Alice's Men

by Marla Monroe

  Alice’s Men

  Alice isn’t looking for love, but she finds two men who want to convince her that love in a threesome is worth the risk. Alice isn’t sure she can step out on faith when getting her heart broken would mean two times the pain.

  Ben and Landon both want Alice and, since they’ve shared in the past, they’re sure they can make it work long term. Convincing Alice takes a lot of effort and patience on their part. But they believe Alice is worth the effort.

  When one of them gets cold feet, the other one is furious but knows that Alice would never settle for him alone. Ben realizes his mistake and begs Alice and Landon for forgiveness and another chance at making them a family. Will she take another chance or move back to Austin and a normal life?

  Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 52,358 words

  ALICE’S MEN

  Marla Monroe

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  ALICE’S MEN

  Copyright © 2018 by Marla Monroe

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-889-9

  First Publication: January 2018

  Cover design by Les Byerley

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marla Monroe has been writing professionally for over thirteen years. Her first book with Siren was published in January of 2011, and she now has over 85 books available with them. She loves to write and spends every spare minute either at the keyboard or reading. She writes everything from sizzling-hot cowboys, emotionally charged BDSM, and dangerously addictive shifters, to science fiction ménages with the occasional badass biker thrown in for good measure.

  Marla lives in the southern US and works full-time at a busy hospital. When not writing, she loves to travel, spend time with her feline muses, and read. Although she misses her cross-stitch and putting together puzzles, she is much happier writing fantasy worlds where she can make everyone’s dreams come true. She’s always eager to try something new and thoroughly enjoys the research she does for her books. She loves to hear from readers about what they are looking for in their reading adventures.

  You can reach Marla at themarlamonroe@yahoo.com, or

  Visit her website at www.marlamonroe.com

  Her blog: www.themarlamonroe.blogspot.com

  Twitter: @MarlaMonroe1

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/marla.monroe.7

  Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+marlamonroe7/posts

  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4562866.Marla_Monroe

  Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marlamonroe/

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  Amazon page: http://amzn.to/1euRooO

  For all titles by Marla Monroe, please visit

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Landmarks

  Cover

  ALICE’S MEN

  MARLA MONROE

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Ben, Big Ben to most people, climbed up into the cab of the wrecker and logged his odometer reading before cranking the rig and pulling out of the gravel parking lot of his garage. It was just after seven p.m., and he’d finally sat down to eat when the call had come in about a stranded motorist out on the highway leading into town. It wasn’t that he didn’t need the work. It was just that he hated dealing with the public. Unless he ended up running the wrecker after hours, his partner handled it during the day and tended to their customers at the shop after Ben had fixed their vehicles.

  No, this wasn’t his favorite thing to do. Not by a mile. He preferred engines and transmissions over making nice with people. That was his partner’s job.

  He drove through the little town of Rock Creek at a sedate pace then opened it up once he reached the highway. He found the SUV about five miles from town on the side of the road. He could just make out the form of a woman sitting in the driver’s seat as he made a U-turn and pulled up in front of the vehicle.

  Ben got out and walked over to the SUV and held up his ID badge to the window. She nodded and opened the door.

  “Thanks for coming so fast. I don’t know what happened, but it sputtered then lost power. I had to fight it to get it to the side of the road,” she said.

  “I’ll tow it to the shop and look at it in the morning. Haven’t seen you around before. Are you just traveling through?” he asked.

  “No. I moved here a few weeks ago and was on my way home from visiting some friends in Austin.”

  Ben grunted and stomped over to hook her car up to the winch without saying anything else. He didn’t have anything more to say despite the fact his libido had noticed how pretty the woman was.

  “Can you drop me off at my house after you leave my car at your garage?”

  Ben grunted again but sighed. “Yeah, sure.”

  He had to adjust his dick at the thought of sharing the cab of the wrecker with her. Her curvy body appealed to him more than he liked. Hell, her deep green eyes and all that curly red hair did, too. She was the complete package to him, if he were interested that was. He wasn’t. Women were trouble. He’d learned his lesson after the last one had swished her ample ass out of his life, taking most of his bank account with her. No, it was best to keep women at arm’s length. That included the pretty redhead waiting on him to secure her SUV.

  “My name’s Alice Hayes,” she said from less than three feet away.

  “Don’t get too close, lady. This can be dangerous.”

  “Oh.” She stepped back. “Sorry.”

