Tattoos & Leather: BRANDED

by Jaymie Holland

  “I could use a drink.” Dane pushed himself out of his chair. “How about you?”

  “What the doctor ordered.” Colton looked away from the darkened monitor. He felt cut off from her, like a tether had been sliced in two. Maybe they should continue watching her.

  No. They couldn’t do that anymore.

  The back and forth was about to drive him out of his fucking mind.

  “Why don’t we check every now and then to make sure she’s turned on the system?” Dane said. “If she doesn’t have it on, we’ll keep an eye on her.”

  “I like that idea.” Colton nodded, feeling a little bit better about the situation. “It’s a good compromise.”

  Dane started for the door. “I’ll sure as hell sleep better at night knowing she’s got the system engaged.”

  “You and me both.” Colton followed Dane out of the control room.

  Dane glanced over his shoulder. “She’d still be pissed if she knew.”

  Colton looked thoughtfully at Dane. “We’ll just have to make sure she never finds out.”

  Chapter 8

  The morning sun woke Drew before she wanted to get up. She’d planned to sleep in, but once the sun was in her eyes it was impossible to go back to sleep. She should have closed the curtains but had forgotten. Her mind had been wrapped around the men and their dominant behavior, and the pleasure they’d given her.

  After downing a double chocolate muffin and a pre-workout drink, she put on her workout clothes and climbed onto the treadmill. Soon she was jogging at a brisk pace and then at a full out run, trying to get her mind off of Dane and Colton and how much she wanted both of them.

  She had no intention of anything more than sex. Men cheated, it was a fact of life. The last thing she needed was to fall for a pair of men who would eventually cheat on her. But she could enjoy the sex.

  As she ran, her thoughts turned to Megan and her husbands. Drew frowned as she wondered if Nick and Sean would ever cheat on Megan. That was what men did, yet the thought felt wrong, even considering the twins would ever dream of cheating on Meg. They seemed so completely in love with her, like they would die before hurting her in any way, shape, or form.

  Well, if they did cheat on Meg, Drew would find a way to make them pay.

  Sweat rolled down the sides of her face and she lowered the treadmill’s speed to start the cool down. Her face ached and her cheek burned a little where sweat covered her injuries. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been the past few days, so there was that.

  She grabbed the hand towel she had resting on the machine and dabbed at the sweat on her face and neck, all the while thinking of Dane and Colton. She couldn’t get the men off her mind and it was driving her crazy.

  The treadmill came to a slow halt as her cool down ended. She stepped off of the machine, her skin flushed but feeling a workout high. The men had been so confident that she’d be ready to be picked up this afternoon. She should probably tell them where to stuff their overconfidence, yet she wanted to go. Wanted to find out where some time alone with the men would lead her.

  After showering, she spent time cleaning the apartment. When she had finished, she put her hair in big hot rollers and spent time painting her toenails and fingernails bright red. She put on makeup before slipping on a navy skirt that reached the top of her thighs, a red cotton tank top, with black bra and panties beneath, and red sandals with a touch of sparkle to them.

  She smiled to herself, thinking about how the day might turn out. She had a feeling it was going to be a hell of a lot of fun.

  Precisely at four p.m. her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but she figured it was probably Louis. She was right, he had phoned to let her know he was parked in front of the apartment building.

  She put her wallet, lipstick, and keys in a small red purse before heading downstairs. She slipped on a large pair of stylish sunglasses before walking out into the hot, muggy afternoon. Louis was waiting to let her into the car.

  “Hi, Louis,” she said when she reached him.

  He opened the back passenger door. “Good afternoon, Ms. Holloway.”

  “Drew.” She slid into the car, glad for the cool interior. “Please call me Drew.”

  He gave her a nod before closing the door behind her. The handsome bald man was big, brawny, and muscular, and he looked like he should be with the WWE. But he seemed to be so formal that he probably had no intention of calling her Drew.

  Tingles raced along her skin as she looked out the window, city block after city block speeding by. Red, white, and blue decorated the city, the U.S. flag proudly displayed everywhere one turned.

  When they pulled up to condominiums in Central Park West, the tingles turned into flutters. She had no idea security consultants could afford a condo in a place like this. After he parked, Louis got out of the car, went around to her side, and opened the door for her.

  He took her hand and assisted her out of the car and into the heat of the day. She stepped onto the sidewalk, smoothed her skirt, and took off her sunglasses. She put her sunglasses into a case in her purse and squinted in the sunlight as she looked up at the building’s expanse.

  Louis told her that Colton and Dane’s condo was on the top floor and he gave her the unit number. She thanked him and headed into the building where the air-conditioned interior cooled her warm skin.

  A security guard checked a list and asked for her ID. After he identified her, he wished her a happy Independence Day and nodded to the elevators.

  Once she was in an elevator, she straightened and raised her chin as she looked at herself in one of the mirrored walls. Her gaze drifted up to a camera in the corner and she wondered if JP Security Consultants handled the building’s security.

  She frowned and looked away from the camera. She hated being spied on by cameras, or rather those doing the watching. Seemed everywhere she went, cameras were watching.

