Their Virgin Captive, Page 7

  Slade rolled his eyes. “That’s Lyle. You know Lyle.”

  Dex knew him well. Lyle was the head of the help desk and a supposed computer genius. He just seemed like an unctuous prick to Dex. “Yeah. He left a message on her machine at home, I think. He was supposed to fix her laptop tonight. Maybe we should give his name to Burke.” Gavin shrugged. “Next time I talk to Burke or Cole, I will.”

  “Good. Now does someone here want to tell me why I didn’t know that Hannah filed a sexual harassment complaint against our CIO?”

  “I didn’t know, either,” Slade added.

  Gavin’s eyes hooded. “She told me it wasn’t serious. He got a little handsy at happy hour a couple of weeks back. He and his wife are separating, and Ward was drunk. I talked to him yesterday, just after I found out. I told him I would fire him if he even looked Hannah’s way again.”

  “And you didn’t bother to mention this to either of us, why?” Slade asked, looking up from his computer.

  Gavin’s perfectly polished shoes tapped against the hardwood floor, a sure sign he was getting impatient. “By HR’s standards, Hannah’s complaint is confidential. The only reason I knew about it was Preston himself. He was worried HR would pursue the matter, and came to plead his case to me. Then I asked Hannah.”

  Dex wouldn’t have let the asshole plead anything. “How could you let him get away with harassing her like that?”

  “She took care of him. Broke his big toe by stomping on it. She’s stronger than you give her credit for. You should be damn lucky you got the jump on her today, or you might have ended up limping like Preston.” Gavin stood. “I’m going to bed. I suggest the two of you do the same. And while I agree that Hannah is fragile in some ways, I think you’d do well to remember that she is a very independent woman who has a brain.”

  Gavin stalked past them, heading toward the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.

  “Give him a little time,” Slade said. “He doesn’t understand our relationship with Hannah.”

  “Well, he’s not the only one,” a soft voice said from the doorway.

  Dex turned and saw Hannah standing there in one of the long, white terrycloth robes stashed in all the bedrooms for guests’ comfort. Based on the flushed anger all over her face, he’d bet she’d been standing there for a while. “Hannah, you’re supposed to be in bed.” She adjusted her robe. “Yes, you put me to bed and tucked me in. Clearly, you expected me to stay there like a good little girl. If that was your goal, you should have just locked me in.”

  “I thought about it.” Dex got the feeling she wouldn’t believe him if he lied. He’d given serious consideration to locking that door and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt where she was.

  “Oh, well, live and learn. Maybe you can lock in the next girl. I would like my phone back.” She strode up and held her hand out.

  “That’s not going to happen,” Dex said, snatching it up in his big fist.

  “Hannah, love,” Slade said, getting to his feet and cupping her shoulders. “You don’t need that phone. You’re safe here.”

  “Really? Who’s going to keep me safe from your overprotectiveness?” she drawled. “I want my phone, now.”

  “You don’t need it.”

  “I certainly do. How else am I going to call and make a reservation to fly out of here?” Dex itched to mete out some discipline. But when he heard Slade’s sigh, Dex knew his brother was going to try to gently talk Hannah out of her anger. That would be a mistake, in Dex’s opinion. He took a moment to really read her body language. She was tense, her eyes narrow and tight. Her fists were clenched and every now and then she rolled them like she was digging her nails into the palm of her hand. Dex would bet that she was keyed up and itching for a fight…or something else that would take the edge off.

  He was willing to give it to her.

  “You’re not going anywhere, Hannah.” He said the words with implacable surety.

  Her head came up, and she went toe-to-toe with him. Dex couldn’t hold in a little smile. Her perfectly painted pink toes were so obviously wrong up against his worn boots.

  “Don’t you laugh at me, Dexter Townsend. I want my phone—now. I’m leaving, and you’re not stopping me. I’m done playing whatever game you’ve cooked up. Oh, and I quit. Please let Mr. James know. As soon as you give me the phone, I’m going home. And by home, I mean back to West Texas.”

