Maizy the Bear Charmer [Divine Creek Ranch 16] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  He chuckled. “No. The fool is spelling it out.” He kissed her as he backed her into his tall chair, caging her against the backrest until she was out of breath and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

  “Holy m–moly,” she whispered when he finally let her go.

  “That was my thank-you for the dance earlier.”

  “Which one, ours or my dance with the girls?”

  “Both. And damn, woman, you were torturing us with those belly dancing moves. You all disrupted the entire club with that dance. Now I can see why Ben didn’t like it when Grace and the girls did that at the Pony.”

  “Why?”

  “When a knot of people forms, it’s hard to get through and deal with trouble. All the guys were crowding that side of the club. The only reason I didn’t come closer was because Heath and the guys were able to get to you before the song ended. A lot of single men come to this club.”

  “Is that one of the reasons you all watch over the women?”

  “It’s the reason.” He smiled. “But it was worth it.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t get mad then. So Ben didn’t like that when the girls dance?”

  Cody grinned. “I think it had more to do with one particular little dancer than with anything else at the time.”

  “Camilla?” At his nod, she added. “I’d love to meet her some time. I heard from Lucy that she’s a new mom.”

  His face lit up. “Yeah. Want to see a picture?”

  She nodded and he pulled out his smartphone and thumbed through the screens until he found what he was looking for. Then he turned the phone so she could see.

  “Aw,” she murmured as she gazed at the picture of Cody sitting in a hospital rocking chair with two tiny red-faced bundles in his arms. One baby was asleep with a blissful little smile on his face and the other was squalling. In the picture, Cody looked completely unperturbed and at ease as he held the tiny bundles.

  He pointed to the screen. “The one crying is James. And the one sleeping is Joshua. This was taken the day after they were born. Camilla told the hospital staff we were family and got pictures with the three of us holding them. They were wrapped in heated blankets since they were still in the NICU, in incubators. They’re nearly three weeks old now.”

  “They’re beautiful. I’ll bet you’re a terrific uncle.”

  Cody met her gaze, his eyes warm. “Hope so. They’re so tiny. James is a bit smaller and fit in the palm of my hand, rump to head,” he said as he held his hand out to demonstrate how small the baby was. Maizy traced her fingertips over his large upturned hand and hers looked small in comparison.

  They were talking about his new nephews but the tension, which wasn’t unpleasant, was growing between them over thoughts that were left unsaid.

  Two giggling blondes waved good-bye to Cody and Ryan as they exited the club when closing time approached. Maizy stifled a yawn, knowing she was hours beyond her normal bedtime. Presley Ann left the club with one of the men Spencer had sent to dance with her, leaving her sister behind, which made Maizy think even less of Presley Ann. Leah exited the club five minutes later, looking resolute and unsurprised.

  “Bye, Leah,” Heath said as he held the door for her. Leah smiled at him, glanced at Maizy, and gave her a small smile and nod before she exited. To Cody, he said, “I’m going to check the parking lot and make sure Leah gets to her car all right.” Cody nodded and Heath disappeared outside and rejoined them a few minutes later.

  “For a Saturday it seemed like a pretty quiet night,” Maizy murmured as the last of the nightclub patrons left and the waitresses hurried around wiping down tables and tidying up.

  The three men chuckled and Cody said, “We handled three near-fistfights, found a couple having sex in the housekeeping closet, the condom machine in the men’s room was ripped from the wall, we ejected a couple of assholes snorting coke at one of the tables, and two women got into a catfight in the ladies’ room.”

  Heath held up one finger. “Don’t forget that couple having sex on the dance floor. Yeah, it was a pretty calm night.”

  All three men chuckled when they noticed her wide-eyed amazement. “All that happened tonight?”

  “Yeah, it was pretty quiet,” Cody said, coming close to her. “We didn’t have any serious fights to break up because we nipped them in the bud before they got that bad. The catfight was between two best friends over some guy, and the condom machine has been jamming, so…” He shrugged.

