“You okay?” Laurel asked from the doorway.
“Yeah.” He pushed off the dresser he’d been leaning against and ambled over to her, cupping her face in his hands. “Sorry. Thinking about how a couple of weeks have changed everything, absolutely everything, for the better.”
Nolan edged up behind her, and Jace could already tell a difference in Laurel because she didn’t flinch. She was relaxed between them, unafraid and open.
“I know and I honestly feel greedy because I’m hoping for even more, but this…” Laurel bit her lower lip.
“It’s the right time. You’re ready. And we’re going to be here with you.” Jace held his hand out to her and, without hesitation, she set her palm in his. He squeezed her fingers. “Thank you for choosing me.”
“And me,” Nolan echoed. “If you decide Jace is more than enough for you—”
Laurel snatched his waistband and yanked, drawing them both into the bedroom. Jace chuckled. The thing was, when Laurel made up her mind, there was no stopping her. He knew better than to stand between her and what she went after even if, by some miracle, it was him. And their hot bodyguard.
But first… “There’s something I’ve been dying to do.”
“Yeah?” she asked coyly, peeking up at him from beneath her naturally thick, curled lashes.
This time Jace didn’t tell himself no, not when she’d already outright requested what he’d dreamed of forever. He wrapped his arm around her waist and used the lush curves of her fine ass to drag her to him. “I can’t believe he got to kiss you before I did.”
“Oh.” Her gaze softened and she reached for him, her arms draping over his shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for any of this.”
“I know. But you can make it up to me now,” he teased. “I’ve only been waiting like twenty-five years for this moment.”
Laurel sighed, then went onto her tiptoes, pressing her mouth to his. He sucked in a hiss, his lips parting, and before he could fully believe he was holding Laurel—his Laurel—and finally tasting that sweet smile, she slipped her tongue into his mouth.
It meant something to him, something major, because that was one thing they’d never done. Not many people dared to try it when they could so easily be bitten. The fact that she went there, with him, right away, meant she put her full faith in him. He swore then and there he would not fuck this up.
Jace groaned, the closeness of Laurel in his arms in a very unplatonic embrace even more satisfying than he’d imagined those millions of times. He speared his fingers into her thick hair and massaged the back of her head, encouraging her to take anything and everything she desired from him as what little chill he had remaining crumbled.
They ate at each other, their movements filled with possession, greed, and very delayed gratification. Underlying their passion was something he’d never experienced before. Bone-deep consideration and, yes, love. Making out with someone he cared so much about took their kiss to a whole new level. It blew his mind as much as it turned him on.
Nolan muttered a curse as he sandwiched Laurel between them, massaging her shoulders and leaning in for an up-close view of Laurel and Jace’s first kiss. Jace prayed that he didn’t embarrass himself and come on the spot.
The ecstasy that flooded through his veins with every sigh and soft groan Laurel emitted as they made out had the power to overwhelm him. His cock stiffened, already primed by Nolan’s so-different lip lock and grope earlier. No one would blame him from being pushed past his limits by these two gorgeous, and decent, people—one of whom he loved and the other who was fresh, hot AF, and so damn exciting.
Jace didn’t mean to, but he started walking toward the bed, edging Laurel away from Nolan and up to it. She didn’t freak when the back of her knees tapped the side of the mattress. Instead she broke away from him, both of them sighing, his heart about to explode from pounding so hard. She licked her lips, shot him and Nolan a shy smile, then sank into the nest he’d made for them.
Laurel reclined on the bed and watched as he and Nolan stalked closer. When he leaned over her and slid his hand beneath the hem of her shirt, petting her softly rounded belly, she scrunched her eyes closed, then asked, her voice trembling just the slightest bit, “Will you two get naked first?”
Jace knew right then that despite her bravado, Laurel wasn’t as confident as she seemed. How many times had she strutted around their apartment with nothing on, teasing him mercilessly? Testing their boundaries and incorrectly assuming he wasn’t interested in looking…or more. But suddenly, baring herself made her nervous.Huh.
He didn’t hesitate and neither did Nolan. It was tough to say whose clothes hit the floor first, but when Jace looked over, the other guy’s broad shoulders weren’t the only thing on display anymore. His gaze ran down the tapering torso to where Nolan’s shorts slid over his hips and muscular ass. He’d had a head start, and in an instant he was naked. And hard.
So damn hard.
Jace finished stripping as Laurel stared. She turned onto her side for a better view of her soon-to-be-lovers. When she saw Nolan’s impressive cock and how turned on watching them kiss had made the other guy, she gasped. Her hand wandered down her body, slipping into her bottoms as she said, “Jace. Don’t leave him out. Let me see what I missed this morning, or what you two would have gotten up to if I hadn’t interrupted.”
If that’s what she requested, he wasn’t about to deny her. He looked at Nolan, who flashed him a wicked grin as they approached each other. Screw making out—he had better uses for his mouth. One that would serve to get Nolan ready to make this a day Laurel would never forget, one that would mark the beginning of a whole new phase of her life. Jace had no idea if she intended for Nolan to stick around or if this was a one-time show, but just in case, he was going to make the most of it.
Jace dropped to his knees and licked his lips. It put him at eye-level with Nolan’s cock, which hung heavy between his thighs. Fuck, he was going to make a mouthful, and hopefully—someday when they weren’t concentrating on Laurel—an assful too.
“Fuck yeah,” Nolan growled, and put his hand on the back of Jace’s head. “You’ve been torturing me with that mouth of yours, making me watch you sing with Kason every damn day.”
Seriously? Jace had been so engrossed in the music he’d been creating with the country star that he evidently hadn’t noticed Nolan staring. “I didn’t mean to.”
Hell, he’d have snuck around back with Nolan for a quick fuck from that very first night he’d met the man. He was edgy and alluring, yet gentle and funny instead of forceful toward those on his side, a combination that Jace found damn near irresistible.
He decided to make up for it right then, his hand reaching out to fist the base of Nolan’s shaft, leaving plenty sticking out between his clenched fingers for him to lick and finally suck.