Bondi Beach Boys (3 page)

“Yes. We’d prefer you stay here.” The words rushed from Sam’s mouth.

She took a step back with a wary expression on her face, and he realized he sounded like a lunatic. He dragged in a deep breath and reined himself in. Before he could remove his foot from his mouth and redeem himself, Nate came to the rescue.

“If that would be okay with you, Piper, we’d like you to work here for the initial set up. We’re so used to running the whole show ourselves, we’re finding it hard to let go of even the smallest part of the business.” Nate flashed his lady-killer smile, the one that made women drop their panties, or at least agree to whatever he’d suggested.

“Oh, of course.” She visibly relaxed. “I know how it is when you’ve worked hard to build something from nothing.”

Sam breathed easier and finally managed to put his brain and mouth in the same gear. “Sorry.” He tried for a sheepish smile, prayed he’d pulled it off. “Until recently, we controlled every aspect of the company, but as we’ve grown that’s proven harder, and it would be stupid to continue working that way.”

Piper smiled and Sam felt it all the way down to his toes. The urge to kiss the curve of her plush lips knifed through him. He clenched his fists, his jaw. She turned to gather the rest of her papers, and he closed his eyes and pulled in a lungful of air. Air tinted with the smell of her. Sunshine and vanilla. The scent brought to mind summer and ice cream. Sam wanted to lick
her
like ice cream. Swipe his tongue along the column of her neck, the slope of her shoulder, the rise of her breast. Blood pounded in his veins, rushed into his cock.

He opened his eyes and turned, angled his body so she wouldn’t see the erection straining to break free of the front of his pants. It had only been a few hours since he’d found relief, and still she had him fully erect with just the curl of her mouth, the scent of her skin. Sam needed to either throw her over the table and fuck her senseless or get out of the room. He chose to leave the room.

“I’ll go clear some space in the office. Get that information that you need.” He strode from the room, but not before taking one last look over his shoulder at the minx who had his insides churning like a vat of molten steel.

Nate watched Sam leave. He’d never seen his friend so out of control. Sam had always been the more polished of the two. To see him in such a state of agitation over Piper gave Nate reason to worry, but he didn’t have time for that. They needed to get her settled and working on their website. He turned to her and offered a smile.

“Here, I’ll take that.” He reached for her bag. “Follow me, and we’ll have you set up in the office in no time.”

He didn’t give her time to argue, just headed out of the conference room and across the hall, where Sam had already taken a seat behind his big desk. The T-shaped surface held Sam’s workstation and the computer they used to work on their website. Nate motioned with his hand for Piper to take a seat, and he put her bag on the table across from his friend.

“This computer is reserved exclusively for the website. It’s state of the art and has all the information you need saved on the hard drive.”

She paused in the motion of sitting, suspended midair, and her head jerked in Nate’s direction. “You keep your passwords saved on the computer?”

“Yeah, is that a problem?”

“Of course it is.” She sank the rest of the way into the chair he’d pulled out for her. “You should never leave something like that where anyone can access it.”

Nate laughed. “Only Sam and I have access to the office. I doubt there’s any danger of the passwords getting into the wrong hands.”

“But—”

“We have the best alarm system on the market, and as this is also our home, we’re extra careful about who we let in here,” Sam added.

Piper turned to look at him. “It isn’t just those that have direct access to your computer you need to worry about. While I doubt you’d be the target of a hacker you still should be more careful with these things. You should also change your passwords every month.”

“Well, now that you’ll be looking after that end of the business, you can do whatever you deem necessary to keep us safe.” Sam smiled.

“Why don’t I go see about lunch while you two get sorted?” Nate offered.

“Um…”

“Great idea, I’m starving. There’s lasagna and salad in the fridge—how’s that sound to you, Piper?” Sam asked.

“Don’t go to any trouble—”

“No trouble at all.” Nate placed his hand on her shoulder, felt the heat of her body through the thin layer of cloth. “I’ve got to fix something for us anyway—one more won’t hurt.”

He brushed his fingers along her collarbone as he pulled his hand away and could have sworn she shivered under his touch. Nate directed a look at Sam before leaving them to get started, a look that said don’t screw this thing up or I’ll pound your arse into the ground. Confident that his friend got the message, he headed for the stairs to the second floor and the kitchen.

