Mitchell, Ava and Holiday, Sydney - A Bride for Two Tycoons [Male Order, Texas 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by A Bride for Two Tycoons, Part 1

  “So this is her, Garrett?” Dalton’s head dipped down and up again, as if he were assessing her.

  “Our date was magical, Garrett. You told me I was beautiful!” Darla whined.

  Madeline cringed. Of course Garrett would think a woman like that was beautiful. Of course. Those were the kinds of perfectly sculpted women who ran around and married men like him for their looks and their money.

  “And you are, Darla,” Garrett answered smoothly, “but…”

  “It’s her, isn’t it?” Darla glared at Madeline over the men’s shoulders.

  “Yes,” Dalton answered, his voice cold, “and don’t ever think to threaten her again. You need to leave, now, before I lose my patience.”

  No wonder Garrett did all the talking with crazed women. Dalton would just make them snap completely from all his cold, haughty disdain. Bea and Madeline glanced at each other, and the elated look on Bea’s face said it all to Madeline.

  Darla raised her chin and started walking backward, an angry fist in the air. “Fine. But you will rue the day you got between Darla and her man. Rue!” Her right eye twitched, and even under all of her sweet perfume the woman wore, Madeline could smell the crazy as Darla strutted out of the room.

  The room buzzed with energy even with the awkward silence that had descended upon it. Madeline glanced around and saw that the rest of the people stared at their four-person circle, and she felt her whole body blushing. But then, just like they had when she walked into the room for the first time, everyone politely turned away and started conversing with the person next to them.

  “Well, so much for your matchmaking business, Bea. I’m sorry.” Garrett actually managed to look contrite when he said it.

  “No, Garrett. If anything, I’m more determined than ever. Did you see how intense it was? God, I’m good. This just let me know that I can bring passion into people’s lives.”

  “Yeah, and now we have crazy, pissed-off Darla. Great passion there, Bea. Just great.” Dalton’s tone dripped with checked anger.

  “Oh, please. I need to start branching out to different areas of the state. These Male Order wannabes can be a little crazy when they don’t get what they want. Ugh, the nerve of that girl,” Bea quipped, her hand on her hip.

  Dalton grunted. “Speaking from experience?”

  Bea scoffed and narrowed her eyes at him. “I resent that, Dalton.”

  “I really don’t care, Bea. After that scene, all I want to do is get Madeline back home.” His gaze fell upon Madeline as her world started swimming. “Are you all right?”

  She rubbed her eyes, taking care not to smear her makeup, and blinked. She didn’t know if it was all the alcohol or sugar on an empty stomach, her previous nerves, or being assaulted, but Madeline suddenly didn’t feel quite right again. Her mouth felt dry and her tongue thick and sandpapery.

  “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a little startled, I guess.”

  He gave her a light smile, and it lit up his entire face.

  A wave of drowsiness swept over her, and she straightened her back to steady herself. Bea touched Madeline’s wrist.

  “Hey. You sure you’re okay?”

  Up this close, Madeline saw that Bea’s eyes were just as intense as Dalton’s, but her lips were as full and expressive as Garrett’s.

  Madeline nodded emphatically. “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little adrenaline aftereffect, I guess. That’s never happened before. I mean, we get some crazy parents every now and then, but I’ve never had another woman get in my face about a man.”

  “You mean men,” Bea supplied.

  “Oh. Right. Men.” As her head started feeling light and airy, Madeline stepped into Dalton’s body and leaned against him. “I think I might need to go home.”

  “How many bellinis did our sister force you to have?” Though Garrett’s words were joking, his tone was serious.

  Madeline turned her chin up and gave them a weak smile. “I’m not a big drinker.”

  “Are you sure it was a Bellini and not a screwdriver, Bea?” Garrett asked as he moved to close the Ellis circle around Madeline.

  “Well, that’s insulting. Of course I know it’s a bellini, Garrett. Please. I know my alcohol. Besides, she’s wearing most of what she had in her last glass, so that’s one serving she didn’t have.”