  She shook her head. “I figured that a club this size would have its fair share of altercations, but…there were people having sex on the dance floor?”

  “It happens,” Cody said with a chuckle. “People get caught up in the moment.”

  Heath snorted. “At least the guy was acting responsibly. He had that rascal wrapped, or so I heard.”

  “Maybe that’s who broke the condom machine.” Spencer elbowed Heath and gestured to Maizy, whose mouth was hanging open. “I think we shocked her.”

  She giggled. “I guess I am. I’m not used to nightclubs and situations like that. I had no idea any of that was happening.”

  With a perfunctory nod, Cody said, “Good, then we did our job right. I like nightclub patrons knowing we’re here but we don’t need to put on a show. Angel, we can leave once we’ve made sure that all the waitresses and staff have gotten safely to their vehicles. Are you too tired to talk tonight?”

  Maizy shook her head and smiled. “I’m fine.”

  Twenty minutes later, they walked her out the back door to Spencer’s big four-door truck.

  She turned to look at them and saw their grins. “How am I supposed to get in that? I need a ladder.”

  Spencer might’ve grinned just a little before he said, “No need.” Then he lifted her in his arms and said, “We’ll take care of you.”

  That’s what I’m afraid of. And I’ll get really spoiled. And if this is just a pipe dream then it’s going to hurt so much when it’s over.

  Spencer paused and looked into her eyes and whispered, “You okay?”

  She nodded and tried to not squeal much when he lifted her into the backseat. She saw him toss Cody the keys. The truck was so high up off the ground, all she could see was the top of his head as he walked around to the other back door and the guys climbed in.

  He hopped up in the seat next to her and said, “We like having vehicles that fit our builds. When you ride with one of us, we’ll always be there to help you get in. We’ll take care of you.”

  Heath looked back from the front seat at her and nodded as Cody started the diesel.

  She bit her lip as the vehicle ate up the miles. It had gotten awfully quiet, and when she glanced at Spencer, he seemed tense. She made a decision and released the lock on her seat belt and scooted over, cuddling up to him when he lifted his arm and gazed down at her. Heath looked back at them and his smile wasn’t teasing. It was genuinely happy. He leaned forward and turned up the volume on the radio. “Crash My Party” was playing.

  Is that a sign?

  The grin on Heath’s face as he watched the road said he thought it was.

  She reached up and caressed Spencer’s goatee and then pulled him down to her for a kiss, very aware of a wonderful falling sensation.

  Chapter Nine

  Maizy felt delicate in Spencer’s arms, her body heat seeping through the fabric of her top into his hands as he deepened the kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, and sweet. When she slid her tongue against his, his cock hardened almost painfully. She didn’t pull back like he’d feared she would, if he showed her how much he wanted her. The need filling him was almost overpowering.

  Since meeting her, every time she’d looked up at him with those honey-colored eyes he’d wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her. She’d look at him, his face, his chest, his arms, and his hands as though he was larger than life. At first, he’d worried that she was a little frightened by his size but then she’d smiled when she’d walked in the club and put her arms around him, and it hadn�
��t felt conciliatory. It’d felt like she was taking what she needed from him. And he found that he wanted to give her whatever she needed, whenever she needed it.

  She pulled back long enough to look into his eyes and murmured, “You’re a wonderful kisser.” Then she returned for another kiss as the Luke Bryan song kept playing. He took it as a good omen that the song had come on.

  No woman had ever dated him long enough to share something intimate like a special song, yet she’d declared it the first time they’d danced. He’d learned early on not to expect intimacy like that from the women they were dating. In honesty, it was hard to expect something he’d quickly become unwilling to give himself. There was less pain that way for everyone. Everything seemed easier with Maizy.

