Lacey Temptations [Crave 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Amy J. Hawthorn

  “Actually, she is in my bed, and I repeat. Exhausted. I’m not waking her for anything less than a nuclear disaster. You’ve got ten seconds to leave a message with me and then I’m hanging up.” Technically Lacey slept in the guestroom and they hadn’t slept in the same room, but something in him gloried in aggravating “Rob.”

  “I need Lacey to call me, Robert, immediately. She and I have plans to make. Try not to soil her too badly. She and I aren’t finished.” Was this her ex? Surely not. Whoever the asshole was, he was damn lucky Ryan was stuck on this mountain. He’d love nothing more than to wrap his hands around the man’s throat.

  Enough trouble for ten women hounded Lacey. The last thing she needed was someone like this prick adding to her headache. All the more reason for her to be with a solid, protective male who would cherish her. Parker. Enough was enough. Without wasting another word on Robert, he disconnected the call.

  The low rumble of thunder rolled through the air. He’d hoped the storm would hold off before making a noisy arrival. As hard as she’d been working before the shooting, he wondered how long it had been since Lacey had the opportunity to sleep in. She needed a partner to help lighten her load, or at the least, make sure that she didn’t take on more responsibility than was good for her.

  The muffled crunch of tires over gravel interrupted his brooding. Mud-spattered, Parker’s big black pickup came to a stop beside his car. The truck, usually a sure sign that Parker was at play, puzzled him, but it was Saturday. Maybe hell had frozen over and he’d taken a full day off?

  He opened the door to a cold, wet gust of wind to find Parker loaded down with an assortment of bags. The handles of the grocery sacks were a tangled mass in his hands.

  “Glad to see you made it before Armageddon arrives. Do you need a hand with anything?”

  Parker looked down to try and untangle the plastic from his wrists and fingers. “Actually, there’s two more bags in the backseat, if you want to grab them before the sky opens up. I think the storm chased me here.”

  He ran out the door and to the truck’s extended cab. Cursing and fighting the wind he opened the door. Sitting in the floor was a large duffle. On the seat was a black-and-purple boutique bag. So Parker had made good on his plan. The bag sat there, mocking him. The shiny purple logo reminded him of what he both wanted and needed to let go.

  White light flashed in the sky behind him and before he drew his next breath, a thunderous crack slammed his eardrums.

  A lightbulb went off. The bag might have filled him with messy emotions he was in no mood to feel, but Parker’s weekend bag might be the answer to his torment.

  * * * *

  After turning off the hair dryer and giving her hair one last brush-through, she heard the beginnings of a storm move in, making her grateful she’d finally rolled herself out of bed and showered. At least if the power went off, she’d have clean hair.

  A loud crash of thunder shook the cabin. The echo hung on, rolling and rumbling until finally fading into silence. The front door opened and closed, and male voices reminded her why she was here. Ryan, the author, who had become the fixation of some crazy stalker, and Parker, the police detective who wouldn’t stop until he found the stalker. They were both good men, and with or without the stalker business she’d been lucky to find them.

  Drawn to them both, the old Lacey would have been ashamed or even horrified over the discovery. Never in a million years would she have thought she’d be okay with having a sexual relationship with two men at once. Thinking beyond fantasy terms, some small part of her had always thought it was unnatural or maybe even dishonest.

  In a short time, with these two men, she’d learned the truth. Honesty really was the key. A number didn’t make a relationship, the people who created it did. And as long as honesty and trust were a factor, it was okay to think and even live outside the box. People mattered, not the constraints society placed on them.

  She opened the door to find Parker emptying grocery bags in the kitchen and Ryan standing by the front door holding more bags. Both men looked up the instant she stepped in the room.

  “Hey there, gorgeous. Come on out and join the party. The weather forecast is filled with nothing but gloom and doom, so I thought I’d give Ryan a break and cook today. I brought some movies and goodies to keep us all occupied.” Parker’s eyes continued to show signs of weariness, but his voice sounded upbeat.

  “You guys really don’t need to cater to me. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all the attention, but I’m fine on my own.” One corner of Parker’s mouth turned down and Ryan’s brow wrinkled as he set the bags he held by the door.

  “Despite the serious circumstances, we enjoy your company and caring for you. Come here.” Quiet authority slipped into Ryan’s tone on the last two words.

  Incapable of denying him a single thing, she did as told and moved to stand in front of him. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he appeared so somber, too sedate for a lazy Saturday morning. “Do you remember the agreement we made?”

  “Yes. What’s going on, Ryan?”

  “I’m transferring it to Parker for a bit. He’ll take care of you, much better than I’ll ever be able to. He’s the best man I know and you can trust him to satisfy your every need. I want you to listen to him.”

  “What? Wait. I agree that Parker is a great guy, but you can’t just give me away for a bit, however long a bit might be. Seriously, what’s going on here?”

  “Everything is fine, but I need to get away for the weekend.” His dark eyes flickered to the window and back. “I need time to write before I fall any further behind.” There was a pause as if he’d tacked on the last sentence as an afterthought. Dropping his hand from her face, he turned and picked up his keys from the counter and walked over and opened the door to leave. A sharp lash of wind blew rain in as he walked out and shut the door.

