by Lara Jones
“They’re our own Dallas socialites. Born and bred into the upper-class rich people’s club in the city.”
“And how did you know them?”
Clay gripped Isabel’s hand when she opened her mouth to defend her friend.
Mora held up a hand as if to check her nails. “Well, dear, I used to be one of them. Born and raised in one of the richest families in town.”
Dylan snorted. “I can’t imagine that.”
“Yes, well, I didn’t fit in very well, as you have probably already guessed, so I was an embarrassment to my family, especially my mother. But then she was about as perfect as a woman can be. Tall, blonde, gorgeous, soft-spoken, the perfect wife and hostess. She’d be perfect for you if she weren’t already married.”
Dylan regretted egging her on as her face paled and her eyes dulled. “Hey, I’m so—”
Mora held up a hand to interrupt him. “No worries. My life changed for the better when I found Isabel, or she found me, and the rest is history.”
Eyes turned to Isabel when Mora didn’t say any more. She cleared her throat. “Um, I moved to the city when I was twelve. I met Mora in an all-girls school we attended. We were both considered rebels and not worthy to be in the popular groups, but we had each other, so it didn’t matter.”
“She’s absolutely right.” Mora’s eyes teared, but she pushed them back and smiled brightly. She wouldn’t show any weakness to these people. Isabel was the only one who knew what was inside her. She stood abruptly and grabbed up a couple of plates and headed into the kitchen.
Isabel stood to follow when Mora was quickly back to lift more dishes. “Mora, sit. We have plenty of time to clean up,” Royce said.
Mora looked over the table, avoiding everyone’s eyes. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to run and hide and lick her wounds. She would never give this prick the satisfaction of seeing her upset. “All right.”
Mora shrugged, sat, and lifted her glass of wine. She immediately put it down when she noticed the fine tremor that she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide.
Isabel frowned. She hadn’t seen Mora this subdued since the accident. Mora had always been full of life and energy. She came up with ingenious ways to irritate and get back at the group of girls that terrorized them in school. The two of them had more fun writing horror stories about the girls, with cartoon illustrations and everything.
Mora was so incredibly talented. Isabel was saddened by the fact she would never do anything with the passion for art she had because her family had long ago crushed any confidence she had for her gift. Her parents had done more damage than Mora would ever admit to. But it was her marriage that had done the most damage, Isabel thought.
“Hey, Mommy, why is Aunt Mora crying?”
Mora immediately knelt down next to the boy’s chair. “Oh, honey, I’m not crying.” Mora pushed the hair from his face. “I’m just so glad to be here with you and your mom. I missed you guys so much.”
Tommy slid onto Mora’s lap and wrapped his arms around her neck. “I missed you too. And I miss Uncle Dave and Davey.”
A quiet stillness blanketed the room.
Mora swallowed several times, the burning in her eyes and throat almost too much to hold back before she leaned back to see Tommy’s face. “Yeah, little tugboat. I miss them too.”
Royce stood suddenly. “Girls, why don’t you take your wine into the living room and relax while we clean up?”
Isabel immediately grabbed Tommy’s and Mora’s hands. “Come on, Mora. Grab your wine before they change their minds.”
Mora tried to chuckle, but she could only try to get air to move through her emotion-constricted throat. She followed Isabel and Tommy, making sure to keep her eyes lowered and away from the men.
When the men joined them, Mora was back in control and laughing at Tommy making silly faces.
The women sat close together on the couch. Liam and Royce took the rest of the couch while Clay took a chair by Isabel. Dylan stood leaning against a wall across from the women, drinking his beer, his eyes fixed on Mora.
Mora listened to the conversation the men were having but kept her attention on Tommy.
“Mommy, can I go to my room and play with my trucks?”
Isabel lifted him off the couch, ignored the growls from her men because of lifting her son, and kissed the top of his head. “Of course, baby. Call if you need me.”
