by Eileen Green
“This may be the beginning of our relationship, Amanda,” Terence said quietly but sternly. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “But we both already feel very strongly for you. This is going to happen fast, sweetheart, so you might as well get used to us.”
Reaching out, Terence gathered Amanda in his arms and pulled her onto his lap. She moved up and laid it upon his chest as if she was going to push away from him. However, it lingered.
Terence watched her face as she slid her hand slowly across his chest as if memorizing it. Her ass was settled right over his cock. For the second time within an hour, her body was wreaking havoc on his poor defenseless dick.
He was hard as a pole under her derriere. Whenever she moved the slightest bit, he had to keep from moaning. Terence didn’t want to scare her off.
The desire to make love to her was strong, but with her brother in the house, that was impossible. Also, even if Jasper weren’t here, her bed was way too small for him alone. Add Jimmy into the mix along with Amanda, and there wasn’t going to be any room for any of them.
“We’re going to need to have some discussions,” Jimmy broke into his thoughts.
“I agree. However, I think we can wait for another day to do that.” Terence barely recognized his own voice. Amanda was doing strange things to him. “Let’s start in the morning when we take Amanda to breakfast. That’ll be soon enough.”
Right now, Terence wanted to hold Amanda, and hopefully, she’d sit with Jimmy in a bit. He had to remember that there was a second man that he had to share with, and Terence was to do his best to share the woman he loved.
Chapter Seven
Startling awake, Amanda realized someone was tapping on her shoulder. Embarrassed that she had dozed off with two gorgeous men in her home, she tried to push herself up away from Jimmy. He wouldn’t have it and kept his arm around her shoulder where it had been since he had taken over attending to her dinner.
Jasper was standing before her, a worried expression on his face.
“Oh, jeez, Jasp. You scared me!” she exclaimed nervously.
He signed that he was going to bed, and that he would see her in the morning. “We have to go pick up the car in the morning. Do you want to come with us?” she asked, hoping he wouldn’t.
Her heart began to thump in her chest as her brother looked between Jimmy and Terence.
Turning back to face her, he signed, “No, thanks. I have plenty of schoolwork to do.”
“Okay,” Amanda said as Jimmy relaxed his arm. She pushed herself up with a bit of help from Jimmy.
He slid his hand to the small of her back as she stood. It felt good there. The more they touched her, the more she craved them. She had never been touched by men before, and she now knew what she was missing.
Throwing her arms around Jasper, she felt him tense. It had been happening more and more when she would tell him good night. Was he too old for this? Amanda was beginning to think she was out of her element.
She wasn’t Jasper’s mother, technically. She hadn’t had the opportunities of attending his school functions and observing other parents with their kids. When she was in high school, she hung around with her small group of girlfriends, not obsessing about boys like girls her age. Even her friends had boyfriends, but she concentrated on her grades, thinking she had all the time in the world for dating later on. How quickly things change.
Releasing Jasper, she watched him step away and wave shyly at Jimmy and Terence. As he walked back to his room, Amanda murmured a quick, “Good night,” before Jasper’s bedroom door closed quietly, leaving the three adults alone again.
Both men stood at the same time, drawing Amanda’s attention back to them. “It’s getting late,” Jimmy commented. “It’s time we should be leaving.”
“We hope you had a good time tonight, Amanda,” Terence said as he sidestepped the coffee table.
Suddenly, she was feeling shy. The way both men were looking at her, as if they were starving, but not for food, scared her and turned her on. It amazed her that her body reacted to them just by them looking at her.
The men moved toward the door. Jimmy reached for the knob but stopped. He turned, wrapped his arm around Amanda, and pulled her to him. His mouth descended upon hers. She placed both her hands on each side of his waist as he moved her mouth on hers. Opening to him, she bravely swept her tongue across his lips.
Jimmy opened to her, generously giving her license to do as she wished. Instinct drove her as she slid her tongue across his, moaning at the contact. He slid his free hand up her back, up into her hair, and splayed across the back of her head.
It surprised her at how large his hand was, something she hadn’t noticed before. His body was large from all the work he did on the farm, his height most likely from his family genes, but she had to wonder how big another part of his anatomy was.
Their tongues tangled together, creating a heady experience for Amanda. Jimmy tasted like the Chinese food he had eaten and the coffee she had brewed for them afterward. She was finding she liked kissing Jimmy.
A few minutes later, she broke the kiss hesitantly. Opening her eyes, she looked up into the flushed face of Jimmy. His eyes were half-lidded as he looked down at her, a satisfied smile on his lips. “Damn, you kiss good,” he whispered, heating her body even more. By now, she didn’t know if it was embarrassment or from her body responding to his. Being new at this, she hoped she would be able to find out soon enough.
Not sure what she was supposed to say at his compliment, she could only smile.
Only when she felt a touch at the back of her shoulder did Amanda remember Terence. Guilt swept through her that she had forgotten him while she kissed Jimmy. However, when she looked at Jimmy, he was releasing her as he smiled. He turned her toward Terence, who was looking at her, that hunger still in his eyes.
