Passion, Victoria 3: Tasha's Story (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  She sat luxuriating in the bath as it finally filled, turned off the faucets and put her music on. She languished in the tub for what felt like hours, every now and then she would use her toes to pull the plug and drain some of the cooling water then top it up again with hot. She half lay, half sat as she consumed her wine, listening and singing along to her music.

  She was feeling very relaxed and mellow as she sang quietly, her singing becoming more sporadic as the wine she had consumed began to take effect. Her eyes became too heavy to keep open as she lost the battle and fell asleep.

  * * * *

  Jason and Sean had been pounding on Tasha’s front door for at least five minutes. After knocking several times Jason began to get worried. “Check the windows.”

  Sean skirted one side of the building while Jason did the other. He could see light gleaming from what he assumed was the hallway through the window of Toni’s old bedroom.

  Jason knew Tasha was home. He had seen her leaving the coffee shop in the late afternoon looking like she’d just lost her best friend and her car was parked in the carport attached to her apartment.

  “Why the fuck isn’t she answering?” Jason asked Sean. “We’ve made enough noise to wake the dead.”

  “I don’t know, Jay, but I’m starting to get worried, particularly after you saw the way she was feeling this afternoon after she left the shop. I think we should break in. I have a feeling she’s in trouble.” Sean frowned.

  “Yeah, me, too. Do you think we should kick in the door or break a window?”

  “The door. It’s cheaper and easier to fix a lock than it is a window.”

  “Good idea. Okay, on the count of three. Three, two, one, now.” Jason counted and then he slammed his foot against the door right next to the lock. The door flew open.

  Jason was through the door first with Sean close behind. They ran from room to room until Jason came to a halt at the partially opened bathroom door. He was just in time to see Natasha’s head begin to slip lower in the bathtub. Jason stormed through the door with Sean on his heels, he grabbed Tasha under the arms just as she was about to slide underneath the water.

  Tasha came awake when he grabbed under her arms. She gave a giggle when she saw his face and then looked around him to Sean.

  “Where did you come from? Oh, I know, I’m still dreaming. Why do you have to be in my head all the time? God, you and your brother are sex on legs. Bet you didn’t know that did you?” Tasha giggled again.

  “You’re smashed, baby girl. What made you drink so much, and in the bathtub for fuck’s sake? You could have drowned if we hadn’t found you.” Jason scowled and pulled her out of the tub.

  Sean had a towel ready and waiting to wrap around her as Jay helped her stand. He stood frozen to the spot as he took in the magnificence of her naked body. Her lean, lithe form with just the right amount of curves and lush breasts with coral-colored nipples made his cock stand at attention. Her dark-blonde hair fell to her shoulders in a riot of waves and her emerald-colored eyes stared out at him, glazed over from alcohol. It took Sean’s voice to pull him from his stupor.

  “Shite! She’s exquisite and plastered.”

  “Wrap her in that towel quick before I do something we’ll all regret,” Jay snarled at Sean. “You dry her off and I’ll go pack a few clothes for her. There is no way in hell we’re leaving her in this apartment with a broken door in her current condition.”

  Sean wrapped Tasha within the confines of the large bath sheet then carefully leaned her against the wall so she wouldn’t fall over, but kept his hands on her waist. Jay grabbed another towel from the rail, wrapped her hair in it, and secured it to her head.

  Sean picked her up in his arms and carried her through to the bedroom. Jay followed him and began rummaging around in her closet. Sean reluctantly put her on the bed and watched as she turned over to her side, curling up in a fetal position, and slipped into a deep sleep.

  “Okay, I think I have enough stuff for her to choose from. Wrap her in that robe and let’s get out of here.” Jason grabbed the bag from the floor and headed to the front door. He held the door to the passenger side of his truck open so Sean could get into the vehicle with an unconscious Tasha on his lap. Jay went back to the front door and fixed it best he could. He would call a locksmith to fix the lock as soon as he got home.

