Tess sucked in a shaky breath.

So far, so good.

She’d had a decade—and then some—to imagine meeting her partners, wondering what her wedding night would be like. After hearing about Caden’s life, about the abuse he’d suffered at his parents’ hands, she wasn’t quite sure if she was happy she’d saved herself for this night or if she should kick her own ass.

There was so much going on in Caden’s head. They hadn’t scratched the surface in the “getting to know you” phase, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want these men. Desperately.

“So no one’s freaking out?” she asked.

Isaiah shook his head, grinning widely. “I’m good. Cade?”

Caden hesitated, glancing from her to Isaiah and back again. “I’m fine, Tess.”

She didn’t believe him. “Does that mean we can maybe skip to the good part? I really don’t want to sleep alone again tonight.”

Caden let go of her hand, rubbing his palms on his knees. “I think tonight might go better for you if you spend it with just Isaiah.”

Tess frowned and started to shake her head, but Caden raised his hand to cut off her complaint.

“Just for tonight. Or—”

Isaiah’s deep voice answered for her. “No.”

Tess was relieved Isaiah was rejecting the idea as well. He stood, reaching out to draw Tess up from the couch. He gave her a quick, sweet kiss, and when they parted, he took a step back, gesturing for Caden to stand with them.

Caden blew out a hard breath as he did so. “I’m not bowing out to be an asshole. Given what I just told the two of you, I would think you’d understand my reasons. When you dreamed of this night, Tess, what did you imagine? Romance, roses, candlelight?”

That was certainly how her younger self used to fantasize. But with age came more mature tastes—not to mention erotic novels, sex toys, and internet porn. She’d had plenty of time to expand on the more innocent daydreams of an eighteen-year-old girl, letting those fantasies turn into something hotter and harder.

“I told you, Caden, I may look like a blushing innocent, but I’m not one. I’m a grown woman with sophisticated tastes, and I don’t scare easily.”

“God,” Isaiah murmured. “Every word out of your mouth turns me on even more.”

The Grand Master couldn’t have found two men who were more polar opposite than hers were. As open and funny as Isaiah was, Caden was equally sexy and brooding.

It was time to prove she was more than up to the challenge of Caden Anderson.

Tess reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.

She was surprised when he gripped her wrists firmly, holding them away from his body.

“I didn’t give you permission to tou—”

He stopped in the midst of his very deep-voiced and—holy hell—sexy-as-shit reprimand.

However, the second he caught himself, she saw something change in his face. The Dom flashed hot for a second, only to be shuttered away by a man who seemed horrified by his actions.

“Then give me permission,” she whispered.

His eyes narrowed, and she realized whatever she’d said must be butting against whatever was raging to get out inside him.

Isaiah stepped behind her, sandwiching her between him and Caden. Tess wanted to come on the spot.

They were both so freaking hot.

“You have permission to touch me,” Isaiah said, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “In fact, there’s this little spot between my legs…” He paused, pressing closer so she could feel his erection against her back.

She glanced over her shoulder flirtatiously. “You call that little?”

Isaiah let out something between a chuckle and a groan. “God, Tess. You take my breath away, baby.”

“Good. And for the record, I definitely plan on touching you there. You know, as luck would have it, I’ve got this spot between my legs…”

Caden was still holding her wrists, though his grip had slackened. Tess used that against him, quickly reversing the hold so she clasped one of his wrists in her hand. She pulled it lower, running it along the front of her pants.

Part of her expected him to tug his hand loose. He didn’t.

Instead, he took charge, pressing harder against her covered pussy, running his fingers along the seam of her dress slacks.

Her thighs parted to allow him room to deepen the touch, but he didn’t take the bait, pulling his hand away instead.

“Hey,” she protested.

Caden reached out and took a huge handful of her hair in his fist, pulling it until her face was upturned, her gaze captured by his.

“You’re out of your league here, Tess.”

She would have shaken her head no, but Caden’s grip was too tight, so she simply said, “No, I’m not.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

The words seemed to be ripped from some dark place inside him, and Tess began to suspect the demons Caden fought didn’t all stem from his parents’ abuse.

“You won’t hurt me,” she said, trying to reassure him.

“I can’t give you anything but pain. That’s what I’m trying to say. I’ve never…”

Tess paused and let the words sink in for just a moment. He’d never made love to a woman. “So it’s the first time for both of us.”

