The Break by Shayla Black

Hammer stared into Raine’s pleading blue eyes. She looked more fragile than he’d seen her in years, but the courage she’d shown in embracing their task and divulging her worst fears revealed such strength. And commitment. Tonight, she’d come so much further than he’d expected. And she’d blown him away.

As she lay before him with her soul exposed, his heart swelled. She radiated a need for reassurance, and Hammer ached to give it to her. She deserved a reward. But goddamn it, if his cock didn’t throb in demand, too.

“You’ve earned a kiss and so much more, precious. But not here. Back in your room.”

“Precisely, love,” Liam crooned. “Kissing you will be our pleasure.”

The way she smiled up at them pumped Hammer full of more power than he could ever recall and stuffed his lungs until he felt ready to burst. Being a part of her progress—watching her blossom—gave him such a profound sense of accomplishment.

He and Liam shared a glance, then he scooped her up in his arms. Liam opened the door, then dashed back to blow out the candles before trailing them down the long hall, into the master suite.

Wall sconces on either side of the bed glowed. Ambient light spilled over the golden silk duvet. Liam surged ahead and shoved the mountain of pillows from the bed with a wide sweep of his arm. He’d have to remember to thank his old friend later. No time now.

Hammer eased Raine onto the bed and covered her with his body. He pinned her to the mattress with a knee between her thighs, cupped her nape, and slanted his lips over hers, taking complete possession. Under him, she arched and whimpered, throwing her arms around his neck, open and welcoming as she swallowed in all his hunger and gave it back tenfold.

Lost in the sweet sea of her mouth, Hammer barely noticed the sounds of clothing rustling in the background—until Liam appeared at his side, pressing kisses across Raine’s shoulder and down her arm. He was bare from the waist up.

After one more stroke inside her mouth, Hammer pulled away. Raine wasn’t exclusively his, and he couldn’t hoard her. Besides, he wanted the opportunity to press his naked skin to hers as well.

Rolling to his feet, Hammer toed off his loafers, watching Liam pull Raine beneath him. The man pressed his forehead to hers. They shared a breath, a silent, suspended moment. Hammer had seen the two of them together before, but now a new intimacy flourished. He could almost see how bare she’d laid her soul.

“I’m desperate to touch you, love,” Liam murmured as he smoothed the dark hair from her face.

Raine clung to him, gripping his shoulders, then gliding over the tops until she thrust a hand in his hair. “Please.”

Liam took her chin in his hand and tilted her to his descending lips. Their kiss was somehow raw and tender at once. Hammer couldn’t ignore the devotion flowing between them. He’d been completely against the two of them at first…and now he couldn’t deny that Raine had grown immensely because Liam had nudged and demanded that she emerge from her shell. Hell, he’d all but walked through fire for her. And she’d finally responded, giving them both the chance to see the stunning submissive just under her skin. But Raine had also been good for Liam. He’d never seen the man so centered, committed…in love.

Tearing off his coat and shirt, Hammer littered the carpet with the garments, then stalked back to the bed, drinking in the sight of Liam and Raine tangled together. Maybe it should bother him, but he knew she hadn’t given him any less of herself. She’d climbed an emotional mountain for them tonight. As much as he hated to admit it, Hammer wasn’t sure he could have managed this much progress with her this quickly if he’d been working alone. He knew Liam couldn’t; it was why he’d uncollared her. If they both truly held a part of her heart, then nothing short of working together to make her whole would do.

Raine gripped Liam’s neck as he began to ease away. “Don’t leave me.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, propping himself on his elbow beside her. “We’re both here.”

Hammer crowded along the other side of her body, pressing his lips to hers again. He closed his eyes, and she put her small palm to his chest. He groaned. So sweet. And when he looked into her eyes again, she smiled with her soul. Damn it, the girl had always touched his heart, but now he could feel her holding it, squeezing it, feeding it.

“So beautiful,” Liam said thickly before he took her mouth again and cupped her breast, flicking the hard pink nipple with his thumb.

Something between a groan and a gasp fell from her lips. Her body trembled. So delicate, so eager… Hammer covered her neck in kisses, then dragged his lips down, laving his way over the full swells.

“You are, precious,” he whispered into her skin.

Her eyes slid shut, and the look of utter bliss on her face went straight to his cock. She arched, and her nipple brushed his lips. Fuck, he wanted to suck her in and take her deep, hear her moan, feel her scratch at him for more. With a shuddering breath, he barely managed to refrain.

