Anna In the Middle

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Anna in the Middle ISBN 9781419920837 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Anna in the Middle Copyright © 2009 Barbara Elsborg Edited by Carole Genz & Sue-Ellen Gower. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication March 2009 The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

ANNA IN THE MIDDLE Barbara Elsborg

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Band-Aid: Johnson & Johnson Corporation BMW: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft Corporation Google: Google, Inc. Marks & Spencer: Marks and Spencer plc LTD LIAB CO Pop Idol: Farian, Frank Porsche: Dr. Ing. h. c. f. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft Corporation Silly Putty: Hodgson, Peter Starbucks: Starbucks U.S. Brands Taser: TASER International, Inc.

Anna in the Middle

Chapter One Anna frowned at the six-foot fence. She had no idea what lay on the other side but she knew who was on this side. Gareth and Beth, her sister, and Anna had no wish to speak to either of them. Beth’s voice grew louder as she walked along the garden path. Anna eyed the fence again. She was currently out of sight behind a shed and if she’d been in the arms of a guy, that would have been fine, but she wasn’t. There was no sensible excuse for lurking alone at the bottom of the garden when the party was inside the house. Anna had been eating, drinking and having a relatively good time until Gareth had arrived and begun to spout his lies. Rather than argue, she wanted to run away. Before thinking could stop her, Anna put the handle of her purse between her teeth, clambered onto a pile of logs and swung her leg over the fence. She only needed to hide in the next-door neighbor’s yard for a few minutes, until Beth and Gareth had gone back inside. Anna hoped that the neighbors didn’t have a dog. Bit late to think about that as she straddled the fence, gripping tight with her arms and legs. As the structure began to sway like a slow pendulum, Anna wondered if the decision whether to climb over or go back was going to be made for her. She still wavered. Next-door’s yard was dark and quiet. Lots of bushes and trees. No sign of a dog, but probably a lurking tiger or two. “Anna, are you out here?” Gareth called. Shit. Anna stopped thinking and just did it, swung her other leg over and dropped down. Only it wasn’t as simple as that. The shoulder strap of her dress got snagged and jerked her back. Anna slid down, accompanied by the sound of tearing and the pain of something sharp digging into her backside. As her purse fell from her mouth and she landed on her knees, she clenched her teeth to stop the yelp of pain giving her away. “What was that?” asked Beth. “Anna, is that you?” Anna glared at the sound of Gareth’s voice and then risked a faint meow. She tried to crawl away from the fence but it didn’t let her go. With a skill she hadn’t known she had, Anna managed to transform a shriek into a long “Meoooow.” Fuck, her bum really hurt. “Do you think the cat’s injured?” Beth asked. “We better check.” Bloody Beth and her obsession with TV programs about rescuing animals. Anna yanked at her dress, wrenching it and herself free. Desperation overcame pain and grabbing her purse, she scrambled through the undergrowth looking for a place to hide. Spotting a large, blue plastic shell that looked similar to the one she and Beth once used

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as a sand pit, Anna scooted underneath and bit back another yelp of pain as she curled up. She’d share the space with anything but a worm. Or a spider. Oh God, or a snake. “Can you see it, Gareth?” Oh fuck, had he just seen what she’d done? “No sign of it.” “The poor thing sounded hurt,” Beth said. “That sad meow.” Anna rolled her eyes. “What are you looking for?” Anna’s heart juddered. A man’s voice and it wasn’t Gareth. The guy sounded near—her side of the fence near. “Hi there. We thought we heard a cat in trouble in your yard,” Beth said. Shit. There was someone on this side of the fence. “Nothing happening over here. You’re mistaken.” Anna held her breath. Maybe he hadn’t seen her. She’d stay where she was for a while. Oh God, her bum hurt. Really hurt. Anna risked sliding a hand back. Her dress was torn and so were her panties. They appeared to be damp. Since she hadn’t had that sort of accident since she was two, it had to be blood. Her fingers explored a long sliver of wood that stuck out of her right butt cheek. Shit. Now Anna knew what was the matter, it hurt even more. Tears sprang into her eyes. Why had she agreed to come to this bloody party in the first place? She’d known what would happen once that pair turned up. Well, not known she’d be impaled by a fence, but she’d known she’d end up running away. “You can come out now,” said a voice. It would be too much to hope that the guy wasn’t talking to her. Yet Anna still hoped. “They’ve gone,” the guy said. ”You’ll be okay.” No, she wouldn’t. Anna made one last attempt. “Meow.” Oh God, that wasn’t even vaguely like a cat. The sound of laughter filtered through the blue plastic lid. How bright had it been to make another bad animal impression? Was it too late to pretend to be a hedgehog? She was already snuffling. “It’s safe now, little kitten. They’re back inside.” Little kitten? Five-foot-ten Anna gave up. She pushed off the cover and stood, struggling to contain her tears. The owner of the voice lounged on a wooden seat, tucked away where she hadn’t seen him, long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle, a can of beer in his hand. Even in the dim light, she could see his smile. His teeth gleamed and for a moment she wished he was a werewolf who’d rip her to shreds and end the mess she was in. After having fabulous sex with her of course.

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There was no way to make a dignified exit. Anna wasn’t even sure she could walk. She glanced over her shoulder at the tree trunk sticking out of her backside and gulped. Blood trickled down her thigh. She wouldn’t let Beth and Gareth see her like this. They’d get completely the wrong idea. “Do you faint at the sight of blood?” Anna asked. He leapt up. “Are you hurt?” He was taller than her by four or five inches. Anna’s lust sparred with her pain. “A splinter,” she said. He laughed. “I think I can deal with a splinter. Hand out.” “It’s not in my hand.” She showed him then turned back. At least he’d stopped smiling. “You’ll have to come into the house.” “Couldn’t you do it out here?” Anna wanted no more light on her bum than absolutely necessary, especially if it was going to be inspected by a guy who grew more beautiful with every second that passed. Why couldn’t he be fat and ugly? Only she was glad he wasn’t. “Inside,” he ordered. Anna’s shoulders slumped. She had no choice. There was no way she could get back over the fence. She gritted her teeth, picked up her purse and limped after him, every step agony even with the compensation of his hunky body to distract her. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His light-colored shirt was partly untucked at the back and hanging over dark jeans. Anna loved his backside, all tight and firm and splinter-free. He opened the door and ushered her in. Inside the lighted kitchen Anna turned to face him and swallowed hard. His dirtyblond hair, cut in a shaggy style, looked like a shorter version of hers and framed a fabulous face. His eyelashes were long and dark, his eyes a deep gray. The only imperfection was a narrow white scar running along his left cheekbone. Anna had never seen a more dangerous-looking individual in her life. Which had to explain why her body reacted as it did. The muscles clenched between her legs, her heart raced and her mouth went dry. What a waste of adrenaline. He’d never fancy someone like her. “Bend over.” “I beg your pardon.” Had he been thinking about sex too? “Bend over the table.” Oh yes, so he could see her backside. Anna grimaced but what else could she do? She had half a fence stuck in her butt and couldn’t remove the thing on her own. She couldn’t even sit down while it was still in her so there was no way she could take a taxi home. She wasn’t supposed to be going home anyway, but back to her parents, and Beth was expecting her to share a cab. Walking was out of the question so she sighed and bent over the table. When Anna heard the swift exhale of his breath, alarm swamped her. 7

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“Oh God, is it bad?” She tried to stand. A hand in the middle of her back pushed her down. “Keep still.” Anna whimpered as he nudged the piece of wood. Shit, it hurts. She flinched when he tried to lift her dress out of the way and her fingers curled more tightly over the edge of the table. “Sorry. I’m going to need to cut—” “Me?” Her voice came out as an embarrassing squeak. She sounded too much like her sister. “No. Your dress.” Well, it was already ruined. She might have been able to reattach the strap but she couldn’t seamlessly sew the rip at the back. Anna watched him rummage in two kitchen drawers until he came up with a pair of scissors. When the material fell away to either side of her waist, she heard him exhale again. “Ahhh,” he murmured. “Is that an ‘ahhh, I need to amputate your butt cheek’ or an ‘ahhh, nice underwear’?” Anna asked. He laughed and she felt his fingers run along the edge of her best red lace panties. A shiver of desire joined her quivers of pain. Anna was torn between relief that she’d worn something sexy instead of her standard white cotton, and disappointment that the lace ones were ruined. When her mother had nagged about making sure she and Beth wore clean underwear in case they were involved in an accident, Anna doubted she’d had this scenario in mind. As he cut the lace, Anna gripped the edge of the table tight enough to dent it. Her teeth clenched when he touched the splinter. “Stop playing with it and yank the damn thing out.” “I need to make sure I pull at same angle as it went in. Brace yourself.” “Maybe I should have a piece of wood between my tee—”Anna failed to finish what she’d been going to say because a scream erupted from her throat. She pressed her forehead into the table and took deep breaths to stop the horrible noise continuing. Something cold and wet hit her backside and he pressed hard. Her tears slid down her cheeks and dropped onto the table. It was a moment before she could breathe normally. “Okay?” he asked. “Just peachy.” He gave a quiet snort. “I’ve got a piece of wood here you can grip between your teeth if you like,” he said. “Very funny.” Actually it was, but Anna couldn’t muster a laugh. “Like to explain why you climbed over the fence?”

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How could she without sounding pathetic? But she ran through a few ideas in case something inspirational struck her. Police raid. Looking for more alcohol. Fleeing a mad axe murderer. Escaping from sister and her weasel boyfriend. Nope, she couldn’t. “I was trying to avoid embarrassment, awkwardness and humiliation,” Anna mumbled under her breath. He chuckled. “Bet you’re wishing you’d stayed next door.” Anna thought about Gareth and Beth, Beth’s perpetually guilty face and Gareth’s “fuck you” smirk. “No, not really.” She pushed herself up, slid her fingers around to hold whatever he was pressing onto her backside and covered his large hand with hers. The resulting zing almost sent her diving back onto the table. She thought he’d move his fingers but he didn’t. Not for a long moment. Anna kept her hand over his, not sure whether to remove it or not. When he slid his fingers from under hers, she turned to face him. “Here’s the culprit,” he said, brandishing a jagged piece of wood the length of a chop stick. Anna’s eyes widened and she gulped. “All that was in me?” He showed her a gap between his thumb and forefinger and gave her a broad smile. “No, this much.” She found herself disappointed it wasn’t more. He’d think she was a wimp. She was a wimp. “Keep still. I’ll find something to put on it.” After he’d left, Anna took in the kitchen. It was surprisingly neat for a guy. All the countertops were clear of crap. Her feet didn’t stick to the floor. No dirty dishes in the sink. Anna suddenly froze. Why should she assume this was a guy’s kitchen? He probably had a wife, three kids and a tiger. Shit. She needed to leave right now. She could put that blue shell next to the fence and haul herself over. “Got one.” He came in smiling, brandishing a large Band-Aid with a dinosaur on the front. Yep, married with kids, which was how he knew how to deal with an idiot who climbed over a fence, got impaled and pretended to be a cat. “Bend over again,” he said. “I’ll clean the blood off your leg.” He was offering to put his hands on her leg? She’d leave right after he’d done that. A sheet of wet kitchen towel slid up from her ankle. He was slow and gentle and Anna was relieved the table lay between her and the floor because she’d lost control of her muscles. He lifted her hand away from her bottom, peeled off the soggy tissue and tossed it into the sink. Another soothing pass with something dry and—oh God, his fingers swept over her bare undamaged butt. What the hell was he doing? “Just checking it’s dry otherwise the thing won’t stick,” he said. Jeeps, he could read minds too? Damn him for having a reasonable excuse, just not the one she wanted.

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He pressed the Band-Aid down and gently rubbed around the edges. Anna imagined his fingers moving down, drifting between her legs, rubbing—stop it. “Thank you,” she said and pushed herself up before she rolled over and asked him to fuck her. But then his hand slid around to her stomach and he pulled her back against him. This wasn’t part of the first-aid treatment. Something long, hard and hot pressed into her hip. Anna didn’t need two guesses. Her pulse spiked straight into the danger zone. It had been heading that way since she’d first seen him. Anna trembled as the stubble on his chin grazed her neck. His warm breath fired arrows of lust into her groin, traveling via her heart. Then his wet lips landed on her neck and if he hadn’t been holding her, she’d have fallen. “Oh God,” she whispered. One hand remained on her stomach, keeping her in place, the other sidled up onto her breast. She heard his breath catch when his fingers found her nipple through her dress. Not a problem for her. The catch in the breathing that is. She’d stopped breathing altogether. He twisted the tingling tip of her breast while he nuzzled the side of her neck and Anna groaned. She knew she shouldn’t be letting this happen, she didn’t even know the guy’s name but she couldn’t have moved to save her life. His lips switched from one side of her neck to the other, licking, nipping, kissing her strapless shoulder and she just stood there, eyes half closed, trying not to dissolve into a puddle. Finally he turned her around and dropped his arms. Anna stared into his eyes and couldn’t look away. She couldn’t move either, even though one tiny part of her brain told her this was indeed a wolf in front of her and she needed to run. Now. Fast. Every woman Anna knew who had slept with a guy they’d only just met, had never heard from him again. Except for Anna who found herself with a guy she couldn’t get rid of. But which type was this guy? They stood looking at each other, both breathing rapidly, neither blinking. Pointless to fight. She wanted him. “Are you married?” Anna blurted. His gaze never faltered but his mouth twitched. “No, are you?” “No.” He smiled properly then, such a sexy, predatory grin that Anna wondered what she’d have done if he’d said he had a wife and six kids. She wanted to believe she’d have walked out but her attraction to this guy was so strong she couldn’t think straight. He made her head swim, sent her morals skittering to a tiny corner of her brain where she locked them up. At the first touch of his lips on hers, Anna gasped and his tongue slid into her mouth. Almost as though he’d been shocked to be allowed in so easily, he pulled back. One broad smile later, he began nibbling her lower lip then teasing the place he nipped

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with a lick of his tongue. His hands slid around her waist and he pulled her closer, pinning Anna’s arms between their bodies as he continued to kiss her. Boy, could he kiss. Anna realized how other guys had let her down. No slobbery wet lunging, no dry pecking but a sensual, smooth caress of her mouth by his, urging her to open to him, to give up, give in, give everything she had. If Anna hadn’t already thought she was lost, now she definitely was. This guy knew what he was doing. Her lips parted, then his tongue explored, tracing the edge of hers, finding every ticklish place in her mouth until Anna came to her senses, stopped imitating a statue and began to kiss him back. Once she responded, he moved his arms, freed hers and his hands began to rove over her back. As he pressed his hips more firmly against hers and slid into a rocking rhythm, Anna felt the increasing pull between her legs, the urge for her hips to join his dance. His hands moved to her head, fingers speared her hair and he shifted her, changing the angle of the kiss so it was deeper, more intense. When he groaned, the vibration filled her mouth, sending echoing tremors rippling through her body. Anna sucked at his tongue and slipped her hands under his untucked shirt onto his back. His firm skin was silky smooth and hot. As his arms swept over her shoulders, the muscles in his back trembled under her touch. Still they kissed, stirring their simmering passion, cooking up a firestorm. When did she last take a breath? Anna wasn’t sure. Did she need to breathe? No, why bother. Kissing was better. Kissing was fine. Okay, she didn’t know this guy but kissing was—oh, a hand on her undamaged upper thigh, nails dragging down, pads of fingers sliding up. Anna’s skin fluttered like a bird’s wing. His fingers moved under her dress, his hand slid between her legs. One gentle stroke through the damp lace and she came undone, spiraling straight to heaven. “Oh my God.” Anna clutched his shoulders, her knees shaking as she pressed her face into his neck. He kept his hand between her legs, cupping her mound, brushing it with his thumb. If he moved, she’d fall. Her heart pounded and Anna gulped, trying to get her breathing under control. The fingers of his other hand stroked her head, soothing, calming gestures but she felt the tension coiling inside him, his heart beating fast against hers, his breathing ragged in her ear. “I am desperate to fuck you,” he whispered, and Anna groaned. Then somehow they were moving, kissing again, arms and legs entwined as he half carried her out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs. Anna’s heart debated whether it ought to leap out of her throat or drop into her stomach. She didn’t know this guy. He might be another Gareth, another nasty, manipulative, cunning bastard. Every sensible bone in her body told her to stop this, right now. But the couple that weren’t sensible kept her legs moving. They fell on the stairs but he rolled so she didn’t land on her butt and that kindness sent every concern into reverse. His arms were all over her as she lay on top of him.

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“You’re such a sexy little kitten,” he whispered. “You’re driving me crazy.” “We d-don’t even know each other,” Anna stuttered. “Does it matter? We know what we want.” He held her head with his hands and made her look at him. “But if you don’t, tell me now before my overexcited cock gets beyond the point of listening to my brain.” Anna knew she should walk away but she couldn’t. She didn’t think she’d ever been this aroused. She could feel the spring tightening inside her again. That had never happened to her before. Usually, she came once and that was it, and to be honest, even the once was self-induced. He only wanted sex. There was no pretense here, no illusions of this going any further, but still Anna wavered. She didn’t do things like this. Much as she’d like to be wild, reckless and sexy, she wasn’t. “Are you sure you’re not married?” she asked, uncertain of the answer she wanted to hear. He smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. I’m pretty certain I’d remember if I was.” He shifted slightly beneath her. Anna felt the hard ridge of his cock nudging her stomach. “Would you care if I was?” she asked and he stopped moving. Where the hell had that come from? Was she trying to put him off? “You want me to be honest?” he asked. She nodded. “No, I wouldn’t care. Not at this moment. I’m too desperate to care. All I can think about is you and me, how beautiful you are and what magic we can work together.” Anna lifted herself off him and stood up, her shoulder pressed against the wall. He leaned back on his elbows and looked up at her, tilting his head to one side. “Was that the wrong answer?” he asked. “Not if it was the truth.” All she could think was that he said she was beautiful and that he desperately wanted her. The truth was she wanted him. He sat up. “So, do you want to get naked and sweaty or not?” “I don’t sweat.” A smirk flashed across his face. “You’ve never had sex with me.” She laughed. “Okay. Your choice, kitten. Back down the stairs and out the front door or keep going up.” Anna didn’t hesitate. She took a step higher and he smiled. “First door on the right. Two seconds start.” His eyes darkened, Anna’s widened and she sprinted up, wincing as her backside let her know it wasn’t happy to be exercised. Tough, there was more to come. “Right not left,” he called behind her as Anna reached for a door handle.

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Oh God, she was hopeless. Anna switched to the other side of the corridor and pushed open the door.

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Chapter Two Jax’s heart was pounding so hard in his chest, his ribs ached from the effort of stopping the organ taking a leap into the woman’s arms. The moment he’d seen her long, bare leg drop over the fence, he’d wanted her. The fact that she’d turned out to be as responsive to his fingers as tissue paper touched by flame, had turned his cock into an iron rod. That sliver of wood in her backside had made him want to smash the damn fence to pieces for daring to hurt her. She’d sounded nothing like a cat but she was cute as a kitten, wide eyed with the softest skin. Jax wanted to pet and stroke and cuddle her while she purred in his arms. He walked into the bedroom and switched on the light. She stood at the window drawing the curtains, and turned to look at him. Her eyes were amazing, cobalt blue flecked with brown, rimmed by dark, thick lashes. Her hair was several shades of blonde, a bit like his, and cut in a style that made her look as though she’d just got out of bed. Jax ran his fingers through his hair and grinned. She whipped her dress over her head and grinned back. Oh fuck. And he’d thought she might need a bit more persuasion. Red bra that matched those torn red panties. Perky breasts and a cleavage he wanted to fuck. God, as if his cock needed more stimulation. Jax sighed as his balls tightened. She was tall and slim, just what he liked. Her legs went on forever and ever. He imagined her ankles wrapped around his neck while he fucked her senseless, and his dick growled in impatience. Jax hoped like hell she wasn’t looking for finesse and slow, gentle sex. Whilst he was more than capable of that, slow sex was not what he needed at that moment. Nor she, he’d guess. Her lips were slightly open and he could see the tip of her tongue running over her upper teeth. His tongue moved to the edge of his mouth and licked his upper lip. She quivered. So did he. Shit. He was currently on line for fast and furious. If he didn’t have her in the next couple of minutes, he’d disgrace himself and come in his pants. He could already feel a wet patch at the tip of his cock. Slow and careful could come later. Jax took a step toward her. “Do you have a condom?” she asked. Fuck, shit and bollocks. “Don’t move,” he said. “Not one inch. Don’t even smile until I come back.” Jax tried the bathroom across the landing. His cock strained to get free, urging him to hurry. It was pressing so hard to get out of his pants that pretty soon there’d be a neat tattoo of the metal zipper down the length of his dick. Jax searched the medicine cabinet behind the mirror, hoping his brother-in-law had a huge supply of rubbers. Nothing. Shit. Whoa, pregnancy kit? Kelly was trying to have another baby after that monster they already had? Jax shook the thought from his head, hoping that didn’t

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mean he was going to be out of luck on the condoms, and dropped to the cupboard under the washbasin. This wasn’t going to happen without a condom. He never took that sort of risk. Jax breathed a huge sigh of relief. An unopened packet of twelve in assorted flavors. Maybe he’d get really lucky. His cock tried to nod in agreement but it was too confined. “Don’t worry, matey. Not long now.” Jax flinched. Since when did he talk to his cock? And give it a name? Back in the bedroom, Miss Temptation stood exactly where he’d left her only the main light was off and a bedside lamp on. “You moved. I told you not to,” he said in a growl. “I have amazing magical powers. You have no idea.” No, he didn’t, but he soon would. A ripple of relief spread through Jax that she hadn’t bolted. He tossed the box of condoms onto the bedside cabinet and beckoned her with his finger. “Come here.” She put her hands on her lovely hips. “How about you come here?” Jax laughed. She was growing more appealing by the second. Not the wimp she might have been, climbing over a fence, he guessed, to escape a guy, but a sultry temptress. He started to unbutton his shirt and watched her eyes track his fingers. Jax wanted to rip the thing off and throw himself at her but he made himself slow down and take two seconds instead of one. When his fingers pushed out the button on his pants, the tip of her tongue flicked between her lips and he had to squeeze the root of his cock to prevent himself coming. Jax stopped looking at her. It was the only way he was going to make it out of his clothes. He toed off his shoes, peeled off his socks and dropped his jeans. His cock stretched inside his boxers and he groaned. He heard her exhale a shaky breath and looked up. She was staring at him, not at the impressive tent in his shorts—okay he was biased—but at his face, and Jax felt something shift inside him, a change that took him from wanting to fulfill a physical need to something beyond. He didn’t do emotion. Not his thing. But he stood there, looking into her eyes, unable to look away. This was lust, wasn’t it? How could it be anything else? “Come here,” he said and caught the smirk on her face. “Make me.” Two seconds later she lay on her back across the bed and he was on top of her, legs either side of hers, braced on his forearms to keep from crushing her. “Too easy,” he whispered. “Only because I let you.” Jax smiled. “Backside okay?”

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“Still there.” Her arms rested on his shoulders and soft, hot fingers kneaded his muscles. She’d slipped her legs out to curl them around his and hooked her heels over his calves so his thighs lay between her hips, his cock hard against her belly. He wanted her naked. Jax pushed himself up on his hands and she pulled him back down, pressed her lips against his. He was lost. She smelled so sweet—of flowers, summer rain and sunshine— and the taste of her made his head swirl. Her tongue mapped his mouth, teasing its way into every space, running along his teeth, exploring each dip and edge and Jax watched her face as she kissed him, loving the way her eyes fluttered beneath the lids. He allowed her growing passion to feed his until the alpha male in him had to take charge. His tongue surged into her mouth, segueing into a rhythm he matched with his hips, rocking into hers, driving his cock insane with frustration. Jax wanted to fuck her so much that his head, let alone his balls, threatened to burst with desire. Her hands slid inside his shorts and grasped his backside, fingers so close to his cleft, he had to bite back the demand that she press deeper. Her hips reached up to kiss his as his cantered into hers. Her hand wiggled its way to his dick and Jax’s control snapped with a loud twang. Oh God, at this rate, he wouldn’t even need a bloody condom. Jax rolled off and yanked down his boxers, tossing them aside before he stretched over her again. “Miss me?” he asked. She laughed and he wanted to capture her delight, store it in his heart. The scratchy lace was kind of interesting, wrinkling against his shaft, but he needed a tight warm cunt. “Bra off,” he said and moved so she could lift herself up. Her hands reached back and he stopped her. “Let me.” One flip and the catch came undone. It had been a while and Jax was pleased he hadn’t lost his touch. He lifted the material away from her breasts and gave a deep sigh. Soft, rounded globes, paler than the rest of her body. Too shy to sunbathe topless? Maybe no opportunity. He wouldn’t let her wear a bikini top. He’d like her naked beside him, lying in the sun, soaking up the rays so whenever he wanted he could lean over and kiss her nipples. Jax wanted to play with them but he couldn’t wait. He peeled off her panties and allowed himself one long look. God, she was gorgeous. Golden curls, more treasure beyond and his for the night. “I need you now,” she whispered. Jax wanted to smell her, touch her, lick her. He wanted her muscles to clasp and squeeze his fingers, his tongue, his dick. He wanted to bury his face between her legs and suck her ‘til she came, screaming his name. Shit. Jax gritted his teeth and willed his cum to stay right where it was. No rushing down dark tunnels toward nirvana because the stuff wouldn’t end up inside her, but on her chest. Only even that sounded good. Her breasts covered in his cum. Her fingers on his waist were so soft, she— Jax tried to think of something to distract him—he couldn’t.

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He ripped open the box of condoms, scattering them over the bed. Grabbing the nearest one, Jax tore it open and the rubber fell out. Fuck! Then it was in her fingers and she was touching his dick, stroking him, sheathing him. His cock, dressed and ready for action, was already nudging at her silky folds without Jax being aware of what he was doing. One shift of her hips below his, one push of his hips above her and he was sliding in, straight in, deep in and he wanted to keep going, wished he was ten foot long and she was nine foot deep. She was hot and tight and wet and even through the damn condom she felt absolutely perfect. “Oh God, you feel so good.” Jax winced at the tremor in his voice. “I need to apologize before I even try to move. Take it as a compliment that I’m not going to last more than ten seconds. Next time I’ll go slow, I promise.” She shifted her hand from his shoulder to run one finger along the seam of his lips and he almost came undone without moving. Ten seconds were already on countdown. His cock panted inside her as he began to shift. Jax managed two slow penetrations and withdrawals and gave in. He could only do fast. Her hips rose to meet his and he thrust into her with such driving force, they jerked up the bed. Jax was dimly aware of grabbing her shoulders, trying to keep her in place but his hips were out of control, the urgent friction so overwhelming and pleasurable, he got lost in its thrall. Too fast, but it felt so good. He dropped his head and his mouth dragged a wet line down her throat as he thrust into her. There was a mindless frenzy to his rhythm and Jax forgot everything but what he needed at that moment—which was her, to fuck her, fill her with his cream, to drive so deep inside her there was nothing left of him or her, only one organism. She pulled him deeper, her muscles clenching around him, so tight it was almost painful. The orgasm came from somewhere behind his eyes, a sharp spike that morphed into pleasure as it shot through his body. Liquid fire burned a path down his limbs, centering on his groin. She cried out beneath him, her muscles squeezing his cock, drawing an echoing cry from his throat. He erupted into her, felt every wrenching spurt of his cum fly from the tip of his cock. When the last delectable spasm died away, he slumped over her and Jax’s biggest regret was not that he’d come so fast, but that he’d had to wear a rubber because he felt a compulsion to mark her as his. When he could move—and it took several seconds—he slid to the side of the bed. He got rid of the condom into a tissue and settled back to face her, laying his hand flat on her stomach. Her body was bathed in soft light, her face flushed with arousal. “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you,” he said. “I felt like I was diving off the high board. I had no choice once my feet were in the air.” She smiled. “That wasn’t a belly flop.” No, it was a straight dive into bliss. “How’s your backside?” “I’m going to frame that piece of wood.” Jax chuckled. “No, I’m going to frame that piece of wood.” 17

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He traced the line of her collarbone with his finger and then his lips. He felt the tremors run through her body. He loved that he had the power to do that. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Anna.” “I’m Jacob, but I’m usually known as Jax.” “Nice to meet you, usually known as Jax.” He tweaked her pebbled nipple. “So, while we wait for my quivering limbs to regain some muscle control, are you going to tell me why you climbed over the fence, hid under the lid of a paddling pool and pretended to be a cat?” Anna sighed. “You know those cans you shouldn’t open, the ones that have worms?” “Fishermen like them. I quite like fishing.” “I bet you’ve never been near a fishing rod in your life.” “Stop trying to change the subject. I want to know why you were desperate enough to risk climbing over a rickety fence. Who was that couple looking for you?” The whole wretched story bubbled inside Anna. She’d tried so hard to keep it suppressed, to stop thinking about it but most of all to stop explaining the way she felt because no one believed her. Why should this guy be any different? She opened her mouth and then closed it again. He’d think she was crazy. He tickled her under her chin. “Tell me.” But then Jax didn’t know her. He hadn’t already been got at by Gareth, slimed by the champion slimeball. There was no reason for Jax not to believe her so long as she didn’t get carried away and start to babble like a raving lunatic. Jax’s fingers traced her ribs. “Spit it out, woman. I need distracting for a moment to allow myself to recover before I make it up to you for that rather speedy effort.” He paused. “Though I did notice I wasn’t the only speedy one.” Heat warmed Anna’s face. She’d love to have told him that was the fastest she’d ever come considering she’d already had one explosive orgasm in the kitchen. “Who were you running from?” She took a deep breath. “My younger sister Beth and her boyfriend Gareth.” He waited for her to continue. Anna did another imitation of a fish. Mouth open. Mouth closed. “And do they have the Ebola virus?” Jax asked. She wished Gareth did. “Gareth is supposedly my former boyfriend.” “Supposedly?” “He says he was. Beth thinks he was. My parents think he was and so do some of my so-called friends but I never actually went out on a date with him.”

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Jax looked intrigued now and leaned up on his elbow. Don’t blurt it all out. You’ll sound pathetic. Anna pressed her lips together. “Don’t you dare stop now. This is better than TV. What the hell is he playing at?” Anna wished she knew. “Come on. How did it all start?” “Okay. Don’t forget it was you who asked.” She tucked her arm under her head. “The first time I saw Gareth was about six months ago, standing in the line for the cinema. I was on my own because it was a scary vampire movie and no one would go with me. I tend to squeal.” She looked at him but he kept his face straight. “Gareth started chatting, just ordinary stuff about the length of the line, the weather, the traffic. He was a bit too pushy. He made me feel uncomfortable. After I’d bought my ticket, I went to the loo, then bought a drink—in other words, I’d given him plenty of time to get seated, but moments after I’d sat down, he came and plonked himself next to me. He’d waited to see where I was going to sit.” “Maybe he’d been to the loo and bought a drink and was just being friendly?” That’s what her friends had said. “I left before the film ended in case he was thinking of following me. I thought I’d been smart but the next day he was waiting outside the place where I work. I hadn’t told him where that was.” Jax frowned. “He’d followed you?” “He must have done. Home from the cinema and then to work the next day. When I saw him on the street, I confronted him, asked him what he was up to but he claimed it was a coincidence, that he was waiting for someone else. A lie.” Jax took hold of her hand and squeezed her fingers. “He kept turning up at the same place as me and pretended we’d arranged it. He acted like we were going out together. He sent flowers to my home and to work. I told him to stop following me, threatened to go to the police and for a while I didn’t see him. Then one night, when I got back from work, I found him inside my apartment.” “Shit.” Anna’s heart rate jumped as she remembered. “I started to scream and he put his hand over my mouth. He pulled me into the main room. The table was laid, candles lit. He’d cooked a bloody meal. He looked so pleased with himself. I’ve no idea how he got in. I wasn’t sure what to do.” “What did you do?” Anna wasn’t about to tell Jax exactly what had happened, what fear had made her do. “Persuaded him to leave and had the locks changed. He carried on bumping into me for weeks. I finally went to the police and they paid him a visit.” She gave a little

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laugh. “The police said Gareth claimed it was me harassing him. Anyway, it all stopped and I thought it was over. Then a month ago, I was at my parents for Sunday lunch and Beth arrived holding Gareth’s hand.” “Ouch.” Jax rubbed his thumb around her palm. “I was so shocked, I couldn’t speak. I was torn between relief because he’d now leave me alone, and concern that he wasn’t right for Beth. I assumed he was going out with her to make a point or something. But Beth obviously adored him, and he was all over her and I thought it would be okay. Until I found out he’d lied and told Beth and Mum and Dad that he’d broken off our relationship. I might have been able to cope with that. I understand male pride but Gareth went on to say that I wouldn’t leave him alone, that I was pestering him to take me back. That made me furious.” Anna shuddered when she thought about it, the scene she’d made, the way she’d shouted. “It was such a childish thing to do, the sort of lies boys tell at school when they don’t want to look like losers in front of their friends.” She glanced at Jax and he twisted his mouth into a wry smile. “I’ve grown up,” he said. Anna gave a little snort. “You’re a guy, you’ll never grow up.” “Keep talking. I want to know what happened.” “Gareth claimed I was obsessed with him, jealous because he preferred Beth. When I tried to explain what he’d done to Beth and our parents, especially all the creepy things, no one believed me. If only I’d told them beforehand but I hadn’t. I didn’t want them to worry. Worse still, when the flowers arrived at work, I’d pretended they were from a boyfriend.” “What the fuck for?” Anna bristled. “Because I’d never been out with a guy who sent me flowers. I liked them. I just didn’t like that they were from Gareth. Believe me, if I could go back and change things, I would. He twisted everything I said to make me look bitter and spiteful because he’d wanted Beth and not me. He won everyone over to his side.” Anna was hurt by the way her family hadn’t believed her—still didn’t believe her. “Mum and Dad love him. He laughs at Dad’s jokes, praises Mum’s cooking and treats Beth like an angel. He’s behaving like the perfect bloody boyfriend.” The bastard could do no wrong. Anna felt her fist clench and then Jax’s hand wrapped around hers, teasing the tension from her fingers. “So what’s the deal? Leave them to it.” Anna gave a short laugh. “I would if I could but he won’t leave me alone. He still turns up at the same place as me and then accuses me of stalking him. He pleaded with me to go to his apartment to talk things through and against my better judgment, I agreed. When I got there, he pretended he’d never asked me. Beth stood at his shoulder, half glaring, half feeling sorry for me.” 20

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There was worse too, but Anna had said enough. She half regretted saying anything. “The guy sounds like a prize prick,” Jax said. Anna felt a surge of hope. “You believe me?” “Of course I do.” Relief flooded over her as though she’d sunk into a warm bath. “He is a prick, but then some pricks are fun,” she whispered. She slid her fingers through the thatch of dark, wiry hair at Jax’s groin and wrapped her hand around his thickening cock. He gave a loud groan. “I think you promised me slow,” she whispered and kissed her way down his chest until her lips reached his dick. “Oh God, that was only if I was in charge, not you.”

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Chapter Three Jax hissed like a snake when Anna’s tongue traced the thick vein at the back of his cock all the way from the root to the sensitive tip. One wet lick over the tumescent head and he shuddered beneath her. “Jesus, Anna.” Anna slid further down the bed until she was on all fours poised over his lower body. Jax lifted his head, opened his eyes, then closed them again and dropped back to the pillow. “I can’t look. I’m on a bloody knife edge here.” Anna lowered her head and first licked then mouthed her way up the side of his cock, before repeating the action a little further around. She loved the feel of the velvety skin against her tongue, liked the way she could use her lips to make it crinkle and then smooth out. Jax had a long, thick cock. It fit inside her just fine, but Anna wasn’t sure how much of it she could get in her mouth. She wrapped her hand around the base of it and squeezed at the same time as she put her lips over the head and sucked. Jax’s hips came up off the bed and he cradled her head with his hands. “Oh fuck, fuck, fuck.” While she suckled at the tip, Anna pumped at the bottom with her fist and a little spurt of pre-cum hit the inside of her cheek. She savored the slightly salty tang and then used his cream and her saliva to lubricate his dick as she moved her lips up and down. With each swoop she varied the amount she took into her mouth and changed the pressure, firm to whisper soft. Jax’s breathing was ragged, his legs twitched and his hands alternated between fisting the sheets and stroking her hair. When he pulled her hair and stroked the sheets, Anna smiled around his dick. “Oh Jesus, that feels so good. Pull down on my balls. I don’t want to come yet. I’d like you to do this all night.” Anna tightened her grip and pushed down at the root of his cock with the heel of her hand. When she let him loose from her mouth to take a breath, he leaned up to look at her through half-open eyes. “You’re driving me insane,” he said. The little tear-shaped slit at the tip of his cock flared open and another spurt of precum swelled out and dripped to his stomach. Anna’s tongue lapped it up, licking until he was clean. All the time she kept a firm hold on the base of his cock. “Jesus wept. Oh God, I need to come.” Anna swirled her tongue over the crown of his dick, then began short pulsing sucks, while she pulled down on his balls. 22

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“You little tease,” he gasped. Anna hadn’t expected what happened next which was why Jax got away with it. He flipped her over, grabbed her legs and spun her round. She lay flat on her back, her head hanging off the end of the bed, her mouth within reach of his cock, while his face was buried between her legs. His tongue worked its way inside her, caressing her own little hard-on and Anna felt her muscles clenching. The only other time she’d been in this position, she’d found it hard to concentrate on the two things at the same time, her increasing pleasure and that of her partner. But Anna guided Jax’s cock back into her mouth and each time he sucked her clit, she echoed it with a suck of her own. The alternate action worked, kept her focused, and the fire between her legs began to spread along her veins to all parts of her body. They were made for this, she thought, an exact fit, no crooked necks, no hunched shoulders, a perfect match. His tongue flickered over her clit and then he bit down lightly. Anna was shocked into her climax. Her orgasm gripped her like a constricting snake, tensing every muscle in her body before she spiraled to oblivion. Her lips tightened around him and he spurted into her mouth, long, thick pulses of his cum shooting out until she thought she might choke if he didn’t stop or let her head up. Anna swallowed and swallowed and tried to get her breathing and trembling body back under control. Jax was the first to move. He pulled her up so her head rested beside his on the pillow and he kissed her, a gentle sweep of his lips before he pressed his mouth harder against hers, letting their tongues tangle as they exchanged tastes of each other. They groaned and Jax trailed his mouth to her ear. “Oh fuck, Anna. What the hell are you doing to me? Feel my cock. The thing’s still hard.” “I’m not complaining,” she whispered. “Put it inside me. Let’s see how long it takes to go soft.” “It hasn’t been fucking soft since I saw you. If we’re out in public, I’m going to get arrested.” Anna laughed but she hadn’t missed the inference in his words, that maybe he’d see her again, go out with her. Please let it happen. He lifted her leg over his hip and pressed his body closer to hers, his hands sliding down her back as he kissed her neck. When his fingers feathered the top of her buttocks, Anna shuddered into him. “Like that?” he asked. “It tickles.” “Have you ever been fucked in the ass?” Anna gulped. “No.” “Ever wanted to be?” His fingers lingered over the point where her back became her backside, stroking gently, making her twitch against him.

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“I’ve thought about it.” Oh God, did I say that out loud? She’d had erotic fantasies of being sandwiched between two guys, one fucking her pussy, the other with his cock in her ass, but that’s all they were, fantasies. “I don’t think—” she began. “It’s okay,” Jax said. “You need stretching before you take a cock in your sweet little ass. You need someone you trust to be careful. I’m not going to do that to you now, but I want to play with you, give you a taste of how good it feels. Can I?” Anna was silly putty in his hands, a little afraid she’d have agreed to anything he suggested. But she was pleased he didn’t take her acquiescence for granted. “You’re offering to make me feel good, why would I say no?” Jax laughed and rolled her onto her stomach. He grabbed all four pillows and pushed them one by one under her belly so her backside stuck up in the air. Anna felt comfortable physically but not mentally, her butt exposed to Jax’s scrutiny. “Can I put the main light on?” he asked. Anna squealed. “No way.” He sighed. “Okay. I can wait.” There would be an ice age in hell before that happened, she thought. Jax leaned over her back and began nibbling the shell of her ear, making her body squirm and whispering crude language that had her clenching inside. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Anna. Do you have any idea how turned on I am by how wet you are? But I want you wetter. I want your cunt dripping on my face. I want you screaming for me to fuck you and then I’m going to fuck you ‘til you scream for me to stop.” Her breasts were pushed forward by the pillows, her nipples hard as diamonds, desperate for stroking. Anna bent her head and licked one. “Oh Christ, if you can do that, I’m not going to make it as far as your ass without spurting,” Jax said. “I’m already leaking.” “Can you lick your cock?” He laughed. “Attractive proposition but I’m not that much of a contortionist. I’d need a flexible rib cage.” “I watched a guy do it on a movie clip. It was kind of sexy.” Anna knew she was blushing. He kissed her shoulder blade then nipped the angular bone with his teeth. “You like the idea of guys sucking cocks?” That question didn’t quite follow but Anna ran with it. She could say anything she liked to this guy and somehow knew she wouldn’t shock him. “Yes, I do. Have you ever sucked a guy’s cock?” His lips paused on their route down her spine. “Yeah. Have you ever gone down on a woman?” 24

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“No.” “Is that no, I never had the chance or no, get that thing away from me?” “I don’t want the chance. I like guys,” Anna said firmly. “Good,” Jax mumbled into her back as he licked along her ribs. Anna melted under his touch, not just the rasp of his tongue, the brush of his stubble but what he was doing with his hands. Gentle fingers stroked and teased her right breast while the fingers of the other hand wove delicate patterns over her left thigh. All the time his mouth moved lower. “Oh God.” Anna groaned as he licked the junction of her lower back and her ass. Feathery touches either side had her wriggling beneath him. Then one finger ran lightly down the cleft of her bottom, all the way to her pussy where it collected her cream and made the return journey, delving a little deeper into the damp valley. “So soft, so sweet, so sexy,” he crooned as he rested his head on her lower back. The next pass of his finger pressed deeper and Anna’s hips flexed into the pillows. “Relax, little kitten. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m only petting you.” The bed moved as Jax shifted. Both hands were on her backside, parting her buttocks. “You’re so pretty. That tight little puckered asshole sitting here just for me.” His finger wiped across her inner thigh and Anna felt the rumble of his laugh. “You’re so wet, you’re fucking dripping.” She gasped as his head slid between her legs and his mouth settled over her folds. His hands grasped her hips, keeping her in place as he tongued her. Ripples of pleasure fluttered through Anna’s body, surges of fiery sparks igniting all over her. Then his tongue circled her asshole and Anna cried out. Jax blew on it. “It’s okay. Relax.” This was something she’d never done, a new sensation and Anna was torn between disgust and delight. He persisted, his fingers digging into her hips and Anna gave herself up to the experience. His tongue pushed just inside her opening and she jolted at the warm, wet surges, her hands fisting the sheets as she panted. His finger replaced his tongue, little pushes, tiny movements that sent shivers down her legs to every toe. “Oh my God,” Anna whispered. “Relax, kitten. Push down. It’ll be easier. Trust me.” Anna tried and gulped at the burning sensation as she felt his knuckle slide inside her. So good. So bad. Why were bad things so good? Well, she’d wanted to be bad and now she was. “You’re hot and tight. I’d love to fuck your ass.” His finger slid deeper and Anna tensed. “Just a little more, baby. Hang on. I’m going to make it perfect for you.” 25

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As the rest of his finger slipped inside, another of his fingers dove into her pussy. His head rested on her backside and he began to finger-fuck her in both holes, sliding into her ass and out of her cunt. Anna lasted less than ten seconds. She screamed her release as the spasms twisted inside her. “Oh God…God…God.” She could barely breathe let alone speak, the ecstasy winging her mind into space. All she was aware of was the intense sensations inside her that she never wanted to end. Jax’s dick was so hard he thought it was going to explode. Making her come like that had been an incredible turn-on. There was no way he was going to let her walk out of his life. Already his mind reeled in multiple directions, trying to figure out ways to make this work. He moved up the bed to lie at her side and look at her face. Anna stayed motionless for so long, he thought she’d passed out and then she opened her eyes and smiled. “Disgusted or delirious?” he asked. “Disgustingly delirious.” “Good.” Anna gave a slow smile. “On your back.” Before he could move, the pillows were on the floor and Anna had pushed him over to straddle his body. She grabbed a foil packet and rolled a condom down his cock. “Do they come in bigger sizes?” “Aren’t I big enough for you?” Anna sniggered. “That’s not what I meant. Your cock is huge.” Jax laughed. “You know the way to a guy’s heart.” Anna positioned herself over his tip and eased herself down. Jax heard a groan rumble from his throat. “Oh shit.” Even through the damn condom, it felt like he was encased in a tight velvet glove. For a moment she didn’t move and then she began to swivel her hips like an exotic belly dancer. Jax felt every twist, every sinuous turn along the length of his dick. He chuckled and matched it with a flex of his own. Anna gasped and her eyes closed. He reached for her breasts and cupped them in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. She squeezed him with her pussy and Jax bit his lip. Ohh that felt good. “Like that?” Anna asked. “I don’t know. Do it again.” The next moment there was a rippling cascade of sensation along his cock. Jesus. The tremors went all the way up his spine. Jax countered with an upthrust of his own and Anna opened her eyes wide and gulped.

