The Wranglers' New Chef [The Wranglers of Bear Mountain 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)
Page 17
Slowly she became aware of the two men carefully pulling from her sated but exhausted body. They whispered sweet words to her. Laramie held her close as Laredo went to clean up. Then they switched places so that she wasn’t alone in the bed waiting on them. She’d never felt this content before.
Billy Jean curled around Laredo as Laramie wrapped his arms around her. He pressed his face to her neck. His warm breath a pleasurable sensation there, comforting.
“I love you, Billy Jean.”
* * * *
Laramie felt her stiffen in his arms before she released his brother and turned over to face him. Had he scared her? He shouldn’t have said anything this soon.
“Y–you said you loved me. Really?” she asked.
“Really. I shouldn’t have said anything this soon, but I couldn’t help myself,” he admitted, watching her expression for any sign of how she felt.
“I love you, too, Laramie,” she whispered.
Laredo had turned over now and was regarding Billy Jean closely. Laramie prayed he hadn’t screwed everything up by speaking too soon.
“I love you both,” she said and smiled from one to the other.
Laramie’s heart sped up at the knowledge that she loved them. She actually loved them. She’d said so. He smiled, looking over at his twin with so much happiness he wanted to whoop with joy.
Laredo cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, just a brush of his lips across hers.
“I love you, too, darling Billy. More than you can even begin to imagine.”
There were tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his brother and kissed him hard and fast. Then she turned to him and gave him the same treatment. Nothing had ever felt so right to him. Life was good. They had a lot to work out, but knowing she loved them and was willing to entertain a ménage relationship made it worth any challenges ahead of them they might face.
“We want you to move in with us, Billy. We want to wake up with you in our arms every morning,” Laredo said.
Laramie couldn’t believe his brother had asked her to move in this soon. It was too soon. She’d refuse and they’d be back at square one again. What was wrong with him? He’d been jumping the gun ever since they’d met her. It wasn’t like him to be this spontaneous and rush into something.
“M–move in with you? Here? I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean you’re my bosses. It wouldn’t look right.” She looked uncomfortable looking back and forth between them.
“I’ll take care of that, then. You’re fired,” Laredo said with a smirk.
Laramie groaned. What was he doing?
“Fired? Why?” She looked as if she was going to fall apart, and then her expression changed and pure anger filled her face. “You told me that no matter what happened it wouldn’t affect my job. Are you going back on your word already, you—you asshole!”
Laramie lunged for her when she jumped from the bed. “Wait! He was just kidding.”
“No I wasn’t. I fired her. She doesn’t work for us any longer. Now she doesn’t have to worry about the employee-employer issue anymore,” Laredo said.
“She’s going to leave us. What has gotten into you?” Laramie demanded, jumping out of the bed to stop her.
“Billy. I fired you because you can’t be our employee and own your own restaurant, darling.” Laredo had gotten out of the bed and walked around the edge to the foot where Billy Jean was trying to get dressed while Laramie tried to stop her.
“What?” Laramie asked as he tried to keep Billy Jean from leaving.
Billy Jean stopped dressing and stared at Laredo as well. “What are you talking about?”
“Honey, listen to me. You can’t work for us anymore because you’re going to own the restaurant now,” his brother repeated.
Laramie gawked at his brother. Why hadn’t he known anything about this? They were partners, twins.
“How long have you been planning this?” he finally asked Laredo.
“I haven’t. I just decided. I don’t want to slip around because she works for us. She wants her own restaurant. This will give her what she wants and we get her without the employee-employer issue.” Laredo smiled and pulled Billy Jean toward him. “What do you say? Care to buy the restaurant from us? It comes with a marriage clause. As in if you buy it, you marry us.”
Laramie watched a mirage of emotions pass across her face before they settled into sadness. Was she going to say no? Why? He started to say something, anything to get her to change her mind, but he didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t have any money to buy it from you,” she finally admitted.
Laredo looked to Laramie with a puzzled expression on his face. Then he smiled. Whatever he’d thought up this time, Laramie hoped it would work. To almost have her and then lose her twice now was about to tear him apart inside. Never in all the years they’d been in the services overseas in one hellhole after another had he been this afraid in his life. She was his entire world.
“We haven’t paid you for working this week yet. I’m sure that will be just enough to purchase the restaurant free and clear. Then we’ll loan you the money to run it for the first six months. I think it will more than pay for itself in time. What do you think?” Laredo smiled and cupped her face in his hands.
“Yes. I want it. I want you both,” she said with a grin. “Forever and always.”
Laredo kissed her. Laramie pulled her from his arms and kissed her. She tasted amazing, and all his—theirs.
“I need to talk to you about something though,” she said looking from Laramie to Laredo.
“Whatever it is, we can work it out,” he said, determined that nothing would get in their way.
“I’ve been thinking, and I want to be able to ride again. I used to love it and horses were my best friends.” She was staring down at her hands now. “Do you think there might be a therapist I could see close to the ranch?”
Laramie nearly whooped with joy at her words. Instead, he hugged her tightly then pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. He couldn’t believe she was bringing it up all on her own without them trying to broach the subject with her. He looked over her head at his brother. Laredo had a stunned expression on his face as well.
“We’ve got friends who will help us find the perfect person for you if you’re sure you’re ready. We didn’t know if you’d ever been to one before or not, so we were waiting to talk more about it once you felt more comfortable with us,” he said.
“I tried going to a therapist associated with the college I went to, but I don’t think I gave it a chance. I was so focused on my classes that I didn’t want to deal with it at the time. I want to now.”
Laredo turned her a little so that she faced both of them. “Billy Jean. We will be her for you every step of the way. If you need anything, we’ll get it for you. We just want you happy—happy and healthy.”
Laramie’s world suddenly felt right. All the ends to the tangled mess that life often handed you were slowly unraveling and all the pieces to the puzzle were fitting in place. Knowing that she loved them and cared enough about their lifestyle to battle her fears in order to enjoy a bigger part of it seemed to abolish all his worries in one swoop. Billy Jean was perfect for them.
It wasn’t going to be easy. But like Majesty, the end results were worth any bumps along the way. She was theirs and the rest would work itself out.
THE END
WWW.MARLAMONROE.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marla Monroe has been writing professionally for about eleven years now. Her first book with Siren was published in January of 2011. She loves to write and spends every spare minute either at the keyboard or reading. She writes everything from sizzling-hot contemporary cowboys, 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 cats,
and read. She’s always eager to try something new and especially enjoys the research for her books. She loves to hear from readers about what they are looking for next.
You can reach Marla at themarlamonroe@yahoo.com, or visit her website at www.marlamonroe.com
My blog: www.themarlamonroe.cblogspot.com
Twitter: @MarlaMonroe.1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marla.monroe.7
For all titles by Marla Monroe, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/marla-monroe
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Prologue
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
About the Author