She swatted him as he grinned. “I meant I feel bad leaving him out there alone.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Whose idea do you think this was, anyway? I was given orders to take you somewhere and love some sense into you.” He lifted her onto the desk and kissed her again. “I was told not to bring you back unless you had a smile on your face. I think he’d hurt me in the bad way with that cane of his if I didn’t do it, too.”
She didn’t want to talk—she wanted him to make love to her. “I’d hate to disappoint him.”
“So would I.” Tim kissed her. He ran his lips down her neck to where he nibbled on her shoulder. “Babe, I love you.” He slid her bra strap down her arm, kissing the flesh as he bared it. “And we’ve got a lot of talking to do, and so does Jack, but for now…” He reached around her and unhooked her bra, tossing it over his shoulder. His flesh felt hot against hers as he leaned in and cupped her left breast with a tender hand, sucking her nipple into his mouth.
She bit down on her lower lip to keep from crying out. It felt so damn good to have his hands on her again. Even though they’d only been together a few days in Rapid City, those few days felt like a lifetime, like the three of them had been made to be together.
She’d missed Jack more than she cared to admit.
Tim teased and taunted her nipple, sucking, nipping, laving his tongue around it. After he had her whimpering with need, he moved to her right breast, repeating the treatment and churning her cunt into a wet, needy, pulsing ball of heat.
Her hands fumbled at his slacks until she finally got them opened. He shoved them down his legs and nearly tripped when he couldn’t get them off past his shoes. Grumbling, he yanked them off, threw them over his shoulder, pulled his pants off, and let her push him back onto the desk.
She’d dreamed about them both, fantasized about them with her vibrator. But nothing compared to the real thing. She sucked his hot member down her throat, moaning softly over the sweet, musky smell of him, of laundry detergent and soap and the salty tang of pre-cum that rolled down her tongue.
His hands tangled in her hair. “Oh, Jesus, baby, yes!”
She ran her tongue up and down his cock, tracing every ridge and vein, remembering how much fun the three of them had enjoyed in their few short days and nights together.
Was it possible to ever recapture those good times?
She shoved that thought away. She wanted this, right now.
He finally pulled her off him. “Baby, if you don’t stop, I’m going to blow right here.” He switched places with her, pushing her skirt up over her hips and yanking her panties off. He buried his face between her legs with a happy sigh. “This is what I missed.”
Gwen collapsed back on the desk, for a moment nearly overcome with giggles at the sight she must present. Then Tim latched onto her clit with his lips, flicking it with his tongue and rapidly driving her over the edge to a climax she had to slap her hand over her mouth to stifle.
He stood up with a silly grin on his face. “Glad to see I didn’t forget how to do that.” He found his slacks, pulled a condom out of the pocket, and quickly put it on. He grabbed her by the hips, pulling her legs around him as he sank his cock deep inside her.
His sweet blue gaze burned right through her. “I love you, Gwen, and I’m not letting you go.” He crushed her lips with his as he pounded into her.
She grabbed his shoulders, moving with him, relishing the feel of his hard shaft fucking her. She didn’t just want this, she needed this. She needed him.
She needed them.
She closed her eyes as another orgasm pulsed through her. Tim nipped at her lower lip. “That’s it, baby. Give it to me. Jesus, I missed you so fucking much.”
She wanted to sob with relief, that the missing piece was returned to the gaping hole in her soul. She didn’t want to think about next week or tomorrow or even the book signing in a couple of hours. She wanted to lose herself here and now with Tim, to feel once again like she was a part of something greater than herself.
Something better.
Someone well loved.
Even more than the sex, she’d missed Tim’s friendship through e-mail. She missed their banter. She even missed ole Stoneface’s glaring mug.
Another orgasm, not as strong as the first two, swept through her. She clung to Tim as he sank his cock deep inside her with his own climax. She felt him pulsing, throbbing, coming.
