Love Slave for Two

Chapter 29

Nevvie spent eight days in ICU before being moved to a private room. Tyler admitted to the midnight-to-six shift agreement. Rather than fighting Thomas, she made sure when Tyler was there that he climbed in bed with her, able to at least cuddle with him.

Thomas surprised her with his intense brooding and determination. He took control of everything, hovering worse than Tyler on a bad day. She knew part of that was his guilt and anger over what happened, and part was his anger at Ty and his desire to prove he was capable of taking care of her.

She needed to thaw his stony frost. “Why isn’t Tyler coming during the day, Thomas?” She knew, of course. She’d made Tyler fess up.

Thomas looked away. “He’s taking care of stuff. He’s better at that.”

Nevvie knew Thomas had quickly settled into an angry mindset, had grown way too comfortable there. She had to shake him out of it before it was too late.

“Can’t you take care of stuff?”

He still wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t want reporters seeing him here and causing you more grief.”

“Reporters? Oh, goody!” She climbed out of bed, surprising him. She shuffled to the window, pulled the blinds back, and started to lift her gown.

Shocked, he grabbed her hands. “What the hell are you doing?”

She grinned. “Might as well give them a show, right?”

He stared at her like she’d lost her mind. She dropped the act, holding his gaze. “Thomas,” she said softly, “you two need to stop making decisions for me about my comfort level with our situation.”

He studied the floor. “I don’t want people bothering you, Nevvie.”

She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. “I love both of you. Somehow we need to figure out how to get back to what we had.”

“It’s all his fault.”

“Shh.” She put a finger on his lips. “We are a family, the three of us. Suck it up and deal with it, do whatever you need to do to get to that point. Quit treating me like I need to be protected from the harsh, cruel world. I’d rather deal with it head-on.”

She stepped closer and put her arms around his neck. “I am the wife of Thomas Kinsey, a well-respected architect. I am also the wife of Tyler Paulson, a bestselling author. I am proud to be your wife, even if not legally recognized as such by the state of Florida. I love both of you, and I’m willing to deal with public opinion if both of you are by my side. Got it?”

“It’s not easy for me to pretend it didn’t happen. If he hadn’t talked me into this hare-brained scheme—”

“I’m not asking you to pretend anything. I’m asking for you to deal with it, with us as a family, not hold it in and let it ruin what we’ve got.”

“I can’t promise you that right now, Nevvie.”

She held his arm as he helped her back to bed. “Then you think on it and tell me what needs to happen to get you to that place. It’s what I want.” She settled against the pillows and played dirty. Dropping her voice to a sultry whisper, she asked, “Am I still your little slave?”

He nodded, his eyes wide with surprise.

“Master promised anything I wanted, didn’t he?”

He nodded again.

She hardened her voice. “Then you figure it out so we can make it happen.”

The doctors discharged Nevvie fourteen days after the attack. Thomas’ chill toward Tyler still hadn’t thawed. Thomas protectively scooped her from the car and carried her inside, making Tyler open the door and carry her things. Then he laid her on the couch, where he’d already prepared a comfy nest of pillows. Ty wasn’t the only one who could do things, even if he thought he was.

She could manage on the couch more easily than in their large bed. Frankly, he didn’t want Tyler sharing a bed with her. He’d deal with things once she was stronger, but he refused to fight with Ty while she recovered. It wasn’t good for her, and he wouldn’t be the one to heap more distress on her.

Once she healed, hell would break loose, guaranteed. And if Ty started any shit he wouldn’t hesitate to deck the bastard. For the first time since they’d declared their love for each other nearly thirteen years earlier, he could honestly say he hated Tyler.

She grimaced in pain as she adjusted her position. He hovered, wanting to help.

“I’m okay, Tom,” she said, her voice weak from pain and exhaustion. “I just need to find the right position.” She grimaced. “That sounded bad, didn’t it?”

He smiled, his first real moment of humor since her attack, and gently kissed her lips. “It sounded beautiful, sugar. Just hearing your voice and having you home is fantastic. I’ll get your medicine. You’re due for a pain pill, and your antibiotics. Do you want some soup or hot tea or—”

She squeezed his hand. “I want you to calm down. I’m okay. I’m not dying.”

His vision doubled, tripled, and his knees buckled as he dropped to the floor next to her. His voice a hoarse whisper, he held her hand to his cheek, kissing and nuzzling it.

“Baby girl, I thought you were. I thought I’d lost you.” He buried his head against her and sobbed, finally releasing his pent-up emotion.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, bending her head to his, whispering to him, trying to soothe him. He’d been so strong, so solid this whole time. She’d wondered how he was dealing. Here was her answer: he hadn’t dealt with it at all. Normally he would lean on Tyler, but without that he’d simply pushed it back and focused on her.

Wracked with guilt and self-loathing, Tyler watched from the kitchen. Thomas was absolutely right. This was his fault. How their sweet Nevvie could forgive him was beyond comprehension. And Thomas also paying for his stupidity.

