Most Wanted (Triple Diamond Book 3)

by Gemma Snow

  “You’re so beautiful, Evvie,” he murmured. The pet name from him was rare, but Quinn made it sound like the sweetest thing she’d ever heard and she ached from the way his mouth wrapped around her name. “I just want you to know how much I love you.” The words cut through her heart and turned Ev into a glowing puddle. She couldn’t help it. She had known from the start that Quinn struggled to express any deep emotions, but when he did, it made the whole world around them simply fall away and she ached at the sweetness in his voice, at the way everything he couldn’t say by day melded to those simple words in the hollow of her ear. God, she loved this man, down to the depths of her soul. She belonged to him, just as he belonged to her.

  “I love you too, Quinn,” she whispered, her voice inaudible over the sound of the music, but Quinn smiled at her, the real, full smile he so rarely shared and she knew he had heard her.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked, pressing his mouth to her ear to be heard over the roar of the music. Did she trust him? This man held her heart in his hands. Trust didn’t begin to cover it.

  Ev nodded and his grin got bigger. Wolfish.

  “Just remember that, okay?” he asked.

  Something twisted in her gut at his words. Remember what? That she trusted him? Why on earth would she need to remember that? It wasn’t like there were some sort of test of their love and commitment to each other, unless he was about to tell her something she didn’t know. But he had been acting a little more affectionately, more showy than usual since he’d found her at the bar.

  She didn’t get the chance to think further on it, because a pair of rough, calloused hands brushed her fingertips and, without turning around, Ev was suddenly and completely aware of Lucas by her side, moving to the steady thrum of the music and making it difficult to think. She looked over at Quinn, trying to gauge his expression to get a read on whether things felt weird to anyone else or just to her, but Lucas bent down and whispered into her ear before she was able.

  “Dance with me, Evs?” he asked, the heat of his words making her skin tingle and ache in places that had no right to tingle or ache. But when he slid his hands from her fingertips to the crook of her waist, those places only ached more, running from hot to burning with the simplest of touches.

  Panic shot through her and she glanced to find Quinn watching them, his expression neutral, patient, observing.

  “Do you want to dance with him, Evvie?” he asked.

  How the hell can I answer a question like that?

  “Don’t think, just tell me. Do you want to dance? With Lucas?” Of course, Quinn was a counterterrorism and negotiation expert, so the smooth, calm tone of his voice was as much an indicator of the oddity of this situation as a shaky, unsure one would have been on anyone else. “You said you trusted me,” he continued. “So I’m going to need you to trust me now, baby. ’Cause if you want to dance with Lucas, I want you to dance with Lucas.”

  And I do want to dance with Lucas.

  He must have seen the shift in her expression, because something glowed in those green eyes, normally so reserved, that made her ache. Then he began to move away, giving her the option he clearly knew she would never take for herself. But Ev was faster and grabbed him around the wrist.

  “Both,” she whispered, the word catching on the wild music or perhaps just the wildness of the beating in her own heart. “I want to dance with both of you. Together.”

  Red alert. Red fucking alert.

  It’s only a friendly dance. There’s nothing to be freaking out over.

  But, of course, dancing with Lucas now, when his body had been calling to her for months, when her relationship with Quinn made everything so incredibly off limits, was nothing like the friendly dances they’d shared in the past, at office parties or the bar after work. This felt different, somehow, weighted, loaded in a way she couldn’t begin to understand, or rather was working quite hard not to let herself.

  But then Quinn fit himself against her back, sliding all those familiar, delicious muscles against her, making it fucking impossible to think about anything but his hot, masculine body. Bodies, because then Lucas was there, his dark hair curling dangerously around his face, his eyes so intense and potent when he slid one finger down her cheek then the slope of her neck, the simple, seductive motion sending zinging need to her swollen nipples and throbbing pussy.

  For once, since all this madness had begun, she didn’t even care what was going on—she was too focused on the scents and sensations of having the two men touching her at the same time, of the sense of protection and comfort and rightness she felt when pressed between her two best friends in the world. Friends. Because if she let herself get any further than friends with Lucas, she was looking at a whole world of trouble.

