by Becca Van
“You have nothing to fear from us, Lisa. I promise Noah and I would never do anything to hurt you,” Zach said in a deep, calm voice.
Lisa jerked her head away from his gaze and looked back to Tasha. But Tasha was having trouble controlling her own anger at the way Jason and Sean were holding her down in her chair. She hated the way they seemed to be able to control her just by placing their hands on her and didn’t like how acquiescent she was becoming around them. She glanced apologetically at Lisa then stood, scooted her chair back, and glared from Sean to Jason and back again. There was no way in hell she was letting them run her life.
“Leave me the hell alone,” Tasha said through clenched teeth.
“We can’t do that, little girl. You should know that by now.” Jason looked into her eyes, causing shivers to traverse her spine.
Shit. She was beginning to care too much for these two men and didn’t know how to handle her feelings. She didn’t want to care for them or for them to care for her. Relationships only ever led to pain and heartache. So she did the only thing she could think of. She went on attack.
“Fuck off.” Tasha stormed away from the table toward the door. She hated that she was leaving her friend behind but she couldn’t stay another moment. If she did, she was going to make a real fool of herself and they would know she had feelings for them and that she could never allow.
Tasha made it to her car but was brought to an abrupt halt when a large male arm wrapped around her waist. She turned her head up and back to see who held her.
“I thought I told you to fuck off, Sean.” Tasha glared at him furiously.
“Oh, you did, baby, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do once I get you home,” he replied calmly without releasing her.
“There is no way in hell we’re letting you drive home, little girl,” Jason stated as he stood in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. “We know you’ve had a couple of alcoholic drinks. I can smell it on your breath. Do you think we care so little about you we’d let you drive home after drinking alcohol?”
“No.” Tasha shoulders slumped. She was behaving like a two-year-old and didn’t like the way she had just acted. She turned back toward the hotel intending to apologize to Lisa but her friend came rushing out to the parking lot moments later. Lisa was looking over her shoulder and didn’t see her, Sean, or Jason until she nearly walked into them, but Jay grabbed her shoulders before she could hurt herself.
Lisa stepped out of Jason’s hold and looked from Sean to Jason and back again. Then she turned to her, a worried expression on her face. “Are you all right, Tasha?”
“I’m fine,” Tasha sighed. “I’m sorry for the scene I caused.”
“That’s okay, as long as you are all right.” Lisa looked at Sean and Jason again. “Take care of her or you’ll answer to me.”
Tasha watched the two men as they stared at Lisa, then they both smiled at her and nodded. She released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and kept her eyes on Lisa as her friend walked toward her car, got in and drove away without a backward glance.
She let Sean lead her to Jason’s truck and goose bumps rose on her skin when he grasped her waist and lifted her into the vehicle. They got in and never once broke the silence as they drove her home.
Chapter Five
When they arrived back at the loft, Tasha went straight to her work area. She began sorting through her paintings with a vengeance, trying to decide which of her paintings were good enough for display at the local art gallery. She heard footsteps heading her way and quickly hid the paintings she had done of Sean and Jay behind her landscape paintings.
“Tasha, we want you to come and sit down with us in the living room to talk,” Sean said from behind her.
“Oh, do you? Well I think I’ve had enough of your talk today, Mr. Gallagher,” Tasha replied without turning around to look at him.
“You’re just begging for a spanking aren’t you, darlin’?” Sean’s voice was so cold she shivered.
Tasha spun around to glare at Sean and give him a mouthful. She opened her mouth but didn’t get to say a word.
Sean swooped in, grasped her about the waist, and planted his lips over hers in a kiss so sultry and sizzling it was a wonder she didn’t set fire to the canvases behind her. He thrust his tongue in between her lips and teeth, tasting the inner recess of her mouth. He slid his tongue along the inside of her cheeks and up to the sensitive roof of her mouth.
He picked her up in his arms and started walking toward his bedroom and when she heard movement behind them, she knew Jason was following close on their heels. Sean didn’t stop until he reached the bed, his mouth still playing hers as he lowered her to the mattress and followed her down. He moved his hands down along her arms until he clasped her hands in his. Sean lifted her arms up above her head, holding her captive with her arms stretched out, and then weaned his mouth from hers.
“You’re going to talk with us, darlin’. We’re not going to let you hide from us,” Sean said as he looked down, and she had to look away from his intense gaze.
“What has you so scared of intimacy, little one?” Jason crawled onto the bed on her side while Sean moved to her other side.
“I’m not scared of anything.” Tasha stared at the ceiling, hoping they would believe her lie.
“Don’t you dare lie to us, darlin’! We know damn well you’re scared of something. We want to know what and why.” Sean’s voice was implacable.
“Look, I want you two to let go of my arms so I can go and finish some work. I don’t have to tell you anything. You have no right to hold me here against my will and demand to delve into my personal life. You don’t know me well enough and I don’t know you. I have not at any time tried to pry into your personal life and I expect to be treated with the same respect,” Tasha said angrily.
