DanielsSurrender

by Sierra

  Fuck.

  Carrie’s soft hand on his arm soothed him, and he gave the spitfire before him a nod of acknowledgement.

  “Matty,” she emphasized the diminutive and all three men winced, “has been worried sick about you. So has Daniel. And in spite of that, they both stepped up to do your job.” Her glare could have melted steel, let alone a mere man. “And, for your information, Matthew is a man full grown.” Matt stood behind her, grinning like a besotted fool. Marcus could totally relate. He knew he wore the same exact expression when he looked at Carrie.

  “He doesn’t need a babysitter.” She glanced at Daniel, who was also watching her closely. Maybe he wasn’t grinning like a besotted fool, but he had an absorbed look Marcus had never seen him direct at another person, man or woman. “He needs a friend, something you obviously aren’t willing to be for him.”

  At this, she’d gone too far. Marcus saw Matthew’s instinctive step forward, whether to protect or scold, and was about to respond himself when Carrie stepped around him to face the woman.

  “I’ll give you that one free, because you don’t know my fiancé.” Daniel and Matthew both shot him startled looks, and he felt a satisfied smile curl his lips as Carrie continued. “You’re obviously new to the family, and there are a couple of things you need to understand.” Marcus burst with pride. His woman was fierce, both in and out of the bedroom. “Marcus would never, ever deliberately do anything to hurt Matthew or Meredith.” She sent Daniel a smile full of remembered heat. “Or Daniel.” The little brunette’s eyes narrowed still more at Carrie’s smile.

  “If Marcus hurt any of the people he loves,” Carrie said. Daniel cleared his throat, and Carrie ignored him, “he’ll make it right with them. And it’s none of your business.”

  The other woman looked into Carrie’s eyes and said softly, “It’s my business because I had to watch two people I care about suffer.”

  At this, Carrie’s fierce demeanor softened and she approached the other woman to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. “It looks like they were in good hands. Now let Marcus make it up to them. He’s been suffering, too.”

  The younger woman gave Carrie a considering look and said, “They’re off limits now.”

  Carrie nodded. “They’d be off limits to me even if you weren’t in the picture,” she responded.

  With a somewhat warmer smile, the little spitfire ventured, “You must be Carrie, the only one in the office who knows how to order lunch.” Carrie gave a surprised laugh and Matthew studied the ceiling while Daniel looked determinedly out the window. “They nearly starved to death without you,” she added dryly.

  Now all three men squirmed uncomfortably as the women bonded in that incomprehensible way of females everywhere. Finally, Matthew stepped forward and, relieving his woman of her olives and dropping them into a bag on the desk, he introduced his little warrior.

  “Marcus.” His voice was filled with pride and affection as he stepped up behind the woman and slid his arms around her waist. “This little pit-bull is Shannon Whitney. To my great luck, she’s claimed me.” He sent Daniel a speaking look Marcus decided to interpret later. “And Shannon, my love, as you’ve already guessed, this is my big brother Marcus.” He looked down at her with a mock scowl. “Who loves me very much.” He grinned at Marcus. “Which is probably the only reason he hasn’t flayed the skin from your back.”

  Marcus offered a lazy smile before settling on the couch that dominated one wall of the room and pulling a very willing Carrie onto his lap.

  “I don’t flay skin, Matty. I just spank it ’til it’s nice and red.” He grinned at Carrie’s blush, and gave her a kiss that was meant to be brief but somehow wasn’t.

  “Shit, Marc, do you need some privacy?” Matt was laughing as he said it and, after giving Shannon a squeeze, he pulled Carrie out of Marcus’ arms.

  “So, hey, new baby sister!” He smacked big, noisy kisses on both of her cheeks before swinging her around for Daniel to greet properly.

  Daniel, apparently noting Shannon’s carefully blank look, restrained himself to a brief hug. Carrie, who’d laughed at Matthew’s theatrics, laughed even harder at Daniel’s obvious restraint. Before releasing him she whispered in his ear, “You are so caught!”

