Her Three Liberators [The Hot Millionaires #6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Zara Chase

  “Let me see it.”

  Steffi leaned over Harry’s shoulder so fast that her breast brushed against his back. She hastily adjusted her stance but not so quickly that she didn’t see Harry shoot a smug grin his brothers’ way.

  “Don’t move on my account,” he said indolently.

  “There’s nothing in here that’s true,” she said indignantly. “It’s just cleverly worded speculation and innuendo.” She straightened up, her glance landing on Jonny. “Why would the Standishes cancel without checking it out and who would want to spread such nasty rumours anyway? What do they hope to gain from it?”

  “It’s suspicious as get go,” Jonny agreed. “Someone wants Marius to fail.”

  “As far as I can make out, this Hanoverian Society crap originated in Romania and went through several different servers before it reached its destination.”

  “So, someone doesn’t want to be discovered.”

  “Who stands to gain if Marius fails here at stud?” Brad asked.

  “No one that I can think of,” Steffi said without hesitation.

  “Actually, there is one person.” Jonny held up the sheaf of papers he’d been flicking through. “This is the contract Daniel signed with your cousin. It seems that if Marius doesn’t…er, come up to scratch, so to speak, within his first two years here, then Daniel can ask Richard to take him back and return the purchase price.” Jonny fixed her with a hard gaze. “His two years is almost up, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, I know about that clause,” Steffi replied, dismissing it with a careless flap of her hand.

  “And it didn’t occur to you to wonder about it?” Jonny asked.

  “No, because Richard can’t be behind this. He wouldn’t be able to afford to refund the purchase price.”

  “Not even to get you back?”

  “I keep telling you,” she said with exaggerated patience. “It’s not me that he wants.”

  “Then he’s an idiot,” Harry said, sending her a look of such profound sensuality that, just for the briefest of moments, she relaxed her guard. She was sorely tempted to place her complete trust in Harry and tell him—tell them all—everything that had happened to her before she found peace, of sorts, here with Daniel. It was a ridiculous urge that quickly passed.

  “Richard no longer has a stud,” she said, blaming the cool temperature in the room for the sudden hardening of her nipples. She crossed her arms over her breasts, just in case any of them noticed and assumed they were responsible. “I already told you. He took what cash was left and ran off with it.”

  “Jonny’s going to contact some of the others who cancelled,” Brad said, “to see if they got the same e-mail.”

  “Thanks,” she said reluctantly, slanting him a sideways glance. “Is there any way of finding out who’s behind the e-mails?”

  “Not for the average Joe,” Harry responded. “But they can’t hide from me. It’ll take some digging but—”

  “But Harry doesn’t do defeat,” Brad said.

  “Too right I don’t.” He tapped Steffi’s butt. “Especially if it gets me in your good books.”

  Steffi couldn’t help laughing at his puppy dog look. “I thought we were doing this for Daniel,” she reminded them.

  “Ah, yes, so we are.”

  “Some of the speculation has found its way online, apparently,” Jonny said, scowling. “It’s a classic case of a whispering campaign that’s grown a life of its own.”

  Steffi’s heart sank. “Let me see.”

  She sat beside Harry, who pulled up a well-known horsy chat room. She scrolled through it and gasped when she found several mentions of Marius by name, speculating as to his virility.

  “Can they say that sort of thing without proof?” she asked, outraged.

  “I’m afraid so. They aren’t saying it’s true, just that it’s possible, which is enough to put people off. When you think of the, er…stiff stud fees, people won’t take risks.”

  “Well, then, we’ll have to fight back. We can get some of the owners who have had their mares covered by Marius to say how pleased they are.”

  “We could, but it seems they’re suggesting it’s a recent development.” Jonny touched her shoulder. “Was there a virus here at the yard recently?”

  “Yes, one of the mares brought it in. Not sure how it got past the owner’s vet. All incoming horses have to have a health certificate. Anyway, we picked it up quickly and it was contained. Marius didn’t cover the mare or come into contact with the virus. We were very careful about that.”

