by Christa Wick
His arms circled me more tightly, but he didn't say anything, didn't try to correct me.
"None of you have," I continued. Closing my eyes, I rested my head against his chest. I didn't want to have this conversation, but it was time. If they wanted me to leave, it was better to know it sooner rather than later. Before my happiness became dependent on catching just a glimpse of them and pretending the soft, careful tones they used around me were a display of affection and not pity for the poor fat girl they once thought they loved but now realized they didn't.
Mute for several long minutes, Daniel stroked my hair. He breathed slow but uneven, his hand pausing during those moments when it seemed like he had stopped breathing at all. At last, he gripped my chin and tilted my head back.
"Do you remember the bruises on Hunter the night you were rescued?"
I nodded. None of the men would tell me what had happened and my persistent questioning had succeeded only in driving Hunter from the room.
"He had to be subdued when we learned your location," Daniel explained. "They both did."
Slowly I relaxed in his embrace. "Why?"
"Because I couldn't be certain there weren't snipers on the roof or along the route. Whoever hired Dakhani to kidnap you wanted a bullet in Hunter's brain. Finding you had been too easy, love. It could have been a set-up to lure him into an unsecured area."
I nodded. Daniel wouldn't have stopped thinking about Aldon and Hunter's safety, even as he was risking his life to save mine. I, too, had been amazed at the speed in which he had found me with no tracker and so few leads -- just security footage of the van I had been kidnapped in and that single highlighted line on the expense printout sitting on my desk.
Dakhani -- Mr. Scarypants -- had used inside amateurs he intended to kill. The coffee charge had belonged to Vanessa Braxton, one of the lesser research assistants in Hunter's lab and heavily in debt with the kind of loans that don't show up on a credit report. She had gone to Tallahassee to find a way into my life and come up with Roland. And she had rented a van the day before my kidnapping, the description of which matched the one I was last seen stepping into. Somehow, everything had fallen into place from that point forward.
Daniel resumed stroking my hair. "You're still crying, love."
I shrugged. I understood why they weren't there during the rescue. I wouldn't have wanted them there if it meant putting them in danger. My heart had nearly stopped beating when I thought the inert body across my legs was Daniel instead of Dakhani.
But, if they had wanted so badly to be with me once I was located, why did they stay away after I was safely returned to the estate?
"That was ten days ago," I whispered and burrowed my face against the hollow of his shoulder.
His chin brushed over the crown of my head. "Hunter has been working night and day to wrap up Godstar, for everyone's safety. So has Aldon -- there's all kinds of regulatory shit I can't even begin to comprehend."
He took a deep breath, hesitating before he continued. "And he's been busy keeping me out of jail."
My head flew up, my eyes feeling like they would explode from their sockets at any second. "Because you killed that horrid man?"
"No." He laughed, the sound one of genuine amusement. "It was the bit where I hacked into a private database to pull any location coordinates on Braxton's personal cell phone. She drove the rented van to the building you were held in the night before you were kidnapped. "
I lifted a bemused brow in his direction. Daniel is smart as hell about a lot of things -- like knowing what to look for when his newest squeeze has been kidnapped -- but the man can't even change his own password on his Whitsun email account without my help. "You really expect me to believe you hacked into a database?"
He shrugged and threw me a playful wink. "That's the official story, love."
That probably meant he had ordered someone to do it and was covering for them. I scowled at him, not amused that he could be facing jail for something he couldn't have possibly done on his own. "You can't even change your password!"
Sinking further back into the couch, he rotated me against his chest until he could nuzzle along my neck. "Love, are you talking about how, once a month for the last year and a half, you have had to come into my office, sit at my desk -- on a day of my choosing, which you may have noticed always fell on one when you weren't wearing a blouse buttoned up to your chin -- and walk me through a verification protocol that I put in place?"
I sucked an embarrassed breath in. "So you were just manipulating me into your office to stare at my breasts."
