Twin Temptations (13 page)

Ranger looked into his eyes. “We both know how that ended. We tried for two nights to sleep apart. Ryker would try and hold my hand from his bed. Dad came in almost every hour to make sure we were separated. Finally it was too much, so we moved out.” He looked around the apartment. “We were damn lucky Mr. Zook let us live up here and finish high school.”

Running his hand over Ranger’s wet curls, Sonny sighed. “I won’t begin to understand the bond the two of you have. I don’t think anyone could understand unless they had the same thing.” Sonny stood and walked over to the front window. He saw Ryker and Lilly sitting on the bottom step.

“Society thinks it’s morally wrong to want what you want, but it used to be acceptable. Just look at all the old Royal families. They married within their own family quite often. Over time, people decided it was wrong. I think a lot of it has to do with inbreeding, but hell, you and Ryker don’t have to worry about that.” He tried to chuckle but it stuck in his throat.

“My point is we think it’s wrong because someone told us it was. You’re two grown men, and as private as the two of you already are, I see absolutely nothing wrong with expressing your love the way the two of you want.”

He looked back toward the couch. Ranger was looking at him in awe. “You mean you wouldn’t be grossed out?”

“Ranger, everyone already thinks the two of you are making love. And I mean everyone. The people who still love you and talk to you are the ones who’ve looked beyond society’s code of morals to their own set. And what they see is two people very much in love.” Sonny walked over to the door. “There are a couple of people sitting out here that would like to talk to you. Just be honest with them.”

Sonny opened the door. Ryker and Lilly were already standing, looking up expectantly. Turning back once more, he smiled at Ranger. “I love you, brother, I’ll always love you.” He turned and walked down the stairs to stand in front of Ryker and Lilly. Seeing Lilly’s face he placed a kiss on her nose. “He’s coming down from a pretty good drunk. He was lucky he emptied his stomach of a lot of the whiskey but be warned, it smells like the inside of a Jack Daniels bottle in there.”

Ryker grabbed him up in a hug. “Thank you.” He looked at him for a few seconds. “Can you tell me what it was that set him off?”

“Shame.” Sonny kissed Ryker’s cheek. “Talk to him.” Sonny looked at Lilly. “If you’d sit down here with me for a few minutes, I’d appreciate it.”

Seeming to understand, Lilly turned to Ryker and kissed him. “Go get him and talk him into coming home.”

As he walked up the stairs, Ryker’s mind played through a dozen different scenarios of why Ranger would feel so ashamed he’d leave him. Didn’t he understand nothing would ever make him want Ranger gone?

With a twist of the knob, he was standing inside the apartment that held so many memories. Damn, Sonny hadn’t been kidding about the smell of the place. He shook his head and walked toward the couch. Holding out a hand, he gestured toward the back of the apartment. “Let’s go talk.”

After a few seconds hesitation, Ranger took his hand and managed to stand. Leading him to the bedroom, Ryker put his arm around Ranger’s waist. They’d always had their most serious discussions spooned back to front in bed. It only seemed right that they do that now.

Not bothering to take off their shoes, both men stretched out on the small twin-sized bed that had been Ranger’s growing up. The only difference was now, Ranger needed to be held. He spooned his body to the back of Ranger’s and wrapped him in his arms. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” he whispered, kissing Ranger’s neck.

“Hold judgement until I tell you why I left,” Ranger said. As he told him his reasons, Ryker began to hold him even tighter. He wasn’t sure what would explode first, his head or his cock. Over the years he’d tried giving Ranger hints while they were in bed together, but Ranger had been so adamant forever about never crossing that line, Ryker had finally given up.

It wasn’t until Ranger mentioned the promise they’d made to their father that he understood. To Ranger, a promise was set in stone as soon as the words left his lips. To know a single sentence uttered thirteen years ago had kept them apart angered him. Ryker wasn’t mad at Ranger, but at wasted time. He’d always known Ranger would be his life-time love, partner, whatever title a person wanted to attach, but the thought that they could have gone without expressing that love fully because of one stupid promise…

“So, what do you think?” Ranger asked. “I can move back in here if it’ll make you uncomfortable to have me living at home.”

Ryker smoothed his hand down Ranger’s chest to the semi-hard cock trapped in his jeans. He applied a good bit of pressure and kissed his neck. “I’ve wanted to make love to you since I was fifteen. I know that comes as a shock because we never really talked about it back then, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t dream about it almost every night.”

Ranger stilled a few seconds before turning in his arms. “I love you,” Ranger said, taking his mouth in a heated mating of tongues and teeth.

As much as Ryker wanted to strip off Ranger’s clothes and make love to him right there, he wanted Lilly with them when it happened. She’d earned the right to be part of this beautiful occasion. Breaking the kiss he cupped Ranger’s cheek. “Let’s go home. I’d like Lilly to be part of this.”

“Do you think she’ll be grossed out by us?”

“Lilly? Are you kidding? She loves it when we touch each other. Just think what it’ll do to her when she watches us make love.” Speaking of Lilly, he knew he needed to tell Ranger about Lilly’s attack this evening before he saw her. Ranger’s emotions were so close to the surface he wasn’t sure how he’d react to the news that Jeff had dared hit their woman. He was grateful that Jeff was right now sitting in a cell at the Sheriff’s station. Rawley told him he’d let Jeff sit there overnight until Lilly went in and formally identified him as her attacker.

“Love, before we go, I need to tell you something. It’s going to piss you off and you’re gonna feel like killing someone, but it’s already being taken care of.”

“What?” Ranger sat up and looked down at Ryker.

“When Lilly left the bar…” Ryker went on to tell Ranger everything he knew, not wanting to keep anything from him ever again. He banded his arms around Ranger’s to help control his instant desire to rush out of the room.

