Wild Storm [Werewolves of Forever, Texas 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jane Jamison

  “Neither can I,” added Rent with a mouthful of his own.

  “Maybe we didn’t have to wait as long as we did.”

  Beckett hadn’t wanted to wait, but his older brothers had overruled him. They’d sensed that Stormy was their mate the first moment they’d walked into the diner and gotten within ten feet of her. The instinctual connection between a werewolf and his prospective mate never failed. Their skin had sizzled with their need for her.

  But she’d been more skittish than a wild pony during a thunderstorm. His brothers had argued that if they approached her too soon, she’d take off and they’d lose her for good. So they’d given her time. Time to get settled into the rental home, time to get Jazz enrolled in school for the fall, and time to get used to living in a small town. Jackson Carr had done a background check on her because of the rental—although he’d never told her that—and had found out that she’d lived in Atlanta. They’d figured that moving from a large city to a small town had to take a bit of adjusting to get used to.

  “Naw. She’s still jumpy around us. Hell, no matter how many times we get waited on by her, she still seems nervous as hell. That’s not even counting all the times we’ve bumped into her on the street to talk to her. She’s wound up tighter than a preacher at a whore convention. She might not have waited on us today if Milly hadn’t insisted.” Rent poured hot sauce over his eggs. He poured hot sauce on almost everything he ate.

  “Then there was Jazz to consider.”

  Ty was right. They had no clue how to deal with a teenage girl. Although she was a spirited young thing, they’d gotten the impression that they should handle her with care. The kid had gone through a lot in her short life, the worst of which was having no father to speak of.

  Beckett shook his head when Ty offered to pass the plate of biscuits to him. “Well, at least it’s starting to happen now.”

  “So what are we doing for the date?”

  Ty had a good point. “I thought we’d make her dinner at her place and rent a movie. Either that or we’ll have to consider driving a ways to find a real restaurant and theater.”

  “Beckett’s right. We can’t expect her to eat at the place she works.” Rent covered another biscuit with hot sauce.

  “Do you think she’s felt it?” He hoped it was a ridiculous question. Intended mates were supposed to feel the connection just like they did.

  “She did. I caught her pulse when I took her hand at the diner.”

  “That doesn’t mean a thing, Rent. That just means she was excited about other stuff, like having her daughter sit on Beckett’s bike. Or worried that she was leaving her post in the diner.” He didn’t really believe what he’d said, but he needed to hear his brothers contradict his excuses.

  “Naw. Take my word for it. I could feel her shudder.”

  “Maybe that was her reaction to you. You know, as in grossing her out.” Beckett made a got you back face and caught the biscuit Rent tossed at him. “Okay, fine. We agree. She’s felt it, too. But then how has she resisted us for so long?”

  “We haven’t exactly forced the issue, you know.” Ty sat back and wiped his mouth.

  Beckett saw the same idea on both of their faces. “Then I guess it’s time we push her.”

  “He’s right.” Rent stood and took his plate to the sink.

  The sink was like the rest of the kitchen, worn and outdated. Battered cabinets and a cracked tiled countertop fit right in with the torn linoleum floor and older appliances. They didn’t need one, so they’d never gotten a dishwasher. But they’d learned from their mother, so the kitchen was neat and clean.

  “So this Saturday then. We take her.”

  “Remember. You’re talking about taking her to bed. Not about changing her.” Ty’s eyebrows went up. “I don’t think she could handle finding out about us that quick.”

  “Agreed.”

  “And what about Jazz? We can’t take her mom to bed with her in the house.”

  “Maybe we can get one of her friends to invite her over for the night.”

  “I guess. She’s friendly with the Martin girl, isn’t she?” Beckett had seen Jazz with Jebb Martin’s teen the other day. As far as he knew, Julie was a good kid, but he had to wonder if she’d out herself to Jazz. No one could be sure of anything with a teenage werewolf.

  “I think we have a plan, men.” Ty dumped his plate into the sink. “Your turn for the dishes, Beckett.”

