Hungry Like the Wolf

Hungry Like the Wolf By Mandy Monroe

© copyright by Mandy Monroe, October 2010 Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, October 2010 ISBN 978-1-60394-464-9 New Concepts Publishing Lake Park, GA 31636 www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One With a stifled gasp, Nicole pushed back her desk chair and got up stiffly from her seat to rub her now numb butt. Wryly shaking her head, she grimaced as the deluge of pins and needles assailed her from, what felt like, head to toe. As the annoying prickling tingles attacked her lower limbs, she took a few stumbling steps from her worktop and gingerly stretched her foot en pointe in the vain hope that the uncomfortable needle-like sensation would soon dissipate. As it began to wane, she sighed gratefully and wandered over to the first of the three windows in the farthest corner of the room. She'd tried to make this room as comfortable and pleasing to the eye as possible and to a point, she'd actually succeeded. The entire office was calming and soothing, free from clutter and prepared for the work she had to do. The room was square shaped and while blandly painted in a dark beige and sparsely furnished, its focal point was the three windows on the east wall. The plainness of the room was

accentuated by the lush views of the outside world, but the two complimented each other. The simplicity of the atmosphere didn't detract from the earthy garden. Looking out on to a leafy yard, filled with trees and old oaks, it was a perfectly lovely view and one she appreciated immensely. Red leaves fluttered to the ground, autumn having turned the once bright green foliage to a more somber shade. Really, the yard needed raking, but a part of her loved the messiness of it. It reminded her of being in a park and kicking her way through the deep piles of leaves. Sighing, Nicole realized she hadn't done anything so playful or childlike in a very long time. A part of her longed to go outside and make angel shapes on the loamy ground, but she held back. Was this why Joe had sought succor from another, younger woman? Was it because she was boring? As the pins and needles abated, she flexed her muscles a little and sighed again. Glaring mutinously out of the window, she march out of her office and down the hall. Opening the door, she let it bang unheeded against the wall and marched outside. With a cry of laughter, feeling exuberant about giving in to the urge she'd had before, she launched herself into the huge pile of leaves and began to move her arms and legs to create an angel. Angel now completed, she lay in the disbanded pile of leaves for a moment. Staring upwards through the densely packed branches, she saw the bright blue sky and the gleaming pure white clouds that mocked the season. It was hard to believe that it was autumn. She supposed that this was one of the perks of working at home. All her family believed her to have a quaint job and to a point, they were correct. It was convenient, but still damned hard work. Just because she didn't have to work from 9-5 they considered her job to be less of a pain. They considered it to be less of a chore-hardly deserving to be considered work. Working irregular hours didn't mean that she never had to work. She still had to put the same amount of hours into her job. It was impossible telling them that though. They were stuck in their ways and refused to see her work as a real job. At this moment in time though, she didn't care. For the first time in a long while, she took advantage of the fact that she didn't have to work from 9-5, that she could work when she wanted to. Perhaps it was about time that she stopped listening to her family and started listening to herself. That thought made her snort in self-disgust. She was far too much of a wimp to cut the apron strings. Her family worked on the principle that what Mama wanted, Mama got. What Mama believed, be it true or false, was always correct. A true matriarch, Nicole's mother would never allow her to cut the family ties. Scrunching her nose in annoyance at that train of thought, she tried to disregard it as she scrambled to her feet, cleaning up as best she could before turning to look down at her work of art. With a smile on her face, she headed to the kitchen to grab a soft drink from the fridge. It was an unseasonably warm day and the small burst of energy had warmed her thoroughly. She could feel small beads of sweat forming on her temples and upper lip. Her T-shirt clung damply to her back and although the fans swept gustily overhead, they didn't cool her down any. Finally reaching the refrigerator, she grabbed a drink, popped the top, and sighed in relief as the cool refreshing liquid soothed her overheated body. As she drank, a guilty thought popped into her head. Unconsciously, a blush started to form on her cheeks, and she clenched her eyes tightly shut. She had no business thinking about the men working upstairs-not the things she'd been thinking, for God's sake! The ink was barely dry on her divorce papers and, truthfully, she still

felt married, felt guilty about having lustful thoughts about men not her husband. Her Mama certainly considered her to still be a married woman. It felt wrong to think about the builders and the carpenters upstairs on the third floor. Well, it wasn't wrong just to think about them. It was wrong to think about them with no clothes on and sweat gleaming on their work-hardened and muscularly taut bodies, particularly so because they were all younger than she was. It was wrong to think of Hugh, the foreman, and his brother, Byron, with nothing but their tool belts on and everything else laid bare to her lustful gaze. She gulped when the images refused to go away and took another sip of her drink, feeling hotter than before. Unable to help herself, her mind crafted a perfectly detailed mental image of what they would look like with no clothes on and with the heat from the day settling against their skin, creating a glistening expanse of delicious flesh. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she bowed her head against that glorious image and bit her lip uncertainly. She cleared her throat in a vain attempt to clear the image from her mind and began to tap her fingers against the can. There was nothing wrong, surely, with checking on their progress? If, at the same time, she happened to glance over Hugh and Byron, then that was her prerogative, wasn't it? No one else knew what had been running through her mind, thank God. She could peruse them in silence and without their knowledge or awareness that she was checking them out. Starting up the carpeted stairs, she quickly reached the second floor hallway. The staircase was open so that when you looked over the banister and either up or down, you could see what was happening on the three different floors. As she began climbing to the third floor, she hesitated as Hugh's husky yet strong timbre rang throughout the floor above and filtered into the stairwell. Feeling a little guilty at unintentionally eavesdropping, she took another hesitant step upwards, reasoning that he wouldn't be speaking so loudly if he didn't want other people to hear. It obviously wasn't a private conversation! "...Yeah and the damn woman had the audacity to say that I was at fault! I mean she practically wore me out- wanted to fuck at least four times a day, sometimes more. She was insatiable and I had no problem with that- what man would? But to fuck other men, as well? How much sex did she need, for fuck's sake?" "She must have been a nymphomaniac, Hugh. You lucky bastard!" "Lucky? Who knows what the fuck I could have caught from her! Hell, that's why I had to get tested. She could have been riddled with all kinds of disease and even with our constitutions and immune systems, we're not totally infallible. I can't believe that all that time she was literally fucking me over, putting my damned health at risk, damn crazy woman!" "Don't make out like you're hurt. If anything is hurting you, it's your dented ego and pride. She was as much your fuck-toy as you were hers. Sure it's battered your dignity a little, but at least you didn't love her. Better a bruised ego than a bruised heart, you narcissistic prick." The voice was deep and had a husky timber to it. Although she wasn't one hundred percent sure, she thought it belonged to Hugh's brother, Byron. She doubted that Hugh would have allowed any of his employees to speak to him in such a nonchalant and disrespectful way, so it just had to be him. "Thanks for the loving support, oh brother mine!" Hugh muttered wryly. "But none of that makes her actions right. If I fucked someone else, which by the way I didn't when we were together, I would have used a condom. She never wanted to use a condom with me. She said she didn't want to and told me she was on the pill besides. So, if she didn't use one with me, she wouldn't have used one with anyone else. I wouldn't be surprised if that was a fucking lie, as

well. I swear she'd completely lost it. I should be grateful I'm not a father for all the care she'd taken with her body!" he complained, the irritation he felt evident in his tone of voice. "When did you get the results back?" "Ten days ago and thank fuck I'm all clear. It's taken all this time to establish that I'm completely free of everything. I bet if we hadn't split up over eighteen months ago, I wouldn't be so damned lucky! She could have been around the whole state by now!" "What made her call you last night?" Byron questioned curiously. "She was bored and wanted to fuck me. Those are not my words, mind you, but hers. I told her that I'd only just managed to ascertain that I was free from all STD's and that I didn't feel like having to go through that whole procedure again." "I bet she loved that," Byron said with a chuckle. "Do I look like I give a fuck?" Hugh said, laughing coldly. "I just wish I'd realized what kind of person she really was in the first place." "Don't look so damned martyred. You enjoyed her 'sluttish' ways and don't deny it. I agree it was out of order for her to cheat and not use protection, but what's done is done, man. Get over it or I'll start thinking that you want to be with her again," Byron warned teasingly. "Prick," Hugh muttered, his voice quieter and less aggravated now. "You love me really, brother dear." "Good fucking job. How long till this project is done, do you reckon? He was on the phone again last night, damned jerk. He wants a detailed estimation of time restraints. Fuck, I'll be glad to be out of this place. The man makes my flesh crawl." "Yeah, it freaks me out that he can watch us. It's the first time I've been caught on camera without my pants around my ankles," Byron joked. Hugh's booming laugh reverberated around the walls at that comment. Despite herself, Nicole felt like she was being embraced by his show of humor. "Yeah, well, I don't know what Nicole sees in that guy. There's something perverted about the way he watches us. Dirty old man." It should have hurt or at least shocked her that the workmen Joe had hired to fix the house were bitching about him. But she had to agree, it was creepy for him to have installed cameras. And, yes, since he'd cheated on her and left her she'd called him a bastard more times that she would like to recall. But, she'd gone along with it when he'd talked about installing the cameras in the house because, in his own words, it was to 'Insure that he wasn't being taken to the cleaners by cowboy builders.' Rolling her eyes as she could almost hear him saying that in that tone of voice he always used when he was talking to her as if she didn't have enough sense to realize something that to him was as plain as day, she leaned closer to the banister to listen more carefully. "They're divorced, didn't you hear?" Flinching as the stark state of her situation was laid bare to all of the workers, she cringed. She couldn't help but think if they knew that much that they must also have heard why she was divorced-because Joe had managed to get some woman pregnant. She wouldn't have felt so-discarded if it had been anything but that, wouldn't have felt like a complete failure. Her mother had often told her during their marriage that Joe was a good man and a good husband. She knew that her mother wasn't pleased with this latest turn of events. Personally, over their fifteen year marriage, she'd often thought that wedding herself to Joe for life had been a complete and utter mistake, a disaster from start to finish. Since their separation, her mother had done nothing but reiterate that Joe was a good husband, that he'd

always provided for her and helped their entire family when times were hard. So, she could recognize that there were good points and, she supposed glumly, that was the real reason she wanted him back, the reason she hadn't completely accepted the divorce, however final, because she couldn't stand the thought of not being able to help her family out when they needed it. As she tuned back into the conversation, she heard Hugh. "No! Really? She finally left the bastard?" Hugh's voice had a definite spark of interest and curiosity in it. "Uh, no, actually. He dumped her. Apparently he'd been fucking some beach bunny and wound up getting her pregnant." "Damn, he's more of a bastard than I thought! Why the fuck would any man cheat on a woman like Nicole?" "The hell if I know. Have you seen her breasts? And that ass!" Byron exclaimed before moaning lustfully. Hugh laughed in agreement. "It's perfect for an ass-fuck," Hugh admitted throatily. A shock wave traveled through Nicole. Eyes flaring wide open at that extremely bold statement, Nicole fought the desire to run down the stairs and back to her office right then and there. It was difficult to not clear her throat in embarrassment and harder still to remain where she was and maintain absolute silence. Her cheeks started to flare bright red, and she could feel the burning heat flush her face. The most feminine part of her was pleasantly surprised that they both obviously found her attractive, but, at the same time, it was highly discomforting to know that her workmen knew the detailed ins and outs of her personal life and her marriage. She fanned her hands in front of her in an attempt to try and cool her face down. She was so focused on how mortified she was that several minutes passed before she realized that they weren't talking any more. With a grimace, she realized that now that they'd stopped talking, they would definitely hear her footsteps on the stairs and probably come to investigate if she tried to high tail it back to her room instead of going up to view their progress on the upstairs. They would undoubtedly draw the conclusion that she had overheard some of their little talk. The only option open to her was to continue on up the stairs and face them calmly and coolly. She was several years older than both of them. Surely she could remain collected enough to be in the same room as them despite what she'd heard, for a few minutes at any rate. She wasn't such a jackass that two men, gorgeous as they both were, could make her tongue tied! Or was she? Could she actually stand in front of those men and pretend as if she hadn't just overheard their conversation? Sure, she wouldn't be tongue tied, but she knew that the flush that had crept over her cheeks had yet to dissipate, and she didn't have to look in a mirror to know that all the emotions that the men's conversation had inspired were written all over her face. Sure it would be hard to tell what she was feeling since she was also having a hard time analyzing it, a confusing mixture of lust, embarrassment and a reciprocal attraction seemed to be warring inside of her. Deciding to take the safest option, Nicole spun as quietly as she possibly could on her heel and crept down the stairs. She headed back to her home office and made sure that her work had been saved before shutting the computer down. Her mind was buzzing with all kinds of disturbing thoughts, and she knew that she wouldn't get any work done in this state of mind. Switching the screen off, she headed to the connecting door to her bedroom. Seeking the comfort that only her bed could provide, she lay down and began to stare at the ceiling. The blank canvas of her bedroom was neither soothing nor constricting. It offered no answers to the turbulent questions that were oscillating through her very being.

Was it wrong to want three men at once? She wasn't sure if she loved Joe anymore. Even though he wasn't still technically her husband, they'd been married for fifteen years and it felt disloyal to even think about wanting another man. There was no harm in still wanting him, but wanting Hugh and Byron? That was beyond wrong, it was just plain sinful. She tried to think about how she would feel if Joe was there. She knew that if he were, she wouldn't be feeling any lust. He had never really stirred sexual need or burning desire in her. There was a comfort to being with Joe. Being nearly fifteen years older than her, she knew she'd chosen him because she'd seen him as sort of a parental figure. What she felt for the two men upstairs was so beyond the feelings that Joe inspired in her that it actually frightened her. She hadn't realized that she could feel so much. Shivering a little, not sure why she felt cold now when she'd been hot all day, she sat up and tucked herself under the bed covers. Consumed with her thoughts, she didn't hear the knock on the office door or the footsteps inside her office. She almost jumped out of her skin when her bedroom door opened and Byron popped his head around it. He looked startled to see her sitting in her bed. "Nicole, are you alright?" Byron asked, concern softening his voice and making his eyes glow warmly. She shook her head at him a little more fervently than she'd intended. "Y-yes, y-yes. Of course. I'm fine. Is there something I can help you with, Byron?" She damned herself for quavering at the start but was somewhat mollified to have eventually sounded steady. "No," he said and hesitated briefly before replying, "Well, if you're alright, there is something. I just brought this list of materials by. We need your approval before taking it to the lumber yard. With Joe not being here . . . well, I need you to sign for it. You're almost always at your computer now, are you sure you're not ill?" he asked, pausing. "Your eyes . . . they look a little glassy. Do you feel okay?" She swallowed a little uncomfortably. "No need to worry, Byron, I'm fine. I just thought I'd take a nap. I've been working hard recently, and I haven't been sleeping all that well. That's all that's wrong," she quietly whispered. He looked a little doubtful but approached her and handed her the list, smiling at her as she signed the material list before leaving her to the peace and quiet of her room. Dammit! Why did he have to be so good looking? Why did Hugh have to be so good looking, as well? It was too terrible for words to have such gorgeous men always about the place. Hugh and Byron were devilishly handsome men, and, when the two were together, it was a stunning sight to behold. Despite her renewed embarrassment as she recalled the brothers' earlier conversation, she felt her body throb with need. But seconds later the sensation was quashed by the thought of Joe and her mother's insistence that they get back together. Her thoughts felt overcrowded, and it was hard to be rational when her life felt as though it had reached the rock bottom. Tapping her fingers on the bedspread, she bit her lip as she considered the next actions to take. As ridiculous as it sounded, her mother wanted her to get back with Joe. Whether she wanted it herself was another matter entirely. Closing her eyes against the horrible truth, she sucked in a steadying breath. Although her mother told her it was for her own good that she get back with Joe, she knew that it was primarily for selfish reasons. Joe had been supporting her family ever since they'd gotten married by getting them out of scrapes with the law, by paying off mortgage arrears that the family couldn't handle. The list just went on and on. She knew that her mother didn't want the gravy train to end. She wasn't completely blind to her mother's faults!

At the same time, she knew, knew, that Joe wouldn't get back with her unless she sparked his interest in her as a woman once more. She wasn't unfortunate looking, and, as annoying and unsettling as it was, she also knew, because she'd been told often enough, that she exuded an aura of innocence that made men want to corrupt her. Her figure was decent. She'd always had to work hard at it to keep it that way, especially in the last few years because all the hours at the computer had taken their toll... but she thought she had curves in all the appropriate places. There was no reason for Joe to find her wholly unattractive. To a point, she knew that she was equally at fault for the breakdown of their marriage. She'd lost as much interest in him as he had in her, so she had to shake things up a bit. When she recalled the conversation that Hugh and Byron had had about the cameras, a crazy idea began to take shape in her mind's eye. The surveillance system was entirely visual. There was no audio. She'd watched some porn once, where a woman's husband had watched her fuck some strange guy who had come to their house to fix or deliver something. Maybe, if she did the same, maybe if she added some spice to their admittedly lacking bedroom department, he would want to come back to her? Sometimes all it took for Joe was for someone to want something of his for him to remember why he wanted it. Maybe if he saw that another man found her attractive enough to have sex with, his interest in her would be renewed. Or was all of that just wishful thinking? Sighing a little morosely because of the situation she found herself in, she sat up and looked out of the window for a moment. Did she really want to go to such extremes to turn her ex-husband on? Was it madness to assume that after seeing what she'd done he'd want her again? She really didn't know. What she did know, however, was that if she could get Byron and Hugh, just one of them to fuck her, then she herself would feel a whole hell of a lot better. Whether she succeeded in getting Joe back, at least she'd have an experience worth remembering! Both deliciously luscious, they were any woman's idea of the perfect man. Hugh was tall, around 6'1'', his body was taut and muscled. Atypical of a man that worked hard and used his hands while pushing his body to the extreme. One day, about a week ago, she'd watched him surreptitiously out of the corner of her eye as he'd stripped off his shirt. It had been hard not to start drooling. His body was enough to make a woman weep! His black hair was several inches long in the back but cut shorter at the sides for ease of wear. It swept behind his ears and gave him an almost poetic look, like a hero from a fairytale, with navy-blue eyes that pierced you right to the soul and sun-browned skin that looked as tasty as molasses. Byron on the other hand, was a little smaller and probably somewhere around 5'11''. His body was slightly smaller than Hugh's, but not overly so. In his own way, his body was hard from his work, but he was slender. Every move was packed with masculine vitality, and he exuded a raw earthiness that made her pussy beg for attention. His hair was thick and dark brown, cut similarly to Hugh's, but his eyes were an exotic green and the combination of the color of his hair, eyes, and skin, was just a match made in heaven. Those eyes, they seemed to penetrate her to the very core of her being. What woman wouldn't want the chance to fuck them? Plus her eavesdropping had informed her that they found her, or at least parts of her, attractive. Surely there would be no harm in propositioning them? Worst case scenario was that they would say no, and, if it came down to it, she could give them something for their trouble, maybe some financial compensation. The thought made her squirm as she felt as though she was relying on a gigolo. However

uncomfortable and guilty it made her feel, what she was planning to do wasn't cheating. Joe had made it clear that they were through and that he'd moved on. But how would he feel knowing she'd been with another man? Just knowing that Joe had been with another woman raised her hackles, mostly because he'd done it behind her back instead of calling their marriage quits and then sleeping with her. No, she thought as she tried to build up courage to go and proposition the men, she would do this and get Joe back. She could learn to forgive him for what he'd done. Her mother was right. She should not let fifteen years of marriage go up in smoke over nothing, not when it meant that the well-being of her entire family was in danger. She had to think about more than herself. Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was almost quitting time. Resolutely, she climbed off the bed and headed over to her wardrobe. Pulling out a low cut T-shirt that accentuated her breasts and the curve of her waist, while looking extremely casual, she quickly changed, and, with the force of momentum keeping her going, she walked out of her bedroom and into the office. Rummaging through her emergency stash of cash, she grabbed a couple hundred dollars and stuffed them into her back pocket. She was unable to control the damned blush that overtook her at the thought of paying men for services rendered. It was ridiculous for her to feel that way. My god, she was almost thirty-five. By this time in her life nothing should embarrass her, and yet it got away with her something fierce. Running up the steps almost two at a time, she soon reached the third floor and looked curiously at the progress before she scanned the rooms for one of the brothers. Her breath hitched in her chest as she watched Hugh picking up some tools and transferring them to the toolbox in front of him. She watched him as he examined the work completed by his crew. Seeing that aura of responsibility, that mantel of control, just made her shiver in pleasure. What woman didn't appreciate a man's man? Stepping forward and clearing her throat to get his attention was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do in her entire life. Never had she propositioned a man. She just wasn't the type. And, for the entirety of her twenties, she'd been married, so she hadn't had any kind of practice talking with men in nearly two decades! Her nerves were rattling a corrosive path through her, but she realized, since all other attempts had failed, that if she wanted the spark in her marriage to return, then she was going to have to go to the extreme. And there was nothing more extreme than this! After all, the reality was that this was the only way she could actually contact Joe at all. He watched the videos to ensure he wasn't being ripped off by the Jakman brothers. Whereas he'd stopped all contact with her weeks ago. She had received no response either by email or phone for at least a month or two. Probably this endeavor wouldn't succeed in rekindling Joe's feelings of love for her, but there was a distinct possibility that it would rile his possessive instincts and make him jealous. Clearing her throat, she watched Hugh spin around a little warily. His body had tensed and, seeing it, made her eyebrows rise. It reminded her of an animal whose hackles had risen. She frowned but walked further into the room despite his aggressive stance and, sticking her fingers in her jeans' pockets, murmured, "You're almost done here, aren't you, Hugh?" "Yes, ma'am." She sighed wearily. "I thought I asked you to call me Nicole." She wanted to snap at him for calling her ma'am. Ma'am made her feel about twenty years older than him, not the actual relatively small gap of around four or five years!

"Okay, Nicole," he said, his voice seeming to deepen as he spoke her name. It added another texture to his already husky voice. "Yes, we're almost finished. We've mostly just got the aesthetics to deal with now." "Good," she said as she stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm. Curling her fingers around his strong forearm, she had to hold back the shivers of reaction that pervaded her from that one small touch. The rasp of his body air on the sensitive plain of her palm was like setting a burning match to dry timber. "Is something wrong, Nicole?" he said, frowning at her. His eyes revealed a certain amount of bewilderment at her actions. "No," she said, compounding her response with the shake her head before tilting it and looking up at him questioningly. "Do I have sawdust on my face or something?" he joked and teasingly quirked an eyebrow at her. "No," she murmured quietly. Her jittery nerves had abated somewhat. Looking into his eyes, she realized that she wanted to do this, no matter the outcome. But, actually spitting it out, telling him what she wanted, was a little more difficult than she'd expected! "O-k-a-y," he said, drawing the syllables out in his confusion at her behavior. "I have to ask you something," she said, mumbling a little. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply. "Hugh, I was wondering if you or your brother would be interested in helping me make Joe jealous?" As soon as the words were out of Nicole's mouth, the entire room seemed to become deathly quiet in shock. Hugh stared at her a little blankly and wondered what the hell he'd just been asked. She wanted him or Byron to fuck her to make her bastard ex jealous? Did she have no self-respect where that prick was concerned? Should he be offended or take it as a compliment? He frowned down at her, but almost immediately his expression softened. Fuck, she was beautiful. Maybe not conventionally so, but the features of her face were delicate, with big green eyes that seemed to take over her face. High cheekbones were covered with taut pale skin that was so fine and fragile you could see the blue of her veins underneath it at times. Her hair was long, brown, and had reddish tints in it, and he longed to grasp that length of hair. He longed to curl it around his wrist, forcing her head back with the force of his grasp as he pumped his cock into her. His eyes flared at her suggestively. Hearing her shocked gasp and quick inhalation made him smile. She was nervous. He'd sensed that before she'd even stepped into the damned room. Her heart had been beating ten to the dozen and his keen wolf senses that had saved his ass many a time had told him that whatever she was nervous about was a big deal. He'd been cautious when she'd first approached him, unsure of what she wanted. Never in a million years had he expected this! For the last thirteen months of this job, he'd had to control himself around Nicole. Something about her, something in her look and her seeming innocence drew him to her. She inspired a whole host of emotions in him that both shocked and, to a point, concerned him. At the start of the job, she'd been married and had been completely untouchable, but now that she was free … the matter needed more contemplation. **** Damning his brother's perfectionist ways, Byron Jakman grabbed the toolkit from the back of his truck. Every day they went through this routine and every day it bored him silly.

Grabbing it, he began his return trip to the top floor of the house. As he looked around on his way up, he realized that it would be weird not working here. Thirteen months was a damned long job. The house had been a complete wreck. It had needed a complete renovation which was why they'd been here for over a year now. It would be strange to not look out for a peek at Nicole's ass or watch her bend over and unknowingly reveal the luscious twin globes of her breasts as they almost spilled out of whatever insubstantial top she was wearing. Her complete unawareness of her own sexual appeal both amused and touched him. There was something extremely innocent about her, although he knew she was no virgin. Hell, she'd been married for fifteen years and Joe Durst might be a prick, but he wasn't dead. Frowning, he realized that he would miss her and how strange was that? Shaking his head at the unusual path his thoughts had taken, he slowed his pace as he considered why he felt like that. It wasn't as though he had anything to truly miss! As he reached the third set of stairs, Byron tilted his head to the side as he heard voices coming from the top floor. The rest of the crew had left an hour ago, so it had to be Hugh and Nicole talking. He crept up to the room and stood outside listening to Nicole's long silences and Hugh's discomforted jokes. Byron totally understood Hugh's dilemma. Nicole had always been friendly but had never made a point to be overly chatty or talkative with them. She would make conversation but she'd never sought them out for anything but work. And whatever was on her mind sure didn't sound like work! He leaned a little closer to the door and almost choked on his tongue as he heard her say, "Hugh, I was wondering if you or your brother would be interested in helping me make Joe jealous?" **** Could she have made a deeper mess of this situation? The man was looking at her as if she was a moron. A frown had overtaken the raw perfection of his features, and, as the earlier image of an animal with raised hackles came to mind, she almost took a hesitant step backwards, but in a matter of seconds the intimidating expression of his face was gone, replaced by his usual stoic demeanor. Despite his earlier conversation with Byron, there was a distinct possibility that he didn't find her attractive. Maybe men discussed all women like that? She knew how indiscreet they could be. Maybe he'd just been bull-shitting with his brother as a joke or it was just playful banter or something. She was older than him. Maybe that was a problem. Self-consciously, she sucked her tummy in and tensed the muscles in her butt. Then damned herself for trying to improve her appearance. She knew he was stunned by her suggestion, which was why she wasn't surprised by his reaction. "Could you clarify what you meant by that, please, Nicole?" he asked, clearing his throat a tad nervously. She tried to control her embarrassment, tried to talk to him like the mature woman she was, but, around him, she felt as though she reverted to a silly, giddy teenage school girl. Crossing her left arm over her waist, she clutched at her right elbow. Then, realizing how telling that body language was, she immediately dropped her arms and looked at his forehead so she

didn't have to look into his piercing blue eyes. "I think we both know what I mean, Hugh," she whispered softly. His hand came up to reach for her chin, and he tilted her face slightly lower, until her eyes met his, so that she couldn't hide from that penetrating gaze. "I need clarification, Nicole." She ground her teeth in annoyance. "Dammit, Hugh. I want you to fuck me in front of the cameras so that Joe will be jealous!" Her voice rang out loud and clear in the empty room, and she cringed at how it sounded. I'd be willing to pay you for your time," she added in a rush, hoping to stall any objections. Surreptitiously, she grabbed the rolled up bills, hiding them in her palm before placing her hand down Hugh's jeans' pocket, hoping against hope that their little transaction hadn't been picked up on camera. "Nicole!" he muttered in confusion, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from his crotch. "What? I need your help, Hugh. If you don't want to, maybe Byron will?" "Why are you doing this?" "Because he's my husband, Hugh. What do you expect me to do? Just let him go? Look, I just need you to pretend to be smitten with me. If the idea of sleeping with me is so repulsive, then you don't have to do that. But, please, just pretend. We both know that Joe checks out the cameras to see how the project is coming along. I can't contact him, he won't reply to my emails ...." "Nicole," he interrupted her gruffly. She watched his lips as they mouthed her name and almost sighed at the perfection of that cupid's bow and the full lower lip that merely enhanced his masculine beauty. Having never been particularly fond of her name, not having appreciated being named after some dead singer from the 60's, she realized that when Hugh said it, it was beautiful. Looking into his eyes, she gulped a little and saw his smile light up those blue orbs before it even touched his mouth. A dimple came out to play in his left cheek, and, God help her, she wanted to put her tongue right there. "I'd be more than happy to help you with your problem." "Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes in relief. Then, before he could say anything else, she quickly backed away from him and nodded farewell to him. Running through the door, she headed out into the hallway and started down the stairs. Almost running into Byron, she jumped back as though burned. He smiled peculiarly at her, and her cheeks flushed uncomfortably. Ducking her head, she moved out of his way and ran back to the safe haven of her office. "Did I hear that conversation right?" Byron asked as he walked into the room with Hugh. Hugh looked up blankly. "You heard then?" he muttered uncomfortably, shaking his head a little at Byron. "Yeah." "I can't believe that. I feel like I'm in a parallel universe. She actually paid me." "Do you feel like a hooker now?" Byron teased then ducked when Hugh aimed a fist at his shoulder. "Fuck you." Hugh looked around the bare bones of the room and frowned at what had just happened. It seemed surreal yet, at the same time, a chance to be with her. Obviously, she wanted her husband back, but he was sure he'd seen a sliver of doubt in that emerald gaze of hers. She'd looked at him with such passion, such need, such desire that he felt like there was something

deeper going on. But he couldn't be sure. Maybe she just wanted to get back with her husband. He shook his head at the folly of women. That she wanted Joe Durst back was completely bizarre to him. He didn't understand it. The man was a lech, a dirty old man, and, if Hugh hadn't received almost seventy-five percent down-payment for the job, there would've been no way in hell he would've started to work for the creep. A part of him was annoyed that she only considered him good enough to toy with to ingratiate herself into her husband's good books again. But then, it wasn't her fault that she still wanted Joe. He'd seen some of the doubts, seen her desire for him, and knew she was both vulnerable and confused. He couldn't understand why a beautiful woman like that would want to stay with a man that cheated on her. It seemed extremely odd to him, but then women were a complete puzzle to him. Women always seemed to want the bastards. The sorry mother fuckers who treated them like shit. And the women just loved it, loved them. But the good guys? They were just treated like shit in general. **** With sleepy eyes, Nicole gazed blearily out of her kitchen window. Her coffee percolator was bubbling, and she knew that her drink was almost ready. While she didn't need a caffeine boost to start the day, it had become a routine to enjoy a dark cup of coffee before she got down to work. She found that drinking the strong substance curbed her appetite somewhat and stopped her from munching on snacks throughout the day. Rubbing her eyes with a fist, she yawned then froze as she saw the crew from the Jakman Building Co. pull up outside her house. Having seen them for what felt like a thousand times before, she shouldn't have been nervous. But then, she'd never propositioned any of them before! A part of her was on tenterhooks, wondering which option Hugh would take. Would he play besotted boyfriend? Or would he take on the role of lover? A buzz of adrenaline jolted her awake at the thought, and she stared out of the window to watch both of the brothers start their work day. The men hauled their tools out of their cabs, and she heard the front door bang open as they all stomped in. The kitchen was set to the side and wasn't accessible via the front hallway, so she could wear her nightgown in comfort and not fear for her butt being wolf-whistled at by sex-obsessed builders. The coffee percolator stopped bubbling, and she turned it off. There were times when she hated this kitchen. Joe had been a selfish prick and had had it designed for his size. Considering the fact that she spent the most time in it, it hadn't made much sense to her. But then Joe had been selfish and inconsiderate at times. Joe was over the six foot mark and she was barely over the five! That meant every movement in the kitchen necessitated careful planning and the use of a sturdy stool. Whenever she did anything, she always tried to get all the tools and products she needed, otherwise she was up and down all the time and it drove her insane. She stood on her stool and started to make her coffee the way she liked it. Adding a drop of half and half and two sweeteners, she stirred it and took a deep sip of the tasty brew. Hearing a creak that was closer to home than she liked, she turned her head sharply to the kitchen door and saw that Hugh stood in the doorway. His hard body was propped up against the door frame. With his arms crossed across his wide chest and a wolfish grin on his face, he looked overtly masculine and eminently desirable. She blushed a little. She had known he might approach her, but she'd never suspected it would have been first thing the very next day! And she hadn't imagined him approaching her

when she was wearing a ratty old t-shirt! She hadn't even brushed her hair, for God's sake! She knew that she looked a mess and felt mortified that he should see her like this. "Hello," she murmured weakly, ducking her head and taking another sip of her fortifying coffee. "Good morning," Hugh replied. His voice was deep as it resonated through her, seeming to jolt against every nerve ending and creating a miniature explosion wherever it touched. Gulping, she nodded and hid her face in her large mug. Then feeling like a wimp, she turned around to face him. Looking over him in his work gear, she felt like sighing. As her gaze raked over his legs, she noticed the hard bulge at his crotch and felt like jumping for joy or shouting hosannas at the sky! "You look... overdressed," Hugh growled. "I do?" she squeaked. He nodded slowly and stepped closer to her. "Turn around so that you face the window again," he murmured sensually. Heading towards her, he stopped when he stood directly behind her, curving his body against hers so that every inch of her was pressed against him. She felt the rasp of the coarse materials of his clothes against her soft skin and a shiver overtook her. He pulled away slightly, and his hand trailed down to cover the peachy curve of her butt. His fingers delved still further down and soon she felt the 'string' of her G-string being pulled between her pussy lips. She gulped but felt the cotton of her underwear rub against her clit and a small gasp escaped her throat. Placing her hands on the counter, she bowed her head, which pushed her butt out a little. Grasping the countertop, she spread her legs a little and was rewarded by the pressure of his firm and callused fingers touching her intimately. Moaning softly, she rocked her hips and hissed as a broad finger slid along the seam of her slit. When his finger began to circle the entrance to her body, she must have made a sound of denial because he hushed her and pressed himself closer to her. The movement made the digit penetrate her a little more deeply and she let her head drop down even further. Her lower body felt both lax and tense at the same time. As that finger began to move and another one began to rub at the nubbin of her clit, she was bombarded by furious and powerful sensations of lust. She rocked her hips in time to his movements and groaned despondently when he pulled away from her. But soon she heard the slow slide of his zipper and the muffled sounds of his clothing being moved around to accommodate him. His fingers returned between her legs, and, this time, he pulled her underwear away and to the side. Intense excitement coursed through her, and, when she felt his jeans against the back of her thighs, she thought she would pass out from exhilaration. The blunt head of his cock nudged against her and when it began its long slide into her cunt, she moaned a little fearfully. Rolling her hips, she moved around a little to escape that ceaseless thrust and when finally he hit home, she groaned. He was so big, so wide, she felt spread apart, plundered by his rampaging cock. Grunting as his cock settled, she heard the satisfaction in that gesture and was pleased by

it. Despite her own nerves and discomfort and worry at his size, the most feminine part of her was immensely pleased at satisfying him. His cock spread her that wide apart that she knew her clit had escaped its small hood and whenever he moved, it pulled that flesh even tauter and with invisible fingers that fluttered over it, she felt both spiritually and physically stimulated. Moving faster now, his hips began to thrust harder and moans of pleasure/ pain escaped her at his relentless battering. When his hand moved down between her legs and began to rub her clit, the combination of the invisible fingers, his rough ones and the deep penetration made her shout out as a rush of release pervaded her every sense. Pleasure like she'd never before known seemed to ricochet throughout her body. Unable to handle it, her arms slumped and he caught her in his arms before she could hit the counter. The position pushed him deeper, causing them both to moan and soon the splash of his seed hit the walls of her womb and the silent sounds of the kitchen were invaded by the sounds of groans and heavy breathing. Dammit, Hugh swore to himself as he pulled out of her warm and welcoming body. Patting her softly on the butt, he covered himself up before lifting her from the stool and placing her weak and trembling body on the kitchen floor. Seeing how wobbly she appeared, he lifted her once more and carried her to the bedroom, where he lay her down on the bed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He watched amusedly as her eyes fluttered shut and a deep sleep overtook her. There was nothing more that he longed to do than join her and sleep with her for real, but he had work to do and for the first time since establishing his company, he resented it. Walking upstairs, he contemplated how bad a move fucking her had been. When he'd gone to greet her, it had never been his intention to make any move on her. He'd intended to return the money to her and to tell her that they were going to be making a lot of noise today. Obviously as she was now sleeping and it was his fault, there would have to be a change of plan; but he felt like kicking himself for moving so far ahead when she probably wasn't ready for that. Seeing her there though, standing on that stool, her butt exposed, the creamy flesh of her legs bared to his sight; his wolf, his beast had taken over. Had seen that curve of her ass, seen the small shade of color there which told him she'd been wearing nothing but a thong and suddenly, control was no longer his. Unable to control any part of himself, his beast had wanted to mark her with his scent. Make her his. Get that dirty old bastard's scent from her delectable body and make her retain the perfume of his own. The only part of this situation that he was pleased with, was that he'd satisfied her as no other man had. He'd seen the stunned wonder on her face, knew that her intense orgasm was the reason behind her need for sleep. Closing his eyes, he fought for control once more. The beast wanted to return, but the man held the reins this time. It pissed the wolf off that she wanted him for the sole reason to make her husband jealous and the combination of pleasure, lust and anger had riled him until he'd no longer been in charge of his own body. Now that the beast was sated, Hugh thought it would be easier to control, but that wasn't a definite. He would just have to be more careful around her. Obviously she inspired some deep emotion in him and that would have to be monitored at a later and less hectic date.

