Falling Into Place (21 page)

“Mmhmm,” was all he had for an answer. It
was likely the only way he was ever going to have Liz, and he
needed her so damned bad he’d take her any way he could get her in
that moment.

“Please.” Liz looked up at Tremaine as she
leaned back into Robert and her back arched. Her breasts jutted
toward him, begging for his hands.

Tremaine bent to take her nipple into his
mouth and her hand locked onto the back of his head as she turned
her mouth to Robert who was working her body until she was writhing
between them.

He kissed his way to her other pert bud and
suckled as he dropped to his knees. His mouth trailed down her
ribs. Licking each scar and placing a tender kiss before moving to
the next. Her body undulated as pleasure overtook her.

When she finally fell still, Robert held her
up as his fingers stroked her slick heat. Tremaine pushed Robert’s
hand out of the way and pulled Liz’s leg over his shoulder to lick
her dripping desire. She tasted of magic and dark chocolate, a
sweet spice.

“Trem, fuck yes,” she whimpered before
Robert took her mouth again and captured her pebbled tips between
his fingers.

Every sound she made drove his need further,
his cock jumping, ready to drive into her. It didn’t matter, if he
only ever got to make her come, he would die a happy man.

Her hand tangled in his hair as she rode out
her pleasure, soaking his face. He lapped at her, pushing her over
the edge again, until her head thrashed back and forth.

“I can’t,” she begged, “Oh, God, I can’t.”
She gasped and half sobbed as her whole body trembled. “Too much,
Trem, fuck,” she screamed and came undone.

Robert caught her when she collapsed,
hefting her into his arms as he carried her out of the shower.

* * * *

Robert was intoxicated by Liz, like every
other time they had been together. He never could resist her, but
sharing her had never crossed his mind. Somehow, things fell into
place with Tremaine.

Liz was spent, and was practically jelly in
his arms. Robert murmured against her ear, “You okay, love?”

She nodded, and he took a towel to tenderly
dry her off. He wasn’t sure if what they did was right. The alcohol
had to still be in her system, but she looked to be in better shape
than before she started to pound back the rum.

His eyes grazed over her long lithe body as
he lovingly dried her skin. He found her scars for the first time
and couldn’t help running his fingers over the smooth white
skin.

“James won’t live this time, and when this
is all done, I won’t leave you. I can’t.” Robert looked into her
eyes. “I swear it, Liz. No matter what you say or do, I won’t go. I
can’t.”

Her hands tangled in his hair as she pulled
him to her for a kiss that spoke of longing, of a mending heart,
and undying love.

“I’ll go,” Tremaine said softly before he
tried to step around Robert.

Liz stopped the kiss and grabbed Tremaine’s
hand, pulling him back to her.

“No, don’t you dare. You want this as much
as we both do. We can figure it out later.” She smiled a little. “I
will never forgive you if you walk out after what we just did.”

His voice was gruff. “Are you sure, Liz? I
know it’s what I want, but I don’t want you to hate me when you
realize you have Robert back.”

“I can’t hate you, Trem. Never, not for
anything,” she insisted.

Robert shook his head. “You’ve been there
for her every day that I wasn’t because I was too stupid to fight.
You’re as big a part of her heart as I am.” He grabbed Tremaine’s
shoulder and pulled him closer. “I’m grateful you took care of her
when I didn’t. I saw the way she reacted when you pulled her into
your body at the bar.

Tremaine dropped his eyes, but Robert
surprised himself when he leaned in to give him a bruising kiss.
That was another thing he had never imagined, but it felt
right.

Liz’s breath caught as she watched. Tremaine
tilted his head, slanting his mouth over Robert’s as he deepened
the kiss with a groan.

Maybe they had a solution to mend everyone,
even if it was less than conventional and unexpected.

“Right, bed,” Liz pushed them both toward
the door and back to her room.

“I have one question,” Tremaine growled.
“Who goes where?”

“I uh…,” Liz turned around before the bed
and a smirk twisted her lips. “Lay back on the bed, Trem.” He
crawled up the bed and lay back with a raised brow. Liz climbed up
after him and settled between his legs as she bent down and took a
long lick of Tremaine’s length before looking back at Robert. “Come
on up here.”

