by Wane, BJ
As if her thoughts held the power to conjure him up, Paige sent a beer sliding down the bar just as Troy sauntered inside. Awareness flooded her system, sending her pulse into overdrive as she watched him head straight toward her while combing his fingers through his hair in an absent-minded gesture. Her vision narrowed to his loose-limbed walk, and conversations and music dimmed until the only thing she heard as he slid onto a stool was his voice.
“It’s a good thing Penny knew where you were,” he stated by way of a greeting. “I’ll take a whiskey on the rocks.”
Gritting her teeth to fight back her instant response at seeing him again, Paige pasted on her bartender’s smile, the one that said be nice to the customers. “Sure thing, Detective.” She heard him greet people while she dropped a few ice cubes in a glass and poured the amber liquid over them. He was alone when she returned to set his drink before him, his dark eyes scrutinizing her features with one of those intent gazes that drew tingles down her spine.
“Thank you.” He frowned. “You look tired. Everything okay?”
“Yes, and thanks for pointing that out. Anything else I can get you?” Since he’d looked her up at work, she could only assume he wasn’t here to see her home to fulfill the time she owed him. Why that bothered her so much, she refused to question or delve into.
“No, thanks. Tell me how you liked the vampire glove. You fell asleep so fast on the way home, I didn’t get a chance to ask.”
Paige’s face heated, and that disconcerted her as much as Troy asking that question here and now. Casting a cautionary look around, she breathed a sigh of relief when she verified no one stood within hearing range. Leaning over the bar toward his smug face, she hissed, “Don’t ask me about such things in here,” before straightening back up.
His piercing gaze remained steadfast. “You answered Trevor’s questions, and no one can hear us, so give. Any lasting effects, scrapes I need to know about?”
“He didn’t pester me in public, and you know there aren’t, so change the subject. Or better yet, go away.” She didn’t really want him to leave, but she also didn’t care to air what had occurred on that decadent yacht at her work place.
“No, and he will if you stick with us long enough.”
What that cryptic comment and the rapid increase of her pulse meant, she didn’t dare speculate. Thank goodness he changed the subject without batting an eye.
“How’s Penny? I haven’t had time to follow up with her this week.”
Since he seemed sincere, Paige didn’t mind that question. “She’s good. Damien treats her well, or so she says.”
He sipped his drink before asking, “You don’t believe her?”
“I do, but I still don’t like how fast he’s moved with her.” Crap. Paige fidgeted when Troy gave her another long, probing stare, this one putting her on edge while curling her toes.
He nodded, stating with confidence, “You envy her ability to move on.”
“What? That’s absurd,” she scoffed, averting her eyes from his. She missed her twin, that’s all there was to her unhappiness with her sister’s decision to remain with Damien for longer.
“Is it? Be honest, with yourself, if not with me,” he insisted.
Paige didn’t know what it was about his quiet demands that compelled her to comply without hesitation, but she found herself doing just that when she admitted she had missed Penny when she’d lived with Jim, but had never resented their separate living spaces or felt put out over the relationship. After Jim had shown his true colors and Penny didn’t hesitate to leave him, Paige only recalled being grateful her sister hadn’t suffered worse and that she’d washed her hands of the bastard. She didn’t want to believe she envied Penny’s new relationship, or the contentment her sibling couldn’t hide, but knew it was something she needed to consider. Later. When one of the men who had figured prominently in her nighttime fantasies for so long was sitting in front of her, her body insisted she think of other things.
Two customers strolled up to the bar and Paige turned to Troy with relief. “I have customers. Like I said, I’m fine, no lasting effects from your debauchery last Sunday,” she drawled, a teasing hint of appreciation for those hours they’d tormented her seeping into her tone.
She turned away, intent on leaving with the last word, but his sharp command halted her without conscious thought. “Stop.”
A shudder accompanied her quick compliance, unsettling Paige as much as his presence and leaving her to wonder how she’d ever get over either Troy or his brother. “What now?”
