Spanked by an Angel [Notorious Nephilim 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (17 page)

“No, I mean I don’t want to leave this place. This resort.”

He cupped her face. “We’ve been down this road before. I told you to stay. Just stay, Abigail. You don’t have to leave.”

“If only it were that simple.”

“It is, but you have to be the one to make the decision. We can’t make it for you. You have to choose us before we can take that final step.”

What was he saying? She couldn’t stay here with them. She had a house, a job. She owed her father a boatload of money. Well, Malcolm owed it to him, but he’d already made it perfectly clear that since he couldn’t recover it from Malcolm, Abigail would have to be the one to repay it. What choice did she have? Could Emmett and Zach make her debt disappear? Could they give her a job and a home?

Even as she ticked off all the reasons she couldn’t stay, she knew with absolute certainty that if she asked them to do those things for her, they would. Abigail backed away from him as panic settled over her. The blood pounded in her veins, and she was no longer cold. The electrical charge in the air she’d grown used to suddenly felt malevolent, as though it might consume her rather than warm and protect her. This was too much, too fast.

It was also crazy and impulsive, and Abigail Emily Cosslin never did anything like that. She planned things out and consulted her parents. She weighed the pros and the cons, and took her time making a decision.

Then why had she come here and not told her parents or her coworkers where she was going?

Emmett took her hand. Abigail blinked back tears at the look of profound sadness that settled in his eyes.

“Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s get you back indoors.”

When they returned to the resort, Abigail told Emmett she had a headache and spent the remainder of the day in her room, trying to sort out her feelings. He hadn’t protested, which made their afternoon outdoors all the more poignant, as though it might be the last time they did anything so fun together.

She walked around the sitting room and bedroom, touching everything, trying to burn the memory of the fabric, the smells, and the colors into her brain. She never wanted to forget this place. Her cell phone was still plugged in, charging, where she’d placed it the first day here. She unplugged it from the charger and began to snap pictures. The only thing keeping her from walking through the rest of the resort to take more pictures was the fear she’d run into Emmett or Zach. When she finished, she turned off the cell and tossed it into her purse, along with the charger.

She didn’t need pictures of them. If she lived to be one hundred years old, she’d never forget their faces or their scents. She’d never forget what it felt like to touch them or have them inside her. And she’d be able to picture their eyes for the rest of her life.

What would happen to them? Would they choose a woman eventually and live a mortal existence? That was what Emmett had been talking about in the barn. She knew it was. He’d practically told her that all she had to do was choose them, and it was a done deal. But what did that mean? That they loved her? She found it impossible to believe. Even Malcolm hadn’t been in love with her. She knew that now.

Men didn’t fall in love with her. She was too uptight and dependent on her parents. There was no reason to believe Emmett and Zach would feel any differently. And they were way, way out of her league. They’d forget about her and move on to another guest as soon as she was gone. But she would never be the same again.

* * * *

Zach wandered through the lobby, toward the dining room, intending to grab a sandwich and take it back to his office. He wanted to clear his schedule for tomorrow so he could spend the day with Abigail. As envious as he was that she and Emmett had been together all day, he hoped she was having fun.

He rounded the corner near the far end of the lobby and stopped short at the sound of Emmett’s laughter, smiling at the thought of seeing Abigail this evening. He hadn’t expected to see her until tomorrow. His smile faded as he spotted Emmett sitting in a chair near the fireplace, surrounded by four female guests.

They sat at his feet as though he were a Greek god or a king. All four wore looks of lustful expectation. One was even feeding him Wheat Thins or something. Zach’s heart began to pound, and his hands curled into fists. What the fuck was going on? Where was Abigail? If that asshole had done anything to make her feel like shit, he’d fucking kill him.

Emmett caught his eye, and the stupid grin on his face fell at once. Zach stood rooted to the spot only because he knew if he advanced toward Emmett right now, he’d make an ass of himself in front of their guests.

Emmett whispered something to the four women, and they turned toward Zach, lust shining in their eyes and curiosity stamped on their faces.

