Jillian tried to answer, but Becca cut her off. “You both are lucky. Your men aren’t in love with each other. You’re the center of their world. You’re their whole life.” Becca’s voice dropped to a whisper. “My whole life I’ve lived in the shadow of my sheriff and firefighter older brothers. Just once I want to be the center of someone’s life. Don’t you see? They’re already the center of each other’s lives. Where would I fit in?”
Cassie grabbed her hand and squeezed. “There’s room for you in the center. Look at every ménage relationship in this town. The woman is always the focal point. Look at your Dad and Steve with Ellie. They’d both die for her. Didn’t you listen to the vows today? In a ménage, all the parties play an equal but important role. Your role wouldn’t be minor to Mark’s and Travis’s.”
Becca let out a long breath. “I want to believe that. I did listen to the vows today. God, I feel so selfish. I really want to give this a try.”
Jillian put her arm around Becca’s shoulders and hugged her. “You are not fucking selfish. Every woman wants to be the center of her man’s world. Listen, I learned this the hard way with your brothers. Talk to them. Tell them what you’re thinking. If I had had the courage to just talk to Ryan and Jack, we would have been together a lot sooner.”
Becca threw down the shredded napkin. “They’ll think I’m insane.”
Cassie shook her head. “No, they’ll think you took the issue seriously. They need to inspect their motivations closely, too.”
Becca slumped in the chair. “Okay, I’ll talk to them. Tomorrow.” Becca raised her champagne glass. “Today we celebrate, tomorrow I’ll humiliate myself.”
Jillian clinked her glass with Becca’s.
“Look on the bright side. If you drink enough now, you don’t have to wait until tomorrow to humiliate yourself.”
* * * *
She hadn’t drank nearly enough. Just the one mimosa. Now the men were heading straight for her with matching determined expressions on their faces. There was nowhere to hide. She wouldn’t have the luxury of waiting until the morning.
Travis grabbed her hand and kissed the knuckles. “Dance with me, sweetheart?”
Becca looked hesitantly at Mark, but he waved her on with a smile.
“I’ll stick to the sidelines. I have an old football injury.”
Mark rubbed his knee. Travis pulled her toward the dance area.
“Yeah, a football injury that only flares up when there’s dancing. I’ll take good care of Becca, while you sit there all alone.”
Travis pulled her close to his warm body. His scent surrounded her, and she couldn’t stop her body’s natural reaction. Her nipples were hard beneath the thin silk dress she wore. He was holding her so tightly he could probably feel them through his dress shirt.
“Does he really have a football injury? It would be a little ironic, since he’s an orthopedic surgeon.”
“Naw, he has no rhythm. It’s embarrassing. He can’t even snap his fingers to a beat. It’s pathetic. And he’s not an orthopedic surgeon any longer. He’s a general practitioner now. We’ve left the rat race behind us.”
“Plenty can still be busy. This is the first real vacation I’ve had in a year. A few days here and there don’t really count.”
Travis’s warm hand caressed the skin exposed by the low back of her dress. She felt the tingles all the way to her pussy. His thighs brushed hers as they sensuously moved together. He was a great dancer.
“Mark and I will have to make sure this is a memorable one.”
“It already is. It’s not very often two men ask me to date them.”
“That I find hard to believe. What are those men in Plenty thinking?”
“They’re thinking I’m like a little sister to them.”
Travis leaned forward and brushed her ear with his lips, sending a shiver down her spine. “I don’t feel the least brotherly toward you at all. Not one bit.”
Becca pulled back and looked into Travis’s soft brown eyes. “I think we probably all three need to talk. I have a few concerns or questions, you could say.”
Travis nodded and then held her hand as they walked back to Mark.
“Let’s get your questions answered, then. Let’s grab Mark and find somewhere quiet to talk.”
