by Becca Van
He wanted to wake up with the same woman day in and day out. He wanted to build a life and have children. Both he and Todd were nearly thirty and were sick of meaningless sex. They wanted what their parents had, what the other ménage couples had. They’d been watching the men of this town find the loves of their lives, and that was exactly what Matt wanted, too.
If he told Tiffany that he loved her, would she laugh in his face? Would she get pissed off and look at him as if he’d lost his mind?
He wanted to be able to say those words to her, get down on bended knee, and ask her to marry them, but it was too soon. First he and Todd needed to secure her heart, and then hopefully if, no, when they asked her to be their wife she would say yes.
Matt lifted his head when he heard a sniffle and caught Todd frowning at Tiffany, but neither of them could see her face because she buried it against his neck. He heard her breath hitch, and then he felt moisture land on his skin and knew she was crying.
“Tiffany, look at me, baby.”
She sniffed again but shook her head and tried to bury her face into his neck even more.
Todd sat up behind her, and then between the two of them they sat her up. But she was being stubborn and lowered her head so they couldn’t meet her eyes. Seeing tears quickly tracking down her face caused an ache in his chest and fear in his heart.
Matt reached out for her, but she knocked his hand aside and scrambled to her feet. She looked around frantically, spotted her clothes, and began to pull them on. Her movements were jerky and stilted, and he wracked his brain trying to figure out if he and Todd had done something to hurt or upset her. He couldn’t come up with anything. His mind was a total blank.
He and Todd got to their feet at the same time, and he grabbed her hand as she turned toward the horses.
“Tiffany, what’s wrong, baby? Did we hurt you?” Matt kept his voice soft and calm, as if he was talking to a frightened animal, but that didn’t work because she kept her head lowered and shook her head.
Tiffany used to be such an outgoing person. What had happened to her that stopped her from blurting out whatever was on her mind? He began to get angry. Angry that some arsehole had hurt her or made her feel unworthy for being herself.
She used to be such a chatterbox and talk a mile a minute, telling them every little thing about her day, and he wondered why she was so quiet now.
Matt remembered laying down the law to her a few times because she was in danger of getting hurt. One time she had been flying a kite and the thing had got caught up in a tree branch. When he had seen her up on that thin limb tugging at her kite he’d been so damn scared it was going to break and she would fall and get badly hurt. She’d been totally oblivious to his presence, and although he’d wanted to yell at her he hadn’t said a word in case he’d startle her into falling. He’d waited—ready to catch her if necessary—until she was back on the ground, and when she’d seen him, she’d given him a triumphant smile and held up her kite.
He’d read her the riot act but she’d just scoffed and yelled at him that he wasn’t the boss of her. She had stood up to them more often than not, which he’d loved, but he’d never seen her so meek and mild before, and that scared the shit out of him. Had someone broken her spirit?
What the fuck is going on with you, baby?
Todd grasped her other hand with his and laced their fingers together. “Look at me, Tiffany. Now!”
Tiffany lifted her head, but instead of seeing fire in her eyes like they used to when they’d used that tone of voice, Matt saw dejection. He’d had enough of her hedging and avoidance. He wasn’t putting up with it any longer.
Matt let go of her wrist and placed his hand around the front of her neck. He didn’t hurt her or squeeze her, but he was letting her know without words that he was going to get his way. He was controlling her, and from the breath she sucked in and the way her nostrils flared and her pupils dilated, she liked it.
Todd let go of her hand, walked around behind her, and wrapped an arm around the outside of her upper arm and between her breasts. He pulled her back tight against his body and placed his other hand on her hip.
Matt moved his thumb to the indent at the base of her throat and felt the fast pace of her pulse. It looked like their woman liked being controlled, and he would test that theory at another time, but for now he needed to know why she was so upset.
The tears had dried on her cheeks, and as he watched, her sadness turned to anger.
“Why were you crying?”
She turned her head and looked away, but he wasn’t about to allow that. Using his free hand, he gripped her chin between his thumb and index finger in a firm grip but made sure not to exert too much pressure so he didn’t hurt her or leave a mark on her soft skin.
“We’re not letting you go until you explain to us why you were so upset,” Todd said in a quiet voice.
“I don’t need to explain anything to you,” she snapped.
Matt felt frustration at her refusal to talk to them, but he couldn’t force her. Maybe he should wait until she was more comfortable around them again before asserting his dominance. It wasn’t that he wanted to dominate her, not really, but he and Todd had been brought up to communicate and talk their problems out, and so had Tiffany. So why in tarnation was she baulking this time? Was it because they had been apart for so long? Did she think they would judge her somehow? He was about to release her and step back, but when he looked at Todd, his brother gave a slight shake of his head.
Matt took a deep breath and tried to rationalize what his brother wanted from him. But it was the thought of letting Tiffany go that lodged a ball of anxiety in his gut and made it difficult to swallow.
For some reason he had a premonition, an intuition or a feeling that if they let Tiffany walk away from them right now, then their chance of being with her and building a solid, loving relationship with her would be gone.
And that was definitely something he couldn’t and wouldn’t live with.