Mora’s day had been a very long one, both emotionally and physically with the drive to get here and the supper. She was on her last scrap of energy. She fidgeted as the silence stretched, making her already shaky nerves tighten until she sensed they’d shatter. “Um, Isabel, have you guys decided on a wedding date?” She kept her eyes on Isabel, trying to ignore the heated looks from Dylan and Liam.
“Yes. June third.” Isabel laughed at the shock and horror on her friend’s face.
Mora sputtered. “But that’s only four months away.”
“I think that’s too long,” Royce grumbled. “She’s lucky we’re giving her that.”
Mora looked at Isabel like she’d never seen her before. “And you’re going to let them…”
Isabel grabbed Mora’s hand with both of hers, knowing exactly what she was going to say. “I have to learn to pick my battles.”
Mora couldn’t believe how much her friend had changed. She couldn’t, in all fairness though, say it was bad either. Isabel had always been high strung, and Evan, her husband, had a hard time keeping up and controlling her at times. Now, all Mora saw was contentment and serenity that these men brought to her life and was so thankful for Isabel. She deserved all the happiness she could receive.
“Mora?”
Mora visibly jerked. “What?”
Isabel laughed, although a frown puckered her brows in concern. “I’ve asked you a question twice.”
“Hell, I’m sorry. What did you need?” Her body tensed when Dylan growled but otherwise didn’t pay attention to him.
“I asked you earlier about court. You’re not planning on going alone, right?”
“Why the hell not? I’m a grown woman. The FBI has most of Allister’s, your brother-in-law’s, people picked up.”
“Most? The ones that are still out there, they wouldn’t be one of the men that have tried to get to you? To harm you?”
Mora shrugged. “I don’t want you to worry. I’ve got everything under control.”
Isabel looked extremely doubtful and uneasy. “You can’t be blasé’ about this. What does Derek say?”
Dylan straightened abruptly, and Liam sat forward in apprehensive curiosity. The steel and arrogance in Dylan’s voice were unmistakable. “Who’s Derek?”
Mora ignored him. “He says it’s stupid to go alone and that I need to watch my back.”
“Who the hell is Derek?”
Isabel looked nervously at Dylan and then back at Mora. “Will he be able to be there at all?”
“He said he would try…”
“Who the fuck is Derek?” Dylan growled harshly.
Shocked, all eyes turned to Dylan. Liam was scowling at him. Isabel’s men were frowning in confusion. The women sat in complete shock.
Mora’s chin went up, and her shoulders straightened as she narrowed her eyes on Dylan. “It’s none of your fucking business.”
Royce and Clay tensed and looked toward their brother. They were prepared to jump in if needed, not that they thought he’d ever hurt her because they were certain Dylan wouldn’t hurt a hair on her head, but they could definitely see him putting her over his knees to redden her ass. They were pretty sure it would not go over so well with their fiancée or Mora.
They could tell it took some strength for Dylan to hold back. Meeting Mora had hit him hard, but they’d never seen him like this before. It had hit them powerfully also when they met Isabel, but they had never intentionally hurt her feelings or goad her into a fight like their brother was doing to Mora.
“Jesus, Dylan. You need to calm down, man,
” Liam said. God, what the hell was wrong with him? He was going to blow any chance they had with her if he kept it up.
A fire burned in Royce’s eyes as he tilted his beer can at her, ignoring everyone else in the room. “You’ll pay for that, little girl.”
Mora’s chin went up another notch, and a sweet smile crossed her face. “Never happen, big man. You have no authority over me.”
Dylan’s eyes narrowed in anger but also a spark of excitement and respect he couldn’t hide. “Who’s Derek?” he said very softly, but she still heard a hard edge to his words.
Mora waited a brief moment. “He’s my brother.”
His eyes flared, and a muscle jumped in his jawline. “You better be telling the truth.”
“It’s true, Dylan. Derek is Mora’s brother.”
Dylan flicked his gaze to Isabel and then back at Mora. He finished his beer, crushed the can in his hand, and walked into the kitchen, coming out a moment later. “I gotta go.” He stopped and turned at the door. “Thanks, Isabel, for supper. Liam, are you coming?”
