Triple Knockout (Make Mine A Menage Book 3) Page 15

  “Is that what you want to do?”

  She expelled a weary breath. “No. It sucks having to depend on others to schlep me around. And I know it’s a big inconvenience for whoever gets stuck doing it.”

  “You better not be including me and Beau in that statement.”

  “Of course I am. You had to shuttle me around the last week, and here you get to do it again. As they say—winner, winner, chicken dinner.” She loosened the zipper on her coat and snapped her seatbelt in place before shooting him a droll look. “Guess I’ll owe you a few more of those. Dinner, I mean.”

  “Well, you could always make it easier on us and you by agreeing to shack up with us for the next couple of days.” He’d intended to ease her into the idea, but hell, she’d provided the perfect opening. Besides, angling it this way would not only make her more amenable to it—hopefully—but also kill any crazy notion she might have that they were only caring for her out of a sense of duty.

  She gaped at him. “You want me to stay with you?” A hint of suspicion crept over her features. “Is it because you think I’m a total hot mess who needs constant protection from herself? Not that I’m saying you’re wrong...”

  “Hot, yes. A mess, no.”

  A soft laugh fell from her. “Nice try, but I checked the mirror a minute ago and can confirm that I look like utter crap.”

  He closed the distance between them and slid his mouth over hers. There was no gentle reassurance in the kiss. Only one thousand degrees of persuasive heat. He cupped the back of her head with his free hand, his tongue stroking hers with a sensual assuredness that sprung a shaky gasp from her. Satisfied with her response, he pulled away and met her dazed stare. “Still believe I don’t find you thoroughly irresistible?”

  “Depends.”

  “On what?” he demanded.

  “Whether or not saying yes will get me another kiss.”

  “If I kiss you the way I want to we’ll never get out of here. Then I’d have to explain to Beau why it took forever to get back to the gym, and you know what a cranky fucker he can be.” He trailed his fingers to the delicate slope of her jawline. “Stay with us. For tonight. For however long you want. Please.”

  She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. A few seconds ticked by before she awarded him the sweetest smile in existence. “Okay. I’d love to.”

  Not giving in to the urge to kiss her right then? He deserved a goddamn trophy for his willpower. “Good girl.” He cocked an eyebrow when she squirmed in her seat. “What? Don’t like it when I call you that?”

  “No. I like it a little too much.”

  He stroked his chin. “Hmm, in other words, I can use it as both a reward and punishment. Good to know.”

  “Oh, God, I think I’ve just created a monster.”

  “Baby, you have no idea.”

  ~*~

  An hour and some change later, he pulled into the small private lot behind Haymakers. “If you want to grab the groceries, I’ll handle our bags.”

  “Wait, I actually get to carry something this time? Van Mitchell, are you going soft on me?”

  “Trust me, something you’ll never have to worry about,” he countered dryly.

  Allie’s gaze dipped to his lap and her cheeks flushed. If she kept staring at him like that, he’d easily live up to his claim. Damn good thing his track pants were roomy enough to conceal an erection the size of Mount Rushmore, otherwise it’d be one hell of an awkward—not to mention uncomfortable—stroll through the gym.

  She slowly dragged her focus from his crotch and looked him square in the eye. “I can’t stop thinking about the other night. No matter how much I try to.”

  “Sweetheart, you’re not the only one. Obviously.”

  “Do...do you think we could break the rule about it being one time only?”

  The hope and vulnerability in her voice cinched his heart in a fierce squeeze. At that moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to pull her into his arms and keep her there forever. “That’s kind of what Beau and I originally wanted to talk to you about over dinner. We can still discuss it, but it might be better to wait.” Although it about gutted him to tack that condition on, it was necessary. They needed to be sure she entered into the sub arrangement with a clear head and fully aware of everything she was signing herself up for. A few days might not be long compared to most contract agreements, but it was certainly a bigger commitment than a single night.

  “If your decision to wait is because of the accident, it’s not necessary.”

