by Marla Monroe
There were built-in bookshelves down one wall, and along the other was the door to the bathroom that also opened into the other office space. Next to that doorway was a counter with drawers beneath it. She could try out different styles on one of the mannequins they had sitting on the counter. It was all perfect. She felt tears fill her eyes that they’d listened to her. Really listened.
“Why are you crying?” Deacon asked, his mouth pulling down in a tight frown. “Did we screw something up? We can fix it.
“No, no. It’s perfect. You have no idea how much I wanted this to work, and you made it work and then some. I can’t believe that you really listened to what I wanted. What I needed. Thank you both so much.”
“Then why the fuck are you crying?” Deacon demanded.
“Women do that when they’re happy. You know that, man.” Jethro handed her a paper towel.”
“Well, stop it. I don’t like to see you cry even if it is happy tears,” Deacon fussed. “So, we got it right, huh?”
“Yes. You got it more than all right. I can’t wait to see what you guys do with the store downstairs. I swear it’s a wonder I was able to get you to work for me at all. I’d have thought you would be through the roof busy considering the amazing job you’ve done for me.” Rissa turned around looking at the office all over again. “It’s just perfect.”
“We get plenty to do. Already had a few people buying the other buildings talking to us. Told them we were concentrating on your building until it’s finished then we’ll be available for other jobs,” Jethro told her.
“I’ll tell anyone you need me to how good you are. Just send them my way,” Rissa said.
“So, now that you’ve seen the second floor, feel like a late lunch?” Jethro asked.
“Oh. I hadn’t even thought that you were missing lunch. What about the guys?”
“They’ve got the rest of the afternoon off. We’ll start first thing in the morning on the bottom floor. We wanted to be sure there wasn’t something that you wanted changed up here before we started downstairs,” Jethro said.
“So, eat with us, yeah?” Deacon asked.
“Okay. That would be great. We can celebrate the second floor being completed and beyond my wildest dreams at that.” Rissa didn’t even consider saying no.
She liked spending time with them, and they’d really nailed what she’d wanted in her office. They’d listened to her. She still couldn’t get past that. Men never listened to her. Not even her father listened to half of what she said.
She followed them to the elevator. They’d refused to allow her to use the stairs now that the lift was deemed safe. They’d told her walking up and down them was dangerous in the heels she tended to wear. She never had gotten around to buying some more sensible shoes. But really, when would she use them again? She lived in heels.
This time they took her to a little sandwich shop three blocks over. She’d never been to that one before. It was a small place, but it smelled divine. They must have made their own bread right there in the shop.
She ordered a simple ham and cheese with wheat bread. The guys ordered roast beef sandwiches with extra potato salad. While they waited on their food, Deacon brought up the subject of the security system.
“We need to go over it with you this afternoon. I want you to know it backward and forward before you move in or start receiving any merchandise,” he said.
“That’s a good idea,” Jethro said. “Do you have any plans this afternoon that we can’t show it to you while the guys aren’t around to distract us?”
Rissa thought over what she’d planned to do. Other than some shopping and a date with her e-reader, there was nothing she couldn’t reschedule. Besides, spending more time with Deacon and Jethro was better than shopping ever could be.
“Nothing I can’t rearrange. I think it’s a great idea,” she said, beaming at them.
“Good.” Deacon took a drink of his iced tea.
Once they’d finished eating, Rissa climbed into the truck with Jethro’s help and scooted over so that her leg touched Deacon’s. When Jethro climbed in, his leg touched her other one. Why hadn’t she noticed on the way over? Where they purposefully crowding her? She didn’t know, but she liked it. Liked touching them. Liked being this close to them.
She wanted to get closer.
When they were back at the building, Jethro helped her out while Deacon walked around to follow them to the front door.
“Okay, once you unlock the door from the front, you’ve got sixty seconds to get to the back to disarm the alarm. It’s much easier if you are unlocking the back door, but you’re more vulnerable in the back since it’s an alleyway,” Deacon told her. “Go ahead and unlock it then make a beeline to the back panel.”
Rissa used her new key to unlock the front door. Then she locked it behind them and raced through the open bottom floor to where the new security panel was next to the back door. She paused and looked at Jethro.
“I don’t know the code.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not armed yet. You can create your own code, but it needs to be something that isn’t easily figured out. It also needs to be at least five numbers,” Deacon said.
“Okay. Let me think a minute.” Rissa squeezed her eyes closed so that she could think. “Got it.”
“Now, push the arrow key until it shows set up,” Deacon told her. “Next, push the enter key then the arrow key until it says add code. Now punch in the code you chose. Hit enter.”
Rissa followed his instructions until she had the alarm set up. Then the guys had her arm and disarm the alarm several times until she did it without having to think about it too much. The next thing they introduced her to was the video camera surveillance setup. She learned how to maneuver the cameras so that she could look around before she stepped outside. Then they had her do the same thing with the camera outside her apartment upstairs.
“I never expected there to be so much to learn about security,” she admitted after nearly two hours of instruction.
