Creation of Desire: Reassuring Rachel [More Desire, Oklahoma 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Leah Brooke

  Rachel watched Jared lead Erin out, and she found herself alone in the lingerie shop with her daughter. After checking on Theresa, she went to the back to gather more merchandise to fill in the gaps left after the surge of morning customers, and started filling out an order for more.

  As she put items away and straightened other racks, one particular nightgown caught her eye.

  Deceptively demure, the knee-length gown had a small triangle of material over each breast that looked like a pocket flap, with a snap over it that could be attached to the snap on the shoulder, leaving the wearer’s breasts completely exposed.

  The line of snaps that went down the front and back of the skirt could be unfastened and resnapped around the wearer’s thighs, leaving her entire slit framed with silk, but exposed.

  Rachel fingered the black one in her size, her heart racing at the thought of Boone’s and Chase’s reactions to seeing her in it.

  Their sex life had taken a bit of a hit since Theresa’s birth, but Boone and Chase had been so understanding that she hadn’t really thought about it much.

  She did now.

  Inwardly wincing at the realization that it had been several weeks since she’d worn anything even remotely sexy, she yanked the nightgown from the rack.

  The bell above the front door chimed, startling her from her thoughts. Spinning, she blew out a breath when she saw Reese, another one of her sister’s husbands, close the door behind him. “You startled me.”

  Tall and lean, he moved gracefully across the store toward her. His dark brown hair hung over his forehead, giving him a rakish look that reminded her slightly over his older brother, Duncan.

  Jared had always been the serious one.

  Reese could be just as serious, but he had a way about him that made him easier to talk to, and managed to get people to talk about things they’d had no intention of revealing.

  “Reinforcements are here.” His smile fell as he made his way across the shop to her. Frowning, he lifted her chin, eyeing her critically. “You look like hell, honey. I heard Theresa’s fever finally broke. That’s a hell of a relief.”

  Wadding the nightgown into a ball, she pulled out of his grip and wove her way around racks to stand behind the counter. Surreptitiously shoving the nightgown onto the shelf beneath it, she smiled, knowing she’d have to be on guard. “Yeah, about five thirty this morning. She’s been sleeping ever since. You know, I’m getting a little tired of everyone telling me how awful I look.”

  Reese smiled, but his eyes narrowed in concern. “You’re always beautiful. Everyone’s just worried about you. Boone and Chase are pretty frustrated that you haven’t let them help as much as they’d like to.”

  With a sigh, Rachel began hanging a new selection of nightgowns on hangers, her arms aching with fatigue.. “They do help, but they need to sleep. They’re in construction. They work with power tools and dangerous equipment. If they got hurt because they didn’t get enough sleep, I’d never forgive myself.”

  Reese sighed. “Rachel, the reason they sold half the business to the Madisons is so they could spend more time with you and Theresa. They’re grown men. Give them some credit for knowing if they’re too tired to operate a certain piece of machinery.” Shaking his head, he allowed a small smile. “I swear, you get more like your sister every day. You’re almost as hardheaded as she is. If she tries to pull this shit after the baby’s born, we’re not going to put up with it. Just a warning, sweetheart, Boone and Chase aren’t going to put up with it anymore either.”

  Something must have shown on her face because Reese smiled. “Yeah, I talked to them this morning. They’ve had enough, and seeing you the way you looked this morning must have really gotten to them because I’ve never heard them so upset before. They’re furious at themselves because they’ve let you get away with doing things your way. Boone sounded mad enough to spit nails.”

  He looked like he wanted to say something else, but the bell chimed, signaling another customer. Shaking his head, he opened his mouth, snapping it shut again when Theresa set up a loud wail. “I’ll take care of Theresa until Boone and Chase get here.”

  Rachel circled the counter to greet her new customer, catching Reese’s sleeve before he could disappear through the curtain. “Boone and Chase aren’t coming here today. They’re meeting with Law, Zach, and the architects.”

  Reese smiled and patted her hand. “They’ll be here. Now, let me go see what all the fuss is about. She’s probably wet, hungry, and needs her Uncle Reese.”