It took him a good thirty minutes to heat the lasagna, but he used the time wisely and set the table. Normally they ate at their desks, but he wanted to bring Piper into the house, wanted to see her in their home, see if she fit like Nate thought she would. He thought about opening a bottle of wine, but nixed that idea. Not for their first lunch together, in the middle of a workday. He’d save the wine for dinner. A smile tugged at his mouth. He had no doubt she’d be staying for dinner.

Nate placed the pan on a hot pad on the table and walked over to the intercom. He pushed the button for the office.

“Lunch is ready.”

It took Sam a few seconds to answer, and Nate thought for a split second they’d gotten busy without him, but he soon ruled that out. Sam knew as well as he did that they were in this together. Either they both had Piper or neither of them did, and considering Nate usually got what he wanted, they’d be having her before too much longer.

“On our way.”

Nate filled water glasses. He heard them coming up the stairs as he topped off the last one.

“Oh, my gosh, what a gorgeous view.” Piper walked over to the glass wall that overlooked the ocean.

“Yeah, it’s even better when the doors are open so you can hear the waves hitting the rocks below.”

Nate watched her as she stood in front of the window. Her skirt and blouse did nothing for her figure—both were shapeless and gave no clue to the body hidden beneath. But he’d seen her in shorts and mini-skirts over the past few weeks. He knew she had killer legs under that formless black fabric. And the stark white top covered all of her. Why she would wear long sleeves on a day like today escaped him, but the little tank tops she’d worn while sitting in the cafe had given him more than an idea of her ample chest measurements. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on her breasts.

Lunch wasn’t as uncomfortable as Piper thought it would be. They talked about everything from work, to sports, to movies, to favorite authors. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun with her closest friends, never mind a couple of guys she hardly knew. When they’d eaten the last bite, they continued to talk, and before she knew it nearly two hours had gone by.

“Jeez, look at the time.” She stacked dirty plates. “We should clean up and get back to work.”

Piper took her pile to the kitchen, separated from the open living-dining area by a long L-shaped counter. On the kitchen side, the island held the sink and prep area, and on the other side, a long counter with six stools formed a breakfast bar. She could imagine sitting there with a morning coffee watching the sunrise over the ocean. Pip sighed. The water view certainly beat the brick wall she could see through the one poky window in her kitchen. Although the stove, sink, and single cupboard at her place couldn’t really be called a kitchen.

Nate and Sam came over with the rest of the dishes, and together they scraped, rinsed, and stacked them in the dishwasher. In no time they had everything put away, wiped down, and the dishwasher humming through the first cycle. Satisfied they’d cleaned up properly, Piper turned to look at the view one more time before getting back to work. It really was the most gorgeous sight. The sun sparkled on the water, and while the mass of blue was calm, there were enough ripples in the surface to make the light dance like diamonds scattered on blue satin.

“That has to be one of the best views in Sydney.”

“We like it. It’s one of the reasons we bought the house and renovated it,” Sam said.

“It’s just as spectacular in winter, especially when a thunderstorm rolls in,” Nate added.

Piper could imagine the slashes of lightning, the rolling waves, and the rain pouring down. Yes, she could totally understand the thrill of watching nature’s fury as much as the calm beauty before her now. But she had to pull herself away from the window and get back to work. Most of the new site was up, but she hadn’t pulled the old down yet, and she wanted to play a bit more with the shopping cart to make sure she’d eliminated any bugs in the purchasing process.

“Enough slacking—your site won’t finish itself.”

She turned and slammed straight into a wall of hard muscle. Air rushed from her lungs at the impact, warmth surrounded her, enclosed her in a fiery grip that sucked every last atom of oxygen from her body. Strong arms banded around her, and Piper went soft and melted like chocolate on a hot summer day. She leaned in, pressed her breasts against the solid chest, and moaned.

“Piper.”

Her name, whispered against her ear, flowed over her. Like warm honey, it coated her skin and sent heat bursting through her veins, teasing every nerve ending. A shiver started in her curled toes and traveled up. Up, up, up, striking at sensitive places with a rush of arousal and need. Desire and want like none she’d known tore open the cage of restraint. She pressed closer, ran her hands over cloth-covered muscles that shuddered beneath her touch. An answering tremor vibrated down her spine.

Hands curled around her ribs, pushed between them, and cupped her breasts as delicious heat covered her back. Piper arched, thrusting her tender mounds and taut nipples into waiting fingers. Lips skimmed her jaw, teeth nipping at her skin. She moved her head to the side at the nudge of a nose and was treated to delicate licks and sucks along the column of her throat.