“It’s important. We don’t want anything to happen to you. Only the best for you,” Jethro told her.
“Once you have everything in place downstairs, you’re going to want to practice opening the front door and getting to the back to disarm the alarm again. Tables and displays will slow you down, so you’re going to want to think about that when you set up the show room. Plus, there will be the door separating the front from the back area where the stairs and the elevator is,” Deacon pointed out.
“I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe we need to make it ninety seconds instead of just sixty,” she suggested.
“Nope. You can do it. It’s safer that way. If there’s any more time, a burglar could get what they want and get out by the time the alarm goes off. Plus, if you’re followed in, you can stretch out resetting the alarm so that it goes off and scares whoever has tried to force you inside with them.” Deacon shook his head. “Remember. This goes off at the police station as well as out loud here.”
“That’s good. I’ll know that there’s someone on the way if I’m upstairs when it goes off.”
“And you’ll stay upstairs until they arrive. Understood?” Jethro took her by the shoulders. “No coming down to see what’s going on. Let the police do their jobs.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll probably be hiding in my huge-ass walk-in closet, or maybe in the bathroom in the soaker tub.” Rissa had no intention of sneaking downstairs to catch someone who might be armed.
“Good girl,” Deacon said.
Before Rissa knew what to expect next, Deacon took her chin with two fingers and held her still as he slowly lowered his head as if giving her time to pull away.
She didn’t.
His mouth pressed against hers then licked at the seam of her lips until she opened to him. He didn’t need an invitation to come inside as he stole her breath as easily as he conquered her mouth. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think as he touched every part of her mouth with his tongu
e. When she thrust back inside his mouth, he sucked on her tongue then pulled back, nipping at her lower lip in the process.
All she could do was pant and stare up into his deep, dark eyes She panted, trying to regain her breath. Not to say anything because really, words were so overrated. Just to be able to fuel her body with the oxygen it needed to continue on with life.
That didn’t last long as Jethro turned her away from Deacon and pulled her into his arms. His mouth was much less demanding. He sipped at her lips then sucked the bottom one that Deacon had nipped. When he finally entered with his tongue, she was all but pulling at his hair to get closer to him.
Okay, so maybe she was pulling at his shaggy strands in an effort to get to more of him. Where Deacon had demanded her attentions, Jethro coaxed her into his arms until she was wild at being there. They were so different, yet they both commanded her attention in much the same way. She wanted them both, and it looked like they planned on both having her. Strangely enough, that thought didn’t bother her in the least as she stood between the two men. Maybe it would later when she was alone in her condo thinking back on this moment. Maybe.
“Oh, God. I can’t think with the two of you ganging up on me like this,” she finally managed to huff out.
“That’s the point. If you’re too busy trying to breathe, you won’t care that we’re both kissing you. That we both want you just about more than we can stand,” Jethro told her.
“I don’t get it. Why would you both want me together like this? Why aren’t you jealous of each other?”
“Because we like to share. We want someone to share between us for the rest of our lives,” Deacon told her.
“Deacon. Don’t lay that on her right now,” Jethro snarled.
“Not hiding anything from her, man. She deserves to know the truth,” the other man said.
“I don’t think I understand. Are you talking about like forever? The same woman between you guys?” she asked.
“Yeah, we want a wife who can handle both of us. Someone who won’t wig out after a few weeks or months,” Deacon explained.
“I don’t know what to say. That’s not exactly the way society expects to see a marriage. I don’t even think it’s legal, is it?” she asked.
Jethro sighed. “No, it’s not legal. One of us would marry the woman, and the other one would live with them.”
“Why get married at all?” she asked.
“Because that way woman would be protected if something happened to either man. If she lost her husband, all his assets would fall to her. If she lost the one she didn’t marry, the one she married would take care of her regardless,” Jethro explained.
“It seems too complicated.”
“It’s really not. We want a woman we can share and take care of so that she never has to worry about a thing. Plus, if one of us has to be somewhere, the other will be there in case she needs anything,” Jethro said.
Deacon hadn’t said much while Jethro talked. Now he turned her back toward him. His dark brooding eyes settled on hers as if willing her to understand.
“We want you to be that woman, Rissa. You’re smart, funny, and seem more open to things than anyone we’ve ever met before. Plus, you’re hot as hell,” Deacon told her.
“Me?” Her voice squeaked
“We know this is probably coming along too fast, but Deacon doesn’t hold back when he sees something he wants. He pretty much jumps. We want you, Rissa. Not just for your body, which is pretty damn perfect, but also because you’re perfect for both of us. You don’t mind it when Deacon isn’t talking much. You listen when I talk, and it doesn’t seem to bother you when we’re both near you. You don’t step away from us like a lot of women do. We’re big men, and I get that.” Jethro ran a hand down her arm.
“I, um, yeah. This is pretty fast. I’ll admit that I’m attracted to both of you, but while we’re working together, I wasn’t going to see where it went. I didn’t feel like it was a good idea,” she finally got out.
