21 Marine Salute: 21 Always a Marine Tales (42 page)

“I stared at every news report every single time word of injuries came out of Afghanistan.” Zach confessed. “I stopped counting how many times I’d get up during the night and those reports were always the first thing I checked. I marked time between your phone calls.”

“Life is all the things that happen when you’re not looking.” Jazz licked her lips. “My mom always says that. It’s a crap cliché, but I’m tired of not looking. Not when I have both of you and you better be sure, because I will personally kick your asses if you let me down.”

“Logan, translate the hardass for me—was that a yes?” Zach slanted a look at his best friend.

“Sounded suspiciously like a backasswards yes. But I’m not sure.”

Jazz bit her lip and laughed. “Ask me again.”

“I don’t know. She’s threatening spousal abuse and we’re not even hooked yet.” Zach’s blond head shook slowly. “We might want to reconsider.”

Logan slapped him in the back of the head lightly. “You done reconsidering?”

“Oh yeah. Truth or dare, sweetheart?”

Laughter bubbled up through the anxiety and the worry, shoving all of the ugly little
what if
questions away. “Truth.”

“Will you marry us?” Zach didn’t miss a beat.

“As soon as possible.” Logan tacked on, his expression fierce.

Fuck it
. She only had one life. Damaged, broken into pieces and put back together again, but it was her life—and now it was theirs, too. “Yes.”

She barely saw them move through her tears and then she was in Zach’s and Logan’s arms, sandwiched between them. Zach’s mouth crushed down on hers in demanding ferocity. He released her and Logan took over. Their kisses were so different, stark with real emotion and needing, but they gave, too.

“I just want my hair back before we get married.” She managed to squeeze out between kisses. The swapping back and forth made her dizzy.

“We can get you a wig.” Zach’s hands slid under her skirt. Her body already hummed with need for them.

“Not here.” She grabbed his arm and looked to Logan. “I don’t want to do this here.”

“Why not, babe? We got the whole place to ourselves.” Zach’s fingers slid right along her labia, unerringly teasing her clit. Pleasure spiraled up from the simple caress.

“Because it’s not ours. I want to go back to your home—the one the two of you made—to the room you put together for me.” Stupid sentimentality maybe, but the fact that they had taken the time to set that room up for her warned her long before their words that they believed in her recovery. “I want to play in that big bed.”

Logan plucked her away from Zach and his magic fingers. She bit off an oath at the withdrawal of his caresses. “Get the car. I’ll blow out the candles.”

“Damon’s gonna kill us for wasting all this food.” But Zach pivoted on a heel and raced out the door.

Logan sat her down on the chair, pushing her skirt up again and spreading her thighs. As he knelt down, he grinned up.

“Wait until we get home.”

“Oh, lots of things can wait till then, but there’s one little thing I wanted to taste before we moved on—” And he leaned in, breath warming her thighs, to lick up the length of her sex, tongue whirling in a thorough, hard circle of her clit.

Her eyes crossed and her mind blanked. Pleasure radiated out from his touch, and her body teased along the edge of an orgasm, but he drew back with a gentle squeeze. “Oh yeah, just as sweet as I remembered. It was killing me to look and not touch. Stay put.”

He circled the room, extinguishing the candles, and she tried to retrieve the stray stands of thoughts that unraveled watching him.

Zach returned and side tossed the keys toward Logan. “Car’s out front. You’re driving.” He didn’t slow down, scooping her up, her bare ass hanging out and all. “I get to ride in the back with Jazz.”

“Hey.” Logan laughed, but despite the need stretching his voice, he didn’t sound angry. “That’s dirty pool.”

“You snooze, you lose.”

Jazz held onto him as he strolled outside. The area wasn’t exactly empty of people, even if Lagniappes’ lights were off. That the locals were too far away to actually see her ass didn’t make it any less bare. He loaded her in the car, pinching her bottom to scoot her over, and she laughed all the way as he slid into the back seat with her.

Logan muttered, climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “If you plan to warm her up, share the details.”

“I thought we were waiting until we got home.” Anticipation shot through her.

