Page 126 of Rescuing Ally: Part 1

Without waiting for a response, he rounds the counter, sweeps me up, and tosses me over his shoulder. A startled laugh escapes me as the world turns upside down.

“Put me down!” I protest, though there’s no real force behind it. “I’m working!”

“Not anymore,” Hank says mildly, nodding to Malia. “We have business with her.”

“I bet you do.” Malia doesn’t even try to hide her delighted grin. “Take her away, boys. She’s all yours.”

“Always has been,” Gabe says, his arm a steel band around my thighs as he carries me toward the door. “Just on loan to you for a few days.”

“Be safe!” Malia calls after us. “Use protection!”

“Malia!” I yelp, my face burning as several lingering customers turn to stare.

Hank chuckles, holding the door open for Gabe and me. “We’ll take good care of her,” he assures Malia with a wink that melts my insides. Then his voice drops to a whisper. “No more protection, luv. Doc Summers gave the green light. We’re going bareback tonight if that’s good with you?”

My heart just about stops in a good kind of way.

And then we’re outside, the cool evening air a welcome relief for my heated skin. Gabe finally sets me on my feet beside a sleek black SUV, but his hands linger at my waist.

“Miss us?” he asks, his voice rough at the edges.

“Maybe a little,” I admit, trying for nonchalance despite the hammering of my heart.

“Only a little?” Hank steps closer, effectively boxing me between them. “We’ll have to fix that.”

The hunger in his gaze makes me shiver despite the lingering warmth of the day.

“Let’s go home,”Gabe says.

Home.

The word echoes through me, taking on new weight—not just a place. These two men have become my sanctuary.

“Yes, please,” I agree simply, letting Hank guide me into the backseat while Gabe slides behind the wheel.

When we get to the house, the sky is painted in dusky shades of violet and gold, the ocean stretching endlessly before us. The air is cooler now, the last remnants of sunlight glinting off the water.

Gabe unlocks the door, stepping inside first, while Hank lingers at my back, a solid, grounding presence.

“We’ll get dinner going,” Gabe says, shrugging off his jacket. “You take a minute to yourself, sweetheart.”

I pause, glancing between them. “You’re not going to put me to work?”

“We’re definitely going to put you to work.” Hank smirks, turning toward me, his fingers tracing a slow, deliberate path down my arm before he steps back.

“Take a moment for yourself.” His gaze drops, raking over me with quiet intent. “Rest if you need it. Decompress. Let yourself settle.”

Something in his tone makes my breath catch, my skin tingling in anticipation.

“For what?”

“For us.” Gabe’s grin is slow, wicked. “After dinner, you’re ours.”

Heat flares through me.

Hank steps past me toward the kitchen, but not before his fingers trail down my back, a teasing, possessive touch. “And we have very specific things in mind.”

A slow shiver rolls through me.

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