Maya Banks - Theirs to Keep

As she stared back at herself, an image flashed in her mind. A fleeting memory, or maybe it was just a sensation.

Will he ever ask me to marry him?

It was a thought she knew she’d had before. More than once. There was lingering sadness—and worry—feelings she knew she’d experienced before.

Who was she thinking of?

The knot of anxiety grew in her belly. Was she doing the right thing? Was it really fair to Cade and Merrick to commit to them when she couldn’t remember her past?

“Miss Walker, Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Walker are here for you.”

Elle shook off the lingering uneasiness and turned to the woman standing in the door of the dressing room. Cade and Merrick were waiting. For her. They wanted to marry her and build a future together with her.

No matter what was in her past, they were her future.

At peace with her decision, she walked out the door and into the waiting room where Merrick and Cade stood. When they saw her, their faces lit up and there was approval in their eyes.

When she saw them, her heart pounded a little harder.

They were both wearing black suits. Expensive. Well tailored. They looked absolutely mouth-watering, and they were all hers.

“Elle, you look beautiful,” Cade said as he came forward.

“You look fucking amazing,” Merrick breathed.

Cade reached into his pocket and pulled out a jewelry box and handed it to her. With shaking fingers, she opened it to find a pair of glittering diamond earrings.

Merrick held up a necklace that matched and motioned for her to turn around so he could clasp it around her neck.

She felt like a fairy-tale princess.

They both reached for her hands after she’d attached the earrings to her ears, and they led her out of the spa to the waiting limousine.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a casino and were ushered out. The two men led her to the wedding chapel, where they were met by a couple who explained how the ceremony would be held.

Though the legalities concerned Merrick and Elle, there would be a special vow exchange between her and Cade at the beginning. At the end, instead of pronouncing Merrick and Elle husband and wife, the declaration would be made that Elle was given into the care of Merrick and Cade and that they would love and cherish her all the days of their life.

She was so jittery as they walked into the room where the ceremony would be held that she nearly stumbled. Cade caught her elbow, and then he pulled her in close to his side as they continued forward.

Positioned between the two men in front of the man performing the ceremony, she turned first to Cade as they exchanged vows.

His eyes were full of love as he held her hand, his thumb stroking over her knuckles. To her surprise, he produced a sparkling diamond solitaire and slid it onto her ring finger.

It was the most gorgeous ring she’d ever seen, and it fit her perfectly.

When their vows were said, Cade leaned in and kissed her long and deep, his hands framing her face.

“I love you,” he whispered.

She smiled and kissed him again. “I love you too.”

He gently let her go, and she turned to Merrick.

His eyes were fierce, and to her complete shock, they glittered wetly. He caught hold of her hands and held on so tightly her fingers were bloodless. It was almost as if he were afraid if he let her go, she’d disappear.

His voice was choked with emotion as he recited his vows, and when she in turn recited hers, he swallowed visibly.

Then, as Cade had done, he produced a ring. He slid her diamond off and pushed on the platinum band before sliding her solitaire back in place.

“On the inside is inscribed, Merrick, Elle and Cade forever,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“I love it,” she whispered. “It’s perfect.”

And then he kissed her. Sweet. Hot. Deep and aching.

“You’re mine now,” he said softly, fiercely, his voice ringing with possessiveness.

She slid her hands into his and leaned up to kiss him once more. Then she reached back for Cade, pulling him in close so she was flanked by both men.

She listened to the rich, beautiful words that bound her to Merrick and Cade for all time. Absorbed them and held them precious in her heart.

A year ago, she’d been no one. Desperate, cold, more dead than alive. Cade and Merrick had taken her in. Given her care and love and had been infinitely patient, allowing her time to recover both physically and emotionally.

Now she had a new life. She had focus. And she had a future.

She loved and was loved in return.

She gazed up at her husbands’ faces, saw the joy and adoration in their eyes.

A year ago, she wouldn’t have considered herself lucky or fortunate. But now, she realized that whoever had tried to kill her had in fact done her a huge favor.

