by Kaliana Cole
Dusk was falling when Jade opened her eyes. The storm had passed, leaving that fresh new scent behind. She stirred slowly, leaning to the side so that she could look up at Nate.
The softness she saw in his eyes removed all her doubts. No judgment clouded his gaze. No censure or disappointment. Nothing but love was conveyed in the way he looked down upon her. Her bruised and battered heart soaked it up like desert rain.
Why had she ever doubted this man? He was her soul, had always been. He would sooner cut off his right arm than hurt her in any way.
“I love you, Nate.” Her voice was soft and timid, but the words carried the conviction in her heart.
“I love you, too, darlin’. I always have.” He bent and kissed her gently, lingeringly. “But I am not the only one. Let’s get back to the house. Brett and Matt will be getting worried.”
Hand in hand, they walked back to the gate where they had left Toby. Surprisingly, he was still where they left him tucked in beneath some cottonwoods. “I can’t believe he is still here!” Jade exclaimed. “If I had tied him there, he would have undone the knot and hightailed for home.”
“The problem with him is that he is as stubborn as his owner. By tying him you present him with a challenge too great to ignore. Leave him free, and he will always be there when you need him.”
“That takes a lot of trust.” Jade knew he spoke of more than the damp, golden horse he lifted her on.
“If you haven’t got trust, you haven’t got anything, Jade.” He swung up behind her this time, his long stretch of thigh bracketing hers.
“But how did you know he would stay there?” she asked, putting both hands on the arm he draped around her waist.
“I didn’t, but if you don’t take the risk, you never know.”
“So you think I should take the risk with you guys?”
“There is no risk involved there, darlin’. None at all.” He squeezed her tighter. “You have already had our hearts for years. Now you just get the bodies to go with them.”
Jade giggled at the imagery that presented.
“Say you will come and live with us Jade. We don’t want to put you in a cage or control you. We just want to share our lives with you.”
“Don’t lie to me, Nate. I saw that cage in Brett’s room.”
“I am trying to be serious here, and you start joking. I know you do that when you are trying to avoid answering something. It won’t work with me, darlin’. I know you too damn well.”
“That could be a problem, you know. If I can’t pull the wool over your eyes from time to time, I will go crazy.”
“That is okay. I’ll pretend not to notice every now and then.”
“So you will humor me once in a while?”
“I prefer to think of it as indulging your need to know that you are smarter than us,” he replied, letting them through the slip rails. She could hear the grin in his voice.
“If you were Matt, I would hit you for that, but you know full well how smart you are, so I will just pretend I didn’t hear it.” Jade was enjoying the light repartee.
“So will you come and live with us, darlin’?” Nate’s heart was in it this time as his voice rumbled next to her ear. She could no longer delay what was becoming inevitable.
“If you can put up with me being moody, messy, and demanding, I would love to live with you.”
Nate sighed softly. Jade could hear the relief in the small sound. “You forgot bed-hogging, sheet-stealing, pushy, cantankerous, ouch, violent…” He trailed off as she elbowed him in the ribs. He nibbled at her ear before continuing, his voice dropping with each added word. “Beautiful, gorgeous, sexy.”
She collapsed back against him, his sinful voice stealing the starch from her backbone. It took her by surprise when Nate slid off, and she realized they were back at the stables. Nate lifted her down, holding her while she got her legs under her. His smile said louder than words that he loved the way he affected her.
He pinned her against the now-dry palomino. With the length of his body cradled tenderly against hers, he kissed her slowly, sweetly. Jade felt precious, cherished, as he held her with one big hand cradling the side of her face. He lifted away slowly, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. He gave her a tender but promising smile. “Go and have a shower. I’ll put Toby away and then we can go home.”
Jade felt like she was already home in his arms with the solid heat of the horse at her back, but she ran her tongue over the lip he had just deserted and nodded, heading for the house.
