by Jayne Rylon
He grinned over her head at Clint.
The other man flipped him off, trying to turn his blatant middle finger into an innocent jaw scratch when Jambrea turned her attention in that direction.
“Oh my God.” She slapped one hand on each of their thighs. “Enough. I can’t take another second of this.”
Both men retreated to opposite corners of the couch.
Matt hadn’t meant to crowd her.
“What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.” Her nails dug into his knee as the pitch of her request rose. “Who is it this time? Please tell me no one’s dead at least.”
“Ah, fuck.” Matt tugged her to his side, smothering her fears. “Sorry, we’re idiots. Didn’t mean to keep you in suspense. It’s Lily—”
“Oh my God.” Jambrea’s face went white.
“No, no…” Clint jumped in to save Matt’s mangled attempt at comfort. “She’s okay. Mostly. She took Sex Offender.”
“Why would she do that?” Jambrea would have launched to her feet if Matt had let her. Her strength was no match for his arms, which looked enormous wrapped around her. “Doesn’t she realize how dangerous it is? The test results are insane. I’ve never seen anything like it. Especially after her dad and Izzy’s ex-husband—”
“It’s a long story.” Matt shook his head. He couldn’t describe what they’d witnessed anyway. The battle between her and Jeremy culminating in her graceful surrender still rocked him. “It came down to her or JRad.”
Jambrea nodded. “Of course. She wouldn’t do that to him. There’s something between them, isn’t there?”
“If there wasn’t before there sure as hell is now.” Clint sounded as reverent as Matt felt. Sharing in the glow their friends generated had ranked high on his list of life experiences.
“You need some of the anecdote the hospital’s been developing.” She sighed. “If you’d called me while I was still there we could’ve saved some time. How much SO did she take? Is she suffering badly? Is anyone monitoring her blood pressure? Her pulse? Her temperature?”
“I’m not sure how big the dosage was. It fit in a capsule like this.” Clint held his thumb and forefinger a half inch apart.
“Shit.” Jambrea pushed until Matt let her escape from his arms.
He missed the pressure of her breasts on his ribs. Damn, what was wrong with him? He’d already gotten laid once tonight in one of the most intense fucks of his life.
Matt shifted the bulge of his hardening cock. Not now.
“Actually,” she glanced at the clock. “I bet Lacey is still at the hospital. A three-car accident called in to the ER as I was making my last rounds. I’ll give her my codes. She can swing by on the way home.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Clint glanced up, seeking Matt’s opinion.
“Do Ty and Mason still insist on picking her up?” Matt asked Jambrea.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “Lacey complains, but she likes it or she wouldn’t allow it. All the nurses tease her about her cops.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” Matt held her hand. He noticed Clint took the other. “We have to be careful not to blow our cover. We can’t be hanging out with other cops in public.”
“Stay inside. Lacey can run the stuff up quick. Tyler and Mason don’t have to get out of the car. Everyone knows we’re friends. They’ve dropped me off loads of times when my car’s been in the garage.”
“You need something more reliable,” Clint scolded her.
She shrugged. “I like my little junker. Never have to worry about door dings or whether or not someone’s going to steal it. Bessie gets the job done.”
“Do you really call your car Bessie?” Matt laughed.
“No. You get the point though.”
The force of her full grin stole his breath.
“You should do that more, Jambi.” He brushed his free thumb over the corner of her lips. “So pretty when you smile.”
She swallowed hard, causing his stare to migrate to the flex of her pale neck.
Clint cleared his throat. “I think the coffee’s ready.”
Jambrea hummed, and Matt cursed. He headed to the kitchen.
“Mugs are in the cabinet to the left of the sink.” Jambrea left him to pour three helpings while she dialed Lacey on her cell. The short exchange concluded as Clint took one of the cups Matt balanced. For once it came in handy to be giant-sized.
“Okay, we’ll see you in ten.” Jambrea disconnected then accepted a chipped vessel from him.
