Stealing the Bride (5 page)

“I want you with me,” Jacob growled and took his mouth again.

“Mara?” Daniel murmured, remembering the third part of their relationship. He nodded toward the path she’d taken. “Should we…”

“She needs time. She’ll be okay once I explain. I hope. I want her with us…” Jacob stood and pulled Daniel along with him to the tent. “And right now, I need in you.”

Desire rose in Daniel’s belly, desire he was sure Jacob felt, as well. His cock pushed against his fly, demanding freedom, demanding his lover. He pushed Jacob onto the bed. Jacob scooted backward. Daniel crawled over his legs and grasped Jacob’s fly, pulling it open and freeing his cock. Immediately, Daniel bent forward and took it in his mouth. He loved the feel of Jacob’s hard flesh against his tongue. He flicked at the head, tasting the salty droplets that had appeared and exploring the slit.

Jacob groaned. Looking up at him, Daniel continued to explore Jacob’s erection. His lover’s eyes squeezed shut and his fingers bunched in the sleeping bag. His hips pushed upward as he urged Daniel to suck down more of him. Daniel ran his tongue over the ridged flesh, taking his lover until his lips reached the springy curls that cradled Jacob’s arousal. He inhaled the musky scent, loving the smell of his man and the sensation of his mouth filled with Jacob’s cock.

He loved going down on Jacob, showing him his love in a way he never would for another. His submission to their love, his devotion to it. He moved up and down the shaft, flicking with his tongue and grazing with his teeth until Jacob writhed beneath him. Jacob shoved his fingers into Daniel’s hair and tried to guide him. Daniel would have none of it.

“Please, I’m gonna come,” Jacob moaned.

“Can’t have that,” Daniel chuckled. He stood, pulling off his clothes while Jacob remained sprawled on the bed. The lube lay on the floor beside the bed where it had gotten tossed at some point last night. Daniel scooped it up and flicked open the lid.

Jacob sat up and reached for it. “Let me,” he said. He coated his fingers while Daniel knelt on the bed and leaned forward.

Daniel shuddered with his arousal as Jacob’s fingers slid along the crevice of his ass to find his opening. Jacob worked in the tip of a finger, circling the tight ring of muscle. After getting more lube, he pushed the finger deeper. He made several thrusts then added another finger. Parting and twisting them, he worked Daniel open while Daniel squirmed.

“I’m ready,” Daniel said, reaching for the bottle of lube. He slathered Jacob’s cock then moved to straddle him. He paused at the pressure on his anus. Slowly, he sat back, sinking down on Jacob. He sighed as his lover’s girth filled him, inch by inch.

“God, you feel good,” Jacob grated, obviously struggling to pull back the release that had been so close when Daniel had had his mouth on him.

Daniel paused, sucking in a breath when Jacob was completely inside and stretching him wide. He’d never get over the perfect sensation.

“Ride me, cowboy,” Jacob urged, trying for humor that escaped them both in their deep need. It was more of a gasped demand for more. Complying, Daniel lifted until Jacob was barely inside then slid back down, establishing a steady rhythm that would send them into orgasmic bliss in minutes.

* * * *

Mara paused at the male groans that filled the campsite when she returned from trying to call Marco. Jacob and Daniel had obviously figured out their differences. She had a feeling Daniel would be packing up his blogging business and moving it across country.

It wasn’t so easy for her. The end was in sight. They’d achieved their main objective—to show her how wrong Marco was for her. They were right. And last night, that togetherness bullshit, that was just sex talking. She knew better. She was on the road to being dumped as they trekked to their new and wonderful life in Cali.

The men’s cries echoed hollowly in her middle as she wallowed in her turbulent emotions. This just wasn’t happening. She had to break up with Marco, she was at an end with her roommates, and where did that leave her? Alone. Just where she’d least wanted to be.

You could still marry Marco,
a little voice urged. No, she couldn’t. The marriage would never last.

