Her heart should have been thudding in her chest at thepotential danger his hands held her in, but it didn’t. Large hands gripping herneck simply strummed the nape of her neck. The real threat wasn’t his hands, itwas his eyes. The burning gaze that constantly searched hers before drifting toher lips she firmly held shut.
Placing another kiss at the corner of her mouth, Everlyclutched at her sweater tighter in response. “I did everything I could just tomake you give me a second glance. Every moment you chatted with me unknowinglyonline, I fucking cherished. It was the one time you didn’t run for me.” Theflash of pain in his eyes was unexpected. “And now that I have you— now that Ihave had your nails sinking into me as you screamed my name,” his eyes glowedwith madness. “I will never let you go.”
Burning shame heated her face. Shaking her head, she triedto pull his hands away, she needed space, she needed to get away from him. “No,Reid, you can’t just…”
“Don’t.” His command snapped at her like the tail of a whip.Releasing her, he stepped back giving her a hard look. “I won’t argue aboutthis again, Everly. Next time, I’m simply going to show you what’s between usin a way you cannot ignore. In a way, proved by last night, I know you cannotdeny.”
Leaving the dark promise standing in the air between themReid turned and walked out of the office.
±
Kicking his muddy boots off at the door, Zane didn’t botherremoving his thick work jacket as he made his way to the office. Both he andReid were outside working on the greenhouse, but they still needed to keep aneye on Everly. It had been about forty minutes since Reid had left her in theoffice by herself. From his silent, angry expression, Zane knew their encounterdidn’t go well.
She was fighting them, and they expected that. What theydidn’t expect was it to hurt so much. If he had his way, he would keep her inbed all day proving to her over and over again just how good they weretogether. She just needed to see how much they loved her, how they would doanything for her.
Stopping outside the office door, he took a deep breath,composing himself. He wanted to be ready for whatever anger she threw his way,but more importantly, he needed to calm the excitement running through hisveins straight to his dick. Images of last night replayed themselves over andover again. Biting back a groan, he braced himself on the doorjamb. Last nightdidn’t actually go as planned, both he and Reid discussed taking their timewith her to allow her to get used to them at first.
Fuck, he had no regrets though.
Sleeping next to her had been pure torture, he knew Reid wasjust as alert as he was when she first woke up. Zane told himself not to move,willed himself not to react to her movements. It was the gentle brush of hercurls against his skin that shattered his resolve.
The muffled sound through the door pulled him from hisreverie.
Clenching his fists against the door frame he sighed, heknew that sound. Silently, he turned the doorknob and pushed open office doorwithout a sound. With her head face down in her folded arms, Everly sat at hernew desk crying. Raking a hand through his hair in frustration, he quietly shutthe door.
Zane wanted to go to her, to hold her and kiss her, to showher everything would be okay, but he just turned and walked away.
An icy gale whipped around him as he jogged back to thehalf-built greenhouse. Closing the door behind him, Zane ignored Reid’s waitinggaze from where he worked. Grabbing the large metal hinge he was working on,Zane quietly resumed working.
The anger and pain he felt watching her small body shakewith tears was wrapped too tightly around his emotions. Zane didn’t trusthimself to speak just yet. Sensing his volatile mood, Reid said nothing andcontinued to work. Only the howling sound of the wind seeping through the unsealedcracks of the structure and the odd sounds of parts being lifted and screwedtogether filled the structure. Slowly the anger faded.
“She was sitting at her desk crying,” Zane couldn’t hide theaccusation from his tone as he kept his back to his brother while he absentlyworked on a piece in front of him.
The sound from Reid’s side stopped. Zane tensed, readyinghimself for a possible fight with the ornery bastard.
“We knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” Reid answeredevenly. Zane could practically hear the man holding onto the control of hisanger. “Surely you didn’t expect her to simply fall in love with us after lastnight?”
Christ, that would’ve been great, he nearly groaned.
“No, I didn’t think this was going to be easy,” Zane’s voicedarkened as he dropped the metal part onto the table with a clang. Turning hefaced Reid who was already facing him with his arms crossed. “But I did expectyou to not act like your usual self and be a little nicer to the woman we wantto spend the rest of our lives with.”
Reid’s scowl deepened. “You’re the nice one Zane, I’m theone who has to make sure she understands her new reality.”
He was right, but that didn’t quell the urge to punch him,whatsoever. Everly was going to have to accept them, she had no choice in thematter. Zane just wished his brother had a bit more diplomacy.
Sneering, Zane turned back towards his work. “Well, don’tcome griping to me when she prefers my company over yours.”
There was a brief moment of silence before the loud noise ofwork picked back up again.
Chapter 10
For the next two nights, neither one touched her. Well,actually that was incorrect, Everly thought as she waited patiently for Reid toserve her breakfast. Both brothers took every opportunity to touch and kiss herdespite any of her protests. Although touching and kissing was all they did,each night they fell asleep next to her neither one pulling her into their armslike she feared.
At first, she stayed tense for half the night, tired,scared, and too afraid to sleep. She could feel the hard tension in theirbodies radiate off of them, she knew what they wanted and she was grateful towhatever was holding them back. She couldn’t help but wonder how long theirabstention was going to last. Everly’s stomach tightened at the thought, shecouldn’t let them touch her again, share her like that. Her body heated at thethought of their hands pulling her from one man to the other.
Swallowing nervously, she forced herself to clear her mind,looking at the steaming breakfast burrito in front of her she took a hesitantbite. Eyes widening, she did a double take at the food in front of her, it wasreally good.
“It’s good isn’t?” Zane leaned over in his stool nudging hisshoulder to hers. Normally, Reid only cooked for her, but today he made enoughfor all three.
