Songbird (11 page)

“No! God, no. Just give me a minute,” she gasped.

It was too much. She sucked in mouthfuls of air and tried to steady the pounding of her heart. Her fingers dug into the covers and gripped until her knuckles turned white. He was there, inside her. He felt huge, and she was half afraid he’d move, and then she was afraid he
wouldn’t
move.

Taggert kissed her shoulder. “It’s okay, Emmy. I won’t move. Not until you tell me to. Just tell me what you need, baby. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

She stayed there, her knees dug into the mattress, her hands locked around the sheets. She sucked air into her nose and let it out in long exhales. When the burning subsided, another ache took over. A low throbbing that set her insides on fire.

Restlessly, she pushed back. Taggert caught her hips and held her still. They both moaned and she wiggled impatiently.

“Move,” she whispered. “Now, Taggert. Please, I need it.”

Slowly he pulled back. The relief was overwhelming. God, it felt so good. He paused, caressing the curves of her hips. Then gently he pushed forward again.

“Holy hell,” she breathed.

Greer cupped her cheek and turned her face so she could see him. “He’s going to do this for a while, sweet pea. Nice and easy. Until you get used to it. We don’t want to hurt you. All we want is to give you more pleasure than you’ve ever known.”

Her lips trembled. Taggert slid in and out with more ease now. Her body opened to take him, and she found herself pushing back to meet his thrusts. She was on edge. Fiercely so. She was riding a razor’s edge of pleasure, so sharp. She needed more. Needed something she wasn’t sure of.

“Touch me,” she said. She needed him to touch her so she could come.

“No, baby,” Taggert denied. “Not yet. If you come now, this won’t feel good to you anymore.”

Greer moved in closer, tucking a finger under her chin to direct her gaze upward. “We’re going to take you at the same time, Emmy. Do you want that? Do you think you can handle it?”

Oh God.

“In a minute Taggert’s going to pull out and you’re going to climb on top of me. I’m going to slide into your pussy and when you’re ready, when you think you can take us both, Taggert’s going to be inside you too.”

“You’re okay with that?” she whispered.

He smiled crookedly. “It’s pretty damn cool in a porny sort of way. One of those things I always wanted to try but never thought I’d get the chance.”

She smiled back and shook her head. And then Taggert pulled out, the shock of his withdrawal ricocheting up her spine. She felt empty, and her nerve endings were going off like firecrackers.

“Come here, sweet pea.”

Her eyes widened when she saw Greer recline, his erection jutting upward toward his navel.

As well as she was able when her entire body shook uncontrollably, she crawled to his outstretched arms and allowed him to position her over his body.

“You take me,” he said. “Take me inside you.”

She circled his rigid cock in her hand, marveling at the size and thickness. Shifting her position so she was over him, she tucked the head to her softness and carefully eased down, her eyes widening as she took him inch by delicious inch.

He watched, his eyes glittering dangerously. He looked like a predator waiting to strike. And then he was inside her. Wholly, deeply inside her.

“Ride me, Emmy. Take your time and get used to having me there. Tagg and I will never do anything to hurt you, I swear. This is all for you. Always.”

“I love you,” she whispered, overcome at the tenderness in his voice.

He held his hands up and she laced her fingers with his, holding on as she undulated her body, taking him on a slow, decadent ride. Pleasure rose and surrounded her. Such a sweet song.

She leaned forward, guiding his hands to her breasts, wanting to feel his fingers toying with her nipples. He needed no urging. He palmed the globes and brushed the puckered peaks with his thumbs, teasing her repeatedly.

The bed dipped, and Taggert’s hands glided sensuously over her back and down to her ass. Her breath caught and stuttered clumsily from her lips. Greer continued to toy with her breasts, playing with the nipples, drawing them into stiff points.

“Nice and easy, Emmy,” Taggert soothed. “This is for you. Tell me if anything hurts or scares you.”

Her gaze connected with Greer’s. She saw the love in his eyes. The solemn promise. No, they’d never hurt her. Never again. She hoped they both knew how much she trusted them to keep that promise.