Chapter Two Flickering her eyes shut to veil the emotions she knew would be projected from them, and easily read by the man standing before her, Nicole sighed softly as she felt the gentle press of Hugh's lips at her temple. The unnecessary tenderness behind that move made her stomach churn with a need to reciprocate that pleasingly delicate touch. A part of her wanted to respond. A part of her needed to respond. But how could she? Was there correct protocol for situations like this? Was there a certain way a woman had to act after being thoroughly satisfied by her new lover? Why did his tenderness affect her so? Because affect her, it did. Her stomach felt practically like jelly at the thought of this man caring for her, even in only a tiny way. Her heart was going pitter patter in her chest. How had he penetrated her defenses so easily? How had he reached deep down inside of her and touched the molten core of her being that seemed to burn stronger and brighter under his one small act of tenderness? Joe, in all their years of marriage, had never managed to do that. Basically an intrinsically selfish man, he'd in no way managed to touch that intensely vulnerable part of her. But she'd loved him and God help her, she'd tried to make their marriage succeed. If only her husband had tried as damned hard, she wouldn't be here now . . . having sex with another man, a younger man, to make her ex-husband jealous. It hurt her that Hugh, with that one act, had managed to evoke sensations in her that Joe hadn't. She wasn't sure if that made this whole hellish situation better or worse! For a man she'd had such a short acquaintance with to have reached somewhere deep inside of her that her husband of a decade and a half had never reached scared her terribly. What rested at the very depth of that emotion was the part that frightened her. Was she forever destined to make a fool of herself over men? Firstly, her husband not only cheated on her but managed to impregnate his girlfriend. Then, her heart was melting over the man she had basically hired to have sex with her in order to make her ex-husband jealous. God, how pathetic was she? How had Hugh managed to lower all her guards? That she left herself open to such hurt was both foolish and reprehensible. And why couldn't she learn from her mistakes? Why couldn't she get it through her head that no man could be trusted and that they were all out for any and all they could get. Feeling the whisper of his breath drift over the sensitized skin of her face almost made her shudder. Her body felt hyper alert to his presence and, in a way, that frightened her too. Should this be happening to her? It was abnormal to feel so . . . alive after just the one experience together, wasn't it? The questions and concerns tumbled together clumsily in her mind and upon hearing the click of the door as it closed, she breathed out in relief at being alone once more. Her eyes flickered open as soon as she realized he couldn't see whatever foolish emotion was in them. Because she was indeed feeling foolish. That she should feel anything but lust and satisfaction towards him was just ridiculous. Clearing her throat, she fidgeted a little. Rolling from the position he'd set her in, on her back, to her side and then returning to her original position to study the detailed plasterwork on

her ceiling minutely. It was hard to concentrate, hard to assemble those jumbled thoughts into a semblance of reality and so, she conceded defeat. She allowed her body to reign supreme for the moment and just the thought enabled her to free herself from the restraint she'd tried to place upon herself. Feeling as though she were watching from afar, her body fell softly back down to Earth and as that feeling of weightlessness assailed her, she pushed those pesky thoughts to the side. The time spent with Hugh had shaken her up more than she ever would've believed possible, and the aftermath of that surfeit of pleasure was taking its toll on her still tingling nerves. Gulping a little in remembrance, her body seemed to flash back through the past twenty minutes. Every sensation and emotion rocketed through her body and she guiltily realized that she had never once felt this way with Joe. Never had both her mind and body been in such synchronization before. Never had the feelings assailing her, powered through her veins like a firework fizzing and spitting as it reached the sky before bursting into a series of magnificent sparkling lights. Almost snorting at her need to embellish reality, Nicole lifted her left arm and raised it to cover her eyes. Feeling unbelievably shy and embarrassed by the depth of emotion she was experiencing, she childishly hid herself from the empty room. The whole situation seemed scarily dream-like. The prospect that she could wake up at any given moment frightened her more than she cared to admit. Everything about this morning had been unexpected. In fact, everything about the last two days had been unexpected. Maybe that added an extra buzz, an extra tingle to her excitement. From feeling unbearably low at the prospect of having to ask her contractor to help her re-ensnare her husband. To feeling even worse at misinterpreting Hugh's reaction to her proposition and believing him to find her unattractive. Nicole had then experienced an extreme high as relief had settled as light as a feather in her heart. Despite her discomfort and embarrassment, something inside of her felt damned good, secure in the knowledge that her builder, the one with the movie-star good looks, wanted her. There could be no mistake, he'd wanted and now had had her. That thought shouldn't have been as thrilling as it truly was, she thought on a chortle. Although, Nicole had been pleased-truth be told, more than pleased-to learn of his attraction for her, no way had she expected this morning to happen. She'd genuinely believed that he would just act the part of lover. How could she complain that he'd decided to take that role a step further when it was what she'd wanted all along! Deep down, she was pleased that the first time had taken place in the kitchen. In a room, he didn't know contained a camera. Because it meant that he'd genuinely wanted her for lust's sake rather than to help her in her cause. Having felt that undeniable embarrassment at believing him not to be attracted to her yesterday, it came as a great relief that he wanted her, that he hadn't been able to contain himself. Whether this plan of hers would make Joe jealous, she couldn't be sure. But, whatever happened, she had a feeling she wasn't going to be too upset. She fancied the pants off both Hugh and his brother. This plan of hers enabled her to have sex with a man she couldn't stop thinking about, with the definite possibility of being able to also have sex his brother, who was also far too often on her mind. If, at the same time, it changed her ex-husband's perspective on her and perhaps turned him on enough to reconsider her as a desirable woman, then all the better. The plan worked in her favor in so many ways that she couldn't help but be pleased by it.

Leaning up on to her elbows, she blushed as she stared down at her naked body and the evidence of what had occurred on said nakedness, then scrambled to her feet. She hesitated as she stood, then realized that no caffeine was necessary to wake her up anymore. Apparently a quick morning fuck with Hugh worked better than a cup of coffee, and, grinning slyly, she practically skipped to her bathroom to shower. Nicole couldn't deny how good she was feeling. In fact, she was feeling most unlike a woman whose ex-husband had been cheating on her and had managed to fuck up and produce a kid along the way. Dancing through the bathroom doorway, she shimmied her way to the shower door, opened it, and turned the water on full blast before allowing it to warm up sufficiently. When she dipped one foot under the deluge, she couldn't help but feel somewhat pathetic for thinking it but it seemed such a shame to wash Hugh's delicious scent from her body. She'd never smelled anything like Hugh's scent before. Well, except perhaps on Byron, but she'd never been so close to him to have had a full one hundred percent blast of his scent. Whatever aftershave they used, it sure as hell packed a punch. With an uncontrollable smile, she likened it to the same power as an atomic bomb. The power of her experience with Hugh astounded her, and, as she began the daily ritual of cleansing herself and started to soap up her body, she realized that sex had never been so hot for her. Mentally chastising herself, she continued to wash up. It wasn't a lie that sex with Joe had always been just adequate. There had never been any fireworks or big bangs. There had been a few gentle orgasms at times and nothing but false ones at others, but it had been a good experience overall. They'd never done anything wild or risqué, but she'd never been unhappy with her sex life. But, that was before what had just happened with Hugh. She'd never realized that everything she'd ever experienced with Joe had been mild and so very . . . tedious, she thought a little shamefully. The thought seemed more adulterous than the act she'd just engaged in and only God knew why! But it did. It felt very treacherous to think that way, but it was the undeniable truth and impossible to explain away. In the past, when she'd thought about sex with Joe, her sole reaction had been to sigh hopefully, longingly. Now, having experienced Hugh's touch, she knew that it wasn't her at fault, as she'd always thought it was. It had all been Joe's fault and that was like freeing a burden from her shoulders. Just thinking about Hugh's touch and how it made her feel inspired hotter emotions, and, a little despairingly, she switched the water from hot to cold, shivering a little as the cold drops of liquid brushed over her sensitive skin. Quickly finishing up in the shower, she started to towel herself dry and grimaced once more as the material rubbed skin that was already covered in gooseflesh. Dabbing the toweled material against her tender skin, she pondered what to do next now that her brain was finally starting to function like normal again. Blushing faintly, she realized that almost immediately it had focused on the next time, another time where she would be dominated by his powerful possession. How she would revel in that! Grimacing, she realized that this could be the first and last time she experienced Hugh's lovemaking. Perhaps a part of him had been intrigued by what she supposed was a carte blanche. Perhaps now that he'd tasted the goods, he wouldn't be back for more. She silently damned herself for being a coward and closing her eyes earlier when Hugh had pressed a kiss to her temple. Had she kept her eyes wide open, looked into his own, she

would have had some clue as to how what had happened had affected him, if it had at all. They said the eyes were the window to the soul, didn't they? She felt certain she would have been able to recognize whether it had been just a quickie or something he would've liked to repeat. A part of her could only dream of experiencing something like that again while another part of her realized that it could potentially spoil her for good. It was like tasting the best, most heavenly perfect ice cream in the world and then being told that they just didn't make it anymore. It would ruin her for life. Having known the best made everything else seem ten times worse and therefore, totally off putting. If she and Joe eventually reconciled, then as incredible as it seemed, she would have to learn to tolerate his touch. Hugh would definitely be a hard act to follow and a part of her was damned pleased that she'd made this little foray. Joe had done it and while they'd still been married. Now that they were no longer together, why the hell couldn't she? It was about time she lived a little. Nearly fifteen years with the same man had made her dull and boring. Maybe whatever time she had with Hugh and or Byron would liven up her life a little and open her eyes to more than what was around her. Returning to her bedroom, she hurriedly dressed and wandered back to her office. Starting her computer up, she glanced a little blindly out of the window as she waited for it to load. She had to shake herself away from her thoughts as the machine bleeped. With a tired and weary sigh, she started her work day. Stopping herself from focusing on those stolen minutes with Hugh was a lot harder than she cared to admit. **** Narrowing his eyes at the clock on the far wall, Byron frowned as he realized that Hugh had been gone nearly twenty minutes. Despite himself, he was jealous. He was hard pressed to stop himself punching his fist through the newly constructed wall! Feeling like a fool, Byron tried to control his anger and tried to stop himself from watching the second hand tick by. He couldn't be sure that his brother was with Nicole in the biblical sense, but he instinctively knew that Hugh was fucking their lady boss. The thought made his nostrils flare wildly, and it was fast becoming immensely difficult to contain his beast, to stop it from reacting to the thought of what could be happening downstairs. There was no need to feel any possessiveness because Nicole wasn't his to possess. Nor was there any need to feel jealousy for exactly the same reason. It was harder than it should have been for his beast to understand that and the only relief in sight was short in coming. His acute hearing allowed him to hear the faint stomp of boots on the staircase, and he grimaced as he realized that Hugh was on his way. Very soon, his brother popped his head around the door. Nicole's scent on him was so pervasive that it was difficult to contain a groan and then a growl. A groan, because the scent was fucking amazing. A growl, because it shouldn't have been her scent all over him. It was difficult to stop himself from snapping at his brother. Byron knew that Hugh had intended to tell Nicole about some heavy duty work that the floor necessitated and that it would be best if she were out due to the noise. But he felt certain that nothing of the kind had passed between them. His brother's usually somber face had lightened up some. He wasn't exactly grinning. His conquest and the change in his demeanor wouldn't be evident to anyone else, but to Byron, it was like a flashing yellow beacon.

For the first time in his life, Byron felt jealousy. It was a hard emotion to name, especially after having only heard of it and never having experienced it and definitely not where his brother was concerned, but he knew that he resented Hugh for having touched Nicole first. No one else suspected anything. The rest of the work crew weren't wolves, so they couldn't discern jack shit from his brother's scent. But Byron could and the telling fact that Hugh wasn't meeting his eyes told Byron that Hugh could sense his fury. It was difficult to change focus and start thinking about all the work ahead of them. It was even more difficult when Hugh called everyone together with a change of plan to the day's schedule. If Byron's scent didn't deceive him, and he was sure it didn't, then Hugh had fucked Nicole. Knowing how he was with women, she was probably downstairs napping after their quick fuck. Why that suddenly sent ire flooding through him like a back draft, he wasn't sure. Only yesterday he'd heard Nicole proposition Hugh. When he'd first met her, he'd been attracted to her. Hell, every single member of the crew thought she was hot. But there had always been some kind of restriction, a definite line drawn between them because of her marriage. Now that he knew that restriction was gone, that she had practically given Hugh and indirectly him the perfect opportunity to pounce and enjoy the very lushness of her body, his beast was finding it difficult to contain itself. That Hugh had gone ahead with Nicole's wishes merely riled him up even more, made him want her more. He could almost feel his beast panting with desire, with a desperate need to mark the woman downstairs with his scent, for that scent to compete with that of his brother's. Reaching for a hammer, he grabbed it and began to pound some nails into the wall. The action, the violence of it, burned up some of the tension that was riding him. But at the same time, it seemed to be adding to it. The momentum of the work, the power he was using, seemed to increase the violent feelings that were pervading him. Lifting his hand one final time to knock the nail into the wall, he grimaced as it powered in on the first hit and left a large dent in the plaster. Grunting, he released the hammer and let it fall to the floor. The sound made every member of the crew look around and stare at him in shock. He ignored their bewildered gazes and with an aggressive nod at Hugh that dared him to say anything, he stalked angrily out of the room. He hurried down the stairs and walked over to Nicole's office door. Immediately knocking on the door, he waited none too patiently for her to open it. The wait seemed interminable and he was hard-pressed not to open the damned door himself and storm in. A moment later, however, the door swung inwards and a somewhat dazed and harried Nicole stood in the doorjamb. She gazed blankly at him for a second. "Byron? Is everything alright?" she murmured quietly. That short pause managed to rile him more than anything that had happened that morning. For a moment or two, she genuinely hadn't known who he was. How could she not know him on first glance? Why was it that he was tearing himself up inside with these possessive feelings and she had to take a moment to recollect just who he was? The injustice of it annoyed and frustrated him. But what really pissed him off was the fact that she'd just managed to hurt him. Hurt him! The man that usually did all the heartbreaking had been hurt by a woman he hadn't even slept with. A woman that called to his beast more than any woman he'd ever met. Breathing deeply, he closed his eyes to regroup and started when she seemed to move

backwards fearfully. He frowned at the movement, then looked at her piercingly, hoping to analyze whatever the hell was going on behind those molten, gleaming green orbs of hers. "Do I frighten you, Nicole?" His voice was low and there was a vein of hurt threaded through the question. With a look of surprise, she shook her head in response. "I was working, Byron. Is there something you need?" He smirked, then slowly quirked his lips into a smile that would make even the hardest woman, hell even lesbians, take another look. "How about, if I said . . . you." "Me?" she squeaked and took another step backwards. "Hmm, yes. You," he murmured softly, on firmer ground now because he felt more in charge of the situation. "But . . . ," she said, shaking her head in confusion before trying to swallow and dampen her suddenly dry throat. "What are you talking about, Byron?" He grinned. "What do you think?" "I think you're mad. What's brought all of this on?" she asked, then narrowed her eyes and aimed a suspicious glare his way. "Have you been talking to Hugh?" Recognizing that she was uncomfortable with that possibility, he chose to act dumb. "He's my brother and my partner, of course I talk to Hugh. What kind of question is that?" he asked blithely. She sighed in relief, and he wondered why that had been so all-fired important to her when only yesterday she'd been asking Hugh for their, not just Hugh's, help in riling up Joe's possessive instincts. "I've seen you watching me, Nicole," he said, taking a step forwards and into her space. "You most certainly have not!" she denied fiercely. He grinned wolfishly as a blush stole over the delicate features of her face. "You have. Why lie? I've been watching you, too." He swept his gaze over her covered but undeniably lush curves. "Why are you really here, Byron?" "Sweetheart, do you really need to ask that?" He didn't let her answer. Moving with lightning speed, he brought his body flush against hers and pressed his lips softly over hers. It was hard containing the fury of the beast, because that was what it was. Fury. Energy surged through him, and he longed to pounce on top of her. He longed to cover every inch of her body with his kisses, longed to taste every single centimeter of her tingling flesh and, more importantly, mark her with love bites. The beast wanted to gain dominion over her and that he would allow, but he knew that if he pressed too hard, she would retreat and that he wouldn't, couldn't allow. Instead, he kissed her teasingly and enticed her with his mouth. His tongue lathed her lower lip and the inside jut of that pleasing mouthful. Tangling his tongue slightly with her own, he slid the two lengths together and had to hold back a growl of triumph as she mewled softly. His hands clamped tightly to her hips and slowly, he pressed her against his hard length. Feeling the jut of her hipbone against the pounding hardness of his throbbing cock made him almost sigh in relief. He shifted his hips and rubbed himself between her legs. Hesitant hands raised and clung to his shoulders before they swooped down and began to explore his cloth-covered chest. Fumbling fingers began to crease the bottom hem of his shirt, and he had to withhold a groan of delight as they eventually began to touch his stomach. He felt the wonder behind that touch, the sheer uninhibited pleasure that she exuded from being able to

caress him so freely. It made him wonder what kind of sex life she'd had with her ex, but his wolf didn't appreciate the thought of her with another man. It could just handle Hugh, but then the only thing that had pissed him off this morning was the fact that he hadn't joined in. That Hugh had made the decision without him and had gone storming off to seduce her without discussing it with him. Now, it was his turn, and he intended to enjoy it to the max. She wore the most unsexiest baggy sweats he'd ever seen, but somehow his cock was harder than he could ever remember it being before. When her hand hesitantly reached down and cupped him, his brow felt as though it was covered with sweat. The control it took to hold back and not pounce on her was immense, and, despite himself, he began to feel a little wary. She shouldn't be affecting him this way, but, at the same time, a part of him had always known that it would be this intense with her, this deep with her. It worried him a little, but he accepted it and accepted what it could mean to him. He wondered if Hugh felt the same way. If when he'd touched her, this overwhelming sense of rightness had pervaded him. Impatience started to clamor at him and so, he grabbed the T-shirt she wore and tore it asunder, baring her to his hungry gaze, and he was hungry like the wolf. As he watched her entire torso became flush beneath his penetrating gaze, but she didn't seem scared or fearful of his passion. Indeed, excitement made her lips quiver and a slight tremor overtook her, making her breasts quiver delightfully. He ripped off her bra, then proceeded to strip her of her sweats and panties. Holding her close to him, he bent slightly, crouching so that he could grasp her legs and spread them, then hike her upwards so she could cling to his hips. When the heat of her wet pussy touched him, he felt like flinging his head back and howling with pleasure. His cock began to pound with the blood rushing to it, and he knew that if he didn't get it in her soon, he'd be in danger of cumming in his pants, which seemed a hell of a waste to him! He turned around and jolted with shock as he realized he'd left the damned door open, so with her clinging to him, he kicked it shut and pressed her back against the hard wood. She moaned as the cold surface touched her back and arched away from it. He pushed her back against it then fumbled with his fly and released his throbbing cock. She looked down at his cock and her eyes became wide with surprise. He couldn't help the smugness that pounded through his veins at her slight look of awe. Grabbing his dick, he pressed it between her legs and unerringly sought out the molten heat of her wet cunt. He slid it along the line in between her clinging pussy lips, felt the moisture cling to him and sighed out loud as pleasure racked him. He teased them both for a second, lodging the head of his cock at the entrance and refusing to move. Only when her hips began to squirm, only when her head began to rock against the door and small mewls of pleasure escaped her mouth as her beseeching gaze tore at his control did he comply with her demand and take possession of her. Plunging into her fiercely, so deep and hard that a he ripped a shocked cry from her and her body went rigid for a few seconds. Guilt assailed him for a few moments at having taken her so roughly until her hips began to rock in demand and he realized that although she hadn't been prepared for it and it had hurt a little, she was willing to meet him and fight him for every damned inch. He pinned her to the wall and began to fuck her in earnest, simultaneously soothing his wolf, burning his earlier anger and annoyance and generally making his cup run over in Nicole's

very willing body. He groaned as her pussy walls began to milk him, the tight clinging muscles almost unmanned him. But with his body holding her to the door, he removed one hand from her hip and moved it between her legs where he began to play with her clit. She squealed as he did so, and he couldn't help the grin that overtook him at the sound of sheer pleasure that his touch elicited. His hips slowed as he ploughed into her tight flesh. Tension overtook her, and his fingers pinched at her clit hard, and he plunged deep into her, dragging her to the very height of an orgasm that made her entire body flush and her head tilt backwards in pleasure. He watched her cum, watched the climax's effects and realized that he had never seen a woman appear so damned sexy in the throes of an orgasm. His cock still hard in her, he withstood the fucking fantastic feel of her pussy clinging to him and managed to hold back from spewing into her. It was hard, but he was determined. He wanted his scent on her and the strongest way of doing so was cumming in her mouth. When the tremors of pleasure stopped rocking through her, she looked at him weakly and squirmed, skewering herself deeper on to his cock. Burning eyes looked at him and the sensuality and sheer appeal in those eyes made him take a deep breath. "Why didn't you cum?" It was almost an accusation. Leaning into her, he nuzzled the area between neck and shoulder and bit down hard enough to leave a mark and to taste a bead of blood. Rather than reacting with pain, her back arched and she moaned, rocking her hips against him once more. Hearing her pant had to be one of the sexiest things he'd ever heard. "I want to cum in your mouth," he whispered throatily before grinning at her cheekily. "You do?" she asked in confusion. Her eyes had widened comically, and it was hard to hold back a small chuckle. It seemed incredible to believe that this woman had been married for a long period of time. He nodded. "OK, but I'm not very good at . . . that," she whispered before ducking her head in embarrassment. And she did feel shame. She was a grown ass woman and yet she wasn't, apparently, very experienced in bed. Or maybe it was just that the Jakman brothers were so good she felt she was inexperienced in comparison? Eyes flaring open angrily, he realized that Joe must have told her that, and, unable to help it, a growl rumbled in his chest. How dare that bastard undermine this beautiful sexy woman's confidence? He moved them backwards away from the door and let her slide from him. He watched rather than helped her, enjoying watching her figure out the best way to unimpale herself from his cock. Almost immediately she dropped to her knees and grabbed him with gentle fingers. The very tenderness of that touch drove him wild. His cock strained in her fingers and when he felt the hesitant stroke, he had to press himself into her and place his arms against the door to keep himself upright. His entire body felt strung out, totally on edge with the delicate fingers that were touching him. When her mouth began to caress the crown of his cock, he groaned deep and the muscles in his belly stood on edge. Her tongue meandered around the length of his shaft, licking the vein on the underside, delineating the lines of the mushroom-shaped head. It was too hard to keep still, so he didn't bother. His hips began to rock and although he could sense her shock, he could also sense her

willingness to please. He refused to hurt her, when all he wanted to do was pound himself into her and feel her swallow his length. Instead, he moved slowly, deep enough to almost make her gag, but he pulled back before she could choke. It was damned difficult to do, the wolf demanded he let go, that he fuck her properly, but the man wouldn't allow Nicole to feel any hurt. When she began to suction her mouth, her cheeks pressing tightly against him, he began to cum. His balls drew up and against his body. His cum began to spew from him and he remained in her mouth until he was finished, allowing her no room to do anything but swallow. She didn't look too pleased, but he pulled himself from her mouth and lifted her from the floor and placed his arms around her in an embrace as an apology of sorts. His hand came up to cup her head and pressed it against his chest comfortingly. He held her like that for a minute or two then tilted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. Seeing a spot of cum at the corner of her mouth, he raised a finger and dragged it around her pout. He sensed rather than saw her shock but continued to spread it on her lips like a gloss. With a groan, his mouth came down on hers and plundered her until her knees weakened and she drooped wearily against his chest. A few moments later, he walked her into the bedroom and released himself from her arms with a sigh of displeasure. There was nothing more he longed to do than join her in her bed and cuddle up to her while she slept. It was tempting, damnably so, but he managed to resist with an effort and quickly zipped up his fly as he hurried back to the third floor. **** On a snarl of rage that was covered up by the nail gun, he was using to attach the wooden paneling Joe Durst had requested for this room to the wall, Hugh fought his anger, but it was a battle he was quickly losing. It wasn't difficult to sense another wolf's anger, and Hugh had been very aware of Byron's displeasure with him this morning. His revenge had been fitting, for now, it was he, who was fuming with ire. He, who was deviously calculating a way to get Nicole to himself this evening. Before Byron even walked into the room, Hugh had been able to pick up his scent, or, more specifically, Nicole's scent above that of his brother's. It made him seethe, and it was extremely difficult to continue working and maintain a cool facade in front of his workmen when all he wanted to do was rip Byron's head off. Cricking his neck to the side, he sighed in pleasure as it cracked and relieved some of the tension of the past hour or so. As he continued to work, Hugh concocted a scheme and thereafter kept his eyes on the clock. This whole situation was so crazy. He hated fighting with his brother, but something about Nicole made it impossible to relinquish her to Byron. They'd shared in the past, hell, almost every girlfriend they'd had had wanted a threesome. But with Nicole, the thought was difficult to contemplate. His brain and his wolf couldn't tolerate allowing it to happen. But, at the same time, he realized that both he and Byron felt exactly the same way about her. If both of them could just figure out whatever the hell those feelings were, then that would be helpful! It was too soon to say love and the feeling was much stronger than lust. Whatever it was, it affected both the wolf and the man in him, and that had never happened before. It should have freaked him out, worried him even. But, because it was Nicole, he accepted it for whatever it was.

At four fifty-five exactly, Hugh put down his tools and looked pointedly at Byron. "Take the crew home, Byron. Then come and pick me up after. I have some shit to finish up here." His eyes dared Byron to argue with him in front of the crew as a small fire began to burn in his brother eyes. Hugh stared him down. As Alpha, there was no chance in hell that Byron could win a fighting competition between them, let alone a staring contest. Byron obviously knew what Hugh was intending and resented it hotly. But Hugh didn't give a damn. It was his turn now, and he'd be damned if he would relinquish it! Sulking, Byron packed up and headed out. Waiting for the crew to get into the cab of his truck, he set off five minutes later. He smirked triumphantly. It would take at least an hour for Byron to get back here, so he had plenty of time to see Nicole once more. Climbing down the stairs with haste, he knocked quietly on her office door then popped his head around the door when there was no response. Moving towards the bedroom door, he opened it and looked inside once more. Seeing the rumpled sheets made his blood boil, but he ignored it and focused on the sounds of Nicole showering. Quickly stripping off his clothes in the bedroom, he opened the door to the shower and walked in. Hearing her squeal as he joined her, he grinned wolfishly and tugged her into his arms. "Hugh? What the hell?" she squealed in surprise, her mouth opening into a perfect O as she squirmed within his embrace. He grinned as her movements merely enticed him all the more. He saw the moment she recognized his response as her emerald orbs glazed over slightly and her body melted against his. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her temple then nuzzled his face into her neck. He could still smell Byron on her, but, unlike earlier in the day, the evidence of Byron's possession didn't annoy him. Her scent melded and blended perfectly with both his and Byron's, making her exude the most glorious perfume. His wolf came to the forefront, and it was difficult to contain the roar of pleasure as that magnificent scent worked its way through his body. "Come here, babe," he murmured, his voice rough and husky. She came willingly, but he dragged her even closer. A millimeter apart was just too damned much! Pressing his lips to hers, his mouth opened her own. He teased her and taunted her with his lips and tongue, inciting her lust until her body was rocking against his. All that silky smooth dripping wet flesh against his own was a delicious feeling, and he couldn't resist lifting her up and against him. She spread her legs to cling to him, and he pushed her back against the shower wall. Plunging into her, he sighed at the sensation. It felt almost like coming home. **** "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The call turned his smile upside down. "What the hell are you going on about, Durst?" he asked as calmly as he could despite the angry growl rumbling in his throat that begged to be set free. "You think you can fuck my wife? You think you can fuck her blatantly and not think I'd find out about it?" Thoroughly regretting not checking his Caller ID, Hugh grimaced at Byron and signaled that he was talking to Joe, by curling his hand and jerking it up and down for a second. Joe was

the biggest Jerk Off he'd ever had the misfortune to meet. How Nicole, a kind and warm woman, had ever ended up with him, he didn't know. Having fully expected this call, he'd intended on ignoring it. Unfortunately, that plan had backfired and now he had to deal with the consequences. It wasn't that he was frightened of Joe, anything but! It was just that the man riled him up so quickly, stirred such ferocity in him, that it was hard to control himself, to control his wolf, and he couldn't afford to lose control . . . ever. "Well, you're not here, buddy. Nothing's stopping me. Even if you were here, you wouldn't be able to stop me. And, one more thing, she's not your wife anymore. Remember? She's a free woman now. Free to do whatever she wants. Free to see whoever she wants." Moving away from the third floor conversion, he climbed down the stairs and continued the conversation on the second floor, away from his crew and affording him more privacy to completely undermine his employer. He hated the prick, always had. If the project hadn't paid so damn good, he wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole! But, in this economy, he couldn't afford not to take a great job, let alone any work he could find. "You bastard. How fucking dare you?" "Easily, Durst. You're not here, and, if I'm right, you're fucking some beach bunny wherever the hell you are. Whatever is between Nicole and I is consensual, so I don't see as how it's any of your damn business." "None of my business?" Joe Durst screeched angrily. "You're fucking my wife on my goddamn property. I hired you to renovate my house not give my wife a good seeing to, you prick!" "Seems Nicole needs a good seeing to, Durst. Looks like you haven't been satisfying her nearly enough, buddy," Hugh added congenially. "Get the fuck off my property, Jakman!" "Never heard of something called a contract, Durst? A watertight one at that. You can't fire me, so get used to the idea of me banging your ex old lady," he replied with a dark chuckle. "You fucking bastard!" "Hey, you're not here, are you? Nicole has needs," he said the last word softly, taunting the already pissed off man on the phone. "I can satisfy her and more than you ever did. Being the gentleman that I am, I can't not help a lady in distress." He disliked talking about Nicole in such a manner, but it was too damned satisfying speaking to and treating Durst like the prick he was. "Bastard," Joe Durst hissed furiously. "Only calling it how it is. Yeah, Nicole sure is a screamer," Hugh said cheerfully, and then added in a confiding tone, "but then I'm sure you know that . . . . Oh, wait, no, I don't think you do." "Fuck you, Jakman. Stay away from my wife from now on. I'm warning you. You don't want to get on my bad side. Get that goddamn work finished as soon as humanly possible. Contracts work both ways." "No worries, Durst, and fuck your warnings. I can take you any day. But you can forget about me keeping my hands off of Nicole, she's far too irresistible," Hugh finished softly before disconnecting the call. On a hiss of fury, Joe Durst threw the wireless handset against the wall when the phone went dead. Cursing, he watched as the mother-fucker smashed into millions of pieces and grimaced as he realized that that goddamned piece of equipment had set him back a couple of grand.

Staring broodingly at the wall and the expensive wreckage, he wondered why Tracy had to have such expensive taste. At least Nicole had always lived modestly. Hearing the clip-clop of her heels, he frowned at her pending entrance. He liked to be left alone when in a mood, Nicole had always known that. "What's all the noise about, Joe? I just got Brady to sleep!" Tracy's voice was quite nasal, and, to be honest, irritating. But her tits were perfect and he'd seen peaches with less curves than Tracy. Her ass was as firm as could be and she fucked like a dream, too. He didn't want the kid, had never wanted it. But he liked having Tracy on his arm and in his bed and Brady was the price he had to pay for that privilege. Until recently, he'd been able to afford the luxury of keeping both Nicole and Tracy. But the fucking economic crash had stopped all that. "Nothing, Tracy." "Then why the hell did you throw that phone against the wall? Dammit, Joe, that was a collector's item! Limited edition, too!" "I know, Tracy, I paid the fucking bill. Go shopping, do whatever. I have some business to sort out, and I need some peace and quiet to do it in." She narrowed her eyes at him, and he glared back at her. "What the hell's wrong with you, Joe? You're no fun anymore!" "Maybe if you weren't intent on bankrupting me then I would be more fun. If you want money, babe, then you have to let me earn it." "I can't help it that I like pretty things," she murmured, her luscious lips forming into a pout of complaint. "Do you hear me complaining? I like you in pretty things. You know that," Joe replied with a quirk of his brow and a knowing smile on his lips. "If you'd left me alone, as I'd asked, I wouldn't have even raised the subject. Go on, go shopping. Leave Brady with the nanny. I don't know why you bother with him when she's here." "I'm his mama, Joe. I wish you'd show more interest!" "In that little crying weasel? No way!" On a huff, she ignored him and spun around, giving him the perfect view of that ass wiggling in the tightest skirt imaginable. She knew how much he loved her ass and flaunted it as much as she possibly could. Just seeing her walk off made his cock twitch and with a grumble, he reached down and jerked it before rearranging his pants. He had no time to fuck her. He had to do something to stop this whole investment from unraveling and fucking bankrupting him. He was fully aware that if the money stopped coming in, kid or no kid, Tracy would leave him like a shot. Nothing had gone right on this damned project. They were already fifty grand over budget and that was money he simply did not have. It seemed a fucking waste of time to pour money into something that he was just going to burn down, but it was a necessity. No insurance company in their right mind would think a guy who had spent over two hundred grand on renovating a house would set it on fire. It gave him a cast iron alibi and with the maximum coverage, he knew he'd get at least a million dollars from this claim. It was money he needed and his scheme had ensured that he would never be investigated. Intending to incriminate Nicole had seemed like one of his better ideas, hell, more like a plan that was sent from above! And it had all been going swimmingly until she'd started fucking the workmen. Languishing for him as she had been, no investigator in his right mind would look at

Nicole and not see her as a suspect. House owned by her ex-husband, who had left her for some younger flesh and had had a kid with said piece of fluff. After the renovation, the ex was due to sell the property, thus leaving her homeless. Jealousy, envy, whatever. She would have looked as guilty as sin and he would have been Scot-free. The fucking audacity of the woman. She knew he had cameras all over the damned house. She knew that he spied on the Jakman brothers to ensure that they were keeping up to the speed he'd demanded early on. Either she genuinely did not give a shit about him seeing her on camera with the men he'd hired to renovate the house or she was trying to make him to jealous. Either way, and thanks to her, his whole plan was crumbling, and it infuriated him. Not only was crafting a new plan a complete waste of his valuable time, but it would cost him dearly to set it into practice. He couldn't afford to be laying out funds on this already maxed-out investment. He needed the money from the insurance claim and soon. Tracy was spending his cash like it was going out of fashion and his last few deals had gone down the crapper. His business was dead broke. He needed money and quick. He'd hoped that upon speaking to Hugh, Joe would have been able to stop the relationship in its tracks. But after that conversation, he knew that that would never happen. For some reason, Hugh obviously liked fucking Nicole. Seeing her on camera, he felt slightly peeved that she'd never been like that with him. Hell, he'd only been able to touch her in the bedroom. Yet he'd clearly seen them fucking in the kitchen, in the bedroom, and, from the strip down on his way to the bathroom, they'd done it in the bathroom, too. That pair of bastards! This whole new relationship meant he had to come up with something else, and, thankfully, despite his annoyance, he had the bare bones of a new scheme forming in his head. A few years ago, he'd insured Nicole for a combined three million dollars through several different insurance policies. The premiums cost him a fortune, but he'd learned a long time ago to set many wheels in motion, especially when he was flush, so at a later date and when he needed the funds, any investment he made would have paid off. It seemed a shame to cash in two of those investments at once, but he needed the money. If he hired someone to set fire to the house while Nicole was in it then he could claim on both her life and the house insurance. Of course then he'd have to pay someone, which he really couldn't afford to do right now. And, besides that, if he hired someone they'd be a liability, someone that could blackmail him later for money to keep quiet. No, he'd have to do it himself. She was worth more to him dead than alive, that was for sure. Languishing in a jail cell provided him with nothing, which if he framed her for the house fire, jail would be her home for a long time. But upon her death, he'd receive a great wad of cash. He knew which he preferred. Hugh Jakman was definitely going to be a pain in the ass, though. Joe could just feel it in his bones. But, fortunately, life was expendable. If Jakman did get in his way, then it would be easy enough to get rid of him. Or maybe he would frame him for the house fire . . . . Smiling as he had more options now than he had had an hour ago, Joe walked from his office and to the hallway. Picking up the house phone, he dialed a number and waited for a response. As he tapped his fingers against the console table, Joe thought about the millions that were coming to him and felt like doing a jig of glee.

