Rules of Desire: Protecting Erin(44)

Her stomach muscles quivered beneath Jared’s hand as the pleasure built. Her clit burned, making it impossible to remain still.

Writhing as much as their holds allowed, Erin rocked her hips. “Oh God! No!” A sob escaped when Reese removed his finger.

Jared pressed lightly. “Easy, baby. You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

Reese traced her folds, bending to touch his lips to hers. “You’re not doing such a good job of staying still.”

“I will, damn it.”

Reese chuckled. “Not nice.”

Duncan took her wrists from Reese and held them higher. “Make her come. She needs it. I can’t stand to see her suffer.”

Stunned, Erin gaped at him, sucking in another breath when he bent to kiss her nipple. “Oh God. You’re the one who always teases me.”

“Yeah, well, you caught me at a weak moment. Don’t count on it happening again.”

Reese smiled. “Hold her. I’m gonna use my mouth on her.”

As soon as his lips closed over her clit, Erin knew she was a goner. “Jesus, you’re good at—oh!”

With all three of them holding her, she couldn’t move much at all as the pleasure consumed her.

She cried out when the pleasure crested, her entire body stiffening.

Releasing her hands, Duncan gathered her close. “Easy, darlin’. Please don’t hurt those ribs.”

Reese kissed her clit before sliding his lips to her mound, still holding her thighs in his firm hold. “She’s good, aren’t you, honey?”

Wrapping her arms around Duncan, Erin sobbed, the intimacy of the moment and her loss of control allowing the horror of the last twenty-four hours to come rushing in.

Duncan eased into the bed next to her while Reese slid back to his former position behind her.

Holding her against him, Duncan gently slid a hand into her hair, his lips barely touching her temple where Nelson had hit her. “I wondered how long you were gonna hold all this in.”

Reese rubbed her back while Jared ran his hand back and forth over her hip, each touching her.

Each warming her.

Each of her beloved husbands murmuring to her and giving her the support and security she needed to fall apart in their arms.

Wiping her eyes, she lifted her head. “I’m sorry.”

Duncan helped her sit up, and after Jared pulled her nightgown back into place, eased her against him. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

Jared moved closer, reaching out to cup her cheek, his expression hardening when his gaze lingered on the taped bruise on her temple. “You don’t have to hold anything in with us, Erin. We’re here for you. I know we failed you yesterday—”

“What?” Erin looked at each of them in turn, stunned to see the looks of self-disgust on their faces, a look she’d never seen them wear before.

It made her feel guilty as hell.

“What the hell are you talking about? None of this was your fault!”

Reese shook his head. “Erin—

“No.” Pushing out of their arms, Erin eased from the bed. “I should have known you would try to take the blame for all of this. You’re so damned protective that you’ve even convinced yourself that my mistakes are on you.”

Shaking her head, she couldn’t help but smile with love for them. “Idiots. This was all my fault. Get it?”

Jared rose and reached for her. “Erin, you got hurt because we didn’t protect you. If I hadn’t walked away instead of having it out with you, none of this would have happened.”

“You don’t know that!” Jerking her arm away, she took several steps back, inwardly wincing at the hurt that flashed in his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I need to talk to you, and if you touch me, I’ll fall apart again.”

Jared’s smile, filled with tenderness, made her heart lurch. Dropping his hand, he inclined his head. “Say what you need to say, baby.”

His tenderness added to her feelings of guilt, his overwhelming love for her almost taking her to her knees. “God. I love all of you so much. You’re all so amazing that sometimes I can’t believe you’re really mine.”

Choking back a sob, she waved off Reese’s attempt to console her. “I got hurt and your store was burned down because I was too fucking stupid to see what the hell was going on!”

Pushing her hair back from her face, she winced at the pain when she inadvertently brushed her fingers against her temple. “I hate feeling stupid, and I hate it that my stupidity created this mess.”

Duncan stepped up behind her, gripping her upper arms and pulling her back against his chest. “That’s enough.”

Wiping away fresh tears, Erin tried to pull away from Duncan, even though she already knew it was useless.