by Tara Rose
“No, I’m the one who should apologize. She’ll only be safe when we find this asshole, no matter where she’s living for the moment.” He watched the anger leave her face, wishing he could take it all back regardless. What the hell was wrong with him? She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he’d just acted like a twelve-year-old in front of her.
He and Garrett eyed each other, and in an instant the perfect solution came to Carson. But would Garrett go for it? “Look. My house isn’t huge or anything, but there’s plenty of room for all of us. Why don’t you move in temporarily as well? That way we can alternate our shifts as much as possible, and she won’t be alone that much. Or we could ask Randie or one of the others to stay there with her when we’re both working. I’m sure Dean will take us off nights for a while if we explain what’s going on. That way she’d never be alone at night.”
“Seriously? You’re okay with that?” Garrett’s surprise was sincere, which only served to make Carson feel like more of an asshole.
“Of course I am. We agreed to commit to this, right? All three of us. That means we weather the good and the bad together. Come on. Let’s get Teresa packed up, and then we’ll go to your place so you can get what you need for a few days, at least.”
Garrett shook his hand. “Thanks for this. Really.”
Carson patted him on the shoulder, and then the men set about packing up Teresa’s belongings, which took all of fifteen minutes. He hadn’t realized how little she actually had. She didn’t even own the dishes and towels in the apartment.
The first thing they needed to do this weekend was take her shopping and buy her some new clothes, and her own bath towels. It hit him what her life must have been like during the past two decades, which made him all the more determined not to act like a high school kid again, and to catch this asshole and remove him from her life forever.
Once they had her things in his house, Carson stepped outside briefly to speak with Will Connor, who was already sitting on the house in a cruiser. “Do her parents know yet?”
Will nodded. “Roberto knows. Her mother and Rosa are on their way home now.”
Carson wished it could have been him and Garrett sitting down with Teresa’s parents and Rosa to tell them what had happened. That’s the way it should be. Not this cloak and dagger shit where they had to whisk her out of her apartment. But he couldn’t change that right now. He had to play the hand they’d been dealt.
It took Garrett less than ten minutes to gather what he wanted, and after confirming that there was already a car watching his house as well, the three went back to Carson’s house. Carson glanced at his cell phone. “It’s almost noon. You two must be hungry by now.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere,” she said.
“Then let’s order pizza.”
“I can’t wait until Panera Bread opens,” said Garrett.
Teresa’s eyes lit up. “There’s a Panera Bread opening?”
“On Lawnview, at the end of the row of shops going up. At least that’s what Chase told me last week.”
“Well, he would know.” Carson opened the browser on his phone. “But for now, let’s call Kitty’s Pizza. They just opened. It’s about time we had a pizza place in Racy.”
“Where did they open?” asked Teresa.
“On Market Street,” said Garrett, “where Cathie’s Printing used to be.”
“I didn’t realize Cathie had closed her shop.”
“She didn’t. She’s working out of her home for now until she figures out whether she wants to buy one of the new shops on Lawnview. They’re expensive, and she was only renting the previous space.”
Carson decided to go and pick up the pizza rather than wait for delivery because he needed a few moments alone to process everything that had just happened. He and Garrett both were on unfamiliar ground right now, and if this relationship had any chance of surviving before it had barely begun, they both needed to feel secure.
As he drove toward Market Street, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he’d just gotten himself into. Teresa was everything he’d ever wanted in a lover and a sub. But could he really do this? Could he share her in and out of bed with any man, let alone a co-worker and friend? And even if he could, how long would it take them to track down Hammond and kick his ass out of Indiana for good?
And what if they didn’t find him? If that happened, if they never found this guy, what would that do to Teresa long-term? Would their relationship survive that kind of uncertainty?
Carson had more questions than answers by the time he drove back toward his house with their lunch cooling on the front seat next to him.
* * * *
Garrett couldn’t help but wish they were in his house instead of Carson’s. Why hadn’t he offered to let Carson move in? His home was much bigger and he still felt that having Teresa in a remote location was safer in the long run. There were too many garages to hide behind and fenced-in backyards to lurk in on this street. There was also heavy traffic, whereas where he lived, any car approaching his house would be heard and seen for at least half a mile. And Garrett would feel more comfortable on his own turf right now.
He opened his laptop and brought up a free cell game, just to try and give Teresa something to do beside drum her fingers on the kitchen counter. She looked ready to jump out of her skin, not that he blamed her. She was handling this pretty well considering she’d told them how she’d been curled up on the floor in the hall closet before they showed up at the house.
“Do you ever play this? I’m addicted to it.”
“Sometimes.”
“Want to play now while we wait for the food?”
“Sure.”
She looked about as excited over the game as she would counting holes in ceiling tiles.
“We’re going to find him, Teresa.” When he touched her shoulder, she jumped a bit. Garrett closed the laptop and pulled her close, stroking her hair and back. “I promise you. Okay? I am not going to let you keep going through this. We will find that asshole.”
“I want to believe you.” Her voice was small, like a child’s would be.
“Then believe it. Trust in me, and in Carson. We’re very good cops. Sean, Chad, and Harrison are fantastic detectives.”