“So responsive.”

“So sweet.”

It took a moment for the twin comments murmured against her jaw and neck to register, but when they did, shock bloomed and panic erupted. Piper broke away, jumped from the embrace Nate and Sam held her in. Harsh breaths burned in her chest, scored at her throat, as she stared at the two men before her. How could she have allowed them to touch her like that? To stand between them as though it were the only place she should be?

“Oh God.” Piper brought her hands up to cover her face. She had no excuse for what she’d done, no explanation. Heat seared her face as embarrassment at her behavior flooded her, doing its best to drown the arousal still swimming in her blood. But nothing short of a tidal wave could douse the flames blazing inside her core. Pip spun on her heel, ready to bolt for the door, but she hadn’t taken two steps when she found herself once again caught between two hot male bodies.

Gasping and trembling, she buried her face against Nate’s soft cotton shirt and prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Why was there never a good sinkhole when you needed one? And why think about stupid holes in the ground when she was trapped between two of the most gorgeous men she’d ever met? Had she gone mad?

With a sigh, Piper realized she should pull away, but thinking and doing were two different things, and arguing with herself about doing it didn’t help. Her body wanted to stay right there, but her brain that kept screaming
this is wrong
had her trying to tug from their embrace.

“Please, let me go.”

“On one condition. No running.” Nate wasn’t about to let her go completely. She’d been with them in the beginning, but something spooked her and she’d bolted. Now they just had to identify the problem and make it go away.

He held still, waited for her to answer, and hoped to hell he wouldn’t need to tie her to a chair to keep her here. There were more interesting places to tie her up if it came to that. Nate chanced a quick glance at Sam. They’d sandwiched her between them, each gripping a handful of the other’s shirt, effectively caging her with their arms. When she mumbled against his chest, he felt her lips move and her breath burned through his shirt to his skin. The heat shot fire through his veins and hardened his cock further. She couldn’t miss the erection pressing into her belly.

“What did you say?” Sam asked.

Piper raised her head enough to make the words audible. “Okay.”

His gaze connected with Sam’s. Together they released their grip and stepped back. She stood with her head down, and her chest rose and fell with the labored breaths she dragged in. Nate wanted to reach out and soothe her, tell her everything would be all right, but he knew if he touched her again, he’d not be letting go until he’d buried himself inside her a dozen times and slaked the savage lust riding his backbone.

“Why don’t we go into the lounge and sit down?” Nate didn’t wait for either of them to agree. He turned and headed over to his recliner, figuring he’d keep his distance. For now.

When he turned to sit in his chair, he saw Sam had followed him. Piper still stood near the window, a good thirty feet away, but she hadn’t run yet, so that was a start. He got comfortable and waited. His patience would only go so far, but he knew in his gut he needed to pull on that virtue for all he was worth. He felt as though the woman across the room held his future happiness in her hands. The fact she didn’t have a clue gave him mild relief, but everything rode on the next few minutes.

He watched her closely, concentrated on the small movements of her body. Her breathing eased and the hands at her sides unclenched. Those breasts he so wanted to get his hands on rose with a deep, indrawn breath. Then she lifted her head, and shoulders back, walked in their direction. She perched her cute arse on the very edge of the couch, poised for a quick getaway, no doubt. But there wouldn’t be one. Nate had no intention of letting her get away from them. Not after she’d gone pliant in his arms.

“Let’s lay it out on the table, no games.” Nate looked at Sam. “We’ve watched you for weeks.”

Piper’s gaze snapped to his, big brown eyes wide in shock and her plush, pink lips parted.

“Yeah, we’ve seen you. This morning we decided to approach you tomorrow, except here you are on our doorstep today.”

“Best thing I ever opened the door for.” Sam said. “And then, when you fell into my arms…well, who could ask for more?”

Nate kept a close eye on her. Observed all the telltale signs her body gave off. If he wasn’t mistaken, Sam’s words pleased her.

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Then don’t say anything until we’re finished. Just listen.” At her nod, Nate continued. “We want you.”

She sucked in a breath and those lovely breasts thrust forward. He couldn’t miss the hard nipples pushing against her blouse.

“Together,” Sam added.

Her breathing hitched and she squirmed in her seat. With her gaze darting from one to the other, Nate decided to up the ante.

“We want you in our bed, Piper. We’ve wanted you for weeks. Neither of us has touched another woman since laying eyes on you.”