by Lia Davis
“Yes.”
“I hated Texas. I hated leaving you and everyone here.”
She gave a breathy laugh. “I hated that you had to move. I blamed you for leaving me.”
There was a hint of a tease in her tone. He squeezed her close. “I’m not leaving you again, ever.”
She studied him for several moments, then glanced to Hunter. Uncertainty clouded her green gaze. To Jake’s relief, Hunter cupped her cheek and said, “Me, either.”
“This thing between us is wonderful and overwhelming at the same time. I’m afraid of moving too fast. Yet I don’t want to slow down, either.” She frowned as she spoke the words as if unsure about something.
Jake turned, so she fell between him and Hunter on the mattress. “We’ll go as slowly or as fast as you want.”
Hunter kissed her forehead. “Anything you want, just ask.”
“I do need a little time to think.”
Jake’s chest tightened, and he met Hunter’s gaze. The other man gave a short nod. Jake silently cursed. Why couldn’t anything be easy?
A moment later, Tessa laughed. “You two look scared. I didn’t mean we couldn’t hang out while I’m thinking.”
Hunter rose to lean over her to give Jake a kiss. “Too bad we’ll only be hanging out. Jake and I will have to amuse ourselves.”
Jake laughed at Tessa’s attempt to pout. She was so beautiful when she tried to make him feel guilty. “Of course, you could join us any time.”
“Or I could just ignore you until Valentine’s Day.” She sat up, but Jake grabbed her by the waist the pulled her back down.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Laughing, she nipped at his chin. “Try me.” Her expression softened, then grew more serious. “You know I love you unconditionally. I always have. But I don’t know Hunter like I know you.”
Hunter picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “There will be plenty of time for us to get to know each other. All you have to do is just let it happen.”
***
Just let it happen.
Hunter’s words had rung in Tessa’s mind for the last hour. That was something she had trouble with. All her life, she’d been in control of everything. Her grades, her degrees, her career, and even her boyfriends; everything had to fit into her perfect, organized life.
Then Jake and Hunter came in and changed all that.
What surprised her the most, was that she hadn’t gone insane with anxiety because she wasn’t in control of the direction she was headed. In fact, she liked where it was going. It felt right, like it was meant to happen.
She sat on the sofa, sipping her coffee with one leg tucked under her and stared into the fire. The condo had gotten cool overnight. When she’d left the bed, leaving the sandwich between her two men, she regretted not bringing clothes to change into. Lucky for her, Jake wasn’t a large man. Standing about five-foot-ten with lean muscles, his sweatpants and t-shirt only appeared to be two sizes too big for her.
Hunter had left shortly after she’d gotten up with the promise to see her at the office in a few hours.
Jake sat beside her now on the couch, offering a plate of waffles to her. “Thanks.”
Silence settled between them, and after a few moments, Jake asked, “What’s wrong?”
“This seems unreal.”
He smiled. “It feels right.”
“Yes.” She sighed and took his hand and linked their fingers together. “What have you been doing the last ten years?”
Lifting their hands, he kissed her knuckles before answering. “Besides getting my Masters in business accounting, just helping Mom and Dad on the farm.”
“And having a summer fling with a hot contractor,” she teased.
He chuckled and hugged her close. “Yeah. Now I have both of you.”
Silence settled between them for a few moments. It wasn’t awkward. It was comfortable. Jake’s soft, husky tone broke through the quiet. “If you could have anything you want, what would it be?”
“What?”
“Humor me, please.”
Smiling, she said, “I’ve always wanted a pet, like a cat or a dog. But Avery’s allergic, and besides, I’m not home enough to properly care for one without help. So what would be the point?” She glanced at his face. “What would you want?”
“I already have her.” He squeezed her tighter and kissed her forehead.
She pressed her lips together to keep a giggle from escaping. Jake Braxton was all hers.
Finally.
It had only taken fifteen years.
Chapter Ten
The next day was all Hunter’s. Tessa actually had butterflies despite the fact that she’d spent a blissful night with both men. The thought of what they’d done together brought heat to her cheeks—and other places of her body.
God, she was actually considering their offer. They would share her, just as she’d have to share each of them with the other. Could it work? What if it all fell apart?
She’d be brokenhearted. And possibly lose her best friend in the process.
Whirling around, she ran into Hunter, who was standing too close. “Creeper.” She laughed and pushed at him. “What are you doing, sneaking up on people?”
He raised a brow. “I knocked. You didn’t hear me?”
“No.” I was too busy thinking about you and Jake. She met his gorgeous, grey eyes with every intention of telling him it wouldn’t work. That she couldn’t lead them on. But when she stared into those depths, she couldn’t say the words. “I must have been deep in thought.”
He skimmed his knuckles down her cheek. She sighed as he said, “Should I be worried?”
I hope not. “No, just my overactive brain at work again. Are you ready for dinner?”
One side of his sensual mouth lifted, and he narrowed his eyes as if he weren’t sure if he believed her. “If you say so.”
The tease came out husky and sent an electric heat wave rolling through her. It was the same tone he’d used last night... She grabbed his hand and tugged him out the door. “Let’s go eat.” Before I suggest we skip dinner and go straight to dessert.
