Branding Gemma [Grizzly Pines 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Paige Warren

  Gemma slid Ryan’s ring on his finger, then turned to Synclair and did the same. Synclair handed Gemma’s ring to Ryan, letting him do the honors, and smiled down at her hand once her ring was in place. This was it! She was truly married. Her heart filled with love for her men and she knew her memories of this day would never diminish. It was a day she would remember for the rest of her life.

  They thanked the man and went back to his office to sign some papers. While he had to have an official copy for the state’s records with just Ryan’s and Gemma’s signatures, he did pull out a small certificate, just printed on certificate paper you’d buy at the store, and had all three of them sign it.

  “I know this isn’t an official one,” he said. “But it will give you something to frame and put in your home, or in a wedding album. I keep these for relationships like yours. You’d be surprised at how many I’ve seen over the last few years.”

  “Thank you,” Gemma said, holding the certificate reverently.

  The man smiled, nodded, and ushered them out of his office. “Keep an eye on the mail for your official wedding certificate. You’ll need it for insurance purposes and any other time you need to prove you’re married. You’ll want to put it in a safe place.”

  Synclair took the certificate from her and gripped her hand, with Ryan claiming her other one. With a smile on her face so big her cheeks hurt, Gemma walked out of the courthouse with her husbands. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have the love of both of her men. They were truly amazing and she looked forward to spending the rest of her life with them.

  When they got in the car, Ryan smiled at her. “Ready for a party?”

  “Party?” Her brow furrowed. “What party? I thought we’d go home and celebrate.”

  Synclair cleared his throat. “Elodie called while you were getting ready this morning. It seems she’s put together an impromptu party to celebrate our marriage. It would hurt her feelings if we didn’t go.”

  “That means she told! She swore she wouldn’t tell anyone.”

  “It’s just your family, Gemma. They had to find out sooner or later, and since they didn’t show up at the courthouse to stop the wedding, I think you can relax.” Ryan smiled at her. “I think they’re happy for you, even if we didn’t include them in the big event.”

  Her shoulders sagged. “I was really looking forward to having some alone time with the two of you.”

  Ryan lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Darlin’, we have all the time in the world to be together. Spending a little time with your family won’t hurt anything.”

  “All right,” she agreed. “Let’s go to Elodie’s.”

  The guys were quiet on the way to the ranch and it made Gemma feel nervous. Did they know something she didn’t? This was just a party with Elodie and her cousins, right? Surely Elodie hadn’t told her brothers, because if she had, that meant her parents already knew and she had wanted to be the one to tell them. She’d just planned to do it after the wedding.

  When they pulled up to the house, Gemma groaned. There sat all of her brothers’ trucks, her cousins’ vehicles, as well as a gold truck and a bright red truck. Just seeing those last two vehicles was enough to make Gemma want to turn around and run. It meant that the whole family was here. How had they gotten here so fast? Elodie must have called them the night before.

  “Something wrong?” Synclair asked.

  “No. I just hope you’re prepared to meet my parents.” She pointed to the red truck. “That’s my daddy’s truck. And the gold one belongs to my Uncle Hank and Aunt Carol.”

  Ryan smiled. “I’d be delighted to meet your family.”

  “You say that now, but wait until Momma gets going about how she wasn’t invited to the wedding of her only daughter. Just wait and see.”

  They got out of the truck and stepped up onto the porch. Just as Gemma was reaching for the door, it opened and her Uncle Hank filled the doorway. He gave her a stern look, but it soon melted into a big smile.

  “You look beautiful, little girl.”

  “Uncle Hank, I’m not a little girl.”

  He laughed. “You’ll always be one to me. Come on inside. Everyone is waiting to see you.”

  Gemma slid past her uncle with her husbands in tow. She headed straight for the kitchen, where she knew everyone would be gathered, because really what southern family didn’t congregate in the kitchen whenever they got together for special occasions? Birthday? Gather around the kitchen table. Mother’s Day? Surround Momma at the kitchen table. All of her fondest memories of her family had happened in the kitchen.