Chapter Three Hugh looked down with a sensual smile as Nicole sagged limply against the shower wall. He liked that he wore her out. His wolf was especially pleased! "How about coming out for supper with me?" he asked nonchalantly then watched with unhidden amusement as a blush stole over Nicole's cheeks. As it spread to more delectable areas, his cock began to grow hard, and, completely at ease with his body and arousal, he reached down to jack himself off a little. Grinning at her, he watched as she closed her eyes nervously while licking her lips. Her gaze was focused on his hand and his dick and he couldn't help the satisfied smirk that graced his mouth. He watched as she ducked her head to hide her porcelain-like features, and for the moment, allowed her to hide herself from him. Nicole's face was a picture of femininity, a throwback to the Renaissance period. It set his body on fire as soon as his gaze washed over her. Her pouty lush lips teased sensually without her even trying. Cheekbones that were sharp enough to cut glass but instead of adding an angularity to her face, merely gave her a heart-shaped visage complete with gemstone green eyes that did little to conceal her thoughts and emotions. She was the first woman he'd ever met who was truly guileless. There was something so open about her that everything in him responded to it. Nicole needed to be protected, and all that Hugh was cried out to be that protector. "I . . . I . . . . W-well, actually, it's kinda funny that you asked because Byron already asked me earlier," Nicole said in an attempt at being casual about the situation, but she couldn't disguise the fact that her voice was laced with guilt and discomfort. Chucking her under the chin with a crooked forefinger until she looked him in the eye, he then stroked the calloused digit along the length of her jaw. Feeling her shiver, he smiled faintly as he looked directly into her eyes. Seeing the embarrassment there made it difficult for him to contain his anger at his brother's forwardness. After so many damned years together, years where he'd grown to know his brother like he knew himself, Hugh should have realized Byron would have done something like this. Byron could be a cocky son of a bitch and always grabbed the bull by the balls. In this case, he'd outmaneuvered Hugh, but not for long. None of that was Nicole's fault, however, so he tempered his anger. "Why are you so nervous, Nicole?" "To be honest, I'm not really sure," she said, laughing uneasily before replying, "You've obviously never been in an awkward situation like this before." Shrugging when he didn't respond to her observation, she continued, "I hate feeling gauche, but I seem to spend half of my life feeling that way regardless." Hugh tilted his head to the side and looked at her, his penetrating gaze assessing her for a second. "We could all go together?" he suggested, his voice noticeably husky even to his own ears. He watched as she bit her lip indecisively and saw the need to play the role of peace-maker. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she didn't want any conflict between him and Byron. He noted that with some astonishment. No woman he'd ever met had cared for the

closeness of his and Byron's relationship. In fact, they had more often than not resented it. It was a shock to see the complete opposite in her luminous eyes. "You're sure Byron won't be upset?" she asked warily. Her question merely confirmed what he'd suspected about her. "No, he won't mind at all." "I mean there's no real reason to mind, is there?" she asked, a challenge in her voice. "What do you mean?" he asked with a cocked brow. She sighed wearily. "Oh, nothing. I'm just being silly. If we're going to eat out then you'd best get home and get changed. I'd like to go to Mariana's, if that's OK with you guys?" She paused for a second when he didn't say anything. "The reason I asked if it's okay is because they have a dress code and I know a lot of guys don't really like . . . ." "That'll be just fine," he said, interrupting her. "I'll be back in about an hour. Don't worry, I'll be suitably attired," he said, grinning at her from ear to ear when she blushed at his assurances. Bending down, he planted a kiss on her damp temple. He paused in the doorjamb and spun around, watching her as she dried herself off. "Never change, Nicole." "What?" she asked, a note of confusion in her voice and a query on her brow. "There's no shame in being a little gauche every now and then. We're all human," he murmured with a shrug. On that last word, he strode into the bedroom and quickly dressed. A truck horn sounded. Hugh hurried down the stairs and quickly jumped into the cab. When he'd buckled himself in, he settled back and sat quietly, watching the houses flash by as he thought back over the conversation he'd just had with Nicole and wondered why something she'd said hadn't seemed right. "Dammit, I forgot to give her that fucking money back!" he said angrily into the silence as the conversation truly registered in his brain. "What money?" "She thought I didn't want to fuck her so she pressed some cash in my hand. I meant to give it back to her today," he said, shrugging angrily, "but with everything that happened today, I just plain forgot. Dammit." "I can return it tonight when I come back to take her out, so what's it matter?" "She said something that I didn't really understand, and it just now registered why she was a little upset." "What did she say?" Byron asked curiously. "I said that all three of us could eat together …." "Dammit, Hugh!" Byron interrupted angrily. "I asked her out earlier. I didn't want you coming along." "Tough shit," Hugh murmured sourly. "You can't outmaneuver me, little brother. I said that you wouldn't mind us going out as a threesome because let's face it, it's never been a problem in the past, has it? We've shared other women before, haven't we? Anyway, when I said you wouldn't, she went all defensive and said why should you anyway …? Then she requested Mariana's, that new restaurant that's opened in the port. I just realized that she thinks she's paying for our services. Hell, that would have been a perfect time to hand her that damned money back. Because I don't know about you, but it's more than that that makes me want to go out with her!" "Damn right. Did you pick up her scent?" "Yeah," Hugh muttered gruffly. The thought of it, just the memory of it stirred the beast within him. "Affect you the same way it did me, huh?" Byron asked. To the untrained ear he sounded

cocky, but, underneath that veneer of arrogance, he sounded young and confused. "Yeah. It's all getting a lot more complex than I'd ever expected." "Seems that's the story of our life. I can't believe you're going to be a third wheel tonight. Hell, Hugh! You've single-handedly ruined all my plans." Hugh snorted derisively. "What? You have!" "Like any plan you had didn't already include me! We both know her scent was that damned tasty because it was all three of ours blended together." Byron sighed heavily. "Dammit." "Yeah." Drumming his fingers against the armrest, Hugh sat in silence until Byron parked the truck outside their garage. Climbing out, he headed to the door. Once in the hall, he rushed up the stairs to the bathroom. Reaching for the shaving foam, he poured some into his palm, lathered his face, and began to shave. He didn't need to shower, but he needed to shave and change clothes. As he dragged the razor over the curve of his jaw, he watched as Byron stormed in and turned the water in the shower on. As soon as it was hot he stepped in and began to wash himself quickly. He soon joined Hugh in front of the spare mirror and sink, and they both shaved in silence. Earlier, they'd been annoyed and angry at one another. A fraternal competition of sorts had started between them with Nicole acting as the main prize. But now, it wasn't as lighthearted a game as they'd imagined, Hugh thought with a grimace. For them, things had turned serious, and it was a damned pain in the ass that Nicole thought they were just a pair of fucking gigolos. **** Hearing the truck pull up in her front yard, Nicole took a fortifying breath and slithered into the tightest, sexiest dress she owned. Seeing with her own eyes in her bedroom mirror that she'd never looked better not only improved her mood but also enhanced her self-confidence. It was something she desperately needed, and she truly felt herself blossom at the image she presented. The path she'd taken in trying to regain her husband's affections felt very demeaning, and, if she were honest, pathetic. Only the fact that she'd managed to inveigle Byron and Hugh into this scheme of hers made it seem less humiliating. They were unbelievably gorgeous, and she was grateful, yes, as terrible as that sounded, grateful for their attentions. Be they bought and paid for or not! Grimacing at the route her thoughts had taken was enough to make her miserable. It wasn't nice to believe that the two hunks she'd been intimate with were only doing it because of the cash. It wasn't nice to think that they were willing to go out with her tonight for a free meal on her tab. It wasn't nice that she was going to this restaurant in the vain hope that her bastard ex-husband would be there with his new piece of fluff. Nothing about her life had been nice these last few months, and it was a real bitch that was really pushing her self-confidence down to the mire. She felt uncertain and confused and wasn't sure how to take back control of her life once more. Everything felt as though she was on a runaway train, gripping on for dear life, hoping against hope that the train would somehow stop, that something or someone somewhere would make it stop. She had no control. She was being controlled, and, dammit, she hated feeling that way. She glared at her image and promised herself that she would enjoy the night ahead, whether she was footing the bill or not. It wouldn't make an ounce of difference, she decided,

nodding her head stoutly. They were handsome, charming, and she was sure they'd be great dates. Even never having spent that much time with them, it was obvious to her. They exuded charm and while her nerves began to twang and her body began to sing for them, especially now that they'd slept together, something about them always put her at ease. It was something she'd always liked about them. She wouldn't deny that she was excited about being with them, but, at the same time, she was nervous about potentially meeting Joe again, nervous about seeing him face to face after all these months apart. Grimacing, she told herself she needed to forget about Joe for the moment. If he came to the restaurant-she knew it was one of his favorites and one he frequented a lot-then she'd deal with that hurdle when she came to it. She wouldn't let the possibility of it happening or not happening spoil her evening. Hearing the doorbell ring, she straightened up and stood tall. Smoothing her hands over the lines of her dress, Nicole peered into the mirror to make sure her makeup looked alright, slipped into the high heels she'd chosen, and shot herself the thumbs up since she had no one else to cheer for her. She looked and felt good, and she would have a great time tonight, come what may! She walked carefully down the stairs and opened the door to the two of them. She watched, amused, as they sort of straightened up, putting their shoulders back as they tightened their abs and lengthened their spines. It was obvious they'd been fighting to get to the door first and the thought of it made her grin widely. There was something about it that it tickled her sense of humor greatly. When a dog-eared bunch of flowers was thrust under her nose, she smiled again. "Thank you," she murmured meekly. "You're welcome," they replied simultaneously. "Why don't you guys come on in while I put them in a vase?" Pressing the flowers to her nose to inhale their sweet scent, she smiled softly at their kind gesture. She certainly hadn't expected them to treat this as a date date, but she had to admit that she was kind of glad that they had. It was nice to be treated to a pretty bunch of blooms, and it gave her a sense of satisfaction to know that they'd gone out of their way to purchase them for her on such short notice. Leading them from the front door to the kitchen, she swept her hand towards the breakfast bar, silently inviting them to take a seat. Grabbing the steps that were her constant companion in the kitchen, she dragged them over to a cupboard and climbed them in order to open it and reach for a vase. Once on terra firma again, she walked over to the sink and began the process of preparing the magnolia blossoms for the vase. "Do you have to climb those steps to reach everything?" Byron asked with a frown. The question hit Nicole hard. It was just the kind of thing that pointed out how little thought Joe had given her during their marriage, and she was a little reluctant to complain about it let alone discuss it with them, considering their current situation. "Well, I wasn't entirely included in Joe's design process. Everything in here is too high for me to reach. I got sick of standing on chairs and almost falling off them just to reach a can of carrots pretty quick, so I put these steps in the kitchen to make getting things a little easier on myself," she replied easily. Although Hugh nodded politely, she could see he was a little nonplussed by her comment, as well.

"It must be hard being short," he said quietly. Nicole laughed at his serious tone. "Yeah, it can be really trying at times!" "Damn that came out all wrong. I'm sorry," he apologized gruffly as he rubbed a hand over his face. Byron laughed heartily and smacked Hugh on the back in commiseration, glad that he wasn't the one who'd stuck his foot in his mouth. The two of them sat in moderately uncomfortable silence until Nicole had finished with the blossoms and had them in a vase. "There," she said with a faint smile, "they look beautiful. Thank you." They both smiled at her, with just a touch of that earlier awkwardness she'd seen at her front door. She grinned back at them. Leading them through to the front door, she settled the vase on the console table in the entrance way. As she did so, they stepped out of the door and waited for her to lock it before each of them grabbed an arm and they all walked to the truck, arm in arm. Byron let go of her arm and dashed over to the passenger's side of the truck to open the door for her, bowing in a very gentlemanly manner. "Why, thank you, Byron!" Nicole said, gushing with enthusiasm for his unexpected gallantry. Hugh glared at Byron over the top of Nicole's head. Kiss-ass. Byron grinned back at him as he helped her step up and into the truck before seating himself. The two waited silently for Hugh to round the vehicle and jump into the driver's seat. Realizing as the driver's door slammed shut that she was sandwiched between them forced her to blush a little and the temperature in the cab to rise a little. As Hugh started the engine, she was grateful that they hadn't come until dark, thankful that the darkness concealed her mild discomfort. Seconds later she became tense all over when, at almost the exact same time, their strong, warm, and admittedly calloused palms rested upon her bare thighs. The dress she wore was short and sexy. Had she realized what her reaction would be to the feel of their skin to her bare flesh, she would've worn a longer dress. Hugh's rough hand slid along the expanse of her left thigh while Byron's hand was stationary and merely gently squeezed her right thigh at random. When their hands accidentally touched, she almost squeaked in shock as the truck swung out into the middle of the road for a second before returning to the center of their lane. She couldn't see their reactions, but boy could she feel it. The top of her head burned, as their eyes shot fire at one another and their hands gripped her thighs even tighter than before, as though refusing to relinquish possession of it. It was difficult to hold back the grin or the chuckle that longed to break free, but, instead of adding fuel to the fire, she behaved herself and coughed back the urge. The atmosphere was tense for a few seconds before it relaxed and each of them drew a sigh of relief. Their hands remained in prime position, though, and damn how it stirred her body. The feel of them truly awakened her, woke up every nerve ending and every centimeter of flesh on her frame. They were so hot, the palms of their hands seemed to sear her everywhere they touched, and the very intensity of that heat made her feel shivery and faint with desire. Suddenly, she no longer cared that she could be meeting up with Joe this evening. She didn't care about having paid Hugh and Byron to date her. No, she didn't give a damn about all of that. Nothing mattered apart from what their touch did to her. At that moment she realized that she didn't want to go to the restaurant. She wanted nothing more than for them to touch her more

intimately and make her forget the last few hellish months of her life. But just the memory of what she'd been through these past weeks, settled, and calmed her spirits. It reminded her why she was doing this, what her motives truly were. Blowing out a deep breath, she mentally recounted why this was necessary. She had to get back with Joe, for her family. They depended on her. It was as simple as that. Nicole tried to reason with herself. She tried to tell herself that Hugh and Byron were only doing this for the cash, anyway, but it was difficult to reconcile that with their touch, their searing hot touch that made her burn within seconds. There wasn't exactly a camera in the cab, one that Joe could tune into and see what was going on. So maybe they were enjoying being with her and getting paid for it. Who knew? But it was wise to remember how all of this began and her reasons for asking them and their reason for doing it. Remembering the facts would keep her from getting hurt, because if anyone allowed themselves to get emotionally involved, allowed themselves to get hurt, it was going to be her. The ride to the restaurant was silent. Not a word was said. In the company of anyone else, Nicole knew that she would have been fidgeting with discomfort at the length of the silence. But, as she'd noted earlier, a part of her was at ease when she was in their company. Even though they had the ability to make her go from 0 to 60 in less than two seconds, another part of her was infinitely relaxed and calm around them. As they reached the port, she felt herself tense up at the thought of the evening ahead. But as Hugh exited the truck and moved to assist her descent from the cab, she held her head high. She reminded herself of her earlier promise to enjoy herself tonight. Taking Hugh's offered hand, she realized as he pulled her flush against his body, that it was a long way to the ground. He took advantage of every inch, letting her body rub against every inch of his broad chest, his tautened lower abs. She couldn't ignore the feel of his hard body against hers, nor could she ignore the erection that prodded her in the belly when her feet finally found purchase. The feel his stiff cock made her blush and forced her body temperature to shoot from hot to molten. Her pussy spasmed in response, and she longed for that hard dick to pound into her, to ram into her pussy and make her scream, to make her beg for pleasure, to make her forget everything. Her eyes fluttered shut at the thought. Only the feel of Byron coming up behind her, his erection fitting against her butt, could make her feel any weaker, any more faint with desire. With two cocks pressed intimately against her, she felt her body tremble with the need to slake all three of their lustful thoughts. It was damned hard not to touch them further, but somehow she managed it after enduring a few seconds more of being pressed between them, of being sandwiched between them, until they both stepped back. The support on both sides abandoning her so suddenly made her wobble on her shaky legs. She hadn't realized until then how much they'd been supporting her, how they'd kept her upright, and the thought of how they'd done it made her blush again. Nicole wondered how it would feel to be stuck in between them in bed. She ducked her head to hide her flaming cheeks as they both reached for an arm to steady her and walk her into the restaurant. Mariana's was a recently opened restaurant in town, but it had a great reputation even though the past year had been a manic one for them. She knew that Joe liked the modern setting, the sea views and the rather traditional seafood menu which was in direct contrast to the decoration.

Earlier that day she'd phoned in a reservation. "Durst for eight pm," she informed the maitre d', in a voice that was suddenly husky with desire. The small man nodded before grabbing some menus and leading them to a window table. He made to pull out a chair for her, but Hugh gave an odd throaty growl that made the man start and jump away. Hugh then seated her and sat beside her. Byron sat opposite her, and, once more, she felt somehow caged between them. The thought made her heart beat quickly in her chest. She gulped a little as they stared at her lustfully for a few seconds. The next ten minutes passed by in a blur as they all ordered drinks and their food. It was hard to concentrate on anything that wasn't connected with Hugh or Byron. She was so focused on them that, at first, she didn't hear Joe's booming coarse voice pound through the restaurant, didn't notice until Hugh and Byron stiffened angrily. Frowning in confusion, she spun around in her seat and was greeted with the sight of Joe's new girlfriend looking bored as she twirled a strand of hair in between her fingers while managing to not look like a five year old but a highly attractive woman with legs up to her eyeballs. Gulping back strong emotions, she shifted focus from the girl, because really that was what she was, and turned to look at Joe for a second. Nicole wasn't blind to any of Joe's faults. She knew exactly what he was, so it was with little surprise that she watched him bully the maitre d' into providing him with a table without a reservation. "I don't need to reserve a damned table. Don't you know who I am?" Nicole couldn't help but wince at Joe's curt growl before she frowned a little at his arrogance. He'd been a beast at times, and she closed her eyes as the realization hit home that she didn't want him back. There was such a huge difference between want and need, and, until that moment, she hadn't realized how large the gulf was. Every inch of her screamed to run away from this situation, to run from Joe, but how could she? Her family needed his support! It made her feel cheap, but she knew they needed Joe's financial backing, and there was nothing else she could do. Feeling dismayed, she watched as Joe glared and growled and genuinely made himself look a jackass before the maitre d' led him to a table that passed their own. Turning to Hugh, she saw the look of distaste sweep over his features and knew that it would be mirrored on Byron's face. She also saw annoyance, confusion, and a little hurt. Feeling bad for dragging them to this restaurant because she'd thought that this very thing might happen, she bit her lip and had to hold herself back from apologizing at pre-arranging this evening. Why she'd wanted to flaunt them in front of Joe, she'd never know. Surely she was crazy. She was sharing them after all! The hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge as Joe neared their table. When he stood at the head of the table, with his new slut draped over his shoulder, she felt like slapping the smirk off of his face. "Evening, Jakman," he said curtly, nodding at both brothers before sneering at Nicole. "Nicole, you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with these two, aren't you? You should be ashamed of yourself for sleeping with the help," he chastised. "Well, if it's good enough for you, Joe, then it sure as hell is good enough for me. It must be hard being looked upon as a pervert. What is your little doll there? Fourteen? Be careful Joe, it can't be good for business to have an underage girl on your arm," she answered coolly, her brow quirked with scorn. She was proud of herself for reacting so calmly. It was something she'd never before been able to do during an argument or spat with Joe. Seeing his face flare up angrily, she smiled because at that moment she didn't care if he

was angry. She didn't care if what she'd said had made it impossible to get him back. "Bitch. Tracy is twenty-three. You're just jealous, old hag," he hissed. "I'd keep a better eye on my woman if I were you, Joe, she obviously likes what she sees," Hugh warned sardonically when he saw where Tracy's gaze was focused, sweeping a hand out to encompass both Byron and himself. Laying a possessive arm around Nicole's shoulders, he watched as Joe's head swung around to glare at his girlfriend who merely ducked her head and lowered her eyes, signaling her guilt and the truth behind Hugh's statement. "Come on," Joe spat viciously before angrily dragging Tracy off. "I'm sorry about that. There's really no excusing his behavior. I . . . I know it sounds silly, but I want you to know, you're not the bottom of the barrel. If anyone is, it's Joe," Nicole murmured after releasing a pent up breath, one that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She bowed her head in dejection as she stood up and pushed her seat back. The metal legs of the chair scraped loudly against the ceramic tile floor. The force she'd used to push it back was enough to throw it off balance until it fell to the side and hit the floor, the sound seeming to reverberate off the walls of the restaurant and amplify in its intensity. She turned to stare blankly at it for a second. Looking up and seeing that every eye in the overly full restaurant was upon her, she had to fight back the desire to run from the restaurant in morbid embarrassment. Never had she felt so mortified as she did right at that very moment. Her only consolation during the whole ordeal was that Joe wasn't looking at her. He was far too busy reprimanding his slut to notice her. Quickly, and on a soft moan that expressed the unbearable humiliation she was suffering, Nicole began to walk out of the restaurant. Pushing some money for the drinks they'd had in the maitre' d's hands, she continued on and managed to make it to the exit before starting to run. Although she was intensely proud of herself for having stood up to Joe, something she'd never done in the fifteen years of their marriage, she was also hideously ashamed of the scene they'd caused in the restaurant. She felt totally and completely embarrassed by the whole situation. How could he judge Hugh and Byron for being tradesmen? How could he judge them at all when they were better men than he was? But, most importantly, how could she face either of them ever again after what had happened? She felt so guilty for having dragged them into the sordid mess of her divorce and wanted nothing more than to just melt into the sidewalk, especially when she heard footsteps running behind her. Her damned heels hadn't allowed her to run far, and they'd caught up quickly. One of them grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into him. As soon as she collided against his chest, she realized it was Hugh. Nestling into his arms, feeling the comfort he was transmitting from the simple touch made her want to cry. She was shocked to feel the soft tracks of scalding hot tears of shame sliding over her cheeks. Pressing her face into his chest, she surreptitiously wiped her face against his shirt and felt his hand come up and cup her head. He kept her held in his arms as he began to walk back to the truck. "I'm sorry, Hugh," she whispered miserably as he lifted her into the cab. "What are you sorry for?" he asked. His touch was soft and tender, but his voice was harsh with anger, and it made her flinch. He was angry with her for what had happened. It upset her to know that he was. But, how could he not be? How could she not have anticipated something like this happening? How could she have been so thoughtless? "I'm sorry for what Joe said."

She bowed her head as the men climbed in the vehicle beside her. They sat in silence once more on the return journey. It was a marked contrast to earlier when the silence had brimmed with desire. Now she could feel their anger and totally understood why they should be so mad at her ex-husband's vicious tongue. When they reached her home, she almost sighed in relief. It was wonderful to be back at her haven of peace. What she wanted more than anything was to run inside, lock the door, and never come out again. But, stuck as she was in the middle of the cab once more, she couldn't make her escape until one of them moved. As Byron slid out of the cab, she moved too and was standing beside him without his aid in a flash. She hadn't wanted him to help her down, not this time. She didn't think she could have stood for their bodies to touch when he was so angry at her. Running quickly to the door, she hastily unlocked it before turning around to say a quick goodnight, but before she had a chance to do more than suck in a breath, they pushed her inside and locked and bolted the door behind them as they gained entry. Perhaps she should have felt nervous or uneasy at their presence, but she knew that, no matter the provocation, they would never harm her. She looked a little blankly at both of them, not really sure why they'd followed her in and then locked the door. Too emotionally exhausted to examine it further, she walked into the kitchen and headed to the fridge. Uncaring that they followed suit, she opened the fridge, grabbed a carton of milk, and tossed it back for a long sip. It was a comforting balm to her churning stomach as she waited for their words of anger to rain down on her. Why else would they have followed her except to lash out at her for what had happened? She put the milk back into the fridge. "I don't appreciate being used, Nicole," Hugh said icily, his words cutting her deep. Hugh's voice was as cold as ice, enough so to make her jump at the shock of it. It wasn't until then that she realized there had always been a warm, soft note in his voice whenever he spoke to her. "Nor do I. I expect Durst to behave like a prick. You don't need to apologize for him. Apologize for your own behavior!" Byron added angrily. Frowning, she glanced at them both and saw the animosity on their faces. "I don't understand. I mean, I can understand why you'd be annoyed at Joe's crass words. He was out of order. You're not the bottom of the barrel. I mean, look at you. If anyone is, it's Joe. He's pond scum in comparison to you two. But . . . but, the other part, well, that was the deal, right? To make Joe jealous," she finished uncomfortably, her voice rising at their blank looks. "That's why I started this whole thing, after all." She watched in confusion as they seemed to reject her words. Seeing Hugh's eyes flare made her realize that she obviously hadn't answered wisely or at least not well enough to suit him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet. Rifling through it, he tossed about four hundred dollars on to the floor and said, "The deal is off now. I won't have this shit held over me every time we leave the fucking door. I don't expect to see your bastard ex-husband wherever we go. If he gets his kicks out of watching us, then that's his prerogative, but I won't have you thinking we're fucking gigolos to be led around town to make that prick jealous. If I or Byron want to fuck you, it's because we desire you. Not because you paid us to help you get that jerk back, alright?" Confused, she watched as the money fell to the floor and was about to reply to him, but instead she watched as he angrily stalked towards her. Growling as she took a hesitant step

backwards, he grabbed her to him and pressed his lips fiercely against hers. Moaning at the feel of his firm and sensual mouth against her own, Nicole melted into his touch. She felt every muscle slacken at the siege Hugh's body lay upon her flesh. Unable to bear the onslaught of sensation, she alternated between feeling so lax that her body crumpled against his and so tense that her frame almost arched back and away from him. Either way, Hugh kept her close to him and with Byron coming up behind her, the two of them controlled her movements. She wanted to argue that this damned scheme had always been about her getting Joe back, that she wasn't the one who had suddenly gone back on their word. But her lips were otherwise engaged, and, soon after, she completely forgot all about Joe. Hugh's tongue fought her own. The passionate duel merely incited her and heightened her need. The feel of Byron's mouth sucking at the nape of her neck and shoulders made her whimper and cry out. Byron's hands lowered and cupped her breasts. One of Hugh's hands tugged her dress upwards and his fingers ripped her panties clean away before pillaging the hot flesh underneath. The tips of those digits strove to drive her insane. Alternating between plunging into her and rubbing at her clit, they enhanced every sensation until she wasn't sure she could cope with the surfeit of need that was pounding at her. The pressure of their cocks at her front and back merely made her feel even hotter and needier. She wanted them to ram into her, make her cry out and beg for her orgasm. She didn't want them covered with clothing and hidden from her touch. But she couldn't move, couldn't uncover them because one of Byron's hands had captured her arms at the wrist and held them behind her back. Hugh's teeth bit through the material of her dress, sinking down on to her nipples. She screamed a little at the pressure and writhed against their hard frames. Holding the taut flesh in a firm grip, he tugged and pulled cruelly. Perhaps, Nicole thought, she should've been repulsed, but instead it excited her. It made her blood boil hotly in her veins. When Hugh plunged three fingers into her, everything stopped as it shocked her into orgasm, an orgasm that powered through her system and sent a burst of joy along with it. She felt every single nerve ending stand up and sing. The sensation was so acute, so mind boggling, that her mind was truly blank to everything for a moment. She felt her body being maneuvered into position, felt Byron and Hugh's hands on her, but it was as though it wasn't happening to her. It was as though she was out of her body and only the pressure of a large cock at her pussy jolted her back to Earth and back into reality. Her back arched as the cock settled at her entrance and began to plunge into her, only then did she realize that it was Byron. The width of his cock was enough to make any woman blink and feel a little unease at the size of him. Where Hugh touched places deep inside her that had never been touched, Byron spread her so far apart that it made her pussy lips taut around him and bared her clit. When she was settled on Byron's cock, when his hips were flush to her own, she groaned as his pubic bone rubbed against her now very naked clit. Her back arched as sensation tore through her. When Byron shifted and pulled his hips back, she whimpered at the loss of contact. Suddenly, however, her mind was jolted back to that out of body experience when she felt Hugh's lips encircle her clit and instantly she rocketed off into climax, noisily crying out as he licked and suckled there. It was difficult to remain on this plane when the man that was eating her out was so

damned determined to force her out into the stratosphere. His lips and mouth continued to ply her clit, and, as she heard Byron's groan, felt the splash of his seed in the depths of her cunt, Hugh bit down. Once more she was plunged into darkness as pleasure pounded her until she truly was insensate. **** Waking up what felt like a lifetime later, she grunted as she realized where she was. In her bedroom. On her bed. Upon realizing that, she remembered what had taken place in the kitchen and a flood of heat washed through her, making her feel limp. At that moment, her body seemed to register what position it was in, and, with a jolt of wonder at how long it had taken her to understand what the hell was going on, Nicole moaned at the cock in front of her. It was so hard it stood tall and away from his body, seeming to sway as it pulsed with need. Just looking at it she realized once more that it was Byron's cock and wondered what they were up to. She was on her knees, but they were clinging to Byron's body as he lay underneath her. His mouth was against her cunt and she could feel his teasing breaths at the already super sensitive area. His cock was in front of her and almost as one, she felt Byron's tongue at her clit and more surprisingly, Hugh's tongue at her ass. The feeling was new and she was suddenly assailed with forbidden desires. Not once during her marriage had she ever tried anal sex. She'd never really wanted to. But, at this moment in time, she wanted nothing more than to be fucked there. For Hugh to claim her there. His tongue fluttered over the tight rosette and the wonderful feeling of Byron's tongue licking at her clit was almost drowned out by the newness of this sensation. Soon, his wet finger was prodding her there, sliding through the tight rim of muscles that were fiercely trying to reject him. She was concentrating on these new feelings that were shocking her so much that she forgot about Byron's cock, until he rocked his hips that is. Raising the very proof of his desire into her line of sight. Knowing full well that she couldn't suck him off while Hugh was touching her in an untried area, not without fear of biting him, anyway, she reached around and grabbed his balls. Rolling them around in her palm, she touched him absentmindedly- her mind focused elsewhere and on the second digit that Hugh was trying to push into her ass. Her body felt alive, amazingly so. With new sensations and feelings pounding at her, she knew that she'd never felt better than she did at this minute. With Byron's cock and balls in her hands and Hugh's tongue and fingers preparing her for the next stage of their love-making, Nicole felt a thrill of excitement wash over her as it registered that this was actually happening to her. Licking her lips at the pressure of the third digit now at the rim of her ass, she suckled the head of Byron's cock. She moaned around the glans and felt him shudder as the vibration went through his cock and worked its way down to the very core of his arousal. Lapping at it fiercely with her tongue, she brushed her teeth along the sensitive skin and felt him flinch. She would never hurt him and he seemed to know that, but he remained tense nonetheless. His tongue had slowed, and she smiled at the sense of anticipation that she sensed in him. She clenched his balls tightly in her hand when Hugh's third finger drove inside of her. He spread his fingers wide and stretched her, scissoring his fingers to ready her for his invasion. With a moan of slight discomfort, she bowed her head and pressed it into Byron's thigh. It was difficult, she had to admit, and, had she not wanted Hugh's cock there so badly, then she would very easily have given up. Instead, she rocked her hips backwards, forcing him deeper.

With a husky voice, she moaned, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Hugh." She heard him chuckle and felt Byron's laugh against her pussy, which was an odd sensation. Their position should have been uncomfortable. The way her body had been arranged should have made her feel embarrassed. Instead, she felt intensely sexy and highly feminine. They might have been in control of giving her pleasure, but she was the focus of all their attention and it made her feel empowered and strong and proud of her femininity and womanly attributes to know that these two men wanted her in this way. Feeling the press of Hugh's cock at her ass, she worked and fought hard to accept him. Making her ass relax and allow him entry was harder than she'd ever imagined, but when he hit home, his cock as deep as her ass could take, she cried out, a high pitched cry that transmitted every ounce of her rising pleasure and mild discomfort. Sweat dotted her brow, and she felt weak and limp as her head lolled against Byron's thighs. Hugh's front covered her back, and, despite some slight discomfort, the realization that every single inch of her was surrounded by him and his brother was an immensely satisfying feeling. She felt Hugh nuzzle her with his chin and sighed as he tucked his face against her neck. The position seemed to push him deeper, and once more she cried out. Suddenly, she felt Byron's tongue lapping at her clit and stroking along the seam of her pussy lips. She felt his soft bite of her tender flesh, and she cried out in wonder as he plunged his agile tongue deep inside of her cunt. She tensed up as Hugh began to move, but Byron kept her mind occupied. Dual sensations began to pound at her, began to rock her world. She felt the rawness of Hugh's penetration, the very earthiness of the way she was arranged on top of Byron and beneath Hugh. All of it began to register in the very depths of her being and intense sexual empowerment plunged through her. Her body pulsed rhythmically at the pace of Byron's tongue and Hugh's thrusts. Her breath caught in her throat and she just knew, knew, that they would all cum at the same time. How she knew that, she hadn't a clue. But she was right. Between her fingers and clutched in the palm of her hand, Byron's balls grew firm and drew close to his body as his cock began to pulse. She felt the need in Hugh's thrusts and as his cock dragged against every single sensitive nerve in her ass, she groaned and, as one, climax pushed them over the edge. Sensation after sensation rained down upon them and a trio of groans and moans and whimpers sounded powerfully in the small and otherwise silent bedroom. Like a chorus of earthly pleasures, the song of their climax was a beautiful thing. Washing over them, it coursed through each of them until at last they collapsed against each other, settled in each other's arms, and finally, at peace, they slept. **** It had been tough disentangling himself from Nicole's arms, and he knew that Hugh felt exactly the same way. There was something about her that added an extra special something to sex. He'd never felt it before. Never felt as though every single one of his senses was engaged while having sex. It was a bizarre experience and something he was glad to have known. It was confusing though, and he didn't understand what the hell was going on. All he knew was that Nicole was becoming more important to him than she really should, especially since she was still focused on getting back with her ex. Everything about this situation screamed easy sex. Why was he trying to make more out of it? Why was she inspiring emotions in him that no other woman had? What made her so special that just the thought of that bastard Durst and Nicole getting back together made him

want to kill the man? "What's going on, Hugh?" Byron asked, clearing his throat. He didn't like to admit he was nervous, but at this minute he needed his brother's reassurance that he wasn't losing his goddamned mind. "Fuck knows," Hugh replied gruffly. "You said earlier that you felt it, too. It's worse now, isn't it?" "Yeah. It was the scent at first that got me, but, after tonight, it's everything. When I saw her bastard ex walk through that door, it was hard to hold back my wolf. Fuck, since we were thrown out of the pack I've always been able to control it. Since I met Nicole, it wants out every fucking time she's upset or I'm a little pissed off. It's unsettling." "Yeah, I understand completely. That bastard Durst . . . . What the fuck does he see in that slut when he had Nicole? God, some men are never happy. If she's with him for anything, it's his money. What kind of fuckwit wants to be with someone who would prefer to fuck his wallet than his cock? Dumb schmuck!" "Yeah but don't complain. It's only because he is a fuckwit that we got the chance to be alone with his ex-wife." A growl rumbled low in his chest. "See, my wolf can't stand discussing her in relation to Durst. I wish the pack weren't out for our blood. Dammit." "What the hell do you want to call those bloodthirsty bastards for? Are you crazy?" Byron asked with a serious frown. "I said I wish I could, not that I want to. This is weird. A woman has never affected me this way. And for her to affect you, too …. That's just odd," he said before pausing then added slowly, "I remember talking to Pa before he was killed. I mean twenty years ago is a long time to remember a conversation, especially when I had zero interest in girls back then, but I remember him talking about Mamma. How she was his mate and how he recognized her …." "Go on. What did he say?" Byron hissed in frustration, annoyed at the break in the conversation. "He said that her scent drove him wild, that their combined scent made him feel . . . restful. Basically, everything we've been saying to each other today." "You think she's our mate?" Byron asked incredulously. "Yeah, I think she could be," Hugh replied with a heavy sigh. "Why the hell have we only just now realized this? Surely we should have known it immediately?" "Maybe not. She was with that prick back then. Her scent and his were combined, so our wolves couldn't register it. Since he left she's been exuding her own natural perfume and our wolves have picked up on that. It would explain a lot, Byron." "I hate not understanding what the fuck we are. Goddammit, Hugh, we know fuck all about our heritage, about anything. Isn't it abnormal for two goddamn werewolves to mate with a human? Is it even possible? Why are we sharing a mate? I have all these fucking questions, and we have no one to answer them. I feel like I'm floundering around in the dark and there's no light at the end of the goddamn tunnel!" Byron growled as he slammed his hand down against the armrest. "You're correct to a point, Byron. There's nothing more we can do, though. The way she makes me feel, the way she makes you feel, it suggests that she's more important to us than just a lay. If she is our mate, then the fates wouldn't have gifted us with a soul mate who couldn't bear our offspring or couldn't be shared. I can only hope that they know what they're doing," Hugh said on a sigh.

