Double Down (The Drift Book 1)

by Susan Hayes

“Did you just call me your future wife?” Zura asked, looking utterly stunned.

  “I did.” It wasn’t the romantic proposal he and Luke had been planning, but he wasn’t going to back down now. She was the one he wanted. The one both of them wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, and there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in a supernova that she was going to get her brother back without them.

  “You’re both insane,” she muttered.

  “Yeah, we are. We’re both crazy about you, gorgeous,” Luke said, rising to his feet as well.

  Cyn looked at her brothers and laughed harder. “Damn, I’m glad I’m here to witness this firsthand. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

  “Not helping, Cyn,” Luke snapped.

  “Now? You two want to do this now?” Zura asked incredulously.

  “Yes, now. Given everything that’s going on, now might be all we have.” Kit reached down and took her hand, pulling her gently into his arms. For a moment, he thought she might resist, but in the end, she came to him willingly.

  “You really do need to work on your timing.”

  “That’s Vin’s fault, not ours,” Luke muttered, moving in behind her so that she was caught between them.

  “Married, huh?” she whispered.

  “Uh huh. It doesn’t matter if you say yes to us now or later. Eventually, that’s what we’re going to be. Married,” Kit told her.

  Zura turned her head to look over her shoulder at Luke. “Is this what you want, too?”

  “Absolutely. The master of romance and seduction here might have rushed things a little, but yeah, I’m sure. You are the one we want, Zura. Forever.”

  Her eyes were shining as she nodded. “Then, may the universe help me, my answer is yes—even though you two forgot to actually ask me, first.”

  Kit crushed her to him and kissed her hard. “Mine now.”

  Mack snickered from the other side of the table. “I would never have believed this if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes.”

  “Seeing it? I’m recording this for posterity,” Dash said, grinning from ear to ear as he touched a finger to the corner of his left eye.

  “I’m going to want a copy of that video, Dash. Hey, you two. If you let go of your girl for a minute, I have something to say to Zura,” Cyn said.

  “Not yet. Kit, share the love, will you? She’s going to be mine too,” Luke grumbled.

  Kit let go of Zura after one last kiss, releasing her so his brother could draw her into his arms next.

  “Hello, gorgeous.” Luke lifted her into his arms before kissing her, and Kit swore he had never seen his brother look so content. Zura completed them both and made them stronger than ever.

  “If this is what love looks like, then I think I’ll give it a miss,” Mack commented.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I think love-struck and goofy is a good look for them.”

  “Will you two quit baiting my brothers? I want to welcome Zura into the family.”

  Kit stepped back as Luke released Zura, who turned and headed straight for Cyn. Their sister barely had time to get to her feet before Zura was hugging her.

  Cyn looked stunned for a moment and then hugged her back. “I wanted to tell you that I was beginning to give up hope these two would ever find someone who could put up with their shit. I’m glad they have you in their lives. When you come home, we’re going to throw the three of you one hell of a wedding.”

  “I am, too. I’m glad to have all of you in my life. What I have to do next would be a lot more daunting if I didn’t have all of you in my corner.”

  “Speaking of which, you three need to get going,” Mack said.

  “Don’t forget to use the encrypted channel for any communications with us. We’ll be close by, monitoring everything, and there will be a team waiting for you when you land. We’ll find your brother and take out Vin, along with anyone with him,” Dash said.

  “If he lives that long,” Luke muttered under his breath.

  Mack grunted. “As a representative of the corporations, I have to remind you that killing Vin Collins would be interfering in an active investigation.”

  “He plans on stealing from Zura, and he’s kidnapped her brother. Do you really think we’re going to let him live?” Luke demanded.

  “No, I don’t. I just had to point it out for the record. Good luck to all three of you. We’ll see you when you return with your brother, Zura,” Dash said.

  After that, there was a quick round of goodbyes, and then Zura headed for her ship while he and Luke went with Mack to another hangar and slipped onto a Corp-Sec shuttle. They would rendezvous with the Sun Sprite once she was en route and away from watchful eyes. They’d stay linked just long enough for he and Luke to transfer over, and then the three of them would be on their way to the far side of the Drift.

  The moment they were on board the Sun Sprite, Kit planned on making things between them official. Whatever happened next, they would face it together.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Zura was alone in the cockpit, prepping for departure as she tried to process everything that had happened in the past two hours. She was still a little stunned by it all, and once they were on their way, she had a few things she needed to say to them both.

  The launch went smoothly, and shortly thereafter, she made the mid-flight connection with the Corp-Sec shuttle carrying Kit and Luke. Once they were onboard and they were on their way again, she activated the autopilot function and went in search of her men. She found them in the ship’s recreation area. It had a treadmill and a few other bits of fitness equipment that had once belonged to her father or her brother or both. There was a large screen for watching entertainment videos and a couple of comfortable chairs.

  It was the roomiest area on the ship, and she wasn’t surprised to find them there. What did surprise her was what they were doing. They had dragged the chairs and fitness equipment up against the walls, and then filled the empty space with what looked to be every mattress and pillow on the ship. They must have raided all the guest quarters on board because the bed they were building was more than big enough to accommodate all three of them.

