Theirs to Keep

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - S E V E N

MERRICK’S NOSTRILS FLARED, AND CADE’S eyes ignited with quick fire. The two men stared intently at her, silent and assessing. They practically vibrated with anticipation. If she’d had any doubts about whether they wanted her in a physical capacity, she certainly didn’t now. In fact, they looked very much like they were straining to keep a tight leash on their response.

“Elle, are you sure, honey?” Cade asked.

“We don’t want to rush this,” Merrick said in a steady voice rich with patience. And love. “We have all the time in the world.”

“I want to try,” she said huskily. “I want it very badly. I’ve dreamed of having the two of you kiss me and touch me.”

“I’ve dreamed about it too,” Merrick admitted.

“Then make both our dreams come true,” she said.

Without saying anything further, Cade stood and held out his hand to her. Without hesitation, she slid her fingers over his palm and laced them with his, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

Merrick put his hand to her back and walked with her and Cade toward the bedroom.

The closer they got, the more nervous she became. It wasn’t that she was afraid. Or maybe she was. Just a little. What she feared most was not being able to go through with it.

They stopped just in front of the bed, and she simply stood there, uncertain of what to do next. If only she was bolder, more confident.

She needn’t have worried, because Cade and Merrick took the reins. Merrick pressed in close behind her, kissing her neck as his hands slid down her body to unfasten her jeans. Cade angled his head down to capture her lips, and he worked in opposition to Merrick, pulling up her shirt while Merrick divested her of her pants.

In a few seconds’ time, she was standing in only her bra and panties. The men’s hands were on her skin, their lips branding her flesh. Shivers of delight and anticipation licked over her body. She craved this. Craved them. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d wanted and needed this until now, when she was on the very brink of discovery.

She wanted to touch them. Wanted to please them. The instinct was deep and pressing, an overwhelming urge to bring them the ultimate pleasure.

Before she even realized what it was she was doing, she slid to her knees in front of them, her head slightly bowed. When she lifted her gaze once more, wanting to see them undress, she saw confusion in their eyes.

Merrick reached for her, gently pulling her upward once more.

“No way, baby. You don’t kneel in front of us. Ever. Come here.”

He tugged her into his arms and kissed her deeply, passionately. Before he’d always been so careful, always restraining himself, as if he always feared unleashing the full force of his desire on her.

Not so now.

She moaned softly under the bruising force of his kiss. She loved the power emanating from him. Needed it like a drug.

Cade’s hands coasted down her body, catching at her underwear and then pulling downward with a firm tug. And then his knuckles brushed her back as he unclasped her bra.

Merrick let her go long enough for Cade to pull her flush against his chest. Then Merrick reached forward to take the straps over her shoulders and down her arms until the bra fell away and she was finally naked in front of them.

She was molded tightly to Cade’s chest, her behind cradled in his groin. His erection bulged against her, and instinctively, she rubbed, enjoying the friction against her skin.

“You’re beautiful,” Cade whispered in her ear. “Do you have any idea how beautiful?”

She tilted her head back, allowing him access to her neck. His mouth slid warmly from her ear to her shoulder, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin in between.

“I want to see you and Merrick undress,” she murmured.

“That can be arranged,” Cade said as he pulled his mouth away.

He guided her toward the bed, turned her around and eased her down on the edge. Then he backed away and began to undress.

Her gaze was riveted to the sight of the two men stripping out of their pants and shirts.

Merrick reached down and pulled his shirt up and over his head, baring his lean midriff. The muscles in his chest rippled and bulged as he tossed the shirt aside, and then he went for his pants, and she forgot to breathe.

Cade was quicker and more impatient. Neither man spared the other a single glance as they undressed. Their gazes were focused on her and only her.

When they got down to just their underwear, they slowed. They both looked at her, almost as if making certain she was still on board. Merrick wore plain boxers while Cade wore boxer briefs. But the two men could make even the plainest underwear damn sexy.