  “Figures. We should’ve eaten at Milly’s.” Rising, he went to the sink and started the water. As he washed, his mind drifted to Stormy.

  They hadn’t planned on their intended mate having a child, but that wouldn’t deter them. He was glad her father wasn’t in the picture even if that seemed selfish on his part. At least as far as Stormy was concerned. Still, he found it difficult to understand how any man could let his child grow up without him. As far as he was concerned, any man who could leave Stormy and her child to fend for themselves was a Grade-A jerk.

  * * * *

  Milly grabbed another shirt out of the suitcase she’d brought from her home and tossed the top at Stormy. “Here. Try this one on and let me see if it works better.”

  Stormy held the sparkly green halter top in front of her. “Are you sure I shouldn’t wear a dress?”

  Milly shook her head, the overhead light picking up the subdued highlights in her blonde hair. Her hair color reminded Stormy of Beckett’s. Ty’s and Rent’s hair was blond, too, but a bit darker than Beckett’s. Still, if anyone had the market cornered on good looks, it was the Malone brothers.

  “You have to remember that this is Forever and not Atlanta. We rarely dress up for anything around here. Save the dress for the dance next week.”

  “Why? I’m not going.”

  “Like hell you’re not.” Milly narrowed her eyes at her. “If you don’t go willingly, I’ll make you work and serve food there.”

  “You wouldn’t.” She’d gotten to know Milly well during the past weeks since she’d started working for her, but she wasn’t sure that her boss wouldn’t do what she threatened to do.

  “Try me. You need to get out, and I’m going to make it my top priority to see that you do. Now, back to the outfit for your date.”

  She held up the top again and bit her lower lip. “I don’t know. I haven’t worn anything this revealing in a long time.”

  Milly pulled at the hem of Stormy’s T-shirt. “Then it’s high time that you let the girls out to play. Take this off and put it on.”

  She did as she was told, shimmying into the silky shirt. The material hugged her in all the right places, showing off the curve of her waist as well as her cleavage. Even she thought she looked good. But was it too much?

  “Wow. Who knew you had those babies under there?”

  Stormy blushed at the compliment. “I don’t know about this. I’m not sure I feel comfortable showing so much skin. What will Jazz think?”

  “Being gussied up for a date has nothing to do with comfort. And as far as Jazz goes, she needs to start realizing that her mother is still a woman. If she doesn’t like it, she’ll get over it soon enough.”

  “I don’t know. Don’t you think these jeans are too tight?” But she liked the way she looked in her outfit.

  “Jeans can never be too tight. Not in Texas.” Milly fluffed Stormy’s hair. “Now, what are you thinking about doing with your hair?”

  “My hair? I guess I was going to wear it the same way I always do.”

  “You mean tied back with a rubber band? Oh, hell, no.” Milly waved her hand. “The outfit’s good, but we’re going to take care of this mess. No rubber bands for you tonight, girl. You’re going full-on vixen.”

  “But I’m not a vixen. I wouldn’t even know how to be one.”

  “Don’t worry about that part. It’ll come natural.”

  The warmth of her blush spread up her neck and into her cheeks. “I don’t think so. Not that I need to worry. Nothing sexual is going to happen.”

&nbs
p; “Holy hell. You need more help than I thought.” Milly tugged her back to sit on the edge of Stormy’s bed. “I’m going to give it to you straight out. We don’t play games around here. The men in Forever don’t waste time getting a woman into bed.”

  Stormy sucked in a breath. “But we haven’t even gone on a date yet.”

  “That doesn’t matter. You’ve been on all the Malone brothers’ radar for the past month. You were new and shy so they let you be. That’s saying a lot right there.”

  Would dating Rent tonight cause a problem between him and his brothers? Did his brothers like her, too? What would it be like to have three sexy men wanting her? But she couldn’t be with three men at the same time. Could she?