  The same bitter taste from before that coated her tongue now seemed to be thickening in her throat, making it difficult to swallow. Madeline struggled to breathe, and it took all her energy to stay standing.

  Dalton’s eyes narrowed, and he looked at his sister. “Are you all right, Bea? Who gave you your drinks?”

  “I’m fine,” she answered. “It must’ve been the water. I don’t ever drink tap water. Who does? I don’t know what’s wrong with her. The same waitress gave us both of our drinks. Didn’t you see her? She was a big girl.”

  “What waitress, Bea?” Dalton’s voice tightened, and he gripped Madeline’s shoulders. “For all we know, someone—Darla, even—put something in her drink.”

  Madeline swayed in his grip, and she locked her knees to keep from collapsing on the floor. She buried her fingers in his suit jacket and took a deep breath to calm herself, but when her vision swam, she started panicking again.

  “Dalton…”

  He pulled her into his embrace, and as she buried her face in his hard chest, his warmth and strength washed over her, calming her shaking body. His arms wrapped around her like steel manacles, though his touch was gentle. He said something about a car over her head to someone, but her eyelids felt so heavy, her eyes so dry, and everything sounded like voices coming through over radio static.

  The world tipped, and her feet slipped off the ground. She struggled to right herself, but a rock held her in place.

  “It’s all right, Madeline,” Dalton said in her ear. “I’ve got you. You’re fine. I’m just getting you to the car.”

  Her world started spinning and sloshing, and she needed something to hold on to. She tried to hug herself against Dalton’s big, hard body, but her limp arms would not move. Finally, she gave up and let the blackness drown her.

  Chapter Six

  Madeline floated in a cool lavender breeze, the gentle wind caressing her skin like a lover. She breathed in deep and snuggled into her pillow—

  Wait.

  Her eyes flew open, and she brushed her wild mane of hair out of her face. Where in the hell was she? How the hell did she get here?

  She slowly sat up and glanced around, the room gradually coming into focus—the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the expensive, lavish furnishings—and realized she was either in a fancy hotel or at the Ellis family compound.

  Madeline fell back into the sheets and came to the conclusion that this was the softest bed she had ever had the privilege of being in. The sheets were so cool and soft, and the lavender scent went straight to her head, making her relax her tensed muscles.

  She heard voices coming from the other side of the door and knew, regardless of where she was, the Ellises were close by. Madeline strained her ears to hear. A male voice said, “Beulah…Beulah” in perfect Ferris Bueller intonation. The voice did it again, and Madeline recognized it as Garrett’s. Of course he would make fun of his sister like that. Why in the hell would someone name their daughter Beulah? That was just asking for Garrett to make fun of her.

  “I told you never to call me that, you ass!” Bea screeched. “I’m leaving! Madeline’s alive, and I have donated my clothing to your cause. I’m done. I’ll see you at the benefit.”

  A door slammed, and Garrett’s laughter rang throughout the house, but Madeline’s glee from their lighthearted joking froze. What the hell was she going to do about this situation? How was she supposed to get her non-profit off the ground when all her thoughts were of Dalton and Garrett, and all she wanted was for them to see her the way she saw them—sexy, brilliant, beautiful. There was no time in her life right now for a relationship with one man, let alone two, but she wanted them, yearned for them w
henever she was alone. Both of them. Together. Perhaps that made her crazy, but she was beyond caring. And she was beyond hoping that anything would ever happen or work out between the three of them. Who was she to think she could belong in their world, and what made her think they wanted her there, anyway. Besides, there was so much to do with the non-profit, so many things to set up, so many meetings, so many children and parents depending on her.

  God, this was hopeless. It was time to nip all of these ridiculous feelings in the bud and get back to business.

  Her heart deflated as the door opened and Dalton walked in, holding a tray loaded with food. His shirt clung to the muscles in his arms and chest, making her head spin from something other than whatever put her in this bed in the first place.

  His gaze landed on her, and he smiled. A real smile. “You’re awake.”

  She nodded and gathered the sheets closer to her chest. Her nipples, among other things, came to life when he flashed her that damn smile of his, and she had no desire for him to see her free-boobing it so early in the morning, especially when she was wearing—

  Oh, shit.