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“Are we playing?” she asked. “I can’t. One more squeeze from you and I’m done for.” “I was promised long.” “Next time,” Jax gasped as she began to ride him. He bucked his hips into her as she pressed down. In—out—in—out in a rhythm that made him feel his cum was being dragged from every corner of his body not just from his balls. Anna cried out, tightened around him and he burst into her, a relentless surge of sweet pleasure that drew an echoing cry from his lips. She collapsed onto him, a soft, damp blanket, and Jax wrapped his arms around her. “Told you I’d make you sweat,” he said.

***** Anna woke suddenly to find Jax at her back, snuffling into her neck, his fingers inside her pussy and his erection nudging her backside. Anna reached around and wrapped her hand around his cock. When he gave a little snore she realized he was asleep and she laughed. Anna rolled her palm over the wet head of his dick and he pumped into her hand. She grinned. Still asleep and yet his body knew what it wanted. Desperate to use the bathroom, Anna slipped from under Jax’s arm, trying not to wake him. On the landing she guessed between the three closed doors and smiled when she pulled the light cord to reveal a trendy bathroom with pale travertine tiles and a large freestanding tub. Then the smile fell off her face and crashed to shatter on the floor. Everything was neat and tidy, including the pile of children’s bath toys sitting on the floor in a blue plastic container. Oh fuck. Anna was torn between anger and regret. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Everything had told her this guy was married. The plastic lid she’d hid beneath. The dinosaur Band-Aid. The clean kitchen. She’d ignored it all. Even though she guessed this would turn out to be no more than a one-night stand, she’d still hoped he might want to see her again. Now Anna knew that even if he wanted to, she couldn’t—wouldn’t. A cold wave of reality washed over her. Maybe he hadn’t lied. He might not be married but he had a family. Kid or kids. A surge of nausea rolled through her. Yet another mistake. Anna’s love life was a whole catalogue of mistakes. She either picked the wrong man or the wrong man picked her. She switched off the light and approached the door she’d nearly opened when she’d come upstairs. A little boy’s room. A wall stenciled with a race track, the bed a blue racing car. Toys lined up on shelves. Anna bit back a sob. No amount of sexual satisfaction could excuse this. She hadn’t known but she should have guessed. This was a family house. What the hell had she been thinking? Anna slipped into the bedroom and gathered her clothes. She could just about hold her ripped dress together. One last look at Jax who lay on his side, the sheet curled around his slim hips. A gorgeous bastard. Then she was gone.

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***** Jax rolled over expecting to encounter a soft, warm body. He ran his hand over the sheet. A cold bed. He opened his eyes, leaned up on his elbows and looked around. No clothes. Anna had gone. He sighed. It might have been for the best, but Jax found himself very disappointed. The sex had been spectacular. He’d been looking forward to more. He liked Anna. She was fun and quirky and Jax had begun to nurse a little hope that there might be a way to make her part of his life. Clearly she had other ideas. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and froze. Christ, he hoped that story she’d told him about her former boyfriend that wasn’t, was true. What if it had been the other way round and Anna was the one who became obsessed with guys? Jax thought about the damage to her backside. She’d been desperate to get away. No, she was telling the truth. Jax flung off the sweaty sheet and grimaced. Laundry to do before he left. He hadn’t meant to stay the night. His sister Kelly, her husband Pete and their four-year-old son Tom, were in the States for three months while Pete worked on an engineering project in Colorado. Jax had instructions to visit once every couple of weeks to check the postman hadn’t delivered mail he was supposed to hang on to, and to make sure the house hadn’t sprung a leak, been ransacked by burglars or fallen into a bottomless pit. When a business trip to Zurich had ended a day sooner than expected, Jax decided to pay a quick visit to his sister’s place in Greenwich rather than go straight home. After the taxi had dropped him off, he’d changed out of his suit and taken a can of beer into the garden. Jax was glad he had, otherwise he’d have missed out on Anna, but now he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to get her out of his mind. Will was due to pick him up from Gatwick that afternoon, so Jax needed to call and tell him to come to Greenwich instead. He should have called him last night. A clatter of unease rattled down his spine. Will was going to be pissed off with him. Jax pushed open the bedroom door and groaned. Fuck. The door to Tom’s bedroom was ajar. Jax closed his eyes and banged his head on the wall. Shit. Not hard to figure out what had happened. He’d never had a chance to tell Anna this place wasn’t his. But then, there was a lot he hadn’t got around to telling her.

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Chapter Four Anna wondered if she dare leave her parents’ house without staying for lunch. Actually, she wondered if she dare leave without saying goodbye. She hadn’t slept after she’d crawled back into her childhood bed, her mind swimming with thoughts of Jax and his family until her head pounded with pain. She’d had the most fabulous sex of her life and she wasn’t even going to be able to remember it with pleasure because anger, guilt and regret had poisoned her joy. She lay listening to the rest of the house begin to stir and waited until they’d gone downstairs before she crept to the bathroom. Even after a long shower, she had dark circles under her eyes and a cold ache in her heart. Anna suspected that both would remain with her for a long while. A resurrection of teenage skills and an accurate recall of creaky steps three and seven enabled Anna to reach the bottom of the stairs without anyone hearing her. The front door was in sight. Five paces. No more. Anna’s head dropped. She couldn’t do it. Shit, she was a wimp. The lunch she could get out of, but not the goodbye. She put down her bag in the hall and as she reached to open the kitchen door, she heard her name. “What about Anna?” her father said. “You don’t think this is too soon?” “We don’t want to wait.” Whiny Beth with her squeaky mouse voice. Wait for what? Anna shoved the door open and walked in. Four faces turned toward her. Concerned looks from her mum and dad, a wide-eyed look of guilt from curly-haired Beth and a smug grin from Gareth the slimy bastard. “Morning, Anna.” Anna gritted her teeth. Of course it had to be Gareth who spoke to her first. “And what time did you get in?” asked her mother. How old was she? Sixteen? “Not too late.” About three o’clock. “Oh, I was sure I heard you coming in about three,” said Gareth. The bloody toad. “He’s a really light sleeper.” Beth patted his hand. “Not me,” said Anna and smiled, thinking she hadn’t really lied. She wasn’t a light sleeper. “Where did you get to last night? I thought we were going to share a taxi back,” Beth said.

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“I don’t know how you missed me. I was there at the party, apart from an hour in the bedroom with the George Clooney look-alike. Ha-ha.” No one laughed. Gareth glowered and Anna resisted the impulse to stick out her tongue. Why couldn’t they see through him? Frustration twisted her gut. There was no point expecting besotted Beth to see what he was really like but why couldn’t her parents? Were they blind? Couldn’t they see what a creep he was? Anna sighed. Okay, so on first impressions he didn’t seem so bad. Gareth was tall, dark and moderately handsome, if you liked the smooth, slick look. Anna didn’t. He had a good job in the city and a smart car. Some sort of Porsche. Beth was sufficiently shallow for that to be enough. Beth was happy, so Mum and Dad were happy. It didn’t seem to matter to them that Anna was miserable. She carried a glass of water to the table and winced when her backside hit the seat. “What’s wrong, Anna?” her sharp-eyed mother asked. “Nothing.” Anna wasn’t about to explain that it hurt every time she sat down, because that would mean she’d have to explain how she got the splinter, how it had been removed and how the following vigorous activity had aggravated the injury. “So why did you pull that face?” asked her mother. Everyone looked suspicious. Damn. Having a mother who’d used their teenage years to hone her interrogation techniques into an Olympic skill was a huge disadvantage for an open book like Anna. Ever since she’d left home, Sunday lunch had been like diving into a pool of sharks with a small cut. Sadly her mother only applied her skills on her daughters and not the snake in the nest who sat with a smirk on his face on the other side of the table. So desperate to see a ring on the finger of either daughter, her mother would probably have welcomed Jack the Ripper for tea if he was an available bachelor. “Have you hurt your back?” her mother asked. “Bruised it,” Anna muttered. “What on?” “A door handle.” Beth sniggered. Anna went straight to livid and didn’t stop to collect two hundred pounds. “It’s not funny, Beth. It hurts.” “Let me look,” said her mother. Shit. “It’s fine.” “Well, which is it?” asked her father from behind the broadsheet newspaper. “Fine or not fine?” Anna caught sight of Gareth’s dark eyes staring, questioning and she looked away. “Fine,” Anna said. For a long while, no one spoke.

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“How was the party?” asked her mother. “Fine.” “So you had a good time?” “Yes.” Anna just resisted saying fine. “Meet anyone?” “No.” “No one at all? What about this George Clooney look-alike?” “That was Anna’s idea of a joke, Mum,” said Beth. Anna had never perfected her “not guilty” face but she tried hard with it now. “I’m sure Anna will eventually meet someone who’ll help her get through this,” said Gareth and reached out to pat her hand. “Get through what?” Anna snapped and dragged her hand well out of reach. “There’s no need to be so touchy,” said her mother. Anna turned to glare at her. “I wasn’t—” “Gareth’s just being kind.” Her mother glared back. “Please don’t argue,” Gareth said. “I feel terrible about this and Anna can’t help the way she feels.” Shut the fuck up, you complete and utter wanker. There was some comfort in thinking it, but Anna wished she dare say it. Her mother smiled at Gareth. “And you two can’t help that you’ve fallen in love.” She turned back to her eldest daughter with narrowed lips. Anna braced herself. “You should be pleased for your sister, Anna. You’re spoiling her special moment.” Special moment? All moisture left Anna’s mouth. Oh Christ. Beth was beaming across the table, looking too happy, too pleased with herself. Anna wouldn’t play the game, wouldn’t ask. She reached for the box of her favorite cereal, only to find it empty. No doubt Gareth had the last bloody bowlful. “Anna,” her mother snapped. “What?” “Stop it. Beth has something important to tell you.” Anna looked at her sister and tried to keep her face neutral. “Gareth asked me to marry him.” “I hope you said no.” Fuck, why had she said that? Gareth broke the silence. “Don’t be like that, Anna.” There was another long pause. Too long a pause. Anna hadn’t meant to wait so long but it was hard to get her mouth to say something other than the sentence running through her head. “You stupid fucking idiot” would have had her mother reaching for the soap. Beth’s disappointed face stabbed Anna’s conscience.

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“Congratulations.” Anna forced the word out. If only she could have sounded sincere. She wanted to believe the best of the situation, wanted Beth to be happy but this was all wrong. “Do you really mean that?” Beth asked. “I want you to be happy,” Anna said, which wasn’t a lie. “Give me a kiss.” Beth stood and held open her arms. Anna got up, moved around the table and hugged her. Beth tightened her grip. “Me too,” said Gareth and pulled Anna into an awkward threesome embrace. She couldn’t extricate herself without looking bad so Anna steeled herself not to recoil at his touch. His lips headed for hers and she tried to turn her head, but he caught the edge of her mouth. His fingers were digging into her arm through her sweater, sharp nails pressing hard into her skin. It hurt so much she wrenched away. Her parents exchanged worried glances. For a moment she considered rolling up her sleeve to show them the marks he’d undoubtedly made, but what was the point? They’d say she did it herself when she’d jerked back. “So when’s the wedding?” Anna asked, rubbing the arm where he’d hurt her. Gareth watched her, glanced at her mother, put on a “what can you do?” face and shook his head. The fucker made everything she did look bad. “Beth was thinking next June,” Gareth said. “She wanted to give you time to adjust. She’s such a sweetie.” Anna’s fingers curled into her palms. Why would she need time to adjust? She didn’t give a fuck. In the cinema line, the first time she’d seen him, she’d thought he was quite cute but not her type. Less than ten minutes later, when he’d sat next to her without asking, she’d known he wasn’t someone she wanted to get to know better. How come Beth was so stupid? “But I can’t wait. This Christmas seems perfect,” Gareth said and smiled his perfect smile. Oh great. Wreck Christmas too, why don’t you. “Do you mind, Anna?” Beth asked. “Why would I mind? I don’t care if you get married next week. In fact, why don’t you get married next week,” Anna said and at once regretted it. Her father lowered his paper and gave her one of his looks. Gareth put his arm over Anna’s shoulder and she froze. “You’re being so good about this,” he whispered. Anna wanted to kick him. “I want you to be maid of honor.” Beth looked down. Kicking her sister wasn’t enough. Anna wanted to kill her. Painfully. She and Beth had a longstanding agreement that they wouldn’t ask this of each other. So much for sisterly pacts.

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“Gareth wants you to,” Beth said. “He insisted I ask you.” Anna ignored the sorry message Beth was trying to send her. Sorry didn’t cut it. They had a deal. What was Beth thinking? Only this wasn’t Beth but Gareth manipulating Beth. Anna was desperate to leave the house and now she couldn’t otherwise they’d think she was upset. She was upset but not for the reason they’d think. She made herself smile. Showing her teeth counted, didn’t it? “You will do it, won’t you?” Gareth asked. “I know Beth won’t feel the day is complete unless she has her older sister looking after her.” Four faces waiting for an answer. Even her father had stopped reading his paper. No, she wanted to scream. Over my dead body. When the Pope gets married. When George Clooney gets married. But Anna had no choice over what to say. Not if she wanted to avoid a scene. “All right.” Beth clapped her hands and squealed. “Oh, thank you.” Anna felt as small as an ant because there was no way she’d traipse down the aisle wearing some monstrous vile-colored dress, particularly if Beth married Gareth. “Show Anna your ring,” said her mother. Beth put a small, green box on the table and blushed. “I wanted to tell you before you saw it. I didn’t want you to just see it and be upset.” Anna doubted she’d have noticed. “Let me.” Gareth took the ring from the box and slipped it onto Beth’s finger. “Never take it off again.” Was it Anna’s imagination or did she hear a note of menace in that? Beth laughed so Anna thought she must be wrong. The ring was—well, a ring. One largish diamond surrounded by a circle of smaller stones. “It’s beautiful,” Anna said dutifully, though she hated rings of any sort except perhaps ones that were supposed to go through nipples. She’d always had a secret yearning to try those, though maybe not ones that went through nipples. She wasn’t that brave. On a nipple would be fine. One day… “One day, you’ll have one of your own,” Gareth said. Two, Anna thought and gave a genuine grin. That wiped the smug look off his face. Anna busied herself making breakfast, trying to think up a good excuse for leaving before lunch. She could feel the onset of the bubonic plague? Aliens had landed at the bottom of the street? Anna swiped margarine over her toast and froze when she felt Gareth’s fingers on her arm. She looked up to find no one else in the kitchen. “They’ve given us a minute alone,” he said. “What the hell for?” Anna’s throat began to close up. “Are you really glad for me, Anna?”

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“Absolutely ecstatic.” She wrenched her arm away and pressed so hard on her toast as she spread the marmalade that it snapped in two. Shit. He smiled. “That ring could have been yours.” “I’d have flushed it down the toilet.” He laughed but his eyes stayed cold. “Where did you get to last night? I was sure I saw you go into the garden but you seemed to disappear into thin air.” Anna was so tempted to tell him she’d had stupendously brilliant sex with the guy the other side of the fence. Instead she went for an enigmatic smile. “What I get up to has nothing to do with you.” “But I’m part of your family now.” “Not yet,” Anna muttered. “Beth’s not as good in bed as you.” Anna spun to face him. “What?” “She won’t let me come in her mouth. I keep thinking about that, Anna. How it felt to have your soft, wet lips around me. How silky your hair felt against my balls.” Anna shuddered. Fuck, fuck. What a mistake that had been. When she’d come home that time and found him in her apartment, she’d ordered him to leave. But he’d got so upset, even forced out a tear that she’d let herself be talked into eating the meal he’d cooked and drinking the wine. Things got out of hand. It had vaguely occurred to her that for the amount she’d drunk, she was a little too woozy but she’d ended up giving him a blowjob because she didn’t want him to fuck her. Only the blowjob had got her into worse trouble. Anna had struggled and said no but she knew no one would believe she hadn’t wanted what he’d done. She should have gone to the police and told them he’d raped her, only it hadn’t quite been the truth. She thought he might have drugged her but by the time she woke, she knew it was too late to do anything. Anna wanted to forget the evening had ever happened. “When you get horny, you know where I am.” “I’d rather be fucked by a three-headed alien.” He laughed. “I will have you again. You know you want me.” “Fuck off, Gareth.” Anna slapped his face, just as Beth walked back in. “What on earth do you think you’re doing?” Anna was hurt that the question was directed at her and not Gareth. He pulled Beth into his arms. “Don’t be upset, sweetheart, but Anna just asked me to have sex with her one last time. I said no and she hit me.” Beth’s face crumpled. Anna felt the fury rise in her like a spring tide. “For Christ’s sake, Beth, how many times do I have to say it? I don’t want him, I never wanted him, if he was the last fucking man on the planet I wouldn’t want him. I’d say you were welcome to him, but you deserve better.” 34

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Tears fell from Beth’s eyes. “Why are you so horrible? Why don’t you want me to be happy?” It hadn’t been the exit Anna wanted but she took it. The fact that her father didn’t seem bothered to see her go and her mother looked relieved did nothing for Anna’s self-esteem. She grabbed her bag and walked to the bus stop.

***** By the time Anna got back to her one-bedroom apartment in Surrey Quays she was furious with everyone, herself included. Lying Jax, stupid Beth, sleazeball Gareth, annoying parents and pathetic Anna. She wasn’t sure who upset her the most. No, that was a lie. If she took herself out of the equation, it was Jax because he’d had the power to make everything right in her world and he’d made it worse. Anna bustled around her apartment, doing the routine weekend jobs like the cleaning and laundry and all she could think about was the way Jax had made her feel, the touch of his body pressed against hers, the musky smell of him, the taste of his cum, the way he squirmed when she licked his ear. Why would he cheat on his wife? Where was she? And his kid, come to that. Maybe they’d gone away for the weekend. Anna groaned. It was no use trying to convince herself that he hadn’t lied, that he was divorced, that he was a burglar. It was a family home and Jax was a family man. Jamming her dirty washing into the machine made Anna think about Gareth. What the hell she was going to do about him? Was he playing some sort of power game? She shivered at the thought of him marrying Beth, but the idea that he’d leave her standing in the church was the more frightening prospect. Anna didn’t want Beth to get hurt, but she was helpless to do anything while Gareth remained the golden guy. One thing Anna could do was find herself a man of her own. It would stop all talk of her still hankering over that pathetic twerp. Jax wasn’t the solution, so she’d have to look for another. Preferably one who was as good between the sheets. Anna gave a wistful grin and dragged out her vacuum cleaner. She only just heard her mobile ring above the noise. Anna checked who was calling. Gareth had her number and although Anna would have preferred to change it, it was easier to screen for him. This was her childhood friend Pen who’d lived in the house next door when Anna had been growing up. “Hi,” Anna said. “Hi back. I just had a call from my mum with the news about Beth’s engagement. Are you okay?” Anna dropped on to the couch. “Fine.” “You don’t have to be brave, you know. Want me to come over and we’ll drink the bastard out of your system?” Pen was one of number of friends whom Anna had failed to convince about Gareth. It was her own fault. Gareth had turned up a couple of times when she’d been out with

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the group and because she hadn’t told the truth outright, when she finally did, they thought she was overreacting. Gareth had made himself one of the lads. Anna felt helpless against such a master manipulator and knew it was better to drop them all for a while. Too bad her friends were as stupid as her diamond-eyed sister. “I’m fine, thanks, Pen. I’m really not bothered that they’re engaged.” Not in that way, Anna thought. “Well, I’ll give you a call next week and we’ll meet up.” “Fine,” Anna said and cut the connection. “Fine. Fine. Fine,” she repeated and burst into tears.

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Chapter Five Will saw Jax sitting on the wall outside the house as he drove down the street. When Jax waved, Will got an instant hard-on and grinned. He pulled up next to him and flicked the switch for the trunk. Jax dropped his bag inside and slammed it shut. “Miss me?” Jax asked as he slipped into the passenger seat. Will shot him a look and his mouth curled. “The apartment has stayed clean, I got to watch what I wanted on the TV and I ate Chinese food three times. What do you think?” Jax laughed and slid his hand over the prominent bulge in Will’s pants. “Yeah, you missed me.” Will groaned. His cock was weeping at the thought of fucking Jax. He’d been gone for a week but it felt like a month. He only had to look at Jax to want him. “Been a good boy and not wanked off?” Jax asked. “Yeah, but it’s nearly killed me.” Will expected Jax to say the same back to him but he didn’t. A flutter of unease skated down Will’s spine. “Slow down, there’s a speed camera coming up,” Jax said. Will eased off the gas. He was desperate to get Jax back so they could fuck each other stupid but he already had three points on his license. Jax rested his hand on Will’s thigh, inches away from the source of his discomfort and Will sighed. He wasn’t sure if he wanted the hand to move up or off but the heat from Jax’s palm seared through the material of his pants. Will felt every finger. His cock began to fight against the zipper that confined it. Will was so hard, he hurt. Ever since Jax had called to say he was in Greenwich and could be picked up any time, Will’s balls had ached as though lead weights had been attached and left to dangle. He wasn’t going to say that to Jax. He might want to actually try it. “You’re going to have to move your hand,” Will said. Jax stroked Will’s thigh with his thumb and Will sucked in a breath between his teeth. “I’m trying to get us home in one piece.” Will heard the catch in his voice. He didn’t want Jax to know how desperate he was but Jax would have to be blind not to see it, hear it. It wasn’t just sex. Will loved having someone to come home to, to talk to in the evenings, someone to laugh with, to be with. Jax was everything Will had ever wanted—funny, bright, handsome and sexy. It would have been perfect, but for one thing. Will knew he wasn’t enough for Jax.

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Jax was the dominant one, though no one who wanted to keep his teeth intact would consider Will a submissive. Will had been the dominant partner in all his relationships until he’d met Jax, and now they were more or less equals. Except Will knew that wasn’t true. He needed Jax more than Jax needed him. He let Jax push him around more than he’d ever allowed another partner. But Jax held part of himself back and so Will tried to do the same because he was scared of frightening Jax off by becoming too intense. Just like he was scared to ask why Jax hadn’t rung him last night to tell him he was back early from Zurich. Why hadn’t he asked to be collected from the airport? What had Jax been doing at his sister’s house? Fucking another guy? That better not be what he’d been up to. Will’s hands tightened on the wheel. “So how did the trip go?” Will asked, hoping Jax missed the snap in his tone. “I think we’ll get the Swiss contract. Their top guy is a complete wanker, so full of himself it oozed out of every orifice, but he liked the presentation. So did his wife. She’s head of finance. Scary lady. Built like a brick wall. I sat there imagining her in black leather, wielding a whip over her husband’s pasty butt. Not a pretty sight, but it did the trick.” Will began to relax. A mistake. “For a while at least, only then I thought of your tasty butt and how it feels when I stick my cock inside you,” Jax said. Will swallowed hard. As he turned onto Tower Bridge, Jax leaned across and nipped the lobe of his ear. “Jesus!” Will swerved, a horn flared and Jax laughed. “Don’t do that when I’m driving. You’re a big enough distraction just sitting there. No touching. No talking. In fact, don’t fucking breathe.” But the damage had been done. The sensation of Jax nibbling his ear had sent a surge of blood racing through Will’s body straight to his dick. Impossibly the damn thing grew even harder. Jax’s fingers slid an inch higher. “Jax!” Will knew he ought to move Jax’s hand but if he touched the guy, he’d be in even more trouble. Then Jax cupped his balls and Will’s backside came off the seat. “Fuck it, Jax,” Will groaned. “Let me get us home.” “You sure you can wait that long?” No, Will wasn’t sure at all, but there wasn’t much choice. It was midday, a bright sunny one for a change, and they were in nose-to-tail London traffic. Much more touching and Will was going to come in his pants. Jax ran his hand along the length of Will’s suffocated cock and squeezed. “Stop it, Jax. You’re going to regret teasing me like this.” “That’s what I’m counting on.” Jax’s fingers unfastened the button on Will’s pants. “Don’t,” Will said. 38

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“Don’t what?” Jax pulled down the zipper and let Will’s shirt fall over the opening. Will couldn’t stop the groan leaking from his throat. His treacherous cock sent a message of thanks for the extra space and grew some more. “I’m going to crash if you don’t stop,” Will managed to choke out. “Let me find somewhere to pull over.” “Like where?” Jax asked. Will sighed. There was nowhere to pull over, well, nowhere private enough. He couldn’t afford to get arrested. That would be the end of his career in the police. “Keep going. Concentrate on driving. You’ll be fine.” Will didn’t think so. Jax had reached into his boxers and released Will’s dick. The bastard had stuck its head out from under his shirt and twitched like it scented fresh air and the prospect of fun. Will swallowed hard. He’d thought his balls ached before, he was wrong. Now they were aching. “Keep touching me and I’ll kill you,” Will warned. “I’m serious, Jax.” He pressed his foot on the gas. Will’s grip on the steering wheel was so tight he doubted he’d ever be able to let go. He drove from instinct, vaguely registering the turns. It wasn’t far now but it couldn’t come soon enough. Will sensed Jax’s hand moving before it reached him. “No,” he snapped. “I mean it. I’m going to come all over my fucking shirt.” “I could move it out of the way.” “And how am I going to explain the mess on the windshield?” Jax laughed. “Not one finger anywhere near me or I’ll make you regret it.” Will turned onto Wresel Street and he breathed a sigh of relief. The building where he and Jax shared a three-bedroom apartment with a fantastic view of the Thames, lay just ahead. Will could never have afforded such a place on his wages but Jax was a hotshot lawyer earning megabucks. He only asked Will for a share proportionate to his salary as a detective inspector in the Metropolitan Police. Will knew Jax didn’t need his money but he was glad he took it. Cayenne Wharf had its own underground parking, and thanks to a transponder on the windshield, the barrier opened at their approach. Will swung the car around a corner and into the designated parking place with tires squealing on the treated concrete. He wrenched the gear stick into park. One hand turned off the ignition, the other reached for Jax’s neck. Will yanked Jax’s head forward, torn between kissing and strangling. Jax’s mouth opened and Will’s tongue dove inside, a hard, hot, passionate kiss that Will had been dying to land from the moment he’d seen Jax waiting outside his sister’s house. Will pushed back the question as to why Jax had waited outside, why he’d not been allowed inside. Jax tasted sweet, of coffee, toothpaste, of Jax. Will loved him so much and he daren’t tell him because he had a feeling that the moment those words 39

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came from his mouth, their relationship would be over. Will’s tongue explored, twisting around its partner before it slipped into the plunging rhythm he wanted to echo with his cock. He felt Jax try to move away, but Will hadn’t had enough, could never have enough. He wanted to devour him, consume him, make him part of him. Jax’s hands stroked his back, trying to calm him. When his fingers tugged on his hair, Will finally pulled away. They stared at each other, both panting. Will guessed his eyes had the same glazed look he saw in Jax’s. “Zip yourself up. I’ll get my case out of the trunk,” Jax said. Zipping up was easier said than done. Will’s dick protested at being forced back inside his pants. He expected to see his balls drop off in a temper. As Will got out of the car, he tugged his sweater down, trying to cover the prominent bulge at his groin. He looked at Jax doing the same thing. They grinned at each other. “Two minutes and counting,” Jax said as they hurried to the elevator. “No touching,” Will answered. His dick twitched as he remembered the sex they’d had in this stalled elevator a few months ago. Will stood with his back to the control panel to prevent Jax hitting the stop button. The doors closed. Jax licked his lips. “One minute fifty.” He leaned on the opposite wall to Will and stared at him. “I can hardly wait to wrap my lips around your cock. I want to suck your heart out.” Will shuddered. “Oh fuck.” Jax’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “I’m going to lick you from your glistening tip to your cute, puckered asshole and if you’re really good, I’ll play there for a while.” Will closed his eyes. “Christ, Jax. Shut the fuck up.” “One minute thirty. How long do you think you’ll be able to stand it? My hot, wet mouth on your hard, velvety cock. My tongue in your ass.” Will opened his eyes and glared. “If you keep on like that—one second.” Jax laughed. The door opened on the top floor, the fifth, and Will leapt out, fumbling in his pocket for his keys. “One minute ten,” Jax called behind him. Will unlocked the door and pushed it open. Thank Christ. “Oh hi, Mrs. Dutton. How are you?” Jax said. Will rolled his eyes at the joke but when he turned, he saw their partially deaf neighbor from across the hall exiting her apartment with her hairball of a dog. It was hard to tell one end of the thing from the other. She was a wealthy widow in her sixties and they both loved her, but right at that moment, Will wanted to kill her. He kept the lower half of his body behind the door and waved. “Good morning, William.” “Morning, Mary. What was that number again, Jax?”

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“Thirty,” Jax called. The pair exchanged a few more words and Will had to stop himself going back down the corridor and dragging Jax into the apartment. He sighed with relief when Mary moved off and Jax wheeled his suitcase through the door. “Five,” Jax said and slammed the door. “Four.” Will pushed Jax back against the wall. “Three.” But it was Will who was unzipped. “Two.” His boxers and pants yanked down together. “One.” Will could barely hold back the gasp of delight as Jax’s hand tightened around his cock. “I want you naked,” Jax whispered. Will toed off his shoes and stepped out of his pants as Jax lifted his sweater over his head. Will fumbled with the buttons on his shirt as his cock urged him to hurry. Jax kicked Will’s clothes out of the way and looked him up and down. “You are so gorgeous,” Jax whispered. He squeezed the base of Will’s cock and Will’s gruff cry echoed around the apartment. As Jax dropped to his knees, Will speared his fingers into his hair. Jax’s large, dark eyes stared up at him as he licked the crown of his cock. Will’s balls tightened and he bit the inside of his cheek in an attempt to keep from coming. Maybe if he didn’t watch? But how could he not. Jax’s mouth opened, he wrapped his hot lips around Will’s desperate cock and sucked hard. The pulse jumped in Will’s neck and he came up on his toes. His eyes slid closed despite his attempts to keep them open. “I’m go—” Will couldn’t utter another word. The orgasm started somewhere behind his eyes and flashed like lightning through his body, zeroing in on his dick. Will wished that feeling of coming could last forever, but he had barely had a moment to pray time would stand still before the climax grabbed him. He gasped with every burst of semen that jetted from his cock and sprayed into Jax’s mouth. Jax’s hands slid to his backside, pulled him forward so he slid deeper and then he was in Jax’s throat. Will’s knees trembled so violently he thought he’d fall. When Jax finally let him loose, Will was still hard. He didn’t know how that was possible but guessed it was his cock’s way of letting him know it wanted more. After a week of abstinence it had been a miracle he hadn’t come the moment Jax sat in the car. Jax had to be as desperate, unless… Will wouldn’t go there. He pulled Jax up and wrapped his arms around him. Their mouths met in a soft kiss and Will licked his cum from Jax’s lips. “Taste good?” Jax asked. “Yeah, I do.” Jax laughed.

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It felt like Will had been waiting forever for this moment. Jax had only been away a few days—how could he be this desperate? Will was reassured by the fact that for once Jax seemed as keen as him. If only he was as desperate for commitment. Jax pulled his mouth away but not his hips. The two of them were almost the same height, Will maybe an inch or so taller. Jax was definitely broader. He was fair, his hair sun-kissed, probably highlighted though Will would never ask him. Will was dark, as long as he kept pulling out those stray gray hairs. Will rotated his hips, rubbing himself against the hard ridge of Jax’s cock outlined beneath his jeans. “I thought you’d be tired with all that jet-setting. Brussels to Madrid and back to Zurich,” Will said. “You thought right. I’m a little jet-lagged but you seem to be jet-propelled.” Will stiffened and his face flooded with heat. “Hey, I’m teasing. You think I’m going to be any slower? But I need a shower. Want to give me a hand?” Will grabbed Jax’s fingers and tugged him down the corridor into the main bedroom. He pulled Jax’s blue sweater over his head and tossed it to the floor. When Jax reached for the buttons on his shirt, Will knocked his hand away. “Let me.” Will loved looking at Jax’s chest. He pulled his shirt open to reveal the tight abs and rounded pecs topped by flat, dark nipples. Dropping his head, Will licked across one. It hardened and Will smiled and rubbed it with his cheek. Jax rested one hand on Will’s shoulder as he lifted his foot for his shoe and sock to be removed. Will couldn’t resist mouthing Jax’s erection through his pants, breathing hot air down his length, and was rewarded with a quiet moan and fingers digging into his neck. When the other shoe and sock were off, Will stood up. His cock stuck out in front of him, back to its rock-hard state, anticipating what was to come. He unfastened Jax’s jeans and tugged them down, together with his boxers. Finally, they were both naked, their cocks twitching. The rosy heads brushed teasing kisses against each other as they stood face to face. “Jesus,” Jax groaned. The head of Jax’s cock was sparkling with pre-cum, the glistening tip tempting Will to make Jax wait for the shower until he’d sucked him off. “No way,” Jax said, reading his mind. Jax had showered at his sister’s house but he could still smell Anna. He didn’t want to hurt Will but if he knew what he’d done, there was no question that Will would be hurt. There were no marks on Jax’s body but he’d left a few on Anna’s. Nowhere anyone but a lover could see. He’d done it with intent, a way of making her his, so she’d think of him, only now he thought she must hate him. He gave a heavy sigh. “Too hot?” Will asked as he pushed Jax under the flow.

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“Nothing I can’t handle.” Jax wasn’t sure that was true because Anna had awakened a need in him that he’d been trying to suppress. Much as he cared for Will and wanted him in his life, he wasn’t enough. Jax missed having a woman and now he’d had a reminder of how good it could be, he had to figure out if there was a way he could have both. Will began soaping Jax’s body and Jax gave a hoarse groan as firm male hands squeezed and teased his cock. He leaned back against the curved glass wall of the shower and let Will play with him, enjoying the feel of a guy’s stronger touch. Will slowly allowed Jax’s cock to run through his soapy grip and then gently kneaded his balls, but when Will dropped down to put his mouth on him, Jax yanked him upright. “No.” Will looked at him in bewilderment. Jax forced a smile to his face. “Turn around,” Jax said. He didn’t want Will to go down on him. He wanted to remember for a little longer the way Anna’s small, soft lips had felt on his dick. He pressed Will’s face to the tiles and leaned against his back, nipping the place where Will’s neck met his shoulder, grinning when Will’s knees jerked forward, hit the wall and he yelped. Jax slid his hand down Will’s back, tracing every bony ridge in his spine before he dropped to the crease in his bottom. One finger just inside the cleft, slipping down to the taint, the delicate strip of flesh between asshole and balls. Will tensed but his legs moved apart to allow better access. Jax’s fingers stroked the ultrasensitive spot and then slid back to flutter over the entrance to Will’s body. The whisper touch over the crinkled circle had Will humping the shower wall. “Easy, cop,” Jax whispered. “All right for you,” Will gasped. “I’m fucking desperate. This shower wall has been tempting me all week. My hips can’t help themselves. They’re on autopilot.” Jax laughed. He slid one hand to Will’s cock, wrapped his fist tight around him and with the other hand he applied fingertip pressure to Will’s anus. Jax didn’t push inside, but held off, circling, teasing. “Jax,” Will said in a warning voice. “What the fuck are you doing? Trying to give me a heart attack?” As one hand continued to squeeze Will’s cock, the other reached up for the lube hanging over the rail. Jax squirted a dollop at the top of Will’s butt. Will’s hips jerked forward again and he cried out when his knees hit the tiles again. “Too cold?” Jax asked. “Fuck you.” Jax ran his fingers through the gloop and smoothed it into the valley between Will’s buttocks, pressing on but not into his asshole. “Stop teasing me,” Will gasped.

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Jax tightened his grip on the base of Will’s cock while he slid his finger through the tight muscle barrier. Will tensed and then relaxed. Jax slid two fingers in and gave a quiet laugh when he felt Will tense once more. “Do you like that?” Jax pressed his face against Will’s neck, nipping his flesh with his teeth. “Oh God.” Jax finger-fucked Will, feeling for the distinctive-shaped prostate gland and stroking it until Will began to make noisy gasps. “Jax. I need you in me. Now. Please.” “Don’t I always give you what you want?” “Yeah, but not when I want it.” Jax twisted his fingers, turning one around the other over and over as he pumped them in and out of Will’s ass. Then he matched that action with the fist holding Will’s cock. Twisting and pumping as Will writhed and groaned. He watched Will’s hands try for purchase on the tiles and slip away. Jax smiled into his shoulder. Will turned his head, flattening his cheek to the shower wall, and Jax’s cock twitched at the sight of his lover’s face written with desire and despair. “Now,” Will begged. “Please.” Jax let go of Will’s cock, washed his hands under the flow and squeezed another dollop of lube onto his dick before he pulled Will’s hips back and spread open his butt cheeks. He rolled the blunt head of his cock down the dark cleft and then bent his knees to line himself up with the puckered entrance to Will’s body. Jax’s heart was racing, his pulse jumping in his neck, matching the beat in Will’s. One push sent the tip of Jax’s cock through the restrictive muscle guarding the entrance to Will’s body. Jax pressed on, his hands gripping Will’s hips and pulling him back as he pushed forward until Jax was as deep inside as he could get, his balls tight against Will’s. Jax’s breath came in choppy bursts as he held himself still for a moment, letting Will adjust, allowing them both to savor the moment, the pressure of the burn, before either of them began to move. “Okay?” Jax asked in a grunt. “Just do it.” Jax smiled and merely rocked his hips for a while, rubbing his chest against Will’s back, before he pulled his cock almost all the way out. The long, hard surge back inside made them both groan. Jax slid his hands up Will’s chest, found his nipples and twisted them as he started to canter his hips forward, each thrust harder, firmer, stronger, faster than the one before, surging though nerve-rich tissue until he forced Will up onto his toes. “Christ, Jax,” Will gasped.

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Jax couldn’t slow down, couldn’t stop. He felt Will’s rectal muscles clench down on his cock and knew he was going to come soon. Jax grabbed Will’s dick and matched the action of his hand with the pumping of his hips. He wanted Will to come first. In the end, they came together. Will cried out as his cock jerked in Jax’s hand and Jax pressed his head against Will’s back as his balls caught fire and sent flames straight down his dick to flare in Will’s body. Jax bucked involuntarily as his cock kept spewing his cum. It went on so long Jax wondered if something was wrong, only it felt so good, so right. His head dropped to Will’s shoulder as the spasms died away and he kissed the back of his neck.

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Chapter Six Jax lay on his side, eyes wide open with Will spooned against his back. Will was fast asleep and snuffling into Jax’s neck, a possessive arm flung over his chest. Jax was supposed to be the one who was tired but his mind raced, thinking about Anna. What was she doing? Was she was thinking about him? Did she think he was a bastard? If Jax told Will what he’d done, that’s what he’d be calling him too. Whilst they’d agreed not to fuck other men while they were together, they’d also agreed to share details of the women they had sex with. Never unprotected. Will was the only one Jax fucked without a condom. He’d never broken that rule no matter how tempting the woman. So far in the relationship, all the juicy relating of sexual encounters had been done by Jax with Will doing the listening, which was part of Jax’s current problem. Will was as bi as he, but didn’t seem to have the same drive to share his bed with a woman. Not that there had been many women since he’d met Will. If Jax was counting, and it looked like he was, in almost a year he’d had four flings. Five with Anna. Jax wondered if recalling memories of the women he’d fucked might work like counting sheep and he’d fall asleep. Worth a try. Katie had been the first. Will had been in the middle of his third week working night shifts and Jax was bored. He’d met Katie in the checkout line at Marks & Spencer. He’d had a meal for one in his basket and she had lacy underwear in hers. She’d dropped it on the floor instead of the conveyor belt and Jax had picked up the flimsy item. A bit obvious but he saw the come-get-me look in her eyes and he liked the idea of a see-through teddy. He’d taken her for a drink at a nearby wine bar and two bottles later, she’d invited him to her apartment. While his TV dinner had defrosted in the plastic carrier, he’d fucked her three times. She’d said she was up for anything, so Jax invited her to Shifters, a fetish club he used occasionally. The bad-tempered beauty had turned out to be up for nothing and Jax had to take her home. He didn’t bother fucking her and he didn’t see her again. Jax wasn’t into extremes but he liked to experiment. He’d tried it all—threesomes, foursomes, orgies—some all male and some mixed. He’d dabbled on the edges of BDSM. He preferred to be top but he enjoyed being bottom. He liked to hover on the edge of discomfort but not suffer outright pain, either taking it or delivering it. Linnea, the one after Katie, had turned out to be a bit too deep into everything. It had started out okay. Jax had picked her up in what was euphemistically called an adult store. Usually there were no adults for sale but this time, along with a few items for him to use with Will, Jax had picked up Linnea. They’d had fun, done a lot of

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fucking and then she’d asked him to beat her. Spanking on the backside was one thing, but out-and-out bloodletting with razor blades something else entirely. Goodbye Linnea. Georgia had been a one-night stand. Picked up in a bar, she led him back to her place. She had a stunning body, a piece of warm, black marble. Sex with her was like scratching an itch. Great at the time but he didn’t need to do it again. She was too clingy, too needy, and the moment he’d come, she was pestering him about when he’d see her again, where they’d go, what they’d do. There was nothing more guaranteed to put Jax off. Sandy was a secretary where he worked. She’d flirted with him for months and in a moment of weakness, Jax had given way. She offered, he accepted but he wished she hadn’t. Another leech. She tried too hard to please and wouldn’t let go. He’d had to endure weeks of texts, emails, cups of coffee brought to his office until—thank fuck— she’d found someone else. Now Anna. An enigma. Wimp enough to climb over a fence to escape a confrontation with her sister and her sister’s boyfriend, yet she’d surprised him by being up for a night of sex with a stranger. Jax blinked as an image of her smooth backside came into his mind and that fucking splinter. He’d had an almost permanent hard-on from the moment she’d slithered over the fence. When she pretended to be a cat he wanted to roar with laughter. But once he had her in the house, all he could think about was fucking her. Jax wished she was in bed with him now. In an ideal world, not just with him. With both of them. Sandwiched between them. That was what he really wanted. He wished he and Will could fuck her at the same time, that his dick could feel Will’s dick inside her body, that she could suck him off while Will fucked him, that he could bury his face in her cunt while Will fucked her ass, that he could fuck Will while Will fucked her. Jax gave a quiet groan as his cock thickened. He’d never see her again. She thought he’d lied, that he was married with kids and maybe, in the end, that was for the best.

