Ink Reunited (4 page)

“Shit, I forgot I got up to
get coffee in the first place. Thanks.” He took the mug and sipped. “My head
doesn’t seem firmly attached to my shoulders at this point.”

“You’re adorable when you’re
flustered,” Rafe said and batted his eyes.

The coffee Ian had just sipped
burned going down the wrong pipe and he coughed, his eyes watered. “Please,
don’t ever do that again,” he laughed, wiping up the mess with a nearby
dishtowel.

“You know you love me,” Rafe
said then closed his mouth as if he’d said too much.

Ian put down his coffee and
the towel, then stood again so he was near Rafe. He widened his legs and Ian
slid between them needing to be close. The hair on his arms stood on end as the
heat and tension in the room rose, but he ignored it, his focus solely on Rafe.

He traced his finger over
Rafe’s bearded cheek then ran his hand over the other man’s head, the short
hair sliding between his fingers.

“I do, you know. Love you. I
never stopped. Not really. I loved the man you were and from what I’ve seen, I
love who you are now. I know that once we find out who we are since we’ve grown
that I’ll fall for you even more.”

He licked his lips, scared as
all hell that he’d just laid it out there plain for Rafe to see. He’d never
said the words before. He’d been too afraid of what he was becoming to be
honest with not only himself, but those around him.

Things were different now. If
he was going to jump from that ledge he was going to do it on his own terms and
put everything he had into it.

There was no holding back now.

He watched Rafe’s throat work
as the other man swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure Rafe was ready for the words or
the meaning behind them, even though Rafe had been the one to start it all, and
decided to give the man some peace.

Or at least as much peace as
he could give.

Rafe’s eyes darkened, his breath
quickened as Ian lowered his head. Their lips brushed and Ian groaned, missing
the feel of the other man’s mouth beneath his. He licked the seam of Rafe’s
lips and his lover opened for him, groaning as well. Ian deepened the kiss,
their tongues colliding, their tastes mingling. He drew back slightly to nip at
Rafe’s lips, soothing the sting with his tongue, then went back to the kiss
he’d craved since Rafe had walked into his New York office with a plan.

He cupped Rafe’s face needing
to bring the man closer. Rafe’s thighs tightened around Ian’s waist, forcing
him to rock his hips slightly at the pressure. Rafe pulled back with a gasp and
Ian trailed his lips along the other man’s neck, needing more, demanding more.

Rafe’s hands went to Ian’s
ass, cupping him and Ian rocked harder, his cock tenting his sweats, brushing
along Rafe’s stomach.

Though they’d had each other
in every way possible before, Ian knew they were going too fast right then.
They needed Sassy to complete what they had and they both wanted to wait.
Reluctantly, he pulled away, leaning his forehead against Rafe’s.

They both breathed heavily, and
Ian had to close his eyes for a moment to catch himself. God, he’d missed the
way Rafe tasted, the way his kisses were always slightly rougher than what they
had with Sassy. He loved both ways, and when the three of them came together,
it was always so fucking explosive Ian could barely keep up.

“I…I’ve missed that so much.”

Ian opened his eyes and drew
back, turning to the sound of the cherished voice that did not belong to Rafe.

“Sassy…” he breathed, unable
to comprehend what he was seeing.

She gave him a small smile,
her hands clasped in front of her—the demure pose so unlike Sassy it startled
him. Rafe stood beside him, almost knocking Ian over in his rush. Ian shifted
slightly so Rafe had room, but still was touching him hip to hip.

“I’m sorry. I let myself in.
Your doorman seemed to remember me and let me up.”

Ian blinked. He had one of the
nicer lofts in New Orleans and the doorman had been working for his family for
over twenty years. Of course, the man would have remembered Sassy.

No one forgot Sassy.

Ian took a deep breath and
nodded. “Don’t be sorry. I’m glad he let you in.” He could feel the blush
creeping up his neck at what she’d walked in on. She might have said she’d
missed it, but did she feel left out?

“Don’t look like that, Ian.
You either, Rafe. I was never jealous of what you two shared. Just like how you
two were never jealous of what we shared with each other. God, guys. What you
two just did? That sweet yet sexy-as-hell kiss? It meant
everything
to
me. You guys used to hold back with each other at first, and it always killed
me when you did that. But to see the two of you kissing and feeling that warmth
from it makes me feel like the reason I’m here is okay.”

