Katie's Choice Page 3

  Her hand skimmed his chest, traveled over his belly, and caressed the rigid evidence of his arousal. Reflex and a desperate sense of self-preservation had him pulling away from her gentle touch, but she followed his movement and caressed him harder.

  “Baby girl, if you keep that up, you are going to get far more than you bargained for.”

  She grinned wickedly and then rolled onto her side so she could use both hands to pry open his jeans. Her fumbling, awkward movements sent him into overdrive faster than any practiced hand could’ve managed.

  Desperately, he rolled off the bed and onto his feet. He gave her one last chance to back down, but then she licked her lips in unconscious sensuality and he was lost.

  “On your knees,” he ordered just as Rick came back into the room. Daniel pointed to the floor near his feet, and she scrambled to follow his instructions. Rick simply leaned his shoulder against the doorway and smiled encouragingly at them both.

  Daniel wanted to order her to take his clothes off, but he was so close to losing his control that one more soft brush against his hypersensitive flesh might just be his undoing. He undid the button and pushed his jeans and underwear to the floor. He slid his hand into Katie’s hair, angling her face up to his in a last ditch effort to warn her of what was about to happen.

  But she smiled, wrapped a fist around his aching flesh, and flicked her tongue over the weeping slit. Beyond endurance, Daniel pushed the head of his cock against her lips and slid deep as she opened her mouth. Touching the back of her throat, he held her there, refusing to let her move as she struggled to adjust to his invasion.

  “Breathe, baby girl. Relax and swallow.” He caressed the side of her face patiently as she worked to overcome her gag reflex and swallow around his cock. A single tear slid from her eye, and he smoothed it away as he carefully pulled halfway from her mouth and then slid back into the heavenly warmth.

  As he hit the back of her throat again, she swallowed, this time more easily, and he breathed a relieved sigh when she moaned with pleasure. In and out, he thrust into her welcoming heat. Again and again she swallowed around the head of his cock.

  His control snapped. He grabbed her head in both hands, holding her still as he pushed into her more forcefully. She gagged once, managed to adjust, and braced herself against his thighs. He thrust harder, holding her still, forcing her to take all of him.

  “I’m going to come, baby girl. I want you to swallow all of it.”

  She nodded, and then he sped his movements, taking, claiming, marking her as his own as his seed burst from his cock and filled her throat. She swallowed again and again, his orgasm seeming to go on longer than ever before. Finally, breathing hard, he held her still as she caressed his softening cock with her tongue and then let it fall from her mouth.

  He dropped to his knees, completely humbled by her acceptance of his darker needs. If she’d been frightened or overwhelmed by him, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to live with the guilt. She smiled and touched his face, seeming to understand his relief.

  Rick walked over and lifted her onto the bed, spooning against her back and arranging them so Daniel could lie in front of her. Quickly shucking the rest his clothing, he climbed onto the bed and lay on his side facing her. He pressed a kiss to her sleepy smile and then watched as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

  A quick glance at his brother’s contented expression proved they were on the same wavelength.

  Katie was the one.

  She always had been.

  Chapter Four

  Hours later, Katie awoke as Daniel rolled off the bed and grabbed his jeans. She stretched her tired muscles as Rick’s warm arm pulled her closer. He kissed the back of her neck and mumbled, “Good morning, sweetness.” His hand roamed over her flesh, igniting all sorts of wicked ideas in her newly inspired imagination. She moaned as he dipped lower, grazing a finger over her clit and tangling in the curls.

  She sighed as memories of their night together swirled through her memory. In the shower they’d taken turns fucking her against the wall, and she could practically still feel the cold tiles and the intense heat of their bodies as they’d taken her to heaven and then beyond.

  She pressed back against the cock thickening against her ass, but moved away quickly when she heard the doorbell chime. She went to roll away, but Rick held her still and whispered, “Daniel’s got it.”

