by Jane Jamison
“Now that’s what I call a great day.” Sandy ignored the large bowl filled with salad and plunged a spoon into the milkshake. “Don’t bother with a straw. They’re too thick for that.”
The food looked as good as it smelled. Daniella had to use both hands to lift her enormous hamburger. She had no doubt if any food could make her get over her sorrows, that was it. “Damn, girl, I wish you lived closer to me.”
Living in Los Angeles and working as a struggling stylist was exciting at times, but more and more, she’d started thinking about moving back to Texas. But not to her father’s mansion. She couldn’t become “Daddy’s little girl” again.
“You could always move here,” mumbled Sandy with a full mouth.
How does she eat like that and still stay so thin?
“Me? In a small town? I don’t know.” Then again, after living in the crowded noise of the big city, moving to a town like Forever didn’t seem so bad.
She loved the friendliness of the people and the small-town atmosphere. Several times, someone would drop by and say hello to Sandy and welcome Daniella to town. Granted, a few of them were a bit odd-looking, but then, after living in L.A., maybe they didn’t seem that strange, after all. Except for their teeth. She remembered their teeth being too long and too sharp, and that hadn’t changed. But who cared? Everyone was having a good time, laughing and joking, lifting their beers to toast each other. The women smiled and always had more than one man with them.
“Okay, give. Is it my imagination or do the men outnumber the women? Is that why women seem to have their pick?” She lowered her voice, hoping not to let them overhear. “Am I just jealous, or are they all living with multiple men?”
“Most of us are, yes.”
Daniella shot an “oh, crap” look at Sandy, then shifted to face the woman who’d taken a seat at the table next to them. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”
“No offense taken.” The pretty brunette lifted her hand to say hello as three men, just as handsome and sexy as all the other men, sat down with her. “I’m Emma Rand-Carr and these are my men, Jackson, Jacob, and Jayden. Welcome back, Daniella.”
Had she met them the last time? “Um, thanks. I’m sorry, but have we met before?”
“It’s one of the perks of living in a small town. Word gets around fast whenever we have a visitor.” Emma motioned for Jacob to be patient as he held out a menu for her. The man was obviously hungry and in a hurry to order. “And yes, multiple relationships are the norm here. Usually multiple men with one woman. We like it that way.”
“I’ve got to hand it to you. I can’t even hold on to one man, much less two or three.”
Sandy wagged her finger back and forth. “Uh-uh. You are not getting down on yourself. It’s not whether or not you can hold onto a man, it’s that the men you’ve found aren’t worth holding on to. You need to find the men you’re meant to be with.”
Emma gave her a knowing smile. “Maybe your luck will change while you’re here.”
Sandy took another scoopful of her milkshake, then followed it with a bite of her salad. “Stranger things have happened. Especially in Forever.”
Daniella gave a noncommittal nod, then took another bite of her burger.
Fifteen minutes later, they were back on the street and blending in with the crowd. Daniella was sure she could’ve rolled herself out of Milly’s after stuffing her face with so much delicious food. “Urgh. I ate way too much.”
“That always happens when I go to Milly’s. I can’t resist pigging out and neither can anyone else.” Sandy grinned at yet another handsome man who appeared bored as hell manning one of the food booths. She scooped up a bag full of cotton candy. “Please put it on my tab, Tucker.”
“Who’s he?” Was she so hard up that every man looked sexy? “Why are all the guys in this town so damn hot? I thought L.A. had hot men, but they’re dogs compared to these guys.”
Sandy plucked off a piece of the sugary fluff and popped it into her mouth, then offered some to Daniella. She waved it away. How did Sandy have room for anything more?
“That was Tucker Lawson and never mind about him. He’s already taken.”
“Oh, I get it. All the good-looking ones already have their women. Or is it woman? What is this place? A haven for hunks seeking sanctuary from hordes of lust-filled women?”
“Naw. We’re here for the sexy women.”
Daniella would’ve sworn a sizzle zipped from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Along the way, it sparked life into the butterflies in her stomach and lit up her pussy. And this time, she had no doubt that it had nothing to do with her desire to find a good man and hold onto him.
“Hey, Sandy.” The voice melted over her like dark, smooth silk. She had to see the man that possessed such a tantalizing voice.
Once she did, she knew she’d never see two men as sexy or virile as the ones staring at her. Somehow, someway, they were each one of a kind. Perfection in testosterone. Heaven in the flesh. She’d thought the men she’d seen so far were handsome, but she’d been wrong. The two men towering over her five feet six inches were so much hotter. Mere words could never fully describe them. Only the carnal sensations blistering her alive could’ve come close.
One man had dark-blond hair curling around his earlobes. His green eyes pierced her with a smoldering heat that only a volcano could equal. Stubble ran along his chin, daring her to skim her palm over it. He was tanned, and although she doubted he was much older than her own twenty-six years, he seemed more confident than any man she’d ever met, no matter what his age. His gaze dove into her, wrapping an imaginary hand around her pussy, and claiming it as his own.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” The blond man’s smile was just as sexy as his voice.
