Men Times Three

by Edwards, Bonnie

  It was more like a wide shallows in a stream. The water was bitter cold even in late summer but now it could kill in minutes. She must know that; the chill rose brisk and damp all around.

  She brought her knees up and hugged them, put her chin on her knees in thought.

  “You look serious,” he said, just loud enough to reach her ears. Her red hair caught a single ray of sunshine and burned bright for a moment before a cloud stole the light.

  She didn’t even turn her head at the sound of his voice. She knew he’d followed her. With some luck she would invite him to join her on the rock.

  “That’s the rock where I kissed you,” he said.

  “I wasn’t sure I could even find it, but I came straight to it without a problem.” She looked pensive.

  “Hard day?”

  “I’ve got a few things on my mind,” she replied.

  God, he hoped one of those things was sex. “What things?”

  “Business, mostly. But other than that, I keep thinking of that mess you call a clearing. How long will it be before the cabins are built?”

  “Are you anxious to leave?”

  One side of her mouth quirked up. “You could say that. Seattle’s home, it’s where my business is. I’m needed there.” She picked up a pebble and tossed it with a plunk into the water. “I’ve got staffing problems, a partner who’s off the rails.” She looked at him across the shallows, her eyes searching his even though he had no answers to give. “And no idea what’ll happen when our new cousin arrives.” She wished the damn woman would just show up and put them all out of this misery. Waiting was a bitch.

  “I can relate to the staffing problems. Lord knows I’ve got my own.” He raised his eyebrows in a silent question. Was he welcome to join her?

  She patted the rock and scooted over to give him room.

  He picked his way over the stepping stones in the stream and mimicked her position on the rock. Close enough for friendly conversation, but not close enough to crowd her.

  She tossed another pebble, watched the ever-widening rings until they disappeared. “I want to sell the inn so I can buy my partner out of the club.”

  “Let me guess, the banks wouldn’t give you a loan. Money’s tighter than ever.”

  She huffed. “Believe me, I’ve tried. They wouldn’t even consider my third share of the inn as collateral.” She shrugged. “Besides, my grandfather’s will prevented anything but the three of us working together on the place. I wish I understood why he wrapped us all up so tightly.”

  “We were friends but he never confided anything on that score.” He thought about the wild rumors running through the community and chuckled. “Your grandfather’s will has caused a lot of speculation. Not that it’s anyone’s business, but the locals always thought of him as strange so it stands to reason they’d be more curious about the inn than they would normally be.”

  “I would imagine most people’s lives are an open book around here.”

  “Pretty much. I see why it’s important to you to get the cabins built as fast as possible.”

  “We can’t even open the rooms in the inn because of the construction noise. You will be noisy, right?”

  He nodded. “Why the hurry to buy your partner out?”

  She rolled her shoulders, made him want to massage her, but he restrained himself. She’d called a truce and needed real conversation, not a move to get laid. “It’s not working out with him. I carry most of the day-to-day load of running the club while he’s”—she hesitated, then went on—“enjoying the fruits of the situation.”

  “Picking up women?” There would be a lot to choose from in a dance club. Young, fresh women thrilled with the attention of an older businessman would tempt most men. Easy, fun sex was a strong lure.

  For a time.

  “I think he’s dipping into the till, too.” She rolled her eyes. “To pay for the women.” Her laugh turned bitter. “He’s getting weird.”

  TJ had nothing to say to that. Small business was fraught with problems, and while a dance club seemed like fun, it would present a host of unique difficulties. “Why a dance club? Seems to me it would be long, late hours, constant challenges in a tight market.”

  “I put myself through college tending bar and found I had a knack with people.”

  “Don’t tell me they poured out their troubles?” Her scent blew by his nose and he strained for more. Something soapy and delicate. She’d showered. The thought of her fresh and clean made him close his eyes to hold the scent.

