“We will have to get you some slippers, little one. Your feet must be freezing,” James said, as he rushed over and swept her into his arms. Sarah let out a squeal and wrapped her arms around his neck. It had been years since anyone had picked her up, and it was an unusual feeling. James carried her over to a chair and placed her down. Sarah didn’t know what to say. She almost told him she was too heavy for him to be carrying her around, but she didn’t want to embarrass herself by bringing up her weight. Sarah looked down at the table and tucked her hands under her legs to keep warm.
“You slept a really long time, Sarah. We were starting to get worried. I almost called the doc.” Blake placed a cup of coffee in front of her as he spoke. “Milk and sugar are on the table.”
“Thanks. How long was I asleep for?” Sarah asked. She placed milk and sugar in her coffee and waited for one of the brothers to reply.
“You were out all night, all day yesterday, and the night before,” James finally answered.
“You only woke once, when you had a nightmare,” Blake put in. They sat down either side of her and drank their coffee. She felt small sitting in between them, which was another unusual feeling for her.
She couldn’t believe that she had slept that long. She knew that she was exhausted, but how could she have slept that long and not woken at all? Other than the nightmare that she had. Which meant that she hadn’t been dreaming that the brothers had jumped into bed with her. She ducked her head and could feel the heat creep up her face.
“I’d love to know what just went through your mind, little one,” James whispered in her ear as he leaned in. That made her blush even more and James chuckled softly. She quickly took a sip of her coffee, which made James chuckle all the more.
“What would you like to do today, little one?” Blake asked, drawing her attention away from James. “James could take you shopping or give you a tour of the ranch.”
“Why do you keep calling me ‘little one?’ I’m not that little.”
“We are big men, baby. To us you are little.” Blake swiveled her around in her chair to face him. “We may be big men, but know that we would never hurt you.”
“I know,” Sarah replied shyly. “I think I’d like to go into town today.” Blake’s hands felt warm on her legs. He was leaning forward, his face close to hers. She could smell the coffee on his breath, and if she leaned forward she would be able to kiss his strong lips. Forcing herself to look up, Sarah could see gold flecks in chocolate-brown eyes.
“Sure thing. Why don’t we finish getting dressed, and then we’ll head into town.” James spoke and stood up behind her, breaking her out of her staring contest with Blake. “We can meet up with Blake for lunch, later.”
“Yeah, sorry, baby. I have to head into work for a bit.”
“That’s okay. I’d love to meet you for lunch.”
They all went their separate ways, and Sarah ran up the stairs to grab her shoes. When she came back down, James was waiting by the front door for her and Blake was still upstairs in the shower. She followed James out to his big truck, and he lifted her up into the passenger seat. She was still amazed at the strength of the two men. How easily they could pick her up and carry her around. They didn’t even grunt when they did it. They were both in good shape, their hard muscles formed from all the work around the ranch.
Sarah sat in the truck and watched James as he ran around to the driver’s side. He was wearing similar clothes as when she met him. His faded jeans molded perfectly to his tight ass, and he had on a dark shirt that covered his large chest, but Sarah knew what it hid. She was still in emotional turmoil whenever she was close to either of the brothers. How could she be attracted to both of them at the same time? It felt wrong to like two men at one time, but she couldn’t stop thinking about either of them.
She was so nervous around them, yet so sexually attracted to them. Sarah didn’t know if she wanted to jump on them or run from the room, in this case the truck. How was she going to survive living with these two when she couldn’t control her feelings around them?
James got into the truck and then pulled it around and headed down the drive. She sat quietly in the cab next to him and tried not to shift in her seat.
* * * *
James could feel the tension rolling off Sarah in waves. He didn’t know if it was because she was scared or because she could feel the attraction between them. She looked like a deer caught in headlights most of the time. Her big eyes wide as she took in things around her. Half the time he expected her to flee the room.
She was such a beautiful woman, full of soft curves. He had never been into skinny women. He like something to hold onto as he drove his cock into her. He was getting hard just thinking about all the things he’d like to do to the one sitting quietly on the seat next to him.
He placed his hand over hers where it rested on the cab seat. He gave it a gentle squeeze and then settled into the drive to town.
“Where would you like to go first, little one?”
“Um, what are my choices?”
“There are a couple of shops to choose from. There’s a women’s boutique that a lot of the women around town go to, and an adventure shop where we should be able to get you a warm jacket for the winter.”
“Oh, um. Does the boutique sell larger women’s sizes?”
“Yes, baby, you have nothing to worry about. They cater to everyone.” James could pick up her nerves about her size. He didn’t know what to say that would alleviate her concern over her weight. She really wasn’t that big and he loved a woman with curves, but it was too early for him to let her know his preferences. She was so shy. He worried that if he said something too soon it would send her running.
“If we can’t find anything at the boutique, I’m sure we can head into Helena one day. Maybe even stay the night and see some of the sights.”
