Fevered Hearts (17 page)

Silently, Ward crawled up the bed between Ivy’s legs. She parted her thighs for him and wrapped them around his waist. Liam found her fingers and twined them with his. When Ward stroked the backs of Liam’s knuckles, he opened his grip to lock fingers with Ward too, trapping Ivy’s between them.

Just as her body was prisoner.

Over Ivy’s shoulder, Ward met Liam’s stare. Unspoken agreement passed between them.

Ward leaned over and kissed Ivy long and deep, giving Liam a memory he’d never forget—the moment when Ward finally took true control of his life, of his destiny—of them.

Tearing away from the kiss, Ward nuzzled Ivy’s ear, lapped at the fine shell. Liam added his tongue to the sensitive lobe, and his wife broke out in gooseflesh.

The first stroke of Ward’s tongue against Liam’s stole all thought. With a rough groan, he opened his mouth and Ward took full advantage. Tongue-dueling kisses extended between them until they were both pushing against Ivy desperately.

After long minutes, Ward rolled to the side and fumbled in the nightstand drawer, coming out with a tube of lubricant. He squeezed a generous dollop on his fingers and rubbed them together.

Then reaching between their bodies, he located Liam’s shaft. He rubbed his cock and balls, slicking him up and toying with him at once.

Ivy wiggled, eager for her turn. Liam knew the instant that Ward found her pucker and sank a finger deep into her ass.

Her cries filled the air, her arousal almost tangible. Pushing her legs back to gain better access, Ward pumped his fingers into her body. Liam held her, caressing her nipples, nibbling her neck.

Ward once again gripped Liam’s cock and guided it to her netherhole. “Nice and easy. He’s well lubed. That’s it, sweetheart. Sink over that thick cock.”

She exhaled as Liam’s head breached her tight channel. Ward grazed Liam’s ball sac as he fingered Ivy’s pussy.

“Fill her all the way and I’ll slide into her pussy.”

Ivy’s small gasps ignited Liam. He pushed in another fraction.

Heat swallowed his shaft, licking up and down until Liam thought he’d lose his goddamn mind.

“Liam!” She pushed back, taking him all the way to the root in one gliding movement.

“Holy…” He struggled to hold still, to keep from rutting into her and seeking the end to his own scorching need.

Ward gripped her hips, guiding her up and away from Liam’s body. They all moaned. Then with painstaking slowness, Ivy sank down Liam’s shaft once again. Repeating this for endless minutes meant that by the time Ward poised himself at her slick pussy, Liam was on the upslope of bliss.

“Open for me too, sweetheart. I need you as much as Liam does.” Ward pinned her hand between his and Liam’s as he pushed into her body.

Through the barrier of her flesh, Liam knew Ward’s first strokes. “Jesus!” he cried.

Ward barely gave Ivy’s body time to adjust before she pleaded for more. Dark hair fell into Ward’s eyes as he began to move.

Pressure built in Liam’s core as they fucked in and out of their woman’s body, sharing her space, her heart and soul. Dark heat towed Liam under to a safe place where he could bask in the sensation and know his lovers were there for him.

Ward shoved in, rubbing against the thin wall stretching between his cock and Liam’s. Ivy splintered. Her grip on Liam’s shaft grew unbearably tight. He swallowed his breath…and tipped over the edge too.

Pounding wildly into her, he drove her to new heights, if the strangled cries coming from her throat were any indication. Come jetted from Liam and filled his wife’s sweet little body.

Ward pushed against Liam. In. Out. With a grating growl, he came. The three of them rocked in one undulating mass. Connected, united.

In love.

Ivy’s weight increased on Liam as she went boneless. He held her as the aftershocks stole all his thought.

Coming back to himself slowly, Liam noted the shaft of moonlight pooling on Ward’s shoulder, turning him to ice. Giving a last grunt, Ward shifted his weight and rolled into the mattress at Liam’s side. Liam’s softening cock eased from Ivy’s body, and he turned her to fit perfectly in the space he and Ward created with their bodies.

Her breathing slowed. When Liam knew by the deep breaths that she was asleep, he whispered to Ward through the darkness, “I’m sorry I was an ass this afternoon.”

Ward’s eyes were close and dark, the color indistinguishable. “All forgiven the minute I walked out this door.”

Liam opened his mouth to say more, but Ward pressed a hard kiss there. Expecting the kiss to gain in strength, Liam was surprised when Ward spoke against his lips.