  She really should answer the door herself. It was her home after all, but Rick’s clever tongue was wriggling its way down her neck and messing with her normal, predictable thought processes. She giggled as he suckled on her earlobe.

  “I don’t care if she’s sleeping. I want to speak to my wife now!”

  Wife?

  Just the sound of Gordon’s nasally voice made her shudder in irritation, but the fact he had the audacity to claim her as his wife was beyond infuriating. They’d been divorced for seven years for heaven’s sake.

  Rick must’ve felt her tension because he laughed quietly and whispered, “Go for it, tiger.” He released her, and she grabbed her robe as the anger built rapidly. Who the fuck did Gordon think he was?

  She practically ran down the hallway to confront the asshole she’d once been married to. The fact he had his arm around a buxom, young blonde threw her for only a moment. She glanced at the woman who seemed embarrassed to be here—maybe she actually had a brain underneath all that bleached hair—and dismissed her just a quickly. She had no argument with the woman. Her gripe was with the man so arrogantly claiming her as his.

  “What the fuck do you want, Gordon?” She practically spat the words, and he gave her the exact look she’d been expecting—that condescending, pitying look he’d always given her when he’d felt the need to correct her behavior in any situation. At first, she’d believed Gordon was trying to help her learn and grow as the wife of an important businessman, but it had quickly become obvious it was more about his need for control than her failings as a human being. Even when she’d been exactly what he’d wanted, he’d found a way to make her feel like a failure—usually in front of other people. When she’d finally realized it, she’d started swearing quite liberally after that.

  “Now, Katherine, is that any way to speak to someone only concerned for your welfare? I know it’s your family reunion today and was worried that you were stuck here all alone.”

  She rolled her eyes at the condescending attitude and the use of the name he’d told her was more appropriate and classy than her own. Katie was the name on her birth certificate, but apparently, in Gordon’s opinion, not suitable for his wife.

  She felt Daniel tense in reaction to Gordon’s words. It was obvious Gordon hadn’t recognized Daniel. Her ex probably hadn’t even noticed Rick standing behind her. Gordon had always been a smug bastard, but his arrogance would one day lead him into strife.

  “Fine,” she said striving to be polite despite the urge to tell the man to fuck off. He’d brought a date to check on his ex-wife’s wellbeing—more likely he’d come to gloat that she was alone and he wasn’t. “As you can see, I’m fine. Thank you for dropping by,” she said as she tried to urge them back out the front door.

  Gordon deliberately stepped around her and headed toward the kitchen. “Why don’t you be a good hostess and offer your guests a cof—” The sentence froze mid-word as he finally noticed Rick. Gordon glanced back at Daniel and then as if a light bulb finally switched on, a malicious smile broke across Gordon’s face.

  “So,” he said, turning his gaze directly on her even though the words were aimed at the brothers, “she finally got around to choosing one of you.”

  Katie’s breath jammed in her throat. She’d always thought she’d hidden her attraction to Daniel and Rick, but Gordon’s scoffing words suggested otherwise.

  For a moment she faltered, but then every remark, every criticism, every nasty, horrible thing her ex-husband had ever said or done to her came crashing in and she saw red.

  “That’s right,” she said, congra
tulating herself on the calm sound of her voice.

  “So which one of you losers lost the bet?”

  Both Rick and Daniel looked ready to pulverize the stupid man and, for a moment, Katie considered letting them. But words had always been Gordon’s weapons, and she was determined to fight fire with fire.

  “Neither,” she said stepping closer to Daniel and reaching for Rick. “I’ve decided to keep them both.”

  To say her ex-husband looked dumbfounded was an understatement, but the man recovered quickly and smirked as he delivered what he considered the definitive blow.

  “Both? You want me to believe such a lousy lay could somehow keep two men happy?” He turned to his blonde to share the mirth and ran straight into the woman’s fist. Katie stood frozen as the idiot she’d once married crumpled at the knees and hit the floor face first.