He reluctantly withdrew and gathered her into his arms where she cried on his shoulder. He turned and sat on the desk, holding her, cradling her, his face buried in her hair as he whispered apologies to her over and over again.
When she finally calmed herself, he cradled her face in his palms. “I love you. I love you so much, and I’m not letting you get away from me again,” he whispered.
He scooped her up and carried her to the sofa. “One way or another, you will be coming home. And by that I mean Rapid City.”
It was silly of her to even entertain the fantasy, although every cell in her being wanted to. They made love again on the couch. She lost all track of time in Tim’s arms.
Then she caught sight of the time. “I’d better get ready.”
He helped her to her feet and led her over to his private bathroom, where he started kissing her. He almost managed to seduce her again before she remembered why she was there. “Tim, I need to get cleaned up.”
He pulled her close one last time. “I know, babe. But I prefer not to share you. Well, with the masses. I love sharing you with Stoneface.”
She couldn’t help but smile. She loved being shared with him, too.
* * * *
Gwen spent a nervous and emotional afternoon. She read a few excerpts from her books, greeted fans, signed books, and avoided Tim’s intense stare. All through it, despite their hot sex earlier that afternoon, she was terrified to hope for more despite what he’d said, and even more terrified to get her heart broken again. When it came time to leave, she hooked her arm through Liam’s. When Tim tried to embrace her, she wouldn’t let go of Liam. All Tim could do was give her a one-armed hug.
Tim kissed her. He whispered, “I meant it when I said you’re not getting away from me again, sweetheart,” in her ear. “I love you, and you’re mine. I don’t care what I have to do to show you.” He nipped her earlobe before stepping away. Her knees practically unhinged, but somehow she remained upright.
Without a doubt she loved him. And, God help her, Jack too, despite how he’d treated her.
Unfortunately, it couldn’t work. Tim wasn’t there when she had it out with Jack. He hadn’t seen the look on Jack’s face. And she refused to take Tim away from Jack. Most likely Tim wouldn’t want to leave Jack anyway. What might have been had things worked out differently between the three of them?
Gwen didn’t talk much as they picked up the RV, loaded the Toad, as they called the Element, and drove north out of the LA area. Much of the time Liam sat in the passenger seat and stared out the front window. He knew better than to try to get her to talk in the dark mood she was in.
She felt guilty as hell for making love to Tim when she suspected nothing more would ever come of it. If Jack couldn’t man up and tell her how he felt, what did that say about the strength of his feelings?
Not very damn much, in her book.
Later that evening, as they pulled into the campground they’d made their reservations at, she turned to Liam. “Why did you do that to me?” she quietly asked. “You set me up.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t hear you complaining. You love them, they love you. Time for you to fight for what you believe in.”
“Tim loves me. Jack hates me.”
“Funny, it seems Tim said Jack loves and misses you. My MS must be fucking with my language comprehension.”
She glared at him before storming out of the RV to the office to pay for their space and find out where it was. When she returned, he hadn’t moved.
“They. Love. You,” Liam emphasized. “Deal with it. Th
ey want you. They miss you.”
“Jack sure has a funny way of showing it, telling everyone but me. Nice. Sounds like everyone else is trying to convince Jack of how he feels.”
“Ouch. Neurotic much? Jack was supposed to be here today, too. Didn’t Tim tell you that?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem! I already agreed we’d go to Rapid City, didn’t I? If he really loves me, maybe by the time we get there he can figure out how to say the damn words himself, ’kay? If not, it’s not like I’m too much worse off than I am now.” She threw the keys down on the table and fought the urge to throw something.
“Harsh, sis. Really harsh. His mom’s in the hospital. Cut him some slack.”
“Last time I saw him, Detective Dick-for-brains was able to use a fucking phone and a computer. He could have called or e-mailed me. Oh, big surprise, he hasn’t.” She snatched her keys from the table and stormed outside again. She made three aimless, stomping laps around the rig before she could get her thoughts together and remember what she was supposed to be doing.