Ian blinked then walked around
the bar so he could be close to her. He felt Rafe on his heels and liked
knowing that as he needed the man’s inherent strength that Ian didn’t seem to
possess at that moment.

“What are you saying?” Rafe
asked.

She looked between them both
and took a deep breath. “I’m saying that I’m willing to stop hiding from what
we were. I’m not saying I’m ready for a full commitment like what I think you
both are saying, but I’m willing to take things one day at a time.”

Relief slammed into Ian so
hard he almost fell to his knees.

Rafe took a step forward and
Ian almost followed but Sassy put her hand up. “Give me two weeks.”

“What?” he asked.

“Two weeks where we just do
coffee and maybe dinner. We can find out who we are now. I don’t even know what
you both do for a living. Not really. Give me two weeks where we don’t touch,
kiss, or give into the heat we all feel. I want to make sure that we actually
like the people we’ve become rather than the people we were.”

Ian nodded, liking that idea.
Things were moving too fast as it was. He was a planner and liked to have all
his facts before he made a decision. Though he seemed to have already made one
with his heart, the time to think would be good for his brain.

“Anything you want, Sass,”
Rafe whispered. “Just hear us out.”

She gave them a shaky smile
then rolled her shoulders back. “I hope you two know what you’re in for. I’m
The
Sassy after all.”

Rafe snorted. “There’s a story
behind that, isn’t there?”

She smiled full out and Ian
went weak in the knees again. “Of course. That’s just one thing you’ll have to
learn.”

If it took him a hundred
years, he wasn’t sure he’d ever find out every nuance of this woman, but he
knew he’d do everything in his power to make it happen.

This was their second chance
and he wasn’t going to lose it.

What was two weeks of celibacy
compared to the months she’d been sex-free before this?

Sassy groaned and knocked her
head against the wall. Well, considering for the past two weeks when she wasn’t
at the shop she’d been tied to Rafe and Ian, the lack of sex might just kill
her. She’d not had sex with them for ten years; what was two more weeks?

Okay, so she hadn’t exactly
been in their vicinity for those ten years, so it made it easier, but still, she
was a grown woman who could handle her urges.

Barely.

She was a confident, modern
woman, so it wasn’t out of character for her to take care of her own orgasms
when she felt the need. It was just a coincidence that Rafe and Ian happened to
be the center of her sweaty, naughty fantasies when she let her hand fall
between her legs.

Damn it, she needed to stop
thinking about sex and everything that came with it. Her nipples were constantly
hard, and she was pretty sure her knees would go weak at just the thought of
one of the men touching her.

She was
not
a
weak-kneed school girl, and she refused to allow herself to become one.

In the two weeks since she’d
walked in on Ian and Rafe in the kitchen going at each other like there was no
tomorrow…

No, she couldn’t think about
the way the two of them had melded together in heat. She had to remain at least
somewhat cool when the men arrived. If she looked all hot and bothered, they’d
know.

They always knew.

It had been two weeks of
coffees, dinners, and the occasional lunch with Rafe and Ian. She had been for
coffee with Ian, to dinner with Rafe, and out with both of them, too. She liked
that they were learning each other on their own as well as together. Plus, she
knew Rafe and Ian would want to be together as well. It was always the three of
them, even when they had their individual relationships as well.

She’d loved getting to know
who the men were now, though she knew they were going to have to delve into the
past again. If this - whatever
this
was - was going to work, they would
have to overcome those barriers.

Barriers she’d helped put into
place all those years ago.

The knock at the door pulled
her out of her thoughts and she shook her head. After she smoothed out her
dress, she opened her front door.

The zing that shocked her body
just from seeing them never failed to amaze her.

They stood side by side, both
dark in looks and in temptation. Ian had left his hair down, the sexy black
strands brushing against his shoulders and begging for her touch. He shaved
because of his job in the high-visibility world of real estate, but tonight, he’d
left some scruff that made him look even more dangerously sexy.

Rafe too had a beard, but his
was a bit longer. His honey eyes smoldered as he took in her body and she held
back a delicious shiver.

Two weeks of casual dates with
these two hadn’t been enough.

Today was the end of that time
limit she’d given them all. She would hold herself back from jumping them and
rubbing all over them like a cat in heat for one more night.

Maybe.

Ian grinned at her and she
blinked. Damn it. She loved when he smiled, and he didn’t do it nearly often
enough. “Are you going to let us in, Sassy?” Ian asked, his voice a raspy
promise. “Or should we stand in your doorway for our date? I don’t know as I’d
mind that much considering I love the way you look in that dress. Those long
legs of yours look fucking sexy, and I know they’d look even sexier wrapped
around my waist. Rafe’s as well.”