"I hate leaving things to chance. Dammit. Why is it that as soon as we get our lives together and start making a success of it, something comes and bowls us off course?" "If she is our mate, Byron, then it's a cause for celebration. You're too young to remember Mamma and Pa together, or the other mated couples in the pack. It's our destiny to find a mate, brother, not something to regret. I remember one wolf dying when he lost his mate in a hunting accident. It's a shame that we haven't learned more about our culture . . . . No, let me rephrase that, it's a shame we weren't given the opportunity to learn more about our culture, but, whatever you do or don't remember, Byron, never begrudge finding your mate. Okay?" "Okay," Byron replied sulkily. "Dammit, Byron, you're twenty-eight not eight. Try not to sound like a big kid!" "For fuck's sake, Hugh, how do you expect me to react? I'm pissed off that something major has happened to us, and we haven't even realized it, realized what it is. Don't you think I have a right to be aggravated?" "Of course you have a right to feel that way. Don't you think I'm feeling the same way? Dammit, Byron, I've met my mate, and I didn't even realize it until I remembered that talk with our father! I could have walked away and left her to that bastard Durst. I could have discarded my mate and left her to fend for herself with a bastard that wouldn't know how to defend anyone but himself! It tears my heart out that my lack of knowledge almost tore this mate bond apart! But you live and learn, and, now that I've found her, I won't be letting her go! Will you?" Hugh asked Byron fiercely. "Goddammit, no!" "Good," he answered, the word sending a throbbing sense of satisfaction through him.

Chapter Four "You realize that we've almost finished here, don't you, Byron?" Hugh grunted as he held a plank of wood in place and watched his brother nail it to the floor. "I've got eyes, haven't I? I don't see why that has to change anything between us. Anyway, there's a good two or three weeks work left on this place. That's enough time to get things all settled." "Talk about viewing life through rose colored glasses! Stop being idealistic and be realistic! What the hell do you think is going to happen? She's going to run lovingly into our arms as we hammer the last nail into the wall and propose?" Hugh replied with a chuckle. "I wish I could be idealistic," said Byron wistfully, sighing faintly. "No, Nicole likes us. I know that, and, even though you're trying to be pessimistic about all of this, you know that, too. We've already figured out what she could be to us. In fact, it's not what she could be because we know what she is to us. She is our mate, and I'm not going to give her up to some bastard like Durst. If she'd been happily married then, okay, yeah, I'd have stopped myself from getting involved in her life . . . . But abandoning her to Durst? No fucking way! Hell, finding a mate certainly makes you less selfish, doesn't it?" With the wood now secured to the floor, Hugh released the plank and rubbed his palm over his bristly chin. "Yeah, it surely does," he murmured. "Surprisingly so, actually. I never

expected to react this way to my mate. In fact, I'd never really expected to have one. Being kicked out of the pack didn't exactly increase my . . . our . . . chances, now did it?" "No. I wish we'd known that our mate could be human. I don't know why, but I think it would have helped some. Anyway, Nicole doesn't really want that prick back. She just thinks she does. Hell, we've had her so doped up with orgasms these past few days that I bet she can't even remember Durst now. I think she's having trouble remembering her own name! Did you see her this morning?" Byron asked on a chuckle. With a wide grin, Hugh nodded. "Yeah, I've never seen someone look so happy, have you?" he asked. "Nope," Byron said with immense satisfaction. "It looked as if she was floating on air. We're good for her. We know it and so does she. She just has to come to terms with it and accept us for what we really are to her. Because this can't be one-sided, can it, Hugh? I mean, surely we can't feel this much for her, if she feels so little for us?" "No. I think she recognizes us as mates. Well, as much as a human can. This whole situation is beyond her, Byron. You have to realize that. She doesn't even know what a mate is! Not only that, but she's so caught up in trying to fix her marriage that she hasn't responded normally to us. Saying that, though, I do think that she wouldn't have come up with that madcap scheme to screw us on camera to incite Joe's jealousy if she hadn't wanted us to start with. I'm not being big-headed there," he said on a laugh, "but, she doesn't exactly strike me as the type to behave like that. I bet the only man she'd ever had sex with before us was Durst. She's too much of a good girl to have slept around. We must be a bad influence." "Yeah, we must be," Byron agreed, slapping his brother on the back wholeheartedly. "Oh well, you can't teach an old dog new tricks!" They both laughed and looked around the almost-finished third floor conversion. It had been a real pain in the ass to complete, and there had been a lot of unforeseen problems during construction, but it was nearly there. Only yesterday, Hugh had instructed his assistant foreman to start on a new project on the other side of town, a small shopping mall that needed urgent revamping. He and Byron had decided to stay at Nicole's and finish all the last-minute details, which meant they had more reason and, more importantly, more time to stay and be with Nicole. "It has to be good that she knew the deal was off but slept . . . keeps sleeping with us regardless, right?" Byron asked with a frown. "Yeah, I think so. Unless she's regarding this time as playtime before she gets back with the old man, but that doesn't seem like the kind of thing she'd do. I wish I could scent her emotions on her, but all I get is that damned addictive aroma she gives off. I'm not complaining, but it means that I'm totally in the dark with how she's taking this relationship of ours. I'm not used to not being able to call on my wolf for a little helping hand." "I know it's tough, but I think it's fair, actually. It means we have to be more considerate and that can only be a good thing, right? And, anyway, even if she is intending to get back with that bastard, then it will be over my, our, dead bodies. She doesn't know that yet, but she will. There's no way I'm giving her up now." "We might not have a choice, Byron. I want her to be happy, as do you. What happens if she genuinely loves that prick?" Byron looked shocked at Hugh's suggestion. "She can't love him! He's a jerk! She needs us, Hugh," he said urgently. "We can't just give up on her because she's a little misguided!" "I'm not saying that we have to give up on her, Byron, just that we have to bear in mind what she wants. As you said, we have to think about her above our own needs. If she wants and

needs Durst, then we're just going to have to accept that." His words trailed off as he heard the slight sound of muffled feet on the staircase. Looking towards the door, he watched as Nicole walked in backwards, her butt levering the door open, only for her to sidle in with her hands full of two six-packs of beer and two boxes of twenty inch pizzas. She soon faced them both and looked shocked at the empty room. "Where are all the guys?" she asked in confusion as she walked over to them and laid the boxes of pizza and cold beer on the floor. Standing between them, she almost made Byron jump with pleasure as she laid a hand on Hugh's shoulder and curled the other into Byron's hair, a move that came very naturally to her. Byron found it immensely difficult to not shudder at the simple touch. Instead, he moved closer to her body and nuzzled his face into the side of her neck. She smiled and continued to stroke his hair as she waited for a reply from one of them. Byron looked pointedly at Hugh and mouthed, 'See!' Touching them came so easily to her, how could she not be as involved with them as they were with her? "I sent them over to that Berry Road Mall project. We're almost done here," Hugh informed her. "Oh," she said in understanding, and then repeated it in distress. "Oh …. Well, I bought pizza and beer as a thank you for all of you!" Byron thought that she sounded suitably unhappy that the building project was almost over. He was sure that that meant her feelings were engaged in their relationship. They just had to be! Two commitment-phobes couldn't be so wrong with this one woman, could they? "I'm sure Hugh and I can manage to finish this little lot off for you, Nic," Byron grinned naughtily at her. Her reciprocating smile almost made his heart sing. Cupping his jaw, she looked down at him. "That's not the point. I know how much you two can put away! I wanted to thank the rest of the crew, as well," she said. "Don't worry, Nicole. We'll provide their treat for them tomorrow, okay?" "You'll be finished so soon then?" Hugh shook his head. Byron could've sworn he heard the barely audible sound of a sigh from her. Could he dare hope that it was a sigh of relief? "No, there's still some odds and ends to finish here. Just nitpicking really, but Byron and I will be here for the next few days in the afternoon. After that, we'll be around for maybe another few weeks just clearing everything up. In the mornings we'll be at Berry Road with the rest of the guys." Nicole nodded in understanding, hoping that her face wasn't as crestfallen as she felt. "I'll miss you not being here." The room was silent for a moment as everyone absorbed that comment. "Come on, the pizza will get cold," she said more cheerfully. "I ordered the works. I figured everyone would be happy that way." Having said that, she squatted down on the floor and opened a box before grabbing a slice and offering it to Byron and then reaching in for another to hand to Hugh. She then served herself and groaned in pleasure as the flavor of the pizza assaulted her taste buds. "God that tastes good!" Hugh chuckled as he broke open one of the packs of beer and opened a bottle before passing it to her. "You should wash it down with some brew," he advised. "I haven't had beer in years!" she said in surprise at his suggestion. "Well, it's about time that you tried one again." "Come on, Nicole," Byron pleaded with a grin. "Loosen up. Pizza never tastes as good

alone as it does with a beer." Grinning at him, she took a sip of the offered beer. As soon as it reached her tongue, she wrinkled her nose. "Uh, I can see what you mean," she said as evenly as possible, trying to be agreeable, "but I don't think it will ever be my favorite drink!" "Spoilsport," Byron chastised. The urge to stick her tongue out at him briefly assailed her but she ignored it, choosing instead to munch on her enormous slice of pizza before sucking her fingers clean. When she was done she sidled up to Hugh and dropped her head on to his lap and spread the rest of her body along the floor. Byron almost laughed at the look of shock on Hugh's face then watched as tenderness overtook the initial shock and his brother's rough fingers began stroking the soft strands of hair away from her forehead. The last time he could remember Hugh looking so tender and caring was before their father was killed by one of the rogues in the area. After that, life as they'd known it had changed, and Hugh had changed with it. A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth at the softness on his brother's face. He knew that Hugh had never shown that depth of feeling to another woman. If he'd had any doubts that Nicole was their mate, then that one look would've dispelled them all. Byron couldn't remember a time when women hadn't just been for assuaging their needs and leaving the morning after. Sure, there had been some along the way that had hung around longer than others, but they'd been good for nothing more than an outlet for their desires. What he felt for Nicole was a million times stronger than that. It was practically obscene. The difference was shocking, and it made him realize the depth of feeling she inspired in him, that she alone had ever managed to inspire in him. Watching her there, with her head in his brother's lap, Hugh's fingers brushing her hair and Nicole just laying there with such a peaceful and contented look on her face-it all seemed so damn right, so perfect. He knew that he'd never been more content with his life than at that very moment. In years to come, come what may, he knew that this second in time would be forever imprinted on his mind and he'd look back and remember how complete he'd felt. It was an odd thought to have, but it was how he felt. Never one for sharing or even thinking about his emotions, it was strange to even contemplate something so deep, but that was what she did to him. If anything, it was a complete anathema to his ordinary ways, but then meeting a mate was supposed to be life changing, extraordinary. He supposed, he thought with a grin, that had it been any less magnificent, he'd have been disappointed. He moved to lean back against the wall and reached for her feet. The pizza and beers lay forgotten as he thumbed off her shoes and began to rub the soles of her feet. He looked down at the small feet in his lap. Looking up, he grinned his astonishment at Hugh. This was so completely out of their line of fuck and run, it was a joke. But he knew that neither of them had ever been happier. As incredible as it seemed to him, he knew that Hugh fully understood as well that they both knew that their future happiness was all wrapped up in this small package. Had it not been for the specter of her marriage hanging over them, life would be perfect. But, as always, something always came and fucked up what they had fought so hard to achieve. Nothing was ever simple in their life. Nothing ever had been and probably never would be. They'd had to fight to get to this position and would more than likely have a fight on their hands to keep Nicole.

At the moment, he didn't want to think about what problems might lie in wait for them. No, at that moment, all he wanted to do was think about Nicole and how there was nothing sexier than watching his mate writhe on the floor at his touch. It turned him on to see how something so simple as rubbing her feet could please her so greatly. But, at the same, there was a contentedness behind this feeling, almost as though because he was touching her, all was right with the world. In the furor and sheer craziness of his life up to now, it was wonderful to be at peace at last. Digging his thumbs deep into the arches of her feet, he grinned as she gasped and her back arched up and away from the floor. He continued to rub her there and knew that if he slid his hands in between her inner thighs and touched her pussy, it would be sopping wet. The thought pleased him greatly. He smiled as he began to massage her ankles then rub the muscles in her calves, all the while heading further and further up her legs. Her breathing became heavier, more labored, the higher up his hand traveled. With a groan, he watched the effect that that heavy breathing had on her breasts. The firm, lush globes strained against their covering as she exhaled and wobbled delightfully as she inhaled. Hugh's hand came down to cup those beauties, and they both watched in awe as she arched her back into his touch and spread her legs wantonly to ease Byron's path. Her skirt was by no means a mini, in fact it covered to just below her knee, and, as his hands rubbed and soothed her sensitive flesh, he pushed the skirt higher and higher up until eventually her panties were exposed to his heated gaze. Abandoning his massage, he pulled aside the material and groaned at the sight before him. "You've shaved?" he growled in a voice made husky by need and lust. Hugh's head came up at that news, and his eyelids suddenly became heavy as his hand slid from Nicole's breasts and down to her pussy. His fingers played with the slickness of her juices and began to touch her clit playfully. He groaned aloud, obviously enjoying the silkiness of bare, excited flesh. Nicole spread her legs further apart but said nothing, unable to speak, unable to think beyond the burgeoning delectation. She clenched her eyes tightly shut and couldn't still her wriggling hips from the surfeit of pleasure that Hugh's touch inspired. With his index finger, Byron joined Hugh in his torment of Nicole's cunt by trailing a path down the very center of her pussy lips and dropping a finger into her. With his narrowed gaze clinging to her pussy, he tugged at the entrance, hooking the tip in at the start of her slit and pulling. Her eyes opened as she gasped in shock and awe at this new sensation. His gaze burned into her emerald orbs causing a flush to blossom over her cheeks. His gaze still locked with her, he plunged three fingers deep inside of her, grinning wolfishly as her head tipped back at the suddenness of that action. He stroked her with the digits, coating them in her moisture before removing them from her tightly clinging pussy. Crouching over her, he moved up her body. Grabbing her by the hair with his other hand, he forced her to look at him before he spread her juices over her lips, grinning harshly as she squeaked with shock. With the very tip of his tongue, he licked the tasty morsel that was her mouth and hummed his pleasure at her perfect taste. It would never cease to shock him at how perfect she was for him and Hugh. Her taste, her scent . . . everything about her got his cock hard in a matter of seconds. She appealed to each and every one of his senses, and he would forever be grateful for that.

Her eyes went blind at his hum of happiness, her breathing growing heavier still. Byron thought she almost sounded as though she were having an asthma attack! He grinned at the thought and leaned down to sip once more at her mouth. Having licked her lips clean, he engaged her tongue with his as he began to pull at the buttons on her small tight cardigan. Unveiling the short white T-shirt vest that she wore underneath, he pulled it below her breasts. He was surprised that she wasn't wearing a bra and pulled away from her mouth to say so. "You naughty girl, you're not wearing a bra." Watching a flush of embarrassment creep over neck and down to her pretty breasts, he grinned and looked back at Hugh to see if he'd noticed. Which, in hindsight, was a damned stupid thing to have done. They both noticed every single detail that pertained to their mate. By now, Hugh's eyes had turned slumberous with desire and the heavy lids were drooping slightly. His fingers were drenched with Nicole's moisture and his fingers sped up as he said, "I hope you were bra-less for us, Nicole?" It was a question. Not a statement. Her hips began to rock at the speed of the digits rubbing her clit. When she didn't answer him, Hugh stopped entirely. She moaned and began to wiggle, trying desperately to resist the urge to beg Hugh for more. The sight made Byron's cock grow impossibly harder and he knew it would have the same effect on his brother. Hugh repeated his question, his voice even sterner now, more demanding of a response. "I hope you were bra-less for us, Nicole!" She relented with a grunt and her voice a little high, murmured, "Yes! Of course, it's for you two!" Both men breathed in a sigh of relief, and Hugh's fingers began to move again. Quieter and with less of a demand, he asked, "Is your pussy for us, too?" She spread her legs impossibly further apart, as though reminding them of it, and tilted her bottom up to expose it even further to their gazes. The action made Hugh grin because around them she was both hopelessly naive and a shameless hussy! The contrasting combination both intrigued and excited him. "Yes!" she moaned. "Who else could it be for? Touch me, dammit!" Nicole reached down and grabbed Hugh's hand and brought it to her hungry cunt. Together they touched her clit. Obviously feeling more benevolent now after her admission, Hugh brought her to a climax that made her fling her head back and whimper. Her entire body seemed engaged in the orgasm, each muscle tensed with pleasure. Byron looked at Hugh with a grin. Her abandon was becoming increasingly sexy. It was as though each time she was with them it gave her more confidence, it allowed her to feel more. That simple fact pleased him more than anything else could at that moment. They were good for their mate, and it made him genuinely happy to know that. Byron moved away from her for a minute and leaned back against the wall. Unzipping his jeans, he released his cock from the cage of his pants and grabbed Nicole's lax body from the floor. The aftermath of her climax was hitting her hard, and she didn't realize what he was doing until she was perched on his lap. "Wha . . . ?" she mumbled nonsensically. He grinned then spread her legs so that her knees were touching the floor and she was sitting astride him. His fingers moved back to her cunt and he grabbed his cock and trailed it along the seam of her wet pussy lips.

Her eyes opened and fluttered a little dazedly at this new sensation. He smiled gently at her, coaxing her back to reality. She returned his smile and, on a sigh, reached for his hard cock and pressed it into her pussy. Byron felt her tremble within his embrace and made to pull back but stopped when he felt her arms cling to him. It was a faintly needy act and, even though his thoughts were engaged elsewhere and more focused on his cock than anything else, he knew that had another woman done it, even clung to him in the slightest, he would have pulled away both figuratively speaking and mentally. With Nicole, he wanted nothing more than for her to cling to him and clutch him close. This whole mate thing was totally bizarre, and, if he weren't so damned happy with her, then he'd be very confused with the whole situation! Her pussy soon swallowed him up, and he leaned heavily into the wall, allowing it to support them both. She slowly began to ride him, enclosing him in her tight, hot heat then releasing him and allowing the faintest drafts in the room to cool his cock before warming him up again. His eyes had drooped languorously as he watched her cunt engulf and release him. Grabbing her hips, he made her settle on his lap and then reached up to cup her breasts for a second. His eyes settled on Hugh, and he knew it would turn Nicole on to watch his brother jack himself off. It took some maneuvering, but he lifted her off his cock and swiveled her around so that she now faced Hugh and her back leaned against his chest. The new position made her gasp and small soft whimpers were being released every so often from her throat. Byron reached for the hem of her skirt, lifted it, and tightened it to her hips so that Hugh had an unimpeded view of Nicole's juicy pussy. His hands moved around her front to spread her legs a little more and his fingers spread the outer lips open to pull her pussy further apart. He let the tips of the longer fingers hook into her entrance, filling her up even more. He let her lean back on him as he could see that his brother's simple act was turning her on and began to gently rock his hips. He was in so deep already that the movement just impaled her even further on to him and her fingers went down to rub at her clit as she watched Hugh stroke his cock. Byron pushed her fingers away. She whimpered her protest and looked back at him with beseeching eyes. He refused to let her continue until Hugh grunted, "Let me see her play with our pretty pussy, Byron." She smiled cockily at him, obviously pleased with having won that round. He grinned behind her back as she returned her focus to Hugh's cock and her fingers moved over her slippery clit. Her inner muscles soon began to work their tender torture on him as they rode each other to climax. Hugh stood up and continued to touch himself as he walked towards them. Somehow, they all came at once. Grunts and growls and high whimpering moans seemed to fill the room, and, hooking his chin over Nicole's shoulder, he watched Hugh rub his cum into her breasts. Her eyes were hooded, but, as his fingers began to pinch at her nipples, her inner muscles began to twitch around his slumbering cock, keeping it semi-hard inside her. With a shocked laugh, Byron murmured, "I think Nicole wants more, Hugh!" Hugh's voice was gravelly. "I think she's getting greedy, don't you?" he murmured.

Byron hummed his agreement as he watched Hugh for further instruction. Hugh's eyes indicated that he should lay back. So, clutching her to him, he moved away from the wall and awkwardly moved to the side so that he could lie down. Once on the floor, he reached for Nicole's ankles, pulling them upwards and apart. A soft scream escaped her throat at the move, but, inexorably, he pulled them as high as her body's natural agility would allow him, effectively spreading her pussy open to Hugh's hungry gaze. Her pussy was fluttering and twitching and generally driving him insane. He could feel her moisture slipping down from her cunt to cover him. When her pussy clamped down even harder on him, he tensed his stomach muscles and sat up to see what Hugh was doing. He grinned and felt his cock twitch as he witnessed Hugh's tongue and teeth attacking Nicole's clit. Relentlessly, he swathed her nub with his tongue until her back arched and she screamed her pleasure into the otherwise silent room. The sobs escaping her throat were laden with desire and happy release, and Byron couldn't help but grin at the expression on his mate's well-satisfied face. When Hugh had told him that Nicole could possibly be their mate, he'd been partially shocked and partially relieved. Shocked because she was human, shocked because he'd never expected a human woman to fill all their requirements in a mate, feeling certain that she'd never be able to keep up with two randy werewolves. But, at the same time, he'd been relieved, because the intense feelings she stirred up in him were incredible and ones he'd never before felt about another woman. Now, after three orgasms, he could see that she was more than able to keep up with Hugh and him. Seeing all the ways they matched satisfied him immensely. Pulling out of her with a resounding plop, he saw that despite her slightly blank and pleasure-filled face, a small blush adorned her cheeks at the small sound of his cock exiting her body. Reaching down, he tugged at the entrance to her pussy and played with the juices down there. Letting his lips drift over the curve of her neck, the line of her jaw, he murmured, "Don't be embarrassed, sweeting." She turned her face into his and nuzzled into him for comfort. That small act almost turned his heart to mush. It was most unlike him to be so affected, but that hit him like nothing else could. He vowed then and there that he would always be there for her comfort. Even if it killed him, he didn't care. He was her mate, and he would always be there for her, no matter what. **** There was a knock on the door. Nicole didn't stir from her sound sleep as she lay where they'd moved her to in her bed, half atop Hugh, her face pressed into his neck and his arm clamped around her hips to keep her close. Byron lay next to them, his hand possessively cupping one of her breasts. Neither man was asleep, and the situation didn't call for conversation. It was a wonderful time for both of them. Almost like a time-out from their ordinary lives. Each absorbed every morsel of contentedness that Nicole radiated, and, together, they appreciated having their mate so close to them, willingly sharing herself and trusting them to keep her safe. It was a big deal for both Byron and Hugh to be gifted with her trust, for no woman could sleep so soundly and deeply unless she trusted the men she was with. Indeed, the way she lay in the bed seemed to signal how much freedom she allowed them with her body. Never had they been so close, physically and mentally, to a woman, and it was a shock

for both men. It affected Byron more than Hugh though. Being the younger of the two he'd never really witnessed the closeness a mate-bond created between two people. Hugh had seen his parent's relationship and other mate-bonds in the pack flourish. But Byron had been far too young to understand. In a way, Hugh had been glad for Byron's ignorance. Until he'd met Nicole, he'd always felt as though a part of him had been pining for that one woman who would complete him, for that one woman who was meant to be his and his alone. He'd been relieved for Byron that he hadn't felt that. Or, if he had, Byron had never disclosed it to him. Perhaps he'd never been able to put it into words, but, now that they had Nicole, Hugh realized the extent to which she completed them, both of them. It still came as something of a surprise that they were sharing her. It didn't overly perturb him, as it was something they'd done in the past. And while he was possessive where Nicole was concerned, especially with her ex, that possessiveness didn't cause any problems when all three of them were together. In fact, he enjoyed watching them together. What had happened earlier was a perfect example of that fact. He had enjoyed seeing Byron's fingers opening her and spreading her for his hungry eyes, had enjoyed watching Byron fuck and pleasure her. It was quite a conundrum, but Hugh was very happy with his lot. He imagined a future of lazy afternoons ahead of him, with Nicole spread over him like a blanket and Byron cuddled up to her like an overgrown teddy bear. Indeed, he was very happy with the train of his thoughts until the knock on the door progressed to hammering followed by shouts of anger, that is. Until that moment, he'd been happy to ignore it. He'd been happy to let Nicole use him as a pillow and to enjoy a lazy do-nothing afternoon and evening. He tilted his head to one side so that he could look at Byron who was frowning back at him. It was difficult to hear the words that were being mumbled behind the door, even for their werewolf hearing. They could sense the person's aggression however and began to slip away from Nicole as quietly as they could, not wanting to wake her. They both began to curse silently as she awoke, her limbs stretching on the sheets as she uncurled herself like a luxurious cat, purring and curling against the bed. Hugh felt his cock twitch at the sight and knew that Byron's reacted in the same way, as his brother began to grumble and reach for his jeans. They both began to dress. It wasn't until Nicole sat up straight that they stopped to just look at her. With her breasts bobbing and her movement in the bed affording them small glimpses of her perfect pussy, she was like a sex goddess. The thought that she was theirs made Hugh's cock even harder. As the hammering on the door became impossibly louder, Hugh growled and stomped out of the room to deal with whoever the hell was out there. He timed it so that when he opened the door, the person banging on it would fall forwards. Byron, right behind him, grinned as Hugh's plan worked. A furious Joe Durst fell flat on his face as the door whipped open and the momentum of his banging fists flung him forward and over the doorstep. "Greetings, Durst," Hugh said, his voice an angry rumble. Quickly scrambling to his feet, Joe moved into Hugh's personal space and shoved his chin forwards aggressively. "You fucking bastards. I told you to leave her alone." "Yeah, and I chose not to listen, schmuck." "You're messing with the wrong guy here, Jakman. I've warned you …."

"Fuck off, Durst. Go and spout your shit at someone who gives a damn," Byron ground out through clenched teeth as he took in Joe's bright red face. Hugh spun around as Nicole's delicious scent came nearer. He had to hold back a groan as she walked into the hallway wearing nothing but a sheet. Her hair was mussed and her neck pink from their kisses and love bites. Her lips were red and looked slightly sore from their ceaseless caresses. She looked like she'd just been thoroughly fucked. The sheet covered just enough to stop her from exposing herself to Durst but enhanced her looks so that she appeared to be the sex goddess he and Byron knew her to be. He watched Durst's eyes widen in shock and had to hold back a growl of possessiveness at the bastard seeing his mate so humbly attired. Byron jerked his head forward in warning before he could act on his possessive feelings, and Hugh subsided to glaring at the bastard who dare lay his eyes on Nicole. It didn't matter that she was previously married to the man, she was no longer Durst's, and the sooner everyone realized that, the better. "Joe?" Nicole said in a husky voice. It was the voice of someone who had just been screaming out in climax, and all three men knew it. Any doubt that Joe might have had that she hadn't just been fucking Byron and Hugh disappeared. Hugh watched in amusement as Durst's hackles rose. His held back a chuckle at Durst's latent feelings of jealousy. He knew that it wasn't helped by the fact that Nicole genuinely sounded as though she were shocked to see him. Her appearance, her body language, everything added up to make Joe Durst feel like shit, like something easily forgotten, and Durst's ego did not like that at all! "Joe? What are you doing here? Why were you knocking on the door?" Nicole repeated her question with some confusion and hefted her sheet higher so that it covered her some more. Hugh realized that she was genuinely uncomfortable in her ex-husband's presence. It soothed his wolf somewhat, and he determined to stay out of it unless Nicole needed him. "You fucking cunt. You slut," Joe spat angrily Immediately, Hugh's resolve to stay out of it was spent. He grabbed the man and pinned him to the wall with his hand at Durst's throat. "You think you can speak to my woman like that, you fucking bastard?" "Your woman?" Durst laughed wheezily. The laugh sounded forced, which Hugh supposed it was since he was letting minimal air supply through to Joe's lungs. "Yeah, my woman. You fucking insult her again and you'll be lucky if I let you go home with your cock attached." "What are you doing here, Joe?" Nicole's voice had risen with her discomfort at the situation. "You fucking whore!" Joe replied wheezily, his eyes bulging as Hugh increased the pressure after this latest comment. "I warned you . . . ." "Hugh! No!" Nicole ran over to him and grabbed at his hands, trying to weaken his grip and allow Joe to breathe. That she defended Durst only served to increase his ire, until she declared hoarsely, "Joe, either tell me what the hell you want or I'm calling the police. You can't come around here insulting me and my boyfriends! I'll report you, and don't you think for a second I won't! Just think about having your name splashed around the local papers! Just think about that for a second. What I do is my own business and none of yours. Never forget that!"

Hugh released his grip on Joe's throat but continued to hold him in position. The bastard was too quick on his feet for Hugh to let him go. If Durst hurt one hair on Nicole's head, Hugh would have to kill him. "You bitch. Flaunting it on fucking camera. Who the hell do you think you are?" "Who do you think you are? Pervert! You don't have to watch." "Fuck off back to your precious baby doll and leave us the hell alone." "Tell caveman here to let me go, and I'm off." "Let him go, Hugh. Joe knows that I'll call the police on his sorry ass. It wouldn't be the first time I've done it, would it Joe?" Joe flipped them all the finger and stalked off back to his car. Byron looked at Hugh for a second then turned to Nicole thoughtfully, "Has he hurt you in the past?" "When he drinks, he can get real nasty with his fists," she admitted reluctantly. Byron shook his head and exhaled loudly. "Well, at least he's gone. That's something!" "Yeah, he went a little too easily, don't you think?" Hugh pointed out quietly. Byron hummed his agreement. "Yeah, but if he's low enough to use his fists on a woman then he's probably too much of a pussy to fight us. Especially with your hand around his windpipe! He's a snake. He just slithered off to fight another day!" "Yeah, that's what concerns me," Hugh murmured coldly. "What do you mean, Hugh?" Nicole asked, her voice troubled. Hugh silently cursed himself for bringing the topic up in front of her. "Nothing, sweetheart. I'm seeing monsters in the shadows. You bring out my protective instincts, that's all," he drawled, his voice low and gravelly. He saw the pleasure in her eyes and stalked forward to her, flicking a warning glance at Byron to cease the discussion until later. Turning back and wrapping Nicole in his arms, he lifted her up and allowed the sheet to fall to the floor in the hallway. He cupped her butt and motioned for her to spread her legs and let him carry her. The feel of her soft bare pussy rubbing against his lower belly, just above the waistband of his jeans, was enough to stir his cock to a full erection. The whole situation had his blood pumping with adrenaline and he had to make himself handle her with care because all he wanted to do was drop her to the floor, turn her on to her knees, and fuck her from behind. And he would do that but in a more genteel manner. He wouldn't prevent that bastard from hurting her only to do so himself! He quickly stalked through the ground floor and headed towards her bedroom. He released her above the bed and let her drop onto the mattress with a bounce. He watched her laugh, watched her breasts bob up and down, and growled possessively. His mate didn't buckle or scramble away from him, though. Her eyes lit up and he saw the hunger that equaled his own blaze fiercely in her glistening orbs. Grabbing her hips, he spun her over so that her butt was in the air. He bent down and stuck his nose against her slit and breathed in deep as he unbuckled his belt and released himself from his pants. Her scent calmed him down, despite the adrenaline still coursing through his system, because he knew that she was his and Byron's and that not a trace of Durst was there on his mate. His cock was hard by now and throbbing hungrily. Once more he grabbed her hips, but this time he slammed her on to his cock, impaling her in one fluid motion. She moaned hungrily at his savage possession. He began to pump faster and faster into her. The bed began to squeak and shake at the

speedy tempo of his thrusts. Her elbows gave way, and she couldn't gain purchase on the sheets. Rather than let her get back up and support herself, he let her lie there, at his command. Reaching down low, he grabbed her breasts. It was an awkward position, but he didn't care. His cock was being caressed by his mate's warm, juicy cunt and his hands were filled with Nicole's breasts. What more could a man ask for? His hips began to thrust faster, his hands squeezed and pinched her breasts, and when he felt a hesitant hand glance over his cock, his heart began to beat furiously at his chest wall. In his mind's eye, he could see what they looked like. He was crouched over her like a beast. She was lying supinely on the bed with her face pressed into the sheets and her hands between her legs, pleasuring herself. The combination of the physical pleasure and his imagination set his cock to spurting his seed into her welcoming womb. **** Hugh tapped his fingers against the armrest on the truck's door. His mind was engaged in trying to understand what the fuck Joe Durst was up to. He was a wily character, and, if it hadn't have been for Nicole, then he would have totally regretted getting mixed up with the bastard. He was difficult to pin down and difficult to work with. The adjective summed him up entirely-difficult. Not only that, but Hugh knew that he was a manipulative bastard and Nicole's disclosure that he was handy with his fists merely enraged him and deepened his distrust even more. It was hard to concentrate on what the fuck the man was concocting when all he wanted to focus on were ways and means of beating the guy up. Hell, his wolf wanted blood. He didn't like being at the mercy of his wolf, but, where his mate was concerned, he doubted there was any other option. She was more precious than gold and had to be treated and protected as such. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Durst was concocting something. This morning, he hadn't thought anything. His mind had been focused on work and his mate. But now, after this afternoon, something had teased a memory into life, and he remembered Durst asking him how safe the house was in case of a fire. At the time, it had seemed like an ordinary question. They'd been discussing making the house safer and bringing it up to date to modern standards, bringing it up to code. But now, after learning that Durst wasn't averse to beating up his wife, the question took on nefarious intent. It frightened him that Nicole could be in danger, but, at the same time, he had no proof that Durst was an arsonist in the making! "Durst is rich, right?" Hugh asked Byron, concern evident in his voice. His brother frowned when he answered. "Yeah, I think so. He looks flash and he's spent a fortune on the house when only the bare minimal was really necessary. The pneumatic blond must cost a lot. Her clothes are definitely designer, as are his own. That new Merc he was driving must have cost him a bundle, too. So, yeah, I assume that he's rich." "Yeah, but that kind of lifestyle must cost a lot of money to keep up, right? I mean, what does the guy actually do? When he was at the house and Nicole and he were still together, he didn't actually go out to work, did he? Not only that, but Nicole doesn't act as though she's got a lot of money does she? If anything, she looks as though she's trying to save money!" "No," Byron said slowly. "But, he did fly off to places, remember? Maybe that was business? She's his ex, and thank God for that, but maybe it means that he's not providing her

with any alimony." "It just seems a bit shady and dubious to me. There are too many questions in this god damn situation and not enough answers!" "Yeah, but maybe the man just knows how to make a quick buck. Maybe it's nothing deeper than that." "That's what frightens me." "What's all this about, Hugh?" "Remember that time he asked about the fire safety of the house?" "Yeah, I do," Byron answered with a thoughtful frown. "What's that got to do with anything?" "Don't you think that was an odd question to ask?" "No, not really. It was in context at the time anyway." "Hmm, but was it really? We would have told him if the house was dangerous. Hell, we would have told them that they couldn't live there for starters! Wasn't it obvious that it was safe?" "I suppose so. What are you getting at?" "I don't know, Byron. I just don't trust that bastard, that's all." "And you think I do? I'd trust a god damn python before I'd trust that weasel," Byron said, laughing darkly, "You don't think Nicole is in any danger, do you?" "I don't think so, no. Why?" "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but it doesn't help that I've just found my mate and can't claim her!" "I've never known you to be paranoid, Hugh. I don't know if that clears your mind any …. Tell me what you're thinking. Maybe it will help if I can say yea or nay to whatever's on your plate." "Durst looks like the type to spend money like it's going out of fashion, as does the pneumatic blond …. We're still in a recession. Money is tight. What if his businesses, whatever the hell they are, aren't doing well? What if he's maxed the insurance out on that house and by setting it on fire he makes a claim and recoups any losses the economic downturn has caused him?" Byron frowned but said nothing, pursing his lips in concentration. "Well, what do you think? Am I being paranoid?" Hugh asked impatiently. "What worries me is that what you're saying sounds plausible. But it all depends on whether or not Durst has lost a lot of money, and there's no way of knowing it. But, I agree with you on one thing wholeheartedly, he is acting odd. I mean, he's got a whole new life, so why does it bother him that Nicole is with us now?" "I'd say jealousy, but Durst doesn't strike me as a man to get overly jealous. His ego has been dented that she's not mourning his loss anymore, but he looks like the type that moves on to the next after he gets bored, which is what he'd done with Nicole. I don't like this situation at all, Byron." "No, me neither." **** "Is it all arranged then?" Joe asked nervously in a quiet voice. He had to constantly remind himself to lower his voice so as not to bring Tracy running into the room to ask questions. She wasn't as stupid as she looked and he didn't want her asking questions.

