by Jane Jamison
She hoped she wasn’t lying to her kind boss, but depending on what Drake had to tell her, she might not be in town much longer to worry about it. Her chest tightened at the idea of leaving her new friends and home behind. Leaving the Hardwick brothers behind would be even harder.
Stepping outside, she waited until the door closed, then dragged in a steadying breath. Should she take off now without talking to them? She wasn’t in trouble. She’d done her time. Still, she couldn’t stay in Fate once everyone knew she had a record. As much as she tried to keep them at bay, tears formed, threatening to fall.
Raven smothered back the urge to cry. She’d come too far to go back now. Giving up her friends and her new home was too much. Instead, she pulled herself together, determined to fight to stay. She’d face whatever the men wanted to talk about. Hadn’t she already suffered through a world of crap and come out the other side stronger, better? She pushed away from the brick wall, held her head high, and stalked down the alley toward the street.
By the time she’d made it to the sheriff’s office at the end of Main Street, her bravado had succumbed to her nerves again. She stood at the door, took a breath, and then shoved the door open.
Drake was seated behind an old, scarred desk while Harrin slumped in a nearby chair. As she would’ve guessed he’d do, Dugan paced from one side of the small room to the other. They came to attention once they noticed her in the doorway.
“You came.”
I almost didn’t.
She swallowed back the lump in her throat and stepped inside. “So? Will you please tell me what this is all about?”
“Have a seat.” Drake nodded toward the other chair in front of his desk.
“No, thanks. I’d rather stay standing.” She was too nervous to sit. Too ready to run.
“Suit yourself.”
“Take it easy, Drake,” warned Harrin. He sat up straighter. “You’re not in trouble, baby, and you’re not in any danger.” His gaze pierced hers. “At least none that we know of.”
Shit. Do they know about Robert?
She didn’t know where Robert was and she didn’t care. As long as he stayed away from her, she was happy.
“That’s good to know.” She crossed her arms, not to seem defiant, but to hide her shaking hands. “So, are you three the welcome wagon? I never got a basket or anything.” Her joke fell flat.
“I’m going to just spit it out.”
She leveled her attention on Drake. “I wish you would.”
Did her voice sound as shaky as she felt? She would’ve liked to think she was nervous because she was near the men she hungered for, but that wasn’t the only reason. They definitely knew something, and whatever it was, they didn’t like it.
“We know all about you.”
No. If her heart had stopped at Drake’s words, she wouldn’t have been surprised.
Please. Don’t take everything away from me.
Chapter Seven
“We know you have a record.” Drake leaned back in his chair, his voice low, but calm. His face was expressionless.
Oh, God. How much do they know? About the jail time? About Robert? How will I explain?
She released a breath as though she’d really been punched in the stomach. She went on the offensive. “How do you know? Did you check up on me?”
They’d done a background search. Had she pegged them wrong? Were they the stand-up kind of men she’d thought they were? Did they want more from her than just sex? Or worse, were they planning on blackmailing her with her past to keep her under their control? All kinds of scenarios, growing worse by the minute, flashed through her. She wanted to fight and run all at the same time.
“It’s okay, sugar.” Dugan came beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’re shaking. Damn it, Drake, we could’ve done this a better way.”
Maybe she’d had enough. Maybe her strength wasn’t as great as she’d counted on. Or maybe, just maybe, it was Dugan’s touch that broke through her resistance. The tears she’d managed to suppress earlier welled in her eyes. Did they not want her any longer now that they knew? She couldn’t blame them. How many people wanted to be tied to an ex-con? It wouldn’t matter that she was innocent. She had a record. She was a cast-off, a rejected member of society. What men would want anything to do with her?
Dugan took control of her just as her knees weakened. He led her over to the chair and then knelt beside it. Harrin scooted his chair closer and placed his hand over hers. She gripped the arms of the chair, holding on for her life, and hung her head in shame.