Tessa was surprised when Hunter told her they would be eating lunch at the small Italian place down the street. The walk over was nice, not hot or too cool.
After taking a seat, she picked up the menu, not knowing what to say to him. They’d done some hot and intimate things the night before, yet she didn’t really know him. “Did you grow up in California?”
“No. My parents own a ranch in Montana, which is one thing Jake and I have in common.” He paused while the waiter brought their drinks and took their orders. “I moved to LA on a whim. I didn’t want to be a rancher.”
“You’d rather be a handyman.”
He raised both brows, and one side of his mouth lifted. “I’m quite good with my hands.”
Yes, he was. Heat flooded her, so she grabbed her water and sipped it. They should have done takeout from his place. Wait. Were those really her thoughts?
They were. And the more time she spent with Hunter, the more she wanted to see if the threesome relationship could work.
She just wouldn’t tell him or Jake. She’d keep them guessing until Valentine’s Day.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, leaning over the table. “Share your dirty thoughts with me.”
Her cheeks heated, and she knew they were red. “Stop it.” She laughed and sat back in her chair.
Hunter grabbed her hand before she had a chance to remove it from the table. “Okay. Later, then.” He winked and kissed her knuckles. Then his gaze shifted to look over her shoulder, and his lips pursed.”
Dread filled her, and her heart sank into her belly as she glanced behind her. “What?”
A blonde girl Tessa guessed was a year or two younger than her headed their way. Tessa knew she was approaching their table because she locked gazes with Tessa. Turning back to Hunter, Tessa asked, “Who is that?”
“She’s crazy
.”
Before he could say more, the girl stopped at the table and plastered on a large, fake smile. “Fancy seeing you here, Hunter. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?’
When she placed a hand on Hunter’s arm and slid it up to his shoulder, Tessa almost got up to show her what it meant to mess with a redhead’s man.
Hunter snarled while he pushed off her advances. “Hello, Amber.”
Amber rolled her eyes and extended her hand to Tessa. “And you are?”
Yep, this bitch wanted to be punched. “Tessa. Hunter’s girlfriend.”
Across from her, Hunter stiffened and stared at her as if he couldn’t believe she’d said it.
Amber, however, narrowed her eyes into slits and pursed her lips. Tessa expected to see steam roll out her ears. “When were you going to tell me you had a girlfriend? Did you tell her about us?”
Tessa’s heart skipped a couple of beats. Jealousy swirled inside her, and she stared at Hunter, waiting for his answer.
“There is no us, Amber. Never has been.” Hunter stood, pushing Amber out of the way while he flagged down the waitress. When the server approached, Hunter said, “We would like our orders to go. It suddenly got crowded in here.” He glared at Amber when he said the last bit.
The blonde shrugged. “No need to be rude. You can have your girls.”
Then, she left.
“Explain.” Tessa crossed her arms.
He sat back down. “I told you she was crazy. We met before I left for Texas. I built a new deck for her parents. She seemed odd, and I wasn’t into dating at the time because I was leaving town.
“So I politely told her it wouldn’t work out. She seemed to understand, and we went our separate ways.” He threaded his fingers through his hair as the waitress come back with their orders, boxed and bagged. Hunter handed her enough cash to pay for the meals as well as a generous tip.
“I’m sensing there is more to the crazy.”
He nodded as they stood but didn’t speak again until they were in his truck. “She showed up in Texas. Although she never confronted me with Jake, I knew she was there whenever we went out in public. It was odd. Then she was gone. So I thought she’d taken the hint or thought I was just into men and gave up.”
“And now she’s here.” Tessa studied his profile as he drove to his place. “I think you have a stalker.”
“No. She’s crazy, not stupid.”
“The best stalkers are crazy and dangerous. You should report her to the police.”
He glanced at her with his brows drawn together. “I don’t think it’s that serious. She’d told me before she had family in Long Beach.” His lips lifted in the corners as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Tessa’s. Desire rushed through her, igniting each nerve ending. “Let’s go inside and eat dinner so I can have my dessert.”
That was the best idea of the evening.
***
Hunter closed and locked his front door. He’d bought the old beach house on impulse. At the time, he’d thought it was to drown the pain of losing his sister. To exile himself from the world.
Now, as he watched Tessa move about the living room, taking in his home, he wanted to believe he’d bought it for her—and Jake.
Wait. Would they want to move in here with him? Tessa seemed happy with her penthouse condo. Living with her twin.
Tessa turned to him then and frowned. “What are you thinking about?”
He shrugged. “The future, oddly. Since Cara died, I haven’t done much of that.”
“Do you want to talk about her?”
“Not now.” The words came out a little rough, and he hoped they hadn’t sounded rude.
Tessa seemed to understand and changed the subject. “So what do you want to do?”
He waggled his brows, which made her laugh and avert her gaze. Closing the distance, he cupped her cheek. “After what you, Jake, and I did last night, I figured you be over the shy act.”
She met his gaze with fire in hers. “You two have done something to me.”
“I hope that is a good thing.”