“Oh, we’ll have lots to do at home.” Zach echoed Logan’s earlier statement, and his hand glided down her back to the zipper on the dress. In seconds it gaped around her shoulders. He tugged it forward and Jazz let it slip down her arms. Was she really getting naked with him in the back seat of the car?

Correction, she got naked. He still wore his suit.

“Are her nipples still hard?” Logan asked, in the most conversational of tones.

Zach’s palm glided over one. “Affirmative. Sensitive, too.”

“Hmm, is this a passive sport or can I play, too?” She pulled the dress top down and it bunched around her waist. This was a game all three could play. She climbed over, letting him brace her balance—trusting him.

“Fuck…this is gonna be a long drive.” Logan sighed.

“Then go faster,” Jazz tossed over her shoulder as she urged Zach’s zipper down. He wasn’t wearing any boxers and his cock was as hard as stone. She got wet all over again. “We need to get home now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Zach couldn’t get out fast enough after Logan slammed the car into park. The ride home involved way too much teasing. If she were one hundred percent healthy, he’d have impaled her on his cock right there in the backseat. As it was, he’d damn near come in her fingers as she caressed his dick. Logan tossed his suit coat around her and picked her up.

“I can walk.”

“We know,” they chorused.

“But we’re moving at double time.” Zach locked the car and cut around Logan to climb the stairs. He glanced over his shoulder at her soft little gasps and wasn’t surprised to see his best friend’s fingers tucked between her legs.

Inside the apartment, they locked up and headed for the bedroom. He stripped on the way, uncaring of where the clothes hit. He wanted to be naked with her. He’d been in a permanent state of self-denial since he’d nearly driven into her in the shower on her first day out of the hospital.

His cock strained free. He didn’t slow his pace all the way to the bedside table. The low lighting gave them enough to maneuver but was better for her eyes. He found the box of condoms they’d stored in the drawer. Supplies were stocked into every bedroom, because when the time came—and they knew it would—they weren’t going to let anything stop them.

Tearing open a foil packet, he rolled the condom on and sat down on the bed. Logan stood a foot away, Jazz wrapped in his arms as they kissed. Zach’s heart jerked watching the slow, languorous passion and affection twining in their connection. With ball-aching slowness, Logan released her legs and she slid down his body until she stood.

Zach leaned forward and tugged the dress down the rest of the way. Somewhere between the restaurant and the bedroom, her shoes had vanished. Her panties were still in the pocket of his jacket. With shaky fingers, he peeled back the jacket and tossed it toward a chair. Logan lifted his head, and Jazz leaned back, right into Zach’s waiting arms. He brought his hands up and cupped her breasts. Her nipples were swollen points.

“Do you still like having your nipples licked, baby?” He pressed a line of kisses along her ear and down the column of her throat. He pinched the hard peaks, rolling the tips with his fingers. Her long, throaty moan went straight to his cock. It sandwiched right up against her virgin ass. She was nowhere near ready to take him there. But they would have all the time in the world to play. He’d imagined how fabulous it would be to take her ass as Logan slid into her pussy, but not tonight. They’d discussed the idea several times, in person and on the phone, a fantasy they all shared. But tonight was about showing her how much they loved her.

Logan’s clothes hit the floor as Zach continued the slow tease. As eager as he’d been inside the car and as tight as he was wound, he wanted to make this last for her, because as soon as he sank into her wet heat, he would blow.

“Work on her clit.” Logan stepped up in front of her and leaned down to run his tongue over a nipple. Her ass clenched, the cheeks squeezing his cock, and Zach let out a hissing breath. He dropped his hands down to her thighs and began a slow, massaging rub until her legs parted. Her pussy was soaking wet from all their attention. He fingered her clit, gradually increasing the pressure. Her hands were lost in Logan’s hair as he played with her breasts. Zach grew harder staring down at the flushed, plumped points.

Her ass ground against him, ramping up the pressure in his balls.

“Oh God, that feels so good.” Jazz’s low moans were killing him.

“It’s going to get better.” Logan promised. “And before he shoves that cock in you, I want another taste.”

Together, they maneuvered her back onto the bed. He didn’t want to stop touching her, so he turned her face to him and caught her mouth in a long kiss. Her startled gasp told him exactly when Logan settled between her thighs and went to work on her with his tongue. He leaned away from the kiss and watched the pleasure shivering in her eyes.