It surprised her when Sean and Jason released her arms, but she scrambled from the bed and headed toward the door. How dare they demand to know her personal life when neither of them had shared anything about their own? Who the hell did they think they were? Her anger dissipated when she realized that she was partly at fault. They had each asked her questions but she had never once thought to ask any of her own. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in everything about them because she was. It was just that she was scared the more she knew about them, the more she would like and want to know. Tasha already had feelings for them and, if she let them get any closer, she was going to end up falling in love with them and she couldn’t allow that to happen.
She paused in the doorway, looked back at them over her shoulder, and gave them what she hoped was a disgruntled look. “I would appreciate it if you two would stay the hell out of my life, otherwise I will just pack up and leave.”
“Not so fast, Natasha.” Jason rolled from the bed and hurried over to her. His hand landed on her shoulder before she could take another step. “The only reason we have not spoken of our personal lives is because you damn well never asked. We have nothing to hide from you. If you want to know anything all you had to do was ask. As for us delving into your personal life, I think the fact that we have made love with you gives us some rights to ask you about any problems you may have.” Jason wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his front. She stiffened in his hold but not because he was touching her. No, she was trying to keep herself at an emotional distance, but no matter how hard she tried to keep them at an arm’s length, they always seemed to find a way through the barrier she had placed around her heart.
“We’re going to find out what it is that has you running scared, if not today then very definitely in the near future. As for you threatening to pack up and leave, might I remind you that you signed a contract? I’m sure you don’t want to find out what will happen if you try to back out of that. Do I make myself clear, Natasha?” Jason asked in a voice so soft it was deadly, and a dull ache formed over her heart. She hated that she had made him angry, but she hated the w
ay he made her feel more.
You’re lying, Tasha. You love the way they make you feel when they touch, kiss, and make love with you. You’re a coward, Tasha Cameron. You are scared of getting hurt just like Toni did. But what worries you more is that you will fall in love with them and they won’t love you back.
Ever since Uncle Bernard touched you, you feel unworthy and no matter how much you try to push it aside, the shame is eating you up inside. She often wondered if she’d done something as a child to make Uncle Bernard think it was okay to touch her the way he had and sneak into the bathroom while she’d been showering. That sick, humiliating violated feeling swept over her again, making her feel unworthy and dirty.
Shut the hell up. Whose side are you on?
“Crystal,” Tasha finally managed to reply, albeit acerbically, as she pushed from Jason’s hold and escaped to her room.
Tasha avoided the two men over the next few weeks as much as possible. She made sure she didn’t leave her bedroom until after they left for work. She painted with a vengeance while they were working and then made sure she was out or in her room by the time they came up from the warehouse after finishing their work day. If she left the apartment, she left a note so they had no reason to berate her for being thoughtless and selfish. She began spending more time with Lisa as well as visiting her sister, Toni.
One late afternoon she was sitting on the verandah with her sister as they chatted whilst drinking coffee.
“You know you can talk to me, don’t you, Tasha?” Toni glanced at Tasha and Tasha tried not to tense up, but knew she hadn’t succeeded when Toni glanced down at her clenched fist.
“Yeah, I know. Do you ever regret moving in with Ben and Jack, Toni? I mean, I heard you talking to mum after your ex dumped you and I know you went through hell trying to get over a broken heart and the way that bastard hurt you. Is it really worth putting yourself at risk again?”
“Oh God, is that what has you so tied up in knots? I want you to listen to me, Tasha.” Toni gripped one of her hands in her own. “The experience I had with my ex was bloody horrible, I have to admit. But I didn’t love him and he didn’t love me, I only thought I loved him. I would never give up the opportunity to love Ben and Jack, even if we were to break up tomorrow and I ended up with a broken heart, it would still be worth the pain. As the saying goes, honey, it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. I wouldn’t trade one moment I’ve spent with the two men I love for anything in the world and I am secure in my knowledge that they love me just as much in return. Talk to me, Tasha, please?”
“I can feel them breaking through the walls I’ve kept wrapped around myself, Toni. I was so scared of having sex because I heard you tell mum how much it hurt and how humiliated you felt.”
And there is no way in hell I can tell you what Uncle Bernard did and said to me. I couldn’t stand to see the shame and pity in your eyes.
“They’ve already taken care of that. When they began to touch and caress me, I just couldn’t find the strength to stop them. I was so overwhelmed by what they made me feel it scared the crap out of me. I’m just not sure I can be as strong as you if I let myself love them and we end up breaking apart. I don’t know if I could handle that at all. They’ve never once said they care for me. For all I know they just want to use me for sex,” Tasha said and then turned to stare into the distance.
“Oh, honey, you are already in love with them, I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes. I know you, Tasha. You wouldn’t have let them make love with you if you didn’t love them. We don’t choose who we end up loving, it just happens and hits you right between the eyes, but just remember I think they also love you. Ask them what they want from you, how they feel about you. What have you got to lose if you give them a chance, little sis? Are you willing to throw away something so special and then wonder about what could have been for the rest of your life? Think about that before you throw away what could be the chance of a lifetime.”
“What would I do without you, Toni?” Tasha asked with tears in her eyes.
The two women stood to their feet and hugged each other tightly. Tasha finally drew back and wiped the tears from her face.
