“Hey, baby girl. Ty giving you any grief?”
She blushed as she smiled. “No, we’ve had fun this morning.” At least her mood had improved the longer she was there, Tyler noticed.
Tyler sat at the table, paying bills. “Now why would you assume I’d give her grief, pet?” He tipped his head back to receive a kiss from his lover.
Tommy grinned and kissed him. “Because, Evil Genius, you’re a troublemaker, that’s why. I’ll be right back. I need to change.”
Tyler watched while Nevvie glanced at the kitchen doorway as Tommy left the room. He pretended not to notice, barely able to conceal his smile. She was attracted to both of them, that much was obvious.
He made her sit and eat lunch with them. Later, she insisted on doing the dishes. She’d relaxed so much since Tommy’s arrival, apparently she’d forgotten about the bruise on her arm. She pulled off the shirt to get it out of her way. That’s when Tommy’s eyes widened.
He grabbed her hand. “Holy hell, baby girl. What the fuck happened?”
Tyler silently swore. He should have said something to him earlier.
Nevvie reddened and pulled her hand free. “It’s okay,” she mumbled. “It’s nothing. I just whacked it, that’s all.”
Tommy stood, obviously conflicted, as she plunged her hands into the soapy water to hide the bruise. He looked at Tyler, who shook his head.
“Well, be careful, sugar,” Tommy finally said, leaning in to peck her on the cheek. “Who’s gonna take care of us if you hurt yourself?” He playfully tugged her ponytail.
She blushed again, but this time in a good way. From his place at the table, Tyler could see the side of her face, how her lips curled in a faint, pleased smile. “I’ll be careful, Tommy. I promise.”
Tommy left them alone to read his e-mail.
She finished the dishes and dried her hands. Before she could don the shirt again, Tyler walked over and gently caught her left wrist. He brought her arm to his lips and kissed the bruise. Then he focused his eyes on hers, tracing the bruise with his other hand and loosely laying his fingers over the marks. “Angel,” he softly said, “is there anything you wish to tell me?”
Her big green eyes brimmed with tears. She sniffled and shook her head. “I’m okay. Really.”
He didn’t respond, staring, letting her fill the silence.
“It’s okay. I bruise easy, that’s all.”
He stared.
She swallowed hard but made no move to yank her arm free. “It was an accident.”
He pulled her in for another long hug. With his face buried in her hair, he said, “If there are ever any more accidents, you don’t hesitate to talk to me about them, right? I don’t like the thought of any accidents happening to my girl.”
She relaxed against him for a moment. He’d noticed she nearly melted anytime either of them talked about her possessively.
“Okay.” He let her step away and he didn’t mention it again.
Later, Tommy cornered Tyler in their bedroom, out of Nevvie’s earshot. “That fucking looks like a handprint on her arm.”
“What do you want me to say?”
Tommy stared at him for a long moment, then stepped back and shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess it’s not our business.” Tyler sensed Tommy’s anger burned, simmering just below the surface, memories of Maggie’s ordeal running through his mind.
Tyler knew if pushed too hard and too fast, neither Nevvie nor Tommy would be able to deal with the arrangement he desired. Tyler wrapped his arms around Tommy. “I will talk with her. Will that make you feel better?”
He nodded.
He breathed a mental sigh of relief as he kissed Tommy. He sensed if Tommy tried to step in now that it would scare her off. “Don’t worry about it, right? Leave everything to me.” He grabbed Tommy’s chin and forced him to look at him. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do.”
Tyler kissed him again, long and slow and sweet. “Trust me to take the lead in this. I will let her know she can trust us and confide in us, right?”
“Thanks, Ty. You’re so much better at this stuff than I am.”
* * * *
Tyler watched and waited. He observed. He gently probed her for information, learning as much about her as he could while gaining her deeper trust. He spent weeks tracking down a necklace nearly identical to one Nevvie had liked on a magazine cover for her upcoming birthday. He also did any- and everything he could to nurture Tommy’s interest in her, including well-timed mentions of her during their lovemaking.