  “Baby—”

  “It’s not.” She backed up her adamancy by shaking her head furiously –and immediately winced. Apparently intuiting his concern, she quickly forced a smile. “I’m okay.”

  “You better not be lying to me, Al. Because I absolutely will paddle your ass red—after taking you to the ER.”

  She grabbed his hand before it could close over the steering wheel. “It’s not necessary. The ER, I mean. But you can spank me if it makes you feel better.”

  He grunted. “That was the most blatant attempt for a paddling I’ve ever heard.”

  “Yeah, it was pretty shameless. You should probably spank me and fuck me senseless so I’ll never do it again.”

  He didn’t know whether to laugh or groan. “You do realize you’re topping from the bottom again, right?”

  “Clearly the one night wasn’t enough to properly train me.”

  “I’m not sure a lifetime would be adequate to properly train you.” Fortunately, he was more than up for the challenge and hungered for it to the depths of his soul. He wanted to make this work. More than he’d wanted anything in his life. Before Al entered the picture, he’d never even considered a fulltime relationship. The reason for that was clear. She and Beau had always owned his heart. They’d always been his future. He just needed them to realize that too. It appeared that Al was right there with him and ready to take the next step.

  That just left Beau. Shit knows that stubborn mule was going to take more work. Pushing that herculean task to the rear of his mind, he leaned back in his seat and gave her a firm look. “You’re sure you’re up for a talk tonight?”

  “Positive.”

  “Okay, then we’ll do it after dinner.”

  She shot him an accusing glare. “You said during a moment ago.”

  “During, after, what difference does it make?”

  “Are you kidding? One could take fifteen minutes longer than the other, and I might keel over dead from the agonizing wait. Boy, won’t you feel guilty if that happens.”

  “Huh. You have a point.” He inclined his head. “During it is.”

  “Sexy, funny, and smart. You really are the total package.”

  “Glad to see someone around here gets it.” Tossing her a wink, he swung open his door and climbed out of the truck. He crossed to the passenger side just as Allie jumped down to the pavement. The moment she turned her back on him he swatted her butt. With the amount of cushioning her coat provided, it wasn’t as if she could feel it much. Still, it didn’t stop her from squealing and grabbing her rear-end. Snorting at her phony baloney response, he surveyed the small mountain of luggage awaiting him. “Beau’s gonna think we’re staying for a month.”

  “I might have gone a little overboard. Be careful with that first bag. My portable sewing machine is in there. It’s kind of heavy.”

  He hefted the bag in question. “Got some socks that need mending or something? Most people just make do with a needle and thread.”

  “Har Har.” The sound of the door slamming shut preceded her reappearance next to him. “The sewing machine is in case I’m motivated enough to get some work done while I’m here.”

  “Does this mean Beau and I will finally get to see some of your designs?”

  “You make it sound like I’ve been hiding them from you. I didn’t know you’d even be interested in seeing them.”

  “Al, it’s lingerie. In what universe wouldn’t we be interested?”
br />   “Okay. Jeez. I’ll show them to you.” She led the way to the rear entrance of the gym. “Hey, this is the first time I’ve been in your back door.”

  He sniggered. “Guess that’d make you a backdoor virgin.”

  “Oh, jeez, I stepped right into that one.” Halfway up the stairs, she cleared her throat pointedly. “We could always do something about that, you know.”

  “About what?” he prodded, deliberately playing dumb to torment her.

  They reached the apartment and Allie plunked the groceries down before she glanced at him, her face redder than an apple. “My backdoor virgin status.”

  “When you say virgin, do you mean—”

  “Yes, completely. I almost bought a vibrating plug once but chickened out.” A hint of embarrassment crept into her eyes. “I was too worried it’d hurt.”

  He caressed her cheek. “I’m not gonna lie to you. It can be uncomfortable at first. With the right TLC, though, and plenty of lube, it’s hella enjoyable.”

  “In my fantasies it always is. I’m relieved to know it can be that way in reality too.”

