He pressed the head of his cock against her cunt. “You want me, baby?”
She dug her nails into his ass and greedily fucked her hips up toward him. “Does that answer your question?”
“Damn, girl.” He kissed her as he fucked her, hard and fast. “You’re ours, do you understand? I won’t let you get away again. If you really want to leave, say so, but our lives have been miserable since we lost you.”
His words more than his talented fucking were what drove her over. The sincerity in his husky tone.
The tears in his eyes.
“I love you both. I don’t want to get away. Just don’t push us away, Jack.”
He threw his head back and let out a loud cry as his orgasm hit. His cock rammed deep inside her, triggering her own climax. Tim leaned in and flicked her nipple with his tongue. “That’s it, baby,” he encouraged. “Come for him. Come for us.”
It wasn’t as strong as some of the orgasms they’d given her in the past, but it felt better than any of them because she knew exactly where she belonged.
Jack collapsed on her, taking her with him as they rolled to their sides. He clung to her. “I missed you so much.”
“Me too,” she agreed.
“Ahem,” Tim said, clearing his throat. “What about me?”
They looked at him and laughed as they held their arms open to him. “We wouldn’t be the same without you, Tim,” Jack said. “Who would take care of us and keep us in line?”
Tim moved in close and kissed Jack, then Gwen. “You two would be lost without me.”
“Absolutely,” she agreed.
Jack pushed Tim back and knelt over him. “I owe you a little special treatment too, I do believe,” Jack said. He bent down and sucked Tim’s cock into his mouth.
Gwen gasped, turned on beyond belief at the sight. “Holy crap,” she whispered in an awed tone.
“There’s room for two,” Tim said.
She giggled. Jack slid over, and she helped Jack work over Tim’s cock and balls with her tongue. Only when he was squirming on the bed and begging for relief did Jack sheath his lover in a condom and motion for her to climb on.
Jack knelt behind her, holding her as she rode Tim. Tim’s sweet blue gaze melted her. “Jesus, you’re so beautiful, babe.”
She felt beautiful. The men always made her feel hot and sexy.
He cupped her breasts in his hands as Jack reached around her and found her clit. She moaned, her pussy contracting around Tim’s cock as Jack chuckled.
“That’s the magic spot, isn’t it, baby?”
“Uh-huh!”
Tim’s thumbs brushed against her nipples, hardening them into taut peaks. “You like knowing we’re always panting after you, don’t you, baby?”
She ground her hips against Tim, enjoying the way he bottomed out inside her. “Yeah!”
Jack growled into her ear, “You belong to us, baby. Forever.” He nibbled on her neck and that was all it took to send her over the edge. Sobbing from the sheer relief of having both her men back, she collapsed against him as Tim grabbed her hips and pistoned his cock up into her until he exploded with a cry.
Tired and sated, the three of them collapsed onto the bed. Tim and Jack both wrapped their arms around her, creating a secure cocoon of love. “Sweet dreams, baby,” Jack whispered as he kissed the back of her neck.
She wiggled her ass against him. “I will, believe me.”
Tim kissed her lips. “Dream about us,” he said.
“Absolutely.” She pulled their arms tightly around her. “Forever.”
Chapter Seventeen
Loaded to the gills with antinausea and antianxiety meds, Gwen sat, terrified, between Jack and Tim in the boarding area at the departure gate at the Rapid City airport. Liam watched from the other side of the aisle with amusement on his face.
“Don’t hurl on me, sis. Please?”
“Shut up,” she growled.
He twirled his cane around. Specifically opting not to bring his wheelchair was a calculated risk Gwen hadn’t interfered with. She felt a little guilty not trying to persuade him to bring it, but knew he was an adult who could make his own decisions.
He was ready to make his final stand against their parents.
In the past month, one thing had become perfectly clear to her—that Jack and Tim were her home, and the thought of living anywhere else filled her with dread. She could handle brutal winters with two hunky, loving men to warm her bed every night.
