AnglingforLove

by Lea Barrymire

  “I should just go home and deal with this,” she whispered against his chest.

  “No. You need to stay here for a few days. Let him cool down and take the time to warn all your friends. If enough people call the police about his behavior, maybe something will happen before you even go home.”

  “I wish—” She turned her face and blew a great sigh against his shirt. He waited, hoping she’d finish that sentence with “I could stay here”. He knew there was no way she’d ask to stay, though, and without talking seriously to Jared he wasn’t going to offer her a long-term hideout. Even as the thought flickered in his mind, he knew he wouldn’t offer just to give her a safe place to stay. He wanted her much more than he should and that terrified him. The longing for her and a future was too strong. They’d barely begun to play and to need her already was disconcerting. He stiffened as his emotions swirled.

  She pulled away slightly and he fought the urge to keep her tightly tucked against his body. She felt right in his arms, wonderful and feminine. He wanted to keep her there forever, and that thought was what allowed him to loosen his arms. He couldn’t allow himself to become too attached to her. He hadn’t even discussed anything with Jared, and if they both wanted her to stay then a conversation needed to happen. He swallowed the sigh of resignation as he let her go.

  “Thanks for trying to protect me. I’m going to start some dinner. I need to clear my head, and doing something with my hands will help.”

  He nodded and watched her wander toward the refrigerator. Brent needed to find Jared and let him know about the ass’s call and bring up Arin. This couldn’t wait, and his gut was telling him that she was the one for them. Either they were going to bite the bullet and confront her with their feelings, or they needed to step back. He couldn’t take the heartbreak, but he’d do what was needed to keep both him and Jared grounded. He turned and went in search of his partner, dread and hope warring in his thoughts.

  “What’s got your panties in a twist?” Jared’s voice carried from the barn and made Brent smile.

  When he was close enough to talk but not be heard from the house, he motioned Jared to come with him. They could walk to the field and talk there while keeping an eye on the lodge. He turned to his friend and could see the worry etched across the man’s face.

  “It’s about Arin, isn’t it? Is she freaking out about us finally? I knew I should have listened to you and not pushed her, but she was so warm and soft this morning.”

  “No. Shut up for a minute. Shit. She’s fine with us and from what I can see is fine with everything we’ve done so far.” Brent ran his fingers through his hair. “I took a call that was forwarded from the lodge number. Robert called demanding I let him talk to her. He was very angry and very possessive.”

  “No shit, really?”

  “No shit. She’s already talking about heading home early. I’ve told her to stay in the hopes that this will all blow over at home, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to suddenly stop stalking her and her friends.”

  “How much do you want to bet he shows up here?” Jared smiled a predatory, toothy grin.

  “Well, seeing as he was spouting crap about burning the lodge to the ground, I would say we’ll be seeing him soon.” Brent studied Jared for a moment and took a deep breath. “Jare? What are we going to do about Arin? I mean, I don’t want you dancing around shouting ‘I told you so’ but I don’t think I can just let her walk away in a few days without us at least having a talk with her about staying.”

  “Really? I knew it. I knew you’d love her as much as I do.”

  “I didn’t say I love her but I’m on the way there, I think.”

  “You do—you just can’t admit it to yourself.” Jared paced in a tight circle, kicking at tufts of grass. “We need to broach the idea of her staying then. I’m sure she could work from here for a few days to see if she could handle us. We could approach it from a safety standpoint, especially if the asshole shows up here.”

  “I’m not lying to her.”

  “No, listen. I’m not saying we lie. But if we both announce we love her and want her to stay, she’s going to freak out. If we talk to her about staying and working from here until things at home are settled, then it gives us more time to get to know her and seduce her.”

  “All right. It actually is a good idea for her to stay. And you’re right. If she stayed for a while it would give us all a chance to see how it goes without the pressure of permanence.” Brent caught Jared staring with at him with a frown. “What?”

