He pounded into her, his need for her all consuming. His orgasm rose, edgy and sharp. It took everything he had to pull out, but he didn’t want it to end this quickly and he was a second from exploding.

Liam pushed in, taking Noah’s place. Lauren moaned and dropped her head a little as Liam thrust inside her again. She angled her upper body downward until her cheek rested against the mattress, but the entire time, she was pushing herself back to meet Liam’s thrusts.

“I’m coming, baby,” Liam ground out. “You wanna do yours now or wait for Noah?”

“I’ll wait,” she said.

Liam let out a roar and thrust into her so hard that it shook her and the entire bed. Then for a long moment, he rested against her, buried deep inside her, his eyes closed, his hands resting possessively on her body.

Finally he withdrew, leaving her opened, her pussy a darker pink and still swollen.

Noah couldn’t resist running his fingers over the puffy lips. So soft and silken. She moaned and twisted restlessly as he fingered her clit.

“Use your hand, honey,” he whispered huskily. “I’m not going to last long and I want you with me.”

Her hand slid through her tight curls, bumping against his, as she found the sensitive nub he’d fondled. Satisfied that she was prepared, he positioned himself against her damp opening and pushed in, relishing the feel of her snug heat surrounding him, enveloping and swallowing him whole.

Remembering her request before, he thrust harder and faster. He closed his eyes as sweet pleasure worked over every inch of his body. His balls drew up, tightening until he thought they might explode. Tension built.

She cried out and went liquid around him. She was slick and hot as her orgasm made it easier to get deeper inside her.

His mind went blank. He had no awareness of anything but the overwhelming ecstasy of being inside her. And then finally, finally the building tension released.

He shuddered with mind-numbing pleasure. He strained into her, wanting deeper, not wanting the moment to end. Only the knowledge that she’d be extremely sensitive after her orgasm kept him from continuing to push into her over and over until he was incapable of doing so.

Reluctantly he withdrew from her quivering body. He was so sensitive that he couldn’t bear the condom on for another second. He stripped it off, tossed it into the trash can beside her bed, and then he and Liam helped her into a sitting position.

“Quick enough for you, baby?” Liam drawled.

Her lips curled with amusement. “That was amazing. Thank you.”

She turned to face Noah, her fingers going to his jaw in the lightest of touches. “I wanted to try again. I won’t allow him to control my mind when I’m with you and Liam. You both mean too much to me to allow anyone else to intrude on our time together.”

He captured her fingers and kissed the tip of each one. “And to think I was on my way in here to hurry you two up.”

She laughed softly. “Are we late?”

“Yeah, we are,” Noah said. “But for that, I’ll be late every damn day from now on.”

CHAPTER 22

IT was nearly eight thirty when Lauren, Noah and Liam pulled up to the Colters’ home. Max and Callie as well as Lily, Seth, Michael and Dillon were already there.

Butterflies stumbled around her stomach as she sat in the front seat, staring through the windshield to the front porch. Liam reached across the seat and squeezed her hand.

“Ready for this? It’s not too late to back out. No phone calls have been made.”

It shamed her that for a brief moment, she considered doing just that. It was instinctive to want to run and hide, but then that’s what she’d been doing for far too long.

Taking a calming breath, she shook her head. “No, I need to do this. Not just for the women he’s brutalized and murdered, but I need to do it for me.”

Noah shifted forward from the backseat. “Just remember that Liam and I are behind you. Always. No matter what goes on in here, no matter if emotions run high. We support you one hundred percent, no matter what you choose to do.”

She turned, allowing her love for both men to shine in her eyes. She only hoped he could see it. That he knew it and felt it. The words had come easily with Liam because he’d given them first. She needed to give them to Noah. And she would, as soon as they got through the meeting with her family.

“Thank you,” she choked out.

“Ready?” Liam said as he opened his door.

Taking one more deep breath, she opened her door and stepped into the sunlight, allowing it to remove the chill deep inside her chest.

Noah and Liam flanked her as they walked toward the porch. The door was opened by Holly, who immediately pulled Lauren into her firm embrace.

“How are you, baby?” Holly asked in her sweet, motherly voice that always made Lauren feel as though she’d come home.

“I’m fine, Mama C. Or I will be,” she amended.

Holly pulled away, her eyes worried and dark. “Max is upset. I thought you should know so you don’t get blindsided.”

Lauren’s stomach somersaulted, and she glanced anxiously up at Noah and Liam.

“It’ll be fine, honey,” Noah soothed. “We’ll get through this together.”

Holly took her hand and pulled her into the house, leaving the men to follow.

“They’re right,” Holly said. “We’ll get through this together. Just like we always do. Max was just caught off guard and he’s not taking it well.”

As they entered the living room, everyone turned to look in Lauren’s direction. Max, who’d been sitting beside Callie on the couch, shot to his feet, his expression dark.

Callie put her hand up to his arm and murmured something to him, but he shook her off and advanced toward Lauren. But it wasn’t her he was intent on questioning. He stopped a short distance away, his angry gaze finding Noah and Liam.