Chapter 26
When Jade walked into the house, she stopped dead. Something just didn’t feel right. Little things were missing. Her stereo, all the framed photos. She walked through to the bedroom and found the closet bare. A change of clothes was laid out on the bed, and that was it. She checked her bedside dresser. Even her vibrator was gone. The bathroom held a similar picture: soap in the shower, one lousy washcloth and towel. The cabinet was bare.
Apparently, the two younger Kelly boys had been pretty certain she was going to move in with them. Either that or there was a burglar around with really bad taste. With a smile she stepped into the shower, making sure her hair didn’t get wet. The little shits hadn’t even left her any shampoo or conditioner.
* * * *
Nate was waiting in the kitchen when she finished. He ran his eyes over the outfit the boys had left for her and smiled. Matt had obviously chosen it. The stretchy purple top had a deep scoop that showed the high, chocolate-colored, lace bra beneath. Clearly the bra was not designed to be worn with such a low neckline. The light floral skirt was one he had seen before. It was mainly orange. He noticed Jade looking around the front door.
“What are you looking for?” He did his best to keep a straight face. In the future he or Brett would pick Jade’s clothing when necessary. A lady’s maid Matt wasn’t.
“Shoes. Do you think either of those miscreants left me any, or am I supposed to wear long, muddy riding boots with this?” She gestured to her not-so-coordinated attire.
“The boots would probably match the bra, but that would be about it. How about I carry you instead?”
“You will hurt your back,” she admonished. “How are we getting there anyway? It looks like they took your truck.”
He held up a set of keys. “These were in the middle of the table.”
“That means I’m driving.” She put her hand out for the keys to her Camaro.
Before she could object he swept her up in his arms. “I can carry you anywhere, darlin’. You could never be too heavy for me.”
She wiggled for him to put her down. “Okay, you asked for it. I tried to do it the gentle way, but you have given me no choice.”
She gave a squeal when he heaved her up over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Her wiggle of protest was cut short when he slapped her ass, so accessible in that position. He pulled the door shut and headed for the shed where the Camaro was kept. He nearly missed a step when she decided his ass was in a fine position, too. Her hands found a way into his back pockets and squeezed.
“You are in so much trouble tonight, darlin’,” he promised her as his cock began to take notice of the proceedings. He opened the door and dumped her into the driver’s seat, being careful not to bang her head on the way. He thought it would be prudent not to give her the keys until he was safely in the passenger seat.
She drove over in record time, not speeding but not wasting a second either. When they arrived, the roller door to Brett’s garage was wide open, the lights on welcomingly. She parked in the space next to where Matt’s Harley sat beside Kermit.
“I feel privileged,” she said with a smile.
“You should. He won’t let my truck in here.” Nate managed to keep a straight face. His truck was as old as the mountains and had more dents than he could count.
“He might be scared that you will give it another ding, maybe on one of his toys this time.”
“Maybe, darlin’, I should get a new one so
that we can christen it.” He gave her a wicked grin, watching her blush. “It has got to be more comfortable than a Harley.”
They were still arguing good-naturedly about Nate’s proclivity for bumping into stationary objects when they reached the front porch. This time she had acquiesced to being carried with a little more dignity. Matt and Brett met them at the door, bumbling over each other in an effort to get out the door first. “We want…”
“I want…”
They glared at each other before Matt nodded, giving Brett the go-ahead to speak first.
“We…” He glared at Matt, “would like to carry you in.”
“Guys, I have been here how many times?” she asked, clearly amused at their antics.
“Humor them, darlin’. They have probably been working on this all afternoon,” Nate whispered in her ear.
“Yes, but this time you are here to stay.” Matt was oblivious to his eldest brother’s whisperings, a wide smile gracing his face.
* * * *
“Okay!” Giving in was probably the easiest course of action, Jade decided as both men stepped up to take a piece of her to carry over the threshold.
