Chapter 3
Unrealized Loss
Dante
“What the fuck was Tom thinking?” I sit across from Wyatt and Finn in our conference room. It’s late and this is not exactly what we hoped to do on a Saturday night. We’ve looked everywhere for his most recent files, but they’re missing. Not on the server and not in the office file room.
“Whatever he got messed up in must be serious.” Finn rubs the back of his neck and cracks it. “He thinks he’s in danger.”
“He thinks she’s in danger.” Wyatt rubs his chin.
None of us have to ask who she is. Sara. Fuck, just thinking about her being in trouble makes me itch to be near her. To watch over her. But her family is home and she should be safe.
“Why did he tell her to not go home?” Finn pushes away the laptop. “It doesn’t make sense. Did he want her to stay with us? Maybe he meant for her to stay with her boyfriend?”
Wyatt growls low enough that we might not have heard it if the room weren’t so fucking quiet. There’s one thing in this world that Wyatt wants but won’t let himself have. I help where I can to drag her away and protect her from herself.
But she doesn’t hide that she wants Wyatt. She refuses to admit she wants Finn and me too. I’m just glad she doesn’t have to make a choice between us. Because according to Tom, she’s off-limits. We all want her, but none of us can have her.
It doesn’t make hearing about her dates any easier.
“It’s a date. Not a boyfriend.” I know Sara. She barely dates. The one guy she dated a few times this past year turned out to be in a relationship with another woman, along with his three friends. I’ve never contemplated sharing a woman, not even with my friends.
I’ve seen some porn with double penetration but never really considered it since I usually stick with one woman at a time and never thought to ask a guy into the bedroom with me.
“All we can do is keep trying to reach him.” Finn stands and stretches. “I feel like drinking tonight.”
“We should go by and make sure she’s okay.” Wyatt’s voice is gruff, but by we, he really means Finn or me. He does everything he can to not be alone with Sara. The guy’s willpower is good, but if anyone can make him break, it would be her.
I’m good with holding his line. I’m just lucky that Sara doesn’t look at me the way she looks at Wyatt. There’s desire there, and lust, but it’s something she chooses to ignore.
“I’ll go by.” Finn smirks. “I’ll check out the new guy and see if we need to do a background check on him.”
Wyatt makes a noncommittal noise. But I’m all for it.
“We don’t know what Tom has gotten into and can’t be sure whoever is getting close to her isn’t involved.” I put that out there. Or maybe I’m just making up excuses.
Not that I need much ammunition to check on her.
Sara
Drew sits catty-corner from me at the table while he tells me stories about his adventures with the two women. I made sure the lights were low. There’s a few candles in the room for ambiance.
“Let me see if I have this correct.” I set my fork on my plate and put my elbows on the table, resting my chin in my hands.
“You were fucking three women at the time. Woman one was using you to placate her parents, but didn’t know about the other two.
Woman two was using you for revenge sex against woman one, but didn’t know about woman three.
And woman three got off on you telling her what you did with woman one and two? ”
“Yes, she did.” He rests back in his chair and his dark eyes hold me motionless. If ever there was a smolder, Drew perfected it. My lips part and an aching need claws at my insides.
“And now? How many women are you currently fucking?” I raise an eyebrow in challenge. I shouldn’t care. I’m not looking for something long-term, though he indicated that this may lead to something else. As long as he uses condoms, who am I to care where else he sticks his dick?
I cringe internally at that thought. Yeah, maybe I’m not good with the cheating stuff, but if everyone knows the score, no one gets hurt.
He leans forward and takes my hand. “Hopefully, just one.”
He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. I laugh.
“Damn, you’re smooth.” I draw my hand back and try to cool down my libido.
“I aim to please.” He gives me that smolder again. A little hint of fear races through me with the desire.
Can I really do this? Casual sex? Am I up for this?
“How about dessert?” Standing, I grab our plates. I don’t wait for his answer, just take them into the kitchen and set the plates on the counter. What am I doing? I mean, this is what I want. This is how I free myself of Wyatt.
“Hey, are you okay?” His words are soft, but I don’t turn around.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to screw this up.” Blowing out a breath, I stare at the countertops.
