Author: Roni Loren
His eyes darkened in that way that made her insides coil tight. “You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever met.”
She laughed. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He cupped her cheek, his gaze as serious as she’d ever seen him. “No, Evan. I don’t.” He ran his thumb over her mouth. “Mi alma es tuya.”
Evan parted her lips to ask him what that meant, but he was already pulling her down for a kiss. His mouth slanted over hers and their tongues twined in a heated dance—one that sent every molecule in her body humming. She sensed a fierceness in the embrace, almost a desperation, like Andre was afraid she’d evaporate if he didn’t hold her tightly enough. She wanted to reassure him that she was right here, that she wasn’t going anywhere. But they both knew that wasn’t true. They needed to treat every time like a cherished gift. Because this was an indulgence neither of them would have for much longer.
She pressed her forehead against his. “Please, Andre. I need you.”
Hands and legs tangled, the condom somehow made it on, and soon she found herself rolled onto her back, Andre above her. “I need you too, bella. So much.”
The camera flash captured the second their bodies collided.
Dueling moans mixed with the rustle of sheets as he buried himself deep inside her. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the delicious feel of his invasion, but his voice snapped her back to attention. “Don’t. Look at me. I want to see all of you.”
Her heart pounded as she lifted her lashes and looked at him. She’d thought she couldn’t get any more naked, but this—staring into his brown depths as he rocked into her—was as exposed as she’d ever felt.
He grabbed her hand, lifted it to his mouth, and laid a kiss atop it, all the while not breaking his rhythm. She shivered beneath the simple brush of his lips. “Now you can touch yourself, bella.” He lowered her palm to where he wanted it. “Let me feel you come around me.”
She kept her focus on him, but slid her finger along her clit, the little bundle of nerves slick and swollen and desperate for relief. The instant she applied pressure, her sex clenched around Andre and the pleasurable jolt registered on his face.
Oh, my. She’d never watched a lover so intently. Seeing every nuance of sensation cross his features. Beautiful and sexy and beyond intimate.
She swirled her finger as he continued to move inside her, his pace increasing to match hers. Sharp zings of sensation wicked through her nervous system, making every inch of her skin, her soul, feel alive. She wouldn’t last much longer, not after all this and not with his eyes fucking her as completely as his body was. But part of her wanted to hang on just a bit longer. Savor this. No. Savor him.
She reached up with her free hand and ran her hand along his stubble, his skin hot beneath her touch. “You’re pretty damn perfect, too.”
The lines around his eyes creased, almost as if the words were too much to hear, and he leaned down to claim her mouth. Her lips parted for him, accepting everything behind his kiss—the desire, the pain, the loss both of them knew was looming. All of it consumed them and the rhythm of his hips increased as they both began to unravel. Her neck arched, pulling her out of the kiss, and a plea escaped. “Andre.”
“Let go, bella. Let everything go. For me.”
Her body responded to his command like a well-trained soldier, all the combined sensations crashing down over her in a maddening rush. “Oh, God.”
She cried out as the orgasm overtook her, and Andre chased her climax with his own, the two of them riding the high together. She found his mouth again, inhaled his own groan with the kiss, and held on while her body continued to contract around him. The heat of his release was like sweet fire inside her.
The camera continued its methodical flashing as they both eased down from their high. After a few minutes of lying there with only their labored breathing as a soundtrack, Andre pressed his lips to the curve of her neck, the sweat on his brow mixing with the sheen on her skin.
“Not bad for our first time,” Andre whispered.
She ran her hand along the damp hair at the nape of his neck. “Our first time?”
He lifted his head to look at her. “You’ve never been with only me. I’ve always just been the third for you.”
When she’d first gotten involved with Andre and Jace, she’d thought Andre would simply be an extra bonus—a gorgeous buffer to help her keep perspective about Jace. But over the last few weeks, she’d realized her heart hadn’t made that distinction. Her heart wanted them both. Loved them both.
She pressed her forehead to his. “Andre, you’ve never ‘just’ been anything to me.”
He smiled, but the distinct sound of footsteps had them both freezing.