The first thing Jade saw when they carried her into the house was her parents’ wedding photo hanging prominently in the open kitchen-dining area. One of her jumping bareback on Axle hung on the opposite wall. Nate jarred her from her study of the changes in the Kelly house.
“I’ve got to grab a quick shower, darlin’. See if you can keep these two out of trouble for a few minutes.” She could feel his smile against her skin as he kissed her temple.
Brett looked her up and down. “That’s the last time numbnuts gets to pick something out for you to wear.” He couldn’t hide his grin as he turned to his brother. “Are you sure you are not colorblind?”
“I wasn’t thinking about the color, I was more concerned about the fit.” He sat his big hand on Jade’s waist where it wrapped halfway around, making her feel tiny. His gaze was fixed firmly on her breasts encased in chocolate lace, most of which was visible with the low scoop of the neckline. “Mmm, looks like chocolate over cream, but I can’t quite see the cherries on top.”
He craned his head in an effort to see further beneath the stretchy fabric, but the shirt clung faithfully. Brett slipped his arm around her shoulders, giving his brother a disgusted shake of his head. “She probably hasn’t eaten since breakfast, and you want to stand here ogling her boobs.” He looked down at the woman between them. “Did you have any lunch, Jadey?”
She shook her head. “I was too wired. It would have given the butterflies something to swoop through.”
“Oh, honey, it has been such a big day for you. First, the sale, and I bet seeing Axle after all this time wasn’t easy.” He caught the sharp look she gave him. “It’s okay, Jadey. We both know pretty much what happened, Nate can fill us in later. There is no need for you to go through it again. Come on, I cooked something special for you.”
“Thanks, Brett. I am not sure if I can do it justice. I am not very hungry.”
“That’s okay, honey. Just have a taste.”
He held the chair out for her at the tastefully set table. A single lavender rose sat in a crystal bud vase. The rose came from one of the old rose bushes growing along the sheltered southern side of the house. She knew they had been their mother’s pride and joy.
Nate made it out of the shower just as Brett was putting plates on the table.
A beautiful, crispy-skinned salmon fillet was served with a mascarpone dill topping. Baby salad greens with tiny tomatoes rounded the dish out. Jade groaned in appreciation as the first bite of seared salmon hit her tongue. Her taste buds went into orgasm at the flavors bombarding them. All three men gave her an amused look at the sound. “What?”
“That’s exactly the sound you make when…”
“Matt!” Nate cut him short. “Let her enjoy her dinner in peace.”A smile played around his lips as he applied himself to the meal in front of him. Jade hoped her blush didn’t show. Matt was right. It was exactly the sound she made when one of them slid inside her. Brett had a right to that smug look on his face. She noticed that the others shifted in their seats as well, proving they truly did love the involuntary sounds that embarrassed the hell out of her.
The dessert Jade said she could not possibly eat a bite of turned out to be a pecan pie, courtesy of Anna. Brett served it with a dollop of the heaviest cream Jade had ever seen. For someone who was full, she did pretty well, clearing her plate and chasing the last traces of cream with as much gusto as any of the men.
The three Kelly brothers shared a look. Jade felt anticipation build in the air when Matt cleared the table. Nate rose first and put his hand out for Jade’s. Curiosity tingled along her spine as she gave him her hand. He led her from the room with Matt and Brett following close behind, down the hall and toward Brett’s dungeon.
At the door he stopped. “This is your room, Jade. It is completely up to you if we are in here with you or in our own beds. You have the right to refuse us or tell us you want some time to yourself. There is no pressure now, nor will there ever be, for you to share this room with us. It is all up to you, darlin’.”
He opened the door, stepping back to let Jade in first. He hit the lights as she stepped over the threshold. Jade stopped with a gasp.
Black walls were now white, contrasting with the black-marbled tile. A huge, deep pile rug in hues of cream and ivory took up much of the floor. Built-in closets graced the once-mirrored wall, albeit with mirrored doors. The humungous bed was quilted with an ivory coverlet. Bedside tables now flanked its wide head.