He answered by gently tugging at my earlobe with his teeth. I stroked the side of his face. "No one is really going to send you to jail for saving my life, are they?"
"Don't worry, baby. If they do, conjugal visits will be allowed." His fingers stroked at the side of my mouth and then he kissed me so slow and gentle my toes curled inside my shoes.
My eyes drifted half shut, a smile etching the corners of my lips. Cuddling and a kiss after a ten-day drought -- I was in heaven!
He returned to stroking my hair, his gaze holding mine captive. "Feel better?"
I nodded and a mischievous smile split across his face.
"So I don't need to give you the gift I arranged."
"You know you want to." I smiled back. Daniel had always been the easiest for me to interact with at Whitsun. In a way, neither of us belonged in Aldon and Hunter's world. Aldon had grown up wealthy and attended the best schools. Hunter, from what little I knew, had been isolated early and cloistered in an academic environment.
Yet somehow we had all come together. I only hoped we would stay that way.
My face must have fallen into a frown because he stroked a fingertip across my lips.
"That's a powerful mouth, love," he half teased. "Just a little dip at the corners and I'm ready to do your bidding."
His sweet words brought immediate tears to my eyes. I smiled, straining up to kiss him on the cheek before I shooed him away. "Go on, then, hustle. Chop-chop."
Daniel left the room, returning five minutes later with a member of the security team carting a large, black box on a dolly. Daniel pulled the coffee table away from the couch and the man deposited the box on the floor in front of me and left the room.
"Not so fast." Capturing my hands, he brought them to his lips and kissed their tips. "There are certain terms and conditions you must agree to before I let you open this."
I nodded and grinned at him like a complete dolt.
"You can only explore the contents of this box for ten minutes. Then I want you to take a nice soak in the tub because we're going into Whitsun to settle a little business. The box will be taken to your study here at the estate--"
I frowned. "I don't have a study."
"Silence, sweetheart." He placed a fingertip against my lips. "We moved Aldon one room down, you now have the space between us. That's where the box will be, so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy what's inside later. Do you agree to these terms?"
I nodded, grinning once more. I wouldn't feel completely comfortable until Aldon and Hunter confirmed everything Daniel was saying, but I knew there was at least one man in the house who loved me and wanted me to stay. "I agree. Let me open it, already!"
Pressing both hands to his lips, he gave them one last kiss then moved out of the way so I could open the box. Lifting the lid, I sank onto the floor, a fresh tear sliding down my check before I could open my mouth. It was all there, every last item Roland had been holding out on and others I had forgotten. I lifted the display case holding my father's service medals. My fingers itched to open the back and hold each one, but I had agreed to ten minutes. Putting the case aside, I opened the photo album. The first eight years of my life had been gloriously happy. The pictures I ran my fingers over showed every last ounce of childhood joy I remembered and all the love my parents had shared growing up next door to one another. I lifted a baseball from my father's college years, my fingers testing th
e texture of the stitches as a fresh sob burst from me.
I put the ball back in the box and turned to Daniel. My mouth quivered with all the things I wanted to say. I didn't question how he knew about the mementos -- he had grilled me the day after my rescue about what could have possibly possessed me to race across the street and I answered him honestly. I never thought in a million years he would find a way to get them back for me.
"How?"
He smiled and I wanted to bury myself against his chest. "Baby, if I answer, we really are going to have to figure out the whole conjugal visit thing."
Laughing, I wiped at my tears. "I love you."
It took me a couple of seconds to realize what I had just said. I wouldn't have even stopped to think about it, it had been in my heart for so long and had spilled so freely, but his expression changed the instant those three words left my mouth for the first time.
His face had turned to stone.
"I'm sorry…I didn't…" Blinking, crying, I shuffled backwards, unsure where to go or what to do as the realization hit me hard.
Daniel didn't want me to tell him I loved him.