A glance up showed Liam watching, poised, tensed. He dragged his thumb over her other nipple again. Another of Raine’s little feminine cries slipped free.

Hammer hung onto sanity by the barest of threads. “If you want more than a kiss, say it.”

“Use what we taught you today,” Liam seconded.

Her eyes flew open. Her gaze pinged between them both. “I need more. My nipples ache. I ache…”

“Do you?” Liam whispered right over the bud. “I might need to hear you beg for it.”

Hammer licked a path just around her nipple, not yet giving Raine what she wanted. “Plead sweetly, precious. Tell us what you want—in explicit detail.”

“Please put your mouths on my nipples. Suck them,” she panted. “I’m dying…”

He and Liam exchanged a glance. His friend grinned, then down they went, their heads descending to her breasts together. The most delicious sense of conspiracy filled him. And as they drew her hard tips into their mouths, Raine gasped in desperation, curling a clinging hand around each of their napes. An abiding sexual thrill plowed through him. Jesus, she was going to burn them alive.

Her nipple hardened even more against his tongue. Under them, she moved restlessly, her hips lifting, her legs spreading. God, what he wouldn’t give to lower himself down there and lick her juicy cunt before he fucked her senseless. He could smell her. Surely Liam could, too. But somehow, they were going to have to hold themselves at bay. This was her reward, not a chance for he and his pal to get off. Besides, as naked as they’d stripped her psyche today, they couldn’t push her too far. Despite Raine’s strength, her spirit would be breakable tonight. They couldn’t risk her when they still had so much work to do. The sex would happen another day—at least he hoped and prayed so. Because the idea of sinking his cock deep inside her again in any way absolutely lit him on fire.

Right now, he just didn’t know how much further he could push his control.

“Yes!” she cried out. “You’re both sucking and it’s…oh, it’s jolting straight to my clit.”

“Do you like it?” Liam tormented her with a rough whisper. “Do you want more?”

“Do you need more?” Hammer added, stroking a hand down her belly, his fingertips playing where he’d shaved off her landing strip just hours ago. The heat rising from her cunt left him no doubt how needy she was.

When she shifted and tried to tempt him to touch her slick folds, he delivered a little slap to her pussy. “Are you supposed to manipulate or communicate, Raine?”

“Communicate. Sorry, Sir,” she gasped. “Please touch me.”

Hammer dragged his palm back over her stomach. “I am, precious.”

“As am I,” Liam added, pinching and twisting her nipples. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Touch my pussy, Sirs. Both of you. Please,” she choked out. “Please…”

Across her body, he exchanged another glance with Liam. But they were on the same page; he saw it in the man’s midnight eyes. Neither of them could deny her now.

Scooping his hand between her legs, Hammer petted her drenched pussy, then worked a pair of fingers into her tight opening. Goddamn it, she was so swollen. Instantly, she clenched down on his digits, and he could just imagine how fucking good it would feel to bury his cock there.

Dragging in a breath and praying for restraint, he filled her, rooting around for her most sensitive spot. He found it in seconds, thrilled to feel her sink her little nails into his arm as she gave them a long, dazzling groan.

Liam cupped the pad of her pussy and began rubbing a slow, torturous circle. As soon as he did, she looked up at him with an imploring stare.

“What is it, love?” he prodded.

“I’ve been on edge all day,” she squeaked out.

“As have we.” Liam pressed and kneaded the flesh just above her clit. “Touching you is a beautiful hell.”

“Burn for us,” Hammer demanded. “Ache, need, writhe, and whimper so we can soak it in.”

Raine did. She flushed and cried out, tensing, body bowing, hips wriggling. Around his fingers she swelled and clenched, squeezing even tighter. The flutters of her cunt rippled along the digits. He sent a warning glance at Liam, but his friend was already pulling back.

“No! No, please…” She breathed so hard, her words were broken.

“Ask us for it,” Hammer growled.

“Please… Let me come, Sirs.” She squeezed her eyes shut. Tears of need leaked from the corners. Her breathing was shallow. Her whole body yearned.

He’d never seen anything so fucking gorgeous.

“All right, then. Come for us.” Liam’s smoky whisper warmed her breast before he took her nipple deep between his lips again.

