Laid Open (2 page)

Chapter Two

Erin came into the bedroom, closing the door behind herself. “He’s out.”

Ben looked so good on their bed, she hopped on and took a bite of his biceps. He hissed, grabbing her hair, and rolled her to her back. “There you are.”

She licked her lips. “You taste good.”

His gaze went hooded and she knew what was next. Anticipated it.

“Naked.” Not a question. Not a request.

She got to her knees, pulling the dress she’d been wearing up and over her head, tossing it to the side. Her bra followed, and she loved the way his gaze devoured her breasts, down her belly, just waiting for the rest.

She got rid of her panties and then pulled his shirt off too. Their days of sleeping naked were past, now that they still had to get up in the middle of the night from time to time and had a toddler in their bed on the mornings when Alexander woke up bright and early.

But she could drink him in right then. Her man, so big and braw with his acres of taut skin laying over muscles that made her swoon a little. Ben Copeland was one of those men you knew played football in high school. His hair always a little too long, big American boy smile. He was ridiculously beautiful.

He rose up enough for her to pull his pajama bottoms from his body. Of course he wasn’t wearing underwear. She smiled at him, raising one brow. “Freeballing. Nice.”

“Suck my cock, Erin.”

She hummed, her pussy softening at the command in his voice. She kissed down his throat, over his chest, licking his nipples until he groaned. Down his belly, pausing to nip his navel and then to his cock.

One-handed, she grabbed it at the root and angled it to kiss and then lick around the crown. She teased with little licks and kisses, the way she knew drove him crazy. His hand caught in her hair, urging her as she took him into her mouth as deep as she could. Over and over as he rolled his hips to meet her.

In the background she heard the bathroom door open as Todd entered the room.

“Goddamn.”

Ben made some sort of strangled response but she kept on, loving when she had him this way. Loving the power in the way she made him feel. Loving the trust a man showed to put his cock in another person’s mouth.

Loving that he was so big and strong and yet with her he was gentle, even as he fucked into her mouth.

Ben was close, she knew. He’d pull her back, most likely. He loved to come inside her cunt. But sometimes, she pushed him past his control and he groaned, giving up, coming in her mouth with a long, satisfied groan. It was a little game they played.

She moaned her pleasure at that thought and he hissed, his hands going to her shoulders to push, but she sucked him deep, flicking her tongue against the underside of the head, straining against the hands trying to get her back. She wanted his cock, damn it.

“Fuck,” he snarled, and came hard as she breathed through her nose, taking him, losing herself in the pleasure of the moment, in the way it felt to not only bring him pleasure, but to play at his control.

“Gimme that mouth,” Todd whispered, his fingers digging into the flesh of her upper arm to get her attention. A shiver went through her at his tone, at the sure way he handled her. Rough, but never too rough.

He knew her so well.

“Look at you.” He kissed down the bridge of her nose. “Mouth all swollen from sucking Ben’s cock.”

He collared her throat, arching her back to take her lips in a kiss that stole her breath.

“I want to be in you.”

She swallowed, watching the emotion move across his features. No one looked at her the way Todd did. She waited, breathless, for him to tell her what he wanted next.

His smile made her nipples hard. “I love how you wait. I love that I know your pussy is wet and ready but you wait for me.” He dipped to kiss her again.

She may have whimpered, a sound laced with all her need, but it was hard to think with his hands on her that way.

“Are you hungry for it? Mm? Do you want my cock?”

She nodded slowly, licking her lips.

Ben kissed her ankle, and then up her calf, making it even harder to think.

Todd got to his knees, over her, sliding the slick head of his cock against her lips. She licked, opening her mouth to suck him inside. He let her get a little taste and pulled back, leaving her stretching for more.

“You fucking wreck me,” Todd said, his voice ragged. “Each and every time I’m with you.”

When he gave up words like that it got to her. To be treasured by this man she adored so much meant everything.

He tapped her lips with the head of his cock, teasing her, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Ben’s mouth cruised up from her knee, against the soft, sensitive skin of her inner thigh. She held her breath a moment as he paused at her pussy, blowing against wet, hot skin.

“She’s so wet.” And then Ben spread her open and took a lick. Just enough to bring a gasp to her lips. A wave of pleasure flowed through her veins like honey.

“I’m torn between this mouth and that pussy.”