  At a loss, she turned to the only other person in the room. “What just happened?”

  “My guess? Things are getting serious for you two and he’s running scared.” He’d stopped putting away the groceries.

  “No, that can’t be it. This is only a temporary arrangement. We both agreed to that. There’s no reason for him to be scared.”

  “No, that’s the point. I suspect he has strong feelings for you and he’s running from them.”

  “You can’t know that.” There was no question they were close friends, but they weren’t psychic.

  “Yes, I can. I recognize the signs.”

  “What signs? Maybe he really needs to write, I’m sure this has been harder on him than he’s let on.”

  “I recognize the signs, Lacey, because I have the same feelings.”

  Confused and overwhelmed by Parker’s revelations, she chose to ignore his comment and focus on another, bigger concern.

  “Where will he go? And will he be safe? The point of coming up here was to hide from the stalker.”

  “No, Ryan has never run or hid from anything in his life. The point was to keep you hidden and safe, not himself.”

  “You mean he’s never run from anything before me?”

  “Yes.” That one little word jabbed a hole in her heart.

  “We can’t let him put himself in danger. Where will he go?”

  “Right now? No farther than the end of the road in that flashy car of his. Thanks to last night’s heavy rain, the creek was high and running over the turn onto his road when I came up here. I’m sure it’s only risen in the last twenty minutes or so. He’s going to be really pissed when he gets to the bottom of the hill. He’ll probably sit down there and stew for a good thirty minutes before he turns back.” He resumed putting groceries away as if this was a perfectly normal occurrence.

  “The storm is only supposed to get nastier as the day goes on.”

  “Can you handle the four-wheel drive if you need it?”

  “My brother taught me to drive in his four by four. He wouldn’t let me on the snowy roads until I’d mastered it.”


  “He sounds like a good man.”

  “He’s the best man I now. Or one of the best men I know.” These two had taught her that there were a few remaining good ones scattered about.

  “Take my keys and watch the second curve on the way down, the rain’s washed a rut into it.”

  * * * *

  Son of a bitch. He should have known better. The creek flooded at least once a summer, and at its current level only an idiot would try to cross it in a car. Parker barely made it in time, because it would get much worse before the storm ended. Soon it wouldn’t be safe to cross even in his beefed up truck.

  He couldn’t just sit here in his car listening to the rain pound the roof, watching the creek rise. He’d left Lacey feeling at the best confused, and at the worst, hurt. He’d known it’d only be a matter of time before he’d screw things up and hurt her. Better to do it now, rather than later before they grew any closer.

  He’d have to go back and face them both. He’d rather continue to play the chickenshit and hide, but Mother Nature had tied his hands. If he was lucky he could lock himself in his room and pretend to write away the weekend.

  A bright flash of lightning quickly followed by a loud crack of thunder reminded him that today fortune had shit on him again.

  And Lacey deserved better, but he wasn’t sure he was the best man to give it to her.

  He cranked his wiper blades up to full speed and shifted the car into reverse. His tires spun and the car gave a little shimmy.

  Fuck. He’d more than likely sat parked in the once gravel road for too long. Since most of the homes on the mountain were seasonal or rentals they were low priority for maintenance. The car’s tires must have sunk into the rain slicked mud while he’d been pouting. The headache was less than he deserved.

  He pressed a little harder on the gas pedal and heard mud hitting the wheel wells. The car shook, wiggled, and dug in deeper. He shifted into drive and got nowhere.

  Dreading the sound of Parker’s laughter, he reached for his cell which, of course, was nowhere to be found. He’d run without even grabbing his wallet in his idiotic haste.

  Fuck. Him.

  The walk up the hill took fifteen minutes on a good day. Today? In Muddsville, USA? He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes while Mother Nature continued to laugh and pelt his car with rain, all the while flinging lightning bolts at his dumbass.

  A sharp knocking on his window stopped his heart. When the organ resumed its beat, he opened his eyes. Lacey stood in the pouring rain. Hair plastered to her head, clothes looking like they’d been vacuum sealed to her body.

  “Hi.” Muffled by the glass and the storm, her voice was little more than a whisper.

  A switch flipped, jarring him into action. He opened the door and stepped into the downpour.

  “What are you doing here? You should be in the cabin. Look at you, you’re soaked.”

  “A little birdie told me you’d be waiting down here, and that you might need a ride. I don’t know what you were thinking but the storm is supposed to get worse by lunch. We need to get back.”

  “Parker sent you alone? I’m going to kill him.” After he thanked him for providing something to focus his anger on other than his own stupidity.

  “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you. I’m a grown woman. I can drive and water won’t melt me.”

  “You’re right.” She was right. He was the one acting childish. “I can’t help wanting to take care of you. Give me the keys and let’s get out of the rain. We’ll leave my car until the weather clears. Parker will be thrilled to have a reason to use the winch on his bumper later. He pretends to be a grownup with his serious detective work, but deep down, he’s a big kid and loves his toys.”