She dialed Marco again. She frowned when, in a repeat of her earlier attempt, it didn’t go immediately to his voicemail which meant his phone was on. He just wasn’t answering. His message picked up once more after four rings. Was he avoiding her? Marco always answered. Hanging up, she called her cousin. “Will you come and pick me up? Yeah, right now. Hurry, please.”

She didn’t want a scene with Daniel and Jacob. She’d just go. Her cousin—bless her!—would deal with her supplies later.

Her backpack was near the back corner of the tent. As the cries inside grew in volume, she knew neither man would notice her reaching beneath the canvas to pull it out. A few minutes later, she was on her way toward the road to meet her ride. A note left behind on the table, weighted down with a rock, told her lovers:
I’m going home.

Chapter Three

Rash decisions sucked.

One lonely night, she’d rashly decided to marry Marco. When she’d been offered hot, raw sex by her hunky roommates, she’d rashly agreed to that, too. And when that looked to be at an end, she’d rashly run away.

Geez, Mara. Way to trash your life in three easy steps.

She’d made such a monumental muck of her life, she couldn’t face anyone yet. Instead, she’d chosen to hang out at a hotel, reflecting and ironically ‘centering’ until she summoned up the courage to face her mistakes. Her reckless decisions couldn’t be fixed with hasty action. One thing she couldn’t in all conscience avoid. The impending wedding. She continued to attempt calls to Marco, but he never answered. And there was another problem. Marco was her boss’s best friend. She might as well kiss her job goodbye, too. No job. No home.
Way to fuck up, Mara.

The morning of her would-be wedding dawned disgustingly bright and beautiful. She thought it should be raining. A lukewarm drizzle seemed more fitting than the brilliant sunlight.

At least, she could count on it being god-awful hot outside so it would match the misery she felt inside. She stumbled into the shower, dressing afterward and downing a few aspirin for her throbbing head. She shoved on her sunglasses and headed for the church. If Marco wouldn’t answer her calls, she’d have to go to him. Breaking it off minutes before the wedding left a foul taste in her mouth, but she had no choice. She couldn’t just fail to show up. Somehow, there had to be a way to pull this out and retain her dignity and possibly her job.

It bothered her that Marco had neither answered her calls and her messages nor called her. Had he had second thoughts too? Would he even be at the church? Was he truly dodging her calls, or was she being paranoid or projecting her guilt on him?

Part of her wished he was dodging her. It would make her life easier.

The church wasn’t far from the hotel, and she got there in minutes only mildly drenched in sweat from the walk through the swamp-like humidity.

The dim interior of the building was blessedly cool, and goose bumps rose on her overheated flesh as she stood still for a moment, letting her eyes adjust. She spied Marco’s mother in the front of the church speaking with the pastor, but no one else had arrived yet. She waved anemically at the woman and hoped her presence meant that her son was on the premises.

Determination driving her steps, Mara headed toward the other side of the building before she gave in to her emotions and sunk into a wallowing puddle of goo. She was stronger than that, but her strength seemed to be lagging with each minute closer to the wedding hour.

Marco would be in the room near the pastor’s office that had been designated for the groom to get ready. As butterflies tumbled about her belly, she paused outside the door.
Tell him, tell him, tell him,
repeated through her thoughts. Now or never. Apologize or run. Running seemed a good option, but instead, she turned the doorknob and barged in, her mind too full of her task to remember courtesies.

Marco
was
there. Eyes wide, her breath caught in her throat, she froze and stared at the vision before her. Marco—her fiancé, Marco!—stood halfway across the room, dressed in his tux and clasped in the embrace of her boss, Aaron, who was apparently his best man in more ways than one. They kissed more passionately than she and Marco had ever kissed. In fact…it looked a lot like a clinch between Daniel and Jacob. Her stomach jerked at the thought of her lovers, confirming her decision to split with Marco. She couldn’t marry him when her feelings for him were so mild, yet so strong for two others. The fact that she didn’t feel upset about this new development sure said a lot.

