Chapter 32
I paced the living room, wearing a path into my carpet as I waited for news. Rhea and Tanner were safe, I knew that, thanks to Tanner’s shaken call a few hours ago. But I could tell by the tone in his voice that it was almost a completely different kind of call he had to make.
A notification call.
A grim reality of their profession.
My stomach rolled even thinking about him having to notify me or Rhea’s family of something terrible happening to her.
“Ugh,” I groaned, rubbing my forehead as my palms got clammy again. “Just come home to me.” I whispered, staring out the window again as I heard a car on the street.
I should still have been at the bakery, that was where I had gone when Tanner got up out of bed in the middle of the night to run off to the accident.
There was no way I could just stay in bed, even as peaceful as his bed was, with his strong masculine scent surrounding me in his absence, I was too anxious.
So, I got up and went to Honey & Hearth to start baking.
It was what I did when I was trying to soothe the pain of the world.
Hours later, and hundreds of cinnamon rolls later, I finally heard from Tanner.
The initial 911 call was for an accident at the ice rink, where the charity tournament was supposed to be held.
It was a massive part of the town, most of the school-aged kids did some sort of league there, and then the adults of Cedar Bluff either played in old-man beer leagues or jumped in on pickup games from time to time.
The rest of us, who weren’t ice-skating capable, went to the rink to enjoy the festivities from the bleachers with a beer and hot dog in hand.
Yet now, the rink’s future was balancing precariously on the edge of ruin, depending on how bad the fire was.
When I talked to Tanner for a few minutes, he said the truck drove into the back of the rink, near where they kept the equipment and mechanicals, but he wasn’t sure how bad the flames got inside.
The whole town was reeling from the news, too.
I made the mistake of sticking around at the bakery after it opened up in the early hours of the morning and was instantly swarmed by customers looking for insider news.
I didn’t know if it was because they knew I was a central hub for the town because of the bakery, some place everyone went and talked, or if it was because news had officially spread that Tanner, Rhea and I were all involved romantically.
Either way, the townsfolk seemed to believe that I had the tea on everything, given my connection to the fire department and police in the town.
But I didn’t know anything.
I didn’t even know how Rhea was, other than she was ‘okay’ according to Tanner.
Whatever that meant.
I felt the rest of what he wasn’t saying with that one word, though. Something happened on that scene, and it left him shaken. And I needed to put my eyes on both of them to calm a little of my erratic mind and worry.
Gravel crunched from outside, and I leaned to look out the window along my driveway as Rhea and Tanner both pulled in with their vehicles.
I didn’t hesitate or pause to give them a chance to get inside before I was running through my house, flying down the back steps and racing straight to them in my socks.
Rhea got out of her jeep, still in her fire uniform with a haze of soot over her tan skin. “Marigold.” She said, with an urgency that called to mine. I launched myself at her, wrapping my arms tight around her neck as she buried her face into my shoulder and took a deep breath.
I didn’t know what to say, hearing the edge to her voice nearly broke me, so I just held onto her, squeezing her with everything I had as she dug her fingertips into my back, clinging back.
Tanner got out of his truck, grabbing her duffel bag from the back seat of her jeep, and I hated how dark his gaze was as he held my stare.
What the hell happened?
As if he could read my mind, he put one of his big hands on the back of my head and leaned over us, kissing my temple. “Let’s get her inside.”
I pulled back, and Rhea had to pull herself from my neck to look at me.
A haunted look filled her stare as she braced herself to get control of her emotions.
“Come on.” I led her, wrapping my arms around her torso and kissing her neck as she wrapped one arm around my shoulders, keeping me with her. “I’ve got you.”
When we got inside, Tanner locked the door behind us and pulled the curtains closed like he was shutting the world out and creating a safe place for us inside.
I forced Rhea into a chair in the dining room and sank to my knees in front of her, unlacing her boots and pulling them free from her tired feet before pulling her socks off too, rubbing the pad of my thumb up the arch of each foot.
She watched me with a tired grin on her normally cocky face, but there was no real heat behind it, even if she was trying.
“What do you need?” I asked, trying to stop the millions of questions I had about what happened so I could focus on Rhea’s needs and emotions for now.
Physically, they were both okay, and they were here with me. Everything else could wait.
“This.” She said, cocking her head to the side as she rubbed her thumb over my cheek tenderly. “You.”
“I’m here.” I urged, leaning into her touch.
Rhea exhaled as if she’d been holding it for hours. “I almost—” she swallowed as Tanner kicked his boots off and circled the table. “I almost didn’t make it out.”
Tanner stiffened beside us, threading his fingers under her disheveled braid to knead her neck affectionately. “I would have come in after you.”
She closed her eyes and smiled, an actual smile that looked tender and warm for the first time since she got out of her jeep. “I believe that.”
Snorting, I rose onto my knees to be closer to them both as I untucked her uniform shirt from her pants.
“I have the urge to tell you both all the ways I’d make you suffer for making me worry if either of you ever got hurt, but I’ll save that for later.
Right now, I just want to focus on the fact that you’re both here. And that you’re both okay.”
“Martinez was trapped.” She said gently, opening her eyes and staring at me. “I couldn’t leave him. But now they’re saying—” her body shook with a shiver as something like disgust rolled over her.
“That you’re a hero.” Tanner finished, staring down at her with pride, “Because you are.”
“I hate that word.” She said, looking up at him. “The same way you do.”
“I know,” he smirked. “But you have to wear it for a while.”
“Ugh,” she murmured, tipping her head back to me. “There’s something else I want to wear for a while instead. Something that will help me forget everything else in the world.”
I paused as she stood up and pulled me to my feet, “What is that, exactly?”
