Gentle fingers tucked damp strands of her hair behind her ears then stroked over her cheekbone. This man was a study in contrast. That he could be so bone-meltingly gentle after being so hard, so relentless—it was enough to make her go weak in the knees. She didn’t know how to handle this softer side of him.
“I know you hurt,” he murmured as his hand brushed ever so lightly across her stitches. “We’re going to go in the living room, you’re going to take something for it, and Braden and I are going to give you so much pleasure that you’ll forget all about the pain.”
“Oh…” she said on a soft intake of breath. There was nothing else to say.
“Come here.” He bent down and tucked an arm underneath her knees then hoisted her up against his chest.
He walked into the living room where Braden was still tending the fire. He’d added logs until it burned briskly, the flames leaping upward.
Ian laid her on the couch, and Braden came over to stand next to her head. Neither made an effort to disguise their arousal, nor did they seem abashed to be standing in the nude. They could have been completely clothed for all the attention they gave it. No, their attention was focused solely on her.
“I’ll be back,” Ian said.
First he returned with a glass of water and some of the pain medication Marcus had left for her. After he made sure she’d downed it, he turned and left the room again.
She watched in confusion as he left only to come back a moment later with several blankets and pillows. He positioned them on the floor in front of the fire, making a comfortable pallet. Then Braden bent and lifted her from the couch.
He carried her over and settled her among the blankets. The warmth from the fire skittered over her skin and seeped into her bones. It felt wonderful.
She settled against a pillow with a sigh of contentment. When she looked up, two naked, hugely aroused men stood over her.
Ian moved first, kneeling at her feet. Braden positioned himself beside her and cupped a hand to her breast.
Without a word, Ian carefully spread her legs, bending her knees just slightly so that she was comfortable. He lowered his head, pressing his lips to her ankle just as Braden’s mouth closed around one nipple.
She moaned soft and low as warm pleasure shot through her body. Ian took his time, kissing a line up her leg, paying careful attention to all her sensitive spots. The inside of her knee, the back of her knee. Then he spread her thighs and lapped softly at the inside of her leg, just inches from her pu**y.
She arched involuntarily as he licked and nibbled, keeping just far enough from her clit to drive her crazy. He pressed his tongue to her skin, starting at her knee and sliding it upward, leaving a damp trail all the way to the soft folds of her mound.
Braden circled each nipple, showering her with kisses and soft licks. Never once did he bite down or even suck too hard. He regarded her so tenderly that it brought tears to her eyes, and then she blinked furiously, dismayed at the welling emotion.
And then he moved to her mouth, kissing her with reverence. Sweetly, so sweetly, like the kiss of a first lover. He licked the moisture from her cheek that she’d willed not to leak down, and then he kissed both her eyes, fluttering the softest of lips over her lids.
What were they doing? And why?
Ian parted the plump folds of her pu**y and pressed his tongue to her quivering entrance. He licked upward with one long swipe, ending over the sensitive bundle of nerves tucked under the hooded flesh.
Her hips came off the floor. Her fingers curled into tight fists at her sides. And still he continued, lapping, licking, sucking and probing with his tongue. He hadn’t lied when he said he was going to taste every inch of her. There wasn’t a part of her lower body he hadn’t covered with his tongue, and Braden was doing his damndest to cover the top.
As Braden swirled around each nipple again, Ian mimicked his brother’s actions around her clit.
“Oh!” she cried.
“That’s it, sweetheart, let it go,” Braden softly encouraged. “Don’t fight it.”
She closed her eyes tight and arched into both men, wanting more of their intoxicating sweetness. Light. So light. Like a feather stirring in the wind. Each lick sent her higher until finally her entire body tightened and clenched. Then, deafening still. She shattered, her body going slack.
The ceiling blurred above her. Tears swam in her eyes, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why she was crying. But weep she did. At first it was light. Silver tears trickled down her cheeks. But then those quiet tears gave way to noisy, messy sobs. Her shoulders shook with abandon.
