She should clear that up. It was a dumb fantasy brought about by romance novels and the desperate need to not be in control for five damn minutes. “It was just a joke.”
She nearly squealed. They moved in perfect time. Cade’s fingers tightened on her nipples while Jesse pinched her clit.
“Don’t lie to us.” Jesse twisted his fingers slightly. There was a sharp pain that shifted into heat and a restless energy. “Tell me.”
“I want to try it.”
Their fingers eased up. Cade dipped into her bra, warm hands cupping her breasts. “Why did you try to go so fast, baby?”
“Men like fast.” Men wanted to get in and out. They liked a woman who could keep up with them.
“I don’t,” Jesse said. “I like slow. I like all night long.”
“Patrick liked to get to sleep.”
They both stopped. “Who the hell is Patrick?” Cade asked.
“Is he the man you were supposed to marry tomorrow?” Jesse asked.
He was the man she’d been ready to marry and who’d called her, not even bothering to remember it was supposed to be the night before their wedding. He was the man who had really taught her about sex. Two-minute Patrick.
She nodded. “Yes. We were supposed to get married, but I found him with another woman.”
Jesse leaned over, pressing his lips to hers in the sweetest kiss. “Hold that thought. Cade, distract her while I open this damn door. We’re giving the whole valley a show. I think I caught the glint of binoculars a minute ago.”
Embarrassment flashed through her system. Everyone was watching her?
And then Cade whirled her around and dragged her close, those strong hands pulling at her hips. His mouth came down on hers. She knew she should protest. She started to push away, but her hands met the most perfectly sculpted chest. Cade was made of pure muscle, but his mouth was gentle on hers. “Give me your tongue, baby.”
She opened her mouth to respond, and he took immediate advantage. His tongue slid against hers. She’d been kissed before, but not like this. Cade took over, forcing her head back. She’d been so worried when she’d kissed him before. It had been nice, but nothing special. This was what had been missing. Cade held her, his arms a cage that locked her in and wouldn’t let her go. She wasn’t in control. She wasn’t dominant. She softened, her whole body shivering at the thought of giving in to these men.
And she was damn glad Jesse still had her panties because if they’d been on, they would be wet. Her pussy was practically melting. Cade ate at her mouth, devouring her like she was a sweet treat.
She nearly protested when he moved back, the loss of his mouth on hers so terribly rough. But he leaned over and picked her up, his arms going under her knees. He hauled her against his chest like he was picking up something small that weighed next to nothing. Cade, who didn’t want anything serious, held her like she was infinitely fragile.
She wasn’t, of course. She wasn’t some flower. She was more like the rock that anchored things down than some pretty, petite flower, but just for a moment she envisioned herself as soft and deeply feminine. She gave in, letting her head rest against his chest, pretending this was her right as his lover, to lean on him, depend on him, to know he would take care of her.
Dangerous thoughts. The world didn’t work like that, but just for tonight, she was going to pretend.
Jesse turned the light on, illuminating her little cabin. No one had updated the décor for years. The living space seemed trapped in the seventies, but somehow Jesse looked right here. He looked like he belonged in the rustic setting. Cade carried her to the couch.
“My bedroom is back there,” she said as he sat her down.
Jesse shook his head. “I suppose Patrick always did it in a bed.”
She wrinkled her nose. Yeah, she should probably stop talking about Patrick. New lovers didn’t like to hear about the old ones. She needed to write down a whole set of rules. “I don’t want to talk about Patrick.”
She wanted to kiss again. She’d never liked kissing. It was awkward and messy, and she never knew how to hold her head, but when Cade kissed her, he just moved her where he wanted her. She wanted Jesse to kiss her. She wanted to feel the scruff of his beard against her face.
What would it feel like on her pussy?
Jesse whistled. “Damn, darlin’. I would give a lot to know what you just thought. Your whole body flushed, but we do have to talk about Patrick. Now take off your shirt.”
“What?” Were they going into therapy? “I don’t think I want to be the only one naked.”
Jesse shook his head. “Cade’s been naked since he set you on the couch.” He looked at Cade, a wry smile on his face. “How the hell do you manage that?”
Gemma looked up and felt her mouth drop. He was naked. He was just really naked. So damn beautifully and gloriously naked. Why did he ever wear clothes?
Cade shrugged. “It’s my superpower. I don’t like clothes. Gemma, here’s the deal. I like to be naked when I’m at home. I actually would rather just be naked wherever, but Nate passes out tickets and let me tell you, they are liberal with the fines here.”
Well, of course he liked to be naked. He was perfect. Six feet two inches of perfectly muscled male god stood in front of her. Every inch of him was defined, from his broad shoulders to his washboard abs and lean hips to powerful legs. Her mouth actually watered. She’d kind of thought cocks that big were a myth, like Big Foot and vampires. She’d been pretty sure they were photoshopped into porn videos, but no, Cade’s was vividly real and pointed straight her way.
They wanted her to talk? She could barely breathe.
“See, now I’m getting jealous,” Jesse said, frowning.
Fuck. She was screwing up. She’d screwed up all night long. This was what she did. This was why she concentrated on her job and not the stupid emotional stuff—because she was hideously bad at the emotional stuff.
“Hey, hey.” Jesse got to his knees in front of her. He forced her to look into his seriously blue eyes. “I was joking, baby. Why did you get so tense? Baby, I was just teasing. You can’t help but look at it. People can see it from space.”
She laughed, tears forming in her eyes because she was in way deeper than she thought she was. Why did they have to be so sweet? “I don’t want to screw up.”
His eyes closed, just briefly, and when he opened them again there was a soft ferocity there. “You aren’t a screwup, Gemma, and I’ll beat the living shit out of anyone who tells you otherwise. This is why we need to talk about Patrick and everyone else who put you in this place where you’re terrified of making a wrong move.”
Cade sat down beside her on the couch, his utter ease with his unclothed state on display. He sat next to her, putting a hand on hers like they were just two friends talking and his incredibly large dick wasn’t forming a lightning rod drawing her eyes in. “It isn’t wrong to screw up, G. It’s just normal. I screw up all the time, and Jesse just laughs it off. No one’s going to throw you out if you prove yourself to be human.”
But that wasn’t her experience. So much of her life had been about perfection, and she’d placed herself in the position. She would have lost her scholarship if she hadn’t made straight As. Her internship for a circuit court judge had been fraught with peril, his nastiness coming out if she’d put three sugars in his coffee instead of two. And the firm. God, she’d walked a tightrope every day, always having to be the best.
“I don’t know how to be any other way,” she admitted. “I think it’s just me. My mom and dad were great. They just didn’t understand me.”