  The three of them had been popular with many of the dancers in the gentleman’s club they’d worked at and once their prowess became common knowledge, they’d never lacked for female companionship. They’d been good with that for a while, but in the end, the sex became meaningless and the release even more so. A means to an end until he realized he wanted more. The one woman who had refused the three of them because she worked with them had convinced them through experience that it was bad business to date people they worked with or met in the clubs. After a time, along with Cody and Heath, he’d adopted Camilla’s philosophy.

  One of the strongest women they’d ever met, Camilla had come along, dancing to work her way through school, and they’d known she was different. They’d respected her and realized only after losing their chance with her two years later that respect was what had been lacking in their other relationships, if they could even be called that. Then a little belly dancer had come into their lives and given them something to aspire to. Even if they’d never found her, Spencer had known from that point forward that meaningless hookups weren’t enough anymore.

  Maizy stroked his shoulder, tracing his biceps and then his chest before she pulled back to catch her breath. He could feel the little puffs of warm air against his button-down shirt as she panted, and he took several breaths, trying to slow his heart rate and control his cock before he frightened her. She hadn’t come close enough to know he had a monster erection, but she would if he dragged her into his lap. He wasn’t hung like a horse or anything but he didn’t want to scare her either.

  He looked up and met Heath’s gaze. Spencer wondered, not for the first time, how much of what he was ruminating over was also going through his brother’s mind. Heath’s gaze lingered on Maizy and Spencer noticed when she reached out to Heath and stroked his shoulder.

  Heath tilted his head and kissed the tops of her fingers and smiled at her. “Do you have one of those for me when we get home?”

  She nodded and then sat up so she could look between the two of them. She inhaled with a stuttering breath and then sighed. “Would that be weird for you?”

  “No,” all three men said at the same time. Spencer added, “It’d be exactly what we wanted.”

  Heath said, “This is the road that we live on. We’re only a few minutes away now.”

  She looked out the window into the dark night and said, “I’m completely disoriented. Where are we?”

  When he explained, she smiled and nodded. “You’re not that far from where Lucy, Patrick, and PJ live now, out at Beck’s place.”

  Cody said, “Yeah, if you continue on the main road from the point where we’ll turn off, his entry is about a mile farther down this road, closer to Divine.”

  “Do you like living out in the country? With your jobs in Morehead, I’d think you’d want to live in the city.”

  Spencer stroked her shoulder as she cuddled against him again, and said, “The three of us had our own apartments in Morehead. Having neighbors that close made me claustrophobic, and I never slept well because of the noise.”

  Heath turned to look back at her. “Me either, although I was probably one of those noisy-type neighbors.”

  Spencer chuckled. “Heath likes his music and sports loud.”

  “What sports?”

  Heath said, “Mostly football. The three of us are all Cowboys fans.”

  Maizy sat up and said, “No. Really?” Spencer nearly cracked up at her disgusted tone.

  Even in the dim light of the truck cab, Spencer could see the twinkle in Heath’s eyes. “You’re not a Cowboys fan?”

  “Hell fucking no.”

  Heath’s jaw dropped and Spencer heard Cody cover a snort with a cough before Heath said, “I thought you didn’t cuss, Miss Priss.”

  Maizy’s body vibrated with laughter as she said, “I don’t normally, unless someone brings up the Dallas Cowboys, and then not only will I cuss, I might spit, too.”

  Spencer burst into laughter and they held each other as she laughed with him, before he asked, “So, baby, if you’re not a Cowboys fan, would you mind telling us who you’re a fan of?”

  “Houston Texans, of course.”

  Heath scoffed in disgust and the rest of the trip back to Divine was spent insulting both football teams and laughing until Cody finally pointed out the entry to their place.

  “It’s nice,” she softly said, watching as the headlights swung across the large front yard in a wide arc. “What kind of trees are those that are freshly planted?”

  Spencer said, “I put mountain laurels out along the front fence and then spaced out crape myrtles throughout the rest.”

  “Then let me thank you on Beck’s behalf. His bees will love visiting your yard. Do you have trees in the back as well?”