He suspected, by her words and actions, that she was not in love with her boyfriend. Tyler held that fact back from Tommy, not wanting his lover to jump the gun and ruin his carefully constructed plans. He watched how every week she left just a little later, delaying her departure, even going as far as forgetting to do normal tasks so she could stay later.
Tyler stumbled upon the idea of salting little scraps of paper in the backyard flowerbeds when he caught sight of her picking up trash in the yard one day. The men enjoyed watching her bend over.
Tyler certainly enjoyed watching Tommy’s reaction. It was tempting to rush, seeing how much Tommy obviously adored her and her reaction to them. It would be better this way, slowly and carefully, each layer of trust and affection firmly established and built upon. By the time his trap was sprung, there was no possible way she would refuse them.
And there would be no possible way Tommy would refuse to agree to Tyler’s plan.
He knew her birthday was the perfect day to finally set things in motion. After six months, he knew she was the one, the angel to complete them. The irony? He was carrying out two secret plans. One in conjunction with Tommy, to seduce Nevvie into their bed. The other, secret and ongoing for months, to seduce Tommy into falling in love with her.
The latter plan was nearly complete. The former was just starting in earnest, although he’d surreptitiously been working on her for months without his lover’s awareness.
His Georgia boy, a sweetheart with a bottomless well of love, was as thick as a brick when it came to the finer subtleties of relationships. In this case, it worked in Tyler’s favor.
The morning of Nevvie’s birthday, they stood in the kitchen. As Tyler expected, Tommy was entranced by the sight of Nevvie’s sweet backside in the garden. Their conversation naturally led to Nevvie and their wish she could stay. For the first time since the morning of the bruise on her arm, Tyler invoked Nevvie’s boyfriend in conversation. He tread carefully. He needed to do this right or Tommy would balk. The trail was laid, but he had to let Tommy follow it. He had to let him feel protective of her as a lover, not as a big brother or mere friend.
“She doesn’t want to leave,” Tyler said, silently praying.
“Hell, I don’t want her to leave,” he replied.
Tyler successfully fought to suppress his grin. He paused, as if thinking. “Maybe she doesn’t have to leave.”
“What?” Tommy snorted. “Hold her hostage?”
Tyler managed not to groan. He nudged his lover back on track. “No, dumb fuck, of course not. We seduce her into wanting to stay.”
“Isn’t that what we’ve been doing the past six months?”
I have, Tyler thought. What he said was, “Not with purpose. Just in fun and wishful thinking.” Tyler leaned forward, his arms resting on the counter, and watched her through the window. Please, let this work!
Tommy stepped behind him and started grinding his hips against Tyler’s backside.
Tyler smiled. Hook, line, and sinker. Finally. “You’ve given me an idea, Thomas.”
THE END
WWW.TYMBERDALTON.COM
Love Slave for Two 1
Love Slave for Two
Nevvie Barton has never truly felt loved or like she belonged anywhere--ever. Abandoned by her adopted family and trapped in an abusive relationship, she takes a job with Tyler Paulson and Thomas Kinsey as their cleaning girl.
Nevvie knows her
fantasies about "the boys" will always be just that--the two handsome men are devoted, loving life-partners. Then Tyler and Thomas fall in love with Nevvie and hatch a secret plan to seduce her and make her their permanent third.
For the first time in her life, she feels attractive and wanted. When they ask her to move in and be their personal assistant, Nevvie jumps at the chance. Her planned escape doesn't go without a hitch, and the boys must rescue her from a brutal man who would rather kill her than let her go.
Can Tyler and Thomas heal Nevvie's wounded body and soul and prove to her that she really is their dream come true?
Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre
Length: 127,000 words
LOVE SLAVE FOR TWO
Love Slave for Two 1
TYMBER DALTON
Copyright © 2008
Chapter One
“Get your arse out of bed. She’ll be here soon.” Tyler’s clipped British accent spoke volumes. He only sounded that pissed when he was…well, pissed. Over eleven years together had taught Thomas that much.