Taggert spread her, soothing more of the lubricant over her burning flesh. She moaned in anticipation. She’d wanted this for so long. Had fantasized about it. Had experienced it in her sweetest dreams.

He positioned himself at her anus. Greer stilled his thrusts. Then tenderly, Taggert pushed forward, opening her slowly and carefully around his cock. Her eyes flew open. Her hands fell to Greer’s shoulders, and she held on for dear life as Taggert pushed harder.

It was more difficult than before with Greer lodged inside her pussy. There wasn’t room for Taggert and yet he pressed relentlessly until her body surrendered and opened for him. And still it was so tight, so agonizingly tight.

Her breaths came in shallow, rapid spurts. Her eyes glazed over, the room blurring around her.

“Just a little more, baby and I’m there. You’ll have us both.”

She barely registered Taggert’s husky words. She was falling too far, too fast.

“Lean forward,” Greer whispered. “Lean into me.”

She did, allowing him to catch her, to hold her. The position gave Taggert a better angle, and he thrust hard, seating himself the rest of the way in.

“She’s not going to last,” Greer warned.

“Then let’s go now,” Taggert rasped out.

They began to thrust. Taggert did most of the work, his movements working her up and down Greer’s cock. Greer arched his hips while Taggert held her in place.

No, she wasn’t going to last. She was gone the moment Taggert had entered her. Pleasure, sharp and hazy, surrounded her. It was like being drunk or high. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t speak. All she could do was feel. And feel she did.

She went a little crazy in their arms. She twisted and writhed, and through it all they held her. They whispered their love. Kissed her and caressed her as they pounded into her, branding her body with theirs. They possessed her. They showed her all too well who she belonged to and that they belonged to her now.

Higher and higher she soared, and now she knew what they’d meant when they’d told her she’d fly again. In their arms she’d always have the freedom to fly. Here, she was safe. No one could touch her. The nightmares fell away, ripped from her memory and replaced by their absolute love.

“Love you, love you, love you,” she said brokenly. It was all she could say, all she could think.

“Ahh Emmy, I love you too,” Greer said gently as he gathered her close in his arms, his body trembling with the aftershocks of his release.

Behind her, Taggert finally went still. He leaned into her for the longest moment before brushing a kiss across her shoulder. Then he withdrew and stepped away.

Greer rolled with her in his arms until she lay beside him. He was still buried inside her and he made no move to separate himself from her.

“Are you all right?”

She nuzzled his chest with her lips and snuggled deeper into his embrace. “I couldn’t be more all right.”

“Come take a shower with me, Emmy,” Taggert said from the side of the bed. “As soon as we’re cleaned up, I’ll take you back to bed, and you can sleep to your heart’s content.”

“Mmm.”

Greer chuckled and carefully slid out of her body, ignoring her murmured protest. He patted her affectionately on the rear and then rolled away.

“Go take your shower, sweet pea. But hurry. You wore me out, and I sleep better with you in my arms.”

The murmur of voices woke Emily from the most wonderful dream. Before she opened her eyes, she was content to exist in that plane between sleep and awake, enjoying for once images devoid of blood, pain and death.

When she finally pulled herself away from the veil of sleep, she saw that the sun was already peeking through the curtains and Taggert and Greer were hurriedly dressing a few feet from the bed.

She yawned indelicately and propped herself up on her elbow to stare at the two men who held her heart in their firm grasp.

“I don’t suppose you’re coming back to bed.”

Taggert turned, tucking his shirt into his jeans. An expression of regret crossed his face, and he walked over to where she lay.

“Sorry, baby. We’ve got a fence down and a few cows have already gotten out. We’re heading out with some of the hands to do repairs.”

She yawned again, and he touched her cheek with his fingertips.

“You go on back to sleep. I’ll make sure Buck leaves you something to eat on the stove.”

With a nod, she snuggled back into the covers, keeping her eyes open only long enough to watch them go.

