug herself tight.
Tonight. 7 pm.
She pulled one of the red blooms out of a vase and sniffed it, then sighed. Tonight seemed so far away. Could she wait that long?
* * * *
“Hey, I thought you were going to cook?”
Wiley lifted the two boxes of pizza higher
, his brow knitted. “What’s the matter? Don’t you like pizza?”
She stepped back as they entered her apartment. “Sure, I do. But I thought Brody was going to show off his chef skills.”
Brody held up the two bottles of wine. “I decided I’d save that for a special occasion. Tonight, I’m playing bartender. As long as you’re drinking wine.”
She didn’t care. They could’ve brought her a loaf of bread and called it dinner. As long as they were there, she was happy. “I love wine. Why don’t you open a bottle while I get us some plates?”
Wiley paused and took in the five bouquets. “I see you got the flowers.” His smile quirked up on one side. “Too many?”
She brushed her palm over the tops of several of the flowers. “A girl can never get too many flowers. Thank you so much.”
Brody passed by her, letting his hand skim along her back much like she’d caressed the flowers. “You’re welcome. We’re glad you like them.”
Bumping into Brody as she eased past him in the small kitchen made her smile even more. Although they’d sent the flowers, she’d still worried that they wouldn’t show up. Yet here they were, already warming her pussy and setting her body on fire.
Men of fire. That’s what they are. It’s like they can put a match to me and light me up.
Brody found the wine glasses quickly, poured two glasses for Wiley to take to the tiny circular dining table adjacent the kitchen, then followed him with the bottle and his own glass. He came back and took the pizza boxes and placed them in the center.
The sexual tension, the tumultuous sensation she felt whenever she was around them swirled over her. She added the plates to the table, surprised that her hands didn’t shake. “Please, go ahead and serve yourselves.”
They didn’t hesitate as men often didn’t when it came to food. After they’d gotten two pieces each, she added a slice of pepperoni pizza to her plate.
“You look really nice tonight, baby.” Wiley’s eyes sparkled as he took her in.
She wouldn’t have thought she could get any hotter, but she did. “Thanks.”
“Not that you don’t look great all the time,” added Brody.
She shot him a smile, then lowered her gaze to the table. “This is terrific wine.”
“There’re two things Brody knows well. That’s food and fires.”
“My brother’s right. Although I prefer the food to the fires.”
The mention of the fires made her squirm in her chair. She needed to steer the conversation away from that subject. “It must be rewarding being a firefighter, but tell me about the other part of your lives.”
“There’s nothing much to tell.” Wiley chomped into his slice and gulped it down. “We grew up in a small rural town, did the cowboy thing, then decided we wanted to fight fires instead of bulls. That’s about it.”
“What about you, little one?”
Oh, how she loved it when Brody called her little one. “I think I mentioned that I spent some time in foster homes.”
Wiley dropped his pizza to his plate. “Shit. I forgot. That must’ve been rough.”
She shrugged, not wanting to talk about herself. “At times. But then again, that’s what pointed me to working with kids. I like to think that I can make a difference in a boy’s life. At least I hope I can.”
“You do.”
She met Wiley’s gaze. “Yeah? Do you really think so?”
“I know so. You should hear the way the boys at Hope House talk about you. It’s Miss Michelle this and Miss Michelle that. They adore you.”
She blushed. “That makes me feel really good.”
They ate a little while in silence, basking in the pleasure of simply being with each other. She found herself glancing at them, then looking away, like a shy virgin would. Yet her thoughts were anything but innocent. When seeing them naked again was all she could think of, she pushed her plate away, and voiced her need.
“Sirs?”
They put down their food, looked at each other, and at her. Wiley’s grin said it all, but it was the craving in Brody’s voice that sent the butterflies in her stomach into topsy-turvy flight.
“Yes, little one?”
“After we finish eating and I clean up, could we…play?” Was that the right word? It was play, but it was so much more.
“I don’t know about you, bro, but I’m full.” Wiley pushed his half-eaten pizza away from him.
“You know it.” Brody put down his wine glass and patted his flat stomach. He still had an entire slice of pizza on his plate. “I’m ready for dessert.”
Michelle stood up, her hands shaking now as she started to gather their plates. But Brody had a different idea. She gasped as he took hold of her wrist and made her put the plates back down. A sizzle of desire blazed through her, sending her pulse racing and wetting her pussy.
“Forget about cleaning up.”