“We can go slow, princess.”
“Princess?” I turn and smirk at him.
He closes the space between us and reaches out to brush my hair behind my ear. “You’re gorgeous and proper. You have the most beautiful eyes in all the land. Pretty sure that makes you a princess.”
My breath increases at his nearness. He’s as tall as Wyatt, as flirty as Finn, and crowds me like Dante, but there’s still something missing. Definitely not the sparks because those are running riot through my veins.
Maybe missing is the wrong term. He doesn’t lack anything. I want him. He wants me. Maybe I’m so used to liking men who will never want me that I’m suspicious of his interest.
“Why don’t we take it a little at a time?” His hand slides behind my neck as his other slips around my waist, drawing me in close.
“That sounds good.” Not exactly the timeline I was hoping for, but his mouth takes mine, and I can’t think of anything but his touch as he draws me against his hard, toned body.
I’ve been kissed before. I’ve even messed around with some guys, mostly out of curiosity. But when Drew kisses me, my whole being catches on fire. He slides his tongue against my lips and I part them to let him in.
A low growl in the back of his throat at my submission makes my panties wet. My pussy pulses with need. I clutch his shirt to hold myself up as my knees try to give out. When his tongue slides against mine, I whimper.
He tastes of whiskey and sin.
He pulls me in close as he devours my mouth. The kiss is carnal and needy and everything I’ve never had before. When he lifts me against him, I make a startled noise. He chuckles against my lips as he sets me on the counter, which helps with the height difference.
He cradles my face and nips at my lips. “You taste like strawberries, princess. I fucking love strawberries.”
A shiver courses through me as I open my eyes to his darkened ones.
He trails his thumb along my jaw. Leaning in, he kisses along the sparks he left behind.
“You’re better than a fairy tale.” He trails kisses down my throbbing pulse.
“Why’s that?” My voice is breathy, and I’m having a hard time focusing on the words he says when his lips are making me feel things I didn’t know were possible. My heart pounds and that need inside me pulses, hot and achy.
When I try to press my thighs together, Drew is between them.
“You’re real, princess.” He finds this spot where my shoulder and neck meet and sucks and bites on it until my breath shortens and I’m tugging at his shirt to draw him closer.
When he touches my bare knee, I startle as electric fire jolts through me.
He lifts his head and his dark eyes meet mine.
“Is this okay?” He slides his hand up my inner thigh.
I nod, too lost in the fire he’s stirring inside me.
He smirks as he captures my lips and his hand travels higher. When his knuckles brush the outside of my panties, I gasp into his mouth. He takes advantage of my open lips and his tongue dives in. He tastes me as his knuckles stroke over my panties.
My fists clench in his shirt. He’ll have wrinkles, but I don’t care as long as he doesn’t stop touching me. My insides churn like a bomb is waiting to go off inside me and only he knows how to detonate it.
When he slides his finger along the edge of my panties, I catch my breath.
The doorbell rings through the house. We both freeze and turn toward the sound.
“You expecting someone, princess?” His hand slides back down my thigh.
Fuck. I blow out a breath. “No.”
I release his shirt and blush when I see the wrinkles in it. He kisses me briefly, then sets me back on my feet. I straighten my skirt and touch my hair before walking over to our security system to see who’s at the door.
Finn?
He grins at the camera and waves. I guess my brother isn’t the only cockblock in my life.
“Sorry.” I smile at Drew. “I’ll get rid of him.”
“No worries.” Drew leans against the counter and adjusts his cock. My eyes widen at the size of the bulge in his pants. Fuck, my mouth waters, even as my insides clench.
Shaking my head, I walk to the door. When I get to the marble entryway, footsteps echo behind me. I turn and see Drew followed.
“I am a gentleman. At least, that’s what they tell me.” His cocky grin makes those butterflies flutter again. I have no doubts he’s less than a gentleman.
I open the door and give Finn my best glare. “What do you want? Did you find out anything about Tom?”
“Manners, flower.” Finn smirks and sweeps by me into the house.
“Come on in,” I say sarcastically and shut the door.
