Ian shrugged, knowing it would piss Ben off. “Then you’ll just have to change her mind. No pain, no gain, cuz.”
Ben rolled his eyes. “You’re an ass. I don’t know what that smart woman sees in you.”
“My sparkling personality.”
Ben stared at him for several long seconds before he huffed out a laugh. “At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor. You’re sure this is what you want?”
“I’m sure that I’ve never wanted any woman as much as I want her. Knowing you’re going to have her back, that you’re going to be there to take care of her, too… That’s a bonus. I trust you with my life, Ben. I always have. We’re just making that circle a little larger so she fits inside.”
“Damn, when did you become a philosophizer?”
Ian’s turn to roll his eyes. “Come on, asshole. Let’s go before I decide to take you out myself.”
Ben’s smile made a reappearance and the rest of Ian’s nerves calmed.
“Never happen, old man.” Ben pushed out of his chair, ball under his arm. “Let’s go before you lose your nerve.”
*
She hadn’t heard from either Ian or Ben and she knew the ball had been delivered.
Maybe they hadn’t been in the office to get it? Maybe she should’ve sent it to their home, but then they wouldn’t have gotten it until they’d gotten home and that might’ve been late.
Maybe she shouldn’t have sent them a dirty old soccer ball. Maybe they wouldn’t get it.
Oh hell, maybe she should just call.
Damn, she really hated being so bad at this relationship stuff but it was too late now. She’d just have to wait until they called to find out their reaction.
She’d just changed into her jammies when the intercom rang.
And her heart started to race.
“Mr. Shaw and Mr. Keller to see you.”
“Send them up. Thank you.”
Okay, they were here. She wanted to jump for joy but was afraid she’d puke. She wanted to text her sister and ask for last-minute advice.
And even though they’d shown up at her door, she couldn’t be sure they were here to accept her olive branch.
But she could hope.
The minutes it took between the time she’d gotten the call from downstairs to the knock on her door were excruciating. And turning the knob was possibly the bravest thing she’d ever done.
All of that evaporated when she saw them standing outside her door.
Heat suffused her entire body and she had to swallow before she could speak.
But Ben beat her to it.
“We have something of yours.”
“I know. I sent it.”
God, how stupid could she be? Of course they knew she sent it.
She could just imagine what they thought—
“And we’re glad you did.” Ben’s smile made it both easier and harder for her to breathe. “We just want to be sure you know—”
“That you’re getting both of us.”
Ian’s voice was steady, as if he was telling her something she didn’t know.
She wrinkled her nose at him. “I wouldn’t have addressed the package to both of you if that wasn’t what I wanted.”
She wasn’t sure but she thought Ian stifled a smile. And she wanted to see him smile.
“And what exactly do you want from us?” Ian asked.
“Why don’t you come in and find out?”
She took a step back, opening the door even wider so they could enter. When they were inside, she closed the door and took a deep breath before following them into her living room, where both men had sprawled onto her couch and chair. Not sure where to sit, she chose the other end of the couch from Ian, who kept his gaze steady on her.
“How have you been, Dorrie?” Ben’s question seemed almost hesitant and she had to wonder why. He’d always been the one who seemed so sure of himself and of her.
She shrugged and took a page from her sister’s playbook. She went on the offensive. “I’ve missed you both.”
Ben’s smile widened. “And we missed you.”
She turned to Ian. “Is that true?”
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”
“What changed?”
“Me.” Ian stared at her intently. “I want to be with you, Dorrie. Not your father. You. And I will do whatever you need me to do to prove it.”
It was exactly what she wanted to hear and her heart tripped into a faster pace.
Then she looked at Ben. And her smile dimmed.
“Ben?”
“Yeah?”
“Is something wrong?”
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and now looking so serious, worry began to eat away at her excitement.
“I have to ask you something, Dorrie. And I want a truthful answer.”
Biting her lip, she nodded.
“Do you want me here?”
Her mouth dropped open. Was he seriously worried about her intentions toward him?
“Do you think I don’t want you?”
“I don’t doubt that you do at this time. But in a few months, when the logistics of having to deal with two men—”
“Stop,” she said. “Right there. What happens to me if you get tired of sharing? If you decide to walk away from me?”
Ian laughed, not attempting to hide it at all.
She and Ben both turned to glare at him.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked.
“Because I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this.” Ian shook his head. “Christ, Ben, just kiss her already.”
She turned, her lips parted to speak, but Ben wrapped his hand around her neck and put his mouth over hers, cutting her off.
He kissed her hard, smashing their lips together and sucking the air from her lungs.
Surprise made her freeze, hands in fists on her knees as he tilted her head to get a better angle on her mouth. A second later, he slid his tongue into her mouth and the frustrated desire she’d bottled inside for the past week bubbled up.
Wicked hot heat burned through her body before pooling between her legs. She reached for him just as Ben pulled her forward, settling her on his lap. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pulled him even closer, wanting to rub her entire body against his.