  Rachel smiled at the picture he made holding the baby, and in her daughter’s fascination with his hair, which hung almost to his shoulders. “You’re going to make a great daddy.”

  Reese grinned, opening Theresa’s fist when she caught a handful. “Of course I am.”

  Shaking her head at his arrogance, she smiled at the new customer, her heart pounding at the thought of Boone and Chase showing up today. Determined to put them out of her mind, she made a conscious effort to focus on the woman eyeing her expectantly. “Hello. I’m Rachel. Can I help you find something?”

  The tall, polished blonde smiled, a practiced smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Her gaze raked over Rachel in a dismissive way that instantly set her teeth on edge. “So, you’re Rachel? Interesting. I expected someone a little more…sophisticated.”

  “Excuse me?” Rachel started to get a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach, and the woman’s next words told her that her instincts were right.

  “I’m Mona.” Her lips twisted, her nose wrinkling as if she’d just bit into a lemon. “So this is the shop Boone told me about. It’s quaint. Nice little hobby. All of my lingerie has designer labels, which Boone and Chase love immensely.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Nothing was more exciting than when they ripped them off. They loved it when I bought new ones and modeled them for them. Of course, I worked with them and always gave them my full attention, but apparently you don’t feel that’s necessary. You don’t even know where they’ve been all day, do you?”

  Rachel felt as if she’d been kicked in the stomach, fear of losing Boone and Chase actually causing an ache in her gut.

  Every time Mona opened her mouth, she plucked at nerves already raw with guilt.

  Both Boone and Chase loved sex hot and raw, but their sex lives had become much tamer since she was hospitalized during her pregnancy.

  Since recovering from giving birth, sex had become less frequent and much, much gentler.

  Now, this beautiful woman wanted them back, and she seemed ready and willing to give them what they hadn’t been getting from her.

  Mona patted her hair, even though not a single strand was out of place. The smooth chignon emphasized the other woman’s high cheekbones and heavily rimmed eyes. Her dark red lips curved in a smile. “They’re very sexual men, aren’t they? Very physical. I’ve got to give you some credit. Not every woman can handle men like Boone and Chase. You had a good run, honey.”

  Deciding not to let Boone’s and Chase’s ex-girlfriend bait her, she crossed her arms over her chest and tried to pretend that she didn’t feel intimidated by the other woman’s beauty and confidence. “What do you want, Mona?”

  Mona shrugged, wandering around the room and fingering several of the nightgowns, her nose wrinkled in distaste. “I guess I just wanted to see the woman they’d hooked themselves to.”

  “You mean married.” Rachel fought off the rush of mental images of Boone and Chase in bed with this woman.

  She couldn’t imagine a woman more different than herself.

  Mona was polished, hard, and cold. She oozed sexuality and arrogance.

  Meeting the woman who’d been such an important part of their lives left Rachel even more insecure.

  She was nothing like Mona, a woman who they’d spent years trying to forget.

  A woman who’d broken their hearts.

  How could she ever hope to compete with such a woman?

  Mona shrugged again, her face
turning red as anger flashed in her eyes. “You don’t really consider yourself married to both of them, do you? In case you haven’t heard, that’s against the law.”

  Rachel forced a smile, desperately trying to hide the fact that this woman’s presence really shook her. “Not in Desire. It doesn’t matter, anyway. You don’t really think they’re going to go back to you, do you?”

  Mona’s smile sent a chill up Rachel’s spine. “Of course. Why else would I be here if they hadn’t sent for me?” Moving closer, she laid a hand on Rachel’s arm, her tone condescending. “I just want to make sure you realize that using the child to keep them screams of desperation. I found out too late just what having a child meant to them. Let me guess—you got pregnant and they insisted that you marry them as soon as they found out.”

  Rachel fought back nausea as the arrow hit home. “I think you’d better go.”

  Boone and Chase had avoided her attempts to get close to them for years, until one night, they’d spent the night together.

  The night she got pregnant with Theresa.