* * * *
Travis held his breath as the three of them headed for Becca’s hotel room. It was the only place they could find where it was quiet and they could talk in private. The brunch and reception downstairs was in full swing and looked like it could go for hours.
Becca unlocked the door and headed in first, switching on every light in the room despite the bright sunlight pouring through the sliding glass windows. Apparently, she was a little nervous about them being there. They needed to assure her nothing would happen today. They were going to court her like gentlemen. She deserved no less. Besides, Travis was looking forward to romancing her. He and Mark never really got classically romantic with each other. Travis wanted to buy Becca roses, dance in the moonlight, and take her to classy restaurants. If only they had one in Plenty.
Becca stood stiffly in front of the balcony doors.
“So, I guess I have some questions. If you don’t mind answering them.”
Mark sat on the end of the bed while Travis grabbed one of the two chairs at the table. He grabbed Becca’s hand and tugged her down into the other chair.
“Relax, sweetheart. We’re going to be perfect gentlemen today. Nothing is going to happen unless you agree to it. So, ask away.”
Becca looked slightly more relaxed. “How long have you known you wanted a ménage? Why do you want a ménage? I mean, you guys have been together for years.”
Mark and Travis exchanged a look. Travis got Mark’s message immediately. The answers were obviously important to Becca, so Travis, the attorney, would make their case.
* * * *
Mark sat back to watch Travis work his magic. If he could sway a grouchy, sequestered jury, he could convince Becca they weren’t just a couple of bored guys looking to score a piece of ass.
Travis held Becca’s hands and looked straight into her eyes.
“Mark and I love each other very much. We have from practically the first moment we met. Do you know how we met?”
Becca shook her head.
“Our girlfriends were roommates.”
Her brow knitted. “Your girlfriends were roommates? Those poor girls! They thought you liked them when all the time you only wanted each other?”
Travis shook his head.
“No, we did like them. We were dating very nice girls at the time. They wanted to go on a double date, and that’s how we met. I knew Mark was the one before the end of the evening. We transitioned out of our relationships and started dating each other.”
Becca crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips.
“Transitioned? Is that a legal term for dumping someone?”
For the first time in fifteen years, Travis seemed at a loss for words. It appeared convincing one cute little blonde was a whole lot different than convincing twelve jurors. Mark decided to step in.
“We didn’t dump them, sweetheart. In fact, I dated Lori for about a month afterward. She could tell I wasn’t that into her and dumped me. As for Travis’s girlfriend, Stacey, it was very casual between them. They dated a few more times and drifted apart. I can assure you no one was heartbroken. I’m still good friends with Lori and her husband.”
Becca’s body language seemed to relax.
“That sounds better. So when you were both out of the relationships, you started dating?”
Travis nodded. “We were together from that very first date. Mark and I went to a Blackhawks game. We’ve been a couple since then. Our lives are great. But as we were building our careers and decorating our home, something was always missing.”
Mark leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “You. You were missing.”
Becca raised her eyebrows. “Me? You were looking for me? H
ow many girls did you audition before you found me?”
Mark could hear the doubt in her voice. “We have been with women through the years, every now and then. We missed having a woman in our lives. But they never fit in with us. The three personalities, well, they didn’t mesh. You, on the other hand, meshed from the moment we met you. You center and balance our relationship, Becca. We need you to feel complete.”
Travis brought her fingers to his lips. “We didn’t even know living in a ménage was an option until Cassie and Jillian moved to Plenty. We thought our lives would always have something missing. You can’t imagine how we felt when we met you. We just want a chance to show you we’re not playing around with your emotions. We’re serious about making this ménage work.”
Becca was worrying her bottom lip. “Are you bored?”
The question took Mark aback. “Bored? Are you asking if we’re looking for a third because we’re bored with our relationship? Oh, fuck no.”
Travis seconded. “Hell no, pretty girl. Mark and I have a very good relationship, and yes, the sex is still hot. Of course, with you we think it will be scorching.”
