Authors: Mari Carr

Triple Beat-nook (13 page)

Dani lifted up to her elbows, the tips of her breasts rubbing against Bryson’s chest. “I love it, but I need more, Aiden. Please.”

Aiden gripped her hips and gave in to their pleas. He thrust forward until he was buried and all three of them gasped.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Dani said as she started moving. Both men reached out to stop her, to slow her down, but she was a woman who wouldn’t be denied.

She leaned down and bit Bryson’s pec. Hard.

“Ow!” he cried. “Fuck, Dani. That hurt.”

She lifted her head and gave him the sexiest grin he’d ever seen.

Then Bryson pressed her mouth back down. “Do it again,” he demanded, his voice husky with need.

She marked the other pec just as Aiden retreated.

Dani and Bryson hissed.

“It’s like you’re fucking us both,” Bryson said. Then he frowned as he caught Aiden’s eye.

Aiden chuckled. “Still not bisexual, you jackass.”

Dani giggled, but the sound morphed into something much more animalistic when Aiden thrust in roughly.

After that, words were lost and time stood still.

Selfish, grasping need took over as they moved, each of them reaching for more and amazed when they found it.

Bryson had never felt like this, never felt as if his cock would explode, like he would lose consciousness, like he’d have a heart attack. It didn’t seem possible his body could withstand this fucking much pleasure.

Dani fell first, her body trembling with her orgasm. Her pussy muscles clamped down so hard on his cock, Bryson saw stars as he came.

Aiden was only a split second behind them, his rough jerks shifting them all as he filled her ass with his come.

As the last vestiges of mind-blowing pleasure faded away, they fell to the bed like Jenga tiles, tumbling heedlessly to the mattress.

The only sounds in the room were those of the three of them gasping, struggling to catch their breath.

“Mother of God. I thought I was going to die,” Aiden confessed, prompting Bryson to chuckle. They lay together in quiet contentment for only a few minutes before Bryson caught the sound of light snoring. He lifted his head to look over Dani’s pretty body. Aiden was down for the count.

Bryson suspected he wouldn’t be far behind. He was lethargic, exhausted. Happy as fuck.

“I want to do that again,” Dani said quietly.

Bryson looked at her, trying to decide if it was the sex hangover talking.

She smiled at him. “I tried to resist you guys. I made it three days.”

Bryson moved toward her, kissing her softly. “We’ll figure it out, Dani.”

“Okay. I want to talk to you both about something else later too. About my past. When Aiden’s awake.”

She trusted them. She was going to let them in. If he hadn’t been so freaking tired, he would have done a bit of Gronking that would have put Rob Gronkowski to shame.

“And just so you know,” he added, though his drowsy voice was betraying how tired he was, “we’re definitely doing that again.” He placed his head on the pillow, trying to stay awake and failing.

Dani’s smile was the last thing he saw before he drifted off.

***

Dani rose from the bed and stretched. There was a definite tenseness in muscles she felt certain had never been used. Not that she minded the workout. It was one she’d have no problem committing to, unlike her weak attempts at visiting the gym with any semblance of regularity.

She smiled as she studied Bryson and Aiden lying on the bed. They were both sprawled out facedown, which gave her the perfect opportunity to admire their firm butts, muscular backs and strong shoulders. Dani resisted the urge to pinch herself. There was simply no way these two hot guys could be in her bed.

She’d only managed a brief catnap, wondering what it was about sex that put her men to sleep, yet made her feel energetic, wide awake.

She plodded toward the bathroom to brush her teeth and considered a shower. They’d worked up quite a sweat.

A text flashed on the screen of her phone as she passed the nightstand. She reached for it, her blood running cold when she read it.

“How long are you going to make me wait? You can change your name, but that doesn’t make you one of them. It’s time you were reunited with your real family.”

He knew she’d gone to see the Lewises. He
had
been watching her.

Dani picked up her clothes from the floor and tiptoed to the main room. Dressing quickly, she grabbed a room key and her purse and snuck out, closing the door quietly behind her.