  “I’m sorry,” the woman said as she shook her hand and flexed her fingers. “But he really deserved that. Could you call me a cab? I need to get out of here.”

  Katie nodded, trying to shake off the laughter that kept bubbling up to her throat. Violence was wrong, she knew it was wrong, but she didn’t think she’d ever known someone who’d deserved to be punched in the nose more than her ex.

  She turned to the phone, but Rick was already calling a cab. He winked at her as Daniel wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her away from the still form lying on the tiles in her foyer. She shook her head, a million questions running through her mind. She never would’ve thought Daniel capable of leaving an injured man unattended, but that seemed to be exactly what he was doing. Gordon was an asshole, but he still required assistance.

  “He’s foxing,” Daniel whispered in her ear. Confused, she turned in his arms and gestured that she didn’t understand. “He’s waiting for you to fall to your knees and take care of his sorry ass. Isn’t that right, Gordon?” he asked in a louder voice.

  Amazingly, the fool answered with a sulky, “No,” and then pushed himself into a sitting position. His nose might’ve been a little red, but there was no evidence of any real injury. His date looked angry enough to lay a boot in his ribs, and Rick moved quickly to intercept her.

  “I’ve called your cab,” he said as he smoothly maneuvered her out the front door. “We’ll just wait on the porch.” He sent a look full of meaning at his brother and then closed the door behind him and the blonde.

  Katie turned her attention back to the man who’d belittled her enough to last two lifetimes. “Get out!”

  “Now, Katherine,” he said as he stood up, “you’re obviously not thinking correctly. Why don’t you take a moment to figure out the poor decisions you’ve made here today.”

  Fuck! If she was a volcano, she’d be smoking and spitting clouds of hot ash about now. And the dickhead standing in front of her, deliberately trying to undermine her confidence, using the nickname she’d always hated, had no idea how close she was to splattering him with hot lava.

  “Shut the fuck up! Get the fuck out of my house, out of my fucking life, and don’t ever fucking think of coming back…you stupid fuck!”

  “Now, Katherine, you’re obviously overwrought and not thinking clearly. She always does this when she’s messed something up,” he said conversationally to Daniel. “Every time she makes a mistake, she resorts to foul language. Katherine, honestly, it’s a very poor show in front of our guests. I think you owe Daniel an apology.”

  Katie’s mouth dropped open. Was this guy for real? First, he arrives without invitation, belittles her with every word, and then somehow assumes the role of husband after seven years of divorce. She was certain he hadn’t even noticed the blonde woman’s absence.

  “Get out,” Daniel said quietly. He took a step toward Gordon, and the man took a step back, perhaps understanding the mistake he’d made by trying to usurp Daniel’s place in the situation. Hell, it had been less than twenty hours since Rick and Daniel had burst back into her life, but the relationship she had with both of them was far more real than anything she’d ever shared with Gordon.

  Rick came through the front door, cold wind blowing into the room before he wrestled it closed. He took a moment to assess the situation and broke into the cocky grin Katie had always loved.

  “Cab’s gone. Shall I take out the trash?” He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her reply.

  “Please,” she said, grinning back at the mischief on his face.

  “I’ll just escort our guest to his car…” he said, emphasizing the word guest as if Gordon were some type of unwanted rodent. Rick winked at Katie and then grabbed Gordon by the collar of his jacket and manhandled him to the door. “…and make sure he drives away.”

  “Gordon,” Daniel said in a deceptively calm voice. “Don’t come back.”

  Amazingly, Gordon nodded his agreement without uttering another word. Rick grinned again as he herded the man out the door. “Won’t be long,” he called as the door closed.

  Katie released the breath she’d been holding and smiled when Daniel’s arms wrapped around her from behind. He caressed her stomach as he rested his chin on top of her head.

  “Are you going to spank me?” she asked.

  “For swearing?”

  She nodded, her head bumping against his unshaven jaw.

