Chapter Twenty-Four

I nspector Liam Ashton

“I like the view from here.” I gripped Moran’s hips, his torso bent over Birdie’s prone form, her hair in disarray over the pillow. Placing a pillow under her hips had lifted Moran to a more convenient position. All of this was new to me, even though I had written stories along the same lines. It was rather interesting for the three of us to be in such a tantalizing position. Thus far, Birdie had balked only one time and it was understandable given her history. So many men I knew only thought to please themselves, not their partners. My dislike for Frank increased, and I stifled a bark of jealous laughter.

“I like the view from here,” Birdie said on a breathy laugh.

Moran chuckled, the husky sound raw and unguarded. “I much rather prefer the view beneath me and behind me.”

“Cheeky prat.” The sensations cutting through my body had much to do with passion, and a growing emotion that I didn’t want to have for Birdie. From the beginning, it was apparent that Moran and she were meant to be together, and I would do what was best to make him see the light. I plunged in and out of him, his tightness drawing me in. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the snow continuing to fall outside the window in large flakes, making me believe that I would have at least one more day with two people who had come to mean the most to me outside of my family.

Had she only trusted me, Suzette might be with Moran and me right now. Like Birdie, she was open to new experiences. I looked back at Moran, my hand sliding up his back, my fingertips seeking out the muscles that splayed on either side of his spine. He was a magnificent specimen indeed, all lean muscles and sinew.

Moran’s movements became more frantic, and my eyes locked on Birdie’s. Her cheeks were a bright pink, the lust in her eyes drawing me in. I wanted to kiss her, and yet I wanted to continue to plunge into Moran until I found fulfillment. But I had other plans and waited until he gave up control. His body stiffened, and he flexed his arms while moving more quickly inside Birdie.

I withdrew from his tight heat and climbed off the bed. He rolled off Birdie to his side, his arm moving over his eyes, chest heaving. She lay sprawled on the mattress, eyes closed, breathing heavily. I grabbed a cloth from the bedside table to remove my condom before I did the same for him. I began to wrap the rubber in the cloth when I spied a streak of blood on the white background.

My gaze went to Birdie for a long moment. Could she have been a virgin? She said she was a widow. She may have been at the end of her cycle or the beginning of it. Or she wasn’t a widow at all. Short of calling her out, I couldn’t say for sure. I threw the spotted cloth into the bin with the other rubbish. It would appear I needed to do a bit of investigation before I accused her of any wrongdoing. Perhaps I should simply let it go. All of us had secrets.

Moran opened his eyes, his gaze skimming down my belly to my engorged cock. He held out his hand and clasped my length, pulling me forward with it. “Come here, and I will help you with that.”

Birdie lifted her lashes, desire still bright in her regard. “I would like to help. You have been so generous to me. I would like to reciprocate in any way I can. Frank, well, he and I never did that either.”

Her eagerness seemed genuine without any artifice.

I climbed back onto the bed and propped myself on the pillow. Moran leaned over me on one side, his hand moving up and down on my cock. Birdie knelt on my other side, her breasts tempting me. “Moran can take care of my cock. I wish to do a bit of exploration of my own.”

With my hand out, I waited for her to take it. Encouraging her to straddle my waist, I brought her down, my mouth finding her plump nipple. She arched her back as I played my tongue over it, her nails raking into my chest. Raw desire emanated from her, and I wanted to please her more than I wanted pleasure myself.

Moran sucked on my cock, his lips locking on the crown. He was very adept at bringing me to the brink and beyond. Soon, I would let the pleasure overtake me. I wasn’t ready yet.

I drifted my hand to her cleft, my fingers finding the sleek flesh. She threw her head back, her face tense with the need for fulfillment. The last woman I was with had been Suzette. Our nights had been unforgettable, her needs seemingly insatiable. Alberto was impotent and had kept her for appearances, and the arrangement suited her.. I wanted her as my wife and the mother of my children. She had reservations about my job because her stepfather had been a bobby and she didn’t want that kind of life.

Birdie gripped my shoulder with one hand, her other cupping my cheek. I released her nipple and met her velvety gaze. She dipped her head, her lips connecting with mine in a searing kiss. I opened to her seeking tongue, my fingers on her cleft moving with more speed. What a kind and giving woman she’d turned out to be. I had seen firsthand how she had treated her sisters and took her responsibility to them seriously. If she had a secret, I needed to leave it alone.

The woman kissing me so passionately bore down on my hand, her hips pushing into the caress. She quivered, the force of her release seeming to elevate her to a higher level of passion. Breaking the kiss, she cried out, “Blimey.”

Laughing at her exuberance statement, I waited until she collapsed on my chest before I guided her onto her side. She cuddled up next to me, her arm draped across my chest. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.” I cupped her chin, and she grinned before glancing down at Moran.

My other lover wrapped his fingers tight at my base, his palm massaging my ballocks while he ran his mouth up and down my length. Denying my need was no longer an option, and I clenched my hands into the linens beneath me. Moran looked between me and Birdie, his eyes hooded.