Becca’s face turned a lovely shade of pink.
“You say I balance you. How do I do that?”
Travis pointed to Mark. “Mark, here? Outside of the operating room he’s a grab-life-by-the-balls kind of guy. It can make me crazy sometimes. You’d think after all these years I would be used to it, but, shit, I’m not. Do you know he once signed us up to climb Mount Everest? I’m not fucking climbing a mountain where most people die trying it.”
Mark pointed to Travis. “Do you know this guy is so cautious and unspontaneous we have to plan a dinner out at least three hours in advance? And he hates to try anything new. He has to think about it for a month or two before he will try anything. This move to Plenty is the first semispontaneous thing we’ve done in fifteen years. Even then, we’d been talking about making a change in our lives for the last five years. He can drive me up a wall.”
Becca laughed. “And how am I supposed to help this situation? You both sound crazy.”
Travis grinned. “We’re extremes of the spectrum. You’re nicely in the middle. Of course, we realize you might have some extremes, too. We hope we’ll all balance out in the end.”
Becca’s expression grew serious. “What if we don’t?”
Mark pulled her onto his lap. “That’s what dating is for—to find out these things. We just want a chance to get to know you better and for you to get to know us. As we said last night, we know getting involved in an established relationship won’t be easy. But look on the bright side, Trav and I have already worked out our issues over the years.”
Becca looked from Mark to Travis and back. “Okay, we’ll date. I can’t deny I feel something for both of you. If you’re willing to take a chance on me, I’m willing to take a chance on both of you.”
Mark felt the happiness swell in his chest. “You won’t regret this, sweetheart. Trav and I are going to take very good care of you.”
Becca ran her hand down his arm. “How about starting now? We should kiss on the agreement.”
* * * *
A light flared in Mark’s eyes, and she felt a curl of arousal through her belly. She shouldn’t tempt fate with kissing these men in her hotel room, but she couldn’t stop herself. She had been thinking about those kisses from last night all day.
Mark pulled her closer, his intoxicating scent surrounding her. He smelled like sun, ocean, and man. It sent her hormones skittering and her heart pounding. She ran her hands up his arms, over his wide shoulders, and around his neck. His lips were oh so close to her own when she felt a second set of lips caressing the bare skin of her shoulder. Travis pushed her long hair to her other shoulder and rained openmouthed kisses on the nape of her neck. A moan escaped from her lips just as Mark captured them with his own.
His kiss was everything. His lips fit perfectly with her own. His tongue explored her mouth sensually, rubbing against hers and playing tag. When he finally lifted his head, her breath was coming in pants and her heart was beating out of control. Her nipples were painfully tight and her pussy was dripping honey. Travis nipped and licked his way from her neck down the exposed flesh of her shoulders, then back up to her waiting lips.
Travis’s kiss dominated her senses. She could feel his hard muscles underneath her palms. His warm scent tickled her nose. His mouth and tongue staked his claim as her man. She had never felt so small and feminine as with these men. The curl of arousal that had started with Mark coiled tighter, and she pressed herself against Travis, her pussy clenching in desperation. She needed these men inside of her. Her fingers dug into Travis’s shoulders.
Travis pulled back, breathing heavy, his expression stamped with desire.
“We feel the same, little one. But we made a promise to you to act like gentlemen. If you’re ready to make love right now, we’re ready. But I’m not sure you’re ready to jump into bed with us quite yet.”
Was she ready? She had known them for a while now. She wanted them, and it had been so long since she had made love with a man. She pressed herself against Travis again in invitation.
“I want you, both of you.”
Both men looked surprised, but passion quickly took its place. They wanted her, too. Travis tugged her down on the bed with him, his hands burning everywhere he touched. Mark joined them, pressing his hard cock into the seam of her ass while nibbling on her shoulders. She gasped at the twin sensations. She lost herself in just feeling the pleasure with these men. The brush of Mark’s fingers, the tickle of Travis’s hair sent her spiraling higher. But she wasn’t so far gone she didn’t hear the knock on her hotel-room door.