Drake leaned over his desk. His expression had softened as did his voice. “Babe, we know you did time and we know why. What we don’t know is the truth behind it. Tell us everything.”
She lifted her gaze to his, then to his brothers’. “I don’t know where to begin.”
Drake showed the photo on his phone. “Start by telling us if you know who this is.”
It was a loaded question. The fact that he had Robert’s photo told her he already knew the answer. “That’s my ex-boyfriend, Robert Scanton. He’s the jerk who took advantage of my stupidity so he could rob the print shop where I worked.”
Harrin squeezed her hand. “Do you want to tell us all of it?”
He was being nice, acting as though she still had a choice. “I was young and, like I said, stupid. I fell in love. Or at least, I believed I was in love. Now I know better.”
She dropped her gaze. If they looked into her eyes, they’d be able to see that she was in love with them. Had she realized it before then? At once, she was both happy and afraid. Did they care about her? Or was she one in a long line of conquests? She wasn’t strong enough to know if her love was returned. Not yet.
“Go on.”
“Why are we making her do this?” Dugan slammed his hands down on top of the desk. “We know what happened. The asshole used her, then left her to take the rap. Why make her tell us?”
“I want to.” Now that she’d started, she needed to tell them everything. “You’re right. He made me feel special. No one had ever made me feel that way.”
No one had ever made her feel that way since then—until now. They made her feel truly special. Better than Robert ever had. What she’d had with Robert was a mere shadow compared to her love for them. She realized the difference now, but was it too late?
“I came home one night and, as usual, we spent the night together. Then, in the morning, he was gone. I assumed he’d gotten up early and gone to work, but when I showed up at the shop, the police were there. They questioned me then arrested me. I spent six months behind bars and then another year on probation.”
“But you were innocent.”
She took Dugan’s hand, needing to touch him, to thank him for believing in her. “I was, but I still paid the price.”
Drake was the only one who didn’t act like he cared. Harrin and Dugan both moved closer, surrounding her with support.
“He’s come to Fate, hasn’t he?”
Was it because he was the law? Or was Drake always this cold? Why wasn’t he making her feel better? Did he believe she was innocent?
“Yes. He showed up a few days ago. I told him to leave, told him that I didn’t want anything to do with him. I can’t go back in time and have him arrested. The case is closed and forgotten as far as the authorities are concerned. All I can do now is try and keep him away from me.”
Finally, the coldness she’d seen in Drake shattered. He came around the desk and pulled her to her feet. His dark gaze, lightened with bits of amber, held hers. He cupped her cheek, his caress soothing her.
“You can stop worrying about that jerk. We’ll handle him.”
“So you believe me? You believe I’m innocent?”
“Of course I do. There was never any doubt in our minds. I just needed to hear the story straight from you. I had to be certain I had the facts right.” Drake’s voice sounded gravelly, as though he fought to hold back his emotions.
She leaned her
head against his hard, comforting chest and let the tears fall. “I should be mad as hell at you for checking up on me. I mean, who does that, anyway?”
“Paranoid sheriffs in small towns, that’s who,” answered Dugan.
A low sound rumbled underneath her cheek. She would’ve sworn it sounded like a growl, but that had to be her weary mind misinterpreting a groan.
She felt Dugan and Harrin move closer, cocooning her between the three of them. The knowledge that they believed and understood her cracked the wall she’d built inside her as she’d tried to remain stoic. For so long, she’d needed someone to lean on and now she had three men who were there for her.
“Babe, you know we want you, don’t you?”
She gazed into Drake’s searching eyes, the tears in hers clouding her sight. “Yes. I was hoping you did.”
“Does that mean you want us, too?” asked Dugan. He swept her hair away from her shoulder and kissed her skin.
“All of us?” asked Harrin. His hand rested on the small of her back.
“Absolutely.” Joy sprang up wild and untethered. She’d come through the darkest parts of her life and was finally coming into the brightest part. They hadn’t promised her more than that they wanted her, but for now, it was enough.
