by Marla Monroe
“Fuck me. That was good,” Gage said.
“Get off her, man. You’re crushing her,” Maverick said, pushing at Gage.
“Sorry, sweetheart.”
Gage slowly withdrew, holding on to the condom. She realized he walked with more of a limp as he left the bed, heading for the bathroom. No doubt he was feeling it after what they’d just shared. When he returned he had a warm, wet bath cloth. He started cleaning her up, swatting away her hands when she tried to take it away from him to do herself.
“I can do it,” she said.
“But I want to do it. Stop it or I’ll spank that sweet ass of yours,” he said.
“He’ll do it, too,” Maverick said with a chuckle.
She sighed and let him finish. She wasn’t going to push her luck. When he’d finished he climbed up in bed next to her with Maverick on the other side of her. Both men touched her as if they couldn’t help themselves, petting her hair, her arms, and her thighs. It felt intimate. It made her feel special. She wasn’t used to that after sex. Most men were glad to get out of the bed and get on their way. Not these two. They seemed to want to cuddle. What was up with that?
“I should be going home now. It’s late. Or early,” she said with a small laugh.
“Just spend the night. We’ll take you home tomorrow in time to get ready for work,” Gage said.
“Oh, I really don’t need to do that. I…”
“Why not?” Maverick interrupted her.
“I just need to go home,” she said lamely.
“You don’t have a good reason,” he said. “Stay here. Like you said, it’s late. No reason to go home now. You can get up and shower, and we’ll take you home in time to get ready to go to work.”
“Fine. I guess you’re right. It’s already nearly three a.m. If you’re sure,” she said.
“We’re sure. Let’s get the covers down and get into bed.” Gage said.
Shay climbed off the bed as the guys turned down the comforter then loosened the covers, and the three of them climbed into bed. She was surprised that she managed to fall asleep between the two men. She was sure she’d be uncomfortable sleeping with two men, but she was asleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow.
They woke her up once more to make love, and she slipped back asleep until they woke her to go home later that day. Everything felt surreal to her as she climbed into their truck to go home. They were both holding her hands as if they couldn’t stand not to touch her. She realized she felt the same way, and that worried her.
What if she was already too close to them? She wasn’t ready to leave yet. One, because she didn’t have enough money saved up, and two, she hadn’t had enough time with them to have made it worth the loss of sticking around.
She was in so much trouble.
Chapter Nine
Shay was ready to bang some heads together by the time nine o’clock rolled around Saturday night. The crowd wasn’t as large as usual, but there were some ornery ones among the crowd. She’d had to stop one guy from feeling her up twice and get between two guys who were arguing over who was paying for the beer each time. What was going on?
“It’s a full moon,” Lacy explained.
“Hell. Remind me to call in sick on the next one,” she muttered.
“Then we’ll think you’re a werewolf,” Lacy said.
“So what? That’s better than dealing with all these weirdos,” Shay said. “I’m ready to hit someone.
“Management frowns on hitting the customers without provocation,” Lacy reminded her.
“I have plenty of provocation.”
Lacy laughed. “Tell me about it.”
Shay took her drinks and passed them out and felt it when the guys walked in. How she knew they were there, she didn’t know, but she knew. When she turned toward the door, there they were. They talked with the bouncer for a minute then walked over to her section and stood next to a table of kids who instantly stood and left their table, taking their drinks to stand at the bar. She just shook her head at their menacing stares that had gotten the kids to move.
She ordered their beer then threaded her way over to them to set the mugs on the table in front of them.
“Hey, guys. How are you doing tonight?” she asked.
“Better now that we get to see you,” Gage said.
“What he said,” Maverick said.
Shay just laughed. “It’s a wild one tonight. Lacy said it’s the full moon.”
“I can believe that. Nearly got creamed by a tractor trailer on the way here. Was passing on a double yellow line,” Maverick said. “Fucker would have hit us head on if we hadn’t had a shoulder to move off to. Damn asshole.”
Shay slammed her hand over her heart. It seemed to beat against her chest like a sledgehammer at the thought of losing them.
“Thank goodness you’re okay.”
“Hey! Quit your flirting and get us a drink,” one of the regulars called out.
Maverick started to stand up, but Shay patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. He’s teasing. Besides, he’s right. I need to be doing my job. I’ll check on you later.”
She hurried over to the next table and took their order then another table before she returned to the bar to fill them. She continued working up until midnight before she had the next problem customer. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down on his lap and refused to let her up. She slammed her foot down on his, but it didn’t faze him since he was wearing cowboy boots. Then she tried elbowing him in the throat, but he just leaned back and laughed at her.
Shay looked over to where the bouncer was usually standing, but he wasn’t there. She glanced around and found him dealing with another rowdy customer for Lacy. Then she was suddenly free of the man with Gage pulling her behind him and Maverick holding the man by his neck.
“You don’t treat women like that. You got me?”
“Who the fuck are you?” the asshole ground out.