  “So he’s definitely not firing blanks.”

  “Nope.”

  “How did word of it get out?” Brad asked.

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” Steffi said, so angry she felt ready to explode. “I thought all Daniel’s hands were loyal but—”

  “There’s always one on the lookout for a few extra bucks.” Jonny shrugged. “It happens. Mind you,” he added, a chilling cast to his expression, “when I find out who it was, and I will, then he’ll regret the day he was fucking born.”

  “You’ll have to queue up behind me,” Steffi said.

  Jonny’s gaze focused on her ass and his expression lightened. “There are definitely worst places to wait in line,” he said.

  “Don’t you ever take anything seriously?”

  “I was being totally serious,” he said, much to the amusement of his brothers. “Especially when they try to get one over on Daniel.”

  “Yes.” Steffi dropped her head. She’d almost been enjoying herself, sparring with these three, which was a big mistake. “I can’t help feeling I’m to blame for bringing these added worries down on his head, even though I’m not responsible for them.”

  “Daniel’s a big boy, babe,” Jonny said softly.

  “So are his sons,” Harry added, not taking his eyes off his computer screen for long enough to smile at her.

  “That’s true,” Brad agreed.

  “We could get the vet to test Maruis’s semen and put the results out through responsible horsy outlets,” she said.

  “That smacks of desperation,” Jonny said. “We’ll do it as a last resort, but let’s try and find out what’s going on here first.”

  “Okay. It’s your call, I guess.”

  “Which brings us back to the subject of you,” Jonny said, leaning against the wall, crossing his long legs at the ankle, and folding his arms casually across his taut chest. “If you want to make Daniel happy, then shouldn’t you reconsider his suggestion?”

  “What, you three?” She rolled her eyes. “Not getting a tad desperate, are we?”

  Brad and Harry guffawed. Jonny, predictably, scowled.

  “Not as desperate as you are.”

  Steffi smiled faded. “There’s nothing desperate about me.”

  “Really?” Jonny levered himself from the wall and prowled round her like a predatory cat. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go, so she stood her ground and shot him a defiant look. “Then what are you so afraid of?”

  “I’m not afraid of anything. Just because I don’t feel attracted to any of you, it doesn’t mean I’m scared.”

  “Liar!”

  It was Brad who’d spoken and all heads swivelled in his direction.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, afraid that she already knew.

  “No one kisses like you kissed me today unless they feel something.”

  He had her there, and everyone in the room seemed to know it. “It was just a stupid kiss.”

  “It was a hell of a lot more than that.”

  “Look, guys, I don’t know what you want from me—”

  “Yes, you do,” Jonny and Harry said together.

  “If you’re not afraid of us, then prove it by having dinner with us tonight.”

  “I always dine with Daniel.”

  “Daniel has other plans this evening.”

  “I see you’ve got it all figured out,” she said, afraid that she’d boxed herself into a c
orner—a tiny part of her thrilled that she had. “If I come—”

  “If you want to come you have but to say the word,” Brad said with a salacious grin. Jonny flapped a hand at him and he stopped talking.

  “If I join you,” Steffi amended, “you’ll think it gives you carte blanche to do what you like. Your egos will be appeased, in other words. If I don’t, you’ll carry on thinking I need liberating from some damned ghost or other.”

  “You do,” they all said together in tones of firm conviction.

  “Bullshit!”

  Jonny walked up to her and leaned in close, his eyes softening as they roved over her features. He was so ruggedly good-looking that having him close to her sapped the air from her lungs and made her consider the previously unthinkable. Was she crazy, trying to avoid them when they only wanted to have a bit of fun with her?

  “You don’t have a good opinion of us,” he said softly, his lips almost touching her face as he spoke, “and I don’t altogether blame you for that. Some bastard’s hurt you and now you’re suspicious of all men. What you need to understand is that you have a sensuous side. We all thought so the moment we saw you and we’re never wrong about these things. It would be a crime against humanity if it never saw the light of day.”