"Yeah, all set." "When for?" Despite his struggle to maintain his normally confident veneer, sweat beaded on his brow. He didn't like not being in control of the situation. It went against the grain to pay someone else to do his own work, especially when the hired bastard could blackmail him at a later date! This whole situation was making him feel nervous, and he didn't like it one bit. "Two weeks from today." "I'll have to call you to confirm. The house is taking longer to finish than I expected. It has to be completed before the full insurance policy kicks in. Don't do anything until I contact you again, alright?" "Yeah. You know where I am." The sound of the dial tone met Joe's ears and he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure who he was speaking to. No names had been exchanged, just details, but those details could incriminate Joe, and that made him antsy. Leaning back in his office chair, he reached for the handkerchief that always sat in his jacket pocket and dabbed his damp brow. Damn, it was a hot day. He silently cursed and picked up the remote to turn the air conditioning in the room on higher. Standing up, he walked underneath the vent and allowed the cold air to cool him down. It was no good rationalizing that it wasn't the weather that was making him hot and sweaty. He knew that like he knew the back of his hand. But there were no other options open to him now and he knew it. The house had to go and Nicole had to die. Just thinking about Nicole made his blood pressure spike and his cock throb. Why had the bitch never looked that fucking hot when they'd been together? He wasn't jealous. Well, not really. He was merely peeved that his plans had gone to the shitter and that he'd missed out over all those years. Tracy was hot, but seeing Nicole all trussed up like she'd been fucked and had loved it, had made her seem more earthy and natural and his cock had reacted to the sight. He frowned, why had she never looked like that after he'd fucked her? Glaring at the air conditioning vent, he walked back over to his desk where his computer sat and rewound the footage the web cams had recorded earlier. Easing back into his desk chair, he unzipped his fly and watched his builders fuck his ex-wife.

Chapter Five "Hi mama, how are you and the boys?" Nicole asked nervously. For the last few months, she'd been uncomfortable speaking with her mother, mostly because her mother had been so insistent that she rekindle her marriage with Joe. In fact, the weekly phone call home had become a real pain in the ass. Procrastination had never sat well with her, but where this call was concerned, it was something she was doing more and more often. "Me and the boys are fine, Nicole. What's going on with you and Joe?" Louise Merritt asked, getting right to the point and abruptly changing the subject. Her voice was rough from the years of lung abuse from the factory she'd worked at her whole life, which had her clearing her throat every five minutes.

"Is that all that matters to you anymore, mama? Whether or not Joe and I are back together? Don't you care about how I am? Or if I'm OK?" she asked with a sigh. She didn't need her mother to answer those questions. She knew for a fact that Nicole's marriage was all that mattered to her mother. She also knew that her happiness had long since lost its importance in Louise's eyes, if it had ever held any importance to her at all! "Don't start with me, Nicole. You know how much your entire family relies on Joe. You know what he means to our lives. How do you expect all of us to cope if he doesn't help anymore, huh? What are we supposed to do then?" Louise asked coldly. "I don't know, mama, but it's not my job to worry about everyone. The entire family is not my responsibility. They're all adults. I'm sure they'll find a way to manage. They managed before I married him," Nicole replied. She was part satisfied at the hiss she heard down the phone line and part terrified at her audacity. No one in the Merritt family gave back-talk to mama. Well, not if they didn't want to be flayed alive with her barbed tongue! "How dare you, you ungrateful bitch! When I think of all I've done for you . . . ." Interrupting her mother with a cold laugh, Nicole stopped thinking about the consequences of arguing with her mother and spoke the truth. "All you've done is force me into this hideous marriage when it should never have happened in the first place. You knew Joe wouldn't be good to me! You knew it then, just like you knew that nothing in the years we were married changed any of that. But still you push and push because you want to rely on Joe for support. He's no good and the marriage was never any good and here I made a fool out of myself in the hopes that I'd be able to get that bastard back and all for you! Not for me. For you!" "What do you mean he's no good? How can the man be no good when he's been supporting your family since you married, when he's putting your brothers through college! You need to get your priorities straight, girl! You're just selfish. You always have been!" "No, you need to get your priorities straight and don't even get me started on selfishness! You're so concerned with the welfare of yourself and the rest of the family that you can't even see how Joe treated me, what he put me through, what he's still putting me through. Don't you even care that he's fucking another woman? Don't you even care that he's probably fucked lots more during our marriage and has finally impregnated one after years of telling me he didn't want kids? "I'm thirty five years old and all I've wanted all of my life is to have a big family. But I'm practically on the shelf now. I've only got a few years left to start, if I can even have them at all, but that's never going to happen if you get your way and Joe decides to take me back. "You're the one that's selfish, mama! You don't even care that he makes me miserable! You don't care that he's cheated on me! You don't care that I'll never have a family like my friends do because he wouldn't let me have a baby! All you care about is yourself!" "I am not selfish!" Louise vehemently denied. "Oh yes you are. You don't care about me. All you care about is yourself." "I won't be spoken to like this, Nicole Marie Merritt!" "Oh the hell with that! I'm a grown ass woman now. I don't have to sit here and listen to you scold me like a child. I don't need you to tell me how to live, and I damn sure don't need your approval. I don't need you to threaten that you won't love me anymore if I don't do as I'm told because if what I've been receiving from you over the years is love, then I don't want any part of it." "Nicole!" Louise screeched. "You get that man back, you hear me? How the hell do you expect me to help your brothers and your aunt and uncle if I don't have that money every

month?" "Joe seems happy with this new slut of his, so I don't know if he would come back to me even if I tried, but I'm past caring. In fact, I'm past caring about you and him. I think it's about time I started being selfish and thinking about number one because it's looking highly unlikely that anyone else ever will. Slamming down the phone and cutting off her mother's screeches felt damn good. In fact, it felt better than good. It felt wonderful. It was liberating, really. She was damned sick and tired of being pushed around by her mother. Maybe it wasn't wise to push Louise, but, for the minute, she'd had enough with everything in her life. She was tired and weary and a part of her just wanted to roll up into a small ball and hibernate the winter away. She knew that hiding wasn't the answer, but it seemed like a hell of a good idea at the moment! Joe had been behaving odd all this last week, and, tired of it and his games, she'd finally plucked up the courage to phone her mother in the vain hope that she'd receive a little motherly support and succor. But instead, as per usual, she'd been besieged with nasty comments that pertained solely to what Nicole could do for the family. The only time her mother contacted her was to ask for something. It seemed like it had been that way her entire life, as if the only reason she'd had children was so that they could work and take care of her. In fact, she wasn't sure why she put up with how her family treated her. She'd long since left the nest. But she supposed it had just taken her a long time to realize that it hadn't been that great a nest. If anything, she'd always received more support from friends than her mama. Maybe it was time to stop burying her head in the sand, time to realize that they were after one thing from her and love and affection weren't it! Sighing, she tapped her fingers on the desk and contemplated the email she'd received that morning from Joe. Unlike his other correspondence, there were no curse words in it. It was actually very polite. For that very reason alone, she was suspicious. Joe didn't do polite. He was an ignorant, arrogant jackass and behaving in a cordial manner was a complete contradiction to the real Joe. Biting her lip, she frowned at the email that was asking for specific dates on the house's readiness. Why was it so damned important that the house be finished? She'd known for a while that he wanted her to move out after the renovations of the old Victorian house were complete. It was almost time to start looking for some place else to live. She would be sad to leave here. A lot of her hopes and dreams for a family had been riding on this place, and they'd all come to naught. It was just such a damn shame, but, now that she thought about it, perhaps it was better that she hadn't been able to have children. She couldn't imagine what kind of hell Joe would've made her life where they were concerned. He'd probably have taken her to court and gotten full custody and made her pay child support. The phone started to ring. Checking the caller ID, she saw that it was her mother again. Ignoring the call, she muted the ring and sighed morosely. Despite herself and despite the fact that none was ever offered to her, family loyalty ran deep in Nicole's heart. It was something she valued highly. She knew how much her mother relied on Joe's support, and it pained her to think of her mother, her family, suffering because of her. While sleeping with Byron and Hugh had been a wonderful diversion, she wasn't sure

whether or not she'd succeeded in her original intent. Had she made Joe jealous? Or was he just annoyed that she was using his place and his builders for her own pleasure? Joe, despite his boorishness, could be a shrewd man. Whether or not he was jealous, she knew that he wouldn't like the fact that the Jakman brothers were fucking his ex old lady. That she knew for certain. She also knew that he had some clout in this district. A part of her worried that he might use that to hurt Hugh and Byron, especially if it suited his purposes. The thought that they could be hurt by what she'd led them into made her gasp out loud with pain. She'd grown to care deeply for them both, more deeply than was wise, she knew. She'd never been treated so kindly by men before, never had her affection or tenderness reciprocated. Maybe it had become a novelty to be cared for. Nicole didn't know, but she did know that she was falling desperately in love with them, which only served to make her feel like a silly old fool. Hell, she was five years older than Hugh and at least seven years older than Byron. Why they were interested in her, she didn't know. Were the younger generation of women blind to these two men? Why the hell hadn't they been snapped up long ago? It seemed crazy that they were both single. A part of her was so damned glad that they weren't spoken for because she knew that jealousy would drive her up the wall. Feelings of possessiveness had begun to assail her recently in regards to them, and she knew that she had to stop it. Everything that had been going on had to stop because she knew damned good and well that the only person who would wind up getting hurt was herself! She'd been the biggest kind of fool for them, but even she could see the writing on the wall. Why would this gorgeous pair of hunks want her when they could easily get a woman like Joe's new girlfriend? Surely that bimbo was more likely to be their type than her? Why on earth were they even interested in her when there were women out there like that? Either way, something had to give, and she knew that she had to protect both her own heart and their business. With a sigh, she closed down her computer, ignoring Joe's email for the moment. Not only was she not sure about the final date of completion, but she wanted to think on the email a little more. Something wasn't right about it. Trustworthiness had never been that strong a feature in Joe's character and this email made some alarm bells ring in her head. Instead of pondering the damn thing any longer, she retreated to her bedroom and pulled on some outdoor clothes. Shimmying into a pair of jeans before slipping on a small coffee colored vest and a thickly knitted cream color wool cardigan, it wasn't long before she was tugging on some brown leather boots. Fully dressed, she stalked out of her room, making her way to the console table to grab her car keys. Locking up the house, she walked to her car and settled in for the quick drive over to Hugh and Byron's new project, the Mall revamp. Checking the clock, she reassured herself that that was where they would more than likely be. As she drove over to the mall, she tried to shore up her defenses and arguments as to why they had to stop sleeping together. They'd already refused to acknowledge her deal after that disastrous first date. She wasn't sure what they considered their relationship as being, but whatever it was, she had to persuade them that it was no good for any of them. The thought made her close her eyes in misery because being with Byron and Hugh made her feel damned good, better than she'd ever felt in her life. It seemed stupid to be pushing them away when they made her so happy, but the reality was that she had no choice. If she ever stood

any chance of winning Joe back and, in turn, continuing the family support he paid to her mother, then she had to make this clean break with the Jakman brothers, even if it killed her. Pulling up outside the mall, she took a deep breath and prayed for fortitude. Jumping out of the car, she slammed the door shut before running into the construction site. As soon as she entered, she grimaced at the overwhelming noise of saws and the thick veil of dust that seemed nearly impenetrable. When they'd said revamp, they'd meant it. Not a single inch of the entire building seemed to have been left untouched. She walked through what had been and what would soon be once again, the main hall. She called out, "Byron! Hugh!" But she didn't receive an answer. Spying one of the work men that had been at her house, she hurried over to him. "Mrs. Durst? Is that you?" the man asked, surprise evident in his voice. "Yes, it's me," she said as casually as she could. She smiled nervously and had to fight the need to wring her hands together. "Do you know where Mr. Jakman is? I need to speak with him urgently." "Well, I'm sorry, ma'am, but both brothers hightailed it back to their office over on Jefferson Street. You know where it is, don't you? They must have left about an hour ago. I imagine they're still there." "Damn," she muttered softly then smiled at the man before thanking him and saying goodbye. Running back to the car, her nerves once more began to wreak havoc with her stomach. She sincerely did not want to do this. She did not want to call it off with them, but she felt as though she'd been backed into a corner and had no other choice. Even if what they had between all three of them could be called a relationship, it couldn't go anywhere. How could it? Not only were they younger than her, but it was completely unorthodox! The town they lived in was small and whispers would soon spread about how she was a slut and had settled in with two boy toys. Younger women would glare at her for taking two guys that were in their age range. Older women would bitch about her, probably because they were jealous. People would snicker and talk about her, because she'd made the mistake of falling in love with two men. That thought made her sit back in her seat with a jolt. No. She did not love them. She refused to be stupid enough to love them. Resolutely, she ignored the butterflies in her gut and the pain that was located on the left hand side of her chest. She was being silly. That was all. The back of her eyes began to fill with tears and she had to gulp several times to keep them at bay. She began the drive to their office, and it was immensely difficult to concentrate on the traffic or the drive. Her mind was completely on what she had to do and the misery that would soon assail her. She parked outside the building and once more had to gather the courage to go through with her plans. She ran from the car to the office door and opened it with a harsh gulp of breath. Once inside, she looked around the reception area and noticed that Byron was looking up at her from the front desk with a warm smile on his lips. She returned it, but hers was rather wobbly. She felt like sobbing at the tenderness in his gaze. It bathed her in a gentle heat. Had she been five, she would have thrown a tantrum in order

to run away from this situation. But she was three decades older than that and had learned that procrastination was never the key. She bit her lip. "Is Hugh here too, Byron?" She winced at the rawness of her voice and saw that Byron had heard it, too, that he'd heard the emotion that was gathering in her throat and preventing her from speaking normally. "Is everything alright, baby?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice. She wanted to scream that nothing was alright, because it was the truth. She would never be alright, never again. Hearing him call her baby was just another knife to the gut. Dammit to hell! Why had she ever let them get so close to her? "No," she said wearily. "Is he here, Byron? I need to speak to both of you." "Nicole," Hugh interrupted as he walked from the back office and into the front. "This is a surprise. What are you doing here?" She didn't answer. She couldn't answer. Her gaze flitted back and forth from Byron to Hugh, as though they wanted to absorb every possible detail so that they could never forget them as they looked now, the way they were before they knew she wanted to end whatever it was they all had together. Seeing the handsomeness of both men made her heart wallop in her chest, and her breathing began to grow steadily heavier and faster. They were so damned sexy that it should have been illegal to look at them. They exuded a raw earthy sex appeal, and it set her aflame. Every single inch of her responded and reacted to their scent. Nerve endings came to life, and her body began to prepare itself for them, for their attentions. She could feel the moistness start to crawl down her pussy and begin to coat the lips. Her nipples had stiffened into little peaks that were begging for their touch. And, what was worse, she felt as if they could sense her body's reaction to them. Their nostrils were quivering as though they could scent her arousal. Their eyes had sharpened and were focused on her. She felt surrounded by them, and it was both a scary and exhilarating feeling. Gulping, she murmured hoarsely, "I need to talk to you both." "Talk away," Hugh replied. He perched his luscious ass on the edge of the reception desk and invited her to begin with a soft smile. "I think we . . . . Well, I think," she hesitated and silently prayed for help. Her next few words came out in a rush as she began to panic. "I think we need to stop sleeping together." She swallowed in relief that she'd actually managed to get the words out. But that relief soon faded. She watched as Byron's entire body became tense and his muscles began to grow impossibly bigger, harder even. At first, Nicole thought it was an optical illusion, but he definitely looked fiercer, hungry like the wolf that was ready to pounce, she thought whimsically. Hugh's eyes had narrowed, but, although he appeared to be mightily pissed off, there had been no other bodily reaction. His voice managed to convey his reaction perfectly, though. Never had she heard such a wealth of anger and hurt in one sentence. It made her wince guiltily, but there was no other option open to her, was there? "We do more than sleep together, Nicole." The simplicity of his words carried an entire gamut of emotions with them, and they made her shudder. It was a barbed statement, and it managed to hit her where she was already hurting. "I know we do, Hugh," she answered softly, ducking her head to avoid his ire and

reproach-filled eyes. "Then why do you want this to end?" She gulped and said hoarsely, "Because it's run its natural course." "Oh, has it? I wasn't aware that it had. Were you aware of that, Byron?" "No, Hugh. I didn't realize that either," Byron replied tight-lipped, his words clipped. His voice was rough, like gravel, and she knew that he was hurting. She wanted nothing more than to walk over to him and hug him, to hold him to her and stroke his hair, to touch him. She wanted anything but to watch their anger flourish and blossom as they spoke with her. "Did you think we would be easy to dismiss?" Hugh asked almost conversationally. "No. I don't particularly want to dismiss you. It's not like that," she said hurriedly. Spinning around so that her back was to them, she hunched her shoulders and said, "I . . . I . . . . This can't go on any longer, Hugh. Surely both you and Byron understand that?" "Why can't this go on any longer, Nicole? I don't think I understand. Why don't you explain it to me?" She spun around once more. Anger gave her courage to speak. "Dammit, what do you want me to say? I'm older than both of you! Threesomes just don't happen to women like me! For God's sake, where can this go?" "Does it have to go anywhere?" Hugh asked softly. Before she could answer, Byron plunged ahead. "This is about Durst, isn't it? This is about you wanting to get back with him . . . ." "When hasn't it been about that?" she answered tiredly. Unfortunately, the comment just seemed to rile them both even more. "Dammit, Nicole! He's a bastard! You know for a fact that you can't trust him. Hell, he has a kid with that new girlfriend of his! What does he have to do to you for you to realize that he's no damn good?" Byron asked angrily. "You don't understand. It's not just about me!" "The last time I checked, there are two people in a marriage," Hugh pointed out with perfect logic. "Of course there are. But there's more to the situation than you realize." "Tell us, maybe we can help. Anything to stop you going back to that bastard." She sighed wearily then said somewhat wistfully, "He is a bastard, isn't he?" Byron frowned, then hissed, "If you know that, then why the fuck are you going back to him?" "Dammit, Byron! I don't fucking want to go back to him! For the last few years, he's been paying for my brothers to go to college and he helps my mama because she can't make it on the pittance she gets from my father's pension!" "So, this is all about money, is it?" Byron asked on a sneer. "Yes," she whispered, hating herself for saying the word. Unable to help herself, her lower lip wobbled, but she resolutely took control of herself and stopped it in seconds. "It's about money I don't have and can't even imagine how to get. I make enough money to support myself. But my mother, she just . . . . She can't. And she keeps on and on, telling me, 'You have to get back with Joe. Joe keeps us afloat. Your marriage can't be over!' And what the hell can I do? I don't want him! Oh God, you can't understand. You'll never understand." She tucked her hands over her elbows and huddled in on herself. When she felt someone come up close behind her, it was difficult to contain the shudder that longed to quake through her body. God, they were always so warm, so hot. Until moments like these, when she was so

damned cold, it was easy to forget how high their natural body temperature was. A pair of hands came up to cup her shoulders, and immediately she knew it was Hugh. "Explain it to us then. We want to understand." "What's the point in doing that? You'll just think I'm a mercenary bitch, whatever I say or do! And I'm not! I don't want Joe's money. I want to be rid of him!" She heard rather than saw the scowl of confusion on Byron's face. "Then leave him, Nicole. It really is as easy as that. Honestly, babe," he said. "It isn't, Byron. Nothing is ever that simple. It's not just my mother. My entire family relies on Joe's support. Without it, they'll flounder. I-I can't let that happen. If I made enough to support her as well as myself, then I'd run from Joe like a bat out of hell. But I can't. If there's any possibility that we can get back together, I have to grab it with both hands! My little brothers are in college now. One of them is studying to be a doctor and the other wants to be an engineer. They're both at the early stages of their degree! Without Joe's help, they'll never be able to afford to continue. College costs too damned much. I can't let them down. I can't let my family down, surely you can understand that?" she asked, unconsciously pleading with them. Her words trembled and quaked as she spoke passionately about why she and Joe had to get back together. No matter her own needs, failure was not an option. "Nicole," Hugh murmured softly. "Okay, I understand now, honey. But surely we can help, baby." His hands stroked up and down her trembling arms. "We're not as big as Joe Durst, but we can help. Sweetheart, neither Byron nor I want this to end. We're not going to let this end, so you're just going to have to come to terms with that." She pulled away from his embrace, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. "Dammit, Hugh, you have to let it end! I can't expect you to help me. It wouldn't be right. I don't want to take your money. I don't want to take Joe's. This whole damned situation is impossible." "He's up to something, Nicole. You know that, right?" Hugh warned. "What do you mean?" "I don't know what I mean," he said, annoyed with himself and the situation. He dragged his fingers roughly through his hair and continued, "It's something to do with the house." "What the hell are you saying?" "It's just something he said that both Byron and I recently picked up on, something awfully conniving." "Either tell me what you're going on about or I'm leaving!" "Dammit, Nicole! We think he wants to burn the house down and claim on the insurance." "How on Earth can you know that? Why the hell would he spend so much money on the place if he was just going to set it on fire?" she asked, her voice hoarse with confusion. "We can't know that for sure, and we may be wrong, but, either way, don't think that you're safe from him. He's a clever, cunning bastard." "Joe would never hurt me!" she said roughly, but then paused when she remembered how he'd gotten when he'd gotten drunk. "Well, he'd never do anything like that. I know you think he's a prick, and yeah, he can be at times. But he's not like that!" "Isn't he?" "Hugh! Stop this. Joe's a business man! What you're talking about is insurance fraud! It's illegal. He wouldn't do something like that!" "How well do you know Joe, Nicole? Sure you were married to him for the last fifteen years, but you don't really know him. Do you?"

"Of course, I do!" "Did you know he was going to leave you after cheating on you and getting his girlfriend pregnant? No, you didn't know that." "This is stupid. There's no proof. It's just conjecture." "Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. If nothing happens, then we're wrong and gladly so. But we're just telling you to be careful. He's been acting mighty weird these last few weeks. You have to agree with that, right?" Frowning at them both, she tried to ignore what they'd just been telling her. But it was easier said than done. How well did she really know Joe? The truth was, not very well at all, and she had no real desire to know him either. How did she know he wasn't corrupt enough to behave like that? The answer was, she didn't! "Dammit, why did you have to tell me this?" "Because we want you to be safe!" "Are you sure it's not just because you want your own way? You don't want me to try and get him back. Sullying his name and making slurs against him could just be your way of trying to stop me." "If you think we're like that, then you're wrong, and you should just walk out that damned door right now!" Hugh lifted his arm and pointed to the door. Her shoulders slumped because she knew they wouldn't have told her any of this unless they believed it to be the truth. At the same time, they had no proof of what Joe was planning to do with the house. Hell, even she had no clue as to what he wanted to do with it. But it would certainly explain the niggling worrisome sensations that had been assailing her recently where Joe was concerned. She herself had thought something was weird about Joe's recent behavior. Talk about planting a seed of doubt! She scowled. "This could all just be some sorry tale, you know." Hugh nodded. "Yeah, it could be. But, you have to admit it yourself, he's been acting weird lately, hasn't he? He's become obsessed with the final date of completion on the renovations. Then he comes around and starts abusing you, when he left you and he's with another woman. I mean, what the hell is that about? Durst doesn't strike me as the sort to get jealous." "No," she murmured softly. Therein lay the reason her plan had been doomed from the start. Hugh, a man who had only dealt with her husband through business and had known him for less than a year, had managed to ascertain that her husband wasn't the overly jealous type, especially over a woman he had left. If he had any jealous feelings at all they would now be raining down upon his new girlfriend's head. "I don't know what he's doing or if he's doing anything at all. But I don't trust him. I certainly don't trust him with your safety, and if you try and get him back and perhaps succeed . . . . I wouldn't like to think of what he's capable of, especially after you told us he'd beaten you up before." "Yeah, but that was years ago and he was drunk at the time." "Baby, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Have you never heard of that saying before?" "Of course I have." She tried not to shudder with need as Hugh walked over to her and stood directly behind her, his searing body heat along the full length of her back. "Well then, you should know that he's not trustworthy." "God, I know that, but what other option do I have, Hugh? Byron?" She knew her words annoyed them both, but they didn't react with anger. Instead, Hugh's

face lowered to her shoulder and he began to press kisses along the line of her collarbone. She tried to shrug them off, but to no avail. Unable to help herself, her face pressed against his own, and she shuddered when he gave her a long, slow kiss that melted her from the inside out. Her own body temperature seemed to skyrocket as Byron walked towards her and pressed himself against her. His hard body, the muscles that had earlier seemed to treble in size, were so close to her. Perhaps less than an inch of air separated them. His cock was erect. Engorged, it stood proudly in between them. Her hand, which had decided to stop taking orders from her brain, slid down and fingered the log in his jeans with trembling awe. Her face was tilted awkwardly, but she didn't care. Hugh's mouth had overtaken hers, and she adored his domination. She didn't want to be in charge. She wanted them to rule her. His tongue was engaged with hers, but there was no fight. With that single point of intimate contact between them, he built sensation in her body higher and higher up until she thought she could climax from his kiss alone, either that or die from shortness of breath. She gulped in air when his mouth detached itself from hers and he began to nibble at the line of her neck. Byron joined in, and so, she stood there, in the middle of their office while the two of them licked and bit at her neck. Whimpers of delight began to escape her mouth. They were impossible to contain. Happiness and feelings of bliss were pounding their way through her system and her head felt light from the intensity of their power. Her legs trembled, her knees quaked, and she was fully cognizant of the fact that they were keeping her upright, that she wasn't supporting herself. But did she care? No, she didn't give a damn. She almost jumped when she heard small growls erupt from the men nibbling at her throat. But the sound resonated throughout her body in a wholly pleasant way. In a bizarre response to such an odd sound, her pussy began to long for one of their cocks to fill it. She wanted to be filled, wanted them to fuck her together, to make her forget all of her worries. The hunger in those growls awakened a similar response in her. She was totally unprepared for their next move, however, and it was impossible to prevent the scream of pain that erupted from her as they bit down hard at the curve of her throat that led to the line of shoulders. She actually felt their teeth break into her skin, but, at that exact moment, rather than feeling repulsed, rather than wondering what the hell was happening, rather than asking if they were god damned vampires, she moaned lustfully. Their teeth remained clamped down against her, and, after a few seconds, she came, felt the juices from her pussy slide down and coat her inner thighs. Her eyes were blind to everything. Had she not been with Byron and Hugh, she knew she would have been terrified. But, as the orgasm pounded through her system, she merely relaxed into them and let them take care of her. Her first sign of awakening was the small trembles that seemed to shimmer over her flesh. The small hairs that coated her body stood on edge and when their tongues laved over the wounds they'd created, a keen cry burst free from her. Pleasure beyond her wildest dreams assailed her. Collapsing into Byron's arms, she began to cry as sensations rocketed her into another plane of existence, one that she'd never before experienced. Lights flashed behind her eyes. Like fireworks, they exploded, taking her higher and higher until she couldn't respond anymore, until

responding felt like dying and her body gave up. Seconds, minutes, hours, days later, she wasn't sure which, her eyes opened blearily. She blinked at the brightness of the desk light above her. It made her realize that she must be lying on a desk. Byron loomed over her, concern etched in every feature of his face. She could see the worry and anxiety in his eyes, and she smiled in response, trying to reassure him that she was fine. "What happened?" she mumbled a little dumbly. He shrugged uncomfortably, before replying, "You climaxed." His tone, his body language, everything about him told her that something about that statement wasn't correct. Whatever the hell it was, she wasn't sure. Maybe it was that he wasn't telling her the full truth. Either way, she knew that eventually they'd bare all to her. She cleared her throat. "Well, that was some orgasm." He laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. Well, at least we're good for something, hey?" Frowning, Nicole looked up at him. "Don't ever say that Byron. You're wonderful. Both of you are. And you're good for a whole hell of a lot more." The earnestness of her tone made him blink, but a grimace soon rode the curve of his firm lips. "Not enough to make you want to stay with us though, huh?" "Oh, Byron, it's not like that. Surely you can understand?" He exhaled, the sound a hiss between his teeth. "I can understand. That doesn't make it any better, though." In a move that shocked them both. She spread her legs and quickly imprisoned him in between them. With her strong thighs, she dragged him forward so that he fell on top of her with a thud. She coughed, a little winded from the weight of his body, but she clung to him and held him tight, opening her arms to complete the embrace fully. She said nothing for a moment, just clung to him and him to her. It was difficult to even think of breaking it off with them when they were like this. Even though he hadn't said the words and she hadn't said them either, at that moment, she realized that he loved her. Maybe he didn't know that he did, but she thought that he did, and her heart broke at the possibility of never being like this with him again. "Byron?" "Yeah?" She hesitated, wanting and needing to tell him how she felt about him, but she chickened out, unable to tell him the truth. "Will you take me home?" "Of course." "Will you both come with me?" "Are you sure?" "Yes." "I thought you wanted to break this off …?" "I don't know what I want, Byron. I'm so confused. Please, just give me some time." He grunted. "It kills me to give you that. In fact, Hugh will kill me when he knows I agreed! But, yeah, we'll give you some time." "Thank you," she whispered. "Where is Hugh?" "He's in the reception area. A client came in, and I had to carry you in here." "Oh God!" she murmured, completely mortified. Pressing her hot face into Byron's shirt front, she clung to him. "What the hell did you say to him?" she whispered. "I told him that you were pregnant and had fainted."

"You didn't!" she said in shock. "I did. Why not? Hey, it could be the truth. We never used any protection with you." He smiled faintly at her look of shock. "God, you don't, do you?" "Nope." He sounded too damn smug for her liking! She hit him on the shoulder. "I can't believe I forgot something as important as protection," she hissed. "We just blow your mind, don't we?" Byron smirked. "Ass," she spat. He quirked an eyebrow but didn't respond to that. His head jerked up and he whispered, "Client's leaving now." She frowned, not having heard anything. "How the hell do you know that?" He shrugged. "I've got good ears I guess." Glaring at him, she whacked him on the shoulder and muttered, "Get off me." "Hey, you brought me down here!" "I should hope so when I told you to be careful with her, Byron." They both jumped as Hugh's words resounded over their own quiet conversation. "Milston leave?" "Yeah, he just wanted an estimate on that empty house over on Riversbank. I told him we'd get it to him by next Friday. Seven days should be enough to give him a roundabout figure." Byron nodded then gained purchase on his elbows, before he clamped his hands to her hips and lifted her into his arms. "Nicole wants us to take her home," he murmured. Taking refuge in Byron's shirtfront once more, Nicole didn't have to look up to see that Hugh was frowning at Byron. "Nicole?" She ignored him. "Baby? Are you sure you want us to come home with you? You'll know what will happen, don't you?" She heard him move around and felt his heat surround her from the front. She gulped when she felt his callused palm grip her chin and gently urge her out of hiding. "You know that when we get you home, we'll make love to you, don't you, sugar? Do you want that?" She gulped. "Yes," she managed, her voice like a croak. He grinned broadly and slapped Byron on the back. "Good. Just so we're all on the same page." Neither of them said anything about her car, but she knew she wasn't in any condition to drive. She hadn't been in a state mind to drive there to start with and decided to worry about it later. The ride home was quiet. None of them said a word. It was only a ten minute ride from their office to Nicole's house, but it was the longest ten minutes of her life. Despite never having experienced an orgasm like that ever before, rather than exhausting her, her body felt as though it were burning up with need for their possession. Whatever they'd done to her had made her so damned horny it was difficult to sit still on the seat! She wanted to squirm about. She wanted to put her hands between her legs and touch her clit to bring herself to another climax. Her eyes grew dazed as she imagined Byron's head between her legs and his lips licking her pussy. Her tongue could almost taste Hugh's cock as he crouched at her chest and pounded his dick into her mouth. She moaned softly and moved awkwardly on the seat.

"You okay, baby?" Byron asked with a faint smile on his face. She jerked her head in assent. "She's horny, aren't you, sweetheart?" Hugh asked, knowing full well the answer to his question. He lifted his arm and tucked it around her. She buried her nose against him and breathed in his scent. It merely enhanced her need. It was damned hard not to move about on the seat, increasingly difficult not to beg for release, for something to keep her going until they arrived back at her place. She felt awfully like a junkie, craving the next fix. When she felt a hand press between her clenched thighs, she moaned out loud and willingly spread them. Hugh's blunt fingertips scraped at her denim covered pussy, and she thought she would go mad at being touched yet not being touched enough. It was like scratching an itch. It helped a little, but she needed more, much more. She needed his cock. His fingers weren't nearly enough. Her breathing began to quicken as need roared through her like a conflagration. Her body was aflame, and there was nothing she could do. Only the men beside her could assuage her need. "Hugh," she murmured hoarsely. "Baby?" "I need you. I need to cum." She heard him laugh and damned him for being able to be so blasé when she was on fire and her body burned for him. He unclipped her seat belt and lifted her so that she sat astride him. His cock rested at the apex of her thighs and immediately she began to rub against him. Her hips rocked back and forth until tears of frustration began to pour over her cheeks. Looking up at him with tormented eyes, she pleaded, "Please Hugh, please." Until she felt his fingers at the fly of her jeans, she didn't realize he was answering her pleas. When a finger slid along the curve of her cunt and finally speared her, she threw back her head with relief. Soon another finger joined in and another and another until four of them filled her to the max. Nicole grunted but relished that wonderful feeling of fullness after such an eternity of emptiness. Cries and whimpers burst from her as she wiggled and rocked and rode his hand. Small bursts of pleasure exploded inside her, but until she pressed down against his fingers and accidentally slipped forward, pressing the cold zip of her open fly against her hot, hot pussy, release wasn't hers. As the cold metal touched her scorching skin, she screamed as she climaxed. Her face was now buried against Hugh's shoulder, and she rode the orgasm with abandon, pressing the soft flesh of her cheeks against the scratchy material of his shirt. Every single texture was magnified, she seemed to feel so much that it left her dazed and spent. Eventually she flopped gratefully against Hugh's strength for support. "Is she alright?" Byron asked quietly. "She needs our seed. Until she gets it, she'll just burn up." "Can she move?" "I can carry her to her room." Looking up with bleary eyes, it wasn't until then, that she realized they'd been sitting in her drive all the time she'd been riding Hugh's hand. It was impossible to be embarrassed in front of these two anymore, though. Everything and anything they did to her was for her pleasure and now that she knew that, the happier and more comfortable she felt around them.

Nicole felt herself being lifted up and carried out into the cold air. But it wasn't long until the front door opened. They must have grabbed her keys back at their office, she thought as she was carried through the doorway before remaining in the hall. As the door banged shut, her need once more overwhelmed her. She gasped like a fish out of water and her back arched away from Hugh, so much so, that he almost dropped her. He clung to her and pressed her against the wall to support her body further. She felt insensate, totally spent from feeling. Yet at the same time, she felt everything. The contrast was too much to bear, and she began sobbing. Feeling Hugh press tender soothing kisses at her temple, she scratched her cheek against his bristly jaw and felt it resonate throughout her body. Her cunt begged for him, begged for Byron. She pushed the apex of her thighs against him and felt him tense. "Byron, keep her pinned against the wall." She felt Byron comply with Hugh's wishes, felt herself hefted higher up against the wall. She thrashed about, her need not allowing her to settle down and wait. It slammed through her like a hammer powering a nail into a wall. She was out of her control. The sensation was new and exhilarating. Her ears pricked up at the sound of a fly being zipped open. Whimpers and growls and grunts escaped her throat at the thought of what that meant. At that moment, she truly felt like an animal. Her fingers clawed and she tried to rake them against Byron, wanted him or Hugh to hurry the fuck up, wanted them to fuck her senseless and then, only then, would she feel any relief. Nicole felt the drag of denim against her thighs and the sensation of cold air brushing against her molten core was almost blinding. Her panties fell to the floor and a cock soon plunged into her, impaling her on a hardness that could relieve this unbearable ache. She screamed as she felt herself dangle against the wall. Their only point of contact was the cock that was ripping through her pussy and setting her cunt alight. Soon her legs were grabbed and spread, Hugh lifted them higher so that she was almost bent in half as he fucked her against the wall. "More! More! More!" she begged hungrily. Greedily. Totally uncaring about everything except her desire for fulfillment. She felt fingers flutter at her cunt and shrieked happily at the sensation. Her moisture was collected and spread at her ass. She felt more being taken and heard the wet sound as it coated Byron's cock. Hugh lifted her and moved so that he was leaning against the wall rather than her. He bent down slightly and maneuvered her body so that he could carry her but could spread her ass cheeks at the same time. The drag of Byron's glans at the pucker of her ass made her whimper. The pressure as it pushed relentlessly into her made her squirm happily. She needed this, needed the slight pain to alleviate the burn of lust that was pushing her out of control. The cock in her ass pressed against the one in her cunt and she tightened all the muscles in her lower body to cling to those delicious invaders. Hearing their groans of desire made her sigh happily, and, somehow, they managed to fuck her, managed to slide in and out of her, one at a time, dragging against each other every time, pushing into tight spaces that only just managed to swallow them. She tightened her pussy around Hugh, wiggled in his arms. Did anything she could to make him cum. Because that was what she craved. His cum. His seed to bathe the heat of her cunt and soothe the burn. She knew that if she could make Hugh climax, then Byron would soon

follow and as soon as that happened, she could cum, too. It became a litany in her mind. Hugh first then Byron then me! She sang it as she rode them, as she rocked her hips and tightened inner muscles. When she eventually heard the groan of defeat, she sighed with excitement. That first splash was like pouring oil on water. It accomplished nothing. Then she felt more. Could almost imagine Hugh's balls shrinking and puckering and retreating to the apex of his body as his seed was forced out to comfort her. She felt the same way with Byron, felt his cum power into her. As it coated her cunt and eased the heat there, only then could she climax. It was as though she were caught up in a storm. The wind seemed to whistle around her head, circle around her powerfully until her ears rang with the sound. Her eyes caught the glare of lightning bolts. Her skin felt the hiss as cold rain drenched hot skin. Every single one of her five senses was engaged, and it was a climax to end all climaxes. She cried out, her voice hoarse, her throat raw as she screamed. Her back arched upwards from Hugh, but Byron's presence behind her, pushed her forward and that simple touch was too much. Her eyes saw no more. Her ears heard no more. More was too much. She couldn't think, couldn't feel. A black cloud seemed to wash over her mind, cover it in a blanket that protected her sanity. And, with that comforter in place, she dropped wearily against Hugh and passed out.