  Her voice sounded a little hurt, but that wasn’t his problem. As long as she wasn’t in the way in case the chain broke. No, it wasn’t likely, but still. Her wide green eyes got to him.

  “Just don’t want you to get hurt,” he finally mumbled.

  “Thanks.”

  “Why don’t you go ahead and climb in the truck. I’m almost finished here.”

  “Sure.”

  She walked around to the passenger side of the wrecker. He heard the door open then a grunt before the door slammed. He realized it was a long way for someone who couldn’t have been more than five-four or
so. She was a little thing if you didn’t count all those womanly curves she had going on.

  I need to stop thinking about her like that. She’s just a customer. I don’t need another woman in my life. They’re all trouble.

  Landon disagreed with him on that. He’d told Ben on a number of occasions that he’d picked the wrong women to get involved with. Most women weren’t trouble. Not if you treated them right. Like he hadn’t. He’d given them anything they’d wanted and fucked them senseless. What more did a woman need?

  It seemed they needed to use him then walk away. Well, he wasn’t going to let that happen again. He’d gone the normal route with them twice now. If he needed his cock taken care of, he dealt with the ones who were just looking to scratch an itch just like him. No fuss, no confusing emotions.

  I don’t need a woman to come home to every night.

  Right. For a while it had been nice. Then things had changed. They always did after a few months. He wasn’t falling into that trap again.

  He finished securing the SUV and climbed into the cab once more. He noted that she’d fastened her seatbelt and had her purse in her lap. He looked up and found her smiling at him.

  What the fuck?

  “Thanks for coming out after hours like this. I was a little worried no one would answer and I’d have to walk home. I really didn’t want to walk home in the dark. It gets dark sooner now that fall’s here.”

  “Yeah.”

  She couldn’t have walked those five plus miles anyway. Too dangerous for anyone, much less a pretty woman like herself, to be out on the road all by herself. He was glad he’d headed on out instead of finishing off his meal first like he’d thought about. It would have pissed him off if something had happened to her because he hadn’t wanted to go out.

  “I didn’t get your name.”

  He hesitated then shrugged. Wouldn’t hurt. She’d find out sooner or later anyway.

  “Ben. Name’s Ben.”

  “It’s great to meet you, Ben.”

  “Yeah. You, too.”

  He turned into the shop’s parking lot then backed the car into the bay he’d left open for that purpose.

  “Stay in here while I unhook your car. Then I’ll take you home.” He hopped down from the cab before she could say anything.

  It didn’t take him long to lower the car from the winch and unfasten the hook. Then he rolled down the door and locked it before climbing back into the truck. She smiled over at him once again.

  “What’s your address?” he asked, wishing he could adjust his dick again.

  Fuck, her smile had him so hard the zipper in his jeans was digging into his dick. He’d have to jack off as soon as he got home before he’d be able to settle down to eat his cold dinner.

  She recited it to him. It was one of the tiny little shotgun houses on the north side of town. Wasn’t exactly a good neighborhood, but it wasn’t one of the worst. Still, it didn’t sit well with him that she’d live in one of them all by herself.

  How do I know she’s by herself? She could have a roommate or even a live-in boyfriend.

  If she’d had a boyfriend, she’d have called him. No, she was alone or she’d have tagged someone else for help instead of his wrecker service. He didn’t like it, but she wasn’t his problem. Her car, however, was. He’d make sure it was in tip-top shape before he returned it to her. No use having her stranded on the side of the road again.

  Ben stopped in the drive of the house she’d indicated and waited while she unhooked the belt and opened the door of the cab.

  “Thanks again. I’ll call you in the morning to see what you find out about the car.” She started to slide down out of the truck, but he reached out and stopped her.

  “Give me your phone number and I’ll call you when I know something. Don’t know when I’ll get to start on it.”

  Liar. He was going to start on it first thing. He’d just wanted her phone number. Why? He sure as hell wasn’t going to call her for anything other than her car.

  I’ll need to notify her when it’s ready. That’s why I need her number.

  “Oh, okay.” She pulled out a piece of paper and pen from her purse and wrote on it before handing the paper to him.

  Their fingers touched, and he nearly dropped the thing from the shock that burned up his fingers.

  What the hell?

  She seemed to have felt it, as well, since she jerked her head up to meet his gaze. Just as quickly she looked down and climbed from the truck.

  “Thanks. I’ll wait on your call.” She closed the door and almost ran up the drive to the front door.