The other man had to be his brother. Their facial structure, all cut edges and stone jaws, were too much alike for him to be anything else. His hair was darker, an intriguing mix of blue-black that few people were born with. His thick hair swept away from his face to form a frame against his bronzed skin. He shared the same rugged stubble and the same eye color, a shade that had her thinking of emerald jewels lying in a field of white.
When she was finally able to tear her gaze away from their faces, she let it jump back and forth, heading outward to slide over their wide shoulders, then down the chests made of granite. She paused a moment at the lean waists before coming to stop for far too long at their crotches.
Oh, my word. Bulges? Yeah. Bulges.
The blond cleared his throat, making her aware of how hard she was staring. She quickly skimmed the long legs down to the worn boots, then ran the return race back up to those mesmerizing eyes.
The sadness that had consumed her for the past two weeks since finding her cheating boyfriend was gone in a pool of green heat.
“Um, Daniella? Earth to Daniella.”
She blinked, then noticed that the two amazing gods-come-to-life were grinning at her. “I’m sorry?” Forcing herself to look away, she checked to make sure she didn’t have a big stain on the front of her blouse. Her blouse, however, wasn’t the problem. It was the fact that both her nipples were saluting. She crossed her arms and hoped they hadn’t noticed. Then again, maybe she wanted them to notice.
“As I was saying…” Sandy spoke slowly. “Daniella Monson, meet Brick and Mica Holloway.
Brick. Mica. The names fit them.
She reached out her hand, noticed it was shaking, then forgot about it the moment Mica enveloped it in his.
The power, the force, the whatever-the-hell-it-was that had sang through her intensified, roaring back at an even faster, stronger pace. Her mouth parted, willing him to put his lips to hers. Her mind whirled with the electrical zing circling in and around her, yet the only thought she could pull together was that of wonderment.
What is this feeling?
* * * *
Mica held on to Daniella’s hand as he tunneled his fingers throu
gh his hair. His brother Brick narrowed his eyes, then grinned bigger, showing his dimples even more. Leave it to his brother to use those damn dimples. They drew a lady’s focus every time.
Not this time. Not if I can help it.
He pulled her closer until the nipples showing through her blouse were a mere inch away. Covering her hand with both of his, he lifted the corners of his mouth just so, then met her gaze and held it.
You feel it, don’t you, baby?
He knew she did. He could feel it in the tremble of her hand. The connection that he and his brother had yearned for since hitting puberty barreled through him, thundering his heart against his chest. If the invisible bond all werewolves waited for had been any stronger, he doubted he could’ve stayed on his feet, much less kept so calm. His inner wolf howled its joy, then growled at him when he ignored its command to claim her.
“Hi.” Why waste words when it was unnecessary? The connection would do the work. He tilted his head in question and studied her. “I know what you’re feeling. Don’t fight it. Let it take you over. If you resist, you’ll just drag out the moment when we can be together.” His attention fell to her full lips, knowing she’d follow his movement. “I’m not sure I could stand that.”
Did she give a slight nod? He couldn’t be sure with her shaking so hard.
Brick’s low growl was barely loud enough for him to hear. He didn’t blame him for being upset. If Brick had made the first move, he’d have wanted to yank her away, too. But what did it matter when they’d both share her for the rest of their lives?
And yet, it was his resistance that broke first. He leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers. He skimmed his tongue along the seam of her lips, then drew in her lower lip. She tensed at first, as was only natural, then the connection took charge, lighting up her other instincts. She delighted him by leaning against him. He deepened the kiss, felt the spark of fire leap from him to her then back again. Cupping her neck, he held her, unwilling to ever let her go.
“Hey, down boy. Take it easy. She just got here.”
He almost snarled at Sandy when she pushed them apart. Instead, he tossed Sandy a look, but kept silent. She had to know what was going on. If she didn’t, he’d clue her in fast. He started to resist Sandy’s pull as she tugged Daniella’s hand away from his, then thought better of it. After all, she knew what her friend could handle. He’d back off. For now.
Daniella’s chest rose and fell in rapid succession, captivating him with its rhythm. When she put her fingers on her already swollen lips, he knew she wanted more. Again, he heard Brick growl, but now the sound was filled more with frustration than envy.
“I’m sorry. I let myself get carried away.” He didn’t want to frighten her before they’d had a chance to make her theirs. “Are you all right?”
She struggled to answer, her mouth moving without saying a word. Then, shaking her head as though to clear it, she blinked twice, noticed how close she still stood to him, and stepped back. “I, um, don’t know what came over me.”
What had his father always told them? To take it easy, putting his faith in the bond that brought all werewolves and their mates together? “Don’t worry. You will. For right now, we’ll leave it in Sandy’s hands to explain.”
“Oh, sure. Thanks a lot.”
But Brick wasn’t giving up. “Hey, hang on.”
“Come on, man. Jackson asked us to do a favor.” He chuckled, snagged his brother by the arm, then landed a meaningful glance on Daniella. “Don’t worry, baby. When we’re done, we’ll find you.”
He turned on his heel, shoving his brother ahead of him. Once they were out of earshot, he said, “You felt it, right?”
“Of course I did. I’d have to be stone-cold dead not to have felt it. So why the hell are we leaving her?”