“Look at us, precious.” Hammer plunged his fingers deeper. “And scream.”

In seconds, her eyes flashed wide. Every muscle in her body sat poised on the edge. As Liam rubbed at her clit once more and Hammer grazed his fingertips across the smooth bundle of nerves, Raine opened her mouth and let loose a high, belting mewl of satisfaction. It filled the room, jerked at his cock, and provided the most amazing soundtrack to the epic bucking of her body as orgasm gripped her, endless and incredible. Her blue eyes glowed with desperate love.

Raine’s ecstasy jolted a shaft of heady satisfaction through him. They had done this for her. He felt every inch like her Dom. A glance at Liam told Hammer that his old friend felt exactly the same.

A long minute later, the bliss released its hold on her. Raine sagged back to the bed, eyes closed, panting, shaking, and spent. Moments later, tears began to fall. Then sobs wracked her, dredging up emotions he suspected she’d long buried and wrenching them from deep inside.

He and Liam closed around her, each trapping one of her thighs under their own, wrapping an arm around her middle. Liam pressed soothing kisses to her lips gently as she wept.

“Beautiful, love. You’ve given us everything we’ve asked for and more. I’m so proud of you.”

“Perfect,” Hammer breathed, wrestling his urge to claim her. “I’ve never received that much raw honesty. It’s a gift I will never forget.”

“I’ll never forget it, either. Thank you both.” Her voice shook.

He cradled her cheek and pressed his lips to her temple, her nose, her lips, then circled back again. Liam whispered to her, taking turns at her mouth as she clutched them like they were her lifelines.

Slowly, her crying quieted. Peace began to settle into her. With the sweetest touches, she stroked their faces, shoulders, arms, sending them tremulous smiles. God, he wasn’t even going to come close to fucking her now, and yet he would count this as one of the most meaningful nights of his life. Raine just moved him. She always had. Even if she went back to Liam after she healed, she always would.

The thought was a machete to the heart. Never feeling her again…it just wasn’t an option.

“It’s our pleasure to take care of you,” Hammer assured Raine. Then before he could give into the urge to yank his zipper down and seat himself deep inside her, he rolled away and stood. “I’m going to bring you some water. I’ll be right back.”

As he shrugged on his shirt, Liam stood as well and bent to recover his clothes. “I’ll run you a fresh bath. Do you need anything else, love?”

Raine rose to her hands and knees and scrambled off the edge of the bed. Hammer watched with a frown as she dashed toward them, staring up with the most earnest plea. Submissive need oozed from her pores. She glowed with it. Trembled with it.

Then she sank to her knees. “I don’t need water or a bath. I don’t need anything except to give back to you, Sirs.”

She bit her lip. The pulse at her neck fluttered. Hammer couldn’t stop himself from tangling his fingers in her hair.

Beside him, Liam cupped her chin. “What is it you want?”

“To give you pleasure.” Her voice shook. “I want to touch you…make you come. Please, Sirs.”

Hammer looked Liam’s way. He’d yearned to see her willingness to submit, but he’d been afraid to hope that she would need to yield herself so totally. For a long moment, he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. Liam looked as bowled over as he did.

“Say something?” she begged.

Liam bent and caressed her cheek. “Oh, love…”

“Please. I need to be needed.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “I have to give you the pleasure you gave me. You don’t have to say a word or even touch me. Just let me…”

Raine reached up. Through the material of his trousers, she fitted her hand over Liam’s cock, curling her fingers around his length. He almost stumbled as he tossed his head back and groaned. Then she did the same to Hammer, stroking his length through his pants. Blood rushed to his dick like a flash flood.

“Do you need a breath of fresh air, mate?” Liam managed to grate out as Raine’s delicate hand clutched at him.

“Me? No.” Hammer shook his head and arched into her other palm. “Fuck no. You?”

“Air is the last thing I’m thinking of.” Liam pressed his hands over hers and made her grip him tighter.

The relief on her face was excruciating—and sexy as hell.

“Yes, you can please us, precious.” Hammer’s voice turned rough. “Open that sinful little mouth and take every fucking inch we have to offer.”

He peeled her hand away from his cock. Liam did the same, then they extended a hand to help her from the floor. Raine’s slender fingers curled around his, sending a jolt of demand through his veins. Together, he and Liam sat her on the edge of the bed. He could almost feel the anxious hum rolling off her.

