So that she’d be wearing nothing but a tank top and a very short skirt? “I’ll be fine.”
Hammer squeezed her fingers. “Remove the sweater.”
She gave him a long-suffering sigh. They were determined to expose her for reasons unknown. Beck and Seth were getting a huge kick out of seeing her all flustered, but she didn’t imagine Liam and Hammer considered this a joke. They had to be loving the ego stroke of knowing they aroused her. The bigger question was, why did being on display while the guys touched her turn her on?
Raine was loath to part with her sweater, but Hammer had given her a direct command, and she’d agreed to submit. So she struggled out of the little red button-down garment and handed it to Liam. She stifled the urge to ask him if he was happy now—barely.
“Thank you.” Liam draped her sweater over his knee with a smile, then put his hand on her thigh again, higher this time.
“And now your underwear,” Hammer demanded in her ear.
“What?” she gasped at him.
Hammer glowered back. “Did you not hear what I said, Raine?”
Her heart stopped. She blinked at him. A glance around the car told her everyone waited, watched. As much as this made Raine uncomfortable, every nerve ending in her body leapt with life and need.
“I heard, Sir.”
He sent her a stern scowl. “Don’t make me wait.”
God, she must be crazy. Her insides jittered. Her pussy clenched. And damn if his words alone didn’t make her soaking wet.
“Something smells really sweet,” Seth commented, almost in passing.
“Yeah. My mouth is watering.” Beck smacked his lips loudly. Then he shot her a leering grin from the front seat.
This was not happening.
Raine closed her eyes for a moment and forced in a calming breath. Liam’s fingers slid up her knee again, playing along her inner thigh. And Hammer still stared, expectant and impatient.
“You’re stalling,” Liam murmured, sliding his hand completely under her skirt. His fingers passed over her clit, pressing for an electric moment before they curled around the waistband and tugged. “I’ll help you.”
Wow, thanks so much.
“Lift up,” Hammer demanded, grasping the other side of the waistband.
Together, they tugged down, and off the panties came. Then even she could smell how wet she’d become.
“I’m suddenly hungry,” Seth commented.
Liam gripped her panties with a dark, satisfied smile. “Find your own bloody meal.”
Raine wondered if she could die from chagrin…and unfulfilled need. Quick glances at the men on either side showed hard cocks straining against their slacks. They were enjoying winding her up and exerting their control. Why did she like it so damn much, too?
She dug her nails into her palms and pressed her lips together tightly. Otherwise, she’d give into the temptation to ask them the point of this little exercise. If she did, Hammer would surely drag out the ball gag, nipple clamps, and who knew what else was in his pockets. If she had to bite her tongue off, she’d shut up.
Beside her, Liam lifted her panties to his nose and inhaled deeply. As she watched, her eyes widened. Hammer’s wicked laugh rumbled in her ear. Liam reached across her body and brushed her sensitive nipples, causing her to moan, as he handed her undergarment to Macen.
“Problem, precious?” Hammer challenged, lifting the panties to his nose, then closing his eyes as if savoring her scent.
Shit! She stared straight out the windshield. “None, Sir.”
“Excellent.” He sniffed again.
Liam glided his fingers to her inner thigh once more. “You smell divine, love.”
“Definitely delicious,” Hammer murmured into her ear, then passed the panties back to Liam.
Could a girl self-combust from sexual frustration?
Beck worked his way through the thickening rush-hour traffic, but she had no idea where they were going. At the moment, she almost didn’t care. If it contained a bed big enough for these two men to put her out of her misery, she’d be thrilled as hell. If not, she hoped for some privacy soon so she could take the edge off this need.
“How long did you say it would take to get there?” Beck asked from the driver’s seat. “We’ll probably need to stop for gas if it’s more than another eighty miles.”
Hammer leaned forward and clapped Beck on the shoulder. “Plan to, man. With traffic, I’m expecting this to take…three or four hours.” He swiveled a stare back at her. “But don’t rush. We’re in no hurry.”
At just past noon, they arrived at the lodge. Liam breathed a sigh of relief. Beck had taken Hammer at his word and hadn’t rushed the drive a bit. During those five hours, he and Macen had never stopped touching Raine—but they also hadn’t stimulated any part of her that would grant orgasm. They’d controlled her—every moment, every mile—and it had been heady. The sweet, salty scent of her arousal had filled the car and swirled in Liam’s head, damn near making him drunk. He’d barely managed to restrain himself from pulling her onto his lap, burrowing his rigid cock—hell, his bloody soul—into her completely, then listening to her scream for him as he came like a fucking volcano.
As much as Raine had to learn, Liam wasn’t sure how long it would be before he could indulge in any of that.
Beck stopped the car, and Liam opened the door, turning to help Raine out. She emerged into the brisk afternoon looking flushed and unsteady and completely off-kilter—exactly the way they wanted her. This Raine couldn’t possibly be thinking about ways to dodge him or Hammer, much less scurry behind her walls.
“Are you feeling all right, love?” Liam asked.
“Fine.” But her voice shook. Her breathing wasn’t quite under control.
Taking Raine by the hand, he repressed a smile and led her toward the lodge. Approaching her other side from the vehicle, Hammer claimed her free hand. The scent of her skin lingered on Liam’s clothes and in the air. He wanted to hoard that sweetness for himself. But he no longer had the luxury of being her only Dom. For this “fixing” to work, everything had to be about Raine. And the simple but irritating truth was, she needed Hammer, too.
It hadn’t been easy to watch his old friend touch her, but Liam couldn’t deny that he’d loved the way she responded to them so readily. Her squirming little pants and aroused gasps had filled him with power. Liam had no doubt Hammer felt the same.
