by Sharan Daire
I stepped out to wash my hands and found him waiting for me, leaning against the huge vanity. Good gravy. So lean and hard, muscle everywhere, just casually propped in a lazy sprawl.
His thick cock fully erect.
And yeah. I was tired, and my muscles were quivering, but the sight of his desire made me think about round three.
“You ok?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I dragged my gaze away from such a delicious masculine display. He didn’t say anything as I washed my hands. But he also didn’t leave. “Are you ok?”
His eyes flared as if surprised by my question. “Fuck yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
I shrugged nonchalantly, very thoroughly drying my hands. “You didn’t have a turn.”
“Ah. Well. I’m used to that. I still had a hell of a time watching the show.”
I tried to mimic his casual pose but standing naked in a bathroom with a fully erect, sexy man wasn’t exactly conducive to sensible conversation. “Did you not want to? I mean, I don’t want you to feel like you were excluded.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’m in the room, on the bed, watching you and my best-friend brothers. I know there will be plenty of time for me too. I’m not in a rush, Shel. I get off on watching you love them as much as I do if you’re loving me.”
My worry faded away and I stepped closer to him, even daring to lean against him and lay my head on his shoulder. “I was worried.”
He kissed the top of my head, his arms tightening on me. “Now why on earth would you be worried? I guess Ev and K didn’t blow your mind as hard as I thought.”
“Hey,” Ev called out from the other room. “What the hell, man?”
Chris gathered me up in his arms effortlessly, like I weighed next to nothing, and carried me back into the bedroom. “That was a hell of a show.” At the edge of the bed, he hesitated, glaring over at the still-snoring man. “Do a proof of life check on your twin, K. I think he must be dead to still be asleep.”
“He’s fine.” Kaleb tossed back over his shoulder as he went to the restroom. “Though I say we roll him over in the wet spot.”
4
Derek
After a ten-hour shift at work, I was still fucking pissed.
I couldn’t recall ever being so mad at my brother before. I might have been this furious with Chris when he’d taken Angela out without manning up and telling me that he was going on a date with my baby sister.
It’d been so fucking obvious this morning when I’d dragged my ass up for work. We’d all gone to bed with varying degrees of clothing on. Shelby had all her clothes on when we put her to bed, and I’d been in my boxers. But this morning, four of them were bare-ass naked.
I was the only fool still in pants.
Chris wasn’t asleep either when my alarm went off. He gave me a smug-ass grin that almost made me surge across the bed and try to connect my fist with his face before he could put me on the floor. The only thing that had stayed my hand was Shelby.
She still slept peacefully in between him and Ev. Kaleb was on the opposite of the bed too, and I knew for a fact I hadn’t gone to sleep on the side by the window. Something shady had gone down. I just didn’t know what exactly, and no, I refused to ask any of them because I didn’t want to hear them laughing about it, either.
They’d all had a real good time. Kudos. I didn’t mind that at all, as long as Shelby had been enjoying herself. But to do it right there and not wake me the fuck up? That was some underhanded shit.
I went back to my place and showered first. Changed into something casual, comfortable, and more importantly, easy to move in. I’d make my point. I just wasn’t sure how yet.
Kaleb knew I was pissed. He’d texted me half a dozen times throughout the day, but I’d ignored them all. I was busy enough most days so that wasn’t exactly unusual, but I usually got back to him at least on the drive home. Not today. They wouldn’t have a clue that I was back until it was too late.
Gabby at the front desk said they were all in the private quarters. They’d already eaten, evidently. So I missed out on that too. Simmering at a slow boil, I swiped a big sandwich in the lodge kitchen and wolfed it down on my way back across the front lobby.
Chris had top-of-the-line security everywhere, but especially on the doors leading to his private home away from Canyon Rock. I half-way expected my thumbprint not to work anymore, but the door slid open. That was a bit of a wake-up call for me, because deep down, I knew Chris inside and out. He wouldn’t deliberately exclude me. He wouldn’t do that to any of us, but especially me. All this rage at being excluded was just petty high-school shit.
