Unexpected Pleasures [Pleasure, Montana 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  “Yes.” She looked around, but spotted no one. “Is it safe to leave our stuff here?”

  He smiled and waved the key. “We won’t be gone long.”

  Hand in hand, he led her into a forested area with tall pines surrounding the path. There was a short climb to the top of a crest. Finally, the chirping of the birds reached her and she inhaled the fresh air. Life seemed good out here. When they crested the hill, he stopped. The view stole her breath.

  “It’s amazing.” Below them was a large lake fed by a small waterfall that ran the width of the lake. While the rocks were only three-foot tall, the falls made a lot of noise.

  “You want to climb down there?” He slid his hand around her waist and tugged her close.

  “Sure.”

  Mason grabbed her hand and hurried down the path. Had he not been holding her tight, she might have slipped. By the time they made it to the bottom, she was laughing. She hadn’t felt this free in a long time. He led her to a set of boulders that were on the near side of the lake.

  Slightly out of breath, she sat next to him. In total silence, they drank in the beauty. Mason’s hand found hers and he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed the tips. Surprised by the action, she glanced over at him. Instead of him watching her, his gaze was steady on the lake.

  Uncomfortable with her rather lustful reaction, she gently pulled her hand from his. “You ever go swimming here?” She didn’t know what else to say.

  “Nah. Too cold.” Now he looked at her and smiled. “I’m a wuss. Liam would be naked in a heartbeat, trying to swim across the whole ten acres.”

  She could envision it. “You don’t have any daredevil in you?”

  He cupped her cheek. “Would that please you if I did?”

  “I like you the way you are.”

  “Thank you.” He glanced down at his hands. “I’m cautious because my mom died when I was six and that has colored my actions every since.”

  The pain in his voice tore her up inside. “What happened?” Liam’s explanation hadn’t been thorough.

  He glanced to the sky then back at his hands. “We were coming home from my grandmother’s house. It was dark and raining and the roads were narrow and winding. I was in the backseat and was so tired that I curled up and went to sleep. They didn’t have child seats back then.”

  “Where was your dad?”

  “He was overseas, doing a tour.”

  Her heart ached. No child should grow up with a father. “Then what?”

  He shrugged. “I really don’t remember much other than being slammed into the backseat of the car and yelling for my mom to stop. Next thing, I woke up in a hospital with a broken arm.”

  She placed a hand on his. “You must have been so scared.” If his mom had died and his father was overseas, he’d be alone. “Who took care of you?”

  “My grandmother until my father could get back. She was our rock, along with my sister. Janet’s ten years older. She was sixteen at the time and accepted, rather reluctantly, the role of mom.”

  “I’m sorry that happened. I can’t imagine what that did to Janet.” She hadn’t wanted anything to ruin their time together, but he’d mentioned the tragedy. It was almost as if he needed to tell her.

  He shook his head. “My mom might be alive today if I hadn’t fallen asleep.”

  She squeezed his hand. “That’s not true. You allowed her to concentrate. I imagine if I’d had a kid chattering in my ear while I was trying to negotiate some tricky roads, it would be worse.”

  He looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. “Thank you. I’ll hold that thought close.”

  As if their gazes were tethered on the same line, he held her in his trance for a moment before leaning closer. Her lips parted as if she willed him to kiss her. Ever since he’d held her during her most trying time, Mason had been her steadying force.

  “I won’t lie, angel. I want you.”

  She wasn’t exactly sure what that entailed, because they were outside, but if he wanted to steal a kiss, she was willing to see if their connection was as strong as she believed.

  He cupped her cheeks and brushed her lips with his. The kiss started out soft but turned urgent as soon as she moved into him. Something inside her exploded. It was if she’d been a caged bird and was suddenly set free. She needed to drink him in.

  She was the one to open her mouth and run her tongue along his lips. He moaned. A second later, she was on his lap, one hand cradling her head and the other supporting her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and forgot about kidnappers and murderers. It was just the two of them. No one else existed. The second their tongues touched, her body exploded with need. They dueled and parried, sharing the same space, and exploring each other.