Their shared hunger for the same woman had been so familiar—yet utterly different. Unlike their bond with Juliet, this felt strong, raw, insatiable. Connected. Even Beck’s and Seth’s occasional comments had filled him with a strange possessive pride he’d never felt with any other woman.
A few feet from the car, they reached the front door. Liam opened it. Raine eased inside the foyer, gazing around the big open lounge with its blazing fireplace. “I recognize this. It’s your lodge.”
“Yes,” Liam confirmed. “You were a wee bit tired and distraught the last time we arrived.”
Raine cut Hammer an assessing glance before walking into the room. “I like it here. It’s cozy.”
“Good. We want you comfortable,” Hammer said, then addressed Liam. “Gorgeous place, man.”
“It’s peaceful,” Seth added, a couple of steps back as he grabbed some luggage. He closed the back of the SUV, then fell in behind them.
“Amazing views,” Beck put in, juggling a couple of suitcases. “Best of all, no one will hear you scream for miles, princess.”
Raine gasped. “Beck!”
Adam, the caretaker, rushed from the back of the house to meet them. He took the bags from Seth and Beck, then turned to Liam with a smile. “Welcome back. Ngaire has prepared lunch for you. I’ve followed your instructions, and you’ll find everything as you requested. We’ll be just down the hill. Ring if you need anything.”
Liam thanked the older man, then nodded to his pleasing, plump wife. As soon as Adam distributed the luggage to the bedrooms, the pair disappeared out the back door, to their little cottage.
“I’m starved!” Seth complained, prowling toward the kitchen. “Where’s lunch?”
Everyone trailed behind him. Collectively, they began pulling out plates, silverware, and napkins to set the table. Someone found a bottle of wine and a few cans of beer. Fresh baked rainbow trout came from the oven, sprinkled with delicate herbs. Potatoes and asparagus followed, along with a loaf of crusty sourdough. In less than five minutes, everyone dug in, praising Ngaire’s cooking between bites. But Raine picked more than ate, still wriggling in her chair. A glance around the table told Liam that everyone else noticed, too.
When the meal concluded, the whole gang pitched in to do the dishes. Once the kitchen was clean, he and Hammer escorted Raine upstairs while Seth and Beck left to prepare the room in which her training would begin.
Liam pushed open the door to the master suite. With a hand at the small of Raine’s back, he led her inside. Her suitcase sat near the picture windows overlooking the mountains.
With a glance at Hammer, who nodded back, Liam made his way into the bathroom and began to fill the sleek tub with hot water and bath oils. He found scented soaps, shampoo, razors, and shaving cream all laid out on the nearby counter beside fluffy white towels. His cock jerked just thinking about what they planned next.
Satisfied that the caretakers had tended to every detail, Liam stalked back to the bedroom. Raine stood beside Hammer, looking more than a little shaky. But she wasn’t balking or quitting. He’d take little victories like that and hope they added up to bigger ones soon.
Raine glanced his way, and he saw the questions rolling across her face.
“Spit it out, love,” Liam said. “What’s got you worried?”
She fidgeted, shifting from one foot to the other. Whatever bounced around in her head, she was reluctant to say it—a bad habit they’d break her of shortly.
“It’s just… I noticed only my suitcase here and I was wondering…” She sighed. “Do you mean to leave me alone?”
“This is your room, but we’ll have access to it twenty-four seven. You won’t really be alone,” Hammer assured.
“But neither of you will be sleeping here?”
He and Hammer exchanged a glance. She hadn’t asked them to stay with her outright. But it surprised them both that she’d voiced her question because having them beside her was something she obviously wanted.
“We’re not,” Liam answered softly.
As her shoulders sagged and she looked down, Liam lifted her chin with a soft smile. “Now don’t look so crestfallen. At times, you’ll be happy to see us go so you can have a bit of peace. But that will only come when we think you need to reflect or rest.”
“Even then, we’ll be nearby and in your head, precious. We’ll be surrounding you. We won’t let you feel lost or abandoned,” Hammer promised.
Liam caressed her cheek. “As you progress, we can discuss sleeping arrangements again. Does that answer your question?”
Understanding—with a hint of regret—flickered in Raine’s eyes as she gave a tentative nod.
“There’ll be none of that.” Liam released her, glowering. “You’ll use your words from now on. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” she whispered.
“Good.” Hammer reached up and trailed his knuckles down her cheek.
She closed her eyes, clearly finding reassurance in his touch. Watching a delicate contentment fill her face, Liam’s hope brightened. Such a challenge, Raine was…then sometimes she could be so giving and soft.
Hammer dropped his hand suddenly. “Strip.”
Liam heard the man’s impatience. Macen was eager to start testing Raine and having her under his control. Liam shared the feeling.
Her eyes flew open. She blinked between them while they waited for her to process the demand. Finally, she pressed her lips together, resolution overtaking her expression. There was her backbone…
Her fingers trembled, but Raine peeled off her flimsy tank top. Then she reached around to unfasten her bra, thrusting her breasts toward them. It was all Liam could do to keep from gliding his tongue up the soft valley of her cleavage. She wriggled out of her short skirt next, and he watched the sway of her hips, captivated, as she exposed the dark tuft of hair striping her pussy and revealed her creamy thighs. Blood rushed to his cock.
Raine stood naked before them, beautiful and tense, looking like warm ivory velvet. Liam clenched his fists, resisting the urge to put his hands all over her.
Beside him, Hammer caressed her bare curves with his stare and sighed roughly, struggling to hold back. Liam knew it not only by the erection tenting his trousers, but the tick of his clenched jaw.
Bloody Christ, this series of tasks would challenge their control.
Finally, Hammer reined himself in and stood tall, stance wide, hands behind his back.