  “What have you done to my ship?” she asked as she walked into the room.

  “Temporary renovation,” Luke replied as he dropped an armload of bedding onto one of the mattresses.

  “There’s no way we were all fitting into your bed, so we made a new one.” Kit was on his knees a few feet from her, rummaging through a stack of pillows.

  “You made a new one in the middle of my rec area?”

  “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your ship isn’t exactly spacious, and her refit isn’t scheduled until next month. It was here or the cargo bay, and after hearing the stories about all the strange things you’ve hauled over the years, I’m not sleeping in there until the whole thing is decontaminated,” Luke said.

  “Grab a seat, we’ll be done here soon, little one.”

  “That is unless you want to help? The sooner we get this finished, the sooner we can test out the new bed.” Luke grinned at her and waggled his brows.

  “We can test it later. I need to talk to the two of you first.” Zura walked around the makeshift bed and sank down into one of the chairs.

  “Is something wrong? You look unhappy.” Kit got up, walked over to where she was seated, and then crouched at her feet.

  “What is it?” Luke said as he came over to join them.

  “I’m not unhappy.”

  “You’re not happy, either.” Kit drew his finger gently down her furrowed brow.

  “I’m…I just….I have to ask you something. Are you two sure you want to do something as crazy as get married? I mean really sure. I know what you said when we were with the others, but now that it’s the three of us alone, you’re allowed to say something if you aren’t sure this is what you want. We’re all wound up right now; I understand if you want to rethink things.”

  Kit swore under his breath, and Luke shook his
head before speaking again. “I’m not fraxxing changing my mind. Now or ever.”

  Luke dropped to his knees beside his brother and took her hand in his. “We want you.”

  She turned to nuzzle his hand. “I just needed to hear you say it. If we do this, then it’s going to be with no regrets and no doubts.”

  “The only regret I have is that it took me so long to see how amazing you are. When I think of the time we lost…” Kit murmured softly.

  “We found each other when we were supposed to. You were there for me when I needed you most. That’s all that matters,” Zura said, every word coming straight from her heart.

  Luke nodded. “Exactly. All that matters is that we found each other. Nothing else. We’re going to be together, and no one is going to get in the way of that happening.”

  “You’re perfect for us. I would also like to point out that you already said yes. There’s no going back now. You’re committed,” Kit told her.

  “Forever,” Luke added before leaning in to kiss her gently.

  Forever. It was the most incredible word she had ever heard. When the kiss ended, she pulled back enough so she could look into their eyes. “Then there’s only one more thing to say. I love you. Both of you. It’s crazy and reckless and maybe even foolish, but I do, and I am never going to stop.”

  “I love you too.” Luke kissed her again, then moved back to give Kit his turn to speak.

  “Zura Watson, you are amazing, beautiful, and more than I ever believed I deserved. You’ve made my life better. You’ve made me better. I love you,” Kit said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple ring made of three strands of braided metal. Two of the bands were silver, while the third one was a bright cobalt blue.

  “Marry us?” Luke asked as Kit held out the ring.

  Zura blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as she looked from Luke to Kit and back to the ring again. For once in her life, the stars were aligning and her dreams were being realized, even the ones she’d never dared to admit to. Passion was one thing, but true, lasting love with someone who could not only accept who she was, but embrace it, was something she never truly believed would happen. She’d been wrong, because it hadn’t happened just once, but twice.

  “Yes,” she whispered, holding out her hand so that Kit could place the ring on her finger.

  “The next time you step off this ship, you’ll do it wearing our ring. Whatever comes next, we’re going to face it as a trio, and everyone will know you belong to us.”

  She nodded, barely able to tear her eyes from her new ring. “We belong to each other. Always.”

  “Yes, we do.” Kit murmured, kissing her fingers before letting go of her hand.

  Luke was beaming from ear to ear. “Now that we’ve got that settled, I have a thought about what to do for the next few hours. The way I figure it, we’re in the calm before the storm right now. I can’t think of a better way to spend that time than making love to our new fiancée.”

  Desire quickened her pulse. “I think that sounds like a very good way to pass the time. Far better than sitting around, worrying about things I can’t change.”

  “We’re going to get your brother back, Zura. He’s coming home, and Vin’s going to pay for what he’s done,” Kit spoke the words like a vow.

  “I know we are. I would have done this alone, but I’m glad I don’t have to,” she said.

  “You’re never going to be alone again,” Luke whispered.

  “I know.” She held up the ring. “That’s what this is, a promise that none of us will ever have to be alone.”

  Kit pulled her into his arms and rose to his feet, taking her with him. “I like the sound of that.”

  Luke stripped off his clothes so fast he tore his shirt, but he didn’t care. He only had one thing on his mind, and that was making love to Zura. He craved the warmth of her touch and the sound of her voice. He wanted to sleep every night with her scent on their sheets and his arms wrapped around her soft body.

  Leaving his clothes in a heap on the floor, he stepped onto their makeshift bed and dropped to his knees. He wrapped one hand around his cock as he watched Kit strip Zura with a singlemindedness that matched his own. The moment she was naked, Kit kissed her, then pushed her gently toward the bed. Luke held out his hands to her, and she took them, letting him draw her down onto the bed and into his arms.

