Gone (17 page)

“Marry Eric. Before I showed back up, he was going to ask you anyway. Has he told you about the ring? He bought it in Phoenix the day before I came home. Kind of sounds like fate, doesn’t it?

Her eyes filled with tears. “No, he didn’t tell me.”

Jack went on. “I would step back if you tell me it isn’t what you want, but in reality, it would be good for all three of us. The colonel almost lost his wife—twice if you count the recent threat—due to his job. I don’t want any part of a life in which I worry about you every waking second. I mean, I’ll still worry, but not quite in the same way. We’ll have a stable home we can all share, and look at the upside—Janssen here can take out the trash every Friday and wash the dog.”

Eric said dryly, “Thanks.”

Nicole stifled a laugh. That was progress.

“I think we can make you say yes.” Jack hauled her to her feet in one swift pull, his mouth came down on hers hard and then he slowed the kiss, softening it.

In response he got her sassiest look, though she was still pressed against him and he was enjoying the hell out of it.

“Oh I’d like to see you try and make me.”

He looked over at where Eric was still tilted back in his chair with his beer tipped to his mouth. “I suggest”—Jack spoke slowly in a low drawl—“we tie her to the bed until she tells us this is the best idea ever.”

“Yeah, tying is good.” Eric caught on at once, giving her a wink. “There’s nothing like a captive audience when you are pitching an idea.”

Nicole looked alarmed, and so she should, because he really meant it. “I was teasing.”

“And, you see, I wasn’t.” Jack said it evenly enough but still held on to her.

“Jack.”

She squirmed. His erection hardened to diamond status. “You’ll love it.” He whispered it in her ear, his promise rock solid. “Can’t you feel how much I want you? Trust us. You already have in so many ways, Nikki. Indulge us in this little male fantasy.”

To make his point he lifted her in his arms and walked with her to the house. Eric got the sliding door, his smile slightly crooked.

“Would you quit picking me up?”

“Hey, you like it.” Jack took her into her bedroom and lightly set her on the bed. “Too many clothes,” he informed her, “ruin the party. As much as I like this”—he fingered the skirt of her dress, pushing it up so he could see her tanned thighs—“it has to go.”

“Do I get a vote in this?” Her voice was furious, but he totally recognized that hint of breathless arousal. If she was truly opposed, he’d never force her.

“Yours will always be the most important vote.”

“I—”

He interrupted her with a kiss. Hot and hard as he leaned over her, and when he tore his mouth away he said clearly, “Look, Nikki, we are going to tie you to the bed and strip you naked. I brought the ties myself. Then we are going to give you the night of your life. Afterwards we’ll talk about the future, but for now, just live in the moment, okay?”

“I could scream.”

“Oh yeah. Hopefully you will.” He was already undoing the buttons on the bodice of the dress, which were a pain, but she wasn’t wearing a bra, and when her beautiful breasts were exposed, he couldn’t resist leaning down and running his tongue along one luscious curve.

“You haven’t tied me yet.” Slender fingers ran through his hair.

God, he loved the mixture of lady and that wanton she managed to hide from the world. Jack lifted his head, the taste of her skin salty and sweet on his tongue. “But you can’t wait. Got it.”

“I didn’t say that—”

“I’ve got this one.” Eric moved in, snaring her wrist in one hand, wrapping the silk ribbon around it in a deft twist and pulling her left arm up to tie it to the bedpost. He handed the rest of them over. “I’ll get her clothes off.”

Eric was the one who slid her dress downward, enjoying every second of it since he followed the slither of cloth with his mouth, and then she was almost bare, the rosy tips of her firm breasts high and her lashes half lowered even as Jack secured her other wrist to the bedpost.

At that moment, he was convinced she was the sexiest woman on the planet.

“These have to go,” Eric told her and eased her panties down her slim thighs, his movements slow. “We could work around them, but it just wouldn’t be the same, now would it? I might keep them, so don’t expect them back.”

Nicole, totally naked and her wrists bound to the bed, said in a strangled voice, “I thought Jack was the bad boy.”

God, she was beautiful. All that golden hair, the erotic juncture between her thighs begging for his attention… Jack couldn’t remember being this aroused in his life.

He laughed softly as he grabbed one of her ankles and tied it to the bedpost. “Oh, I am.”

She just let them tie her up.

Legs open, her nude body at their disposal, and she was wickedly wet. Nicole could feel the heat between her legs and she wasn’t fooling either of them. Jack stood and ripped off his shirt but not before he’d run his fingers over her clit. “Uhm, nice to know I’m welcome,” he said as he unfastened his pants, his gaze holding hers. “Because I really want to come home.”

When he stepped out of his pants he was magnificently aroused, swollen and impressive. He glanced at Eric, who was also taking off his clothes. “What do you think…did you bring the honey?”

“I remember our conversation earlier.”

She had no idea what they were talking about until Eric disappeared for a minute and came back with a bottle. He flipped up the lid and began to drizzle the warm substance in a sensuous stream over her breasts, down her stomach, then also between her legs.

That sensation alone was enough, but they both started to lick it off. The world began to blur. Eric’s tongue at her breasts and Jack lightly licking between her legs…

Nicole arched and moaned and strained at the bonds, mostly because she wanted to touch both men, not in actual resistance. Jack wasn’t shy about teasing her—every single time she was close to orgasm he backed off.

“The honey is sweet but I must be a purist since I like just plain Nicole better,” he murmured against her thigh. “My favorite flavor in the world.”

She said in a choked voice, “Oh God…please.”

He slid a finger inside her and her inner muscles clenched. “Wet and hot. Nice.”

“Jack,” she said on a desperate pant.

“Yes, ma’am. I think I know what you want.”