Birdie dipped her head, her lips latching onto my nipple. It was too much. I let the sensations overtake me, pleasure rushing through me in waves. Moran milked my cock, drawing every bit of lustful desire out of me. In the aftermath, I sank deeper into the mattress, unable to move.

With a grin, Moran climbed up my body, placing a kiss on my lips before he lay on my other side.

“That was lovely. Simply lovely.” She stretched out, her silky nipples grazing my side.

Moran reached across me and caressed her swollen lips. “We could write our own book now.”

Her laughter shook the bed, and she nodded. “Indeed we could. What would we call it?”

“It will be hard to top Lady X, the Dark Knight, and Lord Golden, but I will come up with something,” I said on a yawn. My creative juices started to flow, and I stared up at the ceiling, content to lie here for a time.

“I would love a bath. Does the tub in the bathroom work?” Birdie asked.

“Of course it works.” Moran rested his hand on my belly. He was especially proud of the bathing room. “I installed two coppers for extra water.”

“Moran enjoys a good soak. He even has fancy bath beads from France.” I met his scowl with a broad grin, unwilling to be put off by his silent chastisement.

“Oh, you have bath salts?” Her eyes lit up even more, reflecting a different kind of need. “How heavenly. Would it be rude for me to go bathe? I don’t get the opportunity to soak in a tub often.”

“By all means, you should.” Moran splayed his fingers, flexing them over my belly. Our banter was always meant in jest, and he knew it. “Sometimes a good soak is just the thing.”

Leaning over me, Birdie pressed a kiss to his lips before playing her lips over mine. Smiling impishly, she scrambled from the bed, her hips swaying and breasts bouncing in an alluring manner before she snatched up her chemise and hid her body from view. Moran turned his head to watch her leave until she disappeared.

I nudged him with my elbow, sure she would welcome his company. It was telling that she had chosen him to bed her. Well, I had pushed the issue, but she hadn’t balked. “Go with her.”

“What?” He rolled his head toward me on the pillow, the lines between his eyebrows furrowed. Residual color from our play still highlighted his cheeks. Temptation almost distracted me, but I couldn’t allow my need for him to interfere with my matchmaking.

“Go with her.” I pointed in the general direction of the bathing room. “ She likes to bathe. You like to bathe. She likes you. You like her. It is a win all around.”

Moran propped his head on his hand and settled deeper into the mattress. “You are getting a bit ahead of yourself.”

“No, I am not.” I pushed his shoulder, intent on getting him to move. “You want to get married. She’s not married. You like her. She needs someone to help provide for her sisters. You like children. She has children in abundance.” I went through every reason I could think of. If she had been lying about her virginity, then it had to be for a good reason. “Plus, you like her.”

Stubborn chin lifted, he shook his head. “My like or dislike of her is irrelevant. She works for me.”

“You just bedded her.” And perhaps took her virginity. I skimmed my finger along the frown lines, perplexed by him at times. One minute, he said he wanted all that I listed but balked when given the opportunity. “I think the time for formalities is over. What are you waiting for?”

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it.” He exhaled a long breath and rolled onto his back. “I more than like her, and that is the problem.”

“Are you in love with her?” I was thrilled if that were the case. A bit jealous but thrilled.

“I am not like you. I don’t want to fall in love.” Moran dragged his hand through his hair, gripping the strands in his fist. The muscles of his arms flexed, drawing my eye to his long frame and the tempting picture he presented.

“Why not? Even though Suzette spurned me, I would still do it all over again. It is the best feeling in the world.” I wanted a chance at love, and he had it at his fingertips, but was too afraid to reach out and take it.

“I am not in love with her.” He lowered his arm and met my inquiring gaze. “I like her very much, and I lust after her. It is difficult to differentiate between the two.”

“Regardless, you have the opportunity to spend some more time with her outside the office and in a more intimate setting.” I shook my head at his reluctance, determined to get him to see my point of view. “You have a very luscious, cheeky, intriguing woman in your bathtub soaking in your bath salts, and you’re debating lust versus love? I would suggest, my friend, that you live in the moment. Now, you must go because tonight has given me an idea, and I have to write.”

If Moran understood anything, it was the creative process. When he didn’t immediately move, I shoved his shoulder. “Don’t forget the condom,” I said.

“I don’t need a condom for a bath,” he said on a yawn.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I reached into the box I had set on the bedside table and grabbed a rubber. Twisting, I shoved it into his hand. “Go. Now.”

With a heavy sigh, he complied. “You sure are a bossy prat.”

“And you are a stubborn wanker. Now hurry, or you will miss all the hot water.”

I grabbed a robe from his wardrobe and slipped it on before entering the main room. One glance outside showed the snow falling in relentless waves. A desk was situated near the icebox and I pulled out pen and paper. The muse hit me at the oddest times, and tonight was no different. I wanted to capture what happened between us,, forever immortalizing this night in my mind and on paper.