“What the—” Andre said, rolling off her, instantly on full alert.
But before Andre could say anything else, a man stepped into the studio.
TWENTY-ONE
“What the fuck is going on?”
Evan hauled the sheet up to cover herself and Andre, her heart ready to burst through her ribs. “Shit, Daniel. You scared the hell out of me.”
“Well, gosh, Evan, excuse me,” he spat out, the sarcasm at full tilt. “Didn’t mean to walk into the building I pay rent on and frighten you mid-screw.”
She gritted her teeth. “Calm down.”
Daniel scoffed as he looked from her to Andre, then back. “Calm down? Calm down? Who the fuck is this guy?”
Andre shifted, no doubt taking the condom off beneath the sheet. “Not really your concern, bro.”
“The hell it isn’t,” Daniel yelled, then looked at her expectantly. “Evan?”
The goddamned camera flashed again.
“What the . . .” Daniel glanced at the equipment set up, his face getting redder by the second. “Oh, un-freaking-believable! How could you be so stupid, Evan?”
“Hey,” Andre barked.
She laid a hand on Andre’s forearm, trying to stop him from making a bad situation worse. “Daniel, please. Get out of here and let us get dressed. You and I can talk privately about this.”
“Oh, right. So now you worry about discretion? A little late for that.” He kicked a leg of the tripod and sent her favorite camera crashing to the floor.”
Her jaw went slack. “Daniel!”
Andre bolted off the bed, stark naked and pissed. Daniel’s eyes widened right before Andre grabbed him by the front of his collar and hauled him up against the wall. “Not one more fucking word, asshole. You did this to yourself, so don’t you dare try to insult Evan over something you gave her permission to do.” He twisted Daniel’s shirt tighter in his fist. “And don’t think I won’t kick your ass—with or without pants on.”
A little gasp passed Daniel’s lips, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Andre paused, glanced down, and stepped back a bit. “What the hell?”
Evan’s gaze followed his, and even in profile, she could see the bulge in Daniel’s pants. Oh, fuck. Apparently Daniel’s body had a very different reaction than fear in response to Andre’s naked form and dominant handling of him. Andre let go of Daniel’s shirt and looked to Evan then back to Daniel. Once. Twice. She could almost hear the click when the puzzle pieces snapped in place for him.
She stood, keeping the sheet tucked around her. “Andre, please. Just go, okay? I’ll be fine. Let me talk to Daniel.”
Daniel turned away, his shame at his body’s betrayal obvious. “I’ll meet you at home, Evan.”
Andre stalked to his pile of clothes and got dressed without looking at her. He didn’t bother strapping his gun belt back on, just slung it over his arm. The silence between them was thick enough to choke on. He spun back around, all the tenderness he’d held in his face a few minutes earlier gone. “Is it the fame thing, Evan?”
“Andre—”
“Or are you really just money hungry?” he asked, the words as sharp as barbed wire.
She reeled back, the accusation stinging as much as if she’d been slapped. “You can go.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
TWENTY-TWO
The sharp smack of the door slamming reverberated through the loft and almost made Jace drop the beer he’d grabbed. He kicked the refrigerator shut with his foot and peeked around the corner of the kitchen to find Andre storming through the living area, fury on his face.
Hell. Jace had thought he’d had a bad day, but based on Andre’s grand entrance, someone had already cornered the prize for shittiest day.
“Um, hey,” Jace said cautiously.
Andre threw his keys onto the glass coffee table with a loud clink and collapsed into the armchair. “Hi.”
“You look like you need a drink.”
Andre looked up, glanced at the beer in Jace’s hand. “We have any Jack Daniels left?”
Uh-oh. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll grab it.”
Jace pulled the nearly full bottle out of the liquor cabinet and poured a shot into a juice glass.
“He’s fucking gay,” Andre announced without preamble. “Gay!”
Andre stared at him as if he should know what he was talking about. Jace frowned. Considered the glass. Made the shot a double. “Okay . . . who are we talking about? Your suspect?”
Andre’s eyebrows knitted. “What? No. Dr. Dan.”