In unison, they unzipped and released their swollen erections. Liam fisted his thick shaft as he stepped between her legs, kneeing her thighs wide before cupping her chin. With a rapt stare, Hammer nearly groaned as Raine looked up, begging Liam in a silent, blue-eyed plea.

“Oh, love…” He slipped his swollen cock between her waiting lips.

They moaned together. Hammer could almost feel the silken fire of her mouth as she suckled the head of Liam’s cock, then worked down and laved the shaft in a slow push to the base. She filled her mouth, hollowed her cheeks.

Hammer stroked himself and bit back a growl of demand. Fuck, even watching her tongue dart around Liam’s cock before she sucked him deep again made Hammer grit his teeth. His blood pumped with fire. She made little noises and gripped Liam’s thighs, looking lost in pleasure as she worshipped his stiff length. Christ, three weeks of desire churned in his heavy balls, and he needed to be inside her in some way, stake whatever claim he could.

Liam’s eyes rolled back in his head as a low moan rumbled from his chest and he shoved his fingers in her hair, tugging lightly until she whimpered and swallowed him whole again.

Son of a bitch, if that wasn’t one of the hottest things he ever witnessed, not because he’d never seen a woman give another man a blow job. Because Raine ached to give. Liam needed to take. Love bound them together, brought them closer. They both looked so damn fulfilled.

Hammer couldn’t resist reaching out and gliding his knuckles along the delicate hollows of her cheek. “That’s it, precious. Suck him down deep. So pretty. Fuck, I can’t wait to feel your mouth.” Needing to be closer, he wrapped a hand around her nape, choking back a rumble as he watched her take Liam even deeper. “Yes, that’s it. Worship his cock, Raine. Take everything he gives you.”

“You’re not helping, fucker.” Liam grimaced as he thrust fast and deep for a blissful, teeth-gritting second. Sweat lined his brow as he panted and pulled away. “I need a minute.”

Hammer wanted to laugh, but the need bubbling inside him screamed for the feel of her tongue trailing over his sensitive crest, cradling his cock. As Liam gasped for breath, Hammer took hold of her mane and turned her head to him.

Gazing down at the woman who haunted his dreams, he drank in her hard, dusky nipples. Her creamy flesh glowed with a pink, aroused hue. Wet and swollen, her lips all but begged to be fucked. It took every ounce of strength not to pound at her like an animal. He wanted what Liam had just felt. The desire, yes. But the connection, the completion. He fucking needed those.

As Hammer gazed down at Raine, her big blue eyes spoke the silent words he’d forever longed to hear: I give you my soul, Sir. I’m yours.

I’m yours, too, precious,he vowed.

Clenching his jaw, Hammer rattled in a breath, then drew his leaking crest over her lips. “Part those pretty lips and show me how you yearn to please.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Raine glided her tongue over her bottom lip, swiping at his offering. A groan ripped from his chest. She was killing him, and she hadn’t even begun.

His stare never wavered as he wrapped a fist around his aching cock. At the rush of breath spilling from her lips over the sensitive head, he jerked, then pressed into her willing mouth. Hammer’s heart clutched as she closed around him. As she licked her way down his throbbing length, a moan escaped him. It turned to an agonized roar as she danced back up to drag her tongue across the sensitive rim and glide over his swollen veins.

“You look stunning, love,” Liam praised. Crouching in front of her, he nudged her legs even wider. “Show us your cunt, Raine. We can smell your hot spice, but we want to see your swollen slickness.” He ran a finger through her folds. “Yes, you like Hammer’s cock gliding down your throat, don’t you? I can tell. He likes it, too.”

She writhed and whimpered, splaying herself even wider as she rolled her hips in need. Hammer drank her in, their gazes still locked, wishing to fuck this could go on forever.

“Seeing your lips stretched around me, feeling you take me all the way down…”

Raine did it then, swallowing on him. He grunted a curse, trying to keep himself together.

Clawing for control, Hammer found his rhythm. Her soft throat constricted around his crest again, and he rocked, fucking his way into her mouth, loving the feel of her nails in his hips and her teeth grazing over the head of his cock before she paused, made him wait, and started all over again.

Jesus, she was dismantling him without a word.