Chapter Six With a now limp Nicole lying heavily in his arms, Hugh looked up at Byron with a grin. "Well, that shut her up for a little while at least!" "Yeah, we'll just have to fuck her into submission from now on," Byron muttered sarcastically. "I've never met a more contrary woman! Trust us to get her as our mate!" "Is that a complaint I hear?" Byron sighed. "No. No complaint." "I didn't think so." "Do you think it was wise to claim her?" "Probably not." "Oh great. 'Probably not!'" he mimicked. "What the hell did we do it for then?" "Did it seem as though we had a choice?" "No, I suppose that's true. It just sort of happened, didn't it? I wasn't intending for anything to happen, then she started making those noises and my mouth was right there. I could feel her pulse against my lips and my wolf took control from there on in." "Yeah, same here. But it certainly wasn't how I'd planned my claiming, to be honest," Hugh replied drily. "In our fucking dingy office, where anyone could walk in off the street! Damn, we were lucky no one actually did come in until afterwards. If Milston had walked in just five minutes earlier, we'd have been fucked. We'd look like damned vampires or something!" "Never really thought that much about my claiming, if we're being honest and all that. I did always think it would be a were, and, seeing as we never meet any of them outside of their

packs, I just thought we wouldn't have one. I'm damned glad we do, though, and, you're right, we were lucky, especially with Milston. He's a damned pious bastard. He would probably think we were molesting her or something!" Byron said in disgust. "Yeah, Milston is an acquired taste. I can only handle five minutes of the man myself. It's probably better for us that Nicole is human. No were family would accept us as their daughter's mates." "That's so unfair. What happened wasn't even our fault!" "No, it isn't fair. But then life isn't fair, and, in our case, the sins of the fathers are definitely being visited upon the sons," Hugh said ruefully and cast a fond look down at his mate. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to her temple and began the short journey to her bedroom. "Nicole doesn't even understand our ways. That can only be for the good." "Yeah, it is good for us, and I'm relieved we've found her. Now that we have her, I wouldn't want anyone else, but it's still unfair that no were or her family would accept us. Our father didn't do anything wrong. Well, not the way you tell it anyway. Have you been softening the truth? You know I hate it when you do that! I'm only two years younger than you, Hugh. I don't need to be protected!" "No. Of course I haven't been hiding the truth. What do you take me for? I told you the way it happened, the sheer unvarnished, nasty truth. A rogue wolf killed our father. The pack called for mom to be mated to the area Alpha because it wasn't right for her to have two sons and no role model for them. She refused because she loved our father, because she was still grieving for him. She died soon after . . . also at the hand of a rogue. I never believed it, though. I always thought our father was killed by the area Alpha to get mom, and, when she didn't comply, she was discarded, too . . . ." "Bastard." "Yeah." "I'm glad Nicole is human. There's no way I could stand all the pack politics after being out of it for so long. To my way of thinking, all that bullshit smacks of hypocrisy. Not only that, but I couldn't stand being ruled by the same bastard that probably killed our parents. He's still alive, isn't he?" "Yeah, I think so." Byron sniffed. "Then, I'm definitely glad she's not were. But should she have reacted so strongly to the claiming?" "I'm not really sure," Hugh said, hugging her tighter to him, more to comfort himself than her since she was still unconscious. He just hated being uncertain about his mate's welfare. "It could be that because she's human our bites are a shock to her system. Or it could be that they'd be a shock regardless, or it's because there's two of us. Any way you slice it, I think it will burn off to a point but not fully. It keeps her libido matched to ours, I suppose." "Fucking hell, I'm glad it will burn off slightly then. I thought she'd bite our dicks off if we didn't start fucking her when she made her demands!" "I'm glad it happened though. Fucking her after biting her cemented the claim. Not only that, she'll view Durst with disfavor now. Instinctively, she'll turn away from him. It will be in her nature now. We're written on her genetic code." "How do you know all this crap?" "Dad." "When did he tell you this? You were only fifteen when he was killed." "Yeah, exactly. I was old enough to know about mates. He would probably have told you

when you reached your thirteenth birthday. A few weeks later and he would have disclosed all the hideously embarrassing details to you, as well." Byron chuckled. "Werewolf Birds and the Bees, huh?" Laughing, Hugh nodded in agreement. "Werewolves are raised to be at one with their bodies. Even you weren't too young to know that. But still, listening to him go on about meeting mom . . . . It was enough to make me cringe! There are some things no guy should ever have to hear about his mother." "I would have loved to have seen that!" "Yeah, I'm sure you would have loved to have seen your big bro mortified. You were a precocious brat!" Byron gave him the bird and watched as Hugh lay Nicole down on the bed as though she were a precious gem. Which to him and Hugh, she actually was. She was their one chance at making a happy future. She was their only chance at making a family, and, even though he hadn't realized it before now, it was something he wanted more than words could express. He watched as she unfurled on the sheets like a flower touched by sunlight after a long night. "She'll be alright, won't she, Hugh?" Byron asked gruffly, anxiety and worry coloring his tone. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be fine. She'll just be a bit horny for the next few days." "That might mean we'll get to spend the night then. Always had to leave afterwards, didn't we?" "That's true. God, we should have claimed her earlier." "It's nice to know that she doesn't really love Durst, isn't it?" Byron said appreciatively, recalling the argument that had taken place at their office only a short time before. "Yeah. That's probably why we claimed her. It was sort of a defensive action. I thought you were going to shift when she said she wanted to call it all off." "Damn. I almost did! I only just called the wolf back because I knew it would frighten the fuck out of her and then there would be no talking to her!" "Don't think it was so easy for me, either! I noticed that she seemed reluctant about the whole thing. I knew she wasn't happy about what she was saying …. So, Durst funds her brothers' college education …. That's very philanthropic of him, isn't it?" "Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I wonder why he'd do something like that. He doesn't do something unless he gets something in return." "God knows. Maybe he did it to get the mother on his side. I doubt he was that great of a husband. In fact, I know he wasn't! Who is the first person Nicole would likely turn to if her rat-bastard of a husband did something he shouldn't? Her mother." "That makes sense," he agreed before pausing to look down at Nicole. "When do you think she'll come around?" "Well, it wasn't long the last time, was it?" "No. It only took about ten minutes, I think." "I doubt it will be much longer than that. She'll probably want to fuck again. She might be a little mindless with it, too." "What do you mean?" Hugh coughed. "Well, she might be a little animal-like. You saw how she was in the car and in the hall! She wants to be fucked, not made love to. It's like a reaction to our hormones." "Well, I'm not complaining!" "I didn't say you were!" Hugh laughed.

Nicole moaned. They both became silent. As they watched, her body further uncurled and stretched. Their eyes unerringly went to her bare pussy. It was rather a contrasting sight. Her breasts were hidden behind the very proper vest and cardigan she was wearing, while her lower limbs were totally naked. Her inner thighs were coated in their seed. Rather than making their noses curl in disgust, it satisfied their primal instincts. With his wolf partially in control, Byron leaned down and sniffed the apex of Nicole's thighs. A groan of pleasure rumbled out of his throat, and, with his shifted gaze, he glanced up at Hugh. "That fucking scent. It's like a drug," he said in a gravelly voice. Hugh nodded and smiled. He settled a hand on Nicole's stomach and felt the muscles tense and relax at his touch. "Her body's reacting to our presence. I wonder what traits she'll pick up from us." "What do you mean?" Byron asked, somewhat shocked by that suggestion. "Well, she won't turn into a werewolf, Byron!" Hugh said wryly. "She'll just be more hyper-aware, if you know what I mean." "I wouldn't ask if I understood, Hugh!" "Dammit, it's common sense. You mingle two samples of werewolf DNA, our saliva with her blood, and it's bound to take effect. It can't not! Like now, her body is aware of our presence. That's partially because we're her mates and partially because she's asleep and her natural defensive instincts have been alerted. She'll smell and see better. Her sense of touch will be more sensitive. All her senses will just be better. That's all. There's nothing to be concerned about." Byron sighed with relief. "I wouldn't relish the prospect of her shifting. Fuck, we're going to have to explain all this to her, aren't we?" "Yup," Hugh said cheerfully. Byron, on the other hand, was morose. "No need to sound so damned chipper about it! Hell, she's going to freak out and run away. Women always react like that." "I should think so. It's a basic survival instinct, after all! When we tell her, we won't let her run. She won't want to run anyway. It defeats the purpose. She wants to be with us, and she knows it. Telling her this, will, yes, freak her out as you put it. But she'll cope. She's strong." Suddenly a hand shot out and Hugh grinned pointedly at Byron, who jolted a little. Nicole's hand grabbed Hugh's and directed it between her legs. Her back arched invitingly and even knowing that she was reacting to the mixing of their blood, rather than any true sexual need, both their cocks stiffened instantly. Or maybe it was because she was reacting to their bites. Either way, they were more than ready to fuck her. Byron grabbed her legs and spread them further apart before settling in between them. Hugh hadn't even truly touched her, yet she was writhing hungrily on the bed. The animal in her was coursing with need, and it excited both of them. She whimpered when he pushed Hugh's hand away but subsided at the lap of his tongue at her clit. He licked her delicately when all she really wanted was to be suckled. He thrust into her softly when what she really wanted was for his tongue to fuck her hard. Her body was rigid with frustration, and small whimpers of relief were escaping from her throat at simply being touched and caressed. Byron looked up as he was gently lapping at her clit and watched as Hugh lifted her slightly and removed both the cardigan and the vest top that she was wearing. She wore no bra and her breasts bobbed as she settled back against the sheets. Obviously, very sensitive to touch at that moment, she shuddered as first her shirt's

material scratched annoyingly against her flesh, then quivered as the cooling, soft cotton sheets soothed any lingering irritation. "Is she OK?" Byron asked in concern as the shudders that racked her frame actually made the bed shake softly. "Yeah, but keep on sucking her. Sexual touch eases the need," Hugh replied, even though he knew that he was winging it. The answers he kept on giving to Byron were merely conjecture, based on common sense and what little he did know about their own kind. All the advice he'd received years earlier from his father had pertained to were women, not human females! That he didn't have all the answers, frightened him. He didn't like not knowing the true extent of what was happening in Nicole's body. Clinically, he could guess that not one but two bites had transferred two different saliva samples into her bloodstream, and that they were causing havoc to her system. Her body was merely becoming accustomed to those changes and this was the reaction. That he knew this didn't ease his worry. He hadn't been so damned scared since he'd been left stranded in a pack filled with enemies with a kid brother to care for and two dead parents to bury. The thought wasn't comforting. He bent down and suckled an erect nipple fiercely. He behaved the way he knew she would want him to. Rather than touch her gently, or treat her with kid gloves as he longed to, he pinched her other nipple harshly instead. Biting at the one in his mouth, he knew his supposition had been correct when she groaned aloud and then cried out passionately. As strange as it felt for him to be treating his mate like this, he knew she needed rough sex to ease her need. Being touched gently and kissed and caressed longingly wouldn't help her at all. It would just fire her up even more and cause even more trouble! Pressing his mouth to hers now, he tweaked her nipples roughly, not teasing but answering one of her basic needs. His tongue tangled with hers. Fucking her mouth, he engaged her in a kiss that deprived both their lungs and brains of oxygen. It was rather novel, this rawer version of Nicole. In the past, he'd kissed and dueled with her mouth, always sure that he'd dominate, that he'd be in charge. This Nicole refused to submit. Her tongue fought for control, and he enjoyed it. With glinting eyes, he broke free from her and quickly crouched over her chest. His cock lay in the inviting channel of her breasts, and he grasped them roughly and shoved his cock in between them. The tip of his cock was wet with pre-cum and he spread it along her quivering flesh. It pleased his wolf to see her breasts glistening with his seed, with his brand. Impatient now, he sat up on his haunches and lifted her head to his cock with one hand. With the other, he grabbed his cock and spread it along the full curve of her lips like he was applying a gloss to them, smiling hungrily at the sight. She opened her lips in welcome. He eagerly allowed her to engulf his cock in the hot cavern of her mouth. He groaned aloud at the sensation of that wet, willing, warmth. Rocking his hips, he pressed further into her, needing her to swallow all of him. He brought her head up closer to him and simultaneously thrust deeper into her. His eyes fluttered shut at the all encompassing sensation, and, with a grimace, he rocked further and further into her mouth. Perhaps he was pushing her past her limits, well, her ordinary limits. The woman lying beneath him wasn't ordinary Nicole, she was everything special in the

woman but magnified by a thousand. Although he was slightly worried about how the claiming was affecting her, he couldn't help but be in awe of the beauty lying beneath him. Her mouth tightened around his cock. Her tongue stroked and lapped at him with licks of flame that made his mind nothing more than a puddle. His focus was on cumming. She'd wiped everything else from his brain. Looking down at the view of her luscious lips accepting his cock, he groaned as his gaze locked with hers, encountering burning hunger, fiery need, and all-consuming lust. The potent evidence of her desire finished him off, added to the maelstrom of sensation that was battering him, and with a grunt and a particularly forceful thrust, he came. He felt the long spurts of his seed erupt from him, felt Nicole swallow them eagerly as though it was a treat. The thought turned him on impossibly more. His legs began to grow shaky as though she was draining him of cum, draining him of energy. He had to lean against the bedpost for support. When he finally finished, he pulled away from her, his cock now hyper sensitive. The little vixen knew it as she nibbled at the glans as it passed her teeth. He hissed but said nothing. Instead, he climbed from her chest and lay down beside her. Hugh began to press gentle kisses around her throat in a latent apology for using her so forcefully. He knew that she wasn't overly concerned by it, knew that her hunger made her blind to being roughly used, as she wanted it more than anything, but he was her mate and that meant caring for her above all else, even his own pleasure. He licked around the small wounds he and Byron had created earlier, and her body arched up and she spread her legs wide. Hugh heard Byron chuckle then hiss as Nicole's molten heat scorched him as he thrust into her. She moaned. The action made her throat vibrate beneath his touch and his tongue continued to lap the sensitive skin. He suckled at the bites, lathed them with a kiss. Nibbling, he bit down, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to remind her of their claiming and for her to shriek out her climax. Hugh heard Byron's grunt and knew he'd cum, as well. They both moved away from her and settled down at her side to rest. He immediately spun over so that he lay on his side. He cupped one of her breasts and clamped her down to the bed with one of his thighs. Byron pressed his face into her neck and lay an arm atop her waist before hooking it underneath to glue her to him. They fell asleep with Nicole's scent floating in the air and her giving flesh in their arms. **** With a grimace as stiff muscles re-awoke and began to function, Byron peered down at Nicole and smiled at the peaceful look on her face. Neither he nor Hugh had moved any during the night, hence the reason for the stiff muscles, but she looked happy to be surrounded on all sides by them! He pulled his arm away from her belly softly, but he accidentally nudged Hugh, who immediately came awake. It was amazing how meeting this one woman had changed their lives. The normal, unmated Hugh would have sat up on a yawn and probably have wandered off into the bathroom. The mated Hugh froze upon awakening as he ascertained whether his mate was alright. Byron watched as he ran a mental checklist that meant he could settle back against the mattress and relax, knowing that his mate was safe. The thought made Byron grin and shake his head.

He himself was preternaturally aware of Nicole, so he didn't suppose that it would be that much different for Hugh. Although, in Hugh's case, he'd had a childhood experience to end all childhood experiences and was obviously determined that nothing would ever harm his mate like it had their mother. Grimacing at the thought, Byron tightened his arm around Nicole before pulling away entirely. He stretched and sat at the edge of the bed. With an elbow on his knee, he yawned and jumped as he felt Nicole's hand slide along the curve of his spine and down to the indentation of his ass. "Morning, babe," he murmured gruffly, his voice deep and rough from disuse. Turning around to face her, he smiled as Hugh engaged her in a kiss that would wake even the dead. When Hugh finally pulled back, Byron couldn't help but grin at the dazed and dreamy look on her face. He leaned over and bestowed a more delicate kiss on those full lips and smiled as her eyes fluttered to hide the effect it had on her. He saw a peek of the emotions bubbling through her though and was pleased at their progress. "Morning, Byron . . . Hugh." Her voice was more breathy than usual, and she frowned at the sound. Neither man said anything, they just watched as she sat up and grabbed the sheet to cover her breasts and leaned back against the headboard. Hugh pulled at the sheet. "I think it's a little late for modesty, Nicole." She blushed all over. Byron couldn't help but marvel at the delicate blush that bloomed over her cheeks. Thirty-five, a broken marriage, and now sex with two younger guys, and she still blushed! Hell, what would it take to become jaded? He'd thought the night before would have put an end to any discomfort she had in their presence, but obviously it hadn't. "I'm cold, Hugh," she grumbled. "Then, you don't need the sheet to warm you up," he said, wriggling his brows suggestively at her as he reached down for her and grabbed her. Ignoring her shrieks of protest, he settled her on his lap and wrapped his arms about her. He stroked his hands up and down her back and Byron saw the gooseflesh that quivered along her flesh at his touch. It didn't take long for her to thaw. Within seconds, she shuddered and began to unfurl within his embrace, clinging to him as he clung to her. It was a rather touching sight, but it reassured Byron that, although she was fighting her natural instincts, she wasn't fighting them very hard. Victory would soon be theirs. He could feel it in his bones. Hugh's voice was gravelly when he next spoke. "Better now?" She nodded. It was evident that she didn't want to, but she pulled away. "I need to go to the bathroom," she murmured. "Okay," Hugh said as he lifted her off his knees and stood her beside the bed on wobbly legs. Byron couldn't hold back a grin as he watched her walk. It was like seeing a baby take its first steps. As she waddled forward, she spun back and glared at them. "What the hell did you do to my legs?" Chuckling, Byron joked, "Hey, it's not our fault. You almost wore our dicks out! See," he said, grabbing his cock and jerking it. "It's all limp. That's your fault!" Her combination of glare and blush of mortification was rather endearing. Enough so,

that he stood and walked over to her, stooping low to lift her to transport her into the bathroom. "There. Happy now?" "Very funny, Byron," she grumbled. He winked and left her to her morning routine. Returning to the bedroom, he saw that Hugh had spread out on the mattress once more. "I thought the claiming would stop her from fighting us." "Me, too," Hugh said, sounding thoughtful. But Byron wanted answers. "Well that's helpful." "Don't start, Byron. I'm as clueless as you are here." "I don't know why I thought she'd realize what we are to her. Obviously we're going to have to explain it, dammit." "Yeah, it would appear so. I don't think she's fighting it per se. I just think she's acclimatizing herself to the situation. I'm glad the reaction to the bites has worn off. I don't think my cock could have taken much more." "Well, at least she's doing something! Even if it is only acclimatizing, and, hell, that's the first time I've ever heard you complain about too much sex! Not too worn out for the game, are you, old man? The ball game is today. We can't miss it, Hugh." "I wasn't even thinking about missing it. We'll just wait until she's done freshening up and then we'll take her with us." "Is that wise?" "What do you mean by that? They're our crew, she's our mate …. They're going to come into contact every now and then, aren't they?" "Yeah, I suppose so," Byron muttered, although he still sounded doubtful as to the wisdom of that decision. "It will clear our heads, and it'll be fun. You worry prematurely. She might not want to come with us anyway." "Where won't I want to go?" Nicole interrupted as she returned to her bedroom. They watched as she towel dried her hair before Hugh answered. "We hold a weekly ballgame with the crew and wondered if you wanted to come with us." "Seriously?" "Yeah." "I'd really like that," she said with a smile. "If you're sure …?" "Of course we're sure," they replied in unison. She ducked her head sheepishly. "I'll just get ready then." He nodded and headed for the bathroom, leaving Byron to go to the upstairs bathroom to wash before the game. Twenty minutes later, Nicole plopped her bottom in between the two men in their truck and settled in for the ride. She'd just had some toast, had made a few dozen slices for Hugh and Byron, which had surprised her. The amount of food they consumed seemed enough for a few giants! She knew that they worked heavy duty jobs and needed the calories but seven slices a piece? She was going to have to buy another loaf of bread now! They were dressed in the gear they'd worn the day before but had told her that the crew's wives took turns washing the team's baseball shirts and they would change when they arrived. She knew what the men would be thinking when they saw their bosses in the same clothing as the day before with their ex-employer tagging along for the game. Men could be a little dumb at times, but they'd have to be completely blind not to understand that something was

going on between her and Hugh and Byron. It shocked her that they wanted to take her to this ball game. She knew that their crew was more than just their staff, they were their friends, too. Surely it was a huge step for their relationship, whatever the hell it was. Exposing her to their friends, allowing friendships to bloom with the crew's wives …. It looked as though they were serious about her if they were intending to go public in this way, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Yesterday's debacle at their office had solved nothing. She'd said that it was over and they'd told her it wasn't. It had been as simple and as fucking complicated as that. They didn't want this thing they all had to end and the killing point was, neither did she, and they realized that. While they had that hanging against her, no way were they going to let this end. Nicole didn't know how to react to that. A part of her was pleased and excited by their audacity. Another part was genuinely worried about them and their business. She knew how big a bastard Joe could be. She damned herself for bringing potential trouble to their door, but at the same time, couldn't help but be pleased that she'd have them for a little while longer. Byron and Hugh were chatting about the upcoming game. From their conversation, she gathered that each was a team captain. Joe had never been a baseball fan. He'd always been into football and basketball, so she had no clue about baseball. She'd never even watched a game! She'd seen that film about the start of female baseball players during the war and that was the extent of her knowledge! Sitting in between the two men, feelings of warmth and happiness assailed her as she listened to them talk and argue while she just relaxed in their company. She enjoyed them as people. Something about them resonated deeply within her. Their personalities and characters all blended well, and she knew that, as well as being fuck-buddies, they could grow to be great companions. It helped now that they were willing to show her off in public. It made her feel less of a pariah. Why she should feel like that, she didn't know but she did just the same. Guys didn't go around sharing women. Well, not after college they didn't and being exposed to their crew, their friends, helped to ease any qualms she had. This exercise proved that they cared about her, at least a little, or at least weren't ashamed of her. A fact she couldn't help but be pleased about. They rolled up to a ball park and helped her down from the cab as they alighted from it. Hugh walked beside her, his hand pressed firmly at the small of her back. Byron moved on ahead. "Who has the shirts this week?" he asked one of the guys. Hugh led her to a group of women, but, rather than just dump her there and go off and play like Joe would have done, he introduced her to some of the men's wives. "Nicole, I'd like you to meet Ruby, Bobby's wife, and Terry, Carter's wife, and Patricia, Steven's wife. Ladies, this is Nicole." She smiled gratefully up at him and was rewarded with a wink and a pat on the butt. Byron soon walked over towards them with a shirt in his hand. He'd already changed into his and looked very cute in the blue and cream shirt. He handed a burgundy and cream shirt to Hugh, who immediately stripped off his T-shirt, revealing his luscious delineated abs. The women immediately began wolf-whistling and catcalling. Within seconds the baseball shirt was over his head and then fell to cover up that beautiful sight. As some of the wives blew kisses at him, he just grinned and bent down to bestow a kiss on Nicole's lips before wandering off to the guys. Byron followed suit.

Nicole, although pleased with the signs of affection, wanted the ground to open and swallow her up. She faced the women with her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying with it as she looked at their shocked and inquisitive faces. She herself would have been shocked had she been in their shoes, so there was no hiding from it. They'd both branded her as theirs and that surely made her an outsider in this little group. The urge to retreat and avoid dealing with curiosity was strong. Ducking her head, she waited for the talk to start once more and was relieved when it eventually did. That tense silence had been uncomfortable and unnerving after their earlier sounds of hustle and bustle. She lifted her head and saw that she was still receiving some curious stares. So, taking the bull by the horns, she walked over to one of the women and smiled. "Hi, Ruby, isn't it?" The woman nodded and gave a slow smile. She was quick to satisfy her curiosity. "Are you sharing those two hunks?" Clearing her throat at the direct question, Nicole replied, "Would it be a problem if I were?" Ruby gave her a considering look before she replied. "Nope. But I'd be mighty jealous and curious if you were." "Well, then yes, I am sharing them." With a hoot of laughter, Ruby smacked her on the back good naturedly. "Well, good for you. If it weren't for my Bobby, hell, I'd give you a run for your money." "You might give it a shot, but they'd wear you out eventually," Nicole retorted, grinning at her. "Oh, that's how the land lies, is it?" Nicole nodded. "Man, you are so lucky!" Ruby breathed. "I won't ask what they're like in bed, even though me and every other woman here is dying to! It doesn't matter that we're all married women. Those two guys have all starred in some of our fantasies at one point or another! You lucky thing! Those abs! And they're all yours!" Ruby moaned jealously. Laughing, Nicole got into the spirit of things. "Their abs are nothing in comparison to … well, the entire package," she murmured. "Oh my God! I think I may have a heart attack. Lead me over to a seat and get me a beer. Hell, my heart just can't take this conversation." Even though she'd been joking, Nicole wandered over to the coolers that were sitting by some picnic tables and grabbed two beers, one for herself and one for Ruby. Handing one to the other woman as she came back, Nicole relaxed a little. Talking about Byron and Hugh was something she could easily do. Hell, they were in her thoughts more than anything else anyway! She sat down beside Ruby. "I've never even seen a game of baseball," she confessed. "Don't worry about it, honey, Ruby replied cheerfully. "These games have been happening every single Saturday for the last three years, and I still don't know the rules! It's more of a catch up for the girls, that's all. If you become a steady figure here, then you'll get to know more of us. I think I'd like that. You seem alright to me." Nicole choked on a sip of beer. "Well thanks! I appreciate that. You're alright yourself," she replied. "You're very welcome," Ruby said with a chuckle. Both women settled back in their seats and watched the men start to play. The other women seemed content to just chatter and eat some of the food they'd brought along. She

watched as they eyed the game before returning to their conversations and noticed their gazes lingered on her men before they began to speak. At one point or another, every single woman there looked at Hugh or Byron and only the fact that they were married relieved her jealousies any. That she was feeling jealous at all made her feel silly. They weren't her men. How could she think about them like that when only yesterday she'd wanted to end this thing she had with them? How could she be so possessive over them after that? The answer was, she shouldn't be, but that didn't stop her from wanting to glare at the other women as they looked them over like choice grade A beef! Which, of course, they were! As the game progressed, the bleachers began to fill with ordinary folks that pulled up to watch the game. She noticed that even there a lot of the women looked at Hugh and Byron with steadfast gazes, and it was with great difficulty that she didn't walk over and ask them what the hell they were doing! When she spotted one woman fluttering her eyes and poking her chest out whenever Hugh or Byron passed by, she was hard pressed not to run over and pull the bitch's hair out! She'd jumped to her feet before she realized that she'd done so and almost died of embarrassment as the crew's wives looked at her funny. She wanted to look at herself funny! Hell, she'd almost acted on her thoughts. How humiliating was that? Her only comfort was that Byron and Hugh hadn't noticed. Nicole knew that she had to control these possessive instincts the men riled in her, but she couldn't help it. Seeing another woman eye up her men made a ball of fire burn in her gut like a case of bad indigestion! Dammit, this wasn't right. She shouldn't be thinking like this. Inhaling a deep calming breath, she took another sip of her beer, which she was acquiring quite a taste for, and settled back to watch a game she didn't understand. If she watched Hugh and Byron far more than they did the ball, then only she knew that. **** Byron grinned as his guys jumped up and down, celebrating totally kicking Hugh's team's ass. He smacked Hugh on the back and continued to let his team enjoy the buzz of winning. Three years ago, Hugh and Byron had established this weekly ball game as a way for the guys to relax and unwind with each other after work. It was good for morale and meant that the crew was, on the whole, a lot happier working together. Byron walked over to the picnic tables the women had set up earlier and grabbed some beers. There was nothing more that he wanted to do than to go over to Nicole and just sit with her for the duration of the afternoon. But he knew his duty. The whole boosting morale thing went further than the game. It was the socializing afterwards that cemented friendships, and it was important that the bosses be seen close at hand. "Here you go, Bobby. Have a commiserating beer on me!" Byron said, chuckling at Bobby's glare. "You only won because Stanislav is a killer pitcher," the other man grumbled. "Hey, you could have had him on your side this year! Complain to the captain. He should have realized that Stanislav's arm was stronger than a hammer. My eagle eye spotted that!" "I'm sure it did," Bobby said, flipping him the bird. "Well, Hugh's eagle eye will spot it next year, and we'll have him on our side!" "Fair's fair," Byron said, grinning as he moved on with a wink. He passed out the few bottles in his hand to the guys on Hugh's side who were grumbling

about their loss. The problem with both teams was that they were normally equally matched. So this week, Bobby grumbled but next week he'd probably be cheering about his side's win. It kept everyone happy, but this last year a new guy had started at Jakman Construction, and he had been quick to get him on his side. Like Bobby had said, Stanislav was a killer pitcher, and it meant that Byron's team had won these past two weeks. He ignored the moaning and grumbles, passed them off with a grin, and felt his heart pitter patter in his chest as he watched Nicole walk up to him with a big smile on her face. Her breasts swayed as she walked, and it took all his might not to start drooling. She came up to him and kissed him on the lips. It was a lot more passionate than the kiss he'd thought she would bestow on him. He'd expected a peck on the cheek. What he got was tongue. Not altogether unhappy with this, he grinned. "That's better than a trophy," he said. Her voice was husky, and it fired his blood. "I'm glad to hear it. Congratulations!" He chuckled. "Don't say that too loudly. Hugh's side is pissed off. They had expected to win this week." "I'd best give Hugh my condolences then," she said, smiling slyly as she winked at him. He watched her go and patted her on the ass before she walked out of his reach. She spun around and blew him a kiss before continuing on her path. His gaze followed the curves of her ass, watched the muscles bounce together in her jeans and he felt his cock start to harden from memories of the previous night. He felt like staking a claim on her ass, putting a sticker over one of those luscious cheeks claiming, 'Byron was here!' Feeling someone come up to him, it took him a minute to register the other guy's presence. It was their assistant foreman. "Dave! We sure beat their asses this time, didn't we?" he said with a grin. "Yeah, we did," Dave laughed, but the laughter never reached his eyes. "What's going on, Byron?" "What do you mean?" Dave snorted then pointed to Nicole who had just reached Hugh and was kissing him as passionately as she had Byron. "That's what I mean! What the hell do you think you're doing! She's Joe Durst's ex-wife. Don't you know what a bastard he is?" Byron laughed coldly. "Believe me, I know what a bastard he is." "Then why the fuck are you messing with him?" Hugh had just walked up and interrupted, "Messing with who?" "Durst," spat Byron. "You should leave her alone, Hugh. It's not good for business." "You mean Nicole? Why should I leave her alone because she's Durst's ex?" "That guy is a fucking son of a bitch. He'll spread the news around town that no man's wife is safe from the Jakman brothers. He'll spout any kind of shit just to hurt Jakman Construction. He can't be happy that you're fucking her." "Watch your mouth, Dave. She's not some fuck toy, okay?" "Hugh, I know your ex fucked you up. I know she screwed with your head by sleeping around, but this isn't the answer. You know that messing with a client is totally a no go in this business." "She's Durst's ex, Dave," Byron pointed out. "Ex being the operative word here. If Nicole wants to be with us, then Durst can't really disapprove, can he? Not when he's fucking some dolly bird of his own!"

"He can start gossip. Shit sticks, Byron. Surely you can see that?" "I'm not stupid, Dave. Of course I can." "Then stop messing with her. Leave her alone. It's not good for business, and I for one, can't afford to lose my job. The construction industry has been hard hit by this economy. There aren't so many jobs around, especially decent jobs with good bosses. I don't want anything to happen to Jakman Construction and fucking with her is like messing with the Devil. She might be a nice woman, but Durst is a prick, a nasty prick at that." "You don't have to tell us that, Dave. I understand your concerns, but we're in too deep with Nicole now. We'll just have to weather any shit that Durst spreads." Dave sighed despairingly. "Why did you have to get serious about this one woman? Man, and both of you at the same time? God, the gossip about this is going to be terrible!" "Dave, it doesn't matter. Jakman Construction has a good reputation. Sure, this might shake things up, but it won't affect business. We have too much lined up, and it's all contracted. Our reputation can't be knocked by one little bit of slander," Hugh murmured soothingly. "God, of course it can!" Dave groaned. "Take the blinkers off your eyes. Durst is big news in this town. He can destroy us! And Jeanette's pregnant, too. Fuck, why did you have to start this now?" "Congratulations, Dave. But stop worrying! From what Hugh and I have been led to believe, Durst has bigger fish to fry than destroying us!" "Is that supposed to be a comfort? Because it isn't." "Look, Dave. I understand your concerns, and I'll take them into consideration, but, seriously, stop worrying. We've got work lined up that will take us until the end of next year. By then, any bad gossip spreading about the company will have run its course and stopped circulating." "You don't really believe that, do you? If you're serious about Nicole, then that's just going to cause even more of a fuss. Two men and one woman cohabiting … in this town? Hell, you're going to be outcasts!" "Then we'll move to another town to keep the gossip down," Hugh retorted. "Dave, look, you're our friend and our colleague and we appreciate this advice, alright? But leave it be now. You've made your point, and we understand. We can handle it. We're big boys. So just let it rest, okay?" Dave sighed mournfully and shook his head. "Alright, I will, but don't say I didn't warn you," he muttered. As he walked off, Byron looked pointedly at Hugh. "It won't cause that much of a problem, will it?" he said. "It could. I think if we ever manage to pin Nicole down to a more serious relationship, we will have to move to a bigger town and manage the business from there. It will be well worth the commute, though," Hugh said with satisfaction. "Yeah, I never really thought we'd be able to live here. It's too small, and, he's right, gossip does spread, especially about stuff like this! But even if Durst does try to damage our reputation, do you think the clients will believe him?" "Durst's the sort to cause shit about anything. Even if we weren't fucking Nicole and we finished the renovations on time and to his taste, he'd still complain about us. He's that kind of guy. I must admit I regret getting involved with him. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that we met Nicole. She's worth all of this shit. You and me, brother, we've been through tougher shit than this. We'll weather it just like we always have done."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Hugh nodded, slapped Byron on the back comfortingly, and headed over to Nicole. Seeing his destination, Byron joined him and together they sat with their mate and watched her interact with their friends and their wives. **** Yawning, Nicole stretched tiredly. It was twilight, almost night, and they'd just said goodbye to the crew and were heading home. She settled down in her seat and leaned her head against Byron. "Thank you for inviting me to the game. I had a lot of fun today," she murmured, nuzzling against him. "You're very welcome, baby," Byron said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before turning to grin at Hugh. Nicole was becoming a lot more tactile with them. Less uncomfortable about touching them and more relaxed in their presence. "I saw you with Ruby a lot. She can be a bit of a pain in the ass and bald as hell. She didn't insult you or anything, did she?" Hugh asked. Nicole chuckled. "I suppose what she said should've, actually, but it didn't. It made me laugh. I like her humor, very caustic, and she has a major crush on the two of you. Saying that, I think every woman there does. It made me a bit green, I have to admit." Hugh lifted his eyebrows at Byron. "Why? You don't have to be green. You have us," he said. She heard what he said, but it wasn't something she furtively believed so she danced around acknowledging that fact. "I hear what you're saying," Nicole murmured sleepily, "but it's not easy to watch a group of women drooling over your men." "Your men, are we?" Nicole mumbled, "Uh huh." "That's nice to know, isn't it, Byron?" "Sure is. She's asleep now." "Thought so. She's more comfortable around us, but not enough to say that!" "Good news, though, huh?" "Yes, that's very good news." They grinned triumphantly at each other and drove the rest of the way to Nicole's home. It was good to know that she was feeling that way about them. If she felt strongly enough to be jealous, then that meant she had some deeper feelings for them. That had to be good. Byron lifted her gently from the cab and carried her over to the front door. He waited for Hugh to lock up the truck and to grab her small purse. He watched as his brother fumbled in the bag for her keys and unlocked the door. Looking down at Nicole, he saw that she was awake, her eyes big and worried-looking in her pretty face. He hugged her tighter to him and carried her inside. He didn't like to see her looking concerned. "Put me down. I can walk," she protested. "Maybe, but I wouldn't get to hold you, then, would I?" "Take me to the kitchen then," she said quietly at his refusal. "Okay. You want a coffee?" "Please." He settled her on one of the kitchen stools and started to prepare the hot drink for her.

