Second Chances (14 page)

“What time is it?” She asked on another
yawn, painfully aware of the heat that surrounded her.

“About eight thirty, I guess.” Matt’s hand caressed her arm as Mason’s hand laid heavily against her hip, drawing small, soothing circles that seemed to dull her nerves and hei
ghten her awareness of them at the same time.

“I’ve been sleeping that long?” She mumbled against Matt’
s chest, feeling the moisture of her hot breath against her cold nose.

“
Mmm-hmm,” he nuzzled her closer. “We’ve got you, little one. Close your eyes and let us hold you a while.”

Claira
felt their hands caressing her skin. She gave only a moment’s thought to what she might or might not be wearing. She didn’t remember changing clothes, but the feel of their skin on her own made her bones melt and all her worries disappear. She had never felt so safe. She thought about their version of what had happened. She had obviously forgotten to lock the door, and in her panicked state never once considered that Matt or Mason, or even Frank had been in her house to help her. That was all. As her breaths surged easily in time with their strong, steady heartbeats she let herself drift with the soothing rhythm.

“She’s asleep,” Matt slowly
lifted her arm from his chest and slid from the bed, careful not to jostle her delicate frame. Through the dim moonlight that flowed through the open window, he saw that Mason had done the same and motioned for him to follow.

Dressed in only their jeans, they
crept from Matt’s room with barely a sound, only the slight creaking of one of the old, wooden steps betraying their path down to the kitchen. Once out of earshot, Mason glanced up the staircase and ran his hands through his already rumpled hair. “What the hell happened today?” He whispered hoarsely, trying to keep his voice down, but unable to hide his anger.

Matt grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat an extra on the counter near where Mason stood, scrubbing the sleep and exhaustion from his eyes.
He motioned for him to take a seat and then hoisted himself up onto the counter. “Take a seat. You’re going to need it.”

Matt relay
ed all of the details of what had happened while Mason was out with Frank. From the foot of the stairs, Grey’s body went ridged as he heard the curses and slightly raised voices when Matt told Mason what they had found and how she had tried to drag him from some unknown danger. Having heard enough, he turned without a sound and crept back up the stairs.

He’d heard
Claira’s sobs earlier and had slipped into Mason’s room next door, listening to the sounds of their voices, wishing he could join them. Now, knowing this beautiful creature was alone and frightened beyond belief not ten feet above his own bed, he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her.

Grey paused in the doorway and studied her pale complexion as the moonlight flirted with the shiny strands of her curls. Her body lay st
ill, curled in a tight ball, her hands drawn into her chest as if it were the only way she could defend herself from her nightmares. She was so small and defenseless, like a baby bird that had fallen from her nest.
My baby bird.

Only the sound of her steady breaths filled the room and Grey could feel them calling to him. Without thought, his feet shifted silently across the hardwood floor. He pulled off his tee shirt and slid gently into the soft mattress behind her. As his legs stretched out beside her he froze when she turned restlessly in his arms and snuggled into his chest. His arm, poised within a breath of hers, slowly sank and his hand skimmed across the silken skin of her shoulder. His tense body relaxed a little as his heart warmed inside his chest. He would never forget this moment, when he first touched her. The softness of her curves against his rough, calloused hands felt nearly mystical as he stroked her. Lost in the sensation of her touch, he didn’t notice her soulful, brown eyes staring at him until his hand had trailed the length of her arm and began its journey back to the top of her delicate shoulder.

Neither said a word when their gazes met and held for what seemed like an eternity, each searching for acceptance. Finally, Claira’s eyes fluttered closed and her head fell into the crook of his arm, her soft, angelic face resting against his chest. Grey released a strangled breath and relaxed as her arm circled around him and hugged him closer.

He didn’t know how to explain it, but at that moment he would have given his life for her to never have to feel afraid again. What sick fuck would want to hurt such a tiny, delicate being? His arms folded around her, his heart beat pounded against her cheek. He felt the last piece of his broken heart fall away and a new rhythm sounded in its place. He knew then that he was lost to her, before he’d ever really found himself after Sarah’s death. Somehow he would have to reconcile his mind with the finality of it all or he’d lose Claira, too.