Liam rolled his eyes at his friend’s back before concentrating on Mora. “I’m sorry. He’s not usually that intense.” He ignored Royce’s snort. “His day kind of sucked.”
Isabel looked concerned. “What happened?”
“Car crash. Two killed, one of them a small child.”
All color bled from Mora’s face. “I’m sorry I goaded him. That’s a horrible thing to see.”
“Yes, it is. One of the worst drawbacks of being a cop. It was nice meeting you. Next time we see you, he’ll be calmer.”
“I don’t know if there will be a next time. I don’t know how long I’ll be here.”
Liam’s startled eyes went to Royce and Clay’s in question. He relaxed when he caught the slight nod of Royce’s head. God, I hope they can keep her here. He and Dylan had just found a woman they both wanted, and there was no way they were letting her go. Now he just had to get his friend’s head out of his ass.
“I hope you stay a while, Mora. Thanks again, you guys.” The door closed behind him. Liam stood for a minute, took a few breaths, and stared through the windshield at Dylan. Shit, he hated having to deal with a pissed-off Dylan. He guessed his night was not going to end well.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Isabel rolled over until she was draped over Clay’s chest and rested her chin on her hand. “I’m worried.”
Clay’s fingers combed through her hair as his other hand gripped her ass. “Why, honey?”
“I know I don’t know Dylan well at all, but he was so mean tonight.” A hard, naked body cuddled up to her back, and a hand landed on her breast, making her moan.
Royce kissed Isabel’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about him.”
“Royce, I can’t not worry about it. Mora’s been through so much already. I don’t want her uncomfortable being here. She might decide to leave, and I’ve only just got her back.”
Clay tilted her face up to his with her hair. “Dylan’s has never felt the way Mora makes him feel, and it scares the shit out of him.”
“How do you know that?”
Royce bit down on her shoulder, pulling a groan from her. “Because we know how he’s feeling. The overwhelming attraction and other indescribable emotions we’d never felt, we went through it with you, and it was instantaneous.”
Isabel frowned over her shoulder at Royce. “You were angry that you were attracted to me? Because it looked like Dylan was really mad.”
Clay flexed his grip on her ass. “Not exactly. You were so worn down from running with Tommy our instincts took over to protect you two. It didn’t give us much time to let our emotions get out of hand because of our fears.”
“Explain the other emotions?”
Clay lifted his head to see his brother. “Royce, dude, help me out.”
Royce chuckled. “All right. Isabel, the very first time we saw you, we wanted to snatch you up and lock you away so you could never leave us. I remember my heart didn’t stop racing for days, it seemed like.”
The men waited silently.
“I felt that way too.”
Smiles broke across their faces. “Yeah?”
Isabel kissed Clay’s chest and gripped Royce’s hand. “Yup.”
Royce turned her over until she was face up between them. His mouth was on hers instantly, and his hand went directly to her breast, plucking her little nipple.
Clay slid down and took the other nipple into his mouth, sucking strongly as his hand slid down, parting her lips as he went to press on her swollen clit, putting the right amount of pressure that always drove her need higher.
Isabel arched at the intense feelings these men pulled from her every time they touched her. “Oh god. You guys, please, do something.”
Royce and Clay’s eyes met, and then Clay rolled over and reached for a tube in the nightstand drawer.
“How would you like for both of us to be inside you at the same time?” Royce bent and bit down on her shoulder, pulling a moan from her.
“Yessss…please,” Isabel pleaded, rocking her hips against them.
Clay leaned over. “Are you sure? We’ve only done this one other time.”
“It was intense, but I loved having us together like that.”
“With me in your tight little bottom?” Clay chuckled when a fierce shiver racked her body.
“And I’m in your sweet wet pussy?”
Isabel threw her head back. “Yyyyeeessss. God yes.”
Royce rolled onto his back, pulled her over him, and pulled one of her legs on either side of his hips before pressing down on her back and bringing her flush against his chest. “Now remember how this goes. You let us do the work, so you don’t hurt yourself.”
Isabel bit at Royce’s lips. “I know, I know.”