  “You’ve fantasized about having a plug up your ass?”

  “Well, yeah.” Her expression took on a dreamy quality. “And you.”

  If she kept laying these admissions on him he’d require a dunk in an ice bath before heading back to work. He dug the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. After gesturing for Allie to enter, he carted their luggage inside. “We’ll continue this enlightening and arousing conversation about your fantasies tonight. Right now I’ve got to grab the rest of the luggage and then check on things downstairs, all while somehow pretending I’m not lugging around the mother of all boners.”

  She ogled the tent in his pants and giggled. “Oops. Sorry.”

  “Yeah, something tells me you’re not.”

  “I could kiss it and make it better.”

  “Count on it. Later.” He stooped and gifted her forehead with a chaste brush of his lips. Anything more than that and he’d risk caving to her magnetic pull. Then one thing would lead to another, and he’d have her bent over the couch and his cock buried in her, balls’ deep. Scraping together every ounce of his willpower, he pushed away from her and made fast tracks for the exit. “Make yourself comfortable, sweetheart. Shit knows you’re the only one of us who will be.”

  Her chuckle trailed him out the door.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Allie shrugged out of her coat and scanned her immediate surroundings for a place to stow the garment. Apparently, Beau didn’t believe in closets. Or coatracks. Not even a measly hook anywhere in the vicinity. She ventured to the large island directly across from her and draped her coat on one of the stool seatbacks. That problem solved, she tackled the small chore of stashing the groceries.

  At least she didn’t have to hunt around for the fridge. The darn thing was ginormous. Easily twice the size of hers. It required both hands and all of her brute strength to open the darn door. “So there’s my workout for the day.” Rubbing her biceps, she inspected the unit’s scant offerings. Plenty of low-fat yogurt and other disgustingly healthy stuff. “This level of discipline can’t be normal.”

  Yeah, but look at his body. Do you honestly think he achieves Adonis status by chowing down on Ding Dongs daily? Sighing, she made the necessary room for her perishables. She located the recycling bin and disposed of the empty plastic bags.

  Now she just had to figure out what to do with the luggage. She could leave everything near the doorway for the time being, but that wouldn’t give her the opportunity to be nosy and check out the rest of Beau’s living space. Besides, Van did say to make herself at home.

  Okay, technically the word he used was comfortable. Practically the same thing.

  Guiding her roller bag with one hand and carrying Van’s duffle in the other, she ventured to the massive steel doors separating what she presumed to be the remainder of the loft. Despite their intimidating size and solidness, these doors proved infinitely more cooperative than the fridge’s.

  She stepped over the threshold and straight into Beau’s bedroom. A huge platform bed took up the majority of the space. Another flat screen hung on the exposed brick wall across from it—this one several inches smaller than the behemoth in the main room. The only other pieces of furniture were an oversized armoire, a dresser, and a small nightstand hosting a brass lamp and a Men’s Health and Sports Illustrated magazine.

  The bathroom appeared to be directly to the right of her. Going with that guess, she wandered inside, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor with her first glimpse of the spa-like space. “I wonder if he’d let me move in.” She didn’t need the whole loft. Just this bathroom. She wasn’t greedy. Seriously, the shower alone could easily fit a dozen people. Which naturally lead to the question of why Beau would be showering with a dozen people.

  Deciding to leave that pondering for another day, she slipped out of the room and eyed the bed again. Impossible not to imagine Beau sprawled in the middle of it. Gloriously naked, of course. Mentally conjuring the image of his velvety sun-kissed skin and acres upon acres of muscles, she shivered. Unable to resist, she indulged in a little pillow fondling before testing out the mattress. She flopped onto her back, the bedding instantly enveloping her in its downy softness. The tantalizing aroma of Beau’s cologne—or maybe it was his body wash—tickled her senses and she released a blissful sigh. “It’s settled. I’m never leaving.”

  She snatched the neighboring pillow and cuddled it to her chest just as one of the wooden floor planks creaked out in the main room. She froze, her mind automatically conjuring every terrifying scenario in existence to explain the noise.