Her gasp had painted the air with shock, and the two men jumped apart. Marco’s eyes went wide.

“Oh Jesus,” he murmured as he took a step toward her, a beseeching hand outstretched. “Don’t freak out,” he pleaded.

She shook her head, her surprise wearing off. Her hands shoved into her pant’s pockets. So this was how it was. What was it with the men in her life hiding their true attractions—Daniel and Jacob to her…and Marco to other men?

“I needed to talk to you. This only makes it easier, I guess. I…um…” How much easier would it be to blame him for this and leave him with the guilt over the broken relationship? She couldn’t. “I can’t marry you,” she said finally.

“Don’t do this!” he exclaimed then gestured between Aaron and himself. “We can work this out.” He looked at Aaron and drove a hand through his hair. “Oh my God…”

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I was coming to tell you this before I saw you two together. Like I said…it’s easier now.”

Marco looked confused. “Why?”

“I’m in love with Jacob and Daniel.” Not that she could be with them. She shoved away that distress. She had to suck this up and get it over with between her and Marco then get the hell outta Dodge before his mother beat the crap out of her for calling off the wedding.

“What!”

“Oh come on… You’re not really going to be ticked off.” She glanced at Aaron then back. “
Really
?” she repeated incredulously.

Marco sighed. “No. Damn, what am I going to tell my parents?”

“The truth? Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be upset, but you’ve got a great guy and apparently an understanding one, too, if he was going to approve of you marrying me to save face to the family—geez, I should be pissed about that, huh? They’ll come around, and you’ll be happier.”

Maybe the retreat to find herself had worked. She couldn’t believe the calm settling over her as all the pieces of her life seemed to resettle into place. All but two…Daniel and Jacob. The center of her calm contained a whirling storm that wouldn’t be settled.

She’d lost them.

Before she broke down and gave in to the tears she’d been holding back for days, she left Marco to consider what she’d told him. Avoiding his mother, she dashed toward the doors.

“You grab Mara. I’ll grab her stuff,” she heard.

“What stuff?” came the reply.

She looked up just in time for Daniel’s hand to cover her mouth. He yanked her from her feet and dashed for the doors. As they made the sidewalk, she wrenched her head away from his grip.

The storm inside her began to settle, and the relief of their presence tingled through her.

“You’re kidnapping me?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes. Don’t scream or Jacob will insist on the duct tape. He’s such a purest.”

“Kinky. Help. Police,” she deadpanned. “Geez, where’s a cop when you need him?”

They reached an old-style conversion van with the side door open. He shoved her inside and climbed in beside her, slamming the door. Jacob jumped into the driver’s seat and tore away from the curb to a cacophony of blaring horns.

Mara jolted on the mattress that covered the floor of the vehicle.

“Like the van?” Daniel asked as he crawled toward her.

She nodded, and it occurred to her she should have wondered where it came from. They lived in New York City. None of them had vehicles.

“This thing is my brother’s ‘love nest on wheels’. We had to promise to be nice to his baby.”

“I think we can manage that,” she rasped. Overwhelming joy filled her, momentarily stealing her ability to speak beyond the emotion. She couldn’t stop the tears that streamed down her cheeks. Intuitively, she knew everything would be okay. They’d come for her. Even though she’d left. Even though they were leaving. Maybe they weren’t—

“Don’t cry, honey,” Daniel pleaded. “We just couldn’t let you marry him.”

She leaned back on the mattress and curled her hands behind her head. The storm in her middle had calmed to an aroused ripple, but something more forceful lurked beneath it, a fierce lust-filled love that shook her. It would either fuel them or destroy them, and she didn’t think it would ever be fully satisfied.

Her two men would just have to keep feeding it. She smiled, imagining what was to come. It would be good, not bad. They’d make it that way. “I’ve never been kidnapped before.”

“I would hope not. We’re desperate men, ready to go to desperate measures.” Daniel paused and his brows drew together. “You don’t seem too concerned.”