Bend (7 page)

“Ah, seduction, then.” Annabelle laughed as she sprinted up the stairs, twisting as she passed him so that Justin felt nothing more a brush of air at her movement.

Justin turned to follow her, his eyes glued to the bobbing tail of her pale blonde braid and the way it tapped against the top of her ass. The braid was like a metronome, keeping time with the rhythmic movement of Annabelle’s hips. He spoke without thought, staring at the mesmerising woman in front of him.

“I wasn’t trying for seduction,” Justin bit out roughly, his mouth and throat dry with a thirst no liquid would quench. “The two of you together were beautiful, light and dark, soft and hard, sweet and fierce. You have no idea how many times I’ve seen you and Evan dancing like that in my dreams.” Justin stared at the toes of his boots for a second before deciding to spill the rest. “Hell, Annabelle, I see you two every time I close my eyes. That’s all I was trying for, simple honesty.”

Annabelle felt warmth spreading through her chest. Unlike the other times since the night at the Xxchange, this wasn’t so much a physical sensation as an emotional one. It BEND

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wasn’t her body heating up for Justin and Evan, and that scared the living daylights out of her.

“Well, I don’t know about soft,” Annabelle said, her defences kicking in. “There was a hell of a lot of
hard
involved. And as for sweet…”

Justin gave her a look that said he knew what she was doing, and this time, he’d let her get away with it. Annabelle had no illusions that he’d let her continue to deflect her feelings aside with a joke.

Grinning, Justin followed her inside. “I was referring to Evan when I said ‘sweet’. I’d have to be blind to miss out on what a hard-ass you can be.”

Even though that was the image Annabelle always tried to project, the evaluation stung.

Annabelle rolled her shoulders as she walked into the living room. The tension only flowed from her shoulders to her arms with the move. It was only then she realised she’d hoped Justin would see beneath the tough-as-nails façade she wore like a second skin.

“So,” Annabelle muttered, cringing when her voice cracked on the small word. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Justin’s gaze, not yet, when she hadn’t had the time to bury her disappointment. “You wanted to talk, I take it. Have a seat. I don’t know how much time we’ll have before Max and Bo come home, though I think they’re probably staying away to give us a chance to talk. Or maybe they’re marvelling at the sheer novelty of me having a guy drop by, or—oh!”

How a man Justin’s size could move so quietly was a puzzle to Annabelle, and one she couldn’t be bothered to figure out as his strong arms came around her, pulling her back up against his chest. Heat rolled off Justin’s body, encompassing her as surely as did his arms.

Justin lowered his left arm down to her hips. His forearm spanned their width as his large hand gripped her right hip. Justin’s next move was bolder, more like what Annabelle expected—and needed—from him.

He trailed his right hand up her stomach, then further up still, between her breasts. His fingertips teased at the quivering swells, his thumb brushing over one achingly hard nipple.

Justin grunted as she hissed, then he cupped her left shoulder. A tightening of his arms had her pressed against his length. She felt him shift, his legs spreading as at the same time he tugged at her hips. Annabelle writhed, rubbing her ass against Justin’s denim-clad dick.

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“Oh, God,” Annabelle panted, unable to pretend to be unaffected, not when every cell in her being felt hypersensitive and needy. She tipped her head back against Justin’s broad shoulder, her hat tumbling to the floor.

“Yeah, honey, just like that,” Justin crooned in her ear. “I don’t know what I said that wound you up, but let it go. This is the only tension you need to be feeling.” Annabelle shuddered as Justin ground his dick against her ass. She felt slick moisture between her legs as his tongue lapped at the skin below her ear, and she reached back to brace herself because her legs were suddenly too weak to hold her up. Grabbing onto Justin’s thighs, Annabelle gave an answering grind of hips.

“Oh, fuck,” Justin rasped, then Annabelle’s world tilted and spun as Justin turned her around. She blinked once, her mouth opening to say something snarky, but Justin knew how to shut her up. The man was entirely too intuitive. He buried one hand in the hair at the base of Annabelle’s neck, then his mouth crashed down on hers.