“Why did he wait so long to show up? Why couldn’t he have stayed away?”
“I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. We will find him and will we get rid of him forever. I swear it.”
She held him closer, and it was all Garrett could do to keep breathing. If he’d had a girl like this in his life when he’d been younger, would he have blown it? Probably. Teresa had come into his life at exactly the right time, and there was no way he was going to let anything happen to her. He’d share her with Carson if that’s what she wanted, but he would not tolerate some lowlife from California, or wherever the fuck he was from, coming into his town and stalking her. No fucking way.
Teresa was his. He’d claimed her. He wanted a chance with her, and no one was going to take that away from him. No one.
* * * *
Teresa felt a lot better inside Tye Me Up because the guys kept her laughing by whispering in her ear all the silly things they thought of to do with each toy the three looked at. They also told her stories of some of the things they’d seen people do over the years in their job. By the time they left the shop, she was armed with three new corsets, matching panties for each, stockings and shoes to go with them, plus a bodysuit with cutouts for her nipples, pussy, and asshole that the guys said she was wearing that night.
They’d somehow managed to help her think about sex again, despite what had happened mere hours ago. She even began to wonder if it had been Ray she’d seen. But she knew that no one in Racy drove a car with California plates. Who else could it have been? Where was he? Surely they would have found him by now if his car was parked in front of one of the motels that dotted the countryside along US 231 or US 52. How far away from Racy would he stay, now that he’d
come here to find her?
She tried to remember if he’d ever mentioned family in this area, but couldn’t recall him doing so. So he’d have no one to stay with in the area, unless there was someone she’d never known about. Surely then they should be able to spot his car. How far out would they search?
“Teresa? What do you think of that idea?”
“What?” She stared at Carson. “What did you ask me?”
“You’re a million miles away.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I would be, too, if I were in your place right now. Garrett and I would like to take you to a place in Fowler we used to frequent. It’s a country bar. What do you say? Alexa has an outfit she said you can have if you want. Cowboy boots, a skirt and a top. They’re worn, but still usable.”
Teresa glanced over at Alexa, who looked so hopeful that she didn’t have the heart to refuse. “I would love that. Thank you.”
Alexa actually clapped her hands. “Excellent. Come on. They’re upstairs.”
The clothes and boots didn’t look that worn to Teresa, who suspected Alexa had recently bought them at a secondhand shop, and just pretended they were old and she no longer wanted them. She recalled Alexa saying in her brother’s bar earlier this week that they were about the same size, and she had clothes that Teresa could borrow. But soon she wouldn’t have to rely on charity from others. She had a job lined up.
“Here you go. Put them on. I want to make sure they fit before you leave, although I’m sure I guessed…I mean I’m sure they’ll fit just fine.”
Alexa averted her gaze, but not before Teresa saw the truth in her eyes. She would have hugged her if she hadn’t been certain that Alexa would be embarrassed that Teresa had guessed the truth. Instead, she went into the spare bedroom across the hall and put on the outfit. The clothes and boots fit just fine, and she nearly started crying again when she realized that this would be her first real date with both men. Alexa had done this for her out of kindness, and she barely knew her. She wondered if Luke had asked her to, then realized it hardly mattered.
These people cared about her. This was her hometown, and despite all the rumors that had circulated while she’d been gone, clearly the BDSM community, or at least Alexa, and her Doms, didn’t believe the rumors. They wanted to help her get back on her feet, and they were supportive of her seeing Carson and Garrett. If Teresa needed any further confirmation of that, she wouldn’t find it. It was right here, in the reflection she stared at in the mirror.
“How do they fit?”
She opened the door and walked into the hallway. Alexa circled her, finally nodding. “Okay. That works. Now you need jewelry to go with it. I have some that I no longer wear. It will look perfect with your dark hair and that outfit. I’ve only been to a country bar once. In fact, it was my first date with Luke and Chase together. We went on a tour of one of the wind turbines, and then they took me to this honky-tonk dive. I drank beer for the first and only time in my life.”
Teresa laughed. Ria and Luke had both already told her that Alexa never drank alcohol and was a vegetarian. “That must have been some date.”
The look that spread over Alexa’s pretty face was nothing short of adoration. “It was. It was perfect.” She surprised her by taking Teresa’s hands. “And you’re going to have one as well tonight. I just know it. You three are so damn cute together. So you just stop worrying about everything, okay? Let the cops in this town do their thing. Believe me. I know how good they are at their jobs.”
Teresa knew the story of when Alexa’s ex-Dom had stalked her and come to town. Everyone did. And she knew that Alexa had been abused by him, as well as by her mother’s boyfriends even as a young teen. If she could survive all that, and come to the place she was now, Teresa could certainly enjoy an evening out with the two sexiest cops in Racy. And that’s exactly what she intended to do.
Chapter Seventeen
When Teresa came down the stairs, wearing turquoise jewelry that Alexa had also insisted she take as her own, in addition to the new outfit, the guys both whistled. She couldn’t help but laugh. No one had ever whistled at her, and she really, really loved it.