  Steffi wanted to tear her gaze from his face but couldn’t manage to, even though they were talking a load of rot. The plain fact was that she wasn’t very good at sex and didn’t get much pleasure from it. That wasn’t so uncommon. She’d read that a lot of women reacted in that way. It was no big deal. She’d lived quite happily for her twenty-eight years without sexual fulfilment. These guys seemed to think there was something more sinister to her reaction than that, but they were just plain wrong.

  Say it often enough, Steffi, and you just might believe it yourself.

  “If you’re not afraid of us and have nothing to hide, then join us for dinner tonight. We won’t do anything to you unless you ask us nicely. On that you have my word.”

  Jonny straightened up again without touching her. He moved away and she felt the loss of him in her personal space far too acutely for her comfort. All three brothers watched her without speaking as she considered Jonny’s request. It was only dinner, for goodness sake, and she believed him when he said they wouldn’t compromise her unless she asked them to.

  The only problem was, she didn’t entirely trust herself not to ask.

  What the hell! Brad had told her that the three of them could never resist a challenge. They weren’t the only ones.

  “Okay,” she said. “What time?”

  Chapter Seven

  “Are you absolutely sure?” Jonny suppressed the surge of optimism that ran through him, reluctant to get his hopes up. “It seems too good to be true.”

  Brad nodded. “I agree. If it’s really a possibility, why haven’t Daniel’s doctors said anything about it? They must know that money isn’t an issue.”

  “Because it’s not mainstream enough for them, I guess,” Harry said, making quotation marks with his fingers round the word mainstream. “You know the medical profession. If it doesn’t have FDA approval and if there isn’t a drug they can’t flog for a fortune, then the treatment gets branded as ‘alternative,’ which makes it sound dubious and deters all but the most desperate.”

  “Yeah, I hear you.” Brad scowled at the opposite wall. “And when it comes to Daniel’s situation, we qualify for the desperate bit, no question.”

  “Tell me all about your conversation with your consultant buddy,” Jonny said, right from the beginning.

  “Let’s wait for Steffi to join us,” Harry said. “She’ll want to hear it, too.”

  “Talking of whom,” Brad said. “How are we gonna play it when she comes down? And I’m not referring to Daniel’s situation.”

  “Softly,” Jonny said without hesitation. “She’s curious about us but scared to get involved. We need her to tell us why before we make a move on her. She’s twenty-eight, for God’s sake, and must know the score, but she’s behaving like a skittish colt.”

  “The three of us are enough to frighten anyone off,” Harry said with a wry smile.

  “She sure don’t kiss like she’s conflicted,” Brad said, grinning.

  “No, but she acts like it afterward,” Jonny pointed out.

  “I’ll have to take your word for her kissing technique.” Harry pulled a wounded face. “Haven’t had the pleasure yet.”

  “Then you have a treat in store,” Brad said, clapping Harry’s shoulder. “Trust me on that.”

  “The last time I trusted you I almost got arrested.”

  “Ah, that was a misunderstanding.”

  “The sensual side of her nature slips past her guard occasionally, but as soon as she realizes what she’s done, she slams the lid on it,” Jonny said over his brothers’ banter. “Until we can find out why, we won’t get anywhere with her.”

  “She’s really gotten to you, hasn’t she, big brother?” Harry narrowed his eyes at Jonny as he paced restlessly in front of the fireplace, scowling like he bore the entire world a grudge. “I’ve never seen you so wound up over a woman before.”

  “I wish I knew why.” Jonny shook his head. “There’s just something about her. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but I know Daniel senses it, too, which is why he cares so much about her.”

  “I agree with Jonny—”

  “That’s a first.” Harry flashed an ironic smile in Brad’s direction.

  “Yeah, well, Steffi definitely has that X factor, is all I know.”

  “I hear you, guys.” Harry reached for his wine glass and took a long, considering sip. “Have to say I agree and I haven’t even been alone with her yet.”

  “Your time will come.”

