Foreplay (3 page)

Quickly gathering a light sweater, panties, and jeans,

she dialed Melina‟s number.

“What‟s up, chick?” Melina‟s cheerful voice gave

her courage. Calling her best friend had been the best

idea she‟d ever had, for more than one reason.

24

MARTEEKA KARLAND

“I‟ve got two gorgeous men in my apartment. If

something happens to me, I need you to kill Drs.

Connor and Caleb Jackson.” Lilly smiled as she

imagined her friend‟s reaction.

“Sure thing. Any preference as to the method of

execution?”

“Something slow and painful. Pull out their

fingernails and stuff. Don‟t bother to bury the bodies.”

“No sweat. When should I check up on you?”

“Oh, maybe tomorrow morningish. Say ten?”

“Planning a late night, are you?” Melina‟s husky

laughter warmed Lilly‟s heart and gave her a fresh

infusion of feminine courage.

“Only if I‟m lucky,” she said before hanging up.

Taking a deep breath, she carefully removed her

gown. Windy had followed her into the bedroom

meowing and pacing back and forth, looking as

agitated as Lilly felt.

Lilly thought briefly about putting the gown back

on. It would definitely be easier to take on two sexy-

as-sin men dressed in the sexy material, but that was

inviting trouble. And while she really wanted to invite

the two doctors to get into trouble with her, she‟d face

them in her jeans. If she chose to let them undress her

later, fine. Lord knew she wanted them to, but it would

be on
her
terms. Not theirs.

25

Foreplay

***

“Did you know her apartment was this fucking

small, Connor?” Caleb was incensed. True, it was a

nice place and painfully neat and clean, but still!

“Had no idea. But I‟m sure she doesn‟t pull down

a six-figure salary as a unit clerk despite her

education.”

Caleb looked around the small apartment again

and noticed something. She might not have much, but

it was clear that Lilly had a discerning eye and knew

how to maximize space. If she could turn out an

apartment on her salary, he couldn‟t wait to see how

she‟d turn out their estate with theirs…especially as

she‟d be living there.

The five-seat sectional was made of soft leather

in a neutral color. The few other pieces of furniture

were of equal quality. The kitchen was primed with the

best appliances available. There was little in the way of

electronics, but they smiled spying the wall-mounted

flat screen. Her digs might be small, but she lived well.

“Okay, so on second look, maybe this isn‟t bad at

all, but I still think she deserves more,” Caleb lifted his

chin. He knew he sounded petty, but he couldn‟t help

it. I don‟t want to leave her here. I want to take her

home where we can pamper her.” Caleb growled the

words. It seemed less whiny that way.

26

MARTEEKA KARLAND

He knew it was more than that, but he didn‟t

want to voice it just yet. She was obviously perfectly

capable of taking care of herself, but he wanted to take

care of her. Though he made his living helping people,

Lilly was the only woman he‟d ever actually wanted to

take care of. He wanted to make her feel as special as

he knew she was.

His brother narrowed his eyes, looking more

determined than Caleb had ever seen him, and

marched toward the bedroom. “I don‟t intend to leave

her here.”

Caleb actually held his breath when Connor

turned the knob and stepped inside. The shriek and

the hairbrush smacking into the open door made him

wince.

“What are you fussing about, woman? You‟re

dressed. Mostly.”

A moment later Connorwalked out of the door

with a kicking and screaming Lilly over his shoulder.

Only the thin cotton of her panties covered that

luscious ass, but she‟d managed to get a sweater on.

“What the hell do you think you‟re doing? This is

my house
! You can‟t just barge in on me whenever you

feel like it! What if I‟d been naked?”

Caleb couldn‟t help but laugh. It was funny to

see a man as large as Connor struggle to contain the

27

Foreplay

much smaller but deliciously voluptuous Lilly, who

wiggled so enticingly on her perch.

“What happened to all that talk about us not

going inside if she didn‟t want us here?” Caleb asked.

Of all the things Caleb had expected, for Connor

to actually strong-arm Lilly wasn‟t one of them. He

was the one with finesse. Caleb was usually the one

stomping about like a bull in a china shop.

“It‟s not funny!” Lilly‟s outrage was more

pronounced now.

Watching her unconsciously sexy movements,

even if she was struggling to free herself, was the most

erotic thing Caleb had ever seen. It was obvious that

she was struggling to maintain her footing, though not

out of any kind of fear. If there was one thing Lilly

was, it was fearless. She‟d faced the crankiest doctors

in the city who were hell-bent on getting their way.

When they left her, they generally thanked her for

doing it her way. In fact, that was another reason they

both needed her: she didn‟t take their crap. Caleb

knew he needed her like he needed air to breathe.

Unable to contain himself, he groaned.

“Oh dear God, Lilly! You should see yourself!

That sweet rounded ass wiggling when you struggle,

which, by the way, I‟m not buying.”

28

MARTEEKA KARLAND

He walked behind Connor to capture Lilly‟s gaze

with his own. She stilled under his scrutiny. “I think

you get a thrill out of being manhandled.”

The shock in her eyes told him all he needed to

know. With a knowing grin, he winked at her. As

expected, she huffed and renewed her struggles.

Caleb watched as Connor laid Lilly down so that

her head lay in the bend of the sectional, and then

covered her with his body before she could struggle to

her feet. Just as he suspected, she wrapped her legs

around him without question.