Tyler retreated to their bedroom and shut the door, leaving them alone for the rest of the day.

Thomas didn’t come to bed. Tyler walked to the kitchen around midnight to get a drink and saw Nevvie in the living room, caught a glint of her eye from the flickering TV screen as she watched. Thomas wasn’t there. He must have gone to her old room. He walked to the doorway and watched her, hating himself, loving her, loving Thomas, and his heart breaking because he felt that love slipping through his fingers. He knew he had no one to blame except his own stupid self.

She sensed his presence. “Hey, Ty.” She lifted her hand and he forced his feet across the living room to her side. He sank to the floor next to the couch, taking her hand.

“How do you feel, sweetheart? Can I get you anything?”

She brushed the hair from his forehead. “I want my family back. I want the two of you to kiss and make up.”

He choked back his sob. “How can you forgive me?”

“Because I love you. Yes, I was pissed, but I’ve had a lot of time to think. About how you guys treated me from day one. Then that stupid bitch tried to convince me I was ‘mentally abused.’ I thought, why was I standing up for you if I was so pissed at you?”

She stroked his cheek. “From the beginning you guys took care of me, even when I worked for you. You always tried to make things perfect. When you found out what kind of coffee I loved, you always made it. My birthday breakfast was perfect, you made my favorite foods. You used to wear shorts on Thursdays until I mentioned one day when you’d dressed up how nice you looked, then you dressed like that every Thursday. How long did it take you to find the necklace?”

He looked away, unable to meet her intense gaze. “I pinched the magazine from the recycling bin after you left that afternoon. It took me a month to find one as close to it as I could.”

“See? That’s you. People who don’t know you, they think you’re a control freak. I’ll admit I did, too, at first. But I realized from the date on the file, you planned the night of the party for weeks. That’s right, isn’t it?”

He nodded, still unable to look at her. She gently tipped his chin so she could see his eyes. He cried, tears streaming down his face, breaking her heart.

“Ty,” she whispered, “I was stupid to run away like I did. I should have locked myself in our room and calmed down and then had it out with you instead of storming off, but I got mad and scared. When I had time to put it all together I realized you spent weeks planning that night. At first I thought it was because you only wanted to get in my pants. Then I realized it was because you wanted it to be perfect. The script stopped at leaving the party. You spent all that time and effort for me. Either of you could have made love to me the week before, and you didn’t, you waited. Okay, so Tommy was interrupted, but he could have tried again and didn’t.”

He nodded, beyond words, his heart shattered, not daring to hope for a miracle.

She tried to dry his tears. “I love you, Tyler. I don’t love you because you’ve forced me to love you, or because of any sex games we play. I know you’d rather die than hurt me. You would die for me. Both of you would. I know you turn yourself inside out to make things perfect for others, you think of everyone before yourself. People who don’t know you don’t see it like that. Now, I do. You do it because you’re terrified of people not liking or wanting you. I don’t even think Thomas realizes that.”

He cried, inconsolable. He dropped his head to the sofa next to her while she whispered to him, her hand in his hair, her head touching his, trying to calm him.

“I’m so sorry, Nevvie. I wish Alex had attacked me. I wish I could take your pain away.”

She forced him to look at her. “Tyler,” she said, her voice firm and unwavering. “Stop. If I hadn’t been attacked I might have left and still be pissed at you. I might never have seen the truth about you. I might never have known. I might have lost you both forever.” She watched him and waited until his eyes finally settled on hers. “How long has it been since you spoke to your father?”

He shuddered. “Since I was seventeen.”

“Don’t you think it’s time you stop trying to make your parents love you by taking care of everyone else?”

He froze, closed his eyes and sobbed, the sound breaking her heart. She slowly rolled to her side, scooted to the back of the couch, and patted the cushion next to her. He carefully curled up with her and rested his head on her chest while she held him. He cried himself to sleep in her arms as she whispered to him, trying to soothe his long-wounded soul.

When Nevvie awoke at dawn the next morning Tyler wasn’t there, but the cushions next to her were warm. He hadn’t left too long before. She carefully pushed into a sitting position.

It hurt, enough to make her jaw clench from the effort. Thomas had been right to put her on the couch.

Frankly, she didn’t want to be in their bed if both boys weren’t with her.

She stood on shaky legs and used the guest bathroom, then walked to their bedroom. The bed was empty and disheveled. She touched her hand to where Tyler would sleep. Cold.

She heard the shower start and gave Tyler a moment to get under the spray, knowing he’d be standing there thinking, trying to wake up, running through his freakishly endless mental to-do list before soaping up.

She slowly stripped and left her clothes where they fell. Tyler would gladly take care of them. She silently opened the bathroom door and crossed the cool tile floor. Sensing her presence, he turned when she stepped into the shower.

Eyes red and puffy, he looked like hell.