“Her boyfriend, but that doesn’t even matter. Even if I wasn’t you don’t treat women like that. Now we’re going to walk outside and you’re not coming back in until you can learn how to act,” Maverick said.
“Like hell I am.” He tried to take a swing at Maverick, but missed when Maverick let go of the man’s throat and ducked. Then he caught the man with a quick uppercut and knocked him out cold.
The man hit the floor hard. Maverick sighed and shook his hand out then picked him up and threw him over his shoulder and headed for the door. Gage looked at the other guys at the table.
“Any of you want to drive him home?”
“We best all be going,” one of the men said. “He’s going to be pissed when he wakes up.”
“Yeah,” another man said. “Let’s go, guys.”
The three of them walked out behind Maverick. Shay sighed and turned to look at Gage.
“You know y’all didn’t have to do that. The bouncer would have handled it when he finished with Lacy’s problem,” she said.
“It was taking too long. We watched you struggle with him and couldn’t watch it any longer. You’re lucky Maverick didn’t beat him to a pulp. That was him holding back,” Gage said.
“Damn. He can’t go all he-man every time someone acts inappropriately with me. It comes with the job.”
“He doesn’t. How many times have you been propositioned tonight alone that we haven’t stepped in and wiped the floor with the guy?” He looked at her as she closed her eyes and sighed. “Right.”
“Fine. Still.”
“That was Maverick protecting our girlfriend. That’s what you are, right? Our woman?” Gage asked looking at her.
“Um, well, yeah. I guess.”
Was she? Was she their woman? She hadn’t really thought about it like that. She’d been thinking more along the lines of fuck buddy. Leave it to her to get it all wrong. She should have known she couldn’t separate her emotions from the sex.
I’m so in trouble here. I already like them more than is goo
d for me. They make me feel special and safe. I like it that Maverick put that asshole in his place. That’s bad. Real bad.
Maverick returned minutes later. He looked at her. “You okay, babe?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for the help, but I would have been fine until the bouncer could get to me,” she felt compelled to say.
“Wasn’t happening fast enough for my peace of mind,” he said.
“Obviously,” she said with a chuckle.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Need another round when you have time,” Gage said.
“Meet you guys back at your table,” she said.
Shay cleaned up the mess there where Maverick had hit the asshole and knocked over the chair and the man’s beer then grabbed a new cloth and put in their order for another round. When she delivered their beer, Maverick touched her hand.
“You okay with what I did?” he asked, looking at her as if he was worried she’d be mad.
“I’m okay with it. I think you didn’t have to, but I’m good, Maverick.”
“Good,” he said. A look of relief washing over his features like smooth chocolate over an ice cream cone.
The rest of the night didn’t exactly go smoothly, but nothing else as dramatic occurred. She fought off roving hands and rolled her eyes at cheesy pick-up lines while filling drink orders. When she was ready to go, the guys followed her home and made sure she was locked in before they drove off. Their kisses goodnight were just as passionate as always, and Maverick’s seemed just a little bit hotter if there were even possible.
Shay touched her lips and felt how swollen they were. She could still taste him as she stepped into the shower to wash away the smell of cigarettes and stale beer. She scrubbed then washed her hair. While she dried her hair with the blow dryer, she wondered if she would have the strength to move when she finally had enough money to split. How could she stay though? Living there in Cozy with those two while they bedded other women would kill her.
What if I could make a go of it with them?
It will never work.
It seems to work with those other families up on the mountain. Why can’t it work with me?
Because she was unlovable. How many times did she have to go through it to get it slammed home that no one stayed and all she got was another disappointing experience that left her devastated? No, she was better off leaving before that happened. She’d have to grow some balls when the time came.
* * * *
“So, what are you going to cook for us this week?” Gage asked Friday night when she handed him the grocery list.
“Nope. Not telling you. Just get the groceries and you’ll see when I cook it,” Shay said.
It had become a weekly thing that she cooked for them on Tuesday nights. She’d give them a list of ingredients on Friday nights. They’d get the groceries on Saturday, and she’d cook on Tuesday nights for them. Each time they tried to pry it out of her what to expect, but she never told them.
It had also become a habit that Maverick was the one to always help her in the kitchen. Sometimes he could only visit with her if his hands weren’t working well. She kept him occupied by talking so he didn’t dwell on his hands being a problem. She didn’t want him thinking about it, so she entertained him with cooking disasters she’d had in the past when she’d first started cooking as a teenager.
“You’re kidding, right? You put eggshells in the cookie batter? Why would you do that?” Maverick asked.
“The recipe called for egg whites. The shells were white. I grew up with dark-colored eggs and white-colored eggs from hens. I thought the white shells were what they wanted. I crushed them to a fine powder and put them in.”
“What did they turn out like?”
“Some were a little crunchy, but they weren’t too bad,” she said.
“I’m sure glad you actually learned how to cook before we met you,” Maverick said.
“You’re no fun. Making mistakes can be fun,” she said.
“Not in my book. If you’re hungry and the food isn’t edible, it pretty much sucks,” he said.
