“Going somewhere?”
It was Lee.
She plastered a smile on her face and turned to face him. “I-I had a cramp in my foot from the shoes,” she lied. “I was walking it out in the foyer. The wooden surface is cool on my feet.”
He bent toward the floor and retrieved her heels. They looked tiny in his hands.
“Let me help.”
He strolled toward her and knelt at her feet. Brooke felt her throat tighten. She fought back the tears. The regret sank into her shoulders and worked through her body. Tonight’s freedom was gone. She waited too long and let the obstacles paralyze her instead of taking a chance. It was her own fault. She blinked back the first tear.
Lee touched her ankle, raising it from the floor. “How is this?” He slid it into the shoe and then assisted her other foot while she used his shoulder as a balance barre.
She nodded. “I think it’s fine now.”
He grinned, rising slowly from the marble. “You look stunning, Brooke.” There was something dark in him, but eerily calm and peaceful. She was intrigued even though she didn’t want to be. She blamed his damn sexy beard.
It happened involuntarily, but she shivered. It was the good kind. It felt tingly and electric. She wanted to slap herself. That wasn’t supposed to happen. He was her warden, not some kind of prince.
“Thank you.” Her eyes darted away from him, but landed on Tyler strolling toward them.
He was drop-dead gorgeous in a fitted suit. She inhaled sharply as his eyes caught hers.
“You are sexy as sin, sweetheart.” He reached for her hand, drawing her wrist toward his face. She blushed when he turned her hand over and kissed the inside of her palm. She was worried this time they both saw her shiver.
“Shall we?” Lee offered his arm. Tyler was quick to follow on her other side.
Brooke let them lead her to the dining room, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they eyed her as if they wished she was tonight’s dessert.
Nine
Brooke
She didn’t know if she could eat. The only thing that made any sense was to douse the night in alcohol. Lots of it.
Lee sat on one side of her and Tyler on the other. They acted as if this a normal dinner. There was nothing normal about it. Brooke was determined they wouldn’t forget it. They could try to pretend, but she wasn’t going to let them. She wasn’t going down without a fight.
She wasn’t here voluntarily. Only moments ago she was scouting a way out of this palace prison. The hand-laid stone and the imported glass didn’t make it a home.
“Do you like your room?” Lee asked.
Brooke pushed her salad around on her plate.
“It will be fine.”
Tyler’s eyes bore into hers. “Would you like to look at another suite? You could move. You can take your pick.”
“It won’t make a difference.”
“If you don’t like it, you can move, Brooke.”
“Can I? Really? How generous of you both.” She glared at them. “Is sleeping in my own bed an option?”
“While you are staying here, this is your home. You can choose any room you like. There are several that might make you feel more comfortable.” Lee didn’t take her bait. He was calm. His voice almost too cool.
She dropped her fork on the plate with a clatter. “Nothing you can do other than letting me go with my full freedom is going to make me feel comfortable.”
Tyler pressed his lips together. “We can’t let you go, Brooke.”
She reached for the wine, eager to feel the numbness take over her thoughts. “I figured. Why would you?”
“Exactly. Why would we?” Tyler seemed satisfied with his rhetorical response. There was something about him that exuded masculinity. He was broad chested. His shoulders expansive. The suit seemed to stretch at the seams to accommodate him.
“I think if you give this situation time, you’ll enjoy living here. You can have anything you want.” Lee tried to make the situation better. His eyes were softer than Tyler’s. He had long lashes that were hard to ignore.
“The only thing I want is my freedom, but that’s not an option.”
“No. It’s not.” Tyler refilled her glass. “You might as well drink up and enjoy the night.”
“But not too much,” Lee warned. “If you want to take on the assignment for us, you’ll want a clear head.”
Work. Again, he tried to make something surreal sound normal.
“I’m not sure I completely understand what you expect me to do for StarCon Global. Maybe you could fill me in.” Brooke sat in her chair and waited for a response. “You have to realize it’s strange since you’re both hours from the city and your offices.”
Tyler leaned forward on his elbows. “I’d much rather get to know you. We can talk work tomorrow.”
“I think it’s a fair question.” Lee lifted a beer pilsner from the table. “She has a right to know what we’re considering.”
“All right. Go ahead, break the rules.” He looked at Lee.
“I don’t think we should talk about breaking rules,” he growled.”
“Fine.”
Brooke wanted to pry. There was tension between them.
Lee continued, “We could use a talented artist. I’m hoping that’s you. We have a huge project planned in two months. We need the perfect artist to pull it off for us.”
Brooke twisted her lips together. “I’d like to propose a deal of my own.”
Tyler’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Like what?”
“If you like my designs for StarCon Global, you’ll let me go early.”
The men looked at each other.
“I’m serious,” she broke the silence in the dining room. “If my logo is the one that is chosen for the series, you let me go. I think it’s fair.”
“I don’t see how something like that would work. By default, I’m not going to pick yours, sweetheart if it means we lose you.” Tyler winked. “Nice try though.”
