Clark, Rachel - Nothing on Earth (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  He climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine and, faking a calm he was far from feeling, waved to the elderly woman watching him from her chair on the veranda. By the time he reached the highway, he felt his fear escalating again.

  They were closing in.

  Tara needed to be saved.

  * * * *

  Tara’s heart leapt into her throat as the door burst open She tugged desperately at the bindings holding her wrists, fear and determination masking the pain.

  John yelled at Alec in a language she couldn’t identify and then turned his attention to her. She pulled harder against her bonds.

  “Stop,” he ordered as he came into the room. “Tara, stop. It’s just me. It’s John.”

  That did absolutely nothing to make her feel better. John was the man she feared the most. She’d known it was him coming through the door, but he spoke as if she should expect someone else. God, how did she get a starring role in his delusions?

  “Tara, stop,” he said more quietly. He moved closer, and despite the part of her that wanted to kick him in the balls, she cringed from him like a frightened child. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued to pull against her captured wrists.

  John must’ve realized the closer he got the more terror she felt because he stopped his advance and took a step back.

  “Tara, safe,” Alec said quietly. She shook her head wildly.

  “No, Alec, I’m not safe. John is dangerous. I...I’m not safe.”

  She saw John’s face as she said the words. Oh God, what had she done? She was supposed to go along with the scary man, be a good little hostage, not antagonize a disturbed mind.

  “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, no longer consciously choosing her words. “I’m sorry. John, I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean it.” She fell to the floor, her wrists lifting at an uncomfortable angle as the tether pulled tight. She dropped her head forward, her hair falling like a curtain over her vision. She could barely see through the tears anyway, but the hand that touched her head terrified the daylights out of her.

  She forced herself to accept the caress without pulling away. She had to go along with his delusions. Her life depended on it.

  * * * *

  John stepped forward, unable to tolerate seeing her in agony, agony that he’d caused. He wanted to pull her into his arms, hold her tight, and never let her go, but he knew she wouldn’t welcome his embrace. Hell, the one and only time he’d held her, he’d sedated her, abducted her, and hidden her in this small room. That wasn’t something anyone forgot in a hurry. Oh, and to top things off, he’d tied her to the wall for her own safety.

  He knew she was terrified, but he couldn’t not comfort her. He reached out a trembling hand and touched the top of her head lightly, a little surprised she didn’t pull away until he realized she was forcing herself to hold still.

  “I’m sorry.” He barely managed to force the words past his dry throat, and his heart ached as she continued to sob. “I know I frightened you. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. If they’d found you, they would’ve taken you, and I can’t let that happen.”

  He caressed the top of her head gently, trying not to frighten her any more than she already was. “Tara, I’m going to take the cuffs off so that you can move around. I need you to promise me that you won’t try to run. They’ll find you if you leave this room.”

  She nodded slightly against his hand.

  “Tara, baby, I need you to promise you won’t run. It’s not safe. Not for any of us anymore. You have to trust me to keep you safe.”

  “I p…promise,” she said falteringly as she lifted her hands higher. He saw the reddened skin where she’d chaffed it against her bonds, and he wanted to apologize all over again.

  God, he’d fucked this up.

  * * * *

  She still had her head down when he undid the bonds so she didn’t see how he removed them. Inside her head she cursed a blue streak at her stupidity. If he put her in them again, it would’ve at least been helpful to see how the damn things worked.

  Squinting as she tried to see around the dark, little room, Tara tried her best to hide her agitation. John still stood in front of her, and she braced herself not to pull away from his touch. She’d antagonized this man more than enough for one day. She really needed to protect herself and stick to her resolution to be a good little prisoner.

  “Tara, Alec is going to stay with you while I work. We have a lot to get through, but I don’t want you to be alone.”

  She nodded again, strangely relieved that she wouldn’t be locked in this dark, claustrophobically small room alone.

  Chapter Three

  Alec watched the way his lover reacted to the woman. He acknowledged a large amount of attraction for the pretty brunette himself, but he could see that John felt far more deeply. Had John fallen for her while Alec had been busily trying to avoid the outside world? Hell, he’d been sulking ever since John had dragged him to this city. He hadn’t wanted to leave everything and everyone he’d known just to follow John as he followed his conscience, but Alec had done it because he loved the man.

  He could see that John was suffering. Alec understood how much it had hurt John to frighten Tara the way he had, but he also understood the motivation and the necessity.

  A sob drew his attention back to Tara. She sat with her head dropped forward, her hair covering her pretty face as John undid the tether. He didn’t need to understand the words his lover murmured to know what he’d said, but the last part caught him by surprise. John left the room, closing the door firmly behind him, before Alec could utter a protest.

  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to try to comfort Tara. It was just that he knew how much John needed his reassurance right now. The look on John’s face when Tara had begged for Alec’s help would likely haunt him for a very long time.

  She couldn’t have hurt him more if she’d had a weapon. The soul-destroying words had hit John very hard, despite the fact that they’d both expected them. Alec carefully moved toward where Tara sat on the floor rubbing her reddened wrists. She looked up as he got closer, and he again cursed his reluctance to learn English. All those times he’d refused to practice the language with John now seemed petty and spiteful and, quite frankly, childish. He hadn’t gotten his way, so he’d sulked and made John miserable, and now here they were, trying to protect a terrified woman who had absolutely no understanding of the danger she was in.