She took her shirt off, revealing her toned body in her black sports bra, and then slid her hands around the back of my legs and picked me up as if she hadn’t just survived hell and back for the last dozen hours.
I shrieked and wrapped my arms and legs around her as she started walking toward the stairs.
“Your legs. Wrapped around my ears as I lose myself in your body for a few hours.”
“Rhea,” I gasped and giggled as she walked up the stairs. “You’re avoiding your stress.”
“No,” she said confidently as she called Tanner to follow us upstairs. He was already coming up behind her, eyes glowing bright with dominant need. “I’m going to let you help me unwind and relieve that stress, so it doesn’t drown me under the weight of it.”
My giggles faded as she put how heavy the night had been into words. “Fine,” I kissed her neck as she walked us into my bedroom and straight through to the ensuite on the other side. “But be prepared for Tanner and me to make you talk about it later.”
“I’ll do anything you want. After sex and sleep. Lots of both.” She agreed, setting me down onto my feet on the tile floor.
I walked into the shower and got the water going, making sure I had soap and fresh washcloths for them before heading back out.
Rhea was peeling Tanner’s shirt off as he dutifully lifted his arms over his head to assist her, and I paused, leaning against the shower wall to watch them.
They rarely had moments alone, just the two of them, and I didn’t want to interrupt them, but I didn’t want to walk away either.
I enjoyed watching them together like that.
I enjoyed watching their intimacy grow with their comfort in one another.
Tanner ducked his head, leaning down and sealing his lips over hers in a kiss. It was different than how he kissed me, more reserved, but there was no lack of need in it, it was just different.
I watched as Rhea ran her fingertips over his chiseled chest and down over each defined ab to the waistband of his jeans, and my mouth watered.
“Goldie,” Tanner said, holding his hand out to me, inviting me in.
“I’m enjoying watching.” I said with a grin, knowing they would not let that fly.
As much as they enjoyed what they were doing, neither of them was willing to let me spectate.
And there was a gooey, girlish part of me deep down inside that loved that too.
Who wouldn’t want to be in the middle of a Rhea and Tanner sandwich?
Rhea turned and pulled me in, putting me between them as she kissed me while Tanner unbuttoned my sweater from behind.
“But I enjoy feeling you both,” Rhea said.
Tilting her head, she deepened our kiss before skimming her fingertips up my ribs as Tanner pulled my sweater open. “Tasting both of you.”
“Easy, Hotshot,” I moaned when she flicked her thumbs over my bare nipples and then pinched them lightly. “This is supposed to be about you.”
She moaned, a low, deep purring noise in her chest as I pulled her pants open and pushed them down over her flared hips. “I’m enjoying myself immensely.”
I clicked my tongue at her before stripping her panties down and helping her kick free of them, pulling my leggings down to join her.
Turning over my shoulder, I winked at Tanner, where he stood, hard and watching us.
“Come on, lover boy,” I cooed, pushing Rhea back toward the steaming water. “I want your help to make her come.”
“Fuck,” she moaned as the hot water ran over her delicious body. I followed the rivulets of water over her skin with my mouth, and her fingers tangled in my pinned-up hair as I sank to my knees in front of her. “Goldie.”
“Shh, baby,” I soothed, pushing her back into Tanner’s waiting arms as he eagerly pressed himself against her back, catching her weight and holding her up. “Let me see to your needs.”
Her head tipped back against Tanner’s shoulder as he slid one hand under her knee, lifting it and opening her to me and my hungry desire. “God, you two are so sexy when you work together,” she crooned.
“Almost like Goldie knew how perfect this would be, way before we did.” Tanner added, teasing kisses down her neck and nibbling on her ear. I ran my tongue over her clit and pushed it into her as she reached up and dragged her fingertips down Tanner’s neck.
“She’s perfect.” Rhea said, staring down at me, rocking her hips against my mouth. “We don’t deserve it.”
“Wrong,” I countered, turning my face to bite her inner thigh. “You both deserve this. This whole thing only makes sense because we’re all in it together.”
“God,” Rhea’s leg shook and her chest rose and fell quickly as she gave in to the pleasure I was giving her. Even when she didn’t trust anything else in the world, or understand it, she understood this. This was real and raw and didn’t need any explanation. “That’s it, baby.”
“You’re going to come, aren’t you?” Tanner used his free hand to play with Rhea’s nipples, and she cried out. “All over her pretty face, like our good girl.”
“Shut up,” Rhea groaned, digging her fingers into my hair. But I smiled against her swollen and needy body because he was right. And as much as she wanted to fight him on it, being our good girl turned Rhea on.
“Yes, she is,” I cooed, pushing two fingers into her tight body and staring up at her as she let out a guttural groan. “Because she’s such a good girl for us and does exactly what she’s told when we work her over like this.”
“I hate you both.” She whined, fighting the urge to give in to that small part of her that loved being dominated. It was really freaking small on a good day, but today, after what she experienced, I knew she wanted to lean into it more than usual.
Tanner shifted, lifting her other leg from behind the knee, until he held her up with her legs spread, all of her weight in his capable hands. “Liar.” He growled into her ear.
“Fuck!” She gasped when I sucked her clit, scissoring my fingers inside of her and then curling them forward. “Don’t stop—” She begged, mouth hung open, eyes closed.
Trusting.
Free.
“Come for me.” I demanded, sucking hard on her again as her spine curved toward me, pressing her body down against my mouth harder, and then she shattered, just as I expected.
“Goldie,” She cried, riding my face like a needy woman chasing what she desperately wanted without abandon or fear.
And I loved that so damn much. She deserved that, and so much more. We were going to give all of it to her, too.
“That’s it.” Tanner praised her, kissing her neck as he held her flush to his strong body as she felt every wracking wave of pleasure that gave her. “Give it all to us.”