Tyler’s gaze ran over her body, finally seeing what Alex’s knife did to her. Thomas helped her bathe in the hospital. Tyler hadn’t seen the full extent of the damage. He hesitantly put his arms around her, careful to place his hands where he wouldn’t hurt her, cradling her as he cried.

“I’m sorry, Nevvie. I’m so sorry.”

“Shh. It’s okay.”

“Oh God, Nevvie, I love you much it hurts, sweetheart.”

She kissed his chest and carefully wiggled against him, trapping his cock between her thighs and shifting slightly in the familiar way she knew would arouse him.

It did, but he cried. “I don’t want to hurt you, we can’t—”

She put finger on his lips. “Do you trust me?”

He vigorously nodded.

“Do you still want me?”

He’d give himself whiplash if he kept that up. But she felt a stirring inside her, knowing it was the control she held over his soul and body, knowing despite his despair she still had the power to arouse him.

Nevvie wrapped her fingers around his member. She knew there was no way the boys had made love with each other or taken care of themselves while she was gone. She backed up until she felt the cool tile against her flesh, leading him by his shaft. She spread her legs a little. It wouldn’t be perfect; he’d have to compensate.

“Tyler,” she whispered, “get on your knees, baby.”

He dove to the shower floor, gently licking and kissing her damp folds while she braced her hands on his shoulders. He nibbled and sucked her clit, stroking her with his tongue and fingers, moaning with her when she dug her fingers into him as she came.

She patted the top of his head, and he climbed to his feet. She caught his cock and guided him to her entrance, leaning against him for support. “Now,” she whispered, “show me how much you love me, baby.”

He carefully shifted his weight, bent his knees to accommodate their difference in height and her reduced mobility, and slowly seated his shaft inside her still-quivering sex.

She put her arms around him with a sigh of pleasure. She still hurt, but the physical and emotional sensations were well worth the discomfort. “That’s what you did to me,” she whispered. “That’s what you always do to me, baby. Because I love you.”

He took several slow, careful strokes, afraid of hurting her but now a prisoner to the passion building within him.

“Will you promise to never leave me?” she softly asked.

“I’ll never leave you, Nevvie. I promise.”

“Will you do anything I ask, Tyler?”

“Yes!”

She used one hand to hold his chin steady so her eyes bored into his, inches from him. “Do you promise?”

He nodded.

She dropped her voice even further, used the sultry slave voice. “I want you to come for me, Tyler. Show your little slave you still love and want her.”

His eyes widened. He took two strong strokes and she felt his hot liquid shoot deep inside her. He dropped his head to her shoulder and moaned as she caressed his back, then he braced his hands against the wall to maintain his balance as his knees weakened.

He bathed her, washing her hair, shaving her legs, making her lean on him for support. They didn’t talk. When they finished he carefully patted her dry, kissing her body, constantly murmuring, “I love you,” against her flesh.

He led her to their bedroom and got her some clothes, one of Thomas’ loose T-shirts and a pair of his own baggy silk boxers. He helped her dress, then she held his arm as he walked her back to the couch.

“I’ll get your morning meds ready.”

“Don’t bother,” Thomas said, scowling as he walked into the kitchen, his hair disheveled from sleep. “I’ll take care of her. We don’t need your help.”

Before she could stop him, Tyler’s gaze dropped to the floor. He retreated to their bedroom and quietly closed the door behind him.

Thomas waited until Tyler had departed. “Good morning, sugar.” He knelt beside her, kissed her, and tucked a damp hair behind her ear. “How did you sleep?”

She fixed him with her green eyes. “You need to quit hating him.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You do, because I don’t hate him. It’s hard to have the two men I love at each other’s throats.”

“How can you love him? This is all his fau—”

She put a finger on his lips, stilling him. “Stop.” She left her finger there, waiting for his sweet brown eyes to settle on hers.

“Do you trust me?”

He nodded. She would have to heal them individually before they could heal together.

She cradled his head in her hands and kissed him. At first he tried to pull away, afraid of hurting her. Then he responded, exploring her mouth, his tongue gently caressing hers. That’s when she sat back with his face still trapped between her palms.

“Will you do anything for your little slave, Master?”

His eyes widened, but he nodded.

“Promise?”

He nodded.

“Will you let me suck your cock?”

He started to protest. She used her thumbs to gently silence him and tried again.

“Your slave wants to suck your cock. Are you going to deny her fondest wish?”

He stood. She carefully scooted to the edge of the couch and pulled him to her, between her legs.

She pushed his hands away from his waistband when he tried to pull his shorts down. “Let me do this.”

She laid her face against his hips, closing her eyes at the feel of his fingers tangling in her still-damp hair. She nuzzled his growing bulge, breathing in his familiar scent. She ran her teeth over him through the fabric, enjoying the sound of his low moan, feeling the deep stirrings within her again. She waited until he was hard and throbbing before freeing his thick shaft, running her fingers up and down his smooth flesh, reaching between his legs to gently massage his balls.

