Kansas Flame [Kansas Heat 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jenny Penn

  “Then how about because you fascinate us,” Nick offered. Smooth as ever, he stepped up to gaze longingly down at her as he matched the emotion in his eyes with the adoration in his tone. “Both of us, which leaves us with only two choices—either to fight over you or share you. It’s a testament to the depths of our affection that neither Cooper nor I would dare to risk losing you on the off chance we lost the fight.”

  “So says the man who hog-tied me and carried me up into his brother’s lair,” Lindsay shot back, retreating with each word as she tried to edge toward the door.

  “So says the man who is willing to do anything to make sure you’re safe.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Cooper shifted, blocking her way as he forced her to confront the truth. “Believe what you want but know that we won’t stand idly by while you are threatened, not by that asshole tonight and not by your own stubbornness.”

  That had Lindsay nibbling on her bottom lip as she stared at him, uncertainty reflected in her gaze. Cooper bit back his own groan, fighting the impulse to lean down and soothe the small hurt she inflicted. That would end this conversation but it wouldn’t resolve the doubt that clouded her eyes as she glanced at the wardrobe.

  “And that’s why you’re showing me this?” Lindsay asked, turning back to pin Cooper with a look that tore at his heart. “All these toys, they’re to protect me?”

  “You can insist on sleeping all by yourself in the guest room if you really want,” Cooper allowed before stepping up to lift her falling gaze back up toward his. “That won’t change the fact that we’re not going to let you face whatever threat there is alone.”

  “Don’t. Please, just let me go.” Tilting her chin away from his fingertips, Lindsay stepped back and bumped immediately into Nick, who immediately pulled her into his hug.

  “You need to stop asking for what you know we can’t give you, lil’ bit, and start working with us,” Nick cautioned her but Lindsay refused to give in.

  “You could be hurt.” Barely a whisper in the wind, that confession echoed the depths of the emotions shining in Lindsay’s gaze as she stared beseechingly up at Cooper. “Please, I don’t want that.”

  With her fingers clenched and her lashes wet, Lindsay stood ready to sacrifice herself to protect him. Not that Cooper would ever let her but just knowing she would, proved how much she cared. She loved them. That revelation hit him, filling Cooper with a happiness that filled him all the way to his soul. Her love both undid and rebuilt Cooper, making him a stronger, more determined man.

  “You have to go,” Lindsay insisted from within the cradle of Nick’s arms.

  “Don’t, lil’ bit. Don’t ask us to give you what we can’t.” Unable to resist the velvety soft feel of her skin, Cooper stroked his thumb out over her cheek, catching the stray tear that slipped free.

  “Don’t you understand there is no winning this battle?” Lindsay pleaded.

  “We’re not here to win the battle,” Nick stated solemnly. “We’re here to finish it.”

  “By whatever means necessary,” Cooper backed his brother, meaning every word. Whatever it took, he wouldn’t allow anything to threaten her.

  “And look at it this way, if you don’t tell us what we want to know, we’re just going to go ask the man Cooper put in the hospital,” Nick pointed out. “And think how much trouble that might land us in.”

  She was thinking about it. Cooper could see the fear in her eyes and had to give his brother credit for finding her weakness. It only took seconds before her shoulders, so stiff and proud, slumped in defeat.

  “Fine. I’ll tell you,” Lindsay mumbled, clearly not at peace with her decision. “Hell, if I don’t you two will probably try to dig stuff up on your own and end up in even more trouble.”

  “True.” Nick shot Cooper a quick smile over Lindsay’s shoulder, but the victory never sounded in his tone. “But don’t worry, lil’ bit, Cooper and I handle trouble well.”

  “And women apparently,” Lindsay muttered in disgust as she glanced back at Cooper’s toy chest.

  He could read the doubts hidden in her gaze and knew she was thinking of all the women who had come before. None of them mattered. None of them had been Lindsay. She was different, and deserved to be treated that way.

  As if he read the thoughts racing through Cooper’s mind, Nick stepped up to give Lindsay another quick hug. “Go on and get your shower, lil’ bit. We’ll get dinner laid out for you.”