  It was Mason who broke the kiss. “We can’t. Not here.” He closed his eyes as if he was working hard to control himself. “You deserve better.”

  When he shifted his weight and his hard cock pressed against her bottom, she realized just how close they’d come to doing something wild. She was almost tempted to say if they went farther into the woods, no one would find them, but then reason intruded.

  “You’re right.”

  “God, what you do to me.”

  The desperation in his voice nearly tipped her over the edge. “Me, too.” She sucked in a breath. That was as close to agreeing to have sex with him as she could get without saying it. “But what about Liam?” Shit, shit, shit. She shouldn’t have brought his name up.

  Never did she expect the broad grin. His brow cocked. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I’m not sure.” That was the truth. Sure, she’d dream of making love to both men, but when it came time to actually be naked with both of them, she wasn’t sure she could go through with it.

  “I’ll take that. For now.” He kissed her quickly. “How about heading back to town where I can buy you an ice cream?”

  That sounded perfect. Being in town would keep her libido in check.

  Then reality struck. “While I’d love that, do you think it’s wise for everyone to know we’re together?” She bet a lot of people knew where he and Liam lived. That probably was a stupid thing to say since she’d been to the reunion with them and they’d been in town with her yesterday when Mr. Dunwoody had been murdered.

  “If people know we’re watching over you, you’ll be safer.”

  She wanted to believe him. “Okay.”

  He tapped her nose. “Besides. We need to leave before I do something rash.”

  Now she did laugh. There was no way she’d ask his definition of “rash.”

  Mason had to help her up the hill as the path was encrusted with loose stones. When the reached the top, he turned around and drew her back to his chest. “There’s something so calming about running water and trees.” His voice trailed off.

  “Did you do a lot of camping as a kid?” The second the words were out of her mouth, she remembered that his mom had died when he was six. She couldn’t imagine what that would do to a person.

  “Some. Let’s go.”

  Way to ruin the tentative connection. She’d have to be more careful in the future.

  The drive back was a bit scary. As if demons were chasing Mason, he took some turns a bit too sharply for her comfort. Clouds rolled in and made the drive a little cold, but she wouldn’t have given up this experience with him for anything. He finally slowed as he entered the town limits. The ice cream shop was on the corner of Ash Boulevard and Main. Instead of turning down Main, he drove one more block and parked in the empty church lot. In a way, she was glad they didn’t make a dramatic entry. No telling when some of her students would be around. She didn’t need to be razed next year about her wild side.

  They removed their helmets. “We’ll need to carry them.” He lifted the seat and retrieved her wallet. “Don’t need this lying around either.”

  She appreciated his concern. While most of the Pleasure people were good, clearly a few had gone bad. A
s much as she loved holding his hand, Mason must have sensed that some decorum was needed.

  “Do you think we can stop in the sheriff’s office?” she asked. “I’m curious to see if Justin has a lead.”

  “Liam would have contacted me if something came up, but sure. We’ll see where he is in the process.”

  Because it had only been a day since Mr. Dunwoody’s death, she didn’t know if the coroner would have any answers for them. They both trudged up the steps. To her delight, Liam was in Justin’s office. Tom’s desk sat empty.

  “Howdy, Sarah. Mason.” Connie, the dispatcher, was making coffee. She set down the cup and walked over to her and clasped Sarah’s hands. “How are you holding up? A real shame about Mr. Dunwoody.” Connie was a Pleasure native who knew everyone.

  “Still sad. He was a good man. Did Justin find out anything?”

  “Go on in. I think Liam might have some news.”

  Mason led the way and knocked on the glass. Justin motioned them in. Liam stood and offered her his seat. “Thanks.”

  “What did you find out?” Mason bounced his gaze between the two men.

  “Coroner’s report came back about an hour ago. As you surmised, Charles Dunwoody died from blunt force trauma.”

