by Chloe Lang
Their armor glistened like mirrors. Seeing her reflection in the metal, she was surprised that no one seemed to care that she was wearing her bathrobe. She laughed aloud, swaying to Gya Gaynor’s song, which seemed slightly odd given where the three of them were, a castle, and also when they were, back in medieval times. But she didn’t give it another thought, because she was in the arms of Clay and Jay, the two noblest knights of the realm. And the sexiest, too.
They twirled her again, and the next moment she was lying in a meadow, naked between them, with Gya singing another one of her favorite songs.
Clay brushed the hair out of her eyes and leaned down and kissed her. She melted into him. His armor had vanished and she could feel his muscled body pressing into her. Jay touched her breasts and kissed her back. His naked frame felt good against her body. Two naked men, next to me. She just loved this. But how did this work? She wanted them both.
Clay and Jay began sucking on her breasts, moving their hands all over her. Their intimate caresses made her skin tingle and her temperature rise. God, how she needed them. It had been so long.
They kissed her everywhere—her neck, her nipples, down her sides and to her pussy. As their licks drove her wild with desire, the music got faster and faster, the beat deeper and deeper. She could feel the vibration on her skin.
“I want you. I want you both,” she confessed, looking into their blue eyes. “Please, oh please. I need you inside me.”
They both nodded, and the music ended.
“Incoming call from Clay and Jay Gibbs.”
She reached for her phone. “Did you hear me? I need you.”
“You need me. Izzy?” Clay asked. “Is everything okay?”
The fuzziness of her sex dream melted away, and Izzy sat up in the tub. Oh God, did I just do that? “I was talking to my dog.”
“Do you need someone to take care of your dog while you’re gone?”
Damn, I don’t even have a dog. “It’s all taken care of. I’m ready to go.”
“Jay and I grew up with German Shepherds. We love dogs, but living in a high rise we’ve decided not to get one. What kind of dog do you have?”
“Um. A little one. Brown.” She was digging the hole even deeper but couldn’t figure a way out.
“What’s his or her name?”
“Brownie.” Oh God. What I am I saying? Think. Her girlfriends Toni & Cami had dogs. Toni’s was a black Lab, but Cami’s was brown. “She’s a toy dachshund.”
“A toy dachshund?” Clay laughed. “I didn’t know that breed had a toy size.”
“Well, it does.”
“I can’t wait to meet Brownie. Hey, Jay. Izzy has a dog, a brown toy dachshund named Brownie.”
“I’ve never heard of a toy dachshund before.”
She could hear Jay in the background and knew that things were going from bad to worse faster than she could imagine.
“That’s what I told her, too,” Clay said. “Izzy, why I called was we thought we could come get you in the limo and help you with your luggage. And we could get breakfast before the trip.”
The trip. Thank God we can talk about something else. “That sounds great.”
“Perfect. That way Jay and I can meet Brownie.”
How do I get myself into these messes? “Unfortunately, she’ll be gone before you get here.”
“That’s too bad. But we’ll have to meet her when we get back from London.”
Somehow she needed to find a way to come clean with him and Jay about Brownie. But she obviously couldn’t tell them about her dream.
“Jay and I are looking forward to working with you,” Clay said.
“Me, too.” Working. That’s what this is. A job. Can’t be more than that. Keep this professional. “I’m ready to dive into this project. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Chapter Six
Jay walked up to Izzy’s condo with his brother and rang the doorbell.
Izzy opened the door and, no surprise to him, looked absolutely stunning. “Hi.”
“Good morning, gorgeous.” I get to spend time with this angel. God, I’m a lucky man.
“You look like you’re ready for the runway, Izzy,” Clay said. “And I’m not talking about the jet. I’m talking about for a fashion show.”
She looked down at her outfit. “I’m just wearing a pair of slacks and a blouse.”
Clay smiled. “But no one wears them like you do.”
She returned his smile, and her eyes brightened.
“Clay’s right. You look beautiful.” He put his arm around her. “Where’s your luggage, Izzy?”
“In my bedroom,” she said. “Follow me.”
They walked into her loft, which was in a building that had been a factory decades ago.
He couldn’t get over how nice her place was, a perfect blend of modern and traditional style, with colorful accents that added just the right feminine touches.
“This is amazing,” Clay said.
“I had no idea this place even existed,” he added. “And it’s only three blocks from GWI’s offices.”
“Thank you, guys. Gabby and I had such a good time redoing this loft. She has such good taste. I can’t wait for you to meet her. Do we have time for me to give you a tour?”
He grinned, loving how enthusiastic she was. “The pilot is on standby as long as we need. There is no set time we have to be at the airport. So, please, I want to see everything.”
She led them into the kitchen area. “You should have seen this when I bought it. The bones were good, but it was not designed for a loft. Gabby and I came in and literally built this kitchen by ourselves.”
“Wow. Could Jay and I hire you?” Clay asked.
She shook her head. “Never again, but I am very proud of what we accomplished.”
The kitchen was updated with dark wooden cabinets and light brown granite countertops. The appliances were stainless steel. Unlike his and Clay’s ultra-modern kitchen in their penthouse, this had a warm, tempting vibe that invited visitors to gather.
