Independence: #4 Hayley

by Karen Nichols

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Jack and Dane loaded things from her office into the truck, making sure they took things she wanted relocated. Most of the closet was cleaned out, including a pile that would be donated to the thrift shop.

  The snow battering them had increased by the time they returned from the single trip. Jack tapped in the code and shoved the door wide, him and Dane almost tumbling over one another in an effort to get to the heat.

  The inside smelled of too many foods to try and separate out one from another. Cookies, brightly frosted, were spread across the counters. Something rich and fragrant greeted them when Jack went in search of coffee and Dane was hanging up their coats. Something brown bubbled in a large Dutch oven and he spotted carrots bobbing in the mixture. The rice cooker was set to warm and the sound of the TV made him stride into the living area with his coffee in his hand.

  He stared at the screen. Their girl was stretched out on the pile of blankets, a couple pillows beneath her breasts and bracing her. Her arms were bent and palms held her chin, freshly washed hair neatly braided and hanging down her back. He stared at the screen for a few minutes before sinking to the chair off to her right.

  “Christmas travel?”

  “Yes. Rick Steves in Europe at Christmas time. It’s my favorite…the Europeans have such old fashioned, fun times during the holiday season,” Hayley explained with a smile up at him. “How did the move go?”

  “Smooth. We rearranged the office for your desk. No problems. We hung the stuff in the closet, but you can rearrange it,” Jack sipped the coffee. “I noticed a few boxes by the door?”

  “They can go when we go there after Christmas. I want to stay here until Saturday. I’ll move my little tree outside and plant her and put away my decorations,” she said with a planning nod.

  “Do you always get a live tree?”

  “That’s why it’s so small…” she laughed. “So I can move it and plant it. Did you notice the off sized trees around my portion of the property? They’re very healthy.”

  “I noticed a lot of them have decorations on them,” Dane remarked, stretching out on the other chair. “I stole a cookie.”

  “I made extra just for that. The ones going to the brunch tomorrow are all packed up and safe from hungry guys,” she told him, lifting the remote and stopping her video.

  “It’s a DVD?” Jack shook his head. Of course it was. And he already had a plan for their second Christmas together.

  “Yes…I watch it every year,” she climbed to her feet and didn’t protest when he snagged her around the middle and pulled her into his lap. “Dinner’s almost ready.”

  “What do we need to know about tomorrow, Hayley?” Dane asked as they were placing things on the table for dinner.

  “Lots of good food and the same people you’ve met before,” she answered with a casual shrug. “And before you ask me…again…yes, I want you both to be there. Period,” she declared with a raised palm.

  “The girl has spoken,” Jack teased, reaching for the ladle.

  ****

  Dane wasn’t surprised when he woke up to find Hayley sitting cross-legged between him and Jack. Waiting.

  Just quietly waiting.

  He smelled food. Baked ham, he was sure there were hash browned potatoes and scrambled eggs. The patio glass was fogged over and a mound of something was hidden from view beneath a cotton cloth on the table. Biscuits.

  “Why didn’t you wake us?” He leaned up on his elbows and stared at their girl.

  Long hair hanging free and the softest skin he’d even felt before all scrubbed.

  “It’s barely seven in the morning,” she admitted with a little shrug. “But I couldn’t sleep.”

  “How do you cook without waking us?” Jack murmured, his face planted in the pillow and arms up beneath his head.

  “I’ve been doing it since forever. Daddy likes sleeping in on Sundays. But I like cooking when I’m not working.”

  Two hours later, after a breakfast she was sure would drag on until she was fifty years old, they finally declared it was okay to open presents. She had tried not to squeal. It didn’t work.

  Dane took the lead, sitting and handing out wrapped gifts. Slowly. One at a time. Each time, they waited until each of them opened a gift.

  She couldn’t believe how wonderful the morning had been. Hayley sat on the sofa, smiling from ear to ear as she rubbed her fingers over the very smooth silver on the small collection of angels. Each gift held both their names, as if it were as she believed, they were as one.

  Jack sat in the corner of the sofa, marveling at the simple gifts that made all of them so happy. Somehow, Hayley had found a few books Dane had been searching for. Somehow, she had figured out which CDs he was lacking in his collection of symphonic metal.

  Somehow, she had filled their hearts in a way they couldn’t imagine possible.

  He looked over at Dane, curled into the large chair, already starting one of the grisly murder mysteries he loved to read. Jack set the CDs on the floor and fingered the condom he’d slipped into his sleep pants. He looked over at Hayley, the little angels still in her hands as she studied each one.

  They weren’t Christmas angels, but more a pendant sort that she could rotate as she chose. Each bore a brief phrase and their name: Faith, Hope, Love, Charity and Joy. There were others, and he and Dane would find them over time. Elegant little shimmering angels that suited their angel. As perfectly as she suited them.

  “Hayley…” he waited until she looked up before raising a hand and curling one finger, beckoning her closer.

  She set the angels on the table and slid across the sofa, her hand gliding into his. His other hand placed the condom in her fingers and closed them over it before he reached for the buttons down the front of her shirt.