Jace gripped the glass. “What?”
“Evan’s fiancé. She’s going to move away from us to marry a guy who doesn’t even like girls.”
Jace stared at him. Digested the words. Downed Andre’s whiskey.
The liquid burned the back of his throat and he coughed. “And you know this, how?”
Andre ran a hand over the back of his hair. “I went to see her tonight.”
“At her job?”
“I needed to see her. I . . . I had a bad day and, God, I don’t know, I wanted to see her.”
Jace knew the feeling. He’d been more than disappointed when Evan had texted him that she wouldn’t be stopping by tonight. But going to her studio was a big no-no. They’d all agreed to keep their relationship—or whatever the fuck this was—separate from her “real” life. “You shouldn’t have gone there.”
“You don’t think I fucking know that? I couldn’t help it.”
Jace poured another shot and walked it over to Andre. “So what happened?”
“I made love to her. Not sex, Jace. Way more than that.” He knocked back the shot, made an ugly face. “And, goddammit, I know she was feeling it, too.”
Jace sat on the other side of the couch, his breath whooshing out of him. “You love her?”
Andre set the empty glass on the coffee table, his expression turning guarded. “What? You’re the only one who’s allowed that privilege?”
“I don’t lov—” Jace scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck.”
He hadn’t shared his plans with Andre when he’d decided to pursue Evan after that evening on the balcony. He’d gone on pretending that this was a two-month deal. To protect them all in case it didn’t work out. But he’d never been able to hide anything from Andre. The guy read people as if their thoughts were printed on their foreheads in Sharpie. “You knew.”
Andre smirked. “You’ve been gone on her since the moment she stepped back into your life. And I’ve seen how much your guard has dropped these last few weeks when she’s around. You’ve been courting her like your life depended on it.”
Anger, hot and fierce, welled up in Jace. “Then why did you go and fucking fall for her too? If you knew I felt that way about her?”
Andre laughed without humor. “Oh, right. ’Cause I’m not allowed to feel anything. I’m just dick number two, enter stage left? What the fuck, man?”
His eyes darkened in that way that made her insides coil tight. “You’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever met.”
She laughed. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
He cupped her cheek, his gaze as serious as she’d ever seen him. “No, Evan. I don’t.” He ran his thumb over her mouth. “Mi alma es tuya.”
Evan parted her lips to ask him what that meant, but he was already pulling her down for a kiss. His mouth slanted over hers and their tongues twined in a heated dance—one that sent every molecule in her body humming. She sensed a fierceness in the embrace, almost a desperation, like Andre was afraid she’d evaporate if he didn’t hold her tightly enough. She wanted to reassure him that she was right here, that she wasn’t going anywhere. But they both knew that wasn’t true. They needed to treat every time like a cherished gift. Because this was an indulgence neither of them would have for much longer.
She pressed her forehead against his. “Please, Andre. I need you.”
Hands and legs tangled, the condom somehow made it on, and soon she found herself rolled onto her back, Andre above her. “I need you too, bella. So much.”
The camera flash captured the second their bodies collided.
Dueling moans mixed with the rustle of sheets as he buried himself deep inside her. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the delicious feel of his invasion, but his voice snapped her back to attention. “Don’t. Look at me. I want to see all of you.”
Her heart pounded as she lifted her lashes and looked at him. She’d thought she couldn’t get any more naked, but this—staring into his brown depths as he rocked into her—was as exposed as she’d ever felt.
He grabbed her hand, lifted it to his mouth, and laid a kiss atop it, all the while not breaking his rhythm. She shivered beneath the simple brush of his lips. “Now you can touch yourself, bella.” He lowered her palm to where he wanted it. “Let me feel you come around me.”
She kept her focus on him, but slid her finger along her clit, the little bundle of nerves slick and swollen and desperate for relief. The instant she applied pressure, her sex clenched around Andre and the pleasurable jolt registered on his face.
Oh, my. She’d never watched a lover so intently. Seeing every nuance of sensation cross his features. Beautiful and sexy and beyond intimate.