“I found out what that fucker wants out of us, Liam.”

Shock tore through Liam. He clamped a hand on Ivy’s hip, holding her nearer. “What?” His murmur was almost lost.

“He wants her. And revenge for us clearing off that hill. And he’s trying to take us both down to get it.”

Determination filled every pore of Liam’s being, like water loosed from a dam and flooding every crevice of a dry riverbed. With his lips still connected to his lover’s, he shook his head. “Won’t fucking happen. If I have to get out of this chair and hunt him through the countryside to stop him, I will.”

Ward’s smile spread over Liam’s lips. “That’s what I wanted to hear from the man I love.”

Rather than say the words that Liam should have spoken years ago, he slipped his tongue between Ward’s lips and showed him how much he loved him instead.

Chapter Eleven

Police officers swarmed all over the Mattson Hardwoods grounds. The office had been ransacked, files stolen, furniture destroyed. And Ivy’s picture had been nicked from its place on Liam’s desk.

Ward’s tolerance was at a breaking point. He didn’t want to say the police force was incompetent—he just thought they might not be doing their jobs as well as they could be.

“Do you think with him being an ex-cop, he might have told a buddy that he was doing this and they’re covering for him?” Liam asked quietly from behind Ward.

He spun. “That’s exactly what I think. The man has too many connections for my tastes.”

Liam bobbed his head in agreement. “When I informed the police that Tony all but confessed to Ivy about the activists’ role in the destruction of property, they shrugged me off. And I swear that cop with the shaved head smirked.”

Ward latched on to Liam’s frustration and tried to channel both of their energies onto a better route. “But Ivy’s safe at home with your dad, right?”

“Yeah. She’d better fucking be.”

“What? It’s okay for her to get up and leave a place after I’ve told her to stay put, but when you tell her, it’s different?” He couldn’t stop the corner of his lips from twitching upward.

Liam gave a quick shake of his head. “My dad won’t cave as easily as Juls.”

Ward huffed out a short laugh. Then he scanned the devastation within the Mattson office and grew sober. “That son of a bitch isn’t going to get away with this. If we have to turn vigilante, we will.”

Liam wheeled to the window and spent a long minute staring out. “They’re not breaking us—that fucker is not breaking us, Ward.”

“What do we do next?” After leaving Ivy at the knitting group last night, Ward had spent some time stalking the grounds of both Mattson Hardwoods and Bose Timber Company. He had no idea what he’d find, but prowling around the grounds in the dark was the only thing he’d thought to do.

If Tony had been launching an attack, it made sense that he might do it that night after telling Ivy that he was on the activists’ side. But Ward had walked for miles around the grounds, through the forests, peering at every broken leaf that may be a sign the man had wandered that direction, and found nothing.

In the end, though, he
had
found love and solace in the arms of Ivy and Liam.

The creaking noise drew Ward’s attention. Glancing up, he found Liam standing, holding on to the windowsill, swaying slightly with the effort. A grimace flitted across the man’s strong features.

Ward would turn himself inside out to wipe that pained expression off his friend’s face forever.

Liam’s knuckles whitened on the windowsill, but he firmed his muscles and stood tall. “I think I know what to do.”

The strangeness of Liam’s tone wasn’t lost on Ward. “What?” Adrenaline started a slow drain into his bloodstream and his heart rate quickened.

“We need to lure him in. With Ivy.”

“What?” The shout reverberated off the walls. A loose stack of paper shifted and cascaded to the floor.

“It’s the only way to really catch the bastard, Ward. And I’ll be damned if he walks free another minute. After the things he’s done…” Liam’s voice shook with rage, and he jammed violent fingers through his hair, sending it into peaks.

“But putting her in danger?”

“No—we just make Tony believe she’s on her own somewhere.”

“Where?”

Liam looked at Ward, through him. Ward could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. “Bose Timber office. We drive her up there, make it plain to anyone in the area that she’s left there.”

“How the hell do we do that and keep her safe at the same time?” He didn’t like this new side of Liam. Yet respect surged in Ward.

“One of us hides in the bed of the truck.”

Understanding settled over Ward. “Sneak in with her and protect her.”

“Exactly.”

“Okay, so the only question is who’s the driver and who’s walking in there?” Ward hated to bring Liam’s bodily limits into the mix, but it had to be said. Sure, Liam was still on his feet after two minutes, but his thigh muscles were starting to jerk with the effort and a rivulet of sweat appeared on his temple. And even after a week of rest, he still had that sore ligament.