  And yet, when he stroked her arm with those same promising caresses, she was tempted to throw it all out of the window just to reach up and fit herself to those swollen lips in what she knew would be a riot of passion they would never be able to box back up.

  The song changed, and Lucas and Quinn both kept to the beat of the quicker music, riding and grinding against her. She wrapped her arms around Lucas’ neck and held on tight. Quinn gripped her hips and Lucas buried his hands in her hair. God, the man’s hands were intense—big and strong and rough from work. It almost made her wonder how they might feel on her bare, sensitive skin, the parts of her quivering for more of his forbidden touch.

  “Just relax, Evs,” he whispered into her ear. “It’s only me.”

  Just Lucas, nothing to worry about. No need to stand on ceremony with Lucas. He’s just Lucas.

  Except then just Lucas pressed the softest, gentlest kiss to her neck and his touch sent a whole new wave of heat and need ricocheting through her. God, in that moment she couldn’t have denied her desire for him if her life had depended upon it. Her nipples pebbled to tight points and her pussy clenched at the simplest brush of his fingers against her arm, sliding up her thigh, gripping her waist. It was rough and subtle all at once, a crazed ride that kept her mind tangled while she moved, Quinn at her back and Lucas her front, his eyes full of danger and intent she couldn’t begin to read.

  If she was smart, if she had any idea of which way was up right now, she’d put an end to this right there and then. But now that she’d tasted the apple, Ev wanted so much more. She wrapped one hand back, to cup Quinn’s waist and pull him closer to her, and wound the other around Lucas’ firm ass, taut below his dark slacks. The intensity and desire emanating from both men were so similar but so different at the same time. Quinn was rich bourbon, sliding down her throat, making her ache and pulse with spice and wild desire and anticipation. Lucas was a shot of whiskey, potent, promising, holding nothing back. He held nothing back now. The three of them ground to the music and Ev’s mind turned to mush with each touch, each stroke of a hand across her neck, tangling in her fingers. Her mind ran rampant and her pulse buzzed with electricity ready to burst free.

  Then the song changed. It was no longer the grinding, pounding beat of EDM, but a romantic, slow song that made her soul ache and the room quiet around them. Her senses jangled back into order and she opened her eyes against the onslaught of sensation caused by being sandwiched between Quinn and Lucas.

  Oh shit. Oh shit.

  Here she was in a room with her coworkers, professional colleagues and friends, and she was dancing on not one but two men who made her body ache with need and anticipation and Ev’s heart nearly pulsed from her chest for a different reason this time. Complete and utter panic. Because the slow song, a song meant to be shared with a single lover, brought all this into stark, dangerous focus. What she wanted, what she knew she shouldn’t want—it just wasn’t done. Sure, Maddy and Lily Hollis had their men and it seemed to work for them, but no way could it possibly work for her, and if she had any sense at all, she’d stop before things got out of hand.

  It might already be too late for that. Because she looked into Lucas’ eyes, those deep, beautiful eyes, and
found herself staring at a man with lust blazing through his veins, the kind of lust that both excited and scared her all at once, lust that made her burn for a carnal coupling they might not survive.

  She stepped back, away from the temptation of Lucas’ touch, and bumped right into Quinn, who steadied her waist.

  “What’s going through that pretty little head of yours, Miss Analyst?” he asked her. “Because I have no doubt you’re overthinking something.”

  Overthinking, ya think? Maybe it has to do with this little game you guys think you’re playing.

  Nope. She wasn’t going to indulge, wasn’t going to give in. Instead, she did the one thing she could think to do, to get her head on straight and clear her mind of all the madness descending around her. She bolted.