"You want one, Hugh?" "Yes, please." Nodding, he prepared three cups and waited for the kettle to boil. Hugh pressed a kiss to Nicole's head. "What's wrong, baby? You were happy before you fell asleep," he said. "Do you know how great you two are?" she asked in answer, her voice catching and ultimately breaking. "Why, thank you," Byron teased, bobbing his eyebrows up and down in reply. "No, seriously, you are. I can only thank you for a great day and trying to make me feel like I have a life." Hugh chucked her under the chin. "Hey, you do have a life! What makes you think you don't?" he asked. "I work, sleep, and eat. That's all I do. I was desperate enough to try and hook you two into tempting Joe back to me. That's how sad I am, so sad and desperate that I actually wanted him back." She shook her head dejectedly. "Nicole, that doesn't make you desperate. It just means you're set in your ways. Hell, how long had you been married to him, something like fifteen years?" She nodded. "It must be a culture shock to not be married anymore after such a long time. Not only that, but for Durst to do it in this particular way, is very hurtful and hard on you. You're just getting used to a new life. There's no need to feel down about it." "I shouldn't have dragged you two into my mess," she said obstinately. "Baby, we wanted to be dragged into it. Do you think we would be here if we didn't?" "You're just being polite. I know I'm screwing up your lives. But until today, I didn't really think about it. Today I saw you as more than just two guys that I really, really like. I saw you as more than just lovers. I saw you as men, friends, and bosses. I saw your life. I had no right to ask you to help save my failed marriage. I dragged you into something that was never any of your business. I can only apologize for that." "Although we don't need it, if it makes you feel better, apology accepted," Byron said, confusion heavy in his voice. Nicole gathered her courage with an effort. "I know you tried to talk me out of it yesterday, but I think we should call it off …."

Chapter Seven "Oh, for God's sake, Nicole, we're not back on that again, are we? I thought after last night and today, after all the time we've spent together in the last forty-eight hours that you would've realized that we're serious about you, that we're serious about us! Why you have to keep throwing barriers up is beyond me!" Byron muttered, totally annoyed now by Nicole's persistent attempts to break them up. "No." Nicole shook her head earnestly. "This time is different. I know yesterday you

thought I was doing it to get back with Joe, and I know you say don't want this to end, but I'm not being selfish now, and I'm not thinking about my marriage. I'm being selfless here because there's nothing I want more than to be with the both of you. Surely you can see that, especially after last night," she finished with a blush. "Then what the hell is the problem?" Byron asked, completely disgruntled now. "Joe is the problem. I overheard you and Dave talking, and he's right. He's absolutely right. Joe's a bastard, and he will hurt you if he can. He will attempt to slander you and your business, and he'll try to damage your reputation. And that's all my fault!" she said, her voice breaking. "Do you have any idea how much I care for you? You can't. You just can't understand if you don't feel the same way as I do. That I've brought this down on you hurts me more than I can bear." "If you were listening to Dave's part of the conversation, Nicole, then you heard our replies. I'm not frightened of Durst and you shouldn't be either," Hugh said stiffly. "You should be scared of him. He's not as dense as he looks. Believe me I've learned that over the years. Sure he's an arrogant prick, but he's a clever bastard, too. His fingers are in so many pies that it's scary. He inveigles himself in any and every situation, always on the lookout for what will help him, what will further his own ends. He's like that. "Take our marriage. He was an unfaithful bastard. But he helped my mama cope after my daddy's death. Funded part of her life. Now, he's funding my brothers' college education! Do you know why he's done that? Not because he gives a damn about my family and certainly not out of the kindness of his heart. But because he knew that he could be lawless within our marriage, knew that he could behave however the hell he wanted because I wouldn't, couldn't say anything. By helping my mama, she's constantly on his side. I'm not a browbeaten woman, but I'm bit I don't miss it by far. My mother wants my marriage to be back on track. Do you have any idea how hard it is to go against her? "He's a worm and a dangerous one at that. He's a manipulative pig and it kills me that I've possibly brought his wrath down on you two," Nicole finished wearily. "I thought it would be something like that. I couldn't and still can't imagine Joe behaving in a charitable manner unless something was in it for him. I know what a prick he is, baby. You don't have to think I've underestimated him. I've dealt with bigger mother fuckers than your ex …." "You can't afford to deal with Joe now, though. I know it's taken you years to get to this stage, years for Jakman Construction to really hit it off and become a good name and have the great reputation that it has in town. I mean, Joe wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't the best. Being associated with me, and through that Joe Durst, isn't good for you. Not only that, if rumor spreads about us being in a threesome, that won't be good for you either. It would be hell for all of us. I hate to say this, but I just don't think we can stay together. Not without you two and your business getting hurt!" Nicole said brokenly. "Are you sure this isn't about getting Durst back?" Byron asked suspiciously, unable to believe that she was giving up on something she'd fought damned hard for. "No! For God's sake, I'm telling you the truth. I don't want to be with Joe anymore. I'm not sure I ever really did," she exclaimed. "I'm not thinking about myself, and I'm certainly not thinking about Joe. I'm thinking about you two. If you don't believe anything I've said, then at least believe that. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now, but I think I'll start by contacting my brothers and seeing if they can afford to carry on without Joe's support. I'll tell them what kind of man he is. They're good kids. If they can help out they will. I don't want Joe back. Meeting you

two …." She spread her hands out beseechingly. "Well, you've changed my life. I realize that I don't want him back and that I never did. I wanted him back for my family and now the thought of being married to a worm like Joe just turns my stomach. "But at the same time, I'm aware of how dangerous he is. And because I do care for you both, I'm saying that this has to stop." "What if we don't want it to stop? What if we say damn the consequences?" Nicole's forehead creased with distress. "You don't have to say things like that to appease me. I'm fully aware that you don't feel the same way as I do." Hugh laughed coldly. "Not feel the same way about you? That's a joke!" "Stop it! You don't have to throw my feelings back in my face just because you know what I'm saying is the truth." "Nicole, I'm saying that what we feel for you is probably more than what you feel for us, especially considering how you keep trying to get rid of us!" Out of temper now, Nicole screeched, "I'm trying to protect you, goddammit! I don't want to get rid of you. Why won't you listen to me? Do you think I'm fucking mental? I don't want out of this relationship, or whatever the hell it is. I don't want this to end! I want to be with you both. But you can't be with me! He'll hurt you. I know it, and I can't bear to be responsible for that!" "If we've pissed Durst off by having an affair with you, then the damage is already done. If he's decided to take revenge, then again, he'll already have made the decision and is probably plotting our business' demise as we speak. It's too late for recriminations. The damage is done and, guess what, I don't care. I don't give a shit. All I want is to be with you, and I know Byron feels exactly the same way. We've been through harder shit than this . . . like when our parents were killed." She covered her open-mouthed horror with her hands. He nodded. "Exactly. You lose two parents at a tender age, you tend to think things can't get much worse. If Durst comes after us, then we'll deal with it then and there. We can fight back just as nastily as he attacks." Nicole bit her lip indecisively as their words registered in her mind. "Do you really think it is too late?" she asked hoarsely. Hugh jerked his head forward in a parody of assent. "Oh God. I'm so, so sorry," she mumbled earnestly. Raising a hand to her forehead, she blinked back tears. "Do you know how hard it is to know that you've just hurt the two people who mean more to you than anything else in the world? I can't believe this is all my fault. I'm so sorry for not thinking any of this through at the start. I never thought anything about Joe. I just wanted him back for my family's sake. But I should have realized what kind of person Joe is. I was a possession to him. Even if he considers me a discarded one now, he still likes to keep his claws in me." Unable to help himself, Hugh stomped forward and tugged her into his arms. She refused to relax against him for a minute, held herself stiff within his embrace. Then on a shudder, she settled snugly within his arms. He dropped his chin against the top of her head. "Why is it you say one thing that makes my heart soar and the next you make it crash and burn? For God's sake, Nicole, stop it with all of this worrying," he murmured. "I can't help it. I know what he's like, and, if you say it's too late, then, Hell, I don't know what to do. Look, the job's done here, isn't it? It's all finished. I know there are some bits of equipment that you still have to pick up, but that can be done later, can't it? I'm going to tell Joe

to come and get the cameras, tonight if possible. It shouldn't take long for him to disconnect everything and to inspect the rooms and make sure he's happy with them. I don't think it's wise for you to be here when he comes. So go home." She shook her head when they started to argue and said firmly, "Listen to me. Go home. Come back tomorrow when we're not being filmed. We'll talk more then. What you've said . . . it sounds like you're serious about us. I want to know more. I want to know how deep you're willing for this relationship to go. But before I do that, I want the house free from Joe's prying eyes. So go. I'll deal with Joe tonight and that should be the last I see of him." Byron walked over to her and grabbed her by the chin. He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to impress upon her how intense his feelings were for her. "Good!" he said gruffly and nodded at the dazed look on her face. Glad that at last she was coming around to their way of thinking! About damned time! Hugh pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Are you sure you want to deal with Durst alone? We can stay out of his way. Hell, I'll hide out in your bedroom if you want, but at least you'd know we'd be here to keep you safe," he said. "No, I think it's best if you're not here. Thank you, though. I really appreciate it. See you tomorrow, yeah?" she said with a catch in her throat. "Definitely," Hugh murmured. His voice full of assurance instilled confidence in her. "You don't need to worry about that!" He cupped her face in his palm and smiled a farewell. Watching a dainty blush cover her cheeks, he grinned before walking off through the hall and out the door. Jumping into the truck, he waited for Byron to join him before starting the ignition. "She was genuinely worried for us," Byron said after a long moment. A little of the awe he was feeling was in his voice. "Yeah, she was. That's a nice feeling, isn't it?" "Yeah, it sure is. It's weird to feel cared about, don't you agree? I think we've grown so used to not having a woman around, having a family around, that we forgot the nice things like being worried about and cared for. Have we underestimated him, do you think? I mean, I know he's a nasty bastard, I didn't need to be told that, but I never expected her to be so anxious about his possible wrath, for God's sake! She made him sound like the Devil incarnate!" "No, I must admit, I didn't expect her to be so worried. But, at the same time, I don't think we have underestimated him. I think we're probably right on track. If he's as much of a bastard as Nicole just said, then he's fully capable of burning that house down and making an insurance claim, isn't he? There has to be a reason behind continuing with the renovations when he and Nicole split up. He's loaded a lot of cash into that house, money that he might not be able to make a return on what with the property market crash." "God, you're right. I never thought about it that way. Either way, completed or partially completed, he was bound to make a loss if he put it up for sale. He'd probably get more than he invested if he burned it down and made a claim, the devious bastard! Talk about having to spend money to make money! If he's pissed off at us, he could lay the blame at our door, as well." "Well, he could do that, but what would be our motive for supposedly burning the place down?" "Who the hells knows, but I'm sure it's within his capabilities to fabricate some excuse, so long as we get punished for it. I expected our name to be dragged through the mud, Hugh, but I didn't expect this kind of crap!"

"No, neither did I," Hugh said. He fell deep into contemplation, scratching one hand across the stubble on his jaw as he pulled into their driveway. Jumping out of the cab, he and Byron entered their house and headed directly for the living room. Grabbing a soda from the mini-fridge they stocked in there, he took a long sip. "The pisser is that we don't actually know if there's any truth behind what we're saying. I mean it's okay for us to say that he was asking dodgy questions about the house's fire safety, but that can be looked upon in two ways. One, that he didn't want the house to burn down." "True. But we know differently, don't we? And, you're right, they were dodgy questions. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. But now that we're talking about it, I feel that you're right. There was more than just an interest in safety there. There was a need to know. I find that odd. Out of all the house renovations we've ever done, no one was more interested than Durst about fire safety." "No, that's correct, but again, it's not proof of anything." "I suppose not. Maybe we're just being overcautious?" "Maybe," Hugh said with a tired sigh. "Who the hell knows? What with Dave and now Nicole, I'm as edgy as fuck." "Yeah. Looking for monsters in the shadows is making me paranoid." Byron checked his watch. "If she called him straight away, then Joe could be there by now." "It shouldn't take him long to take those cameras out, should it?" "No. No time at all. He just has to disconnect the wires and collect all the gear that went with them. I'd say ten to fifteen minutes max. I can't imagine he wants to make small talk with Nicole." "In twenty minutes, we'll give her a call. Maybe he's not going to burn the house down anytime in the near future, but it doesn't stop him from trying to hit her or hurt her, especially if he's unhappy with her for being with us, now does it?" "You're right. We might be looking for problems where there aren't any, but we know for a fact that he's been handy with his fists. There's no reason to say he wouldn't do it again. Let's make it fifteen," Byron muttered edgily. Hugh nodded in agreement. "Hell, I'd make it ten, but I don't want to add to any problems she might be having if he's still there." "No, me neither." Byron stood up and began to pace the length of the room. Hugh sat down and broodingly studied the carpet that covered the floor. Both men checked their watches incessantly for the following ten minutes and both sighed in relief when fifteen minutes had passed. Lunging for the phone, Hugh immediately dialed Nicole's number and once more sighed in relief when she picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Nicole! Is everything OK?" "Hugh? Sure, everything's fine. Joe is still dismantling some of the cameras. I managed to pester him into coming straight away. He's taking the cameras out of the third floor conversion and taking his time looking at it." "Has he hurt you or said anything abusive?" "No, actually, he's been very cordial. It's strange really." "Why do you say that?" Hugh asked, concern evident in his voice. "Well, it's out of character for him! Hang on just a minute, Hugh," she said, a little flustered.

He heard her place the phone down against the table and heard her footsteps as she walked somewhere. Then he heard her speak again, although it was muffled because of her distance from the phone. "Joe, are you alright? Something smells funny. Joe? Joe?" she yelled. He heard running footsteps then her hurried breathing on the phone. "I think I smell gasoline, and Joe's not answering. I have to go. I'll call you back in just a minute." She slammed the phone down before he had the chance to make any reply. "She says she can smell gasoline." "You're fucking with me," Byron said hoarsely. "No. We'd better get our asses over there." Nodding in agreement, they both rushed out of the house and jumped into the truck. Hugh was determined to half the already short journey time, damning the consequences of a fucking speeding fine. "Did she say Joe was still there?" "Yeah. She said he was acting out of character and that it was weird. Then she put the phone down, and I heard her yell up to him. She said she could smell something funny." "Maybe we're overreacting. It doesn't have to be gasoline she smelled. She could be wrong." "Let's hope she is, little brother. Let's hope she is. I prefer for her to be wrong and us be there than to have made a mistake and be cooling our asses back at home." Seeing that they'd almost reached her address, Byron stuck his head out of the window. "I can smell smoke," he said curtly. "You're shitting me!" "No. It's dense, as well." "Fuck." Hugh pulled the truck up outside of Nicole's house and immediately they saw the thick black rolling waves of smoke erupting from some of the open windows. The smell was acrid and overwhelming to their sensitive noses. The question was, why wasn't Nicole outside safe from harm? **** "Those bastards just can't leave well enough alone, can they?" Joe murmured to himself as he watched the Jakmans' truck pull up haphazardly outside the burning house. Hidden behind a tree, he realized that if they managed to save Nicole before the house burned down entirely, then he was fucked. Maybe he was fucked anyway, but this was just too much. Cursing, he watched as Hugh ran into the burning building and listened as the younger brother called for the cops, the fire department, and an ambulance. He grimaced as he heard his name mentioned in conjunction with arson and damned the fact that no matter how this evening ended, he was going to be questioned by the police, probably at the actual station. It was something he'd hoped to avoid if possible. Sure, he'd realized they'd visit him with condolences for Nicole's demise and maybe ask him a few questions at his leisure. He would be grieving over the death of his ex-wife after all. But to be hauled to the station in a cop car was demeaning, and, more than anything, Joe hated to feel demeaned or looked down on. To be on site and actually have lit the curtains made this whole situation ten times worse. He'd orchestrated this entire event, and, what pissed him off, was that he shouldn't have had to.

He'd paid some bastard to do it for him, but the guy hadn't been available this evening, and Joe had realized it was too good an opportunity to pass up. Nicole had been alone in the house. It was a perfect time to set the house on fire and disable her sufficiently so that she died with the damned property from hell. The mother fucker had cost him a goddamned fortune and left him with only this option to recoup his fucking losses. It was a shame, as well, because by the end of the renovations it had been a very promising property investment. All that was in the mud now. Once more, thanks to those bastard Jakman brothers. He damned them, their mother, and any future offspring they might have, although he was determined to try and prevent that from happening. Hell, if he was lucky, he'd be able to get rid of Nicole and the Jakmans! Unfortunately, luck hadn't exactly been with him so far this evening. Why should it go any further? With a grimace and a maudlin sigh, Joe realized he was going to have to further dirty his hands with this mess. It had been a long time since he'd been involved with anything of this nature, and, he had to admit to himself, he was rusty. The whole setup seemed amateur to him, but he'd been rushed and had had no other alternatives. The rest of the neighborhood hadn't realized there was a fire in the area. The houses were set too far apart for it to easily become apparent. Only the sounds of sirens would probably make them aware of the blaze. So seeing Byron end his call and rush into the building, Joe made his move. Trying to stick to the shadows in case anyone happened to be passing by, Joe hurried to the front door and tried to lock it. For some reason, the damned key stuck in the lock. Trying not to curse out loud in his frustration, he tried to jerk the door handle, tried to jerk the key in the lock, anything to make the damned thing work. Realizing that Hugh must have damaged it when he burst into the house, Joe swore under his breath but quickly thought of a way to keep them in the house for a little bit longer. Even if it was just a minute, smoke inhalation would hopefully make them collapse and give him enough time to get home before the cops arrived. He decided to try and jam the door shut. The awkward angle of the broken door handle meant it was easier to hold shut than he'd originally thought, and, while he would have preferred to have been able to lock the damned thing, this was a reasonable alternative. If they would just do him a favor and die, then he could call an end to this farce before he was dropped even deeper into the shit! **** Byron pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911 and immediately demanded all three of the emergency services to come and assist them. Hugh left him to field that call and tried to open the door. Strangely, it was locked. He had to break the door down to gain entry. Immediately, he began to cough as smoke started to billow out of the doorway and almost instantaneously began to flood his lungs. It was enough to make a weaker man panic, but he managed to contain it. His wolf was jittery and nervous at the thought of his mate in danger, and it was very hard to keep it all together and begin the search for her. The wolf made him stronger than most men under normal circumstances, but fear of loss almost made him break. Not having seen Nicole waiting anxiously outside for the fire department to arrive set his heart fluttering in panic. If she wasn't outside, then she had to be inside. And if she was inside,

then there had to be a reason for her not escaping the fire. Hell, it had hardly been any time at all between the phone call and their arriving here. For there to be so much smoke, it meant that the fire was a hell of a doozy. He just prayed that she was alright, that she hadn't already been burned, or wasn't lying somewhere dying as he struggled to find her. The thought of something bad happening to her made him feel physically sick. Only the need to find her and haul her ass back to safety made him run through each and every room on the ground floor. It took longer than it should have to investigate each room, first of all, because he couldn't see a damned thing, secondly, because he had to check every inch of the room to make sure she hadn't collapsed in an awkward area that made her partially hidden from sight. It all added to his nerves, and the smoke was beginning to attack his lungs. At twenty, he'd first tried a cigarette and had disliked the burning sensation in his chest. This was like smoking two thousand of the little bastards. He had managed to search the entire ground floor when he heard Byron coughing in the entrance hall. His voice gruff and hoarse now from the smoke, he yelled, "First floor's clear." "The fire department is on their way. They said it would take them five minutes max." Nodding, Hugh ran up the stairs with Byron fast on his heels. Together they searched the second floor, but neither of them saw Nicole. They did see that the source of the fire was on this floor. The heat that was being ejected was immense, but, thankfully, it had contained itself to three rooms on that floor. Fully aware that the fire's close containment meant that the floors weren't safe, Hugh and Byron ran upstairs to the third floor, hoping that Nicole was on the third floor and hadn't already perished in the rooms that were blazing below. They saw her almost immediately from the top of the staircase and were hard pressed not to sink to their knees in relief. She was laying awkwardly on the floor. Straight away, Hugh realized she'd been positioned like that. Had she fallen, there was no way her body would have been like that. By her side lay an empty gas canister and a lighter. Even in this mire of thickly black smoke, Hugh could see the nasty bruise on her forehead. Joe was obviously a bully and an arsonist. He must have thought that fire investigation officials would determine that she'd started the fire on the second floor and rushed to the top floor to start another. He must have thought that her body would burn up and that there wouldn't be any evidence of a concussion. He'd laid Nicole out on the top floor in an attempt to pass the blame on to her shoulders, probably in the hopes that help wouldn't arrive until it was too late and they couldn't reach the top floor to save her life. With no witnesses around, blame would naturally have fallen on her shoulders as the ex-wife who was taking revenge out on her ex-husband by burning down his house. That the bastard had set fire to the house, tried to lay the blame on his mate, hit her, and planned on letting her die in a fire made fury rocket through his system. The wolf practically demanded he shift and find the fucker who had dared to hurt his mate. Only the fact that Nicole's life was still in danger stopped the shift from taking place, but their wolves were almost totally in control now. Hugh grabbed her shoulder and tried to jolt her awake, but she didn't wake up. Obviously, he'd been right. She did have a concussion because she didn't even stir when he shook her. Lifting her limp body into his arms, he coughed as Byron opened the door he'd closed

earlier to prevent excess smoke from entering the room as they were examining Nicole. The whoosh of the acrid cloud of burning materials sat heavy on his lungs. It was difficult to breathe through the quagmire and as both he and Byron attempted to walk down the stairs and pass the second floor, it was nearly impossible to inhale at all. It was difficult not to rush in the vain attempt to reach fresh air quickly, but they couldn't. Almost blinded by the dark smoke, it was too hard to see the steps. Rushing could cause a fall, and, with the precious bundle in his arms, he couldn't risk that. They managed to reach the first floor and rushed to the front door only to discover it had been closed. Byron hurried in front and tried the handle. "It's not locked. It must just be jammed," he yelled He kicked it and the door gave way some. Frowning, he realized that someone was standing behind it, pulling it shut. The entire situation made it hard for both men to stop the shift. It took all of their control to remain in human form. Knowing that someone was actively hindering their efforts to save their mate, merely made a bad situation even worse. Byron's wolf came to the forefront, and he smashed the door down with a roar of anger. The door caved in and thrust Joe a few yards away and directly on to his ass. **** It wasn't long before Joe heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and heading into the hall. He felt them hold the handle that he himself was holding, felt them try to jerk it open. Hoping that they'd be passing out any time soon-maybe that was too much to hope for-he held the door shut and leaned back, using all of his weight to hold the door closed. He hadn't foreseen the possibility of them kicking the bottom of the door in, which immediately weakened his grasp from the shock of it. He certainly hadn't foreseen the door actually giving way as it was shoved from its hinges, hadn't realized that was even possible. The force of the door hitting him actually lifted him from the ground and threw him a few feet away. Seeing Hugh lay Nicole on the ground gently and watching Byron glance over her to make sure she was alright, he made his next move. He grabbed a piece of wood that had splintered off from the door. Silently, he rushed up and attempted to stab it into Byron's gut. It wasn't the best weapon, but he'd hoped to at least wind the guy. It didn't work. The wood swung wild as Byron knocked it away. He tried to use that momentum to injure Hugh a little. He, too, ducked down before he practically lay atop Nicole like a protective blanket. As Joe watched, Byron moved away from Nicole. He rushed after him with his weapon in his hands, silently damning his lack of foresight. If he had brought his gun, this would have been a much easier match, but he hadn't, and he almost cursed at his lack of preparation for this evening. He'd been so damned eager to get the whole thing over and done with that he hadn't thought the whole thing through, which was what was causing him so much trouble. Totally frustrated and pissed off with the inefficiency of his attack, he tried to focus that rage on his fight with Byron. But it was no good. He was at least twenty years older than the guy and not in nearly as good a shape. Byron punched Joe in the gut. Immediately he bent in two. When he got a kick up the ass, he realized that he was totally fucked. He couldn't fight one of them and win, never mind two of them. He was no match for them, and he knew it.

The next minutes were some of the most painful in his life. The rage both brothers were feeling was behind each and every single hit and kick they aimed at him. He felt his nose break but was too dazed to even squeak out a cry of pain. Blood flooded his mouth as a tooth broke and the fluid poured over his cheeks and pooled in his ears. His stomach felt as though it were caving in from the kicks it was receiving, and he was sure his wrist was broken from being stepped on by a steel-toed boot. Altogether it was with relief that he heard the police sirens. He almost felt like welcoming the police as they stopped the fight and hauled the brothers away from him. Seeing that he was finally safe from further injury, he passed out. **** Only the presence of men grabbing his arms and physically lifting him away from Durst stopped Byron from continuing to kick and punch the bastard. He had realized that the emergency services were there, his eyes and ears had registered the flashing lights and sirens, but until he actually felt them, he hadn't acknowledged their presence. He shook the two guys that were holding his arms off and ignored their shouts of warning. Immediately he ran over to Nicole and grabbed her to him before Hugh even had a chance. Clutching her, he held her close to him and rushed over to the E.M.Ts. He pressed a kiss to her temple, her cheek, and her lips before finally relinquishing her to what he hoped was above average medical care. Hugh hurried over to him and managed to kiss Nicole before the E.M.T shooed him off. They both stood there uselessly, watching as the medics treated her. "Will Nicole be okay?" Byron asked in a voice rough with emotion, his throat sore from the smoke and the unmanly tears that were gathering there. He couldn't lose her. He just couldn't. "She'll have to come to the hospital for further tests. But her blood pressure is steady and her heartbeat is strong. She could have some lung damage. A lot of smoke has collected around her mouth and nose. Was she in the building for long?" the woman asked as she placed an oxygen mask over the lower half of Nicole's face. Hugh nodded grimly. "Okay, we'll definitely need to run further tests then. Is she allergic to anything?" "I don't know," Byron said miserably. "Do you, Hugh?" Hugh shook his head with a grimace. Seeing the misery, the focused E.M.T relented. "Hey, don't worry guys. Unless there are any unforeseen complications, I think you got her out in time to prevent any further damage. She's not burned, which is a Godsend. So be thankful for small mercies. I'm sure she'll be okay," The woman said, smiling reassuringly. But both men continued to look at her soberly. "Wow, I wish my boyfriend cared about me the way you obviously care about her!" she said, her tone entirely non-judgmental. "She'll probably need some chest x-rays. Could she be pregnant?" Byron coughed and looked at Hugh, before replying. "Yeah. She could be. I don't think she was on the pill, and we never used anything. Could there be any damage to the baby if she is?" The E.M.T shrugged. "I can't say until we run further tests." "Are you going to the hospital now?" "Yeah, but you can't ride with us. The police are just behind you and obviously want to talk to you!"

"Dammit," Hugh swore and spun around to face the officers that were indeed right behind him. "Can't we at least go with Nicole to the hospital and discuss this shit there?" he asked the police officers that were now standing before him. "No, we need immediate answers I'm afraid, sir." Hugh had to bite back a growl. Instead of releasing it, he stood back from the ambulance and nodded a goodbye to the E.M.T, who almost immediately shut the doors and began the journey to the hospital. Their mate was traveling without them. Fuck. "I'm Detective Connallson and this is Detective O'Hara. Can either of you tell me what the hell is going on here?" One of the cops muttered gruffly as Byron and Hugh continued to watch the ambulance roll further and further away from them. Byron spun around with a glare. "Joe Durst set the goddamned place on fire and tried to kill Nicole," he spat furiously. "How do you know Durst set the place on fire? Mr. . . . ?" "Jakman. I'm Hugh and this is my brother Byron. We have no official evidence," Hugh muttered stiffly. "We've believed for the past few weeks that he's been planning on setting fire to the house. We're the construction company that's been renovating this house. At one of the meetings we held before the project really got underway, he was really interested in the safety of the house, in case of fire. More than just really interested at that." "Nicole told us that she was inviting Durst this evening to remove some cameras he'd installed to check the progress of the work. In the past, he's been abusive towards her, so we didn't relish the thought of leaving her alone, which is why we phoned her about thirty to forty minutes after we left. I heard her say that Joe was still there and that she could smell something weird. She told me to wait, and then I heard her call up the stairs to Joe to ask if he was okay and whether he could smell something weird, too. There was no reply. She rushed back and said she'd call me back later because she thought she smelled gasoline. "We've been thinking about Durst's interest in the fire safety of this house for a while. We've been seeing Nicole, and, if I'm honest, there's always been something suspicious about him. I don't know what set me to thinking he could be out to burn the place down, but it stuck fast in my mind. When I heard her say that Joe was still there and she thought that she smelled gasoline, I knew I was right about him. We rushed over here and hurried in. The fire was pretty much contained to the second floor …." As he spoke, a huge explosion rocked the house and shattered almost every window. Smoke poured out of the exits and flames licked at the window openings. "Yeah, well, it was contained to a few rooms on the second floor. Couldn't see any sign of her on the first or second floor so we hurried up to the third. Nicole was sprawled awkwardly on the floor. Her head was bruised which was obviously the reason she was passed out. Next to her, Joe had left an empty gas can and a lighter. It was obviously a pathetic attempt to frame her. But anyone with a brain could see it was set up, well, that is before all of the real evidence got burned up." Byron spoke as Hugh's voice broke and a coughing fit racked him speechless for a minute. "Hugh lifted her up and carried her down the stairs. When we tried to leave, the front door was shut. I tried to open it, rattled the doorknob a few times, but it wouldn't open. I kicked the bottom of the door, and it shook and I knew that someone was behind it because of the pressure that was holding the door closed and how it shifted when I kicked it. I shouldered the

door down, and Joe, who'd been pulling it closed from the other side, flew back in the air and landed on the ground hard. "Rather than concede defeat, obviously not content with the mischief he'd already done tonight, he came at me with a part of the door that had splintered off." Byron shook his head in amazement as he recalled every vivid detail. "The bastard wouldn't stop, and then you arrived." "We'll have to ask around the neighborhood to see if anyone can corroborate your story. You'll have to remain here for further questioning." "Dammit, can't we wait at the hospital?" Hugh growled. "I'm afraid not. We need you on site to answer any questions that are raised from what the neighbors might say." Hugh nodded, totally annoyed with the situation. "We'll be in our truck," he said. "Mr. Jakman, I need your word that you'll remain on site until I let you go. Not only that, but I think you should go see one of the E.M.Ts and have them check you out." "We'll be fine and you have my word we'll be right here," Hugh bit off. "Just hurry the fuck up. Durst is the criminal here, not us." The cop nodded and walked off to do his duty, leaving Byron and Hugh to glare at his back. "Dammit, I can't believe we have to cool our heels here while Nicole is lying in some fucking hospital bed without us, her mates." "I know. Bastards. The culprit is right in this goddamned yard. How much easier can it be for them?" Hugh growled. "How long do you reckon they'll need us here?" "Hell if I know, but it better not be for too long. I won't wait here for hours when Nicole needs us. I can't believe how close we came to losing her, Byron. Fuck, if we hadn't thought Durst capable of this kind of shit, been suspecting him for the last few weeks, then we might have discounted what she'd said today. We wouldn't have been on our guard. Hell, we might not have thought anything of a 'funny smell'. Dammit, we could have lost her!" "I know, Hugh. But thankfully we didn't," Byron said soothingly. It was hard to act calm for his brother when all he wanted to do was rage, as well. But one of them had to stay calm. It was either that or run out of the truck and rush over to the ambulance where the E.M.Ts were taking caring of Durst and start to beat the crap out of the bastard again! "It was so close, Byron. Too close." "Hugh, we managed to get her out of there in time. Obviously Durst has never set a house on fire before. Thankfully, he fucked up. Like the E.M.T said, she'll probably have some lung damage, but that's all. Lungs heal, and she'll heal fast with some of our hormones pumping through her system. Her heartbeat and blood pressure were fine. There were no burns. We got there in time, and she'll be fine." "What if there's a baby? Will the smoke have hurt it? Fuck, I can't believe we didn't think about protection." "I did, I just didn't mention it," Byron said sheepishly. "Byron! You can't trap a mate into wanting to be with you!" Byron scowled. "I know that. But I couldn't help it. Anyway, we'd already claimed her before the thought even registered in my mind! In fact, both Nicole and I realized we hadn't been using anything. It was when Milston came in and you were dealing with him while we were in the back office." "If you'd said something, we could have prevented this!"

"Maybe. But I doubt it." "Don't sound so damned pleased with yourself. Who knows what smoke inhalation does to a baby! It could be hurt! Hell, it could be deformed or who knows what now!" "Dammit, Hugh, don't you think I know that? But I wasn't thinking that that was a possibility at the time. I was just thinking of her big and round with our baby. I'm sorry if my cock was doing the thinking, but I'm sure that's happened many a time with you, too!" "Fuck," Hugh murmured in disgust, obviously unable to refute Byron's claims. "See," Byron said slyly. "You've thought about it, too." "Of course I have! She's our mate, for fuck's sake." "Exactly! So I can be forgiven, too. Hell, she went all crazy on us, anyway. There's no way either of us could think of something like condoms. You said that she needed our cum anyway, otherwise lust would drive her up the fuckin' wall!" "Dammit, you're right." Byron laughed. "See I'm not such a big bad wolf, am I?" "Jackass." "Jerk." Hugh flipped Byron the bird. "She's pregnant, I can feel it in my bones. I'm sure dad said that I was conceived during mom's claiming." "You're not upset that she could be, are you?" Byron asked, sounding shocked. "Not exactly. How can I be? But I'd have liked having her to ourselves for a bit longer, wouldn't you?" "Of course, but this is a natural progression. Just think of it, her breasts will be huge. Fuck, I'm getting hard just thinking about it." "Jerk. You wait until she's awake. I'll tell her you said that." "You do that," Byron retorted. "Hell, she'll just blush and get wet! That's her usual response to our teasing!" Hugh laughed. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" "You okay now?" "Yeah. I just wish we could be there. I know she'll be fine. She has to be." "Course, you wish you were there. Think I don't? But this is important, as well. We have to be here to make sure that bastard doesn't get away with this. He has to be put away. I won't have our family jeopardized because these jerk-off cops like him!" Byron muttered in discontent. "You don't think he has friends in the police department, do you?" "Hell, why not? Nicole said he had friends everywhere, that he was into everything and anything. Why not with the police, too?" Byron asked with a shrug. "Surely someone saw something. Hell, I know the houses are far apart, but they can't be so far that no one heard a sound." "No, of course not. Someone will have seen something." "Let's hope so and, if they did, let's hope they come forward and don't wait to be questioned." "If there's a baby, it will be okay, won't it Byron?" This was the first time in their lives that Hugh had ever asked for repeated reassurance from Byron. Raising an arm, Byron clapped Hugh on the shoulder comfortingly. "Of course, bro. Nicole's tough. She's been claimed, so her defenses will be stronger, too. She'll be fine and so will the baby." "Good," Hugh said as he cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the emotions

coursing through him. Silence reigned for a little while in the truck as both men watched the cops at work. The fire was contained and was eventually put out about an hour later, but the shell of the house was so damaged that even as they sat there, it crumbled in on itself and collapsed entirely. It was a damned shame to see all their hard work literally go up in smoke. Jakman Construction had spent a lot of hours bringing the house back to its former glory and to see it all just crumble was a sad sight to see. All Hugh could think was that the insurance claim must have been huge for Durst to even consider burning the place down rather than putting it on the market. Sighing in his seat, he watched the emergency services work together to wind up the sorry state of affairs. Finally the two detectives who had spoken to them both earlier walked up to their truck. "You arrested Durst yet?" Hugh asked sourly. "Yeah, neighbor confirmed Durst was pulling the door shut rather than attempting to help rescue you. He's been charged with arson and attempted manslaughter." "Should be attempted murder. He tried to kill Nicole," Byron spat angrily. "There's only circumstantial evidence to support that theory, Mr. Jakman. Well," he conceded, "that is until Mrs. Durst wakes up and can give us her statement. He may eventually be charged with attempted murder. If you could please follow us down to the station and give us your official statements, I'd appreciate it. It's best to do it now while it's still fresh in your minds rather than waiting until the morning. I understand you want to go to Mrs. Durst, but there's nothing you can do for her that already isn't being done, and this will only take an hour of your time, tops." Hugh nodded his assent with a jerk of his head. Byron settled back in his seat, seething in silence. They watched the cops retreat to their car before Hugh started the ignition to follow them to the police station. The detective was right. It was better to get it all over and done with now, but still, it was difficult to not go to Nicole when every single ounce of them longed and needed to be with her. With a sigh, Byron resigned himself to wait. Hugh switched on the radio to distract himself, his patience levels already tested to the max.