“Didn’t you pick up her scent? She’s human. We came on strong enough. Maybe too strong. We don’t want to scare her away.”
“Bullshit, man. You came on too strong. I didn’t get a chance at her.”
Mica smirked at him. “What can I say? You snooze, you lose.”
* * * *
“Who are they?” Daniella stared after the two men. She’d never met anyone like them. With one chance meeting, they had her aching to tear off her clothes and beg them to use their mouths, their tongues, hell, their cocks wherever they wanted.
“What just happened, Sandy?” Remembering anything except two sets of amazing green eyes snaring her in their trap was beyond her. Had they said anything? Had she?
“We need to talk.” Sandy snagged her arm then dragged her into a nearby alley, out of the way of the crowd.
“Okay. Talk to me. Who are they really? And why did I feel so strange around them? Especially when Mica touched me?”
Sandy paced back and forth. The way she kept starting to talk, then shaking her head, wasn’t helping Daniella’s nerves. “Please. You’re making me nervous. Just tell me already.”
Her friend blew out a long, slow breath. “Okay, here it is. I know this is going to sound freaky, and when I first found out, I didn’t believe it either.” She searched the crowd milling around, then pursed her lips. “At least my men gave me more time. But it kind of figures that Mica wouldn’t. He’s headstrong and jumps into things without thinking. Brick, on the other hand, takes his time, although I don’t think that’s what stopped him. Instead, I think he was too thrown to do much more than follow his brother’s lead.”
“I swear to God, if you don’t start making sense, I’m going to scream.” The sizzle of energy she’d felt earlier had eased a little, but still hummed through her. “I have to know what just happened.”
Sandy peered at her as though the answers lay inside her. “Then you felt something, right? Something you’ve never felt before?”
“Y–yes. How’d you know?” Her nerves, already in turmoil, jumped into orbit.
“Describe it to me. I have to know what you felt before I say anything more.”
“Before you say anything more about what?”
“Please, Daniella, humor me. Describe how you felt when you met them. And especially when Mica took your hand.”
She took a moment to find the right words. And yet, how could she explain a sensation she didn’t understand? How did one describe the sun if they’d never seen it before? “I’m not sure how to put this. It was like someone had flipped a switch. Like I hadn’t realized until right then that I was only going through the motions of living. It was like the time I had to jump my car’s battery and got a shock. Only stronger and way better.”
“Like lightning struck you, right? Like you’re a live wire and they’re your power source?”
She couldn’t believe Sandy understood. “Yes. Exactly. How’d you know?”
Her friend brought her into a big hug, then released her. She’d forgotten that Sandy was a major hugger. “Because that’s the way I felt when I met my men. Oh, honey, this is fantastic.”
“It is?” Granted, it was a terrific sensation, but a strange one.
“Sure it is. You felt it. You felt the connection.”
“The connection? What’s that?”
“Something amazing. Wonderful. Life-changing.”
“And this connection’s a good thing?” Daniella searched the crowd, hoping to see Brick and Mica again. If that was what had started the sexual revolution raging inside her, then it was more than just a good thing.
Sandy took both her hands. “It’s the best thing ever.”
“I’m not following. I’m going to need more details.”
“Okay, let me try to explain.” Sandy worried her bottom lip. “The men in Forever are special, and I’m not talking about their looks. I’m talking about how they each find the woman they want to spend their lives with. And how they do it is with the connection.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m still not following.” And yet down deep, without fully understanding it, without being able to pull words together to explain it, what she’d said made
sense.
“Try to understand. When people who are destined to meet finally find each other, they get this incredible feeling, just like the one you described. It overwhelms everything, including common sense. It pulls them together fast and breaks down all their sexual inhibitions. It’s like love at first sight, but more powerful. Like a craving for each other that has to be satisfied.”
“Oh. So you’re talking about lust. You’re telling me I’m horny. Hell, I could’ve told you that without all the dramatics.”
“The connection is so much more. And what’s even better is that it’s not temporary. It lasts forever. Actually, it’s how the town got its name. People meet and love each other forever.”
“And you’re saying fate’s telling me that Brick and Mica are the loves of my life? Like your men are to you?”
“Exactly. And what you felt, the sizzle that ran between you and them, is the connection. It’s like a rope that holds you three together and can’t ever break.”
“You’re kidding me, right?”
Sandy gripped her arms, stunning Daniella. When had Sandy ever been so forceful? The only other time she could think of was when Sandy had refused to leave her men and return to college with Celia and her.
“You can’t do better than the Holloway brothers. Aside from my men, of course.”
“Oh, of course.”
“I’m serious. Brick and Mica are stand-up men. They run their own place called Moonrise Ranch and they’re known for their kindness. Sure, they’re rough around the edges like most men are around these parts, but you’ll never find two men who’ll treat you better. They’re compassionate, hardworking, free-thinking men.”
“Fine. I get it. They’re top-rate, but what aren’t you telling me about them?”
Sandy paused, obviously giving her next words thought. “Since you’re feeling the connection, I’m going to let you in on a secret. But it’s one you can never tell anyone else. Not your parents, not your friends, not anyone.”