The Edge of Dominance

  stop thinking with his guilt and reconnect with Raine. She yearned for the reassurance of his passion and love. This would be good for them all.

  Liam hung back and watched Raine skim her palms up Macen’s chest and curl them around his shoulders, helping him slide the shirt to the floor. “Promise?”

  He unfastened his belt, then ripped into his slacks, his zipper a seductive hiss. “That you’ll be satisfied and sore before we’re through with you? Oh, yeah.”

  “Exactly,” Liam added.

  With a come-hither smile, she leaned back on the island, braced her heels on the edge, and spread her legs. “I can’t wait.”

  He turned to Hammer and stroked her thigh. “Our girl can be more than a mite persuasive when she’s a mind to.”

  “No shit.” Hammer dropped his pants and lunged between Raine’s legs, naked and more than ready. He teased her opening with the tip of his hard cock. “Be careful what you wish for…”

  “Whatever you dish out, I’ll take and happily beg for more.” Her voice had turned throaty.

  Liam couldn’t wait anymore. “Fuck her, Macen.”

  “My pleasure.” Hammer enveloped her hips in his big hands.

  Impatiently, he lifted her, pulling her down onto his cock in one hard stroke. She arched, her head falling back with a gasp, fingers clinging to his meaty biceps. They looked striking together—Hammer so big and dark and rough, Raine so small and fair and lovely.

  Clenching his teeth and digging his fingers tighter into Raine, Hammer pivoted her around on the rectangular island to lay her flat on the granite, palming his way to her breast while he thrust deep. “You feel me?”

  “Yes.” Her head fell over the edge with a cry.

  Restless need burned through Liam’s veins, shooting straight to his cock.

  Macen sent him a wolfish stare. “You want to keep that sassy mouth busy?”

  “Fuck. Of course I do.”

  “Pull her hair. Give her something to scream about.”

  Liam thrust his fingers into the dark silk of her mane and tugged just the way she liked it. “Open, wench.”

  She eagerly parted her lips, eating him up with her hungry eyes. Liam counted his lucky stars as he guided her head toward his aching cock and slid into her mouth with a guttural groan. Her tongue curled around the crest, teasing his most sensitive spots. The girl had learned him well. Pleasure rolled around his shaft and tore its way up his spine before he shuddered in carnal bliss.

  As he glanced down her body, Hammer dragged in and out of her pussy, toying with her clit. Together, they listened to her muffled gasps and whimpers while they watched her writhe and burn between them.

  Liam shoved in farther, probing her throat as she worked him over. “Oh, fuck. Love…”

  “It’s been too long, precious. God yes. Squeeze me with that little pussy. Hmm… And every time I fuck you harder, you suck him down deeper.”

  Hammer slammed into her again. Raine wrapped her sleek legs around him. Liam cradled her head and thrust even farther inside. She keened out. He picked up the pace as he shuttled rhythmically over her tongue in hot, urgent strokes. How the hell was he going to last?

  “Sweet jesus, Raine. I swear you suck away all my self-control.”

  “She’s damn good at that,” Hammer gritted out. “It’s every bit as hard to resist this cunt. Damn… We’re not going to make it to the bedroom.”

  Liam shook his head. “I can’t let go of her that long.”

  “Doesn’t matter. We’ll fuck her again there, too.”

  “That we will.” Liam immersed himself again in her sinful mouth, surging ever closer to ecstasy.

  Then his ear began to itch. An annoying tickle at first, and he absently scratched it. But it spread to his lobe, then burst with heat that tingled and burned.

  Liam knew that feeling—and precisely what it meant.

  He pulled out of Raine’s mouth with an incredulous jerk. “Oh, bloody fucking hell. This can’t be happening.”

  Hammer let loose a long, low growl of pleasure. “Yeah, it can. We’re goddamn amazing together.”

  Raine blinked at him, eyes glassy, lips swollen. “What’s wrong?”

  It was all Liam could do not to heed his screaming cock, but the itch in his ear flared to a blistering heat. “Get dressed, both of you. Where the fuck are my pants?”

  “What? No!” Hammer protested. “Screw that. This is getting really good and—”

  “My ear is on fire.”

  “Your ear? What the—” Hammer gaped. “Oh… Now? Are you fucking kidding me? How long have we got?”

  “Not long enough.” He glanced at Raine with regret. “Maybe two minutes.”

  Hammer swore an ugly streak and pulled free of her body.

  “Hey!” Raine sat up, looking between the two of them with a scowl. “What is going on? Come back here! What does your ear have to do with your cock, Liam?”

  Neither man answered. Hammer hopped into his pants and scanned the room for her sundress.