Drake took hold of her chin and pressed a light kiss on her lips. “You’ve got to know that we want you for more than a little while. You’re no plaything we’ll enjoy then toss away.”
“Listen to us, baby,” added Harrin. “We’re here for you. Right now and every day after this one.”
“Yeah. We promise we’ll cherish you and love you, sugar. We’ll protect you, too, no matter what happens. Once we get hold of this asshole that’s bothering you, we’ll make sure he never shows his face again. You can count on it.”
Suddenly, Drake grabbed her wrist and slapped metal handcuffs on it. He left the other wrist free.
“What are you doing?” Funny how she was both excited and alarmed.
“I’m making sure you’re not going anywhere until we’re done with you.” Taking hold of the other wristlet of the handcuff, he tugged her along with him.
“Where are we going?”
“To jail. You’re our prisoner, babe.”
Harrin and Dugan laughed and followed them to the back of the small building. She was still trying to understand when Drake pulled out a set of keys from a nearby drawer and tossed them to Dugan.
“Open it up.”
“What?” The cell was austere, with only a twin cot inside it. It didn’t even have a toilet. “You’re not really thinking of locking me up, are you?” He had to be joking, but if he was, he was doing a damn fine job of acting serious. She trembled at the idea of getting locked up again, but this was Drake and he would never do anything to hurt her.
“Inside. Now.”
She checked with the other two men and saw that, although they had smiles on their faces, they weren’t about to call it off. “And if I don’t?”
“Then you’ll be charged with resisting arrest.” Drake winked, then turned her to face the cell before giving her a good swat on her ass.
She yelped and did the only thing she could do. She stepped inside the barred cage. When she turned around, she found Harrin and Dugan already starting to get undressed. “What’s happening? Couldn’t we go to your ranch? You know, where there’s a big enough bed?”
Drake undid the buttons on his shirt. “No need.”
“Guys, I’m not sure this is a good idea. What if someone comes in looking for the sheriff?”
“Then Drake will have to stop and go do his duty.” The opening of Dugan’s shirt, one button at a time, made a perfect frame to show off his washboard abdomen. “We’ll be fine without him.”
Harrin shoved his shirt off his arms and let it drop to the cement floor. “I’m really glad I’m not a sheriff or a deputy right now.”
“Fuck you two,” said Drake. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Shit. I forgot that I was his deputy. We should’ve locked the door and turned off the phones. If anyone needs help, they’ll just have to wait.” Dugan came behind her and lifted her arm. “You want to do the honors, bro? After all, you’re in charge here.”
Drake slid a slow, hungry gaze along the full length of her. “Don’t mind if I do.”
The clanking sound of steel-on-steel as he wrapped the chain around a bar jolted her out of staring at his powerful chest. Taking the other cuff, he snapped it around her other wrist. She jerked, thinking the handcuffs might open, but they held tight. Her hands were secured to the bars.
Harrin’s upper torso was as solid as his brothers’. If they didn’t touch her soon, she was sure she’d break in half from the need. She shot them a smug look. “How am I supposed to get my clothes off now?”
“You don’t need to.” Harrin shoved his jeans to his ankles then kicked them off along with his boots.
The air filled with the musky, heady scent of testosterone. The aroma was familiar, manly scents, but there was an underlying edge to the fragrance that had her squeezing her pussy muscles tight. She barely resisted the urge to cross her legs and squeeze even harder. Would she finally have the men she’d wanted for so long? She’d been in town only for a couple of months, but every day without their touch had been an agonizingly long day.
Harrin slipped a hand under her sundress. His fingers traveled along her thigh before pausing at the lacy trim of her panties.
Please, don’t stop now.
“Kiss me, baby.” He took her by the chin and turned her to face him. A quick breath later and he crushed his mouth to hers.
