Love Under Three Titans (15 page)

And while she worked on the bookshelves, she’d try to figure out what to serve those three titans for dinner—other than steak and herself, of course.

Kevin’s instincts went on high alert the moment he set eyes on the woman.

Marcus, the maître d’ on duty at Sorrento’s, had given them one of the special dining alcoves for their luncheon—not one of the private rooms, because he and his brothers didn’t care for those. The alcoves afforded a modicum of privacy, which was all they ever really needed, anyway.

As Marcus escorted the reporter and cameraman to their table, Kevin caught an aura of something intangible yet alarming in the woman’s demeanor.

She looked loaded for bear.

The writer-reporter introduced herself as J. Jones—no first name given—and shook hands with only himself and Trey.

To Rick, she simply nodded, but Kevin thought he detected a slight sneer in her expression—something she hid quickly when she realized she was under close scrutiny.

Since this was Trey’s gig—he was, after all, in charge of communications and PR—Kevin sat back, next to Rick, and waited to see what happened next.

“I hope you enjoy Italian food.” Trey beamed his best host smile for the reporter and the photographer who had accompanied her.

They’d met photographer, Ian Lucas, a couple of times before. Ian nodded in response to Trey’s comment, his smile just barely there. Kevin would have thought the man would be more loquacious, as he recalled him being in the past. The fact that Lucas remained silent and sent the reporter wary glances spoke volumes.

The waiter proved very efficient in delivering plates of antipasto to their table and then asked for drink orders. Since this was work, Kevin and his brothers each ordered sweet tea. It did surprise him when the reporter asked for a sparkling water. He would have thought she’d want a shot of bourbon, or some other “don’t mess with me I can run with the big dogs” kind of drink, because he thought those were the vibes she was giving off. Ian also ordered sweet tea, then got up and took a couple of photos. The first was of him and his brothers, and the second included the reporter.

Kevin wondered why Ms. Jones seemed unhappy with being photographed with them. All his life, they’d had people fawning over them. That more or less came with the territory of being born into the Benedict family. They were used to it and never let it go to their heads. Ms. Jones didn’t seem inclined to fawn, which personally, Kevin appreciated. But it was more than her being disinclined to treat them special.

If he didn’t know better he’d say the woman loathed them—particularly Rick.

“I do like Italian food, thank you.” She barely looked at the menu before setting it aside. “I thought we could get right down to business, if you gentlemen don’t mind.”

“That suits me.” Rick did his best to smile, but Kevin thought he needed to work on the gesture just a little more. His effort looked like a grimace instead of a genuine smile. Then his oldest brother took a deep breath, and Kevin sensed Rick was girding his loins.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t recognize your name.” Rick’s tone smoothed out. “Are you new to
Style and Substance
?” Rick sat back, his napkin on his lap.

Kevin grinned. Trey caught his eye and nodded just slightly then smiled, obviously pleased with Rick’s attempt at small talk.

“I moved here from Philadelphia about a year ago.” Ms. Jones sounded as if she was participating in a cop’s interrogation, with her playing the role of uncooperative witness. “I’m much more interested in the three of
you
, of course. I understand you’ve recently relocated your company from New York City to Houston. That seems like an unlikely move, even to me. Is Benedict International in financial trouble? Perhaps you had difficulty ‘making’ it in the more cosmopolitan environs of such a large city as New York.”

Rick shot straight up in his chair, and Kevin wondered if his eldest brother was about to have a meltdown.

“Certainly not.” Rick seemed to find a reservoir of charm, because he looked straight at the woman and actually smiled this time. “While growth hasn’t been as robust as in boom years since the collapse of the markets in 2008, we’re extremely proud that we’ve managed a modest, steady increase in the bottom line over the past few years. We’ve weathered the recession well without anyone at Benedict International losing their job. We’re very proud of that, and we plan to continue with that policy.”