Chapter Eight
Tiffany felt like a bird in a cage. Totally trapped but not in a bad way. With their hard bodies pressed to hers, their wonderful masculine scents assailing her nostrils, and the heat emanating from them, she was lost in sensory overload.
They’d already gotten under her skin, and she cursed her lack of will to keep them at an arm’s length. But resisting them when she’d loved them for so long just seemed to be an impossibility. At least for her.
She shivered when she saw the determination in Matt’s eyes and wondered what the hell she should do. If she told them how she felt and they only wanted her to slake their lust with, she would make a complete and utter fool of herself. But if she had the courage to tell them she loved them, they might just say they cared for her back out of obligation. Tiffany was in a quandary. Did she or didn’t she tell them why she had cried?
“Baby, don’t you know that we would do anything for you?” Matt’s thumb stroked the side of her neck, and goose bumps rose up all over her skin. Her nipples hardened and her pussy clenched. How could these two men get her body to respond just by touching her?
Because you love them, you idiot.
“We’ve looked out for you since you were a little girl, honey,” Todd said against her ear, and she had to work really hard not to show the shudder that worked its way up her spine. It was also hard to get her brain into gear when all she wanted to do was let go and place her body, mind, and soul into their care. “Please talk to us so we can help you.”
“I’m not a kid anymore,” Tiffany said a little belligerently. “I don’t need you taking care of me. I have been on my own for four years. I don’t need your help.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, baby. Everyone needs help now and then.” Matt’s thumb caressed her pulse point at the base of her neck. “You can deny it all you want, but we know you’re attracted to us. We know you have feelings for us. We can see it in your eyes every time you look at us.”
“Of course
I have feelings for you.” Tiffany tried to wriggle out of their hold, but she should have known her efforts would be futile. Even though they held her firmly neither of them hurt her in any way. She loved being between them, being controlled by them, but there was no way in hell she would let them know that. “We grew up together. You’re like my brothers.”
Tiffany bit her lip at that lie. They were nothing like brothers and never would be. They didn’t share blood or family in any way, shape, or form.
The gentleness left Matt’s face, and his expression turned to anger. He tipped her head up and then slammed his mouth down over hers. She couldn’t help but groan when his tongue pushed into her mouth and slid along hers. With every brush of his lips, every glide of his tongue, her arousal grew and she fell a little more into him. By the time he broke the kiss and lifted his head, she was panting heavily and so turned on the ache, the need inside her womb and pussy, as well as her heart and soul, was nearly all-consuming.
“Don’t you ever lie about what we feel for each other again,” Matt snapped. “We aren’t related.”
Does that mean they actually care for me other than being their neighbour? What do they want from me? Blood?
“You still love us, don’t you, munchkin?” Todd whispered against her ear. “Do you think we don’t know you wouldn’t have let us touch you the way we did unless you cared deeply for us?”
“We know you, Tiffany.” Matt leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips, and she couldn’t help but respond and sigh at the contact. “You wouldn’t have let us that close to you unless you loved us. We aren’t letting you get away from us this time. We want it all with you and…”
Todd cursed when his mobile phone started ringing. He released his hold on Tiffany and stepped back to remove his phone from his belt clip and answer the call. Matt dropped his hand from her neck and hip and glanced at his brother.
Tiffany could hear the tension in Todd’s voice as he spoke into the phone and a moment later disconnected the call. Todd walked up next to her and clasped her hand, his expression so serious. He had a worried look in his eyes. Her heart began to pound as he looked at her. A knot of anxiety formed in her gut and her breathing escalated. She knew whatever he was about to say wasn’t going to be good.
“We have to head back to your place, honey. Your grandma has taken a turn for the worse. Mum and Dad have called an ambulance.”
Tears instantly hit her eyes, and she covered her mouth when a sob escaped. She didn’t think she could speak around the lump of emotion in her throat, and her knees felt like they were about to buckle out from underneath her. Matt must have seen her problem because the next thing she knew she was being swept up into his arms and he was carrying her toward the horses. He passed her up to his brother, and Todd settled her in front of him on the horse. Matt grabbed the reins of her horse, and then they were galloping back toward her childhood home.
Tiffany’s mind was in chaos the whole ride back to the house. Was this it? Was her grandma going to die? Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she did nothing to stop them. When she saw her grandmother, she would be dry-eyed and strong for her, but she let the emotions out now so she could contain them for the woman who had been her mother.
Tiffany was half off the horse when Matt’s hands clasped her waist and lifted her down. If he hadn’t kept his hands on her, she would have stumbled. Her heart stuttered in her chest when she saw the back end of the ambulance on the driveway to her grandma’s house, and she pushed Matt’s hands off her and took off running toward the back door.
Shirley and Richard were sitting at the table in the kitchen with steaming mugs of coffee in front of them and looked up when Tiffany burst through the door. Shirley had tears in her eyes, and they were red rimmed from crying. Richard’s face was pale and taut with tension.
When Richard saw her, he rose to his feet and walked toward her. He pulled her into his arms and held onto her. “I’m sorry, honey, but she’s not going to make it this time.”