  “No. Don’t watch my fingers. Look into my eyes. Slide over my legs…” Jack ordered gruffly. A more perfect Christmas he couldn’t imagine.

  Her lashes drifted lower when the sides of her shirt parted and his fingers closed around one breast. “Closer, baby…get that thing on me. I want inside you…I want you to ride me…slow and steady…”

  Jack groaned as the condom was rolled along his hard, aching cock. She slid her body forward, coating him with juices that seemed to flow when they were together. The heat from knowing how much their girl wanted them was unbelievable. He could smell her arousal and his groan was low and hungry when she placed the head of his cock at her opening.

  She was teasing him. He saw it in her eyes.

  “Put your hands on my shoulders…I want those nipples where I can taste them,” he told her, grinding his teeth to keep control. “Oh, yeah…nice and slow…”

  She tasted like the things she had been cooking. He licked and suckled around each nipple, pulling it into a hard, taut little peak before moving onto the other one. He knew he wouldn’t last long. Their woman had muscles like a vice when she was getting wound up to come.

  Her body rocked back and forth; slightly up and then amazingly down. He felt like he could literally see the orgasm rising through the tubes.

  And when it happened, his teeth nipped down and he smothered his shout in her breast. Her shout rang out around the large open room.

  The curving, delectable body riding him had come down one last time, hard. Her clit crushed against his pelvis and her fingers tightened in his shoulders. There would be dents, he vaguely thought as they drifted down.

  Hayley collapsed against him, her face buried in his throat. There were sift purring sounds coming from her throat, especially when he ran his spread out palms over the sweat coating beneath the over-sized shirt she was wearing. They’d had the no-panties when they were alone talk and he and Dane had set the rule. Firmly.

  She had balked at it once. And watched a pair of panties shredded with sharp blades.

  “I need to shower and get dressed,” her words moved over his skin in a chilled whisper. She shifted, lifting herself carefully and stumbling ba
ck a little before gaining her feet and standing up. A shiver raced through her as she left them, going to the loft on the second floor.

  “How’s the book?” Jack asked casually as he cleaned up the condom and adjusted his pants.

  “Really good,” Dane looked over the edge of the hard-backed book. “How she knew…”

  “Same way we knew about the places she goes so we could get her gift certificates. She read the lists we have tacked on the board in the office,” Jack shook his head. “I’m going to get cleaned up and dressed.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Dane slid the bookmark into place and stood up, stretching.

  His palm rubbed the erection he was sporting.

  One of many conversations they’d had between the two men, was making certain their girl knew nothing was out of line between them. That there would be times when it was simply her and one of them. And that was okay.

  There was to be no jealousy or envy among them. There was room if they wanted success in the relationship long term and he and Jack were definitely in it for the long term. They’d already discussed talking to Colin about trusts and wills to protect Hayley, no matter what.

  Watching and listening to them though had made him damned horny.

  He took the stairs two at a time, stripped out of his pants and tossed them to the bed before walking straight into the bathroom. Steam filled the air when he slid the class door aside and stepping into the shower to join her.

  Hayley jumped, spun around and stumbled back against the wall.

  Dane placed both his palms against her stomach and stroked upward. He looked around and lifted the bottle of crème rinse. Nice and slippery. Just what he needed for a tight, hot ass.

  Hayley breathed a long sigh. A breath that caught and held when she looked into his eyes and his hands tweaked her nipples. How the heck could she be so responsive? Again? Usually a good orgasm made her good for…oh…at least a week! But with these two…they seemed to have a short cut straight through to her libido. It bypassed all logical sense.

  “Dane…” his name mingled with the splash of hot water scattering around them beneath the spray.

  “Turn around,” he murmured against her mouth after a long, seeking kiss. Her tongue retreated and licked at her lips as she did what he ordered.

  “Nice…Jack is right about this ass…it’s just plain gorgeous…and all ours…” His hands ran heavily along her sides, over the rise of her ass and down her thighs. Silken skin, soapy and hot, flowed beneath his palms when he bent over and bit into the fleshy part of her hip.

  Hayley jumped slightly, her yelp melting with the sensuous pleasure his hands and lips brought her. It baffled her mind that a bite could be erotic, but she was far too caught up in the sensations to worry about it.

  His palms went between her thighs, urging them apart and pressing against her until she spread her feet and arched her back. Her fingers were flat against the tiles. She felt the cool dribble of something and would ask later what he used. It didn’t smell like her shower soap…and was very, very slick on her skin.

  She groaned when she felt his cock sliding between the cheeks of her ass. And the groan might have been a slight protest if not for the fingers strumming over her clit at the same time. Divert her thoughts, she realized with a groan, her body arching to find his fingers when he moved them just slightly off center. Just far enough off to stop the delicious rise of sensations.

  “Come for it, Hayley…back up…good girl…lord, you’re amazing…” Dane’s groan rippled across her shoulders, his mouth down on the soft tissue and biting as he thrust forward, seating his cock in her ass. The rest was up to her. She moved. She arched back against him and took him fully inside her before he would let his fingers play with her clit again.

  It didn’t take much.