Liam skimmed his palms up her torso, then plucked and pinched Raine’s nipples. Her mewls vibrated up Hammer’s shaft, all the way to his aching balls. Sweat dripped from his forehead. The familiar prickle of release slammed down his spine. With a curse, he jerked away from Raine’s seeking lips and tried to calm the tremors wracking his body.

Without hesitation, Liam stood and thrust between her lips once more as she took him deep, again and again, until he looked staggered and on the edge. With a curse, he withdrew once more, and Hammer resumed.

Seamlessly, each took up where the other left off. For long minutes, they each filled her mouth, riding the edge of control and prolonging their pleasure.

Hammer’s skin felt too tight. He struggled for breath as he watched Liam command her once again, recognizing the moment ecstasy peaked and he began to spiral out of control.

“That’s it. Don’t stop,” Liam roared, locking stares with her. “Ohhhhffffuck, Raine!”

“Drink him down,” Hammer urged her.

“Harder! Suck harder,” Liam gasped. “Take it all.”

Hammer watched him buck furiously. He grunted and growled while Raine’s slender throat worked to swallow every drop. Her feminine little moans went straight to his cock. And as Liam pulled out, she kissed the man’s hip, then stared up at him, her eyes begging for reassurance.

Their give and take hadn’t just aroused Hammer; it moved him. Hanging by a thread, he barely resisted the urge to shove his friend aside, grab her by the hair, and launch deep.

“Thank you, love.” Liam struggled to recover his breathing as he dropped to the bed, sliding in behind her. “That was perfect. Give Hammer the relief he needs now. Open for him, Raine.”

She glanced up as Hammer finally positioned himself between her legs. A coy smile turned her lips up as she cupped his sac in her palm and gave a gentle tug. “Did you want something, Macen?”

His restraint snapped. He plunged his fingers through her tresses and shoved into her mouth, to the back of her throat. Her silky heat surrounded him as she hollowed her cheeks and sucked hard, the ride fast, furious. Hammer burned with the shocking jolt of pleasure. He refused to look away from her for even a second. She was his for now, and he intended to burn this one glorious moment into his brain.

As he fucked her lips with hard, demanding strokes, his breathing grew labored. His body tensed as tingles sizzled under his skin. Every nerve ending blazed. Absorbed in the rightness of Raine and the silky heat of her mouth, his need to mark her drove him. He breathed like bellows, gritting for air between clenched teeth as orgasm brewed at the base of his spine.

“Good,” Liam breathed against her ear. “Watch him. See what you’re doing to him. Open wider. Let him fuck your mouth like he’s ached to for years, love. Show him how much you need him, too.”

Raine whimpered. Her gaze beseeched him. That was all it took.

A thunderous growl ripped from Hammer’s chest as he exploded. Spasms gripped his shaft, cradled by her fiery tongue, as he jettisoned down her throat. His ears buzzed. His limbs numbed. He watched in awe as Raine gulped and swallowed, her gaze still clinging to him.

When the room stopped spinning, Hammer eased from her mouth and collapsed onto the bed. Raine curled up between them, exhaling a sigh of contentment. With a shaky hand, Hammer smoothed a palm down her arm. She wore a little smile.

“Thank you, precious, that was…” A smile tugged one corner of his mouth. “Amazing.”

“You’re welcome, Sirs.” She beamed and blushed all at once. “I enjoyed that.”

Liam eased her to her side, wrapping an arm around her and cuddling her back against him. Her eyes drifted shut as Liam glided his hands over her body, bathing her in gentle affection. Raine purred like a sated kitten as they nestled her between them.

“We’re so proud of you, Raine,” Hammer murmured in her ear before he brushed his lips over hers. “So beautiful.”

With a little moan, she smiled up at him. “Thank you, Sir.”

“So generous,” Liam crooned. “And so fucking sexy.”

She peeked over her shoulder at him. “When I’m with you both, that’s exactly how you make me feel.”

“Sleep now, darling girl. You’ve more than earned it.” Hammer cupped her head and ran his fingers through her hair.

Liam traced indiscriminate patterns over her stomach with his fingertips. “Is breá liom tú, siubhail. I love you, sweetheart. Now dream of us. We’ll be here when you awaken.”

Hammer’s heart was in his throat. Liam made it seem so easy, almost natural, to tell Raine how he felt about her. Soon, Macen vowed, he would have a chance to say those same three words to her. He just prayed it wasn’t too late.