Brooke huffed. “We have to have someone else make the decision. Someone you trust. But you can’t tell them about the deal.”
Lee cleared his throat. “Those are high stakes.”
She stuck her chin out in defiance. “I think my design will win. And I believe I’ll have my freedom sooner than thirty days.”
Lee chuckled. “You are confident.”
“One more thing.” She caught their attention. “No sex.”
“We already went over this,” they groaned.
“It’s part of my negotiation. No sneaking in my room at night. Nothing. I’ll stay until I’m ready to present the design and then you have to let me go. Do we have a deal?”
The candlelight flickered on the table. Brooke held her breath.
Lee held his hand forward first. “I can’t believe you would insinuate we would ‘sneak.’”
“Is there a deal or not?”
He smiled. “We have a deal.”
Tyler was obviously frustrated. “Fine. We have a deal.”
She smiled and for the first time took a full bite of steak. It wouldn’t be long before she was out of here.
The only light in the room came from a sliver shining from the bathroom. Brooke sat forward when she thought she heard someone near the bed. Was it breathing? Had she forgotten to lock the door? She was certain she had checked it twice.
“Who’s there?” she whispered.
“Shh. It’s just me,” Tyler answered.
“And me,” Lee echoed.
She swallowed hard, pulling the sheet to her chest. “You aren’t supposed to be here. How did you get in here?” she asked.
“We wanted to make sure you were sleeping ok,” Tyler explained. “We have keys. It’s our house, remember.”
She nodded. “I’m fine. You can go. I was sleeping until you got here. You scared me half to death.”
“We’re sorry. Let us make it up to you.”
Just then Lee peeled the comforter back and slid into the empty space
next to her.
“W-what are you doing?” she stammered.
He threw the blanket over his head and disappeared in the depths of the bed. She felt the hard ridges of his naked body slide along hers.
“I think if you wait a second, he’ll show you,” Tyler teased.
“But…” Her line of questioning was interrupted the second she felt him hook his thumbs on her panties and drag them over her thighs.
Tyler hovered over her, staring at her with his coal-black eyes. A wicked smile widened across his face just as his lips crushed against hers.
Brooke struggled for a second but his tongue twirled along hers and she eased into the kiss as she felt the unexpected heat of Lee’s mouth between her slit. She squirmed when Tyler sucked at the corners of her lips.
“Spread your legs for him baby,” he commanded.
Her eyes lifted to his and she did as he requested, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why. The thrill of how dirty and wrong this was shot through her. She let her knees fall wide and then Lee went wild, licking and sucking her clit. The roughness of his beard scraped her soft thighs. Oh shit. It was an incredible combination.
“Ohh,” she moaned when he pushed a finger inside her.
Tyler grinned, pushing the straps from her arms and revealing her tits to the air. His mouth landed on her nipple, ravishing it with his tongue.
Why was she doing this? And why did it feel so fucking good?
“Oh God,” she whimpered when Lee pushed another finger inside her. His beard had completely chafed the inside of her thigh. He was relentless.
Tyler sucked her nipple between his teeth. “Fuck you have perfect tits.”
All she could do was nod as the sensations took over. She let one man feast between her legs as the other worshipped her breasts, distracting her with passionate kisses.
“W-what is happening?” she gasped.
Tyler kissed her throat. “You’re getting ready to be fucked beautifully, baby.”
“I what?” She tried to sit up, but Lee’s tongue pushed inside her and she felt her core tremble with something hungry and desperate.
He pulled her folds wider, lapping at her juices.
“Your body is ripe for us, isn’t it? You want us? Together.”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But her body betrayed her. Her nipples were as hard as tiny pebbles. Her pussy ached for more of Lee’s tongue.
Tyler reached for the waistband on his pants. “Think you can handle a cock like this?”
Brooke tried to focus. The orgasm was building. She was clawing and clinging to the sheets. What Lee did with his tongue was unbelievable. And if she had to the chance to see Tyler’s cock right now, she knew the only thing she wanted was to suck him until she tasted his come. Her body was on fire. She was reckless and wild.
“First your mouth and then your sweet pussy,” Tyler growled.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Nothing had ever felt so wicked.
She bucked at Lee’s tongue. Her fingers reached toward Tyler. She wanted his hard erection in her hands. She wanted to feel the silkiness of his skin.
“Ohh.” Her hand floated through the air. He seemed farther away, as if he were walking in the wrong direction. Why didn’t he climb in bed with them?
She reached and swatted but he wasn’t there.
Suddenly her eyes flew open.
She sat straight up.
Holy shit. It was a dream. Her bed was empty. She tried to catch her breath as she walked over to the door. She checked the lock, it was still in place.
“Oh my God.” She pressed her palm to her forehead. Her skin was damp and flushed. She looked around the room and grabbed a chair from the desk, securing it under the doorknob.
“No. No. No.” She climbed back and bed and tried to put the dream out of her head. But no matter what she did, it was impossible not to remember the look in Tyler’s eyes while Lee was between her legs. And the worst part, was that it was probably the biggest turn on of her life.