And if Daniel -- who had barely left my side the last ten days, had risked his life for mine and had committed yet another felony on my behalf -- if he didn't want my love…
His hands jerked out, grabbed me and pulled me to him. He cupped my face, his grip firm and unyielding, and smashed his lips against mine. His tongue found its way inside my mouth to take soft, curling licks as his hands gentled against me. With something thick and long pressed against my stomach, I melted into him.
His mouth and hands seemed to go everywhere all at once -- my lips, my neck, my hips and breasts -- stroking and kneading. Groaning, he finally eased a little distance between us, his breathing hot and fast and his pupils dilated. Letting go of me completely, he rubbed his hands briskly against his cheeks then grabbed me and kissed me again.
"I thought…" I didn't want to tell him what I thought, unless, of course, it would guarantee me a trip to the spanking bench. Even then, I didn't want him to know I had doubted him for a few brief seconds.
"I know, baby, I'm sorry." He kissed me again, his hands slowly roaming my curves. "It's just that you haven't said that before…to any of us."
I nodded, casting my eyes down in shame. Aldon and Daniel had confessed their love that first morning in the library, but I had been too filled with self-doubt, even in the initial bliss-soaked days that had followed, to admit my feelings to any of them. Even Hunter, who would probably always be the most reticent of the three, had called me love.
I hadn't even offered them that token. I buried my face against his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Just don't be afraid to tell them." He tilted my head back, his fingers stroking along my neck until I wanted to take a nap in his arms -- forever. "And if they react as badly as I did, trust that it's for the same reason."
Reaching up, I curled my fingers around the back of his head and pulled him to me for a kiss. "I'm ready for that bath so we can hurry up and visit the office."
**********
Entering the bedroom after my bath, my body swaddled in a thick, oversized towel, I froze and stared at the outfit arranged on my bed. A small card rested on the center. I opened it and immediately recognized the elegant curls of Aldon's writing.
Wear this.
This was stunning and new: a tailored pearl-grey silk blouse that tucked at the hips, with a matching skirt that narrowed as it traveled down to my knees and pewter suede pumps. The outfit didn't stop with the clothes and shoes. A watch, its casing white gold or platinum, rested across the cuff of one sleeve. Diamonds marked the outer band where the hours pointed, with silvery Roman numerals marking the time on the interior pearl face, except for the little crown where the XII would have been on something other than a Rolex. Diamond earrings and a diamond pendant finished the look.
I would need a security team just to get to the front door.
Lifting the blouse, I noticed the sheer, opalescent bra beneath it. Folding back the skirt, I looked for the matching panties.
Nothing.
Smiling, I raced to my dresser. I'd had panties to wear for the last ten days. I'd fretted each time I put a pair on that Daniel was letting me have them for all the wrong reasons rather than it being some concession to the trauma of my kidnapping.
I opened the top right drawer on the dresser, my grin threatening to split my face wide open as I found nothing but a piece of paper, the block letters in black Sharpie belonging to Daniel.
Looking for something, love?
That sneaky devil had stolen my panties while I was bathing! My smile growing broader by the second, I rushed back into the bathroom, did my hair and makeup then put the lovely outfit on and met Daniel in the hall.
He ignored me the entire limo ride in, pretending to read through some new security reports and grinning whenever I pretended not to be watching him.
I don't know what I was expecting to happen when we reached Whitsun, but it wasn't a giant press conference in Hunter's lab. Even more shocking was having Daniel lead me up to where Hunter stood in front of a control panel.
Words were spoken. I have no idea what they were. I just remember they were spoken. Lights flashed as pictures were taken. Questions were asked and answered, and then Hunter took my hand and placed it over a slider on the control panel. Still holding his hand over mine, he looked at me and smiled.
"Ready?"
"For what?" The blood had been pounding inside my ears the whole time, my vision narrowing and gaping in response to each pulse. Nothing said had sunk into my shocked mind.
He laughed and his other hand curled around my hip. His lips pressed against my ear and he whispered so the microphones wouldn't pick it up. "To start Godstar, love. Just let me drive the pressure, okay?"