  Lindsay remained tense for several long seconds before her eyes scrunched closed and her arms wrapped around his brother. Then she squeezed and Cooper could sense the walls guarding her heart crumbling.

  “And you’re going to stop worrying so much,” Nick instructed her as he pulled back to rain feather light kisses over her cheeks. “Just remember what we keep telling you. You’re not alone anymore, lil’ bit.”

  His brother certainly knew how to make women melt. He had Lindsay damn near ready to drop into a puddle at his feet when he finally released her to concede the space to Cooper. Nick disappeared through the bathroom door as Lindsay turned those big, sad doe eyes on him.

  Cooper would do whatever it took to make her happy and what it took right then was giving up the one thing he’d always clung to—control. Stepping around Lindsay, he felt her watching him as he closed the wardrobe’s doors and lock them. Turning back around, he held her gaze for a moment before taking her hand and pressing the key into it.

  “When you’re ready.”

  With that he did the hardest thing he’d ever done and walked away.

  Chapter 21

  Lindsay stared down at her hand and slowly uncurled her fingers revealing the wink and shine of the brass key Cooper had given her. She knew how hard it must have been for him to give up all control to her. Her heart swelled as she considered how much he must really care about her to bend that much just for her.

  More than all his promises the key in her hand proved Cooper’s love for her. All she had to do was look into Nick’s eyes to see the same certainty in him. Both brothers were hers to either love or destroy. Lindsay feared that those weren’t two separate options. Her love might very well be the thing that got them killed. Even if she were willing to take that risk, was she really ready to take the same one with her heart and body?

  Lindsay gazed down at the key in her palm and heard Cooper’s words echo through her head. When she was ready? Would she ever be that brave? She swallowed against the searing flush of desire that assured her she could and reached out to fit Cooper’s key into its lock and steal another peek at Cooper’s collection.

  It was amazing. The entire cabinet was filled with the promise of carnal pleasures for any woman brave enough to accept the challenge. He had a whole shelf dedicated to lotions and gels. Some heated, some cooled, some promised to taste great while others glittered. It was just one tantalizing jar of possibilities after another.

  Considering those possibilities, Lindsay eyed the cuffs and floggers hanging on the door and wondered if she could be that strong. The moisture flooding her cunt assured her she could handle whatever Cooper could dream up as she eyed the long rows of vibrators and dildos displayed on the shelves like trophies.

  It was the clamps, though, that had her backing away. Her nipples hardened in a rush at the thought of being pinched, of being bound and held in the hard, unforgiving metal clasps. They were connected with a length of chain she knew would feel cool against her overheated flesh.

  With trembling fingers she reached for the shining link winking at her but stopped herself before she could grasp onto that chain and do something foolish. Something like put the clamps on and march out of the bathroom just to see how much control Cooper really had.

  That would be one sure way to avoid talking about what had happened tonight. It would also assure that the conversation would come up again. Lindsay knew once Cooper and Nick realized how much she cared for them there would be no keeping them out of trouble.

  Snatching her hand back, Lind
say slammed the wardrobe’s doors closed, cutting off the temptation to give into her needs. All that remained was the shiny brass key still winking at her in its hole. Lindsay twisted it and locked the cabinet before wrenching the key free. She should just give it back to Cooper and then run. She needed to go far, far away, so far away that Crugman never once again thought about Cooper.

  As if that would ever happen. Bitter little punk that he was Crugman didn’t forget the people he owed, especially not when the payment was pain. The only thing that would save Cooper was if Crugman had some fatal accident, preferably while he was with Carl so she might stand a chance at getting rid of the two of them at the same time.

  Lindsay didn’t think she’d be that lucky but knew things would quickly escalate to that kind of desperate act. Cooper and Nick weren’t going to back down. Even if she fled they’d hunt her down. They’d probably start by going after Crugman on their own.

  What she needed was a way to pacify and distract Cooper and Nick with some convenient explanations that would keep them busy while she figured out how to handle Carl. Somebody had to stop him. It might as well be her.