“We moved back home, is all.” Kevin smiled. “We wanted to be closer to our family. In fact, we’ve taken over our grandparents’ former house in Lusty and are currently working on renovating it.”

“So you’ve come back home, literally. Isn’t that kind of awkward, especially for you, Richard?” The woman sat forward and pinned Rick with a sharp stare. “I understand that Lusty isn’t a very large town. It must be very uncomfortable for you, running into all your, shall we say, jilted and abused paramours.”

“Me?” Rick looked from him to Trevor then looked back at the reporter. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have no jilted or abused paramours in Lusty—or anywhere else, for that matter.”

The woman nodded, and this time the sneer was there for all to see. “Of course not. You likely saw to it they all had to leave town. Maybe you thought your family paid them off well enough to keep their collective mouths shut. Tell me, how many women have you forced into having abortions? How many lives have you ruined, you bastard?”

“I don’t know where you got such an outlandish idea, Ms. Jones.” Trey looked as pissed as Kevin had ever seen him. “I can assure you, that Richard—”

Richard put a hand on Trevor’s arm. “Someone has given you false information, Ms. Jones. I can tell you without hesitation that I would
never
encourage a woman to abort a child I had conceived. That’s simply not the Benedict way.”

“You’re a liar and a cheat, and the world will soon know the truth about you, you dirty rotten son of a bitch!” J. Jones picked up the antipasto tray and heaved its contents toward Richard.

Fortunately it was a heavy enough tray that she couldn’t heft the contents far, and Rick was able to duck most of the flying olives and pieces of meat.

Kevin and Trevor both shot to their feet, but the woman was faster. She’d tossed down her napkin and marched off, her posture one of righteous indignation and vengeance rolled into one.

Ian had caught the moment of her attack on film. He looked at it now on his digital display and shook his head.

“I didn’t think she’d last long with the magazine, as she doesn’t seem to have any respect for anyone or anything Texan. I never would have guessed she’d go out in such a blaze of glory.” Ian shrugged. “I apologize. I thought something was off with her a few minutes ago when I met her outside the restaurant. But I had no idea she’d do something like this.” He looked down at the table. “I’d like to stay for lunch, but under the circumstances…”

Trey waived his hand. “Call my office, Ian. We’ll set a time to get together next week, just the four of us. Our treat.”

Ian grinned. “You’re on. See you later, guys. Right now, the boss is going to need to know about this. ”

The photographer walked off just as Marcus and his staff rushed over to assist. “You Benedicts seem to be attracting the crazy women lately,” he said as he helped Rick clean up. “Just a few months ago some woman nailed your cousin Alex with a glass of Chablis.”

“Thank God it wasn’t red wine.” Rick took one of the proffered towels and tried to blot the bit of oil from his sports coat and shirt.

Marcus grinned. “From what Maria told me, I believe that is what Alex said at the time.”

“This just pisses me off.” Trey threw down his napkin as his gaze followed where the woman had disappeared. “I’m calling Williams at
Style and Substance
. This was not only unprofessional, it was totally uncalled for.”

Kevin knew there was no way that Rick had somehow been leading a secret, double life. He frowned. “Ms. Jones took on the mantle of avenging angel, which means—”

“Someone deliberately misled her about me.” Rick shook his head. “Whoever did so doesn’t know us very well at all. If they’d wanted to accuse someone of rabid womanizing they’d have accused you, Kevin.”

Trey frowned. “I was going to say
me
. I’m the ladies’ man in the family.” Then he sighed. “But you’re right. Choosing you, Rick—and I mean no offense when I say this—just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.”

Rick nodded. “Trust me when I say I’m not offended.”

Kevin nodded to Trey. “Why don’t you call Williams now, and then we can have lunch.”

“Good plan. And now that I don’t have to play nice for the reporter, I’ve almost got an appetite.” Then Rick grinned. “We’re having dinner with Maggie tonight, by the way. She’s going to grill steaks.”