“Oh, Nevvie, that’s wonderful.”

“I haven’t started yet.” She licked the head, swirling her tongue around him the way he loved, flicking the tip for several long, slow minutes before wrapping her lips around it and taking him in. She stopped when just the head was inside her mouth, massaging him with her tongue, thoroughly exploring the silky smooth surface. His hips started a slow, sultry thrusting, and his fingers tightened in her hair, then relaxed as if he realized what he was doing, afraid of hurting her.

With steady, pulsating sucks she worked her way down his shaft, tasting him, feeling him throb against her tongue. She used one hand to massage his balls and the other to stroke him. It didn’t take long. When she felt him start to come she grabbed his hips and held him tight, swallowing every hot drop and taking him deep into her throat.

Thomas grabbed the back of the couch, trying not to fall on her as she refused to let go, suckling him until he grew soft in her mouth. Only then did she release him and crook her finger at him to lean in close.

She grabbed his head, kissing him, jamming her tongue deep in his mouth, drawing more moans from him. When she released him she whispered in his ear, “I love you, Thomas. And I love him. I will not choose. I want you to remember how much you love him. It would break my heart to lose either of you. I need both of you.”

He dropped to his knees, crying, his head in her lap. She stroked his hair, rubbing his shoulders. Now she had an idea how to reconnect them, to pull Tyler from his shame and Thomas from his anger. She’d play dirty if she had to.

Tyler wasn’t the only one who could plan.

When Thomas recovered he sat up and tenderly kissed her. “I’ll get your medicine. What do you want for breakfast?”

She smiled. “I just had it.”

He looked blank for a moment before laughing. It was the best sound she’d heard in weeks. He caressed her cheek and touched his forehead to hers. “It’s going to take me a while to get to that place, if ever. I won’t lie to you, Nevvie. Because of what he did—”

“He didn’t stab me. You said you trust me. Do you trust me to make up my mind about this?”

He nodded and kissed the top of her head. “Scrambled eggs?”

“Okay.”

Her pussy tingled again even though pain now climbed through her body, demanding attention and medicine, fighting for control even while she thought about how Thomas sounded when he came for her, and how Tyler moaned against her neck.

Thomas brought her medicine and a glass of water. When he turned she caught his hand and held it. He helped her lay on the couch and knelt beside her.

“Do you hurt, sugar?”

Nevvie smiled. She drew him to her, kissed him, then placed his hand between her legs. She whispered in his ear, “Feel what you’ve done to your little slave, Master.”

He kissed her again as his fingers slipped inside her waistband and found her wet. He gently inserted two fingers, stroking her clit with his thumb. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his ear.

“Please make me come, Master,” she breathed, and in a few minutes, he did.

Nevvie dozed, content, awakened by the smell of eggs and coffee. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings and made an effort not to grimace at how sweet he’d fixed her coffee. Tyler prepared it perfectly for her—the right amount of sugar, just enough to barely sweeten it and take the bitterness away, no milk. Thomas had dumped several heaping spoonfuls into the mug.

Tyler always made it right, closely studying her every move the first few weeks she worked for them, then mimicking exactly how she fixed it. She remembered his proud smile the first time he handed her an already-prepared mug and expectantly watched her face while she sipped and nodded her approval.

He’d beamed.

Now she understood why it seemed so important to him—because it was.

God, how could it have taken her so long to see that about her sweet Tyler? That his entire existence revolved around making them happy?

The bedroom door opened. Fully dressed, Tyler walked into the kitchen. He glanced at her, avoiding Thomas’ glare. She smiled and he finally returned it.

Tyler watched as she choked down another sip of coffee. He reached for a mug, hesitated, and grabbed one out of the cabinet that was a duplicate to the one she held.

She ate. The eggs were good. Thomas wasn’t a bad cook. Plain, basic, hearty Southern food. He just…wasn’t Tyler. Thomas’ strengths lay in his sturdy, solid nature, his willingness to die to protect those he loved, his attention to the big picture and reliability to get the job done, one way or another. Tyler was the detail man.

When Tyler walked into the living room, Thomas took his plate to the kitchen and left them alone. She thought it was odd the way Tyler turned his back to the kitchen before leaning over and setting his coffee mug next to hers. Then he kissed her and picked up his mug, returning to the kitchen. When she took her next sip of coffee, hoping she could choke it down, it was perfect.

Startled, she looked at Tyler and watched as he waited until Thomas had retreated down the hall to dump the mug, rinse it, and pour himself a cup of black coffee.

She mouthed a silent thank you. He shrugged and started to make his breakfast.

That was Tyler: modest, self-effacing, always paying attention. A lesser man would have made a big deal, or at least a snide remark, about the coffee being totally wrong to avenge his bruised ego.

She had to remind Thomas why he fell in love with Tyler if she was going to bring them together again.

Nevvie planned.