“I love you, Tasha. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what. Just give yourself a chance, honey. You don’t have to rush in with both feet. Take things slow. When you’re ready, you’ll know it.” Toni smiled then kissed Tasha’s cheek.
Tasha gave Toni another hug and then walked down the porch steps heading toward her car. She heard Ben talking to her sister but didn’t let on that she could hear them.
“I love you, Toni. I was glad to hear you spouting the exact words I once said to you. You know we will never, ever break up, don’t you, sweetheart?”
“I know that, Ben, I just had to try and find a way to get through to my sister.”
“Well if the look of confusion on her face as she left was any indication, I think you may have succeeded.”
When she got into her car and looked up at them it was to see Ben cuddling and kissing Toni passionately.
Tasha mused over Toni’s words all the way home. She parked her car out the front of the warehouse and opened the side door with her key. She made it to her room without sighting Jason and Sean, which she was thankful for as she was still trying to work out the situation in her mind. She grabbed some clean clothes and headed for the bathroom.
As she dried off, she noticed her clean clothes weren’t where she had placed them. She was sure she had brought them into the bathroom with her. Shrugging her shoulders over her preoccupation, she opened the door connecting the bathroom to her room and froze at the sight that met her eyes.
Jason and Sean were lying on her bed totally naked waiting for her. Tasha opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again with a snap as no words formed. She willed her feet to move and began slowly backing away from her room toward the bathroom door.
Tasha had never seen a man move so fast. One moment Jason was lying on her bed and in the space of a blink he had her naked body pressed up against his with an arm wrapped around her waist to prevent her retreat.
“Oh no, little one, you’re not hiding from us anymore.” Jason bent down and covered her mouth with his.
He thrust his tongue between her lips, not giving her a chance to pull away from him. He slid his tongue along hers, twirled it around her mouth and then back down to curl around hers. He drew her tongue into his mouth and began to suckle on it. He had her groaning with arousal and squirming in his embrace in moments. Jason picked her up and strode back over to the bed, where he placed her gently in the middle of the mattress, all without releasing her mouth. He moved to the side of her, sitting on his knees as he kissed her long and deep, consuming her and making the need inside her begin to flame.
The mattress dipped and she felt Sean move closer and she whimpered when he began stroking his hands up and down the length of her naked body. When he reached her breasts he plucked her nipples with both hands until they peaked into hardened nubs. He moved closer still and then took one of her nipples into his mouth, laving and suckling until she arched her chest up with the desire for more.
Jay weaned his mouth from hers and moved down her neck, nibbling and licking as he went. He licked over her arm until he reached her waist, moved across to her navel, and dipped his tongue into the indent. The pleasure was so intense she bucked her hips up, silently begging for more. He moved down her body further and grasped her legs with his hands and spread them wide. Jay maneuvered between her thighs and lowered his head down until his mouth was a hair’s breadth away from her weeping pussy. He inhaled deeply and then his eyes connected with hers.
Jason moved a little more and flicked his tongue over her distended clit, causing her to arch up and cry out, then he moved his hands back to her hips to keep her still. He sucked her clit gently into his mouth and the sound that left her mouth was so deep and guttural, she didn’t recognize her own voice. He slid a finge
r into her tight, wet pussy, thrusting it in and out, rubbing over her G-spot. She could feel the beginning tremors inside as her vagina began to coil and Tasha got scared, so she fought the climax he was trying to give her. She reached down and grabbed a handful of his hair, giving a tug so he would stop.
He lifted his head and met her eyes. “Let go, Tasha. You know I would never hurt you, little one. Let me give you pleasure.” Jay lowered his head back down to lave her clit with his tongue.
“It’s too much,” Tasha gasped and glanced off to the side when Sean’s eyes connected with hers.
“No, darlin’, you can never have too much pleasure,” Sean whispered against her ear. “It feels good having Jay’s finger sliding in and out of your wet cunt while he licks and eats you, doesn’t it, baby?”
“Oh yeah.” Jay’s deep lyrical growly voice vibrated against her pussy and she gasped at the sensations. “Whatever you’re saying to her, Sean, keep it up. She just soaked my finger with her cream.” Jason began lapping at her cunt again.
“You like it when I talk dirty to you, don’t ya, darlin’? Think about what we are going to do to you after Jay makes you come. He is gonna fill you with his big cock and when he is seated to the balls, he’ll pump in and out of your wet pussy a few times. Then he is going to hold you still. Do you know what is going to happen next, baby? Well, let me tell you. I am going to take that sweet arse of yours at the same time Jay takes that pretty little cunt and then we are both going to love you until you scream for more.” Sean panted.
Tasha’s cunt tingled and throbbed and then she screamed as her climax washed over her. Her pussy clamped down on Jay’s finger and then released over and over again. She inhaled, preparing to scream again, but the next sound that left her mouth was barely a whimper. She couldn’t believe that Sean’s deep voice whispering dirty things in her ear, as well as the moistness of his breath caressing her flesh and the way Jason had been thrusting his fingers in and out of her sheath while licking her, had sent her flying. She never stood a chance.