Mastered By The Mavericks(68)

Now the algorithms lined up. "Oh."

"Oh?" The coy disappeared. In its place was the squared stance and  folded arms of a man extremely comfortable with his dominant side.  "That's all you're going to give me, girl, when I had to move the river  to Moses in order to contact them in the field, just to get their  blessing to speak to you today? When they moved the damn river back in  order fly here no more than two hours after returning from that  mission?"

A gulp thudded down her throat. A mission. They'd been out on a mission  for the last four months, likely humping it through the middle of  nowhere. Was that the only reason she hadn't heard from them since  Austin? And now they'd flown straight here to see her … what the hell did  that mean?

Wait. Back the wicker basket way back up the Nile. Dan had pulled major  strings to contact them during that mission … to ask for their "blessing"?

Clearly, the three of them needed to talk.

Not a hardship she was complaining about.

She grabbed Dan by the hand again. Smiled up into his face with all the  warmth that now filled her heart. As he curled up that movie idol grin  in return, she murmured, "Thank you again. Tess really is a lucky  woman."

"No more lucky than those bastards waiting on you. Now go. I'll settle up here."

After she made it-somehow-to the space in front of Rhett and Rebel, she  simply let herself revel in the perfection of them once more. Their  scents, sage and cinnamon. Their eyes, North Sea and South Caribbean.  Their faces, rugged and chiseled. They would never stop taking her  breath away. No matter what happened right now-hell, even if they were  here to invite her up the wedding salon to witness them take their  vows-there were parts of them both that would always, always belong  solely to her. Her heart knew it. Her spirit resounded with it.

She finally molded her mouth around a word. "Hi."

Rhett stepped down first. Curled a strand of hair around the back of her ear. "Hey, sweet peach."

Rebel came down and did the same thing. "Bonjour, ma chatte."

Their greetings, like cream mixed into Creole coffee, zapped her  adrenalin into all the best-and worst-parts of her body. Her nerves  sizzled. Her blood tingled. And God, did her sex pulse back to life.

Rhett trailed a hand to the back of her shoulder. Looked around the room  like James Bond, checking the corners for shifty enemies. "We need to  talk to you."

She didn't hide the shiver his touch sent all the way down past her ass. "Yes, Sir."

"But not here." Rebel did the secret spy glance too-completely not  preparing her for his little bombshell of a follow-up. "We have a room.  Let's go."

By the time she recovered from the shock that they'd actually sprung for  a room here, instead of bunking out at Nellis or in one of the less  expensive properties in the city, they were ten floors into a  thirty-floor ascent. The lovely string orchestra lilting over the  speakers didn't accomplish its goal of Zen tranquility-not in this tiny  space, situated between her golden, brawny Viking and her dark,  burnished pirate. Not when all she could think about was-                       
       
           



       

Exactly what they did to her.

"Fuck." Rebel spun around, smashing her body between the car's wall and  his demanding form. He locked her head with his hands, holding her in  place to receive the heat of his snarled command across her panting  mouth. "No more waiting, goddammit. Not another second more."

And then, thank God, his lips were slanting over hers. Slamming into  hers. Possessing her ruthlessly, his tongue stabbing, his teeth  invading. His fingers knifed into her hair, pulling until she moaned,  long and hard and needy.

Oh God, the pain was so good.

She didn't hold back on telling him so. She couldn't. Every minute of  her bottled-up need, every second of her restrained lust … it all exploded  in wonderful, bountiful new ways. The pressure in her breasts fanned  along her arms, making her grab him as violently as he did her. The  throbs in her pussy echoed down her thighs, compelling her to lift one  and lock it around his ass. She gave in to wanton desire, pulling the  core of his body against the aching slit of hers.

Just when she was certain she'd splinter apart from the illicit joy of  his embrace, he yanked away, only to look on with heated eyes as Rhett  stepped in, claiming her lips and body in much the same way.

He tasted like desire and decadence. He felt like six and a half feet of  raw, raging lust-especially after hiking her ass onto the lift's inner  rail, using the extra leverage to slide the bulge in his pants along the  crux of her sex. As their kiss deepened, Rebel circled around them,  guiding her legs higher around Rhett's waist.

"Fuck, that's good. Yeah … grip him tighter, mon chou. Grind your sweet body up against his. Let me see-"

As the elevator dinged, he bit out a string of French profanity.

When the doors slid open, he extended a hand into the opening.

"I'll take care of the door, Double-Oh. Make sure our girl makes it in safe."

Rhett's growl vibrated against her lips. "Roger that, my love. Loud and  fucking clear." He dipped his head back toward her, only brushing his  mouth over hers this time. "Hang on tight, peach. I'm going to handle  this as fast as I possibly can."

She nodded-before clamping her thighs around his broad, hard torso.

Every step to the room was a mix of agony and ecstasy. While she  couldn't wait to finally be alone with both of them, she cherished the  feeling of being watched over once again … just letting Rhett take every  step and think about every move. She tucked her face against his neck,  and tangled her hands against the back of his head. He moved with  effortless grace beneath her, his wide steps eating up the hallway  between the elevator and their room.

Finally, they were there.

He set her down on the massive bed in the middle of the room,  illuminated only by one bedside lamp and the glow of the city lights,  thirty floors below. A world below. Up here, ensconced in this space  just for them, there was no more traffic or music or dinging, crazy  casino sounds. Not the din of a thousand conversations or the blare from  a million points of light. All that existed, all that mattered, was the  heat of their mingled breaths … the energy of their rising passions.

At least she hoped.

Oh God, please …

She finally gathered up her girl balls, and opened her eyes.

There she was, still positioned on the end of the bed-

Now gaping at the two men in tuxedoes, on their knees in front of her.

She didn't know whether to sigh or cry. Maybe both. They were both  adorably rumpled now, thanks to how they'd all attacked each other in  the elevator. Rebel's bow tie was unraveled. Rhett's shirt had a smudge  of her lipstick down the front. While her libido jumped and her heart  swelled at observing the marks of her passion on them, she was still  cautious, inwardly clutching the keys to her soul.

So they still wanted her … at least physically. She'd be completely down  with that. Didn't mean they got to see the keys-or anything in the  spaces she kept safe. Keeping it all hidden from herself was hard enough  as it was, let alone breaking it open then having to shove it all away  once they left again.

And they would leave again.

Not just because they had to.

Because Vikings and pirates were meant to explore, to conquer. They  didn't have roots or commitments or permanent addresses. That was why  these two suited each other … and clearly still saw that for themselves as  well. Their connection practically formed visible ropes on the air. She  could feel good for helping to make that happen, at least.

After a huge inhalation, Rhett finally spoke. "We've just completed the east Asian jungle tour."

She studied their faces for clues about an appropriate response. "Ummm … con­grat­ulations?"                       
       
           



       

Rebel's face clouded over. "We would've brought you a souvenir, but we  suspected you didn't want us to bring back malaria or dysentery."

"You were right." She laughed it out. "Thank you." Then in a softer  murmur, "You brought back the only two things that really matter,  anyhow."

He reached to take her hand. "It's damn good to hear you say that, minette."

Rhett repeated the action with her other hand. "What he's trying to say  is, all those miles of bogs, mud, and sludge didn't compare to the hell  we knew … without you."

Rebel slid closer. Gazed up at her with eyes that glowed like sapphires  in the sun. "We agreed that you needed space. We've tried like hell to  let you have it. But Brynna … pieces of us both are missing without you."