Ben got to his knees and kissed Todd. She watched, trying not to writhe at the masculine beauty between them. Todd licked Ben’s lips and they both looked to her. “He tastes like you.”

“Please!”

Todd’s smile broadened a little and he kissed Ben, his hand in Ben’s hair, holding him in place.

“Should I fuck her?” Todd teased her, asking Ben.

Ben spoke against Todd’s lips. “Only if I can lick her cunt while you do.”

“Yay!”

Todd shook his head, still smiling at her. “Greedy.”

“You look at him all day too. And in the mirror. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t say
yay
to that offer?”

Todd lay back. “Climb aboard.”

She quickly moved to obey, but it was Ben she faced, his hands that guided Todd’s cock into her pussy. He tickled her clit as she sank down on Todd’s cock.

“Christ, she got so tight and hot for a second I nearly lost it.” Todd’s voice was strained.

“Couldn’t help it. All that pretty, slick pussy for me to touch, I couldn’t resist.”

Her back was to Todd and he traced over the lines of her tattoos and down her spine before grabbing her hips tight. She may have been on top, but he would handle the pace and depth. She simply enjoyed it, enjoyed watching as Ben arranged himself between Todd’s thighs, looking up at her before his mouth went back to her pussy.

Todd grunted each time he got all the way back in, especially when she added a little side-to-side movement when he did. His fingertips would leave bruises on her hips, and she’d look at them for the next several days and smile, thinking back to this moment.

She braced herself with one hand on Todd’s thigh while the other sought the soft thickness of Ben’s hair. She wanted to watch his mouth on her, wanted to look up in the nearby mirror and watch the three of them, but it felt so good, it was so much all at once, that she had to close her eyes for long moments.

“Your eyes are mine, Erin. Don’t go away. I want you to see what we’re doing to you. To know who’s doing it.”

She dragged her lids open to meet Todd’s gaze in the mirror as he continued to fuck her. As Ben continued to devastate her cunt with his mouth. And when Todd snarled a curse she knew Ben had dipped to pay attention to Todd’s balls.

What she hadn’t expected was the little flick of his tongue when he surged up to her clit. It rocketed her into climax as she bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out.

Todd snarled something and she watched, fascinated, as he came, his face flooded with pleasure.

And Ben’s mouth found hers as she held on, wrapped her arms around him and tasted herself along with him and a hint of Todd. Todd, who sat up, still inside, and held on to them both.

She finally fell to the mattress, bracketed by each man. “Mmm. I won’t have any trouble sleeping tonight.”

Ben laughed, kissing her neck.

“Before you drop off, you should look in your top drawer.”

She sat straight up. “A present!” She scrambled from the bed and headed to the dresser, where she found a slim box wrapped quite prettily.

A bikini? She held up the pretty bright pink scraps of fabric. And then she saw the envelope and opened it to find an itinerary. For a trip to Fiji.

“Well?” Ben came to join her, Todd following.

“I’m . . . wow. I’ve never been to Fiji. This is . . . wow.”

Ben kissed her knuckles. “It’s been so long since we’ve had time for just us. It’s a private island. We’ll have our own cottage thing they call a bure. Right on the water.”

“What about Adrian’s wedding? Alexander?”

Todd brushed the hair back from her forehead. “The trip is only ten days. Plenty of time to be back by the wedding. I even spoke with Jules to be sure it was in a time when she wouldn’t need any of your help for party planning and all that stuff.”

“Brody and Elise are going to take Alexander,” Todd added. “There was even a little battle between Adrian and Brody as to who got to keep Alexander while we’re away. He’s going to be fine with them.” He kissed her shoulder. “You do so much for everyone else. Every single day. We want you to have this. A time just to relax and
be
taken care of for a change. Ben’s right. It’s been a long time since it was just the three of us.”

It had been. She adored Alexander and really did love having the time to be with him every day. But things had changed since he’d come. They had less time for each other, and had to be quiet when they had sex so as to not wake him up.

“Imagine, ten days with just us three. Bikini, sand and sun. Oh, and a lot of sex.” Ben waggled his brows.

Todd smiled, so wicked. “I bought some new toys just for the trip, so you have to agree.”