“That sounds lovely. Will Blake be able to come, too? I mean with work and everything?” Sarah replied. She was so cute. She sounded so hesitant when she mentioned Blake. James took it as a good sign that she wanted to include his brother in their plans. It meant that she would be more open to a relationship with both of them if she wasn’t already thinking of doing things with one brother and not the other. He knew it wasn’t because she wanted to spend time with Blake and not him. He could feel the sexual tension rolling off her. Even if she didn’t recognize it for what it was, he could.
It wasn’t long until they were pulling into Merricks, and James slowed as he watched Sarah taking in the sights. It was a beautiful little town, and he was really proud to be showing it to Sarah for the first time. She practically had her face planted against the window as he turned into the main street and rolled past the shops.
“Oh, you have a bookstore. I love bookstores,” she said, with an excited squeal. When she turned to him, her whole face was lit up with a smile. It was the first time he had seen her smile. She was damned beautiful. He would buy her a whole bookshop of her own, just to see that smile directed at him.
“We will have to go there then,” he told her as he pulled his truck into an empty space.
“Can we? I’d love to grab something to read back at the house. I didn’t get to grab my e-reader before I had to take off the last time.” Her smile fell from her lips as she spoke. It almost ripped his heart from his chest to see the pain on her face.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I wish I could take away your pain. It kills me to think what you went through.”
“Thanks, James. For a moment there I forgot, and then it all came crashing back. It’s hard. I miss her so much.”
James reached his hand out and cupped her cheek. He wiped a tear off her lashes with his thumb. Leaning closer, his breath mingled with hers as he lowered his head until their foreheads touched.
“I wish I could tell you I knew how you felt and that it gets easier, but I can’t. All I can say is that I’m here for you. Whatever you need.” James closed the space between them and gently touched his lips
to hers. As she slowly responded, he deepened the kiss and took possession of her mouth. James heard her moan and growled a response. Her lips were so soft and pliant under his. After what felt like an eternity, he slowly lifted his head, placing little nips on her lips as he did. He was breathing heavily, and his cock was so hard it was about to burst his zipper.
Sarah stared at him in a daze. She looked well kissed, her lips swollen and bee-stung. Her eyes were wide and lost-looking. James chuckled to himself, impressed with his effort. That kiss had left him in a similar state. He couldn’t wait to do it again, but thought he had pressed her enough for the moment.
“Come on, little darling. Let’s go shopping.”
“Huh,” she replied. He chuckled again and got out of the truck to help her down. She was so cute. Just wait until he told his brother that he got the first kiss and the reaction it got. Blake would try to best him. He always did. It was the way with brothers, and Sarah would be the one to benefit.
* * * *
Sarah exited the truck when James ran around and opened her door. She couldn’t look him in the eye. That kiss had been amazing. No one had ever kissed her like that before. It was as if the whole world had fallen away and the only person who existed had been James. She was left stunned and wished she could have more. That kiss had rocked her world. Her nipples were hard and poking at her shirt, and her pussy was damp and demanding attention. All from one kiss. If James could kiss like that, she would probably die if she ever got to sleep with him.
Sarah entered the boutique ahead of James and then came to a stop. She looked around but couldn’t get her brain to work. One minute she was upset about Jenny, and now she was walking around in a daze. Big hands came down on her shoulder before James spoke in her ear.
“Everything all right, baby?” Sarah could hear the amusement in his voice. James knew how he had affected her and was acting smug about the fact. Sarah wished she could put him in his place, but her brain was mush and no smart-ass remarks were coming to mind. She huffed out a big breath and shook off her daze.
Moving further into the shop, she started looking at the clothes on the rack. She checked sizes first and then checked the price. They were really nice clothes and James was right, they did have her size. She was amazed. Little boutique shops didn’t generally cater to larger-sized ladies, so she usually avoided them like the plague. There was nothing more embarrassing than entering a shop to find that they only had skinny-women sizes and then having to leave.
It was why she never went shopping with Jenny. She was always left standing there looking awkward whilst Jenny shopped up a storm. When they did enter a shop that had larger sizes, they were always in a completely different section than the skinny clothes.
She kept browsing through the clothes as James started to talk to the saleslady. She was surprised to notice that she, too, was a woman with curves. She was very good-looking and Sarah couldn’t help but feel jealous at the attention James was paying her.
Whilst she was a curvy lady, she carried it well. Her stylish blonde hair was wavy and styled like she was living in the forties. She was dressed casually in a pair of black slacks and a light-blue blouse. She wore very little makeup and had flawless skin.
Though Sarah would have been around the same size as this woman, she wished she could carry it off as confidently.. Sarah felt like a lump most of the time and always tried to fade into the background.
She huffed as she continued to search through the racks and tried to remind herself that James wasn’t hers. He could flirt with whomever he pleased. He was her protector. Well, technically her protector’s brother, and she was only here until the case was solved. Then she would be going home and likely never see either of them again. She needed to keep her emotions out of it, especially the ones that would only leave her brokenhearted in the end. It was her James had kissed in the car, not this blonde beauty.