They’d stay at the campground for a week in order to avoid a storm to their north. Liam always worked enough flexibility in their schedule to allow for detours and downtime, especially since Gwen did all the RV driving and still needed time to write. Unfortunately, the forced stay for the weather meant Gwen couldn’t use driving to take her mind off the afternoon’s events.
Gwen stormed to the back of the rig and started unhooking the Element from the tow dolly. Liam emerged from the RV, leaning on his cane and watching her without saying anything. After Gwen moved the Element out of the way, she returned to the RV and Liam guided her back into their space. He handled hooking up the sewer connection and set up the levelers, while she rigged the electrical, water, and cable and got the slide-out positioned. This park had free Wi-Fi, meaning they didn’t need to rely on their slower air cards. Over the past few months they’d developed a smooth-running routine, and within an hour they were set up, showered, and eating dinner.
After doing his research, Liam had opted to buy them the gently used thirty-foot Class A with a diesel engine, reassuring Gwen she’d soon easily learn how to drive the rig. Just big enough for them to have room to comfortably move around in, including a back bedroom one of them could escape to if needed. He’d had more confidence in her driving skills than she had, but after two weeks of practice before heading out on the road, she did admit to feeling comfortable. They frequently bunked together in the large queen-size bed in back, although sometimes one or the other opted to sleep on the comfortable sofa bed if either of them needed alone time.
Tonight, she needed alone time. Once Liam realized she wasn’t budging from her laptop at the dinette table, he kissed the top of her head before heading to the back. “See you in the morning, kiddo.”
“Sleep tight.” She knew she wouldn’t sleep much, her mind roiling, thinking about Tim and Jack. She tried to work and ended up playing Solitaire on her computer. At one point she thought she heard noises in the back bunk, like maybe Liam was talking to someone on the phone, but she turned on the TV and channel surfed to drown him out. Stretched out on the sofa bunk and cuddled around her pillows, she tried to fall asleep as the TV played.
Somewhere in the middle of the night, she thought she heard Liam moving around. Knowing he’d call for her if he needed help, she closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. She heard what sounded like people softly talking outside, but she’d gotten used to noises like that when staying in a park. She preferred sacrificing the relative privacy of boondocking for the security of parks, in case she ever needed to get help for Liam in a hurry.
She dozed, then felt someone crawl into the bunk with her. At first she thought it was Liam, and she settled back against him…
Until the man’s hand comfortably settled between her legs. She let out a frightened scream and tried to pull away when a familiar voice asked, “Do you have any idea how fucking expensive it is to take a taxi from Laguna Beach to here?”
Tim.
“Hey, sis, let’s change up bunks for tonight,” Liam said from the other side of the cabin. “I have a feeling you’re going to want to sleep late.”
She sat up and glared at Liam, who stood by the door with an amused look on his face. Tim stared up at her, his blue, wide-eyed, innocent look soon melting her irritation.
“I’m all for a little sleeping late,” he said.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I told you I wasn’t letting you get away again. Besides, I want to see more of this fair country of ours. I needed to get back to Rapid City anyway, so I called my buddy Liam here, and he told me where you’d shacked up. Figured if I wanted to catch up with you guys, I’d better do it sooner rather than later.”
“Come on, Gee. Quit playing hard to get,” Liam scolded her. “Go take the bedroom tonight. I’ll keep the TV turned up loud.” He grinned.
Fortunately, in the dim light she knew neither man could see her blush. She climbed out of bed and considered locking herself in the bedroom away from Tim. Until he stepped through the door with her, closed it behind him, and kissed her as he pushed her down to the bed.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a proper welcome back at the store,” he said. “Let me make it up to you.” He lifted her T-shirt and sucked her right nipple into his mouth as he cupped her left breast in his hand.
Her protest died on her lips. She buried her fingers in his shaggy hair and bit back a happy moan as he moved back and forth from one breast to the other, sucking and biting at her nipples until her pussy ached to feel his cock inside her.