  She finally turned to look at him, her eyes full of lively humor and intelligence, as if she knew it was difficult for him to keep his hands to himself. “Listening to their troubles comes with the territory but I’ve never minded small talk. It’s easy to give people what they need in terms of atta-boys and support in an easy breezy way.” She put her head to rest on her knees as she sighed. Her eyes held him while her voice eased through to his gut. “Talk about pouring out troubles. I can’t seem to shut up.”

  “No problem. I wish I had some suggestions for you.”

  “Thanks.” She leaned close so that her shoulder rubbed his. “And thanks for not going all smoky sex on me.”

  “I can if you want me to.” Hell, he’d love to! “But I think I’ll do better to let you talk. There’s plenty of time for me to have my way with you.”

  Her laugh drowned out the burble of the stream. “See? I knew there was a reason you jumped the gun on clearing that acre. You want to keep me here so you can get laid.”

  “And you don’t?” He’d overheard her conversation with Holly and knew she wanted to be taken. But that didn’t sit well with him, no matter how hard she made him, how much his cock twitched for her.

  In another surprise move, she shoved him sideways just far enough that he lost balance and toppled sideways onto the rock. Next thing he knew, she’d climbed on top of him. He decided he liked it and let her straddle his waist.

  Happy and suddenly girlish, she reminded him of what had caught him so thoroughly that long ago summer. He palmed her cheeks, unable to stop himself. “Your skin’s so soft. So pretty.” He wanted to tell her about how her eyes drew him in, but that would sound poetic, and he didn’t do poetic.

  She flushed while he marveled at her translucent beauty. The weight of her on his hips distracted and focused him at the same time. She set her hands on either side of his head, which brought her face closer. Her eyes widened as she studied him. “You’re as handsome as I thought you’d be. I never forgot you.”

  Likewise. But she’d think he was lying so he kept the thought to himself. “Does anyone forget a summer like that? You were sweet and pretty and hung on my every word.” He’d started out by thinking she was a pest, but as the days had gone on she’d become a friend.

  “I loved our hikes in these woods.” Her breath fanned over him, sweet and inviting.

  He slipped his hands to her waist. “Remember when I kissed you?” She’d kissed him back with fervent attention to detail, as if she’d rehearsed.

  She stilled and her eyes filled with memory. “Yes,” she breathed. “My first.”

  Her nipples had gone hard in the chill of this very pool and suddenly an awareness had bloomed between them, an awareness that hadn’t existed before. They’d climbed out of the shallows to stretch out on the sun-heated rock. Awkward and full of promise, the moment had stretched as he’d pulled her close to his chest, careful to keep his hard-on away from her. He’d bent his head while she’d tilted her mouth and more by accident than design he’d brushed her strawberry-flavored lips once, twice and on the third swipe, had settled on her mouth.

  “Strawberry,” he murmured as his hands moved to her back and down to cup her ass. The grown Marnie laughed and leaned so close he lost sharp focus. But that didn’t matter, he’d seen desire and affection in her gaze and held on to the image.

  “You remember my lip gloss?”

  “Your lip gloss, your mouth, how soft your hair was and
even how perfect your nipples were under your bathing suit and T-shirt.”

  She dangled said nipples within an inch of his chest, then lowered them by half. He dragged in a deep breath and expanded his chest to touch them.

  She chuckled and finally brought her mouth down to his. The pressure was light, teasing and delicious. He went straight back to being fifteen and so horny he could split firewood. But things were different now. Marnie was no longer one minute from childhood. She was full grown and the way her tongue tipped into his mouth proved it.

  She nipped his lower lip and tugged, then licked and nibbled as he tasted her over and over again. Not strawberry this time, but needy woman.

  Her skin was smooth and warm as he traced the bones of her spine to her bra. He undid the hooks quickly and felt her sharp intake of breath, but she raised herself to allow his hands to scoop her out of the cups. Full, luscious, her breasts filled his palms to overflowing. He tweaked her nipples, bringing them to hard points. His mouth watered to take them.

  She slid down to straddle his hips, increasing the torture. Her soft giving center called to him and he raised his hips to press against her.