  Turning her head, Lindsay stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman who stared back had always known it would come to this. She’d just never been ready before. Despite all the neglect and the abuse, she hadn’t had a good enough reason, but now she did. Lindsay wouldn’t let Carl hurt Cooper or Nick.

  The decision made, she rose up and stored Cooper’s key in her bag. If she survived her confrontation with her stepfather, then she might just have the courage to use it. Until then Lindsay decided to follow Nick’s advice and get a shower.

  It wasn’t until a half hour later when she started to dress that Lindsay realized certain valuable parts of her wardrobe had been left behind. Not a single pair of panties, bras, shorts, or pants had made it into the bag. Nick had only packed her three skirts and a couple of dresses to choose from. The very idea of walking around in a short skirt without any underwear on underneath gave her a wicked thrill but that didn’t mean she’d let Nick’s taunt go unanswered.

  They thought they were so clever. Leaving all her clothes behind, trying to intimidate her with a porn store’s worth of toys, dragging her to their lair bound and gagged, it was all part of Nick and Cooper’s plan to drive her crazy. The least Lindsay figured she could do was return the favor. Before she could even consider the consequences, she found herself with razor in hand, shaving a part of her body she never before even considered baring.

  The reality of her rash decision didn’t hit Lindsay until she’d slid her skirt up her legs. The feel of the soft cotton brushing over her mound felt like a sensual caress. The air teased and tantalized the naked lips of her pussy, flushing Lindsay with a hot rush of lust. Her cunt was soft, wet, and aching. Every step she took reminded her of that fact.

  She couldn’t confront Cooper and Nick like this. She could barely walk. With each step her clit pulsed, tormented by the feel of her own molten folds rubbing and grinding against her sensitive bud. Something had to be done. There was only one thing Lindsay could think of.

  Another thirty minutes after a second shower later, Lindsay returned a few of Cooper’s toys back to their wardrobe and unlocked the bathroom door. She felt more in control now. Still it took all her courage to walk out into the bedroom, letting the warm, rich earthy aroma of wood, leather, and man envelop her.

  Cooper’s distinctive scent was like a drug to Lindsay’s senses, making her feel instantly relaxed and way too warm. It would be so easy to crawl up into his bed, wrap herself up in the softness of his comforter, and let the mooing of the cows lull her to sleep. Cooper and Nick would find her there eventually and then…

  Lindsay closed her eyes, trying to halt the images flooding her mind. Images of her naked, trapped between both brothers with an ass packed full with hard, hot dick and her cunt being stretched wide by another one. That was only the beginning.

  With two mouths and four hands dedicated to pleasing her every desire, Lindsay found her imagination blossoming with possibilities. They were endless but the outcome would always be the same. Pleasure. A pleasure so blinding, so consuming, so earth shattering, Lindsay knew she’d never be the same afterward.

  That fact was just frightening enough to keep her out of Cooper’s bed. Lindsay didn’t know if she was ready for her whole world to be rearranged. She’d been alone for so long that it was almost frightening to think of being any other way even if it was what she’d wished for all those years.

  Baby steps. That’s what she needed to take. First Lindsay had to survive dinner and the oncoming inquisition. Then she could worry about surviving the rest of the night. Taking in a deep breath and focusing hard on the most disgusting things she could think of, Lindsay went in search of Cooper and Nick.

  She found them waiting in living room. Lindsay had barely gotten a glimpse of the small, dark room when Nick had carried her through it but she was fairly certain it hadn’t been a candlelit garden. She eyed the beautiful array flowers that filled almost every nook and cranny along with an endless sea of flickering flames that cast shadows over the plump petals strewn all about the blanket that had been spread out across the floor.

  The furniture had been moved back to make room for the quilt. A beautiful, hand-woven basket sat in the middle with food strewn all around it. There, by the edges, Nick and Cooper reclined. The soft light loved them, casting the sharp lines of their features into sexy shadows that had Lindsay’s heart skipping a beat. They’d created a fantasy just for her.