Chapter Eight Hugh and Byron rushed into the ER unit. The receptionist informed them of the room number in which Nicole was being observed. Upon entering Nicole's room, Hugh's heart began to beat furiously in his chest as he searched for his mate. When his gaze finally touched upon Nicole's still figure, he thought his heart would actually stop beating altogether. Unbearably silent and ghostly pale, she looked almost dead. He barely registered the few beeps that resonated around the small curtained area, he was so focused on how she was hooked up to an IV. He didn't have a fucking clue as to her

condition and that made him all the more anxious. Inside he was at war, battling between the need to go off and search for a nurse to ask about Nicole's health and staying with her and making sure she was safe and cared for. He felt torn in two and, for the first time in his life, uncertain. His gaze lit over every part of her, and he didn't like what he saw. The bruise he'd only seen in the smoky dark of her burning house was now a livid blotch on her beautiful face. Her features and porcelain cream skin were drowned out by the bilious greens that blended hideously with ruddy reds and nasty purples. The mark seemed to take up almost the entire left side of her forehead. Fortunately that seemed to be her only visible injury, but the thought of any internal injuries made his heart pound uncomfortably. Her nose and mouth had been washed and were now clean, but in his mind's eye, he could still see the ring of black that indicated smoke inhalation and he knew that what could be easily washed away from the face wasn't so easily purged from the body. Especially a weak and vulnerable human female body! Most humans associated scents of disinfectant with hospitals. For weres, they associated the scents of death, fear, and sadness with the human's place of healing. For weres, they were places to be avoided because the scents were all encompassing and difficult to stomach. At that moment, he knew that he positively reeked of fear. His muscles felt rigid and strained from containing his emotions, and he knew it wouldn't be long before he exploded. Hugh closed his eyes as the wolf took control for a moment, his blue eyes shifting to an almost icy, piercing light blue. He had a feeling Byron's wolf was doing the same. A fiery rage spread through him, and he wished fervently that he'd left Durst for dead, wished he'd killed the bastard that had dared to harm their mate. It was like a never ending burning flame in his gut. The need to avenge Nicole's injuries was a force too powerful to try to contain. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to go off and storm the police station they'd just left and find that bastard and rip him to shreds. Only the clap of Byron's hand on his shoulder kept him grounded, kept him from losing it entirely. No doubt Byron was feeling as bloodthirsty, but they had a mate to take care of, to protect. Durst was where he belonged and that was all that counted. Taking a deep breath, Hugh tried to absorb the signs that Nicole was alive. He tried to process the fact that she wasn't dead, just extremely still. He watched her chest gently rise and fall as she breathed, watched her eyelids flutter slightly as though she were deep in REM sleep. These small signs played a huge part in calming him down and literally keeping him sane. He felt out of control and, because of that, totally awkward with himself. Control had always been his watchword, but, now that that was gone, he had no idea how to act, how to behave. He felt lost. He now understood why his mother would rather have died than pair herself off with the area Alpha after her mate had just been killed. Until now, he'd never really understood that aspect of his mother's life, that decision. A part of him had always resented the fact that she hadn't just mated with the area Alpha to protect him and his brother. But now that he had Nicole, he understood entirely and silently begged his mother's forgiveness. The thought of touching another woman made him feel sick and seeing his mate hurt and injured, because he hadn't been there to protect her, made him feel like death warmed up. The cop had promised that taking statements at the station would take an hour at the maximum. Three hours later, they'd still been stuck there, and it killed him that Nicole could have potentially already woken up to see that they weren't there by her side. It intensified the

self-disgust he felt at leaving her in the first place. He couldn't believe that he'd let her talk them out of staying when she herself had said that Joe had behaved badly before. Combining that with his suspicions about Joe's desire to burn the house down, he should never have let that bastard come within an inch of her. As they were standing beside her hospital bed, a nurse walked in. "We're moving Mrs. Durst to a different ward. She needs to stay overnight for observations. Is one of you the father of the baby? If so, we need you to fill out her insurance forms," she said. Feeling his heart drop down to his stomach, he saw that the nurse's words had had a similar affect on Byron. He murmured gutturally, "She's pregnant?" The woman cocked a brow. "Uh huh. Which one of you is the daddy?" she asked. "Me," they answered in unison. The black woman grinned and slapped her thigh in amusement. "Lord have mercy, I don't even want to know! Oh hell, that's a lie, shame on me. I really, really do, but I can't spare the time. Look, while you two decide who the father is, I need to move this little lady to a different ward. Come on in Derrick," she instructed an attendant as she started preparing the hospital bed and IV for movement. "Is she okay?" Byron asked hoarsely as they walked down the long corridors to one of the elevators. The nurse nodded reassuringly. "This is only a precaution. She's fine. She has a mild concussion so we're going to have to keep on waking her up every couple of hours to make sure she's sleeping and hasn't passed out," she said. "You mean she's already woken up once?" Hugh interrupted gruffly. "Yeah, she asked after two guys named Hugh and Byron. They wouldn't happen to be you or does this lucky lady have a harem of guys that look like you two?" Byron's ears turned pink. The woman laughed when she saw it. "No, that's us." "How disappointing. I was hoping more hotties were going to turn up at the hospital!" Hugh cleared his throat. "Is the baby okay?" "The tests show that no damage has been done. As she gets further along, her prenatal exams will help to fully establish that the baby came to no harm from the fire. Although she seemed to have breathed in a lot of smoke, it didn't actually appear to affect her lungs that badly. Her x-rays showed that they were clear and practically damage free. It's pretty miraculous, actually. I suppose she was breathing through a wet towel or something." "Yeah, something like that," Hugh answered blithely. Byron looked down at his feet and Hugh looked straight ahead, neither one making eye contact with anyone in the elevator. Both knew that her lungs had been damaged, but claiming her only the day before had protected her and helped to heal her faster. It relieved some of Hugh's guilt that they'd managed to do at least one thing right where Nicole was concerned. The baby would already be growing faster than an ordinary human child. They'd have to find an open-minded were doctor to examine her, one that didn't treat them like dirt because of their past. The average were pregnancy lasted four to five months, so even though she was only a few days pregnant to a human doctor, she would probably be around two to three weeks with child. "She's going to have a killer headache when she wakes up and she'll probably feel

queasy. That on top of morning sickness won't be nice for the mama to be, alright? So you'd better take care of her!" Little was said as they strolled out of the elevator and wheeled Nicole to another ward. As the nurse settled her in, she said quietly, "Can I leave the insurance forms with you?" "Yeah, of course," Hugh answered and took the sheaf of papers she handed him. "We don't have her details," Byron pointed out as Hugh looked through the sheets. "No, but we do have her bag. Remember? She left it at the office. I'll get one of the crew to go for it. I'm sure all her details will be in there. We'll need to get her on our insurance soon, plus we're going to have to find her an obstetrician, a were one. Damn, this is more complicated than I expected." "Do we even know of a were obstetrician?" "What do you think?" Hugh retorted sarcastically. "Then how the hell will we find one?" "Fuck knows. We'll manage. Somehow!" Byron grumbled and took one of the seats that the nurse had maneuvered beside Nicole's bed. Hugh took the other. They both sat there and just watched Nicole for a little while. As he'd done earlier, Hugh watched for the small signs of life and felt relieved and reassured at seeing them. "One of us is going to be a dad," Byron said, a little awed at the prospect. "I know, scary, huh?" "Tell me about it." "Wonder which one of us is the daddy." "It doesn't matter. Either way it'll both be ours, and, if it favors one of us more than the other, then we'll maneuver it so we both have a kid of our own at least. That seems only fair," Hugh said with a grin. "I wonder if she'll be pleased about the prospect of being a mom?" Hugh shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "Most women want kids, don't they?" he murmured. "I suppose. But she's thirty-five. She'd have had them by now if she wanted them, wouldn't she?" "I don't have all the answers, Byron!" "I know," Byron replied sullenly. "I wonder if Durst being arrested will make it easier for her to accept us. That combined with the baby will surely make her see sense." "I hope so. I'm sick of fighting her over it! Dammit! When is she going to realize that she's ours?" "Don't worry, she'll figure it out soon enough," Hugh said with conviction. "Things have to change now that she's pregnant, and it will make her feel more secure knowing that we want the baby. Hopefully she'll want it as much as we do!" "I'm glad we claimed her now. Even if it was more spontaneous than we would've liked. Hell, it saved her life, didn't it? It probably saved the baby's life, too. It seems like everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?" "Hmm, yeah, it seems like it does indeed. That nurse was pretty puzzled that more damage hadn't been done. So claiming her obviously means she heals faster than average. Nice

to know that for a fact, isn't it?" Byron stood up for a minute and leaned over Nicole. He bent down and murmured into her ear, "I love you, Nicole. Remember that and wake up feeling it." He pressed a kiss to her ear and then another to her lips and finally bestowed one on her belly where his or Hugh's child rested. Either way, it didn't matter. Like Hugh said, it was theirs. "You're becoming a romantic, Byron." "Hell, it had to happen sooner or later. Some lucky woman had to catch me!" Hugh chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. Me, too. Although I wouldn't say she was lucky. She's going to have a hell of a time accepting us for what we are and what our heritage means for our children. I thought I was going to have a heart attack trying to keep the wolf reined in when I saw her in the ER though. I wanted to go and kill that bastard for hurting her. I think it's a good job that I didn't know she was pregnant at that time. I probably wouldn't have been able to stop it!" "Yeah, I must admit it was pretty damned tough to hold back the growls, especially with Nicole looking so hellishly still. Even now, she doesn't seem to move at all. It's a little frightening." "Yeah, but be reassured with what the nurse said. Not only that, we have proof that claiming her has shored her defenses and she's now stronger. I have to admit that that's a huge relief for me." Byron nodded. "I wonder when she'll wake up." "Fuck knows. I hope it's soon. She is too still, isn't she? It'll be reassuring to see her open her eyes and talk to us at last. Saying that, the nurse will probably come and wake her up soon to make sure she's okay." Both men settled back into their seats to wait out Nicole's sleep or the nurse's visit. It was harder than either cared to admit to refrain from jumping up and getting into bed with her and closing her into a protective sandwich. Their wolves' instincts were definitely riled and only touch, their mate's touch, would stop them from mentally prowling around nervously. As time passed, the quietness of the ward and Nicole's peaceful breathing combined with the earlier highs and lows, ups and downs of the evening, made both men fall into an uneasy sleep, both ready to awaken if Nicole even so much as fidgeted. **** Scrunching her eyes shut, Nicole raised a hand and rubbed them. They felt unbearably dry, and they ached terribly. She touched a hand to her head and grimaced at how tender it was to the touch. She remembered how painful it had been when Joe had struck her there. It must have only taken her a few seconds to pass out from the pain. He'd punched her once, and she'd fallen. He'd slammed her head against the floor after that. Thankfully, she'd already been drifting toward unconsciousness when he'd done that. It seemed as if she was paying the penalty for that now! Damn. Everything hurt and every breath she took smelled strange. She sniffed a little and could've sworn she smelled smoke. Acrid, pungent, disgusting smoke. Her lips curled with distaste as she grimaced. The facial movement actually caused more pain, and, with a sigh, she tenderly opened her eyes and peered out at the world. Seeing a mass of blurry swirls didn't exactly help her headache any! After blinking a few times, her vision cleared, but she saw with some confusion that she was in bed, with Hugh and Byron napping beside her, and she was hooked up to an IV. What the hell? What was going on? She looked around and smiled as she realized that each man had a hand on her

blanket-covered foot. Their faces were pressed into the mattress, and they were clinging to her feet like a child did a teddy bear. The thought made a laugh gurgle in her throat. She was so taken with the image before her she didn't hear the nurse come in. She almost jumped when she heard her voice. The nurse said cheerfully but quietly so as not to wake the sleeping men, "You're awake then. Good. I didn't fancy waking you. You looked very peaceful. Plus, these two boys needed to sleep. They've been up and down like a jack-in-the-box every time you so much as twitched!" "Yeah, I'm not feeling very peaceful now, though. My head's throbbing like crazy." "I'm surprised your voice isn't more hoarse and gravely. After that much exposure to smoke, you should be feeling a lot worse than you are. So thank your lucky stars that everything's fine." Nicole smiled. "How long have these two been here?" she asked. "I have to say you're one lucky lady. You've got not one but two of these gorgeous creatures hanging all over you! I'm very jealous, I'll have you to know. They've been here since you were moved into the ward last night. I think they would have been here earlier but I heard them say they had to go to the station and make a statement. Can you handle making one of your own? There's a cop here to take it if you can manage it." "Maybe a little later, when my head stops hurting so much." "No worries. By the sound of it, you're lucky to be alive at all!" "What do you mean?" "Well, the cop that came to take your statement, he was telling me what happened. I'm assuming Joe Durst is your ex-husband, right? He's been arrested for arson and attempted manslaughter. That can't be good, can it?" "No. It's not good at all. How's the house? Did they manage to stop the fire?" With a look of sympathy, the nurse shook her head. "I'm afraid it burned to the ground." Lifting a weak hand, Nicole rubbed her tender forehead and tried to massage the headache away. It felt like an impossibly mammoth task. A pulse pounded through her skull and made the pain even worse. The ache combined with the news fatigued her terribly. The nurse stepped forward and fingered the drip and checked some figures before mumbling, "I'll leave you to these two hunks," she said then paused, hesitating before continuing. "Do you remember me telling you that you were pregnant?" Eyes wide open now, Nicole gulped. "Pregnant?" "I'll take that as a no." She shook her head then winced. "Yeah, I don't remember that." "Well, now you know," the nurse said with a smile before she left the room. The sound of the door closing made the men sit up with a jolt. They stared blankly at each other for a second then their heads shifted simultaneously to face Nicole. Seeing her awake, they both breathed an audible sigh of relief and stood up to press soft kisses to her cheeks and then to her lips. "Thank God you're awake!" "How are you feeling?" "I feel a little raw, to be honest. My head's killing me." Byron pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head and murmured, "What did the nurse say?" "Nothing really. She just checked my vitals, I think. And she told me that . . . I'm pregnant," she said on a rush.

"Are you happy about that?" "I think the more appropriate question is, are you happy?" "Why is that more appropriate?" Byron queried with a frown. "Well, it's usually the father or in this case, the fathers, who freak out, isn't it?" "Oh, I see what you mean." "In our family, Nicole, we take care of our responsibilities." She interrupted him. "I don't want to be a responsibility. I've known I'm having a baby for five minutes and already you ruin it by making us both sound like an encumbrance!" "Nicole! We're the ones that are happy about the baby. You're not exactly looking over the moon!" Hugh snapped then exhaled and said more calmly, "Look, let's not argue if your head is sore. We're very happy about the baby, okay?" She looked down at the sheets and knotted them in between her fingers. "You're sure?" "Yes, of course, we're sure. Are you happy about it?" "I've wanted a big family since I was a little girl. Of course, I'm happy." "Well then, there's no problem, is there?" "No, I suppose not. I just don't want you to feel trapped." "Trapped, ha! I should be so damned lucky. Anyway, as I was saying before you started accusing me of classing you as a responsibility, you're pregnant with my baby and now you're going to marry me, okay?" "Why the hell can't she marry me? The baby's mine, as well!" Byron argued, butting in. "Is that all you give a damn about? The baby? What about me!" She clutched her head as her raised voice made her head ache a little more. "What do you mean what about you? This is all about you!" "Nicole," Byron said impatiently. "We've been gearing you towards something like this for the past few days. Hell, didn't you realize that? You're the one that kept trying to split us up! But now, with the baby, even you can't refuse. If trapping you into marriage because of the baby is the only way to do it, then we'll damn well do it!" "You really want to marry me?" "So much so we're going to argue all the way to the aisle about who gets to be your husband!" Byron confirmed. "Nicole, this has always been deeper for us than it has for you. I love you and I know that Byron does, too. We've been on eggshells where you're concerned the entire time we've been together. I just think that we should at least get married for the baby's sake. I know you've been wanting to get back with Joe to support your family, but I'm sure we can help them if you'll give us a chance." "You really love me?" Nicole asked, her voice filled with uncertainly. "You're not just saying that because I'm pregnant?" "Of course not! Hell, Nicole, surely you know this is more than just sex for us? Surely you've realized that by now? What more could we have done for you to realize how much we care?" "I don't know, but Hugh, Byron, I'm older than you, doesn't that bother you?" "Don't you think it's a little late to be asking that?" "That makes me feel a lot better, Hugh!" she retorted testily. "Well, for God's sake, you're blind to our feelings for you. We wouldn't have gotten involved with you at all if your age freaked us out. It's not like it matters anyway." "Why doesn't it matter?" she asked, partly out of suspicion and partly out of confusion.

Byron started, "We have to tell you something important, and this isn't really the best time to do it." He then hesitated and looked pointedly at Hugh. "Our bodies are different than yours," he muttered nervously. "You mean because you're guys?" she asked, uncertain of what they were trying to get at, not knowing where the hell they were leading with this off-kilter comment. "Well, yeah, because we're guys, but you know …." Hugh scratched his head and looked at Byron for assistance. "No, I don't know. Would someone tell me what the hell you're going on about?" "You won't believe us if we tell you," Byron complained. "Plus you'll try to run away," Hugh added. She inhaled deeply and silently prayed for patience. "Of course I'll believe you, and my head is aching too damned badly to even consider getting out of bed, never mind running for the hills. Now tell me what's bothering you before I start to really get freaked out!" "Are you sure you won't run?" Byron asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched her face, gauged her reaction to the question to better understand if she was telling the truth. "Byron!" she yelled and then clutched her head as it began to throb. "Do you want as big a headache as I've got now? If you don't, then answer the damned question." "We're werewolves," Hugh blurted out. Nicole's smile lit up her face. "You're joking, right?" "I told you that she wouldn't believe us!" Byron chastised Hugh. "At least she hasn't run away! Be thankful for small mercies!" Hugh informed him. "You mean, you're serious?" Nicole asked them, a frown of confusion creasing her brow. "Yes." "You're telling me that you're werewolves?" "Yes." "Like from the movies?" "No. We change into wolves not monsters." "Right," she said, sucking in a nervous breath. "You're not just saying this to tease me, are you? Because that would just be cruel!" "Nicole, why would we lie about something like this?" Hugh asked. "I don't know." She blinked as if she could clear her head as well as her vision and then said, "Okay, change into one then." "Not in a public place, baby." She gulped. She hadn't been expecting that answer. "Right. So you're werewolves. That means that our baby is a werewolf, too?" That thought made her panic. "Is it going to be something horrible because I'm not a werewolf?" "No, when we bit you, when we claimed you, your body adapted to accept us rather than reject us. Now, you're stronger and the baby is protected, too," Byron informed her, patting her on the belly as he spoke. "You're werewolves," she said a little dazedly. "I think I'm going to be sick." Hugh quickly passed her the bowl that the nurse had given him the night before after warning them that Nicole could feel nauseous and sick when she woke up because of her concussion and pregnancy. "I take it this isn't a good sign?" Byron asked sarcastically. "No, she could have reacted better, couldn't she?" "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Nicole said between dry heaves. "Why the hell

did you have to tell me this? Now I'm just going to freak out!" "We had to tell you to make you believe we love you," Byron replied simply. "What do you mean?" "You're our mate," Hugh told her matter-of-factly. The ease in which they said it, in which they accepted her reaction, calmed her down some. She relaxed enough to murmur, "Mate?" "You are meant for us and only us. You are the heart of our heart, the soul of our soul," Byron said softly. "Like human soul mates?" she asked. "How do you know that?" "We know by your scent and by the way we react around you, by how possessive we feel about you and how we need to protect you. We can tell by how much we lust after you and want to fuck you senseless. These are all signs that you're our mate. That's why we claimed you the other day," Hugh told her quietly. "You mean when you bit me, that was claiming me?" she shrieked. "Then what the hell is the point in getting married if you've already gone ahead without my permission?" "Baby, the claiming isn't like that. Obviously it's not recognized by human law, and, secondly, marriage is about protecting you and the baby. We tried not to claim you. We really wanted to talk to you first before we did it. But you were talking about leaving us . . . and we overreacted," Byron said with a shrug. She exhaled softly. "Please tell me this is a joke." "It's not a joke," Byron told her, his voice flat. "Oh my God. You're really werewolves, aren't you?" she asked, her words a little strained as she recalled the bite and how it had turned her on. "Yes, we really are. When you're discharged, we can go home and show you, if you want?" "Yeah," she said, gulping nervously. "Yes, I would really like to see that." His words made her remember something else. "Oh God! I don't have a home to go back to!" "Of course, you do, Nicole. Haven't you realized yet that Byron and I are your home? Just like you are ours?" "I . . . I never thought about it like that. What does being a mate mean?" "How do you mean?" "Well, is there anything weird I have to do?" she asked nervously, her fingers kneading the blanket. "What like run around the woods with no clothes on?" Byron teased. She hit him on the arm and glared at him. He just grinned back at her. "He's just messing with you. No. Really, being a mate is a good thing," Hugh said earnestly. "We can't cheat on you. It's physiologically impossible now. We don't want anyone else. Our wolves couldn't stand another woman's intimate scent after knowing yours. But you could cheat on us. Even though your body might not want to. Your head could take the lead and cheat on us. So effectively, you hold our hearts in your hands. "When we bit you, our saliva blended with your blood. That means that your hormones are more supercharged now and that your body can handle our sex drives. It also means that you're hyper aware of your senses and preternaturally aware of things other humans don't even notice. "The only real downside is that we'll be very protective of you. We'll try not to get in

your way, but it's going to be hard. Normally, when a male claims his mate, they seclude themselves away for an extended period of time. It's a little like a honeymoon, but no one else is involved. It's basically sex and sleep and food, all day every day. It's to calm each mate down so that they're not so jumpy about their mate's safety. I suppose it's to make them a little sick of each other, as well," he finished jokingly. Byron continued, "Unfortunately for you, baby, you're ex has just tried to kill you and has burned your house down. You're pregnant, and, when we came in, you looked like you were dead. Our wolves aren't going to react well to being away from you for very long. We could get on your nerves." His voice was honest and Hugh's had been, as well. She couldn't help but respect them both for that. "What about the baby? Will it be a werewolf or a human?" "Half of each, sweetheart. By the time he or she starts school, they'll be able to control their need to shift, so nothing untoward will happen, so there's no need to worry, baby." "I can't believe I'm believing this," she murmured a little dazedly. "There's no reason to not believe us, is there, Nicole? I mean, we wouldn't lie to you about something like this. There's no gain in that for us at all." "Hugh, you can be as rational as you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you're goddamn werewolves!" Her voice had risen to a shriek now and they had to hush her. Byron popped his head around the privacy curtain and saw that the only other person in the six-bed ward was on the far end and fast asleep. His snores were loud enough to wake the dead. "Honey, you can't say that too loudly. We shroud that part of our lives in secrecy. You're the only human we've ever told and that's only because you're our mate," Hugh told her gently. "So you can't cheat but you will be overprotective?" "Pretty much." "And you love me? Both of you?" "Of course we do. The most important question, Nicole, is whether you love us. Especially now that you know the truth," Byron said, a little more harshly than he'd intended, his voice tinged with anxiety over her possible response. "You know I love you. I love both of you and have for a while now. It started at Mariana's. I thought, why the hell did I set this up? Why was I trying to make Joe jealous when I didn't and couldn't care less about him? I knew that my feelings were getting out of control for you then, but I didn't think they'd go anywhere so I tried to stop them from growing anymore. I didn't think you were interested in anything more than pity sex." "Pity sex?" Byron chuckled. "With you? More like, wear-your-dick-off sex!" "Byron," Hugh warned. "What? It's the truth!" "It doesn't matter. Hell, who cares less! Our mate has just told us she loves us," Hugh said, grinning as he turned back to her. "So you'll marry us then?" "Of course." "We'll get our lawyer on to it immediately. I want your goddamned name changed to Jakman!" Thinking about her last name reminded her about Joe. "What's happened to Joe?" she asked hesitantly. "You don't still care about him, do you?" Byron asked with a groan.

"Of course not, but I'd still like to know what the hell is going on! Did he set fire to the house?" "Yeah and he tried to set you up for the blame, as well." "The bastard!" "Yeah." "I loved that damned house, too! Hell!" "Ooh, the lady's talking dirty, Hugh. I like it." Nicole grinned and shook her head at Byron's teasing. "It's alright for you to laugh, I liked living there!" "Well, don't worry about it. You wouldn't have been living there for much longer anyway. You'll be moving straight in with us, and we'll start looking for something bigger for when the baby comes. You've probably only got about five months until your due date." "Five months?" she squeaked. "Yeah," Hugh rubbed his nose and looked away uncomfortably. "Did I forget to mention that?" **** "I can't believe that she's shifting already," Byron said, awe making his voice more guttural than usual. His hand reached down into the crib and he lifted up the little wolf pup. Tucking it into the crook of his arm, he stroked the soft fluffy black hair that amazingly had streaks of red and brown through it. Playing with the little baby's ears, he grinned as she yipped in pleasure. "I wish mom and dad could see this," Hugh said quietly. "Yeah, I do, too. They'd probably be freaking out about us sharing a mate, and a human one at that, but it would have been nice for them to see their granddaughter, wouldn't it?" Hugh nodded and reached silently for his baby girl. As luck would have it, neither brother was really aware of who Lucy's father was. She was the picture of Nicole but, strangely enough, had hazel eyes, Hugh's pitch black hair, and Byron's mouth. Neither man even wanted to understand the science behind it, but they both believed that, genetically and emotionally, they were both her father. "Shame that Nicole's mom won't come visit her, isn't it?" Byron added quietly as he watched Lucy snuggle into her daddy's arms. "Yeah, a crying shame. I think she'll get over losing Durst as a son-in-law. I just don't think she'll ever get over losing the money. I don't mind helping Nicole's brothers. I know neither of us mind that, but I won't let her mother be a bad influence on my baby. The world doesn't owe Louise a living. Nicole's mom is just going to have come terms with that. At least if she wants to spend time with Lucy," Hugh said with a smile. "They're good kids." "I'm glad we can help them." "I thought Nicole was going to faint yesterday, didn't you?" Byron said with a grin as he changed the subject. "You shouldn't laugh really," Hugh said, trying to withhold from doing just that. "We told her it would happen." "I don't think she believed us. She likes proof, doesn't she? Remember we had to shift before she totally believed us. We had her convinced but that just put it all into perspective for her, didn't it?" "It didn't stop her from fainting then, though, did it?" Byron said with a chuckle.

"No, it didn't," Hugh said, laughing at the memory as he pressed a kiss to the top of his little pup's head. "At least she's improving. Yesterday she only hyperventilated and didn't actually pass out." "True. She'll be ready for anything with this next one then, won't she?" "Uh huh." "Did you see her breasts this morning?" Byron asked with a groan. "Byron! Not in front of Lucy!" Nicole snapped as she stepped into the nursery. "No swearing. I've already warned both of you!" She reached for the little pup and cuddled her to her milk-swollen breasts, sighing as the baby snuggled in between them. If she looked at herself in the mirror, she'd be sure that she was crazy. But this was her life, and she wouldn't change a thing. She knew that Byron found what had happened the day before hilarious, and she couldn't help but be a little hurt by that. Yes, they had told her that eventually Lucy would shift, their word for changing into a werewolf, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. Nicole had walked into her pretty little girl's nursery and right in the middle of her baby's crib was a tiny wolf. She'd almost had a heart attack. Tears had poured down her face, and she'd felt like collapsing from the shock. She'd hoarsely called out for her mates and they'd rushed in thinking that something terrible was happening. When they'd seen that Lucy had shifted, they'd been so proud. She'd been shocked and horrified that her beautiful baby girl had turned into a wolf puppy! Something she still felt horribly guilty about. How could she think that about her own little girl? Byron had laughed at her distress as was his wont, seeing the whole world as one big joke, and Hugh had scolded her for distressing Lucy. Neither had been overly sympathetic, and, if she was honest, she was irritated with them for not being more sensitive with her about the whole damned situation. Hearing about her baby, no, her pup's distress, she'd immediately rushed over and tried to make amends. Her baby, no, pup had nuzzled comfortingly into her and had forgiven her straight away. The same couldn't be said for her reaction to her so-called soul mates! Ha! Cuddling her little pup to her breast once more, she rocked back and forth on her feet and soon Lucy was sleeping, her breathing heavy with a fatigue that only a baby can feel. She lay her gently on the newspaper Byron had set down for her and pushed her into the little cave he'd made for her out of shredded paper. Pressing a kiss to her fingers, she lay them on the pup's head and walked out before Lucy's fathers could say a damned word. She stalked out of the room as quietly but as self-righteously as she could and walked to the kitchen. She'd been mashing potatoes for dinner and had been taking her aggression out on them rather than do the same to her mates' heads! Just because they were mates and fated to be together didn't mean that at times she didn't want to kick them in the butt for being jackasses. Truthfully, the whole fated-to-be-together-thing made it even more annoying when they couldn't read her distress, when they should be able to! Like at this very minute. She was extremely pissed off and, dammit, hurting. Yet they were laughing about it! Shoving her hand under the faucet, she began fidgeting with her wedding ring and

managed to pull the damned thing off her swollen finger. Hugh had claimed her as his wife, dragging her to Las Vegas and arguing all the way with Byron that there were some perks that younger brothers should never receive, besides he was the eldest and the alpha. She glared at her gleaming platinum ring and dropped it on the marble countertop. She grumbled as she restarted her task, annoyed because the damned potatoes had started to congeal, so she began to scoop them into the disposal unit in the sink. Doubly pissed, because now she had to peel some more of the horrible things and boil them before she could even start mashing them once more. Using his were senses, Byron sneaked up behind Nicole and pulled her ass against his hips, his cock furrowing into the soft flesh of her ass. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder as he did so. She immediately froze in rejection. "Baby?" he asked, his voice perturbed. "Don't baby me!" She grabbed her wedding ring and spun around to face them both. "What have you done now, Byron?" Hugh asked tiredly. "It's not just Byron's fault, husband! You're as guilty as him!" she spat before throwing her wedding ring at his face, watching in irritation as he caught it easily. Gritting her teeth, she spat, "Why couldn't you have just let it whack you in the belly?" "What the hell have I done? It's usually Byron who pisses you off!" "You were both insensitive about me seeing Lucy as a pup for the first time. How the hell did you expect me to react? I certainly didn't expect to be joked about by Mr. Clown here or reprimanded by you! You know I can't handle stuff like this! I'm just not used to it. And be warned, the baby monitor can be used to hear more than just Lucy gurgling! I could hear you joking about me. How do you think that made me feel?" "Nicole, you were hurting Lucy's feelings!" Hugh protested. "I know that. Don't you think I can tell when my baby is upset? You didn't have to come in and tell me! I didn't call you in for that! It was new to me, that's all! I didn't need either of you to make me feel worse! And I've told you time and time again, Byron, not to swear in front of her. Hell, she's growing up so fast, she'll be a potty mouth before she's even potty trained!" Having said that, she burst into tears and dropped the pan she was holding into the sink. It clanged loudly. Immediately Lucy began howling. Had she not been feeling so traumatized, she would have laughed. Byron looked panic-stricken, unsure of who to comfort first. Hugh was almost dancing on the balls of his feet with nerves and chose to rush to Lucy to stop her from howling. It was an odd sound, different from any wolf she'd ever heard, and the whole family now had to make sure that she didn't do it for too long. It would raise suspicions, and where her five month old baby girl was concerned, she just couldn't handle those suspicions being raised! The farther along this second pregnancy crept, the more emotional she grew and the less stress she could handle. She hated feeling like a wimp, but this new baby was intent on pulling its mother through the proverbial ringer! Byron came up to her and hugged her tightly. She clung to him and moaned. "I'm a bad mother, aren't I?" "Baby, you're a great mother! Don't be silly." "I saw a wolf pup in my baby's bed, and I wanted my little girl back. I'm awful, aren't I?" she asked miserably. "I swear I accept her for what she is, but I just didn't expect to see a little

wolf! I was shocked, and Hugh made me feel awful." "Honey, it was a natural reaction, that's all. For you, it was bound to be a shock. Don't take my teasing to heart, baby. When we saw Lucy, we were proud. For you, it's a bit scary, something you've only read about in books or seen in movies. It doesn't matter that you know what we are and that we're your mates. It doesn't affect our lives, so it doesn't bother you. But this does affect your life, and, of course it upsets you, it's only natural! You're a fantastic mother, and don't ever let anyone tell you differently!" She gulped and pressed her face into his neck. "You promise?" "Of course, I do. It's the truth!" She exhaled a shaky breath and nodded against him. Feeling wonderfully reassured, she breathed easily for the first time since she'd seen a shifted Lucy. Now, with his gorgeous form pressed against every inch of her own, she couldn't help but feel the ridge of his cock digging deep into her belly. She needed that to be digging deep into her pussy and murmured huskily, "Do you really like my boobs?" He laughed, but she had to hand it to him, he tried to stop it from escaping. Instead of answering, he rocked his hips against her. "Actions speak louder than words, but then you already knew I had a hard-on. Stop searching for compliments, you little minx. You know I find you as sexy as hell. I show you every day," he said, his voice tinged with amusement. "But I'm fat again," she whined. "With my baby, honey! That makes these sexy curves," he murmured against her ear. "Seeing you round with my baby and your breasts all heavy with milk makes me hard every time. Why do you think you got pregnant again so fast?" he teased and ground his hips against hers. "I think it's a good thing that you always wanted a big family, baby." Her hand scooped down and pressed against his cock. Quickly her fingers fumbled with his zipper and she released him into the palm of her hand. Quickly stroking him, she murmured throatily, "I turn you on, do I?" Byron moaned as she spread the pre-cum that had gathered at the tip of his glans and used it to massage his cock further. "Help me down," she mumbled, her voice thick with desire. Releasing his cock with a squeeze, she tried to kneel down, but her belly was too big. She needed his aid, and, with his hands grasping her own, she soon knelt against the floor with his cock in front of her. She opened her mouth wide and immediately began to suckle him. Her hands reached down and began to massage his balls, and she heard him grunt as she rubbed them together and pulled down to prevent him from cumming. She tormented him, teasing him with flicks of her tongue, scorching him by suckling him deep. All the while, her hands clung to his balls to prevent him from climaxing. After a few minutes, minutes where she heard Hugh soothing Lucy on the baby monitor so she knew that all was well, she groaned quietly so the baby wouldn't hear, "Fuck me, Byron." His eyes had shifted, and she whimpered at the sight. It drove her fucking insane to see that he'd lost control of his wolf. He always fucked her that little bit harder when the wolf was in charge. It made her a tiny bit sore the next day, but she didn't care. She loved his passion, loved it when he was hungry like the wolf. She craved it like this baby made her crave banana taffy, morning, noon, and night. She lay back against the cold tiles on the kitchen floor and spread her legs. She'd stopped wearing panties long ago. They just got in the way and stopped them from having easy access to

her pussy, something she definitely didn't want. She smiled lustfully up at him and lifted her skirt. For the first time in weeks, she actually felt like she could possibly turn them on. She saw their hard cocks daily, hell, they fucked her at least twice a day, so she knew that they found her sexy, but she'd felt uncomfortable within her own body since her belly had shot out during her second month of pregnancy. Parting her pussy lips with her fingers, she watched as Byron started to jerk his cock. She thrust a finger inside of herself and moaned as she moved it in and out a few times. "Don't you want to fuck me, Byron?" she asked, pouting. Her back arched on his name as her other hand began to stroke her clit. He dropped into a crouch almost immediately. It was rather good for her ego to see him move so quickly. He lifted her thighs and dragged her closer to him. His face looked almost pained as he began to thrust his cock into her. Alternating between hard and fast and long and slow, he worked her up until she grabbed the skirt of her maternity dress and bit into it, clutching it hard between her teeth. Her back lifted from the floor as he began to finger her clit, and, when she felt his cum pummel her from the inside, she moaned long and low as a climax shattered her mind. A few minutes later, she felt herself being lifted into strong arms and immediately recognized Hugh's scent. She nuzzled into him and licked his throat. His words rumbled against her tongue. "Am I forgiven then?" She sighed dreamily. "No." He chuckled but dropped her on the bed before starting to strip her of her dress. "You two, I can't leave you alone for five minutes without one of you losing an item of clothing," he said. "Like you can talk, Hugh. Look what you've just done!" Byron said, pointing to the dress Hugh now had clutched in his hand. Laughter gurgled in Nicole's throat, and it pealed happily through the bedroom. Hugh shot Byron a glare and defiantly stripped Nicole of her maternity bra. Cupping her large breasts in his palms, he sighed with pleasure at the weight of them, his cock immediately becoming hard in longing. He let her curl out on to the bed and started to hurriedly strip off his clothes as she did so because he knew Byron was following his lead and he didn't want him to get to her first or rather, again, before he had a chance to. Soon both of them were lying beside their mate, supping at different parts of her body. When eventually they met up at her breasts and began to suckle her nipples, they were so consumed with Nicole and, her with what they were doing to her, that none of them heard the tell-tale warning sound of little feet tapping on the floor. All they heard was an accusation. "Bad Daddys! Das my booby!" Lucy admonished sulkily. Seeing Lucy, Nicole cried out happily, "She's a baby again! She must have shifted when we were . . . you know," she murmured, a little flustered, then frowned. "I thought you would have at least rocked her to sleep, Hugh!" "I did!" he said defensively before shrugging and grinning up at her, looking at her sheepishly past the crest of her breast. "What can I say, she's going to be a great actress someday. She looked like she was asleep!"

The End