“For the record,” Tremaine murmured, “I want
in your pussy the next go around.”

“You good with that, Robert?” She
purred.

Robert climbed up behind her with a nod. He
ran a finger over her asshole and her eyes fell shut as she pushed
back against him, his fingertip delving in a bit and they both
groaned.

He had his answer, but asked, “You still
okay with back here?”

“Mmhmm,” she moaned.

He took his finger and sucked it before
placing it back and sliding in slowly. “Then next time, I’ll take
you right here while Tremaine makes love to you.”

“Okay,” she whimpered. She turned back to
Tremaine and licked the crown of his thick length before closing
her mouth over him. Tremaine groaned as his hands fisted in the
comforter.

There was something perfect with the three
of them. Robert proved it by slowly gliding into her hot, slick
core.

She moaned, and Tremaine’s eyes slammed shut
on a gasp as Liz went back to work.

* * * *

Must be the alcohol letting me go through
with this. Or maybe I’m having the best damned hallucination
ever.

Robert pushed into her, and she took more of
Tremaine into her mouth. They moved together as one, and she loved
the way Robert’s fingers dug into her hips, and how Tremaine’s
hands fisted in her hair as he fucked her mouth.

She took her time exploring Tremaine because
she didn’t think it was possible to come again after what they had
already done.

Robert seemed to take pleasure in proving
her wrong because she was right on the edge, but he had always
known how to draw her pleasure out for hours when they made love
all night long.

“Oh fuck, Liz,” Tremaine tried to pull her
off as his cock twitched. She dug her nails into his wrists to keep
him from trying to stop her. He cried out his release as she
swallowed down every drop of his pleasure.

That had to have been what Robert was
waiting for because as soon as Tremaine stilled and she released
him, Robert flipped her over, next to Tremaine and plunged into her
hard.

“Robert,” she cried, “Please, oh yes.”

Tremaine’s fingers twined with hers as
Robert leaned down to kiss her senseless. He made love to her slow
and deep.

It didn’t take long to spiral right off the
edge as she felt his release. She was too lost in the pleasure to
do anything but ride it out, until Robert rolled to her side,
bringing her with him. Tremaine turned into her, wrapping his arms
around her.

Right, wrong, it didn’t matter. She felt
loved and cherished for the first time in so long, she wouldn’t
give it up for the world.

“You really believe that if Liz is alive,
she’s back in Edenton of all places?” James balked.

“Of course. Tremaine Gallagher is there. I
guarantee he’s still protecting that little bitch.” Jarvis snapped
back.

He was having a hard time believing she
would willingly go back to the place he had tried to rape her, and
then killed her unborn child.

How the hell had she survive to come after
him? She had been wrecked.

At least he had managed to break Robert and
Liz apart. He obviously left her. He could imagine Liz admitting
everything James had done, and Robert throwing her away. It would
have ruined her, it had to. No one could walk away that shattered
and go back to where it all happened. Could they?

She was already falling apart when she found
him the day after he ruined her. Her only goal was to kill him, and
maybe die in the process. He could still remember feeling true fear
for the first time.

A chill travelled down his spine. Liz had
meant to kill him. His own brother had let her. Hell, Robert looked
like he wanted to help. Emily hadn’t even attempted to heal him all
the way. His dick didn’t work, he couldn’t even feel the damned
thing, and the scars… it looked like a flaccid jigsaw puzzle,
though the rest of his skin wasn’t much better.

He was going to make Liz pay dearly, and he
was going to force Robert to watch as he tore Liz apart.

“Edenton? I suppose things will finally come
full circle.” James took comfort in that.

* *
*
*

Tremaine woke with Liz curled around him,
her head laying over his heart and his hand in her hair. Robert’s
arm was slung over her side and resting over his hip, just above
where her leg lay over Tremaine.

Even if this all fell apart, it felt right,
it felt too right to ever regret the night of passion. They all
seemed a little more whole after the three of them had made
love.