  Daniel released her as if he’d been burned, and all three noted that Shannon’s shoulders seemed to relax just a little. Marcus hoped his friend didn’t wound the fierce little creature too badly. That would twist him up with guilt he didn’t need. And, if Matt was as wrapped up in the girl as he seemed, it would hurt him, too.

  Marcus, who’d been ignored for too long, decided to take back control of his office. Looking at Matthew, he began.

  “So what the hell? I’m gone for a week and you fill my office with hostile women.” He gestured to the outer office. “Where in God’s name did you find her?” He gave an exaggerated shudder. “She all but disemboweled me to keep me from disturbing you.” His voice rose. “It’s my damn office!” Carrie, who’d returned to his lap, ran her hand over his chest in a playfully soothing manner. Marcus glared at her and she giggled.

  “I had nothing to do with it,” Matt denied quickly. “Besides, she hates me too!” Marcus didn’t look convinced, so Matt continued, “Hell, she wouldn’t even give me a cup of coffee until Casanova here,” he gestured at an innocent-looking Daniel, “seduced it out of her.”

  Marcus shook his head before getting down to business. “And the company? You’re a bright kid.” He glanced at Shannon. “Er, man, so I’ll assume you’ve kept things on track for me.”

  Matthew looked proud, an expression Marcus had never seen him wear in relation to the Worthington Group before. “Everything’s good.”

  Daniel added, “He signed off on the Traverse City purchase, and has the bids lined up for construction.” He looked inquiringly at Matthew. “You’re thinking of using Renatto for that project, too, aren’t you?”

  Marcus noted the way Daniel deferred to Matthew’s knowledge of the project, and found himself adjusting his perception of his baby brother.

  “So, if we can clear the riff-raff,” this was directed at Daniel, who smirked in response, “and get Meredith in here, maybe you can catch me up.”

  Daniel laid a hand against Shannon’s lower back, a possessive gesture that none of them missed. “I can tell when I’m not wanted,” he groused. “I’ll walk you out, Shannon.” He continued, leading her to the door.

  Matthew, heading for the desk to call Meredith’s office, passed close to them and paused, tipping Shannon’s face up for a soft kiss. Daniel, in an unconscious movement, brushed his free hand over Matthew’s hair, stroking over his ponytail.

  The gesture had looked totally natural, as had Matthew’s responding smile. They’d looked…affectionate. Marcus blinked a couple of times, then squeezed his eyes closed. By the time he was ready to open them again, Daniel and Shannon had left the room. He must have been mistaken. Maybe sleep deprivation while he’d waited for Carrie’s return had scrambled his brain.

  Carrie wriggled into a more comfortable position on his lap and laid her lips against his ear. “So,” she purred. “Am I riff-raff?” Her pointed little tongue teased his earlobe.

  He’d definitely misunderstood Daniel’s caress. Carrie’d drawn all the blood from his brain, so he was hallucinating.

  Losing himself in her touch, he answered, “Definitely not riff-raff,” and proceeded to ignore his amused brother until Meredith rushed into the room.

  * * * * *

  The next few weeks passed in a blur for Shannon. She had two attentive and inventive lovers, a job she loved and an exciting new city to explore. The first week of school had been a joy. Her students were, for the most part, adorable and eager to learn. Of course there were a few tough cases, but Shannon was confident that it was nothing she couldn’t handle. After all, they were children. There were very few children in the world who couldn’t eventually be won over by genuine affection and caring.

  Onc
e the school day was over, life just got better. Matt arranged outings to all the local landmarks, dragging Daniel along on weekend trips to see the Spirit of Detroit and the sculpture of Joe Lewis’ fist, Belle Isle and Greenfield Village.

  They’d spent one entire Saturday at the Detroit Zoo, where Daniel paid a small fortune so Shannon could ride the train for almost an hour straight. He’d claimed it well worth the expense, as she showed her gratitude with hot, wet kisses bestowed equally on her men every time the train entered the pitch-black tunnel.

  Over dinners in Greek Town and Mexican Town, and Shannon’s home-cooking, they came to know each other. Matthew seemed to be an open book, but as the weeks passed he began to share stories about his childhood that broke her heart.

