Chapter 10

"Do you think the bossman is up yet?" Rory asked as he leaned against the back of the Jeep and enjoyed the sweet Hawaiian air.

Zeke had offered to drive and he was happy for that. Zee and Maura knew the island better than he did. Just getting to Jillian and Conner's little slice of heaven was difficult for a local to remember how to get there. It was off the beaten path—way off—which had struck him as odd. Both Jillian and Conner earned a lot of money and Jillian was the heir to a huge corporation. Still, in over thirty years, he had seen much stranger things and he just chalked it up to different strokes.

"Of course he's up by now," Maura said. "He probably had one or both of the pilots call him when we drove off. You know what a control freak he is."

He could tell she was nervous about seeing her brother and he couldn't understand why. Of course, a person with his fucked up family life wouldn"t. He was an odd Irishman, avoiding his family or any mention of them. He was sure he had siblings out in the wild knowing his bastard father the way he did, but he had never met them and didn't want to. There was a good chance they were as fucked up as he was—or worse. If he hadn't been discovered by Zee's ma, there was a good chance he would have ended up just like his da.

He brushed those thoughts aside and realized Maura was still talking about her brother. There was something between the siblings that was endearing and perplexing at the same time. She saw him as a brother, which Rory understood, but she also acted as if she needed his approval like she would a father. It was odd that she tied so much in her life to his approval.

"I just want the key to the house, then I want to go to sleep," Zeke said when Maura stopped long enough for him to comment.

Rory nodded as he leaned back and let the environment take control of him for just a little bit. He needed this time off, all three of them did. And this…connection they all seemed to have was definitely one that he was going to enjoy. They did need rest and he could understand why Zeke just wanted to go to sleep. Rory was exhausted in one way, but there was a part of him that was completely exhilarated. Who couldn't be with two lovers like Zee and Maura?

He watched Maura from the back seat. He liked women. They had been his first love until he hit twenty and had his first encounter with a man. Still there was something about Maura. Something in her tugged at him. He had sensed it before they had been in bed. Zee had a thing for her and now...Rory wasn't so sure he didn't have a thing for her.

Whoa. What the hell was he thinking? Sure, the sex had been stellar. She hadn't really submitted yet and he was already a little tangled up in her. But, that was all it was. One week for Zee to work her out of his system, and then they could move on. That was it.

She turned and smiled at him. "How many times have you been to Oahu?"

They'd removed the top of the Jeep because Maura had insisted it was the only way to enjoy Hawaii. It had surprised him. She seemed closed down at the office, all business. But here, in this setting with them, she was open as if she feared nothing. It seemed so...intimate. Something about her he didn't know. And now, her hair was flying around her head. She pulled it out of her face and smiled at him. Something hit him hard and clutched at his heart. He rubbed his chest hoping to rid himself of the feeling.

"Only when your brother and Jillian got married."

Her eyes widened. "Really? I thought maybe you and Zeke had been here before. Like for work."

His lips twitched. "Not a lot of security work here on Oahu for us."

Her smile turned into a grin. "I hope there is since my brother insists on opening that office."

He didn't want to tell her that the type of work Zee and he did for years wouldn't be the type of high-level security they now handled. It was down and dirty, some of it more than a little questionable. He didn't think much about the earlier jobs these days. Truth was, if Zee and he didn't have the protection of the British government, they would probably be in prison somewhere. But, they had done it for—what was it the Americans liked to say—God and country. That was it. Those days were long gone, but he didn't regret them. They had done what needed to be done.

Shaking himself from his thoughts again, he found Maura staring at him still.

"No, it's actually smart. You have a lot of work here thanks to the movies plus, it gives Dillon Securities the ability to work their way into the Pacific Rim. There is a lot of need for security. More and more US companies are moving into these new market areas and we can provide them security for their executives and their offices."

"I'm just the nerd who works on the technical aspect," she said shrugging. "I don't think there's a need for me to be here."

He didn't like the fact that she downplayed her abilities. It was something that her brother and Zee allowed all the time. Zee always dismissed it as a joke, but Rory still did not care for it. He knew the truth of it. Their company wouldn't be able to function without someone like Maura. She was the reason they were gaining more and more clients in every area.

"Computers are a huge part of the problem today. So much terrorism happens online, or the ability to hack into systems, easy way to steal millions."

She nodded and then gasped when Zee took a hard right turn.

"Dude," she said punching him. "Slow down."

"You know that Conner is going to want to keep us there forever. I am ready for bed."