  “Have you two lost your minds? Pregnant woman with needs here!”

  Macen found her clothes and tossed them her way. “Put your dress on.”

  “Not until one of you explains.” She slid off the counter and planted her hands on her hips, stark naked. “What’s wrong with you guys?”

  Hammer shouldered into his shirt, glaring Liam’s way. “He has something to tell you.”

  As he scowled at Macen, Liam’s fingers flew up his buttons. “Thanks for throwing me under the bus. Hell of a best mate you are.”

  “I told you, you should have already come clean about this shit. And we’re going to have a conversation about timing. Motherfucker…” He pushed his way out of the kitchen.

  “There’d better be a good explanation for this, Liam O’Neill. I was close and—

  “I’m sorry.” He tugged at his burning ear.

  He almost didn’t want to look at Raine. She was confused and angry…and he’d run out of time to fess up. But damn it, she also stood naked and rosy pink in front of him. Liam wished like hell he had a few more minutes to lose himself in her softness.

  Instead, he grabbed her dress from her fist and fumbled for the hem, thrusting it over her head and down her curves.

  “Stop! I can do that myself.” She batted his hands away. “If you don’t tell me what’s going on right now, you will absolutely be sorry.”

  He raked a hand through his hair and tugged on his singed lobe. “Where are your knickers?”

  “I wasn’t wearing any.”

  Normally, he would applaud that.

  “Murphy’s fucking law.” Liam closed his eyes, pondering the distance between the kitchen and their bedroom. There was no way she’d have time to run upstairs and grab a pair now. He knew that for certain when his ear twitched and tingled painfully again.

  “What are you talking about?” she insisted, then gasped. “Your ear is beet red. Did something bite it? Let me look…”

  A scrap of white silk caught Liam’s attention. With a curse, he shoved her bra in the nearest drawer, on top of the silverware. “You know I love you, right? Remember when I mentioned my six sisters? Well—”

  The doorbell rang. He’d run out of time.

  “Oh, Liam, it’s for you,” Hammer hollered from the family room.

  Liam shoved his way out of the kitchen with a frustrated growl. His cock ached, and he doubted he’d be getting relief for that anytime soon. His wait would, no doubt, depend on how long Raine relegated him to the doghouse.

  “Bastard,” he snarled at Hammer.

  “I’ll be happy to hand you back that shit shovel, too.”

  “Why can’t Hammer get the door? Who is it? Did you know we were having company and forget to tell me?” Raine followed, tugging on Liam’s sleeve. “Oh, god. Are you saying your sisters are here?” Her eyes went wide with panic. “I need to put on makeup, change, find some damn underwear. I’m not even wearing a bra.”

  She finger-
combed her hair, horrified, and he didn’t have the heart to tell her his sisters would be the easy lot to handle.

  “No, love.” He sighed tiredly. “We’ll talk soon. For now, come hold my hand and smile.”

  Liam marched to the entryway, dragging her behind. He planted his palm against the door, inhaling roughly and looking for fortitude. But he was only delaying the inevitable.

  Hell, maybe he shouldn’t be so gloom and doom. Maybe this was a good sign.

  That hope firmly in place, he pasted on a happy face and yanked the portal open. “Hello, Mum.”

  “Mom?” Raine squeaked beside him, then tore her hand from his and smoothed her rumpled dress.

  Behind them, he sensed Hammer’s silent laughter.

  His mother gazed his way with a slight tsk as she stepped in the house. “Hello, Liam, darling.”

  Dutifully, he hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. Yeah, he shouldn’t have put off calling her to say that he’d moved, started a new relationship, and now had a baby on the way. But then again, he shouldn’t have to explain.

  His father strolled in with a wry smile and gave him a hearty hug. “Hello, son.”

  Liam slapped his back. “Da. It’s good to see you.” Really, it was. His father was his best hope for sanity. “I suppose I don’t have to ask what brings you here.” Liam reached for his wee wench’s hand. “This is—”

  “Raine.” His mother beamed at her. “How nice to finally meet you. I’ve been waiting for years to have another daughter.” She shot Liam a dainty glare. “Not that my son has bothered to tell me anything. But never mind that.” She pulled Raine in for a hug. “So happy I am to clap eyes on the woman who’s tied my boyo in knots.”

  “She’s not the one doing the tying, Mum,” Liam drawled. “As you well know.”

  Behind him, Hammer chuckled.

  Raine’s jaw dropped and she turned twenty shades of red. “Liam! Oh, my… I’m not… I mean—”

  “It’s all right. You love him, lass. And Liam adores you. Hammer, too. However you three choose to express that is up to you.”