  “This isn’t just a fuck for me, Brent. I want her for good. I love her. I can feel it in my soul that she’s the one for me. I’m not going to let you screw that up if you’re only looking for a quick lay.”

  The venom in Jared’s voice had Brent stepping back. “I’m not either, man. Relax. What I’m saying is that if we talked her into staying here and quitting her job or something and then it didn’t work out, I’d feel horrible about it. This way, if she stays and works from here, it’s less pressure.”

  Brent watched Jared take a deep breath before speaking again. “Agreed. Sorry. I don’t want to lose her. Now how do we want to bring it up? She’s got to know you’d come looking for me and talk to me about the call. We could just crowd her and kiss her until she gives in, but then she might back out after she thinks about it.”

  “No, I think we talk after dinner. Get her in the tub, relaxed, and then we can talk about it. Maybe you need some time with her before that. I could clean up after we eat if you want to introduce her to the hot tub.”

  “Hmm, that sounds like a great idea. Maybe I’ll go to the house and get her warmed up now. I love messing around in that kitchen of ours. Gives me so many places and interesting ways to molest a soft, sensual woman. Then after dinner I’ll drag her to the deck and have my way with her.”

  Brent watched a strange look cross Jared’s face. “What?”

  “If she isn’t interested in staying with both of us, I want you to take her.”

  “What do you mean?” Panic flooded Brent’s body—adrenaline pumped and his heart rate spiked. He couldn’t do a relationship without Jared. “We decided. You and me stay together, no matter what. Either a woman wants us both or neither of us. That’s what we said.”

  “I know. But if you could be happy with her…” Jared sighed and pain was clear in the unshed tears glistening in his eyes. “I need you to be happy, Brent. I can’t keep watching you get more and more callous. If she can help you, I want you to have her.”

  Disbelief kept Brent silent for a few breaths. “What is going on in your head? You love her, right? Why the fuck would you say I should take her? Don’t you want to be with me anymore?”

  “Of course I do. But don’t you get it? No one is going to take us both. If you can have some closure and happiness, then take it. You deserve it.”

  The silent more than me was thick between them. What the hell was going on in Jared’s head? Brent studied him and wanted to beat him or hug him. The pain and fear was so clear on his friend’s face that he could almost taste it in the air. “I don’t understand, Jare. If you want to still be with me, and you love Arin, then why are you saying all this?”

  “I’ve watched you slowly pull into yourself. This is the first time in years that you’ve been happy. Do you know how often you’ve smiled since Arin got here? And laughing…you’ve been laughing again.” Jared took a shuddering breath. “You deserve happiness, Brent. You’ve suffered so much. If she could give you that, then I want you to have her.”

  Anger finally burned through the confusion. “Fuck you. You suffered too, and if you’re playing some fucking martyr game then I’m going to kick your ass. You are not the cause of our issues. You were ten fucking years old. You couldn’t have stopped what happened. Stop taking the blame for Ronny’s actions. He was a sick fuck.” He stepped into Jared’s space and started pushing a finger into his chest. “And if you fucking tell me one more time that I deserve to be happy,
I’m going to beat the piss out of you. You deserve to be happy just as much or more than me.”

  “But I don’t. You wouldn’t be fucked-up if it wasn’t for me,” Jared whispered, his voice laced with regret and pain.

  Brent was stunned. He couldn’t believe what Jared had just said. Fuck him. He wasn’t going to watch his best friend step back from Arin out of some sense of bullshit guilt. Rage threatened to spill over at memories of Jared crying after Ron’s abuse. No one deserved a happy ending more than Jared. He pushed Jared’s shoulders. “You’re going to drop this line of thinking right now. We are a team. We don’t settle down without a woman who loves us, Jared. Us. You don’t get to end our agreement without talking to me about it. I can’t be normal. I can’t do a relationship without you. Figure out your shit.”