“We are?” Kevin looked up to encounter the hopeful face of their waiter. He’d nearly suggested ditching the restaurant so they could go back to Lusty right now.

This was their first trip away from Lusty since they’d decided on Maggie. Kevin had very recently discovered that he didn’t like being so far away from her, even for an afternoon.

Then he took his seat and picked up his menu. They had lots of time. If he knew his brothers, it would be a quick lunch, a swing past the office, and then home.

They’d be with Maggie soon enough.

Kevin mentally rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Maybe their woman was done trying to pretend what they had among them was just a passing fling, and they could move on to the next level.

* * * *

The doorbell rang at exactly seven o’clock, and it was all Maggie could do not to rush to answer it.

She didn’t need to hand those three Benedicts any more fuel for their egos or give them any more of herself than they already owned.

Who are you kidding, Maggie? They’ve got you, body and soul.

Maggie rarely lied to herself, so she could admit that truth. However, admitting something to herself and admitting it to those three men were two different things entirely.

She’d keep her emotions to herself for the time being.

She resisted the urge to check her appearance in the mirror, just as she’d resisted the urge to dress herself to the nines. They were having an outdoor grill, and while they’d eat indoors, it was still a casual occasion. Just friends getting together over a couple of steaks, maybe a glass of wine…

She opened the door and her heart felt as if it turned over in her chest. There they stood, three men more sexy than any three men had a right to be. Dressed as casually as she, they wore jeans and tees and identical, nearly sly smiles. Richard held two bottles of wine, Trevor had a bouquet of flowers, and Kevin a box of chocolates.

“This way we cover all the bases,” Richard said. Instead of handing the wine to her he held one out to each of his brothers.

The moment his hands were free he reached out and pulled her close. The heat of him penetrated her body, the scent of all three of them—an aroma more arousing than anything she’d ever known—went straight to her female bits, making her nipples peak and her pussy leak.

“Hello, Maggie.” Richard didn’t make any other move. He just held her close and smiled.

Oh, to hell with it
. She wasn’t fooling them one bit. “Hello, yourself. Kiss me, please.”

“Of course, love. Where are the steaks?”

Maggie blinked.
Steaks
? She hadn’t known how deeply ingrained that newly discovered vein of female coquetry ran in her until that very moment. Her bottom lip protruded, her body went all soft and pliant against his, and she wrapped her arms around Richard’s neck and used her fingers to seductively toy with the hair at his nape.

“Steaks?” She felt pleased with the pouty sound of that one word.

Richard grinned even wider, pulled her hips closer—likely so that she could feel that his cock was, indeed, hard—and planted a tiny kiss on her nose.

“Yes, steaks. If they’re not in the fridge then Trey is going to go and put them there, as we wouldn’t want good Texas beef to spoil. We won’t be getting to dinner for quite some time, you see.”

Maggie grinned right back at him. “They’re already in the fridge, as is the salad, and the grill is not yet even lit. I hadn’t planned on jumping right in to having dinner, myself. I was planning on jumping elsewhere.”

Oh Maggie, do you have no shame?
She grinned at the men and at herself as she mentally answered her own question.

None at all
.

“Good. So there’s no reason why we can’t just scoop you up and take you to your bed, then?” Kevin stepped close on her right and nuzzled her ear.

Trevor pressed in close on her left, tucked the wine bottle under his right arm to free his left hand, and began to stroke her back in that blatantly sexy way he had.

Maggie sighed. It had only been a few days since their first time together, but right at this moment if felt as if she hadn’t had these men in
forever
.

She wanted them, all three of them, with a hunger that speared to the very heart of her. “No.” She heard the breathlessness in her voice and wouldn’t change that. “No reason at all.”

“Good.” Richard laid his lips on hers, and her passion exploded.