The little moan that escaped
her lips didn’t surprise her, but the matching one from Rafe’s did. It seemed
both men were just as horny as she was.

Two weeks of temptation might
have been a good idea for her heart, but her body wanted more.

Now.

She moved back, speechless,
and annoyed with herself for being so.

She was
The
Sassy.

She was not an innocent little
girl who couldn’t speak around men.

She just happened to be
acting
like one at the moment.

Damn them both.

Rafe and Ian strolled into the
room looking like jungle cats with all their sleek muscles. Ian wore a perfectly
tailored, obviously custom-made designer suit that probably cost more than she
made in six months, while Rafe was considerably more laid back and wore nice,
high-end jeans and a button-up shirt. They were so different from each other,
but the alphas living beneath the surface—and sometimes right out front—made
her want to tilt her head and bare her throat, ready for her men to have her at
their will.

And enough of that. “So,
what’s the plan today? It’s the first time all three of us have a day off
together.”

Both men had taken the entire
day off rather than waiting for an evening activity. She’d also taken the day
off at Midnight Ink with everyone’s enthusiastic encouragement.

Apparently, she’d been a
little more snippy than usual.

It wasn’t her fault she was
deprived and moody.

Okay, so maybe it was partially
her fault, but a woman never ‘fessed up to that.

Rafe leaned against her couch
while Ian stood beside him, his gaze on hers. “Rafe and I didn’t have set plans
other than to walk around the historic district. It’s been awhile since either
of us lived here.” He winced and Sassy felt bad for him. Referring to their
shared past was like walking through a minefield.

She shrugged it off and walked
to the kitchen, needing something to drink before they headed out. “I’m up for
anything y’all want to do.” And at this point, she might just mean, anything. “I’m
getting a glass of water. Want one?”

Rafe shook his head. “If you
don’t want to head out, we can stay here and hang. I know we haven’t had much
time to spend together just the three of us in private.” He walked toward her,
following her into the kitchen area. She had an open space so all three of them
could see each other no matter where they stood as long as they didn’t go to
the bedroom areas.

“It’s hard to talk about the
serious topics in public,” Ian added and Sassy’s hand clenched her glass.

Good. They were going to talk.
Get it out in the open.

It was about fucking time.

“I’ve said I was sorry before,
Sassy, but damn it, I’m so fucking sorry I walked away when I did.”

Ian’s confession startled her,
the blunt words slicing through the lazy morning and bringing her back to the
past. They’d already said their apologies but words weren’t enough. They all
knew that.

What the hell was she doing?

“This is so weird!” Sassy said
as she put the glass down and threw her hands up.

Rafe blinked, but Ian didn’t
move.

“Don’t you see that?” she
asked. “We’re grown ass people taking things slow like it’s a fucking business
deal and we’re not talking about what matters. What the hell are we doing
here?”

Rafe stood and strode toward
her. “We’re finding each other again,” he said simply.

“We’re forming a
relationship,” Ian added.

“Why are we doing this? Why
now? Why can’t I just quit you both?” The last part slipped out and she closed
her eyes. She hadn’t meant that, not really, though it needed to be said.

Rafe cupped her face in a
swift movement, the hard palms and calloused fingers tightening with great care.

“Why are we doing this?” he
whispered. “Because we want to. Because we
need
to. We were a damn good
thing ten years ago, and I know if things had been different, we would have
made something of it. Can’t you feel the chemistry between the three of us?
Can’t you feel the heat? We can’t ignore that just because we’re scared. That
would make us fucking cowards. And you, Sassy, are not a coward.”

Ian came up from behind her
like he used to do all those years ago. His hands rested on her hips while his
lips slid against her ear. “I’m scared too, Sassy. I’m so scared that we’ll
fuck this up again because we don’t know what we’re doing. But you know what?
We’re older now. Maybe even wiser. We’re going to learn from our mistakes and
be together again. It’s what I want. It’s what Rafe wants. And I hope to God
it’s what you want too.”

Hadn’t she told them this was
what she wanted? Because she damn well did. Just because she wanted it, didn’t
mean it would be good for her.

She pulled away, needing air.
She didn’t like this wishy-washy version of herself and she knew if she didn’t
tell them exactly what had happened before, she couldn’t move on.

“When I left you both, I had
nowhere else to go,” she started.