The
sounds of hushed footfalls ascended the stairs and he met his brother’s gazes over Claira’s shoulder when they paused inside the darkened doorway. “She shouldn’t be alone.” His brothers understood the meaning behind the words Grey hadn’t spoken. They lingered there a moment, taking in the sight of her curled up securely in Grey’s embrace before they turned and quietly left them alone together.

The scent
of pine and something definitively masculine whirled around Claira like a summer breeze, filling her lungs and sending warm waves of desire through her limbs. She’d awoken at least twice during the night, once with Grey’s strong arms around her, holding and caressing her while she slept. One other time, just before dawn, she rose to go to the bathroom, gulping down a much needed cup of water and taking a swig of the mouthwash that sat on the bathroom counter to wash away the sticky cotton in her mouth. To her disappointment, Grey was gone when she woke that last time, but Mason had been snuggled against her in his place. Now she could feel the unmistakable strength of not one but two warm, male bodies pressed against her, along with two quite intimidating erections. She felt a flush of heat rise to her cheeks and then ricochet down between her thighs.

“Good morning, s
weetheart.” Mason smoothed the hair away from her face as she opened her eyes, his deep, comforting voice as soothing as his touch. Her breath caught when she found his baby blues staring back at her, his blond lashes so long they nearly concealed the creases at the corners of his eyes caused by his sweet smile.

He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead then buried his nose in her hair and too
k a long, lingering breath. “Christ, you smell good.”

She felt Matt’s arm encircle her waist
from behind her and she turned to see an equally glorious smile on his face. From the angle of the sun’s early morning light, she noticed that his eyes had the same blue hue as Mason’s, but with a hint of hazel flecks near the edges. “Good mornin’, darlin’,” he said, his smile widening just before he leaned in and captured her bottom lip between his. His kiss was gentle and playful, just as she’d expected, but ended nearly as fast as it began. “You scared me yesterday, Claira,” he said, brushing his knuckles over her cheek.

“I’m sorry.” Claira sighed
. Matt tried to interrupt her, but she pushed ahead, determined to make him understand that she really wasn’t the raving lunatic she’d morphed into yesterday, without totally revealing the depth of her problems. “Matt, I overreacted. I saw that the porch lamp was out and I got scared. My mind made a mountain out of nothing and I’m sorry I put you through this.”

“What I don’t understand is why?”
Mason said, turning her chin so that she was forced to look at him. “Who are you running from, Claira, that you have to go to such extreme and archaic measures?”

Claira’s gaze fell to Mason’s chest but he was having none of it. He pulled her chin up a little more and pressed his lips to hers. “Tell us who’s done this to you, sweetheart. We won’t let them hurt you again, ever.”

She would be lying if she said she hadn’t been tempted. She couldn’t explain why, but she trusted them explicitly, without question. The less they knew the better. There was nothing to tell, really. That life was over. After the complete fiasco yesterday, she was ready to let go, put her past away for good and start her new life over, hopefully with them in it. “It doesn’t matter.” She shrugged, looking back at Matt. “I’m over it. That part of my life is over. I hope you can move past it, too.” She leaned back and hesitantly placed her lips to his. “I need you,” she whispered, her voice shuddering with uncertainty.

“Claira,” Matt breathed into her mouth, pushing his tongue past her
trembling lips, tangling erratically with hers. His cock thickened and jerked against her lower back. When his hips flexed hard against her, she couldn’t contain the moan that clawed its way from her chest.