Next time—and there would be many next times, I knew that—I needed to wake the fuck up. Letting me sleep through whatever menage fun they’d had last night was a not-so-subtle lesson from Chris that I’d better start sleeping with one eye open. Like a Marine.
But two could play that game.
I might not be a Marine, but I’d been an all-state linebacker for a reason.
Using as much stealth as possible despite my size, I silently made my way through Chris’ apartment, listening for any indication where they all were and what they were doing. I figured they’d be in the workroom in the back. Possibly getting ready for the big-time photographer to show up.
Which was partially true. With my back to the wall, I carefully peered around the door into the large workroom. My gaze locked in on a vision in red lingerie that almost brought me to my knees.
Shelby lounged on an antique chaise beneath the lights, wearing a push-up bra that lifted and framed her cleavage to perfection. She wore a matching old-fashioned dressing gown over it, but it was so sheer that I could still see the sprinkling of freckles on her shoulders. The lace panties looked like string bikini bottoms, leaving most of her hips—and hopefully her buttocks, once I got a better look up close—bare.
Her hair was swept up on her head in an elegantly messy up-do that left tendrils hanging down around her face. How she could look like a complete angel—in such sinfully seductive lingerie—I had no idea.
Chris was down on his knees in front of her, camera in hand. Leaning in close, then backing away, contorting himself to get the best shots. I scanned the rest of the room, looking for his partners in crime. Everett was over at the desk, talking on the phone. Believe it or not, Kaleb sat at the high work table that was scattered with lace and fabrics, doing something with his hands. To my knowledge, he didn’t know how to sew, so I had no idea what he might be so engrossed in. Especially with Shelby practically naked just a few feet away.
Centering myself with a couple of deep breaths, I planned out my route. Worked out the angles. It’d been more than a decade since I’d ever practiced against my team’s quarterback, and even then, we weren’t allowed to so much as sneeze in his direction. But I’d watched Chris move plenty of times. I knew how he thought. How he’d generally evade a rush. Granted, there wasn’t a football in sight, and he’d add in Marine skills that I wouldn’t be able to counter.
I lowered my head and charged. Straight to the quarterback’s blind side.
Shelby saw me first. Her eyes went wide, her mouth falling open. Kaleb scrambled to his feet, like he thought he might actually have a chance in stopping me. But he’d never been able to pick up a rush. Let alone from a beast like me.
Chris’ head started to roll my direction, but I was too close. I dropped my shoulder and blasted into his side so hard his head snapped back. His hands came up toward my face, but I was expecting an automatic self-defense reflex. I tucked my face close to him, so he couldn’t gouge my eyes, and wrapped my arms around him. My momentum sent us flying across the room, skidding on the tiles. He didn’t have a lot of furniture, so there wasn’t anything for him to grab or knock into our path to stop us.
The camera flashed up toward me, and for a moment, I thought he’d actually smash it into my skull despite how much it’d probably cost. His other hand punched up against my jaw, his body twisting in midair in
some super-soldier move that shifted him on top of me.
We slid up against the far wall by the desk. For a moment, I stared up at Chris, one hand wrapped around my throat, the other holding the camera like a weapon he’d crush me with. Panting, we stared at each other.
And then the corner of his mouth quirked, and he lowered the camera. “Unabated to the quarterback.”
Everett let out a low whistle. “Holy shit, D. I thought he was going to murder you.”
“Fuck you,” Chris said, his voice easier and lighter than I’d heard in years.
Kaleb leaned over, hands braced on his knees, panting like he’d run a marathon. “But seriously, how did you know he wouldn’t go ballistic? You hit him in a blindside. I thought for sure you were dead.”
Chris rolled to his feet like he didn’t have any bones in his body and offered me a hand. “I knew it was him. I was expecting something underhanded.”
“Uh, guys,” Kaleb whispered, jerking his head to the side.
Toward Shelby.
She stood a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, her lips in a harsh slant. Despite the elegant negligee, she only needed a ruler in her hand to remind me of Mrs. Zinn, the kindergarten teacher we’d all been terrified of as kids.