  The drive to their warehouse loft apartment took all of ten minutes. Jason drove his vehicle into the garage, which had been built into the side of the warehouse building. He went around to the passenger door and held it open so Sean could get out without disturbing his precious bundle.

  Jay led the way to the staircase to make sure the door to their apartment was open before Sean reached the landing. He unlocked the internal door and held it open for his brother.

  “Where should I put her for the night?” Sean asked as he reached the door.

  “My bed. I want to be there if she gets sick. I don’t want her choking if she doesn’t wake up,” Jason replied. He closed the door behind Sean and then hurried through to his bedroom. He pulled the covers back so Sean could place Tasha in his bed.

  Sean and Jason worked together stripping Tasha of her robe and then the towels she was wrapped in.

  “I’m sleeping in here, too, bro. There is no way I’m missing out having her to cuddle up with,” Sean declared.

  “I didn’t expect anything else, Sean.” Jason pulled the covers up over their woman, to hide her exquisite body from his view.

  * * * *

  Tasha woke in the early hours of the morning feeling way too hot and her mouth felt like she’d been eating sand. God what had she done? She remembered getting into the tub with a glass of wine as she listened to her music. She’d filled her wine glass several times as she soaked in the warm water. She groaned and grabbed her head as the pounding increased.

  “Are you all right, baby girl?”

  Tasha gave a squeal of surprise as the deep, lyrical voice penetrated her fog-filled mind and when he turned the bedside lamp on, she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming. She pinched her arm and gave another yelp.

  “What the hell are you doing in my bed?” Tasha yelled then dropped her head back into her hands.

  “This is my bed, baby.” Jason smiled.

  “Well, what the fuck am I doing here?” Tasha’s voice was muffled because her hands were covering her face and mouth.

  “I saw you leaving the coffee shop this afternoon and knew you were upset, so Sean and I decided to check on you. You didn’t answer the door when we knocked. We became worried about you because we knew you were home. We broke down your door just in time to stop you from drowning in the bath in your inebriated state. Since we broke your door we didn’t want to leave you unprotected, so we brought you home with us.”

  “Oh God, you saw me naked?”

  “You’re still naked, Tasha.” Jason chuckled.

  Tasha looked down and realized with horror that she was completely bare. She tugged the covers up to her neck as embarrassment colored her cheeks.

  “You have no need to be embarrassed, darlin’, it’s not like we’ve never seen a naked woman before.” Sean’s voice penetrated her pounding skull.

  Tasha jumped with fright because she hadn’t even noticed Sean was lying in the bed on her opposite side.

  “What the hell am I doing in bed with the two of you? I thought you said this place had three bedrooms?”

  “It does, darlin’, but Jay wanted to make sure you weren’t sick in your sleep and wouldn’t choke. So we decided to sleep in the same bed as you, to keep an eye on you.”

  “I’ll bet,” Tasha muttered under her breath. “Well, if you’ll direct me to the guest bedroom I’ll vacate this bed and leave you two alone.”

  “Ha ha very funny,” Jason replied facetiously. “You’re not going anywhere tonight. You are to sleep here between Sean and me, so we can keep an eye on you. I’ll get you some water and painkillers, then you are going to lie down and go back to sleep.”<
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  “But…”

  “You can argue as much as you like, Tasha, but you’re not getting out of this bed until the morning.” Jason got out of bed to get a glass of water and the painkillers he had promised. Thank God he was wearing boxer shorts. She had a hell of a time keeping her eyes off of his wide muscular shoulders, back, and sexy arse as he walked away. She closed her eyes on a sigh and thanked God she was too hungover for her body to react.

  He was back in minutes and watched solicitously as she took the pills and emptied the glass. He crawled back into bed, turned the lamp off, and settled on his side with his back to her. Tasha was in too much pain and too tired to argue with him. Whatever he had given her was already doing the trick and alleviating the pain in her head. The last thing she remembered was an arm wrapping around her waist.