I nodded and pressed my lips together, figuring it probably wasn't a good time for me to blurt out that I loved him. I hoped he could see it in my eyes and that he wouldn't shy away when I did tell him.
Pressing gently on my hand, Hunter powered up the machine that was Godstar. Two large metal spheres on long metal rods taller than Daniel rotated around one another. The air surrounding and between them crackled with energy.
A ball of white began to coalesce and I gasped.
"It's just like in my dream," I whispered softly. I couldn't remember having done so, but I must have seen the details on one of my visits to his lab or in the reports he had me run for him. Or maybe he had gotten into my head that first night at the estate and shared that beautiful dream among my nightmares.
With Hunter, anything was possible.
Kissing my cheek, he handed me off to Aldon.
Another hour passed before we were all in the limo heading home. Exhausted, Hunter rested with his head against my lap, one hand tucked just under the hem of my skirt to wrap around my knee. Aldon cradled me on the other side, his fingers stroking through my hair while Daniel smiled at us from the opposing seat, his loving gaze telling me everything was back where it was meant to be.
**********
The shower ran in the bathroom as Hunter blasted a fourteen-hour stint in the lab from his muscles. Daniel, still wearing pants, had left the room a few minutes before to secure food from the kitchen. My body stripped naked by all three men the second we entered my bedroom, I cuddled on the bed next to an equally bare Aldon.
Given the order by his co-conspirators to have me wet and ready, Aldon nibbled at my ear while his fingers played amazing tricks around and inside my pussy. Aroused and panting, I didn't want to lose this moment alone with him to my lust.
A little nervous, I pushed against his chest and tried to capture my thoughts before speaking.
"Mm…what's the matter, pet?" Catching my expression, his beautiful, sea-green gaze grew serious. His hand drifted from between my thighs to curl around my hip. "Tell me and I'll fix it."
I smiled and stroked his cheek. "I haven't thanked you for the
outfit."
I closed a little of the distance I had opened between us. "It was exactly what I needed to be able to walk into that press conference, with all those strangers, and…I dunno…not faint."
"I almost busted my zipper when you walked in, pet," he teased, his head angling for another kiss. "You looked so beautiful."
My hand cupping his chin, I held him back. "I'm serious. I wouldn't have been very confident in my old clothes and Daniel's selections are lovely, but…" I dropped my gaze for an instant to blush madly. "They are meant for quick access."
I lifted my gaze back to his, my chest tightening at his soft, easy expression that matched the back and forth rub of his fingertips against my skin. I had missed him terribly the last ten days, Hunter, too, and Daniel, who had kept a certain distance despite being with me almost constantly.
"I love you," I whispered, afraid to say it any louder. I closed my eyes, not sure I could watch his face any longer without doubt creeping into my mind.
His lips pressed lightly against mine. The hand stroking at my hip and thighs traveled up my arm to cup my jaw and take full control of the kiss. His tongue traced the inner edge of my top lip and then he took a tender bite of the bottom one before releasing me.
His fingers stroked across my cheek until I worked up enough courage to look at him.
"I love you, too, Casey. I wouldn't have spent a single second away from you if it had been within my power. Do you believe me, love?"
"Yes." It was there in his voice, the way his throat squeezed every other word. His eyes shimmered with it. "Yes," I repeated.
His palm pressing against my shoulder, Aldon rolled me two-thirds onto my back. "Take a deep breath, baby."
I did and he resumed kissing me, his hand slipping between my thighs to stroke me to a fevered state. When the air was ready to burst from me, he shifted to kissing my throat. I sucked a burning, moaning breath in, my hips pushing my mound high and tight against his hand, the heel of his palm pressing relentlessly down against my clit as the shower turned off in the bathroom and Daniel opened the door from the hallway at the same time.
Barefoot and clothed only in pants, Daniel placed the food tray on the dresser and pushed the pants down his lean hips. Erect and smiling, he pulled his legs from the clingy fabric then straightened and stared at me.