While V was playing pool with Brendon, and Travis had been giving Gage the evil eye, Sawyer, Kaleb, Zane, Beau and Ethan had had a brief discussion about Jake Sanders. The fact that the man hadn’t been found yet after showing his face on their property wasn’t promising. They knew he would be back. Based on his continued harassment of V, he still wasn’t able to let go.

Although they weren’t talking about the significant number of text messages she continued to receive from Jake, Zane found it promising that she had started forwarding them to him. He knew she wasn’t thinking about them nearly as much as he was, but he tried not to make a big deal out of it. Everyone, including his brothers, seemed content to pretend everything was cool. It wasn’t like they could do anything about it until Jake actually made a move.

In fact, Zane had mentioned as much to Beau because he needed someone watching his back. It wasn’t that he didn’t think he could take the bastard because he knew he could, provided he wasn’t ambushed the way he was the last time. Telling Beau just helped guarantee that he never got stuck in that situation again. Since Beau likely wouldn’t share the news with his brothers, he didn’t have to worry about them going on a manhunt like he feared they would do. Especially Travis.

A few minutes later, Zane was pulling into the driveway of V’s house. The instant he shut off the engine and threw on the emergency brake, he took her hand and pulled her toward him. Without asking permission, he slammed his mouth against hers, holding her head to him as he consumed her honeyed taste.

Sliding his hand into her hair, lacing his fingers in the cool, silky strands, Zane pulled her head back, releasing her mouth from his. He didn’t allow her to look away as he pinned her with his eyes. “Trust me, V. Trust me to take care of you in every way. Can you do that?” he asked and waited patiently for her answer.

She was breathing hard, and he knew only part of that was from the kiss they shared. She was getting worked up, panicking, and he refused to let her do that. Not tonight. Not with him here to protect her. And he would protect her. He cocked his head to the side, waiting and refusing to move until she answered him.

“I will try,” she finally said, still trying to pull away.

Zane pulled her hair tighter, not enough to hurt her, but enough to let her know he wasn’t going to let her pull away. Not physically and definitely not emotionally.

“I don’t want you to try, V. I want you to trust me. Tell me that you trust me,” he demanded, leaning in closer. “I want to hear you say it.”

“I trust you,” she said on a sigh. “I trust you, Zane.”

He kept his eyes locked with hers until he believed her. Before he released her, he planted a quick kiss against her lips. “Don’t move until I get to your door. Beau’s walking up the driveway now, so you have nothing to worry about.”

V nodded her head in agreement and Zane retrieved his keys from the ignition before hopping out of the Jeep and making his way over to her door. Once he opened it, he helped her out, but held her close to him, pressing her face against his chest and leaning down so he could whisper in her ear.

“I don’t want you thinking about anything else except what it’s going to feel like to have me buried deep inside of you. I want you visualizing what it’ll be like to have both of us fucking you until you can’t take any more. Understand me?” He made sure his voice remained calm and assertive. He wasn’t going to budge on this, and his control was firmly in place. Tonight, he fully intended to make sure Jake Sanders didn’t interfere. He wasn’t welcome here, nor was the memory of what he had done.

Now they just had to overcome her fear of going inside.

“Give me your keys.” Zane waited while she retrieved them from her purse, still not letting her go, holding her face firmly against his chest and not allowing her to look around at anything other than him.

Handing the keys to Beau, he waited until his best friend had unlocked the front door, then he lifted V into his arms, forcing her to wrap her legs around him. He knew she would freak out about someone possibly seeing them and what they would think of him carrying her into her house so intimately, but that was part of the plan. He wanted her thinking, just not about what had happened that day so long ago.

Carrying her, Zane swiftly moved to the front porch and into the house. As soon as they were inside, Beau locked the door behind them and made his way to her bedroom. Zane wasn’t far behind, still carrying V, her face pressed against his neck.

Once inside her room, he shut the door while Beau turned on the bedside lamp, casting the room in a soft, golden glow. He didn’t let her down as he backed up against the wall, Beau joining them and pressing up against her back.

“Are you wet for me, V?” he questioned her. “Are your panties soaked from thoughts of what it’ll be like to have me and Beau buried in your sweet body?”