  Madeline pulled the covers back from her chest to take a peek. Now she knew what Bea had been talking about when she said something about clothing. She was dressed in some sort of oversized girl tank, but since Bea preferred her clothes on the tight side, the shirt made Madeline’s boobs look extra large. She snapped the sheets back up to her collarbone when Dalton drew closer.

  “What happened?” she asked when he set the tray on the nightstand.

  “I don’t know yet.” Dalton’s back was to her, but his voice was hard. When he faced her, his jaw was set in a hard, firm line. “But Garrett and I will find out. Did you see anyone who looked weird or out of place?”

  Madeline thought back, but nothing caught her attention. Out of everyone there, it seemed that she was the only one who did not belong at that lunch. Brunch. Whatever it was.

  “No.” She shook her head. “Nothing. And it happened so quickly.” She looked up at him and saw he was stewing in his own juices. “Thank God you were there. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t.”

  Dalton’s jaw ticked. “Don’t focus on that. You’re perfectly healthy and you’re safe. That’s what’s important. We had our family physician come and check you out right away. He said you were probably drugged, but based on the stability of your vital signs, the drugs probably just had to work themselves out of your system on their own.”

  Anger rolled off him in waves, making the air pulse around him. Her clit started thrumming. He was so beautiful, so magnetic when he was angry. So dangerous. His face needed a good shave, and there were circles under his eyes, but they only served to make their color stand out like a neon light. He had changed from the suit he wore to the luncheon. His clothing was more relaxed now, and the first few buttons on his shirt were undone, giving her a glimpse of his chest hair. Madeline suddenly felt that this moment was strangely intimate because of it. His corporate costume was off now, and only Dalton stood next her. Not Mr. Dalton Ellis. Her fingers and lips ached to touch and explore.

  He sat on the bed next to her, and the mattress dipped with his weight, making her slide toward him, close enough that she could smell his male spice and cologne.

  “I didn’t know what you liked, so I had our cook prepare a few things for you. There’s tea, scones, eggs, fruit, bottled water. Everything.”

  She laid her hand on Dalton’s arm and felt his hard muscles underneath his shirt. “Thank you. Thank you for taking care of me. How long was I out?”

  “All day yesterday.”

  “Wait, what? It’s tomorrow?”

  His lips curled into a wry smile. “Yes. It’s almost eight in the morning.” The grating in his voice made her wonder if he even slept at all.

  “Oh, my God.”

  Terrified she had worn out her welcome, she tried to get out of bed, but Dalton just pressed her back into the pillows. “No. Stay as long as you want. In fact, I’d rather you stay here until we’ve found the son of a bitch who did this to you.”

  His words, stated with purpose and passion, let her know he would not accept no for an answer. She decided she needed to try anyway. “Dalton, I can’t do that. I can’t intrude on your lives like this, and—”

  Dalton’s eyes flashed. “You won’t be intruding.”

  “Of course I will be! You don’t want some gimp hanging around you, messing up your game.”

  He looked at the ceiling and then down at her, his brow raised and his lips tightening in the corners in a way that made her want to lick them. “There is no game, Madeline.”

  “Okay, fine. Garrett’s game,” she teased.

  Garrett popped his head in the door. “Ah, so the sleeping beauty is awake.”

  Madeline felt herself blushing from her chin to her toes. He looked at her as though she were lying there naked and spread out for their enjoyment. She started wondering who, exactly, had changed her out of her Bellini-soaked dress.

  Garrett strutted right into the room and shut the door behind him, making the room seem so much smaller now. Not that the room was small by any means. But with the two of them in there with her together and the door closed, the walls seemed to inch closer and closer to her until the air felt hot and thick. Their manly scents pervaded the enclosed space and mixed with the lavender-scented sheets, forming a heady combination that made her pussy wet. Never had she encountered two men who smelled so good all the time. She did not even think such a thing was possible, but the Ellis brothers seemed intent on proving her wrong about almost everything she knew—and about firing up her long-dormant urges.