Annabelle bucked her hips and tried to press closer, her breasts aching, her pussy clenching, wet and needy for more Justin, more Evan, more everything. Her moan as Justin’s tongue swept into her mouth—seeking out every sensitive spot—was one of pleasure and frustration. There were parts of her that needed Justin’s touch desperately, but his hands remained where they were, one on her neck and the other on her hip.

Irritated and horny beyond belief, Annabelle nipped Justin’s bottom lip hard enough to startle him. He jerked his head back even as he tightened his hold on her.

“What the fuck?” Justin muttered as he glared at her. “That felt like an angry bite, not an, I’m-horny-as-hell-and-need-you-now bite.”

Annabelle clamped her hand down on Justin’s thighs to keep from throttling the man as she glared right back at him. “That’s because it
was
a pissed off bite
because
I’m horny as hell
and you won’t fucking touch me like I need you to!”
Then Annabelle wanted to smack herself upside the head. She’d
meant
to say ‘like I want you to’, but the truth had burst free along with her temper. She shoved at Justin’s legs, squirming as she tried to break free of his embrace.

“Annabelle—” Justin began, only to stop when the screen door squeaked open and was promptly slammed shut.

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“I’m thinking Annabelle wants you to let go,” Max snapped in a low, angry voice Annabelle had never heard before. She stopped trying to get free and twisted her head around to stare at Max and Bo standing only a few feet away.

“Might want to close your mouth, Annabelle,” Bo advised. Annabelle did so with an audible snap. Bo turned his attention to Justin. “And I really think you ought to let her go, despite how horny she just said she was. A person’s entitled to change their mind.”

Annabelle felt her cheeks stinging as a fierce blush spread over her skin. Of course Bo and Max would have had to hear
that
. She glanced up at Justin only to see dark stripes on his cheeks, whether from embarrassment or anger, she wasn’t certain. Justin kept his gaze locked with Max’s although his words were for Annabelle.

“There’s rules, Annabelle, that’s how this works for us.” He paused and Annabelle let that roll around in her head. Did he mean there were rules about what they could do, when it was just the two of them? Isn’t that what he had to mean? Annabelle frowned and started to ask before she thought better of it. Now wasn’t the time to let Max and Bo know what she was considering doing with Justin and Evan.

“Do you want me to let you go?” Justin asked, finally bringing his focus fully back to her.

No, not at all!
“It’d probably be best”— Annabelle told him—“at least until I know more about these rules.” The pending disappointment on Justin’s face quickly shifted to a smug smile that made Annabelle want to slug him or fuck him in alternating waves. Both might work, even.

“You know,” Bo’s lilting voice was a forewarning for further embarrassment, Annabelle just knew it. “They make toys to take care of that problem. You can order them online if you don’t want to go to Bob’s Beat in town.”

Max sounded like he was choking as he tried to chastise Bo. Justin snickered and slowly released Annabelle in minute increments, retaining contact between their bodies as long as possible. Annabelle just wanted to die and get the humiliation over with already.

“What?” Bo asked in a voice so innocent Annabelle had to roll her eyes. “Max? We’ve ordered stuff online, like that butt—umph—”

Annabelle stepped back despite her body’s protest. She peered at Max and chuckled when she saw the headlock he had on Bo. Max had his other hand firmly slapped over Bo’s mouth, and Bo’s eyes were dancing with the deviltry his words had caused.

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“You’re just plain evil,” Annabelle told Bo, shaking a finger at him. “Max needs to spank your ass until you learn some manners.”

Max made another choking sound as Bo quit trying to get out of the headlock and turned a heated gaze on his partner.

“Someone needs to do the same to you,” Justin whispered, and Annabelle felt her entire body flush with the promise in those dark words. “I’ll pick you up for dinner with me and”—Justin stopped and darted a look at Max and Bo, who both seemed to be listening intently—“we’ll discuss the rules so as to avert any more misunderstandings.”

Annabelle nodded, unable to speak through the lust-tightened muscles in her throat.

Her mouth was so dry she figured the saliva had turned to sand, the moisture seared away by Justin’s touch, his words, and the memories of Evan’s whispered intentions.