“Sassy…” Rafe’s pained voice
forced her to shake her head.

“Let me tell you what happened
first. I need to get this off my chest. Then we can move on. Because, know
this, I wouldn’t be here with the both of you if I didn’t want it. But what I
want and my state of mind, it seems, are two different things.”

“Then tell us, Sass,” Ian
said.

“I guess I should start
earlier. You both know where I came from.” God, she hated this part, but if she
didn’t start there, they wouldn’t understand.
She
barely understood. Her
men nodded. “I’m the Bordeaux princess. Or at least that’s what my dad told me
growing up.” She gave a soft sigh, but it wasn’t because of fond memories. Oh
no, there weren’t many good ones when it came to her father.

“I had everything I could have
wanted, nice clothes, a nice house, fancy schools. We were
old
money.”
She spat the word and risked a glance at Ian. He too came from old money and
merely nodded in understanding. “I was supposed to finish high school and go to
college so I could have my degree to put on a pretty gold plaque on the wall of
my husband’s office like my mother had. I was supposed to marry the man my
father chose for me who would have furthered his business and political plans.
Then I would have two perfect children who would be raised by nannies, and I
would lunch with other women of my ilk and never smile at the wrong person and
never entertain an inappropriate thought.”

“That wouldn’t have been our
Sassy,” Rafe interrupted and Sassy smiled.

“Damn straight.” She ran a
hand through her hair and looked at a particular bright red streak. “Can you
see this up in a bun or me wearing pearls?”

Ian cleared his throat. “I can
picture the pearls.”

Her pussy throbbed and she
held back a moan. “Don’t change the subject.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for
later then.”

Damn the man.

“Anyway, I didn’t want all of
that. I’d known it since I was ten, and yet I stayed there under my father’s
thumb for another five years.” She closed her eyes, trying to fight off the
memories. “God, I hated him. I don’t know if I do anymore since he doesn’t mean
anything to me now, but I hated him then. Don’t get me wrong, he never hit me, but
he would have if he thought it would’ve worked.”

“I’d have killed him if he
did,” Rafe’s voice held a dangerous edge.

Sassy smiled. “You know I can
handle my own battles, sugar.”

Ian ran his finger down her
arm but she didn’t pull away, liking the touch too much. “You left when you
were fifteen. I remember you saying that and thinking you were too young, but
now? You were way too fucking young to have to deal with any of that shit.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. I
was stupid. I was this entitled rich kid who wanted to make my own choices, so
what did I do? I ran away and had to learn the hard way that my issues weren’t all
that much in the grand scheme of things.”

Ian gripped her wrist and
tugged her so her body was flush against his. She could feel his half-hard cock
against her belly, but it was his eyes that held her.  The ice and
determination nearly brought her to her knees in submission.

That was something she wasn’t
ready for, and she wasn’t sure she would
ever
be ready for it.

“Never say your problems don’t
matter. Just because someone might have gone through something much worse than
you, doesn’t diminish your own past. It’s not a competition, Sassy. It never
had to be.”

She closed her eyes, needing
to break the connection from his gaze so she wouldn’t melt at his feet. She
rested her head against his chest and inhaled his musky scent.

“I met good people on the
street, and they took pity on me. I learned the hard way how to take care of
myself.” She pushed away her memories of the cold and hungry nights she
couldn’t forget. They were part of what made her
The
Sassy. Without that
edge, that pain, she didn’t want to think about who she might have become.

Sassy turned in Ian’s arms to
face Rafe. “Then your momma found me,” she said with a smile. “I was only
eighteen and living in a commune-type thing doing odd jobs to make a living and
your momma took me in.”

Rafe came to her side and
cupped her cheek. “I remember. You were all fire and anger and I knew we’d be
best friends.”

Sassy rolled her eyes but
leaned into his touch, keeping her hands on Ian. “She gave me a job at your
father’s shop and I learned how to do something I was good at.”

“You always ran us better than
even my mom,” Rafe teased. “She loved that you took up her role as the shop’s
receptionist.”

“I loved it too,” she said
warmly, remembering how she’d learned to live in a family rather than in the
cold mausoleum of her childhood. “I made friends, had a full stomach for the
first time in years, and learned to take care of myself without having to fight
for it.” She turned to Ian. “Then you showed up at the shop with a flat tire a
couple years later and I was lost.”

Ian kissed her brow and leaned
back. “It always surprised me that you and Rafe were never together before I
showed up.”