  Her father had been a dominating jerk at times, but even with all the demands and disapproval, she’d known deep down he loved her. And when she graduated from college, he’d taken her face in his hands and whispered, “Your mother would be so proud of you. As proud as I am.” It was the memory she clung to when he was particularly demanding.

  Matthew had had a very different relationship with his father. Stirling Worthington had, from both Daniel’s and Matthew’s stories, been a cold man. Nothing Marcus or Matthew had done had ever been good enough to satisfy him. Matthew was very circumspect when he spoke of his father, but Shannon could tell the man had wounded him deeply.

  No, the father figure in Matthew’s life, and in his sister Meredith’s too, had been Marcus. Marcus had taken over as Matthew’s confidant, and had helped to mold him into the remarkable man who’d stolen her heart. For that alone she had to forgive the man for hurting her men. And for being an arrogant pain in the ass.

  Daniel rarely spoke of his father at all. The only time he mentioned him was when, one sultry evening, a slightly tipsy Shannon had tried to lure him into one more margarita. He’d refused, commenting, “I’ve had enough. Any more and I’ll be as big a drunk as my old man.” She’d wanted to question him, but his closed expression and the quick shake of Matthew’s head changed her mind.

  Daniel spoke to them about his early dreams of being an architect, and his years in college. He cracked them up with what Shannon knew were highly sanitized stories of his youthful adventures, though he carefully avoided mentioning his sexual exploits. This was fine with Shannon, who found she was insanely jealous of him. She had no reason to be jealous of Matthew—his commitment to her and Daniel was as obvious as it was absolute. Daniel, on the other hand, flirted outrageously with other women—many she suspected he’d been with intimately—and never gave her any reason to think he saw their situation as anything but temporary.

  Daniel wasn’t committed to them in the way they were committed to him. It was there in the way he never met their eyes when they made love. In the way he kissed her goodnight and ran his hand through Matt’s tangled hair every night before sending them home to Matt’s condo to sleep. It was the only thing keeping her world from complete perfection, and she knew there was nothing she could do to change it.

  Daniel had been wounded, and all she could offer him was her love. As a teacher, a caregiver of sorts, she longed to dive in and repair his injuries, but knew enough about him to realize he had to heal himself from the damage his past had obviously inflicted.

  What kept her hopeful was a look Daniel would get in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Shannon swore she saw love there. Her instincts screamed Daniel was really happy to be with her and Matt. So she waited patiently for him to open his eyes and his heart.

  Shannon kept them in stitches with anecdotes of her students and fellow teachers. She also told them stories both horrifying and hysterical about her father and brother. She noticed every time she told a story about her family, the loving that night was especially fierce, but Daniel’s touch was unusually tender.

  She came to crave that dichotomy, Daniel as the demanding, masterful lover versus Daniel the passionate caretaker. And Matthew. Oh, Matthew made her feel so cherished. He gave his love unstintingly, with no sense of self-preservation. And Shannon knew that if Daniel gave the least sign of acceptance, Matthew would welcome him into their little golden sphere of bliss.

  Yes, Shannon belonged, heart and soul, to her men, and with every day she fell a little more in love with them. She knew the day was rapidly approaching when she wouldn’t be able to live without them, and the realization filled her with a giddy sort of terror.

  Daniel’s emotional distance was the only cloud on her horizon. She wanted more than his lust. More, even, than his friendship. She wanted him to love her and Matthew as much as they were coming to love him.

  * * * * *

  The week before her birthday, Shannon rested facedown against the table in Daniel’s playroom. Matthew was pressing warm, open-mouthed kisses along the backs of her thighs as he worked loose the straps binding her ankles to the table legs. Daniel sat back on his heels on the table in front of her, chest still heaving, cock still full and wet from her mouth and his ejaculate, as he gathered himself to release her arms.

  When he freed her, Daniel carried her to the thick mattress in one corner of the room. Matt soon joined them, carrying two steaming wet cloths, which the two men used to cleanse their seed, her cream and copious amounts of lube from various parts of her body. Shannon basked in the sensations. Daniel was always exquisitely thorough in his care of her after their extended and sometimes almost violent lovemaking, and he’d quickly trained Matthew to be just as conscientious.