“I’ll drive.” Liam collapsed back into his wheelchair.

Ward strode to him and pulled him into a rough embrace. He didn’t speak soothing words that might damage Liam’s pride, but he hoped his arms were enough show of support.

Liam scuffed his jaw over Ward’s. “Let’s not waste another minute of our time. Let’s do it.”

An hour later, they had explained the plan to Ivy and bundled her into Ward’s truck with Liam at the wheel and Ward laying low in the bed under some blankets, among the tools.

“I still wish we’d taken my truck,” Liam said. “It’s doubtful this piece of shit will even get to the Bose Timber office.” Not to mention he was worried about driving while he still wasn’t a hundred percent.

Ivy laughed but it was humorless.

She was scared. Hell, they all were. If something went wrong, they could find themselves in serious trouble. Who knew what craziness Tony was capable of? He was an ex-cop and a county court bailiff—to outsiders an upstanding citizen and one who had a lot of community support. But to Ward, Ivy and Liam, he was a man who had already twisted a situation into something frightening.

“The truck will get us there, Liam. Just drive,” Ward said loud enough for him to hear.

A second later, the doors slammed, the engine grated and the truck lurched forward. Liam tried to relax for the long, bumpy ride over the country roads, but knowing they were purposely driving past Tony’s house on the way to the cleared hillside stiffened his already shaky muscles further.

“You’re sure he isn’t at work?” he asked Ivy.

She nodded, shadows crossing her pretty features. “I think he’s laying low after trashing the office. And he wouldn’t be at work on Saturday.”

Which meant Tony was prowling around or, as Ivy said, trying to fly under their radar.

Hopefully the man would see them and follow. It was a long-shot, but if it didn’t work out, the worst that would happen was Liam grew tired from exerting himself in this new way, and Ward got a few bruises from the metal bed.

A second later Liam whipped the truck into the gas station.

“What are we doing?” Ivy asked.

Ward thumped the bed of the truck, questioning too.

“Follow my lead.” Liam rolled up alongside someone pumping gas. One of the loggers who worked for him, who had no skin in this mess. But Liam wasn’t interested in informing the worker so much as letting the cop filling the tank behind him know what they were doing.

“Hey, Marshall. You headed to the site?”

“Yeah, sorry I’m late, boss. I had a sick kid and the wife’s out of town taking care of her mother.”

“That’s okay. I’m heading up there soon too. Just dropping the wife at the Bose office to do a little work while I talk to the foreman. I’m swinging by to pick up Ward on the way.”

The officer finished pumping his gas, his smirk visible. Liam nodded at Marshall. “See you later.”

As they pulled away, Ivy gaped at him. “Why did you do that?”

“Didn’t you see the cop’s face? If Tony didn’t see us drive by his house, he’ll be informed of our whereabouts very soon.”

The engine hummed louder as they flew down the back road. When they turned sharply, Ward rolled into the side. Liam glanced back to check on his friend. He’d flattened a palm on it and wedged his feet against the wheel well to brace himself.

Liam stared at the white sky. Clouds blanketed the world and in the distance, a few appeared gray and bruised with rain. Just what Ward needed—a ride in the bed of a truck soaked to the skin. Liam almost smiled at the thought of his clothes plastered to muscle.

He let his mind wander from the task ahead. Last night Ward had secured his place in Liam and Ivy’s relationship, he was certain of it. They had shown him in every way possible through looks and touches, kisses and pleasure, that he belonged with them—to them.

Liam detected the sharp tang of pine before they turned into the office. His love of this business and his night with Ward and Ivy would see him through the upcoming challenge.

As planned, Liam cut the engine and they waited. If Tony were to follow, he wouldn’t do it by road, since they’d see his truck. He’d most likely use an off-road vehicle—an ATV or dirt bike.

The distant droning of a two-cycle engine met Liam’s ears. Ward thumped the truck bed to alert Liam. In the side mirror, Liam saw Ward flip over the bed of the truck and, in a crouch, make his way to the back door of the office. As the engine still revved in the fields above the office, Liam was certain Ward wasn’t spotted.

Inside, Ward waited for an eternity. His lungs burned, and he realized he was holding his breath. Gasping for air, he blanked his mind and threw out his senses.