“Come on, Mrs. Walker-Sullivan,” Merrick said, pulling her toward the doorway. “I feel the distinct need to make love to you for the next forty-eight hours straight.”

“Only forty-eight?” she teased.

“To start with,” Cade said. “After that? Who knows. We have all the time in the world, and I plan to make love to you for the next forty-eight years.”

ELLE WOKE SPRAWLED OVER CADE’S body, her legs tangled with Merrick’s in the huge king-size bed in the posh resort where Merrick had booked their honeymoon.

Two whole weeks on the beach. A private beach where they wouldn’t be disturbed by the outside world. A veritable paradise where their every whim would be catered to.

They could make love, they could never dress if they wanted. They could play in the ocean or swim in the private pool assigned to their villa.

But the outside world had crept in via her dreams.

Even now as the fog surrounding her mind began to lift, she was left with a heavy ache in her chest that threatened to suffocate her.

Bits and pieces came back. More vivid than in the past. They lingered where before they’d always faded as soon as she’d awakened.

An image flashed. A man. A strong, hard man with piercing eyes. Even as she thought of him, her breathing sped up, and she wasn’t sure if it was fear or something quite different that made her react.

She shivered despite the fact she was sandwiched by two warm, male bodies.

She should be glowing in the aftermath of the tender lovemaking the two men had bestowed on her. They’d kissed and touched and caressed her for hours. Driving her to the brink of insanity with mindless pleasure. Only then had they let her achieve the ultimate satisfaction, and afterward, she’d lain in their arms, listening as they whispered their love for her.

And now, a shadow had intruded, and she hated it. Hated it for evaporating her earlier euphoria.

Knowing there was no way she was going back to sleep and wanting time to sort through the dream while it was still fresh in her mind, she carefully extricated herself from Cade’s hold.

He muttered a protest, and she whispered, “Bathroom.”

He let her go, and she slid down the length of the bed, careful not to disturb Merrick as she got up from the bed. She did go into the bathroom, but only to get one of the fluffy robes she’d thrown over the hook on the back of the bathroom door.

Cinching the belt tightly around her, she padded out of the bedroom and through the sitting area to the French doors leading onto a veranda overlooking the ocean.

As she slid open the doors, the sea breeze ruffled her hair and teased her nose. She inhaled deeply as she stepped outside, and instantly, the song of the ocean danced over her ears.

Overhead, the full moon shone brightly, surrounded by a crystal clear sky and a million stars that twinkled like fairy dust. The light from the moon reflected off the water and lit up the entire horizon like a splash of silver.

Taking a deep breath, she curled her fingers around the edge of the railing that circled the veranda, and she leaned forward, absorbing the serenity around her. She needed it because her thoughts were in turmoil.

Alabama. The ocean. Warm, sultry summer nights. Her feet in the sand. Warm Gulf water foaming around her ankles. And a warmer than usual October night where her life had been irrevocably changed.

She squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to still the images, the memories, but for once, they wouldn’t stop coming. Random. Impossible to sort out. So fast and senseless that it left her head spinning.

Eden, Alabama.

A coastal town.

Maybe being here in Fiji with Merrick and Cade had prompted her to remember the place where…

She shook her head because she couldn’t be certain it was where she’d lived at all. But she knew she had history there. She could feel it. She could remember vaguely. The name felt right. If she concentrated hard, she could conjure up images of the ocean and feel the hot sun beating down on her shoulders.

It was where she’d been betrayed.

“Elle?”

She turned to see Cade and Merrick stepping onto the veranda, the moon illuminating the area so she could easily see the concern on their faces.

“Is something wrong, baby?” Merrick asked.

The two men stopped on either side of her, both reaching to touch her in some way, whether it was to reassure her or them. She wasn’t certain which.

She took a deep breath. “I’m remembering,” she said in a soft voice.

Cade tensed. “What do you remember?”

She turned back to stare over the ocean, her hands curling tightly around the rail once more.