True to his word, Jack had made every effort to open up. Sometimes either she or Tim had to prod him to not hold in his feelings, but his every action spoke of his dedication to proving his love for her.
They had Pete over for dinner several more times, the two men mending fences and at least regaining their friendship. Pete also helped Ed with Helen, taking some of the burden off Jack and Ed and giving them much needed respite. Tim gave him a job at the store at Jack’s suggestion. Tim and Liam usually rode to work together, while Gwen enjoyed having the house to herself during the day for writing.
When the gate agent called their flight, Liam stood. “Don’t let her get away,” he snarked. “She’ll bolt if you give her half a chance.”
“I think even you could outrun her, as loaded as she is right now,” Tim joked.
Gwen didn’t think the meds were helping her at all. She still felt terrified, although she didn’t feel an urge to yak all over her men. She settled into her seat on the plane between Tim and Jack, with Liam in the row behind them. She fastened her seatbelt, laid her head back, and closed her eyes.
Minutes later, Jack gently nudged her. “You going to fly to Florida, or are you coming with us?”
She groggily lifted her head and realized people were getting off the plane. Tim had already stood and gathered both his and her carry-ons. “What?”
“We’re here. Time to change flights.”
“Huh?” She’d only closed her eyes for a minute. “Quit screwing with me.”
Liam reached over the seat and tapped her on the shoulder. “Better living through chemistry, sis. Get your butt moving.”
Emboldened by this development, she didn’t feel nearly as scared as they boarded the connecting flight. Ruthie, who had passed her driver’s course with flying colors, even if her budding relationship with the instructor flunked, would pick them up upon their post-midnight arrival. Gwen dozed off on that flight, too, and felt remarkably calm when they emerged from the terminal and found Ruthie waiting on them with her new SUV.
She squealed and threw her arms around Gwen, then Liam. “So you going to introduce me, girlfriend?”
Gwen blushed as she did. She’d overcome most of her initial discomfort after Tim’s disclosure to his staff that Gwen was now officially part of the family.
They still hadn’t told her parents…or Amy.
Jack and Tim loaded their luggage while Liam stiffly climbed into the front passenger seat. When he caught Gwen’s worried look, he smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m fine.”
Ruthie had been sworn to secrecy about their plans and drove them back to what would soon officially be her house, once the sale paperwork went through. Tomorrow they would pick up a large rental truck and a rental car and packing supplies.
All their parents knew was Liam and Gwen were visiting for a few days.
No reason to bring trouble earlier than necessary, she’d thought.
Rather than evict Ruthie from what was now her bed, Liam opted to sleep on the comfortable couch so Gwen and the men could have his former room.
Exhausted, they fell asleep nearly immediately. When Gwen awoke the next morning, she felt a brief moment of disorientation before she remembered where she was. Home.
No, not home anymore. Home was in Rapid City, with her men and Liam.
The two men didn’t awaken when she carefully extricated herself from between them. She made her way out to the kitchen to start coffee, only to find Liam had beat her to it.
She wrapped her a
rms around his waist as he stood at the counter and waited for the coffee to brew. “How you feeling, bro?”
“A little stiff, but not bad.” He turned in her arms, smiling. “Going to stand tall and strong when we go over there for dinner tonight.”
She groaned. He’d talked to their mother and handled the arrangements for them going over for dinner that evening. “Do we have to?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Yep. We’re done hiding, remember? What, they going to disown us or something?” He laughed. “The guys wubs us. They especially wubs you. We’ve got a home.”
“I was just thinking that. This isn’t home anymore. Being here doesn’t feel like being home.” She pondered that. “I didn’t expect that.” She’d spent so long convincing herself she’d made a horrible mistake falling in love with Tim and Jack, and that she’d never see them again, that to have her future laid out so brightly before her felt as surreal as her first night in their bed.
“But it makes things easier, doesn’t it?”
She nodded. “Sure does.”
Ruthie walked in, looking barely awake. “God bless you, my son. You got the coffee started.”