“Are you finished?” Her voice was level and calm despite her obviously riled-up pose.
“Yes, ma’am.” I flashed my aw-shucks grin and if anything, her frown deepened. Damn. I’d never been able to pull off that sheepishly adorable smile like Kaleb. “Sorry for disrupting your shoot.”
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?”
I looked over at Chris, hoping to get a little help from him, but he was already silently laughing at me. Rolling my eyes at him, I turned back to her. “I wouldn’t actually hurt him.”
“But you’d hurt me.”
My eyes flared and my head snapped back like she’d slapped me. “No. Never. Shelby, it was just a prank. We do shit like that all the time. He tossed me on my back the other day, and now I tossed him. He can take it. I’d never do that to you.”
“I can take a lot too, Sheriff.”
Oh fuck. I was in serious trouble if I was demoted back to my job title.
“I lost ten years off my life.” She strode closer and jabbed me in the chest with her finger. Her eyes snapped with fury, her hair tumbling around her face. “This man already has to deal with PTSD from years of service. He doesn’t need his own friends attacking him from behind like that.”
“It wasn’t an attack. I swear. I wouldn’t ever put him back in that kind of mind frame.”
Her chin quivered and I fucking felt like dogshit. “What if he’d hurt you accidentally? He’d never be able to live with himself. And I had to sit there and watch and hope neither of you got seriously hurt.”
She sniffed, and I lost it. I fell down on my knees and wrapped my arms around her waist, squeezing her against me. “I’m sorry, sugar. I swear I never meant to upset you. I won’t horse around with him like that again. I promise.”
Her fingers stroked over my scalp, soothing me.
Until she whispered, “Defensive holding. Isn’t that a ten-yard penalty?”
“I think it’s more of a roughing the passer kind of call.” Chris fucking laughed. “Since you picked up my fumble.”
Suddenly very suspicious that I had been the butt of a prank while pulling a prank myself, I tightened my arms around her but didn’t lift my face from her chest. “I didn’t know you knew so many football terms.”
Her breath hummed out, vibrating my face. “Well, I picked up quite a few from Bubby over the years.”
Without warning, I locked my arms beneath her butt and surged up to my feet, carrying her with me high in my arms. She squawked out a laugh as I dropped her back on the chaise. “You little minx. I lost ten years off my life worried that I’d actually upset you.”
More of her hair tumbled free. With the flimsy little robe open around her, she looked absolutely delectable. Especially as she laughed, her eyes shining up at me with amusement. Affection. And, dare I say, love?
God. I wanted the words. So badly.
It wasn’t enough to see my ring on her finger. To have her here in the lodge with us. I wanted to know for sure that she loved us.
That she loved me.
She must have seen something in my eyes that gave me away. Reaching up to hook her fingers in my waistband, she tugged me down to her. I dropped back down to my knees beside the chaise, but I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t believe I’d only known her a fucking week.
And she already meant the entire world to me. To us all.
SHELBY
He looked so serious and careful. No, guarded. The knowing cop eyes that picked up on the smallest fib but revealed nothing.
In a matter of minutes, we’d swung from one intense emotion to another. The guys had warned me that Derek would probably pull something once he got off work, so it wasn’t a complete shock to watch him pile-drive his best friend into the ground. My worry hadn’t been fake, though as I watched Chris’ reaction to being body slammed, my fears melted away.
Chris hadn’t been taken by surprise. He hadn’t reacted badly to an attack from behind. Having his friends in the room as backup had probably contributed to his sense of wellbeing, but he’d also done years of work to control his snap reactions. Derek cared about him too much to risk that kind of sneak attack when they weren’t in a safe place.
I hadn’t intended to bring Derek to his knees like that, but I had to admit that his immediate response to my upset was way more dramatic than I’d expected. Even if I’d put on the theatrics a bit. He wasn’t the kind of man who’d hurt my feelings and not even realize it. Or worse, who’d relish watching me suffer and then throw some half-assed “I’m sorry you feel that way,” apology to get what he wanted.