When he groaned deep in his throat and pulled her in even tighter, relief and unfulfilled lust battered her from all sides.
Her hands slid beneath his suit jacket to his back, pushing it off his shoulders. She stayed clear of the gun beneath his arm but she wanted so badly to touch his skin, needed to feel him.
Ripping his shirt and undershirt out of his waistband, she moaned as his heat seeped through her palms and fired her own temperature even higher.
A second later, Ben had ripped his mouth away from hers and put both hands on her cheeks so he could stare into her eyes.
“Do you realize now how much I want you?”
She nodded, mesmerized by the rough tone of his voice and the intensity of his eyes. Ben had always been so easygoing, smiled at the drop of a hat.
Right now, she saw no amusement in those copper eyes. Just heat.
“You don’t have to doubt that. Ever.”
“Okay.”
“Are you always going to be this agreeable?”
Ian laughed again, the dark husky sound making her swallow hard. “Probably not.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed but she saw humor there. “Then I guess we’ll just have to make sure you know what you’ll be in for when you’re bad.”
Feeling like she’d just stepped onto an out-of-control merry-go-round, Dorrie took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
And realized she didn’t want to be steady. She liked feeling out of control. And she especially liked the way Ben’s hands felt against her skin.
Instead of speaking, she stood and reached for the top button of her pajama shirt at the center of her sternum and began to slip each disc through its hole.
Ben leaned bac
k into the cushions with a smile and crossed his arms over his chest.
She’d gotten to the fourth button when she turned to Ian.
The intensity of the heat in her eyes made her fingers fumble but not from hesitation. No, she was shaking with lust.
“Don’t stop now.” Ian waved a lazy hand at her. “I’m enjoying the show.”
His words gave her a burst of confidence and she rolled her shoulders, letting her shirt drop down her arms to the ground. Since she’d been ready for bed, she was naked beneath her pajamas.
Ian’s gaze locked on to her breasts, and the muscle flexing in his jaw made her want to bite it then work her way down his body with her teeth.
Of course, she couldn’t use her teeth on one certain part of his anatomy. No, she’d wrap her mouth around his erection and use her tongue on it instead.
The heat between her legs began to spread until she was suffused with it all the way to her cheeks, which burned.
He looked up at that moment, into her eyes, and the heat burned impossibly hotter.
“No.”
Her breath stuttered but before disappointment crushed her, he continued.
“Not here. Upstairs.”
She took a second to let the relief settle in and to take a breath before she stiffened her back. Ian wanted to control her, to control the situation. And he expected her and Ben to fall in line.
She’d been willing to let him get away with that last time. This time, he’d need to know she wasn’t just going to blindly allow him to have his way.
So instead of turning and doing what he’d asked, she held his gaze and put her hands in the waistband of her pajama shorts. The terry material had seen better days and she almost wished she wore lingerie to bed.
But she didn’t think Ian noticed what she was wearing.
With a whisper of fabric, the shorts slid to the floor and Ian’s gaze locked on to her naked body.
She’d never given too much thought to her body. Her boobs were kind of smallish and her hips were wider but she was muscled and toned, thank you, yoga and soccer. And she’d come to appreciate the fact that her muscular thighs allowed her to run fast for soccer and her smaller boobs meant they didn’t bounce when she ran.
The heat in Ian’s eyes matched Ben’s, whose sexy grin made her heart race.
It thrilled her to know they liked what they saw.
“Damn, sweetheart. I definitely think you should walk around naked all the time.”
Ben’s husky statement made her blink. No one had ever said anything like that to her. Usually men just shook their head at her and threw in the towel because they didn’t know what to do with her.
Then she smiled and Ben shook his head and laughed.
“I don’t know, Ian. I’m thinking she’s not going to be so compliant this time around.”
“Then maybe she needs to tell us what she wants. Because we wouldn’t want to do anything to scare her.”
He’d used the word “scare” deliberately. She saw the dare in Ian’s eyes. But she also saw the way his chest rose and fell twice as fast as it normally did.
“The floor is yours, Dorrie,” Ben said. “What do you want? We’re your willing slaves.”
She cocked an eyebrow at Ben, who grinned back at her.
Shaking her head, she put her hands on her hips. “I don’t believe that for a second.”
“Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter.” Ian lifted his arms to cross over his chest. Just the sound of his voice made her shiver. “We’ll prove it to you. Go ahead, ask me for anything.”
Really? Anything? Her mind swirled with possibilities but they all got stuck on the tip of her tongue.
In her head they sounded fine, but she wasn’t known for her eloquent language skills. Pretty much the opposite. She didn’t want to sound stupid.
“Dorrie.” Ben’s voice dropped to a low tease. “Go ahead. Ask.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Ian’s right. Let’s take this upstairs first.”
Turning, she stepped out of her shorts and headed for the stairs. She didn’t stop to see if they followed. She could hear their footsteps behind her.
When she made the turn onto the stairs, she saw Ben close behind her. But Ian… Ian lingered at the bottom of the steps, loosening his tie.