  And he, dumbass, selfish bastard that he was, held no ability to explain it to her.

  “Tara, I sorry,” he said as he moved closer still. She kept her head down, and he could still hear her crying, so he wasn’t even sure she’d heard him. “Tara, I sorry,” he said again and reached a hand toward her. Even the threat of those straight, white teeth didn’t worry him at the moment. The man he loved needed him to comfort this woman while he worked to keep them all safe. He would do this no matter what.

  She looked up at him, eyed his hand, then glanced back up to his face. “I sorry,” he said again, and this time she nodded in response.

  “I know,” she said quietly. “Everybody is sorry, even me, but I don’t think it’s going to save us.”

  He shook his head, a little annoyed at her lack of faith in John. John would protect them both, he knew that for certain, but then he realized what she meant. She thought John was the danger. He needed to make her understand, but his lousy language skills held him back. Hell, he could make this situation worse just by using the wrong word in the wrong context at the wrong time. He whispered a promise to John that he would learn English as fast as he could.

  “What language is that?” she asked quietly.

  “Not English,” he answered with a small smile. Hell, he didn’t even know what his language was called. He’d just always spoken it, and everyone around him had done the same. He didn’t even have enough skills in English to explain that he didn’t even know.

  She frowned at his answer, but another sob escap
ed instead of words. Slowly, he moved to settle his arms around her. She held herself away from him, so he just sat still on the floor, waiting for her to move closer to him. He took a small amount of comfort that she hadn’t pulled away, but he’d watched her withstand John’s touch even though he terrified her, so he didn’t exactly congratulate himself on his tactic.

  She shivered in his arms but eventually leaned against him and let him embrace her. Alec had no idea what to say. Even in his own language, he wasn’t sure what would be appropriate here, so he simply held her close, and eventually she began to relax against him.

  It felt so different to be the one offering comfort. He’d grown so used to John taking care of him that he’d forgotten that he wasn’t the only one who needed support. He closed his eyes as memories of his selfishness of the past year surfaced. He’d really hurt John. John still loved him, despite the fact that he’d acted like a selfish brat. He really was a lucky man, and he needed to find a way to make it up to his lover and best friend.

  Several hours later, Tara had finally fallen asleep. He’d carried her over the small cot in the corner and sat on the floor beside the bed holding her hand. She whimpered in her dreams, and he smoothed a large hand over her head. She really was a beautiful woman.

  The door opened quietly, and he glanced up to see John standing at the doorway, his body language telegraphing his tense worry.

  “Asleep?” John asked in their language.

  “Yes,” he answered in English, determined to let his lover know he had his support and that he would learn as quickly as he could from now on. Alec carefully placed Tara’s hand back on the bed, moving slowly, silently, so that he wouldn’t wake her. He stood and walked to his lover.

  He didn’t say a word, just wrapped his arms around John’s waist and held on tight. John exhaled heavily as he pulled Alec closer, and Alec felt even more wretched for having made his partner feel so alone. They were in this together, and Alec vowed silently that he would do everything he could to help his lover.

  “I love you, baby,” John said very quietly against Alec’s ear. Alec lifted his face and pressed his lips against John’s warm mouth, showing him without words just how much he loved his man. They kissed each other until the passion became too intense for where they were. John pulled away, panting hard as he whispered in Alec’s ear, “I need you.”

  Alec nodded, wanting desperately to please his love. They’d been a couple for years, and it had been Alec’s own fault that they’d grown apart. Here was his chance to close that distance and begin to heal their fractured relationship.

  John led him into the main room, pulled the metal door closed, and then engaged the lock so that Tara was safe. He lifted Alec off his feet as he kissed him harder, more deeply, more urgently. John’s hands shook as he worked at the buttons of Alec’s shirt, and Alec helped by ripping it over his head impatiently. He also quickly undid his pants, dropping them to the floor so that his engorged cock sprang free. Almost immediately, John’s warm hand wrapped around Alec’s swollen shaft and began tugging on him.

  John’s grip was hard, almost painful, but Alec welcomed the sensation, welcomed the chance for his lover to take him the way he used to. Alec didn’t even know there was a table behind him until John lifted him onto it and tilted him backward. The thick, blunt finger was almost a shock as it penetrated him without lubrication.

  “Baby, I need to be inside you, but I can’t remember where I put the lube.”

  “It’s okay,” Alec whispered, knowing this was going to hurt. But John did what he always did, protected Alec from any and all pain, and instead wrapped his hand around both of their cocks, rubbing them together as he pumped quickly. The intense, rapid sensation had Alec’s balls pulling tight, his breathing erratic as his lover rushed him to an intense climax. Hot cum hit his naked chest as John kissed him wildly. The kiss went on and on until Alec thought he might faint from lack of oxygen.

  Finally, John lifted his head and whispered, “I love you.”

  Alec fell back onto the table, unable to hold himself upright, but grunted as he bumped his head against something hard.