He gathered her in his arms as he lowered his face to hers. His lips were soft as they covered hers. His tongue was warm as he licked across her lips softly. She flowered open to him and met his tongue at the opening. They too tangled, but Terence won when he swept through her mouth.
She let her hands wander around to his back and upward. Muscles lay beneath the long-sleeved T-shirt that he wore. His were differently formed than Jimmy’s. Long and sinewy. Either he monitored how buff he got, or he developed muscle through exercise other than how Jimmy did.
Terence used his tongue expertly. He moved through her mouth as if he was memorizing every inch before he came back to her tongue. Drawing it into his mouth, he seemed to be inviting her to mimic what he had done. Once she did, he pulled away, placed a couple of closed-mouth kisses on her lips, and then stood.
“Jimmy was right, honey. You are fantastic.” His voice was like honey itself, so smooth and sultry.
Both men had baritone voices that reverberated through her when they spoke. Her face was flush again, heat permeating her. With both of their compliments, she felt like the sexiest woman in the world at the moment.
“Will you be ready at eight for me to take you back out to the Circle G to get your car?” Jimmy asked behind her.
Amanda hadn’t realized that she was sandwiched between the two men, someplace she found she loved to be. She turned her head to look up at him. Sometimes she forgot how tall he was, just a few inches shorter than a foot taller. Terence was only a few inches shorter that Jimmy, putting him nearly half a foot taller than Amanda.
God, he is tall! They both are!
“I…yes. I’ll be ready. Thank you.”
“Great!” Jimmy smiled down at her before turning to look at Terence. “You coming with us?”
“I’ll have to see. The nurse knows I’ll be late getting home tonight, but my father usually expects me in the morning. Perhaps I can join him for lunch instead.”
Terence’s explanation drew Amanda back to reality. She had forgotten about his sick parents and his responsibilities.
They all had heavy responsibilities. Was this a good time f
or them to get getting together? A sadness settled upon her like a blanket of snow.
“What just happened, Amanda?” Terence asked. “What thought just ran through your head?”
It was hard to believe that he was able to read her so well. She hung her head, but not for long. Jimmy raised his hand and placed two fingers under her chin. He lifted her face up to look at him, a look of confusion on his own.
“Terence is right, baby. What just happened?”
Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere, she pasted a smile on her face. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” she lied.
Apparently, she wasn’t convincing enough. Jimmy’s left brow arched up, a symbol of his skepticism. “Really?”
She looked him in the eye, hoping he’d back down, but it was she who did the backing down. Gulping, she looked at Terence. He had the same look at his friend.
“You can’t, and won’t, lie to us, Amanda. If this relationship is going to work out, we have to be open and honest with each other. You have to let us help you when you have a problem.” Terence’s voice was soft as he spoke, something that belied the look on his face.
“We all have too much baggage going into this. Even with all the therapy Jasper has gone through, I’m not sure what is going to happen to him, and I can’t just toss him out when he’s eighteen. Terence, you have both your parents to deal with, and Jimmy, you have a very large ranch that needs tending to.” Lowering her head so they wouldn’t see the tears that were flooding her eyes, she whispered, “I don’t think I can do this.”
“School, work, military deployments, a dozen of different reasons are given by people entering a relationship. It’s never a good time,” Terence explained. “Love comes into a person’s life when they need it, not when they want it. My parents are both ecstatic that I have found someone, and they both want to meet you. Yes, I have duties to them since I am an only child, but you are very important in my life, as well. For the time being, we’ll have to perform a juggling act to keep what we’ve already started, and what will continue—”
Jimmy broke in. Amanda turned to face him. “—But we all have to agree to make the best of this relationship. You have done an amazing job with raising Jasper. For someone who hasn’t been out in public much, he knows how to greet people. His manners are wonderful. He’s going to be all right, and from what I can see, I think he wants you to be happy.”
Not knowing what to say, she nibbled on her lower lip, until Terence reached out and put his finger there. “Don’t do that, honey. I don’t want you biting your lip. I want to do that.”
The things they said to her always seemed spot-on for the moment, whatever they were. Now, Terence had made her insides quiver again. She realized that she wanted them, but right now wasn’t the time.
A key sounded in the lock, announcing the return of Genny. She must have stayed out with friends since she was so late.
Jimmy stepped away from the door and opened it for the woman. Her eyes were wide with shock, most likely because they were still there. A sly smile lit her face as she bypassed the trio and headed for her room. As she closed the door, a giggle could be heard.
Embarrassment spread over Amanda. However, the men didn’t seem fazed by it.
Cold air entered through the open front door, causing Amanda to shiver.
“We’ll get going, baby girl. Be ready at eight,” Jimmy said before he gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.
Next, it was Terence’s turn. “Make sure you lock the door behind us, and stay warm.” He too gave her a chaste kiss.
Terence followed Jimmy out into the night. It was drizzling, and Amanda wanted to make sure they got to the truck all right. However, Jimmy turned to her at the bottom step of her small porch. “Lock the door, sweetie. We won’t go until you do.”
Starting to close the door, she opened it again quickly. “Thank you again for dinner.”