Both men stayed home, carefully avoiding the other. She couldn’t keep them in the same room for more than a few minutes at a time. Thomas let Tyler make lunch. After they finished eating, he wordlessly helped clean up the kitchen. Ah good. Finally, a thaw.

She needed to act before her afternoon pain pill knocked her out. It had to be today. The tension in the air suffocated her. She wanted to curl up with her boys—both of them.

When they finished cleaning the kitchen she called them into the living room to stand before her. She’d retrieved her phone from the office on her last potty trip. Tyler’s BlackBerry was clipped to his slacks.

She held out her hand. “Tyler, give me your phone.”

“What?”

She snapped her fingers. “Give it.” Puzzled but compliant, he unclipped the holster and handed it to her.

Thomas watched, curious.

She studied her boys for a long moment then used the remote to mute the TV. She deliberately kept her voice soft.

“I want you to stay silent and listen. Simply nod or shake your heads unless I ask you a question requiring an answer, understand?”

The men glanced at each other, but nodded.

“Good. I love you. Both of you, got that? Not one or the other. We were perfectly happy a little over two weeks ago, and I want that happiness back. Do you still love me?”

They immediately nodded.

“Do you still love each other?”

The men nodded—Tyler first, without hesitation.

“Good.” She let the silence settle for a moment, allowing them to ponder that. “Am I still your little slave?”

They nodded.

“Are you still both my masters?”

Nods.

“This morning, you have each promised me you’d do whatever I asked. Did you mean it?”

Another glance at each other, but they nodded.

“Strip.”

Thomas started to say something and she pointed at him. “Did I say you could speak? That was an order, not a question.”

His mouth snapped shut, and he shook his head.

The men looked at her, then each other, and started undressing.

She smiled, nodding. “Very good,” she purred. “That pleases me.”

When they stood naked before her, she let them stand there for a few long minutes before speaking. “Thomas, why did you fall in love with Tyler?”

“What?”

“Did you not hear the question, or did you not understand it?”

He frowned, studying her. She saw the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out what she was up to. She struggled to keep her gaze off Tyler. She knew Tyler understood, and Nevvie didn’t want Thomas to think Tyler was in on this, tag-teaming him and backing him into a corner where his ego would force him to resist her efforts.

Thomas finally answered. “I fell in love with him for a lot of reasons.”

“Did you guys have sex on the first date?” She already knew this but had to make him remember.

He looked at the floor. “No. We went out for coffee.” She watched him steal a glance at Tyler, who stood with his arms crossed while studying the ceiling fan.

“What happened on your date?”

“We talked for about four hours.”

“Tell me about your next date. What did you do?” Again she knew this, but in light of her recent insights she now understood why Tyler did what he did.

“He called me the next day and asked if I wanted to go with him to a Lightning game. The Thrashers were in town. I said sure.”

“And?”

Thomas didn’t speak at first. Then, with a soft voice full of memories, “He got us box seats, center ice. Expensive seats.”

“Was it a good game?”

He shrugged. “I was rooting for the Thrashers, but it didn’t matter that the Bolts won. I normally rooted for them.”

“How did Tyler like it?”

A hint of a smile. “It was his first hockey game ever.” Thomas shook his head. “He thought an icing call was when the players cut hard and sprayed snow.” She smiled, as did Tyler. Thomas finally looked at his lover. “He didn’t know what checking meant. I had to explain it all to him, why they’d stop playing when the light at the officials’ bench went on, what a power play was, everything. It was cute.”

“If he’d never been to a hockey game before, why did he take you?”

Thomas remained quiet for a long moment. “Because I’d mentioned it when we had coffee. We were discussing sports and I said I liked hockey.”

“Tell me about your next date.”

“He cooked me dinner.”

“What’d he make?”

“Pork chops and sweet potato soufflé.”

“Interesting choice. Most people would try to impress with steak or something fancy.”

Thomas looked at the ceiling. She knew she’d made progress because his eyes moistened. “All right. He could have written my biography by our third date, and we went out two weeks before I even asked him about his family. I was an insensitive asshole. Point made.”

“No, point not made,” she insisted. “Turn and face each other.”

They looked at her, but complied.

“Move closer.”

They inched closer, still not touching, but she let them be. “What did Tyler give you your first Christmas together when you were dating?” She knew they’d only been together a couple of months at that point.

Thomas frowned then studied his feet again. “A Frank Lloyd Wright book I’d been looking for and couldn’t find because it was out of print. I couldn’t find any copies. He snagged a mint first edition.”

“What did you give him?” He didn’t answer. “Thomas?”

“All right.” He sighed. “I gave him a Wal-Mart gift card.” He looked at her. “Yes, I know, I was a schmuck. He hadn’t had time to wear off on me yet. I was still in grad school for chrissake.”

She laughed. Tyler smiled. Tyler had educated Thomas in many ways since then. “What did he say when you gave it to him?”

“He acted like it was the best thing he’d ever got.”