  “Mm,” she moaned and rode him a moment. “You have grown,” she murmured then slid back up to offer her breasts. He nuzzled beneath her T-shirt and plucked one nipple while he suckled the other. She rocked her hips on his belly, her ass just touching the tip of his cock.

  So perfect. So soft. Her breasts filled his hand and mouth while he drank the scent of woman and arousal. Hers. His. It was all the same, a wild keening need that took them both over.

  She pulled her mouth from his, then slid her hands to cover his on her breasts and pulled his hands away. She climbed off him and wiped her mouth with a shaky hand.

  He tried to take in the sudden shift. “What? Did I move too fast?” His body was taut as strung wire.

  She bent at the waist and fit her breasts back into her bra cups and did herself up with a contortion that made him marvel. “No. I just have a lot to do. And this isn’t getting it done.”

  “Believe me, we wouldn’t have been much longer.” He sank back onto the rock and cradled his head on the back of his arm. She wanted to be overcome, overwhelmed. Taken. He got to his feet, stepped toward her.

  Her lips were blue from the cold. That, more than her wary gaze stopped him. It was June on the Peninsula. That meant Arctic flows that brought wind, cold and rain. He could pursue, overwhelm and take her the way she’d claimed to want.

  Wouldn’t be the first time he’d had sex in the woods, but the wind had a bite now and would only get worse. Also, if things went sour between them, he didn’t want all the blame for starting things. No, if she wanted an affair, or something more, then she had to meet him halfway. His heart simmered back down to normal.

  “Gotta tell you, though, Marnie. This kiss was way better than our first.”

  She laughed and gratified him by letting her guard down. When they forded the stream, he reached for her hand and she took it. Simply. Warmly.

  The twenty-minute walk back to the inn was filled with easy chat and friendly banter. When they got to where they could see the clearing, they stopped in mutual accord. Deke and Holly were by the pile of firewood TJ had split the day before.

  TJ tugged Marnie to face him. “I can’t recall the last time I walked in the woods holding hands.”

  “Me neither.” Her smile dazzled. He’d been right to let her go by the pond. They had time and maybe it would work in his favor. She stretched up and blessed his cheek with a light kiss, then turned and entered the clearing leaving him to wonder if this had been real or just part of the game.

  He voted for real.

  As he followed her out of the woods, Holly’s voice drifted to his ears. “I want the prettiest ones.”

  “It’s firewood. It’s not supposed to be pretty. Even’s good, but pretty?”

  From the question, it was obvious Deke couldn’t see the point. “Next thing, you’ll want them washed,” he groused.

  Marnie crossed the leveled clearing and joined the discussion. “We won’t burn the pretty ones, Deke. They’re for show.”

  TJ looked hot and bothered and Deke wondered how long this tug-of-war would last between his brother and Marnie. Obviously, TJ had ignored his advice to go after Marnie and get busy. If they had they’d be glowing warm, not still shooting sparks.

  Couldn’t be good for a body to be so riled up day after day without an outlet. By the time his brother blew there’d be hell to pay.

  He hoped Marnie was up to it.

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him.” Holly shooed Deke away from the stack of firewood. “Now that Marnie’s here we’ll go through the wood together and I can stop trying to explain staging to you.”

  The staging thing had something to do with appearances and not looking lived in while still being welcoming. “Fine with me, I’m happy with a flat-screen television and a lounger.”

  Any chance for more time with Holly disappeared, but TJ took his attention with work and the evening had arrived before any of them realized it.

  “I’m starving. D’you think the women would make a run to the store for steaks? We could use Jon’s grill.”

  “The tank’s almost full. I checked it earlier.” He sauntered inside the inn and a few minutes later came back out with a grin. “They’re on their way.”

  An hour later, the women returned with juicy steaks and the supermarket’s version of potato salad. Deke forewent having a beer and settled on the top step of the deck with an iced tea.

