Sandpipers' Secrets (18 page)

“What happened?” he asked, not the slightest bit ashamed of the way his voice quivered. He was just too damn glad to have them back home and in his arms.

He had begun to imagine all sorts of horrible scenes. Everything from social services turning up to take Wolf away right then and there, to having to see Zak and Lark paraded before a jury in handcuffs, to the cops banging down the door to arrest him, too.

Zak stroked his hand down Brody’s back and pushed gently at his shoulder. “Come sit down,” he commanded.

“What did they want? Were you charged with anything? Are they coming back?” Brody asked, ignoring Zak’s attempt to calm him down.

Zak sighed, then took Brody’s hand and Lark’s and dragged them to the couch. He pulled them both down so they rested on either side of him and wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, snuggling them in tight to his body.

Brody really was starting to panic now. This couldn’t be good. “What the hell’s going on?” he demanded, the stress and strain eating away at him like acid.

“It’s okay, Brody. We’re fine,” Lark tried to reassure him.

But Brody still couldn’t stop the shaking as he waited for Zak to say something.

“An anonymous caller rang and made an allegation of incest against us,” Zak finally admitted.

Zak instantly released Lark and used both arms to grab hold of Brody’s waist as he tried to jump up and run to collect Wolf so they could all high-tail it out of town. He held on and gently but firmly pulled Brody back down into his lap.

“It’s fine, Brody. It’s all sorted. We’re not going anywhere. They’re not coming to take Wolf away from you. He’s safe. You’re safe.”

Brody ignored him as he struggled furiously. “How can you say that? They’re going to come back.

Incest…it’s illegal,” he hissed, but finally stilled when it became apparent Zak wasn’t going to let him go and there was no way he was going to break out of Zak’s huge, muscular arms.

Brody didn’t care about the incest. It wasn’t even something he really thought about anymore. But others did. The law did. And Brody couldn’t do anything about that. The only thing he could do was keep Wolf safe from the system, one way or another.

“Brody! It’s fine. Really.” Zak tried to say as Brody started struggling against him again. Just thinking about Wolf being taken away—

“Brody! We’re not actually brothers,” Lark said.

Brody froze and stared over at Lark. What the fuck?

Zak growled ominously, and Brody saw Lark roll his eyes.

“Okay! We’re not blood brothers. Is that better, grumble bum?” Lark asked, poking Zak in the side.

“What?” Brody interrupted before Zak could start up the tirade he could clearly see the man about to launch into. “I don’t understand.”

“I mean we’re brothers, but only by marriage. His dad married my mom,” Lark explained, rudely jabbing a finger into Zak again, then quickly snatching it back when Zak made a grab for it.

“And you didn’t think to mention this?” Brody demanded, his blood pressure soaring. How could they have…?

“You said it didn’t matter,” Zak pointed out.

“And I did try to tell you,” Lark added, far too reasonably for Brody’s scrambled, very unreasonable brain.

“When?” Brody demanded, looking between the two calm men in disbelief.

“On that Tuesday after Gus had his little hissy fit at our expense,” Lark replied casually.

Brody tried to think back, but the exact conversation eluded him. He’d have to take Lark’s word for it.

But really, that was hardly the point.

“But why would you…? I mean why didn’t you just sort everyone out and explain it to them?”

“Because it’s none of their fucking business!” Zak snapped. “Lark is my brother, plain and simple. I don’t give a flying fuck what people think about me loving my brother with all my heart! It’s their problem, not mine! And no one ever fucking believes us anyway.”

Lark sighed and gently stoked Zak’s arm, petting and soothing the agitated man. Brody just continued to stare. Lost and not sure which way was up anymore, Brody shook his head in disbelief. The whole situation had turned on its head. The vandalism, the letter…the police. It had all been—

“Zak refuses to call anyone but my mother Mom,” Lark explained.

“She was my mom. The bitch that gave birth to me was just an egg donor. I won’t degrade my memory ofLynn just because some asshole has a problem with who I choose to sleep with.”

“Zak’s—” Lark looked over to Zak. Whatever Lark had been about to say, he corrected in mid-sentence. “Zak’s egg donor walked out on him and his dad when he was seven. I think both of them wished she’d gone a lot sooner than that. She wasn’t really the…mothering type.”