* * *

“She’s asleep,” Liam whispered. Tenderly, he stroked her delicate face.

He loved watching Raine sleep because she gave herself over completely. It was the only time she let go of all her fears and trusted him enough to protect her. It was the only time she really let go.

At least before today.

What she’d given of herself to him and to Hammer earlier had gone above and beyond his every expectation. He ached with love.

“Precious?” Macen called in a low voice.

She didn’t move a muscle, drugged by the blissful respite.

Christ, Liam wanted to stay in bed with her and hold her tight, breathing in her heady scent all damn night. But he knew they needed to debrief, prepare for tomorrow, and find a fucking drink.

“She won’t wake now. We’re good to go. And we won’t be far if she needs us.”

Carefully, he rolled to the side of the bed, stood on legs still shaking, and zipped his trousers. He heard Hammer do the same before they walked to the door. At the doorway, they both peered back at her. Raine’s dark mane spilled over the white pillow. She looked so small and vulnerable, all but swallowed up in the big bed.

With a faint smile, Liam ambled down the stairs, his body still humming with the sensations of her soft mouth engulfing him. After spending all day with a cock that could have pounded nails through concrete, they’d watched as she’d climaxed so beautifully under their hands. Under their control. It had taken every ounce of restraint not to fuck her mouth like a wild man and shoot his seed down her throat in two seconds flat. It had helped knowing Hammer suffered in equal measure.

Neither said a word as they made their way to the great room. At the liquor cabinet, he passed Hammer a bottle of tequila as Liam accepted the Scotch offered in return. They knew one another so well, and Liam took comfort in that.

After pouring their drinks, they settled into matching armchairs before a roaring fire, each taking a few silent moments to reflect. He stared at the flames, then shifted his attention to the wall of windows along the front of the lodge. Gazing out into the wide vista, he saw the cotton-like hue muting the moon and shrouding the snowcapped mountains. No doubt, snow was on the way.

Hammer raised his glass, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. “To a hell of a job well done.”

“To good beginnings. Dea-shláinte.” Liam raised his glass. He couldn’t help but grin, too, before they both tossed back a healthy swallow. After a fiery gulp of the alcohol, he sat back in his chair, content for the moment. “We did it. We reached Raine.”

“And managed to set aside our jealousy for a whole day,” Hammer drawled.

Liam nodded. And didn’t that shock the fuck out of him? Though he couldn’t lie to himself; the first few miles in the car had been excruciating. As Raine had cued into them, listening, obeying, becoming aroused… Somehow, he hadn’t thought as much of his jealousy then.

“We did. I think, in part, because she’s an amazing woman. And we’re giving her exactly what she’s needed.”

“No doubt about it. But I also think it’s because we’ve done this before, even though Raine responded so differently.”

“Than Juliet?” Liam finished. “Yes, she did.”

“Fuck. I know I shouldn’t, but a part of me feels guilty. The connection with Raine feels ten times deeper and more powerful than it did with my own wife.”

That didn’t surprise Liam. Now that Hammer wasn’t trying to hide it, even Raine should be able to see the love Macen had for her.

“Something about all this feels... Shit, I don’t know.” Hammer scrubbed a hand through his hair.

“Familiar but not. So it wasn’t just me, huh?”

“No.” Hammer looked at him long and hard before he spoke again. “What just happened upstairs was… It blew my mind. Do you think that’s what it was supposed to feel like before?”

Liam swirled the liquor in his glass before taking a sip. “I don’t know what I expected, but I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that sort of bonding or connection with another person.”

“Compared to Raine, I see now that Juliet only went through the motions. I guess she thought it was what we wanted. No. What I wanted. No wonder her heart wasn’t in it. God, I was so fucking full of myself.”

“Let it go, Macen. It’s ancient history. I don’t know what was going on in her head and neither do you. But now, we’ve got to put all our focus on Raine.”

“You’re right, man. In my wildest dreams, I didn’t think she’d respond to us like she just did. Raine did more than peek around her walls; she tore them down before our eyes.” A look of wonder spread over Hammer’s face before a smirk curled his lips. “And you didn’t throw a right hook all damn day. I appreciate that.”

He cocked his head with a faint smile. “I could say the same to you. You’re not going to try and convince me that you didn’t want to take a swing too?”

He grunted. “I wasn’t going to give her any reason to stop what we were doing.”