“Thank you.” She inhaled the aromatic steam before testing a sip. Her eyes widened before she whispered. “Mmm. Good.”
Matt’s shoulders spread wide. Damn straight.
Until Clint ruined the effect by spraying his coffee into a mist across the living room. “Oh Jesus. That’s a fucking health and safety hazard if I ever saw one. What are you trying to do, poison us?”
“That bad?” He glanced at Jambrea, who shrugged.
He chugged a little, the burn on his tongue disguising the taste for an instant. “Nasty! Shit. Sorry.”
Matt barely resisted wiping his palm over his tongue.
Jambrea giggled. “It’s the thought that counts. We all know things could be worse.”
That sobered them pretty damn quick.
“How is Lily?” She blushed. “I’ve heard it can hurt really bad if you’re exposed to Sex Offender and you don’t…”
Matt looked to Clint. Clint stared right back, unwilling to bail him out of the sticky situation. They let the silence linger too long.
“Oh.” Jambrea blinked. “Right then.”
“Morselli had a party. He used her as the main attraction.” Matt couldn’t think of a polite way to phrase it. “There were a lot of guys there.”
“They gang raped her?” Tears pooled in Jambrea’s eyes, making them shine.
Matt framed her face with his hands. She looked tiny compared to his thick fingers. “I promise you they didn’t.”
Clint edged nearer. He rubbed her back, soothing her terror. “I can’t explain it, Jambi. It was like she gave herself to JRad and let him use her. Not in a bad way.”
“It was amazing.” Matt tried to rescue Clint. “He directed the action, selecting the guys who could be what she needed, when she needed it, even when she was completely out of control and couldn’t fend for herself. He knew exactly what to do. She loved every minute.”
Jambrea worried her bottom lip between her teeth.
“I promise. She wanted it. Every guy she fucked, she screamed for more. She came over and over. They all worshiped her.”
“I believe you.” She wilted a little, sagging against the cushions.
Matt noticed she crossed her legs one direction then the other, fidgeting between him and Clint. Did they make her uncomfortable?
“Then what’s this about?” He brushed his fingertip over the swollen patch on her lip.
She sucked in a breath.
“I wondered… Did you?” Her brows lifted as she turned to Clint. “And you?”
Honor refused to allow them to lie, despite the damage it might do to their prospects with this sweet girl. “Yeah. I did. We both did.”
She scrunched her eyes closed. “I see.”
“Does that bother you?” Clint chafed the goose bumps rising on her forearm.
“A bit.” She winced. “If I’m honest, I’m a little jealous.”
“Only a little?” Matt could have decked Clint for making light of her feelings.
Still, she smiled in return. Damn.
“Yeah, I mean I’m used to guys passing me over for women like her.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Matt’s hackles rose.
“You know, skinny, sexy, petite…”
“Fuck that bullshit.” Clint angled her jaw toward him, refusing to allow her to evade the rare frustration etched onto his face. “You’re adorable exactly as you are.”
“I’m not saying I disagree.” She shut him
right up. “But other guys have.”
“Neither of us would.” Matt couldn’t believe men would be that blind or stupid.
“Thanks.” She snorted as if she didn’t think he was dead serious.
Jambrea might as well have triple-dog dared them.
Matt leaned in while Clint scooted closer, trapping her between them. “You like the idea of Lily with all those guys? Have you ever had sex with more than one man at once?”
He cupped her jaw in his hand to prevent her from giving herself whiplash, which she would if she continued to glance back and forth between them so much.
“It sounds pretty hot. A crazy thing to dream about. You know, like Lacey with Ty and Mason. That’s got to rock.” A light blush spread up her neck to her cheeks. “Not that I’ve really thought about it or anything.”
“I gotta say, I have. About a million times.” Clint surprised the hell out of Matt with that revelation. “Nothing I pictured compared to what I witnessed tonight. The intensity blew me away.”
Matt cleared his throat when they waited for him to respond. “I wouldn’t have expected to enjoy sharing my partner with someone else.”