“We felt the same way, but after Deacon kissed you yesterday, we figured we might better come clean,” Jethro explained.
“I need to think about this. I wasn’t expecting you to come out and say it like this. We should finish my building before we talk about this any further. I’m just not ready to jump into anything, much less what you’re talking about.”
Jethro nodded, but Deacon’s face shut down like a snow blower that lost power. His face went from animated and excited to dead cold. It caused her to shiver. Had she done that? If he got his feelings hurt that easily, they’d never work out. Maybe she was right to put off anything until after they’d finished the project. Maybe she didn’t need to think about it at all. This would never work.
“We can understand that, Rissa. Just don’t dismiss it until we talk again. We’ll back off until you sign off on your store. Okay?” Jethro asked.
“Right.” Rissa drew in a deep breath and risked a look up at Deacon but couldn’t tell what the other man was thinking.
Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good since he hadn’t said another word after she’d wanted to put off thinking about it until after they no longer had a business relationship. It hurt. She could admit that it hurt that he wasn’t saying anything to dissuade her decision. He was the more in-your-face kind of guy and she’d expected him to demand her to think about it right then, but when he hadn’t, it hurt.
Maybe he isn’t as into the relationship as he said he was. He might just be going along with Jethro because the other man is interested in me.
Rissa really hoped that wasn’t the issue. She liked both men and was willing to see where such an odd type of assignation could go, but she was right that they needed to back off until after they no longer worked with each other. Business and pleasure didn’t go well for either party. Someone always ended up hurt or screwed when that happened.
She thought about it the entire trip back to her condo. They let her lock up and arm the alarm before making sure she got in her car and headed toward home. The two men had been nothing but attentive to her all day. It was a bit heady to have two such virile men completely focused on her for such a long period of time. Most of the time she had trouble getting even one man’s attention on her for more than the time it took to get her in bed. This was different and so much more appealing.
But a threesome? Permanently?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Chapter Eleven
“What’s your damn problem?” Jethro demanded when they’d gotten home.
His friend hadn’t said two words since they’d seen Rissa off earlier. He’d been almost rude to her before she’d left. That was no way to get her to agree to date them.
“Nothing.”
“Bullshit. You’re acting like someone who didn’t get what they wanted. Did you really think she’d jump right in on our little party without thinking it over?”
“She isn’t thinking it over. She’s putting us off until after the job’s done. Then she’ll back away and thank us for the work.” Deacon stomped into the kitchen where he pulled out a beer.
“We were supposed to wait until after the job was completed, remember? You’re the one who jumped the gun.”
“She was fine with it until we told her we both wanted that hot little body of hers. That’s what stopped us from getting what we wanted. Not the timing.”
“Yes, the timing was what threw her off. You should have left it alone.”
“Stupid fuck.”
“Don’t blame this on me. You’re the one who kissed her—again. I wasn’t about to let that go and not kiss her myself. Damn, she tasted good,” Jethro said.
“I hope you enjoyed it ’cause it’s the only time you’re going to get it now. She’s never going to give us the time of day. I told you this was a fucking excuse for a letdown.”
Jethro watched Deacon down the beer then grab another one out of the fridge. His friend was hurting, and he knew it. Lashing out was what he did when he go
t upset.
“I’m telling you she’s going to give it a lot of thought. She didn’t dismiss it right out of the blue, man. Give her some credit. This is something major for her, hell, for anyone,” Jethro said.
“Didn’t you see it in her eyes? She was uncomfortable with the idea of it. Being in a ménage relationship wouldn’t look good to her high-class friends. She isn’t going to do anything that would jeopardize her social standing.” Deacon air quoted social standing then took another long pull on his beer.
“Getting drunk isn’t going to change a damn thing, and I think you’re wrong. I don’t think she gives a rat’s ass about what other people think. She’s opening a store, for God’s sakes. They’re already bad-mouthing her about that as well as for living over it. She’s told us how they say she’s crass for having a dream of owning her own boutique. You think she’s going to care what people say about her personal life?”
“This isn’t some temporary thing we’re suggesting, Jethro. I’m talking forever here. It’s different.”
“You saying her boutique isn’t forever to her? Are you one of those people who think she’s going to flop, or worse yet, never get it off the ground in the first place? If you are, you’re an asshole, and she doesn’t need your kind of negativity.” Jethro stomped over to the fridge and got a beer of his own.
“She’ll open that store and make it a huge hit. I’m not saying that at all. Stop putting words in my mouth, fucker. I’m just saying that there’s a big difference between opening a store and living with two men at one time. She’s not going to risk her reputation for us, man.”
Jethro took a long drag of the icy brew and sighed. Jethro had to admit that he had some doubts about that himself. He just didn’t want to admit it to Deacon. The man was already on the fence about if it would work out or not.
“I still don’t think she cares about her reputation. She cut that Brian or Brad guy without a thought of what that meant in her social circles. She’s hinted that he’d bad-mouthed her to all her friends. Did she act like she gave a damn to you?” Jethro asked.