Troy ignored the irritation lacing her voice as he answered in a calm, unperturbed tone. “You’re off in less than an hour. I’ll walk you out.”
“That’s not necessary,” she insisted.
“Yes, it is. There’s still time on your obligation to fulfill.”
Reaching into the M&M bag stashed under the counter, Paige tossed a handful of chocolate morsels into her mouth, hoping the sugar burst would distract her from the ripple of pussy-dampening longing rushing through her body. The banked heat in his eyes and underlying suggestion he meant to use up that time when she got off work added heat to the mix, reaffirming she needed to finish with that contract—and the Carlsons—as soon as possible. Her ability to move on, to get over them, not to mention her sanity, depended on it. Without replying to his comment, she strode over to her customers, praying the next thirty minutes flew by fast.
* * *
It wasn’t like Troy to enjoy spending his free time bantering with a woman, trying his best to get under her skin, rile her just to see the sparks in her gray eyes light up or relish the uncertainty crossing her face from her reaction to him. He couldn’t say he liked that big brother had been right about their fiery bartender, but wouldn’t fight the inevitable any longer. His insistence that whatever this was between the three of them was just sex had lost momentum with each passing day this week and every time he caught himself thinking about Paige non-stop. Her obvious love for her sister, along with her over-protectiveness, reminded him of his close bond with not only his brother, but with each of his friends. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for any of them, just as Paige had proven she would set aside her own convictions to get justice for Penny.
But he hadn’t been doomed until he’d witnessed the signs of submission she possessed without even knowing it. He hadn’t been ready to admit that a few days ago, but in this case, the short absence between then and now had worked to open his heart to other possibilities besides sex. Since he intended to fluster her more when he escorted her out, Troy let her finish her shift in peace, and slid off the stool to join a detective he knew well at his table.
By the time he saw her retrieve her purse from under the counter after Mel dimmed the bar lights, shutting down service, Troy debated whether he could go through with his plans he’d run by Trevor without caving and fucking her. Only Mel and his employees parked in the back alley, and tonight it was just the owner and Paige working. Once Mel took off, they should be ensured privacy for a short time. Should being the operative word, he thought with glee. Pushing her boundaries was proving to be his favorite pastime.
* * *
“Goodnight, Mel.” Paige lifted a hand to her boss as he got into his car, Troy’s warm tight grip of her other hand keeping her close to his side as he opened the door to her Jeep. She noticed his SUV squeezed into a space in the small back lot also and surmised he’d planned ahead to walk her out.
“See you tomorrow, Paige. I’ve got you covered for Saturday,” Mel called out, shutting his door before she could ask him what he meant. As far as she knew, she wasn’t scheduled off this weekend.
“I mentioned I’d like to take you out,” Troy said as he pressed up against her.
Only one small light above the back door illuminated the few parking spaces behind The Precinct. The dull orange glow left the two of them shrouded in shadows and the sudden silence following Mel’s departure revealed her rapid breathing, proof of
her uneasiness over accepting Troy’s invitation. Since she couldn’t choose which brother she wanted the most, any relationship beyond these few hours would lead to heartbreak. But holy douchnozzle, she’d never been so tempted to shuck consequences and risks and go with her libido.
Her temper flared from the position he’d cornered her into. “You could’ve checked with me first,” she bit out. “I don’t appreciate you going to my boss before talking to me.”
“You will. We’d like you to attend our friend’s wedding in Miami and then join us for a short cruise after the reception. You’ll like everyone,” he assured her.
She lifted one brow in inquiry, goosebumps racing over her skin at the mention of another cruise. “We?” she asked, needing clarification.
Troy’s lips curved in one of his rare smiles that warmed her enough to melt in a puddle at his feet. Good thing she could control herself.
“Trevor and I, of course. He told you we both want you, and we don’t have a problem with that.”
“Do you two tell each other everything?” She wondered how many women they had double-teamed and then shoved that thought aside as a road best not traveled.
“Yes.” Sliding his hands under her short hair, he cupped her skull and brought her mouth up to his.