***** While Jax slept, Will eased himself out of bed and began to empty his suitcase. Will was tidy, Jax wasn’t, and rather than argue about it, Will tidied up after him. Dirty clothes into the laundry basket, suit jacket back in the closet, pants in the press, clean gear returned to the chest of drawers. Will ran his hands around the side pockets of the case, checking they were empty and felt something long and hard. He pulled out a thin, jagged length of wood. Will turned it in his fingers, wondering what a section of fence was doing in Jax’s suitcase. “It’s a piece of wood,” Jax said from the bed. No shit, Sherlock. Will turned to him. “Like to explain what it’s doing in your suitcase?” “Lucky charm?” 47

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Will frowned. “Can’t you come up with something better than that? How about you like to be prepared in case of an attack by a vampire. Maybe it’s part of a fiendishly difficult jigsaw puzzle.” He looked at Jax and grinned. “I…I pulled it out of a woman’s backside.” Will felt his world begin to implode and the wood dropped from his fingers. Jax sat up and threw the covers off his legs. “It’s not what you think.” Oh Christ. Then it was exactly what Will thought. Jax got to his feet. “She climbed over into my sister’s garden and got caught on the fence. I pulled the wood out of her butt.” So why did you keep the fucking thing? “Oh,” was all that came out of Will’s mouth. Will wanted to back away as Jax took a step toward him, but he didn’t. He always backed off from confrontations, but not this time. “You fucked her,” Will said. “Yes.” Will bit down on the insides of his cheeks. “It isn’t a problem,” Jax said. “Don’t let it be a problem. You know how I feel about you.” But Will didn’t know, so it was a problem. He wanted to believe Jax loved him but the words had never come out of his mouth. Will was beginning to think the guy was incapable of saying them. “It’s okay,” Jax soothed and took another step toward him. “Will?” Will hesitated but he let Jax pull him into his arms. Jax pressed his naked body against him, put his lips on Will’s and nipped gently with his teeth. It’s not that fucking easy. I’m not that fucking easy. Will remained lax, fighting an inner battle because he wanted to hug Jax, but he was so angry, not at Jax but at himself for letting this get to him. They’d agreed it was okay to see women so why the fuck was he so upset? Jax’s arms slid over his back, up to his neck, kneading tense muscles, urging Will to respond. Why didn’t he? Jax’s lips slipped to Will’s neck and his teeth grazed his collarbone. Will shuddered. “Will,” Jax said. “Get a grip, mate. It’s fucking piece of wood. I’m never going to see her again.” Will’s brain did some math and he pulled away. “You came back to London a day early and you didn’t phone me. You were with her.” He didn’t want it to be true but when Jax didn’t deny it, he knew it was. “You aren’t going to tell me that you wouldn’t have taken a fuck that was on offer?” Jax asked, his eyes darkening, a warning of his anger. Yes, that would be what he’d tell him, if he could speak, Will thought. He’d listened to Jax tell him about the women he’d slept with, watched it turn Jax on and felt the result in the sex they had after the revelation. Will was less turned on. He wanted Jax to 48

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bring home a woman they could share. Will wanted a life spent as a three, not as a two and one, because he knew who’d be the fucking odd man out. Will took a deep breath. Jax pressed his body tighter against his, held their dicks in one hand, rubbed his against Will’s, the wet tips smearing pre-cum over their bellies. “Come on, Will.” Sex was not going to put this right. “Do you want me to tell you about her?” No, he didn’t. “Get the fuck off me,” Will snarled. Jax didn’t stop. “I don’t think your dick agrees with you.” Will’s dick was iron hard. Treacherous fucking bastard wanking cock. Will shoved Jax away. Hard. Jax staggered, the backs of his knees hit the bed and he fell. He gave a short laugh and surged back up, straight into Will’s face. “What’s got into you?” A spasm of pain flittered across Will’s face that Jax could even ask that question and his fist reacted. Jax grabbed his wrist before he could land a punch. “For fuck’s sake, Will. Pack it in.” “No.” Jax didn’t stop the next punch. Will landed it in his ribs and Jax doubled up as air shot from his lungs. Will propelled him onto the bed, hands gripping Jax’s arms, trying to pin him down. Jax’s expression turned from puzzled to pissed and at last he began to do what Will wanted. Fight back. Will was used to scrapping, he came from a background where using your fists to get out of trouble was commonplace. His father had hit him and his brother and then his brother had hit him. Will learned firsthand the damage fists can do. It was one of the reasons he’d joined the police, so he could stop situations deteriorating to the point he and Jax had reached. As Will fielded a halfhearted blow to his ribs, he knew neither of them wanted this. He shouldn’t have pushed Jax into it. Twisting Jax round, Will kissed him. One quick peck and Jax froze. The two stared at each other. Now Will wanted to stop, Jax didn’t. He rolled Will off the bed onto the floor. They wrestled in a combination of fighting, fucking and roughhousing as they thumped, slapped and rutted against each other on and off the bed. Anger turned to passion. Jax’s rigid shaft kept banging into Will. Will’s equally erect cock pressed into Jax. They grunted, gasped and panted into the other’s face, each hand gripping its mate, legs entwined, sweat-soaked bodies thrashing and struggling as one tried to get on top of the other. They were almost equally matched. Will, with his violent home and police background had the better technique, but Jax was slightly stronger. Neither spoke, neither knew why they were still doing this except that one of them had to give. Will continued to struggle. It wouldn’t be him. It was always he who gave in and this time he’d rather fucking die. They were both scratched and bruised, aching

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and short of breath but their dicks were like iron stakes, the sexual tension so intense it made the air hard to breathe. Finally, Will forced Jax onto his stomach, knelt on his upper thighs and pressed down on his back with his arms. Jax stopped struggling. His face turned to the side, he grunted into the pillow. Will’s purple-headed cock was swollen and glistening with excitement. A pearl of pre-cum oozed from the tear-shaped slit and dropped into the cleft of Jax’s buttocks. A surge of need cramped Will’s balls, and they drew up to the base of his dick, hard, tight and throbbing. Will shifted his weight so his knees sat either side of Jax’s thighs and then slipped his hands under Jax’s body as he lay down along his back. Will’s hands sought out Jax’s nipples and he twisted them so hard that Jax yelped. “Jesus, Will, take it easy.” That wasn’t the point. Will reared back, gripped Jax’s bottom and parted his butt cheeks. Jax tried to push himself up and Will slammed him back down. What the hell had got into him? Jax usually did the pushing around, not Will, but something told him that he had to lie here and take this. Jax heard the top pop off the lube, felt the cold squirt of liquid hit his ass and flinched. He thought of a hundred things to say to Will and voiced none of them. He knew damn well why Will was doing this and why he had to let him. The blunt head of Will’s cock pressed against the entrance to Jax’s body. As Jax began to bear down and relax his muscles to make the intrusion less painful, Will surged right into him, through the tight ring of restrictive tissue, diving deep inside until Jax felt Will’s balls smack against his. Jax couldn’t stop the groan emerging from his throat. It was part pain, part deep satisfaction. Will’s hips pulled back and Jax felt every inch of the withdrawal through the nerve-rich tissue. He squeezed down, trying to keep Will inside him, contracting his muscles around the turgid flesh of Will’s cock. “You want more?” Will asked, his voice hoarse. “You know I fucking do,” Jax gasped. Will moaned and slammed back into Jax, jerking his cock in and out, over and over, faster, harder, every stroke building Jax’s need to come. His cock slid backward and forward on the cotton sheet as Will jammed himself into him. He tried to reach under his body to grab his dick but Will snagged one wrist and then the other. Pinning Jax’s hands either side of his head, Will continued to drive into him, a frantic rhythm that Jax matched with his own hips as he humped the bed. Jax was so close and then Will changed the angle of entry, his dick touched that walnut-sized gland, and Jax was more than close. His balls exploded as air rushed from his lungs. Jet after jet of semen pumped from his cock until he was lying in a puddle of wet warmth. Why did the rush have to be so fleeting? Jax wanted it to last longer, wanted to memorize each pleasurable spurt of release. Then Will stiffened on his back

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and Jax felt his hips grind down against him. Will howled and Jax sighed as Will’s hot cum sprayed inside him. For a long time, Will simply lay there. Jax couldn’t move with Will sprawled on top of him, still gripping his wrists. When the roaring in his ears eased, Jax heard Will’s ragged breathing. The guy was still taut as a bow. As Jax struggled to find something to say, something to diffuse the situation, he felt a wet drop hit his shoulder. Fuck it! Will was crying? “Let go of me,” Jax said gently. Will gripped him tighter. “Will.” “Shut up.” Will trembled with tension. “Please,” Jax said in a quiet voice. “I need the bathroom.” After a few seconds, Will relaxed his grip on Jax and rolled onto his back, throwing his arm across his face, covering his eyes. Jax eased himself from the bed, stifled a groan and staggered a few steps across the carpet until his legs did what his brain told them. In the bathroom, he stared into the mirror and gave a little smile. He looked ravaged. His skin was red and mottled. Bruises were already beginning to appear. Scratched, thumped and well fucked. He washed his face, his dick and his ass and then took a washcloth back into the bedroom. Will lay exactly as he’d left him. Jax’s cock should have been limp but his dick swelled at the sight of Will, all long limbs and lean muscle. Beneath firm pecs topped by taut nipples, lay a washboard stomach that Will worked hard for at the gym. His cock, soft now and spent, nestled in a bed of dark curls. Jax sat on the bed and began to wipe Will down, around his tight nipples and down the center of his body to his dick. He took his time, wiping away all traces of what they’d done except for the marks of battle that matched his own. This was something that Will usually did for him. Jax had never done it for Will before and he wondered why. It felt good to take care of someone he loved. He paused in midwipe. Shit. The cloth tossed aside, Jax lay alongside Will, leaning up on one elbow. “There’ve been women before. Why is it different this time?” he asked. “Because it’s different for you this time,” Will mumbled. Jax felt his heart jolt that Will could have seen that. “What makes you say that?” Will moved his arm and looked at Jax. His eyes were dry but a little red. “I’m right, aren’t I?” “Maybe.” “What’s her name?” Will asked. “Anna. I told you, I’m not going to see her again.”

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“Why do I think that’s only because you don’t know how?” Jax didn’t deny it. If he’d known how to get in touch with Anna, he would have. He kissed Will’s neck. “Don’t let this spoil things,” Jax said. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s up to me.”

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Chapter Seven Anna dropped her purse onto her desk at SLS, Superior Language Solutions, slumped on her chair and winced. Her backside was still sore. She switched on her computer. It was just after seven in the morning so she had the office to herself. She needed quiet time to work on a tricky translation for the MOD, the Ministry of Defense, before the four she shared the room with arrived. Anna hadn’t planned to do overtime on the document but she couldn’t sleep, hadn’t been able to sleep since Beth and Gareth’s announcement, let alone since the moment of madness with Jax. That’s what it had been—madness, only not just one moment. Her mouth twitched when she remembered the number of orgasms she’d had. He’d not been deprived in that area either. Anna hadn’t known guys could come so many times. It had made her realize how much she missed having a man in her life and how much she missed having sex. For once, her mother and sister were right, she had to find herself a guy—only one without a wife and kids. Clicking her way through to the MOD file, Anna found the place she’d left off on Friday and began translating from Greek to English. She’d studied ancient and modern Greek at university much to the amazement of her family, since she’d never even been to the country on vacation. When her four years of study were over, her parents expected her to go into teaching. Her mother was a physics teacher, her father an economics lecturer, and they didn’t see what else she could do with a degree in Greek. Teaching any age group was the last thing Anna wanted to do. Beth had been the good child and had trained to teach the under elevens. Living hell, as far as Anna could see. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids—she did, but in small doses. What Anna loved were the old stories of Greek and Roman heroes. She devoured tales of Troy, fell in love with heroes like Hector and Achilles. She imagined herself in Pompeii when the volcano erupted, leading people to safety, or a brilliant scholar coming up with some clever scheme to help Cicero win a case. Anna was always the unsung hero of her stories and she always had fabulous sex. Latin lessons had opened her eyes to a new world but she knew taking an ancient language to university level wasn’t the most useful thing to do. Ancient and modern Greek was a compromise and she’d amazed herself with how quickly she’d picked up the language. She adored the strange Greek alphabet and had spent a year in Greece, working for a chemical company during the week and using the weekends to explore sleepy, whitewashed villages and ramble through ruins of ancient civilizations. Easy under the blue skies to pretend to be a beautiful slave whose master fell in love with her. Her vivid imagination kept her sane but empty-hearted. Anna had been waiting for romance and had fallen hard for a dark-haired waiter with a cheeky smile and magic

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fingers who worked in a beachside restaurant. Stefan talked his way into her bed where they’d spent long, lazy mornings with her teaching him English and him teaching her how to love. Until one evening she’d had a text message from him asking her to meet him after work in a small café on the far side of town. The surprised look on his face when she arrived, told Anna the message hadn’t been for her. Stefan had broken more than her heart. She’d trusted him and he’d let her down. So had the next three guys. It was never easy, being dumped, but it seemed to Anna that it got harder to bear. She took longer each time to get over the ache their departure left. She missed the warm body in bed next to her, the talking, the excitement of anticipation of seeing them. Finally, she’d learned her lesson. She kept her heart locked tight and relationships short. She never let herself get involved because that way she didn’t get hurt. Well, Jax had proved that theory wrong. One night and she was hurt. But the real irony was that she hadn’t even had a relationship with that bastard, Gareth, and he continued to hurt her. Anna’s mobile phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked at the number. Beth. Switched it off. Beth had called her five times since yesterday morning to talk about the engagement party, how many bridesmaids she wanted and would a dog trotting down the aisle carrying the rings in a basket be over the top? How Anna had longed to say no. She knew that her reluctance to get excited for Beth was being misconstrued as jealousy but Anna couldn’t help it. She decided to go along with whatever Beth wanted, including the dog, and take something that would make her violently sick the day of the wedding. If it put her in hospital, so much the better. She turned her attention to the document on her screen. Her life might be messed up, but Anna did the best job she could at work. “Bloody hell, what are you doing here?” Anna looked up to see Sabine in the doorway, a Starbucks coffee balanced on top of a pile of files. “I work here, remember?” “At this time in the morning? I’ve got a rush job on for that engineering company so at least I have a reason to be out of bed at this hour. What’s yours?” “Couldn’t sleep.” Sabine carefully placed the files on her desk and put the coffee to one side. “And work was the alternative? Told you that you needed a guy.” Anna felt the blush creep over her face and tucked her head down. Sabine’s backside landed next to her keyboard and Anna jumped. “Anna Shelton, what have you been up to?” “Nothing.” “Spill now before the Viper gets here and we get our mouths taped up for talking. Did you meet someone at that party? You did! And to think you didn’t want to go. Spill, spill, spill.”

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The door opened again and Marie Styper, the Viper, walked in, all six foot of her in her killer heels and tight-fitting suit. The combination might have worked had she not been almost as wide as she was tall. The stern Polish woman in charge of the European languages division of SLS was the reason Sabine and Anna were constantly on the lookout for other jobs. “Morning, Marie.” Sabine gave her a nervous smile and scuttled back to her desk. “Morning,” Anna said. “What are you two doing?” “Plotting to take over the world,” Anna quipped, thinking she dare risk a joke at this time in the morning. The Viper’s expression never changed. Her eyes were always narrowed, her lips a thin tight line. “Wait until you go home. I need to check that MOD work before you leave,” the Viper said in her clipped tone. “You’ll stay until it’s done.” Even the addition of please wouldn’t have made that a request. “Of course,” Anna said. Anna concentrated on her screen. At least she’d avoided answering Sabine until lunchtime so long as Sabine didn’t corner her in the bathroom. As it turned out, Anna managed to avoid Sabine then too. The Viper asked her to leave early for her lunch and hand-deliver one of her translations to a law firm near the Tate Modern. On the way back, Anna picked up a sandwich from the little café she always used and sat in the sunshine by the Thames until it was time to return to the office. The only downside was that as she sat there, she felt obliged to answer Beth’s call, obliged to listen to her sister prattle about wedding videos and donkey-drawn carriages and obliged to say yes to meeting her after work for a drink knowing she’d have to look and sound as though her life were perfect.

***** Sabine joined Anna at the Inlander Bar, having wormed out of her during a midafternoon trip to the bathroom that Anna had met a guy at the party. Anna didn’t add that said guy had the body of a Greek god, the touch of an angel and the cock of the devil. Nor that she’d never be seeing him again, although it occurred to Anna that a fantasy mate might keep everyone off her back. Anna and Sabine went halves on a bottle of white wine and commandeered a table in the corner. “I’m not sure how much longer I can put up with the Viper.” Sabine sighed into her glass. “Just because she can work without stopping, at twice the speed of sound, and without ever talking, doesn’t mean the rest of us can. Well, apart from you, Miss Nippy. So spill the beans. I want every detail. If I don’t get to have mad, passionate sex, hearing about someone else having it is the next best thing. And hurry up and tell me before

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Eduardo and Natalia get here. They said they’d come for one drink before they go home.” Eduardo and Natalia were the two translators who shared their room, a pair so besotted, they finished each other’s sentences. “Well?” Sabine demanded. “He’s tall with scruffy, blond hair,” Anna said. “Good-looking?” “Yes.” “Scale of one to ten?” “Fifteen.” “Oooh.” Sabine widened her eyes. “Does he have a brother?” “Who?” Eduardo asked as he put a glass of beer on the table. Natalia sat on the bench seat next to Sabine. “Anna’s found herself a boyfriend,” Sabine said. “What happened to the one who kept sending you flowers?” Natalia asked. Three pairs of eyes looked at her expectantly and Anna groaned. Her coworkers were far too interested in her life. She shouldn’t make Jax into anything more than he was, namely a one-night stand but— “Anna!” Saved by her sister. Anna fought back a grin and turned. Then all thoughts of smiling vanished because Beth wasn’t alone. Gareth was with her. Beth, eyes shining with happiness, kissed Anna on the cheek. W hen Anna saw Gareth’s lips approaching, she picked up her glass and held it in front of her face. He smirked but pulled back. “Guys, this is my sister Beth and Gareth. Sabine, Eduardo and Natalia.” “Gareth’s my fiancé,” Beth said, her smile forced. “Oh, you’re engaged. Anna didn’t say. Let’s have a look at your ring,” Sabine said. For several moments Beth, Natalia and Sabine cooed together over the diamond and a reluctant Eduardo was pulled over for a look. “Look, Eduardo, isn’t it—” Sabine began. “Beautiful,” he said. “Look how that diamond—” “Sparkles.” Anna gripped her wineglass tighter and tighter. Gareth put his mouth close to her ear. “I’d have bought you a bigger diamond than that.” Fuck. Beth turned to Anna, a hurt look on her face. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell anyone I was engaged.” “It only happened yesterday,” Anna snapped. Oops, that came out too sharp. 56

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Beth blinked at her, tears forming in her eyes. Shit. But before Anna could apologize, Beth spoke again. “I suppose Anna told you all that she was going to marry Gareth.” “What?” Anna gasped. Her three workmates gaped at her. “You didn’t know that I was Anna’s boyfriend before I met her sister?” Gareth managed to look just as astonished and add embarrassed and innocent at the same time. The bastard. “No, you weren’t,” Anna said. “You just thought you were, Gareth,” Sabine added, and Anna felt a jolt of comfort from her support. Sabine didn’t know everything though. Gareth tipped his head to one side and sighed. “Sending all those flowers to a complete stranger, then, was I? I know it makes you feel better to pretend that was the case, Anna, but denying what we had is very hurtful.” He looked around the table. “I must say I’m surprised she didn’t confide in her friends. I know you’d have been there for her if she’d given you the chance.” Anna bubbled with fury. Sabine looked uncomfortable, Eduardo and Natalia intrigued. “You’re talking complete crap,” Anna said in a quiet voice. “I was never your girlfriend.” Gareth opened his mouth in mock horror. “You mean I’m imagining our dates, when we sat next to each other at the cinema to watch that vampire film and shared popcorn, the Starbucks coffees we drank, the visits to the zoo, the museum, the romantic dinner in your apartment. Especially the romantic dinner in your apartment.” He winked. “Do I need to go on?” As Gareth spoke, Anna watched him stroke Beth’s fingers. Beth’s eyes were down, her face taut with misery. “None of them were dates,” Anna hissed between her teeth, knowing she should shut up, that the more she said, the worse it would sound. “Er, you were there and I was there.” Gareth laughed, looking around the table, inviting the others to join him. There was silence for a moment. Anna was so livid, she now didn’t trust herself to speak. The guy was crazy, what other explanation could there be? “Well, Anna’s got a new boyfriend so I guess it doesn’t matter,” Sabine said. Anna felt Gareth’s hand clamp on her knee under the table, his fingers digging into her flesh until it hurt. “You have?” he said. “Oh Anna, why didn’t you say?” Her sister almost bounced on her seat.

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There was no expression in Gareth’s face and somehow that frightened Anna more than the false emotion. But Beth sounded so desperate for it to be true that Anna wanted to bang her head on the table. Hers or Beth’s—either would do. “Did you meet him at the party?” Beth asked. Anna nodded. “So you really were upstairs with the George Clooney look-alike.” Beth laughed. Anna didn’t miss the relief in her tone. Despite everything Anna had said, or maybe because of what Gareth said, Beth still feared Anna wanted the prick. “When are you seeing him again?” Beth asked. “Not sure.” “I suspect because he doesn’t exist,” Gareth said. “Oh God, Anna. It’s okay you know, you don’t have to pretend with us. We’re your friends.” Anna’s fingers itched to scratch out his eyes. “Yes, he fucking well does exist.” “Well, bring the invisible man to our engagement party on Saturday,” Gareth said in a smug voice. “We’d all like to meet him.” “Why the hell would I want him to meet you…you…lying piece of scum.” Anna got up, grabbed her purse and jacket, and walked out.

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Chapter Eight Will sat in his car trying to decide what to do. He’d changed his mind three times since he’d parked. He snorted. To think he had a reputation for being decisive. It would be so easy to drive away, go back to Jax and pretend everything was fine. But it hadn’t been fine last night or this morning and Will couldn’t see that anything would be different tonight. Jax was still thinking about Anna. The way he treated Will was different, particularly after the fight, somehow kinder and that made it worse. Will’s behavior was different too because he’d finally accepted that he wasn’t enough for Jax anymore and it hurt. Will tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. Jax felt guilty because he knew Will was hurt and Will felt pathetic because he was hurt. Jesus, what a fucking mess. But doing nothing helped neither of them. Will got out of the car, locked it with the remote and strode down the street. If there had been any chance of Jax’s sister being back from the States, Will wouldn’t have risked this but he knew the house was empty. Next door wasn’t though and that’s where the party had been held. The party Anna had attended. Will had been inside Jax’s sister’s house once and he knew the house on one side belonged to pensioners so it was a simple enough process to work out which door to knock. No one home, so he’d sat and waited until he’d seen a guy and then a woman come back, so now someone was going to answer. Will pressed the bell before he could change his mind. It was the woman who came to the door. Early thirties. Short, brown hair. Glasses. Slightly dumpy but a nice smile. “Yes?” she asked. Will’s hand was in his pocket, fingering his police ID. Shit, just do it. He pulled it out and flipped it open. “Detective Inspector Thorne,” Will said. “Metropolitan Police.” He watched the woman’s face drain of blood. Shit. Please don’t faint. It had happened once before and he’d just managed to catch the mother. Will had come to tell her that her son had died in a motorcycle accident. This evening Will had waited until they were both home so neither thought he was bringing tragic news about the other but still, they had family. Now he tried to smile in a reassuring way. She still looked petrified. Fuck. Fuck. “Routine enquiry,” Will blurted before things got out of hand. That was a joke. It wasn’t a routine enquiry and things were already way out of hand. He was out of his jurisdiction, up shit creek without a canoe let alone a paddle. “You better come in,” the woman said and Will stepped into the house.

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His heart pounded. He was more scared than if he’d been on a raid. This went against every bloody rule in the book. If he was caught, he could get fired. Will followed the woman into the living room. “Simon, it’s the police,” she said. “Detective Inspector Thorne,” Will repeated. “Mr. and Mrs. McCarthy?” Will had looked for their names on the electoral register. When he saw the lines smooth out on the guy’s face, Will knew he’d blundered. “No, not McCarthy. They’re the previous owners. We’ve only recently moved in. Our name’s Smith. I have the McCarthy’s new address somewhere if—” “Er, no, it’s the current occupiers that I need to speak to.” The pair exchanged glances, the worried lines back on their faces. “There was a crime committed in this area on Saturday night or possibly early Sunday morning and I’m trying to locate witnesses.” Will hoped that was vague enough to satisfy them. “What sort of crime? Where exactly?” asked the guy. Shit. “I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to give details but I need to know if you saw anyone acting suspiciously in the neighborhood.” They looked at each other. “No, but we had a housewarming party on Saturday night that lasted into the early hours. We were busy with that,” said the wife. “Were your neighbors invited? I can’t get an answer next door.” “The ones on the left are in the States but the brother-in-law comes round to check the place every so often. I don’t know if he was here on Saturday. What sort of thing are we likely to have seen?” asked the husband. “Men lurking around.” Will mentally crossed his fingers. “Could you give me a list of the people who were at your party and contact details.” “We can do that. Would you like a cup of tea while you’re waiting?” she asked. Will smiled his thanks, thinking he’d rather have had something stronger. Ten minutes later, he was on his way back to his car. There was only one Anna but two with her surname—Shelton. Probably a sister. Will dutifully wrote down all the other useless telephone numbers and addresses the Smiths had. They didn’t have Anna’s or her sister’s, only that of their parents. But the Smiths did volunteer after a little push that Anna lived in Surrey Quays. Will grinned. Mission part accomplished. Less than a hundred yards later, his pleasure had turned sour as he wallowed in an agony of indecision. Should he tell Jax what he’d found? Or try to find Anna himself first? Maybe he should keep quiet, do nothing and hope Jax forgot about her. After all, as far as Will knew, Jax hadn’t tried to find her. He sighed. There was no choice. If he wanted to keep Jax, he had to risk losing him. He’d find out exactly where Anna lived and then he’d tell him.

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***** Gareth grabbed the bunch of flowers from the passenger seat before he locked his Porsche. There was a tall, dark-haired guy walking toward him as he approached the Smith’s house and as he passed, Gareth clenched his fists. He felt the stalks bend in his hand and winced. Was that the fucker Anna had been with on Saturday? Should he ask him? Gareth hesitated and then carried on walking. It was the chubby slug of a wife who opened the door. Mrs. Hausfrau, wiping her hands on a pink apron. Who the fuck wore aprons this day and age? Gareth struggled for the name. Erin. He smiled and held out the flowers, keeping his grip above the broken stems. “Hi, Erin, a little thank-you for a great party.” “Oh, that’s very kind. Is Beth not with you?” “No, just me.” Invite me in, you stupid bitch. “Want to come in for a minute?” “Only for a minute. I’m on my way to Beth’s.” “We’ve had a policeman here,” Erin said as she closed the door. “Apparently something happened on Saturday night. He didn’t say what exactly but I think it was a robbery. They want to talk to everyone who came to the party. We had to give names and contact numbers. The detective’s only just left. Pity, because you could have spoken to him, saved him getting in touch with you.” So not the guy Anna had been with. Gareth felt his muscles relax. “I’ll ask Beth and Anna if they saw anything suspicious. Though we lost sight of Anna. Remember we couldn’t find her to share a cab home? Beth seems to think she hooked up with someone. I hope she did. She needs a guy in her life. Just wish she’d give up on the idea that it should be me.” Gareth sighed and gave a rueful shrug of his shoulders. Erin appeared unmoved. “I didn’t see Anna with anyone,” Erin said, her brow furrowing. “Did you, Simon?” The TV clicked off and Simon turned to face them. “No, I didn’t think she stayed very long. I hear congratulations are in order. Another family wedding. I wondered who’d be the ones to follow us. Well done, mate.” “Thanks. Anna hasn’t taken it too well. Beth and I are worried she’s going to throw herself at someone unsuitable in an attempt to show us she’s okay about it.” Gareth paused. “I thought I heard her talking to a neighbor over the fence. Could she have gone next door?” Simon laughed. “Well, we have octogenarians one side and the family on the other are away in the States.” “The brother-in-law is supposed to be keeping an eye on their house,” said Erin. “I didn’t see him, though.” But Gareth had heard him. His pulse jumped. “Do they have a cat?”

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Erin looked at him as if he was mad. “Well, they’d hardly have deserted an animal if they were out of the country.” Shit. “Oh no, of course not. It’s just that Beth and I thought we heard one in difficulty while we were in the garden. Maybe Anna climbed over the fence to try to help it.” “Maybe, but it’s Beth who’s animal mad, not Anna,” said Erin. And didn’t he fucking know it. She was driving him crazy about going to the rescue center to get a dog. “Well, better be going. We must get together for a drink sometime,” Gareth said. Like never. Then he remembered the engagement party. “I think my head’s coming unscrewed. We’re having an engagement party on Saturday at Drifters, the club in Borough. You’re invited of course.” “Ooh, thanks. We’d love to come, wouldn’t we, Simon?” “’Course.” “Great.” Gareth plastered a smile on his face. At least he wouldn’t be footing the bill for the drinks. He’d arranged a discounted bulk entry into the club. There were lots of places to sneak away in there where he could have some fun with Anna. The TV was back on before he’d left the room. Erin waited at the door for him to drive away, so Gareth had to go down the street, sit a couple of minutes and then drive back. He crept up to their neighbors and rang the bell. Three times. There was the noise of bolts sliding, keys turning and then silence. Gareth tapped his foot in impatience. The door opened on a chain and an elderly man peered at him through the gap. “Sorry to disturb you,” Gareth said. “My friends, Erin and Simon Smith live next door to you. I was at their party on Saturday. Hope we didn’t disturb you.” “Eh?” Deaf or stupid? Did it matter? Gareth gave up trying to sound plausible. “I’m trying to contact the owners of the house next door to the Smiths. I understand they’re in the States. Do you know their brother-in-law?” “Jacob. Very nice man.” Gareth bristled. “Could you give me his address?” “No.” Gareth chewed the inside of his lip. “Telephone number?” “How about you give me yours and I’ll ask him to contact you.” “Perhaps I didn’t make it clear that I’m with the policeman who called a few minutes ago. He forgot to ask you for Jacob’s contact details.” “What policeman? What’s your name again?” “Fucking forget it,” Gareth snapped and stalked off.

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What the hell was happening? Why was there no trust anymore? Had the police not called at the wrinklies’ house? Gareth almost stumbled at the next thought. Had the guy not been a policeman at all? He got back in his car. Maybe the guy who passed him was the prick Anna had been with. So what did he want at Erin and Simon’s? Gareth pulled out and as he drove down the road, he smiled. The guy was trying to trace Anna. It wasn’t too much of a leap. Was he pretending to be a policeman or actually in the force? It didn’t matter. Whoever the man was, he was history.

***** Jax took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A short, pretty woman opened the door. He held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Jacob la Rue. I’m looking after the house next door for my sister Kelly and her husband.” “Erin Smith. Hello.” She shook his hand. “I was just talking about you. Come in.” Talking about him? Jax followed her through to the living room. A guy sighed loudly and switched off the TV. “Simon, this is Jacob la Rue, our absent neighbor’s brother.” Jax stepped forward and shook his hand. “What a pity you weren’t here earlier,” Erin said. “I told Gareth the same thing. You both missed the policeman.” Jax wasn’t sure which words affected him most. The name “Gareth”—the persistent guy Anna had talked about—or the word “policeman”. “Apparently there was some sort of incident near here on Saturday night and they’re trying to find witnesses. The policeman wanted to know if you’d been next door. We didn’t know your number. The old couple the other side have it, don’t they? Do you want to give it me as well, just in case?” Shut up. Jax wanted to scream. He was trying to get his head around this. “If I see anything suspicious I can give you a ring,” Erin said. Jax fumbled for his wallet and pulled out a card. “What was the policeman’s name?” he asked. Maybe he was wrong. Erin turned to the man on the couch. “Can you remember, Simon?” “Detective Inspector Thorne.” So blood really could run cold, Jax thought. He felt as though ice water was being transfused into his veins. Jesus, what was Will playing at? “I have to go,” Jax mumbled and turned. “What was it you wanted?”

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Jax opened his mouth and then closed it again. He turned around. “To introduce myself. Hope you’ll be happy living here.” He had to get out, find space to think. “Were you next door on Saturday night?” the guy called as Jax moved toward the door. “Yes.” “Wish we’d known. You could have come round for a beer. I expect the policeman will want to talk to you too,” he said. “I expect he will.” Jax managed to get into the hall without saying anything more but the word burst from him as Erin was closing the door. “Anna.” She looked into his eyes. “She’s my cousin. It was you she was with?” Jax nodded. “I don’t know how to contact her.” “I don’t know her number. Ask the policeman when he speaks to you. I told him her name and where she lives. I gave him her parents’ phone number.” “Tell me.” “I can’t do that. I don’t know if Anna would want you to have it.” The door closed in his face. Jax pressed his forehead against the wood. Shit.

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Chapter Nine “Can I smell coq au vin?” Jax called as he walked into the apartment. “No, you fucking can’t,” Will yelled back. He appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding a glass of red wine. “Though I might be persuaded to experiment.” He cupped his crotch and grinned. Jax laughed. He lifted the glass from Will’s hand and took a swig. “Hope you’re hungry. I think I’ve cooked too much spaghetti,” Will said. “Starving.” Jax sat at the table and watched Will’s back as he worked, admiring his ass, wondering how this discussion was going to go. “Had a busy day?” Jax asked. Come on, talk to me, Will. “The usual. The Chief wants paperwork filled out faster, crooks caught quicker and someone to stop nicking the name plate off his door.” “Not you, I hope.” Will turned and gave him a cheeky smile. “Not this time.” Will didn’t say anything else and Jax guessed he’d wait until after they’d eaten to tell him where he’d been and what he’d found out about Anna. Though Jax was in a bit of a quandary. If he confronted Will about this evening’s visit, then it was an admission he was looking for Anna despite his claims that he wouldn’t be seeing her again. On the other hand, if Will said nothing, what was the point in what he’d done? Why the fuck had he risked his job, pretended he was on official police business when the business couldn’t have been more personal? The pair ate in silence. “This is good,” Jax said. “Pity it’s the only thing you can cook.” “Yeah but you don’t want me for my cooking skills.” “Well it’s not for your dancing.” Jax laughed when Will’s face flushed. He had two left feet. Big feet. “So what have you been up to?” Jax asked, unable to wait any longer. “The criminal masterminds were all safe today. I did a mound of paperwork which was followed by a health and safety briefing. Apparently we’re not supposed to sniff CS gas or use tasers for anything other than for what they were intended.” “Christ. What have you lot been doing?” “And we have to be careful not to prick our fingers on our badges.” Jax took a sip of wine. “Another highly productive use of taxpayers’ money then?”

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Will snorted and cleared the plates off the table. Something told Jax he was not going to say anything about Anna, and even though, as far as he was aware, Will didn’t know her exact whereabouts, Jax wished he’d tell him what he’d done. Will loaded the dishwasher and stood at the sink, dealing with the stuff that couldn’t go in the machine. Jax twirled his glass by the stem and tried to put himself in Will’s shoes. He guessed Will was feeling insecure. Since Jax had fucked Anna, he’d been preoccupied thinking about her and he knew Will had noticed. Jax wasn’t good at expressing himself. He reversed at high speed away from anything that involved exposing how he felt. Asking Will to move in with him had shocked him almost as much as it had Will, though he’d never regretted it. Much as he wanted to see Anna again, he didn’t want to lose Will. Jax set his glass down, stood and moved up behind him. He put his hands around Will’s chest, pressing his face into his shoulder, huffing warm air through his t-shirt. He heard Will’s intake of breath before he sighed. Jax raised his mouth to Will’s neck and licked and nipped his skin. He may have just eaten but one taste of Will and he felt hungry again. Will tensed as Jax slipped a hand under his t-shirt and stroked the sensitive triangle at his lower back. His skin fluttered and twitched as fingers found a way down the back of his chinos to tease the top of his cleft. Will bucked against the sink. “Sshhit,” Will hissed. “I want to fuck you,” Jax whispered. He squeezed the cheek of Will’s butt and pumped his hips forward into Will’s thigh. Will twisted around and their lips connected, tongues clashed and their hands dragged each other closer. Then almost as though they realized at the same moment that they were too close, they moved apart, while staying loosely connected at the mouth. Their clothes began to hit the floor, hands in frantic motion until they were buck naked. Jax bent to brush his lips over Will’s chest, tonguing his nipple while his hand moved down the center of Will’s body. Will’s skin was left trembling in the wake of Jax’s touch as his fingers slid into the dark brown curls above his cock. When he heard the thump of Will’s head hitting the fridge, Jax jerked and his watch caught in the wiry hair at Will’s groin. Will yelped when he tugged it free. “Jesus, Jax. That hurt. Be careful.” Jax brought his head back to Will’s shoulder. “Is that what you want?” Hot blasts of air jerked from Will’s lungs and hit Jax’s neck as he licked the dip behind Will’s collarbone. He felt a hand on his hip as he wrapped his fingers around the base of Will’s dick. “Want me to be careful?” Jax asked as he pumped, bringing his hand up to squeeze the swollen crown. A burst of pre-cum wet his fingers and Will began to rock his hips, urging his cock through Jax’s tight fist. “No,” Will gasped.

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“No what? You want me to stop?” Jax teased as he rolled his palm over the wet head. “Fucking no.” Jax let him go and took a step back. Will lifted his head, opened heavy-lidded eyes and stared at him. “Want me to beg?” Will asked in a hoarse voice. “Might be nice.” “Please. Fuck. Me.” Jax looked at the smooth expanse of Will’s chest, the strong abs, the way his nipples had tightened and a surge of desire rolled through him, filling his cock with another burst of blood so he grew longer, thicker. The sight of Will’s equally long, thick shaft, jeweled with blue veins and topped with a shiny, purple head that strained toward his hand, turned Jax’s desire into rampant lust. “You’re beautiful.” Jax’s voice was thick. He didn’t remember ever saying that and he should have. How come it was easy to say it to Anna the first time he met her and he’d never said it to Will? “What? My dick?” “All of you.” Jax paused. “But especially your dick.” Will laughed. Jax reached for Will’s balls and rolled them gently in his palm. “Rock hard,” Jax whispered. “I wonder why.” Jax boosted Will up on the table, his cock jutting out, the foreskin pulled back to reveal the weeping tip. “I fancy some dessert,” Jax said. “Greek yogurt and honey?” “Is it cold?” “It’s in the fridge.” Jax smiled. “Good.” He retrieved the pot and ripped off the top. Will’s eyes widened. “What to do.” Jax tapped his finger against his lips. “Dip and suck or pour and swallow.” “Can’t you do both?” Will’s voice was hoarse with longing. Jax took hold of Will’s cock and dipped it in the yogurt. Will sucked in his breath. “Jesus, that’s cold.” Jax wrapped his lips around the creamy-topped tip of Will’s dick and sucked. “Oh God, and now it’s not,” Will said with a gurgling groan. Jax tipped more of the yogurt onto Will’s balls and as he squeezed the base of Will’s cock, he lapped at the taut sac in slow, sensuous slurps. Will continued to moan, his 67

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fingers alternately stroking or pulling Jax’s hair. Jax took the sac into his mouth, delicately rolling Will’s balls around before he released them, only to suck them again, pressing the sensitive tissue with his lips, teasing lightly with the edge of his teeth until Will whimpered. Jax let him loose, pushed Will further back on the raised surface so he rested on his elbows, then he lifted Will’s legs by his ankles and planted his heels on the table. “How long are you going to torture me?” Will asked. “As long as I like.” Jax ran his tongue from the tip of Will’s cock, down the veined underside and over his balls to the patch of skin beyond. Under that sensitive spot lay the root of Will’s cock and his prostate gland. With his hands resting on Will’s knees, Jax pressed his tongue hard behind his balls and sucked. “Ooh, Jesus wept,” Will gasped. Jax didn’t stop, he kept working that place, licking and sucking, sometimes rubbing it with his stubble. Every few seconds he flicked the tip of his tongue over Will’s puckered asshole and circled it. Each time he did that, the muscles in Will’s thighs contracted and Will’s fingers threaded through Jax’s hair, tightening and then releasing. Jax smiled, knowing Will was torn between trying to drag him off and pulling him closer. He registered the sudden change in Will’s breathing, the ragged edge to the sound and concentrated on the magic strip of dark flesh, sucking lightly, rhythmically. Above Jax’s nose, Will’s balls took on a more defined shape and separated. Jax watched as they drew up tight to the base of Will’s cock and the next moment semen erupted over his chest. “Oh God, shit, fuck, fuck.” Will’s voice trembled as the jets pulsed out. Jax liked to make Will come without touching his cock, proving his control over him, but now he grabbed Will’s dick and milked the rest of his climax. Will had cum over his nipples, long streaks down his chest. After the last drop was spent, Jax let him go and Will slumped back on the table. He hit his head and groaned. A large bead of pre-cum had oozed from the top of Jax’s cock, pearling into a tearshaped drop that grew and grew until it trickled down his shaft. He needed to fuck Will but he’d give him a minute to recover, give himself a moment to regain some control. Jax eased Will’s legs down so he hung on his back over the table, arms outstretched like some sacrificial figure on an altar. Dropping his head to Will’s stomach, Jax licked a streak of cum onto his tongue and swallowed it. “Can I have a taste,” Will muttered. One more swipe with his tongue and Jax leaned between Will’s legs to press his mouth against his partner’s. Their tongues danced together, swapping the cum from one to the other until Will stole it. Jax couldn’t wait any longer. He jerked Will to his feet and then had to steady him as he swayed backward. Jax pulled Will’s warm body against his chest, smearing the remaining cum between them, pressing his impatient dick against Will’s groin.

