Chapter 8

Eight

Cade

I pulled bills out and handed them to the cab driver. "Thanks, man, but our girl isn't going anywhere."

Jace grabbed her luggage from the curb while I bent and lifted Elle over my shoulder.

She wiggled her pretty ass and thumped her fists against my back, but I kept walking. Her neighbors rushed out at the string of cursing coming from Elle between yelps that even had me lifting a brow at her creativity. After seeing my face and getting a quick wave, they went back inside.

So yeah, fuck. So much for stealth. Before long reporters would be circling like sharks so we had to make this quick. We didn't exactly have a plan when we chartered a private flight back to Seattle, but we had one now.

Convincing Elle we were her future. End of story. And she was ours.

Last night when Elle's number flashed across my phone's screen, I was surprised to hear her friend on the other end. Even more surprised to hear about her plans of running off to Miami.

"Put me down!"

I looked past her perky ass at Jace, and he closed the garage doors behind us, luggage at his feet.

When she tried to push out of my arms, I slapped her ass and got a squeal. "Stop it," I growled. "Or you'll get what you ask for."

Holding her like this with my hands on her ass and her boobs bouncing against my shoulder brought out a deep need to sink into her. Claim her, mark her so she knew who she belonged to. I'd spent years waiting for the moment when I had her in my arms.

Tiny nails dug into my back, and I laughed, giving her another little slap.

"Come on, kitten, you have more than that."

Another thump of a fist. "I'll show you what I have. I'm not one of your team members you can throw around, asshole. Put me on my own two feet, I dare you, and you'll get my knee in your balls."

"Feisty little she-devil!"

I felt Jace come up behind me more than saw as we headed for the side door.

Inside we locked it behind us and drew the curtains.

"Now, if I put you down, are you going to behave?"

"Try me!"

Jace moved behind her and helped me lower the little minx. His hand circled around her waist until he had his arm pinning her to his chest. Her eyes did a little roll and I chuckled at the blissful look of pleasure on her face. Her momentary slip cost her and she knew it.

It lasted all of a split second before she bared her teeth and attacked.

She pushed his hands away and stepped out of our reach. Back against the wall, she fended us off with a finger pointed in our direction. Trouble was, all her fight was lost on us because she wore an off-the-shoulder cute little number with yellow flowers that showed her bellybutton and sexy midriff when she moved, and she was doing a lot of moving. Pacing. Back and forth like a caged tiger.

"What the hell do you think that was? You can't storm in here after almost a week and just change my plans." True anger colored her cheeks. Her shoulders heaved. "You have no right to do whatever you want. That might work in your world, but not in mine." Her finger waved in the air, and it was cute for about five seconds.

"We told you, you belong to us. What did you not understand, sweetness? Our milk marking you or the words?"

"Don't get smart with me, Cade Walker. You think you have all this figured out, don't you?"

Jace snorted beside me. "We don't have many answers at all other than we love you. We have ever since college. Only you left before we could explore it deeper. And do we have it all figured out? Not at all. We have no idea which of us will marry you or where you would like to live, but we do know you're ours. We claimed you. The rest can be figured out."

Her mouth fell open. Yeah, the L word did that to me, too. Neither of us used it lightly.

I strode forward and hoisted her up, wrapping her legs around me.

And then I kissed her. Hard. Swallowed her words and tasted her anger until I felt the sweetness come back and the woman in my arms become buttery soft.

"You can't do that," she whispered against my lips, all sugary sweet. Her Texas drawl hanging on the end of her words. It had faded over the years but came out strong when her emotions ran high or she was about to come for us.

Fuck, she would be the death of me. I couldn't live another minute without this woman, and I knew my buddy felt the same way.

"What do you mean you both loved me since college?"

"Later, let us show you. We talk better with our hands and bodies."

Blood roared in my ears. My whole fucking body felt like live flames consumed it. I gripped her ass and dragged her down until the V of her thighs settled over my bulge. Her shocked look and gasp of surprise made me harder and precum drip.

"You drive us crazy and we're here to take what is ours. We marked you, told you that you could try to run but you wouldn't get far. Don't say we didn't warn you."

Realization dawned in her pretty hazel eyes, those gold and green flecks sparkling like gems.

Fueled by obsession, lust, love never forgotten, I took her mouth again, only this time I slow it down, way down. I teased her lips until she opened for me. She was mine which meant she was ours.

I walked us over to the couch and we all three sank into the thick cushions. She straddled me for a minute before Jace pulled her to rest over both of us.

"You know we wanted something a little less than orthodox when we first dated. But you were so much younger than us. Fresh off the farm and wide-eyed and so innocent. Neither of us wanted to scare you. So, we waited."

"But we waited too long, baby. The night we were going to ask you out on a date as a trio we found your roommate instead. You had left. No call, no note. Just left. And now you wanted to pull the same trick and leave again in the same manner."

Elle fidgeted with the ends of her hair, and I could tell she had a hard time looking us in the eye.

Jace tilted her chin up. "I didn't know what was wrong with me. I wanted you, loved you, but I also had feelings for you." Her gaze moved to Jace's and then back to mine. "How did I go about telling my boyfriend I like his best friend too?"

We wrapped her in our arms. "Jesus Christ. We're both sorry we didn't move on the signs you were dropping. We were stupid and we let you get away from us. Two years might not be eternity but they sure the hell felt like it."

Jace and I pinned her with a hard gaze, and he cupped her face. "Our little wild cherry. Baby, now that we have you, you're never leaving."

"I love you both. I hope you're ready for what you've stirred in me. We have a lot of time to make up for and if you want me to stay, you guys have to tell my parents why."

I raised a brow. "Sounds fair." We both would walk over coals for the woman. "Fortunately for you, we can all do it face to face. I've already sent the plane to Miami to pick them up and fly them home to see their baby girl."

Her mouth fell open and we both moved in to share our love for our sweet, ripe wild cherry.