It wasn’t that she was afraid to leave Alexander with Brody. Her brother was a great father and his wife Elise was a fabulous mother. They had a baby so their house was already kitted out for Alexander. And their older daughter Rennie loved playing with her baby sister and Alexander both. Alexander loved his aunt and uncle, but he adored Rennie. He’d have a great time.

But she’d never left him for more than a single night. It was hard to let go.

“I can see you making all the arguments in your head. Your mouth gets that stubborn line when you argue with yourself.” Todd took her hand. “We need this time. I need this time with you two.”

“You’re both right. I’m in.”

Chapter Three

“I didn’t think it would be this hard to leave him.” Ben said this in an undertone to Todd. They were at Brody and Elise’s, dropping Alexander off. They’d be getting on a plane in a few hours, but for that moment, Ben watched his son clap his hands, dancing around with Rennie as baby Marti hopped up and down, spinning in her little bouncer.

“We won’t break him or lose him, I promise.” Elise smiled up at Ben, taking his hand and squeezing it. They sat around Brody and Elise’s kitchen table, guzzling coffee.

“He might break
you.
” Erin winked at her brother, who rolled his eyes.

“Babygirl, if I can survive you and Adrian and Martine’s impromptu four A.M. wake-up calls, I can handle Alexander.”

Alexander heard his name and came over, patting Brody’s knee. “Yo! Hey, Bo.”

Alexander had nicknames for everyone. Brody was Bo because at first he couldn’t say Brody. It had stuck, and from the smile on Brody’s face, he didn’t mind that one bit. And the
yo
had come directly from his uncle Adrian, who always said it.

Brody bent to pick Alexander up, plopping him on a bouncing knee. “Hey, monkey. Do you want to stay here with us for a few days?”

Alexander thought a moment and then nodded, a grin on his face. “Zoo?”

“Totally. We’re going to the zoo later today with uncle Adrian and Gillian and Miles too.”

“Yes!” Alexander clapped.

Miles was another cousin, the eldest of the bunch at fourteen, and Alexander loved him with the same glee he did everything else. Miles was a quiet kid, but as all new members of the Brown family found out, Browns simply never shut up or got still. It was best to throw yourself into the experience and enjoy it. And Miles was a good example to Alexander. He worked hard in school, got good grades, had manners and cared about his family.

Erin leaned over to kiss Rennie when she came into the kitchen. “Morning, Ren.”

“Hiya, Aunt Erin. Will you take lots of pictures? I like to see the pictures you all take when you go sunny places.” She sent a hangdog look to her mother, who snorted.

“Nice one. Try looking a little wistful instead of just sad.” Erin grinned. “Brody, why do you deny your children sunny vacations? Why you gotta be so hard?”

“I’m mean that way. I have a log book I keep with all the ideas I have to be mean to my daughters.”

“Daaad.” Rennie laughed.

Ben glanced at Todd, who looked down at his watch. No use putting it off any longer. They had to get going, and the cleaner they made the break, the better. Alexander had stayed with Brody and Elise overnight a few times and he wasn’t upset in the slightest.

Didn’t mean his parents weren’t, but that was life.

Ben stood. “We should be on our way.”

Erin looked in Alexander’s direction. He was happily handing Marti blocks, which she threw down five seconds later. He laughed and started over. She laughed and threw the blocks again.

Ben watched her swallow hard as she turned back to Brody. “You have our numbers if you need anything. The medical info is—”

“In the folder you brought today, along with the resort’s information and your flight dates and times.” Brody finished his sister’s sentence. He stood and hugged her. “Babygirl, have a good time. You know he’s going to be just fine here.” He lowered his voice. “You gonna be all right?”

Being around crowds and being jostled were hard for her. They were often trigger events from a long-ago attack that nearly killed her and did kill her daughter. She was the strongest person he knew, but it wrecked them all when she had her moments.

“I promised to take half a pill once we ate a little. I’m all right. I promise.” She looked up at her big brother and he hugged her once more before stepping back.

Totally unaffected, Alexander grabbed his toast and happily shoved it into his mouth. The trouble on Erin’s features melted away at the sight.

“Thank you, guys.”

“Nothing to thank us for. We love having him here.” Brody kissed her forehead. “Enjoy this time. I’ll see you guys in ten days.”

She bent and hugged Alexander. “Remember we talked about you staying here with Brody and Elise?”

“And Nee.”

Rennie grinned.