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“You smell good,” Jax whispered. “What—yogurt, spunk and sweat?” “Perfect combination.” Jax rolled his hips against Will’s, felt Will’s cock stirring again and smiled. He loved how responsive Will was, adored the look on his face as he came, a cross between agony and ecstasy. Jax slid his hand between their bodies, and took their cum-smeared dicks in his fingers, rubbing them together, the friction sending electric pulses down his limbs and intensifying the ache in his balls. “Bedroom. Now,” Jax ordered. They staggered there, Jax holding Will upright, keeping Will’s hands away from his cock. “Not yet.” He needed a moment longer. “Fuck me,” Will moaned and dropped backward onto the bed. Will shivered in a combination of satiation and desire. Jax had given him a gutwrenching orgasm and he wanted to return the favor. Jax flipped him over and pulled him up onto his knees. Will’s cock was already in recovery, sticking out from his body, growing with every second that passed. The way he felt, he was going to come again pretty soon. Jax’s hot, sweaty, muscular body lay draped over his back and he felt Jax’s hand reach round to bring their cocks together for a kiss, rubbing one against the other. Wriggling his ass against Jax, Will fought the impulse to say he loved him. He wasn’t sure if he could talk anyway, at least not coherently and he didn’t want Jax to think it was something he’d blurted out in the height of passion. Jax let go of his dick and pulled back, his fingers squeezing the taut globes of Will’s ass. Will clenched his buttocks as the cold lube hit him, then two fingers pressed straight into his body. “Be careful,” he gasped but Jax ignored him. Jax twisted his fingers in a rough movement and Will bit his lip to stop himself crying out. His hand slipped to his cock. “Let go of your dick,” Jax snapped. Will knew that tone of voice and did as he was told. Jax was pissed off about something and Will would find out why sooner or later. The blunt head of Jax’s cock replaced his fingers and forced its way into the tight channel, one hard thrust that would have shoved Will forward on the bed had Jax not grasped his hips and jerked him back. He gave Will no chance to adjust but rammed into him like an enraged bull, pounding his cock into Will’s ass. Will’s back bowed and he cried out even as his muscles sucked Jax deeper. Jax pounded hard. Too hard, too fast. Will fisted the sheets in his hands and dropped his head. “For Christ’s sake, Jax!” Will gasped. The hard edge to the way Jax was fucking him had Will moving back toward orgasm. Part of him wanted Jax to stop, the other part of him needed to come again before Jax did. Jax dropped his head to Will’s neck and bit down hard. Will yelled out

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in pain and felt his cock spurt a thin, silky stream onto the bed. He was surprised he had anything left and it was like the last ounce of his strength had shot out of his dick. If Jax hadn’t been holding him up, Will would have collapsed. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Jax grunted as he continued to thrust. “Tell…you…what?” “You’re looking for Anna.” Shit. “What for, Will? Want to scare her off? Make sure she doesn’t come between us?” Will struggled in a maelstrom of emotion. Jax made one huge slamming thrust into Will’s backside, bellowed his release and Will buried his scream in the mattress. Jax pulled straight out of him. The first time he’d ever done that. Will rolled over and swallowed, trying to bring moisture back into his mouth. Jax slumped at the side of the bed, staring at him. “Well?” Jax asked, his breathing ragged. “I thought I’d try to find her for you. You said you weren’t going to see her again but I knew if you’d known how to find her, you would have. I wasn’t going to say anything until I knew for sure where she was. I want to make you happy, Jax. I fucking love you.” Will could feel tears threatening and sprang from the bed. He wasn’t going to cry and if he did it wouldn’t be in front of Jax. His body ached, he hurt. Jax had hurt him. Will’s heart clenched as if Jax had reached through his ribs and thumped it. He lurched into the shower and turned on the spray, pressing his face against the wall. If anyone but Jax had taken him in that way, Will would have hit them. Jax entered the shower behind him and Will stiffened but didn’t move, just let the hot deluge pour onto his back. Tentative fingers rubbed his shoulders, massaged his muscles. “Sorry,” Jax whispered at his ear. “Yeah.” Will reached for the shower gel and began to soap his sore body. “Let me.” Will wasn’t sure he wanted Jax to touch him right at that moment but said nothing and let Jax take the bottle. “For a copper, you’re a bit slow sometimes.” Will’s jaw tightened. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Think about it, Will. How could I know you’d been making enquiries about Anna?” He had been slow. Will turned to face him. “You went to the house too.”

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“They wouldn’t tell me anything. They said ask the policeman when he comes to see you. What the fuck were you up to? Did you show them your ID?” Will nodded and Jax pulled Will’s head against his shoulder, wrapped his hands around his neck. “You dumb fuck. If they check up, you’ll get the sack.” “I wanted to find her for you.” Jax hugged him tighter. “I want you, Will, but is it wrong to want her as well?” Will hesitated. “You only spent one night with her. How do you know?” “I only spent one night with you and I knew.” Something broke inside Will, the last tenuous hope that he could keep things the way they were. In that instant everything changed. He couldn’t stand between Jax and Anna. It would be like trying to stop a speeding train. He’d be destroyed. He could survive this. He would survive. “Does she have a sister called Beth?” Will asked. Jax nodded and as the light came on in his eyes, Will knew the light in his own dimmed. “Her name’s Anna Shelton. She lives in Surrey Quays. I don’t know any more than that but I can try to get her address tomorrow.” “Thank you.” Will shrugged Jax’s arms off his back and thought the questions he didn’t dare to voice. Who will you choose? When she knows what we are and gives you an ultimatum, who will you choose?

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Chapter Ten Anna couldn’t believe she was doing this. It was bad enough having to sit and smile into a camera let alone trying to sound perky and enthusiastic as she described her miserable life, without having to pay five hundred pounds for the flipping privilege. And she was losing her lunch hour. As if on cue her stomach rumbled. Oh God, she hoped that didn’t come out on the tape. Anna emerged from the video room pale and shaking. If anyone fancied her after seeing that performance, it would be a miracle. Janine Lawrence, who ran the dating agency, 1-4-U, ushered Anna back into her office. Anna slumped on the chair, her mouth still frozen into what she was pretty sure resembled an advert for a teeth-whitening product—before, not after. Janine was about the same age as Anna’s mother and had the same hair style. Oh God, she could have been her mother. Anna cringed. “Well done, that wasn’t too bad, was it? I’m sure we’ll have no problem fixing you up with someone,” Janine said. Someone no doubt being a balding, fifty-year-old pretending to be in his thirties, whose notion of a good night out was a couple of pints at the pub followed by two bags of chips, and he’d expect her to go halves. This was a crazy idea. Anna felt hope draining out of her and pooling at her feet. She looked down. “We have a large number of suitable clients on the lookout for someone like you. I can’t believe you haven’t already found a nice, young man. You’re presentable, attractive, slim, have a good job,” Janine gave a happy smile, “and you’re not picky about what you want.” Oh yes I am. I’m picky as hell but at this moment I’m desperate. As a consequence of desperate overriding picky, Anna had ticked all the boxes on what she would accept— older than her, younger than her, bald, fat, foreign, two heads, and ticked none on what she wouldn’t. It would serve her right if she ended up with a septuagenarian sheep herder with a wooden leg. “There’s no reason for anyone to be lonely in this day and age,” Janine said. Oh God, what a patronizing smile. Anna wanted to be sick. “Why, you have such a lot to offer. Let’s see what you’ve written.” She consulted Anna’s form. “Skiing, swimming, walking, coin collecting, gourmet chef, salsa dancing.” Her smile faltered a little as she kept reading. “Archery, juggling, origami, reading, gardening, rowing, fire eating?” She looked up at Anna in alarm. “I could have put more, but I thought that was enough.” “More than enough, perhaps you could take a few out?”

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“But I love them all,” Anna lied. Confronted with a need to list her hobbies, she’d put down every solitary thing she’d ever had a go at, on the basis that something in there would appeal to someone. Fast. She was desperate. It was Tuesday, the engagement party at Drifters was on Saturday and she had to have a date, even if it was with a bald, fire-eating chef with a wooden leg. “Well, we’ll just feed all the information into our database and be in touch.” “When?” Anna asked. “Soon.” “How soon?” “Probably some time next week.” Nooooooo. “Try this afternoon. I’m very anxious to find someone. Anyone will do.” Janine’s eyes gleamed and Anna backtracked. She wasn’t really desperate enough to accept a bald, septuagenarian, sheep-herding chef with or without a wooden leg. It had to be someone reasonable otherwise her family might guess what she’d done. Even if she fooled them, she wouldn’t fool Gareth. “Almost anyone,” she said. Janine reached over the desk to pat Anna’s hand as if she were a sick child. “There, there, dear. No need to despair. You don’t want to give that impression to a gentleman. You’ll get taken advantage of.” “I don’t—” Anna had been going to say “care” but changed it to, “Want that to happen, of course, but I-I so desperately want to find my—” pause for effect and to swallow back the gagging reflex, “soul mate.” She put on her most anxious face. Luckily Janine was easier to fool than her mother. “I’ll do my level best for you.” Anna made her way back to work with her heart a leaden lump in her chest. No matter who the agency came up with, she’d have to take him to the engagement party and hope she could persuade him to lie about when they met. Anna would offer money if necessary. Maybe even sex. She shuddered. Maybe not. She was about to walk back into the SLS building when her mobile rang. Beth. Anna grimaced. Much as she wanted to ignore her sister, she didn’t. “Anna!” Beth wailed her name and broke into hiccupping sobs. Goose bumps erupted all over Anna’s body. “What’s wrong?” Her sister continued crying. “Beth, what is it?” More hysterical gasping. Anna’s pulse rate began to rocket. “Are Mum and Dad okay?” There was a “yes” somewhere in the tearful keening. “Has Gareth dumped you?” Please let that be the case.

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The cessation of noise was so abrupt, it was like a waterfall had been turned off. Oops, wrong thing to say, thought Anna. “Why…would…you…say…that?” Beth hiccupped. “You’re so upset, and if it’s not Mum and Dad, then I…” Anna thought the hole was deep enough to bury her. She stopped digging. “My apartment’s been flooded. I had a call at work and I had to come home. Everything’s ruined.” “Oh God, Beth, I’m sorry.” “The man upstairs left his bath running. He said he didn’t, that he didn’t even have a bath this morning but the ceiling’s come down.” Beth started crying again. “I’ve had to come back to school because they can’t get a supply teacher to cover me this afternoon.” “Is there anything I can do?” “Can you help Mum sort things out?” “I can’t take this afternoon off. I’ve got a document to get out by tonight. I could come after work.” “Can I stay with you?” asked Beth’s plaintive voice. Oh shit. Anna did not want Beth staying with her. Still, she knew she should have said “yes” straightaway and not hesitated. Now it was too late. “Is it too much to ask?” Beth said, her tone arctic which made Anna wonder whether she’d been acting before. “Expecting my sister to help out in an emergency?” Yes, it is too much. There were a million reasons why Anna didn’t want Beth in her apartment, Gareth being the biggest. “You know, Anna, you might keep saying you’re not jealous but it’s all an act, isn’t it? You didn’t even say you liked my ring.” “I did.” Hadn’t she? “You showed no interest in it at all. Those friends of yours from work looked at it longer than you.” “Beth, you know I don’t like rings. I didn’t mean anything by it.” “Right.” There was no trace of tears or upset in Beth’s voice now. She sounded unpleasantly calm. “You’ve hurt me, Anna. If you were really over Gareth, you’d have asked how he proposed. You know how we always used to talk about the way it would happen.” Shit, shit, shit. “Sorry.” It was the best Anna could do. “So, can I stay for a few days until my place is sorted out?”

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Blackmail but what choice did she have? “All right. I’ll leave work on time. I’ll be back around 6:15.” “Great.” Beth was back to her bubbly self. “We can open a bottle of wine and watch a girlie film.” “Okay.” “Thank you, Anna. You’re the best.” Anna switched off her phone and trekked upstairs. She didn’t want Beth staying with her but she knew she had no choice. Their parents lived too far away for Beth to commute to work from there. She taught at a school in Peckham and it was more or less on Anna’s doorstep.

***** It hadn’t been difficult for Will to get details about Anna Shelton. He now knew her date of birth, where she worked, that she had three points for speeding but no car, no credit card debt, no criminal record. He could have found out more but the further he delved, the greater the risk he’d be caught. All he really needed was her address in Surrey Quays and now he had it. On his way back from interviewing the victim of a stabbing, currently recovering in hospital, Will called in at Jax’s office. He flashed his ID at the security guard on the desk and was allowed through to the elevators. He’d never been to see Jax at work before. Will wondered how he’d react. Another display of his ID and the girl on the reception desk picked up her phone. “Mr. la Rue, there’s a policeman in reception who’d like to speak to you.” A pause. Will guessed Jax was asking who he was. “Detective Inspector Thorne.” She put the phone down. “He’ll be right out.” The place was all smoked glass and shining curves. Smart offices for a growing city firm. Jax was well paid, but he worked hard for his money, sometimes twenty-four hours straight when he was on a deadline. Will turned as a door opened and Jax strode out. He had a broad smile on his face and looked so handsome in his dark pinstripe suit that Will’s heart lurched. Will wasn’t sure whether Jax would acknowledge he knew him. He had no idea what, if anything, Jax had said about the guy who shared his apartment. Being bi made life tricky. “Hi, what’s up?” Jax asked. “Can I have a quick word?” “Sure. Marcia, we’ll be in conference room three. Hold my calls.” Will followed Jax through double doors and down a carpeted corridor. At the end Jax pushed open a door and gestured for Will to go in first. The moment Will stepped inside and the door closed, Jax pushed him back against it and kissed him. Will was so shocked he didn’t respond for a moment. Jax’s tongue pressed insistently at his lips and

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Will opened his mouth. It was a long, slow kiss and when Jax pulled away, his eyes were glazed. “Just when I was getting bored of figuring out how to persuade a client his company would be better off without him at the helm. So what’s up?” Jax asked. Will laughed. “Do you need to ask?” Jax took Will’s hand and put it over his crotch. “Snap.” “I dragged you away from something important,” Will said. “Yes, but you’ve dragged me to something more important.” Jax fondled Will’s cock. A ripple of lust sent Will weak at the knees. “I came to tell you about Anna.” Will watched Jax’s face for a change of expression but there was none. Not even a blink. Will took his hand away from Jax’s groin, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and put it in Jax’s pocket, patting the flap. “Apartment 5, 23 Sunningdale Crescent, Surrey Quays,” Will said. Jax nodded. “What else did you find out?” “She’s a suspected serial killer, arsonist, poisoner and kleptomaniac with three points on her driving license. Just your type.” Jax’s mouth twitched. “Thanks, Will. I owe you.” Will shrugged. “Forgive me?” Jax said. “Why, what have you done?” “Upset you, made you feel less important in my life than you are.” He stared straight into Will’s eyes. “How can I make it up to you?” Tell me you love me. Let me love her too. Talk her into a threesome. “Nothing.” Jax sighed. “I don’t deserve you.” No, he fucking didn’t. “I can’t lock the door in here,” Jax whispered. “Follow me.” Will opened his mouth and then closed it again. He followed Jax back down the corridor and into the men’s washroom. Jax checked the three cubicles and beckoned Will into the end one. Will’s pulse jumped in his throat when Jax bolted the door. Jax put down the toilet lid and sat on it before pulling Will toward him by his hips. When Jax mouthed his cock through the material of his pants, breathing hot air down his length, Will shuddered. Jax flipped open the button at his waist and unzipped him. Will’s cock had tented his boxers into a pyramid, a wet spot blooming at the apex. Black shorts yanked below balls and Jax ran his tongue over the crown of Will’s cock. Will had his hands braced on either side of the cubicle. Even though there was no one in the washroom, he couldn’t make a sound. If they were caught, Jax would lose—was that it? Was that why Jax was doing this, taking the same risk Will had in using his police ID to find Anna? 76

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Then Jax’s hot, wet mouth engulfed him. Will closed his eyes and stopped thinking about anything other than what Jax was doing. Long, slow sucks on his cock while fingers caressed his balls with a featherlight touch. It felt to Will as though his cum was being pulled up from his feet, only it was taking a roundabout route to his cock via his head. Jax released his balls to move his hands to Will’s backside, grasping him more firmly as he began to take more and more of Will’s cock into his mouth. Will’s hips longed to thrust forward and backward but he planted his feet on the floor and let Jax dictate the pace. When Will felt Jax swallow against his cock, he opened his eyes and looked down. He let out a shaky breath at the sight of Jax’s dark-blond head bobbing against him, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked. Suddenly there was the sound of a door opening and men’s voices. Jax never faltered. He held Will tight and worked him harder. Will tried to hold back, fearful of making a noise but the friction was relentless. The need to let himself come grew like a geyser building to blow. His knees trembled with the effort of holding back. Will should have been named Old Faithful, his coming predictable. He ground his teeth, held his breath and pressed his hands more firmly against the sides of the cubicle. Jax fluttered his tongue over his crown and then drew him into his throat. Will choked back a gasp. Jax knew damn well that Will was noisy when he came. Jax opened his eyes and looked up at him and Will lost it. His head went back and he clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself shouting as he spurted jets of semen between Jax’s lips. Jax’s hands pulled his butt closer and sucked harder. As the last spasm died away, the toilet next to them flushed with a noisy gurgle and Will bit his lip so he didn’t laugh. Jax released his cock and tucked it back inside Will’s boxers, zipping him up and refastening his button. He stood and Will pulled him into his arms, pressing his lips against Jax’s, tasting himself and a tang of coffee. The sound of the hand drier ceased and Will reached for Jax’s zipper. Jax pushed his hand away. “I need to get back to work,” he whispered in Will’s ear. Will nodded but he was hurt. He knew damn well that Jax still had a raging hardon. Why didn’t he want him to take care of that? Was this just a thanks for finding out about Anna? Jax fastened his suit jacket to hide the bulge at his groin and slipped out of the cubicle. No one saw them leave the washroom. Jax walked Will back to reception. “I’m going to be late tonight,” Will said quietly. “I’m on a stakeout. Not sure when I’ll be back so don’t wait to eat.” “Okay.” Will wanted to ask him if he was going to be late too, if he intended to see Anna, hoping that Jax would say no. Whatever Jax said, Will wanted it to be the truth. “Thanks,” Jax said when they reached reception. “If you need any more help, please come again.” His back to the woman, Jax winked. Will couldn’t bring himself to muster a smile.

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Chapter Eleven Gareth watched Beth take two mugs from Anna’s cupboard. He wished she didn’t have such a fat ass, though it did give him something to get hold of and after all, a fuck was a fuck. He sidled up behind her, buried his face in her neck and wrapped his hands around her breasts. Beth had nice tits, juicy melons. Gareth groaned and pressed his erection into her backside. “Time for a quick fuck,” he whispered. Beth stiffened. Shit. He kept forgetting that talking like that turned her off. “I want you, baby,” he said. “Anna will be back soon.” “Not for another fifteen minutes. Look at the clock. It’s only six.” Well, it was now Gareth had turned it back. “Can’t you feel what you’re doing to me?” He ground himself harder against her. Beth squirmed in his arms. “Can’t you wait?” “No. Clothes off. Now.” Gareth was surprised when Beth complied. He’d expected to have to persuade her to stay in the kitchen. By the time she was naked, his cock and balls ached. He wanted to jam himself in Beth’s wet cunt and rub himself to oblivion but he had to make this last. Gareth unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. He watched Beth’s eyes widen as she took in his rigid shaft and he smiled. “Do you have a condom?” she asked. “Do I need one, sweetie?” Gareth wheedled. “I mean, you’re on the Pill and we’re engaged now.” He had a rubber in his pocket but he didn’t want to use it. Gareth was torn between wanting to shoot his load into Beth’s pussy or spraying it over Anna’s kitchen table. “Will you pull out?” Beth asked as she ran her hands down his cock. “If that’s what you want.” Actually, Gareth would do whatever he wanted but time was ticking by and he needed to be in the throes of this when Anna came home. He turned Beth by the shoulders and pushed her facedown on the table. “Not in here,” Beth said. “Can’t we go into a bedroom?” “No.” “Please.” “No, here or nowhere.”’

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Gareth moved her until she was in the right position for him, her pussy spread open, but her tight asshole more inviting. It was tempting but he didn’t need her freaked out, not if he wanted this game to last. He nudged at her opening and Beth groaned. Gareth chuckled. “What?” Beth asked. “I like it when you make all those noises.” In a way he did, though Beth was the noisiest fuck he’d ever had. They were going to drive Anna mad. He pressed deeper and slipped inside Beth’s hot cleft. Gareth groaned and felt Beth laugh beneath him. The stupid cunt.

***** Anna made sure she left work on time, ran all the way to the station to ensure she caught the earliest train and got back to her apartment when she’d promised. At least her backside didn’t hurt anymore. She looked up at her lounge window and wondered how she’d managed to leave the light on. It wasn’t like her to forget, after all, she paid the bills. She’d tried a couple of times to ring Beth, to let her know when she’d be home but Beth had her phone switched off. Anna unlocked her door, pushed it open and dropped her bag in the hall. Then she froze. She could hear Beth and she sounded upset. Torn between fury that Beth had somehow already gotten into her apartment and worry that there was something wrong, Anna strode into the kitchen. “Fuck,” she gasped. Beth was lying naked on the kitchen table, head toward her, her hands clasped around the tops of the legs while Gareth pumped into her from behind. “Anna,” Beth gasped. Anna tried to move but her shoes had turned into concrete boots. Gareth was staring straight at her, his hips like pistons driving into her sister. His eyes narrowed, his breath coming in jerks and then he pulled out and spurted across Beth’s lower back. When he winked at Anna, she fled. She stood trembling in the hall, wondering how a few seconds of time could feel like hours. She hadn’t just stood and watched that, had she? Her kitchen table? Gareth emerged from the kitchen carrying two glasses of wine. Anna took one without thinking. “Like the show?” he whispered. “I know you like to watch.” “What the fuck are you doing here?” Anna snapped. Gareth put an innocent expression on his face. “Helping Beth, what else?” “Why do I think that’s a lie?” “I was curious whether it was the table or you that got me so hot and bothered that night.”

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“I think you’d fuck anything, Gareth.” Anna gave a short laugh. “In fact, why didn’t you just fuck the table?” “I might as well have done. Your sister’s thick as a plank.” The red wine hit him full in the face. He gasped and looked at the stain on his white shirt. “That was a mistake,” he snapped. Beth poked her head out of the kitchen. “Sor—what?” She came all the way out, smoothing down her skirt. “What the hell’s happened?” “Anna showing her jealous nature again,” Gareth said. Anna’s shoulders dropped. She wanted the last five minutes or so to have never happened. “Take your shirt off so I can wash it,” Beth said, keeping her eyes away from Anna’s. “What are you doing here?” Anna asked. “Gareth helped me move my stuff over. Well, everything that wasn’t wet.” Anna’s heart hammered as she followed Beth and the shirt into the kitchen. “I’ve been ringing you to tell you when I’d be home. How did you get in?” Beth pulled her phone from her purse and looked at it. “Oh, I thought it was on. I must have switched it off. Sorry. Mum gave me the key. I didn’t think you’d mind.” Anna didn’t want to confront Beth about what she’d been up to on her kitchen table but she couldn’t ignore it. “I told you what time I’d be home.” “But you’re early.” Beth glanced at the kitchen clock. Anna looked at her watch. Oh, Gareth was clever, she had to give him that. He’d bloody planned this so she’d burst in on them. “Let me pour Anna a glass of wine,” Gareth said. “She looks as though she could do with one.” Anna went back into the hall to hang up her coat and put her shoes on the spare piece of carpet she kept by the door so she didn’t track dirt over the apartment. She sucked in her cheeks when she walked into the main room to see a bomb called Beth had exploded. Tidy and neat were not words that ever came within a million miles of her sister. Beth and Gareth followed her in. “Why’ve you had to bring so much?” Anna asked. “I thought this was for a few days?” Did Beth really need every stuffed toy she possessed? The couch was smothered with animals. Boxes of CDs and DVDs were part unpacked next to the TV. Plastic carriers with Beth’s latest craft obsessions had been piled on top of dog-eared paperback books.

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“Dad says the insurance company will pay for the ceiling to be boarded and plastered but it’s going to take time to get them to come out and then get quotes and then wait for the work to be done. There’ll be a lot of dust.” Anna was doing a fast calculation—days to weeks to bloody months. “I hope you don’t mind, but I put my clothes in your room. You’ve got a lot less than me so I thought you could manage with the smaller wardrobe and…well…” Beth blushed. Uh-oh, Anna thought, feeling like she’d been run over by a two-man tank. No need to guess who was driving. Gareth put his arm over Beth’s shoulder. Anna kept her eyes away from his naked chest. “We didn’t think you’d mind us having your double bed while you slept in the single. It’s only for a week or so,” Beth said. Anna’s head pounded. She found it hard to remember when she’d ever been so angry. “Gareth isn’t staying here as well.” “Of course not,” he said. “I have my own place. I offered to let Beth stay with me but I live so far away from her school and this seemed an ideal opportunity for you two to get together, make friends again and discuss the wedding.” Anna couldn’t believe this. She wanted to laugh, scream, cry. She wanted to click her heels and wish herself back to Kansas. First, she’d garrote Gareth. “Is it okay if I have your room, Anna? If it’s not, I can move my things out again.” No, it’s fucking not okay. Anna had been temporarily rendered speechless. Her frantic brain tried to compute the implications of having Beth there, having Gareth there. No matter which way she looked at it, it was bad news. Gareth and Beth in her bed. Beth and Gareth on her kitchen table. The pair of them in her bathroom. “You could have waited,” Anna said. “How would you feel if I’d landed on you and taken over your room?” “Well, of course I’d have let you have it.” Anna gritted her teeth. The fact that Beth meant it and Anna knew she meant it, threw doubt on her suspicion that Gareth had manipulated her into this. Anna opened her mouth to suggest Beth ask her insurance company to rent her a place and found Beth being propelled into her arms by Gareth. “Give Anna a hug. This is so nice of her. Your parents are going to be thrilled you two are making up.” As Beth wrapped her arms around her, Gareth stared straight into Anna’s eyes. He flicked his tongue back and forth like a snake, the sexual implication unmistakable. “You don’t know how much this means to me,” Beth said and retreated from Anna’s slack embrace to tuck herself back under Gareth’s arm. “As a thank-you I’ll buy you girls dinner. What do you fancy? Indian? Thai? Pizza?” Gareth asked. 81

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“I don’t care,” Anna said and escaped to what was her new bedroom. She closed the door and leaned against it. All her clothes had been thrown on the bed. Beth hadn’t bothered to hang them up. Anna sagged. This wasn’t going to work. She didn’t want Beth living with her, but if Gareth thought he could sleep there too it was totally unacceptable. Only what could she do? Throw Beth out? Pack a case and find a cheap hotel? If there had been such a thing as a cheap hotel in London, Anna might have considered it, but why should she be driven out of her home? Set a time limit, Anna thought. Two weeks, no more. No Gareth sleeping over. At weekends Beth could go to Gareth’s place. Two weeks was survivable, wasn’t it? An hour later, Anna wondered if she could survive another two minutes. Gareth and Beth were sprawled over each other on her couch, the soft toys all over the floor, watching what they wanted on her TV, drinking her wine. Okay, so Gareth had bought pizza but the bastard had ordered pepperoni on one and anchovies on the other, neither of which Anna liked. Maybe she could manufacture her own flood. That thought froze her into a lump of ice. Had Beth’s apartment been flooded by accident or had Gareth arranged for it to happen. Anna thumped the heel of her hand against her head. Get a grip. She was beginning to frighten herself. How paranoid was she going to get? Still…Beth had said the guy upstairs hadn’t even taken a bath this morning and Gareth had managed to get into Anna’s apartment that time. Assuming Anna wasn’t going crazy and that Gareth had somehow fixed this, what motive could he have for wanting Beth in her apartment? Or did he want to be in her apartment? Anna pulled a chest of drawers in front of the door. Better safe than sorry.

***** Jax sat in his car looking up at Anna’s apartment. He’d worked out which windows were hers and the light was on, but he didn’t move. What did he intend to say? How could he explain how he knew where she lived without sounding like the stalker she’d already complained about? She’d probably freak the moment she opened the door. But Jax hoped he didn’t have to say anything. He hoped she’d take one look at him, give him chance to blurt out that he wasn’t married, it wasn’t his house but his sister’s and then she’d fling herself into his arms. Naked in bed to follow. Retrieving a bunch of flowers from the passenger seat, Jax got out of his car. He slipped into the foyer behind another resident and went up the stairs two at a time. His heart was fluttering with excitement at the idea of seeing her again. If she hadn’t eaten, he’d take her out for a meal. If she had, well he could think of something else he’d like her to eat. Him too. He grinned. Jax’s mouth watered at the idea of burying his face between her legs, licking and sucking until she came on his face. His cock stirred in his pants. He knocked twice on the door. “Yeah?”

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Jax was lightning fast, questions and answers flying through his head. Wrong apartment? No. Was this guy Anna’s boyfriend? Had she lied? Or was Jax jumping to the same wrong conclusion she had? Her brother? Though she hadn’t mentioned one. There was no point backing down now. “I’m looking for Anna Shelton.” “Get lost.” The door shut in his face. Jax stood staring for a moment, wondering if it was worth knocking again. And get a fist in the face? He gave a short laugh and went back down the stairs.

***** Will was an expert at keeping in the shadows. He’d spent too many hours of his professional life watching and waiting for something to happen, only to find it never did. This time, he wished it hadn’t. Jax had pulled up on the road outside Anna’s apartment and sat in his car for so long that Will wondered what the hell was going through his head. Trying to think what to say? Wondering whether he ought to drive away and go back home to Will? When Jax stepped from the car he held flowers. Will sighed and continued to wait. There were things he wanted to know—had to know. What Anna looked like, what it was that had Jax so enthralled and how long Jax was going to spend there. His questions were answered but not in the way Will expected. Jax emerged shortly after he’d gone in. Flowers tossed into the front garden of the apartment, he got back in his car and drove off. Too bloody fast, the idiot. So what had happened inside? Would Jax tell him? Even as Will walked across the road and rang Anna’s buzzer, he was telling himself not to. It would be so easy to walk away and pretend he’d never come. But the need to do the right thing was ingrained in Will, even if he got hurt in the process. If Anna hadn’t given Jax a chance to explain he wasn’t married, maybe she’d let a friend. Will pressed the buzzer again. “Yes?” A man’s voice, and perhaps that told Will all he needed to know. He changed tack. “Detective Inspector Thorne to speak to Anna Shelton.” Fuck, he was going to get caught for doing this. The door release sounded and Will pushed through. When he reached her floor there was a guy in dark pants and a tight blue t-shirt lounging against the doorframe. He was tall, with short, dark hair slicked back from his face and a mouth that smiled when his eyes didn’t. As Will reached him, a curly haired blonde stepped to his side. Anna. Will was surprised. She wasn’t the type he’d thought Jax would go for. She was pretty but on the short side and slightly chubby. “This is Miss Shelton,” the guy said. “I’m Gareth Kniveton, her fiancé.” Oh fuck.

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“Can we see your ID?” the guy asked. Will flipped it open. The guy looked at it carefully. Too bloody carefully. “Is this about the robbery near the party we went to on Saturday?” he asked. “Who told you it was a robbery?” Will hadn’t said robbery but he supposed it was a reasonable guess. “I called to see the Smiths shortly after you’d visited.” Gareth turned to Anna. “I took Erin some flowers as a thank-you. I forgot to tell you.” “You big sweetie,” the woman said. Will wanted to cringe. Her voice was squeaky. What could Jax see that he couldn’t? “They said that a policeman had asked for details of everyone at the party. I’m surprised you haven’t been to see us before now.” Will was in quicksand and it was sucking him down at high speed. The sooner he got out of there the better. Forget about asking to go in, he wanted to bolt back down the stairs. “Did you see anyone acting suspiciously?” Will dutifully asked. “Only Henry dancing,” Beth said with a giggle. The sound went right through Will. “What about you?” he asked Gareth. “No, nothing.” “Right, well thank you for your time.” He turned to go. “Do you want to give me your card in case something comes to mind?” the guy asked. No, Will fucking didn’t. He put his hand in his pocket as if he were looking for one and shook his head. “Ah, I gave out my last one this afternoon. Don’t worry. If you didn’t see anything then I won’t need to get in touch with you again.” As Will drove his heart grew lighter and lighter. Anna was engaged. She didn’t want Jax. Jax couldn’t have her even if he did want her. She’d had a last fling and caught Jax in her net. Although Will did wonder how Jax had managed to hook up with her if she had a fiancé in tow. Maybe she’d had a row with him at the party and that was why she’d climbed over the fence. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered because Anna Shelton was history. Will didn’t go straight home. He’d told Jax he was on a stakeout so he had to make it look realistic. He went to the office, did an hour’s worth of paperwork and then returned to the apartment. Jax lay on the couch. A half-empty bottle of tequila stood on the coffee table next to a carton of orange. “Are you drunk?” Will asked. “No, stone sold cober…cone stone sober. Shit.”

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Will bit his lip, both amused and alarmed. In all the time he’d known him, he’d never seen Jax drunk before. The guy was a live enough wire without excess alcohol. “Thought you were staked out,” Jax mumbled. Will laughed. “On a stakeout. Saw what I needed to. Job done. Satisfactory conclusion.” Jax reached a shaky hand for the bottle. Will moved it out of reach. “I think you’ve had enough, pal.” Jax looked as though he was going to argue and then changed his mind. Will pushed Jax’s legs out of the way and sat on the couch beside him. “What’s wrong?” Jax looked up at him with his big, dark eyes. “You know what’s fucking wrong.” Will’s gut clenched. There was no way Jax could know he’d been watching. Was there? “Anna?” Will asked. Jax nodded. “You went to her apartment.” Will’s heart was pounding. He hadn’t actually made that a question. Jax nodded. “What happened?” “A guy answered the door.” “Ah.” That had to be the fiancé that Will had seen. Jax flung his head back on the end of the couch and groaned. “Shit, I thought… Fuck, I wish you could have met her, Will. She’s so cute. S’all legs and arms and something ‘bout her reminds me of me. She fucking looks like me, only doesn’t. You’d love her. Ssstupid messy hair, breasts that melt in your mouth, lips so soft and sweet, wanted to eat them. She was so willing, so gentle.” “Maybe it wasn’t meant to be,” Will said, thinking that had to be the most pathetic thing he’d ever said. Jax flung his arm over his eyes. “She was exactly right.” What? Short and a bit dumpy with a voice that could grate cheese? Will had always thought he’d go for a tall but small-boned, delicate woman. “Tall and gorgeous. Didn’t even mind the short hair. Know we like long hair but she fucking looked like me. Christ.” Will made himself keep stroking Jax’s thigh. “She has short hair?” “Like mine only scruffier.” Like Jax’s? “Is that possible?” Jax moved his arm to glare. Will’s pulse was jumping. Something wasn’t right. “What color hair?”

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“S’like mine.” “Dirty blond?” Jax snorted. Will put two and two together pretty quickly. Okay, he might have made five but he had a feeling he’d got the math right. Gareth Kniveton had introduced the woman as Miss Shelton. Will had assumed she was Anna but it seemed likely it was her sister, Beth. So had the use of “Miss” been a deliberate misdirection? If so, why? And what the fuck was Will going to do? If he told Jax the truth, he’d be landing himself deep in shit. Again. Will looked down at the man he loved. No choice. “The guy you saw, was he tall, similar build to me, dark hair, blue t-shirt, suit trousers? Slight south London accent?” Jax pushed himself upright. He didn’t say anything, just stared at Will and blinked. Will sighed. “His name’s Gareth Kniveton. I wanted to know what Anna was like. I watched you go to her apartment, saw you leave after a couple of minutes and dump the flowers. I went up and asked to speak to Anna. Kniveton answered the door and introduced me to his fiancée.” Jax stiffened. “Pretty woman but there was no way she could be called tall. Curvy figure and long curly hair. I’m assuming it was Beth Shelton.” “Fuck.” Will took a deep breath. “Gareth. The fucking bastard,” Jax hissed. “The conniving, fucking cunt. I just assumed…oh fuck.” Will waited for Jax to make the next jump. Despite the excess alcohol, it didn’t take long. “Are you my keeper?” Jax asked, all trace of his drunkenness gone. “I…” Will wanted to say that he’d done it because he loved him but he couldn’t get the words out, didn’t want to utter them when he knew Jax wouldn’t say them back. “Did you think I’d keep her away from you? That I’d cut you out of my life?” Yes. “I don’t know, Jax.” “She told me about that guy. He’s trying to fuck up her life. He’s a stalker. She never went out with him, but he pretends she did. Now he’s with her sister and making out Anna’s jealous. When I saw him, I assumed… But her sister’s there?” “Yes.” Jax stood up. “I want to see Anna.” “Not tonight. It’s late. You’re drunk.” Jax dropped back on the couch. “Right. Tomorrow. Can you find out where she works?” “Probably.” “Would you? Please? Call me?” 86

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Will’s jaw tightened but he nodded. “Come here,” Jax said. Will moved into his arms. “We’re a pair, Will. Nothing will make any difference to that.” If only Will could believe that.

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Chapter Twelve Anna woke with a start. She’d had a fitful night and never managed to slide into a deep sleep, but this time it felt as though something had awakened her. She lifted her head to look at the clock. 4:00 a.m. Was Beth moving around? Maybe she should get a cat and call it Jax. Anna smiled. The apartment stayed silent so she rolled over to face the window and curled up. The hand on the mouth came so fast she had no time to scream but she lashed out, hit firm flesh and kept hitting. “Stop it,” Gareth hissed. Anna knew “stopping it” was the last thing she should do but fighting superior weight and strength became a futile, energy sapping struggle. Gareth pinned her down and forced something soft into her mouth, pressing it in until her cheeks bulged and Anna thought she’d choke. She thrashed her head from side to side, trying to expel the gag but couldn’t. Gareth knelt on her thighs, pressed his hands onto her shoulders and lay on top of her. She felt his erection wedged between their bodies. Anna dragged air through her nose, her heart pounding, adrenaline rushing around her body. “Listen to me, you bitch,” Gareth said in a quiet voice. “Do as I say and I won’t hurt Beth.” Anna made a useless attempt to scream. Panic surged inside her as she fought to pull air into her lungs. “You want me to dump Beth and get out of her life?” he asked. Anna stopped struggling and stared at him. Gareth smiled. “Well, unless you cooperate, I’m going to fucking marry her and make her life hell.” Anna’s head swirled as she tried to get her mind around what was happening. One question kept shooting to the surface—what sort of cooperation? What did he want her to do? Only she already knew the answer. “See how easy it is, Anna? I could take you right now,” he whispered and rotated his hips against hers, rubbing his cock against her belly. Not without a fight. In the little part of her brain that wasn’t frozen in terror, Anna wondered if something good could come out of this because when she went to the police to tell them he’d raped her there would be no question then of what sort of guy he was. She’d scratch, kick, bite, gouge and fucking kill him. “But I’m not going to,” Gareth whispered. “You’re going to come to me and beg me to fuck you. You’re going to ask me to stick my thick cock in your pussy and shaft you

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until you scream. And when you’ve done that, when you’ve begged me, then I’ll leave you and Beth alone.” Anna’s head felt wrong. Lack of oxygen? She couldn’t think straight, only feel his weight pressing her down, crushing her lungs. Gareth dropped his head and licked around her throat. “But then again, maybe I won’t leave you alone,” he added and she started to shake. “Did you really think you could win this game, Anna? I’ve only just started.” He jumped away from her and strode out of the room. Anna dragged the gag from her mouth and gulped air into a dry throat. He’d used a pair of her panties. Anna rubbed her jaw and neck, then leapt up and shouldered the chest of drawers back in front of the door. He’d pushed it away and she hadn’t even heard him. Anna slumped on the floor. Christ. He’s crazy. He’s fucking crazy. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to rock. What the hell was she going to do? She couldn’t let Beth marry this guy. He’d assaulted her, so she could report him to the police but where was the evidence? A few bruises and spit-smeared panties. They’d laugh her out of the station. No one ever heard what he said to her. But…but what if she borrowed one of the voice recorders from work and taped him threatening her? Anna began to calm down. That was a good idea, a sound plan and she should have come up with it before. She would not let this bastard beat her.

***** Anna left the apartment before Beth got up. She had no idea whether Gareth was still there and she didn’t care. Fuck it, yes, she did care. That night, she’d tell Beth to leave. Surely she had a friend she could stay with. Anna imagined their mother’s response to that. “You can’t even offer your sister a bed for a few days?” What—and her kitchen table? Maybe Anna was the one who should find a friend to stay with, only why the hell should she have to move out of her own place? Then Anna thought of Gareth and changed her mind. She went for breakfast in a little café and phoned her friends. Anna reckoned if she bothered them while they were getting ready for work, they might not have time to think up an excuse. Wrong. Three different reasons but understandable ones. Mira had a sick child. Jenny was in the middle of decorating. Alice’s spare room was already occupied. Anna had to admit, she looked pretty pathetic not wanting to stay in the same apartment as her sister. She knew it only confirmed the views of her friends that she was jealous about Gareth. She was so close to confessing that she was scared of him but what would be the point? Pen had been Anna’s best hope but she had her brother staying with her. Now as she stepped into the office, Sabine was her last chance.

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“No, I’m sorry but I’ve no room. One bedroom and the couch is too short for you to sleep on.” Depression settled over Anna like a thick fog. “Okay, never mind. It was just a thought.” The Viper walked in and glared at them. “Good morning.” “Good morning,” Sabine and Anna chorused. Was Anna desperate enough to ask her boss? Not quite, but nearly. She did, however, help herself to one of the recorders and slipped it in her purse. There was a whole shelf of them. She’d have it back before it was missed. Midmorning, when the Viper made her scheduled visit to the bathroom, 10:30 on the dot, Anna checked to see if she’d had any emails from the introduction agency. No, but there were four from Beth, one from Gareth—who the fuck had told him her email address?—and one from her mother. Anna winced and clicked on the earliest. From: [email protected] How could you? I’ll never forgive you for this. Anna wondered what she’d done now. From: [email protected] Ring your sister at once. I’m very disappointed in you, Anna. You’ll have to pay for the damage. Oh God, what damage? From: [email protected] You’re such a cow. Why can’t you feel happy for me? Because he’s a prick and you’re an idiot, Anna thought. From: [email protected] Forget about being my maid of honor. Finally some good news. But Anna could feel the pulse throbbing in her neck, hear the echoing thump in her head. Her finger hovered over Gareth’s email, wanting to delete without reading it and at the same time frantic to know what the hell was going on. From: [email protected] I forgive you. 90

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Anna narrowed her eyes but she was no wiser. From: [email protected] Gareth says I mustn’t blame you but I’m really upset. It was such a horrible thing to do. Anna was beginning to wish she’d done it, whatever it was. Until the police arrived and arrested her.