  Slade stood beside Dex, clearly no longer in the mood to reason with her. “If you think we’re going to let you leave here when there’s a stalker out there waiting for you, you’re crazy.” Hannah thrust her hands on her hips. “You don’t own me. I can come and go as I please.”

  “You’re ours, and you’re staying in this house if I have to tie you up.” In fact, it would be Dex’s pleasure. He would tie her hands to the headboard and place those shapely legs in a spreader bar that would leave her pussy on full display and ready for their use. Why hadn’t he thought of that in the first place?

  “So, I’m a captive here?”

  Dex paused, then nodded. “That’s accurate, darlin’. You’re not leaving, and that’s for your own good.”

  “This is how you’re going to convince me you’re better than the guy stalking me? Whatever you thought we started on the plane is over.” She turned on her heel and walked away.

  Slade’s jaw dropped as they watched her. Dex had a sinking feeling they’d just fucked up big.

  Chapter Six

  Hannah fought to contain her scream. She stomped down the hall toward her bedroom, plotting the whole way exactly how she’d get the hell out of this mess.

  She’d been so stupid. She’d thought because the brothers had shown her some affection, they really cared about her. But no. They’d spanked her and flashed her to each other. That wasn’t affection, just perversion.

  But then…Slade picked her up and carried her down the steps. That felt like affection, just like waking cuddled between them in the big stretch limo.

  She pushed the images aside as she strode through the bedroom door. The room beyond was bigger than her apartment, and the bed looked like it was built to sleep a football team. She could only imagine what the brothers had planned to do to her there.

  With a little bit of malicious glee, she turned the lock on the door. No way was she letting them in after they’d deceived her.

  Now they’d find out what she was capable of.

  She’d heard enough of their conversation to realize that Gavin alone thought she possessed a brain capable of independent thought. Slade and Dex…God, did they really think she was that needy? That stupid?

  And where did Gavin fit into all of this? He hadn’t touched her, but she could still hear his deep hypnotic voice telling Slade to turn her around so he could see her, still feel her boss’s scorching stare right between her legs after her very first orgasm. And her last with them as well, because there was no way she was letting any of those men near her again.

  “Hannah?” There was a tentative knock on the door. “Baby, we need to talk to you. Let us in.”

  Slade. That tender voice urged her to trust him. After he had stolen her cell phone and told her he had no idea where it was? No chance. “Go away.”

  “We can’t,” Slade said in that cajoling voice. “Hannah, I’m coming in.” She felt a rush of satisfaction as the doorknob moved, but the door stayed closed. They probably didn’t think she was smart enough to lock it. “I don’t want to talk to you.” Because they wouldn’t talk, they would lie. They would tell her whatever it took to get her to open that door. She would fall for their sweet-talk. Then she would be right back where she started—sweet, trusting Hannah letting them lead her into trouble.

  Fat chance.

  She could see now that they didn’t really want her. They wanted someone submissive, a trusting little toy, and they thought she fit the bill. Despite her virginity, she wasn’t completely naïve. She’d read books, heard the rumors. They were Doms, and they wanted someone pliable w
ho wouldn’t complain when they tied her up, spanked her bottom, and used her in a million delicious ways.

  She was not that girl. No matter how much some part of her wanted to be.

  “Hannah, you open the door this instant,” Dex demanded.

  He was the hard-ass. She’d always known he was the one with the quick temper, but Dex’s flare burned out quickly. Slade, however, would hold a grudge. He’d always try to persuade and cajole first. If that didn’t work, he had no problem using force.

  “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand? Is it the ‘N’ or the ‘O’ that’s confusing?” she asked sweetly.

  Seconds later, the door burst open, the finely crafted piece of wood no match for two Doms.

  What was left of the door hung on busted hinges. Dex prowled straight in, all caveman. Hannah forced herself to stand her ground. What now?

  Slade glared at Dex. “I had a key, you know.”