“When I saw these bricks,” she ran her delicate hand down the wall, “I knew I had to have this place. Plus, it’s within walking distance to everything happening in downtown. And what about this amazing view I have?”
He and Clay turned to the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out onto one of the downtown parks, with the city skyline in the background.
“That’s a million-dollar view, Izzy,” he said.
“I think so, but thank God I didn’t pay near that for this place. I was still working on my graduate degree when I bought the loft. It was a stretch, but because it was just a shell, the price was right. I think Gabby and I did good, don’t you?”
“You did great, Izzy. This place…is incredible.” Like you.
“Look, Jay. She can see where we live from here.”
“I can? Where?”
Clay put his arm around her shoulders and pointed. “That’s our building.”
“The Museum Tower?” Her eyes widened. “What floor do you live on?”
“Top floor,” his brother told her.
“The penthouse? Oh my God. There’s no comparison. This must look like a dump compared to yours.”
“Just the opposite.” Jay looked her straight in the eyes. “Your home is warm and inviting. Ours is just a place to entertain clients and to sleep. It’s where we live but it’s not a home. I am serious, Izzy. Clay and I could use your touches to help warm up our penthouse.”
“I’m no interior designer, but Gabby and I would love to help.”
She keeps bringing up her daughter. It was very clear what Izzy was trying to do, but he and Clay were interested in her, not Gabby.
“Okay, let’s wrap this tour up, guys.” Every room she showed them was just as nicely done as the kitchen. “And this is my bedroom.”
The room’s palette incorporated different shades of white and cream with gray accents, creating an airy, restful retreat. There was purity to the design, l
ike Izzy herself.
“Here’s my luggage.” She stepped next to the two suitcases, garment bag, and makeup case. “I really appreciate this,” she said, picking up the makeup case.
Jay touched her arm and shook his head. “You’re not even carrying that, Izzy. We are here to take care of you. That was the deal we made last night.”
She smiled and handed him the case. “A girl could get used to being treated like this, you know.”
“At your service, me lady,” Clay said with a bow.
Jay also bowed, and in his best Cockney accent said, “Our pleasure, me lady.” When he straightened up, he saw her cheeks were bright red.
“Did you see this picture of Gabby?” Izzy grabbed a photo and held it in front of her for them to see. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
He looked at the girl in the photo. Gabby had long, blonde hair and green eyes like her mother. “She is beautiful, Izzy, just like you. And I’m sure there’s a very nice young man who will sweep her off her feet one day.”
He could see in her eyes that she realized trying to play matchmaker wasn’t going to work.
“Izzy, I wish Brownie was here.” Clay grabbed one of the suitcases and the makeup case. “Do you have a picture of her that we can take a look at?”
“Um…I’d have to dig it out.” She turned and opened a drawer. “Here it is.” She held it in front of Clay.
“What a cute dog, Izzy. Who’s the woman holding Brownie?”
“My girlfriend, Cami.” She placed the photo back in the drawer. “Can we go now? I’m hungry.”
“Sure,” he said, picking up the other suitcase and garment bag. Izzy seemed a little rattled every time they brought up Brownie, but he wasn’t sure why. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any sign of a dog in this loft. No bed. No bowls. Nothing. He grinned. She’s lying about having a dog, but why? He intended to find out.
Chapter Seven
Izzy sat between Clay and Jay in the back of the stretch limo, trying to keep her emotions in check but having a very difficult time of it. It wasn’t that she’d never been around men before, but she’d never been around over-the-top, sexy-as-hell men like them before.
“I hope you like bagels and fruit.” Clay’s voice was rich and deep, calling to her deepest desires.
“Mmm. Sounds delicious.” Izzy, you’ve got to stop with the daydreams about him and Jay.
“We’re going to dine in the air,” Jay said. “Chefs Roberto and Miguel took care of us.”
“They are very sweet guys, and I loved their food yesterday. I’m sure we’ll enjoy whatever they’ve made for us.”
She’d looked up Clay and Jay’s profiles last night on GWI’s website. They weren’t even thirty yet. Didn’t take an accounting degree to figure out that she was too old for them by twelve years, yet she was feeling like a teenager just being around them.
Since her divorce, all her focus had been solely on completing her master’s, which she had successfully finished. Graduation was over six months ago, but the next stage in her life had been to secure her place at the firm. There had been no time for a social life. None. There still wasn’t time for it. This was business. Plain and simple. But she was getting signals from Clay and Jay that made her tingly all over. But were their signals really revealing an interest in her? Or had she been out of the mix for so long she was misinterpreting kindness as something more?
Clay grabbed her hand and squeezed.
Just like this. What does this mean? Was this a signal or was this the demonstrative way Gabby and her generation showed their friends affection? Friends. Just friends.
Jay took her other hand. “I can’t wait to show you mine and Clay’s favorite places in London.”
“We have work to do, Jay.”
“During the day. Nights belong to us.”
Oh God. Another signal? Izzy, you’ve got to be realistic. She looked down at her hands, which were still being held by Clay and Jay. Why couldn’t she just have some fun with them? What the hell? It had been a very long time, and that part of her certainly wasn’t dead yet. What harm could there be in just going with the flow and seeing where it took her?