***** Jax didn’t get the call from Will until after lunch. Jax’s hand had been shaking as he’d written down what Will said. Anna was a translator at Superior Language Solutions. A Greek translator. Bloody hell. SLS wasn’t far from Jax’s office. He could go over there, ask to speak to her. Hold on. Too fast. He didn’t want to freak her out. He’d call her, tell her he wasn’t married, didn’t have kids and would she like to go out for a meal. That sounded much better. His heart danced the tarantella as he made the call. Great plan but she wasn’t at work.

***** By the time Anna left the police station late that afternoon, accompanied by her father, she was numb with shock. She’d been charged with defacing Gareth’s silver Porsche. LYING PIECE OF SCUM had been scratched in large letters down the side and over the hood. Anna’s heart had thudded so loud when she saw the photograph she thought the policemen interviewing her must have been able to hear it. Lying piece of scum were the words she’d yelled at Gareth in the bar in front of several witnesses. Anna couldn’t deny that she’d said them. His car had been parked down the road from her apartment. When he and Beth had left that morning, they’d discovered the damage. Anna had no way of proving she hadn’t snuck out in the middle of the night or even done that to his car before they were up. She had opportunity. Plus motive—jealousy over her ex getting together with her sister. And means—a knife had been found under the vehicle and guess what? It came from her kitchen. There were flecks of car paint on it and no doubt her fingerprints, since it was her bloody knife. Anna wished she’d used it on his throat. At that point, Anna had asked to speak to a lawyer and an hour later told an incredulous guy the whole sorry story right from the beginning. She felt as though she was trapped in a maze where Gareth had blocked off every exit. He was outthinking her on every turn. When her father arrived, he’d been so furious, he could barely speak. His face remained a vivid puce the entire journey back. No matter how many times she denied having done it, it made no difference. Anna was so hurt she stopped talking to him. He’d driven her back to her apartment and dumped her on the doorstep.

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Anna wanted to call Gareth and yell at him but instead she bolted the door from the inside, gathered all her pots and pans and put them in front of it, so she’d hear if the door was forced open. She unplugged her telephone and checked that her mobile was off. If Beth thought she was staying there tonight, she could fucking forget it. Sleep an impossibility, Anna poured herself a large glass of wine, ran a bath, emptied the remaining half bottle of Beth’s expensive pineapple gel under the flow, and after locking the door, she stripped off. Anna forced back the surge of anger that she couldn’t even feel safe in her own home. She checked the temperature with her foot and then sat in the water. The feeling of being engulfed in warmth soothed her. One long drink of wine and Anna sighed. She wished she didn’t feel so lonely. It was bloody hard not to feel sorry for herself when it seemed like everyone was against her. Jax hadn’t been. Only he didn’t count. Anna slid her shoulders down the back of the tub until she was up to her neck in bubbles, her knees curled to the side. Jax. She puffed a hole in the foam. Were all guys the same, out for one thing? A quick roll in the hay? A fast shag? A zipless fuck? Because in the end, wasn’t that the issue with Gareth? Anna couldn’t think what else it could be. His ego hadn’t been able to take her rejection. He thought he was so godlike she’d fall at his feet. She hadn’t and because she hadn’t he was out for revenge. Eyes closed, Anna forced Gareth from her mind. Even lying Jax was better than him. A lot better. Her mind waltzed off into another world where he wasn’t married, didn’t have kids. “I want to fuck you, little kitten.” The words came from Anna but it was Jax’s voice she heard. The familiar tightening between her legs sent her deeper in the water so it lapped at her mouth. Anna’s hands slid over her hips to her pussy. She used the thumb and first finger of one hand to rub her clit and a finger of her other hand to press inside her in short pulses. For a moment, it felt wrong, a mere mechanical action she had no heart for but she pictured Jax in her head, his cheeky grin, his soft kisses, his slick cock and everything fell away. Thoughts of the mess she was in sank below the surface as the tension seeped out of her. No longer Anna’s hands playing with her little hard-on but Jax’s fingers rubbing her, plunging inside her. Anna moaned as tremors of sensation rippled through her limbs. She rolled over, came up on her knees and grabbed a face cloth. Resting her forehead on the end of the tub, she dragged the rough, wet material backward and forward between her legs. “Like that, kitten?” Yeah, she liked that. She was starting a fire, sparks shooting from the point of friction, heat spreading through her belly. Anna pulled the face cloth harder, tight against her clit and into the cleft of her backside. She could feel her increased heartbeat, hear her ragged breathing as she played herself toward release. Not yet. She dropped the cloth and turned on the taps, adjusted the temperature and raised her legs out of the water, stretching them up the wall at the head of the bath.

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Anna leaned back on her elbows and maneuvered her backside forward until the trickle of water caught her clit. Carefully. Too much pressure was dangerous. She wasn’t trying to flood her body but the relentless vibration from the falling water sent shudders of pleasure coursing through her. No need for her fingers now. Anna let her arms drop to the side of her body and lay with her head under the foam and water. Come or drown. Maybe both. Anna let herself ride the wave to shore. Little contractions building to the big one that would throw her onto the sand. She almost didn’t want it to happen, thought about fighting it but the orgasm burst out of her, its grip too powerful to resist. Anna jolted up from the water, gasped for air and then slumped against the side and wallowed in the warmth inside and out. She awoke with a start and screamed. The water was almost over the rim of the tub. Anna twisted the tap and yanked out the plug. Fuck, that had been close. She didn’t want to send the woman in the flat downstairs off to stay with her sister—not if she was going out with a guy like Gareth. And just like that Anna’s mood plummeted down an elevator shaft. It was no use hiding. She had to do something. Anna stood up, grabbed a towel and began to rub herself dry. She had the voice recorder. Means. She had the motive. Revenge. She needed to engineer opportunity. It was a matter of tricking Gareth into revealing what he’d done and then playing it back to the police. They hadn’t believed anyone would be crazy enough to deface his own Porsche and Anna intended to show them they were wrong.

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Chapter Thirteen When Jax reached the underground station, so many people were reading the free Metro newspaper and laughing, that he picked up a copy to see what was so amusing. The front page had a color photograph of a silver Porsche. Scratched down the side in large letters were the words—LYING PIECE OF SCUM. Sort of hilarious but not funny at all at the same time. Jax stepped onto the down escalator. Whoever was responsible hadn’t been able to fit all the words on one side so they’d gone up and over the hood. It was a real mess. Jax winced at the thought of his car being damaged in that way. He scanned the article beneath. “Ex-girlfriend Anna Shelton…who’d…” What? Oh, Christ. Jax’s grip on the paper tightened and he kept reading. He tripped over the end of the escalator and almost fell. Shit. Gareth. Anna. It had to be her. What the hell had she done? Fucking hell. Jax thought of his BMW and stopped walking. A woman banged into his back. She glared at him and Jax apologized. He made sure he got into a different carriage on the tube. He’d attracted enough crazy women to last him a lifetime. Thank Christ he’d not been able to get in touch with her yesterday. Thank Christ she didn’t know where he lived. Oh God, she thought he lived at his sister’s house. What might she do to that? Fuck. He wished he’d never met her. He wished— Only that wasn’t true. Jax didn’t wish he hadn’t met her. What the hell was happening? How fast had he jumped to the conclusion that she was responsible? Because the newspaper said it, didn’t make it so. If he believed everything he read in the paper, he’d think babies were eaten by bats and Elvis lived in Warrington. Anna had told him the guy was a bastard. She’d described the lengths he’d gone to. But would any guy do that to his own car? Jax thought about his BMW. No way. He wouldn’t, but then he wasn’t a bastard. Well, not that much of one. Jax looked up as the carriage stopped at the next station. Fuck, he’d passed his stop.

***** When Anna saw the front page of the Metro newspaper she thought she was going to throw up. She read what it said, read it again to make sure she hadn’t missed some salient fact and instead missed her stop on the tube. How had the press found out? Gareth must have told them. Just when she thought it was all going to go away, the fuckwit had reared up and slapped her in the face. First thing this morning, she’d had a call from the police to say that Gareth had asked that any charges against her were dropped. Apparently it wasn’t as simple as

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that. It was up to the criminal prosecution service to decide whether to pursue the case. A tiny bit of Anna wanted her day in court but she knew it would never get that far. Without Gareth pushing, there would be little point continuing. But the damage had been done. A few yards away from the building where she worked, her mobile vibrated in her pocket. Anna had already decided against answering any number she didn’t recognize, suspecting vultures from the national press might want her story. It was the sort of lurid thing they’d like. Keeping quiet was the only way to retain a semblance of dignity. Except all her friends would know. Everyone at work would know. Christ. But it was the introduction agency on the line. She’d forgotten about them. “I think you’ll guess why I’m calling,” Janine said, her voice too sharp for good news. Anna hadn’t the heart to ask if they’d set her up with George Clooney, but she would not make this easy. “No,” she said. “The gentlemen I contacted yesterday to provide with your details have called to say they are no longer interested in meeting you. I don’t feel any of our clients will be suitable.” Anna counted to five before she spoke. “I understand. I’ll expect my credit card to be refunded today.” “Minus our costs.” Janine cut the connection before Anna could. Almost immediately there was another call. Anna leaned against the railings outside her office building and put the phone back to her ear. “What?” Anna asked Beth. “I’ve had a call from Gareth to say that he’s told the police he doesn’t want you to be prosecuted. You don’t deserve his charity.” Anna chewed the inside of her cheeks. “I don’t understand why you’re behaving like this. We used to get on, didn’t we? Why don’t you want me to be happy?” “I do,” Anna whispered. “Well, I suppose if he can forgive you, so can I.” Anna didn’t say anything. She could almost hear Beth seething because Anna hadn’t thanked her. “We still want you to come to our party at Drifters on Saturday.” Oh shit. Yet another problem. Anna took a big gulp of air. “Beth, please listen to me. I didn’t touch Gareth’s car. For some reason that is completely beyond my comprehension, he’s got it in for me. He scratched it himself. Beth, he’s using you. Please don’t trust him. The night before last, he—” Beth cut her off. Anna didn’t think she’d ever felt so miserable. Once she reached her office, the Viper sent her straight to the managing director. Anna had a feeling that 95

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she was soon going to be feeling worse. She wasn’t a quitter but fleeing to the continent sounded a good plan. Anna defended herself to the MD but he didn’t believe her. Any more problems with the law and they’d have to let her go. Yadda-yadda. The guy happened to drive a Porsche. The misery kept piling on. Back at her desk, Anna’s concentration was shot. She translated a letter about missing marble countertops and when she read it through saw she’d written that the transport company had lost its marbles. The Viper would not have found that amusing. Sabine would but she was currently pretending Anna wasn’t in the room.

***** Will sat with his feet propped on his desk, a coffee in one hand, a copy of the Metro in the other and his mouth open. “Glad you’ve not got a Porsche, DI Thorne?” his boss said. “Or a jealous lover, come to that?” Will whipped his feet off the desk and spilt coffee on the newspaper. “Yes, sir.” “You’d think these women would have better things to do. She’s lucky the guy wants to drop it. There’s a good case against her. Prints on the knife, strong motive, no alibi. I’d wring every penny out of her. It’ll cost him a fortune to put that right.” “What was her motive?” Will asked. “Jealousy. Her boyfriend dumped her for her sister. The pair are getting married. Hell hath no fury, eh?” The moment the old man moved on, Will picked up his phone. Ten minutes later he put it down again. He happened to know a guy in the station that had dealt with the crime. Gareth Kniveton had turned up on Wednesday morning vociferously demanding that Anna Shelton be arrested, thrown into jail and the key chucked away. He’d complained that she’d harassed him ever since he’d broken up with her. Despite the evidence against her, Anna had, in a quiet and persistent voice, protested her innocence. Will’s friend said she didn’t come over like a crazy stalker but then who knew with women? This morning, Kniveton had been just as vociferous in demanding the police drop the whole thing. Was Will’s mate suspicious? Sort of. Was Will suspicious? Without a doubt. He called Jax. “Got a minute?” Will asked. “For you, seventeen seconds.” “Funny guy. I take you’ve—” “Yes.” The two spoke the same words at the same time. “She didn’t do it.” “Fuck,” Will muttered.

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“Have the charges been dropped?” Jax asked. “Not formally, though it’s likely they will be. Insurance company might have a go at her.” “I’m sure she didn’t do it, Will. She told me what this guy was like. He’s set her up.” “Yep.” There was a long silence. “Go and see her,” Will said. “Either where she works or where she lives. She…she needs a friend.” “I want to be more than that.” Will took a deep breath to steady his voice. “I know.” He put the phone down.

***** Jax picked up his phone a dozen times to call Anna and never did. He needed to see her because he didn’t want to risk her slamming the phone down. Jax was bewildered by his indecisiveness. Work was a disaster. He couldn’t concentrate. He had to doublecheck everything he did. Anna interrupted everything. Thoughts of her body, of running his hands over her breasts, of sinking his dick inside her pink folds to make her clench around him filled his head. He’d fuck her over and over until she forgot all this mess, only remembered him. When Jax found himself wanking off in the Gents, he was almost scared. What the hell was the matter with him? Anna had probably not even given him another thought. He was behaving like a teenager, only that was how she’d made him feel—young again. In the end, he dialed her office to check she was still at work and then went straight there to take up a position on the street outside. He’d left work early for the first time in years, clutching flowers, and a few eyebrows had been raised. When Anna came out he nearly missed her. She wore a gray skirt suit, pink shirt and scuttled onto the street with her head down. She lifted it once to glance along the road and the next moment five male photographers were on her, swirling around her, waving their cameras in her face. She jolted back toward the traffic and in one heartstopping moment, Jax thought she’d be hit by a car. As he started toward her she began to run in the opposite direction. “Shit,” Jax hissed, knowing she was going to make things worse. He followed the hounds. Anna couldn’t run any further. Her feet were killing her. Her lungs ached. She wondered why she’d started to run in the first place, why she hadn’t faced them. They had their pictures anyway. They knew her name. Probably knew what toilet paper she bought and who bullied her in high school. She took a deep breath and turned round.

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“Anna, this way.” “Why did you do it?” “Give us a smile.” “What’s going to happen now?” “Any chance of you getting back together?” Then she saw him, standing at the back, a bunch of flowers in his hand, smiling at her. Even though she tried to slap her heart down, it still leapt. She didn’t want to hope, but it choked her throat. Married. With kids. Flowers for his wife—said a little voice in her head but he was walking toward her and Anna stood there, waiting to be saved or destroyed. “You’ve got your pictures. Leave her alone,” Jax said. “Fuck off,” one of the photographers said. “You fuck off. You’re harassing her.” Jax took out his phone. “I’m going to call the police.” The press disappeared like mist, blending into the city commuters who’d stopped to watch until finally only Jax remained. “I’m not a lying piece of scum,” he said. “I’m not married. I don’t have kids. That was my sister’s home. They’re away in the States and I’m looking after the house for them.” Anna released a long sigh, an expiration of every negative thought she’d had about him. She took a deep breath and drew in the sight of Jax, recalled every detail of what they’d done. He took a step toward her. “But don’t ever think about defacing my car.” “I didn’t—” “I know.” He smiled and held out the flowers. “For me?” “No, for the good-looking bird behind you.” Anna began to turn and then she was in his arms and he was kissing her. Soft lips pressed against hers, his tongue teasing its way into her mouth. It vaguely registered that he was no longer holding the flowers and then Anna stopping thinking and only felt. Jax’s arms keeping her safe, his strong hands sweeping down her back, his sweet kiss, his body firm under her touch, his cock rigid between them. One hand at her back, sliding underneath her jacket, under her jacket and shirt, onto her skin, burning a fiery path. One flick. Bra unclipped and Jax sighed into her mouth. His fingers inched round, feathered beneath her breast and crept up to touch her nipple. One arm to keep her close as he played with her, made her head swim with lust until she was so far out to sea Anna lost sight of the beach. “Get a room.”

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The jeer brought them back. Jax pulled away from her mouth with a gasp and held the sides of her head with his hands. “I forgot where we were. You made me forget where we were. We’ll get arrested,” he whispered. Anna rolled her hand over his erection. “No, you’ll get arrested.” He laughed. She bent down, picked up the flowers and handed them to him. “Camouflage,” she said. “Come home with me.” They spoke at the same time and laughed. “Please,” Anna said and held out her hand.

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Chapter Fourteen Jax clutched Anna’s hand. The simple pleasure in feeling her fingers entwined with his kept his cock growling but safely hidden behind the mix of pink carnations and cream roses. He’d never look at flowers in the same way again. “Where do you live?” she asked. “Cinnabar Wharf.” Jax’s mind switched onto a different path. He thought of Will, the state of the bedroom and the impossibility of doing what he’d intended which was dragging Anna straight in there and showing her how thrilled he was to have her back in his life. “I share with a guy called Will,” Jax said. “He’s a detective in the Metropolitan Police. I better ring and warn him to put the lid down on the toilet.” Anna laughed. “Maybe we better go for something to eat first. I have a feeling we might starve otherwise,” Jax said, wondering if that would give Will enough time to clean up. “Okay.” “There’s a little Italian place around the corner from the apartment. You’re not vegetarian or anything, are you?” “Orthodox vegan and highly allergic to salad.” Jax chuckled and squeezed her fingers. His cock was still protesting but he would not rush this. She deserved more than a race into bed. The fact that he needed to ring Will and ask him to—oh God—move their stuff. Jax’s heart pounded behind his ribs. What the hell would Will think? Jax needed to tell her about him and Will but he’d only just found her. He couldn’t tell her everything yet. With Anna settled at a table in the corner, Jax slipped to the bathroom. Will answered on the first ring. “Hi, what’s up?” Will said. “I’m at Gino’s with Anna.” Jax didn’t miss the slight hesitation before Will spoke. “That’s great.” “I need you to do me a favor,” Jax said. “Are you home?” “I could go out.” Will’s voice was flat. “Christ, I don’t need you to go out, mate,” Jax said. “She didn’t freak when I told her you’re a copper.” “Ha-ha. So what do you want?” Now Jax hesitated.

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Will sighed. “You want me to put my clothes back on, take the cock ring off and get out of your bed?” “Something like that,” Jax mumbled. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.” Will broke the connection. Jax wondered why he’d even made the call. He could have gone back to Anna’s place. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Will, but Jesus, the sheets, the lube, the restraints, all the toys and paraphernalia—he didn’t want to frighten her off. “I’d like a four cheese pizza,” Anna said when he sat down. “And to drink?” Anna hesitated. “White or red or something soft?” Jax asked. She looked at him and her lips curled. Jax sighed. “I can’t help it. I could hardly take the flowers to the bathroom.” He narrowed his eyes. “You could help me out though.” “Soon, if you’re good. Red, please.” The waiter dispatched, Jax edged his chair closer to Anna and put his arm around her shoulder. “How’s your backside?” “All better.” “Good, so while my brain is still functioning tell me what the hell’s been happening since you slipped out of my bed without giving me a goodbye kiss?” “In one breath,” Anna said and drew in a deep one. “Gareth and Beth now engaged. Beth’s place flooded. She moved in with me. Gareth says I have to beg him to fuck me or he’ll make Beth’s life hell. To prove he’s serious, he damaged his car and told the police it was me.” “Nothing out of the ordinary then?” That teased a smile out of her. Jax twisted his fingers in her hair. “I didn’t say Gareth could stay with Beth at my place but I suppose I should have known that would happen. He scared me. He came into my bedroom and I thought he…” Jax grabbed her fingers. “Into your bedroom? Did he hurt you?” Anna shook her head. “Not really. I told you he wants me to beg for sex. It’s not going to happen.” Jax bristled with anger. What the fuck did this guy think he was doing? “I know this is going to sound paranoid but I’m sure Gareth engineered Beth’s flood. I think he broke into the apartment of the guy above and left his bath taps running. I had to let Beth stay with me. After the business with the car they left me alone last night, but…can I stay with you tonight? Maybe a few days?” 101

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Jax bent his head and kissed her. “’Course you can.” Jax called Will’s name as he opened the door of the apartment. No answer. “Wow, this place is huge,” Anna said. “Three bedrooms on this level, living area on the next and a roof terrace above that. I’ll show you around.” Jax still clasped her hand in his. He wanted to start with the bedroom, yet didn’t. What if Will…? Play safe, he told himself. “The roof.” Jax pulled her to the stairs. He was only half listening to Anna’s comments. There was no sign of Will on the next level but the place was spotless. Champagne sat in a bucket of ice in the kitchen. Lights dim. Soft music playing. Jax sucked in his cheeks. A genuine attempt by Will to show he was okay with this or a stab at making Jax feel guilty? He poured out two glasses of fizz and handed one to Anna. “I can’t believe two guys live here,” she said. “It’s so tidy. Do you have a cleaner or something?” “Or something. Come and look at the roof.” He led her up the stairs and Anna gasped when she stepped out onto the terrace. “A view and a hot tub?” she said. “And you.” Jax kissed her neck. “Kitten, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep from tearing off your clothes. My dick is unimpressed by my control. I suspect my balls are about to drop off in frustration. My heart is hammering in my throat and I can’t remember the last time I felt like this about fucking a woman. And I do want to fuck you, kitten. I want my cock in your hot cunt and your cute little ass.” Anna whimpered. Jax turned her round to face the Thames and pulled her back against his chest. “Do you like it when I talk dirty?” he whispered in her ear. “Were you talking? Sorry, I wasn’t listening.” Jax laughed. “I’m not sure which bit of you I want to taste first. Your cute ears, your silky neck, those perky nipples or your pussy. I plan to see how many ways I can make you come and how loud I can make you scream. You’ve been in my fantasies since I saw your leg hanging over that fence, but I want to make them reality. I wonder how brave you are.” “I once complained when my steak was overcooked.” Jax grinned into her hair. “Stop trying to distract me. I’m thinking of black leather and tight belts and hard sex and…” “And what?” “Later,” he murmured. His hand moved over her breast and squeezed. Anna let out a shuddering breath.

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“I love your breasts,” Jax whispered. “My dick loves your breasts. It wants to make a bed between them, rub along that soft valley then explode against your throat. I want my cum all over you, your cream all over me. Oh fuck, you have to go on the Pill. I don’t want to use rubbers. I want to feel you around my dick.” She trembled against him. “What are you thinking?” he asked. “You have to stop talking to me.” Jax laughed. “Can I trust you?” she asked. Jax buried his face into her neck. Trust him? In what way? But he could only give one answer. “Yes.” “I’m on the Pill.” He sagged against her. “Stop talking to me.” “Are you safe, Jax?” Not really but he was in the way she was asking. “I’m clean, yes.” Anna squirmed around to face him. “Enough talking altogether.” Then she kissed him. No gentle brush of her lips against his but a forceful kiss that hit Jax like a train. She fucked his mouth with her tongue. His desire for her shot from intense to absolute. Was it the combination of angel and devil, her sweet innocence yet wicked mind? Jax groaned into her mouth. She was going to drive him mad. Anna had one eye on the hot tub but Jax propelled her down two flights of stairs to the first level. “Which is the bathroom?” Anna asked. “I don’t want to make any mistakes, just in case you have a closet full of women’s heads.” Jax stroked his chin. “Is my blue beard showing?” Anna ran her thumb over his stubble. “Yes and it’s very sexy but I don’t want to be scratched. My face is red enough at work as it is.” “I’ll have a quick shave. Each bedroom has its own bathroom.” He pushed open a door, glanced inside and pulled her in. Anna wondered if she’d imagined it, but she thought she heard a small sigh of relief. She had to stop herself continually sighing in relief. Jax wasn’t married. He’d found her. Saved her from a pack of dogs. She smiled. Only how had he found her? The newspaper hadn’t said where she worked. The smile faded. “Wait there. Pretend you’re a statue,” he said. Anna walked over to the window. Another great view across the river. To the left she could see the green laser light shining into the sky from Greenwich Observatory. She wondered if Beth and Gareth were in her apartment, if they cared where she was.

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Jax’s bedroom was double the size of Anna’s living space. A huge bed covered by a blue duvet. Fitted wardrobes with mirrored doors. Pale wood cabinets and drawers. A large, flat-screen TV pinned to the wall. “I bet you were useless at drama when you were at school,” Jax said behind her. “Did you run all over the place when they said pretend to be a tree?” “I’m not good at keeping still.” “Neither am I.” He lifted her hand to his face and let her feel his shaved chin. “Thank you.” “I think I’d like a slow striptease,” Jax said and dropped back on the bed, tucking his hands behind his head. Anna reached for his foot. “Hey, not me.” “I can strip you slowly.” She levered off his shoe, then carefully peeled his sock over his ankle, pulled it along his foot and whipped it off his toes. When she massaged his foot, Jax groaned. Anna rubbed and twisted every toe, used her thumbs to press under his arch and then slid her hands inside his pants either side of his calf and kneaded the muscles. “Oh Christ. What are you doing?” “A slow, teasing strip.” Anna repeated the action with the other foot and while his eyes were closed, she slipped off her shoes and jacket. “No touching,” she said as she leaned over to unbutton his white shirt. Anna slid her fingers onto his chest, exciting his skin with a feathery caress before moving down. When his shirt was open she tugged it from his pants, then bent to lick one brown nipple, drawing it between her teeth, sucking gently before flicking her tongue over the hard nub. Jax’s hand touched her hip. “Hey, what did I tell you?” she said. “If I’m bad, do I get punished?” Anna looked into his eyes. Jax was someone who pushed the boundaries. Would she push with him or be pushed? “What would you rather have?” Anna asked. “Reward or punishment?” She had no idea what she was talking about but since Jax had fought off those photographers, her excitement had wound like a spring. She was a child again on Christmas Eve, knowing and yet not knowing what was to come. One look at Jax turned her lust on full power. Not just his looks, it was him. He might be dangerous but something told her she could trust him. “Your choice,” he said, his voice hoarse. Anna shook her head. Oh God, if he touched her now, she’d unravel. She could feel the wetness in her panties. One touch would send her soaring. Her clit was buzzing, her

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heart hammering. Almost a surprise that she remembered how to breathe. What would he say? What the hell was she going to do? The reward or punishment could be the same. He’d never know. “Punishment,” he whispered and Anna could have sworn his eyes darkened. She bent a little closer to his head. “What are you looking for?” Jax asked. “Fangs.” He laughed and sat up as she tugged off his shirt. “You think I’m a vampire?” “Werewolf.” Anna removed her skirt and laid it over the back of a chair. Then her shirt. She would have to wear the same clothes again tomorrow. The less creases the better. She turned back to face Jax in her pale blue satin bra and matching boy pants, both items edged with black lace. “Oh Christ.” Jax huffed. “No touching, remember.” Anna put her knees either side of his and fumbled with the button on his pants. “Breathe in. I can’t get it open, you’re so fat.” Jax growled. “You know damn well that’s not what’s wrong. There’s a present for you in there. I’ve been keeping it safe.” Anna pushed the button free and eased down the zipper. Jax’s sigh of relief when she had it all the way down made her chuckle. His dick stuck out at an angle, tenting black knit boxers. “Ohh, one of the lesser Egyptian pyramids,” Anna said. “Anna!” Then she mouthed his cock, exhaled warm air along its length through his shorts and shut him up. She tasted salty pre-cum at the wet patch and sucked the material, pulling at the head of his dick until his hips rose off the bed. His hands grasped her waist and Anna moved back. “Naughty boy. I said no touching.” Jax let his hands drop to the bed. “Punish me. I can take it.” “Do you have any pliers?” “No.” “Oh that was too fast, Jax. You’re lying.” Anna was enjoying herself. He wasn’t quite sure if she was teasing and the change in demeanor from a highly confident guy to one who was nervous yet willing to let her take charge set lights blazing all over her body. She pulled off his trousers and folded them neatly before laying them over the back of a chair. “How about a whip?” she asked.

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“I think there might be one in the closet.” Anna gasped and he sniggered. She was almost tempted to look. “So what’s my punishment?” he asked. “What’s the worst thing you can think of?” Anna slid her hands into his shorts and eased them over his cock and down his thighs. “Pliers.” “Apart from pliers.” “Being paddled on my backside.” Anna smiled. “I’m not falling for that. I’ve thought of something you really won’t like.” He looked so worried Anna had to bite her lips to keep the laugh in. “No sex. We’re going to sleep next to each other and not touch,” she said. Jax gave a loud growl and the bead of pre-cum gathering at the tip of his rosyheaded cock dripped onto his belly. “No, no, no, no,” he grumbled and pushed himself up on his elbows to glare at her. “Game’s over. You want to be top or bottom? That’s as much choice as you get.” “Top.” Anna unclipped her bra, slipped off her panties and crawled up Jax’s body, dropping kisses along his shins, teasing the hairs on the inside of his thighs with her lips until he squirmed and caught her head. His balls were full and heavy, the wrinkled skin stretched tight. Anna trailed her finger around them, laughed when they drew up and separated. Jax’s hips lifted off the bed. He tugged her so she slid up his body and he could kiss her. One hand held her chin, the other dropped between her legs. One stroke of his thumb near her clit and Anna came, blind for a moment, spirals of electric pulses curling over her skin, matching the contractions of her pussy. Jax pressed his lips harder against hers and swallowed her orgasm as she gasped over and over into his mouth. Anna was cuter than a kitten, Jax thought as she quivered against him. She came apart like meringue, all soft and sweet. His balls ached so much he wasn’t sure they’d ever forgive him the perpetual dance between pain and pleasure, but desperate as he was, there were a couple of things he wanted to do before he fucked her. Jax gave her a gentle shove onto her back. Her nipples were hard, jutting out for his mouth to suck, lick, nip. No one could have resisted. He growled deep in his throat and latched on. Only when he’d satisfied himself that he’d driven her into a state of desperate frustration did he slide lower. Anna smelled of sex, of lust and passion, and Jax’s pulse jumped as he pressed his face against her folds and licked. Her tangy cream coated his tongue and made his mouth water. His cock gave a warning spurt telling him the sand was almost through the timer. Jax used his shoulders to elbow her thighs apart and pushed aside her 106

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swollen folds with his lips so he could latch onto her clit with his teeth. She bucked as he nipped her, her fingers threaded in his hair, but she didn’t push him away. As Jax played with the tiny nub, he reached up to wrap his hands around her breasts, twirling her nipples between his finger and thumb. He set up a rhythm, one hard contact after another, from breast to clit to breast, getting faster until Anna writhed beneath him, gasping his name, and Jax knew if he didn’t get inside her in the next few seconds, he’d come all over the sheets. In one fluid movement, he slid under her, positioned her over his raging cock and let her push down. The pleasure indescribable, the sensation of coming home, of feeling warm and right made stars explode in his head. Jax lay back and let her ride him to oblivion. The fact that he was coming fast seemed unimportant if he carried her with him and Anna’s quick, shallow breathing told him she was close. His hips lifted—Jax couldn’t help himself—and he drove his cock up into her soft, silky sheath, let her tighten around him before he pulled back to make the next thrust even harder, more electrifying. They worked together, their movements perfectly matched, and Jax stopped holding back. Dimly aware of Anna’s scream, a strangled cry erupted from his throat. White fire shot to his groin and he filled her with a boiling river of his cum, spurt after spurt as she spasmed around him, milking his cock. She fell to his chest and Jax wrapped her in his arms, a satiated heap of loose muscle. Not a kitten but a tiger.

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Chapter Fifteen Will lay on his back in his bedroom that he rarely used, on his bed that he never used and listened to Jax fucking Anna. He’d never realized how thin the walls were, but then there had never been anything happening in another bedroom before. Will had shifted all his stuff out of their—Jax’s room, and tidied the whole apartment. Will couldn’t help but wonder if the next time he moved his things it would be to where they had come from or out of the apartment. He should have come out and introduced himself when Jax and Anna had arrived but Will hadn’t been sure that he could be civil. It had crossed his mind to go out, pick up a woman of his own and bring her back only he didn’t want to. He wished Jax would come and fetch him, wished all three of them— Will swung his legs off the bed and got to his feet. No woman to share, none of his own, there was only one way to get rid of his hard-on. Stripping off in the bathroom, Will turned the shower to cold. That should work. One hand under the freezing flow and he changed his mind, switched the lever to hot. There was another way to get rid of the problem, the fact that he hadn’t done this on his own in the shower for over a year irrelevant tonight. Will had his hand stroking his cock before his hair was wet. Forehead against the tiles, eyes closed, a handful of conditioner and a thick, responsive cock. Will’s mind was full of Jax but with the additional image of a soft body between them, rolling curves and soft breasts, silky skin and gentle hands. Will’s fingers tightened and he moved his fist faster.

***** With his long, brown lashes resting on his cheeks and his face relaxed in sleep, Anna thought Jax looked years younger. The duvet had been pushed to the bottom of the bed in the heat of the night and they lay side by side facing each other. Jax had one hand around his cock and the other wedged between Anna’s legs. His even breathing assured her he was asleep but when she tried to move, his hand burrowed deeper and he groaned. Anna sniggered. Flickers of excitement raced through her when she looked at him. His tanned, muscular chest and long, powerful legs were perfect. His messy hair perfect. His dark eyes perfect. Anna tried to think if there was any part of him she didn’t like. No. There had to be faults but she hoped they were forgivable. Anna had the feeling that Jax was about as dominant an alpha as a guy could be without roaring and beating his chest, but last night he’d held himself back, not pushed. She wondered if that had anything to do with what she’d almost blabbed about Gareth. Maybe Jax realized it was a bad time to take control. Anna didn’t mind being looked after but she didn’t need it. Still, she liked that Jax wanted to. 108

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She had a more physical need. The requirement to use the bathroom became too strong to ignore and she managed to ease out of bed without disturbing him. Anna slipped on Jax’s white shirt and fastened the buttons. It hung low enough over her butt to forget panties which was just as well because the ones she’d rinsed in the middle of the night were still wet. Her primary need taken care of, Anna was desperate for a cup of tea and figured she could make one for both of them. Upstairs, light flooded through the windows. Another gray London day but Anna thought how great it was that the apartment wasn’t overlooked, unless someone had a telescope on the other side of the river. She turned, flipped up the shirt and mooned the window. Giggling, she walked into the kitchen area, all smooth, burnished steel and shiny marble, and rummaged through the cupboards until she found mugs and tea bags. Anna took out the sugar and hesitated. “No, he doesn’t.” Anna tightened her grip on the pot and spun around to find herself facing a tall, dark-haired guy. He had the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen and the most unpleasant scowl. The only thing he wore was a pair of gray sleep pants. His chest was all curves and planes with a line of dark hair tapering to— She dragged her gaze up. “So you’re Anna.” “And you’re Will.” She put down the sugar and held out her hand. He hesitated for a moment and then stepped forward. Because of the look on his face Anna expected a perfunctory shake but Will grasped her hand and held it. What she hadn’t expected was the zing that shot down her arm and jabbed at her heart before going to earth between her legs. My God. What the hell was that? They let go at the same time and judging from the expression on Will’s face, she wasn’t the only one who’d felt something. Static electricity? “Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked. “I’ll make it,” Will said. Anna didn’t miss the gruff tone and wondered what she’d done. “I know how he likes it,” Will muttered. “I hope it’s all right if I stay for a while,” she said to his very nice back. Ooh was that a tattoo poking out of his pants? “It’s just until I get my sister out of my apartment.” Anna didn’t imagine the tightening of his shoulders. He didn’t say anything. “I’ll pay toward the food and the rent.” Her voice trailed away. Maybe she should have let Jax bring this up. He turned and thrust two mugs toward her. “No sugar for you, right?” Actually, Anna would have liked one spoonful but didn’t dare say. “Thank you.” She fled downstairs.

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Jax woke when she put the mugs on the bedside table. His eyes opened and he smiled. “My very own maid. I’ll have to get you a uniform.” “Will made it.” Anna didn’t miss the change in Jax. He stiffened. “Did he? Not sure he’d wear the apron.” “He seems nice,” she said, though in truth she wasn’t sure what she thought of him. Good-looking with a crap personality but she didn’t want to make a snap judgment. “He is nice unless you’re a criminal.” Anna laughed. “He’s got a nice body too.” Jax pulled her down by his side. “Better than mine?” “I don’t know. I didn’t see all of it.” “Had he put clothes on? Will usually walks round naked.” Anna felt her face go hot. “Maybe that’s why he didn’t sound very keen on my moving in for a few days.” “He’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him.” Anna snuggled into Jax, ran her hand down the curve of his side and lingered on his hip, drawing patterns on his skin. “I have a favor to ask,” she whispered. Jax pulled her closer so she felt his erection wedged between them. “Beth and Gareth are having an engagement party at Drifters on Saturday night. I said I was bringing a date.” “Who were you going to take?” “I had my eye on a bald, one-legged sheep herder from the 1-4-U introduction agency but he was worried I might scratch his tractor.” “Saturday,” Jax said with a sigh. “Is it a problem? I don’t really want to go. I could pretend to be sick.” “Do we have to stay long?” “Only long enough to show them what a fabulous, handsome, sexy wolf you are.” “Ah, in and out of your petal soft lips, then?” “That’s the idea,” Anna said and rolled on top of him.

***** Will was hurt when he realized Jax was going to leave for work without saying goodbye. He came out of his room when he heard the main door open. “Jax, can I have a word?” Will said. Jax’s eyes flashed between Will and Anna. “Privately.”

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“I’ll see you later. I’m going to be late,” Anna said and slipped away. Will slammed the door behind her. “What the fuck’s wrong?” Jax asked. Will struggled to control himself. The fact that Jax had to ask made him even more incensed. “More like what’s wrong with you.” Jax glared. “Spit it out, Will. What’s got you all bent out of shape? You were okay with this, what’s changed?” “She’s moving in.” “Only for a while. Until she can get her sister out of her apartment.” “Fuck it, Jax. Once you’ve got her here, you won’t let her go.” Will resisted as Jax tried to pull him into his arms. “Come on, Will. It’ll be great, you’ll see. Just turn on your charm. Don’t be such an asshole. It’ll be great to have her here.” Will lurched free and clenched his fists. “Great for who? You didn’t even fucking ask me.” Jax’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t need to ask you. It’s my apartment.” Will thought Jax might as well have stabbed him in the heart. He staggered back against the wall. “Don’t fuck things up,” Jax snapped. Will didn’t bother to hide the hurt that Jax’s words had caused. “So I’m fucking up your life?” Will asked. “Well, I guess that puts me in my place. Sorry I forced my dick down your throat, sorry I made you fuck my ass.” Jax opened the door and then turned back to face him, his eyes as hard and cold as Will had ever seen them. “I’m going out with Anna tomorrow night.” When the door slammed, Will slumped to his haunches. On Saturday he and Jax had been together for a year. They’d planned—oh God, his life was falling apart.

***** Anna didn’t switch on her mobile until she was almost at the office. Ten missed calls from Beth and one from her mother. Twenty others from unrecognized numbers that Anna assumed had something to do with Gareth’s car. Ever hopeful that Beth might have found herself on the road to Damascus and finally seen the light, Anna called her. “Where have you been?” Beth squealed. Anna held the phone away from her ear as Beth ranted. “We’ve been worried sick. We thought you’d done something stupid. Where were you? Why didn’t you come home?”

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Home? Anna bristled. It was her flipping apartment. “I stayed with a friend.” “You could have called and told us. Gareth and I had cooked a meal—with prawns, so we could have a talk and clear the air. We waited and waited.” Anna wondered why the prawns made a difference. She wouldn’t ask and she was not going to apologize. She was not the one in the wrong. “Are you still staying in my apartment?” “Well, yes. Gareth’s out with his mates tonight but he said he might pop by later. What time will you be back?” “I’m not coming back until you two have left.” Anna pressed off. What she’d told Beth wasn’t quite true. After work she was going to go back to pack a few clothes and her toothbrush. Even if staying with Jax was off, she wasn’t going back until she could change the locks.

***** Will knew he had to make things up with Jax. No good expecting the guy to apologize. Will wasn’t sure Jax knew how. He didn’t want to be jealous only how could he not be? Part of him wanted the three of them to climb into bed together and another part of him wanted Anna to disappear. Will made his way to Jax’s room and pushed open the door. Jax stood in front of the mirror, dragging his fingers through his hair. He looked around and gave Will a little smile. It was all the encouragement Will needed. He moved behind Jax and kissed the back of his neck. He knew just the spot to drive him wild, and to make sure he had the response he wanted, Will’s hands slid south. “I can’t, Will,” Jax said. “Anna will be here any minute.” Will made sure he didn’t show the hurt that comment had caused. He massaged Jax’s balls through his pants. “I want you.” “Pack that in. I don’t want to have a boner when I open the door.” “You could tell her about us.” “No.” Will dropped his hands from Jax’s crotch. “You have to be patient, mate. I don’t want to rush this.” Jax turned and brushed his thumb over Will’s lips. “Leave her here tonight with a pizza and come out with me,” Will said. “Stay in and we’ll eat together. Give her chance to get to know you.” Will shook him off. The intercom buzzed. Will strode into his room and slammed the door. Damned if he was going to sit there and listen to them fucking again. Surely he could come up with something better than wanking in the shower. Will dropped back on his bed. He didn’t mix socially with his colleagues in the police. He had a few mates but once he and Jax had become an item, he’d seen less and less of them. The 112

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thing was, he didn’t want to go out with his mates. He wanted Jax and because Jax had pissed him off, Will wanted to piss Jax off. He knew exactly the place to go.