She laughed as he pulled her around the table and into his arms. Wiley shoved his chair in, then started down the hallway.
“What the hell are you two waiting for? Follow me.”
* * * *
The musical tone of Wiley’s phone going off brought him to an abrupt stop. “Damn it.” He put the phone to his ear. “Wiley here.”
Brody and Michelle passed him a few feet, then turned back. He gave his brother a hard look before asking, “Where is he?”
If his look hadn’t caught Brody’s attention, that did. “What is it?”
Wiley shook his head, telling his brother to wait. “Got it. Tell Cap that Brody and I are heading over there now.” He clicked off the call. “We’ve run out of time.”
“What’s up?”
He faced her, dreading having to confront her. “We don’t have the luxury of waiting any longer. You have to tell us what you know.”
“What are you talking about? Is something wrong?” She darted her frightened gaze from him to Brody then back.
“You have to tell us who’s setting those fires.”
“What?” Her confusion changed to shock.
“We don’t have time to wait any longer.” Wiley took hold of her arms. It hurt like hell when she jerked away from him.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Brody, taking his cue from him, took her other side. Wiley tried hard not to think that they’d cornered her between them. Hopefully, she wouldn’t think of it that way.
“Look, Michelle, we know you’re protecting someone. And we think it’s one of the boys at Hope House. But that’s over. We have to end this now.”
“Who called you?”
Wiley glanced at his brother, then at the woman he loved. “That was one of the men at the station. I asked him to call if there was another fire.”
She paled, and if he hadn’t been sure before, he was now. She knew who was setting the fires.
“That’s right. He set a fire in another abandoned house.”
She was tense, her knuckles turning white as she fisted her hands. “Is it bad?”
“The house? Yeah. It’s a total loss.” He hated to break it to her, hated to see the pain that would come. And yet, if anything would make her tell them, that might be it. “But that’s not the really bad part.”
Her lips parted in a silent oh. He had to resist the urge to skim his thumb over them.
“Tell me.”
Wiley paused, giving more emphasis to what he would say next. “This time there was someone in the house.”
She dragged in hard-won air and her beautiful eyes grew bigger. “No,” she whispered. “Are they all right?”
Wiley shook his head, dashing her hopes. “No. A homeless man took up shelter in the house. Once the fire started, he was trapped.”
Brody laid his hand on her arm to comfort her, playing good cop to Wiley’s bad one. “Take it easy, Michelle.”
Her gaze stay hooked to Wiley’s. “Is he…”
Wiley couldn’t hold back. If she’d only told them who the fire bug was, the homele
ss man wouldn’t have gotten caught in the blaze. “I don’t know. Wilson at the station house said they hadn’t gotten word on his condition yet.”
He leaned closer, catching her hand in his. She tried to yank it away, but he held it fast. It was now or never. If she was going to tell them what she knew, he’d make sure she did it before anything else happened. He took her by the chin and forced her to look at him.
“Time’s up, Michelle. You have to come clean. It’s one of the boys, isn’t it?”
Tears sprang to her eyes, threatening to make him lose his resolve. He never could stand to see a woman cry, but to see Michelle cry was even more gut-wrenching.
“He didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I’m sure of it. I—I caught him at a house and he hasn’t tried it since. I didn’t think he’d do it again. Not now that I could point the finger at him.”
“You have to tell us who you’re talking about. Don’t you get it? By staying quiet, you could be considered an accomplice.” It was partly his fault, too. Brody and he should’ve pushed her for an answer, but they’d let their desire for her overrule their judgment.
“I know. I considered that. But after I caught him, he promised he’d stop. He promised he’d go to therapy and I finally got him to go yesterday. I took him myself.” She shook her head, her gaze dropping. “I was sure he’d stop now that he’s getting help.”
“Could be that going to the therapist triggered him to do it again.” He shrugged. “Sometimes it happens that way.”
Brody’s eyes hardened. “If you’d told us earlier, we could’ve prevented the fire today.”
She gasped back a sob, her face a tormented mask. “I believed him. And he’s never set a fire where anyone lived. They were abandoned houses.”
“Homeless people sometimes seek shelter in abandoned homes.” Why hadn’t they watched the houses? They could’ve stood guard and caught the boy at it.
She pushed them away. “He told me he’d stopped.”
Wiley felt for her. Yet no matter how often she said that, it wouldn’t make it true. The boy had conned her into thinking he’d given up setting fires and she’d fallen for his lies.