  Brent turned and stalked away. He’d clenched his hands in the hopes of stemming the beating he wanted to give Jared. Ass thinks he can get me to love some chick then walk away from me? Fear warred with the anger. What if Jared left? Brent wanted to scream at the sky. They needed each other. He needed Jared. He’d find a way to fix this. Jared was just down. Brent could make him see that Arin would accept them, and if not her, then someone would.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Arin stood at the kitchen sink, staring out over the lawn. She loved the look of the hills and mountains, the pines in the distance, the clouds lazily moving across the sky. She needed that serenity at the moment. The fear that had washed through her earlier had been burned off by anger. She wasn’t sure whether she was more pissed with herself or with Robert. Yes, he was at fault for the issues going on. She wasn’t going to take responsibility for his behavior. She wasn’t so sure about the last few years. Had she created this monster who was now acting so irrationally? Had she somehow taken a normal man and created this possessive, controlling thing by being soft? Was she one of those weak women everyone nodded and looked sympathetic about? Had she been fooling herself all these years?

  She really should go home and deal with Robert. If he was starting to cause problems for her at work and with her friends, she needed to stop him. She could do it. She really could take this in stride and handle him. Even if it meant calling the police or filing for a restraining order, she would be able to stand up to him. Three days with the boys had done so much for her. She just wished she didn’t have to leave and deal with her asshole of an ex. She wanted to hide out and let Jared and Brent love her, hold her and tease her. She didn’t want to have to go back to reality so soon, but responsibilities were more important than a little fun.

  Maybe after she’d taken care of the Robert mess she could come back to the lodge. Her heart sank at the thought of the boys taking another woman. No, she wouldn’t be coming back after she left. They would move on to their next conquest and she’d be expected to move on as well. That was going to be impossible. She knew it already. Her heart squeezed. She was falling in love with them, and falling quickly. She sighed. You knew this was going to happen when you decided to play and make love with them, now suck it up, girly. Her inner monologue wasn’t helping this time. The decision to leave was weighing heavy on her heart.

  She jumped when a warm arm wound around her waist. She tensed for a moment until she realized it had to be Brent or Jared. She turned slightly and smiled over her shoulder at Jared. He looked sexy with wind-tousled hair and a playful smirk. Something was wrong with his eyes—the smile didn’t reach them and he looked worn out.

  “Hey there, cowboy. You okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m good.” He smiled a little more naturally before nodding toward the window. “Whatcha doing?”

  “I hope you guys are hungry because I was inspired while I was digging through your fridge.”

  She didn’t miss the way his attention fixated on her mouth as she talked. She couldn’t help but grin, even if she could feel the sadness in the look. No one had ever watched her with such naked desire before. How could she go home and leave this? Her heart hurt at the thought.

  Without even acknowledging that she’d spoken, he turned her in his arms. She slid her hands up his chest and around the back of his neck as he leaned down to capture her lips. She loved how spontaneously affectionate both men were. She felt as if she were soaking it all up like a sponge, long dried and crumbling. His lips were delightfully warm against hers. He didn’t rush the kiss, didn’t invade her mouth or drive her into a frenzy. The kiss was deliciously slow and seductive. He nibbled along her lower lip, making her smile at his playfulness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done so much kissing just to kiss. It was sensual and wickedly teasing. He wouldn’t let her take it deeper even as she licked along his lips and opened for him. His restraint was sexy and fun all rolled into a slow slide of soft lips against each other.

  She worked her fingers through his hair and savored the silky texture. Her body molded to his and she shivered when his hold on her tightened. She sighed, opening her lips in invitation, but he just lightly sucked at her bottom lip, nibbling. She moaned and was surprised at herself. This wanton woman was a stranger. She’d been the one who could still do difficult math calculations while having sex. Not this lustful, moaning vixen. Her body felt heated and molten from nothing but a good kiss. A soft sound escaped her lips.

  “Mmm, you shouldn’t make those noises. I’m liable to take you here in the kitchen.” Jared leaned back enough to separate their lips. “I wasn’t going to ravish you but you were just too tempting.”