“Well, there is that,” she said with a laugh.
“So what is this all going to be when you finish with it?” he asked, flexing his hands.
“Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans.”
“I love you,” he said.
Shay stilled for a second then breathed out and laughed. He didn’t really mean it. It was just a phrase.
“Hopefully you’ll love the food even more,” she quipped. “Let’s get to work.”
By the time the meal was ready, she was a hot mess of nerves. Those three words had hit her hard for some odd reason. He’d said them in jest. She was sure of it, but they’d stuck to her like flypaper. Now she couldn’t get them out of her head.
“Damn, something smells good,” Gage said as he walked into the kitchen when Maverick went to get him. “What’s for supper?”
Maverick told him, and Gage’s eyes grew large. “Hot damn. I can’t wait. What can I do to help?”
“If you’ll use the potholders and grab the meatloaf off the stove for me, I’d appreciate it. It’s kind of heavy. I’ve got everything else on the table,” Shay said.
They talked about what Gage had been doing in his office which was actually just a game room as far as Shay could tell. Yeah, he created games in there, but mostly he played. She was glad he had something that he enjoyed doing that also paid for him to do it. The same went for Maverick. Few people could say that about their jobs. Look at her. She was a waitress. She sure didn’t enjoy it. It was hard work and far from what she’d rather be doing, but it put food on the table and a roof over her head. She’d have to look for something more though when winter came. If things slowed down at the bar during the winter, she’d be in sad shape.
“What are you working on in the shop?” Shay asked Maverick.
“I was watching those waves on the Animal Planet the other night, and that got me thinking it would be interesting to see if I could capture them in wood. So I’m working on a seascape,” he said.
“Wow, that’s pretty ambitious. But with the way you made the wind look more real than just that tree, I believe you can do it. I can’t wait to see it,” Shay said.
Maverick just shrugged and added a second helping of mashed potatoes to his plate then another helping of the meatloaf. She loved that they really seemed to enjoy her cooking. Shay liked doing it. It was a shame that she didn’t get to cook more often, but cooking for one wasn’t as gratifying as cooking for two or three.
They helped her clear the table. Maverick mostly cleaned and wiped down the counters while she and Gage rinsed and put the dishes in the dishwasher. They returned to the living room and watched a movie. It had become their routine to do that on Tuesday nights then go upstairs and make love before sleeping and getting up the next day to take her home to get ready for work.
Tonight wasn’t any different, except that when they were lying there in bed afterward, Gage rolled over to look at her and smiled down into her eyes. She could tell he wanted to say something but was trying to figure out how to say it. That worried her.
“You know you’re special to us, right?” he finally said.
“Well, yeah. You’re special to me, too,” she said.
“I mean, really special.”
“Okay,” she, said not sure in the least where he was going.
“We want you to move in with us,” Gage finally said.
“What?” she gasped.
“We want you to live here with us. We want you around all the time. We miss you when you’re not here. You’re important to us,” Maverick said.
She looked at Maverick. That sounded serious coming from him. Fear began to wind its way around her heart. They were getting serious. Men didn’t usually get that way this fast. Usually it was the woman who got all tangled up in emotions first. What was she going to do?
“You’re not saying anything,” Gage said.
&n
bsp; “I don’t know what to say,” she managed to get out. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea this soon.”
“We’ve been seeing each other for nearly three months now. I know it’s soon, but we feel like we know you pretty well. We want to know more, and if you’re living with us, we can explore that with you here when you’re around more,” Gage said.
“What if you figure out you really don’t like me as much as you thought you did? Then I’m without a place to live,” she pointed out.
“Not going to happen,” Maverick insisted. “There’s nothing we could find out about you that would make us want you to leave. You can’t be hiding something that serious.”
“I could be a slob,” she pointed out.
“I’d just pick up after you,” Gage said. “Doesn’t bother me. I end up picking up after Maverick anyway. He’s a slob.”
“I am not. Asshole. I just don’t always hit the laundry basket when I throw my dirty clothes at it. They’re close to it,” Maverick said.
Shay couldn’t help but laugh. They were so funny together. They fit each other. Who was she to interrupt their flow? What was she doing even thinking about living with them? Cause she was. She was actually thinking about moving in with them.
“So, when can we move you in with us?” Gage asked.
“Really, guys. I don’t think it’s a good idea. Aren’t things going pretty good like they are now?” she asked.
“Yeah, but we want you closer to us,” Maverick said.
“No, you want my cooking more regularly.” She tried for teasing.
“There’s that, too,” Gage said with a straight face.
“Fuck that,” Maverick said. “No. Just no. We want you here with us because we care about you and want to explore the relationship that’s building between us.”
“I’m scared you guys are getting way more serious than I am,” she said, hating that she was lying to them. She was just as serious as they were but wished she wasn’t.
“I don’t believe that for a moment,” Gage said. “I can see it in your eyes when we make love. You’re just as into us as we are to you. You can’t hide that shit. You can try to tell yourself that you aren’t serious about us, but you can’t hide it from us.”