Jade looked around in amazement. The closet slid open to reveal her clothing, all neatly sorted and stored. A quick look in the bathroom showed her toiletries laid out neatly. The only sign of its previous use were the eyehooks in the ceiling here and there. Brett saw the direction of her gaze. “Just in case you get bored, Jadey,” he assured her with a grin.
Jade was at a loss for words. “I can’t believe you have done all this for me.” She turned to the men, going first to Brett who had sacrificed his playroom to give her a place of her own. She held him tight, kissing him chastely but emotionally. Matty got the same treatment next. When she turned to Nate, he was holding out a small box.
“Marry me, Jade.” She could see his heart was in her hands as he laid it all on the line for her.
She turned to the two men standing at her back in confusion. Brett’s smile was gentle, the cobalt blue softened with warmth. “You can only marry one of us, honey. We know you are saying yes to all of us, but the small-minded world will only see Jade Douglas marrying that Kelly boy she used to follow around. They’ll feel sorry that you can’t get rid of those pesky younger brothers who just won’t leave home.”
She turned back to Nate, biting her lip as tears of pure emotion threatened. Hope blazed in his eyes. “Yes.” Her voice was soft, but all three brothers heard, swooping on her as Nate slid the ring on her finger.
It was a puzzle ring. Three bands of platinum snaked and twisted but were not joined in any way but by the marquise-cut emerald that held them together. It was stunningly beautiful but not what she had expected. Most engagement rings were diamonds and gold.
“Platinum is stronger than any gold, darlin’, and that stone matches your eyes when they are on fire,” Nate provided, reading her mind with ease.
She looked at her finger. One strong band for each of the men before her and her to hold them together, nothing could be more perfect.
She arched her body against Nate, draping her arms around his neck. “How about we find some of that fire right now?”
He lifted her with a smile, his lips finding hers as he carried her across to the bed. Three pairs of hands eased the clothing from her body, lips and trailing hands following in its wake.
They worshiped her body from head to toe, working as a well-oiled machine to see that no part of her went neglected. Matt even dragged himself away from her
breasts to lay gentle kisses on the arch of her foot.
Nate buried his head between her thighs, tongue lapping lazily in long swipes. In no particular hurry, the other two took a breast each. Jade knew who was on which breast from their technique. Matt was all deep sucks, his greedy mouth drawing as much of her breast into his mouth as he could. Brett was a tease—a tease with teeth. He rolled and flicked at her nipple until it stood to rigid attention before nipping it between sharp teeth, walking the line of pain closely but never crossing it.
She relaxed into their touch, absorbing the pleasure like rain on parched earth. There was no need to rush. They had taught her that delayed pleasure was even stronger than the instant gratification she had always chased.
She ran her hands over hot male skin, caressing bunching muscles and stubble kissed cheeks. These three men had the softest hair she had ever felt, like spun silk. Even Matt, who kept it military short, was soft and silky. It was an intriguing contrast with the crispness of their chest hair.
Through heavy lashes she watched her hand slide over Matt’s heavily muscled shoulder. Her fingers played over the tribal tattoo that decorated that side of his mouth-watering body. The contrast of her pale hand against the dark ink was electrifying, a visual feast.
Her eyes were drawn to the other side where blazing blue fire burned into them as teeth closed menacingly over her ruched nipple. She watched him hungrily, knowing Brett would never hurt her any more than she wanted to be hurt.
He lifted his head and kissed a line up her neck to nibble at her ear. “What do you want tonight, sweet?”
Jade knew what she wanted. She just hoped she was ready for it now. “I want Nate, but I don’t know if I can.”
“Leave it to me,” he breathed, nipping along her neck.
She heard the bedside table drawer slide but paid it no mind. Brett kissed his way down her body where he supplanted Nate at her molten core. The eldest brother crawled to her head, his blue gaze showing its love of the look of total pleasure on her face.