“Zach, come over here and join us.” Emmett held up a bottle of red wine, nearly empty. Perfect. He was drunk, surrounded by four horny women, and who knew what the fuck had happened with Abigail.

Zach took a few steps toward him, only so he didn’t have to shout across the lobby. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Luis at the front desk, trepidation filling his face.

“Emmett, can I speak with you for a minute? Alone?”

“No, I’m fine right here. Come on over and meet…”—he glanced around—“these lovely ladies.”

“Nice, Emmett. Really. You don’t even know their names.”

One of the women giggled.

“I don’t know my own name right now, buddy boy.”

“What did you do to Abigail?”

A look of despondency passed over Emmett’s face, and Zach’s heart froze. He turned toward Luis. “Did she check out?”

Luis shook his head. “No, Zach. She ordered dinner in her room.”

Zach took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. There were guests in the lobby. He had to keep control of this situation. “Emmett, I need to speak with you. Now.”

“You’re so controlling,” said one of the women, giggling as she eyed him.

Zach ignored her as he watched Emmett. Instead of rising to his feet, he drained the wine bottle. “Luis, we need another one,” he called.

Luis glanced at Zach with a desperate look in his eyes. “That’s his second one already, Zach.”

“Find one of the others,” said Zach. “Whoever isn’t busy right now. Ask him to come to the lobby and entertain these four guests while Emmett and I have a chat.”

Zach strolled over to Emmett and pulled him to his feet by one arm. The bottle made a soft thud on the carpeting as it fell. “He’ll join you later, ladies.”

“Party pooper,” said one, pouting at him.

“Lighten up, Zach,” said Emmett. His eyes were clouded over and his words just short of slurred.

Zach leaned close to his ear. “I’ll fucking deck you right here in the lobby if you don’t shut the hell up and come with me. Got it?”

Zach took Emmett into a room behind the front desk and dumped him in a chair.

Luis poked his head in. “Reeve is on his way down.”

“Good. Thank you.” He glanced at Emmett. “We need a pot of black coffee, Luis.”

Zach shut the door behind Luis and turned to face Emmett. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. “What happened with Abigail?”

Emmett ran his hands over his face and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands. “We walked around Glacier Lake. We had a snowball fight. She got cold. I took her to the barn on the old horse trails and lit a lantern, threw a blanket on the floor, and we fucked like bunnies until it got too cold for her.”

Zach fought against the wave of jealousy raging through him. “And then?”

“Then she got all sad and said she didn’t want to leave this place. She said the same thing the other night, by the way, after we both made love to her the first time. So I told her to stay.”

“What do you mean you told her to stay?”

“I mean I told her she didn’t have to leave. But she started talking about her obligations back home.”

“That’s it? That’s what happened this afternoon?”

“No. She mentioned them the other night. This afternoon I went too far. I told her she didn’t have to leave. She said it wasn’t that simple, and I said it is, but she’d have to be the one to make the decision. We couldn’t make it for her. I told her she’d have to choose us before we could take that final step.”

“Are you out of your fucking mind, Emmett?”

“Yes!” Emmett shot out of the chair and took a step toward Zach. “I am out of my fucking mind, Zach. Out of my fucking mind in love with Abigail.”

Luis opened the door, holding a tray with a coffeepot and two mugs. Zach took it from him, thanked the man, and shut the door. He placed the tray on a table and forced himself to calm down as he poured two mugs. This wasn’t the right time to tell Emmett he felt the same way. He was head-over-heels in love with Abigail as well. The impossible had finally happened.

Handing one mug to Emmett with trembling hands, he took a deep breath before he spoke. “Did you tell her that? That you’re in love with her?”

Emmett stared at the cup as though he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Finally he took a sip. “No. She freaked out when I said all she had to do was choose. Not in words, but you should have seen the look on her face. As though I’d just suggested she eat cockroaches or something. I felt like such a fucking fool, Zach. And it was too late to take it back. You had to be there. She just completely shut down.”