She swirled her finger as he continued to move inside her, his pace increasing to match hers. Sharp zings of sensation wicked through her nervous system, making every inch of her skin, her soul, feel alive. She wouldn’t last much longer, not after all this and not with his eyes fucking her as completely as his body was. But part of her wanted to hang on just a bit longer. Savor this. No. Savor him.
She reached up with her free hand and ran her hand along his stubble, his skin hot beneath her touch. “You’re pretty damn perfect, too.”
The lines around his eyes creased, almost as if the words were too much to hear, and he leaned down to claim her mouth. Her lips parted for him, accepting everything behind his kiss—the desire, the pain, the loss both of them knew was looming. All of it consumed them and the rhythm of his hips increased as they both began to unravel. Her neck arched, pulling her out of the kiss, and a plea escaped. “Andre.”
“Let go, bella. Let everything go. For me.”
Her body responded to his command like a well-trained soldier, all the combined sensations crashing down over her in a maddening rush. “Oh, God.”
She cried out as the orgasm overtook her, and Andre chased her climax with his own, the two of them riding the high together. She found his mouth again, inhaled his own groan with the kiss, and held on while her body continued to contract around him. The heat of his release was like sweet fire inside her.
The camera continued its methodical flashing as they both eased down from their high. After a few minutes of lying there with only their labored breathing as a soundtrack, Andre pressed his lips to the curve of her neck, the sweat on his brow mixing with the sheen on her skin.
“Not bad for our first time,” Andre whispered.
She ran her hand along the damp hair at the nape of his neck. “Our first time?”
He lifted his head to look at her. “You’ve never been with only me. I’ve always just been the third for you.”
When she’d first gotten involved with Andre and Jace, she’d thought Andre would simply be an extra bonus—a gorgeous buffer to help her keep perspective about Jace. But over the last few weeks, she’d realized her heart hadn’t made that distinction. Her heart wanted them both. Loved them both.
She pressed her forehead to his. “Andre, you’ve never ‘just’ been anything to me.”
He smiled, but the distinct sound of footsteps had them both freezing.
“What the—” Andre said, rolling off her, instantly on full alert.
But before Andre could say anything else, a man stepped into the studio.
TWENTY-ONE
“What the fuck is going on?”
Evan hauled the sheet up to cover herself and Andre, her heart ready to burst through her ribs. “Shit, Daniel. You scared the hell out of me.”
“Well, gosh, Evan, excuse me,” he spat out, the sarcasm at full tilt. “Didn’t mean to walk into the building I pay rent on and frighten you mid-screw.”
She gritted her teeth. “Calm down.”
Daniel scoffed as he looked from her to Andre, then back. “Calm down? Calm down? Who the fuck is this guy?”
Andre shifted, no doubt taking the condom off beneath the sheet. “Not really your concern, bro.”
“The hell it isn’t,” Daniel yelled, then looked at her expectantly. “Evan?”
The goddamned camera flashed again.
“What the . . .” Daniel glanced at the equipment set up, his face getting redder by the second. “Oh, un-freaking-believable! How could you be so stupid, Evan?”
“Hey,” Andre barked.
She laid a hand on Andre’s forearm, trying to stop him from making a bad situation worse. “Daniel, please. Get out of here and let us get dressed. You and I can talk privately about this.”
“Oh, right. So now you worry about discretion? A little late for that.” He kicked a leg of the tripod and sent her favorite camera crashing to the floor.”
Her jaw went slack. “Daniel!”
Andre bolted off the bed, stark naked and pissed. Daniel’s eyes widened right before Andre grabbed him by the front of his collar and hauled him up against the wall. “Not one more fucking word, asshole. You did this to yourself, so don’t you dare try to insult Evan over something you gave her permission to do.” He twisted Daniel’s shirt tighter in his fist. “And don’t think I won’t kick your ass—with or without pants on.”
A little gasp passed Daniel’s lips, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Andre paused, glanced down, and stepped back a bit. “What the hell?”