  Once they’d learned about her pregnancy, they’d insisted on getting married as soon as possible.

  Rachel had refused, not wanting to marry them just because she carried their child, but they’d overrode her objections, claiming that they’d been scared of getting hurt again, but both insisting that they loved her.

  She believed them, but every once in a while, doubts crept in, and Mona’s arrival had brought them back in full force.

  “I see I’m right.” Mona smiled, a calculated smile that made Rachel’s hands itch to smack her. “Of course, I’ll go.” She turned to leave, pausing with her hand on the doorknob. “Boone and Chase are afraid that you’re not going to let them see your child anymore. I hope you’re not going to use it to get back at them for leaving you.”

  It?

  Reaching around the other woman, she pulled the door open, inwardly wincing at the loud clang of the bell. “Good-bye. I swear, I don’t know what Boone and Chase ever saw in you.”

  Mona smiled again. “Ditto. You’re not their type at all. By the way, tell them I enjoyed lunch at the steak house very much.” Closing the door behind her, Mona paused, turning to smirk at Rachel over her shoulder before starting down the stairs.

  Rachel fisted her hands at her sides, her stomach in knots. “Bitch.”

  “You’re right about that.” Reese’s deep voice came from behind her. “Don’t let her rile you, Rachel. Don’t give her the satisfaction. She’s watching you from her car. Smile and shake your head.”

  Clenching her jaw, she turned to face him, smiling at the sight of her daughter leaning against his shoulder. “How much did you hear?”

  “Enough.” Reese glanced out the window. “She looks a little disappointed. Probably because you didn’t kick up a fuss.”

  Theresa giggled, pulled at his bottom lip, and let out a demanding cry.

  With a smile, Reese patted her back. “Speaking of fusses, I’m going to give Theresa some lunch.” His smile fell. “Don’t let that viper get to you. Boone told me about her. She’s nothing to him. Believe me.”

  When he turned and started to walk away, Rachel took a hurried step toward him, her heart in her throat. “Reese?”

  Catching Theresa’s hand before she connected with his eye, he smiled, kissing her fist as he turned back. “Yeah?”

  Shifting her feet, Rachel resisted the urge to look out the window again. “Don’t say anything to Erin about this. I don’t want her to get upset.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she rubbed them in an effort to rid herself of the chill that went through her. “She knows Boone and Chase didn’t want to marry me until they found out I was pregnant. She didn’t want me to marry them, and it took a long time to convince her that they loved me.”

  Patting Theresa’s back, Reese eyed her steadily. “Do Boone and Chase know that you still believe they wouldn’t have married you if you hadn’t been pregnant?”

  For about the thousandth time, she cursed the fact that the men of Desire saw too much.

  Struggling to prevent him from seeing more, Rachel shrugged and straightened a rack of cotton nightgowns she’d already straightened. “You’re wrong. They were just afraid of getting hurt again. I don’t believe that anymore.” She saw him sigh, but couldn’t hear it over the baby’s cries.

  His lips thinned. “Yes, honey. You do.” Reaching out, he touched her cheek, searching her features. “You really do. That’s a shame—and stupid.”

  Shaking his head, he turned as Theresa let out a wail. “I’m going to feed my niece, and then we can talk.”

  Rushing after him, Rachel ran into the kitchen, and while Reese fastened Theresa into her high chair, began fixing her daughter’s lunch. “I know that Boone and Chase love me, Reese. Don’t make a big deal out of nothing.” Aware of Reese’s sharp scrutiny, she finished fixing her daughter’s lunch and handed the small bowl to him. “It’s nothing for Erin to get upset about.”

  Reese shook his head, calmly feeding Theresa. “It’s not nothing if you’re upset about it.”

  Slamming the refrigerator door closed, she thrust Theresa’s sippy cup at him, trying not to picture Boone and Chase having lunch with Mona. “I’m not upset!”