  “There’s the bride!” Elodie shouted as Gemma walked through the door.

  She cast a glance around the room and saw her momma and daddy standing off to the side. She would have sworn there were tears in their eyes, but whether those were tears of joy or disappointment she didn’t know. Gemma, Synclair, and Ryan were all congratulated and hugged as the men were welcomed into the family. When they stopped in front of her parents, Gemma wasn’t sure what would happen.

  “My only daughter gets married and doesn’t invite her own parents. We had to hear about it from Elodie and your cousins. Even your brothers didn’t know! What kind of daughter does that?” her mother demanded.

  “Momma, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell you, it’s just…” How did she tell her mother she hadn’t wanted her meddling in this one event in her life? That she’d wanted to do it by herself?

  “I have to admit,” her father said, “I’d always thought I’d walk you down the aisle one day. But the important thing is that you’re happy. If you needed to elope in order for that to happen, then I’m okay with that.”

  She smiled and hugged him. “Thank you, Daddy.”

  “Mrs. Brower, we’re the ones who talked Gemma into a quick wedding,” Synclair said. “So don’t be mad at your daughter. We were just anxious to have her as our wife. A traditional wedding would have taken too long to plan.”

  Gemma’s mother snorted. “First of all, call me Peggy or call me Mom. Second, we could have put a wedding together on the spot if we needed to. All you really need is the preacher. You can get a store-bought cake at a moment’s notice. Might not be as pretty as one you order weeks in advance, but when you look back on your special day are you really going to be thinking about the cake?”

  Synclair smiled. “No, ma’am. The cake is the last thing on my mind today.”

  Her lips twisted into a half-smile. “Did you at least take pictures?”

  “Not of the ceremony,” Ryan said. “But Elodie was kind enough to take some before we left for the courthouse this morning. We’ll be sure to have copies made for everyone.”

  “You do that.” She smiled and patted him on the cheek. “Welcome to the family. Both of you.”

  “Now that that’s out of the way,” Asher said, rubbing his hands together. “I think it’s time for your wedding gift, and then I want to dig into the food Elodie has out back.”

  “Out back?” Gemma asked.

  “I ran to Wal-Mart this morning,” Beau said. “There are two portable gazebos out back with tables and chairs for your dining pleasure. And I picked up an arbor so we can take more wedding pictures, this time with your family.”

  Gemma went over and hugged him. “Thank you, Beau. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”

  He shrugged. “I figured we could use all of it again when we get Elodie down the aisle. Which I’m hoping is sooner rather than later.”

  “I feel awful that you had to cancel your wedding because of me.” Gemma twisted her hands. “When you’re ready to get married, I promise to help in any way I can.”

  “You just show up,” Elodie said. “Besides, I may make you a bridesmaid.”

  Gemma winced. “Does that mean another trip to the bridal shop? Because I was kind of hoping it was a onetime thing.”

  Elodie laughed. “Okay. No bridesmaid.”

  Nick handed her an envelope.

  “What
’s this?” Gemma asked.

  “Your wedding present. It’s from all of us.” Colt smiled. “I thought of it, but everyone pitched in.”

  Gemma broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out three papers. “I don’t understand.”

  “You’re going to Key West for your honeymoon,” her Aunt Carol said. Smiling, she looped her hand through Colt’s arm. “He reminded us that you’d always wanted to go, so we figured what better gift than three days someplace tropical.”

  Tears gathered in Gemma’s eyes at her family’s thoughtfulness. She hadn’t included them in her big day, and yet, they’d still gotten something for her. Something wonderful.

  “Thank you.” She went around the room hugging everyone. When she turned back to her men, she noticed they didn’t look surprised.

  “You were in on this?” she asked.

  Synclair smiled. “Someone had to pack our bags and load them into the back of the SUV when you weren’t looking.”

  “But I don’t have anything,” Gemma said.