Seemingly satisfied that she wasn’t going to bolt from the room the moment she saw their erections, they got rid of the underwear, and for the first time, she got an uninhibited feast for the eyes.

“Lay back, honey,” Cade said, his voice gruff. “Get comfortable, because we’re going to make you feel very, very good.”

She swallowed hard and slowly reclined, allowing her back to push into the mattress. Her legs still dangled over the side, and she slid her heels onto the metal frame lip.

The action spread her thighs, baring her to their avid gazes. And suddenly they both loomed over her, one on either side as they got onto the bed with her.

Merrick lowered his head, his lips closing warmly over her nipple as he sucked it between his teeth. She arched into him, her back bowing as she strained to get closer. She wanted more. God, she needed more.

Her breath escaped in a ragged puff, and Cade swallowed it up as he claimed her mouth in a primal, possessive kiss that had her blood surging hotly through her veins.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

The palm of Cade’s hand glided over her belly and lower to the juncture of her thighs and then lower still, until his fingers slid through the delicate folds of her pussy and over her clitoris.

She nearly disintegrated on the spot.

Merrick’s mouth on her breast. Cade’s fingers caressing her most sensitive spots. It was simply too much.

She let out a cry as her orgasm crashed through her in a split second, hurtling her over the edge and into the unknown. She was falling, falling, and then she slowed, floating and drifting like a leaf in autumn.

Merrick claimed her mouth the moment Cade pulled away. She could feel his smile against her lips.

“That was fast,” he murmured.

She groaned. “Too fast. I didn’t want it to be over so quickly.”

“Oh, it’s not over,” Cade said. “We’re only just beginning, honey.”

She let out a sigh as Merrick continued to caress and pet her flesh. Cade dropped down her body, turning his attention to her breasts. As soon as his mouth made contact with her nipple, pleasure seeped through her body, flowing to every nerve ending.

“We want this to be perfect,” Merrick said. “As perfect for you as it is for us.”

“How does this work?” she breathed. “I mean, with both of you…”

“How do you want it to work?” Cade murmured against her breast. “Tell us what you want.”

Erotic images flashed in her mind. She closed her eyes, chasing those pictures. Merrick behind her. Cade in front of her. Both inside her. Her on top of Cade. Merrick on top of her. Was it even possible the things she imagined?

“I want you…both,” she said. “I want you touching me. I want you both inside me.”

“Hell yeah,” Merrick growled against her mouth as he took possession once more.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Cade asked, his tone cautious. “We can take this nice and slow and easy. We’ll only do what you’re ready for.”

Deciding the best way to convince them was just to show them what she wanted, she pushed upward. For a moment, concern darkened their eyes until she positioned herself on her hands and knees, her knees at the very edge of the bed, and she looked up at Merrick, an unspoken invitation for him to claim her mouth.

“Oh hell,” Merrick breathed.

Cade pressed a kiss to the cheek of her ass. “Let me get a condom, sweetheart.”

She shivered from head to toe, chill bumps dotting and then racing across her skin. Her nipples puckered and grew hard. She was one huge ball of anticipation.

Merrick got up on his knees and threaded his fingers through her hair, guiding her down to his cock. He was firm but gentle, and yet she craved more…power? She wanted him to assert his dominance. It was an odd thought, but at the same time, it felt so incredibly…right.

He slid into her mouth, and she sighed softly at the satisfaction of his taste. The feel of him on her tongue. The idea that she was bringing him the same pleasure he’d already given her.

He retreated slowly, dragging his length over her swollen lips. Then he pushed forward again, feeding her, inch by inch, his rigid erection.

Her pulse bounded when Cade’s firm hands grasped her hips. He smoothed his palms over her behind, spreading the cheeks in preparation for his entry.

She was tingling from head to toe, waiting, wanting. As soon as the head of his cock touched the mouth of her opening, she tensed and held her breath around Merrick’s dick.

Then Cade pushed inward, testing the snugness of her passageway as she stretched around him.