“She’s calm now. It took a while, and I don’t want you to go running out there and dredge it all back up again. Just love her, please.”

“You know I think I can let myself do that now. Love her, I mean. Before there was just too much…”

“Shhh,” he whispered kissing Ranger. “Come on, let’s go home.” Ryker got off the bed and pulled Ranger to his feet. Funny how a good cry and an emotional breakthrough could sober a person. As they walked through the living room arm in arm, he looked at Ranger. “No more Jack for you.”

“Don’t worry. Jack and I are no longer friends.”

Chapter Fourteen

Ranger cradled a still slightly shaken Lilly in his lap the entire ride home. Ryker put his foot down, however, when he attempted to carry her into the house. “You’re still too shaky to take chances like that with her,” Ryker said, taking Lilly from his arms.

“I can walk,” Lilly reminded the pair.

“Yes, you certainly can, but not tonight.” Ryker gave her a quick kiss and carried her into the house.

Getting his suitcase out of the truck, he carried it back into the house. He must have known deep down that he wouldn’t be able to leave Ryker because he’d never bothered taking the bag up to the apartment.

Setting it in front of the closet, he turned toward Ryker and Lilly. They were both sitting on the end of the bed looking at him. “What?”

Ryker grinned, “We’re just waiting for the okay to attack you.”

Ranger laughed and spread his arms out to the side. “Attack away.”

Before he could take another breath, Lilly was pulling his T-shirt over his head as Ryker fumbled with his jeans. When he started to sway, Ryker stopped and pulled him toward the bed.

“Let’s get you horizontal first.”

Ranger sat on the bed while Lilly unlaced his work boots and pulled them off. He looked at a still dressed Lilly, her smiling face marred by the puffy looking blue and purple bruises. His insides still seethed with the thought of Jeff touching her. He’d better hope they put him away for a while. Otherwise he’d have to deal with the Good brothers. “Hey,” he looked up at Lilly. “Am I the only one getting nekkid around here?”

Lilly grinned and pulled her T-shirt over her head. “I should probably shower. I probably smell like beer and pot roast.”

“Two of my favourite things,” Ryker said, taking a nip of her exposed breast. He bent back down to pull Ranger’s jeans and underwear down and off, before wrapping his arms around Ranger’s mid-section.

Threading his fingers through Ryker’s curls, he sighed. “Your turn, Bub.”

Ryker nodded but didn’t remove his head from Ranger’s chest. “I just want to hold you for a second.”

Now naked, Lilly climbed onto the bed. With her knees planted on either side of Ranger’s hips, she pressed herself against Ranger’s back. Ranger looked over his shoulder at the plump breast resting there. With one hand buried in Ryker’s hair, Ranger used the other to trace the dark areola with his fingertips. “You’re so beautiful.”

Lilly tilted his head up and ran her tongue over his lips before delving inside for a long, slow kiss. She glanced down at Ryker before meeting Ranger’s eyes. “This is a very special night for the two of you.”

Ranger glanced down at the top of Ryker’s head. “Yes.”

“Would you like some time alone?” she asked.

Ranger thought about it for a second. The fact that Lilly even asked warmed his heart. She was a good addition to their family, and for the first time, he honestly felt they all had a future together. “No.” When Lilly continued to question him with her eyes, he continued. “After Ryker makes love to me, I’d like to make love to you.”

Lilly’s brows shot up. “You feel like making love to me?” Lilly asked, her voice coloured by a hint of disbelief.

“It was never that I didn’t want to before. It was just that I felt a certain amount of jealousy.” He paused and bent to kiss Ryker’s head. “It was like being consumed by guilt. I knew I’d never be complete without making love to both of you. I didn’t think it would ever be an option, so I figured it was better to not have it than to have half of what I really wanted.”

Ryker lifted his head. “Well then, let us give you the whole enchilada.” Ryker placed a kiss on his bare chest before standing. He quickly stripped out of his clothes as Lilly folded down the covers as far as she could.

“Snugglefest with you in the middle this time.” Lilly pulled him into the centre of the big bed. The sheets were cool against his heated skin as he was surrounded by two beautiful, naked people.

Ryker started by running his hand across Ranger’s chest, stopping to pinch and tease at his nipples, before moving to his corrugated abdomen. He traced each ridge and indentation like he was a blind man trying desperately to memorise every detail. Ranger felt his cock drip pre-cum onto his stomach at the loving caresses.

Not wanting to miss out, Lilly quickly moved between Ranger’s spread thighs. As she swirled her tongue around his balls, stopping to suck them one at a time, Ranger let himself go. No longer would he think about anything but these two people loving him. He spread further when Ryker joined Lilly at his groin. His cock began to twitch and bob, desperately asking for attention, but both his loves ignored its silent pleas.

“Hold your legs up for me,” Ryker moaned, trying to lick a path under his balls to the crease of his ass.

Lilly backed off enough for Ranger to hook his forearms under his knees and pull them to his chest, leaving himself open for Ryker’s questing tongue. Lilly, bless her heart, moved around on the bed to straddle his face. Lifting his head, he took his first real taste of Lilly directly from the source. Her cream was sweet and thick and Ranger began eagerly lapping all the essence he could reach.

The first contact Lilly gave his cock was with her tongue, drilling the tip into the dripping slit at the top. “Uhh,” he moaned, face buried in her sweet tasting pussy. The combination of Lilly’s lips wrapped around the wide girth of his cock, Ryker’s tongue lapping against his puckered hole and the taste of Lilly’s cream had him on edge. Damn, he didn’t want to come. This moment was too perfect to shoot like a teenager.