“She wasn’t even the sane type,” Zak growled.

“My mom…yeah, Mom was there for Zak and his dad. That’s how our parents got together.”

“But why not just—”

Lark interrupted him, “This isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened to us. The last time—”

“The last time, Lark and I ended up finishing college six states away from home because no one wanted to listen or believe us. This place was a new start for Mom and Dad, and it was a new start for us. But I refuse to be run out like that again. Especially when we’re not doing anything wrong. Now that Mom and Dad have…” Zak swallowed. “We’re not doing anything wrong or illegal by any definition now.”

“That’s why you were so angry when Lark didn’t tell you about the letters. Why you wanted to hide the vandalism.” Finally, the last pieces began to fall into place for Brody.

Zak nodded. “Yeah. After the paint, I kept a really close eye out for anything, but when it just faded away, I wanted to let it go. I hoped it was all over. Then the letters and thinking Lark was in danger.”

“I thought I could handle it and not have you getting all upset.” Lark leaned in to rest his bowed head against Zak shoulder, looking contrite and solemn.

“I hated it, Lark. It hurt thinking you’d hidden something like that from me. That you could have been in danger and didn’t want me to help.”

“I’m sorry,” Lark muttered.

Brody stared at the two of them. Zak was the fixer. He wanted to make this all go away. And, crazy as it might sound, Lark was the protector. He wanted to protect Zak, no matter what. It was a strange and oddly touching underlying dynamic in their relationship.

Brody still found it difficult to comprehend why the two men would put themselves through all the hardships and torment that the nature of their relationship caused them. But at the same time, he had to admire them. They loved each other no matter what. Nothing had broken them. No matter how vicious or malicious the attack on them had been.

“So, do you think this is what they meant when they said ‘you were warned’ in that last letter? You think this was the consequences, calling the cops?” Brody held his breath and hoped.

“Yeah. I think so,” Zak said, easing back into the couch with Brody still perched on his lap and resettling his arm around Lark so they were all cuddled together again.

“So, what now?” Brody asked. He still couldn’t find it in him to relax. Every part of him still felt tense and ready for the next attack.

“So, now we cuddle and ignore the bastard,” Zak announced. “We’ve—”

“What?” Brody’s voice was high and incredulous again. “How can you—”

“I won’t let them win,” Zak explained. “I won’t let them mess up what we have.”

Brody stared at Zak, taking in the completely serious, determined look on his face.

“I’m with Zak,” Lark added. “I just want to love on you both and forget about them.”

“But—”

Lark cut Brody off by taking his lips in a fierce, demanding kiss.

The kiss dragged on and Lark continued to thrust his tongue into Brody’s mouth, impatiently entering and claiming every part with a hungry insistence. Slowly, Lark repositioned himself until he was on his knees on the couch. Then he toppled Brody back into the soft cushions. Brody’s legs pinned Zak down, but he couldn’t care about that. He was completely lost in the sensation of Lark pressing him into the soft, dark leather.

Brody thrilled to the hands burrowing into his hair. He was pulled impossibly closer, even as his own hands began running freely over the lean, taut lines of Lark’s body.

“Much as I love to see you both like this, I think we should move this to the bedroom, guys.”

Lark pulled away and stared down at Brody, his eyes unfocused and dazed with lust and a hint of confusion.

“Wolf,” Brody managed to gasp, reaching up to run his hands through Lark’s blond hair and pulling him in for another quick, passionate kiss before releasing him.

Zak pushed at Lark’s hip until finally their small lover groaned and got up to stand beside the couch. The evidence of his desire was clearly outlined by the tight fit of his pants. His lips remained slightly parted and swollen from their enthusiastic kissing.

“Hurry,” Lark urged, reaching down to drag Brody up beside him and not even waiting until Zak stood up to start moving them to the bedroom.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Lark started working on the buttons and fastening of Brody’s clothes frantically. Brody—caught up in the mad, feverish need—began tugging and tearing at Lark’s, sparing just enough time to look over to make sure Zak was also shedding his shirt and pants.

“Oh! Need you!” Lark moaned, thrusting up against Brody when finally they were both naked. “Need you both.”