She blinked against the bright sunlight as she left the apartment building, then waved down a taxi as she pulled out her cell and called Jett. “Where are you?”

“Royal Lunch. Why?”

She climbed into the back of the cab. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Dani actually got there in eight. As she walked into the bar, she had that same sense of being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, scanning the area. There were quite a few people on the street, everyone walking with purpose, with a definite direction. No one seemed to notice her.

She needed to deal with her father once and for all. Otherwise, she feared she’d never feel truly safe.

Jett rose when she entered the bar. She accepted the brotherly hug he offered and felt so grateful to have him back in her life. Though she loved all the Lewis kids dearly, there had always been a special bond between her and Jett. One that didn’t appear to have weakened after all the years they’d spent apart.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “You sounded upset on the phone.”

“My dad texted. Said he wasn’t going to wait much longer for
his
reunion. He knows I was at Mama Lewis’ house on Sunday and I’m worried about her safety. I think he’s following me.”

Jett frowned. “I’ll see if Caleb can stop by Mama’s house to check on her before his shift at the tattoo parlor. And I’ll call Blake. See what he’s found out about Russell.”

She smiled when Carissa walked over to say hello. “Want something to drink?”

Dani gestured to Jett’s glass. “I’ll have whatever he’s having.”

Carissa poured her a beer from the tap, and then went over to serve another customer.

“Where are Aiden and Bryson?” Jett asked.

Dani took a drink. “Back at the penthouse.”

“Have you told them about your dad?”

She shook her head, knowing her response would annoy Jett. “Not yet.”

“Dammit, Dani. They’re decent guys and it’s pretty obvious they’d do anything for you.”

Aiden and Bryson had made a good impression on her foster brother. She was glad that Jett liked them, though she wondered how he’d feel if he knew she’d been having sex with both of them.

Then she considered Justin’s relationship with Ned and Bella and realized Jett would probably just welcome them both to the family.

“I’ve tried, Jett. I’ve opened my mouth to say it at least a million times over the last six years, but I can’t seem to get the words out.”

“Why not?”

She looked at the beer mug, uncomfortable and unable to face Jett. “I’m embarrassed. And ashamed.”

Jett reached out for her, turning her head toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze. “No. Don’t say that. God, don’t
feel
that. Dani, you didn’t do anything wrong. You know that, right?”

She nodded slowly, swallowing hard to dislodge the lump in her throat. “Knowing it doesn’t seem to help. I don’t want them to look at me differently.”

“They won’t.”

She smiled sadly. “You can’t know that.”

Jett didn’t waver. “Yeah. I can. I saw the way they looked at you at the dinner table, Dani. They couldn’t take their eyes off of you. They’re in love with you.”

She bit her lower lip. “You really think so?”

He chuckled. “Do you seriously doubt that?”

She shook her head. She didn’t. Not for a minute. She trusted their feelings for her, knew they were just as strong as what she felt for them. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t second-guessing a relationship or looking for the exit. “It’s just so new.”

Jett tilted his head. “How new?”

“Four days.”

Jett laughed. “Yeah, I thought so. You had that nice, new car smell on Sunday.”

She laughed. “God. You’re an idiot.”

They both took a sip of their beer.

“Are you in love with them?”

She nodded. “So much.”

“Then tell them. Everything. Let them help you through this next part. Aren’t you tired of doing everything alone?”

Dani wasn’t sure how to respond. She’d spent so much of her life making her own way, being self-sufficient. And while she’d had lots of help—from the Lewises, Stella and Benji—she’d never been very good about opening up and letting people in. Jett was the first person she’d ever given that glance inside, but it had been brief and ended too quickly. Aiden and Bryson had gotten the closest to breaking through her shell completely. If she confided in them, told them about her past, they’d have it all. Every tatty piece to her puzzle.

Jett’s question rang in her ears. She was tired. And she was desperately lonely. How amazing would it feel to let someone else carry her along for a little while? Just until she found her footing, her own strength again. Because God knew right now, she was running on empty. She was terrified of what her father wanted. There was no way she could—or would—face him alone. And until she faced him, she was trapped in this hell of uncertainty. She couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’ll talk to them.”