  Spencer nodded, “Yes, lots of live oaks all the way to the back fence.”

  Cody pulled up behind his truck in the driveway and cut the ignition. It was quiet in the interior for just a second before the three of them opened their doors and climbed from the truck. Since he was closest, Spencer lifted her down.

  She thanked him and then turned to look at the house. “It’s nice. I like the deep porch.”

  Spencer nodded. “Plenty of room for a swing and some chairs out there.”

  Cody closed his door and turned to her. “Baby, I hope you’ll keep in mind that the house is still a work in progress.”

  Heath nodded as he came over to stand with them. “We work on it every spare minute we can but it’s not perfect inside yet.”

  Maizy reached out and stroked Heath’s biceps. “I don’t mind that, Heath. I came over to talk, not to critique your work in progress. But I hope you’ll give me the tour anyway.”

  “Sure,” Cody said as he gently tugged her along with him to the front entry and unlocked the door for her.

  They’d left a few lights on and Spencer watched her face and felt relieved when she smiled as she stopped in the entry.

  The three of them led her from room to room. Heath grinned big when she complimented the work done in the kitchen and she seemed impressed as they showed her the rest of the house.

  She paused for a long moment in the master bedroom, which was empty since they’d ordered all new furniture for it. She commented on the large windows and Spencer told her they looked out on the pool. That got a smile from her and he couldn’t wait to take her out back. A soft sigh escaped her when she saw the new tub still wrapped in a drop cloth to protect it, and she looked like she was sizing it up. He glanced at the guys and Cody seemed very pleased with himself for suggesting that change. She even caressed the thing.

  They took her out to the back porch and she exclaimed over the pool and asked lots of questions about his plans for the deck. She seemed so enthused about it that he decided to put extra work in to finish it early, just for her.

  Once they went back inside, Cody got the three of them beers and offered her a glass of iced tea before they drew her to the couches they’d recently moved into the living room.

  “How do you like the house?” Heath asked, trying for casual but Spencer knew he was eager for her opinion.

  “Well,” she said before sipping from her tea. “For a work in progress, it’s wonderful. I think it needs a
little color though.” The three of them started laughing. “What?”

  Cody said, “You should’ve seen it before we painted. Every room was a different color.”

  Heath nodded. “Think Skittles.” Spencer shuddered at the memory.

  “Oh, no,” she giggled. “I just mean art on the walls, pictures, books, things like that. You must’ve thought I was crazy saying that, huh?”

  “We took pictures,” Heath said, handing her his phone and they chuckled as she flipped through the “before” pictures and winced at the original color scheme.

  “Goodness.”

  She handed the phone back to Heath and settled back in the couch, with Cody beside her on one side and Spencer and Heath in the opposite love seat.

  Heath grunted and shook his head, and then got up and pushed the coffee table off to the side, clearing the space separating them. Spencer helped him pull the couch closer so they weren’t across the room from her but also weren’t crowding in on her from every side.

  Her hair had become a little tousled from the high humidity and the wind that had kicked up while they were outside, and he wanted to stroke her silky curls some more. She still seemed a little on edge, and hoping to help her relax, he reached out to take one of her cowgirl boots off. At first she looked up at him and seemed unsure but when he tugged at it she smiled and allowed him to remove it and its mate.

  He knew he’d done right when she sighed happily as she pulled off the socks, too, and tucked one calf underneath her. Spencer smiled when he saw that her toenails were painted blue and decorated with little daisies. His hands itched to hold and stroke her foot. She was adorable and he was her sap. He was in serious danger, here. He’d do just about anything she asked. As long as she didn’t ask him to let her go.

  He let out a slow breath and said, “Baby, can I ask a question?”

  She turned her gaze on him and whispered, “Sure.”

  “The first time, well, actually the second time, I saw you, when we were at the coffee shop, you got my attention while you were standing in line.”

  “I did?”