Heavy pressure on her back jerked her from sleep. She lifted her head up, and she tried to turn, but a hand slammed her face back into her pillow.

Her cry was muffled, and then a heavy body lay over her, pushing her further into the mattress.

“Not a word. You make a sound and I’ll slit your throat.”

Shock made mush of her brain. She knew that voice. Who was it?
Think, Emily, think, for God’s sake
. She could barely breathe. She struggled wildly, but he yanked her arms behind her and quickly tied her hands together.

Fingers snaked into her hair, balled into a fist and jerked her upward. The flat of his other palm slapped across her mouth, stifling the scream she tried to launch. It was then she saw him from the corner of her eye.
Rand
. Oh my God.

Her eyes went wide, and he yanked her against him as he dragged her from the room. When she kicked at his legs, silver flashed in his hand, and the sharp blade of a hunting knife pressed to her neck.

“You’ll die right here, right now,” he hissed. “Stop fighting me.”

“Why?” she croaked out when his hand relaxed against her mouth.

He tightened his grip once again, ignored her question and hurtled down the stairs, her flopping like a rag doll the entire way down.

“Rand, stop, please,” she gasped when he shoved her out the front door.

“Shut up! Just shut up.”

He pushed her toward his work truck, opened the door and threw her across the seat. Her back landed against the passenger door. He climbed in next to her and flashed the knife once again.

“Why are you doing this? Are you
insane
?”

She was too stunned to do more than stare at him. Then she realized the stupidity of her inaction and fumbled clumsily for the door handle with her bound hands.

There was supposed to be evil in his eyes, wasn’t there? Something to tell her he was some desperate wackjob. But all she could see was ruthless determination.

He gunned the engine just as she managed to crack the door. He reached over and grabbed her around the neck even as he wrestled with the steering wheel.

“Shut it!” he shouted. “Shut it, or I swear to God I’ll make you suffer. You won’t escape, Emily. Not this time.”

He swerved wildly on his way up the long drive and the door slammed, knocking her forward on the seat. He anchored her against him. When she turned, trying to bite him, he doubled his fist and punched her in the jaw.

She went sprawling. Her head cracked against the dash and her behind slid off the seat, wedging her between the glove compartment and the passenger seat.

“That’s a good place for you,” he grunted.

She lay there, helpless, her hands tied behind her, stuck on the floorboard.

“Why?” she rasped out. “What the hell are you doing, Rand? Taggert and Greer will kill you for this. You have to know that.”

He ignored her, staring out the windshield with that same grim…determination. What was he so determined about? This was all some joke. A really twisted, sick, dumb-as-shit joke, but a joke nonetheless.

Rand was quiet, respectful, and he’d always had a smile for her. What the living hell had gotten up his ass?

She cleared her throat and tried a different tactic. “Rand, what’s going on?” She purposely softened her voice and tried to make herself sound…accommodating. God, she was actually trying to sweet-talk this bastard. “Why are you so angry with me?”

Could she sound any more pathetic? She was so through being pitiful. Enough was enough, damn it!

“Just shut the hell up so I can drive. I have to get away before they come back. They’ll fix that fence soon enough.”

He was almost talking to himself, not even acknowledging her awkward-as-hell position on the floorboard.

“Did you sabotage the fence?”

He shrugged. “Seemed the easiest way to get them out of your bed and out of the house.”

Her cheeks went warm, and rage shot through her veins.

Then he turned to stare at her. “Yeah, I know all about you, whore. You couldn’t leave well enough alone. You already destroyed Sean. You should have stayed away from Taggert and Greer.”

“Dear God, is that what this is all about? You disapprove of my relationship with Greer and Taggert so you’re taking me away?”

She could hardly control the incredulity in her voice. He was off his goddamn rocker.

“Rand, stop the truck. Let me out. Now.”

He slammed on his brakes, and for a moment she thought he was actually going to listen to her.

Then he turned, his eyes sparking with fury.

“You don’t get it, do you? You don’t get to make demands. You twist a man’s balls, have them dangling from your fingertips. It should have been you who died. Not Sean. I won’t make another mistake.”