  “Actually, we packed a bag for you,” Nick said. “Elodie helped. If had been up to us, you’d have been sleeping in your knit Mickey Mouse nightgown.”

  Gemma felt her cheeks heat as Synclair and Ryan chuckled. Oh well. Better they learn about her love of all things Disney now rather than when they unpacked her clothes. She even had socks with Winnie the Pooh on them. Bright red ones.

  “Come on,” Beck said. “Let’s go eat. The three of you need to be on the road soon. Your flight leaves San Antonio in five hours. That gives you just enough time to visit, take pictures, and get to the airport two hours in advance to check-in.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  After their plane had touched down, Synclair and Ryan had ushered Gemma toward the car rental kiosk and handed the woman their reservation sheet. It hadn’t taken long to get a car, even if it was on the small side, and be on their way. The trip to Key West was beautiful and Gemma had stared out of the window the entire way. Now that they were checked into their hotel room and had their things put away, she was ready to get out and explore the island. Excitement bubbled up inside of her. She just wished they could have been on their own private beach. She’d have loved making love to them on the sandy shore with the sounds of the ocean filling her ears.

  Maybe another time.

  “What do you want to do first?” Synclair asked.

  “Go to Margaritaville.”

  He laughed. “We can certainly do that, as long as you don’t get falling-down drunk. We have plans for you tonight.”

  Her skin warmed at his words and she felt the dampness between her thighs. She was very much looking forward to tonight. Although, without their room of toys, she wasn’t sure what tonight would bring. Whatever it held, she knew it would be amazing because it would be her first night as their wife. Tonight would rival all the other times they’d been together, regardless of what toys they did or didn’t have.

  She looked down at her sundress and sandals. “Do I look okay?”

  Synclair kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful as always.”

  Ryan led the way out of the hotel room, pocketing the key. Even though they had the use of a car, they decided to walk to Margaritaville, enjoying the sights along the way. It was busy when they got there, but they were able to find a table. One glance at the menu and Gemma knew what she wanted. She placed her order for jerk chicken and a virgin daiquiri. The guys, being typical Texans, ordered steaks and iced tea.

  Gemma had wanted to come to Margaritaville for as long as she could remember. Of course, back then she’d wanted to sample the alcoholic drinks. Still, she was having a nice time and enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. When their food arrived, everything looked wonderful. She stole bites from the guys’ plates and offered them a taste of her chicken. When the waitress dropped off their check, Synclair pulled out his phone and asked her to take a picture of them. None of them owned a camera so the cell phone shots would have to do.

  “What are you doing now?” she asked as he fiddled with his phone.

  “Posting the picture online so our friends and family can see it.”

  She laughed. “Are you going to do that every time someone takes a picture of us?”

  “Probably.” He grinned. “How else am I going to show off my new wife? This is my way of shouting it to the world.”

  “Are you telling me your clients can see those, too?”

  “Clients, friends, family…anyone who stumbles across my page.”

  Gemma rolled her eyes but smiled.

  Ryan dropped some money on the table and stood. “Ready to take a walk on the beach? It should be pretty in the moonlight.”

  “I’d love to.” She stood and looped her arm through his, then pulled Synclair over and grabbed his hand. If they got a few strange looks on their way out of the restaurant, she didn’t care. Everything was right in her world just then.

  Gemma removed her shoes to walk in the sand and she paused at the water’s edge, letting the waves lap at her feet. The water was warm and the foam clung to her toes as the waves receded, then came crashing over her feet again. The moonlight from the full moon shimmered on the water and the tang of brine filled the air. It was a magical night, a night full of promise and new beginnings. A gentle breeze blew her hair across her face and she pushed it behind her ear.

  Ryan and Synclair sat in the sand, tugging her down between them. She stretched her legs out, letting the surf flirt with her feet and caress her ankles. The skirt of her dress fluttered in the breeze, baring most of her thighs. Synclair pulled the strap of her dress down and kissed her shoulder. His lips travelled up the column of her neck and he paused to nibble on her ear.