  “You weren’t fast enough.” Dex stalked toward her. “You were going to stand in the hallway and sweet talk her all night.”

  Hannah thought about running, but one of them would catch her. Besides, it would likely incite their tempers. She needed to calm them down.

  “Naturally. At least your brother has a modicum of civility,” Hannah pointed out.

  Slade crossed his arms over his chest and smiled.

  “He was wasting time.” Dex took her by the shoulders. “Hannah, you can’t leave. I am willing to sit down and talk this out with you, but you need to understand that I will not allow you to step foot off these grounds.”

  “You don’t own me, Dex. I already quit, so you can’t stop me from leaving.”

  “Watch me, darlin’.” His arrogance came off him in waves.

  “I have to agree with him.” Slade sent her an apologetic but implacable glance.

  “And when I call the police?”

  Slade smiled and proved he could be just as difficult as his brother. “There are no cops in River Run. There’s a sheriff, but good luck getting him away from his fishing pole. This whole damn town is owned and operated by Black Oak Oil. No one here will help you leave us.” He was dead serious, and Hannah had to shove down her panic. “I will not be held captive.” Slade scrubbed a hand across his hair, frustration evident in the tense set of his shoulders.

  “Hannah…”

  “If I’m not a captive, then give me back my phone.”

  A long sigh fell from Slade’s mouth. “Whoever is out there knows your habits. He knows your friends. Promise me you won’t call any of them.”

  She was done bargaining with them since all the compromises were heavily in their favor. “I won’t promise you anything, Slade. I want my phone, and I want to go home.”

  “Can’t you see how dangerous that would be?” Slade asked.

  Was it really any more dangerous than staying with them? They’d probably use her for fun and games, tie her heart to theirs, then cut her loose when the fun ended. All their talk of marriage and forever was bunk, and she’d let herself believe it on the plane because she’d wanted to so badly.

  “I understand that it’s a risk. The only concession you’ll get from me is that I’m not going back to Dallas. I’m going straight to Two Trees to see my grandmother. I seriously doubt that anyone would follow me. Once I’m gone, this guy, whoever he is, will give up.” She had to believe it. Really, why would anyone follow her?

  “And if he doesn’t?”

  She smiled, though she was aware the gesture didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, then I’ll know who he is. The first person from Dallas who sets foot in Two Trees will realize that I’ve purchased another gun. And I’ll be ready to shoot.”

  “Hannah, tell me what went wrong. I get that you’re upset about the phone. I really do think that a complete communications blackout is necessary until we catch this man.” Slade sounded so reasonable she almost found herself agreeing with him.

  “Maybe explaining that to me like I had a brain in my head would have worked.” She could be reasonable. Or, she would have been, had they given her the chance.

  Slade took her hand in his. She found herself turning her face up to him. He was so beautiful, with high cheekbones, a strong chin, and thick, dark lashes that framed blue eyes able to go from kind to hot in an instant. She wanted to run her hands through his inky hair and wrap herself around him. She wanted, in that moment, to be everything he desired—soft, submissive, cared for. She could just push the whole problem off in their laps and worry about nothing more than what she would have for breakfast the next day.

  But she couldn’t give up everything she’d worked so hard for just for momentary comfort.

  As a girl in Two Trees, missing her absent mother and watching her sister self-destruct, she’d known then that a girl had to be able to take care of herself. If she let Dex and Slade have their way now and gave over her independence, they would grow bored with a clinging vine, even though they thought that was what they wanted. She couldn’t build anything with them if they didn’t respect her.

  She took a step back and pulled her hand from Slade’s. His face fell.

  “Hannah, please. Can’t we talk about this?”

  She shook her head. “We could have talked earlier in the day. I would have listened. But now that I understand exactly what you want, I can’t be that woman.” Dex’s face had gone shock white. “What are you saying?”

  “Aren’t you listening? I’m saying I want to go home and I don’t want either of you to call me. I don’t want to see you again.” She hated the words. She might regret them, but she would regret it more if she stayed and they walked away when the sex wore off.