  Chapter Eight

  The guest cabin wasn’t far, but Ev hadn’t thought to grab her coat before busting for the back door of the mess-hall-turned-dance-hall, and by the time she reached the cabin, she was freezing her ass off. Even the parts of her that had been so hot and bothered a second ago seemed to have cooled off with her brisk jaunt back, or perhaps simply the distance she now kept from the men who were both so capable of making her lose her mind.

  Yes. I want Lucas. So fucking what? Except now that she admitted it to herself, as she dropped down before the fireplace to fill the grate and start a warm fire in the hold, Ev knew that admitting her misplaced desires for her best friend, the one who was decidedly not her boyfriend, was important. It was big. It was dangerous. Having sordid, secret dreams about him was one thing, but pressing herself against him on the dance floor… Against both of them…

  Despite herself, Ev’s pussy quivered a little and she had to resist the urge to run to the shower to take care of the messy desire business once and for all. Surely there was a reasonable explanation for Lucas’ behavior, Quinn’s too, with the things he had asked of her, to just trust me, and once she found out exactly what that explanation was, they could all go back to the normal way of things.

  Yeah. Right.

  “Now this is quite a sight for sore eyes.” Quinn’s voice felt like melted chocolate against her skin, like bourbon spilling over outstretched, inviting fingers. Even if she hadn’t been in the process of building a fire, she would have warmed all over at the sound of him, no matter how angry and confused she felt in the moment.

  “She does make a pretty picture on her knees, doesn’t she?”

  Ev resisted the urge to moan. Barely. Instead, she tightened her hand around the brick of the fireplace and willed herself to get a goddamned hold of the situation, of herself, before she did something she would undoubtedly regret. Of course, this couldn’t be entirely classified as her fault, but she had to be strong here, had to hold off the impending carnal feast of indulgence she desperately ached for. She pushed up from the fireplace, but Quinn’s voice stopped her.

  “You’re not going to deny Lucas such a pretty view, are you?” he asked. “I bet you didn’t know we could see your panties, Evvie. They’re soaked through, just like your pretty little pussy underneath. Is that from dancing with us?”

  Quinn Langston was a man of few words, but when he got them right, damn, it was enough to make a grown woman beg, and here she was, already on her knees. But she ignored Quinn’s words and stood, smoothing out Maddy’s dress and trying to ignore her soaked panties sticking to her thigh. Jesus, yes, it was from dancing with them, from the ache their simultaneous touch brought on, the one she craved against all better judgment.

  She took her time looking up, but finally couldn’t delay any longer and lifted her head to look at them.

  For fuck’s sake.

  Quinn had his arms folded and his back against the wall, legs crossed at the ankle. He almost seemed at ease, almost appeared normal, as if anything about this crazy night was normal, but the look in his deep green eyes promised her things, pushed her to the limits and back, made her want to taste the forbidden fruit.

  He was leaning against the jamb, one arm high above his head, dark hair curling around his shoulders, making her want to reach out and pull her toward him, to muss up the hair and the dangerous, wicked smile on his face that she knew would make her beg for more.

  Instead, she stepped back, putting space between her and temptation.

  “What’s going on?” Ev asked, careful to keep the husky tone from her voice, but she still wobbled a little, which both men clearly noticed, if the flash in Quinn’s eyes and the tug of Lucas’ smug lips were anything to go by.

  “You’re the genius,” Lucas said shrugging. “What do you think is going on?”

  “Flattery will get you nowhere,” she said, her voice still a little shaky. What the hell was wrong with her, to be acting like this? What the hell was wrong with them tonight, anyway? And yet, Lucas wanted her to tell them what was going on, and there was only one obvious answer that came to her mind, only one thing that came from fitting all the puzzle pieces together.

  “And distractions will get you punished.” He winked, the same damn wink that had brought a thousand women to their knees in the years Ev had known him, the wink she had always thought she was immune to. Until… Until she had started dating Quinn. Until she realized that her ache for Lucas was there during the day too, that it haunted her during her waking hours, no matter how she ignored it.

  “Now, we’ll ask again, Evvie, what do you think is going on?”