V nodded her head, her face still pressed against his neck.

“Look at me,” he instructed, keeping his voice firm. “Answer me.”

V looked up, and he could see the dazed look on her face, but he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with fear, and everything to do with mind numbing lust.

Holding her ass, Zane felt Beau’s hand as it moved beneath her, his fingertips bumping against Zane’s stomach as he slipped a finger into her panties.

“Awww, fuck. She’s wet. And hot,” Beau’s voice penetrated the tension filled air, and V groaned.

Zane couldn’t see what Beau was doing, but he knew he was fingering her and based on the way V dropped her head back, her eyes closing, she was enjoying it.

“Do you like that, V? Do you like when Beau finger fucks you?”

V leaned farther back, and Zane had to hold her tighter to keep her from falling out of his arms. He pressed his back against the wall and braced his feet on the carpet, pulling her into him while V leaned farther into Beau behind her. “Hold onto me,” he growled.

V leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, but before she could hide her face once again, he stopped her. “Look at me. Don’t you dare look away. And don’t you dare fucking come until I tell you to.”

Her eyes glazed over, another moan escaped, and Zane could feel Beau increasing the pace of his hand fucking into her.

“Does it feel good?” He was going to continue to question her until she answered him. He wanted her as much a participant in this as they were. Zane knew from the last time they were together just how much satisfaction V had taken from their threesome, and he wanted that again. This was about her pleasure, and Zane wasn’t about to let up on her. After she’d insisted on one night apart from him, Zane was ensuring they weren’t backtracking. He only had room to move forward in his life these days, and he was taking her with him.

“Yes,” she whispered, keeping her eyes locked with his. “So good, Zane.”

“Do you want Beau to fuck you harder, baby? Or are you ready to get naked? Remember, you can’t come until I let you.”

Knowing she was close, Zane gave her a choice. Her body had tensed, her arms were wrapping tighter around his neck, and her eyes were glazing over from lust. She was damn close, but Zane wasn’t near ready for her to come.

“Which is it, V? Beau will fuck you harder, but it’s just a tease. I’m not going to let you come yet.”

“Naked,” V breathed the single word on a hard exhale as she leaned farther into him, trying to rock her hips against Beau’s invading fingers.

With a quick glance over her shoulder, Zane directed Beau to stop with a look. When Beau moved, Zane lowered V to her feet, and held her close when she stumbled. After a minute, she seemed steadier; her breaths returning to normal and he tipped her chin up so that she had to look at him.

“I want you to strip for us, V. I want to watch while you bare all of that soft, smooth skin. Then, you can do the same for us.”

The mood was different from how it had been the last time. V didn’t seem nearly as playful, and Zane assumed that was because she was at her house. She seemed just as eager, but he didn’t get the impression she would take the reins this time.

V was a very hedonistic, highly lascivious woman, and she knew exactly what she wanted. She was also shy when it came to going after it. Zane needed her to show him. He wanted her to take what she wanted because that’s what this particular interlude was about.

Zane found his own satisfaction in making her come, making her beg for more, and when Beau was there, her pleasure was only intensified. He wouldn’t deny the heightened sensuality that he felt when Beau was involved, but he knew that was due to the spontaneity. It was all about V and the satisfaction they could both bring her. This wasn’t about love or romance. This was down, and dirty, hardcore fucking in its most potent form and Zane didn’t want to waste another second.

Considering he still had his doubts about what Beau wanted, or possibly expected from him, Zane was looking to keep the attention solely on V for the night. He needed a chance to talk to Beau about what happened, but until then, he wanted to ensure he kept control of the situation. Unlike last time.

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Zane forced her back from him, ensuring she was once again steady on her feet. Once her legs were solid beneath her, Zane moved around her and sat on the edge of the bed beside Beau.

“Take it off, V,” Zane demanded.

V turned to face them, and he saw the hesitation in her eyes, but then it disappeared as fast as it came, replaced by sheer determination. That’s what he loved about this woman. She didn’t want anyone to see her vulnerability, but it was there. This wasn’t the norm for her, but she craved the intoxicating exhilaration as much as he did.