She let that sink in a moment before softly asking, “Why did you fall in love with Tyler?”

Thomas rubbed his nose. “Because he made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. He didn’t try to change me. I know I’m not stupid, but he’s classy and he never made me feel like I wasn’t, even back then. Because I was still in school and making shit money, and frankly I was a loud-mouthed asshole jock back then, but he wasn’t ashamed to take me to meet his friends or the professors he worked with. He was always proud of me even though his friends turned their noses up at me because I wasn’t classy enough in their eyes.”

He took a deep breath and finally met Tyler’s steady gaze. “He made me feel loved.”

Mentally, she rejoiced. She knew from Tom’s face that the point had been made, but she needed to drive it home in a way he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

“Tell me about the first time you made love.”

Thomas’ eyes remained on Tyler. He took a long time to answer. “We’d been going out maybe two weeks. I already knew I loved him. From talking we both knew we were bi, and I’d messed around with men a few times but I’d never had a serious relationship with a guy before. Not where I’d let them…” He didn’t finish.

“Fuck you in the ass. That’s what you mean, right?” She hated talking about a tender, emotional event in such a crude way, but she hoped the harsh language would help Thomas put his cherished memory in proper perspective.

“Yeah. I’d been with girls. I’d blown a guy and gotten blown, hand jobs, whatever. But I never met a guy I liked enough to do that with.”

“That you trusted?”

He still looked at Tyler. “Yeah,” he whispered. “That I trusted.”

“Did he come onto you?”

“No. We were sitting on his couch, watching a movie and drinking wine. I kept moving closer.” His eyes traveled across Tyler’s face. “We were talking. He looked at me and I fell into his eyes. Then I kissed him.”

“How did that feel?” From the way his cock twitched at the memory, she suspected it had felt pretty damn good.

“Good. I kept kissing him and then I asked if he had any rubbers.”

Nevvie could easily imagine younger Thomas being that tactless and unromantic.

Thomas continued. “I got his shirt off him and offered to give him a back rub, and then eventually we were naked in bed.”

“Then what?” His cock slowly inflated. Tyler apparently enjoyed reliving the memory because he also stiffened.

“He asked me what I wanted to do, what I was comfortable doing. I told him I’d never done that before. So the first thing he did was suck me off.” That brought out full wood for both men. “Then he had me fuck him, talked me through it, how to be gentle and savor it.”

“Had you done that before?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“You didn’t get him off?”

“Not right then.” Thomas looked at the floor and his face turned red. “He got me off twice and then I asked him to…”

“Fuck you?” she helped.

He nodded. “Yeah. If I hadn’t asked he never would have done it. He didn’t want to pressure me.”

“How did it feel?” She assumed he liked it knowing how much they enjoyed it now. Considering her virgin status in that department she looked forward to hearing more.

Thomas took a deep breath and glanced at Ty. “Real good. He was gentle and slow and took a long time. He reached around and got me off a third time while he did it.”

“What did you do then?”

His face reddened again. “I rolled over and went to sleep.”

She let them stand there for a moment. “Thomas,” she whispered. He turned to her. “Why do you love Tyler?”

He looked at Tyler, who was crying. “Because he loves me.”

“Hug, and you’d better mean it.”

Thomas enveloped Tyler’s shorter frame while Tyler cried and apologized, his arms tightly wrapped around his lover, his friend—his soul mate. Eventually they stepped back. Nevvie frowned.

“Ah ah ah! I didn’t say you could let go.”

They both smiled. Thomas’ eyes were wet. They embraced, watching her. She left them standing there for a few moments.

“Can I say something?” Thomas asked. She nodded.

He dried his lover’s tears with his hands. “I’m sorry, Ty.” His voice choked with emotion. “I thought she was leaving, and then I was so scared we’d lose her. I don’t hate you. I love you. I thought she was going to die. I was angry and scared.” He broke down sobbing as Tyler clutched him, comforting him.

This was how it should have been while she was in the hospital.

“Okay, boys,” she eventually said. “Come here and give me some of that.” The men sat beside her, forming their group hug. After a few minutes she handed Tyler his phone. “I want the two of you to go into the bedroom.”

“Why do I need this?”

She touched both of their faces. “Because all the times I’ve gone with one of you and the other phoned in so we could talk while making love, never once have I had the pleasure of being the third on the phone. I want the two of you to go to bed and have some fantastic make-up sex. You’re going to leave the bedroom door open and make a hell of a lot of noise, and we’re going to pretend I’m not in the same house.”

Thomas gently hugged Nevvie, kissing her. “And here I thought he was the evil genius.”

Tyler leaned in and kissed her, then whispered in her ear, “You and I shall talk later, sweet.”

The men stood. Thomas offered Tyler his hand. Tyler took it. She watched their bare asses leaving the living room and said, “Oh, boys.” They turned. “If you don’t do it right the first time, you’ll have to keep doing it until I’m convinced you’ve made up.”