While Gwen and Ruthie chatted via webcam several times a week, the dramatic changes in her friend still startled Gwen, in a good way. Ruthie looked healthier and more vital than she had in years. She acted more confident, walked taller, much the way she’d been before the attack that ruined her life. She even had a telecommuting customer service job where she could work from home.
“So how are you doing?” Gwen asked her. “Really?”
Ruthie laughed and pointed to her counter. “How many pill bottles you see?”
Gwen counted only two. “What are those for?”
“One’s for cholesterol, the other’s a very mild antianxiety med, and they’ve stepped my dosage down on that one. Doctor says I might be able to start tapering off it completely next month.”
Gwen squealed and hugged her. “I’m so proud of you!”
“I’m proud of me, too.” She shrugged. “I figured if you and Liam could stand up to your parents, then it was time for me to try to take my life back, too. I got tired of being scared of everything. I like having a life again.”
* * * *
By noon, the men had picked up the moving truck, rental car, and cleared out Liam’s storage unit, while Gwen and Ruthie organized the packing of Gwen’s house. Gwen was leaving most of the furniture for Ruthie, but she had three rooms full of floor-to-ceiling bookcases she needed to empty and pack the contents.
By four that afternoon, they were halfway done with the house and Liam declared them finished for the day. “We need to get ready for dinner.”
Gwen’s stomach tensed as the reminder threatened to do what the flight from Rapid City hadn’t. “Can’t you go? I’ll stay here with Ruthie.”
Tim pulled her to him. “We’ll be there with you, honey. Strength in numbers.”
Jack jumped into the shower with her. He wore a playful smirk. “Think of it this way, either they’ll accept the situation, or they won’t. Either way it doesn’t matter, because it doesn’t change a thing between us. Right?”
“Right.” She let him gather her into his arms. “I just want peace.”
“Honey, honestly? When have you and your brother ever had peace with your parents?”
She sighed. “Never.”
“Right. That’s what Liam told me, too.” They heard the bathroom door open. “Tim, come here.”
He stuck his head into the shower. “What?”
“You brought it, right?”
Tim frowned briefly before he apparently understood what Jack meant by his question. “Yeah?”
“Brought what?” Gwen asked.
Jack smiled at her, but spoke to Tim. “Go get it.”
“Now?” Tim asked.
“Yeah, now.”
“Now what?” Gwen looked from Jack to Tim.
Tim left and reappeared a moment later. Jack and Gwen had finished and were drying off. Tim and Jack, both stark naked, dropped to one knee before her and each took a hand. “Will you marry us?” Jack asked as Tim slipped the ring on her finger.
She couldn’t speak. In shock, she just stared at the ring.
Tim said, “Technically you’re marrying me, so I wanted him to actually pop the question.”
The huge solitaire amazed her. “How did you decide who it would be?” she finally managed to ask. Part of her realized that probably wasn’t the most practical or romantic question, but it was the only thing she could think of.
Jack and Tim stood. Jack kissed her first. “I want it to be him because of the business. Makes life easier. We’ll both wear rings and take the vows though. So, are you going to keep us hanging?”
“Yes!”
Tim smiled. “Yes, you’re going to keep us hanging?”
She lightly smacked him on the shoulder. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
* * * *
Jack rode in the backseat with Gwen while Tim drove. Liam rode shotgun and gave Tim directions. Gwen felt her anxiety ratchet up close to vomit-inducing levels.
“I really don’t want to be here, guys.” Gwen said this from the safety of the rental car’s backseat as she stared at her parents’ house.
“Remember what you told me before I had my heart-to-heart with Pete?” Jack asked.
“That was different.”
“This is easier,” Jack insisted.
“Says you,” she groused. “You don’t know our parents.” She glared at the house.
Liam left his cane in the car, and after finally coaxing Gwen out of the backseat, the men flanked her and gently guided her to the front door.
