by Jane Jamison
“Sweetie, you’ve got to be tickled pink. What more could a girl ask for than to have three strong, virile men wanting her as their mate?”
I could just die. Please, let me disappear through the floor.
Instead, she did her level best not to show how uncomfortable she was. Small-town people tended to know everything about their neighbors, but she hadn’t expected them to be ready to butt into her life. Weren’t small towns supposed to be good at letting people live the way they wanted to?
“Not only are they good on the eyes, they’re good on the heart, too. Anyone will tell you so. Whenever a neighbor needs a helping hand, they’re there. They don’t even care if the neighbor’s a cat or whatever.”
“A cat?”
Sugar’s expression went from one of the cat eating the canary to the canary about to get chomped on. “Cat? Did I say cat? A meant to say creep. Yeah, that’s right. Even if their neighbor is a creep.”
She’s lying. But then again, why would she call a person a cat?
“Plus, they work hard like most folks around here do. That ranch of theirs is a beauty. Lots of acreage where you could let your young ones run free and not have to worry about them.”
“Children? No one’s said anything about children.” How had kids come into the picture? She hadn’t thought much about having children, but if she did, she sure didn’t want to be discussing them with Sugar. At least, not even before she’d decided to take the Lennox brothers up on their offer.
“I sure as hell wouldn’t kick them out of my bed,” joked Sugar.
“Yeah, Stella, you should be jumping for joy.” Arizona put her hand around her mouth, acting as though she was trying to speak quietly, but not really doing it. “Or, like Sugar, jumping straight into their bed.”
“Oh, really, Arizona? I could say the same thing about you and the Brannigans.”
That was enough bait to have Sugar snatching it up like a fish on a worm. “That’s right, isn’t it? You’re sweet on the Brannigan boys.”
Stella shot her friend a bemused look and sat back. You can dish it out, but can you take it?
“Both of you are lucky, lucky girls. Especially when you think about the fact that you just rode into town a short while ago.” Sugar fanned herself. “I wish I was the one they wanted. If I was, I wouldn’t be holding out and telling them I needed to get to know them. Girl, you can’t get to know a man better than getting between the sheets with him.”
Stella had reached her limit. “Okay. Um, thanks, Sugar, for your, um, advice, but I’ve got to be going.”
“Me, too.” Arizona slid out of the booth along with Stella. “We’ll pay at the front like always.”
Sugar pouted her big lips that went along with her huge breasts. “Well, okay. Still, any time either of you want to talk, you just give me a holler, okay? I know everything about everyone in this town.”
“Will do,” called Stella as she rushed toward the exit. Several people smiled at her in a way that said they were in on what had happened. She doubted it was her imagination.
* * * *
“Mr. Holland, is this a good time to freshen your room?” Stella put on a pleasant expression which was quite a challenge considering she’d rather have rammed her foot against the man’s crotch. He’d come to stay at the B&B for two nights, and she couldn’t wait for him to leave.
“Sure, pretty thang, come on in.” He looked up from his tablet and, as he always did, slid his gaze from her face, down along her body, and then back up. The long pause he took as his attention locked on her breasts wasn’t unexpected.
Jerk.
Pervert.
Asshole.
She could think of many other names she’d like to call him, but never would to his face. Instead, she played the dutiful housekeeper. But she wouldn’t play a stupid dutiful housekeeper.
“I can wait until you go out for the day.”
His beady eyes narrowed as he caught her meaning. Sweat popped out over his bald head, even though he’d turned the air conditioner down to make the room chilly. Pushing his large body out of the chair, he sauntered toward her.
Was that his idea of a sexy walk? She’d seen elephants walk more gracefully.
“What’s the rush, girl? I don’t have anywhere I need to be.” He licked his lips. “In fact, I can stay here all day if you want.”
“Don’t you have business to attend to?” She wasn’t sure why he’d come to Fate. Even Shawna hadn’t been able to coax an answer from him.
“Nope. Most of what I do is online while I travel and meet up with clients.”
“So you have clients in Fate?” Who would willingly do business with him?
“No, but I had some time in between and figured I’d take in some small-town hospitality before I head on up to Nashville. Besides, who wants to go home to the old ball and chain?”
Lucky us.
“I see. Well, still, I’ll wait until you step out.” To her dismay, she didn’t move fast enough. For a fat man, he moved quickly.
His arm swooped around her and pulled her against him. “Come on, girl. Show me some of that small-town hospitality I was talking about.”
She pushed his arm, struggling to get free while maintaining her cool. “Please let go. This—I’m—not included in the accommodations.”
His foul breath assaulted her nose. “Bullshit. I know your type. You girls are always willing to make an extra buck or two. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“No, you’re not. Now take your hands off me. I don’t want to have to report you to Ms. Mallory.”
“Report me? Fuck, girl, having you would be worth getting kicked out of this dump.”
“Stop it.” Her breaths grew harder as he held her tightly against him. Just as she was about to bring her heel down on his toe, her phone rang.
“That’s my boyfriend. If I don’t answer it, he’ll get worried and come over here.”
He hesitated long enough for her to know her ruse had worked.
“Answer it.”