Clay moved in behind her, and his hand slid over her ass. “You better listen because you’ll get punished if you do anything that might injure yourself.”
Isabel looked over her shoulder. “Clay, I’ll try my very best.”
His hand landed sharply on one butt cheek. “You’ll do what you’re told.”
Isabel whimpered. “Come on, you guys, stop teasing me.”
Royce chuckled and slid her down and onto his cock, pulling a groan from both of them. “There we are. Now stay still while Clay prepares your ass.”
Clay’s hand came down again when she tried to move on Royce’s cock. Clay snorted. “God, woman, you didn’t even last a minute. Be still.”
Royce’s grip on her tightened, and he whispered encouraging words as Clay stretched her, his eyes watchful for any signs of pain.
Clay’s finger penetrated her, spreading the lube around and deep. “There you go. Do you feel my finger?”
His slick fingertip slid into her ass and stalled. “Yes. Please, Clay. I need more.”
Clay ruthlessly slid his large finger into her until it was all in. “Jesus. She’s so damn tight, Royce.”
Royce speared his fingers into her hair to hold her as her moans grew and her struggle against his hold intensified. “Hurry up, Clay.”
Clay slid the one finger out, added some lube, and pressed two in, scissoring them to stretch her. “Here we go, baby. This what you want?”
Isabel shook her head frantically. “No, I need you in me.”
Clay chuckled. “But I am in you. Feel.” His thrusts became harder.
“Dammit, you know what I mean.” She screeched when Clay’s other hand came down several times in rapid concession. “Ouch, Clay…”
Royce lifted her head and almost came at the heated desire in her eyes. “Language, Isabel.”
“Rrrrrr,” she growled, frustrated.
“Ask me nicely to fuck your ass with my cock.”
Isabel tried to kick at him, earning another smack on the ass.
Clay laughed. “Ask me.” His hand slid over the red blush on her ass.
Why did they insist on this? She gritted her teeth against the embarrassmen
t even though it pushed her need for them higher at the same time. “Okay, fine. Please fuck my ass with your cock.”
Clay’s fingers slid out, and his other hand moved over her reddened bottom. “Absolutely. Let me lube up my cock.” He wiped off his fingers on a towel he’d brought from the bathroom.
“Yes, just hurry.”
Royce bent and took her lips, thrusting his tongue repeatedly in until he felt her tense. “What’s he doing, baby?”
A cry escaped her. “Oh, God, Royce, he’s pushing his cock into me, and it burns.”
Royce brushed her hair out of her face so he could watch the expressions she made while her ass was being penetrated. Both men had found it an extreme turn-on to watch the first apprehension, then wonder, then concentration as they went deeper into her, then, lastly, sublime pleasure that usually turned her wild. It was something they worried about, her hurting herself, and made sure they kept her still.
“How are you doing?”
“Royce, please, I need it harder.” She whimpered and thrust back against Clay.
Both men growled, and a hand landed on her ass. It didn’t stop the struggle she couldn’t seem to control. Only their arms and hands did that.
“Easy, baby, Clay has to go nice and slow, remember? We don’t want to hurt you.”
Clay released the breath he’d been holding. “Okay, there, honey, I’m in.”
Isabel’s hand’s gripped Royce’s shoulders. “Now move,” she demanded.
Royce pushed in as Clay pulled out, setting up a rhythm that would bring all three the pleasure they were fighting for at that moment.
Isabel’s breath became choppy, and her movements jerky as the need built and grew. A tingling started in her spine and spread. She cried out as a huge wave hit her.
The men kept thrusting harder and faster as they found their own releases.
Isabel slumped against Royce to lie limply over his chest as Clay slowly slid from her, making them all moan. She felt a kiss on the back of one shoulder.
“I’ll be right back.”
Royce held her tightly against him, with one hand slowly moving up and down her back, as they both struggled to steady their breaths.
Isabel wiggled and grumbled when Clay started to wipe away their combined passion and the lube they had used. “You’ll be able to sleep better, sweetheart.” He laughed when she reached back and tried to bat him away.