  An image of the three Malone brothers lying around her in bed assaulted her. They’d caress her, running their hands over her body, using their fingers to explore every crevice. She could almost feel the textures of their tongues slide over her. Blue eyes would lock onto her face, her breasts, and her pussy. Beckett would slide between her legs and push them apart. His mouth on her clit would overwhelm her remaining insecurities and she’d reach out for Ty’s and Rent’s cocks, taking turns as she sucked them inside her mouth.

  But what was Milly saying? She jerked out of her fantasy and focused on her friend again.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that’s what’s on the agenda tonight. But—and you need to listen to me hard now—if I were you and I had a chance to hop into bed, I’d damn well do it.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie, I don’t mean to get hard with you, but you don’t know a lot of things. You need to trust me on this. No one’s going to think badly of you if you do. It’s been a long time coming. Forget all the outdated moral crap you may have grown up with. If you feel like it, then act on it.”

  Could she have sex with Rent? She’d only spoken to him and his brothers a few times, but every time she got near them, she wanted them more and more. Could she for once really let go and have some fun?

  “Which brings up the issue of protection.”

  “Milly, I really don’t think anything’s going to happen.”

  Milly scoffed. “We’ll see. But just in case, do you have anything?”

  The flush of warmth raced into her cheeks. “Um, I use an IUD.”

  Milly’s eyebrows shot up. “Stormy Stevens, have you been holding out on me?”

  “No, no. I’ve had it a few years now. I got it to help control my period flow.”

  “Oh. Well, just remember it’s good for sex, too. So that’s a good thing.”

  “I guess.”

  “If you like, I can take Jazz home with me for the night.”

  Stormy breathed a sigh of relief at the change of subject. “That’s so nice of you, but it’s okay. She’s having a sleepover at a friend’s house.” Was it still called a sleepover when the girls were teenagers? From the way Jazz had glared at her when she’d called it that, it wasn’t.

  “Good deal.” Milly was on her feet and dragging her into the bathroom. “Let’s get busy and fix that mop of yours. Time’s running out.”

  * * * *

  Stormy tugged on the sides of the green halter top and hoped she hadn’t made a mistake in wearing it. She didn’t want to give the wrong impression to Rent. Or did she?

  After Milly’s lecture on having a good time, she hadn’t thought about much else. The idea of having Rent in her bed was a wonderful dream, but was it one she could let happen? An hour after she’d finished getting ready for the date and Milly had gone, she’d found herself changing the sheets on her bed. She’d even set candles around the room, thinking that it set a romantic mood, and then put them away. If—and it was a big if—she wound up in bed with Rent, she didn’t want to let herself think of it as anything more than it was. A simple good-time romp. Putting a romantic flair to it would set the wrong tone.

  Even though she was expecting it, the knock on the door made her jump. She reached out and grabbed the doorknob, then froze.

  What if something did happen? Her stomach did a flip-flop. What if nothing happened?

  Wait. I don’t want anything to happen. Or do I? God, I’m so confused.

  “Stormy, are you planning on opening the door?”

  Rent. “Uh, sure. Just a sec.”

  Putting on a big smile, she pulled the door open. Rent was as hot as ever—and so were his brothers. Had she misunderstood what he meant by date?

  The electricity, the energy that always sizzled up her body hit her again. Maybe it was because they weren’t at the diner with lots of people watching, but the intensity of the sensation ratcheted to an even higher level. Her mouth watered as her pussy clenched. She wanted them. Come hell or high water, she wanted them.

  Rent let out a long, slow whistle. “Wow. You look amazing.”

  “Better than amazing. Incredible.”

  “They’re both right.” Beckett’s gaze slid down her then back up. “Can we come in?”

  “Oh. Of course.” She pushed the screen door open and stepped to the side to let them pass. Rent came in first, then Ty, then Beckett, each of them smelling better than the last. Somehow she resisted the urge to drag them closer and take a bigger whiff. But why had all of them shown up?

  She jumped into hostess mode, for lack of anything else to do. What could she say? Maybe his brothers were dropping him off or swinging by to say hello. She hurried into the living room after them. “Please, have a seat. I’ll, uh, fetch the refreshments.”