She moaned and closed her eyes, loving his flavor as his tongue wreaked havoc with her mouth. He possessed her, the kiss becoming more than any mere kiss could ever be. With his kiss, came a realization of what love truly was, a promise to be fulfilled, a need to be satisfied. With his kiss, he took control of her.
His hand eased under her panties, along the crease between her leg and her mons, then feathered over the seam of her pussy lips. She moaned, this time the sound changing into a whimper of pure need.
Other hands found their way under her dress. Drake pushed aside the thin strap and uncovered her breast. “Your tits are fantastic. Just the right size and firmness. Like a ripe melon that’s all mine.”
“All yours? Bullshit,” argued Dugan. Yet it wasn’t her other breast he took. Instead, he cupped her buttocks, and soon enough she felt the wet slipperiness of his tongue rake across her skin.
Harrin leaned back, still holding onto her chin. “Look at me, baby.”
She did, unable to refuse him. The full-on light of passion sparkling in his eyes took her breath away.
“We’re going to take you now, baby, so if that’s not what you want or how you want it, you’d better say so. We need your body more than we’ve ever needed anyone before. It’s taken us way too long to get here.”
He paused, his eyebrow lifted only a fraction, and waited for her to tell him no. Her mind swam as the implications and questions came fast and furious. Was she taking a risk to trust them? She’d kept her emotions in check for so long, never allowing any man to break through. Could she let them now?
In the end, it wasn’t her mind she listened to. Instead, she let her body and her heart make the decision. How could she have chosen anything else when their hands were all over her, delving into places she’d kept private for so very long? She’d wondered if any man would ever touch her there again. Had, in fact, wondered if she’d ever want any man to touch her again. Her hands closed around the bars.
Drake bent his head to her breast. His nips and pulls were painful, but they possessed an underlying sense that he treasured them, treasured her. She was giving him a wonderful gift and he was accepting it with reverence.
Dugan bit at the tender flesh of her ass, then slipped his fingers into her pussy. “You want me to fuck your ass, don’t you, sugar? Tell me you do.” He slid his hand to her dark hole, using her own juices t
o prepare her for him.
“Yes. I do.” She dipped her head as sensations overwhelmed her. The sensations drove into her from the three men as though they had awakened an animalistic part of her. She parted her lips, her breathing picking up pace, her limps beginning to tremble not from weakness, but from desire.
“Then spread your legs.” Dugan rose up, but kept his fingers exploring the tight rings of her dark hole. In and out they went, scissoring to force her anus to accept him. His warm breath struck the back of her neck. A nibble zipped a sharp pain into her that made her even more turned-on.
“Please.”
Like his brother before him, Drake turned her head toward him. He didn’t kiss her, though. Instead, he locked gazes with her. “What did you say, babe?”
A thrill rushed into her, spurring more juices between her legs. She swallowed, wishing he had put his lips to hers. “Please.”
“Please what? I want you to say the words.”
“Please fuck me.”
He shook his head. “No. That’s not right. We aren’t going to fuck you.”
She frowned, thrown. “You’re not?” But they had to. If they didn’t, she’d go insane.
“No, sugar.” Dugan slicked his tongue along her spine, then pulled his fingers out of her asshole. “We’re not going to fuck you. That’s not the right word. We’re going to make you ours. We’re going to claim you.”
“Then do it.” Her voice had dropped to a gravely sound, her craving for them rich in the sound.
Harrin slipped under her arm, pushing her back as far as her arms would allow and easing in front of her. “Damn straight.” With his back against the bars and her arms resting on his shoulders, he lifted her up, pulling her legs around his waist.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him to her as surely as the handcuffs bound her to the bars. His cock pushed against her crotch, and as their eyes met again, he shoved his cock deep into her pussy.
His thrust was like a tidal wave roaring onto a shore. Her defenses were swept away as he slammed into her again and again. Her arms ached as she held on and did her best to shove back at him. He was relentless, a driving force of gale wind proportions. Over and over he pounded into her.