  A burglar?

  Axe murderer?

  Ghost?

  Axe murderer ghost burglar?

  Or it was Van dropping off the rest of the luggage. The instant that logical conclusion popped into her brain, Beau walked into the bedroom and blinked at her.

  Feeling like she’d just been caught red-handed pulling a Goldilocks, she struggled up onto her elbows. “I swear I wasn’t sniffing your pillows.” Oh Jeez. Why did I say that? Now he’d for sure think she was sniffing his pillow.

  “Okay.” Scratching the back of his head, he shifted his attention to the flannel duvet beneath her. “Please tell me I remembered to make the bed this morning.”

  “Oh, yes, you did.” Clearing her throat, she scooted off of the mattress. “Sorry, I’ll just get this straightened for you.” She reached for the edge of the quilt and oomphed in surprise when Beau hugged her from behind.

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he ducked his head, pressing his face against her neck. “I don’t care about the bed, Al. Or you sniffing my pillows.”

  “I totally didn’t.”

  “Sure, you didn’t.”

  “You could have at least tried to sound convincing.” Joining in his laughter, she pivoted in his arms. “Do you forgive me for invading your space like a weirdo creeper?”

  “I told you I don’t care. You’re free to treat this place as yours while you’re here. Besides, I kind of liked seeing you in my bed.”

  The heat in his eyes went straight to her girly parts, causing her pussy to clench in fond remembrance of being stuffed to overflowing with his and Van’s thick cocks. Her knees wobbling, she clutched at his chest. Concern immediately washed over his face. “Al, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. A little woozy is all.” That sounded way more dignified than admitting she’d almost fainted from horniness.

  “Damn it, I knew we should have taken you to the hospital.”

  “Why? The paramedics checked me over and gave the all clear. Good enough.” She sighed when the fierceness of his expression didn’t ease. “Other than a slight headache and a raging case of sex-on-the-brain-itis, I’m fine. Really.”

  His scowl vanished and he cocked an eyebrow. “Sex-on-the-brain-itis?”

  “Yes. I’m afraid it could be fatal if I don’t get treatment so
on.”

  “Oh, yeah? And what exactly would that be?” he teased.

  “A hot injection of man-meat. Nine and a half inches, to be precise.” She tiptoed her fingers down his chest and caressed the prominent bulge just south of his waistband. “Oh look, I found some.”

  Groaning, he pressed his forehead to hers. “What the hell am I’m going to do with you?”

  “Hmm, I already told Van he should spank me and fuck me senseless. Wouldn’t be right if he’s the only one getting in on that action.”

  It didn’t seem physically possible, but she swore he thickened even more—which made it all the more frustrating when he pulled away from her. His regretful expression said it all. She gusted a resigned exhalation. “I know. You’ve got to get back to work.”

  “You can come downstairs and keep us company.”

  Tempting as he and Van might be, there was no way she wanted to deal with the gym bunnies today. Or any day, if she was being absolutely honest. “Thanks, but I’d like to stay up here if that’s okay. It’ll give me a chance to get some work done and start dinner.”

  “You don’t have to do that. There’s always carryout—”

  “So help me, Beau Colton, do not mention that word when I have three beautiful sirloins sitting in the fridge.”

  He held up his hands. “I surrender. No carryout.”

  “Good answer.” She followed him to the door and winced at the question suddenly looming front and center in her mind. “I’m afraid to ask, but what did you find out about my car?”

  “The shop was closed. Luckily one of the mechanics was there working on the boss’s truck. He promised to write up an estimate for the claim adjuster first thing tomorrow.”

  A fraction of her anxiety lifting, she blew out a breath. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you and Van to get me through...all of this.” Images of the snow-covered landscape spinning beyond the Nissan’s windshield as she’d slip-slided across the road flickered across her mental big screen. She quickly killed that unwelcome channel before it could do any further damage to her shaky recovery.