  “It darned well better. I’m as horny as a tomcat.”

  Jonny smiled. “You and me both, bro.”

  The door opened and all three of them turned toward it, curious to see if Steffi had made any special effort to impress them. She was dressed so casually that it must have taken hours to achieve the effect. Wide-leg silky pants, a long tunic top in muted shades of green, her hair pulled back from her face with a clip, and absolutely no makeup. She looked fresh and wholesome and smelt of herbal shampoo and Chanel No. 5. Jonny shared a glance with his brothers. Round one to them.

  “Hey,” Jonny said. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Where else would I go? I live here.”

  Jonny squelched a smile. She was nervous, which would account for her acerbic tone. Hopefully, she was feeling just a little bit anticipatory as well.

  “And there was I thinking you’d be wafted here from another planet,” Harry said, standing up and kissing her cheek chastely. “You look good.”

  “Thanks. I was in the barn until late so I did what I could in the time available.”

  Jonny smiled like he knew better but didn’t contradict her.

  “Here, try this.” Brad handed her a glass of Merlot. “Another of the family’s prize-winning vintages.”

  Steffi took a sip and nodded her approval. “It’s velvety smooth,” she said. “I’m getting the taste of plums.”

  “You know your wines, babe.”

  “No, actually I don’t.” She sent a smile toward the three of them and some of the tension left her rigid shoulders. “Daniel’s been educating me, but I draw the line at spitting it out. That would be a terrible waste.”

  “I think I’m in love,” Brad said, dramatically clutching at his heart.

  “Talking of Daniel,” Harry said. “Some good news for you. There’s an outside chance that we might be able to prolong his life.”

  Steffi spun to look at Harry so fast that she split wine over her hand. Jonny almost groaned aloud when she unselfconsciously licked it off. That’s what he’d do with her, he decided. Once he won her trust he’d have her lick wine from his navel, and other parts of his anatomy. Jonny grew hard at the prospect and then felt bad about his tumescence. They were discussing his father�
��s life expectancy, for God’s sake. There was a time and a place for everything.

  “Tell me,” Steffi said anxiously, moving toward Harry’s laptop, open on the dining room table.

  “I sent Daniel’s records to my buddy, who’s a cancer specialist. He agrees that operating is out of the question.”

  “Oh.” Steffi’s disappointment was palpable. Jonny ran a reassuring hand down her back. She flinched but didn’t try to swat his hand away. “Then what—”

  “He’s an enlightened guy and, unlike most of his profession, is open-minded. He put me onto someone he thought might be able to help.” Harry turned the computer so she could see the screen. “I’ll let you read it for yourself, but basically, he’s working on the assumption that one treatment doesn’t fit all.”

  “Precisely!” Steffi nodded emphatically. “That’s what Daniel says. Chemo is intrusive and very crude. It destroys good cells as well as bad.”

  “This guy doesn’t use chemo. He’s developed a regime of drugs that have had remarkable success in shrinking tumours like Daniel’s. You can read the testimonials from grateful patients later, but there are several kids who were given less time to live than Daniel but six years on are still with us.”

  “Six years!” Steffi’s smile was radiant. “Have you told him?” She headed for the door. “He needs to know.”

  Jonny caught her arm and stopped her. “Now isn’t the time. Harry’s buddy has sent Daniel’s records on to this new guy. We don’t know yet if he’s a suitable candidate. His tumour might be too advanced.” Jonny softened his tone as he met her stricken gaze. “Don’t get your hopes up until we know for sure.”

  “And even if he is a suitable candidate,” Brad said, “there’s the little matter of convincing him to undergo treatment.”

  “Oh, he’ll go,” Steffi said, the light of battle in her eyes. “Even if I have to drive him there myself, he’ll go.”

  “He’s adamantly opposed to further intrusive treatments,” Brad reminded them all. “He told us so himself.”

  “Chemo and stuff like that, yes,” Steffi said, nodding, “because he knows it won’t give him much longer. But this—”