Brody pushed into Lark, feeling his erection move and rub across Lark’s pale, smooth belly. Brody groaned and closed his eyes, desperately fighting for control. It would be so easy to give in and just continue to move and thrust against Lark until they found release. Everything felt so tight and tense inside Brody that he welcomed the sweet oblivion that orgasm promised.

“On the bed, Lark,” Zak’s growled, his voice so low it rumbled through Brody. Zak pulled the two of them apart and pushed Lark towards their bed.

Scurrying to comply, Lark’s sweet, rounded ass was the only thing Brody could focus on as the smaller man scrambled across the sheets to lie in the middle of the bed. Brody continued to stare in amazement as Lark reached for the lube, spread his legs and after taking a generous amount, began to work his fingers in and around his hole.

“I want you, Brody,” Zak breathed into his ear from behind him, before gently taking the lobe in a soft, teasing bite. “I want to sink my cock into your tight hole and fuck you so long and hard. And I want you to be inside Lark while I do it, baby. Want to thrust into you and feel it pushing you into him. Going to fuck you both so good!”

Brody arched back into Zak’s furry chest. The way Zak spoke to him. The feel of his solid, warm body and the steel hard cock that pressed into Brody’s back. It was almost too much. Then Zak’s hand came around and very gently squeezed with just the right amount of pressure for Brody to be able to get himself under control again.

“Not yet, Brody. Soon, baby. Why don’t you go help Lark while I get the supplies?”

Brody wanted to turn around and launch himself at the man when he felt Zak pull away—the sudden absence of the firm, warm body riding over his back was almost painful. But the sight of Lark’s hole, gradually opening for him right before his eyes, and the knowledge that Zak would be back soon, helped to soothe Brody just enough.

With deliberate movements, Brody stalked up the bed towards Lark, hungrily eyeing the man, his throbbing cock, and his fingers working at his hole.

“Oh, fuck,” Lark moaned, “the way you look at me.”

Lark closed his eyes and arched into his own fingers and Brody took the opportunity to lean in for a surprise attack. Without warning, where Lark’s fingers entered his body, Brody swiped across with the flat of his tongue and thrilled when Lark’s moan rose to fill the room with his ecstatic response.

Brody licked again and again, until Lark’s fingers gradually lost coordination and power and stilled while he lost himself to the pleasure Brody was giving him. Taking over, Brody began to combine his tongue and his own fingers to push in beside Lark’s and open his lover up. He stretched and prepared Lark with gentle, slow insistence.

When cool lube touched his own hole, Brody started. He hadn’t heard Zak return with the supplies.

“Shh. Your turn, sweetheart. Just relax,” Zak cooed.

Brody was so glad Zak had given him a head start, because the longer the man worked on him with those talented fingers, the less effective Brody became with his own inside Lark’s hole—a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Lark.

“Please, Zak. Please hurry. I need more. Now,” Lark moaned, tossing his head from side to side in desperation.

Brody felt more lube added to his already slick hole.

“Mmm…patience, Lark. We don’t want to hurt our Brody.”

The way Zak called him theirs sent a fresh wave of mingled lust and love coursing through Brody’s over sensitised body.

“I’m ready, Zak. Really. Please.” Brody wasn’t sure whether it was the strangled, urgent sound of his plea, or the need he felt in Zak as his big, strong hands began to tremble with passion, but he felt the fingers slip away. Brody couldn’t hold back a groan at their loss, even though he knew it heralded better things to come.

“Here, Brody. Hurry.” Zak handed him a condom and Brody quickly rolled the thin latex down his shaft as he watched Zak do the same out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh, fuck, Brody! Come on. Want you inside me. Now.” Lark pulled his knees back and rolled his head from side to side on the pillow, completely wanton and desperate. And Brody knew exactly how he felt.

Without wasting another second, Brody brought his throbbing, hard cock to Lark’s pulsing entrance and pushed in. One long, smooth slide had him fully seated inside his lover and they both moaned in delight.

Brody found he couldn’t wait more than a few seconds before he needed to pull out slightly and push back in.

The feeling of Lark’s body opening up around him and taking him in was more overwhelming and euphoric than anything Brody could ever remember feeling. Something about this moment, this one small slice of time between the three of them, was everything Brody had ever longed for. He felt…home.