Matt’s pulse surged in response. He
knew he should demand more answers but he couldn’t stop the raging need to possess her. The mewling sounds she made in the back of her throat were like electricity pulsing through his bloodstream, energizing and pushing him to claim her, nearly making him shoot his load in his pants like a freaking teenager. He lifted himself above her and nudged her knees apart with his own, settling comfortably into the cradle of her thighs. Wrapping his forearms under her shoulders he buried his hands in her hair, deepening their kiss. His hips rolled against her pelvis, the zipper in his jeans pressing painfully against his swollen cock. They both let out a tortured groan, and he felt the bed dip beside them. Breathless, Matt broke the kiss and turned to see Mason leaving the room.

“Don’t go,” Claira pleaded, her
unspoken declaration sending shivers down his spine. She’d accepted them, both of them.

Mason turned and propped his
hip on the side of the mattress. Stretching out across the top of the bed, he traced his thumb across her kiss swollen lips. “Are you sure, sweetheart? Are you sure you want both of us?”

Claira nodded and Matt’s cock jumped in response. Her chocolate eyes shifted between them and then closed on a sigh. “I don’t fully understand it, but I need you
. Both of you.”

“Ah, Claira, sweetheart, we need you, too.” Mason leaned down and consumed her lips, sucking and nipping and then licking as if he were truly devouring the taste of her.

Matt pulled back and unzipped his jeans, rolling them past his hips. Claira couldn’t help but stare, waiting to see what she’d only imagined, but he left his boxers on as he tossed his jeans to the floor and resumed his position between her outstretched thighs.

“Is this what you really want, darlin’?” Matt had to make sure. He sensed her hesitancy. He would never do anything to hurt her but he didn’t think he could stop once he was skin to skin with her, the need to connect with her so strong after he’d nearly lost her the day before.

Claira nodded silently as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t…” She paused, wondering how to tell them she really had no idea what she was doing without completely turning them off.

Matt and Mason shared a worried glance and Mason gave a little shrug. “Are you a virgin, sweetheart?” He finally asked, trying to tamp down the surprise in his voice. There was no freaking way she could be. If she was, then Matt could kiss his position between her legs goodbye, because
no
way in hell
was he giving that gift to his brother without a fight, twin or not.

“I…no…I just…” Claira stumbled over her words, incredible heat flooding her cheeks and running over the skin on her neck and breast. God this was embarrassing.

Reading her body, Matt pulled her close and pushed the tip of his swollen cock against her clit. He’d make damn sure she enjoyed every moment of this. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, darlin’. Just show us what you like and we’ll make you feel good.”

Claira closed her eyes and shook her head. God, she wished they had just kept moving. She didn’t want to have to tell them. “That’s just it,” she said after an unbearable silence. “I
don’t really know,” she felt tears prickling in her eyes and she fought them back.  “I’ve only done this…once, and I wasn’t very good at it.”

Matt swallowed, hard. He hated to ask but he had to know. “Do you mean with two men
, or once, period?”

“O
h…only once, period.” She stammered. “I was a sophomore at…” Claira paused, unsure if she should reveal where she went to college. “I was in college. It was years ago and I…” She stopped, afraid if she continued she’d say something she wasn’t supposed to, or something that would completely destroy the mood. Her brain had completely vacated her skull when Matt’s hips rolled against her again.

Mason grinned at Matt and then turned
and captured her lips again in a soft, knowing and gentle kiss. When he pulled away she opened her eyes and he read the hidden desires there. “Sweetheart, no one is good at this their first time. Well, except for me.” Matt rolled his eyes and Claira giggled. “I can’t believe we’ll have the honor of teaching you how to love us.”

“And we’ll have an incredibly fun time le
arning what you like,” Matt teased, his hips rolling against hers again, his eyebrows bouncing mischievously above his laughing eyes.

Claira couldn’t stop her giggle. They had completely stripped any and all uncertainty from her with their tender smiles and
easy spirits. Something inside her knew she could trust them. Her breath hitched in her throat when Matt suddenly disappeared beneath the sheet. Her panties were drawn down her legs and went flying out behind him, landing on the dresser on the other side of the room. “Oh, Jesus! You smell good,” his muffled groan vibrated against her wet, sensitive cleft and her back arched from a pleasure she’d never known.