Brooke rolled on her side, forcing herself to think of anything else, but it was pointless. The men were in her head and the harder she tried to keep them away, the deeper the memory burrowed.
Ten
Lee
The next morning Lee carried two cups of coffee to the wraparound porch. Brooke was huddled in the corner with a blanket draped around her shoulders. The snow hadn’t stopped all night. She looked like an angel sitting there. He almost hated to interrupt her. She looked lost in thought. He knew this place had a way of doing that. It stirred something in him too.
He knew how much he loved his peaceful mornings here. It was one of the reasons he had fought so hard with Ty to keep her away. He didn’t want his routine interrupted. But now with Brooke on the porch, he couldn’t imagine her being anywhere else. She didn’t know it yet, but this was where she belonged. She would be safe here. She would be cared for in a way she could never experience anywhere else.
He sat next to her on the steps, handing her a hot mug.
“For you.” He put the ceramic in her hands.
“Thanks.” Her eyebrows pinched together. “Is there liquor in it?”
He chuckled. “No. Just straight coffee.”
“Too bad. I think I should just stay drunk for the next two months.”
“Coping mechanism?” he pressed.
“How did you know?”
He thought he saw a tiny smile on the corner of her lips, but it quickly disappeared.
“How did you sleep?” he asked, ignoring her sarcasm.
She pulled the cup to her lips. He couldn’t stop staring at them. Fuck. He had been in the woods too long. Just looking at her made his cock hard. She was gorgeous, but he reacted to her too quickly, too easily. He had to get control again.
“My cell is ok,” she sassed.
He huffed. “It’s not a cell. You have an entire suite. A luxury suite.” He knew which rooms Tyler had chosen for her. It was the most elegant set in the cabin.
She looked at him. “I can’t exactly leave, can I? So I’m going to call it what it is—a cell.”
He shook his head. “That was Ty’s deal with your cousin, but give it a chance.” He sighed and looked toward the tree line. “I know you aren’t here by choice, but it’s a special place. I didn’t want to come here either, but I’m not sure I want to leave now. There’s nothing like this in the city. Clean air. Nature.” He exhaled. “I think I might stay here a lot longer than I planned.”
She pointed to his face. “And the beard? Part of communing with nature?”
He scowled at her. “Are you always such a smartass?”
“Do you always look like you’re going to devour someone?” Her cheeks immediately flushed and she covered her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
Shit. Did she know that’s all he dreamed about last night? Devouring her sweet pussy while the come flowed to his mouth. Did she have any idea that he wanted her to come so hard he could lube her ass with it and slide inside her? He’d never seen an ass in a pair of jeans like hers at dinner last night.
He couldn’t get her out of his mind. He had to take a shower at 3am, just to soothe his aching cock. She had him upside down. He twisted inside out, in a way he hadn’t felt in months. If he was being honest about it, possibly years.
He grunted. “Don’t worry about it.”
They drank their coffees in silence for a minute.
“You know there’s an extra office upstairs?” He finally broke their silence. “It isn’t being used by either of us.”
“What are you saying?”
“Just that you can have a space to work here if you’re serious about taking on the StarCon project.”
She huffed. “Another prison?”
“It’s not a prison.”
“I think we have different perspectives on this arrangement.”
“Come on.” He stood tall, towering over her. “I’ll show you.” He waited for h
er, but she threw him an icy stare.
“Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll take a look.”
He hid his smile as he led her inside the house. Brooke followed behind him closely as they ascended the stairs. At the end of the dark hallway was a set of double doors. Lee opened them.
Brooke gasped. “This is the office?”
“Think this would suit your needs?”
She strolled to the center of the room. He watched the wonder on her face. There was pride welling in his chest. He knew he had impressed her. There was so much he could show her. So much he could do for her.
She turned around to face him. “It’s incredible. But there has to be a catch.” She stood over the design table.
He shook his head. “No catch. We’re used to working in the finest offices in the world. We’ve thought about having a working office here, but every time we’re about to pull the trigger we change our minds.”
“Why?” she asked.
Lee sighed. “I think it would ruin it. If we turn this place into another corporate headquarters, what’s the point? There are no more places to escape.”
“So this is a full-fledged hideout, isn’t it?” she pried.
“Not a hideout,” he snarled. “We needed a break. This is a break.”
She rolled her eyes. “If you say so.” Her fingers smoothed over the deep mahogany on the bookshelves.
“I’ll let you get comfortable.” He started to back out of the room.
“I’m going to win my freedom,” she reminded him. “Just watch.”
He grinned. “I have no doubt you’re going to try.”
He closed the doors and walked to his own set of rooms. It had taken everything in him not to kiss that defiant look off her face. This was never his plan. Ty had lost his fucking mind. Convincing Brooke was going to be a hell of a challenge.
Lee grabbed his hiking jacket and his camera. He had to get out of this house and away from Brooke. Away from the temptation she dangled in front of him.
He stormed out of the house and straight into the woods.
Eleven
Double Mountain Trouble Page 4