Evan’s gaze followed his, and even in profile, she could see the bulge in Daniel’s pants. Oh, fuck. Apparently Daniel’s body had a very different reaction than fear in response to Andre’s naked form and dominant handling of him. Andre let go of Daniel’s shirt and looked to Evan then back to Daniel. Once. Twice. She could almost hear the click when the puzzle pieces snapped in place for him.
She stood, keeping the sheet tucked around her. “Andre, please. Just go, okay? I’ll be fine. Let me talk to Daniel.”
Daniel turned away, his shame at his body’s betrayal obvious. “I’ll meet you at home, Evan.”
Andre stalked to his pile of clothes and got dressed without looking at her. He didn’t bother strapping his gun belt back on, just slung it over his arm. The silence between them was thick enough to choke on. He spun back around, all the tenderness he’d held in his face a few minutes earlier gone. “Is it the fame thing, Evan?”
“Andre—”
“Or are you really just money hungry?” he asked, the words as sharp as barbed wire.
She reeled back, the accusation stinging as much as if she’d been slapped. “You can go.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
TWENTY-TWO
The sharp smack of the door slamming reverberated through the loft and almost made Jace drop the beer he’d grabbed. He kicked the refrigerator shut with his foot and peeked around the corner of the kitchen to find Andre storming through the living area, fury on his face.
Hell. Jace had thought he’d had a bad day, but based on Andre’s grand entrance, someone had already cornered the prize for shittiest day.
“Um, hey,” Jace said cautiously.
Andre threw his keys onto the glass coffee table with a loud clink and collapsed into the armchair. “Hi.”
“You look like you need a drink.”
Andre looked up, glanced at the beer in Jace’s hand. “We have any Jack Daniels left?”
Uh-oh. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll grab it.”
Jace pulled the nearly full bottle out of the liquor cabinet and poured a shot into a juice glass.
“He’s fucking gay,” Andre announced without preamble. “Gay!”
Andre stared at him as if he should know what he was talking about. Jace frowned. Considered the glass. Made the shot a double. “Okay . . . who are we talking about? Your suspect?”
Andre’s eyebrows knitted. “What? No. Dr. Dan.”
Jace gripped the glass. “What?”
“Evan’s fiancé. She’s going to move away from us to marry a guy who doesn’t even like girls.”
Jace stared at him. Digested the words. Downed Andre’s whiskey.
The liquid burned the back of his throat and he coughed. “And you know this, how?”
Andre ran a hand over the back of his hair. “I went to see her tonight.”
“At her job?”
“I needed to see her. I . . . I had a bad day and, God, I don’t know, I wanted to see her.”
Jace knew the feeling. He’d been more than disappointed when Evan had texted him that she wouldn’t be stopping by tonight. But going to her studio was a big no-no. They’d all agreed to keep their relationship—or whatever the fuck this was—separate from her “real” life. “You shouldn’t have gone there.”
“You don’t think I fucking know that? I couldn’t help it.”
Jace poured another shot and walked it over to Andre. “So what happened?”
“I made love to her. Not sex, Jace. Way more than that.” He knocked back the shot, made an ugly face. “And, goddammit, I know she was feeling it, too.”
Jace sat on the other side of the couch, his breath whooshing out of him. “You love her?”
Andre set the empty glass on the coffee table, his expression turning guarded. “What? You’re the only one who’s allowed that privilege?”
“I don’t lov—” Jace scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck.”
He hadn’t shared his plans with Andre when he’d decided to pursue Evan after that evening on the balcony. He’d gone on pretending that this was a two-month deal. To protect them all in case it didn’t work out. But he’d never been able to hide anything from Andre. The guy read people as if their thoughts were printed on their foreheads in Sharpie. “You knew.”
Andre smirked. “You’ve been gone on her since the moment she stepped back into your life. And I’ve seen how much your guard has dropped these last few weeks when she’s around. You’ve been courting her like your life depended on it.”
Anger, hot and fierce, welled up in Jace. “Then why did you go and fucking fall for her too? If you knew I felt that way about her?”
Andre laughed without humor. “Oh, right. ’Cause I’m not allowed to feel anything. I’m just dick number two, enter stage left? What the fuck, man?”