Thomas rolled over and looked at Tyler. “What time is it?” he grumped.
“Seven-thirty, you silly sod. You had to stay up watching that movie.” Tyler stormed out of their bedroom. Thomas smelled coffee, the good stuff, the caramel truffle flavor Nevvie loved.
“Okay, I’m up.” He would be once Nevvie showed, for sure.
He stumbled to the shower and heard the bathroom door open after he stepped under the spray.
“Here’s your coffee.” Thomas jumped when Tyler goosed his ass.
“Watch it, I nearly slipped.”
“Well, we could have showered together had you gotten up at a decent hour.”
Tyler left, closing the door behind him.
Nevaeh Barton. Their once-a-week housekeeper. Six months, and she still had no clue she had them eating out of her hand. Just thinking about her made him hard. He knew Ty would be sporting wood for her, too.
He finished his shower, shaved, and checked his watch—ten till. No problem, she wasn’t there yet. He sipped his coffee and grabbed a pair of loose shorts from the drawer. Underwear? Hell no, commando today. Thursday was Nevvie Day, the center of their universe.
Thomas walked into the kitchen, where Tyler was putting the finishing touches on a plate of fruit. He leaned in and kissed him. “Look, I’m up.”
“No shirt?” Tyler always dressed up for Nevvie. Today a light blue chambray shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and tan slacks. Barefoot, his only concession to casual.
“I thought maybe she’d like to see me au naturale.”
Tyler’s mood lightened. “She leaves here today, I’d damn well better see you au naturale.”
“See? It’s working already.”
They heard her car in the drive and grinned. “It’s Nevvie time!”
* * * *
Nevaeh Barton relished Thursdays. Not that she enjoyed cleaning so much as she enjoyed the clients. Tyler Paulson and Thomas Kinsey were cute. Thank God Alex never drove her on Thursdays. He’d force her to drop them.
That’s the last thing she wanted.
They were sweethearts, and so what if they were gay? Scratch cute—make that gorgeous. Tyler’s British accent and incredibly blue eyes always melted her. Thomas’ soft, sensual Georgia drawl and smoldering deep brown bedroom eyes invoked images of iced tea and pecan pie, among other things. She left their home late every Thursday afternoon feeling attractive and alive. It didn’t matter she spent the whole day working. She also spent it laughing. Both men were usually there. Most Thursdays it was the three of them having a ball, her and her two sweet love gods.
Making her wish she didn’t have to go home to Alex’s surly mug. She’d only told him they were two gay guys, one a writer, the other an architect. He never asked anything else once he heard “gay.”
But she wondered if there was more. At first she thought she imagined the boys watched her while she worked. After her third week she was sure of it. It might creep others out, but it flattered her that they seemed to find her attractive.
Especially since Alex kept harping on her to lose weight. “Her boys” always piled on the compliments. She wasn’t obese but she wasn’t a waif who’d blow over in a stiff breeze, either. She’d long since come to terms with her voluptuous figure, although she wished more of it had settled on her chest instead of around her hips and thighs. Screw what Alex thought, she was in shape—pear was a shape, right?
Not to mention Alex had no room to talk.
Driving into their development always lifted her spirits even if she was embarrassed to be seen in Alex’s craptacular beater, a Ford Escort she’d put to sleep if it was a dog. Her boys lived in a quiet, upscale community in New Tampa. Only a couple of miles from her apartment, it might as well be another planet. Well-kept houses and lawns and expensive cars formed a stark contrast to the dump she went home to.
She parked behind Thomas’ blue Honda Ridgeline truck and Tyler’s black Lexus LS460L sedan, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her heart raced in anticipation of seeing “her boys.”
It was only her dynamite fantasies of “TnT” that had allowed her to make it through sex with Alex the few times she couldn’t bluff her way out of it. Luckily for her she’d managed to get out of it for over two months. Sometimes she had to give him a hand job—a small price to pay, all things considered.