Isaiah’s hands tightened where they were resting on her waist. “I think the three of us should take this into the bedroom.”

Tess moved in an instant. She knew what she wanted, and it was them. Both of them. With her.

Isaiah stepped next to her, one hand sliding into place at the base of her back. Tess reached out to Caden, waiting for him to take her outstretched hand.

His hesitance was shorter this time.

Progress.

The three of them walked down the corridor to the largest bedroom in the suite. It was clear this one had been designed for threesomes. She recalled hearing at one of the Winter Galas that the Trinity Masters had permanent possession of the Boston Park Plaza penthouse. Given the layout, the comfortable living room, the kitchenette area, the three bedrooms—the other two were much smaller—it was apparent it had been set up perfectly for newly bound trinities. The large, cozy space was inviting, allowing three strangers an ideal escape from their everyday lives as they worked to build a relationship.

Caden dropped her hand just inside the bedroom, and Isaiah’s hand disappeared from her back as well. She kept walking until she stood next to the bed, then she turned to face them.

“Take off your clothes,” Caden demanded.

She laughed. “I will if you will.”

The dominant man returned, his expression dark, as Caden took one menacing step toward her.

He was halted when Isaiah put a firm hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you should follow my lead.”

Tess tried to hold in her mirth at Isaiah’s suggestion, until she saw Caden’s response. She’d figured her outright laughter would only make the situation worse if Caden was offended. She didn’t have to wait long.

Caden was the first to laugh.

“That’s probably not a bad idea.” He gestured for Isaiah to proceed.

Tess felt the urge to ask one of them to pinch her. Everything felt surreal.

Isaiah walked over to her and gave her a longer, harder kiss than the one in the living room. His tongue touched hers and she tasted the wine they’d shared. She marveled over how his movements were gentle, yet strong. He oozed confidence, but not in an overly arrogant way.

For a brief second, it occurred to her that he reminded her a lot of his detective character—intelligent with a wry sense of humor and a no-nonsense way of dealing with the world. Her mother had teased her once about how she had fallen in love with a fictional character. Wait until she told Mom she’d been partnered up with the living embodiment of Joel Hemings.

While Tess was one hundred percent in on the kiss, she didn’t forget that Caden was there, watching—knowing him, studying—everything Isaiah did.

Isaiah had given her permission to touch him, so she took him up on it. Her hands slid from around his neck and down his chest. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man. Isaiah Jefferson was pure muscle, and her pussy clenched at the thought.

Isaiah broke the kiss, but he only pulled back a couple of inches. “Maybe you should give us more of an understanding of this virginity thing. How far have you gone?”

She blushed, and this time the response wasn’t an unconscious one. It was driven by a twinge of embarrassment.

Her silence in the face of his question had Isaiah backing farther away. Which allowed her to see that Caden had crossed the room while they were kissing and was standing closer to them than she’d realized.

“As far as you can,” she whispered.

“What does that mean?” Isaiah asked. At the same time, Caden said, “Blowjobs?”

She nodded, oddly relieved when Caden continued to fire off a list of sexual activities that precluded penetration.

“Breast play?”

“Yes.”

“You had a guy go down on you?”

She grinned. “A few.”

“Anal play?”

She lifted one shoulder. “Just by myself. With toys.”

Tess was pleasantly surprised when her confessions seemed to help Caden loosen up. So much so, he tugged his shirt over his head and started to unfasten his jeans.

“I can work with that,” he said.

Isaiah reared back. “Did you just make a joke?”

Caden winked at him as he pushed his jeans down.

Tess’ mouth fell open. Caden went commando. Her curiosity only gave her a moment to take in the view before she lifted her eyes and saw the scar on his chest. He’d been shot. Given the placement, she wasn’t sure how he’d survived, how the bullet hadn’t pierced some vital organ. Then she recalled how much he’d suffered at the hands of his parents.

He’d been very careful not to go into details about his training. Tess began to think they should have pressed for more information. Part of her was terrified of doing something that might trigger a painful memory for him.

Tomorrow she’d look up BDSM, try to sort out what kinds of things they might have encouraged him to do…as a teenager. The thought of that level of abuse, of suffering, broke her heart.

Before she could consider her actions, she moved forward, leaning toward his chest, placing a kiss on the puckered red scar.