  Chapter Two

  Tasha woke to the smell of coffee. She yawned and stretched, noticing Jason and Sean were no longer beside her. She spied a bag which looked very much like one of hers standing off to the side of the room near the closet. Quickly getting out of bed, she grabbed the bag on her way to the adjoining bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She placed the bag on the vanity counter, unzipped it and sighed with relief when she found some of her own clothes inside.

  After showering and dressing, Tasha walked from the bedroom and made her way over the large open floor plan, until she came to the kitchen dining area. She stood uncertainly as she watched Sean and Jason preparing a breakfast of pancakes.

  Jason’s hair was longer than Sean’s touching on the top of his shoulders and they both had light brown hair. Tasha could just imagine what it would feel like running her fingers through those strands of hair. Would his hair be as soft and silky as it looked? Jason’s eyes were greener than Sean’s. Sean had brown flecks mixed with the green.

  Jason seemed to move with efficient economy as if not wanting to use any unnecessary energy and his personality was much more serious and dominant than Sean’s more light hearted characteristics, but she could see that if warranted, that Sean could be as hard as his dominant older brother. Sean was taller and more muscular than Jason and every time he moved she could see his pecs rippling underneath the material of his tight T-shirt. Jason was muscular too, but a little leaner than his younger brother. They were both big men in every way. Sean was a couple of inches taller than Jason’s six four height and she felt downright tiny when they stood next to her since she was a foot shorter than Jay. She supposed that compared to them she was on the small side.

  No matter how hard she tried to look away, she just couldn’t seem to get her body to cooperate. She drank them down with her eyes and cursed under her breath when her body began to react to being so close to them. She just hoped that neither man saw what her body was doing. Her breasts felt fuller and her nipples were hard. But what surprised her the most was how her pussy reacted. She was so damn wet she needed another shower and every time her clit throbbed her vagina clenched and dripped out more cream onto her soaked panties.

  “Take a seat, darlin’, breakfast will be ready in a minute,” Sean said without looking at her. Thank God he hadn’t turned around to face her because she was having such a hard time trying to keep her desire from showing.

  Tasha sat on a stool at the breakfast bar schooled her face into what she hoped was a blank mask and was surprised when Jason turned from the coffee pot and placed a mug of coffee in front of her. It looked just the way she made it herself. Had he and Sean been watching her so closely? It seemed that they had. She shifted on her seat and met his gaze again.

  “How are you feeling, little girl?” Jason asked as he scrutinized her face.

  “Fine,” Tasha replied grumpily. She lowered her eyes and concentrated on the counter top as she sipped her coffee, giving a sigh of gratitude as the smooth brew slid down her throat.

  Sean placed food, plates, and utensils on the bench within easy reach as well as various toppings to add to the pancakes. Jason and Sean moved around the bench and sat on either side of her. They loaded their plates with food and when Tasha made no move to do the same, Jason picked up her plate, placed three pancakes on it, and put it in front of her.

  “You’ll feel much better if you eat something, Tasha.” Jason gave her a pointed look.

  With a sigh of resignation she picked up the jar of honey and spread it over one of the pancakes. She had to hold in a moan of pleasure as the light delicious, sweet-tasting cake hit her taste buds. She closed her eyes, savoring the flavor with relish as she chewed then swallowed. She heard a low moan from beside her from Jason’s direction. She lifted her eyes and turned her head toward him.

  “Good?”

  Tasha felt molten lava pool low in her belly as Jason continued to look at her with heat in his gaze. She quickly lowered her eyes back to her plate as she moved restlessly on her stool and nodded. She finished her honey-coated pancake and sat back with a sigh of satiation, staring at the two pancakes still on her plate. There was no way she could eat anymore, so she sat sipping her coffee as the men ate in silence.

  When they’d finished their meal, Jason collected the used dishes, scraped them clean, and placed them in the sink to soak. He moved around the gourmet kitchen with economical movements as he cleared away the remnants of their breakfast. He brought the coffee jug over and held it up questioningly to Tasha, then refilled her mug as well as Sean’s and his own at her nod.