Strong arms gathered her close. Two men, holding her between them as they petted and caressed her. Murmured words against her hair, soft and understanding. But she didn’t understand. How could they?
So much had been released, let go. For so long she’d held it all in, and now it flooded out, a broken dam that had no hope of being repaired.
Braden held her to his chest, rocking back and forth as he kissed her hair. Ian’s hands were at her back, rolling over her shoulders, his lips pressing to her spine and upward to her nape.
Then Braden relinquished her into Ian’s arms, and Ian held her as Braden had, touching her, reassuring her. And still she cried, for who or what she didn’t even know. All she knew that the relief was so strong, so sweet. It felt like the first rain in summer after a long July.
Ian made no effort to hush her. He just let her go, holding her, lending her his strength.
When finally she quieted, she went limp against him, her strength gone. She tensed, waiting for the questions, the judgment or even the analysis, but they said nothing. Ian continued to stroke her hair as the fire died down to brightly glowing embers.
He arranged the covers around them, content to just hold her. Nothing had ever felt better. She’d never felt as whole as she did in this moment, as if she’d spent her entire life searching. For this.
She reached for him, reached up and curled her arms around his neck, wanting to hold him as he’d held her. She tucked her head against his shoulder and looked over at Braden who still sat to the side. Their eyes met, and she found warm acceptance in the liquid green of Braden’s gaze.
She didn’t smile but neither did he. And then she reached out her hand. He lifted his to meet her halfway. Their fingers twined and their palms met, flush against each other.
Still holding his hand, she let her eyelids flutter softly downward. They drooped even as she fought to keep them open. Braden rubbed his thumb across the top of her hand then pulled it up to his lips.
She snuggled deeper into Ian’s arms as his warmth bled into her heart…and soul.
Her last conscious image was of Braden’s lips pressed to her hand.
“She’s asleep,” Braden murmured a long moment later.
Ian shifted carefully and looked down at Katie’s closed eyes. His heart turned over and did funny things in his chest. Then he looked back up at Braden.
“What just happened here?” he asked quietly.
Braden lowered her hand, careful not to awaken her. “I think I just decided that I can’t let her go.”
Ian tensed and held onto her a little tighter. She was draped over him, her body warm and limp. Her soft breathing filled his ears, and he realized that there was no way he would let her go either.
“What the f**k are we going to do?” he murmured.
“Fuck if I know,” Braden said grimly. “I’m not going to risk her, Ian. She means…” He broke off and looked away. When he glanced back, Ian could see the emotion swirling in his eyes. “She means too much, more than Esteban. More than a cure.”
Ian leveled a stare at his brother. “I agree.”
Braden lifted one eyebrow in question. Ian merely nodded. They both wanted her.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Ian asked evenly.
Braden stared for a long moment then finally shook his head. “No,” he said slowly. “It’s not a problem.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Katie opened her eyes and blinked to clear away the cobwebs. She’d slept and slept hard, thanks in part to the drugs Ian and Braden had given her, but also their sweet lovemaking.
She glanced around the living room to see it empty. The fire had been built up again, but the men were nowhere to be found. No sound came from the kitchen, and she frowned as she swung her legs over the side of the couch. Wrapping a blanket around herself, she got up and headed across the living room to the kitchen and did a quick check, but didn’t see them by the stove. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and zeroed in on the front window.
She carefully pushed aside the worn curtain and peeked out to see Ian and Braden in conversation with Eli and Tits. They were standing beside sleek snowmobiles, and they all wore grim expressions. Had Esteban found them?
Adrenaline surged. She moved to the door and eased it open the barest of cracks. Given their propensity to protect her, chances were they’d shut up the minute she made her presence known.
Cold wind blew in, and she levered the door so that it was barely open a slit. Their voices carried to her, faint at first but then louder at intervals.
“Esteban is on the move. We recorded a sudden burst of activity from men known to be loyal to him. They’re coming here,” Eli said.