Carson put her other clothes in one of the bags, then held out his arm. Teresa curled her hand around it and glanced over to where Garrett and Adison were talking quietly in one corner. She didn’t have the chance to try and overhear them because Carson steered her out of the shop and into his car. She slid into the passenger seat, and Carson put all her bags into the trunk. When he got in, she asked him what the two men were talking about.
“Don’t you worry, okay? Garrett has to talk shop all the time.” Adison wasn’t a cop. He was head of security at Notus. Surely Carson knew that Teresa knew that. “As soon as he comes out, we’ll go. You look perfect. Now I wish I had boots, too.”
“You have on jeans and a plaid shirt. That should do, no?”
“Yeah, but boots would make me look like a real cowboy.”
She laughed. “Since I’ll be a working girl again soon, I’ll buy you a pair for Christmas.”
He gave her a long, searching look, and she was afraid she’d said the wrong thing. Did he think there was no chance of this lasting until then? “I’m going to hold you to that.”
She smiled. “It’s a deal.”
When Garrett finally emerged, he slid into the back seat and they drove southwest, out of town. It didn’t take long to reach the bar, but Teresa was more focused on the various motels that dotted the highway as they drove. Was Ray in one of them? If he was, he couldn’t hide his car forever. Surely it would be spotted sooner or later.
As soon as they walked inside, there was no way Teresa could stay preoccupied with Ray Hammond. The place was packed, but not so much that she felt claustrophobic. The music was loud, live, and she wanted to dance. To her complete surprise and delight, both Carson and Garrett were very good dancers, and even though she hadn’t been on a dance floor in ages, she was soon twirling and whooping with everyone else.
The guys took turns dancing with her, and Teresa loved every second of it. From the band’s cover of artists like Alabama and The Outlaws, all the way to the rough wooden floor and walls. She loved the entire atmosphere.
When they finally sat down to order food and drinks, she was tired, and had smiled so much in the past hour that her face ached. They ate greasy burgers and french fries, and split a pitcher of surprisingly good beer. Teresa had never developed a taste for it, usually finding it too bitter, but the guys explained that beer from nut ales tended to be less so. Carson launched into a complicated explanation of how different kinds of beers were made, and Teresa merely smiled and listened.
He and Garrett then discussed the differences between beer, wine, and other liquors, and how each were made. She didn’t understand the chemistry, and she really wasn’t all that interested in the differences between the various drinks, but it didn’t matter. She was with them, and they were all having so much fun. It wouldn’t have mattered what they talked about. She just loved to listen to them and watch them as they spoke.
They’d given her multiple compliments on how she looked tonight, to the point she had finally mentally vowed to find a way to pay Alexa back for the clothes, boots, and jewelry. She’d ask Luke for suggestions on what Alexa really loved, and then she’d save up her money to buy her a very special present for Christmas or her birthday.
After their food digested, they danced some more, including slow dances this time. Teresa closed her eyes, inhaling each man’s unique scent and committing it to memory. She’d never been on a real date with Ray or any man, for that matter. Not unless you counted eating at a fast-food restaurant and then renting a movie afterward as a date. She was proud to be seen with both these men tonight, and she’d never imagined having so much fun in a crowded, noisy bar. She hoped they’d come back here again, and often.
When they finally left, Teresa was so at ease with them that she hummed several of the tunes the band had played
while they drove back to Racy, not even consciously aware she was doing it, until Garrett remarked on how nice her singing voice was.
“What? Me? Oh, I just do it. You know.”
“Well it sounds pretty damn good from back here. Sing something for us.”
“I can’t. Not when I realize people are listening.”
Carson glanced toward her, the dominant look on his face sending shivers up and down her spine. “Your Doms asked you to sing.”
Teresa didn’t want to sing. She wanted to jump him, but he was driving. She could crawl into the back seat and do Garrett, but it would be more fun to do them both at once. It struck her then that it would probably happen tonight. She’d have sex and maybe play with both men, at the same time. And they’d be in Carson’s house. He had a dungeon that she hadn’t yet seen. The possibilities were endless, and she squirmed on the seat as she imagined each decadent one.
“Well?” Garrett’s voice from the back seat was no less commanding than Carson’s had been.
She turned around and smiled at him, struck as she always was by how much he’d changed for the better since high school. “What would you like me to sing, Sir?”
“Your favorite song.”
“That’s a tough one. I like so many.”
“Pick just one,” said Carson. “Pick the one that sums up how you feel tonight, being out with both of us.”
Her heart melted, right then and there, not only at the words he spoke, but by the tone in which he’d said them. It was tender, passionate, and full of promises.
Teresa took several deep breaths, then sang the only song she could think of that would fit his request to a tee. It totally summed how she felt tonight. Cowboy Take Me Away, recorded by the Dixie Chicks.
By the time she finished, they pulled into Carson’s driveway. He got out, sprinted around to open her door, and pulled her close for a kiss so hot, she expected the pavement beneath her boots to melt. When he finally released it, her pussy was soaked and her clit throbbed. If it hadn’t been for the fact that his neighbors could easily look out their windows and see them, Teresa would have shed her clothes and leaned against the trunk of his car, begging them both to fuck her.