The limo parked and the three of them stepped onto the tarmac. Seeing the plane with the GWI’s logo painted on the side made everything more real somehow. The jet was much larger than she’d imagined. It seemed as big as the president’s plane, Air Force One. I’m going to London.
Clay and Jay stood on either side of her, offering her their arms. She smiled and took them as the driver unloaded their luggage from the trunk.
As they entered the plane, she couldn’t believe her eyes. They walked into a space that had leather seats, a big-screen television, and a fully stocked bar.
“Welcome aboard, Ms. Clemens,” a young woman greeted her. “Gentlemen, welcome back.”
“Izzy, this is Anne,” Jay said. “She’s the best flight attendant around. She’ll be taking good care of us the whole trip.”
“The Sanchez brothers already delivered your breakfast. I’ve set it out in the dining room for you.”
Izzy’s eyes widened. “This plane has a dining room?”
Anne smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Anne, we’re going to introduce Ms. Clemens to Zane and Maddox,” Clay said.
“Would any of you like something to drink? Coffee, juice, Mimosa, Bloody Mary?”
“I’ll have a Bloody Mary,” Jay said.
Clay nodded “Same for me.” The two of them were more alike than just their looks.
Getting into the spirit of things, she said, “I’d like a Mimosa, if it’s no trouble.”
“No trouble at all.” Anne smiled and walked over to the bar. “I’ll have them ready when you come back from the cockpit.”
“Guys, this is incredible. What kind of plane is this?”
“It’s a Challenger 604, Izzy.” Clay put his arm around her shoulder.
He and Jay led her to the cockpit.
“Izzy, this is our captain, Zane Kavanagh,” Jay said. “And his co-pilot and brother, Maddox. Guys, this is Isabella Clemens.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Clemens,” the Kavanagh brothers said in unison.
“For me, too.” She shook their hands. “Please call me Izzy.”
Zane and Maddox were handsome and appeared to be about the same age as Clay and Jay, though in the looks department the Gibbs brothers more than edged them out in her opinion.
“This looks more like a control room for a spaceship than a jet. I bet this could fly us to the moon.”
Jay smiled wickedly. “Maybe we could schedule that trip for you later.”
“We will be taking off shortly,” Zane told them. “Once we are in the air, Anne will be serving you your meal, which smells delicious.”
“Miguel and Roberto are amazing chefs,” Maddox said.
“My first time eating their food was yesterday at lunch, and it was incredible.”
Zane nodded. “They brought both breakfast and dinner for this trip.”
“How’s the weather look for our flight?” Clay asked.
“Should be a very smooth flight.”
They left the cockpit.
“I like them,” she said. “They seem very nice.”
“We’ve been friends with Zane and Maddox since we were kids,” Jay told her. “Same with Roberto and Miguel. We all went to school together.”
“Private school, I bet.”
“Nope,” Clay said. “Mom was a teacher in public school and thought we would get a well-rounded education there.”
She was surprised to hear that. “Your mom was a teacher?”
Jay smiled. “Mom and Dad didn’t grow up rich. She loved education and wouldn’t give it up, even though Dad had built GWI into a global powerhouse. Our parents were quite common and wanted to make sure we appreciated all we had.”
Having read the company’s history on the website, she’d learned that Clay and Jay’s parents had died, along with their aunt, in
a tragic accident.
“It’s very clear to me how proud you both are of your parents’ accomplishments.”
“We are,” Jay said. “We miss them very much.”
She couldn’t get over how open he and Clay were. Most men she’d been around kept their feelings buried, unlike them. It was refreshing and endearing to be around Clay and Jay.
Clay smiled. “Let’s get our drinks from Anne, and then we’ll finish the tour of the jet.”
She smiled back at him. “I’d really like that.”
When they got back to the lounge, Anne handed them their beverages.
Izzy took a sip. “This Mimosa is perfect. Thank you.”
“I’m going to finish setting up the dining room until it’s time for the plane to take off. Do you need anything else?”
“No, we’re fine,” Jay said. “Thank you, Anne.”
“Are you ready for the tour, Izzy?” Clay asked.
“Absolutely.”
They passed through the luxurious dining room, where Anne was making things ready for them. Delicious aromas filled the air.
“I think your two chef friends prepared more than just bagels and fruit for us.”
“Smells like they did to me, too,” Clay stated with a smile.
The next space was an office, appointed beautifully with a large oak desk, two overstuffed leather chairs, and top-of-the-line equipment. Everything a corporate executive needed.
The final private space they showed her was a bedroom, along with its own en suite. “Even a shower?”
“It comes in handy,” Clay said. “Especially with long trips.”
“Is that a king-sized bed?”
“Yes,” Jay answered. “We have some big executives at GWI.”
“Big in what way?” She laughed.
He and Clay smiled.
“I can’t speak for anyone else,” Jay said. “But Clay and I are twins. We’re both well over six feet tall.” He laughed. “That’s what you meant, right?”
She smiled. “Sure. That’s exactly what I meant.”