The engine had stopped. Not nearby, but close enough for a man to come in on foot. Outside the front door, Liam and Ivy’s voices sounded softly.

They’d apparently been lucky while driving through town—someone had seen and followed. Whether or not it was Tony or one of his cronies was questionable. Well, Ward would soon find out.

He checked his pistol then tucked it into his waistband. With any luck, he wouldn’t need it, but he had no clue what Tony might do if cornered, and Ward was going to protect Ivy at all costs.

Satisfied that the gun was within reach, he felt in his boot for his knife. He shifted it to make the sheath more comfortable against his ankle.

The door opened like a shot and Ward jerked. Ivy crossed the threshold and peered into the dimness.

“Light’s on your right, sweetheart.”

She gave a sigh and switched on the light. Glancing around the room, her gaze lit upon him.

In the lines of her mouth, he read her tension.

“I know, baby,” he whispered in case someone was already lurking around the building. Their voices could carry through the window glass if someone was near one.

She went still. “You never call me ‘baby’. That’s what Liam calls me.”

A grin spread over his face. “Maybe he’s rubbing off on me. Do you mind?”

Nonchalantly, she walked to the desk and began to move around paperwork. “In my mind, you’re equal. He might have occupied my heart first, but your share is the same size.”

Quietly because the emotion in him was too much, he said, “I’m glad.”

“Who knew my heart would stretch to fit you both?”

“Your body does.”

Her gaze snapped to his. Instant arousal sparked between them. Ward kept his ears tuned to the happenings outside the building. Liam had driven off. The wind softly ruffled the nearby tree branches against the siding. But his heart was only fixed on Ivy.

She crossed her toned legs, clad in skinny jeans. What he wouldn’t give to shimmy those off her, part her thighs and dive between them.

Another heartbeat passed before she tore her gaze away. As if to distract herself, she fiddled with paperwork, flipping through the mail he hadn’t gotten around to opening yet.

“You’re horribly unorganized,” she said with her head down so no one could see her speaking if they were peeking through a window. With a sigh, she stood and tried to pace the small space.

Ward eased out a bit from his spot in the shadows to scan the window nearest her. No movement from outside, no outline of a man there. Maybe they hadn’t really lured Tony in. The ATV engine they’d heard might have been a hunter heading into the fields after small game.

“I could use a good office manager. You know anyone who’s good with paperwork and keeping things in order?” His tone was insinuating. Now wasn’t the first time it had crossed his mind that he needed Ivy running the business. Hell, they could merge and she could run them both.

He didn’t want her going back to the courthouse.

“I do know someone,” she murmured. Confusion crossed her face. He detected an inner struggle. Purposely, she turned away from the window near the desk and bent over an open filing cabinet.

“If you want to return to work at the courthouse, it will be safe. That’s why we’re doing this, sweetheart. That man will not be there to bother you.”

She plucked two files out randomly and opened one over her face. “I know that. I just think it might be time for a change.” Over the manila file, she met Ward’s gaze.

“I want you with me and Liam. I can’t lie. But we want you to be happy.”

“I’m not happy anymore in court. The people I thought were my friends have gossiped behind my back. The last few weeks have been hell.”

The raw pain in her voice set Ward’s blood boiling. The things she’d endured at work after the rumors got around made him want to go at a hundred-foot oak with nothing but an ax.

She sank back down into the desk chair and laid the files out on the desk. “I’m ready for the change. The only question is whether or not my income at the courthouse is still necessary with Liam working.”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m working for us all too.”

Whirling in the chair, she almost faced him then realized she was supposed to be alone. She whipped around to the file instead and pulled another. Then she spent a long half hour opening mail and actually filing documents.

Ward couldn’t tear his gaze away from her slender fingers. “I’ve never envied paper before.”

Her back stiffened. Had she forgotten he was there?

Without a word, she got up and came toward him. Once she reached the shadows, she caught his wrist and towed him behind her to the small back room. It was pitched in darkness. One small window was covered by a thick blind. Back in the day, blinds had covered all of the office windows, but when Ward took over, the first thing he’d done was let the light in.

Dusty old boxes of documents and greasy heavy equipment parts littered the area. But all Ward needed was Ivy in his arms.

He lifted her off her feet and spun her once. Their lips crashed together in a wild kiss.

“Ohh.” She melted against him, soft breasts crushed to his chest.

He set her on her feet and spanned her tiny waist with his hands as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. The intoxicating taste of her mouth spurred him on.