***** Jax lay on the couch, settling Anna’s head against his chest when his mobile rang. He grabbed it from the coffee table. Will. “Hi, mate. What—” Jax could hear someone talking and it wasn’t Will. He sat up and dislodged Anna. “Will?” There was more than one voice and they weren’t distinct. Music in the background. Groans. Fuck. “What’s wrong?” Anna asked. “Shh.” Jax caught only snatches. He wondered if Will had sat on his phone without locking the keypad and accidentally called him. “Will!” he shouted. Jax wasn’t sure why he knew something was wrong, but he did. Will was in trouble. He listened carefully. Anna put her ear close to his. After a few moments Jax sprang to his feet. “He’s at Silva’s.” “What’s Silva’s?” “A club. You stay here.” “No, I’m coming.” Jax didn’t have time to argue. In any case he wanted to take the car and Anna could sit in it and make sure it didn’t get clamped or towed. They raced down the stairs to the garage and Jax handed her the phone. “Keep listening in case he says anything coherent.” Jax’s hands were shaking as he drove out of the underground parking. He clasped the wheel harder. He hadn’t thought Will would ever go to Silva’s again and if he did, then not alone, but maybe Jax should have guessed he’d do something stupid. Will would have been fine if he’d stayed sober, but Jax was certain Will was drunk. And a drunk Will was very different to a sober Will. Especially in Silva’s. A drunk Will was asking for trouble. “Heard anything else?” Jax asked. “Will saying no,” Anna whispered. “What sort of club is it?” “Just a nightclub.” Oh God, if only that were true. Jax parked in a no-parking zone down the road from the club, left Anna with the keys and instructions to drive around the block if anyone turned up with a clamp or a

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tow truck. He ran up the steps and pressed the buzzer. The club looked like an ordinary house from the outside but it was far from ordinary inside. It was where he and Will had met. Their first time and they’d agreed their last. An extreme BDSM club where almost anything could happen. Jax had been looking for something different but not something dangerous and the men and women at Silva’s had scared him. He’d found Will, slack-jawed at the edge of a tame room while a guy suspended in the air was fucked every which way by a machine. Large, weeping plastic dildos dipped into his mouth and ass while a mechanical sleeve worked his cock. Jax had shuddered, seen Will’s shudder and they’d left together. What the fuck did Will think he was doing? The door opened and Jax made to step inside but a hand stopped him. “Private club, sir.” Jax drew himself up into attack mode. “I’m a lawyer. I’ve had a call from my client who’s asked me to get him out of here. He’s a policeman. Now let me in.” Jax was surprised it worked. He strode into the club. “Mr. la Rue,” said a voice on his left. “I wondered if you’d come back.” Jax turned to see a tall guy with long, dark hair that curled on his shoulders. Patrick Silva. Jax had to be interviewed by him to get into the club a year ago. Jax was surprised Silva recognized him. It worried him that he had. “I’m looking for—” “Your policeman, William. He called you, did he? Mobile phones are forbidden.” “Better not let him in again then,” Jax said. Silva smiled. “He’s upstairs. Third door on the right.” Jax sprinted. The room was set out like an opulent sheik’s tent, filmy fabrics draped to create the illusion of a smaller space enclosing a huge bed covered with pillows, embroidered cushions and naked, writhing bodies. More men than women. Jax found Will curled up in the corner, a bloody graze on his cheek. He stroked his hair and Will lashed out. “No.” “It’s me,” Jax said. Will’s eyes opened and Jax watched him struggle to focus. “Go away.” “I’m taking you home.” Jax tried to hoist him to his feet but Will fell back with a long and noisy belch. Jax coughed through the waft of secondhand beer. Will laughed as if it was the cleverest thing he’d ever done and Jax sighed and yanked him to his feet. The button on Will’s pants was unfastened, the zipper pulled down and his pants slipped on his hips as Jax lifted him. Jax’s heart reacted like it had been given an electric shock. “Don’t look at me like that,” Will mumbled.

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“What have you done, you silly fucker?” “Nothing.” Jax zipped him up and refastened the button. He felt Will’s cock harden under his touch. Jax raised his eyes to Will’s. “Stay in here with me,” Will asked. “Anna’s outside in the car.” “Have you told her?” Jax winced. “Not yet.” “Please, tell her about us.” “I’ll get around to it.” Jax jerked Will back when he tried to walk away. “Come on. We’re going home.” He pulled Will’s arm over his shoulder and led him out of the club. When they stepped into the warm night air, Will groaned. “Don’t you dare throw up,” Jax said. He looked down the street, relieved to see the car where he’d left it. Will leaned heavily on him as they took a zigzag route along the pavement. Jax had to keep heaving him upright as Will stumbled. As they drew near the car, Anna jumped out. “Is he okay?” “Drunk. We’ll put him in the back.” Easier said than done. Anna opened the rear door, but trying to fold the belligerent length of Will in half, once he’d decided not to cooperate, had all three of them struggling. Jax wasn’t sure how Anna managed to fall inside with Will on top of her, but suddenly there were four legs hanging out of the back door and the high-pitched squeal hadn’t come from Will. At least Jax hoped not. Jax leaned in to try to lift him so Anna could scramble free but Will had his arms wrapped tight around her waist, his head pressed into her belly. For a second Jax wondered if Will wasn’t as drunk was he appeared. Jax hesitated and then instead of trying to pull Will out, he forced the rest of him in. “Anna, will you be okay in there with him?” “So long as he doesn’t throw up.” “If he pukes in my car, I’ll kill him.” Jax closed the rear door and got in the front. Anna lay awkwardly across the seat, wedged tight with Will sprawled across her. She wondered what had happened in the club but doubted Jax would tell her. Will looked kind of sweet as he breathed heavily into her stomach. The beer breath was less

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attractive. At least he wasn’t scowling at her. She stroked his hair. It was soft and smooth and flopped over his forehead. “Is he okay?” Jax asked. “Snoring like a potbellied pig.” “Not,” Will mumbled. Anna smiled. She’d thought he was awake. He liked having his head on her stomach, did he? Was he jealous of Jax? Was that was this was about? Or was she missing something? “What happened to your cheek?” she asked, touching the graze. “Door.” “Will, you are such a stupid fuckwit,” Jax said. Anna felt Will tense. His hand crept closer to hers where it lay on the seat. Anna caught hold of it and squeezed gently. “How much did you have to drink?” Jax asked. “Not enough.” “You know what happens if you risk a second pint.” “Fuck off,” Will mumbled into her chest but Anna saw the hint of a smile on his face. “I’ll make us all a nice bacon sandwich when we get back,” Jax said and Will gave a loud groan. “Are you trying to make him throw up?” Anna asked. “These are my best jeans.” “Look better out of them,” Will whispered. “What did he say?” Jax asked. “That he wouldn’t wreck them.” Oh God.

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Chapter Sixteen Anna leaned against the far wall of the elevator as Jax pushed Will inside and kept hold of him. They both looked pissed but not in the same way. Will’s face was more than pale, it had a green tinge like a tree in early spring. He kept gulping air and Anna suspected that was a prelude to him vomiting. “Don’t you fucking dare,” Jax snapped. Will swallowed hard and pressed his lips together. When the doors opened, the pair staggered out followed by Anna. “Can you get my keys from my pocket?” Jax asked. “Don’t…feel…well,” Will mumbled as Anna opened the door. Jax yanked him inside but Will pulled free and lurched into his bedroom. A second later came the sound of him throwing up. Anna glanced at Jax. Now he looked pale. “Fuck,” he said. “Not good with…I’m—” He retched and Anna pulled him away from Will’s room. “I’ll see to Will,” she said. “I can’t—” Jax gagged. Anna gave him a push. “Go away and think of something else.” Jax almost ran up the stairs. Anna turned to Will’s door and, taking a deep breath, went in. He wasn’t in the bedroom, which was a good thing. The carpet looked expensive. He sat in the bathroom, in a pool of watery vomit, his legs and arms wrapped around the toilet. As Anna walked toward him, he threw up again. At least he was aiming now. Anna flushed the toilet. He didn’t move. She filled a tumbler with water and bent down at his side. “Here, Will, drink this.” “Where’s Jaaax?” he slurred. “He was about to copy you so I sent him away. Swill your mouth out.” The water made him throw up again. And again. Anna pressed another glass in his hand. “The more water you drink, the better you’ll feel.” “You don’t have to fucking nurse me.” But he didn’t protest when Anna took off his shoes and socks, then unbuttoned his shirt and threw it in the tub. She had a clear view of his tattoo, an intricate knife, the blade aiming for his butt. She cleaned up the floor, put the bathmat in with his shirt and

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turned on the taps. Will stayed hunched over the white porcelain. He said nothing until Anna wiped his face with a wet cloth. “I wish you’d fuck off.” “I wish you’d take off your pants.” His eyes opened wider. Anna shrugged. “They’re covered in puke.” Will stared at her for a moment and then struggled, between bouts of heaving, out of his khaki chinos, leaving him in black boxers. Anna tossed them into the tub and turned off the tap. She came back to Will’s side and tried to wipe his hands. He pulled away. “You don’t have to do anything for me. I don’t want you to.” Anna ignored him and, rubbing soap onto a cloth, she cleaned each finger, wiping over his palms until the only smell was one of coconut. “Think you can get up?” she asked. With her help, he levered himself upright and they staggered to his bed. He dropped back with a groan, his feet on the carpet. Anna struggled to move him. Finally he lay the right way round, his head on the pillow. She pulled the duvet over him and slumped on the edge of the mattress, breathing heavily. Will opened his eyes and looked at her in the dim light. “I love him.” “I know.” Anna wasn’t sure when she’d realized. It had crept up on her like a ghost, a sneaky thing she didn’t want to admit existed. Two really good-looking guys living together. Will’s belligerence. Jax’s concern. Will had gone off to the club, got drunk and been hurt. And it had happened because of her. Anna’s heart reacted as though a fist had squeezed it. She gulped back the gasp of pain. “He doesn’t love me,” Will whispered. “He doesn’t love you either. He’s incapable of loving anyone. You and I are the same. We’re stupid, sad bastards because he’ll fuck us and leave us.” Will released a hiccupping sob and threw his arm over his face. “Shh.” Anna pulled his arm away and took hold of his hand. “He’s going to leave me,” Will whispered. “I don’t want to be on my own. Stay with me.” Anna lay next to him and pulled him into her arms.

***** Will woke, expecting to feel ill and instead he felt content and safe. He also expected to be alone in bed but he had his face pressed against silky hair and his arm slung over a soft body. Anna. Will gulped. At least she wasn’t in bed with him, just lying next to him. He didn’t want Jax getting bent out of shape. Will released a quiet 118

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sigh. Anna had looked after him, not Jax. She’d stayed with him and not gone to Jax. No surprise Jax had beat a hasty retreat. A month ago, when Will had come down with food poisoning after a dodgy curry consumed on a stakeout, Jax had thrown up and Will had ended up looking after him instead of the other way around. This time Anna had done the looking after. Will breathed in the flowery scent of her hair and nuzzled the back of her neck. His cock twitched and started to swell. Oh fuck it. Go down! Anna wriggled her butt backward, and even with the covers between them, the feeling of her getting closer sent a surge of blood to his cock. Part of Will didn’t want to like her. He wanted to hate her for getting between him and Jax, only he didn’t. He saw what Jax liked about her and he liked it too. Much more than a physical attraction, though, that was strong. Was she going to come between them? Did he want her between them? Was it even up to him? Will pulled his arm off her and turned over. She snuggled against his back and he turned a groan into a chuckle. Maybe it wasn’t even up to him or Jax.

***** Jax woke to find himself lying on the couch. He sat up, groaned at the ache in his back and checked his watch. 4:40 in the morning. He’d expected Anna to come and find him after she’d dealt with Will. Jax padded downstairs. She wasn’t in the bedroom. He gave a quiet laugh when he found her lying next to Will, both of them fast asleep. Will was under the duvet and she was on top. Jax touched the bruise on Will’s face and sighed. He didn’t think Will had done anything stupid at the club but Silva’s was the place to be stupid if that was what you wanted. Jax would have preferred Anna in his bed but maybe leaving her with Will would work some miracle and save him having to say anything. Looking at the pair of them lying next to each other, even though Anna was in her clothes, gave Jax a raging erection. He wondered about stripping off and joining them in the bed, but if Will threw up, then he would too and Anna would hardly be impressed. Could things work between the three of them? Jax knew Will was jealous but there was no need. He wanted Will just as much as before he’d met Anna—more, if anything. But Jax wanted Anna too. She was independent and feisty yet brought out the protective instinct in him. That fuckwit Gareth had gone several steps too far. Jax guessed that the guy had nearly raped her the other night. He got off on controlling women but he’d picked on the wrong one this time. Jax went back to his own room. He stripped off, tossing his clothes to the floor and stared at his erection. One slow drag down of his hand to start that tingling in his balls. He switched on a bedside light and went to stand in front of the mirrored wardrobe. Fast or slow? He wasn’t tired anymore. Slow it was. He planted his feet a little way apart, wrapped his fingers around the base of his cock and squeezed. Jax was torn between watching his hand and looking at his face. His gaze settled on his hand and he began to slide the soft skin of his dick up and down the rigid core.

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He imagined the other two with him. Will’s firm lips around his cock, Anna’s soft ones. The pair fighting for the bulbous head, swapping it from one mouth to another, their tongues colliding, mouths kissing each other and him. Jax’s hand speeded up, precum spilling onto his fist, ready-made lube. Now Anna lapped him, Will—Will’s face behind his. Jax’s hand stopped moving when he scented Will’s minty breath. “Need a hand?” Will asked. “Need an ass,” Jax said. Will slid in front of him, leaned forward and placed his hands flat on the mirror. Jax licked a slow, wet trail from Will’s wet hair, down the middle of his shoulder blades, over each bump of his spine, along the knife tattoo before he dropped to his knees. Jax spread open the cheeks of Will’s backside, smiled at the way the dark hole fluttered and then flicked his tongue over the puckered opening. Will’s breathing, already fast and choppy, grew noisier. When Jax slid the tip of his tongue inside Will’s asshole, Will gasped and his knees buckled. Heart pounding and his cock pulsing, Jax pressed his tongue deeper and Will began to rock back against his face. “Oh fuck, fuck,” Will moaned. “So good.” Jax forced Will’s legs further apart and licked down from his anus over the magic triangle to his balls, savoring the taste, taking his time. He held Will’s sac gently in his mouth and the different flavor sent a further surge of blood into Jax’s dick. Any thicker and the damn thing was going to split open like an overcooked sausage. Still on his knees, Jax pulled Will around, pressed him back against the wardrobe and licked and kissed the inside of his legs, his groin and under his balls. He never touched his cock. Will wrapped his hand around the back of Jax’s neck, pulled him to his feet and pressed his face to his. Will’s tongue slid into Jax’s mouth and he kissed him with a slow deliberation that sent Jax’s pulse into heart-attack levels. The strong taste of toothpaste made Jax’s tongue fizz. His hand slid over Will’s hard cock, and with his thumb facing down, he jacked it back and forth. Will’s hand did the same to him. Their tongues bumped, slid and tussled as they kissed. Fingers spread and their hands shared the hold on their cocks as they rubbed them together. Within moments, their bodies were writhing against each other, a frenzied, dirty dance of mouths, tongues, cocks and limbs as they licked, slurped, groaned and gulped for air. Finally Jax pulled back panting and looked Will in the eyes, their noses almost touching. He kissed Will’s damaged cheekbone. “You stupid fucker. You could have been hurt much worse. Why did you go on your own?” Will let go of Jax’s cock and tried to pull away. Jax reached for his ass and yanked him closer. The feel of Will’s hot cock pressed against his pulled a spurt of pre-cum from Jax.

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“I was scared,” Jax whispered. “I can’t deal with the idea of you getting hurt. It’s bad enough that you’re a cop without you putting yourself in danger in your private life.” Will gave a noisy gulp. “I want you,” Jax said. “I’ve never stopped wanting you. I never will. Are you listening to me?” Will nodded. “But I need Anna too and I want you to need her. I can wait, let you get to know her, only I’m not going to let her go, Will.” “How long would you wait?” “As long as it takes.” Will smiled. “You’re such a liar.” Jax’s heart bounced on his stomach. “You can’t wait for anything,” Will said. “Yes I fucking can.” “You don’t need to. Why prolong this? If she doesn’t want me, I might as well find out now.” Jax ran his finger along Will’s lips. “She’ll want you. How could she not?” “Jax, this isn’t as simple as you’re making it sound.” “Yeah, it is. I just need to know that you’re not saying yes because it’s what I want. It has to be what you want too. You have to want Anna. I won’t let her be hurt.” Jax pulled back a little and looked Will in the eye. “Do you want her?” His heart was using his stomach as a trampoline now. What the fuck was he going to do if Will said no? One nod from his partner and Jax’s world stopped tilting. Will smiled and Jax matched it with one of his own. “Want me?” Will asked and stepped back to the bed. He dropped down and lay with his legs open. The sight of Will lying there, his cock glistening with cream, one hand fisting himself in long, lazy strokes made Jax’s breath stutter in his throat. When Will brought his feet up onto the bed and spread his knees, Jax had to drag down his balls so he didn’t come. “You’re irresistible,” Jax said. “How could you think I didn’t want you?” He leaned over and Will wrapped his hands around his neck, pulled him down onto his body, ravaging his mouth with a kiss so hard and deep that Jax knew his lips would be bruised. But he gave himself up to Will, his head swimming as their tongues dueled. He could still taste the toothpaste, a reminder of Will’s stupidity and Jax’s idiocy but the thought slipped away as he lost himself in the compulsion of the kiss.

*****

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Anna stopped moving, but inside her motionless body lay a hammering heart, surging blood and a churning stomach. Eventually, she blinked. It made no difference. They were still there, in each other’s arms, naked, kissing. They looked…wonderful. Glistening torsos, rippling muscles, their bodies wrapped around each other so it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began and Anna wished she was there with them. Well, she was there, only they didn’t know. She hid behind the door and could see them in the mirror. She shouldn’t watch. She knew it was wrong but there was no way Anna was moving. Jax broke free and slid back. Anna could see his chest heaving, the corded tendons tight in his neck, his lips ajar as he dragged air into his lungs. He squirted lube onto his hand and ran it over his cock. Anna felt a telltale tightening between her legs. “Fuck me,” Will gasped. “Do it, Jax. Now.” Jax guided his dick between the cheeks of Will’s ass, sliding down the cleft and the moan that came from Will almost dragged one from Anna. As Will spread his legs further apart, she pressed her thighs together. Will’s hand had dropped to his long, thick cock, his fingers tightening around it as he jerked it back and forth. Jax pressed harder into his ass and Anna watched the turgid flesh disappear into Will’s asshole inch by inch. She heard Will’s moans, saw the cheeks of Jax’s butt tighten and release, tense and flex as he pushed forward and pulled back, each time edging a little deeper. “You feel so good,” Jax said with a grunt. “Why would you think I’d give this up, give you up? I need you and you need this.” Anna slid her hand to her mouth and sank her teeth into the side of her finger, afraid she’d give herself away. She was so turned on her panties were soaked. The pair of them were beautiful. She watched every thrust in and out of Will’s backside, saw the tension on Jax’s face, the pleasure on Will’s. They had their eyes closed, which was what Anna should have done, but instead their blindness encouraged her to keep watching. Jax pushed Will’s knees further back, doubling him up on the bed, his hip movements becoming longer and harder. Then at the same time as Jax thrust forward, he rotated his pelvis, dragging a loud wail from Will’s mouth. “Oh God,” Will gasped. “Do that again.” Anna gulped as Jax shafted Will in a twisting movement. A forceful, turning thrust into Will’s ass before Jax withdrew to surge back once more. Anna was mesmerized. If the building had caught fire, she didn’t think she could have moved until they were done. She’d watched guys have sex on the internet but generally it was emotionless fucking and if there was sound, it was from the cameraman talking dirty. Jax and Will were making love. She could see it in their faces, in their touch, and felt guilty that she’d come between them, guilty that she watched. Jax said he wasn’t married, but he was. To Will. Will’s back arched on the bed as he drove his groin up into Jax’s downward stroke and Anna’s muscles clenched in her pussy. Oh God, they were so hot. Would they mind if they knew she was watching? Jax lay further over Will now, using his arms to force

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Will’s knees back toward his chest. He thrust faster and faster and Anna’s cunt spasmed around nothing, wishing Will’s cock was in her instead of in his fist. Will’s hand was a blur, jerking his dick as Jax jammed into him. Their faces were a mix of pleasure and pain. Will chewed his lip as Jax continued his frenzied assault. “Fucking come now,” Jax gasped. Will’s body tensed and with a load groan he jettisoned a spurt of cum onto his belly, then another long, silky strand that reached his nipple. Anna licked her lips as he milked himself, strands of semen coating his chest. One last furious thrust from Jax and he cried out as he buried himself into Will’s ass. Anna knew she should move but her feet were glued to the floor. Jax eased out of Will and lowered his legs, stroking the muscles in his thighs. Watching the tenderness between them brought a lump to Anna’s throat. Jax lay beside Will, turned his face by the chin and kissed him, a soft and gentle caress. “You’re such a stupid fucker,” Jax said, rubbing his hand in the cum on Will’s chest, spreading it over him, circling his nipples. He brought his hand to his mouth and sucked his fingers, let Will suck too. Anna had never felt more like an intruder. This was their time, not hers. She inched back. Will had probably moved out of this room when she’d turned up. No wonder he didn’t like her. She needed to leave. Only it was still early in the morning and her bag was in Jax’s room. “Anna. Come here,” Jax called, and Anna reacted like she’d been dropped into arctic water. She froze solid.

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Chapter Seventeen “It’s no good skulking outside. I know you’re there.” Fuck, fuck, fuck. Sleepwalking. The idea came to her in a flash. “Anna. I know you’re not sleepwalking. I know you watched. You could see us in the mirror,” Jax said. There was no way he could read minds. Anna thought fast. Spontaneous combustion. She felt hot enough. Please, now! “Anna, get in here.” Alien abduction. Any time soon would be good. Beam me up, Scotty. “Don’t make me come and get you.” She inched back to the open door, took one step inside and fixed her eyes somewhere away from the bed. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Are you?” Jax asked. Anna didn’t answer. “Peeping Thomasina,” Jax said. She felt her face flood with heat. “I’ll get my bag and go.” She sidled round the edge of the room. Jax leapt up and Anna reversed so fast she hit her head against the wardrobe. He was on her in an instant, his forearms resting either side of her shoulders. He brought his face close to hers. “Why the hell would I want you to leave?” Jax pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His tongue swirled into the corners of her mouth, mapping out the warm cavern, and every touch sent a surge of fire down her veins, reigniting her cooling ardor. She could taste Will’s cum, taste Jax. Oh God. Jax groaned into her mouth, holding her tight against him, his hands sweeping over her back. His cock hardened as they kissed. The guy was insatiable. They gasped for air when they broke apart. Anna thought about Will lying on the bed, watching them, and wondered what he was thinking. “Feel what you do to me?” Jax said. “I thought I wore my cock out and now it’s like iron again. You haven’t answered me. Why would I want you to leave?” “Will doesn’t want me here,” Anna whispered. “He went off, got drunk and was hurt because of me.”

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“Not true. Will was mad with me, not you. Tell her, Will. And maybe before you speak, you better remember who cleaned up your puke, wiped you down and lay next to you in case you choked. A clue. It wasn’t me.” “Don’t go, Anna,” Will said. What choice had Jax given him? Will would say anything to keep Jax happy. Jax sighed. “I had such great plans for last night. Sex, hot tub, sex, champagne, sex. More sex. I don’t remember dealing with sick lovers in there. Or shy ones who won’t admit what turns them on.” He stared into her eyes and another flood of liquid soaked her panties. She didn’t think women could come like men, but maybe she was wrong. Anna wanted—she didn’t know what she wanted except she didn’t want to leave. “Hot tub?” she mumbled. Jax leaned his forehead against hers. “Is the water really hot?” Anna asked. He smiled. “Yes.” Anna’s heart was beating so hard, she thought Jax must be able to hear it. What she said now would change things forever. “Room for three?” She heard the little gasp from Will, swallowed the whimper in her throat and dropped her head back to look straight at Jax. His face lit up like a child on his birthday. “Couple of hours until dawn. I’ll get towels,” Jax said, his voice hoarse with longing. Anna left a trail of clothes all the way to the roof. She stood naked in the doorway contemplating the short run to the covered pagoda that contained the hot tub. The lights at the edge of the decking were off. Her need to be in the water before the pair arrived overwhelmed the notion that someone in a nearby building might see—if they craned their necks and stood on one leg on a chair and hung out of their window. Anna ran. The water was lovely. Not too hot. Bubbling from several jets. She slipped down until she was in up to her neck. Jax and Will appeared in blue robes. Will carried champagne and three glasses. Jax had a pile of white towels. He dropped them on a bench and Will put the glasses, champagne and a bowl of strawberries on the side of the wooden surround. “Who’s skinny-dipping in our tub?” Jax said. “Why don’t you get in and find out?” Anna spat a mouthful of water at them. Jax slipped off his robe, sat on the edge and swung his legs over. As he lowered himself in, he reached for her knees, yanked, and Anna went under. She came up thrashing and coughing.

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“Oh God, my contacts,” she spluttered. “Oh shit, I didn’t know you wore lenses.” Anna scuttled back to her seat. “Lucky for you, I don’t.” Will laughed. He took off his robe, poured the champagne and dropped a strawberry in each a glass. Anna couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was just as comfortable nude as Jax. “I’m not sure you should have any more alcohol,” Jax said as Will handed him a glass. “Right, Dad.” Will sat in the water and took a big slurp. Anna looked at them glaring at each other. Why hadn’t she seen they were a pair? But where did that leave her? She took her own big slurp. “Oh God, someone else who doesn’t savor their drinks.” Jax tsked. Anna burped. “Pardon.” Will burst out laughing. Anna could feel his toes rubbing against hers. “Anna, we have a problem,” Jax said. Her heart slid into her stomach. “A problem?” “Well, a dilemma,” he corrected. “Dilemma.” Jesus, she sounded like a parrot. “We both like you,” Jax said. Both like me, Anna repeated in her head. She was allowed to be a parrot if no one could hear. She wasn’t sure Will liked her, but why was that a problem? They were staring at her and she felt heat flood her face. Had she misunderstood? Missed the obvious, or was she reading something into this that wasn’t there? Christ. Did they both want her? Anna sank to her chin and tried to think. Why had she assumed Will was gay and Jax was bi? Didn’t it make more sense that Will was bi too? So when Jax said Will liked her, he didn’t just mean as a person—not that she believed it anyway—but he liked her. Shit. Was Jax asking her to choose between them? Maybe no choice was needed. Except one by her. Should she go or stay? Anna was so hot, she was cooking. Jax ate a strawberry and looked as though he wanted to eat her. Will looked anxious. He trapped her feet between his and Anna glanced at him. “You’re rushing her,” Will mumbled. “Tell Anna your fantasy, Will,” Jax said, his eyes fixed on Anna. There was a long pause before Will spoke. “Three of us,” he whispered. “Me, Jax and a woman. A woman to love, to look after, one to look after me. Us. Living together, talking, playing, sharing everything. Someone to come home to every night. Someone to care about us.” Anna squeezed her thighs together. “Maybe children,” Will said, his voice husky. “A boy and girl.” 126

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The way Jax suddenly looked at him made Anna wonder if Will had said that before. “And a house in the country. I want that with you.” “You don’t know me,” she said in a quiet voice. “Jax does.” For a couple of days? Anna wasn’t sure that was enough but let it go. Jax cleared his throat. “My fantasy is you, me and Will. You sandwiched between us, my cock in your ass, Will’s cock in your cunt. The three of us coming until we scream. You sucking Will’s cock while I ream him. Will and I tonguing your pussy together, sharing your cream. You, me and Will in every possible combination. Fucking heaven.” They looked at her and Anna felt as though the lower half of her body had melted. “And what Will said,” Jax added. “Only I get to name the kids.” “I don’t think so,” Will said. “How brave are you, little kitten?” Jax asked. “And no jokes about undercooked steak. What’s your fantasy?” “My fantasy—” Anna gulped. “My fantasy is—winning the national lottery and I think I have. I mean, I’m out in the fresh air, in the middle of the city, on a fabulous rooftop, sitting in a hot tub, drinking champagne. I mean, what more could I want?” Jax pinched her on the thigh. “Ouch. Oh yes, I forgot, a crab in the water cooking for dinner.” Will laughed. “Anything more in that fantasy?” Jax asked. “Well, maybe two good-looking guys. So that part’s ruined.” “Come here,” Jax said and moved to leave a space between him and Will. Anna scooted across, keeping her body under the water. She sat down between them. Jax turned his head and brushed his lips over hers. Anna groaned. He nibbled her lip until she opened to him, then deepened the kiss, plunging rhythmically into her mouth until Anna felt the answering twist in her pussy. Jax pulled back and smiled. “Will’s turn,” he said. Anna turned to face him. Every organ in her body played musical chairs. What if she didn’t like the way he kissed? What if he—oooh… Will was gentle, firm, soft and sweet all rolled into one. She felt him sigh into her throat and his hands moved around her back, tugging her closer. Anna let him pull her around so she straddled his legs. She knelt either side of his hips and he eased her up so her breasts rolled across his face, wetting him. A mouth on her nipple and she held his head, kept him sucking. His hands wrapped around her hips and he brushed the rounded bones with his thumbs. His dick nudged at her belly.

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Whether it was her or just a woman he needed suddenly didn’t matter because Anna was on her own mission. Two horny guys, two delicious, sexy guys who wanted her and they were all hers. “Get your butts on the edge,” she said and surged back to the opposite side of the tub. The pair looked at each other and levered themselves out to sit thigh-to-thigh on the side. Their erections stretched into the night air, steam rising in curls. Jax’s cock seemed a little longer but Will’s was thicker. Their bodies were toned and muscular with flat abs, sculpted pecs and strong thighs. Anna wondered if the water had gone hotter, or maybe it was her coming to boiling point. “Done staring?” Jax asked. “We’ll get our own back.” “Eenie, meenie, minie, mo, catch a dick and let it go.” Anna started on Will and ended on Jax. “Will first,” she said. Will swore his cock grew another inch. His fingers tightened on the edge of the tub as Anna’s hand slid the wrinkled skin back over the head of his dick. A fairly useless endeavor as the plum-shaped head pushed straight out again. Her fingers sent electric pulses jumping down his spine. When she leaned her arms on the edge and made slow licks up and down the length of him, Will groaned and shuddered. Jax chuckled at his side. Will smoothed Anna’s wet hair with his fingers as Jax’s hand rubbed her back. Will loved the feel of her lips on him, her small mouth, his thick cock, his veins throbbing with bliss. She bobbed her head up and down, her mouth tight around his tip, and the ache in his balls intensified. One look from her eyes as she sucked and the ache in his balls turned to pleasurable pain. “You have no idea how great that feels,” Will said. “How good you look. Oh Christ, even thinking that sends my lust shooting off the scale.” “Close your eyes,” Jax said. “No way.” Anna’s hand tightened around the base of Will’s dick, a grip that would stop him coming. Her soft lips mouthed up and down his length. The tip of her tongue delved into the slit at the head of his cock, teasing out pre-cum. She let it coat her lips, licked it off and Will began to pant. Anna swept her palm over his glans, rubbed it with the center of her hand, circling until his fingernails sank into the edge of the tub. Then her mouth was gone but her tight clasp remained. Will watched as she licked Jax, nibbling down the length of him as if he were a bar of chocolate. Jax grabbed his balls and pulled down and Will clamped his hand over Anna’s to stop himself coming. Jax moved closer and Anna grabbed both their dicks, switching her attention from one to the other. Warm mouth, cooler air, soft lips, Jax’s wet cock, every sensation winding Will so tight his head ached, his gut hurt. “Both of you close your eyes,” Anna said.

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They were obedient. “Jesus wept.” Will reared off his backside when he felt the cold wash over his cock. At his side, Jax was gasping. Will’s eyes sprang open. Anna had both their cocks in her mouth. The little devil had taken a mouthful of champagne and then taken a mouthful of them. Jax lowered his backside and Anna let them loose. “You could have warned us,” Jax said. “And where would be the fun in that?” she asked. Her hands clasped the roots of both cocks. “Want me to do it again?” “Mm.” Jax narrowed his eyes. “Make sure you leave some in the bottle.” She took another slug from her glass. Even though this time he was expecting it, Will still jerked when the torrent of cold liquid flowed over him. The sensation of the different temperatures, the air, tub, champagne and Anna’s mouth sent his cock and balls into a state of indecisiveness—shoot or wait. Then Anna let Jax free and took so much of Will in her mouth that he stopped breathing. His fingers speared her hair as she pulled back and gulped air. “You are so beautiful,” he said. “Won’t work,” she said. Will laughed. The sound died away as she engulfed him, swallowing against his cock until he felt it hit the back of her throat. He tried to pull back but she caught hold of his hips and kept him where he was. And that was in her frigging throat! Will couldn’t believe it. How did she manage that? She swallowed again and Will felt the ripple along his dick. Electricity slammed down his spine and tightened his balls. A couple more times and she pulled back and took a drink of champagne. “Me, me, me,” Jax said. Watching was almost as good, Will thought, torn between keeping his gaze on Jax’s face or on his cock, loving the way Anna’s throat worked to swallow him. They’d done it to each other but there was something about the sweet vulnerability of Anna that made it exciting. She let Jax free and panted. “You bad girl,” Jax whispered. “Am I?” “Oh yeah. How did you learn how to do that?” he asked. “I looked it up on Google.” Will and Jax chuckled. Will wasn’t sure whether to believe her. “When are you going to let us come?” Jax asked. “Dawn.” Anna tightened her grip. Will was desperate and he could see Jax fared no better. Will wondered how much more desperate Anna was going to make them. She played with them, her mouth sliding up and down their cocks. Sometimes she held the head still in her mouth and jerked with her fist. Then she changed over and kept her hand tight around the root and

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sucked hard at the tip. Sometimes she got confused but whatever she did, Will liked it. His breathing grew more ragged and his cock continued to throb. Jax was groaning. Will couldn’t stand it. “Anna. Anna. Anna,” he moaned. “Sweet Jesus. Let me come.” She moved her mouth fast from one cock to the other and Will felt the climax racing through his body, gathering speed like an aircraft on the runway, coming, coming, off the ground and he jetted into her mouth, onto her face, spurt after spurt of his cum, mixed with Jax’s cum and every wrenching release felt like heaven. As Anna sank under the water, Will looked at Jax and took a deep breath before he spoke. “She’s going to kill us.”

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Chapter Eighteen As Will lifted her from the water, dawn was breaking to the east. A red tint hovered below the clouds and Anna shivered in the chilly air. Will snuck a kiss on her lips and grinned. As she put her feet to the decking, Jax wrapped her in a towel. “Your turn now,” Will said. Anna’s heart thumped. Will must have seen the concern on her face because he kissed the end of her nose and cuddled her. Jax ran his fingers through her wet hair. “No one’s going to hurt you, kitten. We understand what ‘no’ means. We only want to bring you as much pleasure as you brought us,” Jax said. “More,” Anna said and flinched when she realized she said that out loud. “Oh, that’s a challenge if ever I heard one.” Jax chuckled. Anna looked into their eyes and panicked. “Hide-and-seek. Count to five million,” she said and ran. She needed a couple of minutes to pull herself together. Stay or run? As she dashed downstairs it occurred to her that revving them up like this was going to make matters worse but it was too late and she didn’t really want to run. She slid open the closet door in the main bedroom, a light came on and she climbed inside. Anna found her eyes level with what she thought was a tangle of leather belts. Ah, not belts. Some sort of outfit. Hanging next to it was the whip Jax mentioned. Not a joke then. Anna’s heart did a little skip. What else was in here? When the door slid open she sat surrounded by sex toys, holding a ball gag and a cock ring. “Oops,” she said. “Busted.” Jax laughed. “You like to play games, boys?” Anna didn’t miss Will’s shudder nor the upward flex in his cock. Jax took the gag and the ring from her. “Occasionally. We’re not into it big-time but it can be fun.” “Actually, Jax, the cock rings aren’t a bad idea. We can torment her for minutes rather than seconds.” Jax clapped Will on the back. “Make sure you give me the right one this time.” “What happened?” Anna asked. Will danced out of the way as Jax reached to smack him. “He had to sit in a cold bath for thirty minutes to get the thing off.”

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Anna sniggered and Jax glared. “Can I watch you put them on?” She climbed out of the closet. Will took the one Jax was holding and Jax reached in the closet for another. They were both made of black leather. Anna moved closer, her hands fingering her breasts. “Oh God, Anna, if you get me any stiffer I won’t be able to get it on,” Will said. “Sorry.” Will tucked the skin of his sac through the ring, then popped his balls through one at a time. He folded his cock, pushed the tip under the leather strap and then pulled the ring up, adjusting until it was snug. “Oh, it looks good,” Anna said. “Very sexy.” She ran her finger around Will’s balls and then up the head of his dick. It swelled and grew. She giggled. “My grandma always said I had green fingers.” “Magic fingers,” Will whispered. Anna turned to watch Jax and he did exactly the same as Will. But much faster. Anna gave them a sly smile. “If I had a couple of little chains I could lead you around by your dicks.” “You don’t need chains. You’re doing that anyway,” Jax said. “But this time you’re at our mercy,” Will added. Anna liked the idea of being temporarily submissive. The thought of allowing them to do whatever they wanted, turned her on like a fountain. Literally. Her pussy flooded. She groaned, convinced her cream was dripping down her legs. She knew that they’d hardly need to touch her before she unraveled. Breathing on her would probably do it. “On your back,” Will said. Anna crawled up the bed and wiggled her ass before she turned over. She had no idea what had gotten into her. The thought made her chuckle. She knew exactly what had gotten into her. Will lay on one side, Jax on the other and they lowered their heads to her breasts. Will licked, using every part of his tongue, tip, bottom and top. He glided over her skin in short and long sweeps, backward and forward then circled the nipple, mouthing it with his wet lips. His fingers, slightly rougher than Jax’s, teased her too, tickling under her breast, urging the flesh into his mouth. Jax used his teeth, nipping gently and then soothing with tiny smacking kisses. His soft hand caressed her in swirling loops. Overwhelmed by the different sensations, rough and smooth, hard and soft, Anna squirmed beneath them. Did they know what the other was doing? They swapped and Will was the one who nipped, harder than Jax had done, the blunt edge of his teeth pulling at her sensitive nipple, dragging another flood of warmth into her drenched pussy, sending electric fire dancing along her nerves. Anna gave a noisy gasp. “Like that, cutie?” Will asked. Anna yanked his head back down and he laughed against her.

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Jax slurped like a baby, a wet mouth rolling around her breast before he latched onto her nipple and sucked. Anna closed her eyes and let herself take the ride. It was like being at a fairground, sitting on a twisting corkscrew flier, anticipation part of the fun, the first few corners to build the excitement, the knowledge that the best was yet to come and she couldn’t get off even if she’d wanted to. Anna slid her hands into their hair, pulled Will’s fine, straight locks through her fingers, got tangled for a moment in Jax’s choppy mess. Their limbs pinned her thighs flat, kept her legs apart while their mouths continued their relentless assault. Hands slid from her breasts to her ribs. Anna moved her hands too, ran her hands down their necks, twisting the fragile hair at their napes before she trailed her fingers lower onto their strong backs. As their mouths left her breasts to follow their hands down her ribs and kiss their way over the smooth curve of her belly, Anna arched into their embrace, her moans growing noisier. Gentle fingers trailed down the valley of her groin and Anna’s hips bucked. “Steady, kitten,” Jax whispered. “We’re just getting to the good bit.” Male fingers met and joined and moved over her swollen folds, spreading her cream, teasing her flesh, and Anna’s muscles clenched and clamped, trying to pull them in. “Oh God,” she gasped. Two fingers inside her working in unison, dipping into her tight pussy, pulling back to circle and rub her clit, no chance to take a breath, no stopping, and Anna came apart. She unraveled under their caress, every muscle tightening, twisting and her hands pressed into their backs, not wanting them to stop. Jax lifted her while Will positioned himself in the middle of the bed. The head of his cock was an angry red, a bead of pre-cum shining at the tip. He fingered the tight leather band that trapped his cock and balls and then caressed himself, spreading the pearl of pre-cum, sliding his hand up and down his thick shaft. “Fuck me, Anna,” Will said in a hoarse voice. Anna straddled his hips. Will held the base of his cock while Jax clutched her thighs and then dragged her down onto Will as he thrust up into her. The penetration was so deep, Anna thought he’d hit her heart. “Oh fuck.” She gulped noisy mouthfuls of air. No one moved for a moment, the only sound was heavy breathing. Will had closed his eyes, now he opened them and the look he gave her dragged a strong contraction from Anna’s pussy. Will hissed. Jax pulled her back into his embrace as he knelt behind her. He slid his hands to her hips, his cock pressed against her back as he helped her move up and down. Anna reached up, wrapped her hands behind Jax’s neck and let him drive her body. Her delicate tissues were stretched to the limit by the angle and Will’s girth as he pounded into her. Will’s hands replaced Jax’s at her hips and Jax’s hands settled over her breasts, kneading the nipples, his head on her shoulder. The sound of ragged breathing and the 133

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slap of wet flesh spiraled Anna higher. When Jax gave her neck a hard nip, Anna cried out and shot into the heart of the ride, caught in the maelstrom of twists and turns as her muscles clenched in their frenzy. If Jax hadn’t been holding her, she’d have collapsed. Will’s cock pulsed inside her pussy, spraying hot cum so deep and hard she felt every jet. Jax plastered his chest against her back, clutching her tight. “My God, Anna,” Will gasped. She dropped her hands and he laced his fingers with hers. “I feel like your pussy swallowed my cock,” Will said. “I want to taste.” Jax lifted her off Will and laid her down at his side. As Will pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss, Jax buried his face between her thighs. His tongue made a long, slow sweep from her clit to her ass and Anna groaned into Will’s mouth. “Okay, sweetheart?” Will asked. Anna wasn’t sure that she’d ever be okay again. Jax’s tongue was driving her crazy. Her pussy was so sensitive, the slightest touch had her pulse jumping as though he had lightning shooting from his mouth. Then Will slid down to join in and Anna gave a pitiful whimper. When she felt Will’s finger—well she thought it was Will’s—at her asshole, the whimper increased in volume and became a series of little yips. Jax changed position, twisted round, arranged her on top of him, impaled her pussy on his cock and pinned her legs apart with his feet. Will dropped to the end of the bed. Anna let them do what they wanted. It all felt good. Will’s finger nudged insistently at her ass and the pressure made Anna arch her hips. “Press down, kitten,” Jax said. She felt the pressure and burn, and then Will had all his finger inside her. Anna groaned and began to pant. “Am I hurting you?” Will asked. “No. S’good,” she mumbled, not sure she was coherent. “I can feel your cock, Jax,” Will said in a hushed voice. “Can you feel me?” He twisted his finger and Jax and Anna moaned in unison. Will laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.” The palm of his hand against her butt, he slid in and out of Anna’s ass and the feeling of his finger and Jax’s cock fucking her, reignited the embers of her climax. Anna’s hips jerked. Jax began to drive faster and more deeply. Will brought a finger around the front of her body to rub her clit. Anna wanted everything harder, faster, deeper and without her saying a word, that was what she got. Her eyes closed and something exploded inside Anna’s head. She felt as though she was being touched everywhere. Their bodies all over her, their mouths licked, hands stroked, hair rubbed. They moved around until she didn’t know who touched her

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where, who she was feeling. The contractions seized her, dragged her forward. She felt Jax’s fingers pull off his ring and he jetted into her with grunts of deep satisfaction. Anna’s climax was so strong she stopped breathing. The spasms bit again and again. She was lost, couldn’t see, couldn’t think. Strong arms held her close, lips kissed her and she let herself go.