“Hey, girl! Are you in there?”
Jillian.
“Becca, are you in there?”
Cassie.
Becca pulled away regretfully. She had forgotten she had promised Jillian and Cassie she would sightsee with them after the brunch.
“Yeah, hold on.”
Mark and Travis straightened her clothes. Somehow Mark had managed to get the zip of her dress halfway down without her noticing. She opened the door and stood in the opening, not wanting to reveal the two men inside.
“Hey, listen, I’ll be down in a minute. I haven’t changed yet.”
She wasn’t fooling anyone. Jillian took one look at her guilty expression and gave her a knowing smile.
“We’ll wait in the lobby. Give Mark and Trav a kiss from me.”
Becca closed the door and leaned her forehead on the smooth wood. The girls had very few secrets from one another, and the men weren’t going to be one of them apparently. She turned back to see them practically holding their sides to keep in their laughter.
“Find this amusing, do you?”
Mark grinned. “A little. My sister has a dirty mind, babe. No way was she not going to take one look at your face and know we were up to no good in here. I hope you’re not ashamed of us.”
Becca sighed. “Of course not, it just would have been nice to have some privacy. Although, living in a small town should have taught me a long time ago that privacy is hard to come by.”
Travis chuckled. “I promise, babe, when the time comes for us to make love, we’ll have lots of privacy. Deal?”
“Deal.”
The men headed for the door.
“No kiss good-bye?”
Mark pushed an errant strand of hair from her face. “If we kiss you, we won’t get out of here. Have fun with Jillian and Cassie. Motorcade to Plenty leaves at nine tomorrow morning. Don’t be late, sweetheart.”
Mark gave her a wink as they headed for their own room. Becca locked up behind them and leaned against the door in a daze. If the men were half as good at making love as they were at kissing, she was in a hell of a lot of trouble.
Chapter 5
“I want to hear all about the wedding. Was it very romantic?”
Becca was back in Plenty, delivering lunch to Addie and
recounting the weekend for her entertainment. Becca sat down with a sigh and stretched her legs out.
“It was romantic. The ceremony took place on Bridle Lane at sunrise. They all three seemed so in love. They said traditional vows but also wrote some of their own.”
The three were now off on a ten-day honeymoon to Hawaii, and Becca had to admit her own envy. She would love to be off to a tropical paradise with two men she loved.
“They’re in Hawaii for their honeymoon. The way Dad and Steve looked at Ellie—it was wonderful.”
“Were there lots of flowers? I love flowers.”
Addie was more interested in hearing the bridal details than eating the pot roast and asparagus Becca had delivered.
Becca nodded. “Oh yeah, lots of flowers, especially at the reception. Big tropical arrangements with amazing colors. They had tiger lilies. I love tiger lilies.”
Addie nodded in agreement. “Tiger lilies are lovely. What did you wear?”
“Black dress with red flowers. It had spaghetti straps and a low back. I looked hot.”
Becca giggled as she remembered the way Mark and Travis had looked at her. She really wasn’t hot and sexy, but they certainly made her feel that way.
Addie beamed. “I’m sure you did. You’re a lovely young woman. Any luck with the fellas when you were there?”
Becca was a terrible liar. She knew her expression was a dead giveaway.
“You must have had some luck. You have a wonderfully guilty expression on your face. Did you get lucky?”
“Addie!”
Becca’s face flamed at Addie’s outrageous query. Addie just chuckled and waved off her embarrassment.
“Oh heavens, you young people can be so prudish at times. At my age, we don’t have time to beat around the bush and talk in code. Sex is a wonderful thing. It’s even better when you can share it with someone you have feelings for.”
Addie’s eyes twinkled as she leaned forward. “But it’s still pretty good if you don’t.”
Plenty of Love Page 4