  “Any idea the type of weapon used?”

  “Doc Pritchard believes it was a baseball bat.”

  Her stomach ached. It was hard enough remembering Mr. Dunwoody’s limp body, but she didn’t want to imagine the pain he experienced by someone beating him to death. She shook her head.

  Liam placed a hand on hers. “You want to grab some coffee?”

  She should stay, but maybe it would be better if the men discussed the details. Legally, she probably shouldn’t be privy to what happened anyway. She scooted back her chair. “Sure.”

  In the main office, she fixed a cup of coffee and doused it with extra sugar and cream. There was a box of donuts sitting next to the urn.

  “Help yourself, sweetie.”

  She did. Just as she was about to ask Connie what she knew, the front door blew open and Deputy Tom Carnes dragged in Mr. Axelrod. The man appeared drunk and was swearing up a storm. Tom looked rather contrite about the interruption.

  “Come on, Chuck. We’ll let you sleep it off in the back.”

  When he went by, the stench curdled her stomach and she tossed the donut in the trash. Lawmen sure did earn their salaries. Both Liam and Mason exited Justin’s office and Justin followed them out.

  “I turned over the evidence to your man in Bozeman. Thanks for the contact. Someday Pleasure might get a crime lab,” Justin said.

  Liam shook his head. “Don’t wish for one. It’ll mean we have a lot of crime here.”

  “Very true.”

  Mason walked over to her and dropped an arm on her shoulder. “I promised our schoolmarm an ice cream at Sally’s. Want to join us?”

  Liam grinned. “I have a better idea.”

  Chapter Eight

  Liam was proud that he got the idea to buy the ingredients to make sundaes at the store instead of sitting at Sally’s. Not only would she have less exposure, but they’d have fun doing something together. When he and Sarah had cooked, he’d felt this bond with her. Growing up, he always liked working together with his siblings. Didn’t matter that they always gave him the easier chore since they didn’t think he was any good. But he’d shown them. When he was in the service, he’d volunteered to work in the kitchen in between trying to become an expert using every piece of weaponry the Army owned. Too bad his loser roommate sucked when it came to cooking.

  He sidled up next to Sarah who was peering into the refrigerator section in the dessert aisle. “What’s your favorite sundae topping?”

  When she looked to the ceiling, she appeared to be about ten. “Cherries?”

  Liam waved a hand. “So traditional. Go wild.”

  Sarah elbowed him. “What are you thinking? Chocolate chips? Pieces of fruit? What?”

  Since he had plans to put the topping on her body and lick it off, he reached into the refrigerator case and pulled out Cool Whip. “This is the ticket.”

  She laughed.

  Mason disappeared and came back a minute later with a jar of chocolate sauce. “If Liam hadn’t grabbed the whipped cream stuff, I would have suggested that marshmallow goo.”

  She puckered her lips. It was when she dragged her tongue along her lips and groaned that he gave up the fight. Liam should have mentioned his plan to Mason, but when they were sitting in Justin’s office, Mase had casually mentioned the motorcycle ride and that he and Sarah had shared a mind-blowing kiss up at the lake.

  Sarah wanted chocolate chip ice cream so that was what they got. She could have asked for some low-fat shit and he’d have been good with it, too. The sundae would be fun to prepare, but the best part would be licking the Cool Whip and maybe even the chocolate sauce off her body. Mmm.

  “Liam?” Mason nudged him. “You coming or what?”

  Fuck. He’d been ten feet from the checkout line and hadn’t moved. He was just as bad as Sarah sometimes. After they paid, he debated asking if she wanted to ride with him for the second half of the trip, but given how she chose riding the motorcycle over his truck, he gave in and let her be with Mason.

  “See you two at home.”

  Liam carried the groceries to his car and placed them on the passenger side floorboards. Before he took off, he waited until Sarah was situated on Mason’s bike, then left Pack & Save ahead of them. It was safer if he rode in front.