Jett smiled. “Good. In the meantime, I’ll confer with Blake. See what he thinks our next step should be. Showdown. Restraining order. Murder.”

“That’s quite a list.”

He shrugged. “I like to keep our options open.”

Dani rose from the stool and placed a friendly kiss on Jett’s cheek. “Thanks. For listening. And for talking me off the ledge.”

He rose as well. “That’s what big brothers are for.”

Dani picked up on the old joke instantly, a game they had played many times before when they were teenagers. “By big, I have to assume you mean larger because as you well know, I’m two months older than you. Which makes me the big sister.”

Jett walked to the door of the bar with her. “Want a ride home?”

She shook her head, pointing to a cab that was parked outside. “Nope. I’ll just grab that cab and I’ll text Bryson on the way back. Ask him to meet me out front. I’ll be fine, promise.”

He walked her to the car and opened the door for her. “Love you, Dani.”

Dani suspected he could say that to her a million more times and she’d never, ever, get tired of hearing it. Brother. Family. Love. It felt as if everything she’d ever wished for was in her grasp. All she had to do was reach out and grab it.

“Back atcha.”

He kissed her on the cheek, and then closed the car door after she’d climbed in. She gave the driver the address for the apartment building. She was much calmer now than she’d been on her way to the bar. As always, Jett found a way to calm her down, help her see things that would have been obvious if she weren’t acting like a ninny.

She fired off a quick text to Bryson, then sighed as she considered the conversation that was facing her when she returned to the penthouse. She knew her guys would be supportive, understanding, wonderful. She didn’t doubt that for a minute. All she had to do was find a way to get the words out without falling apart completely.

Afternoon was giving way to evening and the sun had dropped down behind the buildings. Unfortunately that disappearance hadn’t helped with the humidity. While Nashville was no stranger to hot summer days, it felt like Siberia compared to New Orleans.

She swiped at the tiny drop of sweat sliding down her neck and tugged at her t-shirt, wishing the driver would turn up the air-conditioning.

She tapped her thigh as she watched the streets roll by. She was anxious to get back to the penthouse to talk to Aiden and Bryson. She frowned when she realized nothing looked familiar.

“This isn’t the way to the apartment.”

“Shortcut,” was the driver’s very brusque response. For the first time since entering the cab, Dani felt uneasy. She couldn’t see the driver’s face except in profile. Even then, his bushy beard and the ball cap he had tugged to his eyebrows obscured it.

She remained quiet for a few minutes more. When the man turned down a road that looked more likely to lead to hell than the fancy apartment where she was staying, she spoke up again. “I think you’re going the wrong way.”

Her heart started to race when he pulled over to the curb and turned the car off. When he twisted in the seat, Dani felt all the blood drain from her face.

Her father lifted the gun, allowing her to see it. “Actually, I have you exactly where I want you.”

***

Jett had just hung up after asking Caleb to check on Mama when his cell rang. “Blake,” he said as he answered. “I was just about to call you. Dani’s dad texted her again. He’s definitely following her. What did you find out about him?”

“Got an address and place of employment. Hold tight. I’m going to text you a recent photo of Russell right now.”

“Cool.” Jett flicked the speaker function as the picture flashed on the screen.

Carissa walked by as the text came through, glancing at his phone. “Russ?”

Jett looked at her quizzically. “You know him?”

She nodded. “Yeah. You should too.” Carissa pointed to a seat at the other end of the bar. “Guy sits there every time he comes in.”

Jett’s blood ran cold as he recognized the face. “Fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Blake asked.

“I know how Dani’s father found her. Bastard’s been spying on me.”

“Well, Dani was right. Guy’s been in jail since she left town, but since his release, he’s kept his nose clean. Got a job driving a taxi.”

Jett jerked from his seat. “What?”

“He drives a cab.”

“Give me the address, Blake. I need to call Dani.”