Damn. He’s calling my bluff.
She had no idea who was calling. If it were Arizona or Krystal, he’d know she’d lied. When he weakened his hold on her, she squirmed out of reach. She didn’t, however, count on him blocking the door.
“Answer it, girl.”
She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Hi, it’s me,” she said, trying to make her voice light and airy, eager to hear from a lover.
“Hey, honey, it’s Alex.”
Mr. Holland mouthed the words for her to put the call on speaker.
She had a choice. She could storm out and tell Shawna what had happened or she could play along, hoping the belief that she had a boyfriend would make him back down for good. At least then Shawna wouldn’t lose a paying customer. Thanking her lucky stars that it was Alex calling, she gave Mr. Holland a smug look and punched on the speaker.
“Hi, handsome, it’s about time you called.” She meant what she said. For the past two days, she’d waited for the Lennox men to contact her and had grown disappointed when they hadn’t. Until Alex’s call, she’d worried that they’d changed their minds.
Mr. Holland groaned and moved away. Yet instead of getting out, she decided to give the man an earful.
“I would’ve called sooner, but some things came up on the ranch. Speaking of which, how about I pick you up and bring you out here?”
“Sure. That’d be great. Mike and Danny will be there, too, right? I can’t wait to see all three of my big, strong men.” She held up three fingers and mouthed the words “yeah, three men.” The expression on the man’s face was perfect. She doubted he’d bother her again.
“Wow. You’re in a good mood, huh? Well, then, great. See you in a minute.”
“Back at ya, big guy.” She ended the call. “See, Mr. Holland, you’d better not bother me again. I don’t like it and my men sure as hell wouldn’t like it.” With a grin, she whirled around and swayed out of the room.
She should’ve
left well enough alone. If she had, the asshole might not have followed her downstairs.
Chapter Four
“Don’t go acting like you’re better than me, girl.”
Stella let out a yelp as Mr. Holland shoved her against the wall of the foyer. Fear threatened to take hold, but she fought it off. Instead, she twisted around to confront him and brought her clasped hands to her chest, warding off what she knew would be coming.
“Look, asshole, you need to back off and leave me alone.” She spoke softly, but her tone was firm.
“Is that how you talk to paying guests?” He skimmed his hands along her arms.
“It’s how I talk to guests who act like horny assholes. Now get your hands off me.”
His lecherous gaze locked onto her breasts. “Bullshit. You’re just playing hard to get. How much is it going to cost me, huh? How much do I tip for a blowjob? How much to fuck your ass?”
She pushed against his chest but did little to move him. “I’m warning you.”
He laughed, the sound filled with derision. “You’re warning me? Yeah, like you can stop me.”
“Maybe she can’t, but I damn sure can.”
Mr. Holland’s eyes met hers a moment before he was thrust backward. He fell on his ass, surprised etched on his face. Alex stood over him, his eyes blazing with the strange amber color, his body tense and ready to attack.
“Alex, stop.”
But Alex acted as though he hadn’t heard her. Instead, his focus stayed glued to Holland.
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Holland clumsily scrambled to his feet, then stepped backward, away from the large angry man. “Do you know who you’re dealing with?”
As far as Stella knew, Holland wasn’t anyone special. Then again, she’d never bothered to ask Shawna.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass who you are.” Alex’s gaze darted to her then back. “You don’t put your hands on any woman, but especially not my woman.”
His woman.
He made it sound so natural. It would be so easy for her to let Alex take charge, but she was a woman who was used to taking care of herself. “Alex, I can handle this.”
“It sure as hell didn’t look that way to me.” Alex grabbed hold of Holland’s collar. “You’ve got five minutes to get your gear and get out of here. Am I making myself clear?”
“But I’ve paid until the end of the week.” Holland’s bravado had suddenly gone AWOL.
“Consider that money hers for the way you treated her.” Alex shoved Holland toward the stairs. “The clock’s ticking.”
Holland shot her a glare then aimed it at Alex. Alex let out a low growl, sending the man scurrying up the stairs.
“Are you okay, honey?”
Part of her wanted to go into his arms and let him hold her. To let him tell her that everything would be all right. But she couldn’t. She’d let her guard down once, fully trusting another man to keep her feelings safe, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to do it again.
Yet if there are any men I can trust, it’s the Lennox brothers.
Still, it was too hard to do, especially while she was still stirred up from Holland’s assault. “What the hell were you thinking letting him near you?”
“What? I wasn’t letting him near me.”
“Sure didn’t look like you were trying hard to get him off you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now? He’s got a good eighty pounds on me, but I was handling him just fine. If you hadn’t decided to jump in and play knight on a white horse, I would’ve gotten him off me. And I would’ve done it without losing Shawna a customer.”
“What’s going on in here?” Shawna strode down the hallway, still wearing her gardening gloves. “I heard the ruckus all the way out in the vegetable garden.”
“Alex just sent Mr. Holland packing.” She crossed her arms, daring Alex to tell Shawna everything.
“You did? What for?” Shawna didn’t seem angry, just confused.
“I walked in here and saw him with his grubby paws all over her. What the hell else was I supposed to do?”
“Mr. Holland was coming on to you?”