“The bait worked then,” Braden said with a satisfied nod.
Tits looked up at Ian and Braden. “Does Katie know she’s being used to draw Esteban out?”
Ian shook his head. “There’s no reason for her to know.”
“I’d think she’d need to know so she doesn’t inadvertently do anything to endanger herself,” Tits said.
Braden scowled. “We’re perfectly capable of taking care of Katie. She’s done what she needed to do which is stay with us in one place long enough for Esteban to pick up her trail.”
The wind kicked up, blowing a smattering of snow. She strained to hear but only caught words.
Trap.
Bait.
Expendable.
Sacrifice.
She stared woodenly at the men as they continued to converse, and then Ian and Braden turned to stare at the door. She eased it closed, making sure there was no noise, and then she hurried to the bedroom.
She sat on the edge of the bed so it would appear she’d just gotten up from the living room and come in here to get dressed. All the while her mind raced to make sense of what she’d been able to pick up from their conversation.
One part of her was pissed. She wanted to feel angry and betrayed, but that emotion was reserved for relationships. She had nothing invested in them and vice versa.
She closed her eyes and swallowed the deep disappointment, the betrayal she shouldn’t feel but did. They’d made her no promises, not verbal. They’d made plenty with their bodies, though, promises she’d taken to heart. She didn’t want to feel hurt, but the truth was, she was devastated.
Still, she didn’t appreciate being a sitting duck. They hadn’t told her anything, and once again, in her naïve stupidity, she hadn’t demanded more. She’d been too caught up in the idea that finally, after years of running, she was enjoying a moment’s respite. A brief escape from fear. When in fact, danger had never left her.
She was to blame for being too trusting when Gabe had taught her never to trust anyone.
She blew out her breath and willed herself not to become too emotional. Ian and Braden were doing what it was they did best. Act the mercenaries and use whatever means necessary to take down their target. Even if they’d become everything to her, she wasn’t anything to them, and she couldn’t fool herself into thinking she was. That would get her into a lot of trouble, not to mention turn her into a spineless moron. Who was she kidding? She was already there.
So what was she going to do? It was obvious they didn’t mind sacrificing her if it achieved their objective. She didn’t particularly want to die nor did she want to end up in the middle of a fight that wasn’t hers. Which meant the best idea was to get the hell out of here.
A few problems. She was in f**king Austria. In the mountains. Lots of snow. No money, no ID. She could stay and wait it out, but if she did, there was no question that she’d place herself in danger. Esteban was coming. For her.
Her gaze went to the bag on top of the dresser. She did have some cash. Dollars, but still, it was better than nothing. She had her bankcard.
Excitement stirred in her belly. Braden or Ian, she couldn’t remember which, had mentioned a fake passport when she said she didn’t have one. It hadn’t registered at the time because she honestly hadn’t believed she was leaving the country. But they would have needed something for her.
She hurried over and rummaged through her bag. Just her stuff, money, cards, her clothes. Not that she thought they would have put her passport with her junk.
With a quick glance in the direction of the door, which still remained closed, she tore through their bags. There, in the bottom, three passports. She opened one and discarded it, going on to the next.
Brenda Mullins. A picture that could have been Katie or not stared back at her. It was fuzzy but passable. The woman had the same hair color and features. Someone only giving it a passing glance would be fooled. Bingo.
She grabbed the passport and stashed it in her bag underneath her clothing. She needed time to formulate a plan of action which meant she was stuck here pretending that nothing was wrong and that she was the same clueless moron she’d been since she arrived.
At least the sex would be good.
***
Braden stood in the biting cold as he, Ian, Eli and Tits formed their plan of action. The Falcon secondary had positioned itself in a wide radius around the cabin. If Esteban or his men got close, they’d know about it.
“We need someplace to stash Katie after he’s made his move,” Ian said grimly. “I don’t want her around when the shooting starts. I don’t want her anywhere that she’s in danger. Nothing is worth risking her.”