  The elevator opened onto the top floor and she stepped out of the car. The unit number Louis had given her was a few feet down the hall. She paused in front of the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

  Within moments, the door opened and Dane greeted her with a sexy grin. He wore a blue T-shirt that brought out the luscious color of his blue eyes, and the shirt was tucked into faded blue jeans. He wore black and red athletic shoes and his long hair was pulled back in its usual ponytail.

  He let his gaze drift over her from head to toe. When his gaze met hers, he took her hands and brushed his lips over hers, causing a delicate shiver to trail her spine. “You look absolutely amazing like always, Drew.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled then stepped past him as he moved aside and let her into the condo. The heavy door gave a solid thunk as he closed it behind them.

  The condo was beautiful and spacious with nine-foot-high ceilings, open beams, and decorative moldings. A fireplace was in one corner of the living room and the polished hardwood floor covered the floor’s expanse.

  Colton walked in from a hallway to the right of the kitchen that was in view. He wore dark blue jeans, a sleeveless black T-shirt showing off the power in his muscular arms as well as his tattoos. His green eyes seemed to spark when he saw Drew and the corner of his mouth tipped up in a sensual smile as he reached her. He kissed her firmly before raising his head and trailing his fingers down the side of her face.

  Dane moved behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Once again the men caged her in as if staking their claim.

  “Would you like a bottle of hard lemonade or beer?” Dane kissed her shoulder. “We have iced tea, too.”

  “Hard lemonade sounds good.” Her voice wobbled from the crazy feelings the pair were causing in her body.

  “You’ve got it.” Dane moved away from her and headed into the open kitchen that was bordered by a curved breakfast bar.

  Colton trailed his fingers over her lips. “How about a barbeque?”

  Drew braced her hands on the hard expanse of his chest. “I’m betting t
here’s a rooftop garden.”

  “And it’s all ours for the day,” he said in a sensual murmur.

  She clenched her fingers in his T-shirt. “I like the sound of that.”

  Dane returned with an open bottle of hard lemonade for her and a can of beer for himself. She stepped away from Colton before taking the icy bottle from Dane, then brought it to her lips and swallowed the cold liquid. When she lowered the bottle, she saw both men watching her. She gave each of them a smile before turning away and moving toward the windows.

  Sheer white curtains hung from the ceiling to the floor. Colton pressed a button on the wall and the curtains opened in a sweep to reveal floor-to-ceiling windows. She caught her breath as she looked out at their view of Central Park.

  “Amazing.” She moved closer to the window, her eyes taking in the beauty of the park in summer. She caught glimpses of people walking along the paths and others playing Frisbee or tag football on the grass. She looked over her shoulder at the two men. “If this was my view, I’d never close the curtains.”

  Dane gave her a quick grin. “We wanted to give you the full effect.”

  “It’s gorgeous.” She smiled and looked back at the park. “I’ve never seen anything like it since I moved to the city. There’s nothing like this in the Midwest.”

  “You’ll love the rooftop garden.” Colton moved beside her. “The view is even more spectacular.”

  She smiled at him. “Then it must be incredible.”

  When they turned away from the windows, Drew walked with them to the kitchen. They already had steaks prepared to grill along with fresh veggie kabobs made of mushrooms, bell peppers, summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and onion. They had also wrapped sliced potatoes, with butter, salt, pepper, and chives, in aluminum foil. Colton told her that the grill on the rooftop was already heating up.

  She took the second hard lemonade that Dane offered her after she’d finished the first bottle. The hard lemonade didn’t have as much alcohol as other drinks, so she’d be fine having two or three of them.

  They left the condo and carried everything upstairs to the rooftop. Drew took up the bags filled with picnic supplies like paper plates, plastic ware, and the BBQ utensils, along with rolls and a plastic bowl filled with pre-made green salad, plus a container of homemade ranch dressing.

  Colton handled the tray of the veggie skewers, potato packets, and steaks, while Dane carried up a cooler. She heard the rattle of ice in the cooler and assumed that’s where they were keeping more bottles of hard lemonade and beer.

  Drew had thought that it would be a simple garden, but it was far more than that. Tall trees in huge planters bordered lounge chairs and a long couch along with coffee and end tables. A brilliant rainbow of red, purple, orange, and yellow flowers were in ceramic pots of all sizes that were crowded around the furniture. It was private and cozy, protected from the view of nearby buildings. But the side that overlooked Central Park was open.

  She’d thought she was prepared for the rooftop view, but she’d not been close. The city skyline took her breath away and she couldn’t get enough of it. Any snow the city had in the winter, or whatever muggy hot days it might have in the summer, it was all worth it to live in what she thought of as the most amazing city ever. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the food, and the big melting pot of people—every part of the Big Apple was absolutely incredible.

  Smiling, she turned away and saw that Colton and Dane were putting the three packets of thinly sliced potatoes on the pre-heated gas grill. She took a big swallow of her second hard lemonade, feeling a little mellow from the alcohol.

  They put the veggie skewers on next, and after a bit added the steaks. Drew preferred hers medium rare, and Colton liked his meat rare while Dane would rather have his cooked to medium.

  When everything was grilling, Dane and Colton moved toward her, with clear intention in their expressions.