  The trip would only take fifteen minutes, so he could let his roommate enjoy having her plastered to his back for a little while longer.

  As he headed west out of town, black clouds gathered, and Liam wondered if they’d make it home before the storm broke. Randomly checking they were okay, he increased his speed once he hit Wellington Road. As he turned into their complex, the sky burst. Shit. He debated stopping and having Sarah ride with him, but by the time Mason stopped and Sarah dismounted, they’d be home.

  He punched the garage door opener fifty feet from the house and pulled in. Mason’s car was in the drive, leaving plenty of room for the bike to park between his car and Sarah’s. Liam never expected her to be laughing when Mason rolled to a stop. He gathered the groceries and traipsed into the house to put the ice cream away. By the time those two came in, they were dragging water all over the floor.

  “Let me get you guys towels. I don’t need to be mopping up after you.”

  Mason faced Sarah. “Sorry, angel.” She shivered and he gathered her in his arms.

  Her willingness to be comforted by Mason bolstered his chances of showing Sarah that they were the right men for her. He rushed to the hall linen closet and snatched two towels. Given how drenched they were, they’d probably need a shower before making the dessert. That worked for him. Three fit perfectly in the guest bath. The big question was whether Sarah was ready to be between them. One of them should have probably tested the waters first, but it was too late now.

  Damn. While he was gathering the towels maybe he should call Mason from the bedroom and pretend there was an emergency that would require Mason to leave. With Mase gone, Sarah might be more amenable to making love with him. He stabbed a hand over his head. Why was he suddenly questioning his ability to seduce a woman?

  Because she’s Sarah—special, gentle, generous.

  He didn’t want to fuck this up. Coming at her with two guns might backfire. He really needed to get Mason alone.

  “We run out of towels?” Mason called from the kitchen. “We’re dripping, dude.”

  He was losing it. Liam rushed out with the towels and handed one to each of them. After they wiped off the excess water from their face and clothes, it was clear that they needed to change into some dry clothes.

  Mason took Sarah’s hand. The way she looked so sweetly at Mason, his roommate had made some major inroads into her heart. Liam wanted to warn him to tread lightly, but it was Mason who usually held back.
So what had happened?

  Fuck if I know.

  * * * *

  Mason had every intention of walking Sarah to her room and then disappearing into his to change, but when she locked gazes with him, his emotional shield he’d kept so solidly in place evaporated. He’d spent his life keeping women at a distance even though he knew it was stupid to carry the hurt of his mother’s death for so long. It wasn’t as if she’d abandoned him, but there was that niggling fear he’d lose someone he loved and it would end any chance he’d take a chance again.

  Then there was the fact he’d not met anyone who was willing to accept him for who he was—focused, ambitious, and protective. His job was important to him and for whatever reason, those he dated didn’t understand there would be times when he had to leave.

  Why had every woman demanded more of him that he could give? That was when Liam had suggested they find a woman for both of them to share. That way, if one of them was needed at work, she wouldn’t be left alone. Problem was, they often were called into action at the same time. That was why Mason had more or less given up on ever finding someone. Then Sarah had practically been tossed into their laps. Not only had he feared for her life when he escorted the cold, scared woman to the hospital, there was something about her fragile state that stole his heart.

  He pushed open Sarah’s door. She walked in, turned around, and smiled. He’d be a dumbass if he walked away from that invitation. “You need help changing?” His heart beat harder than when he’d faced the enemy.

  Her face turned more shades of red than the most vivid sunset. Her hands wove together as if this was a first for her. He didn’t want to push, but her kiss at the lake had been full of passion.

  “What about Liam?” She sucked on her bottom lip and shot her gaze to the door as if she expected him to materialize.

  He was damned no matter what he said. Liam wasn’t a jealous man. If Mason had been in the kitchen and Liam in the bedroom with Sarah, he’d want him to make gentle love with her. Shit. They’d never even brought up the topic of sex and whether she was interested in two men.