“More like sexually assaulting her,” interjected Alex.
Although she’d done her best not to tell Shawna anything about the past times Holland had come on to her, she couldn’t keep her secret any longer. “I wouldn’t say he was sexually assaulting me, but he was getting handsy.”
“And he’s done this before? This wasn’t the first time?”
Stella hated to see the concern on her boss’s face. “Yes, but I handled it. Just like I was handling it this time.” Damn it. Why did Alex have to interfere?
“I couldn’t stand to see his hands on her.” Alex’s gaze went toward the second story. “He should be getting down here soon. If not, I’ll go up and hurry him along.”
“You stay out of this, Alex. I didn’t ask for your help, and I didn’t need it.” What did it tell Shawna? That she couldn’t handle herself?
“Well, it’s over.” Shawna glanced toward the second floor, too. “I’m glad you stepped in when you did, Alex. And I wish you’d told me what was happening, sweetie.”
There it was. The chastisement, albeit gentle, that Stella had wanted to avoid. She turned all her irritation toward Alex. “Thanks for nothing.”
Although he frowned at her, obviously still confused, he at least tried to placate her. “Come on, Stella. Give me a break. What did you expect me to do? Stand by and let him put his hands all over you? I wouldn’t be a man, much less your mate, if I did that.”
Shawna’s eyes grew bigger, happiness lighting them. Yet she didn’t chance interfering.
“I expect you to trust me enough to take care of myself. This just shows you don’t know enough about me to make me your mate. And I sure as hell don’t know enough about you and your brothers.”
“Look, honey, let’s go on out to the ranch. We can talk more about it out there.”
“Seriously? You really think I’m going anywhere with you?” She said the words, yet her heart wasn’t in it. Anger overrode her need, her craving to see the men again.
“Don’t be that way, honey.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” She faced her employer, effectively dismissing Alex. “I’m sorry about all the trouble. I’ll be happy to pay for the two nights Holland won’t be staying.”
“You’ll do nothing of the kind. I just wish you’d come to me for help.”
Stella smiled, even though she was tired of both of them thinking she needed their help. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” Without giving Alex another look, she stalked down the hallway.
* * * *
“What did I do wrong?” Alex snarled his question as he watched Stella storm down the hallway.
“Come with me.” Shawna took his arm and pulled him into the den on the other side of the foyer. She closed the door behind him.
I sure could use a drink right about now. Alex eyed the decanter of whiskey but didn’t want to ask.
“Go on. Pour yourself a drink.”
He gave Shawna a grateful look then helped himself. “I don’t get what she’s so fired up about. She should be mad at that creep, not me.”
“Trust me, she is. The problem is that he’s not at the top of her list. We are.”
He slugged back the drink and closed his eyes as the fiery liquid ran down his throat. “Which makes no damn sense at all. We’re the ones who want to help her.”
Shawna poured herself a drink. “You know, sometimes I forget that she’s not a shifter. She’s got the nature for it. In fact, if you boys hadn’t already laid claim to her, I’d push Quinn to take her. She’d make one hell of a good werecat.”
“Because she’s so damn stubborn?” He regretted the words as soon as they were out. Insulting Shawna was the last thing he wanted to do. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to take offense.
“I don’t think she’s any more stubborn than a few werewolves I could mention.” Shawna si
pped at her drink then shot it down like he had. “Whew, that’s good booze. Anyway, I was wrong to question her ability to handle the situation.”
“That’s really what she’s fired up about?” He dared to add, “Is that because she’s human or because she’s a woman?”
“Dog, you’d better watch what you say. I’m liable to let her scratch your eyes out before I do.”
“Sorry. Go on.”
“I think she’s upset at everything. Holland probably frightened her a little, but then you came along and embarrassed her by saving her.”
“She’s embarrassed because I helped her?” He shook his head. “I will never understand women.”
“No, you won’t, so you shouldn’t try so hard. Although you probably won’t believe it now, that’s a good thing.” Shawna poured them both another drink then didn’t hesitate to down hers. She let out a low whistle. “Damn good stuff. Don’t you see? Her emotions are mixed up right now. She’s trying to play it cool with you and your brothers, but she’s finding it hard to do. Then Holland throws a wedge in everything, and she’s not sure how to act.”
“I still don’t get it.” Would he ever? Or was the she-cat right? Should he stop trying to understand Stella?
“Lord, sometimes men can be so dense.” She poured him yet another drink. Thanks to his shifter metabolism, it would take a lot more than three shots to get him tipsy.
“Anyone can see that she wants you. I can hear it in her voice, too. But she needs to take it a little easy. Once she decides you three are what she wants—which, judging by the way she looks at you even when she’s ticked off, I think she already has—and she finally admits it to herself, then she’s going to go from zero to sixty in a flash. All you need to do is not give up. Let her show you when she’s ready.”
He blew out a breath, exasperated. “Fine. I was in town and gave her a call asking her to come out to the ranch. She said she wanted to go.”
“I think I’d hold off on that for today.” She paused as they heard Holland stomping down the stairs, cursing as he opened the front door then slammed it shut. “Yep. Another satisfied customer.”