Paige cursed her weak resistance then gave in to it. For whatever reason, both Troy and Trevor claimed to want her now. The time she’d spent with them thus far had only whetted her appetite for more and barely dented the lust she’d been harboring for the brothers for close to a year. As long as she remembered this was just a fling, a temporary walk on the wild side of coveted but forbidden fantasies, she could reap the pleasures they offered and move on when it ended, as she’d always been able to do before.
Sinking into the kiss, and against his muscled frame, she savored the taste of him on her tongue, the forceful possession of his mouth, and couldn’t help but compare the difference to Trevor’s kiss. His brother used a softer, coaxing manner backed by an underlying thread of dominant insistence that got to her every time. Troy didn’t mess around, just turned hard and demanding when he was ready to reel her in. Two opposite approaches, yet she responded with equal fervor to both. I’m doomed, fucking doomed, was the only coherent thought she could conjure up.
Proving her point, Troy released her and spun her around so fast, her head swam. Then he whispered in her ear, shocking her with his order. “Bend over and brace your hands on the seat, Paige.”
The dark seduction wrapped around the command in his voice stripped away all hesitation, making room for an illicit thrill that shook her.
“We’re out in the open,” she whispered back, scanning the alley even though she already knew they were alone back here. There were lit up windows high in the building opposite the bar, but even if someone peeked out, the car would block their view. But the risk of getting caught, being seen by strangers, remained. Putting need before caution, desire before prudence, she placed her hands palm down on the seat and held her breath in expectation.
“I love your ass.” Troy ran his hands under her calf-length skirt, drawing the garment up as he traveled up the backs of her thighs until he reached her panties. He draped the skirt over her back and lowered her panties to mid-thigh, the bare exposure to the sultry night air producing a flutter of awareness in her abdomen. “And I love playing with your ass.” He filled his hands with her malleable flesh, kneading the soft muscles until Paige squirmed with the need for more.
“I kind of figured that out already.” She gasped when he spread her cheeks and prodded her back orifice with a slick, rubbery bulb. “Here?” she exclaimed in disbelief as he pushed past the tight resistance of her anus. Hundreds of sensations shook her body, shock at her behavior and response the least among them. God help her, she didn’t care where they were, or if anyone was watching. He’d already set up a pulsing ache in her sheath that demanded assuaging.
“You’re a bright girl. Deep breath…” he pushed until he’d embedded the rounded object, “and release.”
The plug didn’t feel as big as the one they’d used before, at least not until she heard what sounded like pumping air and the thing inside her expanded. Her breath caught as she stuttered, “You… you could have warned me!” She trembled from the sudden fullness, those new nerve endings they’d introduced her to turning ultrasensitive. “What is that?”
“I like surprising you better. It’s an ass pump. You can remove it when you get home. Here, let me take your mind off it.”
A resounding smack that threatened her position and composure followed, the burn having its usual effect. Lowering her head, Paige quit trying to make sense of her responses, and her feelings, and gave herself over to the pleasure. Several more rapid slaps covered her buttocks before he invaded her pussy with a deep, three-fingered thrust that brought her up on her toes. She pushed back against his marauding hand, mewling with frustration when he explored her entire sheath yet avoided putting pressure against her clit, right where she needed it most.
“The plug makes your pussy even tighter, and from how wet you are, I’d say you like it.” Troy tugged on her clit, one quick squeeze before pushing deep again. But it was enough to leave her shaking with palpable need, aching for him to fill her as deep and stretch her as wide as the plug in her ass.
Paige wiggled her hips, bore down on his ramming fingers, accepting each jackhammer plunge with a groan of pleasure. She forgot their surroundings, forgot she wasn’t submissive, forgot she was a temporary diversion for both him and his brother. Falling to her elbows from the forceful finger-fucking, she pleaded in a breathless voice, “Please, Troy… Sir, I need…”
“That’s all I wanted, baby,” Troy crooned.