He considered getting up to make breakfast,
but he wasn’t ready to let go of Liz. For now, with the way she
curled into his embrace, he could pretend that she was in love with
him.

He still expected to be shut out of Liz’s
heart. She had always been Robert’s, from the very moment they laid
eyes on each other. It only made sense that Tremaine fade into the
background to let them have their lives and love back.

“No.” Liz jerked in her sleep. “No,” she
cried out.

Robert came awake with a start and looked at
Tremaine, probably feeling as helpless as he did.

Tremaine scooped her up and held her to his
chest. “Liz, doll, wake up.” he rocked her just as he had so many
mornings when the nightmares took her. “Liz, come on, doll. Wake up
for me.” Tremaine ran his fingers across her face and she caught
his hand as her eyes flew open. “It’s okay,” he cooed. “We’ve got
you. It’s just a nightmare, doll.”

“Trem?” she panted, and then looked over at
Robert. “Oh yeah, Robert,” she whispered as doubt clouded her
eyes.

“Are you okay, Liz?” Robert reached out to
caress her face but she flinched. Before he could pull his hand
away, she snatched it and pulled it to her.

“Yeah, surprisingly, yeah. Sorry. The
nightmares, they get bad.” She shrugged and climbed out of bed. Liz
stumbled as she backed away. “I’m just going to go take a shower,
and then we can deal with breakfast. I uh… sorry.”

They both watched her leave the room.
Tremaine couldn’t help wondering where he fit into their lives. He
sure as hell didn’t know, but she didn’t seem as sure of Robert as
he expected either. As selfish as that was, he did feel a little
better.

Robert cleared his throat. “So, this wasn’t
how I envisioned our reunion.” Dragging his fingers through his
golden mane of waves, he glanced back at Tremaine. “Especially
after Fallon and that whole nightmare, but it really does feel
right with you and Liz.”

Shit, Fallon and the night of hell hadn’t
even entered his mind, and thankfully, he couldn’t remember most of
it. What they were forced to do was unforgivable. Hell, Fallon
nearly killed him in self-defense and he couldn’t blame her.

Tremaine shook his head. Robert was right,
there was an undeniable connection, but that didn’t change the
past. “You sure about that? I know you’ve been in love with Liz
since the second you saw her. Same goes for her loving you.” Trem
looked away. “I didn’t think we would go there last night. I just
wanted to help her get through, and then we were there. But,
Robert, I don’t want to take anything from what you two had.”

Robert took a deep breath, and lifted a
shoulder in a shrug. “Trem, it’s been twenty-one years. She’s
fallen in love with you. I can’t force you out of her life any more
than you could shove me away. I can’t imagine it will be easy, but
we’ll figure it out.” Robert squeezed his shoulder.

Tremaine looked up and their eyes
locked.

“That is if you are okay with us,” Robert
told him.

“Honestly? Yeah, I’m good with this. I never
thought this would be okay with you, hell even her. Now maybe we
should go join her so we can make sure she knows we aren’t bailing,
because I guarantee she is talking herself out of any kind of
relationship with either of us.” He knew she was scared to death of
being that badly broken again. Not that he had any intention of
letting her feel that again.

“I won’t let her, not after last night.”
Robert said before climbing from the bed. He walked to the
bathroom. Tremaine followed, but he was still worried about where
this was going. If Liz didn’t love him as a man, then he would let
her go, even as it tore him apart.

* * * *

Liz stood under the spray of hot water,
attempting to process. She really had them both last night. She had
fallen apart and they put her back together again.

What happened to shutting down all of those
feelings?

She remembered panicking when she woke in
the middle of the night, and then breaking into pieces in the
bathroom. And then they were all in the shower and everything
happened. The rum, it had to be all that rum. She had been so
incredibly horny between the only two men she had ever loved, and
she had loved them both for so long that she no longer felt whole
without them.

Today is going to be awkward as fuck.

The sanctuary of Fallon’s apartment was
looking better and better because she really didn’t think she could
deal if she had to pick. Choosing neither was so much safer for her
already battered heart.