Ignoring his growing erection in his lap, Reid scrubbed athis face and disheveled hair with both hands. He wanted to take her again, todrink in her cries as he slid into her one more time. Groaning deeply, heforced himself to stand up and step away from the bed. Twisted, monstrous, andobsessed, all of the things she probably thought of them, he could easily ownup to, cruel however was not one of them. Because if he took her now, Reid knewwithout a doubt, Zane would unleash his own control he was fighting and seekher out next. Turning he looked back down at the bed letting his hard gazesweep over her innocent sleeping face to the tattooed arm around her waist. No,they couldn’t do that to her again, at least not so soon. Today she needed torest.
He promised they would keep her safe and happy. Safe waseasy, there wasn’t a force strong enough to get past him and Zane. Healthy—hehad covered. Happiness…happiness would take some convincing.
±
A warm heat traveled up the top of her thighs sending thefirst signal of awareness to Everly’s brain. Exhausted she ignored it, she wasfar too tired to even contemplate waking up. Chilled air crept over her stomachbefore being replaced by the same heat as before. What was going on? Thequestion bounced around in her sleep-muddled mind.
Tiredly Everly opened her eyes. Sitting with one leg drawnup and the other half way folded beneath him, Zane stared back at her waiting.The devilish gleam in his eyes wasn’t lost on her as he purposely leanedforward placing another kiss on her bare stomach. A rush of that sinful heatpooled in her core at the gesture.
Scrambling up and back against the headboard, reality sunkin bringing all of last night’s memories along with it. Undeterred by herretreat, Zane stepped out of the bed standing tall in all of his muscularglory. The black brief shorts did nothing to hide the solid length of hisarousal beneath the cotton material. Shocked but too entranced to turn awayEverly sat immobilized against the headboard as he stretched his long body,displaying every groove and bulge of his muscular, toned body.
Catching her eye, he gave her wicked smile. A smile thatsent waves of scorching fury throughout her body. How dare he?! Smiling at herafter everything he did, after everything they did.
Opening her mouth, she was prepared to hurl every hatefulindecent word she ever learned at his grinning face. Stepping closer to thebed, Zane leaned forward bracing each hand on either side of her legs, hissmile fading slightly as his bright gaze darkened with evident desire.
“No,” she squeaked shaking her head at his advance. Thesimmering anger inside of her cooling at once, at the sight of his predatoryadvancement. “No, Zane don’t…”
Her last word came out as a tiny yelp as he lowered himselffluidly to her bare stomach placing another gentle kiss. Again, the kiss to hersmall baby bump sent whorls of indecent desire through her core.
Taking advantage of her frozen shock, Zane leaned forwardand pressed a kiss to her cheek before straightening back up. “Get up,sweetheart, you need to eat and take your vitamins.” Walking to the door, hestopped and looked directly over his shoulder, “your clothes are in thecloset.”
Walking out of the room he shut the door.
Everly began to shake all over as her anger burned bright athis gall. Never had the urge to scream and throw things ever been so strong.Just thinking of Zane’s arrogant smile made her sick, as if he had the right tosmile at her, to touch her even after what he and his brother did to her lastnight. Memories of Zane’s harsh expression as he lifted her onto his bodyflashed in her mind.
Throwing the pillow next to her Everly let herself succumbto the tears.
Numbly, she cried into the mattress, her mind filled withself-pity and panic. Countless questions that essentially were all the samerepeated themselves over and over. What was she going to do? Inhaling deeplyinto the crumpled sheets, Everly jerked in alarm. Pushing herself up she stareddown at the offending fabric with narrowed puffy eyes. That clean piney smellwas unmistakably Reid’s, this was his spot last night.
Getting up from the bed with a grunt of disgust, Everlymarched into the bathroom and stripped off all of her clothes before steppinginto the shower. She had to get clean, she had to wash away any trace of thosemonsters from her body. Grabbing the soap, Everly stepped into the hot spray,inadvertently her mind conjured the images of Zane gently cleaning her lastnight. Her hand gripped the loofah in a death grip. Her nipples were sore andswollen from their abuse, while the area between her thighs still hummed with aslight ache. Everly was sure if she inspected herself further she would findsmall bruises where each man held her as they pushed and pulled into her body.Turning off the water she leaned her head against the slick tile wall. The painof last night was centered on her pride alone, at every turn they forced herbody to rise and fall from peaks of ecstasy she had no clue that existed. Itfelt…there were no words to describe what they made her feel.
Stepping out of the shower Everly wrapped herself in a toweland walked over to one of the walk-in closets. Hanging neatly to the side wereher clothes from her apartment. The pitiful wardrobe took up hardly any spacein the mammoth multitiered closet. Finding her underwear in a drawer againstthe wall Everly quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a yellow sweater.Stuffing last night’s clothes into the built-in dirty clothes hamper she took adeep breath, fortifying herself as she stepped out the bathroom and opened thebedroom door.
Voices drifted from the kitchen down the hall. The deeptones were unmistakable, the rhythmic French conversation quieted as she turnedthe corner.
Stopping at the edge of the kitchen Everly squinted at thebright sunlight streaming in from the kitchen windows. In the same positions asyesterday, Reid stood casually dressed behind the island serving what looked tobe pancakes from the skillet onto a plate. Zane was still shirtless wearingonly a pair of jeans, he sat in the barstool next to hers giving her anexpectant smile, waiting for her to sit down.
Balling her fists at her sides, she raised her chin andstared them down in defiance. “Take me home,” she commanded firmly.
Reid paused, holding the plate he was about to set down inher spot in midair for a moment before resuming. “That shoebox of an apartmentwasn’t a home. This is your home now.” He was setting a tall glass of whatappeared to be juice next to the plate just as she opened her mouth forrebuttal. “Besides,” his deep voice cut her off and his dark jeweled gazecaught hers in a warning gleam. “As of today, that apartment is being listedfor lease.”
She felt as if she was going to be sick. Little by littleher world was crumbling right before her eyes.
“Come sit down and eat,” Zane’s eyes softened, replacing hismischievous gleam with the gentle understanding look.
Everly stiffened in response, she remembered how he draggedher to him last night forcing her to ride against him as he used her body. Shewould be damned before she trusted him ever again. Clearly reading herthoughts, Zane let out a gruff sigh before turning away from her in his chair.
“Come, Everly,” Reid’s stern command brooked no room forobjection, but she did anyway.
Grabbing the edge of her sweater with her clammy fist,Everly tried to stay motionless and not shift nervously on her feet in a stanceof rebellion.
Folding his arms across his solid chest, Reid stood at hisfull height staring back at her head on. Challenge and a bit of amusementshined in his eyes as he spoke. “Everly my love, you will eat I promise youthat,” he added darkly. “If that means I have to tie you up and slowly feed youevery last bite I will.” By now his eyes positively glittered at the darkthreat he issued. “And once we’re done, I can guarantee you I will have used upthe last of my willpower that is keeping me from burying my head between thosesoft thighs of yours. I will lick and taste every…”
At some point, she had put her hand over her mouth duringhis threats, but she didn’t remember when. Unable to listen to any more of hislurid words Everly quickly sat down. Anything to make him stop.
“Good girl,” he handed her a fork.
Refusing to look up from her food, Everly took the fork andslowly began eating.