  Nick rose with a smile that threatened to melt her resistance even as Cooper remained seated, his dark, hungry gaze tracking her every motion. Those penetrating eyes seemed to pierce the thin cotton of her sundress, leaving her feeling naked and exposed. If only he could see what she had under her skirt, Lindsay doubted he’d have remained seated.

  Of course they thought they already knew. They thought they were luring her into temptation. They thought they were indulging her in a seduction that was no doubt supposed to leave her putty in their hands. What they didn’t know, what gave Lindsay the strength to descend the final few steps to meet Nick, was that when the moment came they’d be no more in control than her.

  “You look beautiful, lil’ bit,” Nick murmured as his gaze slid slowly down her body, leaving a searing trail of heat in its wake.

  Inch by inch his hungry eyes devoured her, making Lindsay’s breath catch and her skin flush as they lingered on her breasts. Her desperate, needy flesh swelled in response to the possibilities lurking in Nick’s look. The tips of his lips lifted as her nipples puckered, becoming hard points pressing into her dress in a clear invitation. Lindsay’s breath caught as she waited to see if he’d accept.

  Nick didn’t. Instead he narrowed his gaze on her pelvis, drawing another heated wave of longing from her body that left her thighs damp with the proof of her arousal. Her cunt ached with a need to be exposed, to be offered up for Nick’s pleasure. A wicked part of her mind longed to hear him command her to lift her skirt. That seemed more like something Cooper would do than Nick.

  A bolt of nervous anticipation shot through her with that thought, sending her gaze crashing into Cooper’s where he reclined by the picnic basket. Her plan to make him lose control might very well backfire. Instead of becoming ravenous, Cooper might harden with a sense of purpose more formable than she could take. Lindsay’s belly quivered at the thought of what carnal demands he would make.

  “Come on, lil’ bit. Let’s get you fed,” Nick suggested, stepping up to grab onto her hand. “After all, you’re going to need your energy.”

  Lindsay stumbled over her own feet as he began pulling her toward the blanket. She crashed into Nick, who caught her effortlessly in his arms. Just that quickly her lips were within a breath of his. The move was so smooth she had to wonder if he hadn’t planned it. There wasn’t time to question him, though.

  Before Lindsay could even take a breath, he was ki
ssing her—if the teasing brush of his lips could even be called such. With the softness of a butterfly, Nick mouth whispered over hers in a series of sweet caresses that didn’t deepen until Lindsay stretched up on her tip toes to smash her lips tight against his.

  Nick didn’t deny her. Threading one hand through her hair, he caught her head and held her still as his tongue laid claim to the darkest, deepest recesses of her mouth. Nick’s rich, intoxicating taste flooded Lindsay’s senses, filling her with warmth that had her knees going weak and back spineless. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she melted into him, giving herself over to the mastery of his kiss.

  Nick’s hand slid around her waist, binding her tighter to him as his hand splayed down over the rounded curve of her ass. It was a possessive gesture, one that had her cunt going soft with a need to submit. Submit and be filled. Another inch or two and he could pull her skirt out of the way and claim the swollen folds weeping for his touch.

  Or she could do it for him. All Lindsay would have to do is lift a leg, let her skirt roll back and bare herself in a silent plea. She could feel the long, hard length of his erection pressing against her stomach and craved to feel it pressing into her aching sheath instead. After all these years, she’d waited long enough.

  “If you two are done fondling each other, dinner is getting cold.”

  Cooper ruined the moment, reminding Lindsay that there were other issues that needed to be settled first before they gave in to their passions. As if reading her mind, Nick released her with a chuckle.

  “I hate to admit it, but big brother has a point even if he is just acting out of jealousy.” Nick leaned in close to whisper that last bit against her ear.

  “Bite me,” Cooper called out, though his tone lacked any heat or sharpness.

  “Sorry, I don’t eat sausages,” Nick tossed back, casting a wink in Lindsay’s direction as she settled down onto the blanket. “Maybe if you ask Lindsay really nice she’ll take pity on you.”