  Ev straightened. If she was about to go into battle, she sure as hell wasn’t going to do it while questioning herself and everything the night could offer. The truth was, this would be an opportunity she’d never get again, and walking away from it might be something she regretted for the rest of her life.

  “You’re trying to seduce me,” she said. “Both of you.” She glanced over at Quinn and found his expression open, readable. He wanted this for her as much as she’d been wanting it for months. Of course, he couldn’t possibly know the extent to which she’d been aching for Lucas’ touch—she hadn’t even admitted that to herself until right this moment—but he was saying yes, without any words, telling her that if this was what she wanted, then he wanted it for her too. Well, damn, that’s a heady thought.

  “Is it working?” Lucas asked. “Because, you know, we men have small”—he paused, his smile so dangerous she wondered if she might simply catch fire—“egos. We like to know when we’re on the right track.”

  Quinn huffed out a laugh and Ev had to keep from choking on one of her own. Laughter wasn’t really in her thoughts right then, though. Instead, all she could focus on was fight or flight. Or rather, if she’d stayed, it wasn’t going to be the fighting kind of physical interaction.

  “What are the rules?” she asked, instead of answering his question. She’d spent more than enough time living with both of them and dating Quinn to know that neither of them had anything to worry about in the ego department.

  “There’s our favorite analyst,” Quinn said. “Let’s just say you’re our new case-by-case weekend, baby. You looked like you needed some cheering up, and Lucas so valiantly stepped up to the challenge.”

  “You’re doing this to cheer me up?” She was incredulous and the room was beginning to feel quite warm. Perhaps she hadn’t needed to make the fire after all. Perhaps she could have just stood around the two of them for a few minutes.

  “Entirely a selfless act, I assure you,” Lucas said, making no attempt to hide the grin on his face. “I won’t even pretend to enjoy myself.”

  She very much doubted that was possible.

  “So what, we just give it a go for a night and hope nothing gets weird?” she asked. “I don’t want anything to get weird.”

  At that, Lucas pressed off the wall and stalked toward her. His movements were needy and powerful and he crossed the room in three long strides, grabbed her by the waist and pulled her flush against his body in one rough motion.

  “We are not just going to give it a go, Evs,” he said, lowering his head to her neck and growling the
words into her ear.

  Trapped against him like this, her daze returned and Ev found it difficult to think of much of anything at all, save the hardness pressing against her through two layers of fabric.

  “If you accept this, me, for tonight, then we’re going to make love to you until you lose your mind. We’re going to torture you with pleasure until the image of you coming is ingrained in my memory for life. Together, we’ll taste, suck and devour every inch of your quivering, succulent skin, then, when you’re boneless in our arms, we’ll do it all over again.”

  He licked the shell of her ear and Ev couldn’t keep the moan from spilling across her lips, couldn’t keep from arching into him at the divine, sinful thoughts thrust forth by his promising words.

  “But you have to tell us exactly what you want,” he continued. He ran his tongue down the nape of her neck, making it fucking impossible to think against the onslaught of pleasure and temptation. “Because we don’t want there to be any regrets or misunderstandings, Evvie. We want you to have the best fucking night of your life without holding back.”

  She felt a little drugged at his words and when she lifted her head to look up into Lucas’ eyes, Quinn crossed the room to join them. Before she was able to voice the question on her tongue, he beat her to it.

  “It was my idea, Evs. If this is what you want, then I want it for you.”

  Then there was nothing holding her back, not the guilt of hurting Quinn, when he stood there giving her all the permission she needed, not the fear something might go wrong, nothing to keep her from reaching up and pushing a dark strand of Lucas’ hair from his face before burying her hands in his dark locks and pulling him to her mouth in a blistering kiss.

  Oh, God.

  Lucas kissed like Dionysus, no control, no restraint. He drank from her body with the rampant joy of a Brazilian carnival parade, and Ev gave over to every touch, his indulgence in her mouth, the spanning of her waist with his broad, seeking hands. She lost herself to the taste of him, to the unleashed need that would send them both combusting before too long.