  Dex’s face was a stony mask. “Message received. You’re still staying here for a day or two so we can hunt down your stalker. If you want to call the cops after that, I’ll take whatever they want to give me. I promise I won’t touch you again. If we can’t figure this out in a day or two, I’ll let you go home, but you’ll have bodyguards until this man is caught.” Hannah didn’t like the tense set of his jaw. She wanted to soothe him, but forced herself to stand strong. “I don’t like it, but I see the wisdom of your plan. No more than two days. After that, I’m leaving.”

  Slade’s face was bunched in a sad sort of confusion. “Is this because I took your phone?”

  “Not entirely. Let’s call it a pattern of behavior.”

  “I didn’t mean to scare you,” Slade said. “Look, if you’re regretting the spanking thing, we don’t have to do it anymore.”

  “Stop.” Dex put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “She’s done. She doesn’t want us. We can’t force her, as much as we’d like to. It’s against the rules. We never gave her a safe word, but if we had, she would have spit it out by now. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I come on too strong.

  Gavin’s right. I’m a fuck-up. Now let’s go and give her some privacy. I’ll start running those reports.”

  Dex turned back to her, his face so polite it tore at her heart. “Hannah, I swear we’ll catch this bastard. We won’t let him hurt you.”

  Slade’s stare burned into her. “That’s a promise. In the meantime, if you need anything, we’re just down the hall. And here’s your phone. Please, I’m begging you, don’t call anyone.” He slipped the phone into her hand. She clutched it, her stomach in turmoil. They were leaving. That was what she wanted, demanded even. But she couldn’t stand the defeat on their faces. Or the way Dex almost looked through her.

  “You’re not a fuck-up,” she said gently.

  Dex shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “I am, darlin’. Your rejection isn’t a big surprise. I guess, deep down, I knew you could never really want me.”

  Her heart hurt for him. She knew his background. Not a lot had worked out for Dex Townsend. “If you had talked to me, maybe we could have worked it out.”

  “I’d only make the same choices again. I’m like a dumb old dog. I’m never going to learn a new trick. I see you in danger, and I’ll do whatever
it takes to protect and shelter you.”

  “Hannah,” Slade jumped in. “We really were trying to protect you, not take away your independence. I can see why you’d be upset, but this wasn’t some ploy to trick or deceive or use you. We were trying to wrap you up so tight that nothing and no one could ever hurt you. We only wanted a chance to keep you, make you happy.”

  “I don’t understand this. One day we’re friends, and the next you’re all over me?”

  “We overwhelmed you, I see that now,” Slade said. “The idea of a relationship with two dominant men would be daunting for most women.”

  “Relationship? You didn’t even ask me on a date. You just went straight for the panties. No preliminaries.”

  The righteous scowl on Dex’s face made her take a step back. “No dates? No preliminaries?

  You think that I just woke up this morning and decided I wanted you and took you?” It had sure seemed that way, but his tone suggested something much different. “Didn’t you?”

  “So all the lunches and dinners don’t count?”

  He and Slade had taken her out at least once a week for almost six months. “Those were about business.”

  “They were excuses, Hannah,” Slade said with a sigh. “You’re not our admin. You’re Gavin’s. When we decided we wanted you, Dex and I decided to go slow, ease you into this. It’s not exactly a traditional relationship.”

  It wasn’t, but she’d been crazy about the entire James Gang from the moment she’d met them. Something had fallen into place the first time she’d been in a room with all three.

  “Aren’t we fucking smooth?” Dex said, bitterness dripping. “She didn’t even realize we were interested.”

  Only because she was brutally inexperienced. Hannah hadn’t dated much in high school.

  She’d gone to the local college, but by then her grandmother was ill. She’d never had much time to herself, even since coming to Dallas. She was usually busy with work. Now she thought back over the last year and could see some signs she shouldn’t have missed.