Landing this job was the best thing to happen in years. She never should have left Tampa in the first place. Moving to New Orleans seemed like a good idea at the time.
She met Alex while working at a hotel near the French Quarter. When an uninvited guest by the name of Katrina headed their way, they evacuated east on I-10 to Pensacola. Their small apartment in Chalmette was gone after the waters receded. A call to their landlord left Nevvie in tears that she hadn’t taken things like treasured books and photos, but Alex had to have room in the tiny Escort for his TV and Xbox.
Nothing to return to, they drove to Tampa and crashed with one of Nevvie’s cousins for a couple of weeks until they ended up in the Bellaire Arms Apartments in Suitcase City, minutes from the University of South Florida. Not as nice as the Chalmette apartment, and that had been no swanky pad.
Alex worked when he felt like it. She should leave him, but it wasn’t worth the aggravation of starting over—again. Not when she wanted no contact with most of the people in her family.
At least she had Thursdays.
* * * *
Tyler swooped when Nevvie walked through the front door. “There’s the birthday girl!”
He enveloped her in a hug and spun her around. He loved putting his arms around her any chance he got. Thomas was his soul mate, but just because he’d decided to settle with a guy didn’t mean he didn’t have a soft spot in his heart for women.
Hell, he had two ex-wives to prove it.
“Hi, Tyler.” She hugged him back.
He was hesitant to release her. While three inches shorter than his five-seven, Nevvie’s rounded curves and long legs inspired visions of her in tall heels and a short, tight skirt that would hug her thighs, her hips swaying back and forth…
And there was his woody.
He took her hand. “Close those beautiful green eyes, love. We’ve got a surprise for you.”
“Oh, Tyler, you shouldn’t—”
“We should, and we did.”
Her full lips curled in a hesitant twist that melted his heart every time. Nevvie obediently closed her eyes while he led her into the kitchen where Thomas waited, and sat her in one of the chairs.
When they were ready, Tyler said, “All right, sweetheart, open them.”
They’d fixed breakfast. Usually they made sure she had a muffin or bagel or something to nosh on, but Tyler had prepared a huge meal. A small, brightly wrapped box waited by her plate.
Tears clouded her eyes. Alex hadn’t even wished her a happy birthday. She suspected he’d either forgotten or didn’t care. Yet these two
guys, clients—okay, hell, she could call them friends—had made a big deal over her.
Her!
Nevvie choked back a sob.
Thomas was closer and put his arms around her. “Happy birthday, sugar.”
She nodded, hugged him tightly, then reached for Tyler. “Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”
Tyler left his hand on her shoulder. “Nothing’s too good for our girl. You don’t turn twenty-six every year.”
A warm thrill ran through her at his words. Our girl.
She knew better than to read anything into it, but it still made her feel good.
The men sat on either side and watched while she opened her present. Inside lay a beautiful turquoise pendant on a sterling silver chain. They’d remembered. Turquoise was her favorite, even though ruby was her birthstone. She’d seen something similar to this on a magazine cover months earlier and had mentioned it in passing.
Tears finally won. Both men leaned in, concerned. She kissed Tyler, then Thomas. “Thanks, guys. This is beautiful. Thank you so much.”
Tyler took the necklace and carefully draped it around her neck while Thomas gently held her auburn ponytail out of the way. “See, Thomas? I told you it was the perfect length,” Tyler said.
Thomas smiled. “All right. One of these days I’ll quit questioning you.” He looked at Nevvie. “I told him I thought it was too long.”
She touched it. “It’s perfect, thank you both.”
They kissed her cheeks and sat down. “Let’s eat,” Tyler said. “This is your birthday breakfast.”
* * * *
When she tried to do the dishes the boys shooed her out of the kitchen.
Thomas shook his head. “Even I’m not stupid enough to make a girl wash her own birthday dishes, sweetie. Don’t wear yourself out because we’ve got a little something for you later.”
A thrill of anticipation ran through her stomach and settled between her legs.