  Reese eyed her skeptically. “Of course not.” A dark brow went up as he slid the spoon between Theresa’s lips again. “Boone and Chase fell in love with you a long time ago. At first, it was funny as hell watching them try to avoid you, but then everyone felt bad for all three of you. When you finally got together, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Your pregnancy forced them to realize that their fear of being hurt was costing them a future with the woman they loved and the family they wanted.”

  Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know that.” She hated that seeing the beautiful woman that Boone and Chase had both loved had filled her with such insecurity.

  If Mona was their type, what the hell would they see in her?

  It shook her more than she cared to admit that neither one of her husbands told her about Mona’s calls.

  Blowing out a breath, she held onto the counter shaking so hard she had to hold on to something solid. “She said they had lunch together.” She clamped her mouth closed, regretting the words as soon as they came out of her mouth.

  Reese frowned. “I seriously doubt that.”

  “I wish I had your confidence.” Her cell phone rang, making her jolt. Grabbing it from the counter with hands that shook, she sucked in a breath when she looked at the display. “It’s Boone. Excuse me.”

  Aware of Reese’s sharp gaze, she made her way back to the storefront, staring out the front window as she answered. “Hello?” She didn’t see Mona, but she still felt the other woman’s presence.

  “Hey, baby. I’ve been thinking about you all day.” Boone’s deep baritone washed over her, a soothing balm to her senses.

  “Have you?” Blinking back unexpected tears, she struggled to keep her voice even.

  “Of course. I usually spend all day thinking of you, but I don’t like leaving things the way we did this morning.”

  “Neither do I.” Wrapping an arm around herself, she dropped her forehead to the window. “I’m just tired. I got upset without letting you explain.”

  Boone’s voice deepened. “I don’t blame you, honey. If I had my way, I would have spent all day with you. Of course, today would have to be a busy day for both of us.”

  “Yes, I know. Do you ever feel like we’re getting in a rut?”

  “No. Not a rut at all. I love having a peaceful life.”

  Rachel winced at that. “You’re not bored?”

  Boone’s voice lowered, the hint of steel in it as unmistakable as the desperation. “Never. I could never get bored with you. You’re the most exciting woman I’ve ever known. I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

  Blinking back tears at the emotion in his tone, she straightened and nodded. “Of course. I love you, too.” She took a deep breath
, pressing a hand to her stomach. “Boone, you and Chase wouldn’t stay with me just because of Theresa, would you?”

  “No! Damn it, Rachel!” A string of guttural curses poured from him before he took a deep breath and blew it out. “You and I are definitely going to have a talk tonight. Look, I’ve got to go right now, but we’ll pick up something for dinner. How’s Theresa?”

  Relieved at the change of subject, she stared out the window again, searching for any sign of Mona. “She slept all morning and woke up hungry. Reese is feeding her.”

  “I should be there. Damn it! Of all days. Look, I’m going to finish up what I’m doing and come over there. I told Reese that I’d be there as soon as I could. It shouldn’t be more than an hour or so.”

  Turning from the window, Rachel glanced toward the back where she heard Reese talking to Theresa.

  “Where did you eat lunch today?” Her heart pounded furiously, her stomach churning as she waited for the answer.

  She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t ask—at least until they were face-to-face—but the question slipped out before she could prevent it.

  “At the new steak house in Tulsa. Why, baby?”

  Rachel’s stomach clenched painfully, and she wished that she hadn’t asked. “No reason. I’ll see you later.”

  “Rachel!”

  Disconnecting, she swallowed a sob.

  She blamed herself for her insecurity regarding Mona. For not being enough for them.

  For not seeing this sooner.

  For everything.

  She’d become so caught up in being a mother that she hadn’t been as attentive to her husbands as she should have been.

  A visit from Mona had brought it to her attention as nothing else could have, and she had to do something about it—soon—or she risked losing them forever.

  After eating her lunch, Theresa decided she wanted to play, but Rachel couldn’t focus on playing with her daughter.

  Her heart was breaking and she was scared all the way to her bones.

  Thankfully, Reese played with her while she took care of several more customers.

  The bell above the door chimed again, and as Rachel turned, her heart stopped.