“Yes, monkey, Rennie and Marti too. Momma, Daddy and Pop have to go to the airport now. Be good for your aunt and uncle, okay?”

Alexander nodded, his cheeks stuffed with toast. “ ’Course!”

“Love you, monkey.” She stood up to let Todd move closer.

“Should we bring you back a shark, pickle?”

Erin groaned as Todd hugged their son. “Good lord, he’s going to expect one now.”

“Can’t keep him in the bathtub though. Maybe a smaller one.” Todd winked at Alexander, who giggled.

Ben followed, breathing his baby in. “Love you.”

“Love you!” Alexander blew them kisses as they headed out to the car. And then he turned and went back to his toast.

* * *

Erin hated the airport. It was crowded and loud and the entire process was dehumanizing.

“Thank god I took that Xanax or I’d be really pissed I have to take my shoes off. I’m so unbelievably grossed out by what must be on these floors,” she muttered.

Ben put his belt back on as he grinned her way. But she saw the way he and Todd worked in unison to shield her, protect her from getting bumped and jostled. Ben’s smile was sweet, but she saw the concern in his eyes and resented it for just a few fleeting moments.

Not that they cared for her—she loved that part. But that they
had
to. That she was still broken all these years after the attack that she had to take a freaking pill just to navigate the airport.

“Stop it.” Todd took the bag from her hand and put an arm around her shoulders.

“Stop what?” But she knew he’d seen right through her.

He leaned in to speak in her ear. “Right this very moment you’re angry at yourself for needing us to protect you. You’re convincing yourself that you’re weak and broken. You’re not. You know I’m in charge and I’m telling you to stop.”

She would have argued, but it was an old argument and she knew, deep down, that he was right. But she missed the Erin she was before. Before everything changed.

Ben kissed her forehead. “I like it when you finally obey.”

“Oh, the double entendres are flying fast and furious around here.” But she smiled when she said it.

“Coffee. I need it.” Ben held his hand out and she took it, allowing them both to shield her and protect her. Because she needed it and because it made her feel better.

* * *

After what had seemed like three days of travel, they arrived at the resort. Individual cottages ranged along the shoreline, some on stilts out over the water, others set farther back. Todd felt the entire world of weight on his shoulders lift away as he breathed in deep and only found sand and salt. Cleansing, that sort of clean air.

He put his arm around Erin’s waist as she held Ben’s hand. She needed the contact. The tension in her muscles told him she was still processing the day’s stress, so he and Ben would help soothe her.

Luckily, their stress relief often involved sex. He didn’t have any arguments with that process.

What was extra nice was that no one had looked at them twice. It was a freedom they only rarely had, and usually only around close family and friends.

“Mr. Copeland, we’re so pleased to have you here as our guests.” The resort’s concierge greeted them with flowers and glasses of chilled juice.

“Your bags have been delivered to your bure. Mr. Keenan, Ms. Brown, let me escort you three.”

Instead of taking the little golf cart thing, Erin said she wanted to walk, which seemed to please Gregory, their escort. He pointed out the different things they passed. Little side paths that would lead to pools and gardens. The entire place seemed to burst with life. Trees, flowers, bushes, birds and other wildlife.

“This is breathtaking.” Erin looked around, a smile on her face.

Gregory matched that smile. “Thank you. We work hard to keep the natural balance here.”

After a few minutes more, they turned left down a path and ended up at their bure.

Ben had chosen well. It was the farthest from the main buildings of the resort. On stilts over the water, it also had a nice beach, a hot tub, and was surrounded by a stand of trees that hugged part of the property. Secluded. Quiet.

“We understand the needs of our celebrity clients. There are no paparazzi you have to worry about here. Just relax. Should you need anything, simply use the house phone to contact the concierge and we’ll take care of it.” He explained the meals and other services to expect, laid out their scheduled events like massages, and then with one last bow, Gregory left them alone with the sound of the water.

“Beautiful.” Erin slowly turned in a circle.

“Not as beautiful as you.” Ben moved to her, grabbing her hair and yanking it back, exposing her throat to his mouth. Todd leaned against the doorjamb and watched the two of them. Watched as her eyes fell halfway closed. Saw the moment when her muscles gave over entirely to Ben.

Watched as Ben brushed away the last bits of her anxiety and replaced that with their connection. Incredible that Todd shared that with them.