  “Perfect.” John laughed quietly as he grabbed the bottle of olive oil from behind Alec’s head. As he’d always done, John took care to prepare him properly. By the time John fit his fat cock to Alec’s opening Alec was so ready he was half out of his mind with need.

  John pushed the head of his cock inside. He held still a moment, and then it was as if his control finally snapped. John pushed hard, filling Alec’s ass, stretching the muscles deliciously. Alec gasped as John set a fast pace. He lifted Alec’s legs up and outward, holding him apart as he plowed into him over and over. Already Alec could feel his own cock returning to life, and he cried out when John grabbed him by the balls and said one word—“Come.”

  Pearly-white streams coated Alec’s stomach. John stilled in his ass, the pulsing beat of his cock comforting Alec as John found his own release. John gasped for breath and held his lover tight. It hadn’t been like this in a long time, and he mourned the loss as John pulled out of his ass.

  “Go have a shower, baby,” he said as he helped Alec off the table. “I need to check a few things, so it would probably be a good idea if you slept beside Tara tonight.”

  “What about you?” Alec asked worriedly. He’d slept next to John every night for the last six years, but tonight it seemed far more important—for both of them.

  “I don’t think my presence would help Tara rest, but I’ll try to get a few hours out here. Hold her tonight. I think she needs to know she’s not alone.”

  Eager to help anyway he could but reluctant to leave his lover alone, Alec wracked his brain for a workable compromise. Before he could come up with anything that made sense, John was lifting him onto his feet.

  “Shower,” he whispered as he turned Alec toward the bathroom door.

  Unable to think and unwilling to disappoint, he followed John’s instructions.

  * * * *

  Tara woke as a clean, soap-smelling arm slid around her middle. She lay facing the wall, but even without being able to see him, she knew it was Alec climbing onto the bed beside her. It felt strange that she could accept his comfort so calmly despite the circumstances. Even the fact that Alec seemed to be John’s lover didn’t really matter right now. The comfort of being physically close to another human being meant more at this moment than any other time in her life.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked quietly. She didn’t want to antagonize Alec, but she really needed to understand how he fit into all of this. Did he just follow his lover blindly, not knowing the details or the circumstances he may be dragged into?

  “Tara, safe,” he replied softly.

  Tara rolled over to face him in the dim light. Searching his face for something she couldn’t quite define, she tried again. “Safe from what? What is it? Who is it that John thinks he’s protecting me from?”

  Alec shook his head, but she didn’t have a clue if it was because he didn’t know or because he didn’t understand her words.

  “I want to go home,” she said brokenly, not really caring if he understood or not.

  “Home not safe. Sleep,” he said as he rolled onto his back and gently guided her head to his shoulder. “Sleep, John fix, be better. Safe.”

  She sighed tiredly but let him maneuver her into a comfortable position for both of them, very relieved to realize that Alec was fully dressed. Whatever was going on here, it didn’t seem to be a kinky sex thing. Well, not yet at least.

  Chapter Four

  He held her soft curves against him, a little surprised at how different it felt to lie beside a woman. It had been many years since he’d held a female close, and he’d forgotten just how different the experience could be compared to sleeping next to John. John was huge, all muscle and very loving, and most often slept with his arms wrapped around Alec, holding him close, even when they’d been arguing. Sleeping next to John made him feel safe and pro
tected and loved. But sleeping next to Tara bought forth a whole lot of different emotions. For the first time in a long time, he felt responsible for another person and didn’t want to let John down again by failing to comfort Tara.

  He could feel the tension in her body, the way she held herself rigid even as she tried to feign being relaxed. He lifted a callused hand to her face and swept a loose curl away from her eyes. She truly was a magnificent specimen. She was quite tall for a woman, but she was built in beautiful proportions, neither fat nor skinny but rather a lovely example of curvy perfection.

  Alec pulled her just a little closer, amazed at how much he enjoyed the gentle press of her breasts against his side. Even fully clothed, he could feel the swell of her womanly flesh.

  She’d asked him a question, and he hadn’t quite caught the words, but he felt fairly certain he knew what she’d asked. Basically, why? She wanted to know why this was happening to her, and he had absolutely no way of explaining it. He hated that it was necessary for both Tara and John to go through this, but he couldn’t see any way around it. John said they were coming, and Alec trusted him. John had never been wrong before, so Alec saw no reason to doubt him now.

  * * * *

  John woke suddenly as his torso tilted forward. He hadn’t even realized he felt that tired, so the small loss of consciousness was a little unnerving. He tipped his head from side to side trying to loosen the muscles in his neck and shoulders. He’d been working on this for so long that even his eyelids were numb.

  He ran a hand down his face, glared at the device in front of him, and then pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. His spine felt stiff and sore, so he moved around the room, stretching and flexing his arms as he went over the design again in his head.

  He suspected that it was the actual absence of a signal in the area that had alerted them to Tara’s existence. They’d found her simply by not finding her. A blind spot in their scans, though not unheard of in itself, had most likely led them to her. He’d always known he ran that risk, but he hadn’t expected them to find her quite so quickly.