  When Garrett reached the bed, he plopped onto it and stretched out next to her. His long, lean, athletic body was about a foot longer than hers, making her feel dainty and small compared to his excessive size. It seemed everything about the Ellis brothers was excessive—their money, their good looks, their broad shoulders and chests.

  “So who was that Darla lady?” she asked when she could not take the buzzing in her body from the sexual tension anymore.

  Dalton snickered. “That’s all on you, Garrett.”

  Garrett gave a great, martyred sigh. “I really hate how you get out of Bea’s set-ups. It’s not fair.”

  “I’m the oldest. I get special treatment. And besides, I don’t hear you complaining all the time.”

  “Well, this one is particularly disturbed. More like profoundly disturbed.” He pointed to Madeline with his chin. “Obviously.”

  “So you went on a date with her?” Madeline found it hard to believe Garrett would want a crazy woman on his hands.

  Garrett plucked her hand out of her lap and massaged her inner wrist with his thumb. “Yeah, I went on a date with her. I was trying to fulfill my brotherly obligations to my pesky twin sister. The dates don’t usually end with the girl going all female praying mantis on my ass.”

  Madeline had a pretty good idea about how the dates usually ended, and she was sure any woman Garrett touched would purr the day away like a well-fed kitten.

  “So how did the date go? Why is she so angry with you?”

  Garrett turned his head on the pillow and looked at her. “She was pretty horrible, if I do say so myself. It was actually that day we first met at the arboretum. I was desperate for a way to get out of there. I even dressed like a grungy frat boy to make a bad impression.”

  “Oh, so that’s why you looked so terrible.” An image of Garrett darting around the botanical grounds in those awful shorts popped in her mind.

  Dalton chuckled beside her. “Seems like your bag of tricks is running low, Garrett.”

  Garrett rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I saw that little girl needing help, so I shot out of there real quick. It happened by chance that I saw you, but I don’t know, something happened, and I knew I had to talk to you.”

  Something fluttered in her stomach. “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah. I think it was the way your s
kirt hiked up your legs when you reached for that damn bear.” The look of pure glee on his smug face made Madeline’s hand itch to slap it. Instead, she covered her face with her hands. “I wasn’t the only one looking, you know. The security guard was pretty taken with you, too.”

  She uncovered her face. “No! No, he was not!”

  Garrett grinned, showing off his perfectly straight teeth. “Oh, yeah, babe. He was checking out your, um, assets.”

  “Well, so much for putting that delicately, Garrett,” Dalton said wryly.

  “What? I’m just telling her the truth.”

  “No, no, it’s fine,” Madeline protested. “I’m just a little embarrassed. I must have looked terrible!”

  Dalton lay down, rolled onto his side, and pinned her with those intense eyes of his. “You’re always beautiful.” He reached for the cloth bunched between her fingers and peeled the sheets from her body slowly, deliberately. “Your skin is so creamy and delicate.” He moved in and brushed his lips over her shoulder. “So soft.” A shadow of something she didn’t understand swept over his features. “I won’t ever let anyone hurt you again.”

  Madeline’s heart swelled and then jumped into her throat and stayed there as Dalton exposed more of her body to their gazes. Her flesh was so hot and sensitive that the air puckered her skin into goose bumps.

  Down the sheet went until it pooled at her knees. She lay there completely open and exposed between two huge, virile men who looked more like hungry, savage wolves than men at the moment. They seemed to grow bigger, broader, until their bodies were like hard walls of living flesh surrounding her. Dalton’s hand slid up from her knee and up her thigh, hooking under the material of her borrowed top and pulling it up to her hips. She turned to her side, arching into him. Dalton’s hand skimmed the sensitive flesh between her ass cheeks, and when she flinched, he used a bolder touch, his body language letting her know he would have his way.

  Dalton hovered above her, his weight supported by one meaty arm as the other one traversed her body, pushing more insistently between her cheeks until his finger grazed her asshole. “Garrett told me no one has touched you here.” Dalton’s eyes burned as he gazed down at her.