Ben’s gaze sought Todd’s and he nodded. “I think we should have some of this champagne and then head for the water.” Ben indicated the bucket waiting for them, already chilled.

It was best if they didn’t bring it up or ask her how she was feeling. It only frustrated her, made her feel less than whole.

Erin smiled, reaching her arms up to stretch, knowing they watched her. “Mmm, yes. After eleventy hours on planes and in airports, an ocean frolic sounds lovely.”

She’d shifted from all her other roles, to being theirs. Todd put her bag on the bed. It was a small bag and one she was capable of handling herself without a problem. But he liked doing the heavy lifting. Liked making her life easier in all the ways he could.

And he really liked that she allowed it.

For a long time he hid what he was. He was ashamed of what he liked. What he craved. The whole time it was Erin who was the key. Erin who kicked his self-imposed walls down.

Erin, who’d been everything and continued to be.

She looked up from the bag and caught his gaze, smiling. “Should I be worried about that face you’re wearing right now?”

He laughed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. “Only in the best kind of way.”

Her smile kicked up a few thousand watts. “Good.”

While her bag was a small one with a few bikinis, little dresses and a toothbrush, his was bigger because he’d brought a number of new toys he wanted to use. Toys she could enjoy at whatever volume she wanted.

“Any preferences?” She tipped her head to the bed, where she’d laid out several bathing suits of varying shape and color.

“The pink one Ben got you.”

He stepped away before he forgot all about the walk and took her right then and there. They had time. Lots of it. He wanted to draw the pleasure out. Plenty of opportunities to gorge himself of her and Ben both.

Ben changed into a pair of trunks that had Todd second-guessing his choice to not fuck right then. But Todd headed to the champagne, watching as Ben tied the bikini top for her, pausing to slide his hands all over her back and around to cup her breasts.

They were beautiful together. His man, cherishing their woman.

She looked back to Todd. “Are you sure this isn’t too skimpy? I’m not twenty-two anymore.”

Todd poured them all a glass of champagne. “Darlin, come here so I can rub some of you all over me.” He held out a glass and she came to him, taking the glass and getting in close.

“You look hot. Sexy. And if you recall, I knew you in your twenties. You’re just as gorgeous now. Hell, more so. We’re nearly all alone in the middle of nowhere with sand and sun. I’m all for this bikini.” He kissed her again. “My beautiful artsy freak.”

She nodded at his endearment. “All yours.”

Ben moved in behind her. “And mine.”

“And yours too.” She tipped her head back, resting it on Ben’s shoulder.

“Damn, there’s so much I have planned to do to you both I don’t even know when to start.” Ben winked at Todd, who grinned back.

“We have ten days. Plenty of time to make you scream.”

She smiled as she paused to sip her champagne. “Ready, willing and able any time you want. I’m always amenable to being made to scream by either of you.”

“And you do it so well.” Todd nuzzled her neck. She sighed, melting into his touch.

They stood like that for some time, just being with each other and enjoying it.

“Come on, you two. Let’s go for a walk and watch the sun go down.” Ben drained his glass.

Todd smiled. “Be back in a sec. Need to change.”

“Let me get a cover-up.” Erin bent to grab a gauzy, floaty thing she pulled on over her head.

Ben could hold her hand there. And Todd’s as well. No one was going to care, and if they did, he sure didn’t. This was the first vacation they’d had where they could all be open about who they were to one another. That, in and of itself, made the time and money it took to get there totally worth it.

Here, so far away from everything, there was no need to be on guard.

Erin returned to them both, taking their hands with a smile. And that smile was already less shaky than it had been even an hour before.

She put a hand on his chest and rested her cheek there a moment. “I’m all right.” She knew exactly what he was thinking. Amazing to be known so well.

“You’re more than all right. You’re perfect.”

She hugged him tight and he breathed her in.

“Love you.”

“Goddamn, me too, beautiful, me too.” Ben kissed the top of her head. Holding her was all he needed. Her body against his never failed to comfort, even as other parts of him were far more excited.

Todd came into the room wearing shorts and no shirt. His gaze snagged on Erin and then Ben. The heat between them was something Ben still found himself thrilled by. He’d never planned on Todd. Or Erin, for that matter.

It hadn’t been easy. Sometimes it had been lonely. But every single day Ben found a hundred reasons to love his life. And two of the biggest ones were right there at his side.