man looked up at him ruefully.
“She’s out.”
Ethan sagged against the bathroom doorjamb.
Gabriel stared down at her. “I can’t wait till tomorrow. Damn, she’s beautiful.”
“She was a virgin.” Ethan said bluntly.
The other man jerked. “What?”
Ethan shook his head. “Dammit.”
“Why didn’t she tell us?”
“She said stop. We both heard her.”
“No, man, you can’t go there. She also said she wanted you. And she did. She came hard, both times.” Gabriel’s voice was quiet but definite. “Trust me, she wanted you. Don’t make yourself crazy.” He shook his head at Ethan, then snuggled the woman in his arms closer. He stroked the hair back off her forehead. “We’ll talk about it when she wakes up. And then we’ll make love to her again, and she’ll love it. Again.” Gabe frowned at him. “Now get over here.”
Ethan stared at Mariella’s sleeping form.
“Stop it, man.” Gabriel’s voice was hard. “Trust me. Get in here, and pull up the covers when you do. I’m tired of talking. Let’s go to sleep.” He deliberately closed his eyes, shutting Ethan out.
Ethan grinned. “You’re a fucking pain in the ass.” He shut off the bathroom lights and the bedside lights, lying beside her. He tugged the sheet and comforter over the three of them, arranging it all carefully.
“Jesus,” Gabriel breathed. “Such a fuss-budget.”
Ethan slid an arm over her narrow waist. “Caveman,” he murmured.
And that was his last thought of the night.
Chapter Five
Mari woke at five thirty, her internal alarm going off as always. Her bed was firmer than usual and…warm. And there seemed to be a hand resting on her hip. And an arm across her belly.
Memory came flooding back. Ethan’s bed. Ethan and Gabriel’s apartment. Damn!
Work started in a scant ninety minutes, meaning she had to get out of that hot, male-filled bed, find her clothes, and get home in time to shower and change. No time to dawdle. She carefully shoved the hand resting on her hip toward Gabriel. He grunted and shifted slightly. Then she pushed Ethan’s arm toward him, back off her midsection. He pushed the arm back at her. Drawing in a deep breath, she slid toward the end of the bed, letting his touch slip off her skin.
Her clothes were scattered around the floor—skirt, tights, boots, panties. She couldn’t find her bra. Gathering everything else up she fled to the foyer, where she found her sweater lying on the floor and her coat lying across a chair with her purse. Pulling both on, she clutched her purse and let herself out of the apartment.
In the lobby, she saw the doorman, a different one, on duty. Nodding at him haughtily, she headed for the street.
Thank God for New York cabs, driving the streets at all hours.
She flagged one and gave the driver her address.
Thank goodness she’d stuffed a twenty into her bag, since the only other money she had was the disputed bonus, all in hundreds. She could only give the cabbie a tiny tip. Embarrassed to be coming home in last night’s clothes, she ran into her apartment and up the three flights.
She had nearly an hour.
Seventy minutes later, showered, dressed, and maintaining, Mari was on her first run for the day. All the way from Cheetah’s 32nd St. office to Wall Street, then back uptown to a publishing office in the Flatiron Building, then she’d pick up a couple more.
Not thinking about last night.
Not at all.
Just because it was the best sex she’d ever had. That maybe anyone had ever had and she knew Ethan and Gabriel had only just started.
Don’t think about it.
Just do your job.
To say Ethan was upset that Mariella had disappeared from their apartment was an understatement. Gabriel had never seen his friend so short-tempered, so, well, ready for a fight. Usually, Gabe didn’t bother to wake up before noon, because he had an excellent manager for Insatiable and another for Crave. He got to both during the afternoon and usually spent
“She’s out.”
Ethan sagged against the bathroom doorjamb.
Gabriel stared down at her. “I can’t wait till tomorrow. Damn, she’s beautiful.”
“She was a virgin.” Ethan said bluntly.
The other man jerked. “What?”
Ethan shook his head. “Dammit.”
“Why didn’t she tell us?”
“She said stop. We both heard her.”
“No, man, you can’t go there. She also said she wanted you. And she did. She came hard, both times.” Gabriel’s voice was quiet but definite. “Trust me, she wanted you. Don’t make yourself crazy.” He shook his head at Ethan, then snuggled the woman in his arms closer. He stroked the hair back off her forehead. “We’ll talk about it when she wakes up. And then we’ll make love to her again, and she’ll love it. Again.” Gabe frowned at him. “Now get over here.”
Ethan stared at Mariella’s sleeping form.
“Stop it, man.” Gabriel’s voice was hard. “Trust me. Get in here, and pull up the covers when you do. I’m tired of talking. Let’s go to sleep.” He deliberately closed his eyes, shutting Ethan out.
Ethan grinned. “You’re a fucking pain in the ass.” He shut off the bathroom lights and the bedside lights, lying beside her. He tugged the sheet and comforter over the three of them, arranging it all carefully.
“Jesus,” Gabriel breathed. “Such a fuss-budget.”
Ethan slid an arm over her narrow waist. “Caveman,” he murmured.
And that was his last thought of the night.
Chapter Five
Mari woke at five thirty, her internal alarm going off as always. Her bed was firmer than usual and…warm. And there seemed to be a hand resting on her hip. And an arm across her belly.
Memory came flooding back. Ethan’s bed. Ethan and Gabriel’s apartment. Damn!
Work started in a scant ninety minutes, meaning she had to get out of that hot, male-filled bed, find her clothes, and get home in time to shower and change. No time to dawdle. She carefully shoved the hand resting on her hip toward Gabriel. He grunted and shifted slightly. Then she pushed Ethan’s arm toward him, back off her midsection. He pushed the arm back at her. Drawing in a deep breath, she slid toward the end of the bed, letting his touch slip off her skin.
Her clothes were scattered around the floor—skirt, tights, boots, panties. She couldn’t find her bra. Gathering everything else up she fled to the foyer, where she found her sweater lying on the floor and her coat lying across a chair with her purse. Pulling both on, she clutched her purse and let herself out of the apartment.
In the lobby, she saw the doorman, a different one, on duty. Nodding at him haughtily, she headed for the street.
Thank God for New York cabs, driving the streets at all hours.
She flagged one and gave the driver her address.
Thank goodness she’d stuffed a twenty into her bag, since the only other money she had was the disputed bonus, all in hundreds. She could only give the cabbie a tiny tip. Embarrassed to be coming home in last night’s clothes, she ran into her apartment and up the three flights.
She had nearly an hour.
Seventy minutes later, showered, dressed, and maintaining, Mari was on her first run for the day. All the way from Cheetah’s 32nd St. office to Wall Street, then back uptown to a publishing office in the Flatiron Building, then she’d pick up a couple more.
Not thinking about last night.
Not at all.
Just because it was the best sex she’d ever had. That maybe anyone had ever had and she knew Ethan and Gabriel had only just started.
Don’t think about it.
Just do your job.
To say Ethan was upset that Mariella had disappeared from their apartment was an understatement. Gabriel had never seen his friend so short-tempered, so, well, ready for a fight. Usually, Gabe didn’t bother to wake up before noon, because he had an excellent manager for Insatiable and another for Crave. He got to both during the afternoon and usually spent
Similar Books