Tiffany drew in a deep breath, pulled away from Richard, and nodded. All she wanted to do was cry, but her grandmother needed her more than ever. Straightening her spine and pushing her shoulders back, she headed for her grandma’s room. Her legs nearly buckled again when she saw the paramedics monitoring her, wires attached, and a mask covering her grandma’s mouth and nose.
She hesitated a moment but locked her knees into place, and even though she didn’t remember moving, a moment later she was standing at her grandmother’s bedside. The two paramedics moved aside, and Tiffany sat on the edge of the bed and took the frail hand into her own.
Her grandma’s eyes fluttered, and then they opened. She attempted to reach for the mask over her face, but her arm fell back limply at her side. Tiffany looked at one of the men who were taking care of her and raised her eyebrow in an unspoken question. The man nodded at her, and Tiffany removed the mask from her grandma’s face. Her lips moved, but she spoke so quietly Tiffany couldn’t hear what she was saying. She leaned down and placed her ear close to her beloved grandma’s face.
“Tell them you love them, child. They love you, too. They’ll make you so happy, Tiffany. Promise me you’ll do this.” Her grandma’s voice was so quiet and frail, fear clutched at her heart. Tiffany swallowed audibly and tried to speak but couldn’t get the words out, so she nodded her head.
“Good girl.” Her grandma’s fingers moved around her hand as if she was trying to squeeze it, but she had no strength left.
Tiffany couldn’t stop the tears from tracking down her cheeks, but she strengthened her voice so hopefully her grandmother didn’t realize how much she was hurting inside.
“I love you, Grandma. You’ve been my mother and father for so long. You took such good care of me and showed me so much love. It’s okay to go to sleep now. I’ll be fine.”
“I love you, too, daughter,” her grandma whispered, and then her eyes closed.
Tiffany listened for each breath and watched the rise and fall of her parent’s chest until finally it lay still. How long she sat there at her grandmother’s side, she didn’t know, but when the coroner finally came, she found the strength to get to her feet and walk out of the bedroom.
She didn’t want to see or speak to anyone, so she headed for her bedroom and lay on her bed, curled into a ball, and let the tears and grief come.
Chapter Nine
The next week passed in a blur for Tiffany, but through it all Matt and Todd stood beside her, as well as Shirley and Richard. The funeral was over, but now the house was filled with people and all she wanted to do was sleep. She was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open.
Heat pressed against her back, and she didn’t have to look to know it was Matt, and then Todd was at her side taking her hand in his. They guided her toward the hall and into her bedroom. She stood still and quiet while they removed her clothes, leaving her in her bra and panties, and then she was lifted into strong, reliable arms and placed on the bed. She heard rustling, and then Matt and Todd climbed into bed with her in their boxer shorts and sandwiched her between them.
She closed her eyes and slept.
* * * *
“I hate seeing her like this. She’s in so much pain and barely functioning.”
“Yeah,” Todd said in a voice hoarse with emotion. “She’s like a lost little girl.”
“We have to tell her how much we love her.” Matt sighed. “We need to let her know she’s not alone.”
“I agree,” Todd said. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”
“Hell, I don’t know, but I don’t want her left alone.” Matt lifted his head from the pillow so he could see his brother’s face. “We either get her to move into our place on the farm or we move in here.”
“We may need to give her more time to get over her grief.” Todd leaned on his hand and stared down at Tiffany’s face. She had dark marks beneath her eyes, and she was far too pale. She’d also lost weight. It was time he and Matt stepped up t
o the plate and told her how things were going to be. She was going to be their wife, and they would look after her for the rest of their lives.
Todd was so in love with her he didn’t know how much longer he could hold the words back, and from the longing look on his brother’s face, he was in the same boat. Tiffany was theirs, and they weren’t going to give another man or men the chance to woo her.
Tiffany sighed and shifted in her sleep. Todd could see her eyeballs moving beneath her closed lids and knew that she was dreaming. He just hoped that she wasn’t dreaming about anything bad.
“Love…Matt…Todd…”
Todd glanced up at Matt and saw the slow smile spread across his brother’s face and knew he probably looked just as sappy. Todd’s heart and soul filled with elation. He was so damn happy he wanted to shout with glee and then strip Tiffany’s underwear from her body and bury his hard cock into her until they both screamed with bliss. But he wouldn’t do any of those things. At least not yet, because Tiffany needed her sleep to recuperate.
“How long do we give her?” Todd whispered his question so as not to wake their woman.
“Let’s play it by ear,” Matt replied just as quietly. “But now we know for sure that she still loves us, she’s not getting away. We start courting her in earnest.”
Todd nodded. “I think we should move in here. We’ve been staying for the last week anyway. You and I both know that she’ll put her foot down if we try to order her to come home with us. Plus once she’s ready for more, there will be more privacy here.”
“I like the way you think, bro.”
“She’s gonna want to find work.”
“We both know that she doesn’t need to work. We have more than enough money to buy her anything she wants,” Matt said.
“That’s not the point, Matt. Tiffany is an independent woman and will want to work. Besides, you and I both know how much she loves fixing cars. She used to help Dad with all the maintenance on the farm vehicles and equipment.”