She nibbled along his jaw and her hands came up into his hair. He’d never let it grow, not even after leaving the Marines, but the caress of her nails against his scalp sent another pulse of want into his cock. “Hurry up.” He glanced down at Logan’s dark head as it moved back and forth.

Jazz stiffened and he saw the orgasm roll her under, and Logan barely rose before Zach flipped her over and positioned her on his lap. He wanted her to straddle him. She stared at him dazedly, and her flesh quivered with little quakes. She was still riding the orgasm Logan had given her. He grinned, he wanted to take his time, but that would have to wait. The minute he felt her scorching heat on the tip of his cock, she rocked her pelvis down and impaled herself.

He moaned and the sound wrapped around her own long cry. She tipped her head back and he realized that somewhere in their caresses, she’d lost her scarf. Back arching, she planted her knees and rode up then down. He braced her hips, but he couldn’t pound into her the way he wanted. His cock practically wept as it was. She was so fucking tight around him, every stroke driving him closer to the edge. Her sex gripped him until his vision blacked out.

Logan caught her face in his hands and without breaking her rhythm, kissed her. They really were beautiful together. His best friend and their woman—from the moment she’d sashayed into that hotel room in Vegas, all he thought about was fucking her.

He pushed his pelvis up and met her downward shift, driving balls deep. Being that close to her made him crazy. For a year, he’d sated his hunger with his hand and thoughts of her. But she was here, recovering, and she’d promised to be theirs. He would feel her, touch her, make love to her and fuck her anytime he wanted. He was never going to let her go. She would never walk away from them again.

Above him, Logan worked her breasts and he showered her face with kisses as she strained. Her hips lost their rhythm and she cried out, her pussy clamping down on him like a silken glove. Zach’s balls locked up and his orgasm detonated, ripping through him like a cannonball, and he twisted as he came.

Jazz fell forward and they both caught her. It should fuck him up to be rubbing against his best friend while they were both naked, but it felt good, right, to share this with him, like he shared so much else. All that mattered was the woman in their arms and the spasms shuddering through her with every touch of their skin.

He held her close, burying his face against hers until their breath mingled and his heart seemed to slam in time with hers.

A lazy languor rolled through Logan. He was hard as a post and ready to fuck her, but watching her and Zach gave him such immense satisfaction. The sleepy pleasure in her face, the dewy dampness on her cheeks, and the way her muscles shivered under his caresses contented him while she caught her breath. He glanced over and met Zach’s eyes. They’d committed to it long before that moment, but even between the best friends, something shifted, cemented, and became more powerful. They’d always been a team, partners, and supporters.

Jazz made them whole. The soft, even sound of her breaths brought a small smile to his lips. She was asleep.

“Dude, sorry.” Zach murmured.

“Let her sleep. We have the rest of our lives, and we were pretty damn hard on her.” He didn’t regret pushing. She needed the shove. He needed to be the one who pushed her. Gently, he scooted over and peeled her off Zach. She murmured a low sound, but Logan tucked her up against his side.

“Be right back.” His best friend levered out of the bed and padded into the bathroom to clean up. The water turned on and off, but Jazz never shifted. The bed dipped as Zach returned, and he rolled onto his side, propped his head up onto his hand. “We didn’t give her the ring.”

“We will in the morning.” By mutual consent they kept it quiet. Logan’s balls ached, but he could handle a little discomfort—it didn’t come close to matching the feeling of her—of all of them sharing the bed. This was why they’d invested in the king size. Why they set her up in the largest room. The room they wanted to share with her.

“We’re going to need a bigger place.” Zach chuckled as though following his train of thought.

“When she gets the all clear, we can talk to the Captain about those new houses he’s considering building.” The extension across the highway doubled the land they owned. The apartments were great for temporary visitors, but long-term staff would want more.

“Sounds like a plan.” A yawn punctuated his words. “She said yes.”

“I know. I was there. Get some sleep, man. I’ll keep watch.” He didn’t have to tell the Marine twice. The man’s eyes closed and the light snore an echo of their training. They knew how to sleep when needed.