Wild and wanton, wet and wonderful, the flavor of him drenched her, and the sensation of his body pressed so very close to her own hungered her. Totally carnal, blissfully wicked, his tongue seduced her, claimed her,
owned
her. Her tongue danced with his, the silky slide, the velvety glide igniting her fires so that she burned, hot and horny, for more and more and still more.

Trevor’s arm came around her shoulders, and she found herself being turned, Richard’s lips leaving hers, as Trevor’s took over.

Trevor’s kiss had a different feel and a different taste. Yet she found him equally arousing and equally necessary to her being. In so short a time, reality had changed for her so that now, she couldn’t imagine kissing one of these virile men without kissing all three.

Maggie heard a sound, a needy, almost whiny kind of moan, and realized it came from her. The men had no difficulty understanding that sound, for they responded almost instantly with deep, masculine murmurs and with the seductive sweep and touch of hands as they turned her once more.

Kevin’s mouth devoured hers, and her blood felt as if it hummed within her as her own personal man-cocktail, the essences of these three titans, filled her and excited her as they aroused her almost beyond bearing.

“Oh!” She broke the kiss with him the instant Kevin picked her up in his arms. Before these men, she’d never been carried. They scooped her into their arms so often. She liked it. She liked it a lot.

“Hang on, baby. We’re moving this party to the bedroom.”

Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck. Hunger denied had exploded into a raging, soul-stripping need. “Hurry!” And then, because she could, she began to kiss his face and his neck, using her tongue to lap up his flavor.

“Jesus, woman.” Kevin shivered and pressed her against his erection, and feminine pride filled her. Wrapping her legs around him, she rolled her hips against that hard-on and could actually feel her pussy lips thicken and open, getting ready to receive cock.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry!” She’d never been so frantic and couldn’t understand why she was now. In that moment, she didn’t want seduction. She didn’t want gentle touches and kisses.

Oh, God, I want to be taken
. She couldn’t say the words, she could only whimper.

She was shaking with need, when she’d never really needed before these three men had come into her life. She hadn’t known she could, but now it felt as if, having had them, having then endured her self-imposed drought of four entire days without them, her body felt compelled to gorge on all that had been missing from her life until she’d come to this place and these men.

Kevin kissed her lips almost chastely as he set her on her feet beside the bed. “Shh, baby. We’ll take care of you.”

Again, she could only say, “Hurry!”

Richard stepped up to her and cupped her face in his hands. His thumbs stroked her cheeks, and his gaze pierced hers. “You want us to just take you, don’t you, love? You’re burning for us, aren’t you?”

She swallowed hard and nodded and moved into him, mating her mouth with his so he could have no doubt what she wanted, what she craved.

As Richard’s tongue tangled with hers, she felt hands, three sets of hands, move over her body, petting, stroking, peeling away the layers of clothing that kept her from them. The layer of civilization she’d always worn like a second skin she herself discarded, and gladly.

She wanted a raw and feral mating. She wanted, by God, down-and-dirty sex.

“Come here, sweetheart. We’ll take care of you.” Trevor turned her into his arms, and she gasped as her bare flesh nestled flush against his. He felt so hot, and so good, she could only rub herself against him. She didn’t recognize the sounds coming out of her, but that was all right. She understood all the way down deep in her soul that she could do anything, say anything,
reveal
anything, and she would be safe.

These men would keep her safe. They would never betray her. But more, they would satisfy every craving and fill every need.

“Please.” Maggie couldn’t even say for certain what she was begging for. She couldn’t find the words. Only actions, only pressing close, nuzzling Trevor’s neck and then opening her mouth under his and giving him everything could convey the absolute desperation that ran through her.

Now, oh now! It had to be now!

“Easy, baby, you’re shaking. Here, just let me.” Kevin raked his fingers through her hair and tilted her face toward his. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, the kiss forceful and fine.

Hands stroked down her body, their feel greedy as they arrowed down. One hand cupped her pussy, and she could feel her own juices, became amazingly conscious of the wetness coming from her own body and spilling onto a male hand.