“Our pleasure,” the two said in unison, not budging a muscle.
Amanda closed the door against the elements and the two men she was falling in love with, if she hadn’t already. Turning the deadbolt, it sounded loud on her end. She went to the large front window, she watched as they got in the pickup and waved as Jimmy backed up into the street. The two returned her wave, and then they drove down the street, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
* * * *
“Mom, I was with Amanda tonight. I will bring her over in the next day or so to meet you. I want you to meet the woman I’m going to marry.”
Terence thought he was speaking to his sleeping mother, but she surprised him by opening her eyes. “You better, Terry. I want to meet her before I leave. I want to make sure she loves you and will be there for you.”
It was always so hard to listen to her when she spoke like that, so coherent. To Terence, it seemed as if she wasn’t sliding quickly toward death.
Her feeble hand reached out and clasped his, which he had propped up on the rail. “Once I have met your lady friend, I want you to bring your father to me. I want us all here together one last time.”
Tears came to his eyes as he gently squeezed her hand. He was looking at being an adult orphan soon, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to handle it. Hopefully, Jimmy and Amanda, who were both orphans also, would be able to help him through the upcoming rough patch.
He tried hard not to let his mother see how upset he was about what was happening, but the tears he couldn’t hide. Being an only child came with a lot of responsibility as the parents grew old. Jimmy had lost his parents, his father to cancer, and from what Jimmy told Terence, his mother to a bottle of pills.
Amanda’s parents were gone also. She had lost them suddenly, not knowing there was anything wrong in their lives. Jasper was paying for his father’s sins, and it wasn’t fair to him. Terence might have been an only child, but he promised himself he was going to be a decent brother to the boy.
The even breathing of his mother told him she was asleep, most likely floating on the morphine mattress that helped take her away from her pain for a short amount of time.
Thoughts tossed around in his head, not allowing him to go to sleep. Jimmy was asleep in Terence’s bed, and in the morning, Terence was going to be sore all over from sleeping as he sat next to his mother.
He knew he was in love with Amanda. Jimmy was also. They knew what they wanted. Convincing Amanda might be a bit more difficult, but she was on the way. However, Terence didn’t want to wait. He wanted to make her theirs and bond with her before any more time went by. He had been in love with her for a year now. They were going to be her lovers before long, and there was going to be a ring on her finger not too long after that.
* * * *
Amanda let out a shriek as the truck slid across the icy surface. Jimmy was doing his best to keep them on the road that led to his ranch, but both sides had ditches that ran parallel to it. Grabbing the “oh shit” handle above the door, she held on with both hands, her knuckles turning white and painful.
After Jimmy and Terence left Amanda’s house around eleven the previous night, it was sprinkling. There hadn’t been rain in the forecast, so it had been a surprise. Now, it was providing an eventful ride to his ranch house as the low temperatures created an ice rink out of the wet surfaces.
Terence had left his SUV at Jimmy’s house the day before when the two of them brought two of Jimmy’s horses out to the Circle G for the equine therapy. He had requested to be taken to his vehicle first, so he could leave directly after they picked up Amanda’s car. At least he was going to be able to maneuver the roads better than she was.
“Relax, baby,” Jimmy tried to sooth her. “It’ll be all right.”
Relaxing wasn’t an option right now. Jimmy probably drove this road all the time in the winter and was used to it. Moving trucks not of their own accord was frightening. She tried to do as she was told as she took in her surroundings.
The fields were beautifully blanketed with snow. It glistened under the sun, blinding if she stared at i
t too much. With the rain that had fallen during the night, once it stopped, it froze, leaving a layer of icy glitter on the drifts.
Fences broke up the fields here and there, and cattle dotted the landscape, which looked serene. Being a town girl, Amanda hadn’t ventured out into the country too much. What she was seeing was beautiful, and someplace she could see herself living.
Even in her mind that sounded presumptuous. She already saw herself living with both men, and since Jimmy owned his ranch and had responsibilities there, she assumed they would live with him.
After several more slides, they began to pass some buildings and barns. The sides of the barns near the fields had more cattle inside fenced areas, most likely keeping them from harm.
Another minute passed before Jimmy pulled his pickup in front of an old two-story house. It had seen better days, needing a paint job. A porch wrapped around it with a couple of chairs sitting under one of the large windows.
A window stood on either side of the door, curtains hanging on both sides of each of them, offering a homey appearance. Smoke was rising from the chimney to the right side of the house.
The sidewalk leading from the driveway up to the house had been recently shoveled. The snow on what was most likely the lawn was at least two feet deep as it was piled up alongside the bare sidewalk.
Terence was out of the truck in an instant and opening Amanda’s door for her. Helping her down, he kept within inches of her as he escorted her around to the sidewalk.
The front door opened, and a brunette woman came outside, her hands wringing in a towel she was holding as she stopped at the top of the steps. She was very pretty, appearing to be in her midthirties. Gray sweatpants and a red thermal shirt was what she was wearing, giving her a slightly frumpy look.
“It’s about time you got home, young man,” she chastised, a small lilt to her voice. “I was worried sick.”