Nausea rose in her throat. Tears of anger swam in her eyes. No way. He couldn’t mean what she thought he did. She tried to open her mouth but all that came out was an inarticulate sound of rage.

She licked her lips, frustrated that she couldn’t get her tongue to work.

“Nothing to say?” he mocked. “You didn’t have much to say that night either. You deserve to die if for no other reason than for causing Sean’s death.”

She closed her eyes. None of this made sense. Rand had worked for the Donovans forever. Since he was a young man out of high school. What could possibly have made him hate this way?

The truck rattled to a stop. Rand got out and walked around to open her door. Without any care, he yanked her from her awkward perch, and she stumbled, trying to get her feet under her. Her hands were completely numb from the tight bonds around her wrists.

Where on God’s green earth were they? They’d gone the opposite way of town. There were no houses, no buildings, nothing but rock formations jutting from the earth and the base of a large hill that sloped sharply upward, a precursor to the mountains in the distance.

Rand shoved her forward and she went down to her knees, the rocks digging into her shins.

He hauled her upright and all but dragged her beyond the maze of rocks and boulders. A cave. He was taking her into a freaking cave.

A low moan escaped her. She hated the dark. She never slept in the dark. Not since Sean died.

“Please,” she whispered. “Not in here. I’ll die in here.”

“That’s the idea.”

Her mouth fell open, and he shoved her through the tight opening into the yawning mouth of darkness. This time when she stumbled, he let her fall. He knelt beside her and coiled rope around her ankles.

Panic hit her hard. He really meant to leave her here. Where Taggert and Greer would never find her.

“Why did you do it?” she rushed out. “Why Sean? I thought you liked him. He was always so nice to you. He gave you a home and a job.”

Rand’s fingers tightened around her ankles, and she could positively feel the rage billowing off him.

“It was supposed to be you,” he seethed. “Not Sean. Never Sean. But he stepped in front of you, took the knife.”

Cold settled over her like a suffocating blizzard.

“But why?” she croaked.

“You pulled them apart. You took Sean from the ranch. You turned brother against brother. The Donovans are good people, and you destroyed their family. I heard you that day when you pranced into the house talking about loving them all, wanting to be with them all. Couldn’t blame them for being appalled and sending you away. It’s what they should have done. What kind of a woman proposes something like that?”

“Someone who loves them,” she said faintly, too shocked, too numb to filter his explanation. Sean had died because of her. She’d always known it, just hadn’t realized how much she’d been the cause of his death. It hadn’t been random at all.

Oh God.

“Love,” he said scornfully. “What does a whore know about love? You tempted them with your body. You took Sean away. But that wasn’t enough. You had to come back, luring them with that pitiful smile. I won’t let them be dragged down by you again. They deserve better than that.”

“They love me,” she said in a steady voice. “You’ll hurt them if you kill me.”

There was a pause, almost as if he considered that. Then he laughed harshly. “They’ll forget you. You aren’t the keeping kind. You were good for a lay, I guess.”

His words shouldn’t hurt. He was a maniac. Taggert and Greer did love her. They did. But would they find her in time? Would they ever find her?

“I’ll just tell them you left,” he said matter-of-factly. “Shouldn’t come as a surprise. You left before. Women change their minds all the time. Can’t be trusted.”

“What the hell is your problem?” she snarled. “Did your mommy abuse you? Not hug you enough? Did your girlfriend dump you? Leave you for another man?”

He drew back, almost as if shocked by her outburst. Then he slapped her hard across the mouth.

“Your father was right to beat you. Your kind needs discipline. You need correcting. The Donovans will be better off without you.”

He shoved a rag into her mouth and then put masking tape over her lips. As he stood, he kicked her once in the side.

“If Sean hadn’t died for you, I’d make your death quick, but you deserve to suffer. You deserve to lie here thinking about all the lives you’ve destroyed.”

With that he turned and stalked out of the cave, leaving her lying in the dark.