  “And we aren’t doing the ‘taking’ because…?” She couldn’t help teasing him. He looked so strained, with the skin around his eyes pinched. She burst out laughing. “Sorry, I don’t mean to tease you. Do you want to help me with dinner? Would that help to get your mind off things?”

  He pushed her backward until her butt rested against the counter and his hard cock was pressed into her belly. Her legs buckled a little with the feel of his desire so blatantly nestled between them. It was a heady experience to have a man want her that way. She looked up into his face and loved the look of passion shining in his eyes.

  “I’ll help you to do whatever you need, babe, but if you need to keep your clothes on for cooking, I would suggest not tempting me. I’m battling an image of you sprawled naked on the counter with my tongue buried in your pussy,” he whispered. He leaned until his lips were a hairsbreadth from hers and breathed his words across her mouth. “I’d much rather eat you instead of dinner.”

  Those words really did buckle her knees. Only his hold on her kept her from wilting at his feet. A rush of moisture wetted her panties and she closed her eyes against the imagery he invoked. She rested her forehead on his chest and took a deep breath, hoping to calm her racing heart and stem the flow of languid heat through her body.

  “If we’re going to eat anything other than each other, I’ve got to get away from you,” she mumbled against his shirt.

  He sighed, and she fully understood his reluctance. She didn’t want to stop either. “All right, babe. Know this. As soon as dinner is done, you’re mine.”

  She kept herself balanced against the counter as he slowly backed away and grinned at her. Just that small upturn of his lips made her pussy clench with desire. Her fingers gripped the cool stone, holding her back from throwing herself bodily at him. She wanted to beg him to take her, strip her naked and fuck her on the table. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the need to be touched.

  “Go, Jared. I’m turning into a nympho or something around you guys.” She pointed to the doorway. “Please. I want to get dinner done, and if you stand there all sexy and tempting I’m going to be on my knees begging in about three seconds.”

  He groaned but turned and left. She watched his ass flex in the tight jeans he had painted onto his body. Oh my, I am in so much trouble. She checked to make sure she wasn’t drooling and turned to the sink. What had she been doing before he came in? Right, dinner. She chuckled under her breath as she finished rinsing the lettuce for their salads. A throbbing ache
still pulsed in her pussy but she could wait until after dinner. No threat had ever sounded so good as the one he’d made about being his after eating. Her belly clenched at the thought of being taken by him.

  * * * * *

  As she set the last dish on the dining table, she smiled. She couldn’t help it. She hadn’t been so happy in so long that it felt foreign to her. Anticipating Jared and Brent’s reaction to her cooking, knowing she’d trade sexual innuendos during dinner, and the knowledge that they both wanted her were keeping her giddy. She’d caught herself humming while she cooked, something she hadn’t done in a long time. Robert didn’t like her to hum or sing. He used to tell her that it disturbed his concentration, but the reason didn’t matter. It was just one more thing he’d taken from her. No—one more thing she’d allowed him to take.

  She bent over and lit two white taper candles she’d found in a cupboard. They looked slightly out of place on the rough-hewn, sturdy table. She skimmed her hand over the top. Smooth, glossy wood was cool under her palm. The table was beautiful. It looked as if someone had dragged large blocks of wood into the house and cobbled them together. She loved it. The furniture throughout the house really spoke to her and told her about the men who lived there. The table was handmade, she was sure. Perhaps it was from someone in town, but it wouldn’t have surprised her if they’d made it themselves some weekend. She’d dressed it up with some nice dishes she’d found hidden in the back of the pantry. Large serving dishes were piled with fried chicken, broccoli, salad and cornbread. She’d even made honeyed butter for them to use on the cornbread.

  She heard the door squeak a moment before four loud feet pounded into the house. She grinned again and couldn’t get the smile off her lips before both men walked into the dining room.

  “Wow, it smells great in here.” Jared walked through the room and bent to kiss her lightly on the cheek. She was disappointed for a moment until his hand snaked down and swatted her on the ass. He stood and grinned before moving to his seat.