Fingers caressed back and forth across her slit and then speared into her, plunging deep. Then those fingers fucked her while someone found her clit and teased it, and Maggie screamed her orgasm into Kevin’s mouth.

Fast and hard and shivery, the intense sensations raced out all over her body. The climax evolved into a sweet satisfaction wrapped around an ever-growing and much-larger hunger.

This climax was an appetizer, and not nearly enough to sate her enormous hunger.

“That’s it, baby. We’re just getting started, aren’t we?” He picked her up and laid her on the bed, spreading her legs wide. “What do you need?”

“More. All of you, in me, on me. All of you, together. Now.”

“Oh, love, we want that more than you can know, but not just yet.” Richard stretched out on her right side. “You’re not ready to take us all at once. We have to help you get ready to take cock in your ass. We have to get you used to that, first.”

Maggie’s arousal seemed to be in stasis, humming through her body, keeping her high, keeping her desperate. She couldn’t think, couldn’t reason. She could only need, could only crave. “I don’t care.” She only cared about coming.

“Well, we do, sweetheart. We
will not
hurt you.”

For one long moment she wondered if these men were going to leave her. They seemed to be doing that damn silent-communication thing among them again. And then Trevor caught something Kevin threw at him.

Oh, thank God, a condom! As she watched Trevor tear open the packet, she set her own hands on her naked body. Her palms cupped her breasts, her fingers tweaked her own nipples. Not enough. She reached down, seeking her slit, determined to stroke her clit, make herself come. Richard took that hand and brought it to his lips.

“That’s ours, love.”

“Less talk. More…
Yes
!” Maggie groaned and thrust her hips up as Trevor plunged his cock into her. He wrapped his arms around her, cupped her ass, and turned them on the bed so that she lay on her left side.

He fucked her, his thrusts hard and fast and deep, and Maggie shivered as pleasure enveloped her. Then he changed his position, half kneeling on the bed as his cock continued to move in and out of her, at a different angle now that seemed to hit deeper. Maggie whimpered and then moaned when Kevin knelt beside her so he could tease her mouth with his cock.

Eager, famished, she opened her lips and took his hard shaft inside, sucking and licking, as if the relief she sought was contained in the cream he’d soon give her. He tasted as good as his brothers, and the wild thought crossed her mind that she might soon recognize them by the taste of their cocks alone.

Richard snuggled up behind her. “Something cold, love.”

Cold and silky, the sensation rubbing back and forth over her anus became the cherry on her own personal carnal cake. The stimulation of her anus nearly froze her, so huge were the new, thrilling shocks radiating through her.

Richard kept his fingers moving up and down her crack. He pulled them away for a moment and she wanted to cry out, humming against the cock that filled her mouth.

“Mm.” Kevin put his hand on her head, holding her with a firmness that felt better than good. It felt
right
.

“What a fabulous mouth you have, baby. Suck, Maggie. I want to come in your mouth.”

Kevin’s words shivered down her spine. And then those clever fingers of Richard’s returned to her anus, cooler, slicker, and she could only push back against them, and then forward again, trying to grasp more of the cock fucking her cunt.

Rapture shimmered just out of reach, and Maggie worked to make it happen. She thought she might die if she couldn’t come, and come soon. Her hips pistoned, her mouth sucked, and she strove and strove to pull that elusive prize toward herself.

Richard’s finger pressed against her rosette at the same time Trevor reached down and found her clit and pinched it.

Rapture screamed forward and broke over her as Richard’s finger penetrated her ass. Maggie moaned around Kevin’s cock. The hand on her head held firm as wave after wave of perfect bliss bathed her inside and out. Then the first stream of semen hit the back of her throat just as the cock in her cunt plunged deep, held firm, and began to pulse its release deep inside of her. Maggie swallowed at the same time she clenched her inner muscles, as every part of her came and came and came.