***** “She looks cute when she’s sleeping,” Will said. Jax looked at Anna sprawled facedown on the bed, her backside uncovered, the scar from the splinter a red line on the white skin. She had her hands tucked under her body and her head curled over. “I think we’ve exhausted her,” Jax whispered. He closed the bedroom door. He and Will were in running gear, t-shirts and shorts. They always ran on Saturday mornings. “You sure you’re up to this?” Jax asked as they left the apartment. “Yeah. I think the marathon sex overwhelmed the hangover.” “I must remember that.” Jax grinned. The pair ran down the stairs, around the side of the building and out onto the path that ran alongside the Thames. “Fancy a wager?” Will asked. Jax stopped to stretch, standing on one leg and pulling his foot toward his backside. “Will, you’ve never beaten me.” “Maybe I’ve let you win.” Jax smiled. Will was up to something. “What do you have in mind?” “If I get to Canary Wharf before you, I want her ass first.” Jax saw the determination in Will’s eyes. He could have said no. Physically, Anna would have less problem with his cock than with Will’s, plus Will wasn’t the only one who wanted to be the first. Still, Will had never beaten him and Jax liked a challenge. Why not run for it? “Okay,” Jax said and they started to jog. “Though I have to say I think you’re being a little childish.” Jax hooked a foot around Will’s ankle to trip him and bolted. “Bastard,” Will shouted and Jax heard him pounding after him. Jax knew the pace he’d set was ridiculous. They were joggers not sprinters but Will stayed on his heels, pushing every step of the way. Jax wondered about Will’s comment that he’d been letting him win. Was it true? They were an odd match, Jax knew. His other male partners had been submissive, but Will’s strength was one of the things that made him appeal to Jax. He wasn’t a pushover. But bringing Anna into the equation had been a risk. Last night had been one of the best fucking nights of his life but he needed Will to be part of it. If Will had Anna’s ass cherry, would that make a 135

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difference? Should he let Will win? Jax thought about Anna’s sweet backside and decided against it. If Will wanted it, he’d have to fight for it. The gleaming towers of Canary Wharf were in sight. They always ran to the same point, a notice board on the dockside about no swimming. Christ, as if anyone would want to. Once they’d seen a dead dog floating in the water, its body bloated, the collar tight round the neck. Will had called to report it. Jax smiled. He was always on duty. They usually stood and watched the water for a while and then jogged back. The weather was perfect for running. A slight chill in the air. Jax took a deep breath. It was a moment before he realized Will had overtaken him. Too busy thinking about the bloody weather and not about Anna’s delectable backside. Jax increased his pace. So did Will. It was a good job there weren’t many people about. The two of them were sprinting now and Jax hurt. His lungs ached, his legs were leaden. He pulled ahead of Will as they turned the last bend. The finish point was in sight. Two hundred yards. Jax put everything he had into it. Sweat poured down his face. His t-shirt was soaked. His breathing was all over the place, ragged gasps while his pulse pounded in his head. Fifty yards and Will pulled ahead. Jax never caught up. Only seconds in it, but Will had won. Neither man could speak. They leaned over the railing, struggling to pull air into their lungs. Jax glanced at Will and gave him a little smile. Even sweaty and exhausted Will looked good, his damp, dark hair clinging to his glistening face. He shot Jax a triumphant grin, his eyes bright and excited. Jax nodded. He couldn’t speak. Will turned and leaned with his back to the rail. Jax had a surge of lust. He wanted to jump Will. With those gray shorts riding low over his hips, his long muscular legs stretched out and his water bottle tipped to his mouth, the guy looked like a model for a sports drink commercial. Jax groaned as his dick tented his shorts. Fuck. “Can we walk back?” Jax asked. “You can walk.” Will set off again. Jax sighed, his eyes on Will’s tight backside. There were some compensations for following after. By the time they got back, Jax felt tired and sore but his head was clear. Life looked great. It was a good thing that Will had won. It would make Anna his in a way that was special. His relief that Will had taken to Anna was enormous. Jax didn’t want to think what he’d have done if the pair had hated each other. Anna was—oh God, she was fantastic. Funny, sweet, soft—perfect. The way she’d accepted their lifestyle had thrilled him. That she was so sexually adventurous went beyond his wildest hopes. Jax wanted to protect her, look after her, cherish her, never let her go. If this was what he’d been looking for, and he thought it was, then Jax knew their lives wouldn’t be easy. A house of three might raise no suspicions but eventually parents would want to know why their sons and daughter weren’t married. The three

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of them could never be affectionate in public outside of society like their own. Jax and Anna as a pair worked. So did Anna and Will. But no other combination. Jax followed Will to the kitchen. Will handed him a bottle of water from the fridge and Jax chugged half of it then rested the cold bottle against his forehead. Drops of condensation trickled down his face. Will stripped off his t-shirt and the breath caught in Jax’s throat. He growled. Will turned to look at him and laughed. Sweat had matted the hair on Will’s chest and Jax’s eyes trailed down the dark line until it dropped below the waistband of his shorts. One brush against Will’s cock and it swelled in Jax’s hand. He felt the echoing response in his groin. “Are we normal?” Will asked. Jax shrugged. “Works for me.”

***** Anna burrowed deeper under the duvet. Warm and comfortable, she didn’t want to move because when she did, she ached. The bed smelt of Will and Jax. Of sex. God, how many times had she come last night? The guys were insatiable, tireless and very inventive. She chuckled into the pillow. Turned out she was too. Anna was living a sexual fantasy. Two guys who wanted to make her come over and over. She felt a familiar tingling between her legs. Even thinking about Jax and Will made her hot. The mattress dipped and dragged Anna closer to consciousness. Jax’s hands were softer than Will’s, but Will’s fingers were longer and thicker. Whispers nudged her toward wakefulness but then the sound faded and she relaxed again, curling her hand under the pillow. Their mouths were lovely. Jax kissed harder than Will, as if he were trying to lose himself in her, but they both kissed better than any man she’d been with before. Anna imagined hands easing her thighs apart. A groan escaped her mouth. Wet lips brushed her pussy and Anna whimpered. A warm tongue licked her swollen folds and the ache turned to pleasure. It felt so real, but then they’d teased her so mercilessly, Anna’s head had gone fuzzy. So easy now to imagine them pleasuring her. A faint puff of air on her clit and Anna tried to roll. A firm body stopped her. An arm wrapped around her chest and pulled her back into a hard ridge of muscle. Ah, not a dream. “Morning, tiger,” Jax whispered in her ear and his fingers splayed over her breasts, brushing her nipples into peaks. “Uh,” Anna grunted, still swimming to the surface. Will’s tongue teased her wet folds, slurping a path to her clit and massaging her with tiny movements until Anna gulped for air. Will’s fingers joined his mouth and Anna felt him pull Jax’s cock down between her legs. One smooth, slick slide and Anna was impaled on Jax’s dick. He rolled so she lay with her back against his chest and he wedged her legs apart with his feet. “Good morning,” Will mumbled from between her legs.

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Jax had a hand over each breast, squeezing the soft mounds gently with his fingers, clasping her nipples but not moving his cock, until Anna began to wriggle against him. Jax slid his hands down her body and dragged her down on his erection while Will buried his face between her legs. Anna knew he was sucking Jax at the same time as he worked on her. Jax was making little panting gasps in her ear. He released her legs so he could move her more easily and rubbed her up and down his hot cock. Anna’s orgasm crashed over her like a tidal wave, sweeping away everything in its path. Her mind flooded with primal pleasure as she rode every contraction. Jax’s hold on her tightened and he spilled his cum into her with noisy grunts. Will continued to suckle at her clit, his soft, damp hair brushing her thighs, his smooth cheeks pressed against her. Anna wanted him. Now. Every muscle had tensed to the point of hurting. Almost as though Jax knew what she’d been thinking, he lifted her free and turned her over so she was facedown on the bed. Will seized her hips and pulled her up. He was in her in an instant, sliding through her cream and Jax’s cum, driving deep inside her. God he was huge. Anna whimpered as Will’s cock slid out of her in a long slow glide before he drove back in. Jax lay on his side watching, his fingers trailing through her hair. “Harder,” Anna gasped and Will obliged. He’d hoisted her hips so she was on her knees and she thrust back at him as he jerked forward into her. Anna felt herself winding again. Molten lightning flashed down her spine and her pussy contracted around him, dragging the orgasm out his dick. Anna felt every jet, every hot spurt and she cried out. “God, Anna, that feels so good,” Will gasped. The moment he withdrew, Jax dropped down, his lips lapping at her pussy. Will turned Anna’s face to his and kissed her, a low, passionate kiss, and she melted. They were going to kill her.

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Chapter Nineteen “What are you going to wear tonight?” Will asked. “It has to be something sensational,” Jax said. Anna sighed. “I don’t have anything sensational. I’m not going anyway. I can’t walk.” Will laughed and put a sandwich in front of her. “It’s not funny,” Anna said. “Think we should demand our money back?” Jax asked. “One night and she’s broken. That can’t be right. Do you need new batteries?” Anna barely had the energy to glare. “Can I take you shopping?” Will asked. “It’s Jax’s turn to go to the supermarket.” Jax groaned as Will handed him a list. “Make sure you find everything on it. Don’t use your imagination if they haven’t got it.” He glanced at Anna. “Jax thinks dips can be used as marinades, that all cuts of beef are the same and that champagne is a staple food.” “Isn’t it?” Anna asked and failed to duck as Will threw a crust at her. She was thrilled the way they’d slid into domestic harmony. Will was so happy he almost bounced. Jax kept giving them long, affectionate stares when he thought they weren’t looking. Anna loved the little touches they gave her, strokes of her arm, pats on her back, the backside pinches. She was going to have bruises. As if she didn’t have enough evidence of how much they wanted her. Will took her to Covent Garden. He held her hand all the way, occasionally rubbing her palm with his thumb, casting little smiles at her and every now and again he stopped to press her up against a wall and kiss her. Anna walked on air—cliché be damned—that was the way she felt. All had been wrong and now everything was right. “In here,” Will said and pulled her into one of the side street boutiques. This was a novelty to Anna, a guy interested in shopping, but if she did her normal trick and went in every place she could find before returning to the first one to still dither, maybe he’d be less enthusiastic. “This, this and this,” Will said, scooping three dresses from the rails. All red. Hmmm. “Hold my purse,” Anna said. Will looked as though he’d been asked to handle a spitting cobra.

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“You want me to come out and show you, then you have to look after my purse.” Will took off his leather jacket and hid the purse under it. He looked so worried, Anna burst out laughing. The first dress was clingy and short. High at the front, low at the back. “That’s the one,” said Will. The next was longer and flouncy with sparkling spaghetti straps. “No, that’s the one,” he said. Anna rolled her eyes. The final dress was knee length, scooped at the front and back with a wide leather belt that sat low on the hips. “Don’t say it,” Anna warned. Will’s face fell. “But I like—” “This one best?” “All of them.” Anna wasn’t sure. She wanted to look drop-dead gorgeous. There was a need to prove a point. By the time they’d been in five more shops, Will was still full of energy and Anna had wilted like a freshly picked bluebell. She was ready to take the next thing that fit but Will made her try on another four items. The last one they agreed on. A short, red ruched dress with a black velvet bolero jacket. “I want to eat you,” Will whispered in her ear. “I think you have a thing about women in red dresses.” “I have a thing about you. Do you need shoes?” “No, I have black ones that will work.” Anna took the dress to the counter and Will caught her arm. “Can I buy it for you?” She shook her head. “It’s okay, Will. I can afford it.” “I’d like to pay.” “Buy me a cake and coffee instead.” Will settled her into the bottom corner of a patisserie and went to buy drinks. He was lovely, Anna thought. Soft and dreamy eyes with a smile that lit up his face. Will was the sensitive, thoughtful one. Easily hurt and easy to please. He was open and artless while brash Jax held part of himself back. It wasn’t that he couldn’t be hurt, but Anna suspected he’d do anything rather than show it. He was the Big, Bad Wolf and Will was the vampire. Anna slid into a reverie. Will came back carrying a tray. Two coffees and six cakes. “Bloody hell, Will.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t sure what you liked.” 140

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Anna licked her lips. “Do I get first choice?” “Always.” She gave him a quick glance and then picked the cream filled meringue. Her mouth was watering before she took the first mouthful. Will reached over, wiped a blob of cream from her lip and licked his finger. “Oh God, I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered. Anna slid her hand onto his knee under the cover of his jacket, the hard bulge at his groin unmistakable. “Oops,” she said. “That’s not helping. Hands off.” Anna laughed and moved her fingers. “So tell me about Will Thorne,” she said. “How long have you been in the police?” “Since I graduated. My father’s in the force and so are my two brothers.” “Did you always want to be a policeman?” Anna asked. Will smiled. “Yeah, I did. Well, I wanted to be a detective, not walk the beat. Dad was keen for me to do something different but I got addicted to TV cop shows and paperback thrillers. Anything else looked mundane.” “So you like it.” “It can be frustrating. The job bores the shit out of me sometimes and the paperwork—well, less said about that the better, but I get a kick out of doing good. I know it’s not much in the grand scale of things but in my own little way, I make a difference. I like people. I believe they’re basically good and need protecting from the scum that aren’t. I’ve a great team working with me and to be honest, apart from fucking you, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.” Anna laughed. “Wow. I’m impressed.” “What about you? Greek translating—how did you get into that?” “How did you know?” Anna frowned and then sighed. “Ah, Jax asked you to find out about me. So you discovered my middle name is Mildred.” “What the hell were your parents thinking?” “Grandmother’s name.” “Ah.” “You saw I used to be a pole dancer?” she lied. Will’s eyes opened a little wider. “We could buy a pole this afternoon. There’s place I know near here.” Anna smiled and chose another cake. She was not going to waste them. She’d just not eat for the next three days. “I’ve been thinking of getting something pierced,” Will said in a whisper. Now Anna’s eyes widened and she glanced at his lap. “Which something?”

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Will choked on his almond tart. “Not that. Jesus, I’m not mad. I was considering a nipple. What do you think?” Anna’s pussy tingled. “I think it would be sexy. Your chest’s great but a ring would look good.” Will smiled. “Why do you want to do it?” she asked. “I’m in one of the most restrictive jobs I could have. I follow rules, make sure others follow rules. I don’t want to be boring, I want something to remind me I’m a bit of a rebel in my soul.” Anna reached out for his hand and squeezed his fingers. “Will, you’re so cute I could eat you.” She watched his Adam’s apple go up and down. “Why don’t you have another tattoo?” she asked. “I love the dagger.” “It hurt.” “God, Will, I think having your nipple pierced is going to hurt.” “I know, I’m joking. I don’t mind pain. In fact, I quite…” He stared straight at her. “Jax told me not to freak you out.” Excitement flooded Anna’s veins and her mouth went dry. “Like to hold my hand while I have it done?” Will asked. “Do you want to go now?” Will dropped his fork. “Now?” “Is it nearby?” He nodded. “Come on.” Anna picked up her shopping. It was very near and Anna wondered if that was why he’d brought her to Covent Garden. The piercing studio was at the back of a shop selling all sort of sexual paraphernalia. Anna’s feet slowed as she walked through and her pulse accelerated. Maybe she could buy something. There was no way she’d have a piercing but she liked the idea of ornaments clamped to her nipples. She shivered. “Help me pick the piercing,” Will said. “Nothing too big,” Anna said. “How about that?” She pointed out a silver barbell. “Okay.” So easily pleased, Anna thought and smiled. Will sat on a chair but she couldn’t watch when the guy did it. Anna fixed her gaze on Will’s face and held his hand so tight, he winced. “Anna, you’re hurting me more than the piercing.” “Sorry.” 142

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When Will’s shoulders relaxed, Anna risked a glance down. The guy was wiping away the blood. “Ooh, looks good, Will.” Will grinned. “Yeah, it does. Maybe I’ll have something else done.” Anna’s gaze slid lower. “No, Anna, not that. Not unless we both—” Anna cringed. “No way.” Will was handed a leaflet about caring for the piercing and he dressed. “How does it feel?” Anna asked as they walked back into the shop. Will caught hold of her hand, put it on his crotch and bent his head. “If we weren’t in a public place, I’d rip off your clothes and fuck you stupid.” “Kiss me instead,” Anna said. She could feel the piercing through her shirt, feel Will’s cock pressing against her belly. His tongue surged into her mouth, a hard, deep kiss as he held her tight in his arms. Anna broke away when she felt the tap at her shoulder and knew it wasn’t Will. A woman about her own age with long pink hair pressed a card in her hand and winked. Anna looked at it. “Show Offs.” She gave it to Will and he laughed and put it in his pocket. “What is it?” Anna asked. “I’ll tell you later. Is there anything you want while we’re in here?” Anna sidled over to the nipple clamps. It was hard to decide which she liked best. She had no idea there were so many types. Ones that vibrated, ones that linked to your clit, ones that teased, squeezed, sucked, chomped and played a tune. What? Will had dumped a load of stuff on the counter by her side. Anna glanced over and couldn’t look away. She didn’t know for certain what some of the things were for but she thought she could guess. “Decided?” Will asked. Anna pointed to a pair of silver star clamps that could be adjusted. Will added them to the pile. This time she let him pay. She didn’t speak until they were outside. “Anna, are you okay?” he asked. She nodded. “Excited.” Will groaned and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want to take you back. I want you to myself a little longer, but there’s nowhere we can go.” How bad could they be? “Maybe there is.” One busy department store, changing rooms that were always packed but not too difficult to slip in together without anyone seeing. “Fast and quiet,” Anna said.

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Will looked worried. “Too late,” she said, unzipped his pants and pulled his cock out of his boxers. One kiss of the tip made Will arch his back and clamp his lips together. Anna whipped her dress over her head and hung it on a peg. Will pulled her little red panties down and bent to kiss her clit. He turned Anna round to face the mirror. They were both wide eyed and breathing fast. Will rested her hands on the mirror and kissed the back of her neck. Anna turned into the kiss, twisting into his embrace. Will’s fingers slid over her slick folds. “You’re so wet,” he whispered. One finger inside her and Anna swallowed her gasp. Two and her head fell forward. He’d found the right spot, the perfect spot. Within moments she could feel her pussy contracting around his fingers. Will laughed softly in her ear and then angled his cock to glide into her. A hard drive and Anna heard his balls slap against her flesh. His dick, hard and hot inside her, locked them together. “Sweet Jesus,” Will whispered. “Fuck me, Will.” Every thrust sent flames dancing through her veins. Her breath quickened as Will panted in her ear. Watching each other in the mirror was almost as much a turn-on as the fucking. Will still clothed, her with her panties round her ankle. Will’s fingers pushed up her bra and his hands cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples, twisting them hard just as she hoped the nipple clamps would. And she came, holding her breath to stop the scream and somehow that intensified the contractions so they seemed to come from all over her body, powering to her groin, squeezing Will’s cock. And he came, pumping into her, streams of cum that warmed her pussy and dribbled down her thighs. “Anything I can get for you?” asked a voice outside. Anna reached back and wrapped her arms around Will’s neck. “No, everything’s perfect, thanks,” she said.

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Chapter Twenty Jax looked up when they walked into the bedroom. He tossed down the file he was reading and stood up. “What makes me think you’ve been bad?” he said. “What gave us away?” Anna asked. “Will looks smug.” Anna threw herself into Jax’s arms and kissed him. His hands swept around her waist and he pulled her close. His cock began to swell. He wondered how long it was going to take before that didn’t happen the moment he touched her. “What have you been up to?” “I bought a dress and Will—did something.” Jax ran his hands up Anna’s dress onto her backside, then between her legs. “Hmm. And what did Will do? Apart from fuck you.” He looked up as Will took off his shirt. There was a white dressing over his left nipple. Will peeled it back. “You know you’re going to set off the metal detector when we go on vacation,” Jax said. A small smile tugged at Will’s lips. “I had to talk him out of the cock piercing. He wanted five bars in but I said you should do it first,” Anna said. Jax snorted. “Like that’s going to happen.” He moved closer to Will to look at his chest. “Did it hurt, mate?” “It was okay. I have to be careful for a few weeks.” “What does it feel like?” Jax asked. “Hot.” “Looks hot.” Jax bent his head and kissed above the pierced nipple. Will growled deep in his throat and Jax’s cock, woken by Anna’s soft curves, swelled with a fresh surge of blood. “What’s in the bag?” Jax asked. “My dress for tonight.” “Not that bag.” Jax winked. “Present for Anna. Well, and for us too,” Will said. Jax opened the top and looked in. He glanced at Will and smiled.

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“Show me what you’re wearing tonight, kitten,” Jax said. Anna pulled up her dress. Before her head had emerged, they were on her. Jax drew the dress the rest of the way over her shoulders and Will wrestled her onto the bed. “Hey, I thought you wanted to see what I’d bought.” “No, we wanted to see you naked,” Jax said. “I’m not—oh.” Will unclipped her bra and Jax ripped away her panties. “Hey, they were—” “Shh,” Jax said. “I’ll buy you more.” Anna sighed and then narrowed her eyes. “Okay. It’s a race to see who gets undressed first. On three.” She paused. “Three.” Jax won, but only because he wasn’t wearing shoes and socks. He bounced on the bed next to Anna. “What’s my reward?” he asked. “You get to dress me in my present.” Jax glanced at the red dress. “Why would I want to put you back in clothes?” “Not that,” Anna said. She reached for the other bag but Will put his hand in and drew out the little packet. He tossed it to Jax. He looked at it and laughed. “I knew you were bad. How tight do these go?” He made a grab for Anna. His little kitten squealed and hid behind Will. Jax narrowed his eyes. “Will’s not going to save you.” Moments later, they had her lying on her back between them on the bed, pinned down by their legs. Will was already nuzzling her nipple. Jax watched his lover’s tongue swirl around the peak, teasing it to jewel hardness. Jax handed one of the stars to him. “We’ll both do one.” Jax wrapped his mouth around her nipple, sucking gently and Anna arched off the bed. She had her fingers in their hair as they licked and laved her skin. When they fastened the stars in place, she whimpered. “Too tight?” Will asked. “Not tight enough,” Jax said. “They’ll fall off. Anna wants them tight.” How did he know? “Do they hurt?” Jax asked. “Yes.” “Good. A lot?” “No.” 146

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Jax smiled. “Good.” Anna’s face was flushed. Her eyes had closed and her breath came out in little gasping pants. When her hand slid down her body and over her belly, Jax grabbed her fingers. “Look what Will’s bought for you,” he whispered. Anna opened her eyes and gulped. Will held a set of three butt plugs, black jellylike material, covered in ridges at one end, raised dots at the other. “Too big,” Anna choked out. Will held up the smallest. “Too small,” Jax said. “Then this is just right, Goldilocks.” Will trailed the medium-sized plug over her mouth. “The little one looks just right to me,” Anna said. “Have you ever—” Will began. “No.” Anna licked the end of the plug. “You’re going to wear it to the party tonight,” Will said. “I can’t be there, so this will remind you of what’s waiting for you back here.” “What if it falls out?” Anna asked. “It’d be an interesting talking point,” Jax said and laughed. Anna’s mouth tightened. “It won’t fall out. You’ll be fine.” Will kissed her neck. “So what else is in that bag?” Anna asked. “Later,” Jax mumbled as he slid down the bed. It was hopeless, Anna thought, the moment they had their hands on her she fell apart, couldn’t string two thoughts together. She imagined it was like being on drugs, intoxicated with the rush, unable to resist the craving for another fix, helpless to do anything other than go with the flow wherever it might take her. Damn what society thought about a set of three, could this last? Did she care? Anna wanted not to, but she did. She’d already fallen for both of them even though the sensible part of her knew it was a mistake. Will plastered himself against her backside as Jax pressed his face between her legs. She felt the bandage on Will’s chest rubbing her back and she tried to pull forward but Will yanked her back. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt,” he whispered. Will lifted her thigh over his so Jax could get closer. She could feel the wet, bulbous head of Will’s erection sliding over her swollen lips, and Jax’s tongue there too, licking

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both of them. Anna moaned as Will lifted her leg even higher and sank his thick cock, balls-deep, in one hard thrust. The next moment, Jax had swiveled round, his face still centered on her pussy but his rigid cock was knocking against her mouth. Will leaned over and gripped the base of Jax’s penis, guiding it toward Anna’s lips. She cradled his tight wrinkled sac and swept her tongue up the large vein on the underside of his dick, the pulse quickening under her wet caress. Anna was awash with sensation. Will stroked slowly in and out of her hot core, rubbing his body against the length of hers. Jax groaned against her pussy and she felt the vibration deep inside. Anna used Jax’s pre-cum to coat his dick, letting it slide through her fingers before she pulled it up to taste the flared head. Jax groaned again and she wrapped her lips around the tip, grasping the root tight as she brought him in and out of her mouth with the same rhythm that Will slid into her slick folds. The orgasm almost caught her by surprise, she was so intent on pleasing her lovers, but now the climax burst like a thunderstorm, showering her with electric rain, sweeping her away in a flash flood. Jax sucked harder at her clit, twisting and teasing. Will, taut at her back, increased the speed of his thrusts. Anna’s tongue swept from Jax’s tight balls and up his lengthy erection, savoring the silky skin, the salty pre-cum until she found the little dip below the head and suckled there. Another burst of his cream and a throaty growl showed his pleasure. “Jesus,” Will gasped. “Jax.” Anna knew Jax was doing something to Will at the same time as he played with her. It felt so good being filled with Will’s cock and having Jax’s tongue working at the point she and Will were united. Will launched into a frantic thrusting action, his breath noisy in her ear and then he stiffened and she felt the wet spurt of his cum flood her. “Jax, fuck it,” Will gasped. Anna could hear wet lips slurping as Jax pressed his face harder where Will’s cum was seeping from her. Anna’s legs were forced wider as Jax’s head moved deeper. Will began to make a keening noise and she wondered what was happening out of her sight. “Oh God, God,” Will grunted. Will’s hand swept around to play with one of the nipple stars. The twist of pain when he squeezed the clasp made Anna clamp harder on both men’s cocks. A fresh surge of cream coated her pussy, Jax smacked his lips and Anna laughed around his cock. Will changed the angle of Anna’s head as Jax flexed his hips and his cock sank so deep into her mouth she gagged. When he didn’t pull out, instinct made her swallow and his cock hit the back of her mouth, slid through the muscle barrier and into her throat. Will began to thrust into her again. Jax muttered incoherently and she felt a burst of hot fluid shoot down her throat. She was going to choke but she didn’t care. Anna swallowed and swallowed and each time she did Jax groaned against her. As the last spurt of creamy fluid slid down her throat, Jax eased back from her mouth. Anna caught her breath and then his cock,

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running her tongue from his soft sac to the rosy head while she licked him clean. Will helped, his tongue tangling with Anna’s. When Jax resumed his work at her clit, Anna gasped. Will held her tight, whispering in her ear. “Sexy Anna, sweet Anna. Oh fuck, you’re going to make me come again.” Jax’s teeth teased the pearly nub between her folds and Anna broke apart and screamed. As if a galaxy had exploded in her head, Anna could see nothing but bright light behind her closed eyes. Will’s thick cock pumped faster as his breathing grew hoarse and more ragged. Her contracting pussy dragged Will to his climax, his body rigid behind hers. Every spasm of Anna’s cunt was echoed by a clenching spurt from Will. Anna wondered how he could come again so fast and then the thought vanished. Three sweaty bodies, three chests heaving, three hands clasped together. Jax had twisted around so he lay alongside them. He dropped his glistening forehead to her shoulder and nuzzled her. Will kissed her cheek, tracing a shape with his tongue. A heart. Anna’s heart thumped. No one spoke. Breathing was as much as they could manage. But Anna felt safe and protected. The fingers of Will’s other hand lay on her hip, while Jax clasped her breast. He gently removed the clamps and Anna sighed. “Anna?” Jax muttered. “Uh.” “You do realize we’ll never let you go.”

***** “How do I look?” Anna asked as she turned in her new red dress and little black jacket. “Sensational,” Will said. He lounged on the bed while Anna and Jax got ready for the party. Jax dropped down and planted a kiss on his lips. “Forgive me?” he asked. Anna’s gaze shot to the pair. “It’s okay,” Will said. “We can celebrate later. You’ve already given me a great present.” “What’s wrong?” Anna asked. “Nothing,” Jax said. “Tell me, please.” Jax glanced at Will. “It’s a year today since we first met.” A lump rose into Anna’s throat. “Oh God, and I’m dragging Jax away to an engagement party neither of us want to go to. Look, forget it. I’ll stay here and you two do whatever you were going to do.”

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Will sprang off the bed. “No way. You’re going to prove you’re not interested in dickhead and once he sees you with Jax, he’ll leave you alone.” “We could have a party next week,” Jax said. “Fancy dress?” Will asked. “If you like.” Jax smiled. “What do you want to be?” “Pirate. You in leather bondage gear and Anna as a little devil, red string bikini and horns.” Jax and Anna gaped at him. “What?” Will asked. “I’ve been thinking about it. I like dressing up. I’ll draw up a guest list while you’re gone.” Anna and Jax got as far as the door before Anna stopped and smacked the heel of her hand against her head. “Shit. I don’t have a present. Is there anywhere still open?” “The service station. You could get a bag of charcoal or a year’s supply of air fresheners,” Jax said. “How about that digital picture frame we got free with the camera.” Will opened a drawer and pulled out a box. “They’re expensive. I can’t give them that,” Anna said. “I’ll wrap it up,” Will said. “You’d be doing us a favor. I like it. Jax hates it. We both like you. Problem solved.” Anna had to take over the wrapping when Will got tape fastened around three fingers. He even had a little card that matched the paper. Anna hovered with a pen, not sure what to write. “How about—fuck off and die?” Jax said. Will elbowed him. “Beth is Anna’s sister.” “Oh yeah. Well—hope you see the light soon,” Jax suggested. Anna rolled her eyes and wrote Congratulations on your engagement. Love, Anna. “You nearly made me forget,” Will said. “You’ve something else to put on.” “What?” Anna asked, but she knew.

***** Jax squeezed her fingers before they went into Drifters. “You look beautiful,” he said. “Don’t let anyone upset you. You’re here with me and we’re going to smile and be cool. Okay?” Anna nodded. It was hard to think about anything other than the full sensation in her ass and the clamps on her nipples. The plug had slid in okay with a lot of lube and a bit of pushing. The thing was still nowhere near the size of a cock, though, and that worried her. But it made Anna think about what it would be like to be fucked in the ass

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and the pussy at the same time and the mere thought of it had her quivering with excitement, goose bumps racing down her limbs. The noise and hot air hit them the moment they walked in. Bodies, beer and hormones in a mixer. Jax asked a bouncer about the party and he pointed out a door in the far corner. The private room was heaving with people. Anna recognized a few of Beth’s friends but there was no sign of her sister or Gareth. Jax pulled her over to the bar. The music pounded through the walls, the floor and up through the bar making the glasses rattle. “What would you like?” he shouted. “Anna likes white zinfandel.” The goose bumps erupted again on her flesh when she heard Gareth’s voice. Jax’s answer came fast and slick. “She prefers champagne.” He ordered a bottle. “You must be imaginary man,” Gareth said. “You must be dickhead.” Anna could almost see the testosterone sparking in the air. She had the voice recorder she’d borrowed from work in her purse but there was a major flaw in her plan. She didn’t want to be alone with Gareth. “Anna’s probably told you—” “Don’t waste your breath,” Jax said, taking a step nearer to Gareth so that the two of them stood nose to nose. “The only reason we’re here is Beth. Neither of us is interested in anything you have to say.” Jax slapped the money on the bar and thrust two glasses into Anna’s hand. He scooped up the champagne and with his arm over Anna’s shoulder, they walked off. Anna spotted an unoccupied table on the other side of the room and they sat down. “Think I over—?” “You were wonderful,” Anna said and kissed him. Jax pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. His fingers curled into her waist and he sighed. “You know all I can think about is that butt plug.” “Me too.” “Anna, Anna.” Beth’s squeaky voice carried over the booming music. She threw her arms around Anna and hugged her. Then stared bright eyed at Jax. “This is my sister, Beth. Beth, this is Jax. I bought you a present. Here.” Anna shoved it into her hands. “Hello, Anna.” Anna looked round. Oh God, her parents. “Hi, Mum, Dad. This is Jax.” Jax stood up and held out his hand. “How do you do, Mrs. Shelton, Mr. Shelton.” “Oh look, Mum, look what Anna’s bought us.” “Very nice,” said her mother. “What is it?”

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“A digital photo frame. That’s great. Thanks, Anna.” “We’re not staying long,” her mother said. “We hoped Gareth’s parents might be here but they’ve not been able to come.” What a surprise, Anna thought. She knew this wedding would never happen, that Gareth wouldn’t go through with it. “Have you ever spoken to them, Beth?” Anna asked. “Our song.” Jax whisked Anna onto the dance floor. “Stop it,” he said at her ear. “Don’t get involved. Only with me. Can you jive?” “The butt—” “No, it won’t.” He flung her into the dance. Anna had learned to jive a couple of years ago at night classes. The celebrity dancing programs on the TV had dragged every hopeless beetle out of the woodwork, too many women and not enough men. Anna wasn’t good, but she didn’t need to be because Jax was fabulous. Anna became aware that others were moving out of the way, that they were being watched. She let Jax do what he wanted, followed his lead, squeezed her butt as tight as she could and he took complete control of everything else. As the song ended and morphed into another, there was a round of applause. Anna caught Gareth’s scowl and her heart sank. She couldn’t enjoy herself without feeling guilty. Even the new dress was a mistake. Sackcloth and ashes would have been better. “Come on, lady in red. Let’s see if anyone has nicked our champagne.” Anna let Jax pull her back to the table. Her handbag and the bottle were where they’d left them. Anna knew she shouldn’t have deserted her bag. Though this was a private party, unattended purses were tempting. “I’m going take a leak,” Jax said and kissed her ear. “Don’t talk to any strangers.”

***** When Jax heard the door open behind him, he guessed it was Gareth. The guy had been watching them since they’d arrived. Jax shook himself off, zipped up and moved over to the wash basins. “She sucked you off yet?” Gareth asked. “Give it a rest.” “So how much did she pay you to be her date?” Jax clenched his teeth. “She’s a slag.” Jax imagined Gareth’s teeth tumbling down his throat and rinsed the soap from his hands. “You know what she did to my car?”

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Jax moved to the hand dryer. A bloody nose would ruin that new shirt. “Funny, I thought the police found your prints on the knife,” Jax said. “That’s impossible,” Gareth snapped. “What? Wipe them off, did you?” Jax knocked against him on the way out, banging his shoulder hard into Gareth’s. A hand pulled him around, but the blow to the stomach caught Jax by surprise. He gasped and bent over, clutching his waist. “What the fuck was that for?” he panted. Gareth hauled him upright and then let him go. “Because the bitch is mine.” Jax never backed down from a fight but he would not be provoked into one when there was another agenda. He imagined the reaction to grazed knuckles and bloody faces and reined in his anger. Jax straightened his sleeves and stood tall. “If you lay one hand on her, I’ll tie you up and tighten a wire around your balls until they fall off.” “You and whose army?” Jax smiled. “The thing is, dickhead, I happen to have an army but you don’t.” Jax walked out. That was a load of crap but he hoped he’d put the wind up Gareth. Anna was on her own, looking worried and beautiful. Jax caught her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Home,” he said.

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Chapter Twenty-One Jax and Anna called to collect pizza and were back at the apartment by ten. When they walked into the living area, Will lounged on the couch with his zipper half down, watching TV. “Miss us?” Jax asked, catching the delight on Will’s face. “You’ve only been gone a couple of hours. Can I smell pizza?” “Yep.” “I’m going to slip into something more comfortable,” Anna said. “I don’t want to spoil this dress.” “Oh no you don’t,” Will said. “You’re not leaving my sight. You still have it in, right?” Anna sagged. “And the clamps?” She nodded. Will whipped his blue cotton shirt over his head and tossed it to her. “Leave them on, leave it in.” They watched as she put on the shirt and wriggled out of the dress without revealing an inch more skin than she needed. Will and Jax looked at each other and smirked. “Didn’t work,” Jax said. “You’re still sexy as hell.” Anna’s mouth twitched. “Leave the shoes on,” Will said. The three sprawled on the couch, Anna in the middle. “What are we watching?” she asked as she took a bite of pizza. “A film about werewolves,” Will said. “Is it funny?” Anna asked. Jax tried to turn a laugh into a cough. “Wait and see.” It only took two minutes and Anna had her face buried in Jax’s chest. Will lifted her feet onto his lap and played with her toes peeping out the end of the shoes. Jax hadn’t known that Will had a thing about high heels, but judging from the bulge in his pants he was primed and ready to fire. Jax stroked Anna’s hair and breathed in the scent of flowery shampoo. He loved how she smelled and tasted different than Will. She wriggled up to look at the screen and Jax felt his cock swell. Anna was the only one of them who was paying any

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attention to the movie. Will had progressed to her ankles and Jax was thinking about what was to come. Every few minutes he caught Will’s eye and they smiled. “For Christ’s sake, run,” Anna squealed. “Oh God, it’s on the car. Under the car. It’s going to get her.” Will stuck his hand down his pants to adjust his cock. If Anna hadn’t been plastered so tight to him, Jax would have done the same. “I can’t look,” Anna said and turned her face from the screen. “Tell me when it’s over.” “Now,” said Jax and Will together, just as the werewolf sank its teeth into the woman’s neck and began to shake her. The screen splattered with blood. “Oh you bastards,” Anna said with a groan. “I thought you liked scary movies?” Jax asked. “I do.” “Not enjoying this?” Will asked. “It’s lovely. Rather like having a cup of cocoa. So soothing before I go to sleep.” “You’re not going to sleep so that’s all right,” Jax said. He signaled to Will to get her more to drink. They needed her relaxed. Jax needed to be relaxed. His heart was ricocheting around his chest like a bullet in a cave. What a way to celebrate a year with Will. Jax had never thought they’d find anyone like Anna. It took someone special to accept what they were offering. Life would always be tricky. Jax hoped to God they were doing the same in a year’s time to celebrate twelve months with her. Only maybe not with a werewolf film on the TV. Jax wished he could tell her what he felt, wished he could tell Will, but he couldn’t risk it. Too big a step to admit how much he loved them. Anna’s reactions to the film made Jax want to laugh. She’d burrowed so hard under his arm, she was almost behind his back, but she still wanted to watch. She shrieked and gasped at the slightest thing, including Will’s unexpected growl in a quiet moment which Jax had to admit made him jump too. When Jax had suggested they stop the film and go to bed, she’d flatly refused. “If I don’t watch to the end, I’ll be scared they’ll come and get me,” she said. “Anna, it’s a film.” Jax laughed and tried to pull her up but she refused to budge. Will looked as though he could play with her feet until dawn so it was no use expecting him to help. It occurred to Jax that maybe Will was nervous. Had he ever fucked a woman in the ass before? Not the right time to ask him. The three of them sat and watched until the credits rolled and the werewolf turned back into a guy and died. Anna let out a deep sigh and sniffed. “You can’t be crying,” Jax said. “You wanted him dead a minute ago.” “It’s sad. He couldn’t help it.” “Bedtime,” Jax said and untangled himself to stand up.

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Anna curled into herself, looking smaller somehow and the breath caught in Jax’s throat. He was going to reach for her, tell her everything was okay but Will pulled her into his arms. “Come here, you little softie,” Will said. He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, all over her face, then held her head with his hands. “Are you okay about this?” Will asked. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. No pressure, Anna. We can have fun without that.” “Have you two done this before?” she asked. “A couple of times before I met Will,” Jax said. Will gave a deep sigh. “Never.” “Have you changed your mind?” Jax asked. She shook her head. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about since that plug went into my butt, what it would be like to have one of your cocks there instead, both of you in my body. You’ll be able to feel each other, won’t you?” Jax nodded. He held out his hand. Anna put hers in his and let Will hold the other. “Bed,” she said. Anna’s heart was racing faster than she’d ever felt it beat before. She pulled Jax and Will downstairs to the bedroom, then sat on the edge of the bed and watched them undress. Will pulled down his pants and shorts in one go and his cock stretched up stiff and proud toward his navel. Beneath it, his balls hung heavy and low, the dividing line on the sac dark in the light from the lamps. Jax’s fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and Will stepped to his side and helped. Anna watched them look into each other’s eyes and then kiss, a tender embrace that made the lump in her throat grow bigger. They stood in front of her naked and Will pulled her to her feet. He unfastened the shirt while Jax bent to take off her shoes. Her men were so slow, Anna’s anticipation ratcheted toward unbearable. Their fingers skimmed her skin, sending flutters along her nerve endings, every touch echoed in a pull between her legs. Her pussy was drenched, her backside aching, her nipples so tender she wasn’t sure she could stand it if they touched them. She wore no bra and stood now in only a thin wisp of a thong, red strips of cotton and the silver stars. “Your breasts,” Jax gulped, “they’re so beautiful.” She sighed with relief when the clamps were removed, groaned in bliss when wet mouths soothed the sore skin around her nipples. Wet tongues licking sent flickers of flame shooting through her body. Anna’s knees trembled. The ornaments had made her breasts more sensitive and were worth wearing but only for short periods, though Anna had liked the way they looked. Jax threw the duvet aside and she lay back on the bed.

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Their warm tongues continued to lave her nipples. Anna put her arms around their heads as they sucked, arching her back to urge them to take more. Jax and Will joined hands and stroked her body, fingers trailing under her breasts, down the center of her chest to her belly where her skin fluttered under their touch. She felt them both laugh as they found the place that made her twitch and kept returning to it until they’d explored everywhere but the place Anna needed them to be. Their hands came apart at the top of the thong, fingers slid inside the strip of material and pulled it down, over her legs and feet and it was gone. They started at her feet, toes in their mouths and the familiar tingling twisted Anna’s stomach and legs, warning her she was beginning the climb. From toes to soles to ankles to calves. Inch by inch. Were they seeing who could go slowest? Anna thought about asking but the idea sank under the waves of pleasure that swept over her. Knees, front and back, legs bent, thighs under their hands and mouths, lips and nips and licks, and Anna began to shake. “Oh God, what are you doing to me?” she gasped. She began to thrash with her arms and Will shot up the bed, let her hold him as he kissed her. His firm tongue pressed into her mouth as Jax’s fingers slipped into her slick pussy, delving into her cream, using it to make her wetter. Then, not his fingers but his tongue, a long sensual sweep along her folds before it began the invasion, exploring every hollow and ridge. Will thrust his tongue into her mouth as Jax withdrew his tongue from her cunt, a duet of perfect symmetry. When Jax nudged the butt plug at the same time as he delved into her pussy, Anna whimpered. Every nerve ending super-sensitive, the lightest touch drove her wild. She climbed faster, higher, scrambling for the peak so she could throw herself off. Jax sucked her climax into his mouth and Anna jumped off the mountain. She fell, a tumble to nirvana accompanied by screams of joy. Will stroked her cheek, soothed her as she came back to her senses. “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered. “I am so desperate for you I’m about to explode.” Jax crawled up the bed, his lips and chin glistening with her juices, a broad grin on his face. “You taste fucking delicious.” Anna licked her cream from his lips, slipped her tongue into his mouth and Jax sucked her in. Will crouched between her legs, lapping at her pussy, teasing her clit, pressing the plug with his fingers, easing it a little way out and then pushing it into place. Curls of desire began another slow rippling dance inside her. Jax pulled his mouth away, and as Anna, vision blurred, moved her head to find him again, he clasped her jaw. “Such a hot little kitten,” he whispered. He dropped back to Will and they stuffed a pillow under her lower back. Anna’s hands fisted the sheets as they played with her. After a while she no longer knew whose tongue was where, whose fingers teased her clit, whose fingers withdrew the butt plug. Someone caught hold of her hand, brought it down between her legs and urged her

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finger inside her pussy, along with another’s. The continued pressure at her anus made Anna tense. “It’s okay, kitten,” Jax soothed. “Push down.” Then not a finger but lips kissing her butt, a tongue teasing. Anna knew this was bad but so good. The delicious sensation of warm, wet licks sent her asshole into a quiver. She missed the plug, wanted— No sooner thought than she felt a finger slip inside her. Her muscles clamped down, trying to repel the invader and she struggled to push as Jax had told her. The finger slipped further inside, the unfamiliar burn exciting, stimulating. Anna forced her eyes open. Jax at her backside, Will licking her cunt. Jax caught her gaze and gave her a look so wild and feral that Anna’s lip wobbled. She clenched inside with a need so deep, it hurt. “I want you to come again,” Jax whispered and laid his head on her stomach. His finger edged deeper into her butt as he released panting gasps on to her belly. Anna came in a starburst of wonder, her eyes opening wide instead of closing, contractions not just in her pussy but all over her body, squeezing every ounce of pleasure from every pore. She stopped breathing and her heart spasmed too. Jax’s groan vibrated through her body and Anna clutched his hair, reached for Will and he brought his head up to kiss her fingers. “Okay, Anna?” Will whispered. He looked into her eyes and she knew if she’d said no, that would have been all right. But Anna didn’t want to say no. She wanted this more than she’d ever wanted anything. Fantasy into reality. Pillow tossed to the floor, Will lay on one side of her and Jax on the other, nuzzling her neck. Anna reached for Will’s cock and he jerked back. “No touching. I’m close to nuclear detonation here.” Jax lifted her leg with his thigh and she felt the thick slide of his dick along the crease of her butt on the way to her folds. Will’s hand skated over her belly to position Jax’s cock against her pussy. Jax flexed his hips and in one long slide and a warm exhale that tickled her ear, he sank his whole length inside her. Ana tilted her hips back into his belly and Jax caught her waist. “Whoa. Will’s not the only one on the edge of the cliff and it’s just occurred to me we’re the wrong way round for this to work.” The three of them started to laugh. Jax lifted Anna off and rolled to his back. “You need to be on top,” he said. Anna looked down at his stiff cock, shining with her cream, the foreskin drawn back to reveal the delicate plum-shaped head with the winking eye. A tear of pre-cum slid out. “Anna, if you look at me like that, I’m going to lose it before I get inside you,” Jax choked the words out.