Both men laughed. Thomas slipped his arm around Tyler’s shoulder, while Tyler’s settled around Thomas’ waist. When they were in the bedroom she dialed his phone. Tyler laughed and answered.

“Yes?”

“Speaker phone, sir.”

“Hold on.” She heard him find the button and lay it on the bed. “Can you hear?”

“Yes. What’s going on?”

She heard rustling from the bed, then Tyler. “He’s got me on my stomach and is giving me a back rub.”

“How’s it feel?”

“Good. He’s running his thumbs down the sides of my—oh!—spine. He just cracked me.”

She laughed. After a few minutes she asked, “What’s going on, boys? Talk to me.”

“I’m still rubbing his back,” Thomas said.

“Well, it’s time for you to flip him over and rub his front.”

“Okay, sweet, I’m rolled over.”

She dropped her voice to the sexy tone she knew would get both men instantly fuck-ready. “Now, Thomas, I want you to suck Tyler’s cock for me, sugar.” He must have, because Tyler gasped. She carefully stood and snuck halfway down the hall, far enough she could see into the bedroom without them seeing her. “How’s it feel, Ty?”

Ty had his hands tangled in Tom’s hair and watched his lover. “God, it feels great, Nevvie. I wish you could see him.” He threw his head back and closed his eyes.

“He’s good?”

“He’s the best…no offense.”

“None taken, sweetie. Reach between his legs, Thomas, and gently rub his balls the way he likes. Take your time and make him moan. I want to hear him enjoy it.” She watched Tom bend to his task and from the way he squirmed on the bed, she imagined he was pretty horny, too.

Tyler moaned again, drawing his legs up so Thomas had better access.

In her sexiest tone, “Thomas, why don’t you finger him while you’re at it? You know he loves that.” Both men moaned at her command. Tyler gasped.

“Talk to me, Tyler.”

He barely could. “Oh, Nevvie, sweetheart, he’s got his finger in my arse and my cock down his throat. Oh, God, that feels good!” he gasped.

From the looks of it, Tyler wouldn’t last more than a minute or two. Thomas knew exactly how to send Tyler into orbit. “Do you feel it building in your balls, baby? Do you feel that gentle squeezing he does, the way he milks it out of you? Do you like that?”

Tyler moaned, his hands on Thomas’ head, and there it was. “Oh God, Nevvie, I’m coming!” On the bed he spasmed, thrusting his hips into Thomas’ mouth. Tom didn’t miss a drop, sucking and licking Ty until he knew every last wave had run its course. She wished she was with them but wanted them to have this time alone to re-bond.

“Thomas, don’t stop licking him until you’re sure he’s through.” Thomas moaned. From the way he went at it, she knew Tyler wouldn’t have any problem getting him off.

Thomas eventually lifted his head and kissed Tyler’s cock. “He’s done, Nevvie.”

“Tell me how he tasted. You know I love the way you both taste.”

“Good, Nevvie. Real good.” Thomas’ sexy growl told her he was more than ready.

“Go wash up and get back in bed.” He did, and a moment later was lying next to Tyler.

“I’m back.”

“I want you to kiss.” They did, and she fought the urge to join them. She was wet from watching and listening. The painkiller was starting to work though, and she felt woozy. She needed to sit down soon before it knocked her out. “Tyler, you know what I want you to do, don’t you?”

“You want me to suck his cock.”

“That’s right, sweetheart.” Tyler kissed his way down Thomas’ firm chest, across the flat plain of his abs, and slowly nuzzled his cock. “What’s he doing, Tom?”

Tom lifted his head and watched Tyler. “He’s getting…Oh, baby, he’s got me in his mouth.”

She smiled. Tyler had taught her exactly what to do to get Tom off, so she knew what he was doing. “How’s it feel? Tell me what he’s doing.”

“He’s licking me, baby, swirling his tongue…Oh!”

“Deep throat him, Ty. I want to hear him.”

Tyler did, automatically reaching between Tom’s legs to massage his sac, eliciting a deep, satisfied moan from Tom. “He’s doing it,” Thomas gasped.

“Tyler, I know you love the way he tastes. I want you to suck every last drop out of him. I want to hear him make a lot of noise, baby.”

“He’s—oh yeah!” Thomas fucked his hips into Ty’s mouth as he came, and a moment later the men were cuddled in each other’s arms.

She returned to the couch. “Come out here and kiss me, both of you.”

She hung up and waited, listening for the sound of the bed. They padded out a moment later, smiling, kneeling before her. Thomas was first. He kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless from his passion.

“Very good.” Tyler was next and she tasted more of Thomas on him, or maybe it was her own good memories from earlier in the morning. “Mmm, yum.”

She gripped their hands. “I want you to go back and make love for me, okay? I’m going to take a nap. Leave the door open so I can hear.”