  They lay together, a tangle of damp, exhausted limbs, for far too short of a time before she felt Matthew jerk himself awake and give a resigned sigh.

  “I’m whipped.” He chuckled. “Literally.” His eyes met Daniel’s over her head, and she saw the spark jump from one man to the other.

  “And our lady here has to face thirty ten-year-olds tomorrow.” To her pleasure, for once Daniel didn’t react to Matthew’s reference to her belonging to both of them. “I’d better bundle her up and take her home to bed.”

  For one split second, she thought Daniel might protest. It was there in his Caribbean-blue eyes. Then he nodded and pulled himself, groaning, to his feet.

  “Fuck, I’m too old for this.” He extended a hand first to Shannon, pulling her to her feet and holding her until she steadied, then to Matthew, who let the momentum carry him into Daniel’s body so he could steal a long, slow kiss. Daniel’s eyes slid closed and he hummed his enjoyment into the caress before pulling away. “The two of you wear me out.”

  Matt gave him a wicked glance, examining his suddenly twitching cock. “Well,” he drawled, “you seem to keep up with us young ’uns well enough.”

  Both men helped Shannon into her clothes, taking turns with buttons and zippers until she was completely dressed. Tossing on his robe, Daniel walked them through the dark house to the door.

  Shannon decided to take a risk. It seemed the only way to bring Daniel closer was to take risks. Matthew stood at her back as Daniel pulled her into his arms for his customary kiss goodnight. When his lips released hers, she savored the tingle for a moment, then spoke.

  “It’s my birthday next weekend.”

  Both men looked surprised.

  “I suppose,” Daniel said, smiling down at her, “you’re going to want a big, expensive present.” He knew damn good and well she didn’t care about expensive, or presents. He’d tried to shower her with jewelry, and while she was always appreciative, she made it clear that his gifts weren’t his main attraction for her.

  “Actually.” Her voice was a tentative whisper. One he hadn’t heard from her in weeks. He didn’t think he liked this sign of doubt on her part. “It’s something that might be too costly for you.” He gave Matt a questioning look, and at Matt’s clueless shrug, he turned his gaze back to her.

  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t get you.” The words were starkly true. He’d buy the moon for her if she asked it.

  “This isn’t something you can buy.” She lowered her eye
s, and once again he felt a flutter of discomfort at her obvious unease. “I want you to let us stay the night.” Matthew stiffened against her back in surprise, and Daniel felt his own body go tense. Not because he didn’t want them to stay. Because he did, and he shouldn’t.

  Shannon had felt his reaction too. She quickly blanked her face, but not before he caught the hurt there. Fuck. He could manage just once, couldn’t he? Just once, without letting them too close? Before he could formulate an answer, she pulled away, stepping back into Matthew’s embrace. He hated the little dart of resentment he felt that she needed Matthew’s comfort when dealing with him. She should know his arms were there for her too.

  Except he’d never told her that.

  Unlike Matthew, who declared his love freely both in and out of bed, Daniel had never offered her more than friendship, and she obviously hadn’t tried to read something into his actions that wasn’t there. Was it?

  “Never mind.” She smiled, but her eyes were sad. “I don’t need anything.” She reached out to run her hand over the sandpapery stubble on his jaw, all the while leaning into Matthew as if drawing strength from him. “The two of you make me so happy. What more could I ask for?”

  Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck. Just as he’d known he would, he’d hurt her. And the brooding look in Matthew’s changeable eyes hinted he might have hurt him too. He opened his mouth to ask them to stay, but somehow the words just wouldn’t come out. Finally, he found a compromise.

  “You are more than I ever expected.” He gave her another lingering kiss, pulling away only when she melted back into him. Sandwiching her tightly between his body and Matthew’s, he leaned in and initiated a rare kiss with the other man. Matthew melted into the kiss, like he always did. Daniel felt the heat of them attacking the core of ice around his heart, and pulled back. “Both of you. I’m not sure what I did to deserve the time we have together.” He saw they both wanted to protest, and quickly overrode them. “But I’m grateful.”