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Will caught the base of Jax’s cock and held it upright while Anna sank down. She was slow, felt Jax trembling as she opened to him, his cock stretching her, forcing her to accept his width, then his length as she kept pushing down. Will’s fingers gave her one fast caress and were gone and Jax was as deep as he could be inside her, his balls tight to her backside. She squeezed her muscles and he glared at her. “Don’t you dare. Not yet,” he said. He pulled her down so she lay along his chest, his hands sweeping from her waist up her back to cup her hot cheeks. “Hello, beautiful,” he whispered. Anna felt the cold lube hit her backside and flinched. She tried to look back and Jax caught her head. “Relax,” he said and held her down. Will’s fingers swirled the slippery lube around her anus. One finger wormed its way inside her and Anna bucked at the sensation. Jax groaned and shuddered. “Sure, Anna?” Will asked. “Sure,” she whispered. The blunt head of Will’s cock touched the opening to her body. She felt his thighs tighten against hers as he pressed in. “Oh God.” Will gave a rumbling groan. Anna gulped as he tried to force his way past reluctant muscles. “Push down, kitten,” Jax said. “It burns,” Anna gasped. Will stopped moving. “It’s okay.” Jax stroked her hair. “That’s normal. Keep pushing down.” Anna felt every millimeter of movement as the wide head of Will’s cock pressed into her, stretching her. Part of her wanted to tell him to just do it, but Will took his time, didn’t rush her. Her backside caught fire as he pulsed gently, moving only a little further at a time, but deeper with every push. Then pressure and pain joined as the thick bulbous head of his cock nudged hard against the muscle barrier. The pain was quickly tempered by a pleasurable heat and a knowledge that the best was to come. She took a deep breath and bore down. Will’s cock surged through the ring of muscle and into the tight passage of her bottom. All three of them groaned. The sensation of fullness so consumed Anna, stuffed with cock in both channels, that she couldn’t move. “Oh fuck, you’re so tight,” Will gasped. “Keep still. Gotta get used to it.” Anna rose up and down on Jax’s chest as he panted. Her nipples had pebbled into hard points, rubbing against him as she gasped. “Can you feel each other,” she whispered. “Yeah.” Jax smiled. 159

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His heavy-lidded eyes looked drugged with sex. “It feels so good,” Will groaned. “But fucking tight.” “When are you going to move?” Anna asked. She felt their laughter shoot through their cocks and she clamped down on them. “Jesus, Anna.” Jax grunted and wrapped his hands around her hips. She saw him look at Will and nod. Will was the first to move, pulling back so only the tip of his cock remained inside her, but when he thrust back again he shifted Jax out of her body. They began a rhythmic dance, Jax plunging into her pussy as Will withdrew from her ass. Anna could do nothing but clamp down on them when they were inside her and even that was hard. In and out, in and out and all three of them grunted and moaned, gasping a lungful of air when they could. They glistened with sweat as wet flesh slapped against wet flesh. Anna came once, a mini orgasm and felt shortchanged until she had another a little stronger, and she knew her body was on the verge of complete meltdown. Their gruff breathing and the strong musky scent of sex faded in Anna’s mind. Never in control at the moment of release, this was different. Anna’s body was tense enough to snap. Ribbons of lightning wrapped around her spine and burst into her brain. She lost feeling in her legs, had too much feeling between her legs. The guys lost their rhythm and Anna stopped breathing. Each of them in thrall to their orgasm, they leapt for the finishing line. Jax pulled her arms over her head. Will linked his fingers with theirs and for a moment the world stopped turning… “Anna, breathe,” Jax said. She looked at two concerned faces, opened her mouth and nothing happened. Jax slapped her face and she took a gulp of air. He pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he cried. “Oh God, I didn’t want to hit you but you wouldn’t breathe.” “It’s okay. I’m okay,” she gasped. The pair collapsed either side of her. “I thought—” Jax began. “Christ.” Anna got her breath back and rolled so she lay on her front. She propped her head up on her arms to look at them. “I’ve never come like that before,” she said. “It was…” They turned wide eyes in her direction. “It was the most intense sensation I’ve ever had. For a minute, I didn’t know where I was. I just came and came and came.” Little smiles from both of them. “You know how you always want to keep coming? Well, it was like that. I didn’t stop.” She sat up. “Fuck, we have to do that again.”

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Chapter Twenty-Two By the time Anna reached work on Monday morning, she regretted not taking the taxi that Jax had suggested. Every step was an effort. She’d ached when she’d walked the twenty-six miles for charity, her legs had cramped after that marathon session at the gym when she’d tried to drive Gareth out of her system, but never had her body felt so…stunned, so shocked. They were the best words, Anna thought. Her poor body didn’t know what had hit it. She grinned, because her brain did. Two fit, horny guys. It was of some consolation that neither of them were walking straight either. Anna grinned. They were going to have to pace themselves or they’d be dead within a week. Anna pushed open the glass doors and smiled at the security guy sitting at the desk. She was happy. It had been a long time since she’d felt so content. Even the sight of the Viper in work early and no one else in the office to dilute her, didn’t dampen Anna’s mood. “Morning,” Anna said. “Ah, Anna. A word.” Anna inhaled one more breath of happiness, just in case. She hovered by her supervisor’s desk. “Recording machine,” said the Viper and narrowed her eyes. “There is one missing.” “Yes, I borrowed it,” Anna said at once. “I’m sorry. I know we’re not supposed to but it was important.” “Why did you need it?” Several excuses flittered through Anna’s brain. All of them lies but she told the truth. “The man that accused me of damaging his car is sort of stalking me but no one believes me.” Sorry Jax and Will. “The next time he speaks to me, I want to tape him so I can prove what he’s doing.” Anna picked up her purse and took out the slim black machine. “Have you done so?” Anna shook her head. “I’ve managed to avoid being alone with him.” “Is he still bothering you?” Was he? Anna couldn’t believe Gareth would give up. “Probably.” The Viper pushed the machine back toward Anna. “Keep it for now.” Anna’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t break or lose it or you’ll be charged.” 161

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“Thank you,” she said. “If you need a place to stay, I have a spare room.” Anna’s heart clenched. “Oh, I don’t but thank you, Marie. That’s really kind.” Every document Anna opened was a breeze. She worked like a thing possessed. Even the intricacies of combination boilers didn’t faze her, though it did bore her. She could hardly believe her luck when the next piece of work was for a leading UK publisher translating an erotic romance called ‘Majikal’ into Greek. A story about dragons, demons and dreamcatchers and Anna was hooked on page one. When Sabine, Eduardo and Natalia went for lunch, Anna stayed at her desk. While the Viper was out of the office, Anna switched on her mobile. A call from her mother, three from Beth, a text from Will and one from Jax. Hi, Kitten. I ache all over. Can we do it again? X Jax Anna laughed. Hi, Gorgeous. Missing U. Love Will XXX Anna wanted to tell everyone how happy she was and she couldn’t. Sharing her body with two guys was so far below the line of respectability that she could tell no one. Anna knew what she’d be called. Slut, tart, whore. Worse. Will with his police background had to be ultracareful. Jax was in a high-profile job and he couldn’t afford any scandal. While Anna lived with them in their apartment, they were merely three friends sharing accommodation, but to be openly affectionate as a threesome would be asking for trouble. There was no way her mother would accept Anna seeing two men. Ever. Anna guessed the call from her mum was about Jax. “Hi, it’s me,” Anna said. “Hi, darling.” Anna gritted her teeth. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had called her darling. “Did you have a good time on Saturday night? You left without saying goodbye. I wanted to ask you and your young man to come for lunch yesterday.” “We’re not at that stage in the relationship,” Anna said, knowing her tone was sharper than it should be. “No double wedding then?” Her mother laughed. “No.” Anna dug her fingers into her arm to stop her blurting something out about Gareth. “I don’t think there was any need for you to move out of your apartment.” “Don’t you?” “If you have a lovely young—” “Sorry, Mum. Got a work call coming through.” 162

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Anna cut her off. Now she just had to manage a call to Beth without calling Gareth a shit-for-brains bastard, and all would be well. “Hi, Beth. Did you want something?” Anna asked. “I didn’t get chance to talk to you on Saturday. Your guy looked nice.” Beth waited for Anna to say something and Anna didn’t. “Er, Gareth and I wondered if you’d like to go out for a meal.” “No.” Anna pictured Beth steaming. “There’s no need to be like that. We’re not the ones in the wrong,” Beth snapped. “I’m not being like anything. You asked if we wanted to go for a meal and I said no.” “You’ll have to accept Gareth sooner or later. He’s going to be part of the family.” “Are you still in my apartment?” “Yes.” Anna pressed the red button and then switched off the phone. Life was too short to talk to idiots. She paused in her translation of the erotic novel and instead began speed reading in Greek when her office phone rang. “Miss Shelton?” “Yes.” “This is Archie Miles from Rapidline General Insurance. I’m calling in connection with damage to our client’s Porsche.” Anna’s stomach slunk under her desk and hid. “Whilst we understand that the Crown Prosecution Service may not pursue a case against you, I’m calling to inform you that this has become a civil matter. The cost of respraying the car has been priced at three thousand two hundred and twenty pounds. A letter has been sent to your home address requesting payment within twenty days or we will be forced to take legal action.” “I didn’t do it.” “Well then I suggest you hire a lawyer and we’ll see you in court. Good day, Miss Shelton.” Anna replaced the receiver with a shaking hand. Oh fuck. Good mood ruined by lunch break. She had the money to pay for the respray but why the hell should she? On the other hand, hiring a lawyer and losing might cost more than the bloody repair. She could ask Jax but it wasn’t his sort of law. Anna sighed. This wasn’t right. She looked at her purse. Thought about what was in it, how she could use it and picked up the phone. Then slammed the phone down and opened her purse. Maybe life would be kind and he’d say something stupid right now. Anna pressed the button to record, checked it worked and then dialed. 163

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“Hello, Anna.” Even his voice made her cringe. “Gareth.” “And to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” “I’ve just had your insurance company on the phone asking me for over three thousand pounds to pay for damage I didn’t cause.” “Well, I did get three quotes. That was the cheapest.” “But you know damn well I didn’t do it.” “Do I?” Fuck. Anna should have thought this through, planned the conversation. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. “You know why.” “Explain again.” “Because you trashed my car.” Shit. Not the answer she needed. “I want to see you,” he said. “We can figure this out.” “All right.” Anna wanted Beth there too, but he wasn’t going to tell the truth with her sister around. “That was a bit too easy, Anna.” “I haven’t got three thousand pounds,” she blurted. Gareth laughed. “Okay. Six thirty. Westies on Conault Street in Soho. Know it?” “I’ll find it.” Anna broke the connection and phoned Will. She had to leave a voicemail but she told him when and where she was meeting Gareth and what she intended to do.

***** When Anna turned the corner onto Conault Street, she took a deep breath and then exhaled. She opened her purse, reached inside and turned on the recorder. She hoped that leaving the top of the zipped compartment open would be enough to catch the words of incrimination she was going to persuade Gareth to utter. Anna marched down the street toward Westies. It looked like a West Indian café bar. Tables and chairs were set up outside and the place was buzzing. It reassured her. She was about fifteen yards away when a car pulled up alongside and the window slid down. “Hey, Anna. There’s nowhere to park. Jump in and we’ll find somewhere else.” Oh shit, Anna thought. Now what the hell was she going to do?

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“I can’t be long because I’ve had a call from Beth,” Gareth said. “She needs collecting from a meeting at her school. I don’t like to leave her hanging around in that neighborhood.” Because she’d get attacked and that would be something else that would be Anna’s fault. Everything was screaming—don’t get in his car, but she did. Gareth set off before she’d got her seat belt fastened. Anna clipped it in place as he turned the corner. Less than twenty yards away sat a free parking meter. “There,” she said, pointing. He drove past. “I think vehicles have a tendency to get scratched in this neighborhood.” Anna bridled at the dig. “Why would you care? I presume this is a courtesy car.” A small hatchback was far too down market for a pretentious twerp like Gareth. Anna saw his mouth tighten. “You know how much I loved that Porsche. I don’t understand why you think you could have got away with it.” “Cut the crap, Gareth. You and I know that you did it yourself.” He glanced at her. “Why the fuck would I do that to my car? Why would I want to be a laughingstock?” A small worm of doubt began to eat its way into Anna’s confidence. “You did it to get me into trouble so you could step in and get me out of it. I’d be so grateful that you’d told the police you didn’t want them to pursue the case I’d…” Shut up, idiot. She needed him to say it. She could feel her phone vibrating in her purse, but didn’t dare take it out. “You’d what?” he asked. “You tell me.” But he didn’t. Anna caught her lower lip between her teeth. The machine recorded empty air. “What do you want, Gareth? What can I do to make this all go away? To make you go away?” “For a start, pay for the repairs to my car.” Anna thought she might do that if he’d disappear. “What else?” “You in my bed once a week doing whatever I want you to do.” The catch. Goose bumps erupted over Anna’s body as if she’d been dropped in nest of snakes. “What do I get in return?” “I’ll dump Beth.” Please, let this be recording. The phone vibrated again. “Explain this to me because I really don’t understand why you’re doing it.”

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“Because you fucking said no.” He snarled the words and Anna pulled closer to the door. “You wanted me that night. I know it and you know it. You can’t turn me off like a tap.” “It was a mistake.” Don’t let this bit be recording. “You sucked my dick. A real pro blowjob. Why would you do that if you didn’t want me?” Fuck, fuck, fuck. “To get rid of you. I thought you were going to rape me.” He laughed. “That would be an interesting game for us to play. More fun if you resist. You’re going to make my fantasies come true and when I’ve had enough of you, then we’re over.” He pulled into an underground parking area and Anna sat up straight. “I thought we were going to get Beth. Where are we?” She’d not been paying attention. “Where I live. We can start tonight. Beth can wait. If you cooperate, I promise I’ll leave her for good.” Anna tried to push back the wave of panic. “How long are you going to make me do this?” she asked. “As long as I want.” Anna kept her purse clutched in her hand. In a moment, he was going to take her mobile. Among everything else he was, stupid he wasn’t. Gareth drove down the ramp and headed for a parking spot. Before the car had stopped moving, she’d unclipped her belt and leapt out. Anna’s knees scraped the concrete but she scrambled to her feet and raced toward the ramp. Wrong shoes! The things were slipping off her feet. Too frantic to kick them off, too awkward to run in, Anna stumbled. One hand at the neck of her jacket and she jerked into Gareth’s chest. He wrapped one arm around her throat, the other around her waist and dragged her backward. Her purse was still looped over her arm, her mobile inside, more important now than the recording machine. Anna dug her fingers into his arm trying to loosen his grip on her throat but breathing became a problem and she began to wheeze. “Now, are you going to be sensible or stupid?” Gareth whispered in her ear. “Sensible won’t hurt, stupid will.” Anna stopped struggling. “That’s better. One hour in my bed and you can leave. I think we’ll go with the rape fantasy. I’ll tie you up.” Anna tried to ignore the hard ridge pressed against her backside. The more she struggled, the more excited he’d become. She allowed her hands to drop, her body to go limp and Gareth relaxed his hold. A kick into his shin with her heel, an elbow in the chest and Anna ran. She saw blinding bright lights, but not the car until she slid up the hood.

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Chapter Twenty-Three “Anna!” She opened her eyes and looked up. Will. She smiled and then frowned. Why was she lying on her back on a concrete floor? Gareth. Anna tried to sit up and Will put out his hand to stop her. “Lie still. I’ve called for an ambulance.” “What happened?” “I hit you with my car.” She sighed. “I ran into you. Where’s Gareth?” “Over there.” Anna turned her head. Gareth was in handcuffs, his arms stretched around a supporting pillar. He glared at her. “How did you know where I was?” she asked. “When you didn’t turn up at Westies and your phone rang out, I decided to drive to this prick’s address.” Will ran his hand along one leg, then the other. Anna pushed herself to a sitting position and leaned against the side of the car. “I’m okay. I think I just had the wind knocked out of me. Nothing’s broken. Oh, except the heel on my shoe. Flip.” “What the hell did you think you were doing getting in his car?” Will asked and Anna heard the undertone of anger in his voice. “It was an idiotic thing to do.” Of course it was. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Will pulled his fingers through his hair. He was shaking. A fast glance between her and Gareth, then Will dropped his voice. “Play along with whatever I say.” Anna looked around. “Where’s my purse?” Will checked under the car and pulled it out. It was squashed flat. Anna wrenched it open. The recording machine had a crack through the casing. Her shoulders slumped. “What’s wrong?” Will asked. Anna showed him the machine. “I recorded him. He said if I let him fuck me once a week, he’d leave Beth alone. He was going to rape me.” Anna’s voice trailed away as the reality of the situation began to sink in. Will’s mouth tightened. “Sit still. Say nothing.” He went over to Gareth. “I recognize you,” Gareth said. “You came about a robbery the night we were at a party. How do you know Anna?”

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“She goes out with the guy I share an apartment with.” “So how come you didn’t know—” “Anna reported your harassment a while ago. We’ve been watching you. Gareth Kniveton, I’m arresting you for an assault on Anna Shelton. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defense if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” “Fuck off. I’ve done nothing. It was you that hit her with your car. We were only messing around.” “She recorded you,” Will said. “Everything you said.” Anna watched the color leech out of Gareth’s face. “I didn’t mean it,” Gareth said. “It was a joke, playing one sister against another. A bit of fun. But she fucked up my Porsche.” Anna could hear sirens in the distance, the sound getting louder. She struggled to her feet and leaned against Will’s vehicle. He rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms. “Anna, you shouldn’t move. You need to be checked out by a doctor.” “I’m okay.” It was over. The whole bloody thing with Gareth was finally over. Anna couldn’t believe it. Well, nearly over. Reluctant paramedics accepted she didn’t want to go to hospital but she had to go to the police station to give a statement. Will insisted on driving her. “What was all that about, Will?” Anna asked. “Gareth knew you.” “I’m going to be in trouble,” Will said with a groan. “Explain. Now.” Will told her what he and Jax had done to find her and she was torn between being thrilled and horrified. “I wasn’t on official duty but I pretended I was. I made up a crime that didn’t exist. All for personal reasons.” “All for Jax.” Will glanced at her and nodded. Then he gave a little smile. “I’m glad I did it.” “Erin and Simon won’t say anything if I ask them not to. I’ll make sure Beth doesn’t. It didn’t have to be official business. You were asking for a friend.” “I don’t want anyone to lie,” Will said. “Who’s going to ask them, Will? If Gareth says anything, it will look like he’s trying to muddy the water. Making up the crime is the worst thing. I can make that go away.” Anna took out her mobile. The casing was cracked but it had survived the encounter better than the recording machine. She called Erin and told her everything. Almost everything. Then turned to Will. 168

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“You went to their house looking for me on Jax’s behalf. They think you’re sweet.” Will groaned. “You are sweet.” “So how are you going to persuade your sister?” “She owes me,” Anna said and made another call. At the police station Anna let them take photographs of her injuries, every scrape and bruise. The voice recorder was broken, though she was told the police lab could probably resurrect what she’d recorded. Anna thought about the blowjob comment and winced. But after all that effort, it probably didn’t matter. Will came to tell her that Gareth had sung like a contestant on Pop Idol and like the majority, he didn’t impress. Anna had said very little in the car on the phone to Beth, just that Gareth had been arrested for assaulting her and where they were both being taken. When Beth arrived, parents in tow, Anna asked Will to stay in the room with her. “This must be some sort of mistake,” her mother said when she walked in. Anna tried to hide her disappointment. “There’s no mistake,” Will said. Anna took a deep breath. “If DI Thorne hadn’t arrived, Gareth would have raped me.” That made her mother gasp and her father grit his teeth. Beth burst into noisy tears in her mother’s arms but Anna’s father came over to put his arm around her. He held her close and rocked her. Anna felt like she had a large marble stuck in her throat. “I’m sorry, Beth,” Anna said. “I know you loved Gareth but he wasn’t who you thought.” “He was really kind to me,” Beth said through gulping sobs. “He said he loved me.” This wasn’t going to be easy. Anna sighed. Everyone sat down around the table. It didn’t escape Anna’s attention that no one had asked if she was okay. Her father’s arm was now around tearful Beth. Anna felt the nudge of Will’s knee under the table, the nearest he could get to giving her a hug. “You came to the apartment,” Beth said, looking at Will. “DI Thorne is Jax’s flat mate. He was looking for me. You and Gareth let him think that you were me.” Beth’s chin wobbled. “I didn’t realize.” “Can I speak to Beth on my own?” Anna asked. Will led her parents out. “I’m sorry,” Beth said. “I still can’t believe it.” “He’s a natural born charmer.” If you’re an idiot. “Beth, I don’t want you to tell anyone that DI Thorne came to the apartment looking for me. Will lied to help Jax and I 169

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don’t want him to get into trouble. It makes no difference to what will happen to Gareth, but it will matter to me.” Beth nodded. “Do you think I could keep the ring?” Anna sucked in her cheeks. “Maybe you ought to give it back. He can sell it and put the money toward the damage you did to his car.” Beth’s eyes widened. “How did you know?” Anna hadn’t been sure. Now she was. “There was no reason for Gareth to deny doing it. He kept insisting it was me. Why did you do it, Beth?” Beth’s hands shook. “I thought it would make him hate you, that he’d be properly mine instead of only partly mine.” “Those emails were a nice touch. Authentic vitriol.” “Sorry.” “And you were going to let me go to court?” Beth’s face flushed. “It wouldn’t have come to that.” Anna wanted to believe that was true. Beth sighed. “What’s going to happen to him?” “I don’t know.” “Do you think maybe Gareth still likes me a little bit?” Oh God, give me strength, Anna thought. Some people were too blind to see a carbuncle on the end of their nose. “No, Beth. The truth is that he never liked you. Once I’d said no, he didn’t like me. His ego couldn’t stand it. He went after you to hurt me. All this has only ever been about him getting his own back on me.” “So what about his car?” “His insurance company has asked me for over three thousand pounds to pay for the damage. If I don’t pay in twenty days, they’ll take me to court.” The flush on Beth’s face drained away. “I can’t prove I didn’t do it, Beth. Half the bar heard me call Gareth a lying piece of scum. You used a knife from my kitchen. I have motive and no alibi. Even if a judge felt I was justified, the fact is that I’d be found guilty. “I’ll pay it,” Beth muttered. “I’ve got about two thousand in the bank. I’ll get the rest off Dad.” Relief swept through Anna. “Friends again?” Anna asked and Beth nodded.

***** Will’s nerves were shot. A delayed reaction to that evening’s events. He’d never driven so slowly in his life. He’d probably get pulled over. How embarrassing would 170

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that be? A copper going too slow. But without his inbuilt autopilot, Will would have broken down in a quivering heap. He could have killed her. Forget that she ran into the path of his car, thank God he’d hardly been moving, but he could have run her over. And if Will hadn’t followed his instincts, Gareth might have raped her. Maybe killed her. Will released a shuddering sigh. “Will, it’s okay,” Anna said. He grunted something incomprehensible. Christ, he couldn’t even speak coherently. “Have you called Jax?” she asked. “No.” Because what the fuck could he say? Hi, Jax, I nearly killed Anna. That was going to go down well. “I’ll call him.” Anna took out her phone. “Hi, Jax… No, Will’s driving me back. We’ve had a bit of an adventure.” Will listened to her explain the evening’s events. Her version, not his. She said Will had saved her life and his heart felt as squashed as her purse. He wasn’t a hero. By the time the call ended Will felt even worse. “Will, stop it,” Anna said. “You are my hero. What if you’d sat in Westies for an hour and never thought about going to Gareth’s place?” “What if he’d not taken you there? He could have driven anywhere. I should never have let you go through with it.” “You didn’t have chance to stop me.” “As if that matters.” He anticipated a mouthful from his boss when he found out. This whole sorry mess was not going to go away. Only the fact that his arrival had saved Anna would, in the end, perhaps save him. Will pulled into the underground parking at Cinnabar Wharf. “It was my decision, not yours. Now let it go,” Anna said. “I’m relieved it’s over. I want to see happy faces not worried ones.” Will came around to help her out of the car. He closed the door and cupped her face. He took a deep but very shaky breath. “I love you,” he said. The relief at saying it made him gasp. “You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted you to know.” Anna smiled, leaned forward and kissed him. Will released her face and slid his arms around her, pulling her close. He tried to be gentle but within moments they were kissing as if it was the last thing on earth they’d get to do. His tongue danced in a frenzy around hers and he lost the ability to think. It was Anna’s soothing hand on his back that returned him to reality. He pulled back, his breathing ragged but a grin on his face. “I love you too,” she said.

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Will’s knees buckled. Thank God his backside was against the car. “You love me?” he whispered. Anna nodded. “Oh Will, what’s not to love? You’re sweet and kind. You’re a good man. You risked everything for me and I won’t let you lose it all. You make me happy. When you look at me, I go all soft.” He laughed. “Not quite the effect you have on me.” Anna flexed her hips into his, rubbing his cock, and it throbbed in response. “Life’s not going to be easy, is it?” Anna said. “Not for three of us. We can’t tell anyone, go anywhere. My parents think Jax is going out with me and that’s not fair on you.” “We can make this work,” Will said. “There are others like us. We can go on holiday, eat out, go to the cinema, bowling, anything you want. We’ll make it work.” He exhaled a juddering breath. “You know how long I’ve been wishing for someone to love me?” “Well, Jax—” “He can’t say it. I don’t know why.” Will tried and failed to swallow the lump in his throat. “Have you asked him?” Anna said. Will gave a short laugh. “Jax doesn’t have those sort of conversations. He makes a joke and backs off.” Anna took hold of his hand. “We’ll work on him. Two against one.”

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Chapter Twenty-Four The moment Jax heard the door open, he rushed downstairs and flew at Anna. He wrapped his arms around her and then slid into the kiss slowly, taking his time to savor her taste, the soft brush of her lips, her sweet sigh. “Feel how much I’ve missed you.” He pressed his hips into hers until she felt every inch of his rigid cock. Anna pulled away from his mouth and laughed. Jax melted. How could anyone stay angry with her? Will hung back and Jax inclined his head to call him over, then included him in the embrace. “No more stunts like that,” Jax said. “I have enough to do worrying about 007 here, without you running around trying to get bad guys to confess on tape. Are you sure you’re okay?” “I’m fine.” “I hit her with the car,” Will blurted. Jax looked from him to Anna and back to Will. “A glancing blow. Hardly felt it,” Anna said. “It wasn’t Will’s fault. I leapt on the hood. I dented it with my bum.” “Jesus.” Jax pulled her back against his chest. “Will saved me.” Will pulled his fingers through his hair. “I should have done more to stop her.” Jax frowned. “Enough with the recriminations. I think a thorough body inspection is in order but first, we eat. I’ve cooked. I don’t want it to spoil.” He’d laid the glass table at the end of the living area, dimmed the lights and set out candles. Champagne was on ice, music playing. Will whistled when he came into the room. “Wow, what are we having?” Anna asked. “Cheese sandwiches,” Jax said. Will laughed. “Did you follow the recipe?” “Of course.” Will turned to Anna. “Jax adds things. He likes to experiment.” He sniffed. “Smells like moussaka.” Jax grinned. “That’s a good start.” He held out a chair for Anna and brushed his lips over her head.

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Will opened the champagne, poured three glasses and sat next to Anna. “He can’t have gone wrong with salad,” Anna said looking at the large bowl of mixed leaves in the center of the table. “Don’t touch the dressing,” Will whispered. “I heard that.” Jax put the plates of moussaka on the table, sat down on the other side of Anna and raised his glass. “To Anna in the middle.” They touched glasses. “I’m never going to come between you,” she said. “I hope you will,” Jax snapped back with a grin. There was a moment’s silence and then they burst out laughing. The moussaka tasted better than Jax had expected. He’d more or less followed the recipe, just added a chunk of chocolate he’d found in the cupboard. Anna was chatty and Will was quiet, but considering what had happened, not a surprise. Jax wanted Anna to move in with them. She could have her own room, pay rent if she wanted. Jax had saved every penny that Will had given him. The plan was to take Will on an extended vacation to Australia and New Zealand. Take Will and Anna. Jax smiled. “I need a shower,” Anna said as she pushed her empty plate away. “Do you want a cup of tea?” Will asked. “No sugar, right?” Anna blushed. “One sugar, actually.” “But you said— Ah. Okay, I’ll make it.” Jax watched Anna leave the room. “Is she okay? Are you okay?” Will rested his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. Jax switched to Anna’s chair and put his arm over Will’s shoulder. “We could have lost her,” Will whispered. “That bastard…I…” “You saved her.” “I could have killed her.” “But you didn’t, Will. Leave it.” Jax pulled Will’s head up and kissed him. A tender swipe of his lips and Will moaned. “I want to ask her to move in,” Jax said and remembered when he’d hurt Will before with the comment about it being his apartment. “Is that all right?” The smile on Will’s face made Jax’s cock purr in contentment.

***** Anna turned her face to the flow and let the water cascade over her. The torrent of heat soothed her aching muscles and washed worries out of her head. The business with Gareth was over. She knew he’d be released on bail but he’d been charged with her abduction and assault. Everyone accepted she’d told the truth and if came near her

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again he’d be in so much trouble. Maybe stupid Beth still wanted him, but Anna thought her dad would have something to say about that. The shower door opened behind her. She turned as two firm bodies stepped in, Will with his tanned skin and whipcord lean physique and Jax with his tousled hair and sparkling eyes. The barbell at Will’s nipple looked so hot, Anna felt her nipples harden and gave a strangled gasp. They hadn’t even needed to touch her. “Thought we’d keep you company,” Jax said. “The soap and I were feeling a little lonely.” Anna smiled. She kissed Will’s pierced nipple very gently and he trembled. They began to wash her from the feet up, soapy hands skating over her skin. How long before they tired of her? Could anything feel as good as this again? What would she do when they decided they’d had enough? So much for being relaxed. Anxiety ran unchecked through her mind, scattering questions in its wake. How could she feel so in love like this after such a short time? Will washed her back, his fingers running down her spine and over her shoulder blades. “Move in with us,” Jax said as he played with her nipples. “You can have your own room, pay whatever rent you pay now.” Had he really said that? Asked her to move in? “We promise to be clean and tidy. You can have…pink things around the place,” Jax said. “You…you don’t know me.” Jax laughed. “God, Anna, there isn’t a part of you that we don’t know.” She frowned. “I have a few bad habits.” “Good,” Jax said and his mouth swooped onto her breast. “Such as?” Will asked as he rubbed shampoo into her hair. “I like country and western music.” Jax and Will shuddered. “I have a pathological need to watch a girly film once a week with guys sitting either side.” Anna angled her head under the flow and let Will rinse off the foam. “And I like to dance naked when it’s a full moon.” “Great,” said Jax. “In Trafalgar Square,” she added. “Fibber.” Jax nipped her nose. “Well, what do you say? Want to live with us?” Did Anna even need to think about it? She adored them both. Could she take a chance? Enjoy the now even if the future wasn’t clear. Her heart answered. “Yes, please.”

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At once she was sandwiched between them, Jax’s hard cock against her belly, Will’s equally rigid shaft against her butt. Jax caught her head and his tongue surged into her mouth to snatch a kiss before he turned to Will. Still holding Anna between them, Jax pressed his lips against Will’s. Anna adored watching them kiss. There was something so sexy about it, and while the water cascaded over them, droplets splashing off their skin, it was even more beautiful. Wet hair plastered to their faces, eyelashes heavy with water, they looked like gods. Slippery with soap, Anna slid down between them and put a hand on each of their butts to bring them closer. A kiss on the plum-shaped head of Will’s dick and another on Jax’s and she grasped the root of each with a fist, tonguing the tip of one and then the other. The taste was similar but different enough that she could tell who was who. As she wrapped her lips around Jax, Will wiggled free and dropped to his knees at her side. Jax leaned back against the tiles and rested his hands on their heads. Anna and Will had their faces either side of Jax’s cock, mouthing up his shaft, wet noses and tongues teasing him and each other. When they reached the tip, they swapped him from one mouth to another and Anna felt Jax’s fingers dig into her scalp. Will took hold of Jax’s cock and slapped it against Anna’s cheek. Jax uttered a stuttering groan. “Jeee…sus.” Will knocked Jax behind his knees and brought him down to the floor of the shower. Will lay on his back beneath him, legs up the shower wall, his mouth around Jax’s cock. That left Jax’s mouth poised over Will’s cock and Anna was confronted by a tempting backside. Oh God, could she? She spread her hands over Jax’s wet cheeks and watched his asshole flutter. Will’s face emerged between Jax’s legs and nodded to the rail above her. Anna looked up and saw the lube. Jax groaned as Will went back to sucking his cock. Anna grabbed the lube and knelt. She kissed the little dimples on Jax’s lower back and then moved down the crease of his backside, her mouth, then tongue sliding down the dark line. Jax’s quiver and gasping breath pulled her deeper. The puckered entrance to his body flexed under her touch and she pressed the tip of her tongue against him. Will’s hand reached back to caress her breast and when he flicked her nipple the tip of her tongue slid into Jax’s asshole. The deep groan urged her on and she teased and taunted, advanced and withdrew as she worked her tongue deeper inside Jax. “Oh God, Anna, you’re killing me,” Jax gasped. “Both of you. Christ.” She teased a little longer then lubed her fingers and slid one inside him, pushing gently until her knuckle popped through the restrictive muscle and sucked her in. Anna curled her finger and felt a rounded gland, a walnut-shaped bump, and from the way he bucked and groaned, Anna guessed it was Jax’s prostate. Oh, she liked teasing. “Pulsing or pressure?” she asked. “Pressure,” Jax gasped. Anna kept her finger steady while Jax enveloped Will’s dick in his mouth.

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More lube, two of Anna’s fingers and Jax gasped around Will’s cock. Anna pressed harder and moments later Jax stiffened with a hoarse cry. She clamped her thighs together as a ripple of contractions fluttered through her pussy. Jax bent his head to Will’s cock and Anna pulled her fingers free to wash them under the flow. Will reached back to grab her hips and she rubbed his arms as he came into Jax’s mouth. For a moment no one moved, then Jax swiveled to sit with his back to the glass wall and Will swung his legs down and sat up. He reached for Anna, pulled her into his arms and scooted so the three of them were tight together, legs entwined, arms linked under the water. Will landed a kiss on Anna’s neck, nuzzled into the ticklish area under her ear. “I love you,” he said, then kissed Jax on the lips. “I love you both.” Anna felt Jax stiffen and then relax again. “I’d never been in love until I met you,” he said to Jax. “Now I don’t think I could live without you. I love you for finding Anna. No matter what the future holds, thank you for what we have now.” “I love you both too,” Anna said. “This just feels right. I’m the luckiest person in the world.” Jax pulled himself out of their arms, stood up and stepped from the shower. Will sighed. Jax’s reaction hadn’t surprised him but it had Anna. Her eyes were wide as she watched Jax grab a towel and stalk out of the room. She pushed herself up. “Leave him. He’ll be okay,” Will said. “No.” Anna stepped out of the shower, wiped off the excess water, dropped the towel and left the room. Will turned off the shower and followed. Jax sat on the far side of the bed with his back toward them. Anna crawled up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her off. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t we allowed to love you?” she asked. Will’s heart was pogo-ing between his throat and his stomach. Anna got off the bed and dropped to her knees at Jax’s feet. “Talk to me.” “You are allowed to love me,” he said in a quiet voice. Will sat on the bed behind him. “But you can’t let yourself love us,” Anna said. Jax jumped up. “Hey, I like you both. I like you a lot. But love…” He began to pace, then stopped and leaned against the wall, looking back at them. “What happened?” Anna asked. Jax gave a short laugh. “Now I know why I avoided bringing a woman into this. You don’t know when to leave things alone.” He glared at Will. “Ganging up on me?” 177

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“Jax, don’t,” Anna said. “I was in love once.” Jax tipped his head back against the wall. “Her name was Samantha—Sam. I told her that I loved her and she took it to mean we should be a couple and not a threesome. Mike, the guy I’d been with for over a year before I met her, heard some of the conversation but not all of it. He thought I wanted her and not him. His body was found in the river the next day. He’d been drinking so it could have been an accident and not suicide. I’ll never know.“ He gulped air. Will was horrified he hadn’t known. “So it’s safer not to say you love someone, not to trust them with your heart,” Anna said. “I trust Will.” Jax looked straight at him and Will felt a flutter of comfort. “You love him,” Anna said. “You just won’t say it.” Jax’s breathing grew ragged. “You’re being very selfish, Jax,” Anna said. He glared at her. “I’m not fucking selfish. I’m the least selfish person I know.” “Not over this.” Anna moved to sit on the bed next to Will. Will took her hand. “Leave it, Anna.” She shook her head. “This isn’t going to work if you’re not honest, Jax. If you don’t love me, I don’t want to move in. It’s too hard unless I have your heart and you have mine. I took a chance. Now it’s your turn.” A pain sprang up behind Will’s eyes. Anna had forced this confrontation and although he wanted Jax to answer, Will felt walls tumbling around him. “Come here,” Anna said in a quiet voice. Will looked at Jax. One long minute and then Jax took a step toward her. Will’s heart sighed in relief. Anna grabbed Jax’s hand and pulled him onto the bed. Will slipped onto his other side. “I could torture it out of you,” Anna whispered. As the smile spread across Jax’s face, Will’s heart began to beat faster. Jax gave a little chuckle. Will pulled the towel from around Jax’s waist and tossed it aside. He snuggled up to his back and pressed his face against his neck. Anna pressed in on the other side. They lay down together in each other’s arms. “It’s okay to be vulnerable sometimes,” Anna whispered. “It doesn’t shackle you to us. You’re hiding, Jax, and there’s no need to hide from people who love you.” Anna hoped she’d not gone too far but she’d spoken the truth. They had to love each other for this to work. She stared into Jax’s eyes and didn’t look away. He sighed, leaned forward and gave her such a deep kiss, he stole the breath from her throat and

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shiver of arousal buzzed in her pussy. She hooked her leg over them both and Will caught her heel. Already soaked with cream, Anna’s swollen lips opened to Jax’s nudging cock. He thrust so deeply into her, it felt as though he’d reached her throat. She struggled to draw a breath. The sensations that raced through her body overpowered everything but the need to come, but she forced the urge back. He opened his mouth and Anna gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and glanced at Will. Jax gave a tiny nod and she smiled. She shouldn’t be the one to hear the words first. “Bottom or top?” Jax asked. “Bottom but don’t crush me,” Anna said. “What? Our finely honed bodies?” Will said. Jax rolled so Anna lay beneath him, his cock still embedded inside her. He supported himself on his arms and pressed his knees into the mattress. “You’re so wet and soft,” Jax whispered. Anna clenched her pelvic muscles and he groaned, then laughed. “And tight,” he added. She watched Will spread lube over his cock, smoothing the clear jelly along his length then wiping his fingers in the cleft of Jax’s backside. As he pressed against Jax’s asshole, Anna felt the change in Jax’s body. She brought her legs over Will’s hips as he began to slowly thrust. As Will drove into Jax, Jax moved his cock deeper into Anna, stretching her tight muscles and making her moan. Her clit throbbed, already engorged, teased out of its hood by the silky wreath of hair around his dick. Two faces looked down at her, still wet from the shower, and bright liquid desire flooded her pussy. Will moved harder and faster into Jax who slammed his cock harder and faster into Anna. Will groaned against Jax’s neck and Jax changed the angle of his thrust. “Oooh, don’t stop doing that,” Anna gasped. His engorged cock had stroked some place different inside her and Anna’s fingers raked Will’s back as Jax slid his arms beneath her to hold her. Jax pumped faster and faster, driving the entire length of his thick cock in and out, time after time. Every movement pulled Anna toward the sky. A rocket rising, waiting for the moment of explosion. “Will, harder,” Jax cried. “Oh God.” With a loud roar, Will made one final, bone-wrenching thrust and his body stiffened, arms and legs locking. At the same time as Will jetted into Jax, Jax spurted into Anna like a burst water main, an unstoppable stream of cum filling her pussy. Anna’s rocket had finally detonated and starbursts of color exploded behind her eyes, lightning flashes of electric bliss shooting down every nerve as she wailed with the sheer, damn joy of it. Then she was between them instead of beneath them and they were showering her with kisses, showering each other with kisses. Jax caught hold of Will’s head.

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“Will,” Jax said. “I do love you. I’m s—” Will didn’t let Jax finish. One set of lips stopped by another and Anna lay squashed in the middle. She’d never been happier. Jax pulled her up and kissed her gently. “Anna, I love you too.” No, she was wrong. Now, she’d never been happier. The End

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About the Author Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide. After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop. Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write. The author welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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