  He tilted his head toward the newly cleaned kitchen. “They’ve got a lot done inside now.” At this rate, they’d have the place looking great before his two weeks were up with Holly. “They’re cleaning machines, the pair of them. They’ll have the interior done way before we’re anywhere near finished out here.”

  TJ frowned but changed the subject. “You’re not having a beer?”

  “Got other things to occupy my time.” And he felt so damn good he could cheer. The sun was out all the time, even if the sky was cloud piled on cloud. He tried to wipe the sappy grin off his face but gave up. No use. He’d been like this all day.

  TJ frowned and scraped the barbecue grill clean. “Holly’s divorced, Deke.”

  So much for no baggage. But then, it wasn’t Holly that tossed this into the mix, now, was it? “No children, though?” His chest tightened in readiness.

  “No.” TJ shook his head. “You obviously didn’t do much talking.”

  “Not about our lives before yesterday. We’ve agreed to start fresh. No bullshit from our pasts to muddy the waters.” He held up his iced tea. “And I meant it. No more maudlin drinking binges to help me forget Gabriel.” It hurt to even say the boy’s name. He’d wanted to be the kid’s dad, not just his stepfather. But Misty had taken him away and changed Deke’s and Gabriel’s lives forever.

  The pain of loss brought him up short. He and Holly were not going down the commitment highway and he had to remember that. It was sex. Free and easy and so fucking hot it scorched.

  “I’m glad to hear about the booze, because I won’t babysit you anymore.”

  “You won’t have to. She’s good for me. Has me thinking about other stuff. Better stuff.” Whatever time was left with her would be great. By then he’d be ready to move on from his deepest grief and he’d have Holly to thank.

  Holly stepped outside with a plate piled high with meat, putting an end to the conversation. As she walked down the three steps beside Deke, she gave him a heated look. He ran his hand up her thigh in a quick slide of appreciation. All sex, all the time.

  No commitment.

  That was his new mantra.

  And he had to stick to it.

  They sat down for dinner at the long cedar kitchen table amid laughter and teasing between the brothers. Deke and TJ told stories designed to get their women giggling and succeeded.

  Until, into the midst of another gale of laughter, a
woman walked in.

  Deke saw her first and tapped Holly’s hand to get her to look up from her plate.

  “Hello?” the newcomer said, looking from one diner to the next. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m Kylie Keegan and I belong here.”

  Shocked silence turned the kitchen into an eerie void of expectation. For his part Deke felt sideswiped by the woman’s beauty. She had hair to her hips, tilted almond eyes and a body to kill for. TJ seemed as mesmerized as he was. A woman who looked like her must be used to this reaction.

  Marnie was the first to regain her composure. She rose, held out her hand. “Kylie. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

  The black-haired beauty gave her cousin a tentative smile and shook her hand. Then she tugged Marnie in for a hug and the difference in their heights made it seem like Marnie was swallowed. “You have no idea how glad I am to meet you.”

  Kylie had to be all of six feet and every curvy inch of her was in proportion.

  “I’m Holly Dawson and the woman you’re hugging is Marnie.” Holly rose quickly and got dragged into an effusive hug as well.

  Kylie stepped back and released them both. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to grab at you. It’s just that I’ve never met any family members other than Jon Dawson.” She got a tentative look in her eyes that asked if she was welcome.

  TJ stood. “Kylie. I’m TJ O’Banion and this is my brother, Deke. We’re pleased to meet you.” They shook hands briskly, but Kylie’s eyes never left the other women.

  “Kylie,” breathed Holly. “Oh. We’re so glad you’re here. Aren’t we, Marnie? So glad.”

  Marnie nodded then waved at the table laden with food. “Hungry? There’s plenty. I haven’t taken a bite of steak yet so you can have half of mine.” She sliced her piece of meat down the middle.

  Holly dragged out a chair at the head of the table. From the wear on the seat and back it looked like Jon’s favorite. “Sit here. Please join us.”

  Deke slid the bowl of potato salad down the table.