  “Baby girl, if there ever was a situation that warranted foul language, that was it. Hell, I wanted to swear at him, and I haven’t used that sort of language since we were teenagers.”

  “So you’re not going to spank me?”

  “Do you want to be spanked?” He laughed as she nodded again. “I suppose we could sort something out,” he said affably.

  “Fuck, yeah,” she said and then yelped as he moved aside the soft material of her dressing gown and slapped her naked thigh.

  “We will also discuss answering the door in nothing but a robe.” She giggled as his hands dipped lower, but squeaked with surprise when the door blew in with Rick close behind.

  “Damn, it’s cold out. With any luck this storm will last another week or two.”

  And just like that, her happy bubble burst.

  This was temporary. Once the storm cleared, they’d go on their way, and she’d have nothing but sweet memories to keep her warm. She tried to push the sadness aside and smile, but she wasn’t quick enough.

  Daniel felt something change, almost as if she’d suddenly remembered something unsavory. He was about to turn her in his arms and begin questioning the change but Rick beat him to it.

  “What’s wrong, sweetness?”

  She shook her head and managed to form the word, “Nothing,” but it sounded forced, and it was more than obvious something bothered her. She sucked in a shuddering breath, and Daniel’s heart skipped a beat. Fuck, had they gotten this wrong? Did she still have feelings for the ex-husband who so obviously didn’t deserve her?

  “Katie?” he asked as the woman in his arms shook a little harder. He pulled her over to the sofa and dragged her onto his lap as she began to cry.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, swiping at the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. We have so little time together I shouldn’t be wasting it with silly tears.”

  “Tears for Gordon?” he asked as he tried to hold onto his temper.

  “Fu—hell, no,” she said as she straightened in his lap and looked him in the eye. “No, I’m just missing you two already. I don’t think my staid, boring life will ever be the same after you guys leave.”

  “What makes you think we’d leave without taking you with us?” Rick asked. The tone was one Daniel had never heard in his brother’s voice before. Rick almost sounded angry.

  “You want me to come with you? For how long?”

  Rick looked so exasperated, Daniel stepped into the conversation. Usually he was the one fighting his temper while Rick handled everything with humor. But Rick seemed uncharacteristically lost for words, and this was too important to fuck up. Daniel took a deep breath, moved the woman in his arms onto the couch beside him, and
then slid to the floor and onto one knee. Rick followed his lead and they both knelt in front of her and grasped a hand each. It felt a little silly to be asking the question in such a traditional manner when the relationship he and Rick proposed was anything but, yet he needed her to know this wasn’t casual, that they were looking for a lifelong commitment, not a roll in the hay.

  “How long? How does forever sound?”

  “Katie, please marry us,” Rick blurted out, and again his brother’s unusual behavior started Daniel.

  She looked surprised but not appalled by the idea, so Daniel pressed their advantage, hoping to convince her that they could make their unusual relationship work.

  “Katie, we both love you. Please say yes. I can’t imagine another day without you in our lives.”

  Her tears fell harder, but she was smiling and nodding, and then breathed the one little word he’d wanted to hear more than anything.

  “Yes.”

  Epilogue

  One year later…

  “I think we should be doing this naked,” Rick said as he laid out the place settings for seventeen people.

  “You want to decorate the dining room naked?”

  Rick grinned and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

  Katie laughed and threw a napkin holder at him. “I can just see the headline now. ‘Naked man injured by expandable dining table. Details at six.’” She laughed harder at her own silly joke. “I’m not sure that’s something I want to explain to my folks when they arrive.”

  Rick laughed again but stalked closer, undoing the buttons on his shirt and letting it fall among the chaos of their dinner preparations. She backed up, laughing harder as Rick reached for the buttons on her shirt. She batted away his hands and managed to back up straight into Daniel’s arms. He held her still while Rick stripped away her clothes, kissing every inch he exposed.