  Smiling, she left them arguing over which two of them got to sit on the couch. The tray she’d prepared with a small spread of crackers and cheese looked ominously tiny. No way would it feed three large men. Hoping they couldn’t see much through the pass-through into the kitchen, she pulled out another box of crackers and more cheese. She mixed the saltines in with the nicer crackers and hoped they wouldn’t notice.

  “Want some help?”

  She jumped and spun around to find Rent standing behind her. Very close behind her. “Sure. Why don’t you open that bottle of wine over on the other counter? The corkscrew’s right beside it.”

  “No problem.”

  She let out pent-up air as he turned, a huge hunk of a man in jeans and a crisp white shirt. Her gaze took him in, lingering over his wide shoulders then along the trim torso to his tight ass. His legs stretched on for miles and ended up in his usual worn-out boots. She glanced down at her high heels. Should she change into boots, too?

  “Babe, do you have any more glasses?”

  “What?”

  He stepped aside to show her the wine bottle and the two wineglasses. “We need two more.”

  “Oh, right. Yes, there are a couple more glasses in the cabinet right above you.”

  He nodded, grabbed the additional glasses, and went back into the living room. She took the tray and brought it in to set on the scratched coffee table. Keeping the smile on her face, she took a seat in between Ty and Beckett on the couch.

  A minute or so of uncomfortable silence came and went before Rent broke the ice. “You didn’t expect the three of us to show up, did you?”

  She could feel the color drain from her face. “Sure. Of course I did.”

  Rent tilted his head at her. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, babe. I know you didn’t.”

  “How could you tell?”

  “Easy. I saw your face when you opened the door. Then there was the frantic rush to put more snacks out and the fact that you only had two glasses set out beside the wine.”

  “Well, okay, no, I didn’t know all of you were coming. But it’s fine that you’re here.”

  “Aw, shit.” Ty stood, bringing them all to their feet. “We didn’t think. Rent asked you for the date and we assumed that you knew he meant Beckett and me, too. But you didn’t.”

  “It’s not a problem. Really.” Was it? She wasn’t sure. Although she’d looked forward to spending time with Rent, she couldn’t deny that she’d liked it w
hen she’d seen his brothers beside him.

  Three for the price of one. Oh, my.

  But Beckett was already heading toward the door. “Come on, Ty. Let’s clear out of here.”

  “No. Stay. I hate the thought that I’m throwing you out. I mean, you came over and you’re here now.”

  Ty took her hand and squeezed it. “You’re not throwing us out. We’re going to give you the date you expected.” He strode after Beckett.

  Rent crossed his arms and watched his brothers leave. “I’ll call you when I’m ready to leave. Got it?”

  Beckett glanced back, one eyebrow higher than the other. “In other words, don’t call me. I’ll call you. We got it. Night, Stormy.”

  She held the door as the two men walked toward the pickup then lifted her hand in a wave as they piled into the cab. An unexpected feeling of loss flowed through her but was soon wiped away by the touch of Rent’s hand on her shoulder. He turned her to face him.

  “I’m sorry we put you in this situation.”

  She met his eyes, eyes that reminded her of photographs of the Caribbean Sea. One day she’d like to see that beautiful body of water, but until then, she could find it in his eyes. “No, it’s my fault. I guess I should’ve known.”

  He took her hand and led her back to the couch. She sat and he got next to her then leaned her back with his arm around her shoulders. Tucking her head, she didn’t let him see the moisture in her eyes. But that small gesture, one that she hadn’t felt in so many years, threatened to overwhelm her. How had she gone so long without having the touch of a man? With his simple movement, he’d made her feel protected and so much like the woman she’d never gotten to be.

  “There’s no way you could’ve known. It was my fault, but let’s forget about it.” He shifted his body so he could face her. “I want to hear about you and Jazz.”

  She liked that he’d included her daughter. “I think you already know a lot. Or is Forever different than other small towns?”

  “If you mean has the rumor tree spread the news about you, then yeah, it has. And I hate to admit it, but the men in the town gossip almost as much as the women.”