She wanted him to use that tie on her wrists.
Her breath caught and she sucked in a short gasp.
“What just went through your head?”
Ben’s question had her grabbing for the banister.
She shook her head and would’ve started up the stairs if Ian hadn’t spoken.
“I’m not positive but I think it might have something to do with my tie.”
How the hell had he read her so clearly?
Her expression must have shown her surprise because Ian started to smile. And just because he didn’t flat-out grin like Ben didn’t mean she didn’t feel a slick rush of heat between her thighs. Ian’s smile was slower to show but just as devastating.
“Is he right?” Ben looked up at her with raised eyebrows. “Do you want Ian to use that tie? Maybe on your hands?”
She didn’t know what to say. But she knew what Risa would say.
Tilting her head back, she stared down at them. “I guess if we ever get upstairs, you can find out.” She climbed a few more stairs then stopped again and looked back. “Make sure you bring the tie.”
Ben’s laughter followed her up the stairs and, when she looked back as she reached the top of the open staircase, she saw Ian shaking his head but headed toward the stairs.
Her heart began to pound out a heavy beat and her knees wanted to lock but she forced herself to keep going.
She could do this. She wanted to do this. Wanted them.
For now, they were hers.
At the top of the stairs, she headed for her room. It was only a queen but it would do for now. The room was big enough for a king but she hadn’t seen the need for a bed that big. Now she wished she’d thought ahead.
Then again, never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she’d need a bed big enough for three.
Hands encircled her waist from behind, sliding against her bare skin and stealing her breath.
“Easy, sweetheart.” Ben. “We have all night to play.”
Play. She liked that word. She wanted to play with these men for as long as they’d let her.
But the feelings Ben aroused weren’t playful. They were seriously sexy.
Every stroke of his fingers against the sensitive flesh above her mound made her stomach clench with increasing need. She wanted to reach behind her and pull him closer, feel the heat of his body against hers. But she couldn’t get what Risa had said out of her head. About being dominated by a man she trusted, having her control stripped away by someone she trusted.
She wanted to be taken. Wanted to feel taken care of.
And with Ben’s hands on her body, she felt the urge to surrender.
Her head dropped back as one of his hands skimmed up her body to cup one breast while the other slid down to cup her mound.
In the next second, Ben pulled her body back against his, the touch of his clothes a rough pleasure against her skin, especially her ass.
With a moan, she let her head fall back against his shoulder and pressed her ass against his groin, the hard ridge of his erection fitting perfectly between her cheeks. She loved knowing she did that to him, loved knowing she made him hard. She’d never had that sense of empowerment with another man before.
All other men had made her feel like she was the lucky one. These men made her feel as if she’d gifted them something special. When, really, she was the one who felt special. Adored.
Ben’s fingers played with her clit, teasing the tiny bundle of nerves until electricity zinged beneath her skin. Already, an orgasm teased at the outer edges of her consciousness, tightening the muscles of her stomach and making her knees wobbly.
Lifting one arm, she wrapped her hand around Ben
’s neck and pulled him down. He came without hesitation, kissing her neck then sucking the skin between his teeth to nibble on it.
Wickedly coordinated, Ben tweaked her clit and rolled her nipple with his fingers, licking at her neck then biting her hard enough to sting.
Everything went black as her eyelids snapped down and sensation rolled through her. She was so close to orgasm, she thought she might come but as abruptly as he’d started, he stopped. He pulled his hand out from between her thighs, though he didn’t stop playing with her nipple. And that only heightened the sense of loss.
“Hold your hands out in front of you.”
At the sound of Ian’s voice, her eyes opened and connected to his. He stood in front of her, holding his tie in one hand as he pulled it through the other. His face was set in firm lines, his gaze blistering in its intensity.
She had to replay his words in her head before she could understand them. And when she did, she hesitated. But not because she didn’t want to let him tie her up. She wanted him to make her.
Jesus, where had this come from? Was it her sister’s influence? Or had she had these feelings before and just had never had the opportunity to act on them? Or the backbone?
More likely, it was these two men who gave her such wild thoughts.
Would Ian know what she wanted him to do? Or would he—
He reached for the hand at her side first, pulling it away from her body with his fingers encircling her wrist. Wrapping the tie around it several times, he didn’t wait for her to comply with her other hand. He simply reached for her arm, pulled it down, and wrapped her wrists together.
“Fuck, I think I’m really going to like this.” Ben molded his free hand around her other breast and squeezed.
“I already know I will.”
She swallowed hard at Ian’s absolute calm tone, so at odds with the ferocity of lust in his gaze. Her body sensed the leash he had on his emotions, sensed how close he was to snapping it and giving her what she wanted. What she was afraid to put into words.
Ian raised a brow. “Nothing to say?”
She couldn’t unstick her tongue, not with Ben’s hands molding her breasts and Ian’s slowly tightening his tie around her wrists.
As their gazes held, Ian slowly tugged on the strip of fabric, stretching her arms out in front of her while Ben held her against him.
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