Liam raised his glass again. “To self-restraint.”

Hammer chuckled and lifted his tumbler.

“I guess we know that she’s serious now about opening herself.” Liam stared at the fire licking over the logs, recalling how Raine pushed ahead and persevered to meet their every demand.

“I’ve got to tell you, I thought we’d spend at least the first few days trying to pry most everything out of her.”

“I thought the same.”

“Just because she’s done well so far, we can’t give her any wiggle room,” Hammer warned. “Now we’ve got to make sure she leaves her defenses down for the rest of the tasks.”

“Agreed. Otherwise it will be too easy for her to slip back into old habits. But it’s a hell of a start.”

“It gives me hope, man. Definitely gives me hope.”

“Christ, I’m sorry about the photos. I didn’t mean to walk right into that one.” Liam grimaced.

“Don’t sweat it. She needed the truth sooner or later. But fuck, I hated hurting her that way. Betraying her wasn’t at all what I’d intended. I should have told her about them long before now.”

Liam sent Hammer a speculative look. “Why haven’t you ever told her that you’re in love with her?”

“Where the hell did that come from?” Hammer barked.

If they were mending fences, Liam was tired of tiptoeing around his friend. The time had come to lay everything out in the open.

“Seriously, mate. You should have told her. She’s never held back how she feels about you.”

“Everything that happened today tells me that you’re right. I should have confessed my feelings a long time ago. I just let all the other fears and bullshit get in the way. Fuck me.” Hammer shook his head. “Now that I’m ready to say it, it’s not the right time or place. There’s no way I’ll distract her from what we’re trying to accomplish here. Besides, her telling me that she loves me is only a recent thing. I may have suspected but…”

“I’d give anything to hear her say those words to me.”

Hammer’s mouth hung open in shock. “She never has?”

“Not once.”

“Just because she hasn’t said the words doesn’t mean… Christ. You’re joking, right? Can’t you see the way she looks at you? You have to know she loves you.”

He hoped. Wanted. Pined, even. But he didn’t know.

Liam stood and walked to the windows. “She feels something for me, but I still need to bloody hear it.”

He felt Hammer stroll up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I can see it’s tearing you up. But trust me, she’ll tell you. Be patient. She’ll sort things out and say the words you want to hear.”

“I wish I shared your confidence. I sure as hell don’t want her learning how to share her heart by your example,” Liam poked.

“Fuck you, asshole.” Hammer laughed, then sobered quickly. “I did the best I could at the time with both you and Raine. The hiding and evasions snowballed somehow. The truth hurt too much. Before I knew it, the avalanche of hurt and confusion buried me.”

“Don’t shut me out again, Macen. I would have been there for you. I still am, you bloody wanker.”

“I know, man. Thank you.” Hammer gripped him in a brotherly hug and smacked him on the back.

“So, are we done measuring our cocks now?” Liam asked. “Because mine is still bigger than yours.”

“In your fucking dreams.” Hammer chuckled.

“See, I told you they were idiots,” Seth grumbled as he and Beck strolled into the room. “They’re even talking about whipping them out and comparing.”

“Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with their size or mojo. I think everyone who lives on the mountain overheard Raine’s screams.” Beck smirked.

Liam and Hammer exchanged a smug look of pride.

“Which brings me to my next question.” Seth groaned and adjusted the swell beneath the zipper of his jeans. “Are there any available women at this godforsaken altitude?”

“Oh, bugger off. There’s a bottle of lotion under the sink in your bathroom. Have a grand time with your fist.”

“Just jack off quietly,” Hammer instructed.

“And clean up afterward. I don’t want Ngaire having to mop up behind you.” Liam laughed.

“You two made a Raine sandwich, I take it?” Beck asked with a leering grin.

“You perverts.” Hammer scoffed. “We didn’t fuck her. We rewarded her for a job well done.”

“Like it’s any of your bloody business,” Liam growled.

“Well, technically it is. You brought us up this mountain to help, so…yeah, we need to know if you gave her a good reward or a mind-blowing one. By the sound of her screams, I’d say she definitely got her mind blown.” Seth grinned. “Wish I could have seen it.”

“Shut the fuck up and get a drink,” Hammer grumbled. “We’ve had a hell of a breakthrough you need to hear about.”