  “And you don’t?”

  “Don’t what?” He knew damn well what she was talking about and that sweet smile of hers weakened his resolve a little more.

  “Don’t like toys? I somehow doubt that.” Did she have any idea of what she was doing? She waved a red cape at an eager bull and resisting the temptation of her soft mouth became impossible.

  She stood before him in the rain, soaked to the bone with her hands fisted at her sides and stubborn chin in the air. He couldn’t resist.

  He stooped, grabbed her just beneath her ass with both hands, and lifted her against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Taking the softness of her mouth in his, he groaned. She opened without hesitation, letting him have his fill of her rain-scented sweetness. If he let this continue any further, he’d take her in the storm. That wouldn’t do for his Lacey.

  He smacked her ass and headed for the truck with her still tight in his arms.

  “Let’s go give Parker hell.”

  “What for? He hasn’t done anything.”

  “Then we’ll make something up.”

  * * * *

  He’d waited for them at the door with fresh coffee and towels. When his truck finally pulled into sight the tension in his belly eased. Ryan got out of the driver seat and went around to help Lacey down. He held her hand as they ran through the rain to get to the porch. Maybe he had done the right thing after all in sending Lacey after him.

  His first thought had been to go himself and kick Ryan’s ass. They’d always loved giving each other hell, especially when the other was wrong. And finding Ryan stopped by the storm, where his precious car couldn’t take him, would have been great fun. But more than likely things would have gotten nasty over Lacey and that was the last thing they all needed.

  The handholding? The sight was better than Ryan stuck in the rain any day.

  And as they ran up the porch and into the open door, it looked like he might get his fight with Ryan after all. While he might be warm and cozy with Lacey, Ryan’s eyes shot daggers at him.

  Wordlessly he handed Lacey a cup of coffee and raised an arm so she could grab one of the towels hanging off of it. Ryan pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. “Go take a hot shower. No arguments.” He swatted her on the ass and sent her on her way.

  Ignoring the offered towel and coffee, Ryan watched Lacey’s every step until she shut her bedroom door and the sound of water running started. Then he finally faced Parker.

  “What the hell were you thinking sending her out alone into that storm after me? It wasn’t safe and you knew I was in a shit mood.” He chopped each word short with anger.

  “That’s why I sent her. To fix your shit mood. And it was safe enough. I wouldn’t have sent her if I didn’t trust her abilities. She’s a smart woman, Ryan. You need to remember that.”

  “Damn it. I know how special she is. I don’t need you putting her in harm’s way in some stupid attempt to remind me.”

  “I didn’t say special. I said smart. Wake up.”

  “She is smart and special. She needs looking after.” Ryan’s voice calmed into something sounding a little like regret.

  “Yes and yes. But you keep pushing her onto me, and while I adore the hell out of her, I know you feel the same. You two belong together, and you pushing her onto me is just plain stupid. She may be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Don’t throw it away.”

  “You have feelings for her that are as strong as mine. Don’t deny it.”

  “Fine. I do, but from day one, I knew she was the one and only for you. You saved my life and I’m trying to save your sorry ass now. She’s yours.”

  “I can’t do that to you.”

  “I don’t care. I owe you my life and am willing to walk away and let you two be happy.”

  “No. But we can’t both walk away. She’s got some douche bag named Robert calling her and demanding that she not ‘soil’ herself with another man. I don’t know who he is, but I’m sure as fuck not turning her over to him.”

  A quiet gasp sounded from the far side of the living room and both their heads swung around to see a still wet and muddy Lacey standing at her open door. His gut seized at the sight of her stricken face. With their
heads up their asses, lashing out at each other, they’d hurt her.

  “When did he call and why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Robert called your cell this morning. I didn’t want to wake you so I planned to let it ring until I remembered what you said about your brother. You said you weren’t in a relationship so when I saw a man’s name on the caller ID, I worried it might be your brother and answered, just in case. I sincerely hope he’s not your brother because the man is an utter ass.”

  “No, he’s not. And I have to agree he is an ass.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, things have been chaotic this morning. He demanded you call. I hung up on him. I don’t care who he thinks he is. No one is talking to you that way.”

  “He’s my ex and is trying to reconcile. I’m not interested and have made that loud and clear. I may have to get my number changed.”

  “Well, you can’t move. He said he drove by your house three times last night and once this morning. He was quite upset when he couldn’t find you. How long has this been going on?”

  “A few months. He’s bound to get tired of pestering me eventually.” Ryan appeared to have taken to the subject change like a duck to water. And as much as he’d love to call him on his avoidance, he couldn’t. This business with Lacey’s ex was serious.

  “Lacey, how often is he calling you?” Instinctively he switched to detective mode.

  “Sometimes he’ll go as much as two or three weeks without calling me. Then he’ll call five or six times in one day. There’s no pattern.” Her voice softened as if she were the guilty one and didn’t want to admit fault. She leaned against the doorjamb and fingered the hem of her wet shorts.

  At least he and Ryan were in agreement on this one subject. The Robert problem had to go.