  The scene watching and listening to Hayley with Jack had been more than enough to send his libido spiking through the roof. He remained still for a long minute, savoring the heat, inside and out before he moved, thrusting in rhytum with the movements of her hips to keep his fingers stroking her clit.

  He didn’t want it to stretch out. He wanted her hard and fast and her body was giving him just what he needed. His thumb pressed down hard on her clit, his teeth bit into her shoulder and his cock exploded along with the convulsions deep in her pussy that spread like an enormous tsunami.

  His body shook and he held her tight against him, pressing her into the tiles and turning her head to sink his tongue into her mouth. When their kiss broke, the steam from the water remained as she separated.

  But Dane didn’t just leave her. He lifted the bottle of fragrant almond scented soap and filled his hands before rubbing them over her. She leaned heavily against the tiles, her head back and eyes closed. She was simply enjoying the drifting aftermath and the warm, soothing hands stroking her body.

  Not in lust. In love, she realized suddenly.

  Maybe she’d been avoiding the word. Did the single word mean more than the feelings that told her it existed without it being spoken out loud? She wondered.

  “Hair all washed?” His voice snapped her back and she smiled at him.

  “Yes…before you came in…”

  “Knees working?”

  This time she laughed and straightened up, her arms around his neck. The soap had rinsed and she kissed him quickly before reaching for the door.

  “I have to get dressed. You’re a distraction,” she informed him, clenching her teeth when his palm struck the wet behind as she left him. Wrapped in the over-sized bath sheet, she wrapped another, smaller towel around her hair, letting it absorb the water while she dug out clothes and did a little make-up.

  She stood before the mirror ten minutes later, soft palms soothing down the taffeta of the skirt. The top was made of very soft, fluid velvet in a Christmas green. It went to her throat and had a tiny white lace collar. The skirt flowed from the black belt. In a Christmas plaid, it fell in a flurry of crisp taffeta to just at her knees.

  She slipped on the low black heels and turned to one side and then the other.

  “Need help with the hair?” Jack came up behind her, kissing her throat and easing the bench over for her to sit on.

  “I’m just braiding it,” she began, eyes wide when he eased the towel free and draped it over the chair to the side. “Jack…”

  “We’re experts at braids,” Dane told her, tucking then tails of a white shirt into his slacks. He pulled the deep green sweater over his head and adjusted the collar. She had bought it for him. He looked over at Jack, sporting a similar shirt, but with a black leather vest over it and his jeans. She’d found the vest somewhere.

  “And why are you experts at braids?” But she remained still as the wide toothed comb was drawn repeatedly through her hair until it hung straight down her back.

  “We both had a younger sister,” Jack said easily. “Mom is a nurse and her schedule isn’t always morning friendly. So I learned to help.”

  “My mom worked normal office hours,” Dane leaned against the arch at the top of the stairs, his arms raised and folded across his chest. “But sometimes Dad was a little frazzled getting two girls ready.”

  Hayley sat still, watching in the vanity mirror as Jack pulled in strands and braided the long hair. He held a hand out and she placed an elastic band in it without thinking. Her head tipped from side to side and she offered a smile.

  “You both look really good.”

  “We have a girl who knows how to dress us,” Dane told her, straightening up and leading the way down the stairs.

  “Or she knows what you like…” She walked from Jack to Dane, straightening each collar and kissing them. “Only be a minute…”

  She collected the large shopping bags, filling them with gifts from beneath the tree and another bag with the food she’d baked for the brunch. Each of them carried a bag to the truck, a thick shawl draped around her shoulders as she scooted over the seat and buckled herself in. It wasn’t a far
drive to the main house, but it was a good habit to have.

  “Are we early?” Jack opened the door, stepping onto the gravel and looking around.

  “No. But we all park different places,” she told him with a smile. “Each of us has a house in different directions.” She shrugged and glanced toward the barn. She handed Jack her bag and stepped in close. “I have to check on some new lambs. No fighting. Please.”

  “Why am I the one who will start things?” He asked, one brow raised. He looked from Dane to Hayley and exhaled. “Okay. Fine. No fighting.”

  “Thank you…I’ll be right back,” she assured him, taking off at a light run along the walkway into the very large barn where some animals stayed in the cold months.

  “I think I should be offended,” Jack said as they both watched her maneuver the walkway and gravel in the low chunky heels she wore.

  “You have a shorter fuse. We all know that,” Dane said with a shrug, leaning against the fender of the truck, his arms across his chest. “Being her Dom is the most amazing feeling…but it doesn’t compare to being her friend.”

  “No kidding,” Jack agreed.

  “Remember your promise,” Dane said very softly.

  Jack followed his gaze to the wide porch and one of the front doors shoved wide.

  “What’re you doing here?” Dell Russell demanded, scowling at both men.

  “Waiting for Hayley to check on some lambs,” Dane repeated casually.

  “She said she wouldn’t be long,” Jack added. He wanted to work up a smile but settled for a little nod toward the festively dressed Tasha. She looked as distressed as he was starting to feel. “Hi, Tasha. You’re looking gorgeous.”

  “Thank you…” But she looked nervously at her husband. “Dell…please…”

  “I can’t get you two figured out,” Dell began slowly. “Are you gay and using my sister as a shield from the world?”