  She draped her arms around his neck, and he bowed his head to kiss her. Her lips were sweet, and as his tongue swept into her mouth, he tasted a hint of the glazed pastry she had eaten during the long meeting earlier. Luke had watched her devour every bite, and every time she licked her lips or taken another nibble, his dick had ached with longing. Even watching her eat was a turn-on.

  Kit finished undressing and joined them, kneeling behind Zura and pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder before undoing the tie that held her hair back. It spilled down her back, and Luke speared his fingers into it, wrapping several strands around his hand. He tugged on her hair, guiding her head to one side until her throat was bared and Luke could see her pulse point jump with each heartbeat. He kissed his way to her ear and then down her neck.

  “Mine,” he said, the word rising from his throat on a low rumbling groan.

  “Always,” she whispered.

  The two of them worked in concert, stroking and tasting every inch of her until she was trembling in their arms. Only then did Kit move backward, coaxing her into a seated position so that her back was pressed against his chest and her legs were stretched out in front of her. Luke slowly slid his hands from her ankles to her knees, encouraging her to draw her legs up. The moment she did so, Kit reached around and hooked his hands under her knees.

  “Lean back, little one. I’ve got you.”

  Looking at her laid out like a feast before him, Luke had to fight to draw his next breath. She was so much more than he had ever imagined they’d have during the long, lonely nights he and Kit had spent as soldiers, fighting a war they had no stake in, against an enemy who was as trapped by fate and circumstances as they were.

  “You take my breath away,” he told her as he settled himself on the bed, his face between her thighs. He traced the swollen lips of her pussy with one finger as the heady scent of her arousal filled his senses. She was close to being ready for them, but he didn’t want her ready. He wanted her out of her mind with need and wanting so that when they took her together, there would be no room for fear or worry. There would only be pleasure: hers and theirs.

  He leaned in and ran his tongue over the same path his finger had just taken, and she moaned softly in response. He pushed in deeper, using his tongue and fingers to bring her to the point of orgasm without letting her go over the edge. He flicked the tip of his tongue across the swollen nub of her clit again and again, enjoying every sigh and moan that fell from her lips.

  “Please. I want…” she gasped brokenly, not even completing her request.

  Those were the words he was waiting to hear.

  He quickened his pace, sliding his fingers deep into her channel as he lapped and sucked at her honey-sweet folds. Her breath came in soft pants, and within moments, she cried out in ecstasy as her orgasm hit. Luke could hear his brother whispering to Zura as she came, her entire body quaking with the force of her release. He lifted his head to watch her in her pleasure, drinking in the intoxicating sight of their mate lost to all but the sensations coursing through her.

  Zura was still struggling to gather her scattered wits when Kit released her legs and pressed one last kiss to the side of her throat. He stretched out beside her, his big frame spanning the length of the bed. His hard cock rose up from between his thighs, and he tapped his chest with one finger while giving her a sultry grin.

  “Come up here, little one. I need you.”

  She pushed herself up off the mattress and made her way to his side. Instead of straddling him, though, she leaned down and kissed him first. He buried his fingers in her hair and kissed her back, his to
ngue slipping into her mouth to dance with hers. She was still kissing Kit when Luke moved in behind her. His hands landed on her hips and without warning, he lifted her up, then settled her back down so that her knees landed on either side of Kit’s waist.

  “In a hurry, Luke?” she asked with a chuckle as she broke the kiss to look around from her new vantage point.

  “Maybe.”

  “Subtle. Very subtle,” Kit said as he reached up to cup her breasts in his hands.

  “And you claim to be the romantic one in this relationship,” she added, then yelped in protest when Luke swatted her ass hard enough to sting a little.

  “You do that again, and I will find a way to hurt you,” she warned, but there was a subtle burr to her voice that sounded almost like a…purr?

  “Damn, do that again, Zura. That is seriously sexy,” Luke said.

  “I…I didn’t know I could do that at all.” Kyrnning was something that Pherans did when they were highly aroused. It was a sound she had never made before.

  Kit gave her a look of pure male satisfaction. “We just made you kyrnn, didn’t we?” he asked before rising up to seal her mouth with a long, torrid kiss.

  He drew her down until she was lying on him, mouths mated, tongues entwined, his cock pressing along the seam of her pussy. All it took to bring the thick head of his cock flush against her entrance was a shift of her hips. Kit groaned as they came into such intimate contact, the low sound rolling through her like the tolling of a bell. He raised his hips and slid himself home an inch at a time. He went slowly, drawing out the moment their bodies became one. Lying skin to skin with Kit, she could feel his heart pound in time with hers. She let herself get lost in the moment, letting everything else fall away.

  Luke stroked his hand down her spine as he moved in behind her. There was a soft snick of a cap opening, and then his fingers slipped between her nether cheeks. He moved slowly, his fingers slick with something that felt cool and tingled slightly where it touched her skin. Before she could ask what it was, Luke spoke.

  “It’s just gel with a little numbing agent in it. I don’t want this to hurt, and it’s your first time,” he said.