Zach took a chair and pulled it in front of Emmett’s. He sat down, and Emmett sank back into his chair. “What happened after that? What did you say to her?”

“Nothing. I said something about getting her back where she could get warm. When we returned, she said she had a headache and wanted to lie down. I thought it best to let her. Then I got drunk.”

“In the lobby.”

“Yeah, okay. Not my best decision. I should have been sitting in front of that fire with Abigail.”

“Let’s think about this for a minute, all right? You’re the one who stood in my office and told me all the shit she’s been through with her ex-husband. I suspect something else is going on as well. At dinner last night, she hinted about staying in the firm Daddy owns out of obligation to him, remember?”

Emmett took another sip of coffee and nodded.

“I think it’s fair to assume she’s afraid of him. And from the way she made it sound, financially dependent on him as well. She’s probably been under his control her entire life. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he doesn’t even know she’s here. Did you know her husband made her stop playing the cello?”

Emmett nodded, drained his coffee cup, and poured another. “I know. She’s always let the men in her life control her. She doesn’t know anything else.”

“But she came here. That says to me she has more strength than she knows. And look how she’s opened up to us in less than a week. Tell me you didn’t have an initial impression of her as frigid.”

The corners of Emmett’s mouth turned up. “Yeah, I did. So, what do we do now?”

“I wish I knew. I’m tempted to say let’s go up to her room and talk to her, but not with you in this state. And I’m still…I don’t know. Not sure what to do about my own feelings.”

Emmett stared at him over the top of his coffee cup. “Meaning what?”

“Meaning I’m in love with her, too, Emmett. Okay?”

Emmett slammed his coffee cup down on the table and Zach braced himself. But instead of getting angry, Emmett began to laugh. He slapped his knees and laughed so hard he wiped tears from the corner of his eyes. Zach let him. He had it coming.

“You…in love. I don’t believe it.” Emmett wiped more tears. “You swore to me, what, somewhere around 1952, I believe, that you’d rather summon Lilith back and fuck her silly than fall in love again.”

“I didn’t plan this, Emmett.”

Emmett finally gained control of his emotions and blinked at Zach a few times, a look of anticipation on his face. “Are you going to tell her?”

“Are you?”

“Hell no. I don’t know. What do you think we should do?”

“Emmett, I have no fucking clue.”

Abigail woke and showered before the sun had risen. She wasn’t sleepy anymore, but had no idea what to do with her day. The guilt she felt for blowing off Emmett yesterday afternoon bothered her. She should find him and explain how confused she was, but if she did, they would be going over the same issues they’d already discussed. She didn’t want to bore him or Zach with her insecurities. It wasn’t their fault she was so fucked up.

Even as she told herself it had been a mistake coming here so soon after her divorce, she knew that was a lie. This was exactly what she had needed. What she hadn’t counted on was falling for anyone, let alone two men. As if she could ever make love to any man without becoming strung out on him. Not possible.

But this was different, and she knew it. Zach and Emmett weren’t merely two guys she just happened to have said yes to. They were unlike anyone she’d ever met or would ever meet again. No one would ever measure up to them.

She dressed and walked into her sitting room, ready to order coffee and maybe a pastry, and found the room filled with roses.

“Oh…” Abigail stared at them, unable to comprehend. There had to be at least ten vases, each filled with a different color of flowers. The smell was overpowering. In the center of the table was a note. She picked it up with trembling fingers and read:

Please join us for breakfast. We’d love to spend the day with you. Anything at all you want to do. Your wish today is our command. All yours, Emmett and Zach.

Abigail placed a hand over her mouth as the tears came. Out of her league? Maybe not, at least not for the next eight days. Why shouldn’t she enjoy herself while she was here? If she left now, feeling unworthy of their time and attention, she’d regret it. She wouldn’t bring up the subject of her not wanting to leave again. If she didn’t mention it, Emmett wouldn’t tell her to stay, and she wouldn’t have to fight the battle in her own mind at his words. Instead she’d simply forget about the outside world and concentrate on her two adoring angels.