  “What are you doing?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Making love to my wife,” he said between kisses.

  “On the beach? In front of everyone?”

  He paused and looked around. “There’s no one nearby. It’s late and most people are out partying or taking moonlit cruises.”

  Ryan bared her other shoulder, tugging the top of her dress down under her breasts. Her nipples pebbled and she felt a thrill of the forbidden race through her. She’d never had sex in public before, but it seemed her husbands were determined. It would definitely make for a memorable honeymoon. Giving herself up to the pleasure, she turned herself over to them completely, shutting out all thoughts of being discovered.

  They tugged her dress and panties off before removing their shirts. It hardly seemed fair they still had their pants on, but their lips and hands were doing wonderful things to her, distracting her. She felt decadent, lying in the moonlight with her lovers surrounding her. They caressed and teased, raising her temperature from the incredible sensations flowing through her. Every stroke of her nipples had her pussy clenching and begging to be filled.

  They paused long enough to remove the rest of their clothes then rejoined her on the sand, their bodies brushing against hers. The crisp hair on their legs tickled her thighs, as their hands warmed her from the inside out. Ryan kissed her, nearly drowning her with his passion, as Synclair kissed his way down her body, stopping only long enough to slip between her legs, pushing them wide with his shoulders.

  Open for the world to see her, Gemma felt her heart racing out of control, but she no longer feared getting caught. She didn’t care who saw them, as long as they didn’t stop. God, please don’t let them stop! Ryan’s lips closed over the tip of one breast as Synclair spread the lips of her pussy and he feasted on her clit, sucking, licking, and nibbling.

  Her thighs began to shake as she gripped a handful of sand, fighting the urge to grab Synclair’s hair and grind on his face. That talented tongue of his was taking her higher and higher. He slid a finger inside and her pussy grabbed it, greedily sucking it in, wanting more. She ached for his cock!

  “I want to remember you like this always,” Ryan said. “Passion filling your eyes as the moonlight caresses your skin. You’re beautiful.”

&nb
sp; “Ryan.” She cupped his face and pulled him down for a kiss.

  Synclair moved over her body, her hips cradling his. “Do you want both of us at the same time?”

  She broke from Ryan’s kiss. “I thought you said we wouldn’t do that again for a while.”

  Synclair grinned. “It’s our wedding night, baby. We can do anything you want.”

  Gemma ran her fingers through his hair. “Then yes, I want that, very much. But…we’re on the beach. It isn’t like we have lube handy.”

  Ryan rummaged in his pants pocket, producing a small tube of lube and two condoms. “I came prepared, just in case.”

  He rolled to his back and rolled on a condom, then motioned for her to straddle him. She swung a leg over his hips and sank onto his shaft, moaning as it filled her. Her hands clutched at the muscles of his chest, needing a way to ground herself. She was already so close to coming, it wouldn’t take much to set her off.

  With hungry eyes, she watched as Synclair put on the condom and slathered lube along his cock. He moved behind her, his slick fingers sliding between the cheeks of her ass. As his finger dipped inside of her, she pushed back against him. She felt the slide of the digit as he thrust in and out of her, slicking her passage. He added a second finger and she couldn’t stop herself from moving, her hips shifting back and forth in effort to fuck herself both on his fingers and on Ryan’s cock.

  “Feels so good,” she purred.

  Synclair placed a hand on her waist as he added a third finger. She ground herself against Ryan, needing more. Gemma wanted to feel both of them inside of her. The teasing strokes of Synclair’s fingers felt incredible, but it wasn’t enough.

  “Don’t make me beg,” she pleaded. “I need you. Both of you, right now.”

  She felt Synclair shift behind her, and then he was guiding his cock into her. Her ass stretched and burned, but it felt so damn good, so perfect. There was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to make love to both of her husbands at the same time. Once he was inside of her, she couldn’t hold still. Every nerve in her body was on fire, the flames licking out of control along her skin.