“You must be the guy.” Finn takes a minute to look over Drew.
“This is Drew Young.” I gesture to Drew. “This is Finn Lawson, who, if he doesn’t have any information about my brother, should be leaving.”
“Wow, that’s a long name.” Drew holds his hand out to Finn.
Finn shrugs, shakes Drew’s hand, and smirks. “I usually just shorten it to Finn.”
“What are you doing here?” I cross my arms over my chest and glance at the door meaningfully.
“I’m checking up on you, flower.” Finn tugs on a strand of my hair and turns to Drew. “Do I smell dessert?”
A mischievous smile tugs at Drew’s lips. “You do.”
“I love dessert.” Finn walks into the house like he owns it. He did practically grow up here with Tom, after all.
“I’m really sorry. I’ll get rid of him,” I say softly to Drew.
He leans down close enough that his words caress my lips when he says, “It’s okay, princess. We have time.”
He follows Finn and I blow out a breath. This is not how I wanted this night to go.
Finn sits across from Drew. “Where are the folks and the hellion?”
My cheeks flare hot. “Out.”
I’m not about to tell one of these assholes that my parents and little sister are overseas for the next month. Tom knew, which is probably why he told me to go to his best friends, but they definitely would intrude on what I’m planning to do.
I duck into the kitchen and sigh, remembering Drew’s hands and lips on me. I’m guessing that’s the end of that for the night, even though I ache and will until I’m alone later in my room.
I grab an extra plate and fork and take them into the dining room.
“My family owns Taranis.” Drew glances at me when I enter.
Forcing a smile, I pass out the plates and return to the kitchen to grab the cake I made.
When I return, Finn’s eyes widen.
“Perfect timing.” He rubs his flat stomach. “Sara makes the best desserts. Have you tasted her desserts yet, Drew?”
The innuendo makes me blush fiercely.
“We hadn’t gotten to that part of the evening yet.” Drew smirks and I feel the heat in my cheeks.
“Hmm.” Finn’s nonresponse makes me glance at him. His green eyes meet mine from under a raised eyebrow like he’s asking me, This guy?
Well, fuck him. This guy is actually the only guy outside those three that makes me feel anything. So yeah, this guy.
“Where’s Peabody?” Finn glances around looking for our Pomeranian furball.
“Who’s Peabody?” Drew catches my gaze and I sigh.
“Our dog, who is at the vet and will be home tomorrow.” I serve the cake and Finn digs in like he hasn’t eaten in years. I pick at it because all my best-laid plans are falling apart.
Finn asks Drew some more questions, keeping up the standard I’m a rich guy, are you a rich guy dialogue. Drew’s phone buzzes and he glances down at the screen.
“Your cake is divine, princess. I need to head out.” He holds up his phone as an excuse, and I can’t help wondering if that excuse is another woman who doesn’t have a Finn to deal with.
“Okay.” I’m not the kind of woman to get jealous or demand anything from someone who I’ve kissed twice. Though I was definitely hoping for more tonight.
“Good meeting you, Drew.” Finn relaxes back in the chair like he’s got nowhere he’d rather be. Swallowing, I just hope he isn’t planning to wait until my parents get home.
Drew holds out his hand to me. When I take it, he draws me into the foyer with him, away from Finn. “I’d hoped our evening would end differently.”
He curls a hand around the back of my neck and glances toward the dining room before lowering his mouth to hover over mine. My breath catches, waiting to see if he’s going to give me another kiss. My heart skips.
“Good night, princess.” He claims my lips in a soul-searing kiss that ramps that fire back up inside me. He whispers against them, “I want to see you again, Sara. I want to see all of you soon.”
My eyes meet his and the heat in his makes me whimper in need. He kisses me again before leaving. Fuck.
I lock the door behind him and turn to glare at my dining room where Finn still sits. I draw in a breath and walk in. He’s where I left him, lounging in the chair with his dark, artfully tousled hair.
“Ah, flower, when do the folks get home?” His green eyes linger on me.
Fuck. “Not until late. You can go now.”
He glances at his phone screen and then sets it aside. “I can wait.”