“Shh,” Caleb whispered and knelt to gently

stroke her cheek.

Connor, too, slowed and gentled his movements.

Caleb knew Connor might have come charging in to

claim her, but now that they knew they had her, he

was back to his normal self: methodical, gentle, and

commanding. Immediately Lilly stilled. She even

turned into his touch slightly before stiffening, as if

she realized what she‟d done.

“We‟re not here to make you do anything you

don‟t want to, Lilly,” Connor said and lowered his head

to nuzzle her neck.

Caleb knew how his brother felt as he too had to

struggle to keep his hands—and everything else—to

himself.

29

Foreplay

“We came here to woo you,” Caleb whispered

seductively.

“Woo me?
Both
of you? Caleb, that‟s just so…”

“Kinky?” Caleb made his move then, lying on his

side so his face was over her and he was mere inches

from touching her with his lips.

“Weird.” Lilly supplied her own word, but it

came out breathless. She shrugged, obviously trying

to minimize the effect they were having on her.

“Besides, it‟s all just a game. You‟re not attracted

to me, and I‟m certainly not attracted to you.”

It was such a blatant lie; Connor had to really

struggle to hide his grin. The thought of both of them

doing wicked things to her body definitely turned her

on. Her every breath was deep, yet rapid, as if she

couldn‟t get enough air.

“No, Lilly.” Caleb smiled and rubbed her nose

with his. “It wasn‟t a game.”

“What would you call it then?” She asked the

question with wide, almost panicked eyes.

“Foreplay.” They said the word at the same

time, and Lilly gulped. She licked her lips lightly, and

Connor didn‟t miss how she stared at his own, clearly

expecting him to kiss her.

Who was he to disappoint a lady?

30

MARTEEKA KARLAND

Connor kept his touch light and feathery. As

much as he wanted to simply plunge his tongue inside

her and taste her until he could never get rid of her

taste, he didn‟t dare. If he came on too strong, Lilly

would likely kick their asses out. No. They‟d come to

woo her, and woo her they would. Even if it killed him.

It took all of five seconds before Lilly sighed and

opened her mouth to dart her tongue inside his

mouth, but it was five seconds of torture. When she

surrendered, Connor twined his tongue with hers.

Then he retreated only to let it start all over again.

She tasted like honeysuckle, sweet with just the

right hint of wild, and it drove him insane. Had he

been a weaker man, he‟d have ravaged her there,

brother be damned, but he knew they had bigger plans

for Lilly. No matter how much he suffered for it now,

the rewards would be more than he could imagine if

they coaxed her into their web of iniquity. She was a

special woman and well worth waiting for, but they‟d

waited long enough.

***

Caleb was content to watch his brother kiss Lilly

for a while. She responded so beautifully to them. It

was as if she had been made with him and Connor in

mind. There was nothing about her he didn‟t

31

Foreplay

absolutely adore. Her curves were full and soft, her

skin the color of rich, dark chocolate, and her

personality as fiery as a phoenix. No one bullied her.

No one made her decisions—not even them. All that

was true, but there was no way Caleb was letting her

stay here in this tiny place. It might be where she was

comfortable at the moment, but he‟d take her home,

spoil her, and make her never want to leave. If she

couldn‟t find it in her to love them, they‟d do

everything they could to make her love being
with

them.

Pathetic? Maybe, but that was simply what it

was. They‟d have her, no matter how hard they had to

cheat.

Moving carefully so as not to spook her, Caleb

bent to her neck and kissed it. Lilly whimpered and

arched her neck into him. Connor licked a slow, wet

path on the other side from her collar to her ear, and

Lilly squealed. Her hand shot to Connor‟s head, but

instead of pushing him away, she pulled him to her.

Oh yeah! She was theirs.

Caleb inhaled deeply. Her skin was lightly

scented with the body wash she‟d used in her shower,

but that unique, spicy scent of her remained and

permeated everything else. The clean, lightly floral

scent of her fabric softener blended with the other

scents perfectly. Just the combined scents alone were

32

MARTEEKA KARLAND

enough to give him a raging hard-on. Knowing the

woman beneath him would soon be screaming in

pleasure as he entered her grasping cunt had him

almost creaming his pants. Caleb wanted Lilly more

than he wanted to breathe. Like breathing, Lilly was

necessary for life.

Caleb couldn‟t be sure if that deep groan was his

or Connor‟s. It was probably Connor‟s, because he

himself had never made that sound with a woman

before. And then he heard it again and realized that it

was
his own needy moan. He couldn‟t seem to make

himself care. If she knew how much he wanted her,

how much he enjoyed the feel of her, maybe she‟d be

more likely to let him repeat it.

Knowing they both needed more, he watched

Connor move down her body. The sweater she wore

prevented him from exposing the full globes of her

breasts, but it didn‟t stop him from dragging his face

over her torso and tempting himself with what he was

about to take. Fortunately, Connor had gotten to Lilly

before she got her jeans on. Right now, the only thing

separating his brother from what he was sure would be

a sweet pussy was the cotton of her underwear.

“White cotton,” Connor breathed. They were

bikinis and sexy as hell against her dark skin, but she

was nothing if not practical.

33

Foreplay

“They‟re comfortable,” she answered and tried to

squirm. Connor used her movement to shimmy the