In fact, she didn’t need a loving hand. She longed for an aggressive lover, a lover who would manhandle her a bit until she was groveling for sex, longing for penetration, and making her demands, begging to be fucked.
“What do you want, Julie?” Hank whispered, pulling her up by the hair of her head.
“I want to be wild with you.”
Hank lifted layers of hair and peered underneath. Long strands covered her eyes, but through the parted curls, she could see the sincerity staring back at her.
She needed to be wild and reckless. Hank wanted something else altogether. And Duke, well Duke wasn’t in any position to make a suggestion. He was erect and ready for a good time. His hard length pressed forward, and the pulsing veins in his cock were clearly visible.
Duke wouldn’t make it through a wild and reckless night. Duke’s control was shot to hell.
“I don’t want to get wild with you,” Hank rasped, pulling her over him. “I want what we had a few minutes ago. I want to love you, Julie. I need you to let me know you love me, too.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” she asked. “You and Duke have had plenty of practice. Between the two, I think you both know what to do.”
* * * *
Something snapped in Hank earlier that day. Maybe it was the way Sam talked about Annie, the reasons he gave for deserting his wife in lieu of something different, a walk on the other side of the tracks. Perhaps the chain of events leading them into the night just made him appreciate what he had in Julie. He preferred the familiar over strange anytime.
He stroked her cheek as he studied her face, noticing things about her then that he hadn’t paid attention to before. She had a few lines around her eyes now, and age left its mark around her lips, a wrinkle here or there. She was far too young for the signs of passing time, but considering her career and the stressful life she lived, she wasn’t untouched by age.
Hank pressed his lips to hers. “Relax.”
That was Julie’s problem. She was always in a hurry. She typically had somewhere she needed to be day before yesterday, or three days from tomorrow.
Wrapping her body in his arms, he savored the feeling of her body next to his. He ran his fingers up and down her shoulders, across her back, and toward her spine. She shivered as he caressed her and jerked when his fingers traced one of the permanent scars.
Julie would heal, but the reminders would forever remain. She’d almost died. He and Duke came close to losing her forever.
“Marry us,” Hank whispered across her lips. “Marry us, because you know you’ll never love again.”
“He’s right,” Duke assured her, pressing his lips to her cheek.
“I know,” she whispered, half dreamily.
“Then say yes,” Duke whispered, kissing her nape.
“Are you asking, too?”
Hank held his breath, anticipating what his brother would say. They’d discussed this before. They had options. They could each marry Julie in a different country or they could have a private ceremony. The third choice, one Hank hoped Duke wouldn’t mention, was for one to marry Julie, and the other to be her lover and as much a part of her life as the brother she took as her husband.
There were too many possible problems with the latter scenario, too many ways they could each later cry foul.
“Of course, I’m asking,” Duke said, winking. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d want to call Mrs. Hinman.”
Hank released a sudden sigh and Julie said, “You were worried there for a minute.”
“A little, yes,” he replied, the confession not an easy one to admit.
She pecked his lips and then turned to Duke and kissed him as well. “You are the greatest loves of my life. Of course I want to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
“It’s about time you realized you were still in love with us,” Duke teased, drawing her hands to his lips.
“She knew it all along,” Hank told him.
“He’s right of course,” Julie said, taking Duke’s hand and placing his fingers at her breast. “Now show me how lucky I’ll be when I become Mrs. Duke-Hank Hinman.”
Hank released an exaggerated sigh. “For a minute there, I was afraid you wouldn’t remember what we were doing when we were so rudely interrupted.”