As the four men settled in near the fireplace, he and Macen told the others about the inroads they’d made with Raine. Liam was still in awe at how she’d burst open and shared her soul with them both. They’d worked as a team, like they had in the past—but better, more naturally. It reassured him that he and Hammer were on the same page. Same page, nothing. It felt as if they’d started writing a new chapter in their friendship. After the chasm that had so recently divided them, mending the fracture felt damn good.

“I’m not trying to play devil’s advocate here,” Beck began. “But are you sure you two didn’t have her so revved up, she responded that completely just to get off?”

Liam shook his head. “No. I’m well versed in the ways she maneuvers from the truth. There wasn’t even a whisper of that today.”

“Don’t get too cocky yet,” Seth warned. “She’s still got a hell of a lot of work ahead of her.”

“We’re not,” Hammer growled as if taking offense to the other man’s words. “We know what we’re doing.”

“I know you do.” Seth raised his hand, staving off Macen’s glare. “All I’m saying is tomorrow might not be as easy as today. I’m just trying to prepare you both.”

“We never said it would be easy,” Liam agreed. “But then I was mostly thinking for her, not us. Seems like she’s not the only one learning a few things.”

“What do you mean?” Beck leaned in to study first Hammer, then Liam.

“Her home life.” Hammer slammed back a gulp as if steeling himself to continue. “Bill did a number on her emotionally and physically, far worse than we’d known.”

“The sick, fucking prick killed off anything she coveted. Her dreams, goddamn puppies she wanted for pets… The son of a bitch needs to die a slow, painful death. And I’d love to be the one to do it, too.” Liam felt his anger boil again.

“Get in line, man. I’m right there with you.” Hammer nodded with a tight set of his jaw.

“Sounds like she’s going to need the first part of tomorrow’s task even more.” The look on Beck’s face revealed the depth of his concern.

Liam had harbored contempt for Beck almost from day one. He’d noticed the friendship between the brash, tattooed Dom and Hammer when he’d first arrived. It had crawled under his skin that another was privy to his best mate on more than a surface level. Even though the resentment made him feel like a girl, it scorched him. But after the day they’d spent working with Raine, Beck had grown on him. And Liam himself had a new understanding; he and Hammer still shared a bond deeper than brothers. Far deeper than Beck or any other could imagine.

“It sounds like she’s needed what you both have to offer for a long time.” Seth tossed back a shot of bourbon with a hiss. “I’m glad you two didn’t make us drag out the two-by-fours.”

“That’s a last resort.” Beck chuckled. “They’d just try to shove them up our asses.”

Seth scoffed. “Good luck with that.”

The sling of insults continued a few minutes longer before they all buckled down and got back to business. They discussed strategy and collectively agreed to a plan of action.

One by one, the other men left for their beds while Liam sat before the dying embers. Pondering all he’d once had with Raine, praying he could have it again…but better than before. He could see a future with the girl so very clearly, and he ached down to his marrow for it.

Placing his empty tumbler on the side table, he thought about Hammer. He didn’t want to focus on how deeply they both loved Raine. But it was a fact he couldn’t deny. Facing the reality that the dream of ever having her for himself again might be nothing more than fantasy chilled him. He hated the way his jealousy made him feel, but he owed himself the same honesty and openness he and Hammer demanded of Raine.

It seemed much longer than a few short weeks ago that his life had been uncomplicated and predictable. The struggles he now faced were nothing compared to her ultimate happiness. Come what may, it satisfied something inside him to see her blossom beneath their hands. Their voices. Their will. She became something more with them both, someone more… He had no words for it yet, just an inkling of something not quite free of the shadows. But when it revealed itself, when they could see all of her soul, it would be the most priceless gift he’d ever received.

Climbing the stairs, he reached her room. With a soft snick of the handle, he peeked inside. She lay just as they’d left her, buried deep beneath the covers, only her nose and dark hair peeking free.

The need to go to her damn near overwhelmed him. It surprised him, too. But it shouldn’t have. Raine had always had that effect on him, from the very first time he’d seen her. He’d been so torn, never sure whether to beat her ass black and blue, fuck her senseless, or hold her against him and feel their hearts beat together—none of which she’d minded too much. And always to protect her, to keep her safe from whatever frightened her that he couldn’t see. But he knew what she feared now, and something inside him raged for the injustices she’d endured. He couldn’t have helped her as a child, but he could love the woman now. Liam hoped it would be enough.