“Found anything you like?” James asked from behind her. Sarah jumped in fright. She hadn’t even heard him approach.
“Yes, there are quite a few pieces here I like.” Sarah didn’t want to tell him the only thing holding her back was the money. They were fairly expensive, and she didn’t have any money on her. She knew that there was money for her provided by the witness protection program, but she didn’t want to spend it on clothes this pricey. She wasn’t sure how much Blake had been given, and it was for all her board and food as well.
“You’re biting your lip,” James told her as he started pulling items of clothing off the racks and passing them to the saleslady. “Don’t stress about the money. There is plenty available for you to get enough clothes that you won’t need to wash them all the time.”
How had he known what she was thinking? He seemed so in tune to her thoughts. It was a weird but pleasing feeling to know someone could be so in sync to her thoughts. She always thought she was good at hiding her emotions, but Blake and James always managed to know what she was thinking.
“I don’t think I’ll need all that,” Sarah told him as he piled more and more clothes in the saleswoman’s arms. He had selected clothes that she liked, but still it was too much. She was just going to grab a couple of tops and pants. James had given the women about four pairs of pants and just as many tops, and then there were skirts and dresses, cardigans, and a few pullovers. Now he was heading toward the lingerie.
“Hang on a minute, James. I can’t have you picking out my under things.” Sarah was so embarrassed at the thought of James selecting her panties, she felt herself going red. It was just too intimate to have a man choose your bras and panties. If she let him, all she would be able to think about whenever she was around him was that he knew what she had on beneath her clothes.
“Fine,” James said, smiling. “But you have to get at least five pairs of bras and panties.”
* * * *
As Sarah stood there gaping at him, her mouth open like a fish, James knew he had embarrassed her by mentioning her unmentionables. He hoped she chose something sexy and was disappointed that she had mustered the courage to stop him before he had the chance.
She was so cute when she was flustered. He watched her walk around looking at the intimate apparel. She was muttering to herself as she picked up panties and then quickly put them back down. James sighed. She was going to pick out plain, white cotton. He just knew it. There was a deep-burgundy-colored set he had his eye on. He was hoping she would choose those. Maybe he would slip them to Samantha when she wasn’t looking.
Sam stood quietly to the side as they went about picking clothes. He had spoken to her earlier telling her the cover story, that Sarah was a friend visiting them from out of town. He had added in that she had traveled light and decided to do some shopping for warmer clothes now that she knew just how cold it could get in Montana. Luckily Sam hadn’t asked too many questions, which meant he didn’t have to lie too much.
James could tell that Sarah had noticed when he was flirting with Sam while she was looking through the clothes. He had done it deliberately to gauge her reaction. He was pleased to note that she was bothered. It meant that she had feelings for him. Once he had seen her response he had stopped. He didn’t want her to get too upset or think he flirted with every woman he came across. No, now all his attention would be on Sarah, making sure she knew that he was interested and serious in his wooing of her.
Once she had made her selection and added them to the pile, he was pleased to note that she had chosen well. Some sets were sexy and others plain, but he did see the burgundy pair he liked.
He smiled to himself and paid for the clothes. He couldn’t wait to see her in some of the lingerie. He hoped she would model them for him, but that would be pushing it. One day soon she would, when they had her tied to them like they planned. She would be doing more than modeling the stuff, but until then he would have to be content with the image his mind had conjured up.
As they exited the store, James put her purchases into the back of the truck and then usher
ed her down the sidewalk toward the bookshop. They still had a little bit of time to kill before they met up with Blake for lunch.
James took her hand as they walked. He felt her stiffen at first, but soon she accepted his hand in hers. He entwined their fingers and kept on walking. As they browsed shop windows, James watched Sarah’s face. Every time she saw something she liked her face would light up and she would smile. He took note of what she was interested in and stored the information for a later date. That way he could come back and buy her things to spoil her with.
James had no intention of telling Sarah that the clothes had been paid for by Blake and himself. She did have some money from Witsec, but it really wasn’t all that much. He wanted her to have the best of everything, and they could afford it. They weren’t rich by any means, but they had enough that they could live comfortably and be able to provide whatever their wife wanted in life. She wasn’t his wife yet, or even his girlfriend for that matter, but she would be, so he was going to show her the life she could expect as Mrs. Hammond.
It wasn’t long before they had grabbed her some books and then headed over to the adventure shop to grab her a waterproof winter coat. She had balked at the price of the jacket as well as the amount of books he had bought, but he had stood firm and she soon backed down.
He was pleased to see some of the books she had liked were erotic romance novels, even some with a ménage theme. She tried to hide those at the bottom of her pile. This was another good sign that she was open to their lifestyle and it wouldn’t come as too much of a shock when they finally told her that they wanted to share her.
James had even gone as far as slipping some BDSM-themed novels onto her pile. She had raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t comment. He also took that as a good sign. If he got her interested in BDSM, the more willing she would be to try it.
Foul Play [Merricks, Montana] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5