He heard the way Zee's voice dipped over the word and understood that Zee wasn't just planning on sleeping. He was as ready for a submission from her as Rory was. She had been so fucking responsive to him on the jet; he could just imagine what she would do when he pushed it to the next level. The fact that she liked watching Zee and him together was even more arousing. Not every woman they took to bed did like that part of it. In fact, he was pretty sure she was the only one who looked forward to that part of it. He couldn't wait to tie her down and make her watch.

He shifted on his seat trying to ease the tightness of his jeans. Fuck, he was getting a hard on. Not a good idea. Part of it was Maura's fault in a way. The woman intrigued him more than anyone before, except for Zee.

"And, here we are," she said, her voice bubbled, excitement filling every syllable. Zee had barely put the jeep in park when she jumped out of it and ran to the house. The door was already slamming open.

Jillian Dillon came running out squeeing, her braids flying behind her. As the two women embraced, Rory realized just how opposite they were. Sure, he had seen Jillian a couple of times at the office and then at the wedding, but seeing them together told him just how odd a pair they made.

Jillian was a tall black woman, tattooed and pierced, with long dark braids. She lived life on her own terms as an erotic romance writer. Dressed in a pair of cutoffs that had seen better days and a red tank top, you would never know the woman controlled billions with her family's company. If you looked up free spirit in the dictionary, you would probably find her picture. He often wondered just how they made it work as friends, but there was some kind of connection between the two women.

Conner came out behind her, a frown on his face. Rory wasn't sure that he had ever seen the man smile other than the day of the wedding. From the moment he met his new boss, there had been a patent distrustful air about him. At first, Rory had assumed it was his relationship with Zee, but he soon found out that Conner could care less about that. He looked at everyone that way, which is one of the reasons he was good at his job. But the moment Conner saw Maura, his entire expression softened. That was family—something he would never understand.

She untangled herself from Jillian and launched herself into Conner's arms. "I missed you so much!"

Conner, in a display Rory would never expect, pulled her up off the ground into a bear hug.

Zee must have read his expression. He walked up beside him. "They are very close."

"You don't have to tell me that, Zee."

"No, I guess not."

Jillian shaded her eyes. "Come on boys. I just put on some Kona and I think we can scrounge you up something to eat."

"I'll cook," Conner said, his arm now draped over Maura's shoulders.

Rory knew he was just her brother and was not a competitor for her sexual affections but it bothered him. He had never been possessive except when it came to Zee. Not like this. He had to control the need to tell her brother to get his damned hands off her. He shook his head and smiled at Jillian.

"I would love a good breakfast," Rory said.

"Then I better cook because while Jillian is good with writing books and making coffee, her idea of breakfast is usually leftover pizza."

She shot her husband a nasty look. "I can cook. But when I have a man trained to do it so nicely, why should I bother."

He growled and for the first time in a few minutes, finally let go of his sister. Rory barely kept himself from walking up the steps to the porch and slipping his arm around her waist. For some reason, he wanted everyone to know she belonged to him and Zee. It was an odd feeling, but maybe it had more to do with the lack of sleep than anything else.

Conner swatted his wife on the ass. "While I would like to argue with her, Jillian is right. I do a lot of the cooking because someone gets too caught up in work to notice that we have nothing to eat."

She shook her head and gave Zee a hug. "Hey, Mr. Man, how are you doing? I like the baldhead. It gives you a real ‘The King and I' look, especially regal with that goatee."

Zeke laughed. "As long as you don't expect me to sing, we'll be fine."

She gave him a smile and Rory felt the power of it. She didn't downplay her attributes, but she was so laid back he forgot just how powerful they were. When she turned all that attention on him it was hard to miss.

"Hey, there, Rory."

"Hey, yourself."

Jillian patted her heart. "Ohhh, two men with Irish accents. How ever do you concentrate at work, girl?"

Maura laughed. "I use my super intellect and lots of coffee. And where is that coffee I was offered?"

"Make sure to give her some soon, or we could be dealing with a monster," Conner said. She elbowed her brother.

"You have no room to talk, Conner. But, I would love to have some coffee, and I am definitely famished."

He sighed following them in. Zee gave him a warning look. Rory nodded. He knew they had to be patient to get her alone again. If he spent any time thinking about it, Rory was sure he would be worried. He'd never been this into a sub before, but he was going to keep going in the spirit of their week.

There would be plenty of time to worry when they got back to Miami.