Their mother frowned when she noticed Liam wasn’t using his cane, but hugged him without mentioning it. “You look so good!”
“I feel good, Mom.” Gwen huddled close to Jack and Tim as Liam introduced the men. “Mom, this is Detective Jackson Kelly, and Timothy Ellis.”
Gwen prayed Liam didn’t opt for a repeat performance tactic of lobbing his news bombs during dinner like the last time they’d eaten with their parents.
Their father stood aloof in the living room doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. “You didn’t have to bring a cop to make sure I wouldn’t hold you two hostage,” he sniped.
Gwen found her backbone and started to reply, but their mom beat her to it. “David, you shut your mouth right now. What did I tell you? Behave, or go to bed.” She planted her hands on her hips and glared at her husband.
Both Liam and Gwen gasped. “Mom!”
She turned to them and smiled. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Ruthie,” she whispered, softly enough their father couldn’t hear. “She’s rubbed off on me.”
Gwen couldn’t help but laugh. Their father glared, but kept further comments to himself and joined them at the table. Overall, dinner went better than she expected despite her father’s dark and moody silence. Tim, Jack, and Liam kept up a lively conversation with their mother. Gwen kept sneaking looks at her father and knew from the dark glare in his eyes that he would explode upon finding out the news.
Hell, even if I tell him I’m joining a convent and turning into a nun, he’d probably explode.
She realized she was stroking the engagement ring with her thumb. It felt strange and yet right to once again have a ring on that hand.
Jack and Tim both jumped up to help clear the table before dessert. They insisted on Liam and Gwen staying at the table with their father.
Liam shot her a secret wink while their father wasn’t looking.
Oh, crap.
“So, Dad, how’s work been?” Liam asked.
“It’s been like work,” he grunted. “Unlike some people, I don’t get to go driving all over the country on vacation on my brother’s dime.”
Gwen felt her stomach heave. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she heard a sudden silence descend in the kitchen.
Liam, however, laughed. “Aw, you’
ve got that backward, Dad. More like I get to loaf on Gee’s dime while she chauffeurs me all over the place.”
She dared a look. Liam wore a pleasant grin while their father scowled at him. “I think it’s stupid,” their father barked. “You need to be near your doctors, and she needs to get a real job.”
She saw the tendons tighten in Liam’s neck, but his grin never faltered. “She has a real job. One of her last books hit number three hundred on Amazon Kindle, and it spent a couple of weeks at number one on her publisher’s website.”
“Couldn’t have been good if it wasn’t higher on Kindle.” For the first time in her life, Gwen wanted to slap the smirk off her father’s face.
Liam was far from done. “No, you’ve got that wrong. There’s over several hundred thousand books on Kindle, Dad. Anything that breaks the top ten thousand, that’s good. Anything that breaks the top thousand, especially from an independent publisher, is amazing. Anything in the top five hundred…” He laughed. “Just goes to show you how much you don’t know about your most successful child, but why would you care?” He examined a hangnail and blithely said, “Not like she had an affair with a married man and got knocked up out of wedlock—”
Her father slapped the table as he roared with indignation. He bolted out of his chair. Gwen forgot about her fear as she jumped to her feet, sure that he was about to go after Liam. Their father didn’t move, however, just stood there and glared at her.
Her brother remained seated and nonplussed. “What’s wrong, Dad? The truth hurts, doesn’t it? The daughter you refuse to give her due is the child you should be the most proud of.”
“Li, it’s okay,” she said, trying to defuse the situation, although how that would be possible in this current plane of reality, she wasn’t sure. “I’m used to it.”
“Well, I’m not,” Liam insisted. “You deserve recognition for your talents, even if he doesn’t agree with how you make your living.” He finally glared at his father as he slowly stood. “And by the way, I’ve got a hot news flash for you. We’re moving, permanently, out to South Dakota. Ruthie’s buying Gee’s house.” He reached a hand out for her and she slowly walked to stand next to him. “Jack, Tim, can you come in here?”