Now, though, Derek seemed almost shut down. Reserved. Protecting himself. Afraid he might get hurt.
Heart aching, I snagged his hand in mine. “What’s wrong?”
In typical deflection style, he asked me a question instead of answering. “Are you finally starting to realize how beautiful you are?”
I couldn’t help but blush a little, averting my gaze. I was so unused to hearing compliments and kind words.
“Yeah,” Chris said, his voice deep and low. “Keep that pose. D, move a bit to your right.”
I glanced up at Chris, not surprised to see him back behind the camera. He liked to catch these impromptu moments in photographs. Like the first time I’d kissed Everett, while Derek watched. The first time I had three of them touching me at the same time.
The moment when the big, bad sheriff went down on his knees beside me, his heart laid bare.
It dawned on me, then, why Derek had gone so solemn. Why he allowed his guarded cop mask to slip into place. After being excluded last night, he’d naturally feel vulnerable. Perhaps unneeded or unwanted. His own brother hadn’t woken him up, letting him sleep away the night.
Granted, we all had known that Derek needed to be up for work early. But still. If he’d known we were having sex, he would have said, “fuck work, fuck sleep, let’s fuck.”
Ever so slowly, I lifted his hand up to my mouth. I kissed his knuckles. Turned his hand over in mine and kissed each fingertip. “I’ve never known a man so strong, who could also be so gentle. Would you do something for me?”
“Anything,” he replied without hesitation.
“Would you take off your shirt?”
He lifted my hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss in my palm, then released me so he could pull his T-shirt over his head.
For a moment, I just looked at him. All that sculpted muscle and brawn. Every inch of him rock hard and bulging with power. I let my attraction burn in my eyes. My appreciation. Then I lifted my gaze to his. “I love looking at you. You’ve been so good to me and my kids.”
I hesitated a moment, watching the way his eyes flickered with emotion, intensifying with my every word. As if h
e could pull the words from me by his will alone.
“I know it’s crazy. I still can’t believe the fairytale happened for me. Thank you for stopping to rescue us. For bringing us here. So I could fall in love with you.”
His nostrils flared. A faint quiver twitched through his shoulders, as if he was fighting himself to stay put. A muscle ticked over his jawline. “Say it again.”
Eyes burning, I whispered, “Of course I love you, Derek Anderson. I wouldn’t have accepted your ring otherwise.”
He let out a long breath he’d been holding. I thought he’d lean in to kiss me, but instead, he stood, though he did come closer. His big hand closed around my shoulder, guiding me to lean back flat on the arm of the chaise. “I think it’s safe to say we’re all going to want to hear those words, sugar. As often as you care to give them.”
Everett stood at the foot of the chaise. He’d removed his shirt too, though he still wore black slacks. He didn’t ask for the words, but I could see the hope shining in his eyes. “I love you, Everett Harris, Kaleb Anderson, and Chris Blakely.”
Dropping to his knees, Everett lifted one of my bare feet, cradling it in his hand. “I don’t have a glass slipper, but you’re our princess just the same.”
Derek leaned down over me. He wrapped his hand around my throat, splaying his fingers wide as he tipped my head back over the armrest.
“Yes,” Chris murmured. “Hold that pose. Fucking epic, Shel.” I started to reach up for Derek’s neck, but Chris said, “Other hand. Don’t block your face.”
Derek caught my right hand in his, guiding my arm up so I could grasp the back of his neck as he leaned down even closer. I couldn’t look away from the burning possession in his eyes. The look said he’d throw me over his shoulder and haul me off to bed the first chance he got. Or better yet, the four of them would carry me off like a trophy, whooping with victory all the way.
I heard rustling beside me, but I didn’t dare break the pose. I didn’t want to look away from Derek anyway. Especially as his lips brushed over my forehead. Someone picked up my left hand. Kaleb. I would know his touch anywhere now. His hands weren’t as big as Derek’s, as hard and unyielding as Chris’, nor as long as Everett’s. But so gentle and sensitive, touching me only with care. As if I was a delicate piece of glass that might shatter into a thousand pieces.