And damned if Justin didn’t seem to know the effect he was having on her—him and Evan both were having on her. Annabelle found it hard to think of the one without the other, unless her mind was steeped in lust. She was tempted to tell Justin to fuck off just to see that smug look drop away, but she wanted what was being offered too bad to risk it. Instead, she settled for the meanest glare she could pull off and a few fierce words forced from her lips.

“Fine,” Annabelle rasped, “but it won’t be any more than talking.” And she was going to hell for lying, no doubt, but her pride wouldn’t let her bend any more than she already had.

BEND

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Despite Justin’s near-tantrum about it, Annabelle drove the hour to his and Evan’s ranch rather than have Justin pick her up. She didn’t want to be stranded there if she needed to leave, and being dependent on someone else for anything grated against her nerves, which were already ragged from her earlier argument with Josh. Even though she knew he had her best interests at heart, there were just too many things he didn’t know about her for him to be able to make judgement calls for her. Too many things no one knew about her, except a few nameless people she’d experimented with during her one year away at college.

That had been one of her rules for quick hook-ups, the second a name was uttered, the whole thing was off. When she wanted anonymous sex, she wanted
anonymous
sex. The one guy who’d thought he had been smart by telling her his name had found himself on the floor, crying, cupping his bruised balls. Annabelle had forgotten his name before she’d walked out the door. Wasn’t like the sex had been any kind of inspiration for remembering.

It had probably been her disappointment more than whatever his name was breaking her rule that led to her knee getting up close and personal with his boys. Oh well, as far as she was concerned, if he hadn’t bothered using his equipment right, he really hadn’t deserved to have it.

Annabelle’s amusement at the memory faded as she turned down the dusty drive. Her heart was slamming in her chest the closer she got to the ranch style house with its big front porch. Pecan trees provided a good amount of shade, and it looked like someone—Evan, she’d bet—took the time to do some landscaping. There were four garden beds, trimmed in a nice wood border, filled with colourful flowers.
How perfectly…domestic.
She wondered if Evan wore a ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron. And pearls.

“Bitch,” Annabelle muttered. Evan didn’t deserve to be a target of her snark, at least not yet. Time to tuck that down deep for a bit.

As she took the last turn in the drive, she saw the two reasons for her visit sitting on the porch. Side by side in the porch swing, with their arms over each other’s shoulders, Justin and Evan were so appealing Annabelle was tempted to park her truck, get out, strip, and go at them. Luckily, she had a smidgen of self-control.

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The men rose and walked over to greet her as she parked. Annabelle felt a trickle of sweat run down her spine, and her neck felt flushed, heat trailing up to her cheeks and down to her breasts. She wished to hell she’d taken a minute to check her appearance in the rearview before she turned off for their place. She probably had lipstick on her teeth and makeup smeared under her eyes. For some reason, that’s where her mascara
always
ended up.

“Too late now,” she huffed as she grabbed the door handle. And if Evan and Justin’s expressions were anything to go by, she looked good enough to eat. That thought was entirely too appealing and left her feeling almost too breathless to mutter, “Oh Jesus, yes.”

She shoved the door open and arched a brow at the two hands extended to her.

“While I appreciate it, I’ve been getting in and out of vehicles for the past twenty or so years all on my own.” So much for burying the snark, or maybe that was outright bitch.

Annabelle wasn’t the best judge of her moods. People tended to be too sensitive and get butt hurt when she’d only been trying to joke. She hadn’t been joking just now. The truth was, if either of the two men touched her, she didn’t trust herself not to jump him.

A glance at Justin’s smirk and gleaming eyes told her he had a pretty good idea exactly why she’d said what she had. The man was entirely too much like a male version of herself.

She’d have to keep on her toes around him. Evan, however, was frowning slightly, and his hand was still extended, although…there seemed to be a fine trembling going on there. His big eyes rounded slightly, a wounded look edging them. Annabelle felt a pinching in her chest. Surely that wasn’t her heart? That damned thing was supposed to stay out of crap like this!

The pinch shot to her temple, becoming a pounding chorus of guilt in her head.
I can do
this.
Annabelle grunted—she could only be so gracious, for heaven’s sake—and placed her hand in Evan’s. Justin’s grin was triumphant, so she ignored it in favour of enjoying the way Evan’s face lit up with pleasure.