“That phone pole in your shorts didn’t seem to have any trouble with it in the heat of the moment.” Clint dropped his stare to where Matt’s half-hard dick inflated rapidly toward full-on erection.
“All I know is how much better it could be with someone I was already attracted to.” He dropped his face close to Jambrea’s, lowering his voice along with his lips. “With you.”
Matt groaned when his lips encountered her pliant, parted mouth. He exposed his curiosity and pent-up desire. She consumed every scrap and begged for more with plaintive whimpers. When the rasp of Clint’s encouragement broke through the haze in Matt’s mind, he hesitated for an instant.
“Cold feet?” Clint took smarmy to a whole new level.
Matt refused to be dissuaded that easily. He stared at his partner as he redoubled his assault on Jambrea’s better sense. She relented by degrees, surprising him with an aggressive attack on his crotch.
Clint’s yelp seemed to indicate she’d taken them both in hand. Hell, maybe this could be a lot more fun than he’d assumed. Truth be told, the weeks of feeling at odds with his partner had taken their toll. He hated arguing with the fucker. Not that he’d ever admit it.
“My turn.” Masculine fingers prodded Matt’s jaw, separating him from his treat. Somehow the touch didn’t wilt his hard-on.
Watching up close and personal as Jambrea and Clint made out certainly didn’t affect him either. Unless it was to make him hornier. Could that even be possible?
His fingers toyed with the hem of Jambi’s nighty. About to make a break for her free breasts, craving the weight of them in his palm, he jumped when a crash from the doorway shattered the moment.
Clint rocketed to his feet, a little unsteady. He stepped in front of Jambrea, sheltering her from the intruders.
“What the…?” Mason glowered from beside the splintered wood that used to be Jambrea’s door. “Are you fucking kidding me? You three are so busy fooling around you couldn’t hear Lacey knocking or shouting out to you?”
“You could have called before going Rambo on the fucking door.” Matt admitted to himself he was more pissed off about the ache in his groin.
“We did, dumbass.” Tyler bustled Lacey in out of the night. “No one answered. We got worried.”
“I felt something moving in my pants but I, uh, didn’t think it was my phone.” Clint scowled. “Sorry.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Mason grinned as Lacey rushed over to Jambrea and smothered her in a hug. “We know all about that. Sorry to crash the party. We’ve got your stuff here.”
He tossed an insulated bag to Matt. “You better hit the road. It has to stay cold or it loses its effectiveness. Right, Jambrea?”
She blinked, dazed and overwhelmed. Matt wished he could tuck her into bed. Preferably one with him in it. And maybe Clint too. Maybe.
“Yes.” She waved her hands toward the mess on the floor. “I’ll take care of this. You need to give that to Lily within the hour. I’d feel better if I could examine her myself.”
“No.” All four men barked in unison.
“Don’t bother arguing.” Lacey rolled her eyes. “Save your breath.”
“Trust me.” Matt placed one hand on her shoulder. “She’s fine. I swear. JRad stayed with her. He’ll take care of her.”
“Oh, I bet he will.” Tyler singsonged.
Mason slapped the slighter man in the gut with the back of his hand. “Quit that.”
Clint spun toward the wreckage of the door after one last heated look in Jambrea’s direction. “This isn’t finished.”
“No, it’s hardly even begun.” Matt licked his lips, savoring the taste of her.
“We’ll board up the door and take Jambi to our house tonight.” Mason crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet.
“Fine.” She grumbled. “As long as I can put Parker in his travel bowl. I’m not leaving him here alone.”
“Deal.” Tyler grinned. “This should be fun.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jeremy leaned his hip against a marble-topped vanity as he surveyed their haven. The rumpled bed couldn’t arrest his attention for long when Lily wriggled into a skin-tight, red leather outfit. A high collar covered every inch of her below her jaw. It didn’t diminish the plump mounds of her breasts, which the strategic squish of material over her ribs enhanced and showcased.