He tongued her clitoris again just as he took his wet finger and lightly toyed with her anus, penetrating just a little. The dual sensation was enough to send her off the planet. At the same time Eric took both her breasts in his hands and squeezed lightly, his thumbs teasing her nipples.

The world shattered. Fractured. Tipped sideways. The pleasure was so intense Nicole was certain her body would not stop trembling for a millennium. Every bit of air left her lungs and she was sure the primal scream she heard had come from her.

It took more than a moment for the world to come back into focus.

Someone smoothed her hair and she finally looked up into Eric’s amused eyes. He looked wonderful with his blond hair tousled and his wide shoulders bare. The weight of his body was pleasant and warm, but he kept it perfectly balanced. “I gather you liked that. Okay?”

He was poised above her, and she could feel the press of his erection against her thigh. “I don’t even know my own name,” she said weakly.

“Mind if I do this?” He shifted between her thighs and pushed sleekly inside her, inch by slow inch.

It felt…wonderful. She moaned. “I can’t. Not again so soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh.” It came out as a gasp. The sensation of his penetration was an entirely different feeling, the hard length of his cock completely filling her.

“Is that a yes or a no?” He withdrew almost all the way and then pushed back in again, the glide sending interesting tingles up her spine. “You do realize you have no choice, right?”

It surprised her the bondage fantasy was sexy, but then again, she completely trusted them both, so…

“Usually I can tell when you want it hard and fast or slow and gentle by the pressure of your hands on my back.” Eric nuzzled her throat. “But I’m going to have to guess, aren’t I? Unless you tell me. Do you want me to make love to you, or do you want to be fucked?”

Since he was never crude, the shock value of his words alone was somehow arousing and she hardly needed that. His chest brushed the aching tips of her breasts, and she made an inarticulate sound at the pulsing sensation building. “Faster,” she managed to get out.

Jack murmured in the background, “I think she chose the latter.”

Eric kissed her. Hard, with passion and desire and a hint of domination that she hadn’t known he possessed. His thrusts became more insistent and rapid, and maybe she was the one tied to the bed, but as she got closer to the brink, it was easy to see he was starting to lose control, which was unusual.

“Nikki.” It came out as a plea, and if she could have resisted just to punish him a little she might have. But it was too late, her body had other ideas, and she started to climax, swirling into the vortex with a small cry. Above her Eric stilled, his tall body rigid, eyes shut, until he relaxed on top of her and said inelegantly, “Holy shit.”

“Untie me.”

There was absolutely no equivocation in Nicole’s voice and Jack recognized an order when he heard one. Almost—almost—he replied
yes, ma’am
but thought better of it and instead loosened the bonds around her wrists first and let Eric untie her ankles.

She sat up in a flurry of blond hair, her body flushed a delectable pink, battle in her eyes. “I hope you two enjoyed your little game but this happens to be
my
bedroom.”

Uh-oh
.

His throbbing cock aside, Jack was wary of that tone but he was reckless by nature or he wouldn’t do what he did for a living. Unwisely, he said, “
You
enjoyed our little game, sweetheart.”

Damn if she wasn’t the most beautiful, sexy woman he’d ever seen. A modern goddess with natural shapely breasts and an inherent beauty that wasn’t just physical.

She turned to Eric, still on her knees on the disheveled bed. “Tie him up.”

Jack reclined. “You don’t need him. Tie me up yourself.”

“Oh really?”

“Be careful. That offer has just been accepted, Templeton.” Eric’s voice was definitely full of amusement and he moved off the bed to sit in the chair by the dresser. “This should be entertaining.”

“Go ahead,” Jack urged her, on his back, his rampant erection high against his stomach, putting his arms above his head in the right position. “Tie me up and have your way with me. It isn’t exactly a secret I’m pretty enthusiastic about the idea.”

Her skin glistened both from the honey—though they’d done a pretty thorough job of removing it—and the gloss of perspiration from sexual satisfaction. He found it amusing how she went to work on tying him to the bed, because she was so generous with the play in the bonds, he could just jerk free at any moment, but it wasn’t like she needed to know that.

Besides, he got to watch the sway of her breasts as she worked, and that alone was worth lying submissive and quiet.

He was intrigued to see what manner of revenge she was going to mete out. He’d kind of figured, knowing Nicole, she was going to get even for the way he’d toyed with her, almost making her come and then stopping, but then again, he was pretty sure that had been quite an orgasm when he’d finally taken her the distance.

When she’d tied the last knot, he lifted his brows. “Okay, I’m your prisoner. Do your worst.”

“Careful.” She crawled on top of him in a sensuous movement. Her mouth hovered above his but she didn’t kiss him, just looked him in the eyes. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and he could smell the fragrance of her shampoo. “Do you really think it is wise to taunt me?”

“No,” he admitted. “But I am curious as hell to find out what comes next.”

She licked his lower lip. Just a brush of her tongue. “I could, I suppose, take you inside me and give you exactly what you seem to want.”

“Sounds like a perfect plan.” His voice was hoarse. Already he was thinking of breaking free and tumbling her over, driving inside her just the way he knew she liked.

Breathe
.

She reached between their bodies and her fingers curled—just slightly—around his rock-hard cock. “Or I could suck on this for a little bit, just, you know, to get you more interested.”

“It is impossible to get me more interested.” He was telling the truth. It was a challenge not to ejaculate at just the pressure of her touch, but then again he’d tasted and touched her and watched her make love with Eric, and he was really ready to go.

If she put her mouth on him…

She did. Nicole slid downward and held his gaze for a moment before she licked the tip of his penis.

His entire body jerked and his breath went out in a low hiss. “Jesus.”

Eric murmured, “You’re lost now, buddy.”

“Hmm.” She stroked his balls and he twitched again. “I can see the appeal of this. I think I like you helpless.”