Love of Steel [The Callens 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (8 page)

“I need you.” She hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but her mouth wasn’t connected to her brain.

On the next thrust, he was seated so deep, she thought she’d take off like a rocket. Molten steel bubbled over, and a glorious spasm consumed her. She clenched her pussy, milking him tight. His eyes closed, and his fingers dug into her waist so hard it was as if he had no idea what his strength could do.

The pain morphed into pleasure as she dropped back her head and let out a primal scream. Her climax drenched her with intense heat.

He lowered his head, inhaled, and grunted. Hot cum filled the condom, but he continued to plunge into her long after his release, as if someone had taken over his body. She plastered her chest to his body and dropped her head on his shoulder, needing to feel his skin against hers.

He stopped moving but still hung on tight. Somehow he turned around and walked them back to the table without incident. He eased her onto the top and withdrew.

“Christ.” He wet his lips. “Be right back.”

His feet trudged to the back and down the hall. Cool air chilled her, but she had no energy to walk over to her pile of clothes.

He came back and wiped her down. “I’ll get our clothes.”

“I appreciate that.” If she’d stepped down from the table, she wasn’t sure her legs could have held her up.

* * * *

When Jade got home, she almost didn’t want to shower. Parker’s rich, manly scent was all over her skin. Her lips were a bit swollen, as were a few other body parts, but the glory of the sex they’d shared made her smile all the way home.

Her doorbell rang and boots sounded on the floor below. “Come on up, Dakota.” It was after closing, so she wondered what her friend was doing here.

Dakota dropped down on the bed. “So?”

“So what?”

“I saw you leave with those pieces you were making for Parker’s set. Did he like them?”

She was glad Dakota wasn’t here to see if Parker had put the moves on her. Her friend had a sixth sense about her. “He loved them and asked if I’d add some more bars. I’m going to start working on them tonight.”

“Have you finished doing your quarterly taxes or your yearly taxes, for that matter?”

Shit
. She’d been so diverted with the trip to New Orleans that she’d completely forgotten about them. Then as soon as she returned, Parker had asked for the grillwork for the set. “I wished you’d learn how to do them.”

Dakota laughed. “If I worked on your finances, the IRS would audit you so fast that you’d land in jail with no hope of ever getting out.”

Jake pulled off her blouse. If she was going to do some welding tonight, she needed to throw on one of her grungy tees. “Now I have to waste my time doing that.”

“It’s the price of being a business owner.”

“Amen.”

Dakota got up from the bed and came near. “Your bra is on inside out.”

“Crap.” She took if off and tossed it in the dirty hamper. There was no way she’d wear her new lacy bra when she welded anyway.

“Oh, my God. You had sex with Parker.”

Damn
. Dakota would find out anyway if she didn’t tell. The woman could see through steel. “So?”

Her friend practically jumped up and down. “Holy shit. You’ve slept with both men in less than a week when you haven’t had sex in years. Was this experience fantastic, too?”

She couldn’t control her excitement any longer. “Amazing. Wonderful. Powerful. One minute I had my samples in my hand ready to leave, and the next he removes them from me, slams me against the wall and fucks me.”

“Ahhhh. Why can’t I be so lucky?” She paced in front of the bed. “I pictured Logan to be the wild type. Parker is softer and more artsy.”

“I know. Right? I always thought Parker only kind of wanted me, but he never made any moves, so I figured he was a lost cause. I think once he found out what Logan and I had, he wanted in.”

Her grin got wider. “Have they talked to you about sharing?”

Wouldn’t that be nice?
“Not specifically, but I figured that’s what they want.”

Dakota edged back to the bed. “Do you?”

“Want to share? Hell yes, though it kind of scares me. What if one man gets jealous?”

Her friend leaned back on her elbows and crossed her feet. “Have you ever had two men at once?”

“Are you kidding? Don’t you think I would have told you? We don’t have any secrets.” At least she hoped Dakota hadn’t kept something as important as a ménage from her. “You haven’t, have you?”

“The only two men I’d even considered doing that with are your two brothers. Trust me, that means I’ll never be in a ménage relationship.”

The image of her two brothers having sex wasn’t something she wanted to think about. “Yuck.”

Dakota laughed as she popped off the bed. “I know you have taxes to do, that chandelier for the Fitzpatricks, and the set design for your new lover. Not to mention the staircase for your
other
lover. I’ll let you get to work.” She winked and walked out.

God, she so needed about ten more hours in the day. No sooner had she changed than her cell rang. Her pulse raced, praying it was either Logan or Parker. She retrieved her cell from her good jeans pocket. It was her cousin April.

“Hey, girl. What’s up?”

“I dropped the ball.”

“On what?”

She hesitated. “Randy had this great idea about what to get Mom for her birthday. You know how she loves to garden?”

Jade always thought Aunt Veronica had the best smelling flowers in the state. “Absolutely.”

“Randy suggested I get her a shovel and have you put your magic welding stamp on it.”

She searched her mind for the date of her aunt’s birthday, praying it was months from now. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“I have a picture of what I want. Can I come over and show you?”

She’d never turn down sweet April. “Absolutely. Come in through the back. I’ll be in my shop.” Once she got too tired to pound the anvil, she’d do the taxes. Tomorrow, she’d work on the set and then move on to the staircase. She didn’t even want to think about the month-end bookkeeping that she’d have to do in a week.

April would arrive in less than fifteen minutes, so Jade rushed downstairs and fired up the furnace. Dakota’s dad had trained both her and his daughter. She wished her assistant would be willing to give it a go and work on some of the smaller projects. Though if she spent time in the workshop, who would man the store?