  He waited until she had it open and was safely inside before he jerked the truck into reverse and backed down the short drive into the street. Traffic was light now that it was after eight. Most everyone would be home eating and getting the kids ready for bed. He was returning to his little apartment over the garage to a cold microwave meal and the empty silence that hadn’t really bothered him until now.

  * * * *

  Alice shut the door behind her and leaned against it for a few seconds before she locked it, twisting the deadbolt and sliding the chain across. There was something about the big bear of a man who had rescued her from the side of the road. Yeah, she’d called for help, but he’d been the one to get her safely home. She liked him.

  A lot.

  Why am I mooning over the guy? He drives a wrecker and wasn’t the least bit interested in me.

  That had been obvious by the grunts and half-sentences he’d given her when she’d attempted to talk to him. But there was just something about him that appealed to her. He had to have been over six feet tall with shoulders as wide as the Grand Canyon and arms the size of boulders. His face had been ruggedly good looking with a square jaw and the slight crook in his nose.

  God, those eyes. They were the color of storm clouds, gray and serious, as if the weight of the world were on those broad shoulders. It wasn’t easy to tell in the darkening night, but she was almost positive he had a hard, ribbed abdomen to go with the rest of his muscular body. The shadow of a beard hadn’t detracted from his solid good looks, though it had added a hint of danger. Then there was his long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck. How long would it be if left loose?

  Yeah, there’d been some grease under his nails, but they’d been trimmed, and his hands had been clean. He was a mechanic for God’s sake. He’d have grease and dirt because he worked with his hands for a living. That didn’t bother her.

  But why am I even thinking about him? Evidently, I’m not his type. I wonder what his type is.

  Alice shook her head at the fanciful thoughts flitting around in it and crossed the room to her tiny kitchen. She poured a glass of wine and sat in her favorite chair to relax after the nerve-wracking worry when her car had quit on her.

  That didn’t occupy her mind for long. She had no doubt the big, capable man would be able to fix whatever was wrong with the SUV, and that led her right back to him. Ben.

  Why am I so attracted to him? He’s huge, and usually I’m afraid of big men.

  It wasn’t because anyone had attacked her or scared her. She just felt helpless around big, burly men. They were overwhelming and towered over her like some fairytale giant. She’d been that way since high school when everyone seemed to grow but she’d stayed short. Even most of her girlfriends had been taller than she had been.

  She curled her feet under her. It was more than that. She liked the fact that he didn’t flirt outrageously, only meaning half of it or none of it at all. He didn’t tell her how pretty she was in the hopes of getting into her pants. Ben just was. His silent demeanor appealed to her over the placating conversations she’d had with other men. Most of what they’d said had been lies or were meant only to stroke their own ego. Ben wasn’t like that. He didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with useless conversation.

  It was refreshing. She wasn’t one to talk a mile a minute either, though she’d said way more than she had plan
ned to while they’d been in the truck together. She’d wanted to know his name. Needed to know.

  Now he had her phone number and would have to call her when he figured out what was wrong with her car. Somehow that was far more appealing than her calling him. He’d have to call her again when whatever repairs it needed were finished and she could pick it up.

  Yeah, she liked that he’d be the one phoning. She liked that a lot.

  Sitting in the chair, all curled up, Alice wondered what it would be like to be his woman. Was he aggressive in his loving or rash and insensitive? Somehow, she didn’t think so. She pictured him as someone who’d take his time exploring one minute then go wild and crazy over her the next. One time he’d make slow love, and the next he’d fuck, hard and fast. Alice was sure she’d never get bored in a relationship with someone like Ben. He’d keep her on her toes.

  And in his bed.

  Yeah, she could go for someone like him, despite the fact he wasn’t anything like the kind of man she normally dated. When she dated, that was. It had been a long time since the last time she’d gone out with anyone.

  Part of the reason she’d moved to Rock Creek from Austin was to make some changes in her life. The small community had seemed like the perfect place to start. She liked the laid-back style there with the big city of Austin only a little over an hour away. She could visit her friends, go shopping, or go to a concert while returning to the quiet, smooth atmosphere of small-town living. She needed the peace and quiet. It appealed to her.

  Alice worked from home now, having moved out of the hospital there in Austin where she’d coded medical records to code them from home. There would be days when she’d have to go back for education or mandatory meetings, but for the most part, everything could be done from the comfort of her home, where she could wear pajamas or shorts to work every day.