“Think she’s figured anything out yet?”
“Nope. I put the bags in the car so she wouldn’t see them and told her we were going to drop her off at work today.” Jace’s grin was devious, and childlike enthusiasm lit his face.
Andre walked over and threw his arm over Jace’s shoulders. “Ready to do some kidnapping?”
“Think if we tie her up and carry her out, a neighbor will report us?”
Andre snorted. “Yes. Let’s not get thrown in jail today, all right?”
“Damn. That would’ve been fun.”
“You’re a sick fucker, J.”
“And you two love me, so what does that make y’all?”
Andre led him out and toward the bedroom. “Gluttons for punishment.”
Jace glanced over at him, giving him that slow up-and-down look that could make Andre’s best intentions derail in a flash. “Lucky for us all, that’s my favorite kind of people.”
***
Evan stepped out of the bathroom, slipping on the two cuff bracelets she wore every day—one silver and one copper—the discreet symbols of ownership Andre and Jace had given her during their private collaring ceremony. In her head, she was already constructing her To-Do list for the day. She’d learned from experience with her bouts of depression that when melancholy hit her like it did yesterday, she could chase it off with keeping busy, setting goals. Her mistakes in the past had been to let the feelings invade and overtake her like she had no say in the matter, like she was an unarmed victim of circumstance and faulty genes. But that wasn’t who she was anymore. She’d done the work, the therapy, made the life changes, gotten her confidence back. She’d learned how to fight that old demon with real weapons. And one of her best tactics was activity. A long, interesting list of tasks was great medicine for her. And she had a lot to check off today. She needed to go over the photos Finn had worked on yesterday, call up the couple who’d come in for an intro meeting, order a new—
An arm banded around her shoulders from behind, dragging her a step back and drawing her against a hard chest. She yelped in surprise, glancing down at the tattooed arm holding her. “Jace, what the hell are you doing?”
“What I want,” he said against her ear, using that hard-edged tone he used when they were in D/s mode. Fabric slipped over her eyes and the light disappeared.
What? Oh, shit. She could smell Andre’s minty shampoo, letting her know he had to be behind her, too. This was a hostile takeover. The boys wanted to play. Normally a welcome thing, but she didn’t have time. She was already behind. “Guys, after this morning, I don’t know if I have another go in me. Plus, I have to get to the studio. I have—”
“Shh.” A finger pressed against her lips—presumably from Andre, who must’ve stepped in front of her. “Quiet, bella.”
God, she knew the guys could be insatiable, but why let her get all showered and made-up if they were only going to undo her again?
“You’re not going to work today or for the next few days,” Jace said, his voice calm but firm. “You’re coming with us. Trust that we’ve taken care of whatever you have on your plate at the studio.”
“But—” she said from behind Andre’s finger.
Jace’s other hand moved to her hair and gave it a little tug. The move was simple, but it lit a match inside her. These men knew her buttons. And damn if they weren’t pushing that big fat one that got her pulse pounding. “This isn’t a choice, baby. You’re ours, and we’ll take you where we want you to go. Be cooperative, and we won’t make it hard on you. Fight and we’ll be forced to find creative ways to make you comply.”
Lord. Her body was going feverish all over. Most women would probably freak out at those words, but she’d played out a capture fantasy with these two once before, and it had turned out to be one of the best nights of her life. It was one of her darker kinks—that idea of being captured against her will. Being able to indulge in such a taboo fantasy with two people she trusted implicitly was a gift she didn’t take lightly. And after the stress she’d been going through, slipping into a role sounded damn enticing.
But she had so much work to do. And her head was all over the place after yesterday. She didn’t know if she could give herself over to this the way she’d need to for it to work. “Guys, I love that you’re trying this, but I have so much—”
“Ah, hard way it is, then,” Jace said and grabbed her wrists. He raised her arms out in front of her and Andre snapped cuffs around her wrists with practiced ease. Click. Click.
“Wait—”
“Is that your safe word, bella?” Andre asked pointedly, drawing out the pet name, be-yah.
Goddammit. They knew she only called her safe word as a last resort. She’d had to use it once with them when she’d gotten an unexpected wave of dizziness during a scene. Otherwise, she’d only used her “give me a minute and check in” word—yellow. Of course, they’d respect the safe word, regardless of how she used it. But the satisfaction she got from their dynamic was deeply tied to that trust to let them push her boundaries. If she started safe-ing out just because something was inconvenient, the submissive role would lose its punch for her. So she kept the eject button tucked away only for emergencies. “No, it’s not. But—”
“Good.” Jace hiked up her skirt and pushed down her underwear, startling her with the quick movements. He tapped her calves, indicating sh
e should lift her feet. Not sure how to frame an argument, she did as she was told, her mind spinning, and he swept the panties away. “You won’t be needing those for the next few days anyway.”
“What? A few days?” she asked, her body warring with her practical side when the cool air drifted over her bare skin. Hormones versus To-Do list—that could be an epic battle.
Jace straightened behind her and gently kicked her legs wider. Andre held on to her arms, keeping her steady the whole time, a game piece being moved around their board. She had no idea what they were planning. But a few days was a luxury she couldn’t afford this week. Were they going to keep her captive in the apartment and fuck her silly? Or were they taking her to The Ranch? The hedonistic part of her jumped at the thought of either. But they were grown-ups with responsibilities. They couldn’t just decide on a whim to spend days in bed.