He pulled out of her and then latched onto her clit with two fingers, milking the tender piece of engorged flesh until her climax exploded without the usual slow build-up. She muffled her scream, but feared it still echoed down the alley. Paige wobbled when he helped her rise, her labored breathing sounding harsh in the otherwise quiet, dark night. The slight breeze cooled her perspiration damp skin and caused a delicate shiver to ripple over her exposed flesh.
Not knowing what to say, she turned from his focused gaze and slid behind the wheel. “I have to go.” She reached for the door handle, but he placed his hand over hers to stop her.
“Not yet. Wait here a minute.” Troy strode to his vehicle, reached inside and withdrew a small pink gift bag. Handing it to her, he said, “A gift from Trevor and me. We’d like you to wear them under your dress Saturday.”
“And if I don’t?” she couldn’t help asking since he hadn’t insisted.
“Then you’ll have trouble sitting during the ceremony and reception. Drive carefully. Goodnight, Paige.”
She didn’t open the bag until she got home. Sinking down onto the sofa, she held up the black vibrating panties with a sense of fatalism. Do they mean to arouse me in public? And why does that idea sound appealing? No matter what they threw at her, it seemed her body was on board. Just imagining what these would feel like turned her on; picturing herself at a wedding, surrounded by people she didn’t know and trying not to react to the soft pulses from the garment terrified her. Surely those two would wait until after the ceremony and reception to torment her, wouldn’t they? With them, she never knew, and that meant she’d spend two nights of restless sleep over what they had in store for her before Saturday.
* * *
“You look amazing,” Penny announced when she breezed into Paige’s bedroom on Saturday, ten minutes before Troy and Trevor were due to arrive.
“Thanks, sis.” Paige eyed her twin in the mirror, her abdomen tightening when she noted Penny’s flushed face and sparkling eyes. Oh, God, could Trevor be right? Am I envious of Penny’s ability to move on with her life following not one, but two traumatizing experiences? “You look good, too, happier than I’ve seen you in a long time.” She turned from eyeing herself in the gray silk sheath she’d chosen to wear to the wedding
today to face Penny. “Living with a dominant man really does agree with you, doesn’t it?”
“It’s more than that, Paige.” Penny sat on her bed and leaned back on her hands with a contented sigh. “I like a strict Dom, but also a caring one, and that’s where I went wrong with Jim. He didn’t care about me as much as he did about controlling me. Master Damien’s been all about learning what I need and giving it to me while pampering me at the same time. God, I love that!”
“I get it. He’s a prince among Doms,” she returned on a wry note.
Penny regarded her in silence until Paige turned away. She needed to get over her reluctance to accept their relationship if she didn’t want to jeopardize the special bond she and Penny shared.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but he isn’t Jim. If I can remember that, why can’t you?”
“You’re right, Penny.” Paige sank down next to her. “Would you believe I’m jealous?” Admitting that wasn’t pleasant, but it helped loosen the tight knot in her stomach.
Bolting upright, Penny stared at her in disbelief. “Jealous? You have two of the hottest Doms in the city chasing after you. How can you be jealous of me?”
“Because I’m just a thorn in their side they’re trying to pluck out. I saw the way Damien looked at you in the hospital. You’re right, he’s nothing like that asshat, Jim. He was into you before you went home with him, before he touched you. That says a lot.”
“I think you’re doing what you always do when someone gets close. You’re shutting yourself off, too afraid of what might happen down the road to take a chance on letting someone into your life.” Penny stood and padded over to Paige’s closet to retrieve her black heels and bring them to her. Dropping them at her feet, she pointed to them, sounding a lot like Troy and Trevor when she instructed, “Put those on, they’ll showcase your long legs and you’ll go from stunning to knockout. Have fun today, and don’t think about tomorrow, or the next day, or next week or next month. Just today. Tomorrow, start over and just think about what you want that day.” Spinning on her heel, she got to the door before turning back with a cheeky smile. “I saw the package to the vibrating panties. Now I’m the one who’s envious. You’ll freaking love them.”