They both leaned in to kiss her one last time before returning to the bedroom. She relaxed, closing her eyes, trying to stay awake. She drifted to sleep to the distinct tone of Tyler moaning while Thomas fucked him.

She awoke before dark to the aroma of frying bacon. The living room TV was on, but with the sound turned low. The men stood in the kitchen, shirtless, but wearing boxers. She watched as they worked together to cook dinner. Thomas occasionally patted Tyler on the ass to get by, Tyler put his hand on Tom’s back, both smiling and talking in low tones so as not to wake her.

Status quo re-established. Moving with caution she stood, startling them when she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“Are we okay now?” she asked.

They looked at each other and nodded.

She kissed Thomas, then Tyler. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again. Promise?”

“We promise,” Thomas said. “I’m sorry we put you through more stress. And I’m sorry about—”

“You’re still my masters, and I’m still your little slave. Truth be told, the Halloween party was fun.” She looked at Tyler. “Now I understand why you planned it so well.”

He hung his head. “I’m sorry you thought we were using you, Nevvie. I never wanted you to think that, sweetheart.”

“Shh. Stop, it’s okay. Good make-up sex after I fell asleep?”

The men grinned.

“I’m sorry I missed that.” She took a deep breath. “You know, I’ve been thinking I’d like to change my name.”

Tyler frowned in confusion. “What?”

“How does Nevaeh Kinsey-Paulson sound to you two?”

Their jaws dropped and they gently hugged her.

“Fantastic,” Tyler said.

“Beautiful,” said Thomas.

“Good. Then that’s settled. After Alex’s trial is over, we’ll do it. I don’t want to do it before.”

“Because it would look odd on the witness list,” Tyler said.

“Yes. I imagine it’s going to be interesting enough. Don’t need to add any other acts to that three-ring circus. Of course, you know what that means, right?”

Both men shook their heads, confused.

With a sultry smile and sexy voice she purred, “It means once my name is changed, I’ll have given myself, totally, to my masters. Then they can finally take what’s rightfully theirs to have.”

The men were a little slow on the uptake. She blamed it on stress. Tyler got it first, then Thomas a moment later. Both men smiled.

“Seriously?” Tyler whispered.

“It’s only fair.” She studied his blue eyes. God, she loved these men. “I know you won’t hurt me. You’ll be as gentle as you were with Thomas.”

Thomas put his hand on the small of her back. “We’ll be gentle, we promise. And if it doesn’t—”

She stopped him. “It’ll feel great because I know you will have it all planned, right?”

Tyler grinned, kissing her again. “Yes, sweetheart, we’ll have it planned.”

Dinner was wonderful. She managed to sit at the table without too much pain. Tyler made her favorite comfort food—BLT sandwiches on soft honey wheat bread, the bacon cooked exactly how she liked.

Of course.

After dinner she settled on the couch while the boys cleaned up the kitchen. They watched TV and talked for a while then she waved them over.

“Help me up. Let’s go to bed.”

She sighed as she nestled against Tyler. His body fit her perfectly like that, exactly supporting and holding her. Facing Thomas, she tucked her head in the crook of his arm while his other rested across them on Tyler’s hip. Like that, they fell asleep as one.

She had no bad dreams.

The next morning she opened her eyes to find Thomas watching her.

“Good morning, sugar.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “How’d you sleep?”

She caressed his cheek. “Real good, now that I’m back where I belong.”

Tyler gently squeezed her shoulder and kissed the nape of her neck. “Good morning, love.”

She patted his hand, still too sore to turn her head that far. “Good morning.” Then she noticed the time, after eight. “Oh, geez, I’m sorry guys. I didn’t realize I’d slept that late.”

“It’s okay,” Thomas said. “We’ve been awake for a while. We didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You stayed in bed so I wouldn’t wake up?” He nodded. “My boys are back for good, right?”

“Yes,” they said.

Thomas leaned in for another kiss. “I’ll go start coffee and get your morning meds.”

“Thank you.”

He carefully rolled away, trying not to jostle her. Naked, he walked to the kitchen. She watched his backside down the hall as long as she could.

“Yum.”

Tyler laughed. “Reading my mind again, sweet?” He moved out of her way so she could roll over and look at him.

She touched his cheek. “There you are.”

He brushed the hair from her face. “Here I am, love. Always.” He leaned in for a proper kiss, his eyes locked on hers. “Thank you, love,” he whispered. “Thank you from the bottom of my soul.”

“Tyler, if you think I’m letting you two screw things up around here, you’re sadly mistaken.”

“You’re bloody brilliant. You should go back to school, become a psychologist.”

“Hey, I learned from the master.”

Tyler laughed out loud. “Have I ever told you how much I absolutely love you?” His eyes bored into hers and she felt the pull with him, that special unique connection that was different from, but equally strong as, what she had with Thomas.

“I love you, too. Don’t you ever forget it. Now help me up and get your ass out to the kitchen to make my coffee before Tom does.”

He grinned. “Gladly. Anything for my angel.”