  “What are you two up to?” she asked as Dane took her hard lemonade away and set it aside on an end table.

  Colton caught the hem of her red tank as he stood in front of her, and Dane gripped it from the back. “We think you might like to be a little cooler,” Dane said as they pulled it up and over her head.

  “Hey.” She tried to stop them, but they were too fast and too strong. She put her arms over her bra-covered breasts. “Someone might come out here and see.”

  Dane shook his head. “We reserved it for the entire day. It’s ours and no one will be joining us.”

  “Oh.” She lowered her arms, feeling excitement stir in her belly as they tugged on her skirt and it fell around her ankles. “In that case, I’m all for feeling cooler.” She stepped out of the skirt and Dane picked it up as she kicked off the sparkly red sandals.

  It was still warm thanks to the heat and humidity, but the shade from the rooftop garden provided some relief, not to mention the fact that she now hardly had anything on.

  They moved so that she stood between them with her now only wearing her black bra and panties.

  “Your body is so damned beautiful.” Colton trailed his fingers along the sides of her breasts, from her bra to her panties. “You are beautiful, inside and out.” He hooked his fingers in the elastic waistband and she caught her breath as he moved his fingers across her belly in a slow sweep, a sensual touch against her soft skin.

  “You’re amazing,” Dane said from behind her as he cupped her ass and squeezed the globes in his palms. “In every way.”

  She’d never gone so fast from attraction to complete and total arousal. A fierce ache between her thighs caused her panties to grow damp and her nipples to tighten to almost painful peaks. She’d never wanted anyone so badly that it almost hurt from the need, much less wanting two men at once.

  Colton kissed her, slow and deep, with a hunger that she felt beneath his tightly reined desire. When he raised his head, he took her by the shoulders and guided her so that she was facing Dane, whose eyes were filled with dark passion.

  Dane kissed her with more urgency than Colton had. She found herself just as hot from one man’s kiss as she had been with the other. Dane fondled her nipples through her bra while he kissed her, and Colton pressed the hard length of his cock against her ass as he slid his hands over the silk of her panties to her mound.

  “We’d better watch the barbeque,” Colton murmured.

  Drew swallowed. To hell with the barbeque. It could burn for all she cared.

  But the men each gave her a light kiss before returning to the grill. She watched them, frustration making her muscles tight as she folded her arms over her breasts.

  She stepped out from beneath the shade of the trees and felt the heat grow in intensity as the sun shone down. She pulled back her hair and tied it into a knot to get it off her neck and shoulders. The air smelled of grilled meat and the smoke that rose from where juices dripped onto the heating elements.

  In spite of the heat from the sun, and the heated desire inside her, she managed to cool down enough to sit on the furniture with the men without attacking them when the food was ready. She wanted to climb on top of Dane while Colton fucked her from behind. She was certain he was an ass man, and she kept imagining his big body against her ass, while Dane’s powerful form was beneath her, his cock inside—

  “Drew.” Colton’s voice knocked her out of her lust-filled imaginings. “How do you like it?”

  She blinked, still thinking about “it” as her fantasies of unbelievable ménage sex, but then realized he’d meant the food.

  “This is all so good.” Drew smiled and then found herself devouring everything, from steak to veggies to potatoes and salad. She felt unusually ravenous and had no problem eating her fill in front of Dane and Colton. It was so erotic sitting in her panties and bra as they ate, while the men were fully dressed. She downed her third hard lemonade, and thanks to the alcohol and the heat, she was feeling loose and mellow.

  While they ate, the men asked her more about her life in the city and ho
w she’d become friends with Megan and Faith. Drew had met Megan years ago when they worked together at a software company where Megan had done data entry and Drew had worked in sales. Drew had met Faith at a Sweet Sensations party.

  Drew wanted to know more about Colton’s and Dane’s lives and what they did for fun. They played in a basketball league, took in shows and sporting events, and played poker with friends. They also lifted weights regularly in the workout room in their condo, and had a treadmill they used regularly as well.

  By the time they’d finished eating and talking, evening was coming on and it was growing dark. They cleaned up with wet wipes and put the paper plates and plastic utensils into a garbage bag. Everything else they’d used they put into the other bags that Drew had carried upstairs.

  The men set all of it aside and then surrounded Drew, catching her off guard.

  Dane stood in front of her and gave her a wicked smile. “And now it’s time for dessert.”

  Chapter 9

  Drew’s stomach flip-flopped at the erotic promise in Dane’s voice. “And now it’s time for dessert.”

  Was she dessert?

  Damn, she hoped so.

  “Come here.” Dane tugged on her hand and she let him lead her to the long cushioned couch.

  When they reached the couch, Colton came up from behind and rested his hands on her ribcage, his palms warm on her skin, making her even more excited.

  Dane pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it onto a nearby chair. It was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt and now she saw that his entire dragon tattoo was large enough to cover one shoulder and part of his back. Another dragon tattoo was on his opposite shoulder, this one smaller and more detailed.

  She reached for Dane to unbutton his jeans, but Colton caught her arms from behind and held her still. “Hands off, honey.” She tried pulling away from him, but he had a snug grip on her.