Gripping his shirt, she drew him closer to her. “I can’t stop thinking about either of you.”
“Good,” he teased.
She kissed him, and he groaned. Wrapping an arm around her, he pressed their bodies together. There was too much clothing between them. A barrier he desperately wanted gone.
As if knowing what he was thinking, or just having the same thought, she tugged his T-shirt up. He broke the kiss and yanked the cotton over his head and discarded it on the floor. Staring at her through a drunken, desire-filled gaze, he groaned. “If you like the buttons on that blouse, you should take it off.”
One side of her sensual mouth lifted, and she undid the buttons of the shirt. “Take your pants off.”
He complied. “Your skirt.”
She tossed her blouse to the armchair and proceeded to her remove her skirt. His hands itched to rip the thing from her. Even though he’d been with her the night before, he craved her like no other.
His breath caught as he stared at her in nothing but her black, lace bra and matching panties. Her red hair fell in waves around her face and shoulders.
A goddess.
That’s what she was.
And she had him under her spell.
Tessa cupped his face. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief before she pressed her lips to his. A groan escaped him as she cupped him, rolling his balls in her hand. He wrapped his arms around her, gliding one hand up her back to fist her long, red hair.
He walked her backwards until he could press her back against the wall. “Take the panties off.”
She did as he commanded, wiggling out of them and letting them fall to the floor. He gripped her ass and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around him and rocked against his hard cock.
He crushed his mouth to hers with a hunger he’d never experienced before. Their tongues danced as their mouths moved together, intensifying the pleasure rushing through his veins straight to his dick.
With one swift thrust, he entered her, making her cry out. She bit his lower lip and rode him. Damn, he was falling for her. He trailed a hand up her side and cupped her breast, pinching her nipple in his fingers. Her breath came in short bursts as she increased her rhythm. Her pussy milked him, putting him on the edge of an orgasm.
Her climax hit her hard, making her scream out and score his shoulders with her nails. He followed her with his own release.
Chapter Eleven
Tessa thought the day would never end. Although she’d been busy all day, it still seemed like the longest day of her life.
Two of the reasons being Jake and Hunter.
Freaking hell, she was falling fast for them. Well, Jake she’d always loved, but Hunter was worming his way into her heart. She liked it.
A text came in as she punched the elevator button. She glanced at it and noted that it was from Jake. “Change of plans. Meet me at Hunter’s.”
She replied with, “K” and slipped her phone back into her purse. Butterflies fluttered in her belly as she rode the elevator to the first floor.
The parking lot was empty except for her car and one other in a corner spot next to the entrance. She paid it no mind because people parked in their lot all the time to walk on the beach or go shopping at the nearby shops.
Digging her keys out of her purse, she didn’t notice Amber until she spoke. “Hello again.”
Tessa jumped slightly and squeezed her keys in her hand. “What do you want?”
She grinned like a cat up to no good. “Oh, you know what I want. And Hunter will be mine.”
“I really think you need help. He doesn’t like you.” Tessa turned to unlock her car.
“Oh, you’re so wrong,” Amber said a moment before a sharp, skull-rattling pain shot through Tessa’s head.
She stumbled into the car and fell to the ground. A moment later, everything went dark.
***
/> Answer, damn it. Hunter dialed Tessa’s number for the fifth time in the last ten minutes as he climbed into his truck and fired it to life. Why the hell wasn’t she answering?
Fuck.
He dialed Avery’s number. When she answered, he didn’t give her a chance to speak. “Have you heard from your sister?”
“Hello, Hunter. No. She was going out with Jake tonight.” Avery fell silent. “Have you called Jake?”
“He’s next. But they were supposed to meet at my place. I tried calling Tessa to let her know I’d be a little late coming home. She’s not answering her phone.” Hunter cursed under his breath. “I’ll call you back.”
He called Jake.
“Hey. I was just thinking about you.” Hunter groaned at the sound of Jake’s voice. “Please tell me you talked to Tessa.”
“Via text a few minutes ago. I know she worked late. I told her to meet me at your place.”
“Did she reply?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
Hunter did a U-turn at the next light and floored it, heading to his house. “She isn’t answering my calls. You remember Amber? The crazy chic I told you about? The one who followed us in Texas?”
“Yeah... Shit. She’s not in Long Beach is she?”
“Yeah, she is. We saw her at dinner last night.”
Jake let out a sigh. “I told you to file a police report and get a restraining order on her.”
“Wouldn’t do any good if she’s following me from state to state. Look, meet me at my place. If Amber is as crazy as I think she is, she might try to kill Tessa.” Hunter’s heart hammered in his chest. He couldn’t lose Tessa. Jake couldn’t either. It would kill both of them.
“I’m five minutes away.”
“See you in five.”
Hunter hung up and pulled into his driveway. He heart fell to his feet as he noticed Amber’s car.
He dialed one more number while he waited for Jake. The police.
Chapter Twelve
Tessa was tied to a chair in the center of Hunter’s living room. And her head freaking hurt.
Amber paced the living room in front of her, waving a butcher knife she’d obviously grabbed from the kitchen. “When will Hunter learn that he belongs to me?”