  Raine looked somewhere between speechless and wishing the earth would swallow her whole. “How do you…”

  “Know?” Mum smiled. “Don’t be embarrassed. You and I will be very close. You’ll see.” His mother placed a hand on Raine’s belly. “And the babe! Such a thrill… Would you like to know the gender? Who the father is?”

  “No,” he and Hammer both said in unison.

  “Focus, my love,” his father suggested.

  “You’re right.” She smiled at Raine. “I’m Bryn, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you. Liam didn’t tell me you were coming. I would have cooked a nice dinner, been more presentable, and…”

  His wee wench was embarrassed. She shot him a glare that warned he might not get any dog food in his doghouse. He likely wouldn’t be getting any help with his bone.

  “Oh, don’t blame him. He didn’t know I meant to visit until his ear started itching, I’ll bet.”

  Raine looked completely confused. “So he didn’t mention me but told you about the baby?”

  “No.” His mother smiled. “But he can’t keep much from me.”

  Raine stared as if she had no idea how to interpret that comment. Something else Liam knew he’d have to explain later.

  Bryn held a hand out behind her. “Duncan, come meet the girl I’ve been telling you about. Isn’t she lovely?”

  Rolling a suitcase in one hand, his father held out the other to Raine. He winked and gave her a beaming grin. “Ah, aren’t you the bonniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Come give me a hug, then.”

  Raine’s expression had morphed from confused to overwhelmed.

  “Mum. Da…” Liam groaned and took Raine’s hand again, trying to reassure her. “This isn’t a good time.”

  His mother scoffed. “How long did you expect me to stay away? You should have told her about the family by now.”

  “You’re not exactly easy to explain.”

  “If I waited for you to ring me, this babe would be out of nappies.” She huffed before bustling closer to Hammer. “And Macen. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again for so long. And we’ll finally be family! Come here and give me a squeeze. You get more handsome every time I see you.”

  “Bryn, you sweet woman.” Hammer picked her up and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “How the hell have you been?”

  “Quite well. I’m sorry for all you’ve been through. The years have been difficult, to be sure. But it was all for the best.” She gave him an empathetic smile. “I did try to warn you…”

  “You did.” Hammer pursed his lips together, then turned to Liam’s father, giving him a hearty handshake. “Duncan, it’s good to see you. Your timing might have been better.”

  His dad smiled. “Bryn mentioned that. Sorry.”

  “Um, I didn’t mean to be rude.” Raine looked utterly rattled as she extended a hand toward the couch. “Would you like to sit down, Mr. and Mrs. O’Neill? Can I get you a drink?”

  Mum shook her head. “That’s not why we’ve come, lass. And there’s no time for that now.”

  “Oh. All right. Well…did you have a good trip? Where did you come from?”

  “Liam’s told you nothing?” Mum glared. “That scamp. We came from Ireland, of course.”

  Raine blinked, then frowned his way. Yeah, she had a lot of questions he’d better answer soon.

  “Hey! So you saw the stragglers I found at the airport,” a familiar voice said as he appeared in the doorway, another massive suitcase in hand.

  Liam whirled. “Seth?”

  He grinned slyly. “When your mom called me to say they’d be flying through New York on their way to see you and that I should come along, I decided…what the hell. If I’m going to fall off into the ocean, this is a hell of a place to go.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up, mate.”

  Seth grinned. “Your mom said you’d know she was coming.”

  He had—at the worst possible time.

  “You’re a good boy.” Bryn patted Seth’s shoulder. “A tragic past, sadly. But the best is coming. You’ll see.”

  Seth just smiled and moved in to hug Raine. “You doing okay with these two lugs?”

  “Right now, I might be ready to leave them for you.” She rolled her eyes.

  “Nope. I knew her first. After all, the princess and I have already scened together.” Beck chuckled and slanted a glance Raine’s way as he stepped through the door. “Haven’t we?”

  “That’s not what I’d call it.” Raine shook her head. “And you’re never touching me again.”

  “You should both bugger off and leave our girl alone.” Liam poked at the pair. “Mum, Da, I’d like you to meet a good friend of ours, Dr. Kenneth Beckman. Beck, my parents, Bryn and Duncan.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet—”

  “Kenneth, dear. I’ve been waiting to meet you,” Bryn cut him off with an excited coo. “So full of secrets… But you’re not nearly as scary as you want everyone to believe. Well, come on, then. Give us a kiss.”

  As Bryn bustled closer, Beck gaped in silence. For once, the man had no snappy comeback.

  “It’s all right,” Hammer assured, slapping Beck on the back.