Ebony rope fashioned from her hair slithered along her spine, dusting her ass as she squirmed into the matching pants. Shit, he would have thought he’d never sport another boner after last night. Or this morning. Wrong.
“Would you like a hand?” He focused on relaxing his muscles. Out of sight he gripped the edge of the ornate fixture supporting him.
“Nope. I have a lot of practice at this.” Her dazzling smile punched him in the gut.
She sucked in her svelte stomach and yanked the laces holding the bodice on the suit before buckling the cinch straps that transformed her into a living, breathing—if shallowly—BDSM action figure. Jesus Christ.
Tight globes reflected light off the shiny surface of her coated ass when she bent to retrieve her matching thigh-high boots with wicked six-inch stiletto heels.
A muffled gasp reached his ears when the material pulled tight between her legs.
“Still?”
“Only a three and a half now.” She winced over her shoulder.
“You promised to tell me when you need to come.” He tensed until the sharp edge of the table dug into his bunched thigh. “If you suffer, it’ll be because I decide to torture you, not because you’re depriving yourself without properly informing me of your condition.”
Strong enough to bury any discomfort, she could undermine his control whether on purpose or by force of habit. He refused to allow her the opportunity. She’d endured enough senseless pain before meeting him.
“I will.” She concentrated on fastening the dozens of metal clasps laddering her boots like an exaggerated zipper. The closures transformed the gentle curve of her cut calves into something formidable and undeniably sexy.
Lily inspected the flogger she lifted from a case beside the rest of her belongings. Her tools had to be immaculate before she’d use them on her stable. Jeremy respected her attention to detail and her commitment to serving the needs of those entrusted to her care.
No doubt about it. She was a consummate professional.
“I’m dying to watch your sessions.” His nostrils flared as she strapped a belt around her waist and stabbed the handle of the flogger into its holster. Wide strips of the fringe splayed across her leg like a plume of feathers on an exotic bird.
“I’m glad.” She drew on crimson leather gloves, flexing her fingers until they worked into the supple leather, which molded to conform to her figure as it warmed with the heat radiating from her.
Not many other peop
le would have noticed her infinitesimal hesitation.
Jeremy abandoned his perch and flew to her side. He used her hair to position her face where required to stare into her gorgeous eyes. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Not acceptable, Lily.” He tugged a little harder. “Everything is something when it pertains to you. You’ll share it all with me and leave it to me to decide what’s important and what’s not.”
“Yes, sir,” she whispered. “That’s going to take some getting used to.”
“I can be patient.” He kissed her maroon lips softly, uncaring about the transfer of the pigment to his own mouth. She tasted too good to stop after a nibble. “I won’t punish you. This time. Now spill.”
“Things will be different.” She dropped her guard. A curtain fell, revealing all the inner workings of her mind. Faint lines crinkled the edges of her heavily lined eyes. “By now rumors will have spread. Everyone in the complex will know about last night. They’ll talk.”
“Damn straight.” He couldn’t suppress his shit-eating grin. “You’re mine. No one can deny it.”
“So, how will that work?” Her bottom lip quivered for a moment before she bit it. “Will my slaves obey, or will they look to you instead? I can’t stand the thought of all their training evaporating. I may kneel for you, but they belong to me. That part of me isn’t changing. It’s who I am.”
“Hush.” Jeremy nuzzled her temple. “What happens in this room is between us. I won’t deny I crave you at my mercy. Part of what makes your deference so special is how strong you are. It’s the difference between domesticating a stray alley cat and taming a tiger—how naturally you could turn the tables and wield control. I adore the woman you are. All of you. I would never undermine your authority with your subs, though I would enjoy observing your handiwork.”
“Of course.” She nodded. “I’d like you to attend. I can’t think of any of my stable who would object. If anything, the boys will enjoy it.”
“That’s where it ends, Lily.” He fingered the seams of the outfit she wore, a modern marvel of fashion engineering. “Me. Watching. Looking after your safety. Hell, even my paperboy is bigger than you.”