  Moving back around the counter, he grasped her shoulder and turned her around until she was facing him.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do yet, little girl? Are you are going to move in here and share with us?”

  “I don’t know.” Tasha answered quietly and bit her lip uncertainly.

  “You won’t be so lonely, Tasha, and the money you get from the sale of your shop will keep you for quite a few years so you can get established as an artist. Think about it, sweetness.” Jason leaned down and placed a kiss on her temple.

  That small affectionate gesture made her feel special and cared for, but she didn’t want to feel that way.

  “We’ve thought about where we could set up a space for you to work, darlin’. If you come with me, I’ll show you.” Sean held a hand out toward her.

  Tasha looked at Sean’s hand and then slowly placed hers in his. He helped her down from the stool and led her across to the far side of the kitchen to the largest window in the loft.

  “We can partition this area off for you so you can work to your heart’s content, Tasha. Or if you’d like we can leave it open if you want space. We can put in a track of lights above here so you can work into the night, in case you’re on a roll and don’t want to stop.” Sean smiled down at her.

  Tasha began to get caught up in his enthusiasm. She could picture the area in her mind with shelves and cupboards along the wall next to the window where she could keep her art supplies. The thought of being able to paint and not have to worry about penny pinching seemed too good to pass up. She was still hesitant about sharing with the two Gallagher brothers, as she knew they had another agenda for wanting her here. Her!

  She was going to have to be so strong to keep them at an arm’s length, or just be downright bitchy and cantankerous. She’d always been a strong person and was just going to have to have confidence in herself to maintain that strength.

  “What do you think about a month’s trial? If it doesn’t work out for me, then I want to be able to leave without any hassles from you or your brother. No arguments and you’ll have to help me move if I decide it’s not working out,” Tasha negotiated.

  “I think we can agree to that, baby,” Jason said from directly behind her.

  Tasha hadn’t even heard him approach them. He could move with the stealth of a cat when he wanted to. She moved aside so she could see them both at the same time and studied their faces, but both of them wore stoic expressions.

  Shit! I hate it when I can’t work out what they’re thinking.

  “I think we
have a deal then, gentlemen,” Tasha said in what she hoped was a professional tone, and then held her hand out to seal their bargain.

  Jason took her hand in his and held it as he looked deeply into her eyes. What’s he doing? Trying to look into my soul? She withdrew her hand from Jay’s and barely held in the gasp when his warm skin slid along hers. She turned to Sean and shook hands with him, too. Frissons of desire tingled up her hand and over her body.

  Damn, maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all.

  “When do you want to move in, Tasha?” Sean was smiling again. She loved the dimples beside his lips and wanted to reach up and touch them. She gave herself a mental shake and tried to remember what he’d asked.

  “Well, since you guys still have a business to run and it’s only Wednesday, I think Saturday would be the best day. But I need to notify my landlord first and it depends on whether they will let me leave a month early as my lease isn’t up till then.”

  “Fair enough. You let us know when you find out. I’ll give you a lift home now so I can get back here in time to help Jason,” Sean offered, and she followed him out, glad to be getting away from them, at least for a few days. Hopefully by the time Saturday rocked around she would have all her armor firmly in place.

  The next couple of days passed too quickly for Tasha. She’d called Toni to let her know she was going to move in with the Gallagher’s. Her sister had arrived on her doorstep the following day to help Tasha pack the rest of her belongings and they had arranged for their furniture to go into storage. By the time Saturday arrived, the only thing left in the apartment was Tasha’s double bed, and that was being moved into her bedroom at the loft as Jason and Sean hadn’t got around to buying a spare as yet.

  She hardly slept Friday night as nervous excitement kept her brain way too active for her to relax. By the time her alarm went off she was showered, dressed, and had pulled her bed down for ease to be moved. She had nothing left in her kitchen to even make herself a cup of coffee with, so by the time Jason and Sean rocked up half an hour later she was tired, irritable, and suffering from caffeine withdrawal. She very nearly pounced on Jason when she saw the travel mug of coffee in his hand.