“Let’s get something straight,” he said, his voice sounding ragged. “I love you, and I’m not losing you again. No matter what I’ve got to do to convince you to stay, I’m getting the two of you back together. Then you’re going to live with us in Rapid City, Liam’s coming to work for me, and I’m going to flatten all the wheels on this damn thing so you can’t leave again.”
She didn’t want to hope. She opted for snark. “That’s a pretty expensive tire shop visit, buddy. You’d best be prepared to make sure you can keep me happy.”
Even in the dim light she spotted his playful grin. “Oh, I have no doubt about that. I’m about to show you just a few of the ways I have in my arsenal of persuasion.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Arsenal of persuasion?”
He nipped at the hollow of her throat. “So I’ve read too many purple prose bodice rippers. Shoot me. You want me to make your eyes roll back in your head, or you want to spend all night critiquing my less than adequate verbal jousting skills?”
She grabbed the back of his head. “Make them roll, buddy.”
“That’s my girl.” He finished pulling her T-shirt off. Then he worked his way down her body, sliding her shorts and panties down her hips and legs until he freed the garments and tossed them onto the floor. He pushed her legs wide apart and dove between them, going right for her clit in a near-frantic way.
It didn’t take him long to make her come, but he didn’t stop. Relentlessly, he forced her to keep coming, using his fingers and tongue to fuck her wet pussy as he worked her clit and rolled her through several orgasms until she begged for mercy.
He sat up, grinning from ear to ear. “Did I just hear you beg me to stop?”
She laughed, breathless. “Yes!”
“Good, that means one more.” She was still laughing when he dove between her legs again and forced one more climax out of her.
“That’s the sound I’ve missed, baby,” he said as he crawled up her body. He quickly shed his clothes, donned a condom, and she happily moaned again as she felt his rigid cock slide deep inside her.
She’d missed this, too. A vibrator was fun on occasion, but it couldn’t supply the warm weight of a man’s body pressing hers into the mattress. Gwen wrapped her arms around him and tipped her hips to take him as d
eeply as she could. He started slow, kissing her as he fucked her, his tongue flicking against hers, exploring, tasting. She closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of him, how right their bodies fit together.
Just like with Jack, too.
She cut off that line of thinking. There was still a lot of emotional real estate to cover in that department. Just because she was sleeping with Tim didn’t mean this would end happily if she couldn’t get things settled to her satisfaction with Jack.
Unfortunately, she knew she loved the son of a bitch.
Both of them.
She shut down her brain and focused on the delicious feeling of Tim’s cock bringing her to one more orgasm before he finally let himself come. He cleaned up and returned to bed and while she thought they might both lay there and talk for a while, Gwen found herself almost immediately crashing into sleep with the comforting feel of Tim’s arms wrapped around her.
He kissed the back of her neck. “I love you, baby. I mean it, I’m not letting you get away from us a second time.”
“I love you, too.” She just hoped she could patch things up with Jack.
Chapter Fifteen
They took their time working their way back to Rapid City over the next eight days, heading up the California coast into Oregon, through Washington state, then across through Spokane to Idaho and beyond on I-90. She spent a lot of time talking with Tim during the drive. He said Jack’s story was best left for Jack to tell, but to trust him when he said it would explain a lot.
She wanted to believe him, but she also didn’t want her heart stomped on a second time. She also knew that it would tear her heart apart to walk away from Tim again.
They spent the night outside of Spearfish instead of pushing all the way into Rapid City. Gwen felt her heart squeeze in her chest when they pulled into the driveway at Tim and Jack’s house. Tim’s car was parked by the house, but not Jack’s truck.
Tim drove them to the hospital. Jack’s truck sat in the parking lot.
Now that she was faced with the reality of a confrontation, she didn’t want to do this. What could he say to her to take back the hurt and pain of the past few months? Didn’t have the stones to talk to her personally?