No sooner did she realize that glitch than April arrived. They hugged. “How are your classes going?”

April taught eighth-grade science. Jade wished Uncle Josh had been her father. At least he supported women getting a college education.

“Great. I just can’t believe my second year is almost over. It’s a lot easier this year than last year, by a long shot.”

As much as she would have loved to spend time with April, her to-do list was overflowing. “You have something to show me?”

April pulled out a picture of a shovel whereby the metal was made to look like lace. Her breath hitched. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”

“I know it’s totally impractical, but I thought Mom could lean it against the railing leading to the back porch. It would be a decorative item. I know she’ll love it.”

“When’s her birthday? I’m sorry, I can’t keep track.”

“You? Neither can I. I put everything on my calendar. I was good with my brothers and sisters, but with so many cousins and now a nephew, I’m lost without technical aids.”

She loved April. She was fun but practical at the same time.

“It’s in ten days. I know that’s a short time, but can you do it?”

I have no time.
“I’ll do my best.”

April hugged her. “I have a new shovel in my car. I’ll run out and get it.”

Maybe Jade needed to turn off her cell, drag a refrigerator in here and never leave until all the work was done. April returned with the shovel and placed it by the door.

“I can see you’re busy. Call me when it’s done.”

“Will do.”

April slipped out, and all chance of spending time with Logan or Parker disappeared.

As she heated the iron to start the grillwork, she planned her week. Procrastinating to do the taxes wasn’t an option. She figured the Fitzpatricks wouldn’t complain too much if they had to wait a little longer, but the play and her aunt’s birthday were dates that wouldn’t disappear. And people always asked why she was so thin. It was called too much work and not enough time to eat.

* * * *

By the time Jade showered and crawled into bed, it was a few minutes before 3:00 a.m. When her alarm went off at 6:15 a.m., she grumbled and rolled over. Taxes had to come first. Then she’d split her day between the birthday shovel and Parker’s set. Repeat as needed. Within the week, she figured all three projects should be good to go, assuming there weren’t any more interruptions.

After she nearly drowned herself in coffee, she went into her office to start her chore for the IRS. Her mind refused to focus. Dakota’s question about sharing her men kept rattling around in her brain. Logan was sophisticated and fabulous. He appreciated her work and was the most considerate man she knew. Parker seemed to understand who she really was. He was an artist with a vision who got her need to create. From when she’d watched him work with the actors, she knew how he loved to talk about what motivated people and then tried to draw out the best in them.

Why they wanted her, she didn’t know, but right now she didn’t have time to dwell. The IRS wasn’t going to wait.

Before she knew it, her downstairs bell rang indicating Dakota was on her way up from the store. When she glanced at the clock, she was shocked and a bit dismayed to see it was after five.

“I brought you some food. Have you eaten today?” Dakota waved a bag from the Eatery, which was one of her favorite places to eat.

“I knew there was a reason why you were my best friend.”

“I’m your assistant, too.” Dakota laughed. “I got two sandwiches. One for me and one for you. Have you been here all day? No sounds were coming from the workshop.”

“Yup.” She yawned. “I’m almost done, too.” She waved a finger in the air. “After dinner, it’s off to work on a birthday present for my aunt and to make the second balcony.”

“You’ve made progress, but don’t forget the staircase for Logan.”

She groaned. “I know.”

She was pleased she was able to fashion something that looked like an authentic New Orleans balcony. While it lacked the detail compared to the real ones, for a community stage play, it would suffice.

“Did you get any sexy phone calls today?” Dakota bit into her sandwich.

“No. No calls.”

“Well, it has only been a day.”

She’d seen Parker yesterday, but it had been a few days since Logan had escorted her to New Orleans. “Do you think Logan is mad that I made love with Parker? He hasn’t called.”

“That would be a no. My guess is that he’s waiting for you to call him.”

She rolled her eyes. “He can call me.” Or had her mother brainwashed her into believing that men were supposed to be the aggressors?

Dakota shook her head. They’d had the role-playing conversation too many times before. Even she was beginning to wonder why she was so stubborn. Hell, maybe Dakota was right and she should just be herself and go after them.

“Not that I don’t appreciate you bringing me dinner, but I have to get to the workshop. I promised Parker that I’d be done in three days.”

“Three? Yikes. You have any time to work on the Fitzpatrick piece? They called again today.”

Crap
. “Stall them, will you? I’ll do it next week for sure.”

Dakota wiped her mouth, gathered the empty paper, and tossed the garbage in the trash. “Yes, masta.”

Once more, Jade dragged herself from the second floor down to the first floor. At least in a few hours she’d have something tangible to hold in her hand. Just in case one of the men decided to stop by, she unlocked the side door. When she was pounding the steel she often heard nothing. Throughout the evening she alternated between the lace design for her aunt and the set piece. After seven hours of constant pounding and welding, she couldn’t keep her eyes open or lift her arms anymore.

She locked the side door, depressed that the men hadn’t made any contact. She refused to believe they were only interested in her for the pleasures of the body. Both men made her feel too special. In two days, she’d be done with the ironwork and then Parker would have to see her.

After three days of working more or less nonstop, Jade had her taxes done, the balconies completed for Parker, and was halfway through the shovel for her aunt. She’d managed to start the chandelier for the Fitzpatricks and do about three feet of the staircase for Logan. Now the only glitch would be if Parker didn’t like what she’d designed.

Since she’d said she’d help with the actual hammering and nailing of the set, she’d have to spend a few days working on that. How she had the strength to do anything, she didn’t know, but she planned on plowing ahead.