She moaned, vibrating against Merrick’s cock, causing him to groan in reaction.

“Feel good, sweetheart?” Cade asked.

She didn’t have to answer. Her body answered for her.

Cade pushed harder, and she could feel herself opening for him as he pressed deeper. His fingers dug into her ass. She loved the sensation of his hands on her, knew she’d wear the marks for hours after.

“God, she’s so tight,” Cade said, his voice strangled.

“Her mouth is heaven,” Merrick said.

Her skin prickled, and pleasure washed through her at the approval and satisfaction in both men’s voices.

And yet she wanted more. Less restraint. She wanted them to let go. The ghosts didn’t own her tonight. Her past was but a shadow in the corner of her mind. She wanted this more than she’d ever wanted anything else.

She pushed back against Cade, taking him deeper. The action sent her farther away from Merrick, and he pursued her, palming her head and reclaiming her mouth in a forceful rush that left her panting with excitement.

How could she want them to be so…powerful? Wouldn’t it frighten her? Shouldn’t it frighten her?

Nothing made sense to her. The mere thought of violence and assault, the very things that had happened to her, made her ill, and yet she wanted to feel the strength of these two men.

Not in a violent way. Even as she had the misgivings, she knew the answer. Their strength soothed her. Made her feel safe and cherished. Protected and loved. She reveled in the raw power they exuded.

They would never hurt her, and she knew it.

And that was the key to it all.

Faith.

Trust.

Love.

Merrick framed her face in his hands, cupping her lovingly as he thrust into her mouth. Cade’s hands were splayed over her ass, holding her firmly in place as he thrust rhythmically.

The gentle slap of flesh on flesh rose and flowed erotically over her ears. So soon after one bone-melting orgasm, she was already fast riding the wave of another.

Cade’s mouth pressed against her spine, eliciting another shiver. So very tender and loving. Her chest ached over it.

“I’m close, baby,” Merrick said. And then he began to withdraw.

Her protest was immediate. She tried to guide him back to her mouth, but he gripped his erection and began to work it up and down with his fist.

“Not this time,” he said quietly. “I’m on edge, and it’s been a long time. I’m going to come a lot.”

A hot burst landed on her shoulder. He held the tip close to her skin, and more jetted onto her flesh. Cade began to move faster and faster, and she threw back her head, closing her eyes, no longer focused on what Merrick was doing.

She cried out and then again. She called both their names. She was close. So very close.

Merrick’s hands coaxed over her shoulders and then underneath to her breasts. He cupped the mounds and toyed with the nipples, pulling gently and exerting steady pressure as Cade thrust forcefully against her ass.

She put her hand down, sliding it over her belly and below to her clitoris. She needed that extra edge. Just a little more…

As soon as her fingers made a tight circle around her clit, she burst into flames. Cade stopped momentarily, his hands stroking her back as he held himself deeply inside her. He seemed to be giving her time to gain her bearings before he continued on.

She was so overwhelmed that she could barely hold herself up, and it must have been evident because Cade withdrew, and she found herself being turned so she was once more on her back.

Merrick had her recline on a towel he placed underneath her shoulders and then he carefully wiped the stickiness from her skin.

When Merrick was done, Cade slid his arms underneath her legs and pulled her toward him until her behind rested on the very edge of the bed. Then he was back inside her with one powerful stroke.

She closed her eyes, but Cade’s voice commanded her, and she was powerless to resist the pull of his words.

“Look at me, Elle.”

Her eyelids fluttered open, and she stared into his glittering eyes as he claimed her over and over.

“Mine,” he said softly. “Mine and Merrick’s. Ours.”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yours.”

Cade closed his eyes, his jaw tight and bulging. He leaned forward, his body pressing into hers, and then he went rigid, all his breath escaping in one forceful exhale.

He lowered his body to hers, until they were flush against each other, his weight anchoring her to the bed. He was warm and hard over her. She wrapped her arms around his body, holding him tightly to her as she reveled in his scent and the feel of him molded so tightly to her.